Chapter 9-

The elation Ed felt at the thought that his brother might be able to offer them a solution to the 'do we sacrifice hundreds of lives or do we pay the unknown and possibly devastating price Truth demands to get home?' problem they had dulled when he realised there was a slight issue. Mustang noticed the minute changes in his expression and felt his brows furrow in response.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Al trying to find a way to get them home was a good thing. He couldn't figure out why Ed wouldn't be completely happy about it.

"We need to figure out a way to communicate with Al." He told him. "We can't leave here without dealing with Moore and we can't just leave it up to these guys to deal with; not while he has those stones. And we can't risk Al and anyone who helps him by depending on them continuously opening portals until we're ready to leave. We need to talk to him and coordinate a time for him to open the portal. To give him a time though, we'd need to know where Moore is and figure out a plan to get him." Mustang sighed. Of course, Ed was right there. The fact that they had this option that was perfect but now seemed unattainable was disappointing. He looked away for few moments, trying to think a way around this new problem when he glanced back at Edward and took in his beyond haggard appearance. The problem surrounding the portal could wait until Ed had at least eaten and slept for a bit. He didn't want to face Alphonse once they got home and he found out he'd pushed Ed in this condition.

"Come on." Mustang said as he stood and grasped Ed by his flesh upper arm into a standing position. "Do you need food or sleep most right now?" Ed blinked up at him blearily. He felt slightly better now thanks to the painkillers and the absorbing array, which had around another five minutes until it finished, but only slightly better. It only took him a couple of seconds to actually assess his current needs, food and sleep, and figure out which one he needed right now.

"Sleep." He muttered, acutely aware there were a lot of people in the room with him. He seriously hated appearing weak in front of people and if he wasn't quite as exhausted as he was, he'd have resorted to his usual defensive behaviour to make himself appear less vulnerable than he perceived himself to be.

"Let's get you back to the hotel than." Mustang said. Ed nodded, missing the way Mustang had given Gibbs and Hitch his equivalent of a 'fight me' expression.

"Okay." Gibbs said after a few moments before leading the way out of the room. Garcia stopped them for a moment to give Ed a hug before she got back to work. "DiNozzo called before McGee came to get the Brigadier-General," Mustang wasn't the only one to frown at the lack of usual reaction from the blonde, proof of how much that array had taken out of him, "and no one had seen Moore after the officers lost him. Miss Garcia is going to start trying to track him from the cameras. Until she gets something or we get a report of him being spotted, we can't do much." Gibbs sounded rather frustrated at the lack of action.

"JJ, Reid, go with Mustang and Ed. You two can coordinate with the rest of us from the hotel." Hotch said once they'd reached the elevators and the two agents nodded.

"McGee, go with them. I'll send Ziva to meet you there." Gibbs ordered and McGee nodded, heading for his desk to grab his weapon and ID before rejoining the rest of them at the elevators. "We'll call with any updates." Gibbs said before the elevator doors opened and the five of them entered, Ed still being supported by Mustang.

The elevator opened up and they made their way to the cars. McGee produced a set of keys from nowhere before taking one of the numerous, identical sedans, claiming he'd need it to get back once Agent David joined them. After all, the FBI's SUV only seats five and there would be six of them. JJ hopped behind the wheel while Mustang helped Ed into the back seat. Reid got shotgun and Mustang didn't bother arguing; he just clambered in next to his subordinate. The drive to the hotel was quiet and it was only due to his weird ability to not fall asleep in cars that meant Ed was still awake when they pulled up. He heard the four adults exchange words before he was being led back into his room only a couple of hours after he'd left it. He stripped fown to his boxers and tank top before climbing back into his bed, ready to get some much needed sleep. With how tired he was, he would be surprised if he woke up before dark.

"Ed?" Mustang's voice stopped him just on the edge of sleep and he grunted in answer. "Don't do that to yourself again." Mustang said and Ed forced one golden eye to open and look at his commanding officer. He felt a pang of guilt for the heavy look of concern on his face but he couldn't help the flare of warmth he felt at seeing someone so worried about him personally.

"'m sorry." Ed mumbled into his pillow. He wanted to sleep but he also knew he needed to tell Mustang about a possible solution to their communication issue that he'd come up with during the car ride. He heaved himself into a sitting position to try and dissuade sleep for a moment. Mustang looked confused and he was frozen in a position with his arms out in case Ed collapsed. "You need to go back to the NCIS headquarters and wait in the car park for the next surge. Use the dagger Moore made and attach a note for Al. Throw it into the portal. Tell Al to knock off trying to open a portal until the time specified on the note. If he tries again, we know he didn't get it and we'll have to figure something else out." Mustang looked conflicted.

