(A/N: I'll like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. And as a gift I present a new chapter. Don't eat to much and explode you guys)

Chapter 15

Tarin's P.O.V.

It's been four days since we had arrived in Resembol with Ed and Al. Things have been going a little slow but well. Ed's has been having to get around with a prosthetic leg and arm so he'll still get by through the day and Al has been helping him if he needed it; which is sometimes funny cause Ed tries to resist getting any. Taylor has been doing anything she can to help repay for our stay which isn't very unusual of her to do. Lynn's mostly been going around playing and annoying Ed whenever she can but other than that she'll be practicing her gunmanship on her free time.

As for me, I just tried to do whatever there was to do and blend in. I helped around the house a little by helping with cooking and cleaning along with Tayl. Ever since we came here I think I've felt more comfortable and at home. It was quiet and tranquil unlike when living in the city. I didn't mind the city life but I was just more used to the rural/country life; which may explain why some tend to call me a country belle. I hate that so. But still I learned to live with what I got. And what I have now is all I need, and that's what I want to believe.

"Rin." Pinako called for me. "Can you come in here for a second please?" I obeyed her request after learning not to disobey; learning from Ed's mishaps I knew not to go against the old woman. I walked into the kitchen and sat in a chair at the table. I watched her in her chair as she blew smoke out her mouth from her pipe. "Rin I see you all are enjoying your little stay in our home I see."

"Oh, yes Pinako. It's really nice out here; so peaceful and quiet. Not like the city."

"Hmm. I see you aren't much of a city girl. That makes both of us." She inhaled from her pipe again and blew out more puffs of smoke. "And you girls are from South City, am I right?" I nodded to her and noticed that she looking at me a little more closer. "Well, I hope you staying here is the same as staying with Anne and Cedric."

"Yes, it's almost like- Wait a second." I jumped out of my chair. "How do you know my grandparents?"

The old woman laughed. "Of course I know them. When I first heard your voice it reminded me a little of Anne. But you remind me more of your mother though."

I went silent and sat back down in my seat. "You knew my parents too?"

"Yep, I've known your grandparents for years, what makes you think I didn't know their only son and daughter-in-law. You are every spit of Thyme's with your looks and attitude but you have Curtis' way of speaking."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The way you end most of your sentences, you inherited your father's way of speech. The only difference is that you say 'is all' and Curtis said 'you know'. Most of the times when he said it he lies about something."

I laughed at what she said. "That was true, but I don't have a problem. It's not like I say it all the time is all… Never mind. But I can't believe you knew my family. The sad thing is that I've never heard them talking about you before."

"They haven't." I could slightly tell she was a little ticked off by it. The glare in her glasses made her look even scarier. "Those two never said a word about me and I was there to help them whenever they needed it. Those two old timers better not have forgotten about Pinako Rockbell."

'But you're old too.' I thought to myself. I wasn't going to let her hear me say that and kill me.

I then noticed that she got from her chair and went to where the phone was. I knew this wouldn't be pretty so I left the room as quickly and quietly as possible heading to the living room. In there I saw Taylor sitting with Winry. After these last couple days I haven't since much of Winry except at dinner or breakfast.

"Hey you two."

Taylor was the first to turn to me. "Hey Rin! Winry was just telling me about how she and the boys grew up together. Well after she gave me an explanation on automail that is."

The blonde haired girl rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry about that, I tend to get really caught up in talking about it."

I walked over to them and sat in a chair close by them. "So finish telling about the mysteries of growing up with Edward and Alphonse Elric. I can guess they weren't the quietest kids in the neighborhood."

"No way. Every time Ed and Al got into something they were more than likely to be in trouble. I would usually be there to try and stop them but they hardly listened. I sometimes thought that they would learn to stop getting in so much trouble, but I believe trouble just follows them."

"That's what I sort of guessed they might've been like." Taylor laughed. "I bet being with them so much got you to like one of them at one point or another." I quickly caught onto the rare slyness of my sister's voice and seeing the slight flinch Winry had made it ever more tempting to be a part of it.

"Yeah Winry, I mean being with someone just about your whole life you're bound to have some sort of feeling at some point in time. Now tell us…"

"Which is it?" We both asked at once.

She then was blushing bright pink. That meant we had her. "I don't… I don't have any feelings like that for either of them. Just because people have been friends for a very long time doesn't mean they are always going to grow to like them like that! Unless… you two have experienced it?" She yelled at us as she pointed an accusing finger at us. They stared at her, at each other, and then back at her and nodded; which shocked her. "Wha? Both of you guys?"

"Yeah, basically." We both said together. Winry stared at us.

"I grew up a little bit of a tomboy and some of them liked that." I said. "Overtime I became a little more lady-like and my mom's looks kicked in, a couple went from friends to a little more. And Taylor, being the cute and adorable younger one, was practically ambushed."

"I wouldn't say that. Just… overly admired." Tayl defended herself.

"Winry, just tell us which of them you might like better than the other; if you can at least answer that." Winry started to blush slightly more before she did the finger motion for us to come closer. When we got close enough she whispered it in our ear. "A-ha! I knew it."

