(This is just a little idea that came into my head after re-watching this episode a couple of times - I loved the interaction of Hawkeye and Margaret in this episode!! Anyway, its a one shot, one draft story, so don't expect any prize winning material!! A portion of the story is from the actual show, and a portion of it is mine.)

** This is written with the thought that Donald and Margaret hadn't gotten married yet, but that Margaret had found out what he was truly like before marrying him. When he got transferred to the States she broke off the engagement. The story picks up when Hawkeye returns to camp after having talked to the peace delegates at Panmunjon.**

"You-who, I'm home!" Hawkeye cried as he pulled the jeep to a stop in front of the Mess Tent.

The door of the tent opened and out came B.J., dressed in red - from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. "Howdy, stranger." the man greeted, leaning up against the Mess tent door. "New in town."

Hawkeye looked at his friend in surprise. "Beej is that you?"

"How do you like it?" B.J. asked as he walked towards his friend. Lifting his foot he asked. "Do you think the red socks are too much?"

His friend gave him a puzzled look. "What are you doing, where is everybody?"

"Waiting for their peace delegate, of course, if you'll just follow me." He gestured towards the Mess Tent.

"What's with the Red Skeleton look?" Hawkeye asked curiously.

"What red? It's not red it's anti-green." B.J. replied, stopping at the door of the tent. "You said you wanted things rosey and cheery, so we're making you a little present. In your honor we've designed a new uniform - right down to the hair." He opened the door and gestured for Hawkeye to go inside. With a puzzled look Hawkeye enters the Mess tent and burst into hearty laughter when he sees everyone and everything in red. Everyone cheers and applauds as he enters.

"I do dream in color!" He exclaims as he hugs a couple of the nurses.

"Welcome home!" Potter exclaims as he approaches Hawkeye. Hawkeye bursts into heartier laughter at the sight of him and Radar. He shakes their hands as he continues to laugh.

"What are you laughing at, this is suppose to cheer you up!" Radar exclaims almost indignantly.

"I love it, it's insane!" Hawkeye replies.

"Exactly!" B.J. agrees eagerly.

"Good heavens, get the man a drink!" Father Mulcahy instructs.

"I'll have the red wine." Hawkeye requests.

"Right!" Potter exclaims.

"Okay, I'll get it." Radar adds eagerly as the two move to get some drinks.

Hawkeye laughs at them until he hears another voice call his name.

"Pierce!" the voice called.

Turning Hawkeye replied, "Yes?"

"Pierce!" The voice called again.

"Yes!" Hawkeye repeated as he saw a very tipsy Charles approach, with Margaret holding onto his arm.

"Pierce!" Charles repeated again, his balance very unsteady.

"Uh-huh." Hawkeye replied.

"Oh, there you are." Charles finally noticed him. In a very drunken tone he said. "I have never said this about anyone but myself, but you are a great human being."

"Careful, Curly, you'll hate yourself in the morning." Hawkeye laughed.

"Oh, I do now." Charles assured him as he slowly made his way past him.

Hawkeye and Margaret laughed at him and then turned to each other.

"Margaret!" Hawkeye exclaimed, reaching over and hugging her tightly. Margaret laughed and hugged him back.

"Welcome home, you crazy Galout!" She greeted with in amused tone.

"I did it, I told them all, you should have seen me, I was terrific!" Hawkeye exclaimed, to which Margaret smiled delightedly. "Hey, listen." He gently moved her to one side. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" She asked curiously, a big smile still on her face.

"About you and Donald." He replied. "Are you really breaking up with him?"

"You better believe it!" Margaret exclaimed. "And I can't tell you how great it makes me feel to have that louse out of my life! Its the best thing that could have ever happened to me, the weight of the world is off my shoulders. I feel like a new woman. It's all coming back, the spirit, the confidence."

"Oh, that's great, it's fantastic, it's just what I wanted to hear!" Hawkeye exclaimed in delight. "I'm proud of you Margaret."

"Oh, my God I need a drink." She exclaimed with a mischievous look.

"I may have something better to help lift your spirits." Hawkeye commented with a gentle smile.

"What's that?" Margaret asked, a serious look on her face.

"Well, since I'm getting things off my chest today, I've decided that there is something else that I want to get off my chest." Hawkeye told her, his tone equally serious. "Something that I've been wanting to say to you forever, but I never could find the right time to say."

"What is it?" Margaret pressed, looking at him expectantly.

"I've been wanting to tell you that I think you are the greatest, more incredible woman I have ever met." Hawkeye replied, looking deeply into her eyes. "I have never met anyone who works as hard, who's as dedicated to helping save lives as you. You are a very special person. And I...I love you." He reached up and gently touched her face. "I love you with all my heart."

"Oh, Hawkeye." Margaret smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Do you really love me?"

"Yes, I do. More than anything in the world." He assured her.

"Good, because I love you too." She told him.

He looked at her in glad surprise. "You do?" He exclaimed in disbelief. "Really?"

"Really." She nodded. "I didn't realize it at first, in fact I only began to realize it today. Hawkeye, believe it or not you have been my source of strength these last couple of years. You were the one who helped me through the most difficult times of my life. You are the one who makes me laugh when everything around me seems to be closing in. I couldn't live without you here. I couldn't keep going without out."

"Or I without you." He assured her tenderly. The looked at each other lovingly for a few minutes before Hawkeye suddenly said. "This may sound crazy, but Margaret, will you marry me?"

