AN: Hey, guys! This fanfic has been my little project for a couple of months now. I wanted to make sure all parts were drafted before I could carry on with uploading it. This chapter was supposed to be a long-ass oneshot, but then the long-ass oneshot turned into a super, duper, long-ass oneshot thus I had no choice but to split it in half.

Anyways, so this monster of a fic is a Nina Lives AU. I love that little girl and after being subjected to watch her die four fucking times in this franchise, I've decided to write a "What If" scenario of what things could have been had Ed figured out there was something not right about Shou Tucker and saved Nina (and Alexander by extension) from her fate.

This is manga (and FMA:B) compliant. However, to give credit where credit is due, my inspiration did come from Ed's behavior in the 2003 anime series when they covered chapter 4. I fucking hate the 2003 anime, but it gave me inspiration for this. So thank you FMA 03, you actually served some kind of purpose to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. If I did I wouldn't have the balls to kill off this sweet cinnamon roll of a child.

Also, some bits of dialogue here is taken from Viz's translation of FMA volume 2 (though some have been tweaked to fit the story better), so credit to them for writing out those bits for me.

Edward didn't know what it was, but there was something…off about Shou Tucker.

He couldn't put his finger on it. The man seemed well meaning. He knew his bio-alchemic knowledge, despite the fact his recent attempts at making chimeras was fruitless in comparison to his first success. And he was able to get by caring for his young daughter without the presence of a mother. He was a quiet, soft-spoken man, but so far there wasn't anything about him that should spout off alarm bells in Ed's head.

And yet…why did he continue to feel so on edge?

He confided in Al about his uneasiness, to which Al assumed he was just being paranoid. Mr. Tucker was a nice man. He was allowing them to invade his home to pour over his library, and distract his daughter while he worked on his upcoming assessment. Why would there be anything to worry about?

Ed shrugged, thinking that maybe Al was right and he was being paranoid. The guy was just socially awkward and liked to hole himself up in his research, he could completely understand that. But the subject of the annual assessment gave him pause. Tucker had failed his assessment last year because he was unable to produce similar results to his first successful creation—a chimera that could speak the human tongue.

If he was able to do it the first time, why couldn't he do it again?

And he had seemed very on edge since Lieutenant Havoc reminded him of the upcoming assessment. Most State Alchemists that Ed knew of—while finding it extremely annoying—never worried much about their yearly reviews. They were all cocky in their skills, Ed included (He's the youngest State Alchemist in history, a freaking prodigy and genius! Of course he'd ace that stupid assessment, it was child's play!).

Tucker didn't have that confidence. Ed mused he might just be the type to have low self-esteem and confidence, but that nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach gave him doubt.

Two years…he'd been a State Alchemist for two years and hadn't created a successful chimera since…

Nina said her mother had been gone for two years as well… Something about not appreciating Shou always working? It must've been a nasty divorce, as she hasn't even made contact with her only daughter ever since.

Tucker seems very fixated on the "what if's" too. What if he failed again? Then they'd take his license, and then he'd be out of a job. And what would he do then to keep his house and provide for his daughter and their large dog?

He looks like the type that would pull drastic measures in drastic times…

Ed's eyes widened and his heart leapt in his throat as a thought came to his head. A very nasty thought. A thought so twisted and evil, he's disgusted with himself for even thinking it. There's no way Tucker would—

But what if…?

Raising himself up on his bed, Edward looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. He should be getting his rest but sleep escapes him. He's too caught up in his thoughts and theories. Too worried about what would happen to the little girl with the innocent eyes and kind smile living in that house should the off chance be he's right…

"Brother, what's the matter?" came Alphonse's voice from the other side of the room.

Ed let out a breath through his nose, "I'm not sure, Al, but I just…have this feeling in my gut. There's something suspicious about Shou Tucker, I just know it!"

"Why would you think that?" Al asked, but not in accusation. His younger brother was merely curious. What would cause the older brother to have these paranoid thoughts about this man?

Ed was silent for a bit before he pulled himself out of bed and started to dress himself.

"I'll tell you on the way."

Al jumped, "On the way to where? What's going on, Brother?"

