Hi! I guess this is my first story... Well, whatever. It's not exactly how I felt when I watched the episode, because even though I didn't cry the first time, I have every time after.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I do, however, own Namine. Wish I owned it all.

As Edward happily munched on a piece of an apple pie kindly given to us by Mrs. Hughes, which I just couldn't stand smelling without tasting for very much longer, I suddenly lost my appetite.

"Hey, 'Mine, what's up?" Winry asked me. I had stood up and was walking out of the train car.

"I'm going to the switchboard," I answered. "There's a call I have to make."

"You want some of this before you go?" Edward asked. "If you don't take it now, there might not be any more when you get back."

"No thanks," I told him. "All of a sudden, I'm not very hungry anymore."

"Okay Namine, suit yourself," Ed shrugged.

I had a feeling. Now, to see if I was right.

"Riza, d'you think I could speak to Hughes?" I asked her.

"No, I don't," was the stiff reply.

"Why not?"

First Lieutenant Hawkeye's response was reluctant. "Brigadier General Hughes has... been murdered."

I almost dropped the receiver.

"Please forgive my rudeness. I didn't know."

"There's no way you could have. I trust that's all?"

"It is. I'll get back to Central as soon as I possibly can. I know there's something for me to do. Considering the colonel, there has to be."

"That won't be necessary, but thank you for the gesture."

The line went dead. In a way, I was glad.

I no longer had to retain my composure, and I fell to my knees. I wasn't crying. I wouldn't let myself cry. Rather, I was regretting.

I knew. I knew this would happen. But even though I knew, it still hurt. Maybe, it hurt even more, because I already knew.

Even worse, I could have stopped it. If only I hadn't left with Edward and Alphonse, I could have been there. I could have prevented it from happening.

That was what I was thinking, even though I knew that even if I was there, I would still have been helpless. I knew I wouldn't have been able to stop it, knew that if I was there, I probably would have had the same fate. And that was not for me.

Knowing that if I stayed at the switchboard for too long, someone would come looking for me, I somehow managed to regain my composure and go back to my seat.

"Hey Ed?" I asked.

"Yeah?" he said around a mouthful of pie.

"If there's any of that pie left, I think I'd like some."

"Sure." He handed me a piece.

This was from Maes and Gracia. I would regret even more if I didn't at least have one little piece. I owed them at least that much.

So, that's it. Please review!