cornerofmadness

Sorrow’s Dark Array
Author - cornerofmadness
Disclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition.
Pairing – Roy/Riza, Ed/Win (eventually) Winry/OC, mentions of Maes/Gracia and Al/OC
Rating – will vary from chapter to chapter, mostly Pg-13 but will eventually contain well marked adult chapters.
Time Line – anime based, spoilers all the way through the anime and the movie and does have strong manga elements such as Armstrong’s older sister and the land of Xing
Summary – As Roy and Riza prepare for their wedding, while dodging assassins, Ed and Al try to find their way back home.
Author’s Note #1– This was written after much prodding by evil_little_dog as a sequel to the source of sorrow and is now her holiday gift even if she has beta’ed part of it. So thanks to her and lyricnonsense for the beta. You do not have to read the first story to understand this. You’ll quickly pick up that Riza has retired from the military to be Roy’s wife and bodyguard. Olivia Armstrong is now president and she’s assigned Roy as the ambassador to Ishbal; oh and that Roy was severely injured in the destruction of the Gate, requiring some of Winry’s automail.
Author's Note #2 - This is a longer work and like real relationships, the ones listed in the pairings, take time to mend and come together. They have to work at it. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven

chapter twelve

chapter thirteen

“Days of absence, sad and dreary, Clothed in sorrow's dark array, Days of absence, I am weary; She I love is far away.” – Shakespeare



Chapter fourteen
Not going home is already like death – E. Catherine Tobler

“What did Ed do?” Hughes asked, sitting on the chair across from the desk in Roy’s library. He ran an absent finger over the peacock tail of the lamp on the desk, watching Roy study a chess board. Hayate curled up at Roy’s feet.

“What makes you think he did anything?” Al quirked up an eyebrow.

“When you’re wearing that face, Ed’s done something,” Hughes reasoned.

“If he’s breathing, he’s doing something bad,” Roy said, not looking up from the chess board.

Al nodded, his fists bunching and opening. “He’s being an ass.”

“That doesn’t narrow the field any.” Hughes beckoned to Al for the rest of the story.

“He’s picking fights with Dev, starting with ‘I’m better than you since at least I didn’t get infected with bastard from a bite’.” Al rolled his eyes. “Which then progressed to ‘my martial arts teacher is better than yours.’ I will give Dev this, he knows how to duck a wrench. Ed on the other hand…which, of course, started another fight. I think Winry went to get one of Riza’s guns.” Al sighed gustily.

“Riza did teach her how to shoot. Winry has good aim,” Roy said, still staring at his set. “I would not piss her off.”

“Well, they both need slapped, especially if she is pregnant. They shouldn’t be upsetting her,” Al huffed, turning his attention to the book case in an attempt to calm himself. Hayate joined him, head butting the back of Al’s legs for attention.

“Go kick their asses. I know you can do it,” Roy said, tearing his gaze away from his chess board finally. “You’re the one I wouldn’t want to go up against in a fight. I know I can take the other two.”

“Underwear over your head to the contrary.” Hughes tipped his chair back on two legs, a wide grin on his face.

“Have to let them win a few or they sulk,” Roy replied without hesitation. He made a move. “And don’t let Riza see you do that.”

“Who exactly are you playing?” Hughes plunked his chair down firmly.

“General Grumman,” Roy replied, going over to his desk. He dialed the phone. “Hello, Delight, is the General in? No? All right, tell him knight to f7.Thanks, love.”

Winry stalked into the room and flung a hand out at Mustang. “Roy, you tell Olivia, Ed isn’t reporting for duty because I killed him. I’ll call Aris and tell him you need a new junior liaison because I’m burying Dev next to Ed.”

“So they can fight through eternity?” Al snorted, as Hayate darted out of the room.

“Al, do you want to join them?” Winry snarled, whipping around to face him, fingers reaching for a wrench no longer in her pocket.

“No, I’ll help bury the bodies,” Al replied quickly, hands raising in surrender

“They aren’t bleeding on anything important, are they?” Roy flopped down on the couch.

“You could join them, Roy, I mean it.” Winry stabbed a finger at him. “I’m gathering up my stuff and going to my shop.” She stomped back out of the room.

