"She's a friend of mine, and she needs help."

Ed's eyes were blazing fire and I quickly wobbled my way in front of Rage and Greed, blocking Ed's view of both of them. I didn't know what he would do, but something was just screaming at me to keep Ed away from Greed. It would only make things worse if he hurt Greed and I didn't need that right now and I also didn't know how Rage would react to Ed going towards him. I could already tell that she didn't like Jean and I doubt she'd like Ed, because of the entrance he just made.

"Lacey! Are you a freaking idiot! They're both Homunculi and you're housing them in your house and by the looks of it, trying to nurse this one back to health! You're helping the enemy!" Ed screamed and I couldn't help but flinch at his words. He was probably right, but I just couldn't see Rage as an enemy. She has never once done anything to me. I don't think she could if she tried. Ed just had to get to know her! He needed to stop judging books by their cover!

"No! Rage isn't like them! She's…different!" I glanced over at my shoulder and Rage was staring at me strangely. I smiled at her, hoping it was more reassuring then showing the worry that was bubbling up inside. Everything had just changed rapidly. I thought this was going to be easy and I wouldn't get caught, but then Ed came out of no where.

"She's not different Lacey! They're all the same and they all just want destruction! How can you help them…especially…especially since what happened to Misha!" Ed pointed an accusing finger at me and I took a step back, shocked. Did he really think that? Was it true? Was I doing the wrong thing by helping Rage, just because the one she was with a few days ago attacked my house. I looked over my shoulder again at Rage. She was holding tightly to Greed's hand, her eyes wild, and crazed. She was scared and she didn't understand what was going on. How could Ed think she was bad or evil. She was just like a little kid afraid of loosing someone close to her. If she ever hurt anyone in the past, I'm sure it wasn't on purpose. She couldn't hurt anyone…could she? "You don't know her Ed." I said lowly and then I turned my eyes back towards him and glared. "Don't say things about someone you don't know! It's not nice and rude! You always get mad when someone calls you short or thinks Al is the older one to you!"

"That's different Lacey and you know it."

"Is it? People judge you before they know you and you're doing the exact same thing to her. You probably don't know that I probably would of died in my house that day if it wasn't for Rage and Greed. They're the ones that took me to the hospital. I would of probably bled to death if it wasn't for them. I owe this to them, and I'm hope, no, I'm begging you, for you not to say anything and let me repay them."

Ed's fist tightened at his sides and he glared over at me and then his eyes flickered behind me to Rage. Al shuffled forward a bit and his loud metal body clanged together loudly. He stopped just on the side of Ed and Ed didn't even acknowledge his presence.

"Come on brother. Lacey has never asked anyone for anything and she's always willingly to help other people. We can help her just this once. Please?" Al's voice was pleading and I was pretty sure if you could see his eyes, they'd probably be wide. I wonder if they were like Ed's, a warm honey.

"Shut up Al! You don't know what you're talking about!" Ed snapped and Al, stunned, took a step back. I guess it was rare that Ed yelled at his younger brother. I know it wasn't something that I was particularly used to seeing, not that I'd known the boys long. It just seemed odd and out of place. Why was Ed getting so worked up over something so small? No one was going to find out and Greed had never done anything to anyone and Rage. I don't think she's been around long enough to do anything to anyone, other than burn Jean.

"Why….mean man…….so…….angry?" I heard Rage's voice behind me, but I didn't look away from Ed. He tensed over, his blond hair falling in front of his eyes, making him look scary. My heart started to pump faster, my breathing increased to short gasping breaths, something bad was going to happen. Something really bad. I looked over at Ed and he didn't move. I pleaded to him with my eyes and was about to open my mouth when Greed started to cough violently behind me and then he threw up more of whatever the red stuff was, causing Rage to scream, scream that animalistic scream. Jean stepped over and put an arm on her shoulder timidly, hoping to calm her down, but that only caused her to scream louder. Greed heaved more of the stuff up and Rage looked over at me, wild and crazed.

"RED!" She screamed and it was almost hard to make out that she said a name. "HELP…..HIM…..YOU……YOU……SAID……..YOU'D HELP……..HIM!" I looked back at Ed who was still standing in the door way, his fists balled at his side, he glared at me as I took a step back, careful not to step on the red goo on the floor. I stood by the bed next to Greed and laid a hand softly on his cheek. He looked over at me, looking close to death. His dark eyes bored into mine and he stared at me and it looked like he was trying to be angry, trying to glare me down, but he didn't have enough energy too.

"Lacey…" Jean's voice was worried and I felt him step up behind me. I ignored him, knowing why he was worried, but I needed to know and I had a feeling the only one who would tell me what Greed needed was Greed himself. Rage didn't know what was wrong with him, she didn't know what was going on and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She was afraid of loosing this man. He was important to her.

"Fix…..him…….please." Rage mumbled and I looked over at her. She was holding Greed's hand to her cheek. I nodded my head and looked back at the Homunculus on my bed.

"What is it that you need?" I whispered and I saw his jaw tighten, trying to hold back another cough.

"Stones." His voice was horse and it was barely over a whisper. I could barely hear him, but when I was sure of what he said, I pulled a way and looked over at Rage. She was trembling and my heart went out to her.

"What are the stones? What is he talking about Rage? Do you know what the stones are?" She stared at me confused and then looked over at Greed, her face never changing from a mask of confusion. I sighed and looked over at Jean, hoping maybe he had something, but he only shrugged. I noticed the cigarette that was hanging from his lips, but didn't bother to say anything. I couldn't find it in myself to care right now.

