A/N: Sorry I took so long to update guys. I really am sorry. First off, I was suffering from writer's block for a few months there. I couldn't decide how to get to where I wanted to get. Then I was rereading the first five chapters and decided I needed to revamp this fic. Anyway, sorry for the long wait. Oh, and to the person who left me the review saying that Lily was a Mary Sue and that we barely see Ed, not every fanfic has to revolve around Edward. I try to feature everyone in this story. It can be pretty hard, but I attempt to. If you don't like Lily, then don't read. Simple as that. Okay, had to get that off my chest. I think that was a reason I got this updated now. I needed to get that off my chest. :D Anyway, I now know where I'm going with this story (I wrote up a list of what happens every chapter) and I am almost done writing the next chapter. As soon as I get that finished and typed up I'll post it. I want to thank everyone who reviewed (even the Mary Sue reviewer) and appreciate all the feedback. If you could read the revamped chapters and give some feedback I would appreciate it greatly. Thank you everyone! I love all of you!!!! hugs and kisses

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. I AM NOT JAPANESE AND AM NOT A VERY GOOD ARTIST THEREFORE I AM NOT ARAKAWA-SAMA. I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR SOME DVD'S OF THE SERIES AND THE MANGAS. sigh I hate disclaimers...


Chapter Six: Captured

"Why exactly do I have to dress up again?" Ed moaned at Winry, reminding of her when they were younger and he would whine at anything he didn't agree with. She sighed at his immaturity.

"Because Edward, Roy and Riza are coming over. And-" she continued before the alchemist could say anything rude about the former General. "And because Gracia agreed it should be a formal dinner. You're just lucky Lily and I went out and got you and Al more clothes last week. How do men survive with only three pairs of clothing?" the blonde mechanic asked rhetorically as she tightened Ed's tie.

Ed grumbled something in return but Lily and Alphonse entered before he could speak. It had been about a month and a half since Winry arrived; two and a half since returning to Central. Alphonse, Lily, and Edward had all gotten much better a little while after Winry arrived. They got their appetites back which helped them start gaining their weight back. Any of the three could still be caught staring into space with pained looks in their eyes, but it was definitely not as often as before. They also smiled and laughed and were happy more. They were truly happy again. All three agreed that it felt good to not have to worry about the Nazis anymore.

"Stop complaining, Nii-san." Al told him, already wearing his formal clothing. He had a long sleeved shirt that was a deep blue and was accompanied with a black tie and matching pants. Beside him, grinning at Ed's displeasure, she wore a deep green dress with long sleeves that cut up high in the front, but low in the back. The dress brushed her calves while her dark hair was held back in a braid then twisted into a knot at the base of her neck.

"I'm not complaining." Ed grumbled. Winry laughed and gave him a sweet kiss. She wore a black spaghetti strap shirt, white vest, and a red skirt that brushed her ankles.

"Of course you aren't, Ed." Winry told him with a smile. Before they could speak anymore, the doorbell rang. "That must be them."

"Why do we have to eat with Mustang?" Ed whined once more. He folded his arms across his chest and the three other occupants of the room laughed at his childish manner.

"I thought you had actually matured some, Edward." Winry teased. "Besides, Roy isn't that bad and you know it. You think I haven't seen you two getting along? Come to think of it, you two are pretty similar." Again, all three adults laughed at the look of disgust and shock on Ed's face. "Come on, let's go."

The four made their way downstairs and were met with a high-pitched squeal of, "Auntie Lil!" Lily laughed and bent down when Emily Mustang attacked her in a hug around her knees. Emily was four years old and had dark hair like her father and her mother's dark brown eyes with that slight red hue. When she met Lily, she followed the woman around everywhere. The little girl loved her surrogate aunt. She loved doing things with the woman and Lily loved doing things with Emily.

"Hey, kid." Lily laughed, picking up the small child. Emily wrapped her arms around Lily's neck and gave her a big smile. Al couldn't help but smile to himself. It looked so... right for Lily to be holding a child in her arms. He couldn't help but think how good of a mother she would be. Every time he saw Lily with a child, she was so carefree. Even when she was terribly depressed, if there was a child somewhere around her, her face would light up. She loved children, and kids loved her. "How have you been, Em? Staying out of trouble?" Lily asked the girl with a smile.

"Yep!" Emily chirped. The little girl peeked over Lily's shoulder and waved to the other adults. "'Ello, Uncle Ed and Al! Hi Auntie Win!" The three adults smiled and greeted the child in return just as Riza rounded the corner. She smiled and greeted everyone.