“Ooo, hormonal women are damn frightening. If she is pregnant, she’s not staying here,” Roy shuddered. “I survived pregnant sisters calling and telling me off. I hid out Maes from his crazed wife but that girl is way scarier.” Alphonse nodded in wide-eyed agreement.

“You hid me out? You are a friend,” Hughes got up to pat Roy’s shoulder.

Roy canted his head up at him. “I almost fed you to Gracia once or twice, when you got crazy yourself. Ever hear of sympathetic pregnancy? That was you, all bloated and crabby and weird. It was embarrassing.”

Hughes colored as Al smothered a snicker.

“Ah, so it’s universal for Hugheses?” Roy guessed with a knowing grin.

“Sort of. What can I say?” Hughes shoulders drooped.

Roy reached up and put a hand on Hughes’ arm. “Sorry, shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m sorry you didn’t get to know your child.”

Hughes rubbed under his glasses. “Thanks and I know I didn’t say it before, thank you for looking out for them, Roy. I know he would have appreciated it because I do.”

Roy’s smile was bittersweet. He looked down at the carpet, his voice low. “Thanks. It was hard…because I’m selfish. I had a hard time helping Gracia because it just reminded me of Maes. I don’t have many friends and I didn’t take losing my best one well.”

Al gave him an embarrassed look as if he was eavesdropping. “Maybe I ought to go look for Ed to keep him from irritating Winry before she makes her escape.”

“As irritating as Edward is, he should be a pearl by now,” Roy said, glancing up when the phone rang. Grateful for the distraction, he answered it. Color left his face as he listened, “Damn…son of a….I’ll tell them, Pinako.” He hung up the phone, eye closing tightly, leaning on the desk. His back was stiff and tight and he swallowed noisily.

“What is it, sir?” Al’s gold eyes were wide.

Roy tilted his head up and he bellowed, “Edward! Winry! Come here, now!”

“Roy, what’s wrong?” Hughes asked but Mustang waved him off. It didn’t take long for Winry, followed by Dev, to run into the room. Ed came in slightly behind, limping on his loaner leg.

“Edward, Alphonse…hell, I don’t know how to say this so I guess straight out would be best.” Roy fingered the edge of his eye patch. “That was Pinako.”

“Den didn’t die, did she?” Al reached automatically for Winry as she winced, the fingers of one hand touching her mouth

“No, far worse…someone.” Roy licked his lips. He caught hold of Al’s arm, knowing Ed would be less receptive to being comforted. “Someone blew up your mother’s grave.”

X X X

“How doe someone do something like that?” Gracia tucked her feet up under her on Roy’s couch. She had come over after Riza had called to tell her what had happened.

“I have no idea. It doesn’t even make any sense,” Hughes said, casting a glance toward the door that led down the hall. He knew Roy was making calls in the study, trying to figure out what had happened and why from his contacts in Resembol. Breda and Falman had been dispatched on the fastest train with the brothers and Winry but still a day would elapse before they could arrive. “Why would anyone blow up a grave?”

“To make a point,” Riza replied grimly.

“I can’t imagine anything so awful.” Li-Ying’s nose wrinkled. “I’m beginning to hate my brother’s world. It has so many bad things in it.”

Dev tossed down his pen, glancing up from the work he had been doing, using a thick stack of folders on his lap as his writing table. The young priest had a pillow between his back and the stone mantle he was leaning on in front of the fireplace. Hughes had wondered why the boy hadn’t just gone home then realized he was probably hiding from his mother. Also, Hughes suspected that having Winry go off with Ed and Al without him, even though she had been friends with the brothers forever, rankled. “I know that the Elrics don’t see it as an affront to God but it is. My father’s grave was decimated in the war. I know what it feels like.”

Going over to the young man, Hughes clamped a hand on Dev’s shoulder. He could feel the scars under his fingers. “I’m sorry to hear that. You boys all deserve better.” His fingers squeezed harder and Dev looked up at him. “I feel so damn helpless.”

“This is how I’ve been feeling for months,” Riza replied, pacing the room. “Roy can’t help feeling this is all his fault.”

