AN: Just a short little angst-y story that's been running around in my head. It's not the best, but it's a very good idea and I polished it the best I could.

Disclaimer: I don't own the A-Team. If I did, they would have their own little merchandise of mugs, rugs, pens, videogames, stuffed dolls, and under Murdock's request, lawn gnomes.

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You never, ever trust a smile- unless it was your own. Murdock had learned that lesson as a child.

Whenever someone smiled at you, it was because they wanted something. Maybe they wanted money, maybe they wanted status, or maybe they just wanted to hurt you. All of these events had happened to Murdock, and he didn't feel like going through them again.

His father smiled a wicked smile before he beat him. His "best friend" smiled when he said that he'd always be by Murdock's side- right before he sold him out. His Grandparents smiled when they vowed to take care of him and keep him safe, yet they broke their promise when his Father came to take him away again.

By the time he decided to enlist, he learned his lesson. When his recruiter smiled, he didn't smile back- he just signed the dotted line.

He liked boot camp. He liked the Drill Sargents. Drill Sargents were good. They told you what they wanted, and they didn't want you to do anything else. You knew what to expect, and you could do it to the best of your ability without having to worry about getting hurt in the process. Drill Sargents never smiled.

Con men were bad- but ridiculously so. Anybody who smiled was a con man. You could tell from the way their friendly expression quickly turned into a scowl when they didn't get what they wanted. Many con men came his way to get something, gear, a razor, possibly a meal.

Murdock became a quiet shell of a man, obeying orders without a word and staying out of trouble the best he could. His only friend was the sky that he had begun to love so much, something he could trust without being afraid that it would turn on him.

One humid day in the Mess Hall, he saw a young blonde sitting alone, frowning into his cup of black coffee. His troubled expression and lower rank made Murdock relax and walk over to join him.

"Hey, Templeton," Murdock said, reading the kid's nametag. "Mind if I sit with you?"

The kid glared at him and gave him a nasty scowl.

Murdock, for one of the first times in his life, smiled, because he knew this wold be a lasting friendship.