Chapter 20 –
"Brother?" Al watched in amusement as Ed's eye twitched while he continued reading, indicating he had heard something but obviously hadn't processed what he'd heard. "Brother?" Al tried again and this time he got more of a response.
"Hmm?" Ed asked, still not looking up from his book. Al waited a couple of seconds and was rewarded with Ed jolting slightly before looking at him in confusion. "Did you say something, Al?" He asked, causing Alphonse to giggle, much to the irritation of his brother.
"Only been trying for the last minute, brother." Al told him in between giggles. Ed's annoyed expression turned sheepish.
"Sorry, Al. What's up?" He asked, putting his book face down so he could give Al his full attention.
"I was wondering if you knew whether Miss Gracia had the stuff for sandwiches or if we would have to go to the shops for lunch? I know she said she was going grocery shopping tomorrow or the day after." Al asked, moving to his knees but Ed beat him up.
"I think there might still be some ham and cheese. Do you want one or two sandwiches?" Ed asked, already heading for the kitchen.
"I can make it myself, you know, Ed?" Al asked, though he didn't make any move to do so. His elder brother would only send him back to the lounge room.
"I know but I want something to eat as well and I don't know what." Ed called back from the kitchen, causing Al to roll his eyes.
"I'll have two sandwiches please." Al told him before he asked again. He heard a noise of confirmation and the sound of Ed pulling things out of the fridge before there was a loud crash in the kitchen.
When Al didn't immediately hear Ed cussing, Al got up to check, afraid his brother had somehow managed to knock himself out. Instead, he found several things lying on the floor and the fridge door wide open. Despite not hearing signs of distress or a struggle, Al still tore through the entire house, calling for Edward but receiving no answer. He quickly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and shut the fridge and was halfway to the front door when he remembered Gracia would be home shortly and would likely be concerned if neither of them was here. He headed back to the lounger room and wrote a quick note, left it on the coffee table and headed for Central Command as quickly as he could.
The guards on the gate waved him through immediately, knowing him from the amount times he's accompanied his brother, and he called his thanks over his shoulder as he raced for the Brigadier-General's offices. He only slowed when he was close to it so he didn't accidentally run into anyone in the corridors but he didn't bother knocking on the door before he entered. His sudden appearance startled everyone, including Mustang who had been handing over completed paperwork, and they all were staring at him, Hawkeye's hand resting on her holstered weapon.
"Ed's missing." He told them.
"Explain what happened to me one more time, Alphonse." Mustang requested, leaning back in his chair with Hawkeye standing on his right.
After his announcement, Mustang had moved himself, Alphonse and Hawkeye into his inner office with orders for the others to keep an ear out for any sign of Edward. Havoc had orders to put hospitals on alert, just in case the blonde turned up unconscious and with no identification on him.
"I don't know what happened. Edward had gone into the kitchen to get lunch. I was in the lounge room where we had been reading. Miss Gracia was at work and Elysia was at school. Ed asked how many sandwiches I wanted. I answered, he made a noise to tell me he heard. I could hear him getting stuff out of the fridge then the next thing I know, there's a crash in the kitchen. I couldn't hear Ed swearing like he would've so I went to look. The stuff he'd grabbed from the fridge was on the ground and the fridge was still open. He wasn't anywhere in the house. I cleaned up, wrote Miss Gracia a note and headed here." Alphonse explained again. He didn't try too hard to hide the annoyance he felt at having to say this story for the third time. Mustang gave him an understanding look.
"If I had to hazard a guess, it sounds like Truth has taken him somewhere. I doubt he would've left without telling you and we all know no one can kidnap him without him fighting back and you would've heard the sounds of a struggle or someone dragging him out of the house. That's not mentioning the fact that they couldn't have gotten him out of the house – conscious or not – without you seeing them, not with how quickly you went to investigate the noise." Mustang rationalised. "The only thing left is Truth. We all know how it can take someone in the time it takes to blink. If I'm right, Fullmetal will make a deal with it, if he agrees to do what it wants, and either you or I will get a visit from Truth tonight." Mustang sighed.
"What happens in the meantime?" Al asked, his concern for his brother bleeding through in his voice. Mustang looked at him with sympathy.
"Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do. Head back to Gracia's and wait there. Come back in the morning and we'll find out whether either of us heard from Truth." Mustang told him. "The team will keep investigating as though he'd been kidnapped until we get confirmation either way." Mustang told him. Al wasn't happy about it but he knew Mustang was right. They couldn't do anything until they knew what actually happened. He thanked Mustang and Hawkeye before heading out, saying goodbye to the team members still in the office and thanked them when they offered words of comfort and assurances that Ed would be alright.
His walk back to Gracia's was a lot more sedate than his race for Central Command. Worry for his brother churned in his gut but he managed to get back to the house before Gracia or Elysia. He removed the note he'd written hastily, threw it in the bin and cleaned up the kitchen a bit better. He went back to the lounge room and picked up his and Ed's books, marking Ed's page, before carting them all up into their room and placing them in their spots. He went back downstairs and waited in the lounge room for Gracia and Elysia to come home. He didn't have to wait long.
"Good afternoon, Alphonse. How was your day?" Gracia greeted as she walked through the door. Elysia could be heard behind her. "Where's your brother?" Gracia asked when she didn't immediately spot the older Elric in the vicinity. No one had missed the fact that the brothers were inseparable now that Alphonse had been cleared to join Edward on missions. Of course, that was after the disaster that had been their first mission together after Alphonse's clearance.
"He's not here." Al said, voice careful as Elysia came into view. Gracia immediately understood.
"Where is he?" Elysia asked as she joined him on the couch.
