"Manny lets go, you're taking too long, this is our first holiday home and you're taking forever." Emma complained.

"I'm coming, calm down." Manny rushed down the dorm's stairs to the taxi that was waiting for them. They were both in the car discussing whatever had come through their minds.

"So has Jay tried to bug you recently?"

"Emma you would have known by now."

It was a car ride that seemed faster than it really was.

Sean and Marshall had just finished telling Bill's mother about her dead son and how honorable he had been in the fire fight. They were driving a black BMW to the wife's house to inform her of the sorrow. Sean's mind was everywhere; to the scenes of the fire fight, to Emma's house being a few houses from Mrs. Bill Dailey. He was dizzy from the lack of oxygen that seemed to avoid him. Perkins pulled in front of the Bill's house and took a deep breath. They exited the car with their uniforms nicely dry cleaned and pressed. Sean moved in unison with Perkins even though he was on a cane. They walked up to the steps and rang the doorbell; out of the corner of Sean's eye he could see a yellow taxi pulling up a few houses away. The wife, Claire Dailey, opened the door and started to scream no. It wasn't long before the whole neighborhood was out to see what was happening. She pushed on Perkins hard muscled body, screaming louder No.

"No, No, No, Go Away!! He's not dead! No!!!"

She fell to the ground holding on to Perkins leg as if she was drowning and needed to be saved.

Emma and Manny saw everything that was going on and could hear all of the conversation considering the fact that Claire was the only one speaking. She saw Sean and didn't know how to feel; he had a cane, why? He looked so broken standing there not knowing what to do. Suddenly she could see Mark, Claire's son, approaching Sean. He was whispering something to Sean and Sean replied back with an answer just as quiet.

"So do you feel good making my mom cry like this? You come up here to disappoint her."

"It's what we had to do."

"So how'd he die?"

"Perkins, him, me and some others entered a building looking for our enemies. We found them. They shot back rapidly and he was killed fighting against the terrorists." Sean's voice almost cracked.

"You were there?"

"Yes."

"And you let him die?"

"I…." Sean was cut off by a fist connecting with his jaw, then a slam to the ground.

"So you did?" Mark yelled. Mark swung his leg hitting Sean hard were he had been shot. Sean muffled a yelp and tried to stand. Mark took Sean's cane and broke it over his knee.

"Thanks for nothing Jackass." Mark the sixteen year old boy walked in his house calmly. Claire apologized they accepted and Perkins helped Sean down the stairs.

"Sean." Emma yelled running for him.

He turned to her in the most expressionless face that even Picasso couldn't draw.

"You and your friend can come in."

"Sean you should stay I have family to go to. Sound good?" Marshall made obvious that Sean needed to stay.

"Yeah." Sean replied voice breaking in pain.

Marshall drove off and Manny, Spike, and Snake came over to help Sean to the house. He refused everyone's help but Snake didn't take no for an answer. And deep inside Sean was glad that Snake still helped; the pain in his leg was about to be clear of all the shock. That was when the real pain would come to him. Emma sat next to him on the couch; that made her wonder. Spike got some ice and some clothes from Sean's bag.

"Go change." She demanded in a maternal tone handing him his clothes.

He was in the bathroom rubbing his leg trying to get the pain to disappear. He had already changed into the Army shirt and gray boxing shorts he bought before he left for war. He limped out and sunk back into the couch's cushions. Spike had reset the bone that Sean broke back into place; he muffled the scream to make him sound stronger than he was at the moment. He was lying there with closed eyes drifting off to unconsciousness. He was dreaming he was back in Iraq, in the terrorist hide out, all alone. He walked in further and saw all the kids he killed and the dead men he killed smiling at him. They began to speak plane English.

"We'll see who has who." Then he saw flashbacks off all the dead comrades. Oddly enough everything went dark, and then an image of Rick played in Sean's mind. Rick began bleeding all over and he pointed at Sean "You are a killer. You're not gonna live much longer. Killer."

Sean automatically awoke in a cold sweat breathing heavily. It was lucky that everyone was in the kitchen cooking dinner.

Emma was extremely worried about Sean she had just seen him wake up. It was more than obvious he had a nightmare. Emma walked over to where Sean was sitting.

