Okay, readers! Here is the 24th chapter of this story!

Now there's not much to say about this chapter. A blustery cold winter blast hits South Korea and the 4077, everyone is trying their best to keep themselves warm, Andrew gets a couple of winter gifts from his mom, he spends time keeping warm and toasty with Margaret, and some other stuff will occur. How will this go? Find out now!


AT THE M*A*S*H 4077:

It was a cold winter day in South Korea, and at the 4077. There were blustery gusts of wind blowing around, the air felt chilly, and everyone was freezing, even in winter clothing. Currently, the personnel staff were standing outside in warm coats and hats, as the mail vehicle arrived in the compound, and Klinger was handing out packages and mail to the people they are delivered to.

Klinger was wearing an Ushanka on his head to keep his head and ears warms. He was also wearing a warm furry brown winter jacket, and he had winter gloves on both of his hands. Grabbing the mail and packages, he called out one person at a time, each person speaking up and taking their delivery.

Andrew wasn't paying any attention to this. He was wearing a warm camouflage winter jacket that was furry on the inside, had winter pants on, and boots. And underneath his jacket, he was wearing a long-sleeved furry blue sweater. He didn't have a winter hat or handwear, so he had to cover his head with the hood and stuff his fingers into the pockets of his winter jacket. He had no idea that it got this cold in Korea during the winter months. He's seen plenty of cold days when he lived in Massachusetts, but this weather could beat those days by a long shot.

Major Peterson wished that he could have a pair of mittens or gloves. It didn't matter which kind they were as long as they kept his hands warms. As for a hat, it really didn't make much of a difference. He just wanted something to keep his ears and head warm. He was shivering and freezing his butt off as were the others standing outside on a cold day like this. He only got out of his thoughts when Klinger called out to him.

"Major Peterson," the company clerk hollered. "You have two packages delivered to you!"

"Oh," Andrew reluctantly took his hands out of the coat pockets and walked over to Klinger, where he held his arms out to him. "Thank you, Klinger."

"Your welcome Peterson," Klinger replied as he gave them to the major.

"I gotta say, it's freezing out here," Andrew chattered his teeth while holding the packages.

"You're darn tootin' that it is, Major," Colonel Potter muttered, also wearing an Ushanka on his head, along with a winter coat, mittens, and winter pants. "It's as cold as a hen house on a cold February day."

"I must say, I should retreat to the Swamp to keep myself warm next to the copper boiler," Charles was not wearing a winter hat, but had earmuff over his ears, he was wearing a green heavy jacket, and he had long john pants on. "If I stay out here any longer, I'll likely get a frostbite and get pneumonia."

"I must say, today seems to be pretty frigid," Father Mulcahy was also wearing earmuffs, but he was also wearing a scarf, a simple winter coat, and had warm pants on. "There have been plenty of cold days in Philadelphia, but none like this. We should keep ourselves warm against these frosty weather conditions that the Lord bestowed upon us."

"No kidding there Padre," Sherman Potter agreed. "Klinger? Did you hear anything at all from Seoul as to what we should be expecting?"

"Not much sir," Klinger shrugged. "All I know is that tonight, Seoul is to be expecting a severe snowstorm. This means no vehicles are allowed to leave or go to Seoul at any time. They're likely to be snowed in. As a result, all choppers and planes are grounded until the snowstorm clears out."

"I was afraid of that," Potter sighed. "With the chills that I'm feeling, I'm about ready to give one of Mildreds' blankets that she sent me just to keep Sophie warm."

"And there's more," Klinger brought up. "We're supposed to expect some snow in the 4077 sometime tomorrow morning. I heard from the radio that we can expect at least 3 inches. Good thing the personnel members and medical staff made the preparations for when it does hit us. But it's still going to be stressful for us."

"Damn it! This hurts more than a frostbite," Colonel Potter grunted. "I haven't seen a blizzard since the 1940 Armistice Day Blizzard; the one that lasted from November 11th to November 12th. And it cut a 1000-mile-wide swath through the middle portion of the country. It struck several middle states such as Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan."

"Did the blizzard hit Hannibal Missouri, where you live?" Klinger asked.

"It just barely missed us," Sherman answered. "That didn't mean we were completely out of the woods. We still got at least a good 4 to 5 inches of snow. I'll tell you, it was so cold and frosty, that Mildred and I had to take several wool blankets and give them to the horses that were being kept in the shack. There's nothing more irritating than seeing a mare or stallion freezing its butt off. I still remember it as if it were yesterday."

"Wow. That does sound cold," Maxwell murmured.

"Yes," Colonel Potter nodded. "It was an experience that I'll never forget."

"Anyway Klinger," Andrew got his attention. "Is there any other packages or mail that I should be expecting? I really would like to try to keep myself warm."

"Nope. That's all the mail for today," Klinger announced. "So you can all go back to your tents, and keep yourselves warm. Because of the snow, we're expecting, we shouldn't be getting some casualties sent to us anytime soon."

"Well that's one good thing about this is the lack of wounded," Potter sighed.

"I'd say that it's a blessing in disguise," Father Mulcahy commented.

"Well, if anyone needs me, I'll be in the Swamp, preferably to keep myself warm," Charles walked to the Swamp.

"I'm gonna head back to the Swamp too," Andrew sighed.

"Alright people. That's it," Klinger declared. "Let's go back to our sleeping areas to keep ourselves warm."

No one decided to argue with that, as everyone went to their respective sleeping quarters to keep warm. There was no telling how things were going to go from here, especially with the snow accumulation that was expecting to hit the 4077 tomorrow morning. This was going to be one frosty experience...


IN THE SWAMP:

After some time had passed, the four members of the Swamp were trying to keep themselves warm. One noticeable thing was how Hawkeye and BJ were huddling up in front of a copper-tin boiler that they were using as a furnace, with a fire going and everything.

Hawkeye was wearing a green short beanie hat on his head, he was wearing a warm green sweater underneath his winter jacket and he was wearing long johns underneath his winter pants. With some boots to go with it.

As for BJ, he was wearing a winter hat with earmuffs, had a winter jacket over his pink shirt and overalls, had winter pants on, and wore a pair of boots as well. He was also wearing a scarf around his neck for extra warmth.

"Hey Beej," Hawkeye started to ask. "Tell me, how cold is it in here?"

"Well, based on my thermometer," BJ checked the thermometer that showed exactly how cold it is. "It seems to be 32°F, Hawk."

Hawkeye accepted that as an answer. While the two captains were doing that, Charles was in his bed wearing his winter clothes and helping himself to a warm cup of tea from the tea kettle he had heated up not too long ago. And Andrew was sitting on his bed, still wearing his winter outfit while covering himself with his blanket. It really didn't matter since his teeth were chattering, while he was looking at the two unopened packages that his mom sent him.

After several minutes, the two captains saw that Andrew hasn't opened his gifts yet, and were wondering if he was waiting for something to happen.

"Hey, Andrew? Aren't you going to open those gifts?" Hunnicutt queried.

"Or are you waiting for this frigid weather to put you on thin ice," Pierce added.

