"Are you sure that she's okay?" Morgan asks for what must surely be the twelfth time. Mei wishes that either Ed or Al were there to calm him down because she's an untrusted stranger.
"Mr. Morgan," she says, doing her best to be patient. She can sympathize with how frustrating and frightening this world must be for him, but she doesn't appreciate being questioned consistently. "I assure you, it's just a combination of dehydration and heatstroke, and I'm sure she wouldn't normally have succumbed to either of those were it not for the unusual amount of stress you're under."
She checks JJ's forehead again, relieved to feel her fever cooling, then reactivates the array Mei set up beneath her after giving her initial diagnosis. The jug water that was in the pitcher beside her drops noticeably, and droplets mist JJ's skin, helping cool her more rapidly. JJ makes a soft, confused sound and her brow furrows as her eyes open.
For a moment, she blinks at Mei as if she doesn't recognize her, then Mei sees the memories rush back. "Stay laying down," Mei tells her, putting a hand on her shoulder before she can try to lever herself up.
"Mei?" She turns her head and quickly finds Morgan. "Derek?"
He crouches at Mei's side, taking care to stay outside of the array. "How are you feeling, mama?" he asks.
"A little dizzy. Did I faint?" she asks, sounding more than a little embarrassed.
Nodding, Morgan says, "You gave us a bit of a scare."
"Any symptoms other than the dizziness?" Mei asks, taking the pitcher and pouring some of the cool water into a mug.
"Is it okay?" Morgan asks, motioning to the array. Mei nods, and he seems to know the drill because he reaches over with care to help JJ sit up a little bit.
When she reaches for the mug Mei holds out, her hand trembles violently. Mei takes her hand, wraps it around the mug, then helps her take slow, deliberate sips. She's not sure whether she's relieved or annoyed that JJ seems to know this routine as well.
"A little nauseated," JJ admits. "How long have I been out?"
"Not that long," Mei assures. "Maybe twenty minutes?"
"That seems long," JJ replies, frowning.
"Drink your water," Mei instructs. JJ gives her slightly bemused look that Mei takes as a sign that she's recovering nicely, but she drinks, which is what Mei really cares about anyway. "You've been doing a lot of trekking through the city and out in the sun, and it's clear that you haven't been hydrating well enough. Also, don't go sit in the direct sunlight for an hour or more without anything to drink."
JJ has the grace to wince at that, but she continues to sip carefully at her water rather than refute it.
"We'll make sure to stay better hydrated," Morgan promises.
Getting to her feet, Mei says, "Make sure that you do. I don't want to explain to Edward why someone on his team is suddenly ill."
"Is he back yet?" JJ asks, looking more attentive.
"No, and I didn't send word to him either. If I were you, I wouldn't necessarily want to bring passing out to his attention." Even if she'd like Edward or Master Alphonse to deflect Morgan's attention, she's pretty sure that Edward, at least, won't actually make the situation any better. "If I remember correctly, Edward can be a little overbearing when he's worried."
They both wince, so they have apparently been subjected to a concerned Edward Elric before. That's good; it'll make her job easier.
"You should make sure to get plenty to drink. Mr. Morgan, if you could maybe bring some stew and help JJ eat something, I suggest perhaps retiring early for the evening. You must be worn out after going to the walls and back today."
JJ and Morgan exchange keen-eyed glances, then JJ downs the rest of her drink, though there wasn't much left. "That sounds good," she says. "We're both in good shape, but being in good shape doesn't always mean much if you're not used to this kind of heat."
Mei nods in approval, picking up the pitcher and refilling JJ's mug, now that her hands seem steadier. "Good," she says. "Mr. Morgan, once JJ finishes her drink, you should take her back to your room. Do you need assistance?"
"No," Morgan replies. "No, we've got it."
Nodding again, Mei says, "Very well. I'll be back in a half hour to clean up the array. I'll also see if we can get some clean clothing that's about your size. If you're feeling up to it this evening, the baths can be quite refreshing."
"I'd like that," JJ says.
"Good. I'll come collect you this evening with fresh clothing. I'm sure you both feel a bit grimy after hiking around the desert."
She doesn't give them a chance to respond before she turns on her heel and heads out the door. They're adults who Edward trusts. She's got enough to worry about without worrying about them giving themselves heatstroke to add to it.
