Margaret sat in her office at work staring down at the papers in front of her. Her mind wasn’t in it at the moment. She was dead on her feet and ready to go home. She was waiting for was the clock to turn to 5PM. All she wanted to do was go home and lay on the couch with a magazine.

She looked up from her work when she heard a knock on the door. It was probably another nurse complaining about her job. Margaret was not in the mood for that. "What?!" She snapped.

The door opened and she waited to see who it was. She saw that it was Hawkeye and she sighed in relief. "Hi baby. What’s wrong?"

"I thought you were a nurse, and I don’t feel like dealing with their petty bullshit right now."

He looked at her with mild surprise. She was being awfully forward about it, and she wasn’t one to complain about her job. "Oh. Well, I didn’t bring any ‘petty bullshit’ with me, so am I okay?"

She smiled at him and moved her work aside. "You’re always welcome."

He smiled at her and took a seat in a chair on the other side of her desk. "What’s going on?"

"I’m just tired, that’s all."

"You look horrible."

She gave him a sarcastic smile, "Thanks a lot."

"Sorry."

"It’s okay." She walked around the other side of her desk and sat on his lap. "I’m so tired."

"Go home."

"I have a half an hour and then I’m going to get the baby and go home."

"You go home," he said stroking her hair. "I’ll call the sitter and ask her to keep him until I get out. I’m sure she won’t mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She yawned and completely relaxed on him. "Thank you."

He kissed her head. "You should go home now. Can’t you get out early?"

"I suppose I could if I had to, but I don’t have to. I can wait."

"Okay. Danny and I will leave you alone tonight so you can get some rest. I don’t want you to run yourself ragged and get sick."

"Okay," she yawned again. "You better go so I can get this done."

He gave her another kiss and waited for her to get up, but she didn’t move. "Honey?"

"Mmm?"

"You have to get off of me if you want me to leave."

She picked her head up and looked at him. "Sorry."

He smiled and gave her a soft kiss. "I’ll see you tomorrow at work."

"Okay." She stood up and waited for him to stand. "Are we still on for Friday?"

"Of course." He gave her one last kiss. "I love you."

"Love you," she smiled and watched him leave. She sighed when the door shut and sat back down at her desk to finish her work. The words on the page were running together and she couldn’t concentrate. She decided to hang it up for the day a little early and go home.

When she got there, she took a long hot bubble bath, ate some toast, and then went to sleep. She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. Her body was so tired, and she had been running herself a little ragged lately. She was down at Hawkeye’s every night and spent every waking moment with him and Danny. Living at her own place seemed like a hassle now.

Hawkeye picked his son up and went home. Danny had just gotten over the flu. He hadn’t had it all winter, just colds, but he got it during the summer. Hawkeye was afraid that Danny had given it to Margaret. He would have to go see her the next morning at work and see how she was doing.

Danny had seen Margaret everyday for as long as he could remember. And the last few months she had been there when he went to bed and picked him up after she got out of work. He didn’t like it when she wasn’t there that night for dinner. He asked about her all through dinner and no matter how much Hawkeye answered his questions, he kept on asking.

Margaret woke up earlier than usual. She found herself bent over the toilet throwing up. This wasn’t the first time, and she didn’t think it was going to be the last. She had a few other symptoms that made her think she may be pregnant, and she knew she had to go see a doctor to find out. She didn’t know what to think or feel.

Hawkeye had a surgery in the morning so he waited until lunch to go see her. He brought some lunch and went to her office. She had told him that she was going to be stuck in her office all week long, so he could find her there if he needed her. So, when he got out of surgery he grabbed something to eat in the cafeteria and went to her office.

"Knock, knock," he said as he opened her door. He smiled when he saw her smiling up at him. She looked much better than she had the day before. "Hi baby. I brought you lunch."

"Thank you." She stacked all the paper work in one pile and moved it to the floor. "Are you eating with me?"

"Of course," he smiled. He sat everything down on her desk and then walked over to her to give her a kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she lied. She didn’t want him to know that she thought she might be pregnant. "I was just tired I think."

"Oh. That’s good to hear. You’re little shadow asked about you all night long. You’re coming to dinner tonight, right?"

"Of course. I’ll pick him up from the sitter after I get out."

"Thanks. I hope you’re not that hungry. All I got was some sandwiches from the cafeteria, and they’re not very good."

"It’s fine."

Hawkeye took a bite of his sandwich and then looked at her. "Are you sure you’re feeling okay?"

"Yes, why?"

"You look a little pale."

She smiled at him and his concern. "I’ve been cooped up in this damn office for two days. Who wouldn’t be pale?"

"You have a point there. Do you still want to go out to dinner Friday with me?"

"Do you have a sitter for the baby?"

"All set," he smiled. "Are you feeling up to it?"

"Honey, I’m fine. I was just tired yesterday."

"Okay."

Margaret made an appointment that day, without anyone knowing. to go see her doctor. She had to know what was going on right away. She didn’t want to tell Hawkeye right away; at least not until she knew for sure. She hated keeping it to herself, but she didn’t want to tell anyone at this point.

That afternoon at 3PM she got out of work and went to see her doctor. She wouldn’t get the results right away, but she would get them the next day. She was just there for a quick test and it was back to work like nothing ever happened. No one needed to know what was going on. There was already some gossip about her and Hawkeye and she didn’t need anymore.

Margaret picked up the baby at quarter after five at his normal sitters. He was very happy to see her and ran into her arms when she got there. He acted like he hadn’t seen her in weeks. "Hi honey," she smiled.

"Hi Maggie. Me and you go home?"

"Yes. Go get your shoes on."

"Okay."

He ran off to get his shoes and Margaret talked to Jane the sitter. "How was he?"

"He was great. No trouble."

"Good. He’s a good boy. No accidents?"

"None. He’s doing great with potty training. I think he’s done."

"Knock on wood," Margaret smiled.

"Boys are a little tougher than girls when it comes to that."

"I’ve heard."

Danny came running down the hall with a smile on his face. "K Maggie. Time go."

