Sunlight drifted into the bedroom as the sound of birds chirping reached Roy's ears. He had been so determined last night to make this morning an early one, however now he was having a hard time just opening his eyes. As much as the evil aura had kept him from sleeping before, it would seem that the unsettling silence of the house had managed to have the same affect on him. Wearily sitting up, the Colonel rubbed the back of his head.

He was determined for the desire of sleep to leave his body. Grudgingly, he stood from the bed and trudged to the bathroom. It was a good bet that Hughes wouldn't be coming by today. Since they knew Edward would be okay, he was sure the Lieutenant Colonel had a lot of work he had been putting off. As that thought came to mind, there was a knock at the door.

"Seriously? He's worse then me." Mustang grabbed his bathrobe and walked out to the living room, wondering why he hadn't just come in. Cracking the door slightly, Al's soulful eyes came into view. "Alphonse?" Roy opened the door all the way, concern hitting him in the gut. "What's wrong?"

"Huh, oh nothing. They kicked me out last night and I figured you were going to head over this morning. I just figured I'd go with you."

"Oh." He let out a cough, covering the fact that he was actually worried.

"Sorry sir, if you want I can come back later." The Colonel shook his hand back and forth.

"That's okay, I shouldn't be too long. Come on in."

Alphonse took a seat on the couch, hunching over and placing his hands on his lap. Glancing out the front window, he watched the world outside contently. Roy decided to start some coffee before heading back into the bedroom to get changed. "So how was he after we left yesterday?" Al turned his attention to the Colonel's voice coming from down the hallway.

"Oh, he seemed all right. Got him to eat a little before he fell asleep again. He was wondering where you were though." Roy smiled ironically to himself. Ed's loyalty through all of this still caught him off guard but at the same time he did get it. He had been the one who found him and even though things were still confusing for the kid, he knew he was safe when he was with him.

Pulling on his jacket, he came out into the kitchen and poured himself some coffee, hoping it would bring him the pick up he needed. If he turned around and went back to sleep he'd probably drop right off. However he couldn't let himself do that. He drank it as quickly as possible, placing his cup in the sink and heading into the living room.

"Ready to go?" Al stood, being careful not to hit the ceiling fan. They left the house only to see Hughes waiting outside in a car, ready to head over to the lab with them. "Aw, come on. I don't need an escort here." Roy's grumblings weren't aimed so much at Al. He just wanted to handle this from here on out by himself. He wasn't sure what was going to be required of him before they would allow Edward to go home. Stomping over, he got into the car along with Alphonse and they took off. Hughes was as chipper as ever since he had been awake for awhile now.

"Morning Roy, guess Al beat me here. So how'd you sleep last night?"

"Not well enough to put up with your cheerful ass this morning." He settled farther into his seat and crossed his arms, letting out a yawn.

"Then how are you planning on helping them out at the lab at all?" Although Maes was half joking, he had a point. Roy would worry about it later.

"So why are you here?" His tone was dry and void of any feeling.

"Well that's nice, next time I'll just let you walk over there. I came so you wouldn't have to go alone and besides, Al could always use the company, right?" Hughes had glanced back in the rear view mirror at Alphonse who nodded back.

"Yeah, sure." Whenever Hughes was around things certainly didn't seem so bleak and Al kind of needed that today. The rest of the ride was quiet and soon enough, the lab came into view. The guards quickly opened the gate for them, not questioning their clearance. As they made it inside the building, Roy turned back to Al and Maes.

"I think it would be best for you to stay out here till I talk to Maddox." Alphonse nodded in agreement, knowing that the Colonel wouldn't do anything that wasn't in Ed's best interest. With that, Mustang turned and walked down the sterile hallway silently by himself. The General was in his office, looking over his notes and writing down some final thoughts when there was a light knock on his door.

"I was wondering when you were going to get here." The Bio Healing Alchemist gave him a grim smile as Roy placed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorway.

"Has there been any new developments?"

"We're still where we were yesterday. I wanted to wait for you to get here before doing the final two transmutations. So if you're ready?" The other alchemist made it sound as though this was something Roy should be looking forward to. Gritting his teeth, he just nodded back as he noticed a sudden unsettling feeling in his stomach. Maddox's smile widened causing the feeling to become worse. Roy wondered if the man really enjoyed his work that much even if it meant pain for someone else. He continued to mull over the disturbing thought as they moved down the hallway to Ed's room.

"Now, he's already been drugged up for this so he might seem a little out of it." The explanation came across as if Maddox was warning him, like he hadn't been giving the kid pain killers for awhile now. Roy entered the room first, catching Edward's eye. He was sitting up now which made him appear more human. However it took him a minute to actually voice his relief.

