This was one of my first ever attempts at fanfic of any kind, and since FF.net just got it's MASH section, I decided to post it. I've got to stick in a little disclaimer up here at the top, but not to Gelbart, or Fox, it's to an author. The more I read this, the more I think it sounds like a M*A*S*H story I've read somewhere, but it's been so long, I can't remember if I imagined it or not, and after searching, I can't find it. Therefore, if this resembles any M*A*S*H fic that you've got posted somewhere, please e-mail me, and I'll take it down on the double, post haste, and stat.

I don't own them, I just like to pretend. Please don't sue. This is fanfic is set after Comrades in Arms (btw I don't think they did anything in that episode) and 6 or 7 months before the war ends. I'm not sure if there's going to be a sequel of not. Please review and tell me what you think. Enjoy!

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Hawkeye walked out of surgery, 30 hours of it to be exact. All he wanted to do was take a shower and sleep, or maybe he'd sleep in the shower, either way, sleeping was involved. As he stepped out of the shower tent he saw Margaret walk quickly by to her tent; she was crying. 'There goes sleep,' he thought. Regardless of how much he'd annoyed Margaret their first months at the 4077 he liked her now, he respected her, he wouldn't let her cry alone.

He went back to the Swamp and got a jug of 'lighter fluid' from the still. He didn't bother changing, because the whole camp considered his robe to be normal attire, and he went to Margaret's tent.

"I come bearing booze," he said after knocking.

"Hawkeye?... Come in," Margaret said. He walked in and sat down.

"Is everyone okay? Is Donald doing something stupid again? What's wrong?" He asked. Hawk was worried it was Donald, the divorce had gone through about a month ago, but that didn't mean she was rid of the creep.

"No, no, it's not that," she said, crying again. "It's nothing really, I just got a letter from my roommate from nursing school. She has a job in Georgia now, and she was telling me about her life, her husband and a baby on the way. Just hearing about all that, and being here, it made me a little homesick." Her voice caught on the last few words and brought on a new burst of tears. She couldn't speak and hold them back at the same time, much as she tried.

Hawkeye sat on her bed and put his arms around her, "Hey, it's okay, it's okay. You're allowed to cry. None of us wants to be here, we all want to be home."

"But that's just it. I am supposed to want to be here. I'm regular army, nobody made me come. I could resign and be out in a few months, but where would I go? I don't even have a place to be homesick for. I was born in Virginia, but I lived in five states before I was 12. I did my nursing school in Oregon, then I went where the Army sent me. To tell the truth, this camp feels more like home than I've ever had, or at least the people here. I'm sitting around bawling because I want to go home, but I'm scared to death that I'll have nowhere to go." She stopped, breathless, and leaned into his shoulder.

He wasn't sure what to say. He never was. He knew this was just a bout of depression like they all got in the camp sometimes. Just like the rest of them, he knew she would be fine the next day, but he also knew from experience that for the few hours the person was upset it didn't matter that they'd be fine tomorrow. They just wanted to think about home and cry. When B.J. was down Hawkeye talked medicine with him, anything to keep him from thinking about Peg and Erin, but then he was experienced with B.J.'s bouts of sadness. He didn't know how Margaret usually handled it though. She'd never opened up to him. Personally he always opted to drink himself into a stupor, although he was pretty sure that wasn't how she handled it. He was glad she was talking to him though.

Hawkeye hugged her closer, "Shhh, it's okay. You'll be fine wherever you go, or wherever the army sends you. You're strong, look how well you've handled all of this. I know you'll be fine, and if you aren't, come work at Crabapple Cove General, they'd all love you." He said the last part jokingly, and started to tell her about his hometown. "It's a little town, but the hospital serves three counties, so it's pretty big, and they're good at what they do. I always figured I'd end up there after a few years in Boston, but then I ended up here." He was perfectly well aware that the conversation had turned to him and not her, but he figure if she was listening to him she couldn't be as sad about herself.

