It was different without (Y/n) and Winry there. Before they had come, Alphonse was so used to being by himself, it had been normal.

But now it just seemed lonely.

"You did what!?" The main group of servants, including Roy, Riza, Alex, Maes, Mrs. Hughes, and Sheska had simultaneously asked Edward after he gave the two girls permission to go.

Alphonse stood nearby, silently looking at the ground with Spook in his arms. He was glad he still had something to remember her by until she returned. That is, if she truly did return.

"I let her go," Ed said quietly.

"But- but why!?" Alex questioned.

"Because, I love her."

"How are we supposed to be human again now?" Sheska asked, desperation apparent in her voice.

"And how is Alphonse taking it?" Maes said quietly.

They all looked over at him. He was silently petting the now sleeping kitten's head. He could feel their stares burning into his metal body, even without looking.

"I think you did the right thing, brother," Alphonse spoke, barely above a whisper. "I-if they had found out their grandmother had gotten sick, a-and we had learned about it a-and did not let them go to find her, I don't think they would have ever forgiven us."

"B-but, now you're both all alone," Alex pressed. "Are you sure you don't regret your decision, Edward?"

"Even if I did, it's too late now. We don't know where they live. If they come back, it will be by their own choice. I honestly would feel better about that than dragging them back here against their will."

"Y-yeah. I-it's like the old saying goes. I-if you l-love something, s-set it free," unseen tears could be heard in Al's voice. Soft sniffles in the middle of his speech, him audibly choking up.

(Y/n)'s absence was affecting him a lot more than he was letting on.

And the same thing was happening to Edward with Winry.

About a week after the two girls had left, something started happening with a few of the servants.

Mr and Mrs. Hughes to be exact.

It started to become apparent to Alphonse when he was in the library, reading as though (Y/n) was still there with him. Spook had been very clingy with him, now that one of her favorite people was missing, moved to an unknown place for an indefinite period of time.

But Al didn't mind the company at all. In fact, he loved it. There wasn't anything he could think of that could be considered a negative side effect to it, to be honest.

Whilst he sat sitting, reading one of the books he had seen her reading multiple times, he heard the library door open. He looked up eagerly, half expecting (Y/n) to have returned already. But disappointment soon found him as he realized it was only the Hughes family.

Only then did he notice something important.

One of them was missing. An adorable little teacup to be exact.

"Where could she have gone off to?" Maes worried voice was asking.

"Honey, calm down. She couldn't have gone far," Gracia tried to comfort him.

"Excuse me, is Elicia missing?" Alphonse asked, walking over to the couple.

"Yes she's missing! And we haven't seen her since Winry and (Y/n) left!" Maes shouted.

A moment of silence preceded them, realization slowly dawning on all of them.

"You don't think," Gracia started.

"She was rather attached to the both of them," Maes replied.

"Th-then that would mean at least one of them would have to come back. They-they'd notice, right?" Al chimed in.

Maes started running towards the library's exit, yelling as he ran.

"We need to find my little girl!"

"Wait, Maes! We don't know where they live! We just need to wait for them to bring her back!"

"But what if they don't notice!? How are we gonna get her back then!?"

"M-Mr. Hughes, please calm down," Alphonse said, holding up his arms to try to put him at ease. "I'm sure they'll notice and bring her back as soon as possible. (Y/n) understands how important it is to keep a child and its parents together."

"Alphonse is right, sweetie. We just have to wait," Gracia reassured him.

Maes took a few deep breaths, before sighing.

"Okay, we'll just have to trust they'll bring her back."

"What should we do until then?" asked Al.

They both looked at him silently, before Gracia spoke up.

"If you have any questions about love, you can ask us. You've seemed pretty lonely since (Y/n) went away, so don't be afraid to hold back."

"O-oh," Al stuttered, suddenly self conscious. He finally had someone to ask all the questions that had been swirling around in his head.

Not only that, but he could get answers from both genders, from people with actual experience in the subject.

"I-if a love is meant to be, w-will it just happen naturally, o-or do you need to do something to make it happen?"

Gracia and Maes both chuckled, smiling at him.

"Usually if it's meant to happen, it'll happen. But you need to tell (Y/n) how you feel the next time you see her. Once you get it off your chest, even if she doesn't feel the same way (which I highly doubt), you'll feel better knowing the truth. And, if she knows you feel that way, it can sometimes be easier to win her over than if she doesn't know," Maes informed him.

"S-so, I should tell her I love her next time I see her?"

"Yes. I'm almost certain she feels the same way. I've seen how she looks at you. In fact, I think the thing she was trying to talk to you about before she left may have been the fact that she loves you," Gracia said.

"Y-you really think so? C-couldn't it have just been friendship she was looking at me with?"

"I don't think so. I know when a girl's in love, and I'm almost one hundred percent certain that's what (Y/n) feels towards you," Gracia explained.

Alphonse stared at her for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Okay, I-I'll tell her next time I see her. I promise."

"Good on ya', Al," Maes said.

"Now, any other questions?"

"N-no, I think that's it."

***

You sat cross-legged on the couch in the Rockbell home, still not used to the once familiar interior.

Winry was in the other room, giving medical attention to Pinako. The two of you had found her outside in the forest, during a snowstorm. Den had stayed by her side like the good dog he was. He was in the same room with them.

You sighed to yourself. It had only been a week since you had last seen him, but you could tell it wasn't going to get any easier. Your heart was aching, longing to hear his echoing voice again. You wanted to see the glowing red orbs inside his helmet again. You were longing to see his metallic exterior and hear the clinking of it as he moved.

For someone who enjoyed silence over conversation, you had never thought you could miss a noise so much.

As you sat, you started rummaging through the bag you had brought back with you, unzipping it.

That's when you noticed a little teacup peering up at you.

The two of you locked eyes, confusion written all over your face, before Elicia smiled at you.

"Hi (Y/n)!"

"Elicia! W-what are you doing in my bag!?"

"I-I didn't want you to leave! You and Winry are like my big sisters! And sisters stick together!"

"Do your parents know you're here!?"

"No, but now you can bring me back! And Alphonse can tell you he loves you!"

Your face became dusted with pink as you quickly looked away.

"Wh-what makes you think he loves me?"

"Well, mommy and daddy act the same way you and Al do. It's obvious that he loves you!"

You stayed silent, before grinning and turning back to her.

"You were planning that, weren't you ya little matchmaker?"

Elicia giggled, acting adorable and innocent.

"Alright, as soon as Aunt Pinako is better, I'll take you back to the castle."

"Is Winry coming too?" She asked, giving you the puppy-eyes.

You sighed, saying, "Yes, Winry can come too."

"Yay!"

Suddenly, you heard a knock on the door. Both you and Elicia stared silently at it, curiosity filling the two of you. You hurriedly set your bag down on the table, making sure Elicia was comfortable.

"Stay out of sight while I see who it is," you ordered.

Elicia nodded, moving further back in the bag.

You stood up and walked slowly to the door, opening it carefully.

A man with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, a beard, and glasses stood in front of you. He had golden eyes to match his hair.

Something about the color of both his hair and his eyes reminded you of Edward.

"May I help you?" You asked.

"Yes," the man said. "I'm looking for Pinako Rockbell. This was her house last I checked. Is she here?"

"Um, she is. But she's in one of the back rooms, she's a bit sick right now," you replied. "And, who might you be?"

The man looked down at you, before smiling a closed eyed smile.

"Oh, do forgive me. Where are my manners?" The man held out a hand for you to shake, which you hesitantly accepted. "I'm just an old friend of Pinako's. The name's Van Hohenheim. But you can just call me Hohenheim if you like."