"Exscuse me Sir can I ask you a question?"

Leonardo turned his head silently and looked at the young boy, slowly he nodded his head and turned his attention back to the road, it had grown terribly dark by now and the road became increasingly dangerous at night.

"How long have you been a part of the Army?"

"I have not been a part of the army in over fifteen years kid."

"But you came in on a chopper, I saw you when you arrived, and your wearing military clothing?"

The kid asked the question innocently enough, Leonardo did not feel much like talking, the events from before still fresh on his mind, however the kid was probably trying to forget who own memories for awhile. Leonardo sighed lowly to himself before he spoke.

"I was re-instated when all this began, the initial start of this whole thing took a lot of lives, especially the lives of soldiers, it happened so quick that most were sent in with little to no knowledge of what they would be facing. I was brought back because of my experience in the Army and because of my experience with other things as well. I was assigned at first to try and prepare new soldiers being trained for action, however because of what was happening I was sent to military operated Refugee camps to help with protection, which in the end was a useless gesture as you now know."

"I see... I'm sorry..."

"For what kid?"

"About your friend..."

Leonardo slowly put his hand on the boys shoulder and squeezed it a little bit, he had to commemorate a boy who held it together this good, probably a lot better then Leonardo had held it together back at Pendleton.

"Its okay... when we become soldiers we assume a certain risk, losing a brother and friend is hard, but that is merely one of the risks we must take and pain we must face for what we believe in.... protecting the innocent from those who would harm them."

"My dad was in the army too, he died not all that long ago my mother too, they died within the first week this started, I don't know how it happened but the soldiers who knew my dad and mother told me so. Ever since then the soldier brought me to the main camp to watch over me, we lived on the base in the part with lots of people who were not military."

"I'm sorry for your lose, the way you keep yourself together would make me think it wasn't that recent. I was a kid too when my parents passed away, seems so long ago now but some wounds never do truly close."

"What did you do?"

Leonardo sighed as he looked at the boy again before he spoke some more, he quickly changed the subject to something else to avoid talking about his past, that was a wound he did not need to open anymore then it was right now.

"So you got asthma you said before, do you have an inhaler for it? If not we should find you one in case you have another attack."

"I had some at my house and back in the camp but I couldnt grab any of them when things got scary. I was running, that's when you knocked me down."

"Well why don't we go to your house and grab them, I am positive that it should be safe at least for now and perhaps we can both get some rest, its been a long day on both of us. An by the way my name is Leonardo but you can call me Leo if you want whats your name kid?"

"Chris... Chris Enfield"

"Nice to meet you Chris lets get back to the civilian quarters and find your house huh?"

[b]20 minutes past...[/b]

Leonardo turned off the lights on the Humvee as he slowly came up the street, he did not see anyone or anything but he couldn't be too careful, he did not want to draw attention to them if he could help it. 

"Its just a little farther Leo, its the house with the red car in the drive way, the door might be locked dad was like that and I don't have a key..."

"No worries kid we will get in."

Leonardo kept his eye's peeled as he rolled down the road, the place was silent and quiet however, it seemed to no one had gotten out of Pendleton camp at all, not even the soldiers and if they did none of them came this way. When Leonardo spotted the red car, he knew that had to be the place seeming it was the only car he could even spot within the sector. Slowly he pulled up in front of the house and put the vehicle in park as he looked around but saw nothing, he happened to spot a Humvee up the street a small ways away but he payed not much heed to it as he hopped out of the vehicle and let his feet hit the rocky gravel underneath.

"Come on Chris, stay close to me."

As Chris hopped out Leonardo walked to the back of the vehicle an opened the door, pulling out his flashlight he clicked it on inside the vehicle and clicked open an compartment in the back of the seat. Inside it was and M4 Rifle with two spare clips, he removed the weapon silently and inserted on of the clips pocketing the other. Slinging the rifle over his back he shut the door and continued on slowly making his way into the yard.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Find that weapon?"

"Its an emergency weapon, you can find them in most military vehicles, in case of surprise attacks or what not, unarmed escorts, the list goes on kid. Its usually well hidden because of those reasons, but I am an old army man, so I knew about it of course, spent half my life in a Humvee. Now lets be quiet until were inside and secure Chris."

