Disclaimer: Don't own it yet.

A/N: Almost done revamping the story...

"A Forgotten Memory"
Chapter 8: Indirect Orders
By: LadyRiona

Roy Mustang was a man of many words. He was tall, dark and handsome, as some would say. He never failed to acquire a date from any woman he set out to woo. Most women fell at his feet after one stray look in their direction. He had a scowl that could kill if it was set on so unfortunate a victim. He always had plenty of time to do things, and even when he was booked up, he still found time. Those who had seen his skills feared him as the Flame Alchemist. Even those who only had heard of his skills knew to fear him. And pity on the ones who knew nothing of him.

There was nothing that could make him break a visible sweat. Nothing at all. Except for the piece of paper sitting in front of him on his desk.

"First lieutenant," he said as calmly as he could. Immediately, Riza was standing before his desk. "What is this?" He gestured to the paper.

The blond woman peered over the desk to look at the object in question. "It is a summons, sir," she said. Her tone of voice was a little condescending and she looked at the colonel as if he was missing a few marbles.

"I know. But read it." He held the paper out to her.

Riza took the slip and scanned it. Then she read it again more thoroughly. "It is a request for you to contact the Elrics, from the Fuhrer," she said slowly.

"And what else is it requesting, mainly of the eldest Elric?" Mustang pressed for more.

The first lieutenant sighed. "The Fuhrer is requesting that she give a full report about her years as a civilian performing independent jobs," she finished. "What's strange about that, sir?"

"He's never had any interest in Isabel Elric for the past six years that she's been working for him indirectly. Now he suddenly wants to know all that she has been doing?" He shook his head. "It just seems a little strange to me, Hawkeye."

She shook her head. "Maybe all of the excitement about her being brought back from Dublith interested him?" she suggested. Mustang leaned back in his chair and sighed. It appeared as if he were about to start daydreaming again, so Riza took a step forward. "Well, shouldn't you call the Elrics and notify them?"

He looked up at her, confused. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure." Immediately, the colonel was back into his stately persona as he sat up and reached for the phone. But before his fingers came in contact with the receiver, it rang. The two military officials exchanged perplexed looks before the colonel answered the phone.

"Yes? This is Colonel Mustang," he said in his most professional tone.

"Hey Roy," came Maes' voice.

Mustang rolled his eyes visibly before replying. Even though the two were best friends, that didn't mean Mustang liked Hughes' ability to change the subject from his daughter to something serious in the same breath. "Do you have any news for me?"

There was a pause on the line and the colonel could actually see the grin forming on the lieutenant colonel's mouth. "Well, Elysia still follows me around when I'm at home, and she's teaching herself to dance," Hughes said, gushing into the phone.

Mustang sighed loudly. "Lieutenant Colonel, if you have any news concerning—"

"She's so cute," Hughes interrupted. "She'll sing to me and it sounds like an angel. Glacier plays the piano for her, too. Which reminds me, Colonel…" Hughes trailed off.

This was a road they had gone down many times before. "Yes?" he asked drearily.

"When are you going to get a wife?" Hughes asked quietly.

Mustang took a deep breath. "I do not have time for one, Hughes. Now if you would like to share any news concerning the military, tell me." No matter how Hughes started off, he always managed to comment about a wife.

"All right, all right. Well, you probably already know, but the Fuhrer wants a report from Isabel Elric. I haven't met her personally yet. What's she like?" Hughes wondered.

"Anything else? Do you know why?" Mustang wanted to know. He still had to call the Elrics, and that was something he didn't want to do.

There was another pause on Hughes' line. "No, not exactly. He probably thinks she has an opinion different from actual military personnel. She isn't obligated to say pretty things about how the government is run like we are."

"But this is out of the ordinary." Mustang sighed. "He didn't care about her a year ago; it just seems a little strange to me," he stated skeptically.

Hughes yawned. "I don't know, Roy. But as soon as I know something, you will too." There was a slight disruption on the other end. "I have to go, but one last thing…" he trailed off once more.

"Yes?"

"Get a wife," Hughes whispered.

Mustang didn't think. He slammed the phone down. Then he scowled. Twice. Twice Hughes had mentioned a wife, or lack thereof. Why wouldn't the man understand Mustang really did have no time for a wife?

"Colonel," Hawkeye said sternly, "please use the phone quieter." She sent a brief scowl his direction before continuing her work.

He sighed a little and stared at the phone. He really, really didn't want to call Fullmetal. Sure, it would be fun to torment him about his height. But after a few comments about that, it would also mean he had to get to business about the Elrics had to return to East Headquarters. Yes, it would be even more fun to make sarcastic remarks about the diminutive alchemist. But that would mean that the threesome would be staying at headquarters for a while whilst the task for Isabel was carried out.

