Midnight Dreams

Why me? Thought Scheska as she sat down on a nearby bench right outside of Central Headquarters. Her night had been rough, even though she didn't deserve it. (A/n: Does she ever deserve it?) She went to work like any normal day, working for Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. She got books for him, put them back, filed papers, and mailed letters for Lt. Cl. Hughes. Scheska had been a good 'Santa's little helper'…but what went wrong? Scheska went through the last hours of her workday in her head.

"Scheska! Put every book back exactly where you found them and go home! You're fired!" Cried Hughes as he rushed out of his office.

"What did I do to deserve this?" She whimpered to herself. In the distance, she could recall what sounded like a bullet being shot. Scheska sat up in a fluster, worried there might be some danger near. No need to panic, Scheska. There's always at least one gun being shot around here. She thought, but didn't like being a lone woman in the darkness of one of the safest, yet most dangerous cities.

She stood and walked down the street while chanting, "Just go home. Straight home. And don't go down any dark alleys." She would repeat this many times, especially when she would pass a dark alley, to comfort herself, but Scheska still didn't have much luck with it anyways. It began to sprinkle rain, Scheska didn't notice, and then all at once, the skies poured down the rain, as if crying for someone's death.

As if my night couldn't have gotten any worse. Her thoughts cried for her, but even thoughts don't work well, so her own eyes flooded with tears, mingling with the rain catching on her eyelashes.

Amidst the rain pattering steadily on the pavement, Scheska heard the heavy, offbeat noise of footsteps coming behind her. Keep walking. Just a little faster, Scheska. It's all in your head. It's just your imagination. You've read too many books again. Just keep walking. Of course, it's not a zombie following you.

Scheska daren't look back, thought the Thing's footsteps came quicker, and a little heavier, as if they were running. Scheska's inquiring and nervous conscience couldn't bear it any longer and looked back.

A blonde haired man was running to catch up to her. He looked determined, but not crazed or evil, like she imagined from her mystery books. At once she stopped and turned to face the man, but always kept her purse ready incase she needed to attack him.

"What do you want?" She shouted, now over the noise that the sheets of rain produced.

He didn't answer but only came up to her peacefully. (A/n: As peacefully as any drenched man could come up to a scared-out-of-her-mind Scheska.)

"Didn't your mom ever teach you not to wait up for strangers?" Asked the man. Scheska now noticed that he had a soggy cigarette that at once he dropped on the ground. It was Second Lieutenant Havoc.

Scheska was stunned to see him, of all people, in the middle of a rainstorm. Not only that but he had run just to catch up to her, of all people. Now, Scheska had always liked Havoc, but seeing him in the rain with her struck a new feeling that only one can experience and not read in books.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to sneak up on lonely young women, in the middle of a rainstorm, in the dark?" She asked to counteract his question.

"Well, who cares?" Jean replied, trying not to act foolish. "Let's get out of this storm!" He shouted more over the winds this time, which whipped at their drenched faces.

Scheska pointed to her house, not too far from there. "Then lets get to my house quickly." She reached for Havoc's hand, but at the same time, he reached for hers, and they ended up colliding, making Scheska face-plant the ground. Ow…

"Eh. Right." Havoc said, stifling a laugh, and helped Scheska to her feet. "Lets just go."

"Right." Scheska said, rubbing her face, then she gathered herself to run. As she started running, a red tipped lightning bold struck across the sky, making Scheska jump and run faster.

Jean could hardly keep up with Scheska until she slowed down enough just before they reached her house. She ran up the stairs and stopped to look in her purse for her keys. Her face was buried in them, trying to find them, but then she realized Jean wasn't there with her and she looked up.

He was already inside the house, finding his way around the many mounds of books.

Stupid me. How could I forget to lock my door? He's not going to approve of me. He's going to hate me. My whole chances with being with the Lieutenant have washed down the sidewalk with the rest of the rain and sorrows of the world. –gloom-

Jean noticed Scheska's grim face. "Something wrong?" He asked, curious.

She jumped at the sudden sound of his voice. Beginning to laugh nervously, she replied, "Heh! No of course not! Everything is just fine!" She fiddled with her dripping clothes. "Would you like some coffee, Sir?" The young former librarian asked her cold guest.

"That would be nice." He said, eyes wandering around everything in the small room full of books.

"Are you looking for something, Sir?" She asked politely. "I'm sorry, I don't own any men's clothes. You'll have to just wrap up in a blanket for now."

"It's not that." Havoc said with a distant expression played across his face. "I'll be fine, thanks, um. I'm sorry. What's your name again?" He asked with a stupid smile.

"Scheska. Scheska the librarian." More like the former, failure librarian of Central Headquarters.

"Oh yes." Havoc said with a slight sigh. He sat down in one of Scheska's wooden chairs around her book-covered desk. "Scheska…" He said again with a distant expression, as if that name would be a wonderful thing to feast off of.

What is wrong with this man? "Right. Coffee." Scheska said as she spun on her heel to the kitchen.

