Disclaimer: I, the author, do not own, nor claim to own any part of the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise. All rights belong to Hiromu Arakawa, Studio Bones, and the other guys who produced it. All characters except those invented by me are also their property.

Pre-Story: Hey guys! It's been bloody long, huh? But I promised I'd finish this story someday and I intend to honor that promise. So here we are, just because ya'll believe in me and encourage me, Chapter 6! I was so anal about this chapter. I wanted to try to do something new, to keep it exciting and current so you guys don't get bored with me over here. It's also about 700 words longer than my last chapter! I purposely kept writing.

I hope you like this chapter. Thanks for all your support!

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Someday To You

Chapter 6:

Wait

Al winced as Noa wrapped the cut on his shoulder. It still stung from the iodine and she'd just pushed the bandage right into the raw wound. He hissed as she tightened it, gritting his teeth against the pain. When she was done, she smiled and gave him a confident pat on the shoulder. This little action elicited a loud shout from the younger Elric.

"Are you trying to kill me, woman!?" He clenched his jaw turning to half glare at her. She pulled a face at him.

"I did tell you not go in alone, didn't I? I did tell you to bring Ed along, didn't I? But would you listen to me? No, you just went on ahead being your usual headstrong self and went alone. And stop flailing; you're going to open it up again." Al sighed.

"We've been married a week and a half and already you're nagging." He grinned good-naturedly.

"It's a wife's job to look after her husband. Now put your shirt back on, I'll get dinner."

"Can't we eat out? It's our honeymoon, you don't have to cook." His voice came out muffled as his pushed his head through the shirt.

"Where do you want to go? That Italian restaurant again?"

"Why not? They make good food." Noa rolled her eyes, striking a pose; hand on her hip as she looked him up and down.

"Alright. But you have to make it up to me after."

"Again? That's the fourth time in a day and a half!"

"Do you want to eat, or don't you?"

"I'll get our coats." He smirked, and got up.

Noa watched him leave the room, shaking her head with a small smile. When he was gone, she threw herself backwards onto the bed, closing her eyes. She wondered how Ed and Sara were doing, they'd looked so happy the last time she'd seen them. The girl seemed to have an effect on Ed that he himself didn't seem to notice. The wedding day had been the first time she'd seen him smile so genuinely in months. She was glad that he felt better, glad that someone had the power to make him smile again. But still, she couldn't forget what she'd felt from him that night, the raw, primal pain that he carried within him. She couldn't understand how he bore it every day. She was no stranger to pain, she'd felt it from more people than she could remember. But his was the most acute, the heaviest of any she had ever felt, and it made her marvel at his strength. It was easy to be drawn to him, and she smiled at the recollection of her feelings for him. Feelings he'd been adamant about not returning. With a shake of her head she rolled off the bed and walked into the other room to see what was taking her husband so long.

--

Ed jerked awake, the images fresh in his mind, Al hurt, dying. He shook his head, forcing himself to calm down, it was just a dream. Sara stirred next to him and opened her eyes groggily, blinking up at him, still half asleep, not saying anything. He smiled and petted her hair lightly and she lay back, slipping into her more enjoyable dreams. Ed shook his head with a smile and slid out of bed, stretching to get the ache out of his Automail ports. The sun was just rising over the mountains, thin fingers of its red light filtering through the windows. He looked over at Sara sleeping peacefully. Already, he could barely remember what his life had been like without her. He only knew that he'd been miserable, and that he wasn't anymore.

Stepping out of the room, he paused to start a fire in the grate before putting some water in the kettle and setting it on the stove. Having done that, he stepped into the bathroom to splash the icy cold water onto his face. When he emerged, trying and failing, to get his 'antenna' to stand up, Sara was already up and making coffee. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he kept silent, leaning easily against the doorframe and watching her work. Her small hands went through the motions with ease, not a single movement wasted. He knew that in a different world, she could have been so much more. Eventually, when his watching began to nudge the brink of stalker-ish, at least in his own mind, he broke the silence.

"Morning, sleepyhead." he smirked.

"Sleepyhead yourself, I was up half the night because you kept kicking me." She replied archly, not bothering to turn around.

"Liar," he grinned, walking over now that the antenna was up satisfactorily.

She simply pulled a face at him and continued her work, filling a bowl with sugar, and throwing out the old cream from the pitcher before refilling it. Satisfied that she was alright, he wandered back into the room and lay down again, sliding an arm over his eyes to block out the irritating light. This was good, he mused; he could definitely get used to this, just living day by day, not thinking of the past, not worrying of the future. The ghost of Winry that he carried with him would never fully be laid to rest, but now at least; it wouldn't torment him either. He smiled to himself, yes, this was good.

