Old Nightmares, Old Dangers, New Discoveries
Winry and Edward didn't all of Saturday. It was already driving everyone around them nuts. It was the longest time they hadn't spoken when they had argued.
Both were too stubborn to talk to each other, to apologise for exploding, amongst other things. Meanwhile Lucy was left sighing between the two of them. Edward refused to talk to her, even about the questions he was going to ask her. Just then they seemed to have fled from his mind.
On that sunday, Lucy had gone over to Winry's after her work, only to find Edward talking to Russell, Al talking to Fletcher and Winry working in her shop looking irritable. It seemed the situation seemed to be far from over.
She quickly greeted the boys before heading back to the shop to talk to Winry before she broke what ever she was holding.
"You know…" Russell said tentatively.
"No."
"But-"
"No."
"Why-"
"No."
Russell sighed. "All right fine- I won't get involved. But will you two kiss and make up soon? It's driving me and Fletch mad."
"Don't drag me into this brother!" Fletcher called, "they can do what they want!"
Russell laughed. "He's still scared of you."
"For good reason…" grumbled Edward.
Meanwhile Lucy was trying to work on Winry.
"But you two have been friends since you were kids."
"Which is why he should know better."
"What's this all about anyway?"
"Him being stupidly over protective and generally stupid."
"But he's like that."
"I know- still means he should apologise."
"Yeah… but… he's Edward," Lucy reasoned vaguely, "I've only known you guys for three weeks… but I can see this much… you two are close. It's like you guys can't be without each other. I'm kinda jealous."
Winry looked up suddenly. Lucy wasn't looking at her any more. Instead she was swinging in her chair, looking at the floor.
"It's like… you've got someone you can always rely on… no matter what. And even if you argue, you're not that worried about you two never talking again… because you know that's impossible. I won't say it's like having a sibling, coz it's not even like that. With a sibling, you sort of expect it. You can't with friends, there's a trust there…"
"Lucy…" Winry said softly.
"It's ok," she said brightly, looking up, smiling. The fake smile was back. She wasn't really aware of how invisible she could be with her emotions some times. "I chose the way I am, I chose to travel. But… I'm here now, and maybe I can have that with someone now too."
"Yeah," agreed Winry, "yeah maybe you can… and you can start with me…"
A blush spread across Lucy's cheeks. "You haven't known me long enough."
"Yeah… but it's weird… I don't usually get on with girls, because I always hung out with Ed and Al… but I get on with you."
"I guess," her smile turned lopsided, "now… are you going to be the better person and go and talk to Edward first?"
She sighed exasperatedly, "I guess so."
"All right," beamed Lucy, "now, I'm going to go get ingredients for dinner, and when I get back I want to see you two all closey close ok?"
"Fine…" Winry said dryly.
Lucy beamed at her and hopped off her chair. "I'll be back in a bit."
She left the shop, closing the door softly behind her, walking away with a bounce in her step.
"She talks too much."
Winry jumped and spun in her chair, hand over her heart. "How long have you been there for?" she snapped.
"Since her fake smile appeared," Edward shrugged, walking down the rest of the stairs, "she's too nosey."
"So are you," she snapped.
"It's the one thing we have in common."
Winry sighed. "Ed… li-"
"I'm sorry," he said suddenly.
Winry blinked at him owlishly.
"I shouldn't have blown up at you like that… you have a right to know too… and out of all us of us, she's the one she's closest to. You're the first person she became comfortable around, the first person to know about her automail limbs… the first person to find out about…" he paused and raised his right palm to her.
"How'd you-"
"Don't ask…" he rolled his eyes, "I only found out a couple of weeks back… I knew you knew- she didn't have to say." He sighed and walked towards her. "I just… I'm worried about what I might find out about her. It could be dangerous, and if it is, I don't want you to get hurt. I… I…" he stammered then took her hand in his own. "I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt."
"You'd blame yourself," Winry chuckled, "you always do."
"It usually is my fault, and this time I feel like… if I find it out, then I can stop anything worse from happening."
Winry sighed. Then laid her other hand on his. "Ed listen to me… I'm a big girl now… I can deal with giant… morons… hell I can deal with you! And I'm sure I can deal with anything from Lucy's past too…"
"The past come to haunt the present."
"I know that… I've seen what you and Al had to go through. And I wished all that time I could have helped you properly. But you never let me. This time… this time I'm going to help you. And I'm going to help my new friend too. What ever the consequences. All right?"
