"I hate rain," Ed grumbled as we ran through the streets of Central towards the military base. After months of traveling around on military business, we had finally made it back to Central City, only for it to be raining buckets on our heads.

"You wouldn't hate rain so much if you took better care of your automail, brother," Al said, clanking behind us with a calm voice, even as we panted in exertion.

"I do," Ed exclaimed. "Its just really hard to maintain it when we spend half the time on a train. Besides, I hate it when people stare."

"They're not staring at you. Why would they look at a nobody like you when they have me to gaze at," I said, trying to lighten the mood. We stopped under an overhang as the rain began to fall harder, and Ed started to ring out his hair.

"You have some ego, you know that," he snorted, wiping his lank hair out of his eyes.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," I shot back, shaking out my drenched coat.

"He gets it from me," Al quipped, leaning against the building behind him.

"What," Ed said, "his looks or his sass?"

"Both."

We all shared a laugh, our moods bright despite the weather. Every mission we had gone on so far had been successful, in one way or another. Well, except for that small hiccup in Aquroya, but I'm pretty sure Ed never wanted to talk about that one again. The way Ed blushed when Psiren gave him a kiss on the cheek before getting away was absolutely priceless. Ah, my little Ed was growing up…

"Meew."

We all looked up as a small sound interrupted Ed and my thumb wars battle, which we had been playing to pass the time till the rain stopped. It was a good thing too, since I was losing. Stupid automail user.

"What was that," Al asked, looking around.

"No idea. A cat maybe," Ed said, getting to his feet.

"Meew…"

"It's coming from over here," Al said, walking out into the rain to an ally that was nearby us. Ed sighed in annoyance at his younger brother. "Al, this better not be another one of your stray pickups. You know we can't keep it no matter how cute it is right?"

"I know, I know. I just want to make sure it's not in trouble. There you are–ah!" Al backed away suddenly. "Um, guys, I think you may want to take a look at this," he said slowly.

Ed and I walked over as well, Ed grumbling about the rain again. We went over to where Al was standing and I recoiled in shock. There, lying on the ground in a puddle, was a chimera.

It was a cross between what looked like a lizard and a cat. It was feline in appearance, but instead of wet fur it was covered in tiny green scales that looked slick in the rain. It was no bigger than a kitten, although its long reptilian tail was a length and a half of its body and it curled at the end. The creature shivered in the cold, it's eyes closed. My first instinct was to get as far away from it as possible, and I stepped back.

Al crouched down in front of it. "Al, get away from that thing," Ed exclaimed.

"But it's hurt…" He picked up the small shivering chimera and held it to his chest. It twitched but otherwise didn't respond.

"Al, don't be an idiot, it could be dangerous," Ed said in protest.

"Look at it, brother. It's weak from cold. There's no way it could do anything to me. Besides, it looks no more dangerous than a cat. Are you saying that just because it's a chimera it's inherently evil?"

"Well, no…"

"Look at this face! Your not going to hurt me, are you little guy? You probably just escaped from a mean Alchemist."

Slowly, I walked up to Al, curious. It didn't look like the other chimeras I had seen, which had all been dangerous and violent in some way. No, it looked pitiful and weak. Al was right, it didn't seem like it was any more dangerous than a house cat.

It shivered and Al looked down at it in concern. "It's part reptile, so it probably can't regulate its body temperature. Can one of you warm it up?"

Ed and I glanced at each other uncertainly. I looked at its tiny face again. It was rather cute… Carefully, I took the chimera from Alphonse and brought it to my chest. Instantly, it began to wriggle into my body heat and even tried to get under my shirt.

"Gah!" For a second I was panicked, thinking it was going to bite me. It wriggled underneath my clothes and I shuddered as the strange creature clung to my skin with curiously sticky paws and fell still. "Mew…" it whimpered.

Bewildered, I pulled up my shirt and looked down as the two boys watched me curiously. The little creature seemed to be asleep where it had clung to my chest and it had stopped shivering. Its long reptilian tail wrapped partway around my waist and seemed to help it stay put.

"Oookay," I said, letting my shirt fall and looking down at the lump in my clothes oddly.

"Awe, it likes you," Al cooed.

"Yeah, but what the hell am I supposed to do with it?"

