Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth.

**********

The day of the mock battle arrived and Aiden spent her early morning directing soldiers. Some had to put up barricades in the parade grounds so both alchemists knew where their zone ended and the audiences began. It was when she was sitting up against a wall that Alphonse approached her.

"Hello Alphonse," she greeted warmly. Her foot was stretched out in front of her as she slowly turned her ankle to test its limits. 

Soldiers passed by them as they found their places to watch the show. A few were making bets on who would win and how.

"Hello Aiden!" The suit of armor stood next to her when he noticed a deck of cards laying in front of her and the teen looked curiously upon the blue colored set. Aiden raised an eyebrow when he didn't automatically say something. "So, uh," he said awkwardly. "I wanted to know why you suggested a mock battle between the Colonel and my brother."

"Yeah, that's fair. It was mostly to help your brother and Roy..." 

He sensed a but coming. "But..." he prompted.

"But without Katy here my usefulness to them has dwindled a lot. Right now I'm a Lieutenant Colonel who knows too much." Aiden quieted as a soldier ambled by and continued when they were out of earshot. She shuffled the cards and started to sort them. "There was a greater chance of them killing me so I had to prove that I could be useful in the Investigations Department. It's likely now that I'll be doing some of their dirty work and covering things up for them."

Alphonse gasped at the information. He and Ed hadn't thought of that. The woman held up a three of diamonds. "With my intellect and my position within the military, no longer am I this replaceable three." She grinned and held up a seven of spades. "I'm this to them. But little do they know -" Aiden held up a queen of hearts, "- that I am the queen of this game."

He shuddered at the look in her eye and the tone of her voice. She didn't sound like the caring and motherly person he'd seen every time they'd interacted. It was more like she'd been pushed off the deep end and was crawling back up to make whoever pushed her pay dearly. She sounded like Ed on a really bad day. 

Aiden picked up the cards and shuffled them neatly back into the box. "Come see me tomorrow Alphonse. You can inform your brother if you want. Hell, bring him along if you so wish."

"Uh, sure, okay."

"Hey, Al!" The pair looked over to see Edward running towards them. "What are you doing over here?"

"I was teaching your brother how to play poker," Aiden said innocently, a grin easily slipping onto her face as she held up the stack of cards. "It's a good game to know. Especially when your friends abandon you at a bar. Being able to hustle strangers is a skill any good person should know how to do."

"Anyone who can hustle strangers as easily as you can isn't a good anything."

Aiden's grin broke out into a wide smile. "Roy! Didn't see you there! Did you know I once hustled this guy and ended up with an owl and enough money to buy a new car? Tracked him down the next day and gave it all back, but the owl comes around once in a while for food. Turns out he was a cousin of the Armstrong's. Who knew?"

It'd been years ago - when she'd first returned from Ishval. Maes, Armstrong, and a few others had gone off to who knew where and left her sitting at the table alone, probably assuming she could take care of herself. Which she could, it was just rude. A man had approached her and obviously thought she was drunk, given how many rounds surrounded her, though none of them aside from one were hers. 

The man was absolutely disgusting with his slicked-back hair and smile that looked so wrong. He probably thought she was an easy catch. Before he could say a thing another man, with an owl of all things on his shoulder, chased him off and offered her a game of cards. He was nice, but still a little too arrogant. So she played with him up until she made an 'all-in' bet. He did the same and she flipped the tables on him so fast his head was spinning by the end of the game.

The next morning she felt awful but thankfully, it was easy enough to track him down to the Armstrong estate. Olivier, who hadn't been sent up North yet, almost bought her another round after Aiden gave her cousin a thorough talking to about arrogance and not trying to swindle people (which was exactly what she did but she tended to give things back after a good laugh). Alex had been there as well and gave his own lecture as she was leaving.

"You're just proving my point," Roy sighed.

"And don't go corrupting my brother!"

"No one can corrupt Alphonse. He's too pure." 

Aiden held out a hand and Roy pulled her up as Al sputtered at her compliment to his being. Edward didn't dispute it because he thought the same. The group made their way to the center of the field, stopping briefly beside Roy's team who'd come to watch before they were sent off. Aiden continued on until she stood in the center of the grounds with the alchemists on either side of her. Al's seven-foot-tall frame towered over his brother as he patiently waited beside him.

