April 1959
"Look at you, you're so big!" Hawkeye drew a little circle with his finger around my navel.
"Hawkeye, I'm not even 8 months, and you're saying I'm big. Wait until I'm term!" I laughed. We'd taken an evening stroll out on the beach, and we'd pulled my t-shirt up to study the baby in the moonlight.
"It's going to be great tomorrow, I get to meet all your friends."
"I can't wait, there's a special someone, I'm dying for you to meet." My high school was having a 15year reunion, Class of 1944. I could hardly believe it had been 15 years since I'd headed off to be a nurse.
"Feel that." Hawkeye grabbed my hand, directing it to my baby's movement.
"I felt it before you did remember, the baby's inside me." I smiled, putting my hand over the tiny movement. "Hey mate, you're just raring to get out aren't you?"
"We got us a big boy!" Hawkeye announced proudly. The baby was quite obviously a large one. "You know what baby-face? I just decided that you must adore being pregnant!"
"Aside from the morning sickness, aching breasts, swollen ankles, indigestion, heartburn, exhaustion and insomnia, often in the same day, yes. Why do you say that?"
"Because baby girl, I happen to know that your stomach is one giant erogenous zone! So being pregnant, your stomach is even bigger, therefore, putting two and two together." I laughed.
"When your mind's not being a doctor, it's thinking about sex!"
"Can I help it if you're beautiful?" That didn't answer anything and he knew it, so he kissed me before I asked any questions. I'd gotten over the sudden fear of physical contact and rape after being really honest with everyone.
"Come on, let's go back, we've got a big day tomorrow." I took Hawkeye's hand and we walked home.
"Bye Dad, Edna, don't make too much trouble! Upsadaisy Little One!" I lifted Lydia onto one hip as I closed the door. "Which kids do you want Hawkeye?" We were taking two cars to fit the kids in and after some child arranging, we were on our way.
"Ben help me here!" He complied by lifting little BJ onto his shoulders, hoisting Jess onto one hip and grabbing April by the back of her skirt. I put Lydia in her stroller and took Felicity's hand. We were in my old school's car park now and freed from a half-hour drive, the kids were bordering feral.
"Let's go." I took April's small hand into my left, and Felicity's into my right, letting my belly rest on the stroller and push it along. Hawkeye had put Jess down and was holding her with one hand while the other supported his son who joyfully rode high on his shoulders.
"Hello! Remember me? Sally Kent-Ferguson!" I groaned inwardly. Sally had always been sickeningly cheerful.
"Sally, it's great to see you!" I smiled, letting go of my girls to accept the cheerful brushed kiss on my cheek.
"Isn't it just super that we're all together again? And who have we got here?"
"This is my husband Ben, and our children. Ben, this is Sally." She grinned widely shaking Hawkeye's hand.
She turned back to me, "I'm afraid I have no idea who you are! I'm such a clod, I can't remember anyone!"
"I've changed a lot, I guess you just didn't recognise me because I haven't got my brother shadowing me."
"Oh dear, I'm such a silly!" She gave a giggle "Annabelle Dawson? Is that you?"
"Yep! Have Scarlet, Johnny, Prue or David arrived yet?" I asked about my special group of friends.
"Yes, they're all inside, mind you, I'd be wary, David looks quite, quite different."
"His face? Oh that's nothing I know." Sally seemed a little put off.
"Well, here's your nametag, I'd say you should take the baby out of the pram, it's a little crowded in there. You can leave it out here."
"Thanks Sally. Come on Lydia, out we get." I ushered my kids and husband inside. The kids were nervous and clung close to my side. I was carrying Lydia, and Hawkeye was carrying April and Jess while the twins walked.
"Annabelle Dawson, is that you? My word, you have changed." I smiled at the familiar face of my English teacher.
"Mr Winter, it's great to see you! This is my husband Ben and our children."
"What of Jack, is he here tonight?" The elderly man and Jack had always been close, even after Jack left the school. They'd shared the same passion for Charles Dickens.
"He was killed in Korea." I replied shortly, knowing I'd have to answer this many times during the night.
"What a shame, such a fine young man my condolences to you."
"Thankyou, I do miss him terribly."