"You'll be okay here by yourself?" He eventually asked and Ed huffed in amusement, that warm feeling back in his chest.

"I'll be sleeping and I'll have two babysitters, right?" Ed asked and Mustang nodded. "I'll be fine." Ed said as he let himself lay back down, snuggling deeper into his covers. He heard Mustang kept up and take a few steps to the table where the dagger was.

"I'll be back in a few hours." Mustang said, startling Ed slightly. The blonde hadn't expected the man to speak again. "Try not to destroy the building in your sleep, brat." Ed managed to drag up the energy to raise his hand and flip him off.

"I'll do my best, Colonel bastard." He drawled back, falling back on his old military title, not even opening his eyes as he heard the soft huff of amusement. Ed barely heard the door click shut behind Mustang before he lost himself to an exhausted sleep.

Mustang hesitated outside of his hotel rooms door. He loathed the idea of leaving Ed here by himself even though he knew there'd be two highly-trained federal agents here to make sure he was alright and that, even exhausted, Ed could still put up one hell of a good fight. Shaking his head at his irrational concern, he knocked on the door directly opposite his and was greeted by JJ only a few moments later.

"What's up?" She asked, naturally confused about him not being with Ed. Despite how they interacted, the entire BAU unit hadn't bought the act since they saw how Mustang had reacted back when Ed had tested his tracking array before they found Harding.

"I need someone to drive me back to NCIS. Fullmetal came up with an idea to try and communicate with his brother and since I'm the only other alchemist you've got, it's up to me to try and get a note to Al." Mustang explained to her, slipping back into his usual habit of calling Ed by his State Alchemist title when not talking to him alone, and JJ looked at him, a little slack-jawed.

"He came up with an idea to communicate with his brother through an unreliable portal in his condition?" She asked and Mustang nodded.

"Yes. Like I said, not much can stand between the Elric brothers. If Fullmetal wants to contact his brother, you can bet he will find a way." Mustang informed her.

"Hopefully he can." She said before remembering Mustang had a reason for being in front of her door. "Let me go let Reid and Agent McGee know the situation. They can stay here with Ed and I'll drive you to NCIS." She said before slipping past him to the room the boys were in. She was gone longer than expected and came back with Reid following her. Mustang quirked a brow at this. "Agent McGee got a call from Agent David. She's literally around the corner so Reid is coming with us since you are technically supposed to be escorted by two agents."

"Okay. Shall we go?" He asked, gesturing for them to take the lead and soon enough they were in the lobby just as Agent David entered it.

"Gibbs briefed me on the situation. Is Edward alright?" Mustang was internally amused. He'd love to know the blondes reaction to knowing how concerned everyone was about him, even those who had only known him a day.

"Fullmetal is fine. He's asleep and will stay that way for quite some time." Mustang answered her. "Have there been any new developments?" She looked at him for a moment, an indecipherable expression on her face before it went carefully neutral.

"Nothing that will help point us to Moore's location. We do believe he is now working with at least two people. Multiple witnesses said they saw Moore talking with two homeless looking men before leaving with them. No one seems to know these men or where the three of them went but they were able to provide a sketch of the men. Your technical annalist is trying to find footage that has the two other men on it to see if they match the sketches and if we can find out who they are." She said, looking at JJ and Reid.

"I'm sure she will. There's not many people who can disappear so effectively that even Garcia can't find them." JJ said, her lips curling into a fond smile. "Oh, before I forget, Agent McGee is in room 217 and Edward is sleeping in room 219." Mustang inwardly cringed with a touch of guilt. He would've accidentally neglected to tell the NCIS agent where her teammate and her charge were located.

"Thank you, Agent Jaraeu." JJ waved her thanks away.

"Just 'JJ' is fine." She said with a smile that the other woman returned.

"JJ, than." Her eyes flicked towards Mustang again. "Is there anything else I should know?" She asked.

"In the unlikely event Fullmetal awakes before we are back, would you be willing to buy him some food? He'll be starving after using that much alchemic energy and he is very vocal when he's hungry." Mustang warned her and saw her eyes twinkle with slight amusement.

"He sounds like someone I know. I'm sure we can arrange something." She told him, slightly warmer than she had been a few minutes ago and Mustang was a tad confused as to what he'd done to earn her aloofness to begin with but he decided that that was a mystery left to solve at a later date.

