Disclaimer: FMA still isn't mine.

A/N: Revamping still...

Chapter 7: It's Time to Go

When she came back to reality, she was still standing in the kitchen just inside the doorway. She was back in Rizenbul, in Pinako's house. Everyone else was still asleep, the house was still quiet, and the sun was still working on its ascent. The only difference was that Isabel really wanted to talk to Ed now, to apologize. Apologize for what? She didn't know. Maybe for never talking to him, even when she'd known who he was in the military. Maybe for their argument from last night. Or, just maybe for leaving so long ago, without saying goodbye.

Isabel shook her head and started walking again. She went up the stairs and passed down the hall silently. Noises came from Winry's room, so Isabel assumed that the younger girl was waking up or was already awake. The Elric girl opened the door to her brothers' room and only found Al looking out the window. Ed was not in the room.

"Al," Isabel said quietly. The hollow suit of armor turned to look at her. "Where's Ed?"

"He was studying last night and didn't come back, so he must have fallen asleep there," Al replied after a quick look around.

"All right. Thank you, Alphonse," Isabel smiled. She turned and continued down the hall. When she reached the room she was looking for, she paused. She really wanted to apologize to him, but how would she start? Should she just apologize straight off or dance around it for a little while before jumping to the punch? With a sigh, she started to walk into the library/study, but stopped. The moment she looked around, she had to quiet herself. She had decided to just apologize to him about the argument, but that idea flew away. She just couldn't disturb the peace she saw. As she was admiring the gentle serenity around Ed, she heard Winry coming down the hall.

"Winry," she whispered, stepping back into the hall again. Winry looked up from the ground. "Come here." Isabel motioned her in with her hand.

Winry's brow furrowed together in confusion, then her face relaxed when she saw Ed. "Aw," she said quietly. "He looks so…."

"Quiet," Isabel finished and grinned a bit.

Edward Elric, the boy who was forced to grow up early and never seemed to mind, the boy with boundless amounts of energy, was slumped against his desk, asleep. His pen was still in his hand, too. There were a few papers around him, and a couple pictures set out. His head was cushioned on his arm and he looked quite comfortable how he was.

"I suppose we should wake him up and let him go lay down on the bed or someplace other than the desk," Isabel said and started to take a step forward.

Winry reached out and grabbed Isabel's arm. There was a peculiar look in the younger girl's eye. "Wait." They held eye contact for a moment before Isabel understood. She nodded and Winry walked over to Ed. She looked down at him and smiled. He looked so innocent, like he used to when they were younger, before all of the mess that had happened. When his mother had been alive. Winry had done her best to help them through their mourning, but they'd buried themselves in alchemy and then gone off with their sensei to train. When they had returned, the two boys Winry had grown up with had been pushed to the back of their minds. It'd taken her a while to accustom herself to their new and strange habits they'd acquired with their teacher, but she had to accompany them.

Now, she had to take care of them again, but they had a lot more problems now than when they were ten and eleven. Ed was sixteen, and Al was almost fifteen. She would be sixteen soon, and she'd catch up with Ed. But their ages didn't really matter as much as maturity. The brothers had surpassed most boys their age since they'd grown up so early in their life. So much had been thrust upon their shoulders that they'd had no choice but to take it and deal with it, little by little.

But this was Winry's one chance to help them, and she would in any way possible.

Winry reached down and brushed his long bangs away from his cheek. Unintentionally, her fingertips brushed his skin, and she was able to finally feel how smooth it really was. But before she had any time to revel in the sensation, Ed's eyes slowly opened. He must have sensed it was only she to wake him up because he shut his eyes again.

"Winry," he mumbled. "What is it?"

She smiled to herself. Even when he was only half awake, his tone of voice could still be exasperating. But that's what she loved about him. "Don't you want to move, Ed? The desk can't be as comfortable as your bed or a couch," she said and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Slowly, Ed took in a breath and sat up. He tried to rub his hand against his mouth subtly, in case of drool, and Winry couldn't help but smile a little on the outside. "I guess," he murmured sleepily.

"Come on," she said and took a little step back. "I'll walk you so you won't fall asleep again on the way."

"I don't need an escort," he growled, swaying.

