Chapter Eighteen

Advance the Fool

Mustang-Elric Residence

9:00 am

Edward was feeding Yuery his oatmeal while sipping coffee and dodging stray bits of food as his son threw them, while Al read the paper across the table. Winry arrived downstairs a few minutes later, still looking tired but that was to be expected before coffee.

The morning was beginning rather typically, as this was the routine they had fallen into over the last few days. Ed frowned when Ling suddenly occupied the final seat at the table and helped himself from the platter of Eggs in front of him.

"Please Ling, do come in and make yourself at home. I insist you have a bite you seem hungry." Ed said sarcastically as Lan Fan appeared next to Ling, filling her own plate before hoping onto the counter to eat as well.

"Why thank you Ed." Ling said with a smile. "Any word on a plan yet?"

"No. Even if there was I wouldn't tell you because the only reason you know anything at all is that you're a weird little creep who listens in to conversations taking place at midnight in a second floor bedroom." Ed said with a huff.

"What's going on?" WInry asked as she added sugar to her coffee that she had already diluted with enough milk to make Ed shudder and guarantee he wouldn't swipe it.

"Well." Ling said calmly. " Ed has a couple of problems he needs to take care of, and since he was having a hard time coming up with a safe idea on how to grab a homunculus – which I did offer to help with, offer is still open- so instead he's trying to focus on fixing Yuery. Or at least he was last night."

"What? What's wrong with Yuery?" Winry asked, suddenly a lot more awake.

"According to these weirdos he's possessed." Ed said. "And if he had a blood seal in him, we need to remove it without hurting him, which is an issue. I think it may be easier to find a way to fix Al because that may hold answers to fixing Yuery."

"You could ask someone advancing in the Healing Arts. They may be able to help." Lan Fan suggested as Ling nodded.

"I have an idea on how to catch a homunculus, but you aren't going to like it." Ed said as he scooped more oatmeal into the baby's mouth.

"What's that?" Winry said with a scowl. If he knew she wasn't going to like it ,it was probably something stupid and dangerous.

"We could act as bait. If I'm right they would have to show up to save us, and then we could grab one." Ed said, before wiping off the baby's face and taking his dishes to the sink so he wouldn't have to see her expression.

"I would be happy to offer our services." Ling offered. "In exchange for being allowed to examine the creature for a key to their powers. Perhaps even taking the creature back to Xing if it is possible to transport. Once you get your answers from it of course."

"That could actually help a lot, thanks Ling." Ed said before turning to look at WInry.

"It's not going to matter what I say, you'll do it anyway." WInry said angrily. "I need to go. I have customers begging me to return. They need me."

"When are you thinking of leaving?" Ed asked. He would love for her to stay, but she was right, he wasn't the only one who needed her.

"I bought a ticket for the day after tomorrow. I was going to tell you after breakfast." Winry said. Ed visibly relaxed when she said she had already bought the ticket meaning she had planned this already and wasn't leaving just because she was angry with him. Winry picked the baby up and kissed the top of his head. "Plan this carefully Ed. Don't make him an orphan. I'm going to spend the morning cuddling with my favorite guy in the world." With that she left the room with his son, and Ed couldn't bring himself to object.

After a few minutes Ling cleared his throat, showing an extreme amount of tact (for him) before hedging. "We still need to think up an angle on this."

"I know. Give me a day to think of something." Ed replied. "I just need time. For now, I'm going to go join Winry and Yuery. I haven't had much time with him lately."

10:00 am

Ed was just coming out of the store with a couple of bags when Danny Broch rushed up to him. "Major Elric, sir! I'm glad I caught you. Word just came through that Scar was spotted on the North side last night near the slums."

"Thank you for the warning." Ed said before turning away to head home.

"I really should escort you sir." Lt Broch said as he reached to take one of Ed's bags. Ed jerked back, he didn't need anyone getting wind of where he was staying, especially not someone who was openly hostile toward Mustang even if it was theoretically justified considering Broch though Mustang murdered Ross and got away with it.

"I will be fine on my own Lt. I am less than a block away. Dismissed." Ed said, mustering his best imitation of the tone Mustang used when giving a direct order. Apparently, it worked at Broch snapped into a stiff salute and watched him leave with a frown but didn't follow. Ed wasn't overly worried because it was as close as he claimed, he was on high alert anyway, and Lan Fan had followed him to the store at Ling's insistence. At least he had a half-formed plan now.

When he arrived home however, he found a small hitch in the plan in that Winry needed to do some shopping before she left tomorrow. On the other hand, that would help keep her out of the loop and hopefully out of danger. A quick phone call later had secured Gracia as a very willing babysitter.

He then sat down to explain his plan to Al and Ling. It was a simple plan. After weeks of staying lowkey and under the radar, he was going to draw attention to himself. So much attention Scar would have to notice, and then THEY would have to show up to save him.

They waited until Winry left, then Ed dropped Yuery off with Gracia, and began making a spectacle of himself as loudly and as showy as possible. The radio was reporting his antics by noon. Winry still was mercifully unaware as she had been shopping.

12:00

Central Hospital Mustang's room.

Roy cursed loudly before he struggled out of bed, ignoring both the pain pulling at his side, and Hawkeye's damning glare. The radio had been talking about how wonderful Fullmetal was considering no one had even asked for help when he started and Scar was still in the area, as evidenced by the earlier reports before Ed started… whatever this was.

When Hawkeye tried to push him back into bed gently, this didn't work this time thanks to his own stubbornness and his concern for Edward. When Mustang started hunting around for his slippers, she sighed heavily. "What exactly do you think you can accomplish by checking yourself out of the hospital early?"

