Hi again. I know I said id do another chap the other day but…….meehhhhmm… not quite myself… messy business this is… so my apologies in advanced again. Im getting around now so let's see what my fingers can do!

Disclaimer: you know the drill
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Nighttime Stroll

Winry was fast asleep as I quietly crept out of the room. I paused by the door and threw one last glance over my shoulder. Who else besides Winry sleeps with a wrench anyway?

I slinked silently out into the hallway. Across the way was Ed and Al's room and down further was Aunt Pinako's. I could hear Ed snoring slightly. I cracked the door just enough to see him lying in bed. He sleeps like a little kid. I smiled to myself and slowly closed the door. I tried my hardest not to make the old wooden stairs creak as I descended to the first floor. I cast one more glance around the room and made my way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" someone whispered.

I jumped, waves of fright flying up and down my spine. "A-Al?"

Al emerged out of a shadowy corner which I had managed to overlook. "Kate-san, why are you up?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I said, still recovering from shock.

"This body doesn't let me sleep," Al replied.

"Oh…" I felt so bad for him. "Does Edward know?"

"I'm not sure." Al contemplated this for a moment. "I never told him because I don't want him to feel bad. If he does know, he's never said anything about it before. I guess it's just one of those things that don't need to be talked about."

"Al…" Poor Alphonse; can't eat, can't sleep… I was reminded again that I've got to contribute as much of my help as possible. "Oh, right… Well, um, how bout you join me then?"

"Where are you going to?" Al said, following me out the door and then shutting it quietly. We started down the dirt road.

"My house," I said after a while.

"You're house?" Al clanked quietly behind me. "Shouldn't we have woken up Nii-san then?"

"No, let him rest," I said. "He could use it."

"So could you," Al noted.

"Al…" I sighed. I looked up at him. "Please don't worry about these dreams. I honestly think they're starting to go away now. I haven't seen any since the train."

"That's good," Al said. "But I really think we should've woken Nii-san."

"Al, don't!" I grabbed his arm as he started to turn. It was ice cold. "Al, please… I-I don't want Edward to see…"

Al stared at me for a while. "Alright… but are you sure it's ok for me to come?"

"Yeah… it's alright," I mumbled and let him go.

We walked for quite sometime before we finally got over the really big hills that divide my hometown from Resembool. A little to the east was the tiny town but if we stayed going at a slight diagonal to the west…

It still stood there. In all its loneliness and solitude my old home sat on the top of the small hill just west of town. The moon was just overhead, shining down on the abandoned little house. The little gray house looked bleached to resemble off-white. Windows were broken and the flowers had died off long ago. Wild plants grew in their place. It was a sad and remorseful sight that brought tears to my eyes and memories back to my mind.

"Kate-san?" Al said, bending slightly towards me because by this time I was already down on my knees sobbing.

"So is this your house?"

My head jerked up to see Ed standing next to me. "E-Edward?"

"Why didn't you wake me up, Al?" Ed said, lightly hitting his brother on the arm.

"I tried! But Kate-san said not to!" Al whined defensively.

"Ahhh…" Ed strolled back over to me, hand behind his head. Then he extended it down to me. "Well, let's go take a look inside. You wanted to do this, right?"

I nodded, drying my tears and taking his hand. He yanked me up and then forward towards the door and let go. I looked up at my old front door and slowly pushed it open. The moon was bright enough to trickle through the broken window panes and give some light to the inside of the house. Cobwebs were everywhere along with a nice coating of dust and everything inside had that aged and abandoned look to it. But besides all that it was exactly how I remembered it. We were standing in the small living room with the old dark green couch that Mom and I sat on so often at night. Straight ahead was the doorway that led to the kitchen and to the left was the staircase that led up to our rooms. I trembled a little as I moved towards the stairs. I touched the old wooden railing. My fingers met the layer of dust but then the felt the old worn wood underneath. I withdrew my hand and continued my way up the stairs.

"Stay down here, Al," Ed whispered. "These stairs look like they could give any second."

"Right," Al said, but their voices sounded far away to me as I wandered further into my childhood.

The upstairs looked pretty much as Winry's did. There was the bathroom to the left and then further down was Mom's bedroom, a room we never really used, and to the right was my room. I stared at my old bedroom door. A little pink sign said, "Come in!" It had a little cat face on it and a few stickers. I remembered making that with Mom…

"Here, why don't you put some stickers on it?" she had said. "It'll look even cuter."

"Yeah!" I had said, giggling. "Look at my kitty!"

"That's very good."I remember her smile…

My hand reached out and pushed the door open. It creaked a little and swung in. Inside the little room was be bed, my desk, full of pictured I had drawn as a child, some old toys, my closet, which was bare except for a pair of little shoes, my nightstand, and the old rocking chair that Mom used to sit in. I wandered around aimlessly for a while and then sat down on my bed, facing my window, which still had its lacy moth-eaten curtains up. I sat there in silence for a little while, absorbing my surroundings and fighting back tears. Then I stood up and went across the hall to my mother's room. Her room sort of resembled mine. Her bed was on the opposite wall though and she had a corner desk and a big chest of drawers. I walked over to her bed and looked down at it.

"She… She… died here…" Words managed to form and leave my dry mouth. They sounded croaky, edged with that tone where you know you're about to cry.

Ed stepped into the room. He had been following me this whole time.

"She… d-died here…you know…" Darn, my voice is giving my tears away!

"Kate…" Ed said quietly.

"She… she did. Right here… in this bed… I w-watched her." I kneeled back down to the floor. "I-I came in one night… and she lay there… and she wouldn't move… and… and…and…!"

Ed kneeled next to me and gave me a hug. It was kind of weird because I could feel the difference between his regular arm and his auto-mail arm. But at that moment I didn't really care. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed.

"Tell me," he said in the same quiet tone. "When did your mother die?"

"A little less than fourteen years ago…" I whispered. "Why?"

"That's around the time our mom died," he answered. "There must have been some kind of virus around here. Did your mom die slowly like ours?"

I nodded. "Yes… it must've been… the same…"

I looked up at Ed. His expression was soft and his golden eyes were warm. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I –-"

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Greg Smithins, having a rough night in an alley way, stumbled out into the morning light and wandered around through the small town. If he just went a little to the west…

And there it was. The small gray house on the small gray hill with flowerbeds around it. A woman with long dirty blond hair tied back into a bun was putting up laundry on the line. When she saw Greg, she paused, put the sheet she was holding down, and turned completely towards him.

"Greg Smithins," she said to him. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," Greg agreed. "How are you, Karen?"

"Fine, and I'd ask the same about you but it seems to me that you slept in the gutter," she remarked.

"One could say that," Greg replied. "My family seems to have forsaken me. Would you be kind enough to open your door to me? Or has your heart hardened as well? I promise I won't stay that long."

Karen looked him over a few times and then sighed. "Alright. You're lucky I'm not as heartless as some people."

"And I heartily thank you for that," Greg said, following her into the house. She showed him around and pointed him towards the guest bedroom. He thanked her and set his bag in there. He washed up a little and then returned downstairs. "Something smells delectable."

"Thanks," Karen said as Greg seated himself at the small table in the kitchen. "So tell me, stranger, where have your travels taken you? What have you been doing all these years?"

Greg contemplated the idea of telling her. It seemed to be equivalent exchange for letting him of all people stay in her house was a high price. "Alright, I shall tell you..."

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Author's note: um not much to say…. Cept thanks for reading and trying to stay with this. Specail thanks to Tenshi, who's been quite loyal to read and comment every chapter I make despite my recent lack of updations. THANKS SO MUCH! X3

Ttfn!

Briellesabop )