I almost want to call this a "filler" chapter, but it isn't, quite - it's just got everything but major action. Why does the aftermath of the Fifth Laboratory take so long, seriously? I'm just impatient to get to Dublith, honestly, that's one of my favorite sequences and it's SO CLOSE but so very far... Anyway! On the last chapter I got one of the absolute kindest reviews I've ever received from lakomysh, and it has me all inspired and whatnot - I'm already working through the next chapter, so it should be up within the next few days! They mentioned how Lissa fits into the world and I swear, it made my freaking soul happy because I have worked SO damn hard stitching together scenes, trying to make the world flow and make her fit into the story well. Soooo you all can thank lakomysh when I update early. And thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed/bookmarked/left kudos, it makes me the happiest authoress alive!
Lissa awoke with a harsh gasp that sent pain radiating through her chest, but she ignored it and pushed upright anyway, coughing at the tightness banded like iron all across her chest, just like…
The Fifth Laboratory.
Memories tumbled to place inside her head—Alphonse, fighting Barry the Chopper, the same horrible serial killer who had nearly killed Edward years ago… Sneaking through the vents, finding that room and the giant transmutation circle… Finding Ed injured, and…
Ed!
She turned, realizing with a jolt she was in a hospital bed, and would've swung her legs right out if she hadn't seen a flash of golden-blond hair in her vision. Edward lay unconscious or asleep in the bed next to hers, bandaged around his head, his automail arm in a sling, with visible bandages poking out on his left from underneath the pale blue hospital-provided shirt he was in. Just the sight of him was enough for her to lay back into her pillows and try to breathe, though every inhale was agonizing. Her ribs really had to be broken, then.
Lissa had no idea how they'd ended up here, in the hospital, instead of trapped beneath the Fifth Laboratory. Somehow they'd gotten out… And she had a horrible, slimy feeling it was because of one of those things, the creatures they'd encountered.
Her heart felt twisted up in her chest, and it had nothing to do with her broken ribs. Lissa had never seen Ed that injured… She had seen him after plenty of fights, helped patch him up more times than she could even count anymore, but for him to actually fall unconscious, to be cut up that badly, dizzy and lightheaded from blood loss, his skin pale and his eyes glassy… It terrified her.
She rolled over, ignoring the sharp pain in her chest, and stared at his face just to reassure herself. He looked peaceful now, breathing evenly, his forehead smooth. She could feel the soft disturbances in the air every time he inhaled and exhaled, and she focused on that, tried to let it lull her into some kind of composure… It was enough that he was alive and safe now. They both were, somehow.
But…where was Al?
Lissa frowned and curled her knees up towards her chest. Surely it would be a bigger deal if something had happened to him, right? Or…would anybody know yet? How long had it been since they'd escaped their hotel room and snuck to Laboratory Five? She had no sense of time or what day it was by now. What if he was missing?
No, that's stupid. Al's just fine, he probably felt awkward sitting in here while we slept, or maybe it was distressing him to see Ed like this…
Panic began to take hold of her mind, and Lissa watched, almost detached, as her hands began to tremble where they sat atop the blankets.
She clenched her teeth hard and pushed upright, though it hurt, it hurt so badly it made her muscles quiver—but she managed it, and somehow it made her feel ridiculously proud, like she'd won a major victory. Even though she'd just sat up in a stupid bed. She was just so overwhelmed, terrified, worried for Ed and Al, and distantly for herself… She was confused and hurting and she didn't know what else to do but seek comfort.
Lissa staggered to her feet and shuffled across to the other bed, her breath hitching in a sob of both fear and pain as she stumbled the last step, bumping hard into the edge and grabbing the headboard for support.
Ed's eyes snapped open. "Liss? Where—what are you…" He looked around quickly, gold eyes darting as he took in the situation much faster than she had. "We got out. Shit. How…" Then his gaze alighted on her again, and his expression softened. "Oh, Lissa… Hey, what's wrong? What's going on? Are you okay?"
She couldn't speak—she just shook her head as tears blurred her vision.
He shifted backwards in the bed, scooting to the far edge, and flipped the blankets back. "Come on, Liss, just come lay here with me… It's okay, we're safe now…"
Lissa swallowed hard and crawled up beside him, pressing her face into his collarbone as her tears got the best of her and spilled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she choked, even as he rested his chin atop her head and pulled her in closer. "I couldn't protect you… I tried, I swear, I tried but I…I failed, Ed…"
"You didn't fail at anything," he murmured. She could feel his lips brushing her hair as he spoke. "Dammit, Liss… You got hurt protecting me. Again. I should be the one apologizing to you."
She clenched her fingers down on his shirt and shook her head. "Don't you dare," Lissa told him fiercely, sniffing back her tears. She didn't want to cry all over him, no matter how difficult it was to stop now that she'd started. "Don't you dare apologize. I don't give a damn that I got hurt, as long as you're okay."
Ed sighed deeply, but when he spoke, she could hear in his voice he was smiling. "What am I gonna do with you, huh?" He slid his arm underneath her, his left arm, and tugged her in against his chest. "You're always putting yourself in danger to look after me."
