The minutes following the final gunshot were a blur to Edward.

He remembers Havoc running over to him, obscuring his view of both Rodin and Mustang just as other uniformed men descended upon them. When the Lieutenant had begun instructing him to apply pressure to his shoulder, he remembers snapping at the man, demanding that he look after Hawkeye instead.

He remembers being handed a canteen of water by a faceless soldier, crouching down to her and reintroducing himself. When she understood, he carefully poured the water up and down her arm, cooling the metal and alleviating the pain.

Edward thinks he remembered Havoc scooping Hawkeye into his arms in order to rush her downstairs to an awaiting car. He's confident he remembers pressing his index and middle fingers to her lips, drawing them back, and pressing them back once again; simulating the motion of smoking in order to tell her who it was.

He remembers being escorted from the room beside Havoc and another soldier and seeing a mess of people surrounding the General, though he could not see Mustang himself. While he had tried to break free to rush over to him, the person that he was with redirected him out the door and away from Mustang.

There were small fits of panic when he didn't see Alphonse outside, but he was reassured over and over again that his little brother was safe. Apparently, they had received a call from a secretary that had talked to Mustang just hours before. When she didn't hear from him again, she used her best judgement and called his team and a few others to confirm his location and status. Since his team had been aware of his recent whereabouts, they immediately headed toward Knox's house, where they found Alphonse running from the it in a state of shock. He had already been whisked away by them by the time Edward had asked...

The very last thing that he remembers more clearly than the rest was Dr. Knox being escorted to another vehicle, looking a bit worse for wear, but all in one piece.

After that, the details were fuzzy. There had been constant questions, both on his end and theirs.

"Were you hurt anywhere else?"

"Where's Alphonse?"

"Are you taking any medications?"

"Where are they?"

With a loud huff Edward leaned back against the bed's headboard and attempted to cross his arms in dissatisfaction, though the sling his arm was in stopped him from doing so. Here he was in the hospital again. Being forced to remain there again.

All he wanted was news.

The nurses were decent enough to tell him that Alphonse was fine, coming out with mild dehydration and rope burns. However, for whatever their twisted reasoning was, he wasn't allowed to see his brother for another couple of hours. Something about acclimation into the hospital environment or awaiting a doctor's orders or whatever.

Now he was waiting on them. All he wanted was an okay regarding Hawkeye and-

"Hey." Looking up, Edward watched as Mustang walked into the room, his arm in a sling as well. When the older man saw Edward eyeing it, he smiled lightly and added, "We match."

Taking the playfulness with which the General said this to heart, Edward allowed himself to relax slightly, countering back with a snide, "Don't expect us to get matching tee shirts anytime soon."

"Not a chance," Mustang chuckled as he lowered himself into the seat beside Edward's bed. As soon as he sat down, however, the air changed slightly; a tone of seriousness hanging between them.

For a moment, neither spoke again, as if seeing each other caused the other to remember that day's events. They had, after all, been kidnapped, nearly murdered, and had watched a man kill himself…

Even though the General had seen many atrocities before, Edward knew that something like this had never happened to him. It was a lot to take in…

Still, he needed to know. He needed answers. After debating whether or not to advance with his question, Edward opted to follow through. Maybe the topic would soothe the General… "How's she doing," he asked slowly, eyeing the General with worry.

With a sigh, Mustang relaxed slightly and replied, "She's in surgery right now, though she should be finished soon." Averting his stare away from Edward, his eyes growing distant, he said, "They had to take the rest of it off. Luckily, the damage beneath the metal plating was mostly limited to first- and second-degree burns. With some ointment and care, it should heal with no problem."

"Oh. I see," Edward murmured in reply as he continued to watch the General, seeing him slip further and further into his thoughts. "Well, it's probably for the best," he said, prompting Mustang to look up and eye him confusedly.

