Author's Notes: Yes. Another re-vamped chapter. I honestly have become a fucking grammar-nazi, and I really needed to do this. And while it is currently almost four o'clock in the morning, I'm sure everyone will thank me later that I finally accomplished some good-old fashioned editing. THIS is why I don't need a beta.

Warnings: Language. Eventual!Elricest. Ponytail!Ed and Al. Gore. Violence, Childhood Memory Loss, Abusive Parental Issues.

Another Note: Sorry about typing so much it's just... I want to get something out of the way here; I know in classic Vampire tradition, vampires cannot enter a house unless invited by a person living there. But think about it; obviously the reader knows Ed is Alphonse's brother, meaning he had been invited inside the house back when he was a boy. Hell, he LIVED there. It's pretty easy once you think about it. That's all.

The bag was nearly full. But then again, there wasn't any way Al could be sure about how much he would need to take with him. He had pretty much all of his clothes stuffed into his backpack. But... how long would he be gone? He couldn't help but think how indecisive the vampire was being when he had told him that they would be gone for quite a while. What kind of answer had that been?

All the while, Edward stood in the doorway of the small bedroom, keeping a sharp gold eye on the boy. Now and then he would point out how Al wouldn't need a certain item, and it would be best for him to leave said item behind. Though mostly, he just stayed silent, observing the movements of the younger male, and how he seemed intensively concentrated on his work. He took a moment to remind himself that the kid in front of him wasn't immortal. He had to keep refreshing his memory and thinking to himself, Damn, this boy must have some kind of weird life. The way his mom's room looked; all the powder and syringes... it must be so horrible. He probably has never felt real love or what it's like to have a real family...

"Hey, Al," Ed voiced quietly, looking nonchalantly at his fingertips. When Alphonse didn't say anything, he went ahead with the question. "So... do you have a girlfriend or some kind of fuck buddy? You got a friend with benefits or anything like that?" The way the words came out you would think that he spoke like that every day.

Al's face turned a bright red and he clutched tightly to the shirt in his hands. What was he supposed to say? What did vampires think about two guys kissing? I mean, it wasn't like he and Isaac were really dating, but Isaac had asked, hadn't he? Was he supposed to say, 'Yeah, you know. I have one of those really beautiful, sexy girlfriends with huge breasts and dark eyes and blonde hair. She's a real wild woman in bed, too.' He had to bite back a laugh at that. It was an absurd thought; what girl in her right mind would go out with him? All the girls that fit his description were taken... of course by football players and good looking drama geeks who could think up some clever words of poetry to win their hearts. Gosh, he wished he could be irresistible like that.

Edward furrowed his brows, and cocked his head to the left. "Are you just going to stand there like a post or are you going to answer my question?" he asked, placing his slender hands on his even more thin hips. He wasn't a naturally impatient person when it came to conversations, but the way Al had frozen made him feel uncomfortable. "There isn't a problem with my question, is there?"

Of course there is, you idiot! Alphonse thought, and he could feel a hard gold gaze going right through his back. "N-no, I actually have a... a friend, you see. He's a real nice guy, but he sort of surprised me by kissing me tonight... earlier. And I don't know if I like him or not, because technically I'm not gay or bi or anything like that... so I'm not sure how to handle the entire situation. Which is why I'm so apprehensive about leaving. He'll think I ran away from him, and I don't want to compromise our friendship for a real relationship." He took a long breath and set the shirt he had been holding into the backpack. He hadn't really intended to spill his guts like that, but honesty was the best policy. Did it really matter? After all this was over, he never planned on seeing this man again.

Man? He asked himself, skeptically. Just how old was Ed? He didn't dare ask... Al figured that if he was meant to know, the vampire would tell him in due time. Eventually, Edward stood straight, coughing slightly and then looked awkwardly at the shorter boy. "So... you like it up the ass then, eh? I should've known... a sissy boy like you with a fucked up mom couldn't possibly be normal." Again, there was no hesitation in Ed's voice, once more making it seem as though it was natural for him to voice such disdainful opinions.

"That's not true!" Al shouted, stamping his foot, reverting back to his childhood. "I'm NOT a sissy boy or any of that crap! I just so happen to like my hair long, and I already told you; I'm NOT gay! Isaac is my best friend... I don't want to ruin that..." his words trailed off into the silence of the night, leaving the dull hum of cars passing outside on the street. They were left in an uneasy quiet stillness that made Al wish he could think up a better argument.

"You know... you're a lot like me," Edward finally replied, a quizzical tone lacing the sentence. "Obstinate, refusing to be labeled, and strong willed. Plus the ponytail thing." He twisted a finger into his golden locks, tied back tight with an elastic hair band. "If I didn't know better, I'd think we..." Ed stopped there, shaking his head unbelievingly and grabbing a stick of deodorant off of the small oak nightstand closest to the door. Tossing it to the other boy, he grinned. "Even if you do like guys, it doesn't matter much to me. After I'm through with you there won't be much for you to worry about. We'll find a way to hide the thing with your mom's death."

