No Ed and Winry this chapter. Keep in mind that it's happening at the same time as Chapter 52! You remember in Chapter 51 where Al left to follow Eli, well, this is where they went! This chapter also doubles as your first instance of actually meeting the Erlich girls. Notice how nice and resposible Meta sems--this seems to change when she's around Ed, Winry, and Al, and yes, that is a prejudice, and no, she's not going to act violently on it!

I don't own FMA. Please review!


"Look, little girl, you can't just sit here at the station all day! You're loitering. And if you can't control that baby's squalling I have to call the police about neglect. Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," said Meta, with frustrated tears in her eyes as she held Joli and tried to make her stop crying. "My brother's coming back for us, but I don't know where he is. I'm so sorry about the baby. She's just hungry." Meta looked down and addressed Joli. "Please, babe, I know you're hungry, but we don't have any money right now so you have to live with it, okay?"

"My tummy hurts!"

"I know, Jo-jo. Mine too. Please stop crying so the man won't be angry at us."

"No! I want dinner!"

"I know!" Meta sighed and stared at the single road that led into town, keeping watch for her big brother. He was late—did that mean something had happened to him? But no, she didn't want to think about that! She was going to start crying, and she couldn't cry; she had to be calm for Joli. Without really noticing she was doing it, Meta pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.

"Look, kid," said the man who'd been harassing them on and off for the last hour. She had been thinking of him as the train station man, but she didn't really know what his job was. "I feel bad for you, but you're being a public nuisance. Here, how's about I give you 200 cenz to feed you tonight. But then you need to get out of here, okay?"

"Yes, we'll go," Meta surrendered, taking the 200 cenz gratefully. "But if my brother comes—he looks a lot like me, with the hair and eye color, but he's older—would you please tell him we had to leave? And tell him I took Joli to get something to eat. Thank you so much, Mister Train Station Man."

He looked sympathetic as he waved them away from the station, and Meta had the insight to know he was only doing his job, even as she towed a still-screaming Joli away and wondered about her big brother's fate. The money tingled in Meta's pocket, and she headed into the first diner she saw, a block from the station. "You hungry, Jo-jo?" Meta asked to rile Joli about getting some food in her belly. "I can get you some dinner now! You ready for dinner?"

Joli wasn't ready to be happy about food, but she did cease crying temporarily. "It's dinnertime? Where's Brother?"

"He went to the Fullmetal Alchemist's house to visit. He'll be back soon, Jo-jo, I promise."

"'Kay."


As he ran up and skidded to a halt at the platform, Eli gasped and stared in horror at the little bench where he'd told Meta to wait. She was gone, Joli was gone, their bags with all their worldly belongings—and most of his—were gone. There was no trace of them! He looked around frantically for any sign of them, but the only person in sight was the uniformed man leaning casually against the ticket counter, smoking a cigarette and eyeing him oddly. All right, well, he was an employee, maybe he had some idea of where his sisters were. It was worth a shot. "Mister, um, train station man?" he asked.

The man started, and scrutinized him more closely. "You looking for somebody?"

"Yes, my sisters. A three-year-old with red hair and blue eyes and a green dress and a pink backpack, and a nine-year-old with blonde hair and blue eyes and glasses, wearing jeans and a blue T-shirt and an army-green-colored backpack and also carrying a black duffel bag. Have you seen anyone like that?"

"Wow, you're real specific, aren't you? Yes, I saw the girls you're talking about. The baby was screaming for food, and I had to send them away."

"You sent them away?" Eli repeated angrily. "Why would you do tha—?"

"I told you, the baby was screaming for food. I gave them 200 cenz and sent them to get something to eat. They probably went into Lucy's Diner; it's closest and the baby didn't look like she was up for walking very far, what with all that yowling she was doing."

"Which way?" Eli asked urgently. The man pointed, and Eli set off without even a thank-you.

Alphonse appeared a few minutes later. "Hi, Mr. Jacobs."

"Hi, Alphonse. I've been seeing you a lot recently. You were in a pretty big hurry when you left Resembool last, and then Ed looked pretty bad when you brought him in the other day, too. How's he doing?"

