Margaret opened the door to her apartment and wearily placed her sleeping infant in her crib. Margaret sat on her bed, desperately wishing she could sleep for the next month. Instead, she pulled herself up and quickly unpacked before walking across the hall.
"Hey Jenna," Margaret greeted as her friend opened the door.
"Margaret, where have you been?" Jenna asked in surprise as she invited Margaret inside.
"I was visiting a friend," Margaret replied evasively. "I can't stay, Lissy is asleep. You told me that your mother was going to be moving in with you to watch the kids?" Margaret was incredibly tired and wanted to get to the point.
Jenna nodded. "Well I was wondering if she could watch Felicity also. I would pay her of course." Margaret anxiously awaited her friends answer, she hated the idea of leaving Felicity with someone she hardly knew, but she did not have a choice. She could not depend on Hawkeye forever.
Jenna looked at Margaret in shock. "You're getting a job?"
"Margaret nodded," Yeah, I'm going to be handing in my resume in the morning."
"Does this have anything to do with that man who showed up here?" she asked curiously.
Margaret blushed deeply and shook her head, muttering about the damn walls. "Can your mother watch Felicity?" Margaret asked again.
Jenna sighed and nodded, "I suppose so. I'll have to ask her of course but I don't see why she wouldn't."
Margaret smiled and sleepily rubbed her eyes. "Thanks Jenna," she mumbled before quickly walking back into her apartment.
"Margaret wait, I want to speak with you." Margaret paused and turned to face the Doctor.
"Hello James," Margaret greeted; hurriedly pasting on her "Hot Lips" smile.
The Doctor did not have a chance. He laughed nervously and began wringing his hands. "Miss Houlihan I was wondering if you could accompany me to the charity ball this Saturday?"
"I'd love to!" she gushed. "What time will you pick me up?"
"Seven," the poor man mumbled. Margaret smiled and nodded, and quickly jotted down her new address on a piece of paper.
"I'll see you at seven!" Margaret had been flirting shamelessly with Dr. James Watson for the past two months. He was single and well to do and that was all that mattered to Margaret.
Margaret nervously bit her lip as she held the phone to her ear. "Damn it Hawkeye, pick up the phone."
"Hello?"
"Oh hello Daniel," Margaret groaned inwardly, she did not feel like talking to Daniel. "Is Hawkeye around?" she asked quickly before he could start talking.
"No he isn't. Ben has his own place now; let me give you the number." Margaret wrote down the number and quickly said goodbye.
She hung up and quickly dialed the number Daniel gave her.
"Hawkeye?"
"Margaret!" he exclaimed. Margaret cringed, he sounded a bit too eager. "How are you doing?"
Margaret rolled her eyes and ignored his question. "Hawkeye I went by my friends office today, he's a lawyer. I filled out my half of the divorce papers and then I sent them to you. I'd like you to fill them out as soon as possible."
The other line went silent for a time and then she heard Hawkeye nervously clear his throat.
"Uh well I'll be going out of town for two weeks tonight; but I'll sign them when I get back."
"Fine, goodbye Hawkeye." Margaret hung up quickly and groaned. She did not know what she was going to do if James found out about Hawkeye.
Margaret hurriedly slipped into her dress. It was five minutes past seven and James was going to be there any second. Margaret pulled on her stocking and shoes and picked up Felicity.
"Bye sweetheart," she whispered. Felicity instantly began to whimper. "Don't cry Lissy, I'll be home soon." Felicity laid her head on her mother's shoulder and Margaret kissed her.
Margaret gathered up her things and quickly walked out the door and bumped into James.
"Oh hello James," she greeted breathlessly. "I'm all ready I just have to drop Felicity off." He nodded and kissed Felicity's head dutifully. Margaret smiled and ran up the stairs. Recently after getting her job, she moved into a larger apartment on the bottom floor. She kept Hawkeye's last two checks but never cashed them; she was not sure what she should do. She did not want Hawkeye to find out she had a job, he was sure to argue.
"Come on in Margaret!" Jenna called when Margaret tapped lightly on the door. Margaret entered and sat Felicity on the floor next to some toys.
"I can't talk he's waiting downstairs." Margaret explained to her friend and her husband who were seated on the couch.
Jenna nodded, "Sure go ahead, you wouldn't want to keep the world's biggest bore waiting." She said sarcastically.
Margaret shot her a warning glance and kissed Felicity one more time before dashing down the stairs.
Jenna groaned as someone knocked on the door. She glanced at the clock; it was much too early for it to be Margaret. She got up and opened the door. She surveyed the handsome stranger in surprise. She thought she had seen him somewhere before but she was not sure where.
"Excuse me for bothering you, I know it's late. Isn't that Margaret Houlihan's apartment?" he asked, indicating the room across the hall.
"I don't know about a Margaret Houlihan," Jenna began in confusion, "But a Margaret Pierce used to live there."
The man smiled gently. "Where is she now?"
"She has a larger apartment downstairs, apartment 106."
The man smiled his thanks and began to walk down the stairs. "She isn't there right now." Jenna called after him. "She is at a charity ball for the hospital."
Matthew, Jenna's husband came up beside her. "Can I help you sir?" he asked, somewhat protectively.
"He's a friend of Margaret's." Jenna explained.
"Would you like to come in and have a cup of coffee while you wait for her?" Matthew asked sociably.
The man smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."