Chapter Two

A letter from M. Hughes to R. Mustang...

Roy, how you doing? Hopefully you've stopped throwing up and ruining my bed sheets. I swear, I think you've threw up every single meal you've had in your entire life but if you have vomited on my favourite sweatshirt, I will end your skinny ass myself. I will kick your ass via Resembool via Ishbal and back through Fort Briggs.

Anyhow, sorry for this but I tried waking you up but you were out like a light. I've managed to get Hawkeye to clear your schedule for the next week. I'll admit that I am rather surprised at how easy that was but it seems our lord and master King Bradley has decided that all alchemists deserve a holiday, (how very convenient) so, I'm stopping by your place to pick up some clothes and other stuff that you'll need.

I'll see you in a couple of hours, I hope, your place is a mess! Now I know why you're so eager to stay at mine! I may need to tidy up before I can leave it, Maes.

Roy scanned the letter, the weight of the crushing desperation easing slightly when he read and reread the part where Maes had informed him that the Fuhrer had allowed all alchemists a break from their duties. A chance to recharge broken batteries and try to create happier memories to dream about again. Shoulders slumped in relief as he closed his eyes for a brief second to take in the information.

His sweatshirt sleeves slid down slender arms as he placed the letter on the bedside table. He had been at the Hughes home for a few days now. Riza, his ever watchful guardian had stopped by earlier that day to hand him the letter, she had eyed him with a calculated look but Roy could see the relief on the woman's pretty face as she had seen him standing.

Maes had helped him wash and make himself presentable to the human race again. His boyish features clean shaven and clean clothes had been gratefully accepted. The lean male had simply ignored any attempts Roy tried when he had tried to utter apologies to him. The optimistic man had brushed of the attempts but Roy knew that he had probably scared the hell out of him at some point as dark bags of lack of sleep made sharp eyes more prominent and a normally relaxed temperament was close to showing irritation.

Gracia had never once made him feel unwanted, simply offering whatever help she could and doing whatever her husband asked. She had packed the bags for her husband when he had told her that he was staying away for a few nights. The quiet woman hadn't questioned him, simply smiling and accepting.

The guest room was warm and cosy, the curtains open and the afternoon sun was filtering through the netting that Gracia had put up. His bed was unmade but he had been napping on and off over the few days and he was feeling slightly better for it.

Hawkeye had quietly told him that if he needed anything then he should call her and she would be there. She had been reluctant in allowing him to leave the city for the short break Hughes had organised but the very fact that it was Maes doing the dragging had soothed her doubts. Major Hughes rarely did any work on holiday and he could fill any awkward silences far better than she could ever do.

There was also the simple fact that Maes had subtly ordered her not to follow them. He needed Roy to be completely free of anything military, enough space for the man to breath deeply the clean air. She had awkwardly hugged him goodbye, wishing him a pleasant trip and that she would be back to scolding him like a child for unfinished paperwork when he returned.

Riza had squeezed him with affection before releasing him like she had been struck by lightning when she had heard Gracia Hughes pottering about in the next room.

Roy had blinked in surprise, he couldn't hide the hurt that had washed over him. His body seemed to crave the touch and the attention that she had gave him. It was the same feeling he had got when Maes had hugged him a few days back on the train platform.

His friend had left him, reiterating the same promise to call if he needed her. He could hear the unspoken words that echoed after them, even if you want to moan about Maes being a total motherhen or even sit in silence.

He was always wary about being left alone, even if he was in no danger. That was when the dark thoughts would always creep in, the small niggling little doubts that would try to poison his happy mood or optimism. Gracia seemed to be obsessed with leaving tea and sandwiches out for him every time she heard him moving about upstairs, not that the alchemist was complaining. His appetite had returned and if food was out then he would pick at it.

He spotted a picture on the dresser and headed over to it. It showed him as a teen, smiling with a positively beaming Maes. A pose that the two men seemed to repeat in every photo they found themselves in. He would have a soft smile, bordering on breaking into a silly grin while his friend would bypass the entry grin and smile like he had all the riches in the world.

Memories of the academy tumbled in his head, one where he had encountered a clean and fresh faced Maes Hughes as a teenager. A time before the war, before the hell that he had been subjected to. Those precious few years of blissful ignorance of not fully realising what it meant to be a state alchemist, a dog of the military. His nights would have been full of dreams of what ifs and hope.

Military academy

The faces of over a hundred young hopeful men and women sat at long, sturdy tables. Chattering amongst themselves as they had their evening meals. A table had been set aside at the far right of the room, reserved for only the elite among them.