"Colonel..." Mustang grinned solemnly back. The fact that Ed still looked forward to seeing him really did mean he wasn't quite right yet. It was as though he was able to comprehend everything even clearer now but the part of his brain that functioned his responses wasn't quick enough yet. Maddox made his way in the room as well and Roy noticed Ed's facial expression shifted to worry at the sight of him. "Why's he here?" He shifted back uneasily as he watched the General coming around the other side of the bed.

"You won't have to deal with him much longer, Ed. I promise." Edward's nervous gaze shifted over to Roy. If he was here, everything would be okay. This much he knew as he tried to settle back down on his pillow. The feeling from before came over the Colonel as he noted Ed's demeanor. The kid's once amber eyes now had a dull copper look to them, and although he overall still looked too thin, he seemed more pale. The fact made the Colonel wonder what kind of drugs were they giving him. Maddox cleared his throat and gave Ed a warm smile that didn't ease his nerves.

"We just have these last two transmutations today, Fullmetal. That's it." Again his attempts to calm the younger alchemist failed. Mustang noticed the tight grip Ed had on the sheet under him. Apparently the General dealt with mindless Chimeras more then people as he didn't make any further efforts to help Edward feel comfortable. A deep frown worked it's way onto Roy's face as he sat down next to Ed and placed a hand on top of his.

Ed noticed his smile was more assuring and he swallowed hard. Maddox pulled some gloves on, getting the other alchemist's attention again. Mustang couldn't help but wonder what was so special about them as they seemed similar to his own alchemic practices.

"How do those work?" His curiosity caused him to speak up. The General held up his hands, palms out to reveal very specific transmutation circles on them.

"These are what help single out the area's that need fixed." The alchemist in Roy made him want to see this first hand. This was the kind of alchemy that would probably be very useful on the battlefield if more people knew about it. Maddox pulled the sheet down, causing Mustang's expression to speak for itself as he grimaced.

There had been a time when the Fullmetal Alchemist was in top condition but that was not the case before him. Edward's once toned torso was now sunken in and his rib cage moved up and down with each breath. The sight caught Roy off guard but he held it together. If he started to have a problem now, it would make Ed worry too. Without warning, Maddox placed his gloved hands on Edward's midsection and paused as though he was concentrating. As much as the Colonel wanted to ask questions, he didn't want to break the other alchemist's thought process.

Alchemic sparks came from his fingers and Roy felt Ed tighten his grip under his hand. He turned away, letting out a cry as the alchemy coursed through his body. Unable to do anything else, the Colonel rubbed the back of Ed's hand to reassure him. It didn't seem to help very much as the only response he noticed was Edward leaning his head farther back and clenching his jaw.

After several more minutes of this, Maddox pulled his hands away and everything settled down. Edward let out a huff but didn't bother to open his eyes. If he had, he would have no doubt seen the concerned look he was receiving. There was no way it was that simple. Roy looked over at the other alchemist, twisting his mouth to the side.

"So is that it?" Maddox took a minute before answering. It was as though this little exercise actually took a lot out of him too.

"I've got one more to do but I've gotta give both of us a second." Roy decided to turn his attention to his subordinate.

"Ed, hey are you okay?" Edward shook his head slightly as a shiver ran through him. He turned to the side of the table, where a convenient container was sitting and threw up. Even though Roy understood, he still made a face. After a sad attempt to regain what little dignity he had, Ed turned back, trying to ignore the nasty taste in his mouth. Mustang was certain if he had the capability to move on his own, he would have bolted by now.

"I...huh hurt inside." His explanation was emphasized by another shiver and moving his hand over to clutch his stomach. Roy nodded and stood up, quickly going to the nearby sink. Locating a plastic cup, he filled it with water and returned. Maddox didn't object as he offered it to Ed. The gesture brought some relief even if it wasn't much. The room remained quiet besides Ed's occasional whimpers and gasps for another minute or so. Maddox stood which caused Roy to stiffen in his seat. He was hoping Ed would get a longer break before he would have to deal with more pain. Once he stretched some, the General pushed his stool over up near Edward's head.

"Now here's where it's gonna get tricky." Roy furrowed his brow and even Ed squinted up uneasily at the statement.

"What do you mean tricky? I thought you had all this planned out." The Colonel's tone was dangerously low as if he could become threatening at any moment. Maddox placed his hand up, continuing with his explanation.

"Please give me some credit. It's not as easy with people as it is when just animals are used. We've gotta try to get his mind back to where it was, that's not such a simple thing to do."

Deciding that there was no reason to go any further into the conversation, Maddox carefully placed his one hand on Edward's forehead and eyes. He received a startled groan from him as though he was going to panic. "Fullmetal, I need you to relax for me. You want to be able to think straight again, right?" Ed bit his lip and sucked in a breath. "That's what I thought." He went back to concentrating on the task as he placed his other hand on top of the first one. Ed brought his hand back over to his side, feeling for the Colonel's Roy immediately placed his hand back over Ed's and the teen let out a sigh of relief.

