Discovering Ed

by DianneRose2016

Full summary and warnings inside. Edward is living a painful life. His own father hates him and abuses him constantly. His younger brother is gone, he has two automail limbs and is being forced by his own father to perform dangerous alchemy all so his father can make himself look better. Ed's life takes a drastic change when Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang walks into it.

A/N: It's time for the What If Game. It's my favorite game after all. What if Hohenheim never left? What if Ed was smarter than the show had him? What if Ed had been successful at bringing his mother back from the dead? Quick note, Mustang will be in Central, it's just easier that way. Ed is eleven as he was when the first 2003 series started. Ed will be OOC at first due to the change in his history, but he will eventually become who he is on the show. Roy also might be a little OOC but I am basing his character off of the Brotherhood Roy and not the 2003 series Roy. In Brotherhood Roy was more caring towards the boys and wasn't so cold.

Summary: Edward is living a painful life. His own father hates him and abuses him constantly. His younger brother is gone, he has two automail limbs and is being forced by his own father to perform dangerous alchemy all so his father can make himself look better. Ed's life takes a drastic change when Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang walks into it. For the first time, in a long time, Ed has hope for a better future. One where he can bring his brother back from behind the Gate and they can be free from their father once and for all.

Story Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, swearing, maybe torture not too sure yet.

Italics is for mind speaking.

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Chapter 1

Roy and Hawkeye made their way from the train station in Resembool to the main strip of the town. It was a small town, one they had only been to as they were on a train heading to another location. Resembool was more of a country and farm town that people settled down to have a family in a peaceful town. There was no crime here. You didn't find homeless people sleeping on the streets. They didn't have much money, but they all bought locally and supported each other. It was a good town for someone that had no desire to move on to bigger or better things. Even the younger ones that move on to explore always come back to this community to start their own family and retire. It was not a town that Roy or Hawkeye thought they would be in, but Roy had heard some rumors and whispers about an alchemist with the ability to bring animals back to life. Roy had become very interested in finding this alchemist and speaking with them. He had only heard of someone being able to accomplish this was with an incomplete, lab created philosopher's stone. Even then, the animal was never brought back properly or died not long after. Roy wanted to meet this person and with some luck and charm get them to go back to Central with him to become a State Alchemist and boost him into a promotion.

The main strip of town consisted of a few booths selling different food and a couple of shops for the rest of what the town may need, such as construction, furniture and a doctor's office. This town was painfully small to Roy and he already couldn't wait until he got back to Central and he could go to a restaurant for some food. But if he wanted to be able to find this amazing alchemist speaking to the locals was the best way to go about doing it. They were in military uniform so it didn't take long before everyone that could see them were looking right at them. Roy gave them a warm smile as he walked by and chose the first person to speak with. It was an older man, roughly sixty, who was running a flower stand.

"These are beautiful." Hawkeye said, as she took in the flowers.

"Thank-you. My wife grows em. Normally she would be here, but she came down with something nasty the last few days. Stuck in bed and she was more worried about her flowers dyin'." The old man said with a warm smile. It was clear he loved his wife dearly.

"I would be worried too if I spent the time to grow them. Flowers are meant to be enjoyed." Hawkeye said warmly back.

"Yes ma'am, but I have a feeling you nice folk didn't come down here to take in the shops. Name's Mickel Walts, but everyone 'round here calls me Mick. Somethin' I can help you with?"

"My names Roy Mustang and this is Riza Hawkeye. We're actually looking for someone. I'm a State Alchemist and I heard that there was a powerful alchemist here in town. I was hoping to meet him or her for a friendly chat."

"You came all this way just for a chat?"

"Yes Sir. Alchemists are slaves to knowledge and I heard he has been able to bring back dead pets. I am very interested in learning more." Roy said humbly. He knew that if he posed as a threat no one in this town would give up the alchemist.

"We don't want no trouble here." Mick started.

"We don't mean any. This is not official business it is very much personal to me."

"Now personal I understand. You are looking for Van Hohenheim."

"Hohenheim is here?" Roy asked shocked.

The old man gave a soft chuckle before he spoke. "Heard of him have ya? He's been here for close to fifteen years now. Always keeps a low profile. Keeps to himself a great deal as well. He met Trisha Elric, got married, had two boys and now he helps out around town for work. Very gifted man. All of the rumours about him are certainly true."

"You've heard of him?" Hawkeye asked Roy.

"Through whispers. No one has been able to find him for close to twenty years. And he was able to bring back animals?" Roy asked looking for some clarification.

"Right in front of my eyes. My granddaughter's sweet little puppy got hit by a car six months back. Poor thing died right away, barely three months old. My granddaughter was heartbroken. Hohenheim came by the house with his eldest son, Edward, and he brought him back to life. He's a happy playful puppy to this day."

"That's amazing." Hawkeye said.

"He's an amazing man."

"What about his sons? What are they like?" Roy asked, if he couldn't get Hohenheim to agree, he might be able to get his sons to if they were the right age and had his talents.

"Well let's see. The youngest Alphonse, he's ten, but gone away to school down South to some special academy. He's a very bright boy. The eldest Edward is eleven. He don't really talk anymore. He's got some problems mentally, if you know what I mean. He wasn't always like that mind you. There was a terrible farm accident and he smacked his head pretty good, lost most of his knowledge and ability to function normally. He also lost his right arm and left leg in the accident. But the Rockbells fixed him up real nice with some automail. You would never know he's only got two real limbs. Hohenheim takes him with him whenever he needs to help someone. It makes Edward feel useful and good for a little while. Hohenheim even lets Edward put his hands down on the transmutation circle while he's doing it. Its a real shame what happened to him. He used to be full of life, now he's a shell of the kid he was. Gets bullied a lot, it's not often you see him without any bruises or cuts. Poor boy doesn't even talk anymore. It's a sad situation." Mick said with sympathy and pain for Edward and his family.

"That is sad. It's a shame for someone as young as him to be struggling like he is. Is there nothing a doctor can't do to help him?" Roy figured that it might be leverage towards Hohenheim if a doctor could help Ed. They had better doctors in Central and what father could say no to that?

"'Fraid not. Only time will help his mind to heal and maybe he'll talk again one day. He'll never be much smarter than a six year old though."

"That's too bad. From what you have said he seemed like a very bright young boy." Hawkeye said.

"He was. But you both are looking for his Daddy. He should be at their house just take this road until the end and turn right. It's a big white house with a green fence, you can't miss it. Should take about ten minutes to get there."

"Thank-you for your help and the information. I hope your wife starts to feel better." Roy said.

"Oh she's already on the mend. The doc gave her some medicine to take. She'll be back out here by the weekend I can guarantee you that. You travel safe now if I don't see you on your way out."

"Thank-you." Hawkeye said for them with a warm smile.

Roy and Hawkeye made their way in the instructed direction. Once they were on the path and away from listening ears Hawkeye spoke.

"What have you heard about this Hohenheim?"

"I haven't spoken to him personally, but other alchemists have mentioned him. He mostly writes letters to a chosen few to discuss various techniques. The one constant though is human transmutation. The impression I got about him was that he was a man looking to do the impossible. Or prove that the impossible is possible I should say. He's very hard to track down though and only a couple of alchemist have been able to speak to him in person. If I can get him to agree to taking the State exam it would accelerate my promotion to months."

"He has a family though. It might not be that easy to persuade him."

"He is a family man, but that might be just what I need. Doctors are better in Central after all and if his son Ed is injured, what father could refuse the help? With the right words I'll be able to get him to see my point and agree."

"I hope you are right. If nothing else this is a nice break from the office."

"And all that paperwork."

"It will still be there when you return don't you worry about that Sir." Hawkeye said with a smirk.

Roy let out a groan at the mere thought of having to do any more paperwork. He wanted to be promoted, but at the same time he wasn't cut out for office work. He enjoyed being out in the field and completing missions, but at his ranking that almost never happened unless there was a serious danger that only his skill could handle. Something that has not happened for a couple of years now. It only took them twelve minutes to arrive at the house. They saw that the mailbox said Elric on it, something that was interesting to them. Most married couples take the husband's last name, but with the Elrics they have the mother's and the father even has his own original name. It was untraditional and in a small town like this Roy couldn't help but wonder why.

They made their way up to the door and Roy knocked. They didn't know if anyone was home, but they were hopeful that someone would be. There was no car in the driveway, but in a small town like this, that wasn't unheard of. After a moment they could hear movement inside before the door opened to reveal a young woman with long light brown hair and green eyes. It was the eyes that caught both of Roy and Hawkeye's attention though. They were dead eyes. There was no life, no emotions in them. If she was surprised to see two military officers at her doorstep she didn't show it. She didn't show anything.

"How may I help you?" She asked with a dead voice as well.

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Mustang and this is Second Lieutenant Hawkeye. We were hoping to speak with Van Hohenheim. Is he in?"

"Yes, is he expecting you?"

"No ma'am. We just need to speak with him for a few moments."

"Of course. Please come in."

She stepped back and allowed them to enter, but a smile never touched her face, nor did her dead demeanor change. They walked in and was guided over to the living room where they saw Hohenheim sitting down on the couch with a book. They also saw another boy who Roy figured was Ed. Roy took a moment to truly look at the boy. He was sitting in a chair with his head down. He was wearing simple black pants and a black shirt. He had his long blonde hair tied back into a braid, but what caught Roy's attention the most were the bruising all over his one arm and faintly on his face. The boy was also very thin and short for someone his age. What Roy could see of the automail arm looked very high end, but also very heavy. He couldn't imagine how someone Ed's size would be able to handle the weight of not one, but two full automail limbs. Roy had known soldiers with just one limb and it was painful for them each and every day. Men three times the size of Ed that couldn't handle it. Roy had no idea how this kid was able to even get out of bed with them. Hohenheim on the other hand was a different matter. He had the same long blonde hair tied back as his son, but he was more built. It was clear he worked out and ate properly. Hohenheim stood at their entrance and he extended his hand as he spoke.

"I am Van Hohenheim, what brings you by?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. This is Second Lieutenant Hawkeye. We came here to speak to you." Roy answered, as he went and shook the man's hand.

"What does the military wish to speak to me about?" Hohenheim asked with a friendly smile as he gestured for them to sit down. Hohenheim then turned his attention to Ed who had yet to move or speak. "Edward, you know the rules when adults are talking."

Ed just gave a nod and made his way out of the room and up the stairs to where Roy assumed was his bedroom. Trisha had already disappeared into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, he's a little slow mentally. Accident when he was ten." Hohenheim said apologetically.

"It is quite alright. I hope he is recovering nicely. He seemed to be injured." Roy said casually.

"He's recovered. There is nothing anyone can do for him now I'm afraid. As for the bruising, he bruises easily after the accident and the local children don't seem to like him very much. They don't understand why his two limbs are metal or why he won't speak. Children can be cruel."

"They can be yes. And your other son, he's away at a school?"

"He is yes. An academic academy for gifted children. You have been doing your homework on me I see."

"Not at all. Mick had told us about it. The reason we came down here was due to the rumors we had heard of an alchemist who was bringing back dead animals. I was curious and wanted to see for myself. Mick led us in your direction. Though, I have heard of you through other alchemists. You are spoken very highly of, if not a mystery."

"Sometimes being an alchemist is best if you are a mystery. I do not wish to have enemies coming to my home. They can't find you to hurt you if no one knows where you are. As for the dead animals, there is no law against bringing back the dead if it is an animal. It is not taboo."

"You have me mistaken, I am not here to arrest anyone. I am here on personal time out of my own interest and curiosity. No one has ever been successful in bringing something back from the dead. If you don't mind me asking, how did you do it?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that. Alchemists are secretive people as you know. I have no desire to spread that particular knowledge around. As you could imagine what could happen should the wrong person have access to it."

"I understand. Perhaps you would be interested in becoming a State Alchemist. You would have access to the military libraries and all of their information on Alchemy. You could have your own lab to run experiments. Being in Central would also allow you to have access to better doctors. They might be able to help Edward recover from the accident."

"It's a nice offer, but it's not one I am interested in. I enjoy my quiet life here. As for Edward, there is nothing anyone can do. He is a lost cause unfortunately. Everything I need is right here and the people within the town depend on me to help them. I cannot turn my back on them. My time to become a State Alchemist has long since past and I do not care for it now."

"If you change your mind, the offer will always be there. We could really use someone with your skill level and knowledge." Roy said reluctantly. He was not happy about this at all. He thought he would have the chance to discuss it more, but it was clear in Hohenheim's voice that he had zero interest in hearing any of it.

"It won't, but thank-you for the offer. Now if that is all, I have work I must attend to." Hohenheim said as he stood, a clear indication that they were being dismissed, something Roy was not happy about.

