A/N: Has anyone ever switched over from a windows os to a Mac os? It's so much more different! But I think I quite like the layout better on my mac than on windows 10. Either way, just as I said in the last chapter, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! I would also like to thank those of you who reviewed on the previous chapters. As it does to every author, it means a lot to me, and it keeps me going! So thank you for taking time out of your day to leave a review!
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Chapter 3
Yesterday's Homecoming
Edward rolled his shoulders as he walked up the small paved drive to his house. He wanted nothing more than his own bath, and to lie down on couch, indulge in a glass of Chardonnay and a bowl of cereal, for he couldn't cook to save his life. All of this, of course, could only take place after he took care of that stupid cat next door. With a disgruntled moan, he darted across the yards for the second time that day and into waltzed into the house as if he owned it.
"Tilly," He called rubbing his eyes exhaustedly. "Here kitty kitty." Typically the cat came running at the simple opening of the door. Yet there was no feline there to rub up against his legs. There was a thick type of tense fog that filled the small space. He almost jumped when a soft meow resounded from behind him. "Tilly! You stupid little…ugh," Edward sighed bending down and scooping up the cat. How the thing had managed to get outside was beyond the alchemist. It wasn't as if he had left a window open, or the door creaked. But, from his knowledge of the cats Alphonse constantly brought home when they were children, they could fit through anything their head fit through. "I should just bring you over to my house for the week. It would certainly make all of this easier."
Yet, he didn't. After feeding the small four-legged creature, and cleaning its toiletry, he went back across the lawn to his own home. With a happy, heavy sigh the young man flopped into his chair of choice; the small leather one that sat in front of his fire. He would rest for just a moment and then he would get his small spoilage. Content and comfortable Edward stared at the empty fireplace. When he bought the house, he hadn't planned on living in it for long. It was simply supposed to be somewhere he could return to when not on active duty. But of course, the young pilot found himself spending too many nights at home, and not enough out and about like he had planned. He would have to talk to Roy about that. He hated being stationary, and he understood that because of the boarder wars it was too dangerous to send him on anything serious, but even if it was just so much as going to a base town over and testing their own airplanes, he didn't care. He simply wanted something to do.
So lost was he in his muddled thoughts, that when the phone rang, the blonde grew goose bumps up his arms and his heart pounded in his chest. Thus, it was an unhappy Edward whom answered the phone.
"Elric residence," He grouched out pushing his blonde bangs back from the hair. He certainly didn't care at all if the person on the other line knew just how disgruntled he was. Hell, that was the point of answering the phone with a huff.
"Hello, Edward!" The familiar voice of his neighbor boasted through the phone. The man's boisterous tone was cause for a headache. "How was your day today? I was just calling to check up on Tilly!" Edward sighed heavily into the phone. Of course the man would simply be worried about his cat.
"She's doing just fine as usual. I assure you everything is continuing as you left it." He couldn't control his eyes as they rolled back into his head.
"And no going into the basement correct? You're following all of the usual rules?" Tucker couldn't contain a tinge of excitement as he thought of his precious pets locked in the darkness. He had left them with plenty of water and food for the week, for they didn't each much. Their stomachs hadn't grown and stretched after he had fixed them.
"No, I haven't gone into the basement." Irate, would be a lovely word used to describe Edward's tone. He swore up and down that sometimes the man called him just to bug him or irk him. "And I don't plan to, is there anything else?" Ed certainly didn't want the man thinking he was up for a chat, because in all honesty, he wasn't. He had never been one to chat on the phone incessantly. That had been his brother. His brother, who had not called him yet today, and could be trying to call him that very moment.
"No, no my dear boy," Tucker chuckled deviously on the other side of the line. It bounced around in the recipient's head, finding a place nestled just at the temple area and blooming into a lovely intensifier for his headache. "I'm sure you could use some rest though. Thank you for taking care of that damned cat for me!"
Edward managed his way through the end of the phone call and hung up with a heavy sigh. If he moved any time soon, it would be because of that man. Perhaps, if he put a good few miles between them the man would find fewer reasons to contact him.
By nine o'clock, Alphonse still hadn't called his older brother, giving the young man a cause to worry. There wasn't even a debate about waking him up, before Edward found himself dialing his old number.
"Pinako Automail Services, this is Winry speaking, how can I help you?" It was a soft chime that at one point might have sent tingling shivers up his spine. Now, however, it simply made him flinch in anticipation of a wrench.
"Hey Winry," He held the phone away from his ear as the squeal erupted over the receiver. Honestly, did everyone have to add to his headache today? Or did they not understand that they didn't have to yell into the phone for it to be heard on the other side?
