Chapter 6 "This is the one I like!"

Ed woke the next morning to a quiet room.

"Al? Al! AAAL!"Shouting,and whisperinghis brother's name he lookd all over the dormroom, which all in all, was empty.

He found a piece of paper on Al's bed. Ed shook as he had a bad feeling. It was Al's writing. It read: "I'm going away for a while. ---- This is the one I like." The arrow pointed to a letter to the side of Al's note. It was the letter Al was so attached to. The one from Winry Rockbell. Ed broke down.

"Al, where did you go!" he sobbed. He got up and walked slowly out of his room and down to the Colonel's office.

"Colonel, may I have a word?" he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Roy said, turning around to see a previously weeping Edward. "What's wrong?"

"Read this..." Ed whispered, handing Roy the letters without looking at them. Roy took them and read them.

"Alphonse...ran away?" he asked. Ed nodded.

"I don't know where he could have gone..." Ed sat onto the couch and put his face in his hands.

"Well, it seems to me that he left a pretty good clue." Roy said, handing the letters back to Ed who took them in a small, shaking hand. "Can you tell me what it is, Edward?" Roy said steadily, with a small grin, urging him to go on. Ed was silent for a while, thinking really hard. He looked at Al's note, then reread Winry's letter over and over again.

"I can't figure it out...I think he might have meant Rizenbul. But he'd never go there alone!"

"Well, Ed. Seems like you figured it out, but it's not possible, so retrace Al's steps for what he did yesterday." Ed thought some more.

"He was at Riza's house!" Ed said, suddenly stiffening. "He went to Riza's house!"

Ed took off out the door. Roy chased him.

"Wait, Lieutenant! Where do you think you're going! He wouldn't be there!" Roy yelled after him.

"That's where he started! I'm going to talk with Riza!" Ed said over his shoulder.

They raced to Riza's house. Ed pounded on the door, and after a few good hard blows, Riza opened the door.

"WHERE'S AL!" Ed burst in, walking all over and getting lost in the maze of walls.

"Umm, Al was here yesterday. Isn't he home with you, Ed?" Riza asked.

"Don't play dumb, Riza! I'm really worried sick here!" Ed said, collapsing in a chair and sobbing.

"About Alphonse?" Riza asked, sitting next to him and wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"Where is he?" Ed gulped. "He...he left a note saying he left. He set it next to a letter from Winry Rockbell, the one girl he seems to like out of all the letters sent to me..."

"Letters? Ed, what's going on here?"

"You haven't heard of the letters yet?" Roy asked.

"Not that I can remember." Riza said blankly.

"Well, it was like this..." Roy told her about the phone call to the radio station, the letters that came by the bundles every day and they're still coming.

"Now, Al's missing." he finished. Ed hung his head and silent tears fond their way to drip through his fingers and onto his lap.

"Al's not missing..." Riza said slowly. " Al said he was going to leave for Rizenbul by train #375 as of tomorrow, which actually would be today. He said he was going to meet someone."

"Damn it..." Ed whispered. They were quiet for a while. Soon Roy looked at his watch and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Ed, but I have to get going. First Lieutenant Hawkeye, I was informed that you had the evening shift in the office."

"Yes, Colonel. What time?" Riza said, reaching for her jacket.

"Around 6 to 6:30. No later than the latter." he said tipping his hand to her in a salute.

"Thanks. I think I'll stay with Ed a while, until he gets himself together."

"No...that's okay, Hawkeye..." Ed said. "Now that I know more or less where Al's going, I'm going to head over there."

"Are you sure, Ed?" Roy said, half way out the door.

"Yes." Edward nodded.

"Alright then. I'll see you later." said Riza, tying her boots. "Good luck, Lieutenant!"

"Thanks."

A/N: This was more dramatic than the movie ("Sleepless in Seattle") with this scene. Sam didn't cry, but he did panic.

BTW, who would like to read another version of this chapter with some Maj. Armstrong? XD I had a whole scene lined up, because who can resist not using ones magnificent writing talent passed down the family line for generations! I was thinking it could go either in another fic I'm helping with (surprise, surprise it's a RoyEd!) or in this one! So I left it out. Send me a message if you'd like to read the version with Maj.Armstrong.

Thanks to my reviewers! Sorry I didn't credit you sooner!

WhiteWolfKyoko: Thanks! I'm glad you like it!
Sanowaeca: I have more chapters up! Yay! I'm glad you enjoy this story!