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2. Interaction

Fullmetal's POV

I'd been laughing at Tempest's antics, but I stopped when I heard Bradley invite him to his office. I frowned... And inside, though it was hard to admit, I was a little worried for Tempest.

Seeing him walk away just as sobered up as me by Bradleys words, I just - couldn't stop thinking about the time Al an' i got dragged into his office. That idiot colonel sat opposite us , just fuckin' watching, while the president threatened Winry's life. Oh yeah. He thought he was subtle. So now I have to clench my jaw and bite down on every retort I have (usually to Mustang), just so I can get some damn sleep at night, knowing she's oblivious and ok.

"Big brother, are you alright? You look upset."

I smiled and looked up at Al. Good old Al. You can sure count on him to pick up on when something is wrong. Though I can't keep much of a secret...

"Yeah its just.." My sentence trailed off, me not quite knowing how to word it.

"Its Winry, isnt it." A statement, not a question.

I sighed. "I went to call her the other day.. Granny said she was down in that desert with Garfield (A/N did I spell that name right?) , working a permanent job." I frowned, remembering.

He practically beamed. "But that's great, brother! You know this is her interest, just like Alchemy is to us."

I shook my head. "That's not the issue. Listen, its probably nothing, but when I called the automail shop in Rush Valley yesterday, Paninya answered, saying she was travelling back to Resembool."

"Maybe she forgot something, clothes?"

No, I knew that wasn't it. She wouldn't just 'forget' something - especially something as necessary as clothes. Her memory was like a vault. Anything that came in was stained there forever. I'd witnessed that firsthand.

"...and there's no need to go back for automail items; hell, that place has better quality shit than the best Resembool shops." The rest of my thought I finished out loud not realising as I did so.

Al was oddly quiet at that. Just as I raised my head to ask if it was the cursing that bothered him, he said,

"Oh, hi, Finn." And he waved, always so polite. If only I could quit hurting I'd be nice like that, too.

----------- Tempest's POV

Here's me, stomping out of Bradleys stank ass office, wishing there was any other way to make extraordinary amounts of money to send to my grandmother in Resembool.

And what do I hear? Gossip. Of me, of course.

"...and there's no need to go back for automail items; hell, that place has better quality shit than the best Resembool shops." Ed, what?

Enough of the sentence made sense to me to cause me to stop walking and listen in. Something about.. Rush Valley, maybe? RV has best quality products. In fact, its known as the "automail engineer's Mecca".

In any case, they're talking about automail; and anywhere automail is concerned, that girl Winry is concerned. I need to hear what they said.. Common sense, however, told me to not keep staring like an idiot, just walk away.

Al, as always, the worst timing. "Oh, hi, Finn!" He spoke, waving at me. What the heck! Why is the boy always so damn nice! Ain't you got nothing better to do?

Good lord, did I say that out loud?

"Hey tempest." Ed turned slightly as he greeted me. (Guess not.)