Sunlight filtered into the small room unforgivingly, as the blinds had not been shut the previous evening and Roy was far too exhausted to get out of bed. He laid there, one arm covering his eyes in a half-hearted attempt to keep the light out, as he tried to remain in the comfortable place between awakeness and sleep. Although objectively, his bed back in Central was much more expensive and familiar, he did not think he had ever laid on a bed as comfortable as this. The mattress was stuffed firm with sheep's wool and it held him stiffly, yet also caressed his sides. The blankets were just warm enough to leave him at the perfect temperature and he knew he would live the rest of his life in bliss if he never had to leave this bed again. He knew that, once they got back out on the open road, he would find himself longing for this bed in this old wooden house, rather than the one he'd spent the last few years in back in his old home.

But the light only grew harsher and he groaned, rolling over to turn his back on the cruel sun. However, that moved him from his comfortable position and he was now wide awake. The illusion was gone and he knew he needed to get up.

Slowly, he pried his eyes open so they focused on the old, worn wooden wall. Then, he sat up and then stood, and was about to cross to the door when he instead decided to close the damn blinds. The light was absolutely pouring in, making the old wood planks look as though they were on fire.

As he approached the window, the green meadow outside blossomed into view. It was lush and rolling, and he spotted a few cows and other animals grazing in the field. As he reached the windowpane, he took a deep breath, letting the crisp, fresh air fill his lungs. With so many people, Central's air was not half as clean as Risembool's. Previously, Roy had never thought about it, but now he wondered how he had ever been able to breathe in the crowded city.

Thunk!

The deep pop drew the man out of his thoughts as he turned his head instinctively towards the sound. The first thing that caught his attention was the end of an arrow sticking out of a thick log in the field to his left. As he traced his gaze further left, he saw Riza there, completely unaware she was being watched. She was quite a few yards away from the log and had her bow in hand. Her hair was wet from a bath and dripping onto the collar of the same white dress she was borrowing. Roy watched as she grabbed another arrow, and loaded it onto the bow. She gripped the front of the weapon with her hand, though her fingers only lightly tapped the front end as he palm pushed against the inside panel and held it steady. Three fingers were placed carefully on the string and she took aim, drawing the arrow back with a perfectly positioned, completely straight arm. As she held her stance, Roy felt himself holding his breath as he watched, releasing only when she did. The arrow flew so quickly, he barely caught the whooshing sound of it flying through the air before landing in the dead center of the log with another satisfying thunk.

He smiled as she examined her shot, her face looking puzzled and unsatisfied. Of course, he knew, she was a perfectionist and would never accept that she literally could not have been closer to the center of the log. He pondered her as she set up to take another shot, watching as she adjusted her arms, the back of the dress hugging her a little too tightly for comfort. It was hard to believe that this strong, willful, perfectionist woman was the same young girl he'd known years before, but he was slowly accepting the idea.

And the friendship and comradery he had with Hawk were now being replaced by deep loyalty and affection for Riza. While under the command of the King in the Royal Army, he had been so focused on moving up to a higher status that he barely had time for friends. Hawk was one of them, and, although he often was annoyed by the man's antics, he also considered Hughes a close friend.

Briefly, he wondered how the energetic, black-haired man was doing. Although he came off as silly, Maes was strong and could easily be underestimated. And, Roy shuddered to think what would happen to the person stupid enough to come between him and his family. Gracia and Elicia were his whole world and he was theirs. Yes, he figured, Hughes would be alright.

His attention turned back to Riza with another thunk into the log. She tucked a strand of hair around her ear out of force of habit and then walked to the log to pull the arrows out. He knew, as he stood watching her carefully pluck the arrows out that, that he would hardly be able to continue on without her. As her secret unwound, it wrapped itself between them, forcing them closer than they had been before. She was no longer his subordinate, but his friend. He was too busy to think about deeper feelings than that, but still, he knew he would not want to continue this journey-or any journey for that matter-without her.

