After I had stuffed my face with food and Ed had paid, he insisted we head back to the hotel until I had fully simmered down, my emotions were still out of whack a bit and both of us could use the sleep. Al had stayed at Dr. Knox's to help with May, Roy had scolded me for going off at Hawkeye but I just bit right back at him, he eventually told Ed to get me out of his sight before either of us did something drastic.

So here I was staring up at the ceiling replaying my lost memories, they weren't just scary, they were horrific. I had been brainwashed to kill, to sell drugs and to cart around stolen philosopher stones in my body to sell.

"Lexie?"

I glanced at Ed in the bed on the other side of the room.

"What?" I asked.

He rolled onto his side facing me.

"What you said about what they did to you-"

"I don't want to talk about it" I said interrupting him.

I stared back up at the ceiling.

"But-"

"But nothing" I snapped sitting up, "I don't know why everyone insists on bring up the past, I just want to keep my past in the past!" I knew my past was never really going to disappear while Victor had those pictures of me.

"Because the past is what makes you you and I think everyone wants to understand why…" he trailed off when he realised the word he was going to use.

"Damaged?" I asked, "I am damaged but if my past makes me who I am then I'm a murderer" I stood up playing with the note in my pocket I had written earlier and headed towards the bathroom.

"You're not damaged" he said sitting up.

I stopped and laughed.

"If I'm not damaged then what am I?" I asked over my shoulder.

"Lost" he said softly, "you're just lost"

I shrugged.

"Yeah whatever" I muttered waving him off.

I closed the bathroom door behind me and pulled the note out of my pocket.

I stood at the sink staring at myself in the mirror, I didn't look dead anymore. I had colour in my face but I still black circles around my eyes and Ed was right, my eyes did look in pain. If I wanted to stop being lost and at least get my life on track I needed those photos, Roy said come up with a plan and I had one. Bradley said to stay with Ed and Al but this wasn't going to take longer than a few days and they didn't have a plan on leaving Central, I'm sure they could be in Central for a few more days for me.

It was getting dark now and I knew I couldn't go walking around like this, if this plan was to work I had to draw the attention of a certain someone and I had to dress the part but first I needed to get the clothes. It was time to call in a favour from an old buddy of mine I had helped out a few times, she might not be too happy to see me but she owed me a favour and right now I needed it.

There was also the chance the plan went south and something happened to me, that meant Danny would be in danger but he was safe and I had to trust him that he was street smart like me.

I slipped the note under the door for either Ed or Al to find, I just hoped they would do as I wished and not coming looking for me if I didn't come back.

The note said

'If I'm not back in at least three days forget I exist, I have to finish something I started but don't come looking for me because you won't find me. Lord Lexie.'

It was the only explanation I could give them right now, this had to be done by me and me alone. I looked out the window thinking could I jump out without breaking my ankles, I wasn't that high and I was already half way out so no point backing out now. I jumped out the window landing on the grass below, my ankles ached slightly but nothing they weren't used to and put my hoodie over my head. Time to see if Cora was still willing to owe me back like she said she would.

I had always kept tabs on Cora when I was in Central, she was one of the older girls who also used to cage fight and put up with my attitude but she became distant when I went off the rails working for Sinclair. Now she and her father owned one of the most popular bar in Central, letting me go was the best thing she could have ever done and I was never going to drag her down with me.

"Bars closed" said the tall brunette when I stepped through the door of Central Drive Bar. She had her back to me while she cleaned glasses.

"I'm sure you can make an exception for an old friend" I said sitting on one of the bar stools. She turned around and studied me with her ocean blue eyes.

She smiled slightly and leant down on the counter surprised to see me.

"Well if it isn't Lord Lexie" Cora said looking me up and down, "I never thought I'd see you alive again"

I shrugged and she stood up straight again.

"Well I'm here and alive" I said holding my arms out.

She rolled her eyes turning around to continue washing the dirty glasses.

"So what can I do for you this fine evening?" She asked me.

I took in a deep breath.

"I need a favour"

She stopped what she was doing and turned to look at me.

"Oh here comes trouble"

"Nothing out of your league" I said shaking my hands at her, "I need you to make me look-" I paused looking down at myself, "-pretty?" I suggested.

