Alphonse's head felt like it had combusted. Even as his eyes fluttered open, the impact of light prompted him to throw his hands over his face, tilted his head to the side with a groan. It wasn't until a cold hand was placed on his cheek that he lowered his hands, cracking an eye open out of curiosity. Despite her face being blurry, he could make out the kind features on Noah looming over him. She looked concerned, as always, and was silently chewing on her bottom lip, while her chocolate brown locks fell over her face. The light buzzing sound of Kain's voice could be heard from somewhere behind her. Alphonse tried to utter her name out to no avail, but it did certainly catch her attention. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she spun her torso around, quickly uttering something to Kain. Barely a second later, Kain's head popped into Alphonse's field of vision. He looked relieved at first, but his face quickly tensed. Leaning over, he smacked Alphonse's face several times.

"Nuurgh... Stop thaahh..." Alphonse groaned.

"It seems like waking up unconscious Elrics has become our chore." Kain grumbled. Beside him, Noah pinched his arm, flashing him a cold glare.

"What happened...?" Alphonse asked, sitting upright. "Why are you guys here? Where's brother?"

"That's what we came to find out." Kain responded almost immediately.

"Uh...? The first question or the second...?" Alphonse asked nervously.

"Both."

Glancing around, Al noticed he was sitting inside Kain's car, which had come to a standstill at the side of the road. Noah sat next to him, while Kain was seated rather uncomfortably in the driver's seat. His blouse was unbuttoned at the top, while beads of sweat trickled down his neck. It wasn't soon before he realized that the reek of alcohol had been coming from him all along. His memories of the night before somehow followed along soon after, making Alphonse rather flustered and embarrassed.

"Shit..." Alphonse muttered inaudibly. "I'm sorry you guys found me like that... Wait, how did you find me anyway?"

"We were on our way to your house," Noah answered quickly before Kain could throw in another witty remark. "And we noticed someone passed out on the side of the road."

"We were gonna drive by but Noah insisted we stop and help. Little did we know it was your drunk ass that was passed out. Seriously, Al, you could've been mugged, or killed, or-"

"Kain." Noah snapped.

"No, no, Noah, he's right... Sorry for giving you two trouble." Alphonse said sheepishly. "Why were you guys on your way to my place anyway? Did Ed forget something at your place?"

Noah fell silent, and Kain closed his eyes, releasing an agitated huff. "Alphonse, if I could ever go back in time, I'd have erased the fact that I ever met you and your brother."

Edward and Bunny rode the cab in silence. A lot had happened that night, and Bunny had insisted that they rested for now. Edward had been reluctant at first, but his migraine had slowly been building up from the minute he had opened his eyes back at Kain and Noah's place. He knew he couldn't have accomplished anything at that rate, and Bunny looked as if she'd fall asleep at any second. They bid each other a silent farewell once the cab had reached Bunny's residence, and the rest of the cab ride consisted of the driver attempting to bribe Edward, and Edward finally giving in and asking to be let out about two blocks before his house. The walk was silent, and he couldn't help but glance around him several times. The streets were dark at this time of night, and ever since his little run in with Winry's kidnapper, he felt more distrusting of the world than he ever had before, if that was possible. Something terrible was going to happen soon, he knew. And his time was running out. He'd have to tell Alphonse soon. And what about Winry? What would he do about her? Would he let her live her entire life in a lie, thinking they really were from Germany and not a completely different universe all together? Or would he come clean, and risk straining their relationship even more than it already had been? That was the last thing he wanted at that point. Life was just completely confusing to him. He needed to accomplish so much, and yet, obstacles kept getting in his way. He had to find Winry's abductor, save her, and possibly even more importantly, question them. Who were they? How did they know about her? If his guesses were right and it really was Jacob, Edward would have the bastard in shackles faster than he could blink.

But the man must be dangerous if he found out about alchemy. For now, he'd focus on saving Winry. Edward felt a bubbling feeling of distress rising within him, and his face visibly fell. Barely a few hours ago, he'd been holding her, kissing her, touching her with not a single worry in the world. She had been by his side, safe and sound, and she'd wanted him just as badly as he had wanted her. But now, he had no idea where she was or how she was, and it was slowly eating away at him from the inside. He loved her, and he'd reunite her with Alphonse as well. He wouldn't hold a grudge against him, he knew. Alphonse was never to stay angry for long. This was different, but maybe he'd be glad that Edward hadn't placed such a heavy burden on him. Edward missed his brother, but he'd be home soon.

Edward reached the small house that looked all too familiar to him. He walked up to the front door, seeing a familiar looking car parked in the driveway in the corner of his eye. Several voices could be heard from inside. Edward paused with a frown, then shrugged and turned the knob. Alphonse probably had some friends over after their exams had finished. Nothing wrong with a few drunken students over once in a while.

