After the War
Title: After the War
Fandom: M*A*S*H (the TV show)
Word count: 1,180
Rating: G
Summary: Hawk and B.J. meet up after the war, as do Margaret and Charles (Emerson Winchester the third)
Author's Notes: I wanted Hawk and Beej to meet up at least once after the war.
Chapter 1: B.J. Hunnicutt (Mill Valley, California)
I'll see you back in the States, I promise. But just in case, I left you a note. ~B.J. to Hawkeye (Goodbye, Farwell and Amen)
B.J. Hunnicutt sat at his kitchen table in Mill Valley, California, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
“Good morning sweetheart,” Peg said, kissing the top of his head as she passed him.
“Morning.”
“I had a wonderful idea when I woke up this morning. I thought we should go out to dinner tonight.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“It’s been one year since you came home,” Peg said, pouring a bowl of cereal.
“Wow, really? It seems longer and shorter all at the same time. You’re right, we should celebrate.”
“Great,” Peg said, and glanced at the clock. “Well, I should go get Erin up, and you need to get to the hospital.”
B.J. picked up his coffee mug, but it was close to a minute before he took another sip.
B.J. stood behind the island in the kitchen fixing himself a martini.
“Hey bartender, pour me one?”
“Come here often?”
“From time to time.”
Peg took a sip from her glass.
“So what’s going on?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You haven’t been the same since I mentioned today’s significance.”
B.J. sighed, before taking a sip from his glass.
“It’s complicated. As Potter said, ‘It’s hard to call what we went through as fun, but I’m sure glad we went through it together.’”
“You miss your war buddies. I don’t see what’s so complicated about that.”
“When I left, Hawk was the last guy I saw. I promised him we’d get together when we got back home. I didn’t really believe myself, and neither did he, but I couldn’t imagine not having him around anymore.”
“He lives in Maine, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well. . .my parents live in Nebraska, and they would love to see Erin again. The way I figure it, Nebraska’s about half way between California and Maine, and I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind one more. . .maybe we could go visit them and you can invite Hawkeye.”
“Really? Peg, you’re a genius!” B.J. said, kissing her. “I love you.”
“Mom! Dad!” Peg called when she spotted her parents.
She hurried over to them, carrying Erin in one arm and a suitcase in the other. Peg placed the suitcase down, handed Erin to her mother, and hugged her father. B.J. came up behind her with the remaining suitcases.
“When is your friend coming in?” Louisa Hayden, Peg’s mother, asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” B.J. answered.
“We figured we’d drive your car to pick him up. That’s okay, right?” Peg said.
“Perfectly,” Louisa answered.
After Erin had gone to bed, the four adults sat in the living room drinking nightcaps.
“B.J. tell us about your friend,” Peg’s dad, Harold said.
“Hawkeye’s great. He’s the best friend I had in the war, which is ironic because he didn’t like me very much at first. We had some good times together. We’d play practical jokes on each other. He’s great. You’ll love him. Not to mention he’s a damn good doctor.”
“Com’on Peg, it’s time to go,” B.J. whispered, shaking her awake.
“What time is it?” she mumbled. “And how much coffee have you had?”
“Com’on I can’t wait for you to meet Hawkeye.”
They arrived at the airport and waited. And waited. And waited.
“That’s Hawk’s flight!” B.J. exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Before Peg could respond, B.J. was running over to the baggage claim.
“Hawkeye!” he shouted.
“B.J.!”
The two men ran to each other and embraced.
“You shaved your mustache!”
“I hope you have stopped smelling your food.”
“Of course: I know what I’m eating.”
“It’s so good to see you,” B.J. said, and kissed Hawkeye’s cheek.
“Well gosh Beej, what will Peg think?” Hawkeye said, before kissing B.J.’s cheek.
“Come meet her,” B.J. said.
They walked the couple of feet to where Peg stood.
“Hawk, this is Peg. Peg this is Hawkeye.”
“Beej, you never said how beautiful your wife is.”
“Shut up, yes I did.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Peg,” Hawkeye said, before dipping and kissing her.
“And you,” she said, laughing.
"Com’on you have to meet Erin; she’s at Peg’s parents’ place right now.”
"Mom, Dad,” B.J. said, “This is an old war buddy of mine, Hawkeye Pierce.”
“It’s nice to meet you Benjamin,” Louisa said.
Hawkeye looked at B.J. and Peg with an expression of disbelief on his face.
“She calls me Margaret,” Peg said, shrugging apologetically.
“So, what does she call you?”
“B.J.”
