[Patrol : Two]

[flowers_suck]

[Morning: 851 Goldberg]

[In the early morning, Olivier sits on the porch waiting for the delivery from the milkman. Today, she will take responsibility for drinking the milk. Not that she really wants to, but if it kills her, then that's one less day in this truth-forsaken place.  And, if any of her houesmates challenge her, she will ask them if

Comments

[unexculpable]

[Well there's a face he hadn't expected to see. He FREEZES. Wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole somewhere. ]

... General Armstrong?

[flowers_suck]

Fullmetal.

[She blinks back tears as she sees him,and then gets angry at herself for the emotions that are overwhelming her at seeing the alchemist. The last she'd seen of him, he'd given up his precious alchemy for his brother's body. And it just hit her how touching it had been to see them both alive and well at the end of the ordeal.]

Hawkeye mentioned that you were here.

[She's talking just to keep from thinking.]

Can you, wait, when are you from?

[unexculpable]

[if he didn't know better, he would almost say that he saw tears there. his brows furrow tight. Hawkeye... Hawkeye told her he was here? Did that mean... did General Armstrong know?]

I was fighting a bunch of Bradley rejects. And then... Lieutenant Hakweye they -- [he feels sick. this was hitting way too close to home in more ways than one. he was there the first time her throat was slit open and he was there the second time. just standing there. watching.] -- they were trying to force Colonel Mustang to open the Gate. The last thing I remember was going through it myself.

[flowers_suck]

[She's feeling all kinds of rage for him, and her grips tightens on the scissors. She takes a deep breath and tells herself it could be worse, the town could have pulled him from when he started to perform his last transmutation. It almost seems worse to tell him what he is missing. So she decides to ask.]

I was there at the end of the battle, and for a little while after. Do you want to know what happened?

[unexculpable]

I...

[did he want to know...? Hawkeye had told him enough for him to piece things together, but her memory was fuzzy. Blood loss does that to a person. But Olivier... she was there at the end of it all. She would know. She did know.]

Yeah, please. The Lieutenant told me what she could remember from after we all got back from dealing with Father the first time. How Colonel Mustang lost his eyesight and --

[a beat of silence. it's strained and painful, but he refuses to allow his voice to show it.]

-- and how I transmuted myself to get Al's body back, but she couldn't remember it that well. I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what you saw.

[flowers_suck]

[She nods and puts down the scissors.]

Your final transmutation was a success. You and your brother returned. Your brother was all skin and bones, but he'll be fine once he gets some food in him.

[unexculpable]

[his breath catches painfully in his chest, eyes widening as he tries to remember how to breathe. Breathe out. Breathe in. Repeat.

it sounds to good to be true. his brother. his little brother. he got him back. he got Al back from the other side of the Gate. he chokes back a stunned laugh, running a hand through his hair, still in a state of shock and disbelief and... and... RELIEF.]

It worked? It... that actually worked?

[you'll just. have to give him a minute General. he was not ready for this. not at all. he laughs and grins and he's pretty sure his face was going to crack if he tried smiling any wider. Ed quickly ducks his head down to keep Olivier from seeing the tears that had started to stain his cheeks.]

It worked. It worked,it worked, it worked. Al's back? He's... I actually got him out of there?

[flowers_suck]

[She can't help but laugh giddly. (Really, she can't help it, damn that milk!) She chalks it down to his happiness being contagious.]

Yes, you did. For quite the "equivalent exchange" as you alchemists call it.

[unexculpable]

[he's still too stunned to notice that the General is giddy with laughter, but when she mentions the equivalent exchange Ed sobers up a little. When he heard it from Hawkeye, all he could do was think about what he would of had to give up for something like that. It cost him his entire arm just to get Al's soul back. What could possibly be good enough? What could he offer?

He was pretty sure he knew. No. He was positive he knew. If it would get Al back, he'd do it in a second.]

I can only think of a couple things that would be good enough to offer in exchange. Do you... do you know what I gave up, General?

[flowers_suck]

[She shakes her head, she had offered him a hint.]

It was your final transmutation. I'm not even sure I should call you Fullmetal anymore.

[unexculpable]

[oh, he got the hint. but there are some things that you just need to hear.]

[Ed takes a breath, ducking his head down just a little. He's still smiling, but it's subdued.]

[and then he laughs. it's hopeful and real. something he wasn't sure he would be able to do ever again. Al was back. he was safe. he was home. he could feel the warmth of the sun, the rain falling on his face. Ed lifts his head, tilting it back to stare at the ceiling as he speaks]

Heh, that's fine. The title isn't important, hell alchemy isn't either. What matters is that I got Al back.

[flowers_suck]

[She turns away from him a moment, gritting her teeth against the fondness she is feeling for the boy. She has to close her fists against the urge to ruffle his hair. He's just so hopeful and resilient that she can't help smiling as she turns back to him. She really doesn't know what else to say, so she moves on to another subject.]

How long have you been here?

[unexculpable]

Almost two months.

[flowers_suck]

[She nods, surprised he didn't ask her what happened right away.]

How is your house?

[What she wants to make sure of is that he hasn't been getting killed from people not drinking the milk.]

[unexculpable]

[that smile? gone. Sometimes Ed was capable of pulling off a convincing lie, but when you're trying to fool someone like Oliver, that suddenly it isn't all that convincing. it wasn't worth trying to get out of this conversation, she'd call him out in an instant.]

I --

[Ed can't quite meet Oliver's eyes. welcome back guilt. it's been a long time. glad to see you're not a stranger. his fists clench tightly by his sides, turning his knuckles white. there's venom in his voice]

Lust was assigned to be my mother.

[trying to dodge the milk situation? oh no, of course not.]

good thing he's talking to her before Hawkeye. Also, time for work.

[flowers_suck]

[Olivier growls at the sick humor of Mayfield's housing assignments. All she knows about Lust is the quick description Ed gave her in the secrecy of the tunnel beneath Briggs.]

Do you at least have some way to protect yourself? A weapon? your alchemy?