Then no one would know
The sound of a ghost
And I might be perfect with you
But no one would know
The Balcony Scene, Pierce the Veil

Chapter Seven: Trial

My heavy breathing, my widened eyes and the fact that I was desensitized proved that it was only a dream. As I caught my breath, my eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness, squinting as they vainly attempted to read the clock. From the position of the clock hands, assumption was that it was around ten minutes to six. I groaned, knowing that my alarm would ring at 6 A.M. sharp.

I was contemplating my current options; I could get up now and be ready to leave whenever or I could get extra sleep and dash out of the dormitory. I mentally weighted out the pros and cons of either option and before I knew it, my alarm clock had rang loud enough and killed both options. I threw a spare pillow at my noisy clock, hoping it would fall over and shut up. I wasn't even tired anymore, I was just a big fan of sleep.

Considering I was only in my dorm room at South Headquarters, I didn't have the luxuries I had back home. With that being said, I tossed my auburn locks into a sloppy bun at the crown of my scalp with a few stray hairs framing around my slightly tanned face that was colored with my usual make up. After I was dressed in my uniform, I still had plenty of time before I had to meet up with everyone at the train station. Maybe I could have a long, pleasant walk to collect my thoughts.

Oh hell no, the last thing I wanted was for my mind to wander to last night's dream. Instead, I found myself wandering into a café that had I passed by while walking. It was bustling with many people, all of them unfamiliar faces with varied ages. Their menu housed various delicacies, majority of them foreign to me. I picked what had appealed the most to me; A double mocha chip frappe, yum.

The cashier took my order graciously while eyeing my uniform carefully. "Military? We don't get many of you guys in here." He was a young one, probably my age or maybe even younger, and undeniably attractive. "Even more rare to see such a beautiful woman in the military, it must be my lucky day." I chuckled, grabbing my icy drink off of the counter, the compliments more than flattering.

"It is your lucky day, you got to meet me." I retaliated jokingly, sipping on my drink; Holy Crow that was amazing.

"I never caught your name," He stated abruptly just as I turned to exit. "I'm Mark." Wickedly, I laughed.

"And I'm gone!" I could hear laughter, even from outside the café.

"Dude, she just came at your life."

The comic relief had lifted my melancholic spirits up, but I crashed when my thoughts overwhelmed my mind on my walk to the station. Dreams usually had a meaning when they occurred, didn't they? So what exactly did this dream mean?

On my arrival at the train station, Roy greeted me immediately. Apparently, they were all waiting for Archer's creepy ass to show up. Roy eyed my drink curiously, watching as the contents of my clear cup drain with every sip of my straw.

"What in the hell is that?"

"Coffee." I answered with a grin. His onyx eyes rolled, knowing I had gained a recent addiction to the caffeinated liquid. After fifteen more minutes, Archer had arrived with another subordinate, clad in a strange white mask that hardly even revealed his eyes. Archer had a smug look on his face before boarding the train, the nameless and faceless man following behind him.

I sat beside Armstrong on the train, across from the strange man, remaining on my respected side. For some reason, the seating had been diversified depending on which commanding officer you served. The masked man began humming seemingly quietly, but since he was directly across from me, he was really grinding my gears.

"Can I take this off now?" Armstrong nodded slowly and unsurely. The man in front of me palmed the mask, peeling it away to reveal his all too familiar face.

Oh fuck.

With a pained expression, I stood up abruptly and made my way to the back of the train, needed to get as far away from him as possible. The rushing wind caressed my face so well that my stress had finally begun to melt away.

Just why the hell was he literally everywhere I was? Had he gone from psychotic killer to deranged stalker or had it been my imagination? This guy was seriously going to end up killing my remaining brain cells from all the confusion. I failed to notice that my breathing had sped up rapidly in frustration and tears had trickled down my face, obscuring the bronzer and blush that colored my cheeks.

"If I had know you missed me so much that you would cry of joy from seeing me, I would have captured you again a long time ago." I hissed, wiping away the trails that my tears left. When I thought my face was cleared, I turned to face him with a clearly pissed off expression. "Aw, what's wrong?" He cooed.

