When I went under the world was at war. When I woke up they said we won. They didn't say we lost.

**********

"I'm going back to Amestris," Aiden said with finality.

Katy wasn't surprised by the choice, she knew Aiden wouldn't leave the place, but she couldn't understand why. She had her son to look out for and it'd only be a simple trick to place her back at the crash and let her survive. The story was over in Amestris and she had no obligation to stay behind. Her confusion must've been evident on her face because Aiden smiled gently.

"If Tristan has people looking after him, then I know he'll be fine without me. I've been gone from his life for eight years and I don't want to come back from the dead, or a coma if that's where I happen to be. I'm sure by now, he and my parents have moved on."

"I could take you back to the crash and let you live!" Truth frowned at that but didn't comment otherwise. The goddess sighed and ran a hand over her face, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't get you, you have family in the other world."

"And even if I did that, I'd know what I was leaving behind. I made a family here, in Amestris. Kain, Riza, Ed and Al, Maes and his family, and Roy..." 

"You're going back for love?"

Love. Companionship. Trust that could only be forged in hardships such as theirs. "Wouldn't you?"

Katy's thoughts ran back to the family she had waiting for her at home. Her fiance, brother, and friends she had her best moments with. What would she do if she had to pick only one? "I..." she hesitated for a moment. "I don't think I'd be able to choose between them."

Aiden sighed and her dark green eyes met Katy's Caribbean ones, a fierce fire hidden in the dark depths. "At one time, I may have taken you up on your offer, but I know I'll be fine here. This is where I truly belong."

"You're sure about this?"

Aiden reached out once more and pulled Katy into a hug. "If you really are the Jessica I knew, then you should know that once I set my mind to something, it's almost impossible to turn me away."

The goddess chuckled and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Even as your subordinate I figured that out."

The two pulled away and Aiden turned to Truth who had been watching the exchange in mild interest. Truth couldn't deny he felt the tiniest bit of respect for the woman. She chose the rules of Equivalent Exchange rather than the easy way out most people would take.

"I need you to send me back."

"You know the price of bringing a person back from the dead."

"Except I'm not dead, I'm still in the process of dying. I still have extra, use it now. I have to go back to them." 

To him.

"And you think that a bond created by force will last longer than one created by blood?"

Aiden laughed lightly and smiled as a questioning expression passed over her face. "Bonds created by force? I don't know what you mean. All bonds are created when one or people have something in common. I may have known future events and shifted them to allow survivors, but there are some things a person cannot change." She'd let Maes live and Nina die along with a good many others. "There's a saying that goes, 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.' It means that bonds formed by choice are stronger than those formed by birth. I know I'll miss my children like I always do, but those ties were cut the moment I set foot in this world. I belong here now, and it's where I will stay."

The regular grin took up his empty face, except for once it seemed... proud. "You are a wise one, Aiden Wilson. Go through your door! I'll see you the next time you die, whether it be a week from now or eighty years!"

Katy grinned and shouted, "When Roy decides he's waited long enough, invite me to the wedding!"

Aiden threw her head back and laughed, making her way to her portal. "Sure thing!"

"Returning you to your body costs almost nothing," Truth droned in his usual tone, breaking the humorous atmosphere. "You still have extra." He didn't like being in debt.

The soldier turned around as the giant gate opened behind her. "Just give it to the next person you decide to torment." 

Aiden was surrounded by small, black hands that began to drag her through the gate. It was unnerving to go through the process again, but she knew it was the only way to go home. 

As was expected, her hearing came back before her eyesight, though that may be because her eyes were closed. There were vague voices and someone was shouting and a loud thump reached her ears and she winced in pain. Why the fuck were they being so loud.

"Fucks sake, shut up!" she shouted, noting how her voice sounded rough. There was a silence that she reveled in for only a moment before she was assaulted by more voices and hands prying her eyes open to shine a light. Aiden's head jerked away and shut her eyes. "Get that damn light out of my face!"

Someone grabbed her arm and held it down and her fist went sailing before she had time to properly react. It hit something and the pressure on her was gone only to be replaced by another pair of hands holding both arms down. Aiden jerked violently to get out from under whoever it was.

"Aiden stop!" a familiar voice commanded.

The command practically flipped a switch in her brain and her movements ceased as she took a deep breath to steady herself. Her eyes snapped open and she blinked rapidly to adjust her eyes and clear the blurry image above her. All too familiar black eyes stared down at her and she only had a moment to process the shock and utter relief within before something was jabbed into her arm and she was out.

