"Hey Hawk" Daniel yelled from the kitchen. Hawkeye was sitting in the lounge room with Margaret playing scrabble before dinner.

"Yeah" he hollered back. Daniel walked into the lounge room.

"Sorry to interrupt sir" he said handing Hawkeye an invitation. "This came for you in the mail." And with that Daniel left. They hadn't fought once since Margaret had arrived. Although Hawkeye was not cured of his illness he was certainly looking better and his eyes showed happiness once more.

Hawkeye read down the small piece of paper while Margaret attempted to pile some letters together to form a word.

"Say Margaret do you wanna come to the Crabapple Cove ball? Its on next Saturday night at the yacht club."

Margaret had already got heads turning in the cove, she wasn't sure about going, she didn't want to draw more attention to herself.

"I would love to Hawk but I have nothing to wear. Well nothing suitable for a ball." She knew the excuse wouldn't stand but it was worth a try.

"Well we can go buy you something tomorrow morning or you could try on something of mums if you want to." He paused for a moment, looking at Margaret. Pleading with her eyes he said "I would really love for you to come with me Margaret." His eyes were intensely fixated on her. She couldn't say no to him.

"Alright - provided I have something to wear by Saturday." She said in a warning tone.

"No problem - you shall be the belle of the ball, and you will be mine", with that he stood up and walked towards the kitchen to tell his father.

She couldn't believe the power he had over her, she just gave into those pleading eyes so easily. She cared so much for him, but she didn't want to let herself go. Following her heart had only ever left it broken and there was no reason why this situation was any different to the last. It wasn't that she couldn't trust Hawkeye with her heart, but she couldn't trust her own judgment in the first place. Hawkeye walked back into the room.

"So what's the occasion for the ball?" she questioned as Hawkeye sat down opposite her.

"No reason, the town is always holding functions like this. I haven't been to one since I got back from Korea. They are usually fundraising for the local school or something like that." He replied complacently.

After dinner that night, Hawkeye, Margaret and Daniel played several rounds of poker. As usual Hawkeye was doing extraordinarily well. Daniel loved it though. He loved the way Hawkeye was smiling again and his eyes were dancing. He had acquired a daughterly love for Margaret over the last week. She was helping Hawk so much. He knew they had done a lot of talking in the last week and Hawkeye was opening up to her. She was motivating him to take job interviews and she nursed Hawkeye through his nightmares every night.

"Well, I have always said that poker relaxes me, but it can make me very sleepy too, especially when I'm not having any luck. I think I'll hit the sack now." She pushed back her chair. "See you in the morning" She walked around the table to Daniel and gave him a hug.

"Goodnight sweet pea", he treated her as though she was his own daughter. And with that Margaret walked around to Hawkeye and bent over and hugged him.

As she stood up straight again and brushed her fingers through his hair before walking away. "Call me if you need me".

With that Hawkeye and Daniel packed away the chips and the cards.

"You know Hawk, I can't tell you how glad I am Margaret's here. I really can't. She brought some fresh air into this stuffy old home." Daniel said as he stood up to put the cards away.

"Yeah, she's really something isn't she" Hawkeye said smiling slightly.

"If I knew Margaret would be the solution to your problem before I would have called her."

"I'm not cured dad, I have just improved, I do feel a lot better, amazingly better." He said, looking a little surprised at himself for his rapid change.

"Well I'm off to bed as well, you coming upstairs now too?" asked Daniel, knowing the answer was more than likely to be no.

"Nah I think I'll watch some TV"

Hawkeye often sat up late at night. He didn't like to go to sleep. Everynight this week Hawkeye had gone to sleep with Margaret by his side but she had already gone, leaving him alone.

It was 2 o'clock and he was still sitting on the couch when he heard footsteps on the creaky stairs. Margaret appeared in the doorway.

"Are you alright Margaret, what are you doing up?" Hawkeye asked full of concern. "Something the matter?"

"No - no, I just was lying there awake staring at the ceiling and I heard the TV was still on. Why aren't you in bed?" She sounded like a nagging mother, but Hawkeye didn't mind. He loved that motherly instinct in her.

