I slowly stroked the small chimera that sat on my lap. It had moved out of my shirt some time ago, leaving a small spot of sweat to cool where it had been sitting on my chest. At some point as I had been sitting there, it must have gotten overheated and crawled out. Instead of running away like I would have expected, it nuzzled up cat-like on my lap and continued its snooze. I scratched its head absentmindedly, not reacting much in the least to its presence. To his credit, Mustang did not react either, merely listening to me intently as I told him the entirety of my tale.

As I spoke, a half-hour, then an hour passed, and even as the sun went down causing the still goomy sky to become even goomier, Mustang did not waver in his concentration. His black eyes never left my face as I told him where I came from, what we guessed had happened to me, and all that I had lost. At some point, Riza had come into the room, and without interrupting me placed a steaming cup of coffee in my hand, which I swirled without touching.

When I finally finished talking, and the room fell silent, I felt as if this huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders. When was the last time I had spoken about myself in such length? When was the last time I had trusted anyone enough to speak about anything important? I loved my brothers, I truly did, but to me they were children. In my past life I had been over a decade older than them and no matter how mature they seemed, there was always this generational gap that I felt I could not overcome. In my past life I had had friends and loved ones my age that I could always go to when I felt down, and who knew me inside and out as well as I knew them. I had dearly missed that intimacy: the knowledge of knowing that someone would understand you no matter what, and listen whenever you needed an ear.

I glanced up at Mustang before my eyes flickered back towards the little chimera in my lap. I wasn't kidding myself that he was my friend, or that he even understood what I had been going through, but…but…I had desperately needed someone to listen, someone who wouldn't feel guilt-ridden over my circumstances or pity me. I wasn't even sure myself why I had opened up to him so thoroughly with only the slightest encouragement. Maybe it was the way he reminded me of the man I used to love, or the way he listened when I spoke like the best friend I used to have, or just the plain fact that he was close to the age I would have been if none of this had ever happened. Or maybe…maybe it was that I was just responding to the compassion in his eyes, as if he had been through something just as unspeakable as I had, and had the strength to pull through.

Whatever it was, it had caused me to finally put voice to all that I had suffered with the loss of my world and my original body, something I had spoken to no-one about since coming to Amestris. And I felt relieved.

"Do Ed and Al know that you were…" Mustang finally spoke quietly, breaking the silence that had filled the room for the last several minutes.

I shook my head. "I never told them. They may have guessed, however. But I never spoke of it to anyone except for Pinako, and even she knows very little."

"Why are you keeping it from them," he asked gently.

I looked directly into his black eyes with my own emeralds, my now dry hair falling gently against my cheek. "Because…because they have suffered enough. When I first got here, I was so angry…so very angry…and I wanted to scream and shout at them, blaming them for everything. But then I looked at them, really looked, and saw how much they had suffered as well. They are already torn by guilt about what they had done to each other, and even the extent of what they thought they had done to me, that I thought 'does it even matter?' If I told them, would it make anything better? Would it help me get home faster? I don't think so." I scratched the little chimera under the chin and it made a curious purring sound and wiggled into my lap further. I smiled sadly. "So I held it in."

"You held it in to protect them, but it's been hurting you all this time."

"Yes, but it's not so hard anymore. At first I was drowning in despair, thinking that I was stuck here forever and that the two broken kids that had pulled me here would never be able to get me back. But then a certain military man came and kicked those kids back into gear." I smiled at Mustang, my eyes sparkling a bit. "And then, well, I guess I've gotten used to this place, and found people who I love here as well. I will always think of my little child, and the lover I once had, and the family I was forced to leave behind, but, for now…" My eyes watered, and I closed them and pushed back the tears. I had already mourned. There was no more need to cry.

Mustang crossed his arms and looked at me contemplatively. "What if there is no way to get you back? What if you are stuck here forever?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. It's been my purpose for so long. I have to believe I can go back, and that somehow everything will be ok again. If not…I guess I would still help Ed and Al get back to normal. And then…I just don't know."

