(A/N): Happy Thanksgiving, readers! I hope you all have a lovely break and eat plenty of food for Alphonse!

The late night streets are dark, spots lit up by streetlights as Edward and Alphonse sprint through alleys in a hurry to Central Headquarters. Though as best as she tries to hide it, both can hear the frantic yet damn determined footsteps of their baby sister who keeps up behind them. Exiting an alleyway, the brothers suddenly stop and Elena nearly crashes into them as she sees who made them halt in their tracks.

A woman, Elena remembering as one of Edward's useless bodyguards though she wasn't in uniform, a strange suit of armor armed with a coveted butcher's knife and a certain someone's curved blade who stood amongst them.

HIM?! Elena's eyes widen at the sight of no other than Ling Yao who waves embarrassed at his goddess seeing him there of all places.

"Maria Ross!" Edward names the woman who looks as surprised to see them as they are to see her.

"You!" Alphonse shouts, pointing out the armor that recalls the kind soul as well and Edward wonders when that had happened along with why the hell Ling was even here.

"What's going on?" Edward glares at the ragtag trio, Maria his main focus. "Why did you kill him, Second Lieutenant?! Why did you kill-"

"Hey, don't block our way!" The suit of armor warns, missing chopping at Alphonse's arm as he quickly attacks and glances back at the conflicted fugitive. "Don't worry about them, missy. Hurry up and escape! If the military catches you, you'll be shot to death!"

She doesn't seem like a killer. Elena, despite the chaotic confusion, notes as Maria Ross hesitates as she starts to make a run for it and with a promise she apologizes to them that she'll explain everything later. But who did she kill?

The suit of armor covers her route with an impressive display of his armed skills, slicing at the empty air with a warning to not come any closer as Ling simply stands where he is.

"Why, Ling?" Elena can't find any connection as to why the sadly smiling Xingese young man would have changed sides, if there even were any. Why are you with them? What's going on? Why won't anyone tell me?

"Sorry, goddess." Ling starts to shrug, when a sudden explosion from the street over, where Maria had fled, fills the black sky with the red of fire. Knowing the only flame alchemist who could have caused it, Edward ducks past the armor and sprints down the street as Alphonse follows after.

"Let's go, slit eyes!" The armor commands his partner, taking off in the opposite direction. Ling pauses for a second, his goddess doing the same as she tries to read his straight face. With a wave, he turns and takes after his armored comrade and Elena after her brothers and towards the settling explosion.


The stench hits her like a wall as Elena catches up to where Edward and Alphonse are. And Colonel Roy Mustang. They must have gotten there just as she had, the horror paralyzing her brothers as she sees the body despite how Alphonse tries to block her view. Rather, the charred black skeletal remains that still crackle and smoke, the only identification that of the dog tags around a smoldering wrist that read Maria Ross.

Ack! Elena nearly throws up at the sight, remembering the female it had been only minutes ago as the smell claws up her nose.

"Ah, Fullmetal." Roy Mustang, his expression so cold unlike the flames, acknowledges the furiously trembling state alchemist's arrival.

"What the hell is this? EXPLAIN!" Both of Edward's hands form into fists. "All this time..In what way was Second Lieutenant Ross...for what reasons was Hughes killed for?! Why did you hide this from me?"

Mr. Hughes...dead? Elena gasps at the reveal of the news that they, just like Mustang, had hidden from her. N-No. H-He can't be!

But by the way Edward yanks at Mustang's collar and demands to know why can only prove it further. There's no change in Mustang's expression as he punches Edward in the face in return, reminding him of his position and if he dare touch a superior officer. Alphonse holds Edward back just as he prepares to do the same to Mustang, Elena helpless to watch as Edward struggles to get free and demands to know what Elena can't say.

"What is this about, Colonel?" Alphonse speaks up, keeping a cool head as Edward continues to shout.

"The order to kill Hughes' murderer was issued. That is all."

No, it isn't. Elena shakes, feeling the start of tears roll down her cheeks, unable to take it anymore. The sickening remains, Ling's apparent betrayal, Mustang lying, kind Hughes having been murdered. Before anyone can stop her, she runs as fast as her trembling legs can take her out of the chaos as Alphonse and even Edward call after her in the darkness of the alley.


"Shit, things aren't going to plan." The suit of armor, formally known as serial killer Barry the Chopper, curses as he watches the scene unfold from the rooftop.

"What shall we do?" Ling Yao asks him, his mind elsewhere and on a certain goddess that he keeps his eyes on as she continues to run away down the street.

"The crowd is gathering. All we can do is flee the scene for the moment." Barry decides, beginning to head back to base. "C'mon, slit eyes."

"I'll join you later."

"Be too late and I'll chop you up. Wonder how well you'd be." Barry then rambles to himself, entertaining the pleasant thought of chopping body parts as he leaves.


Elena finally stops, too drained to continue running and finds herself lost in the alleys having not a clue where she was or where their hotel would be. Then again, she didn't feel like going back and telling poor Winry the news and she falls to her knees against a building. Curling into a ball, she hugs herself as the words play into her head. Hughes was dead. Murdered by the woman who had been-she didn't want to think about it but the unforgettable image was forever imprinted in her mind as was the smell. Tears rack her sides, nothing to be heard as she cries. Why had she been so insistent to know? To go with? Why had he been killed? She had gotten stronger, sworn that no one else would die because of them, but that hadn't stopped the murderer. All because of their research to get their bodies back.

Is this cost really worth it?

Unbeknownst to the crying mute girl, Ling watches her from the rooftop of the same building.


