Sweet, at least this chapter is done! Between my new job and finals, I am shocked I have time to write.

In this chapter, I finally wanted Kenzi to work...and I introduced a new character. I'll let you guys decide if you think you know who they are and why they are there. I also wanted a little Ed X Kenzi fluff. I also wanted to add something in from my Civil War class. It was hardtack. It's a hard, poor excuse for bread that both the Union and the Confederate soldiers had.

Songs: "Side of the Bullet" by Nickelback (I don't know, for some reason this fit when they were talking about soldiers and generals)
"Keep Your Head Up" by Andy Grammar (The chorus is what I was singing during the breakfast scene.)

Hey, Kenzi, come on," a voice said softly as they whispered into my ear almost seductively, "it's time to get up."

I stirred my head, but didn't open my eyes. I was still stricken with sleep. It was an ungodly hour of the morning and there was no way in hell my body was going to let me open my eyes with the same energy I had before I got here.

I heard a soft chuckle as the bed dropped a little to adhere to the new weight as he sat next to me. "Time to get up," he whispered even closer to my ear, moving some of my misplaced hair with his breath; making my skin crawl and me shudder a little.

"No," I uttered, shifting in bed to get comfortable enough to drift back to sleep. I could feel that Ed had left the bed we were sharing. There had only been one room availiable with one bed and Armstrong had made us bunk in the room. I guess she knew we'd be sleeping together in the literal sense.

I heard him emit another chuckle. "Fine, I'll get Miles or Armstrong," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed again, still messing with the misplaced hair. I had no idea when he had gotten up.

I knew he wouldn't do it. He hated it when the other soldiers would check me out in the lunch line, and would hate it more if he had to get any of them to drag my ass out of bed. I whimpered a little in response, somewhat letting him know that I was halfway listening to him. I heard a faint chuckle as he leaned closer to me, peeling back the red fabric of his coat and kissing my bare shoulder. I smiled softly, feeling his soft lips against my warm skin. I hummed, my eyes still closed. Ed's hand gently rubbed the warm skin on the small of my back, sending shivers through my spine as he kissed the edge of the fabric of my tank top and up my shoulder. I pulled my pillow closer to my head, still smiling. His kisses traveled from my shoulder onto my neck and to my cheek. He lightly kissed everywhere he could without kissing my lips. I frowned a little, wanting to feel his soft lips on mine.

"An' you call me a tease," I slurred, still trying to muster the energy to open my eyes and see his deep gold ones staring back at me.

He laughed lightly, but not loudly. "Come on, Kenzi," he said in a soft tone as he started to pull back the four blankets that lay over me. The doctor had recommended them since the temperatures in Fort Briggs itself dropped to an even lower number than it was already. Armstrong had no choice but to comply. "Time to get up. At least you get a nap time during this."

"It's not the same," I muttered as I moved my head, so my face buried into the pillow even more. Just more sleep was all I wanted; I didn't care if I missed breakfast.

"Why not?"

"You won't be here," I said, still half asleep.

As much as I liked working like half days, I hated that he had to work full days like the rest of the soldiers, regardless of what he was sent here for. Armstrong made sure we worked and that Ed was a part of what destruction he helped cause from the last time he was there. I still hadn't heard much about it. I figured it was under the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Ed pulled me into his arms. I could feel his uniform against my skin; I knew it was his by the unique, very Ed-like, scent. Ed had been ordered by General Armstrong herself to wear his military uniform regardless of what he was back at Briggs for. He was ready for the day, and I had yet to get dressed. If I didn't hurry and at least get dressed, we'd miss breakfast.

He kissed the top of my head. "I know, but I can't be there. I'll be working the tunnels while you're guarded by another soldier." There was a slight growl of jealousy when he mentioned another soldier.

"But Taylor assigned..." I couldn't finish the sentence because it made me think about that day, and it was still painful to talk about. I often, especially when I was on bed rest, had dreams about that day and what had transpired. In one dream, I had been shot like Taylor had. That one had me waking up in a cold sweat with my heart pounding.

"I know, but tell that to Armstrong without her threatening to give you more work or something."

I opened my eyes slowly, squinting as my eyes tried to adjust to the artificial light. "This whole thing just sucks."

"I know." He sweetly kissed my head again, moving some hair which his fingers that were already in my hair. "At least get dressed to work your half day. After, you can shower and sleep."

I nodded as I pushed myself off him and shuffled to the suitcase of clothes we had been given. I put on my jeans and threw on a black long sleeve T-shirt before putting his red coat back on. It had seemed to be the only thing that helped to keep me warm. Ed watched me as I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail and brushed my teeth. I finished getting ready enough to look halfway presentable.

Ed and I soon walked out after that, hiding what had transpired in our room much like we'd done since my bed rest orders were given. It was almost taboo to have a romantic affair of any sort with your bodyguard. It wasn't illegal, but it was definitely something everyone involved had to keep quiet about.

