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Chapter 1	By : ChaCha92 Category: Fullmetal Alchemist > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 129 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist and make no money from this story

Chapter List
- 9
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- 11
Arching his back and extending his arms, Ed releases a loud, heartfelt sigh before relaxing in his seat as the train settled to a complete stop at the platform. Rising to his feet, he grabs his bag and slowly shuffles down the aisle with the other disembarking passengers.
Glancing out the windows, he smiles at the familiar bustle of Central Grand Station. It’s been a long year since he last stepped on the familiar platforms. It feels like a homecoming. Too bad he can’t stay, but the desire to see Winry and Al spurs him home. He’ll come back and see everyone, even that bastard general, in a few months because there’s no chance today if he wants to catch the next train for Resembool.
Stepping off the train, he shifts his suitcase over his shoulder and ambles toward the ticket booths to check the schedules and purchase his ticket. He doesn’t get far when he stops dead in his tracks, hearing an ominously familiar voice grandly calling his name.
“Edward! Edward Elric!”
Closing his eyes, Ed mutters a quick mantra, “Please don’t let it be him! Please don’t let it be him!”
Barely realizing he should run and disappear into the crowd, he’s engulfed in a suffocating hug.
“It is so good to see you again after so long!” Armstrong’s booming voice declares, barely penetrating the roaring in Ed’s ears. “Traveling abroad put some color in your cheeks! It is inspiring how one so young would travel to unknown lands to broaden their mental horizons!”
Feeling lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, Ed barely registers he’s free from the hug and back on his own two feet.
Blinking around the dancing spots in his vision, he manages a weak, “Hey, Armstrong.”
Using both hands, he massages his ribs; certain he heard a crack or two. Without delay Armstrong grabs the discarded suitcase in one hand and Ed’s collar with the other, dragging teen along like a rag doll.
“Hey! What are you doing? I’ve got to catch the next train to Resembool!” Ed protests while futilely struggling in Armstrong’s grasp.
“You needn’t worry,” Armstrong loftily declares, ignoring all the baffled stares he’s getting at dragging Ed through the terminal. “General Hughes sent me to pick you up. You’ll be staying as his guest because in a couple of days Winry and Al will be arriving to join you.”
Having exited the terminal, Armstrong unceremoniously throws Ed into the backseat of a vehicle parked at the curb. He gracefully climbs in as the younger man untangles himself. Within moments the car pulls away from the curb and into traffic.
Sitting upright Ed repeats in surprise, “Al and Winry are coming to Central?”
Crossing his arms across his massive chest, Armstrong nods.
“They won’t be leaving Resembool until Wednesday and should be arriving early Friday. They too will be staying as guests of the Hughes. General Hughes made the arrangements with Winry, but since you were staying at a hotel with no phone, she could not inform you of the change in plans. So we had to make sure to intercept you before you continued on to Resembool.”
“Why the last minute change?” Ed wonders with a scowl. “I planned on coming up within a couple of months.”
“Children shouldn’t be so stubborn and accept when an adult knows better,” Armstrong scolds.
“I’m eighteen and not a child!” Ed shouts.
Ignoring the outburst Armstrong adds, “General Hughes has a new addition to his household. A young lady by the name of Kisa Namikaze. She recently immigrated from Azambra and is his ward. His family is hosting a dinner party in her honor on Saturday to welcome her and he wishes for his closest friends to be there. He also wishes for you, Al and Winry to stay a couple of weeks getting to know Kisa since you are closest to her in age.”
Confused, Ed repeats, “Ward? How old is this girl?”
“Fifteen.”
“And she can’t take care of herself? How flakey can she be?” he grouses incredulously.
Ed cowers as Armstrong angrily looms over him. It wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t in the close confines of a moving car. However, it makes Armstrong’s scolding all the more potent.
“Miss Namikaze is a remarkable young woman demonstrating the determination and resilience of youth,” the big man bites out tersely. “You shouldn’t be so dismissive since she’s quite similar to you. Except her manners are far better.”
Crossing his arms, Ed huffs, “I never cared for all that manners bullshit. She can have it.”
“Regardless,” Armstrong glowers, “you should be a little more respectful toward Kisa when you meet. General Hughes would be quite upset if you upset her.”
“Don’t worry,” he waves off dismissively. “I’m not going to fuck up the chance to enjoy a few of Mrs. Hughes’ meals by getting my ass kicked out. I can be nice to the flake.”
Armstrong uncharacteristically growls, but before he can respond their car arrives at Central Command.
Still annoyed, Armstrong drags Ed through the building out of spite and unceremoniously dumps him in the middle of an office before stalking out again.
“Hey, Boss! Long time no see,” Breda’s voice greets Ed as he picks himself up and dusts off his clothes.
“Hi, Ed,” Fuery chimes in.
“Hello, Ed, have a good trip?” Falman asks.
“Hey, guys, good to see you again,” Ed greets back as he straightens up.
“Did you just get in?” Riza asks joining the group.
“Yeah, Armstrong kidnapped me from the station…” Ed trails off as realization hits him. “Shit, is this Mustang’s office? I thought it was on the second floor?”
“We moved locations to the fifth floor a few months ago,” Riza explains.
Ed nearly snarls when he hears Mustang’s voice behind him.
“So you’re back from the west already, Fullmetal?” When Ed turns to glare, Roy frowns, “What’s with the sour look? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed again?”
“Ed just arrived in Central within the past hour,” Riza explains before Ed can retort.
Roy nods in understanding before informing Ed, “Hughes mentioned he’d be sending someone to pick you up. He also said there were a couple of things he needed to get out of the way before he’d take you home.”
“Yeah, Armstrong dragged me from the train station and dumped me off here,” Ed grouses.
Riza blinks, asking, “Didn’t Lt. Col. Armstrong explain why?”
“Told me some bullshit about Hughes having some girl living with his family now and there’s a party on Saturday to welcome her or something.”
“So you were being your usual charming self and pissed off Armstrong?”
As Ed glares, Breda pipes up, “Armstrong shouldn’t get that upset. Lady will put the Boss in his place quick enough.”
“Lady? Who the hell is Lady?” Ed asks with a frown.
“That’s Kisa’s nickname,” Fuery explains
“Why call her that? Did she cry over a broken nail?”
As the others gape, Roy quietly muses to Riza, “It’s going to be an interesting first meeting between the two. Too bad we won’t get to see it.”
“Indeed,” Riza mutters before speaking louder. “How was your time in the west, Ed? Did you learn much?”
“Yeah I did,” Ed brightens. “Their practice is more like alchemy, but some took their research in some interesting directions.”
“You’ll have to tell us about it later,” Roy interrupts. “Come in to my office. I need to talk to you.”
Frowning in confusion, Ed grudgingly follows Roy.
When the door shuts Breda comments, “The Boss is in for a rude awakening.”
The others nod as Fuery asks, “Does Ed know Kisa looks like him? Is that why he’s being rude about her?”
