Chapter 16 - 16 Cracking the Code

Envy looked up at her. "What is it, Nova?" he asked curiously, wondering what was on her mind. Nova blinked and glanced at him, smirking some. "It's nothing." She murmured quietly and adjusted her beanie. "Hey, Vee, have you got a hiding place we can duck into before it starts raining?" She asked curiously. She could already hear distant rumbles of thunder. Envy looked up at the sky and nodded. "Yeah, it's not far from here." He told her, glad he thought ahead and did have a place to lay low in while above ground. "You know the alley way yesterday? It's a little further in." Nova thought a moment and nodded lightly, then carefully adjusted him in her arms so she could stand. "Awesome." She said, and began heading that way.

Envy nodded and waited until she got to the alleyway before jumping out of her arms, transforming into his Vee guise and led her to the small space he had. It wasn't anything special, just a bachelor's pad with a worn couch and a large floor pillow. "Yeah, it's not much, but…" he shrugged. Nova smirked some when they arrived, and shook her head. "It's a place to lay low, right?" She murmured quietly, curling up on the floor pillow. She liked the rain, it was the thunder and lightning she didn't favor. It wasn't much longer before the sky darkened and it began to rain outside.

Envy chuckled as he plopped onto the couch. "Yep, but it's not bad." he smirked, stretching out as he listened to the rain starting to come down. Nova was quiet as she listened to the rain outside, only bringing her hands up to her beanie, and her ears, when thunder boomed. Envy looked over at her as the thunder crashed above as he sat up. "Want something to help dampen to the sound?" he offered. Nova shook her head some. No matter how tough, or strong though, two things always got to her; one was water, like in a lake or pool. The other was thunder.

Envy rolled his eyes and got off the couch and joined her on the floor pillow as it was big enough for two people. "Always the strong one." He teased. Nova blinked when he joined her on the pillow and curled against him some when thunder crashed. "What'd you expect?" She murmured. Envy smirked as he lightly wrapped an arm around her. "Nothing less for you." He teased lightly and rubbed her back lightly. Nova smirked some. "No funny business." She teased quietly as he rubbed her back. Vee was probably the only other person, other than Ed and Al, that could get her to turn red. Envy rolled his eyes at her tease. "Right, as if I'd take advantage of you." He snorted at her, giving her a teasing smirk.

Nova smirked and slowly closed her eyes, feeling better with him next to her. Envy chuckled as he continued to just rub her back as he listened to the storm and lightly tugged her hair playfully. Nova slowly opened one of her Amber eyes when he did and smirked lightly. "Am I amusing to you?" She asked semi teasingly. Maybe she wanted him to, a small part of her that would always lean towards him. Envy smirked at her, playfully tugged at her hair again. "Always are." He teased back at her lightly as he lightly ran his fingers through her hair. Nova flushed some at his tease and lowered her hands from her ears and beanie even as thunder clashed outside. She was focusing on Vee, which helped time out the storm.

Envy chuckled softly at her and lightly stroked her flushed cheek. "It's so easy to make you blush…" he murmured lightly. "It's kinda adorable." Nova flushed darker and shook her head, pouting a bit. "It's your fault.." She murmured, playfully sticking her tongue out some. Envy laughed at that and gave her a light squeeze. "Right… all my fault." He teased back, playfully poking her sides. Nova chuckled and lightly nuzzled against him when he poked her sides, causing her beanie to come off a little. "Yep, because you're such a charmer." She smirked. Envy smirked at her as he went back to rubbing her back. "You make it easy." He gave her a wink, lightly pulling her closer as she nuzzled into him.

Nova lowered her eyes, trying not to flush more. Cheeky bastard.. How was it her fault, how he made her feel? She couldn't help it.. Vee was always trying to get her to feel better, even in that place, whenever they got put in the same room. Envy chuckled softly and merely rested his head on top of hers, careful of her ears, just holding her. It was amusing how easy it was to fall back into this roll and it seemed that her little crush on him was still there. Nova slowly closed her eyes again as she relaxed against him, and the storm seemed to pick up again, but she was comfortable like this. Even if she was being a bit selfish..

Envy continued to hold her as she relaxed, smirking a bit at how comfortable she was. He was almost disappointed at how easy this was, but knew he had to keep up the persona while she was around. He had to get her to trust him completely before acting. Nova focused on Vee to tune out the storm happening outside, not really sleeping or dozing. "The other day, you said I better than them.. Were you just saying that?" She asked quietly, keeping her eyes closed. "No, you're special, Nova. And you're not restricted to the same ideals that they are." Envy told her honestly, not moving from how they were. Nova smiled softly and nuzzled into him lightly. "The military is still after me.. I don't know if they'll ever give up. Whether it be because of the damage I caused when I escaped, or them just wanting me back under their microscope." She murmured quietly.

Envy nodded a bit, knowing Wrath was behind that because he didn't believe anyone else could get Nova to them aside from him. "Well, I'm glad they haven't found you. Hopefully they will, but you can always come here if you really need a place to crash." He told her softly. Nova opened her eyes and glanced up at him. "You know, trust is hard to give after everything that happened.. Even with those I should trust.." She admitted wearily. Besides, how did she know whether or not she'd be betrayed again? Her own father had been the one to lock her up in that place to begin with. She really hoped he was still the same Vee as back then. Envy nodded, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I know how you feel, Nova, but I'm happy to know you have people you trust though… I'm glad that you're happier now than back then." He murmured softly as he shifted his head. He rested his forehead against her, lightly brushing their noses together.

