Chapter Eleven
"Thanks for sending a car for us, Roy. I can't believe how much it's snowed. Did we move to Briggs and I didn't get the notice?" Gracia grinned, carrying her daughter into Roy's house. Winry carried the girl's overnight bag and the Elrics hauled in everything else. "The power didn't seem to have plans on coming back on at home."
"We still have power," Riza said, heading down the hall.
"And if you lose it, you have a match." Ed dropped his satchel and jerked a thumb at Roy.
"And you'll be tinder for the fire," Roy said sweetly, putting a book down on the coffee table. "Run the bags upstairs. We made up all the guest rooms. Pick whichever you want." He swung off the couch and took the bag from Winry. "If it's too damp, I can always get the bedroom fireplace going."
"Let's see what it's like. There isn't a fireplace in Elicia's room at home so it might be distracting. I'll use the heater unless the power goes out." Gracia set Elicia down and took the groggy girl's hand so she could lead her up the stairs.
"Not a problem." Roy started up the steps. "Riza went to get the tea for us. Just go on down to the living room once you're settled."
Al didn't bother searching for a room that appealed to him. Nothing did. It had been three days since he had confronted Snowdrop at the festival. He had seen her once more when the madam had called them to the bar to tell them that they had tracked the man more carefully based on Snow's information but it was a row of mansions and no one could get close without noticing. They had hoped to figure out whose servant the man was, if he was a servant at all. The meeting had been horribly uncomfortable. Al had mostly ignored Snowdrop, speaking in cold, clipped tones he now regretted, even though he knew his current temperament was her fault.
He dumped his overnight bag on the bed, turned up the register a little against the chill then went back down to the living room. Everyone else was taking longer. Gracia was surely putting her daughter to bed and Roy was either talking to her or helping Riza. Ed and Winry might be planning on finding rooms close enough they could sneak across in the night. Al tossed himself on the couch, then, not seeing Hayate to distract him, leaned over and picked up the book Roy had in his hand when they'd come in. Surprisingly, it was a photo album. The first picture was one of a dark haired lady sitting on a porch with a chubby Xingese baby in her hands.
Al snorted, a grin blooming. The baby looked angry with the world – or maybe contemplating evil. It was like looking at a dark haired, almond-eyed Edward. Al found it hard to think of the Flame Alchemist as an infant. The baby looked too innocent to really be Roy Mustang, whom Al was fairly sure was just as bad as his own brother and there was little innocence in Edward. He recognized the woman as Madam Christmas, thinner, younger and obviously happy to have an infant to care for.
"What do you have there, Al?" Ed asked, startling Al as he flopped on the couch next to his brother. Winry shoved Al into the middle, settling on his other side.
"Photo album. Guess Roy was looking at it." Al frowned. "Probably thinking about his sister."
"What a cute little baby," Winry said, pointing at the photograph.
"I'm still a cute little baby, just ask Riza," Roy said, coming down the stairs and heading for the kitchen. Ed made a gagging noise.
Al ignored them both. He was expert at it, after all. He flipped back a couple pages and saw a picture of a busty young woman in a racy dress. That had to be the madam when she was in her twenties. She was probably always a little wild. On the same page was a young Xingese girl and Al wondered if this was Roy's actual mother. She looked like a child and that bothered him. He noticed neither Ed nor Winry seemed willing to look at that picture for long.
"The madam was really pretty back then," Winry said.
"She got old and fat," Ed replied bluntly.
"Granny would remind you it happens to us all," Winry reached over and slapped his arm. "That smoking doesn't help. I wish Granny wouldn't but the one time she tried to stop was so scary, I was glad when she went and bought more tobacco."
"We must have missed that," Al said, flipping back the other way. He stopped on a page with the Madam washing Roy in a pail.
"Ugh, Al, keep turning." Ed reached for a page and this time, Al swatted him. "I didn't need to see the bastard's dangle."