"Elysia, what do you do after school?" Gracia asked, keeping her voice light so as to not let Elysia pick up on her worry.
"Go and change out of my uniform and unpack my lunch bag." Elysia dutifully quoted, grumbling as she did so. "But, Mama, I want to know where big brother Ed is." She whined when her mother pointed towards her room and raised a brow.
"You can ask after you've done your after-school routine. Now, go." Gracia ordered. Elysia whinged but she didn't get anywhere and ended up stomping up to her room. When they heard her door open, Gracia turned to Alphonse. "What happened?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the closest couch, placing her work bag next to her.
"He disappeared. He was in the kitchen, we were talking then I heard something hit the ground. I didn't here his normal response to that so I went to check and he was gone. I went to Central Command to tell Mustang and try to figure out what happened." Al explained quickly. "Mustang thinks Truth took him for some reason. No one could've kidnapped him or coerced him out of the house without me seeing or hearing something and he never would've left without telling me where he was going unless he never got the chance to. Truth is the only option we can think of that could've happened so quickly and quietly." Alphonse told her with a sigh.
"Your brother can't just be kidnapped by a normal human? He just had to go and get kidnapped and sent to another dimension again." Gracia muttered. She swore she was getting grey hairs from having these two boys under her roof. She loved them like they were her own and she wouldn't have them any other way but sometimes she missed not having to worry about them every time they were out of her sight. Al let out a small, tired huff of laughter.
"Brother just has to be different." He laughed quietly before he and Gracia shared a small smile. They say silently for a moment longer before they heard Elysia running down the stairs and head into the kitchen. Gracia and Al shared a look that Al jutted his chin at her slightly while Elysia unpacked her lunch box at super speed and burst back into the lounge room to stand in the middle of the two adults and look at them with a small glare on her face. If Al wasn't so worried about Ed, he might've cooed at her.
"Where's big brother Ed?" Elysia demanded, looking between both of them.
"Alphonse was just telling me all about it, honey." Gracia said, effectively drawing the little girl's attention to her. "Uncle Roy has sent Edward on a super-secret solo mission. He had to leave right away but he did give Al a message to give to you." Gracia told her and Elysia turned to Al expectantly.
"Ed wanted me to tell you that he'll be back as soon as he can and he wants to hear all about your adventures at school when he gets back. He doesn't know how long he's gonna be gone but he did say he hopes you continue being good for your mama while he's gone and he hopes he'll be home soon." Al dutifully lied. Gracia looked happy with while Elysia put on a big sigh.
"Did he go back to the place he went after big brother Al was allowed to go on missions with him? Is Uncle Roy going with him? Will he be okay? Will he bring us more gifts?" Elysia asked, with all the enthusiasm of a five-and-a-half-year-old.
"We don't know. I think so but until he gets back, we won't know where he went. I don't think Uncle Roy will be going with him this time. Your big brother can look after himself just fine and I don't know if he'll have the chance to get us presents but you know that if he does, he will." Gracia was kind enough to answer all of her questions. "I imagine you will be going back to Central Command in the morning to see if Edward arrived safely?" Gracia asked, faux casually.
"Yes. Brigadier-General Mustang said that Brother would likely check in and leave a message during the night with one of the secretaries. He invited me back in the morning so I can hear the message for myself." Alphonse told her and she nodded.
"Can I go, please?" Elysia asked but Gracia immediately vetoed that.
"You have school, sweetie." She reminded the little girl. "Tomorrow you have art, remember? You were really excited to show your teacher your finished drawing." She told her quickly when it looked like Elysia would protest.
"Oh, yeah. Then I can bring it home and show you!" Elysia said excitedly. "'sides, big brother Al will tell me big brother Ed is okay, right?" She asked and Al nodded immediately.
"Of course I will, El." He assured her with a big smile. The young girl was happy with that and now that she knew where Ed was and that she would be told what he said in the morning, she launched into all of her stories about what happened at school that day. Gracia and Alphonse shared a relieved look that she was taking this so well considering she still had days where she didn't understand why she didn't have her dad anymore. Gracia and Al had gotten lucky that Ed hadn't heard any of those questions yet. Neither of them was blind to the fact that Ed still blamed himself for Hughes' death, despite Gracia's assurances.
Gracia hadn't told either boy that Elysia had asked her a couple of times whether Ed and Al were going where her daddy was whenever Gracia got word they had been assigned a new mission and told Elysia. While both boys lived under her roof more often than not, they still had rooms assigned at the dorms on the base and if they were too tired after a mission to walk all the way from the station to Gracia's, they would sleep at the dorms since they were closer. Elysia had started believing that every time the boys' were on a mission, it might end with them joining her father since Gracia had told her that her dad had passed away while on a mission. It broke her heart every time that happened. She risked a glance at Alphonse but he was busy listening to Elysia with a soft, indulgent smile on his face. You would have never known that he was worried sick about his brother from the way he was watching Elysia. Gracia turned her attention back to her daughter's amazing storytelling after sending a small prayer to whoever was listening that Edward would be alright.
Alphonse had forced himself to go to sleep last night. If Truth was ever likely to talk to him, it would be while he was sleeping so it wouldn't have to take all of him into its dimension, it would just have to get into his head, a feat made easier by the person being asleep. However, he woke up having not been sent to Truth's dimension so he hoped that meant that Mustang had gotten the visit. He hated himself for it but he had hoped Truth wouldn't chose him to visit. He had had enough of Truth's dimension while his body was in there for all of those years.
He was up before Elysia was. Gone were the days she had woken up early every day so she could run down to the lounge room if Ed, Al or Mustang were camping on the couch or running into her parents room to jump on them. Now she got up early on weekends or special days only.
