DISCLAIMER: Ed Elric, Al Elric, Sergeant Brosh, Lieutenant Ross, Lieutenant Hughes, Sheska, etc. © Hiromu Arakawa / Marina © author.

Key:

Normal text - speaking/narration

Italics - thoughts

Ch 16: No Rain No Rainbow

Returning to the library, I found Ed and Al chatting with Elysia's obsessive father.

"What's up? I thought I told you to get in touch with me the next time you guys were in Central!"

"Well, we had urgent business........" Ed scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

I hugged the state alchemist from behind. "You liar!" I teased. "It wasn't that urgent!"

"Marina-chan, you're back!" He gave me a smooch.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes." Said officer turned around to find that Ross had marched into the room. "We will not be able to protect these three at this location if there is an emergency."

"I told you to leave us alone!"

"Ed..............." Smacking my boyfriend upside the head began to sound like an attractive plan of action.

"As long as we don't know where Scar is, we should reexamine security procedures."

Hughes crossed his arms. "Lieutenant Ross is right."

"Lieutenant Colonel......." Ed was dismayed at Hughes' seeming betrayal.

"But I can't do it at my own discretion. You should ask Major Armstron––"

"No! Please, not that person!" Ed and Ross exclaimed in unison.

The female lieutenant cleared her throat while Ed begged, "Lieutenant Colonel, we're really close here. Please."

Hughes sighed. "We can't do much because of the Scar incident. On top of that, all the case records were destroyed, so we can't work, even if we want to."

"Case records? Those were in the branch as well?"

"Yeah. All the testimony records and name lists were there."

Ed and I looked at each other and nodded. "Lieutenant Colonel........."

About twenty minutes later, we were all back at the bookworm's house. "What?! Me?! I've read police records and suspect listings before........"

"See? Now you'll be fine." Ed told Hughes.

"Well, if what you're saying is true, it'll help us a lot."

I added, "We all recommend her. Now's your chance to hire her."

"The only thing I can do is read books, and they want me at the court-martial office?"

"It's not as stupid as you think it is. The fact that you are able to give something your all is a talent in and of itself," I chided. "You have an incredible memory and should be more confident about yourself."

Sheska turned to me. "Thank you Marina. I will work my hardest! I accept the job!" She bowed to Hughes.

"Okay! Now that it's decided, let's get this thing official! Our place pays well," the Lieutenant Colonel joked. Ed looked at Hughes with a weird expression on his face. "Fine. For library security, I'll send out some people from the court-martial office."

"What? Thank you. I never intended that." Hughes was not fooled in the slightest.

"What did you mean, 'the fact that you are able to give something your all is a talent in and of itself'? You have a way with words, Marina-chan." We were now, once again, at Central Library.

I gazed at Ed and smiled. "When I'm looking at a certain someone, I feel in my heart that that's the truth."

"Well, that certain someone is going to keep giving it his all, without a break!" He kissed me gently.

"Breaks aren't a bad idea once in a while............."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*Insert number of days* later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why is this so difficult! We've been at this for days, and we haven't gotten anywhere!" Ed complained.

"Ed, I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? You haven't been the one spending hours and hours in this blasted library! You haven't experienced the hardships that Al and I have gone through to find the philosopher's stone!"

I flinched as each word pierced me like a bullet. My eyes welled up with tears and I burst out of the room. "Marina, what happened?!" Lieutenant Ross asked with alarm.

"If either Ed or Al ask for me, I'll be at Lieutenant Hawkeye's." I ran out of the library to call a cab.

"Brother, you idiot! I know you're tired and frustrated, but there's no reason to take it out on Marina."

"I realize that NOW! I'm sorry Al."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to her. If you run, I think you might be able to catch her before she disappears. I'll continue deciphering these notes."

"Thanks Al!" The alchemist ran after me, fervently hoping that I hadn't already disappeared.

He grabbed my wrist as I was about to run down the steps, and pulled me into a tight embrace. I struggled to get away, tears streaming down my face. "Let me go, let me GO!" The harder I struggled, the tighter he held me. I eventually gave up, but continued crying. The blond sighed and whispered, "I'm sorry Marina. I realize that I was frustrated, and I didn't mean to take it out on you. Please forgive me."

I pursed my lips, closed my eyes and turned my head away from him. "I-I don't know if I can, Ed……..Your words hurt more than you can imagine." The sky began to mirror my emotions, turning cloudy and dark.
"Marina-chan, please forgive me. I beg you to forgive me." Ed raised my chin with a gloved index finger and kissed me softly. "Please." He gave me a series of kisses, each more passionate than the last, as if trying to convey the fact that he wanted me, needed me.

We stood in the front of the library, making out in the rain. When we finally separated for air, I found myself against a wall. Ed gently clapped his hands together and created an overhang to protect us from the pouring rain. At some point, we switched positions; I leaned against Ed, Ed leaned against the wall. I was content to lie in my boyfriends' arms, listening to the soothing sound of the rain. I sniffled a couple times. "All right, let's dry those tears now." The alchemist gently wiped away the tears stubbornly residing on my cheeks.

"Ed, I think it's time we went back to the library. Ross and Al must be worried."