The next time she woke up the room was decidedly quieter than before and there were no grabby hands trying to hold her still. Aiden opened her eyes only to shut them tight when another light almost blinded her. Having noticed the window and red sky beyond, she squinted and slowly allowed herself to adjust to the natural light. It wasn't nearly as bad as the flashlight.

A firm weight near her left leg drew her attention and she was greeted to the sight of one sleeping Roy Mustang. He was laying on an arm facing her, while the other arm was stretched out in her direction and she belatedly noticed his right hand intertwined with her left hand. There were slight dark circles under his eyes and a slight stubble was beginning to grow. His clothes were rumpled like he'd slept in them, which he probably had, and his hair was more unkempt than usual. 

Aiden reached out her right hand to touch him but she paused a hair's breadth away, unsure of herself. She didn't want it to be a dream, she wanted him to be by her side and if he wasn't... There was no denying that he was alive but Roy was the first person she wanted to see, even if he didn't have his eyesight back yet. The Lieutenant Colonel's lips form a straight line and she continued forward. When her hand met the black strands and she could feel them slip through her fingers as she ran a hand through his hair, a small sob left her. 

He was real, she was still in Amestris. It wasn't a dream.

At the small sound, Roy roused and shot up, alert, yet dazed from sleep. Aiden's hand jerked back and she stared at him.

"Roy?"

"Aiden!" The man swept her into a hug. "You're awake! I thought you-"

"Truth didn't - what did he take from you? How are you-"

Their words mashed together and they both paused to consider the other's words.

Roy sighed and sat in the chair he'd been occupying since the night before. "When Pride transmuted me I ended up in the white place the Elric brothers saw when they transmuted their mother. A being was there and it didn't say anything. It just grinned at me and I was pulled through a gate and when I came out I was blind."

Aiden opened her mouth to point out that he was not blind at the moment but he waved his hand and shushed her. "Long story short, we beat Father after Alphonse traded his soul for Ed's arm after it was destroyed. Then Edward went back to that place and traded his alchemy for Alphonse's body. Doctor Marcoh fixed my eyes and Havoc's legs and he tried to heal you, but it wouldn't work. We don't know why. You've been here for almost three weeks."

Her wounds wouldn't... Katy! 'It's more like you're in limbo... Your mind is here, but in the real world your body can't degrade. Outside elements have no effect on it.' Aiden wasn't sure if she wanted to thank the woman for preserving her body and letting it heal on its own, or sucker punch her for making things harder on those around her. 

Just as she went to reply a nurse scuttled in followed by a doctor. They paused in the doorway for a silent moment before rushing over to her and effectively pushing Roy away from her. And thus began a long tirade of questions about her name, age, memory, and other things she was subjected to every time she went into a hospital. By the time she was left alone it was noon, as she had found out she woke up at the ass-crack of dawn. 

Roy had left after the questions became personal. There was no knowing where he went when she was stuck in the damn bed. He could have gone home to change clothes, shave, and shower. An hour later when he did come back he did look livelier than before and he wasn't alone, which was a pleasant surprise for Aiden.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerfully, sitting up in the bed. Her stomach pulled at the stitches and she winced for a split-second.

Roy entered first, followed by Riza who wheeled Jean in, Black Hayate, Maes, Breda, Kain, and the Elric brothers. Alphonse was wheeled in as well by Edward. Falman was notably missing and Aiden assumed he was back up North. Hayate jumped on the bed and sat between her legs, Riza doing nothing to stop him. Aiden reached forward and patted the dog on the head.

Jean was the first one to high-five her. "I heard you were pretty bad-ass on the battlefield."

Aiden shrugged. "We wouldn't have gotten far without our main supply of weapons." Then she grinned innocently, "Jean-boy."

"I told you not to call me that."

"Just this once? I'm in the hospital after all..."

"And I'm in a wheelchair."

"Touche." Aiden turned to the only teens in the room and pointed at them. "You two! I want a hug! But I want one from Alphonse first because he is clearly my favorite and deserves it."

Edward scoffed as he wheeled his brother closer to the edge of the bed. "Oh sure, see how neglected I am here?" he asked Roy. 

Aiden pulled Al into a one-armed hug, grabbing Edward a moment later and pulling him in as well. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered in their ears.

Ed gripped her hospital gown just a little tighter. "Thanks," he mumbled back.

The three pulled away and Aiden smiled at the pair, noticing how much taller Ed was when she was sitting in the hospital bed. She ruffled the short hair on Al's head. They really had done it. Alphonse had his body back, however degraded, and Edward's arm was no longer automail. Their dream of getting back what they lost had come true.

