Take It All Away

by rebellion2fate

In a time when a hero is needed most, tragedy befalls Roy Mustang. Someone is aiding the Homunculi from within Central and whispers of a completed Stone echo through the corridors. Can Roy stop this disaster before it’s too late? Roy x Ed COMPLETE

25. Letting Go

Take It All Away

Chapter 25: Letting Go

Author's Note: Well guys, we've done it! We've reached the final chapter of Take It All Away! It's taken just over a year, but we finally made it! I'll wait until the end of the chapter for all of my thank yous and comments. So now, without further ado, Take It All Away, the Finale!

R-2-F

Edward stared in horror as the body of his little brother fell before him, the echo of the gunshot resonating off of the pristine walls of the courtyard. He heard someone scream and only after feeling the searing pain in his throat, realized that it had been, in fact, him. Ed moved forward mechanically and dropped to his knees next to his brother's body, his jeans becoming damp with fresh blood--Alphonse's blood. "Al…" He whispered, his voice cracking painfully when his eyes fell on the bullet wound. "Shit."

"B-brother?" Alphonse stammered, his back arching off of the ground and his eyes clamping shut tightly as a wave of pain wracked throughout his body. "H-how bad…?" The blonde teen shivered, unable to finish his sentence for fear of what the answer would be.

"You're fine, Al." Ed growled, ignorant to the soldiers that were now surrounding his brother's assailant and rendering the man immobile. "You'll be just fine. Just…dammit!" Ed swore, searching around him for something, anything to staunch the blood flow. He had already given Alphonse his red jacket to wear after the transmutation, and now the only article of clothing the blonde alchemist had left to divulge was his shirt. He did so quickly.

Ed felt more than saw Roy kneel beside him, the ex-General's hands joining Ed's in their attempt to stop the blood flowing from the youngest Elric's abdomen. He felt a frustrated sigh spill past his lips when their efforts prove to be in vain, and his frustration only rose when Roy's blood covered hands slowly withdrew.

"Edward…there's no point in-"

"No point?" Ed raved, not allowing the General to so much as finish his thought. "He's my little brother! Don't tell me there's no point!" Ed turned his attention back to Alphonse and felt a part of himself die when he realized that the light was already beginning to leave the boy's usually bright eyes. "Al… hang on, dammit! I can…I can…" Ed clenched his hands into fists, tightening his hold around the shirt in his left hand that he was using as a makeshift tourniquet…and something hard in his right hand. His eyes widened in realization. "The stone." He breathed. "The stone! The stone, Al! I can use the stone!" Ed turned excited eyes to his brother. "I can save you, Al!"

Al shook his head vehemently, surprising the eldest Elric.

"No…?" Ed repeated, his eyes narrowing in angry confusion. "Why the hell not? Do you want to die, Al? 'Cause without the stone, that's what's going to happen! You'll die!"

"I agree with Alphonse." Roy spoke up softly, his eyes regarding the bleeding teen sadly. "We can't use the stone."

"And why the hell not?" Ed demanded, his hand clenching tightly enough around the stone to draw blood. "It's Al's only chance!"

"Because-"

"B-Brother….M-mustang…don't argue. P…please."

"Of course, Alphonse." Roy admonished, shooting Ed a pointed look before turning his dark gaze back to Alphonse. Ed reluctantly followed suit, his heart jumping into his throat as Alphonse began to cough up blood.

"I'm sorry, Al." He whispered, leaning down so that his head rested on the younger blonde's. "I don't know what to do." His voice broke painfully as tears began to gather in his eyes. "Just tell me what to do, Al. Please!"

The sound of his older brother's begging brought tears of his own to Alphonse's eyes and he did nothing to fight them back. "Just…live…for both of us…okay, Ed?" Al inquired softly, offering the older Elric a strained smile through his pain and tears.

"No! I won't need to, Al! You know why? Because you're not going anywhere!" Ed fisted his hands in the coat encasing Alphonse's shoulders, the stone slipping forgotten from his hand. "I won't let you go anywhere! Remember what you said? We don't do things this way…we stick together, right? You said we have to stay together, no matter what! So you can't die, Al! You can't leave me here alone!"

"Brother." Alphonse sobbed, his tears mixing with his blood. "Please…don't do this-!"

"NO!" Ed screamed, pounding lightly on Alphonse's chest. "I won't let you die, dammit!"

Roy and the others looked on silently, their mouths drawn into a grim line. They knew that Alphonse was beyond saving, but it was harder to accept that knowledge than they would have ever thought. The boy had easily become a prominent part of each of their respective lives, and the thought of losing him was just too much to take in. Still, they all used every ounce of willpower available to them and held their ground.

"Brother…p-please…don't cry. Not you." Alphonse rasped, his head lolling to the side as his body began to become numb. "Things…are g-going to be…okay…now."

"How're things going to be okay, Al?" Ed demanded, all anger leaving his voice as he rested his forehead against his younger brother's. "Nothing's going to be alright without you. You're all I have!"

Al shook his head, a content smile playing lightly on his lips. "That's not…true. You have…so…many people who c-care…about you." His eyes gently sliding closed. "And I-I-I'll….be with…mom."

"No Al!" Ed exclaimed, eyes snapping to the boy's face. He began to panic when he realized that the blonde's body was slowly relaxing, his content smile remaining unwavering on his lips. "Al…? Al! ALPHONSE!"

Roy chose that moment to move forward and gather the blonde teen in his arms, pressing his lips against Ed's temple and attempting to still the younger man's desperate struggling. "He's gone, Edward." He whispered, tightening his hold on the blonde. "He's gone."

"No!" Ed wailed, going limp in Roy's strong arms. "He can't be…Al can't be gone!"

