A\N: Not much to say on this chapter, honestly... I don't know how much longer this is going to be, but I'd like to try and wrap it up fairly soon. I would say... four more chapters maximum.

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"Are you sure this information is valid?"

Hughes glanced up at his best friend, noting the bags under his eyes with a frown. He paused for a moment before replying. "Yes. I doubled checked it all this morning."

"Then these are the locations we should check?"

He shook his head. "I didn't get a chance to edit it. Riza and I checked three of those locations before lunch, and we decided there was one other place we should check."

"Tell me where." Roy's pen hovered over the map, ready to mark of the unnecessary locations.

Hughes pointed them out, watching Roy's movements very carefully. He looked tired and disoriented, and the way his fingers fumbled with the sheets wasn't very comforting.

"Roy, you should rest for another day at the least. Riza and I can keep looking for him."

"No, I have to find him." Roy got to his feet, taking the map with him. "You convinced me to rest for the past three days now. I'm done. I need to find him."

Hughes sighed heavily. It wasn't as if he hadn't expected that answer, but still, Roy needed to take care of himself. Even Alphonse had made a comment at dinner the night before. Roy was running himself into the ground.

"Roy…"

Obsidian eyes peered at him. "I know what you're going to say, but try to imagine if this was Elysia who was missing."
Hughes raised an eyebrow. "So it's official then? You see him as your son?"

Roy blinked, stuttering a little as he realized what he had just implied. "I… w-well…" He lowered his gaze to the floor, thinking over that question for several moments. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I… yes, I do. I think of both of them that way."

Hughes crossed his arms over his chest, watching his best friend closely. If he was going to talk about Ed and Al that way, he was going to have to commit. "If you really mean that, what are you going to do about it?"

Roy's head snapped up. "I'm going to get him back!"

Hughes shook his head, standing up and approaching the young colonel. "No, I mean after that. You can't say they're like your sons and then let them go back onto the streets after Ed's back."

"No, of course not! Not… not the streets, but…"

Hughes tapped his finger on his bicep, frowning. "Roy, either you're committed to them or you're not. They can't afford to have a wishy-washy father figure."

Roy was quiet for several moments. He stared down at the floor, his brow scrunched up as he thought about the situation.

"I…" He stopped again.

Hughes watched him, encouraged by the fact that he was putting a large amount of thought into this. Perhaps he had even thought about it during his many hours of bed rest.

"I… I want to…" Roy grit his teeth, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "I want to love them. To… to raise them and protect them. And… I guess if that means… I'm a single father then… then… that's what I want."

Hughes stared at him for a few more moments, but Roy didn't take back anything he had said. He seemed uncertain—what sudden single father of two children wouldn't be?—but determined.

Hughes ginned, nodding slowly. "Good. Good…" He grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and started towards the door. "Then let's go looking for your boy."

Roy smiled, making a bee-line for the door. "Right!"

They passed the living room, waving to Alphonse, who was sitting on Riza's lap and reading a book to her.

"We'll be back in a few hours, Lieutenant!"

Riza nodded. "Call me if you need anything."

"We will!" Roy bounded down the steps, Hughes on his heels.

He has a little more of a spring in his step. Now if only we could find Ed…

Ed looked around, but he couldn't see anything. It was pitch black everywhere he turned, and his eyes were taking forever to adjust.

Where am I?

He started to walk, arms stretched out in front of him as he attempted to feel where he was going.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he called.

His own voice echoed back to him, and he swallowed hard, fear creeping into his veins. He looked down when he heard a splash, now up to his ankles in some sort of liquid. He inched forwards slowly, his feet moving through the liquid.

It's not getting any deeper…

He started to pick up speed, now able to see his hands when he held them in front of his face.

"H-hello? Am I alone in here?"

He looked around as he ran, pumping his arms as his feet pounded into the water. The wetness splashed up his legs, and it was strangely warm. A little sticky, too… it didn't feel like water, anyways. That he knew for sure.

"Can someone help me? I think I'm lost!"

Ed looked around, slowly coming to a stop. He panted heavily, doubling over on his knees.

Wh… wh… what?!

Ed straightened up, horror flashing through his eyes.

I… I can feel my skin! On my leg… and my arm…

Ed reached up and touched his face with his right hand, the soft, supple fingers tracing over his cheek in a way metal never could.

No… No, this isn't right! What's happening?

Ed heard the fluids move behind him, and he turned to see what had caused the sound, his heart leaping into his throat. An eerie purple light glowed, illuminating the grotesque form on the ground and the pool of blood he was standing in.

"M… M… Mom?"

"Ed… ward…"

Ed stepped back, tears streaming down his cheeks and falling to the crimson stains below. "Mom!"

"Ed… ward…"

Ed struggled to turn around, wanting nothing more than to run away, but he couldn't move. His heart pounded in his ears, and his breath came in shallow gasps and wheezes. Something grabbed onto his body, and he struggled against it madly. He could feel the tension in his muscles, yet he wasn't moving. He screamed.

"Edward…"

"No, stop! Leave me alone!"

"Edward…"

"Go away!"

"Edward…"

"Mom… M-Mom…"

"Edward…"

"I…

"Edward…"

"I'm sorry!"

Golden eyes snapped open, and a loud scream filled the air. He gasped for air, sweat sliding down his face as he shuddered and convulsed on the metal table, his heart racing between his lungs.

"Ed, are you okay?"
Ed turned his head slightly, staring at the girl beside him with fear in his eyes. "N-Nina…?"

The little girl stared at him, her thumb hanging from her mouth. "You were screaming… are you okay?" she repeated.

"I… I…" Ed screwed his eyes shut, a soft sob escaping his mouth. "Mom…"

He felt a gentle hand settle on his head. He cried a little harder, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Nina continued to pat his head, watching in absolute silence as he let out his pent up fear and frustration, his wails growing in volume until they were the only thing he could define as a sound.

"Mom… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

A\N: Please review!