"Well, I'll let you keep moving, Scarlet, Prue, John and David are here, they asked me to make sure you got over there." I glanced over, two women and two men were talking, and I towed Hawkeye and my kids over.
"I'm back!" I tapped John on the shoulder.
"Annie!" The four people hugged me tightly.
"Prue, you haven't changed a bit, oh Scarlet, you look fabulous, David, John, it's so great to see you! This is my husband Ben Pierce, and our children Felicity, Benjamin, April, Jessica and Lydia."
"They're beautiful, may I hold the baby?" I placed Lydia into Scarlet's arms.
"Ben darling, this is Scarlet Tuttle, David Baxter, Prue . . ."
"Tuttle I married Johnny!" She announced with a shine in her blue eyes.
"Well, I missed something there! Prue Tuttle, her husband Jonathon."
"Wait, Jonathon Tuttle?" Hawkeye echoed.
"Yes darling, Jonathon Tuttle, one of my friends since fifth grade."
"I made him up, Trapper and I made him up so the army gave the orphanage some money, and then he 'died' by jumping from a helicopter, without a parachute." I burst into peals of laughter.
"Well Ben honey, this John is real, very real!" Hawkeye said nothing, but gave me an "I'll-get-you" look.
"Oho, the terrible twins are all together again." The school jerk, rich, stupid and thoroughly hateable showed up.
"Get bent Rodney," Scarlet said and we all turned away as one. It seemed he hadn't changed, and neither had we.
"Ooh, do I sense some hostility?" He moved around the front into our view.
"You bet! And if you don't leave, I'll break your nose again!" David broke Rod's nose in 8thgrade during a fight.
"Tough man David! Careful mate, or I'll remove a few teeth."
"You going to touch any of us, you'll have me to contend with!" John replied. His family had been the ones who'd taught me the self-defence I knew.
"I thought I'd have sweet little Annie to fight with." He was 6'6" and 16 inches taller than I was.
"Bite me jerk." I replied. Rodney left.
"Someone tell me what's going on here, and what does he mean by twins?" Hawkeye demanded.
"Rodney is the school's biggest loser. We hate him. Oh and Scarlet and John and David and Prue are twins. We've been inseparable since fifth grade. We had it all planned, Scarlet would marry Jack, I'd marry David and Prue would marry John. It didn't exactly work out, sure Prue and John married, but I went to Korea and met you and Jack was homosexual."
"I'm not even going to bother trying to understand you. But trust you Dawson mob to upset things!" Hawkeye kissed my cheek. I realised Jess was doing her little potty dance and tugging on my pink skirt.
"Come on Baby. Ben darling, I'll leave you to get acquainted. Lyss, Angel, do you need to go? Well I think you'd better come anyway. Excuse me guys." I ushered my daughters to the toilet. When I returned, Hawkeye, and my friends were sitting at a table, talking and I would guess, sharing stories about me. I sent the girls running ahead and followed at a more sedate pace when four women descended on me.
"Beth, Minnie, Jan, Calista!" I gave a smile. It was the cheerleaders, for the basketball team. I had been one, but we'd formed the talented unpopular squad as opposed to the football's popular and only-there-for-looks squad.
"Look at you! You've changed so much! All this hair, and wow!"
"Come off it Min, you've changed too, where's Rob?" Through our senior year, Rob, a freshman had had a huge crush on Minnie and had followed her like a little puppy.
"Shut up!" Minnie blushed. "I'll have you know that Rob and I are very well thankyou."
"Rob and you?" I echoed. I'd really lost touch with most of my friends. "I'm Mrs Rob and there are two little Robs." Minnie informed me with a grin, pointing. A man was minding two small boys.
"Look, I've left my five with my husband and he looks like he's being swamped, I'd best go rescue him." I'd glanced over. Lydia was still with Scarlet but the twins, April and Jess were too shy to leave his side.
"Five?" Jan repeated. "And you're pregnant again!"
"Only you could have six kids Annie!" Beth laughed, we were walking over to the table. At the sight of me, April let go of Hawkeye's leg and attached herself to mine.
"Hello Angel, this is my daughter April." I picked her up. Even at 7½ months of pregnancy I could still lift and carry all my children.
"She's so beautiful." They all cooed at once. April hid her face in my shoulder.
