Moxxie: GO GET IT BOY! GO FETCH!
Den: *Barks excitedly, runs after stick.*
Winry: That's momma's good boy!
Moxxie: Alright guys! Another chapter eyyyyyyy! and to do the disclaimer, we have Den!
Den: *Barks, clears throat, in a posh british accent* The writer acknowledges that Fullmetal Alchemist, it's characters and storylines are creative properties of Hiromu Arakawa, Square Enix and it's subsidiaries. All OC's and original storylines are, however, creative properties of Moxxie Russo. *Barks, scratches ear*
Winry and Moxxie: ...?
The rest of our time spent at Winry's passed quickly. Seeing how well Johanna took to her alchemy training, Edward decided to teach her some basic weapon transmutation. It took her a bit, weapons weren't her forte, but after nearly and entire afternoon she'd managed to make a pretty decent long sword. The last day was the long one. It was long awaited day three and Edward was antsy, his lessons not very well put together. He didn't even get dressed, just pouted around in his boxers and under shirt.
"So when're you gonna teach me how to actually use this thing?" Johanna asked him quietly, haphazardly flailing the sword around. Edward didn't answer however, and Johanna turned around to find both him and Den sprawled out in the grass next to Al's box. "Really?!" Johanna huffed, stabbing the sword into the ground. Edward turned, his attention piqued, but he didn't stand up. Instead he heaved a heavy sigh, his eyes still on the clouds. Johanna approached the boys, quietly laying in the grass next to them.
"They said three days, right?" Alphonse asked his brother, glancing over at Johanna. Johanna rolled her eyes, she was coming to find that patience wasn't Edward's strong suit.
"So, give 'em three days." Johanna finished, reaching over to pet Den. The dog wiggled happily on the ground, kicking his foot as Johanna found his spot.
"Yeah, I know, I know. But every time I think of a clue hidden somewhere in Central Library I get so impatient!" Edward said, flailing his arms and legs. Johanna chuckled, looking up at the clouds above her. She reached her hand up, trying to grab one and obviously failing.
"Haven't you ever heard 'Patience is a virtue'?" Johanna asked Edward matter of factly. Edward groaned.
"Yeah. All the time from the hag inside and The Colonel." He made a face of distaste, turning to look at Johanna. Johanna laughed again, leaning up on her elbow, just as Winry ran from the house, an Automail arm in tow. Edward followed Johanna's gaze, overcome with excitement. He never thought he'd be so happy to see his arm back in one piece.
"Here you go! It's all ready!" Winry told him happily. Edward stood. Immediately running off to the house.
Edward had changed, and waited patiently in the living room for his new arm and leg to be attached. Everyone gathered around, ready to see him walking on his own leg and using his own arm again.
"Ready?" Pinako asked him quietly. Begrudgingly, Edward shook his head. He hated this part, it was the worst part, connecting the nerves. He glanced up at Johanna, wondering if she'd ever seen anything like this before, but he didn't have long to think on it. Pinako and Winry had already counted down to three and turned the wrenches, locking his arm and leg into place. He groaned in pain, the feeling of it something he could never get used to.
"That's the worst part every time, when the nerves connect like that." He muttered to himself. Johanna frowned at him from across the room, her eyes wide, and Edward threw her a smile. "Once we have the philosopher's stone I can kiss that pain goodbye!" He told the room, mostly to reassure her.
"Our biggest source of income. I'll be sad to see you go." Pinako said half heartedly, turning her wrench again, eliciting another scream of agony from Ed.
"Hold still. Do you want me to do this right or not?" Winry scolded him. Johanna couldn't blame him, she didn't think she'd be able to sit still either. Winry began to gush about her Automail and Edward rolled his eyes.
"Crazy gear head…" He muttered under his breath. Winry glared at the boy.
"You're lost without me, alchemy freak."
"Alright, we're done." Pinako told Edward. he jumped to his feet, stretching his new arm and leg happily. "Well, does it feel alright?"