"Hey Edward! You never call us, what's up? You didn't damage your automail did you? Because seriously, I'm going to have to start charging you if you did." Winry chastised parentally. She cared deeply about Edward, even if she was in love with Alphonse. After all, they had all grown up together, and been very close as children. She was happy that Alphonse had thought of her enough to ask for her hand, and she was happy that he made her feel special. But there would always be a special place in her heart for Edward. She knew the day she met him that he would play a large and special part in society.
"No, Winry, my auto mail is fine. I was just curious if you had heard from Alphonse today? He usually calls me when he closes, but I haven't heard anything. I was just getting a little worried," Edward finished a bit lamely. He didn't want her to overreact, which being Winry, she probably still would.
"Oh! He didn't tell you?" The Resembool citizen sounded genuinely confused. "Huh, I could have sworn I told him to give you a call as soon as he could." Her voice sounded muffled as if she were talking through something. Ed certainly wouldn't put it past her to have something in her mouth while she was trying to speak with him. He didn't exactly give her a warning notice, and she was probably fixing someone's limb.
"No," Edward rubbed the bridge of his nose twitchily. "I wouldn't be calling if he had called me at any point in the day." He felt only minimally guilty about the tone of voice he had used. But he could have sworn the phone called spelled itself out.
"Well I guess just give him a bit longer. He should be getting in contact with you soon." Winry buzzed lightly passing the receiver over to her other shoulder. "Hey look, sorry to cut it short. But I've got a pretentious screw here, and I can't really concentrate. I'll try to call you back, love you Ed! Bye!"
Edward didn't even have a chance to get his own salutations in before the line died.
Fuhrer's Office in Central Headquarters
"I see," The spectacled man hummed as he rubbed the tip of chin and read over the papers before him. "So someone has decided to further the study too much?" He looked up at the dark blonde vet before him.
Alphonse simply nodded fidgeting heavily. His nerves had been bundled and knotted since he arrived in Central. He hadn't even had the chance to let his brother know he was there, before he was whisked away in a flurry of black cars and flashing red lights.
"Yes, it's a combination of animals it seems. I won't be able to decipher it completely until I've had a chance to perform more tests." Al had wanted to sound sure in his response. But the man sitting before him had a way of making everyone else in the room feel small; he was no exception.
"Interesting," He leaned back in his char and crossed his arm staring at the man across from him. It was of little interest to him that he was related to one of his more popular soldiers. It did, however, surprise him when the Elric was found to be far more timid than his counterpart. "How long do you think that would take you Mr. Elric?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Al sighed rubbing the back of his neck. "There's a lot that goes into it. I could try and draw some blood, see if that tells me anything. But until I can get a good microscope and some new testing equipment from my lab, I won't be able to tell you for sure if it was alchemically created, or if it was a science project in DNA gone wrong."
The Fuhrer nodded his head and found the corner of the room just above Al's head extremely interesting. If the beast he had found on the streets this morning was alchemically created, it would certainly be a feat. But it would be a sick feat, one born of depravity and curiosity. Certainly, whoever had made it had thought to play God, and that was something he couldn't have, especially during this time of war. But that didn't mean he would destroy the animal. On the contrary, he planned to have it studied intensely. Perhaps this new creation could give him a hand up on Creta or Drachma, perhaps even on Ishbal if he could get the right mixtures. But he wasn't deprived enough to try the science himself. He would simply leave that up to someone else.
"Interesting," He mused quietly finally letting his eye land on the younger of the two Elrics.
"Interesting indeed." Alphonse nodded his head his brows drawn together in worried curiosity.
Edward Elric's Home
He only had a few pages left in his book, and less than a quarter of a glass of wine left when the doorbell rang. Growling, he rose from his oh so comfortable chair.
"I'm coming, damnit." Edward hissed as he hobbled to the door. His human foot tingled with drowsiness, but he managed it anyway. "What do you want? Do you know what time it is?"
"I always forget how temperamental you are after work brother." Alphonse chuckled at the loose strands of blonde hair that fell from his brother's braid. He wouldn't berate him too bad because, judging by the flush in his brother's cheeks, he wouldn't remember it in the morning. Come morning, he would let him have it.
"Alphonse!" Edward's mind snapped to a subtle clarity as he stepped aside to allow his brother entrance. "What on earth are you doing here? Winry didn't mention you coming at all on the phone!"
"It was a sudden call to Central brother," Alphonse chuckled softly as he set his suitcase down. "I didn't exactly get a chance to let everyone know that I've been summoned by the Fuhrer himself."
That certainly caught his intrigue. Alphonse had been called in by the Fuhrer? For what, he wondered, probably to take care of his personal dog or something. After all, a vet didn't exactly have a place in the military.
"For what?" His curiosity got the best of him.
How his brother didn't like cats, Alphonse would never understand. He had so many of their qualities in him that Al, sometimes, had to wonder if he were part cat himself.
"Sorry, that's under lock and key. The Fuhrer threatened me with my life if I let word slip."
