Edward Elric brushed the last of the snow off his brother's armor. Fresh off the train from Central, the two boys had arrived at Eastern Command. "How come the snow doesn't just slide off?" Ed wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure. I think it's because it doesn't melt because I don't have any body heat." Alphonse used to be self-conscious about things like that but he'd grown to accept it as another inevitability until he got his body back. "At least I don't get cold either."

Ed smiled at his brother. He had a gift for optimism that never seemed to fade. For a fourteen-year-old, Alphonse had experienced more than enough trauma. Ed knew his brother missed things like being able to feel, taste, and smell. But rather than focus on the negative, he focused on the benefits, like not feeling winter's chill.

"We should go find Colonel Sarcasm," Ed sighed, "Let's tell him how we once again, didn't find a philosopher's stone, but managed to overhaul a local government."

"In all fairness brother, the mayor had just died of a heart attack, the government already was a mess." Al knew that was a stretch at best. While the mayor had died under natural circumstances, Ed had caused a stir between the two candidates for the upcoming election by exposing one candidate's economic success as violating a taboo of alchemy, creating gold.

"Yeah...right. You can tell him that!"

"Edward, just because you're from Resembool doesn't mean you were born in a barn, right?" Roy drawled, barely looking up from his paperwork, "If you were, my apologies. Otherwise, wipe your feet."

Ed rolled his eyes and wiped his feet on the entryway rug leading into Mustang's office. Yep, same old Colonel. Just as flippant and snarky as always. Al followed his lead even though he had already wiped his feet as he came into Eastern Command.

"Welcome back boys," First Lieutenant Hawkeye smiled, blowing on a hot cup of tea at her desk, "You must have just gotten in before they delayed the trains. This snowstorm has canceled all trains coming to or from the north." The Lieutenant was always the pragmatic one, keeping tabs on everyone, even when they didn't know it. She didn't show it often but she was a very caring woman.

Al nodded, "We heard them announcing the cancellations on the platform. But we have a place to stay! We met an alchemist on the train and we think he might have some research that could help us get our bodies back. He's a state alchemist too."

"Really?" Roy finally looked up from his papers, his fingers laced together, "What's the name?"

"John Bergmann, the Windsong Alchemist." Ed answered, "He told us he worked on biochemical alchemy."

Lieutenant Hawkeye's teacup shattered at her feet.

"You alright, Lieutenant?" Ed brought his hands together and transmuted the cup back into one piece, handing it to her carefully, "You're not usually clumsy."

"I'm fine, Edward," she answered curtly. Her gaze wouldn't rise to meet his. Her fingers struggled to wrap themselves around the newly repaired china, still hot to the touch from her drink, now staining the carpet.

"Havoc, Breda, Falman, Fuery," Mustang ordered, "Go get the Lieutenant a fresh cup of tea."

Havoc raised an eyebrow, "All of us sir?"

"Can you gentlemen manage that?"

"Yes, sir." they answered in unison, exchanging puzzled glances. They rose from their seats, not daring to question the colonel's order.

"Good. Lieutenant Hawkeye?" she snapped to attention, "Go wash up. Your uniform needs to look presentable."

She looked down. Not a drop of tea had landed on her uniform. Even her boots were mostly dry. The Lieutenant nodded, realizing what he was trying to really say, "Understood, sir."

Roy waited for his subordinates to leave before addressing the boys, "I forbid you from working with the Windsong Alchemist."

"What? We have a lead on how to fix our bodies, and you just cut us off like that?" Ed tried to keep his temper in check, minding his tone and his tongue. He was used to the expectation that he follow orders unconditionally. But this was the closest thing they had to a lead in months. He wasn't ready to back down with no explanation.

"John Bergmann is a war criminal, he committed atrocities in Ishval." Roy cracked his knuckles through his gloves, "I do not want you boys to have any further contact with him. Are we understood?"

"Yeah, like you didn't commit atrocities during that war, Colonel?" Ed snapped, unable to contain himself.

Al placed himself between his brother and the colonel, "Ed! That was uncalled for!"

"Big words for a man who used to burn people alive!"

"Get out of my sight, Elric!" Roy roared. Ed had never heard fury like that in the man's voice before. He'd heard him frustrated, annoyed, even angry before. But this was different. There was something else in his voice too Ed couldn't place. Fear? Guilt? He decided he didn't care to know.