Chapter Fifteen Yes, love indeed is light from heaven; A spark of that immortal fire with angels shared, by Allah given to lift from earth our low desire

Traveling with a newborn and a toddler had to be the worst idea that the Pierces' ever had. They had driven down to Missouri which seemed to be the most logical for the family. It however was filled with tears and screams and when they pulled into the driveway of the Potters Hawkeye sighed loudly. Daisy and Laura had been sleeping for the last bit of the drive into Hannibal, and Margaret looked overly tired from the back seat with the babies.

"We're here," he said softly turning back looking at her. She was tired and the five day old baby seemed to look like him, but she developed Margaret's lungs.

"Good," Margaret sighed. "I'll get Laura, if you can get Daisy?"

"Yes ma'am," he grinned as he climbed out of the car. Reaching the back seat he opened the door for Margaret who was adjusting Laura whose eyes fluttered open. He moved to the other side of the car, and was just pulling Daisy out when a familiar voice rung in their ears.

"I can't believe my eyes. Pierce and Houlihan!" Sherman Potter grinned as he moved down the driveway to greet the family. "And this must be the new babe!"

"Laura," Margaret smiled as she accepted the hug from her former commander.

"And this gorgeous little girl must be Daisy," he beamed at Hawkeye who was holding the blonde.

"That it is. She's best like this," he winked taking the hand offered from him.

"Well come in, Mildred has the rooms made up for you two. She's itching to meet these little papooses."

"I'm dying to meet her as well," Margaret grinned. Despite her exhaustion she was thrilled to be here. She loved the older man, as much as she loved her father. "Has anyone else arrived?"

"Not yet, but I expect a few to arrive shortly. You four are the only ones staying at chez Potter," the former Colonel explained as he took the infant from her mother's arms. "Hello little Laura, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

Margaret smiled brightly as she felt Hawkeye touch the small of her back. The small family followed the older man into the farmhouse and into the kitchen where they found Mildred standing at the counter rolling out biscuit dough.

"Mildred, our house guests have arrived. This little papoose is Laura," he smiled as Mildred beamed as she wiped her hands on her apron. Moving to her husband, she smiled at the infant and ran her hand over the baby's head. Laura remained asleep, which was probably the best option for this moment. "This is Margaret Houlihan."

"I feel like I know you already," Mildred beamed as she took Margaret into a hug. "I can't tell you how many times Sherm wrote about this little spit fire. He was tickled pink when he found out about the babies."

"He is such a sweet man," Margaret replied as Hawkeye adjusted the now away Daisy on his shoulder.

"And this beautiful blonde must be Daisy," she turned to Hawkeye and smiled at the young girl. "And Hawkeye Pierce."

"At your service madam," the tall raven haired man grinned.

"You look like you father," Mildred chuckled taking the hug that was offered to her.

"I'm better looking," Hawkeye laughed as Daisy buried her face into his neck. "Dais, you want to say hello to Mildred?" the little girl shook her head and clung tighter to her father. "She gets shy when she's over tired."

"Oh not to worry!" Mildred assured. "I'm sure she'll perk up. Sherm, did you want to show them the room. I had the cradle brought in, and Sherm put an extra cot in for the babies."

"Thank you so much," Margaret smiled. "It means a lot to us that you're allowing us to stay with you. Travelling with a toddler is one thing, adding a newborn is another."

"Oh it's our pleasure," Mildred smiled as Hawkeye and Sherman walked out of the kitchen. "Sherm wasn't even sure the small one would have been here yet."

"She came a little earlier than we thought," Margaret chuckled as she moved to take the seat that Mildred offered her. "Quicker too. I was in labour for maybe 3 hours total," she explained. "By the time I realized I was in labour, and it wasn't just indigestion, she came within the hour."

"Well, you look marvelous for her being a week old," the older woman complimented. Margaret smiled and thanked the older woman. "Now, I'm just about to put these biscuits in the oven. But can I get you some tea or coffee?"

"Tea would be lovely. Can I help?" she offered as Mildred waved her down.

"No no, you've been travelling. Which can't be easy with a toddler, I can't imagine how it was with a newborn. Let Sherm and I take care of you this weekend."

