"Dr. Spates, how is 2ndLt. Leon?"

"He is conscious and I can release him tomorrow morning. His left arm is completely gone, his right ear is also gone, and the right side of the torso is ripped to shreds. He's been stitched up, and disinfected. We have had a… human error. He had experienced an early injury in the right side of his brain. Doctor's cut out the infected area and we hoped he would be ok. But recently the germs have been let back into his system by his ear wound. He has been given several different medications that will help him. But he has received a speech impediment, and its possible he has sustained other injuries we just can't be sure."

"Thanks," Al walked into the room, for a split second Al saw his brother lying in the hospital bed all bandaged up. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked Leon shakily. "Sun's in the sky and bird's are flyin' high, you know how I feel. I'm feelin' so good. Because it's a new dawn, a new day, it's a new life how can I not feel good?''

"The doctor said you can sign out tomorrow morning."

"Fuck dat shit, we're leavin' naw."

Al ran out of the hospital with Leon inside his hollow body; Leon had his newly bought cane next to him. It was a short ride for Leon, Central was only a space away. "Al do me a favo' and go down to da café and get Haw'eye." As Al was getting Hawkeye Leon entered Roy's office to see Aly and Ed cuddling, Aly was crying again. "What's wrong wit yo arm?" Leon asked the crying Aly, which he ignored the crying.

"I broke it on accident when I ran away."

"Shit. Come here, Ed hol' her rite shoulda." Ed did as he was told. "Ok Ima fixin' ya. " He yanked her arm as hard as he could. She screamed so loud that Riza and Al came dashing into the room. "Don' worray I fix it. She fine, naw han' me da wood strips." He got Riza to splint Aly, minutes later Leon left to pack. Al decided to announce the news to everybody, "Leon and I are going back to Risembool, as you can tell he needs automail. Ed you'll have to stay back and protect Aly."

Not long after Leon left did he appear again, with a bag on his right shoulder and a hat on his head; he tried to make the not so much ear invisible. Aly hugged Al, then hugged Leon carefully, Leon secretly slipped a picture to her. "That's me family," Leon whispered to her. Both the boys walked out the door. What an odd pair, a suit of armour and a torn up guy with a cane.

Aly was worried, what had happened to Leon? He wasn't as friendly, or as kind. He even stiffened up when she hugged him; it was the most awkward hug they ever shared. Aly was really going to miss both Al and Leon.

Roy walked in the next morning to find Ed sleeping propped up against the couch, with his hand intertwined with Aly's. Aly was asleep on the couch drooling. He walked over to Ed, and kicked his non-synthetic leg. Ed woke up slightly, and stared up at him, and Roy glared down, "Get out of my office Ed."

Ed realized he was holding Aly's hand and released it, to get up and leave. Which left Aly in Roy's care. Roy gently shook Aly to wake her up, and when she looked at him with her one visible black eye. She hugged him tightly. She clung to him and whispered, "I'm so sorry Col. Mustang, I caused you so much trouble, and made your drinking problems come back. I feel so guilty."

Roy wrapped his arms carefully around Aly, "Alchemy, it's not like you to regret anything that you ever do, and it really isn't like you to call me Col. Mustang instead of Roy."

Aly let go of him, and he gleamed a smile at her, "I accept your apology, but it is not only your fault. Don't think that what is wrong with my health and drinking habits is your problem."

Aly smiled, "Okay, Roy." She gave him another hug before she got up and walked out of the office where Ed was waiting for her. She left with Ed to Powel around Central for the day, that was until Ed offered to take her out to eat, and she agreed.

When they were out, she was talking to him about his travels, "So, how was everything in all the places you passed Ed?"

Ed replied, "Everything was fine, Al and I helped people in need along the way of course and made new friends and new enemies."

Aly giggled and blushed, "That sounds like you Ed, no offense, but you're really not a social person. You're very cut off from the world around you."

"You think so? Hm…" He stared off into space then came back with an answer to his thought, "I wonder if that bothers Winry?"

Aly's happy disposition became sour once he mentioned the name, "Who's Winry?"

"She's the girl that made my automail, and she's a close friend since I was really young. Al and I grew up with her like she was our sister."

"And do you like her?" Aly was tensing in her seat.

"I really don't know, I guess I've been thinking to much about my alchemy to think about having a relationship with anyone." Ed beamed at her, "What about you?"

Aly was gone by then, she had left to go back to Central, she knew that everyone had probably left by now since it was pretty late in the evening, but when she got there, Riza was in front of Roy's office. She saw that Aly was outside the office and went over to her, "Alchemy, Col. Mustang locked the door to his office, and no one is going to be here to feed you over the weekend. Can you handle staying here by yourself till Monday?"

Aly nodded her head, "I've been doing that for years, it's just odd that Roy would lock me out of his office. Is he still upset with me? I thought he accepted my apologies. Well, in any case, I'll be fine."

Riza nodded her head, then gave Aly the usually hug good night. Aly laid next to Roy's office door, curled up in her cloak to keep warm. Ed had decided that he wouldn't bother her because he got the hint that he had offended her at their dinner and he knew about her anger tendencies. So, he stayed in the cafeteria and Aly slept on the floor in the hall.