"That was reckless, what you did." All heads turned from them to Maes who had a slight frown on his face. "Charging Pride and Bradley... What were you thinking?"

Aiden's eyes slipped from her friend to her lap. Had she not charged them she would have been fine and things still would have proceeded. But her body had been moving before she could process any thought and when she did catch up with herself she'd already been impaled. She just... wanted to get him out of there. She wanted Roy to be safe.

"I wasn't," she said. "I saw that Roy was in trouble and suddenly I was running. It's like my legs started moving before I thought about it."

Maes sighed and shook his head as a small smile graced his face. "You and your need to help in dangerous situations. Just what are we going to do with you?"

"Hope and pray it goes away or doesn't get any worse?" She chuckled awkwardly. "I assume I missed the clusterfuck when they saw you?"

"I scared a lot of people walking out of that pit and you weren't there to help me explain!" He huffed good-naturedly and shook his head. Still, having to explain his absence was a small price to pay in exchange for his life.

Suddenly, thunderous footsteps reached their ears. Aiden paled considerably and turned to Roy who had a smile on his face. "Y-You didn't," she whispered, horrified as pounding steps that could belong to only one man neared her hospital room door.

Breda grinned, and the expression was mirrored by the rest of the team. "Well it's not like we were gonna tell him you died."

The door swung open with such ferocity that she was surprised it didn't come off its hinges. Major Armstrong strode into the room, tears glistening, sparkles twinkling, and a bouquet of roses in his hands. "Aiden Wilson! How good it is to see you on the road to recovery! I have brought you flowers to freshen up the room!"

"Major!" Aiden greeted hurriedly. "Nice to see you! Unfortunately I cannot receive a hug because the stitches would not be able to handle it."

Armstrong's tone softened from the strong booming voice and he nodded in understanding. "Yes, stitches are a pain."

The rest of the afternoon was spent catching Aiden up on the happenings. As it turned out, Falman had indeed gone back up North with the rest of the Briggs soldiers. Their acquaintances from Xing left for home as well; Ling was still considered a prison escapee and he and Lan Fan needed to bury Fu. Mei Chang and Shao Mei traveled with them, though not without saying goodbye to the brothers. Scar was assumed dead.

"It's still a mess, but we cleaned up quickly with the help of the Northern soldiers General Armstrong lent us. They were sent home about five days ago."

It was a thoughtful gesture from the General, but it wasn't without its own reasoning. If General Armstrong were to be seen helping clean up a mess from a coup d'etat then the public would be more inclined to trust the military after the events. Furthermore, she would gain social support that would help further her own goals. It was a smart move. Aiden commended her on her fast actions.

"There were many casualties on the soldiers from the North and some injuries came from Bradley himself. Central soldiers however... Many died when those white carcasses rose up and there are a great number of injuries due to Roy's actions, but that's to be expected. Some Central troops don't trust those from the North."

So the cleaning of rubble was also to help reforge any broken ties between the two. Any wounds treated were superficial burns or bullets through hands and feet. Roy and Riza had done their best to not cause any deaths, as had the rest of their team. The no casualty report put them in the good graces of the civilians just like General Armstrong.

"The media," Maes continued, "is saying that Bradley died for his country and Selim was a casualty. Of course we really know what happened there." A knowing gaze met her own and she shrugged. If there were any changes he would have mentioned them, so it was safe to say that Selim was back with his mother because of Edward's determination to save him.

Slowly but surely time passed and the only people left in the room were Aiden, Riza, and Kain. The Elric brothers had to go back to their room, Armstrong had work to do, Breda was tired and went home, and Roy, Maes, and Jean went to find drinks.

The three were left alone in silence. Aiden had been steadily avoiding looking at Kain when the room was flooded with visitors and now that they were alone there was no doubt she was doing it on purpose. Kain was doing no better in his spot across the room. Shuffling his feet and glancing at the various medical instruments. Riza, the ever calm woman, was standing beside him, choosing to leave the awkward silence alone for the time being.

Aiden fidgeted in her bed. "I'm sorry!" she blurted out, startling Riza and Kain. "I'm sorry for what I said last I saw you! I didn't want to threaten you or your parents but we were being watched and I couldn't explain things and I know I probably sounded like a complete asshole-"

"Aiden!" Kain shouted and she snapped her jaw shut, staring at her hospital blanket in shame. "The Lieutenant already told me what was going on." Aiden's gaze snapped up to meet his, shock flowing through her system as she glanced between him and Riza. The man frowned for a moment. "I'll be honest, I did hate you during the months I was away. I thought you'd been using the Colonel and us for your own gain. At some point I thought you were threatening the Lieutenant too. But she said there were still things I needed to know, and that you had no choice. So it's okay."

