This just popped into my head and I'm sure it isn't original, but whatever. Warning for suggested violence and sexual themes and terms. This will be multiple chapters, but I haven't the faintest idea how long it will be. Probably AU and OoC.

EDIT: Since the guest "Chii" left this review:

'Chii:I apologize if you don't like this review, but I feel like everyone is to
hatefull towards Edward and that Edward isn't caring about Alphonse enough. Ed
usually thinks about Al first, and himself second. Again, sorry if you don't
like what I said. Other whys your writing skills are very good!'

I felt it was necessary, based on this, to revise this first chapter by changing some of the interactions and adding in a few more pieces to the story.

Furthermore, I'd like to let readers know that I'm pretty laid back, so there really is no need to apologize if your opinion of characters/plot/etc. deffer from my own. I'd like to make the characters as much 'in character' as possible and noting that I have strayed helps me to achieve this goal; though, I'm still not sure if my characterization of Ed and the others is in line with this ideal.

Thank you for your review, Chii. I hope this change is at least a little better.

Roy Mustang took a seat at the cafe he'd come across and let out a heavy sigh, wishing his exhausted brain would somehow recover from its overuse and push through the research he'd been cramming through for the past couple of hours. He had a test to take for the State Alchemist Exam and he was determined to pass it. Still, despite knowing a great deal about the fundamentals of alchemy, he felt as if there was so much to know and understand that he didn't yet. While he was positive he'd pass the practical, he was becoming less and less sure about the exam and the interview, the latter of which he had no idea what to expect or what his responses would be.

"Hey, I know you."

The youthful soldier lifted his head and stared in surprise at the man taking a seat across from him and recognition dawned on him.

"Hughes?"

"The one and only." Maes grinned at him. "I didn't expect to see you here. What brings you to Central? Have you transferred? I thought you were being stationed in the West?"

"Oh, I'm on leave." Roy replied, astonished by the man's knowledge of Roy's supposed whereabouts. "And I'm here to take the State Alchemist Exam."

"Oh, going for the big job, eh?" Maes laughed. "Trying to skip past a few ranks?"

"That's not why..." Roy started, but the other man interrupted him.

"So found yourself a girlfriend yet?"

Heat rushed up Roy's features as he recalled where he had been only three days prior: the funeral of his late master and the uncovering of his master's work upon the back of said master's daughter. Though it had taken time to decipher the meaning there, Roy had managed and now possessed the powers of a fire storm in all its lethal formidity.

Of course, that hadn't been all he'd done with the young woman's back and this recollection brought a faint tinge of pink to his cheeks.

"OH HO HO!" Maes responded victoriously. "And what's the lucky girl's name?"

"It's not what you think." Mustang growled, crossing his arms and slouching. "It was just the one...night..."

Maes' brow rose on his face and he let out a heavy disappointed sigh. "Useless."

"I'm not useless." Roy griped, glaring at his friend from the academy. "And what about you?"

"I met this amazing girl named Gracia almost as soon as I got stationed here!" Maes replied with immediate enthusiasm as if he had suddenly been framed by glittering flowers and sparkling hearts. "She is so wonderful! Just today, she made me this amazing apple pie and it was her first ever! She forgot to add the sauce and it was burnt all around the edges, but it still tasted so incredible! I'm going to make her my wife! I swear, Roy! She's just an angel sent from heaven to make me so happy!"

"I'm thrilled for you." Roy didn't hide his sarcasm, knowing the other man would miss it entirely.

"Of course, since you're my best friend you'll have to be my best man." Hughes grinned widely at the other.

"Right."

"Oh." The grin suddenly disappeared. "But a lot has happened since yesterday."

"What do you mean?" Roy asked, though he wasn't sure if the other man was being serious or not.

"I guess, the State passed some kind of law about orphaned kids." Maes said and the younger man didn't miss the change in the usually overly happy man sitting across from him. "They have to go live with a relative or go to an orphanage or get adopted. They can't just go to friends and neighbors unless there is a legal statement concerning the 'godparents'. Gracia's parents heard about this and went straight to the nearest orphanage where they adopted two young boys."

"Well, that's a good thing for those boys." Roy didn't see the point in this random topic.

"Yeah, but..." The bespectacled man was almost frowning as he stared off into the road, eyes unfocused. "Gracia's parents are old and not doing very well and Gracia already said she'd take the boys if they passed away soon."

"Is that some kind of deal-breaker?" Roy asked, knowing unbashfully that it would be for him.

"No...no..." Hughes mumbled. "But I did kind of want a little bit of a honeymoon before...kids and all."

"I imagine." Roy glanced at the time and stood. "Well, it was good seeing you, Maes. I'll try to keep in touch. You stationed here?"

"Yup." Maes stood as well. "You can just call the dorms and have them transfer the call to my room: number 207."

"All right."

Though Roy agreed, he doubted he'd talk to the man again. After all, if he was going to waste time on a phone, it'd be with a pretty girl, not some friend from the academy.

"And I expect to hear some improvement on your love life, Roy!" Hughes called after him and Roy felt heat wash over his face when several passersby glanced at him.

He chose not to reply.

Gracia stared down at the boys in front of her with growing apprehension.

"You want to what?"

"I want to become an alchemist." The older of the two stated. "I need a teacher."

"But...you're only six." Gracia gaped at him, not sure what else to say to deter him.

"I don't care!" The boy insisted. "I want to become an alchemist! This woman says she'll teach us."

He jutted a thumb back at the woman standing there and Gracia stared at her with slight unease, though mostly because the woman's backdrop was a giant hulking man with amazing musculature and a thick stern jaw.

"I agreed only if their parent gave them permission." The woman informed her.

"She's not our parent." The boy stated with a glare. "Her name is Gracia. She...got stuck with us."

"I didn't get stuck with you." Gracia corrected as calmly as she could manage given how flustered she felt. Quickly she explained, "It's very complicated. The State passed a new law about orphans and my parents decided to adopt these two boys, but they were very elderly and they...passed away a few months ago. I promised, of course, to take the boys in."

"I see." The other woman nodded. "Well, since you are the guardian, it is entirely up to you."

Gracia frowned, not ready for this kind of pressure, but her eyes met those of the boy before her and she couldn't help consenting to his wishes.

"But I don't want to hear about you giving her any trouble." Gracia told them sternly. "And I want you to try very hard."

"WE WILL!" The two boys shouted and then rushed off to pack up their belongings.

Gracia sighed and glanced at her desk where all her writing materials were. She really needed to tell Maes about this latest development.

"How long will it take to teach them?" Gracia asked as she turned back to the woman by the door.

"At the very least three years." The woman replied, crossing her arms. "And I won't cover anymore than they can handle. After that, it's all self-research."

"I see." Gracia's eyebrows rose at the sight of the two boys rushing forward with their full bags.

"Ready!" The eldest informed them.

"Say good-bye." The woman at the door stated.

"Bye." The elder boy waved without even looking at Gracia.

The younger on the other hand turned around to give Gracia an appreciative smile. "Thank you very much for letting us go and for taking care of us, Miss Gracia."

"You can just call me Gracia." She smiled at him. "And I want updates on your progress so please write or call!"

"Fine." The eldest grunted and exited without further word, something which worried Gracia extremely. Would he always treat her so coldly like he had her parents?

She hoped not.

Izumi clenched her fists, prepared to bash the two boys heads in for sneaking into the pantry to raid it of its contents, but then froze at the door upon hearing the boys whispering through the crack.

"Brother?" Al asked with curiosity in his tone. "Why do you not like Miss Gracia? She's really nice. Her parents were nice too."

"Don't you get it, Al?" Ed said, undoubtedly rougher than he had intended. "They're trying to replace mom. Gracia wants to make herself our mom, so that we'll forget about our mom."

"But it doesn't seem like that's what she's doing." Alphonse mumbled wisely. "It seems like she's just being really nice."

"It's all fake." Edward inhaled deeply before taking another bite of bread. "They don't really care about us. We're just the poor orphan kids that the State felt needed to be put into a home. That's why those people took us in. They don't really want us."

"I miss them though."

There was silence and Izumi peeked into the room to see the two boys sitting between their beds, Ed staring at the floor and Al gazing worriedly at his brother.

"I get that you would like them." Edward finally stated. "They were always nice to you."

