I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist
Mending a broken heart
May travelled back home with Ling and Lan Fan thinking about how she could get Al to love her again like he used to. The look that Al had given her when he had woken up playing in her mind.
"May I'm sure that Al will be fine. He just needs time to get to know you again." Lan Fan said reading May's mind. May jumped from the sudden noise and gave Lan Fan a sad smile back in return.
"It's just he fell in love with me during the crisis with Father and his sins and now he doesn't remember those events. How am I going to be able to get him to fall for me this time?" May asked worry and panic showing on her usually calm and happy face.
"May that will come with time. He fell for you once and I can't see why he wouldn't again. Just be yourself and write to him like you promised." Ling said, "I will grant you leave from time to time so that you can go and visit them." May looked at him with gratitude and bowed her head thanking him for his generous offer.
"Thank you your highness." She sat and watched as the trees and fields whizzed by and thought about the letters that she would be receiving from him.
Back in Resembool Al sat on the back step watching Ed get complained at by Winry because he wasn't taking it easy after his injury, which Al still didn't understand how he got, Ed stretched as he was getting ready to do some exercises.
"Edward you need to go inside and rest. Your wounds haven't healed probably and you could pull the stitches out!" Winry said trying to usher Ed back into the house.
"But it's boring in there and I want to get some exercise, I have been cooped up in there for the last few days." Ed replied pouting at her like a child that has been told that he can't have any sweets. Al just watched the scene in front off him, guilt washing over him at the sight off Ed's scar that was showing as he stretched.
"You went out with us this morning to see Ling, May and Lan Fan at the station." Winry said, "now get back into that house, I'm sure that Roy and the others will help keep you company."
"Roy's with Riza in one off the spare rooms talking. And Kain is watching Breda beat Jean at chess." Ed complained.
"Will you just listen to me? The wound was really deep and I had to operate to stop the internal bleeding. If the wound was to rupture then I will have to stitch you back up again and then you will have to wait longer to do your exercises." Winry said trying to reason with him. Ed sighed and stopped his stretches, wincing when he had a sudden sharp pain in his stomach.
Al watched them with a painful expression on his face. Ed noticed it and asked him what was wrong.
"I feel like I'm somehow responsible for what happened to you but can't remember what I could have done. Tell me Ed how was you injured and how did we end up in Resembool?" Al asked nervously. Ed sat next to him and sighed.
"I have already told you Al, I was trying to protect Ling from a attack and was stabbed. I was rushed to the hospital where you was after also being attacked and was stitched up. We was transferred to Resembool when I started becoming ill and Winry, who had come to see us in hospital, demanded that we be moved and sent to Resembool. Winry kept an eye on us on the journey back and operated on me as soon as we had arrived back." Ed lied, Al wasn't sure about Ed's explanation and looked at Winry to see if she had anything to add.
"It's true Al, you did wake up a few times on the journey back but was confused. I gave you a sedative hoping that it would help you with your pain and you fell asleep until the other day when you wake up." Winry confirmed.
"Why did you need to operate on Ed? And why did you bring him back here to Resembool?" Al asked still confused and not convinced that they where telling the truth.
"We moved him to Resembool because the person that had thrown the knife that stabbed him was still loose and we didn't want to risk you or your brother being killed, so I arranged, with prompting from Winry, to have you both moved back here." Roy said walking out holding Riza's hand. Al shook his head, it just didn't make any sense and who was that girl that was beside him when he woke?
"Winry could you come in and help me cook dinner?" Pinako asked from the kitchen, Winry went inside to go and cook dinner with Pinako pulling Ed along with her.
"Why are you dragging me along? Granny asked you to help her not me." Ed said whining.
"You wanted something to do right? Well you can help me chop the veg." Winry said with a grin.
"But you said that you wanted me to rest." Ed replied, Winry stood in front off the counter and handed Ed a potato to peel.
"So chief I see that you and Riza are finally together." Havoc said, Roy and Riza smiled and sat at the kitchen table.
"Yeah we have talked about it and have decided to give it a chance." Riza said watching Ed as he was given orders to how to peel a potato.
"I wonder what Grumman will say when he finds out." Fuery said patting Den on the head, who was sitting by him.
"Grumman? Oh crap that's right I need to check in on him!" Roy exclaimed jumping up to go and find the phone.
"There is a phone in my work shop. Just mind not to touch anything." Pinako said as she chopped carrots and put them in the pan.
