I fumed there for a moment, but I turned to Tatiana. She had already pulled her shirt back on, and she was curled up on the floor. Her hysterical sobbing came in gasps, like she couldn't breathe.

I knelt down next to her and helped her to sit upright. I pulled her against me, and she hissed air in through her sobs. I felt something wet on my shirt, and I pulled her away from me.

A red stain was forming on her shirt, on her chest.

"He hurt you?" I asked as calmly as I could, though that wasn't very calm. She nodded three times, and continued to weep, in pain, I realized. I reached to examine the cut, but she backed away from me, a terrified look in her eyes. She was scared of me. I wanted to jump out the window after that bastard, but no. he deserved to live with what I had given him.

"Tatiana," I said slowly, "It's me. I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you."

She looked at me, reminding me of a terrified animal, but nodded after a while. I edged closer to her again, and removed her shirt. She had three cuts, obviously made by a sharp blade. One was on her chest, the other two on the lower part of her bloated stomach, and disappearing under her pants.

"That sick…" I could barely hold in a scream. My blood was boiling. I heard the doorbell ring once, and then I heard the door open and close. Footsteps pounded in our direction, fast and loud on the wood floors of the house.

Aura burst into the room, panting.

"I came as fast as I could," she gasped, "What can I do?"

"Get a doctor, and the cops," I added as an afterthought.

The cops arrived shortly after the ambulance, and didn't really do much good, as far as I could tell. I climbed into the ambulance shortly after they arrived, and helped the doctors to load her into it. She was placed in the center of the car, and was soon surrounded by doctors trying hard to stop the bleeding. I'd seen blood a lot in the past, but it had never bothered me like that.

"Hey kid," said a doctor, and I almost didn't realize he was talking to me, "You gonna be sick?"

"No," I assured him.

"Then could you hold her hand?" he asked me.

"What?" I wasn't sure what the point was.

"If you do that, it'll make her feel a whole lot better than anything we can do for the moment."

Her hand was crusted in blood too, but I held it.

"Tatiana," I said to her, "You're okay, you're going to be okay."

"She'll be an emergency case, so we'll get her taken care of right away, don't you worry."

"Thank you," I told him. We got there faster than I would've thought possible, but as soon as we did, she was rushed down a hall, and I had to wait.

The doctor from the ambulance walked over to me, and held out a box of wipes, and I realized I had blood all over my hands. I took one, and cleared away the last trace of crimson. I threw it out, and sat in a waiting chair.

"She'll be brought to her own room after she wakes up," he told me, "Would you like me to take you there now?"

I looked at him closely for the first time, and noticed the utter concern written over his unshaven yet friendly face.

I nodded and he motioned for me to follow him. We walked down the hall, went up an elevator, and down two more halls, and stopped at a door. He let me in, and asked if I needed anything. I told him I was fine and went to sit in the chair next to the empty hospital bed. After he had left, I waited. The sky outside the window slowly got dark, and I amused myself by watching the stars come out. I was almost certain I could see every star in the universe by the time the door opened.

I whirled around and watched the nurse wheel her up to the side of the bed and help her onto it. The nurse nodded to me and instructed me to push a little red button on a remote if either of us needed anything. I agreed, and she left. I didn't say anything.

"Envy?" she asked after a while.

"What?" I sat down in the chair next to her.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No," I laughed.

"Okay," she relaxed.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her seriously.

"Like I just got seventy-two stitches," she told me.

"I wonder why," I pretended not to be as shocked by the large number as I actually was. I guessed for three cuts that wasn't really that bad.

We spent the next two nights there, she got her food for free, and the first doctor gave me loans to buy stuff from the cafeteria once he found out I was broke. I owed him way more than would ever be able to pay him back for, but he didn't seem to mind, even when I told him so. We were released after the two nights, with strict instructions on how to change the bandages. I was about to walk out the door, when Tatiana's main surgeon stopped me.

"I was just curious," he said to me.

"Yeah?" I said slowly, "What about?"

