Disclaimer: This story contains corporal punishment / spanking of a minor
Four Part Equation
7-Pistol
Alphonse's earliest memory of a spanking was not actually his own. As the younger brother he quite clearly remembered learning what a spanking was from watching, well, his older brother. It was a bright summer day the first time he ever saw it happen. He was playing outside at what he supposed was the age of four. The memory was respectfully very hazy, but sitting in a sandbox with Ed and Winry, Ed threw dirt at Winry and made her cry. Whether or not Ed was told in advance he should not throw sand, or warned, and repeatedly warned, as future memories suggested, Alphonse wasn't sure. What he was sure of, and remembered clearly, was grandma Pinako approaching the sandbox to console Winry, before tugging Ed upward by his arm, and giving the back of his sand dusted shorts a solid smack.
Ed had bawled for twenty minutes, and Alphonse remembered being stunned. He asked Ed about this later, and because Ed was a good older brother he told Alphonse to run if he was ever told he would be spanked.
That was how Ed handled spankings. He ran.
So it was well-known, by their mother, grandmother, and any other adult in their life with authority to discipline them, that you never gave warning if it was Ed's turn. You didn't say, one more word and you're getting a spanking, because Ed would put that together, and you'd have to catch him. No one said, get over here, you've earned yourself a spanking, or, don't move, I told you one too many times and now a spanking is what you've earned yourself.
These phrases: Get over here, Don't move, Stand Still, Go to your room and wait, they were adult death traps. Alphonse knew his brother heard the word spanking, and disconnected from logic. Even if running made the end result worse, Ed took off like a bullet.
Ed said his equation to avoid spankings was simplistically foolproof. Ed said there were four variables: the adult, himself, whatever he did, and the spanking. So he removed himself as the variable in the equation and wa-la, fixed. Ed had even said wa-la the first time he explained this to Alphonse.
As the younger brother, granted the courtesy of watching life happen to Ed first, and able to form analysis based on what Ed did and what happened, Alphonse took a more subtle and more effective approach to this problem. He simply, obeyed the rules. When it was time for bed he went to bed. When adults asked him to behave, he did. His equation was easier: adult, himself, infraction, and spanking. So he removed the infraction, and wa-la fixed.
He tried to explain this to Ed, but Ed couldn't manage it. Ed said removing the infraction was impossible! When Ed was eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen, he said removing the infraction was impossible! However, at age thirteen he expanded on this by explaining that infractions were life, and he was not going to remove living to fit other people's agendas.
Alphonse thought this was a bit flawed, but at this time he was in a suit of armor, and it was harder to persuade Ed to bridge to his logic because Ed had become…well…sort of logic less. Within the course of a few months he had suddenly begun transforming in odd ways. He slept a lot, ate massive amounts, had too much energy, developed a spiking attitude, and was suddenly overly shy with girls. Mustang described this as "prepubescent," but that wasn't the only word the colonel used.
Alphonse found himself slipping more and more into the calm life a spectator, watching from the armor's eyes as his once recognizable brother began doing…unrecognizable things. Even things Ed used to know, he seemed to forget. Basic common courtesies that made life much easier, such as saying please and thank you, keeping an indoor voice, and not burning bridges. All things mom, granny, and sensei taught them seemed to have disappeared from Ed's head.
So in many ways, Alphonse found himself only able to recognize Ed's core traits. The parts of him that were so distinctly Edward, Alphonse feared they'd never leave, and one of these was practicing the fundamental skill of RUNNING when in trouble.
With Ed thirteen years, three months, 2 weeks, and 4 days old, Alphonse made a sound of displeasure, what might have been an exhausted sigh if he still had lungs, when Ed stormed into the dorm the military had given them as if the hounds of hell were chasing him.
Alphonse didn't have time to manage a single word. Not the: How was your day?, How was your meeting?, Why are you running?, or even, What happened?, before Ed let loose a tirade.
"ALPHONSE!" Ed screamed, back against the door as if to keep it sealed. "No matter what anyone says! I was here all afternoon!"
Alphonse knew Ed had a meeting he was not allowed to join that morning, so he had stayed home. Ed had left for Central Command around eight, and Alphonse had occupied himself with toiling research into the philosopher's stone before beginning a lunch he couldn't eat. It was for Ed, because Ed would be home after the meeting and…ate a lot.
