Author's Note: Thanks to Hawk's Soul for the suggestions and to all my other wonderful reviewers for the encouragement and kind comments. At the rate I'm writing, I might actually finish this story before the end of the summer.

A little longer, not much longer, but a little bit.

Chapter 5

The Dark Side of the Story

"Soccer, huh?" BJ followed Hawkeye every where until he could finally get a chance to talk to him about the little story Sarah told them.

"Ugh….she told you that story?"

"Need you even ask?"

Hawkeye just sent a half-annoyed, half-amused glare before stalking ahead a few paces. BJ just smiled, "you know Hawk, I played soccer, too."

"Fascinating."

"Well, I was just thinking, we were both captains of our teams….." he took a leap forward and jumped in front of Hawkeye so he couldn't walk away, "what do you say?"

"Play a game?" Hawkeye thought about if for a moment, "no."

"Why not? You always want to prove how much better you are than me, this is the perfect opportunity, please….?"

"No." and he walked right past, not even glancing back.

BJ stared after him, but made no move to follow, he knew better than to risk Hawkeye's temper, but his behavior made him curious….very curious…and he knew exactly who to ask to quench his curiosity.

He entered the mess tent with the intention of seeking out their new story teller to ask about his Italian friend, but all intentions, good and bad, were squashed when he found that said friend and that said story teller sitting in the mess tent…together. He casually sauntered up, placing his tray on the table across from them, "mind if I join?"

"It used to be a free country," Hawkeye quipped automatically.

BJ sat and began eating watching with interest as the two friends began speaking again.

"You remember old man Jenkins don't you?" Sarah was saying, forcing down another bite of food.

"Santa Clause? The one who lived next to the school? He was a creepy old man. What ever happened to him? I know he was thinking about leaving Crab Apple Cove, but last time I heard he never went threw with it."

"He got himself arrested."

"What did he do?"

"He was part of a drug ring, been embezzling tax money and taking it down to Africa to sell and by drugs."

"Old man Jenkins?"

"Yes."

"The one who used to throw crab apples at us when he drove by his house?"

"The very same."

Hawkeye stared at her for a moment and blinked in thought, "creepy."

The trio laughed, "He used to throw crab apples at you?" BJ asked, amazed.

"I told you he was a cranky old man."
"There you ARE, you filthy little ingrate." Charles' voice echoed through the mess tent, silence falling immediately.

"Woops, I'm late." Hawkeye met Charles at the door and the bald man's raised voice could be heard across the compound.

"YOU'RE NOT JUST A LITTLE LATE! YOU'RE TWO HOURS LATE! POST-OP NOW!" he pointed towards the large building dramatically.

Hawkeye sent BJ and Sarah a sheepish grin before ducking out of the mess-tent and taking off towards post-op for duty.

"Sarah, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Shoot,"

"Well…" he stopped for a moment, thinking about how to word his question, "Hawkeye was a bit…touchy when I asked him if he wanted to play a friendly game of soccer, any reason why? Or am I looking into to much?"

Sarah's smile instantly faded, "it's a long story, but….I don't have any right to tell you, you better ask him yourself," she say BJ's disappointed looks, "I may pry into his past by telling everyone these light-hearted stories, but a story like this, well, he needs to tell you."

BJ sighed, "I was afraid you were going to say that. I don't think I'll ever know the story then. He likes to talk about the light-hearted side of his past….he tends to steer clear of the dark part."

"I know, just try him. You never know what he might tell you. He has always been and always will be full of surprises."

………

BJ found Hawkeye in post-op (where Hawkeye should have been two hours before but as Charles so loudly put it, he was late). Nervously, he went up to him, maybe this should wait for another time….

"Hiya, Beej," too late.

"Hey, Hawk, how are things going?"

"Peachy, but I can't get Johnson's temperature down. I'm afraid to open him up again because of the fever, but I'm pretty sure I didn't miss a piece of shrapnel or anything…a bleeder maybe?"

"Maybe…try giving him another day or two, maybe it will go down. It's a good idea not to risk the surgery." BJ thought about bringing up the soccer subject then, but seeing how worried Hawkeye was, he decided against it. He didn't need an angry Hawkeye and an apprehensive Hawkeye…that was never a good combination.

Later that night, BJ met Hawkeye outside of the Post-Op and they laughed and joked all the way towards the Swamp, but woe and behold, as soon as BJ even breathed the word soccer Hawkeye shut down. He did that a lot, when BJ tried to talk about Hawkeye's personal life, he shut down, closed himself off from the conversation, guarding himself.

They silently plopped down in the respective beds, an unusual silence falling over them as the camp was settling outside, darkness falling unnatural quick, "can I be honest with you, BJ?"

It was dark now, so it was impossible to make out his face or what he was thinking, all that was visible were dark blue orbs, glinting at him from the opposite side of the room.

"Sure."

"About the whole soccer thing…."

Is he actually going to tell me?

"What about it? I kind of forgot about it." Liar….

"Liar." Hawkeye said instantly speaking exactly what BJ was thinking, and then he laughed, but the laughter was forced, "it's just a subject that I never liked to talk about."

"Something to do with your mom?"

"No….," he sighed again, exhaustion echoing in the small exhale, "she died long before that little story Sarah told took place…you remember Narcissa, the friend of ours Sarah told you about?"

"Yes…." What does she have to do with any of this...?

There was silence except for the soft whisper of the wind blowing through the dry leaves and the army green tents flapping noisily, echoing through the compound, "she's the reason I quit soccer…."

End Chapter 5

The Dark Side of the Story

Again another thanks to Hawk's Soul for the suggestion.

TBC

Man, I'm just on a writing spree today, two chapters in two days, something must be wrong with me.