"Hey." Emma said.

"Hey Em."

"Why didn't you write me? I missed you, you made me worry Sean."

"So how are you and your boyfriend?" he said ignoring her question almost completely.

"Is that why? You figured I wouldn't want to hear from you because of Damian? Sean I'd want your letter either way and Damian and me are over."

"Sean, what exactly happened to your leg we might need to take you to a doctor?" Spike walked in.

He looked up from Emma's glare and explained everything, besides all the people Sean killed, that had taken place since the raiding of the hide out to when Mark walked in the house. When Sean looked back at Emma she looked terrified, maybe even of him he thought. Manny left and the family ate quietly Emma and Spike drove Sean to the nearest hospital, they found out the crack got bigger. They wrapped it, and Sean got a new black cane. It was late when Sean finally got to sleep he feared the nightmare's; they seemed to follow him in the sleep sheep.

Spinning blood red skies, never ending mounts of red sand were in Sean's peripheral vision. As Sean walked he was sinking deeper in the blood soaked sand. Further down he got the more dead bodies he saw; enemies, friends, children, and women. Bombs and bullets, blood and guts, dead or alive were swimming in his head. Everything swirled and then went blank into a pit of blackness. The sound and feeling of a machine gun firing into Sean body woke him up in pain. Emma sat next to him bringing her hand across his cheek slowly; she leaned in kissing him on the forehead.

"Are you Okay?" Emma spoke soft. "Just a bad dream."

"You were screaming." She said more worried. "Did I wake anyone?" he was looking around, she nodded 'No' and then laid here head on Sean's chest. She lay on his body for the rest of the night waking up under blankets with no Sean. I'm a monster, a killer and I don't deserve such an angel. I have to leave. What if I hurt her? I can't show anyone the beast I really am. Sean thought to himself as he was sitting at the kitchen table with his head down. Sean hadn't gotten a wink of sleep because of both Emma and his leg. He noted that he was just going to have to stay off his leg for the rest of the week then he should be ready to go back to Iraq with Marshall. There he could be the animal he truly was, destroying every foreign life form in sight.

The end of the week came near to fast and Manny came to visit him one more time. Sean was getting a ride to Jay's place to spend his last day; before the plane took off. He hung out, leg feeling better enough to go to Iraq. Sean would never really volunteer to go back there but it was hard to be around Emma. Jay was happy to see Sean.

"Hey man what's up?" Jay said seeing Sean out of the car. Emma gave him a dirty look before driving off.

"Nothing much," Sean said walking into the apartment.

They talked a bit before Jay drove him up to the airport; they ate and talked about Manny and Emma. Jay had told him what happened to their engagement and how constantly he was trying to win her back. "I've never put so much effort into getting a girl to be with me." Sean laughed at that having trouble picturing the scenario. Marshall appeared an hour later in uniform ready to depart; nobody was with him. Both Sean and his friend left onto the plane going back to a war zone.

"Manny are you going to pick me up or not?" Emma said over the phone.

"Yeah I'll be there soon. Jay is bothering me again." Manny sounded irritated.

"Don't give in to his charm. Do you need me to call someone?"

"No it's fine Emma." Manny hung up and she did show up at Emma's ten minutes later. Manny smiled at Emma as they stowed Emma's luggage in her trunk. It took a long drive before they made it to the Dot, a cute café. "Hey Manny, remember when we used to work here." Emma reminisced. Manny nodded and took a seat at the window. "So what happened with you and Jay?"

"I told him to go or I'd call the cops. He left fully aware that if he got in trouble again with the cops things wouldn't be good." Manny joked around. "Can you believe break ended so fast?"

"Yeah," They both laughed.

Even though it was a long plane ride to Iraq it seemed short; the boys thought it best to get some rest before landing. As all the soldiers exited the plane onto the airport they were rushed away.

"Men we're under fire, ready your weapons." A commander ordered them. Sean hurried to the other side of the airport where their enemies were. Lying on the ground Sean got ready to snipe some Arab's. A few shots and he got up moving his position nearer to the crew; soon after Sean spotted Marshall making his way to him in a hurry; bullets were fling over their heads. The two were shooting for five minutes when they spotted a grenade being thrown. Marshall pushed Sean out of the way catching the explosion head on. Standing up Sean looked down to see he was covered in blood. He saw double vision then passed out on the ground.