"Thank-you for your time." Roy said, as he stood up with Hawkeye right behind him.

They were shown the door by Trisha and both of them heard the lock clicking into place behind them. They made their way down the driveway and when they reached the road Hawkeye spoke.

"That did not go as I thought it would."

"Nor did I. Something feels weird in that house."

"Weird how?" Hawkeye had known alchemists her whole life. She knew that there were aspects in the world that they could sense when others couldn't.

"Just a feeling, I can't describe it."

"His wife did not look happy with life."

"She looked dead." Roy agreed.

"You don't think something happened to her?"

"Human transmutation is impossible, believe me on that. Centuries and no one has ever come close to completing, not to mention the cost it would put on the alchemist. She's just miserable with life."

"It probably has to do with her one son being gone and with Edward. I would imagine he requires a great deal of care."

"He is not a vibrant and happy boy. He was very submissive and very thin."

"He didn't look healthy at all. The accident is taking a toll on that family even still."

"You and I both know that this world piles burdens on people at a great weight. It's too bad Edward has to deal with it at his age. From what Mick said he used to be an amazing young boy. He could have been great."

"And now we are returning with no alchemist or the prospect of one someday. Hohenheim seemed very happy to stay in his house."

"Of course he is. He has no danger to him or his family and the town looks to him as a saviour. He brings back their dead pets and fixes their problems. He has one of the larger houses in town. Why would a man want to leave his kingdom for another King's domain? He's not going to talk about it either. I'll never know how he does it."

And that is what bothered Roy the most. He would never get answers to his questions. This whole concept would continue to be a mystery to him and there was nothing he could do about it. Roy hated that more than anything else in the world.

"You may discover it for yourself one day. If nothing else, everyone dies eventually. You may get to have access to his notes or journals then." Hawkeye said trying to give Roy some small amount of hope.

"Maybe. We came all this way for nothing."

"At least we got out in the sun today." Hawkeye said with a small smile.

Roy smiled back as they made their way back to the train station to go back to Central. Roy was not pleased with how this day had gone. He had higher hopes that he would be able to get this alchemist to agree to writing the exam. He knew that once the alchemist was signed up that he would pass easily. Afterall, no one had ever brought anything back from the dead successfully before. He would have been a lock for Colonel and one step closer to the top. Now he was returning with nothing to show for it, but wasted time and disappointment. He would need to find another way to speed up his promotion and do it quick before his accomplishments were too far into the past.

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It was two weeks later when Roy was standing at the Central train station waiting for the train to arrive. He was there with a dozen soldiers waiting for General Hakuro to return. The train had been taken hostage by a former military officer now going as Bald. Roy tried not to think about how stupid the name was. His best friend and one of his most trusted comrad, Lieutenant Maes Hughes, was on the train and Roy couldn't help but worry about him, even though Maes could get through anything when he put his mind to it. The last word that he had heard was that Maes had been able to stop Bald and they were on their way back. Maes did say he had some help from an alchemist on board and Roy was very much interested in thanking him. Apparently, he had saved not only Maes' life, but that of the General's and his family. Roy had a debt to pay and he did not take it lightly.

The train pulled in and the General and his family came over to Roy and Hawkeye once they departed the train.

"General Hakuro, it is good to see that you and your family are well." Roy immediately said.

"We got lucky today. Thankfully my family was not hurt. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes took a graze to his shoulder, but he will be fine within a day or two. There was a boy who stopped Bald. I didn't get his name. I need you to track him down and thank him personally for me and let him know that if he ever needs something to come to me. I owe him a great deal today."

"I will get right on it Sir. I'll gather the details from Lieutenant Colonel Hughes."

"Thank-you, I appreciate it. I must get my family home. Make sure that Bald and his comrades never see the light of day again Lieutenant Colonel."

"With pleasure Sir. Get home safely."

With a final nod the General guided his family with his security protection away from the train and out into the parking lot. Roy turned his attention to the three soldiers that were moving Bald away and off to be transported down to Central to be questioned before being booked and imprisoned. Roy scanned the area until his eyes landed on the one person he wanted to see the most, Hughes. Roy could see some blood on Hughes' right shoulder, but it wasn't much and Roy could already tell the wound had stopped bleeding. Hughes had gotten lucky this time around. Hughes made his way over to Roy and Hawkeye and gave them a small wave as he spoke.

"I'm alright, just a scratch and Gracia will make sure I am well taken care of." Hughes said, as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"That's great, but I don't care. Who was the alchemist that saved your ass?"

"You won't believe this, it was some kid."

"You were saved by a kid?" Roy asked skeptically.

"I know, it sounds bad, but he was maybe twelve if that. He came out of nowhere. I was walking on top of the train and there he was right behind me, but that's not even the interesting part."

"Oh, do tell." Roy said with a slight interest.

"He didn't use any transmutation circles." Hughes said with a smirk as he knew that would immediately catch Roy's attention.

"He must have had them on him somewhere." Roy argued back.

"He didn't. Roy I was right next to him. He clapped his hands and then touched the part of the train he wanted and then boom transmutation. He wasn't wearing gloves and there was no tattoos. He didn't draw any circles."

"He didn't have any tattoos or drawings on his hands?" Hawkeye asked.

"Nope, he couldn't one was automail."

"No one can do alchemy without a circle. He must have had them somewhere." Roy said back, as his mind tried to think of an explanation.

"Look, he's over there. Go ask him. Maybe you can get him to talk. He didn't say a single word the whole time." Hughes said, as he pointed in the direction just off to the side about half way between the train and the door in front of them.

Roy and Hawkeye turned their attention to who Hughes was pointing at, but they were immediately shocked.

"That's not possible." Hawkeye said right away.

Standing there with a small suitcase was Edward Elric. He was looking all around standing in one spot. They could tell he was amazed by the sight of the station and couldn't bring himself to venture any further.

"Maes there must be a mistake. That is the kid I was telling you about from Resembool. Edward Elric. He doesn't speak, he's slow minded and he doesn't do alchemy. He shouldn't even be out this far." Roy said.

"Roy, I was standing right next to him he had no problem doing alchemy or getting into a fight. He is the one that beat Bald. He knocked him out after destroy Bald's automail arm. If that is the same kid that you saw back in Resembool, then someone was lying to you. He doesn't speak, but he's not slow minded. He calculated how to take out the guards on the train to get to Bald. He transmuted parts of the train to have the water line running through the front car. I don't know much about alchemy, but even I know that isn't easy."

"Why would his father lie though? Why would the town? He doesn't even do alchemy in the town it's always Hohenheim. He also has more bruises on him. His face is fresh." Hawkeye said, as they took in the numerous bruises on Ed's face. They couldn't see his arms as they were hidden by the red cloak he was wearing.

"I don't know why, but I do know that kid is something special. He had no fear in getting involved at all. He took out guys four times the size of him with guns. The General was impressed and that is no easy task." Hughes said.

"I don't know who is lying, but he's not slow minded. He's a prodigy." Roy said, as he kept his eyes on Ed.

"How can you tell?" Hawkeye asked.

"Look at him. He's taking everything in, even touching the bars. We didn't see his eyes last time, but you can tell even from here his mind is processing everything. His mind is breaking what he sees down and trying to think of all the things he could transmute it into. He's a prodigy, but why hide it?" Roy said more to himself.

"Where are his parents? He's only eleven he shouldn't be traveling alone." Hawkeye said.

"I didn't see anyone with him on the train and the conductors said he got on alone. He's not looking too healthy. He's too thin, too tired. He needs some love and care." Hughes said.

"Let's feed him then." Roy said and with that he made his way over to Ed.

Hughes and Hawkeye followed Roy as he went over to Ed. Ed still hadn't noticed them as his eyes were fixed on the tracks that were not currently being used. Once he was close enough Roy spoke.

"Edward." Roy made sure he smiled so Ed wouldn't think he was in trouble.

Ed snapped his attention over to Roy at the call of his name. For the first time Roy and Hawkeye could see not only the golden eyes, but also a close up of all the dark bruising all over Ed's face. His left eye looked just recently unswollen. The worry and uncertainty in Ed's eyes was clear, but Roy could also pick up some fire in his eyes. There was a spark there and that gave Roy some confidence. This boy wasn't too far gone. Ed lowered his eyes slightly and the three adults could tell it looked like it had been programmed into him. He was to be submissive and respectful to any adult.

"I heard what you did on the train. I wanted to thank-you personally. Hughes is one of my closest friends and you helped to save his life today. I owe you a great deal Edward." Roy said kindly.

As expected Ed didn't say anything only gave a small nod that seemed more dismissive than anything.

"I would ask what brings you to Central, but I won't get an answer from you. I know you can talk. You talked before the accident and based on your alchemy abilities you don't have anything wrong with your brain. The question is why don't you talk?" Roy asked, but he had zero expectations of Ed actually answering him. Roy knew it would be more psychological than anything for Ed. Something must have happened that made him stop talking.

They could all see that Ed was debating on answering. His eyes were scanning the room and it was clear the questions were making him nervous. After only a moment though Ed took a slow breath in before the three of them heard his voice in the one place they didn't expect it. Their minds.

"I get hurt when I talk."

"Did he just?" Hawkeye started, but didn't finish the sentence.

"Yes he did." Roy said amazed himself. No one had ever done something like this before. No one had ever written about something like this before. This was completely new territory and he had no idea how it was possible.

"How?" Hughes asked the question they were all wondering.

"He's a lot more than a prodigy." Roy made sure he gave Edward his full attention as he continued to speak. "Ed, no one here is going to hurt you, especially over something like talking. I don't know your story, but I can promise you, give you my word, that no one here would ever hurt you for it. It's safe to talk."

"Roy's right kid. I know we're military and that can be pretty scary and intimidating, but we're not going to hurt you. Honestly, I'm five seconds away from taking you home with me just so I know you'll be cared for and safe. We would never hurt you in any way." Hughes added.

"Can you try to talk? Even just one word, I think you'll feel better once you do." Roy suggested gently. He didn't want to push Ed, but he also didn't want Ed going around as mute because he was hurt and afraid. He was only eleven years old, he had a whole life left to live.

Ed was clearly uncertain about the idea and anxious. But they could also see something else in his eyes, determination. Whatever was bothering Ed it was clear to them that he didn't want to be trapped by it. There was a strength to Ed and that was what pushed him through.

"Hi." Ed whispered and it caused him to cough as his voice was rough from not being used since he was ten.

"Hello Edward." Roy said with a warm smile. It was only one word whispered, but it was still something and that was perfectly acceptable to Roy. "I don't know about you, but we are starving. You look like you could use a good meal. Come on, I'll buy lunch."

"You don't have to." Ed whispered again.

"I know I don't. I want to. Not only do I want to know more about you and why you are in Central, but you saved my best friend's life today. That is not a debt I take lightly. You can't tell me you aren't hungry." Roy said lightly.

"Always." Ed said with a small half smile.

"Perfect, I'll drive and afterwards I can drop you off wherever it is you are staying." Roy said with a warm smile as he started to walk away.

Hughes and Hawkeye stayed a second to make sure that Ed would go with them. Ed began to follow and Hughes and Hawkeye followed after them. Once they were in the car they all could tell that Ed was nervous, but he was also amazed by everything that they past by. Roy would normally talk to Ed, but he figured he would allow Ed this time to take it all in and allow his mind to process the larger city. Thankfully, Hawkeye and Hughes could tell that Ed needed this time as well so they all sat in comfortable silence until they arrived at the restaurant. Roy made sure it wasn't anything fancy and they would have something that Ed would like. They made their way inside, Ed leaving his suitcase in the car, and were escorted over to a table that was more private and away from any listening ears. Ed sat beside Hughes with Roy and Hawkeye across from him. With drink orders in they all picked up their menus. Ed picked his up and began to look it over. This was the first time he had been in a restaurant and his mind found itself looking at everything.

"Have you eaten in a restaurant before Ed?" Roy asked calmly as he kept his eyes on his menu.

"No." Ed whispered still.

"Really? I guess there wouldn't be many in Resembool eh?" Hughes said.

"There's one, but we never go to it. Hohenheim didn't see the point when my mom could cook."

"I can understand that, but still it is nice to give the wife a break. I always make sure I do at least once a month." Hughes said.

It was clear Ed didn't know what to say to that so he just gave a nod in return. Roy couldn't help but smirk. After a few moments their waitress came by and took their orders and with that Roy got down to business.

"What brings you to Central Ed?"

"I want to become a State Alchemist." Ed said without any hesitation in his voice.

"You're only eleven though, you can't even take the exams until you are at least eighteen." Hughes said.