"This is my husband Ben, and the rest of our kids. Ben this is Beth, Jan, Minnie, and Calista, some of the cheerleaders." Hawkeye very gallantly kissed all their hands, and they spotted someone else so they moved on.
"Are the kids going to be here all night?" Because of the time I'd spent in Korea, I had a younger family than most of the other women whose kids were mostly aged five and over.
"No, we've got a friend who's coming by to take them all but the twins." It was going to be a late night so at 8, Margaret was going to pick up the younger three. The twins were old enough to be out till later, and could sleep through nearly anything so in the unlikely event that they dozed off, they wouldn't be disturbed.
"You're so lucky to have such a large family, but is Lydia yours?" I began explaining the situation to my friends.
"So Prudence Amanda Tuttle, tell me, where are your kids?" I smiled.
"Jamie and Chris are at their grandparent's tonight." John replied.
"Jamie and Chris are twins, they're 9." Prue explained. Twins were common her family as both her mother and father were twins.
"Would you believe I have twins?" Scarlet smiled.
"No, seeing as I doubt you're even married." I observed Scarlet's ring-less finger. I rather suspect she had been very much in love with my brother and when Jack announced he was gay, she'd been somewhat heartbroken.
"Come off it Scar!" Prue scoffed.
"Not a chance!" David added. John I noticed remained silent, I guess he knew more than we did, being her twin.
"I was two months pregnant when we graduated. Melissa and Bradley will be 15 in December. I never told anyone, not even their father. You all went off to college or wherever, and gave me seven months of peace to have my babies and let my sister and her husband raise them." Everyone's jaw had dropped.
"Who was the father?" I asked softly. Scarlet dropped her eyes and her cheeks turned crimson.
"Rodney was, that's why I didn't want to know him earlier. Erin Holland invited me to a party, and Rodney was there. I got drunk." She started to cry.
"Hey, steady on Scarlet, no one's life's perfect." I soothed, hugging my friend.
"That's easy for you to say Annie, look at you, wonderful life, great job, a husband who's smart, sexy, funny and loves you to bits, and a beautiful family your life is perfect." Hawkeye feigned embarrassment and modesty at that.
"I was shot, I lost my right ovary, I was taken prisoner, I was raped and beaten, I watched Jack die, I was in a jeep accident, I miscarried, I had an affair, my husband and I had a punch on and I broke my wrist twice. That's just in Korea. Then I get divorced, I'm raising two babies alone, I get engaged to another man only to find his family hate me, I leave, pregnant with his child, return to Maine, have a one night stand with my ex- husband, eat peanuts, get rushed to hospital, have a tracheotomy, be in a car accident, give birth to my daughter in the wreck, then I become pregnant when I don't want to, have a stillborn baby, then when I want to get pregnant I couldn't, I won't go into the average for five hours sleep per night, or the fact that I get terrible morning sickness. "
"I'm sorry Anne, I had no idea." Scarlet sniffled.
"Never mind, come on, let's go find some teachers to upset. You want to come Hawkeye?"
"Nah, besides, I'm occupied." Lydia had fallen asleep in his arms.
"I'll send my History teacher your way if she's here, you'll get on. My darlings, are you coming?" My other kids decided they'd come and followed my friends and I as we searched out old teachers.
"Please don't let him see us." I steered my friends away from the view of my math teacher.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Annie!" My skin began crawling as we turned to face Mr Sherwood. He was horribly patronising and always called me 'Little' however I forced a smile on.
"Oh, Mr Sherwood, how lovely to see you. I was just talking about you."
"Well, how have you been Little Anne?"
"Fine thankyou." I noticed I treated him with the same contempt and disdain that I reserved for Frank Burns.
"And you Miss Baxter?"
"It's Mrs Tuttle now." Prue informed him politely.
"Well, who would have guessed? I'll let you have your fun!" We scuttled away gladly.
"I still hate him." I shuddered and then spotted a favourite teacher. "Mrs B!"
"My, if it isn't the twins! And with children!" Our sweet but fiery 60- something History teacher came over. "Oh she's just adorable! She looks exactly like my granddaughter" She lifted April up and my four-year-old looked nervous but happy.
"That's April, my second daughter." I explained. "April, say hello to Mrs B."