"Manny, where are you going?"

"Emma, we have the weekend off. Let's go do something."

"Like what?"

"Bowling," Manny smiled.

They called for a taxi, looking forward to the break that came their way. It was only a couple days after Sean had departed and Emma was missing him already. When they stepped out of the taxi they saw a group of guys wolf whistling at them. Behind them they heard a kind of growling; then they saw an angry, tall figure dressed in black pants, and a black Hoodie. He punched out the guy whistling the loudest making his friends pissed. The guy fought off the three jerks. From across the street more guys came over; pulling the guy off the others.

"Jay stop it man," one of the black figure's friend said.

"JAY, COPS!" all the guys ran off knowing the danger of getting arrested.

"Shit man. You almost got us caught."

"Fuck you, faggot. He was flirting with my fiancé." Jay was pissed off. "Jay forget it. She said no." Jay jumped at the guy who said that.

"Chill," As Jay walked off into the street he got a call from the army.

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Hogart?"

"Yes."

"Thursday afternoon when Sean Cameron got off the plane there was a firefight. Mr. Cameron was clear of bullet wounds but he was in an explosion. He is being medically cared for. There are burns on most of his bodies left side. He has been unconscious ever since then. There are all chances of survival; he will probably be healed in a week. And he will still be in Iraq."

"You call me to tell me Sean's been hurt but he's fine. Adding the fact that he is still going to be in Iraq, fuck you. There was no point in calling." Jay hung up the phone driving his car to Manny's college.

"Uh…, He…. Help. It hurt… hurts. Aw, SOMEBODY HELP! IT BURNS! HELP I'M ON FIRE!" Nurses suddenly came to Sean's aide. They knocked him out with more drugs making him feel no pain as he was unconscious. Sean drifted to full blackness swaying back in forth in a dream land surrounded by more sand. Emma stood in front of him calling his name in two seconds she was on the ground. Sean turned it was him; he had shot Emma. The monster had hurt her; then Sean turned the gun on himself blowing his head to nothing.

"Emma it's like the only thing we could do is sit here on campus. It sucks; I wanna party; you know, have some fun."

"Yeah well everywhere we go there is either Jay or drama."

"I… you called it." Manny nodded to the Jay walking toward them. "One more chance how about we start over. Just one date; Please Manny I love you; I want you. And more than just want I need you." Manny eyed Emma and told Jay "One date. Exactly three weeks from today. Pick me up here at 4:00P.M." He went in for a light kiss but she pushed him off and continued talking to Em. When Jay left Em looked up "I think I'm going to write Sean. Why is it whenever I see Jay I think of Sean?" Manny smiled "They are best friends that never stop being the true bad boys they are." Em laughed "We are in for a dangerous roller coaster ride."

"Dear Sean,

Hey how are you? I hope you're safe. I really don't have a clue what to talk about. I just want to let you know you, my best friend, better stay safe or I'll come down there and kick your butt. Deal.

Emma

Sean read the letter over and over with images of Emma in his life. Images that made his future bright, safe and more importantly filled. He looked up after hearing many screams and crashes; in a split second his hospital door was broken and on the floor. Men in masks were screaming loudly in their Arab language. They pulled Sean out of bed pointing their guns at his head; swiftly they carried him downstairs. Many people were shot by those terrorists who took Sean; roughly they threw Sean in the van. The one guy took Sean' head and rammed it against the vans floor.

Months had gone by and Sean was still missing; the army had officially marked Private Sean Cameron as M.I.A. or missing in action. It took them three months before the army called Jay before Spike or Snake received the same call. "Hello is this Miss…. Nelson;" the hard voice paused before Nelson to make sure he had the right name. "Yes this is her." She replied into the phones receiver. "Sean Cameron has been missing for three months. The hospital he was in had been attacked." It was a long pause before Spike could even speak. "Three? Hospital?" He answered softer "We had to be sure he was really a M.I.A. before we could inform anyone. And he was in the hospital for the injury he had gotten when he stepped off the plane."

