Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or any characters.

Author's Note: This isn't as long as the first and not much action but the next one is packed full of it! Please review!

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They moved cautiously even in the compound. It wasn't safe to let your guard down and the White team leader didn't trust the mines they set. Just because they set them didn't mean the covenant couldn't still come in. She took point while white-two and three took rear. They walked in a triangle pattern, always sweeping their guns back and forth over the area in front and back.

Just when they were but half of the way to the pelican, a sound from up ahead caught the team leader's ear. She held up her hand and they all stopped. Slowly she balled her hand into a fist and pointed forward. White-two and three faded into shadows on opposite sides of the hallway. Using stealth and silence, the team leader proceeded down the hallway.

The further she went the more clearly the sound came. It didn't sound like a hostile, in fact it sounded like crying. She reached the door where the sound was originating and hugged the wall next to it. Slowly she looked in. A little girl was in the corner, hugging a stuffed dog to her chest and sobbing into its fur. Being just as slow as when she looked in, white-one stepped into the door way.

"Hey there, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your parents?" The spartan said with as much of a soothing, calm voice she could muster.

The girl gave a start, staring up at the yellow reflective platting on her helmet with tear stricken eyes. The spartan stopped, the girl's eyes revealed she was scared, that was what white-one was afraid of.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help." She said in a more soothing voice.

"Are y-you one of the s-spartans?" The girl stammered, whipping one of her eyes with the back of her hand.

She's heard of us then. "Yes, now let's take you to your parents. I'm sure their worried sick." She crooned, bending down in front of the girl.

The girl nodded and crawled into the spartans open arms, hugging her stuffed toy even more.

White-one lowered her shields power on the left side so the girl wouldn't slip and perched the girl on her left arm so she could still use her weapon. Taking her outside the room, she called down to white-two and three, afraid that if she used a COM channel the girl would jump out of her skin when her companions arrived from the very shadows.

"Hey boys, we've got a little snag." The word 'snag' was from their training meaning things that they were unprepared for. But she had slightly prepared.

The other two spartans walked down the hallway, weapons half lowered. When they reached her, she turned and walked with them.

"Aww, she's cutest little snag I've ever seen. Can we keep her?" White-three joked and a small smile appeared on the little girls face.

White-one gave an exasperated sigh. "How many times do I have to tell you? We protect citizens not keep them."

"But…but." White-three protested in a whinny voice.

"No buts. I said we can't keep her and that's final. Besides she's already owned by parents." The girl giggled and they had accomplished making her feel comfortable.

But her comfort was short lived as a rumble shook the ground, it rattled her teeth and she wondered if the girl felt the whole force of that.

White-one opened a COM channel to her squad and said. "They've knocked down our door boys and we're only half way there. Let's continue at a slow jog. I don't want this bundle of joy to be jarred along the way."

The girl handled the pace change well and they carried on in silence nothing change until they were three-fours of the way there.

"Ma'am! Motion scanner shows movement at our rear. And their coming fast!" White-two announced over the COM.

"White-two and three hold them off while I put the bundle in the pelican."

Two lights blinked on her HUD.