Mrs. B sat quiet. Even in Iraq, she sought solitude to figure things out. She was so focused on things that she didn't see Tariq sit next to her. "You okay?"

Mrs. B jumped. "Shit, Tariq. You scared me." Tariq laughed. "What?" Mrs. B shot back.

"After your driving the other day, no one would ever think you got scared."

Mrs. B slightly smiled. "That scared me shitless, Tariq. Those mortars...well, it makes one think." She sighed softly.

Tariq nudged her. "If anything had happened to you, we would have leveled that town, regardless of the protection."

Mrs. B smiled up at him. "For me? Ya'll would have done that for me?"

"Yeah. In case you noticed, there's a shortage of women here and well, men are men and...OUCH!" He said as Mrs. B playfully punched his shoulder.

"Only you can say that you know and just get a playful punch." She smiled.

"Well, we wouldn't have let them hurt you anyhow." He nudged her again, making her blush and smile.

"Tariq said ya'll two weren't his type." Smoke shrugged.

"We weren't." Double Wide said.

"Then why he..."

"He was just that type of guy, Smoke." Mrs. B's voice was a whisper. "You never really, I mean, let him show that side. He liked you because if anyone of us called him 'Ahab', he'd have kicked our asses. You never saw that side of him because it wasn't until recently you saw who Tariq really was."

Adiva smiled. "Tariq was every woman's dream and every mother's son." She laughed. "But, he was full of mischief."

Angel allowed a laugh to escape, nearly waking Zaiba up. "That he was. Remember the time that Underpants got glued to the portashit seat?"

The group laughed. Scream looked at Angel. "Yeah, and how even Captain Baron tried to keep Underpants from finding out it was Tariq."

"He thought it was me." Smoke smiled. "Yet, Tariq said nothing."

"Yeah." Angel laughed. "It was even funnier because he meant that for Dim."

"He what?" Scream's eyes about popped out of his head.

Angel smiled. "Yeah. Tariq was looking at getting Dim back for the markers."

Tariq looked in the mirror. "Shit, Dim!"

Dim laughed. "Don't mess with the best, man." Tariq tried to wash off the mustache Dim drew on his face. "No use, Tariq. It's permanent marker." Dim laughed harder as Tariq scrubbed harder.

Finally, Tariq gave in. "You have no idea who you're messing with, do you Dimwit Dumphy?"

"You can't out joke me, Tariq. May as well wave that white flag while you have the shot." Dim's smug grin annoyed Tariq.

"Never!" Tariq walked off.

Angel smiled. "It was shortly there after that Tariq got Dim back bad."

Adiva smiled at Angel. "Let me guess. It was the hand in hot water?"

"No, ma'am." Angel looked down as Zaiba stirred.

Smoke was speechless. "You're kidding, Tariq?"

"Nah. He'll learn to not mess with me." Tariq rubbed his face, still covered with Dim's artwork. "Any minute now."

"SHIT!" Dim's high-pitched scream echoed through the camp.

Smoke and Tariq stood outside the tent while Dim ran for the mess tent. "What's he looking for and why's he walking so funny?" Smoke nudged Tariq.

"Heet." Tariq laughed. "That's a burn that will stick around for a while."

"You know he's going to want revenge, right, Ahab?"

"Bring it on." Tariq patted Smoke's shoulder and headed back inside the tent.

Scream laughed. "They never did quit. Well, until that kiss anyway."

"What kiss?" Adiva was shocked.

Scream looked at her. "It was a practical joke. Dim and Tariq were so close that they would often play gay and make everyone laugh and despite that, no one doubted they were straight. Well, Tariq got Dim back with some blow up dolls and Dim decides to get Tariq back by laying a big wet kiss on him. It was shortly there after, the jokes stopped. Guess Tariq couldn't think of how to get Dim back on that one."

"But, he did, though." Smoke snorted. "That was when we tipped over the portashit."

Scream smiled. "Yeah, guess so." He sighed. "Jesus, I'll miss those two goofing off in spare time."

"I'll just miss them." Mrs. B sighed.