"I need to go find him and warn him about what all is going on. This is the kind of reckless impulsive behavior that is always getting him into trouble." Roy said as he looked around for the change of clothes he knew Ed had brought by the other day. "Please go find a nurse so I can tell them I'm leaving."

Hawkeye sighed again but went in search of medical personnel that could check Mustang out of here before he decided to just leave. Really, he was a hypocrite calling Ed reckless, though she agreed that they both were. She managed to find his doctor rather quickly, and within twenty minutes they were driving away from the hospital and a very disgruntled and reluctant doctor.

Hughes Residence

2:00pm

Gracia wanted to turn off the radio, but the periodic updates on the fight between Edward and Scar were tearing at her. She was concerned for the boys, and ignoring the situation was only going to make that worse. Still, she didn't want Elicia to know anything was wrong either, her poor daughter had already suffered enough.

Yuery and Elicia were currently sitting on the floor in front of her, Yuery wearing a large floppy hat that Elicia had placed on his head so he could join her tea party. The baby was chewing on the tea cup he had been given and giggling, while Elicia patently explained the rules of this game to him.

Gracia heard about the explosions about ten blocks from the Mustang/Elric house, then about a friend of Edward's being escorted to safety by the MPs. Hopefully the boys were okay, but details were sketchy at best. A few minutes later they announced that Scar had escaped once more, and that they were tallying the injured but it appeared that no one had died.

She was relieved, more so when Winry arrived, shaken looking, just after four and asked if she and Yuery could stay overnight. Gracia agreed before asking if Edward was alright. Winry nodded with a sniff. "He was fine when I saw him a bit ago. He said he had to go give a briefing about everything that happened but that I should head home… Sc-Scar. That man. He's the one who killed my parents!"

"Oh honey!" Gracia hugged Winry and patted her back while she cried.

"I think maybe that's why Ed confronted him. Apparently he found out while he was out East last time but he didn't want to tell me because he didn't want to cause me any pain. Which is sweet of him, but he should have told me! He said he would come by when he was done to check on me and if I wanted he was going to take me and exchange my ticket to get on the train tonight to get me far away from that guy. I don't know if I should."

"You should go. It would make him feel better to have you away from that man." Gracia said. "I know it's going to sound strange, but Ed reminds me of both Maes and Roy at times. I understand those men. They are always trying to protect us, even if its just from hurt feelings. More than once during our marriage Maes asked me to visit family out of town when he was worried about a case. Now in the beginning I would refuse, I wanted to here for him. After awhile though I realized he actually concentrated better and was safer if he knew we were safe. So if nothing else go ahead and go for his peace of mind to keep him safe. He might not be ready to admit it, but he loves you."

"I… I suppose that makes sense. I should offer to take Yuery with me. That may make him feel better too, or it may make it worse. I've never met someone more concerned about giving their baby abandonment issues, though it makes sense with what it was like for him as a child." Winry said as she wiped her face. "I guess I may need to go pack then."

"Where was he expecting to meet you, here?" Gracia asked and she nodded. "Just wait here then if you leave it would cause him to worry. Didn't you say you were mostly packed when you guys dropped off the baby earlier? I'm sure you'll have time to get it the rest of the way together."

Before Winry could decide either way Ed arrived, covered in dust and sweat, looking exhausted. Winry hugged him anyway to assure him she wasn't angry with him. "Do you want me to take Yuery with me for a few days? Just until you figure out if it's safe to have him here with Scar so close by."

Ed visibly relaxed even with the reluctant frown on his face. " I don't want to send either one of you away. I really don't want to send him away. What if he thinks I'm bored with him? That I don't love him anymore. I've already been so busy since we moved back to Central that I barely get to spend anything more than the morning with him."

"He'll be fine Edward. I'm sure he would enjoy a little trip with WInry. Perhaps Elicia and I should go along, then he won't interrupt your work WInry, and when it's safe to come back, I could just bring him instead of you having to drop everything." Gracia offered giving both teens a moment to think about it she then went to go make a pot of tea.

By the time she returned, Ed had reluctantly agreed, and Gracia went to go pack a few days worth of clothing for herself and her daughter. They shouldn't be gone longer than a week by her estimate. Ed had never allowed himself to be away from the baby longer than that, and usually it was much shorter.

Central Train Station

6:00pm

Winry, Yuery, Gracia, and Elicia boarded the train, and Winry helped Yuery wave at Ed before asking Gracia hold him for a few minutes while she said good-bye because she was pretty sure Ed's rule about seeing him leave extended to Yuery watching as a train left his father behind. After Ed vowed to make her cry tears of joy the next time he made her cry she returned her attention to the baby, who snuggled into her as soon as she took him, and started to drift to sleep.

Winry smiled down at the baby as Gracia cuddled Elicia to her and the toddler joined the baby in napping. "I know it sounds silly, but I love this baby. Sometimes it feels like he could be mine." Winry said quietly.

"I'm pretty sure he feels the same way for you." Gracia said with a smile. "Don't worry It will work itself out." She had watched these teens for weeks and was well aware of the fact that they were in love with each other, and were unaware of how they felt. They had gone on one date, she knew, but otherwise neither had said or did anything to advance their relationship. It was probably not the best timing to worry about it right now with everything else that was happening, but it was very possible in her opinion that Winry may become this baby's step mother, and even if she didn't they were so close that much like Roy with her daughter Winry would still have a place in Yuery's life.