LilaGrace: No no, would never abandon thisstory... Thanks for the review... Yes, there will be a sequel... I love Doug/Tom... And I don't mind Dennis/Tom, either, but I prefer Doug/Tom... But no Doug/Tom in this or the sequel...

rubydoo: Thanks... Glad you've all stuck with me...

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Tom stood cautiously behind Doug, afraid of the people he was about to meet. He knew there was no reason to be afraid - they were just an elderly woman and a young boy, after all – but Tom still had a strong distrust for anybody in El Salvador, and the fear had come on instinct.

"Okay Tom, this is Amaelia and Clavo," Doug started, but once he realized that Tom was behind him, he turned and whispered softly, "It's okay, you don't gotta hide. They ain't gonna hurt you."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay," Tom replied sheepishly, ashamed of being afraid of the two persons in front of him. "Hola," he greeted, stepping out from behind Doug. He didn't know that much Spanish, but Doug and La Bizca were there and they could help; he would definitely need it, that was for sure.

Doug smiled at Tom; he was glad that the younger man had gotten enough courage to say hello to Clavo and Amaelia. Doug figured that Tom might cheer up if he were to meet the small boy who had already become quite attached to Doug himself. Now the older officer turned to face Amaelia and introduced his friend, "Este es Thomas; mi amigo."

Amaelia smiled brightly, and Clavo looked up at Tom curiously, eyes wide. "Si," Amaelia replied, nodding her head, "Recuerdo. De antes."

Tom looked at Doug, a look of curiosity sketched into his facial features, unsure of what the elderly woman had said.

"She says she remembers you, from before," Doug translated. "When we first got here."

"Oh, right," Tom replied, hanging his head.

"Hey, it's okay," Doug said. "You were hurt, she understands."

"Yeah," Tom whispered.

Then something Doug hadn't expected happened; Clavo ran up to Tom and started pulling on his shirt, shouting, "Juego! Juego!" Tom had jumped at the sudden contact, but upon seeing it was Clavo, smiled at the young boy, leaning down so he was at eye level. "Hola Clavo," he said.

"Juego!" Clavo shouted and Tom started laughing. And Doug smiled; this wasn't the fake laugh Tom had used earlier; this one was full of joy and emotion and this made Doug laugh himself. Maybe Tom would get better sooner than he thought.

"Thomas," La Bizca broke in, "Clavo wants you to play with him. Play?"

Tom looked at the younger woman and smiled, then he turned back to Clavo, "Si. Juego," he spoke slowly, testing out his Spanish. Clavo beamed in excitement, then grabbed Tom's hand and pulled him to a small table in the corner.

Doug watched as his friend was pulled away and smiled at the amusement in Tom's features.

"Douglas," Amaelia spoke up. "Usted juego tambien?"

Doug smiled slowly, chuckling. He was about to 'juego' with a six-year old and Tom. Then again, maybe it would help Tom; so far being around Clavo had seemed to cheer him up a bit, and Doug figured if Tom was willing to do it, he could too. "Si," he replied with a shrug, walking over to the small table and joining his 'playmates'. If it would help Tom, Doug would do it. But soon, though; soon he knew he needed to get Tom back to America where there were proper hospitals; there he could fully help Tom get better, without the use of small action figures and a six-year old Clavo.

Or so he thought.

Interpretations:

Este es Thomas; mi amigo: This is Tom; my friend

Si... Recuerdo. De antes: Yes. I remember. From before

Juego: Play

Hola Clavo: Hello Clavo

Usted juego tambien: You play as well?

TBC...