"I'm three months old in that picture, Edward," Roy said, carrying in a tray of cups and sugar bowl. Riza followed with the tea pot. "Unless you went digging for another album."
"No one wants to know about that," Ed said, an 'oh hell no' expression on his face.
"Granny has one just like this of you and another of Al," Winry said. "All you can see in my picture is me covered with bubbles, even a pile on top my head."
"What is it with parents and kids in a bath?" Ed sighed.
"It's cute," Gracia offered from the top of the stairs. "I've got Elicia down for the night. Here's hoping she stays there. And I'm sure Maes had a whole roll of that sort of picture."
"Maes had rolls of all sorts of pictures. Your husband was deranged." Roy snorted.
"Truthfully, he sometimes sent you duplicates and pretended they were different because he knew it made you nuts." Gracia patted Roy's shoulders as she went around him to sit down.
"Yeah, I suspected that."
"How did you even meet Mr. Hughes?" Ed asked. "He was too much fun to be your friend, bastard."
"The bastard stole my quiche in the Academy."
Al laughed. "What?"
"He stole my quiche in the cafeteria and I was going to make him pay for that. It became a competition to outdo each other. All it did was to propel us to the top of our class and we ended up friends." Roy smiled softly. "But you never could trust that man not to steal your food."
Gracia reached for a tea cup. "Again, because he knew it made you nuts. He was determined to lighten you up, Roy."
"He usually succeeded," Riza said, pouring the tea for the other woman.
"Yeah," Roy said as Al flipped another page.
The pictures on this page were of Snowdrop. She looked somehow guarded in the photos with her adopted mother and with her brother. Their age difference was apparent. It reminded Al of Pitt back home. Pitt was a full eighteen years younger than his brother. It was like having a second father.
Al pointed to one of the pictures. "Is your sister really happy living with the madam?"
Roy nodded. "She is."
"Even though she makes her do this dangerous work?" Al felt Winry's hand touch his knee as if in warning to leave it alone.
"Chris doesn't make her do it." Roy took a sip of his tea. "Snowdrop was supposed to only be doing the research. Looking through deeds, old newspaper clippings, that sort of thing. I'm not sure why she got it in her head that she wanted to do something more. Probably because I didn't want her to do it. Siblings are perverse that way."
Al nodded knowingly as Ed said, "But she did it anyway."
"I'm just a brother, Edward. I can't control what my baby sister does."
"Hear that Edward." Al shot his brother a look.
"You'd be better off if he had," Ed volleyed back and Al glowered.
"We have to be free to make our own mistakes, Edward," Riza said. "Roy and I have made our share."
"It's hard for a parent to let that happen," Gracia put in. "But you're right. Mistakes teach us."
"It was something I would have been happier not learning." Al sighed, looking back at the pictures. He couldn't imagine how anyone could hurt a girl like Snow. She would have been Elicia's age when all those terrible things were happening to her.
"I know that feeling." Roy sighed. "Shall we talk about something else? I have cards and board games."
"You have board games?" Ed's eyebrows rose.
"I prefer chess and go but those aren't good games for a crowd. Games challenge the mind, Edward."
"I could go for cards," Gracia said. "Once I'm done with my tea."
"I'll go get a deck. You have to watch Edward. He cheats in poker," Roy said.
"Go to hell, I do not."
Al snorted and Ed leveled a glare at him. The phone rang before the burgeoning fight could get underway. Roy went to answer it.
"Hello…what's wrong, Madam?" Roy's face lost color. "I'll be right there. What are the roads like at your end? Okay, it'll take awhile to get there with this weather. Keep her as quiet as you can. Tell her I'm coming."
"Roy, what's wrong?" Riza got to her feet.
"My sister has been naturally distraught. Mom said she got hysterical tonight and locked herself in her room with a pair of scissors," Roy rasped out.
Al went the grayish white of curdled milk as Winry gasped, covering her mouth. Ed swore, his hands clenching.
"Oh no, Roy," Gracia said.
"I'll go with you," Riza put a hand on his arm and he nodded. "Gracia, you can watch over the house."
