TA-DA! It's-a me! Doibznic! What's up people?! I'm done school for the semester and ready to paartaay~ BUT FIRST! A new chapter for you! Holy crapola, I know in the last update I said I'd upload around the 15th of every month, but hey I'm early! Actually I would've done it the day of, but ze boss of me caught me with my laptop during work (I'm not sure if being the 'Guardian of the Gateway' is 'work', especially around this time of the year when everybody's LEAVING) so I have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do while working, which means I can't write ahead for my Black Widow stories... Boo...

But GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! In addition to the new chapter update, I've also finally uploaded my Black Widow OCs onto my DeviantART account! - HURAAY!

EVEN BIGGER NEWS! (not really) There's a little First Person View that ISN'T in Rae's pov! (for only a little bit, sorry) It's happening already!

Oh yeah, I don't own FMA. If I did, I'd have half of the cast in their undies running all over the place... he he.

~Doibz


That same day when I encountered that strange man in Bradley's office, I immediately went to the S.A.F.A. room. The moment I climbed through the window, I found that everyone was there, and rather surprised and relieved to see me.

"Holy shit! Red! You're alive!"

"Where the hell have you been?"

"We thought you were dead! What happened?"

I pushed them all away from me when they started to gather around, patting my shoulders or my head. "Forget about me! We have a seriously bigger problem at hand."

The moment I said that, all of their smiles of relief vanished from their faces before turning concerned. Before any of them could ask me, I spat it out. "Bradley's been hiding something from us. And I have a feeling that it's something BIG."

"What do you mean by 'big'?" Fév questioned me.


~Ed's P.O.V.~


When I woke up, I found myself in an empty hospital room all bandaged up as my automail arm was almost completely useless. I couldn't move my arm completely even though I was able to wiggle my fingers a bit. Winry's gonna be so pissed to find out that I broke my arm… again. I can hear her nagging already…

Just when I thought I was in the room by myself, I jumped once I saw Lieutenant Colonel Sparrow sitting in a chair turned to me with a look on her face. That kind of look that I'm all too familiar with… That look of 'you're gonna get it now' crossed with fatigue…

"Good morning, Edward."

I bravely spoke up to her, swallowing all the saliva in my mouth. "Uh, hey there… Colonel…" I began. Her face still remained the same. "Um… how long have you been there for?"

"Long enough." She simply replied.

Oh yeah, she's pissed.

Well, obviously she would be. We just went up and lied to her and the Major last night to their faces about not going to the Laboratory. Oh well, it was inevitable that this was going to happen anyways the moment we left the hotel room…

Just as I was going to ask her where I was, she spoke up again. "So, Ed…" She began making me bite my tongue. "Did you get beaten up in your sleep last night? And you decided to walk yourself to the hospital to save me the trouble of dragging you here?"

I really couldn't say anything at this moment and I decided not to… until she made a colder glare at me with those creepy green eyes of hers, forcing me to. "Um… I-It's…"

Before I could even say anything, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out two small pieces of paper before tossing them over on my lap. I looked at her before I picked up the two pieces of paper with my good arm.

My eyes widen at the sight before me.

The two pieces of paper were actually two photographs of me and Al sneaking into the laboratory. One of them was when I was helping Al get over the wall while the other was of me going inside the air vent opening into the Laboratory. My jaw dropped at this as my mind went blank. "H-How did…"

"I knew you were going to sneak into the Laboratory, Ed. I can tell when you're lying to me." She said tapping her finger on her arm impatiently as the tone of her voice started to get colder. "So I decided to keep watch on the place in case the two of you decided to come around…" I narrowed my eyes at her while questions finally came up to mind as she continued. "Now thanks to you and your brother, I've got solid proof of you sneaking onto restricted property…"

"So… you saw everything that happened, then?" I asked.

"Not really, I left to go get these pictures developed. Don't know what happened after that." She paused, but something told me that she knew more than what she was letting off. "Do you remember what I told you last night before I left?"