A table set for only for the trainee alchemists and for this years intake, there was hardly any that had stood out well enough. In fact, it was a record this year. There had been only one successful applicant for the classes and even then, he was something of a prodigy. The young male had stuck out like a sore thumb and he found that no one wanted to know him.

The trainee alchemist had tried to avoid detection by sitting at the end of the table, nearer to people around him in the vain hope that someone would invite him over but no one ever did. It was like being back at school, he was always being picked on or ignored. This time, it wasn't because he grew up in a reported brothel or because children were cruel creatures. It was simply because he was smarter than the rest of them and had failed to hide it well enough.

The young male had tried his best to fit in, he had smiled sweetly at the girls and had tried to fit in with the boys only for the girls to ignore him and the boys, well, they usually allowed their fists to do the talking. No one wanted to be friends with him, he heard the whispers of freak and weirdo.

Roy Mustang stared sullenly at his meal, playing with a piece of what he assumed was chicken but he had heard the standard rumours floating around about the food. It needed more seasoning but he stabbed his fork into a dark piece, inspected it for a good few moments and chewed on it thoughtfully. It wasn't chicken but he was hungry.

"There's the freak this year," Roy heard a loud booming voice from behind him and it was followed by a wet splat of food against the back of his head.

He chewed his bottom lip, forcing himself not to show any kind of emotion as the people in front of him turned round. They sniggered and laughed at him but not one offered to help him. This was a daily occurrence, no matter how hard he tried to ignore the bullies. He knew that he wasn't here to make friends, he was using this as a stepping stone. If he had to endure loneliness then so be it.

"Freak! Go back to whatever lab you crawled out of!" the booming voice teased coldly.

Roy set his shoulders, desperately willing himself not to show how the words cut like a knife. His cheeks burned hot, his nose tingled as his eyes watered. He kept repeating to himself that he wasn't here to make friends, he returned his attention back to his meal. Tears blurred his vision as he swallowed another bite.

The sound of metal being scrapping against concrete caught his attention as somebody sat down beside him. Hazel eyes catching brown instantly with a smile, a friendly square face squinting at him. A pair of glasses rested crookedly on the raven haired new arrival's head. The right leg of the glasses chewed and bent, the lens in the square frames cracked from one corner to the opposing top diagonal. The male sported a fading black eye but he didn't seem fazed at all by it.

What the hell...? he thought as the teen leaned against the table.

Roy felt a second wet splat and a stray tear escaped down his hot cheek. His eyes widened as he waited for the teen to mock him for crying. He remained staring into his meal once he tore his gaze from the smiling stranger. Roy refused to move in case his resolve crumbled, he was very aware that his companion was looking very intently at him.

He made a surprised sound when the raven haired teen with the broken glasses and warm eyes used a finger to scoop up some of the gravy that now coated Roy's neck and licked it clean with a less than satisfied noise of approval. He pulled a face and sighed with amusement.

"Huh, needs more salt," came a surprisingly chirpy reply, "How's your dinner?"

Roy made another frustrated and surprised sound when the teen went in for a second scoop of under seasoned gravy. He showed no sign of hesitation or even embarrassment in his actions. Roy opened his mouth to say something but the stranger looked at him with the same smile.

"Cadet Hughes!" the voice of Roy's bully sounded shocked, "Get away from it. You don't want to contract the freak disease!"

So, his name is Hughes...Roy thought as he saw the look of mock horror on the teen's face, why is he sitting beside me?

Hughes placed a hand on a slender shoulder, pulling Roy closer to him. The trainee alchemist had to plant a steadying hand between Hughes' legs, a hotter blush washing over him. Roy felt his heart thump loudly in his chest as Hughes grinned at him with a look that screamed mischief.

He could smell cigarette smoke on Hughes breath, mixed with vanilla from desert that Roy hadn't got to yet. Hughes breath was soft and warm on Roy's ear and the alchemist in training found a small part wanting to follow this male to the ends of the earth if he said the right words.

An older Roy Mustang would swear years later that Maes Hughes was a man who could say the right things at the wrong time only for those who truly listened to understand that, actually, it was always the correct words and time. The man seemed to be a sage beyond his years and that drew people towards him. Maes had this instinct that seemed to tune into the greater wisdom of the universe, even if you didn't want his knowledge.

"Let's cause some trouble," Hughes whispered, "What do you say? Raise the roof huh?"

Raise the roof huh? A slow smile worked it's way onto Roy's lips, he was hailed as a prodigy after all.

He nodded slowly, trying to ignore the jolts of what felt like electricity racing down his spine as Hughes chuckled beside him. He wrapped an arm around his new accomplice, there was something about this teen that told Roy to follow him.