"Oh. Alright, alright. I'll open them up," Andrew sighed as he decided to rip off the brown paper that they were wrapped under.

Andrew opened up the first one, which wasn't in a box, and it was as soft as a plush pillow. He wondered what it could be, as he tore off the paper to see what it was for himself. As soon as he removed the brown shopping bag paper, what he saw next got him a little shocked.

"Oh no..." Andrew muttered softly. "Oh no...Mom didn't have to send me this..."

The gift in question was a winter hat. But it wasn't just any ordinary hat. It was knitted together by his mom. As for its color, it was a blue winter hat, except for two parts. The bottom brim part of it was entirely red. But the most noticeable feature was the medium-sized red puff ball placed on the top of it. It looked kinda silly, but at the same time, it felt kinda warm.

Letting out a reluctant sigh, Andrew put the hat onto his head, and it managed to fit up to the upper part of his ears. It did feel toasty on his head. With an indifferent look on his face, his eyes half-opened, he just stared at the two captains. Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt saw the hat for themselves, and they couldn't help but let out a couple of chuckles.

"Wow Andrew. Did your mom make that hat for you?" BJ queried with a snicker.

"Don't be flustered Andrew," Hawkeye chuckled. "It looks kinda cute on you. As cute as a button."

"Yeah. Laugh why don't you," Andrew retorted sarcastically while rolling his eyes. "Because that's something I could use right now."

"I must remark, that hat does seem a little childish on someone with your tastes," Charles said with a snide smirk on his face.

"I didn't ask for any comments from the peanut gallery, Winchester," Andrew cast a brief glare in Charles' direction, his face going red from embarrassment.

"Oh don't mind us, Andrew," BJ insisted. "Open up the other gift that's in the other box."

"Sure," Andrew groaned as he took the box and ripped off the paper, and then worked on opening the box up.

There were two items in the box. The first of which was a pair of red mittens, which were also knitted by his mom. They did look cozy, and his fingers were freezing. Besides, the others were making jokes about his winter hat anyway. So what else could go wrong?

Taking the red mittens out, he pulled both of them onto his hands, and his fingers were warming up. His roommates saw this and were amazed by it.

"Wow. Nice mittens Andrew," BJ snickered.

"Did your mom knit you those too?" Hawkeye queried with a joking tone.

"Indeed. I take it that your mom has a thing for knitting, right?" Charles added.

"Yes, guys. My mom knitted me these mittens," Andrew huffed. "And my mom has always had this hobby of knitting stuff out of wool and other fabrics. She's been making a lot of stuff such as blankets and other stuff."

"That does make sense," Hawkeye said snidely. "Next I suppose she knitted some oven mitts too."

Andrew shook his head as the two captains laughed their butts off against the boiler, while Charles was smirking at this.

"Well if you guys don't mind, there's something else in this box too," Andrew got their attention.

"Don't leave us in the dark cold night! What else did she send you?" Pierce quirked.

"Hold on," Andrew went and looked into the box and pulled out two pairs of brown leather gloves with furry-looking ends.

The striking thing that he noticed was that these weren't knitted. Instead, these were gloves meant to be worn for a lady. Andrew looked a little confused by this as the others saw this for themselves.

"Uh, Andrew, I know that it's cold out, and it doesn't hurt to have an extra pair of hand warmers, but those are women's gloves," Hawkeye brought up.

"For your information Pierce, the red mittens I'm wearing are warm enough that I don't need an extra pair of gloves," Andrew retorted.

"Then why did she send them to you?" BJ questioned.

"I think the better question would be what your mom expects you to do with some simple winter gloves intended to be worn by a lady," Charles added.

"I'm not sure really. My mom knows that I can't wear ladies' gloves at all. And even then, these wouldn't be able to fit me anyway. So I'm at a complete loss as to why she sent these to me," Andrew exclaimed honestly. "Unless..."

He started to trail off before becoming speechless by the implication that came up. He pieced everything together, and it became clear as to why she sent these to him. As such, a bright red blush emerged on his cheeks from thinking it over carefully.

The two captains saw the blush forming on Andrew's face and they were able to figure out the reason his mom sent those woman's gloves to him. As such, both of them gave him a rather amused smirk.

"Oh ho ho! I see why she sent them to you," Hawkeye teased him. "Your mom expects you to give them to Margaret to keep her hands warms. Isn't that neat? Your mom wants you to treat your girlfriend like she means the world to you."

"I know that Pierce, and I appreciate the gesture," Andrew pinched the bridge of his nose with his mittened hands. "I just didn't expect her to go through this much trouble."

"Well you have to admit, she was being thoughtful," BJ commented. "And we know Houlihan could use some gloves right about now."

"I think I figured that out Hunnicutt," Andrew smiled sheepishly.

"Indeed. That is unless of course, you want to wear two gloves," Charles snorted.

"Yeah Andrew. Don't do what Charles did and give those to Margaret, only to let your ego get to you, and try to take them back from her," BJ told him, remembering the time Charles gave her a pair of his gloves.

"I wouldn't do that anyway. Unlike Egotistical Winchester, I'm not going to think about myself above everyone else, and I'm modest," Andrew admitted shyly. "Besides, I'm wearing these red mittens. So they don't make much of a difference."

"But how can you tell that those gloves will keep Margaret's hands as warm as her heart that you warmed up for her," Hawkeye questioned.

"My mom wore gloves like these one time," Andrew deadpanned. "And they kept her warm. If my mom's hands were warm from wearing these, surely Hot Lips will have warm hands from wearing these."

"In that case, I suggest you stop dilly-dallying and do something about it," Winchester made the suggestion. "Provided that you aren't cold to the point your legs haven't stopped working."

"In that case, you'll need your girlfriend to get your legs all warm and toasty," Hawkeye jested. "Or you can stay in here and freeze your butt off with us."

"Either way, the choice is entirely up to you," BJ insisted.

Andrew sighed. These guys were going to make cracks about that simple fact, along with the winter hat that he was wearing currently. He didn't want to deal with this when he was cold.

Standing up from his bed, he walked towards the door, with the lady's gloves shoved into his coat pockets, while wearing the mittens and winter hat on his hands and head respectively. The others noticed him leaving the Swamp.

"So does that mean you two have a hot date in her tent?" Hawkeye asked him.

"Consider it so, Pierce," Andrew huffed. "I'm gonna keep her company too."

With that, Andrew left the tent without looking back. The moment he opened the door, some cold winter wind blew into the tent for a brief moment as Andrew stepped outside into the blustery winter air before closing the door behind him.

Once he was out, Hawkeye and BJ continued to keep warm in front of the running boiler, while Winchester relaxed in his bed to some more warm tea...


IN MARGARET'S TENT:

Meanwhile, in Margaret's tent, the head nurse was trying to keep herself warm too. But it wasn't easy since she didn't have any winter gloves to wear. She could have asked Charles, but she didn't want to go through that scenario again.

In addition to that, she was wearing a fuzzy red long-sleeved sweater underneath her winter jacket that was green, she was wearing a red woman's bandana headwrap on her head, and she was wearing a pair of earmuffs. Despite that, she could still hear things perfectly. They were just to keep her ears warm.

