(A/N): Sorry for the delay as usual. I've been sick (ironically losing my voice for a bit), and of course the madness of college finals. But! I'm finally free and on break, so I should be back on track for the moment! Enjoy as always.

By the time the fresh pie is out of the oven and cooling, Gracia's calling pays off as she finally contacts the Elric brothers. Letting them know the whereabouts of their sister and friend, as well as their poor conditions though it was no trouble at all to have the females over, Gracia advises that they come over to retrieve them. Meanwhile, Winry, Elena, and Elicia have moved into the living area, the youngest girl given access to Elena's sketchbook to draw in. As best as Elicia pleads with her to draw with, too, Elena can only shake her head politely, allowing Elicia to scribble to her heart's content. There had been a promise to draw more when they had next met, but Elena can't bring herself to join in. Neither can Winry, sitting on a chair with her gaze out the window and Elicia even begs her to play with her. Saddened by the fact that none of her 'sisters' will pay her any attention, Elicia grows quiet as well as she draws her Papa on a blank page she devotes to him. Ever since they put him in the box in the ground, no one wanted to do anything anymore and they were always sad. Maybe if they took him out, since he said there was lots of work to do, then everyone would be happy again. Elicia knew she would be.

"Winry. Ellie." Edward appears at the living room doorway, he and Alphonse having been guided inside by Gracia. "We're here to pick you up."

"I'm sorry." Elena doesn't look at him, feeling just as guilty as Edward as Winry says she's just as sorry.

"No. I need to apologize, too." Edward won't let either of them be as he retrieves the locket from his jacket and hands it back to Elena. In the rush of going to Central to get answers, he had accidentally kept it with him the whole time. It was a guilty reminder that had weighed on his conscience while he and Alphonse had followed along to the coroner's for the results on the blackened remains on what had been Maria Ross. Edward hadn't been thinking clearly at the time, or at all, and he had screwed up.

"You're both okay. That's good." Alphonse is relieved to see Elena as she reluctantly puts the necklace back around her neck. He had been worried about her even before she had run off, with the news about Hughes, and it frightened Alphonse that he might lose her just as suddenly as him. Of course, he was glad to see Winry, too, but it was a bittersweet happiness in knowing the reason why they were all there. "There's something we have to say, Ms. Gracia, if it's okay. Winry and Ellie, please hear it, too."

Gathering around the table in the living room, Elicia rejoins her mother on the couch as she lays down and curls up with her head on Gracia's lap. Sitting between Alphonse and Winry, Elena has a sinking feeling as to what it was that her brothers were to talk about as Winry can only guess, since it had only been secrets until now and her to be kept in the dark on their matters. Their reasoning is proved why, Edward burdened with the task to tell Gracia Hughes why and what her husband was murdered for. For helping them look up information on the stone, on homunculi, on everything they had heard about on their travels. Human transmutation.

"The Fuhrer had warned us of the dangers himself, but Mr. Hughes kept looking up information within the military's historical records." Alphonse helps Edward in explaining all they know about what Hughes must have done.

"My husband must have discovered something, or is it a warning from his killer to stop looking into this?" Gracia speaks, conflicted between the two sure options that had taken her love away.

"It's all our faults." The cruel realization finally hits Elena as she finds herself writing those words. It doesn't matter which it was. He was involved and because of that-

"We dragged him into this." Edward is just as guilty as he clenches both hands into fists. "We're sorry. I'm sorry."

"Me too. I'm so sorry, Ms. Gracia." Alphonse bows his head, feeling that no amount of apologies would ever be enough.

"We never, ever meant for this. I'm sorry." Although there was nothing they could have done, it still makes it feel even worse as even a stunned Winry, at seeing a rare Edward look so hurt and apologizing, does the same. Even as all four lament to the widow, Alphonse recalling aloud what he had told Edward about not wanting his body back at all if it meant those they cared about to die, she smiles with sadness.

"To help others even if he dies, that's the type of person Maes was. He would always meddle in affairs at his own expense, but it was the happiness he gained that drove him on." Gracia recalls him with the memories of those better days, but that's all they are now as she returns to reality. "If you give up now, then his death would have been for nothing. Don't give up on restoring your bodies, even without using the philosopher's stone. Make your own progress by your own means and understandings."

I just hope we can. Elena vows, but isn't sure how they'll gain everything back without the stone's power. We'll do it for Mr. Hughes and everyone else. We have to try!

