Authors' Introduction: Ciotolik and I, Springfieldbluebird, are your authors on this wonderful story. This story can stand alone, but was inspired by two other stories, which you can read or not read, but I'll list them here: "All for One" (A story I helped write under another penname) and "Faith."

You can read the other two later...just don't worry about it, read on and have a good time. Please drop us a note to let us know what you think. We are addicted to comments...they are the food we eat and the air we breathe!

Chapter 1

"Each new beginning comes from another beginning's end." -Seneca-

Face's hand was still lying on the receiver. The call hadn't lasted more than a few minutes but it felt unexplainably good. He hadn't talked to Hannibal for a long time now and it was kind of reassuring to hear that his voice was still as familiar as it sounded the last time they had been together, leaving the Psychiatric VA where they had checked on Murdock the last time.

He had never thought he was missing him or the other guys before, he just thought that his general discomfort was due to the new situation he had to live in: a future on the run wasn't exactly what he would have dreamed of. It was sure better than being stuck in a jail at Fort Bragg, but freedom had a high price to pay. He could be whoever he wanted to, and he was damn good at it, but at the end of the day who was he really?

When he had left the orphanage, he was sure he wouldn't have felt that way anymore: he joined the Army and he thought it would have made him belong to something for the rest of his life. At the beginning it was just fellowship and complicity with his comrades-in-arms during those years of hard work and training… but then… then there was a war to be faced. And in war, fellowship wasn't enough… fellow soldiers became brothers.

But the closest to family he had ever experienced was when he was placed under Hannibal's command: after a short time with the team, Face could already feel his defensive attitude melting like snow in the spring. The self-confident Commander, his grouchy Sergeant and the eccentric Pilot regularly assigned to the unit seemed to accept him just the way he was, without asking questions. Only sometimes they had asked him what such a "handsome gentleman" –those were Hannibal's exact words – was doing in that muddy hole. He answered that he wanted to bring some "class" to this pitiful corner of the world. Face could remember the guys laughing but he was also sure to have caught something else in his new fellows' eyes. There was some respect in BA's gaze for this slender man who had been tough enough to become a Green Beret. Murdock himself had once said that Face, despite the appearances, was the least vulnerable man of the Unit, thanks to his ability to bend reality to his aims. And then, there was Hannibal… he had immediately understood the potential hidden behind the elegant features of his young Lieutenant. He had believed in him. He had given him the chance to do what he could do best: being the Faceman without ever losing Templeton Peck in the process.

Face had never known what a father was like, but Hannibal had believed in him as a father, and had guided him as a Commander at the same time.

But now…the Faceman couldn't exist without the Team and Templeton Peck…he was nothing more than that little guy at the Guardian Angels' Orphanage. That kid that didn't even know when his birthday was, because the only place where that day existed was on the Birth Certificate that was closed in the Mother Superior's drawer. He got to know when his birthday was only when he had to deliver his papers to the Army, when he was enlisted.

Only a few years later he had the first birthday party of his life. Hannibal, Murdock and BA managed to find a Pandan Honeycomb cake, a Vietnamese treat, and they wrote "Happy Bday Face" using some sugar. Well, maybe it wasn't exactly a party… but sure as hell it was family. Family.

And now? Where was family? Now he was an outlaw… would there ever be a family again? Or will he be forever a guy with no birthday as it was in the orphanage?

The jungle was far away and there was no Pandan Honeycomb Cake here, but Hannibal had called. Self confident as usual, he opened the conversation with a joke, "Aging is a bad thing, Lieutenant, you'd better hurry up and date a few chicks tonight!" Face had immediately recognized the voice and replied laughing to the implicit wishes, "Thank you Colonel!" They talked a few minutes about meaningless things and used some suggested questions and coded messages to make sure that the other two guys were alright: they always tried to keep updated about the others, it was the only way to feel connected, after all. At the end of the conversation, just before saying goodbye, Face hesitated.

"Colonel…"

A few long instances of silence filled with words followed, till Hannibal just answered, "I know, Face. I know."

Nothing else needed to be said. Both men hung up quickly… maybe because every other word would have been unnecessary, or painful, or maybe because a silent lump in their throat stopped any other attempt to talk.

It took Face a few minutes to let the receiver go and step away from the echo of that call.

He stepped back slowly to the couch and took that small origami animal in his hands. It had been pressed in an envelope but, once taken out of it and stretched, it was back its original form. A horse, probably. On one side there was written "happy birthday Friend" and on the other side it was signed "Me". Face smiled… it took him maybe two seconds to understand that those two capital letters "F" and "M", marked and adorned, stood for "Face" and "Murdock". He had missed his friend's smart codes and witty puns. The regular visits Face paid in disguise at the VA weren't enough to enjoy this side of Murdock and the spirit of the Captain seemed to be penned, as well as his body. Murdock had always loved making those origami things, and Face could still remember how he had used it to pass them a coded message in Vietnam. This origami horse (or dog?) was the best present he could have received.

And then there was this other envelope. BA had used to send pictures of the Team to his mom when they were in war… Face had never expected him to send one of these pictures, but here it was. There were the four of them together, with impudent grins on their faces. Well, BA's smile was more similar to a grimace… but that was just the way he was. On the back of the picture there were these words "Happy Birthday – BA", just as simple. Just like BA.

He smiled, with the shadow of a tear in his eyes. They had been his Team. And they would have always been his family. Or maybe not?

"People drift apart all the time…." Face thought and he felt a pang in his stomach.