A Reunion

It seemed that this peace would go on forever. No one could imagine it from ending. The whole atmosphere of friendship and family stayed with them well into the next week. Which was probably what encouraged Lucy to finally do something she knew she should have a long time previously.

She had finally brought up the courage to go and visit her uncle Maes again. Alphonse insisted on coming, but Lucy begged him to stay at the gate, and wait for her there. She said it was because she wanted to be alone. Alphonse had agreed readily, understanding the feeling of simply being a lone with a parent for the sake of it.

She stood at his headstone, sitting in front of it cross legged, the breeze ruffling her hair like he used to do. Her glasses were folded and hooked onto her shirt as she spoke him, animatedly. She had felt so forlorn, this time she felt almost excited. She told him off for leaving her again, telling him she knew that her dad would be telling him off now for leaving his family so early. They would probably have gotten into a fight, and then her mother would have had to calm them down.

Moving on from her sadness that she still tried to cover, she told him about her life in general had progressed. How she had settled into her job, about Marie and Harry. She told him about how she had moved in with Winry, and how she had met the Tringham brother. She also explain about how she and Edward seemed like they were finally becoming friends. Even if they argued all the time.

"I think I like it here," she said finally, "and you and dad were right, uncle Maes. This place is corrupted to the core, but the people are good… wish I could change the government, but one person cannot change world. I know that. But we can make a difference." She smiled brightly, her eyes scrunched up as they had done when she was a child. "I can't wait to meet Gracia though… and Elysia. You talked about them all the time, I feel like I know them all ready! I'm going to wait though… just a little bit longer. I think I'm too scared to… but-"

"Mummy! Look look someone's already there!"

Lucy's eyes widened.

"So there is, I wander who it is."

She pushed on her glasses and eyed the picture of her uncle angrily. "You did this didn't you, trying to get rid of me…" she grumbled, she got an image of her uncle mocking an innocent expression. She grinned to herself but stood up to leave quickly.

"Don't go," apparently the speakers had arrived, "not because of us."

Lucy froze. It couldn't be… not really. "No no," she said gruffly trying to leave, "it's-"

The girl was standing in front of her. The girl from about two months previously, when she had first visited the grave site. The girl's eyes widened and she grinned.

"It's the big sister from before," she said brightly, "what are you doing here?"

Lucy stared at the little girl. Dark blonde hair, big blue eyes, fair skin… a wide grin. She… reminded her… of…

"Elysia, don't be nosey, she might have known your daddy," the little girl's mother said kindly.

Lucy couldn't move. She felt paralysed to the spot. In her mind she was damning her uncle. She had never even considered that it was them… she had only thought there were more people there… she'd been talking her uncle off for want to get rid of her. But not this.

'You really did do this on purpose,' she thought quietly.

"I have to go," she mumbled.

She tried to push passed them, but the little girl grabbed her hand. A lump caught in her throat.

"You look like someone I know," the girl said, Lucy kept her eyes on the floor, "you look like her a lot… you have white in your hair like she does… and you're dark like her… and you wear glasses like her…"

Behind her, Lucy could sense the woman staring at her, eyes boring into her.

"I… I get that a lot?" it came out as a question more than anything else.

"A… are you?" the woman said slowly.

Lucy tried to move, to run away. But the little girl's grip was hard, and her will was not that strong. She stopped struggling and fell limp. There was the sound of someone moving on the grass. A shadow fell across her, then disappeared as a woman crouched before her. She had light brown hair, kind blue eyes and soft fair skin.

"You…" the woman said softly, "you… it is…" she fished grabbed her bag and fished for something. She pulled out what looked like a piece of paper. She held up, next to Lucy's face. Her blue eyes widened and filled with tears. "It is you… you're… you're…" Gracia couldn't seem to get the words out.

Lucy didn't know what to do. She just stared at her aunt. Stared and stared. There was very little else she could do. This was the aunt she had heard so much about since she had been a little girl. She had been in her life always, even if it hadn't been physically. She had seen pictures upon pictures of her. She had even spoken to her on the phone when she turned fifteen. But this was different. This was breath taking.

