A/N So it's Fridaaayyy and that means uuuuupdaaatee. Lol XD Really guys, I'm very chuffed with the reaction I've been getting to this fic. Everyone seems to be enjoying it and that makes me so relieved. :')

This chapter is longer, reaching just below 5,000 words. I'm not sure, but I think it's the largest chapter, so enjoy! x'D

On to my babies!

Chapter 3

After his visit to Ed's tent, Roy decided to take a look around, ignoring Wang's insistence of needing rest. He started walking, passing tents and a small herbs market and encountering several children as they ran and bumped into him. People gave him glances, some stares. Others just weren't at all discreet as they stared at him distrustfully while many children, blissfully ignorant of the tension between him and many adults, offered him smiles and what he guessed were hellos in their own language. He couldn't understand, but that didn't mean that he couldn't offer them a smile in return.

He walked and looked around as he did so – they were still on the island though deep into the forest. A part of him wondered how these people had managed to get so far into the forest safely but another part of him didn't really care much.

He passed a bunch of kids, mostly girls, making all sorts of decorative shapes out of flowers and then, after glancing around to see if he was being watched, he lifted a rather large leaf and walked through. There were no more tents here and now he was officially 'alone' in the forest. He sauntered forwards quietly, glancing behind him every now and then to make sure the last tent remained in his field of vision. The last thing he needed right now was to get lost.

He walked leisurely for a few more moments until he heard something. He halted and focused on his hearing; it was like water falling from somewhere.

Glancing behind him, he bit his lip as he contemplated whether to head towards the sound. It could be dangerous, but then again it might not be. Having made up his mind, he picked up his pace as he noticed the sound getting more audible the further he moved.

And that was when he saw it. It was a mini waterfall – that was the first thought that crossed his mind. The water that came out of the massive rock fell into a lake below, making the noise Roy had heard. He walked further towards the water, the grass below caressing and tickling his bare feet, and crouched down just in front of the lake. It was crystal clear – he could discern the bottom, as well as tiny fish swimming in it. Slowly putting his hand in, he noted the water was cool, ideal for a swim he could say – it didn't seem deep either.

It was so peaceful here, the only sound being several birds as they sang and chirped loudly. He could come here if he wanted some peace and quiet. And he could bring Edeline as well; he was sure she'd be impressed.

Standing up now, he studied the place so he could find his way over here again and then decided to head back to the tents. He would most likely return later to the forest in order to find some way to leave and head back to Central, but he had to have Edeline with him.

With that thought, he turned around and began walking back the way he came.

From his stroll, Roy managed to deduce that they were deep into the forest and, even though relatively safe, he couldn't help agonising over the fact that the rest of the crew would have a hard time finding them here, if they even found them at all.

They'd most likely be searching for them at the end of the cliff – where they had fallen. But they weren't there anymore. What if they were convinced they were dead and stopped looking?

He mentally shook his head. No, he knew for a fact that Hawkeye and Alphonse wouldn't stop until they had bodies for evidence. But how much exactly had he swum? How far away were they?

He bit his lip as he lifted the same large leaf and thought that maybe he had made a mistake when he had swum with Ed all the way here. Perhaps if he had stayed put they would have been found by now…But then again, there was no guarantee than Edeline would still be alive.

Sighing, he reached the tent and flipped it open so he could enter. He could do nothing about that now; what was done was done. He'd just have to put his faith in the crew.

Once in the tent, he registered Wang sitting on his chair with a bowl of steaming rice in his hands. He smiled cordially at Roy and beckoned him further inside.

"Ya must be hungry, boy. Have a seat and eat some." He gestured at the chair opposite his, where Roy noticed another bowl resting on the small table next to it. Just then, his stomach made a loud growling noise and he placed a hand over it. He had been so preoccupied that he had neglected to realise how much he was starving. He hadn't eaten anything for at least twenty four hours.

Emitting another sigh, he walked over and picked up the bowl of rice. Plopping down on the chair, he began eating slowly. The rice was plain and had no spices to give it any taste whatsoever. It felt dry in Roy's mouth and he barely refrained from grimacing in disgust and spitting it out. In any other situation, he would have left it with the excuse of not being hungry, but he knew he needed to eat something and, truthfully, he was too hungry right now to care much about taste, or lack thereof.