"Who's Envy?" he asked me.

I put my hand on the back of my neck, "Er… That's my nickname."

"Oh," he nodded in understanding.

"How did you know?" I asked him.

"That was the only word she would say while she was under," he explained.

I smiled, "Yeah, she does that."

We got home, and spent the next week in happiness. I was so thrilled that Susie still allowed me to stay at their house, though she seemed like the type to do that. She even let me sleep in Tatiana's room, she figured we'd done worse than sleep in the same bed. I still remember the first night we spent together up in her loft-bed. She had tossed and turned, not being able to fall asleep, but after I wrapped my arms around her, she had drifted into sleep within seconds.

One day, shortly before the birth of our child, we were sitting together in her Japanese garden. There was a swing, the kind that seats two people, and a creek flowing through the flowers. She called it the Philosophy Garden, but I didn't really think it looked different than the Japanese gardens I'd seen in pictures. I still had the ring, but I was suddenly nervous to present it. I looked around though, and didn't think I could find a better time and place to do it. "Do it the traditional way" huh?

"Hey, uh, Tatiana?" I asked timidly.

"Yeah?" she looked at me, "What is it?"

My face was getting hot, but I ignored it, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she said to me.

I stood up, leaving her on the swing. She stopped rocking it and looked at me. I sighed. I had to do it. I looked her in the eyes, and got down on one knee.

"Look," said to her, "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and the older I got I just kept adding to the list. But - ever since I met you, I haven't added to it. And, I always thought the bigger the list got, the more unhappy I'd be, but the list is bigger than it ever has been, and I've never been happier than I am with you."

Her eyes were blue as I pulled the ring out and held the closed box in front of her, "And, I don't want that to go away. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I don't want to start in a few years, either. I want to be able to spend forever with you so…"

I opened the box, "Will you marry me?"

A tear of pure joy slid down her cheek, "Envy how did you?"

"It was the ring that your Mom's first husband gave her. She gave it to me, and she wouldn't take it back," I smiled at her.

"Yeah, that sounds like her," she wiped the tear off her cheek, "Oh, God, yes! A hundred thousand times yes!"

"I love you," I embraced her, getting back up on the swing.

"Really?" she asked me.

"Yes, really!" I said, astonished that she even had to ask.

"That was the only reason I didn't say yes the first time," she told me, "Because I wasn't sure."

"Tatiana," I said to her, pulling away and gazing into her eyes, "I loved you from the moment I heard your name."

She smiled, but I wasn't done. I'd been waiting to pour this out to her, and wasn't going to stop.

"I love how you hold things with two hands, even if they would fit easily into one. I love how you bend your knees rather than lower your hands to open the garbage can. I love how you can't stop talking if you're unloading the dishwasher. I love how you snuggle up against me when you're asleep. I love how we always have mock fights about who has to climb down the ladder in the morning first, me or you. I love how you're always careful to make the spines of books facing the wind so the pages don't get blown open. I love how you know how to make every day the best one ever. I love how you geometrically check if the umbrella will blow away or not. I love how you look at nature the way other girls look at clothes or jewelry. I love how when there's a really romantic moment, you bite your lip so you won't say anything too revealing. I love how you'll laugh at my jokes no matter who's in the room. I love how you complain about how comfortable your clothes are, rather than how cute. I love how when I brush the hair out of your face, you look down before you make eye contact. I love how you think that you're not good enough for me, when it's the total and complete opposite. I love how you try to avoid wearing heels so you have to look up at me rather than be on my eyelevel. I love how you panic about someone watching us when no one's there, and you don't care if we're in a room full of people. I love how you worry about your appearance at bedtime more than in the morning. I love how naturally your hand fits in mine. I love how you use me as a pillow some nights. I love how you say my name in your sleep but refuse to admit you were dreaming about me. I love how if I'm just lying down you won't fall asleep, but as soon as I wrap my arms around you, you're out. I love how you know just as much as I do, even though I've been alive far longer. I love how you care about me in a way that no one's ever cared about me in centuries. I love how you refuse to believe me when I tell you that you look beautiful. I love how the only thing you don't know is how special you are. I love how you sing to me when you need to get something out. I love how you stick out your tongue when someone jokingly insults you. I love how you can't stand the sound of a nail file. I love that you bury your face in my chest when I hug you, so as to hide the fact that you're smiling. I love how you've perfected your pouty face. I love how you don't beat around the bush and get straight to the point. I love how when I do something you like, you tell me so I'll do it more often. I love how you say patience is a virtue, but can never wait for Jessica's grandparents to go to bed. I love how you cried when you were temped to say that you loved me, and how it took me crying for you to finally admit it. I love how you think that there's no point in being embarrassed around me anymore. I love how you always know when it's the right time for a sappy moment. I love how you're the best thing that has or ever will happen to me."