Gracia was already in the kitchen and had apparently heard him wake up because there was a steaming cup of coffee waiting for him at the table while the cereal he normally had, along with the milk, a bowl and a spoon, were waiting next to the coffee. He sculled a third of the piping hot coffee before he voiced his first words of the morning.
"Thank you, Miss Gracia." He said, voice still sleepy but he managed to get the cereal and milk into the bowl with no spills so he counted that as a win.
"You're welcome, Alphonse." Gracia said with a cheery smile. One of the many things Al and Ed agreed on was that they were jealous of how put together Gracia always seemed, no matter the time of day or night.
They lightly chattered about Gracia's plans for the day since they both already knew Al's only plan was to go to Central Command and wait for Mustang to tell him if Truth had contacted him the previous night. It had only been 18 hours since Ed's disappearance. Surely Truth had contacted Mustang by now. A glance at the clock told Alphonse it was 6:30am. Mustang was supposed to be in the office by 7:30am now he was made Brigadier-General, something Al suspected he would've actually shed a tear over if he and his brother hadn't been in the room when Hawkeye had told him before leaving the room promptly. Ed had been particularly gleeful with how upset the news had made Mustang and had made a point of bringing it when he and Al had left, telling Mustang they wouldn't want to keep him any longer since he would be having an earlier start. Al had pushed his brother out of the door when he saw Mustang reaching for his glove while Ed cackled.
Alphonse decided he wouldn't leave for a little while longer. It only took twenty minutes to walk to Central Command when the roads and footpaths weren't too busy. At the time he wanted to arrive, he would need to allow an extra 15 minutes so he would make it to Mustang's office at the time he wanted too. So he would leave just before 7am which would mean he would miss Elysia waking up but he knew the little girl would understand when her mum reminded her where he had gone.
He finished his cereal and coffee and went back upstairs to change out of his sleep clothes into his normal brown slacks and clean, white shirt over a white singlet. He grabbed his brown jacket and donned his boots. They were similar to Edwards but less heavy since he didn't have an automail leg to worry about wearing through it. The thought of Ed's automail still made feelings of guilt bubble up in him. The plan, after Ed had recovered from his port surgery, was for them to find a way to fix both of their bodies. Al would get his body back and Edward would get his limbs returned.
It hadn't been long after he had woken from his coma and could stay awake for longer than short periods at a time when he had time to let everything just sink in. Everything they had gone through, everything they had accomplished and everything they had suffered. Every person they had met, helped and lost ran through his mind and he finally let himself think about Promised Day. Being forced through his own Gate. Facing Father. That horrible feeling when they'd learnt every single person inside the circle had been killed before his and Ed's father's counter-array had kicked in and reversed Father's transmutation. The details after that were spotty. Ed and the doctor's agree that it was probably a combination of the trauma of the fight, sacrificing himself and finding himself alive after his brother rescued, not to mention having his memories from the times his body tried to reclaim his soul fighting for their place in his mind, that caused his recall of the fight from that point to be imperfect. One thing he did remember was crying painfully when Ed told him he still had his automail.
Al had sobbed that the plan was to get Ed his body back as well. Ed had smiled and told his plan had been getting Al his body back. His limbs would've been a bonus but he wasn't upset he still had his automail. He'd joked and said it was probably a good thing since he was so used to just using his arm to block blows and his leg to kick things when he was made. Having both limbs flesh again would mean he'd have an even thicker medical file than what he had now. Al had laughed wetly and they hadn't brought up the subject again but from time to time, Al still felt guilty he hadn't been able to give Ed his body back like his brother had done for him.
With a sigh, Al put on his jacket as he headed back downstairs. Like he'd thought, Elysia was still in bed, snoozing happily away as he passed her room. Gracia was still in the kitchen, preparing Elysia and hers lunches for the day. Al glanced at the clock and realised he'd sat in his room longer than thought and that he needed to leave now. He and Gracia exchanged a quick goodbye and he headed out of the door and towards Central Command at a much more sedate pace than he had yesterday.
He waved to the guards at the gates as they let him through and he headed up the familiar route to Mustang's office. He passed some soldiers who he and Ed knew well enough to say hello too and exchanged greetings. The soldiers he didn't know, he simply offered a warm smile and friendly nod in their direction. Finally, the doors to Mustang's outer office came into view and he was happy to find them unlocked. As he'd thought, Miss Riza would be in the office well before her boss.
"Good morning, Alphonse. How are you?" Hawkeye asked as she spotted the youngest Elric. Havoc, Breda and Falman were the only ones missing, aside from their boss, and Al greeted both Hawkeye and Fuery before answering Hawkeye's question.
"I'm okay, Miss Riza. Just worried for Edward." Al told her honestly. Fuery and Hawkeye gave him a sympathetic smile.
"I imagine so. I assume from your words that Truth didn't visit you last night?" Hawkeye asked and Al shook his head as he sat in one of the spare chairs at their desks. "Hopefully, that means the Brigadier-General was the one visited then. He should be in shortly so we'll find out then." Hawkeye said with a glance at the clock, affirming that Mustang did indeed only have five minutes to get into the office. After that, he would be late and Hawkeye would not be happy.
Alphonse struck up with a conversation with Fuery while Hawkeye sorted out the day's paperwork for her boss to fill out and sign, placing each pile on his desk before sorting out the next pile and repeating. 8am rolled around and Fuery made a joke about Mustang having a lie in and that Hawkeye would make him pay by having to finish a pile of paperwork as tall as he was before the end of the day. Breda and Havoc had arrived by then, claiming to have been out checking on leads that never panned out. Hawkeye nodded to acknowledge their presence and reason before indicating they should get to work. Falman was the next to walk in at 8:15am with the same claim as the last two. Hawkeye had the same response.
