Without hesitation Katherine grabbed her coat and took Dorchet in her arms. She locked the door to her house and went around back to get her family's horse. Katherine didn't even wait to put the saddle on; she just placed Dorchet up the mare's bare back then climbed on behind him.
Soshu, please, don't get killed. She thought as she rode away from the small Ishbalan village. Dorchet looked back at his home and, though he was very young, understood that he would not be coming back and that his father was gone for good.
For days Katherine remained on trail to the border between Amestris and Ishbal. Finally she came to a small town with a railroad. She waited until she was certain that the train was headed to Amestris and secretly hid among the cars.
For a few days Katherine and her son lived off of the food and such that were in the car with them, but still it worried her that her son was so sallow skinned and thin. Finally the train stopped. The two of them waited until nightfall to risk leaving the train and got away safely. Katherine cradled her young son in her arms as she sat in the shadows of an alley. The place beside her was still under construction, but the notice on the side said that it would be a bar called The Devil's Nest.
In the morning Katherine decided that she had gone far enough north to be in Amestris. She soon found out that the town's name was Dublith and that there was a butcher looking for some help. Over the giant window of the butcher shop, a sign simply read MEAT.
Shrugging, Katherine decided that it was as good a place as any other and went in. Hesitantly she walked into the room and up to the counter. No one seemed to be occupying that position, so she rang the bell. A moment later a child-laden woman came out and smiled.
"Why, hello." She beamed. Dorchet's mouth fell open.
"Hey, Mom. Her husband can sure feed her!" Dorchet said right out. Katherine's face flushed, but instead of indignation, she heard laughter.
"Oh, no. I'm going to have a baby." The woman smiled. Dorchet's eyes grew round as saucers.
"You mean you store your baby in your tummy?"
"Well, I guess so yeah." The woman said. Then she turned to Katherine. "Hello, I'm Izumi Curtis."
"Katherine Hisoka."
Izumi looked back down at Dorchet, who was staring at her.
"What's the matter?" Izumi asked. Dorchet crossed his arms.
"I don't believe you."
"Dorchet, darling." Katherine began, but Izumi waved her hand as if to say, it's alright.
"Would you like to come over here and see?" Izumi asked. Dorchet looked at his mother and looked back at Izumi, then walked around the counter. Izumi gently took his hand in hers and guided it to her extended stomach. Under his hand Dorchet felt a movement.
"What was that?" He asked. Izumi smiled.
"That was either my son or my daughter. I'm having two babies." Dorchet looked up at her and smiled. He had felt another movement; this one harder than the last.
"What are you going to name them?" He asked in wonder. Izumi smiled at him and ruffled his hair.
"Well, the boy's going to be named Ethan and the girl's going to be named Sonoma."
Dorchet ran back to his mother and tugged at her shirt.
"Can we please stay here? I want to see Ethan and Sonoma!" He practically shouted. Katherine looked up at Izumi.
"I did come here looking for a job." She said. Izumi nodded.
"Alright, I'll take you on. You can stay upstairs if you haven't made any other arrangements." Dorchet laughed out of pure joy.
"Oh, Mom, you don't know how much fun this'll be! I'll teach Ethan how to hit a ball with a bat, how to fill water balloons and play battle."
"I'm so sorry, he seems to have made himself at home already." Katherine apologized as her son carried on.
"Oh, I don't mind. I'll need the practice with kids if I'm going to have my own." Then she walked over to the stairs. "I'll show you to your rooms."