"April you can call me Violet. And how have we been?" I paused to lift Jess up before replying.
"Great thankyou."
"That's wonderful, and you Scarlet, still making trouble?" Scarlet was not a model student in History.
"No ma'am." Scarlet replied with a grin.
"And what about you boys, tell me when was the Leaning Tower of Pisa completed?" David and John both fell silent, mumbling answers.
"1298?" David ventured.
"Didn't learn a thing you boys, turned my hair grey! 1350! Remember that!" We laughed at her. She was exactly the same. "I've got a whole class to find, do you mind if I keep this beauty with me?"
"Angel, are you okay with Violet?" April nodded yes. "Then by all means Mrs B, if you're happy. If she gets grumpy, bring her to me or her father who's over there." I pointed briefly. We kept going, having a great time, and then at 8, handed the kids over to Margaret.
"Thanks Margaret, you're a gem." I kissed Jess's sleepy face and put her into the car. I hurried back inside, we were getting to the speeches. All of the old students were getting up and saying something.
"Well," I said when it was my turn. "I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said. It's great to see all of you again. I want to thank you all for your support and condolences when I told you about Jack, and for the last time, yes I have five children and yes I am pregnant again!" Laughter rippled around the room as I sat down.
I loved seeing my friends again and we parted with many promises to keep in touch. Exhausted, we got the kids from Margaret's and went home. Daniel and Edna were curled in front of the fire, and after putting the kids to bed, we checked in.
"Any messages?" I asked.
"Honnicuts rang, BJ wanted you to know that Alec rolled for the first time." Alec James Honnicut arrived in Mill Valley back in January. Apparently he looked just like Peggy's mother, Ruby.
"Oh, anything else?" I yawned, BJ kept us well posted on his son's progress.
"Soon-Lee, wanted to know if you could come west in the summer, meet Stephen." Edna supplied. Another boy, Stephen Andrew Klinger joined the Klingers just before Christmas. The unfortunate baby had his father's nose.
"You didn't tell me that." Daniel said, teasing.
"Sure I would've." Edna said. Daniel shook his head. "It must've slipped my mind. I'm real sorry Dan." She was getting a little worked up.
"It's okay, Edna, I'm just teasing you, you did tell me." He put his arms around his little wife.
"I knew I did." Edna murmured, still a bit miffed. Daniel kissed the side of her head and she turned to meet him. I took Hawkeye's hand then and we headed upstairs to bed.
"Tuttle is real."
"Hmm?" I sighed sleepily, Hawkeye's thoughtful voice disturbing me.
"Tuttle is real." He repeated. "I don't believe it. Tuttle was an army scam."
"Well Hawkeye, even the best laid plans come back to bite you in the arse!" I laughed wearily. "Now I have a shift tomorrow and I need my sleep!" In truth I didn't, I had stopped working once I'd started showing, at a very late six and a half months, but Hawkeye was so confused, he'd believe anything.
"Sorry honey, goodnight." I settled into the pillow and fell asleep. Hawkeye poked me a little later.
"Annie my love Tuttle is real." He repeated. I sat up, grabbing Hawkeye by his collar.
"Listen shut up would you?" I roughly pulled him closer for a kiss, and Hawkeye shut up immediately and didn't even bother to argue.
A/N: This is a call for suggestions here. Please leave reviews telling me what you think of my possible ideas.
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Alice's (Annie's younger sister) father is Daniel?
I'd love for Alice to know who her father is, and it's plausible that Anne's Mum and Daniel could have slept together, I mean, how important has Daniel been to that family? Then technically Alice's brother and sister have already married, which is odd!
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Margaret, marries a long-lost acquaintance?
Margaret deserves love, especially after Donald but she would leave Portland and can you imagine the Pierces without her? .
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Hawkeye being drafted (this is in the FAR future) to Vietnam or choosing to go himself?
Make for an interesting story, I'd love to see how Hawkeye will react to war all over again, but I couldn't abandon my little Annie could I?
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Another baby (that'll make seven) coming Anne's way?
She's born to have kids, and loves her family, but a woman can only do that kind of thing so many times!
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Or any other ideas that strike you, please let me now, I've pretty much made up my mind about whether or not to use them, but I want to know what you think, especially about Alice.
