Ta-da~ It's the third chapter! I hope you're all enjoying this story thus far, and you should remember to review at the end of this chapter if you truly do enjoy it ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. I only own my OC and the plot.

Fallen leaves crunched under his feet with each step he took in his walk back to his apartment. With the sky growing darker with each passing moment, and the street lamps just barely flickering on, Edward wondered why he hadn't requested someone to drive him home. Each small noise he heard around him made him jerk his head around in all directions and move his hands into a clapping position. In the end, it would just be the wind making a tree dance, or a stray cat inside an alley way. All he knew, though, was that he couldn't have been more terrified being alone and knowing that some psychotic person was watching him.

Do you know how that even felt? To know that everything you do in your daily life is just something for another person to watch? It was horrible, tormenting Edward every time the thought occurred to him. It made him think about everything he had done in the last two years, and in the end all he would do is feel even more disturbed. This person had seen some revealing activities, as he had learned earlier when he had received that picture of Lilia and him having sex. He nearly wanted to smack himself for his own stupidity. He never even considered the possibility of this person finding some way to hit his window, wait until he opened the curtains, and then take the picture. He neglected the fact that they could have been just outside, waiting for that opportunity, but instead he got wrapped up in that "distraction". It was humiliating, disturbing, the list went on.

The only good thing that had come out of receiving that picture and doll was that they were able to make another discovery. This person knew where Edward lived, which shouldn't be all too surprising if this person had been stalking him for nearly two years. To go along with that, they discovered that the person must have somehow been able to either get into his apartment or be near Lilia to be able to get a scrap of her uniform. They could have framed as a patient for all he knew, just to get that precious piece of cloth for that damn voodoo doll. Thank God that voodoo didn't exist, or else Lilia would be dead on the ground with multiple holes in her abdomen. Edward was surprised that that doll was even still "alive".

Mustang had suggested that Lilia and Edward go under protective custody, or at least have a body guard, but he refused. To let this person know that they were paranoid over this would be like feeding gasoline to a fire. It would fuel that feeling of dominance they must be feeling right now, that feeling of superiority to see the people it wanted to scare fear them. That would be the last thing they needed. All they would need is enough feeling of confidence to just start killing everyone in Edward's life, not just women.

True, that person could probably see him at that very moment, speed walking to his apartment, but who knew exactly what that psychotic bastard was actually thinking? They could just be thinking that Edward was cold for all he knew, and he really hoped that was the case. He didn't need them to suspect anything just yet, now did he?

When his apartment building finally came into view, Edward picked up his pace to a jog. He needed to get home, needed to see if Lilia was alright. If she wasn't, he wouldn't know what he would do. She was a huge part of his life now, and if anything happened to her because of this jerk face following him, he would definitely feel like it was his fault. It would be his fault though. He was the one that somehow attracted this person in the first place, and that attraction soon led to a deadly obsession that Lilia could be the next victim to.

Chanting plea's repeatedly in his mind, Edward jumped up two stairs at a time as he hurried to get to the second floor. Turning and moving down each corner and hall quickly, he finally spotted his door, whipping the keys out of his pocket before he was even within a foot of it. Shoving the key into the lock violently, and turning it until it should've broke, Edward flung the door open only to find every single light in the apartment turned off.

That was odd. Lilia always turned on almost every light once she got home, having been afraid of the dark throughout most of her childhood and young teen years. She refused to say that she still was, but Edward knew otherwise. Especially with this new situation, he would have expected to see every single light turned on.

Cautiously, he entered the apartment, reaching out with his left hand to turn on the main area's light. Relief filled him when the light flashed on to reveal nothing but his usual living room. After checking all the other rooms, as well as all the closets and double checking that everything was in fact locked, he finally allowed himself to release a sigh of relief.