"You'll see them again someday. Knowing you three, you could probably make Truth itself bend to your will." His voice changed slightly to a lighter and joking tone and I smiled, knowing the moment was over.

"Thank you…" I said, smiling and feeling much lighter than I had in ages. "Thank you for listening."

"What can I say, I'm an awesome listener," he said, falling back into his arrogant persona that I knew, his mask back in place. I chuckled, a bit sad that this moment of openness was behind me but feeling light as a feather regardless.

"You really are something else you know that."

"Yes, I know," he said, waving his hand in the air and giving me a charming grin. "Ladies just can't get enough of me."

"Even slightly gender confused boys?" I said with a mischievous smirk. Mustang shrugged, as if to say 'especially gender confused boys'. I chuckled at his antics, appreciating his humor after talking about such dark matters, but then my expression turned serious. "Mustang…everything I said here today…"

The man's face also turned somber. "Nothing you said leaves this room. I promise. But you really should tell them. Those boys are stronger than you think."

I shook my head at his insight. Maybe he was right, but I still didn't want to burden them further. I looked him in the eye and saw his conviction in what he was saying. Even though I was probably some kind of valuable alchemy breakthrough or something, he was promising that he would keep my secret.

And the funny thing was…I believed him. Even though outwardly he was arrogant and controlling, today I witnessed a new side of the man, a side that had me trusting him irrevocably. Despite the way he handled Edward, Al and I like we were pawns in his game of chess, he seemed to really care about the people who worked under him and never gave us anything we couldn't handle. I hoped that at some point we could truly become friends. He seemed like he had his own dark secrets that he needed to heal from. I hoped that some day I could return the favor and help him heal a little as well.

The door banged open with a loud crack and I jumped badly, the little creature in my lap giving a startled meep before crawling back into my shirt and clinging to my skin. Mustang sat calmly and unruffled across from me, not even turning to see what the commotion was.

"Sir, incoming! I couldn't distract them for much longer," Havoc said, panting as though he had been running a long distance. I noticed that his short blonde hair was wet and wondered if he had been in the rain.

"Distract who," I asked, bewildered. My heart was still pounding.

"Good job, Havoc. You kept them away longer than I thought you would."

I looked between the two men in confusion wondering who they were talking about, when a loud pounding from the hall and a certain obnoxious yelling answered my question for me.

"I swear, when I find him, I'm going to–"

"Brother, calm down!"

"But Al, he had me stuck with that daughter happy maniac for an hour! I swear, if I see one more picture–"

"How is that Havocs fault!?"

"Because, Al! He kept asking questions! I thought it would never end!"

Edward and Alphonse burst into the room and Ed looked around frantically, a furious expression on his face. Havoc, who had snuck into Mustang's storage closet with a half terrified look, was no-where to be seen.

Ed's eyes landed on me and he blinked in surprise. "Alex, where the hell have you been?"

"Right here," I said, amused. "You guys left in such a hurry, but I wanted to have a cup of coffee and dry off. So I loafed around for a bit."

Ed narrowed his eyes suspiciously and glanced between Mustang and myself. I looked over to the colonel as well and noticed with surprise that somehow he had found a piece of paper to read over and was ignoring us completely.

"Well, come on," Ed said impatiently. "Gracia's making stew and Hughes said we should get going if we want to eat it hot." A slightly sick expression crossed his face. "I hope he finally ran out of pictures, or I'm going to go insane!"

"Brother, he won't need pictures, Elicia will actually be there for him to fawn over." Al said, sounding amused.

"Ugh, didn't think about that…"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Thanks for the coffee, Mustang." I walked over to the door towards my retreating brothers. I paused at the exit and looked back at the colonel. He had not looked up from his paperwork, but when I glanced back, he gave me a slight nod and I smiled.

o-0-o

The walk to the Hughes was swift. It was still raining, and I grumbled about getting wet again when I had just dried off. I would be very grateful when I was finally able to change out of these wet clothes.

