They can't break me
As long as I know who I am
They can't see me
But I'm still here

**********

Tears ran down Aiden's face as she gripped her arm and stared at the limp form of Maes Hughes. Blood trickled over her hand as she applied pressure to the wound.

"Hey, Hughes, what was that?" The voice surprised her and Aiden glanced at the dangling phone. She sighed as Roy's voice came through. "Was that a gunshot? Hughes, you okay? Hughes!" Maes choked and coughed, the noise barely picked up by the receiver. "Maes, answer me!"

"S-sorry, Roy," he wheezed. "Looks like... I'm not gonna be able to h-help you... after all. Gracia, Elicia, I love..." Maes went still.

"Maes! Maes Hugh-"

Aiden hung up quickly and stared once more at the body at her feet. Roy had heard the shot and Maes answered, though not with a warning, time was running out. Aiden reached into her black pants and pulled out bandages. First, she bound her arm, the throwing knife set aside in her pocket. Then she did a quick bind for Maes, if only to stop the bleeding so he wouldn't leave a trail. The wound from Lust was bound first which was quickly followed by the one inflicted by her gun. The bullet itself was an ice bullet so it would melt away without a need for extraction. However, the fast acting drugs inside it weren't meant for humans. With any luck Maes would survive the night and wouldn't die due to an overdose.

Getting him to the car and in the back seat was hard work but she did fairly well in time. The next step was dragging a fake body back in place of Maes. That was where her almost human transmutation came in, she'd created a fake body just like Roy would one day. Although she'd gone further by making it not only look like Maes, but function like an actual human. Well, she had fake organs placed, but they all belonged to pigs. Her whole plan relied on a person not inspecting a body further than the wounds shown. When Fake Maes was in place, Aiden shot it where the heart would be, the sound muffled by a silencer. The result was a lot like the real thing.

Aiden shuddered and turned away, making her way back to the car. Her steps quickened as she hurried to keep up with her timeline, she had a very short window to get things done. The drive away from Central wasn't long, but it wasn't short either. Years ago Aiden had found an abandoned cabin in the woods and with some TLC she had it up to living standards. That would be where Maes would stay, if he wanted. She didn't feel like forcing him into anything besides hiding.

When Maes came to, his mind was blank and his sight was fuzzy. He blinked a few times to rid himself of the blur but it didn't work. The roof above him was made of wood and it was highlighted in an orangish glow. Was he in a cabin? Maes craned his neck over the armrest of the couch and stared at the fireplace for a second to confirm it as the source of the glow. The position grew too uncomfortable and the man slouched back onto the couch, panting ever so slightly from the effort.

"Oh my god, you're alive," a familiar voice intoned from the foot of the couch. Aiden rushed forward with a bowl and rag in hand. She placed the items on the coffee table to her left and kneeled next to Maes. "I didn't think it would work but..." she trailed off, "but here you are!"

Her figure was blurred without his glasses but he was able to make out the white tank top, black bottoms, and hat that adorned her. The closer she came the clearer she became.

"Aiden?" Maes asked. What was she doing here? In fact, where was here? "What happened? Where..." He went to sit up but couldn't find the strength in his left arm.

"Don't rush yourself! You've barely had time to heal!"

"Heal? What are you-"

Maes cut himself off as the memories came back. His findings on the archive room, the woman with the spear nails, Maria Ross or whoever that was dying and coming back, and then the woman in the mask. Thoughts rushing by quickly he put all his effort into sitting up which was only accomplished with Aiden's help.

He hadn't been ready to accept his death at the hands of that woman. Yet he knew for a fact he was shot. Why was he alive. And Roy must think I'm dead, Maes thought.

"I have to tell Roy," he ground out.

"Tell him what?" Maes opened his mouth to answer but then closed it very suddenly. "Maes?"

"You're one of them. So why aren't I dead?"

The glare aimed at her threw her off guard and Aiden blinked in shock. Then her face became blank, subdued as the reasons behind his actions became clear. There was always the chance of the boys thinking she was a part of Father's group to destroy Amestris and eventually the world. Now there was no doubt that was the conclusion they were going to draw when they continued on their journey.

