James opened the car door for Margaret and helped her out. Margaret stepped close to him and kissed him passionately.
"I'll give you my answer on Monday." She promised. James smiled and climbed back into the car. Margaret climbed the stairs feeling very satisfied with herself. She had managed to squeeze a proposal out of that pitiful man in less than three months. She felt a little guilty for using him but Felicity needed to grow up with a father. Margaret knew she could not raise her alone.
She knocked quietly on Jenna's door and Matthew quickly opened the door.
"Hello Margaret," Margaret peered inside the apartment in shock. Hawkeye was seated on the couch holding her sleeping child in his arms. Margaret just stared at him while he rose and picked up Felicity's diaper bag and said goodnight and thank you to Matthew and Jenna. He guided Margaret down to her apartment and waited silently until she unlocked the door.
Hawkeye took Felicity into her room and laid her in the crib. When he returned Margaret was sitting on the couch, arms folded, glaring hatefully at him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked icily. "I thought you were going out of town."
"I am out of town aren't I?" he asked teasingly. Margaret said nothing and he sighed. "I wanted to talk to you about the divorce."
He sighed when he saw Margaret would not budge; she continued to silently stare at him while he continued.
"Margaret I do not understand why, out of the blue, you suddenly ask for a divorce. I thought I was going to help…"
"Hawkeye I thank you for all of your help but I need to get on with my life." Margaret hastily interrupted. She rose and walked over to a small desk, pulling two checks out.
"Here," she said handing the slips to him. "These are your last two rent checks."
Hawkeye stared at the pieces of paper in his and then to Margaret, confusion covering his face.
"I got a job two moths ago and I will be quitting in another two months after I am married." Margaret said quickly. She closed her eyes not wanting to see Hawkeye's reaction.
"You're getting married?" Margaret opened her eyes and saw hurt etched into every part of his face.
"Dr. James Watson proposed tonight and I plan to accept." She stated matter-of-factly. Hawkeye nodded and shrugged on his coat. It was three weeks until Thanksgiving and it was bitterly cold.
"I'll stick around until Monday to sign those papers." Hawkeye said softly as he opened the door and quickly shut it behind him.
Margaret sank back onto the couch, wrapping her arms around her body; she felt so cold. She leaned back, resting her head on the back of the couch and quickly fell asleep.
Margaret woke up and looked around in bewilderment. She was alone in a field, shellfire going off around her. She screamed and curled up in a ball as smoke and dust rose up around her. She looked up momentarily and saw Hawkeye holding his arms out to her, beckoning her to come. Instead, she got up on her knees and looked behind her where she saw Frank. She quickly crawled to him but he disappeared the second she reached him. She looked around again; Hawkeye was still standing there, arms outstretched. Next to him was Donald, holding another girl. Margaret got up and began to run to Donald, but when she reached him, he simply laughed at her and walked off with the other woman.
Hawkeye reached out to her and held for a moment but Margaret quickly pulled herself away. She sat down on the grass and began to cry. She looked up again and saw James but he disappeared before even had a chance to get to her feet. Finally, she turned to Hawkeye who was still standing there, reaching out to her. She slowly walked towards him, her head hanging in shame. He began to walk towards her and just as Margaret reached for him, a bomb crashed between them, knocking Margaret off her feet.
When she stood up, she saw Hawkeye lying on the grass; his body covered in blood. She tried to run to him but the grass beneath her feet turned to blood and she began to sink. She screamed for help but there was no one there. Soon she was drowning in the blood, she could feel her lungs burning for air, and yet she was unable to swim.
Margaret jerked awake at the sound of Felicity crying. She jumped off the couch and ran for her daughter. She picked her up and began crooning comforting words into her ear. Margaret took a shaky breath, trying to shake of the effects of her dream.
Margaret grabbed some crumpled bills off her desk and dashed out of her apartment. She ran a block down the street, and entered the town's only hotel.
"Is there a Benjamin Pierce staying here?" she asked breathlessly.
The tired receptionist looked down at a sheet of paper on the desk and nodded. "Room 102," she mumbled. Margaret headed down the hall, stopped at the second room, and knocked loudly. There was no answer and Margaret banged desperately on the door. There was still no answer and she tried the door and was surprised to find it unlocked.
She entered the room and sat down on a small, lumpy, chair, trying her best to comfort her crying daughter.
Hawkeye sat wearily on a hard-backed chair in the corner of the bar. He finished his scotch and stood up. He was not sure where he was going but he certainly did not want to go back to his room. He aimlessly walked up and down the town's dark streets for almost an hour before heading back to the hotel.
He walked towards his room feeling rather depressed with Margaret's news. He wanted her to be happy but he honestly did not think she loved her fiancée. Moreover, as strange as it seemed to him, he felt as if he had lost something important.
He tried to unlock his door and frowned as he noticed he forgot to lock it. He opened the door and stared in shock as Margaret looked up at him, tears running down her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he rushed over to her. Margaret latched onto his arm and continued crying. Hawkeye slowly managed to pull Felicity from her arms and calm the child down.
"Shh," he crooned to both child and mother. Hawkeye kissed Felicity gently on the head and stroked her back softly.
Once Felicity stopped crying, Hawkeye turned his attention to calming her mother.
"What's wrong Margaret?" he asked, shaking her gently. Margaret stopped crying suddenly and looked up at his as if frightened.
"What am I doing?" she asked. Hawkeye sighed and scooted closer to her, pulling her head onto his shoulder.
"You do not love him do you?" Hawkeye asked quietly.
Margaret did not answer. She wiped away a few remaining tears and the spoke. "I am scared Hawkeye. I am scared of being alone."
She sighed and leaned more heavily on him. "But I think I am more scared of not being loved. I cannot marry James no matter how much simpler it would make things, because I do not love him."
Hawkeye smiled gently. "I am glad to hear that." He kissed her head softly and shifted her away from his body so he could look into her eyes. "Margaret you have always been a good friend and I was wondering if I could get your advice on something."
Margaret looked at him curiously and then rolled her eyes. "Your timing is impeccable," she stated sarcastically.
"We have similar problems you know," he began slowly. "Well, at least we did a few hours ago. You see there's this girl…"
Instantly Margaret felt as if she had been hit. She hastily tried to recover as Hawkeye picked up her hands.
"She is the most remarkable woman I have ever met. I would like to propose to her but…"
"But we need to get a divorce first." Margaret finished for him. "Am I right?"
Hawkeye smiled slightly and shrugged. "You're close; the problem is that we are already married."
Margaret rolled her eyes and pulled her hands away in aggravation. "That is what I just said! I said we…" Margaret gasped and looked up at Hawkeye.
Hawkeye picked up Margaret's hands again as she stared at her lap in embarrassment. "I promise you that you will never be alone." He lifted her right hand and kissed it. "And I promise that you will always be loved."
Margaret looked directly into his eyes and she could feel tears threatening to spill. She blinked them back and leaned forward as Hawkeye kissed her gently.
"So what is your advice?" he asked her playfully. Margaret saw that all-too-familiar gleam return to his eyes.
Margaret shrugged, playing along. "You could always try giving her a ring." She suggested playfully.
Hawkeye laughed and kissed her again. "I'll do that."