Most women over react when they see their man being smothered by another
woman. Many react by screaming at the culprit, followed by a threat and
then some sort of smack. They create a big show by warning the other woman
that he, (the man in question) is hers, and hers alone. In fact, many hit
first and ask questions later. But not Margaret Houlihan, she learned a
long time ago that silence was the best method. At first Angela didn't
notice the fair, blonde haired woman approach them. It wasn't until she was
standing right behind Hawkeye that Angela acknowledged her. Hawkeye noticed
something had caught her attention when she stopped talking, she had fixed
her eyes on something behind him. Curious he turned around to see what she
was looking at.
He had to take a double glance when he saw Margaret. Immediately he let go of Angela and pivoted to take Margaret in his arms. Quickly he stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. She was standing with her arms crossed and her eyes lowered. Hawkeye knew that look; she was angry and confused. "Margaret darling? Are you alright?" He asked. Maybe the doctor had bad news and she was upset. She didn't say a word; instead she continued to look fiercely at him.
"Do you want to explain this to me?" She suddenly spoke up. Margaret gestured to Angela and then him. All at once he knew why she was angry. She thought they were involved and he hadn't told her.
"Honey, let me explain." He tried to put his arm around her but she pulled away. Hawkeye looked over at Angela; she was alarmed by the other woman's aggressiveness and obviously frightened.
"Yes Pierce, I want to know exactly what is going on here." Her tone was cold and obviously filled with anger. Hawkeye was beginning to become upset with her. She was over reacting to something she knew nothing about. He knew what she thought, she thought he was having an affair with another woman. It angered him to think that she didn't trust him and actually thought that he would betray her love. He knew she was going through a rough time and that she'd been hurt before, but she also knew that he loved her with all his heart.
Hawkeye took a step closer to Margaret. His eyes were filled with furry and his eyebrows were knitted. He clenched his jaw and spoke softly. "You're making an ass out of your self." He told her coolly. Instantly her eyes widened with surprise as he stepped back and grabbed hold of Angela's hand. Angela was deathly afraid by now. Margaret was giving her the coldest look, a look that said, 'Prepare to die'. His voice softened as he introduced the mystery woman. "Margaret honey, I'd like you to meet my mother's cousin." He then turned and addressed Angela. "Angela, this is Margaret."
Suddenly Margaret dropped her arms and covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I, I thought you were someone else! Oh my God!" She cried when she realized what an idiot she had made of her self. "I'm just really emotional right now. I'm sorry. I'm so embarrassed." She turned around and sat in a chair and started to cry. Normally she would have been alarmed and angered by the other woman's ignorance, but Angela understood. Why else would they be in an obstetrician clinic?
"There, there dear." Angela sat beside her and comforted the distressed woman. Hawkeye watched in amazement as Margaret let his cousin hold her as she cried. A moment ago she was ready to kill her and Angela was ready sprint off, but now, this was incredible.
"I didn't mean it," Margaret sobbed on her shoulder. "I'm just under this tremendous stress."
"I know honey, but it's the burden we bear as women." Margaret sat up and looked at the older woman. "Don't feel bad. I understand." She looked over at Hawkeye, "He's driven me up the wall for twenty eight years now. There'd be something wrong if he didn't drive you crazy every now and then." Hawkeye smiled at the pair, they were beautiful together. "But he does kinda grow on you doesn't he?" Margaret nodded in agreement.
Margaret stood up and walked over to him and buried her face in his chest. "I'm sorry for all the horrible things I said to you. For the terrible way I've treated you. I'm just so scared, I didn't mean to take it out on you." Hawkeye put his arms around her and held her to him. "I love you so much. I'm just terrified I'm going to lose you."
"I love you too." Hawkeye said softly. "With all my heart." Margaret smiled and held him tighter. From a distance Angela smiled at the younger couple. They were really in love.
Hawkeye took Margaret and Angela to lunch downtown afterwards. They had a lovely time talking and catching up. Margaret loved just to listen to the two, you could tell they were related, they were so much alike. After lunch everyone said goodbye and parted ways. Margaret and Hawkeye went back up to their room.