"You do the same for me," she pointed out quietly. From where she was, she could hear his heartbeat and it was so soothing, the constant reminder that he was here, alive…
"I think you get hurt more, though." He stroked his hand up and down her spine, ever so gently, and Lissa felt her eyes closing. She still ached, she was exhausted down to her bones, and laying like this was just so comfortable and warm that it was lulling her to sleep. Like he'd read her mind, Ed rested his hand on the back of her head and murmured, "Just rest, okay? I'm right there with you."
She gave up the fight and tucked her head in against his collarbone, wanting to be as close as possible. "Don't go crawling off through any vents by yourself."
He snickered, amused. "Promise."
—
"Should we wake them?"
"I dunno… Aw, man, I wish I had my camera…"
"But then we might get murdered. Violently."
"Or we'd get some great blackmail material. Think positively."
Lissa felt Ed's chest rumble beneath her when he talked, and she hid her grin in the fabric of his shirt. "If anyone takes any photos," he warned lowly, "I'll punch them in the face with my automail. I swear I will."
Even though she still hurt, pretty much all over, waking up curled together with Ed this way was…so wonderful. She just felt so safe here with him. Lissa hardly wanted to let go, but she knew it was pretty compromising for Ross and Brosh to have found them like this in the first place, so she went to pull back—only to feel Edward's arm tighten around her before she could so much shift an inch. Either he was feeling possessive…or he'd been just as terrified as her, back in the lab. Maybe he needed the comfort as much as she did.
"But, sir… Your automail isn't working, is it?" Ross edged.
Lissa bit back a surprised laugh. The Second Lieutenant was right, though she didn't think Ed would appreciate the reminder much. Very brave of her.
"When it's fixed, then."
Ross just pressed onward like he hadn't spoken. "Anyway, the Sergeant and I just wanted to check in. We'll be standing guard outside, but for right now, you're under orders from the doctor to just take it easy. So we'll leave you alone—but we're close if you need anything. Just shout for us."
Both soldiers left then, true to their word, and when the door clicked shut behind them Lissa felt a sudden wave of nerves crawl into her stomach. Last night, it had been easy to do this, to just…be close. She was so scared and still panicking from what had happened in the Fifth Laboratory that there was nothing else in her mind beyond her fears and the instant comfort Ed brought her. But now, in the daylight, it felt…different.
"Boundaries," Ed muttered. "Seriously." He shifted back and smiled down at her, far more at ease than she felt. "How's your chest feeling, Liss? If you're in too much pain, we can call the doctor in or something, see if they can change the meds you're on."
She forced herself to sit upright and shake her head. "No, it's okay. It's better today, and besides, I don't feel like being doped up just for a few broken ribs." As he sat up beside her, adjusting the sling holding his automail up, a thought occurred to her—so late it made her feel horribly guilty. "Is…is Al around somewhere? I thought he'd be hovering, he's always so protective…"
Edward's face fell. "He…was here last night for a bit, while you were asleep… But he's been staying out of the room. I dunno why, to be honest. He's acting weird."
"Did he not…tell you about…" Lissa swallowed hard, suddenly realizing exactly why Alphonse might be acting strangely. When Ed just gave her a confused look, she nodded slowly, accepting that she had to tell him. "Ed… Number Sixty-Six, the armor-bonded soul Al fought at the lab… He was the disembodied soul of Barry the Chopper. The serial killer."
His face turned ashen, his eyes shooting wide. "It was… But…" Ed pressed his hand over his face. "I didn't know, Al didn't say anything about it… No wonder he's shaken up, I'd be…I'd be a mess…"
"I'm glad you didn't have to face him," Lissa told him quietly, folding her hands in her lap. "I really am, I don't… I don't want you to have to go through that. But I don't know what happened to him, hell, I don't even know how we got out of there."
Ed winced. "One of those…things got us out. Al told me the one with the spiky hair carried us both out."
"Ew," she muttered, feeling sick just at the thought of it. "Those…things… They felt awful, Ed, like nothing I'd ever felt before…" She shuddered and closed her eyes a moment. "They weren't human. I can tell you that much. They didn't even bother denying it, anyway."
"And they called us sacrifices, whatever the hell that means." Ed pulled a face. "Man, I'd love to bounce some of this off Al, since he didn't get the shit kicked out of him, but…"
Lissa touched his hand lightly. "Maybe Ross or Brosh can go find him for us."
"Nah, I'll let him have some time… It must've been pretty shocking to fight that guy. He'll come around soon." Ed leaned back into his pillows and sighed, staring up at the ceiling and absently putting his hand near the wound on his side. "Ouch. I wasn't supposed to sit up like that yet."
"Dummy," she chided. "Then don't. I saw that wound, you really need to be careful until it heals up more."
He stuck his tongue out at her. "Says the one with three broken ribs."
Lissa rolled her eyes. "Only three."
"Only?!"
She giggled and lay back down beside him, tucking herself in against his side and shushing him. "I'm just messing with you. Anyway, it really isn't that bad. I thought it was worse than three broken ribs, honestly."