Winry rolled her eyes. "Look, you're already about to fall off your feet. Now be quiet so you won't wake up Grandma," she ordered.

Ed was happy to comply since he was still tired.

Isabel watched from the shadows of the hall as they two walked towards Ed and Al's room. She followed them, just out of an older sister's curiosity. When she caught up with them and peeked in, Ed was lying on his back, his arms folded beneath his head. Winry was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"What did you dream of?" she was asking.

Ed went on to explain his dream to her about what Isabel had just remembered. It only made her a little uneasy that the same memory had gone on in his head, as well. Maybe she should bring that up later in the morning when he was more awake. Even now, when she'd been up for at least two hours Isabel couldn't process it as well as she would have liked.

But, at the moment, all she could do was wait. It wasn't like she could walk into the room and interrupt his conversation with Winry. Those two liked each other so much but both were oblivious to the other's feelings. It was kind of funny. So Isabel decided to let them have their moment together and went to sit in the kitchen.

When she sat down at the table, she suddenly felt something she hadn't felt in a while.

Isabel had been in love before, or at least what she considered love. On one of her missions, she'd helped save a group of people near the border of their neighboring country. Among that group had been him. She didn't want to remember his name, so she didn't. She just remembered his face. He had eyes such a wonderful color of brown that she could just stare into. Even though he had such a piercing glare he could set in his orbs, when he wished, he could gaze as lovingly at her as he wanted.

The rest of his face had been just as normal as anyone else's she may have come across, nothing special to distinguish him in a crowd. It had been his eyes that had attracted her first. That had been because she figured he was an ungrateful jerk who hated the military. But that hadn't been it at all.

He'd acted cold and aloof at first on their way back to a safe camp for the group, and Isabel hadn't been able to stand it. But, she'd overheard something from one of the other people that he'd lost all of his family. That had made Isabel think again and come at him with a new approach. The next time she tried talking to him, it was with a little sympathy and an edge of understanding. That conversation had set the course for the rest of their short relationship.

Over the week that had followed their journey across Amestris, he and Isabel had become such good friends that it surprised her. Normally, she tried to ignore the people she had to escort since they would only be baggage for her. But with him, things had been different. He'd charmed her and exercised the charisma he had an abundance of. She hadn't minded terribly. At night was normally when they stayed up and talked.

But, one night was different. Isabel thought he would ask her something personal, something higher than a friend basis. She'd waited by her pallet, near the fire, for him. But something had been there during the night. A group of guerillas had attacked the camp. Two of the seven military officers had been killed, and everyone from the nomadic group that they had been escorting, including him.

Isabel had been rendered unconscious and hadn't come to until one of the State Alchemists had woken her. The first thought on her mind had been for him. After looking around frantically, in spite of the remaining military personnel, she had accepted the cold truth that he was indeed gone. After one more desperate attempt to find him, Isabel had come across his body. She'd hurried to him but hadn't dared to touch him, fearing that she would only touch cold, lifeless skin.

When she felt like her world had ended, the impossible happened. He'd whispered her name. Isabel had been too shocked to respond at first. But a moment later, she'd reached down and touched his cheek. Cold. And then, after accepting the truth that he wouldn't live, she listened to his final words to her. They still rang clear in her head. It was painful to remember them, but she did anyway.

"Keep moving ahead so you can forget your tragedies in your past," he'd told her. It hadn't been any words of love, nothing extravagant. If she ever told that to someone else, it probably wouldn't move him or her any special amount. But those few words meant so much to Isabel that she would treasure them always, even though they hurt like a good truth.

So Isabel had done just what he'd told her. She had kept moving ahead to forget the tragedies. But she didn't consider that a tragedy. It was a loss, yes, but it was also something wonderful. She'd found a part of herself that she'd thought was missing. Even though when he had died, he'd taken something of her with him, he had also given her something else. He had given her joy, despite their circumstances.

And that was her story of her first love. It hadn't lasted long, it had probably only been one-sided if she thought of it now, but it had at least meant something to her. She hoped it had meant something to him.

Isabel felt a smile set on her lips.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty."

