Chapter 8

Okay, I don't know how any scene I could write would be good right here in this story but between chp 7 and 8, Al got his body back. S'okay? S'okay. Last chapter here folks.

– – –

"Brother..." Al stood in a hallway alone. "Aunt Pinako said...you have..." Al looked at his fleshy hands. He was happy to have a human body again but...In that few months, one thought kept bugging him.

An office door opened and Al shut up. It was Ed and he looked rather pleased. They'd been back in Central for about a week since Ed got Al his body back. Ed had been doing well at hiding his coughs and seeming completely healthy.

"What did he want, Brother?" Al asked. Ed had been in to see Roy that morning. He seemed to do that a lot lately. Ed cleared his throat and adjusted his jacket collar.

"New case. It's a small fry case but I said I'd do it."

"Why? I thought you hated small stuff." Al followed his brother down the hall.

"What kind of man of the people would I be if I only helped the big people?" Ed winked back at his brother. He adjusted his collar again to hide what would probably soon be a hickey. If Mustang didn't knock that off, Ed wouldn't have enough collar to cover them.

– –

Ed coughed harshly and then dryly. He'd sent Al to get water but since Al might get lost, he sent Havoc with him. Ed and Havoc just happened to be in the same area. Ed stood on guard duty and held his hand up to cover up the coughing. The back of his clove was slightly covered in blood now.

Ed saw Al coming around the block with Havoc flirting behind him. He smiled and waved. Ed took two steps toward them before his balance swayed. He had a sudden rush through his body and his eyes rolled back as he fainted and collapsed on the ground.

"Brother?!" Al called as he ran to get to him. Havoc turned from the pretty girl to see what happened.

"Boss!" he ran over by Ed. The boy was just laying there, unmoving. Havoc dropped down and felt his forehead. "Jesus, he's burning up." he swore a bit and picked Ed up in his arms.

Alphonse didn't move to follow at first.

"Aunt Pinako said..." Al's eyes began to tear up. "Brother!" he ran after them quickly.

– – – –

Alphonse always forgot that running and having lungs meant you got tired. As a suit of armor you don't even really need to breath. He huffed as Havoc checked Ed into the emergency room. Doctors rushed in quickly after one doctor merely looked at Ed and knew what the problem was.

Al didn't want to believe it. They all kept saying the same thing but he wouldn't.. Couldn't believe it.

"Mom." he cried, curling his knees to his chest in the chair outside Ed's room. "It's all my fault."

– – – –

Roy thought his heart had stopped when Havoc had called him. Edward was in the emergency room in serious condition.

Roy's legs were screaming when he finally let them stop running. He spotted Alphonse in a chair and sat beside him, giving his legs a chance to rest.

"Alphonse?" he asked softly.

"Roy?!" Al's blue eyes turned on the man and, seeing his face, he began to cry again. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault!"

"You're fault? Don't be silly. Havoc said Ed collapsed on his own. You didn't do anything."

"Exactly!" Al whined. "I didn't say anything to anyone! I didn't tell anyone and now brother's going to die!" Al was bawling at this point.

"Die...?" Roy repeated softly and unbelieving. "He'll... die?"

"A-Aunt Pinako s-said Ed had... the same thing Mom died of." Al explained. "Ed's been coughing and sick ever since that time he had to miss work for it. He refused to stay home and he kept getting worse. And now he's in a hospital!"

Roy didn't want to believe Ed could die. Not of something he should have noticed. No. Ed would pull through. He would. Roy couldn't go on without thinking like that.

"Y-Your mother." Roy cleared his throat. He'd heard of it. You couldn't dig into Ed's file as deep as Roy did and not know about the mother that set her sons off on Alchemy.

Al couldn't even talk anymore, he just nodded and cried. He had Ed's coat around his shoulders but he wasn't wearing it. He could hardly sit still at all. His heart was racing and he felt suffocated.

The military man beside him was no better. Roy gripped the shirt over his heart. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. Ed couldn't die. This was resilient Edward. The cocky self arrogant brat.

At every description, Roy saw their memories. First meeting Ed in Risembool. Their petty arguments over nothing. Joking over his height. Walking down the street by the flower shop. Nights when they shared the same bed, the same heartbeat, the same breath. Ed's laughing face at the wedding and the tender skin just under Ed's collar.

