Arrangements were made for Gracia to take little Erika to Resembool to stay with Gloria while Al was away. They would be escorted by General Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist, and Colonel Rebecca Catalina. With eastern troops already in Resembool and the pending arrival of a very powerful Alchemist and skilled sharpshooter; Edward and Al's family were sure to be well protected.

General Olivier Armstrong in the north was contacted and alerted to the arrival of Edward, Al, Havoc and Lin. All four men were capable of protecting themselves and didn't require any guards for the trip north. If they needed any more assistance the Briggs stronghold would provide it when they arrived. Edward wasn't too thrilled with Lin tagging along. But Al, Havoc and Mustang agreed he should go since he could sense the homunculi's presence and Edward begrudgingly accepted it with his usual grace and charm.

Once again, several hours later, Edward and Al were on the train platform; a special express train intended - and held - for them sat waiting. Edward was finding it hard to leave his daughter. He held her tight, promising to bring mommy back. Reluctantly he gave her to Gracia who hugged him while he made the same promise to bring her daughter back. She expressed her confidence that he would keep his promise but Edward's guilty conscious wouldn't let him believe it.

The older Erika was there as well to see everyone off. Edward almost boarded the train before Al stopped him.

"You should say something to the other Erika too."

Edward cursed his brother silently for being so damn compassionate. Reluctantly, he went over to where Erika was standing alone.

"I'll bring Richard home," he assured her, though he found it difficult to get the words out without sounding insincere. He wouldn't promise to bring their son home to her. His resentment clouded his senses when he was around her. He felt inclined to be as selfish as she had been.

"I know you will," Erika said holding back tears. There was a strained look on her face that made Edward feel that she was reading his very thoughts; that she was worried he wouldn't let her see Richard again.

Now he was ashamed. He couldn't deny a mother her child; it wasn't right no matter what she had done. She raised Richard; she knew him best. She was more emotionally attached to their son. As much as Edward wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine, he wouldn't, couldn't do it.

He turned and headed for the train, unable to say anything else. He passed Havoc and Rebecca. "Hurry up," he grumbled, not in the mood to have to witness two people in love say good bye.

Havoc ignored him and kissed Rebecca. When they parted he followed after Edward and boarded the train. Everyone settled into their seats and Edward looked out the window watching his daughter. She was trying to pull away from Gracia and he could see she was crying and calling for him. She was a smart little girl and knew something wasn't right. She hadn't seen mommy in three days and now daddy was leaving. It broke Edward's heart but if he didn't leave he wouldn't be able to get Elysia back.

As the train pulled away from the platform he watched as Gracia calmed little Erika down until the smoke obscured them. By the time it cleared they were out of the station and headed north.


Elysia didn't know how long they had been traveling. In the dark truck she had no concept of time.

Richard didn't talk much and neither did she. They each took turns nursing the unconscious man as best they could; dripping water into his mouth and staying close to keep him warm. Elysia wondered if he was related to Russell. Both men had dirty blonde hair and there was a definite resemblance in the shape of their noses. But the man showed no signs of waking up soon to say whether he was or not.

There was one highlight of the bumpy trip. They were finally given something to eat. A blue glow erupted near the base of the wall in front of Elysia. A hole opened and food was shoved through on a tray then the hole closed back with the same blue light. Elysia's stomach was rumbling audibly and she felt an animal urge to pounce on the food right away but maintained a sense of civility. She crawled over to the tray, not able to walk with the truck constantly bouncing them. There were only three sandwiches but at least it was food. She grabbed the tray and slid it over where Richard was sitting with the unconscious man and handed him a sandwich. Richard took it gratefully and bit in eagerly. Elysia did so as well. It didn't take them long to finish the sandwiches. They sat in silence again after they finished eating. Then Richard spoke up.

"You said something about a mark on that man's hand and how they were supposed to be destroyed... you didn't explain what you were talking about."

Elysia leaned her head back against the side of the truck not sure where to start. She barely understood the complicated mess that was homunculi and Philosopher's Stones. "It's something that started so long ago. Do you know much about alchemy?"

Richard shook his head and Elysia wondered if Edward would be disappointed about that briefly then tried to think of a way to simplify the story. "Well," she started, "it's all based on it. A very long time ago in Xerxes, you've hear of Xerxes, right?" She asked looking at Richard who nodded.

"The city that disappeared overnight," he said. "My teacher only went over it briefly during History class."

"Well," Elysia continued, "something was created before the city disappeared. It was called a homunculus. It promised the King of Xerxes that it knew the secret to immortality and if the King did exactly as the homunculus said; he could have it. But it didn't give the King immortality. It ended up destroying Xerxes and the homunculus gained a body and became immortal himself. Somehow that first homunculus was able to remove parts of himself to create other homunculi; seven altogether. I'm pretty sure Russell is one now."

Richard looked confused. "What do they do? What do they want?"

"They did a lot of harm to Amestris," Elysia said trying to avoid the specifics. "It's not known but they could have destroyed the entire country just like Xerxes. One even killed my father when he discovered what they were doing."

"Oh." Richard said looking shocked and a little embarrassed by her revelation. "I'm sorry."

"It happened a long time ago," she said shrugging it off. "They were all supposed to be destroyed," she continued, "it doesn't make sense that Russell would be one." If he was, she wondered which homunculus he was. She remembered Edward telling her about the Emperor of Xing, how he was a homunculus at one time. If the homunculus could be removed from a person's body was it possible that the one who killed her father be a part of Russell now?

"He's crazy," Richard said.

"Who, Russell? You've talked to him?"

