Anxiety is a breath away from drowning.

This story takes place in one day total. I split it up into three parts (morning, afternoon, night) to make the editing easier since it's well over 20k. It may be easier for some people to wait until it's all posted and read it in one go. This is the second story in my Resurgance Series on AO3 and takes place after Pins and Needles.


Black hands covered his entire body, prodding and squeezing around his limbs and neck. Ed twisted and turned, trying to pull away. He struggled for air as his throat constricted, choking and wheezing, contorting his body, but it provided him with no relief. Ed was stuck, suffocating, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He was going to die, right here, and he could hear Truth laughing at him.

Ed woke up gasping for air and soaked in sweat. His head hurt and his breath came out in harsh, short puffs, causing smokey-like clouds to billow from his mouth through the cold morning air. The tent flaps were closed, but he could see some sunlight filtering through the cracks around them. Ed shivered, rolled over, and then slowly sat up, wrapping his arms around his legs as he tried to get some warmth back into his body.

He brushed his hands down his sides in an attempt to get rid of the nasty, bitter feeling inside him. His dreams were getting noticeably worse the closer they got to the Promised Day. Ed knew given the magnitude of what they were planning, it wouldn't stop. Even now he could still feel the fingers on his body, violating his every thought and the sickening feelings of disgust and sadness settled in the pit of his stomach.

This one had been about the Promised Day. He hadn't been able to defeat Father and had been forced to watch his friends and family die. Al, Winry, Granny, Mustang, Hawkeye... all of them gone. The terror in his heart had felt so real and shocking, reaching its peak when Father shoved him through the gate and let Truth have its fun with him.

His back cracked and his knee popped when he stood up. Ed stretched out his left arm above his head before getting into a comfortable enough of a position to rub the areas around his ports. Waking up stiff was nothing new to him, and he had learned after years of fighting with it to take time each morning to loosen his joints up before starting his day.

The sun was now shining across the trees and ground when he pulled the flap back and joined the land of the living. Ed glanced at the other tents to see if anyone else had woken up. Darius and Heinkel were already getting a fire started. Greed was nowhere to be seen, which meant he was either still asleep or had slipped out in the middle of the night and had yet to return.

Another adventure probably. Ed had gotten used to those in the month he had spent in Greed's company. It happened a few times a week and no one said a thing about it. He knew he should probably dig for information, but chances were it was simply Greed being greedy and had nothing to do with them defeating Father.

A chill moved up his body making his teeth chatter. The cold weather had finally settled in. On days when the sun was out, it wasn't so bad. But a day after a rainy night was hell on his body. Sighing, he flopped on the ground and put his head between his knees. Another chilly day to push through. He could do this. He could get through it and focus his thoughts on something else. It shouldn't be too hard. All he had to do was get back up, eat, and see what needed done, yet his body refused to move.

"What the hell's got you rattled?" Greed's voice cut Ed's thoughts to a halt. "Damn, kid, you look like you were rode hard and put away wet."

Ed lifted his head from between his legs and turned towards Greed, scowl in place and fully prepared to tell his boss to piss off because he wasn't in the mood for bullshit first thing. Once his eyes settled on Greed the words died as quickly as they were thought up.

Greed looked like shit. It was almost like looking into a mirror only the reflection wasn't his own. Ed ran his left hand through his hair and shivered.

"I dunno... maybe the same thing that got under your skin." Ed had intended his voice to hold some irritation or give some indication he was in no mood to 'talk,' but only concern came through. "Bad dream too?" he added as an afterthought. One of them had to admit what was wrong or else they'd both be here going off useless conversation in exchange.

"Guess you could call it that... could've been a memory, not sure." Greed looked genuinely puzzled for a moment before sitting down and leaning back against an old oak tree.

"You think you'll get 'em all back?" He didn't know why he asked that. It was one of those questions that seemed too personal to prod into.

"Who knows? My old man scrambled my head up pretty good." Greed shrugged as if it were no big deal.

Ed disagreed. "Maybe they're still in there and all you gotta do is find something familiar enough to get 'em going." He wrapped his hands around his knees and rested his chin on them. "Maybe visiting some places you used to hang out at is a start. We could always go back to Dublith for a few days."

"Why the hell would I want to go there?" Greed frowned. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else then closed it.

"'Cause that's where you used to have your bar before Bradley came and destroyed it all." Ed lifted his head up a bit and searched Greed's face for any indication if he had remembered that or not. "Thought it might help jog your memory."

"Those aren't," Greed rubbed his hand across his face. "There's no need to remember that place. I gotta a good thing goin' now. Don't see any reason dredging up a past that's not mine."

"Isn't knowing better than not knowing?" Ed wasn't sure why he was trying to help if Greed clearly wasn't interested, but it didn't seem right letting Father get away with taking Greed's memories so maybe that was why he kept pushing. "They were your memories, Greed. They belonged to you. You gonna let the bastard get away with doing that?"

Greed let his hands drop down to his lap and gave Ed a hard, yet curious look. "Lemmie ask you something. If you knew finding out something would make you worse off than before, would you do it?"

Ed furrowed his brows and thought the question over. "I... I don't know. Guess it would depend on what you mean by worse off. If it was just me that'd be affected by the decision, then I'd want to know."

"What is with you? Why do all your decisions gotta revolve around who else'll be affected by them?" Greed wrinkled his nose and made a face. "Don't you ever cut loose and say fuck it, I'm gonna go for it?"

"Last time I was reckless with something, it cost me my limbs and my brother his body." Ed looked down at the ground. He couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks with other people. He didn't fuck up often, but when he did, the outcome was always devastating.

Greed scratched his chin. Ed could be a real drag sometimes. "C'mon, let's a take a walk. We're gonna need more firewood." He stood up and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. "Since those two are already busy, looks like you're it."

