Theo and Sarah are back in the heart-stopping sequel to We Were the Cost. The Mustang house is turned upside down as Amestris is stared down by threats of war. Xing feels itself slipping because of it's alliance to Amestris, as a Princess has been taken. A playing piece for war.

Alphonse, Elicia, Kain, Clint, Maes, plus new friends and enemies. Are you prepared to pay the price? Are you prepared to accept the cost of life?

Rating: T

A/N: Well, guys, this has been a long time coming. It was during the school year actually, in choir, when Demy and I were discussing our one-shots, and we both admitted we'd been thinking of doing a sequel to We Were the Cost. We'd had plenty of ideas and then this was formed. A whole summer's work of non-stop progress, and now something to go along with this in the works, the We Were the Cost story is about to become a saga, and we can't stop it.

We hope you enjoy this story, because your in for a bumpy ride. Thanks for coming.

So sit back, relax, and pull up a chair as we proudly present: The Cost of Life.

Chapter One

(THEO)

"So, how is it in least populated town in Amestris?"

"Oh, yeah, you think you're so big being a city boy now, is that it?"

I sighed, my chest shaking with a weak laughter. "Table City isn't exactly a big town, sis."

"No, but you're just happy to be out of here, Theo Elric. Don't think I can't tell."

"I'd rather be somewhere else..." I whispered softly. There was a silence where Sarah's voice should be. Finally, she whispered, "I know."

I could see Sarah now, sitting in the kitchen in Resembool, her hair tied back at the nape of her neck, to keep the heat from the stove she was probably working on cause her to sweat and stick her hair to her face. She probably had on one of mom's old aprons. She be twirling the phone cord, most likely, a habit she hadn't started until she'd finally started answering the phone to things like Uncle Roy or Kain when he called from train stations. I missed Sarah a hell of a lot. I missed everyone more than I thought I would. Then there was the girl I missed the most...

"Kain's on his way. He just called from the station."

"That's great," I smiled for her. I knew how hard it was on her, always waiting on him and never being with him. "How long has it been since he's been up?"

"Six months and eight days," she sighed, as if she wasn't aware she was talking to me. I cringed for her.

"Six months and eight days?" I reiterated softly. "Sarah...Sarah...that's..."

"He's working," she whispered reverently. "To save up money. He's back in his village. And you know he doesn't like it here, Theo." Her voice choked off. "He's happy."

I shook my head, and started tangled the phone cord myself. "Sarah, you know me. You know that Maes visited me once a week after we got...back," I whispered, "and it killed me every second we were apart. I think about her every second of every day and I moved out here and joined the military so that I could be with her. She's the only thing I'm doing this for. And Kain, out there on his own, visiting whenever he wants to..." I shook my head. "Sarah, I know I don't understand the hate Kain has for Amestrians, but even if I was Ishvallan or Xingese or Cretian, I'd still want to always be next to her."

"You're right, Theo," she whispered, "You don't understand."

There was a long silence, and I just sat there with my eyes closed. I heard the door to my room open and shut, but I didn't move.

"How is Maes?" Sarah asked softly, as if afraid she'd offended me. Of course she hadn't.

I sighed, my chest tightening. "I don't know. She hasn't picked up my calls today."

"I'm sorry," Sarah quickly shot out, "I-Wait, is that the only reason you called me? You couldn't get a hold of Maes?"

I shrugged. "I'm obligated to one phone call a day. I figure if it's coming out of my pay anyway, might as well use it."

"Is that Sarah?"

I looked up over in my small dormitory. The room was about ten by ten, with two beds shoved against the wall. They were small and dusty, with blue bed sheets, matching our uniforms perfectly. There was a desk in the corner stocked with pens and paper. A trunk was stationed at each of the beds, holding personal belongings that know one knew you had, because no one bothered to ask. I was sitting at the desk chair, combat boots propped up on the desk. On the bed closest to the door, sat a young girl. She had a heart shaped face, with round cheeks like a doll. Full tan lips set in her tan face. She wasn't Amestrian, that much had been obvious upon first glance. Her eyes were framed with the longest and thinnest black eyelashes I'd ever seen, and her eyes were a tawny shade: honey brown flecked with gold. Her hair seemed the same shade as her eyes. I suppose what it really is are streaks of brown and gold, but it seemed to all melt together. Amber was a Cretian girl, whose parents were shot trying to flee Creta. Shot by the military.

Amber, just an orphan, was somehow spared and brought up in Table City. She joined the military the same year I did, and although opposite-gender bunking was frowned upon, neither of us minded. We could just tell that there was no sexual connection between the two of us. I looked at Amber the way I looked at Sarah, I cared about Amber and probably loved her, but she'd always be just one of the guys.

"Yeah," I told her, and Amber broke out into one of her famous smiles.

"Tell her I said hi, and that her brother's aim is horrible."

"It was the gun, I swear, Amber!"

I brought the phone back up to my ear. "Sorry, Amber says hi."

"Tell her that I say hi too, and that she has to keep my brother in line."

"You girls and your messages..." I grumbled, and they both laughed.

