AN: This story is going to be a long one because there's so much for everyone to work out. So let's see what's going on with Edward he seems to be having a serious breathing problem. I based what he's got on what I happen to be going through in real life so everything he experiences I've already experienced along the way, down to the tests he has to do. All the characters that make appearances from here on out are based on actual people I know nurses, housekeeper, landscapers, cart driver, young state Alchemist etc.
I long to go home Chap.15
Mr. Border showed up with his horse and cart. He was a talkative man with a nasally voice when he talked some of his words were drawn out "Hiiiii" and he always talked about a guy named Chuck on the radio.
They walked out and put their stuff in the cart. "Hey Mr. Border how's it going?" Edward asked him putting the bags in the cart.
"Heeey Edward have you been listening to the radio. I didn't really like the way Chuck ended the show last night." He turned to help Edward.
"No Mr. Border can't say I have." Edward said turning to Mustang and raising his eyebrows.
As they were loading their stuff he just kept on talking "I think they should have ended the show another way. I really think the girl should have remembered him."
As they drove down the road he was still going on about the radio show and Mustang was getting frustrated with his rambling.
"Hawkeye did we authorize this chuck guy because if we didn't shoot him when we get back." He said sternly.
Hawkeye snickered and whispered "Yes sir."
Edward and the girls just laughed as Mustang got more frustrated with every word Mr. Border said.
Edward whispered to the girls "Watch he's going to snap in a minute" He pointed to Mustang "Watch the vein in his head." Mr. Border just kept on rambling with his back to them.
The vein in Mustang's head got bigger as he turned to Hawkeye "Never mind Chuck….Just shot him."
Mustang couldn't stand it anymore he jumped up and snapped "CAN YOU SHUT UP ABOUT CHUCK. WE DIDN'T LISTEN TO THE RADIO LAST NIGHT BECAUSE WE WERE TO BUSY SCREWING IF YOU MUST KNOW. SO QUIT ASKING IF WE HEARD IT!"
Everyone awkwardly looked at him as impending silence fell over the cart. Hawkeye's face turned the color of Edwards red jacket he used to wear. Edward just reached up and grabbed him by the front of the uniform and pulled him down.
Mustang composed himself "So girls are you ready to see Central?"
Both girls laughed "Your funny General and yes we want to see the library" Crystal said leaning back on Edward.
Jade looked at Mustang "Does that vein always pop out like that before you lose it?"
Mustang looked at Edward "It did quite often when your father was younger" Edward gave him a smile.
They all looked at Mr. Border who was still rambling to himself about the radio show. "And only around people like that." Mustang cracked a half ass smile as Jade gave him a look that reminded him of Edward when he was younger.
Mustang looked at both girls and realized both of them had a part of Edward in them. Edward was the best of both of them and Winry was the glue that held it all together. He realized at that moment that he wanted that to. He finally knew what was important in life it's not power or success. He looked at Hawkeye 'It's her' he thought ' I want what Fullmetal has and I'm going to make it happen. I've screwed around for fifteen years and wasted time running after the wrong things. I'm going to ask Riza to marry me." He jumped up "I'M GOING TO DO IT!"
Hawkeye looked up at him with the rest of them wondering if he'd finally lost his mind "Do what sir?"
Mustang realizing he had said it out loud "UH…nothing" He sat down quietly.
They arrived at the train station and unloaded the bags "Thanks Mr. Border" Edward smiled a cheesy smile "Good to see you again as always."
"Ooookaaay Edward you guys enjoy your trip." He started mumbling about Chuck again and Mustang reached for his gun.
"Sir you can't do that to the citizens." she smiled pulling his hand back.
"DAMN YOUR RIGHT" he walked up to the train to get on "I-I-I just wanted to shoot him I'm sorry." He said babbling.
"Get on the train Sir" She shook her head and smiled at Edward as he helped him on the train because he was pouting.
They all took their seats and the train began to roll down the tracks. Winry sat next to Edward "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes Winry I feel fine now" he smiled he didn't like to see her worry about him.
"If you start feeling bad let me know okay" she put her hand on his.
"Winry I'm fine really." Just then the girls came running down the aisle with Hawkeye behind them. They had been on the caboose watching the train leave the station.
"Dad this is awesome" they said jumping into the seat.
"Girls let your dad rest." Winry looked at both of their smiling faces.
Edward turned to her "It's okay I don't need to rest right now." he turned to his girls "What do you want to talk about? Anything you want to discuss just ask I'm all yours."
"We want to discuss alchemy dad." Jade said pulling a book from her backpack "Can you explain what it is?"
