hello! thanks everyone for the fantastic reviews and alerts! that meant a lot to me! glad to know people were being patient with me!

i wrote a really long chapter...consider it a gift of appreciation! i hope you enjoy it! i had fun writing it...but i will say that it took me forever to find a song for it.

Disclaimer: don't own FMA or the song "My Heart is Broken" by Evanescance.

read and enjoy!

-TSA


Chapter 9: My Heart is Broken

"Lieutenant Colonel!"

Jane glanced over her shoulder as Olivier flagged her down from across the way. Dismissing herself from supervising the soldiers at the shooting range, she made her way over to her commanding officer, "Yes, Ma'am?"

"Am I to assume that you've gotten rusty?" Olivier chided.

Jane lifted a brow, "Ma'am?"

She grimaced as Olivier threw a rifle at her, barely catching it before the barrel bounced off her forehead. Standing with the gun in her hands, her brow furrowed and she tried to think on the last time she had used one. She had been fortunate enough to have not been enlisted as a sniper during Ishbal…

"I'd hate to think that your academy sharpshooting has gone to waste."

"You will be disappointed to know it has, Major General."

"Then start practicing."

Jane saluted Olivier as she turned on her heel and stormed from the shooting range. She continued to gaze at the rifle she held. It felt like forever had passed since she'd possessed such a weapon. She had been trained as a soldier before she became an alchemist. Choosing a secluded corridor, she laid down on the ground pressed the button beside her for the simulation to begin. It was back to the basics. Bullet after bullet was fired, and it took time for her shoulder to adjust to the recoil of the rifle. Finishing the first round, she glanced at the screen next to her, which read off her statistics. Her accuracy was well off its mark.

This was going to be a long day.

She had lost track of time, refusing to look at her watch, which was jammed into her back pocket. Her shoulder ached from the pressure of the rifle, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. How fond she had been of her memories at the academy. She wasn't sure when the last time was that she'd thought back on those good times. That had been how she met Roy. He'd been too much to handle at first, but such a pleasant friend-

"Lieutenant Colonel?"

Sitting up, she set her rifle aside to stare up at Major Miles. His presence had become much appreciated during her first week here. He wasn't afraid to help her navigate the fortress or tell her how not to get killed by an icicle dropping from the ceiling, "I hope you haven't been sent by the Major General."

"That would seem to be the only circumstances in which we can talk," he replied.

"Touché…" Propping the rifle up against the wall, she held her hand out to him, grateful that he pulled her to her feet. She dusted off her uniform while following him from the shooting range, "So, how about be bypass formalities for a moment?"

That seemed to bring a smile to his face, "What is it that you propose?"

"I'm just curious about you is all. Since you're my subordinate, I suppose we should be more than just 'major' and 'lieutenant colonel'."

"I thought the Major General scolded you for your inter-squadron relationships?"

Jane narrowed her eyes on him, "I don't believe that conversation was supposed to be any of your business, Major."

"I thought we were bypassing formalities?" Noticing her displeased expression, he tried to stifle his laugh, "So, what are you curious about?"

"For starters, where you get your Ishbalan blood."

He grinned, "My paternal grandfather, though I'm only about one quarter Ishbalan."

"It sure runs strong in your veins." She blushed when he cast her a quick glance, his smile returning, "How do you not hate everyone you fight beside…?"

"The Major General won't let me." He sighed, as if recalling a memory, "She found my unique views from the eyes of several different ethnicities useful. She didn't give me the option to hate Amestrians."

"Let me guess…she told you she'd cut you to pieces if you wished to challenge her…?"

Miles couldn't help laughing, "Am I correct to assume that you've had a similar conversation with her?"

Jane shrugged, "You could say that…though it was over a much different matter."

"Seeing as we aren't worried about formalities, will you elaborate?"

"She told me that if I was going to continue to have such a crude affair with a psychopath, then I was to challenge her for my right to exist under her command."

"I don't know many psychopaths, but did this fellow have a name?"

Jane kept her eyes on the floor as they kept walking. She was convinced that by now majority of the military knew about her ridiculous endeavor. Such a loud situation, only because of the names they carried as alchemists, "Solf J. Kimbley…The Red Lotus Alchemist."

