Hey guys! I'm back once more with another chapter, and again, I apologize for the extremely long delay. Amazingly, I wrote this in one sitting after a random strike of motivation hit me, and once I started writing, I couldn't stop. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and now that we're really getting close to the end, with only one or two chapters left, I'll try extremely hard to get those out soon.

Thanks for all of the support and reviews C:

I set aside the last of the dishes to dry and pick up the towel to dry my hands on. Sighing deeply, I turn my gaze to look out the kitchen window, out at the field and the remaining snow now dirty with mud and dead leaves from the Fall of last year. The sun has decided to peak out from behind the clouds for the first time in a while. It shines down on the world, saying hello in it's own bright, warm way, and I know for a fact that it's very welcome. For the last week, and longer, rain has been falling non-stop, trying to erase whatever sign there was that winter had been here and bring life back to the trees and surrounding nature. A part of me is happy that the darker, colder days are now ending, and that soon warmth will be filling every household in Sylvia. Another part of me, however, is anxious. Edward has yet to answer me on whether or not he'll allow me to join the brothers on their way home. The brothers were planning for their departure to take place in Spring, and now that Spring is here and time is running out, all I can do is pray that Edward gets back to me soon.

I've kept my mouth shut about this certain topic ever since that night when I first brought it up. I don't want to become an even bigger nuisance by annoying Ed and Al constantly in hopes of making them think of an answer faster. If I do that, undoubtedly, the two would say that I shouldn't come, and I don't want that. I want to go so badly. Now that my mind is set on this goal, I will do anything to be able to tag along.

Nicoule and Melina have also announced to the brothers that they desire to tag along as well, and Ed wasn't pleased about this news either. After some talking, though, he finally sighed and agreed to think about this as well. Nicoule wasn't too happy with just receiving a "I'll think about it" but it was all she was going to get, so she kept her mouth shut. Melina understood a bit better, I think, since she didn't argue as much as Nicoule or I did. She knew that this was going to be dangerous right from the start. I did too, but I guess I was so stuck in the moment and thoughts of being left being that I just didn't really dwell on the thought of danger so much. Nicoule, on the other hand, never really cared about danger in the first place. She has always been a dare devil, so when this possible adventure came into her view she became willing to do absolutely anything to be able to come along, like me.

"Katrina?"

"Hmm?" I turn toward the voice that had spoken and my eyes meet Edward's. "Oh, Ed, what is it?"

He scratches the back of his neck, eyes darting off to the side as he tries to think of what to say. While he does this, I fold the towel I have been subconsciously gripping in my hands as I thought, and set it down. Finally, Ed finds the words he wants to use.

"I know you haven't brought it up at all, but I know you've really been thinking about it, Kat."

He doesn't need to specify what it is that I've been thinking about, considering how I was just thinking about it just a few minutes ago, and even then it was probably obvious that I was thinking about it. We stare at each other intently, and I nod slowly, confirming his statement as true.

"I've been thinking about it too. And.. this is really hard, Katrina.." Ed says slowly, eyes lowering for just a moment before coming back up to meet mine.

I nod again. I understand that, I really do. Just by him saying my full name makes me understand even more just how much this has been eating at his mind.

"I can see how much you want to go though, Katrina, so..yes," Edward states. I blink at him as a small smile begins to form on his face just as he finishes the next sentence, "You can go."

Disbelief rushes through me as I stare at him with wide eyes. My eyes scan over him multiple times to try and spot any sign that he was lying to me, but I couldn't spot anything. It seems like a joke, but it's not. It can't be. He wouldn't do that, would he? It's not April's Fools, right? No, no, it's not, it's too early for that.

Ed chuckles at my dumbfounded expression, "What? No thank-you?"

It really isn't a joke. A grin spreads across my face, and before I realize it, I dart across the kitchen and fling my arms around his neck. At first, he's caught off guard, and I nearly knock him off his feet with my sudden hug, but he regains his balance and wraps his arms around me as well.

"Thank-you, so much!" I exclaim, tears stinging at the back of my eyes. To think that these simple words could cause me so much joy and excitement. I lean back so that I can look him in the eye, "And Nicoule and Melina?"

"They can come too, if they really want," Ed smiles.

My grin grows. Leaning forward, I press my lips against his, a kiss he returns, before pulling away and hugging him even tighter.

"Izumi?"

Izumi looks up from the papers she's marking, staring at me for a moment before nodding at me to enter. I do so, closing the door behind me, and moving to the front of the desk. Izumi places her pen down on the desktop, leaning back in her chair and waits for me to continue.