"I feel horrible, I made such a fool out of myself," she admitted to him as they walked down the long hallway.
"You were scared. I understand that."
"I should have trusted that you wouldn't have had feeling for her."
"Yes, you should have." He opened the door and walked inside. Margaret was a little taken back by his forwardness. "I'm not trying to sound mean. But you need to know that I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. I would never do anything to mess that up. There isn't a woman in the world that I want more than I want you." Margaret smiled, she knew he was telling the truth.
"And I do. It's just that I'm still having trouble believing that I can be loved. You're the first man to ever make me feel like I am. I'm terrified I'm going to lose that."
Hawkeye put his arms around her shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
Margaret put her arms around his torso. "I know." She closed her eyes and breathed in his cologne. He used some sort of body spray after he took his showers and then dabbed little spots of Brut in various places. The first one she could smell at the base of his neck and a second that was somewhere under his left pectoral. She was sure he also put a drop just above his waist on his lower back, but she wasn't entirely sure.
"So what did the doctor say?" Hawkeye pulled back suddenly. He was anxious to hear about her appointment.
"We won't know for another day. He said he'd call me and give me the results over the phone." Margaret sighed, "I just wish I knew now. This is going to drive me crazy until I find out for sure."
Hawkeye pulled her back to him. "Me too. Sometime tomorrow that phone is going to ring and we're going to know whether or not we committed parenthood." Hawkeye rubbed her back softly. He kissed her neck gently and started to unbutton her shirt.
"Wait." She said stopping him. "Isn't this how we got into this mess in the first place?"
"What could it hurt now?" He asked right before he kissed her deeply. Margaret lost her train of thought as his lips moved against hers. Reluctantly she gave into him.
A few hours later he rolled over and let his hand graze over the spot where Margaret was supposed to be sleeping. When he realized she was gone he opened his eyes and looked around the room. She was gone. He got out of bed and walked into the main room. Margaret had wrapped herself in a blanket and was sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Hey." He said as he sat down beside her.
"Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She muted the TV.
Hawkeye smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of eyes. "No. I don't sleep well alone. Never have."
"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep, they're just too many things running through my head."
"I know the feeling." He said as he scooted closer and put her arm around her. "I get like that all the time."
Margaret put her head against his chest. "Could you just hold me?"
Hawkeye knew she was scared. They weren't even married and waiting to find out if they were going to parents in nine months. That was something they had never really discussed, marriage. Hawkeye always assumed that she wanted to marry him, but lately he was getting negative feed back. Silently he put his arms around her and held her to him. They watched two episodes of 'I Love Lucy' and then fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The afternoon sun continued to beat steadily down as Hawkeye rounded his last length. He touched the wall for the last time and then brought his head out of the water. They had decided to get out of the room and relax this afternoon by the pool. Hawkeye swam his mile while Margaret tanned in a beach chair by the edge. She looked beautiful as she laid in the chair in her red bikini and sunglasses. He was pretty sure she had fallen asleep by now, he had been swimming for a while and she was still pretty tired from the night before.
Hawkeye climbed out of the pool and walked over to her. He picked up his towel and began to dry his hair.
"I find it incredibly sexy to watch a man swim." She surprised him as she spoke. He thought she was out cold.
"You didn't think so the last time we went swimming." He pointed out. She had really gotten upset then.
"That wasn't swimming. That was acting like an ass." She threw back in his face.
There, she'd won. "Alright. You got me." He sat down beside her on the chair.
"How long was I sleeping?" She asked still a little dazed.
"Probably around thirty minutes. I did the butterfly for about half of the way and the crawl the last thirty laps."
"I was tired. You hadn't even gotten into the pool when I closed my eyes."
Hawkeye let his hand move up her arm. "But you've got a nice tan going." He commented as he noticed her new glow.
"Ah, but I'm only half done." She sat up. "I still have to tan my back." Hawkeye stood up as she changed positions. She had already untied her straps to tan her front, but now she just tossed the whole top to the side as she settled her self on her stomach. "Why don't you go swim a little more and when you're done I'll be ready to go back up to the room."