Sara sat on the porch in the large chair she'd forced Ed to drag out for her. She'd wrapped herself up in a heavy blanket, and her hands were wrapped around a mug of warm coffee. The sun played its gentle, winter rays across her face and she closed her eyes, basking in its glow. It was a good place, she decided. She'd found a good place here, with good people. And she never wanted to leave, not if she could help it. Opening her eyes, she gazed out over the snow capped mountains on the horizon, wondering what lay hidden between them and after them. But finally, her thirteen year old energy began to kick in and she stood up, folding the blanket neatly on the chair and stepping inside to look for Ed.

"Ed?" her voice echoed through the strangely silent house. "Ed?" She repeated, where could he be? "Ed you'd better not be sleeping again, you said you'd take me to the tailor's today."

Walking along the empty hallway, she poked her head around the edge of the door and saw him lying in bed. Pouting, she walked over and kicked the bedpost. No response. Leaning down she checked his breathing, yes he was alive. Exasperated, she moved the arm from over his eyes and leaned close to his face. He opened his eyes suddenly, reaching up to pull her onto the bed next to him. She screamed and started squirming.

"Boo," he laughed. "Stop flailing, you're gonna hurt someone like that."

"That's the point, you lecher!" She yelled, blushing furiously.

"Lecher? Me? Geez, kids these days." He released her and leaned back, watching her with an amused air as she straightened her nightdress and tried to compose herself.

"You're such a freak, Ed."

"I know; it's one of my redeeming qualities." He grinned.

Rolling her eyes she batted at his chest. "So are we going to the tailor's today or what?"

"Hey, I'm not the one still in my nightdress." His tongue poked out at her.

"I so can't wait until Al and Noa get back. Noa'd kill you for pulling a prank like that." She huffed, sliding off the bed to grab some clothes.

"Why would she do that?"

"Because it's not a gentlemanly thing to do! Scaring innocent young ladies like that."

He stifled a laugh. "Mm-hmm, sure. Whatever you say, so do you want to go shopping today or what?"

With a final roll of her eyes and an indignant flip of her hair she stalked out of the room, he heard the bathroom door slam down the hall and chuckled to himself. He just loved baiting her; the reactions he got were so familiar after all. It just made him feel all the more secure. Yes, life was good.

--

Jan was back. Winry eyed him as he sat on her exam table, looking around her workroom like a small child in the doctor's office. His Automail leg was laid out on her worktable in front of her and she was fixing a bundle of artificial nerves that the moron had somehow managed to burst. He kept glancing at her with those hopeful eyes like some sort of dog looking for affection and that just made her tense. The vein pulsed rhythmically in her forehead as sweat dripped into her eyes. But god but he was annoying. How did he expect her to fix his leg with him hovering over her like that?! And how the hell had he managed to snap the nerves in the first place?! Finally, she she'd had enough she banged her screwdriver down on the table and glared up at him.

"So are you going to say something, or do you expect me to interpret you little furtive glances?" Mentally she chided herself for sounding so irritated, but she simply couldn't take it anymore.

"U-uh, what do you mean?" He fidgeted uncomfortably, wringing his hands.

"Oh come off it, Jan. I know all about how you feel okay? Everyone talks about it when I go to town. 'Hey, isn't that the Rockbell mechanic chick that Jan likes?'" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Y-you shouldn't believe everything you hear M-Miss Winry." His fidgeting got worse and that just annoyed her all the more.

She kept quiet, barely resisting the urge to crown him with her wrench. Even Ed had never been this obnoxious. Her features twitching in annoyance, she picked up his leg from the table and brought it over. It wasn't completely repaired yet, but she'd just mess it up even more if she tried to complete it in this state. Vehemently she pushed it back into the socket, ignoring the wince that flitted across his features. She tightened the screws and stood up. Dusting off her hands, she pointed to the door.

"Now go."

"M-Miss Winry." He began.

She glared at him. "Now, Jan."

Like a kicked puppy he started to walk out. As he passed her he leaned in for what may have been a kiss, but he never got the chance as a wrench bashed against his head. Winry glared even more fiercely if that was possible, and pointed again at the door looking furious. Confused and with a stinging head, he walked out and the door slammed shut behind him. Trudging silently through the blanket of snow that covered the fields, he sighed, he'd never understand her. Perhaps it was better to just give up.

Back inside the house, Winry slammed her tools back into the box, kicking the box itself under her worktable. What kind of moron was he? Firstly, he was seventeen to her twenty-three. And second of all, he was a coward. Still raging at the ludicrous situation, she stomped into the house, startling Ed the cat. He stared balefully at her with accusing, golden eyes. She glared back, walking into her room and slamming the door. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. With a heavy sigh, she threw herself down onto her bed. The tension of the past week was getting to her. No one had believed that the Elric brothers were coming back. Not even Mustang. The arrogant, overweening fool had dismissed her claims with an indulgent smile and a diplomatic denial. She punched the wall, the sting in her knuckles helping calm her nerves.