"Smells wonderful in here," Hawkeye announced walking into the kitchen, Daisy still in his arms, her arms wrapped around his neck, as she watched everyone around her. Her blonde hair was pulled into two small pigtails, and she still was missing her shoes, but her bright blue eyes were watching everyone around her. Margaret stood up, and reached for Daisy who went willingly into her mother's arms, burring her face into her neck. "Laura is sound asleep," he added seeing the question in his wife's eyes.

"Did you want to say hello to Mildred sweetheart?" Margaret asked her daughter, who looked at Mildred from her comfort spot. "Say hello."

"Hello," the little girl said just above a whisper.

"Hello Daisy," the older woman greeted, giving the little girl a wave. Daisy just blinked at Mildred, and held onto her mother.

"Sorry about her, she's usually not this clingy," Hawkeye apologized.

"Not at all. I'm sure she'll warm up soon. Sherman?"

"Yes dear?" Sherman asked sticking his head into the kitchen.

"Why don't you go get the present for this little darling," Mildred suggested, as she moved around in the kitchen and towards the fridge. "Lunch is about a half hour. But I'm sure this wont spoil your appetite," she pulled out a pan of rice krispie treats, and handed one to Hawkeye. Daisy watched the treat and lifted her head off Margaret's chest. "Here you go darling," Mildred held out one for Daisy, who looked at her father.

"Go ahead," he winked at his daughter, who held out her hand and accepted the treat.

"What do you say?" Margaret prompted.

"Tank you," the little girl said politely before she ate her treat. Margaret chuckled and adjusted Daisy on her lap.

"So who else is coming to this shindig?" Hawkeye asked as he polished off his treat.

"Hunnicut and the brood," Sherman answered coming into the kitchen. "Radar and his little lady, Klinger and Soon-Lee, the Padre couldn't make it, but Winchester is coming in the morning. Figured with the new baby we should keep this one small."

Margaret smiled thankfully, she was grateful it wasn't a large reunion weekend. She held a little reservation about even coming so close to having Laura. Her body was still tired and she was just starting to lose the baby belly. She wasn't at her finest, and wanted to be perfect when the entire unit came together once again, she was already incredibly proud of whom she had become.

"Knock knock," a voice called from the hallway as Hawkeye's ears perked up.

"In the kitchen," Sherman called as footsteps moved into the kitchen. Margaret beamed at BJ who entered the room, followed by Erin, Peg, and James, holding onto his mother's skirt. They hadn't told anyone that Laura was born, they wanted to leave it a surprise for this weekend. Daisy was still perched on her mother's lap, as she ate her treat.

"Beej!" Hawkeye jumped to his feet, and embraced his best friend. They hadn't seen each other in months.

"Hawk! It's so good to see you," BJ replied as he hugged his best friend. "Colonel Potter!" he moved to the older man. "Oh Colonel! This is my wonderful wife Peggy, and this is Erin! And this little fella is James Pierce."

"So delighted to meet all of you!" Sherman beamed as he hugged Peg. "BJ this is my other half, Mildred."

"So nice to finally meet you," BJ hugged the older woman, before he turned to Margaret. "Margaret!" Hawkeye took Daisy who was handed to him, so that his wife could hug the man. "Wait a second. That is not the belly of a currently pregnant woman. I should know, I'm a doctor."

"The new babe is upstairs," Sherman grinned.

"Laura, on the 18th" Margaret replied to her friend's questioning gaze. And so the afternoon continued, catching up on everything that was going on in their lives. James chattered away at his namesake all afternoon, Erin attached herself to Mildred, while Daisy never once left her parent's laps. Margaret had brought Laura down after lunch, and she was passed around. Peg had taken up rocking the little girl softly, while Daisy clung to her mother.

"You doing okay?" Hawkeye asked that night, as Margaret sat in bed, nursing Laura, as he laid Daisy down on the cot.

"No," Daisy protested as Margaret was about to answer.

"It's time for bed Daisy," Hawkeye told the toddler.

"No, I want Mommy," she protested again, the tears welling up in her eyes.

"You can't have Mommy right now, she's taking care of Laura," he explained to his daughter. "But you have Daddy."

"No, Mommy!" Daisy wailed as Margaret sighed, and looked at her husband from her spot on the bed.

"Mommy can't be with you right now, she's feeding the baby," Hawkeye explained as he looked at Margaret. This had been every night since Laura was born, Daisy wouldn't go to bed unless it was Margaret putting her to bed. And tonight it was a very over tired little girl, who wasn't in her own bed, and wanted nothing more than her mother. Hawkeye sighed as he picked up the crying toddler. "Come to Daddy."

