December 1956
"Anne, you look beat." I struggled into the bedroom after finally settling April. Hawkeye was confined to bed with a nasty flu, the same thing that was keeping April awake.
"I am beat! Felicity threw up on my pyjama top again, hence the naked from the waist up look, Ben screamed for half an hour while I tried to take his temperature, he still hates Jess by the way, and Jess won't drink because she's so blocked up and my boobs hurt!" I collapsed on the bed. Daniel was at the hospital, with a patient. It wasn't really a hospital as Daniel, Hawkeye and the odd specialist were the only doctors. It was more of a place for very sick people to stay so they could be nursed 24/7.
"Dare I ask why?" Hawkeye said. His throat was obviously very sore.
"Because Jess won't drink and they're overfull!" I moaned. I felt like every muscle in my body hurt, to say nothing of my engorged mammary glands. The 4mo baby was feeling pretty rotten, and didn't want to know about me, preferring the cuddles of her absent grandpa.
"Come on, sit back here, I'll fix you up, just grab a cloth diaper or something." I got one and Hawkeye sat up on the pillows. I lay back between his legs, my head resting on his chest, while he soothingly gave me a massage, his skilled hands gently helping to relieve the pain in my swollen breasts as he eased some of the milk out to relieve the pressure.
One massage and a milky diaper later, Hawkeye's hands moved to my back and shoulders in a sensuous, relaxing massage. Despite everything, I found myself pushing into his touch, stretching my body, and feeling a whole lot better for it. I fell asleep soon after, cuddled against his chest.
It was a very long fortnight, as I came down with the same thing two days later, just as the kids were beginning to recover, and I wasn't allowed to play with them or cuddle them. Hawkeye nursed me back to health and by the week before Christmas everyone was fighting fit again.
"Mrs O can have the spare room next to Dad, we'll put Wally and Eddie in the playroom, and Radar and Monica can. . ." I paused to think. The O'Reillys were staying for Christmas, and I was running out of sleeping ideas.
"We can put the girls in one room, and put the twins back in cribs, Radar and Monica can have the twins' beds." We'd got them proper sized beds to avoid needing to buy bigger ones further on, and they had removable sides.
"You my dear husband are a lifesaver!" Jess was still small enough to sleep in a bassinette, but we hoped to move her into a crib soon. A thought hit me, Charles was also coming to spend Christmas with his daughter. I sighed and paced through the house, trying to sort things.
"Radar and Monica foldout in playroom, Ben and Wally in Ben's room, Wally in Ben's crib." It turned out Wally was still a crib sleeper. "Edwina, April's crib, April's room, Lyss with Dad. Mrs O spare room. Charles, Lyssa's bed, in her room, April, Lyssa's crib, Lyssa's room with Charles." I scribbled notes on a piece of paper, and with less than 24 hours before they arrived on the 23rd of December, things were really sorted once and for all.
I'd acquired a piano shortly after we'd moved and I sat with April, playing a Nocturne while Jess listened transfixed from her bunny rug on the floor. Jess already loved music, and seemed to be very much like her paternal grandmother and myself.
April bashed joyfully on the keys while my slim hands ran over the keyboard, my wedding ring catching the flickering light of the fire , the flames making the band look orange.
"Hello, hello?" It was Charles, over April's bashing, I hadn't heard his quiet car.
"April, go and see daddy. The door's open, come on in!" I called.
"D-D-Dad-Daddy!" April toddled as fast as her little legs would take her to Charles who had come in.
"Angel-face!" Charles bent down and swept his 20mo daughter into his arms. They cuddled each other, and I realised that their hair was almost the same colour. "How are you beautiful?"
"Hawkeye, Dad, come down and say hello to Charles, and bring the twins. Come Charlie, I left Jess alone, I really should go back." Hawkeye and Daniel appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Mummy, I have cake?" Felicity asked, running down the stairs.
"No Princess, not until after dinner, and we'll have dinner when Uncle Radar, Aunty Monica and Ma arrive." The kids called Mrs O simply Ma.
