Number of words: 8,117

Published date: September 23, 2012

Began chapter: August 20, 2012

Finished chapter: September 23, 2012


Chapter 8: Unrest

The next few days were… tense… as everyone began to adjust to each other.

The best way for Ms. Bradley to describe the atmosphere was to go back many, many years, to the 1880s, when she was just entering her twenties.

She had spent her whole life in Central City, the daughter of an upper middle class family. Her father had been an engineer with the military (Perhaps that was why she'd always preferred men in uniform!) and her mother was a teacher. Being a headstrong young woman, Lily had chosen to move out of her parents' house when she started her studies at Central's university even though it would have been cheaper to continue living at home.

Those first days with Selim's family reminded her of her first experience with a roommate.

It wasn't easy to adjust to a new person living in your home. People had different schedules, different standards of cleanliness, different needs for quiet or noise, different hobbies, different expectations for other housemates, different preferences in food and décor, different attitudes when it came to visitors or house rules.

These natural difficulties were exacerbated by the fact that there was not one new person to get used to, but five.

Ms. Bradley had her own schedule for the mornings and it was one that Selim rarely interrupted. She was an early riser, often getting up before sunrise to enjoy the birdsong and peaceful quiet of the morning while drinking a cup of tea in the garden. Selim wasn't rambunctious as far as children went, but she was no spring chick herself and she found that she needed the tranquil dawn to give her the energy for the rest of the day. The mornings were her time.

However, on the very next day upon arriving home, Ms. Bradley discovered that her alone time might very well become something she had to share.

Greed appeared to be an early riser as well.

She had only just poured her cup of tea when the man entered the kitchen, yawning loudly and scratching… Well, let's just say that she turned her head discreetly rather than start the day off with embarrassment. She hadn't been expecting anyone to get up for at least another hour, so she was surprised to see him, but she offered greetings all the same.

"Ah, good morning. It was… Greed, wasn't it? Would you like some tea? Or coffee?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, good morning," he responded blearily. "Coffee'd be great, thanks."

Wordlessly, she filled the pot and put the coffee maker on for him and, because it would have been rude to leave him for the garden (as was her normal routine) when he'd just woken up, Ms. Bradley joined him at the alcove table with her own cup.

"Did you have trouble sleeping?" she asked politely.

"Huh? Naw, I always get up early," he replied. "I don't need much sleep." And then he turned and gazed out the window with eyes half lidded in boredom.

How rude! she thought. Here they were, and he was just going to ignore her instead of trying to make small talk?

The only noises in the kitchen were the coffee maker's sputtering and hissing and the hum of the refrigerator and Ms. Bradley found the silence quickly becoming uncomfortable, especially with this man she didn't know and was still a little afraid of. Desperately, she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Um… Could you tell me… why you were fighting with my husband?"

Well, that certainly got his attention!

Greed turned to stare at her in surprise, obviously not expecting the question, but then his face became tight and he looked down at the tabletop with a frown.

"… I don't think that's a good idea," he said with reluctance. "Better to leave the past in the past, you know? Let's just say I'm kind of possessive and he was involved in… destroying… some of my things."

"O-Of course. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to… It just came out," she stammered quickly. He almost looks like he's in pain…Were the things sentimental? I wonder what happened? What did King do…?

"Aw, don't worry 'bout it," he said, waving his hand to sweep the topic under the rug. Then he turned back to the window again and Ms. Bradley found the silence even more discomfiting. What was she supposed to do now? Did he not want to talk? Had she offended him? Was it rude for her to leave? Or was she annoying him by being there? She didn't know the man and she couldn't tell what he wanted or what he was thinking.

Needing to do something, she got up and checked the coffee maker, pulled out a mug for him, and set the sugar, milk, and cream on the counter, then dithered back and forth a few times before excusing herself and going out to the garden, eager to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere.

The garden behind the mansion was one of her great passions, an oasis of tranquility. She was proud of the time and effort that went into tending the neat rows of vegetables, the stone-ringed beds of assorted flowers, the large rosebushes and climbing vines and shrubs, the small fountain and pond and the numerous bird feeders that filled the garden with birdsong throughout most of the day. But at the same time, there was something altogether humbling about her hobby. As much hard work as she put in, it was not up to her whether the plants flourished or died. The temperature, rain, sun, soil, bugs, and many other factors all contributed to the garden's success; all she could do was offer her own help and encouragement and hope that it was enough.

Nestled between two rosebushes against the side of the house was a plain white bench and Ms. Bradley settled onto it with a sigh, placing her teacup in her lap. The bench was her favourite spot. Shaded for most of the day, protected from the sun by the mansion's shadow until late afternoon, it provided a gorgeous view of the setting sun, but Ms. Bradley also enjoyed the view in the morning. Rather than have the bright rising sun glaring harshly in her eyes, she could watch the sun's orange rays creep slowly up the sides of the surrounding trees, into the garden, and then on to quickly paint the mountains in the west. And although they smelled nicer as the day warmed, the roses lent their gentle fragrance to the air.