"They were nice to you too, brother." Al insisted. "But you were always so mean to them."

"I wasn't mean to them!" Ed argued, but then his anger subsided at the sight of his little brother's wide eyes. "Sorry. It's just...nobody likes me as much as you."

Al disagreed. "I'm sure they do, brother! It's just you never let them get the chance to be nice to you! And then when they are nice to you, you say it's all fake! How is anyone going to get the chance to like you if you're always doing stuff like that?"

Edward was frowning and Izumi couldn't miss the turmoil raging in his eyes. "It's late, Al. Let's get some sleep before teacher comes up here to shut us up."

"That is all I can teach you."

Izumi wished she could have kept the boys longer, but with Gracia growing more and more worried in the letters she sent and with a wedding looming on the horizon, it was inevitable that she give the boys back to their rightful guardians, regardless of either boys' opinion of the matter.

She was glad, as she said goodbye to them at the train station, to see that Alphonse didn't seem even the least bit bothered by returning to the home of Gracia. He had expressed several times throughout his years of training that he liked Gracia and really liked her cooking. Edward, though he claimed he didn't care, showed a completely different opinion. While he agreed with his brother that Gracia was really nice, he apparently harbored deep resentment about being taken from his home in Resembool against his will and this resentment was released against Gracia, even though it clearly wasn't her fault. Izumi figured this was inevitable since Edward was hot-tempered and needed to take out this anger on someone, leaving Gracia as the only real target.

She sighed and leaned into her husband's side for reassurance, hoping letting the boys go 'home' was the right choice in the end.

"Welcome home, Edward, Alphonse." Gracia greeted the boys enthusiastically and Alphonse returned this greeting with just as much excitement.

"Hi, Miss Gracia!" He grinned at her.

"This isn't home." Edward muttered, but only Gracia seemed to have caught the words.

The two boys looked at Gracia for a moment before their gazes transferred to the tall dark-haired bespectacled man beside her, who smiled at them.

"Oh, this is my fiance, Maes Hughes." Gracia introduced him. "This will be the first time you boys are meeting him."

"Hi, kids."

"Hi!" Al smiled back at the man.

Edward frowned and looked at Gracia. "You're getting married?"

"Don't you remember, brother?" Alphonse gaped at the older boy. "Gracia told us in her last letter."

"Oh." Edward's face become bored suddenly. "I didn't read the letters."

Gracia swallowed down the sting that hit her chest and put on a quick smile. "Well, let's get back home, all right?"

Edward's grimace returned, but he made no comment since his brother happily said, "All right!"

"Ed seems..." Hughes didn't know how to phrase his comment and gave his fiancee an apologetic look. "Well, he doesn't seem..."

"He hates that he got adopted." Gracia groaned, rubbing her temples.

Maes' frown deepened. He had never seen Gracia troubled before and this heightened his worry.

"Is he mean to you?"

"He doesn't go out of his way to be nice." Gracia gave a weak laugh. "Anyways, he doesn't do anything...bad...exactly, but he doesn't even pretend to like me. Well, I guess, he likes my cooking."

"Everyone likes your cooking." Maes grinned at her. "You're the best...ever."

Gracia laughed and this time the mirth glittered in her eyes. "Oh, you're such a flirt."

Maes shifted closer to her and put his arm around her narrow shoulders. "It'll be all right, Gracia. He'll come around. It's just got to be hard to move into a new family who you don't know, especially in a new town and everything. I'm sure he's just scared and nervous. Also, he's the big brother. He has to take care of his little brother and he's probably worried about him too. It's hard to lose a parent...we both know that...and at such a young age and everything too. Not to mention, he went from one family to another and that has to be rough."

"I know." Gracia rested her head against his shoulder. "I just want him to be happy. Al seems happy. He at least tries to be. I know they're both hurting, but Ed doesn't seem to want to heal."

"He might still be clinging to his mother." Maes mumbled. "It's hard to let go of the people we love. I can't imagine having to do it at such a young age."

Dear Miss Gracia and Mister Hughes,

I'm sorry, but I can't live here anymore. I'm going home to Resembool. I wanted to take Alphonse with me, but he seems really excited about your wedding. I'm leaving without him. Take care of him and let him know where I've gone. I'll come back for him when I'm done with what I need to do.

I hope your wedding is nice.

Best wishes,

Edward Elric

Maes patted the nervous boy in the white suit and smiled at him. "Don't you worry, Al. You'll do fine."

"But what if I trip?" Alphonse replied, shaking slightly. "I mean, like I did at the rehearsal? I don't want to lose the rings!"

"You'll do just fine." The man helping Maes adjust his bow tie reassured the boy. "Just smile and everything will be all right."

"You should have asked Ed to do this!" Alphonse insisted, glancing around as if for an escape or for his brother in order to ask for a switch. "He would be a better choice."

"But he's runaway." Maes sighed, recalling the letter he'd found yesterday on his table. "He went to Resembool and, frankly, I wasn't able to cancel the wedding to go after him."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hughes." Alphonse mumbled, looking downcast. "I'm really sorry my brother did this to you."

"It's all right, Al." Maes replied, patting the boy's head. "It's not your fault...and you can call me Maes."

"And pretty soon 'dad'." The other man grumbled from where he was buttoning up his vest.

Maes frowned at Roy from where he stood, torn about such a statement. Alphonse and, especially, Edward didn't seem like they wanted to view their adopted sister as even an adopted sister, let alone calling her 'mom'. He doubted this label of 'dad' would be passed on to himself so easily.

"I'd call you d-d-dad..." Alphonse suddenly whispered to the shock of both Maes and Roy. "B-but Ed would get mad at me and...I don't think you...want me."

Overcome by such a cute confession, Maes immediately scooped the young boy into his arms and gave him an embrace he hoped conveyed his feelings. "You can call me dad anytime, so please accept me as your new father and Gracia as your new mother!"

Alphonse giggled, but then quickly sobered. "But...Ed..."

"You can make your own decisions in life, Al." Roy reassured the boy. "And Ed can make his."

Al furrowed his brows and then nodded. Though he seemed still worried, he put on a happy face and rushed off to join the flower girl and bridesmaids.

"He's a cute boy." Roy stated, watching as Al tried to help the flower girl tie the back of her dress.

"If only Ed was more like him." Maes sighed, his eyes a mixture of happiness and worry. "Oh, well. It's about that time. How do I look?"

"Like a man in a tux." Roy replied without missing a beat. "A white tux."

"Come on. At least, tell me I look good."

"You look fine." Roy rolled his eyes. "Now get out there. I'm going to go talk to your very wonderfully bosomed cousin before I escort her down the isle. Maybe I'll get her number."

"She's dating, you know." Maes pointed out with a glare.

"And he's not here." Roy smiled. "Which means the territory is undefended and up for grabs. If you'll excuse me."

"It's my wedding, Roy!" Maes hissed. "Play by my rules!"

Either Roy didn't hear, or he chose to ignore his friend because he was making a beeline straight for Maes' cousin.

Sighing, Hughes rolled his eyes and then smiled as he recalled today was his wedding.

"Oh, I'm getting married!" He announced ecstatically before jogging down the isle to his place by the alter.

Roy held onto his friend as tightly as he could without cutting off the circulation in the man's arm. The sight before them was enough to make even Roy dizzy with nausea and he couldn't miss the obvious signs of an attempted Human Transmutation. The distinct circle, the mutilated inhuman corpse, the fresh spray of blood, the clearing smokey haze...the youth only a few feet away, arm and leg missing and blood splattered all around him.

"Ed..." Maes was barely breathing. "Ed...Ed...Ed..."

The small body didn't move and neither man seemed capable of moving either as they stared in horrified fixation upon the tiny frame.

"Ed..." Maes inhaled deeply and then he was screaming as he fought against Roy's constraining arms. "ED! ED! ED! EDWARD!"

The frame twitched and both men froze, eyes wide. The body twitched again.

Rushing forward, they collapsed at the boy's side and Roy checked for breathing and a pulse.

"He's alive." Roy gulped in air, all of which tasted like metal as it passed his tongue. "He's actually alive!"

"We have to close the wounds." Maes whispered, eyes staring at the boy in growing anxiety. "He's going to bleed to death!"

