So thank you all so much for the reviews and favs and followers. It was really a lovely response and I appreciate it so much. Also a thank you to 4-Shiloh-4 for pointing out my spelling error which has been fixed. Prostrate and Prostate are two VERY different words haha '^_^. And now on with the show.

Chapter 2

The funeral was a solemn affair. They had only told a handful of people about the ceremony but word had spread that the Alchemist of the People was dead. There were Rose and several other people from the town of Reole, Russell and Fletcher Tringham, miners from Youswell, and a small group of people from Risembol. There was also a large collection of military men from Central and perhaps the most depressing was the sight of Havoc, Fuery, Falman, Breda, and Hawkeye flanking Colonel Mustang. Armstong was besides them sobbing into a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and hugging Sheska who looked very disturbed at having to comfort a man three times her size. Right up front by the grave was Winry and Granny Pinako who stood behind Alphonse. He was carrying a small vase which supposedly held the ashes of his deceased brother.

Edward hung at the back, not wanting to be recognized. She got a few strange looks but most people were focused on what was happening up front and ignored her. Seeing all the tears made her feel incredibly guilty but she tried to keep her features schooled to something neutral.

The priest finished saying the last rites and then Alphonse placed the little vase down in the hole that had been dug. He then clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. The hole filled in and a stone marker sprang from the earth above it. It was actually quite pretty. It was in the shape of his personal symbol of the cross entwined with a snake and on it read Edward Elric and the dates of his birth and death.

Winry announced that they would be having a picnic back at the Rockbell home and invited anyone who wished to come up. The crowd dispersed, many of them following the Rockbells towards the promise of food.

Once the majority of them had left, Edward finally made her way from the back of the procession to the front. It was a surreal feeling to be standing over her own grave, and she felt a strange sense of loss. Maybe in a way, Edward Elric really was dying today.

She felt someone step up beside her and glanced over. Ed froze when she saw Roy Mustang. He was looking forlornly down at the stone with the unmistakable track of tears making his way down his cheeks. The rest of his unit had gone, giving their Colonel a few moments of peace.

"You damn fool," Ed heard him say under his breath. "You got Al back but at what price?" Roy seemed to realize someone was watching him and he looked over to where Ed was standing. His jaw literally dropped.

"Edward?" Roy gaped. But then his eyes traveled down below the face to the feminine curves wrapped in a pretty black dress. He shook his head and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry…you just…you look a lot like the deceased."

Edward bit her lip. She really wanted to tell him the truth. She hated doing this to Roy. He might have been a Colonel Bastard, but he didn't deserve to look so broken. "Yeah…um…about that." She'd always been able to tell the truth to Roy. If it hadn't been for this man she and Al might have never gotten their bodies back. She sighed and turned to face Roy fully. "Ed's not dead. He just changed so much that this was the only way to cover up the truth."

Roy's eyes widened.

"Ed!? Is that you!?" he gawked. Ed grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the grave. "Keep it down," Ed hissed. Although most of the people were gone, there were still some hanging back to give their last respects.

"Yeah it's me," Ed said after she'd pulled Roy behind a tree several rows away. "But you can't tell a soul. So far only Al, Winry, and Pinako know."

"How?" Mustang asked his eyes traveling down to Ed's body. "I mean are you really a woman under there?"

Edward pursed her lips and glanced to the side. "Yes," she said with a blush on her face. "We managed to get a hold of a philosopher's stone from the homunculi. I used it to get Alphonse's body and my arm back, but for whatever reason the Gate changed my gender. Winry checked me all out. I'm perfectly healthy. It's as if I was born this way."

Roy pushed his hand through his hair as he shook his head. "And you waited all this time to tell me because?" Edward just shrugged. "Don't you shrug at me!" Roy snapped as he started to get angry. "I was worried sick about you and Alphonse. I knew you two were getting close to a stone and then you disappear for over a month and I can't track you down no matter what I try. Then I get a letter from Alphonse saying his body is back and you're dead!" Roy grabbed Ed's shoulders and shook her. "I thought you'd used yourself to do it! I knew it wasn't some stupid accident. More like some stupid suicide attempt that had worked." He let her go, seething.

"I didn't know what to do!" Edward shouted back. "If anyone found out, this counts as human transmutation. Not to mention that it's not as if I could stroll back to Central and have people believe I was Edward Elric."

"You could have called!" Roy countered.

"And your phone is probably tapped by your adversaries and your mail could be being checked too!" Ed yelled back. She was so irritated right now she was half way between punching Roy in the stomach and crying. "Just leave it alone," she said. "What's done is done and like I told Alphonse, I'm not going to try and fix this." She gestured to her female body. "I won't risk it."