Backtracking a bit, Edward explained, "When you think about it, replacing her shoulder will have less strain on her body in the long run." Still seeing confusion reflecting in the General's eyes, he continued, "I admire what Winry was thinking when she wanted to save the rest of her arm, but if she didn't wear the metal sleeve it would cause an immense amount of strain on it. Steel's heavy and the humerus isn't strong enough to support that much weight for a long time.

"Plus, it would be annoying as hell having to remove it to bathe, shower, or let her skin breathe." When he paused, he saw a small glimmer of hope in the General's eyes. Hoping to bring it full circle and reassure Mustang completely, he added, "She'll heal better this way. Though it might not seem like it now, it'll be better in the long run."

He watched as Mustang's lips twitched upward into a smile of thanks. "I suppose you're right," he admitted after thinking about it for a few moments. "Thank you."

Grinning back, Edward said, "Sure. No problem. And I'll be here to help you guys every step of the way." Seeing the General's expression turn to bewilderment again, he said, "I've been thinking about it and I'm not quite ready to give up my position in the military. If you don't mind, I'd like you to tear up those forms I brought along to Ishval."

Raising his brows in utter shock, Mustang asked, "Why would you do that? You were involved in this mess because of your involvement with the military. There's no guarantee that-"

"I know," Edward interrupted as he straightened his spine and sat up. "But after everything that happened, I realized something. I realized that I'm not ready to go separate ways yet. There's still so much left to accomplish… Still so much left to do.

"If I stay on, I can provide the military with alchemical research that can benefit the masses. Maybe I can travel one day, go West or something, to get you that information. I just think that-"

"You want to discover how much time you have left," Mustang observed, seeing through Edward's front.

Without hesitating, Edward nodded and turned his gaze away from Mustang. "While that's a big determining factor, there's more to it. All of this had me thinking about the Ishvalan War. About what you did in order to ensure that you remained on that ascent to the top. A lot of people were killed because of it." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the General flinch. "I don't agree with it, but I understand it.

"Right now you're helping to restore Ishval, and your ideas of using alchemy to benefit the masses are being left untouched." Turning his full focus back to Mustang, he said, "I can do that for you… To help you reach the top and change this nation for the better."

He paused for a moment, expecting Mustang to counter or say something. Instead, the General focused his gaze downward, his eyes clouding over; no doubt his mind was relaying scenes from the war and its connection with the day's events back to him, shoving his flaws and failures back into full view of his mind's eye.

But moments later, his eyes brightened. Looking back up at Edward, he nodded sharply and said, "I will consider your proposal, Edward. But only if you agree on two conditions."

This time it was Edward's turn to shoot the General a look of confusion. Seeing this, Mustang's lip twitched upward. "Condition one," he said as he held his pointer finger up, "I am to assist you whenever you deem appropriate in the research that revolves around discovering the consequences of using a single soul as a source of alchemical energy." Edward nodded sharply. He'd let the General help if that meant he would find the answer sooner rather than later, especially if that meant he would find something that would ease Winry and Alphonse's worry when he eventually told them.

"Condition two," he continued as he held up his middle finger together with his pointer finger, "I would appreciate it if I could have someone to call when it comes to automail."

"I could do that," Edward answered, "But Winry might be the better choice when it comes to maintenance and upkeep."

"Oh, trust me; I know," Mustang mused, most likely remembering all of the times he had to intervene when Winry hit Edward over the head because of his lack of maintenance. "But I would like someone to talk to that has been through it all before. And there's no one better to talk to than you," he said as he gestured to Edward.

Edward's face softened before he returned the General's offer with a smile. "I'll do it."

Mustang nodded and mirrored the young boy's smile. "It's a deal then."

Just as he was about to go on, a knock on the door interrupted him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Dr. Marcoh standing in the door way. "General," the doctor began as he beckoned the General forward, "She's awake."

When he turned back to Edward, the young blond saw a change in him: excitement, anxiousness, and a hint of eagerness.

"That's my cue then," Mustang said as he rose to his feet.

"Remember," Edward instructed, "This is better."

Mustang nodded. "I'll see you soon." And with that he was gone.

