What if Ed had listened to Ayala about Tucker? –
"You're leaving?" Nina asked, giving Ed, Al, and the Animals a crestfallen look while Havoc continued to eye Alexander warily, having obviously not fully bought Nina's earlier proclamation that the giant, fluffy dog wouldn't hurt anyone.
"We'll be back tomorrow, kiddo," Ed knelt down in front of her and placed his flesh hand on top of her head.
"Promise?" she asked and Ed nodded. That seemed to be enough for her as her face brightened and she threw her arms around Ed's neck. His shock lasted a moment as he hugged her back. "We'll play lots tomorrow, big brother." She squeezed as much as she could before promptly unlatching herself from him and latching as best she could onto Al. He hugged her back as carefully as he could, making sure he didn't hurt her. After she gave Chester and Ayala a hug goodbye, she disappeared back into the house. Ed watched her go while Al thanked Tucker again for his hospitality and got permission for them to come back the next day. They said their goodbyes to him and followed Havoc to the waiting car.
"What's wrong with you?" Ed asked Ayala through their connection. He'd felt Ayala's uneasiness around Tucker from the moment Mustang had introduced them to him but he'd put it down to Ayala's mistrust of strangers. However, when he'd felt that uneasy feeling in his wolf grow exponentially during dinner and as they left, he decided it was time to question it. Since he and Chester didn't have the same bond as he and Ayala, he could only feel the leopard's feelings when their connection was active and it currently wasn't. He hadn't thought to ask either but figured he would if Ayala couldn't or wouldn't answer his question.
"I have a bad feeling about Tucker," Ayala admitted, earning herself a confused look from her human.
"Why? He hasn't done anything except feed us and let us go through his library." Ed hadn't picked up any bad vibes from the man and he prided himself on being able to tell whether someone was bad news. He was almost always right.
"I can't explain it. I just... I don't know how to put it into words. I just have this horrible feeling he's done something unspeakable and that feeling got worse when he was talking about what their life used to be like," Ayala said, trying to explain it as best she could. She was worried about Ed returning back to that house in the morning. "I don't want you or Al to go back tomorrow. Please don't go back to that house," she begged as they stopped near the car.
"What are you talking about? We need to go back! There's all those books to get through and we promised Nina." Ed looked at her like she was insane for asking him to forfeit another day's research and to break a promise he'd made as they climbed into the car.
"I know that Ed but please don't go back. There's something wrong with that man! He's gonna do something horrible!" the wolf pleaded.
Something in her tone had Ed pause before he outright dismissed her fears but that didn't mean he believed her right away. "He's been really anxious about his recertification. Could that be what you're sensing?" he asked her before he said out loud, "Havoc, can you just drop us at the library?" The older blonde nodded his head and Al didn't protest since he knew Ed would throw last night's points back at him. Ed turned his attention back to Ayala expectantly as he waited for her answer while she thought it over.
"No," Ayala finally said after a few moments' thought. "I don't what it is that's setting off my instincts but I really don't think we should go back to that house,"she reiterated.
Even though his ability to tell whether someone would wind up giving them trouble or not was almost always accurate, Ed felt the few times it hadn't been come to the forefront of his mind. He may not have been 100% accurate in his people-reading skills but Ayala and Chester were. If Ayala was telling him that Tucker wasn't to be trusted and that he and Al shouldn't go near the house, then he needed to trust her judgement. However, he couldn't help but look at Chester and ask, "what are your thoughts on Tucker and us going back tomorrow?" so he could have a second opinion.
Ayala gave an annoyed huff at the fact that Ed was even asking the leopard for his opinion but she was mostly feeling relief that her human wasn't outright dismissing her fears like he was wont to do at times. Her golden eyes flicked over to Chester as the big cat examined his feelings and thoughts regarding Shou Tucker. "I don't trust him. If it were up to me, I'd be pinning the both of you to your seats at the library and not letting you leave. Something is going to happen tomorrow at that house and there is nothing more I want right now than to make sure Alphonse isn't exposed to it," Chester told Ed and Ayala. From the lack of reaction, it seemed as though Al was being kept out of the loop for the moment.
Ayala's sense of relief grew ten-fold at Chester's words and she looked back at her human to find him in deep thought. There was movement in the front seat and Ayala knew Havoc was aware that something was going on but so far, the lieutenant wasn't saying anything. Ayala's attention was brought back to her human when he sighed lightly. "Can either of you hazard a guess as to when this "something" is going to happen?" he asked them.
Both Chester and Ayala looked at each other before Ayala hesitantly said, "early morning? Maybe an hour or so before we normally arrive at Tucker's house?" Chester looked as confident in her guess as she was but he nodded in agreement, nonetheless. Though their instincts let them know when their human or themselves might be in danger, it wasn't something that allowed them to be accurate about the danger or when it would take place.
One corner of Ed's lips lifted as he scrunched his nose at the broad answer but he knew he couldn't ask for anything more accurate. Turning in his seat, he caught Havoc's attention. "Would it be possible for you to pick us up a couple of hours earlier than normal tomorrow?" he asked the blonde. Alphonse made a curious noise but Chester was quick to tell his human that they'd explain everything to him soon.
Havoc considered for a moment before nodding. "I reckon I could be persuaded to with the right payment," he told them, a mischievous look in his eyes that had Ed rolling his eyes but grinning back.
"Coffee from that place a couple blocks from Tucker's?" Ed offered.
"You got yourself a deal, chief," Havoc said immediately, earning himself an amused chuckle from Ed and Al.
"Cheers, Havoc," Ed said, getting a nod from the lieutenant, before Ed turned back in his seat and looked up at Al apologetically. The suit of armour waved off the apology before gesturing subtly at Chester and Ed gave a nod of understanding to Al and one of thanks to the leopard.
Ayala and Chester both looked at Ed in surprise but a small calming gesture and whispered request to trust him through their bonds with the eldest Elric had them settling down once more. They could wait a few more minutes for an explanation as to why they were going to be going back to Tucker's even though Ed seemed to believe them when they both said they thought something awful was going to happen there the next day. Ayala had her suspicions as to why they were going to be arriving at Tucker's earlier than normal but she was content to wait for the library to find out whether she was right or not.
Though Havoc was curious as to why Ed suddenly wanted to be dropped off at the Tucker's earlier than normal – especially since he didn't think there was any way he'd discussed doing so with the Sewing-Life Alchemist as nothing that so much as suggested a change in the routine was discussed when Havoc picked the Elrics up that afternoon – he didn't ask any questions. He just filed it away so he could explain to Hawkeye and Mustang why he was in the office a couple of hours earlier than he normally was. Mark gave him his version of a shrug before he went back to the light doze he'd been in the whole drive. Havoc huffed lightly at his Animal before he focused entirely back on the road and continued driving towards the library.
