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"How about a small sampling of it right now?" She gave him a teasing smile, her eyes sparkling with expectation. Hawkeye leaned closer to her and pressed his lips against hers. Wrapping their arms around each other they kissed for several moments, each relishing the feeling of being in the others warm embrace.

Smiles of appreciation spread across the faces of the observers on the stairs.

"I've never seen Hawkeye kiss anyone like that." BJ commented to Daniel as a larger smile broke across his face.

"Neither have I." Daniel echoed, his own smile widening.

"Come on you two," Peg urged, rising to her feet. "Let's leave them alone. They have a right to some privacy."

"Aw, come on, Peg." BJ pleaded, giving her his best sad puppy look.

Peg laughed and pressed. "Would you like it if they spied on us?"

"Hawk and I were always spying on something or someone, its only fair that he get spied on for a change." He turned back to watch his best friend and Margaret kiss. Peg just shook her head and rolled her eyes at the two grown men before her. Suddenly the pair on the stairs broke into thunderous applause. Curious Peg popped her head around the corner. Hawkeye and Margaret had stopped kissing and were now turning a few shades of red due to the round of appreciation they were receiving from their until then secret audience. Margaret buried her face in Hawkeye's chest and laughed with embarrassment.

"I'm going to get you for this, Hunnicutt." Hawkeye threatened. "You too, Dad. You're both in for it."

"Let the games begin." BJ challenged as gave his best friend a taunting smile.

And begin they did...


BJ stirred as the winter sun started shinning through the uncovered window. He stretched and turned on his side to face his wife and went back to sleep. A little while later he was awoken by a shriek from Peg that was followed by a muffled laugh. Opening his eyes he looked at his laughing wife puzzled by her unusual reaction.

"What's so funny?" He asked expectantly, a puzzled smile on his face. Peg couldn't reply since she was laughing so hard. Instead she reached over to the nightstand beside the bed and grabbed a mirror out of her purse. Holding it up so that he could see his reflection, BJ now understood the reason for his wife's sudden outburst of uncontrollable laughter. He had been given a complete 'make over' while he'd slept - eyes, lips, cheeks, even his mustache was now a nice shade of bleach blond. "I would say that has to be Margaret's shade." He commented as he scrutinized his face more closely. "Yep, definitely Margaret's." He shook his head, unable to believe that they had managed to pull such a stunt without waking him up. He moved to get out of the bed but Peg put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"What are you going to do?" She asked a little anxiously. She wasn't sure what her husband thought of the prank.

"First I'm going to clean this stuff off my face." BJ replied as he looked at her seriously. "Then I'm going to play a little prank of my own." His eyes started to twinkle mischievously. "And I think I know exactly what I'm going to do."

"I have only one question." Peg stopped him again.

"What is it?" He asked expectantly.

"Can I help?" She asked, her own eyes starting to sparkle slightly.

A broad smile spread across her husband's face. "You bet! It'll be the Hunnicutts against the Pierces or rather the Pierce and the future Pierce."

"So what's your plan?" His wife asked excitedly.


The Hunnicutts scheduled their attack for the next morning. During the day they acquired the items they needed to execute their plan without Margaret or Hawkeye knowing. The rest of the day was spent touring around Crabapple Cove. They stopped in at the hospital so that Hawkeye could check on little Tommy Wilder and so he could show his best friend where he worked.

"Look, Beej." Hawkeye pointed into an operating room. "Only one table per OR. And look at this." He opened another door to reveal a clean, civilized change room. "There's even a bathroom in there with it's own sink and everything."

BJ laughed at his friend's excitement. "Sure beats the old 4077th doesn't it."

Hawkeye led his friends through the hospital finally stopping at Tommy Wilder's room. Pulling out his famous Groucho nose and glasses he stepped into the room. "Well hello, hello, hello. How are you today, Tommy?"

"Okay, Dr. Hawkeye." Tommy replied giving the goofy doctor a small smile.

Picking up his chart Hawkeye asked. "How's your stomach this morning?"

"Okay. Sore though." Tommy said weakly.

"Well that's what happens when you try to 'soar' out of trees." Hawkeye punned as he sat down beside the boy. He gently examined the boy's abdomen, checking for signs of extra pain or infection. "Well, you'll be as good as new in no time. But promise me, no more falling out of trees or at least next time you do, make sure you fall on something soft - like your sister." Tommy laughed slightly then winced in pain.

"No laughing for a week." Hawkeye told him in a mock serious expression. "No driving, no swimming and no picking up nurses either." Tommy chuckled again.

"Hey, I told you not to laugh." Hawkeye told him again, a huge smile on his own face. "I'll be back to check on you in a day or so." As he left the room he bumped into Tommy's father.

"How's he doing Hawk?" Toby Wilder asked anxiously.

"He's going to be just fine." Hawkeye assured him. "He'll be up and about in no time. In fact, he'll probably be able to go to a wedding next Sunday night."

"A wedding?" Toby echoed in surprise. "Whose wedding?"

"Mine." Hawkeye told him proudly.

"Yours?" Toby exclaimed in surprise. "Are you serious? You mean you've finally decided to settle down? With whom - who's the lucky, or maybe I should say 'unlucky' lady?"

Hawkeye put his arm around Margaret who was standing beside him and proudly introduced. "Toby, I'd like you to meet my beautiful fiancee, Margaret Houlihan. Margaret this is a very old friend of mine, Toby Wilder."

"Hey, I'm not that old!" Toby protested with a teasing laugh. Looking at Margaret he extended his hand and said. "What Hawk means is that we use to play together when we were kids."

"Toby Wilder!" BJ suddenly exclaimed. "Now I know why that name was so familiar." Looking at Hawkeye he added. "He's the one that you had a nightmare about one time. Him and...Davey...Danny...Dickie! Dickie Barber!"

"Good memory, Beej." Hawkeye chuckled slightly. "I'm impressed." Turning back to Toby he said. "Toby, I'd like you to meet BJ Hunnicutt we were roommates in Korea for the better part of two and a half years and he turned out to be one of the best friends a fellow could ever have."

"It's nice to meet you." Toby shook hands with BJ and gave him a warm smile. "Anyone who can put up with living with Hawk for over two years and not kill him must have a very strong character." Looking at Margaret he said. "I hope you have such a strong character."

"Oh, I believe I do." She looked at her fiancee teasingly.

"She does." Hawkeye and BJ echoed in stereo causing the others to laugh.

Hawkeye pointed to Peg and Erin and said. "And this lovely lady with BJ is his darling wife, Peg and this sweet little girl is there daughter Erin."

"It's nice to meet you Peg and Erin." He shook both of their hands and gave them warm smiles. Then turning back to Hawkeye he questioned. "So you're really getting married next Sunday? I didn't even know you were engaged. Hell, I didn't even know you were dating anyone."

"Actually, I haven't been." Hawkeye admitted, his eyes twinkling slightly. Looking at Margaret for a moment he continued. "I'm afraid that Margaret stole my heart while we were in Korea and since then I haven't wanted to see anyone else."


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