DN: Yes you do see them in the future. That's a very nice crystal ball you have.

Bar-Ohki: Al needs some happiness, he's so adorable.

Angyl: I hope I am loved. But yeah, I tend to to and be at least ten chapters ahead at minimum. I'm strange that way.

Addict: Well when it rains it pours. Hopefully I won't get injured for a while now, I think I met my quota.

Koneko: Hmm... I'll have to see what happened with the bakery sign. It's in the Word document so maybe the site messed with it. And there you go, that's the perfect diet for you. But you're right, that is a fantastic image.

anmb: a bucket? Yay! I shall wear it on my head. And yes, Al is not an innocent fluffy bunny anymore.

Deanna: Yes, there are hints and foreshadowing. Just because I love doing them.

B.D.: Can't wait till I get my laptop back so I can update daily again. It's driving me nuts not being able to. Yes, painkillers suck. I'm finally off of them at long last.

Lizche: Yes she is, and it only felt short because the previous chapter was 14 pages... I think. Pretty sure. They vary in this story based on where I need to cut it off for the story.

Shawn: Yeah... it did suck, that'd about be it.

roy-rules: She's a baker because I felt like making her a baker. If you haven't noticed I talk a lot about food in the stories... so I couldn't help turning someone into a baker. And she actually kind of seems like the baking type to me, for some odd reason.

GreedxEd: Thank you, I hope you felt spoiled.

Viskii: You crack me up, seriously. Yes, I think I need to see what happened to the type with the bakery sign. It's in the Word document so I dunno. Your reviews are far from stupid though, because they do cheer me up.

Shikon: I can't tell you that yet -grins-

Emaleya: Yes it is, yes he is, and I chose Toronto because I've always wanted to visit there. So as I'm doing my research on Toronto and where Al can go (that existed in 1950), I am sort of planning my own vacation.

E: What about dessert?

Lamia: Oh I know what you mean. Bakeries are heavenly.

Embers: So that means I can't kill her off?

Paon: Who knows, who knows... except for maybe me -runs off cackling-

Phoenix: Yay! Belated happy birthday cake time! Happy birthday -tacklehugs-

Lost: It'll happen again eventually. And not just jumping to Al and Ed. So hang on for the rollercoaster and the sudden drops.

SomethingOfImportance: Yay for Marta, and thanks.

Mary: I do have adventures... klutzy ones a lot of the time.

secret25: Well I'm glad that Al and Marta have another fan cheering for them.

Okay, I finally have some time to update. Yay! Now, to business...

Belated happy birthday goes out to Phoenix To Flame. We shall serve cake! Someone go get my cake... anywho while we're waiting...

News on my foot! I ended up peeling the glue off because it got infected underneath and the last thing I wanted was an infection festering underneath the glue. So off the glue came followed by an oozey mess. Now I am finally starting to scab over and have progressed to being able to put a bit of weight on it while standing and I walked two steps on it today bearing my full weight. And then I swore like a sailor. So I am progressing with the walking thing.

Now, time for cake, and some reading!

Chapter Ten

Upon exiting the ballroom Roy went to sit by himself on the staircase, thinking it better that he watch from a distance right now. Years of observing people to get a feel for them was a habit that did not go away. He had observed Thomas from afar, and so far he approved of the man. He would do some last minute observing of the red haired and surprisingly shorter-than-Edward man before he actually exchanged words with the guy.

Edward glanced over his shoulder once to see Roy taking a seat. He knew what Roy was doing, but it didn't bother him. He often did the same thing at parties. Sometimes being the wallflower had its benefits when it came to getting a better grasp on how a person actually was. He could have been offended that Roy didn't trust his judgment of assistant, but he wasn't. He knew better than to be offended.

Reaching the door he fiddled with the lock before heaving it open to let in his drenched personal assistant. "Morning Thomas."

"Good morning Mister Elric, sir." Thomas said as he entered in his ungainly looking way. At least it appeared his red hair had finally been tamed by the massive amounts of water soaking it. "Sometimes it's hard to tell which is wetter." Thomas complained as he began to pull off his jacket. "The rain, or that bloody llama of yours that's been soaked in the rain."

Edward smirked as he watched Thomas hang up his jacket to dry. "Did Nitro try and hug you again?"