"Of course."
"I'm going, too," Al said, getting to his feet.
"I don't think that's wise," Roy said. "You've already done enough."
"And I can undo it," Al's jaw jutted out. "You're not leaving me behind."
Roy nodded. "All right ."
"Winry and I are coming, too," Ed said. "And before you say no, you know damn well we're not going to let Al go on his own." Winry nodded staunchly
Roy sighed. "Fine. I could use both your help if the roads need clearing. It's been plowed near the bar."
Al went upstairs to grab his coat but that would be utterly inadequate to combat the cold settling into his heart. What had he done?
XXX
Riza had driven them, more because she didn't trust his state of mind than for the need of having a third alchemist to help melt away treacherous patches of snow. Even with all three of them, their progress was slow. The old hotel that made up the Madam's home had a mostly empty lobby. A couple girls sat at the polished desk.
"They're up on third, Roy," one of them said. "The Madam wanted us to wait here."
"Thanks Emily," he said tightly. Roy didn't bother with the rickety elevator, going up the steps two at a time. The thick floral carpeting ate all sounds for their footsteps. At the end of the hall by door 313, his mother and Vanessa, another of her girls, stood with Christmas leaning against the doorframe. She looked down the corridor at him, her eyebrow rising.
"They wouldn't stay home," Roy said, reading her mind.
"Fine." She waved him closer. "Snowdrop, please open the door. Your brother is here."
"I don't care," Snowdrop's voice sounded thin and reedy behind the stout wood.
"Sis, come on. Let me in. I want to talk to you and I can't do that through this door," Roy said, pressing against the door jamb.
"Yes, you can."
"No, I can't. I need to see you. We need to see you. Alphonse is here, too. He's worried about you," Roy said, reaching over to grab Alphonse's wrist. He hauled the boy closer.
"Don't lie to me, Roy."
Alphonse's hand flattened against the door, fingers splaying over the brass room number. "He's not lying, Snow. I'm here and I am worried about you. Edward and Winry are with me. We all want to talk to you."
Nothing echoed back from the other room and Roy's stomach knotted. Finally, his sister said, "What is there let to talk about? It won't change the past. Now you know it all. How can you even want to talk to me?"
"We all make mistakes, Snowdrop. Believe me, Ed and I made some that make this look like nothing, but people didn't give up us. I'm always grateful for that," Alphonse said. "Without them, we might have given up and let our sins drag us down. Your brother was a really big help. We owe him for that."
"Listen to him, Snow. He and his brother definitely know what it's like to pay for what they've done and they know all about redemption," Roy said, reaching out to touch Al's shoulder.
"I don't care about the things Roy told me about your stepfather. That's not your fault."
"Isn't it? I didn't run away. I didn't tell anyone," Snow said, her voice cracking.
"You were a child, Snow," Christmas said, her brow pinching.
"And I really don't care. I wish you could see my face and see that's true. Please open the door, Snow," Alphonse said, leaning his head against the door frame.
She didn't answer.
Roy knocked on it. "Please, Snow." She still didn't respond. "You know I can open this door if I have to."
Silence answered him. Alphonse glanced at Roy and the older alchemist nodded, clapping his hands together. It took very little to circumvent the lock. Alphonse opened the door to reveal Snowdrop seated at her vanity, her scissors snicketing quickly. Her long raven hair puddled at her feet as she sheared it away.
"Snow, what are you doing?" Roy rasped.
"It's the first thing they notice. It's always the first thing they notice, even when I was little." She yanked up hanks of hair, sawing at it with the scissors. "They all like my hair."
Out of the corner of his eye, Roy caught Alphonse's expression and realized it was something the young man had made a big deal of. Raven Xingese hair was fairly exotic in Amestris. "Snow, please put the scissors down," Roy said but she ignored him.
Al walked over to her and Roy heard Edward's servos whining. He must be tightening up, worrying those scissors could easily end up shoved into his brother if Snow snapped. Alphonse put a hand on her arm. "You can stop now, Snowdrop. You're still beautiful without the long hair."
