I'm back everyone! Did you think I'd abandon this story? Don't worry, I didn't.

Anyway, I left off on something of a cliffhanger (kind of), and tortured you for God knows how long...this time around, I'll focus more on Josh and Rae, along with the Elric brothers, briefly switch to how go things with Central's favorite bitch (and Vengeance), then kind of go off to some other stuff. It'll start in Raven's POV, then Raven's POV, then Venge's POV. Now...On with da plot!

We were still getting over the shock of it all when Ed handed me a piece of paper. "What's this?" I asked.

"This is a check, and this is my watch for identification. You'll need a place to stay, right?"

"Wha...Edward, are you...?"

"I'm giving you enough money to rent an apartment, at least until you can get a better place, or if you can get back home,"

"You don't have to do this..."

"Don't mention it. You don't have to pay me back or anything," he said. I could feel the back of my eyes getting hot with tears.

"And here's the kitten," Alphonse handed Joshua the cat he had found earlier that night. "I hid him in my armor when the homunculus showed up. You can keep him,"

"Th...th...tha...THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Josh let out a stream of tears as he took the sleeping kitten in his arms. His face lit up, and he wasn't so depressed now. I was glad to see him cheered up, but I wasn't sure where to look for an apartment. Fortunately, Ed picked one out for us, (it was really a motel, since we had no furniture), and told us he felt bad for what happened. I told him it was fine, and that we'd pay him back for everything he and Al had done for us. Ed insisted one last time that I didn't need to repay him, and told me to "forget it already and just frickin' accept it." Thus was the start of what I hoped would be a better life.

So much was happening to us so fast. We had come through the Gate, we had lost our friend, and I almost lost my other friend. We didn't know what to do, where to go, or how to get by in a place like this. And after all this time, it turned out (as fate would have it) that some stranger, some being with frightening powers, was the end result of Josh's desperate attempt at saving Ju. This girl, the girl with the dragon tattoo, who could blast her body apart and use it as shrapnel, who left her mark on Josh's raw, red arms, was our friend. I don't know how Josh managed to go from crying in my arms one day, to just as perky and informal as he always was.

"Raven?"

"Huh? Oh, uh...Josh, what is it?"

I'd been daydreaming again. My mind went elsewhere lately, caught up in what happened last night. How was it real, everything that went on? It felt like a really bad dream, and it just didn't sound like anything real; we were attacked by a girl who said she was Julia and tried to attack myself and Josh...

"Nothing, you've been staring off into space. It's just weird, ya know?"

"Oh...I'm sorry. I've just been thinking about the other night. It...was a lot to take in,"

"Eh, I've had worse," he shrugged.

"When?"

"Uh..." he scratched the back of his head. "...well, I mean like...it could always be worse, right? No biggie,"

"Josh, you don't have to lie. You can tell me if something's bothering you,"

"Rae, I'm fine. Really," he said. "You want breakfast?"

I sighed. "Sure, why not,"

"Cool. Now how do you make waffles?"

I couldn't help but giggle in spite of myself. That's right, after all this time, I'd gotten a job as a waitress at a diner, we were experts in alchemy, and still, neither of us could cook! How we managed thus far, I have yet to know. "Just have some cereal. I'd rather you not burn down the apartment,"

"One of us really needs to learn to cook, Rae," Josh said. "I'm getting sick of cold food,"

"Yeah, well that can wait. For now, we have to think about getting back home. Maybe then we can focus on our culinary skills," I said.

"'Culluh-what?"

"Cooking,"

"Oh," he breathed. "Yeah, but it'd really be nice if we knew how," he opened up the cabinet where we kept the bowls and barely missed dropping three of them on the floor. I rushed over to help him out before he actually broke something.

"Try not to think about food for now, okay?" I said, grabbing one of the bowls. "Perhaps it'll save us some dishes in the process,"

"Heh, sorry," he said, blushing.

The two of us sat down at the table and poured ourselves cereal. So much has happened to us over the past few months, I thought. Not too long ago, we were back home, in Ju's backyard, ready to test an alchemic experiment. Then, after loosing Ju, I had to rescue Josh from suffering blood loss when his leg was taken. Then we spent a month in the hospital; then, last night. Now, here we were, getting over an attack. It hardly seemed real to me - it sounded more like something out of fiction. But then, isn't true life stranger than fiction?