"Wait, what?" Winry started to panic and her face turn tomato red. "Please, Rin, please don't tell." I just turned my head giggling and she asked Taylor the same thing.

"Aww, come on Winry. We won't tell anyone about it anytime soon."

"What do you mean by that?" Winry cried. We laughed at her expression until Pinako walked into the room.

"Girls, the phone's for you; it's your grandmother."

Taylor and I stared at each other to see which would talk on the phone first. I nudged her to go first; she gave me a scowl look and I did one back. After a minute she gave in and went in the kitchen with Pinako.

"Wow, what was that about?" Winry asked me.

"What was what about?"

"That whole thing just now, it was like you two didn't want to talk to your grandmother. Do you guys not like her or something?"

"No it's not that." I leaned back in my chair to get comfortable. "It's just how our Gran is. The first one that gets on the phone with her is the one who receives the questionnaire on what we've been up to. Along with her continuous argument on visiting her and Gramps back at home." Personally, I did it last time so it's Tayl's turn.

"Rin, phone's for you." Taylor yelled from the kitchen.

"You've gotta be kidding me." I said, but inwardly I was groaning in misery. I got up from my seat and made my way back to the kitchen where Taylor was still holding onto the phone. "You guys have only been on the phone for three minutes; why does she wanna switch up now?" I tried whispering.

"Because she's your grandmother too and she wants you." She whispered as well. "Now here." She handed me the phone and walked out of the kitchen.

"Hello…?"

"Why didn't you come to the phone first and sent your sister in here to answer?" It was of course Gran and her fury. "I know about how you two always switch back and forth answering our phone calls! Now you-"

"Gran, calm down." I tried reassuring her on the situation but she wouldn't give. After a few arguments later I finally calmed her down. "Well things over here are just fine. And we've thought about coming back by to visit."

"Mm-hmm, so I've heard. A little birdie also told me that you may have found a new man friend." She said ever so slyly, which I believe may have been inherited too. I knew that was a bad thing. "Maybe when you come and visit you can bring him for me and your grandfather to inspect."

I give it two minutes before this whole thing goes downhill. "No, no. It's nothing like that. We're not together or anything just friends."

"That's not what the birdie told me." She was starting to get blunter, which meant less time before the incline. "Birdie told me you two went on a date. Last I checked friends don't date."

"How about we say some friends can just get together without it being a date and I can shoot that little birdie who told you all of this in the mouth so we can all live happily ever after?"

"Or you can just tell me the truth and if you dare to even hurt the birdie you won't ever have to worry about having any of my home cooked meals ever again as long as you live." I was clearly intimidated now. She was using her sweet scary voice. I could only imagine the look she had while she knew exactly how I looked. "Now explain."

I took a deep breath. "When I first got here he seemed nice but he wanted to know too much. He also went as far as to asking Maes to get info on me. You remember him right?" She confirmed to me she remembered so I continued. "But Maes, being a reliable person he is, didn't tell him really anything so he used other ways. After about a few weeks the turmoil between us simmered down and we got along smoothly. Then some time ago he and Tayl organized this little date that we went on, but I knew nothing about 'til the last minute. But we had a good time during the date until the end of it; we got into a tiff and I've told him, as I've said before to him, I'm not looking for a relationship at the moment because I have so much on my plate. So he did something quick and unexpected then left." I took a long breath from talking so fast. "Did you get all that?"

"I think so. On the last part when you said 'he did something quick and unexpected then left', what exactly did he do?" I didn't say anything. I just thought over on that night. The moments in the restaurant, what had happened on the hill, and what he did before walking off. "Tarin, did that bastard hit you?" That knocked me out of my daydream. "If he did I'll-"

"No, Gran he didn't." I realized that tears were falling down my face and I was sniffling. "He just… he kissed me and walked off is all."

"Oh child, do not scare me like that again." She sighed and relaxed herself. "Well with all of what you just done told me I believe you need to apologize."

"I did."

"To his face?"

"… I haven't seen him in four days, how am I suppose to-"

"Do you remember how I told you and your sister how your grandfather and I first met? I thought he was the sweetest, most handsome, most charming man in the city but he always annoyed me to a point where I wanted to kill him. He would come in the shop that I worked in everyday and distract me every day. Then one day I told him who I felt about it and he said he'd back off.

"After an entire day of not seeing him I felt a wreck; the next day I ran around the entire city looking for him and what he said to me is something I hated but over all loved. He asked, 'Where have you been?' and that he loved me and doesn't want to separate like that again."

I heard Gran sniffling from the other side of the phone. She's rarely told this story since I was a little girl but each time she does tell it she'll tear up. Gramps loves being around her when she tells it and calls her a baby for crying. Either way, I believe it's one of the sweetest love stories I've ever heard.

"So Tarin did that help at all with your little situation?"

"Yeah, a little. I'm going to go up to him the next time I see him and tell how I feel." I had a big smile on my face.

"Right. Now do we to have the baby talk again?"

"Uhh, Gran, I think someone's calling me in the house. I gotta go. Bye." I quickly hung up the phone before she even had a chance to say a word. I could talk to Gran about anything; but her version of 'the birds and the bees' is just too intense.

-x-