Hey, thanks for so many reviews for my last chapter, it made me so happy! I love each and every one of you (including guests)! *Happy dance* please review! Fireworks for all you lovely reviewers!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own FMA.

Dedicated to Payton-chan, love you mother!

++NOTE:++ This is an AU fic. This is set in our time, and there is no alchemy. Ed still has automail though.

Chapter Twenty One:

Much Worse

Hohenheim was sure this was the best day of his life. He was crushing his son, his son's relationship, and emotionally, Roy. He was crushing them all.

And oh, how he was enjoying it so.

After all, it's not every day you get to kill a member of your family, now was it? He wondered as he dragged the lighter across Edward's tan skin, tinting it red with fire.

Oh, this was fun.

Edward let out a strangled cry, near the point of passing out from pain. His father had already messed with his automail, and he was now unable to move either limb. His arm that Hohenheim had carved dreaded words into had only just stopped bleeding, making his flesh arm become covered in a crust of dark red dried blood.

It couldn't get much worse than this.

Pushing the flame against the tan skin, Edward emitted a scream of agony.

Yes, the real hell indeed.

Fire lapped at his skin, and the petite teen wished for only one thing.

That Hohenheim would hurry up and end this.

End him.

Roy hadn't slept a wink the night before. He was too busy worrying about his love, Edward, and the pain he must be going through right now.

Edward was going through that pain because he failed to protect Edward.

He had failed Edward.

Now he knew he had to tell Maes... he suppressed a shudder as he realized he had to tell Riza too.

Sighing, he sat back down on the black leather couch. Once he realized he wouldn't be able to sleep, he had abandoned his bed and moved onto the couch, simply staring at the notes still left on the table, wallowing in his sorrow.

A few minutes after the time he would have normally awoken, a thought occurred to him. Why hadn't he called the police?

Because he's an idiot.

He was holding the phone in his hand ready to click the three numbers required . For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to be the one who swooped in heroically and saved his boyfriend, and not the police. He knew the police had a far higher chance of finding him then he did by himself.

But still, he could not bring himself to call.

A selfish idiot.

Tears fell down his face. This was not the first time he had cried since Edward's disappearance. Crystal droplets of water coursing down his pale cheeks. He shouldn't be crying.

But without Edward, he was falling apart.

Faster and faster, the tears came down. Edward was gone. Edward might never return. Edward might be dead, because he had failed to protect him. He had gone to that stupid party and gotten hammered, instead of protecting the love of his life.

And oh, how he loved Edward.

Tears collected in little pools on the back of his pale hands, where they were laying in his lap as he bent his head down as tears made their way down his cheeks. He couldn't help but think of all he had done wrong, and all that could still go wrong. He thought of what he had lost, and how much he still had left to lose.

Roy sighed. Well, at least he could bring himself to call Maes... and unfortunately for him, Riza. Jean should know too, he supposed. He picked up the phone that he had previously dropped onto the coffee table in irritation, and dialed the number he had memorized for years. The phone dial tone echoed in his ear as he waited for the person he was calling to answer the phone.

"Maes Hughes speaking." Came the desired voice on the other line.

"Maes. It's Roy." The raven haired man said somberly.

After hearing his best friend's tone, Maes went close into panic mode. "Roy? What's wrong? What happened?" He asked quickly, his voice rising to a panic.

"Can you come over?" Roy requested, resting his head in his hand.

Maes answered immediately, planning to come to his best friend's aid. "Yes of course, I'll be over shortly."

"Bring Riza and Jean with you..." Wait for us Roy. Don't do anything stupid." Maes warned before hanging up.

The bespectacled man, and the two blondes Roy had requested him to bring a long with him. And the three had just finished walking up the stairs to Roy's apartment. Knowing they didn't have to knock on the door, Riza twisted the knob and led the two males inside Roy's home.

"Roy-boy! We're here!" Maes called out, looking around. He walked to the kitchen, the other fellow employees following closely behind him.

On top of the granite kitchen counter, sat an empty, unmarked cardboard box that left all three wondering...

Just what had once been inside that box?

Ignoring the unspoken question, the group walked into Roy's living room, where they found said man sitting on the couch, shoulders slumped and defeated. His head was in his pale hand and the man in general looked like the world was about to come to an end.

But why?

"Roy. Where's Edward?" Riza asked, immediately noticing the lacking presence of the blonde teenager they had all become so very fond of.

Lifting up his head just barely enough to see his friends, Roy answered. "He... He's gone."

"What do you mean he's gone?" Jean asked, walking closer to his manager.

A shaky sigh escaped Roy's lips. "He's gone. His father took him..."

Three pairs of eyes widened. He couldn't be... Edward couldn't have been... kidnapped, could he?

Riza quickly asked her new question. "And how did Hohenheim get to Edward? You've been with him this whole time, haven't you?"

"I was stupid. I left Edward alone here, and I went to a party..." Roy muttered, bowing his head in shame of his actions. "And when I came back, he was gone... I was too drunk to think that something was wrong, and I slept instead of looking for him..." He admitted, finally looking up to face his friends, who were bound to be pissed.

Riza's eyes were the first to flash with anger, and her hands were the first to strike. The blonde woman walked briskly over to the couch where her manager sat, narrowing her eyes in a glare, a scowl forming on her lips. Arriving at her destination, she promptly raised her hand back, and brought it to Roy's cheek, with an echoing slap.

A red print throbbed on Roy's porcelain cheek, but he made no move to nurse his injured face. He knew he deserved that. That and much worse.

"How could you?" Riza hissed in Roy's face, preparing to slap him again. She was mentally cursing herself for not bringing her favorite gun.

"I..I don't know." Roy answered, on the verge of tears, which was clearly not the what any of the three expected.

But the assistant manager did not slap him again. After seeing Roy's eyes, so full of heartbreak and sorrow, tears threatening to prick the surface, she realized just how deep her friend's pain was. Very deep.

Deeper then any of them would ever know.

Maes took this as his cue to step in. Was he pissed at Roy? Certainly. But the bespectacled man knew that his best friend needed someone right now, and since Edward wasn't with them, that left it up to himself. Sighing, Maes made his way over to Roy and sat on the couch next to him.

"Look Roy, I am mad at you, don't think I'm not." He waited for Roy's nod of understanding. "But, we'll help you find Edward. And we won't give up until he's back in your arms. Safe and sound."

They would find Edward. And bring him home.

But, they just had no idea... just how broken Edward would be...

When they finally found him.

TO BE CONTINUED

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter!