I sigh contentedly as I step out of the bathroom, steam from my hot shower pooling around my feet and spreading down the hallway. It's just what I needed after that whole she-bang out in the storm. We're lucky no one caught a cold after how long we were out there and how drenched we-

"A-CHOO!" I stumble forward a few steps, managing to throw my hand on the wall to keep from bashing my forehead into it.

Nevermind.

I sigh again as pull at my shirt. Ed's got his signature garb, I've got mine.

Back is my typical loose green tee, tanned capris with all their functional pockets and my typical black sneakers. Though, I've got a soft grey zip-up hoodie on too, which is different from usual… it's still slightly too big on the shoulders and it.. still smells like old memories and that stupid cologne, no matter how many times mom's washed it.

I wipe away the thoughts, if only for a moment, and head downstairs. I'm grateful to Pinako's strict, motherly-ness for the fact that she got Ed to stay here for a little longer. They agreed that we'd leave around sundown, long enough for her to whip up some dinner. I'd go help, but she seems to have something against me cooking, at least, for as long as I visit.

Not that I'm offended by the thought, I get it. I'm not exactly the best chef, but I'd still like to be something more than "That girl who follows the Elrics around and uses up all our hot water".

"Yo, Ed." I step into the front room as Ed sets the phone down, looking a bit down, if not just straight up sad. "You alright?"

He looks up and gives me a small smile. God damn, he looks like a puppy.

"Yeah, it's.. it's nothing."

I sigh and shrug. "Well, shower's open. I'd give it a few minutes to warm back up."

"I happen to like cold showers." He says, that goofy grin of his coming back.

I chuckle and shrug. "Alright, your problem, not mine."

I turn and head back upstairs to Winry's room. Her room, while there's all sorts of gears and screws and who knows what else scattered over her workbench, is actually very clean. I'm vaguely impressed whenever I see her room, but it seems cleaner than usual. Perhaps Pinako did a little cleaning since Winry's been busy in Rush Valley.

Speaking of Winry, I hope her and Al are doing alright. I can't remember for the life of me what's been going on back in Central. I haven't been able to recall much of anything when I want to, only right around the time something happens… Maybe I should write what I remember down..

I plop down in front of Winry's workbench, admiring the organized chaos of small parts and whatever tools Winry forgot or left behind. Maybe the tools are Pinako's? Either way..

I reach into my bag and pull out a notebook. Infinity pockets are cool and all, but the bag is slightly more believable when it comes to some items. Snapping is quick, but it hurts my fingers and I can only do it with my left hand. An infinity bag is for easy going situations and everyday life and NO WEAPONS!

I grab a pencil from Winry's desk, swearing under my breath to remember to sharpen it for Pinako later, before I leave.

"Alright, so the circle is first and the biggest problem." I draw a rough sketch of what I remember of the giant circle Father made around Amestris and then another of the Reverse circle Hohenheim has been making all these years. 'DO NOT SAY ANYTHING!' written, bolded and underlined just above the circles.

"And then there's Ling." 'Greed-Ling'. "And… uhm, there's.. Gluttony's revenge." I sketch, in a style not much better than Ed's, of Gluttony with his giant belly-mouth. Next to that, Envy's giant lizard form.

"Let's see… what else is there that I need to remember…" I sigh and slap the book closed. "Never mind, I'll fill it out as I remember more stuff." I huff and stuff the book in my bag, sharpen the pencil before leaving it, and then returning downstairs as Ed yells something about food.

-later on-

Still uneasy about graveyards and standing too close to a personal moment between Ed and others, I stay near the entrance as Ed and Pinako talk in front of Winry's parents' graves and then Trisha's…

A joke between my sister and I suddenly surfaces, back when we first started watching FMA:B together.

"We look so similar!" I'd said as we'd watched the flashback of Ed and Al's childhood. "Maybe she's one of my past lives!". The thought swirls around in my brain as I watch Ed grumble off about his dad, the two finally coming back from the graves. Perhaps, maybe in a past life I was Trisha Elric. Maybe I'm Winry, or I could even be Ed himself. Weird thought.

Who knows.