Currently, she was helping herself with some hot chocolate that she got from the mail. She had recently heated it in a tea kettle, and she was sipping some of it from a mug that she was using. It was hot, so she had to drink it slowly. But it was still satisfying with how cold it is outside. She was also trying to keep herself warm on top of it with her blanket.

She has put up with cold days in South Korea before, but this one was absolutely blustery. And they were expecting some snow tomorrow in the compound, even if it's only 3 inches. So trying to leave the compound will be impossible, especially since they'll be snowed in.

And she felt herself shivering from how cold it was. Before she could do anything else, a knock was heard at her door.

"Uhhh, who is it?" She asked.

"It's me," Andrew's voice was heard. "Can I please come in?"

"Please come in Andrew," Margaret said.

Andrew opened the door for only a brief second; long enough for him to step in before he immediately closed it again. He didn't want the wintery breeze blowing into Margaret's tent and make her freeze even more. That would have been rude and unpolite of him.

Once the door was closed, Margaret looked at her boyfriend and saw the hat that he was wearing. He didn't have that hat before. So he must've gotten it today.

"Andrew, that hat your wearing," she started. "Did you get that in the mail today?"

"Yes," Andrew nodded shamefully. "My mom knitted this hat for me. It came in the mail today."

"I see," she grinned slightly. "Well, it looks...kinda cute."

"Uhhh...thanks," Andrew felt flattered as a blush formed on his face.

"So uh, what can I do for you?" The head nurse asked.

"I just wanted to see if you'd like me to spend some time with you on this cold frigid day in South Korea," Andrew got down to business. "That is if you aren't busy doing anything at the moment..."

"Oh no, Andrew. I'm not busy at all," Margaret insisted. "I was just trying to keep myself warm. Of course, you can spend some time with me in my tent."

"Oh good," Andrew sighed in relief. "Because it is cold, and I wanted us to keep each other warm."

"I know what you mean darling. I would love for us to keep each other warm," Margaret sounded delighted as she remembered something. "Hey! I just made some hot chocolate that's still warm. Would you like to have some?"

"Sure. I would love that," Andrew was ecstatic. "Thank you, dear."

"Anytime," she then went and grabbed a second mug that she had on hand and she poured some hot chocolate in there for her boyfriend.

"Here you go," she handed him the mug. "Be careful with drinking it. it's still hot."

"I will. Thanks for the warning," Andrew smiled happily as he took her advice.

And he took a small sip of it. It was pretty hot, but otherwise, it was a satisfying treat for a day like this.

"Oh yeah, that's definitely hot," Andrew panted. "But it's still good."

"I'm glad you like it, honey," Margaret smiled warmly. "I just got this from the mail today."

"That's nice."

"Here. Have a seat," she pulled out an extra chair next to her as he sat down. "So, have you been keeping warm?"

"I've been trying to. It's kinda hard though, with how cold it is," Andrew answered. "How are your hands feeling?"

"A little cold. But I can manage," she told him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well there's another reason why I came here," he got to the point. "I have something that I want to give to you."

Putting the mug down to the side, Andrew dug into his coat pockets, which his girlfriend looked curious about this. In a few minutes, he took out those brown woman's gloves that he brought with him.

"You see, my mom had sent me these gloves with the mittens that I'm wearing right now, but these gloves won't fit me, and they are meant for women to wear," Andrew explained. "And knowing that you don't have any gloves, I wanted to give them to you Margaret. I uhhh...hope you don't mind."

As he said that, he gingerly placed the gloves into her hands for her to use. She had no idea what to say. She wasn't expecting Andrew to give her something like this. But of course, Andrew has done many wonderful things for her before. Still, this was really thoughtful of him.

"Wow...I...I don't know what to say," she said slowly. "Your mom sent these to you?"

"That's right," he nodded. "And I'm giving them to you. I hope it isn't a problem."

"Oh no, Andrew. It's not a problem at all," the head nurse shook his head. "This was very sweet of you. Thanks for this."

"You're welcome. Aren't you going to try them on?"

"Oh yeah. Right."

With that, she put the gloves on, which slipped easily into her hands. It was a perfect fit.

"So? What do you think?" Andrew queried curiously.

Based on her smile, she was clearly satisfied with them.

"They're comfy," she beamed. "I love them. Thank you, darling."

"Your welcome dear."

Then unexpectedly, they both got up and Margaret went and hugged Andrew, who graciously returned the embrace. Somehow, this hug felt rather warm, appropriate for how they were freezing. This was a great idea for them.

Even though they didn't want to, they separated from the hug, although they still held hands.

"I'm glad that they make you feel comfy," Andrew commented. "And I'm happy that you love them."

"And I'm happy that you're giving them to me," without hesitating, Margaret kissed him on the lips. "I love you, darling."

"I love you too Hot Lips," Andrew said.

From there, they sat back down, sitting close together as they resumed drinking their hot chocolate. It was still warm, but they didn't mind. They were really happy to be spending some time together.

"Mmmm, I really meant it when I said this is nice hot chocolate Margaret," Andrew compliment after taking another sip.

"I'm glad you like it," Margaret took a sip of her own. "I haven't told you this, but my dad was the one who sent this to me."

"I see. That's nice," Andrew then remembered something from his boyhood that he felt like sharing. "You know, I never told you this, but when I was a kid, my mom would always put tiny marshmallows in my hot chocolate. I always enjoyed it."

"You don't say," Margaret gave him an amused smirk.

"Yes. We'd always have hot chocolate during the winter months when I lived in Massachusetts," Andrew revealed. "Especially when it's wicked cold, or whenever it was snowing. It was an enjoyable time."

"You know Andrew, it always makes me happy the way you talk about your childhood," Margaret admitted. "It's a shame that it wasn't like that where I came from in Fort Ord, California."

"Why? Did it ever snow there?"

"No. Not often that is," the head nurse explained. "Well, it did get cold during the winter months. But it hardly, if ever snowed there. And if it did, it wasn't much. Just dust covering at the very least."

"That's kinda like how it is in South Carolina," the major told her. "It hardly snowed. It got cold in the winter months. And any snow that does fall is a dust cover at most. Nothing like what it's like in Massachusetts."

"Yeah Andrew," she brought up. "Speaking of snow, I'm surprised that there's going to be snow here tomorrow morning."

"Yeah. And a good three inches too," he spoke. "It's going to be enough down in Seoul to the point where no vehicles can go in and out, and all flying vehicles have been grounded for this snowstorm."

"You're telling me, honey," Margaret agreed. "But I don't think it should be that surprising, considering how cold it is."

"Uh-huh. I haven't seen snow in a long time. In fact, I never got to experience a massive blizzard when I was living in Massachusetts," Andrew admitted. "The last blizzard that hit the state was before I was even born. Yeah. My mom told me the facts about that. It seemed to be a very brutal time. Good thing I wasn't born yet to withstand it."

"I can see why," Margaret smiled. "Andrew, you know what makes me happy? The fact that you were once a quiet young man who kept to yourself. But now, here you are willing to talk with me about anything."