However she hadn't accounted for the chance of Maes being brought in and told. That meant that Maes had been told the day Aiden had visited the boys in the hospital. And if that was how it was, then Major Armstrong was in on the news of her tattoo as well. Aiden was thankful that the Fuhrer had ordered the Elrics, Armstrong, and Maes to keep quiet about anything surrounding the incident with the Lab.

The boys were too far away to do anything, for a short time anyway, so she could only relax until they were back in one months time. With Major Armstrong being slapped with a gag order there was nothing to worry about on that front unless he started giving hints to Roy about her secret. Perhaps she would need to keep an eye on him after all. Maes however, was supposed to be dead, so there was no one he could talk to if he never believed the story she was about to spew out. If he did then there would be no worries aside from his health.

Aiden took a breath and shook her head. "I'm not one of them and you're not dead because I saved you before anything more could happen to you."

"And how do I know I can trust you?" he spat back. "The last friend I trusted was Maria Ross, but she could change her appearance and voice so it obviously wasn't her. Let's not forget the woman with the spears for hands, the one who has an ouroboros tattoo, just like the one the Elric brothers said you have. Last I heard from them you practically gave away the location of the lab that exploded and injured Edward. So tell me, Aiden, how do I know I can trust you?"

"You can't," she answered honestly. "You can't know if you can trust me until you know the whole story. If you're still not convinced then fine, you can leave. But just know that you're supposed to have died tonight, and the people out there against us won't like you being alive. They'll come after you again."

Maes stayed silent and processed her words. Aiden was right of course, she had a habit of pointing out the obvious when everyone tended to miss it. If she was telling the truth then he could trust her judgement like he used to. If not, then he'd have to kill her or die trying. Although it hurt him to consider killing a friend.

"First you need to prove to me that you're not that thing from earlier that looked like Maria Ross."

It was a fair request. Aiden turned to the table and picked up Maes' glasses before handing them to him. Her figure cleared up and he took in the surrounding area. A fireplace roared to his right while a doorway led into what he assumed was a kitchen going by the table and chairs that could be seen. Behind him there was a wall but closer to the kitchen was a set of stairs that more than likely led to bedrooms. Aiden was kneeling in front of him, behind her was a coffee table, and beyond that was another couch. The objects on the table consisted of a glass of water, a bowl of water and washcloth, and his throwing knife.

His eyes lingered on the weapon for a split second and Aiden followed his gaze. She looked between Maes and the knife before picking it up and handing it to the man. Maes quickly held the knife up to her throat but Aiden didn't flinch or move back. She'd expected the move.

"What's stopping me from killing you right now?" he asked.

"The fact that you wouldn't be able to overpower me at this moment despite your previous history of constantly kicking my ass," Aiden answered unflinchingly. "Your eyes are unfocused, you're swaying ever so slightly, and you only have the use of one arm. That and you wouldn't get any answers with me dead. Aside from those points, nothing at all."

Maes stared at Aiden for a few moments before lowering the blade. "Fine. Talk then."

"Try not to lose consciousness, it's a long story."

So Aiden sat on the opposite couch and went on to tell Maes her past, leaving out details like Jessica and Tristan. All Maes would know at the beginning would be the basics. Amestris belonging to a story in her world, the car accident, meeting Truth, and having been sent to Amestris. How he was supposed to have died and that she saved him, incidentally revealing that she was the woman in the mask. She assured Maes that no Ishvalan had put out a hit on him or his family; that it was just a fabricated story. The journal did come up at one point and Aiden set it down on the coffee table for Maes to take and look at. He never did, though he did glance at it once or twice. The thing did contain the supposed future. Maes never interrupted her once, letting Aiden talk and explain her own side of the story.

"So that's it?" Maes asked quietly.

Aiden hesitated but nodded. "It's just the basics and I've only covered up until this moment, but yes. It is."

Maes stared at Aiden. Her world, Truth, the Elric brothers, a story. It was absurd! Utterly illogical! However, from what he'd been able to put together, Aiden's description of the portal matched what little the Elrics had said. And another thing. She was upfront about keeping things from him, there being more for him to learn.

The man was quiet for a moment until he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Honestly I don't want to believe it, but... There's no way I can't. Not with how much detail you've provided. Most people would call me crazy for saying this, but I believe you." Aiden sighed in relief and sagged into the couch. He believed her. He hadn't sent her away! "So, where do we begin?"

