Chapter Text
Taking that first step off of the platform to Central was everything Ed was expecting and by that, she meant that it was stationary. Ed shifted her grip on her suitcase to favor her automail hand and adjusted the collar of her jacket. It was much warmer here than it had been in Drachma, which was the last time the three of them had stayed somewhere longer than two weeks in their nearly six years of traveling.
After fighting the crowd through the station, the trio found themselves walking down the street to Central City University. It had been Winry who had expressed interest in settling down somewhere and if Ed was being honest she’d have to admit she also wanted to take some time to herself. It had been a nonstop rush since they’d left Resembool. She’d received a letter from Central University expressing their interest in employing her and, after talking to Al and Winry, the three of them decided they’d buy a storefront that split the difference between Central’s First General Hospital the University so that Winry could have a workshop and they wouldn’t need to get a car.
Buying the property had been the hardest part. That was why they’d settled into Drachma for so long. A friend of Winry’s from her time in Rush Valley had helped them out by going and seeing the property for them. Buying the place outright was something that Ed was able to strongarm the University into doing. With the promise that she would teach at the school for a minimum of 3 years. That was something they’d planned on as well. Al could finish his residency and finally finish his alkahestry thesis. By the time that Ed’s teaching contract expired, Al should’ve finished his residency, Winry should have a customer base, and they’d decide if they were going to stay here or go on another adventure.
As Ed approached the building they’d purchased, she couldn't help but feel excited. She had learned so much and she was ready to finally put down some roots. She was a little bit underwhelmed by her class load though, she only had two classes. She’d be teaching Advanced Biochemistry and Ancient Languages. Ed would have to review the syllabus before classes started in about two weeks, but she highly doubted that any part of those classes would be difficult to explain. They were almost to the building when Winry dropped her suitcase on the sidewalk and took off toward the building, “Paninya!”
“Winry! Hi!”
Ed picked up Winry’s forgotten suitcase and watched as Paninya took the hug Winry had engulfed her with and spun the two of them in a circle. Al has slowed down to match Ed’s speed and Ed spared a glance to her brother who looked back at her with a knowing smile.
“Maybe Winry has something else keeping her here, you think?”
“Al, I heard that! For the thousandth time, we’re just friends.”
Given that Winry’s face wasn't the only one that had turned red enough to match Ed’s jacket, Ed doubted that their relationship would stay that way for long.
“Al, Edi, you better get up here and hug me. I’ve been house-sitting for six days and I demand payment,” Paninya smiled at the siblings and the Elric’s continued up the front steps of their new home. The laughter coming from the group, Ed thought, was the most telling sign of a home.
---
The house itself wasn't very fancy. It had three rooms upstairs and two downstairs. Three bathrooms total. One for the business and two for the living space above it. To the left of them was a larger apartment building and to the right was another business Ed had identified as a pub when they’d first arrived. The college had purchased the place fully furnished, and Ed was just fine with that. Between Al and Ed, they could modify whatever they wanted with a quick transmutation. Paninya had been staying in the largest room upstairs which Ed was happy to let Winry claim. The other rooms were by no means small. Ed’s room had a view of the street from a window on the far side of the room, opposite the bed. It had a chest at the foot of the bed and a wardrobe off the left side. To the right, was a desk and a bookshelf. Satisfied with the room, she set her suitcase on the end of the bed and began the process of emptying the contents into her room.
Packing light had been a necessity while they were traveling so most of what she had in her suitcase was actually research materials that she stored in the bookcase. She had a few rolls of fabric in her suitcase that she was used to transmuting into clothes. Well, if she planned on staying she should probably get some other stuff to wear. Ed had no idea where to even start. Teacher had worn the same style of clothes every day. Winry would probably be able to help her. She’d just rope Winry into doing it with her. Ed finished unpacking around the same time as Al, so the two of them went downstairs into the shop where Paninya and Winry had been looking around at the space.
As they descended the stairs, Ed could hear more of the conversation Winry was having with Paninya, “-you’ll be staying here then right?”
“Yeah, if you guys don’t mind. I do need to go back to Rush Valley and help Dominic with the store. I’ll make sure to grab the rest of the stuff you wanted me to keep while you were traveling.”
