"Congratulations, Dr. Pierce, you've got the job! You are our new chief surgeon!"

"Really? I mean, I was hoping for a job here, but I really didn't think I'd get the job of chief surgeon! To be honest, I thought I'd have to, you know, climb the corporate ladder, get more experience! I just barely finished my residency when I got called to Korea!"

"But it sounds like in three years there you did more than most doctors do in a lifetime. You'll be the youngest chief surgeon this hospital has ever had, but I called your reference, this, Col. Potter, and he said that you were superb!"

"Thank God. Well, he'll be getting a nice Christmas present from me this year! And Thank you, very much! You won't regret it in the least. Did you call my dad, too?"

He waved his hand to dismiss him "No, I figured you'd want to tell him yourself. I already know him and he always talks about you and what a great doctor you are whenever we go fishing or golfing. Don't worry about it! Now go home and tell him the good news! Can you start tomorrow?"

"Sure, no problem. I'll be here at eight! I'll see you then! And thanks!"

"Your welcome"

Hawkeye ran through the hospital as fast as he could without actually running and being disruptive. Unfortunately, being new to this particular hospital, he took a wrong turn and got lost. "God, I wish they'd make hospitals all the same! Everyone one of 'em is different! I can never get used to any of them!" He stood still for a minute, trying to mentally retrace his steps to where he went wrong when he heard someone behind him. He realized how stupid he must look, man with a lab coat, obviously a doctor or some hospital worker, standing around looking totally lost

"Can I help you, are you lost?"

The voice sounded very familiar, and as he turned around,

"MARGARET????"

"HAWKEYE!"

He picked her up and spun her around, then put her down and hugged her close. As he wrapped his arms around her, for the first time since she had left the 8063rd she felt right and melted into him and put her arms around his waist. It felt so good to have him there, protecting her. He knew just how to hold her, to make her feel safe, but not smothered. She felt so good in his arms. The two stood there for a few moments, just soaking it all in. Never had Hawkeye imagined seeing Margaret here in his hometown, working in the hospital.

"What are you doing here?" he asked when they pulled a little bit apart so the could look at each other.

"Well, I decided I'd had enough meaningless death and destruction, so I got out of the army." She looked at the shocked expression on his face. He looked just as he remembered, but more youthful. His hair didn't look quite so gray, and he'd gotten some meat on his bone, just enough muscle to make him look even more attractive. She laughed, "I know, Major Houllian, out of the Army, who'd thought, but I'm not Major Houllian anymore, I'm Margaret. Anyway, I always wanted to have a hometown where I could settle down and raise a family, not some city, but a place with a big enough hospital to keep me fairly busy. I thought about how you had said that Maine was a beautiful place, so I looked it up, found out that Crabapple Cove general was a big hospital in a beautiful small town, so I came to get a job, and what do ya know, I'm head nurse of surgery!"

"That's great Margaret! Actually the reason I got lost was because I was trying to get out of here as fast as possible because I wanted to tell my dad that I got the job of chief surgeon!! Hey, it sounds like we'll be working together. They told me that the chief surgeon isn't a cushy job like a lot of head honcho jobs, it's more in the front, so I'll still be operating which is exactly what I wanted!"

"That's great! Once they see us work our magic in the OR like we did before, I bet they'll always put us together."

"We did make a great team, didn't we? God, it's good to see you again Margaret. You have no idea how much a missed you."

"Actually, I think I do." She said, as she looked into those bright blue eyes he always had. They had started to loose their sparkle, but they were so bright again.

"How long have you been here?"

"Two days ago. I'm staying in the hotel, I've been here long enough to get the job which I started today, and I have to find a place to live yet."

"Search no more! You can live with me and my dad! You will not stay in some hotel or a dingy apartment. You'll live in the house I grew up in! We got plenty of room, we got a guest room, so don't worry about it! My dad will love you too! When do you get off work? I'll pick you up, bring you to the hotel, you can get your stuff packed, and get dressed in something nice because I'm taking you to the nicest restaurant in Crabapple Cove!"

"Hawkeye I don't know what to say! Thank you so much for the offer. Well, I get off at 1800.sorry, still breaking old habits. Pick me up at 6:00 and we'll talk about living arrangements at dinner. You go home now and tell your dad the good news about your job and check with him about me staying at your house. But I'm not wearing out my welcome. Just until I get a place of my own, okay?"

"Okay. So, which way is out? I know, I've lived here all my life, but I've never worked here, and Dad has his own practice at the house, so I only came here for emergencies, and when Mom was sick."

"Um, well, I'm new here too, so don't get mad at me if I give you the wrong directions. Just go down that hall, turn left, keep going and turn right at the second hall, which will bring you to the stairs to bring you downstairs, and the doors are right outside there."

"Okay, well, I'll pick up out there. My car is a sexy black '37 Desoto. I'll have the top down because it's really warm out there. Just find the good looking doctor with all the girls around his car. See ya later!" He flashed his trademark smile, and with that, he left.

Margaret just stood there and sighed. She watched him walk away, something she always liked to do, even though his lab coat was really long, so it wasn't tight or anything. She enjoyed the view for a bit and then tried to resume her work. It was mostly just getting to know everything around here, but it was difficult to do with Hawkeye on her mind, especially now since she was going to live with him and his father. She couldn't wait for tonight!