Chapter Three
Joining the Journey
Ed woke up in the hospital; he looked around him to see Al sitting on a chair, reading.
"Alphonse..." He said, gaining the younger brother's attention.
"Brother! Do you feel ok now?"
Ed sat up, looking at his body to see he only had a few bruises and scratches. The only major thing he could see was the cut on his shoulder, which had been bandaged and put in a sling.
"I'm fine, Al..." He answered, thinking deeply "How long was i out?"
"All night, it's 9 in the morning"
The door opened and Mustang marched in, Winry followed.
"Ah Fullmetal, you're awake now" Mustang said.
Winry gasped at his condition and looked sad.
"Don't look so worried Winry, I'm fine" Ed told her, giving her a grin before glaring at Mustang.
"So who was that girl that you were so worried about last night, Colonel?"
Mustang stiffened his look hardening.
"She's none of your business, Fullmetal"
"Oh come on! The girl saved Winry and I, the least I could do was thank her" Ed used it as an excuse to try to find out who she was, even though he had an idea.
"Don't look too harshly at Elric, He's not the one who stuck a knife in me" A voice came from the window.
Everyone's gazes spun to that direction to see the girl from last night sitting on the windowsill.
Her arm was in a sling but she smiled as if there was nothing wrong.
Mustang sighed, putting his head in his hand.
"How did you...?" Al started "This is the second floor!"
The girl looked amused at the three other teen's reactions.
"That's for me to know and you to ponder till you go insane" She replied, putting a grin on her face.
She turned to Ed, grin still in place and a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"So, how you doing lil' guy? Didn't lose a limb or something last night?" She asked.
Ed started thrashing around, giving the usual "Don't call me little" rant.
Mustang cleared his throat, turning attention to himself.
"This is Major Alexis..." He supplied.
"Aww, dont be so formal!" Alexis appeared next to Mustang, making everyone do a double take, besides Mustang.
"I'm Alexis Mustang!" She told them "Sorry about my behaviour, blood loss makes me weird"
Ed looked at Mustang, sure of his idea now.
"So Colonel! I didn't know you had a daughter!"
Mustang spluttered "What! I'm not that old! She's my sister!"
Now Ed was surprised "What was she doing at the meat shop last night?"
"I had been assigned to watch over you. I couldn't let you get killed otherwise my easiest job ever would be over!" She supplied, half shrugging since her right arm couldn't move.
"How are you walking around right now? Your arm was almost cut right off" Ed questioned.
Mustang turned slightly pale at the memory and his eyes hardened, though for a different reason.
Alexis simply smiled, the gesture not really reaching her eyes.
"I guess it's the pain medication..."
Mustang threw her a glance but ignored it.
Winry had moved to the window so she could look at Ed's automail arm and make sure it wasn't broken.
Al was standing in the corner, not wanting to get in the way.
"Anyway, Ed, Al, Alexis will be joining you from now on" Mustang ordered, looking annoyed.
"What?! Why?" That was Ed.
Mustang glared at him "I don't like it any more than you do, but it comes from a higher up. The Fuhrer gave this order himself"
Alexis raised an eyebrow "Why is he concerned with what I do?"
Mustang sent a look to her this time, as if she should know the answer and to ask the question was stupid.
"Well, if the Fuhrer says so, I guess we can protect her for now" Ed shrugged.
Both the Mustangs snickered, Ed glared at them.
"I think you misunderstand, Fullmetal. Alexis will be yours and Alphonse's body guard" Roy cleared up, smirking.
Ed's jaw dropped and Al looked like he would have been shocked.
"WHAT? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK WE NEED PROTECTION FROM A GI-?!"
Alexis appeared an inch from his face within a second, holding something metal to his throat.
She had a sharp look in her eyes that made Ed think of monster's shadows.
"I think I proved my capability when I took a cleaver in the shoulder to protect you and your friend" She stepped back, showing with a smile that the metal in her hand was a spoon. "If you'll let me, Elric, I'd be happy to again. It's my job after all"
No one said anything.
"Well now that that is cleared up, I should return to my office" Roy turned to walk away, waving to the people in the room.
