The Day Before:
"Rockbell Automail, how may I help you?" Winry Rockbell picked up the phone and spoke casually trying to adjust a wrench setting one-handed.
"Miss Rockbell? It's Captain Hawkeye calling." A thin calm voice echoed in her ear.
"Miss Hawkeye, how pleasant to hear from you. How's Al doing?" Winry replied with a smile. She liked Captain Hawkeye. The blonde woman had such an air of confidence about her.
"That's why I'm calling, Miss Rockbell." Was that hesitation Winry could hear?
"What's wrong? Is Al alright? Oh please tell me Al is ok!" Winry dropped her wrench and held the phone in both hands. Her eyes were wide and her face fearful. She had nightmares that started like this. A single phone call and life as you knew it changed and not always for the good. In fact never for the good. Winry had received her fair share of those calls from the brothers in past years. But the ones where the military itself called were the worst of all.
"No, Winry, please I'm sorry if I alarmed you." The voice became smoother and stayed calm and even. "We received a … letter from Alphonse and we had some questions for him but we're not sure exactly where he is right now."
Winry took a deep breath and berated herself for over-reacting. Just because Al was the last Elric left did not mean he would emulate his brother in all ways.
"No, I apologise Captain, it's just that Al…" She paused and then spoke again. "We had a letter from him a week ago and he said he was still researching and would be out this way in about a month or so. And he always keeps those promises." Everyone knew that Alphonse took care to keep Winry and the Brigadier-General somewhat informed of his movements. He knew they worried about him so he kept in touch and always appeared when he said he would.
There was a small pause on the line and Winry could hear a muffled voice in the background.
"If you hear from him, could you please get him to contact us, Winry? The Brigadier-General wants to discuss his report with him rather urgently." Winry could hear a frown in the Captain's voice and judged, correctly, that it was focused upon said Brigadier-General.
She giggled and nodded before speaking her assent.
"Of course, Miss Hawkeye."
"Thank you Winry and I'm sorry if I worried you. Take care of yourself. Good-bye."
"It's ok. I know that one day…" Winry stopped abruptly, and then started again. "You too, Miss Hawkeye. Good-bye." Winry hung up the phone and frowned slightly. I wonder what Al has done, they rarely ring here. She shrugged as she picked up her wrench and smiled. She doubted it to be anything major. Al was always so much more careful than Ed had ever been.
And in Central a blonde Captain and a black haired Brigadier-General frowned over two thin manila folders. One contained a terse report from an obscure State Laboratory and the other held a letter of resignation that was grammatically perfect and perfectly expressionless. A dark eye met those of warm sherry and shared an uneasy look. A gloved finger lightly traced the etching of a pocketwatch that rested on the desk.
"They may not be connected Sir."
The days always started early in the country and Pinako Rockbell was no different. When the sun got up, so did she. Life was too precious to waste and the mornings were always the most promising part of the day for her. With the wisdom and acceptance of age this was her moment to just be and feel. Where there were no expectations set for either herself or for others. Only the sun and the simple appreciation of a new day.
Of course the two figures making their way up the long winding dirt road certainly helped pique her interest in this particular day.
She watched the strangers approaching. Blonde hair shone brightly in the morning light. Barely an hour after dawn, she thought. They must've had an early start. She could see the empty sleeve of the shorter one and understood at once why they were here.
Pinako looked to the taller of the pair and frowned. He walked just like Alphonse did. The hair, that dirty blond colour that sometimes looked more like shadowed gold. It had to be Al. But who was the small golden blonde … it couldn't be Edward. Edward was gone. Dead. Lost. And the blonde was a girl and strangely dressed too. Had Al brought home a girlfriend or just a friend? A girlfriend in need of an arm? Pinako grinned; perhaps this would be the one thing that would finally shake her granddaughter's complacency.
"Granny!"
It was Al. He called and waved to her. She could see his smile from here. She smiled back and lifted her hand in response but her eyes were still wary. Who was the other blonde?
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