Here it is guys! This is the 12th chapter of this story!

Now, this is where the drama really kicks up, as everything that has been on both Majors Peterson and Houlihan finally come out and surface. This chapter will focus mostly on them in that South Korean home that's been abandoned, as they work out their problems. Don't worry, their personal conflict will have a happy outcome to it, and despite the perilous situation they are in, the sour tension will be gone by the end of the chapter.

So, for this chapter, both Andrew and Margaret talk things out, patch things up, resolve this tension and they work on getting close together again. Will they succeed? Will they finally confide in each other again? And could this talk result in something happening that brings them closer? Find out now!


IN THAT ABANDONED SOUTH KOREAN HOME:

It was now nighttime in South Korea. It was around 2200 hours (10 pm in non-military time), and for now, things were quiet in the area that was claimed as North Korean territory. In that abandoned house, neither Andrew nor Margaret were able to sleep just yet. A candle was lit to provide some light for them, and they had gotten themselves comfortable in the home temporarily and had worked on sleeping arrangements. But sleep just wasn't possible. They had a lot of things on their mind, not just from what happened today, but everything that transpired since that announcement was made on the intercom.

Andrew had some complications running through his head. He really did feel some love for the head nurse, and it was more than just friendship love. He had originally planned on telling her about his crush on her after he told Klinger. But things were foiled when everyone found out about it due to it being revealed on the intercom. And considering how many pervertic doctors are in the outfit, he didn't want her to feel humiliated by the naughty comments.

So he avoided the head nurse any way he could. But the more he thought about it, the more he convinced himself that shunning her away was not the answer to his problem. He was considered lucky to go on this assignment with Margaret just so the two of them can get away from the hooligans that reside at the M*A*S*H 4077, at least for a while.

Throughout today, ever since he and the blonde nurse went on this assignment, Margaret had constantly snapped at him for minor things, even though it was done to ensure her safety. Andrew was able to put up with it since he expected her to act that way. He couldn't blame her either. He'd probably feel the same way if he was in her boots.

Major Peterson had the strong desire to talk to Major Houlihan about why he avoided her in the first place and everything else that's been on his mind since this whole mess occurred. However, he didn't want to get her angry at him again, especially since she has settled down a bit. If anything, he should let her try to break the ice instead of himself. It would make this less uncomfortable for both of them.

By contrast, Margaret couldn't help but notice how Andrew has been silent. She had hoped that he'd start talking about why he avoided her, but he hasn't. She couldn't be resentful about that though. She did snap at him several times throughout this experience, and he didn't want to provoke her further. There's also the fact that the moments where Andrew kept her safe, such as sacrificing the jeep to ensure her safety, making sure she didn't walk into a minefield and making sure she stayed close behind him when North Korean Guerrillas were firing away at them that made her begin to think about how he truly did care for her.

But what really made the tipping point was when he got a wound on his left arm, and she insisted on treating it for him. Despite his insistence, he allowed her to do it anyway. By the time she was finished with the treatment, she started feeling sad again; sad that it reminded her of the fun times that they shared before this whole mess unraveled, not to mention the time where he helped put itch lotion on the rash of her leg. She was even starting to feel some guilt about how she snapped at him multiple times when he was trying to do the right thing.

And to think Andrew had put himself in harm's way to make sure I stayed safe, and I yelled at him for it. Margaret thought with a frown. It's no wonder why he doesn't want to talk about what he did. I really should start things off and hope that things will finally get off of our chests, just so he doesn't avoid me anymore.

Letting out a pained sigh, she then stood up and got his attention.

"Hey, Andrew?" She started.

"Yes?" Andrew queried, slowly turning around to look at her in the face.

"Listen. I just want to say I'm sorry for how I snapped at you throughout today," she apologized. "I was just angry about what happened, and I took it out on you. And for that, I'm sorry."

Andrew reacted to that apology by looking towards the floor in shame.