"My Dad doesn't work there, he has a private practice, but he's friends with all of them, so I've known all these people forever. There's an ob/gyn nurse who's worked there since it opened 35 years ago. She helped deliver me. She knows the name of every baby ever born at that hospital. Nobody ever called her Nurse Madison, it's Sallie Mae. When they have 'Take Grandma to School Day' every year at Crabapple Cove Elementary, she goes into be grandma for the kids who don't have one. One surgeon there, he's probably in his forties now, but he started his residency there when I was ten. The guy looked like Cary Grant and he had the charisma of Fred Astaire. The only woman in the hospital who wasn't ready to pounce was Sallie Mae. he's a good doctor too. All he cared about was helping the patients, not money or anything like that. I followed him around one summer and I treated him like he walked on water. He and my father were the reasons I became a doctor.

Trying to stop crying Margaret said, voice cracking, "Are you telling me Pierce, that you didn't go after one nurse there?"

Hawkeye smiled, "Well, the last time I visited Dad's house before Ouijongbu requested my presence, a new cardiac nurse came to dinner too. What can I say? He wants grandkids." He laughed a little and tried to think of something to say to make her smile. He couldn't come up with anything, so instead he asked, " Where did you go to nursing school? I don't think you ever said."

"I was at Portland, Oregon. It was an experience. Especially the two girls I roomed with. Melissa, she's the one who wrote the letter, and Lorraine. Of course, I joined the army when my training was done, but they both went to work in hospitals. Melissa started at Portland, now like I said, she's moved to Georgia, and Lorraine works as a peds nurse at San Francisco. I'd actually thought of going to one of those places after we get out of here, but they're both married with children. I wouldn't fit in anymore."

Hawkeye started to speak, but he was interrupted by the whining of chopper blades.

"All surgical teams report to OR, wounded in the compound."

I guess there goes that conversation," said Hawkeye as they rushed out of the tent.

"Thank you," said Margaret.

"You're welcome."

Fortunately there were fewer wounded than expected, so there was not the marathon session they had expected and ten hours later everyone was sound asleep in their tents. Although she figured Hawkeye had just been joking, trying to make her feel better, she continued to think about going to Crabapple Cove after the war. She didn't know if she could stay in the army and watch so many kids suffering. She'd worked hard to be a Major, and she wasn't sure she could keep it up. She liked the idea of working in a normal hospital, where being continually under-supplied and always overworked weren't always parts of the job. She'd also be close to Hawkeye, an added bonus. She didn't tell anybody what she was thinking, but she continued to think it.

As the month went on, Hawk and Margaret became good friends. He liked talking about his hometown, and he began to realize that she liked listening.

Pretty soon they were meeting up every couple nights, when one of them had a bad day, or if they just felt like talking. Hawkeye told Margaret about all the highlights of the Cove, and gradually began to open up about her childhood as well. The rest of the camp noticed this happening, but they didn't think much of it, although Hawkeye didn't escape good-natured teasing from B.J. Colonel Potter was just glad she hadn't been a tornado in the OR after her divorce went through. Some of the nurses talked among themselves, but none of them ever dared say a word to "the Major."

One day, after a 20 hour operating session, Hawkeye got a letter from home. He was already in an unhappy mood because of a problem with a patient. This didn't improve it. B.J. was on Post-Op duty so he made his way to Margaret's tent. He knocked, she opened the door and let him in.

"Have I ever told you about the Crabapple Cove Lobster Festival?" he asked, rather downcast.

"I don't think so." She was a little worried. "What is it?"

"Every year at the end of the summer the town has a big party. It's one of those towns where tourists come and rent houses all summer, so the population doubles from June to September. It's their last big hurrah, but for all of us who live there year round it's 'YES! They're finally leaving!' Booths are set up along the main drag and you can get lobster anyway you can imagine. Baked, broiled, fried, boiled, creamed. It's always different. There are fireworks. That was my favorite part as a kid. We'd sit up on a hill and watch, right near where they went off, so we could get all the sound effects... you probably wouldn't have liked that part." He noticed she was beginning to cringe, and was sorry he'd started talking about the noise.