The men sat in comfortable silence until Roy's mind travelled to Ed and he couldn't help but ask, "Has she woken up?" He didn't need to say a name for Wang to know who he was talking about.

When the elder shook his head, Roy heaved a sigh and slumped further in his seat. Then, Wang leaned over and placed a hand on his forearm reassuringly. "Give 'er some time, son."

But how much time? It felt like ages already and he just wanted for her to wake up so his mind could be put at rest. He wanted to find a way out of here and back to Central – he was sure they weren't even located close to the town they had been in anymore. Did the crew think they were? Of course they did…

Gulping down his water, Roy placed the now empty bowl and glass on the table and stood up without a word. Wang didn't question his quiet demeanour and let him exit the tent, only for him to enter the one right next to it.

The sight was the same; Edeline's pale complexion lying on the mattress while Taa was sitting next to her with a cup of tea in her hands.

Upon entering, the woman lifted her head up from where she was staring at his blonde subordinate and offered him a silent smile, just an upwards twitch of the mouth.

He sauntered quietly towards Ed, unwilling to break the silence. Sitting down at his usual spot, he lifted her small hand in his, fingers brushing against her skin. Studying her face, he couldn't help the dread he felt when he noticed she seemed thinner than before. But it was only natural, he thought, she hadn't woken up so she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for who knows how many hours.

As if following his train of thought, Taa momentarily stood up only to sit back down again a moment later with a glass of water in her hands. Roy looked at her inquisitively as she offered him the glass.

"I usually give her sips of water every now and then," she said quietly as a response, and Roy took the glass from her. Taa placed her hands underneath Ed and lifted her up ever so slightly, one hand underneath her head and the other on her back. With a motion of her head, she told Roy to raise the glass to the blonde's lips.

He obliged, and with his free hand shifted Ed's weight off Taa and onto himself. Tentatively, he poured a sip of water in her mouth but withdrew when he saw Ed frown softly and press her mouth shut.

The elder placed her hand on the glass and Roy let her take it from him. Following Taa's instructions, he lifted Ed up in his arms until she was in a relatively sitting position and watched as Taa tried getting some water in her. Ed didn't react like before but instead moved one of her arms slightly and rested it on Roy's left forearm which was wrapped around her waist.

"Ed?" Roy questioned softly, hesitantly. There was no response. After a moment Taa withdrew her hand and placed the glass by the side of the mattress. Ed stirred again and emitted a small groan of discomfort, before her eyes fluttered open slowly and Roy let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

Placing her in his lap, the sheet still wrapped around her feebly, he zoned in on her face and half closed eyes as she tried to focus them. She frowned in what Roy identified as confusion and he leaned in closer, remembering how low her words came out when she tried to speak.

Her lips parted ever so slightly and Roy waited, his patience wearing thin as apprehension squeezed at his heart. A small cough escaped her and Taa told him to sit her up properly. Ed coughed and wheezed and squeezed her eyes shut, tears forming at the corners as the coughs shook her small frame. The elder patted and stroked her back soothingly while Roy opted for a concerned frown as he observed her.

Once she had calmed, the coughs almost nonexistent, Ed took several deep breaths. With his free hand, Roy pushed strands of hair out of her now sweaty face and gazed at her in concern.

It seemed that from pale she had gone red in the face, her cheeks flushed and perspiration forming at her brow. The rest of her was still so deathly pale though and Roy didn't know what to think. Should he be worried because she was pale or red?

Touching her face with his fingers, his frown deepened when he realised how hot her cheeks were. Moving his fingers to her forehead, he came to a conclusion; she was burning up.

She had a fever now? Damn it, how was that even possible? She was as pale as the dead a few minutes ago!

"It's good," Taa commented absent-mindedly, reading his thoughts, as she rummaged through some bag at the other side of the tent.

Roy's frown deepened even more. "How is this good? Going from pale to red so fast can't be healthy."