Alphonse caught the minty thing of 'pit-stick', and set that in the backpack as well. He didn't have much to say after that, just deciding to keep his mouth shut and follow the elder's lead. After all, there wasn't anything else he could do.

Ed slipped silently out of the teenager's bedroom, and down the hall, taking a quick glance back to make sure Al was following him. He was, indeed, and frigidly so, for fear of maybe seeing his mother in her current state. "Don't lag behind, I don't particularly trust you to stay with me. I know how most kids are these days. Backstabbing little fuck-ups." The only sound after that was of their footfalls on the sea foam carpet. Until: "I suggest you don't look in the room with the powder. It might be detrimental to your health to see something that... grotesque."

The bronze eyed other nodded, though he knew the vampire in front of him couldn't see. Still, he wasn't too sure if he could keep himself from taking even the slightest glance. Somewhere inside of himself he thought he sort of wanted to see what a completely drained woman would look like. Regardless of if it was his mother or not. Vaguely, he wondered if anyone else had that kind of morbid fascination.

The vampire passed Al's mother's bedroom first, without even a look and continued on down the hall. Alphonse, however, clenched his eyes shut and when he felt like he had passed the room he opened his eyes. Too soon, though, because he caught the worst sight his eyes had ever beheld. He had only been a few seconds off, but that had been enough. All of a sudden he felt the hamburger he had eaten hours ago with Isaac come back up into his throat. That was the least of his problems; bronze eyes went wide and he could help but let out a strangled cry that most definitely caught Ed's attention.

There, amidst the syringes and Ziploc mini packets of cocaine and rolling paper for pot, lay his mother. Her blue nightdress was hiked up high on her thighs, like a distant memory that he could barely recall and her mouth was dry and cracked and purple colored. Her neck had two very distinct puncture wounds in it, breaking the lovely skin she once had that hadn't been totally diminished by drugs. Her eyes bugged out and she smelled of death. Absently, he supposed decomposition happened quickly to a body exposed to a vampire's "kiss", as some may call it. She had large black and red marks on her cheeks from God knows what, and nail marks on her collarbone. How could he not have heard her screams? But a second longer looking at the scene said that the pillow had been tossed askew, assuring that her screams would be silenced or at least muffled. The loss of breath had turned her lips bruise colored.

All of this was captured in that one look he gave the mess. And it was all too much. Alphonse let out another big cry and he shoved his face in his hands to hide himself from the disgusting vision. He felt steamy tears spilling through the little slits in his fingers and he unwillingly backed against the wall. At that moment, he didn't care what Ed thought... why should he anyway? He had only just met the guy.

Slipping down the plaster wall to sit on his rump, he began to sob and sob, and sob. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to see that, even if the other part of his mind had insisted that he looked. What a stupid mistake! Nice, nice. I just got the vision of my life... it would've been easier to see her with her wrists slit on the bathroom floor than to see that. He felt so selfish... all he could think of was the slight trauma he had achieved by seeing that, not even the simple fact that he had seen her dead, but how scared he had been. Al's knees tucked up and the caps touched his mid-section. It made him look (and feel) like a small child, afraid of the boogeyman in the closet that didn't exist. He wanted this all to be gone, he wanted to be asleep and wake up from this nightmare. It was like another macabre Stephen King novel. Like the whacked-out dream that all those people had in 'The Stand'. Had he not been so occupied with screaming and crying, he would've taken a moment to realize that this was a lot more easy to handle than anything had been in 'The Stand'. At least the entire world wasn't dying of Captain Trips (a.k.a The Super flu), and people weren't having dreams about corn. He shivered: the mere thought of that problem substituting this one was enough to make him grateful to not have been more hurt by this whole incident.

It wasn't long before he felt hands on his shoulders and Ed kneeling next to him. Ice, those hands were like ice. Like a ghost on his damp skin. "Hey, hey. You idiot, I told you not to look but you had to be a wise ass and go and take a gander. Gosh, why do I put up with shit like this?" Despite how gentle those hands kneading into his back were, the words were just the contrary. He was hard to read, Al distantly decided, and had never been so sure about someone's characteristics. One hand, the one farthest from Edward, went lower to the small of the younger boy's back. Precariously low, as a matter of fact. "Get a hold of yourself! C'mon, death is natural! Look, I'm sorry you had to see that, but I did warn you!"

