You've been in Central for less that a week now, and Scar is already back on the hunt. He's heard rumours that the Fullmetal Alchemist is currently in Central, so he's spend his time trying to track him down.

So far, he's had no luck.

A part of you is grateful for that, but you're beginning to grow concerned. Scar's brooding has been worse than ever lately, and you hate seeing him like it. You only wish something other than killing brought him joy.

He's been gone longer than usual today, leaving your makeshift alley camp at dawn. It's well past lunchtime now, and he's still not back. Mei, apparently sensing your concern, had left with her pet about half an hour ago, promising to find your wayward Ishvalan friend. This unfortunately leaves you alone with Yoki again, but you're more than used to that by now. In fact, you've almost grown to like the man.

Almost.

Yoki smirks at you salaciously. 'Still no sign of them. What's the point of all this idle waiting? We could do something much more fun to pass the time…' Ew. Not this again. When is he going to learn that you find him about as attractive as you find Xiao-Mei?

You decide to grin back on him, putting on the sweetest voice you can manage. 'If you touch me, I'll ask Scar to pin you down, while I pull out each hair in that moustache of yours one at a time.' His face drains of all colour. It's good to know he's still taking your threats seriously. Still, you hope Scar and Mei return sooner, rather than later.

As if they can read minds, no sooner than you think that, they both return, although something about Scar doesn't look right. Then you realise he's missing one of his sleeves, and his trousers have a hole in them, one that has red on the edges.

Your blood runs cold; he's been shot.

You silently thank your God for Mei's existence. Were it not for her, Scar would probably be dead right now. As it is, the wound on his leg appears to have been healed, undoubtedly by her.

You move to greet him, but instead he completely ignores you, walking past you and settling behind. You can't help but feel a little hurt by his actions, but he must have his reasons. His apparent defeat has probably wounded his pride as much as it has his leg. Still, he should understand that such things don't really matter to you. You're just glad he's returned to you alive.

You decide to ask Mei for information. 'What happened to Scar?'

Mei suddenly looks very concerned. 'Well, you see… it was awful! He was being attacked by several people all at once! I managed to help him escape, but not before someone shot him! I'm so sorry, Mrs. Scar, I didn't reach him in time to stop them!' The poor girl looks like she's going to burst into tears.

You walk over to her, crouch down, and pull her into a hug. She takes in a deep breath, as if she wasn't expecting you to do such a thing.

After a few moments, you pull back, and look her in the eye. 'Thank you, Mei. I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to him.

'You can't control everything that happens in this world. There will always be moments where you're too late, where you do something after someone else. That doesn't matter. It's what you do after those things happen that are truly important. You saved his life. For that, you have my eternal gratitude.' She starts crying, and for a moment you're concerned you've said the wrong thing.

Mei hugs you this time. 'Thank you, Mrs. Scar. I promise, I'll patch up Mr. Scar as many times as I have to. You two are my friends now, after all, and friends look out for each other always and forever. Though Mr. Scar seems so sad right now…' her eyes lock onto his hiding place.

You stand up, smiling gently at her. 'I'll speak to him. He's probably licking his wounds a little bit. I don't think he's ever been shot before.' Even as you say those words, you're uncertain of their truthfulness. Has he ever been shot before? The worse you've even seen him was just after he was dragged from the river, but that doesn't mean he's never had injuries before. So much of his past remains a mystery. He'd mentioned a few weeks ago that he didn't want to tell you of it, for fear of losing you. What in his past can be worse than the present?

One thing does seem off though. 'Mei, where's Xiao-Mei? Isn't she with you?'

Mei smiles brightly. 'Of course she is. Xiao-Mei is always with me. She right he-' As she speaks, she reaches up to touch her shoulder. She cuts her words short when she realises her friend isn't there.

She starts to look panicked. 'Oh no, where is she? I must have lost her during that fight. I have to find her, it'll be dark soon. I'll try looking where I found Mr. Scar, that seems like a good place to start.' She sprints off before you can say anything more, leaving only three in the camp.

You begin to approach Scar, before stopping yourself. You're hoping to have a deep and revealing conversation with Scar. You can't do that with Yoki eavesdropping.

You turn to face Yoki. 'Why don't you go see if you can scavenge some food for us, Yoki? Best to go now before it gets dark.' Yoki looks as if he's about to protest, until you stare pointedly at Scar, then back to Yoki.

He seems to get the message. 'O-oh, sure. I can do that. I'll give the two of you some privacy. Don't tire him too much, though, or he won't thank you for it.' Why must Yoki always have the most lewd thoughts? Still, if it gets him to leave for a while, he can think what he likes.

You wait until he's away from view before resuming your journey to see Scar. He's not turned his head to face you, but you know he knows you're there. Very well, you'll just have to make him acknowledge you.

When you finally reach him, you sit down directly opposite him, so that he has no choice but to acknowledge you.

He still doesn't move.

You tentatively place your hand on one of his thighs. You can feel him fighting the urge to flinch.

Okay, so touch isn't the way to go. Still, your and is there now, so you may as well keep it there. It might help him somehow, having a physical link to you. It might encourage him to be more open.