Taa sat by him and smiled knowingly. "I've been waiting for the fever actually. I knew it would come." She placed a damp cloth on her forehead and stroked her hair fondly. Roy remained silent, his mind trying to process and comprehend what this woman was telling him. Most likely noticing his troubling look, Taa rested her hand on his shoulder reassuringly as she continued. "It's her body's reaction. It's trying to get her back to normal."

He was relieved Ed would be alright and all, but…"And how long will that take?"

Taa's smile widened and she motioned for him to lay Ed back down on the mattress. "About three days."

Roy barely refrained from groaning. Three days? He had no idea how he'd last with the worry that was eating away at him. Ed hadn't even recognized him before, or she would have said something. It was like her eyes were open, but not seeing. And that kept nagging Roy. It had been almost two days without Edeline – and as far as he knew, he had another three to go.

He wanted to return to the safety of his house, in Central, but most of all he wanted Edeline to be safe and sound in a hospital, where he could trust the people to know what they were doing to her. Not that he had any kinds of suspicions these people were hurting her…but he didn't know exactly what they were doing either.

He watched as Edeline's breathing escalated and increased in rate, her cheeks becoming redder and redder in his eyes. Her breaths were short, almost like gasps, and he wondered if she was taking in enough oxygen or if she'd start panting desperately soon. Perspiration trickled down her cheeks and her hands, he noticed, had the sheet in a death grip.

Roy sighed, attempting to peel her fingers of her left hand off the cover gently, and then placed the hand into his own two. Instantly, she tightened her hold, calloused fingers curling around his hand in a grip so tight her knuckles were white.

Roy turned to Taa. "Do you have anything we could use to check her temperature?" It wasn't like it was necessary; she surely had a fever, but judging from her rapid breathing…Roy just hoped her temperature wasn't too high.

Taa shook her head and finally came closer to them again from where she was beating something at the small counter at the side of the tent. Roy narrowed his eyes inquisitively as he stared at the small pot in her arms and the elder sat down at Ed's other side, resting the pot by her side.

"It'll help her breathing," she explained briefly. Roy didn't exactly get how that would assist but he decided to put his faith in the old woman.

Taa grabbed a hold of the sheet and pushed it down, letting Roy see the rest of the garment they had given Ed.

It was a plain brown dress, definitely sewn from the same material as Roy's pants. The dress was relatively long, reaching just under her knees and had no design whatsoever. It was strapless, leaving the nasty scar on her right shoulder visible. The garment was probably made deliberately that way for it to be easier to put on and remove. The only thing one needed to do was undo the piece of fabric wrapped around her waist.

Taa rolled Ed on her stomach and did just that. The brown clothing fell, revealing Edeline's whole back and sides. Roy spluttered. "W-w-what are you–!?" He stood up hastily and couldn't quite hide the redness in his cheeks.

The elder looked puzzled as she paused and looked up at him, folding her robe tightly around herself self-consciously. "What's the matter?" When Roy just stared at her incredulously, she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You haven't seen her nude before?"

Roy was debating sprinting out of this tent as fast as his legs could carry him but took a deep breath and stayed. He couldn't quite tear his eyes away from Ed's naked back and flattened breasts but forced himself to look at Taa instead. "Should I have?" he asked, his tone hinting towards the embarrassment he was feeling. It wasn't like he hadn't seen a woman naked before – he'd actually seen a lot of that – but just the fact that this was Ed made everything much more complicated.

Taa blinked. "Well, aren't you two husband and wife?"

What?

He stared at her blankly. Then, his tone low and blunt, he deadpanned, "Where the hell did you get that idea from?"

Silence ensued for several seconds as they stared at each other, both incredulous for their own reasons.

Finally, Taa seemed to find her voice. "Well…it isn't uncommon for married couples to travel, and by the way you seemed so concerned for her as well as they way you were into a tight embrace when we found you two…we just…assumed that you have romantic feelings for each other."

"You just assumed…Wait. Couldn't you just think we were some very good friends or something? Well, we aren't that either but…" Roy reclaimed his seat on the floor and looked at the elder, still too flabbergasted to believe that this conversation was actually taking place right now. No-on had ever suspected him of having feelings for Edeline before. Well, that was a first.