We had entered the cafeteria together. He was nearly fully awake while I was still half-asleep. After getting some breakfast, if you call that meal at an ungodly hour of the morning, we sat down. As Ed began to eat, I leaned my head against his shoulder, wanting more sleep and completely ignoring my tray of "food". This made Ed chuckle.

"Come on, Kenzi, eat something. You're going to need your strength and energy," Ed said as he continued to eat, bouncing his shoulder a little to get me to open my eyes again.

I shook my head. "Too...damn...tired," I uttered with my eyes closed and my head still on his shoulder.

Ed chuckled more as he ate, his shoulder no longer bouncing when he realized it might just put me to sleep. "Kenzi," he said with a somewhat fatherly tone in his voice. "You still need to eat. You hardly ate while you were on bed rest."

I shook my head, but opened my eyes and took a few bites of food to appease him. I heard another soldier chuckle.

"Damn, Elric, looks like your girlfriend's a little tired from last night," he said through his chuckle. He was a hearty man with a deep voice almost like Lieutenant Breda.

Ed growled lowly. "Shut it, Allister. Nothing happened last night."

Well something did, but Ed wasn't about to tell him anything.

Allister laughed. "At least she's cute. Your little girlfriend, from what I hear, is a little stingray-a viper if you will."

Ed pounded his fist on the wood of the table, making me shoot my eyes open and jump off his shoulder. Even Allister jumped in surprise. "Damn it, Allister, nothing happened. She and I were too damn tired for anything to happen. Get it, dunce?"

Allister laughed, leaning back on the bench. His hand slammed into the wood of the table. "I get it. Keeping it under wraps from Miles and General Armstrong."

I slammed my head into Ed's shoulder, tired. I avoided my food again, wanting more sleep. I felt Ed turn to me. He chuckled, causing me to bounce a little, not nearly as bad as before.

"Eat something, Kenzi," he said. His voice really sounded concerned for my health. "Come on, you need it."

"Not...edible," I groaned, burying my face into his arm.

Ed chuckled. "Come on, Kenzi. You don't want bed rest, do you?"

I groaned again. "Sounds tempting." I yawned.

Ed chuckled, knowing that I was the only one who could be issued bed rest. "If you finish up, I'll let you sleep for a few."

I opened my eyes weakly, eating some more. Ed watched me, starting to talk to some of the other soldiers he was to be working with. Since I knew no one, I ate silently and not paying attention to anything around me. I finished my food, or at least most of it, and lay my head back on Ed's shoulder, closing my eyes again.

"I'm tellin' ya, Elric, he's gonna be the one to try to over-throw Grumman. He's already using his daughter, and has been for quite some time," one of the men said. It didn't take a genius to know that he was talking about someone in the military.

"I don't think so. What kind of father would use his kids?"

"Him!" the guy exclaimed. "If he knew that it would boost his popularity and reputation, I think he would kill her."

Ed sighed. I could tell he was looking toward me. "Nah, your kids are your kids. I can't imagine a father even thinking that. Not even my own."

"If you say so, but next time you're around him, just pay attention."

"I already know you're right. I've seen it. Controlling, manipulative, I've seen it all from him. I used to work near the guy," Ed said. I could tell he looked at me again as I started to feel my world fade to black. "I just can't understand though, why..."

"No idea, I hear his daughter is a real looker, a ten, a blonde bombshell," another said, interrupting Ed. Obviously, he was more concerned about this girl's looks than what Ed had to say about the General they were talking about. "If you worked near him, Elric, than you should have seen her."

"I might have," Ed said as I felt his eyes on me again as I felt the quiet darkness consume me.

"Lockert, get the bread out of the oven!" the cook called as he ordered others around.

I groaned nearly inaudibly as I followed orders, taking an oven pad and taking the biscuts out of the oven. If they were allowed to call these sad pieces of flower, yeast, and water that. It reminded me of hardtack, and I could have sworn it was.

"Lockert!"

"Yes, sir?"

"No slacking! I have no fucking use for a soldier who doesn't work efficiently!"

"Aye, sir!"

I couldn't argue with the point that I wasn't a soldier in the military, but there was simply no point to it. Last time was met with dishes from lunch and double the guard outside my door. Not only that, but I was lectured from Armstrong about how Briggs was a working fort and if I wanted protection, I needed to follow all orders like I was a soldier myself. Even though I saw no point in being treated like a soldier, I complied.

"Tatum, you lazy piece of ass, get moving!" the cook called to the newest soldier who had arrived only a few days ago. He had been looking at me, eyeing me over like the rest of the soldiers, but this was more intense. Something felt off about him.

"Yes, sir!" he yelled as he started his work with more passion than before. But not before he looked at me, scanning me over. I glared at him, making him turn back to the dishes.

I started back working, faster than before, hoping that I could eat my early lunch and just head to my bunk that Ed and I shared. I wanted to put as much distance as I possibly could between me and Kell Tatum.