Chapter Five, Leaving for North

The three of them stared at each other, as they stood outside the boy's room.

"What? Oh man, the Colonel never said anything about that! They didn't give her any other room!", Ed fumed.

"Well, she can take my bed. I'll just sit on the floor.", Al offered.

"That's not the point.", Eliza answered him, annoyance traced her voice.

She was stressed out beyond belief. Not only had she been caught, she now had to be watched over by a state alchemist for something she had nothing to do with. It didn't help she was pissed off at the military already. She hated Colonel Mustang for putting her in this position, and she hated herself, for getting caught. They went inside, and Eliza looked around. Ed took off his coat, and flopped down on one of the beds, letting out some mumble about getting his hands on Mustang. Al just stood for a moment before sitting down on the floor beside Edward's bed. Eliza let out a sigh. She was stuck with them for the time being, and there wasn't much she could do about it.

"Well I guess theres not much choice. We'll just have to deal with it. And besides, theres guards posted outside anyway. Don't think I can cause much trouble.", she walked over to the other bed.

"Hmph. I don't like this any more than you do.", Ed growled.

"Doesn't surprise me. You look like the kind of guy who'd rather sleep in a barn, than have a strange girl in the same room.", she glanced at him.

Ed's face flushed, and he turned to look out the window. Al didn't say anything. Eliza sighed again, scratching the back of her neck. Everything was going all right until she ran into these two. Or at least things were how she had expected them to be, before she met them. "Let my guard down for five minutes, and all hell breaks loose. What have I got myself into this time.". She looked at Ed, who was still staring out the window. Then she decided she might as well get some rest. She pulled her feet up on the bed, then rolled on her side facing the wall.

"Night.", she said, with hardly any sort of expression.

"Night.", Came Al's reply.

Edward said nothing. He glanced at her for a brief second, then turned his gaze to the floor. Swinging his feet up on the bed, he turned on his side, shut his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

--The next morning--

Sarah woke up with a wet pillow. She had been crying in her sleep, from the events the day before. She hadn't bothered to change into her pyjamas and ended up sleeping in her clothes. Heading down the stairs to meet her younger brother and sister, she lazily wiped the sleep from her eys, letting out a huge yawn in the process. Zander already had breakfast made and on the table. He had tried his best not to burn anything, and his efforts payed off. Bacon and eggs naver tasted so good, in Sarah's opinion. Zowy was content with her brother's cooking for once, and gobbled up her food in no time. Ren sat beside her on the floor, happily drinking milk from a bowl. Zowy reached down to pat the kitten, and Ren looked up at her, giving a soft "Meow", in reply.

"Well, I guess I'll give Aunt Jessie a call.", Sarah said, tiredness still rang in her voice.

"Aunt Jessie is coming?", Zowy's bright green eyes stared at her sister, in curiousity.

"Yeah, You were already asleep when Sarah told me Zowy.", Zander explained.

"Oh. Okay. Is she bringing Taressa with her?", the little girl asked.

"Don't know yet. She'll probably bring her. After all Taressa hasn't seen you guys for a while. She'll be glad to come stay.", Sarah said, smiling at her sister.

"Yay! Aunt Jessie and Taressa are comming to visit! Come on Ren, we gotta go get dressed.", she smiled a the cat, and picked him up.

Zowy took Ren, and happily skipped up to her room. Zander and Sarah watched her as she danced up the stairs, shutting the door behind her. Sarah grinned, as she finished off her breakfast. Sipping on her orange juice, she sat quietly at the table. Her brother cleared Zowy's dishes, placing them in the sink. He turned to his elder sister, with genuine concern in his eyes.

"So are you going to tell her why?", he asked.

"I will Zander. Just not yet. She seems so happy right now, I don't want to spoil it for her right away.", came Sarah's response.

"Yeah."

Sarah got up from her seat, and headed for the phone. Dailing her aunt's number, she waited as the phone rang. The voice on the other end sounded happy, and sweet.

"Hello, Jessie speaking."

"Hey Aunt Jessie. How are you?"

"Oh Sarah, my it's been a while. How have you been lately? Is Zowy eating right?"

"Zowy's good. Listen, Aunt Jessie. Something has come up, and I need you to come and take care of Zander and Zowy for a while."

"Oh? What's wrong dear?", concern entered the woman's voice.

"We got some bad news yesterday. Mom and Dad... are...gone.", Sarah held back the tears, as her throat tightened.

"...Oh Sarah. Hun I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. We had some help to get through the shock. It would be great if you could get here tonight. I'm... packing to go somewhere."

"I'll be there soon dear. Taressa and I will start packing right away."

"Thanks Aunt Jessie. I'll see you later."

