"What's your name?" Edward asked her as she stared out the train window; watching the world zip by without her touch.
"Hey," Edward said sharply and she finally spun her head around to face him. She had pushed back the hood with confidence that no one would recognize her. "What do they call you?" Edward asked again.
Her lips curved in a soft but weak smile; still saddened by the farewells to Jacob and the nine children. "It depends on what you want to call me."
"She's Mother," Kino popped his head out the top of the brown cloak, "call her Mother, Edo."
"No," Edward said flatly.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to, kid."
"Why don't you call her Mother?" Kino leaned towards Edward.
"I told you why."
"Then call her Mama, that's what I call her."
"She's not even you mother, sticks."
"How would I know? How would you know, Full Mental?"
"WHY YOU-!"
"Please!" the woman put out a pale hand in a gesture for them to stop. "Kino, call Edward by his real name, calling him Full Mental offended him."
Edward scowled at Kino, who innocently wrapped his arms about her neck.
"And Edward,"
His golden eyes shifted from Kino's face to hers.
"You're arguing with a child." She gingerly lifted an eyebrow.
Before he could retort, Alphonse leaned in close from behind them, "What do they call you? Maybe there's a name other than-Mother."
She smiled with gentleness, "Well, the cops, soldiers and alchemists alike call me the White Alchemist. The citizens I healed often called me Healer. The Alley kids call me Mother, including Jacob. The Ishbalans call me Ishbala. Farmers call me Angel…are these helping?"
"Is that all of them?" Edward asked.
"No," she tapped a finger to her chin, "Some at a bar call me Virgin."
Sweat drops seeped from the brothers' heads.
"A man who fell in love with me named me Butterfly." She paused as she thought some more and began naming them automatically as they came. "I'm called Savior, Star, Snowflake, Caregiver, Lover, Honey, Sweetheart, Miracle, Aphrodite, The Blessing, Doctor Alchemist, Life Mender, Sunshine, Meadow, Eagle, Heart, God's Daughter, The Girl, The Woman, The Fake Alchemist, The Rat, The Lair…"
"Okay, okay!" Edward blurted rudely.
"Is that…all of them?" Alphonse asked warily.
"No," she said shaking her head once.
"Don't get her started, Al," Edward sighed and looked back into those green eyes of hers. "What name do you like best, then?"
She bit her lip as she thought through the list of names, "Runs on, never stops; strong but gentle; a need of all things living…" She paused again.
"Do you have a nickname?" Edward asked sarcastically.
"No," she laughed, "it's the definition of the name I was given by this sweet old lady before she passed,"
"What name did she give you?" Alphonse ushered gently.
"River."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"No frickin' way," Breda swatted at Havoc.
"I don't find that to be logic." Falman shook his head.
"Could it be true?" Fuery adjusted his glasses in front of his raised eyebrow.
"Of course, it could be," Havoc shrugged, "what else would make him stutter like a fool other than a really hot woman.?"
"Okay," Breda snorted and folded his arms, "suppose Full Metal dose have a lady friend, what would his type be?"
"How should I know?" Havoc scratched the back of his head. "This is as epic as the news of the White Alchemist."
"She'd have to be dwarf-sized like him." Breda bounced a hand about the height of Havoc's waist. Then they all looked both ways down the hall-just in case.
"Maybe blonde," Fuery looked up at the ceiling as he rubbed his chin.
"With blue eyes too," Breda tapped his fingers against his upper arm.
"She'd have to be tough like him too, Havoc added.
"Smart and good with machines; Edward could use some one with that sort of talent." Falman tapped the toe of his shoe on the floor.
Silence.
"We just described his other lady friend." Breda stated and itched his peck.
"Yeah," Fuery sniffed.
Another awkward silence.
"You know," Havoc clicked his tongue once, "She's gonna be pissed."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Mama," Kino moaned into River's chest, "I'm so bored and Edo fell asleep."
River smiled sweetly and kissed Kino's forehead. Then she looked at poor Edward's slumping body, attempting sleep comfortably sitting up but gravity was trying to pull him down.
River deliberated for a moment then reached out an arm to him; guiding his tired head and torso to her shoulder but he fell into her lap. She heard Alphonse chuckle behind her and she looked back to smile at him; then had to clap her hand over Kino's mouth for laughing too loudly.