"Aaaaaah, where the fuck am I?" Sean screamed in a dark, wet cell. A man came over and beat Sean with a thick, heavy bar made of solid steel. He cried in pain, continuously the guy hurt Sean. Nearly an hour later another man came in with a line of iron chains, he was laughing. The guy with the pole hung Sean to the shackles on the damp wall. One after the other Sean was sliced in the back by the chains; the shackles hung him two feet above the ground making his body sag. The cuff's dug further into his swollen hands; again Sean was moved but this time facing his attackers. The chains were now burning into the front side of his body. "I'm so fucked, you stupid fuck let me go," then he whispered, "I love you Emma. Emma."

When he awoke they had paused waiting to see him become conscious, when he did one guy picked up another slimmer pole. For hours they hurt him with chains, poles, cutting small slits into his body; burning his skin with torches and much more unimaginable tortures. Day after day, week after week it was like that for Sean; food was rarely sent and Sean had to live in his own urine and crap.

Jay woke from the nightmare he had been seeing for the past week; where he saw Sean dying. It was hard to inform Manny or Emma about his news; they refused to see him. Manny's date had been more than nice but she'd only talk on the date. Other than dates it was like he was still dead to her. Getting up Jay wasn't giving up this time the girls needed to know. It was a long drive but when he got there he was glad to see them at a table eating lunch. "Manny, Emma we really need to talk." They turned to him then quickly looked away. He was pissed now "I'm tired of this. Emma, this about Sean. I can tell you how annoying it is that you keep getting pissed at him." Emma looked now, "It's hard to be with someone who asked you to write to him then completely ignore writing back."

Jay's face was red "Do you even know why he didn't write back? You don't do you? Grow up!" Jay was storming off when both girls stopped him. "Then why? Tell me, I want to know why he can't write on a piece of paper." Emma fumed.

"Because, Emma, he is missing in action. Do you get that? He might be dead, they probably are hurting him. And do you know something?"

Emma chocked back tears "What?" Jay continued "Every time we talked he spoke of you. Whether it was your great looks, your attitude, a dream he had of you, or your wonderful kind personality that he said he didn't deserve. I really don't see any of that he described not the way you are treat…." Manny silenced Jay from finishing his sentence.

Emma was silence for many minutes before she just began to run, she had made it to the exit of the campus when she stopped. There was a taxi and she ran again trying to catch it, Manny followed behind. They didn't speak in the cab the only words said was Emma home address to the driver. Emma began to sob, she threw her head into her lap; then wrapped her arms around herself. Manny rubbed Emma's back calming her down the best way she could. They arrived at Emma's home.

"You make one video." An Arab terrorist spoke in a thick accent to Sean. Sean looked up to a camera; when he saw the red light he began to speak. "I'm Sean Cameron of the Canadian Army. I am captured and I have been tortured endlessly for months. I don't know how many, I lost count after my seventh time of unconsciousness. I was told this video would make it home so I have a message. Emma Nelson I am so much in love with you I am sorry for all my mistakes. I can't tell you how guilty I feel for hurting you. I'd say forgive me but I don't deserve it. I love you more than anything and you are the reason I'm alive. Tell your parents, Manny and Jay hello. I care about them all very much. Same with all of our other friends. For the Army, don't save me I'll probably die soon. It's beginning to be hard to even stay conscious. My legs are paralyzed, my body is burned, scarred, and broken don't bother." The terrorists picked up on Sean's refuse to be saved and shot him in the shoulder. "Back out of war. Then we give him back. He still alive." The camera shut off.

Emma turned on the T.V. after telling her mom what had happened; of course Spike already knew. Manny ran from the kitchen to Emma when Emma began to hyperventilate. "Em what's wrong? Tell me hon." Emma lifted her hand to the T.V. screen pointing at the guy who was talking. "SPIKE! SNAKE! You need to come see this." Manny yelled up the stairs. They ran quickly just catching the end of the newscaster's information on the video they were going to show. "A horrible tragedy struck one of Canada's very own war fighters, Sean Cameron. He has been captive for four months by terrorists. Their demand is for the U.S., Britain, and Canada to pull out of the war. To get on with our normal lives, believe me many want to see their family and friends back home. But for Sean Cameron that may be impossible. Let's watch."