Alphonse didn't finally stop crying until he felt another ice-cold touch descend upon him; Ed's chest pressed against his side in an odd half hug. He felt like yelling, "What's with all these guys all over me today?!" Instead he looked into those golden orbs and felt all of his face turn a bright red. The look on the other boy's face was so forlorn and lost and... dark that it was almost haunting. But beautiful, his face was definitely beautiful. "E-Edward?" His voice was a little shaky and came out as an embarrassed squeak. He had only felt a gaze like that once, and that was from Isaac just before he was kissed.

Strong hands gripped roughly into the edges of his shirt and yanked him closer, even still. Al squeaked again and tried to wriggle away. "Damn, kid. You must have some kind of complex, or something. Were you not hugged as a child or whatever? S'pretty sad. I'm only trying to make you feel better."

Auburn blonde hair fell into the younger teen's face and he tried not to look up into that captivating canvas of features. It was scary how drawn he was every time he looked into that face, and he had to obscure his own vision to keep himself away. Was Ed really that hot? Taking a quick glance upwards, Al decided it was true. "I-I'm all right now, can you let me glow? I-I mean... go?! Can you let me go?" He felt stupid for making such a ridiculous grammatical error, and wanted to hide even more then, until he felt that icy grip release and the semi-warmth of another body completely abandon him. He almost missed it because it was gone so fast.

Edward was on his feet now, and looking down into the darkness on the floor. Even the full moon outside didn't illuminate the house... it was so dark. "Grab your bag and let's get the hell out of here."

In the blood rush of all the panic Al had felt, he hadn't noticed that he had dropped the backpack over where the entrance to his mother's room was. Oh, how he wished he didn't have to go over there to get the bag. He truly didn't want to see that again. "Ca-can you... get it for me?" He offered a small, weary smile and he could barely make out the blur of nightshade that was the older boy's face. That was probably a good thing, considering how he kept feeling that odd sensation whenever he could see him.

Without a word, Ed stepped over him and grabbed the checkered backpack. He thrust it into Al's arms, and turned, motioning for him to follow.

Alphonse staggered to his feet like a drunkard, still a little lightheaded. He felt like vomiting, and didn't know how far he could make it before he eventually did. The house reeked of death and early decomposing matter. For a moment, he considered setting the place on fire and never returning, leaving all the people at school, and more importantly Isaac, to give him up for dead. But that would be unfair, and he did eventually plan on returning home... someday.

When they finally were outside, the boy took a long breath of fresh air, grateful to be out of the stench of his house. Edward was already on his way down the sidewalk, sidestepping the light of every street lamp. But Al collapsed on the wet grass of his front lawn and stared up longingly at the night sky. He had a lot to think about, but he figured now wasn't the time to mull it all over. For now, he was content lying in the weeds. He suspected that Ed had noticed his absence and was waiting patiently... that is, until he felt a foot kick into his right ribcage. Al choked out a cough, and instantly sat upright glaring up into that vindictive face.

"Every time I start to walk away your still sitting on your ass! Do you want someone to find you? Or worse; do you want someone to find me?" Ed shouted, in a low voice. His burning gold eyes were narrowed and he looked agitated. He was reconsidering taking this kid along with him and leaving him to his own devices. Even killing the boy himself would be satisfactory; usually one feed a night did not satisfy an average vampire.

Muttering a soft, "Sorry", he stumbled up and began walking at an alarmingly fast pace. Ed looked at his back with an expression of puzzled amusement. He shrugged to himself, and thought, What the hell. If it turns out he's not the right one, I'll just take what I need and continue. He's just a seventeen year old brat... how much harm could he do?

As it would turn out, seventeen-year-old brats can cause a shit load of harm.

They walked foreword, beginning the first steps of their journey that would eventually lead them to places neither had ever dreamed of. Some places in a future that was both near, and distant. And as they went during these first few steps, neither had realized that in the rush of things, they had both forgotten to dispose of Trisha Elric's lifeless body. A fact that would turn up in a little less than two days, and bite both boys in the ass.

Somewhere between Oren Viaden Street and Himren Way, the footfalls of two boys stopped dead in their tracks. Consequentially, Al, who was walking fairly close behind the elder male, ran face first into Edward's back, knocking him forward a step. He didn't ask why they had stopped, only peered over his shoulder to make sure no one had been following them. He figured he'd have to get used to being paranoid; he was positive all vampires live in fear of being found out.

"I can't remember where it is," Ed said softly, and Al wasn't sure if he had been talking to himself or making a statement. Either way, he waited until an elaboration was made... or at least attempted. "I was positive it was somewhere around here, but the streets have changed a bit since I was here last."

"What street were you looking for?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't even remember its name." An embarrassed laugh followed that, and Edward turned to face his companion. "I'm kind of relying on my shitty sense of direction. It faded a while back, and I'm hoping instinct will get me by." He averted his gaze away, as though admitting something like that would be shameful. But it was the first bit of character-- real character-- Ed had shown since the first time they had spoken. Which was only an hour ago. The sentence forced a little bit of who Ed really was to filter out into the open.