River briefly thought back to when Edward took Alphonse to the rear at the train a few minutes ago. She knew they had many questions but they didn't ask them. Maybe they wanted to wait for a more secret location. That was so brilliant of them, perhaps she didn't put herself in danger after all.
"Mama," Kino whispered with hope, "do you still have the map?"
She sighed, "No Kino, I don't; I left it with the others."
Kino moaned and looked out the window. "Where are we?"
River's green eyes scanned the fields that fell back behind the train, "I'd say," River smiled at Kino, "we're almost to Resembol."
"Winry," Edward mumbled on River's lap. She turned to Alphonse over the backrest.
"Who's Winry?"
Alphonse jerked from his reverie, "Winry? Where did you-Is Brother awake?"
"No," River blinked, "he just murmured in his sleep. Who's Winry?"
There was a pause before Alphonse answered, "She's his mechanic and our childhood friend in Resembol."
River's face brightened with interest, "In Resembol? How lucky that you two were born there! I'm so excited!"
Alphonse watched her excitement with interest. What was she so happy about? Then asked, "You've been there?"
"No," River sighed and rested her head on the head rest, "but I've seen beautiful pictures of it. Jacob's father travels as an artist and he painted a map for him. Jacob showed it to us and we loved it so much, he let us keep it. I have it memorized because I've stared at it so much. The painting of Resembol was my favorite and now I get to see it!"
"It was my favorite too!" Kino whispered.
Alphonse chuckled, "Well, I'm glad. Maybe you and Winry will be good friends."
"If you ever get the chance to meet her." The man in the walkway clicked the safety off on his revolver. River cuddled Kino to her chest; staring straight ahead as she covered him with the cloak.
"Nice 'n easy now," the man grinned beneath his sunglasses as his revolver clicked ready, "you're coming with me, Jewel."
"No she's not." Edward grabbed the barrel with his right hand and sat up. Alphonse stood up in the walk way next to the gunman.
"Put your gun away," Edward glared, "and we won't hurt you."
"Back off!" The gunman pushed the gun into Edward's palm and coughed. That's when Edward noticed the man's face seemed pale and a nasty stench came with his breath. Something wasn't right.
"Jewel is coming with me and then I'll be vacationing on an island; living the good life. Now out of my way, kid."
Edward grinned wickedly and the revolver groaned and snapped under his hand. The gunman stumbled back and cursed as Edward stood. The man quickly recovered, grabbed a pocket knife and charged. Alphonse intervened; knocking the knife out of the man's hand with his fist before he struck.
The gunman screamed in pain; falling to his knees and clutching his hand. His yelled cursing was too loud for the train cart.
"YOU BROKE MY HAND!" He bellowed through clenched teeth then panted through his nose and mouth.
"It's only fractured," River called out as she stood, "I can help you if you let me go and not hunt me."
"NO!" He retorted, "I deserve-!" he winced and coughed again.
River shook her head, "You're too sick to do anything, do you deserve that?"
The man glared at her with dark, blood shot eyes over the sunglasses. "So you see," he panted, "I don't have long to live so I want to live it up."
"Don't hunt me," River announced numbly, "and I'll help you."
"You stupid wench!" He stood shakily and his blanched face was wet with sweat. "You don't understand, I Want The MONEY I DESERVE!" He started to cough viciously in his hands. The coughs were rough and the intake breaths gurgled and scratched.
Edward looked to River; shouldn't she be helping him? He's a dying man and she's just standing there?
Only a moment passed but ran from the man's mouth now and the breaths were shortening.
"Please," A tear ran down River's cheek, "promise you will not hunt me and I'll help you."
The man shook his head, "This…will…be…over soo-….soon."
River's eyes closed, "Yes," she wiped away the wetness on her face, "it will be."
Fierce gurgling was the only response; he couldn't breathe.
"River," Edward whispered as he stood in front of her now; his eyes shadowed under his bowed head, "please just heal him. I know he'll just come after us but please don't let him suffer."
River lifted Edward's chin, "There's nothing I can do if he doesn't want my help."
A horrible choking gurgle rasped through the train car before there was silence. Edward shut his eyes in the fact that the man behind him had drowned in his own blood.
The train stopped but no one dared to move; the body laid there in front of the door to beautiful Resembol but the horror here in front of them all was too horrendous to see past.