Margaret walked over to the couch and sat down next to Hawkeye, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt so warm and relaxed against his body. He was so lost in her warmth that he had forgotten to answer the question.

"Hawk?" she said questioning, making sure he was still there.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you still up" she said smiling at him, laughing at the lost look on his face.

"Oh right, oh you know.I like to. err stay up every now and then.you know.just to relax a little after the poker game.I'll go up to bed soon."

"Hawk." she said not believing his reason, "Its two in the morning, we finished poker two and a half hours ago" she stated to him plainly. She wasn't being ignorant, she knew there was a better reason, it was just a matter of getting it out of him. She rubbed her hand over his arm affectionately "I seem to recall a friend of mine in Korea telling me that if you can't tell your number one nemesis, who can you tell?"

A grin spread across Hawkeye's face. "Well" he said with a laugh of realization, "I don't believe I have a number one nemesis anymore, so the rule doesn't apply anymore" He was teasing her now, he knew what she was getting at.

"Oh is that so?" Margaret replied playfully. "Well I can see I am getting nowhere and I am not going to play your games Pierce, so I'll go back to bed"

"Play my game?" Hawkeye said as Margaret let herself out of his arms, "I thought I was playing your game!" He said pleading with her as she headed for the stairs.

"I'm too tired for games Hawk, I'll see you in the morning, ok?" She was at the foot of the stairs, she paused for a minute to give him a chance to tell her.

"But I've already seen you?"

"What? Hawkeye! You can be so annoying" she said and made her way up the stairs.

"Goodnight princess" he smiled at her from the couch and Margaret smiled back at him and continued up the stairs. It would be their first night not sleeping in the same bed. Margaret was a little worried that he would have a terrible night without her by his side.

Hawkeye lay on the couch downstairs, he was getting sleepy and thought it best if he went to bed. So he made his way up the stairs. Margaret heard his door open and then close quietly across the hall and fell asleep.

Hawkeye started to become restless in his sleep. His memories were haunting him again. He managed to wake himself up before the dream went any further. His pulse was racing and sweat dripped down the back of his neck and knees and his black hair was stuck on his forehead. He sat up slowly and tried to catch his breath. He didn't want to go back to sleep, he knew he should have stayed up or tell Margaret that he was too scared to fall asleep without her. Without turning on the light or lying there any longer he picked up his pillow and wrapped his red dressing gown around him and made his way out of the bedroom.

As he opened the door he noticed that a light was on in Margaret's room. He stood there for a moment, questioning whether or not to enter. He thought he should check that she was ok, but what he really wanted was to be close to her after his nightmare. He opened the door quietly and walked in.

"Hawkeye?" Margaret questioned, "Are you ok?"

He started to walk towards her bed slowly.

"I.I .Oh you know nothing much, I saw your light on and just wanted to make sure you are alright" he was trembling again and Margaret could see that he was embarrassed to be telling her again that he had had a nightmare.

"Hawkeye" she looked at him with disbelief again and held out her arms to him. He walked straight over to the bed without saying anything and nestled into her arms and held her tightly. Margaret soothingly stroked his back and ran her fingers through his hair. She kissed the top of his head "I'm fine, I just couldn't sleep, nothing new to me. I think the question is whether you are alright."

He looked up at her; "Lets not go there, we could be up all night" he smiled at her. "This bed looks awfully big, much too big for one person. Do you mind if I.umm."

Without hesitating and realizing all he really wanted was to be comforted she held up the patchwork quilt and let him crawl in beside her. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her head gently "Goodnight" he said. And with that Margaret reached for the lamp and turned it off.

Next morning Margaret woke only to notice Hawkeye had got up. She was so surprised that she hadn't woken when he moved. She had been sleeping so lightly since the war.

"Knock Knock" she heard a sly voice from the bedroom door. "Are you decent, because I am coming in."

A grin spread across her face. "You may enter" Hawkeye walked in carrying a tray and a serviette over his arm, bearing a trademark smile.

"What is this?"

"Its breakfast for you major" he said gently placing the tray on the bed.

"I can see that! What's with knocking on the door - where did you learn that, not in Korea!" she said laughing at him. He sat down on the bed next to her.