They could all see her getting more frustrated with every tick of the clock that passed without Mustang turning up. She finished sorting out the paperwork in front of her before grabbing the phone and dialing a number. It rang and rang before a click could be heard and a garbled voice sounded. The tick of Hawkeye's eyebrow told them it was just the answering machine. She left a short, sharp, polite yet pointed message before hanging up. That was at 8:30am.
By 8:45am, Al could sense the atmosphere in the room turn from amusement at imagining the dressing down Mustang would get for being so late to worry about why he was so late. Since becoming Brigadier-General, Mustang had been far better about coming in to the office on time. He'd never been late without a very good reason and he'd only been late that once. Hawkeye called his home again then five minutes later when he didn't pick up once more. After he didn't pick up the third time, Falman and Havoc were sent to his house to find out exactly what was keeping him. They left immediately while everyone else waited for them to return. Hawkeye didn't let them slack off their work and Alphonse was content to wait quietly.
An hour later, Falman and Havoc returned but with no Mustang with them. Everyone listened as they reported to Hawkeye. They'd arrived at Mustang's house and found nothing out of place. Mustang's car was in the driveway and his door had been locked. They used the spare key each team member had to enter the house after their knocks and calls had gone unanswered. The house was quiet and they couldn't see anything out of place. They reported that had searched the entire house and the only thing of note was that Mustang's uniform from the day before was missing and that his bed looked laid in but not slept in. They'd surmised that Mustang had simply laid down on his bed after work since it had been a late night and managed to fall asleep before getting out of his uniform.
Most important in their report was the fact that nothing indicated a struggle. There wasn't anything to indicate he'd left in a rush or been dragged out. All windows and doors had been locked and intact when the two men had arrived and they couldn't find any sort of note that would tell them if he'd had to go somewhere but wasn't in a rush to do so. From what they could see, it simply looked like Mustang had gotten home, locked his door, headed up to his room, laid down for a rest and vanished.
"Either Truth had taken him and Edward both or there's something worse going on here." Hawkeye sighed and Al felt bad for her. The last two times Ed and Mustang had vanished, Grumman had been able to provide a cover story that they were working a case and had to stay completely off grid, with no communication between them and anyone else until they got back to Central. He knew there were murmurs around the base about how it seemed strange that Mustang and Ed would be sent on two missions so highly classified and secret that only the two alchemists and Grumman knew the details so close together. People were willing to buy it though since Moore and Harding were so close that it seemed likely that if one brother went off the deep end so spectacularly, the other would follow suit. But Al knew what Hawkeye was thinking. People really would start questioning another highly classified mission undertaken by Ed and Mustang, especially since it had barely been a month since they last went missing. Three missions that were that classified were rare in the military, especially now Grumman was in charge. Three missions that classified, all within the space 7 months and taken on by the two same alchemists who were notorious for hating each other would definitely raise questions that no one would be able to answer.
"If they were both taken, Truth will tell me. I doubt Mustang would've accepted Truth's offer without making a deal that included Truth telling me where he and Ed were. Not after yesterday." Alphonse told them and Hawkeye nodded in agreement.
"I agree. Truth will likely pay you a visit the next time you fall asleep." She said before standing up. "This office will keep running normally in the meantime. I will go speak with the Fuhrer and see if we can't come up with a cover story to tell anyone who inquires after the Brigadier-General. Alphonse, I suggest you come up with a cover story for Edward, just in case. Maybe automail repairs or an illness." Hawkeye suggested and Al nodded.
"I'll let you know what I come up with when I come in after I heard from Truth." Al told her, sighing as he stood up. "Hopefully I'll see all of you tomorrow." He said as he waved goodbye to everyone except Hawkeye, who had decided to follow him out of the office.
"I'll go speak with the Fuhrer now. Take care of yourself, Alphonse. If you don't hear anything tonight, please call the office in the morning to let us know you're okay." She requested and Al nodded. He could do that. They said their goodbyes and separated before heading off to their intended destination.
Al hoped Elysia wouldn't question him too much when she got home. He already wasn't sure whether he should tell her about Mustang. He decided as he passed through the front gates and waved goodbye to the guards stationed out front that he would talk with Gracia first and leave it up to her to tell her daughter what she thought she should know.
Al had gone to bed shortly after Gracia had. He wasn't sure he would be able to fall asleep easily but he managed to somehow. Elysia had been told about Mustang leaving to join Edward and she had been upset that he hadn't come to say goodbye to her first but she had accepted the same story they had told her last time. Gracia had asked her what her teacher had thought of her artwork, a distraction tactic that proved immensely successful. Al kept the plan to head back into the office in the morning to himself until after Elysia went to bed. It hadn't been much longer after he had told Gracia the plan to go back to Mustang's office in the morning that they had headed to bed. Alphonse had needed a shower first before doing so and by the time he had gotten out, Gracia was already in her room. He settled into his own bed and looked over at the rumpled sheets on his brother's empty bed and fell asleep hoping that Ed and Mustang were okay.
"Hello, young Alphonse." Al opened his eyes at the sound of the human-but-not-human voice that whispered into his ear. He scrambled back when he looked over and was greeted by Truth squatting right next to him, peering at him with its featureless face and massive grin mere inches from Al's own face.
"Truth." Al's voice shook as he got to his feet while Truth remained in its crouching position.
"Looks like the time out of my dimension has done your body some good. I suppose having your soul in your own body might have helped with that." Truth said, grin only widening slightly as it spoke. "I suppose you already know why you're here?" Truth said when Al didn't say anything.