"'We'?" Aiden repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm in this too now whether you like it or not." Maes' smile didn't slip from his face. "You're gonna need someone who can help out. And you need to learn that you don't need to do things alone."

Aiden nodded slowly. Another person would lessen the load, she reasoned. If anything Maes could offer a second opinion in her plans for the future, which she sorely needed. She grinned. "Thank you Maes!"

"I think I should be the one saying thanks. You did save me from an untimely demise." He laughed lightly. "While we're on the subject, why didn't you just say who you were at the phone booth?"

"There was a small chance Envy would have still been listening or watching. I doubt he would have stayed after I shot you."

There was also the chance that Envy had seen her switch the bodies. She was banking on Envy being the type of person to trust someone to carry out a murder with no interference. But there was no need to tell Maes that she staked the whole operation on a hunch. In war people needed to be prepared to take chances with little information.

"And another thing, what did you put in me? I can't feel my arm at all."

Aiden grimaced and rubbed the back of her neck. Maes caught sight of the bandage on her shoulder and frowned, he'd injured a friend. One glance at his face told her all she needed to know.

"Don't start that Maes. You didn't know it was me."

"That doesn't excuse it!"

She clicked her tongue, "Yes it does. You thought I was a hostile, I needed to be taken care of. Nothing more, nothing less. It's just like Ishval, don't blame yourself for what happened. You got that?" He frowned at the comparison to the Ishvalan War but nodded in acceptance. Once again she had a point. "And if you really want to know..." Aiden trailed off, "it was saliva."

Maes stared blankly at Aiden. "I'm sorry what?"

"Saliva." She looked away from Maes. "Saliva contains a painkiller called Opiorphin which is six times stronger than morphine. But we don't produce a lot of it otherwise the human race would constantly be high. So the stuff that I used on you... was Opiorphin. The only reason you aren't off in La La Land is because I made a drug that counteracts the whole high thing, but leaves the painkiller."

There was silence for a moment.

"I'm guessing this is a thing from your world?"

"Yeah." Aiden cleared her throat and stood up from the couch. "You should get some rest. There's a bedroom this way."

The following days weren't as happy. If one could call creating a fake murder and forcing a person into hiding 'happy'. Fake Maes was found early the next morning and from what she could find, it sounded like Aiden got out of there only minutes before the police. People were questioned by military police to find out who did it and why. Aiden had the only other group of actual investigators but since she was such a close friend she was dismissed from the case. Her subordinates teamed up with what remained of Maes' team so they could investigate. Roy came down the next day, followed by Riza and Armstrong after that. It made a little bit of sense to kick Aiden from the investigation and not the other three. Even as friends they were all in the East at the time which gave them an alibi whereas Aiden lived in Central all alone and was on a day off when it happened. Aiden hadn't been able to get a word to anyone from the East. And then the day of the funeral arrived.

Aiden stood by Gracia's side, a forlorn look on her face. Dead or not, it was still a funeral for a friend. The people around her were holding in their tears, some letting them fall freely, and it affected her badly. Each tear was a sewing needle throwing itself into her heart, poisoning her with the guilt of knowing Maes was alive.

"Mommy?" Elicia asked. "Why are they putting all that dirt on daddy?"

"They're burying him, dear."

"But if daddy gets buried then he won't be able to do all his work."

"Elicia," Gracia choked, holding a hand up to her mouth.

"Daddy says he has a bunch of work he has to do. No! Stop it! Stop putting dirt on him! Daddy!"

Gracia leaned down and wrapped her child in a hug as she protested her father's burial. Aiden turned away as a tear rolled down her cheek. She shouldn't have been crying, but the voice of the heartbroken child brought her to tears anyway. Eventually everyone left, everyone except Roy, Riza, and Aiden. Roy stood at Maes' grave while Riza and Aiden stood behind, giving him the space he needed. Time passed, the sun began to set, and a breeze blew through the empty graveyard.

"It's getting cold," Riza said. "Why don't you go get him."

"What about you?" she asked curiously.

Riza shook her head. "He needs you now more than he needs me."

