CHAPTER 2

WHAT I NEVER HAD

"We have to find Colonel Mustang." Edward stated, walking swiftly towards the door.

"Um… we?" I asked, confused. I may love their life story, but I'm not sure I'd like to meet someone like Mustang. I mean, it's not that I'm vain or anything, but I'm a blond 17-year-old girlwho's not exactly the homeliest looking person out there.

"Yes, we. You showed up when Al disappeared, so there must be a connection. Whether you're the victim or the villain here, you're not leaving my sight until we find my brother and the source of this." He opens the door and waits for me.

"Alright, fine." I sigh and cross the room after him.

"Colonel?" Edward states, arriving just outside his office door, it cracked open slightly.

I come up behind him, panting (I didn't realize we were in Central Command until he decided to run all the way here), just as Mustang – I mean, the Colonel – answered, not recognizing Ed's voice. "Come in."

Ed walks in, with a clear look of anger on his face. I follow behind, looking somewhat scared.

"Ah, Edward… Good to see you. I thought you were going to see Winry though. She misses you."

"Cut the crap, Colonel, and tell me what the hell is going on here!" Ed roars, stomping his foot. I don't remember him being quite this angry at Mustang since near the beginning of the anime…

"What's the matter with you, Fullmetal? Has some soldier been hitting on your sister? Don't worry about that, they're all secretly in love with Lieutenant Hawkeye, no matter how many chicks they hit on." Mustang jokes (Ah, what the hell. It's not like I'll be able to stop calling him Mustang anyways.), and he can't help but grin at his own joke.

"What the- I don't have a sister!" Ed protests, and he steals a glance over at me in his confusion. I shrug my shoulders at him.

"Oh, now I see what's wrong, Edward. You pull this 'I don't have a sister' crap every time she does something to make you angry enough to want to strangle her pretty little neck." Mustang then winks at me, and I realize what's going on. (This seems to be an ongoing trend… I guess Edward isn't super observant.)

"Ed…" I reach over and try to grab his jacket. I miss.

"What are you talking about?!" He leans forward so he's almost into Mustang's face, just as I reach for him. "I would never say such a stupid thing, because I DON'T HAVE A SISTER!" He bangs his fist on Mustang's desk, emphasizing his last word. "And I don't give a shit what you're trying to feed me right now, because Al's missing and we need to find him!"

"Whoa, calm down Fullmetal." Mustang raises his hands in front of his face, then lowers them down as he stands up. "First of all, who's Al? Your sister's new boyfriend? And second of all, of course you have a sister. She's right there." And he gestures to me, much to Edward's shock.

"What? No! She's not my sister!" Ed's as surprised as I thought he would be, and I lean forward and grab him by the blood-red jacket he always wears.

"Ed… We have to talk for a second." I mutter, pulling him towards me, about ten feet from Mustang's desk.

"What?" He sputters, shaking off my hand.

"I think something's going on here…" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"Of course something's going on, you nitwit."

I almost laugh at his choice of words. "But something supernatural, abnormal… maybe someone kidnapped your brother and erased their memories."

"That's ridi-" Ed pauses, considering this.

"It may be ridiculous, but doesn't it sound like something the Homunculi would do to lure you into performing Alchemy for them?" I reason with him, and for a minute he almost seems to believe me.

But only for a minute.

"Why would you come up with this theory unless you work with the Homunculi and that's what you're doing?"

I roll my eyes and shake my head in disbelief and near disappointment. "Edward, if that really were true, which it isn't, would I actually tell you the real plans?"

He blushes, and agrees.

I continue. "Anyways, maybe they kidnapped Al, erased all their memories, and made it so that only you knew he ever existed?"

"Even Envy isn't that cruel. Maybe there's one other person… someone close to us…" He ponders for a minute, and so do I. We come to a conclusion at the same time.

"Winry."

We leave Mustang's office and head to the station, where we get on the train and head for Edward's old home.