Margaret lay still for a moment with her eyes closed. She wasn't exactly sure where she was, but she was the most comfortable she had been in a long time. There was a soft breeze blowing through her hair and the warm feeling of the sun shinning on her face. She could hear and feel the rumble of the engine below her and had a peculiar feeling that someone was watching her. Slowly she opened her eyes to discover that she was sitting in the front seat of his car. She was draped in a blanket, lying with her back pressed to the door and her face resting against the leather seat. The afternoon sun was sitting high above them in a clear blue sky.

"Have a nice nap?" He asked her suddenly. Margaret lay there silently, watching him. "Is that a yes?" A simple smile crept across his delicate features. Margaret nodded in reply as she closed her eyes sleepily again. She felt his hand on her foot; he was massaging the underside of it with his thumb. "I know you didn't sleep very well last night." He looked at the road again. "We weren't on the road ten minutes when you feel asleep." Then, seemingly knowing what she was thinking he said, "We're already in Nevada."

Margaret sat up and looked around, Nevada didn't seem too much different than California. The landscape was dry and barren with very little vegetation. "What time is it?" Her voice cracked.

Hawkeye looked at his watch for a moment before replying. "It's nearly two."

"Two O'clock in the afternoon?" She could hardly believe she had slept that long. That had left the Hunnicutt's at six that morning.

"Well it's certainly not dark out here." It was a beautiful, cloudless day. The top was down and Hawkeye had his sunglasses on.

Margaret sat back against the seat and pulled the blanket up higher; it had been quite chilly when they left. "I didn't realize that I was that tired."

"Well, it's been a very long week."

Casually, taking her by surprised, he slipped his arm around her shoulders. It had only been a few days since they had admitted to each other that they were in love. This was his first incentive of affection toward her since they had left California. Margaret smiled and moved over so she was leaning against him. They were finally going to be able to act like a real couple. There wasn't going to be any more pretending.

Because their relationship was new, it was going to take some time to get to know one another in an intimate way. They only knew each other as they had in Korea. The idea of becoming closer was an exciting one. She wanted to learn everything about him. His mannerisms, his habits, his flaws. Many times she had thought about being close to him, wondering what it would be like to be the object of his adoration. It was almost transcendent.

Margaret laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm so happy that that's over, I hated sharing a bed with Patty," she told him. "I missed being able to stretch my legs and move without worrying about kicking someone." Almost dreamily she added, "I can hardly wait until tonight, no more strangers with their knees in my back."

Hawkeye knitted his eyebrows in confusion. From the way she had been talking the night before, he had been under the impression that she meant for them to spend the night together. Now he suddenly felt very embarrassed and extremely asinine. He had assumed that she had wanted him to sleep in the same bed as her. Now it appeared that in reality she hadn't been thinking that at all. Hawkeye could've kicked himself, he had been selfishly thinking of his own needs. Sex was probably the last thing on her mind at that point.

Margaret's voice penetrated his thoughts. "You did say that we were going to stop for the night, didn't you?"

"I did."

"I don't know how you guys did it. Driving for two weeks strait." She shook her head. "That must have been awful," she mused. "It must take a lot of you."

"It does." He was feeling sheepish for his assumptions.

"In that case, we'll take turns. That way we can both get some rest." Something about driving cross-country was exciting and thrilling. She didn't just want to sit there and watch it pass by, she wanted to have some fun too.

"Margaret." He pointed out. "I don't mind driving the whole way."

"No, no, no. You were kind enough to let me come with you. I can at least do my share of the driving." She sat up and looked at him, she really wanted him to say yes.

He looked at her eager face. After a moment he said, "Alright, you can drive." Hawkeye smiled. "I wouldn't mind a break every now and then."

"Fantastic!" She kissed his cheek. "We'll have a better chance of getting there now."

"Hey!" He exclaimed.

Margaret flashed him a playful grin. "Well don't you remember what happened the last time we went on a road trip together?"

"That wasn't my fault." He told her. "I didn't know anything about Army..."

"Excuses, excuses….." She shook her head.

"Are you planning on stranding us in the middle of nowhere?" He asked.

"No, you'd love it too much." She shot back.

"You know me too well." He told her. After a moment he added. "It really wasn't that awful of an experience."