Hawkeye threw up his hands in exasperation.
“I’m going to find your birth certificate.
“Mrs. Hayden, I can see where Peg gets her good looks.”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling. “And please, call me Louisa.”
“Ganpa, can I go swim?” Erin asked.
“Of course sweetheart.”
“I’ll go help her get dressed,” Peg said, and followed Erin to her room.
“Well come on Natty Bumppo, how would you like to join B.J. and I out on the patio for drinks?”
“I would love to. As long as they don’t taste like lighter fluid.”
“Dad, you really should not let Hawk make you a martini. Ever.”
“Army alcohol. Yes, I remember those.”
At dinner that evening, Hawkeye raised his fork to his nose, as though to sniff the food. He and B.J. looked at each other, pointed and said, “Ohhh!”
Chapter 2: Margaret Houlihan (Rochester, Minnesota)
Those two, they're ruining this war, for all of us! ~Margaret Houlihan (Pilot)
My dearest Margaret,It is with a heavy heart that I inform you my wife has divorced me. However, this does mean we have the opportunity to finally be together. Please, my love. Love, Frank.
No matter how much her job moved her, Frank Burns’s letters always seemed to find her. There had been a time when she would have given anything to be Mrs. Frank Burns. But that was a long time ago. She tossed the letter into the fire.
Upon arriving to work, Margaret checked the surgery board. She was working with a Dr. Winchester.
“What do you know about his Winchester fellow?” Margaret asked Pearl, a fellow nurse.
“Not a whole lot. I hear he keeps to himself. No one likes working with him. They say he’s an excellent surgeon, but has no people skills.”
“Great.”
Margaret walked into the operating room.
“Charles?”
“Margaret!” Just as quickly as the smile came to his face, it vanished. “Well, at least I’ll have one nurse who’s not completely incompetent.”
“Wow, you really haven’t changed, have you? And I thought we were old friends.”
“Forgive me, I never was one to hug and kiss every person I met. Have you kept in touch with any of our old unit?”
“No. You?”
“Those buggards? No. The time I spent with them was enough to last a lifetime.”
“Special delivery!” an orderlie called, wheeling the patient into the room.
“About time,” Charles snapped.
The surgical team took their places round the patient.
“Scapel.”
It was with a certain déjà vu that Margaret handed the tool to Charles.
Fandom: M*A*S*H (the TV show)
Word count: 1,180
Rating: G
Summary: Hawk and B.J. meet up after the war, as do Margaret and Charles (Emerson Winchester the third)
Author's Notes: I wanted Hawk and Beej to meet up at least once after the war.
Chapter 1: B.J. Hunnicutt (Mill Valley, California)
I'll see you back in the States, I promise. But just in case, I left you a note. ~B.J. to Hawkeye (Goodbye, Farwell and Amen)
B.J. Hunnicutt sat at his kitchen table in Mill Valley, California, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
“Good morning sweetheart,” Peg said, kissing the top of his head as she passed him.
“Morning.”
“I had a wonderful idea when I woke up this morning. I thought we should go out to dinner tonight.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“It’s been one year since you came home,” Peg said, pouring a bowl of cereal.
“Wow, really? It seems longer and shorter all at the same time. You’re right, we should celebrate.”
“Great,” Peg said, and glanced at the clock. “Well, I should go get Erin up, and you need to get to the hospital.”
B.J. picked up his coffee mug, but it was close to a minute before he took another sip.
B.J. stood behind the island in the kitchen fixing himself a martini.
“Hey bartender, pour me one?”
“Come here often?”
“From time to time.”
Peg took a sip from her glass.
“So what’s going on?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You haven’t been the same since I mentioned today’s significance.”
B.J. sighed, before taking a sip from his glass.
“It’s complicated. As Potter said, ‘It’s hard to call what we went through as fun, but I’m sure glad we went through it together.’”
“You miss your war buddies. I don’t see what’s so complicated about that.”
“When I left, Hawk was the last guy I saw. I promised him we’d get together when we got back home. I didn’t really believe myself, and neither did he, but I couldn’t imagine not having him around anymore.”
“He lives in Maine, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well. . .my parents live in Nebraska, and they would love to see Erin again. The way I figure it, Nebraska’s about half way between California and Maine, and I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind one more. . .maybe we could go visit them and you can invite Hawkeye.”
“Really? Peg, you’re a genius!” B.J. said, kissing her. “I love you.”
“Mom! Dad!” Peg called when she spotted her parents.
