Hello my kitties! I am back from the dead! I'd like to thank AnimeVamp1997 for bringing me back to life. And I-

Ghost Taylor: Hey! What about me?

LeFay: What about you?

Ghost Taylor: I'm still dead! And you never even thanked me for editing this chapter.

LeFay: Oh! Right, sorry. *uses authoress powers to bring Taylor back to life...again*

Taylor: *poof* Yay! I'm alive! But you still owe me a thank you.

LeFay: How about I just give you this box of brownies? *holds up box*

Taylor: That'll work! *grabs box and begins devouring the poor defenseless brownies*

LeFay: Anyway... *turns to readers* I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing (almost 500 reviews!) and I'd like to thank everyone who has participated in the one-shot contest. Remember, the last day to enter is April 1st.

Taylor: Hey, you know what I just realized? All of my friends keep killing me.

LeFay: But at least I brought you back to life. Ragan just left you to rot as a ghost.

Taylor: Speaking of that sadist, where is he.

LeFay: Beats me

Ragan: Hello Clarice~

LeFay: Holy $!%#, run for it!

LeFay & Taylor: *run away*

Chapter 37

Haunted

(-Winry-)

She had been waiting for a couple of hours. It had to be close to four in the morning. Despite that, Winry wouldn't allow herself to rest. Besides, she wouldn't get any sleep anyways knowing her friends were in trouble. Instead of sitting around idly she dove right into working on Ed's automail parts. She had nearly every piece ready for installment when she heard the front door slam open.

"Winry!" Ed's voice bellowed.

She dropped whatever was in her hands and sprinted to the front room. She had to stop in the doorway once she saw him with Taylor in his arms looking practically dead. It almost made her faint on the spot. Mr. Garfiel, who had been in the front room already, must have passed out the moment Ed ran in for he was passed out on the floor.

"Winry!" Ed called again urgently.

She snapped out of her daze and rushed over to them. That's when the smell hit her. The scent of blood. It was overwhelming and made her stomach lurch.

"Let's get her to somewhere she can lie down." Winry said determinedly. Her voice sounded strong but her emotions were going haywire. To keep calm, she called on the same focused she used when building automail or performing surgeries. She couldn't afford to breakdown. She had more important things to worry about.

"Here," Winry said, entering a small bedroom. Grabbing a sheet out of the closet, she spread it out over the bed so that it wouldn't get dirty.

Ed laid her gently down. Taylor didn't stir in the slightest. Ed's eyes watched her still form with anxious golden irises. There was something else beneath that as well. Pain. And guilt. No doubt, Ed was blaming it all on himself for whatever had happened to Taylor.

"Ed. Don't you think we should take her to a hospital?" Winry suggested.

He shook his head, "I think all she needs is rest. She'll be okay."

Her expression turned into sheer disbelief, "Are you insane? She's completely covered in blood! How can you call that 'okay'?"

"She's may be covered in blood but she's not hurt. I checked."

Any other time Winry would have smacked him with her wrench for the insinuation behind that. She looked back to Taylor, finding it hard to believe what he had just said. Taylor's clothes had soaked in so much blood and were so ragged that they would need to be thrown away. Her long hair was matted with blood as well. And the sleeves of her shirt appeared to be torn off, leaving both of her arms bare up to the shoulders. From the looks of it, Winry would have sworn that the blood had come from Taylor. But a swift scan didn't render any results of that. It begged the questions of who's blood it could have been and why Taylor was covered in it.

Winry shook her head and asked, "What in the world did they do to her?"

Ed's fists clenched, "I don't know. I found her like this."

"And the ones responsible?"

"…Gone."

Winry closed her eyes for a minute, sorting out her thoughts. She knew that Ed was only giving her the most basic summary of what happened. There was more to it but, for now, she would drop the subject.

She opened her eyes again, glancing Ed up and down fully for the first time. He didn't seem to be hurt but he hadn't had the best of nights. His clothes had become dirtied from carrying Taylor and the bags under his eyes told her that he was about ready to drop.