"Why shouldn't I? I'm feeling comfortable. And when I'm in a good mood, I can talk about what's on my mind," Andrew grinned. "But really, I'm really comfortable whenever I hang out with you, Margaret."

"Me too," she gave him a peck on the cheek. "That's for being an excellent boyfriend."

"Wow. And this is for being an excellent girlfriend," even though he was reluctant, Andrew made an effort, and pecked her on the cheek, even if it was for a brief second.

Margaret could only smile. That was the first time Andrew ever attempted to kiss her on the cheek. Even though he seemed a little nervous with it, he still pulled through. He was such a real man, even with his quirks. She didn't want him to leave, especially when it should be snowing in several hours.


By this point, they were just about done with their mugs of hot chocolate, as they placed their mugs down to the side. From there, Andrew stood up.

"Well Margaret, if there's nothing else, I'll be willing to leave," Andrew said, turning to face the door. "I hope to see you later dear."

"Wait, darling," Margaret grabbed his hand and insisted. "I mean you don't have to leave my tent."

"But it'll be dark in a few hours, and I'm gonna have to go to sleep in the Swamp."

"Who says that you'd have to sleep in the Swamp?" Margaret had what appeared to be a naughty smirk on her face. "In fact, you are more than welcome to spend the night with me in my tent."

"What!?" Andrew squeaked, a massive blush forming on his face. "Y-You mean...me sleeping in your bed...w-with you...?"

"That's right," Hot Lips cooed seductively, rubbed her right-hand index finger across his chest. "You know that it's going to be freezing tonight. And I could use the warmth and comfort of a real man such as yourself. And by the looks of it, you look like you need someone to keep you warm too."

"I uh...Are you sure, it's no problem with us sleeping together?" Andrew gulped nervously, wanting to make sure it was alright.

"Of course there's no problem. We can even share the same blanket and keep warm and snuggle underneath. Plus, I know you won't be fresh at all," she purred suggestively. "You're a sweet wonderful man, and I trust you. So what do you say, darling? Will you spend the night with me?"

Andrew felt sweat dripping from his forehead. He certainly was feeling warmer thanks to Margaret. The more he thought of it, the more he realized that there was no harm in staying with her for the night. Major Peterson wanted to make sure that Major Houlihan was alright with it, and based on the smile on her face, she was comfortable with the concept. Besides, none of his bunkmates really needed him around for the night anyway. Surely, they can make it one night without him being in the Swamp, right?

Andrew let out a sigh, and then made his decision. "Alright, dear. I'll spend the night with you."

"That's what I want to hear. Thank you, Andrew."

"You're welcome, Margaret. But uhhh...is there enough room for the both of us on your bed?"

"There should be," she shrugged. "Besides, we lied in that bed before when we were having one of our kissing fests."

"Good point," he understood what she was getting at.

"Well, why don't we get comfortable right now," she suggested, motioning him to the bed. "Let's lie down and keep ourselves warm together. What do you say?"

"Sure. That would be great." Andrew smiled at that Margaret brought him over to her bed.

"Hey, by the way, that hat and mittens you are wearing," Margaret brought up. "Did your mom make those?"

"Yeah. She has this thing for knitting, something that she takes for a hobby," Andrew told her as they got comfy in her bed, taking the boots off and such.

"That's interesting," Margaret beamed. "I've been thinking about knitting a large pink blanket, or a sweatshirt. I haven't made a decision yet as to which one I should do."

"Well whichever one you go with, I'm sure it'll be marvelous," Andrew said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I'm happy for your support sweetie."

"By the way Margaret, you can keep those gloves," Andrew told her. "I won't be needing them, so I want you to have them."

"That's very thoughtful of you darling," Margaret remarked. "I just hope that you won't be like Winchester and want to take them back from me."

"Are you kidding? Unlike Winchester, I'm not some shrewd, boarish, egotistical, stubborn mule," Andrew said with confidence.

"No your not," she agreed with a teasing voice. "Your sweet, modest, soft-spoken, never think highly of yourself, go through a lot of trouble to help someone out, and you're just charming and handsome."

"I'm glad you feel that way about me," Andrew said as his girlfriend got that blanket to cover both of them. "I'm already feeling warm and toasty since I'm in the same bed as you."

"Same here," she started snuggling with him. "What do you say we snuggle for a bit honey?"

"I'm alright with that dear." Andrew smiled graciously.

And so the two of them decided to snuggle together. Andrew didn't think that his girlfriend would want to do this with him, and yet she does. He wasn't going to pass up an opportunity like this, especially with his romantic partner. There was only one other time that they slept together, and that was when they were lost in the wilderness. And it happened because of a shell fire attack going on, resulting in them huddling up together, where they kissed and eventually slept together.

That was like a dream come true. Andrew didn't think that such a possibility could ever happen again. And yet, here it is. The opportunity came knocking at his door and invited him to sleep with Margaret again. Deep down, he was overjoyed by this. But he didn't want his own feelings to take top priority over those of the others around him.

Nevertheless, he was going to enjoy this for what it's worth. And if Hot Lips was overjoyed with him staying the night, then there was no reason why he shouldn't be overjoyed by it either. One thing is for sure, this was going to be one intriguing night for both of them...


MEANWHILE, IN SOPHIE'S RESTING AREA:

It was shown the Sherman Potter was in Sophie's resting area with three heavy blankets on hand. He had taken those three heavy blankets that were sent to him by Mildred and decided to cover Sophie so she could be kept warm and cozy with this frigid weather that is upon them. And considering how snow is going to be arriving first thing tomorrow, he wanted to make sure she wasn't shivering in the slightest.

"And there we go," Colonel Potter got the last blanket over Sophie's back. "That should be enough to keep you warm Sophie. It'll keep you from getting the shivers, and frostbite."

Sophie only let out a neigh and a whinny as a result.

"I know, but it's going to be very cold tonight," Colonel Potter assured her, rubbed the side of her face. "And we are supposed to get snow tomorrow morning. So I want you to keep cozy for tonight and tomorrow."

Sophie only gave Colonel Potter a thoughtful look, which the colonel seemed satisfied with. Colonel Potter continued to pet Sophie for a couple of moments until suddenly, Klinger came to the scene with some important news for him.

"Hey Colonel," Klinger got his attention. "Keeping Sophie warm for tonight, huh?"

"Yes, Klinger. I decided to use a couple of blankets sent to me from Mildred to keep Sophie from getting the chills," Colonel Potter answered. "Anyway Klinger, what can I do for you?"

"Oh right. I just want you to know sir, that the roads in the compound have been sprinkled with melting salt," Klinger revealed. "Which should help with melting any forming ice and snow coating that gets onto the road, and make the path less slippery to drive on and walk on."

"Now that's news that I'd like to hear. Having everyone get prepared for what we should be expecting come tomorrow," Colonel Potter complimented.

"You got it, sir," Klinger agreed. "And to keep us on our toes, I'll be making sure that any falling snow will not stick onto the top of any of the tents."

"Very good Corporal," Potter praised. "Now there's nothing that this snowstorm can throw at us that we aren't prepared for."

"You said it," Maxwell Klinger said. "So anyway Colonel, how bad do you think this snowstorm is going to be?"

