Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter 11

Ed awoke much later to soft whispers and muffled footsteps. He wondered briefly who could be making the noise but decided not to worry about it and focus on falling back asleep. However, the constant noise was making it hard to do anything. Giving up on his long needed sleep, he cracked open his eyes.

He was no longer in the living room but back in the Roy's room. The door was closed and the voices appeared to be coming from the opposite side. Soft rays of light streamed through the open window and added some light to the otherwise dark room. Ed tried to get out of bed but his arms couldn't support his weight and he ultimately fell back into the mattress with a soft thump.

Damn it, Ed thought bitterly. I can't even sit up by myself. Am I really that weak and pathetic? No, that can't be. I'm not weak. But even as he thought that, the voice in the back of his head told him just how useless he was. Over and over again. The same words repeatedly echoing in his mind

His head hit the pillow and he took up glaring at the ceiling. Suddenly there was a creaking by the door and more light flooded the dimly lit room. Ed turned and found Roy peering over at him.

"Good morning, Ed," he greeted softly. He walked into the room and stopped by Ed's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," Ed muttered. "I dunno."

Roy nodded and smiled down at Ed. The boy, however, only frowned.

"What're you so happy about?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing," Roy lied quickly. "Are you well enough to get out of bed? I have a surprise for you in the living room."

Ed gave Roy a confused look. He only shrugged and rolled over so he was facing away from Roy. "Roy...?"

"What is it, Ed?"

"I was just." Ed tried to think of what to say. "I was wondering..." He shook his head. "What were...you and Al talking about last night?" There. He finally said it. The thing that caused him to cough up blood last night. The single most fear he had stored in his body was finally revealed. However, that didn't mean all of his stress was gone. He was still painfully waiting for the reply that felt as if it would never come. As he waited, his heart pounded in his head and his breathing quickened.

And finally:

"Is that what was worrying you last night?"

Ed nodded. He still worried about what Roy was going to say and the fact that the answer was stretching on for all eternity didn't help either. He couldn't help but feel a bit panicked. I shouldn't have said anything. I don't want to know anymore.

"So you don't remember?" Roy asked. His voice was significantly softer now than a minute ago. He sighed and sat down on the edge of Ed's bed. "We knew how much you're going through so we wanted to make today special. It is your birthday after all."

"My-my what?" Ed asked, surprised. It's my birthday? Since when? The truth was, he'd lost all track of time since he got sick so it wasn't a surprise. Besides, the last time he celebrated his birthday was when he turned twelve. That was the day Elicia was born and he celebrated it with the Hughes', Al, and Nina.

Nina...Ed sudden shook his head and snapped his eyes close. He hated remembering but it was impossible to forget. The sight of the young girl's remains splattered across the walls of the alley. It was too painful to think about. He buried his head in the pillow as he remembered seeing the malformed chimera staring at him, the young girl playing in the yard, laughing. He still had the picture she drew for him when he finished the state Alchemists exam. He would never be able to forget the huge smile on her face when he transmuted the flower crown for her or the days when they played in the yard. And then it was over. Everything. He cried that day, seeing the remains. It was the first time he had cried since becoming a State Alchemist.

"Edward?" Roy asked cautiously. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no." Ed pushed himself up and leaned against the back board of the bed. "Everything's fine."

It was apparent that he was lying, but Roy didn't mention it. Instead, he put a soft smile on his face and stood up. "Well, how about we go to the living room? There's someone there who wants to see you."

Ed only stared at him before trying to get out of bed. The key word: tried. He ultimately failed and fell on his face. Roy knelt down and helped him sit up.

"How about I carry you?" He offered. "I doubt you'll make it safely down the stairs."

Ed nodded his head and was lifted off the ground to be help in Roy's arms. He didnt''really care that Roy carried him anymore. It made him feel...wanted. It was if Roy was filling in the empty gap reserved for the father he never had.

When the two got downstairs Edward found several people sitting around talking. Hawkeye, Havoc, Hughes, Gracia, and Alphonse. Roy walked forward and set Ed down on the empty spot on the couch right between Gracia and Hawkeye.

"Good morning, Ed," Hawkeye greeted.

"Happy birthday," Gracia said.

Ed nodded his head and mumbled a quick, "Thanks." He yawned, still tired. It was like he was always tired nowadays even though he slept for the vast majority of the day. He unintentionally tipped over to the side and collided with Gracia. Luckily she didn't seemed bother by it and instead just smiled.

"Are you tired?" She asked in a motherly voice.

Another yawn forced its way out of Ed. So the answer was 'yes. He was very tired.'

"Hey, Edo."

A bright, colorful, package as thrust in front of Ed, starling the boy. He started at it uncertainty before a voice broke into his thoughts.

"Take it. It's for you." It was Hughes. No surprise there. With Gracia's help Ed managed to get himself into a sitting position. However, someone had to hold him upright the entire time he sat there or he would have fallen over. He, for some reason, wasn't bothered by it. Ed hated being weak, but he didn't mind being helped. It was odd, really, that the one thing he told himself he'd never do was happening now.

He took the package in his hands and held it. The last time he got something like this was when he lived in Resembool. It's been a while.

"Well, go on. Open it," Hughes urged.

Ed glanced at him before looking down at the package and carefully tearing apart the colorful paper. Inside was a leather bound book. There was a transmutation circle on the front cover and above it, in bold letters said: Alchemy. Ed smiled and thanked Hughes and Gracia.