"We're going back to the Tucker residence," he replied. Before Al could protest, Ed said, "I know what you're going to say, but I don't care. I just need to go there. To ease this anxiety I'm feeling."

"And it can't wait until morning?"

"Nope."

He heard his brother sigh before his resigned voice echoed out of the suit of armor, "Fine, we'll go. But if we get arrested for breaking and entering, I'm blaming you!"

Ed chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, I'll take full responsibility. Now let's get moving!"

The night was dark, illuminated by the light of the moon and the streetlamps. Edward and Alphonse made their trek back to the Tucker residence, Ed explaining to Al his musings and theories that had been plaguing him for the past couple of days.

"That's why we're sneaking to their place in the middle of the night? Because of a baseless conspiracy?"

"I know how it sounds! I don't have any solid proof or evidence, but just trust me on this, Al. There's always been something strange about Shou Tucker. You've felt it too, right?"

The suit of armor shrugged, "True, he's on the…odd side. But that doesn't mean he turned his own wife into that chimera two years ago! And he wouldn't turn Nina into one either! She's his daughter, Brother, who would do such a thing!?"

There are some terrible people in the world, Ed thought. In his research for the Stone, Ed had come across many articles about alchemists who were arrested for taking their powers too far. Some were the usual taboos—human transmutation attempts, making gold for themselves, trying to overthrow the government, etc.—but other accounts were far more appalling; many inhumane. Reading them made Ed sick to his stomach.

And the reasons for those alchemists' actions were always the same.

They did it just to see if they could.

Edward was always one for research and testing hypotheses, but those words left a nasty taste in his mouth. He and Al knew probably more than anyone else that alchemy shouldn't be used to go into God's domain. It'd only cause you trouble. Just because you think you can doesn't necessarily mean you should.

And it's this line of thinking that made Ed suspect Tucker of trying to play God.

He shouldn't, but is he desperate enough to think he can?

"We're here, Brother."

Ed shook the thoughts from his head as he gazed up at the Tucker residence.

The house was pitch black except for one tiny light—most likely from a lamp—in one of the upstairs windows.

"Someone is still up," Ed said.

"It's probably Mr. Tucker's study. Remember, he's been up the past couple of nights preparing for his assessment."

Ed remembered.

But he was still uneasy.

"Give me a boost."

"Excuse me?"

"Come on, Al. We made it this far. I gotta see what he's doing."

"What if he sees you?"

"I'll think of something."

"That's not very reassuring!"

"Are you gonna help or not?!"

Al looked like he was debating with himself. Go along with his insane older brother, or do the logical thing and drag him by his braid back to their hotel room?

The choice should be obvious, but…

"Fine!" Al groaned as he crouched down so he could give Ed a boost, "Honestly, why do I always end up going along with your crazy stunts?"

As Ed was lifted onto his brother's shoulders, he tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as he peered into the window.

Even with the light by the small lamp on the desk it was still too dark to see. He thought he could make out Shou Tucker crouching on the ground. His hands were moving—making a transmutation circle, Ed presumed. Tucker must be trying to make another chimera.

Al was whispering to his brother, trying to ask what Ed was seeing, but Ed shushed him. It all looked innocent enough, but Ed didn't want to call it a night just yet.

Finally, Shou Tucker moved out of the way and Ed caught a glimpse of what his body was hiding and what—or rather who—was in the middle of the transmutation circle.

It was Nina and Alexander, Nina sleeping against the white dog as it obediently stayed put.

Tucker was saying something to his daughter, but Ed couldn't make it out through the glass. Once he saw that Tucker was about to lay his hands down to perform the transmutation, Ed decided that it was time to stop observing and start acting!

CRASH!

"What the—?"

"SHOU TUCKER! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU BASTARD!"

Ed had launched off of Al's shoulders and busted through the window, lunging at Tucker and landing a punch into the older man's jaw.

"Brother? BROTHER?!" Al called, surprised at the enraged screams of his brother and the sounds of his metal fist hitting flesh.

Thinking fast, Al ran to the door. It was locked, but Al rammed into it, effectively knocking it down. He ran through the house to make his way into the study. When he came in, he gasped. Thankfully, Ed had stopped the transmutation in time, as Nina and Alexander were still innocently sitting in the transmutation circle, the little girl fast asleep against her dog. Alexander's head perked up, watching the skirmish that was Edward beating his master to a pulp. Al could tell the canine was conflicted though: stay put and protect Nina, or try to fight off the small alchemist from his owner?