He reached up and pulled down the blinds before turning to head out the door. As he walked down the hall towards the kitchen, he paused in the doorway of the room the brothers had been put to sleep in. Carefully, he opened the door and peered in, his eyes adjusting from the bright, sun-filled hall to the dimmer, but still easy to see in the bedroom. The curtain was closed, darkening the room, but the sun was crashing into the back of the cloth, giving the room a comforting glow.

Roy noticed that Edward was still asleep, but was breathing gently. He could tell even in the dim light that more color had come to his cheeks. While he was sure no one would say he was out of the woods, the mage felt pretty confident that he would be alright.

His eyes then glanced over to the bed on the far end of the room, only to find the sheets rustled and a pillow lying on the floor next to it. Alphonse was nowhere to be found in the room and Roy was glad for that. Hopefully, it meant that he was feeling better.

He turned and exited the room and closed the door with a soft click behind him. He made his way back down the hall and found Pinako in the kitchen, making a simple breakfast of eggs.

"Good morning," she greeted without looking up from the stove. She'd heard the squeaking of the floorboards and the opening and closing of the boys' bedroom. "Riza mentioned that you were a long sleeper. I can see she wasn't exaggerating."

Roy laughed nervously, his cheeks turning a light shade of red at the mention of his heavy sleeping habits. "What can I say, ma'am?" he asked with a chuckle. "That was the first real bed I've slept on in weeks!" Pinako just hummed in response and Roy realized they were the only ones in the kitchen. "Where is everyone?"

"Outside watching Riza practice," the old woman replied. "She got up a few hours ago and asked if we had arrows. By chance, we do from finding them randomly in the woods. Alphonse woke up and sat here for a bit while I checked him over. When Winry woke up, they went outside to watch."

"Oh, got it. How's the kid doing?"

Pinako moved away from the stove and towards the counter where she pulled out some bread. "Oh, he's alright. He'll be good as new tomorrow," she responded while fiddling with the twist tie. "And Edward's own fever is down. I'm hoping he'll wake today."

"That would be great," Roy agreed. "We need to know what happened to those boys, and how Edward lost his arm and leg."

"Yes, but don't be surprised if he's not up for questioning," she said. "He still has a long road to recovery."

"Of course."

Pinako moved back to the stove and began toasting the bread on another pan. She glanced out the window where she had a clear view of Riza shooting her arrows. "Your girlfriend is very good at archery."

"Girlfriend?!" Roy spat out, completely caught off guard by the woman's reference to Riza. He'd given Pinako just the reaction she'd wanted and she burst into laughter.

"Oh, lighten up! I'm just teasing." She chuckled, her smile lighting up her wrinkled rosy cheeks. As she turned to him, Roy glanced down as he willed the redness to leave his face so she couldn't see how much it had gotten him. "But she is excellent."

"Of course she is, she's my right-hand man… Woman," the mage responded with a good-natured laugh. He tried to put the woman's teasing comment behind him and peeked out the window at Riza. "I wouldn't have made it out of Central without her."

"She's sharp. Keep her close. And go get all them for breakfast now. I'm not heating it all up again!"

The mage paused since she'd wrapped the command up so closely with her complement of Riza. When it registered that she wanted him to go get the woman and two children to eat, he backed up quickly, nearly tripping over himself as he hurried out the door.

The air was mild and a light breeze drifted over the plains. The sun was set firmly in the sky, which reminded Roy that he had slept in quite late, and the green hills appeared lush and beautiful in the bright light.

Riza was a few feet away from the house, completely wrapped up in her archery. Roy knew better than to scare her, so he decided to approach the children on the porch first to allow her time to loose all the arrows in her pouch.

Alphonse sat on the stairs while Winry hung onto the rail. Both were as engrossed in the bow and arrows as Riza was and they watched with awe as the woman hit the center of the log every single time. Roy couldn't help but fall into a daze while watching as well, but he quickly snapped out of it.

"Hey, kid," the man said as he stood over the younger boy. Alphonse was startled a little, but he turned to look up at Roy with a smile. He seemed a little nervous around the mage, and Roy felt bad since he was sure he had been rather short with the child while on the road. Now that he was cleaned up and well-rested, he felt much better.

"Hi, sir."