0The colonel picked up and hung up the phone quite a few times before Hawkeye sent him an icy look and an equally chilly comment. Finally, he brought the phone to his ear and reluctantly dialed the number to the Rockbell's house in Rizenbul. It was a good thing that the government paid for the phone bills; else there would be some hefty charges to a few of the personnel would be a lot less wealthier than they were.

A younger female voice answered, and Mustang recognized it to be Winry.

"Hello?" she said breathlessly into the receiver.

Roy didn't always make it a habit to let his mind roam into the gutter, but it just so happened that he didn't have a reign on his thoughts at that particular moment. He immediately wondered what had been going on at the Rockbell household. He shook his head to clear those slightly unwanted notions away. "Winry Rockbell," he began. "This is Colonel Mustang. Is my subordinate available?" He snickered to himself at what answer he may receive.

There was a pause. "Yes. Hold on." It sounded like she was setting the phone down rather loudly because there was a clatter that made Mustang pull it away from his ear. "Edward!" he heard Winry shout.

"I would like to talk with Isabel as well," he mentioned offhandedly, hoping that she would hear him.

"What was that?" she said into the phone.

"I said that I would like to talk with Isabel, as well," he repeated.

"All right. Hang on." She set the phone down again and Mustang heard a door open. Distantly, she shouted, "Edward! Isabel! You both have a phone call!"

It was another minute or so when Edward picked up the phone. "Yeah?" he said, breathlessly as well.

Mustang told himself it was because they had been running to the house. "Fullmetal," he began. "I need you and your siblings back in East City as soon as possible." First there was silence. Then a shout that even Riza reacted to.

"What!" Edward yelled into the phone.

The colonel switched ears and rubbed his inflicted one. "Let me speak with your sister," he said firmly.

"Not until you tell me why we need to go back to East City," Ed said stubbornly.

With a sigh, Mustang replied, "Let me tell Isabel and she will tell you. There's no reason for my to say it twice." There was a pause again. "The reason why you all must be back here is mainly for Isabel."

He heard Edward's sigh before Isabel came onto the line. "Hello, Colonel Mustang," she said smoothly. "I hear you have news for me?"

That girl was too grown up for someone her age. She had too much insolence to ever really work in the military. "Yes. The Fuhrer wants you back in East City as soon as you can manage. However, I know your brothers won't let you come by yourself."

"I wouldn't come without them, sir," she told him evenly. Mustang smirked to himself that she wasn't questioning why she was wanted back in East City. She and Ed were so alike, yet so different at the same time. "Is there a specific date that we must be there?"

He thought a moment. "As quickly as possible. The Fuhrer knows your habits."

Isabel scoffed on the line. "Well, my brothers and I will discuss it and let you know when we come to a conclusion," she told him. "Is that all, sir?"

"Yes." Mustang hung up the phone and sighed. Why did he always have to deal with Fullmetal? Why couldn't Fullmetal be like his sister? Isabel was so obedient, yet she was resilient in her own way, a way that wasn't so annoying. He shook his head.

"Colonel?" Hawkeye said from beside him.

"They'll be here in a couple of days," he told her wearily.

--------------------

Isabel placed the phone down gently and looked at it for a couple seconds. She was very aware of the stares set on her so she did her best to ignore them. To prolong their wait, she rubbed her forehead and pinched her bridge, as though she had a headache. One was forming dully in her brain from hanging upside-down earlier, but that she could ignore. The stalling was something she was doing to torment her brothers and Winry. It seemed to be working beautifully, because Ed jumped up suddenly.

"Well?" he said anxiously.

She looked at him, confused. "Well what?" Isabel asked innocently, winking at Winry. The younger girl winked back, grinning to herself.

"What did he say?" Ed exclaimed, almost jumping up and down in anticipation.

"Oh." Isabel leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "He wants us back in East City as soon as possible," she told him.

"I know that," he growled. "Why?"

She pushed off from the wall and started over to the stove. "I don't know. I didn't ask," she told him absently. "Winry, would you like some tea?"

"Sure," Winry replied casually.

Isabel looked at Al and could tell he was uneasy. A quick glance at Ed told the seventeen-year-old that her brother was about to burst.

"You…didn't ask?" he managed, strained.

"No. The order came from the Fuhrer, indirectly. I'm not at liberty to question why he would need me until I'm briefed about it," she replied and started to fill a kettle with water.