"Yep. Thank you," Margaret said to Jane. "His father will be here at the normal time in the morning."

"I’ll be here," she smiled. "Bye Danny."

"Bye-bye," he waved as he dragged Margaret out the door with him.

Margaret walked down the stairs and onto the sidewalk with him in hand. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yep. Did you?"

She smiled at him. "I’m having more fun now that I’m with you. Would you like to help me make dinner tonight?"

"Yeah!"

"Good!" She mocked his enthusiasm. "I missed you yesterday."

"You no feel good?"

"I feel better now," she smiled. "You always make me feel better." He smiled at her and they talked on their way home. Danny always made her feel better and she always made him feel better. It was a two way street with them.

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Margaret went back to see the doctor the next afternoon. She left work early so she could go over there and get her results. She didn’t want to hear them over phone. When she got there the nurse led her into an examining room in the back and told her to have a seat. The only thing to sit on was the bed, so she sat down and looked around the room before the doctor came. 

There were baby pictures on a bulletin board of some babies that the doctor had delivered. The room was cold, but she was sweating. She was wringing her hands nervously and trying not to focus on all the babies in the pictures. It was very hard, and she didn’t succeed. The only thing that got her attention away from them was when the doctor walked into the room with a smile on his face. 

"Good afternoon. How are you feeling?" 

"Like my heart is going to explode," she answered honestly. 

He chuckled at her. "Don’t be so nervous." 

"I’ll be better once I know the results." 

He smiled at her. "I got the hint. Well," he opened her chart. "The good news is that you’re very healthy…" 

"Oh God," she groaned. "That means that there’s bad news." 

"Calm down," he smiled. "The better news is that you’re feeling under the weather because you’re pregnant." 

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She had never heard those words spoken to her before. As much as she knew it was coming, she was unprepared for it. "I am?" 

"You are! Congratulations." 

"Thank you," she shook his hand absent mindedly. 

"I set up an appointment for you to come back and see me." He handed her a slip of paper. "If that’s inconvenient for you, you can reschedule on your way out that door." 

"It’s fine." It was on a Monday, so she knew she could make it. 

"Do you have any questions for me?" 

"Ah…no…not right now." All the questions she had couldn’t be answered by him. She was worried about everything and confused. She didn’t know if she was going to be a single mother or not. She knew Hawkeye would want to be part of the baby’s life, but she didn’t know if he wanted to be with her forever. 

She left the doctor’s office and didn’t know how she got home. Somehow on the way home she picked Danny up from the sitters and the two of them walked back to her place. Danny talked to her and told her about his day, but she couldn’t recall what he said.

"Maggie, wanna pay wif me?" Danny asked as they walked into her apartment.

"Not right now, honey. I have something I have to do. Go ahead and play."

"Okay."

Margaret went into the kitchen where she was out of earshot of Danny, but could still keep an eye on him. She picked up the telephone and dialed her sister in New Hampshire. She needed to talk to someone and she couldn’t think of anyone better. She and her sister shared everything.

"Hello?"

"Abby?" Margaret asked.

"Maggie?" She wasn’t sure if it was her sister or not. She new something wasn’t right because her sister didn’t even say hello.

"Yes."

"Is something wrong?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Are you okay?"

"Can you talk?"

"Yes. Dave took the two older kids to the park and the baby is here with me, but she’s sleeping. Now talk to me. You’re worrying me."

"Alright." She paused and looked into the living room to make sure Danny was still occupied. "I’m pregnant."

"You’re what?!"

"I’m pregnant," she said again. "I found out today."

Abby smiled brightly. "That’s great!"

Margaret sighed. "I’m 34, I’m single, and I don’t know what to do."

"Yeah, I guess that could be a problem. What did Hawkeye say?"

Margaret cringed because she knew her sister was going to blow a head gasket. "I didn’t tell him yet."

"What?! Why the hell not?"

"He’s at work and I just found out."

"Why are you telling me, Maggie? You need to tell him. He should be the first to know. It’s his baby."

"I needed someone to talk to."

"Why?"

Margaret thought her sister was being a little thick headed. "What do you mean ‘why’?"

Abby sighed and rolled her eyes. "You need to talk to him."

"Abby, we’re not married, hell, we’re not even engaged, and now I’m pregnant."

Abby shook her head. She thought her sister was making more out of this than it was. She knew Hawkeye and thought the world of him. "Does he love you?"

"Yes."

"Do you love him?"

"With all my heart."

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with him?"

"More than anything."

"What’s the problem?"

"That we’re not engaged, we’re not married, we haven’t talked about it, and now I’m pregnant."

"I know Hawk, and I know he’ll ask you to marry him."

"I can’t do that."

"But you just said…"

"I know what I said. I can’t marry him because of a baby. I need my marriage to be built on more than that."

"I don’t know what to tell you Maggie. I wouldn’t get too worried until you talk to him."

"That’s easier said than done."

"You’re making more out of this than it really is. Call me tomorrow when you know more about what’s going on."

"I will. Don’t you dare say anything! I’ll kill you."

Abby laughed at her older sister. "I know you will. I won’t say anything to a soul."

"Thank you. Bye."

"Bye. I love you."

"Love you." Margaret hung up the phone and sighed. Her sister didn’t make her feel that much better. She knew who would though. She walked into the living room and sat on the couch and watched Danny play for a moment. He was in a world of his own laughing and playing with his toys. It made Margaret smile just looking at him.

After a few minutes Danny spotted her looking at him. He got up and walked over to her and climbed onto her lap. "Hi Maggie."

"Hi baby," she smiled. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah. Me hungry."

She looked at her watch. "Well it is getting close to dinner time. You and I should go to your house and start dinner."

"Me wants to stay wis you."

"I’m going with you. We’ll make dinner at your house tonight and I’ll stay to put you to bed."

"And a bas?"

"And a bath," she nodded with a smile. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Are you gonna get off my lap so I can get up?" He smiled and shook his head no. "No? What do you mean ‘no’?"

"You has to carry me."