Yes! First insight! I hope psychology training in high school worked, because I think I just made some kind of breakthrough without even meaning to! Al's happy thoughts entered, and he smiled to himself. If he kept up this "Man of few words" thing, he might be able to get the vampire to dish out a little more information. It could prove to be a useful strategy someday. I was destined for greatness... he thought, and mentally laughed at himself.

"Instinct, huh? Well, is there something specific we're looking for on this street?" Al asked, finally. It had taken him a moment to actually say something, considering all of his mental gloating.

"Yeah... it's a place I used to go when I needed to think... back when I was mortal and I lived in this area. I can't remember, but I think I had a family. I already told you, the only member of it that I know is my Father, but he isn't good for much. In fact, I could care less if I ever saw his ugly face again." Edward paused there, and covered his mouth in a classic look of thoughtfulness. "It had a few boards placed over the entrance and for some reason I remember there being someone there with me all the time. I don't know, could just be my imagination..."

That struck the other boy as odd. He seemed to recall a place like that, maybe from a certain type of dreamscape he had had. But what was most peculiar was what Ed had said. "You... used to live in this area? But if you don't remember anything before you became a vampire, how do you know that?" A bit uncomfortable with the way he was prying into Ed's life, Al shifted his weight from foot to foot. He didn't like being in such an isolated area with someone who had just killed his mother.

"Because it wasn't that long ago that I was human. I'm only 18, and I just became a vampire about a year and a half ago. Even though I wont grow or age anymore, I can still keep track of the passing years. Understand?" Edward's voice was so calm and collected... cool sounding; it was like he had stepped out of an Anne Rice novel.

The description she had given of Lestat De Lioncourt could've perfectly fit the elder man. His aura, his ominous eyes, his thick blonde hair... the only thing out of place was his height; Lestat was around six feet tall, while Ed was not even an inch taller than Al. But that would change; he had said he wouldn't grow anymore now, so Alphonse was bound to grow taller eventually. He had been one of the tallest teens in his high school. Of course that didn't keep him from getting picked on and ridiculed by his peers.

At length, Al nodded. It shocked him only mildly that this mature, beautiful person had only been a vampire for a little over a year. There was something about him that made him seem like an elder vampire. The kind you find living in castles in Transylvania, or the mythical stereotypical vampire. The way he spoke; his rough voice, but the off key European accent that Al himself possessed. Though he was German, he had no idea what Ed could be. Something from Europe surely, that much could be true. It was a little funny: a supernatural figment of every young girl's fantasy who watched Bela Lugosi in the original Dracula had just fallen into his lap. Well-- more like on his bed, considering the circumstances of how they had met.

In all honesty, Edward was much better looking than Bela Lugosi, or Stuart Townsend or any of the other people who had played "Movie Vampires." Dear God, they had no idea! To them, vampires were just a shadow of the horrors in some child's imagination. Just a cold wind on fog passing through an eerie graveyard in the dead of night, the monster in your closet, even a ghost... thus a vampire had no meaning in the world, except to those who put forth their best knowledge on the study of them, and truly believed in the undead.

Alphonse was a seventeen-year-old boy with no place in life. He was still trying to figure out who he was, or how he was going to become that person. He had never had time to let himself believe in spiritual, supernatural apparitions, or things from beyond the grave. Hell, he had never even seen a proper horror movie. Occasionally, he would find a good book though. Usually a Stephen King novel would suit his fancy. But he never saw it as a gateway into the way of the actual world. In fact, those books were neutral sources to him. Again, just the work of an over-active imagination. There was nothing wrong with that; it just never really interested him. He hadn't thought twice of vampires in the seventeen years he had been alive on this planet. They were just... a thing that couldn't be explained.

"Anyway," the sound of that word was like an instant shock to his senses, and Al was back on the street with the other man. "I need to find this place before dawn, or at least get to somewhere substantial for sleeping," Ed told him, nonchalantly. "My house is in the next town over, and the night is far too close to being over to make a trip like that." He went on to explain that the following night they would make the trip into the town where his home was, and from there he would tell Al everything and anything he wanted to know about what they would be doing afterwards.

For the third time in the past ten minutes, Al let his mind wander. He didn't want to leave town without saying goodbye to Isaac; that much he knew. Isaac had been his best friend for years, and kiss or not, Alphonse loved him like family. He had been the person who stuck by him when he didn't have anyone to vent to, or to rely on.

It made him think back on a particular incident. One night, about two years back, Al had been alone--as usual. Trisha was out on the town, doing God knows what. It had been around eleven or so, and he had been in bed for the better part of an hour. Strange footsteps where sounding down the hall, and every time he would sit up, the footfalls would cease. It was scaring the hell out of him, so at last he reached for the phone on his nightstand-- the same phone whose bill was due in two days, and there was no way of paying it-- and dialed Isaac's number.

