Part Seven: All Is Revealed
"So, we'll finally get to meet Ben." BJ smiled, sipping his coffee. They were eating in the kitchen, that is to say the Potters, BJ, Radar, Henry, Erin and Danielle were eating. Molly was more interested in mushing her food and Margaret was trying to keep it off the walls and floor. Peggy and Patty were nursing their babies, and Grace sat under Peggy's chair, gnawing on an hour-old piece of toast.
"Yes, but Margaret, Mildred, Patty and I are going to pick him up. You boys are minding the kids, babies and all." Peggy said with a smirk.
"That's just cruel! I've been waiting for days!" BJ protested.
"Tough." Margaret poked her tongue out at BJ. "Margaret Rhiannon, you eat your breakfast!" She snapped, as Molly tried to rub her food in her hair. The toddler's face crumpled and she started to cry. "Shh Molly my sweet, I'm sorry Sweet Pea." Margaret lifted Molly from the highchair and rocked her until she was quiet.
"I see the Major is still there." Colonel Potter laughed.
"Yes, she is and I'm sorry for yelling then. It's just that Blossom kept me up all night by sitting on my bladder."
"Blossom?" Patty asked, burping Nancy.
"The baby's nickname if I have a girl. If I have a boy, Sport. We managed to pick this one's name within an hour of knowing I was expecting. We argued for months over Danielle's name, and Molly had no name for three days."
"What have you picked?" Mildred asked.
"Ben Jr if it's a boy. Victoria Jocelyn if I have another girl. Beej, Peg, what are your kids' middle names?"
"Erin Judith, Grace Christine, and Ryan has my maiden name, Hayden." Peggy said, with a fond glace at her kids. Erin was sharing a big bowl of cornflakes with Danielle, and both girls were enjoying it immensely.
"They're lovely. Ours are Henry Blake and Nancy Patricia." Radar said with a smile.
"Gosh, Peg, aren't we supposed to go in an hour?" Margaret gasped checking the clock over Molly's head.
"Yes." Hurriedly the women dressed themselves and their children, leaving orders to take good care of them. Only Margaret was relaxed in leaving Danielle and Molly with Colonel Potter and while Peggy and Patty were giving lengthy lectures about the precise way to hold/rock/settle their children, Margaret gave a few basic instructions. .
"They'll be good as gold, if Danielle cries, sing to her, if Molly cries, rock her. Don't let Danielle have anything else to eat, she'll make herself ill and Molly is not to have anything to drink but water, she had a bottle of juice at breakfast and that's plenty. Be good for the Colonel girls." She kissed them both and handed Molly to the Colonel.
"Tell you what Sweet Pea, you can call me Grandpa Sherm, you too Danielle. That is if your mother doesn't mind." Margaret shook her head, she loved the name as it was relaxed but not impolite.
"Let's go." Many, many goodbyes later, Peggy started the car and the four women headed off to the shops.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
"Umm Peggy?" Margaret tapped Peggy's arm as they tried to pick a new summer outfit for Ryan.
"Over to your right there, see?" Margaret headed off in the direction of the ladies' room. The baby was putting a lot of pressure on her bladder and Margaret had to make frequent pit stops.
One four striped jumpsuits, one blue, one yellow, one red and one orange, later, the women headed into the girls' section of the store.
It wasn't until Peggy had bought new pink sandals, a pink play suit and matching hat for Gracey, and white sandals, a navy dress with shorts to go under and a straw hat for Erin that Margaret decided she needed to go to the bathroom again.
By the time she'd returned, Patty was debating whether she should get the yellow or the purple suit for Nancy, and with Margaret's help decided on the yellow.
They kept shopping and after Margaret had bought Danielle and Molly light blue sundresses, although Danielle looked like her father and Molly her mother blue was still the best colour on the very different children, they decided they had to go and meet Margaret's husband.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
After making another trip to the ladies' room, they left the store with their purchases and went to the airport. The plane they were to meet hadn't come in yet, and Margaret decided that she needed another bathroom visit.