As the blue electricity sparked through the air, Roy could tell Ed was doing everything he could to not move. He could feel his heart aching at the sight, but knew things would get better once this was over. If it was up to him though, he would be allowed to take him home right after. Edward jerked his head slightly as though he was trying to pull away. "Stop that Fullmetal,...not done yet." Maddox's warning only seemed to make him more upset as his lower lip started to tremble.

"Ss...sorry."

Roy wanted nothing more then to stop this but held his tongue. It couldn't last much longer, right? But every second was agony as he noticed tears streaming down Ed's cheeks. Glancing down at the hand he was so desperately trying to sooth, he noticed Edward's knuckles had turned white. "Come on, kid. Just hang on a little longer." He hadn't meant to say it out loud but somehow it had forced it's way out. It must have helped as he felt less tension from Ed's hand. The room fell silent again. It only lasted a short while before something took both Maddox and Roy by surprised.

"Dammit, get out of my head already!" Fullmetal's tone was angry, not that of a child or scared creature either. He was down right pissed off. Maddox still managed to find a reason to smirk as he brought his hands away from Edward's head. The worn out teen let out the breath he was holding, trying to still gather his thoughts. Finally he glared up at Maddox despite the smile he was receiving back. "You, get out." The General was not expecting to receive orders from someone who had no business giving them. However Ed's tone and the glare he was giving the older man revealed he was not to be messed with right now.

"Fine, I'll be back later to check on you though." He stood and walked out, pulling his gloves off. Once he was gone and Mustang got over his own amusement, he leaned into Edward's line of sight.

"Back to your old self I see?" It was too much to hope for, as tears returned to Ed's eyes and he brought his arm up to cover his face. Roy backed off, unsure of what to do now. Edward leaned over onto his side, closer now to the Colonel and a deep anguishing sob emanated from his lungs. He clutched his head as though he wanted so badly to forget. His mind was clearer now, bringing the harsh realities of everything crashing down on him. Roy gently brought his hand down, placing it on his head as well. "It's all right, Ed. You're all right." He found his own voice to be more caring then he even thought possible.

In this moment, the Fullmetal Alchemist had nothing worthy to say, no smart come back or witty comment. His body ached in the worst way but that was not why he was crying. Other then the memories of these past several months, one thing was true at this point. He was back to normal, blissfully human again. A small laugh escaped between the sobs as this reality too came to his now restored mind. Only being able to handle this kind of emotional distress for so long, he felt worn out and his vision wavered.

"Is Al with you?" Mustang nodded silently, feeling Ed's hand now clinging to the front of his uniform. "C...can you send him in. He's been worried and...and should know I'm okay." Roy found himself grinning like an idiot as he realized it was typical for Ed to still be so concerned about the suit of armor that was his brother. It made all that had happened today worth it, just to have him like this. He had to clear his throat before answering.

"Yeah, hang on a second." The Colonel leaned Ed on his back and covered him up with the blankets again. Alphonse shouldn't see how bad he looked just yet. Now looking at Ed's face, he wasn't sure if Al would even get to him in time before he fell asleep. As he stood to head for the door, Edward called after him.

"By the way..." He turned back, wondering what was so important. "You do snore...a lot." Roy chuckled lightly, surprised Ed could even manage a joke right now.

"You're such a smart ass." With that last comment, he exited the room. It took him a second to find Alphonse as he and Hughes were farther down the hallway, standing outside of Maddox's office.

"That sounds like him. He really can be kind of rude like that, sorry," he heard Al mention and had a good idea of what they were discussing. Perhaps the General wouldn't desire to keep Edward here any longer then necessary. Alphonse leaned out into the hallway to see Mustang heading in their direction.

"He's asking for you and I promise I didn't upset him this time." A pleasant smile came across Roy's face as he realized how normal this conversation felt.

"Oh okay" Al nodded and hurriedly moved down the hallway. Hughes and Mustang walked back at their own pace.

"So you sure things are all right, I mean aren't you usually the one annoying the kid?" Maes stuffed his hands in his pockets. That same smile widened at the idea of Ed's normal antics in his office.

"Yes Maes. Everything is fine. I'm sure I'll piss him off sooner or later, but why start now when I can enjoy Maddox taking all the heat?"

"Well that is true. So when am I allowed to see him, I should go in there right now and demand some attention."

"Are you that starved?"

"Sometimes. Remember during this whole thing I haven't have much free time to spend with my wife and baby girl." Roy rolled his eyes, hoping this was not one of those times. By now Al was in the room, sitting on the bed, listening intently to his brother. Mustang let out a sigh, glancing around the empty hallway.

