I started writing this months ago, I think back when there was a rather large thunder storm last springtime. I got most of the way through and had no idea how to finish it. But I've finally managed.
It's just a one-shot, no sequels lined up for this one.
It's set after the manga has finished, so it does have spoilers. I warned you!
Disclaimer: FMA is not mine.
Please enjoy and review!
Winry Rockbell stood at the window staring out at the storm that was raging outside.
"I don't know, you come home and bring bad weather with you." She turned to her childhood friends and sort of boyfriend who was lounging on the sofa.
"Hey don't blame me." Edward Elric looked over at her. Sighing he stood up and walked over to her. Standing behind her he placed his hands on her shoulders and his chin on the top of her head. She frowned, when had he grown? Now he was insufferable, taking every opportunity to illustrate he was now taller. What annoyed her most was the fact most of the time he didn't even know he was doing it.
"Looks like Al will be stuck somewhere. Wonder how long this will take till he can get home." Ed sighed, slumping slightly and putting more weight on her.
"You really miss him don't you?" she said fondly.
"Not really." Ed said.
"Don't make me laugh Ed. You suck at lying."
"Well don't ask stupid questions then. I spent practically my whole life with him by my side. I've been to hell and back again with him, several times. Of course I miss him."
Winry suddenly turned round and wrapped both arms around him, burying her head in his chest.
"W...Winry, what's this all of a sudden?" Ed asked slightly embarrassed.
"I missed both of you." Her voice was muffled by his chest.
"Silly." He replied wrapping his arms around her.
A bolt of lightning shot through the sky connecting with a power cable and plunging them into darkness. Ed noticed Winry was clinging to him tighter than she had been. He laughed.
"Still scared of lightning?"
"I...I...Oh shut up." She replied pushing him away. Her answer made him laugh even more. "Help me find some candles. It'd be sure nice if we had an alchemist in the house right now."
"Shut up you." Ed growled, moving through the house easily. He went to the kitchen where he knew the candle's and matches were stored. Winry came in as he was lighting candles. She was holding an oil lamp. Ed struck a match and lit it for her.
"Think you can get the generator going?" she asked, holding the lamp out to him.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Ed replied as he grabbed the lamp and stalked off.
In the hall he met Pinako, who'd just come down the stairs with a candle in her hand.
"Don't worry I'll have the generator on in a second." Ed said smiling as he passed and headed towards the back of the house.
There was a knock at the door and Winry went to open it. She recognised the man at the door and quickly let him in and shut out the storm. He stood dripping in her hall.
"Evening Miss Winry. Rumour is Edward's home, we need his help."
"Yeah he's here, he's switching on the generator at the moment." As she finished speaking the lights flickered on. "Looks like he's finished. Ed come here!" she called the last sentence out. It didn't take long for Ed to appear still holding the now extinguished oil lamp.
"What?" he asked rather rudely.
"Hey Edward nice to see you again."
"Oh hi Jack, what you doing here."
"A tree's come down on the track and the train from Youswell is on its way, phone line was cut off before we could call down the next station to stop it there."
"That's Al's train isn't it?" Winry asked Ed.
"Probably, I don't what I can do, I can't do alchemy anymore."
"I heard, we trying to get enough men to haul the tree of the line. Will you help?"
"Sure." Ed passed the lamp to Winry and began pulling on his boots. After he donned a waterproof black trench coat he grabbed he patted Winry's head.
"I'll be back as soon as possible ok."
"Be safe." She replied as he disappeared out the door with a quick wave.
Ed let out a low whistle; the tree was a large oak.
"Wow, must've been a heck of a force to bring that down." He said to Jack.
"Yeah, going take a heck of a force to shift it too."
"Hate to break it to you mate but without an alchemist it's going take days to chop it up into moveable chunks."
"Thanks for your optimism. We don't have days the Youswell train is due in less than an hour."
"I'm being realistic. I'm a scientist." At that moment the station master walked up to them.
"Is this all the guys you could get Jack?"
"This is pretty much every able-bodied man in the area."
"Doesn't look good does it."
"Ed here thinks we don't have a hope in hell."
"I'd have to agree. Ed, help me set up flares to stop the train."