Ed got up, wincing when his right knee popped, and followed Greed, not bothering to point out that he was always 'it' when it came to Greed needing help. He didn't know why either. Darius and Heinkel complied with demands a lot better than he did.

Maybe Greed enjoyed butting heads with him? That was the only logical explanation Ed could concoct up in his brain because he was usually the only target of Greed's teasing. Darius and Heinkel never had to put up with the crap he did.

"So how much wood're we gonna get?" Ed jogged until he caught up to Greed and then slowed down to a walking pace. "Not sure how long you plan on stayin' and don't wanna get too much or too little of it."

"Enough for a day, maybe two." Greed bumped into Ed before moving away far enough to give them both space. "This place is quiet. Don't think anyone'll come up here and bug us. There's a town a couple miles away where we can stock up on supplies."

The open area gave way to the tree lines. The forest started out sparse like most and ended up thick near the center. There were plenty of trees and wood for them to use several feet in. All they needed to do was find a good spot to cut some up.

"We still got some stuff in our bags." Ed shrugged his shoulders and kept moving. Each step forward eased some of the stiffness around the port on his left leg. "If we take on too much more, it'll be a pain to lug with us when we pack up and leave."

"This place has women, so we're staying." Greed knew Ed would keep bitching, or even worse, start asking questions if he didn't get right to the point. "Good-looking men too." Not every place had that. "They don't go to bed early and know how to have a good time." He grinned at Ed. "My kind of people."

"What the hell, Greed? You didn't have to tell me that." Ed stopped walking and glared. His mood soured even more, something he would've doubted possible a few minutes ago. Was that where Greed went when he disappeared at night? "And you had better have Ling's permission to be usin' his body like that."

"Huh?" Greed halted to a stop and turned around. "What's it to you what I do with my body?"

Ed pushed past Greed, only pausing for a second to give a disgusted look. There was a fallen tree up ahead. That would be a good place to start cutting wood. "It was Ling's body first, and still is partly his. He should have a say in whether or not you can go fuck the town on our way through."

"Hey, ain't my fault your friend willing let me take over... not that he could've fought it for long." Greed caught up to Ed and reached out to give him a push back. "Don't go bitchin' about shit that doesn't concern you."

It was his business to make sure Ling wasn't being abused. If that meant pissing Greed off and taking on his anger then so be it. "It does concern me 'cause I actually give a fuck about Ling."

When Greed shoved him again, he didn't even react. Ed just stood there and took it. He stumbled backwards, his foot briefly catching on a tree root. Ed's back hit against a tree, and he fell to the ground in an undignified heap. He grunted and pushed away from it. "Not takin' back what I said. I don't care how much you beat on me for it."

"Why didn't you push me back?" Greed lifted Ed up off the ground and shook him a bit. "What's the point," he sneered, letting go of Ed, "in hitting someone who won't fight back."

"If you're lookin' for a fight, go somewhere else." Ed dropped his gaze down to the ground and focused on a medium-sized branch a few feet away from Greed. "I just think it's fucked up to go out and do that since you're not the only one livin' inside that body."

He ducked and moved past Greed and began cutting off pieces from the fallen branch. Ed needed to put some space between them, and they needed some fire wood.

"Oh, you think Ling minds?" Greed's eyes widened a little and he hit his right fist into the palm of his left hand. "That's it, isn't it? You think I'm goin' out and the brat is suffering through it all." He threw his head back and laughed. "I guess there're some things you don't know about him, huh?"

Ed jerked, startling at Greed's loud laughter. It had been enough to cut through him like a sharp knife slicing up meat. "Hey, I never said that... just wasn't sure is all." He rubbed his temple. If Ling didn't mind that meant... Ed sighed. Now he felt stupid for even saying anything.

"One of these days I'm gonna figure out why you're always looking out for the next guy." Greed's laughter died down. "It's damn adorable an' all but that shit'll get you killed."

"It won't get me killed. Nothin' wrong with watching out for friends." Ed grunted and straightened out his arm. He began cutting the wood again, not even bothering to look at Greed. "And nothin' you say is gonna change how I feel about it."

"Suit yourself. You wanna make shit hard for you, fine. Just don't be a fucking dumbass while you're with me." Greed picked up a branch next to them and split it over his knee. "Got enough shit to keep track of."

"I only bitched about you havin' sex with Ling's body. S'not like I'm runnin' around, fucking up and trying to save everyone I come in contact with." Greed only gave him an 'oh really?' look. Ed rolled his eyes. "Okay… fine. Maybe I sort of do that if given a chance. Just how I am so your gonna have to deal with it."

"Sure if you don't mind getting a foot shoved up your ass if things go south for ya." Greed finished breaking up the branch into smaller parts and then threw them into a pile. "I don't plan on baling you out every time. Not much in it for me if I gotta keep savin' your sorry ass."

"Maybe you should use your foot and shove me in their general direction. Then the Edward Elric problem'll be solved," Ed snapped, turning around enough to glower at Greed. "No more wee, tiny kid to cramp your style."

For the second time that morning, Greed laughed. Ed said the most hilarious things when he was angry. "Is that so? I'll keep that in mind next time you're gettin' your ass kicked."

"You do that. And if you end up on the verge of getting your ass handed to you, I'll be there to back you up 'cause that's what bein' in a group is all about." Ed turned back to his log and finished sawing it in half.

He could easily transmute all this into cut wood piles, but this way burned off some steam, and he had plenty of that rolling around in his head right now. Greed was good for giving him sudden motivation to finish his work. Ed would cut up the rest of his wood the good ol' fashioned way just so he didn't have to deal with the bastard any longer than he had to.