"Red stones. That's what he's talking about. Homunculi need them to live and by the looks of it, he stopped eating them."

Surprised by his voice, I turned to Ed in shock. "What?"

"The stones he's talking about are something all Homunculi need to eat to stay alive. It's a live source to them, I guess you could say. When the don't eat them, they end up looking like he does now. Bottom line. He needs those stones if you want him to be back to normal." Ed sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame in the room. I was guessing he wasn't going to be taking a step into the room any father then that.

"Where do we get them?" I stepped away from the side of the bed and closer towards the doorway where Ed stood. Ed stared at me for a moment and his golden brown eyes hardened dangerously and I heard Al's metal body shuffle forward.

"Brother, you're not thinking of…" Al's voice trailed off and I looked from him back to Ed. Ed's fists were now in tight fists and his anger was rolling off of him in violent waves, but it was no longer towards the two Homunculus behind me, but to someone else.

"You'll have to call Shou Tucker. He'll be able to get you the stones." Shou Tucker. The name echoed in my brain and I tried to figure out where I had heard that name before. I know I had, but I couldn't place where.

"Brother, you aren't serious are you?" My eyes trailed over to Al and he was standing rigid, a few feet away from the doorway. His metal shoulders were tight and locked into place, his face, even though the expressions rarely changed, you could tell that he was uncomfortable. Who was this and that they were speaking of and why did it happen to piss off Ed and get Al worried beyond relief.

"Who are you talking about? Who is Shou Tucker and how do I find him?" I moved closer to the door, right in front of Ed, hoping he would look up and tell me everything. But he never moved. I looked over at Al, hoping maybe he would tell me something, but even he was looking down at the ground and it looked as if he was trying his best not to cry. I looked back over at Ed and rested a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jerk away quickly. He looked up at me, his eyes sharp.

"I've helped you enough. I…I got to go." He snapped and turned quickly on his heel and walked down the hall. I stared after him and looked over at Al shocked and he shrugged his shoulders, without looking up and then took after Ed down the hallway. I went to go after them to find out more about this Shou Tucker guy, when someone grabbed my arm, jerking me to a stop quickly.

"Let 'em go Lace. I know who they're talking about, I can take you to him." I sighed and turned around to look at Jean in the eyes. He looked bored as usual, but his face was drawn and tired and his hair seemed to be in a more crazy disarray then I was used to seeing him have. I shouldn't have brought him into this, but I didn't want to do it alone, so of course I had to be selfish and pull him under with me. It wasn't just my job and life on the line, but Jean's as well.

"No. You need to go to work." I shook me head quickly and glanced back at Greed as he heaved up something more. "Just tell me where to find this guy and I'll go."

Jean's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. "You're not going to see this guy alone, Lacey. He's…he's…not normal."

"I can handle myself Jean. I'm a State Alchemist and I'm serious. You can't miss work. The last thing we need is someone coming to my house and finding them. I have a reason to be off of work." I shuffled my leg in the cast for emphasis. He crossed his arms and shook his head again, causing ashes to drop off his cigarette and onto the floor.

"I don't care if you're the most powerful Alchemist there is. You are not going to that man's house alone."

"Fine." I growled and then I caught Rage standing behind Jean, her wide purple eyes turned my way, looking scared and alone. "Rage will go with me." That must of caught Jean by surprise, because he stumbled back for a minute and his I'm-in-charge demeanor slipped from his face and I couldn't help but smile triumphantly. "It's settled then! Go call this Shou Tucker and let him know that I'm on my way to visit. Wouldn't want to show up unannounced."

"Lacey, I don't think that's a good-"

"Don't even try Jean. Nothing you can say is going to change my mind. Red head stubbornness and you know I don't have to worry about anything if Rage is there with me. I don't mean to hurt your macho manliness, but she's stronger than you." I smiled softly and pushed Jean towards the door and he walked out, sluggishly. He went to protest again, but I closed the door on him before he had the change. I heard him curse softly to himself and then his footfalls on the floor, letting me know he walked away.

"Red….?" I turned around at the sound of Rage's voice. She was still holding Greed's hand to her chest and now it was limp and lifeless. Her eyes seemed to be getting shiny and that caused me to wonder if Homunculus could cry. I walked over quickly and stood next to her. Greed's eyes were closed and his face was drawn in pain. "He…..not……okay……Greed…..said….we can't….sleep………he……won't open………….his…………eyes."

"It's okay Rage. We're going to someone who knows about these stones. He'll help us. But I need you to come with me. Will you?" Rage looked away from me and back to the motionless man on my bed. I could tell she didn't want to leave him. When she turned to look back at me, she tightened her grip on his hand. "I know you don't want to leave him, but I need you to come."

She looked at Greed once more, giving his hand one last squeeze, before slowly dropping it back to the bed. She turned to me and the corner of her mouth twitched once more, not a full smile, but I could tell she was trying. "All….right……I'll….go with…..you."

I smiled and nodded my head and turned to leave the room, but stopped when I heard Rage call my name again. I glanced over my shoulder and Rage was smiling, her small crooked little smile.

"Thank…. you."

I nodded again and continued on my way out and even though I knew that all I was doing was wrong in about a million different ways, but I still couldn't feel guilty for doing it or want to stop. So I was going to do this. I was going to do everything in my power to help Rage, because deep down, I knew it was the right thing to do. I didn't know why, but it just was. I also knew that if I didn't do it, if I didn't help her, it'd be the biggest thing I would ever regret in my life.

So I was going to make sure I did everything I could to help her and help Greed.

Even if it killed me.