Al whispered to her, “Ed, did you know Winry was sending Paninya packages?”
“No, but I’m not surprised. Winry liked to keep special tools from everywhere we went, remember. There’s no way all of ‘em would’ve fit in her suitcase.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Al said as the pair made it to the last step.
“Suppose what is true, Al?”
“Well, Me and Ed were wondering how you managed to keep all the automail parts you picked up during our trip and Ed mentioned that you probably mailed them.”
“I had you pegged on sending them to Pinako,” Ed added after her brother.
“Well, I guess that makes sense. I sent them to Paninya because it was cheaper than having them delivered that far. Rush Valley is a pretty big import hub, so it was just better financially.”
Ed hadn’t thought about it like that but then again the most correspondence Ed had had herself was a few letters to Teacher and Pinako over the years. The only reason the school managed to catch her was because the three of them had already stopped to discuss what they were gonna do anyway. Ed shrugged, “Doesn’t much matter to me where you sent them. Winry, would you mind going clothes shopping with me? I have the stuff I keep in my suitcase but we’re gonna be here a while so I should probably pick some stuff up. Al, did you want to come with?”
“No, I’m gonna go to the Hospital and make sure my paperwork is submitted. I’ll probably go grocery shopping afterward. I’ll call Teacher when I get back. I shouldn’t be gone all that long though.”
“Okay Al, be careful.”
Al tosses a quick always behind him as he slips out the door of their new home. Ed turns to the two girls staring at her and smiles, “So, Paninya you are coming with?”
"Sorry Edi, I'm catching the next train so I can get back sooner, and Dominic had some stuff he wanted me to pick up for him. You’ll buy me dinner though. At the Pub next door. I’ll be there after I snag Alphonse.”
Paninya was gone before Ed had a chance to do much else but laugh.
“Ready Win?”
“You betcha. I’ll make you look presentable if I have to drag you to each store kicking and screaming. I’m actually surprised you invited me with you. You know this means you’ll have to put on at least one pair of heels right?”
Ed must've made a face because Winry’s giggle turned into maniacal laughter. Ed wished she could say she regretted coming to central but that would be a lie.
---
They’d been shopping for hours. Ed had literally trekked through actual forests in the snow and that was less exhausting. She’d done human transmutation and it was preferable to walking into one more fucking store with the devil she’d unleashed in inviting Winry. They had six bags between the two of them which didn't seem like a lot, but Ed was stuck carrying all of the automail tools Winry had purchased because her hand could handle the weight better which did nothing for the fact that bags themselves were breaking under the weight of the tools, so Ed was stuck fixing them every few stores.
“Ed, look!”
Ed stopped walking and turned to see a red sundress with sleeves and a collar displayed on a mannequin in the window of a shop, “Ed, that would look so good on you!”
It was a beautiful dress, “Actually, I think I like that one too.”
The girls made their way into the store which was sparsely populated. Just a mother and her young daughter and the shopkeeper, an elderly woman with thin wire glasses on.
Winry all but dressed Ed herself and Ed had to admit the dress made her feel really pretty. It was also in the price range she was willing to spend. It was a little loose in the neckline, Ed would’ve liked it if it was a little higher, she could still see her scars out the top of the dress. Something that she’d need to do to all of the clothes she had purchased today was altering the right side of the dress. Ed knew from experience that the right shoulder would need to be reinforced to make sure that her automail wouldn’t leak oil through the clothes or tear them with wear.
Ed stepped out of the dressing room and approached the mirror and Winry who was looking into one of the bags of tools. The Mom was helping her child back into her clothes and from the parts of the conversation, she was overhearing they were going to meet the kid's Dad for lunch.
“Hey, gearhead, what do you think?”
“You're the one who benefits from these tools anyw-,” Winry turned at the childhood nickname with a face that filled in the rest of her sentence. The dumbfounded look on Winry’s face was telling enough.
“I think I’m buying this one.”
“You’re definitely buying that one, it's gorgeous on you. I cannot believe that we almost missed this place. We almost walked right past this beautiful masterpiece,” Winry probably would’ve continued but the rant was interrupted by the other patrons leaving the dressing room to Ed’s right.