"Thanks!" Roy rushed to the work shop and dialled the number to Central HQ. In the kitchen Al came over to help Ed with his peeling technique.
"Your doing all wrong brother, if you do it like that then there will be no potato left." He said pointing to the potato in Ed's hands that was getting smaller and smaller.
"Well I don't know what I am supposed to do." Ed replied handing the potato and knife to Al so that he could go and sit down at the kitchen table.
"You know Ed it doesn't hurt to learn. It's nice when a man cooks for you." Riza said as Ed sat down opposite her, Ed huffed. "I'm no cook. I will leave that to the experts."
"Speaking off cooking, have you given any thought about your reading café idea?" Al asked curiously. Ed thought about it for a moment and then shook his head.
"No I haven't. I think that I might ask for some advice before going along with the idea. Why do you ask?" Ed asked wondering why Al had brought it up.
"Well I was wondering if you still wanted to do it as an family business? I know that I said that I wasn't interested and that I wanted to go to Xing, but I really do want to help you." Al replied. Ed stared at his brother before replying, surprised that Al had actually remembered the argument that they had had in Roy's office.
"Off course I do but is that really what you want? I know that I got angry with you for saying that you didn't want to run a business with me but I didn't mean what I said and just I want you to do what will make you happy." Ed replied.
"A reading café? Ed you never mention this. How long have you been thinking about doing this?" Riza asked surprised that he hadn't told them about it.
"Yeah where are you planning to set it up? You wouldn't get much business in Resembool." Havoc said curious off what Ed had planned and excited about it.
"Well I need to find a building first to set it up in. But I don't know who to set a business up. I was going to ask fur face if he could help me but then I couldn't because off the job he wanted me to do." Ed explained. "Also I didn't want to upset Winry career as a auto-mail engineer." Riza thought about it for a moment before standing up to leave the room.
"I will be back in a minute." She said walking out off the room and into the work shop where Roy was on the phone with Fuhrer Grumman.
"Yes Sir that's right. Al is safe and the thing that had taking over him has gone. Emperor Ling had his best alchemist check to be sure." Roy said, "Fullmetal will probably want his payment once he has recovered.
Ok Sir I will..." Roy noticed Riza standing in the door way and wondered what she wanted. She walked over to him and whispered into his ear the idea she had to help Ed out with his plans.
"Oh Sir before you go back to you work, I remember in one off the meetings that you wanted to bring more auto-mail engineers in for the men and women that have suffered injuries during missions and thought that I would let you know that I know someone that might be interested." Roy said. He listen to what Grumman had to say and nodded to Riza his approval.
"Ok Sir, I will talk to her and let her know. Thank you Sir. Bye." Roy hung up the phone and went back into the kitchen to tell Ed what Grumman had told him.
"So what did the Fuhrer have to say?" Havoc asked.
He said that Riza can stay here until Mrs Rockbell say that she is fit to travel but the rest off us will have to go back on the next available train."
"Well, her wound looks like it is healing OK. I would say to stay for a few more days." Pinako said gesturing for them to sit down.
"When your wounds have healed Edward the Fuhrer would like you to come and see him so that he can organise your payment. Riza has reminded me about the reading café that you wish to open and the problem that you are having and we think that we maybe able to help you." Roy said, "Fuhrer Grumman has an offer that he wishes to offer to you Winry. That is if you want it." This got Winry's and Pinako's attention and they both turned around to hear to what Roy had to say.
"You see due to the number off casualties in the east, the Fuhrer is thinking off having Auto-mail mechanics is the millatery to help the men and women that need it. You will be paid well and won't have to worry about finding the materials that you will need as it will be provided for you." Roy explained giving Winry the proposal. "Off course if you want to also do the same thing Mrs Rockbell then you are free to apply for it." Roy said as an after thought.
"Well that is a tempting offer but I think that I will be better staying here. You see I have a lot off patients here that rely on me to keep them on there feet. What do you think Winry?" Pinako asked her surprised granddaughter. Winry looked at Ed with eyes that said 'what do you think I should do?'
"Hey that sounds like a good idea, then Ed can set up his café in the east and be able to stay with Winry." Fuery said excitedly. Ed smiled at Winry and held her hand.
"It's up to you if you want to take the offer. Don't let my plans stop you from doing what you want." He said giving her hand a squeeze. Winry thought about it and gave Roy a nod. "I will do it. I will come down to talk to the Fuhrer when Ed goes down." Winry said.