"My brother and Brigadier-General Mustang. What have you done with them?" Al asked, voice steadying slightly now that he was over his shock at seeing Truth.
"Hmm, what makes you think I did anything to them? Your brother does have the unnatural tendency to find trouble everywhere he goes." Truth pointed out, a smirk on its face as Al scowled at him.
"We know you took them both. Nothing else explains how quickly they vanished with as little evidence left behind." Al stated clearly and confidently.
"That is true." Truth giggled a little and Al barely held back his flinch at the unnatural sound. "I did take only Edward at first. I needed him to do a little task for me in another dimension. He wasn't very happy at first but we've since come to an agreement and he will be helping those I sent him too." Truth told him. There were a few beats of silence and Al internally rolled his eyes.
"And Mustang?" Al asked, barely repressing a sigh of annoyance. Truth noticed, if the way its smile widened even more was any indication.
"Well, I had only intended to bring Mustang here to inform him of his subordinates whereabouts but he did make a very compelling argument about being sent to help young Edward. We also struck a deal and I'm fulfilling it now by telling you that they are still alive. Well, they were when I last checked on them." Truth told him, sounding a little too cheery at the thought that they might not still be. Even though it had no visible eyes, Al could feel them boring into him before Truth clapped its hands. "I have upheld part of the bargain I struck with both of them. Goodbye, young Alphonse." Truth's mad grin shone as Al was dragged through the Gates standing behind him.
Al woke with a start, sitting straight up in his bed as he tried to calm his frantically beating heart back down to a normal level. His breathing had been slightly ragged but he managed to get it under control fairly quickly thanks to Teacher's training. A glance out of his drawn curtains showed that it was definitely passed dawn and a look at his alarm clock confirmed that he'd woken only a little later than normal. Heaving himself out of bed, he headed downstairs and was greeted by the same thing he had been the previous morning.
"Thank you, Miss Gracia." Al said after he'd sat down and gulped down most of his coffee. Gracia gave him a gentle smile and joined him at the table as he poured himself some cereal.
"It's no problem, Alphonse." She told him. "Did Truth visit you last night?" She asked, worry for two of her favourite people obvious in her voice. Al nodded since he had just scooped some cereal into his mouth. Gracia waited patiently as he chewed and swallowed before he gave her a verbal response.
"Yes. It confirmed that it took Ed. It needed him to help someone in another dimension. It didn't say what Ed would be helping with or for how long or even where but it did say he was safe. Mustang asked to be sent to help Ed, apparently. Truth said it only took Mustang to tell him where Ed was but Mustang struck a deal with it and he's wherever Ed is." Al told her and Gracia shook her head.
"Of course Roy would have himself sent to another dimension to make sure Edward is okay and to help him." She said with a slight chuckle. Her hands tightened slightly around her tea cup, the only indication of how worried she really was. Alphonse admired her strength and capability of maintaining such a calm outward appearance. "So you'll be heading to Central Command?" She asked, taking a fortifying sip of tea.
"Yes. I did promise I'd either visit or call, depending on whether Truth visited me. Since it did, I'm heading in today." Al told her and she nodded. "I'll stop by the bank on the way back and get you our share of the grocery money as well." He told her, remembering she did have plans to go to the shops either today or tomorrow sometime.
"Thank you, Alphonse. If you can come by the office today, I'll do the shopping this afternoon since I have a half day today." She told him and he nodded.
"I'll make sure I come by." He tells her before looking at the clock. It's later than he expected and he can hear noises coming from Elysia's room that told the both of them she was up. Al headed up to his room, passing the sleepy five-year-old on the way and receiving a quick hug before she headed downstairs for breakfast. The promise of food was a far better motivator than anything else for both Elysia and Edward.
Al was quick to get changed and was going to head out but Elysia begged him to be the one to drop her off at school. Since it would only be an extra half an hour to wait and her school was only slightly out of his way, Al agreed. Gracia smiled as Elysia cheered before reminding she still needed to get ready to go because Alphonse had places to be and couldn't afford to be held up longer than he already had. She nodded and began eating as quickly as she could. Gracia and Al had laughed and assured her she could still take her time eating rather than give herself a tummy ache.
The walk to the school had gone by quickly, despite the extra ten minutes it took for Al to drop her off and get back on track to Central Command. Elysia had alternated between making observations of their surroundings and asking Alphonse as many questions as she could in the space of time they had. Question about where Ed and Mustang had gone, questions about whether Al was going to join them, questions about random things she could see and think of before they got to the school gates and she gave him a tight hug before running onto the grounds to join the friends she had spotted.
Al had waited for a moment and waved when she turned back to look at him before he left and headed for Central Command. The walk was quiet and uneventful. Some people he and Ed had met for various reasons nodded and said hello, a greeting he returned, before they continued on their own way. As he'd done yesterday, Al greeted the guards before being allowed into Central Command and headed straight for Mustang's offices.
"Alphonse. Good morning." Hawkeye greeted as he entered the outer office, relief tinging her voice. Everyone else was present and all of them were watching him intently.
"Truth took them. It confirmed it last night." Al told them the moment the door was shut. Despite being the only theory they had that made sense, the relief that knowing where the two missing team members were was evident in the way every single person seemed to have some kind of weight lifted off of their shoulders.
"Did Truth say anything else?" Hawkeye asked as she straightened up in her chair.