“He probably doesn’t know,” Riza shrugs. At their shocked expressions she sighs wearily. “General Hughes attempted to warn Winry, but she didn’t believe him. Since she’s been in communication with both Ed and Al she could’ve warned them ahead of time.”
“Hughes is going to have fun when those two meet,” Breda snickers.
“I wish we could be there to see it,” Falman states.
“I don’t. I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire,” Fuery admits fearfully.
Riza rolls her eyes as the three men shudder in unison.
Ed grudgingly flops down in a chair in front of the desk as Roy settles behind it.
“What the hell do you want now?” Ed huffs irritably. “I’m not a dog anymore and my research in the west wouldn’t interest you.”
“Alchemists never really stop learning,” Roy points out. “I might learn a thing or two from your notes.”
Jumping to his feet Ed points accusingly and shouts, “Is that what you wanted? To see my notes? Figures a lazy bastard like you would mooch off of someone else’s work!”
Standing up, Roy slams his palms on the desk, growling back, “Shut up Fullmetal, that’s not why I called you in here.”
Flopping down into his seat again, Ed huffs, “Spit it out because I’ve got better things to do.”
“Only if you’d listen without interrupting,” he rolls his eyes with a sigh as he sits back down. “Fuhrer Grumman is trying to change the military where it serves the people. It’s not something that’ll happen overnight, but we’ve come up with ideas to further this goal. This shift in focus is spurred by the recent success with the Corp of Engineers.”
“Since most hostilities with neighboring nations are being resolved peaceably, the Corp no longer has to gear their construction for wartime needs. They are currently improving the entire infrastructure of Amestris and connecting it to outlying nations. Al has personally experienced their very first success with the railroad crossing the desert to Xing,” he points out to the younger man.
“Building better tracks, bridges and roads to other nations will result in more trade. The ultimate goal is to shift from a war fueled economy to a stable, industrial economy enhanced by trade agreements with other nations.”
“Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but what the fuck do I care?” Ed arches a brow.
“You might care because I’ve developed a similar plan to do the same thing with the state alchemists. Instead of restricting assignments and research to the military, state alchemists will be required to adhere to their original oaths of serving the people. Depending on the alchemist’s specialty, they will be assisting certain divisions. For example, if an alchemist specializes in stonework or metal they may spend more time aiding the Corp of Engineers.”
“Still not seeing what that has to do with me,” Ed shakes his head incredulously.
Exasperated, Roy rolls his eyes.
“Not just you, Al too.” He pauses to smirk at Ed’s narrowed gaze. “I want to recruit you both for the new state alchemist program and reshape it into what it’s supposed to be, a service to benefit the people, not the military.”
“You forgot one thing, Mustang. I retired from the military so I wouldn’t have to be a dog anymore and have to kill people. And like hell I want Al involved in that shit.”
“The old regime conveniently ignored their own rules,” Roy sighs again. “There’s a very old rule still in effect that states unless military personnel are academy trained they cannot be sent to the front lines regardless of their skill.” Seeing Ed is confused, he adds, “As long as neither you nor Al completes the training, which includes weapon work, you are prohibited from fighting in a war.”
He lets the surprised teen absorb his words before continuing.
“I just want you both to consider it. You would retain the rank of major, but wouldn’t ever be promoted past it. That was another component of that rule; you can’t get promoted to a higher rank if you’re not trained. You boys would still have access to research funds and archives, which are more lucrative now thanks to the secret files on the unethical research conducted on behalf of the homunculus.”
Shocked, Ed leans forward in his seat.
“They left behind research documents?”
“It’s a recent discovery,” Roy nods. “Understandable there’d be a cache considering only the homunculus were long lived. The notes were necessary for successive generations of alchemists working to further their cause or they’d have to spend time retraining every new alchemist to continue their dirty work.”
“There may be something in those notes to help reverse what was done to the guys made into chimeras,” Ed muses thoughtfully.
“Which is another reason I’m offering a place for you boys in the new state alchemist program. As civilians we can’t let you look at the documents, which is a chaotic, encrypted mess. The only way you and Al could see them is by enlisting.”
“That’s playing dirty,” Ed bites out, glaring hard at the brunet.
“It’s being realistic,” Roy shrugs. “There are some nasty things in those documents and we can’t make the exception to you or we’ll have to allow any civilian alchemist to see them. Obviously that would not be a good idea.”
As Ed mulls it over, Roy adds, “You don’t have to decide now. I still have to make the offer to Al. Besides, you both just returned from your trips abroad and still need to compare what you learned. It’s entirely possible you may already have the answers you’re looking for and not know it yet. Otherwise, I have a secondary offer. You can sign civilian contracts, meaning you’d get the occasional odd job from the military. It wouldn’t pay as much or be as steady. You also wouldn’t get retirement benefits and medical. Nor would you have access to research funds or the archives.”
Ed glowers at the older man sitting across from him in annoyance.
“I’ll think about it. Don’t get your hopes up, you stupid bastard.”
“Why would I be hopeful you’d rejoin?” Roy asks sardonically. “Having you back in the program means more paperwork from all the chaos and destruction you’ll cause.” Ignoring Ed’s low growling, he adds, “It won’t be a disappointment if you don’t rejoin when my life would be much easier if you don’t. “
Jumping to his feet, Ed opens his mouth to start shouting when Maes cheerfully barges in.
“Good to see you, Ed!”
“Hey, Hughes,” Ed sullenly mutters while still glaring at Roy.
Becoming thoughtful, Maes scrutinizes Ed for a moment.
“Traveling must not agree with you anymore,” Maes muses. “It’s making you cranky. Perhaps you should consider settling down and establishing roots? A great way would be getting married!”
“I’m too young to get married!” Ed snaps. “And how the hell did we end up talking about that?”
Grinning, Maes ignores the question.
“If you’re done socializing we can leave now.”
“Fine,” Ed huffs sullenly. “But I wouldn’t socialize with a bastard.”
“See you tomorrow, Roy,” Maes waves, ushering a scowling Ed out.
Roy smirks as they disappear through the door. Picking up his pen to continue working he silently wishes he could be there when Ed meets Kisa.
The long walk through the building to the parking lot gives Ed enough time calm when they reached Maes’ car. Within minutes Maes is maneuvering through traffic toward home.
“So how was your trip back to Central?” Maes asks, breaking the comfortable silence.
“Good,” Ed replies. “It was nice riding trains that’d travel more than 50 kilometers without breaking down for some stupid reason or another.”
“I can imagine,” Maes chuckles. “I’m looking forward to hearing all about your trip.”
“It was really interesting,” he acknowledges. After a few moments, a thought occurs to Ed. “So hey, what’s this I hear about you having a ward named Kisa?”
“You heard right,” Maes grins. “She immigrated from Azambra recently and we adopted her into our family.”
“How’d that happen?”
“It’s a long story I’ll share with you later if you feel up to it,” Glancing briefly at the blond out of the corner of his eye, he adds, “Just so you know, she happens to look identical to you.”