"I'm sorry, Edward." Roy whispered, wishing he could do more than to simply hold the boy to comfort him but unable to find the strength to do more than just that. He felt Ed shift in his hold and looked down to see the blonde staring at the blood red stone that had been his life goal and sole purpose for the last several years of Ed's life, and yet it had been unable to do anything when he needed it most. Roy unconsciously tightened his hold on the teen.

Meanwhile, Armstrong's eyes had never strayed from the assailant who now stood surrounded and at the gunpoint of fifteen or so men. While normally it was unheard of for fifteen plus soldiers to close in on a single person, Armstrong was thankful for his men's adept perceptiveness. They had all gathered in an instant that this could be no ordinary soldier; a belief that was proven correct when the soldier's form morphed into that of the Homunculus Envy.

"I should have known you would come." Havoc growled, his arm tightening around Riza. "You just couldn't stay in Drachma, could you, you bastard?"

"Why stay in Drachma, when all of the festivities are happening right here in Central?" Envy retorted, his hands resting lazily on his hips despite the fact that he was surrounded by armed soldiers. Even in a situation such as this, the Homunculus' laid back façade never faltered. "I couldn't resist."

"I'm sure." Armstrong stepped forward. He had only taken a single step when Envy raised the handgun once more, faster than even the most trained of eyes could follow. The surrounding soldiers all released the safety on their guns, but they all knew Armstrong would be dead by the time they fired a single shot.

Yet, luck it seemed, was finally on their side for the first time that day. As Envy pulled the trigger, the gun only emitted a faint clicking sound. He had used his last shot on the youngest Elric brother. With a quiet curse the Homunculus tossed the gun to the side and lunged at the soldier closest to him, intent on escaping now that he no longer held all of the cards. However, Envy's fight was quickly deterred by the overwhelming numbers and he was roughly restrained.

"Cuff it and escort it to a holding cell. We will decide what to do with it later." Armstrong commanded, seeminly unphased by his near death experience. "It is of no threat to us anymore."

"But sir-!"

"I understand your concern, Corporal, but there is no need to fret any further. With the Homunculus bound, it is quite harmless." Armstrong assured, fixing the soldier with kind eyes.

"Major Armstrong is correct." Fuery piped up, who had gone unnoticed by the others until that moment despite his hand in aiding to Envy's immobility. "Envy's main defense is it's ability to change it's appearance at will and it specializes in hand to hand combat. Once bound, it should prove to be quite harmless."

"Like hell!" Envy snarled, struggling against the bindings that Ross had just finished fastening around his wrists. He received a sharp rap to the back of the head with the butt of the Lieutenant's gun. Ross smirked grimly when the creature blacked out, though she knew it would recover after only a moment.

"Get it to the cell before it decides to heal itself and start being a pain in the ass again." The Lieutenant ordered, eyeing the creature with clear distaste. The others hurried to do as she bid, equally afraid of the creature in their arms as of their superior's wrath. Ross, seeming satisfied with this, turned back to Armstrong. "Are you sure it's a good idea to lock it up as it is? Shouldn't we have Elric turn it-"

"Too much has already been asked of Fullmetal today, and he is in no state to perform the transmutation. The General is in no better condition, and I myself am incapable of performing such a complicated transmutation, I fear."

Ross nodded knowingly, her face darkening as her gaze traveled to the pair that sat only feet away. She wished for nothing more than to be able to do something -anything- to help Edward, but she knew that the best medicine for the boy was currently holding Ed tightly in his arms.

Ed's head rested against Roy's shoulder as he stared at the stone that was still clasped tightly in his now-flesh hand. It now felt icy to the touch, as if the stone itself had become empty with the youngest Elric's death. The thought was oddly comforting to Ed, but at the same time it only made the newfound emptiness within him ache all the more fiercely. "What was the point of any of this?" He whispered, still transfixed by the stone that was stained the same color as blood…as Al's blood. "We worked so hard to get everything back to the way it was, only to lose it all over again." Ed's voice broke bitterly as his fist tightened around the stone. "What was the point?"

Roy flinched as Ed suddenly chucked the stone at the nearest wall, watching with an almost morbid fascination as the cursed stone shattered upon impact. The shards took on a gel-like appearance before disappearing completely and just like that, the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed.

Roy's embrace tightened around Ed, offering the teen what little comfort he could. His arms shook with the effort it took to hold the blonde, but both men seemed ignorant of the fact. Another sob tore itself from Ed's throat as he clung desperately to the older man, burying his face in the thin material that covered Roy's chest. "He's…really gone, isn't he?" Ed hiccupped, his eyes clenching shut in a vain effort to shut out the horrible truth of it all.

"Yes, Edward. He's gone." Roy whispered, laying his head against the blonde's and allowing his own eyes to fall shut. "I'm sorry."

The others watched the pair from a safe distance away, unable to make out the words exchanged between the two but still close enough to see the look of pure anguish the oldest -and now only- Elric sported. They were unable to look away from the scene before them, but even if they had, the blonde alchemist's broken sobs would have continued to haunt them.

Havoc held Riza tightly against him, ignoring the pain in his side in favor of holding his beloved in his arms. He could feel slight tremors wrack through her body and knew that Riza was barely managing to keep herself held together. Jean knew her well enough to know that she would stubbornly fight to keep from breaking down in front of the others, and he knew that he could do no more than be there for her when she finally allowed herself to crumble. Until then, he held her against him as she fought to keep her tears silent.

Several minutes passed before Ed's sobs finally died down, dissolving into only the occasional whimper or hiccup as the blonde struggled to regain his breath. Armstrong finally took a step forward and knelt down beside the duo, laying a hand gently on Roy's shoulder. "I will carry him to the medical ward, General." he proposed, knowing that Mustang was in no shape to carry the teen. When he received no answer Armstrong's brow furrowed and his eyes shifted from the blonde's tear streaked face to the raven haired alchemist's, only to find the ex-General's eyes closed. "…General?" He repeated, this time a bit louder. Once again, there was no answer.