"Thank you." he said, dipping his head slightly before the three agents exchanged goodbyes and he was walking out of the hotel, escorted by the two BAU agents. The drive back was as uneventful as every other drive to and from the NCIS building had been, though the lack of the blonde alchemist was noticeable. JJ had phoned Hotch while they were driving and Mustang had to marvel at this worlds technology. The best they could do in Amestris was radios and the other person had to be within a certain radius to receive the transmission. They pulled into the familiar check point and, once cleared, they found a car space close to where Edward and Mustang had appeared. By unspoken agreement, the three climbed out of the car and proceeded to linger. There was no point in Mustang going inside if a portal tried to open as he wouldn't have the time to come back out and proceed with Edward's plan if he did.

"Miss Jareau, Doctor Reid, do either of you have paper and a pen I could use?" Mustang asked. Both agents dug around in the car for a minute before producing a notepad and pen. "Thank you." He nodded as he took both items from them and started writing. Once finished, he fished out a rubber band he'd found stashed in one of his pockets (where it had come from, he didn't know) and secured the note around the dagger. Now all they had to do was wait.

And wait, they did. For over three hours, they stood in the car park and waited for the next attempt to open the portal. They spoke about a lot of things. Mustang told them about some of Edwards missions and they told him about some of their more infamous cases. Reid was in the middle of telling them about a case where a man claiming to be a professor had sought Rossi and Reid out to admit to killing woman and that if they didn't hurry, five more people would be killed. Reid was up to the part where he'd figured out how to find them when Mustang felt another surge and moved lightening fast so he directly under it. Using a move Maes had taught him, Mustang launched the dagger and the note straight up and the three of them watched as it flew nearly six metres up before it simply vanished. The surge ended a moment after the dagger had disappeared and Mustang held his breath but nothing else happened.

"Now we just have to hope Alphonse and the others got it." Mustang said, still looking up at where the dagger vanished. He hoped this plan had worked.

In Amestris

Alphonse had stared blankly at the array that his brother and now Mustang and Moore had disappeared through for nearly two minutes before snapping out of it. The first thing he needed to do was tell Miss Riza so she could do what she needed to do about Mustang's disappearance. He'd apologised after he'd told her what had happened. He'd realised shortly after Moore had gotten himself loose that he must've had more Philosopher's Stones on him and he had been the one to forget to check. Hawkeye had placed a hand on his shoulder and lightly squeezed until he'd locked eyes with her before she told him that this wasn't his fault and he should place all of his energy trying to see if he could get them back instead of wasting some on self-blame. He'd taken her words to heart.

After studying the array for nearly three hours, he'd come to the conclusion that he'd be no where near strong enough to activate it alone or without a Philosopher's Stone. This array was just as demanding as the human transmutation one and he'd only been able to activate that one with his brother's help. He needed help from someone just as strong, if not stronger, than his brother. With that thought in his head, he found the nearest phone and called Teacher. He explained the situation to her and, after lecturing him for ten minutes, she and Sig agreed to catch the next train. He heard Sig's deep voice telling his wife the next train left in ten minutes. Teacher hadn't even said 'goodbye' before hanging up the phone but Al didn't mind. He was just grateful Teacher would be here to help soon.

While he was waiting for Teacher's train to arrive, he kept studying the array. He didn't bother with sleep and he only ate when someone brought him food. He always had at least two of Mustang's team with him and while they couldn't help with the array, he was admittedly grateful for their company. Havoc had kept him entertained and his mind off of worrying as he tried to guess what sort of shit Ed was getting himself into and the Brigadier-General's reaction to it. When Havoc had jokingly said something about Edward breaking his automail arm off and hitting Mustang with it, Al realised he hadn't called Winry. He hesitated in doing so but ultimately he did as soon as he realised that the only reason Ed had come back with his automail intact last time was because Truth protected it. That wasn't something Ed could rely on this time.

Winry had been just as irate as Teacher had been but at least her lecture hadn't lasted as long as Teacher's had. She had wanted to come out straight away but Al had convinced her to wait until they'd gotten them back. She'd protested that if he was badly hurt, she needed to be there to fix his automail and Alphonse had argued back that if he was badly hurt, he'd be going straight to a hospital and she would still have to wait until the doctors had cleared her to work on his automail. She had continued arguing until he pointed that they didn't know if Ed would need his automail replaced or just fixed and it would be easier if she stayed in Rush Valley until they knew what he needed. She'd relented only once Alphonse had promised to call her every few hours even if there was nothing new to tell her and immediately after something did happen. She threatened bodily harm to him if he didn't call the second he could once they got both Mustang and Ed home. He promised immediately, the threat of a wrench to the head making him suitably afraid of incurring the blonde mechanics wrath.