She looked up him, her eyes streaming.
"Give me the scissors, Snow, and we can talk."
Snowdrop didn't fight him as he took the scissors out of her hands. He handed them back to Roy as Snow wrapped her arms around him, crying against Alphonse's chest. He held her tight, his hand ruffling her unevenly shorn hair. Roy passed the scissors off to his mother then went over to Alphonse and Snowdrop.
Roy put an arm around his sister and rested the other hand on Alphonse's back. "Snow, why don't you come downstairs and talk with us?"
"Don't want everyone to stare," she muttered, shaking her head, bits of hair floating free.
"All right, let's go sit on the bed then. We can clean this up for you." Roy toed a length of shorn hair.
Snowdrop nodded. Roy and Alphonse helped her up. She collapsed on the mattress, looking like a broken Xingese doll. Alphonse sat next to her hip, rubbing her back. Roy squatted down, getting almost eye level with her.
"Do you want me to stay here with you a while? Would you like to talk with Vanessa or Winry?" he asked and she shook her head. "How about Alphonse? Would you like him to stay?" He locked eyes with the young man who nodded.
She lifted her head to look at Alphonse. "Why would you stay?"
"Because you need me to." A fragile smile wobbled across his face. "I won't insult you by saying I'm not upset and hurt, but I still have feelings for you. If I can help by sitting with you a while, I'm happy to do it."
Her eyes narrowed. "Do you mean that?"
"My brother's the nicest most forgiving guy in the country," Edward said, from the doorway. "He means it.
Snow winced then turned to Alphonse. "Okay, I wanted you to stay but I didn't know how to ask."
Alphonse squeezed her hand. "It's all right. I'll stay. You don't even have to talk if you don't want to."
She just nodded, gathering her pillow up, burrowing her face into it.
"Snow, I'll clean up the mess," Vanessa offered.
"Are you all right, Snowdrop?" Christmas asked, waiting until she nodded. "May I borrow your brother then?"
"They need to know. Edward needs to go with you, too," Snow said, twisting to look at Alphonse. "Do you want to hear what information she has?"
"No, Brother will tell me later."
Roy stood up and patted his sister's arm. "Call me if you need me. We'll just be in the Madam's suite."
Roy didn't really want to leave them alone but he trusted Alphonse. Hurt as he was, he'd take care of Snowdrop. The madam led the way to the ornate brass doors of the elevator. The trip up to the top floor suite was in awkward silence. Her suite's living room was stuffed with roomy soft leather couches and chairs. They filed into the room, except for Riza.
She paused at the doorway. "I'll call Gracia and let her know the crisis has passed,"
"Thank you," Roy whispered, feeling the tension that held him upright fleeing him. He flopped onto the couch. "What did you find out, Mom?"
"Your sister went back to what she's good at. She found the house owners and there was a name on the list that got my attention. Edward, what does the name General Raven mean to you?"
"He was at Briggs when I was there, same time as Kimbley," Edward said and Winry shivered at the memory. "I really don't know him, why?"
"His daughter, Evelyn, lives on that road and she's rumored to have a Xingese major domo," Christmas said.
"Are we sure it's not me they want?" Roy scowled. "I made a mistake of trusting him and he betrayed me to the Fuhrer. He was in on the secret project to make the homunculus army for the promise of immortality once the Philosopher's Stone was made."
"He disappeared," Christmas said, shrugging.
"Roy would make a likely suspect in that," Riza said, coming back from making her call.
"But they were following Al and Ed, not Roy. I mean, it wouldn't be hard to spy on Mr. Mustang. He's sort of noticeable," Winry said.
"Maybe too noticeable," Christmas replied. "It might be easier to get at Roy by using an underling."
"I'm not an underling. I'm just stuck with him," Edward pouted.
"You're a lower rank. I'm your commander. You're a lackey," Roy said, waving him off.
