Past EdxWin, Brotherhood/manga with a tiny divergence. Also, AlxMei.

I'M SO SORRY I MISSED AN UPDATE D: Sadly, daily updates are going to become a thing of a past soon – I'm going on vacation somewhere with no internet access. However, I'll be writing lots, so don't worry about that part of it ^^ That, and my muse is starting to struggle with the 'oneshot every day' thing. I had an idea for this one, then I scrapped it and started again, and then I had to squeeze it out a word at a time, and then it took like two days to write and bahhh.

I know I should really be putting this on the story the poll actually *relates* to, but I forgot, so whatever. There's a poll on my profile about Seven Names of Envy Angevin, so if you're a reader/follower of that story, you should go vote! (And if you already have, go check – I change it quite frequently :P)

What-is-the-color-of-love: Yes…sweet…that's the word…XD Thanks anyway, haha, I'm glad you liked it.

Fairyboydammit: :D Yay! I hoped this was a good one, I thought at least the premise had a bit more originality ^^ Thanks for reading and reviewing as always, you're always so kind 3

Rockmari: Bah, who needs sleep :P And it's alright, you don't need to review every chapter! Unless…you know…you really, really want to…XD Thanks for the comment! See you next chapter~

53. Flickering

At first, Ed thought he was dreaming when the light came flickering through the sky, beckoning him home. The windows of the Rockbell home had been dark for a long, long time – and it had ceased to be the Rockbell home long before that.

But nobody else flashed the lantern like that to beckon him home.

He broke into a run, boots smacking the dusty ground as he charged up the hill and right up to the house. For a moment, he considered knocking, and then shook his head with a little laugh.

"Nobody lives here now."

He pushed experimentally at the door. It opened easily, and the scent of something freshly-baked drifted through the crack instead of the stale smell of a closed house.

Somebody was whistling – an old tune, something from 1912 or 1913. Ed vaguely recalled the title… 'When You Were Sweet Sixteen'.

He opened the door the rest of the way and stepped inside. The kitchen light was on. He walked towards it and stopped abruptly as he felt the heat rolling off the stove – it was on.

"Jesus."

Ed grabbed a tea towel and opened the door of the oven, peeking inside. "Apple pie?" he asked incredulously, slamming it shut peevishly.

"Made it fresh," came a light voice.

He turned around to face the girl on the stairs. She was wearing a pink dress with slightly puffed sleeves, a stark white apron tied around her waist and a beaming smile on her face. Her blonde hair fell loose around her shoulders, and in one hand she held a lantern.

Ed chuckled. "Pretty good."

Winry frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if I was Al or Mei, I might have believed it." He crossed his arms across his broad chest. "First off, you're way too clean. No grease, no mess from making the apple pie, nothing. Squeaky clean."

Winry sighed, abandoning her dainty posture to place her hand on her hip in an indignant pose. "Whatever. That can't be all that tipped you off."

"Well, you've got it now, but you were being too nice. No wrenches meeting heads, no 'Where have you been, you stupid boy?'"

Winry snorted. "Weird-ass marriage."

Ed's chuckle dropped into a hard look. "Of course, the big give-away might have been the fact that my wife has been dead for ten years."

'Winry' chuckled darkly. "Yeah, I heard. Died pushing out the third kid, right?"

"Change out of that shape…Envy."

Winry shrugged, grinning and baring sharp teeth that didn't belong in her mouth. "I don't feel like it. Besides, I made pie, don't you wanna try some?"

Ed crossed his arms. "How'd you even know I was going to be here?"

She – he – shrugged. "Asked around. Heard you came around here every now and again to go visit your two ladies." He blew a raspberry. "Didn't expect you to take so long though."

"You aren't known for your incredible planning skills."

"Shut up, Fullmetal," snapped the homunculus, the harsh look frighteningly out of place on Winry's soft face. She was still young in this shape, in contrast to the grizzled lines of the man across from her who was rapidly approaching middle age.

"I haven't worn that name in years. Where'd you disappear to anyway? Mei swore up and down she killed you before coming back to Central."

Envy scowled. "Hardly. She buried me in the sand, said she'd 'come back for me later'. Almost twenty years in a goddamn glass jar, pipsqueak." His lip lifted in a sneer as his eyes flashed. "I want revenge."

"On me?"

"On her! I'd rather she killed me!" The handle of the lantern shattered in Envy's grip, and he brought his fist forward as it fell down the stairs to land at Ed's feet. "I'm going to find that damn bean-girl and see how she likes it! Or maybe I'll just kill her quickly, I'm kind of lacking on patience!"

As he spoke, Ed bent down on one knee and righted the lantern, sweeping the broken glass inside of it.

"…and she…she…" Envy narrowed his eyes. "Hold on. Why didn't you just…you know…" He made a clapping gesture. "Alchemize it?"

"I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

Ed smiled wryly. "Well, now I know you're telling the truth about being in a jar. I lost my alchemy."

Envy blinked. "That's possible?" he asked, sounding achingly like Winry for a moment.

"Yes. Now, back on topic. What do you want from me – and why," he asked, trying not to sound too pained, "are you wearing my dead wife's shape to do it?"

"Pff. It's simple. I'm looking for the bean girl. I assume you know where she is."

"Wouldn't tell you if I did."

"Shut up and let me finish, beansprout!" snapped Envy, walking towards Ed and poking him violently in the chest. "Let me know where the bean girl is so I can get my vengeance and you get your wife back for a bit."