Winry sighed, "Go. Get cleaned up. Get something to eat. You need to take a break."

He refused the order, "No. I want to stay with her."

"I can watch her for awhile."

"I know but "

"Edward! Her clothes are ruined and I need to get her into some clean ones and I can't do that with you in here! So scram!"

Ed blinked at her for a few seconds, taken aback. Then, sporting a light blush, he left the room.

Winry rubbed her temples tiredly. Then she begun her task.

(-Ed-)

Ed spent the next hour in a stupor, too wrapped up in his thoughts to pay much attention to his surroundings. His movements were mechanical as he showered and grabbed a bite to eat. He couldn't recall exactly the last time he had eaten. By all rights, he should be starved. And yet, he didn't feel hungry at all. The food didn't look all that appetizing to him, not after the night he had been through. His body needed the sustenance though so he forced every bite down, not tasting any of it.

The plate was tossed in the sink to be washed when Ed was done. He shuffled back to Taylor's bedroom, his steps dragging. He felt reluctant to go in again. Taylor…she looked so helpless…lifeless. It wasn't right. Taylor was always full of life. Whether she was playing her flute or teasing Ed about something or simply reading there was always an interesting air about her, drawing everyone in. It made Ed want to smile whenever she was nearby, something he appreciated greatly but could never put into words. That's why it pained him to see her like this. There had been too many close calls where he had almost lost her. Would she survive the next time? Would Ed be unable to protect her?

Feeling useless, Ed twisted the knob and opened the door. Winry sat on the bed, holding Taylor's limp hand. Ed scanned the unconscious girl tucked in bed. Winry had cleaned off most of the blood with the exception of some flecks that nothing less than a shower would remove. She now wore an oversized t-shirt, courtesy of Winry's closet, and probably some sweat pants underneath the blanket. With the bloody clothes gone Taylor's appearance improved but the weight of the night's struggles somehow emanated from her even in her slumber.

Winry smiled minimally at his entrance, "You look better."

Ed didn't respond. With a blank face he sat down on the other side of Taylor's bed. He didn't look at either of the girls, choosing instead to stare at the wooden floorboards.

"Ed?" Winry asked, knowing something was on his mind.

"…Do you think she hates me, Winry?" he asked softly.

She didn't answer right away, causing Ed to look up. Her big blue eyes were startled, "Taylor? Why in the world would she hate you?"

"Because I keep failing her." he replied miserably. "I'm suppose to be protecting her and she still ends up getting hurt."

"You can't blame yourself for this. It's not like you're the one who kidnapped her. And you didn't hand her over to them either."

"I might as well have. That's how useless as a bodyguard I am to her."

"What are you saying? This is just like when you were afraid to ask Al if he hated you. And, of course, he didn't. He couldn't hate you because you've given up so much for him. You've always been there for him and do whatever you can for Al, even if it means pushing yourself past your breaking point. And the same goes for Taylor too."

Ed looked away from his childhood friend, conflicting emotions stirring within him. He wanted to just listen to her but he also wanted her to agree that it was his fault.

"And besides Ed," she continued, "even if you were useless to her as a bodyguard, which I know you are not because of all those sparring matches I've seen you have with Al, she would still want you in her life. You're important to her, and if she were awake I'd bet she would tell you that herself. Just like she's important to you." He looked back to her, his mouth parted as if to say something. No words came out, leaving Winry to keep talking, "Even if you don't believe in yourself she believes in you. So don't let her down."

I think you're capable, more than capable of being my bodyguard. Why can't you? Taylor had said those words the last time he had doubted himself like this. Winry had worded it differently but the meaning was still the same.

She then stood up and stretched, "Well, I'm beat! I'm gonna go get some much needed sleep." She went to the door.

"Winry." Ed called out.