"Hug. Ha-ha." Thomas muttered and pulled off his shoes. "What can I do for you? Coffee, breakfast-"

"I thought he wasn't a servant?" Roy asked from where he'd been sitting discreetly on the stairs.

"Holy shit!" Thomas put a hand over his heart. "Don't you make any bloody noise? Even a 'hello'?"

Roy smirked and spread his hands. "Hello."

Edward chuckled and rolled his eyes at Roy. "He's not." And he turned to Thomas. "Already taken care of that stuff, but I'll let you know. I actually need your help with something else."

Thomas nodded in a firm manner, ready to tackle anything his boss had him do. Edward was smart, and he stood to learn a lot by helping him with whatever task. He wanted to be a good politician, and Edward, though not a politician by trade, was smart in their ways. "Name it."

Edward motioned for Thomas to follow him, and they walked over to where Roy had stood up. "Thomas, this is Roy Mustang. He's an old friend of mine from over a decade ago."

Thomas extended a hand automatically, but with enthusiasm. "A friend, you're a lucky man Mister Mustang."

Roy clasped the offered hand, finding the other man's grip pleasingly firm. Despite Thomas's apparent enthusiasm he was a confident man. "Yes, Edward was never the type to have many close friends."

Edward glared.

Thomas smiled and took his hand back. "One of the things I like about him. He doesn't try to please everyone. He has plenty of enemies after all."

"Always has. But he's a good person deep down."

"Okay!" Edward interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "I think that's enough ass kissing for today."

Roy winked at Edward before turning back to Thomas. "How long have you been working for Edward?"

"Gosh," Thomas looked thoughtful, "must be going on eight years now."

Edward nodded an affirmative. "Will be eight years come May." And he glanced at the large grandfather clock set by the wall opposite the coat closet. "We have less than an hour. So to the library."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Roy muttered to himself as he turned around and began to climb the stairs.

Edward cracked a smile and followed after him, Thomas taking up the rear.

In the library, Roy, instead of taking a seat on one of the couches or armchairs chose to sit at the piano. He was facing the rest of the room but the fingers of his left hand brushed over the keys to draw the faintest of notes. He had always felt comforted by the presence of the large musical instrument. Not that he needed comfort precisely, but he needed familiarity right now.

Edward sat on a couch while waving Thomas to take a seat, which he soon did across from Edward. "I'm going to need your help arranging for Roy to be permitted to come to the funeral with me." He said as he clasped his hands together. "I know it's something I'd normally do myself but I have…" Edward's mouth quirked up in a faltering smile. "I have a lot to get done all of a sudden and not a lot of time to do it in since Al isn't here to help me."

Thomas nodded in understanding. "I'll get to work on it."

"And," Edward said as he got up to retrieve an envelope from between two books, "I need you to give this to Scott Luca down at the automotive division. It's very important that no one else sees what's in here, and very important that I don't go myself. It'd attract far too much attention and right now I'm trying to avoid attention."

Thomas took hold of the envelope, pocketing it immediately in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. It was not the first time he'd been asked to do things that his boss wanted to be kept under the covers as much as possible. He knew what to do, and he knew Edward trusted him to do it. "I'll go down today while the reporters are still working on the results of the press conference you called."

Roy watched as Edward accepted the answer, and his eyes drifted back over to Thomas. From what he'd seen, as his fingers continued to coax out wavering notes of faint music, Thomas seemed quite adept at performing his job as an assistant to Edward. Nothing was fazing him so far. And by all appearances Thomas was not putting on any acts. He felt that Thomas was trustworthy, and he could see that Edward felt the same.

"Can I ask something?" Thomas ventured as Edward went to sit back down.

Edward nodded, and waved a hand in a gesture of giving permission.

Thomas looked over at Roy now with curious eyes. "What was it you called Mister Elric? Back when you first showed up."

Roy smirked, and glanced over at Edward who shrugged in answer. "Just a nickname I used to have for him. I guess it proved who I was. Raymond never would have known it."

"That's lucky then." Thomas said with a smile. "Does he have a nickname for you too then?"

"Bastard." They both answered together, and their eyes met as they smiled at one another.