Hawkeye had come to him after his phone call with Winry for an update on everything. He'd told her about Teacher coming out to help and that Winry would stay in Rush Valley for now. He'd explained the array to her as best as he could but everything he'd learned from studying it wouldn't help help them get the two missing alchemists. She seemed disappointed but had been quick to tell that she wasn't disappointed in him in any way. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't felt relieved at that. He asked how she was handling everything in Mustang's absence. She told him that the Brigadier-General and herself had come up with a plan just in case this sort of thing happened again. She'd implemented it and as far as the big brass were concerned, Mustang and Edward had taken off on a highly-classified mission that absolutely no one apart from Fuhrer Grumman knew about. Grumman was the only person outside of Mustangs team and the Elric's family that knew what actually happened three months ago and was more than willing to go along with this plan.

Once she had heard everything Al had to tell her, she ordered him back to Gracia's house to get some sleep. He tried to argue with her but she refused to listen to him. Instead, she pointedly asked how he expected to help his teacher open the portal if he wasn't at full strength. He didn't have a good answer and admitted defeat. She left Breda and Falman in the warehouse to guard the array and escorted Alphonse to Gracia's home herself. Gracia had been briefed that Edward and Mustang had disappeared but that's all she'd been told. Elysia had been given the story about the highly-classified mission. Both girls had met them at the front door and Gracia had ordered Al to the kitchen to eat the sandwich she had made him. Elysia was on watchdog duty and followed him on her mother's orders. Hawkeye and Gracia had spoken for a couple of minutes before the Captain left and Gracia joined them in the kitchen. She had to smile fondly at the sight that greeted her. Al was dutifully eating the sandwich but Elysia had interpreted her own orders to mean that she had to literally stare Alphonse down. Gracia hadn't seen her even blink in the time she'd been standing in the doorway.

Alphonse had to admit that the sandwich was definitely appreciated after all. He had giggled at Elysia's one-sided staring contest with him and he saw Gracia approach out of the corner of his eye just as he took the last few bites of his food. Once she saw he was done, Gracia ordered him into the shower and then bed. He didn't bother putting up an argument. Teacher's train wouldn't be in until late tonight so they couldn't do anything until morning. He could admit that now that he'd been forced to take a break away from the array. Half an hour later found him in his and Ed's room, lying on his side and staring blankly at the empty bed on the opposite side of the room before he drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

Alphonse woke the next morning to Elysia jumping on his bed, chattering excitedly about him having people here to visit him. He tackled her onto the bed so he could get up causing her to giggle as she bounced lightly on the bed. She still beat him to the door and dragged him as determinedly as she could by his hand. He was greeted by the sight of Teacher, Sig and Gracia sitting around the kitchen table, sipping on some coffee. A glance at the clock told him it was nearly 7:15 which surprised him slightly. He was sure Izumi and Sig would've been here a lot earlier. Gracia interrupted that thought by pushing a fresh cup of coffee into his hands and he took a few fortifying sips. There wasn't much chatter in the kitchen and once he was done with his coffee, Izumi and Sig both stood up and bade Gracia goodbye, thanking her for the coffee. Al followed them , assuring Gracia he'd check in with her later on and telling Elysia to be good at school.

Fuery was waiting for them outside with a car and greeted them as they climbed in. Al asked for any updates but there weren't any. He hadn't really expected there to be any but he could still dream. He made small talk with Teacher and Sig about how everything was going in Dublith and with their shop. He asked Izumi about her health and she was surprisingly forthcoming. Hohenheim had healed her completely, it seemed. She was completely healthy once again, something Sig was very happy about. It didn't take them long to reach the warehouse with the array. Izumi greeted Hawkeye and the other team members but ignored them afterwards in favour of looking over the array for herself. She spent a good half hour looking over the array before rejoining them.

"Alright. Let's try getting my other idiot pupil back." She said. Al went to move next to the array but Izumi stopped him. "No, I'll try and open it myself first. They might need someone to help them back through the portal. We don't know anything about where the portal opens up, after all."

"Okay, Teacher." Al nodded and moved to stand next to her while she took up a kneeling position next to the array.

"Is everyone clear?" She asked and received confirmations back that they were. She cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders before holding her hands just above the array. "You ready?" She asked Al, eyeing him with a side glance.