Ed finally jumped up and down, way past frustrated. "But you're not even in the military!" he shouted. "Why should you have any obligations to the Fuhrer?" The look he was sending Isabel would have been enough to make a rock shiver.

But Isabel merely looked at him calmly after placing the kettle on the stove. "Because I have served as a civilian under his command for almost six years. It's true that I roamed a bit when there was nothing for me to do, but I always came back when it was something important." She continued standing where she was. "I am not going to call Mustang back just to ask why the Fuhrer wants me back in East City."

The younger boy nearly shook with anger. Isabel thought it was a very selfish reason he was acting like this. Just because she hadn't asked why, he was throwing a fit. She mentally shook her head.

"However, I will call him back when we decide when we're going to leave." Isabel turned around to find the mugs and tea bags.

"Ask him then," Ed said heatedly.

"No." She pictured him jumping up and down again.

"Why not?"

Isabel set two mugs on the counter and turned to face Ed. "Because it's not something I do. Ed, in all my years I have never questioned orders like this. The only time I have ever protested is when I was ordered to kill someone," she told him evenly. "And after they explained the reason why that person was needed dead, I would relent or disagree."

Ed immediately stopped. Was he shocked that she had killed someone in the past? It seemed so from how he was looking elsewhere.

She looked at Al, who probably would have seemed surprised if he had been able to convey emotion. Winry looked equally shocked as Ed, but didn't look away. Isabel merely turned back to the stove, thankful for the sudden quiet, and poured the boiling water into the mugs. No one said anything as she crossed the room with the steaming drinks and set them on the table. She sat down and started adding sugar, but still nothing. Just as she was going to sip her tea did someone dare to speak.

"Why?" Al asked. "There shouldn't be a reason to take someone else's life without a second thought."

Isabel set her cup back down. "Whoever said I didn't have second thoughts? I felt bad for killing that person afterwards, even though it was justified; I still do! But I'm not going to let my emotions get in the way of what I did to survive. If I was ordered to kill somebody, then I did because it put food in my stomach. With Ed being a State Alchemist, he gets paid periodically. That way you guys shouldn't go without food. The only time I ever receive compensation was when I carried out a mission successfully. It's nearly impossible to be in the military these days and never end up taking another life." That was said with a questioning look at Ed.

Receiving no answer from him, she took a deep breath. "Now, if we're done with this conversation, I'd like to move on to more important things. Such as when we're going to East City." After she cleared her throat, Isabel continued. "Colonel Mustang wants us to be there as soon as we can," she murmured. "I've never liked sitting in one place for too long, so I'm comfortable leaving when you two are."

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. The only noises were Winry and Isabel sipping their tea, Al looking from the girls to Ed every few moments, and Ed clenching and unclenching his right hand. Isabel could tell Winry wasn't happy about them leaving, and especially unhappy about not being included. Al was still chewing over the request to leave. The eldest person in the room was fairly sure her younger brother was sulking about Isabel not asking. He had a pout on his features and he was staring at his hand. That was enough to convince Isabel that he was far from the point that he could be in his situation.

Ed seemed to be so used to getting his way. When they had been younger, Isabel had never really been overpowering about being an older sister. She had been bossy, yes, but merely warned him about right and wrong. After she'd left, it had been only he and Al. Since Al was so easily swayed, Ed had likely shirked off some of his responsibilities to his younger brother. Perhaps it had carried on to the present. Maybe Ed was so used to getting his way it was a sudden slap in the face for him to be told "no" by somebody close to his own age. If that was the case, Isabel wanted to do something about it. They would never achieve their goal of getting their bodies back if he was unable to accept things not going his way all the time. Especially when the situation had the probability of being changed to suit his needs.

"Al and I are the same way," Ed said quietly, causing Isabel to jump, startled at him suddenly speaking. "So, as soon as possible is as soon as we can get out stuff together to go, I guess."

Both the older Elrics looked to Al, who nodded. "That's fine. I have nothing to pack."

Isabel looked at Winry and Ed. Ed still seemed a little sulky still, but Isabel was fairly sure he would get over it and go on. However, Winry looked like a mixture between frustration and gloom. Isabel figured it was from the conversation. Maybe she could talk to the girl later, while she was packing her things?

"Well," Isabel said, standing. "I'm gonna go start packing." She looked at the three sitting around the table. Her gaze stopped on the other girl. "Winry, would you help me?" she asked, smiling.

Winry looked up at her. There was a bit of a lost expression in her eyes, but interest was quickly feigned over it. "Sure." The younger girl stood up and started out of the kitchen.