Thomas blinked, not having heard of anyone ever having a nickname of a word like that. Yet if his boss had been the one to give that calling to Roy… it didn't surprise him. "I think I'll opt to not call you that myself."

"Probably a good idea. He has a temper too." Edward chuckled as his eyes continued to rest on Roy. "Admirably he doesn't get angry easily, so that's fortunate."

Roy smirked back at him. "One of us had to have a cool head. You're the one who lost his temper every time I made height jokes."

"Not a quick learner, were you." Edward glowered, "and I was never short. You were all just giants, and your ego stunted my growth. It was oppressive."

Roy wagged a finger at him. "No, it was the lack of milk in your diet that stunted your growth."

Thomas smiled and sat back further in his seat as he listened to the two of them. From what he observed, his boss and Roy got along very well together. It was a light hearted banter that they were swapping, but he couldn't help but detect an undercurrent of some sort of regret between them.

"I refuse to let you tease me any further about the milk." Edward said imperiously, earning a laugh from Roy in return. "I'll have you know I've decided I can live with it as long as it's mixed into something else so I can't taste it. I am not about to give up cakes because they require dairy."

"At least you're slowly seeing the light." Roy replied with a teasing smile.

Edward considered him thoughtfully for a moment before smiling briefly and then turning to Thomas. "I have to finish getting prepared for the press conference."

Thomas nodded, taking the hint and standing up. "Do you want me to meet you there, sir?"

"Yes." Edward answered, "and make sure there are plenty of guards stationed for crowd control."

"Will do." Thomas replied and nodded to his boss before looking over at Roy. "I look forward to seeing you again." He said, and promptly left the library in his swinging and ungainly gait that caused his arms to move around in an odd fashion.

"I can see why you trust him." Roy remarked as his hand continued to brush over the keys fondly.

Edward nodded as he stood up. "He wants to be a politician. Once an opening comes up that he wants I've told him to go for it. I hate to lose him, but this country needs someone like him."

"He seems trustworthy, which is strange for a politician."

"He's not so much trustworthy, as he is loyal to me." Edward said as he walked over, past Roy, and up to the window to stare out into the drizzle of rain. "He'll be a trustworthy politician because of that loyalty. That and the fact he sort of idolizes me."

"You always did know how to get the people to follow you, O' Hero of the People." Roy smiled as he turned around to watch Edward closely.

Edward glanced over at him with a bit of a laugh and a smile. "You realize that I earned that stupid title because I disobeyed your orders so much, right?"

Roy smirked, "glad I could be of service. However I'm sure you realize I allowed your insubordination."

"Of course." Edward turned to face him. "Alphonse once told me that you and I communicated a lot of the time without using words. We both knew what the other was doing, and we had our unspoken agreement that it was okay."

"A lot of the time, yes, we did." Roy replied as he looked up at Edward thoughtfully. "I missed that, you know. With you gone things just weren't as fun anymore, not as mentally stimulating."

"Did you ever find a replacement alchemist for me?" Edward asked him as he sat down on the piano bench next to Roy.

Roy gave him an incredulous look. "Find a replacement for you? Edward, no one could have replaced you to me."

Edward had turned his head so he was staring out the window. His gold eyes darkening in regret and memory. Closing them for a moment he willed himself strength and stood up. He didn't have time to dwell on it right now. He had too much to do. Too much to accomplish for Roy before he could take time to try and heal himself. "Okay, general rules for the press conference if you want to make it out of there today in one piece."

Roy sensed something wasn't right again with Edward, and while he had a suspicion as to what it was, he didn't say anything. They had limited time, and while in the ideal world he would say 'screw the rules, talk to me', this was not a world either of them would call ideal. He had a lot to learn, and after the press conference then he could take the time to sit Edward down and talk with him about what was bothering him again.

"First, don't say anything unless I give up the microphones to you." Edward began as he started to pace the floor. "Don't leave my side, probably until tomorrow. And even then I'd be careful, but I'm not too worried about anyone hurting you. I'd be more worried about them."

Roy had to smirk a bit at that.

"If you do say anything at the conference today, speak very clearly so they don't try and screw your words up. Don't mention anything about where we're really from. Including anything about you once having been a Fuhrer. Even I might have a hard time sorting that one out."