"I do?" He nodded yes. "What if I…tickle you?!" Margaret started to tickle him and he roared in laughter.

"Ah…no…Mommy…no! Dat tickles!"

Margaret smiled at him and kissed him. "I love you cutie."

"I wuv you too Mommy."

"What?" He would call her ‘mommy’ more and more lately. It was by mistake, but she wasn’t sure he should do that. As much as she wanted to be his mother, she had to wait for Hawkeye to be ready.

"I wuv you Maggie."

"I ‘wuv’ you too," she smiled. "Let’s go get dinner."

Margaret and Danny went down to Hawkeye’s apartment and started dinner. It was six thirty by the time Hawkeye got there, and he arrived just as Margaret was getting the food on the table. The three of them sat down and ate a nice dinner together. Danny did most of the talking that evening. Margaret was pretty quiet because she was trying to figure out how to tell Hawkeye that she was carrying his baby. She didn’t know how she was going to tell him, but she did know that she was going to wait until Danny was in bed.

Margaret put the baby to bed at 8:30PM and then waited for Hawkeye in the living room. He was in the bathroom taking his time. Now that Danny was in bed, she was getting anxious. She just wanted to get this over with now. Holding it inside was too much for her.

Hawkeye went strait from the bathroom to his bedroom. "Hawkeye, come here," she called.

"No. You come here."

"Why?"

"I have something to show you. Come in here."

She walked into the bedroom and saw him lying on the bed with a smile on his face. "What?"

"Come here," he patted the bed.

"No. Hawkeye, we need to talk. This is serious."

"You can talk and lay down at the same time. You’ve done it before."

"Not now. I need to talk to you."

He saw that she was being serious and sat up. "Alright. Sit down." Margaret sat down next to him and stared into his eyes. "What’s wrong?"

"Well," she started. "I don’t know how to say this." She paused and looked down at her hands and then back into his eyes. "I’m pregnant."

His jaw dropped to the floor and he stared wide eyed at her. He couldn’t hear anything; his hearing stopped and he just stared at her. He had heard those words once before and couldn’t believe he was hearing it again. He saw her lips moving once again, but he didn’t hear anything.

"Hawkeye, are you okay? Can you hear me? Hawkeye?"

He finally heard her voice. It was shaky and uneasy. "Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

"I don’t know."

He saw the tears in her eyes and didn’t want this to be a bad thing for her. He loved her and didn’t like to see her hurting. He knew what he had to do. "Marry me."

"What?!"

"Marry me, Margaret."

"I can’t do that."

"Why?"

"We can’t get married just because of this baby."

His heart started to speed up and he looked at her in horror. "Are we over?"

"I don’t want us to be."

"Neither do I. Why won’t you marry me?"

She sighed and looked into his eyes. "Because you asked me for the wrong reason."

"No, baby. You’re wrong. I’ve wanted to marry you for a long time. I’ve been waiting for the right time to ask you."

She wanted to believe him. "How am I supposed to believe that?"

He knew she was being cautious and he couldn’t blame her. He reached into his nightstand and pulled out a little red velvet box. "I’ve had this for a month. I’ve been waiting for the right time to ask you. I was going to do it tomorrow when we go out to dinner, but this seems like a better time to ask." He got down on bended knee and opened the box to show her the ring. "I love you with all my heart and I want you to be mine forever. Will you marry me?"

She smiled at him. He made things seem so simple and all her problems go away. "I love you Hawkeye and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and raise our babies together."

He grinned. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes!" She smiled holding her hand out for him to slip the ring on.

"Wow! Perfect fit." He kissed her and than got up and sat down next to her on the bed. "I love you baby."

"I love you too." She threw herself into him and started to cry softly. She had been holding back her emotions about the whole situation, and now it was all coming out.

"Hey," he said rubbing her back. "You’re not crying, are you?" She kept her head on his chest and nodded yes. "Why? What’s the matter?" He pulled her head off of him and wiped her tears. "Don’t cry."

"I’m sorry."

"Don’t be sorry. Tell me what’s wrong."

She sat up and wiped the mascara off her face. "I was afraid I would have to raise the baby alone and that I would lose you and Danny."

"You would never lose us. You know I wouldn’t let you raise this baby on your own."

"I know, but I was afraid."

"Don’t be. I’m here so you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll take your fears and toss them out the window."

She smiled and chuckled. "I feel so much better."

"Good. Now I can panic."

"What?"

He breathed in and out to calm himself down. "Okay…you’re pregnant. You’re sure about this?"

"I found out for sure today." She had panicked so she thought it was only fair to let him have his turn.

"Okay. So…you and I are having a baby." She nodded. "We have to get married right away." She nodded in agreement. "Do you want the baby?"

"YES! What kind of question is that?"

"Well, Danny’s mother…"

"I know," she nodded. "Yes, I want this baby. I want to marry you, I want to move in with you, I want to be Danny’s mother, and I want to be this baby’s mother," she placed a hand on her stomach.

He smiled widely and moved his hand to her stomach making her move hers out of the way. "A baby, huh? How far along are you?"

"Six weeks."

He thought for a moment and then smiled again. "Yes, I remember. The condom broke and you did want me to stop."

"That was you!"

"Whatever," he grinned.

"Did you want more kids?"

"Ever since Danny started to walk I’ve wanted another one."

She smiled at him and placed her hand over his. "What do you think Danny will do when he finds out we’re getting married?"

"When he finds out that you’re going to be his mother, he’ll be the happiest kid that ever walked the face of the earth. All those times he’s slipped and called you ‘mommy’ will be gone. He can call you ‘mommy’ all he wants. Unless you don’t want him to."

Margaret slapped his chest. "Of course I do."

He grabbed his chest. "That really hurt."

"You deserved it."

He smiled and moved in to kiss her. "I love you," he mumbled before he kissed her. He laid her down slowly and kept on kissing her. She gave into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Stay," he whispered.

"I can’t."

"You can," he kissed his way down her neck.

"Danny."

"Sleeping. You’ll be gone before he wakes up."