However, the voices became clearer and clearer as Edward progressed further into the house. He knew these voices all too well, and his heart nearly seized in his chest. His legs froze, making a creaking sound on the wood tiles beneath his feet. The voices stopped upon hearing him, and a small sigh could be heard from the living room.

"Edward," Kain's voice called out. "Come in."

"Funny. I thought I was the one who was supposed to say that, this being my house and all." Edward replied, entering the dimly lit room. Kain and Noah sat on the couch, each holding a steaming mug in their hands, while Alphonse sat in a wooden dining room chair across from them. He hadn't looked up when Edward had entered the room, he hadn't even moved. Somehow, this worried Edward.

"What are you two doing here?" Edward asked.

Kain opened his mouth to respond, but Noah placed a hand on his forearm, rubbing it gently while shaking her head.

"We came to help." she replied bluntly, turning her face back to Edward's. Edward glanced down at Alphonse.

"You two should go back." He began. "There's no point getting more involved than you already are."

"But that's just the point, Ed." Kain replied. "We're already involved. There's no point running now. We'll only get worried and anxious this way."

Edward stared at Kain. Finally, he averted his eyes back to Alphonse, who had yet to say a word. "I'm guessing you guys told him then...?"

"Did you expect us not to?" Kain replied coldly. The two men glared at each other. Edward felt both annoyance and guilt at the same time, and finally broke his gaze away from Kain's and looked over to where his brother sat. Alphonse visibly tensed under his brother's gaze.

"Al," Edward said. His brother remained silent. He frowned walking over to him.

"Alphonse."

"They're lying." Alphonse whispered. Edward's eyes widened, as his brother's brown eyes finally revealed themselves. "Tell me they're lying, Edward."

Edward averted his eyes away from his brothers, clenching his fists tightly at his side.

"Edward. Tell me they're lying. This has got to be some stupid joke." Alphonse hissed. "You all come in here, after months of my own brother barely talking to me, and all you have to say is that Winry is back, and she's kidnapped now?!" Alphonse's voice began rising after each word, slowly progressing into a shout. "I won't fucking believe it! Tell me they're lying Edward!"

Alphonse leapt to his feet, grabbing Edward's collar. He glared at him with fiery eyes and clenched teeth.

"They're not lying, Al."

"The hell they aren't!" Alphonse shouted.

"What the hell do you want me to say then?!" Edward snapped, frustration creeping its way into him.

"The truth!" Alphonse yelled, his voice finally cracking. His head dropped, and his shoulders began shaking. "Just tell me the truth for once... I don't want to be left out of the dark anymore; I don't want my brother to become my enemy!" He sobbed. Edward's eyes widened as he stared at the trembling body of his younger brother. "Bunny came to the bar a few nights ago..." He began. "She told me there was something happening, and that I should be careful."

"...So she did," Edward whispered. He both cursed and thanked Bunny at the same time. She'd put him in an uncomfortable situation, but had also given Alphonse something he deserved without saying things that weren't her's to be said. But there was no running now. Not anymore. Alphonse had to know the truth, and he knew there would never be a 'right time' for this; only bad or worse times.

Edward swallowed a knot that had formed in the pit of his throat, and began. "Al..." Unconsciously, Edward lifted a hand and placed it on his brother's head of caramel brown hair, slowly stroking it soothingly. Alphonse didn't respond. Instead, his grip tightened on Edward's collar, and he bumped his forehead lightly against Edward's chest. "Al..." He whispered, wrapping an arm around Alphonse's shoulders, embracing him while he listened to his sobs. "It won't be like last time," Edward began, tears welling up in his eyes. "It won't be like before. We'll save her." Edward buried his face into his brother's hair, releasing the bottled up stress, depression, and anxiety he'd held for so many years. That was the end. Edward swore to himself in that moment that he wouldn't hurt anyone else he cared about. He'd been selfish, and cruel, to hell with his good intentions. He'd trust his brother to help him, and Kain and Noah... The two of them had become saints in his eyes. Even after everything that had happened, they were still ready to fight alongside him and his brother. Bunny would be close behind them as well, he knew. Even if the culprit ended up being Jacob, Edward was confident that she would do what was right. They all would, because that was just the kind of person they were.

Noah and Kain watched them quietly. The Roma felt her bottom lip quivering, and wiped away a stray tear that had trickled down her cheek. She intertwined her fingers with Kain's who, too, began swallowing several times to keep himself together. Kain hadn't remembered the last time he'd cried for himself, let alone someone else. In a way, he knew that his meeting with the brothers was possibly the best and worst thing that had ever happened to him.

A.N: I have no excuse...