"He's right, why did you come now?" Roy asked.

"I can study here. Learn more here than back home."

"You're parents just allowed you to come all this way alone?" Hawkeye asked.

Ed just looked at Hawkeye and Roy could see the truth in his eyes.

"They don't know where you are. Let me guess, you snuck out your window in the middle of the night and took the first train out that was heading in Central's direction. That's how you ended up on the General's train. But why the need to sneak out? You could have learnt anything you wanted from Hohenheim. He is a great alchemist."

"He's not as he once was. Do you think it's possible for alchemists to lose some of their abilities when they have children? Like it gets past down?" Ed asked genuinely confused.

"I don't know. I think as you get older the harder it is to do what you used to. Alchemy uses a great deal of energy as you would know. The older you are the harder it is to obtain that same level of energy. It's why most turn to lab work once they reach a certain age or teach. I don't believe alchemy is something that is past down through the parents. There has been no scientific proof to say otherwise. Why do you ask?" Roy answered.

"He always said it was my fault he was no longer as great as he once was. Blamed me for taking it from him. I couldn't see how I could have though, but I don't know everything." Ed said with a shrug.

"No one knows everything, but I have a feeling you know a great deal Ed." Hughes said warmly.

"Being in Central was the first step to becoming a State Alchemist. Here I can learn from other alchemists and be ready for the exam when I'm eighteen. You came there to try and recruit Hohenheim. I overheard you talking."

"We had heard whispers about an alchemist that was bringing dead animals back to life. A villager, Mick, told us it was Hohenheim. Why do I have a feeling there is a different story there." Roy said, as he looked right at Ed.

"Even if I could tell you that, I can't here."

"Fair enough. Where are you going to stay?" Roy asked knowing when to push and when not to.

"I'll stay at a hotel until I can find something else. Is the General and his family safe now?" Ed asked looking to get the attention off from him, especially because he didn't have a place to stay but the streets for now.

"They are all ok and safe. That man and his men are in custody thanks to you. He did want me to pass on a message of thanks and that if you ever needed something to contact him and he will see what he can do. He said he owes you a great deal for what you have done today. You were very brave Ed." Roy said proudly.

"I did what anyone else would have." Ed said with a small shrug.

"No Ed you didn't. What you did took courage and a level of strength that a number of men do not have. You should be proud." Hughes said.

Ed gave Hughes a small smile.

"Do you have a hotel in mind Edward?" Hawkeye asked.

"Not yet. I'll find something. Have you been to Resembool before your trip?"

"No, we've only passed through on a train. Never had the pleasure of stopping. It's a cute little town. How is Mick's wife doing?" Hawkeye asked.

"She's doing good. Just a bad sinus infection. She was back out there selling her flowers a couple days later."

"That's good to hear. It was clear how much he loved her." Hawkeye said.

"Have you ever been outside of Resembool before Ed?" Hughes asked.

"No, never."

"Not even to visit your brother?" Roy asked.

"No, not yet. He didn't start until just over a year ago. He's been really busy with school work."

"What city is he in?" Roy asked.

"South City." Ed answered with practice.

"How is he liking it?" Hughes asked.

"Good so far. He was always smart." Ed said the last part proudly.

"He's not the only one though. Hughes said you could transmute today without using a circle. That should be impossible." Roy said calmly.

"Impossible is just a word. Once a person allows their mind to accept that then the impossible becomes possible. Too many people believe something is impossible because they can't discover the solution. When in reality no one has yet to think of the solution so they label it impossible when it is actually not."

"That's an interesting perspective Ed. It also makes a lot of sense. A century ago the thought of cars would have been impossible. Given enough thought and time anything can be possible." Hughes said.

"That is true, but don't think I didn't notice how you didn't answer my question." Roy said trying to still get the answer.

"Some things shouldn't be explained."

The waitress returned with their food and once she left Ed made sure to change the subject once again.

"Is there any parts of the city I should avoid when looking for a room. I don't really want any trouble from criminals or homeless people."

"Well the criminals could be anywhere really, but they mostly stay around the Donovan Area, that is on the East side of the city. The homeless community tends to frequent the Boulder Area on the West side of the city. You'll be safer if you avoid those areas. Any hotel will have a map for you too until you get used to the city." Hughes answered.

"It won't be easy for you to find work though Edward. What will you do for money?" Hawkeye asked with concern.

"I have a bunch saved up to get me through for a month or slightly more. I can find work. I helped out a lot in town with different shops and owners usually will be more willing to hire someone my age for a cheaper wage. I'll find something close by the hotel I'm in. Eventually I'll have enough for my own place."

It sounded simple, but they all knew it wouldn't be. Even if Ed could get a job almost right away he wouldn't be making much. It would take a couple of years before he would be able to save up enough for his own place and even then he would have to try and pay rent each month The three of them all knew that they should offer to help Ed, but at the same time Ed was technically a runaway. They all figured that after a week, maybe two tops, that Ed would see life on his own at his age was not going to be fun. That he was better off at home. Roy would keep an eye on him though, he did save Hughes' life today. Roy would make sure Ed was safe until he was ready to get sent back home. Roy would continue to keep an eye on Ed once he was back in Resembool. He couldn't take the exam at his age, no one in history had ever taken it before eighteen and even then they didn't get through. Ed was different though and he would be worth the wait for seven years before Roy could claim him as his own.

"I know a pretty decent hotel for cheap. I'll take you there afterwards." Roy offered.

"Thank-you." Ed said politely, as he ate his food. It was clear he was starving as he barely stopped to chew.

They all sat there enjoying their food and having some small talk, nothing too important as Ed was more than starving. Hughes had lied and said he was full just so Ed could eat his fries. Once Roy had paid the cheque they made their way out to the car. Roy drove them to the hotel and once they arrived he spoke.

"I work in the Central Branch, if you need anything call me." Roy handed Ed his contact card.

Ed took it with a small smile of thanks before he got out of the car with his suitcase and headed inside the hotel. Roy waited to make sure Ed got inside ok before he headed off for the office. They still had a long day ahead of them with all of the paperwork and processing of their newest criminals.

"Are we sure this is a good idea? Shouldn't we be trying to contact his parents?" Hughes said not liking the idea of leaving an eleven year old out in a city like this on his own.

"He's a runaway, give it a week, two tops and he'll be back home. I'll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get killed. If it goes on for too long we can call his parents to come get him." Roy said.

"He didn't call Hohenheim father." Hawkeye said.

"I know, but he is his father. They look too much alike to be anything else." Roy said.

"Their relationship must be strained for Ed to refer to his father by his name. I wonder what happened." Hughes added.

"My guess would be it has something to do with his father telling people he's slow minded. Hohenheim might be doing it to protect Ed from people finding out his abilities, but still, it would affect Ed all the same. Hohenheim is more interested in hiding from the world and if Ed shared his interest in becoming a State Alchemist it could have pushed Hohenheim to act dramatically." Roy answered.

"You don't think Hohenheim put those bruises on him do you?" Hawkeye asked.

"I'm not sure and I doubt that is something we will ever get out of Ed."

"He was afraid to talk because he would be hurt. If that isn't child abuse I don't know what is. I should find his brother, make sure he's ok down in South City." Hughes said concerned for the younger Elric.

"Couldn't hurt. At least we will know he's safe and where he is supposed to be. I'll go by tonight and make sure Ed got settled in ok. I'd be surprised if he's here a week before he's on a train back to Resembool." Roy said confidently.

"How do you think he can do it though? No transmutation circles and he talked to us through our minds. How is any of that possible?" Hughes asked still not over that fact, a fact that they got zero answers out of Ed.

"Edward said that eliminating the word impossible allows you to discover the impossible, but still I find it hard to believe it was just willpower that allowed him to do either of those things." Hawkeye said skeptically.

"Oh it's not. He's a top level prodigy, he might be a prodigy to child prodigies. At eleven years old he has managed to accomplish two impossible abilities. There is no telling what he will grow into being able to do. Hohenheim was just a rung on my ladder, but that kid, he could be the whole ladder." Roy said.

"You're going to keep tabs on him even after he returns home. I have to admit he does have some serious talent and it would skyrocket your reputation as being the one to discover him. Still though, eleven or eighteen, that's still young to see the things that we do. He wants it now, but there is no telling how he will feel in seven years." Hughes argued back.

"I know, but with the right mentor he might still have the dream of being one. Ed was meant to see the world, I don't see him passing up the opportunity in seven years." Roy said confidently, as he pulled into the Central Branch.

"It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out." Hughes said, as they parked.

"See if you can find his brother and anything you can on his father and mother Hughes. I have no problem sticking him back on a train, but I want to make sure it's safe for him there before I do it." Roy said, as they got out.

"I'll start right when I get back. You enjoy your paperwork." Hughes said with a huge smile.

"You have your own paperwork." Roy argued back.

"Ya but mine can be done within two hours, you have easily five hours worth."

"More like ten with the amount of time we lost today." Hawkeye corrected.

"I am not staying here for ten hours. It can't all be due for tomorrow." Roy complained.

"It's not. I'll have you focusing on those ones first Sir."

"It's hard to tell which one of you is the boss sometimes." Hughes said with a chuckle as he turned down to head to his office.

Roy just rolled his eyes and headed to his own with Hawkeye. He wanted to get this over and done with as quickly as possible so he stood a chance at going home tonight. Later on he would check in on Ed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was just after nine thirty that night when Roy finally got out of the office. He was exhausted and just wanted to take a hot shower and get some sleep, but first he had to check in on Ed. Hughes hadn't called to update him on anything he found so Roy knew that meant there wasn't anything to report yet. Hawkeye had offered to check on Ed herself, but Roy wanted to do it. He wanted to make sure that Ed was alright himself, as he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he check with his own eyes. Ed had done the military a great deed today and Roy wanted to ensure Ed was safe while here in Central.

Once Roy arrived at the hotel he was pleased to see that the same worker was behind the desk. That would make things easier in case Ed didn't book the room under his name. Roy walked over to the desk and gave the receptionist a warm smile.

"Good evening. Do you need a room Sir?"

"No, actually I am looking to speak with Edward Elric. He came by earlier today to book a room."

"One moment let me just find his information." The receptionist turned to the pile of papers she had on the back part of the desk. After searching through she turned back around and spoke. "I'm sorry we don't have anyone here by that name."

"He might have used a false one. He's short, eleven, blonde hair tied in a braid, golden eyes."

"Oh yes him. He came in and asked for directions to Boulder Area. I gave him a map and showed him the quickest way there."

"He didn't get a room?" Roy asked slightly surprised.

"No. He was in and out within five minutes. Very polite kid said he was surprising his grandmother." The receptionist said with a warm smile.

"Thank-you for your time."

Roy headed back out to his car and the annoyance couldn't help to be felt. He was annoyed at Ed for coming down to a city like this with no money to stay anywhere. More so he was annoyed at himself. Of course Ed didn't have a place to stay or money, he was only eleven years old. Ed had played them with asking where he should be avoiding in the city and Roy should have picked up on it. Roy didn't know what was going on, but he was damn well going to find out, tonight. He hated to be played just as much as he hated not having answers.

Roy made the drive down to Boulder Area so he could begin his search for Ed. He was not looking forward to having to find Ed among the homeless people. Roy was hoping it wouldn't take too long to locate the red cloak that Ed was wearing. After a good fifteen minute drive Roy parked his car on the side of the street and began his search. He asked every person he went by if they had seen Ed and after the tenth person Roy was finally pointed in the right direction. He found Ed roughly twenty minutes since he had arrived huddled under an overhang of a backdoor. Roy couldn't help, but notice how much smaller Ed looked in that moment. He had his legs curled up against his chest as well as he could with his automail limb and his cloak was wrapped around him. It was clear he was exhausted but he was too on edge to sleep, not that Roy could blame him. It wasn't cold, but it was still cool enough in the air that you wouldn't want to spend hours out in it. Roy spoke as he went over to the boy.

"A hotel bed would be much more comfortable."

Ed snapped his attention over to the sound of Roy's voice. It was clear he was surprised to see Roy here. He honestly didn't expect for anyone to come looking for him after today. Ed figured they would all go back to their lives and forget about him within a few days. He certainly never expected for any one of them to come looking for him.

"What are you doing here?" Ed asked keeping his voice still whisper level.

"I went by the hotel I dropped you off at to check in on you. Only to find out that you never got a room, but directions to the homeless community." Roy said not sounding impressed at all.

"Why would you check on me?" Ed asked with genuine confusion.

"You not only saved the lives of the General and his family, but also my best friend. That is not something I take lightly, as I have said. You are going to get in my car and we are going to a place where we can have a long discussion. You will answer my questions this time and not avoid them or divert them. I don't know what is going on at your home, but it can not be worse than living on the streets in a foreign city."