"Don't give me your sarcastic bull shit!" I snapped, the anger clearly stamped on my face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" With a growl, I raised my hand that clenched tightly into a fist, driving it right into his jaw. Kimbley only grinned, taking my fist, opening it up and weaving my fingers through his.

"Now now, no need for violence," His other hand found my free one and mimicked it to mirror our already twined hands. "Besides, if you get violent, my hand hands might just 'slip'." Damn this sarcastic bastard!

"Just go the fuck away!" I screamed, tearing my hands away angrily. I could hear Kimbley growl before his muscled hands gripped me way too tightly and forcefully turned me around. His lips were pushing hard against mine, literally taking my breath away. My nimble fingers twitched as they went to grasp his face, clawing slightly at his skin to pull him away.

"I've always wanted to do that." Kimbley remarked offhandedly, his arms wrapping around my back. I tried to regulate my breathing before speaking.

"Where the hell did that come from?" He chuckled, his usual sadism still evident.

"I told you, I've always wanted to do that, since the day I met you." I quirked a brow.

"You'll have to explain that one to me."

"Maybe for another day." I hissed, attempting to punch him again. He chuckled, grabbing my fist and pulling the knuckles to his lips. Aw, now why wasn't he always like this? "And now that you're satisfied, go make me a sandwich." Nope, he was always going to be that same sarcastic, sadistic asshole.

"Seriously, who are you?" He feigned a look of hurt.

"The same man I've always been." My eyes rolled before heading back inside. "Kimbley" chuckled before his body succumbed to pale skin and black clothing. An evil laugh escaped the unknown man's throat as he jumped off the back of the train, his wild and deep tendrils flowing in the hair.

"How'd it go?" A woman's sultry voice asked the imposter.

"She's so confused and angry, I wouldn't be surprised if Kimbley was found dead tomorrow morning."

"You know that wasn't the plan Envy. You were just supposed to keep them separated so Kimbley could help Scar gather ingredients."

"Yeah, yeah I already know the plan Lust."

When I sat back in the same seat that I had dashed from, Kimbley was sitting casually across from me, as if he had never even left. "How did you…?" I trailed off while pointing an accusing finger at him.

"What are you going on about Holy, I've been here the whole time." I blinked steadily before shrugging it off. Well, no more coffee before traveling or major missions. It makes me delusional.

Arriving at the military base in the foundational Ishbal was…indescribable. All the memories came flooding back; every shot that was fired, every man killed and every terrible story that you could possibly imagine about war. It seems every soldier that had participated in the Ishbalan massacre was reminiscing, especially Roy who wore a subtly pained face. Out of sympathy, I patted him softly on the shoulder.

We were assigned rooms, sort of the same concept we had during the rebellion, minus the tents; Ironic how history tended to repeat itself no matter how much we tried to make it not. However, I'm not exactly the same person from five or however many years ago it was. I was nineteen back then, running into war blindly. Now, at age twenty four, I knew I would not repeat my mistakes. I refused to kill those who caused no harm, to follow orders that failed to make sense and to lose myself on the battle field.

All the rooms were the same, consisting of an attached bathroom, two beds, a vanity, a dresser and a lone widow. State Alchemists all shared rooms with someone, just like the rest of the soldiers, although there weren't many Alchemists on duty. And just like on the train, all soldiers stayed within their own operating parties.

I took the bed closest to the window, tossing my purse gently at the foot of my bed. My back was propped against the headboard with my eyes shut and my mind deep in thought.

What was with the deal on the train? Had that not been Kimbley or was it? Trying to find my answer was giving me a migraine and now all I craved was sleep. It's too unfortunate that as a soldier, the front lines, no less; we had to be ready in a moments notice. My mind continued to wander aimlessly, boredom just wasn't suiting my persona. I constantly needed my hands to be occupied in order for me to be completely distracted.

"Well, déjà vu." My eyes snapped to the door, seeing the live embodiment of my nightmare. My mouth laid agape, staring at him incredulously. Kimbley just chortled at my inexplicable, incoherent babbling.