As the sun begins to rise to start a new day, Winry pulls herself together as she leaves the hotel with newspaper in hand, having spent the rest of the night alone. Like Edward and Alphonse, she can't stand to re-read the headline though it was as true as it had been the first dozen times. Hughes was dead, murdered. Gone forever. It was a thought that Winry couldn't comprehend, especially for the kind man who had offered them a place to stay with his family. All she can picture is the last time, that smiling face that waved back as her and Elena left them in hopes of seeing Hughes and his family again with a thank you.

What'll we do? What can we do? Poor Ellie. Winry knows the girl must be as distraught as her, bound to know by now since she had run off with Edward and Alphonse. I-huh?

Amongst the oblivious crowd that wanders from stall to stall in the bustling open marketplace, a certain young man wearing clothes of a different country sticks out in particular.

"Ling?" There was no doubt that it was him, Winry pointing at him in surprise at the sudden sight of the Xingese foreigner. Relieved that she finally saw him, he takes off down the street as if expecting Winry to go after him. "Hey, wait up!"

But Ling doesn't listen to her calls about where he had been, going, and his poor guardians who were probably still looking for him. He does stop at each corner as Winry tries to catch up, quickly apologizing to the tight bunches of citizens that she squeezes through, and making sure she was still following as he reaches the final back alley and disappears.

"Ling? Where did you-" Winry catches her breath as she looks down the abandoned dead end, the quick Xingese young man nowhere to be seen amongst grey dumpsters and dull bricks except for golden hair that's curled up in a shivering ball. "Elena?!"

The mute, thick shadows beneath her waking eyes, confused to see the automail mechanic as she is to see her, notices the same newspaper and remembers everything of the night only hours ago. Winry can't bring herself to ask what Elena can't answer as the young teen stumbles to her sore feet and embraces the older girl. Nothing has to be said, both knowing what had been tried so hard to keep secret. Where the two brothers were, neither knew, just like the old times. Winry can feel fresh tears start to roll back down the dried trails on her cheek and knows Elena is as well, holding each other so close.

"I'm glad he found you."

"Who?"

"Secret." Winry shakes her head, the tables turned for once as she and Elena part.

"That's not fair." Elena frowns, though nothing seemed fair anymore as she rubs the tears away. "I-I want to see them. Gracia and Elicia."

"Me too." Winry agrees, knowing exactly what those written words mean as they exit out of the alleyway and back to the crowded market. Thanking the two seemed like the least they could do. Looking over her shoulder, Winry catches a glance of a human figure on the rooftop that waves at her with a smile. Thanks, Ling.

Huh? Elena, having been turning through the pages of her sketchbook for a special recipe, notices Winry's attention elsewhere. Whatever it was she had seen is gone by the time Elena finds the spot. "What is it?"

"Secret." Winry shrugs as she guides Elena over to a cart full of colorful apples, giving Elena no time to write an answer as carefully selected fruits are placed into a basket that is handed over to the mute.


After asking for directions for the location of the home, the two females finally arrive at the Hughes residence. Mustering what courage they can piece together, they walk past the gate and up the short steps to the front door.

"Okay." Winry lets out the breath she had been holding, Elena doing the same as they both knock on the door. It was unlikely that there was anyone home, since Mustang had said so, but with all the lies there had to be some truth as silence passes by, the two exchanging looks of what to do.

But it doesn't last, the sound of a child's frantic footsteps running to the door on the other side.

"PAPA!" Elicia bursts through as she swings it wide open, her eyes happily searching for the father that isn't there, just like all the other times. Sad disappointment spreads to her face, down to her tiny figure that lingers on the doorknob, not even the sight of her two favorite big sisters cheering the fatherless girl up. Leaving her post at the door, Elicia clings to them with an arm wrapped around each girl's leg in a tight hug.

Elicia. Elena sets down the basket of apples and kneels down to hold the small child closer, the daughter of Maes Hughes whimpering as her mother comes out to see who had been at the door.

"Ms. Gracia." Winry begins, words failing her as she can feel the newspaper weigh her down in her arms. "I'm sorry for-I-we just wanted-"

"It's all right." Gracia understands as she welcomes the two girls back into her home. It appears so empty since they had been there last, filled with family and friends of the young birthday girl, now only mother and daughter. Empty without the life of Maes Hughes.

"Sisters have apples." Elicia inspects the basket that Elena carries as they enter. Not Papa.

"It was supposed to be a gift." Winry explains, holding back her emotions on the matter in front of the girl who picks a big green one to show her mother. "We wanted to make another pie, like last time-"

"If it's okay-"

"Of course you can still make it." Gracia, despite all the hardships she's faced since the death of her husband, assures Winry and Elena with a kind smile. "Elicia would love to help, wouldn't you, sweetie?"

"I help Mommy and sisters!" Elicia perks up, wanting to be a good girl since it was common knowledge to the three year-old that being good meant nice things, like maybe Papa finally coming home. "C'mon, sisters! Mommy!"

Attempting to carry the basket much too heavy for her, Elicia is helped by her two favorite sisters into the kitchen as her mother lingers behind, fighting back the tears that had returned once more.


While Elicia happily keeps the older girls busy in the kitchen making the apple pie, Gracia leaves them for a moment to use the phone. Despite how best Winry and Elena had tried to keep it hidden, Gracia knew how much they had been hurting. Even now, as they laughed along with Elicia who had gotten flour all over her face, there was pain beneath those eyes that looked so tired. It was no wonder, with the recent newspaper headlines on who had murdered her beloved husband. Picking up the phone, she dials the numbers she knows of local military hotels, knowing if those two were here in Central, then so had to be a state alchemist and suit of armor.