Aiden was silent for a moment before she nodded and walked toward Roy. A part of her wanted to burst out that Maes was fine, and that Roy shouldn't be hurting. But she couldn't. There was nothing she could do for Roy. Her steps paused when she reached his side.

"Promoted to Brigadier General. Just for dying in the line of duty. You were supposed to be helping me move up through the ranks. You got it wrong, crazy fool."

"He did his best to help you." The man turned and looked at the person by his side. She tried to say more but nothing came out.

"Alchemists as a whole, we really are horrible creatures. Aren't we?" No. "There's a side of me that's desperately trying to crack the theories of human transmutation right now." Don't. "I think I understand what drove those boys when they tried to... bring back their mother." Please Roy, stop.

Aiden stared at the ground, two pairs of boots clear in her vision. Aiden looked up and into Roy's dark eyes. He hid it well, but Aiden could see the anguish and hatred clear as day. It was her fault he was like this. He didn't know. It took everything in her not to shout the truth.

"Are you okay?" Aiden whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He dismissed her concern and put his hat on.

"Roy-"

"Except, it's a terrible day for rain." A tear slipped down Roy's cheek and it was all Aiden could do not to hug or comfort him.

"I see." She turned around. "We should head back, it's getting cold."

That was all she could say because she didn't know what else to say. She couldn't apologize or offer any words of wisdom. Aiden couldn't speak. So she turned and walked down the hill, one set of steps followed her and it was quickly joined by another. The drive was short and silent, none of the occupants wanted to talk. Roy sent off Riza to find Major Armstrong and meet up at the telephone booth. Before Roy could go Aiden stopped him. "There's always room at my place, if you need."

His only response was a nod and then he walked away. Aiden returned home from there. She immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Reynolds Gun Warehouse, this is Ajax speaking."

"Ajax is the name of a soap brand," Aiden replied easily.

"Aiden! Nice to hear from you!" Maes' cheerful voice came over the other side of the line. "You sure these lines can't be tapped?"

"I built them myself Maes. I'm sure."

"You don't sound that good. I'm guessing today didn't go over well?"

The only reason Maes sounded so delightful was because the realization of his situation hadn't fully set in yet. Or so Aiden assumed. Maes was the kind of guy to cheer everyone on like a proud parent and keep all sadness away from his children. In fact, it was probably what he was doing.

"No, not really."

Maes' voice took on a serious tone. "I'm still alive Aiden, all thanks to you. I wasn't buried today because you stepped in. Remember that."

Aiden sighed, "Yeah, I know. It's just... hard." She didn't dare describe the reactions from Elicia and Gracia. It'd no doubt send the man into tears. "Anyway, I called to say that Roy may be staying for a few days and since the investigation is going on then I can't visit and you can't call."

"It's fine Aiden, I'll be okay. You said that everything ends within a year or so." That was all she told him about the future. Any other details were spared for a later date, including the reason why she wasn't telling him more about the nationwide transmutation circle. "From what I can tell, even without your help, everything will end smoothly. So try not to get too concerned over every little detail, okay?"

Aiden didn't get to say that it was the details that set everything in motion because Maes had hung up on her. She sighed and set the phone down. When she looked out the window she noticed the sky growing darker. Aiden wondered if Roy would show up. He didn't. Roy and the rest of the Eastern gang went home only a day later, Roy vowing to begin his own true investigation when he was transferred to Central. It would take a week without speeding up the process, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

The investigation turned up nothing, as Aiden had hoped. Then she was free to go back to her regular schedule. Maes' team wasn't disbanded, they just ended up joining Aiden's small team, turning it from a team of four (Aiden included) into a team of eight. Aiden fought tooth and nail for them, and Maes' team already wanted under her command so there was barely any dispute about it. The only arguments that came up pertained to her ability to command a team twice as large as it had been before. All Aiden had to do was show how well Katy worked under her compared to her previous commanding officers and the questions were dropped.

Maes thanked her profusely when he learned that she was able to keep his team together. And then he told her who worked best with who under certain circumstances. Aiden half tuned him out when he did that because she already knew this and that. He acted like she hadn't been with him in almost every crime scene ever in Central. Although she got the feeling that he wanted to feel involved so she didn't say anything.

