Chapter 4 - Plans
Hawkeye smiled and lifted Rowan off the change table. Margaret had been staying for a couple of days and they had both gotten over their embarrassment of each other. Thus Margaret was comfortably nursing Kelsey in the rocking chair a few feet away from Hawkeye.
"Well, does she pass inspection?" Hawkeye turned to Margaret who was now setting Kelsey in the playpen. Picking her way around the playpen and crib, there really wasn't much room, once the necessary baby furniture was in; Margaret approached Hawkeye, and Rowan.
"There," she smiled, straightening the ribbon in the downy hair. "Now she does. And why does it matter that she looks so perfect, not that she isn't an angel to look at anyway?"
"Because we're seeing Grandpa today, isn't that right?" He set Rowan in the stroller, and wrestled for a few minutes, attempting to get the small white shoes on. Failing, he tucked them into the nappy bag hanging from the stroller handles. "And there is an invitation for you, and of course that handsome young man over there." Said handsome young man was now lifted onto the table as his mother changed him.
"I... I couldn't... I don't want to impose. Besides he doesn't even know I'm here." Margaret blushed, as she finished the task of changing her son's diaper. Hawkeye laughed and decided it was time to introduce Margaret to the small-town ways that he'd grown up to love.
"Look Margaret, everyone knows your staying with me by now. You've been here 4 days, that's plenty of time for everyone to have spread the word. Remember Della, the babysitter that you met on your first day here? She probably told Dad as soon as we were out of earshot. So I may not have spoken to him about it personally, but trust me, he knows you're here."
"Well then, I'd be delighted." Margaret said after a second's hesitation. "Just let me get dressed."
"Don't get too dressed up or people will start thinking that I'm formally introducing you to him... if you catch my drift." Hawkeye winked.
"I wish that were true..." Margaret surprised herself at that thought, and suddenly found herself daydreaming about a meeting between herself and Daniel, where Hawkeye broke the wonderful news they were to marry.
"Margaret? We have to leave in a quarter of an hour. I may be irresponsible and continually late, but Dad is a stickler for punctuality." Hawkeye's voice shook Margaret gently from her reverie.
"I'll be five minutes" Shaking her head, and wondering what had come over her, Margaret headed for the bathroom, taking Kelsey with her.
"I'll time you," Hawkeye called playfully, glancing at his watch, and pushed Ro's stroller into the lounge, where he flicked on the TV and sat down to wait.
"Ready to go." Margaret reappeared promptly as Hawkeye's watch timed 4 minutes 34 seconds.
"Alright, it's a short walk from here, so as soon as we've packed our things, we'll go." Hawkeye said, motioning to the empty diaper bag belonging to Kelsey. Margaret began putting diapers, wipes, toys and a spare change of clothes into the bag, while Hawkeye searched the house for Rowan's favourite teddy.
The short walk was geographically quite short, but by the time they had stopped to say hello to everyone they had met, the 5-minute walk had stretched to half an hour. However, as they arrived on the doorstep belonging to Daniel Pierce, Hawkeye noted that they arrived 5 minutes before the appointed time.
"Margaret, I hoped you would come. Or more to the point I hoped that Hawk would have the brains to ask you." Daniel grinned as he let them in, informing Margaret that Hawkeye had been right in saying that he would know of her presence.
"How could I not Dad? Especially after the way that you two got on at the reunion last year." Hawkeye laughed and helped Margaret lift Kelsey's stroller into the house, while Daniel took Rowan's.
Over lunch Daniel was introduced to Kelsey, but seeing the pain behind the story, didn't press it, and instead congratulated Margaret on raising a beautiful son. This was a relief for Margaret and Hawkeye guessed that she was normally met with a barrage of questions centering on the whereabouts of Kelsey's father.
Margaret and Daniel it seemed picked up where they left off, and Hawkeye was all too happy to watch the children, while Margaret and Daniel chatted, Margaret becoming more animated and alive that he had seen her since Korea.