A rap on the door-probably from the Colonel-told me my time was up on the phone.

"Gotta go, Sar. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"You said that last time, Theo. I haven't seen you in forever. Have you even changed?"

"Okay, firstly, I joined about five months ago. Secondly, yes, I'm taller, and yes, I'm working on a beard."

"He's got about four hairs on his chin, he just looks like he doesn't know how to shave," Amber yelled. Sarah heard, and laughed.

"Okay, bye," I grumbled.

"Bye, love you!"

The phone clicked shut.

Amber flopped back on the bed, taking off her blue jacket. It made everyone look like a brick, and it must've been horrible for Amber. She was relatively flat chested, but still...must be hard to get a boyfriend wearing that.

"Tomorrow's Sunday," she smiled, dropping her suspenders off her shoulders, but stopped there.

"Day off," I beamed.

"We should-"

Amber got cut off by a knock at the door, then a tall frame stepping in. We both stood up right, and saluted.

"At ease. You're off, aren't ya?" The Colonel sighed, shuffling through papers. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, cigarette hanging from his teeth. Colonel Havoc wasn't a demanding officer, but mainly very...relaxed. I guess you had to be once you worked in Creta. He was constantly smoking, his blue eyes always seeming tired and droopy.

"Mail for you guys," he sighed, handing me a stack of envelops. "Oh, no," he said, grabbing for one. "That's mine and-gyahh!" He held it tight to his chest, jumping. "It's from Rebecca!"

"When is she comin' to see you, Colonel?" I sighed, plopping back down on my bed. "You've been dating for how many years now?" I wiggled my hand. "Ya need to get a ring on it."

He sighed, looking totally frantic. "I'm...I...I'm just waiting for the right time!"

He cleared his throat, and looked back down at his stacks. "Appears I don't have any for you, Lieutenant."

I worriedly glanced up at Amber, who it seemed didn't have the ability to form words. I frowned.

"I-uh-er...That's fine..." she was staring intently at her knees when Havoc wished us a good night, and left.

I put my neglected mail down, and went next to her. "You need to stop that," I whispered softly, touching her arm.

She shoved her head in her hands. "Why is he so damn beautiful?" she grumbled, "And perfect and...nice? He's so God damn nice to me..." she grumbled. "No one ever gives half a crap about me and he's so..." she sighed, shaking.

I stared at her hard. "Get dressed. Wear something pretty. Like a skirt. Do you're hair, we're getting the boys and going out for drinks-"

"Theo," she whined.

I was already undressing out of my blocky blue uniform, digging through my trunk for decent clothes.

"No. We're getting you a date."

"Theo, I drink to relieve stress, not to get drunk enough to-"

"Just get dressed!" I groaned, turning around to give her privacy. It wasn't uncommon for Amber and I to go get drinks. This was actually our normal weekend routine. Never drunk, we didn't do that, just a few shots to loosen everything. Maes had met Amber, and after realizing that I totally cared about Amber one way, and herself another, she was totally fine with our hanging out...I think...

I was in my blue pants still as I went to check my mail, a white undershirt the only thing covering my chest.

There was a letter from Mom, none from Maes, and one with-

I froze.

"Theo, are you ready?"

Amber was behind me already, in a pink dress showing off the contrast of her dark skin, and her tawny hair pulled up in a bun. "Theo?"

I was staring at the envelope in my hand. The navy wax seal holding it shut. Who it was addressed to. And who sent it. I ripped it open, still staring at the seal. The first time I had seen it, I'd been leaving home for the first time. This seal changed my life forever.

"You're getting reassigned?" Amber read over my shoulder.

"N-no..." I whispered, shaking, "but I'm need for a bigger mission in Central...?"

"Central..." Her eyes widened.

I was throwing my coat back on, and shoving all my possessions back into my trunk. "I can't go out tonight, Amber," I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek quickly. "Go get some drinks with Marcus and the guys, though."

I lifted the trunk and sat the huge on thing on my shoulder. "I have a train to catch."

(SARAH)

I sighed as I stood by the phone, my hand playing with the hem of my pink shirt, as if trying to keep my mind distracted. It wasn't working. All I wanted to do was stay there until the phone rang again, hoping that I could just have contact with someone. I couldn't take the feeling of loneliness anymore. In this house it was just Mother, Father, and me, though each of our relationships wasn't very steady. Mother was always a bit distant, worrying about Theo. Father had actually been against Theo joining the military, so he didn't care as much, but he did care about my relationship with Kain. And not in a good way. He...tolerated Kain, the few times he came to visit, but you could tell just by looking at Father that he was strongly against whatever was going on between Kain and I.

Whatever was going on between Kain and I... I didn't even know... I hadn't seen him in months, and contacting him in Ishval was next to impossible. I only knew when he was coming to Resembool because he would call me from some pay phone. Other than that, I hardly talked to him. Kain had only actually been here a handful of times. It upset me, but I knew why. I mean...I could understand why he hated Amestris... I knew it wasn't really fair for me to ask him to come here... I knew his home was in Ishval and that he was happy there. Who was I to get in the way of that...?