.o0o.o0o.o0o.
JJ rests, drinks a lot of water, makes sure to have a good portion of hearty stew for dinner, and actually does fall asleep for several hours. Apparently Derek does too, although they're assured that Ed came by to check on them when they wake up.
Mei does collect her to show JJ to the palace baths, which are, well, palatial. They remind JJ of pictures she's seen of other over-the-top baths, multiple, tile-lined pools, many of which she's informed have water at different temperatures. The pool that Mei suggests to her is warm, but a little bit cool for bathwater. She understands why Mei doesn't want her in water that might make her sweat again, after earlier, and it's warm enough that once she settles in, JJ's comfortable. In the heat of the day, it must be freezing though.
"I'm surprised no one else is here," JJ admits, glancing around. "Is use of this place restricted?"
"No," Mei says. "But most of the Ishvalans are still superstitious about the palace, and there are public baths they can use," she explains.
"This seems to be a lot of water to waste if it's not being used," JJ can't help but observe, looking around.
Mei gives her a small smile. "Xerxes is an oasis," she says. "The water never went away from this place. The plumbing systems beneath the whole city are more sophisticated than even those we have in Xing. When Master Alphonse figured out how to reopen the public water supplies to the fountains and the public baths, the ones in the palace filled as well. We could have sealed them off, but we figured if the original plumbing wasn't designed to separate them from the general water supply, then the water has probably been plentiful enough not to need it. The plants in the bottom pools also came back to life once watered, and they filter the water from these pools."
"Can I ask you a question?" JJ asks. The pools themselves are interesting, but architecture has never really been her area of expertise, and while she's sure that Mei could explain how they work in detail, the information would be wasted on JJ.
"Of course," Mei says without hesitation.
"Why do you call Al 'master'?"
Mei blinks at her for a moment, then laughs, a delighted giggle that makes her seem more her age. "It's a formality, that's all," she says. "One I choose to continue to observe. In Xing, proprieties between a man and his intended can be very restrictive. They're getting better, especially since His Majesty came to power, but as a princess of Xing, I do my best to try to honor my intended in public."
Eyebrows raising almost against her will, JJ can't help but tease, "Doesn't a baby kind of undermine proprieties?"
A soft, pretty blush graces Mei's cheeks. "Well… things happen for a reason," she says, ducking her head a bit. "But since His Majesty understands how important Edward is to Master Alphonse, he understands why getting married while he was still missing was… difficult for Master Alphonse."
Her hair is up in twin buns on her head, though she tucks a long strand behind her ear a little nervously. But she doesn't seem upset by it, just a little bit embarrassed. Nothing about her posture or tone suggests to JJ that she in any way resents that Al wouldn't marry her while Ed was missing. She's a little embarrassed about the situation as a whole, but she's definitely not upset about why Al hasn't married her. JJ's not sure if she respects Mei's comfort with the situation or if she thinks Mei should demand more from her partner. JJ knows how she would feel, but this isn't her world.
"Al never doubted Ed would come back, did he?" JJ asks, feeling like pieces are sliding together in her head.
Tilting her head as if JJ has said something interesting, Mei says, "Of course not."
"Of course not," JJ repeats, a little rueful, almost bitter. Having seen Ed, having seen what he is capable of, it's easy to understand why someone would have such complete faith in him. "Is there anything Ed can't do?"
That gets a soft snort from Mei. "Of course there are things he can't do. Until he returned, he'd lost his ability to do alchemy entirely."
"How did that happen?" JJ has to ask. "It seems like it's something you can either do or you can't. How do you lose it?"
"I'm afraid that my specialty is in alkahestry more than Amestrian alchemy," she admits. "Master Alphonse will talk about it if I ask, but, to be candid, I don't know that he really understands it either. Edward is the one who has passed through the Gate more than anyone. He's the one you should really be asking these questions to." She looks disappointed, as if she's failed by not being able to explain it better.
"What's the difference between alka...alkahestry? And alchemy?"
