Part Five: Love Stories
"Radar, Patty, you're sleeping on the foldout couch, I'm sorry there's only one spare room." Peggy said as they tried to sort out the kid's beds for the night.
"Margaret must have it of course." Patty said.
"There's a spare bed in Erin's room that Henry can have." Peggy offered
"No, he can come in with us and Nancy's fine in her pram." Radar looked at his three and a bit son who was dozing in the armchair. Nancy, the O'Reilly's younger child, a girl of barely 2 months had already had a feed and was asleep.
"BJ, give Radar a hand setting the bed up. I'd better put Shortcake to bed, I'll bring her by to say goodnight in a minute." BJ and Radar set up the bed, while Patty took Henry upstairs for a quick wash. It took a while but finally all the kids were ready to be tucked in.
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"Goodnight Shortcake." BJ kissed his daughter goodnight a few minutes later. She hugged him sleepily.
"Night Princess, daddy's coming tomorrow, so sleep tight and when you wake up, Uncle BJ will go and pick him up and bring him here." Margaret tucked her older daughter in at the same time.
"Goodnight Shortcake." Margaret ran a hand over Grace's face, but the little girl was tired out and didn't respond.
"Night Princess," BJ received a shy hug from Danielle.
"Aunty Megs, daddy will you tuck me in?" Erin came to the door.
"After we've put Ryan and Molly to bed," Margaret promised as they crossed the hall. Peggy sat in the nursery, feeding Ryan and Molly stood up in her cot.
"Listen Sweet Pea, some of us have to sleep tonight, did she wake at all with Ryan?" Margaret asked as she lay Molly down.
"No she didn't, my little Scamp didn't wake her at all." Peggy and BJ put Ryan in bed. Molly demanded a lullaby, and a little exasperated, Margaret started to sing.
"Rock a bye Molly on the treetops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, but Daddy will catch her, cradle and all." Molly's eyelids lost the battle about the same time Ryan's did and both families tiptoed from the room.
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"Well, Radar, tell us how you and Patty met." Peggy asked. She'd just made some lemonade and the five adults sat around the table, sipping the cold drink.
"Well, Margaret, BJ, you know the story. I met her in Tokyo, I was on R&R."
"Rest and reading," Margaret and BJ put in together.
"Anyway, we swapped addresses and we started writing. Then we met up again." Radar smiled a little nervously at his friends.
"Then?" Margaret prompted and Patty continued.
"Then we saw each other so often, it was like we were going steady. One night though, he took me to the fair and he was so nervous, his 'Radar' wasn't working properly. Turns out he wanted to propose to me on the top of the Ferris wheel. Of course I said yes, and we were married on the 22nd of July 1953."
"Day before the peace treaty was signed. Kind of ironic, don't you think?" BJ put in.
"Ssh, let her finish." Both Margaret and Peggy whispered, looking dreamy at the romantic story that was being related to them.
"Well, then in 1957, our fourth anniversary present was little Henry and then Nancy was born in May. We live on his farm with his Ma who sits the kids while Walter and I run the farm."
"Oh how wonderful!" Peggy said as Patty finished the story.
"Margaret," BJ smiled with an evil glint to his eye, "Tell us about your husband." Margaret smiled, determined to lie her way through it when the phone rang.
"That'll be Ben, I'll get it," She stood up and answered the phone.
"Hey honey, they're sound asleep. Hmm, yep, yeah that's okay I'll tell BJ, see you then sweetheart. Bye, love you." She hung the phone up and turned back to the group.
"Ben's going to be late, he's getting on Sunday instead; he put off his flight because of something. Doctors are too busy." Margaret sat down at the table.
"That's fine. Now, how did you meet?" BJ pressed, sensing his old friend was hiding something. Margaret held her hands up in mock-surrender, laughing.
"Okay, okay I'll tell you! Ben and I had known each other for quite a while. He and I wound up in Portland, he was there visiting an old friend and I was there on a conference. Anyway, I didn't expect to run into him, but I did. We walked straight into each other, and it took us about two seconds before we were hugging like there was no tomorrow. I skipped the conference, and he took me out on the town. We had a lovely time, and it was like he'd planned it all along. In fact, if I didn't know he was as surprised as I was, I can read that man like a book, I would have said had planned it."