"A title fit for a psychopath…"

She shook her head, "Only he could see the beauty of killing people."

There conversation was left there as Miles gestured to the door to the automail mechanics' "shop". She walked in without a knock, first seeing the blonde hair of her commanding officer, then the golden hair of a familiar, temperamental State Alchemist –

"Edward Elric! What the fuck are you doing here?" she shouted.

He crossed his arms over his chest, scowling at her, "Nice to see you, too…"

Straightening out her uniform, she fixed a hard stare on him, "State your business out here." As he opened his mouth to protest, she silenced him with a raise of her hand, "That's an order from a commanding officer."

Edward sighed heavily, casting his eyes downward, "We're looking for a young girl who knows the arts of alkahestry."

"If I ask why, will I be disappointed?"

"It's nothing we haven't told you before."

Those big gold eyes gazed back at her, begging her to ask no more questions. Waving her hand dismissively, she set her hands on her hips while glancing at Olivier, "You requested my presence, Major General?"

Olivier leaned back in the chair she sat in, "I need clarification that these two misfits won't cause as much trouble here in my fortress as they have elsewhere."

"I can't guarantee that." Jane shifted her weight, "But they are practically family to me." She gave Olivier a glare, "Not that you would understand that, Major General…"

"Watch that mouth of yours before I cut it off myself." Olivier drew her sword for emphasis, holding it out in front of Jane's throat, "I am allowing these ruffians to stay in my fortress. Major Miles, give them a job." She stood, the chair nearly toppling backward as she stormed from the room, "If you don't work, you don't eat."

Edward stared at Jane, looking for some kind of implication of what they would be asked to do, but she just gave them a shrug before tapping Miles on the shoulder, "Don't figure you could assign them to my keeping?"

"I think the Major General would advise against that."

"Well, whatever job you decide on giving them, I will make it my duty to watch over them."

Miles smiled, "A bit motherly?"

"It's hard not to be." He nodded and left the room ahead of them. Jane opened her arms, welcoming Edward and Alphonse into a tight hug, "Damn you two boys for continuing to get into trouble."

Edward kept his head pressed against her stomach, "We found out the Fuhrer is a homunculus."

Jane nodded her head, "That means that Ishbal-"

"-was a set up from the beginning…" Alphonse finished.

"I won't tell the Major General until we need to." Releasing the two boys, she gestured for them to follow her. Walking out into the hallway, she saw Miles waiting for them, an all-knowing grin on his face. She was glad to have been given a moment alone with them, "We'll be following your lead, Major."

She wasn't sure why he did it, but Miles' hand brushed against hers, fingers wrapping around hers to give her a tight squeeze. Smiling to herself, she allowed herself to be grateful for his kindness. There was unspoken understanding between them.

"So, Major Miles…if everyone here has a secret, then what's yours?" Edward muttered as they wandered on the outer walls of the fortress. When no reply came, he clenched his hands into fists, "What's the matter? We have to forfeit our story, but you can't?" Jane gave him a warning glance, but he disregarded it, "Fine! Be a jackass!"

"Edward!" Jane shouted, stopping to take him by the shoulders before he launched himself at Miles.

"So…you really want to know?" Miles turned around, removing his glasses.

Those piercing red eyes – it brought a warmth to Jane's body as he stole a quick glance at her.

"You're Ishbalan," Edward whispered.

"But I thought soldiers with Ishbalan family ties were eliminated during the annihilation campaigns?" Alphonse chimed.

"I don't come from Ishbal, but my grandfather's blood is strongest in my veins." Miles bore down his glare on Edward, "It would seem that you Amestrians have done a number to the land of my ancestors."

But none of that seemed to faze the young alchemist, "Well, we've had our share of losses. There's an Ishbalan man who is responsible for destroying our country town and murdering the parents of a close friend."

The tension in the air began to dissipate as Miles laughed heartily, "You're the first person to ever strike back at me like that! I appreciate you treating me as an equal!"

"Was…that a test?" Edward grumbled.

"I apologize for my tactic." He glanced at Jane, who looked just as annoyed by his approach toward the boys. She stomped off, leaving the other three to watch her.