“How can that be?” Li-Ying asked just before Gracia did.

“Someone tried to kill him,” Riza reminded the women. “We were just in Resembol. Someone may have learned that. Depending on the intel the bomber has, they might think Ed is still under Roy’s command or they might be so up on things, they knew about the failed attempt to access Ed’s bank account. They might be after anyone who has anything to do with Roy.”

“Or they could be saying, ‘nothing is sacred.’ Sometimes they like to make you afraid before they kill you.” Dev threw his hands out in rage, slamming them back against the stone mantle scratching his automail and flesh. “Our tent cities got burned out or trashed more times than I came remember. Sometimes they would terrorize us first, giving us hope that maybe it wouldn’t be too bad, just some bullying, then we’d smell kerosene in the night.”

“I’m afraid that destroying their mother’s grave isn’t going to make Edward or Alphonse frightened,” Riza said grimly.

“Pissed off is more like it,” Hughes said, going to sit back down on the couch. Gracia shook at his pronouncement. She started to reach for Hughes hand, then pulled back.

“Yeah, wish Elric had a target,” Dev said. “Winry saw their mom like an aunt. She was crying. I hate seeing her cry.”

Hughes glanced at Gracia, whose mouth was set in a grim line. He wondered if he should say what he thought, that it hurt any man to see the woman he cared for cry, or whether that would be salt in the wound.

Roy came back in, fire in his eye. The air around him seemed to shimmer with the heat of his rage. “Pinako is helping me with my contacts. No one knows anything yet, or so they think. I’m betting someone knows more than they’re saying and they’ll tell it to Pinako before me. I told her to be careful. Hell, I’d want her to come here, if the brothers and Winry hadn’t gone back there.” He crossed his arms. “I should have realized that in a small town like that everyone would know the brothers were back.”

“It’s their home,” Hughes spread his hands. He didn’t add, ‘and where they thought they’d find Winry, “where else would you expect them to go?”

“That’s not the issue. I knew someone was out to kill me. I’m supposed to protect my subordinates better. In the last blast, Dev would have gotten killed if not for his automail breaking the ceiling’s fall and now this.” Roy’s face screwed up, slamming his fist into the wall. Riza came over, dispassionately checking his knuckles. “I’m doing a lousy job.”

“I don’t know, you were recuperating after a near-fatal injury.” Hughes folded his arms. “Maybe you’ve just got other things on your mind, Roy.”

“That’s hardly an excuse,” Roy grumbled.

“My brother is perfect, Hughes. Didn’t you know?” Li-Ying rolled her eyes.

“Not to hear Ed talk about him, he isn’t.” Hughes showed Li-Ying his teeth in a sharp little grin, seeing a chance to lighten the mood a little.

Roy snorted. “I can only imagine what Ed has said about me. You’ll have to tell me some day. He hates me even more than Dev for way less reason.”

“I was wondering what you had done to him,” Dev’s ruby eyes fixed on Roy.

“Ed needed a nemesis,” Riza offered, taking Roy’s hand.

“Well, considering some of the stories I heard about you, before I realized exactly who you were, I did expect to see you with horns, jagged teeth and eating babies.” Hughes shrugged at Roy’s glare.

“That’s about how I remembered him from the war,” Dev nodded in agreement to Ed’s assessment of Roy.

“Why are you still here? Isn’t your mother wondering where you are? She’s not going to like you spending time at my house,” Roy said, glowering at him.

“Mother isn’t speaking to me right now so I’m doing work. It’s not like I’m being helpful to anyone. There wasn’t anything I could do for Winry and Mom’s in a state that’s best left alone.” Dev shrugged.

“Doing work, something that should be encouraged,” Riza said with arch look at Roy.

Roy snorted again. “I do my work…eventually.”

“Even I know better than that, Roy.” Gracia grinned and Hughes was glad that the tension in the room had broken enough that she could do that.

Roy pointed a finger at her, not verbally answering.

“I’m going to make a list of people to talk to so I know just what kind of man you are, Mustang,” Hughes laughed. “And take note of things I should know. Mustang, lazy.”

“Add in Hughes, insane,” Roy replied.