Reincarnation is finicky, since the only thing that transfers is your soul, not your physical appearance or even your personality. Sometimes memories transfer, always faintly. Sometimes bits of who you were before transfer over to the next life, it all depends on how tied that trait is to your soul. To be honest, I love to entertain the idea of being a reincarnated version of people I know. I could be Sonic, or Firestar or even someone like Chi-Chi. It's kind of fun, but I don't think there's a person I've ever told that. But you won't tell anyone, right? It IS kind of a secret.

"Right after my fist makes contact with his face." Ed grumbles, gritting his teeth as he walks out the front "gate" which is just two wooden poles staked into the ground.

"You're going back to Central?" Pinako asks, as if we hadn't already told her.

"Yeah, before Al gets mad at me." Ed sighs and glances towards town. "He might cut our bond as brothers."

"You are so terribly cheesy." I say as Pinako heads back home and we start off to catch the next train.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He asks, almost offended. I giggle and grin.

"Some of the things you say are just… so cheesy. That whole bout you went off on about how "Alchemists are the ones who seek the truth" and all that." I shake my head. "You are just … too much like them."

"Like who?"

"Like my family. They're all a bunch of goofballs who can't help crackin' some speech about friendship or "Real strength comes from the will to protect what you hold dear" yaddah yaddah yaddah." I laugh and stuff my hands in the pockets of my jacket.

"All your family big shot heroes like you?"

I shrug. "Well, blood family, no, just my little sister. But, the guys on the Island, all my friends… I consider them as much my family as you consider Pinako, Winry and the Rockbell's family." I elbow his arm.

"I grew up with them." He shoots back.

"And that changes it how? Family has nothing to do with blood or how long you've know them. Family are the people you care about the most, the ones you'd take a bullet for, or the ones you can't stand to be apart from." I sigh and sniff the jacket. "The people you know you'll always remember…"

We walk in quiet for awhile. It's almost dark by the time we finally get on a train and I can't help but fall asleep on the ride to Central.

-bip-

"-ke up already!" I blink quickly, finding myself somehow in a sitting position with Ed's palm smushed against face, keeping my head from leaning on his shoulder.

"Wut?"

He huffs and lightly pushes me over a little, letting me rock back into a sitting position. I grumble and rub my cheek.

"We're here."

"And it's dark as hell out, chill. I can't help how bad I am about sleep." I grumble, pouting as Ed gets up to grab his bag and mine, which I could swear was on my lap when we sat down. He drops the bag unceremoniously onto my lap and holds his hand out to me.

"C'mon then, sleepy-head. Al and Winry are probably losing their minds by now." I sigh and rub the back of my hand across my face, grabbing his hand with my free hand. I can't help but yawn as Ed more-or-less drags me out of the train car and towards wherever it is Winry and Al are at.

I sling my bag over my shoulder as we make our way through the ginormous crowd in the station, too tired to pay attention. "Ed, do you even know what hotel they're in?" I don't remember at all and quite frankly, I'm worried about getting lost again. Even with Lillian out of my head, there are other things to worry about up there.

He huffs and looks back at me, almost irritated, but his expression changes quickly to something like concern. "Are you alright?"

I smile feebly and hold back another yawn. "It's nuthin, just a little paranoia." And alot of sleeplessness. Goddamn, these fucking nightmares are getting worse. If this keeps up, I might not sleep again for a few nights just to exhaust myself.

Oh god, what is wrong with me? I've never done such things before, not even thought of it, and what for?! All because I keep waking up in the middle of the night over these damned nightmares! Not that they aren't utterly awful to think about, but it's ridiculous that they happen so often! More than Ed or Al know, but that's not something they need to worry about. They've got enough on their plates.

He sighs and shakes his head, turning back to avoiding walking into people. "I know where we're going, don't worry 'bout it."

I bite my lip and look around as we walk. Have we been here before? Is this the place we stayed last time or is it different? I can't tell, everything's kinda hazy.

"Uh, Ed?"

He sighs. "What now?"

"Can… I be the one to tell them about Mr. Hughes' call?"

He glances back at me with a shrug. "If you want to. I've got other things I need to talk to them about."