"It just coz dad's home and he would get pretty mad to find me wandering in and out of the guest bedroom with a gorgeous woman staying in it without knocking" he said casually with a sneaky smile on his face.

"I see, so I suppose you are going to tell me you cooked this up for me?"

"Rightly so, I am your host Benjamin Franklin Pierce and I will serve you"

Margaret couldn't believe the mood he was in. It was like Hawkeye was starting to show through the cracks again.

"This is beautiful Hawk, I couldn't tell you the last time someone made breakfast for me."

"Well think of it as a little thank you present for all your hard work since you got here" He said as he started to butter some toast complacently.

"I haven't worked since I got here, you have done nothing except wine and dine me. I'm not complaining either, but I think it is you who deserves a present"

"Margaret Houlihan you are much too modest," he replied continuing to butter his toast but then stopped to look at her. "Margaret.I can't tell you in words how grateful and happy I am that you are here with me. I'm feeling more like myself everyday because of you" his indigo eyes had met hers. Margaret didn't know what to say, she broke the gaze and twisted the quilt around her fingers and she looked for something to say.

"Well, I'm really happy to be here too Hawk," she looked back at his intense gaze, which hadn't left her. Hawkeye put the piece of toast back down on the tray and moved closer to Margaret, inching his lips closer to hers. Slowly he brushed his lips against hers, he went to deepen the kiss placing one hand firmly around her waist, hugging her to him and the other at the top of her neck gently stroking her cheek. There was a knock at the door. Margaret moved away from him quickly and sat up right.

"Come in" Hawkeye yelled at the door not for one moment taking his eyes off Margaret. Margaret turned her attentions to the orange juice and began to pour some into a glass.

"Morning kids" Daniel said in his usual cheery mood.

"Morning" they replied in unison uneasy at the situation.

"Hawkeye treating you to a breakfast in bed Margaret?" Daniel said with a broad smile across his face.

"Yes" she replied quickly glancing at Hawkeye then back to the older man. "According to him I deserve it for working so hard"

"Well, I'll see you kids tonight. Have fun and don't get up to any mischief"

"We wont" Margaret said again quickly glancing at Hawkeye who had remained silent the entire time.

"Yes, well I notice that only you responded to that Margaret, Hawk is awfully silent on the matter", Daniel commented, chuckling to himself. Hawkeye merely smiled with his mouth shut back at his father. "See you later"

"Bye" Margaret said, whilst Hawkeye just put his hand up wave.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Neither looking each other in the face. Both tried to be preoccupied with the first thing available to them.

"Hawkeye, would you pass me the paper please" Margaret broke the silence and looked straight into Hawkeye's eyes with sorry written across her face in big bold letters.

"Here you go", he said. His face however did not spell sorry, or forgive me. There was no regret on his face. He knew exactly what he was doing and he wasn't sorry about it. Nor was he angry at Margaret for not continuing after his father had left the room.

Margaret began to skim her eyes across the paper. She wasn't taking anything in. She was so lost in Hawkeye's kiss that she could not focus. Sitting in silence she nibbled on the piece of toast Hawkeye had handed her. She knew she couldn't let herself go, she had only been there a few days. She had deep feelings for Hawkeye and she had never felt quite this way about anyone. She couldn't determine whether she loved him as a lover or as the close friend she never had. Could it be possible the he was both? She felt Hawkeye's gaze upon her again but could not meet his pleading eyes again. Every time she had followed her heart she came out with it broken. She remembered back to the time Hawkeye and her were stranded in the abandoned hut in Korea. She looked to him when she was most vulnerable. She remembered the fear that was running through her that night before he took her in his arms and kissed her. He had been so gentle, despite being afraid himself. She was analyzing the current situation and decided it was not really that different. Instead of fear running through her body she had unhappiness and was just as vulnerable to Hawkeye as she had been in Korea. She remembered the way they woke up the next morning in each other's arms. She was so content lying there with her head upon his chest and his arms wrapped around her, protecting her. Then she remembered the rejection she felt. She could never understand why he had done that to her. She felt like she had been used, and once again her heart was left in pieces. Margaret decided to tread lightly, after all Hawkeye hadn't been himself lately. She wondered whether she was merely a temporary solution to his problem. What if he fully recovers to himself, and starts chasing other women or cheats on her. She was thinking of all the possibilities. Was this the life she wanted, would this make her happy? Or would Hawkeye leave her at a loose end? She didn't know whether to trust her own feelings or whether she could trust Hawkeye as a lover. Maybe it would be better if she left Crabapple Cove and decided for herself.