"Hold him down." Roy instructed as he yanked on a glove. "I'll close the wounds and then we'll get him to a doctor."

"Go ahead." Maes held the tiny frame with his arms and nodded to his friend.

"Here we go!"

There was a snap and flame erupted in the air, encircling the bleeding wounds. Edward screamed, arching against the pain as his remaining hand latched onto Hughes.

In only a few moments, the deed was done and Roy reached to scoop up the boy.

"I've got him." Maes shouldered Roy away, much to the younger's surprise, and picked the boy up in his arms. "Who's the nearest doctor?"

"You take him to his neighbor's, that automail shop, first." Roy instructed. "And I'll go get a doctor."

"Right." Maes nodded and wasted no time at all in hurrying out of the house.

Pinako peeked into the room where Edward was currently bedded and wasn't too surprised to see Hughes in the chair beside him, hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his face resting on his hands.

It had been the very first meeting she had with the two brothers' new guardians. She had known about Gracia thanks to Alphonse' letters, but she had no idea that Gracia had gotten married and the two brothers had gained a stepfather.

Seeing the man carrying in the small blood-covered body of Edward Elric had put goosebumps onto Pinako's skin and Winry had fainted. They hadn't seen Edward since the State had taken him away all those years ago and seeing him then, looking so helpless and pathetic and nearly dead, had broken Pinako's heart. Why no one had ever cautioned the boy from attempting Human Transmutation had been beyond her imagination. Surely, Edward had read in the countless Alchemy books he had perused that Human Transmutation was forbidden? Hadn't he guessed as to why? It had always been unsuccessful! Why couldn't he have seen that?

She frowned and turned away from the room to go make another pot of coffee.

"How is he?" Roy asked as he took a seat on the bed and looked over the golden-haired boy, still unconscious.

"His breathing seems to have cleared up and he's finally resting peacefully." Maes ran a hand over his tired features. "Damn, Roy, how did this happen?"

Roy frowned as he stared at the boy sleeping so calmly in bed and wondered what kind of insane motivation and will the boy had mustered in order to dare such an illegal and dangerous transmutation.

"That was a human transmutation circle." Roy explained and he heard Maes gasp in horror. "He was probably trying to bring back his mother."

Maes covered his mouth, eyes still wide and sweat on his brow. He felt sick, not from the idea of what Edward had been willing to do, but from what it had done to the little boy before him. Shaking, he tried to quell his rising anxiety and stood to relieve some of the tension in his muscles.

"Why...did it do that to him? Why, Roy?"

Maes looked to his alchemist friend for answers, but the younger man didn't seem like he really knew how to reply.

"It's something, I'm sure, to do with the concept of 'equivalent exchange', which I'm sure you know about."

"I get the idea, yeah."

"Well, he had all the ingredients, no doubt, for a human body, but he needed something in exchange for the soul." Roy rushed a hand through his hair. "But no one really knows what is equivalent to that."

Hughes choked on the lump in his throat as he stared at Edward, so small, in his bed. "And so it took his arm and leg instead and still...nothing..."

"Nothing." Roy agreed quietly. "Of course, it would fail."

Edward opened his eyes and stared at the fuzzy ceiling above him as he tried to recall what had happened last. He had been dreaming over and over the events of trying to bring his mother back. All the rehashing and new results had left him wondering whether or not he had actually even attempted the transmutation and whether or not he had been successful.

His vision finally cleared and he turned his head, which felt like it had been filled with bars of metal, to look around the room. He found his view was blocked by a slumped form beside his bed, resting its head on its arms.

Focusing, he gasped upon recognizing the person as Maes Hughes.

Hughes' head lifted, eyes blinking as he adjusted between sleep and awake, then his gaze fell upon the wide-eyed face of Edward. At first, he simply stared at the youth, his groggy brain first recognizing who he was staring at then that the boy seemed fine then that he was staring back then that he was awake.

"Ed!" Hughes yelled, eyes flying wide open. "You're awake!"

Before Edward could even respond, he was embraced by a trembling and relieved body that cried into his shoulder.

"You're all right! You're alive and you're awake!"

For the next few minutes, Edward was all right with having Hughes apart of his life before he recalled why the man was.

"Automail?" Maes' brows were up as he stared at the young Edward in front of him. "But you're so young and..."

"I want it." Edward's eyes were stern as he glared at the man sitting beside him on the couch. "I want to be moving. I want to become a State Alchemist."

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa there, Ed." Maes held up his hands. "You are not becoming a State Alchemist."

"You're not my dad so you don't get to tell me what to do." Ed argued, scowling. "I want to be a State Alchemist. Mustang said I could try."

I'm going to kill him. Maes thought and then focused on the youth. "Roy is just looking for a way to get a promotion. Anyways, I may not be your father, but I hold the equivalent value of one and I'm not going to let you become a State Alchemist. It's out of the question."

He didn't care if the boy didn't see him as his father or even as a temporary guardian, he wasn't going to let the youth, who he had found only week before in a pool of his own blood, put himself into the dangerous line of work known as a State Alchemist. There was simply no way the boy could convince him.

"I need access to the military's research though." Ed insisted. "And the only way I can get to it is as a State Alchemist."

"But..."

"I want to get my body back."

Maes frowned as he tried to swallow down his rising anger and worry. Carefully, he picked his words.

"And this...isn't...this isn't you trying to figure out how to...you know...b-bring your mom back?"

Edward focused suddenly upon his knees. "I can't bring her back. It's impossible...but I can become a State Alchemist and I can figure out how to get my body back to normal. I'll do whatever it takes."

Maes sighed heavily as he realized that there may very well be a way for the boy to convince him to change his verdict.

"If you can do it, more power to you, kid, but..." He frowned. "You'll worry Gracia and Alphonse."

"I don't care about..." Ed paused as he received a look from the man daring him to finish that statement. "Look...Gracia is nice and Al seems to like her, which is why I try to look past...my problems, but...she's not my mom and you're not my dad. I don't have a dad and I only ever had one mom."

"We're not trying to be your parents, Ed." Maes informed the boy, hoping he could get the concept across to the youth. "We're just trying to provide you with a decent life. I know that when the State passed that law and you were yanked from the only home you've ever known, that you were angry at the whole world. But when you were adopted, they were just trying to give you a home and make you comfortable. Gracia accepted care of you because she wanted the same thing and I do too. We just want you to be happy, Ed. That's all."

Edward seemed to see an advantage because his golden eyes met the man's with new resolve. "And becoming a State Alchemist will make me happy, Mr. Hughes."

"It's Maes." The man insisted with a sigh. "Fine. But you have to fully recuperate from the automail before even thinking about becoming a State Alchemist. You hear?"

"Yes, sir." Ed nodded enthusiastically and turned to the previously unnoticed old woman at the door. "Did you hear that? I'm going to need automail as soon as possible."

Pinako exhaled and nodded, even if it was a bit of a sad motion.

"And I want to finish recovery in a year, not three." Ed told her. "I have to do this now."

Maes sighed heavily as he tried to figure out how best to say this. "Al...did you know if your brother had any...plans?"

Alphonse frowned, but Maes didn't miss the realization that had entered the boy's eyes.

"Did...did he try it?" Al asked, worry entering his voice. "Did he try it without me?"

"Edward attempted Human Transmutation." Maes explained. "And he failed."

Al gasped, apparently understanding the implications of what failure meant with such a dangerous transmutation. "NO!"

"Don't worry." Maes rushed to say. "He survived, but he lost his right arm and left leg in the process."

"He's alive?" Tears entered the boy's eyes. "My brother is alive?"

"Yes." Maes nodded. "He stayed in Resembool to get outfitted with automail. While recovery is supposed to take up to three years, he claims he can do it in one. We'll see, of course."

"He's getting automail?" Gracia whispered in astonishment.

"He's very strong, both of body and of will." Maes explained, smiling at the boy before him. "And he's got another surprise for us too."

Roy stared at the young Alphonse as the boy peered around at his surroundings in worry and anxiety.

"It's not much." Roy shrugged, not knowing what else to say, "But it's enough for a couple of weeks."

He bitterly wondered how Hughes had managed to get a two week honeymoon away from his duties in Central. For a moment, he pondered if Edward's sudden disability had anything to do with it, but he doubted Maes would stoop so low as to use that in order to get more vacation time. Of course, this was vacation time they were talking about here: vacation away from the military to enjoy a honeymoon with a new bride...