With her hand resting on the doorknob, she turned back to him. She looked at him and, because she knew him so well, knew what he was getting at. She smiled, "Just get some rest you idiot." She walked out, the smile remaining on her lips as she closed the door.

Ed closed his eyes and shook his head with a small laugh. He didn't even need to say it out loud. Winry already knew how grateful he was to have her as a friend.

He glanced over at Taylor. Some of the heaviness returned to his heart, though Winry's speech had lightened it. There were so many questions left unanswered. What did the Homunculi want with Taylor exactly? Why were they luring Ed there? What was all of that red water doing there? And most importantly, what did they do to Taylor? He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that they had done something horrible to her. They had obviously done something to her. He could see tell just by looking at her arms.

Ed gazed at her bare arms. Smooth, pale skin ran up the length of her limbs where they were once marked with black tattoos.

(-Taylor-)

I experienced a minute of absolute disorientation. My eyes were open, staring unseeing. I had no idea where I was or what had happened or anything. I couldn't even recall the first thing about myself or life. For one minute, my mind had blacked out entirely to the point of amnesia.

But as something moved across my vision it all came rushing back to me. Envy kidnapping me. Waking up in the large room with the glass columns. The red water. Tucker. The conversation with Lust. Envy's sudden appearance. And then, Gluttony devouring my arms.

That last memory engulfed me, the pain and horror nearly palpable. I swore I could feel Gluttony's teeth sinking into my flesh, enjoying the taste. But that had already passed, right? Was I still there, in that room? Was it happening again? Everything was so jumbled inside I couldn't think straight.

It was too much. I fought back, screaming and kicking and using any means necessary to escape. I couldn't bear anymore. I had to get away. I had to run. I had to hide somewhere they wouldn't find me.

"Stop! Stop it!" a voice ordered me. I had the feeling that the person had been yelling at me for a while but their voice only now reached me.

I didn't listen to them. I continued to thrash around, making it hard for them to control me. My body, after all it's been through, had to have reached its limits. I had lost far too much blood for it not too. With the fear and adrenaline coursing throughout my body I couldn't feel it. I fought like a wild animal.

The person kept yelling at me and I kept fighting. As I struggled my eyes began to focus in the darkness. My attacker…it was a guy. And I kept seeing gold hair. Instantly, I thought of Ed.

Ed? No, it can't be. He's with Al in Dublith. They may have figured out I had been taken but they couldn't possibly know where I've been taken to. Hell, I don't even know where I've been taken to. But this person, he looks and sounds like Ed. It's Ed but can't be Ed…There could only be one explanation, and I would not be fooled by Envy a second time.

I thrashed against him, putting all of my meager strength in it. I managed to push him back enough to clear an opening. I rushed past him, racing to the first exit I saw. I found a door and threw it open. I dashed into the hall and turned, running right into someone.

"NO!" I screeched, fighting off this new threat. I had used all of my energy against Envy, leaving my attempts against this person laughable they were so feeble. I didn't give up though. I weakly tried to push them away. They held my wrists firmly. They overpowered me so easily. "No! Let me go! Please!" I screamed, resorting to begging. I didn't even know I had been crying until I heard the sobs in my voice. "No more. Please! Just let me go. Please. Please, no more. Please, please, please…"

"Taylor! Calm down. It's me, Winry." the person told me.

My movements slowed as I peered at the face above me. The lemon blond hair, the bright, blue eyes, the high pitched voice. Indeed, it was Winry.

No! my mind screamed. It's a trick! They're trying to deceive me again. I can't fall for it. It's Envy.

The sheer terror must have shown in my eyes because she seemed taken aback. Her grip on me loosed and I flung my back against a wall.

"Taylor!" Ed's voice called to me again. He was standing on my other side, the two of them blocking me in.

"Stay back! No more!" I pleaded, cringing into the paneling.

"Taylor, it's okay. You're safe here." Winry spoke in a non-threatening tone.

"We're not gonna hurt you." Ed said, holding his hands out in a way to reassure me.

My eyes darted back and forth between the two of them.