"Get rid of it," Ed said immediately. "Having a chimera will only cause us trouble, and the way we travel so much, we couldn't care for it anyway. Besides, someone went to the trouble of making it and is probably looking for it. Whoever it is, there's no way I want to get involved."

"Yeah, but…" I wrapped my arms around the small lump against my chest. "It will die in this rain…"

"Then once it stops raining, let it go."

"Brother, that's heartless! What if the Alchemist that's looking for it is a bad person? It could get experimented on or worse!"

My mind flashed back to Tucker's lab and I shivered, causing the small critter to cling to me tighter. I wrapped my arms around it protectively. There was no way any living creature should go through that… but Ed was right. Even if we somehow had the means to care for it, it would have a better chance of escaping capture if it was on it's own. We just drew too much attention.

"Just till the rain stops," I said, breaking into their argument. "Then we'll find a forest or something to release it, ok?"

The two brothers stopped their bickering and looked at each other, considering the compromise. They nodded as one, and we continued on our way to the base, plus one small lizard cat.

o-0-o

We walked through the halls of Central Command on our way to see Mustang, Ed and I still drying our hair with the towels the receptionist had given us. I tugged at my bangs in annoyance. My hair was getting pretty long. I would have to cut it soon…

"Well look who it is! My three favorite brothers," an exuberant voice shouted at us from down the hall.

"Hughes," I said happily. The man bounced towards us and Edward was about to greet him when Hughes suddenly shoved something in his face.

"I know just what will cheer you boys up! Just look at how adorable my little Elicia is! She's almost one and she is starting to look just like mommy!"

Ed tried to see the picture that was thrust practically on top of his nose and ended up looking cross-eyed. "That's…great…" he said backing away. I chuckled as he swung the picture around to me and I looked at the image curiously. A little girl with cute brown pigtails and green eyes was playing merrily with a doll and smiling at the camera. I remembered that last time I had seen that little tyke she had just been born, and I had been a little distraught. I resolved to meet her properly while I was in town now that I had gotten over that.

Hughes gushed about his little girl for a few minutes while Ed grumbled and I smiled crookedly at his enthusiasm. I knew that if I had been a mother, I would have been just as manic as he was, so I listened good-naturedly.

"But enough about her, I've got another thing to show you." Hughes pulled out another picture and handed it to Ed.

"Oh," he said, smiling sadly. "That's great." He handed the picture to me, and I suddenly forgot to breathe. Holding little Elicia in her arms was a small girl no older than five. It was Nina. She was wearing a small smile, just a shadow of the big grins she used to give, but she at least looked healthy. I flashed back to how I had seen her last, unconscious and covered in blood on top of her dead best friend, and was glad that she looked to be doing well.

I brought the picture gently to my face and closed my eyes. Thank goodness. She had always been in the back of my mind since we had left Central all those months ago. I felt so relieved that she was doing ok…

"How is she," Al asked while I took a silent moment to compose myself.

"She's doing as well as can be expected," Hughes said with a small smile. "For the first several weeks staying with us, no one could get her to smile, and she barely ate anything at all. She still hasn't spoken a word to anyone since the incident, but she has started to behave a little more normally thanks to my darling Elicia's cuteness and Gracia's care. I think that with a little more time she should be back to normal. She's only five, so there is a chance that she may forget completely."

"I hope so," I said softly. I would give anything to forget what happened that night.

"So have you found her family," Al asked.

"Yes, but…"

"What is it," Ed said, furrowing his brow.

"Well, Tucker's family had renounced him as a son when he was a teen and want nothing to do with the child. After some investigation, we found out that Tucker's wife had been the talking chimera he made, and after finding that out, her family wanted nothing to do with Nina either. I'm afraid she may have to go to an orphanage soon…"

"Couldn't you keep her," I asked desperately. Growing up in an orphanage could be tough, and I didn't want that for Nina. Right now she needed a family in order to heal.

"I have considered it," Hughes said, crossing his arms. "After all, she's almost as cute as my Elicia! The problem is, usually the military does not allow its own to adopt the children in cases like these, so it would be really tough for me to get custody."

My shoulders slumped in disappointment. "But…"

"Don't worry, I'm working on it. Even if I can't adopt her, I will be sure to find her a family that will raise her well so she won't be at an orphanage for long."