“Hey, now.” Hughes raised his eyebrows over his glasses. “I’m thinking you alchemists are all nuts.”

“They are,” Dev agreed.

“And I would have said Maes was delightfully quirky,” Gracia put in, favoring Hughes with a fond smile.

“Riza?” Roy turned to his lover. “Hughes?”

Riza didn’t hesitate. “Insane.”

“I can tell you all sorts of stories about Cricket,” Li-Ying offered, glee in her dark eyes.

“Let me pencil that into my date book,” Dev replied eagerly, rocking up onto his knees.

“She didn't say she was telling you. These are things a best friend would know.” Roy frowned prodigiously at Dev.

“Whatever you say…Wang.” Dev grinned back.

“You die now.” Roy started to his feet after the Ishbalan. Dev popped up, ready to do what he had to.

“So much for worrying about the Elrics.” Riza sighed, snagged Roy before he could get far. “Behave. Dev, eventually you have to go face your mother. Li-Ying, winding up your brother doesn’t help matters.”

“But it is fun,” Li-Yang grinned mischievously. “And see, no one looks suicidal any more.”

“Roy, sit. I’ll get you some whiskey,” Riza said. “Who else wants some?”

Hughes raised his hand while Gracia shook her head in response to the offer.

“Whiskey or cactus brew?” Dev asked.

“I want to mellow him, not kill him. Whiskey,” Riza said, getting up.

Hughes watched her leave. “You are a lucky man, Mustang.”

Roy nodded. “Now if I can only keep her and all my companions alive, I’ll be happy.”

No one had anything to say to that.

X X X

Winry stood back just a bit, exhausted from the train trip and all the emotions roiling through her. As if the brothers being back wasn’t enough, or wondering if she was pregnant, some monster had to go and do this. Aunt Tricia’s head stone was gone entirely, just bits of it piled up by well meaning townspeople in the day it took for her and the brothers to get to Resembool. Granny had said the explosion had ripped down to the coffin but not into it. The gravedigger had fixed the huge divot and planted new grass, covered now by hay.

Alphonse dropped to his knees in front of the desecrated grave, his fingers digging into the remaining grass. “Who would do this?” His broken words barely reached Winry, where she stood, frozen, with Den and Pinako.

Ed stopped, halfway between them, his hands shoved deep into his trouser pockets. That didn’t hide the fact that he was trembling, though Winry couldn’t tell if it was from fury or sorrow. “That’s what I’d like to know,” he said bitterly, “and why.” He took a step closer to his brother, then stopped abruptly, head swiveling as if he was searching for the person who’d done this atrocity.

“That’s what Mustang is trying to find out. He’s been calling all over town while you were coming home,” Pinako said. She sighed and Winry hated that her grandmother suddenly looked very old. “He thinks either someone was after him or someone learned you’re back and had something to say about it. He wants us all to be very careful.”

Ed’s lips were skinned back from his teeth, his eyes mere slits. Winry didn’t think she’d ever seen that intensity on Ed's face. “If the bastard has a reason to come after us, he’d better damn well do it.” He swung his hand out, indicating the destruction. “If this was a bid to get our attention, he has it. And if I find out who did this,” his voice trailed off but by the creaking of the gears in his automail arm, Winry could guess how much stress he was putting on them.

“Not too many strangers in town. Mustang learned of a girl who asked specifically for the Elric and Rockbell houses then asked for Dev, said she was a friend but she was gone within a day. No name, no one knows who she was,” Pinako replied evenly.

“Dev wouldn’t do this,” Winry said sharply, even as Edward's back stiffened.

“We know, Winry.” Alphonse slowly got to his feet, almost seeming to have aged since they reached the cemetery. Ed looked less convinced.

Winry kept to herself that she could actually see some of Dev’s friends doing something like this but not to Ed and Al. They would have no reason to. They would be thrilled if Ed stole her away from Dev. They’d throw Ed a welcome home party and put Winry in a cake to pop out of for him if they thought it would make Dev leave her.

“Damn it, of all the things to do.” Ed leaned over to pick up a piece of rubble from the headstone, turning it over in his hands

“We have to fix that.” Al turned to face his family. “We can’t just leave her with nothing.”

