Array of Consequences

By joyfulmusic

Summary: Everyone assumes Alphonse Elric was killed. Two years later Edward gets married. What happens when the seal containing Al's soul is discovered? Naturally Ed tries to fix his armor, but something goes terribly wrong. What will the consequences of this new array it cost Edward?

WARNING: This fanfiction is not finished yet! I know how it ends I just haven't gotten around to typing it up. I'm hoping your kind reviews will get me to finish it.

Update: Due to the kind reviews I've started working on this story once more and hope to finish it soon!

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter 1

Laughing, the new Mrs. Elric walked into the lavish bedroom of the large suite. A king-sized canopy bed with fluffy pillows was situated in the middle of one wall, the shades on the windows to the left were drawn. Moving to the Victorian loveseat at the right of the bathroom door, she laid her bathrobe in her suitcase.

"Darling we've got to get packed." She said, still smiling broadly. Her long black hair was hanging loosely over her shoulders. Feeling a pair of arms wrapping around her, she laughed again. "Edward, we don't have time for your nonsense. The cab is already downstairs."

Kissing her neck, Ed moaned. "Don't you think we should stay an extra week? We only get one honeymoon after all." He frowned as she loosened his grip around her waist. Sighing, he gave up in defeat. It was true that he had to go back to work, but he didn't really care to. The past week had been nice, no reports, and no Colonel Mustang. Just him and Zenobia. It had been perfect heaven.

"You know we can't stay any longer. You've got a ton of paperwork to do back at the office. Besides I've got to arrange all the stuff in our apartment." She shook her head before turning to him with a smile. He was sitting on the bed giving her a longing look that was hard to resist. "We can't Edward, you know that."

Holding his automail hand out to her, he sighed as she took it. Pulling her close he gave her a wistful smile. "Yeah I know, but if only…" Standing, his lips found hers, breaking off his sentence. He hadn't grown a lot since his teenage years, but it was enough so that she didn't tower over him too much.

Moving away, she gave him a devilish grin, her hazel eyes sparkling. "We'll have that nice new apartment all to ourselves when you're off work." She reminded, her fingers stroking his jaw soothingly. Her movements suggested she might be about to give in to his pleading but there was a knock at the door. "That's probably the cab driver wondering if we're ready yet."

Moving through the doorway into the sitting room, Zenobia shook her head. In all truth she didn't want to leave either. But the fact remained that her husband had to get back to work. She made her way to the large entryway. Opening it she was surprised by who she saw. "Why, Colonel Mustang! What are you doing here?"

Taking off his cap, Roy walked into the room with a look of apology on his face. Behind him, was Lieutenant Hawkeye, with the usual emotionless expression that she always wore while on duty. "I'm sorry to bother you like this ma'am." He started as the door was closed behind them. "But we have located Alphonse."

"Alphonse?" Noba echoed, taking in a long breath. "But how can that be? I thought… Edward said he was dead. That he'd been killed two years ago." Shaking her head she turned to gaze at her husband, who was standing in the bedroom doorway, shock written all over his face. "Darling, they've found…"

"Al." The alchemist completed, hope lighting up his eyes. "I don't understand though. The explosion… I thought for sure he was a goner." Walking into the room he glanced at his wife. She nodded without his having to ask for her approval. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

Smiling, Noba nodded again. "Yes I'll be fine. You go and get your brother. I'll be waiting at home for you two." Hugging him briefly, she gave him a light peck on the lips. "I'll get the guest room set up for him. Don't worry about anything except getting him back, alright?"

Ed's fingers trailed through her hair caressingly before turning to Colonel Mustang with that old wide grin he'd had as a teenager. "Come on, you can explain everything to me in the car!" With a glance to Hawkeye he added, "Can you help Noba finish getting things together? We were almost done."

When Roy nodded, Riza saluted. "Yes sir." As the two alchemists left the room she turned to her friend with a sigh. "I suppose by we he meant that you were almost done packing." Both women laughed. They knew the Fullmetal Alchemist was somewhat like the colonel in the fact that he put things off.

