*****Sorry about that, one of my sisters was playing on my phone and I did not notice chapter 3 was gone until now.*****

Artemis P.O.V.

"Just a quick peek into the lab, make sure everything's alright. You can handle that, can't you, kiddo?" I sneered, mimicking Grandpa as I approached the large laboratory. I hated him treating me like a little kid; I almost asked Grandma to shoot him. The front door was locked, so I took a step back and kicked it, causing it to fly open. One of the double doors almost came off the hinges. I walked in and the entire place was empty. "Hello?" I called, my voice echoing off the walls. There was no reply. I rolled my eyes and turned to leave. "Why does he send me on bullshit assignments? I'm almost sixteen years old, not a baby. When my dad was eleven, him and Uncle Al were doing way more dangerous--" A loud clatter interrupted my rant. I whirled around, aiming an arrow in the direction of the noise. "Artemis, how nice of you to join us," a low, sultry voice called. A woman stepped out of the shadows, wearing a long, black dress that cut low, showing off a lot of cleavage. She also wore what looked like black gloves. Her dark hair tumbled past her shoulders in waves; she was gorgeous. I glanced at the ouroboros tattoo on her chest and glanced back up to her black-violet eyes. Her cherry-red lips tilted up in a smirk. "Like what you see?" she asked. I aimed the weapon for the center of her ouroboros when another voice piped up, "Are we gonna kill her or not?" I looked up to see a man sitting on a ceiling beam, looking bored. His eyes were a lighter shade of violet than the woman's, and his spiked green-black hair came down to his hips. His pale skin was mostly bare, save for a black skort and half-shirt. His ouroboros was on the outside of his thigh.

"We can't kill her, Envy," the woman hissed. "We need her." A third voice chimed in. "Aw, but Lust, I'm hungry," it whined. I couldn't find the owner of the voice. "Gluttony, we need her. If she turns out to be completely useless, you can have her," the woman he called Lust sighed, glancing back over her shoulder. A short, rotund man stepped forward to stand by Lust. He was bald, with small, beady eyes. He wore all black, and had a wide, toothy grin that was way too large to belong to a human mouth. He grinned, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. I saw the ouroboros on his tongue. Grief's voice rang in my head, 'Be safe.' That sonofabitch knew this was going to happen! I was pissed. I smiled at Lust. "Sorry, but I'm not being used for anything a homunculus needs." I glanced up at the other homunculus as I backed toward the door. "And, Envy is it? Yeah, I like living, so...not happening." Envy started laughing, a loud, rumbling laugh. "She's funny, I like her. Can we just keep her as a pet or something?" he asked Lust. The woman rolled her eyes. "Get her, Gluttony!" she ordered. Gluttony sped toward me, tongue wagging. He sure was fast for such a big person! I ducked to the left and he sped straight past me, crashing through the wall. I ran along the far wall, shooting at Envy. Two arrows caught him, one in the forhead and one in the chest, and he fell. He tried to pull them out, but blue light glowed from the transmutation circles on the arrowheads. He convulsed on the floor, screaming. His head split open and a hole burned through his chest. I then aimed my focus on Lust. She glared at me, a satisfied smirk on her face. I could hear Gluttony closing in on me. His ouroboros was on his tongue.

I turned around and let three more arrows fly. One struck dead between his eyes, the other two hitting the center of his ouroboros. He fell to the ground like Envy had, but he couldn't scream. He coughed up dark red liquid, pulling at the arrows. It was then I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. "I was told to bring you in alive, but no one said anything about being damaged," Lust said as her sharpened finger retracted from my shoulder. 'She stabbed me!' my thoughts screamed. 'That bitch stabbed me! With her finger!' I placed my hand over my shoulder, pulling it away to reveal the warm, sticky red liquid. With a wicked grin, I raised my weapon and released two arrows that went straight through the palms of her hands, pinning her to a wall. I let another one fly, hitting her stomach. The alchemic reactions started and she shrieked, pulling at the restraint. I ran out of the building, as fast and far as my legs would carry me.

Grief P.O.V.