“I don’t want to use alchemy to do it,” Ed said so quietly the summer breeze nearly snatched the words away.

“I have gardening tools at the house,” Pinako said. “You boys are welcome to them.”

Ed shook his head. “Mustang freed up my money. Al, let’s get her a nice stone.”

“With flowers on it,” Al added just a touch too quickly as if he expected Ed to order carved gargoyles.

“For Mom, naturally,” he replied.

“What can we do to help?” Winry asked, hating how reedy her voice sounded. She didn’t want to just leave the brothers to do this alone. She knew them, or used to know them, well enough that she expected that they’d wallow in their grief. Alphonse would probably be all right, Winry thought, the hard work of repairing the gravesite would help him heal. But Ed....

“You can come with us, help us pick out a headstone and flowers. There should be some kind of perennial flower, don’t you think, Brother?” Al glanced over at Ed.

“Yeah. Whatever you want, Al.” Ed sounded distant and didn’t look at any of them.

Winry went over and slipped an arm around him. “Ed, I know you’re not okay but…you look so closed up.”

He started at her touch, turning his head slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye. Before she could react - was Ed crying? - he tilted his head, shielding his eyes from her with his hair. “At least none of the other graves got hurt.” He threw the stone in his hand.

“They clearly wanted to do this to Mom.” Al kicked at the hay. “How much more are we supposed to take? How much more can I lose?”

“You’re not losing anything else, Al.” Ed broke out of Winry’s embrace gently, touching her shoulder with a gloved hand as if in apology as he walked past her to go to his brother.

“You can’t tell me that, Ed.” Al’s fingers balled up. “Maybe Roy is right and someone has targeted us because of him. Someone’s already tried to kill him. He told me he didn’t want to come here because he was afraid someone would hurt Winry and Granny. They didn’t blow up Mom coincidentally. We still have a lot to lose.”

“That’s why we’re going to find out who did this.” Ed shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe it’s someone I pissed off before.” His expression darkened. “Not like I didn't do that in the past.” He looked at the rubble that once had been his mother’s headstone. “They said I killed three thousand soldiers. I’d bet they have families and someone would like me to answer for the death of their kin.” There was something almost fatalistic about the way he spoke that made a chill run down Winry’s spine.

“Then talk to Roy,” Winry said quietly, her hands tightening around each other. “Tell him that. It’ll give him some place to look.”

“Or we could do that while you work here,” Pinako said, when neither brother answered Winry.

“Why don’t you do that,” Al said finally. “Ed won’t.”

Ed glanced over his shoulder, giving Winry a glimpse of his reddened eyes. “Where in town can we pick out a stone, Granny?”

“Winry, take them to the carvers. I’ll call Mustang,” Pinako replied. “He’s about due for another call. Has he always been a worrier?”

“No, he’s always been a bastard,” Ed said with the faintest hint of his usual temper.

Winry snorted. “Edward, he looks out for you, you know. Even if he did put you in a guest room designed to inflict mental anguish.”

Ed just curled his lip then subtly reached for her hand. Winry wondered if it was so she wouldn’t trip on the uneven ground or so he wouldn’t with that loaner leg she hadn’t had time to replace. She wanted to find whoever had done this to Aunt Trisha and the brothers and kill that person herself.

X X X

“What could the bastard be talking to Al about?” Ed growled, eyeing the kitchen door from the porch.

Winry sat next to him on the bench swing. “They’ve been talking a lot, since you’ve been back, you know that. Besides, Roy wanted someone who could draw.”

“I can draw. He doesn’t need to involve my brother,” Ed huffed.

“Al’s an adult, Edward. He can do what he wants and you can not draw. I’ve seen four year olds do better,” Winry laughed.

Ed shot her a dark look from under his bangs, folding his arms and muttering something Winry couldn't quite catch. “Still. Al’s not in the military according to the Ice Queen. He doesn’t need to get involved.”

“I think Roy wants him to talk to a few people here who saw the girl looking for me and Dev and to draw a picture of her,” Winry replied. “Not a military action, a personal one.”

