Chapter seven

Roy pulled up outside the flat at ten minutes past eight. Sergeant Hawkeye was already waiting there, dressed in a dark blue suit, her long hair fastened tightly behind her head. She was indeed looking both professional and efficient.

The suit was also complementing her curves nicely, but he pretended not to notice that.

She got inside the car and sat down on the passenger side, looking much less worried than she had done the last time he saw her. "Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, Sergeant."

"Thank you for your help the previous day."

Roy started the car as he gave a friendly nod. "It really was no trouble. How are the boys?"

"Better, sir. We went shopping yesterday so that they have some clothes that they have chosen themselves."

"That sounds very promising."

"I hope so, sir. Edward seems to be giving me a chance now too. He actually smiled at me once."

Roy had to say that he was impressed, considering the boy's reaction when he had last met him. "That is very good to hear. May I ask what the circumstances were?"

"I tackled a man in the store when he tried to punch me after I pointed out that Ed wasn't 'looking funny' because he was massaging his stump and so I threatened to arrest him, sir."

Roy didn't exactly know what to say to that. The Sergeant spoke as calmly as ever. Then he remembered reading something about her being highly efficient in the art of hand-to-hand combat. Well, if that was what it would take to impress Edward Elric, then that would explain why the previous families of accountants and primary school teachers didn't exactly work out.

"So what are the two of them doing while you are at work?"

"We picked up some books for them at the local library, sir. They are both highly intelligent and last I checked, Edward had his nose buried in a book about the elements and their properties."

"So you think they might end up as scientists?"

"That is certainly a possibility, sir. I just hope that the school will be able to keep up with them once they recommence their education in four months."

"How do you mean?" Roy was a bit surprised at that statement.

"They are both reading books in the university section of the library, sir. I am still a bit stunned, but they aren't showing off. The librarians actually greeted them and told them about new books they'd received since they had last seen them. Apparently they used to go there at least three times a week when they lived with their mother."

Roy was about to answer when the radio called for his attention instead.

"Sir? You don't have to come into the office first, you've already got a new case. A body's been found outside that old swimming pool." It was DC Havoc.

"Got it, we'll be there in fifteen minutes." Roy looked towards Hawkeye. "Well, it seems that we have our first case already, Sergeant."

and so Roy soon pulled up outside the old swimming pool. It was pretty derelict these days and the large brick building was bound to fall apart within a year. They got out of the car and showed their badges to DC Falman who lifted the yellow and black tape so that they could pass through. DC Havoc came up to them soon enough and gave them a two-fingered salute as they arrived at the crime scene. "I guess you're Sergeant Hawkeye, then? I'm DC Jean Havoc, nice to meet you." He shook hands with Hawkeye before he blew out a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "The victim's an unknown female in her late twenties. It's a bit of a shame, she was pretty cute."

Roy looked at Hawkeye for any reaction, but her file had clearly been correct in saying that she was very professional and respectful. They came up to the body where the familiar face of Dr Knox looked up at him from where he was examining the body. He nodded at them with a small grunt. "It would seem the cause of death is a single stab wound to the chest, right below the inscription into her skin."

Roy looked at the body. He could see why the Havoc found the woman so attractive, he had always been a sucker for big boobs. The victim was wearing a long, black dress, black boots and long, black gloves. Her long black hair accentuated her cold beauty. What really caught Roy's attention, however, was the dagger that was sticking out of her chest, right below the carefully carved word 'LUST'.

Alphonse put down his book and looked over at his brother. Ed was lying on his stomach and reading as quickly as ever, although the lack of his right arm made his position a bit awkward, so he was propped up on a stack of pillows instead.

Alphonse still felt guilty about that. Ed was having a lot of pain and difficulties because he saved Al's life. It just wasn't right. Ed deserved better than what he had got. But Ed never complained about it. Al knew he was in pain and had violent nightmares, but he never complained. Not once. Ed was so stubborn it was stupid. He should know that talking about things would help, but he never did. He just shut himself off and tried to repress it and it came out as anger and rage instead. Al knew that he needed to talk to someone himself, and so he tried once again to get a conversation out of Brother.