The dark haired boy had answered the phone normally, as though it had been early. He didn't sound like he had been asleep or even in bed. Distantly, Al could hear the T.V and a few voices.

"Hello?"

He's probably having a party. Maybe if I hang up now, he wont know who it was...

Just as he pulled the phone from his ear and was about to press the "off" button, he heard his name, soft and concerned. "...Al?" He yanked the phone back to his ear, and smiled wide enough to make his cheeks hurt.

"Isaac? How'd you know it was me?"

Alas, Caller ID had been his downfall.

"What's wrong? You're usually in bed by now. Is something up, Al?"

Alphonse had looked down as though he were ashamed by how absurd his reason for calling was, even though he knew his best friend couldn't see. He had opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a cracked little breathy word. He cleared his throat and continued; "Mom's gone. She's out pedaling some kind of this or that... and I'm alone."

A loud crash broke off the rest of what he was going to say, coming from Isaac's end of the line. He then heard the other teen yell; "Goddammit, that was my dad's favorite vase! What the hell are you guys doing?!" Al suppressed a small laugh.

"Are you having a party?"

"...kind of."

"Oh, okay. Well, never mind. I'll just deal with this myself." Again, he had meant to just hang up, but Isaac yelled for him.

"Wait! Al, what's the matter? I heard the whole thing about your Mom being gone, and that you were alone, but what was the rest?"

Alphonse had smiled again, this time a very sweet one, happy that he knew Isaac really cared. "I keep hearing footsteps, and the floor keeps creaking outside of my bedroom. And then, just when I'm getting up to see what it is, it stops. About two minutes after I lay back down, it starts up again. God, I'm so scared. What should I do?"

"Okay, just keep calm, and I'll be there in a few minutes. First, I got to kick my so called "Friends" out of my house."

Then he hung up. Al laid back down and set the phone back on its charger. Every once in a while he heard the steps again, but it didn't bother him as much then: He knew that soon his friend would be there for him.

Eventually, Isaac did show up. He crawled through Al's bedroom window, and fell to the hard wood floor. The younger boy had bolted upright, a little alarmed but after a moment he grew calm again. Isaac crawled into his best friend's bed and gave him a long, comforting hug. "It's going to be okay..." through the dim moonlight, the dark haired teen could see the wetness in his friend's bronze eyes, and had only hugged him tighter then.

In his heart he had known that it wasn't the fright that had made Al cry; it was the fact he didn't have his mom to go to. Even if she had been there, chances are she would've been too high to care. So Isaac simply ran his hand over Alphonse's back, and kept on reassuring him it would all be all right.

Cool fall wind blew up against the sides of the buildings, and Al got hold of his surroundings again. He looked over at Edward who was watching him with very intent golden eyes. Al blushed and looked down at his faded shoes. "I... want to go say goodbye to my best friend before we leave. He's always been really good to me, and it would hurt him if he found I had disappeared without saying goodbye."

Ed's lips twisted up into something of a grin, and he raised a thin eyebrow. "Oh, is that the one you have a crush on? The little boy who gave you your first kiss?" A very vampire-like cackle erupted from him and it filled the night air with sinister cruelty. Though, he had meant it to be anything but cruel. One of his favorite pass times was making people flustered just to get a rise out of them. And he could tell that Al was one of the people who were affected easily by such jesting.

This time the affect wasn't the desired one; the mortal was unnaturally calm about his answer. "Actually, that's right. But I told you before; I'm not sure how I feel about him. He's a very special and kind person, and anyone would be lucky to have him. I just don't know if I'm his 'one.' That's all." Alphonse smiled kindly, hoping that the elder would understand without blowing it out of proportion.

"Special, hm?" There was something he liked about that word; it held real meaning. 'Special.' But for some reason it didn't seem truthful. It seemed like the words of a liar-- something that a lover would use to lure a 'special person' into bed. That was what didn't appeal in the word. "Are you ever going to be with him? Is that why you plan on returning?" Edward asked, making it seem like an innocent question, void of concern.

Al opened his mouth to say something to that, but there was something he didn't trust in those gold eyes. There was something there all of a sudden; something that was meant to be prying, but turned out to look like a weird child molester. His heart was telling him what a bad situation this could be if he didn't--

Run.

"Wh-what?" He said out loud, although he had wished it had stayed inside of his head, because instantly Ed was on the defensive, as though he had read the boy's thoughts.

Run Away... Isaac needs you. Just please, don't go with him. He doesn't even want you around.

