Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Bloodlines or Fullmetal Alchemist

The beginning of my trip to Virginia had been rather annoying. With the issue of my memory on the minds of my superiors, most of my time was spent being interrogated by them. I spent almost an entire month in meetings and classes with them. They wanted to make sure that I was not at risk of revealing anything to humans, and that I knew exactly what vampires were. They had done a touch up of my tattoo at the end of the meeting, after covering how unnatural vampires were and making sure I knew my duty was simply to keep them hidden, both from their own kind and from humans.

With that, they gave me new insight on what was going to be occurring in Palm Springs. Apparently, they wanted to push for more research into Lee's immunity. I had wanted to argue against it, already understanding why it existed myself, but that was something I couldn't go into. It would involve revealing too much, and it would put myself at risk if I did so. That was why I stayed silent, letting them run off to contact another spirit user at the moroi court to coordinate efforts and get the research started.

With that group on the way to Palm Springs, I was informed that my job would be coordinating the efforts of all vampires to ensure that the research is done smoothly. It could bring so many benefits to all of the human race if an immunity to turning was discovered, but I knew that it wouldn't be quite that simple. Everything came with a price, just like Lee's immunity. It would not be worth the cost to transfer it to others, not when it would cost someone else their mind.

Now, I was in an underground bunker, done with their interrogation and lessons on the evils of vampires. In reality, it had all been far too boring. I understood why they felt vampires were unnatural, but with my own knowledge, I knew that was not the case. Strigoi could be considered evil, with their inherent nature pushing them to do whatever it takes to become more powerful, but the others were much like humans. Their personalities and feelings were just as real as my own. All races were a part of nature, even if some were crueler than others.

I was sitting down, in a waiting room where I had been told to wait for others to get me. I still had yet to be informed of what I would be doing. A man entered the room not long after I sat down, surprising me as he smiled over at me. I didn't know who this was, but he seemed to know me. "Sydney, it is good to see you again." he stated, glancing over at me as he stepped inside.

He had blue eyes and brown hair laced with silver, showing his age. "So, it seems the rumors are true. You really don't know who I am, do you?" he asked, his face conveying a small amount of sympathy. I shook my head, watching him nod at my confirmation. "Well, my name is Tom Darnell. I've always appreciated how dedicated you were to our work, so much like your father." he complimented.

From what little I knew of my father, I could already tell that I did not want to be like him. Still, this man's words were meant as a compliment and I couldn't just argue against him at the moment. "Thank you, sir." I replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Well, I think it's time to get this out of the way. I really don't want to inconvenience you any more than is necessary." Tom told me, getting ready to leave. I nodded, following after him into a concrete corridor.

"Even if you don't remember it, I want you to know…that what you did was incredibly brave." he began, not meeting my eyes. I wondered what this was about, what I had done to earn his praise. "I know you and Keith were friends, and it couldn't have been easy to turn him in. It shows just how committed you are to our work—something that's not always easy when personal feelings are involved."

I had heard plenty of things spoken about this Keith, and it made me wonder just who he was. He was the owner of the house that contained the transmutation circle I had used. Keith must be someone who could utilize alchemy, yet he was part of this organization that hated all things that appeared to be magic. It seemed as if this man did not know of Keith's hobby. Two very different stories of this man now existed, one of how he was a friend that I had betrayed, another of how he had left of his own accord.

"I appreciate the sentiment, sir, but I do not think it is necessary. After all, I cannot claim credit for work that I cannot even remember." I told him, watching him give me a sad smile and nod.

He was about to lead me through a door locked with a keypad, when suddenly it exploded in front of my eyes. The entire thing had been destroyed, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake. Tom seemed to step back, shielding his eyes as he glanced up at the person standing within. All around him were unconscious Alchemists, their lilies on their cheeks and dressed in business attire. The man left standing had unkempt hair, that looked like it hadn't been cut in months. He was dressed in a plain gray jumpsuit, making me wonder if he was a prisoner of some kind. It would explain the dramatic breakout, along with the desperation in his eye, since the other one appeared to be made of glass.

I watched him roll up his sleeves, making me stare even more at his arm. One arm was covered in tattoos, specifically, transmutation circles that focused on deconstructing matter. With that arm, I was certain he could destroy anything he touched, much like he had the door in front of him. "Hey, Dad, I heard you'd be around here today." he commented, before his gaze landed on me. "Sydney, always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. I told you before, it's a shame you weren't more like your sisters. Perhaps then you would actually make it out of here alive." he commented, looking determined.

"I am sorry, Miss Sage, but no one can learn about this. Keith, do what needs to be done." Tom stated, stepping aside with a sad look on his face. I understood that this had just become a fight now, one that my life depended on. I glanced up at the ceiling briefly, noticing that the cameras in this bunker had already been destroyed. No Alchemists were watching anymore, it was just the three of us, making it their word against mine for these events.

I gave them both a grin, knowing that I was not going down without a fight. Both of them had just made a big mistake, revealing their knowledge of alchemy. That freed me to use it myself, if necessary, but I would try to avoid it if possible. "I would recommend letting me go, instead. Perhaps then your secret would remain safe, after all, I am the only one keeping my friends from discussing what we saw in that hidden room of yours." I stated, watching Keith stiffen slightly.

"What room?" he asked, not revealing anything as he tried to avoid my gaze. It seemed like I had caught his attention at least, since he was no longer attempting to get any closer to me.