"Is everything okay, Brother?" Al queried the moment they sat at their usual table in the State Alchemy library.
Ed sighed, scrubbing his face with his flesh hand before he leaned forward slightly. "Ayala and Chester have both told me that they think something really bad is going to happen at Tucker's tomorrow and that they don't want either of us to go back there," Ed told Al.
Alphonse gasped and his armour jolted, betraying his shock. "What's going to happen?" he asked, barely remembering to keep his voice low.
Ed shrugged, as did both Animals. "They don't know. All they do know is that it'll happen an hour or so before we normally arrive and that it's going to be Tucker's doing," Ed told him before Chester could.
"So why are we going back there, Brother? If the Animals say we shouldn't than shouldn't we be staying here or telling Colonel Mustang or something instead?" Al asked worriedly.
Ed scoffed at the mention of Mustang. "As if that lazy bastard would be able or willing to do anything about Tucker on Ayala's and Chester's instincts," Ed said, flapping a dismissive hand at his brother before Al could say anything. The older blonde sobered though as eh said, "we're going over there tomorrow so that our presence will either prevent what will happen or so that we can protect Nina and Alexander from the fallout," Ed told them. "I'm not going to let anything happen to that little girl if I can help it," he said seriously.
Ayala felt a thrill of satisfaction run through her as her suspicions were confirmed but it was muffled by the guilt she felt at not thinking of Nina's safety when she tried convincing Ed to stay away from the Tucker's and the pride she felt that Ed obviously cared for the little girl enough that he was willing to go into an unknown situation to make sure she was safe. It was obvious from Al's tone when he said, "neither will I, Brother," that he felt the same as Ayala did.
Ed gave a nod before he spoke again. "Now, we have no clue what's going to happen. We only know that it will happen and we have a rough idea of when. I have a feeling that it's going to be connected to Tucker's recertification as that's really the only thing I can think of that might make him desperate enough to do something that would set Ayala's and Chester's instincts off and I haven't heard him or Nina mention anything else that could be the catalyst," Ed said, looking questioningly at Al.
The suit of armour shook his head, causing a low grating noise to ring through the library. "Neither have I," Al confirmed. "If it does have something to do with his recertification, that means it'll have something to do with chimeras so we should go in expecting there to be a lot of potentially dangerous animals in the lab, if not in the house somewhere," Al said.
"Perhaps those animals will have something to do with what's going to happen?" Chester suggested, speaking to both Ed and Al, who gave a shrug.
"It's as good a theory as any, I suppose," Ed said with a sigh. "I just hate that we have next to nothing to work with," he growled frustratedly before he gave both Animals an apologetic look. "I know you guys have given us all you can so please don't think I'm blaming you or having a go at you," he said.
"We know you weren't," Ayala assured him, resting her head on his left arm. "We're as annoyed that we can't give you anything more to work with as you are," she added.
Ed gave her a comforting scratch behind her ears as Al did the same for Chester, saying, "we aren't annoyed that you can't give us any more information. We're just worried about tomorrow, that's all."
"What Al said," Ed said, ruffling Ayala's ears. "It's a shame that most of the chimera research here is limited," Ed sighed, looking at the books around them. "We could've done some research on them and the alchemy surrounding their creation to see if there was anything that might potentially help us out tomorrow in them," he explained unnecessarily.
"Yeah, it is," Al said, his tone matching Ed's. "But we've learned a lot of stuff from the books in Tucker's library over the last few days so that might be enough to give us some help so let's just get some more of our research done tonight," he suggested.
Ed gave a nod that was echoed by the two Animals with him. "Yeah, that's probably true," Ed said in response to the first half of Al's statement. "Might as well get a bit more of our research in. Who knows if we'll be able to do any tomorrow?" he said, grabbing for a book.
"Well, hopefully tomorrow won't end with you in a hospital yet again, Brother," Alphonse grumbled as he mimicked his brother and reached for a book of his own.
"It must feel so nice that your brother has that much belief in your ability to not get into a fight that lands you in hospital," Ayala said wistfully, earning herself a glare from her human.
"Are you going to help us study or are you going to keep sassing me?" Ed snarked, eyes still glaring at Ayala from over the top of his book.
"Why chose one when I can do both so well?" Ayala asked, a wide grin on her face that had Ed pinching her slightly. "Now that wasn't nice," she muttered, shaking her head to try and rid herself of the slight stinging pain she felt from the pinch.
"Neither is sassing your human," came the flat remark. Ayala huffed at her human but placed her head back on Ed's arm so she could get a good look at what he was reading. Though she was unbelievably pleased that Ed had taken her warning seriously, she found part of herself hoping that Ed's decision to go to Tucker's house to stop whatever was going to happen wouldn't wind up with her boy hurt more than he would've been if he hadn't believed her.
As agreed, Havoc had picked them up two hours earlier than they were normally picked up by the lieutenant. With the detour for the promised coffee, they arrived at the Tucker house almost an hour and forty-five minutes earlier than their usual time. There was a definite tension between the four passengers in the car that had Havoc biting his tongue multiple times to stop himself from asking what was going on. The early morning was dreary and the threat of rain seemed like it would be lingering all day instead of clearing like it sometimes did. Ed ignored the ache in his automail joints as he felt himself running through multiple scenarios of what they were about to walk into.
Unlike the previous day, Havoc didn't accompany the boys or Animals to the door once he'd pulled up in front of the Tucker estate but his eyes never left them as they walked up the walkway to the front door of the Tucker mansion. The four of them barely heard Havoc leave as they reached the thick wooden door, their sense of foreboding only growing stronger as the Animals reacted to something only they could sense. Al was the first one to knock on the door, the heavy thuds echoing loudly through the house and all of them were both surprised but unsurprised that no one answered them after a minute. Once more, Alphonse knocked but this time when they got no answer, Ed and Al checked the door. To their surprise, they found it unlocked, something that did nothing to ease their fear and worry.
Entering the dimly lit house cautiously, Al called out, "thanks for having us again today, Mr. Tucker!" Silence was all that answered him. Ed felt himself readying multiple arrays in his mind as they started moving through the house, trying to find their host. "Hello? Mr. Tucker?" Al called again, trying to get a response from anyone who called the Tucker house home.
"Nina? Alexander?" Ed called as they cleared the kitchen and dining rooms, heading for the laboratory and library.
