Chapter Four

By the afternoon the rain had let up to a drizzle and everything seemed tense; waiting for something to happen, as if something was expected; anticipated. Not much was said all through breakfast, though lunch was more than loud.

"Ruby, I want you to tell me everything you know about this guy that's been using you." Edward said. Ruby looked down.

"Why do you want to know?" She asked. She knew full well why he wanted to know. He wanted to find him and he wanted to find out everything about him.

"You already know why, Ruby, don't play dumb." He said. "If you're worried about him then you shouldn't be, after what you've been saying he did to you."

"I haven't been saying all that much, you've just been piecing it together in your mind," Ruby said in an unusually bitter tone of voice. There was silence for a moment, only broken by steady breathing. "Besides," her tone was milder now, almost inaudible. "It's you I'm worried about."

"Well don't be," Ed scowled at the images in his head of what Ruby hasn't told him about, what he knows must've happened for her to be afraid like that. "I'll find the bastard one way or another." He stood up from the table, walking out the door and slamming it on his way. Ruby stood up. She thought for a moment.

"Winry, can you watch Amber?" She asked. Winry nodded and Al just sat there, concentrating on the table, taking in everything that was said and thinking it over thoroughly and realizing Ed had nowhere to go anyway so why bother going after him.

"You know, Ruby," he said. "Brother might just need time away. This has all been such a big shock to him. Think about it; first he finds you after it's been over a year since we saw you leave, then he finds you not only have a child but his child. It's a bit overwhelming, adding to it that you have someone using you like a puppet." Ruby stopped at the door, staring out into the rain and the fading figure of Edward as he ran off.

"I know you're right, Al, but I can't just let him go out there like that. It isn't safe!" Ruby's eyes closed and she knew they were all watching her; watching as tears fell to the ground below her as she silently cried for freedom.

It was well past dinner and Edward still wasn't back yet. Pinako had told Winry to go to bed and Al went up to look out the window in the room he shared with Ed, hoping to see him coming. Pinako herself went to bed but Ruby stayed awake. She sat by the door, a warm blanket draped over her shoulders. She couldn't sleep until she knew Ed was back though dream like images kept forcing their way into her mind.

She felt herself get taken away to another place, a familiar room, haunting her relentlessly over again. It was a damp, musty room filled with darkened silence. Cold air wafted through a crack in the dirt covered window. Water began to fill in all around her as the room seemed to be dripping away into nothingness. A cold drop of water splashed Ruby's face causing her to blink. When she opened her eyes again she was back by the door in her old home. She stood up, realizing there really was water around her. Looking around the room she realized it wasn't rain; someone was there.

"Who's in here?" She asked in a quiet tone. A footstep came from the corner closest to her. She looked around to where it came from. The figure of a man stood there with cold eyes burning into her like flames. She looked away and heard more footsteps as he drew nearer. She closed her eyes tight. Falling to the ground she trembled in fear. "Who are you?" She cried. She opened her eyes with a jolt as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You've forgotten me?" He whispered. Ruby turned and looked into the face of Envy. She nearly fainted from the sheer fear of it all. "I had to see how you were doing; I couldn't just leave after that encounter we had in the forest the other day." He stroked his fingers through her hair.

"Why didn't you let me die?" Ruby asked. Envy looked at her, puzzled. "Everything I've been going through because you got that stone for me is just not worth it!" She fell to the ground, tears streaming onto the floor.

"I couldn't let you die," he said. He stood up. "I couldn't bear to watch you suffering like that. I knew this man wouldn't put you through anything you couldn't handle."

"If you can't bear to watch her suffer like that," a new voice came from the door. Ruby looked up, a relieved smile briefly crossing her lips as Edward, dripping and cold, walked in. "How could you kill all of those others, without a second thought, but spare the life of one girl you barely knew?" Envy clenched his fists.

"That's none of your concern," he snapped. He pushed past Ed, running out the door. Ruby stood up, wrapping her blanket around Edward and pulling him close in a warming hug.

"Where were you, I was so worried yo-"

"Why does he care so much?" Ed cut her off. "Ruby, why does Envy care so damn much about you but not about anyone else?" He sighed, letting it go until morning. He was too tired to handle anything else and all he wanted was some rest.