Reunion
The Portland airport was busy as usual, passengers bustling about to meet those who were supposed to pick them up. A tall man stood amid the general confusion, checking his watch every few seconds, glancing down at his black and blue and white tennis shoes. He was dressed in a pair of loose-fitting bluejeans and a grey t-shirt that said 'Crabapple Cove' on the front in big green letters. The man checked his watch again, mumbling to himself "Damn, where is he? He said they'd be comin' on the 4:15..." It was now 4:25. He ran a hand nervously through his shiny black hair and glanced around with nervous antique blue eyes.
"Hawk!" Carrying an armful of suitcases, an equally tall man came rushing through the crowd and nearly collided with Hawkeye. "Beej!" He yelled, taking some of the load off the blonde surgeon, smiling brightly. Spreading his arms wide, he took BJ into a tight embrace and said "I thought you'd never get here!" The other man grinned rather sheepishly, turning and gesturing to the shy children behind him, standing beside their mother. "The kids had to go to the bathroom." Hawkeye laughed and looked the older woman up and down. She had a head of beautiful blonde hair that went down to her shoulders and soulful hazle eyes. The white blouse and knee-length tangerine skirt made her look even more beautiful. Still staring straight past his best friend from Korea, he murmured "Peg. It's great to meet you; I feel like I've known you all my life." It seemed like a tender moment, stilling all the activity around them as Hawkeye leaned forward and gave her a gentle hug, until he pulled away with that gave trademark impish grin and said "Because BJ's told me just about [i]everything[/i] you two have [i]ever[/i] done together." BJ flushed pink and scowled, but Peg turned redder than the tie around BJ's neck. Erin began giggling, still at her mother's side. Ah, the wisdom of twelve years.
There was a moment of silence until the girl squealed "OW! Mom, Charlie pinched me!" "Charlie?" Hawkeye asked with interest, raising an eyebrow as Peg bent over to scold the curly-haired little boy. Tearing his eyes away from his son, BJ grinned and said "Yeah. This is Charlie, my youngest son. And before you say it..." He held up a hand to stem any Hawkeye-like remarks. "Yes, he's named after Charles." Peg stood from her kneeling position and moved aside to reveal a second little boy who had been clutching the back of her skirt. The boy was about six or so, with the same curly brown hair as his little brother.
"Hawkeye..." BJ said with a grin. "Meet Hawkeye." Benjamin Franklin Pierce gave his best friend the most confused look his handsome face had ever managed to conjure, until his he said "This is Benjamin Franklin Hunnicut. His nickname is Hawkeye. I read it out of 'The Last of the Mohicans', you know." With a smile, he crouched down in front of the boy and set down one suitcase, putting out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Hawkeye. I'm Hawkeye too!" Ben smiled, almost in recognition, and said "Uncle Hawk?" Hawkeye looked surprised and nodded, a big smile creasing his face. "You bet!"
Then he shook the chubby little hand of Charlie, and stood up to address Erin. "Ah, I haven't seen you since BJ showed use those pictures of you taking a bath!" As the older girl in question flushed bright pink and squeaked "Daaad!", Hawkeye continued "The whole camp thought you were adorable!" Erin blushed even harder and scuttled behind her father, who was chuckling.
"Shall we go?" Hawkeye asked, slinging an arm around around his friend and recieving an "Ow! Wouldja cut it out?" as one of the suitcases collided with BJ's back. "Sorry Beej. Shall we go?" He repeated, making it a point to not move the baggage at all as he said it. "Lead on, MacArthur!" "BJ. Don't EVER say that name in my presence." They both laughed and lugged all the bags out with them, Peg, Erin, Ben, and Charlie tagging behind.
*
As they came out into the parking lot, BJ awaited Hawkeye's instructions. Rather than identify his vehicle verbally, though, he just motioned to a brown station wagon. While BJ and his family all piled in, he unlocked the trunk and arranged their luggage neatly.
"Everybody ready?" He asked, climbing into the drivers seat. A horrified look came from BJ on the passenger side. "Hawk... maybe you'd better let me drive." He said, a slow grin coming over his face. "What? And have you flip my car over in enemy territory?!" "Well," the other man retorted "you could get us lost, murdering innocent operas while you drive!" "Boys, boys" Peg interjected from the backseat, where she had Charlie on her lap. "Maybe we ought to let Erin drive. It would be safer than either of you!"