But where was Lilia? Could something have happened to her on her way home from work? She did usually walk home alone, and that would be the perfect chance for this person to make their move. If that had been the case, though, wouldn't the military have already received a call notifying somebody that had been found murdered? What if this person intended to torture her, just because she had been in a relationship with Edward? They did chop off the hand of a child, just because he held it. Maybe they see torturing her as a great punishment for something that only this person would perceive as "wrong".

The little relief Edward had once felt was washed away now, and without a second thought he marched toward the phone. Picking it off its cradle, he dialled the hospital's number, and then attempted to wait patiently as it rang. His insides were curling with anxious fear, and random pleas continued to whirl around his mind over and over, like a broken record. Al, Winry, Lilia, even Mustang and his crew, if anything happened to them he would never be able to forgive himself.

"Hello, Central Main Hospital, how may I help you?" A voice finally answered, shaking Edward out of his thoughts. The person's voice was female and bored sounding, but somehow it still managed to have a playful tinge to it.

"Uh-yes, is Lilia Julian still on shift?" He asked hurriedly. He wouldn't deny it if somebody said he sounded desperate.

There was silence when there was a sudden clack; a sound that oddly resembled that of heals hitting the floor. "Is that you, Edward?" The woman wondered, voice suddenly not sounding so bored anymore. Without the monotone drag to it, he managed to recognize it.

"Yeah, it's me Rachel. Can you please tell me if Lilia is still there?"

Rachel was Lilia's co-worker, and pretty close friend. There was no doubt that Lilia had told Rachel at least some of what had been going on the past two days, since the two of them shared everything together. If she hadn't, well then, he would honestly be surprised.

"Yeah, she's still here. She tried to phone you earlier to tell you that she had been given an extra shift, but you weren't back yet," Rachel replied, and Edward let out a loud sigh of relief. "What's with you? You sound on-edge."

"You don't know the half of it. Is she nearby right now? I need to talk to her," Edward wondered. It wasn't so much that he needed to talk to her as much as he wanted to talk to her.

"Oh yeah, sure. Hang on one second." There was a clack as the phone was placed face down on some type of hard surface, and then the faint sound of her heals tapping away.

Edward rubbed his forehead, mentally thanking whatever entity out there that allowed Lilia this second shift. Maybe she offered herself in the first place, trying to get away from the fear that lay in wait at home. Who knew exactly? All Edward was thankful about was that she was safe and that she didn't have to deal with it again tonight.

The sound of the phone being lifted dragged Edward's attention back, and he nearly yelled out in joy when he heard Lilia's voice answer the phone, "Hello?"

"Lilia, it's me."

"Edward? Oh thank God you're okay. I tried phoning, and when you didn't answer I got nervous..."

"Why didn't you call the office?"

"I wasn't going to resort to that unless it was extremely late and you still weren't home. I know how much Riza enjoys outside calls coming in."

"I'm sure she would understand, especially right now. Listen Lilia, we found out some disturbing things today."

"What kind of things? Come on, be more specific here."

"Well, we found out that someone has been following me for at least two years. Not only that, but whatever women that acts too friendly towards me, or snaps at me, gets murdered or goes missing."

"My God..."

"That's not the creepiest part. We got a package today without a name or return address and the things inside just made our suspicions true."

There was a moment's hesitation. "What was inside the package?"

"A doll designed to look like you, with multiple needles sticking out of its chest."

"Like...a voodoo doll?"

Edward could hear how hard she was trying to sound strong. No matter how hard she tried, the wavering in her voice still made itself evident, and he could hear her gulp every once in a while. He hated telling her this, and he was honestly wondering what had overtaken him to tell her in the first place. He knew he trusted her, but did she really deserve to know this, especially right now?

Yes, she needed to know. She needed to know about what danger may be coming her way. She needed to know about how dangerous this person might be.

"Yeah. Not only that, but there was a picture too. It was of us, Lilia, last night. In the midst of our...activities, this person took a picture. On the back it said "why isn't that me, Edward?""

By now, Lilia was breathing heavily, each exhale shuddering, just like how her body was probably doing the same thing. She swallowed heavily, and Edward was curious as to how hard she was really trying to act brave.