"Roy is fine." He smiled and sat down on the steps. Alphonse looked for a moment like he might scoot away, but decided against it and sat where he was. He realized he didn't mind the closeness and Roy seemed much more friendly than he had before. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," the kid said, a slight smile gracing his lips, but his eyes shone with regret. "Edward's still… you know."

"Yeah, but he'll be okay. You'll see." The smile didn't quite reach Roy's eyes, but he tried his hardest because he wanted the boy to feel safe and comfortable. "Just focus on you for now, okay? On getting better." Coming from the hell he'd just escaped from, Roy knew that was easier said than done and it didn't seem that Alphonse took his suggestion to heart. But, a smile and a nod told Roy that the kind words were, at least, appreciated.

He stood and was just about to grab Riza when he saw she was circling back from the wood post with some arrows. He waved her over and let her know they were about ready for breakfast and the everyone hurried inside for a shared meal.

After breakfast, Alphonse went to the small bedroom where Edward was asleep and sat at his bedside until his brother awoke later in the day. He was not the only one in the room usually, as everyone else in the house filtered in and out as the hours went by. Winry sat with him in silence until she became fidgety and went off to see what the two travelers had brought back from the market. Pinako was in quite a bit, but she still had businesses to run and had a few patients come by for a checkup. Roy and Riza went into town to gather some things and hear the news but were back before midday. Riza would sit in the room for a while, occasionally stealing away to practice her bow and arrow. Roy ended up somewhere between helping Pinako and keeping Winry company.

When Edward stirred, it was just Alphonse and Riza in the room. Riza was flipping through the latest local paper she had picked up at the market. Nothing particularly interesting was written on the thin light grey sheets. It was largely local gossip, advertisements, and details about the next village council race, but it gave her a sense of how the townspeople felt and what they valued. That would go a long way in getting more information out of people.

"Miss Riza!" Alphonse suddenly called, startling the woman. Riza glanced up as the boy jumped off the edge of the empty bed and stumbled forward towards Edward. Riza felt her heart begin to beat fast but took it upon herself to calmly stand and walk over. Sure enough, a pair of golden pained eyes stared up at her from the bed and searched her face for some recognition.

"Brother," Alphonse exclaimed, his voice sounding far too loud in such a quiet and subdued room. "You're awake! Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Edward opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. It was clear that the questions overwhelmed him, and his inability to move freely and without pain was frightening.

"Alphonse." Riza's tone was low and soft as she placed a hand on the child's shoulder. "Your brother has just woken up, I'm sure he's very confused. Let's handle one thing at a time." She turned to Edward who looked a little relieved that she had rescued him from his brother's onslaught of questions. "You're safe," she said, knowing those were the only words the boy would want to hear. "And you're hurt, but you're safe. Let me grab Pinako to check you over." She turned as Alphonse sat down on the edge of the occupied bed. A smile crossed her face as she left the room, glad that the brothers had been reunited.

"Pinako," Riza called as she stepped into the hall that was now illuminated by the sun shining through the windows on the far end of the house. She turned the corner to the kitchen where Roy and Winry were sitting at the table playing a card game. Riza almost forgot the urgency of her mission because she was so taken aback by the look on Roy's face. She knew that Roy had often spent time with Maes's daughter, Elicia, but she had rarely seen him look so content and at ease with a young child.

But the two glanced up at her as soon as they heard the loose wooden floorboard creak. Roy Half stood, half bent over the table upon seeing the frantic look Riza didn't realize she was wearing on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked as Winry nervously shot a glance over.

"The boy-Edward," Riza said, "He's awake." She locked eyes with the girl. "Winry, can you go find your grandmother?"

"Yes, of course," the girl said, jumping up from the table and hurrying out the door to find her grandmother. Roy walked over, his eyes searching the door to the room the boys were in as he rocked on his feet.

"How is he?" Roy asked as Riza followed his gaze to the door. Suddenly, she felt so useless, so stupid, because she had no idea what she was supposed to do now. In the Royal Guard, she was an injury creator, not a healer. The little first aid knowledge she knew involved bandaging the wound and gritting teeth until the injured party could find an actual healer. It absolutely did not extend to a young child with two missing limbs.