"Ah- ah- auntie… G- Gracia?" she stammered.

The woman nodded hesitantly.

Without thinking, Lucy lunged foreword, engulfing the older woman in a hug. She wasn't even sure why… they weren't related by blood, they had never met before, they had hardly even spoken… but… she was the last of Lucy's family, real family, that knew of her existence. She was the last person who was connected with her uncle who loved her like a father loved his daughter. Which made her at least a sort of mother to her.

"I found you," Gracia murmured, accepting the hug, as Lucy kneeled before her, hugging her, sobbing into the front of Gracia's shirt.

Gracia looked at Elysia who was staring at the dark girl with wide eyes, tears welling up in her own eyes. Not out of anger or jealousy, there was something else there. Gracia was certain her little girl could feel it too. That little bond that existed between the three of them. Not just through Maes and the loss of the man, but through the bonds of family. Something none of them would loose.

The older woman's eyes drifted to Maes tomb stone, as she held the small girl close to her, stroking her hair. The tears in her eyes were falling, but more gently than the sob wrecked body of her niece.

'See… she's come to us Maes,' Gracia thought, 'she came home to us! Just like you always said she would.'

"I'm sorry," chocked out Lucy, "I'm sorry I'm so so sorry."

"Shhhhhh shh shh shh," whispered Gracia, pulling the girl away from her to get a better look at her face.

Her eyes were covered by those dark glasses, but her face was completely unguarded. Tears streaked her cheeks and her full lips quivered a little. She looked like a little girl, not a young woman of nineteen. She was fully aware of the reasons why the young woman was so small and slender, but she was surprised to see it so obviously.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Gracia promise, pushing her niece's tears away from her eyes, before wiping away her own, "you're here now aren't you? A couple of years late, but you're here now. You're home."

She nodded, seemingly trying to not cry again. "I'm still sorry," she hung her head, "I… I came here to say good bye to uncle Maes… at the funeral I-"

"I saw you," Gracia interrupted, "I didn't expect you to come and see me then. But you had come, so I knew you'd come home again."

"Home?"

"This has always been your home, honey," she smiled, "with me and Elysia-" she peered over Lucy's head and beckoned Elysia forewords. The little girl hesitated then approached the two older women, "and your uncle Maes too. He might be gone… but he's still with us."

"Mmm…" Lucy replied distractedly.

There was a moment's pause, when Lucy rested her head on her aunts shoulder, and Gracia wrapped her arms around her. Elysia looked up at Lucy, timidly. All of a suddenly her confidence seemed to have ebbed away. But when Lucy opened her arms for her wordlessly, she needed no other encouragement. She jumped into her cousin's arms, hugging her tightly

"I knew it was you," Elysia said softly, "I knew it…"

Lucy smiled gently. "You grew up too much for me you know… I couldn't recognise you at all."

"I'm eight years old! Of coarse I'd be different to when I was four."

The dark girl chuckled causing Elysia to look up at her. The girl paused then grinned.

"Big sister is home!"

"Yeah," Lucy grinned in reply, "took my time about it."

Gracia stroked Lucy's hair. "You're going to stay with us right?"

"Mmmhmm," she nodded, "at the moment I'm staying with a friend."

"A friend?" Gracia frowned.

"Winry Rockbell, I've known her two months now, but she and I have become close now. Same goes for her friend Alphonse Elric… Al found me when I first got here, took me back to Winry's to sort me out. Edward, Al's brother insisted that Al was just treating me like one of the kitten he would find in the street. Me and Ed don't get on that well, but it's better now. He tried investigating me, mostly because he could tell I wasn't being entirely hon- what's so funny, auntie Gracia?"

Gracia was shaking with laughter a hand to her mouth.

"So you're that Lucy are you," she commented, "Al would talk about you all the time, strangely Ed used to always look annoyed."

Lucy frowned. "You… know them."

