(Age 16)

Elizabeth sighed as she pulled her fingers through her hair, decoding what appeared to be a list she already knew by heart, even after all these years. Water, she decoded, 35 Liters. Carbon, 20 Kilograms. Ammonia, 4 Liters. Lime, 1.5 Kilograms. Phosperus, 800 Grams. Salt, 250 Grams, Elizabeth winced at the memory, but knew by the amount of coding left, that there was more to these notes than just the trival little list. Saltpeter, 100 Grams. Sulphur, 80 Grams. Her hands felt the paper, the edges, and the pen as they swiftly copied down her find, taking into muscle memory that which her mind had already absorbed countless times. Fluorine, 7.5 Grams. Iron, 5 Grams. Silicon 3 Grams. 15 Other elements in trace amounts. Her hands froze in time as her mind flew back to the past, when Edward had read off the list to the Liorian girl, Rose. Having a human composition broken into these exact, lifeless elements truly did make a person, an individual, seem cheap.

Her pen dropped in shock as she read the next line only milliseconds after decoding it, Could alchemy be the use of our own life energy? It was nearing nine o'clock at night, the time when the library would close and kick them out. She couldn't bring herself to tell Edward, for the thought shook her so badly. What if she was draining her life away? What if she was draining the lives of the people she helped? Is life energy even renewed? She lifted her head to see that Edward had broken the code as well, so she moved to his side to help him with what he thought was a significant document. Her eyes widened in horror as she connected the two documents she had just read. "No..." she gasped out slowly, letting it sink in and watching it engrave into her brother's mind.

"It's closing time," Denny called into the room, opening the door ever so gently. Just as he had, however, Edward slammed the papers he had been holding and chucked his pen at the floor in an outrage.

"No fucking way!" He snarled at the papers, or perhaps at Doctor Marcoh. He startled the two incomers, Brosh and Ross, making the jump in their skin violently.

"What happened? We-were you guys fighting? Please just c-calm down." Denny stuttered out, eyeing Edward's volatile actions. He'd already thrown his chair to the ground and made several papers fly. His metal fingers were leaving indents in the soft wood as he gripped it angrily.

"No. We haven't fought." Alphonse replied tenderly, also trying to sort this out. He wasn't as angry as Edward, but more frightened. He was wondering if alchemists drained their own life as they used it.

"Oh," Maria said knowingly, "Then you're angry because you haven't cracked the co-"

"We cracked it." Elizabeth snapped angrily, sick and tired of that damn code. "The code is broken." she added, a bit defeated, with a twinge of sadness as well.

"Really?" He asked excitedly, also curious about the whole ordeal. The guards had been told precious little, knowing only it pertained to the stone. "That's great!"

With a snarl Edward dropped to the ground like a child throwing a temper tantrum, landing in a very frustrated thud. "How the hell can there be anything great about this?" He snapped, his face covered by his hair and his breathing ragged and out of control, mirroring his emotions. "This is bullshit." He spat, punching the floor and slightly splintering the hardwood.

Elizabeth bit her lip to keep her from trying to comfort her brother. She knew she couldn't do anything, and she knew he was scaring her. He'd never lost it like this, but what bothered her more was her own reaction. Why wasn't she absolutely furious? She knew the answer to that, too. Elizabeth had been emotionally shaken around like a rag doll since her brothers left for maintenance, at least compared to how sheltered she was before, hiding under their metallic brotherly protection. She was worn out and broken down, just like her name.

Edward was wallowing in remorse, anger, and confusion. He raked his hand through his bangs, pulling them away from his damp face, "The Devil's Research," He muttered, laughing without humor in an almost sadistic way, "The Devil's Research was what he called it," he shook with his frustration and new found knowledge as he tried to regain any composure he might still have to get his words to those listening to his mad ramblings. "You're despicable, Doctor Marcoh," He spat at no one in particular, "despicable man."

Worried beyond belief, Denny inched towards the volatile boy, "Wh-what did you find out?" he asked with wide eyes. He didn't get too close, as the alchemist was still shaking with anger, tension, or possibly both.

"The raw materials." He gritted out forcefully, "The materials for a stone..." His voice wouldn't allow him to continue the sentence. He just couldn't crush his goal with those words; he couldn't say the words that could hinder him from saving his brothers. They once said that they'd do anything, at any cost to get Alphonse's body back to him, but now he didn't know. Doubt was an evil thing.

A delicately soft human hand rested itself on Edward's shoulder in reassurance. "Living humans." Elizabeth's broken voice chimed out sadly, knowing there was nothing to be done about it, they would have to search, possibly for years still, for another way to restore Alphonse's body.

Havoc, who had arrived just in time to her the final, complete sentence, dropped his cigarette from his mouth. He'd come to pick Elizabeth and her brothers up, as they were still to be under protection. Only minutes ago, there was what appeared to be a gas explosion, but Roy and Riza had properly and quietly identified as Scar's alchemy. They needed to know he was still on the loose and in central. In his own person matters, however, he came very willingly because was sick and tired of Elizabeth's avoidance these past three days. She'd acted like he was the plague or worse, in Jean's mind, he reminded her of her father and made her sick. But what he had overheard was down right shocking, so much so that he didn't even greet the girl in question as she continued to attempt to calm her brother, oblivious to Havoc's presence.

A small, silver glint in her hair completely reassured him that her cold shoulder was temporary, and he gained enough of his senses back to react to the scene before him. "Beth?" He called gently from the doorway. She looked up at him in unison with her brother, their identical eyes gleaming in very different ways. While Edward's glared hatred and anger, Elizabeth's were flooded with grief and despair.