"Why is that?"

"You'll soon learn about it, but the last well known Fuhrer in this world wasn't exactly a person of your moral integrity." Edward said summarily. "I'd met him a few times, wasn't too impressed. Especially considering he wanted to use me as an experiment. But anyway that's beside the point for right now."

Roy rather got the idea about this Fuhrer who Edward was referring to. Apparently they were exact opposites. "Was this Fuhrer one of the homunculi reborn here? Pride, perhaps?" He asked lightly.

Edward shook his head. "It wouldn't have surprised me, but no. The homunculi we know as Pride is a pirate captain in the Caribbean. He's actually not too bad a guy in this world, he's been very hospitable to Al and I. Though he doesn't much like anyone else who's not a member of his crew."

"Sounds like this one is the better half of the Pride I killed."

"Yes, but this one still probably could have made you lose an eye." Edward pointed out. "Just use your common sense today while we're around other people. Today is one of the most important days of your life here, so try not to mess it up."

"I'll try not to let you down." Roy promised instead, it had a nicer ring to it.

Edward smiled at him. "You haven't yet, Roy. Somehow I doubt you'll start now." He replied and glanced out the window again. "We should be leaving. I have a feeling that the traffic will be a mess because of the rain. You'd think that living here everyone would know how to drive in the rain, but sometimes idiots are just idiots no matter what."

Soon Roy was in the car with Edward, and they were backing out of the driveway. In fact, Edward backed out the whole way, something Roy found very amusing. But he had to admit that Edward was a good driver. A definite change from the disaster he'd been in Amestris, there was a reason he'd never offered the blond a company car. They backed smoothly out of the open gates, and Edward parked the car so he could get out and lock his gates back up.

As he did so, Roy looked around to see guards getting back into their cars. The press were no where to be seen, he figured they'd already high-tailed it to the conference. Wherever it was.

As Edward got back in he waited for one of the police vehicles to pull in front of him before he started off. The other fell in at the rear. This wasn't the first time he'd gotten an escort somewhere, and while normally it annoyed him, today he was glad of it.

"Someone's important. You're just an advisor." Roy teased as he looked around as the scenery flew by.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Head advisor, thank you very much. And my boss doesn't exactly want to lose me."

"I was Fuhrer, and I walked home on my own just fine and ruled my country in a military issue uniform of second-rate material. This is a bit… over the top." Roy pointed out as he turned to Edward.

Edward chuckled, "again, welcome to this world. They fret over the strangest things. If the leaders were decent and liked as you were, they'd not need to worry about security like this. That and you weren't exactly someone to tangle with when you could summon fire in less than a second."

"And the clothes?"

"They think very highly of their appearance here." Edward answered. "These people just don't live a lifestyle, they buy it. I think I'm one of the few who actually only dresses up when I have to and looks normal the rest of the time. I don't care about my appearance like they do. They care about my brain, not my clothes. Though I do understand when it is appropriate to wear something more formal."

"Only took you half your life." Roy remarked.

"Shut up."

Roy merely smiled.

Soon they pulled into the same parking lot from before nearby the Parliament building which still impressed the hell out of Roy. There their escort broke off, and Edward parked the car. Getting out Edward handed Roy an umbrella, and took one for himself. It was still raining after all, and he'd rather not get wet.

"My fate's in your capable hands, Fullmetal." Roy said with a grin. "Do try not to screw me over."

Edward nearly blushed. "I'll do my best." He managed to say and began walking. "Remember, stay with me."

Roy rolled his eyes and hurried after the blond. "You're the military dog, not I. I do not heel." He whispered to him as he fell in beside Edward.

Edward grinned at the notion. "And yet, you are. Good boy."

"Shut up, Elric." Roy growled, and shoved him playfully.

Edward laughed as he caught his balance. "Right, sorry. I know you're not."

"Sure." Roy said in a tone that clearly disbelieved what Edward had said.

Together they began to make their way towards the College Green and past the many people who Edward knew and nodded to. Yet the blond said nothing, and nor did they make much of a response, they were too busy eyeing Roy up and down. Only the advisors under Edward came up to greet him.

"Roy, these are the other advisors." Edward said and quickly introduced them.

