The Day Of

Two weeks before…

"We finally got an answer from Col. Potter," B.J. said, waving an envelope to show the evidence.

"Oh good! I was starting to worry about him."

"Says here that he and Mildred were over in Europe for a few weeks. Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain. Wow, sounds like some serious globetrotting. No wonder it took him a while to reply."

"So they probably don't want to come up to Maine, then, right on the heels of all that traveling?" Hawkeye figured.

"No, no," B.J. shook his head. "Says here they wouldn't miss it for the world. They'll be coming."

Hawkeye smiled broadly. "Great! It would feel somehow… not right… if he weren't there."

B.J. understood exactly.

"Are you still working on that?" Hawkeye asked as he came into the kitchen. B.J. quickly put his hand over the paper, shielding it.

"Never you mind."

Hawkeye laughed and bragged, "I finished mine a long time ago."

Defensively, B.J. said, "This is more-or-less done, I'm just… tweaking it a little."

Hawkeye opened the refrigerator door and helped himself to a can of beer. "Mine practically wrote itself. Just flowed, you know?"

B.J. shot him a look. "I want mine to be just right," he said, waving Hawkeye out of the room. "Now go. Leave me in peace so I can finish, and then you won't have any reason to badger me about it."

Hawkeye shrugged and headed into the living room, saying as he went, "Not badgering you. Just pointing out that the words seem to be coming awfully slowly for you."

"The words are coming just fine, Hawk. And anyway, I wasn't aware it was any kind of a race." Then finally Hawkeye was in the other room, and B.J. took his hand off the paper and got back to work. Typical Hawk, he thought with a smile… Everything's a competition.

"The weather forecast is perfect!" B.J. exclaimed as Hawkeye walked in the door. "We'll be able to be outside after all."

"What did they say for a high temperature?"

"Around 74 degrees. Could it be any more perfect, Hawk? Sunny skies, 74… we are lucking out."

"It would've been all right to have it inside."

B.J. shrugged. "I don't know why, I keep imagining it outside. And now that's going to happen!"

Hawkeye smiled. "Whatever makes you happy, Beej."

B.J. moved into his arms, softly kissed him on the mouth. "You make me happy, Hawkeye Pierce."

"Good thing, considering," Hawkeye teased, just before leaning in for another kiss, this time with a lot more tongue.

"You didn't just sneeze, did you, Hawk?"

"It was nothing. Maybe an allergy. Or dust. It's nothing, Beej."

B.J. was watching him closely. "Oh God, you better not be getting sick…"

"I told you, it's nothing. I'm not coming down with anything. I promise, I wouldn't do that to you."

"Well, getting sick often happens without your consent, you know. I realize you don't intend to get a cold, but it could happen anyway."

Hawkeye reached out and gave B.J.'s arm a stroke. "Don't worry. I feel fine, and that sneeze meant nothing." He leaned in and kissed B.J. on the cheek. "Everything will be perfect, you'll see."

B.J. was more nervous than he thought he'd be. He looked at himself in the mirror and liked what he saw; this was one great-looking tux. He straightened his bowtie, flashed a thousand-watt smile into the mirror.

In his mind's eye, he saw Hawkeye doing the same thing: checking out his tuxedoed reflection in a mirror, ensuring he looked sharp. Just picturing that—Hawk in his tux—made B.J. feel a little weak in the knees.

He heard the music start (a tape recording of Pachelbel's Canon) and knew that was his cue. He took a deep breath and tugged at his cuffs and said out loud, even though nobody was with him, "Here we go."

Silly, to be so nervous, when there was nothing at all legal about what they were doing. It was only a gesture, nothing more. Didn't matter, it meant a whole hell of a lot to him, and for that reason he was scared. But excited too. More excited than scared.

He opened the door and headed outside, into the backyard, where family members and some of their closest friends were gathered—fewer than 20 people, but the ones who mattered the most. Erin, of course, and Col. Potter and Mildred… Klinger… even Radar had made the trip to Maine. Hawkeye's father, sitting front and center, beaming. A couple of their colleagues from the hospital. Kitty and Tim Ward, from a couple houses down the street, perhaps the nicest neighbors B.J. had ever had.

B.J.'s eyes scanned the group as he walked, slowly, toward the center aisle, and it was then that Hawkeye came into view, walking toward him, looking every bit as dashing and handsome as B.J. had imagined, in a gorgeous black tux. B.J. was so stunned, so overcome with emotion, that for a second he stopped in his tracks. Then Hawkeye smiled at him and held out his hand, and that got B.J.'s feet moving again. He took the half-dozen more steps toward his partner, and placed his hand in Hawkeye's.

"Hi," Hawkeye said softly.

B.J. almost couldn't talk. He swallowed, then managed to whisper, "Hi yourself."

For the moment ignoring the assembled group, Hawkeye cast his eyes toward the sky and said, "Beautiful day."

B.J. could feel tears sting at his eyes. Everything was making him so damn emotional. "Perfect day," he agreed.

Hawkeye titled his head a little. "Didn't get sick, did I?"

"No, you sure didn't."