"Bite the biggest part of my ass," Edward shot back.
Roy chewed the air then said, "I think I know what this might be about. Edward, you and Alphonse were there around the time Raven died."
Surprised, Edward asked. "He's dead?"
"I can't say who took him out but yes, he's dead. It's possible his kin believe you and your brother are responsible, Edward." Roy scowled. Olivia should be the target, not the boys. He hated this.
Edward's gold eyes widened. "Me? What the hell?"
"Ed wouldn't just kill anyone," Winry protested.
"I know that Winry, but I'm not sure that everyone else would be so easily convinced. He does carry the rank of State Alchemist. We're not exactly known for our mercy," Roy replied bitterly
"So they think Al and I had something to do with Raven's disappearance. That would explain why they hired you to spy on us. They might have been hoping for a confession. Lovers might be brought into the secret," Edward said, rubbing his chin.
"So why try to kill you?" Winry asked.
"The only information we learned was that the boys were planning to help with relations with Xing," Christmas replied. "They could have lost patience with our inability to get to information that the client wanted."
"So we have a clue, now what?" Edward asked,
"I can't exactly confront Miss Raven with my mother's handiwork. However, the assassin changes things. That's where we'll concentrate our search now. If we can tie her to hiring that assassin, we can easily put her away," Roy said.
"Great, now we have a plan and in the meantime there's probably another assassin after me." Edward slid down on the couch.
"And my sister is a danger to herself, yes this isn't going to end well." Roy crossed his arms over his chest, pressing them hard against his muscles.
"It might end better for Snow," Winry said. "I'm not sure Al has it in him to hate anyone. I'm not saying going they'll ever be back together but he'll probably forgive her."
"That alone would help her," Roy said. "And I was hoping Alphonse would be forgiving once he stopped being angry. I do know how nice he is."
"So now what?" Edward asked again, obviously impatient with the discussion of feelings rather than villains.
"I go back down to my sister's room and see if she's okay, collect your brother and go home. We sleep and tackle this fresh in the morning," Roy said.
"Great plan. I can see why you're the general and I'm the underling." Edward rolled his eyes.
Roy curled his lip. "Explain to me why I just don't let the assassin get you?"
"Winry and Alphonse would cry," Riza said.
"We would," Winry assured him.
Roy sighed. "Well, I can't have that. All right, Madam. I better get us home before the snow starts up again and you're stuck with us."
"That would be fine, too, you know, son."
"I know, but I left someone back home with her little girl. I better go collect Alphonse," he said, going for the door. They all followed him back to Snow's. The door was still open and Alphonse and Snow hadn't moved much. "Alphonse, we're going back. Snowdrop, would you like to come stay with me for a few days? Right now Edward, Alphonse and Winry are there, too, because there is no power where they are."
"I'm better here. It's home," Snow said, shifting on the mattress. Roy noticed his initial thought was wrong. She, or more likely Alphonse, had fetched the stuffed mohair dog he had bought for her when she first came to live with them. Muttley was a little worse for wear now but his sister kept him still.
"I can stay with you, if you want," Alphonse said, surprising them. Edward took a step then stopped, his gaze dropping to his boots.
She touched Alphonse's hand. "I'm okay, Alphonse, just very tired. I need to sleep. Go home with your brother. I have all my sisters here and Mom. It'll be fine."
"I'll make sure nothing happens to her," Christmas said. "We'll get her fixed up tomorrow. It'll be all right."
"Ok." Alphonse stroked Snowdrop's shorn hair then leaned down, kissing her temple. "You rest. We can talk tomorrow."
"Thank you," she whispered.
Alphonse got up and joined the others. Roy went over to his sister, murmuring a Xingese goodnight prayer in her ear. He had strong doubts about the existence of gods but he knew his sister took comfort in them. That was enough for him. Riza took his hand as they headed for the door. Even the cold outside wasn't enough to brace him when they stepped out into it. Roy felt wrung out. He wanted his bed and to sleep for a week.