"I don't blame you for being angry at me Margaret," he uttered painfully. "After how I distanced myself from you and the others, it would make sense that you'd be angry at me."

"This has nothing to do with how you avoided the others! This has everything to do with how you avoided me!" Margaret shouted. "Can you see just how much it hurts to see you distance yourself from me, and not want to spend time with me anymore!? I was depressed by it!"

Andrew let out a sigh. "I wasn't any better off than you were. I haven't slept well in several days. I've lost my appetite. And to top it off, no matter where I went in the compound, I'd still find myself hearing the doctors talk about us the way they were."

"Then why did you avoid me in the first place," she cried out. "I have to be damn honest with you, I was hurt! Hurt that all the fun times that we had together were all for nothing! And that I was convinced that I didn't mean anything to you! Everything started to suck since you distanced yourself from me! Never mind the fact that there's a war going on, and people are dying from it! Can't you see how this has affected me?!"

It looked like Margaret was on the verge of crying again, but she kept it together, if only for a little bit longer. Andrew moaned, knowing that neither of them benefited from this whole ordeal. Taking off his hat for a second, Andrew approached her slowly.

"You're right," he sighed. "I shouldn't have avoided you like this. I should have taken into account how you felt about all of this. I'm sorry."

"That ain't even the worse part," she continued. "I also had some fears that you'd be struck by a sniper or a missile, or worse a grenade. It hurts knowing that you could've died and we'd never be able to talk to each other again. I felt that you didn't want to work things out with me..."

As Margaret sported another frown, Andrew felt a little hurt that she came to that assumption. He wanted her to hear his side of everything, and know just how he felt.

"I want us to work things out," he yelled defensively. "That's why I decided to go on this trip with you! That's why I went through all this trouble for you! My problem is that I felt that I was the only one who wanted to make things right between us..."

"AND YOU THINK I DIDN'T WANT THAT?!" Margaret screamed, getting Andrew to flinch as tears were starting to form in her eyes. "Since we've been on this trip, I have wanted nothing more than for you to talk this out with me! I'm not lying to you, everything about this hurts! Can you imagine the hurt look on my face when I felt that you no-" she choked on a gasp for a brief second. "...longer wanted me around you? I really did miss you throughout this whole scenario! I wanted nothing more than for us to hang out together again. Can't you understand that? I'm hurt..."

She couldn't hold it in any longer, as she found tears dripping down her cheeks, and she started to cry about the whole thing. As Andrew watched this take place, he started to feel like a piece of shit for what had happened between them.

Good going, Andrew. You really screwed up everything. Andrew thought painfully. The bullies who used to pick on you when you were in middle school and high school are correct. You are a loser...

Andrew would have been on the verge of crying himself, had it not been for the fact that he had to be strong for Margaret's sake. He knew that she was a tough army woman who can handle a lot of things, but there comes a point where even someone like her can only handle so much that she can't take it anymore. Instead, he slowly slid onto the ground and covered his face with his hands.

"What has happened to us, Margaret," he asked her sincerely. "Before this whole mess started, we were pretty close. We practically did nearly everything together. We were almost like two peas in a pod when we hung out. Whether it's in OR, or elsewhere. And we had the most exciting times together. But then everything started to crumble for both of us." Andrew let out a sigh as he finished that comment. "All because I unwillingly revealed on the intercom that I have a crush on you."


That was something else that had to be cleared up between them. She had been wondering if he'd bring up the fact that he has a crush on her again. Wiping her eyes, she decided to ask him an important question.

"Yeah, that reminds me. I'd like to ask you," she queried. "Do you really have a crush on me?"

Andrew had seen that question coming for a while since it was first revealed. He wasn't going to beat around the bush with her about it. So he nodded and confessed to her.

"Yes. I do. I really do have a crush on you Margaret, and it never went away either," he said honestly. "When I first met you, I had to admit, I was looking at a very beautiful young woman. And then I saw how you were fighting for what you believe in, and that's something that I admire about you. Not to mention all the times you sided with me in certain situations, and how we hung out a lot. So yes. My crush on you is absolutely sincere."