Hawkeye was staring into space. All he wanted was Margaret. He would give anything and everything to have her. He was a afraid of rejection after Carlye but he wasn't going to let it stop him. He had spent three years in Korea pining for her. All those men that drifted in and out of camp. First Frank then came Penobscott, what a jackass he was, Hawkeye thought to himself. Both of them had the best woman in the world by their side and both treated her like dirt. She deserved more than that. Then after the divorce came Scully and Per. How would he measure against them. He hated to think he was placed on the same pedestal as Frank and Donald. He thought he was above that, he wanted to be placed above all men in her life, including her father. He realized how scared she was. "I don't want to scare her away" he though quietly to himself "If I do that she will never come back to me."

"Hawkeye" Margaret's voice splintered the uncomfortable silence between them. Hawkeye turned his head to look at her. She had only just woken up and she still looked beautiful. "Have you though much about going back to surgery?"

Hawkeye readjusted himself on the bed and sat up next to Margaret.

"It has crossed my mind, I'm quite happy helping dad out every now and then"

"But Hawkeye, have you thought about what you will do long term?"

"No, not really, I figured I'll just take over the practice one day, dad is getting on a bit now."

"Does going back to surgery worry you?" she asked concerned.

Hawkeye continued to stare in front of him. She could tell that he wasn't entirely comfortable talking about it.

"Hawkeye, you know you can tell me anything and I won't treat you differently or think of you any differently" she said placing her hand on his.

"Well.I just don't know anymore Margaret. I haven't operated since the last day of the war, I have only read a few medical journals since I got back, so I wont be as good as I used to be. I'd hate to think that my skills have diminished. Or even worse.."his eyes began to water "what if.what if I should hurt someone, or do something wrong which could kill them" he said not looking at Margaret but rather at the quilt cover, ashamed of himself.

"Hawkeye, you are the most talented, wonderful, compassionate surgeon I have ever worked with, I refuse to believe that you will never operate again. You are too good for that. You know you are a fantastic surgeon!" she said, trying to encourage him and motivate him. "Hawkeye you are far too skilled to be a general practitioner the rest of you life. Don't tell me you will settle for that"

"Why what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing is wrong with it, but I don't think it is right for you. Some people Hawkeye, become surgeons and yes they have a degree and a piece of paper, but a large number of doctors out there are like Frank Burns. People need you Hawkeye, they need you!" she continued to encourage him.

"What about you Margaret..do you need me?" he questioned, his blue eyes once again piercing through hers.

"Of course I need you. Ever since I met you I have depended on you so much and I always will. You are probably my best friend Hawkeye and I care for you very much, which is why I care so much about your life and your career." She was surprised at how well she had responded to his question, although she knew that he wanted a different answer.

"If you look here Hawk, there is an opening at Portland General, I really think you should apply. It's a position for general surgery. I know your specialty is thoracic surgery but you could start off in general and work your way to where you want to be in the hospital."

"I don't know," he said looking at her.

"You don't know what?"

"If I have the qualifications, you know, what am I gonna tell them? I did my degree in medicine, then I did my residency for a few years in Boston and then I got drafted to do meatball surgery in Korea! It's hardly a glowing resume" he was starting to sound frustrated.

"Well, I would employ you any day, I couldn't think of a better doctor to have on my staff. Now I'm going to take a shower." She said untangling herself of the bed clothes. She got up to get her pale blue dressing gown and looked back at Hawkeye. "I really think you should consider it Hawk," she said with a smile of reassurance across her face.

Hawkeye was left lying on the bed. Maybe he should go for it. "What if I don't get it" he thought to himself, "I'll be the laughing stock of crabapple cove." With that he threw the pillow back down on the bed and cleaned up the breakfast tray and took it back downstairs.