Give Guidance or Counsel

Family

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Sorry for the late update, I was trying to get a lot done before I went to Sheffield, but didn't manage to. However, now I am back from that short little trip, and I am going to be updating agian. Furthermore, sorry for my endless amount of cliffies that I am so fond of using.

Chapter 11 - On Speaker Phone

11:30 Drachman Time

Russell followed the girl quietly. He'd followed her all the way to Drachma, yet now, seeing her sweet face again, he didn't have any courage to actually talk to her. He waved to Ling and Lan Fan, the Social Science Societies resident couple - though they didn't know it yet. The two were both from Xing, but they weren't anything alike personality wise. In a way, however, they complimented each other and that's why everyone thought they'd make a good couple. They looked happy together - just hanging out on Campus ground. He let his gaze wonder back to her.

Another wave, this time to Martel, who was flanked by her two body-guards. Not that she needed them. The large man with white hair was Roa, the other one was Dorochet. But Martel was intelligent and cunning and very strong. Plus she was brave. She had a tattoo going from her neck up to the side of her face. Some people turned away from it, but Russell took it as a sign of her bravery - you had to be brave to get a tattoo on your face.

Again, his eyes travelled back to her.

Noah.

She was sitting alone on the campus fields, reading a book on the supernatural. Russell remembered that when he'd met her at the carnival she had been interested in things like mind-reading. She was absolutely nothing like Russell had ever liked before in a girl. Usually they were blonde, petit and feminine, and yes that included Ed. Noah had dark hair and skin and dark brown eyes. She seemed to be in her early twenties and she was quiet and reserved. She always wore comfortable clothing and was tall and slim. Russell knew from the carnival that she did belly dancing so she was definitely toned.

"Are you going to stand there and stare all day or are you going to join her?"

Russell jumped out of his skin when Martel asked the question, but soon found he wasn't given much choice when Dorochet and Roa escorted (half carried, half dragged) him to the girl and deposited him down in front of her.

"Oh." She said upon sight of the blonde. "It's you."

If Russell was not so embarrassed he would have realised that this meant she remembered him.

"I'm so sorry." He said, standing and trying to glare at Martel's body guards, who had caused his embarrassment. Noah shrugged, placing her book on the grass next to her.

"Don't be. Sit." Russell sat. "It's been a long time. I see you made it into Drachma. As promised."

Russell nodded, cheeks going slightly pink.

"It… It wasn't that hard." he scratched his cheek. Noah nodded, then she smiled, and Russell was transported back to the carnival where he met her, and fell in love all over again.

- X -

Wednesday the 28th of September 01:24 Drachman Time

Ed sat in the waiting room of the hospital nearest to Drachma University and Hohenheim's house. Upon going to call an ambulance to get Hei he had realised his phone had been left in the library. He'd used Hohenheim's landline and Hei was now in hospital, so he wanted to go retrieve his phone, in case Roy called. Yet, he couldn't get his feet and legs to work. Hei was in hospital. Hei was in hospital. How could he have overlooked his friend's needs to a point at which he needed to go to hospital?

Hohenheim stopped pacing in the small waiting area and sat down heavily next to his son. He didn't look at the boy, but began to speak in a slow, steady way.

"So, civil partnership huh?"

Ed almost wanted to laugh.

"Yeah."

He wasn't going to make this easy on the old man.

"Didn't know you… uh… liked men."

"You don't know much about me."

Even though he replied sarcastically he couldn't keep the blush off his face at his fathers comment and was glad Hohenheim wasn't looking.

"Guess not." The man shifted. "So, well… what's his… um… name?"

If this wasn't the most ridiculously awkward conversation ever…

"Roy Mustang. 30 years old, Amestrian by birth. Mother's Xingese but he isn't in contact with the family. Fostered a girl named Rose for a while three years ago, works as a guidance counsellor at Central High, which is what he was doing when we met. Anything else you'd like to know of can we move on to discussing Al and how we can help HIM?"

"He's eleven years older then you. Has a bad family situation and probably started a relationship with you under illegal circumstances." Hohenheim ticked them off on his fingers and Ed thought the attributes didn't sounds so good when said like that. "So where can I find this guy?"

"Why do you wanna know?" Ed asked defensively.

"So I can kill him for seducing my poor, innocent son."

Ed stuck out his tongue.

"Don't start caring now old man." A pause. "If it makes you feel better he's a soppy git and I hit him a lot."

