Part Six: Telling The Truth

"You ready girls?" Hawkeye called up the stairs. Two voices answered him, and the girls called back a response.

"Well Perdi sweetheart, are you ready?" Nicolette asked.

"Are you?" Perdita queried anxiously.

"I think so." Nicolette swallowed firmly.

"Let's go." Together, arms linked, the girls headed downstairs. They were about to graduate high school, and afterwards, they were going to tell their families the truth about themselves. They'd kept the secret for nearly two years, and now, at 18 this was the first time their families had been together since the girls were 15 and the first opportunity to tell them.

"Wow! Here are our graduates!" Peggy called. As the gown-clad girls made their way downstairs it was a muddle of camera flashes and hugging parents and congratulating siblings.

"Daddy, where's Aunty Margaret?"

"Coming, Amelia was feeling a bit ill on the train." Margaret had married a widowed, non-army, older man by the name of Thomas last year. In the process she had adopted Tom Jr, Casey and Amelia Thomas's kids. The instant family gave her a lot of satisfaction, as she knew that she was past childbearing age.

"Good, I was wondering, I don't want to do this without her." Perdita replied, just as someone opened the always-unlocked front door and breezed in.

"Hello! Where are my favourite nieces?" The girls ran into the hall and were lost in a flurry of hugs and exclamations as Margaret, Thomas and the kids met them.

"Aunty Margaret!" Gabriella and Antoinette, now 9 joined the group.

"Hello!" Margaret bent and accepted the onslaught of giggling girls. Somehow they managed to make it into the living room of the bustling Pierce home.

"Celina, you look younger everyday!" Margaret and Celina embraced, it was her way of letting Hawkeye know she still wasn't happy about what had happened 18 years before.

She had been suspicious when she heard that Hawkeye had become friends with Celina, and even more so when Hawkeye had taken her to a dance, only meant as a nice gesture to help the shy girl have some fun, and hopefully have her meet a nice boy, more her age. Celina had been shy at the dance, and clung to Hawkeye most of the night, only dancing with him, and refusing other offers.

Margaret had met Celina, seen her and Hawkeye together and knew they were just friends. This reassurance however didn't stop her having a feeling that they would become more than friends no matter what; rather like she and Hawkeye had. For no matter how hard the Captain and Major fought, they managed to end up in each other's arms, even beds, Margaret and Hawkeye had shared a couple of nights in Korea together.

Margaret was right, of course, and when Hawkeye and Celina returned to Hawkeye's house after the dance, they had only felt it was natural to be together. Margaret had been furious when a few months later, Hawkeye had rung with the news he was going to be a father, but still attended the wedding, and was there to see her adopted nieces and nephews brought into the world. Including the most recent, and rather unexpected addition, Cherie Bianca shortly before her wedding.

"Merci Marguerite, and Amelia, Casey! Ma petite!" Celina mixed her languages and although mostly incoherent, sounded just plain beautiful as she swept the girls into her arms.

A few million hugs later, the group left for the ceremony. Although neither girl had been declared valedictorian they had both done well and had been accepted into the same college where BJ had gone. It was the Honnicut's turn to have an extra daughter and the Pierce's turn to wonder how their baby was going on the other side of the country. Both families were proud of their daughters, who wanted to be doctors, or even surgeons like their fathers, however if they could help it, the Army was out of the question, having heard so many stories about the horrors that happened to their fathers and Margaret in Korea.

The girls had declined invites to after-grad parties, not wanting to miss the opportunity to be with their families. Besides, they had no desire to watch everyone get drunk, smoke some stuff, listen to music played really loudly and have a bunch of slimy guys hit on them. The last invite had been to Christina's party, Christina-May their old friend had turned quite the hippy-party girl and with a laugh, Perdita and Nicolette refused Angie's offer, saying that they could find out who'd gotten pregnant at the party later on.

It was now late in the night and only BJ, Peggy, Erin, Emmylou Erin's friend, Margaret, Celina, Hawkeye, Cherie and the two girls remained awake. They were sitting in the living room, winding down and enjoying some cocoa.

"What about Erin and Emmylou can they hear?" Nicolette asked, while they changed into some comfortable clothes, 'fatigues' as their fathers and Margaret still called them.

"Course! Remember what I told you about them? Besides, if the worst comes to worst, they'll back us up. They know what it's like, I'm sure we'll have Erin and Emmylou on our side."

"Oh, right. How's your dad going to take it, I mean, two daughters, what are the odds that Caitlin's going to turn out the same?" Erin, now 22 had told her parents about a relationship with Emmylou, a friend from college early last year. BJ and Peggy had accepted it well, but even Perdita had doubts they'd appreciate two of their three daughters not being 'normal' whatever that meant these days.

"Yeah, what if Caitlin . . .?" Perdita wondered aloud. Caitlin Margaret was 12, the fourth and last Honnicut child. Between Perdita and Caitlin, a boy, Benjamin Hayden had been born and was 16.

"No, she's too much of a flirt already. Look at how she acts around Tom. Tie my hair for me there's a darling." It was said that Caitlin's middle name ought to be Delilah, she was a flirt with silky blonde curls, big green eyes, long eyelashes and full, pink lips, she was often called this, and answered to it anyhow.

"Nice point Nikki love, well, shall we?" The two girls went downstairs, holding hands and squeezed into the same armchair, as it was the only space left.

The girls took little part in the trivial conversation that followed, only answering politely when spoken to. They were asked what was wrong, when someone realised they were so silent.

"Well, actually, mum, daddy, Aunty Margaret, there's something we want to tell you." Nicolette said.

"Yes daddy, mum we do have news for you."

"Would you like us to go?" Erin asked. She was a well-mannered beautiful woman now, and stood up to give her sister room to talk, offering Emmylou a hand up.

"No, Erin, we want to you stay, you too Emmylou." Nicolette said. Erin sat down beside Emmylou again, her slim hand finding the solid black one of her New Orleans-born friend.

"What is it sweetie?" BJ looked at his daughters."

"Yes Nicolette, what is this news?" Celina asked.

"Well, you see, we're in love." Nicolette said slowly.

"You've got a boyfriend?" Hawkeye asked. "Both of you at once?" He and BJ shared jubilant glances.

"My girls are growing up!" BJ cheered, while Peggy grinned from ear-to-ear and Celina looked happy.

"We-el, see it's that I'm not sure if you'll approve of WHO we love." Perdita said.

"Been in the stockade?" BJ asked, both girls shook their heads firmly.

"Does drugs?" Hawkeye asked, again receiving a definite no.

"You love the same boy?" Peggy asked, getting a negative answer.

"He is older than you?" Celina asked, at this they shared glances, Perdita was a few months older than Nicolette.

"No, not older than me." Perdita said.

"But a few months older than I." Nicolette added. "But that's not it."

"They won't be using a razor on their chin will they?" Emmylou said softly, her half-drawled accent sounded out-of-place in the combination of Maine and San Francisco voices that filled the room.

"Hopefully not!" Nicolette and Perdita began to laugh, and the adults caught on.

"You're saying that you two . . .?" BJ's voice trailed off.

"Yes." Perdita confirmed. "Daddy, Mum, Hawkeye, Celina, Aunty Margaret, Erin, Emmylou, you see Nicolette and I, we're well, we're lesbians."