A/N: So, still no title. Bonez, I'm still hoping you'll give me a title idea, however, as to if it's good, I'm not too sure. Not too many people reading it, but as long as someone's enjoying it, I'm happy and will continue to do my best.

That day she left with Lizzy leaning reluctantly on her. She had had another coughing fit after Jane told her of her plans to join the military. But her sister remained quiet on the subject. The only other words Lizzy had said were, "Whatever; you do what you want." Somehow, Jane had hoped to argue with her on the necessity of it.

"Will you be living at the head quarters, then?" Lizzy asked after she had been able to carry her own weight.

Jane looked down. Did this mean she wanted her to stay or leave? "Well, we do live in the city. I think they'll let me stay at the apartment."

"Oh."

Nothing else was said. They stayed close, weaving through the crowded streets. This was the cheaper end of Central City, where the apartments were clustered together and the streets were never repaired. Men and women passed with carts, offering the best price for flowers and fruits. For most of her life, this had been her home, as for Lizzy, Jane had never asked her if she had left it before.

Their apartment building was one of the better ones. When they were younger they had to move a lot, not being able to pay the rent. It wasn't until her brother George had gotten a stable job in an automail workshop that they had been able to remain in a single place. This was the same apartment she had left little more than a couple years ago.

Lizzy climbed the steep, narrow stairs at a slower pace, and every so often Jane stopped and waited for her sister to catch up. Jane ignored the glares that her sister shot at her. She obviously didn't appreciate the gesture, but Jane had little reason to go on ahead. Only Lizzy had the key.

At the second floor they came to a single hall as narrow as the stairs. The wooden floor was stained and scratched. The roof hung low over them and the walls kept bare. The land lord made no effort to make it feel welcome.

They reached the door to their apartment. Lizzy pulled out a key and handed it to Jane. She had another cough coming. But as Jane reached forward to unlock the door, her hand froze. It began to shake. There was something behind that door that made her tremble like a child just woken from a nightmare.

"What is it?" Lizzy asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Jane said, being pulled from her thoughts, but her hand wouldn't move any further.

There was a movement at the corner of her eye and instantly she turned and jumped with fists high in the air. Nothing. She looked back to Lizzy who raised a brow questioningly. She apparently didn't expect an answer as she inserted the key and opened the door without a qualm.

Jane's heart caught at her throat. There in the center of their little living room stood Randy. His dark eyes looked at her in wonder from the blond hair that fell over his face. He was smiling and waving.

"What's wrong? Get in," Lizzy's voice sounded distant, as if in a dream.

Jane walked forward, smiling at him. He had made it. He was alive—

His eyes turned to two red, glowing orbs, his smile twisted and stretched, his skin grayed and his body seemed to thin in an instant. It lurched forward, and Jane, too, staggered back. She could no longer even see her sister.

She hit the wall behind her and the creature jumped and in an attempt to protect herself her arms flew up over her head as she gave a piercing scream. Tears ran down her face and she began to beg and plead, "No, please," and as hands took meager hold on her, she gasped and looked up. Lizzy. "Where is he? Where did he go?" she asked, confused. She wiped away the tears and looked around the hall. A few of residents had stepped out to see what had happened.

"Where did who go?" Lizzy asked.

"Randy! He was there, and he was going to…"

"Let's just go in. I'll make some food and some tea to calm your nerves," that might have been the first time she had ever heard Lizzy speak with pity in her voice. "Let's go in,"

"No!" she pulled away. "I can't go in there!" she felt desperate. Just thinking of going inside set her body shaking and nausea clenched at her stomach. She couldn't think of how unreasonable she was being. All she knew was that she could go inside. Pitifully she began to crawl out of Lizzy's reach and stood as she moved forward. Her eyes were wide and her face still pale with the memory of what she had seen. It had to have been real. Randy was waiting inside for her. She deserved to die for what she did to both her brother and friend, but she still didn't want to die.

"Jane! Wait, where are you going?"

She heard Lizzy struggling to keep up behind her, but she didn't feel safe until she was outside the building. She waited across the street for her sister. She slowed her pace when she saw Jane waiting for her at the other side.

"Jane, what just happened?"

"I… I don't know. I saw Randy, but then he change… he was going to take me with him, I'm sure of it," her voice was uncertain at first, but quickened considerably towards the end, almost as she wanted to be done with it and hear no more.

"Randy's gone, he can't do anything to you," despite her sympathetic tone, there was an ounce of anger and discomfort. Still, there was something of the way that she put her hand over Jane's shoulder and how she looked directly into her eyes. Mother, Jane thought, but it only brought sickened her stomach and she doubled over, a spasm taking over, but as she had eaten nothing the whole day, the only thing she had to vomit was her own spit. "You should go back to the hospital," she said.

"We don't have money for that. One visit is already enough," she said when the feeling subsided.

"When you're a State Alchemist you'll be able to pay it all," she said. She was scared, Jane knew. It was common enough for Lizzy to be the sick one and being fussed over, but Jane had never been like that. She had only had a cold or the flu, and they always passed away quickly.

"It's best we don't put all our hopes into that. There's no guarantee."

"Either way you'll have to work. This looks serious, Jane, and I think it's better if you get some medical attention. If we're both sick there's no way we'll be able to afford even that dump," she said with a small, nervous laugh.

Jane was about to shake her head, but another thought occurred to her. She couldn't go back to the apartment, but she had nowhere else to go. At least at the hospital she'd have a bed and a room. It was certainly better than sleeping on the streets, and despite her words, she dared to hope she'd become a State Alchemist.

"Alright," she said. "I can go on my own, though. You go home and get some rest."