"Do...Do you have any idea who this might be?" Lilia finally spoke up.

"None. We were planning on trying to figure that out tomorrow," Edward replied.

"What about tonight? Will you be okay? Do you want me to ask Rachel to cover so you don't have to be alone?"

"No!" Edward never meant for it to come out as loud as it did, but it had. Silence overtook both sides of the call before Edward sighed, "No. I don't want you here when I know that this is really serious. You deserve to be with those people, around people that you trust."

"I trust you, Edward."

"I know. I just...I need to know you're safe, even if it's just for tonight. So stay there. I'll call Havoc to pick you up when your shift is over, alright?"

"...Fine. But call me if you start to really freak out, okay? I don't want you paranoid and alone. That would just do horrible things to your mind."

"Okay. Remember, if you don't see Havoc outside at..."

"Six am."

"At six am, then don't leave. Call me, and I'll find another way to get you home, okay?"

"Okay. I hope you'll be okay tonight, Ed."

"I'll be fine. I'll talk to you later."

"Oh, and Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you..."

"I love you, too."

Hanging up that phone was the hardest thing to do. He wanted to tell her so badly how he wanted her here, to comfort him, to talk with him, but he didn't. It was selfish of him to pull her into harm's way for his own needs and wants. This way, he knew she was safe and thankful for it too.

Edward made a few calls after that, more namely the one to Havoc. The Lieutenant agreed quite quickly, telling Edward that he wouldn't let anything happen to Lilia on her way to the apartment. He would even walk her to the door, swearing that he would keep her safe no matter what. Edward couldn't have thanked him more, maybe even startled the Lieutenant at how much those words left his lips.

After that, he made a phone call to Resembool. He needed to talk to his brother; he needed his helpful advice, badly. Edward explained the whole situation to Alphonse, and the first thing the younger brother did was offer to come up to Central. Edward, obviously, refused, not wanting to drag Al into it too. So, instead, the two just talked. It wasn't anything particular, just about anything they could think of, and they probably spent nearly two hours on the phone before Alphonse said he had to go. That call would be the second hardest to hang up on that night.

Once all the phone calls were completed, Edward made his way down to his bedroom sluggishly. Everything about the day had just left him completely drained, though actually sleeping was another question. None the less, he tugged off the shirt he wore under the military jacket he had shed long ago, and kicked off the blue slacks nearly all officers had to wear. With his clothes shed, Edward didn't hesitate to fall onto his side of the bed, face pressed into the pillow. He remained like that for a while before he had to shift so that he wouldn't die of suffocation. Now comfortable and extremely tired, Edward couldn't fight off the feeling of unconscious bliss and allowed himself to fall into oblivion.

Edward jerked awake from his light sleep when he heard the phone down the hall beginning to ring. The young man groaned, sitting up and whilst rubbing one tired eye he began to exit his bedroom. In his sleepy state, he didn't put much thought into who was calling him. His first suspicion had been Lilia, thinking that she was calling to say that she just couldn't concentrate on work and was planning on coming home. Or maybe it was Mustang, calling to say that they had found something else out about this mysterious stalker. It could even be Alphonse again, planning to talk longer.

Nothing could have prepared him for the phone call he received.

"Hello?" Edward answered, biting back a yawn. Turning, he peered at the ticking clock hanging on the wall, able to see it from forgetting to turn off the apartment's lights earlier. The clock read 12:42 am.

The other end of the phone line remained silent, but Edward could still hear someone breathing on the other end of the line. His mind suddenly became alert, listening to the soft breathing on the other end. It could be just some dumb kids trying to play a joke. Even if that may be the case, Edward knew better than to assume. If he had a stalker, wouldn't they want to phone in to just hear him speak to them? That seemed quite possible, especially after discovering that this person was more than a bit obsessed with him.

"Who is this?" Edward demanded, eyes narrowing.