"That was a horrible, horrible night!" Margaret shuddered as she recollected the artillery and that awful hut.

"But look what good came out of it. Surely you never thought you'd willing drive three thousand miles cross country with me."

That night Margaret had seen something imperceptible in him. Something changed within her and her perception of Hawkeye. It was through that experience that she came to realize just how much she cared for him. It was from that feeling that her love for him cultivated.

Hawkeye leaned against the car and closed his eyes. With a heavy touch he ran a hand through his raven hair and let it come to rest on the back of his neck. The week had ended up being more than he had been prepared to handle. Seeing everyone again, being hammered with question after question, and ending up with Margaret had been almost too much for him. His head was spinning in circles, his heart was pounding like a drum, his stomach was in a jumbled knot. Everything had happened so fast, it almost seemed unreal.

He stood still with his eyes closed for a few more minutes until he heard the familiar click of the gas pump shutting off. He stood up and removed the pump, hanging it back on its hook. Exhausted, he screwed the gas cap back on and looked around at the empty station. The gas station was quaint, as much so as one can be in the middle of a desert. The one attendant was nowhere to be seen and the paymaster had fallen asleep in a rocking chair on the small porch of the little store. Besides him, Hawkeye was the only one out there.

Hawkeye walked across the lot and over to where the older man was sleeping soundly. Walking past him, he opened the door and stepped inside, listening to the jingle of small bells as he did so. Instantly he saw her standing at the counter talking to an elderly woman. She looked radiant in all accounts. He still couldn't get over seeing her in civvies, she looked great wearing color. It brought out every shape and contour of her body.

Margaret looked over at him then, flashing him one of her famous, heart pounding smiles. He loved the way her lips curled and pursed when she did so. She batted her eyes at him attentively and gave him a sly wink. Hawkeye walked across the room and over to where the two ladies were standing. They were both smiling mischievously. He looked from Margaret to the older woman, and back to Margaret. After careful consideration he decided it would be best to ignore their antics.

"Did you get everything you wanted?" He asked Margaret. It was obvious from the over crowded counter that she had.

"Yes." She answered simply as she continued to eye him.

Hawkeye took off his sunglasses before turning to the woman behind the counter. "Can I pay for the gas in here?" He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his leather wallet. "I would have paid out there." He pointed to the door. "But the gentleman outside on the porch was asleep."

The lady waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh that's my husband Herb, he's always falling asleep in one place or another." She rang up their items and placed them in a paper sack. "You can pay here, I'll just add it all together. Do you remember the total?"

"Six forty-seven."

She added the gas price to that of the groceries. "Your total comes to $7.13." Hawkeye pulled out a ten-dollar bill and handed it to her. She looked at it for a moment before placing it into the tray, it was brand new.

Margaret picked up the bag and stood beside him. She was preparing to walk out to the car when Hawkeye's hand touched her arm. "Do you want me to carry that?" He asked her.

She could tell he was only thinking of her. It was sweet that he was acting like a gentleman and making himself available to her. In some ways it was almost a little odd having him offer to do things for her, the Hawkeye Pierce she knew had never done that unless he was after something. Then again, things were different now.

"It's not heavy. I can manage." She told him.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"All right." He held out his hand as the cashier handed him his change. "Thank you." He said to her.

"Have a nice trip home." She said to them, giving Margaret a discreet yet very noticeable wink. Hawkeye looked at Margaret, he couldn't believe what he had just seen. He knew they had been talking about something before he came in, this proved it.

Margaret, who was smiling widely, seemed to be blushing slightly. "Have a nice day." She told her with a kind smile. Hawkeye looked at them in question. Quickly she hooked her arm through his and pulled him out of the store before he could say a word.

Once they were a few yards out of hearing he asked. "What was that about?" He leaned down so their faces were closer.

Margaret smiled to herself. "It was nothing."

"Oh come on." He pressed. "You two were signaling to one another. I saw that wink."

"I told you, we were just chatting."

"Chatting about what?"

"Well….." Margaret hesitated.

"Yes?"

"She thought you were handsome and told me I was a lucky woman."

Hawkeye smiled. "And what did you say?"

She looked at him then. "Well, I said that I thought you were nice looking."