"Yeah. It went out of it's way to tell me that it had only wanted Brother over there. Mustang had asked to be sent to join Edward and Truth agreed, for whatever reason. But it made a point of telling me it only took Mustang to tell him where Ed was and planned on giving him back until Mustang offered to make a deal to be sent to where Ed was." Hawkeye's eyes narrowed until they were barely more than slits the more Alphonse said to her. The other members of the team weren't idiots and they knew exactly what Hawkeye was thinking. So as to not suffer her wrath, they got stuck into their work while Hawkeye and Al continued talking. If all of them had an ear on the conversation, no one said anything.
"I see." Hawkeye's tone was clipped as she glanced down at the paperwork she had been sorting and glaring up at Mustang's inner office door before bringing her gaze back to Alphonse. Al had been scared that he might be at the receiving end of one of her infamous glares but thankfully, her eyes had softened before he met them. "Fuhrer Grumman has extended his wishes for a speedy recovery for both Edward and Brigadier-General Mustang. It's a shame that Edward had caught a virus and passed it along but Fuhrer Grumman is willing to give them a week's sick leave. If needed, he will extend it." Al could read between the lines easily. Grumman has taken into consideration the fact that Ed and Mustang had never been gone more than five days but that they wouldn't know for sure when they would be back so he's created a cover story that took that into account.
"Would you thank Fuhrer Grumman for me, please? I'll pass his well-wishes onto Ed. I'm sure he'll appreciate it." Alphonse asked, sticking with the story Hawkeye had just given him.
"I'll gladly pass the message along for you. " She told him and he nodded.
"Thank you, Captain Hawkeye." Al gave her a grateful smile that she returned, if a bit tightly. The team were listening carefully, half because they needed to know what stories they needed to repeat if asked and half because they were simply nosey, before getting back to work when Hawkeye glanced at them. "I need to go to the bank now. I'll see you guys later." He told them. He received a chorus of confirmations and goodbyes before he headed out of the office and started walking to the bank.
The next couple of days were as uneventful as possible for a weekend with a five-year-old to keep entertained and a low, constant worry churning in his gut that spiked every time he thought of his absent brother and Mustang. Edward had been missing for four and a half days by Sunday and Mustang had been gone for four and the worry hadn't disappeared completely. It was the same kind of worry he'd always felt whenever Edward had been forced to go on missions without him – because he'd been too conspicuous when bonded to the armour or too ill while recovering when he got his body back – and they hadn't maintained constant contact during the mission. It would dissipate when he could speak with Ed before returning the moment they'd hung up the phone to each other. With Ed being in a separate dimension and unable to contact anyone back here, Al wouldn't even get that short relief.
On the Monday, Alphonse headed back to the office to check in with the team and see if some how they had heard anything. It was also a convenient excuse to get out of the house and distract himself from the worry that hadn't quite left him as yet. Hawkeye had inquired after Ed's health and Al had done the same for Mustang's once Al had gotten to the office. Al stayed for a little bit before returning home so Elysia didn't panic when he wasn't home when she got back from school.
By the time Friday had rolled around, Al decided to pay the team another visit. He hadn't had any contact with anyone except for Gracia and Elysia for the three days and as much as he loved that little girl and appreciated Gracia, he needed to get outside as soon as possible, if only for the feel of fresh air and the sunshine on him. Visiting the team was the best way to do so. Plus, ever since Wednesday had rolled into Thursday and there had been no sign of either missing alchemist, Al had grown far more worried. Both previous trips had been over within five days or even sooner. The two alchemists had been gone for more than a week now and he knew there must've been a good reason – them not having finished Truth's mission being the most probable – but that didn't mean he wasn't anxious as more time passed without Edward or Mustang appearing.
As soon as he entered the offices, he knew the team was just as on edge as he was. Undoubtedly, they had all realised them having been gone for nine days now was now longer than both their previous disappearances put together and that was giving them as much cause for concern as it was Alphonse. Everyone was working diligently, like they always did when under Hawkeye's watchful gaze, but there was a tension there, like they all half-expected Ed and Mustang to just turn up in the middle of the office at any given moment. Hawkeye was by far the most put together out of them all – though no one really expected anything less – and Alphonse caught a glimpse of Mustang's inner office when Hawkeye reappeared from dropping off a new pile as Al walked in through the outer office door. Mustang might actually die from the amount of paper in that office. Al almost fell sorry for the man.
"Alphonse. It's good to see you." Hawkeye greeted as she closed the behind her firmly and headed back to her own desk. "How is Edward?" She asked, getting back to her own work but Al could tell he still had her full attention.
"He's doing well. I think he's nearly over it. Hopefully he'll be able to get back to undertaking missions next week. He's growing antsy being so cooped up for so long." Al told them. "I see Brigadier-General Mustang also hasn't recovered yet." He said observantly.
"No, he hasn't." Hawkeye told him. "He did contact Fuhrer Grumman while you were gone to request some extra sick leave but we haven't heard from him. Fuhrer Grumman had been kind enough to pay us a visit on Wednesday to tell us himself." Hawkeye shuffled some papers around before glancing up at Alphonse with a kind, understanding look in her eyes. "I'm sure it won't be long before he's back at work." She said kindly. Al nodded.
"He better or he might not be able to get into his office soon." Al joked, causing Hawkeye's smile to turn slightly vindictive while a few of the others snorted, passing it off as a sneeze or a cough.
"Brigadier-General Mustang is fully aware of the fact that the work doesn't stop just because he has fallen ill." She told him and Al couldn't keep the grin off his face. Everyone who wasn't part of the team might have thought that Captain Hawkeye was always professional, calm and seemingly unflappable but that's just because she knew how to bide her time and take her revenge in petty but completely legitimate ways so you couldn't complain about it.