Edward stared at her, studying her blue eyes closely. They were fearless, determined and everything that made Winry… Winry… everything he… he loved about her. If he was really being honest with himself.
"If I let you help…" he said slowly, "then I'm in charge… if we get into a bad situation because of it… and I tell you to run, you piss off and don't look back."
"I promise."
"And you won't talk to Lucy?"
Winry hesitated. "I can't lie to her…"
"No- we will tell her, eventually, but right now she only knows that I've investigating her. She also knows that I will eventually tell Al and you as well. But for now… don't tell her. It'll keep the peace… and it'll mean you two can stay close."
Winry smiled, then hugged him tightly. "You never change do you, Ed," she said softly, "you always want what's best for me…"
Edward went red, but hugged her back, trying not to forget about the blush. Which was impossible. "I try," he replied.
She pulled away, smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "So… are you going to fill me in?"
"Yeah," grinned Edward, taking Lucy's seat, and proceeded to tell Winry what he had found out. All the time the back of his head nagging him 'why did you know this before you idiot? Kiss her! Damnit just kiss her! You fool… you damn fucking fool!'
*
Lucy was still in a mood. Relatively. She was certain that Winry and Edward had made up by that point, though she was getting annoyed by the fact that he had not yet made his feelings for her clear.
"He'll admit it," she muttered to herself, as she examined a tomato, "if he doesn't I'll make him…"
"Did you know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness?"
"No," she replied absently, not even looking at the speaker, "it's the third."
"Really? What's the first two?"
"Well first is hair growing on the palm of your hand," she paused, then, "the second is looking for the hair growing on the palm of your hand." She looked up grinning to see the man looking at his palm. But she almost dropped the fruit in her hand as she recognised him.
He was tall, well built. His hair was pitch black with a shock of silver running through it, on the right side. His skin was dark, and he had all the features of an Ishballan male, the broad long nose, the defined jaw line, and even the wide red eyes. But his eyes were covered by sunglasses, as were her own. He looked at her over the top of them with a smirk on his full mouth.
"Well hi," the man smirked, "long time no see…"
"What the hell are you doing here?!" she hissed at him.
He glanced around. "Let's talk somewhere more private, you can shop in a moment."
"But-"
"Now…" his voice was low and commanding.
She swallowed hard and nodded, dropping the basket she was holding. His hand wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her along behind him. She felt helpless for the first time in a long time.
But there was nothing she could do. He was back… her big brother was back…
*
"And that's all I know," Edward sat back, to watch Winry's reaction.
It wasn't what she had expected. She looked ready to cry for some reason. "She's been through a lot…" she said softly, "utterly rejected… watching both parents die… having to identify the body… it must have been hell."
"I know."
"I wander why she refused to come home with Mr Hughes."
"Gracia said stubbornness," shrugged Edward, "from the looks of things, I won't disagree." He paused and looked around. "She's been gone a long time."
"Got distracted by a book shop?" Winry shrugged, "you know her."
Edward stood up, nervously. It wasn't like Lucy at all. She may have gotten distracted, but she'd never have made them wait that long. Besides… she was always hungry at about that time. They all were. "I don't think so…" He frowned. "You think she ran into the creep from before?"
"Ace?" Winry paled. "M- maybe."
He shook his head. "I don't like this, I'm going to go find her."
"But… it's going to rain."
"I'll find an umbrella."
"I'll come with-"
"No," he interrupted, "not this time. I'm worried she got herself into a bad situation. One is better than a group here." Jogged across the room and grabbed his coat from the hanger, picking up an umbrella as he went. "I'll be back soon," he promised. He left, opening the umbrella as he stepped outside, and started walking… fast.
"You'd better," grumbled Winry. At the same time she smiled to herself. Even if he didn't know it, Edward was warming up to the girl. Not friendship by any stretch of the imagination, but nearly there.
*
He pulled her into a sheltered ally way and released her wrist. There was thunder rolling over head. It was going to rain. Lucy didn't like rain.
"What are you doing here?" she asked more calmly.
"Is that anyway to greet your older brother."
"Half brother," she snapped, "you've never treated me like a sister- not once. Now what do you want?"
"Oh oh oh, feisty as ever… guess it's the only reason you've survived."
"No thanks to you."
He smirked at her. "You never needed my help."
"I had to learn to make it on my own, you bastard. It would have been nice if I had some one I could have relied on."
"You looked fine."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I hate you…"
"Somethings never change," he sighed dramatically.
Thunder rumbled again as the two siblings glared at each other.
"Why are you here?" she snarled.