Too bad his peace and quiet didn't last long. Ed felt a strong poke against his back and turned to look over his shoulder.

"You saying you're more loyal than I am?" Greed's eyes clouded over with anger.

Giving Greed an uninterested shrug, Ed tossed the last of the wood into a pile and sat down. He needed to rest his body and maybe stretch out his joints once he warmed himself up.

"I'm sayin' that bein' in a group, in charge or not, means it's not all about you or me." Ed huddled as close as he could to the ground to keep the cold at bay. "It's about everyone lookin' out for each other. Just 'cause you're the boss doesn't mean you should get a free pass on that."

Ed's teeth chattered, and Greed's expression softened a little. He noticed that happening more and more often but didn't comment on it. It was weird enough for Ed to process.

"Alright. New rule," Greed said out of the blue. "Since you're about useless when you're cold, the first thing you need to do in the morning is sit your skinny ass by the fire." He took off his coat and tossed it at Ed. "Don't ruin it or else I'll beat the shit outta ya."

"I don't need your pity," Ed grumped as he pulled the jacket tight around his shoulders. He'd accept the offer, but only because he couldn't get his body to stop shivering.

"Not pitying you. You're no good to me like that." Greed started towards the wood pile. "We should head back soon."

Or they could stay out here, start a fire, and forget about the camp for a bit. Ed liked that idea a hell of a lot better because while it was bad enough having Greed give him shit, he didn't want Darius and Heinkel to see him like this. Ed knew he looked worse for the wear. Being in the shadows and not seeing Al or his friends was taking its toll on him.

"We could always make a fire and eat here. Gettin' hungry and don't wanna wait until we get back." Ed sunk deeper down into Greed's coat. "Besides, I'd rather be alone right now anyway."

"I'm here so you're not really alone..." Greed said with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. "Kind of fucked that one up for you from the get-go, didn't I?"

Ed shrugged and then shivered again. Damn he wanted this day to warm up. "I can ignore you... would feel kinda bad if I ignored them."

"Tch, whatever. They're probably off fucking each other anyway." Greed stood up and stretched. "Stay put. I'll get a fire going and go find some food. Try not to waste away to nothing while I'm gone."

Ed made a face at that thought. What the hell did Greed mean by that? He didn't ask, though and tightened his body into a ball while he waited. "Thanks..." was all he muttered. It was none of his business if Darius and Heinkel were doing that with each other.

Pushing that thought aside, Ed forced himself to focus on his situation out here in the woods, with Greed. Despite his earlier insistence of wanting to be alone, Ed was grateful Greed was around. He wanted quiet and the ability to not feel obligated to be somewhat nice. He could easily do that with Greed. No matter how much he might tease Darius and Heinkel, Ed wasn't unkind about it, and some days he needed a target to lash out on.

Ed wasn't sure why he got so angry at Greed sometimes other than buttons were often pushed that shouldn't have been, and it made unleashing his anger feel justified. Although, their roles were so very different than the first time they had met. Then Ed had been the one to push buttons and shoot off at the mouth when he should've stopped and listened.

It was as if Greed was starting completely new. Even though Ling had told him Greed had remembered some things, apparently not enough to make him handle himself the same as before. The expectation he originally had needed reviewed.

Greedling was a force of raucous laughter and a pissy attitude. He seemed to get off on getting a rise out of whomever would bite the bait. He walked into a room and immediately tried to act like he was in charge instead of simply owning that role. Greed lacked experience even though he knew his own name and had somewhat of an idea on how to take care of himself. His actions often had a childish-selfish quality to them.

Wood dropped down in front of him with a loud thunk. Ed rested his chin on his knees and watched Greed make a fire. Once the first flames were spotted, he scooted closer and waited, still lost in thought.

The whole concept of Greed being absorbed and remade puzzled Ed. He had worked that part out given how a six-foot plus homunculus somehow ended up in a tiny vile. So if Father could do all that, why not simply make a new Greed instead of taking the old and trying to erase all his memories? That should've been relatively easy unless Father had specifically selected certain stones inside himself for that sin. Or maybe he needed those parts to achieve his goal?

Or maybe it had been a form of punishment or done in haste. Greed could simply have been put together quickly after Lust's death. Father had to have known he wouldn't stick around forever. Eventually, his avarice would win over. Greed wanted his own shit. Wanted to be king of his own castle. Ed hadn't even been around him all that long and knew that much.

It left him with the conclusion of Father was either rushed, punishing Greed, or had to use a certain aspects of himself to make Greed. Ed sighed, realizing that his thoughts were going around in circles.

"I'm going to find some food for us. Sit here," he pointed a few inches closer to the fire from where Ed was already at, "and don't freeze your ass off while I'm gone." Greed stoked the fire one last time before taking off.

Ed scooted as close to the flames as he could get without burning himself. He could hear Greed move through the trees. Not a very quiet guy. He exhaled an irritated sigh. It'd help if Greed was more light on his feet like Ling.

Or maybe it didn't even matter. The closest town was still far enough away that no one bothered them. The woods didn't seem used. It amazed him how a dumb rumor of the woods being haunted was enough to keep people away. He had seen some things over the years, but spirits didn't exist in the way people thought. Philosopher stones were made out of human souls, but those souls couldn't linger on, out in the open, and torment people.

Still, it turned out to their advantage that the town held some deep superstitions about the woods. Ed was glad they didn't have to worry about other hunters or hikers coming and going. This was by far the quietest place they found, and other than the cold, he did like it here. It was too bad winter was settling in, making it impossible for them to stay.

The question of how long could they really stick around before they risked being found by Father lingered in his mind. That had been something they all agreed on when they first became this little group. They'd live in the shadows, and they'd keep moving because they all knew Wrath and the other homunculi were relentless.