"It really will be nice, when things go back to normal. If I can't stand this place, I can only imagine how Ed feels."

"Let's just hope these next couple of days go by fast." Hughes pushed the door open, deciding Al had enough time alone with his brother.

"Mae's that's so rude." Ignoring his friend's grumblings, he brought his hand up in a greeting as both brothers looked up at him.

oOoOo

Indeed the next several days came and went faster then anyone expected. Maddox was getting fed up with Edward's mouth and his lack of cooperation. He continually would ask him something specific and the response was always the same.

"I'm perfectly fine, let me leave already." Although he was completely normal, it was hard to feel so in this place. He just wanted to hurry up and get back to Resembool to get his automail so he could function again. If nothing else all this time here was stunting his recovery.

Normal life would help put this whole ordeal behind him. Al came to visit every day and usually in the afternoon, Roy would show up which was something to look forward to. At least when he got there, it didn't matter what was going on, Maddox and his staff had to stop, usually for the day.

On this particular day, Mustang immediately ran into the Bio Healing Alchemist as soon as he walked in.

"That's it, Colonel. If he's healthy enough to be this stubborn then he's good enough to leave." He was holding his hands up in defeat.

"Really, we can go?" With his arms still up in the air, Maddox gave him a sly grin.

"He's all yours." Giving Roy a couple last suggestions, he headed back to the safe confines of his office. Feeling relieved, the Colonel headed to the room that had become very familiar by now.

"Brother, hold still." Al's hollowed tone was the first thing he heard as he entered the room.

"You're pulling too hard! Why can't I just do it myself?" Ed's expression was pretty amusing as he leaned forward on his one arm. Alphonse was doing his best, trying to braid his long blond strains out of his face.

"How you gonna do this with one hand?"

"I'll manage." The indignant look on the young alchemist's face brought a grin to Roy's. The Fullmetal Alchemist was the only person who could be without a limb and still look like he could take you out with a glare. Seeing the Colonel didn't seem to change his demeanor, which was a first. He must have had a really bad day or something. The good news would hopefully make him happy. Walking over to the bed, his smirk gained him an arched eyebrow in response.

"Well I have some good news, although I don't know if it's worth mentioning." As much as Ed would normally growl some snotty remark, he took in a tired sigh waiting for Roy to get past his dramatic pause. "Apparently you've annoyed Maddox soo much that he says you can go home."

"Really? Home?" Roy found his simplistic reaction kind of odd but nodded back.

"Although I'm sure you'll both be heading back to Resembool as soon as possible, it beats being here, right?" Ed's gaze dropped and he grew quiet at the realization.

"Yeah, there's no reason to stick around once they let us leave," Al chimed in. A frown twisted onto Roy's face.

"Something wrong, Ed?" It took him a minute, as though he was trying to get his thoughts together.

"No, nothing's wrong. Al's right." His tone was softer then normal which didn't make the Colonel really believe him but he shrugged it off.

As much as Roy had expected Ed to be relieved to get away from the lab and out of Central, the next day he seemed to keep even more to himself. Roy allowed Al and him to stay at his house, knowing Ed would want that anyway. Now sitting in his office with Maes, the Flame Alchemist watched the gloomy rainy day outside. He was glad he didn't need to go out in it.

"So you think they're going to be okay?" Hughes' question didn't seem to catch Mustang off guard as he turned in his chair back to his friend.

"They'll be fine. Although I take it you're referring more to Ed, aren't you?" He grabbed his coffee off his desk and took a sip.

"I know Maddox did everything possible and Ed is more like himself, but he still seems off."

"When they were still at the house, I caught him watching squirrels outside. Everything's probably still a little too fresh in his mind right now. I don't expect it to be like that forever though." Maes brought his own mug up to his mouth.

"Yeah, I was surprised he didn't ask you to come with them."

"Who said he didn't. It took everything I had to convince him I had to stay here." Maes let out a snicker and scratched the side of his head.

"I'm telling yah, it'll be interesting to see how he is when he gets back. I bet you two are at each other's throats the way you used to be."

"You think so?" Roy turned back to the window, drinking his coffee again. His mind wondered back to the train station as he helped Ed get on board. If nothing else this situation might have made them understand each other a little bit better. The last thing Edward told him before he left the train was a quiet thank you. Edward was an alchemist as well, by now he'd probably figured out how this whole thing had been such a burden on the Colonel. Although Roy didn't do it to get the appreciation. Letting out a sigh, he realized he was looking forward to when they would get back to Central. But of course he would never say anything about it to Hughes.

The End...again?

A/N so please review for me and thank you Selvow for a great story and letting me write this.