Hawkeye sat up in bed, grinning. He couldn't believe the day was finally here. He looked at the clock. Good, it was nine o'clock so he could wake them up without hearing them say it was too early still. He got his favorite (and well - worn) red robe out of his closet and went to wake up his dad, but in a minute he realized he was already up. However, Margaret was still asleep. Hawkeye walked into her room, walked up to her bed and tapped her shoulder. She groaned and rolled over. She never had been a morning person. "Time to wake up...you do know what day it is, right. Oh, dad's already up," he said, rater loudly. She sighed and sat up. "I'm up, happy?" she snapped. "Not yet. Go get dressed," he'd learned to ignore her bad attitude in the morning. He left and went downstairs, greeted his dad, and went to get his surprises ready. A few minutes later, Margaret walked down the steps, apparently still half asleep. "G'morning, Margaret," Daniel greeted her. "G'morning," she replied. Hawkeye ran into her in the hall. "Good morning. Ready?" he greeted. "Well, I'm awake, out of bed, and dressed. What more do you want?" she asked. "Just wondering. DAD! C'MON!" Hawkeye called. They walked to the living room where they'd set up the Christmas tree around the day after Thanksgiving and wouldn't take down until the second of January. "Okay, who opens first?" asked Daniel. Margaret pointed to Hawkeye, Hawkeye pointed to Margaret, and Daniel rolled his eyes. "Hawkeye, you first," Daniel said. "Well, Hawkeye I think this will suit you perfectly," said Margaret as she handed him a package. He opened it and shoot her a look. "What is it, Hawk?" asked Daniel. Hawkeye held it up. It was a Hawaiian shirt that was a lot nicer than the one he'd had in Korea. "Margaret, are you implying my fashion sense stinks?" he asked. "Maybe," she grinned wickedly. "I'm afraid to see the other stuff you picked out," he teased. "Hey!" she exclaimed and threw another package into his lap. This time, he was thankful for his gift. It was a short book she'd written for him about their childhood. He had tears in his eyes as he flipped to the back of the book. "'Through all these years and all the changes, one thing has stayed the same; you were there for me, and I'll always remember that,'" he read. He leaned over and hugged her. "Thank you," he whispered. She hugged him tighter. After five more minutes, Hawkeye stood up to get surprise number one. "I'll be right back," he said. He ran up the steps to the guest room where the surprise had been and then stopped in his room on his way back downstairs to get the other surprise which he slipped into his pocket. He walked down the hall. "Margaret, close your eyes!" he called. Daniel walked over to her and put his hand over her eyes, just in case. Hawkeye came in, "I'll give you a hint: it's alive and goes 'meow.'" He set the kitten down in her lap and Daniel took his hand away from her eyes. "Hawkeye! It's so cute!" she exclaimed. "'It's a she. Name her whatever you want," Hawkeye said, smiling. "I think she looks like a phantom...that's her name then. Phantom," said Margaret. The kitten was tiny, and did resemble a phantom with black and white markings on it's face that looked like a mask and still more markings on it's back that looked like a cape. He'd decided to get her a kitten because the pets she'd had when she was younger and moved in with the Pierces' had since been, well, killed by Alvin shortly after she'd moved out. He needed something to abuse, it seemed. She'd never told anyone (not even Hawkeye!) how her mother had died. Just thinking about it made her sick. And grateful. She was happy she had a safe place to live, away from her father. No one knew exactly how evil he was. No one but his own daughter who'd witnessed the worst of him. She heard her mother crying sometimes late at night, but wouldn't admit to herself why that was. She'd had the same problems with Alvin as her mother had, the only difference being she was still alive to tell the tale. Well, on a happier note, Hawkeye reached into his pocket and pulled out the last surprise he had for Margaret. One he knew could change both of their lives - permanently. He told her a shortened version of their lives together so far before the most important thing they ever would be able to share. He'd practice this little story for months and prayed it'd help convince her, "We had a lot of dreams when we were younger, they thought we were crazy, but we had the hunger. We made a lot of friends, skipped a lot of class, been on top of the world and knocked on our -" "AHEM" that was Daniel. Hawkeye skipped over that part and said, "We lost touch, we lost in love, we lost our minds when things got tough, but beatin' time is a losin' fight, so I guess we're doin' alright. I want better than that, though." This is it, the moment where he could lose it all or gain it all, "Margaret Jean, will you marry me?" Margaret just stared at him. Tears filled her eyes as she answered. "Yes. Ben Pierce, I love you. Now and forever."
A ridiculous grin crossed his face when he heard her answer. They had a private joke that he had to use at this moment, "From here to eternity?" It made no sense to anyone other than them. There was another part to it, but they'd shortened it to that so no one knew - and no one ever will (well, except for this story's teller...). She nodded seriously. Then, both started to laugh. Daniel was confused, not knowing what their little joke meant. They reached for each other and hugged. The tears in Margaret's eyes from minutes before finally spilled over. They were not tears of joy. Anger. Regret. Sadness. That's what they were from. "Hawkeye, I have to tell you something you aren't gonna like," she said through tears. Daniel started to leave. "No. Stay," said Margaret. He obeyed. "My father, as you know, is a horrible person. You don't know how bad until you hear what I have to say. A few years ago, when my mother died I cried for days, didn't I, Hawkeye?" she asked. "Yes. I remember," he responded. "You thought it was because my mother had died, but it wasn't. I was happy, sad, and afraid at the same time. Happy I hadn't been there. Sad she was gone. Afraid because I knew how she had died. Alvin. God, you don't know how bad it was! There were days I didn't know if I'd see the next morning. I'd just lie in bed, afraid to face him," she was sobbing too hard to go any further. Hawkeye made her just sit in his lap and he rocked her back and forth. Daniel got up and left the room. He had something to ask her, but had decided it could wait for quite awhile.