It wasn't hard to find Hawkeye and I, just check the Swamp, the O-Club, Post-Op and my tent. If we weren't there, head for Supply, and follow the little laughs and hushed voices. Stop at the closed door and knock before entering, if you got no answer make yourself scarce, you probably picked a bad time.

Everyone knew and was happy follow this system. But Klinger either didn't know, or didn't care, he just barged in, and Hawkeye and I were too wrapped up in each other to notice him. Klinger must have been standing there for two minutes while we kissed.

"Don't you two ever come up for air?" He blurted out at last. There had been nothing tenderly romantic or even seductively bashful about the kisses.

Our last romantic interlude had been interrupted by 36 hours of non-stop casualties, resulting in one very crabby doctor and a nurse with a temper to rival Margaret's. It had also left us frustrated and I'm ashamed to say, we were rather desperate for each other and acting like a pair of hormone- charged teens.

"If you're really good you don't need to." I planted a loving kiss on Hawkeye's black hair.

"What is it Klinger?" Hawkeye asked; flashing me a trademark smile before turning his somewhat irritated attention to our chenille-wearing friend.

"Colonel Potter would like your view on that kidney patient, Private Croce, BJ says one thing and Winchester says another." Hawkeye sighed; the snobby Bostonian was getting on everyone's nerves.

"Whatever Beej says will do, it's his patient." Hawkeye sighed as Klinger made a hasty departure from the room.

"Ben dear, you've got a cute little woman sitting right next to you, and she's just dying for your attention." I smiled at him and before I knew it, we'd resumed.

"Oh my gosh, whatever happened to the coat hanger on the door?" Angela gasped and hurried away with whatever man she had with her. Hawkeye threw something at the door and I pulled him back, kissing him heavily.

"Mmm, Annie, I like your way of thinking," he sighed, rolling me carefully onto my back, but we were disturbed by a knock on the door.

"Captain Pierce?" It was Radar and he peered around the door.

"Yes?" Hawkeye and I answered together irritably.

"I mean Mrs-Captain-Annie-Pierce," Radar explained, hyphenating my name in that adorable way that he had.

"My ma knitted Captain Pierce, your bear a cap," He showed me a little red woollen thing.

"Thank her in your next letter and leave it in my tent I'll get it later." I told him, trying to fight Hawkeye's lips off my neck long enough for me to talk clearly.

"Who's Captain Pierce?" Hawkeye asked, as Radar left and his lips found mine.

"The bear Radar gave me, the one that wears your bars." Hawkeye responded to that but he was completely incoherent as we hit the pillow, determined to have some fun.

"Hawk, Anne are you two decent?" It was BJ, and I rolled over and pulled my shirt closed.

"Nothing you haven't seen before," I called back teasingly while Hawkeye muttered irritated.

"Oh, so you're both completely naked then?" BJ queried and I threw a pillow at the door as he opened it, the door swung back and hit him in the nose.

"Ooh, BJ are you okay?" I crossed quickly to him and pulled a hanky from my pocket, stopping the blood flow.

"I'm sorry," I returned to my seat beside my husband, while BJ came and propped on an upturned box and looked seriously at us.

"Well, I don't think I interrupted you, you're both decent," BJ began, trying to bring a smile to Hawkeye's face, while mopping at his nose, which thankfully was unbroken.

"We didn't have time to get indecent," he muttered, sliding a hand around me, trying to get the message through to BJ.

"Well, I'll keep it quick, it's that kidney, I managed to save it in surgery, but I really don't know if it'll hold, I don't think it's functioning, going off what he's not putting out, any suggestions?" Hawkeye dropped his irritation to become Dr Pierce.

"Well, I know you want to try and keep it so. . . ."

BJ left satisfied some minutes later and Hawkeye and I, somewhat frustrated picked up where we left off.

"ATTENTION, ALL SHIFTS REPORT IMMEDIATELY TO PRE-OP!" Hawkeye groaned and I joined him.

"Can't they put the war on hold long enough for two people to have -" I lost the end of the sentence in the roar of choppers.

"What's eating those lot?" Potter murmured to BJ a couple of days later, New Years' Eve, as Hawkeye, Margaret, and I bickered.

"Fine!" I threw my coffee at the wall and stalked off.

"Jesus Christ Annie, do you have to act like a baby?" Hawkeye shouted after me, his food following my coffee, narrowly missing Potter.

"Nurse Pierce! You come back here and pick up that mug and start behaving like a Captain!" Margaret shouted at me, sounding just as tired and cranky as the rest of us.

"Why do I bother trying to talk to you?" Hawkeye shouted, his face turning red as I replied with a boot, thoughtfully left on the table.

"Because you have to live with us!" Margaret replied, turning on him while I began hurling abuse, and any hard objects I could find across the Mess Tent at anyone and everyone who cared to listen or catch.