Frowning, Ed processes his words. Breaking away from gazing out the window he gives the older man a long, calculating look before erupting in laughter. Incredulous, it’s Maes’ turn to frown, silently wondering why that’d be funny.
Finally, between gasping breaths Ed manages, “That’s hilarious! You almost had me there.”
“I’m serious.”
“Sure you are,” Ed chuckles. “You’ve got to get better pranks.”
Shaking his head, Maes continues driving, muttering, “Where are they getting the idea I’d lie about something like that?”
Soon he’s parking the car in front of the house. As they step off the car, Ed barely retrieves his bag from the backseat when Elicia joyously races out.
“”Little big brother! Little big brother! Little big brother!”
Maes watches in amusement as Ed twitches and struggles to maintain a civil tongue as he kneels down to greet her. He sighs in defeat when she throws her arms around his neck.
“I’m so happy to see you!”
Returning the hug he warmly replies, “I’m happy to see you too.”
Maes looks up to see Gracia fondly watching the entire scene from the door. Glancing over at the windows he notices Kisa. Sighing softly he hopes her first meeting with Ed doesn’t go too badly. He spoke with Gracia on the phone earlier. She told him the girl was quieter than usual, a sure sign she’s upset.
Ed straightens up as Elicia runs to Maes who scoops her into his arms. Together they climb the steps to the front door with Ed in the lead. He steps up to Gracia who hugs and greets him with a kiss on the cheek.
“You’ve grown, Edward. Come inside.”
Ed grins stupidly as she ushers him inside with an amused Maes following with Elicia in his arms. Once inside the foyer, Maes sets Elicia down and addresses Ed.
“Since you haven’t visited us since we moved from the apartment, I’ll show you to your room so you can settle in. Then we can sit down and catch up.”
“Sure,” Ed agrees to Maes’ relief.
They head upstairs and turn right as soon as they reach the landing. Maes leads Ed to one of the two remaining guest rooms at the end, opposite of his and Gracia’s bedroom.
As Ed sets his bag on the end of one of the two beds, Maes explains, “This room is bigger than the other three bedrooms, fitting the two beds you and Al used to sleep on when visiting while giving you boys enough space so you don’t feel like you’re on top of each other.” Pointing out the door toward the master bedroom, he adds, “The bathroom is at the other end between our bedroom and Elicia’s.” He drops his hand to his side. “When you’re done, join us downstairs and then we’ll have lunch.”
“I’m going to get a quick shower since I’ve been stuck on a train for days. I don’t want to be an appetite killer,” Ed quips.
“Sure thing, Ed,” Maes grins.
Leaving the teen alone, he heads back downstairs. Instead of going to the kitchen, he detours to his office to place a quick call to Winry to let her know Ed arrived safely. Settling behind his desk, he picks up the handset and places the call.
“Hello, Rockbell Automail,” Al answers.
“Hi, Al,” Maes greets in pleasant surprise.
“Mr. Hughes! How’re you doing?” Al asks, mirroring his surprise.
“We’re long past the point of ‘mister’. You kids can call me ‘Hughes’ like Ed does or ‘Maes’,” he playfully admonishes the boy.
“It seems rude.”
“It’d be more rude to ignore my wishes,” Maes retorts.
“That’s fighting dirty,” Al grouses, prompting Maes to laugh.
“Nothing else has worked has it?” he asks, amusement still coloring his voice. Not waiting for an answer he changes the subject. “I’m surprised Winry or her granny didn’t answer the phone.”
“Granny has a patient and Winry is packing her gear. She’s sure brother put his automail through hell and wants to make sure she has everything for a thorough maintenance check.”
“Which is highly likely,” Maes quips. “I’m glad you’ll be joining us for the party Saturday. I know you’ve got to be exhausted from your trip.”
“I’m not that exhausted,” Al reassures him. “It’s just another short train ride and it gives me the chance to see brother sooner. Plus, I’m also eager to meet Kisa.”
“Good point,” Maes agrees and wonders if this Elric would believe him about Kisa. “Hey, Al, so it’s not too much of a shock for you, I want to let you know Kisa happens to be a dead ringer for Ed. Except for her gender, of course.”
The line falls silent for several moments and Maes sighs softly, preparing for the inevitable laughter.
“As in identical looking?” Al finally asks in surprise, stunning Maes.
“It’s true,” he chuckles in relief. “Both Ed and Winry are convinced I’m joking.”
“You told brother and Winry already?”
“Tried to. I told Winry when I invited her for the party and I told Ed today on the ride home. Neither believed me.”
Al chuckles, “They should know you wouldn’t joke about something like that.” Becoming thoughtful, he asks, “Should I try convincing Winry of the truth?”
“Nah,” Maes waves it off. “She set herself up and we get to enjoy watching her reaction when she meets Kisa.”
“It’ll be worth it,” Al agrees with a laugh. “How did brother react?”
“They haven’t met yet,” Maes explains. “Kisa is apprehensive about meeting him and is currently avoiding him by helping Gracia in the kitchen and Ed is presently taking a shower and settling in.”
“Please, call me later to tell me how it went. Now I wish we had left today,” Al complains playfully.
“It’s fine,” Maes laughs. “She’ll still be here when you arrive. But I will call you later with all the sordid details.”
“Deal. Talk to you later, Mr…”
“Al…” Maes warningly cuts him off.
“Maes,” Al hastily corrects himself.
“Better,” Maes nods, not bothering to suppress the amusement in his voice. “Talk to you later.”
He could hear the smile in Al’s voice.
“Okay, bye.”
After hanging up, Maes wanders into the kitchen. He notes Elicia happily chattering away to Kisa about Ed as they move about, gathering the utensils and linens and carrying them through the other doorway into the dining room. The little girl doesn’t notice how Kisa hardly makes any comments.
Maes takes a step to follow, but Gracia catches his eye from where she stands near the oven. With a slight shake of her head her expression makes it clear now is not the time to push Kisa into talking.
Sighing, Maes walks over to her and kisses her on the cheek, asking, “What can I do to help?”
“Would you please get the tea tray ready and carry it into the dining room?”
“Sure.”
A short while later he heads back upstairs to let Ed know lunch is ready. He rounds the corner of the banister as Ed emerges from his room, showered and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
“Ready to eat?” Maes asks turning and heading back down the stairs.
“That’s a stupid question,” Ed snorts, following him.
“Nice to know traveling has ruined your impeccable manners, Ed,” Maes quips.
“You’ve still got a flair for the unhelpfully obvious,” Ed retorts, rolling his eyes as they step onto the landing and head into the kitchen.
“Have to. I’m surrounded by people who overlook the obvious.” Ignoring Ed’s glare, he adds, “Speaking of the obvious, I still need to introduce you to Kisa.”
Hearing their voices drift down the hallway, Kisa reluctantly removes her apron and grabs her cane where she left it leaning against a cabinets while she helped Gracia carry the food to the dining room table. She steps forward when Maes enters the kitchen followed by Ed.