"I'm going to ring home and check up alright?" Peggy said, making her way over to the public phone. A short phonecall later and she reported that everyone was alive and well, Ryan and Nancy were asleep, Colonel Potter had taken Danielle and Erin for a walk, Radar was out back with Henry, Grace was following closely in BJ's footsteps, unwilling to leave his side and Molly was noisily thumping two pots together in such a fashion BJ was amazed how the babies slept through it. "All is well." She concluded, as they heard a plane, Ben's plane, land.
"Margaret!" If Margaret could have run towards her husband she would have, but running with an 8-month pregnancy is hard. Throwing her arms around her husband's neck, they embraced as though they had been apart for years, and not just a few days.
The blonde head met the black in a long, deeply impassioned kiss that they had shared so many times before. Ben's lips worked over Margaret's passionately until she pulled back with a wince.
"Margaret, what's the matter?" He asked anxiously.
"I'm okay I just need to visit the ladies' again." She blushed, heading for the toilets.
"Hi I'm Peggy Honnicut."
"So you're Peggy, it's great to meet you. I heard so much about you." He shook her hand warmly.
"Mildred Potter." The older woman offered her hand.
"You're Miss Potter! Well, the Colonel sure is lucky to have a daughter like you." Mildred smiled and blushed. "And I don't believe I've met before."
"Patricia O'Reilly, pleased to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Patricia. And there's my lovely wife. Feeling better now sweet?"
"Much better now let's go, BJ's dying to meet you." They squeezed into the car, and started the drive home, stopping hurriedly at a gas station when Margaret needed to go again. They kept going, while at home, the men waited impatiently to meet the mystery man who had stolen Margaret's heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
"How long can they be?" BJ paced the living room, checking his watch.
"You looked just like I did while Patty was in labour." Radar chuckled. "I paced, and complained and worried."
"Try delivering, takes your mind off things." Potter laughed, and Radar looked downright shocked.
"You delivered Cory and Eve?" BJ asked.
"Yessir! Mrs Potter wouldn't have it any other way."
"Neither would Peggy, I delivered all three of my beautiful children. Come on Shortcake, how about you let go of daddy's leg and play with Danielle?" Erin's mummies and daddies game was a little over Danielle's head, who although understood the basics, couldn't grasp why it wasn't okay to hold the baby upside down, when after all, 'baby' was a doll.
"Nup, Shortcake with dad." She whispered, her big luminous eyes shy. BJ looked over to find Radar had stiffened, and watched anxiously as his friend twitched.
"Choppers! I mean, the car, I can hear the car, choppers is just automatic."
"I can't hear the . . . oh!" BJ laughed as the Honnicut car came into view.
"You've still got it son." Potter clapped Radar on the shoulder as Peggy entered the house.
"Listen, Margaret wants you all waiting in the kitchen so she can make the official presentation." Peggy ushered the men and kids through into the kitchen where they arranged themselves around the table. Patty joined the group, and Peggy settled on BJ's knee.
"Good you're all here." Margaret popped her head into the room. "BJ, Radar, Erin, Grace, I would like to present my husband and the father of my children . . ." She paused dramatically, while the men hung on her words.
"I can hardly believe it myself." She gave a little giggle. "My husband, Benjamin Franklin Pierce!" She pulled him into the kitchen and there was a shocked silence.
"Hawk!" BJ deposited a surprised Peggy onto the even more surprised Colonel's lap and crossed the kitchen. He grabbed Hawkeye in a tight hug. Shocked for a second, Hawkeye didn't respond, but finally began to laugh, slapping BJ on the back.
"Margaret! How could you? You had me fooled!" BJ let go of Hawkeye and dragged his friend into a hug.
"I thought BJ and Hawkeye, and Captain MacIntyre were the only ones who could play a joke!" Radar laughed as Hawkeye energetically shook his hand.
"Well," Margaret beamed. "You were wrong!"