Gracia nodded. "They helped me give birth to this one," she ruffled Elysia's hair, "it was Ed's birthday, we were having his twelfth birthday at our house so he wouldn't over study, and I had Elysia in the evening. It's been about eight years… those boys I would trust with my life, no… I'd trust them Elysia's. You have a good eye for who to make friends with."

Lucy stared at her. She couldn't believe her ears. Gracia was so close to her all that time. Just within reach. Then again… they hadn't known who her uncle had been, and as such would not have been able to put anything together too well.

On the other hand, Gracia began putting the pieces together. Edward had clearly figured out who Lucy was to her at least when he had seen those pictures, but did not want either Lucy or Gracia to know that he had become aware of it. And as such, he knew her uncle had been for a while. Which also meant he now knew who her father had been… the question was how long it would take to find out more about Blake Fuller… and the woman he fell in love with in the middle of the Ishballan revolt.

"And don't worry," she added, kissing her niece's forehead, "we'll tell them we're related… but I won't tell them your real name… Lucy." Gracia smirked, "we'll play a long for a little while. Right Elysia?"

"But that's lying."

"No no," corrected Gracia, "this is a game, it's like a treasure hunt. She's playing it with Ed, and if Ed gets all the answers off us then he's cheating and he looses. So for now… your big sister is Lucy."

"Can't I just call her sister?"

Lucy laughed and hugging the little girl again. "Of coarse! And tell Leo I'm not his auntie… he insists that what I am to him." The small family of three females laughed together. Their first ever meeting… it felt like they'd always been together. They hoped it would stay that way.

*

Of coarse when when Alphonse caught sight of Lucy walked down with Gracia and Elysia he had assumed that they had started talking because they had discovered they had similar friends. But there had been too much physical contact between the three of them. Elysia had a hold on Lucy's hand while Lucy had Gracia's arm. They looked strange comfortable together. All of a sudden Elysia and Lucy grinned up at Gracia and the two girls looked positively identical. Alphonse had no idea what to make of the situation.

As the headed back to Winry and Lucy's home, it was Gracia who explained to the young boy that she was Lucy's aunt, and Maes was her father's cousin come brother. Alphonse had been speechless for almost ten minutes, then he grinned.

"You do realise that Lucy really was the missing part of our family then," Alphonse said happily, "that was probably the reason I found her! Because we're all family."

Lucy paused, then rushed up to him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she said, "I've never had so much family in my life."

"It's the way Maes would have liked it," Gracia said proudly, "why do you think he insisted on you coming to live with us when you were ten eleven? Ed and Al had arrived, he had assumed that you would get on."

"That and he wanted me to be one of the first people to see his first daughter," laughed Lucy, "I've seen so many pictures of this girl it was starting to drive me mad!"

"Brother still had nightmares," chuckled Alphonse, "about mountains of pictures."

"Second daughter," Elysia said unexpectedly.

"What?" the older people around her turned their attention to her.

"I'm daddy's second daughter," Elysia said, "big sister is the first one."

"Not lit-" began Lucy.

Elysia shook her head. "No no no!" she said stubbornly, almost stamping her foot, which she would have done if she had not been walking, "doesn't matter. You're the big sister in this family. My big sister. That's what daddy always said. So did mummy."

Lucy chuckled. "You're a sweetheart, you know that."

Elysia just grinned at her toothily. At her.

Inside, Edward and Winry were talking, Edward helping out a little with some of the work. She was working on a car engine at that moment, as a mechanic she could work on anything. She just preferred automail above all else.

"Hey Al," Ed said distractedly, "can you do me a favour? I can't find a wrench that fits properly-"

"Coz you're an idiot," came Winry's voice, muffled to Edward from beneath the engine.

"I am not!" complained Edward. He was lying underneath the engine looking up, trying to figure out why Winry wanted it unscrewed from this angle anyway.

"Yes you are, you pip-squeak."

