the case of the disappearing daughters ((Ed thread))

[slayers_desire]

Rebuilding a community took a lot of time and dedication. It also required a lot of volunteers. Fortunately, April was able to visit her home universe occasionally to help. And when she did visit, she always brought a helpful hand.

Many times it was Clark, her husband. Today it was Ed, her friend and 'guardian'.

They were working on rebuilding a community center. Things were turning around slowly, but there was hope there. A hope that people were afraid would be lost in a split second.

Comments

[fmalchemist160]

He pulls her into a one armed hug for a moment while they walk, leaning his chin on her shoulder for a bit. "I'm sorry," he says. "But we're getting out of here now. You'll be okay. So will those girls."

((Me too! Can't wait to play Hohenheim! :D I'll let you know when we've got enough of a plot to start the scene.))

[slayers_desire]

April leans on him, grateful for his support. "I just hope we can help them recover. No matter what they need."

((sounds good))

[fmalchemist160]

"We can," Ed says, voice firm but quiet. "I'm always willing to lend an ear. To be a shoulder to cry on." He smiles a bit at her. "I think you know that better than most."

[slayers_desire]

"I know. I am just glad you were here to help. These girls owe you their life."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed laughs sheepishly. "They don't owe me anything..." he says. "'Alchemist, be thou for the people'—this is my duty, and I'm happy to carry it out."

[slayers_desire]

"Duty or not, you were able to ensure they were found. Even if you didn't know if they would be alive or dead."

"Knowing that someone cares enough to come to your rescue... is so important."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed smiles a bit. "That's true. There were times when I had to be rescued, when I was scared that no-one would." He pauses, and the smile broadens and his voice gets a bit of a humorous note to it. "And then Al would usually show up and kick the asses of whoever had dared to try and steal me from him."

[slayers_desire]

"I think that is the most important thing, to care enough to find someone in trouble."

[fmalchemist160]

"Then as long as I'm around, people will always have someone who cares enough to try to rescue them," Ed says with a small smile. "Certain people more than others." April's one of those. So are Clark and Victor. And Al and Winry.

[slayers_desire]

"You have been there for me.... and I am grateful for those times when you were."

[fmalchemist160]

"And I'll continue to be there for you," he assures her, squeezing her shoulder. "That's what family's for."

[slayers_desire]

"Speaking of family, we better let those girl's families know that they are safe."

[fmalchemist160]

"Definitely," Ed agrees with a nod. "Starting with that little girl." He means the demon, the one whose sister was taken first.

[slayers_desire]

"Sounds like a good plan to me." April smiles softly. It has been a long day, and she is just glad they get to give the families good news.

[fmalchemist160]

It has been a long day. And while he's glad to be giving the families good news too... the whole thing with her and Spike using him to get the demon to open the door has him thinking about Winry again. How he wishes he'd made a move before they'd been separated. (And, some part of him is still insisting, how he shouldn't want that with the girl he grew up with and who builds his Automail for him.)

[slayers_desire]

"Ed..." April touches his shoulder. "You are thinking about your friend again. Winry."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed jumps a little, then turns red. "God, is it that loud?" he mutters, avoiding her gaze and stuffing his hand sheepishly into his pockets.

[slayers_desire]

"A loud thought, yes." April replies. She gently squeezes his shoulder, in support. "Do you want to talk about it."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed bites his lip and glances around. "Maybe not here... at Caritas?" he suggests.

[slayers_desire]

"We can do that. Let's take care of reuniting some worried families."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed nods. "Okay. Gives... gives me some time to get my thoughts straight. I'm... kinda confused about the whole thing."

((Handwave the 'reuniting the families' part?))

[slayers_desire]

After several hours of reuniting families, April and Ed were finally able to leave the Buffyverse dimension.

April was really proud of Ed, when all was said and done. And now with that worry about of the way, they were finally able to leave and head to Caritas.

[fmalchemist160]

And Ed, for his part, is happy to have made a difference here. Again. And is now at least a little glad to get some of his conflicting feelings off his chest, and the chance to take a bit of a break.

When they get to Caritas, he sits down at one of the tables with April and shucks out of his jacket and gloves, tucking the latter into his pocket and draping the former over the back of his chair, bearing his Automail arm... Winry's work. He's less worried about getting stares over it here, or freaking other people out. Caritas caters to the supernatural community, after all.

He doesn't know where to start, though. This whole thing is still so damned confusing, both emotionally and in that hormonal teenager-ness way. He just stares at his right hand, slowly moving the Automail fingers a little for a few moments, trying to figure out where to begin.

[slayers_desire]

"Tell me about her. About Winry." April figures it is the easiest question to get the conversation started.

((bedtime))

[fmalchemist160]

Ed looks up at April for a moment, then back down at his right hand. "Al and I grew up with her," he says quietly... fondly. "We used to play with each other all the time when we were kids. More often at her place, but sometimes she'd come over to ours."

"You've seen her... in a couple of the memories I showed you. On the shore of the river... she was the one who begged Mustang to stop." Ed's perceptions were imprinted on that memory when he showed it to her. The fact that he thinks her eyes are beautiful was imprinted on it... as well as the fact that he hates seeing her eyes filled with tears, as they had been at the time. He doesn't think she's one of those women who are pretty when they cry... because he doesn't like it when she's crying. The fact that, more often than not, he was the reason she was crying whenever he's seen her in tears may have something to do with that.

More than anything... he wants her to be happy, and to be safe. He wants to make her happy.

He flexes his hand around a bit more. "She's the one who designed and built my Automail... both the first set, when we were both 11, and this one. She's brilliant. Best Automail engineer in the galaxy." And he means it when he says that.

He's hesitant for a moment before he says, quietly, "You know... when Al and I were kids, we used to fight over her. Over which one of us would be the one to marry her."