"I'm not allowed to be?"
"It's just weird. I don't see you for over a year, and now you turn up- out of no where. And you want to speak to me."
"I wanted to check up on you."
"I'm fine- well I was… then you showed up."
"Stop being so cliché."
"I can't help it! You're here!"
His eyes narrowed at her. "You know… there's only so much of your abuse I will tolerate," he told her, flexing his hand, "and you're about to over step the mark."
Lucy glared at him. She knew he was dangerous, he'd never put her through absolute horror in the past when he could have, but she always wondered if one day he'd loose his temper entirely and really try to break her, instead of just physically harming her.
"What do you want?" she asked quietly.
"That's better," he smiled at her, but it was by no means a reassuring thing, "I want money."
"I don't have any."
"Sure you do."
"I don't… it's gone on my automail and my living expenses. This time I really have no money."
"Funny… normally you have some so you can move on."
She didn't say anything, she just looked at him.
Around them the rain started pattering down. In a matter of seconds they were drenched, and the thunder echoed directly above them. Outside the ally people were ducking for cover, and laughing in the rain.
Lucy shivered. She hated the rain.
"You're not planning to move here are you," he hissed at her, only just audible in the storm, "your planning to live here." He started laughing. "Just like your daddy always planned, right? You and your damn precious father."
"He could have been your father too," she said softly.
"What?" his laughter cut off, "that Alchemy dog… I don't think so."
"He loved mum," she insisted, "he loved her. He wanted to bring all of us here. He… he wanted all of us to have a new life."
"And then he went and got himself killed. Convenient."
"What are you trying to say?" Lucy was almost crying, but you couldn't tell in the rain.
"Nothing, just your precious daddy wasn't all he was cracked up to be."
She shook her head. "He wasn't but he tried his best. And mum did too."
Her brother gave a hollow laugh. "What makes you think that woman even cared about you?" he snarled at her, "you made her life a misery!"
"She loved me… mum loved me…"
"She hated you… because you made everyone turn against her." He looked her over in disgust. "I'm surprised you haven't been thrown out of here as well. You don't belong anywhere."
Now she was crying. Tears streaming down her face. "Why do you hate me?" she asked, her voice cracking, "What did I do?"
"You exist," he hissed at her. Without warning, he slapped her hard, sending her sprawling into the pavement. "You're useless the way you are now. You've gotten soft… wanting to stay here… the same thing will happen you know- you'll get found out, and you'll get rejected. Again and again and again- just like you always do."
"I'm not always rejected!" she retorted, turning round. She could taste blood, he had split her lip, "people like me! People-" The air was pushed from her lungs as he landed a kick to her ribs.
"Don't kid yourself," he snarled, "it's called pity. Some fuckers have it."
"Not all of them!" Lucy insisted.
"Yes all of them," he laughed again, and bent down to pick her up but her collar, "one of these days you'll learn… you're not wanted." He spat at her, raised his fist. She closed her eyes, accepting the final blow.
Thudding to the ground again, she lay there, sobbing, crying like a child as her brother stepped over her. Walking away, hands in his pockets, looking around suspiciously, blinking the rain from his eyes.
What was that girl up to? Moving to Armestrian central? She's was mad… they'd never let her stay. He scowled to himself… should he stay and see how things panned out? Might be the only option if he couldn't get any cash…
Lucy lay there for a few moment, waiting for her sobs to subside. Her brother's words echoing in her head. The same as always. Your not wanted… you're nothing… mum hated you… A fresh wave of tears hit her, as she sat up, painfully.
No… she had to do this by herself. She would be fine… she always was.
Pushing down her sobs, she pulled herself to her feet. Had she dropped anything? Yes… her wallet lay in the alley, it was a miracle her brother hadn't noticed it. She walked over to it slowly, clutching at her ribs, she was sure one was broken. She picked it up gingerly, and looked around. It was time to go…
*
"LUCY!" called Edward through the rain, water getting in his eyes, "Lucy! Answer me! Fuckit- where are you?!"
He had checked the book stores, the second hand shops the groceries. Nothing. No one had seen her. She was no where. It was like she had vanished.
Not too long before, Edward would not have put it passed her, but now? She wasn't like that. She'd have left a note or told them herself or something. Something had to have happened to her.
"The hotel," he muttered, "she'd have headed back there."
On the realisation, he doubled back and practically ran full pelt towards their shared home. Which was when he almost ran into her. He spotted her at a distance, but she was walking so slowly he didn't register it. As he grew closer, he slowed down. The slim build was unmistakable, even in the rain.