Chris nodded silently as Leonardo took the flashlight and slowly inserted it into the under barrel of the weapon in the slot and secured it, clicking it on he approached the house, nothing seemed out of order, nothing broken, just a calmness that was... just too calm for what was going on. Years of war had made Leonardo paranoid, so he was not so quickly to let his guard down. Walking up the porch of the clean cut house Leonardo looked through the window, nothing was disturbed inside, he went to the front door trying the knob but it was locked, looking around silently and spotting nothing he removed his cap and put it on the glass above where the lock should be and punched it knocking the glass in, reaching in he unlocked the door and slowly went inside, quickly pointing the flashlight in all directions he secured the front room. One by one Leonardo secured the kitchen, the bathroom and the small rec room in the back, the house was clear. The only place left was the upstairs now, but before that Leonardo walked over to the nearby cough and started to push it, getting close to the door he closed it, relocked it, then put the couch in front of it, putting the edge of the couch under the knob securing the door from intrusion. Turning he then closed the blinds on each window so no one or nothing could see inside.

"Stay here a minute Chris while I secure the upstairs, don't worry there is nothing down here iv made sure of it."

Chris nodded again and quickly got behind the second couch to hide, Leonardo turned and silently ascended the stair case, reaching the top there was a small hallways with three doors one on the left one on the right and a center door which looked to be a small bathroom. Going forward Leonardo checked out the bathroom first, but there nothing inside it. Closing the door he silently went to the door on the right and opened it slowly until it hit the wall behind, pointing the flashlight around he saw nothing, it looked like the master bedroom. Walking in Leonardo went to the door inside the room and slowly knocked on it, however he received no answer so he opened it to reveal a small empty closet. Looking inside he found some clothing and some candles inside, removing the candles he let the door remain open as he pocketed them and then went across the hall to the room on the right and did the same procedure as before, inside he knew this was Chris's room from the scattered toys and books. Shining the light around he finally centered it on a nightstand with a lamp on it plus an inhaler, taking the inhaler Leonardo grabbed the blanket off the bed with a pillow and returned down stairs.

Re-entering the living room he layed the blanket and pillow on the second couch and then set the candles on the coffee table, slowly he lite them up to give them a little light. Chris slowly emerged from behind the couch as Leonardo slowly pulled out the inhaler and handed it too him. Leonardo then sat on the edge of the arm chair and lay the rifle across lap.

"I brought you a blanket and a pillow, we can rest here for now Chris, try to sleep I will keep watch nothing will hurt you I promise."

Leonardo watched as Chris just nodded and silently got on the couch and pulled the blanket over himself saying nothing. It was only a short time before Leonardo heard soft sniffling. Slowly getting up from the chair he set the M4 beside the couch.

"You okay Chris?"

Leonardo silently put his hand on Chris's shoulder and turned him, tears were streaming down his face.

"Hey hey come on Chris."

Leonardo slowly moved Chris's feet and sat down beside him, the young boy quickly changed directions and pushed his head into Leonardo's shoulder as it stifled the crying. Leonardo put and hand on the boys backed and rubbed soothingly to try and calm him. He had finally broken, and Leonardo did not blame Chris at all, he was a tough little boy but even the toughest broke sooner or later.

"Its okay Chris, get it out, its okay"

"Daddy... daddy never cried... he was tough.. I don't understand how he died..."

Chris was crying fully now, Leonardo pulled the young boy in close.

"Chris... sometimes people die, there is no reason that we are prepared to understand. Even tough men die, it doesn't mean they were weak or that they deserved it."

"I miss my dad and my mom, I miss her cooking and her smile, it was always like the angels they told me about..."

"I know Chris I know, its okay that you miss them, you need to cherish those memories, keep them close to your heart, my mother used to tell me as a kid that no one truly dies as long as you keep them close to your heart and always keep your memories of them."

Leonardo raised Chris's head as he put his hand on his chest.

"Right here Chris, always keep them right here and they will always be with you, do you understand?"

Chris shook his head as he buried it deep in Leonardos side, he cried for a little while before he finally fell to sleep. Leonardo stayed beside him as he kept watch over him. Reaching into his pocket he removed a photograph of his wife and son and looked at it in the flame that was licking the walls with light, putting the picture to his chest Leonardo repeated the words he told Chris lowly.

"Keep them close to your heart..."