Al hurried to the child and gently picked her up. Alexander whined, but Al shushed him, giving him calming pats on the head, "It's okay, boy. We're here to help."

He felt Nina stir in his arms, causing Al to slightly panic. He had to get her out of the room. If she were to wake up and see "Big Brother Edward" hurting her father, who knows how the little girl would react?

Grabbing a hold of Alexander's collar, Al led the two away from the scene, hoping to take them to Nina's bedroom.

There was the sound of Shou's skull hitting the wall behind him, followed by twisted laughter from the man. Al spared a glance, seeing Nina's father with blood gushing from his nose and his lip as he laughed at Edward, whose glove was stained with blood and ripped from punching too hard.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY, OLD MAN?!"

"Wha's goin' on?" Nina slurred, voice thick with sleep and eyes trying to pry themselves open at the noise.

"Shhhh." Al hushed the four year old, "It's me, Alphonse. You, me, and Alexander are going to go back to bed. Okay?"

Nina looked confused. Snuggling deeper into Al's armored embrace she yawned and asked, "Where's daddy? He said he needed my help with his studying. Alexander too."

If Al were able to, he'd give the girl a sad look. He's thankful his brother acted on his instincts. The boy couldn't bear to think about what would have happened had they come a minute later…

"Go back to sleep, Nina. We'll play some more with you in the morning, okay?"

With a tired nod, the girl fell back asleep. From the study's room, Al could still hear Shou Tucker's uncontrollable laughter and his brother's screams.

Ed hardly registered what was happening in the background with his brother and the little girl. He was just so furious! He was right. He had a hunch and he was right, damn it! Shou Tucker, desperate to be a State Alchemist and earn an income, used his wife to make a talking chimera two years ago. And when he was unable to deliver satisfactory results to the military the following year, he was overcome by desperation again and decided to use his own daughter and her dog!

It was cruel.

It was mad.

It was wrong!

And the bastard was laughing about it?!

"I said, what's so FUNNY?! ANSWER ME, GODDAMN IT!" he yelled, kicking Tucker in the ribs for good measure.

"You are," came his response, his voice sounding funny considering he was speaking through a bruised face and busted lip.

"Excuse me?!"

Shou Tucker struggled as he stood up, staring down Edward with a sober expression, "The progress of medicine… The progress of human knowledge…is the result of experimenting on humans. Someone has to do it. As a scientist, you should be the first to—"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" How dare he? How dare he compare them like this? "Do you think you're going to get away with this? Playing around with people's lives?!"

"People's lives?" Tucker repeated, the look in his eyes reflecting insanity, "Ha ha, yes, people's lives! You're the Fullmetal Alchemist! You mean like your brother's life and your arm? That's also the result of 'playing around with people's lives,' yes?"

Edward snapped, sending another hard punch into his face. But that didn't stop Shou Tucker from laughing.

"You and I are just the same!"

"That's not true!" Ed screamed. It's not. He's nothing like this man. What he and Al did back then…that was different! They weren't just trying to make a new life, they were trying to bring back their mother, damn it!

They were just children. They didn't think… They couldn't have known…

But him? He's an adult! That was his only daughter! He should know better!

They aren't alike.

They just can't be…

"You're no different than I am!" continued Shou Tucker, "You thought you could do it so you did!"

You thought you could do it so you did.

Those words…

No, he wouldn't… He can't be…

Shaking his head, Ed continued his onslaught, all the while screaming, "THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

"You couldn't help but try it even if it was forbidden! In fact, because it's forbidden!"

"That's not true! We alchemist would never do that! We'd never… I'd never…!"

Before he could land another blow to the man, he felt a hand clench his wrist.

"Brother, any more and you'll kill him."

Al.

Clenching his teeth, Ed pulled back. He turned away from the sick, twisted man and headed out the door. Hopefully he can get Nina and Alexander and take them back to their hotel and away from this monster.

"Haha…" came Shou Tucker's weak voice. Why couldn't the old man just shut up? "Pretty words don't get anything done."

