Chapter 7: Birthday Surprises

My eyes fluttered open slowly, like the wings of a butterfly.
"Good morning." Mustang was beside me.
"Morning already? I was out that long?" I yawned, stretching.
Al stood near the doorway. "Didn't you see the flames you were throwing? I haven't seen fury like it from even Brother."
An almost sheepish expression was on Mustang's face as he said, "Well, I made you some breakfast. Be careful how much force you exert."
I took a bite of egg and grinned. "Who knew you could cook?" Soon the tray was devoid of egg, bacon, and toast. Satisfied, I attempted to get up but fell back, dizzy.
"Take it easy, Kaytlyn." Ed lounged, snickering, in a chair at the foot of my bed. "Some crazy power that was..."
"One thing you should know is that I don't train every waking hour," I replied, matter-of-fact.
"Oh, right, when you're not spending the night hopped up, kicking Homunculus ass, you read every single book any library has to offer. Any complaints about that, Colonel?"
Mustang had gone over to the window, staring at something unseen. I stuck my tongue out at Ed before protesting, "So I'm a bookworm. It's not a crime to be smart." Wordlessly Mustang left the room. After a couple minutes of struggling against the aches, I stood and shuffled to the bathroom. I took a quick shower and got ready. Something nagged at the back of my mind as I thought I heard voices in the main room. I was greeted with cheers and looked around, startled. Hawkeye gave a warm grin, Hughes grinned, and Fuery's eyes were bright. Ed sat in an armchair to the left of the sofa everyone (except Al; he stood as always near the doorway) was seated on. A noisemaker hung limply from his mouth, extending and, well, making noise, then rolling back into place.
"Happy birthday," Mustang said, smiling broadly.
I laughed. "That's right, I almost forgot somehow!"
My attention was brought to a kitten Fuery held. Holding one of its small, snow-white paws, he said, "Happy birthday!"
I gave a soft squeak of delight. "A cat! For me?" Fuery set it down on a cushion and I hugged him, Hawkeye, then Mustang and Hughes.
"Hold on, give us some credit, too, will ya? Al stashed the thing in his armor..." Ed's face was some sort of indignantly amused. Giggling I squeezed them both. Ed made a surprised, strangled sound. There was a knocking at the door. I strode to it and pulled it open. Looking solemn as ever were Havoc and Armstrong.
"Kaytlyn, may we talk to you a moment?" Havoc questioned.
"Sure." I showed them in, a sense of unease following them through. Armstrong took a look around at everyone. Hawkeye, Hughes, and Fuery stood.
"We can get going..." Hughes muttered. I gave a nervous nod and out they went.
"The Fuhrer requests your presence, Colonel Mustang," Armstrong announced. Mustang left with a characteristic curtness.
Ed stood. "Hey, Al, you wanna go train or somethin'?" His brother exited with him through the back into the field.
I sat on the couch, gingerly scooping up the kitten. Havoc and Armstrong took two seats opposite me. I noticed a jacket on the major's arm. A denim jacket. Major Armstrong cleared his throat. "We were informed of last night's events. It's more than good to see you're all right." I expected he would tear up (and perhaps twinkle) about it, but Havoc picked up where he left off.
"We were sent to investigate this morning."
"There was very little evidence that anything had taken place."
"Except for some scorch marks and the occasional blood along the floor and walls, nothing."
"We were able to recover this coat and a pair of bifocals." Armstrong handed them to me.
"My brother's..."
"There was no one there. If the Homunculi had been there previously, there was no telling." Havoc grimaced.
"So you're perfectly fine? No serious injuries?" "No, I'm okay," I murmured.
The two men got up. "We'll take our leave now, in that case. Have a wonderful birthday, Kaytlyn. Try not to get in trouble again."
"Thank you." The door clicked shut. I set Isaac's broken glasses and faded jacket on the table, heading out to the field. Ed and Al stopped sparring to look at me wonderingly.
I sighed in despair. "My brother is gone. Again."
"Oh... I'm sorry, Kaytlyn," Al said quietly.
"You don't need to be. I'll find him. I'll find Lust, and Envy, and Greed... And I'll kick all their asses again for taking him."
Ed's eyebrows knit together."Taking him? You can't be too sure."
"They must have." I gazed up at the darkening sky.
"Where are you gonna look?" Ed's golden eyes were calm, but concerned.
"I dunno. I guess I'll have to read up on some Homunculus hot spots, huh?" It seemed I was trying for some humor, but this wasn't very humorous, was it?
Ed shook his head. "If there's anyone who reads too much, it's you. Books might be the safest thing to stick your nose into, but you can't just expect to get all the answers from paper."
"Then what? Where do I go? Where do I start?" I flopped down in the grass, exasperated.
Ed looked down at me. "I'll help you, okay?"
"...No, I...I have to do this myself. Isaac's my brother. It's my mission to find him."
"Kaytlyn, it would be crazy and dangerous to go all alone. Let us come along."
"No. I've been led enough, tagged along with too many times."
"You could get hurt! Last night-"
"Last night was a fluke on part of the Homunculi. It could've been so much worse. But my brother, all the family I've got left... He's still alive. Somewhere..."
"You really shouldn't travel by yourself, Kaytlyn..." Al muttered.
"I'm not going to wait for them to kill him. I don't want to lose him again. I won't." I gave Ed a steely glance before returning to my room.

The next morning I walked to the hospital. In her room, Allona smiled shakily at me. I pulled a chair next to her bed. "Um, I'm sorry for involving you in that mess..."
"Nah, it was fun!" Bravely and rather giddily she added, "We should go on another fun trip like that sometime."
I paused for a minute. She was older than me, stronger, but I wasn't about to get someone hurt any time soon. So what if I was stubborn?
"So where next?"
I would've said I had no clue, but instead, "You're going to rest. I'm not going on a fun little trip."
"Not a fun one? But you are...?"
I hated lying, but... "No trip at all." After that we engaged in casual conversation. I ought to get to know the girl I could've killed.
"Kaytlyn, y-your...!"
My head snapped to look at the out-of-breath officer. "What?"
He stumbled out, casting a glance at me over his shoulder. "Follow me!" We rushed to my place. The door was kicked in, and massive damage had been dealt. I walked in, keeping cool, and turned to the officer. "What the hell happened here?"
Nervously he gasped, "I don't know, The colonel sent me here to find you, and someone told me where you were, and-"
I cut him off. "Thank you. Tell the colonel I'll be there soon."
He left hesitantly. I scanned the scattered remains. Whoever had ransacked the room had saved very little. My books were torn up, the furniture had been mauled, flasks and bottles had been upturned. Isaac's stuff had been obliterated.
I walked out to the field. Moments later as the sun slowly started its descent, a figure crouched beside me. "You all right?" The breeze whipped his blond braid to and fro.
I shrugged. "Sure, why not?" My voice was empty. "Something was bound to happen."
"What do you mean?"
I stared him straight in his wary eyes. "There's always going to be good and bad. As long as the world is around, so are miracles and accidents. Even when you've lost it all, you can only keep moving."