She perked up at that. "Alchemy, like Master Alphonse and Edward and the General use draws on an alchemist's connection with their internal Gate. Alkahestry draws on what we call the Dragon's Pulse—the energy of the world that is in everything that lives, but especially in the earth. All things that live are connected to the Dragon's Pulse and have some of its energy inside of them. Alkahestry allows an alkahestrist to tap into that connection for medicinal purposes, usually."
"So alchemy can't heal?" That seems odd, as it seems like it that shouldn't be beyond the range of possibility since Ed just rebuilt an entire city's walls.
Shifting as if the question makes her uncomfortable, Mei says, "It's usually considered taboo, to try to heal with alchemy. Master Alphonse is making some headway in using alkahestry in combination with traditional alchemy to do some healing, but most alchemists consider it human transmutation."
"Only someone stupid or extremely desperate would do it," a sharp voice startled JJ.
"Lan Fan," Mei greets with a smile that's somehow both sincere and a little forced. "It's nice to see you."
"May I join you, princess?" She's already stripped down to just the towel around her, and JJ hadn't realized she had an automail arm. It has similar dense scar tissue around the join, but she carries it with ease and the scars are faded, so JJ assumes she's had it for a while.
"Of course," Mei says, waving her hand toward the pool. Lan Fan gives her a small bow, then sets down a basket containing bathing items, and puts the towel aside to get into the water. JJ doesn't mean to look, but Lan Fan has enough scars that it's hard not to. If there were any doubt before that Lan Fan is some kind of fighter, it goes out the window. JJ wonders if it's common with people who have automail. It would make sense if it were.
The friendly air that had been between Mei and JJ turns cold, and JJ says, "We didn't really get a chance to be introduced earlier. I'm Jennifer Jareau. My friends call me JJ." She resists holding out her hand since she hasn't seen any of the Xing contingent do so.
Dark eyes meet her own for just a moment, looking over her as if evaluating how much of a threat she is before she replies, "Lan Fan."
Awkward . She tries again. "I worked with Ed in our world. You… work for the emperor?"
"I am His Majesty's bodyguard, yes," she replies, clipped, with an accent JJ can't place, but it's clear she doesn't want to talk. She turns her back to JJ and Mei, reaching for the basket to begin washing.
JJ raises a questioning eyebrow at Mei, who gives her a subtle shake of her head. Not worth pushing then. It's also awkward to hold a conversation with Mei and act as if Lan Fan isn't there.
Resigned, JJ turns to the basket Mei offered to share with her and sets about scrubbing herself clean. Mei seems to be on the same page as she starts explaining which item does what in a soft voice, as if she doesn't want to disturb Lan Fan. She's glad she got a little bit of time to enjoy the bath because all she wants now is to get out of it as soon as possible.
.o0o.o0o.o0o.
The rest of the bath is nowhere near as relaxing despite the wonderful cleansers and oils that Mei shares with her. JJ gets out of the bath, dries off, and pulls on the Ishvalan-style robes she'd been given so that her own clothes can be cleaned. They're more-or-less one size fits most. Getting the grime and sand and sweat off her skin and not getting back into her own filthy clothing is worth wearing the odd garment.
It really isn't much different from a wrap dress or a sari, so JJ figures it out without too much trouble, slipping into also-borrowed sandals. At least they have a strap around the heel so they don't slap on the tile, almost creepily loud in the large, empty halls.
"Do you need me to show you the way back?" Mei asks her.
"No, I'm pretty sure I know the way, but thank you," JJ assures, brushing her off. Mei has been taking her time oiling her hair, and JJ doesn't want to rush her. "You relax. I'm sure you don't get much downtime without Eden. I know I didn't when mine were that age," she says.
"I can walk back with you," Lan Fan offers, surprising JJ. She had scrubbed and gotten out even faster than JJ had and is already dressed again, though only in what JJ assumes is a Xing-style robe given its length, the rich navy of it, and the shape of the sleeves.
A tired but happy smile crosses Mei's features. "Thank you," she says.
Imitating Lan Fan's earlier bow, JJ says, "Thank you, princess," successfully startling a small giggle from Mei. Lan Fan looks at them sharply over her shoulder but begins to walk toward the exit.
JJ hurries to catch up with her. "You know the way?" she asks.