Wait…two?

In my befuddled state it had taken me a minute to realize that Envy couldn't be in two places at once. At least one of them had to be the real Winry or Edward. And wouldn't one of them have realized if the other was Envy in disguise? Could this really be my two friends? Had I, against all odds, escaped that terrible nightmare?

I scanned the over more carefully this time. Winry wore pale purple pajamas with her hair flowing freely down her back. She looked either ready for bed or had been asleep. Ed had on his usual black tank top and leather pants with his hair loose as well. A scattering of cuts and bruises marred his tan skin and his automail arm wasn't in the best condition. It looked like Ed had been in a fight recently. Maybe…it was him then? Did he get me out of there?

"Is it…" I whispered and had to swallow and start again. "Is it really you?" The question was directed to both of them.

Realization flashed in Ed's eyes. I think he understood why I had asked that. Winry just seemed confused.

"Of course it's us." she said.

"Th then wh where's Al?" I stuttered.

"He went to Central." Ed answered. "We split up to look for you. He went there and I came here to Rush Valley."

"Rush Valley?" I repeated. I guess that explained why Winry was here.

Inching closer, Winry asked, "Taylor?" She reached out to me. I instinctively flinched and shut my eyes. My reaction didn't discourage her. She placed her thin arms around me in a comforting hug. "It's alright now. You're okay." she whispered to me.

I held on to those words like they were my last connection to sanity, anything resembling normalcy. I buried my face into the crook of Winry's neck in an effort to hide from the world. She held me while I shook violently, rubbing my back in soothing circles. I think I heard them whispering something to each other. It didn't mean anything to me. I was too lost in my own turmoil.

A deep longing burned inside me, a yearning to go home. I had never felt more homesick in my life. I wanted my mother and my sister so badly. God, I missed them so much. I was so tired of getting hurt and being in pain. I just wanted to go home. If Truth had asked me then and there if I would like to return I would have said yes without hesitation. There was no room in me to feel concerned about anyone or anything else other than my own desperate need for familiarity, safety, and all the other aspects that made up my home.

But I couldn't go home. I may have been brought here against my will initially but it was my own choice to stay later on. If I had went ahead and accepted Truth's offer I wouldn't have suffered that agony…

I pushed back the images of my torture out of my mind. No. I would not think about it. It only hurt me. I wouldn't think about it later. I could hurt later on. Just not now.

My trembling eased to a stop. I pulled away from Winry. She stared at me, concern enveloping her face. My own expression I could feel was vacant and devoid of all emotion.

"Taylor?" Winry called to me, her hands resting on my shoulders. She glanced at Ed who stood nearby. They exchanged a conversation with their eyes that was lost on me.

I stared down, drawn to the sight of my arms. Shock jolted down my spine as I found my tattoos missing. I opened and closed my hands, testing the muscles. They worked fine, but still…

I shook my head, forcing the memories down yet again. I looked back up to see them both staring at me strangely.

"I'm gonna get a shower." I announced in a monotone. I looked to Winry expectantly. She hesitated at my abruptness, then showed me where the bathroom was. I went to go in the moderate size room but paused in the doorway.

"Something wrong?" Winry asked me.

"I…" I trailed off, not knowing how to say it. I didn't want to be alone but I couldn't expect Winry to hang out in the bathroom while I cleaned up.

Thankfully, she caught on. "I'll be right out here if you need me."

I nodded and went in, closing the door behind me. I stripped and stepped in the shower. I had noticed that my clothes had disappeared and I had been wearing someone else's. Winry had probably changed my clothes. My clothes must have been covered in blood. I could still feel it, the blood. I could feel it sliding down my skin as it seeped from my own body.

I shuddered under the spray of the shower. Gingerly, I touched my shoulders where the tattoos suddenly ended. It all seemed so surreal, like I would wake up any second now in my own bed back at home. Surely this couldn't be anything but a dream. It couldn't have been real. Something like that couldn't have happened to me.

