A huge thank you is once again in store for my amazing reviewers! You are all so helpful and encouraging! I've returned to give you MORE as requested ;)

Hmmmm… Now where were we? Ah, yes, Elicia. Enjoy guys!

Varishi x

"I know where big brother went." Ed would never have expected the youngest member of the Hughes family to have a clue for him. Gracia looked just as shocked as he was; clearly Elicia hadn't said a word about this to her mother. Maybe Ed had told Elicia to be quiet about it, but that wasn't something he would do. He would never involve little Elicia in his problems, especially since she was so young. The possibilities whirled around in Ed's head and he was once again lost in his thoughts.

Gracia beckoned Elicia over to her with a concerned expression fixed on her face as though it had been chiselled into granite. Elicia climbed onto her mother's lap and then buried her head into Gracia's arm, her soft caramel coloured curls being stroked down comfortingly. Ed and Al were too speechless to question Elicia, how were they supposed to ask a child as young as her about something as serious as this anyway? They didn't want to frighten her, she had been so happy just a little earlier. It turned out that they didn't have to ask her a thing, Gracia took care of it for them. That same concerned look set on her delicate features as she turned her little daughter towards her: the distressed look didn't suit her gentle face at all.

"Where did Ed go?" Gracia asked gently. Elicia almost looked as though she flinched, and her eyes grew wide and scared like a deer trapped in fright in front of a car's headlights. The three year old opened her mouth for a moment as though she were about to tell them everything, but then instead she burst into tears. Gracia's concerned face crumbled as she watched her daughter cry and she adopted her softer nature, trying to console her with a warm embrace. Just like the one Trisha Elric would always use to console her boys, Al recalled – Ed and Al locked gazes; Elicia definitely knew something. But that something had scared her a lot and that in turn scared the Elrics.

"Gracia, I'm sorry we didn't mean to upset her. We'll just go." Al stammered awkwardly. Gracia looked up at the boys and smiled gratefully. For now, there was no use in trying to get anything out of Elicia. She was only three after all and the brothers had no intention of interrogating a three year old. It was getting dark out, so Ed decided that it was probably time to find a place to stay the night.

As Ed opened the door to leave the Hughes residence, he heard the sounds of Mustang and Hughes talking. He hesitated before opening the door fully, at first Hughes held a hand up to lay his hand on Ed's head. The gesture was usually taken by the older Elric to be an unspoken joke about his height. But at the sound of his child wailing, Hughes froze and instead shoved past the two boys and rushed inside. Ed tried to ignore the heart-breaking sound of Elicia crying and started to march out of the house, closing the door gently behind him so that he didn't cause any more of a disturbance.

"What did you do, Fullmetal?" Ed stopped abruptly in his tracks and reluctantly turned to face the Colonel. The man stood before him carried the same look on his face as he always did, serious and emotionless. But both Ed and Al knew that with Roy Mustang, the emotions were all in the eyes. If you studied them long enough you'd probably be able to figure out exactly what was on his mind. But right now, it seemed that the Colonel was still just as fixated on this case as he had been earlier in the day.

"Elicia said she knew where Ed went when he left the Hughes'. But she couldn't say it," Al explained, "She was to afraid." Ed was staring at his boots and Mustang knew that he must have been worried about Elicia, worried about what might have happened that had made her so scared. Mustang knew that there was already so much worrying Ed, and the list didn't need to be added to. So he thought of a way to distract the two.

"It's getting late. I found an inn for you two to stay in temporarily if you're interested." Mustang said sharply to wake Ed out of his daze. The older Elric didn't appreciate Colonel Bastard's so called 'kindness' he thought that Al had been mistaking it for pity. But Ed could see straight through Mustang, and he certainly didn't need his commanding officer's pity, or anyone else's for that matter. He and Al were just fine the way they were. Ed's angered thoughts must have reached his face because Mustang noticed the change. But the Colonel only wondered why Ed wasn't saying it out loud, he usually would. Is this case really getting to him that much? Colonel Mustang thought.

"Sure," Ed managed to squeeze out after a few seconds. He had always found it difficult to speak when his thoughts were saying something else. He gestured for Mustang, who nodded curtly in response, to lead the way. HE turned around to his younger brother and smiled faintly, "Come on, Al."

The innkeeper didn't even charge the two boys for the trouble; it appeared that he owed Colonel Bastard a favour. The Elrics were lead up to their room and Ed soon realised the toll that the day had taken on him. He had only just recovered from serious injuries after all, and he was exhausted from going this way and that. But in his mind, Ed had found a lead which hadn't yet gone cold so the day was a success in his opinion. He didn't bother to change, just flopped down onto his bed and fell asleep almost instantaneously. What else could Al do apart from watch his brother sleep and pretend that he was sleeping peacefully too?

The following morning Ed rose quickly, he usually preferred to sleep in late and annoy Mustang as much as possible. But today, he wanted to get to the bottom of this case quickly; it was a personal mission as much as it was an official one. After thinking it over whilst washing and changing, Ed thought it best to leave Elicia alone for the time being. He didn't want to push her and there was another lead that he wanted to pursue as well which would prevent him wasting his time. It was about time that Ed settled his bad feeling about the man who rescued him. It was about time to pay Tyke Goodman a visit.

Heading downstairs, Colonel Mustang was already there accompanied by his Lieutenant, Hawkeye. They had been there for a few hours waiting for the two Elrics so that they could also help in the investigation. For once, Mustang wanted to hear what Ed had to report and receive orders, rather than give them. Usually Ed would take advantage of the situation and make things as awkward for the Colonel as possible, but there was something about this case that was telling him to find his attackers and find them quick. So rather than waste his time, Ed got straight to the point.