"No."

"Yes."

"No," she moaned as he sucked on her neck.

"Yes."

"Hawk…"

"Sshhh."

Margaret had to go to work the next day, and so did Hawkeye. It was Friday so he would have the weekend off, but she still had to work on Saturday. After she got out of work on Saturday they were making plans for the wedding. Hawkeye had wanted to do it Friday, but they had dinner plans and couldn’t really plan things out. They did talk about some things though.

Margaret would move into his place, but she said that she had full rule on how the house was decorated. He laughed and let her have that. Then there was the matter about telling everyone about the baby. They decided not to tell anyone. She wasn’t very far along and they wanted to wait until she was a little further along to say anything. They didn’t want to deal with the questions at that point either.

"Margaret," Hawkeye yelled out the window.

Margaret looked up to see him standing there. "Yeah?"

"Can you stop at Mrs. Holton’s and get Danny on the way up here?"

"Yep," she yelled. She could see that he wasn’t wearing a shirt and that he was probably in only his boxers. It was 3 in the afternoon, but he wasn’t dressed or he took a nap while Danny was at the neighbors. "Lazy bastard," she mumbled to herself.

Margaret stopped in and picked Danny up. She chatted with the woman for a while and then escaped and went to Hawkeye’s house. They were going to start to move things throughout the week so that they didn’t have to do it all at once. They still had to tell Danny about the two of them getting married before they did anything.

"We’re home," Margaret said as she walked in. Danny ran in ahead of her and jumped into his father’s arms. "What have you been doing all day?"

"Not too much." He walked over to her with his son in his arms and gave her a kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. I don’t want to do anything today."

"You don’t have to. Come sit down."

"I’m going to run up to my place and change into some shorts. It’s hot as hell out today."

"Hurry. I have a surprise for you."

She smiled and gave him another kiss. "Be right back."

Margaret ran up to her apartment and quickly changed her clothes. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. It was too hot to be worried about how she looked. Then she went downstairs to Hawkeye’s place. She thought about how much easier it was going to be when she didn’t have to run to her house all the time, because Hawkeye’s place was becoming their place.

Hawkeye smiled at her when she came back inside. He was sitting on the couch. "Let’s tell Danny."

"Now?"

"Yes. I have something to tell you after we tell him."

"Okay." She sat down on the couch next to her future husband. "Danny, honey, come here and sit on my lap." He ran over to her and jumped onto her lap. "Wow, you’re getting so big."

Hawkeye looked at his son. He couldn’t wait to tell him that he was getting a mother. "Danny, do you love Maggie?"

"Yep."

"Me and Margaret are going to get married. Do you know what that means?" He shook his head no. "That means that Maggie will be your mother."

"Oh," he didn’t sound enthused at all.

"Don’t you want her to be your mother?"

Danny looked at her sadly and then back at his father. "No."

Hawkeye saw that look on Margaret’s face. She looked like her heart had been ripped out and stomped on. "What? I thought you loved Maggie."

Danny looked at Margaret like he was going to cry. She looked the same way. "Me wants you be my mommy," he cried. "Not moffer."

Margaret breathed a sigh of relief. "No honey, it’s the same thing. I’m going to be your mommy. Don’t worry."

Danny started to calm down and looked at his father. "Daddy, Maggie my mommy?"

"Yeah buddy," he smiled. "Maggie is your mommy. You can call her mommy if you would like to."

Danny looked at Margaret for her permission and she nodded. "Mommy?"

"Yep. Is that okay?"

"Me wuvs you."

"I love you too honey," she smiled and gave him a hug.

Hawkeye watched the two of them and could only smile. He knew for a long time that Danny wanted Margaret to be his mother, and that Margaret wanted to be his mother. Sometimes it was hard when Danny would call her ‘mommy’, because neither one of them knew what to say to him. Now they didn’t have to worry about that at all. Danny had a mother now and Margaret was now a new mother and mommy-to-be all at the same time. Things would work out just fine.

"Me wants a dwink," Danny stated.

"I’ll get it," Hawkeye said. "What do you want honey?"

"Water will be fine. Thank you."

"Sure," he smiled. When he came back Danny was gone to the bathroom but Margaret was there waiting for her drink. "Here you go madam."

"Thank you."

He placed Danny’s drink down on the coffee table and then made himself comfortable on the couch. Margaret was sitting on the end of the couch with her feet on the coffee table so he decided to lie down and use her lap as a pillow. He loved how her hands would instantly go to his hair and she would run her fingers through it and scratch his head. "When do we tell people about our little surprise?"

"I want to get to the third month first before we tell anyone. Is that okay?"

"That’s fine with me."

"Now what was it that you had to tell me?"

"Oh, that I have our wedding planned."

"You do, huh?" She didn’t know what to think of that.

"Yes. Just family. You can call your parents and your sister and we’ll meet them up in Maine at my father’s house. When do you want to do this?"

"I was thinking a week from tomorrow. I don’t want to wait any longer. I don’t like being by myself upstairs knowing that my fiancé is down here all alone in the big empty bed."

He smiled, "Then move in with me until we can set a date that everyone will be able to make it to."

"No."

"Why?" He was staring strait up at her.

Margaret waited until Danny was out of the way. He had just come out of the bathroom and was making his way to the pile of toys in the corner of the room. "I’m not just moving in with you. You have to marry me first."

"You know, for a woman who is knocked up you have morals." Margaret gasped and smacked him hard on the chest. "Ow," he rubbed the spot where she hit him. "It was a joke. You don’t have to be so violent."

"Well you don’t have to be such an ass all the time!"

"I was kidding."

"Well it isn’t funny."

"Fine. Would you like to hear about the rest of the wedding?" She didn’t answer him. "Okay. I’ll tell you anyway. I was thinking that we should get married over by the cliff, but I’m not so sure now. I think you might shove me off." Margaret rolled her eyes as he continued. "Like I said, just family. Something small and informal. We could get married in shorts and I could wear my famous blue Hawaiian shirt."

"You will not!"

