"We need to recheck your stitches, young miss."

"I said, I'm fine." The Ishvalen snapped at the nurse, slightly glaring at the male nurse. After the fight with Scar had ended, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes immediately pulled Serah with him to the infirmary. He wanted to be sure that the stitches haven't been torn from earlier, Serah told the brothers to go back to the hotel room and wait for her. Hughes kneed down on one knee, looking worried and concerned for his foster daughter. The Lieutenant Colonel rested an elbow on his knee, letting out a sigh while Serah continued to refuse to let the nurse check her wound.

"Give us a moment." The nurse nodded and immediately left, leaving the father to talk with his daughter.

"Can I go now, Maes-"

"Not before you have let the nurse look at it, Serah." The Ishvalen groaned as she didn't want them to check up on her. Sure the wound hurt a little from the running but other than that, she's fine.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do, I want to make sure that you are alright before I'll let you go back to those boys." Hughes noticed her jaw tensed, it was clear that she didn't like being forced to stay away from the boys.

"Serah-" Hughes reached out and slowly took her in his own, causing the Ishvalen to look at her foster father.

"Would you please let them take a look at you?" After a long moment, Serah sighed while nodding.

"Good, Nurse." The same nurse reappeared next to the Lieutenant Colonel and his foster daughter, Serah huffed as she folded her arms under her chest.

"Brother…" Al was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall in their hotel room. His eyes stayed on his older brother as the young Alchemist paced the length of the room, the blond stayed silent, his eyes narrowed. Al sighed, seeing that his brother either was ignoring him or didn't hear him.

"Brother!" Ed immediately turned to Al, blinking a few times before moving to start pacing again.

"I'm sorry, Brother."

"For what?"

"For Earlier…" Ed turned with slightly narrowing eyes, not knowing what Al is talking about. The younger Elric turned his gaze to the floor in front of him, Al couldn't look at his older brother in the eye.

"I said some mean things, after the fight with Scar…"

"Al, I know you didn't mean it."

"Still. I shouldn't have called you, a retard, I mean." Ed sighed as he stepped over to his older and took a seat in front of the younger Elric.

"Hey, look at me, Al." Ed gave a half-smile with a small frown between his brow, the older Elric stared at his brother as Al lifted his gaze.

"Don't worry about it, okay. As I said, I know that you didn't mean it."

"You were terrified and very concerned, Al." The door to the hotel opened and Serah had stepped inside, using the clutches to get the strain of her injured leg. The Ishvalen stared at the brothers with a small huff, Ed stood up and went over to her, wrapping his arm around her back. His hand rested lightly on her hip, he helped her over to the bed.

"So it's only understandable." Al stayed quiet for a moment, Ed sighed taking a seat next to Serah.

"Al, don't beat yourself up over that. God knows the thing I say when I'm angry, you saying retard isn't the worst I have heard people call me."

"You're right about that, remember the things we used to call each other. Ed." The older groaned as he fell back on the bed, yeah he remembered. He and Serah didn't like each other in the beginning, they argued a lot in the first three months after they met. He didn't want to have Serah with him and Al, he thought that he and Al wouldn't need a guard or escort. But Serah proved him wrong again and again…. And at some point, he started to trust and rely on her. And in return, she showed that she trusted him, an equal trade. But it took time before the heated arguing turned to playful banter before they both got used to having each other around. They really caused Al grief and stress whenever they argued, Al tried his best to stay neutral and be some kind of a peacekeeper between him and Serah.

"Yeah, of course, I do. The arguments we used to get into, we were stupid, weren't we?" The Ishvalen chuckled, turning look over her shoulder at the State Alchemist.

"We were but we learned from it, if we didn't argue in the start, we probably wouldn't be where we are today."

"Always so wise." Ed huffed, which caused Serah to laugh.

"One of us has to be the wise one."

"Yeah, and it aren't you, Brother." Ed immediately protested, pushing him up on his elbow while glaring at Al. Serah snorted at the somehow innocent expression Al wore, Ed growled under his breath.

A/N

I'm sorry for taking a while to post, personal life kinda got in the way. But I can assure you that I'm already working on the next few chapters of 'The Alchemist and the Ishvalen' and 'Rainbow'