Margaret had to give him a look of uncertainty when he revealed all that. Andrew figured what she was trying to ask him, so he decided to come out with it.

"And Margaret? The reason why I had avoided you throughout this whole fiasco," he took a deep breath before finished. "Is because I had figured that you wouldn't want to hang out with someone who has a crush on you."

The head nurse was absolutely shocked that he'd come to that assumption. "Now wait a minute Andrew..."

"Please hear me out for a moment," Andrew begged her to listen to his explanation. "That was part of the reason. And the reason why I came to that assumption is because of what the doctors said about us! I feared that you'd be humiliated to the point where you wouldn't want me around anymore. I didn't want to give you discomfort in that situation. I could never dream of putting unhappiness and misery onto you since you deserve better than that! I just didn't want you to grow uncomfortable around me."

"Oh...I see," Margaret muttered, glad that he gave her the reason for it.

"There's also the fact that I've never been in this position before! At least not one that got this far," Andrew continued. "I never told you this, but I'm not that good when it comes to girls. I never even had a girlfriend."

"That's terrible," Hot Lips expressed sympathy for him.

"Yeah, but it didn't bother me at first," he confessed. "I had several crushes on girls when I was in high school, but they never went past that. The girls that I knew in high school didn't take a liking to me. Along with that, I originally felt that being in a romantic relationship wasn't my kind of thing. So I didn't let it bother me for a while. But...ever since I met you, I have been convinced that maybe not having a girlfriend wasn't my best decision."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the head nurse told him.

"It's fine. But I wasn't going to make advances towards the girls I was crushing on. I'm also not sexist, and I never planned to be sexist," the major sighed. "Then there's the fact that the girls who I went to high school with were a bunch of bimbos who were alright with having boyfriends that were sexist towards them. Just thinking about it disgusts me to this day, especially since I dealt with sexist guys in the past, even in the army. My point is, none of the girls I had crushes on were anything like you. I guess that's why I developed feelings for you."

As soon as Andrew was finished, Margaret took a moment to absorb everything that he revealed to him. He was being thoughtful with his explanation, and she understood what he was getting at. A lot of the generals and sergeants that she met in the army, including the ones who have visited the 4077 were sexist. Most of them figured that a woman like her couldn't be a major and a woman at the same time, and be damn good at both.


She spent the next couple of moments thinking about what he said before saying her part.

"Andrew, you could have told me about all of this instead of hiding from us," she said softly.

"But I didn't want the doctors to insult-"

"I know you didn't! And I get why you went into hiding because you don't want to deal with perverts like Pierce," she yelled. "But you still could have talked to me about it! I would have been able to help you throughout this whole thing! I've dealt with sexist generals and sergeants before, so I know how you feel about this!"

"Okay," Andrew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But what if their comments became too much and I didn't want to deal with them any longer?"

"Then I would have given you permission to stay with me in my tent until everything cooled down at the 4077," she insisted.

"You would?" Andrew asked, sounding a little uncertain. "You wouldn't have felt uncomfortable with me staying there with you, just the two of us?"

"Of course I wouldn't have a problem with it Andrew, especially since it's not worth making yourself suffer like this! You are a sweet and considerate man who wouldn't try to do anything like that. To me, you are a breath of fresh air amongst a group of pervertic doctors," she told him. "And besides, I wasn't spared the insults either. I'm used to putting up with all the foolish nonsense that the doctors commit! I know exactly what you were going through! I know what it's like to have a crush on someone! Hell, I've had doctors ask me if I heard about how you had a crush on me. In fact, one of them had once asked me if I have a crush on you."

Now, this caught Andrew's slight interest. He had this question bugging him in his heart about whether or not the head nurse liked him as more than just a friend. Not holding back, he came out with the question.

"Uh, Margaret, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while," he started. "Do you have a crush on me?"