Hawkeye tugged lightly on B.J.'s hand. "So… what do you think? Shall we get married?"

"Yeah," B.J. breathed. "Let's."

Hand-in-hand, they walked up the center aisle, all eyes on them. B.J. kept willing himself not to cry. He was feeling a little ridiculous, that this was practically turning him into a puddle already, and they hadn't even begun, really.

He glanced to his left and saw his daughter, sitting next to Daniel Pierce, grinning ear to ear. He winked at her.

They came to a stop as they reached Father Mulcahy. He too was smiling sweetly at them. It was a day for happy faces.

Mulcahy cleared his throat as the recorded music was finally turned off. B.J. and Hawkeye looked at one another shyly, their hands still linked. The small crowd went completely silent, and the good Father began, "This is the most unusual ceremony I've ever been asked to officiate, but I am delighted to do it. Other men of the cloth might not approve of this type of ceremony—probably many of them, actually—but I am truly honored to officiate this declaration of love between these two men. I've known them both for a long time, and I've seen their bond, their commitment, their love. It's beautiful, and this ceremony, this day, is a celebration of that beautiful relationship."

B.J. looked over at Hawkeye, who squeezed his hand.

"Hawkeye and B.J. have written their own vows, which they will share with us now," Mulcahy added, with a nod in Hawkeye's direction.

"Beej," Hawkeye said, turning to face his partner, "the day I met you, I knew you were the one. You probably don't believe me, but it's true. I looked into your eyes and something told me, this is it, look no further… he's the one. I've never felt more connected to another person in my life. I've never loved anyone this intensely. Seeing your smile lights up my entire day. Hearing your laughter makes me feel giddy. Holding you in my arms brings me peace. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and the fact that you want to spend your life with me makes me feel like the luckiest person on earth. Let's make a life together, Beej. Let's hang onto each other and never let go. We've been through the worst part of our lives… we got through it together… now let's have the best times of our lives together… in love and happy… until death do us part. What do ya say?"

There was some soft laughter at that. B.J., however, had to wipe tears from his cheeks and take a few deep breaths before he could even think about speaking. Hawkeye patiently waited him out, his expression filled with love.

"Hawkeye," B.J. said, then realized his voice wasn't cooperating, so he cleared his throat and started over. "Hawkeye, I can't believe how lucky I am to be standing here today, holding your hand and declaring to you and to everyone gathered here how much I love you. This may not be legal, but it's something you and I will always have. My promise to you is that I'll always be by your side, loving you and supporting you and taking care of you. There is nobody on this earth I would rather spend my life with. You are my other half. When we left each other in Korea, I said, 'I can't imagine what this place would've been like if I hadn't found you here.' Now I say to you, 'I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't found you.' I live for you. I love you."

The last few words were almost inaudible, his voice was on the verge of giving out. But apparently he made himself heard, because most of the folks gathered on their lawn were crying now, including his own daughter. He watched as a single tear ran down Hawkeye's face, and he reached out with a thumb to wipe it away.

After a moment, Father Mulcahy gently broke the silence with, "Lovely. Thank you, gentlemen. Now then, I can't declare you husband and husband, but I can say one thing with absolute conviction: I don't know two people who love each other more. I'm so happy for you both. May you have a long and happy life together." He gestured toward them and concluded the ceremony with, "You may kiss one another."

B.J. pulled Hawkeye to him by the lapel and kissed him firmly on the mouth, teasing a little with his tongue. Hawkeye laughed lightly against his mouth. The small crowd burst into applause, and the pre-recorded music kicked in again, this time Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

The next thing B.J. knew, he was surrounded by a slew of well-wishers, accepting congratulations and getting slaps on the back. Everywhere he looked, he saw joyful faces. He couldn't remember ever being happier.

He didn't let go of Hawkeye's hand the entire time.

"You promised me a honeymoon," he said to Hawkeye that night as they got into bed, exhausted after their eventful day.

"And a honeymoon you will get," Hawkeye agreed. "Just as soon as we can both get a week off from the hospital. Where do you want to go? Wait, let me guess… Tokyo!"

B.J. gave him the evil eye. "Oh ha ha." He settled under the covers, snuggling against Hawkeye's side. "I was hoping for two weeks, and I was hoping Hawaii."

"Hawaii, huh? Well, that might take some doing." Hawkeye pretended to give it some long, serious thought. "Well… OK. If you're willing to wait a while, I think we can manage Hawaii."

B.J. leaned over Hawkeye and gave him a kiss. "You're too good to me."

Hawkeye put his hand on the back of B.J.'s head, bringing him back for a second, more enthusiastic kiss. "Nothing's too good for my husband," he said, and B.J. loved the sound of that. Husband.

He ran his hand over Hawkeye's chest, stroking, playing with a nipple. "Hey Hawk?"

"Hmm?"

"We got married today."

"I know that, Beej. I was there."

"I suppose that means the sex starts to go downhill now."

Hawkeye blinked at him. In one swift motion, he rolled so that he ended up on top of B.J., leaning over him, looking down with a gleam in his eyes. "Oh hell no!" he declared, and then set out to drive home his point.