"Nice looking?" His tone dropped.

"Okay, how about handsome?" She said lower, letting him know that she was serious.

Hawkeye looked down at her with a thoughtful look on his face. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Slowly she shook her head no. "Well you are. You're one of the most beautiful, women I've ever met." His hands moved to her arms and he stepped closer. Margaret gripped the bag tighter, she was afraid she was going to drop it. No one had ever said that to her before, not like that. His voice held so much emotion and sincerity.

"And you….." Their lips touched, silencing her before she could say another word. It was a quick kiss, but lovely all the same. They looked at one another and smiled.

She felt him step back and take the bag from her hands. "So what did you buy?"

She had wished the moment had lasted just a bit longer. "Just a few things." She cleared her throat and walked around to the other side of the car. He got sat in the driver's seat and started looking through the bag.

"I got you a coke. I hope you don't mind."

"No, no. That's fine, I like Coke."

"I never really figured you for a soda drinker."

"It's not half bad, I actually like soda. Besides, drinking and driving don't mix well."

"That's what I thought. I figured you'd prefer a beer, but I wasn't sure."

"It's fine." He said looking at her. Alcohol was something he really wasn't interested in anyway, so he didn't really care. "What else did you get?"

"Well, I got a Lemon-Lime Fizz for myself and an apple for each of us."

"Yum."

"Plus a sandwich for us to share and two candy bars for desert." She pulled out two Hershey bars.

"You just thought of everything didn't you?" He started the car.

"Just about." They drove out of the gas station and started down the empty highway once again. Margaret pulled out the sandwich and started to unwrap it. "Do you mind mayonnaise, onions, or mustard?" She asked.

"There are worse things."

"I take that as a yes?"

"Whatever you've got is fine. I'm not a picky eater." He put his sunglasses back on.

"Comes from living in Korea huh?" She understood what he was saying. Margaret was the same way.

"Hoagies are the best sandwiches." He licked his lips.

"Ah, so that explains why you look different."

"What?" He looked at her. That was out of the blue.

"You know, you look well, different."

He looked over at her. "How so?"

"I don't know. You look, bigger." There were a couple other unmentionable things as well.

He switched the point of conversation over to her. "Well you look different too."

"What? I haven't changed at all." She sounded surprised.

"Sure you have. The way you look, the way you talk, the way you move. Just seeing you as you, it makes me want to…..to….." He couldn't think of the right word to express what he was feeling. Just sitting with her was nice.

"To what?" She was hoping it was the same thing she was thinking. Margaret was hanging onto his every word.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that I want to do it with you." He told her, taking her hand in his.

Margaret leaned forward and kissed him quickly. "You had better." Hawkeye grinned and squeezed her hand affectionately.

"How about that sandwich?" He asked. "I'm starved."

"Oh right." She immediately let go of his hand and started rummaging through the bag. "Here you go." She handed him a half of the sandwich.

"Mmm….." he moaned as he bit into it.

"Is it good?" She smiled at his expression. Hawkeye nodded eagerly as he took another large bite.

"I'm glad. That little old lady made it herself." Margaret took a bite of her own.

"I love her." He licked some mayonnaise off his bottom lip. "But," he held up his finger, realizing what he had just said. "I love you more."

"Nice save." She smiled as she attempted to open her bottle of soda with little success. He was very smooth when it came to those things.

"Here, give it to me." He held out his free hand. Margaret did as he said and handed it to him. With one quick jerk he had the lid sitting in the palm of his hand. "Here you go."

"Oooh….. cute and strong," she played.

"If you're trying to get on my good side, it's working."

"Here, have a piece if chocolate." She put a piece in his mouth, silencing him.

"Mmm….." They ate and laughed for a little while longer. It was nice to be together and not have to worry about anybody else overhearing.

"So." Margaret started. "Tell me about yourself. How are things?" She wanted to know what had happened to change him most of all.

"I'm here with you. Things couldn't be better." He told her with a bright smile.

"No, seriously, I want to know." She let her elbow rest on the seat and leaned in closer to him.

"Tell me about what happened to you." He told her. "You left in that jeep and that was the last I saw of you. What ever did happen to Major Houlihan?" There he went, he was avoiding the question again. Margaret knew this was going to be very difficult.