Hawkeye sat in the chair beside her. "I should probably stay here. All I need is to come back to see some perverted Colonel or something sitting here flirting with you. Ha, not while I'm still breathing."
"You sound jealous." She commented.
"Damn strait."
"Good." She smiled at his protectiveness. He hated to see other men fawn over her.
Hawkeye sat back and put his feet up. After a few minutes of silence he said, "I'm going to go over to the bar and get something to drink. Do you want anything?"
"An Iced Tea would be nice."
"Anything else?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Okay." Hawkeye stood up. "I'll be right back." He gave her a kiss and headed for the bar at the far end of the pool.
Sometime later, when Margaret was almost asleep again, a new voice jolted her from her thoughts. "Well, well. Major Margaret Houlihan. It's certainly nice to see you." He was referring to her bare back more than anything else. Margaret grabbed her towel and covered herself as she turned over to look the new man in the face.
"Tom?" She asked as she removed her sunglasses to get a better look. Tom Greenleigh, the reporter who had come to the 4077 to write an article on Charles. He was the first person she had gotten together with after her divorce from Donald.
"In the flesh." He beamed down at her. Ever since their only night together he hadn't been able to take his mind off of her.
"What are you doing here?" She couldn't believe it was him. They agreed never to see each other again after their one nightstand.
"I'm covering a story on the peace talks for Stars and Stripes. How about you?" He asked as he moved closer. Tom sat down in the chair beside her chair, Hawkeye's chair mind you, and leaned in closer.
"I uh, I..." She couldn't think of a thing to say. How could she tell him that her and the chief surgeon had recently become a couple and was there because she might be pregnant with Pierce's child? Luckily she didn't have to. He kept on talking.
"Gee Margaret, I've thought about you a lot since our night together." Margaret hated to think about it. It's true he had helped her, but it was something that she would have preferred to forget.
"Listen Tom." She tried to tell him off and let him go gently, but he was too self absorbed.
"Have dinner with me tonight. I know you said it could only be that one time, but I'd really love to see you again."
"I'd love to, really, but I already have plans."
"Break them." He pleaded with her.
"No Tom. I already told you there's nothing left for us."
"You sleep with me after two days, but now you won't let me buy you dinner?" He didn't understand at all.
"I was ending my divorce. I needed someone to make me feel like a woman again. You helped me, and I thank you for that. But there's nothing more that can happen between us."
"Give me a chance."
"No."
Tom shook his head. "You're lying half naked by a pool. Some guy tries to take you out for dinner and you waste him."
"You're not being fair." She warned him.
"Not being fair!" He yelled. "You're one to talk. I heard somewhere that you were easy. Give a man anything he wanted. A real woman. Humph! No heart what so ever! I wonder where they got that!"
"How dare you!?" She screamed at him. "How dare you say those things to me!"
"And what just are you going to do to me?" He said threateningly. "You gonna hit me with your towel and throw lame excuses at me? Huh!" Margaret didn't know what to do, she just stood there while he laughed. "Ha ha! In fact.." He reached for her towel and tried to pull it off, when suddenly, something stopped him. Surprised he turned around to find Hawkeye clutching the back of his shirt.
"You weren't just going to do what I think you were just going to do were you?" He asked coldly. He was enraged at what he had just seen and heard.
"Pierce?" Tom asked. He couldn't believe who it was. "Is that you?" Hawkeye didn't answer, he tightened his grip on the other man and narrowed his eyes. Those once sparkling blue spheres had now turned into dark pools of rage.
"I believe she told you to leave her alone. Are you deaf?"
"No. But what business is it of yours?" Hawk's grasp was very tight and he was trying to push his hands away.
"Major Houlihan told you no. That's all you need to know. Now get lost." He said firmly and pushed him away. Tom nearly fell to the ground as he did so but caught himself.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Are you her husband?" He asked as he walked behind Hawkeye. Hawkeye tried to stay calm. He knew that if let loose he could hurt Tom very badly.
