"Edward?" Winry's bright blue eyes were shocked and curious. What the heck was Edward doing here and with a woman and her child?

"Winry!" River exclaimed with an excited smile and grasped her hands.

"Winry!" Kino echoed and glomped her about the waist.

She gasped and stumbled in the sudden impact and loss of balance from her arms. Winry felt overwhelmed with confusion. Did she know these two? She was sure that she hadn't but maybe a lot of events crowded her memory. No, that couldn't be right. If she had met this spontaneous pair, she would've definitely remembered.

"How do you know me?" Winry asked after she summed up some air.

River eyes returned to Winry after exploring the ceiling and she giggled. "Oh, Edward mumbled your name in his sleep on the train. Wow, I wish I lived in such a peaceful place like this! You're so lucky to have a home that's so…homey!"

Winry staggered again as a wave of shock blew her mind. Edward said her name? In his sleep?

Kino spun a few times then swayed dumbly around Winry; copying her sudden lack of balance.

Edward hung his head and hurried upstairs.

"Wait Ed," River called after him and started after him.

"Go away!"

Winry took a breath, wiped away slight perspiration and turned to Alphonse for some answers. "Who is she and who's the boy?"

"We call her River, she really liked that name and the boy is Kino."

"Why are they traveling with two? Are you all heading in the same general direction?"

"No, they're coming with us to Eastern Command. That's all I can tell you, sorry." Alphonse slumped slightly as he let out a sigh, though it was only a noise, Winry felt the humanness inside.

"Brother Edo," Kino called after Edward as he headed down the stairs, "where you going?"

"Nowhere, Sticks." Edward retorted.

"Is that a city?" Kino stopped at the bottom and stared with his big blue eyes, "I've always wanted to go."

Edward rolled his eyes and headed outside with a wave, "I'll be back later."

"Brother Ed! Brother Ed!" Kino shouted and ran after him.

"No, Sticks, you stay here."

"Oh," Kino firmly touched a finger to his chin, "I know, you have to go to nowhere to tink."

Edward blinked, "Yeah, that's it; you got it, Sticks."

"I know these tings." Kino patted Edward's stomach like a father would pat his son's shoulder and headed back up stairs. Winry and Alphonse stared after the little boy and then turned back to where Edward no longer stood.

"Did something happen? Ed looks really upset or disturbed."

Alphonse was quiet for a moment, "I'll be right back, I'm going to go talk to him, okay?"

"Sure," Winry sighed sadly; left in the dark, again. "Come back soon for dinner."

After Alphonse was out of sight from the window Winry peered through, she turned to the kitchen. Automatically, she began to pick out pots and pans, though not sure what they would eat today.

"Can I help?"

Winry jumped at the voice so closely behind her. She whirled around to flinch back at how close those green eyes were to hers. River smiled happily for Winry's bewildered expression.

"What are you doing, Winry?" River's green orbs glanced over the pots and pans.

"I'm about to bake food," Winry shrugged and turned back to the utilities on the counter.

"Do need any help?"

"No it's alright," Winry looked in the pantry for ideas, "I just don't know what to fix up."

River was quiet and Winry had to look to see it she was still there. Sure enough, River stood still by the counter near the stove but her expression changed. Her eyebrows were creased and her lips puckered somewhat. Winry recognized some form of concern and sighed with exasperation.

"I'm alright, really." Winry turned back to the pantry.

"Don't worry too much about them today; they just saw a really sad thing." River's smile returned but with added softness.

Winry stopped, was this woman was going to giver her answers? Most likely, if she's the kind to blurt out things like Edward mumbling her name in his sleep. "A sad thing?" Winry ushered gently.

River nodded and began the story from when Edward uttered in his sleep. She told exactly what was said and described in detail the gunman's death. Winry listened intently, tears started to blur her vision, and River continued seriously in the story until the conclusion of their arrival. River waited for a word response but Winry slumped into a chair at the dinner table; shielding her eyes with her hand.

"They've been through a lot," River broke the silence, "I can just tell just by looking at them but they still persist onward still. You're so lucky to have such amazing heroes in your life."

Winry's eyes wouldn't prevent the water works despite her will to stop. Her heart ached for them but at the same time, she felt so proud of them since River had called them heroes. That was really what they were: heroes. They searched for self-relief but the world came first to them and that was valiant.

"Well River," Winry wiped her tears away and stood, "what do you think the men would want for dinner?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"He was never heard of again because," Kino hovered over his dinner plate and pointed his fork at everyone around the table; intensifying the story, "the old man slipped and hurt himself."

Edward shook his head, "What kind of story is that?"

"A good one," Kino's eyebrows creased over his blue eyes.

"How in the world did you come up with a story about an old man who turns into a dog when he eats snow and disappears after hurting himself?" River asked with a poorly smothered smile.

"It was a dream I had," Kino retorted defensively, "I really liked that dream; maybe it'll become famous one day."

"Sticks," Edward sighed, "your imagination gives me a headache."

"That's because it's so special, Brother Edo." Kino smiled gleefully before the phone rang.

Winry sighed and got up to answer it. Everyone was silent as they listened to Winry respond, "Yes, he's here."

It was for Edward.

"Hello?"

"Full Metal, what are you doing? I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours." Mustang's voice was sharp through the speaker.

Edward sighed, "I'm just spending a night here to ask Ri-" he flinched from the hand that flew over the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Don't tell him yet," River whispered, "it has to be a surprise."

Edward's eyebrows collided over his nose, "What for?"

River whispered again, "It has to be a surprise." With that, she left and sat back down at the table.

