Hello! As promised, here is part two! Thank you all so much for your response to the first chapter. I'm very glad to see you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to this one. Anyways, on with the story!

I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Roy gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white.

"We're going to find him, right?"

He glanced briefly into the rearview mirror at the massive suit of armor in the back of the car, then to the First Lieutenant in the passenger seat. He didn't miss how she tensed at the young boy's question.

"Yes, Al, we're going to find him," he assured. "Nothing's going to happen to him."

The Colonel was honestly surprised his grip hadn't snapped the steering wheel in half. He tried taking a deep breath, but it did little to calm his nerves…or ease any of his guilt.

I let the killer get away with my subordinate.

He could suddenly feel Riza's eyes on him.

"You did everything you could, sir."

He almost chuckled at the irony, remembering the guilt emanating off her when they met outside of the festival.

"So did you, Lieutenant."

He had been patrolling the north side of the festival when the Riza notified him that they couldn't find Ed. He ordered his unit and the rest of the military personnel to search the surrounding area. Fuery and Falman had been the unfortunate ones to stumble upon the body. It didn't take a genius to figure out something went wrong when the killer was trying to abduct the next victim, and Ed must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The second he heard the news and that the body wasn't Ed, he wasted no time in grabbing Alphonse and jumping in the car with him and his First Lieutenant. He couldn't stay. A few soldiers would contact Eastern Command and stay behind. Investigations would look further into the body lying in the alley.

He had to leave. He had to find the killer before there was another victim.

I let the killer slip through our defenses, and two kids have paid the price for my mistake.

He looked into his driver side mirror, seeing headlights in the distance. He relaxed just a tad. At least their forces at the lake had been contacted and more were on their way. With this much manpower, they should be able to catch their killer.

But I should have before this psychopath killed that kid…before he got away with Ed…and I didn't.

He shook his head. He had to stop thinking like that. Like he told Alphonse, nothing would happen to Ed. He sped even further through the night.

There won't be another victim.

*break*

He carelessly slipped the unconscious boy off his shoulder when he reached the edge of the lake, making a splash as the kid landed in the shallow water. Hands on his knees, he tried to catch his breath. With the military on patrol, he had to ditch his car and carry the kid on foot. He only made it here due to the cover of the trees.

They weren't supposed to know. They weren't supposed to be here. They nearly ruined everything.

He stared down on the kid. Even in the dark, he could see that bright, blond hair. He knelt down and stroked the braid. The boy was absolutely beautiful.

I wish I didn't have to kill you.

His first choice put up much more of a fight than anticipated. He didn't even have the chance to grab his sedative.

Usually, my knife scares them enough. Why didn't it work? I wasn't supposed to stab him until I brought him here.

"You should have never been in that alley," he murmured.

Adjusting his wig, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. He grinned as the moonlight glinted off the blade. He raised the weapon and froze.

A bullet whizzed by his head.

*break*

The Colonel heard Riza swear under her breath, knowing she'd been hoping to at least graze the woman. He led their forces as they raced toward the edge of the lake.

They had their killer. There wouldn't be another victim.

The closer they got to the lake, the better view they got of their killer. It wasn't until the figure stood up with Ed in its arms that they could see the lean muscle and masculine appearance.

This definitely wasn't a woman…just a sick man that decided to dress up as Ellen Drake.

Roy locked his eyes on his subordinate. He expected Ed to be giving his abductor hell, but he hung limp in the killer's arms as he was crushed against the man's chest.

His fingers twitched, itching to kill the twisted man before them, but he couldn't do it. He risked a glance at his men, noticing how they all had slightly lowered their weapons as they moved in. They couldn't use their weapons while the killer was practically using Ed as a shield.

We may not be able to get a shot at him, but we still outnumber him. We should still be able to apprehend him.

At least that's what he thought until he realized the man seemed to be getting further and further away, always keeping Ed in front of him. He heard Riza gasp next to him.

He's getting further out into the lake. If he gets deep enough….

His fears became reality when the killer plunged into the water, taking Ed with him.

"Fullmetal!"

