Chapter Twelve:
Katherine cracks her knuckles as she finishes tying and gagging Winry she smiles at her handy work, hiding the girl well. "Well Kat I did promise that Ed will be yours and to that I keep now, and now for the search party." The young woman walks back putting each glove into either pocket on her dress. Reaching the edge of the forest she prepares herself to look worried and innocent, 'damn girl, she'd never know how to catch a man even if he fell from the sky.'
"ED, ROY, AL HELP!" 'Kat' runs out of the woods looking sweaty and helpless.
The boys stop what they're doing running right away to Kat, "What's wrong?" Roy gets out first breathing heavily.
"I can't find Winry! I was going to show her where you guys trained me and she went on ahead, I heard something hit the ground and then nothing I called and called for her but she wouldn't answer! I'm so worried! We have to find her!" Kat looks at the three terrified, seeing this they have no doubt in believing the young woman's terrible lie. 'What a bunch of losers… they're easier than backing a cake.' Kat starts moving to the forest, "We have to hurry!"
"Right! Al you move toward the northern part of the woods go about fifty feet in radius and meet us at the training ground I'll go south, Roy-"
"Ed will you please stay with me! I…. Fear that… it might be…" Kat looks at the ground tears brimming her eyelids.
Ed looks at her for a moment understanding her still having a little trouble with the matter, "I'll go south, Ed you go with Kat to keep her company, I'll go the same distance as all and return. You keep a good watch on her." Roy speaks up, giving Ed a warning glare before moving out into the forest.
The three separate Ed and Kat run strait ahead, quickly getting to the training ground, nothing like the little area like what Kat shown Winry earlier. A small area with trees surrounding them and a tree swing made by Ed to let her rest when she needed it.
Kat looks around worriedly, "She said something about hearing water, so she went on ahead."
'Silly girl!' Ed grumbles to himself, 'what mess did you get yourself into?' Ed looks back slowly feeling Kat hold onto his hand, blushing at her, he smiles and grips her hand a little releasing the pressure trying to show that he understands. "We'll find her don't worry." Walking on the two make it to the area in which 'Kat' had taken Winry.
Both look around not finding her, Kat breaths rather heavily, 'not yet I'm not done yet…' Kat sits down holding her chest wincing in pain. Ed looks to find Kat kneeling down holding her chest he quickly kneels to her level.
"Kat are you ok?" Ed looks Kat in the face seeing her mental turmoil, and her hand clutching her chest.
"It… It's my chest… it hurts… right where the scare is…" Kat mumbles out.
Ed looks up to Kat worriedly, "What can I do?" Un aware of how close he is to his young friend.
Kat looks at him with sweet, sad eyes, "I… just want… I want you to tell me something Ed."
Ed blinks a little unsure about what it COULD be but still.
(SC)
Winry slowly awakens feeling a terrible pain in the back of her head; looking strait forward she notices that Kat and Ed are sitting alone together, very close to one another. Kat holding her chest in pain it seemed, and Ed fretting over her. Trying to call out she notices that she has something over her mouth to prevent that, not to mention being tied up and well hidden from the world. It seemed as though all she was aloud to do is listen to the two of them talk. Remembering Kat's face, how her voice sounded, it wasn't her, but it wasn't her at the same time, it was just too creepy. Winry tries to listen carefully to what they have to say to one another.
(SC)
"Do you love me?" Kat whispers.
Ed moves a little closer, "What?"
"Do you love me?" Kat looks at him hurt her hand slowly moving away from her chest and to her lap, Ed unconsciously putting his left hand over top Kat's.
Blushing a dark red, Ed looks away not really sure HOW to answer that one, "I… Ugh… I don't really know…"
"You love Winry then?" Kat looks away being rather dramatic about it.