You speak quietly and cautiously, not wanting to push him too far too soon. 'Are you alright, Scar?' It's a broad question, but one that you think he'll answer, even if his answer will almost certainly be a lie. He's not okay, but will he admit that he's not?

Scar shifts his gaze to your hand in his thigh, appearing to be deep in thought. He doesn't answer your question straight away, but you don't offer up another one or push him for an answer. If he wants to talk to you, he will. If not? Well, that doesn't mean you can't just sit with him in silence for a while.

His voice is quiet when he finally answers, as if his mind is somewhere other than the present. 'I told you once that I did something unforgivable. Today, I was confronted by it. I should not have escaped with my life.' You wince at his words, still a little shaken by his injuries. By the looks of things, he very nearly didn't escape with his life.

You're about to speak, but he cuts you off. 'It was during the war. My family and I were trying to flee from the Amestrian Military. Before we could escape our burning village, we were stopped by a State Alchemist.

'There was an explosion. That much I remember clearly. Everything else is a blur. I remember hearing my brother speak, but I don't recall what he said. Something about the research notes he gave me, perhaps? After that, I lost consciousness entirely.

'When I woke up, I was disorientated. I have no idea where I was. I thought I was dead, until I saw an Amestrian woman looking down at me. She told me I had been injured, and that she and her husband were healers. As she walked away to treat another patient, my thoughts turned to my brother. 'Is he here?' I though. 'Is he alive?' I raised my arm, wanting to assess my health before finding my brother.

'The arm that I raise was not my own. These tattoos do not belong to me. They are my brothers, entrusted to me upon his death. At first I was grief-stricken over the loss of my family. That grief soon turned into a burning hatred that I couldn't control. I rose from my bed, and murdered the two Amestrian doctors with my bare hands.' His confession makes your head spin. He murdered two completely innocent people? People who had helped him, no less. This is not quite what you had been expecting.

Scar continues talking, oblivious to your thoughts. 'Today, I met their daughter. She knows that I am the man who took her parents from her. I have never seen anyone with such hatred in their eyes. I wonder if that is how I look.

'She had a gun, yet she did not shoot me. Her 'friend', the Fullmetal Alchemist, stilled her hand. I do not understand why. If the man responsible for killing my family was before me, I would kill him without hesitation. Yet, she did not. She did not shoot me, and I can't understand why.' It seems as if Scar is having some kind of breakthrough. Is he finally seeing the error of his ways? Might he finally consider giving up his quest for vengeance?

No, he won't. But maybe, just maybe, he'll only focus on hurting the ones truly responsible for the death of his family. Maybe he'll stop killing indiscriminately, and start focusing on killing the people who have wronged him.

The air is thick with tension, and you realise Scar is waiting for a response.

You're unsure how to respond though. Sure, you're well-aware that he's a murderer, but up until now you'd assumed he only killed the people he felt wronged by. He killed two innocents, two people that only wanted to help him. What can you even say to that? 'Oh, that's okay, I'm sure they deserved it too.'? He really has done something terrible, far worse than you thought him capable of. You should hate him for what he did.

And yet, you can't bring yourself to even consider hating him. The thought makes you feel sick. He has made a terrible mistake, it's true, but he does not deserve your hate. He has more than enough of his own. Besides, by the way that he's acting, it's clear that he regrets his actions. If you turn on him now, you're certain he'll lose that regret. It'll turn into anger again, and you don't want to do that to him.

You put your spare hand onto his cheek, and use it to position his head forwards. You want to look him in the eyes when you talk to him.

You lock eyes with him. To your surprise, his eyes don't hold anger like they usually do. Instead they hold something else, something you never would have thought Scar capable of.

Fear.

He's afraid of your reaction.

It makes your heart break. How can he still fear your reaction, even though you've told him time and time again that he can trust you, and that you won't just abandon him? Sure, his revelation was harder to accept than you'd initially suspected, but that means nothing. The point is that you're willing to accept it, yet he is certain that you won't. What can you do to prove to him that you'll always be willing to accept him?

You open your mouth, and opt to speak from the heart. It's all you can really do at this point. 'I can't answer that. I can't begin to fathom the motives of other people, as much as I'd like to. Still, whatever the reason, I'm glad she didn't kill you.

'What you've done is truly terrible. I won't insult you by lying and saying it's fine. However, allowing someone to take your life isn't the way to atone for it. Vengeance is a vicious cycle, Scar, one that never stops until someone puts an end to it. If that girl had killed you, I would have been tempted to kill her. If I had killed her, then one of her friends would have killed me. It would have gone on like that until no one remained.

'If you truly wish to atone for what you've done, you must start by casting away your vengefulness. I'm not saying you should give up hope of avenging your family's death; I've lost enough of my own family to know that you'll never be able to do that. I'm saying that you shouldn't make it your only goal in life. You could do so much for the world, Scar, if you only have yourself the chance.' You've made yourself cry this time, your words hitting home harder than expected.

Scar's eyes suddenly become hard and closed off, like he's putting his barrier back up. It seems as if you've squandered your opportunity to get through to him.