She idly twirled a microphone in her hand as soldiers gathered, settled, and quieted. When it was as quiet as could be, considering they were surrounded by chatty people, Aiden dramatically began the battle. "Ladies and gentlemen!" she proclaimed. "Welcome to the Central Command Center festival! A guaranteed break from that soldier grime! And with no things to distract us, we move directly to the main event! In the red corner, the Flame Alchemist and hero of the Eastern Rebellion, Colonel Roy Mustang! Give it up!" She pointed to the area behind her.

Most people cheered, some women swooned, and a few men shouted out that he only wanted a promotion. Aiden sighed and shook her head as Roy looked less than enthused. She then directed their attention away from him and to Ed and Al. "And in the blue corner, the Fullmetal Alchemist and living legend of the people, let's hear it for Edward Elric!"

"Where? I don't see him."

"More like walking gravestone."

"Good luck beansprout!"

They watched as Ed's face slowly became enraged and almost attacked the bystanders, Alphonse being the only person to hold him back. "Don't call me small! I'll break down your feet and stick them on your head!" he threatened as he struggled against his brothers hold.

Al cleared off the field as she and Roy shared an amused glance.

"Hey Mustang, I got a deal for you. If I win, you take care of the cat Al found."

Roy hummed thoughtfully. A cat wasn't so bad. Personally, he was more of a dog person but cats were fine. "Sure. And if I win you'll owe me a favor."

Ed didn't look too pleased about the deal but Aiden cut him off before more could be said about it. "Alchemist's get set!" She cleared her throat and turned around before promptly hightailing her way to the barricades. "Ready aim fight!" she screamed as she ran for her life.

Explosions sounded behind her back and she dove over the barricade. Aiden breathed a sigh of relief and made her way over to Al and the team, watching as Edward ran around and dodged what Roy threw at him. A soldier was still taking bets and she placed hers in time to watch Ed trip and duck under a wave of flame. A figure in black caught her eye and she cautiously approached. 

"What are you doing here?" she questioned.

Ling, or rather Greed, was sitting atop one of the storehouses close to the arena. She jumped to grab on to the ledge and swung herself up before sitting next to the homunculus. He gave her a wary glance but ultimately disregarded her.

"What else would I be doing here, I'm watching the show," he said. 

"Your siblings really that boring?"

"No. I just prefer to do my own thing."

They watched as Roy kept beating Edward around.

"How does he do the flames?" Greed asked.

Aiden regarded him silently and weighed the risks of explaining the science behind the flames. He hadn't yet gone off his rocker and attacked Wrath, which she assumed was still weeks away. But there would be no profit in telling Father or any of the other homunculi because they already knew the basics as well. Any alchemist worth their material would know her explanation.

"Well his gloves are made of special material called ignition cloth. When he snaps, it makes a spark. After that, he uses alchemy to change the oxygen density in the air, and boom. Bombs on command." Greed nodded thoughtfully. "Fun fact though, you can't actually hear him snapping. The sound is created from the spark rather than the regular slap of skin and friction we hear when we snap. Because you can't snap with gloves on, just make the movements. Unless the cloth is really thin but that's beside the point."

The change in oxygen density she'd figured out in Ishval. Anyone could tell something was about to explode when the oxygen around them became much denser and they suddenly felt energized. It was one of the signs that they should clear out at the fastest pace possible. The only reason she'd found it out was when she was almost caught up in an explosion of his after not having left the immediate vicinity of the blast. The effect wasn't noticeable at first but constant exposure to fluctuating air caught her attention. From there she put two and two together. Aiden couldn't remember if she told Roy she figured out how he combusted things but it didn't really matter.

She watched in interest as Ed dived into the crowd, successfully escaping the explosions at his back. The Colonel shouted something she couldn't hear and Edward appeared out of the fray screaming like a madman. A short joke maybe? The man then proceeded to blow up the area, which was a little overkill in her opinion. They'd already made a mess of the parade grounds, what was more damage aside from a few more hours work?

"I see," Greed said, watching the mock battle. "Now why'd you answer me?"

"Because you can't gain anything from the information I shared. I'm sure the rest of your family already knows, so you can't report to them with useless knowledge. And you can't steal one of his gloves and use it without expert knowledge in the field of flame alchemy, meaning you can't use it for your own gain, Greed the Avaricious."

On the grounds, Aiden could see as Edward sliced Roy's glove and created a large canon. He had points for style but the canon itself was gaudy and horrible in taste.