"Look at you, you're so big!" Hawkeye drew a little circle with his finger around my navel.
"Hawkeye, I'm not even 8 months, and you're saying I'm big. Wait until I'm term!" I laughed. We'd taken an evening stroll out on the beach, and we'd pulled my t-shirt up to study the baby in the moonlight.
"It's going to be great tomorrow, I get to meet all your friends."
"I can't wait, there's a special someone, I'm dying for you to meet." My high school was having a 15year reunion, Class of 1944. I could hardly believe it had been 15 years since I'd headed off to be a nurse.
"Feel that." Hawkeye grabbed my hand, directing it to my baby's movement.
"I felt it before you did remember, the baby's inside me." I smiled, putting my hand over the tiny movement. "Hey mate, you're just raring to get out aren't you?"
"We got us a big boy!" Hawkeye announced proudly. The baby was quite obviously a large one. "You know what baby-face? I just decided that you must adore being pregnant!"
"Aside from the morning sickness, aching breasts, swollen ankles, indigestion, heartburn, exhaustion and insomnia, often in the same day, yes. Why do you say that?"
"Because baby girl, I happen to know that your stomach is one giant erogenous zone! So being pregnant, your stomach is even bigger, therefore, putting two and two together." I laughed.
"When your mind's not being a doctor, it's thinking about sex!"
"Can I help it if you're beautiful?" That didn't answer anything and he knew it, so he kissed me before I asked any questions. I'd gotten over the sudden fear of physical contact and rape after being really honest with everyone.
"Come on, let's go back, we've got a big day tomorrow." I took Hawkeye's hand and we walked home.
"Bye Dad, Edna, don't make too much trouble! Upsadaisy Little One!" I lifted Lydia onto one hip as I closed the door. "Which kids do you want Hawkeye?" We were taking two cars to fit the kids in and after some child arranging, we were on our way.
"Ben help me here!" He complied by lifting little BJ onto his shoulders, hoisting Jess onto one hip and grabbing April by the back of her skirt. I put Lydia in her stroller and took Felicity's hand. We were in my old school's car park now and freed from a half-hour drive, the kids were bordering feral.
"Let's go." I took April's small hand into my left, and Felicity's into my right, letting my belly rest on the stroller and push it along. Hawkeye had put Jess down and was holding her with one hand while the other supported his son who joyfully rode high on his shoulders.
"Hello! Remember me? Sally Kent-Ferguson!" I groaned inwardly. Sally had always been sickeningly cheerful.
"Sally, it's great to see you!" I smiled, letting go of my girls to accept the cheerful brushed kiss on my cheek.
"Isn't it just super that we're all together again? And who have we got here?"
"This is my husband Ben, and our children. Ben, this is Sally." She grinned widely shaking Hawkeye's hand.
She turned back to me, "I'm afraid I have no idea who you are! I'm such a clod, I can't remember anyone!"
"I've changed a lot, I guess you just didn't recognise me because I haven't got my brother shadowing me."
"Oh dear, I'm such a silly!" She gave a giggle "Annabelle Dawson? Is that you?"
"Yep! Have Scarlet, Johnny, Prue or David arrived yet?" I asked about my special group of friends.
"Yes, they're all inside, mind you, I'd be wary, David looks quite, quite different."
"His face? Oh that's nothing I know." Sally seemed a little put off.
"Well, here's your nametag, I'd say you should take the baby out of the pram, it's a little crowded in there. You can leave it out here."
"Thanks Sally. Come on Lydia, out we get." I ushered my kids and husband inside. The kids were nervous and clung close to my side. I was carrying Lydia, and Hawkeye was carrying April and Jess while the twins walked.
"Annabelle Dawson, is that you? My word, you have changed." I smiled at the familiar face of my English teacher.
"Mr Winter, it's great to see you! This is my husband Ben and our children."
"What of Jack, is he here tonight?" The elderly man and Jack had always been close, even after Jack left the school. They'd shared the same passion for Charles Dickens.
"He was killed in Korea." I replied shortly, knowing I'd have to answer this many times during the night.
"What a shame, such a fine young man my condolences to you."
"Thankyou, I do miss him terribly."