Logic told him that it was a sure possibility that if Al ever over used whatever Ed needed him for, it was likely that the boy would be that particular night's meal, and he refused to be a meal to any vampire, or anyone for that matter. Gut instinct told him that he should be listening to--

RUN.

That was all the prompting he needed. The conversation was falling by the wayside, and they hadn't been making any progress finding that spot that the blonde had been searching for. Eventually, dawn would rise. Where would he go? It wasn't a situation he was too eager to be in. So without time to think about it more thoroughly, Al gave the vampire a long look and turned quickly, running. He had left his backpack where he had been standing.

Run turned into a sprint, sprint into a mad dash. He kept going like that for nearly a mile before his legs began to feel very strange. The concrete beneath him had turned into foreign asphalt, and all he could smell was car exhaust.

It was a sudden jolt.

There was that pressure first, and it began at his left side: the side that was facing the street. That pressure melded into pure force and slammed through his entire frame, all the way to his right side-- near the brick walls he was passing. It wasn't much long after that that the pure force became a full-on body slam against the nearest building, and he collided hard enough to knock him off his feet.

That building was a youth center and rehabilitation for teens. (Of course, because of the time, there was no one in it, but I just thought it would be nice if you guys knew which building he slammed into. Well, anyway...)

Alphonse was crouching down, holding his right arm that was pretty well bent up, and his head felt sore and soaked with either sweat or blood. Honestly, he wouldn't have been surprised if it was a mix between them. But that was the least of his concerns. His biggest was where in the world had all of that strength come from? What had thrown him so forcibly from the sidewalk into the brick hardness of a passing wall?

Then the shadow of a body cast from the streetlights fell over him, and he closed his eyes remaining on the ground. Abruptly, it all became very clear as to what exactly had happened. And immediately Al's mind flew back to earlier that evening when Ed had warned him about leaving.

"Don't lag behind, I don't particularly trust you to stay with me. I know how most kids are these days. Backstabbing little fuck-ups."

And something else he had said, before he had begun packing:

"If you try and get away, you have to know something; I'll always find you because I know the scent of your blood. I could find you no matter where you try to hide. And when I do, I can't guarantee that my stomach wont be too full for an additional snack. I can always get another brat to bring along. You were just more convenient."

Those words were ringing in his head, and he knew instantly what a horrible, stupid decision he had made. He was so hell-bent on getting away and feeling safe again that he had completely disregarded what Edward had warned him of earlier.

Finally, Al looked up, and wasn't especially surprised to find the vampire looming above him, staring down with an indiscernible expression. Whichever, he figured it might be wise to stand up, rather than wait for the man to yank him up.

When finally they were on a nearly eye-to-eye level, Ed grinned and turned his gaze down. He lifted his hands, the back of them facing the other male. "You know, I could've sworn there was something I told you about this. Something I... oh, what's that word? Oh yes! Something I warned you about." He lifted his eyes a little and the hands came forward, gently pressing the younger boy against the wall. Then his palms turned outward, and he had cornered Alphonse.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I wasn't thinking and I--"

"See, when humans don't think, they get hurt. Especially when someone wiser then them pre-tells them about certain consequences that might occur if rules aren't met." The vampire's face was hidden in the overhanging darkness from the large railing sticking out of the youth center, but those cruel eyes were very clearly visible, and they were chilling.

Al felt fingers touch a mark above his right eyebrow, and he winced with the pain that followed that simple contact.

Edward withdrew, and those fingers were covered with bright crimson blood. "Peculiar, isn't it? It almost seems as though you're trying to tempt me to do something. Well, that would be a very poor thing to do," he whispered with a patronizing tone, like a mother speaking to her child. He brought his fingers to his mouth and licked away all of the shimmering substance, his eyes narrowed as though it were a sinful treat only rarely savored.

Then he looked up a little just as his tongue left his own skin. "So as you can probably see, Alphonse Elric, if I'm offered something, I usually don't pass up the invitation. And besides, what other type of punishment is suitable for such events. I'm at a loss." A mock sigh followed that; a sound that was so juvenile it was funny.

Alphonse gave him a complacent grin, saying: "Please, feel free. I don't have anything else, now do I? But maybe it would be good if I asked you something; how many people do you plan on explaining your little sob story to? How many people are really going to help out a vampire? You need me, remember?" He had never been so proud of his reasoning, or his will to live. Maybe it was true; when faced with life or death scenarios, the human adrenaline is pumped into high gear and they can do anything. That's pretty cool...

"What on earth gave you that stupid notion?" Ed's eyes narrowed, and his fingers clenched around the boy's collar. As much of a blow it was to his ego, he had to admit to himself that Al was absolutely right. Dammit, that was a shitty feeling. Aside from that, he was still internally battling with himself to control his urge to take another little taste of that delicious blood. Oh, it had been very good, indeed.

