Eric here. Haven't posted anything in a long while. This has been kicking around on my computer, so I figured I may as well post it. One-shot.

Even though I love the movie, this story completely discounts it. Edward has been gone for nearly four years, he was never present at the Beer Hall Putsch and he meets more doppelgangers than the movie let on. Edward never comes in contact with Thule, he simply makes a last ditch attempt to get home and it somehow works. I'm contemplating writing a fiction about it, but right now I'm helping Julie with her fictions, so it may be a while.

Can be seen as either friendship, romance or maybe parental. It's generic enough, your choice.

FMA not mine.

Gems and Stones of Then and Now

Brigadier General Roy Mustang did not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night by the shrill ring of his phone. His comrades knew this, he had made them well aware of it by chewing out Breda for a pointless call about a baseball game they had money on and now the office took extra precautions to ensure business was taken care of at work. So the mere fact that someone was brave enough to even think about waking him at this ungodly hour (Lord help the person calling if he deemed this unworthy of his attention) made him consider snaking his hand out from his blankets to retrieve the phone's receiver.

"Speak."

The sound of rustling made the grouchy man wince, peaking his eye open to see the clock turn to a quarter past three. That alone almost made him consider hanging up. Whatever it was, it couldn't be that important. For goodness sake, Hawkeye, the list of expenses could wait until the morning!

"Brigadier General Mustang? Colonel Havoc speaking, Sir!"

"What do you want?"

More rustling and Roy realized that Havoc wasn't the only one in the office at the time. It sounded as though the whole old gang was there, rustling papers and shouting in the background. He briefly heard Hawkeye tell off Feury and concluded that Havoc was moving as he talked. Had someone declared war and forgotten to alert him?

"We're going to need you to come down to HQ, Sir. No way around it, I'm afraid."

Roy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He didn't really like the idea of leaving his apartment at this hour, even if it did sound like there was a major crisis at headquarters. Couldn't he just give them a few orders to hold them off until morning? He was about to speak when Havoc continued in a voice not akin to nervousness, but more disbelief.

"He's here, Sir."

"Who?"

"Fullmetal."

That got Roy's attention. Sitting bolt right up, he stared at the blank wall across his room, phone still pressed to his ear. His stomach plummeted and the blood drained from his face.

Edward was back. From the other world. After four-and-a-third years, Edward was back.

At some point in the half hour he sat there in disbelief, the line went dead.

***

Roy missed Alphonse Elric for the first week that Edward had returned. His subordinate didn't show up for his report, but he couldn't blame the young alchemist. He'd gotten a copy of Edward's medical record as part of the paperwork to be submitted as evidence in the court marshal.

He sat with record in his hand, reviewing it yet again, even though he'd gone through it more times than he could count. At least it was late and he had the office to himself.

The boy- No, he's a young man now, he's damn near twenty one- had been sent to East City General's Intensive Care Ward after being found in the street. Edward was naked and unconscious with only his automail and dental records to identify him as the People's Alchemist. He was missing a kidney, a portion of his liver, some lung tissue and bone marrow, and his muscles had shrunk as if he'd been starved, though no scars or bruises explained the damage. He'd dropped fifty pounds.

He'd nearly died.

The snapshot attached to the file made Roy's stomach clench sickeningly. Edward's face was sunken in from a lack of nutrition, his unshaven jaw and cheekbones jutting out in an unnatural way. His skin was pale and waxy, dark circles under his eyes adding to his cadaver-like appearance. Roy could clearly see the veins in his neck and the tendons stood out grotesquely. Despite being washed of the grime and grease, his hair was still dull and stiff as straw, not the shining blonde it had once been. And his eyes, his once golden sparkling eyes, reduced to unfeeling stone…

The Gate had asked for a hefty price.

Roy sniffed at the record, enjoying the burn in his throat as he swigged back the last of the whiskey he'd been nursing.

***

"In the case of the State's Military against Major Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, we find the defendant not guilty of Treason and Abandonment. He is cleared of all charges."

***

Roy hung back as his comrades filtered out of the office, the leftovers of an impromptu celebration of the day's success in court strewn about. He leaned against the wooden desk, watching as Edward- Can he still be called Fullmetal? He'd presented his letter of resignation as soon as he stepped out of the courthouse- shook Breda's hand and bid him goodnight, closing the door as the older man walked out. The quiet of the room engulfed the two of them and Roy suddenly wished he hadn't staid, but all be damned, it was his office!

