Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Part 3
Al hung up the phone nervously, trying to calm his suddenly erratic breathing. He turned, frightened, as he heard someone in the doorway.
"Al? Are you okay?" Winry's gentle voice and concerned eyes greeted him.
"I'm… I just called the Colonel…"
"Oh? Any word about Ed?"
"Well… that's just it. The Colonel said he didn't send Ed on that mission…" Al's face pulled into a look of tight concentration.
"… What? What do you mean? You told me Ed said the Colonel had sent him back to… where was it again?"
"Xenotime." Al hesitated, as he and Ed had never discussed their visits with Winry or Pinako.
"Where is that anyway?"
"Well… it's a small gold mining town, and it's very isolated."
"Why would they send Ed there?"
"… I don't know…" Al didn't say he had a pretty good idea why they'd send his brother out there. "Winry, I'm going to Central." Al strode upstairs to pack his bags.
Winry stopped him, grabbing his arm. "Wait, why?"
"I need to talk to the Colonel." Al didn't say aloud that he knew the Colonel would try to find Ed. Or that he was going with Roy to find his brother.
"Oh. Well, have a safe trip… and tell Ed he needs to do his maintenance! I'm sure he's forgotten already…"
Al laughed and reassured Winry he'd do so.
Winry watched Al head upstairs and sighed inwardly. How she wished she could go with them… But she couldn't always be hanging around them, and she had to let them work this issue out themselves. Besides, she had customers waiting on her.
Turning, Winry continued packing for her own trip back to Rush Valley.