"That depends. It can be very minor, or we could be snowed into our tents," Sherman Potter told him. "I've lived long enough to witness many snowstorms that took place in the past though. So I'm pretty sure that we'll be ready for when we do get snow."

"That's good to know," Klinger went along with it.

And with that, the two of them left Sophie's Resting Area and decided to retreat to their respectively sleeping quarters. Things were going to get a little snowy tomorrow, and they had to be prepared for when it happens, as does everyone else...


LATER ON THAT NIGHT - AT THE 4077:

It was now nighttime at the 4077. The air was gusty, the weather was frosty, and everyone was snuggling themselves in a nice warm bed. Most of the tents had their oilers running as a heater to keep warm, while others were covering themselves up with a warm blanket. In Father Mulcahy's case, he was simply roasting chestnuts that he got over an open fire, which was going in the oiler.

Not only that but the roads in the compound were littered with salt, to melt any forming ice, as well as make traveling in the snow a little more efficient. There were also some shovels on hand in case they need to shovel out the snow that got in the way. There shouldn't be a problem since it's only going to be three inches of snow. But they were preparing for the worse and taking extra precautions.

It was worth noting that nearly everyone in the compound was asleep and keeping toasty. An exception to this was in Margaret's tent, where, in the head nurse's bed, we see Andrew and Margaret comfy with that blanket Hot Lips covered them up with. They weren't wearing their winter jackets now. Andrew was still wearing that winter hat and mittens, while Margaret kept on those gloves, red woman's bandana headwrap, and her earmuffs.

One of the ways they kept each other warm was by hugging and snuggling each other. Another method they were pulling was kissing, mouth to mouth. With the satisfied moans they were making through the kiss, they were purely enjoying every moment of this. It also helps that they were keeping one another warm by doing this.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm..." Both of them muffled through the kiss before separating their lips for a second.

"Oh Margaret, I enjoy kissing your hot-looking lips like this," Andrew admitted. "I'm already feeling warm since I'm doing this with you."

"I feel the same way Andrew," Margaret agreed. "You are warm and cozy, and I love doing this with you, darling."

"Me too dear," Andrew moaned in pleasure. "My ears are a little cold though."

"Does this help?" Hot Lips covered his ears with her gloved hands.

"Very much so," Major Peterson smiled dreamily. "I love you so much, honey."

"I love you so much too, sugar plum," Major Houlihan shared the same dreamy smile Andrew had.

Then they were back to kissing, as Margaret kept Andrew's ears warm and toasty with her gloved hands. It was tender, passionate, fuzzy, and cozy. Both of them felt this warm glow in their stomachs as they continued to do this, giving them all the comfort and warmth they needed. It was clear that they wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. And even if they would, they would end up falling asleep in each others' arms.

No matter how cold it was outside, this was yet another night that would never be forgotten by either of them...


THE NEXT MORNING:

It was now a new day at the M*A*S*H 4077. Three of the four members were in their beds sleeping away in the Swamp while the morning started away. Hawkeye was the first to wake up when he saw that there was no one in Andrew's bed. It was empty. Which meant that Andrew never came back last night. Feeling intrigued by this, Pierce woke up his two bunkmates.

"Hey Beej, Charles," he called out to them. "Guess who never came back last night."

They begrudgingly opened their eyes as Hawkeye motioned them to Andrew's bed. Both of them saw that Andrew wasn't there. He was missing.

"Whoa, Andrew is not here," BJ stated. "Where do you suppose he could be?"

"If you ask me, Hunnicutt, Peterson might have gotten himself lost in the cold within the compound, trying to find his way back," Charles snorted.

"Either that or Andrew might have spent overtime with Margaret in her tent to the point where they fell asleep together," Hawkeye took a wild guess.

"Now what do you suppose got him to do a thing like that?" Charles asked.

"He probably didn't want Margaret to be snowed into her tent all by herself," BJ said. "So he decided to spend the night with her in case she did get snowed in. She would at least be with him."

"That would make a ton of sense," Hawkeye agreed. "Andrew would tear through teeth and bones just to keep Margaret safe and out of harm's way."

"Getting lost in the wilderness that one time is more than enough proof," BJ added.

"Pardon me for saying this gentlemen, and it might just be me jumping the gun a bit," Charles started to ask. "But don't you think that Majors Peterson and Houlihan took part in other amorous activities beyond kissing?"

"They were probably playing some hanky panky," Hawkeye shrugged. "Then again, Margaret used to play 'physical check-up' with Frank Burns when he was in our unit, especially when Henry Blake commanded our outfit. But it's their business, and whatever they did is just between them."

"Yeah. But I bet right now, they are asleep together in Margaret's bed, snuggling one another throughout the night to keep each other warm," Hunnicutt remarked.

"That's a likely guess," Pierce said, saying nothing else on the subject.


Meanwhile, in Margaret's tent, it was shown that Andrew and Margaret fell asleep together, in each other's arms as they were keeping warm throughout the night. While Andrew was still wearing that winter hat on his head, the amount of fun he was having with Margaret overnight resulted in three strands of his hair popping out from the bottom part of the hat on his forehead.

Neither of them moved for several minutes. Suddenly, Andrew found himself opening his eyes and saw that he was in Margaret's bed, in her tent, and they were sleeping together. He was in a state of awe at how they were keeping each other close like this. He didn't even break from this position since he was so comfortable. He really wished that one day, when he does get married to Margaret, they would be able to sleep more often like this. That would be sensational.

Wow. I am so overjoyed that I got to sleep with my girlfriend when it was chilly last night. Andrew thought with a smirk. Damn! I'm so lucky that Margaret and I are in love with each other. It's great for us to be in love. We have a lot of loving moments that we've shared, and this is one of them. She is such a dollface.

Just then, he heard Margaret starting to moaning as she was beginning to wake up from her slumber. Not making a move or a sound, Andrew just stared at her with admiration with those emerald green eyes of his.

Margaret started to open her sapphire blue eyes and once she did, she saw her boyfriend looking at her with such amazement that she could only dream of.

Oh my god! Andrew looks so attractive. Margaret thought in pure joy. I was smart to have him stay with me overnight. I am lucky to be in love with this sweet and modest stud. He is such a hunk.

After staring at each other for a few moments, Andrew decided to break the ice first.

"Ah, good morning dear," Andrew said softly.

Margaret reacted by planting a soft kiss towards his mouth. "Good morning darling."

"So, I guess we kept each other warm last night," he remarked.

"We sure did," she purred. "And now that I think of it, I feel that it was a good idea for us to sleep together last night."

"I think so too," Andrew smiled. "So, do you think we should get up and see how much snow there is outside, honey?"

"We probably should darling," Margaret agreed. "Maybe we can get some hot coffee while we're at it."

"Yeah. Good idea. I just hope there isn't enough sleet or ice for us to slip and fall onto," Andrew grimaced. "That's an accident I don't want happening to either of us."

"I wouldn't want that either," Margaret nodded. "Then again, they did pour out plenty of melting salt to prevent ice from forming."

"That's a good point," Andrew got out of bed. "Well, shall we get out of bed?"