"Charles, great to see you!" Daniel shook Charles's hand. April still sat high on her father's shoulder. I headed back into the living room, the men and kids following me. Jessica was still perfectly happy on her rug.
"The place looks just divine Annie, I regret everyday that I let you go." Charles admired the Christmas tree, and the other decorations.
"Charlie, please, I regret it too, but I'm very happy here, isn't that right baby?" I addressed Jessica as I picked her up. She smiled, a wide, trusting grin and cuddled into my shoulder.
"Daddy, pick me up!" That was Ben, and Hawkeye lifted our boy. "Mummy bad, she have Bess!"
"Benjamin Pierce, your mother is not bad, and neither is Jessica." Hawkeye said, putting Ben down at once. That was our newest idea, ignoring Ben whenever he started up, it worked about as well as anything else.
"Bess not sis!" Ben said pouting. We began to chatter, ignoring him, as he threw a typical two-year-old tantrum, screaming, crying and kicking the floor, vowing "I no love Mummy, bad!"
"You play Annie?" Charles asked loudly over Ben's yelling.
"Yes, a little." I sat down at the piano, handing Jessica to Daniel.
"She a regular genius!" Hawkeye said. "Play something Anne, and not a show tune, something classy." I'd been known to burst into excellently played rowdy show tunes for no apparent reason.
"Alright." I thought for a second, before beginning to play a piece by Czerny. I cut it short, to notice Ben had stopped screaming, April and Charles were cuddling on the sofa, Daniel and Jess were sitting in front on the fire, Jess entranced by the flickering flames and the music, while Hawkeye and Felicity were snuggled on the armchair.
"It's beautiful Anne, I always wanted to play like that." Charles spoke at last.
"Thanks, it was music or nursing for me . . . and I couldn't afford the music." I said. "Sit down here with me, I'll show you a few basics." I shifted over and Charles and April joined me on the seat while Hawkeye went and picked up Radar and Monica from the train station.
"Merry Christmas Charlie." I handed him a wrapped package. It was Christmas morning and Daniel, Charles, Mrs O, Radar, a two month pregnant Monica, Wally, Edwina, Hawkeye, Ben, Felicity, Jess, April and myself gathered in the living room in front of the fire.
"Thankyou Annie, oh Annabelle!" It was a record of Mozart's Quintet, the one he had broken in Korea. I knew it was still painful for him to think of the POWs, but I knew there'd also been enough time for the wound to heal and for him to hear that piece again.
"You're welcome Charles." I smiled, we handed around more presents, having a lovely time, and then my family turned up, more presents. They stayed for lunch and once they were gone, the O'Reillys, Charles, Hawkeye, the kids, Dad and myself sat around contemplating dinner.
"I will cook eventually, I promise, just not yet, I'm too full from lunch!" I laughed, watching Ben sulk while Dad cuddled my girls. Ben had been invited, but once he realised that Jess was there, he'd refused.
"Angel-features, come to Mummy." I opened my arms and my darling daughter obeyed, climbing off Dad's lap and running up to me. I picked her up and sat her on my knees, looking in her blue eyes seriously.
"I need you to help me Angel, Ben see Jessica is good." I set April on the floor. She understood Ben, see, Jessica and good, and she knew that Ben thought Jess was bad. So she toddled over to him and sat down, her diaper- clad bottom falling heavily.
"B-B-Ben!" She stammered clearly. Ben's dark head turned to his sister at once, his eyes alight with joy. This was a new word for my little Angel.
"Mummy, Ape say Ben!" He beamed, kissing her. "I lub you Apey."
"No wuv Bess!" Felicity said, climbing down from Dad's lap. "You bad!"
"Bess bad!" Ben said firmly. The two girls were fond of their sis, and had decided to do something about Ben.
"N-n-no!" April said. "Goo-oo-ood! B-b-berry g-g-good!" She said. This was the most I'd ever heard April talk, and she'd never said very before. For 20 months, this was very advanced.