“Oh, look, Mommy, that lady has a metal hand.”
Ed shouldn’t’ve been but the surprise of the social awkwardness generated when parents had to scramble to cover for their kids saying things that would be considered rude. Ed couldn’t care about the automail. But the social interaction that followed was just painful. To make it worse the kid tacked on questions oblivious to the fact she was making the situation much worse, “How did you get it? Did it hurt?”
“Elicia! That’s rude.”
“No, it's fine. My house caught on fire when I was young, and the fire burned my arm, so I needed a new one. My friend,” Ed gestured to Winry, “Made me a new arm to replace the one I lost.”
“That’s so cool! The metal looks really pretty with your dress!”
Ed couldn’t help it. She laughed and pulled the little girl into a hug, “Oh my goodness you are so cute! I cannot believe you are so adorable. Absolutely perfect. A little Angel.”
“You remind me of my Daddy.”
So, Ed went and changed back into the dress she had been wearing when she walked in. When she came back out she and Elicia sat on the floor of the boutique and spent the next few minutes talking with her about Elicia’s Dad, who was an investigator of some kind, but Elicia spent most of that conversation talking about his itchy beard, and the fact that her wouldn’t let her get a puppy which turned into a conversation about puppies. Winry joined the conversation when they started talking about Den. Elicia was thrilled that Ed had a dog with a matching arm and Elicia got Winry talking about automail which was probably a conversation that never would have ended.
“Excuse me, Elicia. We’re going to be late to see Daddy.”
“Okay, Mommy. Bye, Big Sisters!” Elicia clambered over to her mother.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I did mean to delay your plans,” Ed said with a smile.
“Nonsense, Dear, Elicia makes friends everywhere she goes! I’m Gracia. If we didn't have plans I would invite you to come with us to lunch but my husband works at Central Command, and they probably wouldn't let you come up there with us.”
Gracia picked Elicia up with practiced ease and Elicia smiled at Ed and Winry. Ed watched Gracia try and pick up the bag of clothes they’d bought and the bag they’d come in with and she melted.
“We might not be able to make it all the way inside with you, but we can at least carry your bags for you.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Ed shrugged off Gracia’s protests with calm reassurance and Winry took the bags from Gracia’s arms leaving her with just Elicia.
“We need to stop by the University and check-in actually and that’s really close to the Command Center.”
Ed went to retrieve the bags that both she and Winry had gotten, and the group left in the direction of Central Command. It wasn't long before Elicia had demanded to be held by Ed and so Winry had taken her tools from Ed and Elicia had taken up a spot on Ed’s shoulders while Ed played pony. They made it a few feet from the gate before Ed heard a ripping noise. Ed put Elicia on the ground and then made her way over to the bag.
“Uh oh!” Elicia said as she looked at the ruined bag.
Ed smiled at Elicia and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“You wanna see some magic?”
“Magic?” Elicia whispered back.
“Yeah watch this,” Ed took all of the tools out of the bag and turned the back on its side. She clapped her hands and transmuted the bag.
“That’s magic like Uncle Roy can do, right Mommy?”
“Oh, my that’s alchemy isn't it?”
“Yeah, it is,” Ed looked over at the flowers near the entrance and picked a few from their beds.
“What are you doing, Big Sister?”
“Watch this,” Ed started the transmutation and made Elicia a flower crown out of the purple flowers, “Look it matches your dress.”
“Magic Flowers!”
Ed watched Elicia show them to her mother and heard someone speaking from over the wall, but she didn't recognize who it was.
“-yeah but the investigation is still ongoing. All we found was that note. It’s in Ishvalan and we don’t have anyone who can decrypt it any further. You’re mentioned by name. I think you should lay low-”
They didn’t stay anonymous for long because Elicia did recognize the voice and she took off down the sidewalk, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”
Elicia’s Dad had evidently heard his daughter and turned out of the guarded fence just in time for Elicia to jump at him. He was a taller man with glasses and green eyes. Elicia had his nose. He looked like a great Dad and if Elicia had anything to say about it he was. He was accompanied by another Xingese man with a state alchemist watch. Just seeing the chain made Ed’s blood boil. To take something that could be a gift to so many people and give it to the military was a disgrace. How could someone do such a thing? Ed agreed with Teacher on that. Alchemy wasn't a toy for the military to parade around. It was dangerous and when an alchemist gave up their right to refuse to transmute they gave up the safety of the people around them. The military was pure evil.
