Heya guys, sorry for the AWOL. I've been busy with papers, Ethics class (still wondering the ethical reason why I am still in the class), and getting psyched over my American Civil War class. So anyway, onto what happened in the last chapter with Kenzi and Ed. Yeah, they made it to Briggs. Not gonna say what's gonna happen with them. XD

Now onto Roy and Taylor...well, if you recall, their morning started out awkwardly. Now, they're at work. Remember that call to Taylor from Briggs? Yeah, you'll hear that side of the conversation. I regret nothing in that!

Songs: "Casual Sex" by My Darkest Days (Oh come on, Roy brings up something that reminds me of this song. I regret nothing)
"Bad Day" by Daniel Powter (This song...Just seemed to fit Taylor)
"Be With You" by Enrique Iglesias (Oh this song... You'll see why I picked this song toward the end of the chapter)

I eyed Taylor as she sat on my desk, talking on the phone with Fort Briggs. It was up in the air at this point as to who she was talking to at the moment. I didn't regret anything I had said to Armstrong, fully knowing it would take her forever to reach me, and by then, I would be prepared for whatever that non-alchemist can throw at me; even her sword. My gaze dropped to Taylor's legs, which were regrettably fully covered with the pants to her uniform. Her smooth legs that I'd spent some time last night massaging and hearing her cry out in pleasure as she arched her back a little and gripped the sheets under her in anticipation of what's to come.

I looked up to Taylor fighting back tears as I heard, "Kenzi?"

God, she was two seconds from breaking down on the phone with her cousin, despite what I could hear on the other end of the phone. It sounded like McKenzi was vibrating or something.

Taylor chuckled softly, hearing her vibrating cousin. I was pretty sure I could hear teeth chattering. Damn, this girl and cold do not mix in the least. "Still not friends with the cold?"

I suppressed the chuckle as I heard a clear, audible, "H-Hell no!" come from McKenzi. That girl was freezing to death. Why isn't Fullmetal doing his job of protecting her? That would include protecting her from the cold. Damn, he really needs to learn some sort of heat alchemy like I did.

Taylor's shoulder shook a little with a silent laugh. "I'll have Armstrong get a doctor to check you out. Maybe you need extra layers or something." There was a small pause, McKenzi was answering. "Sorry, no leads yet on that. I wish I could say I had an idea, but Uncle Devon had a lot of enemies." There was another pause, followed with an audible sigh. "I know, Kenzi. Think of it this way, you can look but you can't touch." Taylor nearly went crimson as she said that. Last night, she looked and touched. Not that I regret any moment of it. "I said, Kenzi, no sex. I will take you to the doctor when you return to make sure you didn't. Doctors are great with finding that kind of shit out."

I felt my heart quicken and my eyes get wide, almost picturing McKenzi doing the same. Taylor may sound normal, but hearing her say that promise to her cousin suddenly made me hope Ed knows to stay the hell away from her. If they do screw each other, even once, and Taylor finds out, Ed's gonna die. Taylor already knows the basics of my flame alchemy, and after hearing what she was like during the war some and during missions, Winry and her wrench had nothing on Taylor Mera.

God, Fullmetal, you better hope you can keep it in your pants. Taylor'll kill you first chance she gets if she finds out you and Miss Lockert had sex if you do.

"Kenzi, what I do in my spare time is none of your business," Taylor said with an irritated tone. "No, I did not have sex with Roy. We might have made out, but no sex."

Good lie, Taylor; she'll find us out eventually.

Taylor sighed. "You are my business. You and Colonel Elric are going to have to freeze, maybe perhaps share body heat a few times," she said. Then her eyes widened under her hand as she pressed her hand to her forehead. Just as the words got out of her mouth, she said instantly, "No that is not an excuse to strip down and try the horizontal tango." I heard the audible groan and tried not to snicker. "I miss you too, Kenzi. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

I pressed my hand to her cheek, trying to ease the darkened sadness in her eyes. I gave her a small smile, trying to reassure her.

"Armstrong, thank you again for taking her and Colonel Elric in. Kenzi isn't a big fan of the cold. I'd suggest taking her to the doctor to have them check her out, see what she needs to at least function properly and if she has frostbite." I shook my head thinking about McKenzi, the girl who had a reputation for fights and getting kicked out of school, shivering like a dog in the rain. Taylor listened for a moment while Olivier talked, sighing with relief. "Thank you, Armstrong. I owe you one." All of a sudden, Taylor's eyes got wide. Wider than I'd ever knew they could get. Her face grew hot and red. It made me wonder what Olivier said to him. "You want me to do what to Roy?"

I knew my eyes were wide at that point. Olivier probably had a few rather...painful...ideas of what to do to me. Part of me didn't want to know, the other part was screaming to know just in case for our next fight, I'd know.

"I'm sorry, Armstrong," Taylor said sweetly. "I don't think I could do that to him." I sighed with relief, knowing if shit hit the fan and I was about to die by Olivier's hand, at least Taylor would be there to help me. I heard her giggle a little. The sweet sound filling my ears and echoing through my brain. "Who says I'm a bunny? Besides, it's not like I am the one under protective custody."

