for those who read the original version of this story, it will seem a little bit the same but the tone is going to be a big different. i hope you all enjoy this new version of OFFSPRING
"You've always been a son to me. You've always made me proud. I trust you."
"Mustang it's a boy… it's a human boy…"
"Ed, you have to let him go."
The ringing in my ears won't go away and I wake up with a start. I sit up, gasping at the soreness of my limbs from the rain outside. I massage my thigh where the flesh meets steel. Lightning shines on my automail arm from outside and I catch a glimpse of it, realizing that I was so focused on the baby and the fact that… that he… My eyes widen at the realization of the blood and why it's there and I scramble, falling off the bed. It takes me a moment to gather my wits back together and remember that the automail is attached. I have the wash the blood off.
I run to the bathroom, immediately wetting a rag and lathering it up with soap. I know Winry will be pissed about it (she's always telling me to stop using soap on my automail in the shower) but I have to get the blood off. I don't care about rusting the metal or warping the gears, I have to get it off. As I scrub, I watch the oxidized blood go down the drain in a brown swirl. A flashback of how these spots got here pound my brain as I see my blade slicing through the Colonel's soft flesh…
The memory of what I've done hits me like a ton of bricks and I feel bile creep up my throat. I abandon washing my arm and aim my vomit to the toilet. I empty my stomach of nothing and then lean against it. Tears are slowly trailing my cheeks and my head hurts from trying not to cry and throwing up all the same. Nothing can fix the pain in my heart… No one would understand what I'm going through…
Thunder rumbles and I finally let myself sob against the toilet. He's gone… He's gone…
"Colonel here." I hear beside me.
In my anguish, I didn't even hear Fuery pad into the bathroom and sit next to me. I look at him for a moment as he pants happily at me and then butts something over to me that he had dropped on the ground. I look down and see that it's the Colonel's jacket that I had found earlier today. I look at Fuery again and he stares at me with expectation, never knowing how much he's really helping…
I reach for the jacket and put it on, it swallowing me whole since Roy was a good two feet taller than I am and muscled even more. It looks a little silly on me since it's so big but I can still smell Roy and I feel like he's with me and that I didn't let him die. I didn't fail him…
I look at Fuery, looking a little silly with his human glasses on his face, but looking happily at me. Ever since he became a chimaera, he has been very sensitive to those who need it most and I appreciate that he's here with me, unknowingly knowing exactly what I need. I wish I could talk with Al about it but I just can't… I already feel guilty about what I did to him trying to bring back our mother but I don't want him to bear this pain with me. This was all my fault…
I sniffle a little when I feel something in the lining of the jacket. I reach in and pull out an envelope that is folded over. I open it and pull out something. Pictures… There are only six of them and each are labeled on the back.
The first looks like it is Mustang when he was a kid with a surprisingly attractive woman who is quite mannish. He is holding up a fish to the camera, a tooth missing and the woman is smoking a pipe very stoically behind him.
Me, 7, and Aunt Chris
The next is of him and Hughes and Hawkeye. It must have been sometime around the Ishvalan War because Roy's hair is very short, Hughes has no beard, and Hawkeye's hair is cut incredibly short. They all look tired except for Hughes, who is grinning ear to ear as he has one arm around Roy and one arm around Hawkeye.
Me, 22, Maes, and Riza. End of Ishvalan War.
Next is a picture of just him using flame alchemy where someone must have snapped a picture of him doing it. The next picture is of Hawkeye in normal clothing sitting on a couch with her legs propped up and a mug in her hand.
Best bodyguard I could ever have although quite off guard here.
There is a small heart at the end of the sentence and I notice that it has 'RM+RH' inside of it and lift an eyebrow. I look at Fuery, who has been looking with me.
"Seems like the Colonel really did have a fondness for Hawkeye. What a sap, huh?"
"Fuery knew." He says with a wag of his tail and I can see the human side of him making connections with the pictures. "Riza like him too."
The next picture is a group picture of everyone that is under his command with all of them named. It even has me on there as NOT PICTURED. The last picture though, makes me freeze. He had somehow gotten a picture of Al and I while I was smiling big at Al.
Alphonse Elric, possibly 13, and Edward Elric, possibly 14. The youngest under my direction. They make me realize what being a father is all about and that maybe someday I'll have my own children to worry over.
My eyes begin to water as I remember what he said to me when I was supposed to get the baby out. He said that he always viewed me as a son and that's why he trusted me… He shouldn't have done that… Why did he say that?! Now Mustang is gone and the thing he couldn't have had, fatherhood, is never going to be given to him. Hell, I even took away the baby's father; now he's just like me and Al…
Fuery whimpers and touches my cheek with his wet nose, licking my tears.
"Ed no cry… No cry…"
I cry harder and wrap my arms around Fuery, sobbing into his fur. He puts a paw around my back and I feel his nose in my ear where he is snuggling to me but I don't care. I can't keep up with these feelings and now knowing that I've caused that kid to be alone…
I finally stop crying (or I used up all my tears, I'm not sure) and decide to just write out the stupid report that the Fuhrer needs for the files. It won't be easy but I can't go back to sleep and maybe going over the events might help me a little…
I wake up the next morning with my head against the desk. I sit up and try to work the kink out of my back. Fuery is on the bed calmly looking at me and I pet him on the head.