"Marry you?" She repeated in shocked surprise.

He nodded eagerly. "I love you very much and would give anything to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

She looked at his face, trying to read his expression carefully. He looked so earnest, so true. His whole face showed the depth of his feelings for her and how much he wanted her to be his wife.

"Yes." She finally replied, her tone soft and tender.

"Yes?" He repeated, making sure that he'd heard her correctly.

"Yes!" She exclaimed louder as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug. He hugged her back, his heart thumping with excitement.

"When?" He asked into her hair, his voice choked with emotion. "Soon?" Margaret simply nodded her head. She was too choked up to speak. She couldn't believe that she was actually engaged to Hawkeye, the man she really and truly loved and depended on. Hawkeye pulled back after planting a kiss on her hair and laughed joyously. "Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Pierce. I love the sound of that."

"Major Margaret Pierce." Margaret added, her smile broad. "That sounds just perfect!" The two of them laughed heartily as the others approached with the drinks.

"Here you go, son." Potter commented as he handed Hawkeye a glass filled with a red liquid. Hawkeye laughed heartily when he saw it. "Boy, you made the bone head play of all time." Potter laughed with amusement. "But you sure did something for this motley crew." They all laughed in agreement.

B.J. approached Hawkeye and clasped him on the shoulder. With a mischievous smile he remarked. "Hey, you know folks. I can't put my finger on just who it is, but somebody here looks out of place."

Everyone 'oh'ed in expectation.

Hawkeye, realizing who they were referring to began to object. "OH, no, hold it...wait...hold it, Beej...Beej, wait a minute!"

"No waiting!" B.J. exclaimed as he, a few other guys and Margaret picked Hawkeye up and flipped him upside down over a pan of red dye.

"I'll look like a tall Irish Setter." Hawkeye protested earnestly as they prepared to dunk his head. Everyone laughed heartily.

"Any last words?" B.J. asked as they held Hawkeye over the dye pan.

Hawkeye paused for a moment and then replied resolutely. "We who are about to 'dye' salute you." Then he grabbed his nose as if he was about to be plunged into deep water. They slowly dipped his head into the pan.

When they pulled his head out everyone let out loud cheers and whistles of admiration followed by loud applause.

"Thank you, thank you." Hawkeye acknowledged, bowing slightly to his admirers. Then looking at B.J. he requested. "Could I have a mirror please...and a towel."

"Here Hawk." Margaret laughed and held up a mirror so he could look at his reflection. Taking the towel B.J. handed him, he began to dab at the dyed water that was beginning to run down his face and forehead.

B.J. laughed heartily. "That's the worst looking dye job of the bunch." He exclaimed in amusement as he clasped his friend on the shoulder.

"What are you talking about, I look great." Hawkeye protested as he continued to wipe his face. "Rhonda Fleming eat your heart out!" Margaret and B.J. laughed heartily at their friend.

Suddenly the group heard someone exclaim in surprise, "What the hell?!"

Father Mulcahy stepped over to the newcomer and asked, "Excuse me?"

Looking at the other man the newcomer asked, "Why does everyone have red hair?"

"Oh, you noticed." Mulcahy commented, removing his red hat from his head. "It does sort of stand out, doesn't it."

"I'm looking for a Colonel Sherman Potter." The man exclaimed in crisp tone.

"He's over there." The priest gestured towards the bar. "The one drinking with both hands."

The man walked over to the Colonel, who was drinking alternately between the two glasses he was holding. "Colonel Potter, I'm Major Dean Goss, I-Corps."

Turning to look at the man who addressed him the Colonel replied, his voice slightly slurred. "Colonel Sherman Potter." He looked at the man closely for a minute. "Who are you?" "My name is Goss, I-Corps." The man repeated. "I'm here from Panmunjon to see your Captain Pierce."

"Oh, you are?" Potter drawled slightly. "I assume this has something to do with the earlier incident that took place up there today, ah, earlier."

"Yes, it does." Goss replied. "Now where is your Captain Pierce?"

"Yeah, he's the one with the read hair." B.J. replied in a non committal tone.

"What are you going to do with him?" Radar asked anxiously.

"He's innocent and you're not taking him no place." Margaret commented, standing protectively in front of her fiancé.

"Margaret!" Hawkeye exclaimed in amusement.

"Ssh, you stay out of this!" She told him, her expression worried.

Everyone began talking at once.

"Come on people, settle down." Potter exclaimed, raising his hands for silence.

"Look, Major, let me explain..." Hawkeye began.

"Quiet, Pierce." Potter told him.

"Well, at least let me explain what happened..." Hawkeye persisted.

"Stand back, son." Potter warned. "You're probably in enough hot water already." Addressing Goss he continued. "Major! I'll grant you that his going up to the Peace Talks wasn't the brightest thing to do, but it had some damn good results back here."

"You tell him, Colonel." B.J. exclaimed in support as the others murmured their agreement.

"All of these people have been in this thing a long time, doing the kind of work they do day after day, with no end in sight, it has to get to them." Potter informed the man seriously. "What Pierce did today, was let a few people know that we're tired and we want to go home."

"That's right." Margaret exclaimed as the others murmured their agreement.

"It was a shot in the arm for all of us!" The Colonel concluded forcefully.

"The defense rests." Hawkeye remarked enthusiastically.