Chapter 12: Saved for the First Time

Thanks for the reviews, plz keep 'em up, ooh And the monkey thing didn't work out….the shipment from Cuba was stalled and the spider monkey I ordered ran away. (Please don't take that seriously, I don't even know if spider monkeys live in Cuba.)

Lauren and Ed had been walking for over three hours before Lauren finally heard the sound of rushing water. "Ed! Ed! Do you hear it! We found it!" Lauren ran/limped off ahead and Ed followed, yawning.

"Yea yea yea, I hear it." Ed came out of the bushes to find Lauren sitting on a rock. "Well now what?"

"Rain said to follow the flow..." Lauren looked down the river and saw smoke. "A fire! That has to be a village, or a camp!"

"Or Lust just burning something to the ground." Ed scratched his head.

"Like I really want to think of that, Ed." Lauren smiled, stood up, and pushed past him.

Ed followed her, wondering why Lauren was all smiley, considering she almost died a bit ago….

Roy slammed down the phone and stood up. He had just gotten a call that a woman wearing a state alchemist uniform shot and killed, then robbed a man in Black town with no apparent reason for doing so.

Havoc looked up from some papers at his side on the sofa. "What is it, Colonel?"

"Riza." Roy walked out of his office, Fire followed him.

Havoc shrugged then looked back down at his mission papers, he was being sent out…a week before Christmas…to take out a run away rouge from a corrective camp.

Roy walked with his hands in his pockets, glaring at the floor. Fire walked at his side. "What am I going to do, Fire?" Roy glanced at the cat, who meowed his response.

Roy walked out of central and stepped into a black car,-Fire jumped in after him-driven by Armstrong this time, since Riza was gone.

"Where to Colonel?" Major asked as he started the car.

"Train Station." Roy mumbled.

Major Armstrong nodded then drove off.

Ed had been following Lauren for over twenty minutes when they heard a scream. It was high-pitched and loud, considering they heard it.

Lauren turned to Ed, who nodded, then they ran fast to get to the smoke, and whoever screamed.

When they came to a line of trees, they slipped into the small covering for their hiding spot and gasped at what they saw.

Lust, Envy, and Gluttony stood in a circle around a small child, Kaara, as she seemed to struggle to breathe.

"She's dying I think." Lauren whispered to Ed.

He nodded then leaned toward Lauren's ear. "Use your gas mixture stuff, target the homunculi, I'll go in there and get Kaara."

Lauren at first thought his plan was crazy…but it just might work. She smiled, unhooked one of her earrings, and broke it between her hands when she clapped. The gas spread through the trees and reached the homunculi.

They lifted their heads and the instant they inhaled the smoke, they fell to the ground, paralyzed and unable to breathe.

Ed looked at Lauren. "That didn't happen to me…"

"Because the one I used on you wasn't finished, and why are we having this conversation? Go get Kaara!" Lauren nudged Ed out of the trees.

He ran quickly and swiftly, scooping up the girl in his arms, and ran back to Lauren. "OK, Let's go."

"That was way too easy…" Lauren and Ed ran off in the way they came.

"I know, but we still got Kaara, and see, she's breathing just fine." Ed looked down at Kaara, who was in fact breathing fine, as they ran.

Lauren sighed and ran faster, Ed following.

Kaara opened her eyes, though seeing nothing…knew she wasn't with the homunculi anymore. She felt Ed's auto-mail arm and knew it wasn't her father either. "Put me down!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Ed winced and Lauren turned to take her. "It's alright, Kaara, we're here to take you back to your Mommy and Daddy." Lauren took Kaara in her arms and immediately Kaara seemed to relax.

"Mommy…Daddy…." Kaara whispered more to herself than to Ed or Lauren.

"It's alright, don't worry, you're safe now." Lauren whispered as she started to jog with Ed following.

The gas died away and Lust stood up. She looked at Envy, then Gluttony….both dead…Lust had clearly been the only one to hold her breath as long as she could. She turned her back to them and started walking…I'll get that little girl again. She's the only one who holds enough strength to make me who I want!

Ok….i'm sorry to say, but I might discontinue this story. That is all.