"What did you do?" Peggy asked curiously.
"No, don't tell her, it'll make me look bad!" BJ cracked and he and Peggy shared a loving kiss.
"Oh we just had dinner, but it was just so good to see him. He knew the entire town backwards, and he took me to all the best places, that were so quiet and private. We ordered lobster and took it out onto the cliffs; it was just so beautiful with the sun setting behind us. We went for a walk and I tripped and nearly went over the edge."
"Oh my goodness!" Peggy gasped, while Patty and Radar had their hands over their mouths in horror.
"He pulled me back, but I tell you my whole life flashed before my eyes. Once he had me on solid ground again, he held onto me to make sure I was okay. I told him that I was in debt to him for the rest of my life."
"Never say that to a man, unless you can stand being loved to death!" Patty chuckled, squeezing her husband's hand lovingly.
"This is the really good bit, Ben really never wastes a moment, and this was a doozy as far as he was concerned. He asked me then, if I was so deeply in debt, would it lighten my load to marry him." A small laugh rippled around the table.
"That's so lovely! Walter told me he didn't have a lot, but he'd share whatever he had and that he'd do anything for me." Patty kissed Radar's blushing face.
"BJ said he'd love me forever and he'd crawl on his hands and knees if it made me happy." Peggy and BJ shared a warm glance.
"I'd only been back with him for two hours but I said of course I would. I'd loved that man since forever. We got married on the 14th of May 1956, and on our six-month anniversary, Danielle arrived."
"Wow, you guys didn't waste any time!" Radar exclaimed, and then blushed.
"Well, that's what made us hurry up a little. Danielle wasn't 100% planned. Well, she was, but she was just 5 months too early. When I found out I was pregnant, we put the wedding forwards. We tried to get you out for the wedding, but I just couldn't contact you. Colonel Potter came though."
"Did Hawkeye come?" BJ asked. Margaret bit her tongue as she tried not to laugh.
"Yes, he was at the wedding." She answered poker-faced."
"So you were three months pregnant when you married?" Patty asked.
"Yes, it was no real worry, we just became parents a lot sooner. I've left the army of course, and my discharge didn't come through till Danielle was 2 days old."
"If only I could have gotten pregnant in Korea!" BJ laughed, "If it got me out of there, I would have done it!" Peggy looked disgusted at her husband's sad sense of humour.
"It sounds like you and Ben are very happy together." Patty smiled, and Margaret noticed the soft embrace her husband had her in.
"We are, we couldn't be happier. Danielle and Molly are just so wonderful, we really couldn't ask for much more, except a little boy." Margaret's hands massaged her swollen belly.
"Oh, Walter and I are very happy too Henry and Nancy are just dreams come true." Patty's voice was soft and musical, prompting Peggy to ask if she sang at all.
"Oh, sometimes." Patty blushed; she and her husband had very similar reserved natures and didn't like the limelight.
"When she puts Henry to bed, she sings then, and she has a voice like you wouldn't believe. It's swell to hear her. She's got a more beautiful voice than I've ever heard." Radar spoke up.
"More beautiful than mine?" Margaret asked teasingly, catching Patty's eye.
"Yes, I mean no ma'am." Radar fumbled for an answer pleasing to everyone.
"Walter, you said my voice was the nicest thing you've ever heard!" Patty faked upset and Radar rose to the occasion, trying to soothe her, without upsetting Margaret.
"Yes it is, it's just that Major Houlihan, I mean Margaret's voice is real pretty too, but your's is nice, and, and, hey! What's so funny?" Radar demanded as Margaret and Patty burst out laughing.
"You my dear, you're so willing to please everyone, but you can't always manage it." Patty kissed Radar on the cheek. BJ started laughing too and clapped Radar on the shoulder.
"Well, they got you good there! Never mind, there's all of tomorrow for our revenge, and who knows, maybe this mysterious 'Ben' is a practical joker." BJ gave the two women his best evil glare.
"Oh, he's a joker all right." Margaret chuckled and proceeded to tell a story. They spent the rest of the evening sharing laughs and love stories before heading to bed.
