Chapter Two

Both men chuckled and fell mostly silent until they were on the highway. Then, BJ spoke again.

"So how's life been treatin' ya, Hawk?" He asked seriously. "We haven't talked in over a year." A tired, sad look came over Hawkeye. "Listen, Beej, I'm sorry about that. Ever since my dad went into the hospital, I just haven't been able to keep in touch." The other man nodded and became quiet again. Daniel Pierce had been admitted into Portland General around thirteen months ago for periodic kidney failure.

"BJ..." Hawkeye started again. "How come you never told me about Ben and Charlie? Both of them look a bit over a year old." BJ grinned and said "I was saving it as a surprise for everybody, including you. God... I can't believe it's been ten years since everybody from that hellhole saw eachother at the same time. There'll be some great memories to relive." Hawk nodded and said casually "Yeah. You know, Beej, I'm real glad you could make it. The wife'll be dying to meet you. She said that she feels as though she's knew you all through those two years you were at the Camp. We were even very close during the war, you know."

The other man could only stare disbelievingly in his best friend's direction. "Uh... is there anything /else/ you'd like to tell me, Hawk?" "Well, there is one other reason for my lack of communication." Hawkeye said thoughtfully. "When my son was born seven years ago, I was so busy trying to keep up with learning to take care of him that I stopped having time to talk on the phone. He was going to the physician regularly for asthma by the time we sorta... grew apart. But now that there's another on the way-" "HOLD UP A MINUTE!" BJ said, feeling as though he might faint. "You've got a kid, and another on the way? And you're married?! Hawk, I can't believe this!" Hawkeye's bright eyes danced in fun as he just smirked, not revealing any more information.

"So... who's the wife?" BJ asked tenatively, to which the driver only replied "You'll have to find out." "Awww!" BJ had raised a menacing fist, pretending that he was going to punch him, when Peg grabbed his arm from the backseat and reprimanded him like a child."

"BJ Hunnicutt! How many times have I told you not to harass the driver?" Trying not to expell the laughter that had been swelling up inside him, Hawkeye's pale face had turned a faint shade of pink. "What's so funny?" Peg asked, a small smile of amusement curling on her lips. "I have to get after him for bugging when I'm driving."

That started it. Hawkeye was laughing so hard he almost had to pull over so they wouldn't hit another car or something. Eventually he did pull over on the side of the road and collapsed against the steeringwheel, still chuckling to himself. BJ just looked confused. "Hah... never... harass a woman... when she's... driving..." Another wave of uncontainable laughter bubbled out. Then, a wide-eyed grin of understanding appeared on his friend's face and they said in unision "Frank!" "Oh my God! I can't believe we still remember that!" BJ cried between gusts of laughter. "That home video was hilarious! How she just shoved him out of the way! We could almost hear her goin' 'C'mon Frank, move over! I'm driving!'" Doing an odd impression of what he thought Louise Burns might sound like, he finally got the giggles to die down.

"Are you talking about that 'Ferret Face' man?" Bad choice of words on Peg's part. The two friends started up again, laughing until their faces turned light shades of red. Then Benjamin piped up from the back. It was the first time Hawkeye had heard his namesake speak. "Daddy, why aren't we moving?" "Because you're uncle Hawk's a maniac driver, Hawke- er, Ben." The little boy looked confused for a moment, before settling back in between Erin and his mother. Then, with a smug grin, he leaned over and said to his big sister "What say you, ferret face?" Hawkeye struggled to keep from exploding into laughter again, and pulled out onto the road. For the rest of the ride they were silent, simply smiling at one another every few minutes. There were no words appropriate for such a situation. Reunited after ten years...