A grin appeared on her face and she laughed.

"You want me to dress you up?" She asked.

I nodded cautiously and the grin increased.

"Actually make you look like a female?" She giggled, she was having too much fun.

"Am I not female enough for you?" I asked.

She leaned over the counter looking down at what I was wearing.

"You're not even wearing your own clothes" she laughed.

I scowled at her.

"Actually I-" I stopped looking down at myself, okay she was right these weren't my clothes. "Okay yes these aren't mine but that's a long story and I don't have all night" I muttered in defeat. I knew I should have at least gotten changed out of Ed's clothes.

"Fine, come with me" she said retreating into the back room.

I followed her and we went upstairs.

"Where's your old man?" I asked. Her and her father owned the bar that Cora bought with all the money she earned, it was impressive and now they lived in the apartment above but it was empty.

"Long story and we don't have all night as you pointed out" she stated, "now who am I dressing you for?" She asked.

"I need to get someone's attention" I replied.

I followed her into her room.

"Male or female?" She asked rummaging through her clothes.

I sighed.

"Really?" I asked, "you really think I'd dress to impress some female?" I asked.

"I have no idea what you're up to, I need to know so I can get it right" she grumbled at me, "so we want sexy" she added.

"Cora" I warned her, "I'm not being your dress up doll, it needs to be pretty but functional" I explained.

She turned around with a dress in her hand.

I shook my head instantly.

"I'm not wearing a dress" I blurted staring at it wide eyed.

She smiled.

"You want my help then accept it" she snapped at me, "plus it's elegant and functional" she explained showing the slits up the legs.

"Cora" I moaned.

She shook her head turning back around.

"No, you came for my help so now I'm going to make you look like a woman not some ratbag" she said admiring the dress. I was hoping for a nice pair of pants and maybe a nice shirt not that thing.

"Ratbag?" I asked.

She held the dress up against me and smiled.

"Perfect" she chimed.

She stared at my jacket.

"But you are not wearing that tacky thing" I looked down at it and frowned.

"What's wrong with my jacket?" I asked.

"It's old, tacky and you've been wearing that thing for years" she said fingering one of the holes in the sleeves.

"But it's bullet proof" I pointed out.

She jammed her finger into my arm where the hole was.

"Okay but not in the sleeves" I admitted.

"Like I said, you're not wearing it" she said turning away and pulling out a long black coat, "this will look better" she said handing it to me. "And its long so it will hide the slits up the legs" I didn't particularly want to a wear a dress but I don't think I had a choice at this moment.

"All right fine" I muttered pulling my clothes off and placing my gun on the bed, "but I need that on me, how am I going to carry the gun without any pockets?" I asked her.

She rolled her eyes and started going through her draws again.

"Put the damn dress on girl" she sighed at me.

I pulled it on and the coat, when Cora turned she had a black lacy garter in her hand.

I stared at it wide eyed.

"Why do you have one of them?" I asked her, "you're not married are you?" I asked again.

She smiled.

"No I'm not married but you can use this to hold your gun" she said handing it to me, I put it on my leg and it held the gun firmly against my leg, "now thats sexy" she laughed.

"Shut up Cora" I muttered.

The slits on the dress ran higher than I would have liked but the long coat hid them and my gun.

I looked down.

"Is the cleavage necessary?" I asked frowning down at my bare chest.

"How did you manage ever getting anyone's attention?" She wondered aloud.

"My winning personality" I chimed.

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes the cleavage is necessary" she said racking her hands through my hair, "no man, no matter who they are can resist female cleavage but your winning personality has to go if you want this thing to work" she said letting my hair hang around my face.

She stared at my face.

"We need to do something about those black circles under your eyes" she sighed, "you look like you just woke from the dead"

I frowned at her crossing my arms.

"Thats one way of putting it" I muttered.

Cora sat me down on her bed and pulled out powder girls usually use to hide blemishes of course I was the kind of girl who embraced her blemishes, but not Cora. She bent down in front of me and smeared the powder under my eyes, I inhaled some of and sneezed making it go all over her. When I opened my eyes she was glaring at me.

"Seriously?" she asked me.

I shrugged.

"Sorry" I muttered rubbing my nose. So I learnt my first girly lesson, don't inhale the powder.