The blonde nurse had to sigh. She'd been wondering if this handsome major before her would ever ask her that question. Taking a deep breath, she made her confession.

"Of course I have a crush on you, Andrew," she admitted shamelessly. "Why wouldn't I have a crush on you? It's like I said to you before, you're nice, sweet, considerate, modest, you never give me any trouble, you help out when it's needed, and you're just down to earth. In addition to that, I always saw you as a charming and handsome man. Why do you think that I always hung out with you, helped you out with getting broken into this outfit, and sided with you in certain conflicts for?"

"Uhhh..." Andrew had to think for a second as a blush was starting to form; the first one in several days. "Was it because you were just being friendly with me, and you were following army regulations?"

"Well, yes. But that's only part of it," she had to admit before she revealed. "It's because I like you a lot. More than just a friend. After all the men in the army that I've once had feelings for, I finally felt something amazing when I got to be around you, Andrew. I got this crush on you because of it."

Andrew was surprised by what she revealed. She had a crush on him, and he never did notice it. Even though he had a crush developing for her, he didn't think that it would be the same on her side. It looked like the feeling is mutual. But there was still a question that needed to be answered.

"But...if that's how you felt about me, then why didn't you tell me about it?" He asked her.

"Because I didn't want you to run off on me like my ex-husband Donald did," Margaret yelled in pain. "I'm being honest with you, I was afraid of how you'd react if I told you! But once you revealed on that intercom that you have a crush on me, I wanted nothing more than to tell you that the feeling is mutual, and I felt less scared. But then you went into hiding, and avoided me to the point where I felt hurt that you didn't want me after all! I was heartbroken! I even had some nightmares where the Colonel had issued a transfer for you, and that I'd never see you again! I felt that you were another person like Penobscott! That's why I never told you about it before!"

It was then she broke into more tears as she started crying again. She was glad that it was just her and Andrew here, and that's why she didn't need to hold it in. As this happened, Andrew really took in everything that he learned from all this. Had he'd known that these feelings were shared on both sides, he would have never gone into hiding in the first place. He would have never stopped hanging with Margaret, and there wouldn't be any tension to worry about.

By this point, it looked like Andrew had nothing else to do that could save them from splitting apart. But he couldn't give up. He just couldn't. A lot has been exchanged from this talk, but he still needed to do something just to get rid of the sour tension around them for good. But nothing came into his mind.


He placed his hands into his pants pockets so he could think of a solution for all of this. But suddenly, his right hand felt something. It was a piece of paper. While letting his left arm dangling with the bandage ribbon wrapped around the elbow, he took his right hand out of the pocket and unfolded the paper to see what it was.

He was surprised to see what it was when he read it. It was the note that he wanted to give to Margaret; before this whole mess started. Giving her this note like he planned to would have saved all the tension between them, and by extent, the rest of the M*A*S*H 4077.

Wait! That's it! Perhaps it's not too late! The note gave him a great idea on how to obliterate this sour atmosphere once and for all.

I should let Margaret know about this note. Something that I should have done before all of this happened...

Taking a deep breath, Andrew then got her attention.

"Hey, Margaret? There's something that I want you to see," he started nervously.

"What is it," she huffed through hot tears.

"It's a note that I wrote for you. I wrote it to express how I feel about you," he showed her the paper. "It's something that I should have done in the first place. Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

Margaret wiped her eyes once again as she looked at him. "You actually wrote a note for me?"

"Yes," Andrew nodded before making a decision. "Here. I think it's better if you read it out loud, instead of having me read it to you."

"Oh. Okay," she said, taking the piece of paper that Andrew handed over to her.

As she unfolded it, Andrew had to walk a few feet away and turn his back on her, not wanting her to see him look so depressed by what she was about to read. It pained him to know that it had to come to this, but he had no other option. Otherwise, neither of them will ever be as happy as they once were.