"Yeah, the only real town celebration I got to have was Independence Day. It was always at a base. They had military parades. We had hot dogs and they set off fireworks. I was always hiding in my house when those went off though." She said congenially so he wouldn't feel bad.

"You would have been a scarce commodity at my high school. We always went to the Lobster Fest in a big group, and after about eighth grade the major goal, excuse me major, no pun intended, was to bring a girl who'd grab you and not let go until the fireworks were over. Of course the whole town went to this thing from childhood, so we never did find anybody who fit our model." He got more serious, "I don't know what will happen when I get back there after this, shells for fun isn't going to be fun anymore." More quietly he said, "But I guess I won't be worrying about that for at least another year. I got a letter from my Dad today that said it was last month. I hadn't even thought about it. This is only the third time in my whole life I've missed it. Last year, and when my Mom died when I was ten. Thirty-two years and I've missed three. Only one if not for this damn place." He shook his fist.

"It's okay, you'll be back for it next year, at least that's what we're all praying for," she said hugging him. They both went back to the Swamp for a drink.

Margaret and Hawkeye didn't think anything was happening. They were just friends who enjoyed each other's company. Hawkeye sparred jokingly with B.J. about it on occasion, but although he liked Margaret, he found the idea of her liking him ridiculous enough to be funny.

The nurses especially benefited from this relationship. Margaret began to show her fun side much more often. The walls she'd built up over the years to protect herself, the ones that made her very stern and sometimes downright mean, began to breakdown. Hawkeye, for his part, knew Margaret got annoyed when he went after Nurses continually, so he took a break from it. The nurses could go to O.R. without fear of being screamed at or ceaselessly hit on, life was as good as it could be in Korea.

One night, about a month after their first conversation in Margaret's tent, it happened to be Rosie's birthday. To celebrate, the group (B.J., Potter, Charles, Margaret, Hawkeye, and Klinger) bought each other rounds of drinks, there was no fighting going on momentarily, and no casualties were expected for at least 36 hours. They had a very nice evening but by the end of the night (1 A.M.) they were all so drunk they could only vaguely remember who they were, where they were, or what they were doing.

Hawkeye woke up the next morning, and the first thing he was aware of was how much his head hurt. The next thing was that he wasn't in the Swamp. Finally, he realized he wasn't alone. He tilted his head enough to find out he was with Margaret. By that point his head was throbbing and felt ready to explode, so he put his arm around her and went back to sleep.

Margaret awoke sometime after Pierce had. Of course he had already passed out again. She knew enough not to open her eyes or move. She lay silently for a minute, wondering about the best way to get rid of a hangover, or if she'd do best just to sleep it off. Amazingly enough she'd been conscious for several minutes before she realized someone had their arms around her.

She tried to think back to the events of the last night. Klinger, Potter, B.J., and Charles had gone. She and Hawkeye had remained a bit longer to finish off their respective drinks. He'd walked her back to her tent, and into her tent, and she didn't have to figure out the rest. She was rather proud of herself for figuring out whom she was with without the slightest bit of movement. Because she knew he was as tanked as she was, and because she didn't really mind having Hawkeye in her bed, she decided she might as well go back to sleep and worry about it later.

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B.J. woke up around eleven. He'd already slept off most of his hangover. He stood up and looked over to Hawk's bunk. To his surprise his tent mate wasn't there. Beej knew his friend had gotten too drunk to be up already, and since the supply room didn't offer much in the way of comfortable bedding Hawk usually came back to the Swamp at some point, even if he did have a date. "Probably passed out at Rosie's," Beej said to himself. "He'll find his way back when he regains consciousness." Beej left the Swamp and headed for the showers.

Klinger was on mail call. It was already 11:30 and several people who hadn't been at the party the night before were rather annoyed at getting their mail so late. He was looking forward to going to the Swamp. Most likely they would still be asleep anyway. He knocked and entered. B.J.'s bed was unmade, and both he and his robe were gone. Hawkeye wasn't there either, but his bed didn't even look slept in. Charles was the only Swamp-rat present, and he was still sleeping. Klinger left the mail on its respective footlockers and left. He wondered aloud where Pierce was, feeling rather jealous.