I slipped into the back window of the lab, hearing cries of agony. Lust saw me and glared. "You idiot! You were supposed to be keeping watch. She got away," she spat, grimacing in pain. I ripped the arrows from her hands and torso, watching as she regenerated. "I-I was on the other side of the building," I murmured. "I only came in because I heard you screaming." She rolled her eyes, walking over and pulling the arrows out of Envy. Red light crackled around him and within a second, he was standing by Lust. "Wh-where's Gluttony?" I asked, looking around. Envy picked a small, red stone off the ground. "She killed him," he answered, twirling the Philosopher's Stone in his fingers. "Are you sure we can't keep her?" he suddenly asked, turning to Lust. "I'll get a leash for her and everything!" He sounded so excited; it made me sick to my stomach to hear him talk about Artemis like that. "No!" Lust snapped. "She's not a toy, she's not a pet. She. Is. A. Tool. And we need her. Got it?" We both nodded, staring warily at our older 'sister'.

Artemis P.O.V.

I came home a few days later, my arm bandaged and stitched up. I marched straight to the abandoned little cottage where I knew Grief would be waiting for me. Without hesitation, I busted the door open and stormed into the room. "A-Artemis!" Grief exclaimed, jumping to his feet and rushing to hug me. With my good hand, I drew back my fist and punched him as hard as I could. Red light crackled around him as his broken jaw fixed itself. He stared at me in disbelief, his wide eyes brimming with tears. "Wh-what was that for?" he asked. I could feel the rage inside of me boiling over. "You knew!" I hissed. "You knew where I was being sent and that the other homunculi were luring me there. They wanted to hurt me!" He looked so heartbroken, so remorseful. He sat down on the ground, holding his head in his hands. "You knew!" I screamed louder, feeling betrayed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered over and over. "I didn't know you'd get hurt." He looked up at me, his eyes going straight to the sling on my arm. "Some friend you are," I scoffed, turning to walk out the door. "He said he didn't know, didn't he? You're the one who's walking out on him over something he didn't do. Some friend you are," Grief hissed, but it wasn't Grief. It didn't sound right. It sounded dark, cruel even. I whirled around to face him. Standing in front of me was Grief, but he was different. His eyes were ruby-red and he had a wicked grin spreading from ear-to-ear. Intricate patterns ran across his pale skin, looking like blackened vines going down his neck and the left side of his face. "Grief, I--"

"I'm not Grief," Grief/not-Grief growled. "I am Guilt, and I'm what happens when you upset my friend here." He pointed to his chest. "Now, would you like a few words before you die?" Die? What? What was he talking about? There was no way he could just take control of Grief. I knew Grief was upset with me, but not upset enough to kill me. "Grief, please. I--" "I told you, I'm not Grief!" he yelled, his red eyes flashing with fury. His hair lashed out like long tentacles, and I started to run. They wrapped around me and pulled me back towards him. The tendrils of hair constricted tighter around me, squeezing out the air, crushing me. "Grief!" I cried, tears burning my cheeks. I tried to get loose, but he only squeezed tighter. My chest and my shoulder were on fire; I could hardly breathe. "Grief, let me go!" He started to laugh maniacally. "You're hurting me!" I whimpered. He froze, dropping me to the ground. My body tingled and my shoulder was aching. I watched as the red faded back to grey and the patterns disappeared, Grief sinking to the floor, looking horrified. "Artemis, I'm so sorry. So so sorry. I was upset and he took that chance to-- it'll never happen-- you know I'd never hurt you, right?" he said, burying his head in his hands. I crawled over to him, pulling his hands away from his face. "Grief, it's okay. It's okay," I soothed, brushing his hair out of his face with my good hand. I curled myself up in his lap, laying my head on his shoulder. "I'd never hurt you, Artemis. I'm so sorry," he sighed, wrapping his arms around me.

I lifted my head to look at him, not realizing how close our faces were, and my lips brushed his softly. I ducked my head quickly, hiding my face behind my hair. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, feeling my face grow hot. "I-It's okay," he whispered, cupping my face in his hands. Before I knew it, he was tilting my head back and his soft lips were pressed against mine again. He was not demanding or rough, but gentle and sweet. He pulled back to look at me, his deep grey eyes filled with tenderness and care. I could feel the blush rise to my face as I looked away. "Artemis, I...I'm sorry. Was that bad? Was I not supposed to do that?" he asked, looking confused.I laughed and shook my head at him, my hair bouncing around me. "No, Grief. It was...perfect!" I giggled, throwing my arms around him. He put his arms around me, cradling me against his chest. My shoulder throbbed, but warmth flooded through my body, drowning out the pain. In his arms, I had never felt more safe.

Grief P.O.V.