The girl's arms went slack as she wondered how much he'd heard, and how far he thought they'd actually be willing to go to get that cursed stone.

"We shouldn't have taken this lead," Edward commented exasperatedly, "We'd have been better off not knowing about this." He turned to the curious stares of the people outside of the trio, "Not only does it require human sacrifices, but a large number of them for just a singe stone." His head fell back into his hands as he sighed, nearly defeated.

"B-But, this is military research! I can't believe that they'd even attempt something so inhumane!" Denny cried, horrified at what he'd learned, and more scared of how much he had been previously oblivious to.

"It's unforgivable!" Maria snapped disbelievingly, she too was scared of how much the military had been keeping from her and the other enlisted soldiers.

Something snapped in Edward when he realized just how widespread this knowledge might be in the high ranks, and how tight they might be trying to keep it. He stood ominously, keeping an emotionless expression as he addressed Maria and Denny, "Second Lieutenant Ross," His eyes flickered to the woman, then to the man, "Sergeant Brosh," He sighed deeply as his gaze fell again, hoping they'd do as he was about to ask, "Forget you learned any of this." Denny lurched forward to protest, but Edward snapped his head back up and gave him the most pitiful look that the young man had ever seen, and begged, "Please. Act like you never heard this."

Elizabeth had managed to plant Edward on one side of her and Alphonse on the other while on their way to their room, but as they entered, she was not as lucky. Havoc snatched her arm roughly, the automail one, and pulled her outside the door, more than a bit disheveled.

"Damn it, Elizabeth, you make me worry, you know that?" he muttered angrily, with a tint of embarrassment. Elizabeth wretched her arm from him violently and eyed him very carefully, obviously not trusting him, or herself. She was a little upset that he called her Elizabeth instead of Beth, but it was more of an unconscious reaction than a conscious one.

"Why would you worry about me?" She asked quietly. She still didn't understand this man, and it irritated her beyond belief. She understood Edward and Alphonse well enough, why not him? She even understood Bradley and Roy, so why not Jean Havoc?

"Because after that night, you just dropped off the face of the earth! After a whole day of not seeing you, I checked the files to be sure you didn't leave for a trip without telling me!" he cried, angry at himself for worrying over petty things, and more so for knowing they were petty but worrying nonetheless.

Elizabeth felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that was something she might have done, had she been able to leave the first day after the kiss. By the second day after, she realized how immature running would be, so she waited for him to contact her first, having no clue where to begin talking about that. "I-I wouldn't have done that, Jean." She whimpered out, did he think that little of her? She wasn't the bravest, but she came to her senses quickly enough not to try and do that.

Jean let out an exasperated sigh, "I don't have any idea what you would have done, Beth." He replied softly, "I understand that you're not used to this, for god's sake you're seven years younger than me, but, I," He began with great momentum, but it soon tapered off into nothing as he began stumbling over his own words. Elizabeth's eyes widened at what he had began. Did he mean a relationship, is that why he was so worked up, that seven years was giving him guilt trips?

"Jean..." She whispered tentatively, "Seven years... uhm, doesn't really mean... you know, it's not that much-" Elizabeth halted her own rambling and looked up at her blonde haired heartthrob and took a deep breath, "It doesn't matter to me."

With a half smirk, Jean lowered his head to hers, resting their foreheads together. "Really?" He muttered out, his voice noticeably lower.

Elizabeth's eyes were fixated on him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up, hovering around his lips, "Really." She whispered in return, the vibrations from her single utterance tickling Jean's lips. They crashed together, this time there was no surprise or lack of movement. Their lips slowly danced, gently and innocently. Elizabeth was learning, and Jean a very willing teacher. He pushed her no farther than the interlocked mouths, and enjoyed every touch of her, from her soft lips and fingers intertwining in his blonde hair to the smooth small of her back, where his own hands rested.

It ended all too soon for them as a door behind them opened quietly but slammed shut furiously. Her brother stood before them, watching them wallow in their guilt at they jumped apart nervously. Edward gritted his teeth together, putting up a facade of control as he addressed the man who was kissing his sister, "Havoc?" he gritted out, almost shaking.

The young man didn't dare look him in the eye, instead lowering his eyes even farther to the boy's boots. "Yeah?" He replied nervously, but his vice conveyed none of that, as it was still rugged and deep from what had just happened.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing with my sister, you bastard?" He shouted angrily, lurching after the taller and more skilled hand-to-hand combatant. He didn't stop to think, reaching to clap his hands and turn his automail into a dagger. Elizabeth reacted with swift motions, grabbing his automail arm and pinning it behind his back. She grabbed the other flailing one as well, after more struggle. Smiling an apologetic smile, she drug him back into their room, all the while he was screaming at Havoc, "I'm gonna fucking kill you, Havoc!"

Just as the door slammed and he thought he was all alone, Havoc dropped his head into his hands and groaned, "I am so screwed." A chuckle proved his thought of privacy to be void when Roy Mustang decided to make himself known.

"That you are." He remarked, thoroughly enjoying Havoc's luck with women, "First robbing the cradle, then pissing off FullMetal?" He chuckled again, "I'll bring flowers to your funeral."

Havoc groaned again, this time out of annoyance, "Why are you here, Mustang? I thought you were typing out a report on the gas explosion."

With a smirk Roy replied, "I finished as fast as I could. I wanted to see what was going to happen when you got back to the Elric's room. I was not disappointed." Mustang turned on his heel happily and walked down the hall to leave Jean to his thoughts, chuckling the entire way.

Haha, I love Mustang:) He's enjoying this as much as I am~!