Author's Note: After good times and bad, I've returned, and have spent much time struggling with inane stuff. Like how to carry on with the next arc/episode. Well isn't that just how it goes. I don't own FMA or DW.

Chapter 17 Courtesy

Once Envy had his stone restored, he decided to play it safe in Mustang's presence and took on a new form: Asbestos Bear. Fuzzy, fire retardant and a health risk in more than one way, Envy wouldn't leave this shape even after the group returned to Rush Valley.

"Where's your girl, Horsey?" Envy stood up on his hind legs, towering over everyone. "I'd've thought she'd show up by now."

"I… don't know…" Roy said, scrunching his face, concerned and trying to remember. He shut his eyes, and tried a deep breath. "No!" he whispered, flinching at what he saw in his head.

Envy turned to the alchemist, picking up bits of the man's thoughts. {He and Riza were in the office, and she was about to leave him with some paperwork. 'April 24, 1920,' he read. Pain struck him hard in the head, and Roy collapsed dizzy. 'Sir?' Riza called as she rushed to his side. He tried to make his voice cry out "RUN!" but in the haze of the monster's body, he was too confused to orient himself. It was the Nightmare that used the intention, but it raised his poised hand, and snapped. Riza was thrown against the wall by the force of the blast. 'What…?' she stammered, her hand searching for the door handle. The clock chimed ten. Roy could feel the Nightmare raise his hand again. "NO!"}

Envy blinked. 'Intense,' he thought, distancing himself from what he witnessed. Roy's memory still held him, and the man was shaking violently. Envy didn't move- the alchemist was not stable right now, and if there was anyone who'd set him off, it was Envy. Hawkeye was probably dead, and Mustang would probably be a fugitive. 'Fuck… I'm actually caring about this bastard. None of this is my problem, and there's no way me helping him is going to improve his lot, but… curse you, Doctor, you're making me nice.'

The Doctor was giving Envy a very specific glare, the type that says 'I know what you're thinking, and tough luck. You know what you're supposed to do.'

Envy peered back with his beady bear eyes, wearing an expression that said, 'But, but, what about my safety?'

"I'll handle him," the Doctor said aloud. "Go."

Envy sighed, and lumbered into the TARDIS, and returned to his human form, flipping, levering and toggling his way back to the moment of Roy's possession.

Riza dropped to the floor just as the fireball lit up. Curled up in a fetal position, the force of the blast ground her against the door. The skin on her arms and legs was melting off. The fire's roar drowned out all else. She didn't hear the screeching from the other side of the door, she didn't hear glass shattering. The intensity of the fire vanished, and she collapsed, the pain consuming her. Riza, with blurry eyesight, barely registered that the office door opened, but when a figure she knew from somewhere stood over her, something told her that she was in trouble. She was losing consciousness fast, and couldn't make out what the banded figure was saying.

Riza woke up in what she could only think could be a hospital, although the only thing she recognized was the bed. To her shock, her nurses were cat-human chimeras wearing- of all things- nuns' robes. Using a small box they called a Translator, the cat-chimeras informed her that she was in the year five billion, that everything would be sorted out to within reason so don't worry, and that she was brought here by someone who called himself 'the Doctor's Apprentice,' who's left a note at the office about where you are and that you'll come back when you're healed.

It was two months later that Riza was released from the hospital. She was taken to the lobby (after getting drenched in sanitizer), and stood baffled, wondering who was the person who brought her here.

"RIZA!" Loud and obnoxious, the voice made her jump, and Riza could only think of a few people how could be that annoying. She turned to the face the voice's owner, and nearly had a heart attack. Who it was should have been dead, nor was she used to enemies giving her bear hugs while spinning her around. "Feeling better?" Envy acted like they were long-time friends. Instinctively, Riza reached for her gun, only to remember that as a patient, she would not have one on her. Envy set her down and turned to the door. "Well? Are you coming or not? Or did you have a falling out with Mustang?"

"Why should I trust you?"

Envy spun around wearing a furrowed brow and a small frown. "Why, I brought you here, and I want to get back too- we're missing out on all the fun."

The Doctor managed to draw Mustang into rapt conversation by the time the TARDIS returned. The door opened and Riza stepped out. "Is this- Colonel!" She tore out of the box and ran to Mustang. Envy appeared after her, strolling like the Doctor when his companion was about to step out into some famous when in history.

Elisa looked back at Envy, and noted his tense, pursed expression, and tapped the Doctor to get his attention. "Envy, is something wrong?"

Envy blinked at the reunited friends and turned to her and the Doctor. "No one but the Peterertians were found in the ships?"

"No, why?"

Envy swallowed stiffly, glanced nervously about, and said, "Because I went over the recording of your chat with the E.T.s. That noise in the background?- THAT was Fullmetal."

Envy rocked on the balls of his feet, mouth set in a thin straight line as his eyes darted about the scene. Still, he was doing a good job of hiding his fear returning to Amestris, but knowing the Homunculus, the Doctor withheld open reassurance even if he could sense the other's tension. If he had killed Edward Elric, even accidentally… "Let's hope he's in the ship that got away, then."

He could see Roy's eyes widen when Riza told him the news and summon up the energy to search for his young friend from somewhere inside all that exhaustion. That was the strange thing about Humans that Envy secretly admired- even with all resources drained, they seem to defy the laws of thermodynamics when motivated enough- if only the Philosopher's Stone worked the same way.

"We need to find that ship," Roy's voice became strong. "You, Homunculus." Envy perked up, tilted his head and pointed his index at himself in a 'who, me?' gesture. "Yes, you- you started this mess, so you're going to take responsibility of it, or-" Roy pinched his fingers at Envy in a way that only the Flame Alchemist could make threatening, "- there'll be a repeat of last time."

'Technically, it wasn't me- I'm not raciest against cyborgs… at least… not in particular,' he left his thought unsaid. Instead he said, "I don't think cyborg should even be considered a race anyway," to himself.

"Oh, they'll get there own sport's leagues in a little bit, just you wait," the Doctor chimed. "Personally, I've always rooted for the Hardscrabble Thespians myself. Lacrosse really took off in the galaxy in the 22nd century." He led the lot back into the TARDIS

"Liverpool Counterweights, if you ask me," Envy said with a smirk.

Elisa hung back until the other three humans caught up. Al had the expression of a confused spaniel. "Did they just switch topics on a whim, or something?"

"That's normal, don't worry," Elisa reassured them. "Those two have so many thoughts going on in their heads all at once that some of them are going to match up. You get the hang of it, though."