This chapter is dedicated to everyone who reads this story because reviews motivate me to write this chapter during school. Thank you for your nice reviews.
Disclaimer: As usual. But I would rent Charlotte and her dad. Anyone interested?
And yes: It's still just something I came up with after thinking about Hawkeye's family on her mother's side.

Catherina smirked behind the veil of her hair as she watched how Edward slept. She had always been the smart one but also the emotional one. Her heart had decided that she should follow Peter until he reached this goal. Her heart had told her to wait for him. And now it told her to make love happen. She was smart enough.

"It has been a while," Pinako said as she sat down and looked at the red-haired woman.

"Yes," Catherina agreed whit a sigh. "How have you been, Pinako? I haven't heard from you…"

"I have lost my son and my daughter-in-law in the war, Catherina."

The seemingly younger woman closed her eyes and a single tear ran down her face. "I am sad to hear this, Pinako," she whispered. "Urey and Sarah … they were good and wonderful people. I hope that they will find their peace wherever they may be now…"

"You always adored Urey…" Pinako sighed at the memory. "…and he adored you because you were always patient enough to play with him for hours…" she looked at the other woman. "I always wondered why you and Peter never had kids. Well, he has his girls now … but why not before…?"

Catherina's grip around the mug tightened. "With our positions, Pinako, it was never a good idea," she said and her voice was laced with sorrow. "Don't get me wrong, I adore children. They have the face of angels after all … but I would hardly be a good mother for any child. You know my temper … and my impatience if someone doesn't do what I want… And Peter … well … he has already kids…"

"You know bloody well that Peter would always comply with your wishes, Catherina," Pinako said. "The guy loves you! I remember how he was when you left! He was heartbroken!"

"Pinako, don't start this again! Trisha hated me already for leaving him behind!"

"Trisha knew that it was not your fault that your people needed you." The old mechanic sighed. "She didn't hate to you. She didn't hate Peter. And she didn't hate Van. She knew why all of you had to leave … and what was on the stake."

Edward awoke but he decided that it could be smart to stay silent and listen to them.

"Still … we failed her," Catherina said darkly. "Van and Peter have an excuse why they weren't there to help her. I don't have an excuse. Fine, I was rebuilding my country during that time but…"

"It was her who decided that you should be the one to stay in her old environment, Catherina. She said that your position was the most important and that you of all people should finish her job."

"I was old enough to know that it wouldn't work out." The red-haired took her coat. "If you search me, I am going to her grave. It has been a while since I last saw it. Maybe she needs new flowers."

"You shouldn't waste your energy before such an important fight, D'Artagan. As soon as Winry has finished her packing, we will leave for the West, won't we?" Pinako asked.

"Of course but in my country we respect the ones who died for a good cause," the warrior-lady said and left the house. Edward stared at her as she passed the window before he got up. "Where is she going, old lady?" he asked while he stretched his arms.

"She visits your mother's grave … she always visits Trisha when she's in Amestris … she still blames herself … foolish girl…" Pinako said. "But that's how she is…"

Edward found his escort in front of his mother's grave. Her red hair shimmered in the sun and she kneeled and her lips moved silently – like she was praying or something. Before Edward could reach her, she got up, bowed and lay down a wonderful flower, a white lily, made of glass. Edward had seen these perfect but artificial flowers before but he had never seen the person who had made them. Now he knew.

"You are the one who makes these flowers for her," he stated and she didn't even flinch.

"Yes," she nodded. "Come on, I will tell you the whole story … maybe you will understand Van and his decision afterwards…"

He sat down beside her in the grass. "I saw the photos, yesterday," he said. "I never paid attention … but you were there … in most of the pictures with my father … and the general was there too."

"Yes," she said. "It's a long and painful story, Edward Elric. Fifty years ago, I lived in this area … with Peter. We were happy, happier than before and I hoped that we could get together again. But my hope didn't become reality because Van came along, totally scared and in panic. When he finally calmed down, he told us that he met the person the homunculi call 'Father'. He looks exactly like Van … and we started to understand what was going on. Suddenly, everything made sense to us. The wars, the bloodshed … it was to create a Philosopher's Stone. Yes, we know about this … and we know what really happened in Xerxes. Ask Van for the details because it was nothing to do with my little story." She sighed. "Well, we became careful and decided that Peter should get back to the military in order to prevent the worst. Once more, I became Mrs Hamilton … and Van was my uncle … it was always strange that the people believed us. Well, we paid attention and made Jonathan Llewellyn Fuhrer since we knew that he was a great man with wonderful ideals. Peter knew him for many years and was alreadyCharlotte's godfather when he returned to the military…" She wrapped her arms around her legs. "It was a hard time for all of us … we feared that we could lose the game … and when Llewellyn was killed, we knew that Father's plan was nearly complete."