Gracia and Elicia watch as he steps off to the side to join them so Ed can see Kisa as she stops right in front of him.
“I’d like you to meet Kisa Namikaze, Ed. Your double,” Maes grins at his dumbstruck expression.
Ed continues staring in stunned disbelief as Kisa lightly claps her hands in front of her chest and bows.
“It’s my honor.”
When he doesn’t respond and continues staring, her eyes drift to her left over to Maes and a blonde brow arches at him.
Throwing up his hands defensively, he explains, “I told Ed in the car. He didn’t believe me.”
Before she can reply, she’s startled into leaning back slightly when Ed leans in uncomfortably close, scowling in intense scrutiny.
“There’s no way in hell, this has to be a joke,” he mutters.
Without thinking he raises a hand over a breast to test how much of her is real. Gold eyes promptly widen in surprise as a matching pair fiercely glares back.
“Unless you want me to test whether you’re really a boy, you better not make contact,” she growls warningly.
Ed feels something hard pressed firmly against his crotch. Daring to glance down he sees it’s a walking cane emphasizing her point. Snapping to his senses, Ed jumps away from her.
Pointing an accusing finger, he shouts, “How the fuck do y…”
Kisa cracking him on the head with her cane cuts him off. Grabbing the front of his shirt she pulls him close so they’re nose to nose.
Glaring into his eyes, she snarls, “You’re understandably shocked, but watch your language! Show respect for people kind enough to open their home to you after a long journey and apologize. We look alike. Get over it.”
Releasing his shirt with a slight push, he glares back while rubbing the spot she nailed.
“I’ll finish setting the table,” she mutters, as she grabs a tray and shuffles out of the room.
Feeling the weight of someone’s stare, Ed looks around and sees all three Hughes gaping in shock.
“Sorry for cursing and not believing you, Hughes,” Ed sullenly apologizes while stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“Won’t be quiet when Kisa and little big brother are together,” Elicia giggles.
Gracia shushes her while Maes laughs, “It’s all right. Lunch is ready and we should eat.”
Grudgingly, Ed acquiesces as Maes steps forward to guide him and Elicia into the dining room while Gracia grabs the remaining tray.
It had to be the most interesting lunch at home ever. Ed eagerly answers their questions about his travels in between surreptitiously glaring at Kisa, who in turn pointedly ignores him from her seat across the table while eating in silence.
When lunch is over, she and Elicia help Gracia clean up while Maes leads Ed into the sitting room.
“Couldn’t you find a less violent ward?” Ed grouses, causing Maes to laugh.
Calming down, he asks, “So you don’t think you deserved your scolding?”
“Hey, but, I…” Ed stumbles over his words before sullenly pouting. “Yeah, but she’s still violent.”
Smiling fondly Maes settles into an armchair.
“Not really. This is the first time she’s reacted strongly like that to anyone.”
Reaching up, Ed rubs the spot she nailed.
“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t think so otherwise.” He glowers at the chuckling older man before asking, “So how did you find her?”
“Like I said, it’s a long story,” Maes points out. “You’ve got to be tired from your trip. Do you really want to hear it now?”
“I’ve got the time,” Ed shrugs. “I’m curious how you found her and why she’s here now.”
Maes nods and begins retelling about his time in Azambra. Midway through the story Kisa shuffles into the room bearing a tea tray on her right arm since the cane occupied her left.
“Where’s Gracia? Isn’t she joining us?” Maes asks, rising to his feet to help her set the tray down on the coffee table.
“She’s preparing Elicia for her nap before returning to the kitchen to finish working on dinner and dessert,” Kisa answers.
“Are you going to join us for tea before going back to help Gracia?” he asks, resuming his seat.
Placing a cup on a saucer to pour out some tea, Kisa shakes her head, grumbling, “Aunt Gracia ordered me to stay out of her kitchen and relax.”
She steps over to him, holding out the cup. Taking the proffered tea from her, Maes grins knowingly.
“I’m telling Ed about how we met.”
“How far did you get?” she asks, preparing another cup.
“Before Kyoko died.”
Kisa nods as she hands Ed a cup.
“Thanks,” he mutters, eyeing her warily.
“You’re welcome,” she nods again.
She prepares a third cup before picking it up and carrying it with her over to the lounge seat at the end of the room. On the floor in front of it sits her sewing basket.
Incredulous she’s joining them, Ed asks, “Aren’t you uncomfortable we’re talking about what happened in Azambra?”
“Not really,” she shrugs. “Uncle is merely sharing how we met and he can’t do that if he has to edit the narrative for my comfort.” Briefly dropping her gaze she admits, “It’s what happened and I can’t deny the truth, especially when he’s recounting what he witnessed first hand. Changing the story for my benefit would be like forcing him to lie.”
“I certainly appreciate that,” Maes smirks, prompting Kisa to smile softly and Ed to grin before sipping his tea.
Throughout the rest of the story Ed repeatedly steals glances at Kisa. She calmly continues sewing what looks like a little girl’s dress. He’s certain she’s not as unaffected as she appears.
“And no one said anything after that family was punished?” Ed asks in incredulous horror when Maes recounts the public punishment he and the twins had to witness.
“They were too scared to. Plus the cadres were watching the crowed very closely for the wrong reaction.”
“That’s pretty fu…” Ed pauses and spares a wary glance at his look-alike and hastily corrects himself. “Messed up.”
“It is,” Maes agrees, unable to resist smirking.
Kisa captures their attention when she sets her sewing on the end of the lounge. Standing up she steps over to the coffee table. Gathering their empty cups and saucers on it she picks it up.
“I’m going to take this to the kitchen and see if Aunt Gracia needs my help now. Excuse me.”
“Okay,” Maes nods and waits until she’s out of the room before continuing the rest of the story.
“Damn, Hughes,” Ed shakes his head. “You just can’t keep things simple. You just gotta stick your nose in other people’s business, don’t you?” he teases.
Maes chuckles, not denying his words.
“So what happened to Kyo?” Ed blithely asks. “Why is she here and he isn’t? Or is he immigrating later?”
He watches the older man’s expression soften.
“Because he’s dead,” Maes replies, shocking Ed. “Kisa confirmed it but hasn’t been able to talk about it yet.” A thoughtful expression crosses his face as he adds, “Makes sense since he was her twin and they did everything together.”
Ed’s expression softens with understanding as he quietly says, “Yeah.” Shaking it off he asks, “Is she using a cane because of what she went through in Azambra?”
“I only wish,” Maes rolls his eyes and explains what happened thanks to Hakuro’s idiocy.
Ed’s expression becomes stormy.
“Hakuro is a moron and needs to be knocked around until he’s injured to feel what it’s like,” he growls.
“Are you really upset his actions injured Kisa or at the fact he thought she was trying to pretend to be you in drag?” Maes asks facetiously.
Ed’s only answer is a particularly dour glare that causes him to bust out laughing. Calming moments later he glances up at the clock.
“I’ve got to make a phone call before it gets too late.”