I narrowed my eyes at this as her words were recited in my mind, along with that creepy smirk on her face. "You said you tell the Fuhrer…" I paused as my eyes wandered off to the empty corner of the white room. "What we're doing…"

"Yeah…" She dragged as she sat up in her chair. "I decided against that."

I turned back to her with a questioning look. "… Why?"

A cheeky smirk came to her face as she turned back to me. "I'm not a real big fan for Bradley, so I'm not gonna tell him about anything in regards to you… or your brother. So chillax, I'm telling you the truth."

"So…" I began thinking to the second part of the threat she made. "You're going to do something…?"

"Yeah, that's right, good memory you got there! Good for you… But I haven't thought of a good punishment yet… I'm just too tired to think today… staying up most of the night because of you two…" She then smirked at me. "Care to help me out, Ed?"

"How about letting me go scot-free, huh? I mean. I am still a kid? I know no better…! Just a slap on the wrist?"

"No dice, kid."

Worth a shot…


~Rae's P.O.V.~


Ed let out a sigh as he plopped the photos of him and Al down on his lap while his head dropped down. I sat up as an idea came to my mind. I wonder where Uncle Alex's at right now…?

"So anyways to where you are, Ed, you're in a clinic that belongs to a friend of Lieutenant Ross's. The two of them thought it'd be better to put you here instead of the military hospital, you know, in case people start making a big deal over everything."

"Oh, I see. Is Al here?"

"Yeah, I saw him out in the hallways earlier."

Just then the door to Ed's hospital room opened up, revealing both Ross and Brosh in the doorway as the two of them stepped into the room, rather pleased that Ed was up and awake. Then Ed asked them what happened to the Fifth Laboratory, in which Ross replied that it blew up the whole building, resulting in Ed to shout in frustration before grabbing his injury around his abdomen.

"Do you know how close I was from finding out the truth?" He started to whine. "This is no time for me to be lying around in a hospital…!"

I turned my head over to the two soldiers with a questioning look on my face to see what they were going to do. The two of them nodded their heads together before they stood up and addressed Edward by his title and apologized in advance for their actions. Just when Ed and I were going to question this, Ross stepped up and slapped Ed across the face, dazzling him.

Then Ross started to rat him out, telling him to trust in other people like her, Brosh, me and Uncle Alex. After a moment of silence, the two of them resumed their stance, ending their rant by telling Edward it won't happen again. But Ed was generous and understanding enough to let to go by, even telling Ross that he deserved that slap.

The two soldiers started to sigh of relief like they were just recovering from a near heart-attack, confusing Ed for a moment.

After clearing the air, Ed froze in his hospital bed. "I almost forgot… I have an even less pleasant lecture for me today…" He began making the three of us turn out heads to him.

"Why's that, Ed?" I asked him.

"Um, well… My arm's… busted… again."

"Are you serious? What kind of trouble did you get yourself in the Laboratory to bust your arm again? You just got it fixed, remember?" I reminded him before letting a sigh of defeat. "Do you want me to give Winry a call for you and get her down here?"

"N-No, it's alright. I'll do it myself…" He said sitting up in the bed.

I then gave the order to the Brosh to get him a wheelchair ride to the telephone before I turned to Ross and told her to 'tell Uncle Alex I'm at the hospital' and that he'll understand. She looked at me before getting where I was going at and saluted me before taking off.

I stood up from my chair and left out of the hospital room to head to the lobby to go get myself a cup of coffee, along the way I can hear Ed shouting on the phone with Winry. I snorted at this as I grabbed a coffee and started to head back to Ed's hospital room. Slowly.

The reason being is because my head was full of questions. The main thing that bothered me was that skinny guy I saw carrying Ed out of the crumbling Laboratory. What did he had to do with Bradley. What are the two of them up to, or better yet, how many of them are in this little circle with Bradley.

But first things first, I need to figure out what happened inside the Laboratory. Ed's the only one who's been in there, and I need to get more information for S.A.F.A. about what he learned while he was inside it. I better wait for Uncle Alex, and maybe Hughes to get here before Ed starts to spill the info out.