"Have you a pen or..." Roy somehow wasn't surprised as Hughes offered him a piece of chalk with a grin that seemed to get bigger.

You are gonna be trouble aren't you? Roy thought as he drew a transmutation circle on the table, but why the hell am I following you? Am I that desperate for attention?

He slammed his hands on the table once he finished drawing the circle and suddenly realised that he had made a slight miscalculation in the alchemy but it was too late by then. He also realised that he was the only alchemist in the class this year, the trouble he was in was going to be of epic proportions and that it wouldn't be difficult to deduce who was the culprit. Chaos followed as the room responded to the spell that had been cast, the roof blossomed into an intricate concrete flower as people screamed and fled the mess hall.

Hughes was on his feet, laughing with amazement as he grabbed hold of Roy, pulling him towards the exit before the real trouble began. They used the confusion to make their escape, knowing that Roy would no doubt be pulled in for discipline once the madness calmed down.

The silence outside the hall was almost deafening when they slammed the heavy doors shut. The air was soft and cool, a contrast that Roy found pleasant and it managed to cool his cheeks down. He leaned against the doors, taking deep breaths to steady his nerves.

Hughes was still laughing, a sound that Roy found infectious. He allowed himself a chuckle, watching the boy carefully as he wiped away a tear. Hazel eyes were wet but shined with amusement at what had happened. Hughes took a few deep breaths, calming himself enough to regard his new partner in crime. Hughes narrowed his eyes, squinting as he tried to locate the quiet boy he had caused havoc with.

"Uhh," Hughes blinked, "Still here?"

Roy's eyes widened, was his eyesight that bad? Quietly, he drew a circle on the ground, keenly aware that time was short before someone found them. He was going to fix the raven haired teen's spectacles if he was trusted enough. It was the least he could do.

"Give me your glasses," Roy held his hand out to Hughes, placing his other hand on his arm, "I'll fix them with alchemy."

"You can do that?" Hughes raised a curious eyebrow, trying to see what the kneeling teen had drawn on the ground.

"I can try," Roy replied.

It was almost comical watching Hughes trying to find his glasses that were sitting pride of place on his head. He patted himself down on the chest before checking his pockets, a look of concern washed briefly over angular features as Roy offered him a smile. The young slender teen with dark eyes plucked the item from his head, placing them in the centre of the circle. There was no missing pieces, Roy knew it was going to be an easy fix. A soft light flashed briefly as the transmutation worked, the glasses looking brand new again.

Hughes watched him intently, wishing he was able to see exactly what had happened but he gratefully accepted the glasses when Roy placed them back in his hands. He put them on, sighing mentally with content as he finally saw the smile Roy was giving him. Much to Roy's amusement and amazement, it seemed like the teen's grin became wider as he finally saw a clear Roy.

He held out his hand, "Maes Hughes. Pleased to meet you."

Roy looked at the hand before gingerly taking it, "Roy Mustang."

"So, Roy Mustang," Maes scratched a spot above his right eyebrow, "Shall we create some awesome excuse like the roof was dull and boring or run like hell before we get nothing but drill practice for the rest of the night and have our downtime ruined by staring the mud as we do press ups in full combat gear?"

"I'm the only alchemist in this year," Roy replied, "You go. I'll cover for you, there isn't much point both of us getting kicked out."

The boy with the infectious grin shook his head, "I got your back. This is after all my fault, I dragged..."

Present...

"...dragged you along," Hughes groaned with effort as he threw the suitcases on the luggage rack above their heads, "I really don't like the vampire look you seem to think is hot right now."

Roy blinked sleepily, suddenly aware that he wasn't at Maes home. He remained silent, not wanting Maes to worry about his sudden memory loss. He remembered Gracia trying to get him to eat by leaving him treats around the home and it brought up memories of the academy and of meeting her husband for the first time.

"You okay? What are you thinking about?" Maes beamed at his wife as she remained on the platform outside the train carriage, he blew her a kiss, feeling a little sad that he was leaving her for a few days.

Roy slumped into the soft seats in the carriage, his strength deserting him. He could see the love Maes held in his heart for his wife as the man watched her from the window and the love was returned back with the same passion. He offered Maes a tired smile, what was he thinking about really?

"...the day we met," Roy finally said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "There was a photo of us in the spare room, back during the academy."

A surprised laugh erupted from his friend in the carriage, a fond smile reaching his lips. Hazel eyes framed by square glasses misted over as he remembered the evening that had started their unbreakable friendship. He scratched his cheek, Gracia blowing him one last kiss before leaving the platform to return back home.