Ed frowned at her. "So did I, Liss. You have gotta stop jumping in front of danger for me."
"I will if you do."
"Lissa…"
He shook his head wearily, but didn't argue the point any further. He just wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in closer—and then, ever so softly, he pressed a kiss against the top of her head. It took every ounce of her self-control to keep still, to stop herself from reacting somehow.
It's nothing, Lissa. Absolutely fucking nothing. Stop being an idiot. Why would you read into that anyway, what the hell is wrong with you?
It had to be nothing. For both their sakes, it had to be nothing, because there just wasn't room for something. Not with everything the boys were facing, not with the road still ahead of them—if Lissa dared for one second to think it was something, she'd have to let go of her position as Ed's trainee, because she couldn't afford to be a distraction for him. She couldn't bring herself to do that to him.
So Lissa stayed still, and didn't acknowledge the gesture, didn't do anything but lie there and hate herself.
—
Within a couple days, Lissa and Edward were cleared to move around a bit. In that time, they'd been berated heavily by Ross and Brosh—for acting like children and not considering the consequences of their actions—and been checked out numerous times by doctors. Lissa had three broken ribs, like Ed told her, and one had pierced her lung just slightly, which explained why she'd coughed up blood down in the Fifth Laboratory. Overall, it hadn't been too severe, though, and she was healing well so they figured she was out of the woods. Ed had stitches, on both the wound on his side and on his shoulder, though the latter had only taken a couple. He was supposed to take it easy for at least a few more days, to let his body heal up, but he was able to at least leave the room and call Winry up to take a look at his automail.
The Fifth Laboratory, Lissa learned, had been destroyed. So that woman, the female creature down in the lab, really had blown it up. There was nothing left, not now. Teams were searching the rubble, but the chances of them finding anything were slim, apparently. It was totally demolished.
And in all that time…Al only came to the room twice.
The first time, he came in to make sure Lissa really was all right, and check in on Ed—while the second time Lissa woke up to see him leaving while Ed watched him dejectedly. "I'm worried about him," she murmured, as the door clicked shut and they watched Al's armor body walk off through the clouded glass of the door.
"Me too," Ed sighed, leaning back into his pillows. "I'd go after him, but after I ripped my stitches yesterday they'll hardly let me out of bed. He didn't listen when I told him to come sit in here, either."
She'd been pretty pissed when he came back from calling Winry with his stitches ripped, bleeding through his undershirt. Lissa had smacked him in the face with a pillow for it, the safest angry rebuke she could think of at the time. Not her proudest moment.
"Why don't I go check on him? I'm feeling better anyway. It'll be nice to get out of this stuffy room for a bit, and I can see what's going on." Lissa felt guilty for Al's state of mind, too, considering she'd left him alone with that serial killer and fled inside. She rather thought it was her fault if Barry the Chopper had said anything to upset him this badly.
"You sure, Liss? You said your chest still hurt pretty bad yesterday," Ed observed, frowning at her.
But she just waved him off. "It's way better today. I'll be fine, I promise—and maybe I can get Al to come sit in here, he's got to be lonely out there by himself so many days in a row." Lissa swung out of her bed and stood up, feeling the faintest protest from her ribs at the movement, but it really wasn't that bad. Nothing like it had been a few days ago. Really, it verged on healing too fast, almost alarmingly so, but Lissa was just grateful not to be in so much pain anymore. She got injured a lot, she figured her body was just adapting to it.
Lissa bypassed Ross and Brosh as she left, who were both giving them a bit more freedom now, at least, so she was able to so seek Al out on her own. It was kind of nice to just…have some time away from everything, if she were being honest with herself. A little solitude could be a good thing, in small increments.
After a little searching, Lissa found Al sitting on a bench in a dark hallway, his head bowed, arms resting on his knees. "Al?" She stepped closer to him, worried.
He looked up at her in surprise. "Oh, Lissa. Hi."
"Hey… Are you okay?" Lissa felt oddly…unsettled as she approached, when she'd never felt anything negative from him before. She opened up her extra senses just enough to feel him out—his soul always felt familiar, like parchment and ink and the crackling of a fireplace, but right now he felt…strange, somehow. She couldn't place it.
Al nodded. "I'm fine. I'm sorry if I worried you."
She frowned at him, bothered by the way he was acting… All formal and stilted. Lissa crossed what little distance remained and sat down next to him, though she closed her senses back off to respect his privacy. "Alphonse… If something's wrong, you can tell me… If it's something to do with that serial killer I understand not telling Ed, but…"
"It's not." He looked away from her then, at the cracked mirror across the hall. "I just…wanted to give you and brother some space."
"Space?" Lissa stared up at him, baffled. "We don't need space. Why would you think that? Hasn't Ed been pestering you to come sit with us ever since we got here? Neither of us needs distance from you, that's not true at all." She reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder, just below the row of spikes, wishing desperately he could feel it. She cared so much for both of the boys—and it hurt really badly sometimes to think that she'd never gotten to actually hug Al, not once, not when he could feel it. How strange must it feel to have a friend he'd never actually been able to touch?
When he didn't reply, merely shrugged at her, Lissa stood up so she could look him in the eyes and asked him firmly, "What did he say to you? What's going on, Al? I'm not stupid, I know something happened out there. It's my fault for leaving you, so can't I at least try and help?"
"You didn't do anything wrong," he told her quietly, shaking his head. "I was fine, I had it handled." Al shifted and sat up straight, past where she could look at him directly. "You should go back to the room. I doubt brother wants to be alone right now."
"I'll go if you come in for a bit," Lissa bargained, crossing her arms. "This isn't like you, I know something's wrong and I can't just—ignore it. I care about you too much for that."
He sighed deeply, seeming just…wearied, somehow, like something was weighing on him. But then he nodded his acceptance. "Okay. I'll come by the room in a bit. I promise. I just…need a minute, that's all."
Lissa had the feeling it was the biggest concession she'd get, so she decided to take it, even though it wasn't really enough. "Okay… Please do. And, Alphonse…" She tapped his chest plate gently. "If you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me. You're my friend—my family too, just like Ed." She lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, before leaving the darkened hallway and heading back to the room. It hurt, to leave him like that, but she just…knew she wouldn't get anywhere.
When she pushed past the door, back into hers and Ed's room, he sat up hopefully—only to turn crestfallen when he saw she was alone. "Oh. Did you find Al?"
"I did…" Lissa sank onto the edge of his bed and sighed. "He's…acting so weird, Ed. I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't like this. It isn't like him to be so distant. I tried to get him to talk to me, but…" She twisted her fingers into the hem of her shirt, feeling inadequate for what they were facing. "He said he'd come to the room, at least… Just that…he needed a minute first."
"That's pretty much what he said to me, and I…" Ed trailed off as the door swung open, and Sergeant Brosh and one of the nurses walked in. Ed pulled a face immediately. "Time to change my bandages?" he guessed.
The nurse inclined her head. "Right."
He sighed and unbuttoned the vest-like hospital shirt he'd been wearing, shrugging it off his left shoulder first. When he struggled a bit with the right, Lissa took pity on him and reached over to assist, helping him navigate the cloth sling and his useless automail. She was glad for the nurse and Brosh being there—after all, it made the whole thing a bit clinical rather than intimate.
While the nurse changed his bandages, exposing the stitches briefly and cleaning the area, Lissa watched intently to try and learn how to do it herself. She didn't think Ed would tolerate sitting around here much longer, and she was determined to take care of him once they left the hospital. At the very least she could do that, since she'd failed to keep him safe in Laboratory Five. Lissa still felt guilty over that, even though he'd sworn up and down it wasn't her fault.
"Man, that looks nasty," Brosh observed, wincing as he saw the laceration on Edward's side.
He glanced down at it and wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. That's gonna leave a scar, isn't it?" Ed muttered irritably. "One more for the collection, I guess."
Brosh winked. "But I thought girls were supposed to think scars are attractive. Isn't that right, Lissa?"
She dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand to keep from blushing. "So I've heard."
The Sergeant took that as a yes, somehow, and nudged Ed's arm with a stupid grin on his face. "See? Nothing to worry about."
Ed just rolled his eyes and gave Lissa a knowing look—apparently missing the vague discomfort she felt at the insinuation. Brosh seemed to be trying to set Ed up with someone, anyone, and it was…embarrassing. Not just for him but for her, because every damn time the Sergeant decided to focus on her it was all she could do not to blush.
The nurse finished and left Ed to get dressed, but he hadn't so much as picked up his shirt when the door banged open.
Lissa looked up in surprise to see Winry walking in with Ross and Alex behind her, her face sorrowful and anxious as she dropped her rectangular repair case on the floor and stared at them both. "Oh, no," she breathed. "What happened?"
Ed grinned nervously. "Well, that didn't take long. You're gonna charge me an express service fee now, aren't you?"
But Winry just bowed her head sadly. "No, I… I won't charge you for this." She wrung her hands together, visibly upset, and Lissa stood up from the bed with the intention to go see if she was all right. "I…didn't do a good enough job on your automail last time," the blonde murmured. "And now you're badly injured. Both of you are."
"It's not your fault!" Ed told her quickly, waving his hand to emphasize his point. "You can't blame yourself for this! I-I broke it because I was being reckless, your repairs were flawless as ever. This was all my fault!"
Lissa stifled a grin at his desperation, aware everyone else was still peeved at them for running off like that. If he hadn't taken responsibility…well…it wouldn't have been pretty.
"Besides, if my arm hadn't broken when it did," he continued, still in that too-high desperate tone, "I would've kept fighting, and then I would've been hurt even worse!" Ed gave a nervous little laugh. "So—so don't worry about it. Okay?"
Winry snapped out of it in seconds, grinning and all but skipping over to the bed. "Well then, let's go ahead and get right down to business, shall we? I'll have to charge you the usual rush order fee, of course."
That was…quite a change. Lissa cut her a suspicious look, wondering. Did she… Was she covering for herself?