He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, leaving the rest of the soldiers behind. Riza was just a step behind him, kicking off her shoes and shedding her jacket as she ran. He followed suit, but she sprinted ahead of him.

"I'll get him!" she yelled as she dove into the dark water.

"Lieutenant…."

It's so dark…she won't be able to see….

His eyes widened and he slowed down when he was knee-deep in the water.

She wanted me to stay behind.

He took a deep breath, concentrating and adjusting the oxygen molecules in the air. He snapped, sparking a massive flame to spread above the surface of the lake. Never taking his eyes off the fire, he heard the splash of the other soldiers joining him. He could hear them hesitate as they stared at his flames, but only for a brief moment.

"Move in! We need to help Lieutenant Hawkeye!" he heard Havoc order.

He could see their forces surging ahead, diving into the now illuminated lake. He steadied his breathing. He had to concentrate. They had to see to find Ed. He could hear the metallic clanking of the younger Elric approaching behind him.

"Colonel—"

"He's going to be okay, Al."

Ed's going to be okay. We're not losing another kid tonight.

*break*

The Colonel will understand.

Riza knew he would. That's why she didn't hesitate diving into the lake. She opened her eyes, pitch black surrounding her. Just a second later, the water was illuminated with a flickering orange glow. The water was still a little murky, but she could at least see. A glint of metal caught her eye.

Ed's automail!

She propelled herself downward, the light from Roy's flames fading as she swam deeper. Her lungs burned, but she forced herself to keep going.

I'm almost there. I'm not losing him again.

She reached out to grab the metal, relieved when she felt the cloth of Ed's shirtsleeve. There was only one problem: Ed still wasn't moving. Grabbing both his arms, she pulled him up and situated his arms around her neck. Kicking with all the energy she had, the two slowly started to make the ascension to the surface.

Riza's lungs screamed for oxygen, but she paid them no mind. She kept kicking. Ed's automail was heavy, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let that prevent her from getting them to the surface. The orange glow of the Colonel's flames grew brighter. She was going to make it.

Until a hand grabbed her ankle and yanked her back down.

She kicked out with her free leg, causing the grip on her ankle to loosen. It disappeared completely when someone collided into her legs, but fortunately the person grabbing her too. She felt someone grab Ed and instinctively gripped his arms tighter. Her panic was short-lived when she recognized the blue pants of an Amestrian military uniform.

It was a bit too murky to see exactly who it was, but she allowed him to ease Ed off her back so they could share his weight between them. Despite being extremely lightheaded, she surged upward. She gasped for air when they broke through the surface, instantly feeling the heat of the Colonel's flames roaring over her head.

"Give Ed to me!" she heard from right next to her.

Only then did she realize it was Havoc. Helping put the young alchemist onto his back, the two swam toward the lakeshore.

The Colonel extinguished the flames when he saw his two subordinates with Ed. He ran to help Havoc get Ed back onto land. He didn't hesitate laying Ed on his back and looking over the kid. He couldn't help but be relieved when he didn't see any stab wounds, but vanished when he didn't see the rise and fall of Ed's chest.

"Colonel?" Alphonse asked, not liking the way Roy's face suddenly paled.

Roy put an ear on Ed's chest.

"He's not breathing," he muttered.

He didn't even need to ask. Riza was already positioning herself by Ed's head. He put his hands on Ed's chest and began compressions. He paused to let his First Lieutenant breathe into the kid, watching as Ed's chest rose with her breath. He resumed his chest compressions.

Ed still wasn't breathing.

"Come on, Fullmetal!" he yelled.

He paused again.

Ed's going to be okay. We're not losing another kid tonight.

When Riza finished her second breath, he pressed down on Ed's chest. The urge to vomit nearly overwhelmed him when he felt one of Ed's ribs crack underneath his hand, but he didn't stop.

He couldn't.

We're not losing another kid tonight.

The rest of his unit gathered around the two desperate military officers, Fuery coming close to crying when his superiors still weren't successful.

"Brother…."