"What?" Alphonse sputtered, tone soft with confusion. Before him at the kitchen counter, a glass of water, and two pieces of bread were set out. One slice of bread was smeared with peanut butter, and the other was waiting for jelly Alphonse was just about to open.
"I stayed in this apartment and never set foot outside of it!" Ed cried. "This is super important! I am dead meat!" Alphonse knew things were serious when Ed described himself this way. We were only ever dead meat when…well…when we expected to be dead meat soon. "Okay! Okay!" Ed cried, panting from his run and looking frantic. He was flush to the door, arms out stretched, legs in a wide stance, hair puffed from exertion, and wide wide eyes.
Alphonse said the first thing that came to mind. "You want me to lie!" This went against his equation. Lying meant inserting the infraction that resulted in things happening to him which he did not want happening.
"No!" Ed cried, shaking his head, before frantically nodding. "I mean yes! Just this once! It's not a big lie! No one will even notice!"
"No one?" Alphonse echoed with confusion, before this no-one began heavy knocking on their door. Ed squeaked a wild sound of alarm and looked up at the peep hole several feet above his head. "Brother," Alphonse said, beginning an unsatisfied tone. "Who is at our door?"
"No one!" Ed cried, giving an elaborate shrug. "I don't hear anything," Ed added, with a nervous laugh. The knocking became subtle banging, and Ed's expression caved to one of great distress. "Al, can't you just lie this one time? Please?" Ed reached forward with one hand, as if begging to be lifted out of his BIG TROUBLE. "Please? This is your older brother asking! Asking for this one thing!"
"But probably not for a good reason," Alphonse retorted. Inside he was glaring skeptically, but his metal face was unchanged. "Someone is at our door, and I think they're looking for you brother."
"You pious traitor!" Ed cried, taking a few stomping steps forward and having what Alphonse would have, if he ever verbalized it, called a 'fit' where he stood. Ed stomped several times, swinging his fists in absolute frustration before stuffing them down at his sides. "I am just asking for a favor!"
The knocking on their door had become louder before an angry, "Fullmetal?" was called from the other side.
Alphonse recognized this voice right away. "Is the colonel at our door?" Alphonse asked accusingly.
With the sound of Roy's voice Ed spun around with wide transfixed eyes of horror and stared at the peep hole as if it were Roy's face. Comically he reached up and slapped his white gloved hands to either cheek and whined.
"Fullmetal?" Roy called, before the door sparked with a flash of blue transmutation and the doorknob let loose and dropped with a heavy clunk. The colonel, a man of reasonable social stature and composure, did not appear reasonable to Elric child eyes. Instead he seemed insurmountably tall, with broad shoulders, strong arms, and a big scary voice. The colonel was not someone you wanted to mess with, and while the man did little more than open the door and step into the Elric dorm, to Edward Elric child eyes he was a bear lumbering in with barely the width to make it through the door frame. He had dismantled the door! No lock or key could keep Mustang at bay! The man was an animal! A freaking animal!
Roy shut the door behind him, and it did not latch as it no longer could. Dressed in uniform, the sharp powerful blues of the Amestrian military, laced with the white gloves of his alchemic power, and formidable black boots, he appeared as a figure of authority, but although visibly angry, Roy also looked puzzled. He entered and paused. It was clear he had something to say, but almost seemed as if he found it too silly.
Roy's face was bright with a bit of color, and his breath was slightly elevated as if he too had run. Beneath that fine black hair, his dark eyes were fumbling between confusion and disbelief, and when he spoke, that was the tone Alphonse heard in his voice.
"You," Mustang said softly, gaze locked with Ed. "You ran." Roy sounded dumbfounded, but his expression still held displeasure. Whatever had confused the man had not made him forget he was angry, and Ed took a quick step back.
The dorm was very small. The kitchen and living room were respectively one and then there was a short indentation serving as a hallway with a door for the bathroom, bedroom, and closet. Located at the kitchen counter, Alphonse found himself thrust into the heart of today's activity, and looked at Ed expectantly for whatever Ed was going to say in his defense.
Ed chose not to defend himself. "You're god damn right I ran!" Ed yelled loudly, taking another step back. "Stay away from me Mustang!"