I clung to my denial, it being the only thing keeping me from screaming. I let the water cascade down my body as I scrubbed the memories of the blood away. I washed numerous times and only stopped when the hot water ran out. I dried off and pointedly avoided looking at the mirror. I dressed languidly, feeling exhausted. I guess a lot of blood loss tires a person out. Go figure.

The door creaked as I peeked out of it. I didn't find Winry. Instead, I met Edward's golden eyes.

He looked up when he heard the door open and quickly stood from his sitting position. He noticed my confused look and said, "I told Winry to go back to bed. She's been up all night and needs her rest." I nodded slowly, noting how Ed didn't look so peppy himself.

We stood there awkwardly for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to the punch, "I'm tired." I brushed past him and walked back to the bedroom. Ed followed me, of course. I sank down on the mattress where I had previously been sleeping. The lone window let in the barest amount of light. The sky glowed light blue and I knew it must be nearing sunrise.

"Taylor," Ed said, breaking the silence. He stood in the middle of the room, staring at me intently.

I didn't look at him. I couldn't. I gripped my elbows, trying to hold it all in. No. I can't do this. Not now. Not yet. Please.

Ed had always been stubborn and now was no exception. He pressed forward, forcing me to face the cruel reality, "Why did they take you? What happened?"

"…Envy kidnapped me." I began, my words barely audible. With that first short sentence I shivered and squeezed my arms tighter. "I thought he was Izumi… I should have known… We got on a train and then…ya know." I shrugged my shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal and hoped he would leave it at that.

"What happened after that?"

I shut my eyes and fought to keep my breathing steady, "…I don't want to talk about it."

"I need to know." he said firmly.

"No you don't." I replied sharply. "There's not much to tell anyway."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" Ed yelled back at me, making me look up at him with wide eyes. I could tell that his anger wasn't directed towards me exactly. He was more upset by the whole situation. "I know they did something to you, something bad. Otherwise, you wouldn't have reacted like Winry and I were trying to kill you when you woke up earlier. When I found you, you were covered in blood. And there's the fact that there was red water stored there."

"They were trying to make a Philosopher's Stone." I answered him to get him to stop talking. Everything he was saying was bringing back unbidden memories.

That made him pause. In a less angrier tone he said, "That must be why they were trying to lure me there. They wanted me to create the stone for them, using you as an incentive."

"And they somehow know my stalker, Fate." I told him, trying to think about other things. "Lust asked me a lot of questions about him, wanted to know what I knew about the guy. I couldn't tell her a lot." I glanced at him for the first time since entering the room. I made sure my face was neutral as I asked him, "Were they there when you arrived?"

"No. Although, there was someone, or rather something, dead in that room."

Dead? The Homunculi couldn't die. Well, not that easily anyway. I had seen the stone within Lust myself so it would be logical to assume that their makeup was like the Homunculi from Brotherhood, with the exception of them being created when an alchemist attempts to bring somebody back to life. And Dante was the one pulling the strings. Plus, I had seen Tucker with them. That couldn't be good.

"Oh," I said as the answer hit me. "You must have seen Tucker. He must have…" What I couldn't say aloud was that he had died because of what I

Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Just forget about it. Don't think about it. I told myself over and over again in the hopes that forgetting about it would make it not real.

Ed blanched, "That thing I saw was Tucker?"

I nodded, rubbing my temples with my fingers.

He let that soak in for a minute. His mind must have been running a miles away. He turned back to me and his eyes held a suspicious gleam. "There's something else, isn't there? What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing." I muttered, not looking at him again.

He crossed the room and stood in front of me imposingly, "No, there's definitely something."

"Just leave it alone."

"No. You're hiding something from me and I want to know what it is."

"I'm just tired."

"From what? What did they do to you?"

"They kidnapped me."

"They did more than that."

"There's nothing much more to tell." I shrugged, the memories surfacing even stronger.

