A/N: I apologize and thank all those who took notice the Convention will be taking place in Michigan, although a friend and I did look to see if there was a Boston Michigan. We didn't see one, so we just kept it in Michigan. Thank you for your reviews and patience.
After some persuasion from my dear friend at school I was convinced to change Ben back to Hawkeye. Although I still feel it seperates him from the war, I will change it back. I thought I'd let you know and I will try to keep it consistant.
It was a good twenty minute drive to the convention centre, Mark drove it, having offered ifHawkeye would drive back to the hotel for the night.Hawkeye stared out the window most of the time, thinking, he was only hours away from Klinger who lived in Toledo, if the man was even back from Korea yet. Part of him desperately wanted to go and visit the dear friend. However he realized he was only hours away from Boston every day and never visited Trapper or Charles. He paused, realizing he hadn't actually thought about Trapper since the man had left Korea.
By the timeHawkeye and Mark finally reached the Convention Centre, the place was becoming filled. Mark andHawkeye entered the large room, looking around they took it all in, it was like most Conventions…packed.Hawkeye searched the area, praying to see someone he recognized. He remembered laughing as he and BJ both realized they would never got to one of these damn conventions. Now here he was, and BJ was nowhere to be seen, probably.
"You must be Dr. Pierce and Dr. Sloane, I'm Dr. William Jackson, David called and said you would be here, I have people I'm supposed to introduce you to. We'll be working in groups for this Convention. Come I'll introduce you to the other two members of our group,"Hawkeye looked at Mark, a grimace on their faces as they followed the obviously older man. Hawkeye was never thrilled with the idea of being paired in groups with people he didn't know.
Hawkeyewasn't expecting what he saw next, there they stood, the sandy blonde haired man, and his blonde friend. His heart stopped as the face of the man turned to look at him, blue eyes met blue eyes. Instantly his eyes began to water.
Both men opened their mouths to speak, but no sound came out, the woman turned to face him as well, obviously stunned to see him here. He looked her over, pleased she was not wearing a ring, pleased to see they both looked well.
"Pierce, Sloane, I'd like to introduce you to…"
"Captain BJ Hunnicutt…"Hawkeye looked at him, "and Major Margaret Houlihan…" he whispered softly. He took a step closer and enveloped BJ in a tight hug. He was still speechless. He let his best friend go and looked at Margaret.
"Hello Hawk," she whispered smiling, he grinned and pulled her into a hug.
"I've missed you…more than you may ever know," he replied in a whisper. The three friends grinned as the continued to hold one another for a moment.
"I thought we weren't the type of guys to attend these conventions," BJ joked, tears evident in his voice.
"Me either…guess things changed," he shook his head, reaching out he squeezed his friend's shoulder.
"I never shook you…there has never been a friend like you, just ask Peg…I've talked about nothing else but you for the past twelve months, you and Margaret."
"Me either…" pausing he looked at her, "Margaret," he grinned. Turning he looked at Mark.
"Mark, this is Margaret Houlihan and BJ Hunnicutt…"
"From Korea? Wow, small world," he said as he grinned, shaking their hands.
"This is my friend Mark, he helped pull me back to the real world,"Hawkeye said smiling.
"Then we owe you a lot," Margaret said grinning gently.
The convention flew by quickly for the first several hours. Mark and Dr. Jackson had hit it off and decided to join each other for some lunch. While BJ, Margaret andHawkeye went to lunch at a cute restuarunt nearby the Centre.
"So did you know you were both coming to this thing?"Hawkeye asked grinning.
"Well, about two months after the end of the war I retired early from the Army, and went back to California to work in a hospital as a nurse. I found out BJ was still in Mill Valley a couple weeks later and I got in contact with him," Margaret said grinning.
"We spent the first few months just talking back and forth on the phone, then Peg offered her dinner. Margaret moved to an apartment just outside Mill Valley and took a job at my hospital. She comes over every Friday for a home made dinner and she's become my patients' preferred nurse," BJ said smiling.
"Peg is wonderful, she and I hit it off the first time we met, ever since we've been best friends, and Erin…she's beautiful Hawkeye, you really should come back to California and meet them," Margaret said smiling.Hawkeye looked at her and grinned in return.