“You’re going to be a great Mother someday. Your Mother must be really proud of you.”
The kind words were such a shock from Ed’s train of thought she actually giggled a little when she heard them. What a nice thing to say. Ed stood up picking up the newly fixed bag and the bags of tools from Winry, “You really think so?”
“Of course, I do,” Gracia gave Ed and Winry a hug before walking over to meet with her husband.
“Bye Bye Big Sisters!” Elicia’s last call to the was met with unburdened smiles and genuine joy from Ed and Winry.
In another universe, she would’ve been saddened by this, but Ed hadn’t lost her mother with nothing else to gain. The Truth she knew was fair and just. She’d gained Teacher, who was exactly what Ed had needed, and lost her mother which while sad was something that couldn’t be changed. In another universe, Ed wouldn’t have tried Human Transmutation with Al until her mom died. In this universe, she would resent Truth for what had happened. She wouldn’t have known what she knows now. That bringing someone back wasn’t possible without sacrificing someone else’s life. And Trisha Elric wouldn’t have wanted that. So, when Ed turned to follow Winry on their walk to the University she smiled, happy to have had the opportunity to be compared to her Mother because Gracia was right, she would make an excellent Mother.
The walk didn’t take them more than 10 minutes but by the end of it they were closer to home than they’d been when they ran into the Hughes’ and Ed was excited to be done with the shopping and walking for the day. It had been exhausting. Just a few conversations with the people in the administration office at the school and she’d have the syllabus for the classes she’d be teaching filled out. They’d skipped lunch. Not intentionally but neither of the girls was particularly hungry. Ed could go for something cold to drink though. So, after haggling with the office staff and getting her ID, Ed suggested they stop for a drink after they dropped off the bags at the house.
Which is how the two wound up sitting in a small diner at the end of the block. Winry had spent the better part of twenty minutes trying to get Ed to try some of her strawberry milkshake, but Ed wasn’t gonna give in and drink that poison. Though most of the conversations they’d been having were lighthearted and fun, someone near them was reading an alchemy book written by Edward Elric and Winry felt the need to point it out. Ed had sighed and fixed Winry with a look.
“Winry, I’m not going to teach Alchemy at the college. Do you know how many of the kids there are automatically going to try for the State Alchemist program right after graduation? No.”
“Ed, I love you but without studying Alchemy you're going to go crazy. You’ve been researching it for the last 5 years, almost 6,” Winry sighed, “At least tell me that you’re going to publish more books.”
“Of course, I am Winry. Just because I’m not traveling doesn’t mean I’m going to fade into obscurity. I like writing them and so I’ll keep doing it but I’m not going to teach anyone how to do it. Teacher was right about being selective. She said I’d know when I met them and I’m going to be sure I’m right.”
“Ed she also said that about you meeting your husband, but you haven’t been anywhere long enough to find anyone.”
“Well, that’s about to change. Maybe I’ll find someone in Central. I mean it’s bound to happen at some point, and we’ll be here long enough. I’m not the only one who needs to change their relationship status. Don’t think Al and I aren’t aware of you and Paninya. When are you guys gonna start that?”
“We already did, Ed.”
That took Ed by surprise. Winry and Paninya had been inseparable before they’d started their 5-year journey, but Winry hadn’t shown any interest in staying with Paninya instead of traveling. Ed and Al had asked her repeatedly if she’d rather stay and she wouldn't have it.
“When?”
“This morning. While you guys were upstairs. She’s gonna stay in Rush Valley for a while and go back and forth for a while. Then if we’re in a good place she’ll move in, or I’ll move out.”
“She’s always welcome and you know that,” Ed rushed to explain.
“Ed, I meant me moving to Rush Valley.”
“Oh,” Ed knew that someday they would separate but she never thought that it would happen this fast. Winry must’ve seen something on her face because she stammered out a response.