"It's really you this time, right?" He shot me a strange look as he dropped his practically nonexistent luggage at the foot of his own bed, mimicking mine. It made me realize how crazy I must have sounded. His puzzled, dirty look became one of amusement.

"Of course it's the real me, have you been fantasizing about me or something?" Oh he had no idea. When I failed to reply, he grinned widely, looking down at my still laying figure. "Do you?" My emerald eyes rolled.

"You wish." Kimbley motioned for me to scoot over and he allowed himself to lay beside me. I glowered at him and his stupidly grinning self.

"You don't want to know what I wish of."

"I think I can guess."

"Go for it." I looked up as if trying to think, all the while twiddling with my fingers.

"Blowing stuff up," I counted off my fingers, as if there were such a copious amount of which he dreamed. "Killing someone, and screwing Archer." An uncontrollable grin spread across my face at the last one and I awaited for his reaction.

"Yes, I wouldn't mind, and what the fuck to Archer." I laughed obnoxiously, throwing my head back with what little space I could. He scowled angrily, there were no hints of playfulness at all on his face, just a pure murderous intent. "Seriously, do I look gay to you?" I bit back my agonizing giggles.

"Well…" He growled before I felt my wrists being pinned and a newfound weight resting at my hips. His face was dangerously close to my own, his burning eyes ridding away their calm and crystal topaz color and replacing it with a murky unnamed hue in the rainbow.

"Is that really what you think?" He hissed, making me shake my head furiously as he applied more pressure to my wrists. "Your eyes say otherwise." The moment he said that, they looked elsewhere, anywhere but his own reflecting, golden orbs. "Tell me what you're hiding!" He seethed. This serious, non-sarcastic Kimbley was legitimately terrifying. Sure, he was slightly intimidating if you didn't know him very well but he was such a…not exactly playful person but a person I couldn't really take seriously if he wasn't blowing something up. This wasn't the same Kimbley that I knew.

"How do I know it's really you?" I murmured, his grip loosening slightly.

"It's really me, tell me why you keep saying that?" I confessed the train incident in impeccable detail, including the after effects it had on me, despite the blush that continued to fight for his place on my skin. By now, he was laying on his side, propped up on one elbow, his eyes watching me very intently. My own unfocused sight relished the naked ceiling, drawing images with my mind. By the time I finished, he could only grin.

"You do fantasize about me!" He guffawed lividly, until my childish side took over and I ended up smacking him with a spare pillow. An irk mark graced my temple; this guy really brought out a different side of me. When he wasn't around, I could be mature and independent, the strong woman I had always desired to be. But with this imbecile around, I just was just a giddy child that thrived off of the company. His laughter faded and most of his playfulness had washed away, although there was still a glimmer of it that danced along his face.

"Is that what was giving you a migraine earlier?"

"Well…that and something else." His eyebrow curved in amusement and genuine curiosity.

"There's more?" I sucked in a deep breath, preparing to tell him everything down to the last thread of detail that I had dreamt of the night before. He listened intently with a straight, placid face, so it was nearly impossible for me to indicate whether or not he was bored. Surprisingly, telling him my dream wasn't nearly as embarrassing as the telling him the train scenario was.

"So you really do dream of me." I groaned out loudly, hitting him with the spare pillow once again.

"…stupid, egotistical, maniacal-" A string of more than unpleasant profanities left my mouth, only to have Kimbley cover them with his tattooed palm.

"One more naughty word and I'll blow you up." He held a teasing tone with a large grin fanning out on his face. When I stopped struggling against his lone hand, he allowed me to breathe.

"Hey fuck birds get up, we have a meeting." My eyes deadpanned at the sight of Frank Archer eyeing our position with Kimbley leaning over me and me breathing heavily beneath him. Perverted bastard, look away!

"Be right out there sir." Kimbley replied, his eyes not leaving my deep green ones. When Archer's footsteps were no longer audible, I screeched at Kimbley.

"You could have at least moved when Archer was talking to us!"

"Nah, I like you better beneath me." I grumbled profanities below my breath at the sexual innuendo before rolling out from under Kimbley.