Isabel looked at Ed. "Well, as soon as we finish, I'll be ready when you two are," she told them and left the room. She followed Winry up the stairs and into the room they were sharing. Isabel shut the door and looked pointedly at Winry.

"You know, if you don't want him to leave, you can tell him that," she said judiciously. "I mean, the worst he would do is look at you strangely and ask you what was going on in your head." She shrugged and started towards the wardrobe. "Otherwise, there's nothing to worry about."

There was silence for a little while from the other occupant of the room. Finally, Winry replied with, "Well, it doesn't matter. He has things to do elsewhere. I never expected him to stay here any longer. In fact, I was surprised you three have been here this long." She sighed.

Isabel pulled out a blouse and folded it. "Well, like I said; I don't like staying in one place for too long and I was starting to feel a little closed in here," she said softly. "Ed seems to be the same way, yet he's been here for a while."

"He probably stayed so long here because he thought you may have wanted to remember more about your past," Winry suggested.

Isabel looked sternly at the girl. "Did he tell you that's what he thought?" she asked.

Winry shook her head. "No, but that's probably it. Normally, he only comes here when his automail is broken, and that's it."

The older girl sighed. "I think he cares for you more than you think. What he told me is that he thinks you only care for the automail and not the person," Isabel told her. "But," she added when she saw Winry begin to protest, "I don't believe that. I know you care for Ed."

Winry kept silent. Isabel knew she was right. Just from how her brother and Winry fought constantly was enough for anyone to see there was something between them. Now, whether it was that they couldn't stand each other or had some unknown affection for the other took more observation. And Isabel had had all the time in the world these past few days to watch them. Winry would want to check on Ed's automail every few days, especially after he and Al had been training. Then Ed would sometimes talk to Winry only to start fighting with her, as if he'd wanted to do that all along. Isabel knew her brother was strange; maybe his way of showing affection was arguing. He seemed to do that a lot with people. But then just the way that Winry would look at Ed sometimes, or just the expression when she was thinking told Isabel that she was thinking of someone. Ed, however, was a little harder to read.

Isabel had spent a lot of time talking to her brothers, but it was more difficult to talk to Al. You couldn't discuss the weather with a suit of armor! But while Isabel had been asking Ed about his automail one day, a thoughtful look had come into his eyes and he'd looked a little distant. It took a lot of observation for Isabel to figure out that he really did care for Winry in a way like a sister, or a little more.

But, as it always was, the two were so oblivious of the other's feelings. If they caught the other looking at them, they would look away and blush a little. Winry would comment to Ed, ask why he was looking at her. Ed would become flustered and stammer. That would cause Winry to fuss at him, and Ed would then yell back at her, thus one of their famous arguments. Ed would come out with a knot on his head from Winry's wrench. Isabel would have to leave the room sometimes because she wouldn't be able to hold in her laughter any longer. They were so obvious to her!

"Isabel?"

The girl snapped back and realized she'd been giggling. To Winry, that probably seemed a little strange since they had been in a deep discussion. "Yes?" she said, still smiling.

"What were you thinking about?" Winry asked.

"Nothing important," Isabel said cheerily. She would let them figure out their strange way of showing affection on their own. It would be more fun that way.

Winry was silent a moment. "All right. Well, what do you want me to do? To help you pack, I mean."

Isabel looked around. "I don't have too many things…mostly my clothes, and those are few. Um…remember those books I bought in town?" Winry nodded. "Can you get them and set them over here where I'm packing my clothes?"

"Sure." Winry started out of the room and towards the library. Not even two seconds after Winry left did Ed come in.

His hands were in his pockets and his red jacket was on and buttoned at his collarbones. He had an expression of somberness that looked a little out of place for him. His eyes were fixed on the floor, and there was a bit of a frown on his mouth. His pace was a little slow as he walked over to Isabel. Nonchalantly, he dropped onto her bed and leaned back, rest his weight on his hands. Isabel looked at him curiously. His hair was down from its usual braid. She hadn't seen him with his hair down in…she had never seen it down, actually.

"Yes?" she asked and pulled a pair of pants out of the wardrobe.

Ed was silent for a while before he lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Nothin'," he mumbled. Soon after, he sighed and shut his eyes.

Since he seemed content to just lie there, Isabel continued to fold her clothing. But since she only possessed a few items, her job was quickly finished. Anything else could wait for a little while longer. She climbed onto the bed over to Ed. She rested on her stomach and propped her chin in her hands. Before saying anything, she looked at her brother. Usually, he looked peaceful when he was resting. Now, he looked troubled.

"What's on your mind, little brother?" she asked. "You look bothered."

Ed opened one eye to look at her. "Tired."