But she could play that game too. "Well, as you know, I was sent to the 8063rd to assist with their tear down. A few days later I was shipped back to the states and assigned to an Army Hospital in Virginia."

"So you haven't been in Boston this whole time?"

"No." Margaret answered. "I started working at Boston Mercy three months ago. A friend of my father's called me about six months after I returned home and told me about an opening for the Chief of Nursing Administration. It was such a wonderful offer I just had to go."

"You left the Army?" Hawkeye sounded surprised.

"Yes."

"And….."

"And what?"

"Keep going." He urged.

"Well there's not much left to tell. I moved to Boston shortly after and I've lived there ever since."

Hawkeye decided to bring up something that had been racking on his mind for a while. "So you're not, uh…..seeing anyone back in Boston?" He sounded a little nervous.

"Of course not!" She didn't understand how he could think she could do that to him. Margaret loved him and only him.

"No doctors?" He asked. They were all alike, he was one too after all. He knew she had probably been hit on a thousand times already.

"Well naturally they make their comments and gestures." She confirmed his theory.

"In other words they hit on you."

Margaret seemed a little embarrassed. "Is it just me or are all of you alike?"

"Who do you know who's like me?"

"That's the reason I picked you." She smiled proudly. "You're one of a kind."

Hawkeye grinned to himself. "And Charles? He works there too doesn't he?"

"Oh yes." She sat back and looked at the road. "I'm sure he told you all about his job."

"Many times."

"He's very proud of his position you know. I'm very happy for him. He's a swell guy when he wants to be." Margaret beamed when she talked about her friend.

Hawkeye caught her smile. "And you two….." He couldn't say it. The thought had crossed his mind too many times. "You uh…..never uh….."

"Never what?" She looked at him confused..

"Well….you know…..saw one another?" He cringed slightly, waiting for her response.

"Dated Charles!" Margaret laughed. "Why that's absurd!" The sound of laughter filled the air. The whole thing sounded like a joke.

Hawkeye was quiet for a moment, he hadn't been sure of what he had just heard. "So there's nothing going on between you?" He had to get his facts strait.

"No!" She laughed.

"Never has been?" He was thinking back to Korea.

"That must be one of the silliest things I've ever heard! Me dating Charles Winchester!" She put a hand on her chest. "Darling, I think he's a nice man and a wonderful doctor, but he's no where near my type!" Hawkeye let out a withheld breath. "Did you honestly think there was something going on between us?"

Hawkeye didn't know what to say. The thought had occurred to him many times, but did he want to tell her that? "Well, I wasn't sure. You seemed awfully close towards the end of the war." He paused. "I supposed it seemed possible that something might have happened once you were reunited."

Margaret sat back and shook her head in disbelief. "How the hell you came up with a wild idea like that, I'll never know." Hawkeye was starting to feel a little stupid now. He shouldn't have told her. "What made you think that?"

At first he was quiet, but eventually he told her. "I guess I sort of compared him to myself, and in the long run when it came to you, he was the more obvious choice."

Margaret sat there, she was a little taken back. He had just told her that he thought Charles was the better man when it came to the two of them. How could he ever think that? She had never thought of Charles as lover material before. "Pull over." She directed abruptly. Hawkeye did as she said without question. Once he had turned off the engine he turned to look at her. They started at one another for a moment. Margaret moved closer and put her hands on face. "Don't ever second guess me or yourself. I'd prefer you to all the money and all the riches that Charles or any other man could ever offer. I don't want that high society lifestyle garbage or anything else. I don't want any of it. All I want is you, and only you."

Hawkeye didn't know what to say. It had all taken him by surprise. He had no idea she'd react like this. That was okay however, because before he could say anything she pulled his head closer and kissed him passionately.

At first he didn't know how to react, his body was in shock. Then after a few moments, he began to slowly kiss her back. Her hands had slipped from his face and moved so she was gripping his shirt tightly. She removed his sunglasses and flung them into the backseat. One hand moved lower and stopped when it reached his side as the other began to rub the collar of his shirt. Instinctively his own hands moved around her slim waist and moved up so he was holding her in his arms. They stopped for a second and let the air mingle between their almost touching mouths. "Has that shown you anything?" She asked softly. Hawkeye nodded, he was too stunned to talk. "Good." She kissed him one more time before moving away. "Because I would never kiss Charles like that." Hawkeye smiled at that. "Do you believe me now that I love you and that there isn't something going on with anyone else?"