"Well that's too bad 'cause we got a meeting." He faked a pout before following me out the door.

Archer gave us weary looks before he started the meeting. The minute he opened his mouth, I knew I wouldn't to listen to whatever nonsense would be spewing from it. I think the entire room was aware that I was the farthest away from paying attention. Within the first twenty minutes of the meeting, I pulled a pen from my coat pocket and began to doodle along my skin. At first, it started out with just an amateur drawing of a tiny pistol. Then the pistol had begun to develop an owner, then the owner morphed from a stick figure into a determinable woman. The gun was no longer idle, but was now firing a bullet a nonexistent target. Said target became another stick figure with slightly spiked hair that was combed back, with oddly shaped eyebrows accenting his dots for eyes.

I pulled my hand away to observe my ten minute masterpiece. Silently, I chuckled, the woman could be depicted as myself, although that wasn't intentional, and the target greatly resembled Archer. However, I frowned realizing I would never actually shoot Archer. No…I was just going to maim him, mutilate him from inside out. I could see it now: Archer's blood completely frozen with a million stalactites ripping apart his skin to reveal the convulsing muscles beneath.

It was a nice dream.

"Meet adjourned!" My head snapped up, the daydream slowly fading away; was it over already? I stood up, just as everyone else did. "Major Holy, you stay." I looked to Archer as I sat back down at my see on his usual left, assessing his facial features for a hint to what was to come.

"What is it?" Everyone had exited, so I felt no need to hide majority of my distaste for my commander.

"What's going on with you and Kimbley?"

"We're old friends, sir." I knew the question was coming, whether it was asked sooner or later made no difference in my answer. Archer shifted his hands that his fingers linked together and tucked them underneath his chin. If he assumed that doing so made him look more sophisticated, he was dead wrong.

"Really?" The skeptical tone was clear in his voice. "It looked like so much more when I had called the two of you to this meeting." My forest shaded eyes narrowed dangerously at the acting colonel.

"I really don't see how what we aren't," I hoped he knew I was contradicting his implications when I stressed 'Aren't'. "is any of your business." He no longer acted so calmly, with his right hand lashing out to pound on the table.

"As yours and Kimbley's commanding officer, it is my business!" He shouted, his sky blue eyes lining up with mine. "I'll only say this once Holy," With erratic movement, Archer's hand gripped the roots of my hair, tugging them slightly from my scalp. "Do NOT distract Kimbley. I won't have him failing at his duties because of some worthless woman." My jaw dropped at the sudden demand, anger flaring in my veins. What a damned albino-

"Son of a bitch!" I screeched, my hands flying to Archer's neck with my fingernails digging into his skin. His expression hadn't faltered despite the fact that I continued to constrict his air intake until I could notice a change in his breathing. "You can make false assumptions about me all you want, but NEVER call me worthless you blood-thirsty bastard!"

"I suggest you watch your mouth, Holy," His hand encircled my entire wrist and began to pull my hand away from his neck. "I could revoke your state certification at any moment." My right hand that wasn't occupied with trying to wring Archer's neck had been clenched into a fist that was driven straight into his cheek. The unpredicted force had disturbed his balance, causing him to take a step away from me.

"Go ahead, a standard job and my inheritance money could put Caden though school."

"And what if you had no more 'Caden'." My eyes went wide with the full shape of my irises clearly visible.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh I would." He challenged. I looked away shamefully, acknowledging that he had me cornered. Sure, if any harm was brought to Caden, I would obliterate whoever was responsible. Still, I didn't want to risk his life because I hated my asshole of a commander.

When I no longer fired my smart-ass remarks, Archer knew he would have the final word. "Now that you understand your position, you will not distract Kimbley, are we clear Major Chevalier?" Through gritted teeth, I hissed out a 'Yes, sir.'

I was more than angry on my walk back to my state issued room; I was absolutely furious. My bastard of a superior officer just threatened to harm and/or kill my baby brother! Is this what the Fuhrer had in mind for an ideal army? Men who had to blackmail their own subordinates to get them to obey? The thought was preposterous, even blasphemous! A commander was supposed to have subordinates that followed them out of admiration, not by instilling fear or by empty threats. That was how an army should have been, but no. All we had was inexplicable corruption.

