This is moving along at a pretty good clip. For now, anyway. So as long as I don't make any glaring continuity errors or come up with a better idea, I'll plunge ahead.

I do love messing with Ed.

Chapter 12

As they got closer to "town", as Havoc referred to the inhabited area of Ishval, they spotted a couple of mounted soldiers riding at a slow canter toward them along the side of the dirt road. Havoc slowed to a stop and leaned out of his window.

The soldiers pulled up on the reins as they came alongside the truck. "What's up, Havoc?" one of them asked with a nod of greeting. "And who's your friend?" The second question sounded casual enough, but Ed detected a heightened tone of awareness.

"It's okay, he's a friendly," Havoc replied.

"Oh, I am, huh?"

"Mostly," Havoc told the soldier with an apologetic roll of his eyes. "I'll vouch for him. This is Edward Elric, better known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. And for the record, he has no connection to the rest of the bunch that just came in on the train."

The soldier frowned and looked back down the road. "What bunch?"

"Reporters. A whole…I dunno…a swarm, I guess you could call 'em. Kind of like locusts."

The soldier tightened his hold on his horse's reins. "Damn!" he muttered. "We need to get back and tell the colonel."

"I already radioed the fort," Havoc said. "You guys probably want to keep an eye out for when they come limping this way. They weren't getting any rides, free or otherwise."

The soldier gave a half-grin. "Sure. We'll roll out the welcome mat."

Havoc let out an unsympathetic chuckle. "You do that." He drove on toward the outer edge of the buildings, then turned at a sign that said motor vehicle traffic with an arrow pointing to the left. He proceeded down a wide alley lined on both sides with a low wall. On the other side of the wall were buildings, clotheslines, trees, and people going about their business. Havoc explained how cars and trucks had to keep to specified areas. Ed would normally be very interested in a set of new surroundings, but he felt the need to sulk.

"So I'm a friendly!" he muttered after a time. "You'll vouch for me! That's just great! You know, it wasn't like I asked for a medal or anything, but come on!"

Havoc shrugged. "Sorry, chief. Here in Ishval, we look out for our own."

"Your own?" Ed gave him an incredulous glare. "You're not Ishvalan!"

"Well, no, not to look at," Havoc admitted. "But I live here and I married an Ishvalan girl and I act proper, mostly, so I'm sort of Ishvalan by…uh…absorbtion." Havoc laughed quietly to himself. "That's good! I'll have to tell Eyla that one. She'll get a kick out of that."

"I'm getting ready to kick you any minute!" Ed snapped. "And I'll use my automail leg! How did Scar get here?"

"I think the colonel drove him here." Havoc thought for a moment. "Back when he was still a major, I mean."

"You're talking about Major Miles?"

"Colonel Miles," Havoc corrected him with a nod. "Commander of what could potentially be one of the fiercest garrisons in Amestris once they get enough manpower and they all get over the fever and get used to the heat."

"Fever? What fever?"

Havoc waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. The season's over."

"Great. So why isn't Scar dead?"

"I dunno. I guess 'cause he didn't die. Now, let me see…" Havoc murmured to himself, apparently done talking to Ed. "I could send one of the pullers over to the—aw dang!" He thumped the steering wheel. "School's out today! Crap!" He frowned at the road in front of them. "So where would—"

"What the hell are you mumbling about?" Ed asked irritably.

"Pipe down, will ya? I'm trying to think!"

Ed folded his arms and scowled out his window. "Don't hurt yourself," he muttered sourly.

Havoc gave him a dark sidelong look. "Hey, you know what—"

"You said Winry was okay!" Ed went on abruptly. "Where is she? Her grandmother said she'd found a place to stay."

Havoc smiled slightly to himself. "Oh, heck, yeah!" he replied. "She finagled herself an invite to the home of none other than his honor the provincial governor of Ishval!"

Ed blinked. "Really? The governor?"

"Uh-huh. Although around here he's called the khorovar. He is the man here is Ishval. Then again, Winry's a bit of a celebrity around here herself." Havoc grinned. "The governor and his family have practically adopted her. Everybody loves her!"

"Huh!" Ed had to smile. "Yeah, that happens. But she really ought to send a letter or something to her granny to let her know she's okay."

"Oh, well, she's been a busy girl," Havoc explained. "She made this one old guy a fake arm practically from scratch. And of course," he added with a bit of a wicked curl to his smile, "she's busy fending off all her admirers."