Edward turns around and scans the mess left behind, unaware that while Roy was still in the room, he was being observed. A few real meals had done him some good and he'd gained enough weight to appear alive, if only a bit skinny. His hair didn't hang lank anymore, and his cheeks had a bit more color in them. He'd dressed for the importance of the day, donning a pair of pressed military pants and boots, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar and sleeves rolled up from the heat, his military standard jacket thrown on the back of the couch. Roy noticed how he was showing his age at last, having the evidence of a five o clock shadow and a few more inches.

But his eyes, they were still unfeeling stone…

"Sorry about the mess."

Roy blinked, realizing that Edward was bending to pick up some of the paper cups from the floor and tossing them in the wastepaper bin that would be far too small to handle the whole mess. The older man frowned. Since when did Edward clean up? Since when did Edward apologize? Roy pushed off the desk and walked over, grabbing hold of the bin and attempting to pull it from Edward's grasp. The blonde looked up at him curiously. With those damned stone eyes!

"You should go see your brother, Fullmetal."

That name doesn't sound right on his tongue anymore. There had been a time when it sounded to harsh; now it just sounded childish.

"He's fine, he's probably already asleep."

Roy doesn't really like sending him away, but it has been a long day and he still feels he needs to put what's in Edward's best interest first. He pulls the wastepaper bin from a numb automail hand and puts it down on the floor, ebony eyes still locked with stone.

"Edward…"

"So you do know my name."

The joke stings a little as Roy knits his brow. Not only because Edward is pretending everything is alright, that fake grin that fools no one firmly set on his features, but because Roy has always known his name. Roy swallows hard when he sees the tension in the blonde's shoulders, the clenched fists. Minutes pass and he can almost see the crack in the stone. It's spreading, slow and steady, so close to breaking entirely…

"Dammit, Edward… What the hell happened all this time?"

There it is. The crack spreads and the stone crumbles. Edward's lip quivers and the tears pool in his eyes, spilling over his cheeks. Roy watches the younger man take a few steps closer to him, face down, his bangs covering his eyes. Edward stops a foot from him and Roy opens his arms slightly, expecting him to tuck himself close to his chest and cry. But his actions are more than unexpected.

Edward's clenched fist meets Roy's jaw with a sickening smack and Roy is knocked backwards, stumbling as he stared up at the blonde in shock. His hand flies to his jaw when he can feel the bruise begin to form, thankful as he realizes that Edward hadn't used his right arm or he'd be visiting the ER tonight. Edward's expression stops the furious words on Roy's tongue and the boy nearly shouts.

"You weren't there! I waited for damn near four years and you weren't there!"

The General stares with confusion at the younger man, not understanding how he could possibly be in two places at once. The reply Edward gives him means little more to him, but his desperately despairing cries wrench at Roy's insides.

"I saw Hughes and Al and Hoenheim and Nina and Mom but you were never there! Not once did I see you! I waited for you every day and you never showed up!"

Roy can barely brace himself as Edward cross the distance between them, hands smacking at his chest, arms, shoulders… Anything within his reach becomes a target and Roy blocks his face with his arms. The tears roll down the blonde's cheeks and his voice is shaking as he screams over and over that Roy wasn't there. After a few minutes of this, Roy has had enough and grabs an automail wrist, swinging its owner around and pinning his arms across his chest. Edward's back was pressed to Roy's front, wiggling as Roy leans in to snarl.

"That's enough, get a grip! How can I possibly be there with you, have you lost your mind?"

Edward fights Roy's hold, twisting this way and that, trying to get free but not once trying to transmute. Bitter sobs leave his throat and before long he is tired and simply gives up, legs going limp and Roy has to support him as they move to sit on the ground. Edward's shoulders quake and Roy feels the automail under the cloth on his cheek where it is pressed to the shoulder blade, cold and hard.

Roy Mustang has never been good with emotional scenes. He'd rather have a root canal. So it is only natural that he take the best action he knows of and releases Edward's arms, wrapping his own around the smaller man and simply holding him.

Edward doesn't use his newly restored freedom to do harm or fight the embrace, but rather curls into it, still sobbing like a child. Long minutes like this drag on before sobs die to whimpers and whimpers to sniffles. Roy is rubbing circles into the younger's back when a whisper stills his hand.

"You promised. You promised when I became a state alchemist that you'd follow and watch over me."

Roy's eyes widen and he stares past the sweaty hair at the flushed, tear-streaked face. The once stone eyes have returned to churning, molten gold and he smiles as he tucks the smaller man's head under his chin.

"I'm here now."

Not my usual style. Again, can be romance, friendship or parental. As always, your servent.