Al had told Ed about what had happened to Greed before, back in Dublith. Wrath had found out Greed was there, tracked him down, and brought him back to Father to be executed. If they were truly being careful, they needed to head out within the next day or so despite what Greed had said. Logic and survival dictated otherwise even if a part of him liked the idea of sticking around in place for a while. If they were found out, there was no way in hell any of them would stand a chance against the Fuhrer.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but movement in the trees snapped him out of his thoughts. Greed came through a few minutes later with two skinned rabbits in hand, both a medium size.

Greed put a sharp stick through the skinned rabbits. "I need two mounds to hold this up and make a spit."

Ed winced at the sight of it, but stopped himself from reacting further. Instead, he focused on the lesson that Teacher had him when he was a kid. Ed clapped his hands together, then touched the ground. He not only managed two mounds, but they both looked like they were handcrafted for a spit.

"How's this?" A proud grin split across his face and his stomach rumbled at the thought of having warm food in his belly.

"Not bad." Greed gave Ed a nod of approval and set the rabbits and stick across the mounds. "Where you'd learn to do alchemy so well? Teach yourself or did someone else teach ya?"

"I learned from the best teacher anyone could have." Ed left out the part where he and Al already were good in their own right before Izumi took them on. He huddled in and tried to pull Greed's jacket tighter. "She lives in Dublith, and actually kicked your ass before," he added with a grin. His grin fell once he realized what he had said.

He knew Greed didn't remember that. Or maybe he did. Ed wasn't sure exactly where the lost memories started or how it worked. Greed maybe remembered more than the faces of his old friends, but there didn't seem to be much details to go with it.

"Why the hell do you look like you just lost your best friend?" Greed turned the stick slowly while eying Ed with suspicion. "You better not be over there, feeling sorry about what you said. Already told ya I don't care."

"It was still a dick thing to say." Ed tried to be a relatively nice guy despite how often he crabbed at other people and generally liked being alone or with his family and the few people called friends, but he wasn't an asshole by default.

"Don't tell me you're the type of person who apologizes for every teeny, tiny fuckup they make 'cause that's gonna get old real quick." Greed leaned his head down closer to the fire and blew on it. Ash unsettled and a few sparks flew up when the flames grew.

"Here, hold on," Ed unbundled himself from his huddle. He grabbed the nearest stick and poke around the fire. "You blow while I poke, alright."

"Bossy little shit, aren't you?" Despite the accusation, Greed blew while Ed poked.

Ed almost apologized for who knew what reason but thought better of it. Instead, a half-grin formed on his lips and he shrugged. "Only when I gotta be. It's gettin' the job done at least."

"I can get the job done without your shitty commentary," Greed said with mild annoyance.

Another shrug and half grin was all Ed planned on giving Greed. This the most pep he had felt all morning and knew it wouldn't last. Once he had eaten and more time to think, he'd go right back to feeling awful so he was going to savor this for as long as it lasted before that deep, nagging emptiness settled deep in his chest again.

When the rabbits looked cooked enough, Ed made a blade from his automail and started cutting slices of meat for them. It wasn't much of a breakfast, and he would seriously consider giving a part of his soul for some eggs if there had been a farm nearby.

They ate in comfortable silence. Given the time it had taken to catch and cook the food, Ed figured a full hour, maybe more had passed. The sun now set little higher in the sky, and the morning finally started to warm. At least there were no clouds in sight. That meant no snow or rain for the time being. A small comfort but he'd take it.

Ed finished eating rather quickly. He hadn't realized how hungry he'd been until the first bite of meat touched his tongue. His stomach grumbled for more. One bite led to the next until he felt satisfied. He glanced down at the small amount of food left in his lap. He'd save that for a snack later.

Leaning back on his elbows, Ed grabbed a stick from off the ground and played with it. Greed watched him while eating, and it struck Ed how incredibly comfortable and mundane the entire situation felt. Despite his terrible mood, and the unsavory cold, Ed felt a little better for now.

"You remember how Father did it?" Ed asked while he flipped the twig in his hand up in the air. He wasn't even sure why he brought it up again other than the thought wouldn't leave him be.

Greed chucked a pebble at him. "Not really…" He mulled over the question. "Felt hot. It burned. That's about all I can remember, and it's more of a feeling I get when I think about it."

"Eh, maybe someday it'll come back to you." Ed didn't know what else to say so he simply shrugged.

"I can live without it." Greed pulled on his food and took a bite. "Figured if that old fuck wants it, he can have it. Probably the only one who can give it back to me and there's no way I'm askin' him for any favors."

As much as Ed wanted to pass this off as an exchange of information, watching Greed try to pretend like it didn't bug him having nothing had dug up some old feelings he had towards his own old-fuck of a dad. It made him feel bad, and Ed needed that feeling to go away.

Besides, they were kind of related in a weird way. Family looked out for each other regardless of what kind of family they were or the dirty specifics about how they were. Father came from Hohenhiem and the homunculi came from Father so theoretically he was Greed's...

... uncle... cousin...?

Ed made a sour face like he had just gnawed on a lemon, and his brain backpedaled a few steps. His body shivered only this time not from the cold. He could selectively forget he ever came to that conclusion because being related to Greed was weird on so many levels, and a blood sample used to make a homunculus hardly counted as family.

"We'll be heading out tomorrow morning. Darius and Heinkel can go through the supplies and gather any we might need." Greed planned on keeping Ed here where he could be watched.

"Thought you wanted to stay?" Ed gave Greed a curious look. He wanted to know why Greed suddenly changed his plans.

"Changed my mind, that's what." Greed glared down at Ed. "You gonna bitch about leaving now?"