"Nice, Edward…" he says with a 'smile'.
I smile too and notice I'm still wearing the Colonel's jacket. I want to take it off but having it on makes me feel better actually and I head downstairs. As I enter the living room, I find Al in the kitchen running the water. I walk to him and find him cleaning dishes.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"The Colonel had a lot of dirty dishes so I thought I'd try to straighten up the place… Are we going to stay here, Brother?"
"I don't see why not. There are a lot of things that will be taking place in the days coming up so since it's technically free room and board…"
Al nods and then looks at me fully. If he had a face I would be able to see that he is frowning but just knowing him, I can tell he's not quite happy about my appearance.
"Why do you have that on?"
"It helps… Fuery found it under the bed and… I just…"
Al's demeanor changes and he nods again. "I see…"
I look around for a second and realize that the baby isn't here.
"Where's the baby?"
"You told me to take it to Mr. Hughes, remember?"
"Oh, right…"
"We named him."
"You did?"
"We decided on the name Ren. It's short for Roy, Edward, and Maes, but just switching out the M with the N. His middle name is Alphonse. That was Mr. Hughes' idea…"
"Ren Alphonse Mustang… That's a good name."
Ren… So that's what your name is now. I think to myself. Alphonse gets done with the dishes and dries off his hands.
"What's wrong, Ed?" he asks and I look up at him.
"What?"
"You're crying again…"
I wipe my face furiously and sniffle, trying to hold back tears.
"It's nothing… I just can't believe he's really gone. The Colonel, that is… I just…"
Al touches my shoulders and I look into his eye holes, the red glow somehow showing sympathy.
"Ed, there's nothing that could have been done. The Colonel knew the risks and trusted you to follow his orders. He knew he could trust you and that's why he asked. You didn't kill the Colonel."
I turn away and pull my shoulders from him.
"Yes I did. If I had been more cautious about my surroundings I wouldn't have gotten caught. He would have been able to have Ren removed properly in the hospital where there are machines to keep him alive. I killed Roy Mustang."
"No you didn't. Tucker killed the Colonel. If he hadn't used him for his sick experiments, then none of this wouldn't have happened. We can blame a lot of things, even the Colonel himself for going into the military. Why didn't he just become a farmer or something?" I look at him and he sighs. "Ed, there are so many things that the past does that makes us who we are and makes the world around us act the way they do. The what ifs and the should haves will just… it'll make you crazy. No one sees you as a murderer, Ed; the circumstances just happened the way they did."
"I just feel like I could have done something more."
"You said the same thing when you tried to get Mom back. You say that same thing when it comes to my body. You can't change the past, Brother."
The phone rings and Al says he'll go get it as I think about what he has said. He's right and I know it but… but he's not me. He will never understand how it felt…
"Ed, Mr. Hughes wants us to come to his house. He said there's something really odd happening with Ren."
Panic goes through me. Is the experimentation causing issues with Ren? Good. I hear in the back of my mind. I gasp at myself for even thinking about it. Ren didn't ask for this… But he did it anyway, didn't he? I shake my head and get ready to go to Hughes' house.
We get to Hughes' house and knock on the door. It opens quickly and the Lieutenant Colonel's glasses are askew. He straightens them and a look of relief shows on his face.
"I'm glad you guys are here. Maybe you can reason with him."
"Reason with who?" Al asks as we step in.
"That thing that you gave my husband!" Mrs. Hughes yells as she holds Elysia.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"I think it would be best if you just went and looked."
He points to a bedroom and we both walk toward it. I open the door and I hear a giggle as a stream of fire shoots into the air and into the ceiling where a large hole is forming with charred marks around it. I look at the dresser and find a small child sitting there laughing. At hearing Al's armor behind me, the child turns to us and smiles big.
"Dah!" he says, holding out his arms to us and opening and closing his hands. "Daaaaah!"
We walk over and he reaches for me so I pick him up. He hugs my neck and nuzzles into the crook.
"Dah…"
"No, Edward."
He pulls back and turns his head a little.
"Dah?"
"Brother, I don't think he can talk." Al says behind me.
"Talk." He says suddenly and I almost drop him.
It looks like he's thinking for a second and then grins again.
"Ed." He says, pointing to me. "Al." he says, pointing to Al. He looks back at me. "Safe."
"I trust you."
"Ed safe." He says again and touches my cheeks his hands. "Ren safe."
Revelation suddenly dawns on the both of us and we look at each other and then back at the child.
"Are you… are you Ren?" Alphonse asks, pointing at the kid.
The kid smiles sheepishly and leans into my chest but nods. We look at each other again and realize this is no ordinary child.
and what have we here? i'm sure you all know (especially those coming back) but if not oh well you'll see