"Radar, Patty, you're sleeping on the foldout couch, I'm sorry there's only one spare room." Peggy said as they tried to sort out the kid's beds for the night.
"Margaret must have it of course." Patty said.
"There's a spare bed in Erin's room that Henry can have." Peggy offered
"No, he can come in with us and Nancy's fine in her pram." Radar looked at his three and a bit son who was dozing in the armchair. Nancy, the O'Reilly's younger child, a girl of barely 2 months had already had a feed and was asleep.
"BJ, give Radar a hand setting the bed up. I'd better put Shortcake to bed, I'll bring her by to say goodnight in a minute." BJ and Radar set up the bed, while Patty took Henry upstairs for a quick wash. It took a while but finally all the kids were ready to be tucked in.
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"Goodnight Shortcake." BJ kissed his daughter goodnight a few minutes later. She hugged him sleepily.
"Night Princess, daddy's coming tomorrow, so sleep tight and when you wake up, Uncle BJ will go and pick him up and bring him here." Margaret tucked her older daughter in at the same time.
"Goodnight Shortcake." Margaret ran a hand over Grace's face, but the little girl was tired out and didn't respond.
"Night Princess," BJ received a shy hug from Danielle.
"Aunty Megs, daddy will you tuck me in?" Erin came to the door.
"After we've put Ryan and Molly to bed," Margaret promised as they crossed the hall. Peggy sat in the nursery, feeding Ryan and Molly stood up in her cot.
"Listen Sweet Pea, some of us have to sleep tonight, did she wake at all with Ryan?" Margaret asked as she lay Molly down.
"No she didn't, my little Scamp didn't wake her at all." Peggy and BJ put Ryan in bed. Molly demanded a lullaby, and a little exasperated, Margaret started to sing.
"Rock a bye Molly on the treetops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, but Daddy will catch her, cradle and all." Molly's eyelids lost the battle about the same time Ryan's did and both families tiptoed from the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, Radar, tell us how you and Patty met." Peggy asked. She'd just made some lemonade and the five adults sat around the table, sipping the cold drink.
"Well, Margaret, BJ, you know the story. I met her in Tokyo, I was on R&R."
"Rest and reading," Margaret and BJ put in together.
"Anyway, we swapped addresses and we started writing. Then we met up again." Radar smiled a little nervously at his friends.
"Then?" Margaret prompted and Patty continued.
"Then we saw each other so often, it was like we were going steady. One night though, he took me to the fair and he was so nervous, his 'Radar' wasn't working properly. Turns out he wanted to propose to me on the top of the Ferris wheel. Of course I said yes, and we were married on the 22nd of July 1953."
"Day before the peace treaty was signed. Kind of ironic, don't you think?" BJ put in.
"Ssh, let her finish." Both Margaret and Peggy whispered, looking dreamy at the romantic story that was being related to them.
"Well, then in 1957, our fourth anniversary present was little Henry and then Nancy was born in May. We live on his farm with his Ma who sits the kids while Walter and I run the farm."
"Oh how wonderful!" Peggy said as Patty finished the story.
"Margaret," BJ smiled with an evil glint to his eye, "Tell us about your husband." Margaret smiled, determined to lie her way through it when the phone rang.
"That'll be Ben, I'll get it," She stood up and answered the phone.
"Hey honey, they're sound asleep. Hmm, yep, yeah that's okay I'll tell BJ, see you then sweetheart. Bye, love you." She hung the phone up and turned back to the group.
"Ben's going to be late, he's getting on Sunday instead; he put off his flight because of something. Doctors are too busy." Margaret sat down at the table.
"That's fine. Now, how did you meet?" BJ pressed, sensing his old friend was hiding something. Margaret held her hands up in mock-surrender, laughing.
"Okay, okay I'll tell you! Ben and I had known each other for quite a while. He and I wound up in Portland, he was there visiting an old friend and I was there on a conference. Anyway, I didn't expect to run into him, but I did. We walked straight into each other, and it took us about two seconds before we were hugging like there was no tomorrow. I skipped the conference, and he took me out on the town. We had a lovely time, and it was like he'd planned it all along. In fact, if I didn't know he was as surprised as I was, I can read that man like a book, I would have said had planned it."
