Ah! Even I'm all giddy about what's going on in the story and I've: A) Seen the shows B)Read the Manga and C) am writing this! I'm such a dork sometimes, I swear I feel like I have no say in what's going on, the characters are doing it for me xD


(Age 16)

The tired looking man watched in wonder as the doctor did a diagnostic on the unconscious girl. He ran his shaky hand through his blonde locks, longing to reach for a cigarette, but knew that the nurses would scold him if he tried-again. Elizabeth's face was the image of serenity, much calmer and innocent looking than he'd seen recently. It seemed to him that anything he did these days made her furious, he just couldn't win.

But looking at her her like this, not in critical condition, but still needing constant care, struck a chord with him. He wanted to protect this girl, and not like a brother. She had enough of those. A small, sad smile found his lips as he examined her. She had some stitches on her forehead, right above her left eyebrow. The doctor said it would heal without a scar, as long as it didn't reopen before healing completely. He grimaced at the bruise along her left cheekbone as well. He didn't know who or what caused it, but he wished he had been there to help, not running back for reinforcements because he wasn't armed like he should have been.

As much as Havoc wished it, however, the small stitches on her face were not all of them. She also had a long gash on her chest. It began only an inch below the center of her collarbone and swept across her chest, all the way to her right automail shoulder. Though it had appeared to be a shallow cut, it was only a clean one, by a very sharp sword. It required several stitches, disinfectant, and a bandage. The bandage prevented her from being allowed to wear a regular shirt, but Havoc was down right pissed that she was in the hospital in only a bandage and underwear, so he brought a large, baggy shirt that wouldn't irritate any injuries.

Though not the cleanest thoughts, Jean couldn't help but love the way she looked in his shirt. The baggy cloth hung off her shoulder, even as she lay on the bed, still not awake from the fight. Her hair had been washed and dried by a nurse, and it now rested next to her in soft, gentle waves. Her amber eyes were not open, but her dark pink lips were slightly parted, as she had a flow of breath through them, guaranteeing her life. Her automail hand was set at her side, still not fixed. Her living hand, however, was spread across he midsection, palm down.

Once the doctor left, Jean slowly stood from his seat, unsure of his right to be here before this girl. Was it worth it? Would he just hurt her? Shaking away any thoughts, he knelt by her bed, wondering why she hadn't woken up yet. Edward did, and he already knew that Winry was on her way. He even wanted to visit Elizabeth, but everyone told him that she was resting. While half-true, no one wanted to tell the temperamental boy that his sister had yet to awaken. Jean grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips gently.

"Beth, wake up. You've been out for almost an entire day, you're scaring me." he whispered against her knuckles, kissing them a second time. He almost jumped out of his skin when a tired moan escaped her lips. Jean dropped her hand and stood quickly, not wanting to get caught in there by her. Just as he exited, her eyes fluttered open. Only moments after, when she had just begun to question her whereabouts, did the doctor return, thanks to Jean's tip.


Winry had just gotten in a fight with Edward over his milk when she decided to calm down and find Elizabeth to fix her automail as well. She'd heard from some soldiers that Beth was still unconscious and her automail had been damaged too. Winry also had to do some regular maintenance because she knew that if Edward had grown, then Elizabeth probably did too. She was pleasantly surprised to find Elizabeth already awake an peaking to a doctor when she came to the open door.

"-And just be sure not to over-do yourself. The cut may have seemed shallow at the time, but like your brother, you lost way too much blood. We had to just you a transfusion, just to be safe." the doctor droned out concernedly, reading off of a paper pad.

Elizabeth nodded carefully and began to ask a string of questions, "How are my brothers? Is Edward awake yet? What were his injuries, was he hurt worse after I blacked out?"

"You blacked out?!" Winry cried, loosing her patience at the door.

The doctor, no wanting a scene in his room, cleared his throat and halted her, "From the blood loss. She's fine now." His eyes darted to the case that Winry was holding, and added, "I presume you're the automail mechanic. Please fix it, as the lack of movement is putting extra strain on her shoulder and neck. Just be careful and don't reopen any of her cuts. I'm sure she doesn't want any scars."

As the doctor exited, Elizabeth scoffed, momentarily forgetting her other concerns because of Winry's appearance. "Like scars scare me!" she retorted to the absent doctor, looking towards her right shoulder. Though she sounded strong and sarcastic, her eyes said something different. Winry sighed as she could tell what her friend was thinking. Even if they somehow got their limbs back, there was a good chance that the large scars would remain if they even lived through the transmutation.

"Hey, Liz." Winry finally greeted, bending over to hug Elizabeth.

Irritated, Liz shooed her away. "I can stand! I'll give you a hug, dammit." She grumbled, swinging her legs out from under the covers and standing. Winry's jaw dropped at the sight of her friend. The side of her face that had been turned away from her, the left side, had a yellowing bruise along her cheekbone and stitches above her left eyebrow. The bandages, which hadn't been present before, were in clear view because of how baggy her shirt was. The shirt came down half-way between her elbows and wrists, falling off of her shoulders. It fell to the tops of her knees, clearly showing her automail scar and the beginning of the metal. Frozen mid-hug, Elizabeth frowned and asked, "What?"

