Chapter 3

A Hint of Conflict

"Oh, come on brother! Don't act that way! Please!'' Alphonse begged his angry brother. Edward turned away from him, his arms crossed.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?'' Ed asked, obviously angry.

It was only a hug! And, I think that he would be a good match for mom! She seems to like him and he seems to like her! Don't you see it?'' Al argued.

"No, I think that you're sick! Come on, you need some medicine. You're probably burning up or something.'' Ed said, grabbing Al's wrist and started to drag him out of the room. Al jerked his hand back.

"Brother, I'm not sick! I feel just fine!'' Al said. Both boys argued a little more before they both stormed off in different directions to cool down. Al went down by the river and sat down. He looked up at the sky, wondering why Ed was so against the idea. It was a good idea, and if it made their mom happy, it'd be worth it. He thought back. Winry had left as soon as the two had started arguing. She never liked it when they argued and he didn't know why his brother was so mean to her.

Yeah, she was a cry baby, but if you looked passed that, or in Al's case, she was a very nice girl…but Ed hated her too for some reason. Al thought back to a time when they had all just first met, as babies. Winry had hit Ed on top his head with her pink rattle that had red hearts on it. Ed started to cry and she laughed at him and did it again. That's when Al crawled over to stop the fighting. Or, at least till the adults came in. They were all still pretty young back then.

Finally, the older brother came and put a hand on Al's shoulder. Al jumped out of his thoughts and turned to his brother.

"Okay, look Al. I'm sorry, but I just don't like the idea, so please…leave me out of it?'' Ed said. Al didn't know weather he should be angry with Ed or not still.

"Brother…I think it's a good one. Mom is lonely and needs Dad. Dad's not here, but this Mr. Mustang might be able to cure her loneliness…" Al said.

"Well, I got an idea then!'' Ed said suddenly.

"You do?!" Al asked, brightening up. Ed nodded his head.

"Yes, let's go ask mom if she's lonely! If she says she's not, then she obviously isn't, and you can forget about the whole idea of her getting together with that man! So lets go!'' Ed said, grabbing Al's arm and dragging him to his feet. Al pulled away from him.

"No brother! We tried that before and her answer was, 'no.''' Al said.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" Ed shouted and began running up the grassy hill he'd come down. Al frowned but started running after Ed anyways.

"Brother, it's not fair! You already know what she's going to say!'' Al shouted after Ed.

"How can I possibly know? It's not like I'm a mind reader or something!" Ed shouted back. They reached the door, out of breath. Catching it back, they entered. They heard their mom talking to that Mustang again. Ed turned to the living room and pulled Al in with him.

"Mom! We got a question for you!" Ed said, prancing up to her. She stopped talking and looked down at her two boys.

"Mom…please, answer truthfully this time. Are you lonely?'' Ed asked, his face serious. There was a silence, but Trisha spoke up.

"Edward, we already discussed that…and…what have I told you about interrupting people? It's not polite.'' Trisha half scolded him. Ed frowned and pulled himself up to the couch, squishing between his mom and Roy.

"Brother, she already answered…so lets just go…'' Al seemed a bit disappointed. Ed looked up to Roy, regretting what he was about to ask.

"Do you like mom?'' Ed asked. A long silence filled the room, until Al started to panic.

"Ah! Brother, that wasn't part of us asking her if she was lonely and that is totally off subject!" Al said in panic, rushing over to Ed, and tried to pull him off the couch but Ed held fast. Trisha was expecting an answer from Roy, but she was also waiting for the two boys to stop arguing.

"Well, actually, I'm not all that lonely. I mean, how can one be lonely when they're surrounded by some little nosy kids?'' Roy asked, tousling Ed's hair. Ed growled at him and jumped off the couch, trying to put his mess up hair back in place. Trisha looked at him questionably.

"Nosy kids? What do you mean by that?!" Trisha asked, sounding a bit offended.

"Huh? Oh! I don't mean anything by it. It's good that their worried for their mother," Roy replied quickly. "I don't mean it in a bad way.''

"Hmph!" Ed snorted and stomped off to his and Al's bedroom.

"I'm sorry mom, I really don't know what's wrong with brother.'' Al said and ran off after him.

Ed walked into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him, nearly hitting his brother in the process.

"Hey!" shouted Al.

Ed ignored his brother's shout and laid on the bed, sulking. He really didn't like Roy, and also didn't like the idea of him and his mom. If he learned anything from his so-called "father", he knew that if he tried being with her, Roy would just end up leaving his mom in the end, hurting everyone.

Al opened the door and walked into the room. "Brother, you nearly hit me with the door!" he yelled angrily.

"Then watch were you're going," Ed said flatly, turning his back to him.

"Come on brother, why are you so angry?" Al asked, "Mr. Mustang doesn't seem like such a bad person…"

"I don't care!" yelled Ed. "Sure, he acts all nice now, but sooner or later he's gonna end up hurting mom, just like dad did!"

Al was taken back but what his brother said. He hadn't thought about that, hoping only that Roy would make her mom happy. What is he did end up like dad. No, he couldn't think that. Roy is different, he's nicer and he wouldn't abandon us like that.

Before Al could argue he heard a ruckus coming from downstairs. Both him and Ed wondered what was going on and Ed, being out of concern for his mom, rushed downstairs. Al followed after him, wondering himself what was going on.

When they arrived, they found Roy apparently trying to stay calm after an short argument with, what appeared to be, Aunt Pinako.

Al's jaw dropped. This was trouble. Aunt Pinako hated the military, mostly because of the death of her son and daughter-in-law, Winry's parents.

Ed and Al both listened in secretly on what they were arguing about.

"Please Pinako, he doesn't mean any ill will by being here," pleaded Trisha.

"I don't care. Having the military here will only lead to trouble," said the elderly woman, taking her pipe from her mouth.

"I haven't come to cause any trouble ma'am," argued Roy in his own defense.

She looked him in the eyes when she spoke back to him. "What your intentions may or may not have been don't matter. I don't trust the military and I don't trust you."

Roy remained silent, not knowing what to say. Trisha also couldn't find the right words to say either. Pinako was about to leave when Al ran out.

"Wait, please, Aunt Pinako! Mr. Mustang isn't a bad person!" he pleaded.

She turned around and sighed at the young boy. "You're too young to understand Alphonse… "

With that last word, she walked out, closing the door behind her. Mustang sighed. He knew that being within such close proximity of the Rockbell's residence was a hint of bad luck. But despite what she said, he couldn't leave. He felt as though something was keeping him here; As though something were telling him not to leave.

"Lt. Colonel?"

Roy snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the one who addressed him.

"Please, I'm sorry for Aunt Pinako's actions," said Trisha sadly. "She's been upset ever since the accident a few years back that killed her children."

These words stung at Roy. He knew very well that it was no accident that led to the death of the Rockbells. It was his fault… he was the one the pulled the trigger of the gun that shot them dead. Orders or not… he was responsible.

Al noticed that Roy was badly affected by what happened and tried to think of a way to cheer him up.

"Hey mom, could you make some of that special tea? The kind you make when me and brother get sad?" he asked.

Trisha smiled and nodded. "Would you care for some Lt. Colonel?"

Roy smiled softly. "Yes, I'll take some."

Trisha walked off to the kitchen to make some of the tea. Ed went back to his room and Al decided to stay a little longer with the Lt. Colonel.

Maybe, just maybe, he hoped, Roy wouldn't turn out like his dad. And maybe, he might be even better…