"I'm going to tell you one more time." Hawkeye turned around to face him. They were almost touching. "You leave her alone. And if I ever hear you say anything like that again, I'll personally reach down your throat and rip your vocal cords with my bare hands."
"I'd like to see you try." Tom told him sternly. Suddenly Hawkeye gave him an evil smile. Before he knew what had happened Hawkeye's knee had found his groin. Tom doubled over in pain, but not before Hawkeye pushed him off the ledge and into the pool.
Margaret put her top back on and rushed over to Hawkeye. She put her arm around his waist and watched Tom sputter as he acceded to the surface. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and led him back to the room.
Hawkeye threw his towel onto the floor. "Bastard." He hissed in anger. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. He was about to pull your towel off."
Margaret still couldn't understand what happened. "He was so nice before. I don't get it."
Hawkeye rolled his eyes and walked into the bathroom. "Oh come on Margaret, he wanted to get you in the sack and you know it."
"I think he really had feelings for me though. I think I hurt him."
"Would you prefer to go stay with him in his room?" Hawkeye said angrily as his head poked out of the bathroom. "Are you telling me you'd rather share his bed than mine?"
"No, don't be ridiculous." She didn't understand why he was being so snippy all of a sudden.
"Because if that's what you want, you'd only have to say the word!" Hawkeye yelled back at her. He was becoming a little more than snippy at this point. "I'd even help you pack!"
"Oh, that's it!" Margaret screamed. "What the hell is eating you?" She marched into the bathroom to see him hanging up his wet things.
"You want to know what's bugging me?" Margaret nodded. "What's bugging me is that he stood there and insulted you and discriminated you. He had no right to say those things, and yet you don't seem at all mad."
"Well of course I'm mad!" She protested. "It's just that I know he had good intentions, he was only hurt by my turning him down. You didn't need to hurt him physically."
"Fine, whatever." He swiftly turned around and looked her in the eye. "You might be okay with letting scum like that walk all over you. But not me. If getting kneed in the balls is the worst he's ever been hurt, then he has another thing coming."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I've been hurt so much worse than that, and by guys who were twice as big as me! And look, I'm still here."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"What I meant was..Oh, I don't know." She gave in. They were both being stubborn. Neither one of them said anything as they stood in silence for a while. "I suppose I was just scared. I've never seen you angry like that before."
"What?" His tone softened.
"I really thought you were going to hurt him. That's not you at all."
Hawkeye turned from her. "He made me so mad. I heard all those things he said to you. Even if he was just angry. He had no right to say them." He sat down on the toilet seat.
"But I'm not just talking about this, I'm talking about these past few days. You seem to be angry all the time. Are you mad at me?"
Her look almost made his heart break. "No of course not. It's just that.."
"Yes? Please tell me." She knelt down beside him.
"Do you resent me?"
"What?" She asked in complete surprise.
"Do you resent me for getting you pregnant, that is if, you are?"
"Hawkeye?"
"Do you resent that we weren't married first or that it could be my baby?" He looked like he was on the verge of tears. His eyes were glassy and beginning to water. "Was I just another fling that lasted too long?"
Suddenly Margaret wanted to cry too. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "Oh no...no baby not at all. I know I've been a little edgy lately, but that wasn't supposed to be directed at you. I love you so much, if anything, I'm glad this is happening with you. You're the only one I want to be in this with." Hawkeye smiled and pulled her against him. He breathed into her hair.
"I love you too." He whispered. Together they slid onto the floor and as they continued to hold one another. A few hours later they were still lying there, reveling in the feeling of being in each other's arms. Suddenly the phone rang, Margaret lifted her head and looked at him in total terror.
"That's probably the doctor then." She said solemnly.
"Everything will be fine. I'm right here." He urged her on. Margaret got up and walked into the bedroom. She picked up the phone on the fifth ring.
"Hello?" She asked into the receiver. "Oh it's you doctor. You have my results..."
Meanwhile Hawkeye sat ridged on the bathroom floor. He didn't know what to hope for. Of course he would be happy about becoming a daddy, but he didn't like the idea of having a child during a war. Margaret would be discharged and he'd be stuck in that hellhole alone forever. He couldn't bare the thought. Suddenly his thoughts vanished as Margaret walked back into the bathroom.
"Well?" He asked her as he rose to his feet.
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TO BE CONTINUED SHORTLY...PLEASE REVIEW!!
He had to take a double glance when he saw Margaret. Immediately he let go of Angela and pivoted to take Margaret in his arms. Quickly he stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. She was standing with her arms crossed and her eyes lowered. Hawkeye knew that look; she was angry and confused. "Margaret darling? Are you alright?" He asked. Maybe the doctor had bad news and she was upset. She didn't say a word; instead she continued to look fiercely at him.
"Do you want to explain this to me?" She suddenly spoke up. Margaret gestured to Angela and then him. All at once he knew why she was angry. She thought they were involved and he hadn't told her.
"Honey, let me explain." He tried to put his arm around her but she pulled away. Hawkeye looked over at Angela; she was alarmed by the other woman's aggressiveness and obviously frightened.
"Yes Pierce, I want to know exactly what is going on here." Her tone was cold and obviously filled with anger. Hawkeye was beginning to become upset with her. She was over reacting to something she knew nothing about. He knew what she thought, she thought he was having an affair with another woman. It angered him to think that she didn't trust him and actually thought that he would betray her love. He knew she was going through a rough time and that she'd been hurt before, but she also knew that he loved her with all his heart.
Hawkeye took a step closer to Margaret. His eyes were filled with furry and his eyebrows were knitted. He clenched his jaw and spoke softly. "You're making an ass out of your self." He told her coolly. Instantly her eyes widened with surprise as he stepped back and grabbed hold of Angela's hand. Angela was deathly afraid by now. Margaret was giving her the coldest look, a look that said, 'Prepare to die'. His voice softened as he introduced the mystery woman. "Margaret honey, I'd like you to meet my mother's cousin." He then turned and addressed Angela. "Angela, this is Margaret."
Suddenly Margaret dropped her arms and covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I, I thought you were someone else! Oh my God!" She cried when she realized what an idiot she had made of her self. "I'm just really emotional right now. I'm sorry. I'm so embarrassed." She turned around and sat in a chair and started to cry. Normally she would have been alarmed and angered by the other woman's ignorance, but Angela understood. Why else would they be in an obstetrician clinic?
"There, there dear." Angela sat beside her and comforted the distressed woman. Hawkeye watched in amazement as Margaret let his cousin hold her as she cried. A moment ago she was ready to kill her and Angela was ready sprint off, but now, this was incredible.
"I didn't mean it," Margaret sobbed on her shoulder. "I'm just under this tremendous stress."
"I know honey, but it's the burden we bear as women." Margaret sat up and looked at the older woman. "Don't feel bad. I understand." She looked over at Hawkeye, "He's driven me up the wall for twenty eight years now. There'd be something wrong if he didn't drive you crazy every now and then." Hawkeye smiled at the pair, they were beautiful together. "But he does kinda grow on you doesn't he?" Margaret nodded in agreement.
Margaret stood up and walked over to him and buried her face in his chest. "I'm sorry for all the horrible things I said to you. For the terrible way I've treated you. I'm just so scared, I didn't mean to take it out on you." Hawkeye put his arms around her and held her to him. "I love you so much. I'm just terrified I'm going to lose you."
"I love you too." Hawkeye said softly. "With all my heart." Margaret smiled and held him tighter. From a distance Angela smiled at the younger couple. They were really in love.
Hawkeye took Margaret and Angela to lunch downtown afterwards. They had a lovely time talking and catching up. Margaret loved just to listen to the two, you could tell they were related, they were so much alike. After lunch everyone said goodbye and parted ways. Margaret and Hawkeye went back up to their room.
"I feel horrible, I made such a fool out of myself," she admitted to him as they walked down the long hallway.
"You were scared. I understand that."
"I should have trusted that you wouldn't have had feeling for her."
"Yes, you should have." He opened the door and walked inside. Margaret was a little taken back by his forwardness. "I'm not trying to sound mean. But you need to know that I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. I would never do anything to mess that up. There isn't a woman in the world that I want more than I want you." Margaret smiled, she knew he was telling the truth.
"And I do. It's just that I'm still having trouble believing that I can be loved. You're the first man to ever make me feel like I am. I'm terrified I'm going to lose that."
Hawkeye put his arms around her shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
Margaret put her arms around his torso. "I know." She closed her eyes and breathed in his cologne. He used some sort of body spray after he took his showers and then dabbed little spots of Brut in various places. The first one she could smell at the base of his neck and a second that was somewhere under his left pectoral. She was sure he also put a drop just above his waist on his lower back, but she wasn't entirely sure.
"So what did the doctor say?" Hawkeye pulled back suddenly. He was anxious to hear about her appointment.
"We won't know for another day. He said he'd call me and give me the results over the phone." Margaret sighed, "I just wish I knew now. This is going to drive me crazy until I find out for sure."
Hawkeye pulled her back to him. "Me too. Sometime tomorrow that phone is going to ring and we're going to know whether or not we committed parenthood." Hawkeye rubbed her back softly. He kissed her neck gently and started to unbutton her shirt.
"Wait." She said stopping him. "Isn't this how we got into this mess in the first place?"
"What could it hurt now?" He asked right before he kissed her deeply. Margaret lost her train of thought as his lips moved against hers. Reluctantly she gave into him.
A few hours later he rolled over and let his hand graze over the spot where Margaret was supposed to be sleeping. When he realized she was gone he opened his eyes and looked around the room. She was gone. He got out of bed and walked into the main room. Margaret had wrapped herself in a blanket and was sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Hey." He said as he sat down beside her.
"Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She muted the TV.
Hawkeye smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of eyes. "No. I don't sleep well alone. Never have."
"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep, they're just too many things running through my head."
"I know the feeling." He said as he scooted closer and put her arm around her. "I get like that all the time."
Margaret put her head against his chest. "Could you just hold me?"
Hawkeye knew she was scared. They weren't even married and waiting to find out if they were going to parents in nine months. That was something they had never really discussed, marriage. Hawkeye always assumed that she wanted to marry him, but lately he was getting negative feed back. Silently he put his arms around her and held her to him. They watched two episodes of 'I Love Lucy' and then fell asleep.
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The afternoon sun continued to beat steadily down as Hawkeye rounded his last length. He touched the wall for the last time and then brought his head out of the water. They had decided to get out of the room and relax this afternoon by the pool. Hawkeye swam his mile while Margaret tanned in a beach chair by the edge. She looked beautiful as she laid in the chair in her red bikini and sunglasses. He was pretty sure she had fallen asleep by now, he had been swimming for a while and she was still pretty tired from the night before.
Hawkeye climbed out of the pool and walked over to her. He picked up his towel and began to dry his hair.
"I find it incredibly sexy to watch a man swim." She surprised him as she spoke. He thought she was out cold.
"You didn't think so the last time we went swimming." He pointed out. She had really gotten upset then.
"That wasn't swimming. That was acting like an ass." She threw back in his face.
There, she'd won. "Alright. You got me." He sat down beside her on the chair.
"How long was I sleeping?" She asked still a little dazed.
"Probably around thirty minutes. I did the butterfly for about half of the way and the crawl the last thirty laps."
"I was tired. You hadn't even gotten into the pool when I closed my eyes."
Hawkeye let his hand move up her arm. "But you've got a nice tan going." He commented as he noticed her new glow.
"Ah, but I'm only half done." She sat up. "I still have to tan my back." Hawkeye stood up as she changed positions. She had already untied her straps to tan her front, but now she just tossed the whole top to the side as she settled her self on her stomach. "Why don't you go swim a little more and when you're done I'll be ready to go back up to the room."
Hawkeye sat in the chair beside her. "I should probably stay here. All I need is to come back to see some perverted Colonel or something sitting here flirting with you. Ha, not while I'm still breathing."
"You sound jealous." She commented.
"Damn strait."
