TWO YEARS LATER

It was 9:00 PM. The crowd in Central City has faded. Lights were glowing in the streets, creating shadows and silhouettes on the walls. Alley cats were singing together with the crickets. At the Fourth Avenue Street in Central City, a happy child's laugh coming out from one of the windows of the apartment. Edward Elric Mustang, now four years old, is jumping on his bed in his pajamas. He laughed cheerfully as his foot touched the mattress and he pushed it forward, bringing him high up in the air. He repeated it again and again, bouncing and bouncing like a kangaroo on his little bed.

"Not sleeping yet, Edward?"

It's Roy Mustang, his adoptive father, not a 'so-called father' anymore. Roy Mustang is the famous Flame Alchemist who rescued him from death three years ago. He's been watching the little energetic bedbug jumping since five minutes ago.

"No, daddy! I'm not sleepy!"

It has become Ed's unchangeable habit to call him 'daddy', and it has become Roy's digestible habit to be called 'daddy'. He went towards his bed and caught the little bug before he touched the ground.

"Ha~! Gotcha you Lil' bedbug!"

"Don't call me bedbug! I'm not little!"

They both laughed as Ed tried to wrestle him. Of course he couldn't get away, but Roy do feel that his little boy's kick is getting stronger.

"Ooh, you're right! You're growing bigger than when I first saw you of course! But you're still smaller than me!"

Ed replied it with a pout, and Roy couldn't help but laugh, "You'll grow taller someday, maybe taller than me. You grow up fast!"

"Really? Then can I learn flame alchemy?"

Seeing the boy's glittering eyes, he stroked his golden hair as he pulled the blanket to cover his little body.

"Sure you can! Now come on, it's your first day of school tomorrow so get some sleep!"

"Um… why do I have to go to school again?"

"All alchemists have to go to school. At school, you can learn lots of things and have lots of friends!"

"Really?"

He nodded, and gave a goodnight kiss to Ed

"Goodnight, Edward"

"Goodnight, daddy"

Ed replied back with a goodnight kiss to Roy. As he hugged his teddy bear and closed his eyes, Roy turned off the lights and closed the door, leaving the nightlight on.

Flame alchemy, huh?

He's four years old now…one more year, just one more year. I don't know whether the Fuhrer will accept his alchemy ability at this rate…But what can you expect? Isn't it fascinating that a boy his age reading runic alphabets and drawing transmutation circles and calculating elemental mathematics…tch. If all those state alchemist heard him, they'd have a seizure for sure!

Flame alchemy…okay. First of all, I already promised Riza not to spill any of this to anybody else…she even asked me to torch her back so there will be no flame alchemist born after me. Well, I do heard of generations of state alchemists passing their specialty from one generation to another…but still…

I can't bare seeing him walking on the same path as me.

Pathway of a sinner.

No, no! I don't want him to end up in a place like Ishbal. The pathway of a state alchemist…Doing the governments dirty work, following one and every of their word, even though that costs lives of the innocent.

I can't

PEEP PEEP PEEP

CLACK.

Roy tried to open his eyes as he hung his right hand on his alarm clock's button. He usually set his alarm at 8 AM, but since he got a schoolboy in the house now, he had to set it two hours forward. As he blinked, he tried to figure out what time is it.

6:02 AM.

He then forced himself to get up, went out of his room and into Ed's bedroom, where he found the little boy sleeping.

"Ed, wake up. It's your first day of school," Roy said in a whispering tone while jerking his little body. Ed slowly opened his bright golden eyes, and when he saw a familiar obsidian pair of eyes, in front of him, he turned slowly and smiled.

"Morning, daddy Roy…" he said, followed with a yawn. His gestures when he just woke up made Roy's a little more awake than a few seconds ago. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to figure out why does his father wake him up when the sun wasn't up yet?

"Morning, Ed. Ready for school?"

"Un!" he jumped up enthusiastically and hugged Roy. Once he got latched on his back, they both went out of the room and into the bathroom to gussy up. Minutes later, he's ready with his uniform with two stars on the lines on his shoulders, while the little one was having a hard time with his uniform. After a sigh, Roy quickly went to him and helped him. First, buttoning the shirt, which is rare for him because mostly he used t-shirts and turtle neck sweaters that Gracia made for him. He only used buttoned-up shirt on special occasions, and it's always Roy who buttoned them up because he didn't want to be late just because of waiting a boy buttoning his shirt. Teaching him how to button his shirt up, that goes to my top to-do list for Ed for today. Second, his tie. He had to untie it from the tangle that Ed had made from his first attempt of tying it by himself. Ed never wears that kind of tie, always bowties with a latch on the back that hung on the back of the collar. Teaching him how to put the tie properly goes on my second. Third, his shoelaces. Again, he had to untie them from the frizzy tangle that he even didn't know if that is a shoelace or a fishing line. Teaching him how to deal with shoelaces goes on my third. Then, he brushed his golden hair quickly and brought him to the mirror.

"See, Ed? Looked neat, huh?"

Ed nodded, and it took a few seconds until Roy found that he was holding a frown on his face. He then leaned down, and cupped his chin with both of his hands.

"What is it, Ed?"

"I-I'm scared…What if there's something bad at school?"

Roy knew what he meant. Of course there are fears when going on a new place or a new experience. What if this goes wrong? What if there's something bad happens?

"Well, you haven't know, right? As far as I know, nothing bad will happen"

Of course, he haven't mentioned those bullies but hey, he didn't want to scare him about the first impression of school and he knew that his son here is tough and brave. Ed is his son no matter what, of course he inherits his charms!

At 7:30 AM, Hughes and Havoc came to pick them up. School and HQ is in one way, so they decided to bring Ed along in Roy's carpool rather than paying extra fees for chaperones, and he could always manage to get a subordinate to pick him up afterschool when he can't. When Roy went out of his apartment building, Hughes greeted them with a flash of camera.

"Why did you bring a camera?"

"Because I wanted to keep a memory of Ed's first day of school! Hey, I am considered as his daddy too, I'm your childcare guru!" he said in his bright and happy-joy-joy tone, and giving a slap on his best friend's back. They soon all get into the military limo with Havoc driving. As he saw the scenes went by from the car window, Ed can feel his heartbeats on the top of his skin, feeling excited and imagining what sort of things will happen at school.