I nodded in acceptance and Hughes patted me on the shoulder. "Why don't you boys stay with me while you are in Central? That way you can visit with Nina."

"I don't know…" I said uncertainly. It was one thing to look at a picture to make sure she was ok, but I was scared of actually seeing her again. What if she blamed me for what happened?

"Sure," Ed said with a smile. I snapped around to look at him in betrayal. He smiled and patted my shoulder. "Don't be such a worry wart, it will be fine. I promise she doesn't blame you."

"How do you know," I grumbled. He just shook his head.

"Great! I'll have Gracia set the table for three more!" With that, the exuberant father strolled down the hall, leaving us to continue to Mustang's office in silence.

As we trudged down the hall leaving small puddles of water behind us, I felt a stirring from beneath my shirt. "Ah, are you awake little guy?" I looked under my collar and it meeped a bit but did not open its eyes.

"How is it doing," Al asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Ah, Al! You should know better than to look down a lady's shirt! I never knew you were such an animal," I cried, crossing my arms over my chest dramatically

"Gah, sorry-um-I didn't mean-" Al stuttered, flustered. He stopped waving his hands in front of his face when I started giggling uncontrollably at his reaction. "Ha ha, very funny," he said, disgruntled.

"Guys," Ed said sharply, "we have company."

I stopped laughing immediately as a very large, very intimidating man walked down the hall towards us. He was at least as tall as Alphonse and had no hair save for a large mustache on his tanned face. Following him was an entourage of serious looking men, and they were walking swiftly in our direction.

"I want the whole city swept. Check every ally and every hole. I want no survivors, is that understood?" The large man was speaking with a voice almost as severe as his expression. We moved aside as the large group was almost upon us and Edward, who had noticed that the man had several stars on his jacket, snapped a salute. We were ignored, however, so he needn't have bothered.

"Who's that," I whispered to the blonde.

"General Basque Grand, the Iron-Blood Alchemist," Ed whispered back tensely.

"What do you think he meant by no survivors," I asked as the first of the men started to pass us.

Ed was about to reply when the little chimera clinging to my chest decided to give out a loud meep. The large man, Basque Grand, snapped his head around at the sound and seemed to notice us for the first time. My heart started racing as the intimidating man seemed to stop in his tracks, his whole entourage stopping with him.

"Fullmetal," Grand grunted.

"Sir," Ed said, holding his salute, although his eyes were like liquid fire as he stared straight at the large general.

"A group of chimeras have escaped the military labs and I have been ordered to round them up an eliminate them. Have you seen any?"

His ice cold eyes swept over me, and I shivered nervously. My arms were crossed over my chest still from my antics earlier, so the chimera was well hidden and I was grateful that it was remaining still and quiet. I suddenly got the feeling that it was a very bad idea to hand over the creature to a man who 'wanted no survivors'.

"No sir," Ed said with a straight face.

"Then what," the man said, stalking forward slowly, "was that sound, Fullmetal?"

My heart began pounding in my chest as the wall of muscle started to get closer and I had a sudden absurd urge to grab my weapons and defend myself, although the man had his hands behind his back and was making no threatening moves towards us.

"What sound, sir?" Ed said, his expression completely neutral.

Grand's already considerable frown deepened before he looked sharply away. "You have your orders," he barked at the men who were standing at attention diligently.

"Sir!" They all shouted as one before filing out of the hall with all haste.

Grand looked back to Edward slowly. "I hope for your sake that it was just my imagination, Fullmetal. I have orders to eliminate all of the abominations that escaped and you would do well not to get in my way. Now, tell me, what was that sound?"

"Must have been a cat, sir," Ed said, matching his intimidating stare with his own intense golden one. The stalemate went on for several seconds before Grand narrowed his eyes and strolled away.

As his large figure turned the corner, we all released a breath of relief. "Ugh, I really don't like that guy," Ed said, rubbing his arms vigorously, "I always feel like he's going to eat me or something every time he looks in my direction."

"Definitely a carnivore," I said, nervously clutching the tiny creature to my still pounding chest. "You sure are brave, Ed, I definitely would have cracked and went for my weapons or something under that stare."