The Portland airport was busy as usual, passengers bustling about to meet those who were supposed to pick them up. A tall man stood amid the general confusion, checking his watch every few seconds, glancing down at his black and blue and white tennis shoes. He was dressed in a pair of loose-fitting bluejeans and a grey t-shirt that said 'Crabapple Cove' on the front in big green letters. The man checked his watch again, mumbling to himself "Damn, where is he? He said they'd be comin' on the 4:15..." It was now 4:25. He ran a hand nervously through his shiny black hair and glanced around with nervous antique blue eyes.
"Hawk!" Carrying an armful of suitcases, an equally tall man came rushing through the crowd and nearly collided with Hawkeye. "Beej!" He yelled, taking some of the load off the blonde surgeon, smiling brightly. Spreading his arms wide, he took BJ into a tight embrace and said "I thought you'd never get here!" The other man grinned rather sheepishly, turning and gesturing to the shy children behind him, standing beside their mother. "The kids had to go to the bathroom." Hawkeye laughed and looked the older woman up and down. She had a head of beautiful blonde hair that went down to her shoulders and soulful hazle eyes. The white blouse and knee-length tangerine skirt made her look even more beautiful. Still staring straight past his best friend from Korea, he murmured "Peg. It's great to meet you; I feel like I've known you all my life." It seemed like a tender moment, stilling all the activity around them as Hawkeye leaned forward and gave her a gentle hug, until he pulled away with that gave trademark impish grin and said "Because BJ's told me just about [i]everything[/i] you two have [i]ever[/i] done together." BJ flushed pink and scowled, but Peg turned redder than the tie around BJ's neck. Erin began giggling, still at her mother's side. Ah, the wisdom of twelve years.
There was a moment of silence until the girl squealed "OW! Mom, Charlie pinched me!" "Charlie?" Hawkeye asked with interest, raising an eyebrow as Peg bent over to scold the curly-haired little boy. Tearing his eyes away from his son, BJ grinned and said "Yeah. This is Charlie, my youngest son. And before you say it..." He held up a hand to stem any Hawkeye-like remarks. "Yes, he's named after Charles." Peg stood from her kneeling position and moved aside to reveal a second little boy who had been clutching the back of her skirt. The boy was about six or so, with the same curly brown hair as his little brother.
"Hawkeye..." BJ said with a grin. "Meet Hawkeye." Benjamin Franklin Pierce gave his best friend the most confused look his handsome face had ever managed to conjure, until his he said "This is Benjamin Franklin Hunnicut. His nickname is Hawkeye. I read it out of 'The Last of the Mohicans', you know." With a smile, he crouched down in front of the boy and set down one suitcase, putting out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Hawkeye. I'm Hawkeye too!" Ben smiled, almost in recognition, and said "Uncle Hawk?" Hawkeye looked surprised and nodded, a big smile creasing his face. "You bet!"
Then he shook the chubby little hand of Charlie, and stood up to address Erin. "Ah, I haven't seen you since BJ showed use those pictures of you taking a bath!" As the older girl in question flushed bright pink and squeaked "Daaad!", Hawkeye continued "The whole camp thought you were adorable!" Erin blushed even harder and scuttled behind her father, who was chuckling.
"Shall we go?" Hawkeye asked, slinging an arm around around his friend and recieving an "Ow! Wouldja cut it out?" as one of the suitcases collided with BJ's back. "Sorry Beej. Shall we go?" He repeated, making it a point to not move the baggage at all as he said it. "Lead on, MacArthur!" "BJ. Don't EVER say that name in my presence." They both laughed and lugged all the bags out with them, Peg, Erin, Ben, and Charlie tagging behind.
*
As they came out into the parking lot, BJ awaited Hawkeye's instructions. Rather than identify his vehicle verbally, though, he just motioned to a brown station wagon. While BJ and his family all piled in, he unlocked the trunk and arranged their luggage neatly.
"Everybody ready?" He asked, climbing into the drivers seat. A horrified look came from BJ on the passenger side. "Hawk... maybe you'd better let me drive." He said, a slow grin coming over his face. "What? And have you flip my car over in enemy territory?!" "Well," the other man retorted "you could get us lost, murdering innocent operas while you drive!" "Boys, boys" Peg interjected from the backseat, where she had Charlie on her lap. "Maybe we ought to let Erin drive. It would be safer than either of you!"