When I made it back to Ed's hospital room, I stepped inside to see Ed climb back in his bed. I grinned at him as I put my coffee on the table and helped him in his bed. "So, what's the plan, little-man?" I asked before I laughed inwardly to my rhyme.

"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!" He shouted at me before he clenched his stomach, making me snort.

"Lighten up, Ed. Get a sense of humor." I said picking up my coffee and circled around back to my chair. "So what's going on? Are you gonna head back to Resembool to get fixed up again?"

"No, I called Winry to come here and fix me up… There's gonna be a huge rush order fee though…" He pouted before he turned back to me. "I told her that I'd get someone familiar to bring her here… I was thinking of having you or the Major to go see her."

"I'm sure that Uncle Alex wouldn't mind doing that." I mentioned taking a sip from my coffee. I then paused before I turned my head over back to him. "Did you tell Winry that you're in the hospital?"

"Uh… no…"

I couldn't help but to let out a sigh. "This is gonna be interesting…" I wonder what she's gonna go? Scream at Ed for getting too rough again? Smack him over the head with a wrench?

Or both?

Uncle Alex barged into the room with tears in his eyes before he rushed over to Ed and gave him a bone-crushing hug. "OH, EDWARD! I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" He said before he nearly crushed him.

I turned my head over to Brosh. "Sergeant, mind getting the nurse?" I said before I went over to Uncle Alex and pried him away from Edward.

I say that's punishment enough for Ed.


Uncle Alex came to Ed's hospital room again with Winry by his side. The moment she laid her eyes on how badly Ed was beaten up, she dropped her metal tool box she was carrying to the floor. Ed nervously greeted her before she dropped her head down and apologized to Ed for not doing a good enough job on his automail.

Everybody looked at Ed as he started to make excuses to her, but I kept my eyes over to Winry noticing the look on her sadden face before she started to laugh. My suspicions were rising to this, even when she started to lecture him about not drinking his milk that was with his meal the nurse brought him earlier – even Uncle Alex started to shout at him for being a stubborn little brat.

I turned my head over to see the door opened up slightly with Al's helmet sticking out from the side. Just when I was going to call out to him, he shut the door, making everyone in the room turn their heads over to the door as we heard Al's heavy footsteps clank away.

"Was that Al?"

Shortly after, the room was cleared of everyone except me, Brosh, Winry and Ed, where Winry had Ed lie down on his stomach while she worked on his arm.

As Ed and Winry started to chat with each other, mainly about Al, I watched as Winry reached inside her apron pocket and took a screw out before she put it in his shoulder. For a moment, it made me question this before I came to a realization. I turned my head over to Winry and given her a face of 'I know what you did, Winry, and that was very, very, bad of you' when she turned her head over to me. I smirked at her and her little auto-mail mistake that nearly cost Ed's life.

Not too long after Winry finished repairing Ed's arm, Hughes came by with a huge smile on his face and greeted us. "Yo! Ed m'boy! I heard you brought a cute blonde girl to service you! Now her and Rae, you're turning into a hussler, aren't you?"

I snorted at this while Ed and Winry seemed to take this greeting in their own strange ways. Hughes then introduced himself to Winry before Ed mentioned to him if he had work to do. After telling us he put poor Sheska on 'overtime', he said that they're going to lift off the bodyguards on Ed in a little bit, making Winry question this.

She then started to shout at him about his trouble making but Ed simply replied that it wasn't her business. She given up about the question and she packed up her equipment and she told us she was going to find a place to stay, until Hughes offered her to stay at his place.

"My wife and my daughter would be delighted to see you!" Hughes said making me say 'uh-oh, Winry's in for it now' in my head.

"And Raelisa!" Hughes called out to me after taking Winry's tool box over his shoulder before he grabbed Winry's collar to her jacket. "You better come over this evening, too! The more the merrier!" He said before he laughed and started to drag Winry off out of the room.