It was almost... meditative. Breathe in and cool air spiced with the scent of flowers and grass and soil filled her lungs. Sit still and the sounds of distant, and then closer, birdsong filled her ears, the calls of robins and chickadees and juncos and finches layering as if they were performing their very own symphony. Stare at the shadows and watch as they stretched and lengthened right before her eyes.

This time to herself was important, renewing. Young people were too busy rushing about with their own concerns to appreciate the simple pleasure of quietly watching time pass by.

No more than five minutes passed when she heard the sound of gravel crunching under boots and Greed rounded the corner. She kept a polite smile on her face and shifted over on the bench so that he could sit down as well, but inwardly, she didn't like the break in her routine. And now that the man had some coffee in him, he seemed far more interested in chatting. Instead of enjoying the birdsong in silence, he began to ask about the mansion.

"So… You and Pri- Selim moved here three years ago?"

"Yes, that's right. How did you know?"

"They told us yesterday."

"Oh, of course. How silly of me!" she laughed lightly at her own foolish question. "Is there something you wanted to ask about it?"

"Well, I'm just surprised at how nice this place is." Greed waved his arm, gesturing to the garden and building. "I mean, this is quite the home for only two people!"

"It is, isn't it?" she readily agreed.

"So…? What did you do to get it? I know you're the Fuhrer's wife and all that, but it's still a bit much for-"

"My dear boy, you don't think I would have left the Fuhrer's residence for something less impressive, do you?"

Greed stared at her poised smile blankly. "Uh… I wouldn't choose something less impressive either, but I mean, how'd you get the choice?"

"It wasn't as hard as you might think," Ms. Bradley responded. "John, that crafty old fox- Oh, excuse me, that would be Fuhrer Grumman, has always had a bit of a crush on me." She giggled behind her hand. Greed gave a dazed shake of his head. What's with this woman? She's ancient, but she sounds like a schoolgirl! "As much as I miss King, some harmless flirting never hurt anyone, am I right?"

Is she serious? Greed stared at the old woman sitting serenely beside him, the wrinkles around her mouth more pronounced by her smile, her light brown hair up in the same boring cinched ponytail she'd been wearing six years ago, her clothing plain and more modest than the season called for. He couldn't imagine her flirting with anyone… or it being welcomed from someone so old. But who was he to say old people couldn't flirt just as much as the youngsters?

Ms. Bradley jumped when Greed promptly threw back his head and laughed, a throaty sound that startled several birds from the garden into the air.

"You know what?" he declared, grinning at her broadly. "I think you and me and Lust're gonna' get along just fine!"

She wasn't sure exactly what he meant by that, but at least it was a start.


Truthfully, that first morning with Greed was quite productive and Ms. Bradley didn't mind sacrificing one morning to learn more about her son's brother. He looked young and spoke with the slang of the type of people she normally never dealt with. (Gang member or low-profile criminal came to mind, though she was probably being biased.) Edward's description fit Greed perfectly; he acted like a tough guy and was rough around the edges, but it was also true that, if she ignored his exterior, the man was actually quite pleasant and personable. She was almost tempted to use the word 'charming'. He laughed easily. He smiled easily. He consciously worked to make her feel unthreatened and comfortable. He was a good conversationalist.

Nevertheless, when he came downstairs at the same time the following day, interrupting her peace and quiet again, and the same the third day, Ms. Bradley realized that her old set habits would need to change. She couldn't expect to have the mornings to herself anymore. It was a sacrifice she'd unknowingly accepted when she gave permission for Selim to bring his family back, but it would still be hard to get used to.


There were other things that she would have to get used to, and Ms. Bradley discovered two of them that same morning.

With the sun now completely up and her teacup empty, Ms. Bradley excused herself from the garden and Greed's company and returned to the kitchen, wondering what she could make for breakfast. Nine mouths to feed, and she honestly wasn't the most impressive cook. The Fuhrer's family, along with guards and tutors and personal assistants, had had their own cook, and she was still rusty even after three years without the attendants she'd dismissed after they moved to the South.

"Good morning, Ms. Bradley."

"Oh!" She started at the voice from the doorway. "Good morning, Alphonse."

"Need a hand?" he asked, smiling at the boxes on the counter that she'd taken out of the cupboard in her search for a meal idea.

She returned the smile gratefully, if a bit sheepishly. "I'd really appreciate that. Thank you."

When Alphonse said "Need a hand?" he really meant "Let me do it for you." The young man was an earnest guest, eager to help out wherever he could, but he was much too polite to phrase the offer as a demand, so Ms. Bradley quickly got out of his way without being asked. She didn't know what had made him decide to shed the armour he'd been wearing when she first met him six and a half years ago – according to the gossip at the time, he was so strange that he never took the heavy stuff off – but she liked the blonde teacher much more now that she could see his face. He had such a gentle face and voice. So mild-mannered and polite. Such a gentleman! Not that she didn't like Edward too, but she found Alphonse to be much more… calming a presence than his older brother.