"So, we'll finally get to meet Ben." BJ smiled, sipping his coffee. They were eating in the kitchen, that is to say the Potters, BJ, Radar, Henry, Erin and Danielle were eating. Molly was more interested in mushing her food and Margaret was trying to keep it off the walls and floor. Peggy and Patty were nursing their babies, and Grace sat under Peggy's chair, gnawing on an hour-old piece of toast.
"Yes, but Margaret, Mildred, Patty and I are going to pick him up. You boys are minding the kids, babies and all." Peggy said with a smirk.
"That's just cruel! I've been waiting for days!" BJ protested.
"Tough." Margaret poked her tongue out at BJ. "Margaret Rhiannon, you eat your breakfast!" She snapped, as Molly tried to rub her food in her hair. The toddler's face crumpled and she started to cry. "Shh Molly my sweet, I'm sorry Sweet Pea." Margaret lifted Molly from the highchair and rocked her until she was quiet.
"I see the Major is still there." Colonel Potter laughed.
"Yes, she is and I'm sorry for yelling then. It's just that Blossom kept me up all night by sitting on my bladder."
"Blossom?" Patty asked, burping Nancy.
"The baby's nickname if I have a girl. If I have a boy, Sport. We managed to pick this one's name within an hour of knowing I was expecting. We argued for months over Danielle's name, and Molly had no name for three days."
"What have you picked?" Mildred asked.
"Ben Jr if it's a boy. Victoria Jocelyn if I have another girl. Beej, Peg, what are your kids' middle names?"
"Erin Judith, Grace Christine, and Ryan has my maiden name, Hayden." Peggy said, with a fond glace at her kids. Erin was sharing a big bowl of cornflakes with Danielle, and both girls were enjoying it immensely.
"They're lovely. Ours are Henry Blake and Nancy Patricia." Radar said with a smile.
"Gosh, Peg, aren't we supposed to go in an hour?" Margaret gasped checking the clock over Molly's head.
"Yes." Hurriedly the women dressed themselves and their children, leaving orders to take good care of them. Only Margaret was relaxed in leaving Danielle and Molly with Colonel Potter and while Peggy and Patty were giving lengthy lectures about the precise way to hold/rock/settle their children, Margaret gave a few basic instructions. .
"They'll be good as gold, if Danielle cries, sing to her, if Molly cries, rock her. Don't let Danielle have anything else to eat, she'll make herself ill and Molly is not to have anything to drink but water, she had a bottle of juice at breakfast and that's plenty. Be good for the Colonel girls." She kissed them both and handed Molly to the Colonel.
"Tell you what Sweet Pea, you can call me Grandpa Sherm, you too Danielle. That is if your mother doesn't mind." Margaret shook her head, she loved the name as it was relaxed but not impolite.
"Let's go." Many, many goodbyes later, Peggy started the car and the four women headed off to the shops.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
"Umm Peggy?" Margaret tapped Peggy's arm as they tried to pick a new summer outfit for Ryan.
"Over to your right there, see?" Margaret headed off in the direction of the ladies' room. The baby was putting a lot of pressure on her bladder and Margaret had to make frequent pit stops.
One four striped jumpsuits, one blue, one yellow, one red and one orange, later, the women headed into the girls' section of the store.
It wasn't until Peggy had bought new pink sandals, a pink play suit and matching hat for Gracey, and white sandals, a navy dress with shorts to go under and a straw hat for Erin that Margaret decided she needed to go to the bathroom again.
By the time she'd returned, Patty was debating whether she should get the yellow or the purple suit for Nancy, and with Margaret's help decided on the yellow.
They kept shopping and after Margaret had bought Danielle and Molly light blue sundresses, although Danielle looked like her father and Molly her mother blue was still the best colour on the very different children, they decided they had to go and meet Margaret's husband.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
After making another trip to the ladies' room, they left the store with their purchases and went to the airport. The plane they were to meet hadn't come in yet, and Margaret decided that she needed another bathroom visit.