"Yeah… It feels good." Edward told them, grinning. Winry began to talk to Edward about his arms new specs, but the boy didn't care. In a second he was out side, grabbing Johanna's arm as he ran past her.
"Al! It's your turn!" Edward yelled, running over to the box where Alphonse sat, patiently waiting. Edward began to fish his pieces out of the box, setting them up neatly on the ground in front of him.
"You can fix him right here?" Johanna asked him dumbly.
"Yep." Edward stood, admiring his work. "You have to know the trick to it, though." He told her with a grin. Slowly he removed Alphonse's head, causing Johanna's stomach to turn. "You see that seal on the inside of his back?" Edward asked her, pointing it out. Johanna dared to look, the nausea fading. She saw it clear as day, a circle with an eight pointed star.
"Yeah, right there?" Johanna pointed at it. Edward smacked her hand away, apparently she was getting to close to it.
"That's the medium between Al's soul and the armor. So I have to be sure not to ruin it." Edward told her, an explanation as to why he slapped her hand. Johanna nodded her head in understanding, taking a step back as Edward cracked his knuckles. "Alright, step back and watch the master work." he said, clapping his hands together. Once he'd made the clap, he touched the ground beneath Al's body and almost instantly Alphonse began to pull himself together again.
"That's amazing." Johanna gawked, watching as Al stood up, flexing his arms and legs. "You look great, Al!"
"There you go, good as new." Edward told his younger brother. Edward's face shifted to one of deviance and looked up at his brother. "You ready to try it out?"
"Yeah!" Alphonse said happily, slinging his arm at Edward's head. Edward dodged the sucker punch, but not before getting in a kick of his own.
Johanna's jaw dropped as Pinako grabbed her by her elbow, tearing her away from the boys for her own safety. She watched the brothers spar, throwing kicks and punches, not holding anything back.
"Is that… Is that normal?" Johanna asked no one in particular. Pinako nodded, puffing on her pipe, watching them silently.
"You get used to it after a while." She chuckled, sighing as she watched them. "It'll be quiet around here with out those boys."
Edward decided they would leave first thing tomorrow morning, and Johanna was certain it was because he was exhausted. Edward and Al sparred nearly all day, and when they weren't sparring they were visiting their mother's grave. It was no surprise when Edward passed out right after dinnertime.
Johanna had just finished helping with the dishes when she entered the living room. Alphonse stood over his brother, watching him quietly.
"Sleeping with his tummy out again. What am I gonna do with him?" Alphonse said to himself. Edward sat on the couch, snoring away, no blanket, no clothes.
"It's almost like you're the older one, huh Al?" Johanna asked him quietly, crossing to the stack of blankets and pillows Pinako had left out. Al chuckled as I spread the blanket out, covering Edward.
"He's can be a handful. Someone has to look after him." Johanna stood quietly next to the younger brother, leaning her head on his cold arm.
"He's lucky to have you." Johanna told him quietly.
"He's lucky to have us both." Al corrected her. Johanna kept forgetting that she was now part of the group.
"Thank you," Johanna said suddenly, pulling her head from Al's shoulder. "Both of you." Alphonse turned to look at her.
"What for?" He asked her.
"For bringing me along, for teaching me alchemy." Johanna sighed, rubbing her eyes. They burned, she was going to cry. "I promise I won't be a burden." She said quietly. Johanna's new life was confusing and catastrophic; she missed the times when she was a carefree little girl. "I know it's going to be hard but, I'm glad you guys are so willing to be here for me. Now that my dad's gone, it's nice to have someone, even if we just met, so, thank you."