"Yes Ape say right! Bess good!" Wally and Edwina, who had been reading with Monica decided to have their say.
"Jess nice!" Wally said, coming over and joining the kids on the floor.
"Baba soft!" Eddie added as she plopped down onto the rug with her brother.
"No, Bess is bad, Mummy no cuddle me with Bess!" That wasn't true; I cuddled him plenty, until he started being unfair about Jess again that was.
"Mummy cuddles you!" Felicity argued! "Bess good!"
"B-B-Ben! P-p-ple-ple-please, g-g-goo-good!" April insisted. Ben's little brow creased in thought at the very definite telling off. It didn't take much to see it had reached even his 33mo brain.
Slowly Ben stood up, very thoughtfully and went to each of the children, giving them a serious little kiss. Telling 'Wal' 'Winnie' 'Ape' and 'Lyss' that he 'lub' them. They all gave him a serious kiss back, obviously knowing he was about to make a big decision.
"Grandpa, see Bess?" He walked over to where Dad was nursing Jess still.
"Of course Sport." He showed Ben his little sister. Slowly he put a small hand on her reddish curls. He patted her head a few times, thoughtfully.
"Bess nice. Lub you Bess." He said finally, kissing her hair. Jess laughed and smiled directly at him. "Mummy, Daddy, Bess smile!" He beamed.
"Oh you little darlings, I love you all so much!" I fell on my knees and four children attacked me, my elder daughters and the O'Reillys. I hugged and kissed them, my arms full of children, and saw Ben coming towards me too. I opened my arms a little more and five squirming children now cuddled against me, like a litter of puppies.
After that the children all played happily on the floor, while I churned out a truly appalling quantity of show tunes, and ragtime numbers, on the piano, doing my skill very little justice.
"Goodnight."
"Night,"
"See you in the morning!" We were all retiring, having ushered our children off to bed earlier.
"Hawkeye, how long has it been since we've had sex?" I asked, at once Hawkeye was nuzzling my neck, and teasing me with gentle caressing and fondling.
"Too long, you're feeling better then?" He didn't let me answer, kissing me.
"Well, yes, but I have a more serious reason for asking." I pulled away form the kiss enough to talk, but not enough to completely cancel the idea.
"Our anniversary." That had been August first, nearly 20 weeks earlier.
"Thought so." We'd been together on the night of our anniversary, but it had hurt me, not recovered enough from the birth, and we'd left sex by the wayside since then. "Hawkeye, I think I'm pregnant, this belly is more than just postnatal puppy fat."
"Hmm? You don't think that one little event?" Hawkeye asked. "It was one giant disaster, it hurt you, neither of us enjoyed it much, I don't think you even came, you don't really think it's possible?"
"It's possible, feel that." I put Hawkeye's hand on my stomach, and I knew I was right by the way his eyes opened widely and he gasped for words. Having only just had a baby, I had no symptoms that couldn't be passed off as postnatal changes, but as I realised my belly was staying, and if anything growing, I knew it wasn't just postnatal.
"I'll go down, talk to Dad, I want him to see now, okay?"
"Yeah, and then, we'll pick up where we left off." Hawkeye kissed me as I got out of bed. I went downstairs, checking in on the sleeping children.
"Dad, it's Annie." I tapped on his door, and waited for a response. When it came it was hurried, and he sounded puffed, like he'd been running.
"Annie, what is it? Can't it wait until the morning?" I suddenly realised the exact strain in his voice, the one I heard all too often in Supply just after the choppers buzzed into hearing or when someone interrupted us.
"For what you've got going definitely goodnight Dad." I smiled.
"Night Annie." He called, sounding a little relieved, I heard a small whisper, confirming my suspicion.
"Goodnight Mrs O." I called shaking my head in disbelief. I heard smothered laughter bursting from within the room. I checked the spare room, as I'd expected Felicity was in Mrs O's bed and Mrs O was nowhere to be seen.