"Lucy!" he shouted.
She didn't react, kept walking forewords. Slowly.
"Lucy!" he jogged to catch up with her, "Lucy where have you been I've been-" He cut himself off as he looked at her. "Lucy what happened? Why is your lip cut? Why is there a bruise on your cheek? Damnit why are you holding your side?"
"You don't care," she muttered sullenly, "Winry sent you… you're trying to impress her."
"You moron, she didn't send me. Lucy stop, talk to me."
"Go away."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Leave me alone."
"No, you're a mess. Come on," he grabbed her wrist, "I'll take you home, we'll clean-"
"No," she snapped, snatching her wrist back, "I don't need your help or anyone else's!"
"Lu-"
"Stop saying that damn name! Lucy Lucy Lucy! Shut up!"
"Wha…" he frowned. Lucy was rational… she was calm… calculating sometimes. But not like this. He's never seen her like this. He put a hand on her shoulder, and stopped her, he tried to make her look at him. She wouldn't. "Ok… Lucy? I don't know what happened… but I'm taking you back to Winry's. Over there she will clean you up, I will go and buy the groceries and Russell is going to do the cooking."
"Stop preten-"
"Oh get it through your thick skull!" he snapped at her, "we do care, you understand? Fuck knows why! But we do!" Without thinking, he pushed the umbrella into her hands and picked her arm, right arm supporting her back, the other supporting her legs. "You struggle, your ribs will get worse, understood?"
"Why-"
"Just accept it, you idiot."
Lucy quietened down, her head hanging into her neck. She was soaked. And strangely she felt hot.
"Damnit," grumbled Edward, "you're going to get pneumonia."
Lucy said nothing. Her glasses and slipped off into her lap, her eyes were closed. Edward was suddenly glad he had found her when he had. She would have never made it back to the hotel.
"Stupid brother," she murmured in her slumber.
'Brother?' thought Edward, 'what brother?'
*
He managed to get her home. Just. Almost immediately Winry went into a panic, then bossy mode almost simultaneously. She ordered Edward to put Lucy in her room. She ordered Al to warm up some water and Fletcher to find some bandages.
"What do I do?" asked Russell, bemused.
"You come with me," Edward stated, coming out of Winry's room as she entered it, "I promised her that we'd get something to eat."
"Are you sure this is the time?"
"More than ever… she was in a complete state when I found her, I'm not even sure she knew who I was for half the time." He paused, remembering what she said. No one cares? He'd never heard her so negative. "Get your jacket, come on."
"I'm cooking?"
"Yep."
In her room Winry stood stunned for a moment, the girl's lip was swollen and bloody, which her cheek was already had a bluish tinge. Her left arm hung over her right side, as though she'd been holding it.
"Who the hell…" she said softly, then shook her head.
Alphonse ran in with the hot water. "Anything else?"
"Just be on stand by, she's sick so she'll be delirious. But wait outside… I think her ribs are cracked."
"What do- oh," he flushed pink and darted out of the room as quickly as possible.
Fletcher entered as he left. "Bandages," he said shortly, and fled.
"Ah they're good boys" chuckled Winry, she turned to Lucy, "all right now… let's see the damage."
She lift the girl a little, leaning her against her body, and tried removing her wet top.
"No," Lucy murmured, stirring, "no… nonononono."
"Lucy, ssshh shhh shh," Winry said softly, "come on it's just me."
"No… it's secret."
"But it's me, I'm just trying to help."
"Winry?"
"Yeah, it's me. You know me."
"Ok… but don't tell anyone." Sleepily she raised her arms, making the job easier for Winry.
"Tell anyone- oh…" she blinked a few times then shook her head. It was not the time for her mechanics to kick in.
Almost her entire left side was automail. From just below her bosom it seemed to just above her hip. But it was all joined to her automail limbs by a small flexible metal joint. Effectively a quarter of her body was automail. From what she could see. But there was clearly more to it… and the technology was very advanced.
"I won't tell," she promised.
"Good…" Lucy smiled, her eyes still shut, "was wrong…" she muttered.
Afterwards Lucy didn't say another word. Winry examined her ribs. They weren't broken, but they were cracked. She quickly secured her ribcage in bandaged, to make sure she couldn't do any more damage in her sleep. Then turned to her face. She used the hot water to clean off the blood at her lip. The wound was clear, but for the blood and already seemed to be calming down significantly. But her cheek was still inflamed.
"Al!" she called.
"Yeah!" his voice came through the door.