Klinger headed to his last stop, Major Houlihan's tent. He had no desire to awake a sleeping Major, he always considered it a task equal to waking a sleeping grizzly bear, especially when he knew she had spent the last night drinking. She had been in a better humor since she'd started hanging around with Captain Pierce, but he was still rather scared of her. He knocked very softly on the door, and when he got the answer he expected, no answer, he walked happily away, and stuffed the mail in his jacket for later.

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Around noon, both Pierce and Margaret awoke. Neither of them wanted to deal with what they knew they had to, so Hawkeye stated the obvious, "I guess we both showed up in our un-dress uniforms." Margaret didn't laugh at this attempt at humor. She was worried she was going to lose Hawkeye somehow from what had happened, and that fear did not do wonders for her mood.

"Don't you remember? We left Rosie's together, and you walked me back to my tent, and then we..." she fell silent as Pierce remembered enough of the previous night to confirm his suspicions. He wasn't sure what Margaret was feeling, and he hoped it wasn't the urge to slug him, even though that would be pretty difficult since they were both lying down.

He stood up, and after finding his clothes he spoke as he dressed, "I hope you don't mind if the whole camp finds out," he said, "because it's twelve o'clock, and I have post-op duty in an hour. I don't have time to exit discreetly, not to mention Beej and who knows how many other people already know I didn't make it back to home Swamp home last night." He spoke a little bitterly, because he didn't like the idea that he would be something to be ashamed of, even though she hadn't said anything like that yet.

"Oh, just go. It'll be okay."

"Good, we'll talk about this later." He pecked her on the cheek and walked out of the tent. No sooner did he open the door than B.J. cam walking past on his way to the Swamp from the Mess Tent. 'Here it goes', thought Hawkeye. B.J. just eyed him as they walked back to the Swamp. He held the door open for Hawkeye to go through, and then he entered himself.

"So, where were you last night? 12 hour pass to Tokyo?" B.J. asked, chuckling.

"C'mon Beej, you know where I was?" Hawkeye said irritatedly, "Now are you going to throw it back in my face or leave me alone?"

"Calm down Hawk? What's the problem?"

"THE PROBLEM!?!? THE PROBLEM?!?! Do you realize Margaret is probably in her tent right now cussing me out? I'm sure it's something about taking advantage of her, or whatever! She was the one person in this place that knew what I was going through. You, but you have a wife and little girl to go home to. I'll be leaving sometime and I'll have to start a new life after three or four or heaven forbid how many more years in this hole. She knew what that was like, but now she's probably lost all respect for me and will never speak to me again."

"Do you really think that little of her Hawk? Margaret wouldn't let one mistake, and I'm not convinced it is a mistake, or even anything bad, to get between the two of you. She's probably in her tent wailing because she thinks you've lost all respect for her. I'll cover for you in Post-Op. Go see her. Talk about this." B.J. was sorry for his friends, but he didn't understand how Hawk and Margaret couldn't see what the rest of the camp did, that they were perfect for each other. He picked up his jacket and left the Swamp.

Hawkeye began to think, 'Why am I acting like this? It was one night. We got drunk and made a mistake. It's no more my fault than hers.' He decided to try his luck and he walked over to her tent, sorting out his thoughts along the way. He walked up to the door and knocked. It was so much like the routine they'd acquired over the past month it almost seemed to him like everything was normal, but there was no answer, and when he opened the door he realized it wasn't the same. Margaret lay in bed, she had on the awful drab olive jeans that were the norm for the compound, and an oversized gray ARMY sweatshirt. He head was buried in her pillow.

"Margaret?" Hawkeye sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed her back. She didn't respond, so he continued on. "Look, I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry I was too drunk to know better, and I'm sorry you didn't slap me, but I'm not sorry about what happened, just that we were too drunk to know what we were doing. You're great Margaret. We have our differences, but we've made it through this place together. I'd like to see if we could be more than friends, but if we can't, it's okay." He stopped. When no response came he squeezed her arm and left, not sure if he should be feeling disappointed or sad, or anything at all. He figured he would give her a few days, and see what happened.

