Chapter 10

(A/N: Yahoo! Double-digits baby! I got here quicker than I expected. On to the story!)

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Tarin's P.O.V.

"Finished." I said and let my head fall face first on the desk. I just finished signing my last paper and had nothing else to do. The office had been moderately quiet for a while and that much peace helped me finish my work.

The office was empty because most had left out awhile ago. Roy went to talk to some of the higher-ups, Riza had left for the headquarters shooting range which she had invited me to come along to but declined, Breda and Falman had to sent in some reports, Jean went out to smoke a cigarette, and Fuery was needed for some radio call business. And that left me here all by my lonesome.

"Oh my God! It's so boring in here. Can you send me some kind of entertainment?" I waited a minute to see if something might happen. Unfortunately either he didn't hear me or wanted to tick me off like this. "Do I deserve this form of torture?" Before long the phone rang. I walked over and answered it. "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Silvers speaking."

"Hiya there, Tarin." It was Maes; also maybe a sign of God toying with me. "So how's our little Lieutenant Colonel enjoying her new position?"

"It's nice Maes but behind that Mustang's driving me nuts."

"That's just how he is. Let me guess, he has you doing mountains of work?"

"Plus some of his." I sighed and relaxed myself in his desk. "He's just so… grr. I can't seem to stand him and he makes me sick." I continued to ramble on and on with the subject before Maes pulled me out of it. The conversation then went to my new living arrangements and about Taylor and Lynn. Then he somehow drifted off to Elicia and a story about her helping his wife cook by stirring cake mix; picturing it, that looks adorable.

Maes laughed on the other end of the phone. "Before long you'll have a beautiful child of your own. Along with some lucky guy by your side."

"Oh my, what's with you and your wife and this subject? I'm not looking for anyone at this particular time. I'm need to get my life in check first, then make sure my grandparents are being cared for in my absence, and also look after my sister and, my might as well be, adopted sister. That's enough to keep on my plate for a while."

"So you're worried about your grandparents who I remember were a-okay last I received a report from South H.Q. a few days after you left. Taylor and Lynn, who are both taking care of the other while you, are not around. Lastly, your life being in check though you have a good paying job along with a high ranked spot and in the best health you may have been in awhile. I see nothing wrong." I sound hear him grinning from the other end of the phone throughout his entire speech.

"You just love ruining my say in things don't you?" I then felt some footsteps like earlier but extra feet along with them. 'It's Ed and Al for sure.' "Maes, we'll talk later. And I'm not through with this conversation either." With that I hung up the phone just in time as the door opened presenting the Elric's and Lynn; it was also when I immediately noticed. I asked, "What happened?"

-X-

Roy's P.O.V.

'What is this about now?' I walked through the hallways towards my office. Someone had came up to me a few minutes ago saying that I was needed there immediately. As I scrolled closer to my office I tried to figure out what may have come up; hoping it was really urgent and not something that can be easily dealt with. "Okay, what's going…" I said as I walk through the door but was quickly short after looking around the room.

There was Ed and Al standing near the side of a desk; Al seemed worried with his head down and Ed with a scowl on his face. Lynn had been slumped down in a chair with her feet resting on a desk. Taylor was sitting on the same desk with her feet swinging looking sad. And lastly there was Tarin, she had her back facing towards me so I couldn't exactly tell what her expression was, all I could tell was that she was leaning on the desk next to her sister and had her arms crossed.

After feeling some tension from in the room I realized what may have been going on. I advanced inside the room toward the group, closing the door behind me. "Mind telling me what was so important, Lieutenant Colonel?"

Said person didn't respond or turn around to answer. "You know exact…" She cut herself off; her voice sounded like she was upset but seemed to have caught herself. "You may know exactly what I want to talk to you about Roy." She repeated herself this time in more of softer tone. Before I could response to her statement she motioned for me to come closer. When I had come where they were I stood right in front of her.

"Now what seems to be wrong? Did anyone get in trouble? Hurt maybe?"

"I wanted you here while the boys explained something to me is all. Apparently earlier when the four of them were out something happened. Al, if you would please?" The others looked over to Al, who armored hands were going up to his helmet head. Within seconds his helmet was off showing nothing inside of it except the blood mark on the neck. "I know that you already know what happened between them. Taylor and Lynn just figured it out. I knew ever since they were walking-"

I cut her off. "How'd you know then since earlier and you never decided to put it out there the minute they walked in or introduced themselves?"

"I was guessing that they'd wanted to keep it secret; I don't think they would have wanted all of H.Q. to want to know their business. And for your other question: I can feel vibrations in the ground which include movements and disturbances. And then them walking through the hallways, and even more exact when I saw them, I learn that not only was Al's body armor empty but also that Ed's left leg is automail." The room became quiet.