But the moment was broken when Winry noticed Ed's empty lunch tray—empty, save for the bottle of milk still sitting there, the bane of his existence. Lissa had spotted him glowering at it earlier like it had been placed on his tray just to mess with him, and hadn't bothered with the old argument. But she could see in a heartbeat that Winry had no such qualms.
"You didn't drink your milk," she muttered, glaring at him.
He gritted his teeth and looked away pointedly. "Why should I? I hate it."
While Winry, Alex, and even Ross and Brosh all attempted to convince Ed to drink the milk—really, a lost cause!—Lissa felt the faintest disturbance in the air. She looked away from the chaos beside her to see the door cracked open just a few centimeters, enough for someone to peer inside.
Alphonse?
Suddenly, the door snapped shut again and Al's unmistakable footsteps clanked away.
"Was that Al?" Ed wondered aloud, frowning.
Lissa wanted to go after him, but the moment was broken when Winry insisted it was time for her to get to work. So while the soldiers cleared out, Lissa hunted down a small table Winry could use for Ed's arm, and helped him lie flat on his stomach without ripping his stitches again. By the time she'd done that, Winry was set up and ready to get started, so Lissa stepped back to watch without interfering.
"So why didn't Al come in?" Winry asked curiously, as she got to work, first testing the automail's flexibility and movement of the joints.
Ed let out a weary sigh. "I dunno. He's barely been in here at all since we ended up in this hospital anyway." From her angle, Lissa could only see his shoulders slump, though she could guess the dejected look on his face. "I just don't get it. Al's been acting really weird lately."
"Weird how?" Winry asked. Lissa caught her reaching into the pocket of her apron and pulling out a screw, which she carefully screwed into Ed's arm. She didn't call her out, though.
"Just seems like something's been bothering him," Ed mumbled, ducking his face further into the pillow.
Winry raised an eyebrow. "And did you ask him about it?"
"'Course I did. Liss and I both tried to get him to talk to us, but he won't say a word about it. He keeps saying he's fine." Ed winced as she tugged on his arm, but didn't complain. "I've never had him shut down like this… I'm getting kinda worried, to be honest."
She pulled out a rag and doused it with the contents of a tiny jar, and began to wipe the automail down. Where she wiped, the metal gleamed like new, almost disconcertingly shiny. "I'm sure he'll come around, he always does. Maybe he just feels like he's crowding everyone in here, it's not exactly a big enough room for your whole entourage."
"Entourage," Lissa snorted. "That makes it sound way better than it is. It's pretty stifling."
"At least you've got people looking after you," Winry pointed out brightly. She sat back and stuffed the cloth away then, beginning to pack up her things. "Okay, you're all set, Ed."
He sat up immediately, though Lissa narrowed her eyes at him—it was too fast to be moving with his damn stitches still in—and began rotating the joint, complimenting Winry on her work and chucking the sling off into the far corner of the room. He really had hated wearing that thing, she knew, so she didn't really blame him.
For the millionth time, the door burst open—but this time, it wasn't anyone Lissa expected. "Yo! Ed, my boy!" Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes greeted, grinning widely at him. "Is it true you brought a pretty blonde girl into your room to service you?"
Ed's entire face turned bright red. "She's just my automail mechanic, that's all! Nothing more!" he insisted angrily.
Hughes eyed him thoughtfully then. "Oh, I see. You've seduced your mechanic, have you?"
Lissa stared down at her socked feet, wondering why the whole thing made her so…uncomfortable. It would make sense, honestly, since they'd grown up together… No matter Ed's vehement and continued denial, she could…understand that. And it'd be good. No battlefield distractions to speak of.
Ignoring Ed's frustration, Hughes bounded across and shook Winry's hand eagerly. "Maes Hughes. I'm pleased to meet you, young lady."
Winry beamed at him. "You too. I'm Winry Rockbell."
"Nice to see ya, Hughes," Ed grumbled, still a bit sore about his earlier comments. "But don't you have work to do?"
Hughes laughed and shook his head. "No, it's all under control. I gave Sheska some overtime."
Poor Sheska. Ed had contrived to give her a job working under Hughes, since she remembered plenty of military files too—but Hughes was a bit of a hardass, and the woman constantly seemed to be drowning in work. At least it played to her strengths.
"You're a real jerk, aren't you?" Ed muttered to him.
Carrying on like he'd never spoken, Hughes added, "Oh, yeah! And I think you'll be happy to know—I just found out you three shouldn't need to be kept under guard for too much longer."
Lissa perked right up at that. "Really? You're sure?"
Hughes nodded brightly.
"Great!" Ed grinned up at Lissa happily. "Finally, ugh, it'll be nice to get our damned freedom back."
Winry's jaw dropped. "What'd you say?" She glared down at Ed. "Hold on just a second! How much trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, Edward Elric? What did you do that warranted your dumb ass being guarded?"
"Uh… Well, y'see, it's…" He drew himself up and turned away from her, folding his arms over his chest. "Well… It's nothing that concerns you."