"Well, I have to go. Just thought I ought to drop by so you knew how Brother was doing. Gracia has asked me to pick some things up on my way back to the house." Al explained before he took his exit. He knew everyone was still worried about Ed and Mustang and he had to admit that, as worried as he was, it warmed his heart that the team were as worried about Ed as they were about Mustang. He would have to remember to tell Edward this when his brother got home. He really hoped that wouldn't be too much longer. He really missed his brother.
Gracia was leaning against her kitchen countertop while she waited for her kettle to finish boiling. Alphonse had offered to take Elysia to the park for a couple of hours when her young daughter had started to get a little stir-crazy after so long in the house on a nice day. Gracia had been too tired after such a long work week combined with her usual motherly duties – even if Alphonse was helping as often as he could – and her constant worry for Edward and Roy and Alphonse had noticed so he'd asked if he could take Elysia to the nearby park. Elysia had been all for the idea and Gracia had been very grateful for the offer and had given her permission. It was days like today that she felt Maes' absence far more intensely than she usually did. The kettle finished boiling and she poured her tea, adding the single sugar and splash of milk she always had and tossed the teabag out before heading into the lounge room.
She was reading a light novel she had started a few weeks ago but struggled to finish due to her work commitments and general lack of time that came with being a single, working mother. She took a sip of her tea and flipped the page she had finished. She soon developed a quick routine. She'd finish a page, take a sip of tea, turn her page, repeat. Finish page, sip tea, turn page. Repeat. Finish page, sip tea, turn page. Repeat. Finish page, sip tea –
Suddenly there was a bright flash of light that caused Gracia to shriek and drop her cup, the china shattering when it hit the floor and the tea still remaining in it splashing everywhere when there, in the middle of her lounge room, stood Edward and Roy, both of whom looked just as shocked to be there as she was to have them suddenly appear. She took in the bandage on Edward's arm and the butterfly band aids on his face plus their unusual outfits that reminded Gracia of the clothing Ed had been gifted the last time they dimension-hopped and the strange, rectangular object Edward clung to in the split second it took for her to stand up and wrap her arms around Edward. He grunted and stumbled back slightly before he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.
"It is so good to see you back safe. You had us all so worried!" She admonished him as she pulled away and gently placed her hands on either side of his face and took him in properly. He looked like he had been sleeping better at least but the covered wounds still worried her. The way he twitched under her hold before deliberately leaning into it – like he was assuring himself it was a gentle touch – worried her even more. However, she left it for the moment and turned to face the second previously missing alchemist and leveled a fierce glare on him, all the while maintaining a hand on Edward's cheek, the other pointing threateningly at the raven-haired alchemist. "Don't think Alphonse didn't tell us that you asked to go over to wherever the two of you ended up! You're in a lot of trouble with Riza! And with Elysia!" She scolded him before enveloping him in a hug, still refusing to move her hand from Edward, so she forced him to stoop slightly to hug her back.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Gracia, and Elysia. I didn't think it would be a good idea for Fullmetal to unsupervised in a different dimension. Who knows if it would've survived?" Mustang joked as he pulled away from his best friend's wife and got a good look at her tear-filled, worried and relived eyes. Ed scowled at him and went to say something when Gracia turned back to him and brushed a hand through his hair before lightly grazing the butterfly band aids.
"Are you alright, Ed?" She asked, eyes on the band aids and flicking down to his arm. Ed gave her a warm smile that had no underlying tension or worry that Mustang hadn't realised he had been carrying throughout their whole adventure.
"I'm alright, Miss Gracia. You are not going to believe where we ended up this time. I've got this," he lifted the strange device she had noticed and fiddled with it a little, breathing a small sigh of relief when it lit up – startling Gracia – and showing her the lit side, "to prove what I tell you guys. I really don't think you'd believe me otherwise. I know I wouldn't have." He chuckled a little before he looked around. "Where are Alphonse and Elysia?" He asked, worry immediately overtaking his features.
"Alphonse took Elysia to the park for me. Things have been very tense the last few days. You were gone a lot longer than you had been previously." Gracia told them and Ed's face turned immediately apologetic. "Don't try to apologise. We know it wasn't your intention to worry us." She assured him, patting his cheek lightly before looking at the clock. "Alphonse and Elysia should be home in a few minutes. I'm gonna make another cup of tea. Do you two want some coffee?" She asked, turning to head to the kitchen but Mustang cut her off.
"I'll make it, Gracia. It was kind of our fault you dropped your last cup." Mustang said with a slightly sheepish smile. "I take it you want a coffee, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked. Gracia looked at Ed expectantly when no answer was immediately forthcoming. There was a completely bewildered expression on the blondes face but he wasn't looking at either of them. They watched as the expression turned to one of pure joy before he looked at Mustang.
"I can still hear them." He told the older man, his grin stretching from ear to ear. Gracia was completely lost but Mustang seemed to understand what he was talking about right away.
"Really? I would've thought the distance and the fact we're in another dimension would've cut them off from you." Mustang said and Ed nodded but he was still grinning excitedly.
"I know. I thought the same thing but I'm talking them right now, Mustang!" He said, sounding absolutely delighted.
"Who are you talking to?" Gracia asked and both men jumped, like they'd forgotten she was there. Ed scratched the back of his head as Mustang gave him a 'you're it' look before vanishing into her kitchen.
"Uh that's a complicated story that I will happily tell you when Al and Elysia are home, if that's alright?" Ed asked, a little nervously. Gracia just gave him her usual soft smile.