"Certainly," Margaret stretched and got herself out of bed.

Once they got out of bed, they put on their winter jackets and went for the door.

"I just hope that we didn't get snowed into our tent," Margaret commented.

"Yeah, but even if we did, I would find a way to get the both of us out of here," Andrew spoke up.

"I know you would," Hot Lips smiled at him. She lifted that green curtain on the door and saw what was outside. "Well Andrew, looks like we did get some snow after all."

"Let me see," Andrew walked over and looked outside for himself. "Yeah, it's not that bad. It could have been worst. It could have been a blizzard."

"Thank god that it wasn't," Margaret expressed relief as the two of them put on their boots and tied them up. "Shall we go outside, darling?"

"After you, dear," Andrew smiled as he opened the door for her once their boots were on. They then went outside to see the snow for themselves...


Meanwhile, as BJ and Charles were putting on their winter clothes, including their gloves, Hawkeye was looking outside and saw just how much snow fell onto the ground. As predicted, it was only 3 inches deep. Still, this was not something that you'd see every day.

"Wow guys, look at the snow outside," Hawkeye said like a little kid. "Everywhere is snow, as far as thee I can see."

"Pierce, I would kindly appreciate it if you didn't act like Christopher Columbus when he sailed the ocean blue," Charles scoffed in annoyance.

"Yeah, because this isn't the sea we're dealing with. It's just snow," BJ said casually.

"Still, you don't see this every day," Hawkeye added. "I haven't seen snow like this since I left Crabapple Cove."

"And I suppose that it does snow in the winter in Crabapple Cover, right?" Charles retorted.

"You bet it does Charles," Hawkeye responded. "And when I was a kid, I used to pull a lot of snow pranks and stuff."

"And besides, since Maine is not far from Canada, how could there not be snow," Hunnicutt made his comment.

"Yeah," Pierce nodded before seeing something that caught his attention. "Oh ho ho, check this out, guys! Guess who's leaving Margaret's tent with Major Houlihan."

In an instant, Hunnicutt and Winchester took a quick look to where Pierce was pointing to. They saw Margaret exit the tent along with Andrew, who had apparently stayed with her overnight.

"It would appear that Peterson's little rendezvous with Houlihan had turned into an overnight stay," Winchester remarked haughtily.

"More than that! Look at how they're holding hands," Hawkeye pointed out.

"And they're smiling lovingly at each other," BJ added.

"I say we confront them on this," Pierce suggested.

"I'm with you there stranger," BJ accepted.

"Count me out of your little merriment occupations," Charles declined. "I would like to reserve my energy for something of the utmost importance."

"Fine Charles. No need to drag along a stick in the snow," Hawkeye retorted. "Come on Beej, let's go."

"I'm right behind you Hawk." BJ smiled.

As soon as Hawkeye put on his gloves, he and BJ went outside to see the romantic couple up in person. They were planning on doing something against the two that would turn into a game...


Back outside, we see Andrew and Margaret taking in the scenery for a few minutes, as the former makes sure that the latter doesn't slip on the sleet. Andrew looked at the snow and cringed as to what'll happen when it starts melting.

"You know Margaret? One thing I do not look forward to is when the snow melts and there's snow slush everywhere." Andrew shared his thoughts.

"Yeah. That's gonna stink," she agreed with him.

"As nice as the snow looks, it's going to be a nightmare to deal with before it melts," Andrew commented. "After all, I wouldn't want to be the one who gets-"

Before Andrew could even finish that sentence, he got hit in the head by what appeared to be a snowball. It nearly knocked his hat off, but he was able to grab it just in the nick of time as he put it back onto his head after wiping the snow off his head.

"Darling," Margaret yelped. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I think someone threw a snowball at me."

"Now who would throw a snowball at you?" Margaret asked when she heard Pierce laughing from the snowball that was thrown, as she scowled towards the perpetrator. "Never mind Andrew. I think I already know."

"Yeah. So have I," Andrew groaned. "Pierce! Why did you throw a snowball at me?!"

"Oh come on Andrew! You should have seen the look on your face," Hawkeye cackled. "I almost knocked your hat off!"

"Hats off to you pal," BJ added with a chuckle.

Andrew pinched the bridge of his nose as the two captains laughed their butts off. "So you want to start something with me, huh?"

"Oh, please do," Hawkeye said sarcastically. "Just snow no mercy."

Very well then. Expect me to retaliate Captain Pierce. Andrew scooped up some snow with his mittened hands and turned them into a snowball, as Hawkeye continued to laugh.

"I still can't believe that I hit him with a snowball and nearly knocked his hat-" Hawkeye was unable to finish that sentence when a snowball hit him right on the left shoulder.

That got him to stop laughing in his tracks as he saw that it was Andrew who threw that snowball back.

"Wow Hawk, he really hit you on the shoulder," BJ remarked.

"I didn't expect him to fight back with a snowball," Hawkeye commented.

"Well Pierce, I happen to know a little about throwing snowballs," Andrew told him. "So if you think I'm gonna back down because you threw the first snowball, think again."

"That'll show 'em, Andrew," Margaret agreed.

"Say Beej, why don't you throw a snowball towards the missus," Hawkeye insisted. "After all, I did hit her boyfriend, so it's only fair."

"Pffft, yeah right. If you think that hitting me with a snowball will make me back down, you are dead-" Margaret stopped midsentence when BJ really did throw a snowball at her, hitting her right on the head.

"Haha! BJ, that was a work of pure snow genius," Hawkeye praised him.

"Thanks," BJ replied.

"Hey Margaret, dear? Are you okay," Andrew felt like asking.

"Don't worry about me darling," Margaret had a smirk as she scooped up some snow and turned it into a snowball. "Because I'll get the snowdrop on them."

"Oh right," Hawkeye was being sarcastic. "Because we're going to fall into the snow by a sissy girl."

"Uh, Hawkeye? I think she's serious about-" BJ tried to warn him, but was cut off when a snowball hit him in the face. Hunnicutt wiped the snow clean off of his face to see Margaret giving him a smirk.

"How does it feel getting hit in the face by a snowball thanks to a sissy girl, Hunnicutt," Margaret was sarcastic when she said 'sissy girl'. "By the way you two goons, I'm not a sissy girl. I'm an army brat."

"Wow Margaret," Andrew looked at her with amazement and awe. "You know how to throw snowballs too?"

"Damn right I do," she said with confidence. "While I hardly got any snow where I came from, whenever I did get snow, I would seize the opportunity and make snowballs."

"That's amazing," Andrew complimented graciously.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Ahem," Hawkeye cleared his throat and got their attention. "Of course you two realize that this means war."

"Wait, you don't mean..." Andrew tries to say, but he couldn't do it.

"Yup," Hawkeye nodded before announcing. "SNOWBALL FIGHT!"

Immediately after he shouted that all hell broke loose between the two parties of 2 vs 2. Snowballs were tossed from both sides, and went to the other side, hitting the opponents multiple times. Andrew was more than willing to have a snowball fight. True, he didn't expect to be victorious, and he didn't think about winning, he was having fun. And with Margaret as his partner, he was wholeheartedly enjoying this.