"Of course. You know Ed, always wanting extra vacation time." She shook her head, leading the way back into the bedroom. Picking up a few clothes that had been on the floor, she ventured to ask about the situation, knowing full well it could be classified. "What's happened exactly? Is Al alright?"

Folding a few shirts and packing them into a bag, Riza nodded. "The seal containing his soul was found in a field a few miles from where the explosion had occurred. It seems that was where the piece of metal landed after it came back to earth." Sighing heavily, she continued, "The first thing he asked was how his brother was."

Frowning, Noba turned to the lieutenant. "So did you tell him? About mine and Edward's marriage I mean." She cringed when the other woman hesitantly shook her head. "I guess Edward will have to tell him. It's not like he won't find out. He'll be staying with us after all."

Glancing over her shoulder, Riza frowned. "The colonel had suggested that it would be easier if things were broken to him gradually. He's already lost two years of his life. Seeing his brother after that long will be something they'll both have to deal with. It's been said that they could…"

"Stay in the dorms?" Zenobia completed, shifting to close the suitcase she'd been packing. "I don't see how that would help things. Keeping secrets from him would probably be a bad idea. But I suppose it'll be up to Edward." Sighing slightly, she lifted her luggage. "Let's get this stuff downstairs. There's a cab waiting."

After everything had been loaded the two women went their separate ways. The young wife would pay the cab driver extra to help get the bags into the apartment. Everything would work out just fine. At least that was what she was hoping, although it didn't seem like things would go very smoothly.

Newlyweds, she had heard, always had it hard. But adding Alphonse into the equation would make things even more difficult. It wasn't that she was upset at his being found, quite the contrary. She was glad he'd been located, and that he and Edward would be reunited.

The only problem was that Ed was now a married man. The great Fullmetal Alchemist had been working behind a desk since going back after his brother's supposed death. They had planned on settling down and raising a family, doing all the things normal married couples do.

But having Alphonse back would lead to the search for the elusive Philosophers Stone. She couldn't hold Ed back from the quest he'd given up on two years prior. Zenobia loved her husband with all her heart. She was willing to do anything to make him happy. Even when he'd asked her to give up her job she hadn't fought him. But this would mean spending weeks, possibly months apart, and she loved him enough to endure anything.

Looking around the apartment she sighed heavily. It seemed so cold and empty. Standing at the front door she peered into the living room. A few boxes were still sitting around, waiting to be unpacked. The couch and coffee table were already situated in front of the fireplace. 'We'll need a recliner for Alphonse.' She noted, as she passed the couch to lay her purse on the dining table.

Peering over the bar into the kitchen to her left, she scowled at the dirty dishes. Hadn't Edward agreed to wash those last week? Regardless, there they were from the wedding shower. Shaking her head she bypassed the mess, turning to walk down the hallway next to it.

Passing the first bedroom on her left, she was pleased that he had at least remembered to unpack his things in there. Walking to the next room she opened the door and scowled. It was full of boxes of books Ed had insisted he needed. Every one of them was about alchemy and of little use to her.

Before they knew Al would be staying with them she hadn't minded having a guest/study room. Now however, changes would have to be made. She simply couldn't ask her new brother-in-law to share a room with Ed's home office. That meant the books would have to go on shelves in the living room.

The good news was that her old single bed had already been moved in and sat in the far corner beside the window. She'd have to locate the bedclothes for it. They'd bought new ones for their queen-size un-slept-in bed. Unfortunately those wouldn't do for this one.

Sighing again, she turned from the room to glance in the door directly across from it. The bathroom had been completed just in time. The manager had been in the process of remodeling it when they asked to rent the place. Luckily it was done the day before they moved their stuff in.

Going back into the guest room, Noba picked up a box and began moving them one by one into the living room. She'd have to simply stack them for the moment since Ed had decided to put off making shelves until after their honeymoon. While rearranging she found herself thinking back.