For a moment, it looked like Winry might argue—but then she straightened and looked away from him irritably. "Of course not. I don't know why I bother to try. It's not like you'll talk to me, anyway. The only one who's ever bothered to call me is Lissa." She sighed, giving up, and grabbed up her repair case and slung it over her shoulder. "Fine, then. I'll see you tomorrow. I have to go and see if I can find someplace to stay tonight."
Hughes looked at her thoughtfully. "Come on, no need for that. Why don't you spend the night at my place? I'm always putting you kids up in the spare bedroom."
Winry blinked at him in surprise. "Really?"
"Yes, of course," he told her earnestly. "My wife and daughter will be delighted to have you!" He turned and pointed at Lissa suddenly, startling her. "You know, Lissa, Elicia was just asking about you the other day—why don't you come for dinner too? It's been ages since you kids stopped by."
Lissa glanced sideways at Ed hesitantly, unwilling to leave him here by himself, especially with Alphonse acting so odd. "I…don't know if I'm allowed to leave," she admitted. "I'd love to, but…"
"Oh, I'll handle the doctors," he dismissed. "C'mon, Ed, let your little girlfriend out for the evening, huh? I know you're still too injured, but there's no reason she can't tag along. I'll make sure she gets back safely tonight, but it's gotta be stuffy, being stuck in this hospital for so long!"
Ed gave him a baffled look. "Uh, it's not like I'm keeping her here… You can go if you want, Liss."
For just a second, she wondered if he wanted her gone—but then she dismissed it. She knew him better than that. "Well…" She smiled at him. "I'll bring you back some apple pie, okay?"
That made him grin right back. "You'd better. This hospital food stinks."
Lissa crossed to him and ruffled his hair, making him flail at her and blush, but she just hugged him quickly, mindless of his flailing limbs. "Okay," she agreed, turning and giving Hughes a nod. "Let's go."
—
As it turned out, Hughes had an ulterior motive for inviting them over—it was his daughter Elicia's third birthday, and he was getting as many people involved as possible. Still, Lissa didn't mind it. The little girl was super sweet and she'd even babysat for her a couple times with the boys, when Elicia was barely past one and still in diapers. That had been a fun day.
"Lissy, Lissy!" Elicia giggled, rushing over to where Lissa had stationed herself, at the corner of the table. "Look at this toy daddy got me!"
Lissa smiled and scooped Elicia into her arms, plopping her in her lap and checking it out. It was hard to say no to a face like that. "Oh, wow, it's a little train car, isn't it? Have you ever been on a train, Elicia?"
The girl shook her head, though her grin never faltered. "Nope! But daddy promised we would soon!"
"Well, I'm sure you'll get to, then." Lissa set Elicia on the floor and knelt down beside her. "Here, put the train on the floor, okay? I'll show you something really neat." She waited until Elicia had obediently placed it down—then Lissa tapped her forefinger on her nose, just for show. Blue light crackled through the air, sparkling like starlight, just like Al said, and raced to the train car. With just a little push of the ambient particles in the air, Lissa made the car roll forward, as though it had a motor inside it. Elicia giggled excitedly and chased it until it bumped into the far wall, then came racing back with the train in hand. "Again, again!"
Lissa just smiled and obliged, using that little burst of alchemy to make the train car move. It was easy, and it made Elicia smile and giggle like that, so she didn't mind if it seemed a bit like showing off.
"You've gotten really good at that," Hughes observed, grinning down at her. Elicia spotted him and raced over, train toy in hand, and flung herself around his leg like a little octopus.
"Well, it's hard not to, considering all the trouble Ed and Al get up to," she told him, rising to her feet. "I've had a lot of practice." Lissa patted Elicia's head and the girl raced away, distracted already, going to rejoin a group of her little friends across the room. "Thanks for getting me out of the hospital, by the way. It was getting stuffy."
Hughes waved a hand at her. "Ah, I'm happy to help. I know firsthand how annoying it gets, trapped in one of those places for too long. It's a shame I couldn't drag Ed and Al along too, but I heard from the nurses Ed's pulled his stitches a few times too many."
Lissa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's had trouble keeping still."
"Doesn't he always, though?" Hughes chuckled. "Well, you seem to be keeping them in line, at least for the most part."
She suddenly couldn't hold his gaze, her chest feeling too tight, shame burning her cheeks red. "I didn't this time," she admitted. "I don't know if you read the reports, but…"
"I did… And I wouldn't say that." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Lissa, you described it as your fault you two lost that fight—but I read Edward's report too, and he told a bit of a different story. In fact, in his report, he specifically said you were only injured because you defended him. It's strange, you know… I've gotten to read a handful of your reports, especially since that incident with Scar when Roy decided to start sharing, and honestly…there seems to be a bit of a theme, with you."
"A…theme?"
"Mmhmm. You take an awful lot of blame on your own shoulders, and so does Ed…but you both tend to blame yourselves for the same things. Not to mention you both apparently have a habit of jumping in front of attacks for each other. But you in particular seem focused on what you perceive as failures, times either one of the boys was in danger or got injured." Hughes gave her a piercing look, and she recalled exactly why he headed up the investigative division—he wasn't always the goofy family-obsessed version of himself. Sometimes he was much sharper than that. "From an outsider's perspective, it seems you've taken on the boys' safety as your duty, your job."