Once she unfolded it, she proceeded to read it aloud as Andrew insisted. What she read was the following:

To Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan,

I am writing you this note to let you know how I feel about you. I'm not gonna lie to you, I do like you. More than just a friend. Ever since I came into the compound, I've found myself becoming interested in you.

There are a lot of things that I can think of that I admire about you. You are an excellent major, you are a beautiful head nurse in spirit and personality as you know how to take command of the other nurses in this unit. I admire the leadership and determination that you showcase with the others in this outfit, men and women.

Aside from being a well-focused major and head nurse, I think you are the most attractive woman that I've found myself getting interested in. You have an excellent personality, and all the times you sided with me in certain situations were ones I truly appreciate, sincerely from my heart.

In OR, I don't see myself being paired up with any other nurse who isn't you. While the other nurses are nice, they don't have the determination and sheer beauty that I see in you. You are the best nurse that I have ever been paired up with, and I couldn't have had it any better than this.

And then there's this; I've enjoyed all the moments we shared amongst each other. Outside of the OR, I enjoy the times we spent together in the Officer's Club, Mess Tent, and your tent. All those memories mean something to me, especially since it was spent with you.

I don't know how you're going to take this note, and I'm unsure if you'll return the feelings that I have for you, but I just want you to know that everything I said in this note is absolutely true. You are the best thing to have ever happened to me. While you are a major, a head nurse, and a woman combined, that makes you the Margaret that I know and look up to, and that's the thing I love the most about you.

I hope you understand the feelings that I have for you. And if you can't return the feeling, please let me down softly. I just want you to know how I feel about you and that I couldn't have it any other way. Thank you for reading this note, Margaret.

Yours truly,

Andrew Peterson

Never in the major's life did she feel her heart melt the way it did when she read this note. All of the hurt she was feeling before was starting to fade away. She had to check with Andrew and make sure that he meant everything he said in this note.

"Andrew? Is this true?" She queried. "Is everything that you wrote in this note true? Am I really the best thing to have ever happened to you?"

Andrew nodded, not turning around. "Yes. Everything is true. I meant every word that I said in that note. I just want you to know that I never stopped caring about you. I'm nothing like the other guys you had feelings for. And I will never stop admiring you. You are the best thing to have happened to me, Margaret."

Margaret remained silent as Andrew wasn't finished yet.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out like this. If I could take back how I avoided you, I would in a heartbeat. If I had only showed you that note, to begin with," he sniffed, feeling a tear drip down his right eye. "If I hadn't avoided you after that confession was made on the intercom, none of this would've happened in the first place. So I'll understand perfectly if you decide to hate me for everything that happened."

Andrew was about to walk away to another room in the house, but before he could leave, Margaret grabbed his right arm and pulled him forward. He was wondering what this was about, but he never got to ask the question when she brought him into an embrace. And from how warm it felt, it seemed genuine.

"Andrew. This was really sweet. Thank you," she said, hugging him. "And I don't hate you. I could never truly hate you. I'm sorry for snapping at you when I was angry. I was just hurt by this whole thing."

"And I'm sorry that I avoided you instead of talking with you about it," he apologized, seeming downcast. "I never asked for any kind of strain between us. Some kind of loser I turned out to be."

"Now you listen to me, Major Andrew Peterson. Don't you ever call yourself a loser," she told him in the way that she would in an encouraging manner. "You are not a loser! You are anything but! You are a modest and dedicated young man who will always try his best to do the right thing! That doesn't sound like a loser. If you were one, then you wouldn't have been going through all this trouble since we left the 4077 to make sure that I remained safe! You gave up the jeep just so I wouldn't be shot by North Korean soldiers! You didn't want us to end up in a minefield! You even knew that we were being ambushed by Guerrillas when I didn't believe you! All while I kept snapping at you. You did all that stuff by yourself without anyone telling you to. So don't ever say you're a loser again! Do you understand me!?"

Andrew had to admit, she was very motivational with that reassuring speech. It was one of the many things about her that got him charmed by her.