Leon leaned over Al's big body to look at the view in front of them. They were in eyesight of the Rockbell's house; and as Leon looked at the window he saw somebody. It was a young blond headed girl with her head lying in her arms. She began to stir and as she woke she looked at her surroundings as if she didn't know were she was. It wasn't long before the blond beauty looked down at Leon and Al, her facial expression changed to surprise and happiness. There was a hint of disappointment as she realized Ed wasn't with them. What happened? She worried greatly.

Her face disappeared from the window and it arrived less than a minute later running out the front door. She ran hard, Al whispered to Leon, "That's Winry. Ed and I used to fight over who'd marry her. She's an old family friend."

"Winry." Al smiled.

"Alphonse, I missed you. Is everything okay? Where's Edward?"

"He's fine, Let's talk about this inside."

The three entered the house and went straight to the living room were Pinako was tinkering with mechanics. They sat down and Al began to speak, "Ed has stayed back to do 2ndLt. Leon's job while we're down here. We had a run in with a killer and as you could tell Leon has sustained injuries, He needs an automail arm in three months. He needs one like Ed's. And trust me Leon can take the pain."

It was soon into the conversation that Pinako became interested in what was being said, "Is that so young man?" Pinako questioned.

"Yes, Ma'am.

"Not many people can handle the pain. It takes three years to get used to everything."

"I don't have tree yeers. I got tree monts. Pain is a' much a trouble to me a' wakin' up in da mornan'. Give me a chance."

"I don't know why I'll do it but I will."

"But grandm…"

"Winry, I won't hear no more."

The conversation was split, it was only minutes later that Pinako and Winry began on the automail.

Roy was sitting in his living room drinking coffee because he has a hangover. After the first cup, he realized something, he locked his office door. He found that Aly wasn't there no matter where he looked. That meant one thing, she had run away again, and no one knew but him.

He ran out of Central to find her, and the only clues he had to her whereabouts, were the steps of Central. Her cloak, State Alchemist watch, shoes, and alchemy gloves were on the stairs. He picked them up, and held onto them, they were cold from the outside weather. She had left them there for a while, so she had been gone for a while.

He started running all around looking for her, and having no luck, that was until he noticed a small girl walking with Scar. He chased after them, and noticed that the girl was bleeding from her leg to her feet. Following them, he ended up in the sewers, which gave him the perfect chance to use his flame alchemy without anyone seeing. He snapped his fingers at Scar, then ran over to the girl.

Aly stared up at him, then he grabbed her by her arm and dragged her back to his house. Once they got there, Roy threw her onto the couch. Aly hit the back of the couch then fell to the ground, "Roy?! What's wrong with you?!"

Roy ignored her then gave her a sinister smile. He snapped his fingers and Aly jumped onto the couch back to avoid the attack, though she wasn't very balance, so she fell off and hit her head on the edge of the couch and started bleeding on the floor. Once she was crying in pain, Roy snapped out of his drunken trance and looked over at Aly. He was in shock after what he did, and then immediately picked her up and took her to the hospital.

Roy paced back and forth waiting for the doctor, "How is she?"

The doctor replied, "She will be fine, she has a gash on her head, but it didn't rupture her skull, and she should be fine. She has scars up her legs, and she sprained her left ankle as well, other then that. She should be fine."

"Thank you." Roy walked into the room where Aly was supposed to, but she wasn't there. The window was open, and she was gone.

Aly was limping her way to the train station to head to Risembool. She wanted to get away from Roy, after what he did, she wanted to get to where Leon was for protection because Ed was doing a horrible job. She got on the train and then headed for Risembool.

After a couple days, Aly gets to Risembool, discovering she has no idea where Leon is. She walks the dirt path looking for any sign of Al or Leon and is hoping and praying to find one. As she continues walking, she spotted Al and waved for him, "Al!" She held her head after and winced, "Ow…my head hurts." She still tried her best to get his attention, "Al…"

Al noticed her, then ran over, "Aly! What are you…..Oh my Gosh, what happened to you?"

Aly grabbed onto Al's arm and stabilized herself against him, "I really don't want to talk about it Al. Is Leon here?"

"I don't know, he left for the day, like he always does." Al helped her walk to Winry's house and helped her to the couch, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Al, I'm fine. I mean you guys have been gone for a month. I just left for a little while and thought I'd come see you and Leon "

Al blushed on the inside, "Really? Where's Ed?"

"I left without his knowing, something happened, and I just needed to leave, but now I feel safe here." Aly started to fall asleep. From the pain surging through her, and the fact that she had been search for Al and Leon for a while in her condition took a lot out of her. She leaned over and fell asleep on Al's arm, not even noticing that it was cold and metallic.

Leon was walking slowly along the dirt path on his way back to Winry's house. He entered the house without knocking, just as he was instructed. When he entered the main room he saw Al on the couch and a woman's figure lying across his arm. He began walking quieter so to not wake the girl, once he walked around the couch he saw Aly.

"Al, what is she doin' here? She ain't suppose' ta be here. Why is she all hawt?"