After watching the doorway for a moment, Edward was about to settle back on the pillows the nurses were kind enough to supply him when a rushed set of footsteps caught his attention. Sitting upright again, he watched as Winry rounded the corner, her expression a mixture of relief and anxiousness.

Closing the distance between them, she quickly strode up to his bed and stopped in front of him, but said nothing. For a few moments, the two of them watched each other; widened golden eyes staring back into reddened blue.

Then she sat down on the edge of his bed and wrapped an arm around him, taking care to avoid his injured shoulder. "Idiot," she mumbled as she buried her face into his shirt.

Wrapping his free arm around her, he drew her in closer and murmured, "Takes one to know one."

With a muffled scoff, she replied, "Yeah. Takes one to love one..."

When Riza awoke, her dulled and jumbled thoughts immediately turned to Roy.

Shortly after Edward had left her, the only things she perceived where thumps and thuds that vibrated the floorboards beneath her. She didn't know what was happening or what was going on. All she knew was that Edward had her, and Roy wasn't with him.

A thunderous resonation of footsteps followed shortly after, keeping her confusion level at its max. Then Edward returned and brought along someone else.

It had been Havoc.

She wanted to feel relief upon reuniting with the second Lieutenant, knowing now that, at the very least, she and Edward were safe. But she wouldn't allow herself to breathe easily yet.

She asked for Roy, wanted to know where he was. Why wasn't he coming? Why wasn't he speaking to her? Where was he? Where was he?!

Havoc, unfortunately, did not know how to respond with code. Instead, he did what he could to ease her worry by squeezing her gently or touching her hand as he transported her to, where she assumed, would be a hospital.

Honestly, she had forgotten about the pain in her shoulder. After Edward had poured water on it, the heat dissipated from the hot metal, leaving her with a shoulder that was now cool to the touch. Her arm, on the other hand, had been a completely different story.

She knew enough about burns to know that if there was no pain, the damage was deep, oftentimes too deep to save. Riza knew without reaching up to touch it that it was gone. But, however, she accepted that fact the moment she reached back into the flames. She would never regret it if it meant that they would make it out alive.

Now all she wanted was to have her worries erased, to have her fears subside. As long as she knew Alphonse and Roy were safe, then that's all that mattered. She would move forward and have countless surgeries again with her head held high.

Now she was simply waiting. Lying in bed on her back; staring into nothingness. It seemed that the pain was what brought this on, her mind not wanting to process what her body had endured by removing the sights and sounds that accompanied the pain, which appeared to be masked by who knows how many different drugs.

So now she was waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting for Roy…

Suddenly the dull thud that was indicative of a single person walking across her room on the vinyl floors. She held her breath for a moment, wondering again if it was a nurse or a doctor coming again to fiddle with her IV line. When the steps stopped beside her bed, she looked upward to let them know that she was aware, that she wouldn't struggle or fight.

Instead, however, there was nothing.

"Hello," she asked, trying her best to keep her voice even and the slight bit of fear in her gut to a minimum.

Then, a hand reached beneath hers and lifted it; another drumming its fingers against the back.

Tap taptap tap taptaptaptap taptap.

"I'm here."

Throwing caution to the wind, this action she would later blame on the medications, she closed her fingers around his hand and gripped it tightly, pulling herself up and toward him.

Obviously caught by surprise, Roy clumsily reached out and managed to catch her before she tumbled off the edge of the bed. Before he could react further, she reached her arm up and around his neck and pulled herself closer to him, burying her face into his shoulder.

A few moments later, she felt one of his hands weave around her and draw her closer to him, resting against her back.

"Easy now."

"I'm sorry," she muttered into his shoulder. "I'm just… Glad you're alright."

"I am," he assured her after hesitating.

That's when she noticed that his other arm was in front of him, between the two of them. Pulling away and dropping her hand to touch it, which he reluctantly allowed her to do, she felt a contraption made of cloth that was wound around his arm. Following it up and to his shoulder, she realized that it was a sling. Turning toward him, she murmured, "Are you really okay?"

