It was nightfall by the time Kain's car pulled up in the asylum driveway. The outside air held the thick scent of wet pavement from the rainfall that had just seized and washed away most of the snow covering the grounds of London. It sent a humid touch to the biting cold, giving the area a relaxing sensation. Taking the rare chance, Kain slowly inhaled the unfamiliar air around him, a bittersweet memory of home stowed away in the back of his mind. Noah patiently pressed the door shut behind her as she exited the car, her tired eyes perking upon contact with said air. The Roma sighed. Perhaps a move to London should soon be underway.
"According to the directions, this is our stop." Kain mumbled audibly, his eyes skimming over the messy scrawl of notes on the crumbled paper he'd been keeping in his pocket for several hours.
"As it should be," Noah replied. "The sign says we're in the right place."
"So, we are in the right place." Kain stated, with quite the relief. Noah fastened the scarf around her neck, pulling it up slightly over her nose to cover most of her face. Kain grabbed her hand and gave her an empathetic, reassuring smile before pulling her quickly towards the building.
The doors through the entry were unbelievably heavy. It took all of Kain's strength (and pride) to open them with one hand while grasping Noah's hand with the other. The couple quickly entered the gloomy building, regretting doing so almost immediately after. They had barely taken two steps in before the waft of melancholy hit them like a wall. The hallway smelled of old medicine and moth balls, and seemed to continue on forever into something of a void. It was like a path to one's own doom. Noah swallowed her despair and Kain finally exhaled. Hopefully, they could find Edward soon without much difficulty, and get their sorry butts out of there in time to keep their sanity intact.
"Where do we go now?" Noah whispered.
"I'm not sure. I think their visiting hours are over, but I'm sure they can make exceptions... We were, after all, invited here."
Noah nodded, locking her arms around Kain's, ignoring the shiver running up and down her spine. The couple began to continue down the corridor, just as a young doctor, who looked far too busy and tired for his age, emerged from one of the rooms on the right side of the hall. Noah took a quick glance in just before the door clicked shut, hoping to catch a glimpse at what might have been a patient. To her disappointment, it seemed to have merely been a storage room for files.
The doctor blinked twice at the odd couple. He seemed terribly insecure. "Ah- M-May I help you?" He asked timidly. Noah cocked her head at his insecure voice. A shameful person to own such beautiful aquamarine eyes!
"HEM!, yes, we're looking for a doctor by the name of Elric. He was supposed to admit a former patient under our care."
The young man nodded, motioning for the couple to follow him. The trio continued a ways down the hallway, never making it all the way to the end as they turned around a sharp corner. Noah's heels clicked lightly on the clean marble floor. Her head began pulsing lightly as her eyes scanned her surroundings. It felt similar to what she'd been recently experiencing during her visions about Winry. A downhearted, miserable twinge of nausea hit her, her visions begging to be triggered.
No. That was wrong. They weren't visions. Dreams, they were dreams, yes. Dreams. It was simply impossible for them to be visions. Noah had, after all, abandoned all her psychic abilities after returning from Amestris. Unless her visions had some way of being conjured by her unconscious mind, there was no way she could be seeing visions again.
The young doctor noticed Noah clutching her fiancée's arms tighter with each coming step. A smile creeped over his face before a light chuckle escaped his lips.
"Madam, you needn't be so tense." He smiled. "This is the short term wing. Our patients here deal with amnesia, anxiety, depression and self harm. I assure you, they would be more willing to harm themselves than you."
Noah felt her face grow increasingly hot. She couldn't blame the poor man; he'd probably seen many people cringe in fear upon entering the asylum. Besides, she didn't exactly expect him to know of her problem. Clearing her throat, she mumbled a polite 'thank you' before averting her eyes to the ground in embarrassment. Kain and the doctor chuckled, both for his own reason, and finally came to a stop in front of a wooden door. It was slightly larger than that of the other doors, and seemed to be a dark mahogany. There was a golden plaque crested into the middle of the door, and seemed to be catching more attention than anything else in the hallway for that matter. The name 'Jacob H. Willis' was etched into it. A fancy name for a fancy man, Noah figured.
The young doctor proceeded to knock lightly on the door. "Mister Willis, sir?" he called. "We have visitors."