They made sure to check every room they passed, just to be sure the enthusiastic five-year-old and her mongrel or her father weren't inside and simply hadn't heard them. They finally reached the laboratory and both Animals were beyond fidgety. Ed and Al noted the behaviour and that it increased as they continued getting closer to the laboratory that Tucker had shown them on their first day in his house. The two boys glanced at each other and Ed gave a small nod before he took a couple of quick steps, putting himself ahead of everyone so that he would be the first to enter the laboratory.
Pressing his ear against the door, Ed was certain he could hear the sounds of someone moving in the room, accompanied by the faintest scraping sound he'd ever heard and the sound of low talking. He couldn't make out what was being said and he certainly couldn't identify who was speaking or how many people were in the laboratory. A memory floated to the front of his mind unbidden and he recalled the dinner Al, Ayala, Chester, and he had shared with Tucker, Nina, Ivana, and Alexander the previous night.
"Before I got my State Alchemist certification, our life was terrible. We were so poor in those days. My wife couldn't stand living like that and she left us. I can't afford to fail this assessment. I don't ever want to go back to those days again. I don't think I could," Tucker had admitted, eyes downcast as though ashamed of their social standing before his certification.
"Don't worry, Daddy! If those people do tell you no, me and Alexander will growl at them until they do say yes!" Nina had told her father as Alexander barked in agreement.
"You tell them, Nina!" Al had laughed at the little girl, earning himself a delighted grin from her.
Tucker had then spoken up, addressing his daughter. "Hey, Nina. I've got an idea. How about you and I pay together tomorrow?" Nina's face had lit up with excitement at the idea of playing with her dad.
"Really?" She had sounded so excited and happy at the idea of playing with her father and Alexander's behaviour had reflected the joy he sensed from his mistress.
"Yeah," Tucker had confirmed, causing Nina to hug Alexander around the neck.
"Woohoo! Alexander, Daddy says he's gonna play with us tomorrow!" she exclaimed excitedly. Alexander barked at her excitement and the two had brothers laughed at their antics.
Ed recalled the affectionate smile he'd given the pair while Tucker had given his daughter a soft, indulgent smile of his own when Nina had threatened to growl at the assessors if they didn't recertify her father and he felt himself frown as he wondered why he was recalling that memory now when he realised how odd the timing of Tucker's decision to play with Nina that day was. His big recertification was approaching rapidly and Ed knew he didn't have anything notable to present to the assessors that would help him keep his title and position so why would he suddenly give up a whole day of research just to play with Nina and Alexander? Fear welled in Ed's heart as the muffled sound of an awfully familiar giggle made its way through the door in front of him.
Ed didn't think twice about manners or anything of the sort as he allowed that fear to overtake his decision-making. Kicking the door in, Ed burst into the room and found himself facing the third most horrific sight he'd ever seen. There was Nina and Alexander – both watching him with startled expressions from the door being forced open – inside of a transmutation circle that Tucker had just finished drawing around them. Tucker's eyes had opened wide with shock, the piece of chalk that had been in his hand falling softly to the floor as his grip loosened on it. Even Ivana seemed to be surprised that Ed, Al, Ayala, and Chester were in the laboratory. It seemed as though she also hadn't heard or sensed them coming.
Ed found himself frozen at the sight but he was soon throwing himself into action when Tucker's eyes turned from shocked to determined. Ed clapped and slammed his hands onto the floor, sending a flurry of alchemic energy racing for the circle just as Tucker placed his hands on his array. Ed could hear Al's gasp as his brother entered the room and he could hear the worried pleas for Ed's alchemy to intercept Tucker's in time from the two Animals. Ed's own pleas joined Ayala's and Chester's as he watched his blue alchemic energy rapidly cover the distance between him and the array with desperation.
"Big brothers?" Nina's voice was fearful and full of confusion and in the time it took for her to say those two words, Ed's alchemic energy and Tucker's reached one another.
Though his goal had been to break the array's circle, Ed couldn't be too mad that his alchemic energy had not only done that but had also stopped Tucker's own alchemic energy from completing the transmutation, which in turn caused a rebound none of the alchemists in the room had been but really should've been expecting. Tucker's pained yelp was cut short as the rebounding energy threw him back into the table and other items behind him, his head colliding painfully with the edge of the table. Ivana was thrown from his shoulder and didn't get back up, the energy that had rebounded on her human affecting her too since she was in range.
"Daddy!" Nina cried out, moving to step towards her father only to find herself being swept up by Edward. "Big brother Ed! Daddy's hurt!" she wailed, tears falling thick and fast from her eyes as she struggled against Ed's hold. Alexander was barking, adding to the confusion as Ed hurried Nina out of the room.
"Nina, listen," Ed said, putting the little girl down on her own two feet but gently grasping her upper arms to stop her from racing back into that room. Al had followed him outside but both Animals were still in the laboratory keeping an eye on Tucker and his spider. Nina gulped loudly, her wide, wet eyes flicking between her big brothers and the room they'd just left. "I'm gonna go and check on your dad but I need you to stay out here with Alphonse, okay?" Ed asked her.
"But I wanna go with you! Daddy might need me!" Nina protested, a sob catching her words.
"Nine, this is very important," Ed said, tone serious as his golden eyes locked with her brown ones, "so I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?" He waited until Nina nodded before he continued. "You dad was hurt because of his alchemy. I need to go in there and make sure that his alchemy can't hurt us or you," his voice hitched as he said 'you" but Nina didn't appear to notice, "and I can't do that properly if I'm looking out for you as well, okay?" he said. "Just wait out here with Al, alright?" he asked and this time, Nina nodded.
Before Ed could do or say anything, Nina threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Please make sure my daddy is okay," the little girl whimpered.
"I'll make sure he isn't badly hurt," Ed promised even as he felt his anger and disgust with Tucker start to make itself known now that the adrenaline rush was gone. "Stay here with Al," he instructed once more.
"Okay," Nina said softly, letting go of Ed and rubbing at her wet cheeks with her hands. Alexander was licking her cheeks, hindering her progress somewhat but Nina's only response was to wrap her arms around her dog's fluffy neck.
Ed gave her a soft smile before he ruffled her hair affectionately and straightened up. As he and Al passed each Ed quietly said, "have her go to the bathroom to clean herself up and while she's busy doing that, call Mustang and get him and the team over here." A simple nod was the only response from Al that he got as his little brother reached out for their adopted little sister.