Ed frowned and lifted his own gaze to Roy's face, his eyes clouding with confusion and concern. "Roy?" He beckoned, shaking Roy's arm with a hand fisted in his sleeve. When the raven's head merely lolled to the side, Ed's unease began to mount. "Roy! Roy!"

"What is it?" Ross demanded appearing at their side in an instant, followed closely by Hawkeye and Falman. The trio's eyes raked over the ex-General's form, their eyes quickly becoming shadowed with worry.

"The General is not responding." Armstrong explained in his usual deep timbre, although there was the slightest tremor in his voice.

"Roy?" Ed repeated, continuing to shake the General with growing desperation. "Wake up! This isn't funny!"

There was no answer.

R-2-F

Bright sunlight assaulted Roy's weary eyes as he slowly blinked them open, his brow furrowing as he tried to remember where he was. His head pounded as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight streaming in through a nearby window, and a dull ache in his left eye reminded Roy abruptly why his vision seemed slightly off kilter. Slowly he became aware of other things, like the sharp pain in his ribs and dull ache in his abdomen. He groaned as he tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to have his arms give way and bring him crashing back against the mattress.

"I should have known you would be determined to tear your stitches from the moment you woke." A stern voice spoke up, startling Roy. He hadn't realized anyone else was in the room. He frowned once again as he tried to place the familiar voice. He needn't have bothered though, as an elderly medic came into view only a moment later.

"I would ask how you're feeling, but I think it'd be better if I didn't know." Washu commented dryly as she retrieved a chart from the foot of Roy's bed and glanced over it. "But, for formality's sake, how's your side?"

Roy suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and shifted on the bed to test the tenderness in his side, only to instantly regret the action. A pained hiss tore itself from his throat and he fell back against the bed once again, this time scowling at the medic instead of the ceiling.

"Well what did you expect with five broken ribs and multiple stab wounds, hmm?"

"Stab wounds?" Roy frowned, slowly remembering the events that had lead to him waking up in a hospital for the second time in five months. "Wait…where's Ed?" He once again tried to sit up, only to be held down by Washu's gentle hand.

"That blonde young man? He left about an hour ago. Poor thing, he hasn't spoken a word since they brought you in here."

"He was pretty worried, ya know." A third voice added, startling Roy once more.

Roy turned his eyes to the bed next to his, only to find himself face to face with his blue eyed subordinate, who despite looking a bit worse for wear, still looked every inch like the Jean he knew, right down to lazy smirk that tugged at the man's lips.

Washu used Roy's distraction to her advantage and switched out the ex-General's drip bag and then proceeded to check the stitches on his side without so much of a protest from the distracted raven.

"We were all kind of worried, truth be told." Havoc continued, his eyes shifting from Roy's to fix instead on the white ceiling. "One minute you were talking with Eddie, the next you were barely even breathin'. You gave us quite the scare."

Roy frowned, hissing in pain when Washu began to prod at his healing ribs. "Dammit, that hurts!" He growled at the medic, pressing his head back into the pillow as his back arched off of the bed. The pain in his ribs had just begun to die down when Washu continued her prodding, and Roy found he had no choice but to grit his teeth and glare at the woman as she worked.

Havoc chuckled lightly from his place in his own bed, his relief at seeing his friend awake and swearing immeasurable. To think that this man could have been dead and gone because of Jean's own actions had been a very humbling thought, and the Second Lieutenant found he was disgusted with himself for not having acted sooner than he did.

"Don't get too comfortable, Lieutenant. You're next." Washu advised as she finished examining Roy's eye. The color of his iris had nearly faded completely, but the irritated red had finally receded from the eye. The medic seemed satisfied with her findings and jotted down a few quick notes on her chart before she replaced the eye patch over Roy's eye and did a final check on the IV.

"How is he?" Roy asked Havoc softly after Washu had moved on to Jean's bed. He could see the woman with the graying hair out of the corner of his eye as she peeled back his comrade's sheets and began to prod at the blonde's stomach in the same way that she had Roy's only moments ago.

Havoc grimaced as Washu checked his stitches, turning his head to look at his friend instead of watching the doctor work. His eyes lost a bit of their brightness as he grew tight lipped. "He's…in bad shape, Roy." He said at last, carefully choosing his words. The absence of the ex-General's pet name instantly had Roy on edge. "He hasn't said anything and he hasn't eaten anything since…or at least that's what Riza said. She finally got him to go home and take a shower an hour or so ago."

Had the IV not already begun to do it's work, Roy would have sat up and demanded to see the blonde at once. As it was, his body was slowly beginning to grow numb, save for a slight tingling in his limbs and side. Roy carefully tested his right arm by clenching his fist and found he could still move, it just took a lot of concentration to do so. "He wasn't hurt?" He finally asked, pleased to find that his motor skills were in full working order, despite the slight slur that was present in his words.

Jean nodded to the medic as she finished her examination before turning his attention back to his friend, his eyes remaining severe. "Not physically, no."

"I hate to interrupt, boys, but I'm not finished with the General here." Washu interjected smoothly, moving back to Roy's side with a tray of supplies. She began to fill a syringe, keeping her eyes on the liquid as she continued to speak. "If you want my professional opinion on the matter, I believe it's clear that the boy is suffering from acute shock. It's only natural after everything he's been through in the past week. After all, he nearly lost his brother and his significant other in the same day. You can't expect the poor thing to go around spreading daisies any time soon. He needs time to mourn." Roy made a choking sound at the term 'significant other', which earned him a raised eyebrow from the doctor. "What? You think I didn't see you two cuddling in bed the last time you were in my wing?" She challenged, her amusement at the reddening General's expense clear.

The sound of Jean's laughter and Roy's indignant sputtering met the visitors as they opened the hospital wing door. Washu looked up in time to see a blonde blur pass by her and attach itself to her patient's side. A small smile tugged at her lips, but she quickly replaced it with a look of professional indifference.