"Mr. Tucker," Al said, his voice eerily calm, "if you say one more word, this time I'll be the one to snap."

With that, the two brothers left the man slumped against the wall.

It was raining that morning.

After Al stopped Ed's rampage against Tucker, the oldest of the two went to a nearby phone to inform Colonel Mustang of what had transpired while the younger went back to Nina's room and keep watch of the girl.

The Colonel wasn't too thrilled at being called at one in the morning, but after hearing Edward's report, he sobered up and ordered some troops to the Tucker residence to take the man into custody. He told Edward to keep the girl with him and his brother, and come to East City HQ later on in the morning to figure out what the next step would be.

After the military personnel arrived to guard the house and formally arrest Tucker, Ed scooped the still sleeping Nina into his arms while Al piled some of her belongings into a suitcase (she may not be able to come back home after all…). He then found Alexander's leash to lead him back to their hotel.

"The hotel doesn't allow animals…" Al said.

"They can just get over it," Ed stubbornly replied, shifting Nina higher in his arms. The four year old must've been a heavy sleeper. She never stirred since that initial rousing in the study.

That was another problem they'd have to deal with: what to tell Nina. The girl loved her father very much. How do you break it to someone so young and so innocent to the world that the person they looked up to tried to make them into their own alchemic experiment?

How do you tell them that they may never see their father again?

Hours later, Edward and Alphonse took Nina with them to East City HQ. They skirted around the truth, saying that her father was "very busy," and that they "were going to watch after her for a while." Nina bought it, but the boys knew it was a matter of time before they'd have to bite the bullet and tell her the truth. For now, this was enough.

While Roy was expecting the Elrics to bring the little girl, it was the presence of the big white dog that made his eye twitch.

"Unless he's a service dog, they don't allow pets in here. How did you manage to get him past the front door?"

Ed knocked on Al's chest plate, "Would you believe this suit of armor can carry an overgrown dog too?" Before Roy could retort, Ed cut him off, "Look, the stupid dog has nowhere to go, and we can't exactly hide him in our hotel room like we did this morning. He's well trained as long as Nina is with him. He should be fine."

Sighing, Roy allowed the dog to stay in his office on the grounds he didn't make a mess of the place. Taking the Elric brothers into a back room to discuss some things, Mustang left the girl and her dog in the company of the rest of his subordinates. Fuery was all too willing to help take care of Alexander, a dog lover at heart that he was. The others weren't quite sure what to do with Nina though. How do you entertain a toddler anyway?

Thankfully, Lieutenant Hawkeye came to their rescue. She placed a few pieces of paper on the ground and started to fold one piece together.

"Have you ever made paper dolls before, Nina?" she asked the girl with a small smile.

Nina shook her head no.

"Here, I'll show you."

God bless Riza Hawkeye!

Roy rolled his eyes at the relieved look on the men's faces and closed the door to give him and the Elrics their privacy.

The Colonel informed the brothers of what the initial plan was. Tucker is to have his license as a State Alchemist revoked and then be taken to Central City to be put on trial for his crime two years ago at turning his wife into a chimera and then the attempt to transmute his daughter into one. It was likely Edward and Alphonse would have to go to Central as well to be present for the trial, as they were key eyewitnesses to the goings on the previous night.

Edward had no problems with that. But it was what they planned to do with Nina that had him worried.

"Well," Colonel Mustang began after Ed asked, "the most logical conclusion would be that we would have to find a close living relative for Miss Nina to stay with."

Ed nodded at that. That made sense. But did Nina even have living kin to go to? Mustang informed the two that Tucker had no known family that the military knew of. Nina mentioned her mother's parents, but they were supplied by Tucker to be alibis for why his wife wasn't around. For all Ed knew, they weren't around either.

"If that doesn't work out," Mustang continued, "Then the girl would have to go into an orphanage. It's hard to say for sure though, we'd have to bring a social worker on board to help take care of the finer details."

Ed's heart dropped into his stomach. An orphanage? Ed doesn't know much about those, but he understands the gist of it. Nina would be shipped off into an unfamiliar home full of a bunch of kids and then have to play the waiting game on whether or not she'd get adopted. It'd also be a question of whether or not the family adopting her would even be good to her if they took her. And what about Alexander? As far as Ed knew, orphanages didn't take in the individual's pets too. The poor pup may end up in a pound somewhere.