She hated this; all she could do was to wait for them to come back. And in the meantime she had to deal with that moron, Jan. Sighing again, she stepped into the bathroom, maybe a nice hot bath would help settle her nerves.

--

Alphonse Elric had always prided himself on being the more patient of the two brothers, the more level-headed, and by far the smartest. Yet in the weeks that had passed he had found that all these qualities had been waning, replaced with a seeming desperation, a primal hunger to find a way home, a way back to the world he could barely remember. It all seemed like a dream from long ago, after all, he'd only been a fifteen year old back then.

But now, he'd found it. Without a doubt, he'd found the way home. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall the events of the previous day. He could still feel it, the rank dampness of the old stone walls, the clawing dark that seemed to force its way down your throat and into your lungs, choking you. He could still remember the slicing pain of the blade as it tore through the flesh of his shoulder, could still feel the warm blood soak his clothes as he ran onward, trying desperately to avoid the machines of the death that the castle threw at him. Taking a deep breath, he shuddered, thanking god that he'd had the sense not to tell Noa all this.

But he had one small comfort, the room. The room had been worth it. After stumbling through the doorway, he'd seen it, the alchemy matrix carved into the solid rock of the floor. Thin, slitted windows were cut into the granite walls, letting faint gleams of moonlight shine through onto the floor of the chamber, just enough to read the inscription.

Blood for blood,

Life for life,

Power for power,

Pay the toll stranger, but be warned,

If it is a new life you seek,

And old life must you take

That had been it, no pompous sign-off, no riddles. Just that, straight forward explanation of the cost. Tentatively, he'd reached out to touch the matrix. But he reminded himself of the pained look on Ed's face every time he mentioned home. Steeling himself, he touched the matrix with both hands, focusing, sending a piece of his soul into it. He could never explain why, but ever since it had been bound to a suit of armour, pieces of his soul could detach from him so easily.

For the longest, terrifying moment, nothing happened. In that moment, he saw the hope that he'd built up over the past few days wither and die. But then, ever so slowly, but growing in speed and power, golden light begin to filter through the windows. At first, he'd thought it was his imagination, but soon, there was no denying it. The lights were inside with him, and they seemed to be dancing. Like old friends they gathered around him, warm and almost familiar. And then, they dived, straight toward the matrix, and the floor seemed to explode from under him. Slowly, but ever so sure, a crack opened. Flailing for a moment, he'd touched the side of the matrix again, willing it to point him toward the house he and Ed had known so well. And it had worked. He'd seen it, seen Winry talking to that cat, seen her kiss Edward's picture. He'd seen it all. And in the next moment he had the idea.

Reaching into his pocket he'd pulled out the napkin, the gaudy orange thing from that Italian restaurant. And in the next moment he was writing, using his blood as ink, his finger as the best pen he could get, he was writing. With shaking hands, he'd reached through the gate, expecting to have his arm ripped off at any moment, but nothing happened. And in the next moment he could feel it, the pure, free air of Amestris. It was cold. Quickly, he fumbled for her bed, dropping the note onto her pillow before pulling his hand back. The new Gate snapped shut behind his arm.

"Alphonse Elric!" Noa's voice snapped him out of his dreams.

"Huh? What?"

"What do you mean what? You force me to eat at that restaurant again, and then you come home and sleep?!"

He grinned widely, reaching out to pull her down beside him. "I was waiting for you to get into the right frame of mind. You're sexy when you're angry."

She sighed. "If I wasn't already married to you…"

--

He looked up from his desk, it was littered with a ridiculous amount of paperwork. He'd always hated paperwork. It was entirely unnecessary in his opinion. At least, it was unnecessary for him not when he should have a secretary to do it for him. Adjusting his eye-patch, Roy Mustang snapped his fingers, sending the whole pile of paperwork up in smoke in a matter of seconds. A moment later, his wife and secretary rushed into the room, snapping her fingers, the charred pile of papers froze over.

"Don't tell me you did it again, Roy." Riza glared at him. "That is the fourth damn pile of paperwork you've burned this week."

He merely grinned. "Relax, darling. I know you've already finished sorting out the copies you always make yourself."

"Only because you always do this. For god's sake, Roy. When are you going to grow up?"

"When are you going to give up alchemy? Which I still have no idea why you learned, by the way." He smirked.

"To the first, never. And to the second, I had to learn it because you can't take care of yourself." She had already taken the frozen lump of debris and dropped it into the trash with a disapproving glance back at her husband.

"And you just had to take up ice." He sighed. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure you're not in here just to scold me. You do that enough at home."