"Fine, whatever." He wouldn't argue with Greed. His curiosity wasn't worth it this time. "What're we gonna do?" Ed tossed the last piece of wood down. "It's not fair for them to have'ta do all the work."

"We got wood for the fire, and we'll catch dinner later," Greed paused then shrugged, "And you can wash our extra clothes."

If washing clothes by using alchemy wasn't so easy, Ed would've protested. He always got stuck with laundry duty. Having him to do it was a time saver. Anyone else would've had to take the dirty clothes to a creek or laundry house.

He hated the idea of being the 'laundry boy,' though. Ed shrugged. "Whatever. Won't take me long to clean them anyway."

"That's the spirit," Greed said with a half-hearted laugh. "Your enthusiasm is killing me. Wish I could bottle it up and sell it."

Ed balled his hands into fists until his knuckles turned white. He really hated it when Greed got smart with him. "But if you think I'm gonna stay put while they run their asses off, you don't know a damn thing about me."

"You know what I don't get about you, Ed?" Greed looked Ed over disapprovingly. "You're not satisfied until you make shit hard on yourself."

"What good'll it do me to stay here. This isn't about me makin' shit hard on myself." Ed heaved out an exasperated sigh. "Feels like I'm gonna crawl out my skin as it is."

Greed shook his head. "You really are a head case, aren't you?" There was no real bite in his words. "Fine, we can split the supply run between all four of us if you're that desperate to work."

That seemed too easy considering how their day started. Ed wished he could be less suspicious of Greed and his motivations. Today wasn't that day. He ran his fingers through his hair. Time to bargain. "What do you want in exchange for agreeing with me?"

"In exchange?" Greed laughed loudly as if Ed had just said the most ridiculous thing ever. "Not an alchemist, kid. You can save that shit for someone else." He reached over the fire and poked Ed in the chest. "The only thing I require from you is your subordination and loyalty when I need 'em."

They both stood up, and Ed dusted off his clothes. Ed didn't bother to point out that Greed still wanted something return. That's how the world worked no matter what people wanted to call their equivalent exchanges for services rendered. Greed might not want something from him right this second, but Ed knew at some point Greed would cash in or at least try to. Depending on what the exchange entailed would determine whether or not he would break his promise.

"Whatever. Don't get pissed at me later on if things change." Ed shrugged and kept walking.

Greed snorted doubtfully. "You shouldn't say shit you don't mean. You'll keep your word so long as it doesn't involve killing anyone."

"That so? Didn't realize my moral compass was so low that the only thing to stop me is the idea of killing someone," he half-joked.

"What moral compass." Greed's eyes lit up and he cackled. "You're mine now. Tough break an' all, but there're no morals out here in no-man's land."

"Get real," Ed snorted then laughed. "I don't belong to you or anyone else, dumbass."

His right hand reached out and shoved Greed. He wasn't even sure why he did it other than it had been an automatic reaction and was supposed to be a joke. Only he noticed after the fact how uneven and crumbly the ground looked.

Before he could stop it, Greed tumbled down a small ravine, landing with a hard smack against the ground. He peered over before bracing himself and slid down the hill after Greed. Ed's boots skidded against the grass, pulling up chunks of dirt and some rocks.

Greed really needed to take more cues from Ling if a simple push had taken him out. Even if he had been taken by complete surprise, his rebound sucked. Ed reached the bottom and stumbled, almost lost his footing before balancing out his body weight.

A loud sigh, followed by a spectacular display of rolling his eyes, Ed went over to inspect the lump on the ground. Greed was still, probably lying in wait for him to get closer and would jump up to surprise him. Ed walked over to the clearly faux-motionless body.

"Hey, Greed…" When he didn't get an answer, Ed poked Greed with his right foot. He couldn't believe Greed bit it so bad. "Damn you really went ass over cart," he said laughing.

His laughter died down. No answer. Weird. Maybe Greed was just fucking with him. Ed knew that fall wouldn't've killed Greed, but it could've been hard enough to knock him out. He poked Greed's side with his foot again. "Hey, now, don't fuck around like this. It's not funny."

Ed bent over and turned Greed around. Hands reached up and grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling Ed in close.

"You feel so cold!" The hug grew tighter. "And thin! Hasn't Greed been feeding you?!"

His eyes widened for a few seconds, and Ed recognized that voice right away. What a time for this to happen. "Ling, you're fuckin' choking me. Can't breathe." Ed wheezed and coughed while his body tried to squirm out of Ling's death grip. "Get off me."

"You're so mean," Ling dramatically flopped away from Ed as if the request had physically wounded him. "It's been weeks since you've seen me. Where's the love?"

"There is no love, dumbass. You could've suffocated me!" His yelling was only half-hearted, though. Ed was genuinely glad to see Ling. "Why do you gotta get clingy so fast."

"Would you rather I wake Greed up?" Ling stood up and brushed himself off, giving Ed a pointed look. "That should be easy enough to do..."

"No, fine... I missed you. You're the best pain in the ass a guy could have. Happy?" Ed put some space between them as soon as Ling got up. He didn't want to risk getting squished again.

"I smell food," Ling perked up at the thought of eating. "You have anymore rabbit meat?"

His hand immediately moved to cover his pocket. Ed scowled. Dammit, he had planned on saving the rest for later. "Anyone ever told you eavesdropping on other people's conversations is rude?"

"Nope, you're the first!" Ling gave Ed his best innocent smile, which did not look so innocent in Ed's opinion.

Ed growled but pulled out the cooked rabbit meat he had in his pocket. "Here, don't go sayin' I never did anything for you." He unwrapped it and handed it over to Ling. "You think Greed would've rubbed off on you enough to stop telling your shitty lies."

Ling only shrugged at Ed while he chomped on the food. Ed had questions. It had been a while since he had seen Ling. After that last time, right before Ed teamed up with Greed, there had been no sign of him anywhere. Greed seemed determined to keep Ling's ability to slip out on occasion in check.