"Well, I'll let you keep moving, Scarlet, Prue, John and David are here, they asked me to make sure you got over there." I glanced over, two women and two men were talking, and I towed Hawkeye and my kids over.
"I'm back!" I tapped John on the shoulder.
"Annie!" The four people hugged me tightly.
"Prue, you haven't changed a bit, oh Scarlet, you look fabulous, David, John, it's so great to see you! This is my husband Ben Pierce, and our children Felicity, Benjamin, April, Jessica and Lydia."
"They're beautiful, may I hold the baby?" I placed Lydia into Scarlet's arms.
"Ben darling, this is Scarlet Tuttle, David Baxter, Prue . . ."
"Tuttle I married Johnny!" She announced with a shine in her blue eyes.
"Well, I missed something there! Prue Tuttle, her husband Jonathon."
"Wait, Jonathon Tuttle?" Hawkeye echoed.
"Yes darling, Jonathon Tuttle, one of my friends since fifth grade."
"I made him up, Trapper and I made him up so the army gave the orphanage some money, and then he 'died' by jumping from a helicopter, without a parachute." I burst into peals of laughter.
"Well Ben honey, this John is real, very real!" Hawkeye said nothing, but gave me an "I'll-get-you" look.
"Oho, the terrible twins are all together again." The school jerk, rich, stupid and thoroughly hateable showed up.
"Get bent Rodney," Scarlet said and we all turned away as one. It seemed he hadn't changed, and neither had we.
"Ooh, do I sense some hostility?" He moved around the front into our view.
"You bet! And if you don't leave, I'll break your nose again!" David broke Rod's nose in 8thgrade during a fight.
"Tough man David! Careful mate, or I'll remove a few teeth."
"You going to touch any of us, you'll have me to contend with!" John replied. His family had been the ones who'd taught me the self-defence I knew.
"I thought I'd have sweet little Annie to fight with." He was 6'6" and 16 inches taller than I was.
"Bite me jerk." I replied. Rodney left.
"Someone tell me what's going on here, and what does he mean by twins?" Hawkeye demanded.
"Rodney is the school's biggest loser. We hate him. Oh and Scarlet and John and David and Prue are twins. We've been inseparable since fifth grade. We had it all planned, Scarlet would marry Jack, I'd marry David and Prue would marry John. It didn't exactly work out, sure Prue and John married, but I went to Korea and met you and Jack was homosexual."
"I'm not even going to bother trying to understand you. But trust you Dawson mob to upset things!" Hawkeye kissed my cheek. I realised Jess was doing her little potty dance and tugging on my pink skirt.
"Come on Baby. Ben darling, I'll leave you to get acquainted. Lyss, Angel, do you need to go? Well I think you'd better come anyway. Excuse me guys." I ushered my daughters to the toilet. When I returned, Hawkeye, and my friends were sitting at a table, talking and I would guess, sharing stories about me. I sent the girls running ahead and followed at a more sedate pace when four women descended on me.
"Beth, Minnie, Jan, Calista!" I gave a smile. It was the cheerleaders, for the basketball team. I had been one, but we'd formed the talented unpopular squad as opposed to the football's popular and only-there-for-looks squad.
"Look at you! You've changed so much! All this hair, and wow!"
"Come off it Min, you've changed too, where's Rob?" Through our senior year, Rob, a freshman had had a huge crush on Minnie and had followed her like a little puppy.
"Shut up!" Minnie blushed. "I'll have you know that Rob and I are very well thankyou."
"Rob and you?" I echoed. I'd really lost touch with most of my friends. "I'm Mrs Rob and there are two little Robs." Minnie informed me with a grin, pointing. A man was minding two small boys.
"Look, I've left my five with my husband and he looks like he's being swamped, I'd best go rescue him." I'd glanced over. Lydia was still with Scarlet but the twins, April and Jess were too shy to leave his side.
"Five?" Jan repeated. "And you're pregnant again!"
"Only you could have six kids Annie!" Beth laughed, we were walking over to the table. At the sight of me, April let go of Hawkeye's leg and attached herself to mine.
"Hello Angel, this is my daughter April." I picked her up. Even at 7½ months of pregnancy I could still lift and carry all my children.
"She's so beautiful." They all cooed at once. April hid her face in my shoulder.