"That was quick!" Hawkeye remarked as I returned.
"Dad doesn't really want to be interrupted right now. And neither does Mrs O." I added with a grin.
"Dad and Mrs O! I don't believe it!" Hawkeye said. I hurriedly silenced him, Jess was asleep in the same room.
"Meanwhile, let's pick up where we left off ourselves." I climbed into the bed, pressing myself against Hawkeye. He laughed and dragged me into his very warm embrace.
Sometime later, I let out a little yelp as Hawkeye began to make a meal of my navel.
"Shh," he warned, with an evil smile. "You'll wake Jess."
"Okay, well, let's do this in complete silence." I dared.
"Oh, I always was one for a challenge!" Hawkeye whispered, lowering his head. Hastily I grabbed a pillow to muffle anything that came out of my mouth.
The next day, Daniel confirmed I was about 4months pregnant, and I was definitely worrying. I'd be due in June, and Jess would barely be a year old, if that. This baby was unplanned, there was no other word for it.
"Well, you have my congratulations Annie." Charles smiled, bouncing April on his lap.
"That's real swell Annie ma'am." I'd always be Annie ma'am to Radar.
"Well, if that's the case I have news for you too. Radar, in seven and a half months you're going to be a daddy again!" Monica beamed, while Radar kissed his wife.
"Oh it's a time for surprises huh?" Daniel grinned. "Well, I have a doozy! Edna O'Reilly, will you marry me?" I'm glad I still remembered my Korean at that point, because what I said was definitely unsuitable for the kids' ears.
"Daniel Pierce, if it means moving to this lovely town, yes I will!" Edna smiled. I swore furiously again, keeping up an extremely fluent albeit rude stream of Korean.
"Ma! Are you listening to yourself?" Radar burst out.
"Edna, that's great!" Monica smiled.
"My warmest congratulations to you both." Charles said.
"I finally have a little brother!" Hawkeye cheered. "Dad, it took you 20 years, but I finally got the brother I always wanted!" Somehow a very big group hug formed itself but was hurriedly finished by the phone ringing.
"Anne?" It was Mum and her voice was laced with panic and tears.
"What Mum? Is something wrong?" I asked hurriedly.
"Have you seen Lily?"
"Not since yesterday why?"
"Well, she's gone, she's taken all her clothes and records and things and gone!"
"Good lord, have you asked at Tom's?" Lily and Tom were going steady and had been for almost five years.
"He's gone too, clothes and all."
"Mum, they're 20 years old, goodness knows, they're probably just out to have some fun, if they're not back tomorrow, or you haven't heard from them, then you can worry, but until then, just relax, Lily's a bright girl."
"Thanks Annabelle, be good now." Mum and I hung up.
"What, Anne? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Lily's gone missing, she and her boyfriend have just run away." There was a shocked silence, giving us time to wonder how things could be so easily upset after everything appeared so perfect.
It became the New Year, Charles and the O'Reillys went to their respective homes, however Mrs O would return soon for a May wedding. Radar had been a bit upset that his mother was leaving him to watch another lot of kids grow up, but soon saw how happy she was with Daniel.
I was growing quickly now, but I was still apprehensive about another baby, especially as Ben had only just grown to accept Jess, I didn't want a repeat of that. Aside from that, my body was exhausted from carrying a growing embryo for nine months, giving birth and then breastfeeding, and just the thought of a 2am diaper or feed made me want to weep.
Lily had not yet returned, but she rang once to say she and Tom were married. When she hadn't returned I'd figured that was what had happened. Mum was very upset that another one of her babies had gone but was happy to hear that Lily had settled down.
Everything was wild, my kids seemed to grow more and more everyday, and I could still remember the day when BJ told me I was pregnant so clearly I could hardly believe it had been just over 3 years since that day.
Even though there were a few downs in our lives at the moment, with my missing sister and unplanned baby, Hawkeye and I were happy, and even more in love than ever.