I will wander 'til the end of time, torn away from you.

Sitting down on the edge of the fortress, legs dangling over the vastness below her, she stared out at the snow covered mountains. It would be impossible to live if she jumped, or, at least, it would be unlikely. Rubbing her hands together, she glanced at her alchemy gloves, something she wore religiously now. They were a frightening reminder of the past, but she felt that she needed them for protection more now than ever before.

Fuhrer King Bradley was a homunculus… Shaking her head, she tried to push that aside until she could talk with Edward and Alphonse about the entirety of the situation. She didn't want to try to make assumptions when she only knew so few pieces of the puzzle. Whatever lie ahead of them, it wasn't going to be a picture perfect "happily ever after". At least, she didn't figure her side of the story would be. Not when she was fighting with herself about loving a psychopath and the strange emotions that occurred when she slept.

Well, that was a whole different issue…

Within the days of her first week in Briggs, she had been nearly tormented by her dreams. I pulled away to face the pain. It was as if her mind refused to let her escape her encounter with the Ishbalan man called "Scar". She wasn't sure what she was searching for, but continually engaging in conversation with Miles gave her an astounding appreciation for Ishbalan traits. Were all the men so strongly built? And those eyes…they could strike fear into any human's heart, yet they brought a warmth to her chest that made her feel impervious to the winter cold. None of that seemed to make any sense to her.

Or, there was always the possibility that she had found an intriguing person that had taken her mind off Kimbley. That wasn't entirely a bad thing. But the more she sat and wondered about it, the sadder it made her. She'd really screwed up her one chance at happiness – Roy Mustang. She was curious about how he was holding up, since the military seemed to be unfolding into the hands of an uncontrollable monster. Maybe a letter wouldn't be a bad thing to send…?

"You're going to freeze out here, Lieutenant Colonel…"

Jane smiled as Edward plopped down next to her, "It's really not so bad after awhile."

There was a silence, a moment to admire the scenery before he spoke again, "Something bad is about to happen…"

"I wish I knew exactly what it was." She shook her head, jamming her hands into her pockets, "And to think it all began with Ishbal…"

"I've always meant to ask you, if you'd ever talk about it." He saw her blank stare, wondering if she was ignoring him or simply didn't hear him, "I guess I understand if you don't want to…"

I close my eyes and drift away over the fear that I will never find a way to heal my soul.

Jane sighed, "I wish I knew what I could tell you that wouldn't make you hate me."

"Everyone was different then-"

"We aren't much different now than we were then…" Jane removed her hands from her pockets, staring at her gloves. She couldn't tell him. It would break his heart to know what she'd done, "Ask me again sometime, Ed. I promise I'll tell you everything-"

"You've got more than one skeleton in your closet, don't you?" he interrupted.

"That's why I came to Briggs." She kept her eyes on the mountains, not wanting to give into that stubborn glare, "I can hide everything up here."

"Then tell me this." She finally looked at him, startled by those fiery eyes, "What's your story with Solf J. Kimbley?"

She bit her bottom lip, "I was very naïve. We met during Ishbal, during a time when I was convinced that I was no longer human. He preyed on my insecurities and I thought it was love. When we returned to Central, I found out who he really was. He was arrested and convicted for murder, though he only faced imprisonment." She ran her fingers through her hair a couple times, catching her breath so she wouldn't cry, "I don't think I ever fell out of love. I was convinced that we were two parts of the same whole."

"What really happened in Ishbal between you?" Edward pressed.

And I will wander 'til the end of time torn away from you.

"What really happened?" She gave a cynical laugh, "He was my first taste of sin, and I wasn't about to give up my one escape from the war around me."

Edward bowed his head, "Why do you keep letting him into your life?"

"I don't have a reason for that." She tried to smile, though she knew better than to think he would fall for it, "I'm just hoping that this wintery sanctuary will help me forget him."

Edward stood up, dusting the snow from his jacket, "I hope it helps you too, Jane. I don't want you to think that you can't find a 'happily ever after'…"

Watching him leave opened a void in her heart. My heart is broken. She slowly stood up and made her way indoors, despite that her body had adjusted to the chill of the night. As she turned down the hallway where her quarters were, she heard the rush of footsteps behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Miles stop at the head of the hallway and gesture for her to follow him.