"Hey Rae," Josh said from across the table. "What do you think we do now? I mean, now that we're here. It's just...actually, how come you woke up early this morning?"

"I'm applying for a job as a waitress at the diner just down the street," I explained.

"Do they take kids your age?"

"I'm hoping. If worst comes to worst, I might have to pass for an older teen,"

"Yeah, I'll bet you could do that if you needed to,"

I looked up from my bowl a bit perplexed.

"You know, cuz, you look so...stunning - no, wait! That's not what I meant! I mean you look really, er...grown up and stuff. Well, not like, too grown up...no, I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, I know what you mean," I chuckled. "How are your wrists?"

"Oh, fine," he said, observing the two gauze-wrapped forearms. "They're just fine. Kind of itchy, but they don't hurt as bad as last night,"

"That's good to hear," I nodded. Then I finally had to say something about what happened. "Josh. About last night, are you still thinking about it too?"

"Of course I'm thinking about it!" he perked up. "Rae, you were totally badass the other night! I mean seriously! You so nailed that chick when she broke your glasses and I was like DAYUM! I never knew you had it in you,"

I was speechless.

"No, really, not kidding here," he continued. "You totally shanked her with a paper knife...made of paper! I mean...yeah. Boy you sure showed that girl"

For a minute, I just stared at him, dumbfounded. Finally, I just came to doing the first thing that seemed natural - I had to laugh.

"You were pretty impressive yourself, actually,"

"Yeah," he boomed. "We could kick major ass together! We'd be a team! We're...uh...what should we call ourselves, Rae?"

I shrugged. "I dunno,"

"Well, you're like the paper, and I'm like rock. We used to have scissors when Ju was around..."

"What?"

"Okay, she was more like knives, but still, it counts, right?"

"She worked with transmuting metal," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but, she really liked knives. She said she had a fetish for them," Josh recalled. After a pause, he looked at me and asked. "Raven, what's a fetish?"

"I'm not quite sure myself," I said. "I don't really think Ju understood the meaning of it very well either, but I would believe it's when someone has a personal fixation with a particular...for lack of a better word, 'thing,'"

"Oh, okay,"

"Well, I have to go apply for that job. Wish me luck," I got up from the table and put my bowl in the sink.

"I will, and I'll look for a job too," Josh waved back at me.

"Josh, are you really going like that?" I asked, looking at his wrinkled red T-shirt and baggy, mud-scuffed jeans. Not to mention his shoelaces were untied.

"Rae, who are you my mom?"

"Joshua, they won't hire you if you're dressed like that," I pressed. "You should really put something else on,"

He pouted. "Fine,"

"I'm only telling you the truth," I said. "You have to look professional to an employer, or else they won't hire you for work,"

"You still act like a mom!"

I woke up feeling like I'd just got over a really bad hangover. I forgot where I was last night, what I had done, and felt tight cords cutting into my skin. Damn, I thought. This is gonna suck! And when I finally got a full recall of last night's events, the first being my long-awaited encounter with the daft asshole who created me, the last being dragged to HQ and someone hitting me lightly on a pressure point on the back of my neck.

I thought about burning the cords off, but I got a better look at the ones around my ankles - they were steel cables. "Of course," I sighed. Bastards think everything out. I looked around me, checking out the exquisite office I was trapped in. They said something about taking me into the Fuhrer's custody, so I assumed that was where I was. Great, now they basically gave me detention. How grand. What was he gonna do, lecture me? Just then, I heard footsteps from outside the door behind me. Someone opened, walked in, and shut the door to the room.

"So, this is the homunculus Vengeance, the one who caused the train explosion?"

"For the love of God, will you people get over it! It was one time and that was an accident!" I shrieked. I heard the man chuckling behind me.

"You've caused quite a bit of trouble in Central City. You attacked a State Alchemist, and not to mention two civilians,"

"So what, you're here to lecture me or something?" I said, still not seeing him face to face.

"You really ought to learn not to be so disrespectful," I could hear him unsheathing a sword from behind me. No, don't panic, he can't hurt you. You can heal, remember? Yeah, but it still hurts like hell getting sliced!