"Anne, you look beat." I struggled into the bedroom after finally settling April. Hawkeye was confined to bed with a nasty flu, the same thing that was keeping April awake.
"I am beat! Felicity threw up on my pyjama top again, hence the naked from the waist up look, Ben screamed for half an hour while I tried to take his temperature, he still hates Jess by the way, and Jess won't drink because she's so blocked up and my boobs hurt!" I collapsed on the bed. Daniel was at the hospital, with a patient. It wasn't really a hospital as Daniel, Hawkeye and the odd specialist were the only doctors. It was more of a place for very sick people to stay so they could be nursed 24/7.
"Dare I ask why?" Hawkeye said. His throat was obviously very sore.
"Because Jess won't drink and they're overfull!" I moaned. I felt like every muscle in my body hurt, to say nothing of my engorged mammary glands. The 4mo baby was feeling pretty rotten, and didn't want to know about me, preferring the cuddles of her absent grandpa.
"Come on, sit back here, I'll fix you up, just grab a cloth diaper or something." I got one and Hawkeye sat up on the pillows. I lay back between his legs, my head resting on his chest, while he soothingly gave me a massage, his skilled hands gently helping to relieve the pain in my swollen breasts as he eased some of the milk out to relieve the pressure.
One massage and a milky diaper later, Hawkeye's hands moved to my back and shoulders in a sensuous, relaxing massage. Despite everything, I found myself pushing into his touch, stretching my body, and feeling a whole lot better for it. I fell asleep soon after, cuddled against his chest.
It was a very long fortnight, as I came down with the same thing two days later, just as the kids were beginning to recover, and I wasn't allowed to play with them or cuddle them. Hawkeye nursed me back to health and by the week before Christmas everyone was fighting fit again.
"Mrs O can have the spare room next to Dad, we'll put Wally and Eddie in the playroom, and Radar and Monica can. . ." I paused to think. The O'Reillys were staying for Christmas, and I was running out of sleeping ideas.
"We can put the girls in one room, and put the twins back in cribs, Radar and Monica can have the twins' beds." We'd got them proper sized beds to avoid needing to buy bigger ones further on, and they had removable sides.
"You my dear husband are a lifesaver!" Jess was still small enough to sleep in a bassinette, but we hoped to move her into a crib soon. A thought hit me, Charles was also coming to spend Christmas with his daughter. I sighed and paced through the house, trying to sort things.
"Radar and Monica foldout in playroom, Ben and Wally in Ben's room, Wally in Ben's crib." It turned out Wally was still a crib sleeper. "Edwina, April's crib, April's room, Lyss with Dad. Mrs O spare room. Charles, Lyssa's bed, in her room, April, Lyssa's crib, Lyssa's room with Charles." I scribbled notes on a piece of paper, and with less than 24 hours before they arrived on the 23rd of December, things were really sorted once and for all.
I'd acquired a piano shortly after we'd moved and I sat with April, playing a Nocturne while Jess listened transfixed from her bunny rug on the floor. Jess already loved music, and seemed to be very much like her paternal grandmother and myself.
April bashed joyfully on the keys while my slim hands ran over the keyboard, my wedding ring catching the flickering light of the fire , the flames making the band look orange.
"Hello, hello?" It was Charles, over April's bashing, I hadn't heard his quiet car.
"April, go and see daddy. The door's open, come on in!" I called.
"D-D-Dad-Daddy!" April toddled as fast as her little legs would take her to Charles who had come in.
"Angel-face!" Charles bent down and swept his 20mo daughter into his arms. They cuddled each other, and I realised that their hair was almost the same colour. "How are you beautiful?"
"Hawkeye, Dad, come down and say hello to Charles, and bring the twins. Come Charlie, I left Jess alone, I really should go back." Hawkeye and Daniel appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Mummy, I have cake?" Felicity asked, running down the stairs.
"No Princess, not until after dinner, and we'll have dinner when Uncle Radar, Aunty Monica and Ma arrive." The kids called Mrs O simply Ma.