"Gracia is almost done with dinner. It should be ready any minute now." The former first lieutenant turned to her daughter who was still perched on Lily's hip. "You're not bothering you're Aunt Lily, are you Emily?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Nevah!" the girl exclaimed, slightly indignant. The adults all laughed before they migrated to the dining room. They were greeted by Roy then they sat done to enjoy the feast that Gracia, Lily, and Winry had spent all day preparing. Sometime after everyone but Edward had finished eating, Riza and Roy told everyone that the wanted to make an announcement.

"Well, the reason we wanted to here for dinner tonight was to tell you all something." Roy said simply.

"Last week I went to see a doctor. I found out that I'm pregnant." Riza said with a soft smile. "We're going to have another baby." The blonde woman beamed as Winry and Lily stood and attacked her in a hug and giving their congratulations. While Riza talked with Gracia, Winry, and Lily, she watched as Elysia amused Emily before turning her gaze to Roy who was sitting with Ed and Al. She caught his eye and smiled when he winked at her, being his usual obnoxiously flirtatious self. Riza sighed with a smile before returning to the conversation. Things were going to be okay, now. Life was good at the moment. Everything seemed to be right in the world, for the first time in a long time.

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A few days later, everything was calm again. It was midday and Lily was taking a nap, Al was reading somewhere, Gracia was out on errands while Elysia was at school, and Winry was doing Ed's weekly maintenance.

"So, Ed, why are you so good at taking care of your automail now?" Winry asked him with a smirk. "What made you see the light?"

Ed raised an eyebrow while saying, "Well, I had to spend two years with those shitty plastic contraptions. Your automail really is the best, Win." Winry blushed and chuckled. Ed grew nervous, knowing that the chance was perfect. He had come so close so many times then lost his nerve. Would he be able to do it now? "I-uh... I have something I've been meaning to ask you." he said quietly. This in itself surprised Winry, but she simply finished tweaking up his arm before collapsing on the couch next to him.

"Yeah, and what's that?" she asked with a smile, looking up at him from her place of leaning against his shoulder. She was slightly surprised when Ed moved away slightly and fiddled with something in his pocket.

"Well, I... I wanted to ask you if... if you would consider... being my wife." Ed said simply and difficultly, a blush forming on his face.

Winry stared at him with a look of shock on her face. "Really?" she asked.

Ed nodded, his face set. "Really."

"You want to marry me?" Winry asked, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

Ed nodded, saying, "Yeah."

Winry gave him the same dazzling smile she had given him after he told her that he loved her. Then, she wrapped her arms around his middle and whispered one simple word in his ear. "Yes."

Ed's face acquired a look of pure relief and peace and contentment before it morphed into a mischievous smile. "Really?"

"Really." she mumbled, just as content as he was.

"You want to marry me?" he asked, his voice slightly teasing. Winry pushed away from him and gave him a look before smacking his arm. Then she grinned and leaned in to kiss him. As they kissed, Ed removed the small box from his pocket that he had bought years earlier. When he, Al, and Lily appeared in Central, the ring was safely in his pocket again. He had always kept the ring in his pocket. It had rested safely against his right thigh for many, many years. When the two separated, the blond alchemist held the box out to her. She took it with a teary smile, slipping the ring onto her finger with shaky hands after gasping at its beauty. The two felt complete contentment for the first time in a long time. They were together, and soon they would be together for the rest of eternity.

That's when Ed glanced out the window. His face grew grave when he saw that a whole group of uniformed military men marched up the street out of large black vans, heading for the house. "Winry, the military's-" But Ed was cut off when the officers kicked in the front door. "Hide!" he hissed at his fiancé, pulling her into a closet and shutting the door. When he turned, he was staring down the barrel of a gun.

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Al heard the commotion from downstairs and raced to Lily's room, finding her heading toward the door with sleep still hovering over her. "Lily, you have to hide! If they know we're here, they might know about you!" he said, his voice hushed.

"I'm not leaving you, Alphonse! I'm not going to hide in the corner like some coward and let them take you!" she hissed, but Al had moved both of them into the corner. He drew a transmutation circle on the wall and before touching it, he kissed her and held her close to him. Then he moved away from her.

"I love you, Lily. Stay safe." Al whispered before morphing a wall around his wife. He laid his palm against the transmuted wall and whispered, "I'm sorry, Lily. I'm sorry." Then he moved away just as the door was thrown open. Three men in military uniforms armed with guns entered.