She looked up and saw Ed standing at the table with a plate of food in his hands. He sat down across from her and took a bite of sausage. Isabel smiled and sat up. Apparently, she'd fallen asleep again.

"Hey, yourself," she told him and stretched a little. "What time is it?"

He thought a moment before answering, mouth still full. "Probably a little after ten," he said and continued chewing.

She whistled lowly. "I've been out for a while, then," she mumbled.

"You were talking in your sleep," he said after a few minutes of silence.

An embarrassed color flushed Isabel's cheeks. "I did? What did I say?" she dared to ask. When people heard her talk in her sleep, it was usually something that could be used as blackmail against her.

But Ed shrugged. "I don't know. It sounded like it was some different language." Relief replaced embarrassment.

And it made sense. She'd been dreaming about him. He didn't speak the same language as she and Ed originally. To make things easier for him, Isabel had spoken in his native tongue, broken as it was. So she had just spoken in that language instead of English, blessedly. So she nodded and let out a relieved sigh. "It probably was," she agreed.

They both fell silent again. It felt awkward for neither of them to say anything, especially the outspoken Edward sitting across from her. Isabel could tell he was still quite upset with her, and she couldn't blame him. She would have felt a little put out, as well, if he'd known who she was and never said anything. She'd have been pissed! So, it was only fair that he was feeling the same way.

One quick look at him was enough to confirm he wasn't the happiest person alive at the moment. And it didn't appear that he was going to be the first to talk to her about it, either. So she would have to be the bigger person and do it if they were ever going to apologize to each other.

"Edward," she began quietly. He didn't look at her. He only continued eating his breakfast. This bothered her. Isabel gritted her teeth together and glared." Edward Elric, please look at me when I'm trying to talk to you," she growled.

He paused briefly before he lifted his eyes. Ed returned her even glower. "Why should I? You've never done anything to deserve the treatment you've received this week. You were gone for nine years, didn't even say anything to Al and me over the past three, and you expect me to be a brother to you immediately?" He muttered a few curses and resumed eating, obviously assuming that she would be quiet.

He assumed wrong.

Isabel first bit her lip to find her composure. Then she spoke. "I came back," she said, forcing herself to forget emotion.

"What?"

She stood. "I came back, Edward, when I could have continued ignoring you and Al. There was no requirement for me to ever see you two again." Isabel dropped her hands to the table with a little more force than needed.

"Why did you come back, then?" Ed asked, just as detached as she.

She didn't meet his eyes. Instead, memories of when he had asked her before came. Isabel blocked them out purposefully. "I'm sorry I never spoke to you and Al, and I'm sorry I left so long ago. But since I came back, I think you should at least respect that, if not me, more, Edward." She started to leave, but at the door, she said dismissively over her shoulder, "I only wanted to apologize about the argument last night, but I'll apologize for this one, too. I don't want to fight with you, Brother." Then she passed through the door to the living room and went up the stairs. At the top of the steps, Isabel stopped and took a deep breath to calm herself.

Why were they always fighting now? There had been very few people in her lifetime that she hadn't gotten along with after getting to know them. She and Winry had never been good friends before this ordeal. But since they were now sharing a room, things had changed considerably. Isabel and Al had talked a bit, but there was still a lot that they didn't know about each other. Or rather, a lot Al didn't know about her. He was very open with his feelings when he felt he could trust a person. Obviously, he trusted easily since there was almost nothing about Alphonse she didn't know. Of course, he'd asked a lot about her past, but Isabel always avoided answering, or answered in as few words as possible. She'd been through so much she'd rather forget and she didn't want Al to be exposed to such things. He was so innocent and naïve, and thusly biased to what he put in the category of good. But despite his innocence, the armored soul had experienced things even she wouldn't want to go through, especially the failed transmutation that had put them in this place. He had told Isabel about what he remembered, in detail. It had terrified her.

Ed was the opposite, though. He didn't want to talk about that day, so he wouldn't unless it really struck him. He wouldn't talk about his feelings until they were about to explode within him. He didn't trust anybody, except for Alphonse. Sure, he would talk to Isabel when he felt a need to talk to someone and she was close by. Otherwise, it was up to someone else to start a topic of conversation with him.