"I don't know," the woman admitted. "He's awake, though, so that has to be a good sign." Roy just nodded, knowing as much about healing as she did. He could work a little magick, but not much, as flame magery didn't much lend itself to alleviating pain.

It was then that the front door flung open and the short, but loud and heavy footed old woman came bustling into the house. She didn't acknowledge the two adults standing outside the doorway before she disappeared into the bedroom. Within a minute, Alphonse was being shoved out with a long whine. Winry joined the party outside the room and they all stood there, huddled in a circle, like an awkward family waiting anxiously waiting outside a hospital room. Alphonse was not happy about being kicked out of the room, but Riza, Roy, and Winry were content to wait until Pinako gave them the clear.

It was a while before the door opened again, but it did eventually, just as the group was about to migrate to the kitchen. Pinako looked a little worn out, but a thin smile lingered on her lips and that was all the response they needed to know that Edward was doing alright. As alright as a child with two missing limbs could be, at least.

"How is he?" Alphonse ventured in a quiet, hoarse voice that hadn't been used in at least an hour.

"All things considered, good," Pinako confirmed. "He's awake and I'm sure you have questions, but please do try not to overwhelm him."

"Of course," Roy agreed as they made their way into the bedroom. Edward was resting against the slightly propped up pillows and he looked much more relaxed than he had when he first awoke. Alphonse hurried to his side and the brothers exchanged a grateful, but gentle hug. Roy and Riza stood back with Pinako and Winry to allow the brothers their moment.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Alphonse breathlessly as he sat down on the edge of the bed again. "I was so worried. You've been asleep for days and I was worried that… You know, that…"

"Oh, shut up Al," Edward said with a lopsided smirk. His voice was laced with obvious tiredness, but a nasally, boisterous tone shone through. "Of course I'm fine. You gotta have someone to watch out for you right?"

Alphonse smiled weakly and turned away so his brother couldn't see him wiping at the tears that began to prick his eyes. He then turned back, a wider grin now pulling at his lips. "Right," he said as the rollercoaster of emotions turned his smile into a worried frown. "But, brother, what about… You know." The boy gestured to where Edward's full arm used to be. His brother followed the gaze and regarded the empty space as though for the first time, and then merely shrugged as though it were just a minor scratch.

"Guess I'll have to get new ones," he said like getting a new arm was akin to buying some new clothes. "Hey Granny, when did you say I can get a new arm and leg?"

Pinako's eyebrows raised to her hairline and she looked as though she was trying her hardest not to yell at a sick and injured boy for his abrasive nature. She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "A year, at least," the woman replied. "Do you have any idea just how injured you are, boy? Your recovery is going to take ages, and that's not even counting how long it will take to actually prepare your body for the surgery." She shrugged. "You're pretty short as it is."

Edward's face turned red and he began to sputter angrily as he tried to move up and over to ring the old woman's neck. Alphonse quickly pushed him back down and it wasn't like Edward could get very far anyway. "You hag!" the boy shouted instead. "I'm perfectly fine! Just give me a new arm and leg!"

"And then there's the whole problem of the cost," Pinako pondered.

"You're gonna charge a poor sick kid for new limbs?!" Edward yelled.

"Brother!" Alphonse scolded, placing a firm hand on Edward's chest to keep him from actually trying to jump up.

"Well, of course! This is a business after all, not a charity." Pinako shrugged. "But regardless, you are far too injured for me to even begin to think of preparing you for surgery. Just focus on resting and getting rid of that attitude of yours."

Edward just rolled his eyes and huffed back against the pillows. He knew he was going to find some way to get a set of automail, but an hour after waking up was probably not the best time to argue.

"We do have some questions," Roy said, stepping towards the bed. "If you're up for them."

"Yeah, whatever," Edward shrugged.

"How did this all happen?" Roy asked and Edward glanced down at the sheets.

"An accident."

"Okay," Roy sat down on the opposite bed and studied the boy, who made every effort not to look at the man. Roy knew he was lying, not just from his expression, but because Alphonse had tearfully recounted exactly why this had happened just a week before. "An accident." Roy turned the words over on his lips as he thought about how to bring up another question. "So, you accidentally made a deal to bring your mother back to life?"