I was still grumbling angrily to myself by the time I had arrived once again to my room. Without answering Kimbley's questioning gaze, I threw my body towards my bed, plopping onto the mattress with my head burrowed into my pillow.

"So what did the bastard want?" Without lifting my head, I replied into my pillow with my words being muffled and unintelligible. A hand became buried into my hair, the fingers skimming across the roots and pulled my head back. "Could you repeat that, darling?"

"If you let go of my hair." Kimbley did what was demanded, the soft yet burning sensation no longer existing in my scalp. I turned onto my left side, having my right arm splayed in front of my face to hide any emotional give away. "He's pissed off at me." I refrained myself from saying the word 'us'. Though I hardly acted alone, Archer clearly blamed me and saw me as the distraction.

"Oh?" He seemed genuinely taken aback, but it was practically impossible to differentiate when he was being sarcastic or serious. "And why is that?" I shrugged before rolling onto my other side to look out the window. The sky seemed dull and dreary, revealing that beauty could not exist in a place like this; a place that suffered from genocide and witnessed too much bloodshed.

"There has to be a hell lot more to it than that."

"He threatened to kill my little brother." Silence filled the air, but I hadn't bother to see Kimbley's reaction, it didn't matter to me anyway. The only opinion that did matter was my own. After all, he was my little brother and I am his older sister and legal guardian.

"Why?" Kimbley finally asked after his formal pause.

"He also threatened to take away my state certification."

"That doesn't answer my damned question!" In surprise, I turned to look at him with wide eyes. He was practically fuming, his eyes were uncomfortably burning holes into my skin. "Why?" He hissed; despite his clear demand, I still didn't want to tell him, to let him know that it was all because of him.

"Why what?"

"Why won't you fucking tell me?" Both of his hands flew to my collar, pulling my face to be at eye level with him.

"Because it's about you!" I spat out, my emerald eyes glaring sharply into his own topaz ones. His grip around my collar loosened until I was left to kneel at the edge of my bed.

"You almost lost your position and killed your brother for me?" Were it under any other circumstance, Kimbley would be wearing his trademark smirk in amuse or busting out dramatically in laugher. This was just too serious of a situation for him to have that thrill of joy at the moment. "How?"

"He said I need to stop distracting you." I looked down as I spoke, not wanting to his abnormally intense gaze. "That if anything were to happen to you, he'd have my head."

"That bastard!" He snarled. "If he's insinuating I can't handle myself, I'll fucking blow him up!"

"No!" Instinctively, my hand wrapped around one of his wrists, tugging on him to prevent him from leaving. He shot me a questioning, yet angry glance. "Just…let it go."

"Hell no!"

"Why do you care so much?" I murmured, causing silence to illuminate the room completely. I waited for his answer with green eyes locked on gold.

"That's another story for another day," He replied triumphantly. I have an exasperated groan before hitting him. "So is that why you stayed?" He asked as I set his wrist free, anger no longer plaguing his skin.

"Yeah." I muttered. Was he ever going to drop the subject?

"Since I'm assuming you agreed with him, aren't you not allowed to talk to me?"

"I never said I agreed." Kimbley quirked a brow.

"Really? You care about me that much?" I rolled my eyes at how full of himself he was before stalking off to the foot of my bed. Reaching around in my purse, I grabbed all my showering necessities and my nightgown, along with another set of undergarments.

"You wish, Kimbley." I called out before shutting the door to the conjoined bathroom.

Long showers always cleared my mind, and when I needed one, I stayed in there for at least an hour. It sucked sometimes though, because of I got tired of standing, I would slump against the shower wall. The lukewarm water would only pound against my upper body when I sat in the shower, and left my legs to freeze.

My bangs clung to my face while I had my face buried into my bare knees and arms. My mind had been overwhelmed by Archer's demeaning demand. Couldn't I have reported him or something? Either way, I was beyond ashamed of myself. How could I have let Caden get involved with this, over Kimbley no less! I wanted to tear out my own throat, as well as Archer's.