"It's him, sir." one of the men said as a fourth man entered. This man wore the lapels of a General.

"Alphonse Elric. We are taking you into custody." the General said. Alphonse said nothing and simply glared at the man. The General nodded and the three men moved forward. Al fought back. As he was fighting off two of the men, however, the third hit him on the back of the head with a gun, knocking him out.

Had the soldiers listened closely, they would have heard a muffled sound of a woman's screaming and pounding. On the other side of the wall, Lily beat against the wood, screaming for her husband. Tears pooled in her emerald eyes as the skin on her hand ripped away and began to bleed. The thoughts running through her mind were haphazard and centered around one thing. She couldn't be separated from Alphonse. Not again.

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Ed gasped in pain, closing his left hand over the wound on his leg, putting pressure on it. Horror filled his entire being when Winry threw open the closet door, screaming his name. She fell to her knees beside him, her hands on his shoulders. For a few excruciating long moments, the man held the gun pointed at Winry. Ed seriously thought he was going to shoot her and wanted to move in front of her, to protect her, but did not want the man to shoot as soon as he moved. Then Ed saw the rest of the men walking down the hallway, carrying an unconscious Alphonse. The man holding Winry at gunpoint turned and left. Ed wanted to yell, to scream out for his little brother, but the pain of the bullet wound in his right calf choked his voice, enabling him temporarily deaf.

"Ed, are you okay?" Winry asked frantically and slightly hysterically.

Ed nodded as Winry started to remove his belt. He didn't struggle or act surprised because he knew what she was doing. Being an automail mechanic, Winry knew a lot of medical knowledge. Including how to make a correct tourniquet. He gasped in pain as she tightened the belt around his leg, cutting off his circulation. Winry kissed his temple before moving toward the window. She ripped off a segment of the curtain and went back to Ed.

"They took Al." he managed to gasp out, holding his leg in pain. Winry removed his hands and quickly wrapped the ripped piece of curtain around his wound, attempting to stop the bleeding.

Winry gasped and closed her eyes. "Lily too?" she asked painfully.

Ed shook his head and spoke quietly. "Don't think so."

"Are you okay?" Winry asked with worried tears in her eyes. She hated seeing Ed hurt. He always tried to be so strong. So brave.

Ed nodded. "I'll be okay. C-Come on. We've got to find Lily. Al probably made her hide." Winry nodded and helped Ed stand. She wrapped an arm around his waist as Ed put his flesh arm around her shoulders. Slowly, the two made their way upstairs. They went into Al and Lily's room, knowing that it had been the last place Lily had been and noticed the extra wall in the corner. In the strange silence they could hear Lily's muffled screams and pounding from the opposite side of the transmuted wall. Ed removed his arm from around Winry and clapped his hands together before placing them on the wall. In a flash of blue light, the wall receded back to its original home and revealed Lily. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks tearstained, and her hands bloody. She looked up at the two from her place on the floor and wordless stood, moving to help Winry support Ed. Then the three slowly made their way from the house, not wanting to be caught by the military if they returned. They left a note for Gracia, explaining what had happened.

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Riza sighed sadly as she cleaned out the wound in Ed's leg, listening to their tale. So, the military knew Ed and Al were at Gracia's all along. The question was, why did they take Alphonse and not Edward? Theoretically, they should want Edward just as much as Alphonse, if not more. He was the Fullmetal Alchemist and had deserted, according to the military.

Lily was the person she was most worried about, however. Since arriving in their home, the young woman had not said a word. She hadn't even winced in pain when Roy cleaned and bandaged her hands. She just sat by the window, staring into space with a look of pain on her face. Riza couldn't blame her, though. She loved Alphonse more than life itself. Anyone could tell how much the two loved each other after spending five minutes with them. Riza thought that Lily was handling this pretty well. She had no idea what she would do if Roy was taken away from her. Of course, from what Riza understood, the two had been separated for quite a while before. She remembered Lily mentioning that Alphonse had proposed to her after awakening from a coma, and they had been separated during the year they had been in what Lily called a Konzentrationslager. Still, that fact probably made it even harder for Lily. She most likely felt like she had just been reunited with Alphonse and now he was gone again. Riza's heart went out for her, knowing that this was going to be extremely difficult for her.

Riza sighed once more and turned her focus back to Ed's leg. The bullet had missed his bone and any other vital places. He was lucky. The worst part of his wound was that he would have to limp around for a few weeks. After Riza finished bandaging his wound, he stood slowly. Winry stood with him, attempting to force him to sit once more. He merely shook his head and limped his way over to where Lily sat. She was sitting in the window seat, her arms wrapped around her knees. He sat opposite her and said nothing, noticing that she didn't even blink when he came to her.

