Alex woke up just after dawn, as he usually did. Edward wasn't on his cot, and Alex guessed that the young man was out investigating already. Picking up his slack. Alex was glad to be alone for the morning. He had a lot to think about.

God, was Alex ashamed of himself. They were sent out east to escape a terrible danger, Edward was relying on him for protection, and what did he do? He broke down, again, and then he ran away, again. Unforgivable. Disgusting. Then and there, Alex swore that that kind of thing could never happen again. He will never give in to weakness and abandon his comrades again. He will overcome his shame, apologize and become stronger for his mistakes.

Edward though... That boy was truly something else.

Alex shook his head and got up to start his morning routine.

Dex had to admit he was curious. The kid came to his hometown one evening, and changed everything around him. In just two days, this boy had done more for Youswell then the entire state military had in twenty years.

Dexter Mergan was a simple guy, but simple didn't always mean stupid. He preferred to solve problems using his own fists is all. One of the reasons why he didn't stay home after the ownership change – the fellas stopped fighting for scraps, and there was just no one to wrestle with anymore. A travelling group of builders looking for work in the eastern region never runs out of conflicts, though. The rest of the men were there for the money, but not Dexter. He was in it for the danger.

Which is why he knew perfectly well just what kind of trouble Edward must've faced, travelling alone all over the country on military paycheck. So, once he led the kid away from the others, he wasted no time.

"So, you're still a state alchemist, ah? I just realized something, kid. When we met, you were what, twelve? Why the hell did you join so young?"

Edward's smile wobbled, and he looked around, checking for eavesdroppers.

"Sorry, can't tell you. By the way, nobody here aside from major Armstrong knows who I am. I'm just a kid on a trip, ok?"

"Scheming again, I see. Are you gonna get the railroad this time, mister 'gift from you to me'?"

"Haha. Very funny. I just want to understand what's going on here. Can you tell me what the problem is? The report said you guys are having trouble putting the tracks down, but I see nothing that could be stopping you."

"Well, it's not so much putting them down that's the problem."

"What do you mean by that?" Edward looked taken aback.

"I mean, we've build this stretch of road seven times already, but whenever we finish, it disappears."

"…come again?"

"You heard me right, kid. The tracks are gone by the next morning. We have no more clue how it happens then you do."

"Well, shit. I mean, did you even try to find out?"

"We tried putting up a guard, but the fella was out cold when we found him in the morning, and the tracks were just as gone. Same thing with all the others on the subsequent nights. They saw nothing. Swear they didn't mean to fall asleep, though."

The kid fell quiet. Dex could see the tense line of his shoulders and remembered the day he took on Yoki. The boy was older now, and even a bit taller, but that wariness, that nervous tension in him was just the same.

"Listen, Ed…"

"Hmm?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, you've already helped me and my ma a ton by stopping Yoki… But please, figure this out for us, will ya? And I'll help with whatever you need. I'd be fine without the job, but I can't say the same for everyone here. These guys accepted me, gave me a chance, even when they didn't know me. It'd be a shame if they got blacklisted because of something they can't help. And I know Barker won't move a finger, he hadn't bothered to come up here himself since it happened first time, he's just been calling us lazy and ignoring the facts, so we've got no one else to ask."

Edward's eyes were liquid gold, shining from the distant lamplight. He nodded slowly.

"The major and I will get to the bottom of this… I promise."

Ed walked around the entire perimeter of the camp, but found nothing out of place. The strange sound was long gone. Deciding it was a waste of time to keep looking, he sighed and went to the food tent, hoping to find a cup of coffee.

His luck held and there was a pot already on the burner, as well as a few men waiting on a bench in the front, talking and waiting for it to brew. One of them was Greg.

"Hey, Edward! You're up early, did you sleep alright?"

"Fine. Just fine. That's why I'm about to gulp down half of the coffee pot all by myself. That's just how I am."

"Oh, morning sarcasm. You'll fit in just fine, short stuff," said the other guy, smirking at him. From what Ed overheard, the guy's name was Rick. Ed took a deep breath, decided not to start a fight just yet (too early for yelling), and gave him the finger. The man laughed.

The conversation between the men turned out to be as boring as they come, something about a storm in the west. Ed only realized that he'd fallen asleep on the table when he felt a hand reaching behind him.

He jumped, snatching the backpack, and less than two seconds later he was three meters away, moving on sheer panic alone. Rick and Gregory stared, wide-eyed, as he crawled away, hugging his bag with one hand.

"Kid? Did I scare you?" Rick asked guiltily.

Ed took a few seconds to just… process. The guy wasn't ever trying to touch Al, was he? He was just reaching for the condiments. He was such an idiot… They'll think he's insane too now, just like Mustang's team.

The panic that overwhelmed him at the thought that his brother could be taken away from him, so easily, again, was not letting up. Ed tried to breathe slower, to uncurl, but his chest was tight, and his muscles wouldn't relax. He buried his face in the top of the bag. So childish, can't even control his stupid breathing! When will it fucking stop?

Ed lost himself in self-deprecation for a moment, so it came as a complete surprise to him when he felt a big, warm hand envelop his whole shoulder. It was Armstrong. He was crouched right next to Ed, his face serious and concerned.

"Alright, Edward?" he asked, looking him straight in the eyes. There was no judgment in his expression, nothing but honest concern. Ed nodded and took the offered hand to get up. The cold clenching grip of panic was loosening around his heart. He could breathe again.

Scar was probably still in east city, he reminded himself, squeezing his eyes shut to hold the tears back. And he him go. The MPs might have had something to do with the criminals hasty retreat that day, but Ed had seen the hesitation, the indecision he demonstrated just before. Ed was safe here, as safe as he ever was, and so was Alphonse.

Maybe… maybe Ed needed this vacation more then he'd thought.

Thanks for all the faves and i hope you're enjoing! We'll get to the plot some day, i promise ))