Aiden stared at the man she'd called her brother. Did he truly think that her actions were in any way acceptable? Because she didn't! She'd threatened his loved ones and played the bad guy with evil intentions and there should be repercussions for that! That was how life worked! She shouldn't be getting off the hook because Riza explained things before she could. It had been Aiden's job to mend the broken bones between them.

"You may partly know why I did what I did and accept it, it doesn't make it okay in the least. So I'm sorry." A shaky hand was held out.

A soft smile appeared on Kain's face and he walked over to the bed to take her hand. "Apology accepted."

The nurse from earlier walked in followed closely by a different doctor. Riza and Kain were urged from the room and they both sent her encouraging smiles as the door was closed behind them.

The doctor introduced himself, "My name is Hank McCoy, I'm glad to see you're awake miss Wilson."

Aiden returned her own pleasant smile. Then they peppered her with even more questions than before that made her want to jump out the window in an effort to shut them up. It was unfortunate that her efforts in that particular area would put her under suicide watch, which would only worsen her case. So she put up with them, even the repeats. Yes she was Aiden Wilson of the military, ranked Lieutenant Colonel. Yes she remembers what happened to her. No she wasn't in any pain, though there was low irritation. The questions came to a stop after Aiden's answers became increasingly sarcastic.

"What's the word on my wounds, doc? When can I go home?" There was no bite to her words, however there was a hint of worry and fear. She had a bad track record with hospitals. Being in the military would do that to a person, but Aiden's fear of hospitals stemmed from her childhood.

"Well," Doctor McCoy began, "you were impaled by something narrow and sharp, we still don't know what. If I were to hazard a guess it was a sword as wide as this clipboard is long." He rapped his knuckles against the board in his other hand. "Somehow your organs weren't shredded and you suffered through a lot of blood loss. Frankly, I'm stumped by your recovery," he said simply. "You shouldn't have survived the impalement or the blood loss alone. Speaking plainly, you're fine. You need time to heal the outside wounds and your self-induced coma helped a lot with that. You'll be kept here for observation in case those wounds get infected but I highly doubt it. Aside from that, I don't see why you can't leave in a few weeks, maybe less."

She nodded slowly. Being impaled by Pride was nothing short of excruciating. It made sense that a gut wound would take a long time to heal. And Katy's stasis kept her body from dying before she got back.

Doctor McCoy placed the clipboard back at the foot of her bed. "In short, I think you have a guardian angel. Or you were given a miracle at the very least. Get some rest, we'll talk more tomorrow."

The nurse and the doctor walked out of the room. There was silence and Aiden twitched in her bed as a twinge of pain made itself known. She grimaced and cursed Selim, not the baby sleeping in Mrs. Bradley's house but rather the sadistic one created by Father. She also cursed her own stupidity in that moment. They weren't trying to kill Roy when they activated the circle and she knew that! Her own panic and fear for him clouded her judgement and she made a rash decision that almost resulted in her death.

Far away from where Aiden was silently berating herself, a gate in a white void closed and disappeared, leaving a goddess and god-like being alone in the white expanse.

"Such an interesting woman you lied to," Truth said, looking at Katy.

The cheerful smile that had been on her face slipped away and was replaced by a blank expression. "And yet you didn't correct me, Truth."

"She didn't ask and you were playing by your own rules, not mine." That was just the simplified version. He couldn't help but ask, "Why did you lie?"

"She didn't need to know that I couldn't stay with Tristan long after the accident. I can't make copies of myself, but it was the only thing I could think of. That knowledge would only burden Aiden when she went back." The goddess smiled ruefully. "A wise man once said, 'The only thing we're allowed to do is to believe that we won't regret the choice we made.' If she knew then she may regret her decision or have feelings of guilt or remorse. Tristan doesn't have Aiden and I anymore, but he does have his grandparents to look after him."

Truth said nothing as Katy disappeared from his white void. Without further thought on the goddess, he turned his attention back to Amestris. Aiden Wilson had mentioned giving her extra payment away to another...

**********

Oooh, what's this? A way for another author to pay for their character to cross worlds? Possibly. Did I have to drag out Aiden's fate over two chapters? Absolutely, the reactions and phone call I got were worth it.

Serious question now, if Aiden had been sent to the My Hero Academia world, would you guys be interested in reading it?