"I'm going to ring home and check up alright?" Peggy said, making her way over to the public phone. A short phonecall later and she reported that everyone was alive and well, Ryan and Nancy were asleep, Colonel Potter had taken Danielle and Erin for a walk, Radar was out back with Henry, Grace was following closely in BJ's footsteps, unwilling to leave his side and Molly was noisily thumping two pots together in such a fashion BJ was amazed how the babies slept through it. "All is well." She concluded, as they heard a plane, Ben's plane, land.
"Margaret!" If Margaret could have run towards her husband she would have, but running with an 8-month pregnancy is hard. Throwing her arms around her husband's neck, they embraced as though they had been apart for years, and not just a few days.
The blonde head met the black in a long, deeply impassioned kiss that they had shared so many times before. Ben's lips worked over Margaret's passionately until she pulled back with a wince.
"Margaret, what's the matter?" He asked anxiously.
"I'm okay I just need to visit the ladies' again." She blushed, heading for the toilets.
"Hi I'm Peggy Honnicut."
"So you're Peggy, it's great to meet you. I heard so much about you." He shook her hand warmly.
"Mildred Potter." The older woman offered her hand.
"You're Miss Potter! Well, the Colonel sure is lucky to have a daughter like you." Mildred smiled and blushed. "And I don't believe I've met before."
"Patricia O'Reilly, pleased to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Patricia. And there's my lovely wife. Feeling better now sweet?"
"Much better now let's go, BJ's dying to meet you." They squeezed into the car, and started the drive home, stopping hurriedly at a gas station when Margaret needed to go again. They kept going, while at home, the men waited impatiently to meet the mystery man who had stolen Margaret's heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
"How long can they be?" BJ paced the living room, checking his watch.
"You looked just like I did while Patty was in labour." Radar chuckled. "I paced, and complained and worried."
"Try delivering, takes your mind off things." Potter laughed, and Radar looked downright shocked.
"You delivered Cory and Eve?" BJ asked.
"Yessir! Mrs Potter wouldn't have it any other way."
"Neither would Peggy, I delivered all three of my beautiful children. Come on Shortcake, how about you let go of daddy's leg and play with Danielle?" Erin's mummies and daddies game was a little over Danielle's head, who although understood the basics, couldn't grasp why it wasn't okay to hold the baby upside down, when after all, 'baby' was a doll.
"Nup, Shortcake with dad." She whispered, her big luminous eyes shy. BJ looked over to find Radar had stiffened, and watched anxiously as his friend twitched.
"Choppers! I mean, the car, I can hear the car, choppers is just automatic."
"I can't hear the . . . oh!" BJ laughed as the Honnicut car came into view.
"You've still got it son." Potter clapped Radar on the shoulder as Peggy entered the house.
"Listen, Margaret wants you all waiting in the kitchen so she can make the official presentation." Peggy ushered the men and kids through into the kitchen where they arranged themselves around the table. Patty joined the group, and Peggy settled on BJ's knee.
"Good you're all here." Margaret popped her head into the room. "BJ, Radar, Erin, Grace, I would like to present my husband and the father of my children . . ." She paused dramatically, while the men hung on her words.
"I can hardly believe it myself." She gave a little giggle. "My husband, Benjamin Franklin Pierce!" She pulled him into the kitchen and there was a shocked silence.
"Hawk!" BJ deposited a surprised Peggy onto the even more surprised Colonel's lap and crossed the kitchen. He grabbed Hawkeye in a tight hug. Shocked for a second, Hawkeye didn't respond, but finally began to laugh, slapping BJ on the back.
"Margaret! How could you? You had me fooled!" BJ let go of Hawkeye and dragged his friend into a hug.
"I thought BJ and Hawkeye, and Captain MacIntyre were the only ones who could play a joke!" Radar laughed as Hawkeye energetically shook his hand.
"Well," Margaret beamed. "You were wrong!"