Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist except Trey.

The suit of armor was huge, but it's voice was ridiculously high-pitched like a child's.

"I'm sorry if I scared you."

He kept apologizing. Trey nodded a little, not listening, not caring. Winry looked apologetic too.

"Sorry, but I have to work on Ed's arm. Do you need some help?"

Trey shook her head. By now, she was used to the attention her automail arm was getting. Trey walked over to the door. Havoc was right behind her. Havoc said, "Wait, where you going?" Trey replied, "Out." Out. Just out. Never an not vague answer. Havoc insisted, "I'm your escort." Trey waved him away as she disappeared through the doorway.

"Is she always like that?"

Winry's voice was a surprise to Havoc. Havoc turned in an embarrassing manner and said, "You mean putting as many miles between her and others?" Winry nodded. Havoc stuck a cigarette in his mouth. He said, "Yeah. Always." Trey was walking. The snow was heavy, but she felt nothing. She was the ice alchemist after all, and what does an ice alchemist need to feel in the snow? She stuck her automail hand out. She saw the snow drop down and slide off. She couldn't feel it. So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't seen who was in front of her. Just a bump on the shoulder.

"Oh, sorry about that."

Trey didn't look up as she spoke.

"That's okay."

The voice. Trey gazed up into the face of her past.

"Michelle?"

The girl took a step back. She shook her head and said, "Trey? No, you can't be. I heard she died." Trey scoffed and said, "You think anyone would accept me up there?" The girl continued her denial until she looked directly in Trey's face. Then she hugged her. She hugged her so hard that Trey could feel the tears on her cheeks roll down her own. She was crying and saying, "I thought I lost you... like I lost everybody else!" She was hysterical. Trey, tried as she might, could not loosen Michelle's grip. When she finally did, Trey was relieved.

"What is this?"

Michelle had found Trey's arm. She felt around the ridges of chunky automail and the bits sticking out.

"Automail. I got my arm slashed off."

Michelle stiffened. She said slowly, "You saved my life, Trey. You saved my life, and you get your arm cut off? Oh god, oh god." She was gripping the automail tightly. Trey pulled the arm away, and for a good minute, Michelle had stopped crying. Trey was embarrassed and the awkward silence was making everything altogether too difficult. Words did not come easy in a situation like this. Trey was the first to speak.

"Resembool, huh? Of all places, why here"
"My mom got married and wanted to move here"
"Since when?"

A pause.

"Since that... incident."

Trey nodded. She was waiting for the question. It was a simple question, but it was personal and too painful.

"So, what are you doing here?"

Not the expected question, but it would do.

"Stupid stuff to get some kid and his brother back to headquarters"
"You still in the military retrieval unit?"

Trey almost laughed, but she suppressed it. She explained, "Nope, I'm in as a national state alchemist." Michelle asked with rising anger, "Why would you go and do something stupid like that?" After a moment's hesitation, Trey answered, "So that people like you, the Ishbalans, and others may live." Michelle was furious at the thought of an Ishbalan practicing the forbidden art, but she pushed that thought aside.

"So, where's Min?"

Silence. Michelle didn't notice.

"I remember you guys would always hang out together."

Michelle smiled a little as if she was reminiscing on those good days. Trey did not.

"Remember that one time he"
"He's dead"
"What?"

Michelle gave Trey an incredulous look, a look of sheer disbelief and shock at the same time. Trey showed no sign of emotion. Her eyes were literally unreadable; they were black bottomless pits or a dark abyss filled with nothing. Michelle trembled as she backed away at the mention of death.

"No..."

Trey's voice became harsh.

"He had my back out there."

Michelle said nothing. For a moment, Trey trembled. Michelle turned away as if she was going to walk in a completely different direction. But she turned her head back towards Trey.

"I'm sorry"
"Where are you going"
"Home. You should be too."

Trey scoffed. In a faint whisper, Michelle could've sworn she heard Trey grumble, "What home?" Nonetheless, Trey and Michelle walked in silence side by side back to the Rockbell's house. They neared the house.

"I've missed you, my friend."

Trey said nothing.

"Why are you like this?"

Michelle stopped and grabbed Trey's shoulder in a halt. Trey shrugged her hand off, but she didn't continue walking. She replied in a low, hazy voice, "There's nothing left. This is what I have to do." Michelle stared back at her. She asked, "What are you talking about?" Trey said, "It's the will of the Lord, and I must obey. I come back in this military with these alchemic tattoos, and it's that I've got left of home. Without Min, this is all I ever can be."

"You're better than this."

Trey looked at her with unbelieving, doubtful. She replied scornfully, "There ain't nothing better than this. Figured in a year's worth of time that they just shoot you when you turn your back... and everything starts crumbling." She was referring to the night raid when her comrades had turned their back on her and Min. Michelle said nothing, knowing all too well of the memories at that place. They walked.

"Hey, what's that?"

Trey looked up. A bright beam was flashing on and off from a distance. As they came nearer, a girl was holding a box-like device at a window upstairs. The snow was getting worse. They ran. The door opened, and Pinkako welcomed them both with a warm heart. She set out a good dinner, and everybody sat around the table in high spirits. Ed and his brother, Winry and her grandmother, and even Havoc were enjoying themselves. Apparently, Michelle knew Winry but barely. They talked about basic topics. Trey said nothing.

"They got a tractor pull at twenty miles today"
"Really? Who was riding"
"Obviously not you, shorty"
"Who you calling so short he can't reach his desk?"

Laughs all around.

"I didn't say anything like that, Ed"
"Even so, that was some pretty good material"
"Excuse me"
"You should be a comedian, Ed. Write down your stuff"
"Oh really? Do tell"
"Oh yeah. You'd get all the short jokes!"

Ed was off again, roaring at the top of his lungs about him not being short. Trey couldn't help but smile. All of this behavior reminded her of her own family and her own sister. Then the topic reached the military. Pinako was the only who was strongly against the government using people as weapons, especially children.

"It's bad enough they've got young men giving up their lives"
"I'm not a child anymore"
"You're not"
"Hey, who you calling so"
"Calm down, Edward. It's just dangerous for children like yourself and Trey to be risking your lives for a lost cause."

The attention that was brought to Trey was pretty confusing. At first, they didn't realize that she was with them all. Havoc, who was sitting next to Trey, clapped her on the back and said, "This is one dog you don't need to worry about. I tell ya', in alchemy, she's outstanding in that capacity. Colonel Mustang even says so." Looks of awe faced her.

"What kind of alchemist are you?"

Havoc filled in for her when she didn't want to speak.

"The one and only ice alchemist. She's one of a kind."

Havoc extended his hands.

"She's even better than Ed!"