Hughes was a man who inspired loyalty and Roy had to admit that Maes had found a good woman in the shape of Gracia. He sighed softly, it made him wonder if he would ever find the same kind of woman and what Hughes had actually decided to share with the woman. Was it all of the horrors that he had seen during the wars or had it been edited to simply the more...humane parts that, even then Maes would have edited.

He had a feeling that Gracia was still in blissful ignorance regarding what the Flame Alchemist had done. Maes would have simply have said that all alchemists who had been posted in the desert had performed some pretty foul things under the order of the Fuhrer Bradley. Gracia had surprised Roy when he had stayed the first night when he had spent his first night in Central a few months back, she had embraced him with love and stated that he was always welcome in their home.

"That was one hell of a way to start a friendship off," Maes finally said, "The roof still messed up?"

"Yes," Roy allowed a smug smile to emerge on his face, "I think I made an error back then. I hear that alchemists try and fix it every so often but no one knows why it won't go back."

"Maybe you did. You were still training to be an alchemist right? We stood outside in the rain doing drills for the entire night. I swear, I had icicles in places that I didn't know we could have them," Hughes shivered, "I think they got the Freezer Alchemist in for fun."

Roy laughed, raising a farewell hand to Gracia as she turned round for one last look at the train before it pulled out of the station and away from the platform. She waved back, her eyes never showing pity but she had asked Roy to watch over her husband when they were together.

The train jolted into movement, a sad sigh escaping from Maes as he placed his hand on the window. He had said goodbye to his wife in bed last night, at breakfast and in the car before they got to the station. Roy had felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment at the farewell as Maes forgot his friend was sitting in the back seat of the car. A polite cough from Roy had managed to get a rather embarrassed giggle from Gracia and a snort of amusement from Maes.

"She could have came with us," Roy offered quietly as the train freed itself from the station, he crossed his arms as he settled more into the seat.

Maes moved his hand from the window, he knew that but he had meant what he had said in the bathroom. It had been too long since the two men had had a chance to laugh like idiots the way they did when they were cadets. He sat beside him, allowing a rush of air to escape as he thought about the statement his friend had just said. It was said more out of politeness rather than holding any real weight.

"Yeah but we're having a boys only holiday," Maes replied as he crossed his legs at the ankles, "Can't exactly tell the really dirty stories or jokes if my wife is around now can we?"

"You can't tell the really dirty ones without giggling like a three year old," Roy snorted as he pulled his jumper tighter around himself, he had claimed one of Hughes jumpers before he had left the home.

The fabric was warm and soft and he knew it drowned his slender frame. Maes was broader across the chest than he was and was taller by a good few inches but it had never stopped Roy from borrowing the odd shirt or jumper whenever he was staying. He never had a brother, he was an only child but he had always seen the man sitting next to him as a brother.

Discreetly, his 'brother' pulled out a camera when Roy looked out of the window. Maes was obsessed with the taking of photographs, recording everything that had made him smile and that evoked strong feelings that could drive a soul forward. A hobby that Roy never could get into, simply allowing Maes whatever he wanted within reason.

"Put it away Major Hughes," Roy said without the hint of annoyance but trying to keep a straight face, "Enough."

"Creating memories firefly," Maes offered as the camera clicked, the man holding the camera at arms length to take a snap as he pulled Roy near him.

The young lieutenant colonel sighed softly as he closed his eyes, "Just...don't go insane."

"Roy, Roy, Roy," Maes made a sweeping gesture with his arm that wasn't wrapped around his friend, "Me? Insane? Are you kidding me?"

Four hours later...

Maes found himself in that pleasant state of not quite being awake and not quite sleeping. He was semi aware of his surroundings and that Roy was currently snoring softly into his shoulder. It was a pleasant sound that had been a while in coming. It had came as a surprise to him when his friend had admitted that he had been thinking of the past, especially the first day they had encountered each other.

The major lost himself in his own memories, watching the scenery go by on the train. He had stopped by command headquarters before he had returned home to speak with Hawkeye but the woman wasn't there. It had turned out that she was visiting his home to see her superior officer. That didn't bother him, it had allowed him the chance to check Roy's office without being harassed or questioned by the pretty blonde. It also allowed him to tidy up any kind of incriminating evidence that may have been laying around.

Maes had been surprised at how cold the room had been when he had opened the doors to the office, he had instantly shut the window and tidied up out of habit. The pistol and the letter he had wrote sat next to an empty glass and Hughes hated how his heart had skipped a beat in dread.

The pistol had been right next to the tumbler, easily within arms reach of someone sitting down. Had Roy been planning on doing something stupid? He had quickly picked up the handgun and removed the full magazine from the handle, relieved that Roy had ran from the wrong decision. He opened a drawer and placed the gun in it, placing the magazine next to it. He had locked the drawer and put the letter in the short blue uniform jacket's inner pocket, hoping that his friend would always read the last part of the letter if he was ever depressed again.

