"Kill me..." I groaned, slumped over my desk, pen in hand, not wanting to read anther document with the text so small I have to get a magnifying lens just to read the text. With the assistance of Colonel Mustang's team and I, we have managed to get through most of the paperwork stuff of Ishval in just in a few years.

Who knew that it took so much documentation and signing just to rebuild a country? It wasn't all locking yourself in an office all day to sign paperwork and read official documents and writing bills to repeal all the restrictions placed on Ishval. There was also going to the Ishvalans and presenting ourselves to them and telling them our plans to help them restore their homes. Of course, at first they didn't trust us but as the time went on and seeing our progress made to start rebuilding the entire country, they began to trust us one by one and soon we made them on our side.

I weakly sipped my coffee as I stared out the window. Edward and I managed to work out our relationship with keeping in touch with letters, or lack of, on my part) and I only had the chance to visit him on holidays. The Colonel is really hard on his subordinates.

Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye entered the office as I sat up immediately."I wasn't slacking off--" I cried.

"I wasn't going to talk about your work ethic," Colonel laughed."Do you know what today is?'

"Uh...Tuesday, March 6?" I answered.

"Come on, think harder," Colonel sighed. "I didn't work you that hard that you'd forget, right?"

March 6...March 6... I pondered. What's Colonel's point? The more I thought, through my haze of overwork, I managed to remember why this day was so significant. "Oh," I deadpanned. "It's my birthday."

"And how old are you?"

"Uh...18?"

"Don't sound so doubtful! You are 18!"

Colonel hugged me, which was totally out of character. I almost wanted to shove him off because the friendly gesture shocked me. "Okay, what's the catch?" I asked. "Why are you making a big deal out of this?"

"You're 18..." Lieutenant Hawkeye started. "You're finally an adult. The Colonel has a surprise for you."

Colonel handed me a folded piece of paper with a seal on it. I groaned, "Is it another document I have to go through?" I sighed. "I knew it...at least it wasn't as bad as that cup of coffee you gave me last year..."

"Come on, read it!" Colonel rolled his eyes.

I peeled the seal off and unfolded the paperwork, reading what it said. My eyes widened as I finished the document. As I put it down, I slowly turned to Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye. "This...is serious, right?" I breathed. "I'm...getting released from the military?"

"After some talk with Führer Grumman, he agreed to sign this, although he was sad to see you go," Colonel nodded. "From March 6 and onward, Major Evelyn Joyce, the Clockwork Alchemist, has officially resigned her status in the military and State Alchemist title. You are free to leave."

"This...is your gift to me?" I asked.  "B-But...I want to help you with your dream to become Führer! We've been over this!"

"Too bad," Colonel smirked. "I'm not giving you a choice." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Look, Evelyn," He told me. "You've done enough. You helped me as much as my Lieutenant has from all these years serving in the military. Your life belongs somewhere else, not in the military. I didn't make that promise to your mother to protect you so you can spend the rest of your life helping me sign documents, did I?"

I was drunk on the sincerity of this action that I hugged Colonel. "Thank you Colonel Mustang!" I cried.

"You don't need to call me that anymore..." He chuckled.

"That is going to take a while to get used to..." I laughed as I rubbed the back of my head before I hugged Lieutenant Hawkeye as well because why not? I was so happy that I was basically delusional in my actions. Lieutenant Hawkeye, in shock, took a while before she wrapped her arms around me.

As I pulled back, Colonel asked me, "So, what are you going to do?"

I already knew what I wanted to do in mind. Halfway out the door, I turned back around and hugged Colonel Mustang again. "Thanks for having me for all these years," I said gratefully. "You're the best surrogate father I've ever had."

"Evelyn..." Colonel sighed. "I'm your only surrogate father."

"Now you see how it feels like when you brag about how I'm your favorite niece!" I giggled.

"Touché," Colonel laughed.

As I twisted the knob of the door, I turned back around one last time to see Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye waving goodbye at me one last time before I smiled, waved back, and closed the door behind me, running out of Eastern Command in joy, gripping my official form of release in my hands.

*~*~*~*~*~

As I stood at the train station, waiting for the next train to Resembool, I checked the time on the big clock at the station,. One of the things that sucked not being in the military anymore-I don't have a pocket watch on me where I can conveniently pull out to check the time. Carrying three suitcases that held my all possessions and clothes, I had changed out of the military uniform and wore something much more casual-a sleeveless white sundress with sandals.

