Auren seemed to grow more tense the nearer they were to the Risembool station. He remained sane with the support of his men along with listening to Roy and Riza talk about Roy's team adventures since Ed had been gone-and just a bit of the old Ed was resurfacing; the boy who wished Mustang would shut up and lay off the ego.
Ed disappeared completely as they stopped and the party exited the train. Roy walked off to call the Elric residence and make sure they were home, leaving Riza at the mercy of the Drachman men.
Honestly, she was nervous, because Auren had a look on his face that he might blow at any moment.
He began stuttering in Drachman, the language alien to her ears. She knew only a few key phrases, and hadn't the faintest what he was going on about as he just lost it and blabbered and gasped and shook his head and tried to run for the tracks. Surprised by the impressive reaction time, Riza watched Erik grab Auren by the collar, yank him backward and spin him to face Gregor-who slapped him across the face, sobering him quickly.
More Drachman language passed between the men, quiet and strong from Gregor and Erik; wavering and solemn from Auren. They all seemed to come to a compromise just in time to glance at Riza and herald the return of the Colonel.
"Well General, are you ready to go? I've arranged a car rental, we'll be there in no time."
"Do you think me so lazy for just a few gained pounds?" Auren muttered, crossing his arms indignantly.
"Actually, I was considering the welfare of your men who aren't used to the heat of the southern sun. Though it seems you've adjusted well to the cold, both in your weight and your paled skin."
"Iyach," Auren muttered, pushing past Roy toward the road.
"The road to friendship is a bumpy one," Roy sighed, leading them all to the car.
"He's as disagreeable now as he was fifteen years ago," Riza replied with a smile. She ignored Auren's piercing glare as she slid into the passenger seat.
As promised, the car ride wasn't very long, though the silence seemed to stretch on forever. Seated between his men in the backseat, Auren looked to be holding out just barely, waging a war with stress that was only kept at bay by the supportive nudges and elbowing of Erik and Gregor.
Roy parked in the lane not all that far from the house, exiting promptly. The adults weren't presently visible, but Jasmine had been playing outside and curiously ran to meet them.
"Visitors!" she cheered, running up to the car to greet them eagerly. "Hi! I'm Jasmine! Are you here to see my mom about automail?"
"I could do with a check-up," Auren admitted, waving his metal hand sheepishly at the little girl. He always had been a sucker for little kids.
"Whoa, cool accent! Where are you from?"
"Drachma," Auren answered before Roy could stop him. "Do you know where that is?"
"Waaaay way up North," Jasmine replied, frowning. "But mom and dad told me Drachma is full of bad people."
"Well… they lost someone close to them. But Drachma has many wonderful people. There's just a lot of fighting with them because of disagreements between our countries."
"Really? It's all because they can't make up over arguments?"
"Unfortunately." Auren ruffled her hair. "Now why don't you tell us about your mom and dad?"
"We'll go fetch them," Roy announced, leading Riza toward the home. He watched as Auren sat down in the grass to chat with the girl, and even overheard her trying to pronounce a few Drachman words.
"Let's hope his reunion goes as smoothly," Riza said quietly.
"It's doubtful, but we have to hope for the best." As he knocked, he heard Winry's faint call of invitation into the home. He let himself in, leading Riza into the room with him before closing the door.
Cheerful as always, Winry was the first to enter the room, Alphonse smiling as he entered...though the smile faltered as he noticed Mustang.
"Colonel, what brings you here?"
"Alphonse, it's good to see you again," Roy replied. "I've brought a friend of mine who would like to meet you both."
"A friend?" Alphonse walked toward the door, but Roy blocked his path.
"General Auren has requested to see you," Roy explained. "He-"
"Wait, is he the Drachman general?!"
"He's traveled all this way to see you."
"I don't-care! He's from Drachma, Mustang! How can you even think about trusting them, after what they did to Ed?"
All four inside went silent as they heard a screech from outside. They paled as they realized it came from Jasmine.
"You brought Drachman men to my home and left them with my daughter?!" Al nearly screamed as he threw Roy aside to escape.
He rushed out, watching with horror as Jasmine ran from Gregor with a scream. He spotted the glint of the gun at Gregor's hip as he gained on Jasmine.
"Daddyyyyy help!" She squealed, bolting around haphazardly. "He's tryin' to get me!"
Horror caused Al to hesitate for only a moment before he clapped his hands together to save his daughter. He was stopped by a hand around his wrist yanking him backward.
"Alphonse," Roy scolded. "Calm down. Just watch." He pointed to Jasmine as she tripped and tumbled in the grass, Gregor overshooting her and tumbling himself. She leapt up and jumped on him, pinning him down as she sat on his belly...and he comically held his hands up in surrender.
"They're just...playing?" Al stared at the scene incredulously. "Is that the General?"
"No, that's Gregor. Auren brought two of his men with him. Erik is probably with him still."
"And where are they?"
"Oh... right behind you, actually."
Al whipped around in surprise, not expecting the all too familiar golden eyes staring back at him. Breath caught in his throat, Al quickly took inventory of Auren's features before he finally found his voice. "Ed-Edward?"
"No dad!" Jasmine ran up to them with a giggle, Gregor in tow. "His name is Emil! He's from Drachma!"
Alphonse tore his gaze from Auren to glance at his daughter for only a moment before returning to those nervous golden eyes. "Emil?"
"It-it's what I go by now," Auren replied, his accent not lost on Al. "I have not been Edward for ten years."
"Not been... Ed what are you talking about?" Winry asked as her shock finally wore off. "Why do you look so different?"