"Yes, Teacher." He said, possible arrays he'd need already floating in his mind ready for him to call on them. She nodded, closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath and pressed her hands on the array's outer circle. The whole array lit up blue and, for a moment, Al thought she'd be able to do it but then she let out a pained gasp and Sig was immediately there at her side, helping her stand. Al watched as she assured Sig she was alright and waited until her breathing was less laboured before asking her the question everyone wanted answered. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. The array was too strong. I let it go before it could rebound on me." Izumi explained through gritted teeth. Al swore under his breath. Izumi worked for another minute to get her breathing under control. "Okay. Let me rest for half an hour then we'll try again. Alphonse, this time you'll help me open the portal. Is there any State Alchemists you can trust with this?" She gestured to the array.

"Armstrong?" Al offered, looking to Mustang's team. Hawkeye nodded slowly as she thought it over.

"He has proven himself very loyal to the Brigadier-General. He did keep your secret when you asked him too." She pointed out and Al nodded at her points. "He is in Central right now. He should be able to help." She eventually said.

"Someone needs to get him. He needs to be on hand for our next attempt." Izumi said and Al almost flinched at her tone. She was not very happy. Hawkeye nodded to Havoc and he disappeared out the door. Sig helped Izumi over to a wall and sat down with her, rubbing her back, the two of them murmuring quietly to one another. Al stood to the side with Hawkeye and the others. Havoc returned in under 15 minutes with the hulking figure of Armstrong striding behind him.

"Good morning, everyone!" He boomed, causing Al to twitch slightly. He had forgotten how loud the Major was. "I hear young Edward and Brigadier-General Mustang have run into some trouble. How may I assist you in your endeavours to get them back?" His eyes swept the room, landing on Alphonse then the Curtis'. "Young Alphonse! It warms my heart to see you out and about after your hospitalisation! I was thrilled to hear you had been cleared to rejoin your brother on missions!" He made to sweep Al up into a bone-crushing hug but Al managed to evade him.

"Thank you, Major Armstrong." He smiled a little nervously. He wasn't sure if the Major would try for a second hug. Thankfully, he didn't as he and Sig were now in some sort of muscle flexing show down. After a few confusing moments, they nodded to each other impressed and shook hands. Izumi was watching Sig with a fond look that always startled Al every time he saw it. She soon realised she was surrounded by people and lessened the fondness of the look before turning to Armstrong.

"Thank for coming here, Major Armstrong." She said, barely sounded stiff about thanking someone.

"Not a problem, Mrs Curtis, I assure you!" Armstrong assured her loudly. Teacher didn't look impressed with the noise level.

"What we tell you here and what you help us with must remain a secret from everyone except those present. Can you do that?" She asked sternly and Armstrong immediately turned completely serious.

"I swear on my family's line that nothing that happens in this room will be repeated to anyone outside of those here." He said solemnly and Izumi nodded.

"Three months ago, Truth sent Edward and his idiot commanding officer through to another dimension to hunt down a rogue alchemist who had discovered false Philosopher's Stones and were using them to murder the inhabitants of the other dimension. Truth brought them back once they had completed their task." Izumi explained and everyone could see the pieces coming together in Armstrong's head.

"Would I be correct in assuming this rogue was Thomas Harding?" He queried. Izumi looked to Alphonse, who nodded.

"Yes. Now, the boys were assigned to find and apprehend a burglar by the name of Moore two days ago. Yesterday they found and pursued him when he didn't surrender. This is where they cornered him." Izumi's arm made a sweeping motion and Armstrong's eye was immediately drawn to the array. "The boys fell for a trap. Moore, despite having no alchemy training, was an alchemist. He had just enough energy inside of him to perform the weakest on transmutations. He was also armed with a Philosopher's Stone, like Harding. Moore blamed Edward and Mustang for the death of his adoptive brother, Harding. So he'd set a trap and the boys fell into it. From what Alphonse told me, Edward managed to get him out of it but didn't have enough time to save himself. Alphonse secured Moore and called Mustang in but Moore got loose and both he and Mustang were in the array when he activated it again. This array opens a portal to the dimension Ed and Mustang were sent to three months ago." Armstrong had remained silent, listening intently to every word she said.

"What do you require from me?" He asked immediately and Alphonse felt a surge of fondness for the older alchemist. This was one of the reasons the boys and Mustang trusted him so much. Armstrong was willing to help any of his friends at the drop of a hat and the boys were certainly his friends.