After a few minutes, nature called and she excused herself, but when she came to the first-floor washroom, she was surprised to find the door shut.

Oh, well, that's all right. I'll just try the other one, she thought, and went upstairs only to find that it too was occupied.

Never before had there been a wait for one of the two washrooms in their home. It was unheard of! But just like with a new roommate, they would all have to adjust to sharing that particularly precious resource.

She went back downstairs, found that the first washroom was free, made use of it before someone else could claim it for their morning ablutions, and returned to the kitchen to be met with an enthusiastic hug by Selim and an amiable wave from Edward, already sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in hand.

Seeing the three boys in the kitchen (She couldn't think of the Elrics as anything but boys, what with their difference to her in age.) was quite normal. The brothers had been visiting them regularly ever since Selim began his apprenticeship, and the distance was far enough and the mansion large enough that it justified them spending the night for however long they wished. As she settled onto the bench beside Selim, Ms. Bradley relaxed in the comfortable familiarity of their presence, allowing herself a moment to forget that the four of them were no longer the only ones in the house.

That was, until Lust and Gluttony entered the kitchen and Greed came in from the garden to join them.

It was suddenly cramped in the tiny kitchen with seven people!

"Is breakfast ready?" Gluttony asked eagerly, rubbing bleary eyes.

"I'm sorry, but it'll be a while yet," Alphonse answered, face now tight with concentration as he picked his way past the large man to move between the refrigerator and counter.

He might have been personable before, but Ms. Bradley flinched at Greed's loud voice in the small room as he noisily shoved one of the chairs aside and came to the alcove table.

"Hey Ed! Remember how you thought I was from Dublith before? And I was, but that was the Old Greed, not me?"

The 'Old Greed'? What does that mean?

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Can you tell me anything about that? I still don't really remember very much and-"

"Does anyone want to come get the newspaper with me?" Selim piped up over their voices, ignoring the fact that they weren't listening to him.

The second thing Ms. Bradley would have to become used to became clear at that moment:

Her peaceful existence with her son, in a quiet and empty house, had come to an end.

Selim turned to his sister, who was the only one (apart from Ms. Bradley) paying attention to him over the other voices. Lust was looking over the kitchen and its occupants with a rather unimpressed expression, so when Selim repeated himself – "Lust, wanna' come with me?" – she looked somewhat grateful for the offer. Ms. Bradley slid over on the bench to allow Selim up, thinking that she would use the excuse to switch the hubbub of the kitchen for the peace and quiet of the living room and a nice book, but Selim grabbed her hand, forcing her to join them.

Neither of them caught the look of irritation that flashed across Lust's face. Selim's sister had been hoping for the chance to speak with her brother alone. With his mother accompanying them, she would have to wait for another opportunity.


It was around a ten minute walk to the bottom of the mansion's driveway and back, and Ms. Bradley had gotten to the age where she didn't like to make the trip every day if she could help it. Usually it was Selim who went down to fetch their main connection to the outside world. True, they had a radio and they visited Dublith on a semi-regular basis, but they were rather isolated, being located so deep in the forest. The newspaper was still the best way for them to know what was happening in the rest of the world. And although Lily preferred the tamer articles on gardening and new novels and plays, Selim kept a close eye on the national and international news and anything to do with the military.

She had gone so far as to mention Selim's interest to Edward, but the young man had merely thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't think we need to be worried about it," he said. "He's been keeping track of what happens in Amestris on a national scale for a long time, so it's only natural that he'd still be interested in knowing what's going on. But thanks for noticing. If he seems to take particular interest in something, let me know just to be on the safe side."

Ed also suggested that Selim was paying careful attention to the outside world in order to ensure that he and his mother weren't in any danger, but that seemed like a silly thing for him to worry about. Ms. Bradley couldn't imagine a place less likely to experience trouble than Dublith. They weren't anywhere near the country's borders and the fighting with Aerugo had all but ended; the region surrounding Dublith was forested mountains and fields, but as far as she knew, there were no exceptional mineral deposits that begged to be exploited; there were some rough areas in Dublith, but the crime rate wasn't any higher than in other towns of comparable size.

She would have preferred that Selim remain carefree, just like a child should be, but at the same time, it was touching to think that he wanted to protect her.

It didn't look like worries were weighing his mind down now, at least.

Near the beginning of their little trip, Selim had darted into the woods. For a few moments, his dark hair and short height acted as camouflage, completely hiding him from the women's view in the shadowed undergrowth. And when he suddenly reappeared, jumping out of the bushes on Lust's left side and earning himself a sharp look as a reprimand, he was brandishing a plain stick, which he used like a sword to swing at the air and at overhanging branches, whacking tree trunks and spinning it through his hands like a baton.

"Hey, Mother! Lust! Watch this!"

He turned around, walking backwards and balancing the stick on his head for all of five seconds before dropping it, but not before Ms. Bradley gave him a smile and made an appropriately impressed noise. Lust only responded with a raised eyebrow and Selim flushed in embarrassment as he bent over to pick up the stick. Pouting, he acted far more restrained, simply using the stick as a walking pole as he walked a dozen paces ahead.

The two women walked side by side along the hard-packed dirt path through the forest, leaving a polite distance between them. The summer morning was still early enough to lend some crispness to the air and with the branches hanging over the path, preventing the sun's light from breaking through the thick foliage, it was almost chilly.

Ms. Bradley tried to think of something she could say, some simple conversation starter that would break the ice with her son's sister, but nothing came to mind. The few times she glanced discreetly out of the corner of her eye, she caught Lust staring at Selim's back with a sharp and thoughtful frown, and it was disturbing to see her studying him so… intently. And although Lily could always try complimenting her clothing or beauty again, that method would grow stale and insincere if she used it twice in a row.

With nothing to say, they walked in silence until they reached the bottom of the driveway.

Selim instantly snapped out of his pout, clambering up on top of the large stone driveway marker positioned beside the mailbox. Proudly, he turned to Lust and pointed with his stick.

"That way's the way to Dublith," he said, gesturing to the left and northward along the wide and smooth-packed road. "The forest ends a little farther on, and then there's some fields, and then Kauroy Lake, and then some more fields, and you have to cross a pretty wide river, and then you hit Dublith!" He turned and pointed the other way, to the right and south. "If you keep going that way, you'll eventually connect with the main road from Central to South City. There are only a few small villages along the way, though, so not a whole lot of people take that route. We're the last ones until the next village, and we're the farthest ones from Dublith, too!"

Lust covered her eyes with one hand and peered down the road, though it curved with the flow of the land and prevented her from seeing any real distance.

"And how far away is it, exactly?" she asked.

"Um…" Selim rolled his eyes upward as he mentally did some figuring. "It takes about an hour to walk there, so that's… Let's see… About five kilometres, I think." He jumped down from the stone marker and moved to the mailbox, reaching inside for his daily prize.

"'Walk'? You mean we don't have a vehicle?"

"I'm afraid not," Ms. Bradley said, speaking up with an apologetic tone. "It's embarrassing to admit, but I never learned to drive, and Selim's too young, so there's been no need for us to have one. Most of what we need is delivered to the house."

Lust didn't respond, though Ms. Bradley caught her lips turning down slightly at the thought that they would need to walk to the town. Selim, newspaper clutched tightly in hand, dropped his stick against the mailbox and moved over to his mother's side, and they turned around to begin the trek back up the driveway. (Which truly was a trek, being all uphill on the way back.)

Lust paused behind them for a few more seconds, glancing both ways down the road and sparing a moment to look at the mailbox, which only revealed another facet of Pride's step-mother's personality. The name Bradley was stencilled on the side of the box in black cursive writing, which wasn't all that odd or unique. No; what made it stand out was the pink, red, and yellow flowers painted all around the name, bright against the white background. She was pretty sure they were roses, but honestly, the artist hadn't been skilled enough for her to be certain.

I thought Pride picked the roses, but maybe… Hmm…

With a few long, quick strides (difficult in her high heels on the uneven path), she caught up to the pair and walked on Pride's other side so that he was in the middle.

"Ms. Bradley?" That sounded a little too curt. Better to be polite. "May I ask you something?"

"Hmm? Oh my dear, you don't need to be so formal! Please just call me Lily."

Lust paused at the request for familiarity, then nodded.

"Lily," she repeated. "My brother told me you were the one who picked my clothing, but did you also choose the decorations for the room?"

"Ah, you mean the flowers and rug and such?" Ms. Bradley asked with a smile. "Well, I did pick them, but Selim helped too."

"No I didn't!" Selim protested from between them. "That's girly stuff!"

"Don't be silly," Ms. Bradley chided. "Flowers aren't just for girls." She looked over his head at Lust. "Selim insisted I use roses; he said they were your favourite."

"Really?" Lust glanced down at her eldest brother in surprise, who was quickly turning red in embarrassment. "I'm surprised you knew that, Pri- Selim." It's going to be hard to remember to use his human name! "I never mentioned it before."

She didn't need any reminder of the fact that the boy beside her was not the child he appeared to be. Pride had made sure, early in her life, that she understood his high position despite his childish appearance. With all of the Homunculi, he had exerted his powers quickly to leave little doubt as to his superiority. He was the first and strongest Homunculus.

All the same, that didn't stop him from being adorable.

Her little brother refused to meet her eyes, instead darting an accusatory look at Ms. Bradley as if she had just given away a dreadful secret. His mother only smiled sedately. He crossed his arms and pouted for a few steps, then, still scowling, sighed and addressed Lust.

"Whenever you returned from one of your dates, you brought roses back with you," he explained reluctantly.

"That doesn't prove they were my favourite. Maybe that's just what men assumed I liked."

"Yeah, but if that was the case, you wouldn't have bothered to bring them home. You'd have just thrown them away beforehand."