By the time Rowan and Kelsey were demanding afternoon naps, Hawkeye was getting restless, knowing that he had to cook dinner, while Margaret and Daniel it seemed were still going strong. The subject of the conversation seemed to be mostly about the two children, but snippets of the conversation were whispered, hushed or spoken in obvious code, leading Hawkeye to believe that it was about him, Elaine or his children.
"It was wonderful to see you again Dr Pierce," Margaret said, buckling a weary Kelsey into his stroller.
"Call me Daniel," The man replied, pulling her into a hug, Surprised, Margaret hugged him back, and after goodbyes were said between father and son, and granddaughter to grandfather, Hawkeye and Margaret began to return home.
The walk was shorter this time, the Cove population respecting the need for the children to go down for their naps, and Margaret was relieved to find herself lying down on the couch, Kelsey and Ro asleep in Hawkeye's bed, while Hawkeye cooked inside fifteen minutes.
After dinner, bathing and bed for the babies, Hawkeye and Margaret had an impromptu picnic on the front lawn, eating Hawkeye's delicious cooking. With a sigh, Margaret stretched back and lay down beside Hawkeye, who was still finishing his chicken.
"Margaret?" Hawkeye put his plate on top of Margaret's to take in later.
"Hmm?" She replied, a touch sleepily.
"I've got something to ask you." Hawkeye lay down beside her, and both rolled onto their sides so they could face each other and talk face to face.
"Go for it," She smiled at him.
"I've just gotten a lead about where Amity, Maggie and Rory are. My second cousin Matthew lives in Missouri, and says that he thought he saw them at the local school, where he lives. Not far from our good Colonel might I add."
"That's wonderful Hawkeye!" Margaret exclaimed, "If you'd like me to care for Ro and housesit for you while you go out there, I will."
"No," Hawkeye laughed and shook his head. "I have something better in mind. It's looking pretty definite that Elaine has settled down there, there are other things that he's told me. Every shopkeeper in town is mad at this one particular lady, demanding and obstinate, makes them order brands in specially for her, and then never comes in and picks the order up, saying she had a hair appointment, or something. There's also always yelling from this particular house, with children about my guys' age now, and a couple of others. It sounds like Elaine, and quite frankly, even if it isn't I don't want to miss out. I'm going to Missouri, and taking Rowan, and you, and Kelsey. I've saved up for this day since she left. I just want my children back. But on the way, we can do a bit of searching, and find your three."
"Oh... Hawkeye... you'd do that for me? But how can we find them? I've been looking for a year now; I've even had the army searching for them. I can't for the life of me work out where they are. I tried the police immediately after he took them, but it looked like he'd skipped the country. He didn't give me any hint where he was living when we met before Kelsey was born, or where the kids were. I've all but given up. He must have changed his name. Or something. I don't know." Margaret had sounded slightly choked up when he'd given his offer, but now there were definite tears in her eyes, and a sob in her voice.
"What I haven't told you is Matthew is in the army. He looks up people who manage to dodge the draft. I've done a little digging with him on your behalf and it seems that your darling husband," The sarcasm in his voice was obvious with the last two words, "Was supposed to do a little time in Korea and didn't. Skipped the country again it seems. They've been hunting him down, he's going to cop it from the army, and with luck, from you on kidnapping charges."
"Oh!" Margaret gasped, and burst into tears of disbelief.
"Hey, Maggie-D it's alright. Really." Hawkeye pulled against his chest, and she didn't fight, burying her head in his warmth and staying there, gasping tears of shock. She composed herself, but not after Hawkeye's shoulder was soaked through.
"Well, when do we leave?" There was hope and unrestrained joy in her voice.
"Two days time Margaret, I figured you wouldn't need much warning seeing as you're living out of suitcases anyway." Over crying, and now touched to the point of being mute, Margaret threw herself at Hawkeye and hugged him so hard he felt his spine crack.