I nod and look down, realizing he's still pulling me along. I knew he was, I just hadn't really… registered that he was still pulling me by the hand. I feel the blood rush to my face and the swift movement of blood makes my head spin slightly. I need something cold to drink and someplace warm to sleep, or I might just pass out… eehhh, I hate what this life has done to me….

But I wouldn't give it up for any other life the universe could offer me...

"Finally!" Ed sighs in relief as we walk into the hotel. For whatever reason, Winry's at the front desk and on the phone. "Hey Winry."

"Idiot!" She shouts. Ed yelps and puts his hands up to try and fend her off.

"I didn't break my automail!" He says immediately.

"That's not it!" She spins him around and pushes him towards the stairway. "Just go to where Al is right now!"

I step out of the way as she shoves him off, giving him a puppy-dog look of worry. Ed and Winry both hurry off. I wander after them, wondering if I'll make it to the room without face-planting.

As soon as I step inside, Ed starts freaking out over Al missing his arm and having several pieces of cloth covering the places where he's been damaged.

Several minutes of Ed losing his shit and kicking Ling and Lan Fan out later, I walk over to the couch and flop over, face-first, and groan. "Sleep." I grumble, too tired to even bother with a blanket or a pillow.

"You slept the whole way train ride here!" Ed says as he fixes Al up.

"Urrrgh." I growl from where my face is buried in the cushions. "Shut uuup man, I haven't slept right in days." I huff and get up. "I'm going back to me and Winry's room, if I don't get some sleep soon-" I yawn. "I am gonna be damn useless tomorrow."

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" asks Al.

I shrug. "No idea, but knowing you guys, I'm gonna need to be on the ball. I'm out."

I stop at the door and look over my shoulder. "Also, the Hughes' called while we were in Risembool so they're doin' alright. Night then."

Al and Winry both yell as I return to the other room, demanding details as I snicker.

'I can't believe I was this tired.' I think as my eyes shut and I'm out before my back hits the bed, the only sounds my mind registers is Ed screeching on about something.

-later-

Morning is not my cup of tea if you hadn't noticed, and today is no exception.

"I can't believe you're planning to break your automail again!"

"I'm not planning on it! It's just very likely to happen!"

I sit up and grumble, feeling my hair stick up in places, along with some of my clothes being rumpled.

"Urgh."

"-keep your automail in one piece for a few days!"

Why can't these people shut up for two minutes?

"-told you already, I'm not planning on it!"

I tug at my clothes and lazily put on a hat to cover my head before storming to Ed and Al's room, where Winry, Ling and Lan Fan are at too for some reason.

Ed and Winry are screeching at each other, Al's is sitting on the couch, watching the two bicker and the Xingese duo are eating off the coffee table which is covered in food.

I huff and walk over to said coffee table, plop down on the ground, and start eating whatever looks vaguely familiar, grumbling the whole time.

"Just admit it already!" Winry demands, shaking her wrench. "You're just planning to wreck your automail!"

"I've told you already! I'm not-"

"SHUT UP ALREADY OR I'M GONNA STRANGLE YOU BOTH!" I shout. "IT IS TOO DAMN EARLY FOR THIS SHIT, I HAVEN'T SLEPT A FULL NIGHT IN WEEKS AND I AM SO DAMN TIRED OF YOUR ARGUING! SO SHUT YOUR FACES BEFORE I DO IT FOR YOU!"

THAT shut them up real damn fast, and for a few moments, the whole room was dead quiet.

Of course, it couldn't last for long.

"What do you mean "haven't slept a full night in weeks"?" Al asks and I wince. Dammit, why did he have to hear THAT part out of everything else?

The others all frown, Ed and Winry looking like they're gonna say something about it. I slap my hands down and get up. "Fuck, just- never mind, forget it. Forget I said anything. Go back to your damnable arguing. I'm out." I stalk out the door, cursing under my breath.

I ignore any calls from Al to come back, Ed and Winry bickering again (or yelling at the least) and continue out of the hotel and off. Maybe to HQ, maybe to the Train Station, maybe the Hughes'-... never mind, forget that last one. Either way, I'm gonna walk around. I can handle myself!

Right?