"Ed?"

"Hmm?" Al was the only person besides Mom that could break through that invisible sound proof bubble of his when he was reading.

"Brother, can we talk?"

"About what?"

"About that night?"

Ed sighed and sat up, turning his book upside down on the couch. "What do you wanna discuss about that? There's nothing to say. Barry killed her."

"But Ed – "

"No, Al. That bastard killed her. End of story."

Ed lay down again on his stomach and Al just pulled his legs up to his chest. "I miss her."

"Me too, Al. But there's nothing we can do to change that, okay? Just go back to reading." With that, Ed returned to his silent bubble.

Ed got so easily annoyed with Al when he tried talking about Mom. Al knew he was hurting and that he thought it made him weak, but sometimes Al was afraid that Ed got impatient with Al about this because he blamed him for his arm.

You need to talk to me, Brother…

Once Al was sure that Ed was sleeping, he sneaked out of the bedroom and over to the living room instead, where Riza was sitting, reading through some of the files that she'd brought home from work. She looked up at Alphonse, some concern in her face. Al immediately looked down. "Is something wrong, Al?"

"Can... can we talk?"

"Of course, Al. Why don't you sit down?"

Al wasn't sure if he should be doing this. Ed would have been angry with him for talking to her about this, but Al had a feeling that she was different from the others. She was the only one who didn't ask questions about their nightmares, but just brought them cocoa in the middle of the night instead. And she was a Detective. She worked with stuff like this. It was just that it was a major leap of trust and Al was afraid to trust adults after all this.

But then he had trusted Mom, so some adults were okay. And Al was pretty sure that Riza was in the 'okay' department.

But he would rarely defy Brother. This was the first time he outright did something that Ed had told him not to. He was just working with his gut feeling right now.

Al stood there for a few more seconds before he made up his mind, quickly sitting down on the farthest end of the couch, his hands folded in his lap.

"What do you want to talk about, Alphonse?" Riza was speaking kindly and softly. Al knew that he trusted her more than the other foster families put together already. And he liked her. She was kind almost like Mom, but she was stricter. Her being a big sister fitted really well. Al wrung his hands in his lap, still unsure if this was a bad idea.

"I-is it okay that I want to talk about Mom?" Al whispered.

"Of course it is, Al."

"Because I miss her. I miss her so much. I miss her so much that it hurts. I miss her voice and her scent and her hugs and everything about her. She was so kind. She didn't deserve what happened and now she's gone and Brother won't talk about it!" Once Al had opened his mouth, a lot more than he had planned on had just come spilling out.

"Of course you miss her, Al. That is only natural. She sounds like a great mother."

"She was! She was the best mom in the world and I trusted Barry to take care of her! But then he killed her and Brother lost his arm to protect me! What if Mom is dead because we let Barry kill her? We should have done something!"

"Alphonse, trust me, this isn't your fault. I've seen cases like these more often than you'd think. Barry was the only one at fault. He chose to kill."

"Do you think Brother blames me for losing his arm? If he hadn't protected me, then he wouldn't have been hurt. He's in pain because of me. What if he's angry at me? He can't even use a knife and fork any more! He's the only family I have left and what if he hates me? Maybe that's why he won't talk about that night?" Al felt scared tears running down his cheeks, and the next moment he had a pair of warm arms around him and his head was leaning against her chest as she gently stroked his back.

"Al, I don't think Ed is capable of hating you. He just doesn't want to talk about it because he's afraid of appearing weak in front of his little brother. He acts angry and lashes out, because it's easier for him than to shed tears. That doesn't mean he's angry with you and it doesn't make you wrong to feel like you do. It only makes you human."

Al leant into the hug and sobbed out all the tears that had been building up these last two months. He loved his big brother, but it was good to have a big sister sometimes too.