"You don't even know what my life is like." Ed said with the first hint of an attitude, something that should have annoyed Roy, but actually made him proud. There just might be something inside of Ed afterall.

"All the more reason to get in my car and go for a chat. Come on I don't have all night." Roy said not looking to stand here and argue for an hour. It was getting late.

Ed let out a sigh. He didn't want to deal with this, but he also knew that Roy wasn't about to give up. Ed got up and picked up his suitcase as Roy turned to leave. Ed followed him to the car and got into the passenger seat as Roy got into his and started the car. Ed didn't say anything as they took off down the street, nor did Roy. Roy didn't know what he was going to say, but he knew it needed to be said in a place better than his car. Roy had made the decision to bring Ed back to his house, at least for this conversation. It was a good thirty minutes before Roy pulled into his driveway. If Ed was confused, he didn't show it. Roy got out of the car and with a pointed look Ed followed, but left his suitcase in the car figuring he would be back in it after this conversation.

Once inside the house Roy moved into the kitchen and Ed followed. Ed didn't know where they were going and when they arrived in the kitchen he wasn't sure why Roy had brought him here. Ed stood there as Roy removed his coat followed by his military jacket and skirt before he went over to his fridge and pulled out some leftovers. Roy placed some onto a plate and warmed it up in the microwave, once it was done he placed it down on his island countertop as he spoke.

"Sit, eat."

Roy then went over to make some tea for himself. Ed was confused why Roy would be feeding him, but he was starving so he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Roy turned to watch Ed eat as he once again ate like he hadn't eaten anything in days. Roy knew that Ed was thin, you could tell just by looking at him, but sometimes kids were thin no matter how much they ate. Watching Ed eat though told Roy Ed was thin for a different reason. After Ed was finished Roy picked up the empty plate and placed it in his sink for later. Roy then picked up his tea and headed into his living room. Ed followed knowing that this was the time for talking. The problem was Ed didn't know who he could trust with this information. The other problem was Roy wasn't about to give up without the real truth, but if he told him the truth he risked being arrested and then he would never be able to help his brother.

Ed sat down on the couch while Roy took a seat on the chair across from it.

"You said I don't know what is going on with your life. You need to explain it to me then, because right now I have no reason not to put you back on a train home tonight. You are eleven years old, you cannot be homeless in a foreign city, especially one as dangerous as Central."

"Better than being back there." Ed said with a slight pained tone to his voice.

"Why Ed? You need to tell me. I don't want to send you back to a place that isn't safe for you, but I need to know why. How could being homeless be a better option?" Roy asked with patience.

"How can I trust you? How do I know that you won't send me back there anyways or you won't arrest me." Ed asked back with a guarded tone and posture.

"Why would I arrest you Ed? Have you done something that would be worthy of being arrested?" Roy didn't think Ed would ever have done something that terrible, but to an eleven year old it was possible.

"Yes." Ed whispered so softly that Roy almost didn't hear it.

"Ed, unless you tell me you are some serial killer I'm not going to arrest you. Tell me the story and if I can help you, I will." Roy said gently.

"It's bad." Ed said softly again and Roy could hear the shame in his voice.

"It can't be that bad Ed. Talking about it will help you feel better. It lets someone else help to carry the burden."

"Why should I tell you? I don't even know you."

"A stranger is sometimes better to talk about your problems with. They can remain neutral and objective. I am also a very intelligent man. There isn't a problem that I can not solve, especially given enough time. You don't lose anything by talking to me about it. It can't be any worse than carrying that weight around all by yourself."

Ed let out another sigh as he used his flesh hand and rubbed it over his face. It was clear to Roy that Ed was trying to decide what to do. His mind was weighing the options and when his mind was made up he spoke.

"I'm not an idiot. He likes to tell me that I am, but I'm not. He's the idiot."

"Your father?" Roy asked looking for clarification and to encourage Ed to continue to talk.

"He's not my father. I don't think he's ever been."

"Why do you say that Ed?"

Ed let out a small sigh as he sat back into the couch as he spoke.

"I was three when I did my first transmutation. It wasn't anything special just a small brick of clay that I transmuted into a small circle of clay."

"Ed that is still very impressive. Most alchemists can't perform alchemy until they are at least ten years old. Prodigies can do it as young as seven. What did Hohenheim have to say about it?" Roy made sure he didn't refer to Hohenheim as Ed's father to show Ed that he was in fact listening and caring about what was being said.

"He's the whole reason why I tried it in the first place. He was always distant with me, with Al too, but he seemed more cold towards me. I knew he loved alchemy, mom talked about it a lot, even then. I thought I could make him proud of me. If he was proud he would want to spend time with me. It was simple logic."

"Sometimes simple logic is the best kind of logic. You were three and all you knew was that it could make him happy. It's only natural that you would want that, would want his attention."

"Oh it got his attention, but not the way I thought it would. He was good for about two years. I thought it was the best thing in the world. He would spend almost every waking hour with me. He would read to me and encourage my mind to grow into different areas. I thought this was it ya know? I even started to teach Al so he could have that time with him too. Two years was all he had in him though."

"You would have been five. Why the change?"

"I got too good. I was reading at a really high level, especially for someone my age. There was this section of books and journals he refused to let me read, even put them on the top shelf on the bookcase. I should have left them alone, but I was curious. I transmuted this crappy ladder and I took a book. I did that for about three weeks before I had them all read. They were on human transmutation and bringing something back from the dead. I didn't think much of it until Al came in one afternoon crying. There was this baby bird it had fallen out of the nest and died."

"You tried to bring it back." Roy said with a slightly shocked voice. He didn't want to make assumptions, but he was getting a feeling in the pit of his stomach. A feeling that told him the reason he went to Resembool was sitting on his vary couch, an eleven year old that can bring dead animals back to life.

"I didn't know what it truly meant. I was taking something that was dead and bringing it back to life, playing God. I didn't know that at the time. All I knew was my brother was upset and the bird was dead. I didn't even truly understand equivalent exchange fully. I saw a problem and I wanted to try and fix it."

"You were five Ed. Intelligent or not that doesn't change that you were five. Your mind couldn't process something that important and complex. What happened?" Roy knew that this conversation was only going to get worse. His gut feeling was right, Ed had been the alchemist he was looking for and now that he found him, Roy wish he hadn't. Ed was too young he shouldn't be a State Alchemist. He couldn't see the death in this world.

"We were outside and I had drawn the circle. I didn't see Hohenheim looking out the window. I don't remember much that first time, just feeling like my head was going to explode. Al told me later that Hohenheim came out at the end and brought me into the house. The bird had a broken neck, but it sat up gave this gurgle sound with its neck still broken before it died again. I was out for three days, afterwards Hohenheim changed. I thought he would yell at me and tell me what I did was wrong, but he didn't. He started forcing me to do more of it, to learn more about it. I didn't really want to. I knew I caused the bird more pain by what I did and I didn't want to do that again. When I refused he hit me that first time."

"Your bruises came from Hohenheim." Roy said with an edge to his voice.

"Ya." Ed said softly as he put his head down.

"You are worried I would arrest you for bringing dead animals back to life. Ed, it's not illegal to do animal transmutation, it's frowned upon, but not illegal."

"You don't understand I did something bad, really bad. I didn't want to, but he made me. He made us." Ed said with a great deal of pain in his voice.

"Hohenheim made you and who else Ed?" Roy asked gently.

"Al. We didn't want to."

Roy got up and went over to sit down on his coffee table so he was right in front of Ed. He knew that whatever came out of Ed's mouth he would have no choice but to keep quiet about it. He owed Ed that much after today, not only that it seemed like Ed needed this break. He needed someone on his side no matter what he was about to say.

"Ed, whatever you tell me will stay between us. No one will ever have to know. I'm not going to arrest you no matter what you say. I don't know what happened Ed, but I do know you can't keep this to yourself. You need to tell someone Ed."

"It's really bad, you can't make that promise. Not with this."

"Ed, you need to tell an adult what happened. You're just a kid, there isn't anything that you could do that isn't forgivable."

"I'm not a kid. I stopped being a kid a long time ago."

Roy could see the pain in Ed's eyes. Roy had no doubt at all that it had been years since Ed was allowed to be a kid.

"Your intelligence doesn't outweigh the fact that you are just eleven years old. Some problems you can handle on your own, but some problems you need to tell an adult. Someone who has more life experience and can help you deal with the problem properly. And I'm not saying you leaving wasn't the right choice. Based on those bruises you made a smart decision to leave and I'm not about to take you back there. But I can't help you properly without knowing the full story." Roy calmly explained.

Ed let out a shaky breath before he gave a nod and Roy knew at last he had him. At last he was going to be getting some answers.

"Human transmutation. He wanted me to bring someone back from the dead."

"The ultimate taboo. Did you try?" This wasn't Roy's first time in dealing with human transmutation. He had thought about it greatly after the war and would have tried if it hadn't been for Maes stopping him. Roy couldn't imagine someone as young as Ed even being able to understand something that serious and complex.

"Just once. It worked."

"Wait, what do you mean it worked?" Roy asked shocked, that was not what he was expecting Ed to say at all.

"My mom, she died and now she's not dead."

Roy didn't say anything to that right away. His mind needed this time to process, to understand what Ed had just dropped on him. Before the age of eleven he was able to not only bring dead animals back to life, but to resurrect his own mother. Roy had saw her, talked to her, she looked perfectly fine except for her emotionless state and that could have been due to a personality aspect. It was impossible and yet once again Ed did the impossible.

"Start at the beginning. When did she die?" Roy asked trying to get his mind to focus and get back on task.

"I was five, almost six. She got sick, I guess she had been sick for a while before but we never noticed. Hohenheim got worse after her death. He didn't take care of us anymore, not that he really did to begin with. He started pushing me more with bringing the animals back and I could do it properly. When I was eight that's when he told me I was going to bring mom back to life. I knew what he wanted, but I wouldn't do it. I don't believe in Heaven or Hell, but she had been gone for over two years, if there was such a place as Heaven I didn't want to pull her out of it."

"No one knows what is out there Ed, not even scientists have been able to answer that question. There's a good possibility that there is a place like Heaven that good people go when they die. But your mother is alive, how did you end up doing the transmutation?"

"After refusing for the last time he got mad and locked me downstairs in this celler. He came down every day and beat me, he would starve me. He did anything he could to make my mind weak enough for me to agree, but I wouldn't. It took him six months to realise that I would do whatever he wanted if he threatened Al. He said he would lock Al down there too and up until that point he had never raised a hand to him. I wasn't about to let that happen. I agreed and we spent the next two years researching and getting everything ready until it was time."

"The accident." Roy said as his mind just realised how Ed had lost his limbs.

Ed gave a sad nod before he spoke. "We did it in our basement. I wanted Al to stay away, but he wouldn't. He knew there was a high chance that my body wouldn't have the energy for a transmutation that large. Hohenheim had been barely feeding me and letting me sleep. Even when I was allowed to sleep I was too on edge. He was only supposed to help me keep enough energy so it wouldn't rebound on me. Hohenheim stood off to the side and watched as his two young sons tried to bring their mother back. I was so stupid. I missed calculated. It's my fault." Ed had some tears building in his eyes now that he fought to keep back.

"No Ed, no it is not your fault. I know how difficult human transmutation is. I have done my own research and was almost stupid enough to try it when Maes stopped me. I know how easy it is to make one small miscalculation and have your life taken from you. None of what happened is your fault. It's all on Hohenheim." Roy said with a controlled anger at what a father would do to his own sons.

"But it should have been me. It was my alchemy, my energy. It should have taken me. It took Al. He's not at any school he's gone." A single tear rolled down Ed's cheeks and he angrily wiped it away.

"Tell me how the transmutation went Ed." Roy said trying to see where Ed might have gone wrong.

"We had all of the ingredients that make up a human. All we needed was an equal exchange for a soul. That's where I miscalculated. I thought a soul was just air. I didn't understand what it truly was, how it's the most valuable ingredients to make a human. I told Al we only needed a few drops of our blood. Everything was fine until that moment in the transmutation. At first I thought it was a rebound, the alchemy reacted the same way, but then these black hand like things came out of the circle and grabbed Al. I went to reach for him, but hands grabbed my left leg and held me in place. I still was reaching for Al, but he disappeared right in front of me. Then there was nothing but extreme pain as my leg slowly disappeared. Then it was over and blood was pouring out of me. Mom was there in front of me and Hohenheim ran over to her. All I could process was that Al was gone and I had to get him back. I knew I couldn't bring him back the same way, but I could keep him alive until I figured out how to fix things."