"No! I mean… well…. That is…I care for you both deeply, but thinking about love right now… isn't what I'm really concerned about. I'm worried for Winry, if she's safe, and I'm worried for you, you get terribly chest pains from the metallic plate that was put into your chest to keep your ribs together. Als-"
Ed looks at Kat shocked at her sudden boldness, kissing him right on the lips, the feeling unfamiliar, and exciting. Kat slowly breaks away, 'Five, four, three, two…' Kat mentally smiles as Ed kisses the young girl right back. 'This should send that girl the right message…' Katherine wraps her arms around his neck letting him nibble on her bottom lip his tongue curiously asking for permission for entry, she quickly responds to his request with a quick battle of the tongues.
Winry looks at the two seeing them like that, 'Ed…' Winry looks at the ground, 'But I thought… YOU BIG JERK!'
Ed moves a little closer to her, feeling her back, feeling Kat feel both of his arms as his hands slowly move up her back. Forgetting about the very world around him and only feeling this kiss.
"BROTHER!" Al voice rings out catching them both. Both break awake from one another very shocked, the only one there that wasn't blushing for some reason was 'Kat.'
Katherine moves quickly wrapping Al in large enough vines to over power the young man and drag him to the ground. Grinning at her work she turns to Ed ready to get back to that kiss.
"What was that!" Ed glares at her, though quickly meets the face that he himself had only heard of through Al. "WHO ARE YOU!"
Katherine stands up moving away from the young man having the vines she'd put on him drag him to the ground and tying his legs to the ground as well.
Katherine looks at the young alchemist, walking over to where Winry is reveling her to the world, by simply using her alchemy to move the plants around. Completely shocked Ed looks to Winry then to 'Kat' gnashing his teeth together. "WHO ARE YOU! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?"
Kat walks up to Al and smiles at him, "Hello again Alphonse… miss me?"
Al tries to get away slowly, not wanting to stay close to the young woman.
"YOU GET AWAY FROM HIM NOW!" Ed demands.
Katherine turns to him and sees Roy on the horizon seeing that he's looking in aw of the situation. Katherine sends a speeding vine after Roy fast as a bullet. Two vines wrapping his wrists and spreading his fingers as to not let him snap his little fingers. Katherine walks back seeing that she accidentally hit her cousin in the neck making a small knick. Smiling her twisted smile she shrugs, "Sorry about that, hope you wont be too mad for too long."
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON KATHERINE?" Roy growls out.
"AH someone remembers my name. Kat's such a stupid name, makes me sound like a little kitten defenseless to the world." Kat walks up to Ed caressing his cheek making him look at Winry showing the vine slowly working its way around her neck. "I'm sorry I had to trick you Edward, but you see, Kat really has been wanting your special attention for quite some time. Not the fretful 'are you ok?' Attention but the, 'I love you,' attention. You remember that kind right?" Kat looks at him watching him fume in pure anger. "Oh don't be angry Elric, she would have popped the question eventually… that is, if I hadn't shown up." Kat kneels down behind Ed feeling his chest, "You know she was in many situations like this… being felt by many others, in ways she didn't want to be touched. You weren't there, her cousin wasn't there." Kat whispers into his ear, letting her lips lightly touch it, making the young alchemist blush.
"WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE SHE WAS!" Ed growls through clenched teeth, trying to set himself free or perform alchemy of some kind.
"Yes of course, she doesn't blame either of you at all! It's just that well… I was the only one there for her, she cried so many times…" Kat grins wickedly, leaning more against Ed feeling down his chest, 'whispering' her next point, "Yes she cried your name many times into the night when he actually pleasured her." Katherine half laughs when feeling Ed shiver at the thought. "Don't like that idea?"
Ed tries to bite her arm, do SOMETHING to get this woman away from him. Fuming twice as much when he hears that cold laugh.
"I wouldn't do that, you'll sooner break your good wrist than get out of there!" Kat points out, her wickedly cold eyes look to Winry, pulling the vine that surrounds the poor girls neck tightening the hold until small droplets of blood seep down the leaves. "So will you chose Winry and loose both, or will you chose Kat and only lose one? I'll let you think about it." Katherine walks over to Roy.
Ed looks to Winry watching the poor girl as she slowly begins to fall unconscious.