"Wh…What?"

"You heard me." Envy flicked Ed's chin. "I can take her shape, you can get some more time with your precious Winry. Isn't that what you want?"

"HELL NO!" Ed pushed him away roughly. "I don't – what is wrong with you?" he asked, calm façade finally snapping. "She died, you sick son of a bitch, the last thing I need is a bastard like you pushing it in my face every day! And to sell Mei out for that –"

"Daddy!"

Ed's eyes snapped to the top of the stairwell. A little girl in a pair of flannel pants and a gray t-shirt was standing there with a huge grin on her face and a teddy in her arms. She was small, with light brown hair that curled into a bird's nest around her face and golden eyes that matched her father's.

"Oh, Daddy, you're here!" She leapt down the stairs two at a time, jumping into Ed's arms and nearly knocking him over.

"Nina," he gasped, nearly choking on the name. "What are…how…" He glared up at Envy.

"She's a precocious little thing," replied Envy, voice returning to a light and lilting tone.

"You – you son of a –" He was shaking now – because Envy didn't just want his sister-in-law, he was after his children, he –

"Can I go see Mummy and Grandmummy now, Daddy?" asked Nina unexpectedly.

Envy smiled wryly at Ed's confused expression. "I wasn't expecting her. She just showed up about an hour before you did. Somehow got the idea that she was going to come with you."

"Nina – you –" He picked her up in his arms. "Do you have any idea," he said in a relieved tone, "how much trouble you're in?"

She grinned toothily. "A little bit. Maes n' Sarah were busy though."

"Busy? What with?"

"Well," she cradled her face in one hand, "Maes is always spendin' time with stupid old Mustang, and Sarah kept going to restaurants and stuff with Alastair."

"Well, I bet 'stupid old Mustang' is worried senseless. Come on, we'd better call him and let him know you're with me." Ed poked her teddy bear. "Where'd you get this guy?"

Nina pointed at Envy. "The nice lady gave her to me!" She hugged the teddy. "I'm callin' him Arnold."

"The, uh, the nice lady, huh?" Ed glanced warily up at Envy, whose face was unreadable. "What's her name?"

Nina shrugged. "Dunno. She says to call her Mummy, but that can't be right. I don't have a mummy. Not anymore."

Ed was silent for a moment. "Nina, can you give the nice lady and I a moment."

"Okay!" chirped the ten-year-old, skipping off into the next room.

"What the hell is your game, Envy?" hissed the older man. Envy looked away petulantly.

"Whaddaya mean, what's my game? Kid shows up, I'm nice to her."

"You're not nice to anybody."

"Says who?"

"Says your mind-bogglingly high kill count."

Envy huffed. "Oh sure, hold that against me."

"What am I supposed to think when you're buying my daughter a teddy bear?"

He shrugged. "I didn't buy it, ya know."

"Okay, stole. Whatever." Ed grabbed Envy's neck and slammed him against the wall, bringing their faces close. "This isn't about Mei, is it?" he growled. "This is about messing with me, me and my family."

"Somebody's self-centered." Ed's grip tightened warningly, and Envy rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. No. I don't actually give a shit about the bean-girl. I didn't get killed, that's a bonus in my eyes."

"Now you're sounding more like yourself. Stay the hell away from my children."

"Why?" asked Envy baldly. Ed froze.

"Why?" he echoed. "Why? I'm asking the centuries-old psychopath to stay away from my ten-year-old child and you're asking me why? Okay, I'll ask you the same question. Why are you so damn interested in her?"

Envy's eyes flashed, momentarily turning their usual purple before fading back to Winry's blue. It ached to stare into those eyes – familiar and strange all at the same time.

"You really want to know the answer to that?"

"Yeah, I do. Would I have asked if I didn't?" Still, Ed began to dread what his answer was going to be.

The blue eyes softened, and a hint of a smile played around her – his – lips. "Because she's nice."

Ed's arm dropped. "What?"

Envy ignored him, pushing past. "Nina, love, it's okay now."

"Alright! Come on, Arnold, let's go talk to the nice lady and Daddy."

"Wait!" said Ed suddenly, and Winry – Envy, dammit – turned back to him. "Please. Just…not like that. Not…Not that shape." His voice filled with pain. "It's not fair. To any of us."

Envy blinked, and then shrugged. "Whatever you say, pipsqueak." Right in front of Nina's eyes, he shifted, changing from blonde to green, voluptuous to sinewy, pink to black, blue to purple. Nina didn't bat an eye.

Envy picked up the phone – why it still worked, Ed didn't know – and began to dial a number. "Hey, yo. I'm calling about Nina…Yeah, she's fine. Decided to follow her dad out to Rizenbul." He ruffled her hair as he said this.

Ed sat down on the lowest stair and cradled his head in his hands. Somehow he didn't know whether he was a hostage or not.

"Alright. Yeah, we'll be back by tomorrow evening." Ed looked up at the 'click' to see Envy hoisting a sleepy Nina up onto his back. "Well, we'd better get going. There's probably one train left going back to Central."

"Wait – you're not – you're not coming with us!"

Envy sighed. "Course I am."

"Hell no."

"Idiot. Where else am I gonna go?"

When Ed couldn't find an answer, he satisfied himself with marching sullenly out of the door. Envy followed him, smirking slightly.

He'd come around – eventually.