Central Command, Amestris

The papers were scattered across the desk, each one for a different set of repairs that needed to be approved to move forward. Each one lay about, scattered like the bodies left after a battle.

Mustang could only stare at one set, lying just clear of the array of papers that coated the desk. The papers stared up at him, a mockery or the one thing he had failed at, the only thing he had no achieved.

"Fuhrer Mustang?" was called through the door, quickly followed by Riza pushing through the large wooden doors that mocked him daily. Her amber eyes glowered at the pile of papers that stood unsigned on his desk. "Sir, you need to okay all of these renovation requests, Central is still suffering the effects of the fight with Father."

"I know Riza... It's just... I can't focus on them" He said with a sigh, gesturing to the papers in front of him.

"I understand sir, but you can't let Edward's disappearance stop the repair of the city."

The ache inside his chest only multiplied, but he forced it down, smothering it underneath everyone he had saved. Then, he set to work filling out the mountain of work that was sitting before him.

On the Way to Roy Mustang's Apartment

The walk back to his flat was balmy, the streetlights shone as beacons, cutting through the darkness. Hawkeye stayed close beside him, always alert, scanning the dark for danger.

"Roy, are you sure it's best for you to still take this route home? It isn't exactly safe for you as the new Fuhrer after all." Riza muttered, her eyes flickering to every passerby, every car that passed, every dark alley that loomed before them.

"Riza~ you seem so tense now, even more than usual!" Roy worked out, running his fingers through hair, trying his hardest to seem like he wasn't tense, while stuffing the fear and stress down that had been building up from the second Ed had disappeared and his own sight had returned. Somehow he managed to get a winning smile to lace across his features.

The returning sigh echoed through the night, along with the realization that they had arrived.


Just outside Roy Mustang's Apartment

"Roy…" was all that was muttered as Riza settled her hand on Roy's shoulder, both bracing for the question that they knew would be asked, and they would not have the answer once again. Every time they faced that question, it almost seemed more hopeless that they would ever have the answer that they all so desired, that they all refused to admit to themselves.

Slowly, carefully Roy slid the key into the lock, as if he ran the risk of waking someone. As he pushed the door inwards, to be greeted by the same earnest faces that sat and waited behind it every day.

"Have you found out where brother is?" there it was, the one thing that almost managed to crush them more each time that the face behind it. Alphonse watched them both, begging for the day that Ed would be standing there, or that they had something, anything to tell him other than the empty nothing they had been staring at from day one.

"I-I'm sorry Alphonse…there's still nothing" Roy admitted, defeat sneaking into his voice, forcing his shoulders down. He tried to smooth down his frumpled hair, trying his hardest to at least act as if it was not that big of a problem – So what? Ed's missing; he always manages to show up again! But it wasn't that simple, it wasn't like one of the missions he would vanish on for weeks on end, there was no way Ed could up and vanish without anyone knowing where he went, especially due to the fact he left Alphonse, of all people behind.

"It's alright R-roy… I'm sure that he's alright. I can feel it" Alphonse stated, sensing the tense mood that emanated through the room. His words did bring a small truth; all of them could feel it.

It was like a little flame, barely there at all, tiny, but just big enough that they could all feel it.

"Oh… Alphonse!" cried Mei tearfully, latching onto Alphonse, along with expressing the emotion that all of them wanted to. The very shocked and emaciated Alphonse was a little slow to respond, and struggled with that. All he could reply with way patting her on the head, and trying his hardest to calm her down.

Somehow, this managed to brighten the room, bringing a smile flickering across all of their faces.

"Don't worry Al, Mei knowing Ed, he's sitting somewhere, probably just beat the crap out of a bad guy, either staring down another one with a gun, or more likely, he's sitting there bored as hell while someone is yelling the crap out of him for beating up the bad guy!" Roy managed to get out before cracking up, allowing the rest of the group to share one fleeting moment of happiness together.