How very true, she thought. It wasn't surprising that Pride had put two and two together, just as it wasn't surprising that her other siblings hadn't. Expect the incarnations of avarice or jealousy to think about somebody else's preferences? Not likely. Pride, though? He'd probably realized it while spying on her with his shadows. Resenting his relative uselessness as a spy (He could listen in on conversations, but his ability to glean any useful information depended mostly on luck.), he had often kept tabs on all of them whenever they were in Central. More than once, she had returned to their underground lair to report new information to Father only to discover that Pride had inexplicably beaten her to the punch.

What was more curious, though, was that he had used the information out of apparent consideration for her feelings. Which bode ill for her hopes that he was just faking the child act.

A Pride who was faking reformation as a human didn't need to include her favourite flowers as part of the charade.

Whichever the case, Lust had an inkling of why he was embarrassed by the whole thing: Such thoughtfulness among the Homunculi would have been mocked, not praised, and he was expecting her to make fun of him. His glowering pout only showed that he was preparing to be teased and it completely worked against him. Lust was hardly immune to the charm of a cute child and she yearned to squeeze him or pinch his cheeks, but he had long ago taught her to suppress the impulse lest he snap her hand off in retaliation.

Clearly that injunction didn't hold for Ms. Bradley, who, oblivious to why Pride was embarrassed and to Lust's odd reservations, reached over and ruffled his hair.

"Mother, don't!" he protested, making a token gesture of pulling away even though it was plain to see that this wasn't a rare thing for Lily to do.

"Roses are my favourite too," she said over her son's head.

Well, luckily for Pride, Lust wasn't like her younger brothers. Greed would have laughed at him and Envy would have said something snide, but no one had ever accused them of being sensitive. There was no good reason to get his back up.

"Thank you, Selim," she murmured, and had the pleasure of watching his face go through several different expressions – embarrassed, shy, pleased, haughty, and then feigned indifference – as he tried to decide on the best reaction.

It was too much for her.

He claimed to not have his powers anymore, so he can't take my hand off now, and he'd hardly bring us back to life just to kill me for being impertinent... I hope. Maybe he'll make me pay for this later, but…

Mimicking Ms. Bradley's action, Lust reached over and tousled her little brother's hair.

And, surprisingly, he didn't object.


Once they arrived back at the mansion, Selim grabbed Lust's hand and dragged her down the hallway, heading for the study and telling her about the old newspapers he had saved specifically to help her get caught up with Amestris's history, leaving Ms. Bradley on her own.

She didn't mind. Breakfast surely wasn't ready yet; someone would come to get her when it was. In the meantime, she was only halfway through her most recent acquisition (a collection of poems and short stories) and she felt it was far preferable for her to do some reading than to return to the noisy and crowded kitchen.

Let's see now; where did I leave that book…? she wondered, puttering down the hall. Oh, that's right. I left it in the spare den upstairs.

There were two sets of stairs to the second floor: one in the foyer, and one by the living room, curving in a semi-circle in a wall-made niche. In keeping with the rest of the house's design, a tall arched window took up the entire wall, providing a stunning view of the garden, forest, and mountains to the west beyond.

The view was so stunning, in fact, that Ms. Bradley wasn't really focused on where she was going. Turning her head to admire the scenery as she always did, she only barely managed to stop herself from walking straight into Sloth, who was standing at the top of the stairs.

"Oh my! I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going."

No response. Sloth didn't move, staring silently without expression, his height only magnified by his position on the landing.

"Uh… Um… It's Sloth, right?" she tried, hesitating at his lack of reaction. "Excuse me, but… If you could just let me get by you…?"

What had Edward said? That this huge man was… dim? She had expected him to be exaggerating – surely anyone related to Selim couldn't be dim – but now she wasn't so sure. It almost felt like he wasn't awake. Could he not hear her, or…?

"Um… Selim is downstairs in the study," she ventured, "in case you were wondering…"

She shifted on the stairs and, as if her movements were the trigger that brought him back to reality, Sloth's head slowly lowered, only then indicating that he hadn't been staring at her at all, but rather had been looking out the window.

Turning his attention to her, however, appeared to be his only reaction, and his silent, unblinking scrutiny was more than a little unnerving.

"If you could just move so I can get by you-"

"You're wasting your time," said a sneering voice from behind the large man.

Envy moved into view and leaned casually on the railing overlooking the stairwell, resting his elbows on the banister so that his hands dangled over the edge. His smile, though not entirely unfriendly, looked more like he was laughing at her in some private joke.

"You see, Sloth here doesn't really respond well to requests. You've got to be a bit more forceful with him. Observe." He stood up straight and turned to face Sloth, placing hands on hips and tilting his head back. "Hey, Sloth!" he barked at him. Loudly. "You're in the way! Move it!"

Ms. Bradley flinched more at the shout than Sloth did… Not that he actually flinched. The giant only turned to face his much smaller sibling, let out a drawn-out groan as he considered his words, and then muttered "What a bother" and took a few steps back, enough to free up the landing.

Envy's smile was now definitely smug and he gave a condescending bow, sweeping his arm with a flourish as if he had just done something incredibly impressive and beckoning for Lily to finish her climb. The gesture put her off, but she did just that, climbing the next few steps to the landing.