"Good." She smiled at his protectiveness. He hated to see other men fawn over her.
Hawkeye sat back and put his feet up. After a few minutes of silence he said, "I'm going to go over to the bar and get something to drink. Do you want anything?"
"An Iced Tea would be nice."
"Anything else?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Okay." Hawkeye stood up. "I'll be right back." He gave her a kiss and headed for the bar at the far end of the pool.
Sometime later, when Margaret was almost asleep again, a new voice jolted her from her thoughts. "Well, well. Major Margaret Houlihan. It's certainly nice to see you." He was referring to her bare back more than anything else. Margaret grabbed her towel and covered herself as she turned over to look the new man in the face.
"Tom?" She asked as she removed her sunglasses to get a better look. Tom Greenleigh, the reporter who had come to the 4077 to write an article on Charles. He was the first person she had gotten together with after her divorce from Donald.
"In the flesh." He beamed down at her. Ever since their only night together he hadn't been able to take his mind off of her.
"What are you doing here?" She couldn't believe it was him. They agreed never to see each other again after their one nightstand.
"I'm covering a story on the peace talks for Stars and Stripes. How about you?" He asked as he moved closer. Tom sat down in the chair beside her chair, Hawkeye's chair mind you, and leaned in closer.
"I uh, I..." She couldn't think of a thing to say. How could she tell him that her and the chief surgeon had recently become a couple and was there because she might be pregnant with Pierce's child? Luckily she didn't have to. He kept on talking.
"Gee Margaret, I've thought about you a lot since our night together." Margaret hated to think about it. It's true he had helped her, but it was something that she would have preferred to forget.
"Listen Tom." She tried to tell him off and let him go gently, but he was too self absorbed.
"Have dinner with me tonight. I know you said it could only be that one time, but I'd really love to see you again."
"I'd love to, really, but I already have plans."
"Break them." He pleaded with her.
"No Tom. I already told you there's nothing left for us."
"You sleep with me after two days, but now you won't let me buy you dinner?" He didn't understand at all.
"I was ending my divorce. I needed someone to make me feel like a woman again. You helped me, and I thank you for that. But there's nothing more that can happen between us."
"Give me a chance."
"No."
Tom shook his head. "You're lying half naked by a pool. Some guy tries to take you out for dinner and you waste him."
"You're not being fair." She warned him.
"Not being fair!" He yelled. "You're one to talk. I heard somewhere that you were easy. Give a man anything he wanted. A real woman. Humph! No heart what so ever! I wonder where they got that!"
"How dare you!?" She screamed at him. "How dare you say those things to me!"
"And what just are you going to do to me?" He said threateningly. "You gonna hit me with your towel and throw lame excuses at me? Huh!" Margaret didn't know what to do, she just stood there while he laughed. "Ha ha! In fact.." He reached for her towel and tried to pull it off, when suddenly, something stopped him. Surprised he turned around to find Hawkeye clutching the back of his shirt.
"You weren't just going to do what I think you were just going to do were you?" He asked coldly. He was enraged at what he had just seen and heard.
"Pierce?" Tom asked. He couldn't believe who it was. "Is that you?" Hawkeye didn't answer, he tightened his grip on the other man and narrowed his eyes. Those once sparkling blue spheres had now turned into dark pools of rage.
"I believe she told you to leave her alone. Are you deaf?"
"No. But what business is it of yours?" Hawk's grasp was very tight and he was trying to push his hands away.
"Major Houlihan told you no. That's all you need to know. Now get lost." He said firmly and pushed him away. Tom nearly fell to the ground as he did so but caught himself.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Are you her husband?" He asked as he walked behind Hawkeye. Hawkeye tried to stay calm. He knew that if let loose he could hurt Tom very badly.
"I'm going to tell you one more time." Hawkeye turned around to face him. They were almost touching. "You leave her alone. And if I ever hear you say anything like that again, I'll personally reach down your throat and rip your vocal cords with my bare hands."