"The Major General needs to see you," he said.

"What now?" Jane shuffled after him, catching his arm before he walked into Olivier's office, "Major Miles, I am ordering you to tell me what is going on!"

He gave an apologetic sigh, "Major General Armstrong ordered me to not say a word."

"That's a lousy excuse, Major."

She placed her hand on the doorknob, but he stopped her from walking in by taking her wrist in his hand. Eyes holding each other for a tense moment, she felt her frustration melt like snow underneath the sun.

"I don't mean to anger you, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Major, if I didn't think I knew better, I'd say there's something that you wish to say to me." She narrowed her eyes on him, though he simply blushed, "Now, I'm not about to risk being buried alive underneath this fortress, if you know where I'm coming from." When he slowly let go of her wrist, she opened the door to the office to see Olivier seated at her desk with Buccaneer beside her, "Major General?"

"You might want to take a seat, Lieutenant Colonel, before I say anything," Olivier replied.

"I'll take my chances standing."

Sweet sleep, My Dark Angel.

Olivier glanced down at the paper in front of her, folding her hands together before locking onto Jane's gaze, "There was a man severely injured on a freight coming to Briggs. He's been admitted into a hospital at the foot of the mountain, and has requested full cooperation from us." She waited a moment before continuing, "That being said, he had knowledge of your assignation here, and your assistance in this man's recovery has been ordered."

Jane's brow furrowed and she caught her breath in her chest, "I don't believe I take orders from anyone but you, Major General."

"I agree wholeheartedly with that claim." Olivier looked reluctant to tell her the rest, "But the order has come from a command higher than my own."

"Then I should start packing."

Jane turned on her heel and made to leave, but Olivier stopped her, "You should know who it is that you will be encountering!" Another silence where Jane's breathing could be heard as she braced herself for the name that would shatter her, "Solf J. Kimbley…"

"Might I ask you something, Major General?" Jane licked her lips, chapped from the cold, "If I happen to make an error and he never wakes up again, can I count on you to defend me during my trial?"

A small laugh escaped Olivier, "Briggs will assure that one of their own is taken care of."

She left with a crooked smile, one that was woven from the cogs in her brain turning. She could kill Kimbley; it would seem so much easier now. If she was killed, then so be it. Her nightmares would be over and she'd have kept that psychopath from hurting anymore people. If she could manage it, she could walk away alive and possibly face a sentence in jail. How simple it would be to stop his heart by just a force of will. No mess and no questions asked.

Deliver us from sorrow's hold. (Over my heart)

Walking into her quarters, she began to throw her things together into her suitcase, a bit disappointed that she'd only spent a week here and she was already on the move. But revenge was so close, it brought a surge of warmth to her body, or maybe it wasn't warmth. No, it was bloodlust. She wanted him to writhe in pain before he died, wanted to see him experience all the agony he had put her through.

As she came to the back of her closet, she felt her heart grow heavy. That dress was lucky to have not been collecting dust. Affectionately holding it in her arms, she folded it carefully into her suitcase, closing it up after setting her wooden box inside. She hadn't even bothered to read his letter for fear of finding a reason to forgive him. As she sat down on her bed, hands running across the sheets of her bed, she wondered what he'd say to her if she saw him. Would he just continue with his typical smooth talking, or would he finally confess to wanting her dead? She wasn't sure which one she would have wanted to hear…

I can't go on living this way.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts and she sprung to her feet to answer it. Her eyes first saw his barreled chest, moving up to find his glasses remove and those red eyes staring down at her. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt so small before.

"May I come in, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Of course…I'm done packing anyway."

She nodded her head and stepped aside, though he only took a step into the room before shutting the door behind him. Brows knitting, she gasped when he grabbed her by her shoulders and kissed her so fiercely, she'd swore she'd never be able to breathe again. Her fingers dug into the sleeves of his jacket, wanting, yet hesitating, the desire to feel his skin. There was a quick moment to gather a breath before his mouth came down on hers, and she finally realized how frightened she felt. When was she going to find the strength to make it stop? Why couldn't she stop that feeling in her chest when another man kissed her?