"You would have been dead," Ed said ominously. I looked down the hall at where the general had retreated and wondered just how powerful he must have been to have even Ed say that. I wanted to ask, but then again, I didn't really want to know.

"Come on, the colonel has probably heard we are in the building and you know how grouchy he gets when we don't go straight to him. Let's get this over with. And make sure that thing keeps quiet!"

We hurried down the hall and finally came to a stop in front of Mustang's office. We knocked on the door and it was immediately answered by Lieutenant Hawkeye. Her blonde hair was pinned up as briskly as ever and she held a clip board to her chest. Busy as always, I saw.

"Oh, if it isn't my favorite brothers," she said with a smile. "Come on in, boys, the colonel is just through the next door."

We shuffled into the office and Ed and I left our towels at the rack by the door as we walked through. Mustang's men were all busily working at their desks.

"Falman, Havoc, long time no see," I said, giving a wave to the two officers. I got a conservative nod from Falman, who looked like he had too much work and not enough coffee, and a slick 'hey kid' from the much more laid back Havoc. There were two others in the office that I had not met, a larger man with red hair and a rather smallish man with black hair and glasses, but before I could greet them as well Ed pulled me along by the arm into Mustang's office. Ed shut the door behind us and Al and I sat on the two red couches while Edward stood in front of Mustang's desk, waiting to be acknowledged.

The black haired man was sitting behind his desk, busily signing papers or some such, and at first did not even seem to notice our presence.

"Ahem," Ed said a bit rudely, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Boys," Mustang finally said, not looking up from his paperwork. "Take a seat, I'll get to you in a minute."

Ed growled in annoyance, but obediently sat on the couch across from Al and I. A few moments and a lot of scritching later, Mustang finally put down his pen and snatched the paper from his desk and strode to the door quickly. Before he could touch it however, it opened abruptly and Hawkeye walked in. Mustang nervously stepped back.

"Sir, that better be the missive I handed you this morning," she said with an intense frown, looking at Mustangs occupied hand.

"Of course it is," Mustang said with an arrogant shrug. "I told you I would get it done on time! Who do you take me for?"

Hawkeyes hand twitched and Mustang smile froze on his face. However, she merely took the paper from his hand instead of…whatever it was that he was expecting her to do. She looked it over and then gave him a beatific smile, which oddly enough made him take another step back. "Thank you sir, I'll get this taken care of right away." With that she closed the door in Mustang's stunned face.

Once the formidable woman was gone, Mustang's shoulders dropped in relief and he began muttering to himself. I was pretty sure I caught words like 'crazy' and 'control freak', but I politely pretended like I had heard nothing.

Ed was not as polite. "Feeling a little whipped, colonel," he snorted, grinning meanly in the man's direction.

Mustang's back went rigid before he spun around. "Huh, was that you Fullmetal," he said, putting his hand up as if shielding his eyes from the sun and scanning the room dramatically. "Oh there you are, I must not have seen you over my piles of paperwork."

Ed's steel fist clenched and suddenly Mustang's couch had one less arm. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU CAN'T SEE HIM STANDING BEHIND A SHOPPING RECEIPT YOU BASTARD!"

Al held Ed back as he tried to jump over the couch and attack the colonel, who merely cleaned out his ear with his pinky and a bored expression. "Wow, I never knew such a person of stature like yourself could have such a loud voice."

"What did you say, bastard!"

"Ed, calm down," I said, guffawing loudly, "he's just mad that we know that Hawkeye's the real brains behind this operation."

Ed snorted and Mustang frowned in my direction. Then he smiled arrogantly. "Takes an evil mastermind to know one. Nice earring by the way. I didn't know you bat for Hawkeye's team."

I stared at him blankly for a moment, not sure exactly how to respond. Judging by the tense silence that suddenly fell on the room and Mustang's smug expression, I got the feeling that I was just somehow insulted, but I couldn't see how that would be. If the zombie apocalypse were suddenly upon us, then I would definitely want to be on mastermind Hawkeye's team. Unless by team he meant…oh. I stood up and probably did the last thing he would have expected. Judging by his stunned expression, I would say so. Pft.

"Oh, Mustang, thank you for noticing," I said in an obnoxious falsetto, tilting my hips (well, if I had any) to the side and tipping one of my feet, my hands on my face. I even managed to conjure up a blush.