“Gives me a chance to use the bathroom,” Ed sighs out while stretching.
“Follow me. There’s a bathroom on this floor next to my office.”
Both men stand up and Maes leads him to the bathroom before stepping into his office next door. Easing back into his chair he picks up the handset and calls Resembool again.
“Rockbell Automail,” Winry cheerfully answers.
“Hi, Winry.”
“Hi, Mr., er, Maes,” she stumbles.
“Good, girl,” he compliments with a grin. “Did Al tell you Ed arrived here safely?”
“Yes he did,” she replies again cheerfully, relieved he’s not teasing her over her faux pas.
“Excellent. Don’t mean to be rude, but dinner will be ready soon and I need to talk to Al for a moment.”
“Sure thing. We’ll be seeing each other soon anyway,” she reminds him.
“Yes, we will. And don’t forget to bring a coat and an umbrella. Rain is expected this weekend.”
“Okay,” Winry laughs. “You really need to turn off the ‘parent mode’ or you’ll stress out worrying about all of us.”
“It’s hardwired into me and you kids need it,” he quips, earning another laugh.
“Whatever you say. Let me get Al.”
A couple minutes pass before Al picks up the phone.
“What happened?” he eagerly asks without a greeting.
“If I had more time I’d torture you about it,” Maes laughs before describing Ed and Kisa’s memorable first meeting.
Maes grins and listens to Al laughing hysterically on the line. Noticing Ed peeking in the open doorway, he waves him closer as he hears Al calm enough to speak.
“I really can’t wait to see when Winry meets Kisa.”
“That’ll be real soon,” Maes agrees as Ed stops in front of his desk with a confused look on his face. “Hey, Al, would you like to speak with Ed before you hang up?”
“Yeah,” Al happily replies at the same time Ed’s face lights up.
“Here, Ed,” Maes holds out the handset while moving out of the way so he can sit in the chair.
Leaving the teen alone, he disappears from the room to head toward the kitchen to see if Gracia and Kisa need help with dinner.
“Hi, daddy!” Elicia greets him from her mother’s side at the counter. Kisa looks up from the carrots she is slicing on a cutting board at the far section of the counter to smile before resuming her task.
Stepping closer he smiles, asking Gracia, “Need another hand in here?”
Reaching over to fondly stroke her daughter’s head, Gracia declines, “No, thank you. I’ve got plenty of helpers. Go keep Ed company.”
“Let me know if you change your mind,” he grins, turning to leave again.
Stepping inside his study he hears Ed say, “We’ll catch up when you get here.” After a brief pause he adds, “Take care, little brother.”
Maes lifts his right leg to perch on the edge of his desk as Ed places the handset back on the cradle.
“Have a nice chat with Al?”
“Yeah,” he smiles fondly. “It was great. I can’t wait until they get here.”
Maes’ expression becomes serious.
“Al’s arrival might make things complicated.”
“What do you mean?” Ed asks, frowning in confusion.
Slipping off the desk, he leans forward and pulls the top drawer closest to him open. Reaching in he pulls out a photo and hands it to Ed.
“That was taken when Kisa and Kyo were seven.”
Ed stares down at the photo in disbelief. It could’ve easily been of him and Al, except the clothing is really different.
“I’m concerned about Al coming because he’s Kyo’s double,” Maes explains.
Perching back on the edge of his desk he patiently waits while Ed processes this new information.
Finally looking up, Ed asks, “Does Kisa know?”
“Yeah,” Maes grimly nods before sharing the story of how she learned the truth.
While he speaks, Ed studies the photo in his hand.
“Maybe Al coming isn’t such a good idea,” he muses when Maes finished.
“I suggested canceling, but Kisa insists it’ll be okay,” he shrugs helplessly. “Her point is there’s no changing the fact Al looks just like Kyo and she has to accept it sooner or later.” Sighing heavily, he adds, “She’s being stubborn. She doesn’t like feeling she’s inconveniencing anyone or being a burden.”
“She’s an idiot,” Ed huffs.
“Maybe,” Maes grins briefly “Either way, I haven’t been able to figure out how to warn Al without making him feel uncomfortable. So far the best plan is to leave it alone. I wanted to give you a heads up so you know why Kisa might disappear suddenly while he’s here and can explain it to him if he notices.”
“He’d notice,” Ed agrees. “Winry too.”
“I plan on watching and running interference if need be.”
“Nothing is ever simple is it?” Ed grumbles irritably.
“Nope,” Maes chuckles.
“If I get a chance, I’ll warn Al as soon as he gets here,” he sighs wearily. “Between the three of us we can clue Winry in on it.” Rolling his eyes, he adds, “She’s going to be a blubbering mess on Kisa’s behalf.”
Maes grins, remembering how emotional Winry was when she learned he was still alive.
“We’ll just have to deal with it as it comes. I just wanted to make you aware.”
“Thanks because it would’ve sucked to find out the hard way.”
A knock on the doorframe attracts both their attention to Kisa standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry for interrupting, but dinner is ready.”
“Thanks, Kisa,” Maes replies while sliding off the desk again.
Following Kisa toward the dining room, a thoughtful Ed silently trails behind them.
The remainder of the night passes quietly after dinner. After Elicia has her bath and is put to bed, Kisa, Ed and Gracia remain in the sitting room reading and chatting, or in Kisa’s case, quietly sewing. Maes disappears into his study to work on several documents he brought home since he left work early with Ed.
When Kisa begins collecting the different components of the dress she’s working on together and cleaning up, Gracia looks up from her book.
“Are you done for the night?”
“Yes, aunt,” she replies as she finishes arranging everything into a neat pile. “I’ll go wish uncle goodnight before going to bed.” Rising to her feet she looks at both Gracia and Ed. “Goodnight and pleasant dreams.”
“Sleep well, Kisa,” Gracia replies.
“G’night,” Ed responds absently as he returns his attention to his book.
Gracia watches the girl leave the room.
“She’s not much of a talker is she?” Ed asks, surprising her.
Looking over at him, Gracia smiles fondly.
“No she isn’t. Kisa is too used to her opinions not mattering and being discouraged from sharing them. She’s slowly changing since she defied convention.” At Ed’s confused expression she explains further, “Family is the focus of Azambran customs. Marriages are typically arranged and girls marry young at thirteen. There, a woman’s value judged by the match she makes and what she brings into the marriage through family connections.”
“She’s expected to marry?” Ed gapes. “What the hell?” he demands in outrage. “Hughes isn’t going to try marrying her off is he? He’s always going on about how I should find myself a good wife and some other bullshit,” he grumbles irritably.
“Not at all,” Gracia laughs. “He wants Kisa to live her life the way she wants to and make her own choices.”
Ed sighs in relief before scowling.
“Then why does he pester me about it every chance he gets?”
“You’ll have to ask Maes,” she replies, amusement coloring her voice. “When she arrived we discussed it at length. If Kisa lived alone among the refugees, she’d be under constant pressure to marry. She’d also be a target for predators wishing to take advantage of the fact she has no family.”