"Well, I guess your right," Andrew said modestly while smiling slightly, feeling some of the stress about the strain between them starting to vanish.

"Exactly! And don't you forget it either!" Margaret encouraged him. "I just have to wonder why you were so willing to put up with me when I constantly snapped at you."

"Well, maybe it's because I like you a lot too. More than just a friend," Andrew admitted bashfully.

"Yeah. I guess the feeling is mutual between us," Margaret gave him a smile for the first time in several days, as a blush started to form.

"Uh-huh," Andrew then made a promise to her. "Margaret, I promise that I'll never avoid you like this again. No matter what. And if something like this does happen again to the point where it gets out of control, I'll be willing to seclude myself with you in your tent until everything simmers down."

"That's all that I could ask for," she said brightly, before realizing something; specifically what was shared between the two of them. "You know, I guess we aren't so different after all."

"Yeah," Andrew nodded before sighing. "I just hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for all of this, Margaret."

To his complete surprise, she didn't say anything. Rather, she decided to respond with actions. Unexpectedly, she grabbed him, pulled his face up close to her face, and then planted her lips right over his lips.

Andrew couldn't believe it. She was kissing him. A whole fury of emotions flurried throughout his body. Surprise because he didn't expect her to kiss him, overjoyed because she was even kissing him at all, happiness because he truly felt this way about her, and ecstatic because he figured out why she's called Hot Lips by some of the people in the M*A*S*H 4077. In short, it was tender and a rather excellent experience for him. It was enough for all the strain he felt about them to get diminished completely.


After a good couple of minutes, their lips separated as Margaret looked at him with a rather erotic look in her eyes.

"Does that answer your question?" She asked him.

Andrew felt his brain freeze up from that kiss, so he could only nod. It took a minute, but he finally was able to speak about that.

"Wow...wow...whoa..." Andrew panted, feeling a strong surge of energy flowing through his heart as a result. "Gosh. Now I know why they call you Hot Lips."

"You know it," she said coyly with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah," Andrew sighed in relief. "I'm just glad that this is over, and that things aren't awkward between us anymore."

"You're telling me. I'm happy that it isn't tense between us either," she agreed. "Although we are still stuck out here."

"Yeah. So I guess we're gonna sleep here tonight," Andrew proclaimed. "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling tired for the first time in days since we got all of this off of our chest. So I think I'll be able to sleep tonight...assuming that the North Koreans don't attack us while we're asleep."

"That reminds me. If you need anything from me while we are asleep, just let me know that you're 'Andrew'. Because I plan on hitting anyone that could be a North Korean with this stick," she told him, holding up a rather thick stick in her hand.

"Yeah. Good idea," he smiled, picking up what looked to be a bat. "If anything happens, I'll protect you."

"I should be saying the same for you," she said slyly.

"Okay. We'll protect each other," Andrew decided. "How does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me," Margaret shrugged her shoulders with confidence.

"It's settled then," Andrew said grinning. "We'll just use this large blanket that we found on the table and our backpacks for pillows. Does that seem good to you?"

Margaret nodded as the two of them got themselves comfy. They slept on separate sides of the blanket and put their heads onto their backpacks and relaxed. Andrew made sure to blow out that candle before settling down with Margaret.

"Okay. Goodnight Margaret," Andrew said to her.

"Goodnight Andrew," Margaret replied to his comment.

With that, the two of them fell asleep on the floor, planning on getting some sleep before deciding on where to go from here when tomorrow strikes.

They had no idea what would be in store for them in a couple of hours from now...


MEANWHILE, AT THE M*A*S*H 4077:

Back in the M*A*S*H 4077, the people there were turning in for the night, with a couple of exceptions. One of them was Colonel Potter, who was still in his office, with a cup of coffee, waiting for the phone to ring which would inform him about the whereabouts of Andrew and Margaret and if they were still alive. He didn't want to give up faith with regards to them being alive. But the longer he stayed awake, the more he felt his eyes start to droop close. This is why he got a cup of coffee so he can be awake for when the phone rings.