I'm pretty sure I could hear every jaw drop in the room, and Ed was looking at me like I had grown an extra two heads. Mustang's stunned expression was even more priceless, however. What was he expecting, me to deny it? I opened my eyes wide and fluttered my lashes, and that seemed to break him out of his shock. He suddenly grinned widely before his smile dropped into a charming smirk.

"Of course I noticed," he said in a suave voice that I assumed he used on all the females in the city. "How could I not notice when someone so exquisite wears a piece that suits them so perfectly. Why, I can barely take my eyes off you."

"Wha–" Ed stuttered. His expression really was something to see. He had the most adorable look of constipation on his face, and I was pretty sure Al had turned to stone behind him. If I hadn't been having so much fun playing along I would have been laughing hysterically.

"Why, Mustang, I had no idea you felt that way," I simpered.

Mustang grinned and was about to respond when Ed suddenly screamed and covered his ears.

"Gaaaaah, noooo! I am not watching my little brother flirt with colonel bastard! Can we please get this report over with so I can forget I ever saw this!?"

Al had his knees pulled up to his chest on the couch and he was covering his helmet where his ears would be and he was muttering to himself. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could imagine. I suddenly laughed loudly when I realized how bizarre it must be for him when someone that looked exactly like him was flirting with an older man. "Heh, sorry Alphonse," I said behind my hand.

"Alright, alright, settle down," Mustang said, walking over to his desk with a smirk. "Let's do this so I can get back to work."

Once we were all settled down back on the couches, Ed still looking a little disturbed, Mustang began to debrief us on our missions.

"So, Ed, it looks like we really are getting a bang for our buck."

"Don't start with me, ok? You're the one who told us to go to Lior in the first place." Ed grumbled.

"Yeah, but I told you to investigate, not unseat their favorite profit."

"And now a village that was on the verge of uprising is back under the military's control. Shouldn't you be happy about that," Ed said, putting his hands behind his head. "Hey," he said suddenly, "you didn't plan that did you?"

"I heard that Youswell is under different management now," Mustang said, pointedly not answering the question.

"Um, yeah, that Yoki got unexpectedly…ill." I snorted. If by ill he meant 'beaten to a pulp by angry muscle-bound men', then yes, he was ill.

"I also heard that Xenotime got a new source of income."

Ed twitched. "Yeah, Xenotime, where is that again?"

Mustang crossed his fingers in front of his face. "Should I also have you file a report about the red water?"

Ed growled but did not respond. Mustang moved on.

"Oh, I almost forgot, we also got a letter from a small village that claimed you saved them from 'walking dolls' and an inquiry from Aquroya about a certain phantom thief. Tell me Ed, is it true Psiren is a real ten under the mask?"

Ed blushed and looked away. "So you're saying you know everything I do. Great, I'm glad we had this talk."

Mustang suddenly frowned. "Can you at least look like you are following orders?"

"We have other objectives," Ed shot back, crossing his arms.

Mustang stood and looked out the window into the still pouring rain. "Like the philosopher's stone."

Ed widened his eyes in surprise. "How did you…"

"Cornello had been using a red stone to fake miracles, and then you just happen to go to Xenotime next, where it was rumored a philosopher's stone was being created? It's not rocket science, Ed."

My expression scrunched weirdly. They had rocket science in this world? I guess it wasn't that far fetched, but I had thought that other sciences weren't being pursued because of alchemy. I guess that was silly of me…I tuned back into the conversation and cut off the thought. Not important.

"Are you going to try and stop us," Ed said darkly, looking like he was going to start frothing at the bit. Al and I looked at the colonel worriedly, suddenly afraid that he would.

"Of course not. I promised that you would have every opportunity to get your bodies back and I meant it. Just know that that path is a dangerous one, and that the price may be too much for the prize."

"What do you mean," I said.

He looked back at me considering. "They say that those who pursue the stone are cursed to failure. But I myself never put much stock in rumors. Still, everyone I knew of that went in pursuit of the stone never came back."

"I think we can handle it," Ed said flippantly. He stood. "Is that all? We have other places to be than hang around here," he said rudely.

Mustang sighed and nodded, and without a backwards glance, Ed strode out the room and through the door, banging it loudly behind him.