"Thank you," she said politely, but Sloth didn't respond. As soon as she was out of the way, he started forward to make his own way downstairs. Slowly.

And now she was alone with Selim's very odd… brother?

They referred to Envy as 'he', but… Really?

It had taken her a while just to get used to Mr. Garfiel, who was quite flamboyant in his own preferences and mannerisms, but even he didn't compare to bearing a bare midriff and wearing a skirt.

A very short skirt.

It almost felt offensive to be looking at him. Men were not supposed to show that much thigh! And the bare stomach was practically scandalous! She settled on deciding that he was a man, for his black tank top was flat across his chest, he had no hips to speak of, and he was more muscular than what any woman could achieve. She reasoned that he mustn't have hit puberty yet, though, for his voice was quite high for a man, his bare arms and legs (much as she wished she couldn't see them) were hairless, and his face had a rather smooth and delicate look. Why had Edward cautioned her to think of Envy as a teenager? He quite clearly was.

Of course, Ms. Bradley tried to be discreet in her observations so as not to be rude.

Envy was under no such compulsion.

As if sensing her cautious scrutiny, he turned his attention from Sloth's descent to her, red-purple eyes cold even while his lips turned up in the approximation of a smile. But not a friendly smile. More like a jeer.

Edward's other warning came to mind:

Don't be alone with him until he gets used to you.

Well, she couldn't very well fix that by rudely walking away, could she? But she suddenly wanted to do just that, for Envy, as if reading her thoughts and feeling her unease, only grinned more broadly and began to circle her, like a predator.

"So, Mother Bradley then, is it? You've gotten quite a bit older, huh?" He leaned in, bringing his face close to hers and laughing when she took a timid step back. "Ha! Nervous?" he asked. "So maybe you've gotten just a tiny bit smarter at least. But then, I can't imagine what you were thinking, letting Pride do this."

Pride? Who is Pride?

"Did they not explain to you who we are? What we are? How dangerous we are? Hmm?"

While his tone became more menacing, his smile only grew wider and more open. Ms. Bradley couldn't tell why he was saying these things. The split in his bearing was confusing. His voice was mean and his face was friendly. She had no experience with crazy people, but wasn't such dichotomy indicative of madness? She was beginning to tremble and a lump had formed in her throat. She tried to swallow, but only managed to wet her lips, dearly wishing that she could call Selim or Edward or Alphonse, dearly wishing that someone would come and interrupt them.

"So? Explain it to me. Just what were you thinking?"

"I-I-I just- I just wanted-"

She stuttered and struggled to answer, and maybe that was what made Envy realize that he was pushing her too far. Rolling his eyes, he moved back a few steps and held out his hands, as if to say There. You happy now? His foot tapped the floor impatiently.

"I-I just wanted Selim… t-to be happy," she managed. "I couldn't just… say no when it obviously meant so much to him. I-"

He cut her off right then and there.

"Ugh, more of this foolish human sentimental crap? Please, you're making me sick." He truly did look sick, his lips twisted and nose pinched as if something foul-smelling had been thrust into his face. "Don't waste your breath; I don't want to hear it."

For a moment, it seemed that he forgot all about her, frowning angrily in her direction without really seeing her. Ms. Bradley still hesitated to move. She had no idea how he would react or what he was so angry about and she really didn't want to take any chances now. She doubted she could move anyway; her feet were quite firmly rooted to the floor, her body stiff with fear.

And then Envy snapped out of it, re-focusing on her and glaring.

"What? You're still here?" he asked irritably, and then paused, perhaps only just noticing the old woman's frozen posture, pale face, and wide eyes.

He sighed.

"Aw, come now, Ms. B, you don't have to be afraid of little old me. I'm not gonna' hurt you." He smiled again and this time, it appeared that he was trying to be a bit more genuine. "After all, Pride told me to be nice to you. I can't really disobey my eldest brother, now can I?" He started to move lightly past her, heading for the stairs, but then paused as he reached her side. Leaning to the side, he brought his face far too close, lips almost to her ear, grinning broadly at her obvious discomfort.

"Of course, my version of being nice is not killing someone. Too bad he wasn't a bit more specific, hmm?"

And with that chilling whisper, he left Ms. Bradley at the top of the stairs, the sounds of his light chuckles staying with her even once he was gone.


A little while later, Lily settled in the den with her book, but it took much longer for her heart rate to return to normal. And even once her body calmed, her mind did not. She tried to forget her fear by reading, but after re-reading the same page several times without any of the words sinking in, she gave up and instead looked out the window, trying to use the scenery to sooth her frazzled nerves.

He was… He must have just been trying to scare me. Yes, that must be it. After all, there's no reason why he would want to hurt me. Surely he was just playing with me, teasing me… Edward said he was sure I'm not in any danger. There's no way Selim would allow any of them to hurt me. I have to trust him. I have to trust my son.

Even as she believed it, she was more than thankful when Selim came to collect her for breakfast, giving his hand a little squeeze just for reassurance.