So many memories flooded his mind that he almost didn't hear the doctor call to them. Seeing Al grip the coat, they both stood up and walked over.

"I can say this much. This isn't something he caught overnight. He must have been hiding it for a long time." The doctor spoke. Al pulled Ed's hood over his head, trying to block out the familiar speech. "I'm afraid we've done all we can do for now. If he survives the night, he may pull through."

"T-Thank you, doctor." Roy kept his voice fairly steady.

"He will.." a quiet voice murmured. Roy looked at the younger Elric as the doctor walked away. "He will make it.. He has too."

Roy frowned and put an arm around Al's shoulders, comforting him until they could go see Ed.

– – – –

"Brother..." Al began when he and Roy sat on either side of Ed's hospital bed. "Aunt Pinako told me... just after the wedding, when I was still in the armor... She told me you reminded her of mom. She said you were both too stubborn about sickness. She said you... had the same sickness. I didn't want to believe her but.. You do." Al held one of his brother's hands and Ed looked sadly at him.

"I guess... I cant argue about it anymore." he spoke softly. "I... I knew what it was, Al." Ed smiled sadly, like he was somehow happy. Al could only stare in disbelief.

"Why?! Why didn't you do anything about it?!" He sobbed.

"Because I was afraid. To be in a hospital and hear them tell it to my face. I didn't want to be told until.."

"Until you died?! I don't understand.. You could have been healed!"

"No he couldn't." Roy spoke for the first time since entering the room. He squeezed Ed's other hand. He spoke to Al but he only had eyes for Ed.

"What?" Alphonse dropped his voice. He looked to his brother for an answer but Ed turned away.

"It's incurable. Even though it was discovered almost 10 years ago... The doctors cant even prolong the life of a victim yet." Roy whispered angrily, eyes narrowing to stop the tears.

All was quiet in the room and Al just shook. He dropped Ed's hand and stood up. Ed looked at his brother but before he could even get his name out, Al half glared at him.

"You're so stupid!" he yelled and ran from the room.

"Al!" Ed tried but then had no air to keep yelling. Roy's grip tightened and Ed looked back at his lover.

"Don't..." he begged softly. "Don't waste the life you still have... Please."

It seemed that, just as Ed had decided the day he discovered his disease, Roy knew Ed wasn't going to live till the morning. Ed brought Roy's hand to his head and he lightly kissed it.

"When you see Al... would you tell him something for me?" Ed asked. Al wouldn't be back in time. Roy nodded. "I sacrificed myself again when I returned our bodies to normal. Having the nearly complete stone helped but it was still human transmutation."

"But.." Roy tried but Ed hushed him lightly.

"In return for my limbs and Al's body.. I gave up a rib..." Ed lifted his hospital shirt and showed Roy where, placing his fingers on it. Roy gasped and unconsciously put a bit more pressure on the spot. Ed drew in a slightly sharp breath and Roy pulled his hand away. "And I... knew I wasn't going to live much longer so... I gave up half of my time left. At first I was worried it didn't work because.. How do you notice if you're time is stolen? But the faces in the gate... just smiled at me and nodded to each other. I knew I wouldn't last. Let Al know I did it for him."

Roy felt a tear or two slip from his eyes. He brought Ed's hand to his lips and his kissed the knuckles.

"That night.. When you came to me after the wedding.." Roy began. "You did it because you knew, didn't you?" he almost sounded angry.

"I wanted..." Ed cupped Roy's cheek, stroking away tears that were falling. "..to give all I had to you before I couldn't give anything at all." Ed looked so tired.

Roy remembered the tears Ed cried that night. He'd cried because convincing himself to force himself upon Roy was convincing himself that he knew he would die.

"You should... conserve your energy." Roy whispered. "Sleep."

Ed shook his head but didn't say why not. Roy just smiled as best he could and leaned down over the boy, capturing his lips in a kiss. Ed kissed him back with what strength he had left.

"I love you..." Ed whispered.

"I know." Roy's voice almost cracked. "I love you, Edward."

– – –

Al walked down the hall. It was late and the hospital staff were starting to leave. A few at a time. However, the night shift was coming on duty. A man and woman suddenly rushed past the distraught boy and he gasped, not expecting that.