It wasn't long before the trio heard a joyful elderly voice from behind the menacing doors welcoming them in. Kain and Noah graciously stepped in, their handsome escort giving them a short bow as a cue of his leave.
As usual, Noah glanced around her as they entered the office. There was a simple Parisian rug placed on the floor just in front of the old man's desk, which had the same wooden material as the entryway. Bookshelves lined with paperwork, files, encyclopaedias and psychology textbooks were tucked cozily beside the large curtained window against the right side of the room. On the far back wall behind the desk was a large painting of a sailboat resting at docks, the sky shining a brilliant blue. Beneath the painting, on a wooden plaque, was written Bluenose of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Everything seemed so neat, organized, and calm. One wouldn't imagine that this was the office of the headmaster of an asylum.
The old man rose from his chair with a toothy smile pasted across his lips. He reached a hand out towards Kain. "Good evening!" He started. "I am Jacob Holdyn Willis. To what may I owe this pleasure?"
Kain shook the man's hand courteously. "Hello, Mr. Willis. I'm Kain Foster, and this is my wife, Nora."
Noah gave a short nod at the old man, who gave her a patient bow in return, followed by a lingering stare. The Roma shifted uncomfortably in her spot.
"I see. A pleasure, madam."
Kain cleared his throat and continued. "We've been called here by a good friend of ours – Edward Elric."
"Ah, Edward," Jacob grinned, leaning back in his chair. "A great asset to our hospital. He's a good kid. What business does he have with you folks, if you don't mind the question?"
"Not at all," Kain replied. "We're supposed to take a patient into custody for a while. She goes by the name of Winry Brockwell-"
"...Rockbell, dear." Noah squeaked, averting her eyes away from Jacob.
"...yes, Rockbell. She is an amnesiac patient whom Edward had been friends with before."
Kain shifted uneasily when he saw Jacob's shocked face. He exhaled only when the old man's face softened again.
"Ah, young Winry taking a leave, is she? I'm happy to see her life getting back on track. This could only have been destiny!"
Kain chuckled. "HEM!, excuse me, yes you are right. It truly is a miracle for Winry."
"Allow me to guide you to the lass' room now, shall I?"
The couple nodded, following the old man out of the office in relief. It looked and felt far too expensive and fancy for the likes of them.
"Ah, and Madam Nora?"
Noah jumped in her spot, but managed to squeak a small reply under her breath.
"Please do not be ashamed of who you are." The old man turned his head and gave her a grin. "I understand my people can be difficult with your race, but I assure you, my mind is like an open book that has yet to be finished! I'd have no problem adding in a few details of my character to make him a better person."
Noah blinked twice at the old man, dumbfounded, before a warm smile crept over her features and a light giggle escaped her throat. She lowered her hand from where it was holding her scarf over her face, and let the fabric droop and hang over her chest. What an honourable man, Noah thought to herself. But how did he know...?
The Roma tilted her head up to catch a glimpse at her partner, who was smiling boyishly and squeezing her hand.
"I hope I haven't embarrassed you." Jacob added quickly. Noah shook her head.
"No, no. Thank you, really. It is difficult to find one as open minded as you."
Jacob could just smile at the two. Poor woman he thought to himself. She must lock herself away in her house to avoid oppression. May God bless this young man for providing her the love and care she deserves.
The trio finally reached the room after climbing two simple flights of stairs, to Kain's relief. He'd tired himself out that day with all the thinking and tension. He couldn't fathom having to deal with physical obstacles as well.
The couple had expected Jacob to knock on the door, as the young doctor had when he'd lead the pair to his office. Instead, Jacob's hand dipped into his pocket, and withdrew a rusted silver key, which he then inserted into the keyhole of the cell – no, room – door. Of course, Noah thought. He must have access to all rooms of this hospital... What a vile gift to have.
A click was heard, and Jacob swung the door open slowly, revealing a confused Edward, a smiling tan-skinned doctor who seemed to have paused mid-sentence upon their arrival, and a beautiful blonde woman seated on top of the bed, her pasty pallid skin shining under the light hanging solemnly from the ceiling.