The surgery had been very much on and off for the last two days, and Hawkeye and I still hadn't been able to get together since we'd been interrupted.

Margaret started yelling at me for using the rather unfriendly language that I was, Hawkeye started in on her for yelling at me and I just screamed at them generally.

"What in the Sam Hill is going on here?" Potter roared, bringing us all to a red-faced silence. We all opened our mouths and started to talk at once before he cut us off.

"Silence! We're all dog-tired, we're all less-than-happy and we don't need your childish quarrels. Now you just all listen to me, apologise to one another, and go to your tents! If you can't behave in a civilised fashion from now on, you'll find a boot in your rear, comprende?" We nodded meekly, and Colonel Potter sighed.

"Good, now get to your tents and don't come out till I say so! Dismissed! Honnicut, a word please?" We filed quietly out of the tent, shooting each other nasty looks while BJ and Potter conversed.

"Anne?" It was BJ, but I was in no mood to hear his 'to err is human, to forgive, divine,' speech that he'd given before.

"Go away, I'm in no mood!" I replied, but I knew he'd come in anyway, and in a second, he'd climbed up onto my bunk and sat at my feet looking at me thoughtfully.

"Annie," He called, and his hands pressured gently, encouraging me to roll over so I looked up at him.

"Beej, I'm really not in the mood." I met his greenish eyes honestly with my tired blue ones.

"What's wrong, I've never known you to shout, or throw things, what's up? I couldn't get anything out of Hawkeye, except a sock in the mouth, literally, and boy are my feet bad!" I didn't laugh at the joke.

"Beej, I can't go to you every time I have an upset, that's what you have a wife for, so she can cry at you."

"Annie, listen, that's what I'm a friend for, you're obviously really upset and I'm hoping we can resolve this BEFORE 1953." BJ hinted at the fact in just 14 hours, it would be the New Year.

"I really doubt you can help me Beej, I mean, you're probably only doing this cause Potter told you to." BJ reached down and rubbed my shoulder affectionately.

"Try me, I understand a lot, I'm married too, and just cause I'm male doesn't mean I can't understand what goes on in that beautiful little head. And Potter did tell me to, but I'm doing it because I hate seeing you so down." I sat up and grabbed Capt. Pierce my teddy and hugged him to my chest.

"It sounds so dumb Beej,"

"Tell me anyway Anne, you'll feel better."

"Well, you know how much Hawk and I love each other?"

"God yes, it's so clear, Anne babe." BJ, though initially shy about it, had fallen into using the general terms of endearment that almost everyone used when they spoke to me.

"Well we love each other a lot, and you know that. But well, we love each other in another way," I hinted and BJ nodded

"Aah yes, the after-hours, behind-closed-doors, deal hmm?" I laughed and nodded.

"Well, we've been trying for a second run, and well, we just haven't been able to. And Hawkeye, now that he can he wants to, and now that I know what it's like, I want to."

"Whoa, you're saying you and Hawk are strung out because you can't sleep with each other?" BJ asked, apparently seeing the light.

"Well, yes, I told you it was dumb." BJ shook his head.

"Not at all Anne my girl. Haven't you been able to since you got back?"

"Nope, once you cleared everyone up to Rosie's we had a wonderful time - well, you know as wonderful as your messy, awkward first time can be." I added thoughtfully and BJ nodded, adding his 2 cents.

"I'm sure Hawk would've done all he could to make it, well you know, as good for you as possible." I nodded, BJ knew Hawk well, and always knew what his friend would do.

"He did. But then we keep getting interrupted and frustrated! All we want is a little time of our own," BJ's hand pushed the hair out of my eyes.

"Listen, that must be tough, especially on you, I can imagine what it must be like to have only just scratched the surface of something big, but just relax and you two will get together again, I'll see to it." BJ grinned at me, he'd started to grow a rather bad moustache, which apparently had already become the rear-end of many jokes.

"Thanks Beej, you're wonderful, would you swap shifts with Hawkeye tonight?" I asked tentatively, taking his hand and giving it a warm squeeze.

"Well yes, just get him back by 0500 so he can take mine!" BJ smiled at me, and jumped off the bunk, giving Lori who was asleep in the bunk below a fright.

"See ya Beej, give Hawk this, and take one for yourself." I blew two kisses at BJ who pretended to catch them, blew one back and left.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!" We roared as 1953 started with a bang, no pun intended.

"Happy New Year, Margaret!" Hawkeye gave Margaret a warm hug, previous quarrels and hatred put aside. I'd missed a bit when I'd been away but there'd been a big change for the better in the relationship between Chief Surgeon and Head Nurse.

"Happy New Year Charles!" I shook his hand and he kissed my hand politely.