"So you'll be staying in my spare bedroom." Mustang informed the boy. "Which is right up here."

"Okay." Al nodded and followed the man up the stairs.

Though it was both morbid and wrong to think in this manner, Roy couldn't help be at least a little grateful that he had only Alphonse to watch for the next two weeks and not Edward. One child to babysit was better than two and Alphonse was certainly the easier of the brothers to handle. With a mellow personality and a gentle kindness about him, Alphonse was going to be a piece of cake.

"So how was it with just you and..." Roy paused here, not sure how to proceed with the sentence. "Your new mom."

Alphonse visibly stiffened and Roy realized he'd definitely picked the wrong wording.

"I-it was fine." Alphonse replied nervously. "Miss Gr...I mean, Mrs. Hughes is really nice."

Not calling her mom yet, huh? Roy wasn't surprised.

"So what is your surname anyways?" Roy couldn't help throwing out.

Al stared fixedly at the room the Lieutenant Colonel was now showing to him. "It used to be Elric, but it got changed to Gracia's old surname. Now, they're working on making it 'Hughes' because that's what Mr. Hughes wants."

"But it's not what you want." Roy tossed in, hoping he sounded casual.

Hesitating, the boy fidgeted with his bag strap.

"It is what I want." He mumbled, nearly inaudibly. "But...my brother..."

"Maes and I already told you that you can make decisions without him." Roy told the boy, resisting the urge to add, "And it's clear he has no problem making them without you."

"I know, but..." Al looked up at the man with his golden eyes, so much like his brother's, if not significantly kinder. "I really don't want to make him mad. He's the only family I have."

Roy couldn't stop himself from kneeling before the boy and putting his hands on the narrow shoulders of the youth.

"Al, you have a mom and a dad who love you very much and they want to give you a good life where you are happy. They feel the same way about Ed. Their surname is Hughes."

Al was unable to hold the stare the man was fixing him with. "I know...it's just...it's...my mom."

"Your mom will always be your mom." Roy assured him. "Look...I lost my parents when I was about your age too. I was raised by my aunt and she was as much my mother as was the woman who brought me into this world. People...they die, but this doesn't mean the rest of us can just stop moving because they're not there anymore. I didn't stop and my aunt became my mother. Gracia can become your mother too and Maes can become your dad. They won't be replacing them because no one can ever replace your parents, but they're going to do the job that your parents didn't get to do and they're going to love you from the beginning to the end. You are their son and you're the son of Elric as well. It's all right to have more than one mom."

Al had started smiling at some time during this speech, clearly encouraged by the realization that Mustang really did understand from where Al was coming from.

"Thanks, sir."

"It's Roy." The man patted the boy's shoulder as he stood. "All right then. This is your room..."

"Who's this?" Jean asked as he looked down at the small boy entering the office.

"This is Hughes'...son, Alphonse." Roy introduced with a brief pause. "I'm watching him while Hughes is on his honeymoon. He'll be staying in the office with me during work hours."

Jean glanced at Haymans and Riza in confusion, knowing full well that Maes had just married and yet completely at a loss about any 'son' being involved. Breda seemed just as confused, but Riza gave a look to the both of them that told them to drop the subject.

"Well, welcome!" Jean greeted the kid with a smile. "It's Alphonse, right?"

"Yeah." The boy nodded anxiously as he moved into the room, sitting where Roy directed him.

"I'm Jean Havoc." The man introduced himself. "And this is my buddy Haymans Breda and this is Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."

"N-nice to meet you."

"You can read, write, draw, whatever." Roy instructed. "Just don't do anything loud or annoying. All right?"

"Yes, sir." Alphonse nodded, staring down at the desk in front of him.

"You know, sir." Riza said in a low voice as she passed him a file over his desk. "An office isn't really a place for a child."

"I know." Roy sighed. "I tried to convince Hughes to have someone else watch him, but he insisted."

He recalled the conversation with disgust. Maes had decided it had to be Roy because Mustang had flirted with his cousin and therefore deserved to be punished. Despite all of Roy's excuses and arguments, he had still ended up with a nine-year-old boy in his house.

"It's just two weeks." Roy muttered as he glanced over the report he'd been handed. "It should be fine...Havoc! Don't you dare give him that!"

"What is that?" Mustang couldn't manage to hide his anger.

Alphonse stiffened. "I-it's j-j-just a c-c-cat, sir."

"A cat." Roy repeated. "Why is there a cat in my office?"

"I-it's wet and cold outside." Al mumbled, only hints of bravery withstanding the Lieutenant Colonel's darkening glare. "And it's just a kitten."

"I thought it was a cat." Roy shot back, his irritation finally exploding out of him. "What is a cat doing in my office?"

"I couldn't leave it out there!" Al insisted, cuddling the kitten against his chest. "It was cold and wet and crying and it has to be hungry."

"It's still in my office." Mustang pointed at the door to indicate what he meant. "Get it out."

"But..."

"Out!" Mustang stated more sternly than before and the boy turned and sped from the room without further complaint, but there was no mistaking the cry of fear that escaped him at being so forcefully addressed.

"That was a bit harsh, sir." Riza pointed out as she passed him a few more files.

Roy grumbled and took the files to glare at them without reading. He wasn't a father! This wasn't his kid! This kind of thing was Hughes' deal! Not his!

"Dammit." He stood and stormed from the room only to freeze at what he saw in the hallway before snapping a salute.

"General Grumman!"

"As you were." The General smiled at his subordinate as he gave a meowing kitten a pat on the head. "Little Alphonse here was just showing me his cute little kitten. Isn't it adorable?"

Roy swallowed and gave a nod. "It's very cute, sir."

"I thought so." Grumman smiled at the Lieutenant Colonel. "Well, I better get back to work."

Turning, the General left the hallway a few moments later and Roy let out an exasperated sigh before kneeling in front of a teary-eyed Alphonse.

"You can't keep it." Roy mumbled as he reached out to pet the kitten's still wet head.

"Why not?" Al asked through a thick throat. "Maybe the Hughes will let me..."

"Gracia is allergic to cats."

"Oh."

Roy gave a heavy sigh. "But...I'll keep it for now until we find it a good home, all right?"

"Really, sir?" Al's eyes brightened.

"Really." Roy reassured the boy. "Now, come on. We should probably get it something to eat."

"So what'd you end up calling it, sir?" Havoc asked with a poorly hidden grin.

"None of your business, Warrant Officer!"

"I'm a Second Lieutenant now, sir." Jean reminded.

"Whatever." Roy snapped. "You're still beneath me."

"Ouch."

"What did you end up naming it, sir?" Riza suddenly questioned and Breda and Havoc exchanged looks of amusement when they saw Mustang's defenses drop.

"Spot."

"You named your cat 'Spot'?" Havoc gave his superior officer an incredulous look.

"Isn't that a dog's name?" Breda tossed him.

"Get back to work!" Mustang ordered with a glare and the two men resumed their paperwork.

"Is it because it had a spot on it, Lieutenant Colonel?" Riza questioned for her associates.

"No..." Mustang muttered in embarrassment. "Spot's completely black."

"So did you have fun with Mr. Mustang?" Gracia asked as she began to unpack.

"Roy was great!" Al grinned at her. "He let me stay up as late as I wanted and eat whatever was in the fridge as long as I didn't drink his whiskey, even though he did let me taste it! It was gross! He showed me how to identify ranks and taught me all about his work there in Eastern Command and how to impress the girls, which he says is a very important job for a man of his status! He even let me help him shoot his gun once! It was so awesome! And he let me steer his car, which was so fun! He didn't let me use his gloves though, but that's okay! We had a sleep over too with Haymans Breda and Jean Havoc! They taught me how to play poker and about gambling and Havoc let me drink an entire glass of brandy! That was a lot of fun too, but I don't remember much about what happened! And Roy kept the cat I found! We named it 'Spot' because we thought it'd be funny to name an all-black cat 'Spot'! Oh, oh, oh! And we went fishing once and talked a lot about alchemy! He knows a lot about alchemy that I had no idea a person like him would know! I thought he only specialized in fire, but he really does know quite a bit! And Havoc taught me all about smoking, but Roy wouldn't let him let me try one! We went shopping too and Roy showed me how to be stylish and get people to like me! Oh, and Mr. Hughes?"