The colonel's confusion vanished, and just as Alphonse was beginning to feel a peek of concern for his brother's tiny flesh body, the colonel looked over at him. The glance was so fast it ended just as it started, but it was powerful, and Alphonse understood immediately, and in a way he could never explain, that Mustang was not a threat. The man was not dangerous, and there was nothing to fear.
Mustang took a step into the apartment and dropped one of the phrases Alphonse would have advised Roy not use. "Get over here Fullmetal," Roy said angrily.
These four little words shot out like electricity and Ed jumped back and took off. "You get away from me!" Ed cried, running into the apartment.
Roy's jaw dropped. A look of absolute disbelief stormed across his face, and for a moment, Alphonse saw all anger wash away. There was nothing but stunned shock things had come to this. Really? Things had come to this? The boy was running? The thirteen year old was running away! And then, just as quickly as Mustang forgot his anger, it came back with a vengeance.
"You're going to make me chase you some more!" Mustang cried out, still flabbergasted but quickly evolving into low fury. Ed heard this clearly, and ran smack to the end of the short hallway and sparked a transmutation that put a hole in the wall large enough for him to climb through.
Prior to this hole Mustang did not think he had need to hurry, and certainly no need to insult himself running after the boy, but this lit a fire under him. Alphonse had never seen the colonel move so fast. Ed only had time to throw a leg through the hole before Mustang yanked him back into the dorm by his shirt collar.
"Get your little ass back in this apartment!" Mustang snarled, voice low and struggling to keep from yelling. "Seal up this hole!"
Ed reached back and grabbed Mustang's hands as soon as he was caught. "Mustang! Okay! Mustang listen to my side of things!" Ed cried desperately. "I was here all morning!"
"Seal it up!" Mustang cried, lifting his voice. The man was a reputable man, and he did not yell often. The sound of it startled Ed, and Alphonse watched Ed flinch and spark a correcting transmutation before Ed even understood he was obeying. The wall returned to perfection and Mustang was breathing roughly with his lips tightly pinched as he stomped back into the apartment to put distance between the wall the way one might a window. He looked down at Ed, and his gaze was nothing to sneeze at. Mustang was livid. "Where is your bedroom?"
Ed was a little pale when his escape hole was taken from him, but all at once his color was draining away, and he gave his head a small frazzled shake.
"I asked where," Mustang said.
"No," Ed squeaked, voice so soft Alphonse almost didn't hear him. "No, please, no please." Ed was whispering, or was it whining? It may have been both, but whatever it was, it came with a sound of dread. Ed looked shaken to his knees trapped in Mustang's firm grip staring up at the man. Going pale his eyes were three times their size with overwhelming concern for his tiny ninety-pound thirteen year old self.
Mustang abandoned Ed as a resource and reached to the nearest door. He opened it, found it to be the closet, and slammed it, before reaching to the second. He was looking for the tiny dorm bedroom and Alphonse was shocked. What could Mustang want with their bedroom?
As soon as Mustang began moving, Ed began what looked like a dance in the man's hold. "Mustang! No! No-No-No-Wait a second! Wait! Just wait! Wait a second!"
Mustang found the right door. There were only three of them. He opened it with the air of investigation, and then took a step forward with pleased satisfaction. He was entering the room, dragging Ed along with the boy squirming and yelling, before giving on last fleeting glance towards Alphonse.
The look was clear: There was nothing to worry about, and Alphonse felt stunned.
Mustang slammed the bedroom door behind him, and Alphonse realized he had just watched the colonel barge into their dorm, forcibly restrain his brother, and drag Ed into a room, while he stood at the counter like a bump on a log, all because Mustang…gave him a look?
No, that wasn't right. The colonel had told him everything was okay, he had said that when he first entered, hadn't he? Didn't he say something like, don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen? And Ed seemed frantically insane, but didn't Ed also say something about…about something that…didn't he say…collaborated this, right?"
Alphonse set down the jar of jelly he was holding. Suddenly he was more confused than he thought, and he took a few steps toward the bedroom. Ed was yelling from inside, screaming some type of speech, and the tone of his voice sounded familiar in a distant way. Alphonse knew he had heard it before, but, he felt he hadn't heard it in a long time.
"What did I say!" Mustang said loudly, loud enough he was heard over Ed. "I was very clear!" Ed wasn't stopping for anyone. He was talking on and on and Mustang was trying to make a conversation out of it by peppering in his own statements. "We're not debating this any longer Fullmetal!"