As my train arrived, I waited for the doors to open before boarding, handing the conductor my ticket before placing my suitcases on the rack above my seat as I settled down by the window. As the doors closed, the train whistled as it started up slowly as it left the station before speeding up as it was on the main track. While the train chugged along, I was dazing off out the window, resting my elbow on the window still and my cheek on my fist. Somewhere, during my ride to Resemebool, in the middle of my daydreams, a sudden thought interrupted my imagination like something crashing through the walls. I perked upwards upon this realization. Wait... I thought, Am I riding a train without having a near anxiety attack and trying not to tear out the seats of the train?

I went through a mental checklist.

I'm on a train. Check.

I'm riding a train. Check.

I am not anxious. Check.

Wow. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I overcame my anxiety of riding on trains. But how? As I thought this through, I came to this conclusion; Colonel Mustang overworked me to the point that I crashed on trains completely forgetting about my fear of trains, and my body overcome that fear naturally.

Or, maybe it just has to do with us taking trips on trains so often that I just got used to it that I stopped being anxious while riding them. Who knows?

As my train pulled up to the station of Resembool, I stood up as the train halted to a stop as I unloaded my suitcases and got off the train, going down the dirt path towards a childhood friend's home. Let me be clear on this-never try trekking a dirt path in a dress and sandals while carrying three heavy suitcases with you because you WILL be slowed down.

Somehow, I arrived at Winry's house and Den the dog, his head perking up, sniffing me out and began to bark. But not in a threatening, Get-off-My-Property-Before-I-Bite-Your-Leg-Off. It was more of a welcoming, You're-back!

I stopped in front of Den and began to pet him and he calmed down and began to lick my face and jump on me. I laughed, glad to finally be home again. I heard the front door of Winry's home being opened. "Den, what's going on--?" Granny Pinako answered before gasping and dropping her smoke. "Evelyn?" She said. "This is a surprise! Are you visiting? How long?"

"I'm not visiting," I grinned, getting up. "I'm staying. Permanently. Not here, but at my old house. I think you get it."

"You're staying? How? I thought you said that you wouldn't leave until Colonel Mustang became Führer."

"On order of Führer Grumman, I've been forced to resign."

"I'll get Winry." Granny Pinako stuck her head back in the house, shouting, "Winry! You have a guest!"

Winry came up to the front. "Granny, who is--" When she saw me, she covered her mouth in surprise. "Eve?" She cried. "Why are you here? What's with all the suitcases?"

"I came home," I grinned. "Forced to resign."

Winry leapt off the porch and tackle-hug me. "I'm go glad!" She squealed. "I missed you! Ed missed you! Everyone has missed you!"

"Thanks," I giggled, getting back up and brushing the dirt off my dress. "Speaking of Ed, where is he?"

"He's inside," Winry explained as she led me in the house. "I was just finishing up a maintenance on him when I heard Granny shout for me. Ed's going to be surprised--" She stopped herself suddenly, both in her speech and movement.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"No, nothing," Winry shook her head. "I'll let him explain." As she twisted the knob that lead us to Edward, she turnee to me and smiled, "Also, happy birthday Eve!"

"Thanks," I replied.

As she opened the door, Edward was sitting on a chair. As he heard the door open, he turned towards Winry. "Oh, there you are," Edward said. "What's up with the--" His eyes widened when he saw me as he jumped up suddenly. "Eve?" He yelled.

"Yup, it's me," I nodded.

"Well, gosh, this is such a bad time for you to visit--" He started.

"I'm not visiting-I'm staying here!" I corrected.

"Oh, that's actually worse," Edward muttered.

"Worse?" I questioned, tilting my head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean by 'worse'?"

"I'll leave you two alone," Winry shook her head as she closed the door behind her.

Edward and I faced each other before he sighed, "Eve, I'm leaving on a trip. I'm going out West."

"Why are you going West?" I asked.

"I want to learn more about alchemy, so Al and I decided to travel so we can learn as much as we can," Edward explained. "Al already left for Xing and I got to leave in a few hours."

I guess explains why Alphonse wasn't here. But, all that didn't matter to me. I jumped on Edward, hugging him. "So?" I comforted. "It'll be like when I was still in the military. We'll keep in touch through letters. Maybe I can travel up and visit when I can."

"Yeah..." Edward looked away as he hugged back. "Sorry for dumping all this bad news of you when you just arrived back home."

"It's fine. How was I to know that you were planning to leave?"

"...Eve?"

"Hm?"

"Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Ed."