"You're probably one of the luckiest out of all of us…" he murmured, staring at her for a moment before brushing his lips against hers softly. Nova stared into his soft purple eyes and flushed when their noses brushed together. Sometimes ignoring her instincts were impossible.. "Lucky?" She murmured softly, her breath catching as his lips brushed against hers. "Very lucky… you're not alone out here, yes, all of us have each other… but you, you have more." Envy murmured to her, looking at her through lightly hooded eyes and lightly nuzzled their noses together again. Nova slowly shifted some as he spoke, just enough to make her beanie fall off, flushing some as he nuzzled their noses together again.

"You're not alone either, Vee.. You have me.." She murmured softly, her ears lowering slightly. Envy gave her a soft smile and gently reached up, lightly rubbing her ear. "I know I do and you have me too, but you have family here with you and I'm happy with you." He told her softly, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I didn't mean to make you sad, Nova." Nova blushed when he rubbed her ears and shook her head as he spoke. "Dummy.." She murmured softly and licked his cheek affectionately, since it felt more natural due to her being a wolf after all, then flushed darkly and moved away from him. "S..sorry! I don't.. know why..I did that.." She stumbled over her words. Crap! What the hell?!

Envy was surprised when she licked him, but found himself smirking at her. Chuckling, he pulled her back to him and pressed his lips against her, letting her feel the purr erupting in his chest. He placed a hand behind her head, keeping her in place. Nova's eyes widen when he pulled her back to him, and pressed his lips against hers. Only briefly though, until she started to relax with feeling the purr in his chest and her ears lowered against her head as she returned the kiss. Envy kept the kiss going for a few more moments before slowly pulling away, keeping his eyes soft as he gazed at her. He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You are precious, Nova… I hope you never forget that."

Nova stared softly into his eyes as he ended the kiss and pressed her lips together. Emotions were funny.. One minute she was confused about them, and the next she felt like she understood, completely unaware of what was beneath the surface. "It's hard not to forget.." She murmured wearily. Envy shook his head. "Not in that way, you, as a person are special. It doesn't matter what your genetics give you. Nova, you're special because you haven't let what happened to you change who you are, and that makes you extremely special." Nova blinked as he spoke and shyly averted her eyes. She had changed though, more than she cared to admit, but he did have a point. "Thanks, Vee.." She murmured softly, nuzzling their noses together affectionately.

~°~°~°~

A few days passed and the brothers finally cracked the code. Edward slammed his fists against the table in anger. "Damnit!" he cursed, unable to get his mind off the secret about the Philosopher's Stone. He couldn't believe it, after all of their searching for the stone, this was the price they would have to pay in order to create one. "Human lives… I can't… I just can't believe it…" Al spoke, his voice portraying his disbelief and hopelessness of ever getting his body back again. Nova had joined them that last day, when they were coming close to cracking the code. Neither brother asked where she had gone to over the past few days, knowing they had neglected her with their single mindedness.

Nova flinched, and felt her ears flatten against her head as she sat in the room with them, when Edward slammed his fists into the table, and lowered her eyes. She had taken her beanie off for the moment, knowing no one would just barge into their room. Edward sat down again, frustrated with everything. "Sorry Nova… didn't mean to make you flinch…" he murmured, running a hand over his face as he looked at the notes. "I can't believe it though… human lives… that's the secret to the stone?" he muttered, cursing again under his breath. Nova shook her head lightly when he apologized and glanced at him. "I'm sorry, Edward.. All that searching you guys did.. This just seems cruel.." She murmured, lowering her eyes and half expected him to turn on her half-cocked.

She had known from the beginning, and couldn't bring herself to tell them..

"It's okay, Nova… it's a really big shock… never did we think it would human lives that created the stone…" Al spoke up, his voice soft as always. "We'll find another way to get our bodies back, right brother?" "Yeah, Al… we'll figure something out." Ed gave the two a small smile. "We're not going to give up yet." Nova knit her eyebrows together. "Listen to me for a minute.. I feel really bad about this okay?" She said quietly and glanced at the boy, her ears staying low. "I knew this was what you guys would find." She murmured. "I knew from the beginning, and I selfishly kept it from you. I was scared to tell you.." She said quietly.

Ed blinked, staring at Nova blankly. "You… knew?" he asked her quietly. His mind was racing now with this. He wanted to get mad at her, to explode in anger and shout at her. But he knew it would get them nowhere. "How…?" Al kept silent as he looked between his brother and Nova. This news came to a great shock to him, but he didn't even know what to say. Nova stifled a frown and gripped the bottom part of her shirt. "The lab they had me in.. They were talking about it and I overheard them.. They wanted to get Marcoh to make them another one by using some prisoners from a prison here in central, and the prisoners they had in the lab where I was.." She said quietly.

"I didn't know what they were talking about then, but now it all makes since.. So go ahead and yell at me, tell me what a horrible person I am for keeping it from you." She murmured. "I never meant to hurt you.." She wouldn't blame him if he did.

Ed listened as she spoke and once she finished, he sighed heavily, raking a hand over his face as he leaned back into the couch. "Even if you did tell us before hand… we probably wouldn't have believed you." He spoke after a few moments. "I'm not mad, Nova… I get why you didn't tell us… some warning might have been nice… but I get it. It was better we found out for ourselves." Al look over at his brother, surprised he didn't have an outburst like he expected. He was taking this ins strive, which was a big improvement to how he usually took news like this. Nova blinked away the tears she didn't even realize she had in her eyes, and lowered her eyes as he spoke.

"Can we go back to Resembool?" She asked softly, after a moment of staring at the floor. "Being in Central is starting to put me on edge.." She murmured softly.