She hurried over to them, carrying Erin in one arm and a suitcase in the other. Peg placed the suitcase down, handed Erin to her mother, and hugged her father. B.J. came up behind her with the remaining suitcases.
“When is your friend coming in?” Louisa Hayden, Peg’s mother, asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” B.J. answered.
“We figured we’d drive your car to pick him up. That’s okay, right?” Peg said.
“Perfectly,” Louisa answered.
After Erin had gone to bed, the four adults sat in the living room drinking nightcaps.
“B.J. tell us about your friend,” Peg’s dad, Harold said.
“Hawkeye’s great. He’s the best friend I had in the war, which is ironic because he didn’t like me very much at first. We had some good times together. We’d play practical jokes on each other. He’s great. You’ll love him. Not to mention he’s a damn good doctor.”
“Com’on Peg, it’s time to go,” B.J. whispered, shaking her awake.
“What time is it?” she mumbled. “And how much coffee have you had?”
“Com’on I can’t wait for you to meet Hawkeye.”
They arrived at the airport and waited. And waited. And waited.
“That’s Hawk’s flight!” B.J. exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Before Peg could respond, B.J. was running over to the baggage claim.
“Hawkeye!” he shouted.
“B.J.!”
The two men ran to each other and embraced.
“You shaved your mustache!”
“I hope you have stopped smelling your food.”
“Of course: I know what I’m eating.”
“It’s so good to see you,” B.J. said, and kissed Hawkeye’s cheek.
“Well gosh Beej, what will Peg think?” Hawkeye said, before kissing B.J.’s cheek.
“Come meet her,” B.J. said.
They walked the couple of feet to where Peg stood.
“Hawk, this is Peg. Peg this is Hawkeye.”
“Beej, you never said how beautiful your wife is.”
“Shut up, yes I did.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Peg,” Hawkeye said, before dipping and kissing her.
“And you,” she said, laughing.
"Com’on you have to meet Erin; she’s at Peg’s parents’ place right now.”
"Mom, Dad,” B.J. said, “This is an old war buddy of mine, Hawkeye Pierce.”
“It’s nice to meet you Benjamin,” Louisa said.
Hawkeye looked at B.J. and Peg with an expression of disbelief on his face.
“She calls me Margaret,” Peg said, shrugging apologetically.
“So, what does she call you?”
“B.J.”
Hawkeye threw up his hands in exasperation.
“I’m going to find your birth certificate.
“Mrs. Hayden, I can see where Peg gets her good looks.”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling. “And please, call me Louisa.”
“Ganpa, can I go swim?” Erin asked.
“Of course sweetheart.”
“I’ll go help her get dressed,” Peg said, and followed Erin to her room.
“Well come on Natty Bumppo, how would you like to join B.J. and I out on the patio for drinks?”
“I would love to. As long as they don’t taste like lighter fluid.”
“Dad, you really should not let Hawk make you a martini. Ever.”
“Army alcohol. Yes, I remember those.”
At dinner that evening, Hawkeye raised his fork to his nose, as though to sniff the food. He and B.J. looked at each other, pointed and said, “Ohhh!”
Chapter 2: Margaret Houlihan (Rochester, Minnesota)
Those two, they're ruining this war, for all of us! ~Margaret Houlihan (Pilot)
My dearest Margaret,It is with a heavy heart that I inform you my wife has divorced me. However, this does mean we have the opportunity to finally be together. Please, my love. Love, Frank.
No matter how much her job moved her, Frank Burns’s letters always seemed to find her. There had been a time when she would have given anything to be Mrs. Frank Burns. But that was a long time ago. She tossed the letter into the fire.
Upon arriving to work, Margaret checked the surgery board. She was working with a Dr. Winchester.
“What do you know about his Winchester fellow?” Margaret asked Pearl, a fellow nurse.
“Not a whole lot. I hear he keeps to himself. No one likes working with him. They say he’s an excellent surgeon, but has no people skills.”
“Great.”
Margaret walked into the operating room.
“Charles?”
“Margaret!” Just as quickly as the smile came to his face, it vanished. “Well, at least I’ll have one nurse who’s not completely incompetent.”
“Wow, you really haven’t changed, have you? And I thought we were old friends.”
“Forgive me, I never was one to hug and kiss every person I met. Have you kept in touch with any of our old unit?”
“No. You?”
“Those buggards? No. The time I spent with them was enough to last a lifetime.”
“Special delivery!” an orderlie called, wheeling the patient into the room.
“About time,” Charles snapped.
The surgical team took their places round the patient.
“Scapel.”
It was with a certain déjà vu that Margaret handed the tool to Charles.