"Al and I are going to visit Tyke Goodman today," Ed began. The Colonel's eyebrows rose in surprise and Hawkeye switched her expression quickly to one of confusion. Ed knew that he had better elaborate, he had already filled Al in on the details, but if his superiors were going to help then they needed the details too, "Something about him bothers me. He was out on a weekend really late on an emergency call. But there was no evidence of emergency construction and I don't think I know any maintenance workers loyal enough to work at such a ridiculous time. So it just seems worth at least settling my mind."

"You really think he's involved somehow?" Mustang demanded, almost protectively. Ed made a face to show that really the more he thought about it the more unsure he became. But as long as the possibility was there, Ed considered it worth looking in to.

"I think that his story is weird," Ed cleared up. Mustang frowned, but he was concealing the fact that he was actually proud that the blonde was so determined that he was willing to consider any possibility, "And I don't like weird. Either way, I'm going to have to know what Elicia knows sometime. So I was thinking that you and the Lieutenant could make your way to the Hughes'?"

"Good luck, we'll send word if Elicia wants to talk." The Colonel said. Al and Hawkeye were watching the two in awe. They hadn't argued once, no jokes had been made about height. There was nothing unprofessional about the conversation which had just taken place, Mustang was semi-understandable. But Ed? The younger Elric began to wonder if his brother was really okay with working this case.

After being handed the file giving the address and description of Tyke Goodman, Ed and Al headed off to go and see this Tyke Goodman themselves in person. They arrived at the front door to an average looking house, quite small, to the south east of Central. So he wasn't out of place for his work, at least something made perfect sense. The door was opened and an average looking man stood before them. Usually, with the other people Ed had dealt with in his time there was always something that stood out about a criminal. But this man was completely normal looking, he was a classic Amestrian.

"Mr. Goodman?" Al asked. The man nodded without saying anything and then smiled a little, lifting his lips at the corners slowly. Ed cocked his head to the side, his face was definitely familiar. As his brother was studying the man's appearance in search of any sort of memory, Al continued, "We just want to ask some questions, do you mind?"

"Not at all," Tyke Goodman replied, with that same structured smile that looked practised. Goodman looked directly as Ed intensely, "I remember the boy well. I see all sorts of nasty things down in the sewers, but it's quite rare to happen across a boy."

The Elrics were invited into Goodman's house; it really was the most typical household. It was tidy, but there were a few toys lying around so it wasn't pristine. The decorations seemed to be slightly feminine, the guy had a family. Typical, average Amestrian. Ed felt more at ease already, even if the middle-aged man seemed a little awkward around people. Ed and Al themselves were awkward around people, so they could hardly judge another who was similar to themselves.

"Really, I just wanted to know what kind of emergency takes a family man like yourself out in the middle of the night on a weekend?" The older Elric wasted no time in getting down to what he wanted to know. The bright lights in Goodman's house were giving him a headache and he wanted to leave before it got any worse. Tyke didn't seem frustrated that his story was being doubted; in fact if anything he seemed too calm. Al was starting to feel uneasy under Goodman's gaze. He seemed too average, his smile was too structured. Ed now had a headache and he was starting to wish he had slept in that morning after all; he closed his eyes to shut out the bright lighting.

"Well you see boys, I got a call from the company I work for and there was a small leakage in the system," Goodman explained, a strange grin started to cover his face. He doesn't look so average anymore, Al thought. Ed's eyes snapped open, he had definitely heard that line before and he knew what came next too so he said it along with Goodman, "And when there's the tiniest leak, it can turn into a flood and get out of control."

"Precisely." Goodman said, keeping his eyes focused intently on Ed. The pressure that had been building in the older brother's skull now had gotten to the point where there was a pain that was difficult to bear. Al looked down at his brother who was now gritting his teeth and cradling his head in his hands, his eyes squeezed shut against the pain. Ed got to his feet and walked a few steps towards the door before falling down onto his knees and squeezing his jaw together even harder than before.

"Brother! What's wrong?" Al scooted hastily to Ed's side and put a hand on his back. Images of Goodman that night flashed through Ed's head. He was there that night, Goodman had been there. But he wasn't just the one who called the hospital, he was there all along. But why? None of these fleeting memories told Ed why he was there, was he an attacker? How was he involved? "Pull yourself together, Ed! What's the matter?"

Al flung the front door open trying to get his brother some fresh air, but instead he was met with Riza Hawkeye with her fist raised and ready to knock on the door, "Al? Mustang's sent for you two." Hawkeye said with a homely smile on her lips. It was only then that she realised the chaos inside Goodman's house, "Ed?"

The pressure wouldn't stop building; it was making the pain worse and worse. But at least Ed knew now that he was right to be suspicious. Goodman was there, but during the whole thing. Whilst grasping his head firmly in his hands in an attempt to stop it spinning, Ed tried to warn Al that Goodman needed to be taken into custody. But he couldn't speak; he couldn't move a muscle because the pain in his head was so intense by this time that he could no longer even hear his brother's worried voice. He didn't even notice that Hawkeye had arrived with the news that Elicia was ready to talk.

Al watched in horror as his brother's pained face disappeared and his body went limp. Ed fell onto his front, an echoing crack on the floor as his automail arm fell next to his face.

"Brother!"

There, chapter 4! So now you know, Goodman's involved somehow. But how, dear readers? Oh dear, I'm having way too much fun with this aren't I?

Please review and let me know if the story is still interesting and should keep going!

Thanks for everything guys, I'll be back before you know it!

Varishi x