“Why would she be a target? It’s nobody business how she lives her life.”
“Without her parents others see her as unprotected and her decisions would be constantly questioned,” Gracia explains. Holding Ed’s gaze she adds, “As a man who has seen a lot of the world, what do you think would be the intention of unscrupulous men when they’d see a young woman like Kisa?”
Ed’s frown deepens as he growls, “Some pretty bad things.”
Briefly closing her eyes, Gracia nods.
“It’s not so difficult for Amestrian women. We aren’t penalized if we focus on a career over family. We are encouraged to express ourselves and find our own paths. Kisa scandalized her people by immigrating to a foreign country alone and expressing a desire to support herself. Even on her journey here, she was pressured daily to contact a matchmaker. She’s defying the convention that men are supposed to support the women and it puts her at great risk. So Maes and I decided we’d offer her a place in our family, so she can reclaim her freedom and life. It’s a small gesture compared to what she and Kyo did for him.”
“It’s a damn good thing Kisa got her ass out of Azambra,” Ed grunts. “She probably would’ve gotten stuck married to some drunk who’d keep hurting her or worse.”
Gracia smiles warmly.
“I’m glad Kisa accepted our offer to move in. She’s a lovely girl who deserves a chance at happiness.”
“I don’t know about the ‘lovely’ part,” Ed huffs. “She’s a mean spirited sadist.” Smirking, he adds, “She’s tough for doing what she wanted the first chance she got.”
Gracia smiles wider, knowing Ed is already won over by Kisa, even if he won’t admit it.
“Do you have anything special planned tomorrow?”
Mulling it over, Ed replies, “Not really. I thought I’d head to the library. There were some interesting things I learned in the west, but I want to do some light research to keep it fresh in my head.”
“I’ll pack you a lunch,” she states. “Normally I’d suggest you take Kisa, but she’s still not fully recovered and is restricted from doing a lot of walking. It would’ve been nice for her to start getting familiar with the library and possibly start catching up on the learning she missed out on as a child.”
A puzzled frown creases Ed’s brow.
“What do you mean?”
“Kisa was pulled out of school early to learn how to become a homemaker from her mother.”
“What kind of garbage is that?”
“Well, since she was expected to marry young, it makes sense she’d have to learn that early too.”
Ed shakes his head while rolling his eyes, carelessly asking, “So Kisa needs a babysitter and a tutor?”
Instinct prompts him to immediately identify the source of danger. He recoils at Gracia’s uncharacteristically stern glare. He mentally chastises himself for forgetting it isn’t Maes who rules the Hughes roost, it’s her. He and Al learned that the hard way when they got into their first fight after Al got his body back. Gracia went into scolding mother mode so fast it was dizzying.
In a gentle tone that shouldn’t be possible, Gracia tersely states, “I thought it’d be a nice way for you two to get to know each other since you both enjoy reading.”
“Sorry for assuming she needs a babysitter and a tutor,” Ed grins nervously. “It’s been a long trip and I wasn’t thinking.”
In the back of his mind he knows Gracia really does want him to help Kisa.
Clearing his throat, he adds, “Maybe Kisa will be up for going to the library next week and she can go with Al and me.”
“That sounds lovely,” Gracia smiles approvingly. “Unfortunately, she hasn’t been able to get out of the house since she arrived. Only to her doctor, therapy and one shopping trip we all took together.”
“That must suck. She’s what, been in Central for about three weeks now and hasn’t gone anywhere?”
“Exactly.”
“It’s probably just as well she’s got this time to recuperate,” Ed muses thoughtfully. “Once Winry gets here she’ll be dragging Kisa around everywhere.”
Gracia laughs, admitting, “I forgot, but that’s true.”
Both continue reading and chatting for another hour until it’s time to turn in for the night.
The following morning Maes barely sits down at his desk to start his day at Central Command when a serious looking Armstrong enters his office.
“How did Edward Elric behave towards Kisa?”
Maes can’t resist chuckling at the hard glint in his friend’s eyes.
“It went fine,” he assures him before detailing what happened.
Crossing his arms, Armstrong huffs, “Edward certainly needs to learn how to behave better. If he wishes not to be treated like a child he should behave more like an adult. However, Kisa certainly did an admirable job putting that firebrand in his place.”
Smirking, Maes says, “See? Didn’t I tell you yesterday not to worry about Ed’s comments because Kisa would take care of it?”
Armstrong nods.
“I apologize for doubting you.”
The two men chat for a few minutes and Maes brings him up to speed on what’s going on with the kids. After Armstrong leaves, Maes signs a few time critical documents for Sheska before leaving to pay a visit to Roy.
He doesn’t even make it halfway across the outer office before he’s practically tackled by Breda, Falman and Fuery.
“Tell us what happened, Hughes!” Breda demands impatiently.
“Is your house still standing?” Fuery quips as Falman stands behind him, nodding.
Before Maes can reply, the ominous click of a hammer cocking sends them scrambling back to their desks in record time.
“I thought you’d be just as eager to hear what happened, Hawkeye,” Maes chuckles as the three men surreptitiously scowl or glance warily at their commanding officer.
Coming to stand next to him, Riza admits, “I am, but they still have work they can do while hearing what happened.”
“We’re all eager to hear it,” Roy adds, emerging from his office. “It’s not everyday Fullmetal comes face to face with his female double.”
Crossing his arms, Maes grins, “As tempting as it is to torture you, it’s simply too good not to share.”
He spends the next few minutes detailing Ed’s reaction when he tried warning him in the car on the way home all the way up to the actual meeting. When he finishes, Breda, Falman and Fuery bust up laughing while Roy chuckles and Riza smirks and shakes her head.
“It won’t be boring in the Hughes household,” Fuery muses in amusement.
“That’s an understatement,” Roy snorts. “It’ll be a battlefield. Fullmetal is going to push the boundaries with Kisa.”
“True,” Maes smirks. “But Kisa has years of experience dealing with all the brothers she had.”
Shocked, Breda repeats, “Brothers? How many did she have?”
“Aside from Kyo, five and one sister who were all older.”
As the others, except Roy, reel in shock, Riza quips, “I’ll say Kisa is more than capable of handling Edward.”
The three men mutter their agreement.
“On that note I need to talk to you privately for a moment,” Maes turns to Roy.
Certain he’s going to get bombarded with more pictures, Roy sighs in irritation and turns back into his office with Maes right on his heels.
Crossing to his desk, Roy asks, “What do you want now? Don’t you have work to do?”
“Yes, more than my division can handle, which is why I came to ask a favor.”
A black brow arches while Roy settles in his chair. As much of a pain in the ass Maes can be, it’s rare he asks for favors. Once Maes settles in a seat across from him he starts explaining.
“My division is buried in work that’s time sensitive. Al and Winry’s train arrives Friday and I can’t spare anyone to pick them up. I was wondering if you or one of your subordinates could pick them up and bring them back to Central Command?”