Roy was glad that there were only five. "Nice to meet all of you." He said as he finished shaking hands with, from the right, Henry, Marvin, Keith, Brent, and Jacob.

They were all the politician sort, they had the proper aura. Yet Roy only had a chance to barely glance them over and decide they were not as trustworthy as Thomas before Edward hauled him away.

"You don't like them much, do you." Roy noted quietly.

"Not much, no." Edward smiled faintly. "But it's not in my power to dismiss them, even if I am head advisor. That's up to Charles, and their families are too well connected to make Charles want to dismiss them."

"That's a spineless reason."

"I know. But please try not to call my boss spineless in his presence."

"I'll see what I can do."

Edward rolled his eyes, "good, because there he is."

By the time they reached Charles Kain, the only people still making a lot of noise were the press. Everyone else seemed to have fallen silent as they looked on the strange scene. Apparently the head advisor trusted this man who looked like Raymond, but few of them were convinced that it actually wasn't the traitor.

"Charles." Edward greeted, and the two exchanged their version of the 'man hug' before Edward turned to Roy. "Roy, this is Charles Kain."

Roy looked the man over sharply, sizing him up even as he extended a hand. "Roy Mustang." He filled in as he came to understand why Edward was so relied on by this man. While Charles seemed a good person, he had a somewhat weak sort of disposition. Something that Edward could easily make up for.

Charles withdrew his hand after nearly having his fingers crushed in the firm grip. "That's what Edward tells me. I must say you bear an unfortunate but uncanny resemblance to-"

"He knows." Edward interjected smoothly. "I doubt he's forgotten his treatment by our hands yesterday morning."

"I'm sure I have the bruises somewhere." Roy smirked at him before looking back at Charles. "One cannot choose their family I'm afraid, but I chose well when I chose Edward as a friend. I'm sure you can agree."

Charles nodded immediately. "Edward is a good man."

"Not this again." Edward muttered, and ignored the amused look Roy shot his way.

"Family you say?" Charles questioned with interest.

Edward cleared his throat before anything more could be said or asked. "Sorry sir, it's nearly time. I'm afraid I have to borrow Roy."

Roy smiled to himself as Edward led him off without hardly giving him a chance to say goodbye to Charles. He was fairly certain it had come out as more of a squeak than words. "I do love this side of you. Though it has definitely developed since we last saw each other."

"Which side?" Edward asked as he led Roy up onto the podium platform and pointed to a spot on his right hand side.

Roy stood there obediently and angled his umbrella better over his head. "Knowing what you want, and knowing how to get it."

"I rather learned how to get what I want from trying to get it from a stubborn ass like yourself." Edward smirked, "everyone else is easy compared to you. I don't like to be pushed around, you know that."

Roy smiled over at him. "So I did you a favor. I require a thank you."

Edward snickered and pulled out from a pocket a folded piece of paper from a legal pad, and placed it onto the podium. "This is your thank you, me saving your ass from persecution until Raymond's body gets here."

"Mmm you're welcome."

Edward bit back a laugh and tried not to smile. He nodded to Thomas as the red-headed man hustled over looking as possessed as always and handed off his umbrella which Thomas took to holding over his head while at the same time using his own to keep himself dry.

Roy tried not to be amused.

Edward waited a moment as everyone found their places, and he turned on the microphones, before he gave a nod to the reporters. "Thank you all for coming today on such short notice. At the end of yesterday's press conference many of you witnessed something that did not make a lot of sense, and it didn't to me until I understood what was happening. I have called everyone here to lay to rest the suspicion and doubt, and shed light on the facts. I ask that you save all questions until I've finished my statement, at which time you may then pose your questions."

Roy felt a flicker of pride. No doubt Edward was the one in control here, and from what he had seen so far, Edward just may be able to pull this off easily. If he was as well respected and liked as Roy got the feeling he was, then Edward's word would be trusted.

"I need not explain why the man you see beside me today was accused of crimes against the country. Unfairly accused, even by myself until I saw the truth. Raymond's betrayal is not a subject any of us like," Edward' eyes darkened momentarily, "especially myself. However, he betrayed not just his fellow people and country, but his family. His father, and half-brother."