“Oh-I um, not anytime soon Ed. I’m gonna stay here in Central and get the shop up and running before we even think about leaving.”
Ed laughed at Winry who pouted and smiled.
“Well, do what makes you happy. If she makes you half as happy as you guys look then you’re doing something right.”
Winry smiled a wistful smile, “Yeah, she does. I can’t wait till you feel like this. You’re gonna be so happy.”
“I hope I do,” Ed smiled at Winry and took a long drink of her orange limeade.
“So, Win, What tools did you pick up today?” Ed changed the subject after the lapsed into a comfortable silence.
“Okay so I got this screwdriver right and the ones I found in Rush Valley were similar but this one is also kind of like the one I picked up in Xing where it's magnetic and you can change the tip shape. The problem with the Xing one is that the bolts used there are a different shape than the standard Amestrian shape. With this one, I can use the same handle for all of the repairs I need to do on both Xingese and Amestrian automail variations.”
Winry could talk about this forever and Ed was glad to let her.
“Is that what your customer clientele is going to be? Travelers?”
“Well, that’s where I want to start but I also want to do charity work in the city. There are a lot of people who were affected by the war, and I think I can do a lot of good if I offer my time to the people who can afford something custom that might need it.”
“So, kids?”
“Well, that would be one example, but I would also do custom work for people that are parents or grandparents that don’t want their kids to be scared of the change. You saw in Creta how they were using polymers to make a life-like skin texture to them. I think I could find some people in the area to help me with that too. We can make it to where I can outfit anyone who wants to cover the metal skeleton with skin.”
“Wouldn’t that make repairs more difficult?”
“Well yes, but with the research, I’ve been doing it would be something that could also act as a warning to get your automail adjusted. I would be the only one in Amestris who would specialize it in. Just imagine a kid who lost something so important getting what they lost back. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would look and feel like something as soft and real as they lost. They wouldn’t need to adjust clothes or worry about oil leaks. It would all be contained under the polymer. I have the formula I want written in one of the travel logs. I can show it to you if you want. You could probably give me more insight into the reality of the automail than I would have otherwise. Is this something you’d want on your arm?”
Ed had to think about that one. The arm itself was made of a composition of metal that Ed was so familiar with she hardly needed to think about the alchemic reaction it might have at all. When she did alchemy without the circle she needed to be aware of how the energy would pass not just through her arm and hand but the actual shoulder too. To change it now after 7 years. That would be hard to adjust to. As helpful and not worrying about the extra costs of the arm that she could fix through Alchemy.
“I’d be willing to be your lab rat, but it would be hard to get used to alchemically. I might not advertise my skills, but they do come in handy and if I changed the automail and forgot about it it might cause a rebound and that’s not something I really want to risk. Does that make sense?”
Winry seemed to consider this, and Ed took that second to get a refill for the both of them. Winry thanked the server for bringing her the milkshake and asked, “If I were to ask about someone’s alchemy when outfitting them would it be seen as rude? I didn’t realize that the composition mattered that much.”
“Well as long as you create some form of paperwork you could ask about it. Just make sure that they understand that their personal information including their alchemy would be confidential and that you wouldn’t say anything unless you were subpoenaed by the State.”
“So, like that medical oath that Al takes?”
“Yeah. Then they could ask you all the questions they needed to about the automail and the polymer without hiding something. I met plenty of alchemists who warned me about transmuting with my arm. They learned the hard way.”
Winry seemed to acknowledge this, and Ed knew she had opened a can of worms that she had no hope of closing so the rest of their two-hour break was taken up with all of the intrusive questions that Winry would have been too afraid to ask anyone else. They’d gone over the basics and Winry had asked a litany of questions over the course of their journey, but Ed had never offered up the alchemy-related risks of automail and Winry had never considered them.
After two hours of shop talk, Ed and Winry waved goodbye to the shopkeeper and the waitress that had been helping them and walked back down the street toward the house. They’d been out for probably six hours at this point and the sun was setting so they figured Al and Paninya would have made it to the bar they were meeting at.
Ed wanted to change into pants before they went over to the bar. The dress she was wearing made her feel pretty but switching to pants was a utilitarian move. People tended to buy her drinks when she wore skirts and Al had something to say about her pounding the hell out of the creeps that she dealt with. Especially when they planned on staying in town for a while. So, pants were a better option. It didn't take long for her to change into black jeans and a baggy black tank top. She pulled her hair out of the high ponytail she was wearing and into a braid that ran down her back. Winry had changed out of the sundress she’d been wearing and into coveralls and a black shirt. The two slipped into the Pub next door and sat at the bar waiting for Al and Paninya to join them.
While they were waiting they grabbed drinks and made small talk with the man sitting next to them. His name was William, and he was going to the University for his masters in Alchemy with an emphasis in Water Manipulation and he was very interested in Winry. Ed and Winry laughed along with him as he told them all about what he was studying, and Ed made no moves to help or correct Will, but she did mull over his ideas. He would likely get his masters with the level of study he was talking about. Ed assumed that his more advanced research was something that he wouldn’t be talking about for secrecy’s sake. Ed highly doubted that he’d get anywhere near a doctorate with what he had though. William reasoned that the water that people had in their blood and bodies could be used medically to find certain illnesses and even help reverse the progression of things like sepsis. Ed could see where he was finding connections, but the basic water manipulation of blood wouldn’t be enough to do much more than identifying the problem. Moving anything inside of the body without using Alkahestry would be very difficult and finding alkahestrist would be hard enough on its own. His work would only ever be theoretical.
Winry almost let the cat out of the bag when Will quoted one of the books that Ed had written on the subject of elemental alchemy. It was something that Ed had happened once or twice but given that they were about 15 minutes walking from one of the best Alchemy Colleges in the entire country Ed wasn’t surprised and she expected that it would happen more frequently.
“I didn’t realize you read Elric’s books,” Will had commented after Winry had expressed her familiarity with the name.
“Oh no, I’m just an automail mechanic, Edith is the scientist here,” Winry laughed with a smile that to William looked warm and encouraging but to Ed screamed I’m trying to set you up to let me .
“Oh really. You’ve read some of Edward Elric's works then?” William’s attention was suddenly switched to Edith who let out a giggle and waved her hand.
“I’ve purchased one or two of them, but my masters is just in Biochemistry. Alchemy is interesting but it seems like it leads people down dark roads sometimes. You don’t have any interest in joining the military do you?”
“Oh absolutely. I think that the military would be interested in the combination of the medical and elemental worlds that could be very useful to field medicine.”
“If anything, I read from Elric’s work holds value, it is that he is very anti-military,” Ed pointed out.
“Well yes but I think this could revolutionize medicine.”
“Then go into medicine,” Ed insisted, “The military will always find a way to take all the good parts of your alchemy and make them into weapons. What happens when they want you to make someone sick on purpose?”
“They wouldn’t do that,” William tried to insist, “Joining the military is a noble and honest career. Being a state alchemist is something that I think all alchemists should strive to be. Helping the country with our knowledge should be an expectation.”
“That is one way to look at the situation, but the Military also takes away a person's right to make their own choices. What happens when you’re ordered to do something that you don’t think is right? As a doctor, you can refuse to treat patients but as a State Alchemist, you could be killed for your refusal. It makes more sense for you to keep your research confidential and to focus on the furthering of medicine outside of the military. If field medics can learn from your research, offer courses through the University. I’ve learned many languages, but you see me trying to become a code breaker for the military. I have classes at the school to teach them to people who are willing to learn them. ‘Give knowledge to those whose thirst for is equivalent to their ability for good’,” Ed quoted herself when she looked over at the man who spluttered for a few seconds and went bright red before slamming his drink and storming off.
“Sister, I leave you for less than a day and you're already causing trouble,” Al smiled at her, and the girls slipped from the bar to greet him and Paninya.
They settled in at a table in the back of the pub and they talked about their day. Apparently, there was quite the stir at the hospital over Al’s age and they’d requested he show them the certifications he’d mentioned in his letter as well as called the dean at the Dublith University to verify his age. Ed always found other people's reactions to the news of their accomplishments entertaining. The group had a fun time sending Paninya off that night. Winry had even kissed her goodbye at the central train station and when the three had returned to the storefront they settled in to sleep in their first house for the first time.