That's not right. Ed didn't want that for either of them.

"What about Al and me?" he desperately asked, "Why can't we take care of them?"

The Colonel raised an eyebrow, his face screwed up into a tight frown. "I know you think you're an adult Edward, but the fact of the matter is you aren't. You're fifteen. If you wanted to legally adopt Nina Tucker, then you'd have to be eighteen years of age. I'm sorry, but that's how the law works."

Ed huffed. He understood where the Colonel was coming from, but it was just so unfair! When he and Al lost their mother, there wasn't any talk of stupid orphanages (then again, Resembool didn't even have an orphanage…). Pinako just stepped up and declared that she'd be the boys' guardian from now on and nobody batted an eye at it!

Stupid cities.

Stupid laws.

Stupid Colonel.

Stupid—

Wait!

"What about a foster home? Like, have Nina go and live with a family that would be good for her?"

Roy nodded, "That is another option. But like I said earlier, we'd need a social worker to help with those finer details. Besides, we don't have a family willing to take in a child on such short notice right now—"

"I know the perfect family!" Ed declared.

Roy paused, "Really? Would they be willing to do this? Like I said, it is short notice. And it would still take a couple of weeks to get any paperwork done. Who did you have in mind anyway?"

Al looked hopeful, "You're talking about Granny and Winry, right Brother?"

Ed shot his younger brother a grin, "You bet I am! There's no one else better suited for the job!" he then turned back to Mustang, "Of course, they'd be willing! Granny could use an extra hand around the house. There's a big field for her and Alexander to play in. And Nina would love Den, too! Maybe Den and Alexander can be playmates. And remember, Al, how Winry once said she'd always wanted a little sister? I don't see any problems!"

"Well, there is one." Roy chimed in.

"Oh yeah? And what could that be, Colonel Asshole?" Ed snarled.

Rolling his eyes and ignoring the rude name, Roy said, "Would Nina want to live there?"

Ed paused, staring at the ground.

Well, why wouldn't she? Pinako and Winry were the best! True, Granny might put her to work doing chores and stuff, but that's normal right? And she may not be interested in automail, but that didn't have to matter!

They were good people! They'd be good to her. They'd be ten times better than Shou Tucker, Ed is sure about that!

But in the end, it was Nina's choice wasn't it?

Ed hoped she'd want to go.

Maybe not initially… She might not like the idea of leaving something as familiar as her home. And then there was the subject of why exactly she had to live in a new place with a new family who she had never even met…

Ed sighed as he slumped in his seat, putting a hand over his face. Al, trying to give his brother support, patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's not think too hard about it, okay Brother?" he soothed, "Colonel Mustang had said it'd be a few weeks anyway, right? Maybe we can have Granny and Winry come visit us here. They can introduce themselves and get acquainted with Nina. That would make things easier, right?"

It would. But there was the fact that the Rockbells had business back home to attend to. Could they really drop everything to come to East City to make sure one girl was comfortable? He knew they would say it's okay, he was sure of that; but Ed hated burdening them by keeping them from their work…

"You two can talk more about it later." Colonel Mustang interrupted his thoughts, "For now, you boys should rest. While we cannot legally allow Nina in your custody, you two can act as chaperones. After all, with the way things are for her now, she is completely under military custody now."

Ed and Al nodded.

"Where will we stay?" Alphonse asked. Protective custody doesn't sound like a paid vacation, so a hotel should be ruled out. Besides, even if the girl was allowed to stay with them in their current lodgings, the fact that they had her dog with them put a wrench in their plans.

In the end, they were relocated to a safe house somewhere in the city. Since Edward was military personnel, the Colonel allowed that to bypass the use of extra guards. However, he made sure to emphasize to the boys (mostly the bullheaded Edward) that if need be, they can use the radio to request more guards as back-up.

The house was modest enough, and there was a yard for Nina and Alexander to play in. Though with the current weather, the girl opted to stay indoors with the brothers.

Ed noticed she looked significantly sadder than when the day first started.

"I miss Daddy," she confided. "Will he be visiting soon, Big Brother Ed?"