"Just fine. And what about you? I heard your daughter had a baby Wednesday evening!"

"I haven't been able to get away from work to head up to Eastern to see them—not everybody has the kind of freedom that you and Ed do! But they're going to send me pictures soon, so it's okay. It's a girl—my first granddaughter, since Greg and his wife had all boys! Dana told me they named the baby Margaret after her grandmother—and you shoulda seen my wife! Maggie was so pleased I swear she was actually squealing with delight. "

"That's great news," said Al. "Anyway, I'm here because I'm supposed to be following a little boy, and he's just been one step ahead of me the whole time, mostly thanks to this sprain. Did a little blond boy with a brown rucksack come through here?"

"Yes, he passed by not long ago, actually. You should be able to catch him; I sent him to Lucy's."

"What for?"

"Well, he was looking for these little girls, his sisters, and about an hour and a half ago I'd given the older girl 200 cenz to take the baby away from the station and buy her a decent meal—the little one was crying incessantly. I was pretty sure they went to Lucy's, since that's closest, so I sent the boy there."

"All right then. Thank you, Mr. Jacobs, and tell Dana and John I said congratulations."

"Will do, Al, and good luck catching the little boy."


"Meta!" Eli burst out in relief as he ran into the first restaurant he saw on the road and saw her at a table in the center. He was too loud, because the other customers (there were fewer than he could count on one hand) turned to look at him.

Meta looked up and broke into a broad smile immediately upon realizing who it was. Joli followed Meta's gaze and turned, joyfully shouting "Brother!" when she saw him.

"Hi, Jo-jo," Eli said in the high, singsongy tone he reserved for her alone. "Have you been a good girl like Brother asked you to?" Referring to himself in the third person: It was only something you could get away with when talking to a baby.

"Ugh," Meta groaned, answering Eli's question, "She was horrible! She screamed the whole time you were gone almost, right up until the waitress handed her food, and then she was so into that you wouldn't even know she'd been crying at all. Which was good, because I was getting so embarrassed with everyone giving me 'shut-that-baby-up-and-what-is-that-little-kid-even-doing-alone-with-that-baby' glares. I hated it. So, did you get done what you came here for, Brother?"

Meanwhile, Joli was informing him that she had in fact been a good girl, and did he bring her any toys?

"Sorry, baby, not this time," said Eli to Joli, then he looked at Meta as he sat down and pulled Joli onto his lap. "There's good news and bad news, which do you want first?"

"The bad," she said promptly.

"I didn't shoot him."

"What? Eli, are you an idiot? What, did you chicken out or something? He killed Dad, and you told me yourself: we have to make him pay! In fact, I'm going there right now!"

She stood up to leave, but Eli put up his hand to stop her. "Sit back down, I haven't told you the good news yet."

She pouted. "This better be good, Brother."

"Oh, it is." He paused for effect, grinning. "I found someone who will let us stay with them."

"That's great! For how long?"

"As long as you want. It's an open invitation," said someone who had just walked up to the table.

Meta looked up and frowned at the newcomer, when frowned at her brother, who looked like someone had stuck a pin in his chair but he wasn't allowed to stand and remove it. "Who are you?" she asked, and when she realized how rude that sounded, she tried to soften her tone. "Sorry… I mean, um… well, who are you?"

He smiled broadly. "My name's Alphonse, and you?"

"Um… it's Meta, but…" Al held out his hand, and she looked at him sideways for a moment before awkwardly shaking it. "Actually, what I meant was why are you… y'know, here? Talking to us."

"I know what you meant," Alphonse laughed. "I followed your brother here to help him pick you guys up and bring you back to Granny Pinako's house."

"Uh… Who's that?"

"Oh, well… I guess I have to start explaining from the beginning?"

"Don't worry about it," Eli interrupted. "I'll explain, Alphonse. She'll believe me more than you anyway, and I'm pretty sure you're going to be pissed when I explain who he is, Meta."

"Why? Who is he?"

"He's Edward Elric's brother."

"What? How could you—?"

"Just try to chill out for a minute, Meta, I'm going to explain everything! You have to have a little faith in me, sis."