"N-Noah! Kain!" Edward grinned, rising from his spot, and making his way towards the door. Behind him, the blonde girl looked away, shuffling abruptly towards the female doctor, who's eyes glanced between her and the newcomers. She then, bent down and whispered something inaudible into her ear.
"Hello, Edward." Kain smiled, shaking the blonde's hand formally. "How do you do, old friend?"
"Great now that you guys are here." He replied. "You don't know how much this means to me."
"Yes, well – HEM!"
"Still have that throat issue, old man?" Edward smirked.
"Lay off, Elric," Kain grunted. "I'm only a year or so older than you. Anyways, I'm not here to parent you. There's a number of things we need to discuss together." Kain glanced at Jacob and the female doctor. "Alone."
Edward's smirk slowly crumbled into a serious expression. He cleared his throat, nodding. "Yeah. I couldn't have expected you to have agreed right off the bat. You're the kind of guy who takes precautions, huh."
Kain nodded, his eyes glued patiently on Edward, urging him on. With a sigh, the former alchemist turned to Jacob and Harriet, a regretful expression on his face.
"Sorry, guys. If it's not an issue... I'd like to talk to me friends and Winry alone."
"Of course, Ed." Bunny replied, patting his shoulder. Jacob nodded, and the two stepped out of the room, clicking the door shut behind them. Edward's attention averted over to Winry, who shifted uncomfortably on her bed, fiddling with the linen until Edward sat down next to her. She then quickly scooted closer to him, burying her forehead at the back of his shoulders, and continuing to play with the hem of his shirt. Edward smiled warmly, and took her right hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. Winry's head perked upwards, nodding at the couple in front of her, still slightly tense to say anything. Noah's chest burned.
"Hello, Winry." Kain started, seating himself on the chain in front of the bed. "I hope you're well?"
" 'ess.." She mumbled in reply.
"Wonderful. So, I'd imagine you've heard about your new home by now, am I correct?"
The blonde nodded.
"Well, I'm Kain, and this is Nora – err, Noah. We'll take care of you until Edward is financially ready to have you live with him."
Winry's head finally lifted from Edward's should, meeting Kain's eyes. He was the type of person who emitted kindness and worth. He had short dark hair, cropped slightly at the top with a pair of spectacles perched comfortably on the bridge of his nose. He had a rather circular face, and his eyes were darker than the night sky. But through the darkness, Winry could see a light shining back to her. They reminded her of infinity.
The girl seated next to him, however, was peculiar. She was looking at her in such a moot manner, her fingers tightly intertwined, her lips pursed, and her eyes staring straight ahead. Looking at her gave Winry an unpleasant feeling, as if she'd seen her somewhere before. It was the kind of feeling that made your stomach flip, and your eyes meet the floor as you bit your lower lip, waiting in anticipation to escape from the person's field of vision. It, however, made Winry intrigued. Could this woman, perhaps, be her key to unlocking more of her memories?
"Yes, I understand." Winry replied, her eyes still glued onto the woman. "But I'm wondering if the two of you are financially ready yourselves. I don't want to be a burden, you see. I just want to survive while I progress." The couple blinked in surprise at how quickly her voice grew stiff. She was, however, still seated behind Edward, her lips barely grazing over his shoulder as she spoke. Edward felt her hot breath on the back of his neck, and felt the small hair stand upright. The former alchemist swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, feeling his cheeks flush.
Kain glanced at Noah, who had yet to say anything and cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, of course. Well, I'm certain we have enough to support the three of us – Edward and Alphonse will be sending money our way as well, to help us out. My only concern is your health."
Winry narrowed her eyes, not quite understanding the man. Kain exhaled.
"What I meant is – your medication. If there is certain medication you're required to take that involved several daily doses, I'd be concerned as to whether or not we'd be reliable resources for receiving them."
"She doesn't have any serious medication, Foster." Edward said, rubbing Winry's knuckles with his thumb in reassurance. "She had a bit of... problems with vomiting a while back, but she's as good as new now. I just ask that you make sure she gets enough exercise and fresh air."
Kain nodded understandingly. His eyes averted over to Noah, who had began fiddling with her fingers.
"Noah? You have a say in this as well. What do you think?"