"She just showed up. She said she missed us, and she came down here. What do you mean hot?"

"Naw, I seed hawt, ya naw cut up and shit." Leon said straining to speak right.

"She appeared here like this, I don't know what happened. But she's okay now, believe me."

" 'K, Damn she ain't a' revealin' a' always." And only seconds earlier had Aly woken up.

"I heard that, I'm sorry for falling asleep on your arm Al, it must have made you upset that you couldn't move for the period that I was out. As for you Leon, can we talk outside in private please, I have some things I want to ask you." Aly pointed to the door, and started to get up with Al's help she made it to the door and went outside to wait for Leon.

"Yea hun, what's on ya min'?" Leon asked her as he helped her out the door.

Aly swayed her way to the log pile and sat down, "Is it wrong of me to hate someone for not being there to protect me like they should have been?"

"Naw, those awr jus' your feelin's. It's not wrong, when ya care fer someone dat's not der fer ya. I'm sorray dough, I woulda done anytin if I coulda bin der an not bin useless."

"It's not you that I hate, you had reasons for not being there, and even if you were, you couldn't have saved me in any way from the person who hurt me. There was no way…" Aly held back her tears as she replied.

"Babay, it's… I… what happen'd? Please put mo' confident in me."

"Well, if you must know, I ran away again, and Roy came to find me again. When he found me, he dragged me back to his house and threw me at his couch. After I fell to the ground, he used flame alchemy on me, and I avoided it by jumping on the couch, but I lost my balance and fell, hitting my head on the edge of the couch. When I woke up, I was at the hospital. When all that was happening, Ed was nowhere, he wasn't there to protect me."

"Goddamnit, Fuck it aww." Leon walked over to the side of the house away from Aly's view, in the next second she heard a boomish sound. Then Leon was back in her view and standing in front of her clenching his fist then unclenching. "Ya aw stayin' wit us her' or I'm goin' back wit ya, today."

"I was planning on staying here for a day, then heading back, by then I think Roy will be feeling better and not drinking to much anymore. You don't need to worry, it's just I felt that I needed to get away before I got hurt even more, and give Roy some time to recuperate as well." Aly tried to get up but fell back on the pile of logs, "Ow… can you go get Al, and ask him to give me a hand?"

"I'll take ya back to 'im, her' grab o'to me only arm."

Aly grabbed onto his arm, and was carried into the house. She sat on the couch, and Winry was there.

"Good Evening, Colonel." A figure walked toward him. Roy was at Maes grave.

"Maes? Is it you? Please show yourself." Roy pleaded sadly. "Yes Roy it it me. Oh, I've missed you, it seems you haven't been taking care of yourself. Look at the mess you've made of your life. God Roy I'm disappointed. You need to stop drinking."

"Maes, everything hurts; I miss you. You're my best friend; you can't leave me again."

"Roy remember yourself, don't forget who you really are. You are a kind, gentle man who hides his feelings. You are a careful lover even though it's unknown by everyone else. And last you're a guy that needs a wife. I suggest Riza, now goodbye Roy. And stop drinking."

"No! No! Don't leave! Don't…." Roy fell to his knees and began to cry. The rain started strongly pouring down and soon Roy was lying in the mud thinking of Maes and sobering up.

Back in Risembool, Winry and Aly were talking to each other for the while that Aly was staying at her house. Winry was nervous, but Aly came out with a greeting, "Hi, I'm Alchemy Bradley, but you can call me Aly."

Winry looked at her in surprise, "I'm Winry Rockbell, it's nice to meet you."

Aly smiled, "Nice to meet you too Winry, so how long have you known Ed and Al?"

"For a while, I guess you've known them since they came to Central?"

"Yeah…but I just wished I could get to know them the way you do…Al mostly…"

Winry gave her an evil grin, "So, you want to know more about Al…what about him?"

Aly blushed as she started asking questions about Al's personality and past. Al on the other hand was passing by the room the girls were talking in and overheard their conversation. Aly was talking, "Al is a nice guy, I mean…he's always there to help me, unlike Ed, who can't even protect me from running away."

Al started to listen to the girls, and got a happy rejoice inside, Aly was talking about him in a kind, sincere manner, and she was upset with Ed. Al felt that his desire for Aly to like him might actually be coming true, when Aly gave Winry a hug, "Thank you Winry, I enjoyed having this conversation with you, and I hope we can meet up again sometime, but I should be getting back to Central."

Aly opened the door and left the room, and turned to find Al pretending to be picking something off the ground, "Oh, hi Aly."

"Hi Al, hey, can you do me a small favor?"

"Of course, what is it?" Al got up to looked down at her.

"Since Leon is on his normal route today, can you take me to the train station to go back to Central. I think everything that has happen will have blown over by now, so I want to go back. Also, I'm still having trouble walking, and I need some help getting to the train station, if you don't mind."

"Okay, I'll carry you there." Al picked Aly up, and started out the door to the train station.

Aly laid her head against Al's back and smiled with a hidden blush, "Thanks Al. For everything."

Al carried her all the way to the train station, and then placed her near the train to get on, "Will you be alright?"