Today, just a day after Ed had told me the news, I passed it on to Nicoule and Melina. When I first told them, the two were just as shocked as I was. Now, though, the three of us can't stop smiling or stop talking about it. Throughout the day, they continuously asked me questions for more details about all of this, but I don't really know much about all of this myself. Edward and Alphonse haven't told me too much about the whole process yet, but when they do, I promised Nicoule and Melina that I would tell them about it.

But there's one other person that I want to tell about all of this, and she's sitting right in front of me.

"They agreed to take me along, Izumi. To Amestris. But not just me, either. Nicoule and Melina too," I tell her, letting a small satisfied smile to form on my lips.

"Is that so?" Izumi responds, smirking slightly, "I'm almost shocked. Usually those boys are much more stubborn than that, especially Edward."

"To tell the truth, I'm beyond shocked," I laugh slightly.

"But you're happy. I can see that, especially in class today. You were actually able to pay attention in class, unlike the last few days," She states.

"Yeah, I am happy," I say, "And it's all thanks to your advice."

"It wasn't a problem, Kat," Izumi waves her hand, shrugging it off.

"There was just one more thing I was wondering, though. Would you maybe want to see them? I mean, you could drop by today and we could all have dinner together or something?" I suggest timidly.

Izumi stares at me solemnly, letting the silence fill in the space between us for a moment. She then sighs, rubbing her temple, "Katrina, it's not that I don't want to take you up on that offer, but if I did come by your home today to see them, there would be far more complications to come up. The two of them think I'm dead, and if they discover that I'm alive, in this world, I don't know what that would do to them."

"Yeah, that's true.." I murmur. "I thought I would suggest it anyways, since the two probably miss you a lot. And I'm sure you miss them too."

Izumi smirks, "So when are all of you leaving?"

"Soon. The brothers wanted to leave in Spring," I reply.

"Well then, I guess this is good-bye," Izumi states, standing from her seat and extending her hand. I stare at her in confusion. "Today is my last day as your substitute teacher. After this exchange, I doubt we'll see each other again."

I smile sadly, "Is that so?" I grab her hand, giving it a firm shake, "Thank-you so much, Izumi. Really. You've offered me so much help. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"It really wasn't a problem, Kat, but I do have one more piece of advice," She says, releasing my hand and giving me a firm stare, "Watch him, Katrina. Keep your eyes open for any sort of sign that something is off. Alphonse too. I'm happy that they're allowing you and your friends to go along with them, but something feels off to me. Don't let your happiness blind you."

Closing the door, I lean against it, staring at the row of shoes that's lined up in the entryway. What Izumi said to me back at the school has been stuck in my mind ever since I left the classroom and it has been constantly running through my mind on the entire walk home from the school. What doesn't feel right to her? Sure, I admit that Edward agreed to let me, as well as Nicoule and Melina, to come along faster than I thought he would, and without much argument too, but is it really something that should cause suspicion? Or is Izumi just being paranoid?

"Kat? Is that you?" Alphonse calls out from somewhere within the house, kicking me back into my senses.

"Yeah, it's me," I call back, kicking off my shoes, and heading toward the living room.

Edward and Alphonse smile at me when I enter the living room, and I grin back at them, forcing Izumi's words into the back of my mind. I'm sure they will come back to haunt my thoughts again later, but for now, I'd just like to have a nice conversation with the brothers without any sense of paranoia.

"So how was your day?" Edward asks, setting down the notes he was flipping through.

I shrug, "Boring, as usual. I told Nicoule and Melina the news though, and they asked me to tell you guys that they say thank-you."

Al smiles, "It's no problem."

"Were they as shocked as you were?" Ed asks, smirking.

"Oh yeah," I laugh.

"I figured they would be," Ed chuckles.

"So how did today go for you guys?" I wonder.

"It went pretty good. We figured out a little bit more, and we think we'll be able to leave in at least a week," Alphonse replies.

"Really?" I smile, "Do you guys need any help? I don't have any homework, but I guess it wouldn't matter if I did anyways."

Ed waves his hand, "Don't worry about it. You can leave the transmutation circle and the rest of the research to me and Al now."

"Are you sure? I know I don't understand some of it, but I'm sure I can still offer some help. You two have been so busy with research, and I really haven't helped much in a while," I say.

"Really, Katrina, it's fine," Ed smiles, grouping together the papers before grabbing a book and sticking them inside, hiding the complicated notes and drawings from my view, "It's probably too complicated for you now. We'll manage on our own. Just keep concentrating on school for now until we tell you the exact date of when we're leaving."

Although it didn't sit right with me, I smile, and let it slide anyways. Again, Izumi's words are running through my mind, and I can feel a sinking feeling deep within my gut.

Why do I suddenly doubt that smile of his?

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I appreciate any of the reviews that you take the time to write. They're all a huge inspiration to me C: