AN: Okay, so I finally made a decently sized chapter, but it's still small. Gdi I need to get off my ass and write. Also, happy Valentine's Day! I HATE VALENTINE'S DAY BECAUSE THIS YEAR I ACTUALLY HAVE A VALENTINE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. Help me...*whimpers*

ALSO MY THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY IS IN NINE DAYS

I AM 12.9

SUCK MY DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK

Disclaimer: No. I do not own FMA.

"You," he said, "Are a terribly real thing in a terribly false world, and that, I believe, is why you are in so much pain."

-Alice in Wonderland

Pinako had left about ten minutes after the exchange by Edward's bedside, which he had, thankfully, not awoken from. Trisha had almost immediately went to Winry, asking about what would be done with Edward.

"Hm, well, we can't be sure yet," Winry hummed- mostly to herself- as she set a tray of tea on the coffee table. "Granny told me that's he's healing quite well so far. Neither of us are alchemists, so we don't know much about the difference between alchemical injuries and normal ones."

"Well, what do you know?" Trisha persisted, taking a careful sip of the tea as to not burn her tongue.

"They…usually heal quicker," Winry said quietly. "Depending on the wound, it often cauterizes on its own."

"That's clearly not the case here," Trisha muttered quietly. Winry nodded.

"And, it's a legend, really…It's pretty much a myth…" the blonde murmured, unsure of whether to continue.

"What is?"

Winry pursed her lips, pausing before continuing. "There have been accounts of…people being capable of regaining what they've lost." Trisha all but slammed her cup on the table.

"So they can get their bodies back?" she almost yelled in excitement.

"W-Well, I don't know... It's just an urban legend-"

"-But there's a chance?" Winry pursed her lips once more before slowly continuing.

"…yes, there might be a chance." Trisha took a few deep breaths to calm herself before continuing.

"What have you heard about these accounts?" she asked in a calmer tone.

"As much as I've told you," Winry replied. "Aunt Trisha, I'm sorry, but I doubt that they can return to normal…" Trisha frowned.

"But you don't deny the chance that they can." The girl paused.

"No, I don't," she finally answered after a few minutes. "I don't deny it."

"That's all I need to hear," Trisha grinned, standing to make dinner, leaving a shocked Winry staring at her in awe.

"Ow!" Trisha hissed, dropping the paper on the floor. She had been writing a letter to the Eastern command hospital, requesting a doctor to visit the house.

"What is it, Mom?" Alphonse asked, carefully walking towards her, Winry on his heels.

"Papercut," she grumbled, sucking on her finger. She looked at the wound, and just then, a red alchemical light shot out from it, and when it dimmed, the cut was healed. Trisha felt her limbs fall limp as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, everything fading to black.

"M-Mister!" Trisha yelled, running up to the bearded man, a book in her trembling hands. He turned around and kindly looked at her.

"What is it, little girl?" the blonde asked politely.

"My…My kitty cat is stuck in the fiwe!" she wailed, tears streaming down her pale face. The man frowned.

"Where's the fire?" he asked. Trisha pointed towards the direction of her remote farm, where you could see smoke billowing off of it. Without hesitation, the man picked up the small girl, and sprinted towards the fire. About a minute later, he set her down in the grass. "Stay here," he ordered.

A few minutes later, he exited the house carrying a small white kitten, fur blackened from smoke. Trisha squealed and ran to her kitty, noticing that he had a large gash in his arm.

"S-siwr, you're hurt!" she yelled before a red light erupted from the wound, healing instantly. Trisha gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. "H-how did you-?"

"I'm a Super Hero," the man said, putting a finger to her lips. "Can you keep my secret for me?" Trisha grinned and nodded, fully convinced.

"Can I be your sidekick?" she asked.

"Of course, why would I have told you if I didn't want you to be my sidekick?" he chuckled. "I'm Van Hohenheim," the man said, holding out his hand. Trisha took it and shook his head.

"I'm Trisha! And I'm five!" the child grinned. "But my sidekick name can be…"

"-Cheshire. Like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland."

"Huh?" the brunette blinked.

"Your book," he smiled, "It's Alice in Wonderland, correct?" She nodded.

"Well, then. We can go on adventures, Cheshire," he smiled. "If, er, your parents let you," he said, looking around nervously. Trisha laughed.

"Don't worry! I don't have a mummy and daddy!"

"….even possible?" Voices faded in and out, snapping Trisha back into consciousness. She felt a soft blanket wrapped around her body. She steadied her breathing, hoping to listen to the conversation occurring at her bedside.

"No, Al, i-it's not…" Winry whispered quietly. "But, bringing the dead back isn't either."

"Nothing's impossible," a hoarse voice croaked. Trisha soon identified this voice with Ed. Was he awake? How long had she been out? "Mom proves that. And so do you, Win." Though her eyes were closed, Trisha knew Winry was blushing.

"Oh, whatever. Anyways, her healing power, if that's what it is, emits a red light…"

"It looked like an alchemical light," Alphonse said.

"That would make sense. Her body is the result of an alchemical project."

"But healing abilities like that…" Winry muttered. "Do you think Auntie Trisha knows about it?"

"If she did, she wouldn't have fainted," Ed scoffed. Oh, it's quite the opposite, Edward, Trisha thought to herself.

"I bet she'd know what to do…" Winry sighed. It was then that Trisha realized Winry wasn't talking about her- she was talking about Sarah.

"I bet that- UWAH!" Edward's words were interrupted by a sharp gasp.

"S-sorry…" he murmured, sadness lacing his words. "I forgot my leg wasn't there when I tried to shift my weight onto it…"

"Oh, Ed," Winry said. "That's a normal thing. It'll take some getting used to." Trisha, out of concern for her son, chose this time to slowly blink her eyes open, pretending to wake up.

"E-Edward?" she whispered, glancing to the broken boy. Her eyes scanned his body, noticing the bruises and cuts that weren't there previously. They seemed to be lining his limbs and stumps, along with his neck and torso. "Oh, Edward…" she sighed. "What have you done?"

Thank you for reading! Please review! Also, what do you think were the cause of the bruises? I clearly know, but I'm curious what the audience thinks! Thanks for reading!