All you've forgotten
Rating: T
Summary: Al and Ed have been surviving on the street that is until they are picked up by the police and placed in a foster home, Al adapts quickly but can Ed forgive all those in the past who hurt him and move on?
Author Note: Major AU! No Alchemy but Ed does have automail. Also I do not own FMA, I wish I did but sadly… I don't.
Chapter four
Alphonse
The ride back to Armstrong's place was spent in a tense silence, the large man driving carefully over the ice covered roads, white knuckled and face the mask of pure thought. I watch the man quizzically, he seems nice enough, his blue eyes didn't have a hard edge in them like the majority of the people who work with kids like Ed and I. I glance over at my brother, finding his golden gaze wearily watching the streets passing by, looking for landmarks in case we have to make a quick getaway. Always thinking, my brother, always calculating how to get away and stay away, we've been to enough houses and been through enough to have gained these survival skills, or rather, brother has gained these skills through our past experiences, he just takes me along for the run. The car suddenly stops and Armstrong kills the engine before turning around to address us.
"Alright boys, this is your new home until something more permanent can be found. C'mon, let's get you two inside and warmed up." He says simply before pushing the door open. Ed exits and I quickly follow, sticking close to my brother, watching as he scans the house and yard, and then turning to look at the street, now snow and ice covered. He shivers and a hacking cough seizes his air, eyes widen in panic as he can't seem to draw enough to satisfy his lungs.
"Ah.. Mr. Armstrong!" I shout and clutch at the shaking shoulders, fearing the worst as Ed's eyes begin to shift, pupils dilating rapidly in panic. I'm about to shout again for help when two strong arms wrap themselves around Ed and I and we are swept up from the snowy yard and plunged into warmth and bright light. The arms release me and I land on the tiled floor, watching idly as Armstrong takes my brother, carrying him as easily as a loaf of bread into the eat-in area. I follow, worry clouds my judgment and tears prickle my eyes as I all but run into the room. I stop by a counter and watch as the large man places Edward's jerking body on a chair and gently bends his face over a steaming pot of water, then drapes my brother's head with a towel. I can still hear the horrid retching and hacking sounds but the soft whistle of clean air reaching the starved lungs compel me to walk closer. Under the towel and heavy coat I can see the slender shoulders shaking slightly as Edward draws air into his aching lungs. After a few minutes Armstrong removes the towel and I can clearly see the paleness of my brother's face, his breathing hitching still but there.
"Well, what do we have here?" a woman's voice asks and I jump with a gasp, surprised by the sudden appearance of the blond woman standing behind me. Beside her an older man with graying black hair and a grim looking face.
Hawkeye
Alex had called me after picking up the boys, explaining the situation to me. As he hung up the phone I put the hot water into a large pot and set out a towel for the incoming sick boy. Then phoned the nearest doctor, a retired doctor named Marco, who offered to make a house call when the boys got there, thankfully he arrived in time and just as we entered the kitchen the towel was being removed from the sick boys head, the younger was standing, watching anxiously.
"Well, what do we have here?" I ask and watch Alex fold the towel and neatly place it beside the older brother, who has now wrapped himself in his coats and was coughing softly, miserably keeping a watch on his brother from where he sits.
"I am Riza Hawkeye, this is a friend of mine, Doctor Marco." I introduce and once the younger one calms down a bit I step closer and kneel down, watching the youngest intently
"You must be Alphonse." The child looks shocked before glancing sideways at Alex, who only smiles and rubs his bald head innocently.
"Yes Ma'am." He says before backing up a few steps and sitting beside his pale brother.
"And you must be Edward." The eyes harden slightly as another cough seizes his chest but nods, grimly watching us. I smile warmly and offer the doctor a seat, which he accepts greatly.
"How about some tea, do you boys drink tea?" I ask, watching as the younger one looks to his brother and sees some sort of silently passed message and nods slowly. I head back into the kitchen, Alex following stiffly behind me.
"What do you think Riza?" he asks, voice quiet but concerned. I turn on the pot of water and put the leaves into the cups. Once completed I turn and fix the much larger man
"Listen Alex, we're only keeping them until the court date, and then they will be found a different place, don't get attached." I begin but the larger man cuts me off
"Riza we partnered up because we thought we could make a difference, this is making a difference. Those boys need us, they have no where else to go and no one to turn to. You saw the older one, one more night out in the cold and he'd be dead." He argues and I see his point, clearly. But still, our last two cases were disastrous,
"I know what your thinking Riza and I agree, but we have to keep trying! Scar and Barry were bad apples to begin with, they had spent to much time out there and by the time we got them, they were already marred with the life. These boys are not like that… I know the older one comes off a bit hostile, but look at the situation from his eyes… please Riza.. Don't close yourself off so soon." He pleads and I glance back around the corner to where Alphonse is watching some of Dr. Marco's illusions, simple things really but the boys laugh and giggles as if he were just some child who was being loved and cared for, not the street rat that is in need of a place. The older one sits idly by, watching his younger sibling and watching the stranger even more so, I can already see the hardness of street life creeping into that boys gaze and it disturbs me. The older one gave up his happiness to see the younger brother be able to have some sort of normalcy. Edward was forced to grow up to fast, for reasons unknown.
"Alright… But if the courts decide to take them away they go, alight?" I scold Alex as the water kettle begins to whistle. I turn to shut the stove off and pour the hot water onto the tea leaves. From the corner of my eye I see Alex make a 'yes' sign with his hands and raising his arms above his head in triumph.
"I see that you know…" he suddenly stops and looks sheepishly at me. I laugh, I think this will work.
Alright folks, see I promised this chapter would be out of the station. Anyway please review! I really enjoy hearing from you all!