Riza stepped into the room carrying a bag of what one could only presume to be food, followed closely by Armstrong who held a large fruit basket. The pair were dressed in civilian clothes, and they both wore small smiles of relief upon finding their commanding officer finally awake. Their smiles grew when their blonde companion darted to the General's side and clung to him, burying his face in the folds of Roy's hospital robe.

Roy's arms encircled Ed instinctively, pulling the teen closer to him so that Ed was flush against his uninjured side. Ed curled around the length of Roy's body in turn, trying to get as close to the General as physically possible. When the blonde finally seemed satisfied that there was no space between them, he finally stilled and tightened his hold on Roy's hospital robe, as if afraid the raven would disappear.

Riza smiled gently as she stepped further into the room, placing her bag on the small table between the two hospital beds. Armstrong followed behind her and nodded to the medic who was still present before depositing his gift next to the bag of food and turning to the pair huddled together on the bed. "He's been worried sick over you, General." He met Roy's questioning eyes. "You have been asleep for nearly four days. We were all worried."

"I seem to be hearing that a lot today." Roy remarked grimly. He shifted his gaze to the blonde in his arms to find golden eyes staring up at him. He offered a weary smile. "I'm sorry for worrying you guys."

Ed burrowed closer to Roy in response and sighed heavily, seeming to deflate now that there was no need to worry extensively over the raven. He laced one of Roy's hands with his own discreetly, a small wave of comfort washing over him when the General squeezed his hand gently in reassurance.

"How are you feeling?" Riza inquired from her place next to her fiancé.

Roy sighed heavily, the movement drawing the attention of the blonde curled against his side. In all truth, Roy felt like he'd been run over by a car…several times. But he didn't want to worry anyone any further, so he lied. "I feel fine. I honestly don't see why they haven't released me yet."

"That's bullshit." Ed growled, startling those present with his sudden words.

Riza raised an eyebrow, caught between sagging with relief and bursting out laughing at the teen's words. Her relief that the boy was speaking again was immense, but it was quite amusing that the first time Ed spoke in four days was when he was swearing at his lover. Somehow, it fit.

"I must agree with the boy." Washu added, causing the group to jump slightly. They had nearly forgotten she was there, and judging by the small smirk adorning the woman's lips, it was clear that she was aware of this fact. "The General's ribs have just begun to heal, and while the lacerations in his side are healing quite nicely, it's too early to rule out the possibility of infection as the wounds heal."

"And what about his eye?" Riza inquired, intently listening to the doctor's analysis and making a mental note to make sure that Roy took it easy once he was out of the hospital ward.

Washu tapped her pen against the clipboard in her hand. "It's hard to tell at this stage. The damage Mustang's left eye sustained is clearly permanent, but it's too soon to tell if he will continue to have headaches once his eye has healed as much as it is going to."

Roy frowned, rubbing his covered eye absentmindedly with his free hand. "How did you know about the headaches?" He demanded warily, trying to recall if he had woken up, if only for a few moments, before now. Judging by the others reactions upon finding him awake, it was unlikely.

"The Second Lieutenant informed me." She replied matter-of-factly, the hand not holding her clipboard going to her hip. "Now, if you all will excuse me, I have other, less reckless, patients to attend to." She gave Roy a pointed look. "If you begin to have any side effects to the medicine or your eye starts to bother you, just ring me."

Armstrong watched the woman leave and made a mental note to send her a fruit basket as well.

Roy shook his head as the woman left, regretting the action when it caused the room to feel as if it were spinning. His face must have shown his discomfort, because for the first time since arriving, Ed detached himself from Roy and disappeared into the adjacent bathroom. He returned a moment later with a damp rag and reclaimed his spot beside Roy, this time sitting, and began to dab at the General's forehead with the cloth.

Jean grinned unabashedly at the pair, catching his fiancé's eye and winking at her. This earned a reluctant grin from the blonde First Lieutenant, but she stubbornly fought it back and politely adverted her eyes. Jean did nothing of the sort.

Ed had maneuvered himself so that he was between the pillows and Roy with the General's head pillowed against his chest. He had an arm wrapped securely around Roy's shoulders to reassure himself that the General was indeed still alive and with him. Roy was clearly uncomfortable with the blatant display of affection the blonde was giving, but he was willing to bite back his pride if this was what Ed needed.

"So what have I missed?" Roy asked finally, his voice still slightly rusty from lack of use for several days.

"More than you know, General." Armstrong replied somberly, his deep voice seeming to echo off of the sterile walls of the room.

"It's ex-General, now." Roy retorted sourly. "But putting that aside, explain."

Riza shared a look with Armstrong, silently wondering where they should start. The tall man only shrugged slightly in reply, leaving it up to the blonde First Lieutenant to decide where to begin. With a deep sigh Riza shifted her gaze to meet Roy's inquiring one.

"A lot has happened in the past few days, General. Because of Fuhrer Bradley's death, there's been a lot of shuffling in the chain of command. General Hakuro has been promoted to Fuhrer."

"What? Hakuro?" Roy sat up in surprise. A wave of pain was triggered by the sudden action, causing him to fall back against Ed once again. He felt the blonde's fingers run through his hair soothingly as the pain began to recede and couldn't help but lean into the comforting touch.

Riza smiled slightly, pointedly ignoring her husband to be's grin. She could tell that the blonde Second Lieutenant was barely restraining himself from taunting the couple, and she was grateful that Jean could have at least some semblance of tact when he saw fit. "Yes, Hakuro is now the Fuhrer." She reiterated. "There were several alterations in the chain of command after Fuhrer Bradley's death. A large number of the soldiers that had been stationed in Drachma were promoted, including Armstrong."

Roy's eyes widened in surprise and he turned to his long time friend. "You were promoted?"