By the time I had finished my shower, my fingers and toes were reduced to a prune-like texture. I wrapped my body with a towel, tucking a corner into the edge so I could use my hands freely. I drained my hair of excess water and tossed it up into a sloppy bun before getting dressed in my undergarments and nightgown. I stuffed all my dirty laundry into my uniform jacket, considering it would all need to be washed anyway.

"Um, Kimbley?" I called out in lame, utter confusion.

"Yes?"

"Where the hell did my bed go?" He laying in the middle of a recently acquired queen size bed, his back propped against pillows and his arms folded behind his head.

"Next to mine." He answered back, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. With an odd look, I placed my dirty clothes on the dresser and looked back at Kimbley with a hand on my hip.

"So now that you got your outrageous bed, where the hell am I supposed to sleep?"

"We've slept together before." The double meaning had me flabbergasted and the fact he probably intended the sexual innuendo made a blush rise to my face. He cracked an eye open, a victorious grin adorning his lips at the natural color on my cheeks.

"…Whatever, I gotta do my laundry." I mumbled, grabbing my recently used garments off of the dresser.

"Could you take mine too?" Before I could even respond, Kimbley threw his uniform jacket and pants at my head. With an exasperated groan, I removed his clothes from my head and added them to my pile.

"Why don't we go get something in the mess hall?" He had asked after I returned from the laundry room.

"Kimbley, I'm in a night gown and you're sitting in your boxers." I remarked. At the moment, I was doodling on a piece of paper that I found on the vanity, while Kimbley just laid beside me, watching my hand move across the sheet.

"I don't think anyone's gonna mind you."

"Shut up." It was official, he loved to embarrass me. I crumbled the paper I had drawn on and tossed it at his head, causing him to scowl slightly. "I think we should just go to sleep."

"It's only 10 o'clock." He pointed out, causing me to roll my eyes; thank you Captain Obvious. I turned off the lights from the switch by the door, almost tripping over my own feet in the darkness. I managed to make it back on my side of the now massive bed and slipped underneath the covers.

An unbearable mass of heat lay beside me; I was so tempted to just cuddle up to it. Yet somewhere in the depths of my mind, I was vaguely aware of what that heat was. With gritted teeth, I really struggled just so I didn't satisfy my urge to just succumb to the heat. I was able to notice his steady breathing patter; it made me chuckle. He had been the one who was against going to bed at this time, yet he fell asleep before I did.

A belt of warmth enveloped my waist, just as my eyes began to close in fatigue. I made no motion to remove it, instead, a sense of security washed over me.

My sleep remained dreamless, only being filled with a blank void. Warmth still weighed heavily on my skin, but I failed to remember why. I tried rolling onto my opposite side, but the restriction on my waist anchored me, and prevented me from moving. A hushed groan sounded in my ear, alerting me that I was not alone. My head swiveled back to see Kimbley with majority of his face pressing into his pillow. With a small smile, I laid back into my previous position. My Irish green orbs flickered into the dim lights as they stared out into the breaking sunlight.

I wasn't sure how long I stared out into the distance, but apparently it was long enough for Kimbley to wake up. He hadn't said a word, probably assuming that I was still in a peaceful slumber. The silence was unexplainable, but to be put bluntly; it was beautiful. It was an appeasing feeling to know that we weren't always fighting or teasing each other.

"How long have you been up?" Kimbley's voice was slightly above a whisper, and whisked directly into my ear.

"A few hours, I guess." I replied softly, finally tearing my eyes away from the intoxicating sun. My face was overtaken by shadows as my eyes shut. With my sense of sight disabled, all my other senses became much more acute.

"You could have just moved my arm." He stated rather bluntly, but his tone of voice hadn't bothered me though. Internally, I snorted when he said that; probably because his arm was still hooked around me.

"I didn't want to." I stated honestly. I could hear a soft shifting noise, and I could feel the mattress moving. The pressure on my waist had lessened slightly and the pillow by my head began to cave in. I peeked from beneath my eyelids, only to see Kimbley's face barely a few inches away from mine. His hair that wasn't contained in its' usual ponytail curtained around us, casting a shade from the suns rays. His golden eyes seemed to flow much more than usual.

