"So what says you? The offer is on the table," Kain asked when Raine returned to the booth with their meals. He'd invited her out to lunch, saying that she had to celebrate somehow- even though she wasn't sure what they were celebrating, exactly, and that Mustang had a message for her. But Raine hadn't been expecting the choice she was being given.

"Mustang expects me to just sit there and let Marcoh use a Philosophers Stone on me?" her eyebrows raised, sheer curiosity crossed her face. Raine's eyes said differently, they had a much bitterer glint to them. "They really think I'm going to use human lives to get my arm back?" just saying that left a bitter taste in her mouth. It made her sick to her stomach whenever she thought about someone using a stone.

"Well…. No, but we all decided that after what you did to help this country-" Fuery started, but was shushed by the girl sitting across from him quickly.

"I didn't do anything to help the country. Anyway, no, I don't want to use their Philosophers Stone." Harsh, maybe. Her tone and her words; and while she hated being so rude to innocent little Kain Fuery, she had to be blunt or he'd keep hounding her. Raine took a bite of her hamburger, watching the man in front of her do the same before he answered.

"But don't you want your arm back?" he asked innocently, trying to fully comprehend why she wouldn't accept the offer. Knowing Raine, there were multiple reasons. She took a sip of her coffee before responding to him, keeping her voice low.

"No. I've never even thought about it, to be honest. It never has been, nor will it ever be one of my top priorities." Kain blinked at the straight forward answer, she had never been so open to questions, and so honest with answers before, even held at gunpoint she managed to be silent. So why was Raine talking now? "But I also don't want to look at my arm and know that I have it because people's souls are dead. I promised myself and I promised other people that I would never use a Philosophers Stone that was made with human lives. And I always keep my promises." A forced smile crossed her face. "Besides, who needs real limbs when you have the best auto-mail mechanic in Amestris?"

Fuery chuckled softly. He still wished she would accept help and get her arm back… but if it wasn't what she wanted to do, he wasn't going to pressure her. In the end, he decided to bring it back up later, after lunch. "I guess you have a point. I've heard good things about Ed's auto-mail. But it seems to break a lot…"

"that's because Fullmetal doesn't take care of it correctly," Raine chuckled, but the boy in front of her frowned slightly around his mug.

"Why do you always do that? You either call people by their last names or a full first name. sure, you have crazy nicknames for people," he laughed quietly at his own, 'Glasses' as she called him, "But you don't call Edward Ed, or Alphonse Al. why not?" there wasn't an issue with the quirk, he was just curious, he noticed it a lot coming from her.

She shrugged taking another bite of her food. "I'm horrible with names," Raine admitted. "Plus, coming up with nicknames for people is fun, Glasses. Try it."

"Alright…" he thought for a moment, running a hand through is hair. "You're… I've got nothing," Kain admitted nervously. Raine chuckled softly, taking another sip of her drink.

"I didn't realize I was so bland," she mock pouted, unable to hide a small smile from crossing her lips. For once, she wasn't looking over her shoulder ever five seconds to make sure she wasn't being followed, or to see if there were military officials around. And gosh, that felt good, free. No, as of that moment, Raine Evans had no worries about being arrested, killed, attacked, or having to attack someone. She could relax. It wouldn't last, it never did; but Raine would make the best of it while she could.

"N-no! That's not what I meant!" the boy exclaimed hurriedly, throwing his hands up in the air and almost knocking his glasses off. His face was a bright red and the poor kid seemed completely flustered.

"Cool it, Kain." Raine smiled brightly. "I was only joking around. You don't need to get so spazzy." Fuery chuckled cautiously, pushing his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose, still blushing like mad. In a quick attempt to change the subject, he felt around his pockets for a moment before pulling out a small box and sliding it across the table top.

"I almost forgot, I got this for you, it's for your birthday." That's right…. It was Raine's birthday. Kain smiled proudly. *How did he know?* "I thought you might like something since we're not really doing anything big to celebrate."

Carefully, Raine picked up the box and opened it. Inside was a small silver ball, engraved with names. 'Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Ling Yao,' and the list continued, all around the circle. Name after name, 'Nina Tucker, Meghan Evans, Frank Evans,' even Raine was on there. The Armstrong's, Mustang's men, Ross and Brosh. Everyone. "Wh- what's this?" that was all Raine could get out. Shock showed on her face, even in her voice. All of the names, her family, Nina?!

"It's a necklace! It has the names of all the people that helped keep this country safe!" Fuery seemed so happy about the idea, his eyes lit up. "Do you like it?!" he asked hopefully, mentally praying that she did.

She was speechless, staring at the small lettering. "I… I love it... Thank you." *Why did he get me something?* "But why are Nina and my family on here?" the seventeen year old asked when she could find her voice again. *Why am I on here?*

"Because, though the circumstance may be awful, they're the reason we had you on our side. They're the reason you fought. And you were one of the biggest assets," he seemed appalled by the question. Kain took another bite of his food, a grin on his face. "You really saved our butts a few times."

"I didn't do anything," Raine responded sharply, her voice snapping him out of his happy daze. Why was she so convinced that she did nothing? What was the point of fighting if she was going to deny it? "It's not worth calling me a heroine over."