"So you're just going to live your life as a woman?" Roy asked surprised.

"Yeah. I am! Gotta problem with that?" Edward demanded.

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to reign in his temper. He finally dropped his hand and turned away from her. "You know what. Do whatever you want because as of today you are not my subordinate anymore." He brought his gloved fingers dangerously close to snapping. "However don't you dare ever do anything so reckless again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sure Colonel Bastard," Edward said. "Well c'mon. I'm starving and if we don't hurry all the food will be gone." She started down the road and for the first time Roy noticed her black boots poking out beneath the dress. Despite having changed genders, it seemed Ed was still Ed.

After everyone had left from the funeral, Edward barricaded herself in her room. She felt wretched, but at the same time she also felt tired. She had died today. Everyone she knew or cared about thought she was gone. It was almost like she had to start life all over again. Not that that wasn't very freeing, but there were some things she was going to miss. Seeing everyone around her grave had made her realize that.

She came out a few hours later, following the smell of food to the kitchen. Edward paused at the doorway. Alphonse, Winry, Roy, Hawkeye, and the rest of the military team were seated at the table with Granny Pinako who ladled out large portions of stew.

"I never thought I'd have so many soldiers sitting at my table," Pinako grumbled. "But I guess for Ed's funeral I'll make this one exception." The older woman gave Ed a sly smirk as she came into room and plunked herself down into the chair across from Roy.

"What are all you guys still doing here?" Ed asked as she started to dig into her stew. She had changed out of her dress for an old t-shirt and slacks.

"Their train doesn't leave until 8pm so I invited them to stay for dinner," Alphonse explained. "I thought it would be a nice time to see everyone."

Ed caught Havoc giving her a funny look before raising an eyebrow at him. Oh right. She was going to have to reintroduce herself. "Edna Elric. I'm Ed's and Al's cousin." She said and thrust a hand out for him to shake. Havoc smiled at her and took the proffered hand.

"Well I have to say Edna, you're definitely an Elric," Fuery said from across the table. "You look an awful lot like your cousin, God rest his soul."

"So I'm told," Ed said and shot a look at Roy who was glowering at her. She finished her stew and took another large helping. As she ate, the others started sharing stories about Edward.

"Hey you remember how Ed always used to get so mad at calling him short. Like you couldn't even mention anything being small or he would freak out," Breda chortled.

"I am not…er…Ed wasn't that short," Ed protested, ignoring the questioning stare Hawkeye was giving her.

Roy raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Oh yeah," he said giving Ed a steady gaze. "I used to call him Fullmetal Pipsqueak all the time. Smaller than a bean. So small if you didn't watch where you were going you'd squish him." Ed's hands tightened on the table as she resisted the urge to transmute it into a giant fist and slam him against the wall.

Havoc puffed on his cigarette. "Yeah and then there was the time the boss leveled a building trying to stop the Hot Air Alchemist from driving a balloon full of explosives into the clock tower. I think the chief just about burnt him to a crisp for that one. I remember sitting out in the office listening to you two scream at each other."

"Yeah but you noticed the building had been condemned," Breda mentioned. "Ed might have been destructive but he wasn't an idiot."

"No he was not," Roy agreed. "At least not all the time." The knowing gaze he directed at Ed made her feel suddenly very uncomfortable. He smirked at her discomfort and she wiggled in her chair a moment as he continued to stare at her. She glared back.

"What about you Edna?" the usually silent Falman cut in. "Did you know Fullmetal well?"

Ed swiveled her head towards him. "Uh…yeah," she mumbled. "He used to stop by the house if he was passing through."

"Where was that?" Hawkeye asked, leaning forward and folding her arms on the table.

"Nehole," Ed said automatically. It had been a small town her and Al had never worked any kind of jobs in, but they had passed through and stayed the night several times during their journeys. It was a lot like Risembol in that it was a quiet country town with very little ever changing. "Although I was thinking I might move somewhere else soon," she said.

"Well maybe you should consider Central," Havoc considered conversationally. His voice dropped an octave. "I'd be happy to show you around town if you're interested." Ed scooted back a bit as Havoc suddenly leaned forward into her personal space.

Roy stood up. "Well I think it's time for us to go," he said briskly, giving Havoc a very sharp back off glare. The man got the message and stood up with the rest of their crew following him out the door.

Once they were gone, Roy gave one last nod to Winry and Pinako. "Thank you for sharing your home with us," he said to them. "Alphonse I wish you well, and Ed…" he paused. "Take care of yourself and be careful."