Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ A Love Forgotten ❯ Arrangements ( Chapter 4 )

A Love Forgotten

By Joyfulmusic

 

I don't own FMA

 

Chapter 4: Arrangements

 

Moaning slightly, Edward opened his eyes. The last thing he could remember was being in a lot of pain. Then Winry had showed up and… “Winry?” He mumbled to himself, sitting up and looking around the room. There, at the dinning table, sat the blond woman with Alphonse.

 

“Brother you're awake!” The smile could be heard in Al's voice. He'd given Briana the money to stay at a hotel close by. She'd left and called back to give them where she was staying and the room number. They'd all agreed it would be better if she wasn't there when her husband awoke.

 

“Yeah, oh hey Winry. Thanks for fixing my arm.” He rubbed his shoulder, missing the glace between her and his sibling. He didn't realize who it was that had helped him. “I don't know how it could have happened. Maybe that blast or…” He trailed off, his eyes glazing over.

 

“That was three years ago Ed.” Winry's voice was sweet as she made her way to sit beside him. “You really don't remember, do you?” He shook his head before bowing it as if in shame. All he knew was what little he'd been told. “Then you don't remember being married to Briana?”

 

The alchemist scowled at her. “I'm not married! Not to her, or to anyone.” Absentmindedly he rubbed his left hand ring finger. Glancing down, he saw the faded spot on his skin. “Maybe she's just using me. Trying to get something for herself.” He stopped when he saw the oncoming blow.

 

With one swoop the mechanic's wrench collided with his head, making a rather loud sound. “Don't talk like that Ed. I met her and she sounds perfectly nice to me. Besides,” Cooling off slightly she added, “She really seems to love you. It's killing her that you don't remember, isn't it?” She didn't want him to know that she'd met Brie. From the way he acted he didn't remember their coming in together.

 

Sighing, Edward rubbed his swore cranium. “Well…” He wanted to tell her she was wrong. But for some reason the face of that curly haired woman was burned into his mind. He didn't know anything about her, but couldn't keep from seeing her eyes when he closed his. Shaking his head, the alchemist didn't try to continue.

 

“Perhaps if you talk to her.” Alphonse tried, but received a rather mean glare from his sibling. It was like nothing had changed, and yet it had. Three years had gone by for the world, but not for Ed. To him only a day had passed. “Brother, don't be this way. She really does love you. And… you didn't know me when…”

 

“What?” Edward stared at the armor blankly. “How could I not know you Al? We've been together all our lives. I could never forget…” He thought of the sins they had committed as children. Bowing his head, he closed his eyes tightly. “I couldn't forget, not even if I tried. You know that.”

 

The younger Elric stepped forward and placed a hand on his real shoulder, still afraid of hurting the automail. “I'm not talking about what we did brother. I'm talking about everything. You had amnesia. It wasn't just me, it was your whole life, mom, Winry, even your name.”

 

Ed shook off the thought and decided to change the subject. Looking back at the mechanic he asked, “So is my arm fixed? It's got to be in top shape if I'm going to get back into the military.” She frowned so he continued. “We've still got to find the stone, to get Al's body back.”

 

Shaking her head Winry decided it wasn't worth arguing the point any further. He wasn't dead, and that was what really mattered. “We'll have to go back to Resembool for the repairs. It may take a while though.” Glancing at Al, she thought about how much more this would hurt Briana.

 

 

That night, while Edward and the mechanic were gone to the restaurant, Alphonse made some phone calls. He was enquiring about vacant apartments close by. He finally managed to find one that was in his complex, only two buildings over from the one he was in.

 

Dialing the number for the place where his sibling's wife was staying, Al waited for an answer. He found himself feeling as though he was doing something wrong. It was like he was betraying his brother in some way. His mind returned to the work at hand when he heard her answer. “Hello, Briana?”

 

Rubbing her eyes warily she said, “You can call me Brie. We are family… well sort of.” She sighed heavily into the receiver at that thought. It seemed that her brother-in-law wanted more to do with her than her so called husband. “By the way, how is he doing? Does he still hate me?”

 

One of the kittens had crawled into the armor's lap while he was making earlier calls. Gently he stroked its head behind its ears. “I don't think he hates you. He's just… confused. But other than that he's doing fine. He doesn't remember that you were here.” Looking at the notes he'd made he continued.

 

“I've found an apartment in this complex. It's call an efficiency, and it's upstairs. There's just one thing.” He wasn't sure this was such a good idea at all. But something told him it was better to keep this girl near. “We can't let brother know that I'm helping you. If he knew… well I don't want to think about it.”

 

Laying back on the bed, she closed her eyes. “I understand. This is all hush hush, right?” Getting an affirmative she groaned. “Don't worry about it Alphonse. I won't say anything. I just… I don't want to totally loose him. He's all I've got. If we give it time, maybe he'll come around.” To herself she added, `At least that's what I'm hoping.'