"Yes?" Maes was hiding his amused features from the look of accusation and contempt on Gracia's face.

"What's a 'gina'?"

"I think I should kill you." Maes muttered into the phone as he glanced over at a still-fuming Gracia, who was trying very hard not to burn dinner in her distracted state of mind.

"I watched him for two weeks and ended up with a pet cat." Mustang laughed from the other end. "You owe me, Hughes."

"Yeah, I owe you a fair beating." Maes hissed. "You let him shoot a gun and stay up late and introduced him to your co-workers and let him drink and gamble and drive a car and...and w-why does he know the term 'gina'?"

Mustang choked down his amusement, knowing his friend was less than so. "Ah, well, th-that was an accident. Havoc and Breda and I all thought the squirt was sleeping and we were talking about girls. That's all."

"You still let him shoot a gun." Maes didn't loose steam. "And let him stay up late!"

"Oh, come on, Hughes." Roy yawned and the older man could nearly picture the other stretching at his desk. "Staying up late isn't such a bad thing and it was only because he was spending the couple weeks with me. I made it very clear it was just because it was...well, it was like a Roy-Al time. When he stays with me, he gets to stay up, but as soon as he goes back he has to go to bed like a normal kid at a normal time."

"And the gun?"

"It wasn't so bad."

"It's a gun, Roy. A gun...that you let a nine-year-old shoot. How is that not bad?"

He could almost picture Roy rolling his eyes.

"It was just the once and that was all. His dad's in the military. He should learn about guns."

"I thought his dad was an alchemist?" Hughes shifted the phone on his ear.

"I was talking about you, Hughes."

"Oh...right." Hughes glanced back over to where Al was setting the table, oblivious to Maes' conversation. "Sorry...I'm still getting used to the idea...and he hasn't called me it once."

"It'll take time." Roy sighed.

"I can't believe you let him drink!"

"I didn't let him." Roy argued. "I let him sip whiskey so that way he'll be repulsed by it at a nice young age and never take it up. It was Havoc who let him drink."

"You were there! Didn't you notice?"

"Actually, no. I was trying not to lose all my money."

Hughes groaned in agitation. "Al got drunk and it's all your fault."

"It's not my fault! It's Havoc's!"

Maes swore he heard something hit something else on the other end of the phone and he also swore he heard a loud yipe and whimper, though it didn't sound like it came from a dog. He changed topics.

"Oh, and why didn't you explain that term to him, you jerk?" Maes hissed. "I had a very awkward conversation thanks to that!"

"The birds and the bees is your issue, Hughes. Not mine."

Hughes growled, but didn't argue with the other man on that point. "Fine, but try to act like a responsible adult the next time you watch A...my kid."

"Who says I'll watch your kid again?" Roy shot. "This was a one time deal, Hughes, and it was only because you were going on a honeymoon, which, hopefully, only happen once."

"But what about anniversaries?"

"Hire a babysitter!"

He wasn't too shocked by the click he heard following the outburst.

"You sure act like you're angry, sir, but didn't you like having Alphonse around?" Havoc, rubbing the welt forming on the back of his head, dared to comment as soon as the man fuming at his desk had hung up.

Roy glared at his Second Lieutenant. "Get back to work, Havoc."

"Yes, sir." The subordinate didn't waste time doing as he was told, but he couldn't help smiling around his ever-present cigarette.

Breda tapped his desk to get his fellow's attention and mouthed, "What?"

Jean jotted down something on a piece of spare paper and slipped it across the desk.

Haymans glanced over it and smiled before setting it aside.

Later in the day, Roy started out for his lunch break, but his attention was caught by a scribbled note in Havoc's handwriting reading, "He didn't deny it."

Pinako stared at the man in the doorway, visiting for what felt like the tenth time since Ed had begun the automail treatment. While she admired the man's show of fatherly affection, she knew Ed would not appreciate it nearly as much, especially since Al had once more not accompanied him.

"Where's Al?" Pinako asked with a raised eyebrow, tapping her pipe empty.

"School is starting, so he had to stay behind." The man explained, but she could tell he wasn't giving up the whole truth.

"Be honest with me." Pinako decided to attack this from the front. "Are you even telling Alphonse that you're visiting?"

Maes sighed and she knew she'd hit the nail on the head. "I want to tell him and I do think he has every right to know and visit, but..."

His hesitation provoked her.

"You're right!" She stated strictly. "He does have every right to know and to visit, so why isn't he here? Why hasn't he visited? His brother nearly died! Ed has lost an arm and a leg and he's stuck here until his automail is complete and his little brother, who has followed him around since Al was born, is no where to be found! It doesn't take a genius to figure out that there is something wrong with this picture and I'm beginning to wonder if it is because you're in it!"

Maes' normally jovial and calm demeanor snapped away and he glared at her. "I am not trying to keep them apart."

"Then why isn't Alphonse here?"

"Because Alphonse..." He couldn't figure out how to put into words his feelings on this matter.

"There is no excuse you could ever provide that would justify this."

This made Maes finally spill his reasons, despite not having organized his thoughts. "Al already thought it was his fault. He thought that, maybe, if he had been here, it'd have succeeded! It's taken all this time to get him to realize that it was impossible regardless of whether or not he was here! If he saw Ed...the way Ed is right now...he might start blaming himself again! I love that kid! I don't want to see him...upset...o-or...hurt...or like how I found Ed! I don't want that to ever happen again! I don't want to see another person I care about in such a t-terrible...horrible..."

He covered his mouth, astonished at his own brief moment of falling apart. "I'm sorry."

He cleared his throat and recovered just as quickly as he had started to waver. "E-excuse me. Where's...where's Ed?"

Pinako closed her open mouth and turned to hide her astonishment, "I think he's by the river with Winry."

"Where's Al?"

Maes had anticipated this question, but he still hadn't come up with an answer that seemed legit even to him.

"School's starting soon, so he had to stay home."

"Central is not his home."

Maes resisted getting annoyed, knowing it would only provoke Edward further.

"Resembool is his home."

"Sorry." Maes chose not to argue. "Let me rephrase, 'he had to stay in Central.'"

Ed gave him a glare, "But it's not started. He could have still come. Why isn't he visiting? Is..."

He frowned and Maes wondered what the boy was about to ask him. He was admittedly surprised when Ed whispered, "Is he mad at me?"

"No." Hughes quickly corrected, not wanting Edward to get the wrong idea. "No. I'm sorry, Ed. It's not...I haven't been able to let Al visit."

The scowl he received made him wish he hadn't admitted even this tidbit of malformed information. "I'm sorry, Ed. It's been a varying of reasons. Mostly, the only reason I'm able to visit is because I'm heading towards East City on business and he simply can't tag along with me...and Al has had his own issues..."

"What do you mean?"

"This has been very hard on him." Maes stated, looking at Ed pointedly, worried about saying even this much for fear of hurting Edward. "But he's trying to be strong, like you, Ed. He's different than you though and he can't do things the same way you do things. He can't just pretend he doesn't feel certain things...or pretend that he doesn't feel guilty in some way."

"Guilty?" Ed jerked his head around to look at the man. "Why would he feel guilty?"

"I don't know, Ed." Maes shrugged, his chest aching with what he was saying since he knew it would make Edward upset. "But for a while it seemed like he thought that if he'd maybe been here this all wouldn't have happened. Either he thinks you'd have been successful with his help or maybe he could have predicted failure and convinced you to abandon the effort. I don't really know. Regardless, he is getting over these feelings and, I can only hope, this means he'll be one hundred percent himself again once you return."

"One hundred percent himself?" Ed hissed, suddenly angry, and Maes had no doubts at least part of this anger stemmed from the man's accusations. "You don't know who he is! He hasn't been himself since mom died!"

The boy threw the book he had in his lap at the man before beginning to wheel himself away, still shouting.

"You don't have any idea who Alphonse is! Don't act like you do!"

Maes sighed as he picked up the book and stood to follow after Edward as the man rubbed at the welt forming on his forehead.