Armstrong nodded his head humbly, blushing slightly under the General's scrutiny. "Yes, General Mustang. I now hold your old position as Lieutenant Colonel."

Roy smirked, holding out a hand to the much larger man, which Armstrong in turn shook heartily. "Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel."

Armstrong nodded his thanks and released the pale man's hand, careful not to disturb the attached IV. He pulled out a chair from the nearby table and sat down facing the others. "Now that everyone is awake and present, I believe we all owe each other an explanation of sorts."

"I agree." Riza replied, giving Jean a hard look. "You all have a bit of explaining to do." Clearly, the First Lieutenant did not enjoy being left out of the loop.

"Who goes first?" Havoc chuckled nervously, scanning the other occupants of the room only to find all of their gazes fixed pointedly on him. Even Ed was peering over Roy's shoulder at the Second Lieutenant, a scowl apparent on his visage. Clearly the blonde alchemist wanted to know exactly why his lover had nearly been killed. "Alright then, I guess I'm up."

Jean shifted into a sitting position with the aid of Hawkeye, though her movements were more mechanical than necessary. It seemed that the time had come for Jean to answer for his actions. In all truth, he was surprised that the group had chosen to not question his intentions until now, but even that knowledge didn't make this any easier. After clearing his throat, Havoc began. "Just so we're clear, I was on your side the whole time." Oh great Jean, he mentally chided himself. Start off with your foot in your mouth; save yourself the trouble of doing it later.

"Mustang's eye says otherwise." Ed growled, silently enjoying the way the older blonde flinched.

"Hey, hey! Let me finish here!" Jean held up his hands defensively. "I was undercover! I couldn't give away my loyalties and risk getting us all killed, now could I?"

"So you abandoned all honor and stood watching as the General was tortured in order to cover your own hide." Armstrong clarified, his eyes narrowing dangerously. It was rare to see the man looking so serious, but when it did happen, it was as scary as hell to witness.

"I said it's not like that, dammit!" Jean snarled at the man who now outranked him, throwing the covers away from his form. Armstrong in turn rose from his seat and began to rub his knuckles ominously. Jean's eyes narrowed and he climbed from the bed before Riza could stop him, his own hands fisted at his sides.

"Say what you like, Lieutenant, but it will not change the facts. You abandoned your commanding officer and friend and left him in the hands of the enemy."

"Who are you to talk? I didn't see you anywhere when Mustang needed help! You were in another fucking country! And you have the balls to call me a coward?"

Armstrong raised his fists angrily, drawing back his right arm in preparation to swing. "Do not speak as if you know anything about the situation-!"

"Yeah? Well the same can be said for you!" Havoc mimicked the taller man's action, but stopped short before he could strike. Armstrong was also frozen mid-swing, his eyes widening as he fought to regain his balance before his blow connected with the person that now stood between he and Havoc. The pair of feuding men wore twin looks of horror as they stared at the man acting as their arbitrator. "General…?"

Roy stood between the pair with his back turned to Jean, his shoulders hunched as one hand clutched at his side. "Stop this…idiocy." He commanded breathlessly, his tone icy despite his ragged breathing. "It accomplishes nothing."

"What the hell do you think you're doing out of bed, man?" Havoc chided gently, all anger leaving his voice as he stared at the back of his superior. If he looked carefully enough, he could make out the tremors that were enveloping the shorter man's frame as he fought to remain standing.

"He's making a point." Riza answered shortly as Ed moved to stand beside Roy to support his frame, which had begun to shake more violently the longer he stood. "Look carefully at how Mustang's standing."

Armstrong and Havoc did as they were told, though it was Armstrong who realized what Riza meant first. "The General's back is facing the Lieutenant."

"Exactly. You still believe in the General, don't you?"

"Of course." Armstrong replied, sounding properly contrite.

"Then let's hear what Havoc's got to say, since clearly Mustang's still got some faith in him. Roy would never turn his back on anyone he deems as an enemy." Ed paused to look up at Roy, who was leaning heavily on him but seemed to have overcome his shaking. "But first, let's get him back in bed before the crazy medic comes back."

"I couldn't agree more." Riza spoke up, moving to help the blonde escort Mustang back to his bed, much to the General's chagrin.

"I'm not completely helpless!" Roy snapped as the two blondes carefully helped him get settled in his bed. Despite his complaints, the raven's grateful sigh as he sank into his pillows did not go unnoticed by any of the people present.

Armstrong sank back into his seat obediently, regarding Havoc warily. "I'm…sorry for my outburst, Lieutenant." He said reluctantly, still uncertain as to whether or not to trust the younger man, but willing to give him a chance. "It was not my place to make assumptions."

Havoc sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed and resting his elbows on his knees. "It's no big, big man. I know what I did looks kind of bad from where you're sittin'. Just hear me out, alright?"

"Of course."

Riza moved to take a seat after seeing that Roy was comfortably settled into his own bed. Jean felt a sharp pang of remorse when Riza, instead of returning to her former spot beside him, chose to sit at the table with Armstrong. The woman's brow was slightly furrowed, and he would bet money on it that she didn't realize just how strait she was sitting. Clearly she was preparing herself for the worst.

With a heartfelt sigh, Havoc dove into his explanation. "As you all know, Central's been on shaky ground ever since the Homunculi first began to show up. Things got a lot worse when our men started to be dispatched into Drachma without anyone explainin' a god damned thing, and even more so when those men started disappearin'." Jean paused to rub at his still-tender side, grimacing slightly when he prodded too hard, but fortunately everyone seemed too focused on what he was saying to notice the action. The blonde really didn't feel like being hogtied to the bed, because frankly, he was sick of lying down all the time. "Well, I'd heard rumors that the Fuhrer had been actin' sorta funny lately, so I decided to have a look into it. Didn't take me long to realize that I'd have to get close to the guy to learn a damn thing, so I offered up my services to Bradley."