“Certainly,” Roy agrees easily. “I need to talk to Al anyway.”
At Maes’ questioning look he takes his turn to detail the offer he made to Ed the previous day.
“You want Ed to reenlist and recruit Al as a state alchemist?” Maes asks in surprise when he finishes.
Roy nods and proceeds to detail the conditions and restrictions.
“Even if hostilities break out,” he emphasizes minutes later, “they wouldn’t get sent to the front as long as they don’t complete academy training.”
Reeling, Maes takes a moment to absorb all the information.
“Bradley’s regime really liked to play fast and loose with the rules didn’t they?” he muses darkly. “If Ed wasn’t marked a precious sacrifice by those homunculus bastards, the brass wouldn’t have thought twice about sending him into battle.”
“Agreed. It was certainly a surprise when we found that obscure rule while working on the plan to restructure the state alchemist program. If Ed and Al join the new program it will go a long way in helping to reform it into what it should’ve been all along, a service to the military that would benefit all citizens of Amestris.”
Crossing his arms, Maes frowns.
“I’m still not comfortable with them being back in the military since they’re still so young, but they would shake things into place.” A mischievous grin spreads across his face. “And if it didn’t fit, they’d blow it up and start over.”
Roy groans while rubbing his forehead.
“That’s the biggest drawback; their tendency to destroy more than create.”
Maes chuckles, not negating Roy’s statement.
“Both are better suited working for the military than as civilians,” Maes concedes, scratching the edge of his beard thoughtfully. “Both love the adventure too much to give it up entirely. Plus, the new program gives them more control and freedom as well as the perks. Not that it means much, but it certainly makes me feel better knowing all that should both decide to join.”
“I wouldn’t be attempting to recruit them this time if it weren’t for that rule,” Roy shrugs.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up with two Elrics serving under you.” Rising to his feet, he adds, “I’ve got to head back to the nightmare of paperwork deluging my office. Catch you later,” he waves lazily as he leaves Roy glowering down at his own stack of paperwork.
Despite his best efforts, Maes doesn’t succeed in escaping work until well after dark. While driving home he ponders how much he loves his job, but hates how days like this steal time from his family and he becomes painfully aware of how twice already the job nearly took him away from his family. Had he chosen any other career he would’ve never crossed paths with the homunculi nor been sent to his death on a fool’s errand into Azambra.
Stepping out of his car, he shakes off those thoughts and trudges up the steps to his front door. He finds it a little odd no one is in the sitting room as he passes it to hang his coat in the hall closet under the stairs, but hears voices distantly drifting from the kitchen. Heading down the hallway, he briefly stops in his study to put his briefcase on his desk before going into the kitchen.
Stopping just inside the doorway, he looks on in confusion at the scene playing out in front of him. At the table to the left of the doorway, Ed and Kisa sit opposite of each other with their arms crossed engaging in a narrowed eyed glaring contest.
“Hi, uncle,” Kisa greets sullenly without breaking eye contact. Ed merely grunts.
“Daddy!” Elicia joyously cries, racing forward to be scooped up by Maes.
“Hi, princess,” he smiles, kissing her cheek and carrying her while stepping over to Gracia.
“Welcome home,” Gracia greets him before meeting his kiss.
Breaking apart, he glances back over at the two blonds sitting at the table.
“What’s going on?”
“I made them sit and wait for you because they’ve been picking at each other since Ed returned from the library earlier this evening,” Gracia explains, amusement clear in her tone.
“I was not!” Ed protests, shifting his glare to Gracia.
“You were too!” Kisa snaps, drawing his attention back to her. “You’ve been rude all afternoon and to uncle in not properly greeting him and now in cutting off Aunt Gracia.”
“It’s been like this the entire time,” Gracia explains, fighting a smile.
“I didn’t start it,” Ed huffs without breaking eye contact with Kisa. “I mentioned something I discovered during my research today that it’s highly unlikely for two unrelated individuals to be identical if they don’t share the same parents.” He leans his forearm across the table and gestures at her with his other hand, adding, “She got an attitude about it. And this is that I brought her a really good book on dressmaking and the history of Amestris.”
It’s Kisa’s turn to huff dismissively while leaning forward slightly.
“I did thank him for the books. Shows he’s capable of being thoughtful. Sometimes.” Crossing her arms, she pointedly ignores his snarl. “Naturally I’d get upset at being called a genetic freak of nature that spontaneously mutated into looking like him.”
“Oooh, Ed…” Maes winces.
“It’s fine,” she closes her eyes briefly and shrugs dismissively. “He is merely attempting to cover up the fact he’s proof positive that certain faces shouldn’t be on the opposite gender.” Her gaze becomes more pointed. “Some faces look a lot better on girls.”
Slamming his hands on the table, Ed’s mouth curls into a snarl while pushing himself to stand up. His butt doesn’t even leave his seat because of a firm hand pressing down on his head. Two sets of surprised gold eyes snap to Maes standing next to the table between them with a hand planted firmly on top of identical blond heads.
Looking between the two, he says, “Good. I have your attention. You both need to listen without interrupting.” Dropping his hands away to cross his arms, he turns to Kisa. “That wasn’t a very nice thing to say to Ed, was it?” Before she can answer he turns to Ed. “And that wasn’t a very nice thing you said earlier either, was it?”
“No it wasn’t,” both mumble reluctantly before simultaneously pointing fingers accusingly at each other. “He/she started it!”
Loudly clearing his throat Maes stares both down, prompting them to drop their hands and sullenly settle down.
“You both said things that were rather mean spirited, so you’re both at fault regardless of who started it. You both need to apologize.”
Two pairs of gold eyes narrow at him before glaring at their mirror out of the corner of their eyes.
“Go on,” Maes orders in a voice with no give and a stern gaze to match.
Shifting forward to face each other across the table again, both cross their arms and silently glare until Maes pointedly clears his throat again.
“Sorry,” both sullenly mumble before turning away from each other in a huff.
Maes struggles to fight down a laugh because both are in perfect sync glaring off to their respective rights.
Elicia giggles and Gracia shushes her before asking, “Would you like to eat, Maes?”
“Yes, please,” he replies, sinking into a seat between the two pouting blonds and forces them into chatting with him.
The rest of the evening passes without incident, but Maes is certain this battle will be the first of many.
“Unngh,” Kisa gasps in pain, jolting awake.
Struggling against the bed covers, she reaches down and tries massaging the knot in the back of her lower left leg. When that doesn’t work, she shifts into a sitting position. Gritting her teeth against the pain she eases off the bed, using her hands to support herself on the edge of mattress while putting her full weight on her leg and carefully stretches and bends it repeatedly.
A soft sigh of relief escapes her lips when the pain finally subsides. Slipping back into bed, she pulls the covers back over herself and settles into a comfortable position. Minutes later she tries another. After pointlessly tossing and turning for another half hour, she finally gives up in frustration.
Slipping out of bed again she shuffles as quietly as she can across the room, deliberately leaving her cane behind, and slowly heads downstairs towards the kitchen.