He chucked to himself. "What do you think of the plans so far?"

"They’re good ideas, but they need some fine tuning."

"You take care of the details."

"I will."

"So, do you think everyone will be able to make it?"

"I know my sister will. She lives just over the Maine border. I don’t know about my parents. They could make it if they wanted to. I know my mom will come, but my dad is another story. I have to call them and tell them."

"You haven’t told them?"

"When would I get a chance? I was going to do it today."

"You better get to it missy."

"Don’t tell me what to do!"

He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her neck forcing her to bend down and kiss him. "I love you so much. Have I ever told you that?"

"Yes and I expect you to keep telling me everyday of my life."

He smiled at her. "Maybe you should go make some phone calls this afternoon."

"You’re right. You call your father and tell him Sunday is the wedding and I’ll call my family and tell them, but don’t say anything about…" she looked up to see if Danny was paying attention. "The baby."

"I know. Get some clothes while you’re up at your place. You’re spending the night."

"I am?"

He sat up and looked at her. "Do have any idea how much I hate knowing that you’re up there all alone carrying our child? I can’t sleep with you in my arms, I can’t hold back your hair when you throw up from the morning sickness, I can’t make you breakfast, I can’t do anything."

She smiled. He had to be the sweetest man that ever walked the face of the earth. "I’ll stay the night only because Danny won’t know, but after that I won’t be sleeping with you until we’re married."

"Deal." He gave her a kiss. "Now go make your phone calls."

Margaret went upstairs and did what she had to do. She gathered her things to spend the night at Hawkeye’s trying to muster up enough courage to call her father and mother. Talking to her sister was no problem because she already knew what was going on. Margaret had called her the next morning and told her all about it. She just had to call her and tell her to be in Maine next weekend. After she hung up with her sister, she called her mother and then her father to tell them.

Hawkeye wondered what happened to her when she still wasn’t back after he got off the phone with his father. He called up to her place and the line was busy so he knew what she was doing. He decided to let her do what she needed and pray that her parents were coming. She would be devastated if they weren’t going to go to their wedding.

It was after 5PM when Margaret came back downstairs. She seemed to be happy, but it was hard to tell. Hawkeye grabbed her bag from her and tossed it into his room. "What did they say?"

"My sister and the kids will be there Saturday. Dave will fly in on Sunday. He’s in New York City, so he’ll fly in."

"What about your parents?"

She walked into the kitchen and he followed her like a little puppy. "My mom will be there. She was a little shocked because she said it seemed so sudden."

"We’re known each other for 7 years."

"That’s what I told her."

He sat down at the table and watched her as they talked. She looked like she was starting dinner because she was looking through the cabinets. "What else did she say?"

"She’s happy for us. She said she expects grandchildren from me soon."

Hawkeye smiled, "She doesn’t realize how soon."

"She has Danny now too."

"Yes."

"What do you want for dinner?"

"I don’t care."

"Okay."

"What else did she say?"

"Not that much. She’s happy for us and can’t wait to see us."

"Good." Hawkeye and Danny had met Margaret’s mother two months ago when she came to visit. Kate was a wonderful woman and Hawkeye loved her. She took care of Danny like he was her grandson. When someone was good to his son they were always at the top of his list. "Now for the big question, what about the Colonel?"

Margaret sat down on her fiancé’s lap and gave him a kiss. "You know my father."

"Yes I do, and I’m scared of him."

Margaret laughed. "He gave me a nice long lecture, but he’ll there Saturday."

"Good. My father said all we have to do is be there Saturday and get things ready for Sunday. He’ll have the rooms cleaned and said that your family is more than welcome to stay there if they want to."

"That’s nice of him."

"No. I got rid of all of them. A friend of mine had a kid not long after Danny was born so I gave everything to him. We’ll have to get all knew for this baby."

"Okay. I’m gonna start dinner. How does grilled cheese sandwiches sound to you?"

"Sounds good. It’s too hot to cook anything."

"Yeah." She gave him a kiss and then stood up. She looked into the living room to check on Danny and then she started to make dinner.

Margaret and Hawkeye straitened things out with work to get time off for a honeymoon. Friday after they got out of work the three of them headed to Maine for the weekend. Margaret’s sister was going to be there the next morning with her girls and her husband was coming Sunday morning.

"Mommy," Danny whined from the back seat of the car.

Margaret couldn’t help but smile when he called her that. He hadn’t called her Maggie since they told him he could call her mommy now. "What’s the matter baby?"

"Me wants to get out."

"We’re going to Grandpa’s house. We’ll be there soon."

"Me haves to go potty."

Margaret looked at Hawkeye and he talked to his son. "Okay. We’ll stop in a few minutes. Can you hang on?"

"Yeah."

Margaret smiled at Hawkeye. "Do you know how much I love him?"

Hawkeye reached over and squeezed her hand. "Like he was your own?"

"Yes."

"He is."

"Sunday he will be."

"That’s right."

"You know something?"

"What?"

"Last week I was so scared when I found out about this baby. I thought I was going to be alone."

"I would never let that happen."

"I knew you would want to be part of the baby’s life, but I didn’t know if you wanted to be with me forever."

"I feel like an ass for making you feel that way."

She smiled at him. "It’s all okay now."

"That’s right. Wait until we get there. You know all we’re going to hear is when we’re giving my dad another grandchild."

"We’ll hear that from everyone except Abby."

"What do you mean?"

She hadn’t told him that her sister knew. She knew she had to, and this was as good of time as any. "I called her after I found out for sure."

"What?"

"Well you were at work and I didn’t know what to do. I had Danny with me and I needed to talk to someone. I couldn’t just sit down and cry in front of him."

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

"I am telling you."

"Why didn’t you say something before?"

"I don’t know. Is it that big of a deal?"

"You were hell bent on not telling anyone about the baby and you already told someone."

"I was scared and alone. What did you expect me to do?"

"I don’t know," he sighed.

"Are you angry?"

"No, I guess not. I can understand. She is your sister after all."

She smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

They arrived at Dan’s house within an hour and were greeted with smiles and hugs. He was so happy that his son was getting married. He often thought Danny was missing out because he didn’t have a mother to care for him. Having is son get married took a lot of worries off his shoulders. Margaret would take care of Hawkeye and he wouldn’t have to worry about that.

Margaret’s sister arrived late the next morning with her three nieces. Lizzie was 5, Hannah was 4, and Molly was 9 months old. It was a two hour drive from where they lived, so it wasn’t that bad. Margaret was so glad to see her sister and be able to talk face to face.

It was a beautiful day late in June. After Abby had seen the house Margaret and she went for a walk. They left the two oldest girls back at the house with Hawkeye and took the baby. The other kids were in the pool and didn’t want to leave anyway, so they didn’t care that their mother and aunt were leaving them. Danny had wanted to go though.

"Mommy," he pleaded. "We wants to go wis you."

"I’m just going for a walk honey," Margaret said. "Stay here with Daddy and I’ll be back soon."

"Yes," Hawkeye said. "Stay and play in the pool with Lizzie and Hannah."

"Yeah!" Hannah said excitedly.

"I’ll be back," Margaret said. She bent down and gave her soon to be son a kiss on the cheek. "Be a good boy."

"I will."

Margaret gave Hawkeye and kiss and then she and her sister left with Molly. She was too little to stay and she didn’t know Hawkeye well enough to be comfortable with him. The three of them walked down the hill and onto the beach for a peaceful walk away from anyone old enough to repeat what they were talking about.

"What do you think of this place?" Margaret asked her sister. They were walking barefoot along the beach with the baby in tow.

"Why do you two live in Boston?"

Margaret laughed. "I used to ask Hawk that all the time. I think he’ll want to come back here one day."

"I would."

"Me too. I’d rather raise my children here than in Boston, or any city for that matter."

"Of course. Does he know I know?"

"I told him on our way up here. He seemed a little hurt, but he said he understood."

"Do you think he did?"

"I think so," Margaret smiled.

"Will you take her?" Molly was getting heavy.

Margaret took her niece with a smile. "Hi baby. Aww, look at that smile. You’re such a cutie."

Abby saw her sister’s face light up with the baby in her arms. "How much do you want that baby now?"

"I’ve always wanted the baby."

"You know what I mean."

Margaret smiled, "Now I’m looking forward to seeing its face. It doesn’t scare me anymore because I’m not doing this on my own."

"I knew it would all work out for you. When I first met Hawkeye two months ago I knew he was the one for you."

"He’s a good man."

"He seems it. I see that Danny is already calling you ‘mommy’ now."

"Yes," she smiled. "The last few months he’s been slipping and calling me ‘mommy’ more and more often. At first it was just when he was over tired or sick and then it became when he was laughing at something. In the past month it’s been worse. He would say it a lot and wouldn’t even know he said it."

"Aw," Abby smiled. "The poor little guy’s been resisting the urge for a long time, hasn’t he?"

"He has," she smiled. "He doesn’t have to worry about it anymore."

"Does he know he’s getting a new baby brother or sister?"

"No! He has a big mouth. You, Hawkeye, and I are the only ones who know, and I want to keep it that way."

"When can I tell people?"

"When Mom or Dad call you and tell you I’m pregnant. Pretend like you didn’t know."

"Okay."

"Let’s head back up to the kids. I don’t know how good Hawkeye is at watching three kids in the pool."

"Girls too," Abby smiled.

Margaret smiled, "He’s not too good with little girls. He doesn’t know how to handle them. He looks at them like their fragile and will break."

"Dave used to do the same thing until Lizzie was about two. He’s used to it now with three girls."

"I’ll bet."

Margaret and her sister talked about their families as they made their way back up the hill to the house. Molly had fallen asleep on her aunt’s shoulder on the way back to the house. The two women went inside once they got to the house and put Molly down on the couch. Abby asked Margaret if she would watch her other two girls while she stayed in the house with the baby. Margaret said yes and went outside to the pool.

"Hey," Hawkeye smiled when he saw her walking over to him.

"Hi," she smiled. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I survived with these three monsters." He was in the water with the kids. Abby’s girls knew how to swim and they could touch the bottom in the shallow end of the pool. Danny was sleeping in a lounge chair wrapped up in a towel. Margaret knew he would be sleeping once she came back. He had been tired and was due for a nap.

"Monsters? Did they beat you up?"

"No," he grinned. "You coming in?"

"Yeah." She kicked off her shoes and started to take off the sundress that she had over her suit. "It’s really hot out."

"I know." He eyed her as she undressed. She was wearing a pale yellow two piece. "Wow."

She smiled and hopped into the water. "You like it? I haven’t had a chance to show it to you yet."

"Very sexy," he smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "You know how easy it would be for me to undo this top?" He placed his hands on the string that was tied behind her back."

"Don’t you dare," she moved out of his arms.

"I wouldn’t. There are children present."

She smiled and moved into his arms once again. "I missed you last night."

"Me too," he gave her a kiss. "My bed was very lonely."

"Mine too." Margaret glanced around and saw her two nieces climbing out of the pool. "Don’t wake Danny," she told them.

"We won’t," Lizzie said.

"Okay," she looked back at Hawkeye. "How were the girls?"

"Great. You know something?" He kissed her again.

"What?"

"You’re awfully sexy for a woman who’s knocked up."

She slapped him on the chest. "You know I don’t like it when you say that to me."

"I know," he grinned evilly. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, you look very sexy."

"That’s because I’m not showing yet. I’m only 7 weeks."

"Even if you were 7 months I would still think you were sexy."

She smiled at him and gave him a kiss. "Good. You better remember that when I look like a cow."

"I will."

"You’re supposed to say that I won’t look like a cow."

"But you will."

"Hawkeye!"

"I’m kidding," he laughed.

"Yeah right," she tried to move out of his arms, but he wouldn’t let her. "Let me go."

