Across The World I Will Follow:

Chapter 11: Rumors

The next day Winry woke up and slipped her way out of the bed she had shared with Khristie that night. She slowly stretched and got herself dressed. She got in her bag and pulled out the knee length skirt and the red v-neck shirt and put them on. She then put on her new sneakers and looked in the mirror. She looked at her hair and decided to pull it back in a bun. After she did so she looked herself over and decided she looked presentable and left a note telling Alphonse to watch Khristie while she went to go find work. She left the building locking the door behind her. She walked out into the early morning It was only about nine am. She walked down the street looking for a place that would be perfect for her to work at. She had of course already looked at Argdune's but she told herself she couldn't work at a place that dealt with automail it would more than likely blow her cover. So she moved on looking around. She noticed "Petite Boutique" was in need of a Store Maiden but she didn't feel like working there. She looked around some more and noticed that the coffee shop was in need of a waitress.

That would be a good place to listen out for rumors. Winry stopped by the shop next door and looked in the window. She made sure that she looked as good as she could to impress her possible future boss. She stepped inside the coffee shop and once again she noticed the same woman from the train. This time she was in a light blue sun dress with a white sunhat with a white veil blocking her face. She watched her out of the corner of her eye as she walked over to the counter. "Hello may I speak to the owner I'm here to ask about the Waitress job." One of the Store Clerks a male he was about Six Foot Four with short mousy brown hair and a pair of round spectacles in a red polo shirt khaki pants and a white apron turned to look at her.

"Oh you must be the woman who moved in next door to me in the complex." He put down the glass that he had been drying and put his hand out to shake. "My name Is Robert Shimkus, Nice to meet you and well I'm the owner of this little establishment." He smiled and Winry seemed that he was attracted to her. He watched him as he pointed to his office. She followed him to the back of the building and was led into a little cozy room. It had a nice brick fireplace to the right of a big oak desk. The room was filled with shelves and books. Winry looked at one of them and noticed that a few of them were on alchemy. "You're an alchemist?" She looked in awe at the detail of the bindings they were well made books.

He sat down in his chair behind his desk and crossed his legs. "I know a little my father was quite the outstanding alchemist. He taught me everything I know. He was a great but he never did like the military. He helped hide some runaway Ishbalan's a few years ago and got himself executed for treason against the state. That day his fortune was left to me, his only son, I wept for days and ran from our home in Central. I sold it to the state and took a train out into the middle of nowhere. I ended up here in this quaint little village. I liked it here I was in tatters and well I stayed in the Hotel for the first few weeks and then decided I had found a place that I wanted to settle down in. I was an alchemist so people came to me to fix things. I wanted to open up a place where I could work and decided to open up this tiny little coffee shop again. Apparently the last person who owned this place died in a raid of barbarians out in the country side a few months before I came. I took ownership of this shop and don't have to pay for the repairs of anything. I fix them myself." He looked at her as she continued to listen and look through the books. "So what about you miss," he looked at her, "I don't believe I've gotten your name yet."

Winry turned and blushed. "Oh I'm sorry," She bowed politely; "My name is Betty, Betty Romero." She walked over and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Well Betty if I may, Could I ask you a few questions about your personal life." He pulled out a pen and paper and looked at her.

"Oh yes I'm eighteen, I moved here to get work to help support my sister. I live with my friend Alphonse, and I am quite the baker. I moved here from Central after some crazy happenings in the lower city."

He wrote that all down. "Well Betty I think everything works out good and I really need another waitress. When can you start?" He looked up at her and smiled.

Winry tried not to blush and looked at him, "I can begin tommorrow if you like."

He laughed, "Sure," He stood up and went to the back of his office and pulled out a little machine. He turned it on and he put his hand on the flat edge of it. It glowed for a moment and then a small tag fell from the machine. He caught it and then put the machine away and grabbed an apron from the closet. He walked back over to Winry and handed her an apron and a name tag saying Betty Romero. "Well here's your uniform you'll work kind of awkward schedules for awhile things have been crazy people coming from out of town Rumors have been spreading around that Central is planning war and with all the stuff that is happening Maribel with the rebel uprising. We need to stay open."

"The rebel uprising what the hell is going on in Maribel?"

Robert looked like she was insane but politely told her what was going on. "Some men and woman who don't agree with the state have gone and tried to take over Maribel."

Winry looked shocked. "Maribel, Radicalists!" Winry stands up and puts her hand out to shake " Well I thank you for giving me the job but I really need to be heading home. I'll come in tomorrow same time."

He nods and watches her as she goes. "A very interesting girl, I like her."