It was always scary when his friend would shut down and run, one day, Maes knew that he would run somewhere where he just wouldn't be able to find him. Maes yawned loudly, bringing himself back to the present. He closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath to rid himself fully of depressing thoughts.

He was dressed casually, wearing his favourite purple shirt under a dark suit jacket. He had wore it partly to annoy Roy who could act like the fashion police and partly because he really liked it. Roy wore a light coloured jumper, a contrast to the purple shirt his friend wore. The fabric was loose, the major was aware that his friend had managed to bruise a few ribs and was loathe wearing anything that constricted his chest.

Maes took a deep, sleepy breath, yawning as quietly as he could, clearing his thoughts completely. They had spoken briefly about it, Roy had asked what had brought Maes to him and Maes couldn't really find an answer that his friend would actually believe.

It hadn't been out of pity or sympathy. He had watched the alchemist sitting alone, day in and day out without anyone going near him for three weeks and had decided that enough was enough. The teen wasn't some freak who should be denied friendship and it certainly didn't bother him that Roy was smarter than him.

Maes crossed his arms as delicately as he could in order not to disturb the sleeping man next to him. He grinned to himself, he had blatantly ignored all the warnings all the other cadets had gave him in regards to chasing a friendship with the alchemist. He had on more than one occasion fought physically with them because he refused to follow their advice, he wasn't going to deny Roy friendship. He didn't care about power or alchemy, nor caring that alchemists were being used in the war that seemed to be never ending.

He had not been as foolish or as naïve as the man snoring to his right. Roy had went in with his eyes closed, believing that everything could be fixed with the correct application of alchemy and that as soon as the enemy saw the power the Amestrian army had unleashed then the war would be over. Sadly, it wouldn't prove that simple but Maes had never chided or mocked that belief but simply picked up the pieces when Roy was shattering with every soul he sent to the grave.

Lazily, he bounced his foot, pulling a battered looking wallet out of his inside pocket. The leather groaned as it struggled to contain the photos that were almost bursting out, most were dog eared and battered in the corners but Maes didn't care. Every one of them were as precious as a gemstone to him. He knew every one off by heart and knew what ones were where in the bundle. Expert fingers plucked out about half a dozen and he allowed a soft smile to settle on his tired features.

The first one was his wedding day, a lovely picture of his bride and him standing at the church Gracia had picked when she had been a little girl. The second was a rare picture of Roy with a streak of chocolate across his nose as war paint and pulling a silly face. The next was Riza, Roy, Armstrong and himself standing to mock attention for the picture. The final two were another of his wife in nothing but her wedding veil and garter belt and Maes would never show that picture to anyone under pain of death.

Roy's picture was something that he wouldn't share willingly either. A rare, true smile on lips normally set in a thin line during the war. Brown eyes filled with such passion and hope that Hughes had decided that whatever Roy decided on after they both survived the war, he would make sure he fulfilled it.

That was the Roy Mustang that no one wanted to see, the beautiful young soul that had never seen the horror of the war and had never ended the life of another soul with the simple click of his slender fingers. The young man who was currently falling into a deep depression because he couldn't believe that he wasn't some monster. The innocence that Bradley seemed intent on ripping out of his soldiers on the battlefield still, somehow, managed to linger in the weary soul.

He couldn't remember taking the picture but he didn't remember the odd month during the war after an incident with the Crimson Lotus Alchemist on the battlefield. The event still a hazy nightmare that had left him with a fear of enclosed spaces and tensing whenever he heard a loud pop or bang from a firework.

Maes dropped his head to the side, his jaw touching Roy's temple and he kissed it gently in an affectionate way. He had endured a few beating back during the academy because of a few idiots who couldn't differentiate between adoring, lasting friendship and homosexuality.

Roy wasn't exactly his type. Yes, he was an insanely good looking man but he hogged the covers, ate the last of the donuts and never ever made a fresh pot of tea or coffee if he finished it. He snored like a tank with a faulty exhaust pipe and would do the crossword by writing in the answers but in the wrong spots or just spelling them incorrectly much to the annoyance of everyone else.

All of those faults and more mixed in made the Flame Alchemist. Something that he hoped would never change because it had created a loyal, trustworthy man who would move the heavens for those he cared about. Roy needed to see that he was more than the rumours and nasty whispers that circulated around headquarters. He wasn't the insane Crimson Lotus Alchemist, that man was completely crazy and was madder than a box of frogs.