"How did you know you couldn't bring him back the same way though? Even dying from an alchemic rebound it is treated the same as a normal death."

"He didn't die though. Before my leg was taken I was shown something, I went somewhere. It sounds crazy I know, but I was transported almost to this void. It was white with two doors in it and this person, but there was no characteristics of the person. It had no face, but it talked. It showed me the truths in the world. It doesn't have a name nor does the void, but I call him Truth and the place the Gate. Al is being kept there because he was used as an equivalent exchange."

"I don't even know what to say to that."

"It's a lot to process." Ed easily agreed.

"You lost your leg, then what happened to your arm?"

"I used what energy I had left and used a blood seal on a suit of armor we had stored in our basement for our neighbors. I used my arm as the exchange to bind his soul to the suit of armor and it worked. I had passed out and when I came to Hohenheim and my mother were gone and Al was freaking out. I was bleeding out and he was in a suit of armor with no body. He thankfully came to his senses faster than I could form words and took me over to the Rockbell's, they do my automail. While they were working on saving my life Al went back home to see mother, but she wasn't the same. She doesn't have a soul, anyone that looked at her could tell there was nothing inside of her. I lost a few days after that, but it was about a week later when Hohenheim came and told me that I needed to put her soul back in. He didn't even ask how I was. I refused, said I didn't care what he did and I meant it. I was angry I shouldn't have said it."

"You had every right to say it and worse. He is supposed to protect you, not force you to do things you don't want to do, especially ones that are so dangerous you all could have been killed. He had no right to come to your bedside after you lost two limbs just to bring back his wife and demand you perform more dangerous alchemy. He had no right."

"Maybe. Either way he wasn't happy about it. When I finally got to go back home about two weeks later Al brought me to my room. Hohenheim came in and asked me again, but I refused. Al even said he would tie me down so I couldn't use alchemy anymore if I ever thought about doing something that dangerous again. It was the first time he ever stood up to him, but I guess the fact that he didn't have a body to hurt had given him some confidence and strength. Hohenheim was furious and when he went to come at me Al stepped in the way. Long story short, Hohenheim broke Al's blood seal and sent his soul back to the Gate. That night is when I started making my plan to escape."

"State Alchemist." Roy easily stated.

"I had saved up all the money I had from working so when I turned eighteen Al and I could leave. I used it to get my automail done. Then it was just a matter of buying my time. Do what he says so I can keep breathing. I thought I would have to wait until I was eighteen to leave, but after the other night I knew I couldn't wait."

"What happened the other night? I know you would have gotten those bruises, but why did he hurt you?"

"He was agitated after you and Hawkeye left. He doesn't want to be a State Alchemist, but he was angry that he couldn't say yes even if he wanted to. I'm the one that does the transmutations and outside of Resembool he would never be able to fake it. He found a letter that I had written to Al. Ever since I was able to I've been writing him letters every day telling him what had happened. I know it's not the same, but I didn't want him feeling like he had missed out on something. This way once I get him back he'll be able to read them and know too. Hohenheim found the letter where I had spoke about you both and how I wanted to be a State Alchemist one day. He was furious and when I refused to do what he wanted he beat the living hell out of me. I left the next night and I'll never go back."

"No one is ever going to make you go back Ed. Do the Rockbells not know that Al isn't at school?"

"Hohenheim said I had transmuted the suit of armour so I wouldn't miss Al when he leaves for school. They had no reason not to believe him. Everyone in town thinks he's so amazing, they have no idea."

"How is it possible for you to get Al back? How can you be sure he's alive?" Roy asked gently.

"When our blood was combined with alchemy it intertwined our life force. He's alive, because I'm alive. It's the only reason he was placed within the Gate and not someplace else. He's there waiting or me. Hohenheim figured it out though, it's why he made sure I only ate once every few days and refused to let me sleep. His body gets sleep from me. His body gets nutrients from the food I eat. Which basically makes me always hungry and tired. It's manageable with enough food and sleep, but now I'm so exhausted and weak all the time that I can barely do alchemy. I'm running out of energy to do anything. If I die, he dies, it's why I left instead of risking it at home. This was the safer option and with work I should be able to eat regularly again and sleep will come eventually. I need to hold on until I can take the exam and have access to the resources that I need to get him back."

"And what are those besides the libraries?"

"Free to travel and information from investigations or whispers that the military catches before anyone else. I have a way to get back to the Gate and get Al, body and soul, out of there without the equivalent exchange."

"And what would that be?" It sounded impossible to Roy, but at this point it was all impossible yet Ed had lived it.

"The Philosopher's Stone. A real one, not a fake. With it I can get him back and he can live his life like he should have been able to do this whole time. I just have to hope I'll live long enough." It was clear Ed was worried about dying before he was even of age to take the exam.

"Being a State Alchemist is not easy Ed. The country isn't at war right now, but if it happens you would have to go to war. You would have to see people being killed. You would have to kill or your life and the life of your team could be the ones being killed. Even outside of war, there is still death that we deal with. We handle serial killer cases. We see the worst that this world has to offer." Roy wasn't about to sugarcoat this at all. He wanted Ed to know exactly what he was getting into so he could make the right informed decision.

"I know that. My mechanic, Winry, her parents were doctors that were killed in the war. I hear a lot of bad things about the military, dogs of the state, and I know it won't be easy. I don't really like being told what to do and I'm not interested in any politics or military regulations. I know it'll be hard and I'll see things I wish I could forget. But I saw my own brother disintegrate right in front of me. I'm already haunted. Besides, I believe there is just as much good in this world as there is bad. Being a State Alchemist would allow me the chance to help people and that's all I've ever wanted to do. I can handle the bad, because I know the good will come with it."

"And if you were forced to take a life?"

"I won't kill for them. Call it childish if you want, but I don't kill on some order. But, I also won't stand around and let someone kill me either or someone else. If I have to take a life it will be because there was no other option left to try. It will be because someone else could die. I'd like to be able to never have to experience that. I'll do everything within my power to avoid it, but I'm not naive enough to believe I would never choose someone else's life over mine, over Al's ."

"I've heard of the Philosopher's Stone. I've seen some of the lab created ones. They were powerful, but I'd imagine to get your brother back fully you would need the real deal. It won't be easy and you will come across some other players that would love nothing more than for someone to discover the real one. It could take years before you are able to track down a real lead on it. There's a lot of disappointment involved in something like this. Are you sure you can handle it? Once you sign on to be a State Alchemist you would have to live out the term of your contract, even if you found the stone."

"I know I would. I know I could go to war. I already know all of this and I have accepted it. I will get my brother back. He will get to live a long and happy life and I don't care if I have to destroy mine to get it. I won't leave him alone in some void for the rest of his existence. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to get him back and then afterwards I'll deal with the consequences."

"And you being able to do alchemy without transmutation circles, does that have something to do with this Gate?"

"Ya. Ever since that night I've been able to do alchemy without circles. Something about seeing the truth in the world that allows me to no longer need them. I'm not too sure myself yet, but one day I'll get answers for it."

"I am sure you will. But for tonight you need sleep more than anything. Your body is already exhausted and starved from Hohenheim, you need all the rest and food you can if you are going to get your strength back. I know you didn't have a choice today, but you should give your alchemy a break for now, at least anything major until you get some strength back into you."

"I know. I plan on it. I just couldn't stand by and do nothing today. Those people were so scared, I had to do something."

"That is what makes you a good person. For tonight though, you can crash in my spare bedroom. I have to go into the office tomorrow so feel free to sleep as long as you'd like. When I return I'll speak to you more about where we go from here."

"I don't understand."

"I'm not about to throw you out into the wind Ed. Tomorrow we can come up with a plan so you can stay in Central, but not be sleeping on the streets. We'll deal with it tomorrow. Tonight you need sleep. Come on."

Roy stood and Ed decided that he was too tired to try and argue about it, besides it was either a warm bed here or the cold hard ground outside. Ed followed Roy up the stairs and over to the bedroom. It was a simple room with a single bed, a dresser and a small desk.

"The bathroom is just down the hall, third door on the right. I leave for work at eight, when you wake up make sure to eat something. The sooner you get your strength back the better and safer you will be. I'll be back shortly before six and I'll bring some dinner with me. Get some sleep Ed."

And with that Roy headed down the hallway to get to his own bedroom. Ed walked inside and closed the door behind him. He had no idea what was going to happen or how he felt about any of this. He did however feel lighter in a sense. He wasn't the only one with this burden now on his shoulders. He had someone he could talk to about it, someone that would listen and offer advice. For the first time in years Ed felt like he might just be able to do this and survive. Ed removed his boots and cloak before he crawled into bed and was asleep within minutes.

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Roy knocked on General Hakuro's office and waited for permission to enter. If his plan was going to work he would need the General on his side, as Roy was about to request something that had never happened before. Roy wasn't one hundred percent sure this was the best idea, but it would keep Ed safer with Roy being able to watch over him and Ed would be able to go after the stone with the military watching his back at least. When he was granted permission to enter Roy walked in and made sure to close the door behind him. The General was alone in the room and Roy was thankful for that, this would make the conversation go smoother without side comments.

"Lieutenant Colonel, what can I do for you today?"

"General, I wished to speak to you about a matter regarding the boy that protected you and your family yesterday."

"Oh good, do you have a name for him?" General Hakuro asked now more interested in what Roy had to say than the piles of paperwork on his desk.

"Yes Sir. Edward Elric, son to Van Hohenheim."

"Hohenheim? Is that not the alchemist that the military has been interested in recruiting?"

"Yes Sir. I discovered him when Second Lieutenant Hawkeye and I went to Resembool to chase down a rumor of an alchemist that could bring dead animals back to life. We were pointed in Hohenheim's direction, only for it to turn out that it was Edward that was the great alchemist."

"He's able to bring animals back to life?" The General was no expert on alchemy, but he knew enough from working around State Alchemists. He knew that had never been done before.

"Yes Sir. I have not seen it with my own eyes and we haven't had a discussion on how he was able to do it. But from what a local had said Edward brought a puppy back to life and the dog is still alive and no different. Bringing back dead animals is not all he can do. He is able to perform transmutations without a circle. He can also speak to you through your mind. Edward is even more than a child prodigy."

"That is truly amazing. How old is he?"

"He's eleven Sir. He actually wants to be a State Alchemist and search for the legendary Philosopher's Stone. If there is anyone who could get to the bottom of that mystery it would be Edward Elric."

"Someone with that much potential would be invaluable to the military. And the search for the stone could do a great deal for the country if it is discovered. Why is he in Central alone?"

"He ran away from home. Hohenheim has been abusing him for six years roughly now. Those bruises on him are from Hohenheim."

"And where is the boy now?"

"Yesterday Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, Second Lieutenant Hawkeye and myself took him to lunch. Afterwards we dropped him off at a hotel. After work I went to check in on him, but he was gone. I found him in the Boulder Area within the homeless community. I brought him back to my place for the night. He's still there sleeping. I was hoping to discuss his situation with you."

"Of course. Have you reported the abuse yet?"

"No Sir it is something I will need to discuss with him tonight. Edward is so much more than a child prodigy. He has been able to accomplish not one, but three impossible acts. When speaking with him last night he completely understood what a State Alchemist potentially has to do including killing and war. His only desire is to be a State Alchemist and be able to help people. He believes that even through all the bad in this world that there is still a lot of good. He wants to be a part of that. I know Sir it's untraditional and has never been done before, but I would like to request that you make an exception and allow Edward to take the State Exam in seven days."

"You want me to allow an eleven year old to take the State Alchemist exam that is only a week away? Prodigy or not he is still a child, not to mention the amount he would need to learn to pass the written portion of it. He would also need to find a mentor to help him through it."

"I understand he's young in age, but if you speak with him you will see that he is not young mentally. He's dealt with a great deal in his life, including losing two limbs, and he is still fighting. He still believes that there is more good than bad in this world. I'm not saying there won't be problems along the way. And if I was able to be his commanding officer I would make sure he was assigned missions that were safer and not as dark until he was older and ready for it. As for the mentor part I could take him on. He's brilliant and has been through a lot with the abuse. He seems to trust me and know that I won't hurt him. All I ask is that you speak with him and consider it Sir."

"I will speak with him and see what he says. I owe him that much and if this is something he truly desires then I will see what I can do. But this will be a great deal of work on not only his part but yours. Because if he does make it you will be his commanding officer. You will be responsible for him. He will be the youngest State Alchemist in history and that comes with a hefty position. There will also be rules as to the type of missions he can be on and how many missions he goes on without breaks in between. He will need a partner to go with him, someone that is from the military and can be trusted with him. He will also need to file the proper paperwork to have full access to all of our libraries so he can gather research on the stone. Something I can grant him full rein on so he can be out there more looking for it compared to missions. That should keep him safer as well."