She smoothed her uniform primly. "Well Mr. Fuhrer. What I would like to bring to your attention, is Winry Rockbell's claims that the Elrics are returning."

"Uh huh?"

"We've noticed some strange alchemical activity over Risembool lately that may back up her claims. What would you like us to do?"

He paused, turning to look out the window for a long moment. "Send the chimeras. The surveillance ones. We only watch. If the Elrics come back, something might try to come back with them. We need to be ready."

She nodded and turned to leave.

"If the Gate opens, we'll have to be ready to destroy it again. Whether the Elrics have returned or not."

"Yes sir." She saluted and began to walk out.

He turned to face her back. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

"Of course."

"Good. I'll see you tonight, then."

"See you tonight, Roy." The door shut behind her.

So, Fullmetal might actually find a way to get back. He smiled, it was about time. As much as he hated to admit it, he cared for the brothers. Almost like his own children. He remembered everything they done for him, truth be told, he probably wouldn't have been able to rise so high in the Military if it hadn't been for them. He probably wouldn't have ever had the courage to propose to Riza, either. He owed them everything. If they truly were on their way back, he'd make sure that everything would be ready for their return. Picking up the phone, he dialled a number he'd hoped he'd never have to dial again. With a sigh, he put the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Armstrong? It's Mustang, I'm going to need a favour."

--

Ed yawned, he hated shopping. He'd always hated shopping. Mentally, he cursed himself for ever proposing the idea to Sara. What exactly had he been thinking? Sure the kid needed some new clothes and an outlet to take her mind off things. But still Al and Noa would be back in a week, they could have taken her out. That having been said, as bored as he was at the moment, it all seemed to be worth it when he looked over at the girl skipping merrily through the store. Sure, he had all the bags weighing down his arms. But she was happy, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

Her blue eyes sparkled as she glanced at all the jewellery in the store. He'd seen that sparkle before, except it hadn't been jewels they were reflecting, but tools. At least clothes and jewellery are lighter than tools. He comforted himself, allowing a smile to creep across his features. The past few weeks seemed like a dream when he looked back on them. Something straight out of a trashy fantasy novel. But he was glad it was real. Never for a second had he regretted his decision to jump back into the burning building when everyone else had been running out.

Looking at Sara twirling around in a pretty yellow dress, he couldn't help but smile. It seemed like someone had taken bits and pieces of Winry and pieces of himself, put them in a huge bowl and mixed them up, and out had jumped this Sara, this little waif of a girl. He could imagine her standing between Winry and himself, holding their hands, laughing. He sighed. It looked like she'd decided on the yellow one after all.

"You ready to go, Sara?" He called out.

"Uh huh! Go ahead and pay!" She called back, happily twirling.

"I already did." A chuckle. "Can we go home now?"

"Aaaaw, you big baby. Can't we hang out a little while longer?"

"I'll get you ice cream."

"Alright! Let's go home."

He laughed to himself as she came skipping over, gleefully taking his hand as they thanked the storekeeper and left. Yes, things were good. He could almost get used to this. But he knew that for him, there would always be a piece of the picture missing. There would always be a part of himself that would not allow the scene to be completed. Not without her. Not without Winry.

--

Ed purred, it was cold out here, but the big human mama was lying down with him so everything was okay. His tail switched from side to side as he watched a small bird skitter across the roof. Winry ran her fingers gently over his fur, scratching him behind the ears. She was laid out beneath the stars, the tiny pinpoints of light shining strongly in the clear winter sky. Ed the cat was curled up on top of her, beginning to snore already. Lazy little bugger, she thought to herself. Not unlike his namesake.

Yawning, she stretched out on the mattress she'd dragged onto the balcony, curling up comfortably under the covers. It was a rare treat these days, to be able to simply relax like she was doing now. Things were so hectic, and the people seemed to need more repairs, or adjustments to their parts lately. It got aggravating sometimes, especially since she knew that if they would only look after the parts she made for them properly, then everything would be fine.

Sighing, she closed her eyes, trying to picture Edward. What was he doing now? Was he happy? Did he even think about her? Was he even alive still? She wished she had Al's ability to see them in her dreams, the closest she'd had were vague dreams of them, cloudy and indistinct. But she held them dear like real memories.

Her favourite dream was the one she'd had for years, the one where she was right there in front of Edward as he opened his eyes. They'd always argue, and she'd tell him he was arguing with a dream. But being the pigheaded, stubborn fool he was he'd always try to start a fight. Her favourite part of the dream was the end, where she'd tell him to wake up. Every time, he'd begin to tell her something. But she knew what he was going to say. She'd always known.

To be continued…

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I hope you liked this chapter. If you did, or even if you didn't please do R&R so I know how ya'll feel! I will keep writing and will not wait God knows how any months to update again.