"I may just do that…this is wonderful, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you guys."
"Well it was pure chance…my friend Greg Patterson told me about this Convention and that they had a couple new surgical techniques, I mentioned it to Peg and she said I should really go. Margaret had already booked a flight for herself, so when she heard I was coming she just made a second booking."
"This is wonderful…BJ, I'm really sorry, I…I thought of calling a couple times, but every time I did…"
"I did too, it was just too painful at times, after a few months all my nightmares pretty much tapered off…I feared if I started calling anyone they would just come back,." BJ whispered.
"Same here," murmured Hawkeye.
"Anyway so how are things is Crabapple Cove?" BJ asked.
"Um…great, it's nice, I work in a clinic of about nine or ten doctors, we do rounds in the morning and work until about five every evening. It's a nice job, compared to the war."
"Do you still perform Surgery?" Margaret asked.
"Yep, not as much as I used to, thank god they don't need it as much, but I do it probably about once every two weeks or so."
The week went quickly, all too quickly for BJ, Margaret and Hawkeye. The three friends and Mark all stood in the airport, "I'll come visit next week, and I'll give you a call before I leave Maine," explained Hawkeye.
"Peg will be thrilled, she's been dying to meet you…and I can't wait for you to meet Erin," BJ said smiling. Hawkeye grinned and looked at Margaret.
"It's going to be a long week without you…I'd be honored if you'd consider joining me for one evening next week?" Margaret smiled.
"Do you even have to ask?" She said grinning.
"Until next week then, take care of yourselves," he said smiling. With a final hug and a wave goodbyeHawkeye and Mark got on the plane to head back to Maine, while Margaret and BJ went to catch their flight home.
"It was really great dad, I mean…really great, to see them again…" Daniel smiled at his son as he stood by the door, leaning against the frame as his only child unpacked all his clothes.
"But…" Daniel asked, sensing the but his son was thinking.
"But I wish I hadn't been so reclusive the first year back. Dad I wasted a year when I could have been getting to know BJ's family and Margaret a little better."
"Ben, son; did it dawn on you that you just came back from a war. No one expected you to do anything but try to get back into your life. BJ was probably trying to get used to having his own life as well. Son, I remember those first few months and I remember how hard they were for you."
"I felt like an outsider in my own home," Hawkeye whispered sadly, remembering those first few horrible months. His father had done his best to help his son feel welcome, but it hadn't really helped.
"And BJ probably did too son, this may be the perfect time for you all to come back into each other's lives. Here you are, lonely and suddenly BJ and Margaret come back into your life. My guess is you all need each other as much as you need them."
"But how are we going to manage this dad? I mean it's not like I can afford to fly out there every weekend and visit, and BJ can't afford it either. And what about Margaret…"
"What about her?" Daniel asked looking at his son. Hawkeye sat down on the bed and looked up at his father. Sighing he shook his head.
"When we were in Korea…the first year I couldn't stand her, she was everything I hated about the army. She was all military, and even worse she was a woman. I hated what the army could do to a wonderful woman like her. Then shortly after Frank Burns left and Donald started cheating on her, I started becoming friends with her…"
"Yes I remember some of your letters home…I wondered."
"I fell in love with her dad. In the middle of a war and here I was falling in love with the woman I loved to hate."
"And now?"
"Now, I thought I was over her, kind of how I thought I was over Carley until she showed up at the 4077th one day. Every feeling, every thought that left my mind a year ago suddenly flew back full force and hit me in the stomach. I was stunned, winded, confused, excited, sweating and dying to hold her all over again."
"So what's the real problem here?" Daniel asked his son simply.
"She lives on the other side of the continent; how are we supposed to make any relationship like that ever work?"
"Ben, your mother and I were very in love with each other. I remember being in love with her, and I can tell you now that if you're feeling what I felt and if Margaret is feeling what Elizabeth felt; then it can work."
"But dad…"
"Ben, don't you think she at least deserves the chance to turn the idea down or not. Give her a chance before you turn the idea of being happy down. Go out with her, invite her to one of our crab fests, or to the Annual Crabapple Doctor's Ball in January. Give her the chance to fall in love with you like you've fallen for her."
