Chapter 7: Brother
The train was seen on the horizon, slowing down for It's next stop. Winry stood from the bench ready to greet Al and Mei. When the train stopped and the doors opened Mei and Al, who was being the gentleman and carried both of their suitcases, walked off the train. Winry brought Al and Mei into a group hug to welcome them.
"How ya been?" Winry asked.
"We've been good, thanks Winry." Al said.
"Mei, your dress is so pretty!" Winry ogled over the ornate pink Xingese dress with purple flowers.
"Oh thanks Winry." Mei sang.
"So where's brother? I'd like to talk to him."
"Oh sorry Al. Ed's at work, but he'll be home by dinner."
"Ok that's good." Al said as they started on the path leading to the house.
The walk back to the house was quiet and peaceful. Seeing the lemon colored house on the hill filled Al with a tremendous joy and fond memories of their youth.
"So Winry, what is Ed's job now?" Al asked, breaking the silence.
"Oh, he's working for Bill, as his deputy." Winry laughed.
"WHA! Why would Brother something so, so..."
"Ed." Winry cut Al off. "Al there's no reason to worry. He saved Amestris remember, I think he can handle petty theft and shop lifting. Not much happens in Resembool. Don't worry Al."
"Ok Winry." Al sighed.
Arriving back home Den greeted Al and Mei with barks, a tail wag, and jumping on Al licking his face.
"Good to see you too, Den." Al laughed giving the old dog a hug.
"Ah good your just in time for lunch. Come, come, you've had a long day of travels." Granny said walking out from the front door.
"Sounds great Granny." Al said getting up and grabbed the suit cases.
Al and Mei followed Winry into the house and directed them to the room where Ed and Al used to stay.
"Winry. If we're sleeping in here, then where is brother sleeping?" Al asked, not putting two and two together.
"Oh Al, I thought you'd be smarter then that." Winry said to the still confused Al.
"Um Al, they're sleeping together. I believe their engaged." Mei murmured to Al, pointing to the ring on Winry's finger.
"Wow. I must be hungry." Al laughed the reality then sinking in. "WAIT. WHAT?"
Al took a closer look at the ring.
"Yes Al we are engaged and we are sleeping together." Winry reassured him.
"That's great, when is the wedding?" Al asked finally coming back to his senses.
"Um, to tell you the truth I don't know. I was hopping in May." Winry shrugged.
"Your lunch is getting cold." Granny yelled up the stairs.
"Oh yeah, we should go eat." Al said starting for the door.
The trio sat at the table and granny served them sweet sausage on a home baked bun.
"Thanks Granny." Al said taking a bite of the sausage.
"Yes, thank you for the food Mrs. Rockbell."
"No problem dear." Granny said sitting next to Winry.
Ed rocked back in his chair on two legs with his feet on his desk. Ed took a bite from his doughnut. He almost fell back but he regained balance. He took another bite and sipped his coffee.
"Boring day isn't it?" Ed asked Bill who was reading the newspaper.
"Yep." He replied.
Ed finished his doughnut and put the chair back on four legs. He opened his desk drawer and grabbed a piece of paper. He crumpled the paper and tried to shoot into the waste paper basket, but failed.
"I'm going on patrol." Ed stammered and got up to leave.
"Have fun, but I'll have to stay here and watch the scum bags." Bill snickered.
"Hey I can here you." The one Criminal yelled from his cell.
"Ah, shut up" Bill yelled back.
"I'll be back later." Ed said and left.
The day was bright and sunny. Ed walked down to the intersection and stood by the street corner.
"Mr. Fullmetal." Ed heard from behind him.
Ed turned around to see the boy from a few days ago running up from behind him.
"Wow so you're the deputy now. I feel so safe now that you working for my dad." He sang.
"Oh so you must be Rodger." Ed said.
"Yep, that's me. I so glad you and dad stopped those bad men the other day." Rodger cheered.
"Are you looking for him?" Ed asked.
"Nope, I came to help my mom with groceries." He replied.
"Where is your mom?"
"She's over there." He said pointing to the fruit stand across the street.
"Well then shouldn't you be over there helping her?"
"You're right. Bye" Rodger said running across the street.
He was ahlfway across the street when Ed saw a car comming too fast down the street.
"LOOK OUT!" Ed yelled as he ran and pushed Rodger out of the way.
The car hit Ed's left leg smashing the front of the car and Ed's automail leg to peices. The boy fell to the street. Ed was sent over the car. He put his arms out and caught himself. Everyone stared at Ed. Rodger's mom ran over to Rodger to see if he was fine.
"Are you ok?" She cried
"Yeah I'm fine, Mr. Elric saved me." He said.
"Mr. Elric are you ok?" She yelled.
"Yeah, but I won't be when I go home" Ed coughed looking at his smashed leg. "What were you thinking crossing the street without looking? You could have been killed."
"I'm sorry." Rodger sobbed.
"It's ok 'cause you got me protecting the town." Ed laughed.
Bill came running out of the office.
"Ed are you ok!" He yelled running over to Ed.
"Oh, hey Bill, you're just in time for the party." Ed joked sitting up.
The driver got put of his car and Bill made his way over.
"Hey, your wrecked my car." The man complained.
"Yeah, well you were speeding and that's a pretty hefty fine." Ed sneered.
"Why you little punk." The man said and kicked at Ed.
Ed grabbed the man's foot and spun him like a top.
"Assaulting an officer of the law, that's three days of jail time. Cuff him Bill." Ed said
"Can do Ed." Bill said cuffing the man and taking him to the station.