"For a kiss."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." She sighed and gave in. Hawkeye pulled her tighter to him and gave her a long passionate kiss. They pulled apart because Lizzie and Hannah jumped in around them splashing water all over them. The two little girls started laughing hysterically. "You think that’s funny?" Hawkeye teased with a smile.

"Yes," Lizzie laughed.

"How about you?" Margaret asked Hannah.

"Uh huh," she nodded with her wet blonde curls bouncing.

Margaret narrowed her eyes and then went after her niece. Hannah started laughing and tried to get away, but the water was up to her chest and she couldn’t swim that fast. Margaret caught her and started to tickle the little girl. "I got you now."

"Aunt Maggie," Hannah smiled. "Will you take me out there?" She pointed to the deep end of the pool.

"Sure," she held the four year old in her arms and Hannah hung onto her as they walked out there. "Come on Hawk." Hawkeye swam out there and left Lizzie in the shallow end by herself. She decided that she could swim the length of the pool and started her trip. Margaret saw her trying to make it out there. "Come on baby," she encouraged. "You can do it."

Lizzie smiled at her and tried her hardest to make it. "Can you help me?"

"Get her," Margaret told her fiancé.

Hawkeye swam out and grabbed the child’s hands and pulled her closer. "Better?" She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck hanging onto him. "Good. You want to go back to Aunt Maggie?"

"No." She had fallen in love with her soon to be uncle. She had a bit of a crush on him. The only problem was, was that Hawkeye wasn’t too sure how to handle little girls.

"Okay." Margaret smiled watching him. He was so funny when it came to little girls. Margaret and Hannah played together in the water and left Hawkeye and his new girlfriend to get to know each other.

Lizzie looked at Hawkeye and decided to be the first one to talk. "My mommy said that you’re my new uncle."

"That’s right. When Aunt Maggie and I get married tomorrow I’ll be you new uncle."

"Danny calls Aunt Maggie ‘mommy’ now. Is she his mommy?"

"She will be tomorrow."

"Well, I was thinking…" she started.

"Yes?" Hawkeye smiled. This child was very amusing.

"Since Danny calls her mommy, do you think I could call you Uncle Hawk now?"

"Of course you can," he smiled.

"Good. Cause I like you a lot."

"I like you too."

"Good," she smiled. "I’m glad Aunt Maggie is marrying you. I like Danny. I never had a cousin before."

"You do now."

"Yep," she smiled proudly. "And an uncle."

Margaret smiled to herself. She could hear her niece talking to Hawkeye. Lizzie was a very cute little girl and had the most wonderful personality. Hannah noticed her sister’s fascination with Hawkeye too, and like any good sister, had to pick on her. "Lizzie has a new boyfriend," she chanted.

"NO!"

"Uh huh."

Lizzie was getting mad. She had a temper like her aunt. "Aunt Maggie, tell her I don’t."

"Hannah," she tried to be serious. "Stop teasing her."

"Okay." She looked at her sister and mouthed something to her.

"Aunt Maggie, she’s doing it again."

Margaret looked at the child in her arms seriously. "Hannah Rose, be good."

"Sorry."

Margaret and Hannah swam over to Hawkeye and Lizzie. "Are you having fun?"

"I am," Hawkeye smiled.

She leaned over and kissed him. Neither wanted to let go and kept kissing softly. "Ooooo," the two little girls said in unison.

Hawkeye and Margaret started laughing. "I can do that. She’s my girlfriend."

"That’s right," Margaret said. "I’m getting out and drying off."

"Me too," Hannah said.

"I want to stay in with Uncle Hawk."

"Okay." Margaret and Hannah made their way over to the ladder and then they got out. They stayed there for a while and went back to the house after Danny woke up. They all had to get ready because Margaret’s parents were coming and they were all meeting them in Portland and having dinner together.

Daniel was the only one that didn’t go to dinner with everyone. He had to work, and he didn’t want to go anyway. He preferred staying close to home. Everyone else had to go. The kids were looking forward to seeing their grandparents. Danny knew Kate, but he had never met the Colonel. Margaret wasn’t too sure how her father was going to react to the little boy because he was Hawkeye’s child.

Margaret picked her parents up at the airport and they went over to the restaurant to meet everyone else. After the greetings and introductions they had a good lunch. Hawkeye was pretty quiet, and so was the Colonel. They listened to the women talk and kept an eye on the kids to make sure they were behaving themselves.

After dinner was done, they went back to Dan’s house and the in-laws met each other. The Colonel and Dan seemed to hit it off and spent most of the night in the den talking about the old days and the way things used to be. Al and Kate were staying at an Inn in town. They weren’t together anymore so they were staying in separate rooms. They didn’t want to impose.

Abby and the girls were staying at Dan’s so Abby could help her sister out with the wedding. It was small, but there were still things that needed to be done. Later that night after Al and Kate left and Dan retired to his bedroom downstairs, Hawkeye started to pester Margaret about going off alone for an hour or so, but she wouldn’t give in.

Margaret was in the bathroom brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed. She had already put Danny to bed and her sister was putting the two oldest girls to sleep in the den. Molly was sleeping the room Abby and Margaret were sharing. Hawkeye knocked on the door and when she answered he walked in.

"Hawkeye!" She was standing in her bra and a pair of pajama shorts. It was a good thing it was him and not Daniel. "What are you doing?"

He shut the door and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Bothering you. What are you doing?"

"Brushing my teeth," she spit into the sink and cleaned her toothbrush under the running water.

He waited until she was done and then turned her around in his arms. "I can’t wait for tomorrow night."

"I know. Five days in the Bahamas without any kids. I do feel a little guilty leaving the baby with your dad for that long."

"They’ll love it." He moved her hair away and started to kiss her neck.

"Hawk, stop."

"No."

"Yes. We’re not doing this. Tomorrow we can do whatever you want."

"Tonight."

"No!" She moved out of his arms and grabbed her pajama shirt after she took her bra off she put it on.

"Why do you always brush your teeth with your shirt off?"

"Because I don’t want to get toothpaste on it."

"Oh," he nodded. "Are you nervous?"

