One –

The first thing that Ed remembered as he jerked awake in the familiar bedroom was that he had been on a mission for Madame Christmas. Since two years prior to his going to Germany, he had worked for the woman (discretely of course), and he was now edging on his eighth year working for her, not including the two where he was actually in Germany, putting him at almost twenty-four.

The room around him was small in a way that it was the perfect size for an average sized man or two small children. He could remember spending almost a year and a half (not including that first month) in this room, studying Alchemy, learning martial arts, carefully patching up bruises and wrapping broken bones both on his body and on Alphonse's and he could remember, perfectly, the way that Izumi looked when she had demanded he wasn't her student anymore when he was sixteen in the room adjacent to this one.

He threw his legs over the edge of the bed, standing up easily and stretching both his Automail leg that he had had for six years now (without a single need for a maintenance call now that he cared for it) and his human leg before he turned around and stretched his back, then his shoulders and finally his left arm. He stretched his right one out of habit from his years with a prosthetic and the need to make sure the batteries were charged on it—though now with Automail again, he no longer worried around that.

Ed turned around, making the bed to be as neat and pristine as it had no doubt been before he had been laid in it. He tucked the hospital corners in last and picked up his suitcase from the foot of the bed, taking a deep breath as he stood in front of the closed door. He had to do this; Alphonse Elric had to understand that Ed was no longer Edward Elric and he couldn't come back—not after so long—not after what happened.

He gathered up his wits and repositioned his gloved, metal fingers on the handle of his suitcase before gently pushing open the door and shutting it with the knob still turned so that it didn't make that small click noise as he did so. He had no idea what time it was; he just had to get out of this house before he caved in and the last six years of his life became nothingness; no, he wouldn't let that happen again. Not after last time.

Izumi and Sig Curtis looked exactly as they did when Ed was still a child training under them, only now her face had a few laugh lines around her eyes and they also had an older, gentler look to them as she watched little Owen—Alphonse and Winry's son, who looked everything of his father yet acted everything like his mother, except with the cats—run around and play in the linoleum kitchen. You just couldn't ask him how he knew so much about Owen Elric—because, technically, he knew nothing of him and there was no reason for him to keep tabs that broke his heart until he sobbed on his parents, either.

He was sure he might have been able to sneak out of the house unnoticed had Owen not run past him that that particular moment, pulling all four of the people in that houses' attention. He started towards Sig and set down his suitcase, holding out his right hand. "Echo Thompson," he introduced his new life after Sig had taken it. Sig released it the moment that he had finished his name and kept that forced smile that, over the years now, has molded into his real smile with that little glimmer in his eye that he never could make happen before now as he turned to Izumi and held his hand out again, glad when she took it. "I really do apologize but I can't stay much longer; I'm afraid my train will be here soon. However, if either of you are ever in Central, do look me up. I'd be more than happy to get to know the both of you better and thank you for taking me in after I passed out. I'm very grateful."

He picked up his suitcase again, ignoring the confused looks on their two faces as he walked past them and out the store front, making it only halfway down the yard path before Alphonse was chasing after him, yelling "Brother!"

He forced himself not to stall at the word; he forced himself to keep walking. He wasn't Al's older brother anymore; he was Echo Thompson—an only child of a man in Ellis, a small unmarked city not too far from Resembool, who's mother was never around and he had such an uneventful life that he didn't even go on the books until he got the job at the Central University as a Alchemy Professor since between the time he had gone and the time he awoke, the Military had put a band on Alchemy saying you had to be at least a College Freshmen to practice it (openly).

Such stupid laws he could have prevented if he had just stayed here in Amestris—but he knew the only way he could have done that was to not get his brother back, and reasoned that some things weren't worth rewinding and redoing.

He sidestepped out of Alphonse's way, watching as the young man stumbled and stuck his hands out, springing into a handspring to catch himself before he spun around and faced Ed again. "Brother, where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I must ask you to step aside for you have me confused with someone else." His voice was calm, his face blank of all emotion like Mustang had done to him years ago when he was in the Military, but on the inside, he was crying out, wishing that he could just say 'I give' and drop his suitcase, pull his brother into his arms and sob that he was so happy that Al never gave up—but he couldn't do that.

"Don't give me that load of b-s!"

He blinked in mild shock, careful to keep his face clear of all emotion he felt. "Sir, I'm afraid you have me mistaken for another man. Please, I would much prefer not to be late for my train; may I leave now?"

"Don't do this! You're making Winry cry because you're walking away, leaving us behind you!"

"Look, it's not my fault I don't know you." He snapped. "I am not your brother"—Ed glared as hard as he could, building up years of anger at different things and forcing them into his eyes, making Al flinch before he became defiant—"nor will I ever be. I'm just not who you are looking for. Sir. I am asking you one final time. Move out of my way."

"That's not a question and as such I will not dignify it with an answer." He squared his stance like he used to back when they would get ready to spare, but Ed didn't want to spare. Not anymore. He'd grown world weary long before he turned fourteen. Back then, he had done it to keep up an act he had tired of long before he had started it.