But, familiar in sense, as well. And not just because he had fed off of the mortal's mother, but because of something else. It wasn't an everyday taste, certainly not. It wasn't the type of blood you come by often, especially in a city like this. His eyes caught on a dribble of that blood cascading down Alphonse's temple, and over his cheek to catch haphazardly on his smooth jaw-line. It was enough to stir the feeling in him again, to where he could so easily dip his head a bit to let his fangs just fall into such a perfectly sculpted neck.

What about the plan, his brain asked him. Yes, he answered, what about the plan?

This child was an intricate part of that "plan," and wasting his mortal abilities by making him immortal would be exactly that; a waste. Because he needed Al's ability to be in sunlight, and to go to places where Ed couldn't be. Places where they were. He had to keep this child human for as long as possible, meaning he would have to protect him from his (Meaning Ed's) kind. He would have to shelter him momentarily. Great, another inconvenience in the household. Wasn't 'she' enough? Why have another pest around?

Another part of the plan, he told himself. And for these reasons, he ignored the faint sound of a heartbeat and pulsing veins awaiting their intrusion, and let gold eyes fall back onto that scared, innocent face. "Fine. I don't care for your type of blood anyway," he said at last, childishly. He released his grip on Alphonse, and shoved him away, ignoring the tongue being stuck at him. It didn't stop him from hearing a cast-aside thought from the boy's mind:

Didn't stop you from killing my mother, now did it, dear Lestat?

Ed stopped walking and turned his head to glance back over his shoulder. "Comments like that wont behoove your health very much. I suggest you avoid thinking such thoughts."

Those words caused goose bumps to race up Al's arms, and he stared pitifully after the vampire. Sadly, he realized his thoughts would have to be kept much more private from now on, especially if he wanted to remain alive. He began following, dragging his feet in dread, all of the happy energy he had had a few hours prior with Isaac long forgotten and already a thing of the past.

This was going to have to be his life for a while.

A while later, Al realized he had drying blood on the right side of his face. That startled him a little. He hadn't remembered he was bleeding. His fear had mainly been keeping his neck puncture-wound free.

They still hadn't gotten far; maybe 15 or 20 blocks from where they had begun. The little AWOL stunt Al had pulled had caused them to drift off course and took them only a street away from the kid's house.

The streets were nearly abandoned, save a car about ever five or ten minutes.

Both males figured that it was around four o'clock. The sun rose at six thirty, give or take a few minutes. That gave them enough time, Ed had explained. He had been beginning to recall things again. He had started leading them a specific way, instead of the "I'm-lost-but-I'm-going-to-play-it-cool," act he was pulling earlier, where he had pretended to know where they were going. He kept reminding Al that this was only going to be the place they stayed tonight, and as soon as nightfall rose again, they would be on the move...

But discretely.

Edward tore the large pieces of wood away from their concrete base. There had been a crawl space, but it had obviously not been made for 17 and 18 year old boys to crawl through. No, no. It looked as though the last person to use it would've been about...six or seven.

They had decided to just pry the large slabs of scrap wood away from the empty space. It seemed very, very dark in that place; perfect for Ed's sleeping.

The sky had turned deep violet, and soft, pale rays of pink light had begun to stretch into the vast horizon. That was a little frightening-- or at least some incentive for them to hurry their asses up a bit.

It had been around a quarter after six when both of them had stumbled upon the spot Edward had been searching for the entire night. Relief had come slowly at first, but treaded away when at 6:23 there were still four more boards to pull back. Al had been standing behind the vampire, watching him attempt to find a more reasonable way to get into the concrete little building.

Golden, concentrated eyes scanned over the structural build of the wood power-nailed into the plaster doorframe. The wood was rotting and moss was growing thickly in some spots that had been exposed to moisture in the rainy season. Those boards would be weak, and would break easily, but Ed wanted a clear, clean break. He didn't want residue left on the panels. If only he had something to pry the nails out with...

"Al, come here."

The boy in question stepped closer, and leaned down to where the man was kneeling. "Y-yes?" He managed in a fearful voice. He didn't like this one bit, but he listened as Edward gave him directions on how to loosen the nails with his fingers, and eventually the slabs of wood would come loose, giving them a straight shot into the shelter. But he had to work hastily; the sun would catch up with them sooner or later, and the sun waits for no one. That was a strict lesson every vampire had learned one time or another; the sun has no friends-- it does not wait till every one of the creatures sleuths back into their damned holes.

He began twisting at the heads of several different nails, his fingers slipped and scraped across the rusted parts. He was working at one specific board: the one closest to the bottom, because a few of the boards had already been removed from the lower region, one more gone would give them easy access to crawl through the gap, into the safety of shadow.