"Lils?" Ed asked. Lily said nothing, but she turned her face to Ed. He felt slightly mortified by the look in her eyes. Usually, her green eyes were bright and attentive, holding a spark of hope and happiness. Even when Al had been in the hospital in a coma, her eyes and still retained that spark of hope. Now, they were hollow. Her emerald orbs seemed completely void of anything but pain. "Lily..." he whispered, her eyes haunting him. Ed didn't know what to say. He desperately wanted to comfort the woman he considered his younger sister, but he had no idea how. He hated seeing Lily like this. She was a source of happiness in this world. She was one of the few people in the world that could make anyone feel a little bit happier just by her mere presence. When Lily was happy, you couldn't help but smile. Winry and Lily were similar in this way.

Hesitantly, Ed reached out and let his flesh hand rest on Lily's forearm. It seemed as if the simple gesture of comfort was all that it took for Lily to break. A moment later, she broke down. Her body crumpled and Ed moved his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder. For the first time in all the times Ed had seen Lily cry, she was actually sobbing. She was actually crying audibly. Even though Lily had cried often in the time he knew her, she rarely cried in a way that people would her hear. Ed felt tears prick his own eyes as he rubbed his sister's back in circles. Lily was broken. She was truly broken without Alphonse. Ed felt anger bubble up inside his chest, feeling an overwhelming sense of protectiveness for the girl in his arms. If he ever found the bastard who took his brother, he would kill him, simply because he was hurting Lily so badly. Then he looked up and saw that Winry had come over and wrapped an arm around Lily's shoulders. When he looked into his fiancé's eyes, he saw tears in her eyes two. Removing his left arm from around Lily, he slipped his hand into Winry's and squeezed it, trying to assure her that sooner or later everything would be okay. Even if he didn't truly believe it himself.

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Lily tossed and turned in the guest bed Roy and Riza had set up for her. She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Alphonse's face. She saw him morphing the wall around her. She sighed and rose from the bed, leaving the room. Slowly, she made her way downstairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. Silently, she took her seat at the window once more. So many thoughts were filling her mind that she felt disoriented. Thoughts of hear of the future. Thoughts of fear for Alphonse's safety. Thoughts of worry. Thoughts of despair. She knew that she would never see Al again. No matter what way she looked at it, she came to the same conclusion. They would keep him forever. The military would never let him go. She was alone again. All the people who were around her and cared about her meant nothing if it meant she would never see Al again. If Al was gone... there was nothing left for her to live for.

"Auntie Lil?" Lily turned to see Emily standing in the doorway, a stuffed rabbit in her arms and looking extremely sleepy.

"What are you doing up, Em?" Lily asked. Emily came over to Lily and crawled up onto the window seat, settling herself in the older woman's lap.

"Auntie Lil, why are you so sad?" Emily asked her sweetly, looking up at her with her big brown eyes. "Where's Uncle Al?"

Lily's eyes grew teary. "Uncle Al is gone, Em." Lily whispered, trying to keep her voice even and stop tears from flowing down her face.

"Where'd he go?" Emily asked, confusion and curiosity on her face. "Why'd he leave?"

"He didn't leave. You see, Em, there are some people who think Uncle Al has done some bad things. So the took him away. They're going to blame Uncle Al for something he didn't do." Lily explained, trying to make the little girl understand and at the same time trying not to break down again.

After a few moments of silence, the small child spoke again. "Auntie Lil, don't be sad. Uncle Al wouldn't like it if you're sad." Emily told her, hugging her close. Lily knew that the little girl was right. Al would hate seeing her like this. But knowing this didn't help the pain ease. She couldn't force herself into pretending everything was going to be okay. She couldn't trick herself into thinking that she would see her husband again. She couldn't fool herself into pretending to be happy. She knew that it wasn't healthy, but she couldn't help but be depressed. She loved Alphonse. Alphonse was a part of her. He held a part of her being. He had her heart. He had her happiness. Without Alphonse, she'd never truly be able to live. There would always be a part of her missing. Always and forever.


A/N: Thanks for reading! I would really appreciate feedback. And flames are welcome, I love fire. I'm slightly pyromaniac-ish. Wow! I just made a word! giggle Like I said before, I will attempt to update as quickly as possible. Hope you enjoyed! Aishiteru! Arigatou!

Ja ne,

Gerbil-san xoxo