"Get me cold water!"
"One moment!"
Winry quickly covered Lucy's body. Considering now she had stripped the girl of all wet garments, it was now not just a secret she was concealing.
There came a knock on the door.
"Come on Al," she called, "she's decent."
Careful Alphonse walked in with the water in a bowl, glanced at Lucy then walked out again. This time it wasn't out of embarrassment. It was out of concern.
Wetting a towel, she pressed it to her cheek as a cold compress.
She sighed. She couldn't do any more.
She felt her forehead. Evidently Edward had brought her back in time. Her temperature was gone. Now she was sleeping instead of passed out. She'd be all right in a few hours. And knowing Lucy, less time than that. The girl was resilient as well as stubborn
"Is she ok?" this question came from Fletcher as Winry stepped out.
"Few cuts and bruises, but she's fine, she's even over her fever." She looked over at Edward who was glaring off into the middle distance, "which is really thanks to Ed."
"Just wanted to bring her home," he shrugged.
"Food's ready," announced Russell, "rice and curry folks, sorry I was a little rushed."
Winry chuckled, "he gets annoying when he's worried."
"I wasn't worried," mumbled Edward, already at the dining table, "can we just eat?"
"You guys go on, I want to keep an eye on Lucy," Winry said.
"I'll bring some in for you," Russell told her.
"Thanks Russ," she smiled gently, before re-entering her room.
Edward watched her leave then rolled his eyes and let his head hit the table. He wasn't even that sure why he had panicked so much when he heard her talk like that. It wasn't like she was his friend… but she was person. That was the only explanation he could give, she was a person and she was clearly injured.
Well… it was the only explanation that would work for the moment.
*
Lucy stirred. Her head felt like a drum someone was beating, her lip and cheek ached. When she moved her right arm her ribs felt like they were breaking all over again.
What the hell had happened to-
Him… she remembered… He had turned up… her older brother… older half brother that was. Demanded money… called her useless… beat her up… left her crying in the rain… He always did that. It had become a strange tradition… the only contact they knew or understood. Lucy never did understand why she waited for him to change his mind… accept her as his little sister. But she still did. It wasn't that she forgave him- she just wanted to have a family… and he was apart of that family. Even if it wasn't in the most positive of ways.
She frowned and looked around. This was Winry's place, she recognised the bed. But how did she end up here? Normally she would have headed straight home… considered leaving… sometimes the want to leave won, sometimes it didn't. Now, as she thought about it, she knew the want to leave would loose.
But what had happened?
Edward… Was that…? Yes… yes it was him. The one who she shouted at, she couldn't even remember what she had said, but all the regret hurt and anger inside her just spilled out. He probably hated her… and yet… it was probably him who had brought her back. What for? Why?
She sat up, groaning, hand to her head, she glanced down, she was only wearing her underwear. Her eyes widened, her side! She panicked, grabbed the sheets to cover her, but that was when she noticed Winry. She was asleep on the side of her bed, it looked as though she had been holding her hand for a while. It had been her left hand, so there was no way she could have felt anything.
Lucy dropped the sheets and looked again. She was bandaged up, her ribs secured. It had probably been Winry's work… she didn't know Russell or Fletcher that well, Alphonse was far too embarrassed too easily and Edward generally refused to help when it came to looking after another's wounds, insisting his automail arm made him clumsy. Something Lucy did not doubt, she knew that feeling all too well.
She smiled. She made a mental note to thank the blonde girl. She also knew Winry would be full of questions about her side, but that made no difference. It was all right if Winry knew… she'd keep her secret. The other's would find out eventually. But not yet.
She eased herself out of bed, and walked towards the door. She picked up one of Winry's larger t-shirt that had been put over the stool of her dressing table. It smelt clean. She pulled it on, painfully. She paused, that had taken a little too much out of her. It was just broken ribs and a split lip that she was recovering from.
She left the room silently, closing the door behind her silently. She crept through the dark living room, through to the kitchen. She could hear the boys snoring, she didn't want to wake them.
But as she entered the kitchen, she sensed someone was there. She almost gasped. She wasn't wearing her dark glasses.
"Who's there?" she asked, her hair falling into her face as she fixed her eyes on the floor.
"Edward," came the sullen reply, "what are you doing up?"
"Getting water," she replied quietly, "I'll go back to bed."
"You're not wearing your glasses are you?"
She froze. "No…" she replied, swallowing hard.
Edward sighed. She heard his chair scraping against the floor. His footsteps… heading away from her. A cupboard opened, and closed. He walked again, then the water began running then splashed into a cup. The water turned off, and he walked towards her.
