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Chapter Four: A favor long overdue.

((OOC: WARNING!!!!! There are spoilers in this fic, so if you don't want to know what happens to key characters, or you haven't seen the whole show and movie, then you probably shouldn't read this. And be warned, this is going to end up a YAOI RoyXEd fan fic, so...read at your own risk!))

“Alphonse, slow down!”

It was about a week after their arrival in the Ishbalan desert, and Edward was hobbling through the camp at a less than speedy pace.

“Need I remind you that crutches and sand don’t mix well?!”

There was a loud *thump* as Edward fell face down in the soft sand.

“Damn it!”

He said as he spat out a mouthful of the dirt.

“Alphonse! Get back here!”

Edward was trying to sit up without further injuring his leg, though he wasn’t being very successful.

“Here, let me,”

Said a female voice. Edward looked up defensively and snapped,

“I’ll get it!”

But before he could protest further, a strong arm had slipped under Ed’s arm and was lifting him up.

He stood carefully, wincing, and hung his head, letting his hair fall to cover his blush of embarrassment.

“I would have gotten it you know…”

Major Briggs smiled warmly and held onto Edward to steady him while she handed him his crutches.

“I know. We’ve arranged for someone to take you to Central. There’s medical care there than we can provide here…”

“Why don’t you just send us to Resembool?! That’s where my mechanic lives!”

Edward had an angry tone to his voice. Major Briggs held up a hand to silence Edward.

“I know people in Central, you’ll be safe there, and besides, it closer that Resembool.”

Edward drooped his shoulders and muttered unintelligibly under his breath, scowling as he tried to follow Alphonse, who was long gone.

Major Briggs walked beside him at a sedate pace, he hands behind her back.

“So…Mr. Elric…what do you plan to do now? You and your brother have been renowned for your Alchemic feats…but you both were thought to be dead. Where will you go when you get your leg back?”

Edward paused in his pursuit of Al and looked at the ground beneath him.

“I-”

A face flashed through his mind, but he just shook it out of his head.

“I’ll probably go visit old friends…other than that, I don’t know…”

Briggs smiled softly and said,

“Will you re-join the ranks of State Alchemist’s?”

Edward continued his slow advance on Alphonse and said over his shoulder to the Major,

“Not in a million years.”

“Sir! There’s a call from Major Briggs on the Ishbalan front. She says its urgent.”

The operator’s voice rang across the receiver held in Roy Mustangs hand. His brow furrowed as he said,

“Patch it through…”

There was a short pause and a loud *click*, followed by,

“Hello General…”

Mustangs frown deepened as he said,

“Major Briggs…to what do I owe the pleasure?”

There was a harsh bark of laughter through the phone.

“Remember that favor you owe me?”

Roy leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

“How could I forget?”

His voice was dry with distaste

“Oh, Roy, don’t sound so down.”

“What do you need Major?”

Roy snapped flatly.

“So cold. Its simple enough. I’m sending two boys to Central on the next train. It should arrive Friday afternoon at around one O’ Clock. I need you to pick them up and find them a place to stay. You’ll know them on sight, I’m sure. They’re both pretty tall, and one of them is on crutches. Do that, and we’ll call it even.”

“We have a deal.”

“Always so solemn…Goodbye General.”

Mustang hung up the phone and turned to Lt. Colonel Hawkeye.

“Major Briggs called in a favor. Apparently we have to pick up a pair of pip-squeaks as Central station Friday at one.”

“Forgive me sir, but may I ask…why?”

“I owed her a favor that’s been overdue for three and a half years. Its actually a relief to check her off my list.”

Riza stood back with a deep frown on her fare features, wondering what would permit Roy to follow an order form a subordinate.

End chapter four.

Description
Chapter Four: A favor long overdue.

((OOC: WARNING!!!!! There are spoilers in this fic, so if you don't want to know what happens to key characters, or you haven't seen the whole show and movie, then you probably shouldn't read this. And be warned, this is going to end up a YAOI RoyXEd fan fic, so...read at your own risk!))

“Alphonse, slow down!”

It was about a week after their arrival in the Ishbalan desert, and Edward was hobbling through the camp at a less than speedy pace.

“Need I remind you that crutches and sand don’t mix well?!”

There was a loud *thump* as Edward fell face down in the soft sand.

“Damn it!”

He said as he spat out a mouthful of the dirt.

“Alphonse! Get back here!”

Edward was trying to sit up without further injuring his leg, though he wasn’t being very successful.

“Here, let me,”

Said a female voice. Edward looked up defensively and snapped,

“I’ll get it!”

But before he could protest further, a strong arm had slipped under Ed’s arm and was lifting him up.

He stood carefully, wincing, and hung his head, letting his hair fall to cover his blush of embarrassment.

“I would have gotten it you know…”

Major Briggs smiled warmly and held onto Edward to steady him while she handed him his crutches.

“I know. We’ve arranged for someone to take you to Central. There’s medical care there than we can provide here…”

“Why don’t you just send us to Resembool?! That’s where my mechanic lives!”

Edward had an angry tone to his voice. Major Briggs held up a hand to silence Edward.

“I know people in Central, you’ll be safe there, and besides, it closer that Resembool.”

Edward drooped his shoulders and muttered unintelligibly under his breath, scowling as he tried to follow Alphonse, who was long gone.

Major Briggs walked beside him at a sedate pace, he hands behind her back.

“So…Mr. Elric…what do you plan to do now? You and your brother have been renowned for your Alchemic feats…but you both were thought to be dead. Where will you go when you get your leg back?”

Edward paused in his pursuit of Al and looked at the ground beneath him.

“I-”

A face flashed through his mind, but he just shook it out of his head.

“I’ll probably go visit old friends…other than that, I don’t know…”

Briggs smiled softly and said,

“Will you re-join the ranks of State Alchemist’s?”

Edward continued his slow advance on Alphonse and said over his shoulder to the Major,

“Not in a million years.”

“Sir! There’s a call from Major Briggs on the Ishbalan front. She says its urgent.”

The operator’s voice rang across the receiver held in Roy Mustangs hand. His brow furrowed as he said,

“Patch it through…”

There was a short pause and a loud *click*, followed by,

“Hello General…”

Mustangs frown deepened as he said,

“Major Briggs…to what do I owe the pleasure?”

There was a harsh bark of laughter through the phone.

“Remember that favor you owe me?”

Roy leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

“How could I forget?”

His voice was dry with distaste

“Oh, Roy, don’t sound so down.”

“What do you need Major?”

Roy snapped flatly.

“So cold. Its simple enough. I’m sending two boys to Central on the next train. It should arrive Friday afternoon at around one O’ Clock. I need you to pick them up and find them a place to stay. You’ll know them on sight, I’m sure. They’re both pretty tall, and one of them is on crutches. Do that, and we’ll call it even.”

“We have a deal.”

“Always so solemn…Goodbye General.”

Mustang hung up the phone and turned to Lt. Colonel Hawkeye.

“Major Briggs called in a favor. Apparently we have to pick up a pair of pip-squeaks as Central station Friday at one.”

“Forgive me sir, but may I ask…why?”

“I owed her a favor that’s been overdue for three and a half years. Its actually a relief to check her off my list.”

Riza stood back with a deep frown on her fare features, wondering what would permit Roy to follow an order form a subordinate.

End chapter four.