A/N: This story takes place after Fullmetal and the Boy Who Lived. Many story elements and plotlines might not make any sense if you haven't read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Chapter 1: Cold

It's only been a few months since the Elric siblings had saved the world and Alphonse finally got his body back. He was still in the hospital, his recovery well on its way. He was steadily gaining his weight and strength back, Edeline being with her beloved brother every step of the way.

They were sitting on one of the benches in the hospital's garden on a beautiful early summer morning, enjoying the mild warmth of the sun's rays, playing cards to kill some time until Al's next physical therapy session, when suddenly… he sneezed.

"Haha," Al laughed out. "Such a funny feeling! I haven't been able to sneeze in so long!" he mused.

"Are you cold?" Ed scowled with worry instantly. "Let's go back inside!" she suggested, not waiting for a reply.

She was already gathering the cards and their other stuff, holding out Al's cane to him so that he could get up. Al complied without a word but let out an exasperated sigh at his sister's overbearingness.

As they made their way back to the room at a slow pace, this rare occurrence happened a few more times.

"Are you sure, you are okay?" Ed kept asking after blessing him.

"I'm fine!" Al answered for the umpteenth time and quite frankly getting bored with it but got in his bed under his blankets at his sister's request anyway as soon as they got there. Under Ed's worried glances he decided to read an alchemy book instead since clearly, the ex-alchemist's mood ruled out any other fun activity together. After a few minutes, his eyes shot up as if something dawned on him.

"Sister! I'm able to get sick again!" Al enthused with wild excitement glinting in his eyes as he realized the fact.

"Don't be so damn happy about it!" Ed exclaimed loudly in frustration at her brother's cheerfulness over something that isn't supposed to be a pleasant or good thing.

"This is a hospital! Lower your voices!" a nurse – Nurse Nora to be specific – ducked in from the hallway to admonish them.

"We are sorry!" they apologetically said in unison, putting up their hands.

They wouldn't want to get on her bad side. Nurse Nora just shook her head in disapproval as she left, knowing full well that the siblings could never keep the peace and quiet, there was always something going on around them, be it a visitor or good-hearted banter between them, they always managed to make a ruckus.

"Still it's nice to be able to experience something normal like that again!" Al added in a quieter tone after they were alone again.

"You want to be sick?" Ed frowned, confusion evident in her eyes.

"No! I don't want to," he replied quickly to ease his sister's mind. "But the knowledge that I am able to again is nice… I'm not sure if that makes sense."

"Because it doesn't!" she threw up her hands in the air in exasperation.

"I'm just happy to have my body back with all ups and downs it may come with," Al tried to explain further with a little pout as he averted his eyes. Ed's expression softened at that.

"I know. I'm sorry," she offered just as Al's face scrunched up again as he was about to sneeze.

Then nothing happened.

"Ah, this is so frustrating!" Al let out a sigh as the tickle subsided in his nose. Ed got up from her chair and went over to her brother to place a hand on his forehead which surprised Al, but he didn't say a thing.

"I think you have a low-grade fever," she stated. "I'm getting a nurse."

"There is no need! I feel fine!" he protested. Nurse Nora was almost as frightening to him as their teacher Izumi was.

"Don't care!" Ed waved as she already headed towards the door of the hospital room knowing full well that her brother wouldn't be able to catch up to her in his current state yet.

"You are so mean!" Al whined at the retreating figure of his sister. In a minute or so she was back already with Nurse Nora in her tow.

"So what seems to be the problem?" she asked with a sweet but no-nonsense attitude.

"My brother is making a mountain out of a molehill, that's what's happening!" Al lamented, throwing angry glances at Ed.

Of course, Ed's identity was still a secret in front of everyone. Mustang's team wasn't let in on it yet either, although Ed felt it would be inevitable sooner or later. She was on leave from the military indefinitely until Al got on his feet again and decided what he wanted to do from there. Until that time came, she didn't want to quit because currently the military way paying for Al's therapy. Also, she wasn't quite sure yet what she wanted to do from here on out, and if Al decided to leave the country, she wanted to be left with options.

"Mhh-hhmm," she hummed disbelievingly as she got her thermometer out, sticking it in Al's mouth without question. Ed drummed her fingers impatiently on the table where she had sat down while they waited for the result, driving Nurse Nora to end of her patience. Fortunately, the time was up before she could lose it.

"Well, it is a slightly elevated, but nothing to be too concerned about," she stated as she examined the reading. "Have you been experiencing any other symptoms?" she inquired, but before Al could deny it, Ed cut in quickly.

"Yeah, he has been sneezing his head off all morning," she ratted him out, earning a few disapproving glances from the brown-haired nurse for not letting her brother answer.

"It's probably just a cold," the nurse turned back to Al. "But given your current state of general health, bed rest for you until it passes just to be on the safe side."

"But I feel fine!" Al finally got his word in, a little desperation evident in his voice. He really didn't want to be stuck inside when it was warm and sunny out, especially now that he was finally able to actually feel it.

"You don't want to go and give yourself pneumonia, do you?" the stern nurse chided.

"No…" Al gave in reluctantly.

"Good! Now, behave yourselves!" she warned as she left them to themselves again. Just as they thought she was gone, she stuck her head back in the room to add something.

"This also includes the physical therapy! We don't need you straining yourself!" and she was out again.

"But..." Al sat up straight in his bed but then trailed off when he realized the nurse couldn't hear him anymore.

He was always looking forward to the PT sessions even if it meant a lot of hard work and often pain since this was the way to get his old self back. He forlornly sank back against his pillows, grabbing the book he was reading earlier off his nightstand, continuing to read, and effectively blocking out the world.

Ed just sighed to herself. If something like this could put Al in a foul mood, who was always the epitome of cheerful optimism, she was sure that he wasn't feeling a 100% well. Just as if to prove her point, he sniffled and looked around for a handkerchief.

"Right, I'll get you one," she quickly got up and shuddered at the fact that she had to go bother the nurses again, but went anyway. She ended up having to go out to buy one, and by the time she got back, she found Al sleeping, snoring away lightly, the book he was reading lying face down on his stomach.

"Fine, my ass…" Ed snorted, picking up said book and placing it back on the nightstand.

She pulled up the covers to Al's chin making sure he was warm enough.