I couldn't help but to let out a sigh as I put my hand up to my head. "Yeah… yeah…" I muttered, seeing the amount of daddying he's gonna do as he gushes over his wife and daughter. I dropped my head to the sight I foresaw before me.

"You're not seriously gonna go, are you?" Ed questioned.

I spun my head over to him. "Are you kidding me? That psycho knows where I live! There's no way I want him to drag me out of my own home if I don't show! Or shove hundreds of pictures of his kid and start ranting off how I made her sad for not showing up, or some bullshit like that…" I grumbled before I let out a sigh. "It's just one thing after another today… Thanks a lot, Ed."

"Me?! How is it my fault?!"

"You're the cause of all my headaches since last night!"

I said my goodbyes to all of them and left the hospital room. I wanted to see what's eating Al so much today, but for a seven foot tall suit of armor, I couldn't find him. I decided to let it go for now as I went to the lobby and went to the telephone, dialing the Hughes' phone number. I've been to the Hughes home a number of times that Gracia, Hughes' wife, knows me and welcomes me to their home, even when Hughes forces me to come to their home.

When I received an answer from Gracia we had a short chat before she mentioned something about their daughter…

"Elicia's having her birthday party tonight? Has it really been a year already?" I questioned.

"Yes, Maes has been going crazy over it for the last two weeks. Did he invite you to it?"

"He invited me over, but I forgot it was Elicia's birthday…"

"Work can do that to you, Raelisa. The party doesn't start until tonight, I'm sure that Elicia would be thrilled to see you."

After I said my goodbyes to her, I left the hospital with one huge headache just getting bigger…

What the hell do you get a three year old girl for her birthday? … What did my mother even get for me on my third birthday? … Actually, no, I don't want to know.

Before I headed to the Hughes household, I stopped at a little toy store on the way there and I couldn't decide what to get for her. After what seemed to be a couple hours in that tiny toy store, I finally picked out a small stuffed oddly colored raccoon that I thought was cute looking…

So what? It's a rodent, yeah I know. At least you weren't given a hunting knife for your seventh birthday.

Anyways, I arrived at the Hughes home, Gracia opened up the door to me. The whole place was filled with adults and their children attending Elicia's birthday party. The table was completely covered with food and treats with Elicia's birthday cake at the very end of the table.

"Raelisa!" A little voice called out to me. By the time I turned my head downwards, Elicia had her arms wrapped around my legs as she looked up to me with a huge smile on her face.

I kinda felt foolish for the birthday present I got for her even as I braved it out as I knelt down on my knees with the little stuffed raccoon behind me. When I did brought out the little stuffed toy and I was relieved to see her eyes and smile widen as she took the tiny raccoon in her arms.

"Thank you, Raelisa!" She said before she ran off to go show her new stuffed animal to her father.

I stood up to my feet and turned my head to see Winry along with the party group. I walked over there to her side. "Hey, Winry." I said, making her head turn towards me.

"Hi, Rae. You came here for Elicia's birthday, too?" She began as I sat down beside her at the table.

"Yeah, did Hughes drag you for shopping?"

"Yeah…"

I snorted at this. "Yeah, that's Hughes alright. He did that to me too last year." I began as I started to get myself a plate of food - mostly sweets. "So, Winry…" I began slowly. "You didn't do you maintenance right on Ed's arm the first time, did you?"

I watched Winry flinch at this from the corner of my eye. "Oh… So you noticed…" She said with a weak laughter before she dropped her head down. "I can't believe I made that mistake… I feel absolutely terrible about it… Because of that I almost gotten Ed killed…"

I smiled at this before I turned to her. "Don't be." I began. "Okay, sure, you made a little mistake for forgetting that screw for Ed's arm. So what? You should be glad that Ed's not an idiot to let himself get killed."

"Yeah, but…"

"Winry…" I dragged, giving her a look causing her to look up to me. "You don't need to worry about them so much. Sure they're still young and all, but they're not alone in the mix of things. They got me, Hughes, Uncle Alex, Mustang, they got us all to back them up."