"You weren't a burden, even before we taught you alchemy. Brother may never say it, but I think he's happy you're coming along." Alphonse paused, glancing down at Edward. "He thinks we're fine on our own, but it does get lonely, even if we have each other." Johanna brought her hands to her eyes, rubbing the tears away. "There's no turning back now, you're one of us, so… Welcome to the family, Johanna." Alphonse told her happily. Johanna grinned up at him, replacing her head on his shoulder. She decided she liked the Elric brothers, and she liked the Rockbell's. Even if the road to get here was messed up, Johanna was glad that it led her here.
Edward wasn't kidding when he said they were leaving first thing in the morning. He was at Johanna's door before it was even light out making sure she was up and ready to go. Thankfully Winry had been there earlier to see her off.
"It's not much but, I've gathered all of the clothes I could find in that size for you. Some winter, some not." Winry told her, handing her a small, black suitcase. "And there's an extra pair of boots just in case." Johanna took the suitcase out of Winry's hands gently, looking at it, afraid it would disappear at any moment.
"Th-This is for me?" Johanna stammered looking up at the girl in disbelief.
"Yeah, I figured you'd need more than one pair of clothes right? Especially if you're going to be running around with them. They're always getting dirty or-" Johanna couldn't contain herself and before she knew what she was doing, Johanna wrapped her arms around Winry's shoulders, hugging her tightly. Winry paused, awkwardly at first, before she returned the embrace, squeezing her tightly. "Take care of everyone, okay?"
"I will." Johanna told her, shaking her head in agreement. "I'll make sure he goes easy on the new arm, too." Johanna sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"The arms a bit more durable than I let on, but don't tell him that. He'll go overboard." Winry joked. Johanna understood, from what she knew of Edward Elric, he seemed reckless enough. "Take care of yourself too, and don't let them forget that you're a lady. They're not inconsiderate, but they get tunnel vision sometimes."
"I wont." Johanna sniffed, taking her new suitcase in her hand again. Winry smiled at her, turning back to the door.
"You'd better get ready, I think Edward is already up downstairs." Winry warned Johanna. Johanna listened intently to the noise coming from the first floor, someone was awake down there, and already on a tear. Johanna rolled her eyes, sounds like Edward and Pinako are going at it again.
"Where is Winry?" Al asked, bringing Johanna from her thoughts.
"Resting. She's stayed up three nights in a row. Want me to wake her?" Pinako asked. Edward sighed, throwing his hand up.
"No, that's okay… She'd just nag me." Edward huffed, turning to walk down the street. "Make sure to do your maintenance or whatever." Johanna shook her head at him, taking her suitcase in her hands as well, before turning to Pinako.
"Thank you for letting me stay here, Mrs Rockbell." Johanna said, bowing to her.
"Any friend of those boys is a friend of our's, and please, call me Pinako." The old woman winked at Johanna, putting a surprisingly soft hand on her cheek. Johanna smiled at her, turning to follow Ed, Al and Major Armstrong down the road. "Hold on a second boys!" Pinako called to them. The entire group turned and the woman smiled at them. "You should come back once in a while and have dinner with us."
"You want us to come all this way into the mountains just for some dinner?" Edward laughed at her, but he did miss them. Maybe they would come back sooner rather than later.
"Edward, Alphonse!" A voice called from the top floor. Winry had stepped out of her room, her hair in shambles and wearing a large nightshirt and shorts. "Come back soon, 'kay? Oh and Johanna, you too alright?"
"Of course!" Johanna told the girl, waving at her. Winry smiled at them, looking like she was ready to pass out at any moment as once again Edward started off down the dirt road back to the train station.
Alright guys! So this is the last chapter i wrote on my macbook before it died. (God bless its techy soul) And this is the last of the shorter chapters so I will be updating ONCE A WEEK ON FRIDAYS For those of you that are Batman Beyond fans, i am currently drafting up and Terry McGinnis/OC story (the first chapter is up) AND I have an outline for my Ouran High School Host Club story. I will leave it to the viewers which one they would like to read! Reviews and PMs are awesome, they make my days!
Love you guys and as always,
Stay Beautiful!