"I tried activating the array myself but my strength alone isn't enough. This time, Alphonse and I are going to try together. If we are successful and Edward and Mustang are there, we may require your help in assisting them back through the portal." Izumi told him and he nodded.

"I'll be happy to help you. When do you want to attempt this again?" He asked and Al saw Izumi's eyes glint with approval. Al saw this as a very good sign. Despite helping them Father and fighting alongside the Armstrong siblings personally, she still didn't trust the military or those who worked for it, with the only exception ever being Edward. The fact that she approved of Armstrong was good.

"We're ready to try again now." Izumi said and Armstrong nodded. Izumi took up her position again and Al walked a few steps away before kneeling. Armstrong stood on his left. "Everyone clear?" She asked and once again received nothing but confirmations. "On three, Alphonse. One. Two. Three!" They placed their hands down simultaneously on the array and activated it. The blue energy crackled around the array and lit it up. They saw the energy swirl in the middle of the array, trying to clear itself so they could see through it. Armstrong stood at the ready and Al could tell that no one was breathing. Sweat started to drip down Al's face and he knew that Teacher was feeling the strain just as much. They held it for nearly thirty seconds, pouring their energy into it when Izumi suddenly shouted. "Alphonse! Stop!" He immediately cut his connection with a pained cry and only Armstrong stopped him from collapsing onto his side. A glance told him that Izumi was in the same position, with Sig there supporting her. Concerned wine-red eyes and a blurred face filled his vision.

"Alphonse? Are you alright?" Hawkeye asked, concern bleeding into her voice. Al blinked a few times and her face came into focus. He started to regulate his breathing like Teacher had taught him and was soon able to answer her.

"Yeah. Just drained. Also, really hungry." He said with a small grin. Hawkeye looked relieved.

"I'm glad to hear it. Rest for a few more minutes and we'll see if we can find you something eat." She said, placing a light hand on the shoulder Armstrong wasn't currently gripping. He nodded and she moved over to Izumi to presumably ask her the same thing.

"Thanks for the assist, Major." Al said, patting his hand lightly. Armstrong got the message and removed his hand.

"Anytime, young Alphonse! I am pleased that you are alright." He flashed Al a blinding smile that the young alchemist weakly returned. At least he didn't try to hug him. Hawkeye let them rest for ten minutes before suggesting they head for a nearby coffee shop. There weren't any arguments. Havoc and Fuery stayed behind with the array this time.

Hawkeye drove them to the cafe and they all piled around a table and perused the menu. A waiter came over and they placed their orders. He raised a brow slightly at the amount of food Al and Izumi had ordered but was soon trembling slightly under the gazes of both Izumi and Hawkeye. He moved away from their table the second he could and as fast as he could without actually running. Al sniggered into his water.

They waited for their food to come, passing time with small talk. Armstrong was very interested in learning what Izumi and Sig had been up to since the battle and asking about his and Edward's time as Teacher's students. Izumi indulged some of his questions but he ended up mainly conversing with Sig when the food arrived. Both Al and Izumi were fair too invested in their food to do anything like talk. Once they had finished their food and following coffees, they left to go settle the bill. Al was surprised to see that they'd spent nearly three hours at the cafe. He felt a lot better now and said so when Hawkeye asked.

They all piled back into the car and headed back for the warehouse. Al didn't pay much attention to what the adults were saying. He hoped Edward was okay. He needed to talk to Teacher about something he thought he'd felt in the array before they were forced to stop. He watched the buildings pass by in a blur before they slowed down in front of a now too familiar building. Al sighed. He was starting to get sick of being in this warehouse. They got to the second level of the warehouse when Al lightly grabbed Izumi by the arm and she must've read the question for privacy on his face because she didn't beat him up. She just nodded to Sig and glared at everyone else until they got the hint and kept going.

"What is it?" She asked, moving her arm out of his grip and glaring at him.

"Did you feel something in that array?" He asked a little nervously. Teacher wasn't fond of stupid or pointless questions and she wasn't afraid to show it with her fists. "I could have sworn I felt..." He trailed off, not wanting to voice it for some stupid reason. Izumi's eyes softened a little.

"Yes, I could feel Edward's alchemy through the array." Al's eyes snapped back up to her and she forced herself to lose the soft look. "What we sensed was his alchemy. He must've sensed my first attempt and used his tracking array to figure out what was going on the second time. That means he was close enough to the portal to sense the alchemic disturbance and that he was in good enough shape to use his alchemy." Izumi pointed out and Al's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't realised that, having been too focused on whether he was just imagining his brother's energy or not. He sagged a little in relief.

