Hello there!
Poll is in order and I expect a feedback on that. The thing is, there is going to be drama with or without BJ's involvement in it. What I want to know is, you guys want him finding out about Hawkeye's interference causing additional problems for Hawkeye or not? I just don't want to bore you with any repetition!

Votes will be counted from now till the the time I post Chapter 63.

Chapter 62

"Where are you taking me, Pierce?" She sounded agitated as I pushed her out in the cold. She gasped as the sudden cold hit her.

"I am going to buy you a cup of coffee. And talk niceties in your ear." I put a hand around her shoulder holding her arm with the other, trying to support her weight.

She slapped my hand with enough force to make me yelp.

"HEY!" I was loud enough to make a dent in her tympanic membrane.

"Keep your hands off me, Pierce. I am not going to..." And even in the dark, I could see the flush in her cheeks. Chuckling lightly, I guided her towards mess tent.

"You need coffee. You are a little tipsy and its all downhill from there if your past performance is any indicator."

"I don't need coffee, Pierce." She whined but stopped resisting.

"Oh yes you do! I cannot forget the last time you did this." I chuckled again, remembering the shower Trap and I gave her.

"Pervert!" This time she smiled too.

"Too bad I am not a built son of a gun." This time she punched me in my ribs.

"OW! What's with all the violence?"

"Pierce, sometimes I really wonder..."

"Why I haven't asked you out yet?" I asked mischievously and was presented with yet another punch, this time in my solar plexus.

"HEY! Stop being a warrior princess. I wasn't going to ask you out, alright!" I told her in a somewhat exasperated tone.

"Hrmph." She exclaimed as we both entered the mess tent. If anything, it was colder than outside and I settled her on a stool next to the only working heater which was also masquerading as a stove. I poured her a cup of coffee and a cup for myself too before sitting opposite her.

"Talk!" I ordered her before sipping at the vile fluid which was getting viler by the minute, grimacing at the taste which was not like anything I had ever tasted in mylife. Maybe Greasy Stan could shed some light on it, having lived for and in motor oil all his life.

"Nothing to talk, Pierce."

"Cummon, Margaret. I have seen you downing scotch before and I just know what the cause might be."

"What you gave me was NOT scotch."

"I know. What you had in your room was, though."

"How do you...You peeping tom!" She got off the stool in anger. I just waved at her tiredly to keep sitting before speaking again.

"Its not a secret, Margaret. Now tell me what happened. What got you all upset?"
Not that she needs a reason. I silently thought, knowing her mood swings and their causes pretty well.

"Why do you care? You are not any different!"

"I care because...I am your first and favorite enemy."

"Oh yeah. I know. You just need a new reason to make fun of me."
I just looked at her, feeling a little hurt. Even when we were not at best of terms, there were lines I did not cross and she knew that too.

She just looked back at me pensively. I averted my gaze to look at the coffee which seemed to go purpler by the second.
Knowing her, I knew even if she knew she was wrong, she wouldn't apologize so I just focussed back on helping her but making a silent vow not to go out and buy trouble by trying to help someone who doubted my intentions.
"Men can be stupid, you know. Sometimes, they don't know a good thing when they see it. Not even when they have it." I spoke reasonably, remembering my own predicaments from the past.

"You believe that?"

"Well, it seems like the right thing to say, doesn't it?" I blurted mischievously before I could check myself. One look at her and I knew it was a stupid thing to say.
"I was kidding, Margaret. I think he should know how fortunate he is." I told her, not really lying about it this time.

"You are just trying to make me feel better."

"Yeah. Well, thats part of the idea but I am not lying. At least I don't think I am." Last part I just mumbled, remembering our mutual ambivalence for each other over last year and a half.

"I thought getting engaged to be married was the best thing to do."

"Yeah? So?"

"I don't know Pierce. Sometimes, its me. I feel getting married in a war? Not the smartest thing to do, really."

"Yeah. I know."

"No you don't. Other times, I feel, if I don't get married, he will leave too. It will turn out to be just a dream. And I will be alone..." She stopped as her voice got heavier with emotion.

"Then get married."

"You think I should?"

"Margaret! What I think or not is not the point. You have to know what's best for you. Feeling wanted is a good thing but...Commitment can be hard with such distance in between."

"Sometimes I think he loves me and other times, I just don't know. Like today. I feel I am rushing into it."

I felt bad for her even though, for the world, I could not understand her desire to get hitched in such big hurry.

"Do you love him?" I asked pointedly, thinking about my earlier conclusion about her loving the feeling of being in love.

"I think so. No, I know. I do." I wondered who she was trying to convince here, me or herself but did not comment on it.

"I hope he knows how lucky he is. And I mean it!"

"You don't say this to make me feel better, do you?"

"Well, not really. I mean, you are pretty and smart and blonde and very, very hot. And you are pretty. And did I say you were very hot? A complete package, as they say." I droned on mischievously.

"You are a sexist pig, you know." She smiled at my soliloquy.

"And you are one ...engaged woman." I changed what I was going to say for fear of another punch.

"Sometimes I really wonder how such a gifted surgical mind lives with that dirty mouth of yours?"

"Coulda been worse, you know!" I poignantly informed her, picking up my mug and getting off the stool.

"Yeah? How?"

"Somebody with my mouth and Frank's ten thumbs." I smiled and she chuckled.

"You are incorrigible, Pierce!"

"Part of my charm, lady!" I opened the mess door.

"Overgrown oaf!" She mumbled underbreath. I took her to her tent before turning towards the Swamp. She grabbed my arm and turned me around and gave me a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks Pierce! For listening."

"W-o-o-o-w-w-w." I grinned before growling like a wolf, feeling better for at least doing something today that meant something.

P.S. And yeah, I forgot to thank Kennedy. Thanks for reading and reviewing, especially since its a WIP. I hate them myself :p