Ed shot him a look of alarm. "Her what?"

"Ad-mi-r-ers," Havoc repeated slowly. "Boyfriends. Suitors. A whole string of 'em."

"What?"

"But don't worry," Havoc assured him. "The governor 's been keeping a real good eye on her." He held up two fingers, one crossed over the other. "They're like that, you know?"

"Uh…yeah…" Ed frowned and was silent for a moment, but then sat up. "But what about Scar? Where does he fit into all this?"

"Pretty much wherever he wants." Havoc leaned forward a little and peered at a figure crossing the road ahead of them. He suddenly hit the brakes, flinging Ed forward to bounce off the dashboard. While he clutched his head and cursed ferociously, Havoc leaned out of the driver's window.

"Hey, Stoyan!" he called. "You're just the man I wanna see!"

The figure walked up to the driver's side of the truck. He was a tall young man with a somewhat solemn demeanor. "Zhaarad Jean!" he greeted Havoc. "How can I help you?"

"Any idea where the big guy is?" Havoc asked him.

"Zhaarad Andakar? He went down to the river with his family and Zhaarana Winry."

"Winry?" Still rubbing his forehead, Ed glared narrowly at the young Ishvalan.

Stoyan frowned questioningly back at him and Havoc gave a nod toward Ed. "Stoyan Dimitar, Edward Elric. Ed, Stoyan." He looked over at Ed. "Stoyan is the governor's secretary."

"Nice to meet you," Ed said, a little distractedly.

"Likewise," Stoyan replied, although something in his tone and the slight hesitation before he spoke, not to mention the not entirely friendly look in his red eyes, gave Ed the impression that Stoyan didn't quite mean what he said. He'd never even seen this guy before. Maybe it was just an Ishvalan thing.

"So," Ed said. "Winry's off somewhere with the governor and his family?"

"Sounds like it." Havoc turned back to Stoyan. "They're probably at one of the sandy beaches just below Kanda, huh? Good picnic spot."

Stoyan nodded. "I expect so. What did you need him for?"

"A whole crowd of reporters came in on this morning's train," Havoc explained somberly. "He needs to know about it."

A look of alarm crossed Stoyan's face then settled into a look of determination. "Do you need me to find him?"

"No, I'll get there faster in the truck," Havoc said. "I already notified the fort. You start getting the word spread in town."

Stoyan gave a quick nod. "Right."

He stepped away from the truck and Havoc shifted into first and sped forward. Ed sat back in his seat and watched the reflection of Stoyan's retreating form in the wing mirror.

"Does that guy just not like strangers or something?" he asked.

Havoc shrugged. "Stoyan's okay. He's just the cautious type."

"Suspicious, more like." Ed threw up his hands. "Everybody's looking at me funny and it seems like they're all trying to cover up for Scar! I don't get it!"

"Well, once we find Winry and the governor, maybe they'll explain it to you," Havoc told him, picking up speed and shifting into fourth. "'Cause frankly, you're getting up my nose."

A cloud of dust billowed behind the truck as it rolled through lush fields of green. While Havoc drove, Ed sat sulking. He didn't notice the blond ex-soldier stealing amused glances at him, and he paid only minimal attention to the few comments Havoc made about occasional points of interest. There were only two things on his mind at the moment. Finding Winry and then finding Scar, because none of this was making any sense.

The fields of crops thinned out and stopped and they continued on along a road lined on one side with cottonwood trees and scrubby desert vegetation on the other. At one point, Havoc turned off the road and slowed to a stop alongside a stand of trees and stopped the engine. Without a word, Ed pushed the door open and jumped out. Havoc got down from the driver's side a little more sedately and let Ed go on ahead, but not too far. He wanted to see this.

Ed's automail leg had been sporadically acting up for a few weeks, and he jogged stiffly through a stand of trees whose leaves quivered and rustled in the breeze. Below to his left he could see sunlight glinting off the river and the gentle rushing of the water. It was a peaceful sound, but Ed's mind was in turmoil. His need to find Winry began to grow more and more urgent. Maybe he should never have left Resembool. Maybe he should have taken her with him. He kept meaning to call, but then he would come across one more fascinating lead or meet one more learned scholar or get into one more lively discussion. All he'd been thinking about was himself. He felt like he'd abandoned Winry, and now she had gone off on her own. Sure, she'd done so before, but now there was an almost irrational feeling of peril about this whole situation.