"I heard you screaming. When I was running down the halls trying to find where you were, I could hear your screams. It sounded like they were killing you."

I shuddered, hearing the echoes of my own screams. I kept quiet because I wasn't sure what I would say if I opened my mouth.

"And then there's this." He picked up my arm by the wrist to give me a good view of my arm. My eyes were drawn to movement. As my gaze locked on the smooth skin horrific images flashed through my mind. "How did some of your tattoos suddenly disappear?"

My lips parted and words spilled out of my mouth in a whimper, "These aren't my hands."

"…What?"

"These aren't my hands." I said again, louder this time. My breathing became erratic as I could see it happening all over again. "These aren't my hands. These aren't my hands! Gluttony ate my arms! He ate them!"

He let go of me, shocked senseless at what I revealed. He sucked in a breath and his eyes dilated and widened. He knew that what I had been through had been bad but he had never imagined this.

Tears streamed down my face as I went into hysterics. I couldn't tear my gaze away from my arms, even though just looking at them made me sick. "These aren't my hands! These aren't my hands! These aren't my hands!" I repeated myself over and over in incomprehensible sobs. My rambling resembled that of a crazy person and I suppose that's what I was right then. With my emotions going berserk I couldn't focus on the present. My mind threw me back into that place, making me lose my grip on reality… The blood… The pain… I couldn't escape… I couldn't breathe… It hurt… It was killing me.

I felt something shaking me roughly. The memories sank back reluctantly as the real world flooded my senses.

"Taylor! Damn it! Snap out of it!" Edward yelled, his hands on my shoulders as he tried to pull me out of my nightmare.

I quieted, the tears flowing silently down my cheeks. I drew in shaky breaths as my head spun.

Ed stopped shaking me once I had calmed down. I'm not sure what my face showed but I could see from his expression that I had freaked him out. "Taylor?" he asked worriedly.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." I told him urgently.

He wasted no time in grabbing the small garbage bin from the corner. He shoved it at me just as my stomach heaved. I hadn't eaten in a while so there wasn't much to throw up. I was left dry heaving and trying to catch my breath in between. Ed sat on the bed beside me, pushing my long hair back out of the way. I didn't want him to see me like this but I was glad he was there with me.

The nausea passed after a few minutes. I sat the bin on the floor and pushed it away in disgust. Then I laid back on the bed and closed my eyes. Ed left to go get me some water and returned with a glass full of the clear liquid. I sipped it, not wanting to have a repeat of sickness. I drank enough to get the sour taste out of my mouth.

Ed took the glass from me when I was done and sat it on the bedside table. I was staring at my hands again. Ed got my attention by holding my hands in his. His large palms covered my small fists.

I could tell that he didn't want to cause me further discomfort, but he had to know, "If Gluttony…ate your arms, how do you still have your limbs?"

I swallowed a few times before answering, "They grew back." I glanced at him to see his brows furrowed, my answer puzzling him. I would have to explain further. "You remember how I was able to heal my cuts on the train?"

He nodded solemnly, "You said it was an ability you acquired when you crossed the gate."

"Yeah. It's the same way I was able to regenerate my arms. It's the power of my blood. All those times I've healed myself or used alchemy with no circles whatsoever, I was using my blood."

"Blood doesn't have any special properties for alchemy."

"Mine does." I took a deep breath. What I was about to say next had the potential to ruin everything but it needed to be said. I couldn't hide it any longer. "My blood holds the power of the Philosopher's Stone."

Ed's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, "You…you can't be serious?"

"I am. When I found the alchemy circle in my world, the one that looks exactly like my tattoos, in the center of the circle was a Philosopher's Stone. When I picked it up the circle somehow became activated and the next thing I knew I was having a chat with Truth. Truth…it did something to me. I don't know how but it merged the stone into me. Now, whenever I bleed I'm able to use it's power."

There it was, the whole truth. All of my secrets were exposed and I had no idea what Ed would do with them. Would he yell at me? Hate me? Just walk away and leave me for good?