"Of course Sir. I am willing to do whatever it takes for him to have this chance. I believe he needs it. He needs something good to come from all the pain in his life. He's proven from the train incident that he can fight and react well to unexpected and violent situations. I also understand that the people will have mixed feelings about the military having a child within the ranks, but I believe Edward will win them over."

"He seems like a very nice kid, slightly shy and submissive, but given what you said regarding the abuse that is to be expected. That can also be fixed with time and being around the right people. Bring him in for tomorrow morning and I will speak with him. It might be best for you to stay in the room in case he is uncomfortable. I will consider the idea and look into the regulations. I am not sure if it is even possible for Edward to be able to take this exam. There might be more paperwork that takes a long time to process than I am aware of. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank-you Sir. I'll bring Edward by tomorrow morning for nine. I appreciate you considering this. I know it is a lot to ask and highly untraditional."

"It is, but I have a feeling that boy is the definition of untraditional. He will also cause us some headaches and problems along the way as he grows up and discovers who he truly is. For now I will hold judgement until I speak with him."

"Thank-you Sir."

"You're welcome Mustang. Now, what is being done regarding Hohenheim?" The General said with an edge to his voice.

"I have not decided yet Sir. I was planning on speaking to Edward about him tonight and seeing what he would like to happen. Edward did mention how Hohenheim's alchemic power seems to be decreasing with his age. I'd imagine eventually though he will come looking for Edward."

"Most likely. Let me know tomorrow what Edward is thinking and we can go from there. I want an investigation done on him right away though."

"Hughes is already on it Sir. I will pass it along that you wish to see it the moment it is complete."

"Good. Is there anything else Mustang?"

"No Sir. Thank-you for your time." Roy said with a warm smile.

"See you tomorrow."

With that Roy gave a nod and made his way out of the office. He didn't head to his office though, he wanted to speak with Hughes first and let him know the situation. He wasn't going to be telling anyone how Ed truly lost his limbs, but Hughes should at least know that Al wasn't in South City. Roy didn't even knock he just walked right into Hughes' office to see him going over different files. Hughes looked up and gave Roy a warm smile as Roy closed the door.

"How goes the investigation?" Roy asked.

"Not too bad so far. I'm still waiting to hear back from the academies in South City on Alphonse. Hohenheim's history is almost non existent. All I've managed to get is any reports of him from fellow alchemists looking to speak with him or him speaking with them regarding different matters. Did you see Ed again last night?"

"I did. Turns out he didn't get a room, but directions to Boulder. I found him within the homeless community."

"Tell me you did not leave him there." Hughes said in a tone that Roy knew if he answered wrong he would be getting a lengthy lecture.

"Of course I didn't. I brought him back to my place and finally got some answers out of him. He was still dead to the world when I left."

"You brought him back to your place? You don't even bring dates back to your place." Hughes said very interested in that piece of information.

"Where else was I supposed to take him? I couldn't leave him there curled up under some overhang."

"No, but you could have called the police to deal with him. And what happened to you saying we need to not help him so he goes back home to his parents?"

"He can never go home to his parents." Roy said with an edge to his voice.

"Why is that?"

"Like I said I finally got some answers out of him, including where those bruises came from. Hohenheim did it."

"His own father? Are you sure? That's rare in a small town like Resembool."

"Oh I'm sure. I got Edward's whole life story from him last night. Not much I can tell you, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. But you can stop looking for the brother, you'll never find him."

"Please tell me he never existed in the first place." Hughes said dreading the only logical explanation.

"I wish. I can't tell you anything, but he's gone. So you can stop looking for him and start focusing on Hohenheim. General Hakuro wants to have a full report on him ASAP. He's been briefed on Edward's situation and on the abuse. I'll speak to Edward tonight and see what he wants to do about it."

"That poor kid. What's going to happen to him now?"

"For now he'll be with me for the week and then it will depend from there. The General wants to speak with him tomorrow regarding the State Alchemist Exam. I've managed to get the General to consider letting Ed write it."

"You what? Why would you do that? It's in a week to begin with. Not to mention he's only eleven years old. He should be going to school and getting into trouble with girls. Not fighting for his country." Hughes said angry that Roy would be so reckless in a time where he needed to think clearly.

"I spoke to Edward in depth last night about why he wants to be a State Alchemist and what that would mean for him. I told him about going to war and having to kill someone. I didn't sugarcoat anything and yet he still wants to do it. He believes that there is more good in this world than bad. He wants to help those good people and have some kind of meaning. It makes sense with his mind being what it is. He'll never be happy with a no nothing career or life. He needs to fly and see the world. At least this way he can do it with the whole military watching his back."

"He's so young though Roy. He'll be twelve in three days, but still, he's so young. I know he's been through his own hell, but I don't like knowing we are sending a twelve year old out into the world alone, especially in this life."

"He won't be alone. The General already said there would be special rules for Edward. He will have to be with a military partner at all times when he is out on missions. He will only be allowed to go on certain missions that are deemed less traumatic than the others. He will also be more focused on researching the Philosopher's Stone than being an active soldier. He would also be placed under my command so I could keep an eye on him. I know it will be a pain in the ass at times, but I would feel better knowing he is under my watchful eye then out in the world on his own with no one there watching his back."

"And I would agree with you and I feel better knowing that there would be rules in place for him. And I think you are right. I think it's only a matter of time before he moved on to another city to start fueling his mind. He'll be able to stay in the dormitory so he'll have a place to live and with the pay he'll be able to afford food. We can keep him safe from Hohenheim, who will eventually come looking for him. I'd volunteer to be his partner if I thought they would actually let me." Hughes said with a smile.

"I know you would, but they would never let you out of investigations. You're too good Hughes. The General will make sure it's a reputable soldier that goes with him. With the pay of a State Alchemist he could rent his own apartment or an office space so he can work. I did inform the General that Edward was able to do alchemy without circles and his mind technique with us. Edward also told me that he was the one to bring the dead animals back to life."

"If it was him all along, then why did Hohenheim have everyone believe it was him?" Hughes asked as he leaned back in his chair. Getting more of the picture of who Hohenheim is.

"Pride, glory, power, any of those three would be my best guest. Edward started performing alchemy when he was three. He was five when he first tried to bring a baby bird back to life after his brother was upset over its death. Edward said he was out for three days with a horrible headache, but the bird came back to life for a second but its neck was still broken and all it did was sit up, make a sound, then die again. That fueled Hohenheim's interest and forced Edward to keep trying regardless of the danger it was to him. Edward eventually got good enough and Hohenheim has been reeking in the rewards of it. Even going so far as making it seem like Edward was mentally slow."

"When it's in fact the exact opposite. I'm assuming Hohenheim would beat Ed more whenever he spoke, eliminating Ed ever telling someone the truth. That kid has really been through so much in his short life. What if the General doesn't place the exemption in?"

"I'll bring him to Madam Christmas. She'll take good care of him and I'll be able to keep an eye on him and mentor him. He trusted me with all of this and it's not a trust I want to ever break."

"Careful Roy, it almost sounds like this kid has gotten under your skin." Hughes teased, but in actuality he was hoping that was exactly the case. Roy needed something, someone, that kept him human, kept him feeling. A protege would be perfect for that.

"I assure you he hasn't. He's just a kid that has been through a lot. He's too smart for his own good. Being in the military is what he needs right now. All I'm doing is my part to help him with it. And if it happens to lead to my promotion to Colonel then so be it." Roy said with a smirk.

"Mhm, ya I'm not buying it. You did all of this without even thinking about that. This kid is going to be good for you. I might become an uncle after all."

"Don't get your hopes up Maes."

Hughes gave a chuckle before he sat back upright in his chair. "I guess we'll see. Now if that is all, get out. Some of us actually do our paperwork."

"Maybe if paperwork wasn't so boring I would actually do it. Let me know what you find on Hohenheim and I'll do some research myself. We might dig up something actually useful."

"Say hi to Ed for me."

Roy turned and waved Hughes off. Despite what he said, he did actually have paperwork he needed to get done before he could leave tonight. He couldn't stay late tonight. He had too much to talk to Ed about and he didn't want Ed going too long without eating. With any luck Ed would have slept most of the day away and have a bit more energy in him for their talk tonight. Roy walked into his office and saw that his whole team was already there, not that he expected anything less. Based on their concerned looks Roy figured that Hawkeye had already told them about Ed, which would make things easier on his end. Roy headed over to his desk as Hawkeye spoke.

"Have you seen Edward since yesterday?"

"I did last night. It's a long story and most of which I can't repeat. But he is at my home right now sleeping. I found him in the homeless community late last night. I brought him to my place for some must needed answers. He'll be staying with me for a week." Roy was confident that after the General spoke with Ed that he would allow for the exception.

"But what about after that? Are you sending him back home?" Havoc asked. He hadn't met the kid, but he was able to save the General, his family and Hughes. To Havoc the kid was worthy of respect and concern.

"No. I discovered last night that his father is the one putting those bruises on him. He won't be leaving Central."

"His father is abusing him?" Fuery asked sadly.

"Since he was five. His younger brother is also not in South City, he's dead. Though I can't tell you how or when."

"Wait, I thought he was in some fancy academy. How old was he when he died?" Havoc asked shocked.

"Just over a year ago, he would have been ten. For now Edward will stay with me for the week."

"And after Sir?" Hawkeye asked.

"General Hakuo will be meeting with Edward tomorrow to discuss the possibility of the General allowing the exception for Edward to take the State Exam in a week. Once he passes he will be able to be in the dormitory and have more than enough money to support himself."

"He's actually considering letting Edward take the exam. He's only eleven." Hawkeye said shocked that the General would be so reckless.

"He'll be twelve in three days apparently. But before you get too excited the General has already expressed that there would be special rules for Edward should he be permitted to take the exam and pass. Every precaution will be used to ensure he is as safe as we can make him."

"Why would the General even consider this?" Breda asked.

"I asked him to. I spoke about it with Edward at length last night and even though nothing was sugar coated he still wished to become a State Alchemist. I didn't tell him that I would speak to the General about it, I will tonight. And I'll say what I have already said today, Edward is special. He can communicate with someone through their minds. He can do alchemy without transmutation circles and it was him that was bringing back dead animals to life. He does the impossible. Someone with a mind like that will never be happy doing a mundane job. It's better for him to see the world as a State Alchemist then as a twelve year old runaway."

"What will the rules be?" Falman asked.

"He would have to travel with a military assigned partner. He would be given missions only when they are regarding specific matters to avoid any traumatic experiences or deemed too dangerous for him. He will be allowed free access to any research he would like to seek out and he will be under my command. So I can keep an eye on him. So we can all keep an eye on him. This is his best chance at life, at a real life and it's one that he desperately wants. All I am doing is helping him pave the way. It's up to him what he chooses to do with it."

"Boss has a point. The kid's gonna do whatever he wants. He might as well do it with a bunch of adults looking out for him. It might keep him safer and with no family it would be good for him to be apart of one again." Havoc said seeing the logic in Roy's plan.

"I do feel better knowing that Edward will be on restricted duty. And being here is safer than being out there. How are his skills outside of alchemy, have you asked?" Hawkeye inquired.

"I will tonight. In the very least he will need firearms training. He'll probably need some hand to hand. He needs this next week to do nothing but rest and eat. His alchemy is taking a hit from the lack of energy in his body. He wasn't getting enough food or sleep before and that is draining his energy. Once the week is up if he is permitted to take the exam, there's no way he won't pass it, he'll need to go through some training. I'm not going to be sending him out there until he is ready for it. I'm going to try and keep him local for as long as I can. Hughes could even borrow him if it seems like the higher ups are getting antsy with him. Soldier or not, he'll still be a twelve year old boy. I'm not about to destroy the life of a child for anything."

This was Roy's idea, but it was clear he was a little nervous about it now. He did believe that this was the best thing for Ed, but it came with a lot of hoops to jump through and some potential problems. Roy knew he would feel better once he talked all of this out with Ed and was able to know how Ed was feeling about it. With that in mind Roy quickly got to work so he could get home on time for a change.

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It was a few minutes after six when Roy walked through the front door. He had stopped by to pick up some food for them. Roy didn't really know what Ed liked so he got a bit of a variety and any leftovers Ed would be able to eat in the morning. Roy made his way into the kitchen to see Ed walking down the stairs with damp hair that was not tied off into a braid. He also wasn't wearing his red cloak or boots. It was the first time Roy could actually see his full automail arm and Ed's automail foot. Roy could also see the severe scarring on Ed's shoulder and collarbone from the amputation and surgery. Roy couldn't even imagine how horribly painful it all would have been, especially at a young age.