"We have been to the palace on several occasions," Lan Fan says, which isn't a yes, but JJ will take it. They walk for a bit in silence, and JJ had already forgotten how large the palace ruins are when she hears Ed's familiar voice ahead. She doesn't quite catch the words, but Lan Fan stops before the end of the hall, pushing JJ back against the wall.
She can't speak for Lan Fan, but JJ doesn't mean to eavesdrop.
"You should consider it for real, you know," Ling's voice says, close but out of sight, sounding unusually serious. Lan Fan gets even more tense, if that were even possible.
"Fuck you—that's not an invitation," Ed snaps back. "I'm going to get Roy home, or I'm going to die trying."
"Would he want that?" Ling asks, almost sad. "Would he really want you to risk his life to get him back?"
"I'm going to get Morgan and JJ home, and I'm going to get Roy back. There isn't another option here."
"We've been through that Gate—"
"Yeah, and I know what I'm doing."
"Do you? Do you really know?"
Silence falls between them for a long moment, and even if Lan Fan's hand weren't on her chest, JJ wouldn't dare peek around to look. She doesn't want to be caught here.
"You would hold a place of pride —"
"Like Lan Fan?" Ed interrupts, and there's something almost mean in the way he says it. Apparently Lan Fan can get more tense, because before she was absolutely still, but now she's so tense, she almost vibrates with it.
"Don't bring her into this."
"Just like you didn't marry her—"
"You don't understand—"
"No, I think I understand perfectly," Ed snaps. "I don't know what you think I've been doing for the past eight years, but it hasn't been sitting around on my ass just waiting for a way home to fall into my lap. I understand why you had to keep up the harem tradition even though I know you hate it. What I don't understand is why you couldn't find a way to elevate Lan Fan and marry her."
When Ling replies, it comes out as though forced through clenched teeth. "It's not that simple…"
"You're the emperor , Ling. If you can find a way to justify bringing male, Amestrian, alchemist me into your harem, you could have found a way to elevate her."
"She deserves better."
Ed snorts. "Of course she does. But she doesn't want better, idiot. She wants you."
"We're not talking about me."
"Aren't we? Isn't that what this is about? What you want? Which is me in your harem and in your bed?"
"We were good together."
Ed's voice gets hard. "No, we were terrified and in so far over our heads we couldn't see a sign of the sky. We were fifteen and sixteen and we didn't want to die without an experience. We weren't lovers. We weren't partners. At best, we were friends with benefits, and I think that's a stretch."
Ling sighs, and this time it sounds theatrical. "You value our time so little…"
"I'm really fucking glad I didn't go to Roy as a virgin, so there's that, I guess."
There's a soft chuff, but JJ can't tell if it's Ed or Ling. "You value yourself so little—"
"Actually I value myself just fine these days." Ed pauses, and JJ can feel the tension from where she is. "Why don't you admit what this is really about? This isn't about nostalgia or how good you thought we were together. This is about having the most powerful pawn on the board allied to you. Answering to you. "
"It's not—"
"You're the fucking emperor now. You want both of the remaining Xerxian throwbacks tied to your family like golden little baubles, I get it. But don't pretend it's for any other reason. And don't fucking pretend that you can add me to your harem but you can't find a way to make things work with Lan Fan. If you wanted to raise Lan Fan up, sure it'd ruffle some feathers, but you could do it—"
"You don't understand," Ling grinds out, and he sounds angry this time.
There's another pause, not a silence, not hesitation, but it's as if she can feel the consideration in the air. "You know what, you're right. I don't understand. And I don't want to. I'm not going to play your fucking game, Ling. Keep your greedy mitts off me."
She hears footsteps, probably Ed's, start off.
"You really don't think I could make you happy? Even just a little bit? You really don't think that Mustang wouldn't rather have you live a happy life without him than die trying to get to him?"
"You're awfully sure I'm going to die," Ed remarks almost casually, but there's something cold in his tone that JJ isn't used to. "But to answer your question—Roy doesn't get a fucking say in whether I try to bring him back here or not. And if I die trying, then I die trying. I'm never going to be the one who sits on the sidelines and waits for someone else to solve my problems. I'm never going to bury my head in the sand and pretend they don't fucking exist. If you really thought I would, then you don't know me at all, and you never did."
"You deserve better than him," Ling snaps, his voice cracking through the still night air.