Meal times used to be a quiet affair in the Bradley household. Not anymore. Yet another thing to get used to, Ms. Bradley realized, as she watched her new 'family' at the dining room table.

She was frankly appalled by Selim's siblings' table manners.

Gluttony and Sloth had eschewed the utensils and were completely oblivious to the impropriety of eating solely with their hands. Sloth chewed so slowly that it wasn't as obscene, but Gluttony and Greed shovelled their food down with abandon, at times barely chewing at all. Envy had thrust his feet up on the table, and if she weren't so busy avoiding looking at him, Lily might have said something about it. They didn't pass things, instead being quite content to lean over their neighbours to get what they wanted. Lust was the only one polite enough to not talk with her mouth full. And Greed, once finished with his own food, began to talk as if unaware that the rest of them were still eating.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked, directing the question at Edward.

"What d'you mean?" Ed's words came out half-garbled. Okay, so maybe it wasn't just Selim's siblings who spoke with their mouths full.

Greed gestured with his fork. "I mean, what are we supposed to do? We're humans now, right? So what're we supposed to do with ourselves?"

Ed gave a small shrug. "For the most part, whatever you want. People aren't born with a specific purpose in mind. There's nothing you have to do."

"Yeah, but I want to go to Xing and Alphonse already shot that down."

"If you want to go to Xing, then we can't stop you from going," Alphonse said, "but I told you that it's not a wise decision. The desert crossing is-"

"Yeah, yeah, fine. I know. Then what else is there for us to do?"

"Hmm, well, it's not a long-term view, but for the next few days, we'll-" Ed gestured to himself, Al, and Selim, "be catching up on training. Selim's fallen behind in his studies."

Selim looked sheepish.

"Big Brother and Teacher gave me a break while we were working out the final details. We didn't want to be distracted by anything."

"Please!" Ed snorted. "You mean you were too distracted to even think about anything else!"

Selim looked away in embarrassment and muttered defensively, "Well, I was worried. I had every right to be worried. It was a new transmutation, after all. No one had ever done it before."

Ed responded with chagrin, "You're right, Selim. Sorry. I didn't mean to tease."

"How does training have anything to do with me?" Greed asked.

"The alchemy training doesn't, but you can at least help out with the physical side."

"Huh?"

Ed grinned. "'To train the mind, you must first train the body.' That's what our teacher drilled into us. Selim's younger than we were when we first started our apprenticeship, but it'd be great if he had someone to spar with daily. We're not around enough to do a proper job of it."

"Seriously? You want me to teach him how to fight?" Greed seemed somewhat leery of the thought, looking sceptically at Selim. "You'd be okay with that?"

"Of course!" Selim piped up cheerfully. "Why wouldn't I be? You are the best fighter here."

"So what am I? Chopped liver?"

"Of course not, Envy. You can train with us too if you want," Selim replied in a placating tone.

Envy merely shrugged and replied, "Huh, who says I even need to."

"Other than training," Lust said in her sultry voice, "what else is there to do?"

"Well, there's still a lot of things to be moved back into the basement. Anyone can help with that. There's lots of books, which Selim said you like, and Ms. Bradley could always use some help in the garden. And I know you have all of the clothes you need, Lust, but we should probably make some outfits for the rest of you-"

"Hey, that's right! Why did Lust get the special treatment?"

"Because try as he might, Selim didn't know what you'd prefer and he figured it'd be better to not waste his time guessing. You didn't exactly have a large wardrobe, Envy."

"Who says I prefer anything else? What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"You're not serious!" Ed exclaimed. "You want to keep wearing that? You do know you're going to stick out like a sore thumb already, don't you? And besides, it won't stay summer forever. You think you can just ignore the cold in a tank top and man skirt?"

"You just said I can do whatever the hell I want, and if that's what I want to do, then that's what I'll do!" Envy countered. His eyes slid to the side. "What?" he growled.

Ms. Bradley started and flinched back at his exasperated tone.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just-"

He didn't wait for her to explain.

"Hey, Pride-" Selim's eyes hardened at Envy's choice of name. "-I know I'm cute, but can you tell your pet human that it's not polite to stare?"

"How dare you!" Selim's eyes went cold. Although it was hard for a six-year old's face to convey fury so that people took it seriously, Selim seemed to be making a fair shot at it. He stood up from his chair (which didn't add to his height at all), glaring at his younger brother. "You will not refer to Mother in such a way, Envy! Remember your place! Apologize right now!"

I don't want them to start fighting! Ms. Bradley thought frantically.

"No, no. Selim dear, it's all right. I'm not offended. He doesn't need to apologize," she hurried to say. "I was just… Uh…" It was harder to think with so many eyes focusing on her. "I was thinking that Envy, well, your voice just sounds awfully familiar somehow. I was trying to remember where I'd heard it before."

Several sets of eyebrows shot up, but the hostility instantly went down, replaced by curiosity. Envy leaned back in his chair, staring at Lily not in antagonism, but simple contemplation. After a few moments, he grinned and nodded, suddenly much more agreeable.