She looked at him and gave him a tender kiss on the lips. "Not at all. I want to start my life with you."

"Good." He wrapped her up in his arms and started to kiss her. His hands started to roam under the back of her shirt and they made their way around to the front. He kept kissing her to stop any protest and made his way up to her chest. His squeezed her breasts and she jumped back.

"Ouch, Hawkeye!"

"What?" He didn’t know what he did.

"They’re tender. That hurt."

"Oh honey, I’m sorry. Why do they hurt?"

She rolled her eyes and said in a low voice. "I’m pregnant you dolt."

He smiled at gave her a hug. "I’m sorry."

She leaned into him and let herself be held for a moment. "Tomorrow you have to leave bright and early. You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding."

"That’s just a myth."

"No. It’s the rule."

He laughed and pulled back. "Well then, if it’s a rule, then it must be followed."

"Yes. Now go to bed."

"You come with me," He opened the bathroom door and led her out.

"No Hawkeye. The baby’s in there."

"Just lay with me. We’ll talk. We haven’t been alone all weekend."

She smiled at him and his begging. "We’ll be alone tomorrow. Our plane takes off at 4PM."

"Yes but we won’t land for hours."

"Stop being such a baby."

He looked at her with his lower lip out and big puppy dog eyes. "Please."

She sighed. How could she give into that? "Alright, but just for a few minutes."

He smiled at her and they walked to the room that he and Danny were staying in. He crawled into bed and then patted the empty spot next to him for her to join him. She laid down and cuddled up to him. "See, isn’t this nice?"

"Yes, but I’m not staying. Just for a few minutes."

"I know. So, tell me what your dad had to say when you brought him to his hotel."

"He said he still doesn’t like you and he thinks I can do better, but that I seem happy and in love, so I have his blessings."

"That’s good."

"Don’t feel bad about him not liking you. My father doesn’t like anyone my sister or I bring home for him to meet. And he always hated any boyfriend that was serious, so he absolutely loathes our choice of husbands."

"I see. What did he think about Danny? I saw his face when he called you mommy."

"Oh," she smiled. "He knew that you had a son. I told him that months ago."

"You didn’t answer my question."

"Well, I don’t know how to answer it. He thinks Danny is a great kid. My father loves boys."

Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "What does he think of me having a kid?"

"I don’t know. He wouldn’t say anything bad to me. He knows I love Danny like he was my own."

"Good!"

Margaret smiled and gave him a kiss. "I’m gonna go to bed before I fall asleep in here."

"Stay."

"Hawkeye," she scolded. She gave him another kiss and then tried to leave, but he held her there. "Let me go before Abby comes looking for me." Just as she said that there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Hawkeye said.

"Abby. Is my sister in there?"

"Come in," Hawkeye said.

Abby walked in and saw the two of them in bed. She smiled at them. "Oh, if Daddy could see you now."

"Shut up," Margaret said.

"Are you sleeping in here?"

"No." Margaret gave Hawkeye a nice long kiss and his grip loosened on her and she slipped out of bed. "Goodnight."

"Night," he sighed. He wanted her in his arms. "I love you."

"Love you," she smiled. She walked over to Danny’s bed and gave him a kiss on the head before leaving.

She and Abby walked back to the other bedroom. They were sharing the bed in there. Molly was in a crib that they used to use for Danny when he and Hawkeye were there. He was too big for it now. It was the end of June now and he would be 3 in the beginning of September.

The next morning Hawkeye was out of the house like he promised. He took his son with him, and his father, and they left the women to themselves. Kate came over and helped her daughters and granddaughters get ready. It was nice to be alone with all her girls like that. She was very happy that her oldest daughter had finally found happiness and contentment with her life. She could tell her daughter had never been so happy.

Dan decided to go get Al and the two of them went fishing that morning. They sent Hawkeye and Danny to go get Dave in Portland. The two older men talked with each other about their children. Dan set a lot of Al’s fears at ease that morning. Al had been worried about his little girl getting hurt again. She had been hurt so many times before, and he didn’t want to see that happen again.

Hawkeye and Danny picked Dave up and they got something to eat in the city. Hawkeye was told to keep busy and stay away from the house until noon. Then he could come back and start getting ready. He and Dave didn’t care. They would rather be out doing something than with the ladies trying to get things together.

When Hawkeye saw Margaret emerge from the house he felt his heart start beating faster. Her dress was fairly simple, but it made her glow. It was a strapless gown with small beads sparkling in various places. She looked wonderful, and Hawkeye found himself wanting to run to her and be next to her. He had to wait for her father to hand her over, so he stayed put.

Margaret was so anxious to get to him and finally marry him. Her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies, but she wasn’t sure if that was it. She had a baby in there that was causing her a fair amount of nausea, and she didn’t want to throw up. She smiled at Hawkeye as her father led her over to him on his arm.

They made their way through the vows, and before they knew it, they were married. Margaret had tears on her face and without missing a beat, Hawkeye wiped them away before they could ruin her makeup. She saw the tears in his eyes, but he never let them out.

Danny ran into his father’s arms after they kissed. He had a smile on his face the whole time. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he knew that it was something good and that it was between Hawkeye and his new mommy. He knew that after the wedding Margaret was going to live with them. They had told him that. He loved the idea and couldn’t wait for it.

The two families talked and laughed the rest of the afternoon. It was the first time that they were blended like that, but it seemed to be working out fine. All of the kids got along with one another. The adults got alone, other than Hawkeye and Al, and Dave and Al. Now that Dave had daughters, he could understand where his father in law was coming from. He told Hawkeye that he would understand one day when he had a daughter.

By 5PM Hawkeye and Margaret were on a plane heading south. They had said goodbye to everyone, including Danny, which was the hardest to say goodbye to. He didn’t seem to care though. He was going to spend the week with his grandfather.

"You look tired," Hawkeye said.

"I could use a nap."

"Take one. We have a while before we land."

"Yeah." She leaned into him and closed her eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you, and this baby," he placed his hand on her stomach.

"I’m glad things worked out like this."

"Me too."