Because Scar was alive. Ed felt betrayed. He'd been lied to. It was one raw spot in his and Winry's lives that he thought could finally heal and now it had been opened again. Winry was here, facing it without him. He quickened his pace as well as he could. There was definitely something wrong with his leg. Well, that would serve him right, wouldn't it?

He paused. Over the rustle of leaves and the rushing of water, he could suddenly hear another sound just ahead and below to his left. There was the sound of splashing and then a woman's indignant shriek.

"No! No, you don't! A-ah! Put me down!"

His heart pounding furiously, Ed darted to his left toward the river. He burst through a line of trees and found himself teetering at the edge of a sandy slope. The knee joint of his automail leg decided to take that moment to seize up, and he tumbled down, somersaulting down the bank and ending up on his back. By this time, the woman's cries had turned into giggling, and her laughter was joined by that of a man's. Ed ventured to lift his head and look up.

Standing just a few yards away from him, knee-deep in the river, was Scar. He had an Ishvalan woman slung over his shoulder, her long silvery-white hair hanging down behind him and her bare feet dripping in front of him. The two of them went quiet and stared back at him.

"Oh!" the woman said, finally breaking the tense silence. "Andakar, sweetheart, is that who I think it is?"

Scar, his gaze not wavering from Ed's face, nodded. "It is, indeed."

"Well, would you put me down, then?"

"Oh. Yes, of course." Scar stepped forward to the edge of the water and lowered the woman's feet onto the sand. He straightened up and turned to consider Ed for a moment, then he stepped up onto the bank. Ed still couldn't bend his left knee and he felt a rush of panic. Here he was, once again lying helpless on the ground, and Scar was standing over him. He struggled to raise himself up on his elbows and crawl backwards, the heel of his good foot digging frantically into the sand and his automail leg dragging uselessly along beside it.

Scar gave a slight, impatient shake of his head and held out his hand. "Relax, Fullmetal!" he chided the young man.

Ed pulled his eyes away from Scar's with an effort and he frowned for a moment at the offered hand.

"Well?" Scar watched him with a somewhat amused expression. "On your feet, Edward Elric. Winry said you've gotten taller. I want to see for myself."

Ed's eyes flicked back to Scar's at hearing Winry's name, as well as what he took as a hint of a challenge in the Ishvalan's voice. After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and grasped Scar's hand, pushing himself up awkwardly. Scar took hold of his elbow and pulled him upright, using his stiffened leg as a lever. Once Ed was steady on his feet, Scar took a step back and looked him up and down. He gave a nod of approval.

"Alphonse may still have an inch or two on you, but I'm impressed," he remarked.

Ed's eyes widened. "Alphonse? When—"

"Good work, Ed!" Havoc called from the top of the bank. "You found him! That was a time saver!"

He hopped down to the sandy bank and stepped up to Scar. "I hate to rain on your picnic, but we have a situation."

Scar focused on him sharply. "What sort of situation?"

"It looks like that photo in The Delver had a bigger impact than anyone expected. The train pulled into Ishval station a while ago with a load of reporters and they're all heading this way."

The woman drew in a gasp and covered her mouth, her eyes wide with alarm. "Oh, no!" she cried from behind her hands. She turned to Scar with an exasperated look. "This is just what I was afraid would happen! But so soon?" She looked helplessly at Havoc. "Where are they now? Are they in town already?"

"Not yet," Havoc told her. "They were heading out from the station on foot when we left. We've got a little leeway, but not much. You need to gather up the kids and get back before the you-know-what hits the fan." He nodded up at the line of trees above them. "We'll pile everybody in my truck and get you home."

"Thank you, Jean!" The woman grabbed Scar's arm and fiercely pulled him along with her. "Come on, Andakar!"

Scar regained his balance and joined her at her side. "Yes, my love, I'm coming."

The woman looked back at Ed. "Edward! Don't just stand there!" she said sternly. "Come and help carry something!"

"Huh?" Ed stared at her. "Oh…uh…yeah…" She was a petite woman, but her sudden authoritative tone was one that would not be argued with. Ed knew enough headstrong women to recognize it. He started limping after them, then he stopped. "Hey, wait! Winry! Where is she? She's supposed to be somewhere around here with the governor of Ishval!"

Scar looked back over his shoulder at him. "That," he said, a little wearily, "would be me."

Ed stared at the retreating backs in such utter confusion that it seemed like his right leg had stopped working as well. Scar glanced back at him, shook his head, and bent down to say something to the woman. She gave a curt reply and hurried on ahead as Scar turned back.