She laughed lightly. "Really? You sure there's nothing else?"

"Well," he began and opened both eyes, "for once in my life, I don't think I want to leave Rizenbul. Usually, I'm mad when I have to come back here to get my automail fixed since it's just a few days out of the mission Al and I are on; I can't wait to leave. But, lately, it's like I feel content just to stay here. There's something Al and I have to do, something really important. In fact, if you hadn't shown up when you had six months ago, we would have gone to do that." He paused. "I should have been itching over the past few days to get it done now, but I don't want to leave."

Isabel reached out and took a little bit of his hair in her hands. "Well, if I may analyze your feelings," she ventured. "I think you're feeling like that since it reminds you, subconsciously, of when we were younger, before all of the mess that happened to us happened, you know? I mean, I left, so that's probably something that you wanted to forget. Then your transmutation with Al happened here. And you guys burned the house, which says symbolically to me that you wanted to forget your past." She paused, thinking over her next phrase. "You can't really forget your past since it's such a part of you. It shapes who you are, Ed." While she was talking, Isabel had been running strands of his hair through her fingers.

They were both silent for a few minutes. It seemed they had talked themselves out, or at least that subject, in those two monologues. But Isabel found something else to say, though.

"You don't have to come with me. I mean, if you really want to stay here," she murmured.

Ed looked up at her, shocked. But before he could respond, there was a commotion out in the hall. Ed tried to sit up, but since Isabel had some of his hair in her hands, his head was jerked back. He yelped and grabbed his head. Isabel immediately let go of his hair and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Ed!" she said quickly, trying not to laugh.

He grabbed the offended part of his head and walked to the hallway. He saw Winry walking into the study. What had she heard? When he looked down in thought, he saw three books on the floor. He picked them up and brought them over to Isabel.

"What was it?" she asked, taking the books from him and setting them near her clothes.

Ed dropped into the bed again and lay out lengthwise. He draped his left arm over his eyes to shut out the world. "Winry," he mumbled. "I think she heard the conversation."

"What's so bad about that?" Isabel asked, mildly confused.

He lifted his metal hand in the air briefly and lowered it over his chest. "Just…I don't know. I don't want her to get any weird ideas about why I want to stay here," he said, sounding if a little pitiful.

Intrigued, Isabel lay back down next to him. "Well, why do you think you feel like you want to stay here?" she asked. "I told you what I thought; what about you?"

He halfway shrugged. "I don't know. It's just this strange feeling. It's kind of confusing. I want to stay here, but I know there's so much that I need to do in Central."

Willing to take a chance, Isabel looked at Ed seriously. "Do you want to stay…because of a certain person?" she asked quietly.

Ed lifted up his arm and looked at her for a moment, just as gravely as she was looking at him, before he reacted. He waved his hands in the air and shook his head. "Of course not! It's probably just like you said; it reminds me of the good times in my past. That's all," he argued.

Isabel smiled to herself and lay back down. A moment later, she rested the side of her head on Ed's shoulder. "Sure," she cajoled.

"Really!" he claimed loudly.

"I believe you," Isabel said sarcastically. "As much as I believe that you'll ever pick flowers for Winry willingly."

There was silence. "I only did that when I was five," he confessed huffily.

Isabel laughed at him. "You are such a horrible liar, Edward Elric," she told him and closed her eyes. "And I thought you said you were tired, yet here you are, arguing with me like you do with Winry." She snuggled her cheek closer to his shoulder and stifled a yawn of her own.

"I am tired," he said. "Tired of waiting around for nothing to happen. That's why I'm packed already to go to East City."

Isabel was quiet now. Her brother was so strange. One second, he could be saying he couldn't make up his mind, and the next he would be off on some plan that was far ahead of everyone else's decisions. At least, that's how he seemed to be now and in the stories she'd heard of their adventures. Of course, it had only been him and Al. Now it was three of them…but for how long?

She pushed that idea away and yawned. That wasn't an entertaining thought, so she would save it for a rainy day.

"Are you going to sleep?" Ed asked. He sounded like he was looking down and over at her.

Isabel opened one eye. "Maybe. Your shoulder is comfortable," she told him.

She heard Ed mumble something incoherently and make a slightly frustrated noise. "Well, I can't sleep in here. This is Winry's room," he said.

"So? I'm sure she wouldn't mind." She grabbed his arm as if to keep him there.

"You are a weird sister," he told her.

"You're a weird little brother," she replied.

"Don't call me little!"

"Well you are my younger brother. Now be quiet so I can go to sleep. We'll leave in the morning," she said and let out a soft breath.