Hawkeyelooked up at his father, suddenly remembering why he loved this man so much. He shook his head, "Mom always said you were wise when you chose to speak of it."
"Your mother was a pretty smart cookie herself. She'd want you to be happy son…I want you to be happy." With a gentle smile Daniel headed out the door, bidding his son a goodnight as he made his way into his own room.
LeavingHawkeye to think alone to himself about what his father had said. Perhaps the older man was right, he deserved the chance to be happy, and Margaret may be the only woman who could make him as happy as he felt at the moment.
Benjamin "Hawkeye" moved into the den where his father sat at his desk, going over some of his patient's files when the man looked up to see his six year old son standing there looking innocent and young.
"Everything okay son?" Daniel asked. The boy shrugged and moved towards his father. Smiling Daniel lifted the boy up into his arms, holding him close. The boy instantly returned the hug.
"Daddy…can I marry mommy when I grow up?" the sincere blue eyes were almost more than Daniel could take. He chuckled softly and ran a hand down the boy's head, allowing it to rest against his neck.
"Um, well son, mommy is already married," the boy looked down.
"Oh…you wouldn't want to share her?" Daniel laughed heartedly this time, grinning at the sheer innocence of his little boy.
"Hawkeye, one day you're going to meet a woman who is lovely just like your mother. And you'll probably love her just as much, but in a different sort of way than you love your mommy. Then you can marry her, and have a little son with her who will want to marry his mommy."
"Daddy…"
"Yes Hawkeye?'
"Mama is sick isn't she?" The boy's face becoming serious. Daniel took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes Benjamin, mommy is very sick, but she's going to be fine, I promise," he whispered pressing a kiss to the top of the boy's head. Ben leaned into his chest, thinking silently to himself.
"Daddy, what'll happen to us if mama dies?" Daniel had to sniff back his tears as he looked down at the innocent little boy in his arms.
"Then we'll have to go on and do the best we can son. Ben, people die everyday, it's a natural but painful part of life."
"People's mommies die everyday?" He asked, his eyes full of tears.
"Some do yes. Ben, I know it's painful now, but we have to take this one day at a time and hope for the best."
"Daddy…you're not going to leave me…are you?" Daniel sighed.
"Ben, like your mommy I'm not always going to be here. No one lives forever, but I promise I will do my best to be here for as long as you need a daddy. And your mommy will always be in your heart," Daniel whispered gently.
"Am I gonna get sick like mommy?"
"No, whatever made you think that?" Daniel asked looking at his little boy.
"Toby says that cancers cont…cont…"
"Contagious?"
"Yeah…"
"Son,what shehasisn't contagious, it's just not treatable right now, come on let's go up and see your mommy right now, I think you could little dose of mommy love," Daniel hoisted the boy against his hip and made his way upstairs. Opening the door to his bedroom Daniel placed his son down on his feet. Ben instantly hurried to the large bed and did his best to climb up atop the bed. Daniel almost scolded Ben when he saw the boy trying to use the bottom shelf to their bedside table. However it was the sweet look Beth shot him that stopped him. He felt his eyes burn with tears when Ben moved close to his mother. She wrapped her arms around her sweet, and innocent baby boy and held him. Her hand gently caressing his head, trying to let him know his mommy was still there.
Daniel smiled gently, removing his shoes he moved over to the bed and lay down beside them, he wrapped his arm around Beth's waist, pulling her closer and joined her in soothingly rubbing their son's back.
Hawkeyesat up in his bed, shaking his head, he hadn't thought about his mother in a long time. He and his father rarely talked about her, but suddenly he could vividly remember her every detail, her beautiful sandy blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes.
He flipped the light on by his bedside and looked down at the picture on the table. It was a picture similar to the one from his dream, his mother, healthy, holding a five year old boy to her hip, while Daniel stood behind them both looking proud.
He sighed, he wanted to be that family, he wanted to have a wife like his mother and have a sweet little boy or girl in his life, he needed and wanted it. Taking a deep breath he lay back against his pillows and allowed his mind to wander again, wander at the thought of Margaret and at the thought of a family…with her.