Looking at the wound on his neck she smiles at him, picking at the dripping blood smearing it on his face. "I was the one who told her it wouldn't be a good idea to stay with you. I know you've been wondering that for a while, but still, you wouldn't have been able to help with her need for Elric as I have."
Roy glares at the young woman who seems to no longer be his cousin, "If you mean ruining her relationship with Ed and everyone that she knows in central then yes you've done a perfect job." As Roy finished he feels the heated touch of her hand on his cheek leaving a red mark on his face. Seeing the girls back as she walks back over to Edward. Roy half laughs to himself watching the young woman leave, tasting the small twinge of copper in his mouth as a small droplet of blood forms at the corner of his lip.
"Elric what is your choice? Lose both girls or just one and stick with the other?" Kat walks over to Ed looking him strait in the face.
"What do you think?" Ed glares.
"Good boy I knew you'd see it my way…" Kat quickly loosens the hold on everyone slowly moving in to give Ed another 'loving' kiss. After a matter of seconds, Kat opens her eyes in surprise and starts backing away from Ed, startled confused, and "WHY WERE YOU KISSING ME?" Kat looks at him confused.
Ed looks at her like she hadn't just heard all that? "Kat?"
"Yes Kat! Ed… I… I thought you were different than the others and I wasn't just some piece of meat!" Kat glares at her friend confused and hurt, stomping to her feet she walks back to the picnic grounds.
Ed looks at the others seeing that they're all just as confused as he is. Ed gets up and quickly follows her, though first grabbing Winry bringing her along to figure out what's going on. "Kat wait!" Ed speaks up.
"NO! You're just like the others! I knew I should have listen to her! I knew I should have…" Kat runs off faster, only running into Al. "Al please! Tell me you're not like your brother!" Kat looks up to Al tears brimming her still innocent eyes, or at least innocent at the moment.
"Kat we need to talk to you, all of us." Al gets out, the sadness obvious in his voice.
Kat looks at Al confused slightly backing away from him unsure to trust anyone at the moment, "About what?"
"How long have you been hearing this girl?" Roy gets out.
Kat looks to her cousin seeing that he's hurt, "ROY!" Kat quickly tries tending to his wound.
"Kat! We need to talk!" Roy gets out trying to make it sound not as much of a growl than as a strict voice, as he rips her hands away from his neck.
Kat flinches back, nodding, balling her fist and putting them to her lips looking as though she'd been hurt, "Ok… but… what's?"
"Come over here…" Roy leads them to the picnic table. All sitting together waiting to hear what Kat has to say about this 'Katherine.'
Ed looks to Winry, fretting over her, trying to tend to the wounds. Winry clings closely to Ed, not wanting to look at her attacker. Kat looks to Winry hurt, what could have happened, she was going to show her the training area, and then Ed was kissing her. This made no sense; everything was, just too weird.
Having her chin raised Kat looks into Roy's eyes, watching them glare daggers into her own, Kat tries to back away, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Tears brim her eyes confusion obvious one her face.
"Then tell us, tell me! How long have you been talking to this girl?" Roy looks at Kat his voice stoic.
"I…" She pauses for a moment thinking her face still very close to Roy's, "Since…" Kat searching her memory trying to remember where this all started. The night she was captured the things they did, the one hope that the boys wouldn't really listen to their plans. Two weeks that was all it took they said, and she'd be broken. "I…. eehh" Being put into the cell night after night, being beaten, and touched, "I… whe…" her breath becomes erratic, tears stream down her face, that man, he had done such terrible things to her when she ordered him not to, when she hit him, when she begged him not to do it, and all the same he still hurt her. "I… I DON'T KNOW!" Kat holds her head down tears falling to the ground.
Al holds on to her as she backs up into him, Roy and Ed both look to her seeing the pure terror in her eyes. "Kat calm down." Roy tries to get out soothingly.
"I…" Kat looks to them begging them, "I don't want to remember, I don't want it to be there, I want to forget it happened! Please I don't want to talk about it I just want to go on like nothing happened!" Kat turns to Al, "Please Al you know what I'm talking about right? Just go on like nothing happened! Right?" her tears worsen as she waits for his replay.