Cora got to work making me look not so dead anymore. I let her do her thing not having to worry because she did know what she was doing, thats why I was here and not doing it myself. She finally stepped back to admire her work, the smile one her face said she was happy.

"Not bad, you do have some real beauty under all those nasty scars, tattoos and bad attitude"

I waved her off.

I didn't have time to chat.

"I can't believe I'm actually going to wear this but I have to be on my way" I pointed down at my jacket, "and I'll be back for that" I added.

"I never thought i'd see you wearing something like this either" she said admiring her handy work.

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Well don't get used to it" I muttered walking past her, "because this is a one time thing only"

Now it was time to get this plan rolling.

I wasn't going to enjoy what I was going to have to do but I knew I had to do it to get what I wanted. Manipulation can get you far in a world like this. Manipulative people are relentless in their pursuit of what they want, everything they do is for their own personal gain. And I knew to get what I wanted I was going to have to use manipulation to my advantage even if someone gets hurt.

Victor sometimes ran clubs that would sell alcohol illegally and underaged kids would be let in, usually rich kids so they could spend their money stupid and get piss ass drunk. The clubs were abandoned warehouses and underground basements done up. The Military would try their best to shut them down but some things they just couldn't control and whenever these places were raided they would just arrest a bunch of rich kids, the street kids would be long gone, and when do rich kids get in trouble?

Never.

Whoever is in charge gets paid under the table and everything is settled. So how can you shut something down when you have no witnesses?

You can't and thats what Victor relied on.

There we're three main spots in Central these things could be found at and I knew the one I needed to be at. I just had to hope no one would recognise me, well the people I didn't want to be recognised by. I was dressed like a rich kid, not a street kid so there was no point the bouncer to even look at my face when he motioned for me to go in.

Cora was right, a bit of cleavage will get you anywhere.

Inside these places were full of kids and young adults, ages ranging from sixteen to at least twenty-five. They were all drunk, making out listening to the live music.

This used to be my hangout spot, me and Jack. Getting drunk and fooling around, our favourite part was running from the military though. The thrill of the adrenaline rush, the chance of getting caught and the chase was always fun. No solider could keep up with street kids, we knew every nook and cranny in every street, every hiding place and every escape route.

I walked in spotting the person I was looking for straight away, a glass of whiskey in his hand and a young blonde dancing around him, I walked up behind him and stared at the blonde. She stopped and looked at me curiously, I pointed over my shoulder as if saying 'get out of here' she looked me up and down and decided I wasn't worth the fight.

She stalked off and I sat myself on Chuck's lap, his eyes were closed and he puffed on his smoke that wasn't tobacco.

"Hey beautiful, no need to rush" he purred. He put down his glass on the table beside us and run his hand up my bare leg all the while keeping his eyes closed.

"Still smoking the good stuff?" I asked plucking the smoke from his hand. I took a puff squinting slightly. It had been a few years since I had gotten high like this and I might need to be to get this done.

Chuck's hand froze on my leg when he touched the gun and he stared up at me, I handed the smoke back to him with a cheeky smile on my lips.

He looked me up and down smiling.

"Looking nice tonight Alexis" he said picking up his glass and offering it.

I declined his offer.

"You're the last person I expected to see here" he admitted, his voice playful and teasing. "But I am not disappointed, I am pleasantly surprised" he flicked the smoke from his hand onto the ground and put the glass back down after taking a sip. He sat his hand atop of my thighs with an impressed smile.

"I had to look pretty to not get recognised" I stated batting my lashes at him.

He chuckled slightly.

"If this is you pretty does that mean your sexy is being naked?" he asked biting his bottom lip and gripping my thighs firmly.

I shivered from his touch, it made my skin crawl but I covered it, throwing my head back I giggled.

I draped one arm around his neck and placed my other hand on his chest.

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves" I said looking down at him.

He smirked.

"So what are you here for Lexie?" he asked me.

I ran my fingers through his chocolate brown hair affectionately.

"Im wondering just how much you mean to Victor" I wondered aloud to him.

He laughed shaking his head at me.

"Look if you want my help to get back at him then you've come to the wrong person"

I bit my lip running my finger down his cheek.