"No wait!" Ed cried. "No wait! Please! Please! Wait a second! Don't! Wait! Wait!"
And that's when Alphonse heard it, and he recognized it immediately.
It started out of no where, but all at once he knew Ed was getting spanked. He remembered this from growing up, from his own house, and granny's. This was the sound of Ed on the other side of a door crying and protesting as he took, what Resembool called, a licking.
Alphonse was shocked. He felt rooted where he stood listening to the sudden onslaught of familiar slapping before Ed began his famous protesting.
"Okay! Okay! Wait a second!" Ed was still trying to stop what sounded like the inevitable. "Stop for a freaking second! Ow, this hurts Mustang! You bastard!" The speed of Ed's slaps picked up and Ed broke out whining at the top of lungs. "Ow—ow, ow, ow!" Ed was complaining to the floor with Roy's hand swinging over his upturned rear. "Okay, stop for a second, ow! Mustang, come on, stop for a second!" There was a brief pause, suggesting the colonel might actually be conceding, but instead Ed went ballistic. "No, please! Please don't! Roy! Come on, please!" There was nothing but scuffling sounds, before the slaps resumed in loud cracks as Roy's bare hand met Ed's bare bottom.
There wasn't more you could do other than listen. The colonel was spanking Ed good, and Ed was protesting and yelling, before promising obedience. This was not a smooth session. Ed was squirming, reaching back to protect his red skin, and kicking with the toes of his boots occasionally connecting with the floor and side of his bed.
It was so elaborate Alphonse was actually beginning to feel embarrassed, and wasn't sure if it were embarrassment for Ed, or embarrassment they were related. His brother was old enough to take a spanking with some form of dignity, wasn't he? How was it Ed wasn't mortified he was yelling and kicking like his six year old self? Alphonse decided firmly if it were him being spanked, he would take it like a man, and not carry on like this. It was undignified.
Mustang's spanking did not last very long. It started suddenly, was fast and powerful, and stopped just as suddenly. While the man was spanking the sound of it could not be contained in the tiny bedroom. It was a non stop cracking, and Alphonse could tell from experience that it hurt based on the sound and speed, but when Mustang stopped everything went silent.
Alphonse leaned forward and craned his head to hear better. He was certain Mustang should be scolding his brother, lecturing him firmly on whatever he did, but nothing was happening. It was dead silent. Disturbingly quiet! Alphonse began itching to get up. What if Mustang had misjudged Ed's size and beat his brother into a coma! Or Ed had dipped into some state of mortified nose bleed and passed out!
Alphonse extended a leg to begin getting up before freezing when the bedroom door opened. With complete confidence Mustang stepped out, shut the door behind him, and approached the kitchen. His expression was the ever professional mask and he inhaled to begin speech before noticing the small cup of water on the counter. Respectfully Mustang exhaled and took the cup with a small polite nod before returning to the bedroom.
Alphonse couldn't take it. As quiet as a suit of armor could be, he snuck off his stool and approached the bedroom he shared with Ed. The door was not entirely shut and he laid his hand against it and pressed it open a few inches.
He was stunned with the sight that greeted him.
His brave and powerful older brother was standing along side his bed rubbing his rear profusely. Ed was back in his pants, but had stripped his jacket and red coat off and tossed them to the floor. Mustang stepped over them politely before sitting down on the edge of Ed's bed. Without a word, and with a grace Alphonse had never seen, he offered Ed the cup of water as casually as he might while at a restaurant.
Ed was sniffling excessively, and gulping air through an open mouth to keep from making any noise. He didn't even see the water. As soon as Mustang was seated, Ed threw himself at the man the way a toddler throws itself at its mother. He looped his arms about Mustang's neck and collapsed into Mustang's chest whining unintelligibly. Mustang was surprised with the sudden assault, and launched back the way you might if a large dog came forward to lick your face. He extended the cup away from them, so it would not spill, while beginning a soft and cheerful chuckle.
With affection he looped an arm about Ed's waist and helped Ed manage a comfortable stand between his sprayed legs. "Okay Fullmetal," Roy said softly, adjusting himself further back on the bed, and pulling Ed to sit on his right knee. Alphonse's jaw was on the floor. Ed looked as if he were sitting on the lap of a great Santa crying his eyes out, rather than their fierce commanding officer, but somehow Mustang didn't notice this! Mustang gave Ed's back a few encouraging pats before bringing the water to Ed's face. "Drink something," Roy said kindly.