He had wanted so badly for Edward to be apart of his newly formed family, but it seemed the older of the brothers wanted nothing to do with him. Even though he had expressed these wishes openly to the boy before him, he had been met with stern resistance. Edward refused to understand that Maes and Gracia really did care about him and that they really did worry for him and want him to be happy. Though Hughes had consented to let Edward become a State Alchemist and had gone on and paid for more than half of the price for the automail (without Edward's knowledge) in order for Trisha Elric's savings not to be completely spent on Edward's recovery, Edward still treated Maes at arm's length.

Aside from his wedding and honeymoon, Maes had to admit this year officially bombed.

"He cares about you."

Edward's head lifted and he turned to see Pinako standing in the doorway, staring at him. Hughes had left not even a minute before.

"He just wants to make Gracia happy." Edward muttered as he recalled how the man treated his wife, though at the time she had been his fiancee.

"He cares about you." Pinako repeated more sternly than before as she entered the room. "You didn't see him when he brought you to this house. You didn't see the look of fear and worry in his eyes like his whole world was falling apart just knowing you were in such peril."

"Anyone would react like that to seeing a kid as messed up as I was."

"No." Pinako corrected. "It's a different story when you see your own kid as messed up as you were."

Edward glared at her. "He's not my dad."

"You might not call him your father and, maybe, really he's nothing more than a pseudo-father, but he is more a father to you than any other man has ever been. He cares deeply for you, Edward. He stayed by your bedside and he cried for you. He paid for your automail, not all of it, but most of it, even though you had the funds to do it. He is even letting you do as you want because you said it would make you happy. He might not be as close to you as he is to Alphonse, but that's only because Al let's him in. You don't. You've put up a wall around yourself because you're afraid you'll forget about your mom or that you'll be insulting her memory by accepting the Hughes' as your parents. In all honesty, Ed, you're insulting her memory by forgetting what love really is."

Edward gritted his teeth. "You don't know what you're talking about, you old midget!"

"You're angry." Pinako smiled. "Good. That means you were listening."

She left him there to contemplate her words. Though she knew one speech from her wouldn't be enough to get Edward to see the truth, she also knew her words had taken him a few steps moving forward and that was what was important right now.

"Ed says hi?" Al blinked at the man who was helping him pick out some new clothes to wear for school. "Did he call?"

"Nah, I gave him a surprise visit when I was coming back from East City yesterday." Hughes hated how easily the lie fell from his mouth. "He seems to be doing real well. He's still in a wheelchair half the time, but he's doing better and better they say."

"That's great!" Al smiled, but then it faded as he asked, "Hey, Mr. Hughes? Why didn't we visit when we were coming back to Central after your honeymoon?"

Hughes hadn't expected this question and fumbled over it. "W-well, the train d-didn't stop in Resembool, didn't it?"

Al thought this over and then frowned. "I thought it had. Didn't you buy Gracia those flowers?"

The lie failed and Hughes quickly devised a counterattack. "Oh, that's right. Yeah. It was kind of late wasn't it and the train wasn't going to be stopped long. We didn't really think that through, huh? We should have called ahead and seen if we could spend the night there or had them meet us at the train station so you could visit."

Alphonse nodded, falling silent as he got lost in thought, while Hughes tried hard not to worry himself sick over what Alphonse would think if he found out Hughes had intentionally kept him away from Edward.

"Wow, a promotion?" Alphonse gasped over the phone. "That's amazing! You must be excited."

"Well, it is to be expected." Roy responded into the phone. "I mean, it is me we're talking about here. Oh, and Hawkeye was promoted as well."

"That's great!" Al grinned over at Hughes. "Roy got a promotion!"

"Congrats!" Maes called and then waved goodbye before heading out for work.

Al glanced around for Gracia and, upon seeing she was no where in sight, whispered, "Hey, Roy? Can I ask a question?"

"Shoot."

"Do you...do you think Mr. Hughes is hiding something from me?"

There was silence as Roy recovered from this startling question. "I don't think he'd ever hide anything from you, Alphonse, unless it was a matter of safety for your sake."

"But..." Al grew more nervous with each passing second. "But it sometimes feels like he's keeping me from seeing Edward."

Roy took this blow a little harder, quickly recalling a conversation he had had with his friend not even a day before concerning this same issue.

"If that's how it seems, you'll have to ask him about it." Roy decided to divert the problem from becoming his own. This wasn't his deal.

"But I'm scared."

A sting of guilt stabbed Roy's chest and he swallowed down his pride. "Why are you scared, Al?"

Havoc looked up from where he was sitting to give the newly-made Colonel a look of concern. Roy spun in his chair so that he was facing the window.

"I'm scared...that he's...a bad guy. I don't want him to be a bad guy! I don't! But what if he is...what if...he's trying to keep us apart so that Ed doesn't convince me that Mr. Hughes is a bad guy? What if he doesn't want me to know the truth? And...I miss my brother! I'm scared that he's worse than anyone's telling me! What if he is? Have you seen him, Roy? Tell me! Is he okay? Or is he...is he even alive!"

Hearing the panic in the innocent voice of the boy, Mustang's fists tightened. "Please, calm down, Al."

"How?" Al whimpered. "I'm scared, Roy. I'm really scared."

"It's all right, Al." Roy tried to maintain calm in his own voice. "Ed is fine and I assure you he's alive. I saw him with my own eyes. I even helped seal his wounds and get him a doctor. I know he's alive and he's getting better as quickly as he can so that he can become a State Alchemist. I know this. I heard it. I saw it."

"Then why can't I see him?" Al yelped. "Why can't I see my brother?"

Roy stood, more to get some of the adrenaline out of his system than to actually do anything.

"Because we're scared too! Maes and I! We saw what had happened with our own two eyes. We saw what Ed had done and the damage only moments after it'd all happened. We knew that you thought it was your fault. And we didn't...we don't want to see you in the same situation. We don't want to even imagine how much worse it could have been had you found yourself in the same predicament. We're scared, Al. We're scared it could have been worse and we were scared it can still be worse. Al...we...I don't know about Hughes, but...I don't want to ever live through seeing that again...especially, if it was you this time."

He heard the boy fidget on the other side and snuffle up his emotions.

"It's okay, Roy." Alphonse croaked out. "It's all right. It won't happen. I promise. Thank you for being honest with me."

Roy nodded even though Al couldn't see him. "I'll...um...I'll talk to Hughes about letting you see your brother and don't worry...this conversation will stay between us."

He glanced back at Havoc, who had heard Roy's half of the conversation, and wasn't surprised to see the Second Lieutenant staring at him with an unspoken vow: this conversation would stay between the three of them.

"Guess what, Al?" Gracia smiled as she tried to control her excitement and then she looked at her husband's raised brows. "Oh, and you too, dear."

"What are we guessing?" Maes asked as he walked over to her.

"Just guess."

"You're making apple pie for dinner?" Maes tried with a grin.

"We can't have pie for dinner, Maes." She laughed at the suggestion. "Be a good example for Al."

"I am a great example." Maes winked at the boy and Al snickered.

"Okay, Al." Gracia coaxed the boy. "What's your guess?"

"Um...we're getting a puppy?" Al tried, hoping against all hope.

"Well, you were...in a sense...closer." Gracia grinned as her excitement tried to burst from her. "But this is better. You're going to have a baby sister or brother, Al."

Two pairs of stunned eyes met her and then Maes whooped.

"We're having a baby? We're having a baby?" His arms wrapped around her and he held her close in an ecstatic embrace. "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!"

Al found himself scooped up into an embrace along with Gracia and he laughed as Maes began to sing in a made-up tune about how he was going to have a baby. Despite smiling and showing enthusiasm, Al couldn't shake the uncertain feeling from his mind and, when he finally lay down for bed, he found he couldn't sleep.

Roy raised an eyebrow at the sight of Edward going through the motions of sparring, his automail limbs glistening in the light around him as he moved. He was impressed since the boy had indeed recovered from his injuries in record timing, though he still had a couple of months to go.

"Well, it's good to see you so well, Mister Elric." Roy alerted the boy to his presence and Ed stopped what he was doing. "Lots of improvements from when I last saw you."

"You're that Mustang guy." Ed frowned, staring at the man with speculation. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you for Hughes." Roy responded casually. "He's been busy with a case in Central and was getting antsy about updates concerning your recovery. He sent me to check since he trusts my judgement."