"Can you help me back to the station?" Ed asked Bill's wife.
"Oh sure." She said getting up herself.
She helped Ed up and put his arm around her neck so she could help him walk.
"Come on Rodger" she said.
The boy followed his mother and Ed with his head down.
The phone rang. Winrry got up from the couch and picked up the phone.
"Hello, Rock..." Winry began
"Winry I need you to come down to to station." Ed cut her off.
"Why, what's the matter?" Winry fretted
"Um, just bring a spare leg please."
"Ed, what did you do?"
"I'll tell you when you get here."
"Yeah, ok."
"Bye, see you soon."
"Yeah, bye"
The line wnt dead.
"AL! I need to head into town, Ed did something to his leg." She yelled up the stairs.
"What? Is he ok?" Al panicked.
"He wouldn't say." Winry said and started packing up her tool box.
"Here, carry this." She said shoving the box into Al's hands.
Winry grabbed a spare leg fro her work room. Mei came down stairs ready to go with them.
"Come on lets go." Winry said running out the door.
Al and Mei followed Winry.
They arrived at the station and saw the smashed car in the middle of the street. In the station Ed was sitting in his chair, automail leg or what was left of it smashed to pieces.
"Oh hey Winry, glad you're here." Ed said.
"What the hell Ed." Winry yelled getting her wrench out to beat him sensles.
"Please Miss Winry, don't be mad at Ed it's my fault his leg got busted. H-he stopped the car from hitting me." Rodger cried.
Winry put her wrench down and inspected the damaged leg. She removed the broken leg and put the replacement on and adjusted it. Ed stood up and wobbled a little.
"It's not easy walking on an unfamiliar leg." Ed chuckled.
"Are you hurt at all?" Winry asked.
"I think I might have a few bruised ribs." Ed replied.
"I can fix that." Mei murmured.
Mei performed her alkahestry to heal Ed wounds.
"Thanks Mei." Ed said.
"It's good to see that you're ok Ed, I'd hate to lose such a good deputy." Bill joked and put his hand on Ed's shoulder. "Especially after the bravery you showed the other day with that shootout."
At Bill's words Ed blood ran cold.
"Ed, what shootout when was there a shootout. You didn't tell be about any shootout. You could have been killed." Al cried. "Winry, I thought you said brother was just dealing with petty theft, not shootouts and being hit by cars."
"Sorry must have forgotten."
"You just had to say something, didn't you Bill." Ed said.
"Sorry Ed, I didn't know." Bill retorted.
"Ah it's ok." Ed replied. "Well I'd love to stay and chit chat but I still have work to do, so I'll see you guys when I come home.
Ed walked towards the door.
"Oh no you don't Ed, you're coming home." Winry yelled.
"No can do Winry, I've got to work, keep the town safe and such." Ed replied and left.
"That idiot" Winry sighed.
"Don't be too hard on Ed, after all he did save Rodger's life." Bill said walking to the door. "Plus he needs to help me clean up that mess out there."
Winry sat on the couch and waited for Ed to come home. Mei was in her and Al's room teaching him alkahestry. Winry got fed up with waiting and started fixing the leg that Ed busted. Ed finally walked through the front door and walked into Winry's work room.
"I'm sorry Winry for everything that happened today." Ed apologized.
"It's ok Ed. I forgive you and I did overreact a little but that was very brave of you to save that boy's life." Winry said getting up and facing Ed.
Ed placed his hands on Winry's waist and bought her closer to him. Winry put her arms around his neck. Ed lost himself in Winry's eyes and they leaned in and their lip locked in a sudden bliss. Al walked in the room in the middle of Ed and Winry in their make out session.
"Get a room." He joked.
"What do you want?" Ed asked annoyed.
"Um, yeah are we gonna eat or are we gonna starve." Al complained
"I got an idea, how about we cook up the rest of those perogies." Winry suggested.
"Sounds good." Ed agreed as he and Winry backed away from eachother.
Ed went into the kitchen and grabbed the perogies from the fridge. Winry grabbed a skillet and put it on the stove. Ed threw the perogies in the skillet. In ten minuets the perogies were done cooking. Ed put six perogies on each plate and set them on the table. Winry put the sour cream and cottage cheese on the table.
"Dinner's ready." Ed yelled to Al, Mei and Granny.
"Wow this looks great brother."
"Thanks Al."
The dinner was enjoyed in silence. Ed quickly put the cottage cheese on his perogie so no one would notice. Ed enjoyed the cottage cheese but he didn't want them to know.
After dinner Ed and Winry cleared the table.
"Hey Ed, I saw you, I can tell that you enjoy the cottage cheese." Winry said washing the dishes.
"W-what are you talking about?" Ed replied.
"Oh pleas Ed, you don't have to hide it. It's not like milk Ed, I don't think you're a hypocrite." Winry said.
"Ok Winry, you got me." Ed said cheekily bringing Winry close to him.
Ed and Winry continued their kissing from early when they were interrupted by Al again.
"Will you two please get a room?" Al complained walking into the kitchen.
Winry went back to washing the dishes. Ed put the cottage cheese and sour cream away. When Winry was finished washing the dishes she started for her work room. Ed sat on the couch and started reading a book. Al and Mei were tired and went to bed. Ed soon followed, unable to keep his eyes open.
"I'm going to bed." Ed said and gave Winry a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Ok, I'll be up soon."
Ed made his way to bed, too tired to change cloths, he fell asleep. Winry soon joined him doing the same.