"Sure" Edward sat up " Alchemy is the science of understanding deconstruction and reconstructing matter." He clapped his hands together and formed the sword on his automail hand and both girls eyes lit up " It is impossible to create something out of nothing. If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be given." He looked at both of them and clapped his hands together and made the sword form back to his arm as he continued "This is the law of equivalent exchange the basis of all alchemy." Both girls listened intensely as Edward went on " In accordance with this law there is a taboo among alchemists" he looked at his arm " Human transmutation is strictly forbidden for what could equal the value of a human soul."
Jade asked Edward a difficult question "Dad did you ever try human transmutation?"
Edwards head dropped "Yes Al and I committed the taboo. We tried to bring our mother back. I lost my leg and Al lost his whole body. I then gave my arm to bond Al's soul to a suit of armor."
"But in the end he got his body back…right?" Crystal asked then looked at her dads arm "But you didn't get your arm or leg back."
"Yes that's when I found out after I gave myself to save him that maybe the whole equivalent exchange thing didn't work the way we thought it did." Edward smiled at them "I'm glad to see your so interested in this. But you need to be careful."
"Dad" crystal asked "What is a philosophers stone? And what happens when you combine it with alchemy?"
Edward was impressed with her question "Good question Crystal " He looked out the window "Al and I searched for a philosophers stone thinking it could help us get our bodies back." He still stared absently out the window as he talked "The philosophers stone when used with alchemy wipes out the equivalent exchange." he looked back at the girls "But Al and I found out to make a philosophers stone you had to sacrifice multiple human lives."
Both girls were shocked "Human lives is the only way to make one?"
Edward looked down "Multiple human lives girls. Al and I swore we would never use a philosophers stone no matter what happened because of that."
"Alright girls that's enough for now let him rest. We've got a few more days for him to explain this to you." Winry noticed Edward was getting droopy eyed.
"Okay" both girls said as they moved to a couple of seats away and began talking amongst themselves.
"
"Get some rest Edward" she sat down next to him.
"I'm just going to close my eyes for a few minutes." He said falling asleep.
Edward awoke a few hours later and looked over to see Mustang playing a game of jacks with the girls. He looked across from him to see Winry gazing out the window in her own thoughts and Hawkeye was cleaning her gun in the seat behind Mustang and he smiled.
"Your awake" Winry said softly.
"Yeah how long was I out for?" Edward said rubbing his eyes.
"A couple of hours" She smiled but he could tell behind it she was worried.
He patted the seat next to him "Come here" she moved over and sat next to him as he put his arm around her.
"With all I've been through in my life Winry don't worry I'm going to beat whatever this is." He smiled as she put her head on his shoulder.
The girls looked over "Hey dad your up can we talk some more?" They walked over and plopped down in the seat across from him as Crystal turned to Mustang " Keep practicing General you'll make it to your sevens soon."
Jade snickered "If he passes his twos any time soon."
Mustang bounced the ball grabbed the jacks then missed the ball "DAMN! I'LL NEVER GET THE HANG OF THIS." pushing everything aside and crossing his arms to pout.
Edward laughed as he looked at the girls "So where did we leave off?"
"I want to know if anyone has ever been brought back to life using a philosophers stone?" Crystal asked her father.
The door on the car shut as Al and Albert walked up "Why yes someone has and he's sitting across from you."
"Al! what are you doing here? I thought you were staying home?" Edward was glad to see his brother.
"I thought about it, but after you left I had Mr. West and his turbo horse and cart drive us to the other train station and we caught the train on the last stop a few minutes ago." Al smiled at Edward "I couldn't let you go without me."
Albert smiled "Yeah were a family."
"Thanks Al" Edward looked at Albert "And you too nephew I've missed your smiling face."
Jade broke in "What do you mean Uncle Al?" she looked confused "Dad was brought back to life?"
Al dropped his bag and sat down "Yes, in the underground city. A homunculus named Envy who we found out was actually our half brother stabbed Ed through the heart and killed him dead. Scar had turned me into a philosophers stone so I used the stone inside me and myself to bring Ed back to life."
Winry turned to Edward "No one ever told me that."
"That's because after that I sacrificed myself to have Al made whole again and he didn't remember anything." Edward held her tighter "That's when I ended up on the other side in a place called London with Hohenheim."
"So you were actually brought back to life with a philosophers stone." Crystal was intrigued.
"Yes but only after Al sacrificed himself too." Edward smiled at Al.
Jade was confused "Wow…With you two it's sacrifice after sacrifice. It seems like you sacrificed yourselves to save each other. Here's a stupid question what if Uncle Al would have sacrificed himself again to get you back?"
Both Edward and Al looked at each other dumb founded "Weeell, we never really thought about that actually. " Edward laughed "I guess I was glad Al didn't remember at that point."
"Yeah because I probably would have sacrificed myself again" Al smiled at Edward "Because that's just what brothers do for each other."
"Can you bump up the array of a transmutation circle?" Crystal asked.
