Fulfillment

A.N.: EDITED!! In hopes to get some more readers, this chapter has been edited to have more paragraphs, as requested.

Okay, this is my first chapter story, so be gentle…. Been thinking about what would happen next after the series, and this is what I've got so far…

I'm getting some help from my friend Sihaya with some ideas, and she'll probably have some actual writing in later chapters, so don't be alarmed by sudden changes in style.

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own it, or Hughes would be alive in the ending kicking everyone's ass

Chapter One:

It's almost sunset and Ed Elric is sitting outside a door, looking down at the floor. It's been three days after Ed and Al found the Philosopher's stone and Al was turned back into human, while Ed got his arm and leg back. Although Al has yet to awaken from his transformation Ed has been very concerned about his brother's recovery, sits waiting impatiently to see him for the first time.

'Damn, when can I see him?' Ed thought as he began to stare at the clock, all of a sudden from out of the sunlight heard footsteps begin to approach him.

Ed squinted his eyes as he saw a tall, dark figure begin to get bigger as it came closer toward him, then he blinked as Colonel Mustang walked in front of him. He began to stand as Mustang put his hand up to stop him.

"There's no need to salute me, Ed," Mustang said as Ed sat down again.

"So why are you here?" Ed asked in a sharp tone, as he looked at Mustang's appearance, he was in uniform but he wasn't as straight as he usually saw him.

Mustang sighed and said "you may find this idiotic but I cam to make sure you were okay and that you were back to normal again."

"Well, you're right… It is idiotic," Ed said, looking up at him with a grin. "But, uh, thanks."

"So how's the arm?" Mustang suddenly asked, donning a serious expression.

"Fine.. why?" Ed asked, curious at Mustang's hard expression.

"You might want to work on your handwriting, Ed. Soon you'll be drawing a lot of circled." His eyes flashed something Ed couldn't recognize.

"What do you- …" Realization dawned on him. His face sobered and looked down to his new arm, flexing it.

Mustang watched him a moment, before continuing. "I hope you can adapt quickly, or you may need to buy a new watch"

Ed's head snapped up, pure shock in his eyes. "How…" His unfinished question hung dead in the air.

"It would be hard to be a full metal alchemist with your watch and belt being all your metal."

Ed's golden eyes shifted down' slightly dulling in color.

"Well, give my regards to Al when you finally see him." Mustang said, walking down the hall while giving a small wave of the hand as goodbye. "And good luck with whatever you end up doing in your new future, whatever it may be. I wish you and your brother safe," he said, disappearing.

Ed was once again alone outside of his brother's room, only now his mind wandered through memories. Memories of his adventures with his brother, laughing, crying, always knowing they could rely on each other to protect one another. Ed had always been there for Al and vise versa; strong as ever, knowing they were safe.

Now… Ed thought back to Mustang's words, "Good luck watching out for your brother." Now… Al is no longer unable to feel pain… He is flesh and blood, and Ed no longer his metal arm with transmutation to protect him. He can no longer recklessly bring them into dangerous situations. Now… Al is all human, needing food, rest, and protection.

Trying to not thin of it anymore, he desperately looked at the clock. Now-he could not go in and see him. But as he made towards the door he thought "How can I face him like this? What can I really do for him now? He sucked it up, however, and turned the handle.

As the door began to open, Ed heard the monitor beeping, than he saw him; Al laying perfectly still breathing into a mask. Al, there he was in the flesh, no metal at all, just him sleeping. Of course, he was a little bigger considering it had been three years since their accident. Ed walked up to the bed and looked at Al; he was the same, his young looking face minus the bandaging that was on his cheek and around his head. But also his hair was a log longer than it used to be, he smiled as he took Al's hand into his own and prayed for Al to squeeze it. Nothing.

"Hmm" Ed chuckled as he stared down the bed, Al was wrapped up tightly around the chest and his left arm. "Damn it, I didn't know you were hurt that badly" Ed as he began to hold back the tears.

There was a knock on the door as it began to open, the nurse she sticking her head in. "Oh sorry, I knew you were here. I just have to check on his status," she said as she walked over to the monitor.

Ed nodded his head to acknowledge he understood that she was making sure Al was healing properly, she also checked his bandaging wasn't breaking away from the edges of Al's skin.

Ed sat down in a chair that was next to the bed as he patiently waited for the nurse to finish; he had so much to tell Al because he kind of felt like it his fault Al was in the hospital.

flashback

A great big flash came off the ground as Ed and Al were lifted off the ground and were suddenly changing, Al's body losing the armor and his arms and legs shrank back to normal and Ed's arm and leg came to their original state.

end flashback

"All done," the nurse said as Ed came back into reality, he blinked and looked at her.

"Huh?" he asked.

She smiled and replied "he's doing okay and it looks like he's progressing quite nicely." Ed sighed and smiled at her as she left the room.