I shrugged, looking unconcerned as I let him avoid my eyes. "Oh, nothing much, just one with a human transmutation circle drawn on the floor. At least, that's what your research notes led me to believe it was." I explained, watching his face pale even further.

Tom looked just as worried, glancing over at his son for a few moments. "Keith, stop. We can't let word reach the others, you know what they will do to us." he stated, watching his son sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"This is so unfair! We were so close, and now because of this little bitch, we can't do anything." Keith complained, his irritation showing through. I was curious about what he wanted to do, considering the fact that I had been bluffing about his research notes. Apparently, that's exactly what those books in that room had been. It made me wonder just how he had intended to use the circle, and if he understood what the price was for using it.

Tom was much calmer, his gaze steady as he looked over at me. "What will it take to ensure that you and your friends remain silent about this matter?" he asked, making me wonder where Keith's anger came from. Perhaps his mother had a bit of a temper, either that or he was spoiled and used to getting everything he wanted.

"Answers. I am curious by nature, much like any Alchemist. I would like to understand exactly what it is you are doing. If I deem it as harmless, my friends and I will not say a word about your alchemical research." I told him, watching as he debated internally about what he could say.

Keith kept glaring at me, still not looking too happy about the situation. "Of course that's what you want. So much innocence, not understanding the ways of the world. This is exactly why you get yourself into trouble, Sydney." he commented, looking upset. With one last look at his father though, he sighed and shook his head. "Well, it seems that you got lucky this time. Come on, I'll need my research to explain it to you properly."

"Wait, you're coming back to Palm Springs with me?" I asked, a bit worried about this news. I had barely managed to convince Lee to stop in his attack of me. If another Alchemist was coming, I wondered if he would attempt again, with someone who wouldn't try and talk him out of it. Keith seemed far more likely to simply attack first, rather than attempt to help.

He nodded, his arms crossed over his chest. "You have a plane ticket to get back, right? Well, I'll just work with the staff at the airport and get myself onto your plane. I'm not letting you out of my sight, not with this on the line." he commented, while Tom seemed concerned.

"Are you sure you can handle this? What if she found the stone?" he asked, watching Keith glance down at the ground. I had no clue what this stone was, but I did my best to keep my face expressionless. I didn't want them to see me at a disadvantage, not when I still held the upper hand.

"I'll deal with it. We owe that much to them, at least. Besides, we need them to try and fix the mistake alchemists made so long ago." he stated, looking grim. I wondered what this mistake was, but his expression said no questions would be tolerated, at least not at this point. I would have to be patient and wait, something that I was rather good at.

Getting out of the bunker went rather quickly, considering how Keith and Tom seemed to have had this planned from the beginning. The other Alchemists within were out of the way, either unconscious in Keith's old prison room or busy dealing with other matters. The path to the exit was left clear, which meant I was free to leave with Keith and not get into any trouble with the others. Either way, I wasn't too concerned with getting in trouble at this point. Worst case scenario, I could claim Keith held me hostage and forced me to help him escape. It would be believable, considering he took out three adults at once.

"Keith, do not let this get out to the public. I don't care what you have to do to protect our secret with your old friend, but we cannot risk the truth being discovered. The Alchemists would love to get their hands on understanding how to do things like this, to understand how to stop humans from using it." Tom stated, while Keith nodded in agreement.

"Of course. I understand what to do, and I will not fail. After all, it's not like Sydney can learn alchemy in a day. Just understanding my notes won't be enough for her to do anything." he argued, making me smile slightly. Neither of them noticed, but the irony was not lost on me at the moment. I already understood plenty about alchemy, these two were just buying into the fact that I could not utilize it.

"One more thing, Keith. Sydney has lost all memories of being an Alchemist. She does not remember you, or many details about her job. It might make dealing with her a bit…challenging." Tom said after a few moments, glancing over at me. He seemed worried about offending me, but I understood his worries. My personality and actions were unpredictable now, and as a result, others were concerned.

Keith's eyes narrowed as he stared at me, his glass eye somewhat disturbing me as he did so. The fact that it didn't move bothered me, even if it was a fairly decent color match for his real eye. "If anything, that makes this a bit easier. She's not going to be as much of a hassle to deal with like this." Keith stated, making me raise an eyebrow at him. Even if I disliked him before, from what I understood, I was much more assertive without my memories. Most people seemed to be a bit surprised with my new attitude, and I had no doubt that Keith would be surprised as well.

Tom seemed to nod in agreement though, stepping back and giving his son one last smile. "Good luck, then. I will miss you, and I'm glad you're out of that godforsaken place." Tom stated, patting Keith's shoulder before letting both of us leave. I understood that Tom had duties to perform and an act to keep up, but part of me wondered why else he was staying behind. He did not seem like the type of man who would want to stay out of important matters. Regardless, I now had a mission in mind. Keith was going to tell me everything he knew about human transmutation and from there, I was going to figure out if it was even possible to regain my memories at all.

This story is still somewhat on a delayed schedule. With the way school and work has been going, with how few reviews/ views this story is getting, I'm only adding to it when I get the chance so updates will be sporadic. Sorry for the delays, I hope you don't mind! I still at least have a plan for this story, and won't abandon it. From what I've seen on this site, we need more crossovers with Bloodlines, there aren't that many out there and I'd love to read more.

Please review, I really would appreciate some feedback on this story! It might inspire an earlier update next time!