"This is my husband Ben, and the rest of our kids. Ben this is Beth, Jan, Minnie, and Calista, some of the cheerleaders." Hawkeye very gallantly kissed all their hands, and they spotted someone else so they moved on.
"Are the kids going to be here all night?" Because of the time I'd spent in Korea, I had a younger family than most of the other women whose kids were mostly aged five and over.
"No, we've got a friend who's coming by to take them all but the twins." It was going to be a late night so at 8, Margaret was going to pick up the younger three. The twins were old enough to be out till later, and could sleep through nearly anything so in the unlikely event that they dozed off, they wouldn't be disturbed.
"You're so lucky to have such a large family, but is Lydia yours?" I began explaining the situation to my friends.
"So Prudence Amanda Tuttle, tell me, where are your kids?" I smiled.
"Jamie and Chris are at their grandparent's tonight." John replied.
"Jamie and Chris are twins, they're 9." Prue explained. Twins were common her family as both her mother and father were twins.
"Would you believe I have twins?" Scarlet smiled.
"No, seeing as I doubt you're even married." I observed Scarlet's ring-less finger. I rather suspect she had been very much in love with my brother and when Jack announced he was gay, she'd been somewhat heartbroken.
"Come off it Scar!" Prue scoffed.
"Not a chance!" David added. John I noticed remained silent, I guess he knew more than we did, being her twin.
"I was two months pregnant when we graduated. Melissa and Bradley will be 15 in December. I never told anyone, not even their father. You all went off to college or wherever, and gave me seven months of peace to have my babies and let my sister and her husband raise them." Everyone's jaw had dropped.
"Who was the father?" I asked softly. Scarlet dropped her eyes and her cheeks turned crimson.
"Rodney was, that's why I didn't want to know him earlier. Erin Holland invited me to a party, and Rodney was there. I got drunk." She started to cry.
"Hey, steady on Scarlet, no one's life's perfect." I soothed, hugging my friend.
"That's easy for you to say Annie, look at you, wonderful life, great job, a husband who's smart, sexy, funny and loves you to bits, and a beautiful family your life is perfect." Hawkeye feigned embarrassment and modesty at that.
"I was shot, I lost my right ovary, I was taken prisoner, I was raped and beaten, I watched Jack die, I was in a jeep accident, I miscarried, I had an affair, my husband and I had a punch on and I broke my wrist twice. That's just in Korea. Then I get divorced, I'm raising two babies alone, I get engaged to another man only to find his family hate me, I leave, pregnant with his child, return to Maine, have a one night stand with my ex- husband, eat peanuts, get rushed to hospital, have a tracheotomy, be in a car accident, give birth to my daughter in the wreck, then I become pregnant when I don't want to, have a stillborn baby, then when I want to get pregnant I couldn't, I won't go into the average for five hours sleep per night, or the fact that I get terrible morning sickness. "
"I'm sorry Anne, I had no idea." Scarlet sniffled.
"Never mind, come on, let's go find some teachers to upset. You want to come Hawkeye?"
"Nah, besides, I'm occupied." Lydia had fallen asleep in his arms.
"I'll send my History teacher your way if she's here, you'll get on. My darlings, are you coming?" My other kids decided they'd come and followed my friends and I as we searched out old teachers.
"Please don't let him see us." I steered my friends away from the view of my math teacher.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Annie!" My skin began crawling as we turned to face Mr Sherwood. He was horribly patronising and always called me 'Little' however I forced a smile on.
"Oh, Mr Sherwood, how lovely to see you. I was just talking about you."
"Well, how have you been Little Anne?"
"Fine thankyou." I noticed I treated him with the same contempt and disdain that I reserved for Frank Burns.
"And you Miss Baxter?"
"It's Mrs Tuttle now." Prue informed him politely.
"Well, who would have guessed? I'll let you have your fun!" We scuttled away gladly.
"I still hate him." I shuddered and then spotted a favourite teacher. "Mrs B!"
"My, if it isn't the twins! And with children!" Our sweet but fiery 60- something History teacher came over. "Oh she's just adorable! She looks exactly like my granddaughter" She lifted April up and my four-year-old looked nervous but happy.
"That's April, my second daughter." I explained. "April, say hello to Mrs B."
