The Water Alchemist

Heavy Interference

"She'll come back; I just know it," she said determinedly.

Ed chuckled to himself incredulously. Hughes must have left out the possibility of Marina being taken. It was probably best if Winry thought she simply ran away.

"Yeah," he said, returning her smile as best he could.

"We'll find her," Al reaffirmed.

Ed nodded, admiring his brother's perseverance. If Al had anything in spades, it was perseverance and kindness. They talked a bit longer, mostly about Winry's stay at the Hughes household as they cleaned up after the late-night meal.

"Well, it's getting late. I'd better be going," Winry said, holding the now emptied and cleaned dish.

"I don't feel right sending you out alone," Ed said, walking up to the door. "We have a room down the hall if you wanna crash there for the night. Otherwise, let me take you back." The offer was more for his own peace of mind.

"Why do you have another—" Winry stopped herself, likely realizing it was Marina's room. She seemed to mull over the offer. "If I stay, can I help you look for her tomorrow?" Ed thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"Sure."

"Really?" Winry asked with raised eyebrows. Ed had nearly never allowed her to help, other than repairing his automail for him.

"Why not?" he said. "May as well have all the eyes we can get looking for her. We're heading out early, so don't make us wait."

He handed Winry the key to Marina's room, and he waited in the hallway to see that she made it in alright. Ross looked up from her book. Brosh was out cold.

"Winry's staying?" she asked. Ed nodded. "That's good."

"She's going to help us look tomorrow too. I was thinking of checking the train station again."

"Sure," Ross said, folding her book closed. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"

They were faint, but Ross picked up on the eyebags that adorned Ed's face. He bobbed his head at her and closed the door behind him. He flicked the lights and strode across the room, flinging himself back on the bed— this time prepared to sleep. Yet as prepared as he was, he was unable to drift to sleep. He tossed and turned under the covers, intermittently squeezing his eyes shut tighter, thinking that would somehow help. He just saw Marina's face twisted in anguish as she left when he closed them. He could hear his brother shifting around in the darkness and tried to focus on the soft clinks of his armor. After a few agonizing moments of rolling around, he laid flat on his back with a gigantic sigh and stared at the ceiling fan that swirled around slowly.

"Can't sleep again, brother?" Al asked.

He had his back to him, but Al turned his head to address his brother. Ed looked over to his red orbs, comforting lights in the dark. A small candle sat opposite him at the table, illuminating his face.

"Nah," he responded finally. "What are you up to?" Al turned slightly, facing away from his restless brother.

"I— uh, well," he squirmed in the dim candlelight. Al started squirming nervously. Ed sat up slightly and narrowed his eyes.

"Whatcha got there, Al?" he asked, throwing off the covers and striding over to the table.

"N-nothing," he said nervously.

Al quickly hunched over the table, huddling over something. When Ed approached him, he placed his hand on Al's shoulder and noticed he had Marina's journal.

"Alphonse," Edward chided, crossing his arms. "Who'd have thunk?"

"It's not what it looks like!" he said. Ed took the journal and held it up tauntingly.