I walked across the living room and sat on the couch, propping my elbows on my knees. I held my face in my hands, biting my lower lip.

I didn't even know what to think. Was it selfish for me to want Kain by my side all the time?

There was a knock at the door and I stood to go answer it, putting on a smile.

As I opened the door, I saw his tan lips stretched into a grin. I wrapped my arms around him excitedly. "Kain..." I whispered.

"Oh, hello, Kain," came my mother's voice as she walked into the room, making Kain and I part faster than I would've liked.

"Hello, Mrs. Elric," Kain greeted as he entered the house. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing well," she sighed, giving a smile.

"Yeah," I mumbled. "When you're not thinking about Theo."

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, with him in the military now, I just can't relax..."

"Theo joined the military?" Kain asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," I replied. "About five months ago when he turned 18."

"I see," Kain said. I could tell he was trying to sound happy for Theo, but we knew Kain wasn't fond of the military.

I untied my apron and threw it to Mother. "Do you mind taking over cooking dinner?" I asked.

"Not at all," she said, putting on the apron and going to the kitchen.

I grinned and took Kain's hand and we went and sat down on the couch. It felt so good to have him sitting here next to me after all that time. That had been the longest period of time I hadn't seen him since we met. Since we met... That seemed like forever ago... I was 13 and he was 16. He'd changed so much since then. When I first met him he'd had such an abrasive personality and angry attitude towards everyone, but now he was much more kind and respectful, even a bit timid at times. He'd changed physically as well. His white hair was now longer and pulled back into a loose ponytail and his skin was slightly darker, considering all of his time spent in Ishval. The scar running diagonally across his face was as prominent as ever, as was the black tattoo on his arm. The transmutation circle wrapped around his muscular arm always made me a bit cautious around him. I'd seen the alchemy that it enabled him to use many times before-to kill people, to destroy things-and it scared me a bit, though I knew it was a groundless concern. But I did wonder if he ever used his alchemy anymore, or if he would be ostracized from his village because of it.

"So... How are things in Ishval?" I asked.

"Great," he said sincerely, but didn't expand further on the subject. He rested his head in his hand, his elbow propped on his knee.

I really wished I could go with him to his village again, but Mother and Father would never let me. The last time I was in Ishval was a time I would not like to relive.

"Hey, Kain?" I said. He didn't acknowledge that I'd spoken just looked around the room with a blank expression on his face. "Kain?" I tried again, nudging him a bit with my knee.

He turned his head towards me quickly, eyebrows raised. "Hm?"

I stared at him quizzically. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," he answered.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You seem-"

There was a knock at the door. I wondered for a moment who it could be as I went to go open it. When I did, I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Sarah."

I threw my arms around him. "Uncle Alphonse!" I laughed. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't visit my family?" he asked incredulously.

"You know that's not what I meant," I said as I let him inside the house. "Mom, Dad! Uncle Al's here!" I shouted.

Kain stood and walked over to us. "Hello, Mr. Elric," he said, shaking Uncle Al's hand.

"Hey there, Kain," Alphonse said. Uncle had never disapproved of Kain like Mother and Father did. It was true that Uncle Alphonse was far more friendly anyway, but he'd seen Kain risk his own life trying to save me. He understood the bond between Kain and I at a degree that Mother and Father never would.

"Hey, Al," Dad greeted as he entered the room.

"Al!" Mom laughed as she ran to hug him.

"Brother! Winry!" Uncle greeted warmly.

"What're you doing in Resembool?" Father asked.

"I thought I'd stop by here on my way to Central," Al said. "I got a letter from Fuhrer Mustang."

"Oh yeah?" Dad grumbled. "What does Fuhrer Bastard want?"

Al rolled his eyes at my dad. "I'm not sure. He said he was sending me on a mission and things would be explained further once I got there."

"Really?" I burst out. "You're going to Central?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"May I come?" I asked. "Please?"

"Sarah," Mom sighed.

"I don't see why not," Al said before Mother could give her disapproval.

A smile stretched across my face and I wrapped Alphonse in a hug. "Yes!" I shouted.

"As long as you are responsible enough to return here right after Al leaves," Father boomed, arms crossed.

I nodded frantically.

"Edward!" Mom argued.

"What, Winry?" Dad asked. "You act like she's a little kid. She's 16 now. Let her out of the house for once."

Mother sighed and crossed her arms. "Fine."

I grinned. "No need to worry, Mom," I assured. "I just want to visit Clint, Maes, and Uncle Roy."

Father stomped his foot. "Why do you always refer to him as uncle!?" he shouted.

Alphonse laughed, as did Mother and I. Father stormed out of the room and Mother chased after him, still giggling.

I sighed and turned towards Kain, my smile dropping a bit. Did I really want to ask him to come with me when I knew he would hate every minute of it? But still... I wanted to be with him so badly, and I hadn't seen him in so long...

He smiled at me and chuckled a little. "I'd love to join you," he said.

I wrapped my arms around him. "Thanks."