An eternity passed before he found his voice, "You've known about this for awhile now, haven't you?"

"Yes." I admitted. "I realized it in Arcadia."

"Why didn't you tell me before."

I looked up at him again. My heart twisted painfully as I saw his hurt expression. Moisture glistened in my eyes again, "Because… I didn't want you to hate me. I thought about telling you after you deciphered Marcoh's notes but then you got mad at me for not telling you about that. I was afraid to tell you anymore. I tried to tell myself that it was better anyway if no one knew. I and everyone else would be safer that way, but that wasn't the main reason. I didn't know how you would react. I was scared that you and Al would reject me because I didn't tell you. I was afraid that you would be disgusted that I had used it. You guys would never use it because of what goes into making it but I did. I didn't want to but I…" I choked off the words as they became sobs. I was losing it again, not in the crazy way I did before but more of a breakdown cause by too much stress.

Ed was watching me, uncertainty written all over his face. It pained me to see that. He probably didn't trust me anymore. He probably hated me.

The thought of that had me begging him in broken sobs, "Please don't hate me, Ed. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ed. Please, don't hate me." I wouldn't be able to bear it if he really did hate me. I didn't want to lose him. Ed, Al, Winry…they were all that I had left and I cared so much about them. It terrified me to imagine being lost in this world without them and to lose some of the best friends I had ever met.

And then suddenly, his arms were around me and his lips were at my ear saying, "I couldn't hate you even if I tried."

More tears spilled over as so many emotions raged inside me. Rather than figuring them out, I just let them all out in the form of tears. Huddled in the warmth of his embrace, I cried and I cried. And Ed held me the entire time. There were no accusations. There were no angry shouts. He didn't leave me. He stayed and simply held me.

It was more than I deserved.

(-Ed-)

To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. Ed had no idea that Taylor was hiding that big of a secret this whole time. What him and Al had been searching for for years was right in front of him. However, the moment was bitter sweet.

Ed felt a number of things. He felt hurt. He felt anger. He felt regret. Guilt. Sorrow. And most of all, confusion. He didn't know how to react to this. He was telling the truth when he had told Taylor that he couldn't hate her. It was just an impossibility. After everything they had been through together he harbored no ill will towards her. More than anything he just wanted her to be happy, not have her crying like this. She was scared and what the Homunculi had done to her had mentally scarred her. He wanted to protect her, keep her safe, reassure her, but he wasn't sure how to comfort her. He had never been good at this sort of thing. The only thing he could think of was to show her that she wasn't alone. That he was there for her.

He let her cry herself to sleep. Ed gazed down at her, wiping away the salty streaks on her cheeks with his flesh hand. She looked exhausted, haunted, and vulnerable and yet, there was relief. It was like a heavy burden had been lifted from her. It must be from holding this secret in for so long.

Again, Ed didn't blame Taylor. But that didn't solve everything. There was still the matter of the stone inside of her. What did it mean? And what would Ed do about it?

He sighed. He was too tired to think about it now. He could call Al tomorrow, tell him he had found Taylor, and discuss this with him. Maybe between the two of them they could come up with something.

Ed laid Taylor down, resting her head on the pillow. He went to move but she clutched his shirt tighter, whimpering as she curled up to him. He sighed again and settled into the mattress with her. It wasn't the most spacious bed but if it made Taylor feel better he would stay with her.

(-Fate-)

It seemed the girl was proving more trouble than he would have thought. He had not wanted to intervene with the beings of this world, yet he felt he must. It would allow balance to be restored on its own. He honestly thought it would work. He had not foreseen the Homunculi failing. He would not make the same mistake again. This time, he would take a more direct approach.

I really like the fact that there was no humor in this, and even though there wasn't really any action the emotions made it just as intense.

Again, thanks to Taylor for editing this chappy! I guess I'll see you next week!

Ragan: I'm back.

LeFay: Oh crud bludgeon! *runs away*