Artemis was out of the sling within a week, but her arm was still all bandaged up. She had snuck out of her house while she was supposed to be 'resting'. "Ugh, I hate this," she groaned as I lifted her in the air to pick an apple from the large, shady tree we were under. Stubborn as ever, Artemis wanted to come out here and do some practicing, but she could barely raise her arm. "I feel so helpless," she whined, throwing the apple as far as she could with her good arm. I tilted her head back, placing a gentle kiss on her full, sweet lips. "Well, let me help you then," I smiled. She snuggled against me, giggling softly. I scooped her up in my arms and spun her around, making her squeal in surprise. I set her down and she sprawled out in the grass, pulling me to the ground with her. I laid my head on her chest, humming softly as I let her play with my hair. "This is nice," she sighed contentedly. "I wish it could always be like this." I hugged her tighter, fidgeting with the fabric of her coat. "Yeah, me too," I sighed, thinking about all the things that could happen if someone found out about us. "I never want anything bad to happen to you because of me." She sat up, making me move, too. She stared at me, her ember eyes burning brightly. "If anything bad ever happens to me, it's going to be my fault. Understand?" she scowled. I nodded, tugging the sleeves of my hoodie. Her face softened and she smiled at me, that loving warmth evident in her eyes. Suddenly she winced. "Are you ready to go? My shoulder is killing me," she pouted. I stood and helped her up, walking hand-in-hand through the orchard.

We walked together for a long time in silence, sticking to the back roads and alleys. "Artemis? Do you want a normal relationship? One you don't have to hide from everyone? If so, you won't be able to find that with me. I can't--" She placed a finger over my lips, a small smile on hers. "What's this about? You don't wanna be with me?" she whimpered, looking hurt. I shook my head furiously, my hair whipping back and forth across my face. "N-no! That's not it at all! I--" She raised a hand to stop me again, a smirk on her face. "It would be nice," she confessed, "but I don't want to be with anyone else. I want you, Grief. Only you." If I could've blushed, my face would have been scarlet. She kissed me before climbing up the wall and into her second-story window. I turned to walk away and something slammed me against the wall. A tall, broad-shouldered man with blond hair and gold eyes had pinned me to the wall by my throat. 'It's Edward Elric,' I thought. 'This is gonna end badly,' Guilt chuckled darkly. I would've kicked Guilt, if that were possible. "What are you doing with my daughter?" he growled. "N-nothing!" I stammered, pulling at his hands. He drew his arm back and slammed me into the wall again, knocking the air from me. "Don't you lie to me, homunculus. What do you want with Artemis?" he hissed. "Nothing," I repeated, deciding my best option was not to fight him. "Then leave," he sneered, tossing me to the ground, "and don't come back."

I stood and brushed myself off, staring defiantly at him. "I'm afraid I can't do that, sir," I replied, my voice raspy. He hesitated for a moment, then narrowed his eyes at me. "And why is that?" he asked. I stared straight into those angry gold eyes, even though every instinct told me to run. "Because, I-I love her," I whispered. He froze, looking like he was ready to have a stroke. His arm shot out and grabbed the back of my neck, like I was a puppy. He drug me around to the front door and pulled me into the house. "Artemis!" he roared, his face red with rage. Artemis ran down the stairs, stopping when she saw me standing in the hallway. "Why is there a homunculus hanging around outside the house?" Edward asked through gritted teeth. Artemis bit her bottom lip and stayed quiet for a long time. She could have lied, she could have sent me away, but instead, she came to stand in front of her father, completely unafraid. "Because, Dad, he walked me home," she answered, looking innocent. "And why did he walk you home?" he growled, getting angrier by the second. "Because I was with him," she said softly. "Why?" he asked, his patience thinning. She stared up at him, her eyes filled with the same determination and strength as his.; she wasn't backing down. "Because I've been seeing him," she answered. He raised his hand to strike her, then a voice, with a heavy accent I couldn't quite place, scolded, "Edward! Have you lost your mind?" At the sound of the voice, he let me go.

His hand dropped to his side and we all turned to a doorway that led into the kitchen. I was just noticing the woman and two children there. A tall, lanky boy who strongly resembled Edward stood behind the woman who had yelled. She had long black hair that was braided down her back and dark green eyes. She was holding a little girl with sunny blonde hair and the same green eyes. The little girl couldn't have been more than six, and I assumed the boy was Artemis' twin. "Kairo, she-- he's a homunculus!" he hissed. Kairo held the girl with one arm and propped her other hand on her hip. "I don't care if he was Truth itself; you have no place to hit her because she's dating someone," Kairo snapped, giving a warning glare before going back into the kitchen. "My wife said nothing about being able to hit you," he muttered, turning to me and drawing his fist back. "Dad," Artemis sighed, grabbing his arm. "No, you can't talk your way out of this, Artemis," he said. He was talking to her, but his eyes were focused on me, burning with hatred. "Artemis Starr Elric, you are never to see this boy again," he ordered.