More silence. Edward gritted his teeth, about to nearly shout the demand into the phone when the voice suddenly spoke up. It was quiet, speaking in a near whisper like the person didn't want to be heard. It wasn't rough, but quite smooth, and Edward now knew the gender of this mysterious person. It almost sounded like they had a bit of an accent, but Edward wasn't sure if it was a trick of the ear or actually there.

"Why?" They asked.

"That's what I should be asking," Edward retorted icily, "Why are you following me?"

They ignored his question. "That woman is becoming a nuisance. She's coming between us Edward."

"What "us"? I don't even know who you are!"

"Don't lie. How could you ever forget?"

"Sorry to break it to you, but I have, or maybe this thing is all just something you mad e up in your mind. You're sick, and you need help."

"That woman is sick for believing that you actually love her back. Who would love someone that leaves their partner all alone at night?"

Edward fell silent then, furrowing his brow. This person somehow knew that Lilia wasn't home. How, Edward didn't know. They could have just somehow seen that it was only Edward to return to the apartment that night. Maybe they had somehow listened in on to what Edward and Lilia were saying throughout their conversation, since tapping phone lines isn't an impossible task if you know how.

"See, your silence proves I'm right."

"It proves nothing. Why don't you just leave us alone?"

""Us"? Oh no, this is all about you, Edward. That woman is merely a block in my path. It won't be long before I overcome this nuisance."

"Like Hell you will!"

"She doesn't love you like I love you."

"You're wrong."

Ignoring him, the person chuckled, a sound that made a shiver run down Edward's spine. He could just see the maniacal, sadistic grin that they must have spread across their face.

"I'll be seeing you, Edward."

And then they were gone, leaving only the dial tone to ring in Edward's ears. Edward growled, trying to overcome the hole in his gut with anger, and slammed down the phone. That person's last words weren't just a good-bye, it was a promise. They were getting braver; they were getting ready for something. Edward just had to figure out what, and stop it before it happened. If he didn't, some serious consequences could happen.

Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Edward began heading back toward the bedroom. He decided to leave the lights in the apartment on just in case. Who knew what could happen, especially if Edward fell back asleep. He had no idea where this person was, and if they were nearby, it might be a good idea to leave the lights on. It would make it seem that Edward was still awake, and then maybe they won't want to make an outward appearance yet.

Edward shut the door behind him with his foot, planning on actually staying up longer in case something did happen. He could read or something to pass the time, and just as he was going to get comfortable and do just that something occurred to him.

It may have been sleep deprivement, or something, but he couldn't help but seriously consider it. He stood there, staring at his bed, before falling to his knees beside it and lifting his hands. He felt practically like an idiot doing this, doing something he never believed. Somehow, he couldn't seem to make himself care as much as he should have.

Edward Elric, for the first and the last time in his life, prayed.

Ending with, "And if you don't listen to me you bastard, I'll be pissed. Amen."

He didn't know what time it was, he just knew that it was late, or more like extremely early. His whole body was numb with exhaustion, and his body was just not listening to what his brain had to say. His eyelids felt like cinderblocks, refusing to open and leaving him within darkness. Had he really fallen asleep? He felt the book he had been reading laying flat open on his chest, and sleep was still around the edges of his subconscious, so yes, he had fallen asleep again.

Edward moaned, even his own arm didn't want to lift to rub the sleep from his eyes. Nothing wanted to move, leaving him there, motionless, and laying on his back. Edward was almost afraid from being this paralyzed, but figured that he was just extremely tired. He had been using quite the energy in all aspects of his living form, and the night before he didn't get as much sleep as he probably should have. That, in the end, led to other consequences as well.

Movement off to the side suddenly caught his attention. Attempting to look off to the side was a failure, resulting in him only rolling his head to the side. Cursing in his mind, Edward could only lay and listen to the shuffles echoing in his ears. Everything was far more precise now that his eyes didn't wish to open, leaving his hearing more acute. Each sound seemed familiar, like the sound of something shedding some sort of clothing. There were also the soft padding of footsteps, walking back and forth all around the room. Clinks and soft thumps were heard, then the opening and closing of a door from the general area where the closet was. It almost sounded like somebody was going through his things. Could it have been Lilia? Was she home? What time was it?

