Chapter Two: Home

Alphonse Elric yawned as he stretched his arms above his head, feeling the morning fog gently waft around him. Ever since they had finally gotten back home, Al had taken to early morning strolls, which gave him an opportunity to walk at his own pace without worrying about slowing others down. The peaceful, quiet atmosphere, even along the main road that led into the town center of Resembool, also allowed him to think and reflect. Having so many friends and admirers had been nice, but Al had often felt a little overwhelmed by all the pressure. Now, not having to worry about an impending apocalypse and away from Central, he felt more at peace than he had since he could remember. Still, though, it would be nice to get to see Colonel Mustang and the gang; they hadn't really been able to spend much downtime with them, what with the preparations for Ishbal and all. Now, there was a temporary break as they let the aftermath of the battle with Father die down, with Scar and Major Miles doing some early work to help restore relations. It wouldn't be easy, but it seemed like they had a good start, with the right people to begin to set things right. With this first phase almost done, Mustang had sent a letter to invite the brothers down to spend a little time with them before things got busy again. As hard as it was to leave Winry and Pinako again, who knew when the next chance they'd get would be? Besides, this time it would only be for a few days.

Al paused to rest against a tree, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of the cool mist. He was thankful that, while it was mid-summer, it had been unusually cool recently. It had brought in fog and humidity, but not having to deal with the heat made walking further easier. Al's arms and legs were back, but they were nowhere near functioning at a normal level, and totally dwarfed compared to his previous strength in the armor. He was beyond grateful to be back in his body, but it was admittedly a rough experience at first. After some time in the hospital and physical therapy, though, he was getting strong enough to walk short distances on his own, and the almost three months of recovery meant he could take these walks now without worrying Ed or the Rockbells. Although Pinako gently teased him every now and then for his lingering clumsiness, Al didn't mind, knowing how deeply she cared for them and seeing it as an opportunity to improve. Besides, Al's newly rediscovered sense of taste was drawing him to cooking a lot more, and those potatoes last night had been delicious.

Al figured it was about time to turn around and head back home. He figured he'd gotten about a mile today, and even if it had taken him roughly half an hour, that was the farthest he'd made it on his own power so far. He'd barely needed to use the crutch he had saved for emergencies, and it felt like he was finally starting to get back to feeling healthy, both mentally and physically. Seeing Mrs. Hughes and Elicia back in Central had really helped in the mental space, even if it had been emotionally intense. It had been a couple weeks since the battle, and, with some gentle encouragement from Mustang, Ed and Al had finally picked up the courage to visit them. After Elicia's customary delight at seeing the brothers, she had gone to bed, and talking with Mrs. Hughes afterward gave all three of them something of an emotional catharsis. When she started talking about how proud Maes would have been of them, Al had let tears fall, but he was stunned with how openly Ed had been weeping, too. Mrs. Hughes pulled the two of them into a tight embrace, and it seemed like that finally broke Ed, who seemed to let go of every bit of pain that had been building up within him for the last decade. It had been an incredibly emotional night full of tears, but also of mutual gratitude. We should visit them while we're back in Central, Al thought as the Rockbell house began to appear through the fog. Since then, while Ed still had his usual snark, it was as if he finally let go of a heavy weight he'd been carrying around, and his personality had become a lot more open and less hostile. Al couldn't be happier for him; after everything Ed had sacrificed to bring him back, he deserved that peace of mind. They were occasionally still haunted by thoughts of Nina and Alexander, but with Winry and Pinako back in their lives, having a family to come back to made coping with everything a lot easier.

Al paused once more. The house was close now, and he could make out Granny Pinako on the front porch with her daily cup of coffee and pipe. Enjoying the last of the silence, Al turned toward the house and began ascending the steps.

Pinako seemed lost in thought herself, but gave a wave of greeting as Al approached, sending a gentle ring of smoke out into the fog. Al smiled and waved back, settling into the chair next to hers. She was good morning company, and a nice break from the usual hectic atmosphere that putting Ed and Winry in the same room produced.

