Marveled by the constant rotation of bright lights and unforeseen winds, Al was petrified in place. Twisting and turning, hoping to find a way out of the small contained room, lights bounced from wall to wall. Shrouded by its glow a figure emerged from a cloud of smoke. His heart, ready to burst; wanting nothing more than to see his face again.

"Brother!" Al yelled watching the thick smoke fade as he got closer, "Edward!"

Al watched intensively, Edward's distinctive figure faded within smoke and light. He was at first scared but hid it under curiosity. What happened to Ed? What had he done? Fragments of memory flashed before him. The group of homunculi had forced Ed to sacrifice the men to make the philosopher's stone at the cost of Al's life at lab 5. Suddenlythe smoke had completely disappeared before Al could see him. Unconsciously embraced in the arms of a female officer. Al went silent as the shock consumed him.

"It's alright Ed, everything will be alright." The woman finished taking him to the rest of the officers for medical attention.

Edward woke up instantly yelling for his brother. His eyes shifted to the corner of the hospital room to find Al propped up against a nearby wall, a familiar face remained untouched; as though he had no thoughts expressed in his face. His limbs were completely gone, from when Gluttony ate them clear off the armor. Does he remember anything that just happened? Is he even alive? For one second Ed had doubted his own faith, until one quick breath of life brought him back to his senses.

His eyes downcast and empty, how could he speak to the brother he betrayed. "...Al..." He quickly turned his blue eyes toward Edward, awaiting the rest of the statement. "I'm...I'm sorry Al. I had the chance to get you back to normal and I hesitated. I promise Al, I'll fix everything...ok." Al nodded just as Roy Mustang walked in.

"Well, isn't it Full metal. What mess have you gotten yourself into this time. Your in the hospital for crying out loud." He consciously teased as he came to the side of the bed and roughly leaned on the wall. "It seems like every time we meet, you have gotten yourself into some other type of trouble."

Ed was peering intently out the small square window. He could see little: his vision was failing and he had no sensation of movement, but then the lighted window of a car moved past through the mist outside, and he felt suddenly giddy. He then turned back toward Roy, "what did you say?" Roy jumped with fury and shook his fist.

"You mean to tell me you didn't hear a word I just said!" Edward smiled calmly and nodded bashfully. Roy sighed loudly getting back to where he was, "so what was it this time? What happened?"

"An observable sign of working outside the a law of nature, beyond any humans comprehension." Ed smirked and crossed his arms.

"What does that mean!" Roy grew impatient and was now yelling.

"It means..." Edward paused and gave an evil glare. "I'm not talking, because you won't understand unless I showed it to you." He laughed and patted Roy on the back. Though Roy didn't find it as funny as ed made it out to be. Just before Roy could shout out another question Hughes walked in.

"Well, I didn't expect you to be here Roy." Hughes came in politely and closed the door behind him. He gently brushed Ed's hair back and pulled up his chin to check him out. "You look much better, compared to how you came in. Next time don't scared us like that. You nearly gave Mustang here a heart attack." He smiled caringly at Roy.

"What the! He did no such thing!" Roy quickened to correct Hughes mistake.

"Stop playing Hughes! Mustang here doesn't care what happens to me. He didn't even ask how I was when he came in, much less think about it to himself. It's always how much trouble I am to him, and how he has to do all that paper work because of my acts of misbehavior." Ed stuck his tongue out.

"Your wrong Ed...Roy is not like that. He really cares about you, just he puts on a front for know one can see it. Deep down...deep down there's a kind hearted man. He is trapped inside. Though he is kept from the open, doesn't mean he's nonexistent. Much less that the feeling he cares about the most isn't there." Hughes patted Roy's shoulder steadily, but he quickened his jolt and his hand missed.

"Stop filling his head with crap!" Roy groaned finally deciding to leave the room.

Hughes laughed silently, "you see? He's just embarrassed." Ed watched dumbfound as Hughes quickly followed after Roy.

"Brother?" Al's voice had broken the awkward moment suddenly, "do you think Hughes right? Do you think Mustang really does care?" Edward smiled contently and shrugged his shoulders with an answer of, 'I don't know what to think anymore'.

It felt like waiting for an execution. Roy had left the hospital and was now waiting on his driver to arrive and pick him up. He wasn't to please with the fact had had to write a report on the events that happened in lab five, when Ed wouldn't give him a reasonable explanation. So he was not in a mood to react favorably when a hand tugged at his sleeve as he turned into a corner. He looked around, expecting a beggar, and automatically reached for his pocket to find a coin and get rid of them quickly. But the figure he saw clearly was not a beggar, but his dear annoying friend Hughes. What he could see of his face was not encouraging: for Hughes' experiences of life had left his habitual expression one of sullen threat. He took it in, surprised, and then looked down at the rough-knuckled hand resting on his sleeve.

"Tell him." he said, astonishing him further. "Tell Ed the truth. You can't go on like this forever." His low, hoarse mutter, the air of menace he wore, were too much for Roy. He shook his arm free, seized Hughes' arm instead, and to his amazement dragged him suddenly into the angle of the ally and pushed him against the wall. Anger lent him strength, and movement was so unexpected that Hughes didn't resist, and in any case he was so off balance. But before he knew what had happened, something hard and painful was thrust against his ribs. He looked down and saw Roy's fist.

"I'll tell him when I feel like it. You don't focus me to do anything, got it." His voice low and intense, and furious hatred in his eyes. So Hughes stood still and silent against the wall as Roy stepped away. "I don't know what he will say or think if I tell him."