"Major, stop." She locked her arms, keeping him at a distance while he bit his lip. His eyes were apologetic, though he refused to look at her. But I can't go back the way I came, chained to this fear that I will never find a way to heal my soul.

"I overstepped my bounds. I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel." He fixed his gaze on hers, feeling her arms grow slack as he brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucking it safely behind her ear, "You said that you thought there was something I wished to say to you." Hands holding her face, he smiled at her, "I couldn't put words to it."

"You hardly know me." She turned her cheek as he leaned to kiss her again, "And it wouldn't be fair for me to use you as a distraction from my current feelings."

Miles laughed, stealing her lips for a moment, "I appreciate that, but my curiosity has gotten the better of me."

Jane sighed, allowing for one more tight kiss, and a tight embrace, nearly suffocating her. Closing her eyes, she entwined her fingers in the collar of his jacket and held him close to herself, feeling the race of his heartbeat in his chest. A shame that her heart was so steady and she was simply enduring his "curiosity"… Lips falling from each others, she gave him an apologetic nod, though he still seemed satisfied.

"I apologize again, Lieutenant Colonel." He took a step away from her, "I didn't mean to force myself on you."

"No harm done, Major." Jane gave him a smile, something that she felt set him at ease, "It's not like you men get to see a woman that often!"

Miles watched her pick up her suitcase, running her fingers through her hair as she made to leave her quarters. He took her arm, "Be careful. I don't know your history with Kimbley, but I'd hate for him to hurt you further."

And I will wander 'til the end of time half alive without you…

"I appreciate that, Major." She sighed, "But there's nothing left for him to hurt." She began walking down the hall, whispering into the cold air, "He's already destroyed me…"

. . . .

My heart is broken.

The drive down the mountainside did little to suppress her feelings of dread. The cold air, though, became a friend. It froze any water in her eyes as she climbed out of the car and bid Second Lieutenant Henschel goodbye. Walking inside the hospital, she was immediately guided to a room in the back where she saw two men guarding the door. Giving them a glare hardly seemed to faze them, despite that her rank was higher than both of them. She set her hand on the knob and turned it, admitting herself in while they watched her like a lion hunting its prey.

She wasn't sure what she had expected her reaction to be, but she hadn't accounted for herself grabbing the folds of her jacket as if her heart would jump out at any moment. Those amber eyes turned to her, slowly and with a pained gasp, and she couldn't help biting at her bottom lip until it bled. Sweet sleep, My Dark Angel. Staggering forward, she unsteadily grabbed a chair and sat down beside his bed, hesitant to try to reach out to him, to heal the pain in those eyes.

"Might I request a moment alone?" Jane muttered. The nurses gave her a nervous glance, but she returned it with an icy glare, "That's an order from a lieutenant colonel in the Amestrian Military."

The room was suddenly cleared and she was grateful for the silence.

"Always thought it was hot when you would throw your weight around as military officer…" Kimbley snickered.

Deliver us.

She smiled down at him, but when he moved to reach out to her cheek, she drew her gun and pressed it to his temple, "You've got ten minutes to tell me why I shouldn't blow your brains out."

He gave her a blank stare, though his snide grin crawled from cheek to cheek, "I couldn't possibly think of why you'd want to kill me. I thought we were making progress-"

"You told that Ishbalan man to kill me."

Kimbley blinked incomprehensively a couple times, "I don't recall that."

"Of course you don't, you bastard." Her finger tapped the trigger, her eyes fighting the tears in her eyes, "You've got seven minutes left."

Change - open your eyes to the light.

"Janie, listen." He slowly propped himself up, her gun now pointed at his chest, "It would be ill-advised to kill me. You wouldn't walk out of this building alive." He pointed at the door, "Those men out there serve one purpose – kill anyone who threatens me." Her hand wavered on her hold on the gun and she grudgingly placed it back into its holster, "Besides, there's too much between us for you to just kill me."

"And that is where you are wrong." She rose to her feet, taking off her jackets, "Our history is nothing but sorrow and agony. I won't let it happen anymore."

"Oh? Is this your declaration of goodbye?" he chided.

"No, this is warning that your death will be at my hands."