Hughes met us at the door of his house and we piled in swiftly, Ed and I leaving our bags and coats by the door so we wouldn't drip everywhere. Gracia was nice enough to bring us towels and we dried off before stepping into the living room. A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace giving the room a nice warm temperature. I shuddered in relief as I began to thaw out and Edward rubbed at his ports irritably, trying to get rid of the stinging numbness.

"Come in and warm yourselves up, boys, I'll be right back with some hot coffee for you to drink. Feel free to use the restroom to change," Gracia said generously. She smiled at us warmly and I couldn't help but notice how happy she looked. She must have been enjoying raising her daughter.

Edward flopped down on the couch as soon as he and I had changed into our dry clothes and I sighed in relief to finally not be damp. I hadn't felt properly dry since we had gotten off the train that morning. I looked around curiously and somewhat trepidatiously at the distinct lack of small children in the room. I looked questioningly at Hughes.

"The kids are sleeping at the moment. I'll wake them up when it is time for dinner," the man said, noticing my discomfort. I nodded nervously. Ed poked me in the side and I swiped at his hand.

"Relax Alex, Nina is not mad at you."

"Yeah, but…"

"It's true," Gracia said, walking into the room with a tray of coffee cups. She handed them out to each of us. Alphonse didn't touch his, as usual, but I could tell he appreciated the sentiment. "She hasn't spoken at all since the incident except for a few halting words, so I can't be entirely sure what she is thinking, but every time you are mentioned I sense no ill will from her. In fact, I would say that she is worried about you more than anything."

"I shouldn't have left her. I still think about it all the time…"

"Alex, you can't keep blaming yourself for that," Al said from his position by the fireplace. "You were injured and distraught. There was nothing you could have done."

I stood and moodily stared into the fire. I knew that. It didn't make the guilt any easier, however. Not until I really saw her would my mind be at ease.

"Can I see her now," I asked Gracia. The new mother looked at the clock with a considerate expression and then nodded.

"Yes, nap time should just about be over. I'll go wake the little ones now." She placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me comfortingly. "You'll see. She'll be so happy to see you!"

I nodded but my gut still clenched in knots. As the seconds ticked by I could hear Hughes and the boys chatting behind me, but I was too distracted by my nervousness to listen in on what they were saying.

Gracia returned a few minutes later and I looked behind me. She stood with little Elicia in her arm, the babe awake and looking around at her surroundings in delight. And standing behind Gracia, clinging to her skirt and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, was Nina.

"Nina, look who has come to visit," Gracia said gently to the girl.

Nina looked around with blurrily. She looked just as I remembered her. Her sleepy eyes were that same shade of brown and her hair was still bound in her favorite braids. She noticed Edward and Alphonse first and her face lit up in recognition. Ed smiled and Alphonse gave a little wave. She ran forward, her arms open to hug Edward, and he caught her as she jumped into his lap.

"Heh, hey Nina, how are you doing?"

She pulled back and smiled, although she didn't say anything. Ed ruffled her hair and she gave a silent giggle. Then she noticed me standing behind the couch.

Her expression froze on her face, and here eyes widened in shock. Then her smile dropped, and my heart plummeting into my feet. Here it was. The rejection I was fearing.

The room was completely silent for a second, and then Nina's eyes filled with tears, and to my great surprise, she got out of Edward's lap and threw her arms around me with a sob.

"Nina?" I gasped as I knelt down to hug her.

"Al-Alex…" she said through her sobs.

Hughes gasped and Gracia hid a smile behind her hand. "Wow, I think that's the first time I've heard her voice in weeks," Hughes said.

I held Nina close as she cried and after a few moments she pulled back and looked into my eyes, her own brown ones still streaming with tears.

"Alex…where were you…you j-just disappeared," she reprimanded in the sweet voice I had not known I had missed so greatly. "Uncle Hughes said you were hurt…and that you had to go away…"

"Oh baby…" I said, tears also filling my eyes. I pulled her close, her sweet baby scent filling my nose. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I had to leave you."