After their conversation earlier, Ed knew Greed and Ling talked, and maybe even knew each other's thoughts. Quite frequently it seemed. Often enough that when Ling gained control, he already knew they had eaten and what they had eaten.

He waited until Ling slowed down a little. Ed crouched down and gave Ling another look-over. "How long you think you got 'till the Greedy bastard takes over?"

"Don't be so hard on him. He doesn't mean anything by it. Right now, this group is the closest thing he has to friends and family." Ling stuffed another piece of rabbit meat into his mouth. "Especially you, Ed. He's got a soft spot for you."

"Gimmie a break." Ed watched Ling devour the food he and Greed had cooked and sighed. "You should slow down with the food. Greed and I just ate, which means you ate too already."

Ling loudly swallowed his food. "I don't remember eating so it doesn't count." When he reached for the last piece, Ed pulled it away.

"You're like a damned kid. Don't know when to stop." Ed glared. Between Ling and Greed, there might be a wee smidge of lingering maturity, but he seriously doubted it. "You finally get free and all you wanna do is sit here and eat my damn food."

"What are you doing that's so important?" Ling folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. "Hmm? It seems to me that there's not much going on other than laying low and keeping off the military's radar."

As much as he hated to admit it, Ling had a point. Their main goal was to lay low and avoid being found by Father or any of the other homunculi. Even though Bradley had said Ed could continue his goal, after Briggs, he was pretty sure that agreement had ended. If Ed showed his face now, he risked being captured. The only way for all of them to stand a chance at defeating the homunculi was to bide their time and wait until spring.

"Yeah, so what... we do stuff. Supposed to head back so we can do a supply run." Ed wrinkled his nose at the thought of going back to camp to collect supplies and then pack up.

"We don't have to go back now, you know." Ling stood up and pulled his arms up over his head. "You can always blame it on me."

With that, Ling took off. Ed stared, stunned for a couple seconds before going after him. Who was he to complain about an offer to avoid going back and being around everyone? Once they were done exploring the woods, Ed would come back and collect his wood pile. Going back to camp could wait.

They moved further into the woods, past a small pond and a clearing. Ling stopped once they were in the thick of the trees. He plopped down on a fallen tree trunk and waited for Ed to join him.

"Why the hell did'ya take off?" Ed stopped to catch his breath. The lingering chill in the late morning air made each breath hurt a little.

"This is much better. Quieter and less chance anyone will interrupt us." Ling scooted over on the log to give Ed enough room to sit.

"All that to be alone?" Ed huffed as he flopped down next to Ling. "We were only going back to camp. We wouldn't've run into anyone."

Ling gave him another innocent smile before shrugging. "Have you decided how you're going to defeat the homunculi?" All joking around stopped as suddenly as it came. "Greed said no one seems to have a solid plan yet."

So that's why Ling brought him out here. To talk without interruption. Made sense, and he wouldn't mind a little time to talk with Ling alone. They could use it considering how long it had been since they had seen each other.

Ed looked down at the ground. Greed wasn't exactly wrong. As far as he knew, no one knew how this would all go down. They needed to meet up with either Al or Mustang. Ed had no idea when they should do that except it was too soon. The timing had to right. If they all met too soon, they risked Father discovering their plan.

"No, we don't. I have a feeling Mustang has something worked out, but it'll be a bit before we head to Central." Ed also wanted to see Al first then maybe some of their old friends.

Any information passed back and forth would be done that way. "Al might know something too. It's been awhile since I've seen everyone. You got any idea where Lan Fan and Fu are holed up?"

He figured if nothing else, Ling could probably sense their Chi. Ed had been on the fringe for so long that he didn't have much information to share.

"They're still in Amestris. I know they never left." Ling placed his chin back into the palms of his hands. "When the time is right, they'll find me."

"You mean when we go up against the Fuhrer and the other homunculi, don't you?" Ed already knew the answer to that. He hadn't expected Lan Fan and Fu to leave Ling behind and let their prince fight alone.

Ling's fighting skills had helped Greed survive a run-in with Wrath the second time. What would happen in a few months when they needed to head to Central and fight Father? By then maybe Greed and Ling would be working together better instead of one trying to suppress the other, but Ed wouldn't count on that unknown factor. The homunculi had surprised him before with how easy it seemed for them to take over and push humans out. Even with skilled alchemists on their side, they were going to have a near impossible fight on their hands.

"Yes. Right now, it's for the best that we stay separated. I'm not sure either of them will understand my decision to accept Greed in me." Ling smiled again and this time Ed thought it looked a little forced. "They will be pleased, though, that I've managed to find the solution to getting a stone."

"Ling... you didn't have a choice. Maybe you think you did, but either way, Father would've put Greed in you." As far as Ed was concerned, Ling needed to stop saying and believing that.

It basically amounted to underestimating Father. Ed had seen what Father could do. So had Ling. They would never win if they underestimated any of their opponents. All of them, for a very long time, had been used, had their strings pulled from an unseen enemy. Then Ed got an up close and personal view of that enemy, and it had given him chills.

Ling's chest rose and then he sighed dramatically. "You shouldn't focus on everything that's gone wrong. There's been some good that's come out of this mess."

Ed frowned. Sure, they had information and help organizing an opposition to the Promised Day, but he found it hard to see little else that was good. "Like what?" Being out in the middle of nowhere, in the cold didn't count.

"We have a homunculus on our side, and we're not the only ones who know what's ahead." Ling adjusted himself on the fallen tree so that he could tuck both legs underneath his body. "I'm not worried about the people in this country pulling together to help."