She could make out his silhouette. She knew she couldn't run, immediately her neck bent making her hair fall into her face.
"Here," he pushed a glass into her hands, "look… Lucy… you don't want me to see your eyes… I… I won't see them. Not unless you want me to. I'm not going to cheat and trick you into showing me… ok?"
"O… ok…" she looked up at him, accepting the cup. He had stepped into a space of moonlight. He wasn't looking at her, he was looking straight ahead, his face determined.
"I just have one question… it's my question that I missed today…"
"Go on?"
"What happened today? No lies, no jumping around the question, nothing like that."
"Why?"
"You scared me. You kept telling me no one cared, that I only came to help you because Winry told me to… that was your fever talking-"
"Fever?"
"You were drenched… I'm surprised you fought it so fast. You had quite a high temperature. But… something had to have happened to make you think that."
Lucy paused, she looked down again, her hands squeezing around the glass without really thinking. "I…" she leaned against the counter behind her, "I was at the grocers shop… and… I saw someone I know-"
"Who?"
"Som-"
"I said no jumping."
She hesitated. "I… I have an older brother."
"What?" he looked at her, he could make out her outline, bent over that glass over water, looking so small. She looked like a child.
"He's my half brother. Ten years older than me. My mum got married at sixteen. Had a child at seventeen, that was my brother… but her husband beat her up… she had been told several times to get rid of her husband, but she couldn't do it. She was too scared of him. Then when she was twenty she met my dad… they started out as friends, and he saved her. He took her and her son… my brother, away from that house. Brother's dad was exiled by the elders of the town, saying that it was against Ishballa to treat a woman in such a way."
"So… that's how your parents met?"
"Yeah… but they're relationship was purely friendship for five years. Then I think my dad admitted he was in love with her… she rejected him…" she chuckled, "rejected him for a year. But dad didn't give up. They got married the last time he insisted he loved her. I was born a year after that." She frowned. That didn't really do her parent's story justice… but it was basically right. "But… brother didn't like it… he didn't like my dad, he couldn't remember his own father that well… but he saw my dad as a usurper, who stole mum away from his dad. So… he hates me. And I know he doesn't hate mixes, growing up I remember him befriending mixes. But he hates me because I'm the confirmation that his parents could never have worked."
"So what does that have to do with today?" his tone sounded dangerous.
"He found me… he does this sometimes… when he was fifteen, after my dad died, he left us. To travel like how I do. This time… he wanted money… I don't have any to give him, so he… did this," she pointed at her face.
"He beat up… his little sister?" Edward's voice was cold, "he told you no one cared? He told you you were worthless?"
She nodded. "He always does… I should be used to by now."
"No you shouldn't… he should be trying to protect you… he should be trying to help you. You didn't have to be alone for so long."
"I don't blame him," she said quietly.
"Why not?!" he burst out.
"Because… I'm my father's daughter," she smiled sadly, "and he hated my father. Why should I blame him for something I really am?"
Edward stared at her. He wasn't sure he could believe what he was hearing. But then again, it had come from Lucy… He sighed then did something he never expected to do. He put his arms around her and hugged her.
"You told me that no one cares," he said, "that's not true… Winry cares, Al cares… I care… to a certain extent…" that got a laugh out of her, as she rested her head against his chest. "Forget what that faggot said, he's lying. People care about you, and you're not useless."
"I know… I just… forget."
"And you don't need him. You have your mum, dad and uncle with you… and once you find your family you'll have them too… and you've got us."
"Mmm…" she sighed and hugged him back for a moment, then pulled back, her hair still covering her face. "Thank you…"
Edward didn't say anything, he just nodded and released her. She turned and went back to bed.
"Hey… Lucy?"
"Yeah Ed?"
He paused, surprised. She never called him Ed. He shook his head. "I… I think I should give up on the questions for a little bit… I'll do my own research for a bit… ok?"
Lucy paused. "All right… but… your one question day thing still stands… if you need any help… but…" she smiled. "Let's just say it'll last longer than just just a month, you'd only have two more weeks otherwise."
"You've only got a week left in the hotel… have you found a place to stay?"
"I…" she hesitated, "I'll find something," she promised.
"You'd better…"
Lucy chuckled to herself . She walked back into her room. Edward paused looking after her then shook his head.
"Weird… I think I'm actually starting to like this girl…" he muttered to himself, he blew out his cheeks, walking back into the kitchen to get his own glass of water.