This went on for several minutes when Charles overheard this taking place. Wanting to put a stop to all the riff-raff that was taking place outside the Swamp, Charles stepped outside with his gloves on and was planning to halt it.

"Gentlemen, I would like to intervene in that these childish merriments or shenanigans that you call snowball fights are disrupting my tea time in the Swamp," Charles scolded them. "So I would like to ask you, cretins, to take your little contest else-"

Whatever else he had to say was put to a stop when Andrew accidentally threw a snowball right into Charles' face. Andrew looked a little embarrassed by this as he reacted.

"Whoops. Sorry about that Winchester," Andrew apologized before pointing out. "You were caught in the crossfire. You should have stayed out of the way!"

Charles didn't take kindly to that, as he wiped the snow off of his face, and cast a glower at Andrew.

"You monstrous bothersome brat! You dare try to throw a snowball at a Winchester," Charles howled. "I'll teach you not to make an imbecile out of me!"

With that, Charles scooped up some snow and turned it into a snowball, before he threw it in Andrew's direction. The thing is, Andrew saw this coming. So he was able to duck down and dodged the snowball, which ricocheted off the tent and barreled right into the Swamp, where it landed on the tea kettle and teacup, thus ruining the tea that he was about to have.

"How dare you scoundrel," Charles hissed. "You ruined my tea time special! You will pay for that, you...you...you..."

"Phooey?" Andrew guessed with a sly smirk on his face.

"YES! PHOOEY!" Charles roared.

"Oh don't worry Charles. You can always have some you instead of tea," Hawkeye cracked a joke. "It's snow use! Your now part of the snowball fight."

"Welcome to tea-off Charles," BJ welcomed him aboard.

"Wait, that isn't fair," Margaret pointed out. "That would make it two against three!"

"Not to mention that I have zero interest in taking part in this snowball fight anyway," Charles huffed, heading for the door.

"Oh, what's that I'm hearing," Hawkeye goaded. "Charles Emerson Winchester III is balking away from a challenge, afraid that his inflated ego will be deflated if Andrew and Margaret pelt him with snowballs."

"Excuse me," Charles gave Hawkeye an offended look. "I'll have you know that I've taken part in several snowball fights back when I was in Boston. I have full confidence that I could win at a snowball fight against those two."

"So why not join in on the fun?" BJ asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, you've talked me into it. Very well," Charles sighed. "I will be pledged to take part in this silly ridiculous game."

"That still makes three against two," Margaret reminded them. "It's an unfair fight!"

"Yeah! I mean who else would want to take part in a snowball fight with us?!" Andrew asked them.

Fortunately, their call was answered when Klinger came to the scene, seeing what they were doing.

"Hey, guys? What's all the excitement," Klinger adjusted his Ushanka and saw the snowballs in their hands. "Holy Toledo! Are you guys having a snowball fight!?"

"We sure are," Andrew turned his attention to him. "Did you take part in snowball fights?"

"Did I? Your talking to the one who had entered several Snowball Fighting Tournaments back in Toledo," Klinger exclaimed. "And to think that I won seven games in a row."

"Ah, another snowball fighter is in our presence," Hawkeye remarked.

"Welcome to the club," BJ commented.

"Can I join in on the snowball fight too," Klinger asked.

"Of course, you can side with me and Margaret," Andrew told him. "We needed an extra partner anyway."

"And now it's a fair fight," Margaret told them, as Klinger happily joined Andrew and Margaret's side. "It's three against three."

And so the snowball fight resumed. It was now Hawkeye, BJ, and Charles against Andrew, Margaret, and Klinger. Everyone got hit once, but for what it's worth, it was all in good fun.

"Hey, you know what would go great with this," Andrew made a suggestion. "A snow fort."

"A snow fort," Klinger queried. "You mean a shield to use as a defense against incoming snowball attacks?"

"That's the type I'm talking about," Andrew exclaimed. "I think we should build one."

"Well, I don't see why we shouldn't," Margaret saw nothing wrong with it. "Alright, let's build a snow fort."

"Alright."

And so they built a snow fort. Meanwhile, the other team saw them build one and realized something.

"Hey, Hawkeye? They're building a snow fort," BJ proclaimed.

"Well, what do you know," Hawkeye had a snide look on his face. "They think we're playing Cowboys vs Indians."

"Pierce and this is from someone who loves to put a damper on things, but I took part in this for a snowball fight, now a little childish game of Cowboys vs Indians," Charles retorted. "Save that for the Colonel."

"So they want to build a snow fort," Hawkeye came up with an idea. "Well, two can play that game."

And they too built a snow fort of their own. Now both sides had a snow fort for protection, and now the snowball fight resumed. More snowballs were thrown and tossed towards both sides. There was no stopping in sight. At least not for a good 10 to 15 minutes...


Eventually, the fight came to an abrupt halt when Father Mulcahy walked to the scene with his earmuffs on. He was curious as to what was going on between them.

"Uh, excuse me, people," he started. "I'm sorry to interrupt this...game your playing, but could you mind telling me what it is you're doing?"

Andrew overheard what the Padre said, and then whistled loudly before hollering. "HALT! STOP THE FIGHT!"

Everyone managed to cease the snowball fight, as no more snowballs were thrown around. Andrew then turned his attention to the Chaplin.

"Sorry about that Padre. We were having a snowball fight. Well, not that I was intending on it," Andrew explained sheepishly. "Pierce started it by throwing a snowball at me when I was minding my own business with Margaret. I then went and threw a snowball at Pierce in response. Pierce then encouraged Hunnicutt to throw a snowball at Margaret, which caused Margaret to throw a snowball at Hunnicutt. It then escalated from there, from Winchester getting hit in the face by my snowball on accident to Klinger wanting to join in on the fun. Soon we built snow forts to use as shields, and now here we are."

"Oh, I see," Father Mulcahy was unsure of what to say about this. "I suppose that's alright. I'm just glad I'm not a snowball fighting type of person."

"Really," Klinger queried. "Tell me, Father, what type of activity do you enjoy doing in the snow?"

"Well, if I were to pick one that was on a rather pacifist sort of level," Father Mulcahy did some thinking before answering. "I'd say that I enjoy making snow angels."

"You've made snow angels Padre," Andrew queried.

"Well, yes. But it's been a long time," the Chaplin admitted sheepishly. "But I'd like to say that back in Philadelphia, I would see children making snow angels every winter that it's snowed after church services are held on Sunday. It was quite a remarkable sight to see."

"Well that's really nice Father," BJ complimented. "It's nice to know that there are others in the Phillys that are God's children."

"Yeah, you can call them that, I guess," Father Mulcahy told them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to retreat to my tent to roast some chestnuts over an open fire."

"Just know that if you do that Father, Jack Frost might nip at your nose," Hawkeye teased him.

"I'm well aware of that Pierce," Father Mulcahy remarked. "So you can continue your snowball fight if you want. I'll see you all later."

And with that, Father Mulcahy went back to his tent, which wasn't far from where the snowball fight was taking place.

"Yeah, snow angels aren't bad," Andrew remarked. "I've made several of them when I was a kid. Along with snowballs, snow forts, even a snowman."

