Wow, I honestly didn't think I'd get such a response so quickly. Especially from people other than my beloved sisters who are FMA lunatics. Love you both! Thank you to everyone who put the story on alerts and whatnot, and especially those of you who reviewed. I changed the summary, let me know if it sounds good everyone! I really am not sure how long this is going to end up being, so I guess we'll have to see together.

QuitexSoul: Yeah, I changed the summary, because I knew it was not that great. And thank you for your kind review. It seems you did not catch the ONE type in the whole chapter, it's bugging me to death by the way. Don't go looking for it! hehehe.

Bar-Ohki: Poor Havoc indeed.

Paon: Thank you, and it will be, as a matter of fact. They are one of only two guy couples who I support.

Now then, on to the second chapter. I realize things may feel as if they are going slowly right now, but I'm currently working on chapter four and it has picked up considerably. So please stick with me! Though it sounds like everyone likes the story anyway! I'm so happy.

Chapter Two

Berlin

The black hands of the clock on the wall read 2:17, earning a groan from the blond haired occupant of the crimson sheeted bed. Edward rolled over putting his back to the clock. Snaking one arm underneath his pillow he tried to will himself back to sleep. Yet all he managed to achieve was a sense of frustration and a fully awake mind. He heaved a heavy sigh and reluctantly pushed the covers off of his body.

Edward got out of bed, grabbed his black cotton robe from his desk and pulled it around himself. He couldn't go wandering around the unheated apartment in only his striped boxers. He'd catch a cold, and that wouldn't make him happy in the least. He pulled on his three sizes too big slippers next and walked out of his bedroom, his slippers flopping at his soles. He entered the kitchen and flipped on the light switch before making his way to the refrigerator. Yanking the door open he bent down to peer inside.

Vegetables… no.

Bagels, not a bad choice. Cream cheese? No.

Bread… how exciting.

Butter… for the exciting bread. No.

Bacon… he didn't feel like cooking.

Milk… milk?! Why the hell did Al have to buy an entire gallon of milk? For the love of-

Oranges.

Edward reached in and grabbed one. He could handle an orange. He kicked the door of the refrigerator shut and grabbed a paring knife so he could peel the thick rind from the fruit. As he peeled, creating a neat perfect curl that would impress any chef, Edward walked towards the glass door that led out to the patio. He paused his peeling long enough to open it, step outside, and close it again.

"I'm a mess." Edward whispered as he walked to the railing, leaning down on it with his elbows. He kept peeling as he looked out over the sleeping city. Honestly it hadn't been this bad at first. He'd been able to cope better than this. Then he met someone here, and he was once again back to his confused insanity within sanity. Now it was like before, limbo.

He'd seen the Roy Mustang of this side of the Gate.

He'd told no one about this, even Alphonse. That brief sighting had turned him upside down again. And, for the life of him, Edward couldn't understand why. Roy… near the end of it all he had been able to come to terms with the man, but wasn't he also supposed to feel irritated even a little at the mention of his name? Yet all Edward had found himself capable of that day had been silence. He hadn't even dared approach the man for fear of what he might say or do. Things which he hadn't even been sure of at the time. What would he have said? What would he have done? He wasn't sure even now. Yet the one thing he was sure of regarding his former Colonel, was that the mention of his name, or the vision of his face in his dreams no longer made him feel irritated.

The orange had finished peeling, and Edward let the neatly curled and perfectly intact peel drop to the ground below. He knew a bird would find it come morning. He set the paring knife aside on the railing and removed a section of fruit from the orange and popped it into his mouth. The sweet tangy juice filled his mouth, and it provided him a distraction from his melancholy.

Once the orange was gone however his distraction vanished completely. Edward picked up the paring knife and twirled it absently between his fingers as he stared out towards the horizon. He had been out here several hours he knew, slowly eating his early morning snack. This was not the first time dawn found him hours awake already and standing at the railing. His dreams often woke him up, whether they be pleasant or nightmarish, he would awaken and not be able to return to sleep.

"I miss him." Edward said quietly, not even realizing he'd said it until,

"Miss who?"

Edward nearly jumped off the railing he'd been surprised so badly. "Al!" He accused as he whipped around to face his brother who was clad in his light blue pajamas.

"Sorry." Al said with a grin and attempted to shove his disheveled dark blonde hair out of his eyes. "Who do you miss?"

Edward thought fast. Who had he said that about? An image of a smug smile and neatly combed black hair popped into his mind's eye and he hurriedly shoved it away with a near squeak before it could fully come to life in his mind. What the hell had that been about? "Um, Hughes." Edward quickly supplied. Maes had had black hair… and he had seemed to wear a smug look when talking about his beloved daughter. Hadn't he?

"Oh." Al said and a sad look passed over his features. "Yeah, I miss him too still. He was a good guy."

"World's best dad." Edward agreed, "insane, but at least he was insane over the right things. Sure makes our dad look like a loser. Which he is."

Al frowned at his brother. "Don't say such bitter things brother. They'll come back to haunt you one day."

Edward laughed. "If that's the case maybe I should start saying bitter things about that Colonel."

Al had to wonder if Edward had even realized he'd just said that, or that he was still in his brother's company. Finally Al shrugged and turned around to go back inside. "I'm starting breakfast if you're still hungry."

Amestris

It was a bleak day at military headquarters, thick gray clouds roved the sky and rumblings of thunder could be heard if you listened carefully enough. An unforgiving wind whipped about the city, and the flags near the front iron gate of military headquarters were fanned out nearly straight as paper. Everyone who could avoid being outside today seemed to be avoiding it. For some, however, being outside today was inevitable.

"Nice day for the state exam, don't you think?" Another General asked Roy conversationally.

Roy spared him a sideways glance, "not really." He replied darkly. He pretended to ignore the reproachful look that Riza shot him from where she stood four yards to his right chatting with several other officers. How that woman managed to overhear him whenever he was being less than amiable he'd never know. At least she hadn't started shooting at him yet with her beloved gun. Really, he found it fortunate Hawkeye had never been the type to learn alchemy. He was fairly sure that Riza Hawkeye plus alchemy did not come out to equal anything that boded well for the survival of human kind.

Roy had not enjoyed a single one of these exams, ever. Sparing one. And that one had been the one he himself had gone and "recruited" the alchemist for. He'd needed Edward Elric and the boy's talents to help push himself up the military ranks. Certainly, it had started out for his own personal gain. But had it not developed into something more?

Roy lifted his hand, the hand he'd offered to Ed all those years ago. Staring down at it, concealed in its white glove he frowned in thought. Damn his life was complicated. All because of the Elric brothers, and especially the fiery hothead eldest brother.

"Hey."

Riza turned and smiled a welcome at Fuery and Havoc who had apparently braved the weather to come down. It appeared the others did not share their bravery. "Hi."

Fuery peered past her to where Mustang was still standing looking at his glove. "Looks like boss is getting ready to start making a mess of things. Think we should retreat back inside and barricade ourselves in?"

Riza and Havoc looked over as well. "If he tries to, I'll shoot him." Riza said with all the seriousness in the world.

Havoc and Fuery paled noticeably. "It's like the last time." Havoc mused aloud.

"What?" Hawkeye asked in confusion.

"The last time," Havoc repeated, "when Breda and I went to visit him in that god forsaken outpost he chose to exile himself to he was like this. A bit depressed and withdrawn. He only returned to himself when he knew that Edward might be back. Now that Ed's gone… well…"

He didn't need to finish, and Roy Mustang's three loyal subordinates looked over at him with a variety of mixed emotions on their faces. As did those Hawkeye had been talking to earlier, and had listened in on the conversation.

Roy, feeling the sudden eyes on him lifted his head sharply and stared right back at them, his eyes narrowing. Quickly he raised one gloved hand, his fingers making as if they were about to snap.

Fuery, Havoc, and the other military personnel who had been watching him all of a sudden all let out a variety of epithets or yells and scattered like leaves on the wild wind around them. The only one who didn't scatter, was Riza.

There was a reason Mustang had promptly side-stepped to the other side of the other General present as soon as he had thoroughly cowed the rest of the spectators. From this vantage point, the only one brave enough to stand her ground couldn't see him.

Hawkeye glowered, her fingers itching to pull the trigger and shoot a hole through Mustang's neatly tidied hair. He was in need of a haircut anyway.

Roy Mustang himself smirked with his success, and tried to bite down a chuckle as he imagined Riza's annoyance. He'd pay for it later with paperwork, but it had been worth it to stop the sudden staring at him.

"Here comes this year's crop." The General beside Roy announced.

Mustang decided it was time to pay reluctant attention. At least it might prove amusing what the contestants would do considering the less than desirable weather. But as a State Alchemist you had to be able to work in any conditions you were given. It was part of the territory. He pointedly ignored the yearly introduction telling the hopefuls what they had to do, what they could use, etc., etc. It was the same every year. Only when the first participant walked forward did he drag his attention span back to full.

The first was nothing impressive, nor the second.

By the time of the third hopeful the sky had opened up into a torrential downpour. The barrage of rain did nothing to help Roy's mood, and he sourly tugged his white gloves off and stuffed them into his jacket pockets. He'd not be able to use them now, that was for sure. Roy stared through the sheets of rain as the woman who was up next for the exam attempted to make the best of the less than best conditions she was facing. "Rain harder." Roy muttered under his breath, unheard by all, including Riza who had managed to sneak a few steps nearer to Roy.

As far as Roy was concerned, any exam day now deserved to be saddened by the gloom of a storm. Edward was not here.

Sure, he had a glimmer of hope. But he still tried to keep his hopes in check. If it didn't work, if the alchemists at that laboratory were incorrect, he'd be setting himself up for a major fall. Yet it was plain to him that he wanted Edward to come back home, no matter what price was asked for it.

A flash of light brought him from his thoughts and once more back to the exam that was still in progress.

Soon. He must keep telling himself that. Soon, he would be able to visit the laboratory. Soon he would know definitively.