"Is something wrong, Fullmetal?" he asked.

Ed spread out his arms. "Wrong?" he cried frantically. "Wrong? Everything's wrong! Next thing you know, it'll be snowing!"

Scar stopped in front of him. "I'll admit, the circumstances you've come across are no doubt confusing to you, but that does not make them wrong." He nodded to Ed's leg. "Are you having trouble with that?"

"Uh…yeah…among other things!"

"Do you need me to carry you?"

"No!" Ed glared up at the Ishvalan. "I can manage, thank you!"

"Well, then, let's get moving." Scar turned around and continued on his way.

Ed limped hurriedly after him. "You could wait up a little!"

Scar slowed his long strides. "It's a good thing Winry's here. She'll be able to fix that for you."

"Yeah, Winry's here!" Ed snapped back.

"Yes. She's just ahead with the children."

"And you're here!"

Scar nodded. "Your mind is still as razor sharp as ever."

"Get stuffed! How did you get to be governor?"

"By means of the democratic process of this enlightened country."

"But everybody thinks you're still dead!"

"Not everybody."

"Okay. Mustang knows, apparently!" Ed growled. "What about Fuhrer Grumman? Does he know?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's a big fat damn relief! Nobody saw fit to tell me!"

Scar gave a slight shrug. "Well, now you know."

"But you're still trying to keep it a secret!"

"For now. For my own part, I don't really care," Scar said. "But it would complicate things politically."

"Oh, I get it!" Ed nodded. "It would make the higher-ups look bad, huh?"

"It could also jeopardize the restoration of Ishval by undermining public support of the project. It could also damage the perception Amestrians have of Ishvalans that we've been working so hard to improve."

"Then why didn't you just…I don't know…disappear? Or just find a quiet little corner of Ishval to live?" Ed asked. "Why the hell did you go into politics, of all things! Talk about public!"

"Because my people chose me," Scar replied. He thought for a moment, then added, "I suppose I felt I would let them down if I didn't accept."

Ed gave him a knowing look. "Or you just didn't trust anybody else with the job."

Scar gave a grudging lift of his shoulders. "Perhaps."

"So what about Winry?" Ed went on. "What did—"

"Ed!"

Ed halted at the sound of his name being shrieked. A moment later, he was knocked off his already unsteady legs and he landed on his back with a not inconsiderable weight on top of him. He would never tell her that, though.

Winry pushed herself up and gazed delightedly into his face. "You followed me here! Oh, Ed, that's so sweet!"

"Hey, you two!" Havoc called, shaking sand from a blanket. "There's no time for that sort of thing right now. Besides, there's little kids here!"

Winry suddenly looked embarrassed and a little alarmed. "Oh. Right." She scrambled to her feet and stood aside while waiting for Ed to get up.

He made a couple of attempts before he looked up at her sheepishly. "I'm…uh…having a little trouble."

Winry's delight disappeared. "What kind of trouble?" she demanded.

"Um…well…"

"His leg isn't working," Scar answered for him.

Ed shot him a sour look just as Winry dropped to her knees and roughly pulled up the leg of his pants to expose the automail limb. She ran her eyes expertly over it, then grasped the knee joint. She gave it a hard pull, but could only barely make it budge. She threw her hands up in the air.

"What have you done, Ed!" she cried. She bent down to take another close look. "It…it…it's totally banjaxed!"

Ed gave a weak chuckle. "Is that a technical term?"

Winry glared at him with furious exasperation. "You didn't listen to a word I said, did you? You haven't maintained this properly at all, have you?"

"Uh…"

"I can see you two are a match made in heaven," Scar remarked dryly. He strode over to them and grasped Ed's arms and pulled him to his feet. "I'd say I was sorry to spoil your reunion, but I think that's already been done."

"I'll pull the truck up over there," Havoc said, tucking the folded blanket under his arm and pointing to a gentle slope that curved up to the road above them. "Shake a leg there, Ed!" he called with a grin as he ran up the slope.

Brushing the sand off his overcoat, Ed took a look at his surroundings and the other people in them. Aside from Scar, Winry, and the Ishvalan woman, there was a little girl with the tawny skin of an Ishvalan, but with black hair and blue eyes. Those blue eyes were not only looking around at the adults with anxiety, they also looked rather familiar, along with the rest of her features. The remaining members of the party were two very small Ishvalan children who looked like they had just woken up. The woman was handing one of them over to Scar, who cradled the child gently in one arm, her head dropping on his shoulder. The woman bent down to pick up the other child and got him settled in Scar's other arm. Then she began to hurriedly put plates, cups, and bowls into a large basket.