"I AM NOT A TI-"

"If you break that engine I'll break you," she snapped as she saw Edward trying to pull himself out to attack her.

Edward sighed and calmed himself down. He was not short any more… he was a decent height… not a pip-squeak… that was granny Pinako… question was… was he mad? He heard three female voices laughing… one was a little girl, one was clearly Lucy the other was a much older woman.

"Hey guys," grinned Winry as she passed Edward the needed wrench, "haven't seen you for a while."

"Yeah we've been out of town you know that," laughed Gracia.

"Who were you visiting anyway?" asked Lucy.

"Just my sister."

Suddenly what was going on begun to make sense in Edward's head. His eyes widened and he sat up, slamming his head straight into the engine.

"I told you!" snapped Winry, "don't break the damn thing! I'm fixing it not remaking it!"

"B- b- b- b-" stammered Edward, incoherently, pulling himself out from under the engine, looking over at the three girls. Elysia was in Lucy's arms, both girls were looking at him curiously, while Gracia had her eyebrows raised at him as if she had figured out what had happened.

"B- b- b- b- b- what?" snapped Winry, Edward's attention was on her in a flash, "go on spit it out?!"

"Weren't you listening?!" he demanded, coming up with a story on the spot.

"Listening to-" Winry stopped herself short. She stared at him. She looked at the three females, then back at Edward again. She knew of Gracia's relationship to Lucy… but what had been going on simply didn't make sense. She never expected them to meet before Edward had set up the situation. "But you-" she remembered in time she wasn't meant to know who Lucy was to Gracia and Elysia, "Gracia's… your… aunt?"

"By marriage, which is why we don't look a like," Lucy explained brightly, "it was uncle Maes that was dad's cousin… auntie Gracia and Elysia are the only real family I have here."

Winry stared. For a good minute and a half. Before she lost her temper. "YOU SILLY GIRL WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US EARLIER!" she complained, Edward holding her back, "we could have reunited you so much earlier!"

"I know but-"

"Do you know what this means?!"

"No…" she said slowly.

Winry was grinning, grinning broadly. Lucy was taken a back. "It means that you were apart of this family for so much longer than you thought! We just didn't know it."

Lucy chuckled. "Yeah… Al said…"

"Celebration!" announced Winry, shaking Edward off her, "celebration! We need one! Al go call Rose and Leo, Ed go get the food, Elysia you and me are gonna buy a cake!"

"What about us?" asked Gracia blankly.

"That's a good point… Ed you stay here, and stop working under the engine- you're meant to check the- oh never mind…" Edward's face was a complete blank. "Just go set up upstairs- Lucy help him, he's pathetic."

"But au-"

"No, I'll be fine," smiled Gracia as Lucy put Elysia down, "besides, it'll be more of a surprise if I go."

"Fiiiine…" Lucy looked sly for a moment then grinned, "why can't Ed go with Winry and Elysia? Someone has to carry the cake back."

"I'm not a pack horse!" Edward howled, glaring at Lucy.

"And you need help-" insisted Winry only to have Lucy cut her off.

"Nuh uh uh," she waved her finger at her, "I'll be fine, set up the table, tidy the flat, it's easier done on my own to be honest. And Ed's pretty pathetic."

"I am not!"

"So you wanna be a pack horse?"

"But I- that's got nothing to do with it…" he finished bemused.

"Just go with Winry, I don't want you in my face 'Lucy where does this go Lucy that's wrong Lucy where's that'," she rolled her eyes, "now- I'll see you guys later!"

Alphonse ran off to get Rose and Leo, while Edward put Elysia on his shoulders and followed Winry out the front door. Gracia hesitated looking at her niece's face.

"Sweetie-" she started, but Lucy shook her head.

"You're gonna have to cook you know, so you'd better get started soon."

"But-"

Lucy took her hands. "I promise I'll be here when you get back, I just found you, you're not getting of me that quickly."

Gracia sighed and hugged her niece tightly, then left without a word. She may have just met her, but every woman knew the look of pain in a girl's eyes when they saw it. Lucy had it as she looked at Edward, and she had no idea how to disguise it.