"I have been living a new life in Drachma since my kidnapping," he explained, "and it has been...ten years s-since I..." Auren's nervousness finally shattered as the first tear broke through. He rushed forward, shuddering and sobbing as he hugged Alphonse tightly. "Ten years-but I know-you are safe," he gasped, the accent so heavy he almost wasn't understood.
"Of course we're safe," Al replied, squeezing Ed as though he would disappear if he loosened his grip. "Why would you think we weren't?"
"They assure me of your safety if I join them," Auren replied, surprising his family with broken Amestrian wrought by a decade of forsaking his first language. "But I never...for sure..."
"It's all right, brother. We're safe. It's been ten years, but you can come home now."
Auren pulled away from the hug, gaze cast downward before he chanced a guilty glance at Al.
"I...I still have a country depending on me in Drachma. If I'm successful in my mission for peace, it will benefit your country and mine."
"Your country? Ed, you can't-you can't be serious-"
"When tensions begin to ease, I will still come visit," Auren replied quietly. "You understand... I have people there who are like family to me. If I abandon my mission, I abandon them...I would cause them pain as I was forced to cause you."
"But you're not Drachman," Alphonse insisted. "You're my brother, we were born right here in Risembool, you can't just say you'll visit us, you have to come home-"
"Drachma is my home now," Auren replied coldly. His glare faltered as he put a hand to his face and took a shaky breath. "I cannot abandon all that I have worked for-"
"So you're just going to abandon us?" Al cried angrily. "After everything we've been through? We're-we're all each other had, for so long, and you just, you just… you didn't even try to contact me," Al broke into sobs. "You didn't have to keep me in the dark for ten years…"
"You would have come to find me," Auren replied, shaking his head. "You would have risked your life in Drachma to bring me home-"
"You're damn right I would have! We're brothers, Ed! We've always risked everything for each other!"
"This way I could end all war!" Auren spat. "With the Colonel's help we've rooted out corruption in the government, this will benefit not only Amestris and Drachma, but other bordering countries! Do you not see," he gasped. "All I have done, all the separation, has been for you?"
"We thought you were dead," Al replied brokenly. "Y-you were stolen from us, they took you…"
"I'm sorry, Alphonse." He pulled Al into a hug, then Winry as he pulled away. "I owe you more than I have given. So much more."
"No. We thought you'd died. Just to know you're alive…" Al struggled to overcome the fact that Ed had forsaken his life for ten years solely to protect them.
"It's enough for us." Winry smiled and pulled on Auren's arm. "Come inside for a visit, won't you? We have a lot to catch up on."
"Of course." The familiar sheepish Edward smile made its way onto his face as everyone filtered inside.
"Mom just made pie!" Jasmine cheered. "Have you ever tried her apple pie, Uncle Emil?"
"Not in ten years," Auren drooled. "Winry, do you think…"
"Of course, silly! I made the pie as soon as I heard Roy and Riza were visiting." She gazed at the two, arms linked as Roy smiled softly and Riza nodded her thanks. "I hope they don't mind sharing with their company."
"Of course not." Roy grinned slyly. "Although maybe the General should avoid anything fattening for a while."
"Hey, you shut up," Auren growled warningly.
"Come now, it's too hot in Risembool to wear that coat. Why don't you take it off and relax with some pie?"
"I will leave it on thank you!"
"Come on Ed, it is really too warm for a coat like that," Winry agreed. "Why don't you want to take it off?"
Auren grumbled and unbuttoned the coat, shedding it and tossing it onto the coat rack. He crossed his arms over his chest, though his shirt was just a bit too snug and revealed the recent addition of fifteen or so pounds to his middle.
"...Oh." Winry stared at the bulge just as Alphonse was doing, only adding to the redness on Auren's face.
"It's just a few pounds, stop looking at me like that!"
"Well, it's…"
"Just seeing it on you, brother," Al added nervously.
"The Drachman food is agreeing with you a bit too much, hm?" Roy egged.
"This is not from food it's from drinking!" Auren snapped, gulping uneasily at the blatant disapproval on Winry's face.
"You drink now, Edward?"
If Auren weren't such a prideful bastard, he would hide behind Gregor and avoid that wrench in her hand. "When I am stressed. It's not often, I swear!"
"You don't put on that much weight for not often, Ed!"
"My name is Emil, not Edward! He died-" Auren gasped as Winry's wrench struck him across the head. Though his men stiffened in defense of their general, none could match the reaction speed of the automail palm backhanding Winry and sending her backward.
The entire room seemed frozen in one moment as it sunk in what had happened. Before anybody could speak, Auren's disposition shattered.
"Oh, oh hell, Winry, I'm so sorry! I-I never meant to-are you hurt?! Oh no, no, Winry, please..."
Winry held the sore spot on her cheek, but couldn't react to the hit. She couldn't even speak, because the man in front of her, pleading for forgiveness, was the boy she had known so long ago. There was no accent in his voice, no animosity or awkwardness in his demeanor. He froze when she finally reached forward and pulled him into a secure hug.
"Welcome home, Ed."
Auren slowly returned to the present as he slipped his arms around Winry's middle. He murmured a Drachman apology as he held her close.
"Thank you, Gearhead. I've missed you."
"Now we can celebrate the reunion with pie!" Roy cheered, to which Auren's men jovially agreed, and the General himself nervously joined in.
Though Auren had been dreading the encounter since first taking his rank as General, he finally found peace. He allowed himself to relax and join in the laughter, and even showed his unchangeable nature when he stole Roy's slice of pie for himself.