"Right." He followed the station master to the station where they collected the red flares. Then they headed down the tracks.
The station master called out to Ed to light the flares as the headlights of the train appeared far down the track. Once the flares were burning there red warning blaze Ed stood back and watched the train come to a slow screeching halt. He ran down to the engine, easily over taking the station master. He hopped up on to the step so he could lean in and talk to the train drivers.
"Tree on the line up ahead. It'll be a while before its clear. We're going to check the train for alchemist's who can help."
"Right."
Ed jumped off the step and ran down to the first carriage, he quickly pulled himself on, coming face to face with a disgruntled conductor.
"What's going on?" the conductor asked.
"A tree came down on the line up ahead, blocking the way into Resembol. We could do with an alchemist to help us shift it. My brother should be on board. Hair and eye's same colour as mine, travelling with a short Xingnese girl."
"Oh yes, I think I know who you mean, he's a couple of carriages down."
"Thanks." And Ed was off, leaving the poor station master behind him again.
Ed burst through the doors of the third carriage and instantly saw his rather surprised looking brother.
"Al, there you are. Glad you're ok. Hey Mei."
"Brother, you're soaked, why are you here, what's going on?"
"A tree fell across the line, care to come help."
"Why can't you non-alchemists handle it?"
"Don't you start too."
"Don't know what you mean."
"You coming?"
"Of course." Al responded. Ed grinned at his brother and was happy to see an answering one on Al's face. It'd been too long since he'd last seen his brother and he was enjoying the banter. He glanced at Al's clothes. They were a strange mix between Amestrian clothes and Xingnese. But they were thin, better for crossing the hot desert than trudging through and heavy downpour.
"You got a coat?" he asked. Al looked at him, then at his clothes, then out the window. He frowned.
"No." He answered. Ed sighed and shrugged off his thick coat.
"Dry it off and wear that, I'm soaked all ready."
"Is this a military coat?" Al asked as he clapped his hands and pressed then to the coat, causing steam to rise from it. Ed shrugged in a way that clearly mean 'yes'. Al pulled the coat on. In the past he would have argued, but he could see Ed was already soaked through, probably from not having done the coat up properly to start with. He also knew Ed's clothes were a lot better to cope with the weather than his.
Al turned back to drop a kiss on Mei's cheek and pat Xiao May on the head.
"I'll meet you at the station." She nodded confident that Al didn't need her help and also wanting to give the brother's some time together.
Al surveyed the tree across the line.
"It's pretty big, you think you can transmute it?" Ed asked, voice raised above the storm. Al arched an eyebrow at his brother, as if to say 'please, who do you think I am?' When he had determined everyone was watching him he gestured everyone to stand back. They obeyed immediately. Al gave Ed another look, this one saying 'watch this' and moved up to the tree. He took a deep breath, clapped his hands and pressed them palm down against the tree.
Alchemic energy crackled like blue lightening down the length of the tree. Ed grinned, he'd missed this. As the light faded everyone could see that the tree no longer lay across the track, now a stacked neatly were several planks of wood. With a sign from Al, everyone started moving to clear them off the tracks.
It didn't take long before the train was pulling into Resembool station with a triumphant whistle. Al quickly hopped back on to the train to help Mei with the luggage.
Winry took in the sight of the three drenched people standing in the hall. She had warm towels bundled in her arms and she threw one at Ed before passing ones to Al and Mei followed by brief loose hugs of welcome and a promise to run a hot baths for them. She took Mei to the bathroom first.
Al looked over at Ed who was frowning.
"Are you ok, Brother? You're not upset because you can't use alchemy are you?" Al asked.
"Of course not, I've told you a hundred times there's no way I could regret my decision," Ed replied firmly, shooting a smile at his damp brother. "Don't worry about me it's just my leg aching because of the storm." A guilty look passed over Al's face. "And you can stop looking like that already. Its fine, besides Winry wouldn't love me if I'd lost all her automail." Ed grinned at his brother. An answering smile slowly spread on Al's face before he pulled Ed into a soggy hug, although as they were both as wet as each other it hardly mattered.
"It's good to be home isn't it Brother?"
"Yes it is Al, yes it is."