"Fantastic." Edward grumbled, turning to enter the house. "Well, come on in."

"Thank you."

Roy followed the boy inside, not missing the glare he was receiving from the old woman at the window.

"So how is Alphonse, do you know?" Ed asked as he set down a cup of coffee for the colonel. "He hasn't been calling as much as he used to."

"School has started." Roy replied, nodding in thanks for the beverage. "And so his time is kind of limited right now."

"How do you know this?" Ed questioned.

Wisely, Roy lied, "Oh, Hughes told me."

He didn't think it was smart to tell Edward that it was Alphonse who had called him and told him. Lately, Al seemed to be relying on Roy for emotional support, something Roy had anticipated with Edward recuperating still, Al having spent two weeks beneath Roy's care during the critical time of Al's emotional recovery from Ed's traumatic experience, and Hughes keeping the boys separated due to his own fear of how Al would react to seeing his brother's current physical state. It was expected that Alphonse would lean on the person who had been there for him when he was still scared for his brother. Roy wasn't bothered by this, though he was getting rather annoyed at his subordinates referring to him as "Uncle Roy" or "Big Brother Roy" behind his back.

"Is Hughes..." Ed hesitated, eying the man suspiciously since he did know the two men were friends. "Is Hughes keeping...Al away from me?"

Roy took a drink from his cup to stall for time to think.

What could he say? Alphonse had thought the same thing and it wasn't as if the evidence wasn't overwhelming to support both boy's suspicions. It had nearly been a year since Al and Ed had seen each other. There was really no legitimate reason as to why they shouldn't have seen each other by then. Hughes himself had made several visits to Resembool to check up on Edward's condition and only two had been because he was passing through to Eastern Command.

"If that's how it seems, I suggest you take it up with Hughes." Roy sighed. "I really don't know anything about it."

He figured it was safest to stay out of the problem if at all possible.

Edward frowned and stared down at his still full mug in contemplation.

"Hey...um...could you...would it be all right if I...er...what...how did..." Edward fumbled over his words, but Roy had already guessed what the youth was about to ask him.

"He was in a complete panic." Roy informed the boy. "In all honesty, we both were, but Hughes...it was worse for him. He kept saying your name, but he couldn't breathe. By the time he got some air in his lungs, he wasted it all by screaming at you. I don't think either of us was thinking logically at first. When we saw you move, we rushed to you, of course, and he was the first one to get something sensible out, even though he had no idea how to do what he suggested. When I sealed your wounds, he wouldn't even let me take you. I thought it would be best if I was the one to carry you since he was shaking so hard, but he wouldn't let me. He was very protective and I think, even though I doubt he thought about it in the least, that he viewed even me, his best friend, as a potential threat to your well-being. It wasn't until the doctor had come and bandaged you up that he even started to calm down. Then he only left your bedside to use the restroom. That's what you wanted to know, isn't it, Edward?"

Ed stared at his hands, which were gripping the cup of coffee tighter than they should be, given that one was metal. A crack ascended to the rim of the mug and the boy loosened his grip.

"Why does he..." Edward whispered. "Why does he care? I'm just some orphan that..."

He didn't finish his sentence because even he realized that people in this world did care about him.

"Ask him." Roy stated. "You won't get the answer you're looking for by asking everyone else."

"I can't believe he actually made it." Roy muttered, staring from the dining room into the living room where Edward was showing off his new pocket watch to his astonished brother. "He's the youngest State Alchemist yet."

"Speaking of which, I am going to kill you." Hughes growled at the younger man. "You gave him the idea, you jerk."

Roy shrugged. "Well, at least, now I have gained considerable favor from the Fuhrer for procuring the boy."

"I hate you." Maes grumbled as he stared into the living room where the boys were now ogling Edward's certificate. "He does seem pleased though, doesn't he?"

"Wouldn't you be too?" Roy mumbled. "Aren't you proud of him?"

Maes continued to stare at the youth."I am..."

"But?"

"Al called me dad the other day...in front of Ed."

Roy turned his attention to his friend and wasn't surprised at the mingled emotions of joy and hurt.

"I was so happy because it was the first time he'd ever said it and he was so cute and nervous and happy too that I didn't even notice the look on Ed's face." Maes swallowed down what Roy figured was a lump in his throat. "Then Edward got so angry, he ran away, which was a good thing because I think Alphonse would have been upset if Edward had stated his disagreement with it right then and there. I had to run after him. Chased him all the way to the train station. I have no idea where he thought he was going, but boy did he think he was going somewhere."

"What happened?" Mustang asked, curious and honestly interested.

"We yelled at each other." Hughes let out a weak mirthless laugh. "I'll tell you: he nearly won that match. Kid's got a great pair of lungs and big vocal cords for his size. I swear I almost burst an eardrum...but I convinced him. Told him he was almost a State Alchemist. That, even if he didn't become a State Alchemist that he couldn't leave his brother behind. That his brother needed him...it took a bit, but he stayed. And that's what's important because Alphonse would have been really upset if his brother left. Of course, as far as I know, Al has no real idea why Ed just took off like that, but Al isn't an idiot. He'll have figured it out."

Roy's eyes turned back to the living room where Edward was now lazying around with a smug look on his face. "What a handful...and he just became my problem."

Maes didn't grace this fact with a remark, instead musing aloud his latest fear, "I don't think Al will call me that again. Not as long as Ed has a problem with it."

Roy couldn't help glaring at his latest charge. "What a pest."

Edward seemed to notice they were staring at him and got up to enter the dining room. "Hey, what are you two looking at?"

Roy's brows rose and Maes' face grew bored as they both responded in unison, "A new subordinate."

Hughes jogged into the night, panic in his chest and eyes wide as he called out, "Alphonse! Edward! Al! Ed! Where are you?"

Relief flooded him when his eyes finally rested on the two boys sitting on a curb, the elder looking furious and the younger fighting back tears.

"Hey." Hughes asked in worry as he crouched in front of them. "What's wrong?"

Al started to cry more outright at this question and Edward gave the man a sterner glare.

"What's going on?" Maes asked, completely confused.

"You won't...w-want us...anymore." Al sobbed between his tears.

"Why won't I want you anymore?" Maes gasped in disbelief.

"You...you...you're going to h-have a...b-baby soon."

Understanding washed over Maes' features. "Oh, Al, that doesn't mean I won't want you anymore."

"But...you'll have a baby that...i-is really your baby and we...we're not y-your kids."

"You're my kid." Hughes didn't hesitate and completely ignored Edward's scowl. "You are my kid, Al." He looked at Ed. "And so are you, Ed."

Though it was clear that Ed wanted to grit out, "No, I'm not," the youth instead held his tongue.

Hughes focused again on the sobbing Al. "And Gracia having a baby doesn't change that. When your mom had you, Al, it didn't stop Ed from being her son, did it? Well, this won't change anything either. You'll always be my son, Al, even if Gracia has five kids, even if you tell me again and again that you're not my son. You will always be my son and I will always want you in my life. Okay?"

Al threw himself into Hughes' arms and the man held him tight, willing the boy to understand exactly how strongly he felt about his two adopted sons.

Opening his eyes, the man looked at Edward and was stunned to see the look of hurt and clear want in the older brother's eyes.

"That goes for you too, Ed." Hughes reassured him.

Obviously wanting to argue, Edward turned his face away, which gave Hughes the opportunity to pull him into the embrace. He was relieved when the youth didn't struggle against him and they hugged each other for several minutes before Hughes decided it was time to go.

"Come on." Hughes stood. "Let's go home, boys. It's late and Gracia must be worried."

He was glad when he didn't hear Ed reminding him that Resembool was their home, not Central.

"She's so cute." Alphonse whispered as he and Ed stared down at their new baby sister. "She's so cute, Ed."

"Well, she's a baby." Ed shrugged, not really sure if he could call the red-skinned big-headed toothless screaming and wiggling alien 'cute' even by the largest stretch of his imagination.

Gracia smiled sweetly down at her new baby and then turned to look at the boys. "You'll have to take good care of your sister, Al, Ed. She's going to need someone to keep a good eye on her, all right?"

Ed looked at Gracia and nodded, not arguing or even looking angry at the idea of Elicia being called his sister.

Al suddenly perked. "Hey! I'm not the youngest anymore, brother!"