I shuddered as Nina patted my hair gently. I pressed my face in her neck, so relieved that she was ok. "It's ok, big brother, don't cry," she whispered.

I huffed a laugh but did not let her go. "You stop crying first," I joked weakly. I didn't let the tears fall, but it was a close thing. Ed and Al, who had been watching silently, exchanged a look and a smile.

Nina pulled back and rubbed her eyes with the back of her tiny fist and then looked at me as if to say 'see, I stopped'. I laughed at her cute expression and ruffled her hair. The little chimera chose that moment to finally poke its head out of my shirt, and Nina gave a startled yip.

"Oh, don't worry about this little guy," I said with a smile. "He won't hurt you."

Tentatively the little girl put out her hand and petted the chimera's tiny head. It let out that strange purring sound again and Nina giggled. With her smile, I finally felt a bit of the burden the Tucker Incident had left me with lift off my shoulders. It seemed like a lot of my burdens were being eased today, and I was starting to feel that maybe things were finally looking up.

"Hate to interrupt," Hughes said from across the room from his seat on the couch. Gracia had taken Elicia into the kitchen and a lovely smell started to drift into the room as she began to make dinner. "But what is that thing?"

"Oh, I think it's some kind of chimera," Al answered him, and Hughes looked over to the large suit of armor. "I found him in an ally this morning and he's been clinging to Alex since."

"Aren't chimeras dangerous," Hughes asked dubiously, giving the small scaled feline a second look.

"Usually I think," Ed said, "but this one seems to be pretty harmless."

"Well, as long as you say so…" The little chimera wriggled out of my shirt and crawled up Nina's arm, causing the little girl to laugh in great hiccupping kid laughs. Hughes smiled at the child. "Anyway, it's good to see her smile again…"

"Dinner's ready," Gracia called, poking her head into the living room. We all piled into the kitchen and sat around the table, Nina never letting go of my hand. I clung to her just as tightly, not out of fear, but out of reassurance that we were both ok and together again, despite everything that had happened.

Gracia served stew to us all in great steaming bowls, and I could see from across the table that Ed was practically drooling. I smiled at his excited expression. We had been eating nothing but traveling food for a while, and it had been a long time since he had had anything homemade. I wondered though if he knew that stew had milk in it. If he did, would he suddenly hate it? I never did understand why he disliked milk so much…

"Dig in everybody," Gracia said, finally sitting down and serving herself. Ed did not hesitate and immediately began shoveling food in his mouth, only to have his face turn red when he realized that it was still piping hot.

I chuckled and then looked at my own food. It looked delicious. There was just one tiny problem…I hadn't been hungry since before Xenotime. Or, to be more accurate, it felt like I didn't need to eat, like a couple hours after eating a large meal when you are not hungry yet, but not full either. This...worried me. It was obviously some kind of reaction to the red stone I had consumed up to this point. I tried not eating for a couple of days, and the only thing I got from that was this weird craving that I could not place. It wasn't hunger, but something…else. Almost like a thirst or and itch that needed to be scratched but you just couldn't find it. Food held back that strange craving though, so even though I never got hungry anymore, I still ate as normally as possible.

Well, there was that, but there was also the fact that I had not told my brothers that this was happening yet. I hoped after a while it would just pass, or that if I somehow denied that it was happening it would just go away. Just like if I ignored the fact that I wasn't human, it would go away…

I shook myself out of my depressing contemplations when Nina, who had been sticking close to my side, noticed that I hadn't eaten anything yet and held out a piece of bread for me to bite. I smiled and complied dramatically, causing the small girl to giggle and do it again. Heh, maybe eating wasn't such a chore if I could do it this way.

"Ah, I wish you were around all the time to feed me, Nina," I exclaimed, giving the girl a little side hug. Nina giggled and tried to feed me a spoonful of soup. Everyone at the table enjoyed the rest of dinner, amused by Nina feeding me. The little chimera, not to be forgotten, sat on Nina's shoulder as she fed it as well. It didn't seem to care for the bread, but it ate up the meat in the stew with peculiar jerking motions of its head, and when it was full it curled up in the child's lap and purred loudly.