"That's fine, Edward. How about we sit down while we wait for Roy?" She suggested before remembering the broken teacup near her chair. Ed noticed it again as well and crouched down next to the shattered remains before tapping a hand on the floor and sending blue energy stretching outwards, searching for every last speck that had once belonged to the tea cup and pulling it all together so the cup sat on the floor, completely whole and looking as if she had just bought it. Another tap had the now-cold remnants of the spilled tea dry up and Ed grabbed the cup as he straightened.
"There you go, Miss Gracia." He said with a smile. She accepted it in amazement.
"You didn't clap." She said, looking from the cup to Edward in awe.
"Yeah. That's part of the story." He told her as he sat in his spot on the couch. Gracia placed the empty tea cup on her small coffee table before settling back into her couch as Mustang brought out the fresh cups of coffee and tea and handed them out to each of them before taking his usual spot on the couch opposite Edward's. "Maybe you should call Miss Riza so she and the team can come over. That way we won't have to repeat the story twice. As long as it's alright with Miss Gracia." He suggested to Mustang innocently enough.
"Oh, that's a good idea. They can stay for dinner. I'll make some lasagna." Gracia agreed, knowing full well what Edward was doing and unashamedly encouraging it. Mustang looked betrayed but knew he couldn't back out of it without admitting he was scared of Hawkeye. With a sigh, he got to his feet and went into Hughes' office for the spare phone and privacy it offered. Gracia and Ed shared a smirk as they sipped their drinks. They couldn't hear the conversation Mustang was having but he was out within a few minutes so they knew he hadn't been able to offer a sufficient enough apology in that time. Ed was secretly gleeful. This meant he could still potentially get some form of entertainment at his boss' extent. He could feel the Lions amusement with him and he still couldn't believe he was still able to feel and talk to them. They assured him this wasn't some sort of dream.
"They'll be here in fifteen. Evidently they were finishing up for the day in the office when I called." Mustang told them. Gracia and Edward could hear the sulky undertone and smiled into their coffees. Mustang saw their smiles and scowled as he took a sip of his own drink.
Gracia was catching them up on everything that had happened since they were gone. Specifically, she was telling them about the cover stories that had been created for them officially and the story that Elysia had been told so they knew what they would be expected to say, if they were asked. Mustang and Ed both agreed that the 'Ed getting sick and passing it along to Mustang' story was fairly believable. The story for Elysia was simple. They were on a very secret mission and couldn't contact anyone and that they were sorry they left without saying goodbye to her. The last part was said as an obvious hint and they both nodded. Just in time as well, if the sounds of excited running and Al's voice accompanied with Elysia's laughter were anything to go by.
"Hey, Miss Gracia. We're back." Al called as he opened the front door. Elysia giggled as she entered the house.
"Shoes off, please. I'm in the lounge room." Gracia called, doing a superb job at hiding her excitement at seeing their reactions to their guests.
"Yes, Mama." Elysia called dutifully as she could be heard removing her shoes and bossing Al around. Ed was grinning into his hand as he imagined the scene. He stood as he heard them moving and could feel Mustang and Gracia's eyes on him. Elysia was the first around the corner and she stopped before she gaped comically as she took in the sight in front of her.
"BIG BROTHER ED! UNCLE ROY! YOU'RE HOME!" She yelled as she barreled into Edward, hugging his thighs tightly. He managed to pry her arms off his legs and lifted her into his arms as he hugged her back, getting a face full of blonde curls for his trouble.
Al had heard her shout and came rushing into the room and saw his brother standing there with Elysia in his arms. He hesitated as he took in the sight, wanting to hug his brother but not squish the small human doing her best impression of a barnacle. Mustang stood and offered his hand so Al could shake it.
"It's good to see you, Alphonse." He offered and Al shook his hand tightly.
"It's good to see you as well, Sir. I'm glad you're both home and in one piece." Alphonse said, keeping hold of his hand for a little longer than necessary but Mustang didn't mention anything, allowing Alphonse the few extra seconds holding onto his hand it took for him convince himself they really were there. Mustang glanced over at Edward and Elysia and saw that Ed was whispering something – probably apologies – to the young girl. "You may want to call Captain Hawkeye. I think she has been determined to fill your office with paperwork, Sir." Al suggested, voice as innocent sounding as ever but Mustang could see the twinkle in the boy's eyes that had him narrow his eyes at him.
"She has already been informed of our arrival. She and the others will be here for dinner." Mustang said it in the way that one would announce their impending death. Which was actually a pretty accurate description, if you thought about it.
Elysia was sitting in Ed's arms now, with her hands on his shoulders and him leaning back from her so she called talk to him face-to-face. Mustang hadn't been following their conversation but it seemed like Elysia was making sure Ed was okay, patting his bandaged cheek gently as she asked, and wanting to know where he had been and why he left without saying goodbye to her. He was apologising and assuring her he was alright and that he would tell her all about it after he had spoken to Alphonse. She nodded, accepted the answer and wrapped her arms back around his neck and giving him another big hug. Once she had deemed him hugged enough, she asked to be let down, which he immediately did, before she headed for Mustang to give him a hug.
The moment Elysia was halfway to Mustang, Alphonse slammed into Ed and the brothers hugged each other tightly, each seemingly trying to squeeze the other to death. Mustang swept Elysia up into a hug, which she immediately gave him before pushing him back so she could start interrogating him. Gracia watched amused as her close friend was berated by her daughter and she felt her heart swell with happiness at the sight of the two brothers trying to reassure each other that they really were back in the same dimension.
A/N - I can't believe this is the second last chapter for this story. Many thanks to my lovely beta for my AMA stories for suggesting I do a chapter that showed Al and the team's reactions to Ed and Mustang vanishing once more and writing about what they did during the time they were gone. I would absolutely love to hear everything you thought about this chapter! Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and I'll see you next week for the last chapter!