39: Forgiveness

"She can't talk?" Roy asked, confounded. "Did she get laryngitis or something?"

Christin sighed angrily and shook her head. Edward mimicked her motion.

"It's like I said: the Truth sealed her voice and her power in return for letting us go. That's it!!" the blond barked. The four had wound their way back up to Central from the underground city only to find a new battle field. Buildings were destroyed along with other unmentionables. Christin ground her teeth again and stormed through the ruins. How could Envy be so stupid?! She was all he wanted; why did he have to start a war over her? That was just stupid… they picked their way around the rubble and eventually reached HQ, where Roy was helping (or rather, instructing) clean up of debris in the immediate area. He was in a terrible mood, so finding out Christin in fact had survived whatever this attack was only egged him further. But then he found out about the Truth… and for the first time in a while he felt really, truly, honest-to-god sad.

"How are you going to communicate then?" Riza asked. Christin eyed them skeptically; she was clinging to Roy's arm almost possessively. She clapped her hands and pantomimed writing something down. No one understood so she sighed angrily again and went to her desk. She managed to find a blank scrap of paper.

"I'll write everything down." The writing read.

"But don't you still have an image to maintain? That super singer-slash-captain routine?" Alphonse asked.

"Yeah, how are you going to uphold that if you can't talk?" Aislinn added. Christin grinned and scribbled something down as she walked over to her. When Aislinn had regained her humanity, she had changed into the human she used to be, which meant her hair color was exactly the same as Christin's, even the purple streaks.

"Who's who?" the next message read. Edward and Alphonse shared a confused look. The two girls were identical!! Edward studied the two closely. They were the same height, had the same hair and eye color, their hair fell across their faces in the exact same way, their voices were eerily alike, and they even stood in a similar stance. He sighed and pointed to the girl on his left.

"You're Christin," he said.

"No I'm not," Aislinn replied gently.

"Aislinn will be my shadow. Squee, it's almost like The Gentleman's Alliance Cross!" Christin scribbled. "She'll act in my place until I get my voice back at least. That means you'll have to take my job as captain of the air fleet AND learn all the songs on Saru so you can play shows."

"What?! I can't be you!" Aislinn cried, backing away.

"Oh, no one will notice! Besides, we look almost exactly alike!" Christin wrote.

"You're different?" Alphonse asked. "How, I can't see it, apart from… you know… Aislinn being able to talk and all…"

Christin pushed Aislinn's bangs out of her eyes and tapped her forehead. Just barely the Elric brothers could make out a circular scar on her forehead. Upon closer inspection, it was the mark of the Ouroboros, faintly etched into her skin. Christin then tapped Alphonse's neck. Edward noticed a similar scar there too.

"But if that's not enough of a difference I guess one of us can cut their hair or something." Christin added underneath the prior statement. She shrugged for emphasis.

"Don't cut your hair! I won't have anything to…" Edward stopped, blushing a dark red as he realized what he almost blurted. "Never mind…" he added, scratching the back of his head.

"What will you do in the meantime?" Riza asked. Christin tapped her chest where her heart was. "I'm sorry I don't know what…" Riza tapped her own chest, "… means."

"My chest has been feeling kinda funny since I came back from seeing the Gate. I figured it be best if I go see Winry for maintenance, since I'm not really in the mood to die right now." she wrote. "Can you be me until I get things fixed and get my voice back?"

"I'll try…" Aislinn sighed, utterly defeated. Alphonse hugged her, nuzzling his head in the crook of her neck.

"You'll do fine. Brother and Christin and I will help you," he assured her.

"But still I'd either have to stay in one place, meaning never leave the building/room lest someone see me, or change my appearance so the massed won't know it's not really me out there." Christin scrawled on her paper, which was getting full of writing on both sides now. Even though she couldn't speak, she still used her voice box and moved her mouth, dictating the words silently to herself as she wrote. It was probably a good idea to keep her voice box working like normal so her voice wasn't all scratchy when – if – she got it back. A sharp knock on the door made everyone jump.

"Captain, may I speak with you for a moment?" Olivier's voice asked from behind the door. Christin quickly shrugged out of her jacket and forced it on Aislinn, whom she then drug around to her desk. When she herself was out of view, she wrote that Aislinn could open the door.

"You may come in," Aislinn answered shakily. The door swung open and the lieutenant Furher strode inside. "Y-yes?"

