CHAPTER 2

It was dusk when they got there, so Ed walked straight to her house. Ed lightly

knocked on the door, he waited for a few second in silence then he heard footsteps on the

other side, then the door open.

" Hello Ed, " Sig's deep voice welcomed him.

" Hello Mr. Sig, where's teacher?" Ed tried to look around the big man, but found

it impossible.

" She's in the dining room." He moved out of the way to let Ed and Armstrong

through. Ed walked into the dining room where Teacher sat drinking her tea.

She looked up at him, " Hello Ed..." she looked around him, " where's Alphonse?"

Ed looked away quickly, Izumi stood repeated her question, " Where's Alphonse?" she

repeated, " Look at me when I talking to you."

Ed looked up at her, " That's what I came here to tell you." He looked back when

he heard someone walk in.

" I need to talk to Edward alone, Sig could you show..." she looked at Armstrong.

" Alex Louise Armstrong at your service." he bowed to her.

" Show Mr. Armstrong where he will be staying." Sig nodded and led Armstrong

to his room.

When the room was clear Ed pulled a chair out for himself, Izumi sat across from

him waiting for him to answer her question. After a long silence Ed took a deep breath,

and started in his long story about what happen.

After a he stopped he was near tears again, Izumi was standing next to him,

holding him in her arms, whispering to him that it was going to be okay. He buried his

face into her stomach, crying.

Izumi placed her hands and Ed's cheeks and lifted his head to look at her, "

Listen," she started, " none of this is your fault, do you understand?" Ed nodded. " Have

you told your friend about what happen... what's her name."

Ed's eyes opened wide, then he closed them. " No, I haven't. I don't know what to

say."

" Don't you think she desveres to know the truth?"

Ed pulled away from her, " Yes."

" Then why don't you tell her?" she reach out for him but he slapped her hand

away.

He wouldn't look up at her face any longer, " Because then she will want to come

here and I can't risk that, I couldn't live if anything happen to her too." he looked up with

tears running down his face. He turned and ran out the door, he kept running not looking

back for anything.

Izumi walked back in from seeing where Ed went, she sat back down where she

was and started crying.

Ed ran into a little bit bigger part of town, the street lamps lit his way and he saw

a telephone booth. Ed went over to inspect it and saw that no one

was in it or around it. He reach for the money Hawkeye gave him, pulling out the change

he got from the train station. He went in and started debating with himself weather or not

to call Winry. She's probley asleep, I shouldn't wake her. But I have to tell her, why not

now, I could take a chance. That's it, I'll chance it. He put the change in the slots and

dailed her number.

The phone rang three times until it woke Winry, " Hello... hello... Who is this? Is

it that you Ed is it...answer me." The phone went into a dail tone, Winry slammed the

phone down. She stood up and paced back and forth in front of the phone. The phone

rang again, this time she picked it up as so as it started. " Hello, Ed if it's you, let me

know some how."

" Hello, Winry." Ed voice gave her relief but at the same time some stress.

" What do you want, do you know what time it is?" her voice fill with irration.

" I have something to tell you, but I'd rather tell you in person. It's important."

" Well, where are you?"

" I'm in Dublin." Ed voice calm while he spoke.

" I'll be there tomorrow." she hang up the phone. She got out of her nightgown

and got into her normal clothes and started packing. I forgot to ask where's he staying at

in Dublin. She wrote a note for Panicka for where she'll be. Packed some of her tools.

She ran down the street to the train station and got her ticket, then laid down on a bench

to wait for the train.

Ed walked into his bedroom where the Major was already asleep, he stretched,

after listening to Izumi's long lecture about how he should never do that again, he was

tired. He slipped into bed and thought about the day.

FLASHBACK

Ed enter the door and walked into the dining room, where Izumi sat in the same

position that she was when he got there the first time. " You didn't have to wait up." he

smirked.

" I couldn't sleep anyway. Ed where were you for so long?"

" I walked around to clear my head for awhile."

" Did it help any?" she took a sip of her tea.

" A little. I still have no idea what I'm going to do without Al, I mean..."

" Your life, you'll continue with that, that's what you'll do." Izumi intrreputed him

she stood up and walked over to Ed.

" How, without Al, he was the only family I had left..." The slap echoed through

the silent halls of the house. Ed put his hand on the red hand mark on his face.

" How can you say that," her voice quivered in anger, " you have that girl and her

grandmother, they'd care, they wouldn't want to see you gone. You always think you have

to bear the world on your shoulders and you have no one to help you, but you just ignore

those who would help you, don't you?" She yelled these words at him. The tears returned

to fall down his cheek.

" I don't want any one else to get hurt." His eyes wouldn't leave the floor.

" Why don't just try to trust the other people's jugdement on what they can

handle."

" It's to dangerous here."

" Have you thought about what could happen to me?" her arms crossed to match

her attitude.

" No."

" Why not?"

" Because I know you can almost handle everything, because your strong."

A smile came over her face, " Then what about your friend, isn't she?"

"Yes, but in a... sigh, I get what your saying." Ed said in a surrendering tone.

After a while Ed headed for his room.

" Have you thought about going down there to see her?"

" No, that monster may follow me, I can't chance that."

" Just trust yourself and others around you."

" I'll go tomorrow."

Ed disappeared behind his bedroom's door.