Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except ocs.
"That was so exhausting! They were watching us the whole time, too..." Ed jumbles out as he stretches.
"Being spied on can do that." Al says cheerfully, Ed nods.
"Hey! Where's the young master!? " Fu asks, appearing out of nowhere; we all look around and shake our heads.
"Beats me, we haven't seen him." Ed mutters in annoyance, and both Lan Fan and Fu slink down in embarrassment.
"I can't take my eyes off him for a second..." Fu huffs.
"Good riddance..." Ed sighs. "Let's go."
"Coming..." Al, Winry, Addie and Whity come running behind us, we begin walking towards the central military offices.
"We better check in with the military offices first." Ed says bored, Al nods.
"I think I'll go straight to the Hughes's, I can't wait to see little Elicia and Miss Gracia." Winry smiles, I bite my lip to keep from saying anything.
"Mmk, we'll be there real soon anyway." Ed smiles, Winry smiles and runs off.
"We should really go see the Lieutenant Colonel; we have a lot to tell him." Al says quietly, Ed nods.
"We have to tell him about the homunculus." Ed trails off.
Footsteps of a Comrade-in-arms
A car came to a stop outside a building and Havoc exited it with a basket under his arm. Havoc's eyes looked around for a moment before he was shown to be knocking on a door inside the building. "It's me. I'm just checking in."
The door open and Falman came out. "You're doing well." Havoc commented, lifting the basket up for him. "Here. It's from the Colonel."
The door closed as the two entered the room. Barry looked up from a game of chess. "Hey! It's the smoking guy!" He said.
Havoc walked farther into the room. "How's it going? You won a single game yet?"
"Not even close. But this game is boring anyway." Barry replied. "Hey, since it's night now, I can go and cut someone up, right?" "Of course not." Havoc said. "You've got to give me something! At least bring that Hawkeye lady for a visit!" Barry said.
"Yeah, I'll let her know you're interested." Havoc said as Falman put the basket down. "He's not the only who's bored. How much longer am I stuck here keeping a watch on this guy anyway?" Falman asked. He looked at Havoc. "What does the Colonel say?"
"The Colonel apologizes for having to give you such a dangerous assignment. He also says, don't worry about your other duties. Your absence is being treated as sick leave." Havoc said as Falman was shown on the screen with an evil grinning Mustang appearing behind him. "But if anyone, even military personnel outside our unit, sees you, he'll have you court-martialed before you can blink."
"That is all." Havoc said.
Falman grabbed his hair. "I don't suppose you have any news of a happier sort to report?" Havoc smiled. "Indeed." "What is it?" Falman asked. "Falman, I've found myself a girlfriend!" Havoc cheered. Falman gaped. "She's been really sweet, helping me adjust to the move here and everything. Boy, is she hot!"
"Hey, would this new girl be fun to cut up?" Barry asked. "Come on, what do you say?" Falman had tears pouring down his eyes in the background. "Please, just get out of here." "What do you say? Can I cut her?" Barry asked. Ling was lying face down on the road with two Military policemen by him. "Hey, are you okay?" One asked. "F-food."
"Collapsed by the side of the road, huh?" "Where'd you come from?" The military policeman cupped a hand around his ear. "What's that? From Xing, you say?" "Well, you're a long way from home, alright." "I'll need to see your entry visa, please." Ling twitched.
Ling began to sweat before he was dragged away by the officers.
"Out of the way everyone." "Illegal alien, coming through!"
"Young Master, where are you?" Fu yelled. "He's in trouble again! He's collapsed. I'm sure of it!" Lan Fan said.
Ed, Al, Whity, Addie and Winry just kept walking on down the road, ignoring the two ninjas. "We better check in with the military offices first." Ed says bored, Al nods. "I think I'll go straight to the Hughes's, I can't wait to see little Elicia and Miss Gracia." Winry smiles.
"Mmk, we'll be there real soon anyway." Ed smiles, Winry smiles and runs off. "We should really go see the Lieutenant Colonel; we have a lot to tell him." Al says quietly, Ed nods.
~Back to the guys~
"We have to tell him about the homunculus." Ed trails off.
"I think his office is this way! Come on Al, Whity, and Addie!" Ed smiles at Whity, She let them run ahead of her as Whity walk behind them. Whity watch as they run straight pass the phone booth but Whity freeze in front of it.
"Whitney?" Al asks softly looking at her, Whity just stare at the phone booth. As Whity walk towards it, Whity can feel the dread filling her body, and her hand stops on the handle.
"What's wrong?" Ed whispers into Whity's ear behind her, Whity blink then turn around shutting the door. "Let's just go..."
"But Whity." Ed says softly.
"I'm ok, I just feel weird about this phone booth, it's
Probably nothing." Whity said as trio walking away;
When we get inside, Whity see Hawkeye right away, and so does Ed.
"Wait a minute, if Hawkeye is here, that means the..." Then Colonel Mustang appears.
"Thanks for waiting..." He grumbles then sees Ed. "Hello there Fullmetal, Ice." Ed looks extremely annoyed.
"Colonel Mustang... What are you doing here?" He grumbles.
"Didn't you hear? I was transferred to central a while ago." The Colonel smiles, and Ed fights back, making a snide comment.