Hughes had never wished ill on anyone but he couldn't stop himself from hoping that bad luck of the worst possible kind graced that man. There was no love lost between him and that creature. Days at the academy and the war wanted to consume him and destroy his good mood if he allowed it but he shook himself mentally again. That monster had been arrested on war crimes and was now spending the rest of his natural life behind bars, Hughes would have been happier if the Fuhrer had sentenced him far more harshly but Crimson couldn't harm anyone where he was now.

A polite chap brought him out of his thoughts, a girl selling snacks and drinks. He offered her a smile, thinking it was rare for a food trolley to be offered to people travelling in the first class carriage. Maes didn't complain however as his stomach grumbled as he had skipped lunch napping with his friend. Rich, fancy foods always unsettled his stomach and he preferred some home made items and he could see the trolley was groaning with tempting wares and something that should not have been there.

He leaned forward as best he could, hoping that it was just his tired imagination that had created the threat his mind was telling him that was there. Why would a pretty little thing like her have a rifle stashed under the napkins on the bottom self? The country was not at war, they were at peace for the moment.

Why is it that Roy and I never get to enjoy our vacations without someone trying to drag us into some damn fight? Maes thought as he gave the sleeping Roy a glance, relieved that the man seemed to be deep in sleep.

"Hi," the girl said softly as she noticed the sleeping male leaning on Maes, "Care for anything?"

"Yeah..." Maes breathed as he caught sight of a larger shadow behind the slight girl, "How bout we do this quietly huh?"

The girl looked surprised at Maes answer but followed hazel eyes to the rifle that was hidden. She smiled at him with admiration and pushed the door open further to allow Maes the sight of the large man holding a terrified conductor hostage in two automailed arms.

"...Hostages huh?" Hughes pulled a face as he tucked the photos back in his wallet, adrenaline racing in his body as he forced himself to keep calm, "Lady, you have picked the wrong day to mess with me..."

Now...After the fall of the Fuhrer and Father...

The older Elrich brother stared in a mixture of horror, anger, sorrow and jealousy. The hospital ward was heavily guarded at both exits and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to enter the hospital room. It had been the last place he had seen a good man before he had died, the last time he had laughed and smiled with him before death had cruelly taken him.

Edward tightly clenched his fists, his fingernails digging painfully into his palms as he stared at the persons his frustrating and undefinable emotions were being aimed at. Golden coloured eyes blinking back furious tears as blonde hair fell into them. He heard footsteps almost running up the cold, white tiled corridor, he turned round and saw a concerned looking First Lieutenant Hawkeye skidding to a halt just before him.

"Did he do it? Did that stupid, spoilt, selfish man actually do it?" she asked with unhidden fear and anger, "He...he promised...after everything that has happened..."

How could he answer that? The evidence certainly indicated that Colonel Mustang had actually managed the impossible. Edward took a step towards her, trying to find the right words that kept escaping him. The woman no doubt wanted to enter the room, beat Mustang senseless for his selfish actions if it was true.

"It seems like maybe he has," Ed snorted with disbelief, "I just don't know how though."

Hawkeye swallowed with difficulty, afraid to voice the actual question. Had Mustang actually managed a human transmutation after everything they had went through? After everything he had went through? She was unwilling to look through the window, what state would he be in? What had he lost in order to bring back the dead?

Ed shook his head as he took a deep breath. Roy was in the room, finally sedated after screaming like a demon possessed, settling only when the other male had been brought back to him. The Elrich brother leaned against the wall, watching the colonel sleep under restraints placed on him by the nurses.

"I think it's him though," Ed finally said, allowing a bitter and broken smile to appear, "It's...really him according to Doctor Knox."

Hawkeye blinked, unsure of what the young blonde meant. She tilted her head, she had only been given basic information by Havoc, the man simply telling her that the chief had been stupid in the worst possible way. Jean had refused to divulge anything else over the phone and had been unable to meet her in person so had told her to head to the hospital where Ed would share more information.

Who exactly was Edward referring to? She watched as he shook his head, taking a breath to clear his mind from anything but the present.

Ed tightened his fists, wanting to strike the colonel in the hospital bed but he knew that it wouldn't do anything now. Both men deserved to be struck if he was honest but he was torn, if he struck them, then he doubted he would get the answers that were so desperately needed right now. He wanted to rush into the room and embrace the second man but his heart kept being overruled by his head being reasonable.

"Colonel Idiot isn't able to talk but..." he trailed off as he slowly opened the door, "but...he is."

It was like a blow to the chest when he saw the man sitting up on the bed. Dark hair unruly and falling into hazel eyes that blinked to clear poor vision without the aid of square glasses. A soft smile seemed to be forced as he fought back concern as he gazed at Roy on the other bed.