"Well, that does make sense. After all, it's not the first time we've met."

Ms. Bradley blinked in surprise.

"We… We've met before?"

"What, you've forgotten? You're hurting my feelings here!"

"Um… Are you sure it was me? I can't imagine forgetting… I mean, that's not to- I don't want to imply-"

"Oh come on, you can say it: It'd be impossible to forget such a cute face, am I right?" The green-haired teenager practically preened under his own words. Lust rolled her eyes behind Envy's back so that he didn't notice and the Elric brothers and Selim made a face, which he resolutely ignored, but Greed guffawed so loudly that even Envy couldn't ignore the hint.

"What? You got something to say, Ponytail?"

"You? Cute! Did the definition change in the past few centuries, 'cause I think you're confusing what it means with its opposite!"

"Shut up, bastard!"

"What're you going to do, Mr. Giant Green-"

"Knock it off, both of you!" Lust said sharply, wishing she still had her Ultimate Spear to make the order more compelling. Thankfully, Greed hadn't said the word he'd been hinting at – ugly – or the fight would have come to blows. Instead, her two younger brothers settled on some sniffs and glares and then calmed down again.

Ms. Bradley was still trying to remember this meeting that Envy had referred to.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't seem to remember meeting you before…"

"That's not surprising," he drawled, grin crossing his face as if her confusion was a great secret joke for him. "I didn't look like this when we met. Maybe this will jog your memory: Do you remember a dirty-blonde short-haired second lieutenant? Blue eyes, medium build? On occasion, he had the envious job of preventing you from seeing the Fuhrer when he was in an important meeting with the senior staff."

Ms. Bradley thought, then started as she remembered.

"Oh! I do remember him. He was quite rude; I thought maybe he didn't know who I was. Are you related to him, or-" No, that couldn't be right. So far as she knew, all of Selim's family was right here.

Envy began to chuckle even as he answered.

"'Related'? Ha, no, that was me! It was fun telling you off, but it's only fair to let you know that the Fuhrer chewed me out for it later." He laughed a bit more. "Got to say, Striker was a good design. One of my better ones. After yours truly, of course!"

Ms. Bradley stared in dumb confusion at his words. What in the world does he mean…? She opened her mouth to ask, but Selim spoke up then. He still sounded angry at his brother for his earlier comment.

"That's enough, Envy. All of that's in the past now; Mother doesn't need to know about it, so don't talk about it." Envy waved his hand flippantly. "That goes for everyone else, too." Lust and Greed nodded assent. Selim didn't seem concerned over whether Sloth and Gluttony agreed to the demand, taking for granted, perhaps, that they wouldn't think to speak of it in the first place.

Ms. Bradley learned one final lesson that day, and it was a lesson she learned to appreciate more and more as time went by:

Ignorance truly was bliss.


Author's Notes:

Congratulations to Argen-Lobbo-Ridder: For being the first to notice (or at least comment) on how I've been naming my chapters. I took the names of all the episodes and soundtrack songs from both series, put them in a list, and have been picking the ones that seem to fit the chapter best. Granted, some will be a stretch, and I'm not trying to balance between songs/episodes and 2003/Brotherhood, but I thought that was a neat way to softly mix the two versions of FMA.

Descriptive scenery: In case it's not clear yet, I really enjoy describing scenery. Let me know if the descriptions are too long or detailed, and if they create a good mental image.

Fuhrer Grumman's name: Sorry, but I gave Fuhrer Grumman the first name of John, a common male name of the 1840s. (I assume he's in his early seventies; quite healthy for his age, too!) I didn't need to – he's not at all an important character in this story – but I thought it'd be cute and normal for Ms. Bradley to refer to him by first name since he'd be in her age group, and as much as I like him as a character, he doesn't strike me as having a very exotic name. (Did anyone else notice that he shaves his moustache off when disguised as an old lady, and yet the next time we see him, it's completely grown back? How is that even possible?!)

Edward and coffee: I'm kind of making fun of Ed with the coffee. In my opinion, he started drinking the stuff at a very young age (15 years old at Briggs, if not earlier), and consumption only increases as a person grows older, so by 21, he's probably quite hooked.

Kilometres: Japan uses the metric system, so I'm pretending that Amestris does too. I'm absolutely terrible with any kind of measurements, so I used Google Maps to estimate.

Envy's second lieutenant disguise: We see this disguise when Envy quickly shifts from Focker after speaking with Sheska; when Envy and Lust are plotting how to stop Mustang from investigating Hughes' death; when Envy brings the Elrics up from their underground hideout to Central Command; and when he picks up Kimblee from the prison. I have no idea whether this disguise is an original or a copy of a real officer, but I'm pretending that he is an original design Envy created to fit in with the other officers for his day-to-day dealings with the military. I picked the name 'Striker' by looking at the 'armoured fighting vehicle' page on Wikipedia, which mentions the British FV102 Striker – a name which follows Arakawa's tradition of basing officers' names on military vehicles.