"Uh yeah" Edward scratched his head "You can change the number of the sides on the inside circle. Let's say you have a six sided circle you can ad another two sides and make it an eight and bump the array of the circle up." He smiled at how the girls were asking such great questions.
"Is there a philosophers stone around now anywhere?" Jade was wondering.
"Yes there is" Mustang stood up "Dr. Marcoh's stone he used is in my safe at Central. I locked it up tight after he was killed. I didn't want anyone to get there hands on it and use it in a evil way." He turned to Edward "We were trying to figure out if we could use it to bring you guys back. But every time we got close something happened to our scientists."
Edward looked up "Sounds like someone didn't want us to come back."
"Yes it does seem strange now." Mustang put his hand to his chin and thought for a minute "Are you girls done with Fullmetal for a minute cause I need to talk to him" Mustang motioned for Edward to follow him.
Edward got up and followed Mustang to the seats in the back of the car. Edward noticed he was in heavy thought.
"General is something wrong?" Edward said looking at him.
"I'm really worried about this I don't know how to approach it." Mustang looked lost at this point.
"Don't worry General I'm sure it was just coincidence that something happened to the scientists." Edward thought.
Mustang looked up confused "Huh?" he shook his head "Not that." he moved closer to Edward and whispered "I want to ask Riza to marry me."
"Reeeeally" Edward said surprised "Well just come out and ask her. I know she loves you" He began to ramble "I mean who else would put up with you for fifteen years with all the ignoring and power driven motives-"
Mustang waved his hands back and forth "Okay…okay I got it. Your right…I now realize what's truly important from watching you with your kids." he looked up at Edward " How do you do it Fullmetal?" His questions were sincere " I mean how do you know what to do? Or….that you truly love someone?"
Edward smiled "Do you constantly think about her? Does your body and heart ache when she's not around? When she's sad can you feel her pain in every part of yourself?"
"Yes" Mustang whispered.
"Then you truly love her" Edward turned towards Mustang "Love is not rocket science it's what it is ….Love. I truly thought I was in hell for ten years and now" He looked at Winry and his girls "I feel more alive than I ever have in my life. I told myself I wasn't going to be my father and after Jade was born I realized I wasn't him. I realized I was myself…but without Winry I was only part of myself…she completes me."
Mustang turned to Edward "I understand Fullmetal because for the past few weeks I've felt the exact same way."
"About the other thing children complete us also I never thought my kids would be so into what I am. But to look into their faces and see a part of me is the best thing a man could ask for. To know that I will live on through them makes everything in the past worth…Well General truthfully" Edward said softly "It was worth the sacrifice."
"Losing ten years with her was worth it Fullmetal?" Mustang said confused because he would want to spend every waking moment with Hawkeye.
"Yes" Edward looked at him "Because they're alive and have a safe place to live. Even though I wasn't with her physically for ten years she had a part of me in Crystal and I always had her in my heart." This guy talk was the first civilized conversation Mustang and Edward had ever had where they both told each other their feelings.
Edward put his hand on Mustangs shoulder and stood up "Just ask her General anyway the way you two have been going at it she's probably pregnant anyway….But do it because you love her…seriously."
"Your right Fullmetal." Mustang stood up and straightened his uniform "I'm going to do it right now."
Edward pulled him back by his shoulder "General you should really get a ring first."
"Oh…Oh yeah your right" He fell back onto the seat "How do I do that?"
"I'll help you" Mustang grabbed him by the front of the shirt.
"You will?" Edward began to pry Mustangs hands from his shirt " Yes General I will."
Mustang sighed "Thanks Fullmetal."
Edward was walking away "Anything to make her happy" He looked back "And you too of course."
He walked back to Winry "What was that all about?" She asked.
Edward smiled a sly smile "Uh…just guy stuff" He looked at her "Heeey how about I give you a tour of the train my little sexy seductress. We can check out the cars and see which ones are more private." He smiled a big smile "If you get my drift?"
Winry smacked him "Edward you want to do it on the train?" she looked surprised.
"Hell, why not let's get something worth wild out of this trip. Where's your sense of-" she cut him off.
"Adventure I know but if you remember what happened the last time you asked me that." She laid her head on his shoulder "We were walked in on."
He leaned in to her ear and whispered "This time I'll use alchemy on the door and no one will get in."
She got an excited look "Alright Edward let's have an adventure."
Smiling a huge smile "That's my girl." he smacked her ass "I love it when your naughty."
"I just can't get enough of you Edward." she grabbed his ass.
"Grrrr" He looked at Mustang "Hey General can you watch the kids for about" He looked at Winry as she mouthed something to him "Two hours?" she nodded her head yes as his eyes got huge " I'm going to show Winry the train" he winked at Mustang.
Mustang shook his head "Yeah Fullmetal just go."
"Thanks General I owe you one" he patted him on the shoulder as he slid by him and grabbed Winry by the hand and pulled her out the door.