Carefully making her way across the darkened kitchen, she heads straight to the walk in pantry on the other side of the room. Opening the pantry door, she steps inside and reaches up to tug a drawstring, bathing the small room in a muted yellow glow. Enough light spills out for her to move around the kitchen safely. Easing a kettle out of a cupboard, she steps to the sink located halfway along the same outer wall as the pantry and fills it with water before moving further away to the stove located toward the middle of the adjacent wall below a window. Placing the kettle on a burner, she lights it.
Crossing back to another cupboard, she brings out a ceramic teapot painted in delicate flowers and sets it on the counter before ducking back to the pantry. Returning with a canister in her hands, she measures out chamomile tea into the wire infuser basket of the teapot.
After putting the canister away, she shuffles over to the window over the sink and gazes up at the full moon hanging bright and high in the sky.
“There’s a ring around the moon,” a male voice muses, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin and slap a hand over her mouth. “Guess it’s definitely gonna rain tomorrow.”
Looking over her shoulder, she finds Ed standing right behind her, gazing out the window.
Lowering her hand, she hoarsely snaps, “Don’t do that!”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he shrugs, before returning his gaze out the window. “Thought you heard me. I wasn’t even trying to be quiet.”
Running a shaky hand through her bangs, she asks, “Why are you up? I didn’t wake you did I?”
Still looking out the window Ed waves it off.
“Nah, I was having trouble sleeping and heard you moving around.”
“Nosy,” she snorts. Ignoring his glare, she asks, “Would you like some tea? I thought chamomile might help me relax and get back to sleep.”
“Sure,” Ed shrugs again. Grabbing the teapot off the counter, he turns and walks over to kitchen table.
Glancing down, Kisa notices his metal leg. Her eyes widen a little in shock, but she doesn’t comment on it.
As she opens a cupboard to get their teacups, Ed asks, “Whose shirt is that you’re wearing? It’s huge on you.”
“It’s an old shirt of uncle’s,” she explains, joining him at the table. “Aunt Gracia gave me a couple to use as a nightgown when I first came home injured because they were very loose on me. They’re really comfortable, so I’ve continued using them.”
Her hearing picks up the sound of the water roiling inside the kettle. Moving back over to the stove she shuts it off. Using a potholder, she carries the kettle over to the table.
As she pours the steaming water into the teapot, Ed asks, “How come you’re up?”
Returning the kettle to the stove to cool off, she admits, “A bad leg cramp woke me up. I tried going back to sleep, but couldn’t.” Sighing in frustration, she eases back into her seat. “There’s a lot to do tomorrow to prepare for more house guests and to get ready for Saturday’s party. I don’t want to be slowed down because I’m tired.”
“Or could you be thinking too much about Al arriving tomorrow?” Ed astutely asks. Kisa’s shocked gaze snaps to him, prompting him to answers her silent question. “Hughes told me about Kyo.”
He watches her silently struggle before relenting with a soft sigh.
“I’m mostly reconciled with the fact Al looks like Kyo,” she explains quietly as her gaze drops to the tabletop. “But it doesn’t make me any less nervous to meet him. I’m trying hard not to dread seeing Kyo’s face on someone else.”
“Little brothers are pretty special,” he muses fondly, breaking the ensuing silence moments later. Kisa looks up to see him smiling softly as his gaze grows distant. “They can be royal pain in the asses, but the best partners in crime.” Focusing back on her, he adds, “Al wouldn’t have been upset if Hughes asked him to cancel.”
Kisa exhales in frustration as she pours out the tea into both cups.
“Meeting him later doesn’t mean it’ll be easier.” In a softer voice she adds, “If I were you, I’d want to see my little brother as soon as possible after being separated for a year. It’s not fair to inconvenience anyone else.”
Ed considers her words before shaking his head in amusement.
“It would’ve been fun to see Al and Kyo meet.”
Kisa surprises him with a smirk.
“Kyo would’ve gotten a huge kick out of it. He would’ve then started thinking of ways to use our appearance to cause mischief.”
“Are you serious?”
“You have no idea how much Kyo and our brothers were pranksters,” Kisa emphasizes. “He thought it was cool when uncle told us about how I looked exactly like you.” A fond smile crosses her lips. “If he were alive, he’d be sitting up with us, unable to sleep because he’d be giddy at meeting Al in the morning.”
There wasn’t anything Ed could really say to that, so he lets the silence stretch out as she drifts off for a few moments. Shaking off her thoughts, she picks up her tea.
Taking a sip, she asks, “What’s keeping you awake?”
Ed catches himself as he starts to shrug.
“A bad nightmare,” he admits. “I always have trouble going back to sleep after one.”
“The worst ones are from memories we don’t want to remember,” she muses thoughtfully.
Holding Ed’s startled gaze, a silent understanding passes between them. Ed nods as he lifts his cup to take a sip.
“If you don’t mind my asking,” Kisa hesitantly ventures after a couple minutes of silence. “I noticed your left leg is metal, is that automail?”
Frowning slightly, Ed says, “Yeah it is. Haven’t you seen automail before?”
She shyly shakes her head.
“I only learned about it last week.”
Ed watches her gaze drop to her hands resting on the table near her teacup. The fingers of her right gently trace along fingerless knuckles of her left.
“The specialist said it isn’t looking good for my hand. Recurring infections damaged the nerves and circulation. Chances are very good I’ll lose it, maybe even my forearm.”
Ed’s startled eyes snaps up to meet her solemn gaze.
“For a long time, in the back of my mind, I knew I’d lose my hand, but couldn’t admit it. I can’t deny it anymore,” she sighs heavily. “Although the doctor says there’s a chance I may not lose it, he wasn’t very optimistic. The infections hurt and seem to get worse every time.” Her voice softens with a hint of fearfulness. “I’m afraid the next one will be so bad it’ll kill me, but I’m scared to lose my hand too.” Taking a deep, calming breath, she adds, “Riza told me about automail and I’m curious about it.”
Ed takes a sip of his tea before quietly stating, “The surgery for automail hurts like hell. That’s why a lot of people don’t do it.”
Kisa considers it.
“Do you regret it?”
“Hell no,” Ed smirks. “The pain was worth it. It moves a lot better than a regular prosthetic. The ports in my stump hurts like hell when it’s really cold or it’s about to rain,” he shrugs. “But other than regular maintenance, it’s been pretty convenient.”
“Can I take a closer look at your leg sometime?” she asks hesitantly. “I’d like to learn more so I can consider my options when the time comes.”
“Sure,” he shrugs. “You’ll get a lot more info if you talk to Winry when she gets here. She’s my mechanic and built my leg.”
Kisa gapes in surprise.
“She made your leg?”
“Yeah,” Ed nods.
He begins sharing Winry’s background and how she became an automail mechanic, prompting Kisa to ask more questions as they work through the teapot.
Both fail to notice Maes watching from the shadows of the kitchen door, smiling.
- 9
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- 11
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Chapter 1