"Raine. I owe you my life," he pointed out, motioning to the leg that had gotten hit with a bullet. He hated that memory. Hated the helplessness of the situation. Thankfully it was just her leg, though and not her stomach, or head. All of the fighting around him and Raine just had to jump in front and save him, didn't she? Another impulse decision, he was sure. "Why'd you fight?" the question that had been nagging him since he saw her at Central Headquarters the first time. A girl who looked completely out of her element, standing in front of the Colonel and Edward in a leather jacket and boots. Out of place, fixing everyone with a glare that said, 'come near me and I'll kill you.' But she also looked… wounded. "Why'd you fight for us?"

"I fought because I didn't want to die. It's that simple. I didn't want to die and I didn't want the damn homunculi to win." The logic couldn't be argued with, but Kain also knew there was more to it than that. There always was. He sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"What's the other reason?" No, this question wouldn't be let go. Couldn't be let go, because it would answer the question for Raine, too.

"Because I needed to protect people. Fullmetal, Xing, Kitten. They needed to live, no matter what happened to me," she finally admitted. "Too many people had died already. There were too many people that I couldn't save. And it wasn't- no- it's not going to happen again."

Fuery blinked. So that was why….. /It was all too clear. Everyone crowded around everyone. Blades crashing, the thump of fist on skin, weapons of choice being used. He heard the bang, saw the bullet fly out of the barrel, but he couldn't react. Kain Fuery was going to die, it was as simple as that. There it was, a small chunk of metal, racing toward his chest. Him, racing toward his death. "KAIN!" Raine? Was that who it was? There she was, jumping. /Flying/ out of a tree, slamming into the boy. A sickening sound, then a groan of pain. Kain Fuery had just been saved, but he didn't know if Evans was alright. He didn't know where she was shot, didn't know if she was even breathing. But he still had to stand and fire his own pistol at the original shooter's head, before he could even think of talking to her. While it took seconds at most, it seemed like hours, days. Years. Because he didn't know. Because he couldn't know. The thing was- Raine never made a sound when she got hurt, never expressed that she'd felt anything. And that cry of discomfort… that terrified Fuery.

"Raine!" When he finally turned around, he didn't know what he'd see. A girl bathed in red, the color locked out of her leather jacket? Raine Evans with a hole in her head and eyes rolled back? His wild imagination ran amuck coming up with every terrifying scenario about his friend's death. And that scary train of thought brought a wave of relief when he saw the girl smiling up at him, a hand on her leg, wearing a pained expression but trying to hide it.

"Did ya get 'im?" her words echoed around in Kain's head for a moment before they registered completely. She was alive. She was talking. Raine was okay. Raine was alive. Without thinking, he pulled her into a tight hug. Raine tensed automatically, freezing. *What the hell?*

"Oh, thank god! You're alive! Thank you, thank you so much." Was he thanking Raine for saving him, or the universe for the fact that she wasn't dead? Finally, Raine relaxed, awkwardly returning the embrace. It seemed like an odd time to hug someone, in the middle of a battlefield, bullets whizzing past, and knives piercing the air above their heads, but Fuery didn't care. "I thought you were dead…" he mumbled, his head on her shoulder. "I thought you died." Right in her ear, over and over. "I thought he killed you."

"Hey- you should know better. I don't die. But let's be sappy later, now isn't a good time." Confused, scared, and worried. But Raine still wore her brave face, still acted like she didn't care. Her leg throbbed, stung, burned; yet, she wasn't aware that she had cried out. Quickly she pulled back, searching around for any of her friends. "Are you alright?"/ That was why Raine took a bullet for him. She wanted to protect him. He had always figured that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time…. But this made too much disturbing sense. His throat went dry. She could have died, and it would have been to save him.

"Did I ever thank you? For pushing me out of the way…. And getting shot?" he asked. Did he? Kain couldn't remember, it all seemed like a blur, except for the sound of ripping denim and that yelp of pain. He remembered the blood and the terror for his own life and hers. But did he thank her? Raine's eyes softened and she smiled slightly, placing her mug on the wooden table.

"Only fifty times. But stop it; you would have done the same thing. That's what friends do, ya know. Don't stress it." Raine honestly couldn't express how relieved she'd been when the bullet hit her leg. It had hurt like hell, but it meant that Kain was safe. Was alive. And that was worth the wound. *'I thought you died… I thought he killed you…'* "it's not that big of a deal."

He sighed, opening his mouth to protest before closing it again. She'd never admit that it was huge that she had saved his life. No. Instead; Fuery stood, taking the necklace carefully out of the box and walking behind Raine. "Here, hold your hair up." She rolled her eyes, knowing very well that she could put it on herself, but held her ponytail above her head, anyway. "There!" he exclaimed when he clasped the two ends together. "It's on, you can let go of your hair now!" Raine smiled, reaching up gently to touch the round charm.

"Thank you… so much, Kain. But you didn't have to get me anything. Really." what else was there to say? Raine never told anyone her birthday, though… at least not that she could remember. Her birthday never seemed like a big deal to her, nothing to celebrate.

"I know I didn't. I wanted to," the boy replied happily, stepping in front of her to see how the necklace looked. "Besides, it /is/ your birthday, and only a few other people know, so I figured I'd get you something." Raine opened her mouth to thank him again when he pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm really glad you didn't die, Raine. I really am." And then it hit her. Like a bolt of lightning.

"So am I, Kain. So am I."