Havoc had never intentionally set out to ruin a woman. He'd always been very big on being a gentlemen and treating them to a good night. As he watched Lena sit at a bar stool running a nervous hand through her dark locks, he wondered what the hell had happened. First she'd asked for a cigarette and then a drink and he being the man he was, had agreed. The look on her pale face had been one of pure exhaustion; pure fear. He knew from being in the military so long now that there were some things only alcohol could chase away. There were nightmares that you couldn't be unseen. She reached forward and brushed her finger along the water pooling at the bottom of her glass stein before glancing at him raising an eyebrow. The transient light filtered over her honey colored eyes as she quickly looked away. Strands of black hair shaded the angle of her jaw and neck slipping off her shoulder as she fingered the lapel of her jacket straightening it.

"What was that look for?" he asked gently. Smoke ebbed around him hazily from a man down the bar.

"Nothing." She replied staring deeply back at her nearly drained draft.

"It's getting late. We ought to head back to the Colonel's and explain some of this too him. Actually," he laughed nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "He's been waiting for us for about two hours."

"I don't want to see him right now." She whispered closing her eyes. Before he could react she put her forehead against the bar top. He sighed unsure of what he should do. Hesitantly, Jean put a palm against her back midway up and spread his fingers out there reassuringly.

"You're going to have too."

"Not tonight. Not after all of this. I can't right now…" she whispered without picking her head up. "I can't…it's too dangerous."

"Well you're stationed with us." He reminded her. "Come on, let's get you up…" Jean moved to assist her in getting up when he heard a small tired sigh escape her lips. He couldn't help but feel his chest tighten at her small frame in the military jacket as her chest breathed in and out. She was already asleep. He should have known. There was no way she could have ever drank this much before and the combination of nicotine, stress, and alcohol had probably been tearing down her energy since the first beer.

"Well, I guess I have to carry you then…" he reached around her middle sliding an arm under her ribs and turned her on her back to carry her out. He supposed taking her to Roy's drunk and passed out was a horrible idea not only for her, but for him in letting her be like this. He'd let this happen to her. Roy would ignite his ass on the spot. The only other viable option was to take her back to the small apartment flat that he and Breda shared. Hopefully his roommate wasn't there tonight and he wouldn't have to explain any of this; at least not until tomorrow morning.

Lena woke up to sunlight streaming across her face in bright vivid rays. She cringed groaning and rolled over shielding her eyes by throwing her arm over face. Her fingers brushed something warm and soft. For a moment, Lena slid back down into the covers allowing the fluffy pillow to envelope her sleep infested mind. Then something like realization hit her. Her fingers had brushed something warm and soft. Lena froze and her eyes snapped open. Instinct kicked in as she bolted upright in the bed and shoved herself away from whatever was warm beside her. She gasped her arm flailing behind her for something, anything, that she could use as a weapon.

"Hey! HEY!" Jean shouted putting his hands up sleepily trying to process the situation. He shifted his body back from Lena trying to give her space as she gripped the glass on the dressor and raised it in the air about to hurl it at him.

"What the HELL is going on?" she snapped gripping the cold glass in her hand tighter until her fingers turned white.

"Can we put the glass down first please?" he said urgently. Lena realizing that she was still leveling the glass as if about to throw it through his head bit her lip nodding. She slowly put it down. She stole a glance in Havoc's direction again taking in the way he looked. He was disheveled with rumpled hair slightly hanging against his forehead and in his eyes. Lena did have trouble getting past the fact that it appeared he was only wearing pants, his legs under the covers, she had a decent view of his bare chest which faced her.

"My head is killing me." She squeezed her eyes shut sinking her face into her hands taking a deep breath.

"Well, you were very drunk last night. You fell asleep at the bar." He told her as his shoulders relaxed.

"I don't want to know that." She replied. "Why am I at your place?" she peaked up at him between her fingers. A faintly dark blush spread over Jean's face.

"N-not for the reasons you think." He hastily told her working to untangle himself from the covers to get up. "See, it was too late to take you like that to Roy…he uhm…he would have…" he raked a hand through his unruly hair.

"He would have burnt you alive. I get it." She smirked a little taking her hands from her face. He saw her bit her lip chewing on it a moment as she looked down at the sheets.

"We didn't…." she trailed off leaving it as a question for him to answer.

"NO!" he nearly shouted tripping on the sheet. He hit the floor groaning. His face popped back up over the side of the bed bright red.

"Ok good." Lena felt the nervous feeling in her stomach unwind.

"I w-wouldn't take advantage of a l-lady!" he pointed a finger at her. Lena snorted before bursting out into laughter. It started as a chuckle but she couldn't help the wave of hilariousness that ensued at Havoc's face. She wrapped her arms around her stomach laughing so hard before being able to finally stop and draw in enough breath to speak.

"I'm not a lady." She chuckled wiping at her eyes as Jean sat back on the edge of the bed. "and second, it was a little suspicious. I was sleeping in a bed beside you…and I didn't remember how I got here." He sighed out understanding where she would think that.

"No. It's just that I don't have another bed and Breda broke the couch last week so there really wasn't any other pla…" she smiled softly and shook her head.

"It's ok. I get it. Thanks for helping me out." Lena told him. She took note that she was still fully clothed which helped his story.

"Not a problem. But you know you're going to have to report in for duty with the Colonel today." He eyed her lightly.

"Yeah, not looking forward to it. He's going to blow a gasket. All the file said was that I'd been inducted. It didn't tell him I was made into a state alchemist." She looked up at the ceiling.

"It won't be all that bad." Jean told her.

Looking back to a few hours previously, sitting on Havoc's bed getting over her hangover, Lena had wished the morning could have lasted longer. Currently, Roy stood fuming in the doorway of his office. Moments after she'd walked in, he'd caught sight of her in the military uniform and about burnt the entire office. Riza had a hand on his chest speaking in a low voice to him. Havoc stood just to Lena's side unmoving as fire flashed in Roy's eyes. Suddenly, the watch in her pocket felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. The guilt of all of them being trapped under the President's thumb settled on her shoulder.

"It's not that bad." She told her brother. "At least I can spend some more time around you now."

SO, so, sooooo tell me what you think! Lena's not very good at holding her alcohol and she certainly did end up in a precarious position, no? Did Jean get himself in over his head by trying to help her out? Will Roy burn him to a pile of ashes when he finds out what happened the night before? Tune in next chapter for some real fan hitting action! Hint: Lena might just fall a little harder for a soldier trying to protect her. Protect her from what you ask? Oh, you'll see what the homunculus have in store for her next time: Vanishing Act Part 2!

REVIEWS PLEASE! I BEG YOU!

C*~