"This is wonderful coffee, Jessica." Havoc said with a smile on his face. He was on his third cup of coffee.

"For the last time, Lieutenant, it's Scheska. Not Jessica, not Melissa." Scheska was beginning to get upset with the Second Lieutenant, when she heard banging on her door. "Hold on, Sir. I'll answer it." Who would be crazier than me to be out in a storm like this? I at least didn't know it was going to rain. Scheska froze when she saw who was at the door.

"L-lieutenant…" She stuttered. She left the shivering man outside while she looked back in her house, seeing the same person sitting on her chair. ALIENS! I'M BEING ATTACKED BY ALIENS! "W-Who are you?" She stuttered again, barely able to speak.

The Second Lieutenant Havoc burst into the room, wielding his gun and shot the other Second Lieutenant. Ah!

"W-what are you doing?" Shouted everyone at once, which shut them all up, except the shot Lieutenant. "You fool!" He shrieked as he changed to…Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. "Do you really think a bullet is going to stop me?"

Scheska was stunned. Who…what is that Thing? "Alien! Alien!" Her shrill voice rang. She grabbed the closest book to her and chucked it at the shape-shifting alien. "Get out of my house you wretched thing!" She screamed, throwing another book at its head.

"Scheska! Scheska stop!" The new visitor grabbed her hand before she could throw another book. "I'll handle this." The second Havoc turned to the 'Hughes' that was now looking at both of them with the most twisted, demonic smile, it gave Scheska chills up her spine.

"Get out of here." Jean said calmly, raising his gun to the Maes Hughes. Foe-Hughes only chuckled.

"You think a bullet can kill me?" He said, revealing a healing bullet hole in his head. "That didn't stop me before, why would it stop me now?" He chuckled again at seeing the two's horrified faces.

"Alien!" Scheska shrieked, escaping from Jean's grip and throwing the book at 'Hughes'. "Get out of my house, you…you monster!" She threw another book at him.

The Hughes figure changed again to Elysia. "Ow! Don't hurt me!" Came her little voice.

Scheska froze, but had a book in her hand, ready to strike. She heard a gun shot right behind her and then a bullet hole in Elysia's head. "ELYSIA!" Scheska shrieked.

"Scheska! That's not Elysia!" Jean hollered at Scheska as tears began to flow from the poor, traumatized librarian.

Elysia began giggling evilly, changing to a tall, lanky figure. It had green hair, resembling that of a palm tree, and it wore a miniskirt and halter-type top. Scheska couldn't tell if it was a male or female.

"Get out!" She yelled at the alien. "Get out of my house!" She threw the last book of that pile at the creature. "I know who you are! You're that thing that the Lieutenant Colonel was studying. You're a homunculus!"

The homunculus looked peculiarly at Scheska a moment. "Oh. That annoying Lieutenant Colonel Hughes?" It asked. "He won't be in any of our hair anymore, pestering us with those damn questions." It paused a second, the twisted smile reappearing on his face, fitting that body better than the body of Hughes. "I just did away with that bastard an hour ago."

Scheska looked at it as if it had just grown purple hairy spots all over its body. "Y-you…you killed him?" She asked, falling to her knees. "Get out." She said in a low voice with her chin pressed against her chest. "Get out of my house."

Jean was in awe of all the occurring events. "You heard her." He shot the homunculus a death glare. (A/n: If only he could kill Envy with a glare like that.) "Get out."

And with that, though to this moment no one knows why, the evil decrepit creature broke through the window and fled.

Scheska's body was trembling. "I-I can't believe…" Scheska couldn't come to say the words. "Is he really…gone?" Her fists were shaking as she gripped her military uniform skirt. "I don't believe him. He just wanted to scare me."

"Well, he did a good job of doing that." Jean said as he offered Scheska a hand, and possible arm, to get her up on her feet. "We won't know until morning, Scheska."

She took his hand, as he helped lift her to her feet. "I don't want to think about it." She said quietly as her quaky knees almost failed to support her weight. She clung to Jean's arm, but when she finally came to her senses and realized exactly whose arm she clung to, she let go immediately and clung to her desk.

"Something the matter, Scheska?" The Second Lieutenant Havoc asked.

Hearing the same question being asked by the same, yet different person, made Scheska shiver, despite that she knew it was the real Havoc standing in her house. Or was it?

"Sir, sorry for my insubordination, but how the heck did you know that that creature was in my house? You're not one too, are you?" Scheska almost felt like adding an extra 'Sir' onto that last question, but decided to leave it off, in case he wasn't a lieutenant and he was really an 'it'.

"Well, Scheska. Last time I checked, I was born a human, and still am a human. Unless some scientist broke my body down, chewed it up, and spit me back out as another mutated…thing. And the fact that I knew that the 'Thing' was here isn't a fact at all. I didn't even know he was here. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes sent me to protect you after he left the office. I think he wanted you safely home." He paused, waiting for a reaction from Scheska, and when he didn't get one he continued peacefully. "I saw you running home with someone else, and I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. I didn't pick up my pace, because if you were with someone you trusted, I didn't want to bother you. When I found that soggy cigarette on the ground that was my special brand (no one buys the same brand as me), I knew you were in trouble and I had to get to you fast." He stopped with his story as he noticed Scheska getting a little weak in the knee again, and reached for her arm.