How could those brothers be so close and yet so different? It was uncanny. Ed was loud and outspoken enough to make up for Al's shy silence. Al was tall enough for both of the brothers. And darn Isabel if Ed's hair wasn't just as long as hers, which was enough for both boys. She shook her head and stopped herself from the comparison of her brothers. She didn't want to think right now.

Instead, she walked into the study and picked out a book on the shelf. It wasn't a study book, but a novel she remembered reading earlier in her lifetime. She needed a break from the world. So she went outside with the book and climbed up into a tree. Once situated on a branch, she opened the book to the first page and was immediately entranced.

Edward still sat at the table, glaring at the wall. The nerve she had! Just because she came back didn't mean that he had to accept her! "Respect," she'd said. "Brother," she'd called him. She'd even walked out before he had been able to respond! Never mind that he had been too shocked to respond anyway, though! Ed had never been close enough to anyone to argue with, and he and Al rarely ever fought. So it was kind of new for him to have such a heated argument with someone he actually knew. Besides Winry, but that was different…

But did he know Isabel? Yes, he did. The girl frequently talked to him. And even though he was graced with selective hearing, he hadn't been able to block her voice out when he had been busy. So he knew quite a bit concerning her life in the military. But that probably wasn't everything that had happened to her. Ed figured he couldn't ignore her because of the overabundance of charisma they both possessed. And curse his father for being the one they got it from.

That brought a dark scowl to his features. He didn't want to think about his father. Every time he did, Ed felt like there had been so much his father had kept from them. Such memories brought bad feelings to Ed and made his stomach feel weird. It felt like something slimy was climbing around inside of him. Essentially, it made him want to throw up whatever was in him.

He shook his head, as if to clear those thoughts from his mind. Why did he seem to think of his father after an argument with Isabel? Was it some way to vent the anger and abhorrence he felt towards that man? If that was the case, it wasn't fair to do that to Isabel, morally or equivalently. Everything Ed felt against his father was meant for his father, no one else. If he felt any frustration towards his sister because she left like their father had, then he could figure it out another day. He wasn't in the mood to do that today. What he was in the mood for, though, not even Ed knew.

The young adult stood up from the table and took his breakfast bowl to the sink. Maybe Al would train with him for a while. Ed figured could use a diversion about now, so why not get some exercise while he was at it? He was sorely lacking in his physical expertise in comparison to the past few months. The muscle he'd built up was going to turn to mush if he kept neglecting his exercising.

So he headed up the stairs towards his and Al's room. On the way, however, was Winry's room. Maybe he would stop in and invite her to watch him and Al train. The idea of a spectator was better by each step he took. When he reached her door and knocked, he heard nothing from within.

"Winry, you in there?" he called, leaning his head against the door lightly. Ed knocked again. When he still received no response, he opened the door a little and peeked inside. Empty. Where was the girl? She wasn't working on automail in her usual spot in the equipment room, and it was obvious now that she wasn't working in her room. Where could she be hiding?

Oh well, he figured. She would just have to miss out. Ed pulled the door shut and continued down the hallway. It didn't exactly bother him that he couldn't find Winry just after an argument with his sister. It's just that the two girls had been very chummy lately that maybe Isabel was telling Winry the horrible things in Isabel's opinion that Ed was. Then that would definitely earn him a wrench to the head. As if the tool had already been thrown, the young man rubbed his forehead and muttered a curse.

"Al, you in there?" Ed asked when he reached their room. It would be his luck for the day if his brother were avoiding him too.

But there was a reply from within. "Yes, Brother," Al said.

Ed sighed in relief and opened the door. "Do you feel like the usual?" There was hope in his eyes, and probably his voice. "I'm bored and I've been slacking off."

Al nodded. "Sure." The suit of armor crossed the room and passed Ed out into the hallway. The older, yet smaller boy sighed a little when he followed.

All right, maybe it did bother Ed that he couldn't find Winry. Usually, the girl was right in the middle of things, even if she was working. It was hard not to notice her. When she wasn't being annoyingly adorable she was being surprisingly difficult. Ed pretended to ignore both traits and see her only as Winry. That was all he could afford to see her as. And so what if she was doing something that didn't concern him? It wasn't any of his business, and he couldn't change that. Winry had a life of her own, so she could do whatever she wanted. Ed didn't have to be the center of her attention all the time, did he?