He wiped the rouge off of his lips. "Yes."

"And that I've never loved Charles?"

"Yes. I know that now." He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Good." She squeezed it back.

Hawkeye turned the engine over again and put the car into gear. They were a one of a kind couple. He'd bet he'd never find anyone else like them. It was going to be interesting to see how this road trip was going to turn out.

Margaret relaxed completely into the soft seat of the restaurant booth. It was nearly dark outside for it was reaching seven O'clock. Across the table sat the most gorgeous man she could ever remember lying eyes on. For some reason everything seemed to look perfect on him. She loved the way his pants hung loosely off his waist and the way his buttoned shirt hung from his broad shoulders. His hair fell in just the right spot across his face and neck, making him even more attractive.

A light beard and the tiredness of a long day of driving now shadowed a once smooth and cheerful face. Looking upon him now as she did, she began to dissect his chin, lips, and eyes with her own. He was beautiful in all aspects, not a single thing looked out of place or in need of something greater. She loved the contours of his face and the precision of his hands. Even the poise of his neck and the arch of his back were alluring to her. He seemed to be built especially for her, as if someone had known exactly what she wanted. She grew excited thinking about how much more there was to see and touch. He'd still not taken off his shirt in front of her. She was looking forward to seeing his bare chest and stomach.

"Do you know what you want?" Hawkeye asked her as he sat his menu down on the table. They had stopped to eat dinner at a small diner on the side of the highway.

"I think so." She was still looking at him.

Hawkeye noticed she was staring at him and the content look that was spread across her face. "Is something the matter?" He asked.

Margaret shook her head. "I was just thinking."

"And what was that?" He let his elbows rest on the table.

"Just that I'm grateful for being here with you." Hawkeye reached across the table and took her hand in his. "And how we came so close to never seeing each other again. If it weren't for the reunion, we wouldn't be together. What if it never happened?"

"Shhh….." She was working herself up a little bit. "Don't think about the 'what ifs'. We're together, that's all that matters." Margaret looked at him. "We were meant to be together. There was no way around it."

Margaret lowered her eyes and smiled to herself. "I like the way you think."

"You want me to let you in on a little secret?" He lowered his voice.

"Sure."

"I wasn't going to come at first." He looked at the table, he was a little embarrassed having said that.

"You weren't?" She sounded mildly surprised. "Everyone loves you. I don't see how you couldn't."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I felt very disconnected. It was hard enough adjusting to civilian life. I figured if I saw everyone again, it would just complicate things."

Margaret understood that. She had similar problems, especially when she left the Army after so many years. "What happened?"

He lifted his head and looked her in the eye. "You." He said simply. "I had to see you, to tell you how I felt." His fingers ran over hers.

Margaret blushed. "I must admit, the main reason I came as well was because I was hoping to see you."

"Really?" His ears perked up. He was delighted to hear that.

"Yeah. I've uh…..I've thought about you a lot this past year." She had a very warm gentle expression across her face. Everything she had just told him had come directly from the heart.

"I thought about you so much. You have no idea how many times I wanted to find you." He felt a little relieved.

"But you were scared." She answered her own question. Hawkeye nodded. They had both been afraid of rejection.

Just then the waitress walked over to their table, interrupting their moment. "Are you two ready to order?" She asked abruptly.

Hawkeye removed his hands from Margaret's and sat back. He looked at her to see if she was ready. "I think we are."

"Okay, what'll you have?" She put her hand on her hip and waited for them.

"I'll have a burger and a glass of water." Hawkeye told her as he handed her their menus.

"I'll have the same." Margaret told her.

"Okay." The waitress wrote down their orders. "It'll be a few minutes."

"Thanks." Hawkeye told her before she walked away. When he was sure they were alone again he turned his attention back to Margaret. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

"Not in the last hour."

"Well in that case, I love you." He picked up her hand and kissed it tenderly.

"I love you too." She told him when he sat back.