"Of course dear."

Sarah hung up the phone, as tears slid down her cheaks. Even though her aunt lived in the city as well, it was all the way on the other side, and it still took her a while to get ready, but since it was serious, Sarah expected her much sooner. She went to her room, and started packing. She would have to travel light, so she took only what she needed. She wasn't entirely sure where to look first, but if anywhere, she would start at the village her parents had been in the north. When she had finished packing, she took her suitcase downstairs and set it by the door. Zowy came up behind her With Ren in her arms. A perplexed look on the child's face, made Sarah's heart ache even more.

"Big Sister? Where are you going?", her bright green eyes, and their innocence dug into Sarah's soul.

"Zowy, Aunt Jessie is going to look after you guys for a while.", answering her sister's question.

"But why? I though it was just a visit about Mommy and Daddy?"

"Zowy, I need to go away for a while. Just to go see something okay?"

"But why big sister? Why do you have to go?", her face bacame sad, as she looked at her elder sister.

"I need to know something Zowy. I'm sorry."

"NO! You can't leave! I don't want you to! Mommy and Daddy left, and they didn't come back! You can't leave too! Big sister!", Zowy's face was nearly in tears, as she put Ren on the floor.

Grabbing her older sister around the neck, Zowy hugged her, not wanting to let go. Zander came into the room, and watched his sisters cry. He didn't want Sarah to leave, but he understood why she was going. Sobbing into the neck of her shirt, Zowy held her sister tight. Sarah returned her sister's hug, rubbing her back and trying to calm her down. It hurt enough that she had to leave, and this wasn't making it any easier for her.

"You can't go, you can't!"

"Zowy, she has too. It's for all of us, and Mom and Dad.", Zander said softly, trying to comfort his little sister's tears.

"Come on. Aunt Jessie'll be here any minute now.", Sarah said, still hugging her little sister.

Zowy finally let her sister go, and picked up Ren once more. She wiped her eyes from crying, and let a snifle or two come out. The doorbell rang, and Zander opened it to see their Aunt, standing in the doorway with Taressa standing beside her, and several large suitcases. Sarah smiled when she saw Jessie, and welcomed her Aunt's embrace.

"Hey Aunt Jessie. Thanks so much for coming.", Sarah hugged her tightly.

"Of course dear. Any time."

"Aunt Jessie!", Zowy squeeled.

"Well hello there sweety. Have you been a good girl?", Jessie, let Sarah out of her embrace and knelt down to catch Zowy.

"We missed you!", Zowy squeezed her aunt, with her small arms.

"Hi Taressa.", Zander finally piped up from behind the door.

"Hi Zander.", she smiled at him.

Taressa was the same age as Zander, and she wasn't related to them. She was only staying with their aunt, after an accident that took her own parents lives. The two had an obvious affection for each other, and Sarah was glad her brother would have a bit of a distraction. She put on her coat, and picked up her suitcase, well aware of the looks she recieved from her siblings.

"Well, I'll be going. The sooner I leave the sooner I come home.", she smiled.

"You take care of yourself dear.", Jessie said, hugging her niece once more.

"Promise you'll come home?", Zowy stared hard, into her sister's soft grey eyes.

"Promise.", she winked.

She turned to Zander, and he nodded his head. Sarah stepped out the door, waving to her family. Then she turned and headed for the train station. She was on her way, but what she would find was something she worried about more than anything else right now.

--Back at Central HQ--

Ed groaned, as the sun hit his face from the window. He wasn't looking forward to his new assignment, or having to drag her everywhere he went. He turned over, and tried to go back to sleep, when the girl's voice got his attention.

"Hey! Would you get up already! For someone in the military, you're pretty lazy."

"Brother come on. We have to catch the train soon.", Al said, trying to stir his brother from sleep.

"You guys are worse than a couple of roosters at dawn. Give me a break will ya?", Ed muttered, his face half in his pillow.

"Oh no you don't! You're getting your butt outta bed now!", Eliza shouted.

Crossing her arms in front of herself, a cold wind suddenly blew the window open. Al watched as Ed was literally blown off his bed, and against the wall. When the wind faded, Eliza stood with her arms folded across her chest, and a grin on her face. Edward glared at her, as he sat on the floor with his back now in slight pain.

"What the hell was that for!"

"So you would get out of bed. What do you think it was for?", she answered him.

"Eliza, you... didn't use a circle.", Al pointed out that slight detail, "And what exactly did you do?"

"What I did? That's simple. I manipulated the flow of air around me. When I change the way the air current moves, I can create either a strong gust of wind, or even a large tornado if I make the force strong enough.", she avoided the first part completely.