A loud yelp escaped him as a sharp edge caught his calloused fingers, tearing away at the rough skin. Nice, now I can get sick and die at an early age. Here I've lived through a vampire messing with me, killing my mom, and I'm going to die from an infection. My luck, I swear.

He saw blood trickle over the rotted board he was working on, and it slicked over his fingers, making them crimson colored and shimmering in the street lamplight. If there was a proper description for how his fingers began to look after pulling loose two or three nails, the best would probably be thus; a raw slab of hamburger meat. They were torn at, and he had to concentrate on the job he was made to complete. Al guessed what kind of smug smile would be on Ed's face if he turned around; he would be standing there looking down at him, that self-righteous grin plastered on his thin lips, his arms crossed and contempt burning in him.

But when Alphonse glanced back, he was surprised to find terror in the older man's features, and hesitation, worry, anxiousness. And a look at the sky explained why that was:

It was the sun.

Bits and pieces of light were covering the roads like scraps of yellow construction paper. They were still on the west side of a building, shielding them from the blinding, melting shine. But that wouldn't last long.

In a final act of desperation at the slow progress Al had been making, Edward shoved him to the side and clenched his long, ghostly fingers around the entire bottom board, ripping it out in one swift movement.

That opened about three more feet of crawl space and Ed ventured in first, quickly, pulling an army crawl like a hermit crab retreating back into the shell. "GET IN HERE." He demanded, impatiently.

Al jumped and pulled himself inside the dank, dark space, just as the sunlight flooded the place he had been standing. He breathed heavily, and leaned his back against the cold cement, closing his eyes.

The remaining boards shielded them from the sun, and kept it chilly inside the place.

Edward was huddled in the corner, his knees hugged to his chest, and also heaving his breath. The gold in his orbs were clearly visible through the musty darkness, and he looked scared. That probably was a near-death experience for him, and Alphonse had to curse himself for frightening him so badly. It wasn't until then that he gazed down and his fingers were black. (Well, actually they were red but in the lack of light, blood red looks black.)

He stuck them into his mouth, and cleaned off the blood as best as he could. It was a coppery flavor, and warm to his tongue. Al made a soft sound of approval that drew the vampire's attention.

A strange expression of shock spread over Ed's face, and he cocked an eyebrow. The image of the younger boy with his digits in his mouth, making noises was a little arousing, but he wasn't exactly keen on admitting that. But he was slightly curious as to just what the hell he was doing. "Er... whatcha got going on over there, friend?"

Al's fingers slipped away, and a smear of blood ran across his chin. He felt his face turn deep red, and embarrassment tossed into his stomach. "My skin got cut, and it really hurts... I thought that maybe if I sucked the blood off, it would help." Yeah, well. Honesty is good, right? In this particular case, lying wouldn't have necessarily been a horrible thing to do. It would've saved him a good long blush.

After a while, the mortal was the first to fall asleep. His arms were wrapped tight around his legs, and his auburn blonde head was leaned against the sidewall.

The shelter was anything but little. There was an overturned desk in a far corner, and some torn up couches and such. It looked like it was once a recreation room. Pool balls and cue's lay scattered on the floor, and from the soft light from outside filtering through the broken boards, Ed could see an odd shade of dust was hovering all around. There were books with pages ripped out, and little sketches on notebook paper. This place felt surreal... Unnatural. But there was a strange aura about the shelter that was telling him that he had been here before but... With company.

He looked over and watched Al closely as the boy slept. His neck was clearly visible from behind a shock of his lengthy hair. It was so tempting... But no. He wouldn't betray the trust that had just began to grow within him. And why was it he couldn't get to sleep? The sun was out bright and full, and he was protected from it. So... Why was he unable to actually get some shut eye? What was disturbing him?

There was a lot on his little vampire mind, that was for sure. He was scared. Who knew when they would find him? And now he was responsible for another life. W-why? Why have I gotten myself so deep into trouble? Dad warned me against these things, and here I had to go and fuck it all up! Goddamn I'm so stupid!

He slammed his hand against the concrete, and a large hollow howl emitted from the walls. That was creepy.

But in all, he had no idea where this whole thing would take him. He was lost, too. He needed help, too.

His gold eyes traveled back to Alphonse, and he smiled hopefully. Maybe it was for the best that he found this kid. It could just be a miracle in disguise. And maybe, just maybe, he could open up to him a little bit, and let someone learn a little more about him. Maybe he could have a real friend for once, and not just a freeloader.

Maybe... maybe he could trust.

Edward leaned over and laid himself across the cold floor, burying his head into his arms, waiting for nightfall. Thoughts flew in and out, and eventually they quieted into something less coherent, and after about an hour, sleep came, carrying him off into the world he was most comfortable in.

They slept.

End Chapter 2

Closing Notes: YES. ANOTHER CHAPTER ALL EDITED.

Hah. Thanks.