"Well, first off I'm glad to see you and Mr. Elric survived that fall, however I do have some bad news. We're going to have to transfer you, Mr. Elric, Mr. Tringham, lieutenant Hawkeye, several others, and Mustang to East City. I think you've caused enough trouble here in Central and when you try to help you only usher in more. Myself and several other high ranking officers would like it more if you'd remain in some remote area until we can clean things up around here," she said in one breath. Christin gnawed on her lip, silently cursing the blond woman. Like it was her fault that the stupid palm-tree wanna-be was a war monger! Ooh, next time she saw him he was going to lose something…

"Very well," Aislinn replied. Olivier saluted them all and left the room. Christin rammed her fist into her desk. God, this was getting irritating! She stood up and danced around while she cradled her throbbing fist. Man, if she could just get to Envy (and get her powers back)… then all this chaos would be over.

"Well, I guess that makes it easier for us to head back to Resembool…" Edward grinned.

"Is there really no better way to travel?" Aislinn asked a few days later.

"For us, no, there isn't. Normally we could've taken the train, but because a certain someone had to make a spectacle of themselves, we're stuck riding in the back of a hay wagon," Edward drawled, glaring at Christin. She returned the glare from beneath her blanket, a childish but functional disguise. "And I am getting hay down my pants," he added, wriggling uncomfortably. Christin tapped his shoulder gently and when he looked her way she flipped him off.

"Play nice you two," Alphonse chided. Christin stuck her tongue out at him. Even without her voice, she was able to convey her mood.

"Stop that," Edward groaned, fidgeting again. Christin mouthed the same words, putting on a stupid face, and then stuck her tongue out again, this time at Edward.

"Uh oh… someone's gonna end up walking to Resembool, aren't they?" Aislinn asked.

"If you ask me, I'd kick both of them out," Alphonse sighed, watching the small war between Christin and Edward.

"You do that one more time and I'll bite your tongue off!" the blond snapped.

Christin giggled silently and moved her hands around. Edward eventually got the fact that she was saying he was being dirty. He sighed and held his head in his hands. She tapped his shoulder again and he peeked at her from between his fingers. She mouthed the word 'later' and grinned hopefully. He nodded slowly and reclined backwards, this time getting hay down his shirt. Almost as if sensing his discomfort, he felt Christin's hands pull away stray pieces of hay around his neck. He squiggled a bit because it tickled. He heard her giggling silently beside him, her body shaking and rustling the hay upon which she sat. He glanced up at her and she stuck her tongue out again.

"Let's keep it clean, okay?" Alphonse sighed as Edward grabbed Christin and kissed her, trying to 'bite off her tongue' as he had put it.

He sat up straight and shrugged out of his overcoat. It was near the end of August and the heat lingered long after the sun went down. In another couple months, come December, it will have been four years since he first met Christin. Four years since this whole adventure started. Sure there were some rough patches here and there, but what good is a story if everything's alright all the time? There would be no plot and no one would like it. Honestly, he liked the fact that things went awry (and in some cases, painfully wrong). He sort of missed his old life, searching for the Philosopher's Stone and all that. Christin made life exciting again. Aislinn snuggled closer to him despite the heat, resting her head on his shoulder. Maybe that was why he fell in love with Christin at first… because he was really supposed to love Aislinn. The two were so similar it was almost scary, but it did make sense. Kinda like Christin reading/watching their lives through a T.V. show (whatever that was) and comic books; it was her way of staying connected to her home world. Maybe the same rule applied to himself and Aislinn. He let his head fall back against the side of the wagon and stared up into the rainbow colored sky created by the setting sun.

"We'll be pulling over soon. It's getting dark and Gertie needs to rest," the driver called over his shoulder. "I have a friend who lives just ahead, so we'll be bunking down there."

"Okay," Edward called. Christin had curled up in his lap. Whether she was sleeping or not, he didn't know, but if she was he didn't want to disturb her… yet, anyways. He was not going to carry her inside because she weighed quite a bit. She sighed and sat up, combing her hair out of her face with her fingers only to have it slide into her vision again. Perhaps he wouldn't have to wake her up after all. He noticed that after what happened with the Truth, she seemed a bit more clingy than usual. She would just sit there really close to him, resting some part of her body on his like it was comforting. Before she met the Truth, even the slightest touch eventually led to sex. Now… well, he had only been back in her good graces about a week and that period of time had been spent arranging transportation to Resembool, packing, and whatnot. They really hadn't had much 'quality time' together, especially since they were bunking down at Roy's place and strange and terrifying sounds kept oozing from behind his closed bedroom door. Christin had seriously considered going to therapy after hearing what she did, and Edward was more than willing to go himself. Geez, he had known the man was a total womanizer, but… why Riza, of all people?! He couldn't look either of them in the eye and was really glad that they had left ahead of them.

