"Good evening, how can I help you?" The rehearsed monotone of the operator woman gurgled from the pay phone in Edward's hand.
"Patch me through to Mustang."
"Hold for one moment please."
Edward had never felt this sort of lowliness. He'd been low before but this feeling had a different weight. It consisted of guilt; guilt for having to call Mustang like this and tell him that he couldn't continue the search for the White Alchemist. This town had a miracle, and who was he to take that way for himself.
"It's like murder…A heart that receives no blood, dies."
Hand in hand with guilt was sorrow; the sorrow he often felt when a door was shut in his face again. It wasn't critical whether he knew if she could help them or not but he couldn't shove off the disappointment he felt. It's a historical happening and he was going to miss it.
"She's already running enough as it is!"
"General Mustang," his voice sounded smug.
"Sir, this is Edward,"
"I know. How's your 'research'?"
"Sir, I-" Crap, he'd forgot to prepare an explanation. "I can't do this."
"Why not?" Mustang's voice was serious, all smugness gone.
"I can't tell you everything," Edward sighed.
"Full Metal…"
"Listen, this woman is important to these people! I can't take away their Savior even if I met her! I can't do this anymore."
"I know you're not the kind of man to give up, Edward."
He didn't answer.
Mustang sighed, "Alright, what happened?" There was a long pause and a gasp from Full Metal. "Edward?"
Edward stood frozen; to the literal meaning of the word as he stared deeply into the greenest eyes he had ever seen. She was beautiful; despite how starved and tired she looked by her countenance. Her hair came from around her neck under the cloak hood to down just pass her breasts; her hair was eccentric with colors of brunette, blonde and with a tint of red in the sunlight. She smiled a smile that Edward would forever recognize and she let out a frail hand over the phone.
"Tell him," she spoke with gentle certainty, "you will see him soon with a special guest, Edward."
It took him a moment to decipher her words, "Mustang?"
"Full Metal, why have you been ignoring me? What happened?"
Edward didn't take his golden eyes from the woman as he spoke, "Sir, I'll call you back."
She laughed softly and stopped him from hanging up, "No, that's not what I want you to say, tell him: I will see you soon with a special guest."
Edward dumbly put the phone to his ear again and repeated the sentence over Mustang's frustrated interrogating. Then slowly, he hung up the phone with out saying another word.
She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, "You're silly, Edward. You could've been a little more casual with your conversation, Mustang probably thinks you're being held hostage or something." She set a hand on his shoulder, "You stand very tall today, Edward."
She walked away to Alphonse, leaving Edward as his cheeks flushed red with blush.
"Al, what's your full name?" She smiled up at his armor face.
"Alphonse Elric," he almost stammered, "How do you know our names?"
She laughed a harmonious laugh, "I overhear them, Alphonse, and remember them easily."
Jacob, standing next to Alphonse, began to go into a panic. "What the crap are you doing out here? What if somebody sees you?"
"Chill Jake, I won't be out here for long. I just want a little sunshine."
"Hi, Jake!" a small voice exclaimed from the ground, catching everyone's attention. It was a little boy, about five or seven years of age with black hair and blue eyes.
"Hey Shorty," Jake wistfully greeted, ignored Edward's flinch down yonder and turned back to her, "Are you kidding me? It's too easy to recognize you; you'll be captured for sure!"
"Jacob," her voice was serious but soft, "settle down or else I will be found." She turned, bent and picked up the boy as Edward came and stood beside Alphonse.
"Kino, this is Edward and his brother Alphonse."
"Yep," the boy smiled mischievously, "I remember because I screamed at them."
"That's why you're so familiar!" Edward pointed at the kid, "You did that to cover up for her, right?"
"You're smart," she commented with a giggle, "and I'm glad you recognize Kino, he has the talent of crying on command."
Kino snorted and shyly hide his face in the scoop of her neck and shoulder; causing the woman to laugh. All the sudden, almost in a single file line, kids under twelve years of age came from the shadows and surrounded her about her feet. All of them eyed Edward and Alphonse; some actually hid behind her.
Edward counted nine children. "These must be the Alley kids?" he asked, knowing Alphonse would've liked to ask but didn't want to scare them.
"Yes," she let down a hand and one young blonde girl closed her eyes and rubbed the woman's hand against her face, "I wish I could take them with me."
"Whoa, what?!" Jacob's face froze in an inner horror, "You're leaving?!"
Her shoulders slumped and the nine children at her feet stared up at her, "Yes, I have a new journey to begin. I'm finished here."
The children were all old enough to understand her leaving and began to cry. Jacob shook his head violently with out taking his eyes off her as tears began to form. "No…"
Edward lost his breath in the shock of realizing that the White Alchemist was coming with them! He couldn't stop the butterflies that sent chills down his spine. She was the special guest! Yet, despite his jubilee, he really sympathized with the children and Jacob. This was going to be hard for them; parting with their life-saver.
Jacob staggered and fell to his knees in front of her, grabbed her hands and cried into them. This woman who saved his life, and the one he in return, protected, was leaving his side to where he grew used to her warmth. The nine children around her clutched her cloak and cried into it.
"Please," her usual smooth voice broke, "please let me go. I promise I'll be back to visit."
Jacob rose to his feet and let his head fall onto her other shoulder. She freed her hand to embrace him and rub his back. There was nothing but sobs and tears; no one wanted her to leave.
Edward turned away, not wanting to watch anymore. Alphonse, however, kept watching; wishing to feel again and remember the sorrow of touching a loved one for the last time. To be able to sympathize with this group of humans was just a wish still. He would have to wait.
With Alphonse as a polite exception, there wasn't a dry eye within her circumference.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Mustang glared at the phone, what the crap was that all about? Someone obviously was there with him but Edward wouldn't sound frozen up with a gun pointed at his head or with any weapon for that matter. Something else was there that made the Full Metal Alchemist sound stumped.
"Sir?" Havoc spoke in the silence first before Riza could, "something wrong?"
"For once, I don't know." Mustang continued to glare at the phone.
"What did Full Metal say?" Riza asked.
Mustang quickly and briefly explained the conversation.
"A special guest?" Havoc thought aloud, "a girlfriend, perhaps?"
Mustang's eyes widened and he stood so fast the chair fainted. "No way!" He exclaimed and ran from the room. Riza and Havoc only stared after him.
"Was I right?" Havoc looked wide-eyed at Riza.
Her eyebrows scrunched and she whipped around to face him. "Don't assume anything. Edward doesn't show that much affection to anyone, not even his childhood friend. There's no way he suddenly built a relationship within four days."
"I don't know," Havoc shrugged, "love is unpredictable, as the saying goes."
"Not with Full Metal," Riza murmured.