Alex wasn't demoted after telling Margaret where to get off. However, she was made to move out of the nurse's tent and made to share with Margaret.

'I'm sorry,' Potter had told Alex when the younger nurse went to complain. 'She is responsible for you, and I don't like to bully her about you nurses.'

Alex backed into the tent with one end of her cot, Klinger carrying the other. 'This isn't going to work,' Alex said when she let the cot drop in the spare corner of Margaret's tent. 'Look, there's barely enough room for another cot, let alone my footlocker and me.'

'We are going to make this work,' Margaret snapped, straightening her shirt.

'Uh, I'll leave you two to work it all out,' Klinger said before hurriedly leaving.

'Are you angry at me Margaret?' Alex asked. 'Is it because I got promoted to Major at a younger age than you did?' Even as she said it, Alex knew she'd gone too far.

'What?' Margaret screeched.

Only two words zapped through Alex's mind at the moment before she ran out of the tent.

Uh-oh.

She hadn't even made it three steps out the door when Margaret started throwing things at her; books, pillows, trinkets, her hairbrush. Alex covered the back of her head as she bolted, yelping with pain as the sharp corner of something hit her hand.

'Is that Alex?' BJ said with a laugh when he saw Alex as he and Hawkeye were heading for the showers.

'What's wrong?' Hawkeye asked, grabbing Alex as she tried to run past.

'I said the wrong thing to Margaret,' Alex said, stopping to check to see if the Major had followed her. 'I mentioned her age.' She glanced down at her hand, which was bleeding, quite badly.

'You're going to need a bandage over that,' Hawkeye said.

'I better go find a doctor,' Alex said, pressing her hand over the cut, the blood pushing through her fingers. Hawkeye and BJ looked at each other.

'We're doctors,' BJ said.

'I meant a competent doctor,' Alex said with a teasing grin. 'Charles wouldn't want either of you two anywhere near my injuries.'

'Ouch, that hurts,' BJ said with a laugh. Alex gave them one last smile, then walked off to look for Charles. 'You ok?' BJ asked when he noticed Hawkeye wasn't saying anything.

'Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I be alright?' Hawkeye asked maybe a little too quickly. 'Come on.' He continued towards the showers, BJ following with a slightly confused look on his face.

Alex found Charles on Post op. When he saw the crimson blood on her hands, he strode over quickly.

'You're bleeding,' he said, taking her hands in his and checking the cut, concern written clearly over his face. 'What happened?'

'Disagreement with Margaret,' Alex replied, forcing a smile on her face. 'I think I'm going to hate living with her.'

Charles led Alex to one of the general treatment rooms. 'Maybe you should move out,' Charles suggested as he dressed the wound.

'Margaret has already requisitioned a nurse. She'll be in my spot in the nurse's tent,' Alex said. She winced as Charles bandaged the cut. 'Hey, maybe I could move into the Swamp!'

'What?' Charles stopped a moment.

'Yeah, I've spent a few weeks in the Swamp before,' Alex said enthusiastically. 'There's enough room, and I'll keep my corner clean. The Swamp is big enough, I could even set up my own sort of "room".'

'Absolutely not,' Charles said. 'I will not have you share a tent with those… animals.'

'Charles,' Alex said patiently. 'I happen to be friends with those animals. Besides, there's less chance of them playing pranks on you if I'm there.'

'They do not play pranks on me,' Charles said huffily.

'Come on, Charles,' Alex said. 'What about the time they replaced your tape to your parents with one of them burping "Stars and Stripes", huh? Or the time your cot mysteriously wound up in the latrines? What do you call those?'

'I get my own back,' Charles said.

'I know,' Alex said, grinning. Hawkeye and BJ's mail from home had been held back for a month after the tape gag, and after Charles had found his tent, he had "arranged" for the roof of the Swamp above their cots to be cut out, allowing the rain in. 'You have an interesting flare for revenge.'

'I do not trust them,' Charles insisted.

'Meaning you don't trust Hawkeye,' Alex said. 'I wouldn't worry, Charles.' She wriggled along the table, closer to him. 'There's only one man I love.'

'Dear Mother and Father,' Charles said into the small microphone attached to his tape recorder. 'Alexia Dustin has moved into the Swamp, temporarily, if I can help it. She cannot stay in the nurse's quarters, due to her new position, and Major Houlihan does not wish to share her tent with Alexia.' He paused, and Alex looked up from her cot, now in the spare corner of the Swamp.

'So they know about you and me?' she asked softly. She seemed sort of pleased about that. Charles nodded, shooting her a smile. No doubt if Hawkeye had been there, he would have complained about the puppy-dog looks Charles kept giving Alex.

'I do not wish her to share with the philistines I have to share with, but she is insistent. Alexia has stayed in the Swamp before, but that was when she was in a relationship with Pierce.' Charles stopped abruptly.

'What?' Alex asked, noticing him stop the tape a moment.

'Would you like to say something to them?' Charles asked.

'Like what?' Alex laughed. '"Hi, I'm the woman your son has fallen head over heels with"?' Charles shrugged.

'Whatever you feel is appropriate,' he said, holding the mike over to her. Alex took it, smiled at Charles and pressed the record button.

'Uh, hi, Mr and Mrs Winchester. I'm Alexia, Charles just wanted me to say he was doing ok, and he was keeping an eye on me and everything, and doing well over here. Maybe a little under nourished, but I think we're all like that. Uh, hope you're all well, and that the war ends quickly so you can see your son soon,' she said, giggling as she switched it off and handed it back over to Charles. He smiled at her, then continued his recording.

'I wish you could meet her, mother,' Charles continued. 'She is beautiful, and I believe you would both find you have a lot in common. But like Alexia said, hopefully this war will finish soon, and we can leave this godforsaken hellhole of a mud puddle.' He stopped it again when Hawkeye came in.

'Hey kids, having fun?' he asked, heading for the still.

'Hawk, the beaker is over here,' Alex said, holding up the crystal jug partly full of gin. Hawkeye retrieved it, and poured himself a drink.

'Pierce,' Charles said, giving him a vague nod.

'So what's this doing in here?' Hawkeye asked, nodding towards the cot Alex was sitting on.

'I'm moving in,' Alex said. She grinned widely. 'Hey Bunkie,' she said.

'If you ever get scared by the war, feel free to share with me,' Hawkeye said. He noticed Charles glare at him, and he held up his hands in a friendly manner. 'Just kidding, Chuckles,' he said. To Alex, he said 'What happened to you staying with Margaret?'

'Remember how I told you I said the wrong thing to her?' Alex asked. Hawkeye nodded. 'I decided it would be best for my health if I vamoosed,' she said.

'Don't worry, Pierce, I have Klinger looking for another tent for her to stay in,' Charles said.

'Really?' Alex asked. 'I just told Klinger that he was, under no circumstances, to get me a tent, no matter who threatened him, because I am much worse with my threats. I'm staying in the Swamp, if you like it or not.'

Kooshball Note: Tell me what you think guys. I got no reviews for chapter 28 (After I poured my heart and soul into writing it) and I need reviews to keep me updating!