Tariq sat looking at the stars. "What's going on?" Half-Pint's voice caused Tariq to nearly jump out of his skin.

"Shit, Half-Pint." Tariq tried to stop shaking. "I'm just staring at the night sky, wondering when the next RPG is going to hit."

Half-Pint sat next to Tariq in the sand. "You shouldn't think of shit like that. You're a good Soldier, Nassiri. You'll get home just fine."

"Today, when that rocket hit, I thought I was gonna die." His voice softened. "I wasn't ready. I was scared." He looked at her. "I know it's not macho to be scared."

Half-Pint smiled. She had to get her dad to make sure that she was always in the same unit as Tariq Nassiri. She found him to be quite gorgeous. "It's okay to be scared. When my dad was in Somalia, he remembered someone saying that everyone gets scared. It's what you do when you're scared that is important."

"Yeah, but I…"

"You were knocked down by an RPG blast. What could you have done?"

"Half-Pint, a word?" Scream's voice broke their conversation.

"Yeah. See ya later, Nassiri?" Tariq nodded. "What is it now, Scream?"

"This whole time I've wondered why you looked so familiar and it hit me when you were telling Underpants off." He stopped and looked at her. "Your mother's last name was Mullany, right?" Half-Pint nodded. "I know who your dad is and he ain't no Green Beret. He was a Ranger and a sniper at that."

Half-Pint stopped. She smiled at Scream. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever recognize me. You just can't let on that you know. He's the reason I went by my mom's maiden name."

"I think he's anyone hardly to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed of him. I'm ecstatic to be serving with him. But, everyone knows him. My fucking recruiters did. So, I changed my name to my mom's so that I wouldn't be treated any different. I don't want any special treatment and Dad knows that. That's why…"

"I understand. But trust me, Half-Pint, I know nothing." Scream stopped and looked at her. "But then again, you already knew that."

Shark looked at Scream as he walked off. She caught up with him. "If you've got something to say to any of my girls, you clear it with me first."

Scream stopped and faced Shark. "What makes you think that I have to clear every damned thing with you?"

"She's a member of my team."

"And I'm the goddamned Platoon Sergeant, not you. If I need to talk to anyone, it is in my full right and job description to do so. Besides, I was complimenting her and in a roundabout way, I was complimenting you."

"Please, Scream. You know better."

"Soldiers respond to those in charge if they are treated with respect. It's obvious that your girls respect you and you respect them. They work like the team they are. There's no arguing or trying to…"

"Women tend to be more diplomatic."

"Save with Staff Sergeants they don't care for." Scream turned and walked into his tent. He heard the tent flaps open behind him. "Goddamnit, Shark. This is the men's tent."

"Like I've not seen balls before." She sarcastically pouted as she looked Scream up and down. "But then again, I don't know what you're so worried about. You ain't got any."

"Whew!" Smoke whistled.

"OUT!" Scream ordered.

"Why?" Shark challenged. "Not man enough to handle a woman?"

"No. Too much of one." Scream yelled back. He walked over to Shark and took her by the elbow. "You just can not burst in the men's tent like that and you don't ever say shit like that in front of my men again, you understand?"

"What are you going to do, Silas? Kick my ass like you did O'Neill's?"

Scream looked around before gently pushing Shark into a Humvee. "You know the story behind that. Better than anyone. But, you have got to stop treating me like a villain."

"You are."

"Why? Because I left?"

"Yeah. Because you left."