"Ah, that must be impossible to not snow-tice," Hawkeye jested.

"You think that's something," Klinger remarked. "One time when I was 7, my uncle and I put together this igloo that we made ourselves."

"That sounds like a good hiding spot," Andrew complimented.

"It was," Klinger admitted. "Until the snow melted and the igloo went down with it."

"That must have sucked," BJ remarked.

"Ahem, I don't know why we are relishing childhood memories of the fun that we had in the snow anyway," Charles stated. "To me, it seems rather pointless."

"Is that so," Margaret queried. "Tell me, Major, do you have any memories of what you enjoyed in the snow?"

"Yeah Winchester, do you have any?" Andrew jumped in.

"Of course I do," Charles took a deep breath. "I just don't feel like discussing it."

"Fair enough," Andrew shrugged. "I suppose we can drop it."

"So shall we continue our snowball fight?" Hawkeye quizzed.

"Just know guys, we aren't backing down," Andrew said as Klinger was on his left side and Margaret his right side. "Isn't that right?"

"You got it, sir!" Klinger saluted, hitting his Ushanka slightly.

"That goes for me too, darling," Margaret went and pecked him on the cheek.

"Alright. Let's continue." Pierce declared.

And so the snowball fight was underway again. Neither side was letting up, and they had no intention of doing so anyway. Not unless something important came up...


The snowball fight had to come to a halt again when Sherman Potter came to the scene with his winter outfit, as he got news to share with them.

"Ahem, excuse me, folks. I hate to bring an end to this Cowboys vs. Indians snowball fight," he got their attention, getting them to stop the snowball fight. "But I've got some news to share with you all."

"You do," Andrew had a worried expression on his face. "Don't tell me we're getting wounded shipped into the compound!"

"No. It's not that all. This is different," Colonel Potter said as Margaret wrapped her left arm around Andrew's back out of affection. "I'm afraid the fridge in the kitchen tent has stopped working. It no longer runs on electricity, and the inside has gone warm to room temperature. I had issued a new fridge to be sent to us by I-Corps once they are allowed to run again."

"Yeah," Andrew frowned, keeping his girlfriend close. "That is bad news."

"In the meantime, we'll have to do something about all the food and beverages kept in the fridge," Colonel Potter stated. "Otherwise, the stuff will go bad if we leave it sitting."

"Why don't we just put the stuff into some boxes and leave them outside," Klinger suggested.

"He's got a point. It's cold enough for mother nature to refrigerate everything so it doesn't spoil," Margaret agreed.

"That's right! With a temperature of below 32°F, it should not rot when placed in boxes where they'll sit outside," Andrew jumped in.

"Sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna need some of you to help with that," Colonel Potter then brought up something else. "The other problem I have is that we'll need someone to shovel this snow out. It needs someone with a strong back and great stamina. Any volunteers, Winchester?"

"Ahem, well...I must veto myself out of this shoveling detail," Charles tried to get out of it. "There's nothing more dreadful than having to shovel out some snow till my back aches and goes out on me."

The others had to agree with him. Shoveling snow was a painful part of having snowfall onto the ground in the first place. That didn't mean that Colonel Potter was going to back out of his decision.

"Oh fiddlesticks, Winchester," Potter insisted, putting his foot into the snow. "There's nothing like shoveling some snow to get the blood pumping, and a little exercise will do you some good anyway."

"Just don't dig too much Winchester," Andrew joked with a chuckle. "Because you'll wind up striking more gold than what is found at Fort Knox."

"Or maybe you'll strike oil instead," Margaret laughed while making a joke out of it.

"Oh haha, very funny you two," Winchester laughed sarcastically. "I can assure you that I have could care less about striking gold, or oil."

"I guess that's a good thing," Andrew said simply.

"No need to put a damper on some shoveling Charles," Hawkeye spoke up. "There's snow way out of this one."

"It'll do your muscles some good anyway," BJ agreed.

"And besides, shoveling out snow could be an experience for you," Klinger said. "Like this one time after a snowstorm hit Toledo, and I was shoveling out snow, and I found myself digging this hole to a-"

"Okay! Okay!" Charles didn't want to hear anymore from Klinger. "If it means so much that I don't have to hear this Lebanese-American's woeful tales of his youth back in a city such as Toledo, then I'll shovel out the snow."

"Now you're talking my language!" Colonel Potter was excited. "And while you're doing that, Klinger, you can get a couple of boxes from the supply tent to put the stuff in the fridge in."

"I'll get on it, sir!" Klinger saluted, before heading to the supply tent.

"Pierce and Hunnicutt, I'm gonna need you two to give me a hand with taking the stuff out of the fridge, and then put them into the boxes once Klinger delivers them," Potter commanded.

"Would you look at that? It'll be like raiding a fridge that went dead," Hawkeye quirked.

"It takes a kleptomaniac to know one," BJ's tone was pretty sarcastic.

"And lastly, Andrew and Margaret, once the boxes are packed up, you two will bring the boxes outside so they can sit and stay fresh," Colonel Potter told the couple. "Can I count on you two to do that?"

"Sure sir," Andrew saluted with a mittened hand. "We would be honored to help out."

"And I speak for my darling boyfriend when I say that we'll do it," Margaret also saluted with a gloved hand.

"That's what I like to hear," Colonel Potter was satisfied. "Now that that's settled, let's get cracking."

And so Charles grudgingly went to get the snow shovel while Hawkeye and BJ went with Potter to take the stuff out of the fridge. Andrew and Margaret stood in that spot for a few moments before they looked at each other.

"So Margaret, it looks like we have another day ahead of us," Andrew smiled warmly at his girlfriend.

"We sure do Andrew," Margaret leaned up and gave Andrew a loud warm kiss to the mouth. "I love you, darling."

"I love you too dear," Andrew placed his right arm on Margaret's back. "Shall we get some hot coffee first, and then help with those boxes?"

"Certainly. I'm ready whenever you are," Margaret returned the gesture by placing her left arm on Andrew's back.

Not feeling any shame of showing their affection in public, the two majors decided to head to get some hot coffee before making a beeline to the kitchen tent just so they can lend a hand with getting the boxes of refrigerator stuff outside. Even with the bitter coldness, there was always something to enjoy here.

Indeed. That was a given, especially for these two to be within each others' company...


END OF CHAPTER 24...

Yeah, this was a fun chapter for me to do. It's something different, but I enjoyed writing it anyway. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed making it.

This chapter clearly demonstrates how while Andrew has some Only Sane Man traits, he can also exhibit 'Not So Above it All' traits, in that he finds a kick in taking part in the snowball fights with the others.

Anyway, the next chapter is something simple; Charles plays the tuba loudly, Hawkeye and BJ refuse to take a shower again, the others remember this happening before, Andrew can't stand it and temporarily moves in with Margaret until this whole thing blows over. How will this go? Find out next time!

In the meantime, you can leave a review, only if you want. Like before, constructive criticism is only allowed if you'll be nice about it. And positive reviews are acceptable regardless.

Otherwise, that's all that I got. So until next time, take care of yourselves. And with that said and done, thanks again for reading everyone!