"Who are you?" Ed asked slowly, not wanting to pin any kind of hope onto the man.

Those hazel eyes snapped to him and Ed could see the man's brain scrambling to connect the name to the fuzzy face. A lock of dark hair fell over his right eye and a relieved sigh escaped, shoulders sagging gently downwards.

"Ed? It's me," Maes Hughes replied softly with the tone of someone who was slowly realising something wasn't quite right, "I'm...Maes Hughes, right?"

"Are you asking or telling me?" Ed crossed his arms, hearing Riza gasp in surprise as she finally entered the ward.

"I'm telling you," Maes said firmly, "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes."

Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes... Ed said nothing as he took that it, it was Brigadier General Hughes since his death but if he was really who he said he was, then the last rank he would remember would be that.

Dr Knox stood near Roy's bed, fully aware of the situation and of the doubt that was filling the room at present. He had examined both men and he was absolutely sure that both men were in fact human. The man claiming to be the deceased general had been happily babbling on about his wife and child, something that Hughes was infamous for.

There was no tattoos of the dreaded Hommunculli on the lightly tanned skin of Hughes, he showed everyone the same level of affection he had done before he had been killed by the monster Envy. Knox wanted to believe that it was him, that Hughes had somehow cheated death but he knew otherwise.

He had performed the autopsy on the man. Cracking open a strong rib cage and carefully removing the vital organs that were contained. His own hands had weighed his internal organs, retrieving the bullet that had extinguished the light of Maes. He knew the precise weight of the man's heart and found that it just hadn't seemed big enough for the sheer amount of love that the family man had within him.

Whoever, whatever had brought him back had done a rather remarkable job. He didn't have a perfect body, there were scars that Hughes could correctly place and name how he got them. He couldn't place two of them however, one on his upper arm right arm and the gunshot wound above his heart.

Knox honestly hoped that Hughes was Hughes. It would be heartbreaking to end his life but if the gentle man was not human, then...it would be kinder.

"It is the brigadier general," Knox finally said as he broke the heavy silence that had fallen, "There is no visible sign of the markings to show that he is a Hommunculli."

"Brigadier gene...? Hommunculli? What?" Hughes' surprise was clear in the confused mumble, "how...I'm just a lieutenant colonel. When the hell did I get a promotion above Roy?"

Let's see how he reacts to this, Edward thought, "After you were killed."

The eldest son of Von Hohemhiem felt his heart constrict as Hughes made an odd sound on hearing the information. Hazel eyes stared numbly at Knox then at Ed, he rubbed his face as he tried to digest the information. He leaned forward, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Ed didn't know the details of Hughes death, only what he had read in the newspaper when he had returned to Central a few weeks after the man's demise at the hands of Envy. He had blamed Mustang at the time, not realising that the colonel was hurting just as much, if not more than he was.

He had watched revenge take the colonel underneath the city, he could stand by as Riza struggled to bring him back from the edge of madness the death of Hughes had placed him on and it was then, Edward realised that Mustang wasn't all that different from him.

"I died fighting right?" Maes asked quietly into the room, "My girls? My girls are okay right?"

Hawkeye watched the man, this was honest emotions. There was no indication that he was being anything but honest with them. It seemed as though the man sitting on the bed was in fact, Maes Hughes.

"You died trying to warn Colonel Mustang not to trust the senior officers," Hawkeye informed as she watched over the seated man, "You discovered a huge lead and was silenced because of it."

Ed could only watch as Maes took that information in. He saw the range of emotions battling in the man's eyes, Maes stared at his hands, his breathing catching in his throat and he looked over to Roy. Realisation dawning on his face as he fought back a pained and terrified sob.

Had Roy...had Roy broken his promise?

"Am I...am I...did he...?" he couldn't stop the tears that spilled over, he didn't want to exist if there was the tiniest possibility that he was in fact a monster.

Ed walked over to the bed, in his experience with the Hommunculli, they had rarely shown any emotion other than the ones they had been created to show. Knox had examined him, stating that Hughes could account for all scars on his body, save for two on his arm and above his heart.

He hugged Hughes suddenly, the man had treated him like a son when he and his brother would visit Central. Feeding them to the point of bursting and then trying to offer advise in his unique style. Hughes had never asked for anything in return and Ed wondered if anyone had ever asked the man to look after them or if he had simply took the initiative. He had shown a more paternal side to himself, a side that Ed would relish in and had indulged even if he acted like he didn't like it.

Strong arms wrapped themselves around the blonde as Maes rested his head on his shoulder, he felt tears soak his shirt and Ed hugged him slightly tighter. This was no action of a monster, no Hommunculli had acted this way but none of the seven monsters had been created for love. The only exception to that had been Greed, the creature showing signs of understanding other emotions like love and friendship and had used loyalty to defend those he considered his property.