"And why did the bastard left my mother? If we will all die, why couldn't he have stayed with her?"

"Because we have the counter plan, Edward Elric," she said. "Do you think that we were sitting in our house and crying because we will die? Don't think so low of us. Since years we are working for a solution. And we have a plan. But neither Peter nor I could have done it alone. Believe me, we were arguing like never before than we saw that two of us would have to leave their families. I was angry because I had just become Cretan ambassador in Amestris. And then your father said that he would leave instead of me … because I had a country to support … and that Creta would need me more than they would need me. Peter left voluntarily but Van and I argued. I disagreed with him but in the end, I couldn't do anything."

Meanwhile, Kay and Alphonse were travelling across the land to escape Kimblee. They were a good team since none of them was trying to make the other angry. Alphonse was even allowed to keep a kitten inside his armour and Kay was allowed to smoke in his presence since he had no lungs she could damage. And even if their tempers were very different, they got along with each other.

"Miss Hamilton?" Alphonse asked one evening when they were in a hotel room. "Why did you join the military if you don't like the attitude?"

Kay who sat on the bed shrugged. "I haven't had much of a choice," she said. "I mean, I could have tried to get a job as a teacher or something like that … but the military … you could said that it is my blood. My father is famous in the Southern Area and a part of me always wanted to be like him." She sighed and took of her sweatshirt. In progress, her t-shirt lifted itself and showed a big scar on her stomach. "It's just sad that Riza followed this Roy-guy," she muttered. "And didn't I tell you to call me Kay, Alphonse? I am not your superior or something like that."

"Of course … Kay," he said. "Ehm … why have you such a big scar on your stomach?"

"I got shot during the war," she replied. "And that's one of the reasons why Laila is such a miracle. The doctors said that I would never have an own child … but I got Laila…"

"I am happy for you," Alphonse said and stroke the cat named Bree.

"Yes…" she smiled and lay down. "Well, I don't want to bother you or something like that … but … your armour is empty, isn't she? May I ask why?"

"Promise not to yell at me or to drag Brother in front of the military court?"

"I promise," she said and sat up again to look at him.

"I guess that this is the first time that I tell someone the story … usually it's Brother who tells the story when someone gets it…" he muttered. "Alright … maybe you have guessed it but … we broke the taboo and … we saw the Truth … and it took away my body … and Brother's leg…"

Her face was a perfect mask before she sighed. "I always knew that Truth is a bitch," she muttered.

"You saw it too?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah," she said darkly. "After my mother's death, my elder sister lost it. She was under the dumb impression that she could get her back with Human Transmutation. We wanted to stop her … but we got dragged in the array … the Truth had a good day and didn't make us pay anything because we were trying to stop Nessa … but still … we saw what's behind the Gate…"

"Is it really that bad? I can't remember anything of it…" Alphonse said.

"It's … impressive," she said. "All the information … all the images … well, it gave me the last information I needed to complete my theory on Lightening Alchemy. I had the basics but I needed a last spark to make it work." She shrugged before she got up and circled around him. "I just wonder why you don't remember anything. I mean, if it took your whole body, you must know more than I or anyone else since you paid the highest toll ever…"

"Teacher said that she knows maybe someone who could help me to restore the memory…"

"I could ask my father," Kay said. "Or Catherina … they saw it too, earlier in their lives … maybe they know how to restore memories … since I know nothing about something like that…"

"You should probably sleep if we are going to catch up with Alex tomorrow," Kay said. "I just can't understand why Olivier can't do this. She is his elder sister for crying out loud!"

"Well … didn't she say that she would probably kill him because he is such a failure in her eyes and because Ross would deserve the rank of a major more than him?" Alphonse asked.

"Siblings have always differences," Kay admitted, "but sometimes Olivier takes it too far. To order me around was tough for her … but to make me go after Alex … she has to be really insane…"

"Kay, what will you do if you get Alex?"

"Drag him back to his sister, what else?"

I thank everyone who reviewed and all the people who put this story as a favourite. You are wonderful people and I hope that you still like the story.
I am really grateful for this great feedback.

AvaEobane