Pipsqueak and the Colonel

Diclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Blood

How could one small child be covered in so much blood?

That's what Roy wondered the moment he saw Ed, soaked through with blood, stumble up to his front door.

It had been a quiet evening, and Roy was casually drinking out of his mug of coffee. Yes, he was drinking coffee at night. There weren't any rules saying you couldn't. Then again, he sometimes wondered if the reason he could never fall asleep was because of the coffee. Who cares.

Anyway, as he took a sip of his coffee, there was a loud, wall shaking bang on his front door. Frightened, Roy spilled his coffee all over his foor and clothes. He yelped as the spilled coffee tried to burn his flesh.

Grumbling, he walked over to the front door, ready to yell at whoever disturbed him. He opened his door, and standing at his doorstep was...

"Fullmetal?"

Ed jumped, staring Roy straight into his eyes. Was that fear?

But the thing that surprised him was not the rare fear in his eyes, but the blood that he was covered in. Thick, scalet blood that clogged his hair, soaked his clothes, and smeared across his cheeks.

"What the hell?" Roy began. "What are you doing here? And why are you covered in blood?"

"It's not mine," Ed mumbled quietly.

"Then who's is it?" Roy demanded.

"It's...it's..." Ed couldn't seem to find the words to speak.

Roy glanced up and down his street before stepping aside. "Lets talk inside. You're going to draw too much attention out here."

He watched as Ed hesitated before walking reluctantly into the house. Roy locked the door behind him and led Ed into the kitchen, where he ordered the boy to sit in one of the chairs. He mentally winced as Ed sat upon the oak, thinking about how he was going to have to clean off the bloody mark that Ed was no doubt leaving on the chair.

He noticed how Ed never once looked up from his hands, which twisted around his shirt in the only spot that wasn't soaked through with blood.

"Edward, why did you come here?" Roy demanded.

Ed flinched at Roy's voice. He looked at the Colonel with wide eyes. "I-I didn't know where else to go," he squeaked fearfully.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be?"

"Because..." Ed hesitated. "Al think I'm a monster!" He would have screamed the last part out if it weren't for Roy clamping his hand over Ed's mouth.

"Could you not yell?" Roy asked him sternly, releasing his hand from the boy's mouth and wiping the smudge of blood on his pants. He'd have to do laundry later. And maybe buy some bleach.

"And why would he think that?" Roy asked, once sure Ed wans't going to start yelling.

"I...Because I...I k-killed that guy. I killed him." Ed shoved his face in his hands, stiffling a sob.

"What do you mean?" Roy asked.

"We were...we were jumped," Ed explained in a trembling voice. "They...they a-attacked us. They...t-tried to k-kill me. A-Al ran off...t-they s-stabbed me...T-they p-pulled a-a b-blade on my-my n-neck. I c-couldn't get-get away. I w-was sca-scared. And th-then I...I s-stabbed h-him." Ed pressed his hands into his palms and failed to hold back his tears, which dripped through his fingers.

Roy was shocked. What was he suppose to do? The boy was probably mistaken and knocked the guy out instead. Surely Ed didn't kill him. But seeing how Ed was reacting because of it...maybe he did kill him?

Roy reached out a hand and shook Ed's bloody shoulder. "Hey, Ed." The boy nodded without looking up. "My bathroom's upstairs. Why don't you get washed up. I don't want you tracking blood everywhere." He forced himself to say the next part, even if he hated having to say it. "You can stay here for the night. I don't want you walking around alone, expecially since you were jumped not too long ago."

This time, Ed glanced up at him. "A-are you s-sure?"

"Yes. Just hurry up and bathe. I'll get you some clothes." he led Ed upstairs and pointed to the bathroom. Once the boy was in, Roy found the smallest shirt and pants he could find and laid it out on the floor by the door. He could hear the water running. He decided to wait downstairs.

In about ten minutes, Ed walked down the steps, dressed in the clothes Roy had laid out for him, and free of blood. His hair was down, which surprised Roy. He usually kept it up. There was an elastic band around Ed's wrist, so Roy figured he'd put it up soon. Ed stood in one spot for a minute before Roy ordered him to sit on the couch, which the boy did.

"Do you know what your attackers looked like?" Roy asked. He might as well get some information out of him if he was here.

Ed froze, but slowly explained what they looked like.

"It was dark so I couldn't see the very well. There were three of them. One had long black hair. The other two had buzzcuts. The one that attacked me was blond."

Roy nodded. "Anything else?"

Ed shook his head. "No. That's all I know."

"How did they attack you?"

"A knife. They...they s-stabbed me." Ed's hand drifted to his side. "And I stabbed him." His hand drifted to his throat. "They had a rope and tried to strangle me, but I broke away before any damage was done." His breathing shook. "They almost killed Al. I almost failed my brother. I-"

A few tears streamed down Ed's face, followed by more and more until he was full out crying. Roy, not knowing what to do, walked forward and laid a hand on Ed's shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. Everythng's fine."

Suddely, Ed was on top of Roy, hands wrapped around the olders waist. He sobbed into his chest, eyes squeezed tightly closed. Still not knowing what to do, he rubbed Ed's back.

"It's alright. Don't cry."

Ed only cried harder. Roy sat on the couch and stared sadly at the boy. So this is what taking a life did to him. He always wondered how Ed would react, and now he knew. The boy would have a total mental breakdown. What if Ed was callled out to war? What was he going to do when he would be forced to take lives?

But that was the future. Roy had to worry about the present. And back in the present, Roy sat on the couch, Ed beside him. The boy had cried himself to sleep and was leanig against him, his face wet with his shed tears. He most be exhausted; both mentally and physcially.

A small smile spread out on Roy's face as he picked Ed up in his arms, bridal-style, and carried him up the stairs and into the guest room. Roy tucked Ed into the bed.

"Good night, Ed." He flicked the light off and shut the door behind him.

"You leaving so soon?" Roy said to Ed, who had taken a few steps out of the house.

"Yeah, I can't worry Al. See ya later, bastard." He grinned before walking away.

Roy waved. "You, too, runt."

Ed turned. "Who're you calling a microscopic pipsqueak?!" He shouted, waving his arms angrily in the air.

Looks like he's back to his same old self, Roy thought with a smile. He replied, "You." He then slammed the door and locked it quickly before Ed could realize what he had said. That kid sure does bounce back quickly.

A/N...Yeah, I know I should be working on my other stories, but I decided to start a new one! So, did you like it, and do you want me to continue? Most of the chapters are angst and Hurt/comfort, but I'm probably going to add a few humor chapters as well. If there's going to be major character death I'll give a warning in the beinning since I know not everyone's fine with that stuff (I like to write detailed murders and crime scenes). I'd really enjoy any feedback. Oh, and if you spotted any spelling mistakes, I'd be glad if you could point them out. My spellcheck is being stupid and isn't working. And I'm only human and can't catch everything! So, until the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one.