Kicking at the porch floor, Ed sent the bench swing rocking on its chains. “I hate this,” he said vehemently but quietly, as if afraid to even let Winry hear him say it. “I hate whoever did that to Mom's grave and then I think that if he knew about you or Pinako,” shaking his head slightly, Ed let his voice trail off.

Winry leaned her arm on the rest “If the girl was who did this, she knows me already, Ed. She knew Dev and I don’t think there’s a friend of his who doesn’t know me.” Winry kept her ‘and despises me’ to herself. “If it’s someone after Roy, chances are they know me, too. I’ve gotten used to it.”

He grumbled, “You shouldn’t have to be used to it, Winry.”

“I know you feel that way. I’m not made of glass. I would never have survived in Ishbal at all if I were, Edward,” Winry replied wearily.

He hunched his shoulders, as if her words were a lash. “I know you’re strong, Winry. You’re a hell of a lot stronger than me but I still just want to keep you safe.”

“I know. I wish I knew what it was about me that makes people want to do that. You, Roy, even Dev. He made a very convincing argument for us moving to Central,” Winry sighed heavily.

Ed shot her an incredulous look, actually straightening up. “And people say I’m clueless.”

“I’m not clueless, Ed. This is a reality we have to deal with. I might be pregnant. He’s not going to ignore that and we both still have a lot of mixed up feelings for each other,” Winry replied bluntly, afraid this was going to be yet another argument. That wasn’t why she came out to the porch with him.

“That’s not,” Ed puffed out his cheeks, sighing. “What I’m trying to say, and probably screwing it up, is that men want to protect the people they love.” He had turned away from her as he spoke, staring at the end of the porch where Den lay, dreaming under the starlight.

“Oh.” Winry rested a hand on his shoulder. “I know that, too, but sometimes we find it frustrating, Edward. We know you mean well. You have to trust us to take care of ourselves and ask when we need help.”

“Yeah, well,” Ed gave her a tiny grin, pointing to his loaner leg. “You see how far I get asking for help.”

“Hey, I almost had that leg done,” Winry reminded him.

“Yeah, then this happened.” Ed gestured toward the cemetery, his expression darkening again.

Winry slid her hand down to take his. “And we’ll survive this, too. We’ll be pissed off, rightfully so, and we will do something about it.”

“Don’t really have to work on the pissed off part.” Ed gave her fingers a very gentle squeeze but his grasp was loose enough that Winry could pull away easily if she wanted to. “I wish,” he said, in a totally different voice, “I could tell you how often I thought about you in that other world.” With a short, sharp laugh, Ed went on, “How often I thought about you when Al and I were trying to find a way to get his body back.”

“Oh, Ed.” Winry sucked in her lower lip. She was not going to cry even if she felt like it. “I thought about you for a very long time, too. I never really stopped. But…I watched Riza and Roy while they were apart. I saw what being lonely did and you were never coming back. I was not going to die years before my body did. I chose to live.”

“I don’t blame you for that, Winry. Hell, I...I didn’t think we were coming back, either.” Ed squeezed her hand again. “When I came back the first time, I was so...relieved. I was home and you were there, waiting for me. You and Al, the two people I wanted most to see...and then I had to go back to that other world and I didn’t even get to tell you.” A little chuff escaped him. “Al was yelling at me, when I said I had to go close the gate. Did you know that? He said you’d missed me. Nothing about his own feelings, he used you to try to make me stay.”

Winry smiled. “That’s very sweet and so very Alphonse and how very you to blaze ahead doing whatever it is you think is right, no matter the cost.”

“Seemed like the right thing to do.” His fingers moved over hers, a fleeting caress. “I didn’t expect Al to come with me, though. I wanted him to stay here, with you.”

“He’s an Elric. Did you really think he would do what he was told?” Winry chuckled, shaking her head, knowing she shouldn’t be enjoying this closeness as much as she did.

Ed grimaced at her laughter. “He’s the good one.”

“Still an Elric,” she argued.

“Yeah, that’s obvious, since he didn’t really give up on coming home.” Setting the swing into motion with another kick of his foot, Edward said lowly, “I’d given up a long time before, Winry. I’d resigned myself to being stuck there; being a cripple and having Al take care of me for the rest of my life.” He turned a haunted gaze to her. “I really didn’t want to live that way.”