After a very entertaining time at the table, where more stew landed on my face than in my mouth and where Edward ate three helpings and ended up stuffed, dinner ended and Gracia, after cleaning up, left to put the little ones to bed.

At first Nina did not want to let me go, even going so far as to tear up.

"Nina, I'll be here when you wake up. I promise," I said as she clung to my pant leg and looked at me with puppy eyes.

"Pwomise," she whimpered, her words slurring slightly as her eyes drooped in exhaustion. They were still red from crying earlier, and her forlorn expression nearly broke my heart. I placed my hand on her cheek gently.

"Promise."

Gracia took Nina by the hand and pulled her up the stairs, whispering to her quietly. The little chimera, which had been clinging to Nina, jumped off when it was nearly out of my sight and scurried across the floor, climbing up my pant leg and crawling back under my shirt to cling to my chest. I pet it through the cloth, bemused.

"That thing really likes you," Hughes commented. We had moved back into the living room and were sipping on some tea.

"Yeah, though I have no idea why."

"Enough about that thing," Ed said suddenly. "I actually have a question for you Hughes."

"Yeah, what?"

"Have you ever heard of an alchemist doctor who is able to heal patients with a flash of red light," Ed asked, leaning forward. Al and I focused in on the conversation. Yeah, if anyone knew who this mysterious doctor was, it would be Hughes!

"Heals with a red light? That's pretty vague," Hughes said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Where did you hear about it?"

"In Xenotime, there was an epidemic going around a few years ago. Some locals said he was able to heal them, although no other medicine was working."

"Well," Hughes said, leaning back, "there aren't that many medical alchemists out there. It's a very imprecise method of healing and more often than not causes more damage than it cures, because you have to have an absolute understanding of the human body and the ailment you are treating. Alchemist doctors are usually highly specialized, or are regular doctors who use alchemy on only certain cases where they know exactly what is wrong. That being said, I can come up with three off the top of my head. Why the interest though? Is one of you considering becoming an alchemist doctor?"

We glanced at each other, and I could see that Ed was struggling to decide whether to tell Hughes about our new interest. Would he react as Mustang had, and try to warn us away? I shrugged, and when Ed looked at Al, he did the same. He might, but then again, he might know something vital to our search.

"No, we're not interested in becoming doctors. It was the way he did it. Apparently, he was able to use alchemy without equivalent exchange. We think he may have a philosopher's stone."

For a moment, Hughes was silent. The fire crackled behind us, warming our backs while we waited for his answer. His face was serious, and when he finally spoke, his voice was as well.

"So, this is the path you have chosen to get your bodies back."

I blinked, but really I shouldn't have been surprised that Hughes knew of our story. He was head of investigations after all, not to mention Mustang's best friend.

"Yes," Edward said with conviction, his eyes molten gold in the firelight. All of our stares were unwavering on Hughes as he took in all of our expression. He sighed.

"I suppose I don't have to tell you that that path is dangerous….no? I can see that someone has already informed you. Alright then. The alchemist you are looking for is, without a doubt, Tim Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist."

"Tim Marcoh," Ed mumbled.

"That's right. I don't know much about him, but I do know that he was there in the war several years ago."

"You mean the Ishvalan Uprising," Ed said.

Hughes nodded. I wanted to ask about the war, since it was the first I had heard of it, but I kept quiet. If it was important, I was sure I would find out later.

"Right. He was one of several doctors that were there, and he was also an alchemist who studied the red stone and the philosopher's stone, among other things."

Ed's eyes lit up in excitement and he leaned forward eagerly. "Where can I find him?"

Hughes shook his head. "No one knows. After the final battle in Ishval, he deserted and disappeared from all records. The military hasn't been able to track him down since."

Edward sat back in disappointment, his enthusiasm gone as quickly as it came. He sighed. "So much for that lead," he muttered.