The homunculus stared at her and then chuckled. "You're a worthy opponent." He looked away before turning back to her. Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Out of curiosity, who'd you bet on?"

She put a finger up to her chin as she thought aloud. "Well morals would tell me to bet on Mustang. He's my friend, I support him, and he's great at long-range alchemy. But I have a thing for underdogs so of course I'd vote for Ed and his short-range alchemy. So, logically, I voted for neither of them."

"Was that a choice?"

Roy smirked and pulled his left hand out of his pocket. An explosion rocked the grounds and Aiden almost felt like holding up a sign of ten points as Edward careened away. Suddenly the smirk left Roy's face and he hesitated to bring his hand up. Edward took the chance to raise his automail sword to his superior's throat. The hesitation confused her but the look on his face almost made Aiden jump down from the roof and intervene. Thankfully, the Fuhrer walked forward before either combatant could make another move.

He sent the surrounding soldiers away. A lot of men and women had dust covering them, some had scrapes here or there where a stray piece of rubble hit them, but they were fine otherwise. The alchemists responsible were given the task of restoring the grounds to their former glory. The team, Al, and Aiden sat on the sidelines watching them. Al had an orange kitten in his hands.

"So what's this about a kitten needing a home, I hear?" Aiden said, glancing at the animal in question.

"Brother says we can't keep it so we thought that maybe one of you could take it."

"Sorry Alphonse," Kain apologized, "but we're all being shipped away and I doubt we'll have time." Breda and Falman nodded.

Riza shook her head as well and nodded at Black Hayate at her feet. "They only allow one pet at my rank. Sorry, Alphonse."

Aiden pointed at the Colonel. "Edward tried to make a deal with him that if Roy lost, he'd take the cat. Since it was a tie, then he doesn't have to." 

Al looked down at the kitten who mewled and purred at him. He didn't want to let it go out in the wild when he'd grown so attached to it! But no one could take him!

"I guess we'll have to let him go," Alphonse said sadly. 

Without thinking Aiden swiped the kitten from his hands and set him on her shoulder where he stayed. "I feel insulted that you didn't ask me."

"Really? You'll take him?" She nodded as she petted the small creature. "Thank you!"

"Sure thing! You can come by to see him whenever."

Aiden slowly made her way from the field, Riza and Black Hayate following her. "Do you really think it's a good idea for you to take care of an animal?"

"Do you think I can't?" she challenged.

"Cats and dogs are hard work."

"Children are harder."

Her heart leapt into her throat as the comment left her mouth before she could think. Her steps ceased and she stared at the ground. Of all the people she could've slipped up in front of, it was Riza. But she couldn't help but be thankful it hadn't been Roy.

The Lieutenant eyed at her and folded her arms. "So I assume my theory was correct."

"That depends. What's your theory?" Her friend was silent. "If you ask, I won't lie."

Aiden turned around and leveled her gaze with Riza's, daring and pleading her to ask. She wanted her to know, but she wouldn't bring it up.

"I've seen the way you look at children. More specifically the brothers. It's the same look I see when I look in the mirror. It's the look of someone who has lost something important to them."

"Then ask."

"Did you have a child?"

Aiden nodded tersely. "I did."

Riza sighed and looked back at the parade grounds where Edward and Alphonse were talking while taking a break. "I see why you are so soft on them."

"I think I'd be soft on them even if I didn't have Tristan. My mother once said that my soft heart didn't belong on a battlefield. Guess I showed her back then, huh?"

Riza's attention snapped back to Aiden at the unfamiliar name but she didn't see the look. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Tristan was Aiden's son's name. Ignoring her friend, Aiden looked at the setting sun and an idea formed in her mind. A terrible one. It was completely awful. And someone was bound to get shot.

"Say, Riza," she prompted, "how would you feel about having a girl's night out? Both of us have such sucky love lives and there's this guy I'm dying to introduce."

Riza frowned at the abrupt change in subject. Then she smiled and nodded. "Sure. Where should we meet? I warn you now, my house is being packed up."

Often times when Aiden had something important to share she offered to take people out or have spent time having fun. Then she would say why.

"I guess I'll pick you up. There's this great club I know, I'll tell you more later. Don't dress too nicely," she winked.

Aiden would take her to an informant meeting somewhere off-grid more than likely, and she didn't want Riza to come armed to the teeth so it wasn't a hostile environment. Her informant, or whomever they were meeting, either wasn't dangerous or she trusted him.