"I doubt the Fuhrer would so readily trust you, Lieutenant. Am I wrong?" Armstrong commented, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened to Havoc's explanation.

"Nope. You're right on the dot, big man. To get in the boss-man's good graces I had to prove that I wasn't loyal to Roy-boy anymore." At this Jean winked at his commanding officer. "He had me keep an eye on the General and report anything suspicious to him. Roy's amnesia was a big help there. By convincing the Fuhrer that Mustang didn't remember anything, it put the good General out of Bradley's immediate line of fire."

"Glad I could be of service." Roy remarked dryly, his tone belying his amusement. Ed was laying beside him in the bed, using Roy's chest as a pillow while he listened intently to Jean's side of things. The blonde teen seemed just short of purring as Roy absentmindedly stroked Ed's back, though Ed somehow still managed to remain scowling at the Second Lieutenant. It was quite an amusing sight, but none the less heartwarming to witness after the past few days the lot had endured.

"Yeah you helped out, all right." Jean countered with a grin, though his words were far from humorous. "Until you went and got yourself a date with the firing squad. Lucky for you I was able to contact the Major…er…sorry man, the Lt. Colonel here."

Riza's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline in surprise. "You were the one that tipped off Armstrong?"

Havoc smiled grimly at the blonde woman, his fingers suddenly itching to hold a cigarette. "Is it really that farfetched?"

Riza's eyes narrowed at the clipped tone Jean was now using, but she chose to refrain from further comment. Ed, however, was not so tactful.

"From where I was standing a few days ago, it sure seemed unlikely."

"Yeah? Was that before, or after I got stabbed in the gut by the boss-man so you could have an opening?" Havoc retorted, his fingers now twitching absentmindedly as the need for nicotine mounted.

Ed's mouth opened and closed several times, but he could think of no further comments to make. He lowered his eyes apologetically and began to stare intently at the design of Roy's hospital robe instead of meeting anyone's eyes. Roy, sensing the blonde's discomfort and Jean's mounting agitation, chose to speak up.

"Get a hold of yourselves, all of you." The General commanded, his deep voice seeming suddenly too loud in the small hospital room. "Blaming each other isn't going to get us anywhere; we are all guilty to some degree."

Jean's shoulders sagged at the General's words. "Right as always, commander." He sighed heavily as he seemed to suddenly deflate, slumping over to rest his elbows on his knees once again. "Dammit." He swore softly to himself as he raked both hands through his hair, leaving them to fist at the base of his neck. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Riza had heard all she needed to and stood, crossing the room and laying a hand on top of her fiancé's head. "Of course you didn't mean for this to happen, Jean." When the blonde man looked up in surprise at the sudden contact, Riza offered him a small smile. "You did what you thought was best, right?" She received a small nod in reply. "Then you have nothing to be sorry for."

Jean gave a small sigh of relief and wound his arms around Riza's middle, pulling her forward and resting his head on her stomach. Riza in turn continued to stroke his hair, blushing slightly at the public display of affection but none the less allowing it.

Roy turned his attention to Armstrong to give the couple a bit of privacy. "Now, moving on to the next matter at hand." Roy's eyes narrowed. "What was going on in Drachma? You were stationed there, correct?"

"Yes. I was stationed there in late June and have been there ever since." Armstrong's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on his hands. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists tightly. "Not long after we arrived, men began to disappear. At first, it was just a soldier here and there, presumably deserters, but soon their numbers began to increase."

"There were no leads?" Roy asked skeptically, his brow furrowing.

"Not until later, when it was too late for so many of them." Armstrong was now clenching his fists so forcefully that they had began to shake. "A civilian from the town had seen a small group of soldiers heading towards the east side of the town, but couldn't remember seeing them return. We investigated immediately and found an abandoned mine on the eastern border of Drachma."

Roy frowned at this bit of information. "The stone?"

Armstrong nodded, no longer surprised by his superior's uncanny ability to easily assess any situation. "I'm afraid so. Bradley had hidden it in the mine, and any time one of my men got too close to discovering it, they were killed."

"By the Homunculi?"

"Afraid not, Ed. Part of my duty was to keep tabs on the Homunculi. If one of them was there, I'd have known about it." Havoc interjected, his blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Did you know about Envy?" Ed accused with sudden venom, causing all of those present in the room to inhale sharply.

Jean dropped his eyes to the floor. "No, Ed. I didn't."

"Then who's to say it wasn't a Homunculus? Your bad judgment killed Al, why not the others as well?" Ed snarled, kept from launching at the Second Lieutenant only by Roy's arms around his waist as his temper finally snapped, pouring out all of the anger and hurt of the last several days all at once. "You killed him! It's your fault Al's dead!"

"Ed!" Roy snapped as he attempted to still the blonde's failing, but to little avail. The blonde continued to thrash violently in his hold intent on releasing his pent up anger on the one that he clearly blamed for his brother's death. He was so focused on getting away from the General that he temporarily forgot about Roy's injuries. That is, until his elbow connected with Roy's broken ribs.

Roy's arms quickly released Ed as the raven doubled over. He began to choke as he fought to breathe around the sudden agony wracking his body. Riza was by his side in seconds, ordering Havoc to call for the doctor while she ran a soothing hand down her friend's back. Armstrong had drug Ed forcefully away from the bed by that point, and now the blonde hung limply in his hold.

Washu came into the room, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the chaos that greeted her. When her eyes fell on Roy's heaving form, her anger soared to dangerous heights. "What happened here!" She demanded as she strode into the room, nudging Riza aside so that she could reach her patient.

"It was an accident, sensei." Armstrong explained softly, releasing his hold on Ed once he was certain the blonde had regained control over himself once again. Ed stood for only a moment before sliding to his knees, staring in horror at the chaos he had created.

