Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal alchemist.

ONE

He didn't know if the Elrics would take him up on his offer but decided that it was good enough. The rain hadn't lessened even a bit when he stepped back outside and it was still as dark as ever. It was only when he was far off that he let out a huge breath of relief. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to do besides the Ishval rebellion of course. Hopefully the Elrics would come and seek him out. It may take a couple of years but he knew they were special just by looking at them and the fact that those boys survived human transmutation was a plus.

The idea was to get to Central by morning but upon seeing several people angrily glaring at him, he realized it would be an even better idea to shred the uniform and wear his other clothes instead. People were better at hiding their disgust during the day that he had nearly forgotten that the dark only seemed to make them bold. Shadows hid them better in the dark and if it wasn't raining, he would certainly dare to go out and about.

He knew the last train took off in ten minutes and he was determined to catch it. He took the water that was handed to him and gracefully gave a small smile to the man. He rubbed the ache that was starting at the base of his back, hating the weight he had been gaining as anything else. At least here it isn't snowing, he thought sourly. In Central, it was starting to flurry already and it was said that snow would soon be covering the ground. Roy hated the snow but he supposed he couldn't bring himself to complain about it now.

At the rest stop between stations, Roy got another large drink of water. He didn't know why he felt unusually thirsty all of a sudden but chose not to pay too much detail to that either. He found a phone in the corner and went to make a call. He was sure Hawkeye and the others were curious as to what he took off to do but he could care less for what were churning in their minds at the moment. He had promised Maes that he would call him however and by golly he would before he reached central. He just didn't need a repeat of six months ago. Maes had been vulnerable and drunk. Roy felt guilty about letting Maes get his way with him for he had his beautiful wife Gracia whom the man would always love. Roy on the other hand knew that he was just somebody that Maes thought of as a brother. Of course brothers don't play games that they played he thought idly.

"Yo Roy I knew you would call! How's my best friend in the whole world doing right now?" Roy hid a frown. Hughes you would never know will you he thought sadly.

"I know Hughes. I just can't wait to see your stupid face."

"You love my face Roy. You told me that before." Could he ever really lie to this man?

He guessed not.

"When you get back you can get a date so that we can have a double date! Isn't that awesome!" Roy held the phone an inch away from his ear so he could lessen the damage done to his hearing.

"For the last time Hughes, I don't take flings on double dates!"

The man seemed almost disappointed and Roy had to fight to keep his composure and not give in no matter how bad Hughes wanted him to.

"No Hughes. In fact I have to go."

"BUT ROY…"

"No really, my train is getting ready to leave and I need to get back right away so that we could go for a couple of beers just like I promised you."

"Sure Roy just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt when we have so much to be looking forward too." Yeah too bad you will never remember.

"See ya then."

"Good night baby face."

When he was in that weird type of relationship he had had in the past, he had tolerated that name but now that Hughes was a taken man, he hated that name with a passion. That was when Hughes had been his in a way. They had this game where they still dated women on the side but they still saw each other. It usually ended in sex too. But he could never say that he was only his either. It began when Roy had felt the need to tell Hughes that any girl would want the man. Finding it oddly sentimental on Roy's part, Hughes decided to name this game. The rules were that the first one to get a person to fall in love with them would lose. Roy had found the game oddly weird at first but Hughes also stated that they would also be together as well and the first to fall for the other was a loser. Hughes had met Gracia after the war. Roy had lost.

I'm just a loser then, aren't I Hughes, Roy thought solemnly. I'm the one that fell in love you and even though you fell for that woman, I'm the dope that can't let go loving you.

"Bud, aren't you supposed to get onto that train."

Eying the strange man beside him, he almost didn't listen but then his eyes widened when he heard the word train. He silently cursed and saw that he was already too late. The train was already beyond any jumping distance. Not like he'd try anyways being so bloated for the last three months. He gazed at the man in question wondering why this stranger would help him. The man didn't know him and everyone else didn't seem to be in a mood to lend a hand.

"I'm a doctor of this nearby town and I hear that you seem to be stranded. Can't really be going somewhere now right?"

"No, I guess I won't be able to," Roy admitted noticing that the man did have a medical bag with him.

"I could allow you to come along. I have a wife and young daughter though. My wife is having another baby so it has been hard leaving them all alone."

Roy nodded in understatement.

"I guess I could come along. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Roy added quoting the man's earlier words with a coy smile.

"I see that you're quite young to be traveling so much by the looks of it. I know youngsters want to travel but I'm in my mid-thirties now and it doesn't seem that much of a pleasure as it used to be."

"I was seeing someone over in the town down east. It really was a needed and well-earned trip of course." He didn't want to admit to this man he was in the military as many seemed opposed to them already.

"I see. Then what's your name young man? You must have one," he joked so easily that Roy decided that he was already growing fond of the person.

"I'm Don." Roy lied. Such a name like Roy Mustang wouldn't be a wise idea and even though he hated lying to the other man, he decided he wanted to leave the name behind. No town deserved to have 'Roy' coming to visit them but 'Don' however would be given the pleasure of friendship in the place they were going.

"Good day to ya Don. I'm Dr. Christopher Morgan. My wife Christa and daughter Rosalyn would enjoy your company. Of course there's Hannah next door. We have plenty of friendly neighbors Mr. Don."

Roy nodded.

He helped him load some of the medical supplies the young doctor had ordered. As he explained it, he was the only doctor in the town besides a midwife and two nurses. They had always been enough but if they needed to get to a hospital, they often prayed that their expertise would be enough because it was quite a ways down. Roy nodded throughout the conversation, enjoying for once to listen to the other speak.

"You're friend seems to enthusiastic about you arriving the next day. Is he going to be disappointed that you would be late?"

Roy thought about it. Hughes. He would definitely try to hide it behind concern about why he would go and miss the train when Roy had told him already why he had to hang up. He supposed it would turn to self-blame and that Roy would end up having to explain how sorry he was being. Hughes would just go and tell him it wasn't, leaving Roy to feel guilty as hell. It would probably go on until Hughes told him he'd get him some more leave so he wasn't UA. In retrospect, it was usually hell.

Once he was finished hefting the last heavy box into the carriage, he made to get up only to realize that his back must have hurt more than he thought it did. The other man examined it for him before helping him into the passenger's side.

"Are you by any chance an Alchemist?"

"I research it." Roy hastily answered.

His back was really killing him and he supposed that's why he wasn't asked anymore questions. He didn't lie about this anyways. He did research alchemy. He performed it as well for the military most of all. He just left the majority of it out.

"I guess it's good that you didn't get in the train if the pain is that bad."

Roy reasoned once he was able to lean forward in a fetal position, that he could not agree more.