As Gracia's words sink in to the others, and with the reminder of why Edward and Alphonse were there, they prepare to leave the household as Winry is helped by Gracia who insists she take the apple pie with them. Elicia all alone with her for the moment, Elena kneels down to the small child's level.

"Your Papa would have wanted you to have this." Elena takes off the gift Maes Hughes had sworn to give his little girl someday and Elicia looks the heart-shaped locket over.

"Papa give you?" Elicia asks the older female who nods that he had as she offers it to her, but refuses. "Then not mine. Papa give you, not Elicia."

"I want you to have it instead, Elicia." Elena tries to hand it to her again, but she just shakes her head despite how much she really wants the trinket from her Papa.

"Can't take, big sister. Papa give you." Elicia reasons as best she can, wishing Elena could understand as she puts it back in her hands with her own. "Make Papa happy, okay?"

I will. Elena wraps her arms around Hughes' daughter as familiar tears drip down her face. Seeing the water that wasn't there seconds before, Elicia uses a tiny hand to wipe them away, like her father had done for all the times she had cried.

"Don't, big sister. That make Papa sad. Happy, okay?" Elicia tries to make Elena smile by pressing the corners of her own lips up into the best smile she can muster. "Now Papa is happy."

Damn it all. Elena, overcome with so much emotion that threatens to break her, simply nods in front of Elicia as she keeps the inner storm at bay.

"I'll make you all happy."


Joining her brothers and Winry at the entrance gate, Alphonse setting a comforting hand on Winry's shoulder, they all start to make way back to the military hotel. Elena, debating whether she should apologize again to Edward for running off or for disobeying his orders for her to stay behind, looks up to her big brother who was oddly quiet. He was looking back at the Hughes' home, Gracia visible with Elicia in her arms at the window, a hand covering her sobbing face and a distressed daughter trying to stop the tears. Finding nothing she could say anymore, Elena bumps into his shoulder with a gentle nudge as she looks up into his eyes and lets hers reflect all the words she can't think of. Getting the message with a very brief and hint of a small smile, Edward places a hand on her hair and slightly ruffles it like the old times. Nothing has to be said during the exchange, the youngest and eldest siblings forgiving their mistakes just like that. Though it seems reassuring to the both of them that the other is still there and in one piece, even Alphonse and Winry, all they can think about is the one slip-up that could result in losing them forever just like Maes Hughes.

None of them can afford another mistake at the cost of a loved one's life.


Once they return to their hotel, Edward goes to the cafeteria for lunch (though he really wasn't that hungry) and Winry to her and Elena's room. Deciding that it would be best to leave Winry be, but not wanting to be alone herself, Elena accompanies Alphonse to his shared room with Edward.

"Why don't you go eat?" Alphonse, still worried about Elena's condition after all she had seen, offers as he settles on the floor, not wanting his bulky armor to ruin the furniture.

"I ate at Ms. Gracia's." Though then she hadn't eaten that much anyway. It was strange, knowing she had to eat yet didn't feel like it. Elena knew it was bad, but so was everything else. "Besides, I'm not that hungry."

"You look tired." Where did she even sleep last night, if she did? Alphonse tries to think of when, since both her and Winry had been gone when they had returned after the coroner's results. "You can take a nap on the bed if you want."

"I'm not sleepy." Elena shrugs, but the shadows beneath her eyes say otherwise. She wasn't that tired anyway, and didn't feel like letting the nightmares haunt her.

"Are you feeling okay?" Alphonse worries that Elena isn't, and something in him snaps when she doesn't even answer, reading her vacant expression like an open book as the kind soul scolds. "You need to take good care of your body, Ellie. You're being just as foolish and reckless as brother. You have a body to do everything with, to sleep, feel, and eat. I don't want to lose you because you're careless about it."

"Al-" Elena is stunned by the rare outburst from the suit of armor, realizing how stupid she was being as Alphonse continues.

"Just-just go eat something, okay? For me." Alphonse is as surprised about it as much as her, it was never like him to shout at anyone, especially his little sister.

I'm so foolish. Elena rises to her feet as she nods to her brother's soul, trapped in armor void of any human need, guilty of her uncaring behavior before he who would be glad to do just one of those things. Choosing to go find Edward at the cafeteria to eat something at least, Elena doesn't have to go far to see her eldest brother, just outside of her and Winry's room.

What's he- Elena watches as the door opens and Winry pulls a suddenly pink and Edward in. Having the better judgement to stay out of that one, Elena hastily decides that she'll have lunch on her own.