"I'm glad. It means that you can set the café up in the east near to where Winry is. If you call the café Fullmetal reading café then you are bound to draw more customers." Roy said, Ed gave him a worried look.
"Wouldn't that bring me too much attention? I mean I know from what I have heard from my travels that some off the brass in the millatery are curious as to how my arm grew back and are suspicious off foul play." Ed replied.
"I don't like that name. Why don't we name it after mum. Trisha's." Ed turned to Al, who had been sitting there quietly for the last few minutes and gave in the biggest smile he had even seen. "That's a fantastic idea! We can call it Trisha's." He beamed giving Al a big hug.
"So what is the cover in case anyone was to take notice and ask how Ed magically got his arm back?" Breda asked concerned as he had over heard many Central soldiers talking about it when they had heard that Ed was going to be escorting Ling around Central.
"I'm not sure. Up until now no one has paid an attention to Ed and got on with their own lives. They know that Ed was injured during the fight with father, Who as far as the civilians are concerned, was a man who had gone deranged and tried to take over the country." Roy said, "Grumman told me on the phone that Douglas and Hakuro wasn't happy about what happened at the dinner ceremony and wants an explanation from Ed and Al." This was worrying. Hakuro had never like Ed and was once again trying to start something. But this time he had a good reason to be pissed off.
"Apparently Douglas has been having his daughter looking into classified files about you Edward and even though there isn't anything in there about your circumstances, the amount off missions you went on re-guarding the red stone is enough to peek their suspicions." Riza informed them, "I caught her going there without signing in and looking through your old mission files. I reported her and she has been punished for the misuse off the rooms, but I think that she managed to get what her father had asked for." She explained.
"We need to be careful, though I don't think that you have to worry about your business being ruined by them but I think that they might be suspicious about you and your brother because you both miraculously got your arm and body back." Roy said, "Al will be a little easier to explain but you Ed will be tricky." Ed looked at is fully restored arm and sighed, all that they wanted was to get there bodies back to normal and live a happy life. He thought about what he had learnt during his journey around the North and West off the country. He remembered reading in that book that he had borrowed from Al's room that there is an ancient Xinginese alchemy that can grow back limbs and wondered if May knew about it as it was to do with medical alchemy, witch is her speciality. Ed stood up from the table and went to find the book to show Roy. Winry and Pinako finished cooking the dinner and announced to Ed that they was serving it and to not be long as his dinner would go cold. Ed quickly found what he was looking for and rushed back into the kitchen to sit next to Winry and eat the delicious meal that her and Pinako had cooked for them.
"What's that?" Al asked looking at the book that was resting on the table by Ed's plate. Ed opened up the book with practised ease whilst he shovelled the mash potato and roast pork, that had be prepared earlier, into his mouth. He found the page that he was looking for and turned it for Roy to read.
"It's a book on Xinginese alchemy. They have an ancient way off growing limbs back with alchemy." Ed replied around his food. Winry gave him a nudge with her elbow telling him to stop eating with his mouth full.
"Yes I see. It says here that only certain people that have had special training can do it." Roy thought back to what May had said to him when he had asked her if Riza was going to be ok. 'What about Riza? Will she be ok? She doesn't need to be operated on does she?' He had asked her with worry evident in his voice. May had looked at Riza's wounds again and smiled at him.
'She will be fine, though the blade did cut her deeply it didn't hit any off her vital organs.' May had explained to him reassuringly.
'Will Ed be ok?' He then asked concerned for his friend and ex-subordinate.
'I don't know. I may be able to stop the bleeding but I'm no doctor. I need to complete my training first before I can hold that title.' Roy came out off his thought and looked at the book again to see what kind off training May would have to do but it said that it is secret and only people with certain talents with healing can do it.
"It looks like May would be able to do this, so it means that she can be your alibi and if anyone starts asking questions will will say that May used her special alchemy to restore it as a way to prove to Ling that she can." Roy said to noted to memory what the alchemy was called and finished eating his dinner.
"May's that girl that was waiting by my bed for me isn't she? How come you all know her and I don't? You haven't even been to Xing Ed so you couldn't have possible off meet her." Al said confused again.
"Al do you remember what we said we was going to do when we sat upstairs after dads funeral?" Ed asked wryly. Al nodded.
"Off course I do. We said that we was going to spread the word of equivalent exchange and change it as we went. I went to the south where teacher lives and to Xing whilst you went to the West and North. Why do you ask brother?"