Edward's lips parted, fighting hard to find his voice, but only the sound of his breathing left those lips. He continued listening to the frustrating sounds around him, trying harder each time for his voice to come out. Each time resulted in failure, and with each failure, another sound met his ears. It made him desperate, nearly fearful; to know that somebody was there but his own damn body wouldn't let him figure out whom. This wasn't any normal sleep-like paralysis, something was going on.

The footsteps were getting closer. They weren't just walking around his bed to get to other things anymore, now they were walking directly to his side of the bed. He tried, and tried, and tried, but still no words left his lips and no movement could be made. What was wrong with him! Why wouldn't his damn arms move, why wouldn't sound leave his throat? Was it so hard on him? It shouldn't be! He begged in his mind, pleading his own limbs for them to move, even just an inch. At least then he would know that he was making progress.

He felt the skin of his eyelids brush against something as they twitched in another attempt to open. It was then that he forgot about the steadily growing louder footsteps, and instead concentrated on the things he was feeling. There, it happened again, his eyes brushed against something. It felt like fabric, soft but in a coarse sort of way. It wasn't just over his eyes, either. It was draped across his eyes, falling over his temple, pulled behind his ears and tied in a knot just to the side of the back of his head. Not only that, but he realized something else.

His eyes were open.

Before he could fret over his new discovery, he suddenly felt the book that lay on his chest being removed. He didn't care what happened to it; all he wished was that it was still on his chest so that the hand that was now placed in the same spot wouldn't be there. The five fingers were spread across his skin just under his collar bone, sending chills and fear throughout him. He couldn't do a thing as the hand moved slowly down his bare upper body, feeling. He wanted to scream, to kick and thrash at this person. All that happened was a barely audible whisper finally leaving his already parted lips.

"Li-...lia...?"

Pause.

The person stopped their movement, lifting their hand off of his chest. In the next moment it had come in contact with his cheek, making a loud slapping sound to echo around the room. He couldn't yelp out at the pain it had caused, only allow his head to jerk to the side violently and then just lay there. It was as if he was a rag doll, a toy in this person's hands to please them. It was disgusting.

Someone - who Edward was aware wasn't Lilia – kissed the now bruising cheek, appearing to apologize for the damage they caused. Their hands found his chest again, massaging it in an attempt to make him feel better. Legs straddled his hips, and lips on his neck, but he only wanted to gag. The actions this person was performing for his pleasure was doing the opposite, making him disgusted and repulsed at the very thought of what they would try to do. Each touch felt like someone was burning him. He wanted to skitter away as fast as possible away from the torture it was causing, and hope that whatever wounds were there would heal.

He wanted to move so he could fight back. To throw this person off and transmute his arm into a blade so he would be prepared for anything. To do anything that would get this person, this sick, demented stalker away from him. He wanted to talk so that he could call for some sort of help. Hope that the neighbours would hear his cries and call the military. He wanted to shout, to plea, to cry for this person to get away. Most of all, he wanted to see. He wanted to identify this person, and take them down. Make it so they would never torture him like this again. Stop them from anything else they might have planned.

He just wanted this all to stop.

Lower and lower the hands went, and with each inch his throat tightened and his heart thumped faster. It wasn't from pleasure, oh no. It was from the dread, the horrorific realization that this person on top of him would go that far. Rape wasn't an unknown word in Edward's brain, but it was one he never thought that he would apply to himself or a situation he was in. To hear about it is different than actually experiencing it. The horror, the anxious dread filling and seeping through his entire being was suffocating. What made it even worse was to know that he really was vulnerable, unable to do anything about it. He couldn't fight back, he couldn't even scream, and that information just made his mind even more fogged with horrible pleas and begging.

Please, just make it stop! Please! End this please!