At the same time, Gracia could not help but smile as she rushed down the street. Lucy had given up the time she could have spent with Edward alone so that he could have more time with a girl that he clearly had feelings for… and possibly had feelings for him. Gracia wasn't entirely sure any more if that was the case for Winry. Either way, Lucy was a good person, a good girl and a good friend. She was proud to have her related to her in any way possible.

Back in the shop, Lucy locked the front door. She sighed heavily. There was no denying it any more. She couldn't help it. She wasn't about to claim that she was in love with him, but she was certain the feelings there were more than just friendship. And she hated herself for it.

As she walked through the shop, picking up the wrench that Edward had dropped to join Elysia and Winry, she smiled sadly to herself. She knew it was never going to happen, he loved Winry. She could see it clear as day. But it was more of a question of whether or not Winry had the same feelings for him. Walking up the stairs, Lucy made her own decision. What ever happened, she was going to ignore the anguish she felt, and make sure something happened for the both of them.

There had to be one happy story come out of it, and she'd already had hers.

*

"I like this one," Elysia pointed at a sponge cake with baby blue and pink frosting.

"Hummm… so do I," said Winry, brightly, "it's pretty!"

"It's for Lucy not for you two," pointed out Edward rolling his eyes, "she likes chocolate cake, not much else to be honest."

"Oh yeah… she's really picky," muttered Winry, "all right- chocolate cakes then!"

"Yay! I love chocolate," grinned Elysia.

Winry laughed as the little girl dragged her own to the chocolate cake section. Edward watched on smiled. He was grateful to Lucy for insisting he came with Winry. Even if he didn't have the guts to confess to her yet, he liked spending as much time with her as possible. Besides that, she made everything fun.

Though he did wander if she was aware of the fact that he had feelings for the blonde girl. He thought about how she treated him, how cruel she could be. He doubted it. The act of kindness was probably due to the fact that she couldn't stand him just then, she went through those phases. Even if it meant her having to tidy up all by herself.

"Ed!" Winry called him over.

"Yeah?" he wandered over nonchalantly, and peered at what he was pointing to. It was rather a small cake. He frowned and looked up at the man behind the counter, who was frowning at them. "Do you have this in a slightly bigger size? It's for a party."

"I shall see sir," the baker said, nodding his head respectfully, before retreating to the back.

"Who chose it?" Edward asked, "it's perfect for Lucy. Simple."

Winry glowered at him, but Elysia laughed.

"Big sister is clever," she said happily, "and I chose it, because it's perfect! Dad always liked big parties and everything like that, but mummy always said he liked simple cakes, like chocolate or cheese cake or something. Said it always balanced out. I think big sister is a lot like dad, so that's what made me think of it."

'I hope it's true…' Edward thought mildly.

"She's definitely like that," grumbled Winry, "she won't let me put any add ons on her new limbs!"

That made him laugh. One of the things he loved about Winry… she was eccentric and unashamedly so. Though her experiments were a little too insane. It was no wander Lucy, as out going as she was, would have put up with such outrageous designs.

"This is the biggest we have sir," the baker was back with a much healthier portion of chocolate cake for their party.

"It's perfect!" nodded Edward, "what do you think, Elysia?"

"It'll make mummy think of daddy," shrugged Elysia, "but it's a good thing! Coz we met big sister near dad. It'll be good." She grinned. The resemblance between the little girl and Lucy at that moment were uncanny. They looked just like Maes Hughes and Blake Fuller.

"Gracia'll go all sentimental," nodded Winry, "I wander what Lucy'll be like."

"I dread the thought," grumbled Edward, handing over the money for the cake (surprisingly inexpensive considering the cake store they were at). "Lucy sentimental? Weird…" He smiled at the baker as he took back the cake.

"Be very glad that cake came when it did," snarled Winry.

He looked over at the blonde girls. Both had their hands on their hips and were both looking unimpressed with his comments.

