Meeting

Al smiled at the pretty dark-skinned young woman who sat across from him even as he continued straining to hear the conversation that was taking place just outside of his hotel door. He knew it was rude to only be pretending to pay attention to a friend, but he couldn't help it. New visitors always presented Al with unheard-before clues, and from Master's reaction earlier... this particular newcomer was a bit different than the rest. She had to know something about Brother...!

It wasn't that Al didn't like it when Miss Rose and her baby visited either. Far from it... Alphonse was all too glad for the company and distraction. She really was a wonderful person too, he hadn't known her for long... but he could just feel it somehow. She had come by every day now to visit and spend time with him, and he was truly grateful for it.

However, like all the visitors Al received since he woke up in that strange dark place that was so far from home, he often found her watching him with a sad expression on her face. Or she would ask questions that made no sense while offering no information in return, only shakes of her head.

Alphonse Elric was surrounded by people like that. People who said they knew him, though they always stared oddly... as if meeting him for the first time. People who assured him that his brother would be found and perfectly fine while not explaining why there was any doubt otherwise.

It was draining. It was also highly infuriating. Several times now he had to stop himself from shouting at his well-wishers... to stop himself from demanding they stop skirting around the issue like he was some sort of five-year old and just TELL him what happened. The not-knowing was not only insulting, but also scary.

His brother had to be okay. Al refused to see any other possibility. Brother had always been there by his side before...

Master was the only familiarity he had left, and Al found himself clinging to her desperately as a result. She would make everything all right. His teacher would help bring everything back to the way it should be. She had to!

But she was not with him at the minute, Miss Rose was. Instead, Master was speaking to the beautiful but hard-faced blond woman who had stopped by out of the blue mere minutes ago.

Strangely enough, his teacher had been upset... Well, more upset than usual. She had jumped out of her seat to start yelling about 'dogs of the military' and blame, glaring at the other female all along. The woman had only sadly shaken her head in return.

"We cared a lot about Edward. Please believe me," she had said. "I have something to speak to Alphonse about. Please..." Then, before Al could ask any questions, Master had ushered the visitor out into the hallway.

He could only just barely make out faint snatches of conversation, but he did his best to listen as he played cards with Miss Rose and spoke to her about the book she had lent him the previous day. Distantly he noted that she, unlike his now missing brother, did not cheat nor rant when she lost a game.

He missed his brother.

"Hospital... wants to s..."

"No good... wouldn't remember..."

"...lease. It'd mean..."

"Ah... fine... but ask..."

He almost spilled their cups of tea in surprise a scant second later as the door abruptly swung open again, letting both the older women back into the small room. His teacher was frowning but appeared calmer then before, and the unfamiliar lady was now giving Al a wide-eyed and almost pleading look.

"Hello Alphonse. I hear you don't remember me..." Her voice faltered briefly before she continued, "...but my name is Riza Hawkeye." She was smiling, something that only barely erased the lines of stress and exhaustion he could see on her face. "If you don't mind, I have a favor to ask you..."

It was all Al could do to not stare at the man in the hospital bed.

His name, Lieutenant Hawkeye had explained as she drove Alphonse to the hospital her Commanding Officer was recovering in, was Roy Mustang. He was a Brigadier General, his brother's superior officer, and a friend.

"He only woke up a few days ago," the woman had elaborated. "But when he heard about the situation and your... condition... he was insistent that he be allowed to see you as soon as the doctors deemed it permissible. That was this morning."

Now Al was alone in the room with the older man, trying desperately to not fidget or stare at the numerous bandages covering the alchemist's head. From the look of it, the General must have been severely hurt... and was probably lucky to be alive.

Morbidly, he wondered what lurked underneath those wrappings.

"You," the man's single dark eye studied him with concern, "are well, Alphonse?"

"Ah, yes Sir."

Making a pained noise, the man straightened and leaned forward for a closer look. "Amazing. It truly is. Typical of Fullmetal's work. You resemble him too. I thought you might..." He suddenly gasped then, softly.

Involuntarily, Al found himself quickly standing up from his uncomfortable chair and approaching the man's bedside. "You should sit down, you are hurt, Sir!" Even as he fretted, an unconscious grin still found its way onto his face.

'Like his brother', he had said.

He was glad.

The General chuckled as the boy waved his arms frantically and attempted to settle him back onto his pillow. "Still the same..." His tone of voice was distant, and sounded almost fond.

"I... guess so? I... really don't know much. They..." The officer nodded at him to continue. "They treat me strangely. Everyone does."

"You seem the same to me, Alphonse. The same person you always were on the inside, even if your age is different now."

"Sir...?" Al swallowed. This man sounded like he knew his brother well, and perhaps... maybe he would...? No one else had answered his questions yet, and it never hurt to try.

"Do you know anything? About what happened with brother?"

There was a long pause, then a sigh.

"Unfortunately, no one has shared any information with me either, Alphonse." He sounded regretful. "They seem to be of the opinion that I would worry, and that would slow my recovery." The single eye rolled and the man snorted, obviously not impressed with 'their' lack of faith in his abilities.

"Oh."

An arm, also covered in bandages and bruises, came out from under the covers and carefully took Al's hand. Surprised, the blond made to step back... only to stop a second later as he got a good look at the serious expression on the man's face. "I do know this, however: Fullm-- Edward-- would never willingly leave you. I do not doubt that if he's out there he would make every effort to return to his little brother's side."

"Then..."

"I also refuse to believe he is truly... gone. Not without proof. He wouldn't..." General Mustang's voice rose as he spoke, then suddenly softened again. "He's stronger than that. We should have faith."

Al's face brightened, a wide smile again taking it over as his expression became excited. "I think so too! I just know that he--"

They were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. A moment later the Lieutenant stuck her head in, her expression worried. "Sir! The doctors need to see you again. Also," she paused and turned her head away from them, speaking to someone or someones Al couldn't quite see. "...The others want to see young Alphonse too."

"Ah." The dark haired man frowned. "Far too soon. I do really believe those doctors have it out for me. It's hardly like I'm trying to distract the nursing staff..."

"Sir!"

He laughed, then turned his attention back to Al. "I'm glad you came to visit me. I know you don't remember any of us... So... Thank you."

"I..." Al hesitated, not quite sure what to say. He had that feeling-- yet again-- that there was something he was missing here. Something that was again going over his head.

But all the same...

"No." He started walking towards the exit, where he could now see several unfamiliar people in uniforms standing behind the blond woman, peering at him with curious eyes. He paused then, and turned around with a smile.

A second later, the General was blinking in surprise as the younger Elric bowed. "No... thank you, Sir."

Still smiling, Alphonse Elric left the room. Sadly, he never did get the chance to return to it. When he asked about the possibility of more visitation several days later, Al heard the man had been transfered to a far away hospital.

He supposed at the time it had nothing to do with himself, but rather the mystery of the man's injuries... but it was still frustrating all the same. This theory was born out later, as he even caught word of a demotion and rapid transfer.

It was strange, but he often found himself worrying, and wondering about the older man's fate. It was strange, but he often found himself worrying, and wondering about the older man's fate.

Alphonse didn't see him again for many years.