By this time Washu had managed to ease Roy onto his back and was now assessing the damage done to Roy's healing side. The raven's chest still heaved erratically and his breaths remained painfully ragged, but as time passed the attack slowly seemed to subside. The doctor prodded gently at his ribs, earning a pained hiss from the General as his breathing began to grow erratic once again.

Washu nodded to herself and moved to the medicine cabinet stationed over the sink. She retrieved a syringe and a small bottle of liquid, loading the syringe as she returned to the raven's bedside. "Hold his arm still." She commanded, as she readied the needle.

Riza and Havoc quickly moved to aid the doctor, but when Roy laid eyes on the needle he began to thrash fiercely on the bed. Havoc hurriedly moved to securely hold Roy's shoulders in an attempt to still the man's movement, only to have Roy try to desperately buck him off. Armstrong came and grabbed either of the General's ankles, choosing to stare at Roy's feet rather than to witness his friend's breakdown. Ed's sobs echoed in the background.

"What are you waiting for?" Washu snapped at Riza, who had been looking on helplessly until that moment.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Riza replied as she took hold of Roy's arm and forced him to straighten the limb as gently as she could. However, the General was too strong and Riza found that she could not keep him still. She looked over her shoulder to the teen who sat sobbing on the floor. "Fullmetal! Get off of your ass and help us!" She barked, frantically trying to still her commanding officer's movements.

"But what can I do?" Ed inquired self-pityingly, doing nothing to wipe away the tears that ran down his face. "This is all my fault…"

"Yes, it is." Riza replied, causing the younger blonde's head to snap up in surprise. Clearly he wasn't expecting that response. "It is your fault that this happened, so it's your responsibility to get off your ass and help out!"

Ed didn't have time to wonder over Hawkeye's unyielding bluntness. With a firm nod he rose to his feet and came to stand at the head of the bed, his tears beginning anew upon seeing the panicked look that Roy's eyes held. Ed wiped at his eyes stubbornly and placed a hand next to Roy's head to brace himself and leaned down, touching his forehead to the raven's. "I'm sorry." He whispered again and again. "I'm so sorry."

The blonde's words seemed to have the desired effect, and Riza was finally able to hold Roy's arm still long enough for the shot to be administered. As soon as Washu was done Riza released Roy's arm as if it were on fire, taking several steps back as she watched the General's body slowly go lax. "What did you give him?" She demanded shakily as she noticed Roy's eyes beginning to glaze over.

"A simple sedative." Washu replied as she moved to the foot of the bed to retrieve Mustang's chart, nodding to Armstrong as he stepped aside to get out of her way. "It was the best way to ease the General out of his panic attack without doing any more harm."

"He was having a panic attack?" Havoc repeated.

"It's not that uncommon, given the trauma the imprisonment had on both his mind and body. The General is better at hiding it than most, but in all honesty I'm surprised it took this long to happen." She paused long enough to eye Jean. "And just what are you doing out of bed?"

Havoc rubbed the back of his neck and obediently returned to his bed.

"But he'll be okay, right?"

All eyes turned to Ed, who now sat on the bed next to Roy's head. The blonde's eyes were red-rimmed from crying and he looked nearly as pale as the sheets, guilt etched his every feature.

"I'll be keeping an eye on him, but Mustang should be fine after a bit of rest."

Ed nodded and turned his eyes back to Roy, his lip beginning to tremble as he studied the other man's features. Seeing Roy like that had scared him out of his mind, and the thought of losing Roy…like he had Al…was almost more than he could take.

"Thank you, sensei." Riza bowed respectfully. "We'll get out of your hair, now. I'm afraid we've already caused enough trouble today." The blonde Lieutenant straightened and turned her attention back to the blonde teen who remained sitting on the bed. "Let's go, Ed. Mustang needs his sleep."

Washu surprised them all by laying a hand on Ed's shoulder before the boy could move. "There's no need for that, Lieutenant." She said, looking at Ed out of the corner of her eye and seeing his confused frown. "The General has been a patient of mine before, after all, and in that time I found that the best medicine I could offer him…" She turned to give Ed a small smile. "Is this young man, right here."

A bit of light returned to the blonde alchemist's eyes and he looked pleadingly at the First Lieutenant. "Can I stay, Hawkeye? Please?"

Riza still looked skeptical, so Jean stepped in.

"It's no big deal, babe. I'll be in here incase anything happens, right?" Jean winked, although his smile was clearly forced.

"Is that suppose to be comforting?" Riza countered, only half joking.

"Hey…that's cold." The blonde pouted, pulling his covers up to his chin as he attempted to pull off the 'kicked puppy' look.

Washu shook her head and patted Ed's shoulder a final time. "I leave the decision to you, Lieutenant." She nodded to Hawkeye and Armstrong before leaving.

"If I may be so forward, Lieutenant." Armstrong began, turning to the smaller woman. "I agree with Washu-sensei. The General will want to see Edward when he awakens, and I believe it would be unfair to ask Ed to leave after everything he's been through in the past few days. Simply put, the General and Edward need each other right now more than ever."

Riza sighed, holding up her hands in defeat. "Fine, fine. You can stay on one condition." She turned to give Edward a stern look. "You will get some sleep. Are we clear, Ed?"

Ed nodded, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand and giving the blonde woman a thankful smile. "Thanks, Riza."

Riza nodded, and after giving Jean a small kiss goodbye, left with Armstrong.

"Well I'm gonna catch up on some shut eye, Eddie-boy. G'night." Havoc said around a yawn, slipping further under his bed sheet and pulling a pillow over his head. He found that he was unable to meet Ed's eyes after the blonde's harsh accusations.

"Yeah." Ed replied absentmindedly, his eyes still fixed on Roy's sleeping face. After only a moment, Ed found himself fighting back a yawn of his own. Apparently he was more tired than he had thought. With a frown he glanced at his surroundings, his frown deepening when he found himself staring at the chair that he had spent his last several nights in. Roy chose that moment to shift in his sleep, unknowingly creating more room next to himself on the bed.