"Brother," Al exclaimed scoldingly, following him out. I made to leave as well, but Mustang stopped me.

"Wait, Alex, I need to talk to you."

I looked back to him curiously. "What is it?"

He gestured for me to sit back down on the couch and I obeyed. He walked to the couch across from me and sat down. "I've been doing a little digging," he started and I inwardly groaned. This couldn't be good. He looked at me seriously and I tensed. "I found out some interesting things. Care to verify them?"

"That depends," I said cautiously. "What did you find out?"

"I found out that Alex Elric never existed." My heart stopped before suddenly pounding hard in my chest. The little chimera shifted at my nervousness, but I ignored it, giving the inscrutable colonel all of my attention. "Trisha Elric only ever had two sons and they are both accounted for, although you look an awful lot like Alphonse Elric, wouldn't you say?"

"How do you know Edward's father didn't have an affair," I said nervously, swallowing audibly. "I could be their half brother."

"Oh, and what would be his name, hm?"

Shit. Shit shit shit. I'd been found out. I tried furiously to come up with a name, but as far as I knew, besides a brief mention by Alphonse in Xenotime, the boys never spoke of their father at all. At my silence, Mustang continued.

"A few months ago at the hospital, the doctor was having a little bit of trouble finding you a blood type that your body would accept. Luckily for us, it seemed like you regenerated your blood rapidly on your own." He stared at my face intently, taking in my reaction. "He said it was a true miracle of modern medicine, and I had to call in a few favors so that he wouldn't talk."

My eyes widened in shock and I felt like my heart was going to simultaneously jump out my throat and fall through my feet. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I flickered my eyes to the door, wondering if I should make a run for it. Was he going to detain me and have me cut up in a lab? I felt sick…

Mustang nodded as if something had been confirmed. Then he leaned back and let out a breath. "Calm down, I'm not going to do anything to you."

"You know what I am," I croaked, not believing him in the least. Ed, Al, where are you!

"I have some theories. Chief among them being that you are somehow the result of those boys transmutation."

I closed my eyes, waiting for him to suddenly strike out at me or call for guards or something. This was it. I was going to be cut up, I just knew it! I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped badly.

"Alex, calm down," Mustang said firmly. "No one is going to cut you up, I promise." I snapped my eyes open to find him crouched down in front of me. I hadn't been aware I had said that out loud. He looked into my eyes intently. When it didn't look like he was going to start screaming for reinforcements I calmed down a bit. Once my breathing returned to normal, he got up and sat across from me again.

"What happens now," I muttered, avoiding his eyes.

"Nothing," he said, and I looked up in surprise. "I had a fake identity made for you the second I realized what you were. As far as anyone outside of my circle knows, there really are three Elrics."

"Why would you do that…" I said suspiciously. "I'm not human…why would you help me?"

"Who says you're not human?" I flinched, expecting to say something cruel, but looked into his eyes in surprise. I was startled to see something I did not expect to find in someone who had found out what I really was. Compassion. "Everyone deserves a chance at life. As far as I and everyone who knows you is concerned, you are you." He looked down and mumbled something more that I wasn't sure I was meant to hear. "Even those who feel they can't be forgiven..."

My eyes filled slightly with water and I looked down, stunned. Mustang allowed me a moment to compose myself in silence. I had never expected anyone outside of Ed's family to say that to me, especially not someone from the heartless military, who from everything I heard would think of me like the abomination I was.

"So…" Mustang started, but I interrupted him.

"My name," I said lowly, "was Alexandria…"

Sorry guys, I know you were expecting Nina in this chapter, but so much was happening that I couldn't get to her. No worries, you'll see her soon. So yeah, Mustang found out! No going back now. Has Alex made another friend?

And who is the little critter?! No, I did not just put him in there because I wanted Alex to have a cute animal ride on his shoulder all the time (heh). He's actually there to serve a very specific purpose. I have need of a chimera for something that will happen soon.

This chapter was dedicated to lilaclily00 who gave me the idea for the flirting scene. You see? I really do pay attention. Don't ever say mommy doesn't listen! No red hulk though, sorry. Maybe next story.

Next Chapter: Nina! And then violence! Lots of wonderful, heartwarming violence! Heh..heh..heh...

Review! And make coffee! Falman needs some. See you people next time!