"Do not cry, my sweet. The life I am working so hard to build for you will be wonderful."

She looked away. He reached out and took her chin in his hand and turned her face back towards him.

"Don't you love me?"

She felt like spitting in his face, but resisted the urge and settled on a low, spiteful, "no."

"Oh, you will." He stood up straight, his handsome face twisted into an insane smile. "When I am done with you, you will worship the ground I walk on."

She couldn't resist any longer. Her saliva hit just below his right eye and began to slide down his cheek. He slowly wiped the moisture from his face and smeared it across hers. Taking her wrist, he lifted it up and snapped it into one of the shackles hanging from the ceiling. After shackling the other wrist, he stood face to face and hip to hip with her, her toes barely brushing the ground. Her arms were spread apart as tight as they would go.

He brought a hand to her throat, wrapping his fingers around her neck just tight enough to scare her. With his face just millimeters from hers and his hot, sickly sweet breath creeping into her lungs, he stepped forward, taking her with him until her back was pressed roughly against the stone wall. Sighing heavily in her ear, he whispered huskily, "I will make you love me," and smashed his body against her.

The hand that had been on her throat slid up to her face, covering it completely and barely letting her breathe. His other hand cupped her breast. He clicked his tongue. "Not quite a handful." The voice was eerily cheerful. "Don't worry, my sweet, we'll fix that soon."

She bit his hand. He grunted in pain, but only increased his grip. She could feel the hard bulge in his pants pressed against her thigh and she almost gagged. He took his hand from her chest and ripped into her shirt, aggressively attacking a nipple with her teeth. Pain only served to augment the pleasure that rushed through her body. His fingers crawled down her stomach and into her pants and tears of shame filled her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. Her body betrayed her heart as the fingers reached their destination and her back arched in pleasure at the touch.

She wanted to die…

Edward entered the room quietly, but stopped short in surprise. The girl was not in her bed. Confused, he quickly scanned the room for a figure huddled in a corner. Soon, though, he became aware of a soft sobbing sound on the other side of the curtain, then a gasp. He warily moved towards the sound.

The girl lay sprawled in the bed he used to occupy, sunshine splashed across her body. Her chest heaved as she gasped and sobbed and writhed, an odd look of pain twisting her face.

Ed turned to fetch a doctor, but stopped and turned back as a low moan escaped the girl's lips. Tears streamed down her face. He stepped closer and reached out his flesh hand, placing it on her shoulder, afraid for her.

She jolted awake and swung at the origin of the touch with her already clenched fist.

Before Ed knew what was happening, the girl's fist smashed into his face. He jumped back from the bed and the flailing arm and brought a hand to his stinging cheek. "What the hell is your problem?"

The girl opened her eyes and they immediately grew wide. Ed was again struck by the deep violet color and cringed. She flinched. "I was dreaming."

Ed softened his anger. "Must have been a bad one."

She nodded and looked away as color flooded her face.

"Well if you're going to be violent when you wake up, I'm going to do with a ten foot pole next time." Ed flashed a smile, hoping to coax one out of the girl as well. She let one creep into her expression until she saw his cheek starting to color.

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

She looked sideways at him and he gingerly touched his tender cheek.

"Don't worry about it." He chuckled. "Al's done worse."

"Al?"

"My little brother." There was a slight pause. "So…it was a vivid dream?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, starting to speak. She stopped and just nodded.

Ed smiled halfway. "I know how that goes." Another pause, slightly longer. "You've seen the gate." It was a statement, not a question."

Her eyes widened in response.

Edward started to say something else, but was interrupted.

"I'm sorry." Neither of them had noticed the nurse entering the room. "Visiting hours are over."

Ed stood straighter. "I'm not visiting. I'm here to take her."

The nurse frowned. "I don't think she's been authorized for release."

"Well, I'm authorizing her release." He hoped he had authority like that.

"You?"

Edward couldn't stand that incredulous look. "Do you know who I am?"

"This ridiculous show is not going to help, kid." She had no idea who this difficult kid was. The nurse she'd just replaced should have warned her about this situation.

The boy's face grew red. "I am not a kid! I am Major Edward Elric, Full Metal Alchemist! Now get the hell outta here and authorize her release!"

Shocked, the nurse took a couple steps back. "I'm sorry, sir." She scrambled out of the room.

"Major Edward Elric, huh?" There was a smile in the girl's voice.

"Uh…yeah."

"Edward Elric…Full Metal Alchemist." She let the smile travel from her voice to her face. "It had a nice ring to it." She extended her hand. "Nice to meet you?"

Ed smiled and took her hand, noticing the slight tremble. "Nice to meet you."

Suddenly, the nurse reappeared. This time, she approached quietly and quickly removed the girl's I.V. Turning to the girl, she spoke. "Dr. Phillips wanted to remind you to keep your wounds clean and dressed. He would like to see you for a checkup in a couple of days."

The girl looked from the nurse to Ed and back again, then nodded. As the nurse left, she examined her hospital gown and gave Ed a worried look.

Ed suddenly remembered the bag Mustang had given him. He handed it over and she pulled out a short skirt and a button-up shirt. Slipping the skirt on under her gown, she tried to pull it down and up at the same time.

"You've got to be kidding me." She was almost pouting.

"Colonel Bastard likes his women skanky." There was a hint of disgust in Ed's voice.

She turned her back to slip off the gown and slip on the shirt. "Then it's a good thing I'm not one of his women isn't it?" She turned back around and grinned, giving the skirt one last good tug.