Winry clacked her teeth together while trying to stop gaping before opening her mouth right away again to point out, "You're wearing a man's shirt." Before Elizabeth could reply, while she was looking down at her attire and picking at it confusedly, Winry began to go off on a tangent, quite loudly, "It's Jean's shirt, isn't it?! Oh my god! He found you when you were wherever you were at! He bandaged you up the best he could and took off your sliced shirt-like a total gentleman, of course! Then he gave you one of his shirts and carried you all the way here bridal style! He did, didn't he?!" she gushed happily, lost in her romanticized fantasies. Elizabeth gave her a harsh glare in vain, as Winry was too far into her delusions to care. The giddy girl let out an excited squeal. Though only audible for a few feet, it was loud enough to bring Jean rushing in.

"Beth?!" He cried worriedly, "Are you okay?" His eyes found the two girls, one with her face in her hand and the other looking positively misty-eyed at his arrival.

"Look, Elizabeth! He even came because he thought something happened! It's love!" Winry cried happily.

"Uh-" Jean tried to protest, but Elizabeth's voice was louder.

"Hell no." She snapped loudly and coldly. The two words wounded Jean and his face fell drastically, causing him to think bitterly to himself, What did I expect to happen? That I'd come in here and save her? I'm a damned fool.

"Beth..." He pleaded pitifully, his eyes shining hurt, "I promise I only took her home. I came right back to the building you were at." He felt like a man trying to convince his wife he wasn't cheating on her. It made him feel pathetic to have to beg to her like this, but he couldn't bear to have her hate him any longer.

Elizabeth almost smiled at his concern, but refused to cave. He was a coward in her mind, and he ran away from her brother, a sixteen year old boy! "I'll tell you what, convince my brother, and all will be forgiven, Havoc."

Jean cringed as his Beth retreated into last-name territory, but nodded slowly. He felt better already. He smiled at her and said, "I will. As soon as your arm is fixed and you and your brother are well again, I'll explain it all to him. Alright?"

Elizabeth's urge to smile overwhelmed her as she reciprocated the gesture and replied happily, "Alright."


After Havoc left, Elizabeth was forced to tell the whole story. Well, the majority of the story. Actually, just the parts about Jean and her. By the time Elizabeth had cut out the details about the stone, the laboratory, the armor bound souls, and the sneak-out, she was left to vague mentions of events that occurred.

In the end, she told Winry about a few select moments. She began by explaining her first kiss, and how it was in return for her hair pin. Then she skimmed over Scar, for she'd already explained it in a letter. Shamefully she told about her second kiss, and how Edward interrupted it and reacted to it. She snapped quite a bit when explaining how Havoc steered clear of her after that, and how he was a coward, until she vaguely told of when she saw Havoc walking with some girl on his arm.

"That bastard!" Winry cried, mostly angry because her fairy tale created for her friend had crumbled.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, Elizabeth replied, "Yeah, but I want to get my arm fixed so that I can meet up with Ed and Al." She laid down on her chest, arm towards Winry so she could begin to fix it.

"Yeah, yeah." Winry groaned, popping open her tool case. She grabbed a measuring tape and sighed, "Now hold still so I can tell how much you've grown since the last time I saw you."


"How the hell did this screw get busted off, Elizabeth Elric?!" Winry snapped angrily, trying to force the jammed screw out of the hole.


"Damn it, Winry," Elizabeth groaned in pain, "You didn't have to hit me! I told you, we don't want you wrapped up in this! If Edward and I decided on our own and separately not to tell you, that must clue you in on the danger of it!"

Winry sighed as she clicked her case closed, "I know. I just wish you'd include me in some things. Once day I feel like a sister to you three, the next I'm a stranger." she replied, her hurt being conveyed through her soft tone.

"Win..." Elizabeth breathed, "We all love you. That's why we're not telling you. There are things the boys don't even tell me, and I'm directly a part of this whole thing. And you know we all think of you as a sister!" Her tone lightened a bit as she laughed, "Well, Al and I do, anyway! It would be just plain weird if Ed thought of you as a sister, too!"

Turning slightly red at her insinuation, Winry gathered her things in a rush, all the while rambling, "Speaking of Edward, I need to go to talk to him. I need to say goodbye to him, oh and goodbye, Elizabeth. I probably need to find Al, too. He worries a lot, I don't want him to worry about me. I-uh-" Once she had everything in hand, she backed up to the door with a slight wave and squeaked, "Bye!"

Chuckling, Elizabeth called for a doctor. She was sick of being in a room by herself. She was going to request that she be put in her brother's room.


Gosh, after that last chapter, this one seems short:\ Should I start making them longer? Or is this good? Anyway, I'm off to type the next chapter! This one was boring, and I didn't like it very much, so I want to get on with the next one, cause something interesting is coming up!