Soon after, Taylor hung up the phone, looking to me. Her legs here still crossed, a foot resting on the armrest of the desk chair. "You're lucky Armstrong was partly joking."

"Why?"

"She wanted me to castrate you, to put it lightly." Taylor gave a half-chuckle as I cringed. I knew Oliver wasn't particularly fond of me when I'd go out with various women, but I never knew she'd actually thought about that. "Although, the way she put it sounded more painful."

"I'd imagine," I said, trying to keep my voice as even as possible. On the inside, I was pleading to some higher being that Armstrong or Taylor wouldn't do that. I did want kids one day, and I can't get them with my dick chopped off.

Taylor's expression changed a little, going softer and slightly sadder, as she looked out the window. I watched her. She was thinking about her cousin and how to catch this damn assassin. The more I watched her, the more I wanted to watch the guy burn.

"I am sure she's fine," I said as I ran my hand up her leg, already picturing the smooth, velvety skin under it instead of her Amestrian blues and getting my thoughts off the image of seeing the assassin and the man who paid for the hit to burn.

Taylor sniffed, pushing back tears and wiping a couple away. "I am, too. Armstrong's having both Edward and Kenzi checked out for frost bite. She said there was a blizzard about to happen just as they arrived; snow was two seconds away from a complete whiteout. The temperature dropped considerably as they got there. Kenzi's lucky they got there when they did."

"McKenzi Lockert popsicle?"

Taylor nodded, not fighting the breathy chuckle; soon causing me to join her. "Yeah."

I stood a little, enough to reach her forehead and kissed it. "You aren't alone on this one. You already told Maes to keep a look out, and he doesn't always play by the rule book either. After all, he is hiding McKenzi's luggage in his office until later on today when we go back to my place."

"I know, Roy, but..." she couldn't finished the sentence. I wasn't going to push it either. She needed to do things her own way, and I was planning on being there to help her. After all, it was me who suggested that she get her things from that bastard General's place including McKenzi's.

"Listen, as much as Olivier would like to castrate me among other things, I'd trust her. She knows what she's doing up there. Besides, with a blizzard there, I am not worried about Briggs soldiers standing their own."

Taylor giggled, clearly thinking about what other things and perhaps my castration. "You're right, Roy-boy. I just need to work harder to figure out who the hit-man is and who's behind going after Uncle Devon."

I nodded, knowing she was just as determined as her eyes claimed she was. I tried not to think about the gunshot wound to the shoulder she received due to the fucking assassin. The mere mention of what was happening was sending my blood boiling. I tried focusing on my paperwork as Taylor began working on getting this paid murderer.

"Yeah, thanks again, Maes," I said as I hung up the phone at my place with a few boxes and McKenzi's luggage. I turned to Taylor as she took another, probably the last, one of McKenzi's boxes. "Maes says that if we need to hide anything to hide it as his place or take it to him."

"Okay," Taylor said as she slowly walked up the stairs.

I sighed. Poor girl. It was hard enough seeing her nearly break down when we broke into General Lockert's house to get what Taylor wanted. Going into McKenzi's room was near about killing her as she went through near about everything she owned to pack. Pictures, books that could compete Ed's collection, some trinkets here and there. But Taylor stopped when she reached the jewelry on her dresser. After packing it, we left, not looking back. I vaguely wondered if this feeling of finality I felt coming from Taylor was present when the Elric brothers burned their house to the ground.

I listened as I walked into the kitchen, preparing dinner. Something to get our minds off of unpacking. I knew this was the last thing Taylor wanted to do without McKenzi. I remember hearing Taylor talk to her about moving out of General Lockert's place and getting one of their own where Taylor wouldn't have to worry about General Lockert down their throats and McKenzi going to school somewhere in Central.

I felt arms snake around me before I knew it. I didn't realize how much time that had passed since I had first started dinner, unconsciously making it. I popped my head up from the stove, looking toward her. She placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

"Smells good," she said. I could feel the soft smile on her lips. Since last night, or this morning, I've noticed her get a little more affectionate with me other than her usual aura of "I'll kick your ass if you come near me."

Well after a night of hardly eating, of course it would smell good. I may not be the best cook in the world, but I could make a mean spaghetti.

I smiled to her, returning the kiss with one to her forehead. "Thanks. Get unpacked enough?"

She nodded. "Kenzi's stuff is in her room, waiting for her. I am not going to dare touch them without her." I had a feeling a picture of the two cousins was on top of those boxes, waiting for McKenzi. "As for my things, I took the other guest room."

I felt a slight pang. I knew why she was in the other guest room. It would look just wrong if we were sleeping in the same bed when we weren't friends with benefits, dating, engaged, or married. Nothing. We were co-workers merely living together so the other didn't get killed because of some assassin.

"Are you all set in there?"

"Yeah," she kissed my cheek again. "Thanks again."

I smiled. Okay, maybe we're nearing friends with benefits now that we had a drunken night of sex last night. I am pretty sure we screwed each other more than once. I didn't know, I was almost as drunk as she was. Now, I wanted to be with her like I wanted to once with Hawkeye, but this feeling was stronger. Much stronger