"I want Mommy!" Daisy wailed as she fought her father.

"Can I help?" Mildred asked softly from the door. She moved in and reached for Daisy, who swung herself into the older woman's arms, and continued to cry. "Come on Daisy, let's go for a walk in the corn." Mildred left the bedroom with the crying toddler.

"She's just over tired," Margaret explained as she adjusted Laura.

"I think she's jealous of Laura," Hawkeye said as he sat on the bed. "Think about it Margaret, she's been clinging to both of us since she was born. Doesn't want to walk, will only be carried. Whenever you're nursing, she wants you. We seem to have gone backwards in potty training department."

"I know," Margaret sighed as she stroked Laura's head. "What can we do though? It's not like I can be at her beck and call when Laura needs me more."

"I don't know," he sighed. "I just don't know." Margaret finished nursing the baby and passed her over to Hawkeye for burping.

"I'll go get her from Mildred," she said softly. Leaning over she captured a kiss from her husband before pulling herself out of the bed, and moved out of the bedroom. The farmhouse was wonderful, and she loved it, it was filled with pictures of his family, and of them. She walked down the stairs, and looked around. "Colonel?" she called, with no response, she moved around again sticking her head in the kitchen. "Colonel?" she called again, and again, no response. Moving towards the backdoor, she stepped outside. A large smile spread over her face when she didn't hear the crying and wailing, but instead the little chatter of her 2 year old. She was currently perched in the Colonel's arms, hands holding an apple as she fed the horse. She shrieked in delight when the horse ate from her hand as she laughed heartily, reaching for the horse again.

Mildred came up onto the deck, her basket full of vegetables, as she smiled at the pair. "Whenever Evie was upset, he always took her to the horses. Delighted her to no end."

"Thank you," Margaret whispered softly as she watched the pair. Daisy was laughing loudly as she turned toward the house.

"Horsie!" she clapped as she tried to wiggle out of Sherman's arms. Margaret smiled brightly as she moved down the stairs, as the little girl ran across the lawn. Margaret caught the little girl. "Mommy! Horsie!"

"I saw the horse ate from your hands," she chuckled. "What do you say that me and you go read a story for bed time?"

"No baby?" Daisy asked seriously.

"No Laura," Margaret smiled. "Just Mommy and Daisy." Daisy smiled and laid her head on Margaret's shoulder. "How about we say goodnight to Grandpa Sherman and Grandma Mildred?"

"Yes," Daisy nodded. Margaret stepped up onto the deck as the little girl leaned out of her arms and planted a kiss on Mildred's cheek. "Night night."

"Good night sweet doll," Mildred replied as she watched Daisy do the same thing to her husband.

"Good night little angel," he chuckled.

"Let's go say goodnight to Daddy now," Margaret winked as she walked into the house.

Sherman stood on the porch and smiled at the pair. "Mildred, you'd never know how much that woman has grown. I don't think I've ever seen her this happy." He smiled to himself knowing that that little girl changed Margaret for the better.

"I can not believe my eyes," Klinger announced as he stood in the doorway of the patio. Margaret was sitting on the porch swing holding Laura, next to Peg. Erin was on the horse being lead by Colonel Potter, while Daisy and James were running around the backyard laughing. Klinger led a pregnant Soon-Lee into the backyard as he stared at the woman in front of him. "I thought it was a huge joke!"

"No joke," Margaret chuckled. "Although I have to admit, it would have been a really good one."

"Never in my life would I have believed that you and Hawkeye were married with children if I didn't see this for myself!" He declared. "Congratulations Margaret. Really, from the bottom of my heart."

"Thank you Max," Margaret smiled softly. "This is Laura, our now week old."

"Laura, it's so nice to meet you," Klinger whispered softly as he knelt down to touch the baby's head. "You're Peg."

"Yes I am," Peggy laughed. "You must be Max Klinger."

"At your service," he bowed. "This is my wife Soon-Lee."

"It's so nice to see you again," Soon-Lee greeted as Peg stood up.

"Please, sit down," she offered to the pregnant woman.

"Oh thank you," Soon-Lee accepted sitting down. She was no more than 6 months pregnant, and sat down next to Margaret. Peg moved to a chair that was sitting beside the swing.

"I still can't believe this," Klinger shook his head as Daisy came running up the stairs.