"My compliments of the season Mrs Pierce." I groaned inwardly, Winchester treated me like a girl, and as I was who I was, it was okay but he was very condescending.

"Happy New Year Radar!" BJ laughed, shaking the Corporal's hand fondly, while Hawkeye, helped me onto his shoulders and pulled off Radar's hat so I could kiss the top of his head.

"Hey, you guys!" Radar protested while Potter laughed, and did nothing to stop the fact that I was wearing Radar's cap whilst riding Hawkeye's shoulders.

I ducked to avoid the streamers, which decorated the tent and clutched Hawkeye's hair as he sat down throwing me off balance. He yelled, as I pulled harder at his hair to stop myself falling off. I began to slide backwards off his shoulders, fell and landed hard on the floor, my right wrist forced to support most of my weight, collapsed under me, and I gave a sharp cry of pain.

"Mrs Pierce, are you okay?" Charles offered me his hand and I got up, trying not to yell at him for the patronising way in which he made sure I was uninjured.

"Anne, you okay?" BJ called across the room while Charles examined my sore, and broken for the second time since I'd been in Korea, right wrist.

"Well, I don't think so, but could you or Hawk look after it for me, no offence Charles I've had both men look after me before and I'd prefer that someone I know do it." He shook his head as BJ came and inspected my wrist.

"Not at all Mrs Pierce, I understand and I'd do the same thing in your position." Charles graciously handed me over to Potter, BJ, Margaret and Hawkeye who anxiously checked the damage.

"She'll need that pinned and set, BJ?" Potter said after bending my hand. I gave a yell and prayed that throbbing pain would soon subside to shocked numbness.

"I'll do it," Hawkeye said, after turning my arm slowly to check the already purple swelling.

"What?" A surprised whisper filled the room, which had become quiet at my fall.

"I'll do it," Hawkeye repeated firmly.

"If I can't look after my wife, with something simple as this, I'm not fit to be her husband. Annie, pick your nurse." He addressed me and I pointed to Margaret, biting my lip whilst pain shot up my arm.

"Honnicut, you help Pierce and Houlihan, everyone else, let's go on with the party. We'll know how Mrs Pierce is doing periodically, won't we?" The three nodded at the Colonel and led me from the room.

"Jeez, that's a mess, it looks like you've had a 100-pound sledge hammer fall on it!" BJ inspected the X-ray. I'd broken both bones in the forearm, and five bones in my hand as well as two fingers, my wrist was shattered, and even with morphine, it hurt like hell.

"Thanks, that's wonderful, very reassuring." Hawkeye muttered, he was beginning to get nervous, but he was determined to get through it.

"Well, Beej, give her some gas," That was the last thing I heard, and the last thing I saw was Margaret's face giving me a strong reassuring smile.

"Oh good, you're awake." Hawkeye was there and he kissed me lovingly. I lifted my left hand, conscious of the weight on my right and played with his hair.

"Captains Pierce and Pierce! You should both know better than to kiss your doctor, or your patient!" BJ told us off severely. Hawkeye and I ignored him as Hawkeye helped me to sit up a little and I sleepily cuddled into him.

"How do you feel?" Hawkeye asked me.

"Groggy, but fine, brilliant actually, I knew you were the best doctor around!" I smiled and kissed him again.

"Good enough for a rendezvous in Supply, it's 2am?" He asked cheekily and I pulled his head close into a deep kiss.

"Well that's a yes then. Beej, if Margaret asks where her patient's gone tell her we've toe-tagged her and sent her home!" Hawkeye helped me onto my feet and we disappeared into the Supply Tent.

"Ma'am?" It was Radar.

"Radar this better be damned good!" I couldn't keep the growl out of my voice.

"Please ma'am, I won't bother you no more, you have my hat."

"Oh," I was still wearing it and I threw the offending item at him, trying not to shift the blankets that covered both Hawkeye and I, especially as our clothes lay on the floor, and he hastily departed.

"Now, where were we?" Hawkeye shifted again and we began kissing.

"Mmm, Hawk, can I sleep in the Swamp tonight, the girls really don't appreciate me coming in at 0400?" I pulled back to find that my breathing had increased remarkably.

"Anything you want my sexy little Lieu-Captain!" Hawkeye promised; his breathing had also become heavy. We kissed again and before 3am struck, broken bones forgotten, we were making love, safe in the knowledge that everyone else was far away from our little space.

"Wow, that was nothing short of incredible." Hawkeye breathed, if our breathing was heavy before, it was impressive now as we lay on the mattress, clinging to each other sweatily and trying to recover from what we'd just done.

"Mmm hmm." I agreed, Hawkeye's lips on the small of my back hinting we were a long way from finished.

In a place of our own, in a way of our own, and most importantly with time of our own, away from the war and interrupting friends, we'd rung in the New Year.