"It does." Hohenheim smiled and Ed couldn't help but return it. "But Ed-"

"I know, if he ever makes you cry blah de blah. Bastard makes me cry all the time, but Winry's a real good aim with that wrench, and I make him cry too sometimes. Though, I am fairly certain Winry's is revenge for her parents."

Hohenheim adopted a perplexed look.

"What about her parents?"

Ed took one look at his father's expression and decided that was a story for another day.

"Don't worry, now, what about Al?"

- X -

01:32 Drachman Time

Archer flipped the top of the bright red phone up for the third time in just as many minutes and glared at the picture that greeted him. That pretty blonde boy was being defiled by the touch of that bastard Mustang's arm around his shoulder. How could anyone be happy knowing that lying, conniving, backstabbing bastard was so close to them? How'd Roy manage to seduce such a cute kid to begin with? He'd thought he'd got lucky when he'd found someone as cute and feisty and soon-to-be-willing as Edward Elric at a dreary place like Drachma University. Now, having stolen the boys phone from the table instead of rushing out to return it like he probably should have done, and finding that the blonde knew (no less, was married too) Roy Mustang, was the icing on the cake. It was practically perfect. He could almost feel the revenge on his fingertips. Last time he may have failed, but this time he had something a lot closer to Roy's heart than the breaks of his car.

A manic grin slipped on to his face as Ed's phone began to jingle. A picture of Roy holding a cat with chocolate coloured fur popped onto the screen along side the words 'The Colonel Calling'. His grinned faltered slightly, but came back full force.

"Hello Roy."

"Who the fuck are you?"

Archer started at the female voice swearing at him, holding the phone to his ear he heard a clashing sound in the background.

"Has that guy still got Ed's phone?"

"Well Ed didn't answer." replied the female voice. Archer grinned.

"Is Roy driving my dear?"

"He is." Replied the female. "Why do you have Ed's phone?"

"I'm just looking after it for him. He left it with me." That wasn't technically a lie. "Do you think it's a good idea to be in a car with that man?"

A pause, then;

"What did he say? Put it on speaker phone."

A beep, which was probably a button being pressed.

"Hello Roy." Archer repeated. "Calling a little late aren't we? And while driving too, with a lady in the car. How irresponsible of you."

"What have you done with Edward?"

Archer pouted down the phone, annoyed his provoking wasn't having the desired affect.

"Why would you assume I've done anything to that pretty little husband of yours? Tell me, why didn't that kid take your name? He disgusted with you, or are you the bitch in the relationship?" He could imagine Roy shooting that female acquaintance of his an embarrassed look, so carried on at Roy's unwillingness to answer. "I don't know where little Edward is, but miss?" He directed the female. "I would watch out for this man's driving. He had a rather bad accident a few years ago and I wouldn't put much faith in his skills."

A pause. She was thinking about it then?

"How did you know about that?" From Roy.

Archer's grin grew, if that was possible.

"It was all over the news. That poor little girl lost her parents. I wonder how guilty you became? Oh how I'd love to have seen your face when you realised you'd murdered someone. No less, two someone's."

"YOU CALLOUS BASTARD!"

A shocked silence filled the air, then Archer heard the female speak again, obviously angry, and her outburst having not sedated her furious needs.

"How dare you grind into him about that incident you insensitive jerk? For your information Mr. Mustang is a great driver, but what's more, he's a great person!"

Roy stared at the blonde girl in silence. Of all the things she had said that day, this was certainly the most shocking for him. Also the most touching. Every day he was reminded of the fact that it was his driving that had caused her parents death and every time Winry assured him that she had forgiven him. It broke his heart even more every time she did, since Winry was such a pure hearted girl. He watched her get angry at the memory of her parents death and wondered if maybe she was getting angry for him too, because he wasn't.

"I don't know who you are or what your relationship is with Mr Mustang, or even what Mr Mustang might have done that would make you so angry at him, but you can't use that incident that you know nothing about in your sick torture games!"

Archer heard the engine being switched off and a soft, 'we're here' being muttered half-heartedly. He'd wanted to say this to Roy's face so he could see the man's look of hopelessness, but this girl was really beginning to piss him off and she needed to learn a lesson about the harsh realities of the world and stop lecturing him.

"You think I don't know anything about that incident?" He laughed. "I caused it."

You all officially have permission to murder Archer. Slowly. Painfully. With blunt objects.