The room was thrust into a silence. Edward whipped around to stare at Roy with a mix of horror and regret. Riza's mouth opened, as though she was going to scold Roy for speaking so carelessly, but no sound came out. Alphonse looked down, guilty for sharing the terrible secret in a moment of weakness.

"How do you know about that?" Edward broke the silence with a steely voice through gritted teeth.

"Your brother told me," Roy replied. Edward turned his glare to Alphonse who was focused on staring at the door. "Hey, don't be mad at him. He carried you around those woods for two days before bumping into us. And I'm not gonna tell you what I think of the whole thing. I think you've learned well enough already." The older brother looked back over at Roy, his face still hardened, but his eyes significantly softer.

"I guess that wasn't an accident, then," Edward said in a hollow voice. "Yeah. I tried to bring her back."

"How did you get from bringing your mother back to missing two limbs?"

"I went to a witch to help me," Ed explained. "She said she could help. And then, well, it didn't work, and she said that of course, it wouldn't work. Magick can't bring people back to life. But, I still owe her and she said she wanted my leg and my brother's arm. I told Al to run and she took my arm and leg and then…" He gripped the sheets. "I woke up a bit here and there, but I guess then I ended up here."

Everyone had listened to the story with baited breath. Alphonse nodded along, confirming the account of the events. When he was finished, the silence lingered, because they couldn't, or better, didn't want to believe that something this terrible could happen to children. Roy especially was angry that someone had tricked the boys. Of course, magick can't bring people back from the dead, but how could two young, desperate boys have known that?

"What happened to your father?" Riza asked, bringing the questioning back on track after the silence had stayed long enough.

"Deadbeat piece of shit bastard," Edward spat out, hatred heavy in his young voice. Riza was taken aback by the tone and language he used but didn't press any further on that issue.

"And your mother? How did she die, and when?"

"Got sick a month or so ago. Lasted a week."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Edward replied with a bitter laugh. "Aren't we all?"

"Where are you from?" Riza asked after a pause, not deterred by the short answers coming from the child.

"Central."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Well, just outside. Why?"

Roy and Riza exchanged a glance. "Well," the woman said. "Mustang and I are from Central too." She paused. "We were from there, at least."

"You're a mage, huh?" Edward asked, glancing back to Roy. The man looked a little surprised because he was sure he had never told the oldest boy about his gift. "I can just tell," Edward answered the question that was not spoken out loud. "I can do magick too. That's why Al and I had to get out. No one left to protect us after Mom died."

"You know about the Royal Decree against Magery?" Riza asked.

"Yeah, that's why we were so far outside of Central," Alphonse chimed in. Another silence fell as everyone figured out what else they wanted to ask, but nothing came to mind. For now, at least, they would have to focus their energy on protecting the boys while Roy and Riza continued on their own journey.

"Alright, well, I think that's enough questioning," Pinako broke the silence and began to usher everyone out of the room. "Come on, let the boy rest. I'll go start dinner." Everyone did as they were told, leaving just the older woman and the injured boy. They regarded each other for a moment before Edward huffily laid back down against the pillows.

"I don't know if you'll be ready for surgery anytime in the next year," Pinako said in a more gentle tone. "But if you can get stronger, I'll see what I can do."

"I will get stronger," Edward replied stubbornly. "I will. Faster than a year."

"Alright. Either way," Pinako placed a kind hand on the covers by Edward's knee. "You and your brother are safe here for as long as needed. We in Risembool aren't taking this whole magery ban kindly. Far too many children have been put at risk. You two will be safe here, though."

Edward was surprised by the kindness shown by the old lady he had just yelled at minutes before, but he smiled slightly.

"Thanks, old hag."

"Go to sleep, little twerp."

"I'm not little!"

Thank you all for the continued support! I adore writing this story and hope you guys continue to enjoy reading it! Since the chapters are long and I have little time, it takes a while to get a new one out, but I promise I will continue this story! Thanks again!