If that was the case, why was he fuming when he and Al reached the lakeside?

"Brother, are you okay?" Al asked before they started.

Ed took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine." Before Al could argue, the older boy took a running leap at the armor's head.

They continued their skirmish with Ed on the offensive for a few minutes before he began to tire a little. He let Al make all of the attacks until he could breathe better. Then his mind began to wander again, back to Winry.

Just what was the girl doing? She was so obsessed with automail; why wasn't she working on something that had to do with that? And she wasn't sleeping, either. He hadn't heard her in the kitchen when he and Al had gone outside. Just where could she be? It wasn't like her to suddenly disappear without telling anyone.

Maybe she went to her parents' graves?

The air was suddenly knocked out of Ed when he came in hard contact with the ground. He looked up at Al. He was positive his younger brother would have been smirking if he'd been able to convey emotion on his metal helmet. Ed reached back and rubbed his sore backside, groaning a little from the sudden pain.

"You weren't paying attention, Brother," Al said observantly.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I was thinking about something," he said quietly. With a quiet sigh, he leaned back on the ground.

"What were you thinking about?" Al wanted to know.

"It's—"

Before he could finish, he and Al turned in unison towards the sound of female laughter. There was Winry, standing next to a tree. She was trying her best not to laugh, so obviously the laughter had to be coming from the tree. The tree? A moment later, Isabel appeared but she was upside-down, hanging from a tree branch. Her face was red from laughing and would only become redder as she hung like that.

But Ed couldn't bring himself to laugh. He scowled at her. "Your nose is going to start bleeding if you stay like that," he told her and stood.

"I don't care," Isabel laughed. "That was funny."

He let out a few un-nice words and started towards the tree. Winry wisely retreated over to Al. But on his way to Isabel, he had to pass Winry. Their eyes met for a brief second before a faint red tinted both their cheeks and they continued on their way. Just what Ed needed, a blush for Isabel to comment on.

But she didn't. She only looked at him – still upside-down – with a little frustration. What did she have to be frustrated about? While he was analyzing that question, the phone rang in the house and Winry ran to answer it. Al followed her.

This was going to kill Ed to say it, but he had no other choice. "Don't hang upside-down right now," he started reluctantly. He was annoyed enough that he would probably collapse from laughing if she fell.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just don't. I have a feeling that you'll fall if you don't move." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. Ed couldn't believe he was going to do this! What had possessed him to…to…he couldn't finish the thought even.

Isabel pulled herself up on the branch before she dropped to stand in front of him. At least she was the same height as him. He wouldn't have to look up at her while he spoke. "Yes?" she asked haughtily.

Then the words ran away to the back of his mind. Had he been about to do that? Yes, he had, and for a good reason, he told himself. He didn't want to fight with Isabel; he wanted to clear things up. With difficulty, he summoned the words back.

"I'm…sorry," he mumbled. "I've been a jerk." Isabel scoffed a little, but looked as if she would have fallen out of the tree if he hadn't made her get down. When she didn't reply, he got frustrated again. "Aren't you going to say something?"

"Why should I? You were the one being a jerk," she said finally. "I already apologized for not contacting you and Al. And for those two arguments we both started. So I think I've said I'm sorry enough." Isabel mirrored his stance and folded her arms over her chest. To add emphasis to her attitude, she tilted her nose in the air and looked down at him.

Ed fumed again. "Don't look down at me!" he ordered, jumping up and down like he did when someone commented on his height.

Isabel grinned and rolled her eyes at him. "You are so predictable, Edward." She stuck her hand out at him. "Apology accepted for you being a jerk. Don't let it happen again," she said.

It was his turn to roll his eyes, but he shook her hand firmly anyway. He was about to retort when Winry yelled from the house, "Edward, Isabel, you both have a phone call!"

They two Elrics exchanged puzzled expressions before jogging to the house. Ed was there first and took the phone from Winry. "Yeah?" he said into the receiver.

"Fullmetal," came a very familiar voice. "I need you and your siblings back in East City as soon as possible."