"Edward Elric!"

"Yes, I'm right here."

"Tell me what going on, who was that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bull-"

"Mustang, I'll be there by tomorrow with the special guest, good enough?"

Silence.

"Who is this special guest?" Mustang glared at the phone.

"I can't tell you," Edward's voice was bored through the phone, "they want it a secret until we get there."

"They?" Mustang's eyebrow lifted.

"See you tomorrow," Edward sighed and hung up.

Mustang cursed and planted the phone onto the receiver.

"They're in Resembol, sir?" Riza questioned.

"Yes, and he's got a 'special guest' with him." Mustang sighed and rubbed his eyes with two fingers.

Havoc lifted his eyes from his shoes; interested now. "Did you hear them over the phone?"

"Yes," Mustang murmured; calming in the eye rub, "I think the guest is a woman, though I really couldn't hear. I assume the mouth piece was being covered."

I knew it! Havoc thought as he bit his lip. Edward really does have a girlfriend. Wait, he's in Resembol and still alive? Winry probably doesn't know then.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kino breathed heavily upon her chest as his brain wandered in his imaginative unconsciousness. River kissed his head in the warm night breeze of beautiful Resembol. She sat in a wooden porch chair; overlooking the moon-silvered grasses that sway with the light wind as it whispered by River's face. She loved this place even more now and didn't want to leave. However, she had business to do in the East and it would all begin with the rising sun.

"Hey," Edward called quietly from behind her in the doorway. River turned her head half way, her profile smiled at him from her seat. Edward grabbed another chair and sat across from her.

"Is Sticks asleep finally?" Edward asked as he sat.

"Yes," River shook her head, "Why do you call him 'Sticks' anyway?"

Edward shrugged, "He's so skinny."

Awkward silence.

"Here come the questions, right?" River smiled, "You want to know how I can help you?"

Edward's eyes widened and he looked down at his bare feet: one skin-color and the other a metal grey. "Yes, but later."

River waited patiently.

"How are you able to heal people completely without obeying the law of Equivalent Exchange?"

River stared at the top of Kino black hair while she thought.

"You do know what that is right?" Edward's head tilted slightly back with suspicion.

"I don't fully know; this alchemy sort of has a mind of its own. I'm simply its puppet." River said without meeting his gaze.

"What?"

River lifted a hand, shuffled under her collared top and grabbed a string. Edward watched as her delicate fingers followed the string down into the front of her clothing and then turned away, blushing a little. She pulled carefully as to not wake Kino and finally slid it out from under him. Edward looked back to see a circular object, no bigger than his palm, at the loop of the leather string in front of her face.

"Come closer," River whispered.

Edward swallowed and stood up right next to her. She lifted the circle slowly and Edward cupped it in his metal palm. He recognized some of the lines from his darkest memory. Human transmutation lines mixed with all sorts that he knew but many were unfamiliar to him. A sort of star was in the center along with three human transmutation symbols around it. This circle was so darkly familiar but it seemed so unreal though it lay in his palm before his golden orbs. The circle he drew to bring back his mother, he recalled, was hard to draw and they had to do it over several times but this was overwhelmingly simple.

"I can't do anything until it prompts me to take action." River sighed.

"I don't understand," Edward gasped, "this is all you have to draw for human transmutation?"

Suddenly, River growled, snatched away the circle, stood up and pushed Edward into his chair in one swift movement; almost tumbling him backwards.

"The worth of souls is too great for worth of science," River snarled, "this simply mends bodies so it doesn't do anything for the dead. Edward, if you're smart, you'll forget the design you just saw and continue looking for the stupid rock."

Edward looked worriedly into River's lively eyes that were now filled with severe warning.

"It was just a question," Edward leaned forward slightly, defensive now and ready to fight if necessary, "I wasn't asking for-"

River towered over him, cuddling the still sleeping Kino, "I don't care, Edward. You know what happens when you voice your curiosities-they become actions. I've seen this progressive obsession and there was never happily ever after; like I said to you before: if you're smart, you'll forget it."

Edward defiantly glared back until her eyes grew soft again. She closed her eyes, kissed Kino's head and turned away into the house while Edward still sat in the chair.

Alphonse showed up in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder at River's back. "Did something happen?"

Edward let out a heavy sigh and slumped with his elbows on his knees. "I don't really know, Al. I didn't learn much but I know the source of her healing power: it's a transmutation circle around her neck." He described the circle, explained what happened and ranted somewhat about River's snapping.

"That's unbelievable," Alphonse seemed to blink erratically with his mouth open, or at least, Edward could imagine so.

"Sure," Edward shrugged, "but that still doesn't answer my question."

"Let's allow her to calm down a little; we still have a little time tomorrow, right?" Alphonse asked with hope.

"No, we don't. I promised Mustang we'd see him in the morning." Edward groaned and rubbed his eyes with two flesh fingers. "I still can't help but worry a little, Al. I mean, what are they going to do?"

Alphonse stared at his brother's bare feet. Clearly, they were back to where they were this afternoon. Neither he nor his brother wanted to see this amazing person abused by the military but they couldn't be sure that was what the Command was after. The two just took up the offer without much thought because it was so incredible and that's what Edward was beating himself up about; as he expressed earlier.

"I'm sure it'll be alright, Brother. As I said earlier, we can rescue River and Kino should they really be in trouble."

"We could be too late and I wouldn't be able to push aside the fact that I put them in that situation."

"Mustang would be on our side," Alphonse's tone created an image of a smile in Edward's head and he couldn't help but smile a little himself.

"Yeah, that makes me feel soooo much better."