Havoc decided to butt in and pretty much threw another package at Ed. The boy caught it, barely. "Hurry up and open it," the smoker urged. He was talking faster than he usually did. This package was in a simple brown paper bag, unlike the Hughes'.

Ed cautiously opened the bag. One could never be too cautious when it came to Havoc. Inside were three glass vials. Ed took one out and examined it. Inside the first was a fine blank powder. The second held a fine white powered substance. It looked somewhat like salt. And in the third there was a yellow powder. Ed looked at Havoc a little nervously.

"Uh, Havoc?"

"Yes," he replied cheerfully.

Ed glanced down the the vials in his hand and then up at Havoc again. "You gave me Potassium Nitrate, Sulfur, and Charcoal."

"Yes."

"And do you know that, when transmuted together, created a highly explosive substance?"

"Nope."

Ed face palmed. Oh course. It was just like Havoc to unintentionally give a fourteen year old the ingredients to make black powder. It wasn't like Ed hadn't ever made an explosive before. After his mother died, he stumbled upon the chemical formula for black powder in his father's study, but it wasn't until he was at his teacher's that he actually transmuted it. But he didn't just transmute it. He stuffed a copper pipe with the stuff and sealed off both ends except for a small hole in one of them. Then he went to a field to test it out. He had attached a string to one of the ends that went into the pipe with a good ten inches long. He made the wrong choice to light the end on fire with a match. The end result wasn't what he expected. The moment the flames got to the opening the pipe exploded and came flying at Ed. It hit him hard in the head and he was apparently instantly knocked out. He woke up the next day in his teachers house with a concussion and a few burns. That was the last time he played with explosives.

After Roy was finished scolding Havoc for giving Ed such a dangerous gift, Hawkeye handed him another parcel. "Here you go. It's not as explosive as Havoc's." She glanced at Havoc, who sat cross legged on the floor, not at all fazed by Roy's intense scolding.

Ed took it in his hands. For some reason he felt guilty accepting all of these gifts, even if one of them could get him killed. Hawkeye must have noticed his hesitation and tapped his shoulder. "It's for you. Go on, open it."

Ed listened to what she said and opened the package. Inside was another leather bound book, except this one was written in some foreign language.

"It's from Xing," Hawkeye explained. "It's about Alkahestry, the Alchemy from Xing. I thought it might interest you."

Ed smiled. "Thank you, Hawkeye."

"Your welcome."

Ed flipped through the pages of the book. He itched to read it but since it was written in Xinese he's have to translate it first. Well, it wasn't the first time he translated a book before. Since he knew a few things about the Xinese language it would be easier than the Creta book he was still working on.

"Brother."

Ed looked up to find Al staring at him, a hand drawn card in his large leather hand. He walked forward and handed the card to Ed.

"Happy birthday, brother," he said cheerfully.

Ed took the card and stared at it. The front read, in colorful letters: Happy 14th Birthday big brother. Ed opened the card and was surprised when a photograph fall onto his lap. Ed picked it up and stared at the picture. His eyes widened. The picture was of him, Al, and their mother. They were all smiling, sitting in front of their house. Ed felt tears well up in his eyes as he stared at the photo. Mom he thought. We were all so happy. Why can't it still be like that? Why can't' we all be happy and live as a family? Ed rubbed his eyes when the first tear fell.

"Th-thank you, Al," Ed thanked. "It-It's perfect."

Ed turned his attention to the photograph in his hands and held back the tears this time.

The rest of the morning went by slowly. Roy had almost forgotten to give Ed his medicine if it weren't for Al reminding him. Now that everyone had gone home, Ed was asleep on the couch. But there was one thing that Roy couldn't help but notice. Ed was still clutching the photograph Al had given him. Now that he thought about it, Ed hadn't put the picture down since it fell into his lap.

Roy walked over to Ed and pulled the blanket up to his neck. The boy was most likely very tired so he'd probably be sleeping for a while.

A ringing interrupted his thoughts. He mentally cursed his phone for making such a racket and hurried into the other room to answer it.

"Hello, Mustang residence," Roy said after picking up the phone.

Hello, is this Roy Mustang?

"I'm Roy," Roy replied.

I'm Doctor Colbert, Edward Elric's doctor. I have some new information about Edward's condition and I'll like to tell you as soon as I can. If you could come down to the hospital as soon as possible with Edward It'll be much appreciated.

"What information?" Roy asked.

He might be worse off than we thought.

Roy's eyes widened. "I'll be there right away." He slammed the phone down onto the receiver without waiting for a reply and headed off to get Ed. On his short trip to the living room he couldn't keep the fear from swelling within him. What if Edward was dying? No. He couldn't think that. Edward wasn't dying. He was going to live. The doctor was wrong. Nothing's wrong with Edward. But even as he desperately tried to reassure himself, he couldn't help but feel an ominous shadow settle over him.

A/N...So there's chapter 11. Sorry I didn't update sooner. Thanks to AKAnime, Cather Elric, BigChillFreak, AnimeFreakShips, Attackoneverything, 1animegal, and for reviewing last chapter. Did any of you guys remember Nina when reading this? I based many things in this story off of the 2003 anime series so the only difference is Nina died when Ed was twelve, since he had yet to get his state license. Anyway, the ingredients Havoc gave Ed are the real ingredients used in black powder (which is more explosive than gunpowder). So, don't do what Ed did and you'll be safe. Well, stay tuned for the next chapter.