“Of course not, Edward. Who would?” Winry leaned against him. “That’s why I do what I do, even if it means looking at people in pain all the time. That’s why I lied about my prices just so I could give Dev back some of his freedom, before I even knew him. He wouldn’t take charity.”

“You’re a good person, Winry.” Ed seemed about to say more then closed his mouth.

“Thank you, Edward. So are you…mostly.” Winry tweaked a strand of his hair. “When you’re not being bad which is often.”

Snorting in response, Ed grumbled, “I’m not bad. I get put into situations where bad things happen and people blame me.” His fingers moved over Winry’s.

Winry couldn’t swallow back the bubble of laughter. “You mean those paper balls flung themselves at Roy’s head, for instance?”

Ed’s jaw jutted out. “Hughes dared me.”

Winry slapped a hand to her forehead. “My money was on Dev starting it. It’s just the sort of thing he’d do.”

“Hughes likes to play pranks and get other people in trouble.” Rolling his eyes exaggeratedly, Ed shuddered. “And he’s just as hung up on romance as our Hughes was.”

“That might be good, if Gracia wants to meet with him alone. I mean, is it wrong to hope they fall in love all over again with each other’s doubles….or is it creepy?”

“Nah, it’s not wrong.” Foot pushing against the porch flooring to keep the swing in motion, Ed smiled faintly. “Al and I looked for your double. We never found her. Guess you're one of a kind, huh?”

“It’s sweet of you to say so,” Winry nudged him. “I find it all so strange, a little scary and a lot fascinating.”

“We...weren’t sure if we really wanted to find her or not.” The tiny smile curled Ed’s mouth. “Bad enough we were there, if we found you there, even a double of you...we did see Major Armstrong once. That was really weird.” His eyes rounded at the memory. “He was a police officer in Ireland.”

“That would be weird,” Winry said. “And poor Roy, murdered as a kid.”

“Yeah.” Ed seemed uncomfortable with that but Winry wasn’t sure why. “Tell me something good that happened, Winry.” He sounded almost pleading. “Al told me you went to study with that mechanic in Rush Valley who was scared of Granny.”

“Dominic? Yes I did. It was very good and I studied with Mr. Garfiel, too,” Winry said. “I didn’t really like Rush Valley, though. I went with Riza once up to where she grew up. It was very pretty there and Roy’s been helping my career a lot. Does that count?”

“You don’t need anyone to help with your career.” Ed raised his hand, showing it to her. “Your work is the best there is.”

Winry smiled again. “Thank you, Edward. But I don’t mind Roy’s help in Central. The man has contacts everywhere and I do need help setting up shop in Ishbal. I don’t really want to live there. Even Dev doesn’t want us to settle there. Even so I do want to help them.”

Ed nodded. “That goes back to you being a good person, Winry. I’m glad everything is going well for you. I wish I knew what was going to happen with me and Al. Well, I’m taken care of for three years but Al…”

“He’ll be fine, Ed.” Winry gave him a warm smile. “Granny could use some help around here, if he wants to stay.”

“I know that but that’s not a real job. We’re so far behind. I could stay in the military for life if I wanted to, which I don’t,” Ed said hurriedly. “I think Al really likes medicine. He was interested in what Li-Ying was doing to Dev.”

“Al might be a good doctor. Granny could help with that, too.” Winry considered it, nodding almost decisively. “I’ll talk to her about it. She can feel Al out. If nothing else, maybe she can contact the college where Mom and Dad went for him.”

“Thanks, Winry.” Ed leaned back on the swing, glancing up at the stars. “You were telling me good things that have happened while I was gone.”

Winry tried to think of something but the last year’s good things would be things Ed wouldn’t want to hear about since they were mostly with another man. “Hmm, oh, Roy had to dance naked in public.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that there were pictures.” Ed snorted softly. “I don’t want to see them, okay? I’m still trying to burn the image of you sitting between his legs out of my memory.”