Ed reached for the cup with a shaking hand. He was sniveling uncontrollably, and crying as softly as a boy could. Ed wiped at his face with his automail hand while bringing the cup to his lips, and Mustang gave Ed's back a few approving pats when Ed began drinking. "Good boy," Mustang said softly. "Just take a drink and calm down."
Ed emptied the cup and lowered it with a heavy exhale, before sniffling. He raised his gaze to Mustang with something more fragile than Alphonse had ever seen and whispered, "I didn't mean it."
"I know you didn't," Mustang said, voice as confident as ever. "I bet you didn't."
"I am…" Ed croaked, before silencing. Mustang gave a few encouraging nods, before filling in the blank Ed couldn't manage.
"Sorry," Mustang said. "You're sorry." Ed nodded. "It's okay," Mustang reassured. "It's okay to make mistakes, and okay to be sorry." Ed shoved the cup back into Mustang's hand and scrubbed at his face. His tears were still falling, but they were silent. "You didn't think I'd do it, did you?" Mustang asked, growing a humored smile. Ed groaned miserably and rubbed at his right eye. "Did you?" Mustang asked, giving Ed a teasing nudge.
"No," Ed said sourly.
"And I barely touched you," Mustang said, still grinning. "You don't want to get on my bad side Ed. That was hardly any of my strength." Ed lowered his hands and glared at Mustang's smile looking sullen with his nose running. Mustang dropped a kind hand onto the top of Ed's head, and rubbed it around to mess Ed's bangs before giving a heavy sigh. "I've gotta go," he said, leaning forward to do so.
Ed slid off Mustang's knee and gave his rear another rub before watching the man stand. Mustang rolled his shoulders once on his feet and gave his neck a crack. He was a Goliath, and Ed stared up at his pillared form as if staring up at a gladiator. "Tell your brother I apologize for intruding." Mustang gave the front of his uniform a tug to straighten it and Alphonse panicked. He backed away from the door and took wide lunging steps back to the kitchen with as little of him rattling as possible. Desperately he reached for the counter. If he was caught ease dropping, or better phrased, watching, it would be so awkward! Ed would kill him!
Mustang exited Ed's bedroom and went a few feet before stopping and looking back expectantly. Ed didn't follow, and Mustang waited a moment before back peddling and looking into the bedroom. Expectantly he lifted a hand and indicated the front door before saying, "See me out Fullmetal." Ed mumbled something softly from the bedroom but Mustang was not letting the boy weasel out of this and said, "It's your place isn't it?"
Alphonse heard Ed's angry stomping before the boy emerged. Ed made eye contact with no one and stomped his way to the door before sticking his hand into the hole where the door knob had been and yanking it open. Then, in a rude gesture, Ed thrust his hand toward the hallway as if to say: There, get out.
Mustang laughed, and Alphonse watched the man walk through their apartment and leave. He didn't say a word, and Ed shut the door and then stood frozen like a statue along side of it.
Alphonse stared at Ed, and Ed stared at the floor. They both knew Alphonse had heard what happened and therefore knew what happened, and Ed's face was turning red with embarrassment.
Alphonse tried to think of something comforting to say, but nothing was coming to him. Instead his curiosity was rampant, and timidly he asked, "Brother, what did you do?"
Ed scowled toward the floor, and his shoulders tightened before he spat, "Nothing."
And that was why Edward Elric though it was impossible to remove the infraction variable, because he never committed an infraction. He was wrongfully accused, every single time.
"You must have done something," Alphonse said.
Ed shook his head, before looking up, and his eyes were pink and wet. "No, I didn't do anything! The colonel's a big fat jerk!" Ed snapped, taking a hesitant step forward before approaching the counter.
Retreating to the bedroom to lick our wounds sounded inviting, but there was no use pretending there was any privacy in all this, so what difference did it really make if we sat at the kitchen counter.
