Chapter Text
Charles Emerson Winchester III tries to inhibit an enormous yawn as what must be the hundredth graduate comes to shake his hand on the Harvard stage. The role of ‘diploma giver and hand shaker’ had seemingly been given to him on account of some grievous happenstance, some spiteful interference which meant he was currently having to share bacterial material with all of the Harvard medical school class of 1976.
He can barely register any of the gargantuan number of names being pronounced over the loudspeaker, and the unbearably youthful visages beaming with jejune optimism all blur into one undefinable mass. Another student, who will probably go on to accidently puncture a patient’s lung while performing a hysterectomy, slips on the stairs as he walks up to receive his diploma. He waves to his parents, who are completely oblivious to the ungodly harm they have set on to the world.
As Charles continues to shake the sweat drenched hands of what must be half the student population, he attempts to entertain himself by replaying the story of his life to try and locate the exact thing he had done to deserve such a horrifically trite and prosaic task, despite being more than capable to………
“Ahhhhh!!!!!!!”
He screams as a jolt of electricity shocks him through his hand, sending his arm flying past him. He shakes it a few times as the pain wears off and looks to see whose malicious handshake caused this.
Of course, it’s Erin Hunnicutt.
She hides the buzzer before he can say anything to her, her diploma in the other hand. He internally debates whether to cause a fuss or let himself look like an idiot, as she simply grins widely.
Trying to raise any sort of complaint would mean having to interact not only with Erin and her ilk, but also the student advisor, who, for some reason, hates him. So he settles on straightening his back, pretending it never happened, giving the prankster his best dirty look and letting her move on.
It’s his rotten lot in life.
Half of Batali’s, a tiny Italian hole in the wall, has been colonialised by Erin’s entire graduating party. This includes her granddad, two sets of parents, her aunt and uncle, their kids, along with Margaret. Shelby finally made it, despite it being touch-and-go for a while, with her job in DC and everything. But most importantly, Jack is there. The nerve damage is his hand is still bothering him, but she’s so glad he’s ok.
Everyone chats loudly around the table, even before anybody has starting drinking yet. It’s a hassle to order, as her Mother has to repeat everything twice in confirmation and none of the kids have properly installed a volume gauge. BJ seems to emit a constant air of gloating, either because Erin graduated or more likely, because she had the last minute idea to shock Winchester on the podium.
Despite the fact that her Mother and Hawkeye Do Not Get Along, they seem to have put aside their differences for what might just be one of the best nights of her life.
Shelby finds it all very amusing, observing Erin’s family like a zoologist in the jungle. Erin just tops up her wine.
Her bliss is cut off by the knocking of glassware with cutlery. It takes a ridiculous amount of time for everyone to shut up, and BJ has to tap his glass several more times before he has everyone’s full attention.
“I wanted to say a few words.” He starts with. “Don’t worry, I didn’t write a speech. I’m keeping that for her wedding. I just wanted to say that…..I am the proudest Father in the world right now, I can’t believe my little Er-bear has…..” Oh god, he’s started crying already. “Has managed to get a degree from one of the finest schools in the country. I’ll have to admit, when she told me she was going to Harvard, as a Stanford man, I was hurt. But, you can’t say Erin Hunnicutt doesn’t know what she wants, and won’t stop at anything to get it. And, well, if she had gone to Stanford, I wouldn’t have met back up with Hawkeye…….”
Hawkeye takes BJ’s hand from where it was perched on his shoulder, squeezing it affectionately.
“So, for that, I am internally grateful. Four generations of doctors in my family now and I just know that my brilliant daughter is going to do great things, and I am unbelievably proud.” He whimpers, slightly. “To Erin!”
“To Erin!” the rest of the crowd cheers, raising their glasses. Erin can feel her face getting redder and redder.
After the dinner and bittersweet goodbyes with the rest of her family, with Margaret even giving her a kiss on the cheek, Hawkeye and BJ give Erin a lift home. Hawkeye drives as BJ guides from the passenger seat, still beaming, looking over at Erin at few times and grinning.