"April you can call me Violet. And how have we been?" I paused to lift Jess up before replying.
"Great thankyou."
"That's wonderful, and you Scarlet, still making trouble?" Scarlet was not a model student in History.
"No ma'am." Scarlet replied with a grin.
"And what about you boys, tell me when was the Leaning Tower of Pisa completed?" David and John both fell silent, mumbling answers.
"1298?" David ventured.
"Didn't learn a thing you boys, turned my hair grey! 1350! Remember that!" We laughed at her. She was exactly the same. "I've got a whole class to find, do you mind if I keep this beauty with me?"
"Angel, are you okay with Violet?" April nodded yes. "Then by all means Mrs B, if you're happy. If she gets grumpy, bring her to me or her father who's over there." I pointed briefly. We kept going, having a great time, and then at 8, handed the kids over to Margaret.
"Thanks Margaret, you're a gem." I kissed Jess's sleepy face and put her into the car. I hurried back inside, we were getting to the speeches. All of the old students were getting up and saying something.
"Well," I said when it was my turn. "I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said. It's great to see all of you again. I want to thank you all for your support and condolences when I told you about Jack, and for the last time, yes I have five children and yes I am pregnant again!" Laughter rippled around the room as I sat down.
I loved seeing my friends again and we parted with many promises to keep in touch. Exhausted, we got the kids from Margaret's and went home. Daniel and Edna were curled in front of the fire, and after putting the kids to bed, we checked in.
"Any messages?" I asked.
"Honnicuts rang, BJ wanted you to know that Alec rolled for the first time." Alec James Honnicut arrived in Mill Valley back in January. Apparently he looked just like Peggy's mother, Ruby.
"Oh, anything else?" I yawned, BJ kept us well posted on his son's progress.
"Soon-Lee, wanted to know if you could come west in the summer, meet Stephen." Edna supplied. Another boy, Stephen Andrew Klinger joined the Klingers just before Christmas. The unfortunate baby had his father's nose.
"You didn't tell me that." Daniel said, teasing.
"Sure I would've." Edna said. Daniel shook his head. "It must've slipped my mind. I'm real sorry Dan." She was getting a little worked up.
"It's okay, Edna, I'm just teasing you, you did tell me." He put his arms around his little wife.
"I knew I did." Edna murmured, still a bit miffed. Daniel kissed the side of her head and she turned to meet him. I took Hawkeye's hand then and we headed upstairs to bed.
"Tuttle is real."
"Hmm?" I sighed sleepily, Hawkeye's thoughtful voice disturbing me.
"Tuttle is real." He repeated. "I don't believe it. Tuttle was an army scam."
"Well Hawkeye, even the best laid plans come back to bite you in the arse!" I laughed wearily. "Now I have a shift tomorrow and I need my sleep!" In truth I didn't, I had stopped working once I'd started showing, at a very late six and a half months, but Hawkeye was so confused, he'd believe anything.
"Sorry honey, goodnight." I settled into the pillow and fell asleep. Hawkeye poked me a little later.
"Annie my love Tuttle is real." He repeated. I sat up, grabbing Hawkeye by his collar.
"Listen shut up would you?" I roughly pulled him closer for a kiss, and Hawkeye shut up immediately and didn't even bother to argue.
A/N: This is a call for suggestions here. Please leave reviews telling me what you think of my possible ideas.
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Alice's (Annie's younger sister) father is Daniel?
I'd love for Alice to know who her father is, and it's plausible that Anne's Mum and Daniel could have slept together, I mean, how important has Daniel been to that family? Then technically Alice's brother and sister have already married, which is odd!
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Margaret, marries a long-lost acquaintance?
Margaret deserves love, especially after Donald but she would leave Portland and can you imagine the Pierces without her? .
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Hawkeye being drafted (this is in the FAR future) to Vietnam or choosing to go himself?
Make for an interesting story, I'd love to see how Hawkeye will react to war all over again, but I couldn't abandon my little Annie could I?
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Another baby (that'll make seven) coming Anne's way?
She's born to have kids, and loves her family, but a woman can only do that kind of thing so many times!
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Or any other ideas that strike you, please let me now, I've pretty much made up my mind about whether or not to use them, but I want to know what you think, especially about Alice.