"Charles, great to see you!" Daniel shook Charles's hand. April still sat high on her father's shoulder. I headed back into the living room, the men and kids following me. Jessica was still perfectly happy on her rug.
"The place looks just divine Annie, I regret everyday that I let you go." Charles admired the Christmas tree, and the other decorations.
"Charlie, please, I regret it too, but I'm very happy here, isn't that right baby?" I addressed Jessica as I picked her up. She smiled, a wide, trusting grin and cuddled into my shoulder.
"Daddy, pick me up!" That was Ben, and Hawkeye lifted our boy. "Mummy bad, she have Bess!"
"Benjamin Pierce, your mother is not bad, and neither is Jessica." Hawkeye said, putting Ben down at once. That was our newest idea, ignoring Ben whenever he started up, it worked about as well as anything else.
"Bess not sis!" Ben said pouting. We began to chatter, ignoring him, as he threw a typical two-year-old tantrum, screaming, crying and kicking the floor, vowing "I no love Mummy, bad!"
"You play Annie?" Charles asked loudly over Ben's yelling.
"Yes, a little." I sat down at the piano, handing Jessica to Daniel.
"She a regular genius!" Hawkeye said. "Play something Anne, and not a show tune, something classy." I'd been known to burst into excellently played rowdy show tunes for no apparent reason.
"Alright." I thought for a second, before beginning to play a piece by Czerny. I cut it short, to notice Ben had stopped screaming, April and Charles were cuddling on the sofa, Daniel and Jess were sitting in front on the fire, Jess entranced by the flickering flames and the music, while Hawkeye and Felicity were snuggled on the armchair.
"It's beautiful Anne, I always wanted to play like that." Charles spoke at last.
"Thanks, it was music or nursing for me . . . and I couldn't afford the music." I said. "Sit down here with me, I'll show you a few basics." I shifted over and Charles and April joined me on the seat while Hawkeye went and picked up Radar and Monica from the train station.
"Merry Christmas Charlie." I handed him a wrapped package. It was Christmas morning and Daniel, Charles, Mrs O, Radar, a two month pregnant Monica, Wally, Edwina, Hawkeye, Ben, Felicity, Jess, April and myself gathered in the living room in front of the fire.
"Thankyou Annie, oh Annabelle!" It was a record of Mozart's Quintet, the one he had broken in Korea. I knew it was still painful for him to think of the POWs, but I knew there'd also been enough time for the wound to heal and for him to hear that piece again.
"You're welcome Charles." I smiled, we handed around more presents, having a lovely time, and then my family turned up, more presents. They stayed for lunch and once they were gone, the O'Reillys, Charles, Hawkeye, the kids, Dad and myself sat around contemplating dinner.
"I will cook eventually, I promise, just not yet, I'm too full from lunch!" I laughed, watching Ben sulk while Dad cuddled my girls. Ben had been invited, but once he realised that Jess was there, he'd refused.
"Angel-features, come to Mummy." I opened my arms and my darling daughter obeyed, climbing off Dad's lap and running up to me. I picked her up and sat her on my knees, looking in her blue eyes seriously.
"I need you to help me Angel, Ben see Jessica is good." I set April on the floor. She understood Ben, see, Jessica and good, and she knew that Ben thought Jess was bad. So she toddled over to him and sat down, her diaper- clad bottom falling heavily.
"B-B-Ben!" She stammered clearly. Ben's dark head turned to his sister at once, his eyes alight with joy. This was a new word for my little Angel.
"Mummy, Ape say Ben!" He beamed, kissing her. "I lub you Apey."
"No wuv Bess!" Felicity said, climbing down from Dad's lap. "You bad!"
"Bess bad!" Ben said firmly. The two girls were fond of their sis, and had decided to do something about Ben.
"N-n-no!" April said. "Goo-oo-ood! B-b-berry g-g-good!" She said. This was the most I'd ever heard April talk, and she'd never said very before. For 20 months, this was very advanced.
