"Ryo, we're home!" Isabel called as they walked into the small downstairs apartment in the small but bustling town of Tistern, which was about half a day's walk from Central.
"'Bout time you got back!" Ryo walked into the hall. He was a big man with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. He was lithe, like Isabel, but muscular and intimidating. His eyes narrowed as he saw Isabel's swollen wrist and the two boys that trailed behind her. "What happened?" he growled, eyes flashing angrily.
"Nothing Ry-ry!" Isabel smiled, giving the big man an awkward, one-armed hug that he grudgingly returned. Al's eyes flickered up from his examination of the tile floor to Ryo's dark eyes, then back to the floor again. "I just ran into that gang from Central again, no big deal," she said quickly, skittering agilely behind Ryo and down the hall.
"So, who're you?" Ryo grunted, jerking his head at the brothers.
"Alphonse Elric, sir," Al said shortly.
Ed glanced at Al, shocked for a moment at his unusual behavior, then spoke proudly. "And I'm Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist."
"Yeah, I've heard of you," Ryo replied carelessly. "You helped my sister with that gang?" When the boys nodded he grunted, "Thanks. She may not admit it, but she can't do everything by herself."
"Isabel's your sister?" Al asked, pretending not to care.
Ryo's eyes glinted for a moment, but he simply stated, "Yeah. We're all each other's got left now, so I worry about her. Especially when she goes lookin' for trouble. Reminds me of Mom a lot," he added as an afterthought.
"Don't bore them with our family's history, Ry," Isabel said sharply, reappearing from the hallway, her wrist wrapped and her arms overflowing with bandages, gauze and antiseptics.
"Let me help you with that!" Al exclaimed as he rushed forward, catching a few things that were about to fall out of Isabel's grasp.
"Thanks Alphonse, but I want you and Edward to go sit down. I can handle this for a few more moments. Ryo," she glanced at her brother, "Can you go start dinner please?"
Ryo nodded and went into the small kitchen to do as Isabel asked, while the latter led Ed and Al back toward the bathroom to clean them up, nearly dropping a few more supplies as she turned the corner.
"Come here Alphonse," Isabel instructed, sighing impatiently as both boys stood in the doorway suddenly looking unsure of themselves.
She gestured towards the toilet seat, but Ed spoke up. "Why're you doing him first?" Al turned red at his brother's choice of words, which did not go unnoticed by Isabel.
"Well," she said slowly, drawing the word out suggestively, "I could do you first if you want." She slunk over to him as she spoke, placing one hand on his flesh shoulder.
Ed's eyes widened and he flushed angrily. "Whatever! Just be careful with him!"
"Don't worry," Isabel said softly, amusement gone from her eyes, replaced by thoughtful determination. "I will." She turned from Ed to Al, who was still a little pink. "This might sting a bit, but it'll be over soon."
Al nodded as she gently daubed the disinfectant on his face where the blood was thickest. Yes, it stung, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He sat stoically, waiting while Isabel leaned toward him, fighting to keep his blush down, while she gently fixed him up.
What's wrong with me? Al thought. I only just met Isabel, so why am I blushing so much? Granted, she is the first girl to touch me besides Winry since I got my body back, but that's not it... Is it? That would be a pretty pathetic reason for my body to behave this way. And Brother and I are leaving tomorrow anyway, so it's not like anything will happen. I'll just have to enjoy Isabel's company while I can. She seems nice enough. And she's definitely pretty.
While Al had been a good patient, Ed was not nearly as graceful.
"Geez woman! Watch it! Don't wrap it so tight!" Ed complained as Isabel tried wrapping his grazed arm with bandages.
"Come on!" Isabel yelled right back. "Is da big, bad State Alchemist afwaid of a wittle antiseptic!?" She mocked, adopting a baby voice.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing!?" Ed screamed, infuriated beyond belief that this girl that he just met was mocking him as if she had known him her whole life. Not that he was behaving any better, but that was beside the point. He was a State Alchemist after all, and he deserved to be respected as one! "It's a good thing you're not a doctor! With your skills, all your patients would die!"
Isabel froze. Her eyes dimmed, then hardened to icy chips of jade as she glared at Ed, who shrunk back. "Alphonse," her voice was as cold as her eyes. "You fix him." She threw the roll of gauze at Al, who jumped at the ferocity of the throw, and fumbled for a bit before catching it firmly between his fingers. Isabel turned and ran out of the room, but not before the boys heard a choked sob erupt out of her.
"That was a little harsh, Brother," Al said disapprovingly. "You should apologize."
"Why should I?" Ed crossed his arms like a stubborn child.
"She was just trying to help us!"
"'Cause we saved her sorry hide from being killed earlier!"
"You're hopeless Brother!" Al exclaimed, tying off the bandage he was working on with a tug a little sharper than was strictly necessary before standing up and heading off in the direction Isabel had fled to.
The second Al slipped down the hall, Ryo took his place, looming above Edward like an elephant over a mouse. He looked more like a panther though as he glared daggers at Ed.
"What did you say to her?" Ryo growled in a voice full of quiet malice.
"N-nothing," Ed stuttered.
"Liar," Ryo hissed. "The only thing that makes Bel cry like that is a reminder of our parents. They died four years ago, when Bel was eleven and studying under the town doctor, our father."
Ed winced; not only had he insulted Isabel's skills in her previously chosen profession, but he had indirectly insulted her father too.
"All I know is that there was a raid and Bel saw our father die, after she had been through something just as traumatic. Isabel was shot. She almost died too. I don't know the full story since I was involved with my own apprenticeship about a day away from here by train." Ryo finished.
"I... I'm really... sorry." Ed grunted, feeling like that word was a shard of glass that had just been pulled out of his throat.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to, buddy," Ryo growled. "You've only just met my sister and you've already made her cry. Fix it, or I swear, State Alchemist aside, I'll make you regret it." Ryo threatened. Ed nodded quickly and hurried out the door and followed the direction Al had turned in. he shuffled his feet down the narrow wooden hall, dreading when he would have to say that awful word to Isabel. The girls he was used to were much tougher than Isabel, but he could understand how bringing up memories of deceased parents would make someone cry. He stopped outside a doorway and listened to Isabel's voice that floated through the barrier of wood.