9
Hawkeye and Margaret sat in the cab together on their way to the airport. Both just staring. Neither of them really wanted to leave each other. Margaret just stared as she watched the rain hit the window. She was dreading the thought of going home to an empty house. With Serena there she had gotten so used to hearing laughing or her running through the house.
Hawkeye just looked over her shoulder. She had been doing better since he had first shown up, but he just wanted to make sure.
"Margaret," he said putting his hand on her shoulder.
She simply turned to him and raised her eyebrows.
"What do you say you come back with me?" he asked.
"Well," she said looking forward.
She didn't know what to do. It was very apparent that she had to find a way to get back to her normal life, and she didn't know if she could do that while staying with Hawkeye. On the other hand, she wouldn't have to go back to that empty house of hers.
"Please," he said with his eyes begging.
"I don't know," she said.
Hawkeye sighed with disappointment. He wanted her to come home with him, although it was kind of embarrassing for him since he still lived with his father, but right now that didn't really matter to him. All that did matter was that he had Margaret by him.
"Okay," he said and then turned back to his window.
Now he had an idea of what Margaret felt like the other night when he had turned her down. Rejected, and he hated it.
They were silent until they got to the airport. Once they did get there, Hawkeye helped Margaret with her bags and carried them inside for her. They got to the counter to check in her luggage.
"Now's your final chance, are you sure that you don't want to come back home with me?" he asked.
Margaret slowly turned and looked up into his eyes. Everything they had been through together, every lonely night they had spent together in fear or sadness. They reminded her of all of that. About how comforting it was to be in his arms and how he knew what was wrong and how to make her feel better.
"I want to go with you," she said.
His face softly lit up as he embraced her.
"Thank you," he said.
Margaret just closed her eyes as she softly smiled. There was no way for her to put how she felt into words. It was as if the empty spot had been filled a little. Not completely, but she figured that that would be impossible to do. Serena was her daughter, how could she fill that space? Besides, it was a lot better then going back to her empty house where she could only be reminded of everything. Even the blood stain was still on the rug in the bathroom.
They gathered their things and got onto the plane together. It was only an hour into the flight when he noticed Margaret asleep in the seat next to him. He had had his arm around her. He hadn't noticed earlier because he was busy thinking about how he could be a father and not know it. How he couldn't be a part of her life. How the woman next to him could still be thankful to him. It was now dreadful to think of even separating from her.
He looked down at the blonde hair that now covered his shoulder. Without disturbing her, he wiped the hair out of her face. She looked so peaceful. She even looked as if she were smiling a bit. Ever since he had known her, he enjoyed to watch her sleep. While she was awake you would never think of her to be calm and peaceful, and the only time that he could ever see that was when she was asleep. Especially at the beginning of the war. Back then he would have never imagined seeing her like this over a child that she had with him.
"I love you," he said softly.
She stirred a little and then slightly picked her head up.
"Hey," she groggily said.
Margaret sat up and brushed her hair back with her hand.
"How long did I sleep?" she asked.
"I don't know, about thirty minutes I guess," he said.
He seemed to be distant. Like his mind was absent.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked.
He looked over at her. She looked as if she felt guilty or ashamed
"Do you know why I asked you to come and stay with me?" he asked.
"You wanted me to?" she asked now getting confused.
Hawkeye just watched her. Trying to figure out what she was thinking he gave her a quick smile.
"Because the first time I left you, it just, it just wasn't right. I mean you have a daughter and I have no idea that this little girl of mine even exists. You had your own problems, but still thought that I wasn't ready for it. Maybe I wasn't, but we don't know. Either way, both our lives would have been better if we wouldn't have left each other in the first place," he said.
Margaret grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He was right, neither of them would really be feeling this way right now if they would have stayed together. Serena might even still be alive if they had gotten married because she would have been able to stay home with her. It was too late to be figuring out which choices would have had the best outcomes, but it wasn't too late to late to learn from their mistakes.
"I can honestly say that I love you," he said.
"I love you to," she said.
"Margaret, would you marry me?" he asked.
Margaret sat back with her eyes wide open in surprise.