A lump formed in the back of Edward's throat. He had to tell her, but how?

Al sensed his brother's struggle and opted for distraction, "Hey, Nina. Why don't you show me the dolls you made with the lieutenant? I bet they're really neat!"

It worked as Nina happily showed Alphonse her newest playthings Riza helped her create. Though Ed could still tell her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. He stepped out of the safe house, staring at the dreary, rainy sky.

"What's on your mind, Fullmetal?"

Ed didn't realize the Colonel was still with them. He and Lieutenant Hawkeye (always by her commanding officer's side) were also outside—either waiting for the rain to let up or having a quiet moment together, Edward wasn't sure. But Mustang had asked him a question, so he might as well answer it.

Ed shrugged, "She doesn't know what Tucker tried to do to her. Almost succeeded in doing to her. How… How do you tell that to a little kid?"

Roy and Riza shared a look before Roy spoke, "For starters, you can't keep avoiding the topic. That won't do any good, especially if you plan on taking her back home to Resembool."

Ed frowned. As much as he hated it, the bastard had a point…

"You are in a very difficult position, Edward," Lieutenant Hawkeye calmly told him, "but just explain to her the best you can about what is going on. She has every right to know."

Riza then got a faraway look in her eyes, "Shou Tucker failed as a father. Maybe she won't understand it now, but in the future she will, and she will end up thanking you for it, Edward."

Ed's eyes widened. He didn't realize it, but the lieutenant's words reassured him of something he was afraid to admit to himself.

What if—after all was said and done—Nina ended up hating him for separating her from her father.

He'd only known her for a couple of days, but he grew attached to her. She was the closest thing to a little sister he had. The thought of her hating him killed him inside. He was so glad he followed his uneasy feeling the previous night and saved her from a fate probably worse than death itself.

If he and Al had been a moment too late…

"If there ever truly was 'the work of the devil,' then it would have been this," he heard Riza say to the colonel. They seemed to be having a conversation of their own.

"The devil?" Roy replied, "To put it bluntly, all state alchemists are nothing but the military's human weapons. We do what they want, we obey orders, and we don't complain if our hands get dirty in the process. My point being that when it comes to messing with human lives, Tucker's actions aren't so different from our own."

"Tucker's actions aren't so different from our own."

"You and I are just the same!"

"You're no different than I am!"

"You thought you could do it so you did!"

Ed gritted his teeth.

"That's the logic of an adult, sir," Riza replied to the Colonel's bleak viewpoint, "Even though Edward acts older than his years, he's still a child."

They did realize he was still standing next to them, right?

"Yes. But the path that he's chosen will no doubt lead to hardships greater than he faced today. He has to move forward… Even if it means forcing himself to understand."

Roy then turned his gaze back to Edward, "Isn't that right, Fullmetal?"

Ed didn't say anything; he understood the gist of Roy's little speech. The colonel must've known about Ed's conflict, about being compared to someone like Shou Tucker.

"Even though people call you a 'Dog of the Military' and a 'Devil,'" Roy continued, elaborating his point, "it was you who chose to keep studying alchemy. You chose to join the military, when you could have lived the rest of your life as best you can with the body you have. Can you afford to be held back by something so small?"

Ed perked up at that. Mustang thought this would deter him in his quest to get his and Al's bodies back? True, it was a bit of a setback. After all, he has a better understanding about the darkness of alchemy. What lengths would you go to get what you want?

What lengths would he go through to get what he wants?

Whatever lengths they are, Ed knows in his heart they won't be as inhumane as Shou Tucker's. He'd rather die as he is now than do that and later have to face his little brother.

"'Something so small'…?" he finally speaks, "You're right. People may call us dogs or devils, but Al and I will get our original bodies back. But we're not devils or gods. We're humans!"

It could have been so easy to fail one little girl. They're just pathetic human beings; pathetic human beings who make pathetic human mistakes.

That's part of life, right?

Were there others out there in the world like Shou Tucker? Using their gifts for maniacal means like this? What about all the other Nina's in the world? Were there any Elric Brothers in their lives to help save them and protect them?

Ed doesn't want to think about it.

He and Al have to finish their quest to get their bodies back. Maybe afterwards, they can focus more on the future—a future where little girls don't have to suffer.