"But brother, at least we know he exists and is out there. Who knows, we might get lucky," Al said, optimistic as always. Ed didn't look convinced, but nodded anyway.

"On another note, I want you boys to be careful while staying in Central," Hughes said, changing the subject.

"What do you mean," I asked. Ed appeared to be sulking next to Alphonse, and seemed to be in his own head. Probably calculating the odds of us just happening upon Marcoh. It didn't seem all that likely to me, but odder things have happened.

"There's a killer on the lose."

Ed came out of his thoughts and began paying attention again. "Who is it?"

Hughes crossed his arms. "We don't actually know. All we know is that it is the same person, because his MO is always the same. And that he is targeting state alchemists and anyone who gets in his way."

"Just state alchemists? Why," I said, glancing over at Ed worriedly. His arms were crossed, and he had a serious expression on his face.

"No idea. Just promise me you three will be careful? He hasn't struck in over a month, but that does not mean he's gone. He's already killed thirteen people."

"We'll be careful," Ed said, but it seemed like he was already falling back into his own thoughts. Hughes grunted, not looking convinced, but accepted our answer for now.

"Let's get you boys to bed. Ed, you are expected at base tomorrow." Ed grumbled, but nodded.

We grabbed our stuff and followed Hughes up the stairs and he put us in the spare bedroom. It only had two beds, but Alphonse of course didn't need one. I changed out of my day clothes feeling slightly odd with my extra little attachment, which still clung to my chest stubbornly. I poked it, but it didn't seem to want to budge, so I left it be.

Edward hit the bed and fell asleep immediately as usual, his soft snores filling the room. Alphonse bid us goodnight and left the room, claiming that he had seen some interesting books in the Hughes' living room that he would like to read. The door closed with a soft click and I froze in my nightly preparations, listening to his metal feet clank down the stairs.

I looked over to the vacant bed in the dim light of the street lamp outside and wondered, not for the first time, if I should even bother. In addition to never being hungry since Xenotime, I had been finding it increasingly hard to fall asleep and stay that way. I still got fatigued when doing a lot of physical activities, but I seemed to regenerate my energy just by staying still. I would have thought that after several sleepless nights I would have gone insane because of mental exhaustion, but for some reason it didn't seem like this body was limited in that way. I looked down at my hands bitterly. It was just another thing that seemed to make me less human, and I was really starting to resent these changes that I had been going through.

I looked out the window into the night, and realized that for the first time since we had come here, it had stopped raining. I looked between the window and the bed, and then at Edward, who was sawing logs on his own bed. Sleep seemed unlikely, so, making sure not to make too much noise, I changed back into my clothes and coat and gently opened the window. I looked to my right and left, taking in the crisp night air and seeing that the street below was completely empty, and all other lights in the house had been put out save for the living room, where I knew Al was. I considered for a moment where I should go, when I noticed that there was a vine crawling up the wall to my left that looked like it went up to the roof. My mind made up, I jumped lightly onto the windowsill and grabbed on to the thick plant, pulling myself up hand over hand.

With a quiet grunt, I pulled myself up onto the roof, careful not to jostle my little friend too much, and looked up. The sky was still gray and stormy, but as I watched, the thick couds moved aside and the moon and a patch of sky was suddenly revealed, bathing the area surrounding me in white light. The still wet rooftop glimmered around me, giving everything an ethereal glow. As I looked up at the moon, feeling a bit melancholic, the little chimera crawled out of my shirt and clung to my shoulder, looking around curiously. It wrapped its long tail around my neck and I patted its head affectionately.

"Wow, you really seem to like me, little guy. I guess you and I are kind of the same," I mused. The little creature tilted its head at my voice, but then, like a cat, it seemed to lose interest in me and continued to look around. "We are both not quite what we are supposed to be. It's strange to suddenly wake up one day and realize that you are not what you thought you were. You used to be a cat and a lizard, and now your suddenly a mishmash of the two." I looked back up at the moon. "You know, I used to be human. And now…I'm not so sure anymore."

