CHAPTER FOUR

"Don't you 'But Winry' me! Do you know how hard I worked on those limbs of yours? You haven't had them a month, not a month, and I call to find out how my babies are treating you only to learn you're in the hospital – for two days already, mind you – and not a call, a telegram, not even a letter to let me know! I can't trust you to take care of yourself, and you expect me to believe there's nothing wrong with your automail?"

Ed didn't bother to interrupt again. Each time he did the rant seemed to get longer. When he was told there was a telephone call for him in the lobby, he didn't expect Winry Rockbell chewing him out over anything and everything. He nearly forgot how loud she could be. The Winry he met after a two year absence was far more reserved. Ed could only hope she really would grow out of the yelling phase that dominated most conversations with her since that fateful night of losing his limbs.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, Winry."

"Good. And don't think this is the end of it. I have a wrench with your number on it Mr-I'm-a-State-Alchemist. Just two days, you better be ready!"

He winced as the phone on the other line was slammed down. The noise wasn't nearly as bad as her yelling, but Winry never treated technology that way unless she was really pissed off.

Now he had two days until she arrived. It seemed a very short time to figure out how to either avoid her or explain automail that she did make, but wouldn't remember making. The first option was his preference, but he would run into her someday and running would just make it worse. Besides, Al wasn't ready to be moved yet. The doctors recommended keeping him for another day or two as he worked with a physical therapist to regain his balance. Al's uncoordinated movement was explained away by a combination of shock and being unused to being out of his armor. They feared the memory loss might also be affecting his body and were reluctant to let the younger brother leave before they saw improvement.

Edward received a clean bill of health before leaving for shopping this morning. Being stopped from walking out the front door was not a fun experience. No wonder Al and he usually left through the window after waking up in the hospital.

Hughes pulled a few strings with the hospital administration to allow Ed to stay in the same room as Al while he recoved. It still hurt to think Al didn't remember a thing of all their travels, but at least the fact he didn't remember kept the brothers together.

Sighing, Edward hung the receiver on the hook and started a slow walk back to the room. Sergeant Brosh fell in line behind him.

'Wait a minute.' Ed did an abrupt about face, missing Brosh with quick side step, and headed back to the phone. Before he could think twice about it, he dialed for a butcher in Dublin, hoping it was still the same number.

"Curtis Meats," a tenor voice answered.

"Hey Mason. This is Edward. Is Teacher there?"

"Ed! What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to her. It's been a while, you know?"

Mason snorted. "More than a while Ed. If it wasn't for Mrs. Rockbell we wouldn't know anything more than what the paper prints. And she usually doesn't know much more than that. Now what's really happening?"

Sighing, Ed wondered how to answer. The phone lines could be tapped and he didn't really want to tell Mason a lot either. Better stick with the basics. "Al and I got caught in a rebound and had our memories messed up a bit. I'm better off than Al, but I thought Teacher might be able to help. Is she there?"

"How bad, Ed?"

"I'm calling Teacher, aren't I? Is she there Mason?"

Now it was Mason's turn to sigh. "I'm sorry Ed. They went on another outing. I expect them back in a week or so, but I can't help you until then. Where are you guys at?"

"Any idea where they went?"

"You know them Ed. She could be anywhere in Amestris by now. They left three days ago."

Ed blew out a breath as he realized there was no way to know when they'd return. Were they looking for the Elric brothers or was it just a coincidence Teacher found them in Rush Valley?

"Ed? Where are you at? I'll have her call as soon as she gets in."

"No. Don't bother. We won't be here in a few days so it doesn't matter. Don't worry, it isn't that bad. Besides the memory thing we both have a clear bill of health and my memory seems to be fine now. Al's will probably come back in time. I'll try calling in a week, okay?"
"Ed-" Not wanting another rant, Ed hung the phone up. Mason would be giving them an earful when they go there one way or another.

Giving another sigh, Ed started back to the room. Sergeant Brosh wasn't so keen to follow closely this time.

"What was that about sir?"

"Just seeing if my old teacher could help out any. Don't worry about it. It was a long shot anyway." Brosh nodded and followed silently the rest of the way.

A commotion down the hall sped his footsteps. Their room had several more soldiers than he remembered leaving, a large crate being lifted through the room window, and no Al or Lieutenant Ross.

"What's going on here?" Ed demanded, addressing the room at large rather than a specific soldier.

"Sir!" No salute was given as two soldiers were manhandling the crate inside while a third struggled to balance the load from outside. "Your brother's armor was recovered from the thief this morning. We were ordered to return it to Alphonse Elric asap."
"And where would my brother be?"

"Due to the size of it's container, the armor would not fit through the room door. The doctor came to check on your brother as we began to maneuver it through the window. I believe your brother thought it best if the doctor asked his questions while he took a walk through the halls." The unspoken request to let them get back to maneuvering was heard loud and clear.

Not willing wait for them to fit the crate through the barely large enough window for a suit of armor that he really couldn't use anymore, Ed stepped forward to expand the window size. A quick slap brought back that tingling sensation making him pause. With a slight shake of his head, Ed dismissed the feeling and placed his hands on the wall next to the window.

