Chapter 12:

Hello And Goodbye

Hughes suddenly pulled up in another car and stepped out then walked to Mirielle and knelt down beside her.

"What's going on here?" "Ask your niece. She can tell you everything."

Hughes helped her up and looked down at her.

"Explain yourself Roy." "Your 'cute and innocent' niece here is trying to prevent us from taking Edward and Alphonse back with us to central." "Is that true Mirielle?" "That's not the whole truth Uncle Maes...I love Ed and Alphonse is the best friend I've ever had."

Mustang took a close Mirielle and glared.

"There's more too it than that. I can tell by that look in your eyes. What are you hiding?"

Mirielle bit her bottom lip and kept silent. Mustang grabbed her by the shoulders and screamed at her.

"WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?"

Hughes pryed Mustang off of Mirielle and turned to her.

"Mirielle...Look at me...What is he talking about?" "I can't say it unless he leaves."

Hughes turned to Mutang and signaled him to leave. Mustang shrugged it off and walked away.

"What's wrong Mirielle...?" "I...uh...Ed and I..." "C'mon Mirielle tell me...It can't be that bad can it? I mean it's not like like you slept with him."

Mirielle bit her bottom lip and shifted her eyes.

"You did didn't you?" "Yes..." "Mirielle...You do know that this could cause serious trouble?" "I know...But it doesn't matter now...Ed hates me..."

Hughes hugged her breifly then turned around. Mustang, Ed, and Al walked over and put everything in the trunk of Hughes's vehicle. Mirielle and Ed had a short stare down before her stepped into Mustang's car. Al stepped in after Ed once he was done with his goodbyes.

"Uncle Maes..."

He turned around and looked at Mirielle with sentimentality.

"Does have to be this way? Can't he stay?" "I mean can't they go their separate ways?" "I'm afraid not...The military wants both and not one." "So then...This is goodbye...For good..."

Hughes just sighed and hugged her once more before getting in his car and taking off. Mustang's driver took off after Hughes and Mirielle just stood there watching them drive away. Slowly it began to rain but she didn't care. All she could do was stand there and watch. Just as they began to drive into the large quantity of trees she started to chase after them.

"Come back..."

She sped up her pace as the rain started getting heavier and heavier.

"Ed come back..."

Soon she found herself running as fast as she could after the car.

"EDWARD! Come back! Please come back!"

Mirielle even chased the car down hill and began to speed out of control loosing her shoes in the process.

"COME BACK!"

She cried as she yelled one last time and fell to the ground becoming covered in mud. Mirielle sat up and watched the cars drive off into the distance. In an attempt to comfort herself she hugged her elbows against herself. It was more than she could bare to see them go so she sat there and cried some more.

"Come back to me...Please...I can't let it go. Ed please come back, I'm begging you..."

"All those times we shared...Don't they matter?...Doesn't it matter to you?...I thought that we were going to be together no matter what..."

Mirielle remembered everything that had happened since Ed and Al arrived. The time Ed took her out to the village carnival and that one-hundred degree day that Al helped use the hose against Ed and Armstrong. Every moment she shared with them came back to her one by one, bit by bit. Each little detail of each moment caused more pain and sorrow for her. She couldn't let it go, and she would never be able to. Mirielle felt like she couldn't go on without them, namely Ed. It tore her apart just knowing she couldn't do anything to reverse it. All she had the motive to do was cry and scream for him.

"Ed come back! Come back please! I need you to be here with me..."

As they were driving off Ed sat there thinking to himself.

"Is this the right choice...? Do I really want to leave her behind...What are saying? Of course you do. Besides she went after that bastard...No...Wait...I just didn't give her a chance to talk...I jumped to conclusions and accused her of something she didn't even do..."

Mustang notice Ed was dazed and narrowed his eyes.

"Edward." "Huh?Oh, sorry." "You do know if you turn back now you won't be able to come back."

Ed thought about this with intense concentration and came to a conclusion. Meanwhile Mirielle was slowly making her way up the hill. She was drenched in mud and rain water and her clothes stuck to her like glue. The radiant glow in her eyes was now gone and the emotion in her face had disappeared. She had become empty, and alone. She felt like nothing, a nothing that everyone would step on because it's not of any importance, a nothing that hid in the shadows while everyone else had fun. As she was making her way back to the house she could only think of how much she missed him and cry.

"WAIT!"

Mirielle stopped for a moment then shook her head and continued up the hill. Then she heard running and stopped. She slowly turned around to see Ed standing there. Her eyes lit up and her face glowed.

"You're pretty hard to catch up with you know that."

Mirielle smiled and ran into his arms.

"ED!But...I thought you were gone..." "I decided to come back."

Ed smiled and kissed her. Now he and Al had gone their separate ways for good. Ed was with the woman he loved and Al was working for the military. Two different worlds but both gave opportunities that woul lead to greater adventures.