"So what. Are you going to judge us now?" Ed said under his breath loud enough for us to hear with his head down. "That's what you're gonna do from now on isn't it? I bet you already know anyway; why the hell we're like this. Not like we're scared. We know what we did and we paid the price."

"Fullmetal, stand down." I commanded him.

"Screw you! This lady here thinks she know everything just 'cause we are like this. Don't you?"

Rin just sighed and stayed where she was, not even reacting to Ed's outburst. "Edward I'm not judging anyone. Not you, your brother, or Roy. I just wanted to hear your story. Taylor and Cathelynn too. We're concerned to your conditions and we want to know. Please?"

There was a long silence.

"Okay." Ed said. "When we were little our mother passed away from an illness. After spending day after day mourning over her death we made a decision. We went to a teacher to help us with becoming stronger Alchemist. After a year of training we committed the ultimate taboo, and now we know why. We tried to bring our mother back but it backfired on us. They took Al's body as well as my left leg. I revived his soul at least into this suit of armor and it cost me my right arm. And ever since that day three years ago, I promised to Al, to others that I was going to get my little brother's body back no matter what it took. No one's going to stop me from getting my little brother back." Ed looked at Tarin with fire in his eyes. He had a look that I haven't seen in a while. It was the same look he had when I first met him.

Rin's eyes had softened some and she smiled. "I must say, for such two young boys you were able to perform such an advanced level of alchemy, may it been forbid or not. I'm also impressed with you Ed, for placing your brother's soul into a suit of armor. Though he can't use most of his basic human senses anymore it was still smart." She stood from her leaning on the desk and walked over to them. "As to why you two did it, I shouldn't blame you. You had good intentions as to why you two did it. Many have tried and majority has died. Thanks for telling us this, even when could've sugar-coated it. And Colonel Mustang, I see you clearly have incredible faith in these two boys so much and want to help them. And as a member of this team I'll also do my part in helping them getting their bodies back as well."

"Really Lieutenant Colonel?" Al asked.

"You bet ya. And I'll have some help too; right girls?" Lynn and Taylor both nodded.

I smirked at them. "Would you four excuse us? I would like to have a word with Tarin." They got up from where they were and left out of the office, leaving me and Tarin. "That really was a speech you gave them. So, why'd you have me called from a meeting to be here?"

She looked at me with her eyebrows arched together. "You liar, your meeting ended way before I called you in here." I laughed at her and walked past her to the desk she was previously at. "Anyway I just called you in here encase I needed some back-up."

"Back-up? Is this from the same woman who I saw taken out most of the Fuhrer's guards?"

"That's a different story." She scoffed. She then had walked to the desk and sat on it. "I meant with them. I'm not really much of a person to give out a speech but I will talk. And I was also a little scared that Ed might have gone berserk. I also wouldn't have really guessed they would have tried human transmutation at the age they did. I don't know how you've been doing it but you've really taken good care of those boys."

"Yeah. And you seem to have taken it better than I did. When I first found out they did a taboo I exploded at them. But I had saw that they had potential and given them a chance to enroll in the military through the State Alchemist program." I mentally recalled that day. "And after he explained to you I noticed the sympathy in your eyes. Mind telling a little about that?"

"I guess since you can know. Ed spoke of them losing their mother, I know how that is. Both of my parents died when I was young. First my dad then after some few years it was my mom. We had a soon-to-be step-father but he left us when she died. All of this happened so quickly, Taylor wasn't old enough to remember our dad but she was devastated when mom died. Afterwards it became just us and our grandparents.

"Things had seemed to go downhill to me so I decided that when I thought I was old enough I'd join in the military to help support me and Taylor. All the time I continue to wonder what it would be like if they were still around." Rin was looking as if she wanted to cry but held it in. I'm betting her remembering all that happen throughout her life was really frustrating.

"I lost my parent as well." I blurted out. She looked at me with a little shock and I could clearly see a tear threatening to fall out of her eye. "They both died when I was a kid too. I think I also see why you don't like to openly tell about yourself. You feel a little pained and upset when you think back on the bad things. Just so you know there are others who are like that too; you're not the only one. So I want you to start telling us about these things or if anything's the matter with you so it'll hurt less. That includes Hawkeye and the others, Ed and Al, and me as well."

She looked at me with wide eyes as a few tears fell down her cheek. Wiping them away she smiles. "Thanks, I'll do that."

-X-

(A/N: Okay, the chapter didn't go as I originally planned but I hoped you liked it.)

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