The diver steered his wagon over to a cheerful looking house with windows lit from inside, casting their yellow-orange glow into the encroaching darkness. Christin shifted her weight uncomfortably. If she was seen in public, she had to be in disguise; that part she didn't mind. What really bugged her was that Aislinn and Edward had to pretend to be in love. It wasn't that she didn't love Alphonse, but she hated seeing Edward with another girl, even one who looked like her. And the girl was her sister… an apparent twin!! Well, she had been really young (according to the Truth) when she was misplaced on the other side of the Gate (meaning halfway across the universe) so she wasn't surprised she didn't remember being born here. Still… the Truth was sick. How could he play with someone's life like that?! Things were making less sense as they progressed.

"Hey Ted!" the driver greeted a portly man with thinning grayish green hair. "Brought some visitors with me this time. Mind if they hunker down in your spare rooms?"

"Not at all. Will it be one room each, or two to a room?" Ted replied, sizing up the couples. "Cuz I only have three spare rooms, meaning two of you guests will be sharing a room with someone else."

"That's fine," Alphonse answered quickly. He glanced around nervously. Ted turned his back for a moment and Christin and Aislinn quickly swapped blanket for long overcoat. It was easier for them to fool people if they wore clothing that covered most of their bodies, mainly the individual clothing beneath. Christin had her 'punk-emo-goth-ness' (which consisted of mostly pants and shirts that were ripped up or had strange sayings like 'I'd love to help you out. Which way did you come in?' written on them in marker with the occasional miniskirt thrown in) as she called it, while Aislinn was more feminine, meaning she wore dressed and other 'lady-like attire'. Ted stared at them for a moment, confusion clouding his face, but shrugged and led them upstairs.

"So what's a big celebrity like you doin' way out here in the boonies?" Ted asked Christin. She shrugged.

"We're visiting some friends," Edward answered, which wasn't really a lie. He saw Christin pout. It must really suck to have to have someone else reply for you. "'Sides, she over used her vocal chords in practice one day and can't use her voice at all now. I'm hoping getting out in the middle of nowhere will help."

"Won't do you much good if your singer can't sing, eh?" the old man laughed heartily. "You should make a stop by this friend of mine's house. His son and his friends have started a band kinda like yours. They're actually not half bad, but I think it'd help if they got some input from professionals like you."

Edward glanced at Christin, who nodded vigorously. "Okay…" he shrugged.

"Okay, so two people can stay in here, and the other two can stay right across the hall. Holler if ya need somethin'!" he waved and headed back downstairs. Aislinn all but pushed Alphonse into the room they were going to share, barely remembering to close the door. Christin scribbled something in the small notebook she carried with her and showed it to Edward.

"'Horn dogs…' you know, that's not a bad description," he chuckled. He cringed when he heard something heavy drop on the floor. Christin waved a hand dismissively at the closed door and walked into the room they were to share.

Edward slowly closed the door and hesitated. Would she demand that of him? Things had been rather tense since they patched up their differences… a bit. Or would she just act the way she had been since losing her voice, touching without lust? He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear her approach him. Actually, he didn't notice she was near him until her arms wound around his waist and she pressed her body against his. He turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder. She held up a folded scrap of paper.

"I told you 'later', didn't I?" it read. He chuckled and smiled.

"So you did," he replied, turning around in her arms and kissing her. She moved her arms from his waist to his neck and pulled him in more, opening her mouth so his tongue could roam freely. He wasn't expecting her to practically leap into his arms, and he staggered at suddenly having to support her weight. His knees gave out and they sunk to the ground. Christin pushed him backwards until she was on top of him. He gave a disappointed moan when she pulled out of the kiss but it quickly changed into one of pleasure as she kissed down his neck. He wore a button down shirt, so it was easily removed. He shivered when her hands slid down his abdomen to work at his belt, and again when his erection was exposed to the somewhat chilly air leaking through his boxers. What was she?… all thought stopped when she took him into her mouth. She gave him head until he exploded inside her. He bit his lip and moaned as she kissed her way back up to his face. He found himself aroused again and sat up, setting her on his lap and slamming inside her. He burst for the second time and collapsed, utterly spent. Christin smoothed his sweat-dampened hair out of his face and smiled lovingly at him; she forgave him for everything he had done.

He must have fallen asleep, because he woke up to a sharp rapping on the door.

"Brother, get up! It's time to go!" Alphonse called through the door. Edward rolled over and got a mouthful of pillow. When had he been moved to the bed? He sat up and swallowed repeatedly, trying to get rid of that sticky fabric taste that makes your mouth feel like it's full of cotton. He spotted a pile of clothes at the foot of the bed with a folded piece of paper on top. Cautiously, he unfolded it.