Lissa swallowed hard and shifted on her feet uncertainly. She wasn't used to this side of Hughes—mostly she saw him messing with Mustang or babbling about his family. This…was a bit different. "I guess I kind of have," she murmured. "I want to look after them, that's why I feel that way. They're all I have."
His gaze softened. "That's right… Your parents were killed during the Ishvalan Conflict, weren't they? You must have been really young then."
"I was seven. I don't have a lot of memories from before that attack, but…I still feel the hole." Lissa was embarrassed that her voice shook so badly, but it was difficult to frame her life this way, to admit the things she'd lost—and not just her parents but the memories, the stolen pieces of her own childhood that she probably would never get back. "When I was eleven, Mustang took me down to Resembool with Riza, when they went to see what the story was with Ed and Al. I linked back up with them after they came to Central a year later…and since then, they've been my family. How can I not take their safety on my head?"
"They're capable, though," he pointed out, not unkindly. "You have to know they're both extremely capable fighters, and strong enough to look after themselves, at least for the most part. But your reports suggest you're always worrying about them, constantly."
Memories flickered through her mind's eye—the boys completely unraveled at Shou Tucker's house, Ed's panicked tears when Barry the Chopper had him, that inhuman woman's spears pointed at his wounds…and now Al's clear internal struggle, the space between them… "Most of the time," she agreed softly. "But not always."
Hughes nodded slowly. "You've seen those two through a lot of rough things, situations I'm sure no one else witnessed, and even if they did, I bet they didn't see what you saw. But you can't live your life panicking like that, Lissa."
"Lieutenant Colonel… I barely remember my parents… But I remember the feeling of loss. I still know that feeling. I was raised in an institution where the closest thing I had to a friend my own age was my sparring partner for the day. Alex Armstrong was the only person who ever actually treated me kindly, most of the time, until I met Edward and Alphonse." Lissa wrapped her arms around her middle and bowed her head. "They're my family now, they're the only family I have left… Wouldn't you do anything to protect your family? Wouldn't you put yourself on the line if it meant keeping them safe?"
He sighed, so very deeply—then he brought his arms around her and embraced her. For a moment, Lissa almost wanted to pull away, just stunned by it…but then she caved and wrapped her arms around him in return. "Of course I would," Hughes admitted wearily. "I understand exactly where you're coming from, I really do. I'm just saying…maybe you should let yourself be looked after for a change, that's all."
Lissa shut her eyes tight and nodded. She wasn't sure if she could do anything like that… It was difficult enough just leaving them in the hospital tonight. But she still remembered how…how wonderful it felt, when Ed had consoled her a few nights ago, when she'd had a moment of weakness and been taken care of… She couldn't say that was a bad thing. Not for a moment.
Once she'd composed herself, Lissa sent Hughes off to rejoin the party and instead tracked down Gracia in the kitchen, where she was sorting out cake and desserts. "Oh, Lissa!" Gracia smiled widely at her. "It's good to see you again, I'm so glad you came by."
Gracia Hughes was a sweet, kindhearted woman, who put up with her husband's shenanigans like a saint. Lissa had always liked her. "Me too," she admitted, a bit embarrassed of herself. "I'm sorry it's been so long… I've just been really busy, the boys and I have been all over Amestris in the past few years."
"Oh, don't you worry. You're always welcome here." Gracia inclined her head slightly. "I get the feeling you want to take a bit of apple pie back with you, hm?"
Lissa gaped at her. "How'd you know?"
"Because you'd never let Edward and Alphonse miss out," Gracia laughed, waving her hand passively. "You care about those boys so much, it's sweet to see. Don't worry, I'll send you back with some before you go, I promise. But there's no reason to rush out, okay? You're welcome here as long as you'd like."
As always, she was just completely and utterly blown away by the giving nature of this family. Lissa hardly knew anything like it. Though…the Rockbells had been just about as open with her, she supposed. "Thank you," she murmured, unable to find anything else to say.
Winry stuck her head into the kitchen then. "Miss Gracia? I'm sorry to bother you… Mr. Hughes said he needed to ask you something."
Gracia just grinned and laughed. "Oh, he probably wants to take another photograph or something. He's always getting new ones printed. Between us, I think he just likes to do it to mess with Roy Mustang." She waved to them and left the kitchen, then, and Lissa heard Hughes call out something about a photo—so she'd been right.
"So, Winry…" Lissa leaned into the counter behind her and smirked at the other girl. "What was that screw you had in your pocket earlier? The one you put into Ed's automail?"
Winry groaned and slumped almost in half. "You saw that, huh?"
"I didn't rat you out, don't worry." She hid a laugh behind her hand, amused at Winry's distress. "Besides, it's not like it caused a real problem. He wasn't lying earlier."