Breda moved next to Alphonse and put a hand on his armor when the kid's voice broke, but he remained silent. All they could do was watch as the Colonel and First Lieutenant tried to revive the kid's older brother. They watched as Hawkeye breathed into him yet again, but Ed's chest refused to rise on its own.

The group barely noticed another officer that approached the Colonel.

"Sir, I think it's too la—"

"No it isn't!" Roy yelled at the young man.

He took a deep breath and looked back to Ed. He hadn't meant to snap at the young officer. It wasn't okay….

…but he just didn't want to admit he could be right.

He met Riza's eyes, noticing the tears welling in them. He blinked, a tear falling from his own.

"One more time."

His First Lieutenant nodded, pinching the kid's nose and breathing into him. He pressed down on Ed's chest again, forcing himself to ignore a couple more ribs cracking.

"Please, Ed," he begged.

As if he heard his superior's plea, Ed finally coughed up water after the eighth compression.

"Brother!" Al yelled as he moved to kneel next to Ed.

Roy and Riza turned him over on his side, making sure he wouldn't swallow any of the water his lungs were expelling. Once he didn't seem to be coughing up water anymore, Roy sat him up against his chest to help him to breathe. He glanced around at his men and was completely certain he had never seen any one of them smile more than they were now, even normally stoic Falman.

Ed's eyes slowly fluttered open. The Colonel instantly felt him relax when he saw who was around him.

"D-did…did you guys…."

"Don't speak," Roy spoke softly to him. "Don't waste your energy. Just breathe."

Ed let his head rest against his commanding officer's shoulder and didn't say anything else. Roy almost chuckled at the prospect of his young subordinate actually following orders for once, but he couldn't. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the kid, relishing the feeling of Ed breathing against him. He opened them again when he heard Falman speak.

"We apprehended the killer. He's being taken to East City's prison as we speak."

He'd nearly forgotten why they were in this position in the first place.

We nearly lost another kid tonight…but we didn't. Ed's safe. He's okay.

"Thank you. I'm sure someone from investigations will give us an update when they get the chance."

They all turned as a few officers approached Mustang's unit, blankets in hand. Nodding in thanks, Havoc took them, handing one to Riza and keeping one for himself before giving the rest to the Colonel.

"We need to get you to a hospital," he muttered to Ed as he wrapped a blanket around the kid's shoulders. "You have a few cracked ribs that need to get checked out."

Ed simply nodded. Al helped the Colonel wrap his legs up in the extra blanket before the older man stood with his arms under Ed's back and knees. While Ed would normally protest being carried, he couldn't have if he wanted to. That and he didn't trust his own legs to hold him up. He let his head rest against the Colonel's chest as the man carried him to the cars.

Al opened the back door so Roy could lay his brother along the back seat.

"I'll meet you there!" Al promised.

Ed managed a weak smile at his brother before the younger Elric got in a car with Havoc and Breda. Roy quickly slid behind the wheel, Riza already in the passenger seat. They'd barely started their drive back to East City when the teen fell asleep.

Roy gripped the steering wheel tight, but not like he did on the way to the lake.

We found him in time…barely…but he's okay. He's breathing. He's okay.

He knew Ed was all right. He knew the kid just needed a doctor to check on him, but that didn't stop him from constantly checking on him in the rearview mirror or stop Riza from watching over him the entire drive back.

*break*

Ed groaned as he started to wake up, the warmth surrounding him making it quite tempting to just drift off back to sleep. The gentle hand stroking his bangs nearly drove him back into unconsciousness.

"Brother!"

Hearing his younger brother's voice made Ed force his eyes open instantly. It was impossible to miss his brother looming over him. The younger Elric was instantly overjoyed.

"Brother! You're awake! Are you all right?"

"How are you feeling?" a calmer voice asked.

He looked to his right. Riza sat right next to his bed, her hand moving away from his hair. The Colonel got up to stand next to his Lieutenant.

"I'm fine," he replied automatically, but that was proven false the second he tried to sit up.

Al adjusted the pillow behind him while Roy helped him sit up and fixed the blankets for him. The older alchemist handed him a couple of pills and a glass of water.