Al looks at her, if he could he'd look at her with pity and remorse, "I…"
"Right? I mean, She was there, to help me forget, she took my place so I wouldn't have to remember!" Her eye's wide as tears stream down her cheeks in rivers. Her eyes begged him to understand, though to the others it was all to obvious that this was only scarring the boy.
"KAT!" Roy demands her attention seeing that she's scaring Al, he turns her away from the young man in the metal suit and turns her to himself.
"NO I DON'T WANT YOU TO TOUCH ME ANYMORE, YOU LOW LIFE BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU TAKE ME FROM MY ONLY FAMILY THAT I HAVE LEFT!" Kat screams not knowing that it's her very own cousin she's screaming at.
Roy looks at her hurt recoiling his hands, 'What?' Roy grabs her again this time, holding her in a soft embrace, "Kitty Kat please calm down…" His voice put into a forced calm his face didn't show it but at least he sounded calm.
"Roy… I'm sorry…" Kat gets out before submitting fully into uncontrollable sobs, trying to let her tears let her forget what happened, letting her wash away the memory of the beatings and unwanted touches.
Ed sighs, picking up Winry and taking her to the car. "I'm so sorry… I"
"What could have happened to her…" Winry speaks up, out of nowhere, looking to Kat.
"What?" Ed looks at Winry seeing that she's completely fine, a bit shaken but still fine.
"To make her go to such extremes to protect herself, what could they have done to her?" Winry looks to Ed for a possible answer.
Ed looks to the ground not really wanting to think of what could have happened, "I don't know Winry though I think all we can do for her right now is try to support her, and try and get out as much information as possible. It might help her deal with it…"
"But what if… she becomes that other person? With all that information being put through her head, she might just become that very person that we just got a taste of." Winry speaks up shivering at the thought.
Ed thinks about it for a moment, and looks to Winry hugging her tightly; Winry looks to Ed curiously, hugging him back. "Winry… I… I know you just got here, but for your safety… I want you to go home, please, I don't want you to end up like she has. It would hurt me too much, to lose you like that."
Winry thinks about it for a moment, wanting with all her might to say no, but thinking about it for a moment she hugs him back. "Ok…"
"Brother…" Al gets down on his knees looking rather upset about everything that's been going on that after noon.
Ed turns and hugs his little brother, more than understanding at this point, "It's ok. We'll wait here for a bit, until Roy comes over at least, we'll clean up and then leave." Ed gets up going through what had happened earlier, everything seemed so weird, and her out bursts. What DID happened, when she was gone?
(SC)
After they all return to east central Roy decided it would be best to send Winry home as soon as possible, and to get the his apartment ready to have the three over for a couple days, since he already knew she wouldn't want her precious Edward to be too terribly far away. Though it troubled him so much, what she had said, taken her away from the only family she has. Did she mean him, no she couldn't have, uncle and aunty they're still ok, they have to be since they sent him a letter saying that she was on her way, though late it still came.
After saying their good byes to Winry and making it to Roy's apartment Roy picks up Kat bridal style seeing that she's still asleep, or in a battle with her alter ego, either way things wouldn't be much better after she would awaken. Resting the poor girl on his couch Roy walks over to the kitchen. "I don't have a guest room, I'm afraid you boys are either going to need to go home and come back certain times of the week or stay here and sleep on the floor." Roy gets a large bottle out Skyy written on it, it was obvious that it was alcohol. Putting some into a shot glass, Roy downs it quickly.
"We'll stay here." Ed speaks up. "I'm sure we can make some kind of arrangement here. Bring some matrices from our apartments' couches something like that." Ed gets out.
Roy plops into a chair, wanting to just crawl into that whole he had gone into before, and just forget everything. Still he knew he had work, he knew he had his cousin to take care of, her more importantly than his work. Rubbing his forehead with his right thumb and a newly filled shot glass, Roy looks to where his cousin sleeps, seemingly too exhausted from before.