"You need to sit down, Scheska." She shook her head.

"No. I'll b-be fine." She replied, but her knees locked up and the next thing Havoc knew, she was falling his way and wasn't about to stop herself.

"Scheska?" Am I dreaming? Am I dead? Who's calling my name? Is it God? Am I in heaven? What did I do to deserve to die?

"Scheska. Wake up." That doesn't sound like God. That sounds like… Scheska gasped for air as she woke up. "Jean!" She said as she hugged his neck. What am I doing? I'm hugging him? What is your problem Scheska? …He smells really good. Scheska immediately let go, realizing how out of place she was to even touch him without mutual agreement. "I mean…Sir? What happened?" She asked, trying to cover up that last slip-up.

"You passed out. Luckily I was here to catch you, so you wouldn't have fallen on all your books." Havoc said, acting a little flabbergasted and proud to be a helper.

"I helped myself to some tea after a half hour had gone by. I've never met someone so organized." And yet, I still seemed to find it, through all of the alphabetical orders. He thought.

"How long was I out?" Great, Scheska. You pass out in your own house for your guest to find his own drink and to help you wake up. Now he really won't like me.

"Two hours." He answered, bluntly.

TWO HOURS? "Did you find the tea, ok?" Scheska managed to ask.

"Just fine." He said. "Do you mind?" He asked this, showing her his box of cigarettes.

"No. Be my guest." She answered thoughtfully.

There was an awkward silence after a while. Lt. Havoc noticed it and Scheska noticed it. She would cast frequent glances up at Havoc, while in those non-glancing moments he would glance at her. They didn't say anything for a while, until Scheska decided it was time to talk.

"Wel—." She started.

"Uh—." Havoc cut her off, but stopped mid-word.

"You first." Scheska said, blushing a subtle pink. Havoc scratched his head, trying to put his thoughts into words. He hadn't spent this much time with a woman except with Riza in the office, but he didn't really count her as a woman, just more of another military dog. Havoc. Keep it together, man. It's just another girl, just another fish in the sea. You can handle another woman, can't you? Or are you just a little chicken boy?

Scheska waited patiently and anxiously, wondering what he was going to say.

"You have wonderful tea." He suddenly spat out. You're gay! How could you avoid someone like that? Especially another woman? Are you mad?

"Tea! Right! Would you like more?" Scheska was flustered. Of course! Did you really expect him to really find you that interesting?

Havoc fiddled with his lighter. "That'll be great." Havoc, are you really going to let this woman slip out of your fingers? Just like all those other women? Are you going to let you're one and only chance to have a date, for once, just disappear?

Scheska was in the kitchen and out as soon as you could say 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'. (A/n: and spell it!)

"Here's your tea, Sir." She said, politely placing the cup and saucer on the desk next to Havoc. Jean grabbed her hand before she could turn to get herself some tea. She almost squeaked with surprise.

"Scheska…will you…would you be willing to be my date this Friday?" He asked so quickly, he almost spat with every word he said. Well I didn't really expect it to come this fast, but asking now works.

Scheska looked like she was a deer in headlights. "M-me?" She managed to spit out. I'm in a dream. Pinch me, I'm dreaming!

"Unless there's another woman in my presence named Scheska." Jean said sarcastically. Scheska looked over both her shoulders, as if expecting there to be a twin of her standing behind her, laughing. But there was no one else left in the room.

"Y-yes, S-sir. Yes of course, Sir!" She said, her face glowing and large grin from ear to ear played across her face.

"Scheska. You can call me Jean, if you'd really like." He said, smiling with rosy cheeks.

"Yes, Si—Jean." She smiled back at him.

"Well, Scheska. I need to go home. It's getting late." Jean said, reluctantly.

"Hm…Right." Scheska said, her head almost hanging. She twiddled her thumbs as if expecting something more to come out of his mouth.

"I'll call you tomorrow?" Jean seemed almost foolish about it. Like he was back in school, talking to a girl in his History class, and she would laugh at him for even suggesting the thought of calling her.

"Alright." Scheska couldn't find anything else to say. She was overjoyed, her mind in the clouds. "I'll see you on Friday, then?"

"Maybe sooner." Havoc replied with a wink, which made Scheska blush.

"Goodnight, Jean." She said as she escorted him out of her small house.

"Goodnight, Scheska." He replied as he stepped out into the wet night. It had stopped raining a while ago, but the wind was still chilly.

Scheska closed the door behind Jean as he walked down into the dark, cold street. She leaned her back against the door, as if stabilizing herself from falling over.

I'm going to wake up and it all be a dream… She thought as she walked to her room, a wonderful tune playing in her heart.