Maes stilled as he raised his head as he realised something, "Ed, your arm..."

"Yeah," Ed laughed softly, "All better."

"You got your bodies back?" Maes held him at arms length, going into father mode.

The blonde male nodded, "It's a long story but yeah. I got my arm back and Al managed to get out of his armour."

Hughes beamed at that like a proud father, the man wiping away a tear that refused to shift. It felt good to have someone hug him and not stare at him like he was some threat and he just wished that he could clearly see the young man Ed had turned into. Hawkeye took a slow step forward, holding out a pair of glasses, her face neutral as she tried to figure out what had happened. Ed took the glasses and handed to Maes, waiting for the man to say something. If he got a surprise from Ed's arm being normal, then wait until he saw Alphonse.

Hughes gratefully took the glasses, sliding them onto his nose. He sighed with relief as he saw Hawkeye. His eyes darting over to the sedated Roy and his smile fell from his face. Why was he strapped down and should he be dead?

He scanned the room, everyone looked as though they had been through the mill and then some. Ed had had a growth spurt, that was obvious and he had turned into a good looking, strong young man. He had lost his puppy fat and had became lean but still retained his youthful looks. The young man had been loud, brash and small who could fight like a tiger caught in a cage when provoked.

He recognised the two guards at the exits, mean looking guns were gripped tightly in firm hands. He wasn't an idiot, they were there to either ensure that he remained or to keep people away. What they had failed to realise was that he had escaped from numerous sticky situations and tighter prisons than a hospital ward. He was a dab hand at escaping, much to the amusement of his friend Roy.

"You got big kid," Maes said as he took a deep breath calming himself, "Looking good."

Ed smiled back, "Yeah, turns out, I wasn't as tall as I should have been because Al was getting everything."

"Huh..." Maes blinked, how much had he missed if they were telling the truth? How long had he been gone?

Roy didn't look that different, a few grey hairs creeping in the mess that Roy had affectionately called hair. Riza looked flawless as always but Hughes could see a fading scar across a pale throat, that hadn't been there last time he had seen her.

"About three years," Ed seemed almost telepathic, "You've been gone for three years."

Three years? Three...Elicia is six now? My baby girl is six? She just turned three...Maes nodded slowly, rubbing his neck.

"I have a request," Maes looked directly at Knox, "Can I bum a smoke?"

Hawkeye laughed in surprise. Maes had a bad habit and she had thought that Roy had ordered him to stop but she knew that stress could aggravate bad habits. She remembered that Hughes would only smoke if he knew Roy wasn't in the nearby area and if he was caught, he had always used Havoc as the scape goat.

"Didn't you quit?" Hawkeye crossed her arms.

Maes blushed in a caught in a cookie jar kind of way. He gave her a shy look before looking over to Roy, He sighed heavily, he hadn't really, much to the annoyance of his wife. He simply didn't smoke when Roy was around, he wasn't an idiot. Gracia would buy him vanilla based and fused deodorants and would spray him liberally if he stank of nicotine when he came home.

"Only when Roy was in Central," Maes admitted with embarrassment, "Gracia is always moaning at me to actually quit. She always finds my packs and throws in them in the trash."

Everything he said was present tense, Hawkeye had noticed with fascination, was Hughes really the warm Hughes? He had been thrilled to see Edward all grown up and she had noticed that he had kept sneaking looks over to the unconscious Roy. Concern was there but it was tainted with a look of worry. She could see him wanting to ask him if he had done the impossible, broken the one taboo that alchemists had.

"Hughes..." Ed sat on the edge of the bed, "what do you remember? You know, before you got here?"

Maes looked once again to Mustang, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't know. He remembered events, searching for the Alchemist Killer and visiting the boys in the hospital after the Lab Five collapsing. There was a feeling of unease as he recalled events and he couldn't shake the dread settling in his stomach. An overriding emotion that seemed to find it's way into his heart, he had a feeling of concern that had turned to terror for his friend.

"I don't remember details but I remember needing to tell Roy something important," Maes shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't put it into words.

"Like telling us that command was not to be trusted?" Hawkeye wanted to truly believe that this was her friend but if it was, then it meant the end of her trust to Roy Mustang.

Hughes sighed, unsure if that was the case. He shrugged again, hating how he didn't have any answers for the people he cared about. He was in charge of Intelligence, he was supposed to know if and why someone sneezed any place in Central but he couldn't find the information needed relating to the most vital questions that people were asking him right now.

How did he get here and why? Who had brought him back?