Striding back into the room, Ed started taking mental notes of everything as he heard Al's soft voice coming from the hallway. The array Nina and Alexander had been standing in had a large crack running through it from Ed's own transmutation, rendering the array useless until the floor was fixed and it could be redrawn. There were cages still lining almost every available wall space, some with animals in them, some without, and some with recently created chimeras trapped inside. Tucker's research littered the desk and the floor, likely from Tucker being thrown against his desk from the rebound and not because Tucker had purposefully placed them there.
Tucker himself was still unconscious, blood starting to pool from the head wound made by the desk but since it was a fairly small pool of blood that wasn't increasing at an alarming rate, Ed didn't care. Ivana was still curled up on her back, looking all but dead and it was only the confirmation that she was alive from Ayala that had Ed thinking so. His fury was still building under his skin as Ed took all of this in but it didn't fully start boiling his blood until he studied the array closely. When he realised that this array was supposed to be used to transmute a human and an animal together, creating a human chimera, Ed felt the urge to both throw up and start whaling on Tucker's unconscious form.
"As much as it would please me to tear chunks of his flesh out while he still breathed, we can't hurt him any further than he is already injured," Ayala snarled, though the snarl was directed at Tucker, not Ed.
"Give me one good reason why I can't," Ed growled, approaching the downed alchemist so he could check over his injuries and make sure he wasn't going to die while in Ed's custody. He hadn't had that happen yet and he'd be damned if he'd let Tucker be the first or escape justice for what he'd been about to do to Nina.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye would be very disappointed in you," Ayala told him, earning herself much displeased muttering from her human.
"Yeah, okay, I'll give you that one," Ed grumbled as he felt for a pulse. Tucker's glasses were cracked and aside from the head wound, Ed couldn't see any other signs of injuries on the man but that didn't mean much. Sometimes the effects of a rebound weren't visible after all.
"Al said he just got off the phone with Hawkeye. He didn't say much. Just asked that she and the team head to Tucker's estate," Chester reported just as Ed found Tucker's pulse. He gave the leopard a nod to show he'd heard but focused on counting the beats under his fingertips to ensure that Tucker's pulse was strong and steady.
Just as Ed deemed Tucker's pulse rate satisfactory and moved to withdraw his hand, Tucker's eyes opened and he snatched Ed's wrist, holding it tightly in his own. "You little bastard!" Tucker seethed as Ed tried to get his wrist out of Tucker's iron grip. Ayala was beside Ed in a heartbeat, teeth bared as she loosed a feral snarl that Tucker paid no mind to. Even Chester's hisses from Ed's other side were ignored. "You've cost me my recertification! You've taken everything from me! Ivana and I will be forced to live on the streets again and it'll be your fault!" Tucker raged, eyes flashing dangerously as he used his grip on Ed's arm to get himself to his feet.
"You were going to murder Nina! There is no way on this Earth that I would've let you do that! What kind of sick bastard would even think of doing that to his own daughter?!" Ed snarled, trying to tug his wrist free with more effort now that Tucker was regaining his feet. He noticed the spider moving out of the corner of his eyes, climbing her human's leg rapidly and Ed upped his efforts to escape even more.
"I don't see what you're so upset about," Tucker said, sounding annoyed with Ed as though he was being purposefully obstinate. "This is, after all, how we make progress. Human experimentation is necessary. I would think a scientist would understand."
Ed stilled in his escape efforts in shock as Tucker's words hit him before his rage and disgust boiled over once more. "You tried murdering your innocent daughter so you could stay rich and comfortable in this house! You're damned right I'm upset!" Ed snarled, finally wrenching his arm free before Ivana could even think about climbing onto him. He wasn't certain her particular species was venomous but he wasn't willing to find out right now either. The moment Ed was free from Tucker's grip, Ayala and Chester were in front of him, protecting him from the insane alchemist in front of them. "Did you really think you would get away with messing with someone's life like this? With trying to kill you own fucking daughter for a fucking title?!" Ed snapped. His wrist throbbed from the strength of Tucker's grip but it didn't even register to Ed in that moment.
"Someone's life, you say? You would know all about that, wouldn't you? Look at you, the Fullmetal Alchemist." Tucker laughed as his eyes raked up and down Ed's body. "Look at your arm, your leg, your brother! Those things are the result of messing around with someone's life, aren't they?" Tucker asked, a sneer in his voice.
"Don't listen to him, Ed! There is nothing similar about that night and what this bastard was just about to do to Nina and Alexander," Ayala immediately said, not letting Tucker get another word in but making sure she got in before Ed's fragile hold on his temper snapped. Though Tucker would deserve it, if Ed lost control and attacked him like Ayala knew he wanted to do and Tucker claimed that Edward attacked him while in Ed's custody, it was possible that even Mustang wouldn't be able to save Ed from being court-martialled.
"We are nothing alike," Ed growled, eyes blazing with an anger of the likes that Ayala had only seen a few times in her life.
Tucker laughed gleefully. "Oh but we are! Don't you see, Fullmetal Alchemist? We both saw the opportunity right in front of us and we took it! We had to, even though we knew it was against the rules!" Tucker said, grinning madly.
"No we're not!" Ed snapped once more, moving to step forward so he could land the punch he'd been wanting to since he'd come back into the room only to find himself stopped by the two Animals with him. "Alchemists don't do what you were going to!" Ed told him, snarling at the man's manic grin.
"How else will we progress as scientists, hmm?" Tucker asked, stepping forward as he swept a hand over the cages. "We can only do so much with animals, after all. Human experimentation is the next logical step and you stopped me from repeating my earlier success! How am I supposed to make any progress with my research now that you've ruined it?!" Tucker growled furiously but Ed's mind was replaying one part of his statement over and over again.
"'Repeating my earlier success'?" Ed asked, looking down at the Animals before his eyes snapped back up to Tucker. "What do you –?" he cut himself off as the pieces fell into place. Tucker had gotten his certification two years ago, just after his wife and her Animal had disappeared, supposedly because she had grown tired of being poor and wanted to live with her parents again. Ed knew what Tucker had been about to do to Nina and knew what he was capable of. "You did this to your wife and her Animal, didn't you?" Ed asked, his voice filled with disgust. "That's how you made the chimera that earned you your State Alchemist title, isn't it?" Ed asked, tone daring Tucker to deny it.
"She'd planned to take Nina away from me. She was going to take my daughter away from me because we were poor. I couldn't let her take what was mine," Tucker told Ed, eyes flashing in anger at the memory of his late wife. "She always said my alchemic specialty was cruel and pointless. I proved her wrong though. I made it so she and her Animal were closer than any bonded pair had ever been," Tucker said, his grin slowly forming once more.