"I'd like to see you try." Tom told him sternly. Suddenly Hawkeye gave him an evil smile. Before he knew what had happened Hawkeye's knee had found his groin. Tom doubled over in pain, but not before Hawkeye pushed him off the ledge and into the pool.
Margaret put her top back on and rushed over to Hawkeye. She put her arm around his waist and watched Tom sputter as he acceded to the surface. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and led him back to the room.
Hawkeye threw his towel onto the floor. "Bastard." He hissed in anger. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. He was about to pull your towel off."
Margaret still couldn't understand what happened. "He was so nice before. I don't get it."
Hawkeye rolled his eyes and walked into the bathroom. "Oh come on Margaret, he wanted to get you in the sack and you know it."
"I think he really had feelings for me though. I think I hurt him."
"Would you prefer to go stay with him in his room?" Hawkeye said angrily as his head poked out of the bathroom. "Are you telling me you'd rather share his bed than mine?"
"No, don't be ridiculous." She didn't understand why he was being so snippy all of a sudden.
"Because if that's what you want, you'd only have to say the word!" Hawkeye yelled back at her. He was becoming a little more than snippy at this point. "I'd even help you pack!"
"Oh, that's it!" Margaret screamed. "What the hell is eating you?" She marched into the bathroom to see him hanging up his wet things.
"You want to know what's bugging me?" Margaret nodded. "What's bugging me is that he stood there and insulted you and discriminated you. He had no right to say those things, and yet you don't seem at all mad."
"Well of course I'm mad!" She protested. "It's just that I know he had good intentions, he was only hurt by my turning him down. You didn't need to hurt him physically."
"Fine, whatever." He swiftly turned around and looked her in the eye. "You might be okay with letting scum like that walk all over you. But not me. If getting kneed in the balls is the worst he's ever been hurt, then he has another thing coming."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I've been hurt so much worse than that, and by guys who were twice as big as me! And look, I'm still here."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"What I meant was..Oh, I don't know." She gave in. They were both being stubborn. Neither one of them said anything as they stood in silence for a while. "I suppose I was just scared. I've never seen you angry like that before."
"What?" His tone softened.
"I really thought you were going to hurt him. That's not you at all."
Hawkeye turned from her. "He made me so mad. I heard all those things he said to you. Even if he was just angry. He had no right to say them." He sat down on the toilet seat.
"But I'm not just talking about this, I'm talking about these past few days. You seem to be angry all the time. Are you mad at me?"
Her look almost made his heart break. "No of course not. It's just that.."
"Yes? Please tell me." She knelt down beside him.
"Do you resent me?"
"What?" She asked in complete surprise.
"Do you resent me for getting you pregnant, that is if, you are?"
"Hawkeye?"
"Do you resent that we weren't married first or that it could be my baby?" He looked like he was on the verge of tears. His eyes were glassy and beginning to water. "Was I just another fling that lasted too long?"
Suddenly Margaret wanted to cry too. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "Oh no...no baby not at all. I know I've been a little edgy lately, but that wasn't supposed to be directed at you. I love you so much, if anything, I'm glad this is happening with you. You're the only one I want to be in this with." Hawkeye smiled and pulled her against him. He breathed into her hair.
"I love you too." He whispered. Together they slid onto the floor and as they continued to hold one another. A few hours later they were still lying there, reveling in the feeling of being in each other's arms. Suddenly the phone rang, Margaret lifted her head and looked at him in total terror.
"That's probably the doctor then." She said solemnly.
"Everything will be fine. I'm right here." He urged her on. Margaret got up and walked into the bedroom. She picked up the phone on the fifth ring.
"Hello?" She asked into the receiver. "Oh it's you doctor. You have my results..."
Meanwhile Hawkeye sat ridged on the bathroom floor. He didn't know what to hope for. Of course he would be happy about becoming a daddy, but he didn't like the idea of having a child during a war. Margaret would be discharged and he'd be stuck in that hellhole alone forever. He couldn't bare the thought. Suddenly his thoughts vanished as Margaret walked back into the bathroom.
"Well?" He asked her as he rose to his feet.
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TO BE CONTINUED SHORTLY...PLEASE REVIEW!!