Hawkeye stood up and walked around the table. Margaret smiled to herself when he sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Neither said anything, it was nice just to sit there together. After a little while the waitress brought their food out to them and Hawkeye was forced to move to his own side of the booth.

"How's your food?" He asked as she bit into her burger.

"G-o-o-d." Margaret said through a full mouth.

"That works for me." He laughed as he took a bite of his own.

They finished their dinner and then ordered a piece of pie for desert. Hawkeye moved so he was sitting beside her again and picked up a fork. They took turns taking bites until the entire piece was gone.

"Mmm…..that was good pie," Margaret said as she licked her fork.

"Ready to go?" He stood up and held his hand out to her.

"Yes." Margaret took his offered hand.

"What was the total?" He took out his wallet.

"Um." She looked at the check. "$2.17." Hawkeye took out three dollars. "Let me pay." She stopped him. "You've paid for everything else."

"Margaret, it's nothing."

"Yes, but you paid for the gas and the food earlier today. Let me handle this."

"It's only three dollars."

"Please Hawkeye." She really wanted to help out with the money.

"I don't mind."

"Let me."

He noticed how she was being so persistent and finally gave in. "Okay. You can pay." He put his money away and tucked his wallet into his back pocket. She placed the money on the table and then took his hand and walked out of the restaurant. They walked out to the car and got in. By then it was almost eight o'clock and nearly completely dark. "How are you feeling?" He asked her as he took off his jacket.

"I'm not too bad." She settled into her seat.

"Tired at all?" He put the key in the ignition.

"I could go a little longer."

"Alright. Let me know when you want to stop. I can go all night remember."

"Okay." She yawned a little.

Once they were on the road Margaret started to drift a little bit. After nearly half an hour she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Hawkeye moved his arm and let her settle against his chest and shoulder. He wondered what she'd say if she knew she was snoring in his armpit.

An hour later he decided that it was probably time to stop. He could have kept driving but she would have been more comfortable in a bed than on his shoulder. After another fifteen minutes they came upon the first hotel he'd seen for two hundred miles. With that being his own real option he exited the highway and drove into the parking lot.

When the engine shut off and he started to move, Margaret woke up and sat up. "Huh? Where are we?"

"Shh…..we're at the hotel. Come on." He walked around the car and helped her out. "Let's check in and then I'll come back out and get the bags."

"Okay." Margaret yawned. She felt a little better after having a nap.

He opened the door for her and then followed her into the lobby. Standing at the desk was a rather short, balding man, who was reading a magazine. When the couple approached he quickly stood up. They were probably the first people he'd seen all day. "Good evening. Can I help you?"

Hawkeye looked at her, he wasn't exactly sure what to say. Last night he thought they were going to share a room and today she had hinted that she wanted her own. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to the man. It wouldn't make much sense getting two rooms, they needed to make their money last the entire two weeks.

"Well um….."

"Can I have your name?" He asked.

"Pierce." Hawkeye told him.

"Well Mr. Pierce, would you and your wife prefer a smoking or non-smoking room."

"Oh no, we're not….." Hawkeye tried to tell him that they weren't married. He had gotten the wrong impression.

Margaret stepped in quickly, cutting him off. "Non-smoking is fine." Hawkeye looked at her with wide eyes, had she just said what he thought she had said?

"Very well." He pulled a key off a hook on the wall and handed it to Hawkeye. "You're in room number 268."

"Uh….." He looked over a Margaret. She was telling him to follow her with her eyes. "Thank you." He said without taking his eyes off her. Blindly he followed her to the stairs.

"Let's look at the room and then we'll get the bags," she told him as she walked up the stairs in front of him. Hawkeye couldn't say anything, he had a huge nest of butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. Was this really happening? Were they really going to share a room? She hadn't even given him the time to ask for two beds.

They walked to the door and Margaret struggled for a few moments to unlock it. When she finally got it open she turned on the lights and pulled him by the hand into the room. Surprisingly, it was a fairly nice hotel room. Upon entering the door was a small living room, and beyond that a door leading to the bedroom and bathroom.