A moment later his hand rested against. "Yes. Just a shoulder wound."

She froze and cast him a worried glance as he pulled her hand away from his shoulder.

"I'm in one piece," he reassured her.

She wanted to see for herself, though; now more than anything.

"How are you feeling," he asked, tapping more firmly to emphasize the 'you.'

"I'm alright," she admitted as she swayed slightly. In retrospect, it was probably unwise of her to move so quickly. At least, she was thankful, the pain medication seemed to be working…

He released her hand and placed it on her shoulder, encouraging her to lie back down. When she made a move to, he moved his arm to her back and helped guide her down and back to her pillow. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, taking a moment to silently thank whatever entity there was that Roy was still with her.

Everything that had happened seemed more like a nightmare than reality. They had all been so close to death; the idea was almost impossible to grasp. She knew that she should not think about it because she –no, they- should focus on healing now.

Still, the thought hung in her mind as the fog from the last bits of anesthesia thinned out and dissipated.

They almost died. Almost fallen victim to those horrible, demented men; who wanted nothing more than revenge and to see their endless suffering.

It had been so terrifying, the notion now becoming more of a reality and less like the nightmare she hoped it would be.

They almost died.

Riza furrowed her brow, feeling the day's events make themselves known in the form of tears, forming just beneath her eyelids.

They almost died…

She felt a hand on her face as Roy's thumb brushed the tear that had escaped off of her cheek.

But at least, she thought as she opened her eyes, he was still here, continuing to shine as brightly as ever and help guide her through the darkness.

She caught a familiar pair of obsidian eyes staring back in worry. Blinking a few times to be sure of what she saw, she indeed confirmed what she was seeing wasn't a dream or a nightmare, but reality.

Noticing she was looking into his eyes, his expression immediately softened and he smiled warmly. For a moment she did nothing, taking in the sight. The sling, his expression… Him.

Feeling overwhelmed now with euphoria, she shifted again and made a move to sit up, but his hand swiftly found her shoulder, the action silently asking her to reconsider. Respecting his wishes, she relaxed and laid back on her pillow, keeping her eyes fixed on his the entire time.

Smiling again, he affectionately murmured, "I see you," as his hand rested against her cheek once more, prompting her to reach up and loosely wrap hers around his wrist.

Those words again. Those three, simple words, conveying to her once again the feelings they long knew and held onto for dear life.

Those three little words, pushing the darkness away.

It would always be there, this darkness; looming in the deepest corners of her mind, letting itself be known through nightmares, pain, and sorrow. This journey she was about to embark on would be riddled with obstacles, roadblocks, and difficulties that would test her very limits. But come what may, one thing was certain:

Her beacon was there, and she knew that he always would be.

Releasing her hold on his wrist, she reached up and rested her palm against his cheek and softly said, "And I see you."

A/N: And that's it. The story is officially over. I have to admit, it's bittersweet. I've been working on it since July (had started plotting in May of last year), and now it's done. I guess I'm not too heartbroken, since in a way I'm keeping this little AU alive with Flame and Steel, which I published a few minutes after posting this (again, containing a lot of Royai and Riza in general, but I have plans to include Parental!RoyEd, EdWin, and family bits).

Right now my plans are to work on Flame and Steel, Humanity (which I have considered doing something similar to FAS due to the ending I've plotted out, but the jury's still out on that one), and an untitled prompt from Stardiouses. I also have plans to polish both this story and Humanity over the course of the summer (just fixing author's notes, grammar, etc. with no plot changes so that they can be prettier :3)Other than that, I'm not too sure where writing will take me. Like I said before, I'm accepting prompts and story ideas if anyone has them.

Finally, I want to thank each and every person that stuck through this with me, and everyone that has reviewed, favorited, and followed my first Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction. I had an absolute blast! I really couldn't have done it without you, especially your words of encouragement.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you are moving on to Humanity or Flame and Steel, I will see you there. But if this is the end of the road, I want to thank you for your time and hope that you enjoyed it! Cheers!

-TFaHE