Meta crossed her arms and stood, gathering the bags she'd hung across the back of her chair. Let's go, people are staring at us like we're circus freaks or something. We'll walk and talk."

"Fine," Eli said, and as Meta picked up the bags, he picked up Joli, who was by now done with her food. "Ready to go, Jo-jo? Brother got you a nice place to sleep tonight, and you can have a nice bath, too!"

"Ew. I don't wanna bath. Brother, you take the bath."

Eli laughed and lifted her onto his shoulders. "Okay, I'll take the bath, Jo-jo. You don't have to!"

Meta nudged her older brother. "You're just saying that, right? Joli really needs a bath. None of us have really gotten clean in what, five days? Since that nice old lady in the last town sent us packing."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets a bath," he whispered back.

As Al followed the younger kids out, someone behind him called him back. He turned and looked at the waitress on duty, June Ryder. She was sixteen, not much older than Al himself, and she worked here because she was the niece of the owner. "Al, who were those kids? They were so weird… that girl and the baby… Especially the girl. She's what, ten? And eerily mature. Can you tell me anything about what's with them?"

"They just lost their father, and their mother's been dead awhile from what I've gathered. I don't think the thing is so much that they're mature or 'weird,' but… losing a parent ages you."

June nodded knowingly. "Things were never the same after Dad died in Ishbal."

"Exactly. And you didn't even have to worry about taking care of Brian and James because you still had your mother. Imagine if you'd had no one at all? It's painful to think about. At least when Ed and I lost our mother, we still had Pinako and Winry to take care of us. They don't have any family at all."

"That's so sad," she said, her voice shaking like she was going to cry.

"It's not so bad as all that, June. Winry decided to take the kids in—and well, when Winry decides something and gets her heart set on it, you just can't say no to her! Those kids will probably live with us for awhile, until they're able to support themselves. I'm sure you'll get another chance to play with the baby!" He laughed—June was known for being very sensitive about babies and animals.

"Oh, Al! Speaking of babies, I heard Dana Jacobs had her baby on Wednesday! I found out this morning. It's a girl!"

"Yes, I heard about that."

"Mrs. Jacobs promised she'd let me see the pictures as soon as they get them from Dana and Henry in the mail!"

Al smiled at her. "You really do get way too excited about other people's kids, June." He reached over and patted her shoulder. "I guess it just wouldn't be you if you didn't! Anyway, I have to keep an eye on those kids that just left, so I'll see you around, okay?"

"Yeah, of course. You better hurry if you want to catch up with them! They went down the road without you."

"Oh!" Al ran outside without a proper goodbye, limping because of his sprain, but trying to hurry to catch up with the surprisingly fast Erlich children.


I can't think of much to say for this chapter, so, preview, and I'll go.

"So, which diner did you eat at?" Winry asked as the conversation lulled and she began to set up a pan to reheat the dinner she'd made earlier. Al hadn't eaten yet either, so she'd have been doing this even if Joli hadn't asked for more food.

Meta looked somewhat sullen, and Eli just looked scared.

When neither answered immediately, Al did. "They ate at Lucy's. June came up to me as we were leaving and asked me about them. Apparently she was concerned about Meta's age, and wanted to know why Joli and Meta were alone."

"You didn't tell her we're taking them in?" Winry asked, passing him a dismayed look.

"Yeah… Should I not have done that?" He frowned.

"No! Well, I mean… why June Ryder of all people? It'll be all over town in ten minutes, Al. Couldn't you have told someone a little less… chatty?


Oh, wait! I do have one thing to say! I find it's very fun to invent names and histories and personalities for the residents of Resembool! Mr. Brian Jacobs and Maggie Jacobs, the slightly clueless late-fifties couple, new grandparents. And June Ryder, the sweet-bordering-on-ditzy girl who loves babies and cute, furry animals, and has to be given a job at her aunt's restaurant because she can't get one based on her own merits. I love these invented residents of Resembool and think they all deserved their fifteen minutes of fame--and, guess what else, guys? Just because Mei still sends him letters doesn't mean I'm an AlMei supporter! Could a romantic interest for Al be found among the girls in Al's hometown? *nudge nudge*