"Yes Ape say right! Bess good!" Wally and Edwina, who had been reading with Monica decided to have their say.
"Jess nice!" Wally said, coming over and joining the kids on the floor.
"Baba soft!" Eddie added as she plopped down onto the rug with her brother.
"No, Bess is bad, Mummy no cuddle me with Bess!" That wasn't true; I cuddled him plenty, until he started being unfair about Jess again that was.
"Mummy cuddles you!" Felicity argued! "Bess good!"
"B-B-Ben! P-p-ple-ple-please, g-g-goo-good!" April insisted. Ben's little brow creased in thought at the very definite telling off. It didn't take much to see it had reached even his 33mo brain.
Slowly Ben stood up, very thoughtfully and went to each of the children, giving them a serious little kiss. Telling 'Wal' 'Winnie' 'Ape' and 'Lyss' that he 'lub' them. They all gave him a serious kiss back, obviously knowing he was about to make a big decision.
"Grandpa, see Bess?" He walked over to where Dad was nursing Jess still.
"Of course Sport." He showed Ben his little sister. Slowly he put a small hand on her reddish curls. He patted her head a few times, thoughtfully.
"Bess nice. Lub you Bess." He said finally, kissing her hair. Jess laughed and smiled directly at him. "Mummy, Daddy, Bess smile!" He beamed.
"Oh you little darlings, I love you all so much!" I fell on my knees and four children attacked me, my elder daughters and the O'Reillys. I hugged and kissed them, my arms full of children, and saw Ben coming towards me too. I opened my arms a little more and five squirming children now cuddled against me, like a litter of puppies.
After that the children all played happily on the floor, while I churned out a truly appalling quantity of show tunes, and ragtime numbers, on the piano, doing my skill very little justice.
"Goodnight."
"Night,"
"See you in the morning!" We were all retiring, having ushered our children off to bed earlier.
"Hawkeye, how long has it been since we've had sex?" I asked, at once Hawkeye was nuzzling my neck, and teasing me with gentle caressing and fondling.
"Too long, you're feeling better then?" He didn't let me answer, kissing me.
"Well, yes, but I have a more serious reason for asking." I pulled away form the kiss enough to talk, but not enough to completely cancel the idea.
"Our anniversary." That had been August first, nearly 20 weeks earlier.
"Thought so." We'd been together on the night of our anniversary, but it had hurt me, not recovered enough from the birth, and we'd left sex by the wayside since then. "Hawkeye, I think I'm pregnant, this belly is more than just postnatal puppy fat."
"Hmm? You don't think that one little event?" Hawkeye asked. "It was one giant disaster, it hurt you, neither of us enjoyed it much, I don't think you even came, you don't really think it's possible?"
"It's possible, feel that." I put Hawkeye's hand on my stomach, and I knew I was right by the way his eyes opened widely and he gasped for words. Having only just had a baby, I had no symptoms that couldn't be passed off as postnatal changes, but as I realised my belly was staying, and if anything growing, I knew it wasn't just postnatal.
"I'll go down, talk to Dad, I want him to see now, okay?"
"Yeah, and then, we'll pick up where we left off." Hawkeye kissed me as I got out of bed. I went downstairs, checking in on the sleeping children.
"Dad, it's Annie." I tapped on his door, and waited for a response. When it came it was hurried, and he sounded puffed, like he'd been running.
"Annie, what is it? Can't it wait until the morning?" I suddenly realised the exact strain in his voice, the one I heard all too often in Supply just after the choppers buzzed into hearing or when someone interrupted us.
"For what you've got going definitely goodnight Dad." I smiled.
"Night Annie." He called, sounding a little relieved, I heard a small whisper, confirming my suspicion.
"Goodnight Mrs O." I called shaking my head in disbelief. I heard smothered laughter bursting from within the room. I checked the spare room, as I'd expected Felicity was in Mrs O's bed and Mrs O was nowhere to be seen.