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The next day Margaret treated him the same as she always had, and she didn't say anything about the previous day. Amazingly enough the nurses said nothing to Margaret, and B.J. was the only one to broach the subject with Hawkeye, despite the entire camp having heard about Hawkeye exiting the Major's tent the day before. That night, Hawkeye came back to the Swamp after Post-Op duty and found a note on his bunk. It said-

Margaret

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Hawkeye and Margaret continued to spend time together. They kept each other company and could always seem to find something to talk about. One day they had an entire conversation on the other uses for rubber gloves. Other than balloons and how they'd used one as a bottle for the Amer-asian baby who'd been left at the camp Margaret said she'd worn them around her apartment in nursing school covered in vinegar for a week to keep her roommate's cat from biting her fingers. It worked too. For his part, Hawkeye had stuck one over a leaky faucet in Boston so the dripping water didn't keep him awake and he didn't have to fix the faucet. That was one of their sillier conversations.

Everyone in the camp got used to seeing them walk around together. The only one who ever commented on it anymore was B.J. to Hawkeye, but even he stayed pretty much out of it, figuring if something was going to happen, it would on it's own. For several weeks nothing did happen, but everyone was aware that the two seemed made for each other, only Hawkeye and Margaret pretended not to notice.

It had been almost six weeks since Rosie's Party. Several wounded had come in that morning, and it had been about eight hours in OR. Afterwards everyone went to the Mess Tent for dinner, and then went their separate ways for the night. Hawkeye headed to Margaret's tent, as he sometimes did after long OR sessions. She opened the door when he knocked and he came in and sat down. They talked for a few minutes about a patient they had worked on, and then Hawkeye noticed Margaret getting quiet, very different from her usual outspokenness. "What's wrong Margaret? Is everything okay?"

She was worried he would say this, because she'd been trying to figure out what to say, but since she hadn't come up with anything she figured honesty would be best.

"Hawk, I'm not...um...I think I'm pregnant." 'Well,' she thought, 'I said it.' Hawkeye did not react with nearly so much enthusiasm or humor as he had the last time he'd heard those words from her.

"You mean...you? Me? We?" He was speechless for one of the first times ever.

"That's what I mean Hawk."

"Are you sure?"

"Am I sure that it's yours or that I'm pregnant? As for the first one, I hope you know that and the second, well, from experience I think I should take a test before being one hundred percent positive," she sounded indignant.

"Just give me a minute here Margaret. Let me digest this a little, you must have known for a week or so at least, I just heard this." He didn't want her angry with him, but he was rather shocked, so he was just reacting to everything thrown at him. Margaret thought that was fair, she just sat and watched him a few minutes.

"Am I the first one you've told?"

"Of course, I thought you deserved to be the first. I just wanted to be fairly sure before I told you."

"I think we need to tell Potter, at the very least, he would have to sign you a pass for Tokyo, and he'd want to know, you're like a daughter to him. Maybe we can find a way to keep you here, even if the test is positive."

"Yeah, I know I have to tell him, but what about you Hawk? Do you want your name involved? I mean for better or worse this baby is yours, and you will have something to do with it, but if you'd rather no one here know..." she trailed off. She wanted her baby to know its father, and she'd be very hurt if Hawkeye took no responsibility, but she wanted to give him sometime to accept it himself, not force him to so he'd end up resenting her and their child.

"NO! No, no, no. You aren't in this by yourself, and I'm sorry you ever thought that. Could we maybe withhold this information for a little while when we tell the Colonel though, let him get used to the idea a little? I think he might horsewhip me if we just went and told him straight out. As I said, he is like a father to you."

"Okay, I can understand that. I'll get the test, and if it's positive, we can tell him together."

"Why don't we go talk to Potter, it's only 6, he's probably still in his office."

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Potter was just getting off of the phone. He looked up expectantly at his two visitors.

"Uh, Colonel, there's a bit of a problem you should know about. We've done this before. I might be-" Hawkeye started but the Colonel interrupted knowing Margaret was the one he should be dealing with.

"Are you okay Margaret? Is this a sure thing?" He was going to ask about the father, but decided she'd tell him if she wanted him to know.

"I'm doing pretty well Colonel. A test is what I came to ask about. Since Radar's rabbits are gone, when can I get a pass to Tokyo?"

"Well, Margaret, I think there's something else we can do. I've just gotten off the phone with the 8063rd, and I agreed to send you and Pierce over there to demonstrate the new arterial transplant. I know for a fact that somehow they've got the equipment to do the test over there. If it's all right with you I'd still like to send you. Pierce can do the test, then when you get back here we can find out what to do about the results. Now is that all right with the two of you?"

"That sounds fine, thank you Colonel," said Margaret.

"Yeah, that's good. When do we leave?" asked Hawkeye.

"Well, I was hoping to get you out by O-Six-Hundred tomorrow."

"We'll be ready, thanks Colonel," said Hawkeye, leaving the office.

"Do you want to talk Margaret?" Potter asked.

"No, thanks for asking though, maybe later. I think I'm going back to my tent for a rest now." Margaret said this as she walked out of the office and in to Hawkeye who was waiting for her outside the door. They walked back to her tent together.

"Can we talk about this on the way to the 8063rd tomorrow? I think I still need some getting used to the idea, and you need your rest." As he said this they redirected themselves toward the Swamp.

"Don't start doctoring me now Hawk," Margaret said with a smile, "but you're right, I think you need some time to think. I'll see you tomorrow.

"Hey, I am a doctor, I can't help it," he said, then kissed her on the cheek and went into the Swamp, flopping on to his cot.

"What's the problem Hawk?" asked B.J., who had lived with Hawkeye long enough to know when something was bothering him.

"Nothing, I'm fine!" said Hawkeye, a bit more emphatically than he'd meant to.

"Come on Hawk, what is it?"

"Margaret thinks she's pregnant," replied Hawkeye tersely.

"Do I gather correctly that you're the other part to this?"

"Yeah. Beej, I don't know what to do. I love Margaret, and I want to be in the kid's life, I think Margaret wants that too. I don't know though, and I don't want her to hate me forever for ending her Army career."

"Come on Hawk, you aren't even sure you'll have anything to worry about yet. You two are going to have to talk about it, but I'm going to butt in and give you some advice because I'd beat myself up if I didn't. If she is pregnant you have to stay in that kid's life. Don't leave just because you didn't plan this or if you and Margaret can't get along. If you have an opportunity to be in your child's life, you have to take it," he stopped, thinking about his own wife and little girl.

"I know Beej. I know. Thank you."

"When do you find out for sure?"

"Tomorrow, Margaret and I are going to the 8063rd to demonstrate the arterial transplant. If all goes well, we can get there by nine, finish the demo by one, and get the test results by four. Hopefully we'll be back here by eight."

"I'll be waiting. Someway or another this will work out Hawk."

"Yeah, I'm gonna get some sleep now. Thanks Beej."

Hawkeye laid down on his cot and many thoughts started swirling around his head. 'Will I be a good father?' 'Will Margaret resent me?' 'Am I going to end up like Beej with a wife and kid waiting for me to come home from this awful place?' 'What'll Dad think?' 'What will happen if it turns out she's not pregnant?' He thought over all this for a bit but, (as had become his habit out of necessity) he grabbed sleep whenever he could get it and blocked out all thoughts. He was asleep within a half-hour.

Margaret in her tent didn't fare as well. She was mulling over thoughts about the life that could be inside her, and all the changes it could bring for almost three hours. She'd had suspected for a while now, so she'd had time to ponder some of these issues, but now that she'd told Hawkeye, she had his thoughts to wonder about as well.