Noah opened her mouth to speak, but felt her throat close shut. This is all so overwhelming, she thought. What would happen to her if I object? Would she live on the streets as a whore for the rest of her days? She shook her head. No, Edward wouldn't let that happen.
"No?"
"Huh?" Noah jumped. Her heart raced as she felt her blood run cold. "N-No, I was just thinking! Of course I'm alright with it, I am, after all, the one who accepted to come here in the first place, right?"
Edward nodded with a blink. "Of course. Thank you, Noah."
"One last thing, Ed..." Noah mumbled.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Alphonse." She said bluntly. Edward raised an eyebrow.
"What of him?
"He can't stay in the dark forever, you know."
Edward nodded, understanding. "I know. And he wont. I just... I don't think I can handle him being torn up like that again."
The trio made quick, awkward glances at Winry, before Edward cleared his throat. "I guess Bunny and I should start packing her things now."
Kain nodded, pulling Noah towards the door. How did we end up agreeing to this mess?
Bunny was silent during the packing. There was no doubt that the doctor had grown an emotional attachment to Winry, despite knowing her for only a short while. She was sad to see her go, but knew it was for the best.
"Edward." She said, her eyes glued to the clothing she was folding. Edward turned and glanced at her, waiting for her to continue.
"You'd better keep me posted." Bunny sighed, looking him in the eyes. "I want to know how she's progressing, alright?"
Edward scratched the back of his head hesitantly. "Gee, I don't know, Bun. Things might get crazy again and I don't want to-"
"Look, I didn't ask for your sympathy, alright?" Bunny snapped. "I want to know her progression, you hear? Released or not, I'm still her doctor."
Edward's mouth hung open for a while before her nodded, clearing his throat. "Y-Yeah. You're right, Bunny. Sorry. I'll tell you everything."
Bunny nodded, handing him Winry's suitcase. Winry stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in the new clothing provided to her by Harriet. She wore a red trench coat with a white scarf and black leggings. Brown woolly boots adorned her feet. Bunny grinned and let out a whistle. Winry chuckled.
"Do I look alright?"
Bunny glanced at Edward, whose eyes were wide. He seemed star struck to see her in something other than plain gray hospital t-shirts. The doctor chuckled. She was still curious as to what the real relationship between the two was.
"You look beautiful, darling." She replied, almost in a whisper.
Edward smiled sadly as the doctor approached the blonde, wrapping her arms around her small body. Seemed like things were ending in tears once again.
"Are we all ready?" Kain asked, tossing Winry's suitcase into the backseat. Edward nodded.
"Take care of yourself." Noah said, squeezing Edward's hand.
"Yeah, right back at you, both of you." He replied, turning to Winry. "...And especially you. I can't have anything bad happening to you."
Winry's shoulders lowered as Edward stared at her with a rock solid face. He almost seemed scary to look at.
"I'm serious, Winry. I can't afford to lose you again." He coughed.
Winry felt her cheeks sizzle slightly, and nodded. "Right... Thank you, Edward. For all your help, I mean. Really, it means a lot."
The blonde stepped over and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck, pulling him close. Edward's response was quick, his left arm snaked around her waist, and his right hand pushing the back of her head closed to his chest. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the alluring scent of strawberries and mint, what once used to also have the lingering aroma of mechanics oil. She was warm, and her frame fit perfectly in his arms. She was right where she belonged, but not quite where she was meant to stay. Not yet, anyways.
The two pulled away from each other, smiling sadly. Winry hoisted herself up on her tiptoes, and planted a chaste kiss on Edward's cheek.
"Bye-bye, Ed." She smiled, turning around and jogging towards the waiting car, missing Edward's shocked, yet red, face. Edward waved after her, forgetting she couldn't see, and placing his opposite hand on Winry's kiss.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Why did I do that? She thought. It... It just felt like the right thing to do... It felt so natural... Edward... I'll find out who you are. I'll find out who I am. And then, we'll be together forever.
In the car, Noah's chest burned.
A.N: Told you guys - faster updates, and longer chapters! This is the longest chapter I've written yet, and some pretty significant things happened, no? Stay tuned, though - there's A LOT coming your way...
please review!