The fire team sat with Adiva, drinking coffee. Zaiba was asleep in Angel's arms and they talked of Tariq. Adiva smiled. "He was smart. He seemed to know...he had this way of being able to read a situation clearly and acting on it. He could read people like I've never seen anyone read people."

Double Wide grinned slightly. "He was really easy to talk to."

Adiva smiled back. "He was just that way. He had so few enemies." She looked over at Smoke, who huffed. "He never saw you as an enemy, Private Williams. He saw you as someone who needed a friend more than anyone."

Smoke looked around, his tough guy act now long gone. "He's right, though. And he..." He stopped for a moment. "He was a good guy."

Scream looked over at Smoke. "He was. But you two about drove the rest of us insane. Him trying to be nice to you and you scoffing at him, like you had some sort of act or reputation to uphold."

"I did." Smoke never looked at Scream. "I came from the streets of Compton, where it was be tough or die. I never learned anything else."

Angel rocked Zaiba softly, humming a lullaby. He looked over at Smoke. "Tariq taught you a lot."

Smoke grinned a cock eyed grin. "Yeah, he did."

"You serious, Ahab?" Smoke was incredulous.

"Yeah, man. That's the truth." Tariq's brown eyes sparkled and Dim and Angel knew he was pulling a fast one on Smoke.

"How come they don't believe you?" Smoke nodded to Angel and Dim.

"Because we already know it's true." Angel tried to keep from laughing.

Dim's laughing gave the joke away and Smoke glared at Tariq. "Told you it wasn't true."

Tariq cast a glare Dim's way. "Dim ain't laughing at this, man."

Dim gained his composure. "Of course not, Smoke. I was merely recalling the whole camel spider incident."

"That's bullshit, Dimwit." Smoke shot back. "Why you do this to me?"

"You're so easy to pick on." Tariq laughed.

"Yeah, that's great coming from a hobbit." Smoke shot back.

"OH?" Tariq playfully huffed. "See the thing about hobbits is that you don't want to piss us off. I mean, we can beat up ankles very well." He tried to play tough, but Tariq broke out laughing.

Smoke grinned at first, but soon found himself laughing with the others.

"Yeah, that boy had some comebacks like I ain't never heard." Smoke wiped a tear.

"Yeah. He was funny." Scream slightly smiled.

"Where is he?" A voice yelled from the back. "Where is the man that killed my brother?" Amir Nassiri pulled Scream up by his uniform. "It is because of you my brother is dead and my family grieves."

Scream gently removed the young man's hands from his uniform and rolled his head. "I did not kill your..."

"He went back to Iraq because of you." Amir hit Scream hard against the jaw.

Adiva stepped in. "Tariq went back to do his duty to his country, Amir. No one made him."

Amir looked at Scream, who was rubbing his jaw. "Elif air ab tizak!"

Adiva slapped Amir. "We will not use such words at Tariq's funeral. Respect your brother." Amir walked off and Adiva looked back at Scream. "I apologize for Amir's behavior. He and Tariq were close and Amir never cared for Tariq fighting for America in Iraq."

"It's okay." Scream straightened out his uniform. "What did he say anyway?"

Adiva shook her head. "Words I will not repeat, but it wasn't a nice thing to say."

"He not like America?" Angel rocked Zaiba back to sleep.

"Amir? Sadly, no." Adiva sat down. "He felt that Tariq betrayed us when he went to Iraq for the infidel, as Amir said."

"He a radical?" Smoke sat back down.

"Yes. Very much so. As he became more and more radical, he and Tariq grew farther and farther apart. After the Towers fell, Tariq felt impelled to fight FOR America and Amir felt impelled to fight AGAINST America and they were only civil to each other when they were around family. There were many times during they would argue about America. Tariq loved America more than life and he...he..." She stopped for a moment to allow stray tears to fall. "He felt there was no greater honor than dying for America." She pulled out a letter. "I carry this always and I don't know why. It was a letter I got the day after we heard of his death."

"Would you read it?" Mrs. B's soft voice broke through.

Adiva smiled. "Parts, yes." She unfolded the letter. "Bear with me, please, as I try to figure out what parts of it are okay to read." She took a deep breath. My dearest Adiva, how time is dragging on out here. Seems like the days grow longer and longer the closer we are to heading home. We did get ambushed today, but luckily no one was severely injured. I got a huge bruise on my forearm. But I realised something in that fire fight. Under my Kevlar, I carry a picture of the three of us taken just before we deployed. I realised that what I'm doing over here, it's going to make a difference. I know we may not see it. Not yet anyway, but like Mr. Pritchard felt when fighting in Vietnam, I'm keeping the terrorists from attacking America again. If we continue to fight them here, how can they go there? I do fear that Amir and his friends may try something though. Hopefully the family can keep him out of trouble. Anyway, in this ambush today, I finally realised that I could die out here. You think that getting shot point blank would make it real, but somehow that didn't even click, you know? But, no matter what the family, especially Amir, may think, to die for America, fighting to protect her shores, you, Zaiba, and my family and friends, well, Adiva, that would be an honor. I don't know why death should be an honor, but it is a burden I have chosen to carry and carry it I will. Just know that not even death can stop my love for you or Zaiba."

Adiva put the paper in her lap and Scream put his arms around her, letting her cry on his shoulder. "He will be missed by everyone." He soothed.

Adiva looked up at Scream and put a hand on his cheek. "He always spoke so highly of you and now I know why."