A/N: Evil Robina? How can I forget! I'm glad at least one of my CTA fans is reading this. It doesn't really seem to be more of a success, though, but despite that, I feel this story is a lot more developed than the other one. You have to tell me what you really think. Also, I still haven't thought of a title for the story or for her, so that's why I'm kind of dragging out the alchemy exam, but no worries, there will be lots of action soon enough :)

Nothing was wrong. That's what the doctors had said. Jane's insistence allowed her to stay in for observation, however. For that night, she had a place to sleep comfortably. This wouldn't last for long, though. She spent the time thinking of where she would go if nothing happened over the night she spent there. She didn't want to leave Lizzy alone, but she wasn't about to sleep outside on the side walk. There was a shelter not too far from where they lived. Those who got there early enough would have a cot and a bowl of soup. That would certainly be a way to cut down on costs, on food anyway.

She had pulled a chair next to the window to stare out as she thought of where she would go, put a knock at the door called her attention. "Come in," she said.

The same man as before came in, wearing the same blue uniform. "Your sister told me I might find you here. She didn't say why you decided to come back, though," he said with a pleasant smile.

Jane stood up and stared at him awkwardly. "Oh, Colonel Mustang, sir, I—" she stuttered as she tried to find her words.

"Calm down, kid, I'm not your superior yet. I gathered from some of your neighbors that you had a panic attack. Do you think it's perhaps related to what you did?"

The man was kind, but frank. Jane had not considered what he said before. She had thought of the two things separately and never bothered to make a connection, even after she had come to her senses and realized it had been a hallucination. She shook her head. If he thought her weak in any way she would no longer be useful to him and she wouldn't be given the opportunity to become a State Alchemist.

"No, it's simply that that place had some bad memories for me. After what happened the night before and all, I guess it all just came rushing back," she lied. She was rather proud of how easily and nicely it had come to her.

"If that's all, why did you come here?" though that smile of his didn't shift in the slightest, it seemed to turn into a smirk. Was he mocking her?

"I had eaten some bad food and I ended up puking in the streets," she no longer tried to sound courteous or polite. Her tone was vulgar and defensive.

"The doctor attending to you said there was nothing wrong, and I know that if what you said was the truth, you're not in a position to be wasting money on your health when all you needed was to ride it out."

She said nothing, furrowed her brows, and turned her gaze to the floor, her fists clenched at her side. Just like last time he asked her questions whose answers he already knew. It seemed his purpose was simply to catch her in a lie.

"I already suspected that what happened to you was too good to be true," he said.

"Good, you say? What the hell is 'good' about… what I did?" she said.

"Well, put into perspective. But, what is it you lost exactly?" he asked.

She gritted her teeth. "I don't know. All I did was go back to my old apartment and I saw my friend, Randy, but his body changed, it looked a lot like that monster I created out of my brother. It went for me, but nothing happened."

"A hallucination," he sounded just as irritating as those doctors, summarizing all that she said. "What about later?"

"I ran away across the street and… I got really nauseous, but there wasn't anything to throw up," it was the same thing she had told the doctor.

"Was there anything that could have provoked it?"

"No, I—well, actually, yes. I thought of… I thought of…" it eluded her. Whatever had been her thoughts before, they escaped her now. "I don't know, but it was something important. Something I used to care a lot for."

Mustang nodded, affirming the fact. She had half expected him to believe she was lying. After all, she had feigned not knowing or remembering before.

"Let me know if this ever happens again. As for the exam, it's in three weeks. I'm assuming you know your way to the library? That exam won't be easy and you'll be expected to study every minute from now on. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" she couldn't help herself. Despite her mocking salute, she felt grateful that he hadn't changed his plans for her. "But there is this one problem," she said in a small voice after a while. "I'm afraid of going back home. I think that, whatever it is, it'll happen again if I go back."

Mustang stood rubbing his chin and looking up for while, dropping his formal stance. "Very well," he said after a moment. "I suppose it would be more beneficial for your studies if you stayed within the quarters of another State Alchemist. I'm giving no promises, though. I'll let you know tomorrow."

She nodded. "Thanks," she said, a sigh of relief escaping her.

"Right, but when you pass this exam, just know that the worst kind insubordination is lying; I won't tolerate it."

She bowed her head respectfully as he left the room. Somehow, she didn't doubt that he would find her a place to stay until she took the exam. He seemed reliable enough, though she couldn't stand that feeling in her gut when he spoke about her mistake. She couldn't help thinking that he knew too much, that he would use that information against her. Why wouldn't he. But what would he have to gain, she wondered.

She spent the day coming up with different answers to that question, but in the end they all seemed unlikely. She fell asleep, more for her own sake than actually feeling tired. Mustang might not have anything for her tomorrow, despite all the hopes she put on it.

"I see you slept comfortably," she startled awake at Mustang's voice. She looked to the window. The curtains were closed but light streamed in. Was it really morning already? "I can't say where you'll be staying next will be so comfortable."

She smiled. It didn't even surprise her. "It doesn't matter. It can't be worse than my own home," she said.

He laughed at that. "It's not the place, it's the people. You'll be staying at the home of Major Alex Louis Armstrong and his family. To say he's a little eccentric is an understatement."

"Well, I'm grateful for his hospitality," she said, completely honest.

"Oh, one more thing, the Fullmetal Alchemist arrived today. I sent for him to meet you. I think it can benefit you, as you are in a situation quite similar to his," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "How so?" she asked, more than just a little curious. She had heard enough stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist, and for her to be compared to him… she didn't know if it was a compliment to her or an insult to him. Perhaps because he was also very young when he became a State Alchemist?

"You'll know when you see him," he said.