Winry laughed. “It’s just a job, Edward, though I’m pretty sure Roy didn’t hate it but you do need to see the pictures. I can’t even guarantee you won’t hear the commentary Gracia, Riza and I had for Roy, Armstrong, Dev and the others. Don’t worry, I won’t make you see pictures of him, especially since that might make Dev kill me.”

“I don’t know what rumors you’ve been hearing, Winry, but honestly, I don’t need to see any pictures of naked dancing men. Particularly the bastard or,” he shuddered, “Major Armstrong.”

“Not even to mock them?” She smirked.

Ed's expression turned speculative. "Are you saying they don't live up to expectations?"

Winry laughed harder. “I didn’t say that. No, it’s a delightful set of photos for us ladies but I figured you’re quite expert at mocking poor Roy.”

“Yeah, well, he deserves it.” Ed grinned a little crookedly. “It’s nice to hear you laugh.”

“Poor Roy.” Winry shook her head. “You look so happy when you’re torturing the poor man, like now.”

“You did mention I’m a bit bad,” Ed said, looking at her. Just when she didn’t think anything he could do could surprise her any more, Ed suddenly leaned in and kissed her. Winry couldn’t help but stiffen up in shock. That gave way to the sad realization he might never have ever kissed anyone else. He wasn’t very good at it, too wet.

Ed sat back just as suddenly, a look of horror in his eyes, as if he just remembered technically she was with another man, dropping her hand like a stone. “I’m…oh, damn.” He drew away, putting as much distance between them as he could on the bench, shadowing his face with his hair. “I know that was the wrong thing to do. I’m sorry.”

Winry knew that she had to say something but her mind wouldn’t work. She touched his cheek. “It’s okay, Ed. It’s not a State secret how you feel.”

Ed propelled himself off the bench, sending it swinging and waking Den from her sleep with a startled bark. “Yeah, but you’re not exactly free. It was a crappy thing to do.” Winry could just see the muscles flexing as his jaw clenched.

“You’ve always had problems with your timing, Edward,” Winry replied, gently. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

Ed turned his back. “I know you won’t. I…just need to think, okay? Too much has happened and I feel like I’m starting to drown. Can you just leave me alone for a while?”

“If that’s what you want.” Winry didn’t want to leave him, not like this. Still, she knew Ed well enough to know that he’d only get angry if she didn’t. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, Winry pressed her cheek against the nape of his neck. Ed’s fingers brushed over hers briefly then dropped away. As Winry went inside, Ed called gruffly to Den and she heard the sound of them walking down the porch steps.

X X X

“Keep in mind you don’t own me,” Anah’s garnet eyes burned with inner fire as she glared at Attaway. “You wanted me to kill the Elrics or at the least send a message. Message sent.”

“You blew up a cemetery.” Attaway sniffed. Anah knew the look. It screamed, ‘dirty Ishablan.’ “That might be a bigger message than we really wanted out there.”

“That isn’t what you said on the phone,” she countered.

“I didn’t realize you meant to do something like this.”

“How is this bigger than killing a few alchemists?” Anah was still disappointed that she hadn’t been able to kill the freaks.

Attaway held up a hand. “What’s done is done.”

“I could have just gotten the hell out of there. I should have,” Anah said, almost wishing she had. “I was the only Ishbalan around. Someone is going to remember me. Granted, they thought I was there to see Dev and that bitch he’s boning but obviously I had to ask about Elric. It’s not going to take much to figure out the one stranger in that crap town might have been the bomber.”

“Then you better have someone to take the fall for you. How about that known radical? She’s been seen around Central,” Attaway suggested.

“Sanaa?” Anah wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like blaming another Ishbalan, especially one fighting for our cause.”

“You pointed out that they easily spotted your ethnic background.” Attaway shot her a disgusted look as if it was her fault for being so beautifully dark skinned. “And Sanaa isn’t likely to care if more crimes get attached to her name. She seems to revel in her anarchist ways.”

Anah mulled that over and realized he had a point. “Fine, but you work on that. I’m not going to screw over one of my own kind. And next time, send some Amestrian to go to a pissy little town. They’re not going to stick out like a target,” she huffed, heading for the door. Anah missed the look he fired after her that said she was quickly becoming a loose end that needed tying off.


chapter fifteen