Roy had to admit perhaps these people weren't all stupid as a murmur of shock ran through the crowd. It seemed Edward was well on his way to a successful conclusion.

"His father killed himself in grief, but his half-brother stands with us here today in defiance of his sibling's treachery."

Roy had to fight years of practice not to say 'those are some big words for a short man'. Which then meant he had to fight not to burst out laughing. Somehow that didn't seem to fit the mood.

"It has taken him many years to come here, and then to learn of what his brother has done. But he comes here now to clear his face and name of the stain his sibling has placed upon the family bloodline. The child of a mistress, he was orphaned when his mother was killed and the father left without claiming him. Soon after he left his home in Russia to pursue a musical career. Which was when I met him. I never thought I'd see him again, assuming he'd also died in that dark time. He is here now, seeking your understanding that his likeness to his sibling does not make him the same person. He has my unconditional trust, and now I ask that he have yours."

Roy smiled faintly at him, ignoring the flashes of light from cameras, and reporters chatting into their video cameras rapidly. He'd known Edward trusted him, but it had a different feel to it when it was said to the press for mass publication.

Edward glanced over at him, feeling the eyes on his back. Meeting Roy's eyes he smiled back before turning back around to begin taking questions. He was going to try to keep Roy from speaking as much as possible. Though he trusted Roy wouldn't slip up, he didn't trust that some of the reporters wouldn't try and mess with what Roy said. Now if he himself was quoted incorrectly, usually there was hell to pay thanks to Alphonse who would gladly smear their name and cause them to lose a lot of respect in the journalism community.

"I have a question."

Edward's eyes flickered over and then away from the owner of the voice. "You are not a member of the press. You will wait to pose questions until after I have adjourned the conference."

However Fane Banciu was not deterred that easily. "If this man is a bastard child, why do you bring him here?"

Roy instantly decided that he did not like this man, and he instantly zeroed in on the politician with the sallow skin and mismatched looking limbs. And he could sense that Edward had no love for this person either.

However any dislike Edward had he did not let it show in his posture. "Personally, I'd rather have the bastard child here, than the non-bastard child who turned traitor. If you have any complaints, I'm sure you can lament them to Raymond's body when it is brought here for burial. And just in case it missed your notice, ambassador, we're not living in the medieval times. Segregation like you're suggesting, although not surprising coming from you, is unlawful in this age. Now, any further questions of yours will have to wait, or I'll have the guards remove you from the premises."

There was a smattering of laughter from some of the gathered people, a few whispers here and there, but overall no one looked about to chastise Edward for what he'd said. Charles Kain in particular appeared to be highly fascinated with something on the cuff of his jacket.

Fane sneered elegantly before turning on his heel and marching away with fuming strides.

Roy watched him go with a frown of not only dislike, but mistrust. There was something that made him feel… wrong… about that man. Whoever he was, that ambassador, Roy didn't need clarification to realize that he had just witnessed who one of Edward's enemies was. Silently he dared the man to try anything to harm Edward, he would not take such an offense nicely.

Edward answered a few more questions before he adjourned the press conference with words of thanks to the members. He then turned off all the microphones as he slipped away the statement he'd read off the paper. "Go take care of everything I asked you to this morning. I'm just going home anyway." Edward told Thomas as he took back his umbrella.

"Understood, Mister Elric." Thomas said and nodded to both he and Roy before hurrying away.

Edward then looked over at Roy, who was watching him. "I needn't ask if you picked up on some hostility."

"No." Roy answered as he walked over to join him. "There's something dark about him I don't like."

"I've felt it too." Edward sighed. "His name is Fane Banciu, he's the Romanian ambassador. I refuse to give him a meeting with Charles, and for that he has become a thorn pestering me."

"Why do you refuse?"

"Because I know what he wants to say, and it won't do him any good. He's better off not wasting Charles's time and making things even worse because he so happens to annoy the prime minister."

Roy frowned, "I suppose that means he won't have any love for me."

"That's a safe answer." Edward nodded and began to step down from the podium. "Now be alert, you're going to have to do some very delicate mingling and then we're getting the hell out of here. These people can be sensitive, so watch and learn quickly."

Roy followed after him with a nod and braced himself for what lay ahead. For some reason, he felt he preferred the battlefield.