"Okay," she laughed, "Now I believe you."

I hugged her again, and held her there, not wanting to ever let go. But, things don't always go as planned…

Tatiana gasped once, and pulled away from me, a very particular look on her face.

"Tatiana?" I asked her slowly, "What is it?"

"Let's just not have one of the freaking-out-oh-my-God-the baby's-here moments, okay?" she said hoarsely.

"Oh my God," I really wanted to have one of those moments right then and there.

"Just get me inside," she groaned. I had to admit, in 370,518 years, I had never gotten much practice with helping someone to give birth.

I picked her up bridal style, and carried her into the house. The couch didn't seem very appropriate, so I carried her to her parents' bedroom. Susie was out shopping, and Tatiana's dad, Jim, was up at their second house. Aura would come, I knew, but I didn't know how much good she could do.

She has healing abilities, I reminded myself. I still didn't feel very confidante. Tatiana's face looked suddenly more strained, and then, there was a flash of white light next to me. When the light faded, I saw a girl, blonde, with very long hair, and a stunned look on her face. I recognized her, but I wasn't sure where from. I was pretty sure I hadn't met her in person, or had I? it suddenly all came back to me. She had been one of the people who had confined me in a jar up north. Wasn't she with the pipsqueak?

I turned to Tatiana, "Why'd you bring her?"

"I wouldn't rather have anyone else help with this," she told me.

"Er… Winry, right?" I asked her.

"Yes?" she turned to me, "Hey, you look familiar. I know I've seen your eyes before…"

"Yeah, I was that half-dead homunculus you kept in a jar," I reminded her bitterly. Her eyes widened a bit, but she didn't freak out. Instead, she eyed Tatiana, and gasped.

"That's why you're here," I told her, "We don't have that many options right now, and word on the street is that you're good at this."

"Well," she said slowly, "I've delivered a baby before…"

"Then do it again!" I was getting impatient.

"Okay," she said suddenly, and I was shocked, I had to admit. She proceeded to ask Tatiana where she kept her disinfectants, a large tub for hot water, and fresh towels. She answered her, and Winry ran out of the room. Tatiana screamed loudly. I felt so useless! Then I remembered what the doctor had told me in the ambulance. I held her hand in both of mine, and spoke to her softly.

"Tatiana, don't worry. Everything will be fine," I told her.

I heard Aura come in, and gasp. She and Winry had a conversation, while I just held Tatiana's hand, not sure what to do as her screams got louder.

"I could use a little bit of help in here!" I yelled out the door. Aura came running in holding several towels with various bottles stacked on top, and was followed by Winry, who was carrying a large basin full of steaming water. There were several phases of screaming, from everyone in the room, and at one point Ed walked in and fainted. I couldn't help but be a little satisfied that he was entirely disregarded on the couch while the rest of us worried about Tatiana. I stared intently at her face the whole time, not daring to look down. Suddenly, everything went still, and I knew it was over. Everything was silent, save the noises the Aura and Winry made at the foot of the bed. I still didn't look. I was scared, scared that if I looked away from her for a second, she would slip away from me.


Author's Note: So, are you excited to meet the newest member of our colorful cast? Well, be excited!