Once she was gone, Ed looked up at Al and sighed "a lot of stuff's happened Al, I mean it feels different now and I just—" he began to trail off as tears began to fill his eyes. He began to sob into Al's hand then lifted his head he began to say "I just feel so helpless, because it's like you're not here but you are!" He let go of Al's hand as he stood up and pounded the wall as he continued "it's like you're testing me Al, that you're trying to push me over the line I don't want to cross but I can't stop."

He turned around and then peered down at his arm as he pulled back his jacket and took his glove off "hmm" he sneered as he threw the glove down to the ground. He took his eyes from the glove to Al. "What can I do Al?" he said as he began to walk toward the bed again.

Ed looked at his brother in such disbelief that he began to think their adventures would never be the same and he thought their life as the "famous Elric Brothers" would finally come to close considering everything is as it was three years ago. "I think the only thing I can do is call it 'quits' because without my arm being metal anymore, I guess I feel like I don't even deserve my title." Ed said as he remembered what Mustang had questioned him about. What did they have left?

Ed began to walk back and forth from the window to door, praying Al would wake up at any time. He began to think back to how life used to be when they were little and how Alchemy used to be so simple... and now? It just seemed more complicated, Ed finally stopped, just looking out the window, down at Central Station.

He had been so concerned about Mustang and Al that he forgot that Winry was coming to day and that he told him her rain would be there at three o'clock on the dot! "damn, I completely forgot about Winry" he thought as he looked at the clock, he took his eyes from the clock to Al "but I can't leave him…" he desperately began to think of ways to get Winry to the hospital, but still stay by al's side. But then he saw Hawkeye and Armstrong out the window, Ed looked at Al and said "Al, I'll be right back" then he began running down the stairs, out the door and into the parking lot.

Hawkeye was standing, holding the door for Armstrong to get into the car as Ed approached Armstrong yelled "Edward, why are you out here instead of with your brother?"

Ed stopped in front of him, panting and replied "where are you headed colonel?"

Armstrong looked at Hawkeye then back at Ed and said "to investigate some things on Brigadier General Hughes' death…"

Ed sighed and then looked up at the window which led to his brother's room. "Damn, I was hoping you could go to Central Station to pick up Winry again" Ed said in a disappointed tone of voice as he looked down at the ground.

"We don't mind Ed. It's just ever since the accident we really need to buckle down on getting justice," said Hawkeye as she put her hand on Ed's shoulder.

Ed looked up at her and smiled, and then Armstrong interrupted the moment by saying "but considering what has happened in the last couple of weeks we could do that for you."

Ed's gaze went from Hawkeye to Armstrong as he smiled and said while running back towards the hospital "Thank you!" Then as soon as he disappeared through the doors both Armstrong and Hawkeye got into the car and drove off.

As Ed headed back to al's room, he ran up to the elevators and pressed the up button as he thought about what Winry would say about how much things had changed. Also considering it was only seven month's ago that Ed and al had gotten into a tight spot at Lab Five and Ed ended up in the hospital. But then again, that was also when Al thought that he was made up of memories, considering he could NEVER remember a thing about their past.

But, as soon as he entered the door, he had noticed the wife of Brigadier General Hughes, as she turned around "oh, Ed, I'm so glad you're both all right." She said as Ed smiled slightly as he came around the other side of the bed and looked up at al as he sighed he took his gaze from al to Elicia. She looked a lot older than the last time Ed had seen her. She smiled at him and giggled as Ed switched his gaze from Elicia to Gracia.

"Yes, we are, well except al for the moment. But then again, I know he'll wake up I've actually been more concerned about other things too," he replied.

Gracia smiled as Ed finished. Then Elicia looked at him in curiosity and asked "what else do you have to worry about other than al?"

Ed turned from Gracia to Elicia and then looked at al as he replied "well, am concerned about getting al well and out of here, but I also have to be concerned about my alchemy"

As Gracia began to cry, ed turned toward her and said "Sorry, I forgot about how mentioning…I'm sorry..." He was at a loss for words considering the only other thing he could think of to replace the word 'alchemy' was to say that alchemy was one of his 'abilities' but no longer. Ed looked at his arm and leg as it finally hit him as to what mustang was saying about "getting used to writing again" he gasped as he began running toward the door.

Gracia and Elicia looked at Ed and Gracia asked "where are you going, Ed?" Ed opened the door and out of sight, Elicia held Al's hand and whispered "We're still here Al, and soon Winry will be too."

Then all of a sudden they heard the door slowly creak as it reopened and they saw…..

A.N.: Bwahahaha, left you hanging, eh? Well, if I get enough reviews, I'll post the next part, so don't forget to review… or I'll think you don't like it and never add to it again…. And you'll never find out who it is. Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuun.!!!!! JK… I'll post when I'll have time. Even though it's an edited re-post, what did you think?