"I swear, Brother had better come out of this alive or I'm going to kill him myself for putting us through this." Al swore and the corner of Izumi's lips twitched. Then Al remembered something Ed had said about the other dimension. "I hope he didn't overextend himself if he did use his tracking array." He mumbled more to himself but Izumi picked it up.

"You told me when he'd knocked himself out using that array here that he could hold the array for nearly eight minutes. He knows his limits." Teacher pointed out curtly but Al shook his head.

"I know but that was here in Amestris. Brother told me that the alchemic energy in the other dimension is weak. Nearly half of what we have here so he doesn't draw it in as quickly there and when he performs alchemy, he uses more energy than he would here. He created an array that helps him draw the energy there in quicker but it doesn't stay active for more than 15 minutes, if he's lucky." Izumi's eyes widened in surprise at that information. Edward had neglected to tell her that when he'd last visited her and told her the story.

"You think he'll have pushed himself too much to figure out what he was sensing and who was creating it." It wasn't a question but Al nodded and Izumi sighed. "You're probably right. He's enough of a curious idiot to have done that. But I'm sure he'll be fine. He has Mustang there to make sure he doesn't get himself killed." Izumi pointed out and Al felt himself relax at the truth of what she said.

"Yeah, you're right. Assuming they haven't killed each other yet." Al joked and Teacher snorted before leading the way back up to the others. Hawkeye rose a brow asking if he was okay and Al nodded at her. Izumi and Al stopped near the Major.

"Young Alphonse, I was thinking over our problem and realised I hadn't asked something." Al gestured for him to go ahead. "Does alchemy work where Edward and Brigadier-General Mustang are?"

"Yes. Not as well as it does here but they can use it." He replied. A glance at Teacher showed she was curious as to where this was going.

"Hm, I'd hoped so." Armstrong said. "Shouldn't we trust them to be able to get themselves through the portal rather than having me waiting on the sidelines to assist them? This way I can lend my incredible strength that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations to activating this array!" Al was both impressed with the idea and the fact that Armstrong hadn't ripped off his shirt. Izumi gave the idea some thought.

"I think we should trust those two idiots to get themselves through the portal, as you suggested. I take it this means you are willing to lend us your alchemy to open this portal?" She asked and Armstrong gave an enthusiastic nod. "Then it's sorted. Lend us a hand to open this portal and let's see if the three of us can get it to stay open." She said, moving back to her spot. This time Al and Armstrong put equal distance between themselves and Teacher rather than staying closer.

"Are you sure you want to try again so soon?" Hawkeye asked, eyes on Alphonse and the two non-State Alchemists nodded.

"On three." Teacher said and the two other alchemists placed their hands in position. "One. Two. Three!" They moved in perfect sync with each other and activated the array once more. Blue energy once again lit the room up, causing an electric hum to roll through the air. Al could feel how much lighter his own burden was this time and he could sense it was the same for Teacher. Something silver flashed in front of him and his eyes widened when he realised what it was.

"Stop!" He called out, panicked the object would fall back through the portal. Izumi and Armstrong immediately removed their hands when Al wrenched his back. None of them were yet out of breath but Al spared no thought to that. Instead, he clambered to his feet and ran forward, snatching the dagger out of the air as it started to fall back to the ground. The first thing he noticed was the note. The second thing he noticed was how poorly the dagger was made. He knew it wasn't Ed's just from that. The fact that it lacked the 'stylish' flair his brother usually put on his weapons was another big sign it wasn't his.

"What is it?" Izumi asked from where she stood and Al realised he was still standing in the middle of the array. Waving at Armstrong to follow him, he hurried to the others.

"It's a dagger. There's a note." Al said, pulling the note off the weapon and handing it to Izumi to look at while he read the note.

"Who is it from? What does it say?" Hawkeye asked and Al jolted a little guiltily. He'd forgotten that everyone else probably want to read it.

"It's from Mustang." He told them and saw the team exchange glances. He started reading the letter out loud.

'Alphonse,

First question I know you'd want answered; Ed is fine. Both of us felt the attempts to open the portal and he used his tracking array on the second one. He used too much energy and nearly collapsed.' "Idiot!" 'He is sleeping right now but gave me the idea to send you this note with the dagger. I'm sure you've noticed it's not one of your brothers. It's Moore's.