"You think I'm scared of you?" I said out loud, my eyes squeezed shut. "You're damn right I am!" I facepalmed at my own words. Well, if I could, I would've. He found it pretty funny, actually.

"You should be afraid," I heard his sword swish against my cords. I thought it was stupid until I felt them fall off. What?

I turned to see. He was a tall man with an eyepatch and a mustache. He looked like he was in his sixties, and he was giving me a strangely pleasant smile. I was completely confused now. "Um, now what?"

"Pride, will you quit screwing with her already!" came a familiar voice. "Just tell her you're a homunculus too!"

"Do you have to be so rude about it Envy?"

"Bastard-sama!" I said, rolling my eyes. "Long time no see. I wish it was longer,"

"Yeah, well I'm not exactly thrilled to see you either," he replied, smirking.

"So...wait a sec. Pride is...the Fuhrer?"

"You are a genius. How did you know?"

"Are they always like this?" Pride asked Lust as she came into view. She shrugged. "This is them on a good day,"

"So, tell me Bastard-sama," I said, standing up. "Did you miss me?"

"What? No, of course I didn't miss you! We actually got more done, at least right up until this brat showed up," He motioned to the far end of the room (the shadows were strangely dark; I wondered if it was just for drama or something) where a little boy came running over to me. "Sis!"

"Wrath?" I was so happy to see him...and then he lost focus and instead ran up and glomped the lady next to the Fuhrer, wearing a lavender suit and skirt.

"Mommy!"

I was confused again. Envy cracked up behind me. "And this is Sloth. She's been posing as the Fuhrer's secretary," I watched Wrath hug his mother tightly, as she hugged him back. It was...so sweet!

"Sucks being rejected, doesn't it?"

"Huh?" I looked at Envy, who was smirking wickedly back.

"No, actually I think it's really cute,"

"Pansy,"

"I'm not a jealous bitch like you," I whispered.

"No? And then why do you make such a big deal about me and Lust, Short-stack?" he whispered back.

"What the hell did you just say to me?" I tried to land a blow to his face, but he quickly dodged it and grabbed my arm, flipping me over on the floor.

"Will the two of you knock it off already!" Sloth ordered, sending two long, watery arms at us and pulling us apart.

"Just let me kill him. I won't make a mess, not much," I said.

"She's completely ridiculous!" Envy shot back, rolling his eyes. "It's not my fault she's so insecure about being flat-chested,"

"Envy, I will murder you when I get the chance!"

"Are they really this bad?" Sloth asked Lust. She shrugged. "I've seen worse,"

"By the way, did anyone remember what I said earlier? I told you I was leaving, as in, ditching the group?" I said, looking at Envy and Lust.

Just then, Gluttony popped out from the far side of the room. "If she's not with us, can I eat her?"

"You bastard!" I shrieked. Envy fell on the floor laughing (and so did Wrath, really) as Gluttony's eyes lit up at the thought. Damn cannibal.

"Yeah, I'd just give you heartburn and I'm not all that filling anyway, so is it really worth it?" Note to self: this is a very bad way to reason with Gluttony.

"Well does that mean you're staying?" Lust asked.

"You're seriously not gonna let Gluttony eat me,"

"If you're not with us, then what do we have to lose?"

"Fine," I said, pouting. After muttering a few nasty things under my breath (that had something to do with burning in hell and stuff), I sighed and said, "You got me, I'll stay. This sick, screwed-up dysfunctional family is mine, and I'll stay,"

"Yay!" Wrath ran up and tried to hug me, and for once, I decided I'd forgive him for laughing at Gluttony wanting to eat me. "You're stickin' around!"

"Yup," I said, looking from Pride to Lust to Sloth to Envy. "I'm an idiot,"

And that folks, is your twelfth chappy! LOL, Gluttony wanted to eat Venge! XD Yeah, I tried really hard to work out just what would happen with this scene, so I had to fix a lot of crap before I finished...not to mention I'm still working on the next Fullmetal Eds chapter, and just got Alchemy of the Soul's 3rd chapter out. Yikes! Then there's the scene with Rae and Josh...I had a lot of fun doing that one. Those two are so cute together! Well then, coming up: Envy, Lust, Gluttony and Venge go on a killing spree!