He didn't even bother to move and in a split second, Alphonse was on his knees, clutching his stomach with his right hand and resting his forehead on his left forearm. He spared the man a glance before finishing his trek out of the front yard, each step becoming harder and harder for him to not just say 'fuck all' and turn around, making sure his little brother was alright.

He took a deep breath, reminding himself that he wasn't Edward Elric—Edward Elric died when he was ten and he lost his brother's body—died again when he was eleven and Nina died—died again when he was twelve and became a dog of the Military—died again when he was thirteen and Scar had first appeared before him—died again when he was fourteen and he realized what it took to make a Philosopher's Stone—died again when he was fifteen and he realized that he was in love with a person he was never supposed to meet—died again when he was sixteen and Envy stabbed him through the heart in the literal sense—died again when he was only a few hours older and still sixteen as he gave Al his body and went to Germany—died again when he was eighteen and turned away from Al and Mustang on Eckhart's Blimp—died again the next day when they put the memorial stone in the Military Graveyard—died one final time when the half-empty tombstone was placed beside his mother's tombstone and his father's memorial stone in Resembool the week after that.

He kind of wondered what kind of monster he was now as he continued to walk, slowly, away from where Alphonse Elric had crippled over without a single physical touch from Ed's person. He wondered if this was what his father had felt like as he moved his soul from body to body just to survive a little while longer. He was a monster that never died, but that didn't mean that he had to admit it to just anyone. He was his own monster—not an immortal monster, mind ye, but a monster nonetheless.

He was so swarmed in his thoughts that he almost missed the car that drove up and pulled over at the curb in front of him. Gracia Hughes smiled at him from the driver's seat, but it fell when she saw his expression. Feeling guilty, he looked away and to the backseat, smiling gently as he saw an out-cold Maes holding his seven-year-old daughter to his chest, the top of her head nuzzled against his cheek. They were both out.

"I suppose I should be thankful that you found me, Glacier-sama," he greeted, not mistaking the way she glanced over her shoulder and knew in an instant what had happened without him ever uttering a single word. "Though I must admit that I am fully ashamed of myself that I made such a wonderful lady as yourself wait for a man of my status. Truly, it is unsightly."

"Oh, no, it's alright Echo-sama," she waved her hand at him and motioned for him to open the door. He did so, settling his briefcase against the front of his seat so that it would be tucked behind his calves when he sat. "Is there a reason why Winry is crying?" He turned and hesitated outside the door, watching as Winry sobbed, her hands still on Al's shoulders while Izumi, Sig and Owen looked on, confused in the men's case and curious in Izumi's.

He stepped in, shrugging his shoulders and speaking loud enough so that they would hear him, "I have no idea who that is so I wouldn't know."

He heard Al's "fucking bastard" murmur just before he shut the door and he couldn't help but shut his eyes in sorrow as they started driving and he buckled blindly.

"Did you find the information that Madame Christmas sent you down here for?" Her voice was low and he knew without looking that she was glancing back at Maes and Elysia as they slept peacefully. No one could know about their real jobs—the ones they used their Professor status' at the University to hide from the public eye.

He felt himself take a deep breath, leaving his eyes closed as a tear trickled out of his left eye, down his nose and stopping, midair about an inch above his hand. "And so much more than I ever want to admit to anyone, including myself."

There was a moment and Gracia was pulling him closer, kissing the top of his head in her motherly way. Ed smiled gently, and thanked her quietly. Sometimes, she knew just what he needed to keep from crying. Other times, she did exactly what had to be done for him to cry more. This time was a latter option, but he managed to use that second of calm to dry his eyes and straighten his back.

"So, when are we due back? I'll drive when you get tired."

She smiled politely at him for a second before looking back to the road. "No offense to you, Echo-sama, but I would like to get back to Central before then."

He smirked to himself. "I concur. But the offer is open as long as it happens sometime after five minutes has passed."

"I think we'll be fine. I know a shortcut."

"And I can get us there in a millisecond."

"Sometimes, it's nice to just watch the scenery, Echo."

"I know; which is exactly why I'm not bothering to get us there any faster than what you want us to go."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry."

"What ever for?"

His voice broke, shaking as he spoke, and he felt those tears he had quelled but a few seconds ago break loose, even after he shut his eyes. "Everything."

a/n - This will (probably) be a slow updating story and it's really just a test run. Plus, I've also got RJE I want to try to finish relatively soon and I have other stories to work on as well as my book. :) So, if you like, please review! I can't wait to see if you guys like it or not. And I hope it's not confusing, but if it is, tell me! I'll remember to put it in future chapters. And typos and stuff, yeah, please tell me, its 0021 hours over here and I really don't want to go through this again. And I'm pretty sure that it'll be RoyEd in the end… somehow… I'm still working this out. This is like a "preview" chapter. Thanks! ~Love, JWhitney!