Ed snorted. "You're still my little brother, Al."

"But I'm taller." Al grinned as Ed fumed.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORT?"

"No, you're not." Roy stated strictly as he passed a piece of paper to Hawkeye.

"But I want to research the philosopher's stone." Ed argued, glaring at the man.

"And so research it." Roy told him. "In the library here in Central."

"But they only have a limited knowledge."

"And other libraries throughout the country will too, but you still must start somewhere."

"But how am I supposed to find a stone if I'm stuck in a library!"

"By researching where to begin looking."

"You just don't want me to leave Central!" Edward shouted accusingly. "Why'd I even join the Military if I can't even leave Central to research?"

"You joined so you could get access to research only available to State Alchemists." Roy stated. "So why don't you use that to your advantage? Go to the library here in Central and research all you can while also improving your own alchemy. Then you can come to East City and research there. If I hear any leads, don't worry, Ed. I will send you there to investigate any information. I'm sure you are more than capable of defending yourself."

Edward showed obvious signs of relief in learning the Colonel wasn't going to stop him and even was going to help him investigate any clues about the stone.

"I want Al to come with me."

Roy tried his hardest not to stiffen, but Edward caught the motion.

"That's something you'll have to talk over with Al and your father."

"He's not my dad!" Edward bellowed. "I don't know what he has been telling you, but he's not my dad!"

Roy stood and Ed noted the change in his superior's features. "All right. Fair. He may not be your father, Ed, but he is Al's and it was Al who picked him. I've already heard about your anger towards what your brother chose. I will not pretend that I was not infuriated by such selfishness and that I don't hold a bit of a grudge against you for causing both Al and Hughes so much trouble and pain. Personally, I believe you should feel ashamed of yourself, if only for your brother's sake. That all said, as Al's legal guardian, it will be up to Hughes whether or not Al can accompany you and you must also respect your brother's wishes if he wants to stay here in Central. Understood?"

Ed was staring at the ground and Roy knew the boy had felt the sting of guilt.

"Yes...sir."

Roy sighed, feeling a pang of guilt himself. "Look. I spent two weeks watching over Alphonse, so admittedly I'm a bit closer to him than...you...and you're my subordinate so I can't exactly treat you like you're a kid or treat you special. Regardless, I was probably speaking out of line when I accused you of not caring about Alphonse. I know you do. Very much...but you're not the only one who does. Hughes cares and I care. That said, why do you want to put Alphonse in such danger by having him accompany you? While I doubt you'll face anything life-threatening, being a State Alchemist means you're not going to be on the best terms with the rest of the populace, especially since the Ishval War. Why are you so willing to risk him too?"

"I'm not!" Ed objected, glaring at the man before turning his gaze downward. "But Al wants to come and...and he'll just follow me if I don't let him. That's worse. It's better if the two of us stick together."

Frowning, Roy shifted uncomfortably. "Like I said before, it's up to your...Hughes. It's up to Hughes whether or not Alphonse can go with you. Take it up with him."

Hughes stared at the youth before him in shock and, admittedly, a bit of hurt.

"You want to go with Ed whenever he leaves to look for the philosopher's stone?"

"I want to help my brother." Al explained. "And I'm a better fighter than Ed and he really needs someone to watch his back."

Selfishly, Hughes stated, "He's equivalent of a major. He should just make like Roy and acquire a handful of trusted subordinates."

Al looked down at the ground. "But Human Transmutation is a capital offense and Ed...he wouldn't take on subordinates."

Maes frowned. "But...Al...you...you have school and...and a little sister...and Gracia...and me."

Staring at the man, Al gave him an apologetic look. "And I want to stay too, but Ed is my brother. I can't let him go risking his neck without me there to at least try to protect him!"

"But it's not your job to protect him! That's supposed to be the job of his parents!"

"But he doesn't have parents!"

"He has Gracia and me!" Maes argued, standing. "I'm...I'm...I'll talk to him!"

"But..."

"I'm going to talk to him." Maes said more forcefully than he should have and he stormed from the room.

"Hey, Roy?" Maes said sluggishly into the phone and Roy could almost smell the alcohol all the way from Eastern Command.

"What, Hughes?"

"I'm trying to...you know...organize a...sort of team, you know..."

"I didn't know, but..."

"And...I was...wondering...if...maybe...you knew some...good people...people who could travel around with...a runt."

Roy sighed, glancing over at his latest addition to his own team. The grey-haired individual was getting directions from Havoc about their filing system, which apparently was very different from Central.

"I can't exactly spare people to go on wild goose chases with Fullmetal."

Hughes groaned. "But he's going to take Al with him and I don't want Al getting hurt. I mean, I don't want Ed getting hurt either, but there's really nothing I can do about it. I could make Al stay, but that would make him unhappy and I don't want him unhappy...or mad at me..."

A frown creased Roy's face. "There are some people here under Grumman that I know from Ishval. They may be available and even willing if I can get them out from under Grumman's palm."

"Please, oh, please, oh, please!" Hughes begged.

"I'll see what I can do, Hughes, but I make no promises."

"This is a very strange request." Grumman commented as he moved the chess piece along the board.

"I know, sir." Mustang agreed, studying this latest development. "But I assure you it will only be when Fullmetal is travelling for his research. When he reports back to me his findings, the men can go back to their regular duties here."

"You're very specific about your choices." Grumman pointed out as he awaited his subordinate's move. "You seemed to know exactly who you wanted to accompany him."

"I know these men from the Ishval War and I know they are both capable and competent soldiers. I trust them to do the right thing."

Grumman mulled over this as Roy finally made his move.

"Well, I'm sure if they are willing then there is no problem, but I request you leave Charlie here since he did just marry."

"And here I was hoping he and Damiano would be the major supporters."

"Don't trust Richard and Alexandre as much?" Grumman commented.

"I just think that Damiano and Charlie would be able to better handle Fullmetal."

"I see." Grumman sighed as Roy moved another piece. "Well, I'll discuss the matter with each of them. Oh, but I don't recall Catalina being in your squad in Ishval."

"Ah, I thought perhaps she could provide a...motherly touch to the group."

Grumman chuckled lightly. "Oh, I doubt that. If I'm not mistaken, the group you've listed consists of five members, four males and one female: a group you've already expressed some interests about creating for yourself."

Roy smiled. "I hadn't noticed."

"Well," Grumman picked up a piece to move. "Like I said, I'll discuss the matter with each of them."

He set the piece down.

"Checkmate."

"Wow, so these are your goons, Colonel?" Ed said looking about the office at the three men and single woman who were working away.

"They're not called 'goons', Fullmetal." Roy corrected with a hint of annoyance. "They're called 'subordinates'. You're in the military now. Get your terms straight."

"What does it matter if they're called 'goons' or 'subordinates'?" Ed snorted as he entered the room with, to Roy's dismay, Al in tow. "They're the same thing."

"You should learn to address your underlings a little more respectfully, Fullmetal." Roy advised. "Considering you're being assigned a few to command."

"What?" Ed stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the man in wide-eyed bewilderment. "I'm not commanding anybody."

"On the contrary, Fullmetal." Roy objected. "While I might be your direct superior, I cannot defy orders given to me and these come from Lieutenant General Grumman."

"Grumman?"

"He requested a full report about what your objectives within the military were and, while I was able to cover some things up for you, Fullmetal, I couldn't outright lie and say you weren't going to be traveling around. Grumman felt it was necessary to provide you with the right...uh...protection and resources and ordered me to put together a team for you."

"A team?" Ed grumbled, seeming deflated as it apparently wasn't the Colonel he could blame with this.

"Yes." Roy stood from his seat. "A team I will be introducing to you now. Follow me."

As soon as the three had left the room, Falman turned to Havoc with a raised eyebrow.

"Is it really all right for the Colonel to lie like that?" Vato asked in worry.

"A little white lie won't hurt the chief." Jean smirked around his cigarette. "In fact, it's probably a good thing for him."

All right, so I felt this was getting really really long so I'm stopping here and will write a new chapter later. These take a while to write because they're long (for me) and so it'll be a couple of days at lease before I can post another chapter.

Remember: correcting spelling, grammar, word choices, writing style, and character/plot development is constructive, but arguing about topic and theme is just critical.

I hope you enjoyed.