Alphonse watched Ed climb into one of the two counter stools. Ed was miserable, his gaze was annoyed, his mouth heavy in a frown, and his nose as red as a cherry. He managed into his chair with a brief wince and then sat looking uncomfortable. Shyly he peeked up at Alphonse's metal staring face before laying his hands on the counter and fidgeting. "I ah…" Ed muttered, giving a small shrug. "I didn't…" Alphonse filled in the blanks himself. I didn't listen. I didn't follow orders. I didn't mind my tongue. I didn't show respect. The options were endless.
"And so the colonel spanked you?" Alphonse asked.
Ed's face grew brighter, and he stared at his hands looking mortified, before nodding. "Yeah," Ed muttered softly, before forcing a quick dismissive shrug. "What a jerk."
"It was that serious?"
"No."
Alphonse had to assume it was, and also that any further serious questions would be met with more unserious answers, so he changed the subject. "I made you a sandwich," Alphonse said, indicating the open provisions. It wasn't really complete, so he picked up the jelly with a correcting, "Well, I am making you a sandwich."
Ed was frowning heavily with his discomfort, and he glared at the bread. Alphonse was moving them on to new topics, but Ed couldn't let go of the old one. "Did you hear him do it?" Ed asked quickly, voice rushed with deep embarrassment.
Alphonse was opening the top of the jelly carefully. Watching for signs the lid was moving so he didn't break the jar under his strength, when this question stopped him. He looked up at Ed, but Ed was glaring at the unmade sandwich with his eyes welling back up with tears.
"I don't really want you to!" Ed said, blushing hotly. "It's really personal for me!"
"What?" Alphonse asked. The jelly lid gave a pop and opened. He set it down and picked up his butter knife. "I didn't know that was going to happen!"
Ed looked up, nose twitching as his sinuses began to tickle with impending tears. "Well, I don't want you to listen to us argue either!"
"How was I supposed to know you were going to argue at home?" Alphonse asked, annoyed. "And why were your arguing at home?" Ed sputtered a miserable sound. He didn't have a defense for this. "And who knew the colonel was going to come here and spank you!" Ed's eye widened a bit when this was said. "Brother, I can't imagine what you did, but if it was bad enough the colonel came all the way over here to do it, you should have known better."
"Hey, shut up!" Ed snapped, sniffling. "You—You—You don't know about the situation!"
Alphonse spread jelly over the second piece of bread. "I know the colonel doesn't look like he misjudges who needs to be spanked and who doesn't."
Ed had a fit. He pushed back in his chair seething and smacked his flesh hand down. "Alphonse! I am going to kick your ass!"
Alphonse broke out chuckling, unable to help himself, and asked, "The way Roy kicked yours?"
Ed was off his chair in a heartbeat. Cursing and stomping, he left to the bedroom before slamming the door. Alphonse tried to get his giggles under control. He put the sandwich on a plate, and was putting the jelly back in the refrigerator when Ed returned with the same stomp he'd employed leaving.
Ed approached the counter frowning and thrust out his flesh hand with a loud, "Give me the sandwich!"
Alphonse handed it over, and Ed yanked it off the plate and began eating while stomping back to the bedroom. Half way there, chewing angrily, he spun around and said, "And next time…" Ed's voice was muffled as he chewed. Ed swallowed heavily and gave his eyes a wipe. "…next time, go outside, I don't want you to listen, okay!"
"Next time!" Alphonse cried, flabbergasted.
"I mean it!" Ed said, turning around and continuing his stomp back to the bedroom. "I mean it Alphonse!"
"What do you mean next time?"
Ed slammed the door and Alphonse looked down at the empty plate of crumbs before calling out, "Brother! Why don't you just remove the infraction from the equa…" but Ed cut him off with a loud furious, "It's IMPOSSIBLE!"
Alphonse silenced, and from the bedroom he heard Ed give the side of the bed a swift miserable kick with the metal foot before tossing himself on top of it. "It's impossible to remove the infraction when there isn't one!" Ed yelled, wrongfully accused yet again. "IMPOSSIBLE!"
You gotta love the Roy/Ed spanking. Took a slightly different approach here, hope you all enjoyed. I almost posted an Izumi/Ed to shake things up, of my story "The Father" which some of you have asked for…but I have no self control! I thought this one was so cute and had to do it!
Please leave a review! I love them!
[Note: I actively take story plot request, and those I complete are considered "Gift Wrapped" check out my profile for more details.] To those of you who have made requests I am working on…just stick with me…I am always working.