"Where Daddy?"

"Daisy come here for a second," Margaret smiled to the little girl, who carefully walked over. "Mommy wants you to meet someone." Daisy looked skeptically and walked over, her yellow gingham dress had green grass stains, which Margaret knew would take some elbow grease to get out. "Daisy, these are Mommy and Daddy's friends Uncle Max and Auntie Soon-Lee."

"Hi," Daisy waved.

"Aren't you an angel," Max smiled brightly at the little girl, who moved to her mother's knees. "Shy one too."

"Daddy?" Daisy asked her mother.

"That's a real good question where Daddy is," Margaret observed as she looked at Peg, who shrugged. Neither had seen, nor heard from their husbands for a little while. James and Daisy had been playing, Erin was off with the Colonel, but where had the two men gone was a mystery.

"I haven't heard them in a little while," Peg observed. "The silence is not a good sign."

"Not at all," Margaret and Klinger agreed. Margaret adjusted Laura in her arms, as she looked around.

"Mommy?"

"Why don't you go find Daddy?" Daisy looked at her mother and screwed up her face. She let out a big sigh, and moved towards the house, bumping into Mildred. The older woman let Daisy moved into the house, as she smiled at the people on the porch. "You haven't seen the boys have you?"

"No," Mildred replied. "I thought they were out here."

"You idiot," a voice said loudly.

"I'm the idiot, he's the schmo," another voice corrected as the men in question appeared, with Charles. Hawkeye laughed heartily as he caught his wife's eyes. He gave her a wink.

"Charles, I'd like you to meet someone," he elbowed his friend gesturing to Margaret who was still cradling Laura in her arm.

"Margaret," Charles greeted with deep warmth as he moved upwards onto the porch. She stood up, and handed the baby over to her husband, as she took the hug he had offered. "You look absolutely wonderful."

"You're lying, but I'll take it," she replied softly, pulling back. "This is our little Laura." Gesturing to the infant that Hawkeye was holding.

"May I?" Charles asked as Hawkeye slid the baby into his friend's arms. "She looks like you Pierce."

"Poor kid," BJ remarked as he caught his son who ran into his legs. "Charles, this is James."

"Winchester! Glad to see you made it," Sherman called as he moved closer to his porch. Erin was bouncing upwards to her parents and stopped when she saw someone new.

"Oh, and this little girl, you already know, I'm sure."

"Erin, it is a vast pleasure to finally meet you. Your father has shared so much about you, I feel like I had the pleasure to know you." The five year old smiled as she looked at the older man.

It was true, for two years he had been given a front row seat to Erin's early years. Letters and everything in between told the story of Erin growing up away from her father. "

"Where's Daisy?" Hawkeye asked looking around, not seeing his eldest daughter.

"In the house looking for Daddy," Margaret replied as gestured to the house. Hawkeye nodded and moved to the door.

"Daisy! Come outside."

"Soon-Lee is it a pleasure to see you again," Charles bowed his head to the young Korean woman. "And you must be Peg Hunnicut."

"And you Charles Winchester the third," Peg took the hand that was offered to her. "I feel like I've known you for years."

"This is the missus, Mildred," Sherman introduced.

"It's a great pleasure to meet you," Charles responded to the introduction. He adjusted Laura who was cradled in his arm. "My wife shall be joining us in a few hours, our child is not much older than you."

"Charles you got married and didn't invite us? Typical," BJ joked.

"Elizabeth and I have been married a year, she is a good match. Victoria joined us in May," Charles explained. "She is currently at the hotel finishing her nap."

"Charles, I am so happy for you," Margaret smiled genuinely as she took the baby that was offered to her. "Speaking of a nap, it is time for Laura's."

"Charles, this is my Daisy," Hawkeye introduced as he held the toddler on his hips. "Daisy, this is Uncle Charles, your pompous Uncle."

"Hi," Daisy greeted waving her hand.

"Hello my dear," Charles bowed his head. "Margaret, she is a stunning beauty."

"Isn't she?" Margaret beamed at her daughter. It felt right, standing here in the middle of Missouri, one baby in her arms, her other in the arms of her husband. Her closest friends surrounding her-BJ, Peg, Erin and James, Klinger, Soon-Lee with the soon to be Klinger on the way, Charles who found love himself, and a little girl all his own, and Sherman and Mildred. There was some people missing, but she was happy, and everyone around her was too.