"Ohh great..." Al smiles at Ed.
"We're here to see the Colonel; I was transferred to Central effective last month..." He chirps, and Whity see the Lieutenant's eyes soften in sadness.
"He's not here; He retired to the country and took his wife and daughter with him to take over the family business.; so he's not here." Mustang says strongly.
As we all were told with discouraged looks. "Bummer, I was hoping to see him." Whity said.
As the colonel turned around and stopped, "Fullmetal and Ice..." as we looked at him with confusion. "Watch yourselves. Don't do anything crazy..." as he said, then walked away.
"I can't believe Hughes is actually gone." Ed said. "Yeah." Whity said afterward.
"Brother, what about Winry?" Al asks quietly, Ed shut his eyes tight.
As Edward turned around and ran towards Lt. Ross.
"I haven't seen you three here in a while... You're in a hurry. Why the rush?" She asked.
"We just heard about Lt. Colonel Hughes." Ed said. As Lt. Ross had a sad look on her face.
"Yeah... it's rough news, huh?"
"There was still so much that we wanted to tell him about." I said.
"We would have liked to say goodbye." Al said.
"We weren't able to reach you. Don't worry though... The military gave him a proper send-off."
"Wow, that was nice."
"That's how it's done. Also...if you boys haven't heard already... I'm sure you three be glad to know... he was promoted... two whole ranks."
"Up to Brigadier General?" Ed said.
"He retired to the country, and they promoted him?" Addie said.
As Lt. Ross turned into a shocked expression and looked at us while covering her mouth.
As Ed looked with a confused and distraught look, "Lt. Ross?"
As the scene shows Winry buying Apples.
"And here you are, miss."
"Thank you." As Winry take the basket of apples.
Then the scene turn to back to Ed and the others.
"No! Not the Lt. Colonel! Why him?!" As Ed had a scared expression looking at Lt. Ross.
As Ed runs outside, "Edward!" Whitney yelled out to him as they followed behind him.
" Brigadier General Hughes is dead... he was murdered shortly after you two were discharged from the hospital, Edward and Whitney... I'm afraid we still haven't found the person responsible."
As they chase right after Ed and catch up towards him.
"Ed..." Whity said to him as his face was sad, and he fell onto the ground and Whity walked towards him and hugged him.
The Hughes's and when we get their time seems to stop.
"What do we do?" Al asked.
"We tell it like it is. You go on back... I'm the only one who has to take the blame for what happened." Ed said.
"Ed... It's not just your problem, it is ours as well."
"Yeah, if you like it or not, we're going with you." Alphonse said.
"We said we made up our minds to get our bodies back, no matter what. But if people are going to die because of that... then I don't want mine is back." Al said.
As we went to the Hughes' house and Miss Gracia opened the door and give us a smile.
"Winry is already here."
As we walked in and saw Winry holding Elicia.
"Winry." Ed called out as she looked up at us.
"Miss Gracia, I need to tell you something. You too Winry." Ed says quietly.
"Is this about my husband?"
"Yea..." Ed trails off; he sits down and begins his story.
"My husband died trying to help you boys?" Gracia asks more to herself, Ed drops his head.
"Yes, I dragged him into this... I'm so sorry." He clenches his fists. "I'm so sorry... I'm..." Ed's voice crackles in pain.
"It's just like him, to die trying to help someone else." She smiles, it catches Ed attention.
"My husband. He was always a busybody and a meddler, and it got him into trouble. A lot. But you know... I don't think he ever had regrets. No any...not even in his dying moments, Edward." Gracia said as she was holding Elicia who was sleeping.
"But we..."
"Don't tell me you're going to give up." As Ed looked up at her. "You can't let what happened defeat you... if you do, then that mean my husband die in vain." As she smiled.
"Even if the philosopher's stone is a dead end... there must be some other way."
"Maybe, I guess." Ed said.
"You guys have to keep moving forward...anyway you can."
" I am pretty sure that he love the both of you very much and we wish that you had a come to sway but can't change things do in this day and age." Whity said.
"Thank you so much." She whispers and smiles a tiny smile. Whity nod and head towards the door with everyone trailing behind me. When Ed shuts the door, he looks at all of us with a smile;
"Please don't cry mommy." Whity can see Ed breaking beside her, the words of little Elicia crashing a blow to her. Ed's head turns towards her, Whity can see the fire in his eyes.
As they all walked to a hotel to rest. and Winry gave Al and Addie a sad smile. And walk into her selected room. And they walked into their room and sat on the couches. As Ed and Whity are eating a meal at a hotel restaurant. Later Edward knocks on Winry's hotel room. "Winry... you in there?" Whity said.
As Winry opened the door. "You haven't eaten yet have you? You might want to hurry the dining room is closing soon." As she nodded. Whity give her a sad smile. " OK we were going to go to our room." Then she grabs Whity's hand. " apple pie?" Ed said. " that's right. I practice making it a few times. I know it might...sound like... I'm bragging... but I've gotten good at it. I'm not nearly as good as Miss Gracia, but someday..." As she cried, "I've hope... that Mr.Hughes... would get to try some too!" As she continued to cry.