Ed grabs the glass out of Roy's hand glaring at him, "Don't be such a jerk," Ed moves over to Roy's sink and pours out the drink putting away the alcohol.
"HEY! That stuff is expensive! And also very hard to come by!" Roy growls out.
"Yea well, your 'hard to come by' shit worth losing your cousin over, AGAIN!" Ed growls right back.
Roy glares at Ed and walks into his room closing the door behind himself, obviously not wanting to confront that part of himself ever again.
"And he calls me immature…" Ed mutters as he sits his back against the front of the couch seeing that Al has gone to try and talk to the colonel.
The sudden shock of two arms around his neck and shoulders, though shocking enough on their own, but a hot pair of soft lips on the top of his earlobe didn't seem to help Edwards situation much either. "She misses you… She wants your help…" Ed tries to move away though finds his body unable to respond his breath becoming hitched at the feel of someone tending to such a simple part of his body.
"What does she want?" Ed finally whispers out, feeling one of the hands moving slowly down his chest, he finally orders his body to move trying to get out of the fog of shock. He puts his left hand on hers stopping it from feeling his chest. Though removing his ear from her mouth would become an obstacle.
"She wants you to please her, make her forget everything, make her forget me, and just think of you." Katherine whispers. She feels him trying to move and stops him with a terribly grin on her face, "Not here… at your apartment."
Ed looks at her blushing like a mad man; he knows what is being asked of him but still! "I can't…" Ed whispers.
"Why not? Have you not thought of her in your dreams? Thought of her writhing beneath you at your loving car-" The darker woman of the two is quickly silenced as Ed puts hand over her mouth.
Glaring at her though blushing the shad of his red coat, he didn't want to admit anything, but he didn't want to do anything to hurt her more. "Why are you doing this?"
She smiles at him removing the coolness of his hand, and petting his serious face, "I'm here to help her in what she wants, and that is you. I am a result of her so badly wanting to protect her innocence. I am what you could say, what she could have become, and would love to be forgotten."
"Why? She made you… wouldn't you want to over come?" Ed looks at her curiously. Though regrets quickly saying these words, 'Yea that's it Ed give her a reason to take over Kat's body! Baka!'
"Well it would be nice to have control of something, but while she let me have control of herself in that little hell hole, I over heard them talking, and if it is true, then I want to be ride of as soon as possible. They want to use her again, and use her against you and Roy," She smiles at Ed's slightly frightened face, "that my sweet boy would hurt me more than ever, and her to the point of ultimate insanity, you both would be dead and she would be in an insane asylum. So really it's a matter of who should I sacrifice to help me, well she is me and I am her, so, to help her, I will have to get rid of me, and to do that I need you…" She kisses Ed on the cheek lightly. "Get it?"
Blinking away shock, Ed's brows slowly furrow together his face rather curious about the matter, "What would happen if I said no?"
"I just said-"
"No I mean in full detail, what would happen?"
Katherine sighs, "They would wait, till you truly released me, by prying the facts out of this poor girls head of what happened to her, and her poor violated body. Why the scares still hurt, and why her heart no longer wants to ache for another man for the rest of her life. I would surface and do their bidding with out question, even if it meant killing you and Roy an Al and everyone at the office. Then at the realization of what she really did she'd either kill herself, or she'd end up in an insane asylum. Either way, you will have to lose your precious Winry…" Sighing once more she looks down and back to Ed with what could not be mistaken as sympathy "I truly am sorry for that much…" Katherine pets Ed's cheek seeing the terrified look in his eyes, Winry was correct, but to convince Roy of this would be impossible. "Don't worry if you get rid of me and make her happy, all it will do is make him happy."
With that Katherine closes her eyes letting Kat awaken as though awakening from a bad dream. She looks at Ed the looks of fear and pain still on his face, though what she didn't know was that her sanity truly did lie in his hands, and the lives of his brother and everyone else. "Ed… Ed." Kat looks at Ed worriedly. "What's wrong?"