"I think I'll be carrying this home," he said brightly, leading the way out of the shop, "come on girls!"

The two followed him, making him nervous by the glares they were shooting at him. It didn't last long. Soon Elysia was on Winry's hip, and Winry was walking beside Edward, chatting casually. Every so often her hand would brush his. Though he never showed it, he could not stop feeling pleased with himself.

'Thank you Lucy…' he thought happily, 'I forgive all past sins!'

*

The party lasted long into the night. They ate the food that the girls cooked, they had banished the males from the kitchen area to play with the children. They had cut and served the cakes to them all, the adults laughing and cooing over the way Leo managed to get most of it all over his face and clothes.

They played games with the children late into the night and eventually put them to sleep in Winry's room. Soon Alphonse claimed he needed sleep, he had been working all day and joined the children in Winry's room, making a make shift futon on the floor. He appeared to have been exhausted.

"How much work does he do a day?" asked Rose, accepting a glass of wine from Winry as she poured them out for the remaining adults.

"Too much," grumbled Edward, concentrating on the card game he was loosing to Lucy, unfortunately not a game he could cheat at.

"He just wants to be like his big brother," shrugged Lucy.

He glanced up suddenly. There was a trace of jealousy and resentment in her tone, but he knew none of it was really meant for him or Alphonse. Her jealousy was fully understandable.

"Well… maybe," he said slowly, watching her take her next move, eyes studying the cards before, trying to predict his cards as well, "but I don't… I don't want to see him being used."

She hesitated then nodding smiling softly. He realised her frame had been tense. What he had said had knocked something in her. What it appeared to be was the jealousy she had for them, for the time being. He was grateful, but the resentment was still there. It always would be.

"Yeah I guess, you guys are similar… stubborn as mules."

Gracia laughed, coming to watch the game. "That's true. Its unbelievable! You should see Ed and Roy fight, its like watching something being trapped between a rock and a hard place."

"The hard place being Ed's head I take it," grinned Lucy.

"Watch it," he growled, "HA!" he threw down a card.

Lucy raised her eyebrow at him, and threw down her last one. "I win."

He stared, then glared at her. "You cheated!"

She rung her sleeves out. "Did not how could I?! Count the cards!"

"That doesn't matter you cheated! You had to have!"

"This is a game of skill as well as luck," pointed out Lucy smugly, leaning against her aunt's legs, "I guess I'm just more skilled than you.

"Why- you- argh!" Edward threw up his hands in annoyance, "I need something better than wine," he grumbled, throwing the rest of his cards down, and going to the kitchen.

"I need something to eat," Gracia told Lucy pushing her forewords a little.

"Ok! Can you get me some more cake?" she asked, reshuffling the cards.

"Of coarse."

"Can you teach me that game?" asked Rose sitting beside her.

"Yeah me to," Winry joined them, handing a glass of wine to Lucy too, before pouring her own.

Lucy beamed at them and nodded before picking out cards to show them.

In the kitchen Gracia paused at the cake cutting a piece for Lucy. There was about a half left, it was bigger than expected, and very filling. But it was good. Elysia had been right about both things, Lucy loved the simple cake, and it had reminded Gracia of Maes. Yet it was the simple fact that he felt more than ever that Maes was back with them. Gracia had no doubt in her mind that Maes had done something to prompt this reunion.

"Edward…" she said suddenly, the blonde had stuck his head in the fridge, he jumped when hearing Gracia's voice. He turned to look her at sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "You knew."

He paused, then sighed and nodded. "Since I saw the pictures. Lucy's very…" he glanced back at her. She still wore gloves and sun glasses, but she had rolled up the sleeves on her shirt and the legs on her jeans, revealing her left side automail. The silver in her hair flashed in the electrical light. "Unique," he said finally.

"And you didn't tell me…?"