Ed only partly agreed. there were people who would help, but most of the country had no idea what was going on, and he wasn't convinced that their small army of dissidents would be enough. "We'll see. It's either gonna work or fail. Don't think there'll be in in-between on this one..."

He didn't have any faith in the general population catching on to the fact that there was a four-hundred-year-old homunculus trying to kill them all without mass panic ensuing. Ed had seen too many things in his short life to convince him otherwise. The only way people would get through this without the panic and fuckups was if they had a strong lead, which would probably end up being the bastard Colonel.

If anyone could pull the people of Amestris together and lead them, it was Roy Mustang. Ed grunted. "I think Mustang has something up his sleeve. Usually does and is damn good at this shit. Won't know for sure until we meet up with everyone else. I was thinking we could start in Liore and move from there."

"Why there?" Ling frowned and a look of uncertainty spread across his face. "Wouldn't Central City be a better place to start?"

"I don't think so. Father and the other homunculi are there. It'd be better to go places where they're less likely to be, but where I have known contacts," Ed explained. "Mustang knows I'm close with a few people in Liore. And there are other places if that doesn't pan out. If he's going to leave me information, it'll be away from Central and in a place he knows there are people he can trust to pass the message along to me.

"The people in Liore can be trusted. He knows that." Ed paused and then looked down at his hands. "We could also try Yuleswell and Resembool, but the military is probably watching my home town in case I return. Going back there'll be tricky."

"Resembool should be easy enough to avoid, shouldn't it?" Ling mused. "If you think they'll look for you there, then it should be off the list."

"Yeah, I know that's what makes the most sense, but my automail is going to need some maintenance so I'm gonna have'ta go there eventually despite the risks involved." Aside from growing, being on the run caused a lot of wear and tear on it even though Ed was extra careful to oil it regularly. "Dunno if Winry'll come back home, but Granny Pinako'll be there. She can do it if there's no other choice."

Ed didn't know how much time he had to wait around before his body hit another growth spurt. It would only take a few more inches added to his height before walking would be damn near impossible, let alone running or fighting.

Ling mulled over the information. "I know you said going back was a mistake, but you're going to need to, you should know of ways to sneak in. You grew up there, after all."

"That's true. I can think of a few ways to get back home without being noticed... maybe." Ed knitted his brows and looked down at the ground. "Still, it'd be better not to go there until I absolutely have to."

"It makes sense to lay low no matter where you're going. I think you should start heading back now. The winter may slow you down." Ling paused and then shook his head. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow. "Although, the cold doesn't suit you, Ed. You might have to stay put somewhere for awhile."

Ed's eyes narrowed. "Yeah sure..." Ling didn't look so well. "You okay? You look a little out of it."

Ling lurched forward and gasped. "Dammit, he's waking up." Ling put his hand on his head and closed his eyes. "Not that it matters. It seems like you guys aren't going to do much anytime soon."

Ed couldn't argue with that, though he wished Ling would stick around longer. He scowled. The constant fight for dominance between Greed and Ling wasted time. Why couldn't they cooperate and work together as a team.

Ling would probably agree with an idea like that, but Greed... definitely wasn't there yet. Greed wanted to be in charge and hated losing control. Whenever Ling broke free it never lasted too long.

The transformation wasn't new to Ed. He had seen it a few times before. Ling opened his mouth to say something only to close it again, and then his body vibrated a little. Now the only thing left to do was wait until they finished.

"Where the fuck are we?" Greed held his head in his hands and groaned.

Greed curled his body inward as if he had a splitting headache. Ed wondered if the fall had done that, though, Greed should've healed if there had been a physical injury.

"Out in the middle of nowhere. Ling wanted to come here." Ed stood up and started heading back the way he came. "We should go back. We've been gone awhile."

They had to be heading into early afternoon by now. Touching base with Darius and Heinkel was a good idea if Greed wanted to pack up and leave by tomorrow morning and still do a supply run.

When Greed didn't budge, Ed stocked over, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled. "C'mon, what's with you? You're not mad 'cause I accidentally knocked you down that hill are you? It's not like it could've killed you."

Greed looked at Ed, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?" He held his head in the palm of his hand. "This got nothin' to do with you. Something's... not right."

Ed went to walk way only to have a clawed carbon hand reach out and grab his right wrist. It loudly scraped against his automail, causing him to wince. "Greed, let go or else you're gonna mess up my arm."

Then Ed noticed. Something wasn't right. Greed's pupils were blown and the way he had been holding his head... "Greed, let go, okay?" His voice came out softer, almost gentle. He tugged his arm and this time Greed let go. "We can wait if you don't wanna go back yet."

It was as if Greed wasn't really there, listening to word he said. He honestly had no idea what to do so he stood still and waited. Then Greed tugged harder until Ed was almost sitting in his lap. The awkwardness of the situation hit Ed hard.

He tried to scramble backwards only to have Greed hold on tighter. This trip wasn't fun anymore. He needed to get out of these woods and into some fresh, open air.

"Greed... we need to get back. It's getting late, and Darius and Heinkel are probably wondering where the fuck we're at." Ed managed to pull his arm away now that Greed's grip had loosened. The closeness was too much. Friends didn't crawl into friends laps unless there was something else going on.

Greed's hands fell to his sides, and he let Ed stand up. "Give me a minute," he said, pushing Ed away.

Ed stumbled back but didn't argue. If Greed needed an extra few minutes to get his bearings then fine. It wasn't as if he had the right to complain—it wasn't his body that had to shift back and forth between owners.

"Okay, if you need a minute then take it." Ed grunted, pacing back and forth with his hands stuffed into his coat pockets, all the way around the fallen branch Greed sat on. He didn't know why he felt so anxious, but Greed's mood wasn't helping, and he needed to keep moving before he caved into the need to freak out.