"It still bothers me," Winry admitted, sighing. "I hate not doing my job well enough. With most of our customers, it just means they'll have a little stiffness working on some local farm and can immediately come in to get it checked, but with Ed… Ugh, I always get so nervous that I'll mess something up and get him hurt, or worse."
"Don't stress so hard. As long as I've known Ed, he's been totally reliant on your automail and it's never been a problem." Lissa rolled her eyes and added, "Even when the dummy doesn't take good care of it. This was just a one-off."
The blonde twisted her mouth up a bit, still looking disquieted. "Is it…as dangerous as it seems? Ed and Al never tell me anything, but I do wonder…"
Lissa frowned at her. "What do you mean? As dangerous as…what just happened? Then no. Usually it's not like this, honestly. This time was pretty bad." She touched her fingers to her chest absently, where her broken ribs still ached. "It might get worse, I don't know… But I'll be around to help as much as I can."
"Thank you." Winry smiled at her kindly. "For sticking by them." Her expression shifted then, eyebrows furrowing. "You know…it's been bothering me… I remembered you from the first time you came to Resembool, but I keep thinking I've seen you somewhere else, too."
"I…didn't think you remembered, actually," Lissa admitted. "Right after Ed got his state certification, when you came to Central to see him, and…that serial killer…" She gave an apologetic shrug of her shoulders, feeling bad for bringing the old memory up. "I didn't want to shove it in your face, see… But Al and I both went down there to find you and Ed. You probably saw me afterwards—I wanted to stay, but Mustang dragged me off since I wasn't supposed to be out in the city anyway. I could've gotten into a lot of trouble for it."
Winry's eyes were wide. "Oh my gosh… That's it, I know it is. I remember seeing you with Ed after the soldiers found us. He was more shaken up than I was, I think, but he had to fight that—that horrible man…" She shuddered faintly. "So much of that is just a blur to me, honestly. I think I've blocked most of it out. But I definitely saw you—I just didn't realize you were the same girl I saw in Resembool." Visibly shaking herself out of it, Winry flashed a smile and told her, "It's strange how we sort of peripherally knew of each other for so long but didn't meet until just a few weeks ago. I already feel like I know you. Is that weird?"
Lissa shook her head quickly, grinning despite herself. "No, I feel the same way, I mean… The boys talked about you a lot, besides. Even if they didn't bother calling, they still kept you and Pinako in mind, all the time."
"Hmph. Well, it'd be nicer if they called, but still…" The blonde smirked. "Anyway, I'm glad I finally got to meet you properly. I hardly ever make new friends, I'm always too busy at the shop, and everybody else who's involved in this kind of stuff is always older and…male. Ugh."
"Tell me about it. There's only ever been a handful of female state alchemists, so I'm gonna be the odd one out forever, basically." Lissa wrinkled her nose at the thought. "I don't mind Ed and Al, but I think every other state alchemist I've met has been a guy—I know of a few female alchemists, but it's so rare and I have no idea why."
Winry rolled her eyes at that. "Probably some stupid testosterone issue. Men can't handle women being better than them at anything." They shared a knowing grin, both understanding that particular fact a bit too well. Then Winry leaned into the doorframe and asked, "So you're going back to the hospital tonight, Lissa? You can't just stay here?"
"Yeah, funny story… I'm not officially discharged yet. Hughes just kind of spirited me away for the evening," Lissa confessed, a bit sheepish. "Besides, I need to check on the boys."
"I hope they figure out whatever's going on with them… It's weird for them to be fighting, they hardly ever so much as get angry with each other." Winry wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. "I don't like it. Used to it was always because Ed did something stupid, but I don't think that's what it is this time."
Lissa shook her head sadly. "I doubt it. He's just as confused as we are."
"Hey, Lissa…" Winry's expression turned sly out of nowhere. "What's going on between you and Ed, anyway?"
She recoiled in shock. "I—between us? What do you mean?"
"Oh, come on. It's pretty obvious. You guys are so close, and I saw you getting all touchy-feely with him before we left the hospital." The blonde grinned toothily. "Not to mention he turned red as a cherry when you hugged him."
"He was just being weird," she dismissed quickly. "We're always pretty comfortable with physical contact, it's just because we've spent so much time sparring. Nothing is going on."
Winry rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know Ed Elric. He's not big on hugs. Not that you seem to have a problem. Besides, you should see the way he stares at you when you're not looking, it's totally ridiculous. He's such a sap." She giggled, delighted at the insinuation, while Lissa just tried to keep her facial expression even. "I won't push, okay? Just…don't be surprised later on."
"There won't be a later on, not like that," Lissa muttered, tossing her head. "It's not like that, Win. Seriously."
"Sure, whatever you say."
"I mean it," she grumbled. "It's different when you've been kicking each other's ass for three years. He's my sparring partner. You get used to it."
Winry let the subject go as Gracia reentered the kitchen, talking about boxing up an apple pie for Lissa to take, but Lissa was still discomfited. Was she being that obvious? Winry had barely seen her and Ed together, and she thought… No. I have to be more careful about this, otherwise somebody's gonna get hurt, and it'll probably be Ed.