"Edward!" she called, straightening up and holding out the basket. "Would you carry this please?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." Ed grasped the handle of the basket and the weight of it nearly knocked him off balance.

"Mama?" the dark-haired girl asked in an insistent tone, as though she'd already asked and hadn't received a satisfactory answer. "How come we gotta go home? We didn't get to stay very long!"

The woman let out a sigh. "Something has happened, sweetie."

"But what?" She turned pleadingly to Scar. "Papa!"

"Danika, mind your mother," Scar told her gently. He nodded toward a small embroidered blanket that was still on the ground. "Go pick up your sister's blanket." While the little girl trudged away, Scar turned to Ed. "By the way, Edward, this is my wife, Rada."

Ed shifted the basket to his right hand and looked at the woman in surprise. "Oh!" He almost blushed. He hadn't even made that connection. "It—it's nice to meet you!"

Despite her determined hurry, Rada managed to give him a pleasantly dimpled smile. "I'm so glad you finally came, Edward. I've heard so much about you!"

"Really?"

"Oh, yes!" Rada bent down and started throwing toys into another basket. "Danika, put that in here!"

"This is my daughter, Danika," Scar went on. "And these two are Mattas and Winry."

Ed turned to him with a surprised look. "Winry?" He suddenly realized how often he'd been saying that name today.

"Yes!" Winry said gleefully. "Isn't she darling! They named her after me!"

"After you?"

Winry gave a little roll of her eyes. "Yes, Ed. As in 'on purpose'." She giggled. "We all call her Little Winry now. They named their little boy after Andakar's brother. You know." She leaned closer to Ed. "The one with the notebook."

"Oh, that's—" Ed gave Scar a sudden, sharp look as the big Ishvalan walked past them toward the slope, carrying his twins. "Andakar? That's your—"

"Yes," Scar replied simply. "Doishteve na Ishval, Edward Elric."

They got everyone and everything up the slope to Havoc's truck, with Winry and Ed trailing behind. Winry had pulled Ed's arm over her shoulder and was hurrying him along. Havoc was up inside the back of the truck, giving Rada a hand up. She turned around and held out her arms and Scar handed her Little Winry.

"Hand me the little sport," Havoc said, holding his arms out for Mattas.

Scar passed his son up to Havoc, then bent down to lift Danika up into the truck. The little girl still had an anxious scowl on her face and she put her hands on Scar's broad shoulders. "Papa! Why do we have to go home? Is a bad thing happening?"

"No, little blackbird," Scar told her. "Something's happening, yes. But it's not a very bad thing. More like…an inconvenience."

"That's right," Havoc added easily. "A whole bunch of nosy folk want to come and poke around Ishval and take pictures. Once they're gone, everything's gonna be fine. Nothing to worry about, lil' bit!"

Danika still wasn't satisfied. "But what're they bein' nosy about? What kind of pictures do they wanna take?"

"They want to take pictures of Papa," Rada told her. "And you know he doesn't like having his picture taken."

"But Sergeant Major Benji took that picture of us that I have in my room and Papa didn't mind that."

"That's because it was just for us," Scar explained. He climbed up into the back of the truck, then turned and looked around. "Is that everything?"

"Just us," Winry said.

Havoc handed Mattas back to Scar and jumped down. "You two can ride up in the cab with me," he said to the two young Amestrians. "It's crowded enough back here with all my stock." He looked up into the back of the truck. "Stay up toward the front," he told Scar and his family. "And keep this tied up." He reached and pulled the canvas coverings down and he and Scar tied them securely. "Okay, folks! Let hit the road!"

After moving the radio onto the floor, Havoc and Winry managed to help Ed get up into the cab of the truck. Then they climbed up on either side of him and Havoc started up the engine.

"Here goes nothin'!" he announced, shifting into first.

As the truck set off, Winry gave Ed's leg an irritated look. "You're really lucky I brought some of my tools with me."

"You went on vacation and you took tools with you?" Ed shook his head. "What a gearhead!"

He had managed to use an affectionate tone, so Winry just gave him a nudge against his shoulder. "You're lucky I am, that's all I'm saying."

Ed took a deep breath and realized just how profoundly relieved he was. He put his arm around Winry and pulled her close. "I know I'm lucky."