“Listen, me and Hawk were talking, and we know residencies are really stressful, and we think it might be better for you to live with people you know. Who can take care of you. And who won’t charge rent.”
Erin makes eye contact with him from where he’s leaning across the car.
“You want me to move back in?”
“You could save a lot of money.”
Erin had had to move out when BJ and Hawkeye first got together. Just the noise was excruciating.
She managed to find a place with two roommates who didn’t go at it like a couple of newlyweds in their twenties every night. It was great for her psyche. She loved BJ and Hawkeye, but there was a limit to how much of moaning noises and bedframes squeaking over thin walls she could take before she would succumb to insanity.
“Honestly?” she answers. “I was thinking, after my sabbatical, I might look for a residency on the west coast.”
“Really?”
“I’m bored of Boston.” She shrugs.
BJ looks to Hawkeye, a question on his face.
“I’d sell the house, and we could move to California..” Hawkeye says, shrugging.
“Really? You’d do that?” BJ asks.
“I know you want to be near her.”
Contented silence stretches between them. She can sense BJ’s happy surprise and Hawkeye even winks at her through the wingmirror.
“Is there no way for me to avoid you guys anymore?” She complains, not cruelly.
“Not until your grave. Or ours, more likely.” BJ says, matter-of-factly. “Take the next right, it’s shorter.” He says to Hawkeye.
“That way we can be around to babysit the grandkids.” Hawkeye says, as he turns the car.
“Don’t put ideas into Dad’s head.”
“And what about Shelby? You’ll be far from her.” BJ interjects.
Erin considers this for a few seconds.
“Maybe I’ll try New York then. Anywhere but here.”
“You’ll be working a lot. Not much time to take in the sights of the big apple. It might be better to find somewhere more peaceful, maybe somewhere, like, let’s just say…… Maine? Random example.”
“Your Dad would appreciate that.” BJ says.
“He says he doesn’t need a nurse, but he’s a stubborn son of a bitch. He’ll need help sooner or later, and the house is big enough for all of us…………….”
“There! There’s a parking spot, quick, take it!”
“I’ll have to parallel park.”
BJ gives a resigned sign that he has made many times before. “Get out, I’ll do it.”
After the whole familiar parking debacle, Hawkeye walks Erin up to her house, while BJ stays in the car. An idea pops into her head.
“I liked Portland when we visited.”
“It’s only 40 minutes from Crabapple.” Hawkeye signs. “You know I’m thinking about retiring soon, and I always dreamed……”
“Of doing it in Maine. I know.”
“Your Dad doesn’t want to live very far from you.”
“And he doesn’t want to live very far from you either.”
“So it would really work for us, all around.” He keeps his hands in his pockets as he continues walking.
Erin stops at her door, and fumbles with her keys as Hawkeye leans on the porch. “Erin, can I say something?”
She turns to him and forgets about the door. “Sure.”
“Before you go run all over Europe, just want you to know I’m also very proud of you, for graduating. I know it’s hard. I also want to thank you, again. If not for you interfering in other people’s lives, I wouldn’t be planning retirement with the love of my life. So, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiles back at him earnestly. earnestly. It’s nothing she didn’t know before, but its nice to hear it.
“I still haven’t received my matchmaking fee, though.”
“You’d really drain the last penny out of an old man?”
“Think of it as ……………a graduation present.”
Hawkeye chuckles. The night is so calm and peaceful. Temperate.
“I’ll think about Maine. It’s not such a bad idea.” She says. “But I’ll need my own place.” She will definitely need her own place.
“I have a friend who has a studio overlooking the ocean in Portland, she might rent it out.”
Erin makes a ‘hmmm’ noise as she finally gets the door open. She lingers for a moment. “I will consider it.”
“Well, good night.” Hawkeye shrugs in his oversized clothes and starts to walk away. She watches him stop suddenly, and he turns around. “I forgot to mention. I love you!” He calls out from the front lawn.
“I love you too!” She yells back. A neighbour somewhere south of her cries out a complaint, but she doesn’t care.
She’ll be moving out soon, anyway.