"Gettin' feisty there, Janie…"

"You never did know when to shut up."

"It's not my fault that you let me get the best of you." He grinned, beckoning her closer, but she remained standing, "Trying to resist me? I can play that game."

She shook her head, "I'll kill you before I fall for you again."

"I like that challenge-" His words were cut off by a fit of coughing. He brought his hand to his mouth, grumbling when he saw blood splattered across his skin. Turning those pathetic eyes to her, she gave a sigh before sitting down on the edge of the bed, "Don't figure you can heal that part of me, can you?"

I denied it all so long, oh so long.

"I wasn't told to speed your recovery. I was only asked to assist." She pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the strain of his heartbeat, "But I can at least stop you from spitting up blood." Staring at the symbols of her gloves, she grudgingly healed the arteries of his lungs. Whatever had hit him had certainly done more damage than just that, but she was willing to make him pay for her misery before she decided if she would save him, "I'm ordering you to tell me what happened to you."

Kimbley laughed, "Did we ever experiment with you as a dominatrix? You're pretty hot when you're in control."

Jane rolled her eyes, "You never liked it when I was on top."

"Hm…" He gave that a thought, "…guess I was being selfish."

"You were being a rapist-"

"Oh, come on. You liked it."

"Liked what? You forcing yourself on me?"

"You liked when I was rough and impatient." He winked at her, "We were always good at angst sex."

That seemed to break a smile onto her face, "Why did I ever let you get away with that shit?"

Say goodbye, goodbye…

"Because you liked being possessed by someone." His words came out harshly, each one stinging her ears. His voice had dropped low to that seductive, mocking tone that she knew all too well, "Lust is a dangerous thing when it becomes what you want most." His fingertips brushed over her cheek, paralyzing her for too long, "You wanted it more than love, Janie."

She shook her head, "You don't know anything about me-"

"If you had wanted love then you wouldn't have let me come and go like I did."

Her brows knitted together and she felt tears building at the corners of her eyes, "You destroyed me…"

"Ishbal destroyed you. I offered an escape from it all-"

"With your twisted lies!" She stood up, turning her back while furiously wiping away her tears, "You tried to convince me that I had done the right thing, done the job of a State Alchemist…"

My heart is broken.

"Did you really accept that position without knowing the consequences? We are required to obey the commands of the upper echelon."

"Alchemy isn't meant to hurt people…"

"Sex isn't supposed to either, and look where it got you."

She slowly faced him, her eyes flashing with the crazed desire to tear his body to pieces. She sauntered back over to the bed and sat back down, eyes meeting his. Drumming her fingers along his chest, she suddenly seized him by the folds of his shirt, nearly hoisting him off the bed, "Would you care to tell me the manner in which you'd like to die, or shall I pick the torture I wish to make you endure?"

"Oh, Janie." He covered her hands with his, despite that she could see it was straining on his body, "If I thought you'd kill me, I'd give you an answer. But remember, there are people in the chain of command that can have you brutally murdered for mishandling this little situation." Slowly, he pried her fingers from their hold on him, "I admire your strength, Janie, but now isn't the time to be putting up such a front."

Release me, I can't hold on.

"You still didn't tell me what happened to you," she snarled.

"Our Ishbalan friend got a piece of me again." That seemed to bring back the fire of his eyes, that wild bloodlust, "That's the second time I've failed to kill that mongrel…"

Jane gave a wistful sigh. If only Scar had done her the favor of killing Kimbley for her. That would be a debt she wouldn't be able to repay. Deliver us. "Looks like you're rusty. Prison can do that."

He grimaced at the jab, "Looks like you're cynical. Sex can do that."

"I'm going to be the bigger person and not continue with insults."

She wearily tied her hair into a messy knot, staring at him with exhausted eyes. She drummed her fingers on her knee while focusing on the needles in his arms, attached to the IVs beside the bed. They were most likely filled with water or a kind of nutrient rich fluid, but that could be easily replaced. An overdose on morphine wasn't unheard of, and he was a psychopath... She could give it to him with a document reading that the patient had control of how much morphine he need. He could easily kill himself.

