Ghost showered and checked over the bruising forming on his back. He would feel that for a couple of days, he thought bitterly. His mind drifted to the little girl trapped in the rubble and he felt the pain in his heart. There was something about rescuing the child and seeing her and her mother's joy at being reunited, that really touched something in his long dead heart.

His mind drifted to memories of his sister in law with his nephew, her constant love and care towards her young child. A pang of sadness and regret at the lost lives and lost futures, filled his chest with a forgotten deep longing.

After checking in with the special forces commander about a potential new lead in the terrorist cell, Ghost found himself walking towards the infirmary. At the reception, he enquired about the mother and child brought in. The receptionist looked at him with suspicion before responding "Georgia and Emily Banks. They're in room 10, first hallway, third door"

Ghost approached the door, not really knowing why he had felt compelled to come and check on them. His hand hovering, ready to knock, he hesitated before looking through the window. The sight of the mother and child sat on the edge of the bed, brought a renewed sense of longing in him that he didn't recognise as his own. Arguing with himself as to why he was here, he saw the little girl look up at the door, smile and point.

Spurned on by some other force, Ghost entered the room. The little girl pointed at him with a wide smile "Boo" she said before giggling. Ghost could feel an involuntary smile forming on his own lips at how warmly she'd welcomed him.

Georgia turned to greet him with the same wide smile "Lieutenant, you left before I got a chance to thank you. You saved her life" she said honestly.

"S, no problem. How's the little miss?" he said softly, feeling strangely self-conscious.

Emily giggled and gurgled to herself repeating the same "Boo".

Ghost watched in awe as the mother affectionately brushed her hand over her daughter's face and hair "She's fine. Just a few bruises and scratches. She's a tough little one, aren't you munchkin?". Georgia cooed gently to the young girl.

He noticed Georgia had a cast on her other arm "You were hurt? You were fighting the medic and me with a broken arm?" he asked in disbelief.

Georgia looked down at her arm and shrugged "I didn't really notice. I just needed to find Emily. She's all I have" she said looking up at the child.

Emily continued giggling, pointing at him and saying "Boo"

"What's she talking about? She kept saying Boo to me when I found her" Ghost asked puzzled.

Georgia appeared to think about the question before coming to a realisation and laughing softly. "Oh, she's talking about Mr Boo" she replied before looking at him apologetically. Emily giggled and called out "Boo" in response.

"What the hell is a Mr Boo?" Ghost asked in puzzled amusement.

"He's a toy bear, you play peek a boo with" Georgia replied. When Ghost stood silent she explained further.

"He has a cloth covering his face and when you squeeze his belly, he shows his face. It's her favourite toy" Georgia replied sheepishly, understanding the implication behind her daughter's fascination with this large man.

Ghost huffed in amusement as he caught the meaning, looking down at the grinning child. "Sorry little miss, not taking the mask off, even if you squeeze my belly" he said with a chuckle, shaking his head.

Georgia laughed at his comment, the sound sending a warm wave through his chest and straight to his heart. Turning to her daughter, she shook her head and informed her "Sorry munchkin, he's not Mr Boo"

Emily's smile dropped and she frowned. "Boo" she said sadly, prompting Ghost to sigh in sadness. Christ, he thought, he felt compelled to just rip off the bloody mask if it would make her smile and laugh again. But, he had to pull it together to stop himself. What the hell was wrong with him?

Changing the subject quickly, he queried "You work in the intelligence building? How do you manage that with a child?"

"I'm an intel analyst. The base has a creche for the soldier's families, so I'm able to work part time and have her nearby" Georgia explained with a smile.

Ghost observed Emily as she happily played with a small toy under the watchful eye of her mother. The feeling of a warm, safe peace, tugged at his heart bringing up that strong sense of yearning. He needed to get away before the feeling pulled him in any further.

Fortunately one of the nurses came in to speak to Georgia, so Ghost prepared himself to leave "Take care of yourself and the little miss" he said before leaving the room.

For the next few days, Ghost trained and prepared for a possible mission to root our the rats nest of the Al Qatala cell. His thoughts often drifted towards Georgia and Emily, wondering if they were safe and well. Were they at home? Georgia had said that Emily was all she had, did that mean there was no father?

Ghost shook himself and chastised the wandering thoughts. Long ago, he had come to accept the fact that he would never have his own family to protect and watch as they grew. A family to come home from after missions. A wife to love and cherish and children to teach and guide. No bedtime stories, no playing piggyback, no celebrating birthdays.

The overwhelming wave of sadness this thought train brought, almost knocked him off his feet. Angry at himself, he remembered that this wasn't the life that was meant for him. He had a family once and he'd lost them because of his job, because he couldn't protect them. The bitter taste of bile encouraged Ghost to remove all such thoughts from his mind. He was a soldier, a killer, he was destined to remain alone till he died.

The following day, Ghost and the Special Forces team started planning the next stage of their mission to take out the Al Qatala cell. Intelligence had narrowed down the search to a couple of people of interest and a location deep in the countryside of Ohio. They would be moving in two days.

After an intensive planning session, Ghost took a walk around the base perimeter to get some fresh air and to clear his head, ready to prepare himself mentally for the coming mission. Passing through the carpark of one of the base properties, he spotted Georgia at a truck, the hood up as she checked something in her engine.

Ghost's immediate instinct was to go over and see if she was okay and if he could help, but he stopped himself. He couldn't get involved. He couldn't get distracted. With a mental argument raging in his head, he observed her stand back, shaking her head and brushing the hair out of her face. She walked to the passenger side of the truck and leaned in the window, obviously to check on Emily, before returning to her open hood. Ghost's instincts won the argument.

"You having some trouble?" he asked as he walked up to the truck. He could hear Emily cheerfully calling to him, prompting an instant smile under his balaclava.

Georgia turned round and smiled at him "Yeah, been having problems starting up, so I charged the battery hoping to get me home, but it's still not starting. I only had it serviced a few weeks ago" she replied with an annoyed huffed.

"Your alternator might be shot. You spoken to the base mechanics?" Ghost asked out of curiosity.

"Not yet, wanted to see if I could get it going" she replied looking resigned to a major headache.

"When you due back at work?" Ghost asked, his intrusive thoughts butting in since he knew she and Emily would likely be stuck at the garage with no transport.

"Tomorrow, why?" Georgia responded looking at him with a puzzled look.

"Give them a ring, I'll drop you both home and can pick you up tomorrow" Ghost suggested.

Georgia looked surprised by the offer "I couldn't ask you to do that" she reasoned.

"S'not a problem. Got a couple of days and could do with getting off base" Ghost responded.

Looking at him as she pondered the offer, "You sure it's not too much?" she asked hesitantly.

"Said it's fine, I'll get a truck" he replied and promptly walked off to the transport office.

Ghost returned with a truck and walked round to the passenger side of Georgia's truck to check on Emily "Hey little miss" he said warmly as the little girl giggled and warbled at him. He undid the car seat and carried it to his truck, much to Emily's amusement as she tried to grab his balaclava. He could hear the occasional 'Boo' amongst the rambling incoherent words prompting a chuckle from him.

Georgia handed off her keys to the mechanic, who looked at Ghost warily as she jumped into the truck. "Okay?" he asked Georgia

"Yes, thank you so much for doing this" she replied smiling.

Ghost turned to look at Emily in her car seat "You okay little miss?" he asked the smiling child. Emily chattered and laughed talking about 'boo'. Ghost could feel that welcome blanket of warmth cover his whole body as he smiled under his mask. He quietly thanked his instincts.