"Sorry, I'll go put on my cloak. I always forget it bothers most people." Ed said slightly embarrassed with his head tilted down.

"What bothers people?" Roy asked confused.

"The automail. Most people don't want to see it."

Roy put the takeout bags down on the island countertop as he spoke. "You misunderstood me Ed. Seeing it doesn't bother me at all. What I was actually thinking was how strong and brave you are. The pain had to of been unimaginable and yet you still risked everything to save your brother. You still see the good in the world and want to help people. Most would have given up long by now. Anyone who has a problem with your automail are is your arm, that is your leg and they are going to help you to help more people. People who desperately need it. That's nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Don't ever believe otherwise."

Roy could see the flood of emotions going through Ed's eyes and it was clear that no one had ever told him anything like this before. He was taught to hide it, to be ashamed of it. Roy was not going to let that happen anymore. Ed had no reason to be ashamed. He had survived something horrific and came out stronger. The only thing Ed should be feeling is courage.

"Thanks." Was all Ed had managed to say, but it was more than enough for Roy. Roy gave him a warm smile as he changed the topic.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No. I just got up not long ago and took a shower. I hope that's ok."

"It's fine Ed. Take a shower whenever you want. Lets get some food into you, there are some things we need to discuss and then you can crash again." Roy said, as he grabbed two plates and placed them down on the island countertop before he got the food out.

"I'm staying here? I thought." Ed started, but Roy cut him off.

"I can imagine what you thought, but it's not happening Ed. You're stuck with me for now. I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a bit of a variety and anything that we don't eat you can have tomorrow. Help yourself."

They both got some food on their plates and before they sat down Roy got them both a glass of water. They sat at the table this time and Ed began to eat while Roy removed part of his uniform and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt before sitting down and starting to eat as well.

"How are you feeling Ed?"

"Tired mostly. I shouldn't be though, I slept all night and day."

"Your body is exhausted. It's trying to catch up on the missed sleep. You should feel better tomorrow after another night of sleep. You should also go to bed early tonight to cash in on a few more hours."

"Ya I will. What's going to happen to me?" Ed asked with a calm voice, but Roy could hear the slight fear in it, not that Roy could blame him at all.

"That all depends on how tomorrow goes."

"What happens tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning we both have a meeting with General Hakuro at the office. I spoke to him today about the possibility of him making an exception for you so you can take the State Exam now instead of waiting until you are eighteen."

"What? Really? He can do that?" Ed asked shocked and more interested now in the conversation than his dinner.

"Generals are allowed to make exceptions from time to time. They have in the past when an alchemist came from another country. If the potential is there they can make the exception. You have more than enough potential in you. You can already do the impossible. All you need to do tomorrow is show the General that you are worth the exception at your age."

"How do I do that?"

"You be yourself. I know you've been through a lot, but there is a fire in your eyes. Don't hide that from him. He's already been informed that you were abused by Hohenheim. He's not expecting you to go bouncing in there. He's not expecting you to be perfectly ok. Ok will come with time. Show him confidence. Show him that being a State Alchemist is your dream. We also need to work on you whispering. I need you to start talking a little louder, it doesn't have to be too loud, just a little higher until you are comfortable and then go a little louder again until you reach normal talking level."

"I can do that." Ed said slightly louder than a whisper.

"Remember, no one will hurt you for talking. Are you ok with meeting the General tomorrow? If this isn't what you want just say the word. I'm not trying to control your life."

"No I want to. I know I'm young, but I want to do this. I need to do this. He doesn't get to win."

"That is something else we need to discuss. What would you like to happen with Hohenheim? You could report the abuse if you wish and he can be arrested. We could issue a restraining order. Or we could leave it alone. What would you like to do Ed?"

"He's going to come looking for me. It won't take him long to figure out I came to Central and he'll go to you first."

"Logical reasoning. He won't take your leaving very well."

"He needs me to perform his alchemy. He won't want the people back home to know he's been lying to them all. That they paid him money to do alchemy for them when it's been me all along. They'll force him out of town and then they will tell every person that comes into it what a phony and disgrace he is. He won't take no for an answer."

"All the more reason why we need to do something first to protect you."

"Restraining order would only work in Central. There's nothing stopping him from finding me once I leave. Ignoring it won't do anything helpful. How would reporting it work?"

"You have already told me so I would write a report that you would sign. Then two military personnel would go and arrest him and bring him here to Central where he will be interrogated and placed in jail. He would get a lawyer and it could settle out of court if not then you would have to testify at the court during the trial. Hohenheim wouldn't be allowed to be in the room when you do testify. The judge makes his decision on what he hears from both sides and if found guilty he will issue out a sentence."

"What will happen to my mom?"

"She wouldn't get in trouble and no one would be able to tell she was brought back from the dead."

"But she would be alone for whatever time she has left."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That argument I had the other night with him, it wasn't just about being a State Alchemist, it was about her too. She had been dead for four years before I brought her back. She was in an unmarked grave in the cemetery near the back. When I performed the transmutation it removed her body from the grave and brought it through the circle after it restored her body to what it looked like at the time of her death. She's alive, but she's not alive inside. Without a soul she has no emotions, not much of a personality either. But her body had been dead for too long and I told him that. I couldn't get her organs to work. I knew that going in. She has no heartbeat, she doesn't need to breathe. I thought I would have more time before her body started to rot, but it already started. Hohenheim also put his own seal on her so she would always follow him whenever he left town. If he's arrested and brought to Central she will have no choice but to come here."

"And someone is bound to figure out that she is a walking corpse." And with that things got even more complicated. Ed's life depended on this secret never getting out. Roy knew they would never arrest him, but they could lock him away and force him to continue on with this research. He would be locked up all the same and that was not something Ed deserved.

"I should have just let him kill me. I should have refused no matter what back then."

"Don't do that. Don't hate yourself for his actions. You were just a little boy you had no idea what would come of any of this. And even if you had refused and he killed you, he would have only turned his attention to Alphonse. You would both be dead instead of you both being alive."

"Do you mean that? That Al's alive?"

"Ed, I'm not going to pretend that I understand everything you've told me about that night. But I do believe that your brother is alive. He's trapped right now, but with help you will find him and be able to free him. Don't ever let yourself doubt that."

"So what should I do about Hohenheim and my mother?" Ed honestly had no idea what to do about any of it and he was hoping that Roy would know.

"I think right now the only option we have is to arrest him and get him in solitary confinement so he can't talk about anything you've done. As for your mother, I think you know what needs to happen." Roy said gently.

"You want to kill her." Ed said sadly.

"She's already dead Ed. I know that is hard to accept, but she's already dead. She died almost five years ago. What you brought back it's not really her. She has no soul, her soul is at peace. She has no heartbeat, she doesn't breathe. Her body is already starting to rot Ed. If you think of it as a scientific experiment once the experiment is complete you dispose of it."

"That sounds so cold though."

"I know and I know this is a hard decision for you to make. But Ed, she is already decomposing. No one that is alive does that. We can't risk her coming to Central and telling anyone what happened. Or having someone figure it out. You want to get your brother back, this is a step towards making that happen."

"If it's her or him, it's always going to be him. And she would tell me to save Al over her. What do I need to do?"

"Not you. I'll handle it. I'll go down to arrest your father and make sure everything is taken care of. Has anyone in town seen her since she was brought back?"

"No. Hohenheim made sure she stayed in and whenever someone asked about her he would just say she was fine or away for a vacation."

"Good that makes things easier. I do need to talk to you about a few things. The first being I have told Hughes and my team that your brother is dead. The reason being Hughes was trying to locate him in South City to make sure he was alright. I needed to tell them something. When you do get your brother back we can cross that bridge then."

"No that makes sense. Someone was bound to ask me about him. That is the simplest solution."

"I would also like your permission to tell Hawkeye, Hughes and Havoc the real situation with your mother. We need to keep what happened quiet, but those three are my most trusted subordinates, they won't say anything and they will be able to help us keep your cover story in tack and believable. They are also realistically going to be the ones to have the most contact with you. I won't tell them if you truly don't want me to, but I think it would help."

"Won't it put them in danger with having to keep it quiet?"

"They will be fine. They are used to having to keep secrets that are potentially dangerous. Yours would not be the first one I've had to ask them to keep. The choice is yours though."

"I don't know. I don't know how to do any of this. I don't like the idea of them possibly being in danger one day, but I do understand how it would be helpful and if I'm going to be around them I don't like the idea of lying to them. This is a lot to take in."

It was clear to Roy that Ed was feeling overwhelmed with everything. Roy could understand perfectly. Two days ago he was trapped in a house being abused and now he was in Central City with the strong possibility of becoming a State Alchemist in a week. It was a lot for anyone to take in and Ed was only eleven years old.

"I need you to trust me to make this decision. You have every right to feel overwhelmed right now. Anyone would be. I think letting them know would be good for you. You would have three more people to speak to about what happened if you needed to and three more people who are on your side and willing to keep your secret."

Ed let out a shaky breath before he gave a nod.

"Eat." Roy said with a warm smile before he continued. "We need to discuss what rules the General has laid out should you pass the exam."

Ed started to eat again as he spoke. "Because of my age."

"You would be making history and as such he wants to make sure that you actually live to see your eighteenth birthday. The rules are fairly reasonable and designed to keep you safe until you are older and more experienced being in the field."

"What are they?"

"First, you will be assigned a partner that will go with you on missions and on any research that takes you out of Central. This partner will be military and be able to help protect you should a fight get out of hand. The missions that you get will be on the safer side. State Alchemists do get a great deal of missions that are for mine inspections. It's not always dangerous missions. The General is informed of your wish to look for the stone and he will give you full freedom to search for it, so that can be what takes up the majority of your time. It won't always be like that, but until you get used to the life and start building up experience in the field I'll be keeping you on a lighter duty."

"I would be under your command?" Ed asked slightly surprised. He didn't think he would be able to.

"Of course. I found you, you're not going anywhere. I believe the General will let you take the exam, in which case it is in a week. You will stay here with me and I can help you study for the exam. Afterwards when you pass you will be given the salary for a Major as well as a research grant. You'll have more than enough money to get your own place or you can stay at the dormitory and rent out an office space or lab space. It'll be up to you, but you will be able to support yourself financially. Any maintenance that your automail needs will be covered under the medical coverage the military offers. I would advise you to find a good mechanic and get some Northern automail installed. It will be rare if you have to go, but you might have to go North for a mission and you won't be able to with the steal you have now. There are some good mechanics in Central."

"I got my mechanic back in Resembool. I wouldn't trust anyone else. Once Hohenheim is arrested I'll call her and request the new automail. Are you sure it's ok for me to stay here for the week?" Ed didn't want to put Roy out at all. He was already doing so much for him.

"It's fine Ed. I would rather you here where I know you are safe, especially with Hohenheim out there. You can take the week to rest and study for the written part of the exam."

"How many parts are there?"

"There are technically three. The written, the physical exam and the practical exam. The physical exam concerns me with your current state. I might be able to convince the General to bypass that for now until you are healed from the abuse. The other two parts I'm not concerned about, I know you'll pass it."

"Is it wrong that I'm a little bit excited?"

"No Ed it's a good thing, you are allowed to be excited. You are going to be feeling a lot of different emotions, some of them might even be new to you. But know that all of those emotions are ok for you to be feeling. You'll be able to get past what Hohenheim has done to you. Sooner than you think you'll be who you truly are supposed to be." Roy said with a warm smile.

"I don't understand why you care so much about me." Ed said with genuine confusion.

"To be honest, I don't know either. There's something about you. I think you are the future to this country Ed. I know you are going to do great things. And I know you are going to help a tremendous amount of people. I think you are really special and all you need is a chance. Someone gave me a chance when I was young and that chance changed my whole world and made me into the man that I am today. I'm giving you that same chance and I know you will change this world for a better tomorrow." Roy answered honestly.

"I hope I don't let you down."

"You won't. There will be plenty of times where we argue, times where you will cause me more frustration than humanly possible. There will be tears and laughs, but you will never be able to let me down Ed. All you have to do is try your best and do your best, just like I ask of my team. If you do that, you won't ever have to worry about letting me down."

"I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for this. I live by the rule of equivalent exchange. I don't know what would be equal for something like this. Even my loyalty to you doesn't seem even close enough."