He had already sent Hawkeye, BJ, and Charles back to the Swamp to turn in for the night, while he watches over the phone. He hoped that by tomorrow, there will be better luck in finding the two majors alive. He continued to sit at his desk, sighing and rubbing his eyes a bit to keep them open, as he waited for a sign; any sign at all.

Meanwhile, in the company clerk's office next door, the only people who were in there were Klinger and Father Mulcahy; both of whom were worried about the well-being of the 2 majors that were missing. Father Mulcahy was sitting down and praying that Andrew and Margaret can make it back safely and not be harmed by the hands of the North Koreans.

And then there was Klinger, who had a whole lot on his mind. He stopped blaming himself for the most part. He was more concerned for their safety, and if they were alright. If they ever do come out of this a-okay, Klinger was going to promise Andrew that he'll do anything to make amends with him, and repair their friendship. No matter what it takes.

I got a lot to do to make Andrew feel better. Klinger thought. I really should cook him a steak dinner, like the way it's done back in Toledo. Maybe that'll earn my forgiveness.

Klinger could only continue to think of many different possibilities that he could do, as he continued to sit at his desk...


AT THE ABANDONED SOUTH KOREAN HOUSE - 0:23

A couple of hours have passed, and it was a little past midnight. At the moment, Andrew and Margaret were out cold, as they were sleeping peacefully. It seemed that nothing could interrupt their slumber.

Or that what it seemed to be, but that was interrupted when the North Koreans were back on the assault. This time, they were shell firing, as a loud boom and bright flashing light occurred in the house.

"WHOA!" Andrew instantly sat up and shot open his eyes, noticing that there was a shell fire going on.

Who the hell would be committing a shell fire when it's past midnight here? Andrew thought before it dawned on him. The North Koreans. I should have known.

Another one was set off and exploded, with that same flashing light occurred in the area.

"AAAHHHH!" That scream came from Margaret, who woke up immediately, as she felt her heart throbbing in fright.

"Margaret! Are you okay!?" Andrew seemed concerned for her.

"No! I was just woken up by a shell fire!" She told him, placing her hand over her chest.

"Blame the North Koreans," Andrew told her. "They are likely responsible for setting them off past midnight."

Before Margaret could say another word, another one was set off, with the same flashing light hitting the area. Feeling that this was going to get a little dangerous for them, Andrew decided to take the initiative.

"Okay! Before we get hurt, Margaret, come over here," Andrew told her. "And quickly, before something happens to us!"

Margaret wasted no time in getting over to Andrew where she huddled right next to him.

"Andrew, hold me. Please hold me. I'm scared," she muttered as Andrew did just that.

"It'll be okay," Andrew tried to calm her, wrapping his arms around her. "We'll be fine. I'll protect you. I promise."

Andrew then took the extra step in wrapping the both of them around that large blanket for extra protection just so nothing bad could happen to them. That didn't make the booming sound any less loud, as both of them couldn't sleep. Andrew did not take kindly to this nonsense, as he groaned.

"Oh for goodness sakes...DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW?!" Andrew howled furiously. "SOME OF US HAVE TO GET SOME SLEEP!"

Margaret wasn't satisfied with the shell fire either, as she was shouting alongside Andrew. Soon the two of them were shouting different things at the same time, which was along the lines of demanding the North Koreans to stop the shell fire when they are trying to get some shuteye. Of course, their demands fell on deaf ears. Not only because of the shell firing but also because they couldn't hear them where ever they were.

Eventually, they found their mouths touching as they continued to plea for silence. This got them to stop talking as they looked at each other with an expression of desire. Suddenly, they went silent when they decide to kiss for a couple of moments. Afterwards, they realized how kissing helped with soothing their nerves, albeit briefly when they stopped.