Hughes came around and sat down with us not too long after and he thanked me for coming to his daughter's birthday. And soon after Elicia came by and joined the three of us.

"I've known the Elrics for about as long as I can remember…" Winry began after Hughes asked her about her relations with Ed and Al. "We grew up together, they're like my brothers."

"Sure annoying those two. They must give you something to worry about."

Winry smiled at this. "That's an understatement." She began. "When they finally came back for a visit, it was because Ed's arm was all busted up… And now he calls me out here 'cause he's been seriously injured again. Something's bothering Al, too… They keep their mouths shut, though. They don't ever tell me what's going on… It's like when they left Resembool for the first time."

"Maybe nothing needs to be explained." Hughes spoke up, making Winry look up at him with wide eyes. "It's possible that you'd understand without them saying anything…"

I turned my head over to Winry and watched her lower her head. "Maybe… But there are some things that actually need to be told…"

I snorted at this while Hughes took his glasses off. "What are gonna do with you? In general, men prefer to let their actions speak instead of words. When they're in pain, they don't want to burden anyone with it, not if they can help it. They don't want anybody to worry about them. That's how they are."

"Even so, they're come a time when they need to ask for your help. And when they do, I know that you'll be there for him. Isn't that enough?"

Just then a group of boys around Elicia's age and asked Elicia to go play with them. They then started to argue who gets to play with Elicia until Hughes stepped up with his pistol at hand, threatening the little boys from doing anything funny with his daughter. Winry and I just turned to each other with the same look on our faces.

By the time the party was over and all the parents were taking their children home, I said my goodbyes to the Hughes family and Winry for a fantastic evening. Before I left though, I went up to Winry and told her that I won't tell Ed about that missing bolt she forgotten, which she was very pleased to hear about.

I returned to the hospital Ed was admitted in the next morning to check up on the two brothers. When I arrived I walked into the room with Ed and Al, witnessing Edward giving the bottle of milk that was with his breakfast a deathly glare, making me laugh.


"Good morning, you two." I said as I stepped over to Ed's bedside. I then turned my head over to Alphonse when he told Ed to drink his milk, but the way he said it, made me wonder if something's bothering him.

"I don't have to if I don't want to." Ed began as he started to chow down. "I may not look like it, but I have grown some. But everyone still calls me a pipsqueak… I wish I was like you, Al," He began making me spin my head over to him. "You've got such a big body now."

Once Ed said that, Alphonse must of snapped inside just as Winry stepped inside the room with us. "It's not like I asked for this body, brother!"

Ed apologized to him as Al snapped back at him. "How am I supposed to believe anything when I'm stuck in this body! What should I believe in, memories?! Memories are just scraps of information that can be made up as easily as everything else."

"Al-"

"Do you remember when you said that there was something you were afraid to tell me?" He paused. "I think… I think I might know what it was… Maybe you wanted to say that my soul and my memories are artificial constructions you created…! You, Winry and Granny… You've been lying to me, haven't you? What do you have to say for yourself, brother?!"

Ed slammed his hands on the table tray his breakfast was on, silencing Al as everybody turned their heads over to him. Ed uttered a few words to Al before he put aside his tray and stood up, leaving the room.

"AL YOU MORON!" Winry shouted as she picked up her wrench and smacked him over the head. When Al questioned her, Winry started to cry before she hit him again. She then told him the reason why Ed was so scared to tell him about. Ed was scared that Al blamed Ed for what happened to his body. She then asked him why Ed would risk his life to create a fake little brother. All Ed and Al have left is each other. Winry then straightened up and ordered Al to go after Ed.

As everybody left the room a few moments after and followed the two brothers. I, however, decided to stay behind. A smile came to my face as I turned to the window. "Ed's not a stuck up, pouty kid that I thought he was." I muttered to myself as my smile grew larger. "That's good for him… I'm sure they'll be good as new soon."

I let out a yawn before I took a drink of my coffee. "I wish I could take a nap now…"


AND SHE DID... not. Lol to work, to work~

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