"Im not that stupid" I whispered in his ear making my voice low and breathy. "But what do you want more than being Victors bitch?" I leaned back and looked him in the eyes "more than anything" I added.

He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Like anything in the world?" he asked, I had heard this answer before from him a couple of years ago and I was hoping it was still going to be the same.

"Anything" I whispered leaning down towards him, I ran my lips across his jaw line. "anything you could ever think of" his hands ran further up my legs until they sat on my hips, he pulled my closer to him and he pressed his lips against my collar bone. It took everything I had to not jump away from him.

"Immortality of course" he muttered against my skin.

A smirk spread across my lips.

"And what if I said I could give you that?" I asked.

He pulled back looking at me curiously.

"I'd say that I wouldn't believe you" he accused.

"Your loss" I shrugged and got off him but he pulled me back down on him.

"Wait" he insisted, "Okay so lets say you could" he said considering my offer, he was slowly taking my bait.

"How could you do it?" he asked.

I ran my finger tip along his high cheek bone.

"Did Victor ever tell you about what he had me carrying around?" I asked. Chuck had an intrigued gleam in his eyes and he shook his head. "You know how important it was to him, right?"

He nodded.

"Thats why he kept those photos of me so I wouldn't use it" I confessed.

"Use what?" he asked curiously.

"The philosopher stone" I whispered in his ear.

Chuck looked at me shocked.

"Victor didn't tell any of you because of how valuable it is, its supposed to amplify alchemy except he doesn't know what I know about it" I pulled back studying him. I could tell he wasn't sure if he believed me or not, I had never lied to him so he had no reason to think I was lying to him and in a way I wasn't.

"How do I even know you still have it?" he asked.

I grabbed his hand and put it over my calf.

"You feel that?" I asked him, "its still in there and I know how to get it out" he put his hand back on my hip and I saw the look on his face that he believed me it was in there. He knew how important it was to Victor and Chuck was not the smartest one out of the bunch, no one had more influence over him than I did and I knew just the thing I needed to say to get him to do what I want.

"It will make us immortal, you and me forever" I murmured brushing my lips against his making him grip my hips tighter, "what do you say Chuck?" I asked.

"Why me?" he asked skeptically "out of everyone you could choose you've always made it clear you had no interest in me" his grip on my hips loosened.

I sighed trying to make this look as believable as possible.

"I don't have anyone left I care about. I came back for you Chuck because your all I have left" I whispered letting my voice tremble and crack. "Who knows me better than you?" I asked, "we lived on the street together for years, I know things didn't end well and you hurt me but I forgive you now, I know I can trust you" I whispered leaning in so our lips were just inches apart.

"I hurt you" he whispered disappointed in himself, "Jack right?" he asked.

I looked down pretending to be sad, it did hurt me to have to use Jack but id have to get over it.

Chuck put his finger under my chin making me look at him.

"I didn't mean to hurt you" he whispered, "I loved you and I just want you to be mine and seeing his filthy Ishbalan hands on you made me jealous" I kept my cool not losing my composure even though the comment made me sick to my stomach.

"So?" I asked, "you, me and immortality?"

A smile spread across his face and he pulled me closer until our lips met. I let him have the satisfaction of kissing me until he was content, his lips were soft but it was nothing special, kissing someone you didn't love was just merely a kiss.

"But" I said pulling back after I had had enough.

He frowned.

"You need to get those photos from Victor" I explained.

"I don't know" Chuck muttered, he was scared to cross Victor.

Everyone was.

"Get those photos and we can run away and hide until I make us immortal" I assured him. "We will kill the bastard for brainwashing us" he still didn't seem to convinced.

"Those photos mean a lot to him, he's pretty determined to keep you under his thumb" Chuck admitted. I was going to have to boost his mainly hood.

"You underestimate yourself Charles" I purred at him running my thumb against his bottom lip.

He looked up at me.

"You're the only person who can get them back for me" I whispered leaning down and kissing his neck, "prove to me you're the man you say you are" I said between kissing up his neck, "and we can become immortal together" I added.

He shivered but he gripped me tightly then cupping my face and making me look at him.

"I think we can do that" he said and pressed his lips against mine again, "and I am man enough to get those photos, you just watch me Lexie" he said against my lips. I pressed my body against his tightly wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.

Hook. Line. And sinker.