As the shell firing continued to go off, the two of them started kissing again, longer this time. It was rather tender and passionate. Andrew took the extra step and threw the large blanket over them. He did this to give himself and Margaret some privacy and protection, and the kissing was to make them ignore the shell firing entirely and maintain serenity between them.

Needless to say, the two of them were enjoying it a little too much. But that was no problem. They were keeping each other safe from the shell fire, and that's all that mattered.

Regardless, Andrew was loving every moment of this. And the feeling was mutual on Margaret's end. There was nothing that could stop them from enjoying this...


AT THE M*A*S*H 4077 - 1:04

Klinger and Father Mulcahy were still sitting at the company clerk's desk, waiting to see if the phone will ring and someone will call about something. Colonel Potter then came out of his office to see the two still up and not in bed.

"You two better get some rest. I'll stay here and listen for the phone," Colonel Potter told them. "We have a batch of wounded coming for our unit first thing tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, colonel, but I just can't sleep knowing that they are in grave danger," Father Mulcahy.

"I know Padre," Colonel Potter nodded. "Things are going to be rough here without my surgeon and head nurse helping out."

"I'm just worried about how things will turn out once this is over," Klinger remarked. "I've been thinking of ways that I could make it up to Andrew so he can accept my apology."

"You can think about it some more in your sleep Corporal," Potter instructed. "We'll find out more about their whereabouts tomorrow."

"But I just can't sleep," Father Mulcahy said. "Who knows what they're in for? They must be going through Hell out there."

"Hey. Knowing Andrew, he's probably keeping Hot Lips safe," Klinger said confidently. "And I'm pretty sure she's keeping him safe as well."

"How," the Padre raised an eyebrow. "What could they be doing? Kissing?"


IN THAT ABANDONED SOUTH KOREAN HOME:

Turns out that Father Mulcahy wasn't off with his guess as to what they were doing, since they were still kissing under that blanket. Even after the shell firing ceased, they couldn't find themselves to separate. They missed being with each other, and what they were doing was making up the time that they were away from each other.

"Mmmmmmmm..." Both of them muffled through the kiss as they broke apart for a second.

"Andrew, you have no idea how much I missed you," Margaret purred, rubbing the back of Andrew's head.

"And I missed you too Hot Lips," Andrew agreed with a smile. "Margaret? Should we stop kissing now?"

"Why? We're both single," Margaret cooed suggestively.

"Good point."

And so they resumed kissing immediately afterwards like nothing even happened. Andrew could've sworn he felt something bulge, but he didn't care in the slightest. What was important is that things were patched up with Margaret. No more distancing himself from her.

Yes, it seems that things were looking up for the two majors, as they patched things up amongst each other. They haven't forgotten the predicament they were in of being lost outside the 4077. This wasn't a problem, however. They'll find a way out of this tomorrow. And it's a guarantee that they'll get out together.

One thing's for sure, this was an experience that they would never forget...


END OF CHAPTER 12...

Ooh la la, indeed. This was a pretty fun chapter for me to write overall. I do hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Now one of the reasons why I created this OC for this story was to serve as a deconstruction of the sexist overtone that exists in the show itself. This is to make Andrew stand out amongst the other male characters in the show. And Andrew's main flaw is that he's always so hard on himself, as shown in this chapter and some of the other chapters before, to the point that he assumes the worst to happen to himself. I hope you understand my reason for doing this.

Anyway, next time, Klinger works on getting a pilot to fly a chopper out to find Andrew and Margaret, the two majors act rather closer to each other than they were before, and the two of them work on getting out of the North Korean claimed territory and to a safer area, and some other stuff will be included. How will this go? What else will be in store for the two majors? Find out next time!

For now, leave a review only if you want to. Constructive criticism is only allowed if you're being nice about it, and positive reviews are allowed regardless.

Aside from that, that's all that I got for now! So until next time, tune in again for the outcome that'll be coming afterwards! And on that note, thanks for reading everyone!