In the living room there was a fairly nice sized television set, a small breakfast table, and sofa. Hawkeye looked into the bedroom and his eyes fixed on the large, single bed in the middle of the room. He was starting to get warm, and in more places than the obvious. Perhaps it would have been a better idea if he just slept on couch. Margaret wouldn't like sleeping in the same bed as him. If it wasn't his excitement, than his constant turning and restlessness would have bothered her.

"Well um….." Hawkeye cleared his throat. "I should go get the bags." He turned to leave. "Which one did you want?" He scratched the back of his neck.

"The small black one." Margaret told him softly as she crossed her arms and smiled. She could tell he was feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." He kissed her, letting it linger for a moment before he went out the door.

"Hurry back." Hawkeye nodded and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

When Hawkeye came back Margaret was sitting on the bed waiting for him. She had turned on some lights and pulled the sheets back. He handed her the bag she had asked for and set his own down on the dresser. Margaret thanked him and began to unpack her overnight things. Neither said anything while they got ready for bed.

Margaret turned around and watched him for a minute. He took off his watch and set it down on the table along with his wallet. One by one he began to undo the buttons on his shirt until it was left hanging open. She watched as he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up a little ways. She could tell from his body language that his shoulders and neck were sore. Just watching him made her stomach tingle. His shoulders were nice and broad and his arms were surprisingly muscular. Margaret wanted to feel those arms around her. It had been a long time since a man had held her.

He turned around and looked at her. "I'm going to get some ice, would you like something?" Hawkeye had seen her watching him and was feeling a little warm. He needed a little room to breathe and cool off.

"No." She told him. "I'm going to freshen up in the bathroom."

"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes." He picked up the ice bucket and walked to the door. Before he walked into the hallway he turned around to look at her. She was just standing there, smiling innocently at him. With a heavy heart he walked out of the room.

Hawkeye took his sweet time wondering through the halls, looking for the ice machine without much determination. When he decided he'd spent enough time procrastinating he finally filled the bucket and made his way back to the room. Cautiously he turned the doorknob and walked into the room. Margaret was sitting on the couch filing her nails. "Hey." She smiled at him when he walked inside.

"Got the ice." He held up the bucket so she could see and then set it down on the table.

"Thank you." She stood up. For the first time he noticed she was dressed in her yellow silk pajamas. He stood there memorized, the way her hair shimmered against her pajamas made him stand ridged. Margaret walked over to him and flashed him a muscle-clenching grin. "Are you almost ready to go to bed?" She whispered as she neared him and touched his hip, hinting to him. Hawkeye nodded. He seemed to be in some sort of trance.

Suddenly he realized what he had just said. "Wait…..what I meant was….." He stuttered.

"Shhh….." Before he knew what was happening Margaret had wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a silencing kiss. Hawkeye stopped moving and let his hands fall to his sides right before they moved to rest on her hips. At first he kissed her almost timidly, then after a few moments he let his mouth take control and began to kiss her with a new passion. Her hands threaded through his soft hair as his moved along her back. It was the first time they had ever kissed one another like that before, with such a hunger and longing that it was almost unbearable. After a few minutes they blindly and clumsily began to move in the direction of the bedroom.

Hawkeye took one hand off her back and clumsily felt around for the light switch before moving into the other room. Once they were standing at the foot of the large oak bed Margaret pulled away and looked him in the eye. They were both breathing heavily and looking at one another with a growing longing. Without a word Margaret's hands slipped to his shoulders and positioned them under his open shirt. Slowly, she pushed it off his shoulders so it fell to the floor so he was left in a T-shirt. Hawkeye watched silently, letting her do as she pleased. They stood there for a moment looking at one another until Margaret's hands moved to her own shirt.

Carefully, one by one, Margaret began to undo each button slowly. First the top button and then each one after that until they were all undone. Hawkeye's eyes widened when he saw watch she was doing. His eyes searched her face, questioning what to do next. Her hands moved to her shirt as she slowly opened it for him, allowing him to see her naked chest.

Hawkeye moved his hands to hold her shirt open, looking closely at what she was offering up to him. He was lost in the smoothness of her skin and the gentle roundness of her bosom. Slowly and carefully he leaned forward, kissing her chest tenderly. He moved his body in against hers, letting her feel him in return. Margaret's head titled back, encouraging him and giving him more access to her chest and neck.