"That was quick!" Hawkeye remarked as I returned.
"Dad doesn't really want to be interrupted right now. And neither does Mrs O." I added with a grin.
"Dad and Mrs O! I don't believe it!" Hawkeye said. I hurriedly silenced him, Jess was asleep in the same room.
"Meanwhile, let's pick up where we left off ourselves." I climbed into the bed, pressing myself against Hawkeye. He laughed and dragged me into his very warm embrace.
Sometime later, I let out a little yelp as Hawkeye began to make a meal of my navel.
"Shh," he warned, with an evil smile. "You'll wake Jess."
"Okay, well, let's do this in complete silence." I dared.
"Oh, I always was one for a challenge!" Hawkeye whispered, lowering his head. Hastily I grabbed a pillow to muffle anything that came out of my mouth.
The next day, Daniel confirmed I was about 4months pregnant, and I was definitely worrying. I'd be due in June, and Jess would barely be a year old, if that. This baby was unplanned, there was no other word for it.
"Well, you have my congratulations Annie." Charles smiled, bouncing April on his lap.
"That's real swell Annie ma'am." I'd always be Annie ma'am to Radar.
"Well, if that's the case I have news for you too. Radar, in seven and a half months you're going to be a daddy again!" Monica beamed, while Radar kissed his wife.
"Oh it's a time for surprises huh?" Daniel grinned. "Well, I have a doozy! Edna O'Reilly, will you marry me?" I'm glad I still remembered my Korean at that point, because what I said was definitely unsuitable for the kids' ears.
"Daniel Pierce, if it means moving to this lovely town, yes I will!" Edna smiled. I swore furiously again, keeping up an extremely fluent albeit rude stream of Korean.
"Ma! Are you listening to yourself?" Radar burst out.
"Edna, that's great!" Monica smiled.
"My warmest congratulations to you both." Charles said.
"I finally have a little brother!" Hawkeye cheered. "Dad, it took you 20 years, but I finally got the brother I always wanted!" Somehow a very big group hug formed itself but was hurriedly finished by the phone ringing.
"Anne?" It was Mum and her voice was laced with panic and tears.
"What Mum? Is something wrong?" I asked hurriedly.
"Have you seen Lily?"
"Not since yesterday why?"
"Well, she's gone, she's taken all her clothes and records and things and gone!"
"Good lord, have you asked at Tom's?" Lily and Tom were going steady and had been for almost five years.
"He's gone too, clothes and all."
"Mum, they're 20 years old, goodness knows, they're probably just out to have some fun, if they're not back tomorrow, or you haven't heard from them, then you can worry, but until then, just relax, Lily's a bright girl."
"Thanks Annabelle, be good now." Mum and I hung up.
"What, Anne? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Lily's gone missing, she and her boyfriend have just run away." There was a shocked silence, giving us time to wonder how things could be so easily upset after everything appeared so perfect.
It became the New Year, Charles and the O'Reillys went to their respective homes, however Mrs O would return soon for a May wedding. Radar had been a bit upset that his mother was leaving him to watch another lot of kids grow up, but soon saw how happy she was with Daniel.
I was growing quickly now, but I was still apprehensive about another baby, especially as Ben had only just grown to accept Jess, I didn't want a repeat of that. Aside from that, my body was exhausted from carrying a growing embryo for nine months, giving birth and then breastfeeding, and just the thought of a 2am diaper or feed made me want to weep.
Lily had not yet returned, but she rang once to say she and Tom were married. When she hadn't returned I'd figured that was what had happened. Mum was very upset that another one of her babies had gone but was happy to hear that Lily had settled down.
Everything was wild, my kids seemed to grow more and more everyday, and I could still remember the day when BJ told me I was pregnant so clearly I could hardly believe it had been just over 3 years since that day.
Even though there were a few downs in our lives at the moment, with my missing sister and unplanned baby, Hawkeye and I were happy, and even more in love than ever.