Taa seemed uncomfortable now and rather embarrassed by her error. "Well, you do seem to care a lot for her…She's someone very important, right?"

At least now she asked…

Roy sighed and gazed at his blonde subordinate as he answered. "Yes…she is."

Silence settled between them again when–

"Well then!" Taa exclaimed and clapped her wrinkled hands together, making Roy's head snap up to look at her, baffled. She smiled at him, and Roy dared to say cheekily. "Unless you want to be a witness, you can leave the tent now while I apply this–"–she pointed to the pot by her side– "–on her chest."

Roy blinked. "…Oh. U-um, I better…go…" Feeling rather flustered, Roy stood up and left the tent, leaving a chuckling Taa behind.

Away from Taa and Ed's tantalisingly naked back, Roy bit down on his lip as he debated whether to return to his and Wang's tent or take another walk. He felt pretty worn out and he really wasn't in the mood for the stares he'd receive so he opted for retreating to the tent.

Upon entering, he expected to see Wang, but instead his onyx eyes fell upon a much younger female sitting quietly on the mat in the middle of the small space. Roy blinked and remained impassive as his mind tried putting the pieces together. Who was this?

The young girl couldn't be more than seven or eight and she kept staring at him with wide black eyes, a small, hesitant smile adorning her face, a shy blush on her cheeks. She seemed to be holding something – a flower, he realised soon enough.

His eyes scanned the room but there was no sign of Wang.

The girl shuffled in a bashful manner and gripped her dress tightly with her free hand, her face facing downwards but her eyes staring intensely at him over long eyelashes.

Roy shifted his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. Finally, he decided to speak, but as soon as he had begun opening his mouth he snapped it shut again, remembering that not all the people here spoke Amestrian. A girl of her age most likely wouldn't understand and he'd end up scaring her…

But then again, what was she doing here in the first place? Maybe she spoke at least a little Amestrian?

Making up his mind, he figured he had nothing to lose by trying to get her to speak, even if that was in her own language.

"Can I help you, miss?" he asked as politely as he could, hoping Wang would return from wherever he had gone and save him from this uncomfortable situation.

The little girl's blush immediately became more pronounced and she hastily stood up and walked towards him, her head facing the floor. Stopping just before she bumped into him, she raised her head and worried her bottom lip, before thrusting the flower she was holding into his hands and returning to her staring at the floor.

Roy blinked, perplexed beyond belief, and decided to take a look at the flower.

It was a bright red rose, the petals looking as if they had been meticulously painted with light and dark shades of a blood red. The girl, it seemed, had been extremely picky when choosing the flower and exceptionally careful when she had been carrying it, for all the petals were impeccable and not one had a single flaw. The stem was long and the thorns had been cautiously cut off, leaving only a few leaves to protrude from it.

Roy raised an eyebrow at the girl, who seemed to become more embarrassed as time went on in silence. Just when he was about to try questioning her about it, she spoke, surprisingly in Amestrian though broken and every word laced with a heavy Xingese accent.

"I-it for y-your f-friend," the girl stammered and dared to lift her head to look at him. Her cheeks were still a fierce red, though she seemed to have stopped shuffling her feet timidly. "T-to m-make her f-feel betta!"

So that was what all this was about…The little girl had been concerned about Ed and decided to give her a small gift. Roy found himself smiling and thanking the young child, who in returned graced him with a wide, childlike grin and, bashfulness seemingly forgotten, she squealed in delight.

"Can you give it her?" she inquired brightly, her small hands balled to fists and tightly held against her chest.

Roy nodded amicably. "Yeah, I'll give it to her when she wakes up." Whenever that is…he mentally added in dismay.

At his words, the girl nodded solemnly – it was rather funny, Roy thought, seeing such a young child nod so gravely. "Yes, Granny Taa said pretty girl really sick and not waking up."

Roy was surprised; the girl had visited Ed's tent? He honestly thought he, Wang and Taa were the only ones who entered the tent (truthfully, he had never even seen Wang enter it). He was taking a liking to this girl for some reason.