"Thats pretty impressive, but you still didn't answer his first question.", Ed stated, getting up from his forced spot on the floor.

"How about I don't, and say I did.", she replied in a serious tone.

Ed only glared at her more. That didn't look good on her part, if she kept hiding something as important as not using a circle. He didn't see anything that would allow her to do so, and she hadn't clapped her hands together to create a circle like himself either. He remembered Sarah had her arm bands, and Mustang had his gloves, but Eliza didn't seem to have anything. Ed grabbed his coat, and threw it on, walking towards the door. Al followed him, and Eliza did shortly after.

On the way to the train station, it was nothing but intense silence. The odd time Ed and Al would start to talk about something, but it wouldn't last long. Eliza didn't say a word, the entire way there. Al had tried to start a conversation with her, but it didn't go anywhere. He tried asking about her, and where she was from. She snapped back at him, saying it was none of their buisiness. Alphonse gave in rather quickly to her unwillingness to talk, appologised, and tried to explain his reasons for asking in the first place.

"Sorry, I was just wondering. I thought since we'll be around each other for a while, we might as well get to know one another."

"Then get to know this. I don't need anyone to babysit me, and I certainly don't need the two of you trying to stick your noses into my buisness. So just butt out."

"Hey! He just asked a simple question! You don't have to be so nasty about it!", Ed shouted back at her.

"You don't have to yell. I'm about three feet away from you, and I can hear just fine.", she glared at him.

"Brother, just leave her alone. She doesn't have to say if she doesn't want to."

"Well she doesn't have to freak out at you either.", Ed shot her an angry scowl.

Eliza ingnored both of them. She had no intention of following them around like a dog on a leash. The only thing on her mind, was finding a way to ditch them, and move on to her next stop. They didn't say anything more, until they reached the station.

When they got there, a familiar face greeted them. Soft grey eyes, lit up with delight to see Ed and Al again so soon. Al was happy to see her smiling, and Ed just grinned as she ran to meet them.

"Edward, Alphonse, who would have guessed I'd see you guys the next day?", she smiled sweetly.

"How is Zowy doing now? And Zander?", Al asked.

"Still upset, but they are doing better.", she lowered her eyes.

"So, where are you off to Sarah?", Ed's question tugged at her.

Her reply was hesitant, but she eventually told them she was headed north. The brothers looked at each other, then looked back at Sarah. They knew first hand, what she had just been through. Sarah was silent for a moment, but then her smile came back, as if nothing were ever wrong.

"So, How did it go for you two last night? Did you find anything out at all?", she said, noticing the girl standing off to the side.

"Yeah well, it wasn't an easy night I can tell you that.", Ed ruffled his bangs.

"Oh? What happened? If you don't mind me asking.", turning her attention back to the boys.

"She happened.", Ed pointed to the girl who was with them.

"I do have a name you know.", she snapped.

"Sarah, this is Eliza.", Al introduced the two girls.

"Hi, nice to meet you.", Sarah smiled, walked up to her, and extended a hand.

Sarah stood smiling in front of her, but Eliza didn't move. She only glanced at the other girl's hand, and turned away. Her patience was slowly starting to slip away, and she wanted to get going.

"Right. Are we leaving yet or what?", ignorring the gesture, as she turned to Ed.

"HEY! That was rude!", Sarah shouted.

"Hey short stuff, I asked if we were leaving.", still ignorring the smaller girl.

Ed stiffened, and a vein popped from his forehead. Sarah forgot about Eliza being rude, long enough to assist Al in holding back the blond headed alchemist. Eliza just stood calmly. One eyebrow raised at the odd, yet amusing sight before her. Several other pairs of eyes from around them, were fixed on the awkward scene.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLIN SO SHORT YOU CAN'T STEP ON HIM CUZ YOU NEED A MICROSCOPE JUST TO SEE HIM HUH!", his arms flailed wildly, while Sarah and Al continued to hold him back, " YOU'RE NOT ANY TALLER THAN ME YOU KNOW!"

This was true. Eliza stood eye level with him. She hadn't actually meant much by pointing out his height, but she laughed to herself when she saw him flip out over something so silly.

"Brother, calm down."

"Geeze Ed, and I though I had height issues.", Sarah shook her head.

"Oh goody. And I'm stuck with you for god knows how long.", Eliza rolled her eyes.

When Edward finally calmed down, Al and Sarah let him go, both letting out a sigh of relief. By the time their little episode was finished, the trains were set for passengers to bord. When they had gotten themselves seated, Sarah was pleased to see that they were also headed north. Al offered her a seat next to him and she gladly accepted. There weren't many other passengers, so Eliza chose to sit across from them on her own. She sat gazing out the window, as the train slowly began to inch forward.