I know, I have no update schedule but i know if i do that inspiration will be lacking and thus, i will not be pleased with my writing so i prefer to keep things spontaneous. Sorry. \(^_^)/ Oh ya, never really specified which FMA universe this was in. I think its gonna be in brotherhood mainly but Ed still has his automail arm. Lets just pretend he never did regain his real one. *shhh secrets*

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA.

Ed's POV

Hawkeye and I finally manage to make it to where the General has sat his sorry-self. Well, it more seems like where he collapsed but then that would make it seem like I would have to pity him, which I do not. If anything I pity the Major, having to babysit the shit-head. Not that she needs pitying! I'm sure she has everything under control!

Fuck.

Time to stop thinking Ed.

Of coarse, since my focus has been distracted from staying balance with two non-functioning limbs I stumble which causes Riza to bear my full weight. Let's get the record straight, two metal limbs aren't light. So, it only makes sense that we go tumbling in the snow. Can I formally report that snow is fucking cold? Is there somewhere I could submit a complaint?

Probably not.

"Sor-sorry Ri-ri-riza," I manage to get out between chattering teeth.

She smiles slightly and stands up to brush herself off, "It's fine Ed."

I shuffle next to Mustang and lean against a tree. Tilting my head back, I rest it against the tree and let my eyes slip shut.

I think of Al and Winry. Hughes. Havoc. Please be okay and notice we're missing.

My breath slowly evened out and I slipped into unconsciousness.

Hawkeye POV

I watched as Ed settled himself against the same tree our superior was leaning on. Slowly, his eyes shut and his breathing evened out. I gnawed my lip, unsure if it was a good idea to let him sleep.

"Let him sleep Hawkeye," a voice cut through my thoughts. "We're here to watch him."

I catch my superiors eyes and see the promise in them. Sighing, I turn around. As I walk away I call back to him, "I'm going to try and find fire wood, if anything happens to him you're name will be mud."

~(^-^)~

I return with an arm full of fire wood and plop it in front of the general unceremoniously. He doesn't turn his eyes from his young subordinate.

"Sir?"

He looks at me silently.

"Mind starting the fire, it is your area of expertise."

He snorts, "Only now would you hold that over my head." I raise an eyebrow. "Fine, get me something to get a spark."

I reach over and chuck him a lighter I keep in my back pocket for times like these. It also happens to be one I took off Havoc a few years back.

Sighing, my superior claps his hands and spark the lighter, effectively lighting a log on fire. He hands me back the lighter, "thank you, sir."

He huffs, saying nothing as I build up the fire.

I look back at Ed, he looks worse than Mustang right now. The cold must be playing hell with his automail. Sighing, I sit on his other side and tug him closer to me, grimacing as the freezing metal contacts me. Smoothing his hair back from his face I check his temperature. He doesn't have hypothermia but I fear that much longer out here and he will.

"Riza..." The quiet voice pulls me from my thoughts. "Earlier, I said there was no way Ed would've grown."

"Sir," I hesitantly ask.

"But, I know he has. I think that sending him on all the missions was a way to avoid facing it... Ed... Him and Al are like sons to me, you know that... Those damn kids wheedle there way into your life and heart." He stares at his hands. "Ed lost his alchemy, something that was such a fundamental part of who he was. And I, I just stood there. I couldn't do anything. I was useless." He turns and punches the tree.

I stay silent. Letting Roy get his anger out. That man has a temper to rival Ed's but instead of the firey loud anger, its a cold, chilling thing that can scare you to your core in a different way than Edward's does. I've only seen the man lash out a few times, but each time has made me increasingly more greatful he's on my side and not my enemy.

When he seems to have settled I speak. "It wasn't your fault," I say quietly. "He knew what he was doing. Besides, you've seen his pride. He would've taken it personally as an insult if you tried to offer up something of your own. Restoring Al was his goal because he saw it as his mistake. He wouldn't ever be able to forgive himself if you got hurt fixing something he did."

"When did you and him get so close Riza," the General asks in a hushed whisper.

"It started when Al was in recovery from getting his body back. Ed, I think he just needed somebody who wasn't so emotionally attached to the situation as Winry or Pinako were. After that we just started meeting every so often for coffee and to talk. It's nice. I got used to seeing the less harsh side of him," I explain softly.

"Thank you."

"For what sir?"

"Looking after him was I couldn't."

We settle into silence as dusk falls. Another night in this frozen hell hole.

I was gonna write more but I think thats a good place to stop. If i don't i'll probably end in a cliffhanger and i don't want to be the victim of readers who are like me when things end in a cliff. (It ain't pretty.)

I tried to make it longer. I'll probably update during the break since schools done a week thursday but no guarantees. Who knows, maybe we won't see eachother until exams in January! Damn... where did semester one go... *sigh* I'm gonna have to choose grade 11 coarses soon, that scares me. Grade 11 actually matters cuz universitys look at it when applying.

My mum says I'll be fine because i'm one of those students other students hate cause i don't have to really try in school and still get 90+ marks. Heh. but that why chapters happen during "study" time during exams I guess!

~Twink