His hands moved over her chest, memorizing every curve and crevice. They moved to her naked back and then up to her shoulders where her removed her shirt. His lips trailed upwards, kissing her shoulders and neck. Their lips found one another again and they locked in a passionate embrace. Margaret began to pull at his T-shirt, letting him know that she wanted it off. Realizing this, he pulled his mouth away from hers in mild panic. Margaret's lips found his neck and continued to release his shirt from his pants.

Hawkeye looked around the room, he had to find the light switch. She already had the back untucked and was now working on the front. Quickly he pulled her face up and kissed her deeply, causing her to move her hands back to his neck. He took the few steps forward towards the bed and pushed her back gently. Margaret pulled him on top of her, causing him to fall on the bed as well. He took her hands in his and held them above her head as he kissed her. Hawkeye had to keep her from untucking his shirt until he got the light off.

He figured that all he had to was reach the lamp sitting on the bedside table and turn off the switch. Hawkeye knew how to do that. It would put her in the position to finish with his shirt, but hopefully he'd be able to turn the light off before she did so. He kept her busy with his mouth and sensuous kisses as his arms let go of her hands and moved under her arms, pulling her against him. With one quick roll to the left he had her on top him. Instantly as predicted her hands moved to his shirt again. Hawkeye reached out and clicked the light off just as she got it free.

As the darkness enveloped he felt a cool breeze blow across his stomach. Contempt that she couldn't really see anything, he relaxed and raised his arms so she could pull it over his head. Now that he no longer had anything to worry about he relaxed and let himself be pulled into the moment. Margaret kissed his stomach and then his chest. She worked her way up to his neck and then kiss his lips. Hawkeye wrapped his arms around her and they laid like that for a while, just kissing in the darkness.

Hands caressed and groped as lips and tongues fought against each other. Breathlessly, Margaret pulled away from him and moved her hands down his torso. She started loosening his belt as Hawkeye kicked off his shoes and socks. Within moments she had gotten the belt off and started working on his pants.

If felt like an eternity in the time that it to her to pop the button and pull his zipper down. Hawkeye groaned softly and lifted his hips as she slid his pants from his waist and tossed them on the floor. She crawled up his outstretched body and kissed him again. Hawkeye kicked the blankets down further and then rolled them over so he was on top again. With one quick pull he stripped her of her silk bottoms so she was completely naked.

"Hmm….." Margaret breathed when he laid down so their bare bodies were pressed together. "Oh Hawkeye," she moaned and pulled him down to kiss her again.

They spent the whole night discovering each other and getting reacquainted as lovers. After thinking about it for so long, and wishing that it were true, it was hard to except that it was actually happening. That unattainable woman was finally his. No more sleepless nights wishing that she were lying next to him. No more haunting thoughts about her lying in the beds of other men. For the first time in a long time Hawkeye fell asleep exhausted and slept through the night.

Margaret awoke around seven o'clock the next morning. She didn't open her eyes right away, instead she relished in the feeling of lying in his arms. He had been the only man who could make her feel so secure just by holding her. The morning sun was just starting to peer in between the curtains. Margaret opened her eyes and looked up at him. Hawkeye was lying in the middle of the bed with his legs spread and right arm extended. Margaret was pressed up against him with one leg wrapped around his and her head lying on his shoulder.

Margaret let her hand trace down his chest and stomach lazily. It wasn't until she felt something peculiar that she pushed the blankets down and sat up. What she found astonished her. Right above the hairline was a ridged looking scar that ran from his lower stomach to his hip. From the look of it, it had once been very painful. Margaret didn't understand why he hadn't mentioned it before. How could he have neglected to tell her something like that. No wonder he hadn't wanted to take off his t-shirt at the beach.

Margaret leaned forward and kissed it very lightly, hoping not to wake him. She brushed her hand across it and then moved out of his hold completely. Margaret slipped from the bed and walked across the room through the scattered clothes. She slipped on her robe and then left the bedroom to start a pot of coffee.

As soon as she was gone and out of sight, a very disgruntled man sat up among the masses of tangled sheets. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw clenched. He put his hand his side and ran his fingers over the spot where her lips had momentarily touched. With dark eyes and a heavy heart Hawkeye clenched his fist and got out of bed.