You're about to back away, when his words stop you. 'If I am unable to do as you say, would you still stay with me?' Oh, now it makes sense. He's steeling himself for rejection.

You smile softly at him. 'Of course I would. I've stuck by you this far, after all.' He almost cracks a smile of his own, making your heart flutter slightly. You wonder what he looks like when he smiles…

Scar's voice seems even huskier than usual when he speaks again. 'I told you before I left for Central that I didn't deserve your compassion. Yet you have always given it to me. It makes me wonder if I could be another man. The kind of man who deserves a woman like you.'

You blush quietly. Could he someday accept your feelings for him? It seems like too much to hope for. However…

'You've always had my compassion because I've always felt as though you deserve it. Yet you still don't view yourself as a worthy recipient of it. If there ever comes a day when you finally see as I do, when you finally see your worth or have found some kind of redemption outside of vengeance, I could give you so much more than compassion. I could give you love.'

Tension returns to the air, and for a moment, nothing exists except the two of you. If this were a fairytale, you'd lean in and kiss him, show him that you're capable of loving him. It isn't though, so you don't move an inch. Instead, you wait for his answer.

He brings his hands up to hold yours. 'If I ever see myself as worthy, I won't hesitate to take you up on that. However, as it stands, I can't accept your love.' He takes your hands away from his face, and places them in your lap. You can't help the disappointment that floods through you. So close, yet so far away...

Scar clears his throat. 'We should discuss the girl, and her insistence that we are husband and wife.' Oh, so it does bother him. Of course it does, why wouldn't it?

You frown slightly. 'If it bothers you, we'll tell her the truth when she comes back.' You desperately try to hide the disappointment in your voice.

Scar's expression remains neutral. 'It doesn't bother me. It's you I'm concerned about. What if you find someone you wish to be with during our travels? I would hate her to think poorly of you, should you choose to give your heart to another.'

Your heart melts at his words; he's concerned about your feelings. There really is a good man hiding behind all of that rage.

You chew on your lip before answering. 'My heart is already taken.'

Scar leans close to you, and for a moment you're convinced he's going to kiss you. You close your eyes instinctively, eating for contact.

'Eh, that was horrible! People treated me like no more than a common beggar! Don't they know who I am?! Anyhow, I'll get the fire going now. Not that we have much to cook…' Any likability Yoki possessed us now official gone. How could he ruin such a perfect moment?!

Reluctantly, you open your eyes, only to find Scar staring into them. They seem to hold the same annoyance yours surely do, with a hint of something more passionate. Was he really just about to kiss you? Will he try again in the future? Has Yoki just destroyed any chance of that happening?

He gently squeezes one of your knees. His hand is so big, it make your leg look like a twig! So much power, yet such an intimate gesture.

With a heavy sigh, you stand up, and head over to Yoki. He'll undoubtedly need help getting the fire started.

You pretend not to notice Scar staring at you as you do.

-POV Switch-

Scar watches his love help Yoki tend to the fire. 'No,' his mind tells him, 'she's not your love, you have no right to refer to her as such.' And yet, as he thinks back over her words, it's the only phrase that fits.

He was a fool to think he could conceal his feelings, and an even bigger one to try and kiss her. He's just told her that he'll accept her love when he feels worthy of it, yet here is, willing to engage in carnal activities without a moment's thought. His first taste of her lips should be something special, at a point in time when he's done something special to earn it. As it stands, he has done nothing to deserve her touch. Maybe, in time, he can change that.

'But how?' Asks his treacherous mind. 'How can you complete you revenge and earn her love? The two things are the complete opposite. Revenge is hard and cold, yet her love is soft and warm. In the end, you'll have to choose between in the two. Is her love really worth giving up your goals for? What would your family say? Would they be angered by your decision not to avenge them, or gladdened by your choice to choose wife with her over dying in their name?' He wishes he dearly that he could have both, but he knows his mind is right. He can only choose one, and right now, it's vengeance.

Then why had he tried to kiss her?

His heart and his head are at war with each other, fighting for his very soul. His head will lead him to damnation, yet his heart might lead him to salvation. Which path should he walk?

The young girl, Mei, returns from her searching alone. It seems her friend is still lost. She herself looks lost.

She breaks into sobs, and his love doesn't hesitate a moment before wrapping her arms around the youngster. It's amazing how much she has come to care for her in the short time that they have known each other. She almost treats Mei as if she were her daughter. The woman clearly has a big heart.

'And it's yours.' His heart whispers to him. 'She has chosen to give it to you. How could you refuse such a precious gift? You should help Mei in her search. It would make her heart sing with joy, of that I'm sure. Do it for her, and you'll be one step closer to earning her love.' It has been so long since he last listened to his heart. He had almost forgotten how kind it could be, when not polluted by anger.

He stands up, and walks over to the two women. Mei steps back from the women to look at him, tears still streaming from her eyes. 'Come, girl. We'll have better luck finding her if we search together.'

Both woman smile at Scar, and for a moment, he's certain he sees love in both pairs of eyes. One of them seems to hold familial love. The other?

The other holds a love that he wishes to make his own.