"Oh really?" His eyes lingered along the borderline of curiosity and amusement, his lips threatening to dance in laughter. "Why's that?"

"You actually looked very peaceful for once." An unsettling silence passed between us for one too many moments. After God knows how long, Kimbley retreated to his spot by my side with his arm wrapped securely over my waist. In a reassuring matter, I laid my arm on top of his, the blissful peace capturing my fatigue's best interest.

"Hey sunshine, wake up." I let out a hoarse groan in protest at the covers being yanked away from my incredibly warm body, the rushing cool air giving me goose bumps. I muttered something incoherently; I wasn't even sure what I said.

"Come on, you've been asleep all morning, it's already noon." My eyes slowly and regretfully peered open. Much to my surprise, Kimbley had been fully dressed in uniform with his hair tied back and was ready for the day. If anything, he was just waiting on me.

"Give me like, ten minutes." I muttered, grabbing my clean uniform from the dresser. I pulled my sloppy bun from my hair, revealing the loose ringlets that formed overnight. My nightgown had been replaced with a tight black camisole with my usual uniform jacket over it and my pants clinging to my hips. After exiting the conjoined bathroom I place my nightgown into my respected drawer and slid my boots on, tucking the ends of my pants in.

"I'm ready." My announcement made the falsely sleeping Kimbley crack open an eye.

"Finally." He rose from the bed, smoothing out any newly formed wrinkled from his uniform. "Let's go to the mess hall." My mind went blank with the sudden suggestion.

"Uh, you go ahead." I blurted out, causing him to quirk a brow. "I'm just gonna put my makeup on. I'll see you in there." Thankfully, he asked no more questions and left our room. At least I wasn't completely lying to him. While I truly was applying my makeup, I had to be sure to keep up a façade for Archer. There was no way I was going to allow that bastard anywhere near Caden, nor would I allow him this opportunity.

Although I had been dreading the moment, I finally arrived in the mess hall and immediately spotted Kimbley…sitting with Archer. Great, now I needed a new place to sit.

"Faythe!" A hollowed voice cried in joy, making me immediately search for the owner. How I missed him, I'm not sure, but the sight of Al's frantically waving hand provoked a smile on my face.

"Alphonse!" I found my feet moving automatically towards where him and Edward were seating. Ed was happily munching on a foreign meal while Al stuffed a dinner roll into his helmet. "How have you guys been?" I questioned excitedly, I loved seeing the Elric's; regardless of whatever situation I was in. Whether it was their witty banter, their admirable determination or just their plain old adorable faces (although Al…), I enjoyed their company immensely.

"Oh, we're alright." Al responded, sounding not so convincing.

"What about you? How have you been?" Ed brought up all too quickly. I gave a mere shrug with a strange face.

"Eh, I've been better."

"Really? Why, what's wrong?" I bit my tongue, hesitating for a moment. I knew if anybody could keep a secret, it was Edward and Alphonse. Still, why did I feel so reluctant?

"Well…Archer threatened my little brother last night." A heavy slam resonated on the table and reverberated throughout the mess hall. My eyes widened slightly, looking to Ed in alarm.

"He what?"

"Brother, keep you voice down!"

"I can't believe I just agreed to go scouting for him." He muttered angrily. I looked down at my small plate of food. Maybe that's why I didn't want to tell them; Ed in specifics, was gonna blow a fuse.

"Ed, it's fine, really. I can handle it." I tried soothing him, grasping both of his hands firmly in reassurance. He shook them off, clenching his own hands into tight fists.

"But why, why would he do that?" I grimaced.

"Collateral."

"But why, Faythe?" I grit my teeth together, the grinding sound muting my surroundings for a moment. I really didn't want to clue them in on Archer's suspicious of me.

"He just said I need to stop distracting myself and the other alchemists." At least it wasn't a total lie, just a very vague truth.

"You aren't distracting others." Al piped up. I just shook my head.

"I guess I kind of am." Edward had stopped speaking, probably due to the anger that had drained his throat of moisture. "But it doesn't matter, protecting Caden is my first priority." They both could easily understand that concept.