Once Mustang and Hawkeye left, Ed went back inside. He glanced in the living room where he left Al, Nina, and Alexander. Al was on one end of the couch, stroking Nina's hair as she slept on the other end, Alexander at his brother's feet.

"She misses home." Al whispered, "She misses her father."

Ed nodded. Lieutenant Hawkeye told him to be honest with the girl, but that was still easier said than done. But it can't be helped. Mustang promised that a social worker would meet with them tomorrow morning. It was time to move forward and introduce Nina to what Ed hoped will be her new life.

Looking at the landline, Ed decided that it was time to pay the Rockbells a call.

After dialing the number, he waited a few rings before he heard the bubbly voice of his childhood friend.

"Hello, Rockbell Automail! This is Winry speaking, how may I help you?"

"Hey, Winry. It's me."

There was a pause. Ed wondered if the line was cut off from the rain before he heard Winry's voice again—this time shrill and angry.

"Edward Elric, you better not be calling to tell me you broke your automail again!"

Ed rolled his eyes, knowing full well the girl couldn't see him. "No, for your information that's not what I'm calling for!" he barked out, "My automail is just fine, geez! I called because I need to talk to Granny. Is she around?"

He didn't have to see Winry to know she was confused, "Why do you need to talk to her?"

"It's important. Just put her on!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh, it wouldn't kill you to be more polite, you know!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ed muttered. He didn't like arguing with Winry but Ed couldn't help it. The past twenty-four hours have majorly sucked, and he didn't get the best night's sleep. So he's a little crabby, sue him!

"Hello? Edward?" came Pinako's voice. Ed visibly relaxed, releasing a breath.

Here it goes…

Edward explained the situation to Pinako. About Shou Tucker and what he had planned to do to Nina. About Nina going into protective custody and the possibility she'll have to go to an orphanage if she doesn't have a foster family take her in. He then got to the part he'd been dying to get to: asking Pinako if she and Winry would be willing to take the child in.

After he finished, he waited with baited breath. Would Granny accept, or would she decline…?

Finally, he heard a puff of air over the phone, most likely from Pinako letting out some smoke via her pipe.

"That's quite the tale. So you say the girl has nowhere to go?"

"Not that I know of." Ed replied, "Apparently this social worker person is supposed to be finding close living kin first before we do any foster home stuff, but as far as we know she doesn't have any. What do you say? If that's ruled out, will you take her, Granny?"

Pinako hummed, possibly mulling it over. Ed was on edge. Why can't she give him a straight answer already?

"Well, I don't see why not. It'd be another mouth to feed, two counting that dog you said sticks with her. But what the hay, it'd be like having another grandchild in the house. And from what you've told me, she sounds like she'd be easier to put up with than you, Al, and Winry were when you were little brats."

"Hey, we weren't always bad!" Ed said, but he had a smile on his face. She said yes! If all goes according to plan, then Nina would be able to go home to Resembool.

She'd be a Rockbell!

Huh, Nina Rockbell… That had a nice ring to it. Much better weight to the name than Tucker that's for sure!

"Thank you so much, Granny! I swear, once all the details are ironed out, Al and me will be home with the newest members of the family!"

"Looking forward to it, Ed. You and Al be safe now. And take care of your automail. My granddaughter doesn't take too kindly to your idea of what 'maintenance' is. Or lack thereof."

"Yeah, yeah, sure whatever," Ed impatiently said, rolling his eyes again. Honestly, Winry and her weird automail fixation. Freak. "We'll be home soon!"

He then hung up and went back to Al to tell him the good news.

AN: Ed's reasoning for suspecting Tucker and wanting to investigate is super convoluted and I'm well aware of it.

That's it for part one! The parts I included from the manga may not be necessary, but they're one of my favorite scenes from this arc so I really wanted to put them in.

Fun Fact: I didn't really know if Social Work was a thing in the early 1900's so I looked it up. "By 1900 working for social betterment had become an occupation and social work achieved professional status by 1930." So I guess it counts? (Well, it's an AU set in a fictional universe anyways, so YEAH it works!)

If you enjoyed what you've read so far, hit me up with a review. Chapter 2's rough drafted is already written. I just gotta edit it some more before I upload it.

Until then!