They both woke bright and early. Hawkeye dressed, went to the Mess Tent for two thermoses of hot coffee, and went to Margaret's tent. She walked out, and he handed her a thermos wordlessly as they went to their Jeep. Hawkeye was steering them out of the compound before either said a word.

"You know, I don't hate you," said Margaret.

"Huh?" asked Hawkeye, a little shocked at the statement.

"I was just thinking about it last night and I thought you might think I hold it against you that this could get me out of the Army. I know you must remember how I acted last time. I just want you to know that I'm okay with this. I've accepted it, and I'm not blaming anybody if it means the end of my Army career."

"That makes me feel better Margaret. I don't want to lose you as a friend, I told you before that I'd like something more to come of our friendship, obviously I didn't mean anything like this, especially this fast, but how does this change things? I need to know if we're talking friendship, marriage, wait and see, or what? I've never contemplated fatherhood before, I don't know what I'm supposed to do." They both got quiet.

Several miles later Margaret replied, "You don't have to marry me Hawkeye. Don't think it's some kind of obligation. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself. If you want to talk about it and see what happens, I'm all for that. I love you, but I think we should see if this works first.

"That's just what I was hoping you'd say," he reached over and squeezed her hand.

"There's the 8063rd up ahead," exclaimed Margaret, sighting the compound.

They drove in, and were met by the head surgeon. He led them to the Mess Tent where the medical staff was waiting for them. Together they explained the procedure (with the help of diagrams) and answered questions. Both of them were very eager to hurry and finish, and when they did they went straight to the CO.

"We were wondering if we could borrow your lab Colonel, uh," the other man cut Hawkeye off.

"Your CO already called me. The lab is that way, reserved for your use."