Richard nodded. "I was taken from home over a week ago. At least, I think it's been that long. It could be even longer. I've been really out of it the entire time. When I was conscious, sometimes he would talk to me while I ate."

"What did he say?" Elysia asked intrigued, hoping to get an understanding of all this.

Richard hesitated before answering. "I don't remember too much. Whatever he was giving me made everything fuzzy when I was awake. I didn't understand half of what he said and what I did still didn't make much sense. What I'm able to put together is that he had a thing for my mom but someone was in his way. A couple of times he said I should have been his son. What do you think he wants with us?"

"I don't know," Elysia sighed. "Russell and Ed didn't get along very well when they were young. Maybe it's a grudge that's been blown out of proportion." She was tired of wondering and worrying what was going to happen and why this was all happening in the first place now. She just wished it was over.

They sat in silence again. Richard looked like he had a lot on his mind. Elysia couldn't help but watch him. Even when he sat, deep in thought he was so much like Edward. She closed her eyes, wishing she was home with him now.

"You're his wife, aren't you?"

Elysia's eyes snapped open. So he must know who his father is. This was the perfect opportunity for Elysia to get some answers to her other questions.

"Yes."

"I thought you looked familiar," he said looking at his shoes. "I read about your paintings of the Armstrong family being dedicated to the museum. Your picture was in the paper... along with him..."

Him? Not Ed, not dad? Elysia thought. Well, maybe not Dad, he wasn't raised by Edward. But she wondered what he'd been told by his mother that would make him sound like he resented Edward. Maybe resent was too harsh; maybe just unsure how he should address his real father. Who is his mother anyways?

"Mom said she met him during the war," Richard said as if reading Elysia's thoughts. "She said it was a long time ago and that he didn't know about me when they last saw each other; she didn't even know." He sounded like he was trying to explain his existence to her. She was his biological father's wife and it sounded like he didn't want her to think she had been lied to.

Elysia smiled. She knew she hadn't been.

"What's your mother's name?"

"Erika."

Time stopped for Elysia and she regretted asking. Everything was so still but for that name that echoed through her head. It took her a minute to regain her composure, though not completely.

"Funny," she said finally with a bitter little laugh. "That's my daughter's name."

"I know."

Elysia turned to look at him, surprised he knew so much about them.

"I read the announcement in the paper," Richard explained. "Mom doesn't know that I read the Central Chronicle looking for news about him."

"How long have you known?"

"I was twelve when some soldier asked if I was related to him. It was the eyes. It's not a very common color."

Not just that, Elysia thought.

"He said he worked with the Fullmetal Alchemist before the war; that they chased some serial killer called Scar. The soldier said I looked just like him when he was a teenager. I asked my mom about it. I didn't look like her or my dad and I always wondered why. I don't think she ever wanted me to know. We live in a very small town so it wasn't likely I would ever run into him. If it hadn't been for that soldier I never would have asked her... I never would have known. After she told me I asked the post master to subscribe to the Central Chronicle for me in exchange for delivering mail for him. He was getting a bit old and was happy to let me work the more rural routes."

"Did you want to meet him?" Elysia mentally slapped herself. She was doing it too now, calling Edward 'him'.

Richard shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. My mom said I could whenever I wanted but I can tell she doesn't want me to. I don't want to hurt my dad's feelings either. He's raised me like I was his own. It never bothered him that I wasn't his flesh and blood. I don't want him to think I'd forget what he's done for me."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"That's how old Ed was when he left to fight in the war."

"My mom told me that's how old he was when she first met him."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Richard looked at her pointedly and she realized her slip. Embarrassed, she laughed at herself. Her daughter's birth announcement was in the Central Chronicle and he just said he read about it. "Dumb question. I should have asked if your mother has any other children."

Richard shook his head sadly. "It was a difficult delivery for her. She almost died. She told me the doctor was amazed she was able to carry me at all and that I was such a healthy baby. But she couldn't have anymore children after me."

"You do know that if Ed knew about you he would have been there, right?" This was an unusual and uncomfortable situation. She wasn't fully ready to delve into her complicated emotions to sort out how she should feel about all this. She wasn't exactly wronged by what happened anyways; Edward and Richard were by being kept apart. There was one thing for certain she wanted Richard to understand and that was Edward would never abandon him; would never have if he had known.

Richard looked away but Elysia had the feeling he only half believed her. "That's not what he said."

"What do you mean?"

"He was babbling I told you." He looked embarrassed and angry? No, hurt Elysia decided.

"What did Russell tell you?"

There was something else she saw deep in his eyes before he answered. It was very similar to Edward when he was in one of his moods. "That he would have left me, like his father left him. That he used my mother and when he got tired of her would have left whether he knew about me or not."

Elysia stared ahead at the far side of the truck unseeing, too stunned for words. Russell was trying to turn Richard against Edward. It could work too. Richard was young and vulnerable, already confused and unsure how his biological father would react to him. Then to have someone come in to plant seeds of doubt...

"Don't listen to a word he says," Elysia said full of anger. "He tried to ruin Ed's career in the military."

Richard still looked doubtful. "I don't know who to believe now," he admitted. "I thought I could trust my mom but I find out she was hiding the truth about my real father... then this weird guy comes along knowing more than he should and tells me things I don't want to hear... and now you, who I don't even know..."

Elysia could hear it in his voice. He was angry and confused. Throw in being abducted and he wasn't going to be a very trusting person. She knew no matter how hard she argued in Edward's defense it wouldn't matter. Richard was going to have to see things with his own eyes and she hoped he would get the chance to.