After lunch with the Elrics, I had went to pester Roy for a little bit. I hadn't really done much, I just searched his makeshift office for some scratch paper and a pencil so I could draw when I got back to my room. He asked no questions, he just shot me a strange look as I merrily hopped about his room.

By the time I had arrived to my room, it had already turned to dusk with the clock tolling five. Where the time had gone, I wasn't sure. Nonetheless, I laid sprawled across the queen sized bed, my hand toying with my recently acquired pencil. Lines scratched along the sheet, a generalized shape began to form. Two ellipticals were morphed into slit-like almonds that pointed inward slightly. Slowly, they began to form eligible eyes. The irises were shifted slightly to the right, as if it were looking back into the distance. Details were laid onto the drawing, completed with glittering tears dancing along her vaguely existing cheekbones.

"So much for meeting up with me." My pencil flew out of my hand from Kimbley's sudden voice. His look wasn't all too amused, although I think my reaction did provoke a glimmer of humor.

"Sorry." I apologized with false sincerity. Of course I hadn't really meant my apology, he was the one who sat with that bastard.

"You don't sound too sorry," His smug voice retaliated as he laid on the bed with his chest and stomach pressing into mattress. "Was it because I was with Archer?"

"Yes." He chuckled at my automatic, immediate response. I removed my pencil sketch, placing it on the floor along with its' companion. The two of use ended up relaxing on the bed, side by side with my arms resting passively on my stomach and his behind his head.

"How was lunch with the Brothers?" Okay, the leisurely conversation was beginning to weird me out.

"Nice, I suppose."

"I heard Edward spaz out."

"Well, that's embarrassing." I muttered, looking out the window to avoid any sort of eye contact. "I told him about what Archer said about Caden."

"Aw, and he got all upset? How cute." Sarcasm dripped in his words. I rolled my eyes; his insensitivity was really a pain in the ass.

"Yeah yeah, shut the hell up." He feigned a look of hurt with his hand pressed over his chest mock hurt. I didn't care, I just looked to the sky through the glass shield. Silence had fallen upon us and I briefly wondered if I had just fell asleep with my eyes open.

"What Archer said…it's really bothering you, isn't it?" My body snaked around to face Kimbley directly, and it wasn't until then that I realized he was facing me too.

"No, what makes you say that?" My inquiry was genuine. In all honesty, yes it had been plaguing me, but did I really make it that obvious?

"Besides you constantly staring out the window and avoiding a conversation with me?"

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" He glowered.

"You know what I mean." With a groan, I looked him fully in his liquid topaz gaze. They expressed an unfamiliar emotion, the same one his aura had been emitting since I saw him in Laboratory 5. I hadn't really taken notice of it until I woke up this morning, why couldn't I figure it out yet?

"Why do you even care?" A flash of uncertainty and hesitance flickered before a small grin tingled his lips.

"Don't ask questions that you don't want to know the answer to." My curved brow furrowed in confusion.

"But I do want to know, that's why I asked." His smoldering orbs rolled in a slightly playful manner.

"Maybe later, I have to see what mission Archer has for me." Hastily, Kimbley rose from his relaxed position. Anger flared from within me; like hell he was getting away!

The door had slammed shut.

What a devious bastard.

Author note: I guess I sorta liked this chapter. No, not really. I'm just trying to fill it up before the climax chapter, which is only two chapters away :) Next chapter, I'm planning for it to be in Kimbley's POV so that maybe you people will have a better understanding of what exactly Kimbley feels towards Faythe.

xxdarknessxfallsxx: She was dreaming, but it's also a foreshadow ;) and the reason she was sick? She isn't used to overexerting herself, that's all. Not necessarily important to the plot, just pointing a flaw she has. Keep reviewing, they really motivate me into updating:)

Disclaimer: I do not own any publicly recognizable characters, objects, or songs. I do, however, own part of this plot, Faythe and Caden Chevalier, Lacey and Haley (Although those two have only been briefly mentioned). Steal them, and I'll have Gluttony eat you.