Winry stood from her chair beside Ed's bed and held out her hand.
"Hello Alexis! My name is Winry Rockbell! I hope you can take good care of these two idiots!"
Mustang stopped in the door when he heard his sister say "Rockbell? Where have I heard that name before?"
He looked back when he heard a gasp, reacting quickly by putting his hand over his sister's eyes and pulling her out of the room.
~Ed's room~
"What was that?" Winry asked, her hand still in position for a handshake and a pout on her lips.
Ed's eyes were wide; did Al and Winry not see Alexis' eyes?
Ed remembered the look that crossed the girl's eyes in the instant that a gasp escaped her throat.
It had been horror. Why did Alexis look horrified at the mention of Winry's name?
~Alexis~
Blue eyes, Blonde hair, blue eyes, blonde hair, Rockbell, blue eyes, rockbell, blondehair, rockbell, rockbellrockbellrockbell.
A scream tore through her throat, her eyes wide but unseeing.
Luckily, Mustang had been able to get her to the basement of the hospital before people could hear her.
What did you do? Alexis, what did you do? A voice taunted her.
She looked at her hands to see them soaked in blood, her chest and stomach in the same condition.
She tried to rub the blood off, but it wouldn't leave.
Mustang tried to stop her hands, not seeing what she saw.
Alexis, you killed them. Why did you kill them, Alexis? The voice continued.
"It wasn't me! It wasn't me! I didn't do it!" She cried, trying to scratch the blood off, only to leave welts in her skin from her nails.
"Alexis! Alexis stop!" Roy's voice was distant in her mind but it calmed her a little as an image popped into her head.
Blue eyes blonde hair, blue eyes?
Golden eyes flashed in her memory.
Mustang stood tall beside her, much taller than before. She stared with no emotion at the front door of the two-story yellow house.
Outside was a sign saying "Automail"
Two other officers where with them. Mustang knocked twice on the door, his mouth in a hard line but his eyes betraying his sadness.
A girl the same height as Alexis answered. 'Blue eyes, Blonde hair'
"Mommy? Daddy?" She exclaimed, looking excited.
The look faded quickly when she saw who was there.
An old woman came up behind her, her eyes full of grief when she saw Mustang.
Alexis didn't fully understand what was going on, emotions confused her.
She knew why they were there, but not why she was.
The man claiming to be her brother had told her that she needed to learn the consequence of war.
She watched as the old woman hugged the grieving girl after hearing the news.
Alexis' silver eyes didn't change. No sadness from their loss, no anger for whoever took this girl's parents from her.
Mustang looked solemnly at the two women and then down to his sister, his heart plummeting as she simply stood at attention, waiting for orders.
'Rockbell, blue eyes blonde hair'
As they left the residence, Alexis' eyes were drawn to a hill close by, she saw two boys.
They were running, grins lighting up their faces, towards the yellow house.
One stopped to stare at her and her entourage.
'Golden eyes'
He grinned and waved to Alexis.
She didn't understand, looking at her hand.
To Roy's surprise she lifted her arm to repeat the action, still with her knife-silver eyes cold.
It was a start...
Alexis woke, cradled in her brother's arms in the dark basement.
"How long was I out this time?" She asked, her voice hoarse from screaming.
"It was only 10 minutes this time" He answered, watching her eyes change from silver back to black.
"I'm sorry Alexis, I should've known this would happen..."
Alexis sat up, adjusting her arm and seeing that she had reopened her stitches.
"Don't worry. This was bound to happen sooner or later" She answered.
She had thrown up her wall again, not letting anyone see the pain. Mustang wanted to cry at that.
"I should return to the Elric's room, who knows how long they'll stick around for?" She got up, letting her brother help her.
"Maybe you should wait a while. Until Winry is gone..." He reasoned.
She shook her head.
"It's not just her. I remember the golden eyes, probably Ed's, from that time too"
Mustang said nothing and let her leave on her own. He had an idea of the pain she was in and the guilt that consumed her, but he let her leave. She needed to heal on her own. All he could do is watch her back.