"What did you do?" Peggy asked curiously.
"No, don't tell her, it'll make me look bad!" BJ cracked and he and Peggy shared a loving kiss.
"Oh we just had dinner, but it was just so good to see him. He knew the entire town backwards, and he took me to all the best places, that were so quiet and private. We ordered lobster and took it out onto the cliffs; it was just so beautiful with the sun setting behind us. We went for a walk and I tripped and nearly went over the edge."
"Oh my goodness!" Peggy gasped, while Patty and Radar had their hands over their mouths in horror.
"He pulled me back, but I tell you my whole life flashed before my eyes. Once he had me on solid ground again, he held onto me to make sure I was okay. I told him that I was in debt to him for the rest of my life."
"Never say that to a man, unless you can stand being loved to death!" Patty chuckled, squeezing her husband's hand lovingly.
"This is the really good bit, Ben really never wastes a moment, and this was a doozy as far as he was concerned. He asked me then, if I was so deeply in debt, would it lighten my load to marry him." A small laugh rippled around the table.
"That's so lovely! Walter told me he didn't have a lot, but he'd share whatever he had and that he'd do anything for me." Patty kissed Radar's blushing face.
"BJ said he'd love me forever and he'd crawl on his hands and knees if it made me happy." Peggy and BJ shared a warm glance.
"I'd only been back with him for two hours but I said of course I would. I'd loved that man since forever. We got married on the 14th of May 1956, and on our six-month anniversary, Danielle arrived."
"Wow, you guys didn't waste any time!" Radar exclaimed, and then blushed.
"Well, that's what made us hurry up a little. Danielle wasn't 100% planned. Well, she was, but she was just 5 months too early. When I found out I was pregnant, we put the wedding forwards. We tried to get you out for the wedding, but I just couldn't contact you. Colonel Potter came though."
"Did Hawkeye come?" BJ asked. Margaret bit her tongue as she tried not to laugh.
"Yes, he was at the wedding." She answered poker-faced."
"So you were three months pregnant when you married?" Patty asked.
"Yes, it was no real worry, we just became parents a lot sooner. I've left the army of course, and my discharge didn't come through till Danielle was 2 days old."
"If only I could have gotten pregnant in Korea!" BJ laughed, "If it got me out of there, I would have done it!" Peggy looked disgusted at her husband's sad sense of humour.
"It sounds like you and Ben are very happy together." Patty smiled, and Margaret noticed the soft embrace her husband had her in.
"We are, we couldn't be happier. Danielle and Molly are just so wonderful, we really couldn't ask for much more, except a little boy." Margaret's hands massaged her swollen belly.
"Oh, Walter and I are very happy too Henry and Nancy are just dreams come true." Patty's voice was soft and musical, prompting Peggy to ask if she sang at all.
"Oh, sometimes." Patty blushed; she and her husband had very similar reserved natures and didn't like the limelight.
"When she puts Henry to bed, she sings then, and she has a voice like you wouldn't believe. It's swell to hear her. She's got a more beautiful voice than I've ever heard." Radar spoke up.
"More beautiful than mine?" Margaret asked teasingly, catching Patty's eye.
"Yes, I mean no ma'am." Radar fumbled for an answer pleasing to everyone.
"Walter, you said my voice was the nicest thing you've ever heard!" Patty faked upset and Radar rose to the occasion, trying to soothe her, without upsetting Margaret.
"Yes it is, it's just that Major Houlihan, I mean Margaret's voice is real pretty too, but your's is nice, and, and, hey! What's so funny?" Radar demanded as Margaret and Patty burst out laughing.
"You my dear, you're so willing to please everyone, but you can't always manage it." Patty kissed Radar on the cheek. BJ started laughing too and clapped Radar on the shoulder.
"Well, they got you good there! Never mind, there's all of tomorrow for our revenge, and who knows, maybe this mysterious 'Ben' is a practical joker." BJ gave the two women his best evil glare.
"Oh, he's a joker all right." Margaret chuckled and proceeded to tell a story. They spent the rest of the evening sharing laughs and love stories before heading to bed.