We know you're trying to get the portal to open and stabalise so you can get us home. Ed has figured you'd have more alchemists helping you, he's assuming your teacher and Major Armstrong, and we trust that the three of you together will be strong enough to succeed with the portal but please stop. Just for a little while.

Moore escaped our custody. I was unconscious when we arrived and your brother fought him but Edward was already fatigued and he was fighting against a stone. Edward managed to grievously wound him and relieve him of one stone but he has others. We're positive Moore doesn't know he can heal himself but he still escaped and we cannot leave here without securing Moore. Especially while he has stones at his disposal.

We've teamed up with the BAU again and have another federal agency, NCIS, backing us. Right now, we're trying to track Moore down and get him somewhere secluded so we can tack him down with minimal risk to civilians.

Give us three days from when you get this note. Once the three days has past, open the portal. I believe we will have him back in our custody by then, especially with the help of the two federal agencies. If you get this note, don't open a portal to reply. Just wait the three days. If no more portal attempts are made we will know you got the note.

Alphonse, Edward told me about the promise the two of you made over your mother's grave. To not risk yourself as grievously for the other as you have done in the past. If you believe you cannot open a portal and hold it long enough for us to come through then don't do it. We'll figure out another way to come home.

Captain Hawkeye; I imagine you've implemented our plan with the Fuhrer. Make sure everyone else knows it so they can go along with the lie. Check in with Grumman everyday as if you've received correspondence from me. Alphonse, go into the office everyday and ask whether they've heard anything from Ed. Keep this charade up and don't breathe a word about this dimension to anyone else. We can't risk people knowing this world exists and that there is a way to get here.

Stay safe. I'll try and get Edward back in one piece but you know what he's like.

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang.'

Aside from Al's outburst, there had been no interruptions from anyone while he read the note out loud. Al looked up from the paper in his hands to look at the expressions on everyone's faces. None of them looked shocked. Instead, the team looked like they always did after Mustang gave them orders but before he dismissed them. Armstrong had a similar expression and Izumi looked like she actually approved of Mustang's words. Sig looked happy that Ed was okay.

"We'll follow the Brigadier-Generals order. No more attempts with the portal. We'll keep this building under surveillance so no one can come across the portal and try to use it." Hawkeye ordered the rest of her team. She then faced the Curtis'. "Will you two be able to stay in the city please? We have deals with many hotels and the military will be able to pay for your hotel room." Hawkeye offered and Al was actually curious if they could before he realised the request would go to Fuhrer Grumman and he'd approve it when Hawkeye tells him why the military has been asked to pay for their room.

"That's fine. We have things to get done in Central." Izumi said after conversing silently with her husband.

"Miss Riza, I want to help with surveillance." He offered. "I'd be able to sense if something happens with the portal." He told her, wanting to give her a legitimate reason for having him help. Her eyes told him she knew exactly what he was doing.

"Alright. We'll have a three man team on this place at all times. One man inside, two watching the front entrance. The back entrance has been sealed so no one can get in through there." Armstrong cleared his throat.

"I'm willing to offer my services to help with surveillance as well. Sergeant Brosh and Second Lieutenant Ross can both help as well. I can tell them it's classified if they ask why we're watching this building." Armstrong told her and Hawkeye nodded.

"Your assistance will be greatly appreciated." She dipped her head in thanks. "Falman, Breda, Al, take first watch. We'll rotate in six hours. No one is to leave their post until all three members of the next watch are in place." She glared a threat that promised they'd regret trying to leave a little earlier. "We'll all meet back here in exactly 72 hours."

Everyone dispersed shortly after Hawkeye had given her orders. The sharpshooter had walked out with Teacher and Sig to discuss hotel arrangements and Al had insisted he stay in the room with the array while Falman and Breda watch the front entrance. Soon, he couldn't hear anyone in the warehouse and there was no noise beyond the normal city noise outside. Al sat against a part of the wall where he could see the entrance to this level but he could easily roll behind a pillar if he needed to protect himself against someone. Three days. Three days until he could get Edward home. He just hoped his reckless brother could survive getting through those three days in one piece.

A/N - Chapter 9 is done and dusted! And you got to see what happened in Amestris after Mustang and Moore vanished so yay! Can you believe I've written more to this story in it's incomplete state than the entirety of 'Alchemist meet Agents'? There are still plenty of chapters to go before I'm done! Thank you to everyone who left reviews on the last chapter. Every time I get one, it makes me feel so happy! So pretty please keep leaving them? I'd love to hear your opinions on this story so far!