"You don't owe me anything Ed. I know you believe like most young alchemist that the world revolves around equivalent exchange, but in reality the world is made up of hundreds of grey shades. Sometimes bad people get to do what they want and get whatever they want for nothing. While there are good people who struggle their whole lives just to live another day without a single break. It's not fair, but that is the world we live in. At least until someone comes along and forces a change one person at a time. I'm not helping you because I want something from you. I'm helping you because of reasons I've already said. The only exchange I need from you is for you to discover who you are and find happiness in life. If you can do that it will all be worth it."

"I'll try." Ed said with a warm smile, the first genuine smile Roy had seen on the boy's face and he had to admit, it was one hell of a smile. "I'm surprised you haven't asked. I thought you would have by now."

"Ask what?" Roy asked genuinely confused.

"How I do it. I bring dead animals back to life. Most people who know ask how long by now."

"I wanted to from the moment I discovered it was you and not Hohenheim, but I also know that most alchemists don't like to share secrets of the trade. I would never turn you down if you felt like telling me." Roy said with a smile of his own.

"I don't mind sharing with people I know won't use it against me. Other alchemists I am paranoid of, mostly because I don't want them to take what I do and then use it for bad or in the wrong way. I doubt you would do that."

"I wouldn't and I know what it's like to keep a special area of alchemy a secret. I am an alchemist, I'm known as the Flame Alchemist. I specialize in flame alchemy. It's very rare and hard to master."

"Flame alchemy? I've never heard of that. How does it work? How did you learn? Did you have a teacher?" Ed asked fully interested in what Roy had to say. Roy gave a chuckle.

"Prodigy indeed. It took a long time to master and to be able to control the flames and have them go in the direction I need them to. It also takes time to be able to control the strength and heat to the flames. I had a teacher, he died not long after I became a State Alchemist. Hawkeye is actually his daughter and that is how we met. She joined the military after I did to watch my back. We've been working side by side ever since. As for the how it works, I have ignition gloves with my transmutation circle sawn into them so all I need to do is snap my fingers to cause a spark and make the transmutation circle work. I can show you tomorrow at Headquarters it will be safer there."

"Really? That sounds awesome. I've never heard of it before. Well, I guess there is a lot of things I've never heard of before. It's why I came here, to learn everything I could. I can't wait to be able to see the library." Ed said with a dreamy smile.

Roy chuckled once again. "You will get to see it don't worry. The curse of a prodigy, you need to feed your brain just as much as your body."

"It's true and I'm really bad at focusing. I don't have trouble with it, but I can go weeks working on a problem until I solve it. I won't do anything but work on solving it. I have crazy hyper focus. Sometimes I forget to eat."

"That's not good Ed, you need to be careful of that. I know what it's like to try and work on a puzzle and not stop until it's complete, but in doing that you block off your mind to answers that could be right in front of you. It's like tunnel vision. Sometimes the best thing you can do is take a step back for a few hours and let your mind think about something else and then go back to the puzzle. That break can open your mind up to other possibilities."

"Ya that makes sense. It's like if you are looking for a red sweater in a sea of people, your mind will only pick up on how many people there are wearing red. You miss everything else going on around you."

"Exactly. But if you take a break then your mind can filter out the rest for you to notice the one person you need."

"Hm I've never thought of it that way before. That totally makes sense."

Roy stood up and brought their empty plates into the kitchen before he sat back down. Ed sat back in the chair and spoke.

"Did you know that animals don't have souls?"

"Yes and no. Some people believe that every living thing has a soul from a human down to a plant. Others believe that a soul is just something religious people invented to try and enforce good behaviour with the promise of going to Heaven if you are good and Hell if you are bad. As a man of science I believe that evolution made humans what they are. However, as a man that has been to war and has killed hundreds of innocent people on orders. I like to believe that those people have found peace in the afterlife and their souls can be free from the pain they felt. I'm not sure what I believe for animals."

"I'm sorry you had to fight in the war, the civil war I'm assuming." Roy just gave a nod and Ed continued. "For what it's worth, humans do have souls and they count for a hell of a lot. When a person dies their soul will linger for only seconds on this plane before it passes onto another. I'd like to believe that one of those planes is a place of peace and love. I think those that were innocent and died get to experience that peace in the afterlife. Based on my experience with raising dead animals they don't have souls."

"Is that why you can bring them back?" Roy asked looking to get away from the topic of war. He truly did not want to think about all the innocent people he killed in the name of his country. A war even he didn't understand why it needed to happen, why the whole race needed to die.

"Without losing a body part yes. But it's more complex than that. No soul means that I can bring them back. Humans can't come back with a soul. Once a soul is on a different plane, unless you know what one it is, you can't summon it back. You can take a soul from a living person and transmute it into another or an object, but never after death. The only reason I could save Al's soul was because I knew where it was. If it wasn't for the fact that I went through the Gate with him, I wouldn't have been able to."

"Human transmutation is all about bringing someone back from the dead though. You are the closest anyone has ever come to accomplishing that. Wouldn't by your logic mean that it's impossible?"

"In the traditional meaning of the word, yes it's impossible. Somethings just can't be done. Somethings shouldn't be done. We're not God, we can't create a sun or a moon. We can't bring the dead back to life and whenever someone tries the price is always too high and the result is never the same. I believe impossible is just a word, but logic also dictates that you have to accept when things just can't be done. They're not impossible, that would indicate a solution, they just simply can't. But I could argue that human transmutation can be done."

"Well you've proven that it can be."

"Yes at a great cost, but think about it. Maybe human transmutation wasn't meant to be used on the dead. Inorder for me to get Al back I'll have to perform human transmutation on myself to be able to get back to the Gate and offer the stone for Al. Maybe when it was first discovered human transmutation was meant to be used on the living body, but over time alchemists tried to use it to play God."

"What would be the purpose though? It's not as though you could move your body from one side of the world to the other."

"No, but someone must have tried it to invent it. Maybe that person created the Gate somehow. That's what I don't understand. There has to be a time where the Gate didn't exist so how did it get created? What was the purpose, what is the purpose of the Gate now? There was this huge door there, what was behind that?"

"I have absolutely no idea. This goes way beyond my knowledge of alchemy. One day you might discover those answers Ed. I hope you do, because that sounds like something people should know about. So, if animals don't have souls, how do you bring them back?"

"I can only do it if they haven't been dead that long. Two hours max otherwise there are too many health problems afterwards and it would only cause the animal more pain. I would alway refuse to do it and Hohenheim knew when to fight his battles. That one wasn't worth it for him. You were right about plants, they don't have souls, but they do have energy. Every living thing does and that energy can be tapped into if you know how to do it. I exchange the life force of a plant, mostly a tree, for that of the animals. The bigger the animal the bigger the tree. The tree dies and the animal comes back to life. All I need to do to bring the animal back is get its heart and organs working again. It's pretty simple scientifically speaking."

"And that is the difference between you and every other alchemist that have tried. You found a way to use equivalent exchange without it destroying parts of you. By using the life force of a tree you can restore the life in the animal at the cost of a tree. Something that can easily be planted to make up for the difference in the world. That's brilliant Ed, how did you come up with that?" Roy was amazed that someone so young could be so intelligent and resourceful.

"I love to read anything that allows me to learn. I had a neighbor when I was younger who was working as a botanist. She lent me some of her books on botany. I learnt all about their life force and structure. It seems like a fair trade and like you said I just needed to plant a tree to make up for the difference. Once I had that figured out I could bring animals back to life. In reality it's pretty simple."

"It's amazing that you were able to figure that out. Do you have any fighting skills?"

"After mom died I started to see this sensei behind Hohenheim's back. I knew one day I would need to protect Al from him. Plus I didn't know what I would do once I was eighteen, but I knew I wanted out of there. She trained me in different martial arts in exchange for me fixing her home and dojo. I haven't spared though since my automail so I'm probably rusty."

"But the training is there, that's the important part. You only need some practice once you are healthier to get used to fighting with the automail now. Havoc, is our hand-to-hand expert you'll be able to spar with him and he can give you some extra pointers. We need a better cover story for your automail. It's a little hard to believe you lost the opposite limbs in a farming accident. From now on when asked just say you lost them in the civil war. There were a number of unreported incidents in Resembool during the war, you could have easily been one of them."

"That makes more sense. Resembool was practically destroyed with the civil war. Winry's parents died in that war."

"Winry is your friend?"

"Best friend and my mechanic. She's such a gear head. Her parents were both doctors they went over to Ishval to help heal people, soldiers on either side, civilians. It didn't matter to them, they just wanted to help people. They were killed over there. Winry lives with her grandmother Pinako. Granny and Hohenheim knew each other before, they're old friends. It's why she always believed him no matter what he said. They're both gonna want answers once they hear about Hohenheim." It was clear that Ed was worried about that conversation, not that Roy could blame him.

"They never suspected anything?"

"No. Al and I were really good about hiding it. We didn't want anything to happen to them. Then after that night I didn't really talk and Winry just accepted it. She always said I would talk when I was ready. I don't know how I'm going to tell her. We've grown up together. We've known each other since we were born her parents were like my aunt and uncle. How do you tell someone that you've practically lied to them for over half of their life?"

"I'm not going to tell you it would be an easy conversation. I will say this though, it's rare for someone to be best friends with a person for their whole life. What you two have is special and I don't see that disappearing over something like this. If anything, it will bring you closer. It's your story to tell. If you want them both to know everything then that is your right. They're your family, they should know the truth"

"They saved my life that night. They gave me an arm and a leg again. They need to know the truth. I owe them that much."

"Everything will be ok. Each day it'll get easier until it's just something of the past."

"One day at a time."

"And on the really bad days, one hour at a time. Just remember, I'll always be here for you to talk to."

"Even when I'm not in the same city I still can." Ed said with a small smirk.

"The telephone is a great invention."

"I wasn't talking about that. Once I connect with someone's mind I can do it anywhere. The further away the more concentration and energy it takes, but I can still do it."

"How is that possible? Can you do this from the Gate?" Roy's mind was completely blown by this still. He had never heard of mind alchemy. It was like discovering a whole new world to him.

"No I could do it before. It started when I was almost seven and at first I thought it was just with Al, but then I would try it out with other people in town and I knew they could hear me, but they thought I said it out loud. I never told anyone about it. As for how, I don't know I can't explain it. I just can. It's like there's this wire that connects my mind to yours and with the right energy I can send my thoughts through the wire to the person. I can only talk though, I can't read someone's mind or make them do what I want. It's alchemy, but I don't know why I can do it without a circle or an array of some kind. I'm still trying to figure it out."

"Can someone talk back?"

"Al used to. It took him a while, but eventually he was able to open his mind up to focus on my energy and then he could send his own through that same wire to reach me. The stronger connection you have to a person the easier it is. For us it was pretty simple because we're brothers. We know what our alchemy feels like, we know each other's presence."

"But that is something you could build with someone else. It takes time but it is possible. What about communicating with non-alchemist?"

"They can hear me as you saw, but I've never had one try to talk back before. I would imagine it's the same process. They would need to open their mind to the possibility of being able to communicate that way and then try to focus their energy through it. Its possible."

"We might have to do some experimenting with that. It certainly would be helpful in the field. Do you have any questions for me about tomorrow or with Hohenheim?"

"Not right now. It's pretty straight forward. I think my mind just needs some time to process everything."

"It's natural Ed. Why don't you go curl up and get some sleep. We need to be up for seven to get to the office by eight."

"Thank-you for everything." Ed said with a small warm smile.

"You're welcome Ed. Try not to worry too much, everything will work out."

"I hope so. At least I'm safe."

"And you will always be here. Come on, you need sleep. Your brother must be just as exhausted as you are." Roy said as he stood up.

Ed stood up as well, but it was clear he was still stiff and sore from his injuries.

"Do you want something for the pain?"

"No I'll be fine. Drugs make my head all foggy. It'll get better once I'm lying down."

"Let's get you lying down then."

Roy and Ed made their way up to Ed's temporary bedroom. Roy wished him a good night before he continued on to his so he could get changed out of his uniform. Roy was hoping that tomorrow went how he wanted it to and Ed would be allowed to write the exam. With Ed working for the military it would keep him safe and also give his mind the much needed challenge it was craving. Roy knew that Ed desperately needed this and he was hoping that this would work out for the kid. Roy walked back to Ed's room and saw that the door was slightly open. Ed was curled up in bed already asleep. The light was turned off, but the small desk lamp was turned on so the room wouldn't be completely dark. Ed was uncomfortable with complete darkness. Roy could understand that. After everything Ed had been through it was only natural for him to be scared of the dark. Roy kept the door part way open so he could hear Ed if something was wrong before he made his way back down to the kitchen to put the leftovers away. He was going to do some research tonight and pull a few books from his own personal library for Ed to read. Roy was going to make sure Ed past this exam.