Hey everyone. My most sincerest apologies, it's been ages. I'm sorry! Really sorry. So, anyways, I shall try my hardest to update regularly from now on, I promise.

.:. The End .:.

Chapter 4: Making plans

They closed the truck up and walked up to the door of the barricaded home, Ed and Al leading the way.

Edward knocked hesitantly on the door. "Winry." He called, hoping to a god he didn't believe in that she was okay. "We're home."

January 12th, 2010: Resembool

Silence. Edward's started to tremble slightly, and Al was just staring at the door, hopefully. "Win?" Edward murmured.

Roy glanced at Riza and she frowned. "Are you sure she's here? Could she have gone somewhere?" She asked the two brothers.

"We told her to stay. She had enough supplies and she promised me..." Ed murmured.

"Maybe she didn't hear you knock." Ling suggested.

Ed took a deep breath and held his hand up to the door, when it suddenly swung open, causing the two brothers to jump back. At the door stood a pretty blond girl, with bright baby blue eyes, "Ed! Al!" She squealed, throwing her arms around them. "You're okay!"

Alphonse sighed in relief and hugged her back, but Edward just looked at her, worried. "Are you okay, Win? Have you stayed inside all this time? Did you have enough supplies?"

She stepped back with tears in her eyes. "I was fine. It was a bit scary at nights when I could hear screaming. But everything's okay now. You're back!"

Edward grinned. "Yep, and we found some people, too."

Winry turned her gaze to behind the two boys, at the four people watching the scene somewhat awkwardly. Winry blushed slightly, realizing these strangers had just seen her emotional display, but turned back to the brothers and lowered her voice. "Are they safe?"

Edward shrugged. "I barely know them, myself. But I figure we have a higher survival rate with two doctors and two experienced fighters."

Winry looked back at them warily, but her whole face lighted up when she noticed something.

Noticing her grin, Ranfan took a step back self-consciously.

"Is that... Automail?" Winry asked, looking at Ranfan's left arm in joy.

Ed sighed and shook his head. "Automail junkie." He murmured playfully.

"Science geek." She retaliated instantly, poking her tongue out at him.

The moment was so childish and like old times, that the two both grinned at each other for a moment, before turning back to the guests. "Everyone should come in, now." Winry said, smiling and holding the door open. Ed and Al walked through and so the other four followed.

They all sat down in the living room, which was now void of all furniture except for a few cushions on the floor. Edward left quickly with Roy, to show him his two other research books.

"I'm Winry." The blond introduced herself, smiling hesitantly at the three strangers in her living room.

"I'm Riza." Riza replied, then looked towards the Xingese teenagers. "And that's Ranfan and Ling."

Ling grinned. "Hiya."

Ranfan looked up to realize Winry was staring at her automail...again. She sighed. "You're Edward's mechanic?"

Winry looked up. "Huh, oh yeah. I've always loved automail."

Ranfan nodded holding out her metal arm. "You can look at it, if you want."

Winry grinned. "Really?"

Riza looked to Al and Ling. "Do you two want to help me bring some food in from the truck, so we can have some dinner?"

They both agreed and followed Riza out of the house.

_-_-_-_

After about an hour of eating, fixing up automail and reading notes, the crew were all about ready to start getting to bed.

"So, what's happening next?" Riza asked Roy and Edward, who were putting away the younger one's notes.

Roy looked to Edward. "Is there anywhere in-" He began, but was cut off by beeping.

Roy quickly grabbed his phone out of his pocket, hoping nothing was wrong as Hughes never called so often.

"Hello?"

"Roy! So I was doing some research with Gracia, she's so helpful and little Elicia was being a good little girl while we were working, they're both so wonderful- really I don't know why you never wanted to marry and have kids, family is a joyous thing-"

"Is there a reason you're calling Hughes?" Roy interrupted.

"Oh, right. Yes. While we were researching, we found this rumour that there is a man who has found the cure to err... zombieism, with the help of some God. I thought you might want to know about it."

"Sounds... interesting to say the least." Roy murmured. "Where is this man?"

"Ever heard of Lior?" Hughes asked. "It's this remote little town out near the desert. There are at least twenty people who are there, in the hopes that he can cure their loved ones and what have you."

"Right, well I'll tell the others about that and see if we want to do something about it."

"Sure thing." Hughes replied. "Well then, I better go now, oh and I'll be calling you again as soon as I have anything to go by. See you real soon, Roy boy."

"Likewise, Hughes. Say hi to the family for me."

"Haha, you got it." He finished, hanging up.

Roy paused for a moment before hanging up the mobile. Hughes was about the most reliable guy you could meet. He had this urge to try and help people out in anyway he could even if he wasn't asked to.

"Your mobile works?" Edward asked, curiously.

Roy nodded. "I have a friend who's every good with stuff like that."

"What did Hughes want? Is Elicia and Gracia doing okay?" Riza queried.

"He was just telling me that there's some rumour, that a man in Lior claims that God is helping him cure zombieism. Hughes wanted to tell us in case we wanted to look into it."

Ed frowned slightly. "I stopped believing in God the day I found out Winry's parents had died. Then when our parents..." He murmured thoughtfully.

Winry smiled sadly. "Even if it turns out to be false, what if the claim isn't? We could have missed getting some pretty valuable information."

"Well..." Roy began, stretching. "I guess we could turn it into a vote. Who's up for checking out Lior?"

Everyone raised their hand, convinced from what Winry had said. Roy laughed. "Well, Lior it is then. We should make a plan and get things ready tomorrow and then on Thursday we could get going."

"But first we should start getting to sleep. Roy and I can take the first sentry, and Winry can take hers with the brother's, I suppose.

"Lior is in the desert, isn't it?" Winry asked.

Roy nodded. "We have to cross the desert to get there, yes."

Winry thought for a moment. "Well then, if it's okay with you guys, I could stay up and start preparing some automail for Ed and Ranfan with a cooling system, so their skin doesn't get burnt by the metal."

Riza nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Okay, everyone else, get to bed. We'll wake Ed and Al up next."

The four teenagers, excluding Winry, agreed and left for upstairs, where the bedrooms are. Winry then said goodnight to Roy and Riza before heading into her workshop to work on some automail.

"What do you think, about Lior, I mean?" Riza asked Roy quietly.

"I'd like to believe it, but I can't." Roy murmured. "I have a feeling it's just a hoax. But like Winry said, if we don't go, we'll be plagued with what-ifs until the day we die."

Riza nodded. "That's how I feel, too."

Roy smiled, caressing his flamethrower. "At least it doesn't rain much, out in the desert."

"Pyro." Riza murmured.

Roy laughed. "That's right. You can't spell Pyro, with R-O-Y."

Riza shook her head with a smile, it was impossible to be depressed when Roy was around, she'd come to learn. He always managed to act with a light mood, despite the happenings of the world. He was one of the only things that had kept Riza moderately sane.

Sorry again. This is only half the size of the last one, but I wanted to get something out ASAP. So, are there any pairings you guys want for this story? You'll notice in the last two chapters I haven't made any mention of the characters being in a relationship. So tell me what pairings you want, I'm willing to right anything that doesn't involve incest or pedophilia.

REVIEW and make me write faster. ~ Little-Miss