"Thank you," Margaret said warmly and shook his hand. She and Hawkeye walked over to the lab.

~~~~It's now roughly and hour later. Since I don't know anything about medicine, let alone medicine in the 1950s, we're assuming that they performed a test of some kind and are now looking through a microscope at the results.~~~~

Hawkeye stood over the microscope in silence. "Margaret," he moved over to let her see, because he wasn't sure how to tell her, and wasn't really sure he wasn't just seeing things.

Margaret looked in. Her breath caught in her throat. "I'm pregnant." Hawkeye hugged her to him.

"Hey, it'll be okay, at least we'll know for sure now. No more, 'Well, if it's true...' Now we can figure out what to do. First, we have to go back and tell Potter. You okay?"

"Yes, Hawk. I'm fine. It's just a shock to know, you know?" she was speaking more into his shoulder than actually looking at him.

"Yeah, I know," he held her tighter and then let go. "We should be getting back to camp." They let the CO know, and then they headed out. On the way to the 4077th Margaret began to voice some of her concerns.

"How're we going to tell everyone? Are we going to tell anyone? How long do I have left here? Is it awful to this baby if we don't get married immediately?" She'd never really contemplated having a baby while still in the Army, and single. Hawkeye let her talk, and then he began answering.

"First off, any kid that's mine is going to be able to do simple arithmetic. You're six weeks; he or she'd figure it out anyway eventually. You deserve a nice wedding, we'll get married in the states when we get back if that's what we want. Am I right in assuming it is?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I know I said I wouldn't force you, and I still can't, but now that I know this is real, I can't imagine raising a child without its father. I love you, I don't want to lose you," she was crying as she said it.

"It's okay Margaret," he reached over and wiped her tears, "that's what I've been wanting you to say. I love you, I want to marry you." Margaret heaved an audible sigh of relief. "As for everything else, we'll try to keep you here as long as you want to stay. I think the Colonel wants to keep you almost as much as you want to stay, and depending on how long that is, yes, I'd think we'll have to tell everyone." He wrapped his arm around her, and she was asleep before they got another mile down the road.

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It was later that night, and Hawkeye and Margaret were in the Colonel's office.

"Well?" he asked, with a sympathetic look.

Margaret took the lead in this conversation. She'd gotten over her shock and was facing everything. "The test was positive Colonel, I'm six weeks pregnant." She said the words with a smile because she was, in fact, excited about it after further thought.

"Well, congratulations Margaret! That's good news. You do know this means you're out of the Army thought, right?" He was excited for her, but sympathetic because it could be the end of her career.

"Um, actually Colonel, I was hoping to stay on, at least until I'm a little farther along, I mean Army paperwork could take a while anyway. Can't you just start the paperwork now, and if this isn't over with by the time I'm six or seven months, I'll go."

"Margaret, I don't know. I know the Army wouldn't like that, and don't you think you should be back in the states? You know I'd hate to lose you, but..."

"Sir, this is a hospital. I have four excellent doctors around if I need anything. And there's more to it than that." She hadn't really wanted to tell him, but she figured he'd know eventually. "Hawkeye is the father."

"Pierce?" The question was directed at Hawkeye.

"Uh, yeah sir, it's true, she's not making it up to stay," answered Hawkeye.

"Well, galloping gorillas. This does change things, at least to me. Uncle Sam might not think so though. Are you two thinking marriage?"

"Yes, sir, as soon as we both get back to the states," answered Hawkeye.

"And Pierce, what do you have to say about Margaret staying here?"

"You know she would never do anything to endanger herself or the baby. If there's anyway she can stay for a while I think we should go for it. She wants to stay here, and I don't want to be like Beej with a family on the other side of the world, at least not as long as we can help it. If the war's not over she'll still be able to leave in six or seven months."

"See Colonel? And believe me, knowing my colleagues, no one will even let me near anything remotely dangerous if it can be helped."

"Well, Margaret, I'm still not sure of this, but if it's what you want, I'll try to get it straight with I-Corps.

"Thanks," said Hawkeye, and the two men shook hands.

Hawk and Margaret started to walk out, Potter called out to them, "Don't forget Margaret, you need a physical and we need to put you on some vitamins."

"Like I could forget being a nurse, living in a hospital, and having a doctor as the father of my child." Margaret called back jokingly.

They walked back to Margaret's tent. "C'mon in Hawk, we need to talk."

Talk they did, for several hours. By the time they were done they had decided several things. When they both got back to the states they would live in Crabapple Cove. If Margaret got back first, she would live with David Pierce until Hawkeye returned and they found a home. Margaret would stay at the camp for the time being and they would tell all their friends as soon as possible. Hawkeye would move in to Margaret's tent, mostly so she could have someone close by if she needed anything.

This worked out for the next six months. Margaret worked side by side with everyone else, keeping up despite her condition. She and Hawkeye lived together without incident, with Hawkeye visiting B.J. daily for parenting advice and drinks from the still.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hawk, calm down. It's okay, this is fine."

"Were you calm three years ago when Erin was born?" Hawkeye retorted to his friend.

It was October 1st, and they were waiting in the waiting room at the Crabapple Cove General Hospital. They had all gotten home the first week of August, and B.J. flew to Maine just two months later for the week of Margaret's due date to be there for Hawk whom, despite his insistence that he was a surgeon, wasn't going to be allowed in the delivery room. Margaret's old friend Lorraine was with her, along with the normal team of doctors.

Margaret had gone into labor at 3 a.m., and it was now noon. B.J. was doing everything he could to keep his friend from punching in the walls. Finally, at three o'clock, Nurse Sallie Mae Madison came in

"Hawkeye," before she could say more, Hawkeye had run through the doors and B.J. was hot on his heels. Margaret looked relatively calm, lying in bed holding the baby.

"It's a boy Hawk," said Margaret smiling. He bent over and kissed her on the cheek, and his new son on the forehead.

"So," asked Lorraine, "what's this little guys name?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm sorry the ending was a bit of a let down. I kind of lost interest, and since school is over for the summer I don't have to write to waste time in study hall anymore. If anyone really wanted it to end a different way and feels like writing it up, maybe you could send it to me and we could e-mail it to the very nice web masters who post these and add a new, improved ending by a different author. On a final note, I hope everybody noticed my tribute to Henry and Trapper in Baby Boy Pierce's name.