"She wasn't ready to see her family. To be honest, I wasn't sure if she was ready today. She's travelled for so long, I think the idea of her settling down somewhere and calling it home is a bit of a stretch for her. Seeing you… meeting you has made it all too real." He glanced back at her. Lucy was correcting a mistake of Rose's calmly. "But you know…" he looked back at Gracia, "I think now that she has met you, ready or not, she is now ready to call Central home."

Gracia looked at him. Studied his face. Lucy may have given up on him for Winry, and with good reason, but he still cared for her. "You know… you might have a point… Roy was involved too wasn't he?"

He nodded. "He told me to keep an eye on her, make sure you two didn't meet prematurely, she asked him not to tell you that he knew she was around. I think it was because of what we all are to each other… her knowing us meant she'd be directly linked to you."

"That could not have been an accident," Gracia said mildly, "but as for Roy… I think I'll forgive him this time. He was just doing what Maes and Lucy told him too."

Edward nodded smiling. The he frowned. "Uh… uhmmm…"

"Yes?"

"Gracia… what's Lucy's first name? Real name?"

The older woman put a finger to her lips winking. "Oh no… I'm not letting you cheat in this game."

"So you know about it?"

"I guessed. With Al talking about a Lucy then meeting her and hearing her talk about you kids… I added things up. So… I'm going a long with what she said, and you have to find out on your own."

"Well I know her father's name was Blake Fuller…" he said slowly.

"Then I'll give you a hint," she smiled and beckoned him closer.

Having grabbed a can of beer from the fridge, he closed the door, and walked towards her and bent to her height.

"Her mothers name… was Zulekha, but she was known as Zephyrs to the Armestrians, because not many could pronounce the name."

Edward nodded and grinned. "Thanks, might be easier to find out more… she told me it would be easier to find her name if I found her father's name. So far nothing… but… maybe she'll tell me if I meet her half way and I give her her last name."

"Maybe…" she chuckled, "she sounds like Blake with her fun and games. Maes and Blake played treasure hunt games as children, it was what helped Maes choice go into investigation, he always beat Blake. As they grew older their treasure hunt games became more and more interesting and subtle. She's just like them in some ways."

The two looked over to where Lucy was sitting. She was grinning again as she looked triumphant about winning. Just at that moment, Elysia came out of her room.

"Big sister?" she said sleepily.

Lucy spun round and was almost immediately by her cousin's side. "What's wrong?" he face was serious immediately.

"I had a nasty dream… will you come sleep with me?"

"Of coarse," Lucy beamed, she waved to Rose and Winry, and picked up the sleepy Elysia to take her back to bed, shutting the door behind her.

Gracia smiled. "The dream was about her," she said softly, "she's scared about loosing her big sister already."

"I'm not surprised," Edward said suddenly, looking at the older woman. "Gracia be careful, I know she's your niece, but she's running away from her past. I'm a little wor-"

"I know that," Gracia dismissed, "but she's a big girl, she'll make the right choices for herself and for her family… for all of us. And She has people like you and Winry and even Al to rely on… to fall back on now. Right?"

Edward hesitated then smiled and nodded. "Yeah… I guess she does."

"Give her a chance, Ed, I'm not saying don't stop playing her treasure hunt and stop investigating her. But give her a chance, get to know her…"

"You know… I've been doing that for over a month now… and I think that was the best decision I made…"

*

Not too far away, in a dingier side of town, a tall fair man with dark hair and yellow tinted green eyes pulled his jacket around him tighter, and pulled his cap over his eyes. He wasn't want to be recognised. Not by the people living here.

He knocked on the door sharply. A moment the door was answered by a tall Ishballan with red eyes and a shock of silver going through his hair on the right side. He was powerfully built and vaguely familiar.

"It's you," the dark man said dryly, he smirked, "I never actually thought you'd come."

"I didn't either," the Armestrian man admitted, "but you made me curious."

"What can I say… revenge makes anybody curious," he nodded for the man to come in and stepped inside.

The fairer man stepping inside the door closing behind him.

The moon glowed on the streets eerily. The light outside where the Ishballan man was staying flickered for a few moments then died.