Ed looks her strait in the face seeing the soft gentle girl he knows, there was a third way to do this but even that would be a big no, no from everyone, especially himself. Ed puts up a half smile, a mask to try and hid his inner turmoil though not doing a good job. "Nothing… We're at your cousin's, do… do you want to come over to my place and rest there?"
"Sure, is Al here too?" Kat gets out drowsily, hoping that Ed would be ok.
"Yea… let me just go get him…" Ed gets up breathing heavily, and starts walking back toward Al and Roy's still closed door. 'There has to be another way! Maybe if we put her on medication, or better yet counseling! She wouldn't agree with that… I don't know maybe. This whole thing stinks and I hate it! Maybe Roy will find something… though most likely he'll try his other method and try to just get it out himself.' Ed knocks on Roy's door. "Roy… I think I found a way to help Kat…"
Roy opens his doors looks over the boy, "How?"
"It'll make her forget about what happened and the person, cause she wont have a need for the extra person anymore since everything she'll have wanted will be hers." Ed gets out, trying not to stammer or look uneasy about the matter.
"And HOW are you going to do this, you seem to have forgotten that I asked that." Roy folds his arms.
"I can't say." Ed looks away finding a little speck on the wall extremely interesting.
"Why not! Did she, did that thing! Tell you? That's what it wants! You baka! Can't you tell?" Roy growls as he grips Ed's shirt, pulling him closer, though still not getting eye contact with Ed.
"She said that if we try to get the information out… Kat will become Katherine, and… then she'll go on a killing spree because who ever was left from her kidnappers will have what they want, a tainted state alchemist, that could potentially kill many people before she herself dies." Ed whispers out loud enough for only Roy and Al to hear.
"That's what she wants you to think! She'll remember what happened and deal with it!" Roy growls.
Ed glares at Roy, "AND WHAT IF SHE CAN'T!" Ed barks right back.
"…"
(TBC)
Ed:Blushes:
Trom: Yea interesting chappy ;
Roy:Being restrained to keep from murdering someone:
Al: Well… that was… interesting ;. :Holding Roy to keep him from murdering Trom:
Trom: Mew…
Japanese meanings:
Baka- Idiot, or fool
Dono- Ms. Or Mr. Baisically you think very highly of the person that you say this to such as Kaoru-Dono (Rurouni Kenshin). Though would mostly be addressing someone in an envelope, in Rurouni Kenshin it's like in the late 1800's so of course everyone tries to address one another the most appropriately. If you want to find more definitions go here:w w w . trussel . com / f nih . htm (Hopefully this will work since I put spaces where there shouldn't be. To go to the sight just type that in but with out the spaces ;.
Nii-chan: Older brother
Onii-san: Big brother (Basically trying to be cute, like how nina called Ed and Al her older brothers.) Sorry If I accidentally put sister instead of brother ; I forget sometimes which is which ;.
Onee-san or nee-san: Big sister, like how Sota calls for his elder sister. (Yea it's a little confusing at times ;.)
Ed:Blushes: I know I have blonde hair but COME ON I'M NOT A CHICK!
Trom: It's only because you have long pretty hair that people make that mistake Ed…
Ed: WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO FEMININE THAT A YOUNG MAN WOULD COME RIGHT TO HIS FACE AND HIT ON HIM LIKE HE WERE A WOMAN!
Trom: I didn't know you were sensitive about that too Ed, man short and girly X3:Grabs some ear plugs. Stuffs them into her ears.:
Ed:Goes off on a tangent:
Comments:
Twilight Star Wolf: I'm sorry I didn't think of that sooner thank you for bringing that to my attention ;. Thank you for showing that to me:D :hugs:
Alchemist-Zantazuken: Hmm…. Well he strikes a couple times, one of them is rather bad… And um… um… yea… :Looks away blushing:
Ed:Hides behind the now calm Roy: This better not be ANYTHING near like your last fic:growls, Roy too gives a questioning look:
Trom:Grins and points to Envy: It's totally his fault! BUT ANYWAY:D!
Dark Angel Alchemist: Awww thank you so much:hugs: it's nice to have such wonderful people stand up for the author :Hugs: I think I'll update just for you:D!