The two people turned down a hall and Al's eyes widened. He dashed after them, now wearing Ed's coat so it didn't fly off. Turning down the hall, Al saw the two doctors running into Ed's room.

Al rushed into the room after them, despite people telling him he couldn't. His heart beat sped up and he saw Roy in the corner, sliding to his knees, face in his hands. The doctors bustled around and tried to revive the boy but nothing was working.

"No!" Al screamed. Roy pulled his face from his hands and finally noticed the younger Elric.

"No Brother! You cant do this to me!" Al cried, tears falling down. He ran for the bed but doctors threw him back. Al cried out, ripping back the sleeves of the coat and his shirt.

Roy watched as Al bit his finger till it bled and pressed it to his skin.

"You can't leave me alone like this!" Al screamed in anguish. He ran for the bed again and knocked the doctors off when they tried to stop him. Roy gasped, noticing the design on Al's arms.

Al clapped his hands and just before they touch Ed's unmoving form, arms grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back. Roy pulled him back so hard they fell against the wall and the doctors tried once more to revive Ed. Just once more.

"It's not worth it Al!" Roy scolded, holding the struggling boy down.

"No! I don't care if I'm metal! He shouldn't have traded his life for mine!" Al tried roughly to get out of the grasp of his brother's lover. Roy gasped. Al had overheard Ed? "I'll attach his soul this time! He can't just.. He can't... leave..." Al's sobs were overpowering his strength and he became easier to hold back.

"He... He did it for us." Roy whispered, tightening his grip on Al into more of a hug. "He's..."

The doctors began to pull back and one wrote down the time on a report. "Edward Elric. Time of death... 10:20 pm."

Roy hid his head in Al's back. "...gone."

Al pressed his hands into his face as though to push through it. Not Ed... Not his brother. Anyone else but not him. And out of his mouth came one of the most pain filled cries that hospital had ever heard. Roy just sobbed into the coat Al wore. He gripped it tightly as though the coat were Ed himself.

In Risembool, Winry was laying happily by her husband and Aunt Pinako was looking at the sky with a frown. In Lior, Rose cried but she didn't know why. Somewhere in his travels, Russell Tringham paused to look at the sky. His brother tugged on his shirt but that didn't stop the feeling that something was somehow wrong.

'Did something happen.. Ed?' he asked the stars.

– – –

A week later, Roy stood at the back of Ed's funeral. Winry cried into her husband's shoulder and he just held her. He'd known the brothers as children. Aunt Pinako attended along with the dog. He was buried by his mother in Risembool.

Hawkeye and the others took the trip. Even the Tringham brother's showed up. Russell had instantly headed to Central that night and heard the news. Now he held his brother as he cried and he tried to hold back his own tears.

Roy smiled sadly.

'All your friends are here for you, Ed.' he thought. Dressed in black and hiding in the shadow of a tree, Roy probably hadn't been noticed. Unlike Hughes's funeral where he stayed till he was the only one left, Roy turned from the grave and became the first to leave.

He'd seen him dead long enough for one lifetime. Roy put his hands in his pockets and walked down past the burned down house and the auto mail shop. He paused by the stream and took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

The wind blew around him and Roy felt a smaller hand caress his cheek. He felt smaller lips on his own. He smiled, a tear sliding down his cheek. Despite the fear that it would all be over when he opened his eyes, those black orbs opened.

The leaves around him in the air spun in the gust of wind and Roy could see Ed. Ed's eyes opened and he smiled, trailing that imaginary hand across Roy's cheek as the wind moved on and the air became still.

A tear leaked from either of Roy's eyes and he smiled warmly.

Ed's body may be gone but.. He was still here. He was in the air. Roy looked at the clouds above, moved by the wind. In the clouds he could easily pick out Ed. Roy dropped his gaze to the water, putting his hand to him mouth to stop a sob.

Everywhere he looked, Ed was there. In the water, Ed was smiling up at his mother. Ed and his mother were together. A single tears hit the water and the ripples washed the image away.

"I love you... Edward Elric." he whispered, walking back to the auto mail shop where some people were already standing around to talk about better times. Roy however, felt the lead in his heart become lighter. Ed was happy on Earth with him, but he was happier where he was now, with his family. And one day, Roy would join them. When he closed his eyes to smile comfortingly down at Winry, he heard a whispered voice blow by.

'I love you, Roy Mustang.'