"I know that look on your face…" She snapped back to reality, flustered by that all-knowing smirk, "Plotting a silent death for me? I would have thought you'd have wanted to make me experience the pain you put those Ishbalan civilians through."

"I'm just keeping you on your toes. Wouldn't want to be predictable with your life on the line," she spat.

"Ouch." He wrinkled his nose, "Not sure I've got a comeback for that…"

She smiled, standing with such grace that it looked as though nothing that had been said had any effect on her. My heart is broken. Walking over to the door and picking up her jackets, she glanced over her shoulder and winked at him, "Eat your heart out."

Door shut tightly behind her, she gave a nod to the men while picking up her suitcase that was set against the wall. Finding the nurse from earlier, she was guided to her room, which she was grateful to find wasn't just four white walls and a small bed. There was a closet, a dresser, and actual color in the room. She started assembling her things once the woman left. But as she came to that black dress, she found herself all too curious about what it would look like on.

Undressing hastily, she slid herself into the skin tight garment and stood in front of the mirror on the dresser. Well, she certainly couldn't hate it. It was very attractive, fitting to each of her slender curves. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd truly enjoyed dressing up and going out on the town. She was starting to make a list of things to do once she had her freedom again. But for now, she needed to follow orders and complete her duties as a military officer.

She stowed the dress on a hanger in the back of her closet, allowing herself the luxury of thinking about Roy when they met up in the bar, the drunken dance before she vomited and the walk home where he held her in his arms. How difficult would it be to ask for a gentleman to walk into her life? She tried not to laugh while thinking of Miles voicing his curiosity. He seemed like a good man, but there was still that side of her that wanted adventure, that wanted people to question her choices.

Sweet sleep, My Dark Angel.

The knocking at her door was so loud and urgent that she nearly fell over from the initially shock of it breaking into the silence. Wrapping herself in a blanket, since she'd been standing there in her bra and underwear, she went to answer whoever was still knocking. She threw open the door, but all she saw was the empty wall in front of her. Brows furrowing, she looked left and right until she felt a tug at the bottom of the blanket. Eyes shifting down, she saw a little girl staring up at her with beady eyes, distraught as she tried to form words.

"A-Are y-you th-the doct-ctor?"

Jane nodded, "Is something wrong-?"

She hardly finished her question when her hand was grabbed and the girl tried to drag her down the hall.

"We have to move fast! My friend needs help!"

"I'm not dressed!"

Deliver us.

Jane wiggled her arm free and ran back into her room. Struggling into a pair of pants and button down shirt, she donned one of her jackets that she had brought with her from home. It wasn't as many layers as her military uniform, but she felt weary about wearing it to wherever this young girl wanted to lead her. Sliding her gloves back onto her hands, she followed after the little girl, whose pigtails were bouncing uncontrollably as she ran. At least it made her smile.

Outside, they wove through the streets of the small town, only drawing the attention of very few eyes. Slipping into an alley, she tried to keep up with the twists and turns until she saw a worn down house in front of her. She hesitated walking through the front door, but the urgency of the little girl washed away her concern. My heart is broken. Inspecting the tattered walls with paint peeling off and the windows that fluttered open and closed, she breathed against her hands to try to retain their warmth.

As she crossed into what she supposed was a living room, she brought a hand to her mouth to silence her gasp. Lying across the wooden floors, in pools of his own blood, was the Ishbalan man that had attacked her. A surge of warmth crashed through her chest when those agony stricken red eyes met hers, challenging her to leave him for dead or save him. She trembled while following the endless traces of blood that stained his clothes.

Sweet sleep, My Dark Angel.

How was he alive?

"I could only seal the wounds, but he can't stand without opening them!" the little girl blubbered. Jane just stared at the man with wide eyes, contemplating what she was going to do. Shaking her head, hands pressed to her mouth, she finally let her gaze fall to the desperate girl, "Can you help him?"

Deliver us from sorrow's hold.


thoughts? hoping you readers are inclined to review! your thoughts are an inspiration!

Miles struck out. bummer! so...if you think you know who her next potentially lover may be - i think i clarified it in this chapter. haha

hmm...maybe a steamy chapter is in order at some point? I'm thinking that wouldn't be a bad idea..

you know the drill! ;) please review!

-TSA