"I deserve someone who loves me," Ed replies calmly. "You don't, and you never will."
"Are you really okay dying for him?"
"You're asking the wrong question," Ed says, still steady, still far too calm for JJ's liking. "The question you should be asking is if I'm okay living without him." There's another pause, and JJ wishes she dared look, but Ed breaks the silence again. "But you already know about the soul-binding array, so you already know the answer to that question. You just don't like it."
He doesn't say anything else, just walking in her general direction, the soft scuffing of his footsteps loud in the almost eerie silence. She jumps when he turns the corner. "JJ? Lan Fan?" he asks.
"Ed," she replies, holding a hand to her chest. "I—I didn't…"
Exhaustion lines his face as he closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm not going to ask how much you overheard. I don't want to know. Let's just go back." He meets Lan Fan's eyes, and adds, "You should talk to him."
"I—"
"Stop making fucking excuses and talk to him like a fucking adult."
Lan Fan's jaw is clenched so tightly, JJ can see the muscles jump in it, but she nods and dashes around the corner.
Heart still pounding both from the conversation she heard and from being startled, she asks, "Is it okay to leave them alone?"
"Lan Fan's with him, and despite his appearance, Ling's hardly defenseless," Ed says dismissively. "You're probably not the only one who overheard us."
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop… I was just… coming back from the baths…"
Ed waves a hand as if it isn't important, looking far too old for his twenty-five years. "It's… fucking whatever. I'd rather you didn't overhear it, but it's done, so can we not talk about it?"
They walked in silence for several minutes, Ed navigating the maze-like halls with ease.
"Is it true?" she had to ask.
"You're going to have to be a little more specific," Ed replies drolly.
Fair. "That you would rather die than live without Mustang?"
He sighs in obvious annoyance. "Our souls are bound together," he says. "Literally. We don't know for sure what will happen if one of us dies. It might save our lives if we're on the brink of death, it might just kill us both, it may bind the soul of the one who died into the body of the one who survived. I don't know for sure. I just know that all of those are better options to me than living without Roy at all."
JJ lets the knowledge roll around in her head for a moment, mentally twisting it, looking at all the sides, pondering the next question to ask. "Did he know that? Before he did the transmutation that bound you?"
Ed is quiet long enough that she's sure that's an answer in and of itself, but he finally says, "I didn't tell him."
Which means that Ed knew. There's something else he's not saying though. "But he knew anyway?" she guesses. It's what makes sense, since Mustang is apparently a savant of some level himself. It seems like he should have understood the risks of what he was doing as well as anyone.
"We didn't talk about it for years, actually. We didn't talk about it until I decided to meet Rossi about the BAU offer."
The logical reason for that pops out of her mouth. "Because you would be in the line of fire again, putting your life at risk."
"Yeah," Ed admits softly. "He told me he was pretty sure of what would happen if one of us died…" He snorts, but it's affectionate. "I called him a stupid bastard. He asked me why I thought he'd want to live without me if I didn't want to live without him." He sighs and they step into a courtyard. He lifts his head to stare up at the sky, bright with more stars than JJ thinks she's seen in her life. She hadn't realized it had gotten this late. "He's got ambitions, you know? Like… real ambitions. He wants to make our country better, wants to do better by its people… I told him me dying shouldn't put that to an end."
"And he said?"
"He said… none of it meant anything if he couldn't share it with me." He laughs, a soft, rueful sound. "Fucking sap. I should have known he'd know the possible outcomes. I think I did know, really. That's why I never asked… I didn't want to hear him admit it."
"Why didn't you want to hear him admit it?"
"Because I'm not worth it. What he's got plans for… All those people shouldn't stop mattering just because I'm not there anymore."
It's JJ's turn to sigh. "I think… if we don't value those we love, I don't know how we can really value anyone."
Even washed out by the starlight, Ed's eyes are something, and his gaze seems to carry more weight than she remembers in their world.
"What?" she asks when he doesn't say anything.
He shakes his head, and JJ is a little relieved not to have that heavy gaze on her anymore. "Just… thinking. C'mon. I don't know about you, but it's been a hell of a day, and I'm beat."
"Bed sounds great," she agrees. After the day they've had and despite her earlier nap, they could certainly use it.