"Brother, please, calm down!" she heard a child's voice coming from outside. The door was slightly ajar.

"Calm down? How can I when that bastard makes us come directly back to the city without giving us time to continue our research! And for what? To so some sick girl—Al, what was the room number again?"

"I think it's this one," the more childlike voice said. She thought she could hear the clanking of metal but shrugged it off.

"And you didn't tell me anything?"

Mustang walked to the door and opened it wide. "Fullmetal, glad to see you come all this way to see some sick girl," he said.

From where she sat on her bed she could see little, but Mustang ushered the two inside. A man in armor and a young, blond boy with golden eyes walked in. The blond one was dressed in black with a long red coat, despite the fact that it was summer. He avoided her gaze, his face a little flushed. Was he the one that had said those rude things, then? Was he Fullmetal? No, it couldn't, she thought. The one in armor was more likely.

"Jane, this is Alphonse," he pointed at the armored man. "And this is the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric," he pointed to the blond boy.

"No way," it slipped before she could even think. "But he's so small."

"You are you calling a pipsqueak runt that can't even reach the doorknob!" his hands balled into fists and he tried his best to loom over her.

"What the hell, I never said that!" she said. He also seemed too stupid to be the famous Fullmetal. "Mustang, I appreciate the gesture, but I think I'll do better on my own," she said, brows furrowed. She was awfully disillusioned with the real Fullmetal.

"I can't say I disagree, but regardless; Edward, Alphonse, this is Jane Hart. She'll be taking the State Alchemists' exam in three weeks," Mustang explained.

"No way—she looks too dumb," he said.

Heat rose to her face and she glared at the boy. "Shut it, pipsqueak," he glared back at the comment.

"Is she really?" The armored man's voice was that of a small child. It was eerie and rather unsettling. But he sounded kind and sincere. Mustang nodded.

"But I still don't understand why we're here," Ed said eyeing Mustang suspiciously.

"I'd like you boys to show her the ropes whenever she's free. I have no doubt she'll pass the written exam with flying colors. As for the practical, maybe Fullmetal can help you with that; his performance was quite something," he smirked at the last part.

"I'm not wasting my time with that idiot!"

He sounded so childish! He couldn't possibly be the Fullmetal Alchemist. But Mustang had no reason to lie.

"Colonel, I think I'll be fine. I'll be studying most of the time anyway, and I wouldn't like you to feel so confident in my abilities. Nothing's certain yet," but she felt just as confident as Mustang. She couldn't bring her brother back, but if she passed that exam Lizzy would be live comfortably.

Her head fell and she stared lazily at her lap. How could she dismiss her brother so easily? And Randy. Her brother died a second time because of her and Randy was gone just like him. No matter how she thought of it, she was a murderer. She wanted to hide, somewhere distant and dark. She didn't even want to be aware of herself. But looking up, she saw all three looking down at her. She felt as if they were accusing her of something.

"My things are already here, sir. If I could just change you can take me to the Armstrong residence immediately."

All nodded their heads and left. Only the Alphonse's gaze lingered. There was no expression or sigh that told her how he felt, but it was something stronger. She felt his sympathy. Did he know what she had done already, or was it something else? Certainly she had acted odd enough, acting so differently so suddenly.

She changed quickly. Lizzy had brought a suitcase full of her clothes at Jane's insistence. She had had no intention of entering into the apartment. It had never been a real home, anyway.

They were waiting in the hall, whispering to each other. When Edward looked at her, there was still anger there, but it wasn't directed at her, and it was mingled with grief and frustration. Her heart sank. She knew what they had been talking about.

"You! You told them?" she yelled at Mustang, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"This isn't the best place to discuss this," he said.

Despite her rage, she gritted her teeth and kept quiet, following him as he lead them down the hall and stairs.

Edward was directly next to her. "We won't tell anyone," he said. The mockery and rudeness from before left his voice. "We know what it's like…" he trailed off.

That was it. "You know nothing!" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what it's like—" As she spoke he was taking off the glove on his white hand. She stopped abruptly and gasped. It was automail. "I'm sorry," she said stupidly. It seemed like the only appropriate thing to say.

"And my brother," he was trailing behind them. "He's empty. I attached his soul to the armor before I lost him too," he said.

She bowed her head. "I lost my friend, Randy. I wasn't able to save him. I killed him. He's gone because of me."

"I'm sorry," he said. It was starting to sound like a funeral when all people could offer was that stupid phrase as comfort. "When Mustang told us just now, I thought you were lucky. I guess I was wrong, huh?" he gave a short laugh.

She bowed her head, counting her steps as she walked. What he said didn't make her feel any better and she wanted nothing more than to stop thinking.

From the lobby they went outside, where a blond woman in a military uniform waited, leaning against a black car. She saluted to Mustang, greeted the brothers, and nodded her head politely at Jane. She went around and climbed into the driver's seat as Mustang sat next to her. Jane and Edward were squashed together in the back seat from Al's massive size. Needless to say it was an uncomfortable ride.

Mustang didn't seem to take notice of their discomfort, though. "Well, I'm sure you all realize why I'd like you working together. It'll be easier for me to keep track of you," he said nonchalantly. The three stayed silent. Their conversation had certainly dampened their spirits. "Oh, Jane, what do you plan to do about your sister?"

"I can't plan anything for her. If she wants to stay in the apartment, that's up to her. It's better this way," she said.

"Sister?" Ed and Al said in unison.

"Yeah, her name's Lizzy." She refused to say much else. What would she say? They don't really get along because she left Lizzy and her family and didn't even call or write to them in three years?

Fortunately they didn't press her any further.

"Say, Jane?" she turned to Al. "Where is it you're staying?"

Mustang answered for her. "The Armstrong residence."