Time passed and Aiden paced the living room of the cabin, a scowl etched upon her face. The reality of his situation had finally sunk in, and Maes wasn't taking it well. There was no venturing far from the cabin, no leaving to any city, no visiting the family or watching over from afar. If so much as one person recognized him, the plan would go to hell and the timeline would fall apart. Although Aiden speculated that it would right itself in time, but not until the very end.

"Don't you get it Maes?" Aiden rubbed her temples. "If you leave and the homunculi find you then you're dead! Not to mention that it'll raise questions as to who they buried that day. And it won't just stop at questions, they'll... They will have your family investigated, possibly even killed if they suspect they knew you were alive!"

Maes glared at Aiden. She had no idea what he was going through! He would be stuck there for the better part of a year with no human contact besides Aiden herself. A couple weeks in and he was already going stir crazy without his family or any other human contact. "I get that this is all good in the long run but this is already tiring! How am I supposed to do this for another year when I can barely handle a few weeks?"

Aiden's hands ran through her hair and she was tempted to rip it out in chunks she was so damn frustrated. "Fuck if I know Maes!" She slammed her hand against the door frame the led outside. "I am doing my best here!"

"You don't get what it's like to be separated from your family! Your child!"

"I know exactly what that's like!"

Her hands slapped themselves to her mouth in shock. Maes stared at Aiden, mouth open with no words coming out. Aiden gasped and tears brimmed at her eyes. She rushed out the door, Maes calling after her. The forest passed by slowly - Aiden wasn't exactly running. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she stopped, eyes staring at the blurry ground.

"Aiden, I-" Maes cut himself off. What could he say?

"If you want to know, then ask," Aiden whispered.

"What happened?"

"You know I'm an only child that joined the military at a young age, and eventually ended up here after a car accident and meeting Truth. But that's all you know, so I'll tell you my past. Even if it kills me to do so."

"I don't-"

"I had a pretty good life before I came here," Aiden said, beginning her tale. She took a deep breath of the misty night air. "I had loving parents, few but good friends, and no idea what to do with my life. So I joined the military at eighteen years old. By twenty-three I was a Lieutenant Colonel and to this day I still don't know how I ascended the ranks so quickly. I think my dad had something to do with it. I soon figured out that I didn't want to be in the military anymore and I left. Two years later I had a son, I got you beat by a year Maes.

"Anyway I, uh, I named him Tristan. His full name is Tristan Ross Wilson, cute huh?" Aiden huffed out a laugh. Then she sniffed and wiped a stray tear away. "His father wanted nothing to do with him so he was dead to me. It was just me and Tristan in our home, my parents coming by every so often. And then when I was twenty-seven, Tristan being two at the time, I found a teenager out in the pouring rain. Her name was Jessica and she was eighteen. Her mother had thrown her out so I took her in.

"After that I had somehow I become her mother-friend. For two years the three of us were practically inseparable. Where one of us went the other was sure to follow. One day while we went out for ice cream in a really bad rainstorm, we were hit head-on by a truck."

"And then you woke up in the white place," Maes finished.

Aiden nodded. There was a lighter feeling in her chest and she realized that talking about it with a friend helped her greatly. Someone knew her past, finally. She didn't have to lie to just this one person.

"Do..." Maes trailed off in uncertainty.

"Truth said that they survived and he had no reason to lie. So all I know is that my son and daughter are safe, and I'm over here. De-aged by seven years."

Somehow the fact that Aiden was thirty-five mentally yet twenty-eight physically was harder to comprehend than said friend being from another world. Maes laughed quietly to himself. The two people shivered as a breeze blew past them.

"It's getting cold, let's get inside." Maes led the way back to the cabin while Aiden followed behind.

The walk was short and silent, both left to their own thoughts. One to process more information and the other left with no inclination of a reaction from their companion. Maes stopped at the door and Aiden did as well, frowning in confusion.

Maes was silent for a moment and then: "So does this mean your first child won't be with Roy?"

Aiden blushed madly and punched Maes' arm. She wiped away the last tear. "M-Maes you ass!"

She was thankful for the change in subject.

**********

Maes: Wow that sounds traumatic. You should probably go to therapy or something. Go have a child with Roy.