"Your doctor prescribed those for you," he explained. "They'll relieve the pain. You have two cracked ribs and one completely broken. You'll have to stay here for the night, but he said you should be able to leave tomorrow morning. You're going to need to take it easy for at least a week, though."

Ed couldn't miss the guilt flash in the Colonel's eyes, and the Lieutenant's as well. He took the pills before looking back to the two military officers and changing the subject.

"Do you know who he was?" he asked.

"I called investigations while you were asleep," Roy began. "His name's Daniel Adkin. From what they've gathered so far, he doesn't have any connection to Ellen Drake. Surprisingly enough, he only lived a few blocks away from Eastern Headquarters. A few soldiers went to search his home and found every newspaper with the murder-suicide story to be printed scattered all over his home."

Ed's eyes widened.

"Why?"

The Colonel merely shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't think any of us will ever understand why he was obsessed with Ellen Drake's story."

Ed looked down, twisting his hands into the blanket.

"Then why did he do all of this?"

"I wish I had an answer for you, Fullmetal," Roy sighed. "He hasn't given investigations a reason why. He hasn't given them much of anything besides his name. From what they've told me, he just keeps asking if everyone at the festival was scared of the legend of Ellen Drake." He chuckled at the confusion clearly evident on Ed's face. "I know. It doesn't make any sense to me either. I'd say he was just a psychopath obsessed with replicating Drake's murder. Unfortunately, three boys lost their lives because of this man's sick fantasy."

Ed tensed when his superior mentioned the victims. Everyone in the room clearly noticed. Riza put a hand on Ed's arm.

"Did you see…." she trailed off when slowly nodded, not even letting her finish the question. She took a deep breath, her chest tightening a bit. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

"I…I didn't get to that alley fast enough…he might still be alive if I had."

"Brother, there wasn't anything you could have done," Al said.

"Al's right," Riza agreed, moving to sit next to Ed on the bed. Even though she expected the teen to push her away, she pulled him into a hug. "Adkin must have panicked when his victim put up a fight. There wasn't anything you could do to prevent that. I shouldn't have lost you. If I'd kept up with you then…I'm so sorry."

She shut her eyes, not wanting to remember the lifeless boy she and Havoc dragged out of the lake. Much to her surprise, Ed didn't push her away and instead slightly leaned into her embrace.

That's when she felt it.

It was almost unnoticeable, especially since Ed was mostly covered by the blankets, but she could feel the kid in her arms trembling. It was a wonder how he'd managed to keep his voice fairly steady throughout their conversation.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Lieutenant. You told me not to run off, and I did anyway. If anything, I should be thanking you." He made eye contact with the Colonel and swallowed thickly before continuing. "Both of you. You saved my life."

Riza tightened her arms around the young alchemist, realizing Ed was truly shaken by the fact that he'd almost become one of Adkin's victims. She glanced at the Colonel, knowing he was thinking the same thing.

How could we have let this happen?

Roy put a hand on top of Ed's head.

"There were a lot of things out of our control tonight. We can't save everyone, even though I really wish we could." He paused and grinned slightly. "Our mission wasn't in vain, though. We got him. Daniel Adkin will pay for what he did to each of those boys. He'll never have another victim." He cupped Ed's chin, ensuring his subordinate was looking him in the eye. "And you're okay. You're safe now."

Ed nodded. He knew his commanding officer was right. In the end, they caught a serial killer. Daniel Adkin won't be able to hurt someone ever again.

"Thanks, Colonel."

Roy's grin turned into a smile and he ruffled Ed's hair.

"Is there anything you need? Are you hungry?"

Ed thought it over a second before nodding. Roy straightened up and headed to the door, glancing over his shoulder as he left the room.

"I'll be back soon then."

He walked through the halls of the hospital, running a hand through his hair. He needed to believe his own words. There were a lot of things out of his control, and he almost lost Ed tonight as a result.

But I didn't.

He couldn't dwell on what almost happened. He still had his team. All of his team.

And that was more than enough for him.

Well, there it is! I hope you all enjoyed this little fic from Akarri and I! Have a happy Halloween and I will hopefully be back soon to update my other fics!

Until then,

alightintheshadows