Ed's eyes widened in horror. "You're a monster," he said, voice shaking with disgust.
Tucker's eyes flashed in anger and he took a step forward, only to stop when Chester and Ayala snarled and hissed protectively in front of Ed. "No, I'm just willing to do whatever it takes to further my alchemy and no one is going to get in my way," Tucker told him, his voice firm and dangerous.
"Ed, move!" Only Ayala's warning cry had Ed avoid Tucker's fist.
Both Animals landed a blow of their own against the alchemist, causing him to roar in fury and pain. Ed clapped and slammed his hands to the floor just as Tucker turned towards him, his legs bleeding from his newest injuries. Blue energy travelled up Tucker's arms and encased his hands tightly in the flooring material beneath his feet. Though she was fairly small and had no hands, Ed still encased Ivana in the same material, leaving a tiny hole for air to come in so she wouldn't suffocate. Tucker struggled against his restraints so hard that his pocket watch fell onto the floor and skittered towards Ed, who picked it up.
"You are no longer a State Alchemist," Ed informed Tucker, locking eyes with the man as he used his right hand to crush the watch into tiny pieces.
"NO!" Tucker roared, grief and rage intertwined in his tone as he watched the pieces of his pocket watch fall from Ed's hand.
"You're a disgusting excuse for an alchemist and I hope they lock you in the deepest, darkest hole they can find and throw away the key," Ed snarled before he looked at the two Animals. "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to find Al and Nina," he instructed them, earning himself two nods. He glanced over at Tucker, who was watching Ed with a furious expression. "If he manages to escape, feel free to tear off a leg or something so he can't go far," Ed told them, eyes dead serious as he kept his gaze locked with Tucker's. Both Animals growled affirmatively, causing Tucker's eyes to flick warily over to them as Ed headed for the door. He knew he should feel bad for thinking so but he found himself hoping that Tucker would somehow escape his restraints while he was out of the room.
Ed heard Nina and Al before he found them. It seemed as though Alphonse had either coaxed the little girl into her room or had agreed when Nina had asked to go in there. Either way, Ed was glad that Nina's mind wasn't on her father right now. He couldn't bring himself to take those last few steps that would make him visible to the room's occupants, however. What brought him to a standstill was what exactly he was going to tell Nina when she inevitably asked about her father.
Keeping in mind that she was only five, not much older than Elysia was, Ed tried to figure out how to tell Nina what had happened in an age-appropriate way but was also the truth. He wouldn't lie to Nina about what happened but his struggle was figuring out how to word it in a way that Nina would understand. He could feel Nala rapidly approaching the estate, as well as Soren and the other Animals on the team and, to his surprise, Leo as well. He knew they weren't far off and though part of him wanted to explain the situation to Hughes or Hawkeye and have them tell Nina, he knew he couldn't just pass this responsibility off onto someone else.
Steeling himself, Ed took the last few steps he needed to in order to be standing in the doorway to Nina's room. The little girl spotted him immediately, her head turning so rapidly to look up at him that her red-brown braids hit both Alexander and Al. "Big brother! Is Daddy alright? Where is he?" she asked rapidly, brown eyes looking behind Ed as though she were expecting her father to appear.
Ed walked into the room and knelt in front of Nina. He gave Alphonse a reassuring smile before it turned into a soft one for Nina. "Your dad is okay," he told her and she sank in relief. Before she could get up and run back to the laboratory, Ed continued speaking. "Nina… you probably won't fully understand what I'm about to tell you until you're a little bit older but your dad almost did something really bad this morning," Ed told her.
"What do you mean, big brother?" Nina asked, her brown eyes widening in confusion and wariness.
Ed sighed lightly through his nose. "Do you remember what you and Alexander were standing in when Al, the Animals, and I came into the room?" Ed asked her and she nodded.
"One of Daddy's arrays!" Nina told him, her eyes lighting up. "He said that before we could play, he needed Alexander and I to stand in the array for him. He said it was real important!" she told them. Her delighted expression at being asked to do something important for her father fell slowly into confusion once more when she took in the grimace Ed hadn't been able to hide. "Big brother?"
Nina's soft, wavering voice got Ed's attention back to her and stopped him from envisioning the ways he would've liked to make Tucker hurt. "Nina, if your father had successfully activated that array, something really bad would've happened to you and Alexander," Ed told her. Tears immediately started falling from Nina's eyes and Ed felt himself reach out for the little girl, trying to soothe her with physical touch while Al gently shushed her from where he sat. "Your father was scared to lose his state alchemy title and it made him make some really bad decisions. Because of that, he's going to be going to jail but I don't know for how long," Ed told her.
Nina sniffled as more tears cascaded down her face. Alexander whimpered in concern and tried to lick her cheeks clean once more. "But D-Daddy w-would n-never hurt me or Al-Alexander!" Nina wailed, the tears now falling rapidly. "He loves us!"
"I'm so sorry, Nina," Ed told her. He felt his own eyes prickle warningly with the tears that threatened to fall in response to Nina's emotions. The hand he had on Nina's back started moving in small, soothing circles as the little girl continued sobbing uncontrollably. Ed's head cocked slightly as the faint sound of a door opening could be heard at the front of the house and he locked eyes with Al. "Can you-?" he asked quietly, not bothering to finish his sentence. He knew that if he'd heard the sound, Al would've as well.
"Sure, Brother," Al said. "Do you want me to tell them everything?" he asked and Ed gave a nod as he continued trying to help Nina calm down. "I'll be back soon, Nina. We had to call the military and an ambulance for your dad," Al explained to her when she looked up in confusion as he stood up.
"Are they going to take my daddy to jail?" Nina asked, hiccupping slightly as she continued to cry.
"They'll take him to the hospital first, Nina. After that, I don't know what will happen but yes, he probably will go to jail for a little while," Ed told her, answering before Al could. At Ed's nod, Al left the room, though not before looking back at Nina with a worried aura. "I'm so sorry, Nina," Ed found himself apologising once again.
Truthfully, Ed didn't even know what he was apologising for. It wasn't like he'd forced Tucker to try and transmute his daughter and her pet dog together. But then again, he didn't offer the man any help with his research these past few days, having been too caught up in his own. If he had offered his assistance for a couple of hours every day, could he have helped Tucker with a breakthrough that wouldn't have almost cost Nina and Alexander their lives? Or perhaps, Ed thought as he continued trying to comfort Nina, he was apologising because he knew what it was like to have a father throw away his family when his child was so young. Maybe he was apologising for the unsurety that would be Nina's life now. With her father on his way to jail and her mother dead, Nina would likely go into an orphanage or foster home if there were no blood relatives willing or able to take her in and from what little Nina and Tucker had said of their family, it was likely there were none who could take a young girl and her dog on.
"Big brother," Nina whimpered, turning suddenly and forcing her way into his lap before she wrapped her arms around his neck and continued sobbing into his shoulder.
"I'm here," Ed promised her, returning the hug as tightly as he dared while he shifted slightly so he was sitting on the back of his legs rather than crouching as he had been. Alexander let out a small whine before he lay down behind Nina and rested his full weight on her back and Ed's knees. The blonde rolled his eyes at the pitiful noise before he scratched the dog behind his ears, causing Alexander's tongue to loll out of his mouth in pleasure.
They continued to stay in the position they were in for several minutes. Ed could hear the sounds of multiple people – including Al – moving through the house and he'd received reports from both Chester and Ayala that Tucker was about to be taken into custody. Ed thought about not telling Nina that he was being moved but he couldn't keep that from her. To his surprise, when he asked her if she wanted to see him, Nina had shaken her head. Her crying started up again but the little girl was adamant that she wanted to stay with Ed so he didn't try and push her into seeing Tucker.
They didn't move an inch, despite the fact that Ed's right leg was starting to tingle with pins and needles from the position he was in, until Nala spoke to Ed. "Roy needs your report and he needs to speak with Nina," the lioness told him and Ed sighed.
"Tucker isn't in the house, right? He's gone?" Ed asked, not wanting Nina to see her father after the little girl's vehement refusal to do so earlier.
"He's been escorted into an ambulance. Warrant Officer Falman and Sergeant Fuery are accompanying him to the hospital," Nala assured him and Ed gave a small, internal sigh of relief.
"I'll be there in a minute," the blonde promised Nala, who gave a quick, affectionate thanks before pulling away from their connection leaving Ed to focus on Nina. "Nina?" he said softly and got a small hum in response. "We need to go and speak with some people now," he told her and that got Nina's attention.
"Who?" she asked as she pulled away from Ed's shoulder to look him in the eye.
"My boss and our team," Ed told her. "You remember me and Al telling you about them, right?" he asked and she nodded. "They're who we called so we need to go and talk to them about what happened, okay?" he asked and once again, she nodded though she didn't look happy about having to move.
Ed could sense Ayala's worry and slight impatience directed at him and sent her back a reassurance that he and Nina were fine and that they were now coming as he made to stand, only to stop in his movements when Nina tightened her grip on him. Alexander seemed to realise they were about to get moving as he'd pulled himself so he was standing but now he was just watching them as Ed debated on what he should do. In the end, he did the only thing that seemed like it would be best for Nina: he scooped a hand under her and picked her up so he was carrying her.
When no protest was uttered by the five-year-old, Ed gestured for Alexander to move out of his way, which the dog did only to almost be walking on Ed's heels in his desire to stay close to his mistress. Ed rolled his eyes at the mutt as they exited Nina's room and turned to head down the same corridor Ed had walked up only a few minutes ago after dealing with Tucker. Nina clung to him like a koala and Ed, for once, couldn't care less whether Mustang saw him showing any signs of being soft or weak as he gently stroked Nina's back to keep his adopted sister calm and comforted.
They finally came across the remaining members of Mustang's team, Mustang himself, Al, and the Animals just outside of the laboratory door. Ed could hear the sounds of cameras being used inside the room and considering he didn't know who the albatross, tabby cat, or antelope lingering further down the hall was bonded to, Ed assumed there was a team of Investigations officers in the room documenting everything. Ayala and Chester noticed them first and Ayala was soon glued to Ed's side, glaring at Alexander so he'd move, causing Ed to roll his eyes at her. Just as Ed came to a stop near Al, who immediately moved to hover behind Ed's left shoulder so he could softly murmur to Nina, Leo and Hughes appeared from inside the laboratory, confirming that Ed hadn't imagined Leo's presence amongst the approaching group earlier.
"Hey, Hughes. Hey, Leo. What are the two of you doing here?" Ed asked as Nina's equally soft voice answered Al's concerned questions. He could feel Nala's concern for him still present in their bond and he flashed her a smile that seemed to get the lioness to relax a little. Alexander, it appeared, had deemed Nina in safe hands for the moment as he was now going around to the unfamiliar Animals and introducing himself to them.
"I stayed at Roy's last night so we were both on our way to Eastern Command when Lieutenant Hawkeye got a hold of us to tell us you had called for backup," Hughes told him. The man's green eyes turned soft as he took in Nina, who was now peeking out from where she'd hidden her face against Ed's shoulder so she could look at everyone.
Deciding it would be easier if they split this up, Ed nudged Nina slightly, getting her attention. "Do you think you can go with Al, Lieutenant Havoc, and Lieutenant Breda so that Havoc and Breda can speak with you a little bit about this morning?" he asked her, helpfully pointing out Havoc and Breda as he mentioned them.
"What about you, big brother Ed?" Nina asked, eyes warily watching the adults standing near them.
"I get the unimaginable joy of speaking to Mustang," Ed told her, lacing his words with the exaggerated sarcasm he always used when speaking about Mustang to Nina. He was happy when the familiar tone caused Nina to smile a little and even chuckle. "But I do get to speak with Lieutenant Hawkeye, Nala, and Soren so that's more than enough to make up for it," Ed said, giving her a wink that had her smile widening a little more.
"Can I meet them after I've gone with big brother Al?" Nina asked, her eyes now with a hopeful spark as she looked between Ed, the adults nearby, and the Animals with them.
"Course you can, kiddo. All the Animals are a tonne of fun to be around and so are most of their humans," Ed told her.
The promise had the desired effect and had Nina squeezing Ed tightly once more before she reached out for Al, who happily took her from Ed. "How about we go into the kitchen, hmm? We can get you and Alexander something to eat," Al suggested to Nina. The dog's name being spoken out loud got his attention and he moved to Al's side, though he was eyeing Chester a bit warily as he did so.
"Okay, big brother Al!" Nina agreed. The enthusiasm in her voice wasn't anywhere near the level it normally was but Ed figured he would've been more surprised if it had been.
A nod from Mustang had Havoc and Breda following Al, their three Animals trailing behind while Alexander stuck as close to Nina as he could. Once Nina was out of earshot, Mustang turned to Ed. "What happened?" he asked, for once not sounding like he was demanding answers from Ed, which is the only reason the blonde started explaining everything immediately.
"Last night as we were leaving here, Ayala warned me away from Tucker. She said something bad was going to happen, something that would hurt me and Al or at least affect us badly and she didn't want us coming back here," Ed started saying. "I didn't fully believe her as Tucker had given me no indications that he was dangerous to us or anyone else but Chester said he also felt the same dread that Ayala did and didn't want us coming back today," he said.
"So you ignored Ayala and Chester and did so anyways?" Mustang asked disbelievingly and a little judgmentally.
Ed and Ayala both pinned him with unimpressed glares. "Of course not," Ed said, a hint of a snarl in his voice. "I asked them when they thought this dangerous thing would happen and I asked Havoc to pick us up earlier than normal so we could get here before it could in hopes that we could either stop it or prevent it from becoming as bad as the Animals thought it would. At the very least, Al and I could get Nina and Alexander out of the house and keep them safe while whatever was going to happen happened," Ed told him.
"So what happened?" Hughes asked. "I saw the transmutation circle on the ground in there and I saw the condition Tucker was in but he didn't say anything when Al released him and Falman and Fuery escorted him to the ambulance," he said.
A flicker of grief washed over Ed's features, causing Hawkeye, Hughes, Mustang, and their Animals to exchange glances while Ayala pressed against Ed's side to ground him. "When we knocked, no one answered but the front door was unlocked so we entered the house. We found Nina and Alexander standing in the middle of the array with Tucker drawing out the last of it," Ed said. From the soft gasps he heard, he knew the three understood what that meant. "The array was designed to combine a human and an animal and create a human chimera," Ed revealed. "Tucker was moments away from transmuting Nina and Alexander together when we turned up," Ed said.
"Why would anyone do that?" Hawkeye asked, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice. "Particularly a father to his own child."
"Tucker was desperate to pass his recertification assessment," Ed told her. "Desperate enough to sacrifice another family member to do so," he said, voice soft.
"Ed, what do you mean by "another family member"?" Hughes asked, sounding like he almost didn't want to know the answer.
Ed glanced up to find all three of them watching him, varying degrees of horror and disgust in their expressions. Once again, Ayala pressed against him as he took in a slightly shaky breath and this time, her comfort was paired with a wave of warmth from Nala, Soren, and Leo. "Two years ago, Tucker made a chimera who could understand human speech and speak itself," Ed said, eyes flicking between the floor and the three adults before landing on Hughes, deciding to speak to him directly since he'd been the one to ask. "Two years ago, Tucker's wife and her Animal disappeared, supposedly because she abandoned him and Nina to go and live with her parents in the country," Ed told them. He could literally see the moment where it all clicked for them. "Two years ago, Tucker combined his wife and her Animal together to make a chimera so he could become a State Alchemist," Ed said, his tone shaking with the anger he still felt simmering below his skin at Tucker and what he'd done to his wife and almost did to Nina.
The statement seemed to have stunned everyone into silence, even Mustang, as they processed what Ed had just told them. Ed watched as Mustang seemed to force his mask back into place out of sheer will before he addressed Ed again. "What happened when you entered the laboratory?"
Ed wanted to be annoyed that Mustang was seemingly ignoring the bombshell about Nina's mother's fate but knew that this was the only way Mustang was going to be able to deal with the information in a non-violent manner. It did help that Nala was in his mind and assuring him that Mustang was almost as furious as Ed was himself. "I used a stone-splitting array to destroy the floor just as he tried to activate his array," Ed said. "Thankfully, my alchemy was quicker and destroyed his array before the transmutation could be completed." Ed shuddered as the unwilling image of what could've happened if he and Al hadn't been there to stop it came to his mind. "Because his transmutation was disrupted and unable to be completed, the alchemic energy he put into it rebounded on him and knocked him and his Animal out," Ed told them.
"And the injuries to his legs?" Hughes asked, recalling the deep gashes in both of Tucker's legs that looked remarkably like claw marks.
"He got them trying to get through Ayala and Chester to get to me when I came back to check on him after getting Nina and Alexander out of the room," Ed said with zero remorse or guilt in his tone. Ayala looked equally unrepentant about her actions.
"Did he admit his crimes to you?" Mustang asked.
"Yes," Ed said before his face pinched and he amended his answer. "Well he didn't come out and say "I murdered my wife and her Animal by combining them with a chimera array and I fully intended to do the same thing with my daughter and her pet because I'm a greedy, money-obsessed dickface" but he did admit to human experimentation and told me that he – and I quote – "made it so she and her Animal were closer than any bonded pair had ever been" – end quote, in reference to his wife when I asked if he'd transmuted her and her Animal together," Ed told him.
"Was Alphonse in the room with you or just the Animals?" Mustang asked, glancing down at Ayala, who looked as impressed with the questions as Ed was.
"Just Ayala and Chester since I'd asked Al to stay with Nina and call you lot in. Why are you asking?" Ed queried.
Mustang sighed. "So that when the prosecutor for this case asks who they can call for witnesses to Tucker confession – assuming Tucker doesn't plead guilty and save everyone the hassle of a trial – I can tell them whether they can call on Alphonse or not," Mustang said.
"Fair enough, I suppose," Ayala said, still eyeing Mustang with a bit of suspicion. Ed snorted in response to her comment but didn't explain himself when Mustang glared at him.
"What did you tell Nina?" Hughes asked, getting Ed's attention onto him.
"Just that her dad did was going to do something really bad to her and Alexander and that he might be going to jail because of it. She knows he's at the hospital but she doesn't know the details of what he was planning to do and I haven't told her anything about her mother's death," Ed told him.
"Do you know if there's any family in the area that could take her in?" Hughes asked next.
Ed shook his head. "I never spoke to Tucker or Nina in length about any family they might have but they hadn't mentioned anyone to me while Al and I were researching here. I know she has grandparents in the country – her mother's parents – but I have no clue whether they're even still alive," Ed admitted.
Hughes sighed as he scrubbed a hand down his face. "I'll contact my team and assign someone to look into any family there might be for Nina to go live with," he said, looking at Ed. "In the meantime, I'm sure there's a foster family or orphanage that will take her in."
Ed shook his head. "Nina and Alexander can stay with me, Al, and the Animals at a hotel for a few days," Ed told him before glaring over at Mustang. "We still have some research time granted to us and we'll use it to make sure she's safe until a family member can be found," he said, daring Mustang to argue with him.
"What if there is no family around to take her in? Your granted research time will eventually run out and you can't switch between being a research and field State Alchemist," Mustang reminded him. "And that's not mention that fact that you can't legally apply to be her guardian until you're 18 at least," he added.
"I know that," Ed said, gritting his teeth so he wouldn't snap at his commanding officer, "but the last thing Nina needs right now is to be taken away from people she knows and counts as family and being thrown into a house where no one knows her and likely wouldn't allow Alexander to stay with her considering he's not a Spirit Animal," Ed said firmly. "I'm sure Hughes will find any remaining family or a suitable foster family who will take on both Nina and Alexander before my research grant runs out," he added confidently, looking over at Hughes.
"You can count on it, Ed," Hughes promised, giving the blonde a smile.
Mustang sighed but gave an acquiescing nod. However, before he could say anything, a young voice called out Ed's name. They all looked over at the source of the noise and found Nina heading for Ed, closely followed by Alexander, Alphonse, Chester, Havoc, Breda, Dubuffet, and Mark. "Big brother Ed! Mr. Havoc and Mr. Breda said they didn't need to ask me anymore questions," Nina told him the moment she reached him.
"So you're all ready to meet the Animals, I take it?" Ed asked, crouching down so he was eyelevel with Nina, who nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes, please, big brother!" Nina said delightedly.
Ed grinned, happy to see that the morning's events weren't haunting the little girl at the moment. He knew it was likely that it would all hit her again later today but for right now, he was just happy that Nina was smiling. "Okay, let's start with Mark," Ed said, gesturing for the rooster to join him, which he did after Havoc gave an amused nod. "So this is Mark. He's Lieutenant Havoc's Animal and he's a marsh daisy rooster," Ed explained.
Nina's eyes were open in awe as she crouched down so she could look at Mark closer. "He's so pretty!" she gushed, causing Ed and Al to chuckle while Mark preened at the praise. Ed didn't notice the amused and/or soft smiles on everyone's faces as they watched the scene in front of them.
Mark let out a soft clucking noise that had Nina looking at Ed questioningly. "I bet he's saying "thank you" for that compliment," Ed told her, sharing an amused look with Mark, Ayala, and Chester once the rooster's words cleared from his mind.
"Oh! You're welcome, Mark!" Nina said with a smile. "When did you first meet Mark, big brother?" Nina asked, looking over at him before she focused back on Mark so she could take in his colours once more.
"Well, I met him a couple of years ago when I first met Havoc," Ed told her. "Ayala and I had just arrived in East City on the train…"
Though Mustang would never admit it out loud, he had never been gladder to have Edward call him and the team to help than he was right now. He was certainly grateful that the scene they were called to wasn't any worse than what it is and not just for his sake. He could see just how close Ed and Al were to Nina, closer than he'd expected despite the young girl being brought up quite a few times during the dinner Hughes had invited them to a couple of nights ago, and he knew just how much it would've affected Ed if he hadn't heeded Ayala's warnings and had come to the Tucker residence the same time they always did.
As he watched the scene in front of him, Mustang wound up tuning Ed's recollection of his first meeting with Mark when he noticed the expression on Hughes' face. Giving Hawkeye a reassuring gesture when she noticed him moving behind her, Mustang made his way over to his best friend. He was completely unsurprised to notice his lioness moving so she was close to Ed, likely so she could check on him once more, the moment he'd started heading for Hughes. "You have your scheming face on. What are you planning?" Mustang asked, keeping his voice quiet enough that the only ones who reacted to it were Ayala, Chester, and any Animal with hearing as good as theirs.
"Did you hear the way she was calling Ed and Al her big brothers?" Hughes asked, his green eyes watching the scene affectionately. However, behind that affection was a consideration that Mustang wasn't entirely sure what to make of.
"Yes," Mustang said, a touch hesitantly. Though he'd been friends with Hughes for years, it wasn't like he could read the man's mind and know exactly what he was thinking right now.
"She's close in age to Elysia," Hughes said and Mustang felt a small sliver of realisation set in. However, he didn't act on his suspicion, wanting to hear it from Hughes. "The two of them would get along like a house on fire and Gracia would absolutely love another daughter to dote on," Hughes told Mustang, his eyes not moving from Nina, Ed, Al, Ayala, Chester, and Alexander. "Plus, Nina and Alexander wouldn't be separated and she would be able to Ed and Al when they visited during missions in Central," he added.
To Mustang, it sounded like his best friend was voicing all the points that would aid his argument but all Mustang could feel was an unsurprised disbelief that his best friend was thinking of adopting Nina and her dog and bringing them into his family. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Hughes," Mustang said, keeping his voice at the same volume it had been during their talk. "She might have family willing and able to take her in," he pointed out, ignoring Hughes' pout.
"I know," the lieutenant-colonel insisted. "I'm not saying that I'm going to file adoption papers this minute. I'm just thinking," Hughes told him. "Plus, as much as I'm sure my beautiful wife would be willing to take her and Alexander on, I would need to speak with Gracia first before any paperwork could be signed," Hughes added.
"Yes, I imagine bringing home a child, a dog, and the news that you had adopted both without consulting her wouldn't go down well with Gracia," Mustang said dryly, getting a snort from Hughes in response.
The snort caught Ed's attention and the blonde's golden eyes narrowed slightly at the two of them, having just now noticed Mustang had moved, but a shake of Hughes' head and smile from the man had Ed turning his attention back to Nina and Alexander, who was introducing himself properly to Soren, who was currently resting on Ed's right arm. "You'd probably be proven right if I did do that," Hughes chuckled, eyes sparkling fondly as he watched Ed show Nina how to pat Soren, once the owl had given the little girl permission to touch him by nodding at her request.
Mustang sighed slightly. "As long as you're aware," he said flatly. If asked in the future why he admitted so out loud, Mustang would claim that it had been said in a moment born from the years of friendship he had with Hughes. "At least if she is adopted by you, Fullmetal and Alphonse will be assured that she's with a good and loving family."
Hughes' blindingly bright grin had Mustang almost immediately regretting his decision to utter those words out loud but he decided to avoid anything Hughes was going to do or say in response by focusing his attention back on Ed, Nina, Al, Alexander, Ayala, and Chester. Though Mustang would never wish for any child to go through what Nina had gone through this morning, he knew that it could've ended a lot worse if it hadn't been for the Elrics and for that reason he was going to count today as a good day in his books.
A/N - so it probably won't be a surprise to anyone who might be reading this chapter that this is the way I wanted to write the scene in the original AU. Those of you who have read the original story know my reasons why I didn't but for those who don't, I wanted to showcase how important it is for a human to listen to their Animal's instincts. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this scene and I really hope that if someone did read this, that they'll have strong enough feelings for it to leave me a review letting me know their thoughts. See you all next week!