Ed let the scalding hot water run down on his tired body. It had been a long two months, getting a job, and trying to adjust to a life with out alchemy, and without Al. He sighed and shut off the water, toweling himself dry. He stepped out of the shower and pulled on his clothes and yanked his long blonde hair back into a ponytail. There was a sudden banging on the door that caused him to jump and open the door.
"Hurry up Elric! We don't have all day!" Said a man angrily. Ed sighed and walked out of the room and across the hall to his two room apartment. Samantha was sitting at the scrub wooden table taking notes from a huge encyclopedia. She had lost weight since they had landed themselves here, but her personality was the same. She looked up from her work as he walked in, her blue eyes looking tiredly at him. She was dressed in a black long sleeve shirt and a green skirt with a pair of brown loafers that she always wore.
"We're out of food Ed, we used the last of the noodles today," she said, returning to her work.
"That's the hello I get?" Said Ed, sitting down at the table with a 'humph'. "I work all day and all I get for a hello is 'we're out of food'?"
Samantha smiled at him, "Ed, I work with you. I've been doing the same hours you have, of not more."
Ed sighed and ran his fingers across his chin where stubble had begun to form. "Get anywhere with the research yet?"
She shook her head, "It's nearly impossible to find a way to open the Gate and get back home, so no I haven't gotten anywhere yet."
"All right, don't lose your head. I guess we can just go out to eat…" He stood up and held out his hand to help her up. She smiled, shut her book and stood up. Samantha led him out of their apartment complex to the diner down the street. A bell chimed as they walked in and sat down at the booth they usually sat at.
"What'll it be dears?" Asked the waitress, coming over to their seats.
"Two potato soups Glacier." Said Ed, grabbing the cup of coffee that she handed him.
"These are on the house Mr. and Mrs. Elric," said the waitress, passing Samantha a cup.
"How many times do we need to tell you Glacier, we are not married!" Said Samantha, drinking deep from her cup.
"Never mind her," said Ed as Glacier walked away with a smile, "She just thinks we look cute together."
Samantha didn't respond, but looked out the window at the sunset. "This is all so weird Ed, I mean, I'm not from any of these worlds…"
"Samantha, when you're here with me, then that is your world."
They walked home in the gathering darkness and opened the door to their apartment. Samantha immediately pulled down the covers and fell asleep, but Ed had more trouble getting to sleep. He sat on the bed looking out the window at the moon. Was his brother looking at the same moon? He stared at the numbers on the clock as they ticked by.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The sound of the ticking filled his body and mind, making his head throb. He suddenly felt a cool hand on his bare shoulder.
"Ed, come on. You need your sleep," said Samantha, placing her other hand on his back.
"You're right," said Ed, lying down on the spring mattress.
"We've got more work tomorrow and you'll need some good sleep for that."