"Stop moving around so damn much," Greed chided while rubbing his temple. "You're making my damn head spin."

"I can't stand still, Greed." Ed did stop, though. "I don't mind waiting 'till you get a handle on it but gotta keep moving cause if I don't, I'm gonna run out of steam."

Greed only glared at him but said nothing more on the matter. Ed decided to take his pacing elsewhere, several feet away, hoping that maybe if he was out of Greed's direct line of sight, it wouldn't bother the other. He hadn't been lying about the running out of steam part. If Ed slowed down and didn't keep busy, he wasn't sure he'd make it back to their camp without lying on the forest ground for a few hours first.

Ed stopped long enough to look over at Greed, who was still sitting on the log like a useless lump. Coming all the way out here had probably been a bad idea, though Ling was responsible for that. Ed could've stayed behind but had followed so he could talk to his friend and also to keep an eye on Greed. It had made sense at the time, but now he wished they had stayed closer to the camp. Then he would've simply walked back, told Darius and Heinkel one or both of them needed to come and get their boss.

It looked like it was up to him to get Greed going. Ed tried his best not to stomp on over. His frustration was fairly apparently in the way he walked, but he managed to keep his automail foot from leaving marks in the ground so he'd take that as a win.

"Alright, c'mon, up you go. You've rested long enough," he said, tugging Greed's arm. "Once we get back to camp if you wanna chill that's fine by me, but it's cold and miserable out here and not gonna leave you behind."

Greed pushed Ed hard enough to make him stumble back. "Piss off. I'm not ready."

The heals of his feet dug into the ground. Ed wasn't going to back off. Not this time. They were out of time to dick around. Greed was gonna have to pull himself together.

"If you want us to head to town, we need to get moving unless you're gonna do most of it on your own tonight." Ed planned on going to bed early.

There was a moment's pause, and for a second, Ed thought Greed might jump him. His body tensed, his heals dug back into the ground, and he waited. When nothing happened, Ed visibly relaxed, earning a curious look from Greed.

"Fine, but we're walking back." Greed finally said as he stood up, brushed past Ed, and started I the direction of their camp.

"Fine," Ed said back as he hunched his shoulders. It wasn't, though. Not if they were going to plod the entire way back.

Greed seemed plenty intent on taking his time. Ed could feel the no-so-subtle creeping anxiety coming back full-swing. He had to slow down in order to keep Greed within his sight. Ed wasn't even sure why he was doing it other than if something went wrong, he'd feel responsible for not being there to help.

His patience was running thin, though, and he knew he'd only be able to keep this up a little while longer. He tried a well-placed glare and even huffed a few times, but Greed ignored him, not even bothering to glance his way.

"How come we're not going faster? Getting supplies could take longer than expected so we should give ourselves extra time." Ed slowed down and waited for Greed to catch up to him. "Feels like I'm gonna start moving backwards if I slow down anymore."

Greed pushed some branches out of the way and walked past Ed. "It conserves energy. No point in running unless we have to."

Ed hadn't been aware that they needed to 'conserve energy' when they didn't do anything all that strenuous to begin with. "Whatever. If you wanna waste to whole morning for a walk in the woods then who the fuck am I to stop ya?"

He stomped through the forest. Maybe when they got back to camp, they should revise who paired off with whom. Ed could use the quiet company of either Darius or Heinkel. He was certain Greed probably felt the same.

Today had covered all his miserable little idiosyncrasies that always lurked around his brain, waiting for him to slip up and say something out of place at the wrong time. All he needed to trigger that reaction from himself was a bad start to his morning. Then, one often led to another and then another until he had had enough of the miserable day and went to bed.

The overwhelming and suffocating feeling in his chest made it hard for him to breathe. Usually when he felt this shitty, it stuck around for a few days, sometimes longer. Being out here, away from Al and Winry and the people closest to him took away his need for his usual façade of pretending like everything was okay.

Here, pretenses weren't needed. Ed gave Greed that much. The bastard knew how to keep it simple and didn't judge. It didn't matter that they spent all morning, bitching at each other. The next conversation always started out fresh.

Ed could hear the trees moving behind him. Good. Greed wasn't that far back after all. Soon, Ed saw the piles of wood they had left before and slowed down. Camp was just over that ridge then.

"See that wasn't so bad," he said as Greed came through the trees. "Now we can head back with the wood and get on with it."

"Yeah, 'm sure others missed your shit-ass attitude." Greed gave Ed a dirty look as he went over to his pile of wood. "You're all peaches an' cream and sunshine an' rainbows. Can't get enough of it."

Sarcasm had become easy for him to ignore but that stung a little. Ed gave Greed the stink-eye and gathered his own pile of wood. Once he had a sufficient enough of a bundle to carry, he headed back to camp. Maybe later, after they did their supply run, he'd come back and get the rest. They'd probably need more wood by tonight, and it'd give him an excuse to be alone.

If Greed decided to leave him alone. Ed grunted and scowled. "The fuck did I do wrong to have a two-hundred-year-old homunculus up my ass," he muttered.

Greed bumped into Ed, knocking the wood out of his hands. A new form of retribution for his constant complaining? Apparently his muttering had been louder than he realized.

"Watch where you're going," Greed said crabbily. "Don't got all damn day so you better pick that shit up and not slow me down."

The term 'go fuck yourself' never applied as much as it did right now. Ed seethed, whirled around, and put his automail fist into the tree behind him. It took a few tries to pull it back out, but he managed it somehow.

Bending down and gathering the wood again took a little time. Ed was in no hurry to get back to camp now. He could probably use another hour to fully cool down, but he'd take a few extra minutes to calm himself before facing the others lest he risk putting his fist through Greed's face the next time he saw the bastard.