Not feeling as uncomfortable as he had, Roy walked further into the tent and sat on the mattress he used for sleeping and gestured for the girl to sit next to him. With a big grin, she complied and gazed up at him with wide, blissfully shining eyes. Roy carefully brought the rose in front of him and stared at it.

"What's your name?" he inquired softly, his eyes taking in every detail of the flower.

"Shima!" the girl exclaimed proudly and gently shook him by the shoulder. "An' you?"

He offered her a lopsided grin. "Roy."

"Cool!" Shima blushed then, as if remembering her supposed shyness and looked at her lap as she fiddled with her thumbs. "W-what's the pretty girl name?"

Roy raised his eyebrows and stared at her as a couple of seconds ticked by, rather amused by her bashfulness when mentioning Ed. "Edeline," he answered finally.

Shima made a cute noise and was trying to prevent a smile from taking over her features. "W-when she wake up…C-can I m-meet her?"

He couldn't help himself as he raised his hand and patted her little black head – she was pretty adorable.

"Of course you can. I'm sure you'll be great friends." He added the last sentence a bit sarcastically, taking into account Ed's brash character and obnoxious attitude – the outside was nowhere near a description of the inside. He chuckled humourlessly as thoughts of how Ed would most likely scare the kid for life when they met flashed through his mind. He put a hand over his mouth to stifle his chuckles.

The child though, evidently not getting the hint of sarcasm, beamed at his words. "Really!? Y-you think she like me?"

Roy smirked. "Sure, sure." Poor kid…

He looked back at the rose in his hand. "Why don't you give her this rose when you meet her? I'm sure she'll appreciate it," he suggested but she was already shaking her head before he had even finished the question.

"No," she said simply, in a tone that left no room for negation. Roy raised his eyebrows – that kid surely had many sides to her personality. Then, she continued. "You give flower to her."

He furrowed his brows slightly in response, not really getting her childlike ideas and reasons – he'd never get to comprehend a child's way of thinking.

Shrugging to brush it off, he decided to change the topic. "So, where did you learn to speak such good Amestrian?"

The girl blushed at the compliment and smiled. "Granny Taa give me lessons. I-I love Amestrian language." Batting her lashes timidly, she returned to fiddling with her thumbs as onyx eyes studied her.

He was ready to reply, when there was a noise outside and then Wang was in the tent. He looked fairly surprised at the sight before him before his features softened. "Shima! There you are!" he said playfully, surprisingly in Amestrian. "I should've known ya would be with one of the Amestrians!" He winked at them and Shima blushed profusely, before sitting up from the mattress. "Your mama has been looking for ya, girl," Wang continued, jerking his thumb outside of the tent.

"O-oh!" Shima exclaimed and turned to Roy. She bowed before saying, "Bye bye, Mr. Roy!" and shuffled out of the room.

Wang chuckled as he watched her run to her mother and turned to Roy a second later. "It was a matter of time before ya met her; she has some kind of obsession with everything havin' to do with Amestris. She even makes people talk to 'er in Amestrian!"

Roy didn't reply, but merely gave a smile and gazed back at the rose in his hand. Wang noticed the action and registered the flower a second later. "Oh?" He came closer. "What's this?"

"The little girl gave it to me; she told me to give it to Edeline when she wakes up," Roy replied simply, and for some reason felt some kind of excitement deep within him, or even eagerness. He was looking forward to seeing her reaction when he handed it to her.

Wang raised an eyebrow and smirked. He gently punched Roy in the upper arm and said, a teasing tone in his voice, "Looking forward to it, eh?"

Roy felt heat rise to his cheeks and batted the elder's hand away. "S-shut up."

Wang's smirk widened.

A/N This fic was definitely so much fun writing! XD (If you exempt the times towards the end I was so frustrated I nearly scrapped the whole project...). So anyway, I've posted another long one-shot with them so if you're interested you're welcome to go check it out! (shameless self-advertising is shameless haha :'D)

My babies, oh how close they'll get...My babies, I love them so! And Roy is so cute! And hot! And perfect! And Ed's so beautiful! And cute! And perfect!

Ok I'm done. See you next Friday! x'D *runs out*