Agony burned through his arms as he directed the window to widen. With a clenched mouth he stepped back hastily, sinking onto Al's bed. He vaguely acknowledged the thanks sent his way as he waited for the pain to subside. With the enlarged window, the soldiers were able to move Al's old armor into the room quickly. They pried off the lid per his request. No way was he man handling the crate by himself, and heaven help him if he had to ask for Armstrong's help.

"What did you mean by 'recovered from the thief' earlier?"

"We've been on alert for the armor since the call went through. While the thief is still at large, we found the armor abandoned in an alley way on the east side of the city. Intelligence checked it out for traps before sending it over with us. They didn't want a repeat of someone trying to impersonate your brother."

"Repeat?"

"You know, like how the thief waltz into headquarters claiming to be Alphonse Elric yesterday."

Ed couldn't get them to leave fast enough after that comment. As soon as they were gone, he claimed to be tired and Brosh offered to wait outside the door for Al and Lieutenant Ross.

He counted to ten when the door closed before whispering, "Al?"

Silence.

Walking right up to crate he whispered a little louder. "Al?"

No response.

"Come on Al, stop joking around." Equal parts of dread and foolishness crept up inside him. Did Ed figure wrong? Wasn't this the Al from this world, and his Al was with Lieutenant Ross? Or was his Al lost in a collapsed building in Germany? He shook his head, not willing to think farther on the last question.

He lifted the armored head off the torso, glancing at the blood seal to make sure it wasn't damaged. He stared right into the hollow eyes. "So help me Al, I'll transmute you pink when fixing you up if you don't talk to me right now?"

"Since when can you pigment steel pink, brother? Or should I call you that?"

Ed blinked at the response. That was Al's voice, but he could only remember that kind of bitterness once. 'After the laboratory. Al thought he was just memories. Of course.'

"Nothing to say, Ed? Found your real brother and now your toy armor isn't worth anything to you?"

"Of course not! You're getting it all wrong Al! You're my brother, and if you want to think differently just wait until Winry gets here."

"Why? They aren't going to play your game now that you found the real Alphonse Elric. At first I thought they were just acting along and I was all made up, but then it all made sense. You lost your brother and you couldn't handle it. I was just there to help out until you found a way to get your brother back."
Ed wanted to throw to head across the room, but couldn't do that when he was helpless like this. Shoving the head down onto his torso, Ed clapped his hands again. He bit his cheek against the pain, and transmuted the crate into planks of wood while attaching Al's limbs again. Breathing deeply to center himself, he stared into Al's hollow eyes.

"You were never just a help. You were never made up. I don't care what you believe about me, but you are Alphonse Elric. The best damn brother in the universe and I don't care whether your in armor or a body."

"How do you expect me to believe that when there's a living breathing Alphonse Elric! I couldn't see you, everyone kept talking about you and your brother everywhere. Whatever you did it worked. You got your brother back just like you promised. Why do you have to keep up this game? It's what you've always wanted to tell me, I'm not human!"

A loud clang echoed as Ed rammed his automail fist into Al's chest. Caught off guard the younger Elric crashed into the ground. The door slammed open and Sergeant Brosh stood with his gun cocked at the two. Seeing no one in the room, he relaxed his stance slightly. "Is everything alright sir?"

Ed ignored them, completely focused on his younger brother. "You're Alphonse Elric. The only thing I've never wanted to mention is whether you hated me for sticking you in that armor."

"But-"

"No," Ed cut Al off. "I don't care what you've heard. I don't care what you've seen. You're Alphonse Elric. Don't ever doubt that. It's kind of messed up right now, and that's my fault. I'll get it fixed, but I don't want you to ever think you aren't my brother." He winced when saying that. Technically this wasn't his brother, but even in Germany he always thought of Alfons as his brother, just a different one than Alphonse. Now there were two Alphonse and he'd have to figure out how to fix it.

Was there another Ed out there too? No, he shook his head. If there was he'd probably end up in Ed's body like he did in England. That body perished and sent him back to the gate, but the next time he went through, it was with his own body. Here he stood, in his own body. Edward Elric of this world must be dead.

"I'm sorry Al. More than you know," he stated quietly. Sergeant Brosh looked on with his gun lowered, more confused than ever. Al creaked as he stood up.

"I'm sorry too brother. It's just, Barry was... well, the army thought I was a thief! And when they found me when I wasn't moving they hauled me in here and I heard my voice! It was mine, Ed!"

"Yeah, about that..."

"Brother?" Alphonse Elric stood in the doorway staring at all three of them while holding on to Lieutenant Ross's arm.

"Al!" Ed started to move towards him, thinking to put him on the bed before he remembered armor Al standing behind him. He turned back trying to figure out what to do.

"Major Elric, sir! Could you explain what is going on?"

'Sure Lieutenant Ross, why not? I'm from another world beyond the gate of truth, my brother is holding on to you brought back from the dead with six years of missing memories, next to me is the real Alphonse Elric from this world and the Edward Elric you know is mostly likely dead by homunculi in the basement of Laboratory 5 and the Furher is one of them. Any questions?' Ed thought still pondering how to answer.