"How was it this morning?" she asked in her usual gravelly, but kind voice. She leaned back slightly in her rocking chair, eyeing Al's right leg with slight concern; a few days ago, he had taken his first fall since coming back, and had banged it up a bit.

Alphonse leaned back too, enjoying the reclining chair. "It was alright," he replied. "I had to stop a couple of times and now it's a little sensitive-" he gestured to his knee, which had taken the hit most directly "-but I feel good. I got to think about some things."

Pinako nodded in understanding. "You and me both," she remarked. "You boys have had a lot to take in. It's good you're getting that thinking in out there."

Al nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and as much as I love how crazy and energetic Brother and Winry are, it's nice to have some quiet moments too."

The older woman chuckled in response. "Those two can be quite the handful, can't they?" She took a puff of her pipe. "I suppose it's natural for them, figuring out each other where they are now."

"Mmm," murmured Al in assent. He shivered slightly as a breeze passed through, making him thankful he brought along Ed's sweatshirt on the walk. "I think they just need some time. Everyone knows it'll happen eventually, but Brother's never been the best at saying his feelings. I think they'll be a lot happier once it finally happens though."

Pinako finished taking a sip from her coffee. "Well, with personalities like they have, it's just a matter of time." She chuckled warmly and turned to Al. "What day are you boys heading back to Central?"

"We're trying to go back tomorrow and stay for three or four days," replied Al, who was beginning to crave a cup of coffee himself. Fuery had introduced him to it while stopping by during his recovery, and Al had since become a major fan of it. He fidgeted slightly with his fingers.

Granny nodded, more pensively this time. "Well, you two know how to take care of yourselves, but if you ever need anything, you know who to call."

Al smiled. "Sure thing." He continued to fidget, feeling a little drowsy.

Pinako rolled her eyes in fake exasperation. "Oh, go get your coffee," she snarked good-naturedly, prompting a laugh from Alphonse as he stood up. Her face softened a little as she continued, "and get some rest today. If you're traveling tomorrow, you want to have as much strength as you can."

Al nodded. "Absolutely, Granny. Thanks." He pulled open the screen door, yawning, and entered the house to the smell of fresh coffee. He poured himself a cup and sat down at the kitchen table, marveling at the substance, before being startled by a loud *clunk* sound from above that he recognized as Ed's automail leg hitting the ground. By the sound of it, Ed had either fallen or dragged himself out of bed, and was now making his way down the stairs from the attic that he and Al shared as a bedroom. The mildly irritated voice of Winry said something along the lines of "Can you be any louder?" from the second floor and a groggy, if still somewhat entertaining, round of bickering/banter ensued (Al really couldn't tell which it was these days). Finally, a still half-asleep Ed finished his descent, took a haphazard final step down, and turned toward the kitchen.

"G'morning, Brother," Al greeted him, still savoring the cup of coffee.

Ed stretched, groaning slightly. "Hey Al," he mumbled, lurching toward the pot of coffee and pouring himself a cup. He took a sip and sat opposite Al at the table. Looking a little more awake, he asked, "So, you think you're up for traveling to Central tomorrow?"

Al nodded confidently, taking a swig of his coffee. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone."

"Yeah," Ed agreed, gulping down his coffee in one go. "Even the Bastard, it'll be nice to see. You want me to take that?" He gestured toward Al's now-empty cup.

Al shook his head, enjoying the warmth of the cup on his hands and debating whether to get a second cup. Maybe tomorrow was going to be a little crazy, he thought as Winry descended the stairs and shot Ed a halfway-serious glare, but at least he got to enjoy this peaceful morning with those closest to him.

A/N: Hey everyone, so this chapter and last were basically just an exposition dump/reintroduction to the characters, but starting next chapter I'm excited to start getting the actual story going! Hope you're all doing well and looking forward to seeing you next time.