She stepped between us, shielding me from her father's glare. If looks could kill, my stone would have burned out by now. "No, Dad!" she replied, glaring defiantly at him. "I'll see him if I want to." His eyes widened in shock, but the anger was still there. "Artemis..." he warned. She shook her head, refusing to listen to him. "You're not going to stop me from being with him," she declared. "He's sweet, and pure, and good, and he makes me happy." Edward shook his head, his ponytail bobbing with him. "There is nothing pure about what he is or does," he sneered with disgust. "I love him, and you can't keep me away from him," she argued, standing her ground. "You don't even know what love is," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "I know enough to show care and compassion! To have faith in someone!" she yelled. "When you love someone, you're on their side, no matter who it's against. You accept them with all of their flaws. Remember? You and Momma taught me that, didn't you Dad?" Her voice was hoarse and she was crying now. "You're such a hypocrite," she scoffed. "You tell me all these things about love, then try to punish me for being in love. Nice job, Pops. Great parenting skills." She swiped angrily at the tears that covered her cheeks, pushing past him and stomping back upstairs. A moment later we heard a door slam.

Edward turned to me. "This is your fault," he hissed. I stared at him in utter disbelief. "My fault? I'm not the one who made her cry," I retorted. "Well you're the boyfriend, go fix it," he said. "Me? You're her parent," I replied. He looked desperate in that moment, running his hand through his hair. "But I can't-- I don't know how to deal with her when she cries," he confessed. I nodded and his eyes widened, like he realized he had shared too much personal information with me. "Kairo, honey, I-- "Forget it. This is your mess, you deal with it," Kairo called from the kitchen, cutting him off. He sighed, grabbing my shirt and dragging me up the stairs with him. He turned down a hall and knocked on the only door there. "Go away," Artemis' muffled voice whined. He opened the door anyway, pulling me along with him. The room was painted pale purple with silver, black, and dark violet decals decorating the walls all the way to the ceiling. A bright, silver crescent moon was painted on the ceiling, above the canopy bed. The room was huge. Several piles of books lay all around, covering the floor. Near her bed was a desk that was covered in stacks of papers. Artemis lay curled in the center of the bed, a white comforter pulled tight around her. She looked like she was tucked in a cloud.

Edward pushed me into a big, curved chair, knocking me against the desk, before taking a seat at the foot of the bed. "Artemis," he whispered, patting the pile of blanket. "What do you want?" she shouted, sitting up in bed. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her face was streaked with tears. "Artemis, I-- There is no excuse for how I acted. I'm sorry," he said. She stared at him, suspicion and doubt in her eyes. "You, you're apologizing?" she asked, looking genuinely surprised. He grimaced, like what he was about to say would physically hurt him. "I have no right to judge who you date, nor do I have the right to forbid you from dating someone...even if he is a homunculus," he sighed, glancing at me warily. "I'm not happy about this, but you're happy and safe. That's all I want." She smiled and crawled out of the blankets to hug him, wincing when she put pressure on her arm. "Thank you for understanding, Dad," she mumbled into his shoulder. In that moment, I wanted to disappear; I felt like I was intruding. "Sure thing, princess," he replied. She laid back in bed, her face turning bright pink. She threw the blanket over her head, hiding from us. "Daaaaad! Don't call me that," she whined. He laughed and stood to leave. "Whatever you say, princess," he chuckled before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

I was on the bed and by her side in an instant, my arm around her waist. "So, princess, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," I whispered. She pulled the blanket off of her face and glared as she picked up a pillow and hit me with it. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PAMPERED LITTLE PRISS WHO CAN'T DO A THING FOR HERSELF!?" she yelled. I hugged her tighter, nuzzling against her neck. "I never said that! Calm down, I won't say it anymore. But you gotta admit, that was a lot less violent than it could've been," I said. She twirled her fingers through my hair. "You're right. It could've been worse. Way worse," she agreed, stifling a yawn. I untangled myself from her arms and got out of bed. "I should go," I muttered. Guilt hadn't stopped saying awful things the entire time. In fact, leaving was the only thing he did agree on. She whimpered in protest, but I just leaned down and kissed her forehead. "It's getting dark and you need your rest," I said. "Besides, I have to get back before the other homunculi start looking for me." I kissed her once more, then opened the nearest window, crawling out into the darkening evening.