The two parted and went their separate ways, Aiden's heart beating a mile a minute. First, she stopped to collect her winnings from the man who started the bet and then continued on to home from there, stopping at a pet store to pick up cat necessities. The little beast had officially been dubbed Sebastian when he wouldn't stop pawing at the crabs (who knew they sold them, certainly not her), and whatever else she decided to call the cat on the way home as she cooed at his toe beans.

When the cat was settled she pulled up a chair and grabbed the phone, knowing her ears would never be the same.

"So Riza's coming over with me."

The was silence from the other end and then Maes' voice came over the line, screeching like a banshee. "Aiden Wilson! You go three days without any contact after the Gluttony incident and the first thing you say to me is Riza's coming over with you? What the hell is wrong with you!"

Oh yeah, the man was pissed. Or worried so much he's taking it out on her. She held the phone a foot from her ear and waited patiently until he was out of breath before asking, "You done?"

"No I'm not done!" he raged. "Do you know how far off this will throw our plans? You said keep to the timeline and we are! We're following the bare notes and -"

"Truth said I was boring."

The statement was enough to throw Maes off his angry tirade. "I - what? What did you say?"

Aiden quickly rattled off what had happened over the past few days, skipping the moment she and Roy shared. She told him how she'd been swallowed and transported to Truth's realm after Ed tried getting them out of there and how Truth basically told her to get a life and stop following the script. Then she described their meeting with Father and Wrath and how she was on their radar as a potential threat yet useful object against Roy. The tale finished after Aiden told him how the Colonel and Fullmetal had duked it out just that morning.

There was no sense in telling him what she'd told Riza when he was going to find out in hours anyway, so she skipped that as well. When the woman was silent and waiting for an answer she heard a heavy sigh come over the line.

"So that's it huh? You're going to be put under watch because you got sucked in." Maes sighed again and she could feel his shake of the head. "We hadn't planned for this scenario," he mumbled.

"I know. And I apologize."

"It's not your fault. If anything blame it on Truth, he probably wanted to get the ball rolling."

"Yeah. I guess."

"Now tell me, why is Riza being allowed in on this?"

"With me under watch things are bound to off the rails. Having her around could help settle things but we have to be upfront with her from the very beginning."

Riza was a dangerous person on a good day and deadly on bad. They both knew this, anyone with a brain knew this. Keeping secrets wouldn't bode well, but wasn't that what she'd been doing all along?

"I see. When will you get here?"

"I didn't give her a specific time, so of course I'll show up around seven and we'll see you half-past that."

The two said goodbye and Aiden readied for the night by finding clothes that looked like she was going for a night out, but she wasn't having too much fun. Like a lunch date with a friend. She stepped into jeans, a white t-shirt, and brown leather jacket. She always wore her shoulder holsters when she went out.

Picking up Riza was easy enough. They made a show of being excited for a night out. When the two left the city Riza thought they were heading back to the Colonel's cabin until Aiden took a left and went in the opposite direction.

They pulled up to another house and before Aiden turned the car off, she asked, "What's today?"

"The sixth, why?"

"Just checking."

Aiden climbed out of the car and Riza cautiously followed her lead. They stood far from the porch and Aiden whistled out a tune the other woman didn't know but Aiden could identify as a nursery rhyme from back home. The door opened and someone stepped into the doorway, returning his own tune with three claps, a pause and then two slaps to the door frame.

Aiden snorted a laugh and Riza sighed at her friend. She had the weirdest confirmation codes. Aiden went to walk forward but hesitated and looked at Riza who raised an eyebrow.

"If you shoot, at least try to aim for the walls," she said. Then she walked forward leaving Riza to decide if she really wanted to follow.

But Riza Hawkeye was no coward. She followed Aiden inside and noted the staircase in front of her leading to the second floor. To the right was a doorway leading into an illuminated kitchen. To the right was the living area which contained two couches facing each other and a coffee table between them. A small fire was burning in the fireplace to keep the coolness of the November night away.

"So. Come here often?"

**********

Aiden, murmuring as she shuffles cards and tells her past in bars: P-p-p-poker face p-p-poker face ma-ma-ma-ma...

October 2nd is Roy's birthday and October 3rd is the day Ed and Al burned down their house. Happy birthday to him and... sad day for the brothers. I didn't know which day to update on, so as a compromise, I updated on the 2nd.