A voice interrupted my musings and I turned around, startled. "Just because you are not quite human anymore doesn't mean you're less of a person." It was Alphonse. Somehow, he had snuck onto the roof when I wasn't paying attention. No, I would have heard him. He must have been up here the whole time. He was facing me, and he was gazing up at the moon as well from his seated position on the edge of the highest point on the roof. His armor gleamed in the white moonlight, and against the dark glimmering background of the roof and the silent city behind him, he looked surreal and beautiful.

My heart rate calmed, feeling perfectly safe in his presence, and I also gazed back at the moon. "How do you know that," I whispered into the quiet night. "I don't need to eat anymore, I never sleep, I can somehow heal rapidly on my own. And I freaked out badly in Xenotime, becoming violent and dangerous. I'm just some unstable monster, a freak of nature. How can you say that I'm not somehow less than I was…when I was normal…"

"I've noticed," he said, slight accusation in his voice. I flinched slightly. I knew he hated it when I kept things from him. He always notices it when I'm trying to hide something..."Are you saying that I am less than I was?" Al said quietly. "I can't sleep, I never eat, I can feel nothing, and at first I could not control my inhuman strength at all. You could say then that I was dangerous as well." He looked down at his hands, looking like a melancholy hero from an epic. "What am I? Just a soul in a tin can. Am I also not human because of what I have become?"

My heart panged painfully and I looked at him with wide eyes. "No! No, of course not. You are probably the most human person I know, Al. Don't you ever say you are less because of what happened!" How could anyone say that about Al? Sweet Alphonse, who rescued kittens from the rain, who took care of his older brother with such patience, and who I had bonded with over and over again in our journeys. His compassion and calm, his laughter and his grief, I had felt them all. And if there were any words to describe just what he was, they did not include anything close to the word 'less'.

Al looked seriously at me, and even from a few yards away I could feel his conviction. "If you say I am human, then you are as well." I shook my head in denial, but he didn't let me say anything. "What do you think makes us human, Alex? Is it the fact that we eat or sleep? Is it the fact that we can reproduce? Build houses? I don't think so. What makes us human is our compassion for others, helping each other when we are in need and caring about the world around us. It's our soul. Do you think you are somehow less human than that guy Yoki, or Cornello, or even Mugear? Do you think I am?" I shook my head slower this time. No I did not think that we were less than they were. In fact, being compared to them made my skin crawl.

Al laughed lightly at my disgusted expression. "There you see. Even though we are different, we are human just the same."

I smiled up at the boy, bewildered at his ridiculous strength. "How…" How had I ever thought that he wasn't mature enough to understand my feelings? I shook my head at my own naiveté. "You're my hero, you know that?"

"Oh, um, I don't know about that," Al said, shaking his hands in front of his face and suddenly breaking my image of him as a tragic hero. He turned back into just Alphonse, humble and childish. I chuckled at how cute he was suddenly being, and in that moment I felt more connected to Alphonse than I had ever felt when we were sharing emotions. I thought that maybe, just maybe, that intimacy I had been missing was right in front of me all along. I sat beside him, not touching but almost, and the three of us, a chimera, a not quite human, and a suit of amor, turned our eyes to the sky and watched the moon until the clouds closed again, throwing us into darkness.

Um, wow. Let me just pull out of that melancholy mood for a minute…ok. Sorry guys, I know I promised some action, but my muse kind of ran away with me and this happened. I wasn't really expecting this, but the little chimera was suddenly way more of a character than I intended it to be. I didn't realize it was going to help Alex find his humanity…oh well. Wow, lots of good things happen for Alex in this chapter: he finally confides in someone, he makes up with Nina, and even gets a pep talk from Al. Yay!

Next chapter: Action. No really, I promise this time! There will be fighting and buildings being destroyed and little chimeras falling from the sky!

Thanks everyone for continuing to stick with me! I rely on you to keep me motivated.