"I still love you. You know that, right?" Christin's elegant writing read. She used a calligraphic style of writing, unless she was rushing in which case she used chicken scratch or really illegible cursive, so it was easy to know it was she who left the note. He held the note to his lips and smiled stupidly before getting dressed. Dull music drifted up from downstairs and he hurried down, still pulling his shirt over his head as he went.

Christin and Aislinn were dancing to Ted's guitar playing. Alphonse kept a beat on a small drum and the wagon driver bopped his head in time to the music. The synchronization of the two girls was astounding. They read each other's movements perfectly, matching step for step, twirl for twirl, smile for smile. The music sped up and their dancing increased in pace. They pranced around the small gap of open floor like mirror images of the other, coming to a sharp halt when the music ended. Everyone clapped as the girls bowed. Christin spotted him and skipped over, planting a kiss on his cheek. She was flushed and breathing heavily, but her skin was oddly pale and that concerned him. She also looked like she might collapse.

"Well, we best be on our way. Thanks Ted. I'll see you around," the driver stood up and stretched. Aislinn adjusted her glasses, the same ones Christin used to wear before Alphonse was captured and still sometimes wore just for the hell of it. They were non-prescription, so her eyes wouldn't get damaged if she wore them for an extended period of time. Edward had tried them on once, and it was just like looking through a window.

"You okay? You look kinda…" Aislinn waved her hand in front of her face a few times, "… sick, I guess."

Christin shook her head and tapped her chest, indicating her heart was at the root of the problem. They had better get to Winry and Pinako's quick.

"You haven't lost your touch," Edward commented a while later. "You're still one of the best dancers I've seen." She grinned and made an 'aw, shucks' gesture.

"It's so strange not hearing you speak at all. I'm so used to your random outbursts," Alphonse said. "I admit I hated those stupid arguments you and Brother would get in, but now that you're 'mute' I kinda miss them." Christin gave him a death glare, but a smile broke out on her face anyway. It was really hard to get mad at that boy. He was just so… the only word she could think of to describe him was 'compassionate', though she never quite learned the meaning of the word. It was probably niceness or something.

"Everything's been thrown out of whack!" Envy barked, punching the wall and sending bits of plaster into the air. "We were so close, and then you had to go screw everything up!"

"Me?!" Robin cried in dismay. "All I did was transmute her like you told me to!"

"You didn't do it right! Now not only do we not have her power, she can't use it either! And she stole two of my best lackeys!" the palm tree impersonator screeched. "I'm going to kill that girl if it's the last thing I do… but I'll settle for torturing you at the moment."

"Hey, I'm not the one you should be mad at!" Robin protested.

"Then who?" Envy snarled.

"You should be mad at yourself for not being able to handle things better," the ashen haired man smirked. Envy let a low guttural animal sound escape his throat as he threw Robin across the room like he was yesterday's newspaper. The officer hit the far wall and dropped to the ground.

"How dare you even suggest that!?" Envy growled.

"What are you gonna do, kill me off like you did Hakuro? Yeah, lotta good that'll do ya. Then you'll have to sucker your half siblings into helping you," he coughed, shaking his hair out of his eyes.

"You're just a minor officer; no one will notice," Envy chuckled.

"Wrong. I'm the Space-Time Alchemist, one of the most powerful alchemists in the history of this country. I think they'll notice if I'm gone," Robin grinned wryly.

"No they won't. No one cares… nobody cares about a pathetic, insignificant little worm like you…" Envy cackled. He turned and wandered off down the hall, leaving Robin alone and muttering to himself as he went.

Something was off about the green-haired thing, Robin mused to himself. In the time he had known Envy, it/he had always been on top of things. Now it seemed he was starting to fall apart at the seams.

As he stood up and brushed himself off, he wondered if it was possible for a Homunculus to go insane.

A/N: hey, hey, hey, it's faaaat Albert! Okay, lame intro to the author's note…happy birthday, Edo kun!... maybe… it's wither today (Feb 4) or yesterday (Feb. 3). I can never remember which exactly. I know, I know, I'm terrible! *sob* so if any of you non-forgetful (or not-as-forgetful-as-me) people out there know which day his birthday is on, pleeeeze tell me so I can get it right! I know it's in winter, and I'm pretty sure it's in early February…my memory is just so horrible… I've even forgotten my own name more than once (and more than once in one day), so cut me some slack.

Until chapter 40…