"What did you do whilst you was in Xing? You must have met May there as she works for Ling." Ed replied hoping to jog some off his memories. Al thought about that things that he had done whilst in Xing and found that he hadn't done much besides talk to Ling about their alchemy and what their believes were and asking him if he could help him with his training. Ling had said that he would let his best alchemist train him but doesn't remember meeting them,
"Know I don't remember meeting her." Al said shaking his head. "I remember that Ling had been having trouble with people poisoning the crops in the fields and was concerned for one off the people as she had become very sick because off it." Ed nodded, it did seem that the only thing that he couldn't remember was May and the event with Takeo. He wondered what had happened whilst Al was in the portal and what had happened to Takeo.
"Well at least we have a cover story now. When Al writes to May make sure to add that in so that if the millatery has to call her in she will understand why." Roy said picking up his plate to go and help Winry with the washing up. They all sat around in the living room talking about Ed's plans and what they could do to help him.
"I could ask Sheska if she can get some books for you. It might take her awhile but I think that she will do it." Riza suggested.
"Thanks. I know for sure that with that walking library helping us that we will be able to get the books for the place. What about the café? We will need a place that is big enough to have a kitchen, Library, and sitting area for the customers." Ed said writing notes down.
"Not really Ed, all we need is some book shelves around the café so that they can help themselves to a book and if they want to buy it or take it home they can go to you and check it out like in a library." Al said sipping his tea, "I could do some off the recipes that I learnt from Xing and maybe learn some Ishvalan dishes as well, since we are all joining together. I wonder is Scar and Miles will be able to help me with some recipes. General will you be able to ask them when you get back to the East?" Al asked with a wicked smile. Roy groaned, he knew exactly what he was doing.
"Off course we will Al, and when it is opened we will through a big party to celebrate." Riza said giving Roy a nudge, Winry frowned at the name. Even though Scar had helped them save Amestris and stop the transmutation circle, she was still angry at him for the death off her parents. He still hadn't come to their graves to apologise. Ed knew what Winry was thinking and rubbed her back in comforting circles.
"I promise that the next time I see him I will drag him back here to their graves." He said in an 'I'm not joking' tone. They looked at each other for a moment wondering what to say to that when Al jumped up and announced that he was going to go to bed and said good night.
When they was sure that Al had gone, Ed sighed and put his head on Winry's shoulder. "I thought that we was through with this crap. What are we going to do now? We won't be able to hide this forever." Ed said sounding exhausted from having to lie to Al and make it believable.
"I'm sure that his memories will return, we just need to give it time." Winry said trying to give Ed hope, they had gone through too much in their short life to have it dashed again now.
"It's his own fault if you think about it. He was the one dabbling in things that he knew he shouldn't be." Breda said crossing his arms.
"Shut up you! He didn't realise what had happened! It isn't like he deliberately sort to find him and have himself possessed!" Ed said angrily, standing up and stomping towards Breda who paled remembering what happened the last time he pissed Ed off.
"What's going on? I go to bed and all off a sudden you are fighting." Al said walking into the room with a glass off milk in his hand. Ed froze and turned to stare at his brother trying to think off what to say.
"Breda made a comment about something that happen ages ago and it made Ed angry." Riza said in her usual office tone she uses when someone was doing something annoying.
"Oh ok, well I'm going to bed now. Try to not kill anyone Ed." Al said before walking up the stairs again. Ed sighed a sigh off relieve and sat back down beside Winry.
"I hope that he regains his memories cause I don't think May will be able to handle it." Riza said thinking about the look on May's face when Al had asked her who she was. It was heart breaking to see and she hoped that things could be worked out.
They looked at the time and decided that it was time that they went to bed as well, Roy and the others would have to be up in the morning to catch the first train to Central and Riza wanted to makes sure that Roy knew that if she came back to the office and it was a mess there would be someone else with a head injury.
On the train to Xing May started writing her letter to Al leaving little hints in their hoping that that would help jog his memory. She signed it and placed a flower that he had given to her whilst he was in Xing in the envelope. They stopped at a town that was the last stop before Xing and May posted the letter.
"I'm sure that everything will be fine May. Just you wait in a few months Al will be coming to Xing telling you how much he loves you." Lan Fan said with a warm smile. They got back on the train and journeyed back to Xing. Ling telling May that she will need to concentrate on her training if she wanted to stay as his personal doctor.
Hope you enjoyed. R & R.