 

“Like you said, we're family. So it's Al.” Finding he had to tell her the rest he sighed. “Winry thinks she can repair brother's automail, except that… We're going to be leaving for Resembool tomorrow. She doesn't have all the tools she needs here. So we'll be gone for at least a few days.”

 

Biting her lip Brie wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't exactly follow them everywhere they went without Ed noticing. From what they'd told her, he'd been a state alchemist before the accident. She couldn't compete with that. “Ok, but I don't have the money for a down payment. Like I told you earlier, I lost my job. And we were living paycheck to paycheck as it was.”

 

Nodding thoughtfully, he remembered what she'd said. Apparently they'd had a hard time keeping up with Jacob's medical expenses. The doctors couldn't do much but expected to be paid for taking the time to tell them so. And without a past work history Jake had a hard time finding a job. It seemed as though they'd spent all their married life between a rock and a hard place.

 

`And yet she stayed with him. She took the bad while holding on to the good. The love they shared must have been so strong.' Realizing the silence had lasted longer than he'd intended he offered, “I'll put up the down payment for it. And I'll help with all the bills as long as you need me to.”

 

Shaking her head Brie interrupted, "That's nice of you but, well Al I don't really know you. You shouldn't have to do all that for me. Edward doesn't even want me here. And maybe he's right, maybe he isn't my husband. But…" Her slight sob could be heard over the line. "I just can't believe that. Deep down, they must be the same."

 

Alphonse hoped for her sake she was right about that. If not it would break her heart. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. She clearly loved his older brother. It was in everything she said and in the way she said it. "I'm sure they are. The way he talks about you doesn't fit what I see in his eyes. I think his heart remembers even if his mind doesn't. But I've got to go. They'll be back soon."

 

A spark of light entered Briana's eyes for the first time since she'd realized her husband no longer knew her. "Thank you so much Al. To be honest I didn't know what to believe. But you'll take care of him for me, won't you?” Shaking her head, she gave a short laugh. “Of course you will, I don't know why I even asked.”

 

There would have been a smile pass over his lips were his face not made of armor. “Don't worry about anything Brie, not even the apartment. I'll get it all set up before the office closes tonight. You'll be able to move in tomorrow. And I'll leave you a check in the mailbox so that you can send for your furniture.”

 

Grinning broadly, the brunette was sure he could feel her uplifted spirit beaming through the phone. “You are so much like your brother. Well, like Jacob anyway. He'd do anything he could to give aid. You're really too good to be true. I didn't realize you'd be so willing to help me.”

 

“Well,” Al interrupted, “I think he needs you. When I saw him there with you through your apartment window, he was so happy. He seemed so much younger and truly happy than he's been in a long time. If you could just bring a little of that back to him as Ed, I can't tell you how much that would mean to me.”

 

Sighing into the phone happily she closed her eyes. `If he's so much like Jake without knowing him, then that means Jake may not be gone. Maybe he's still somewhere within Edward. I'll just have to find him.' Aloud she said, “Well I guess I'll let you go then. And thanks again, for everything.”

 

“No problem.” He confirmed; contented with how much her mood had changed. She was no longer depressed, as she had been that afternoon. “Bye.” When he hung up he recalled what she'd said. “I guess he's right. He isn't Jacob” Now however, she was beginning to believe there was some chance to save her marriage.

 

 

They were just coming out of a restaurant Winry knew well. She'd come to it many times with Mrs. Hughes and her daughter. Now she brought Edward there so that Alphonse would be able to make some arrangements without the elder knowing it. They'd agreed that would be the best way to deal with the matter, for now anyway.

 

“So, do you remember anything about those three years that you were with Briana?” At the mere mention of her name, the alchemist flinched. Frowning slightly she chose to push her luck. “What do you remember? I mean, anything between the accident and finding Al on the train?”

 

Scowling Ed thought back to that morning. He remembered well what had happened. The feel of her arms around him, the safety they held. Her scent, mixed with his own, still hung in the back of his mind. But then something had happened. He'd forced the memories and feelings away. He'd buried them, forcing himself back to his true life, searching for the stone with his brother.

 

Shaking his head he pushed the thought that he was betraying his wife aside. “I don't remember anything about that woman. Look, all I want to do is get my arm fixed so that I can fix what I messed up. I've got to re-join the military and continue looking for the philosopher's stone. I have to get Al's body back.”

 

“But…” Winry couldn't help but press on. “Brie doesn't want to come between you and Al. I talked to her…” But she wasn't given the chance to finish before he cut in, his face showed just how cross he was by this idea.

 

“When? When did you have a chance to talk with her?” There was a light in his eye that seemed to penetrate her completely. “Wait, this afternoon when I had that pain in my shoulder. She came in with you didn't she?” A nod was all he received. “And it was her who massaged it, right?” Another nod.

 

That was the end of their conversation. They didn't speak about it further, not even when Alphonse asked how their outing had gone. It was still too touchy a subject to have spoken aloud. But the words had already found their way into Edward's mind. They refused to leave him, even as they boarded the train for Resembool.