"I'll take that as an invite." Ed murmured sleepily and maneuvered himself until he was situated on the bed between Roy and the bed's railing. He laid his head on the bit of the pillow that Roy wasn't using and closed his eyes, intent on finally going to sleep. But after several minutes, Ed reluctantly opened his eyes again.

Something was off…he just didn't know what. He frowned and looked up at the man next to him, wondering if maybe something was wrong with Roy. He was met with the raven's light snoring. Well, if that wasn't it, then what was it? Ed huffed and decided that he was just paranoid and closed his eyes, this time laying his head on Roy's shoulder instead of the pillow. While he felt marginally better, there was still something missing. Ed scowled this time as he sat up, looking around for what could possibly be throwing him off so much. His eyes fell on Roy's arm that lay limp beside him and had a sudden thought.

Laying back down with his head on Roy's shoulder, Ed laced his finger's with the raven's and moved Roy's arm so that it was draped across him. The General pulled Ed closer against him in his sleep, earning a content sigh from the blonde.

Much better, Ed thought as he curled himself against Roy's side. This time, he was able to drift off into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

R-2-F

The sun had just begun to rise when Edward awoke again. The room was still cloaked in the shadows of night, but even as Ed watched, the shadows began to give way to the misty light of dawn. Ed frowned when he sat up and looked at his surroundings, his awareness dulled considerably by the aftereffects of the best night's sleep he'd been awarded since his brother's passing. Once his eyes fell on his bed companion's still sleeping form he relaxed upon realizing he was in the hospital ward.

Ed felt a relieved smile tug at his lips as he noticed that Roy's face had regained some color over the night. The man still remained somewhat pale, but it was an improvement regardless. The blonde's smile vanished when his eyes settled over the wrappings that hid the left side of Roy's face from view. He resisted the urge to reach out and ghost his fingers over the bandages, knowing that the slightest movement could potentially wake the General.

Roy really nearly died. Ed thought bitterly, his hands curling in the sheets. If we'd been only a few minutes later…he really would have ended up like…like- Ed shook his head harshly, physically dispelling such thoughts from his mind.

"You know something, Eddie-boy?"

Ed's startled gaze flew from Roy's face to that of the speaker's, his hands tightening in the sheets unconsciously, as if afraid that the person speaking somehow knew exactly what he had been thinking. His eyes settled on Jean's reclining form, noting the paper that lay forgotten in the blonde's lap and the cigarette that was cradled in his fingers. He was about to comment on the hospital ward's strict no-smoking policy when the older blonde spoke again.

"I've always heard that thinking was a dangerous thing." Jean paused to take a drag from the cancer stick, lazily exhaling and watching the smoke drift to the ceiling. "But I think that sometimes it's more dangerous not to let yourself stop and think, you know?"

When Jean's eyes turned to Ed's own, the blonde teen found himself staring at his hands to avoid the Lieutenant's knowing gaze. The older man noticed Ed's discomfort and mercifully averted his eyes, choosing instead to stare at the ceiling once again.

Several moments of silence passed between the two, broken only when Jean would take an occasional drag from his cigarette or when the bedsprings would creak quietly due to Ed's nervous shifting. Finally the blonde was unable to take the strained silence any longer and spoke up.

"Havoc…?" Ed began softly, his voice hoarse both from sleep and from lack of use. When Ed felt the blonde's gaze return to him, he continued, though he refused to meet the Lieutenant's blue gaze. "Do you believe in Equivalent Exchange?"

The question took Havoc by surprise, but he did his best to hide the fact. "Equivalent Exchange, huh?" The blonde scratched his chin as he thought about it. "I'm no alchemist, but I guess I believe in the basic principle. To gain something you have to be prepared to give up something to get it, am I right?" He received a silent nod in reply. "In that case…yeah, I guess I do."

"Then answer me this." Ed finally lifted his eyes to meet Havoc's, and the Lieutenant was surprised at just how much angst he saw reflected in the teen's golden depths. "Why is it, that no matter how much I give…how much I lose…I never gain a single thing?" The blonde's voice held a bitterness that one his age should never know. "Mom died, and now…now Al's gone too." A stubborn tear slid down a tanned cheek.

Jean's gaze softened as he eyed the blonde teen. He was surprised that Ed had been able to hold himself together for as long as he had, but it seemed that the teen was still stubbornly keeping everything bottled up inside. It did not take a genius to know that Ed's words held only been a fraction of the inner turmoil that was going on inside his head. Still, Jean was reluctant to press Ed into opening up. He was well aware of the fact that the only thing holding the blonde alchemist together was his pride.

"Everything that ever mattered's been taken. There's nothing left."

"Now that I don't believe." Havoc felt Ed's questioning eyes settle on him and slanted his own gaze to meet the blonde's. "Ed, can you look me in the eye and tell me that there's nothing else -no one else- that matters to you?" Both of the men's gazes shifted to the raven that had somehow remained asleep throughout their exchange. "Because if you can, then you're a better liar than I give ya credit for."

Ed bit his lip as he studied the man sleeping so peacefully next to him, his morbid thoughts from earlier returning. But I nearly lost him too. Ed's hands fisted themselves in the sheets at the thought. If I were to lose him too…I don't think I could take it.

As if aware of Ed's distress, Roy began to stir. "…Ed?" He growled softly, his deep voice seeming suddenly too loud in the small hospital room. The blonde jumped guiltily beside him, causing Roy to frown suspiciously. "What's wrong?" The raven's gaze shifted to Havoc's. "What's going on?"

Jean summoned up his trademark grin and hoped that his long time friend failed to notice how strained the gesture really was. "Nothin's going on, Roy-boy. I think the real question is how're you feeling?" Ed's small nod of thanks did not go unnoticed by the blonde Lieutenant, but Havoc showed no signs of having seen the action at all, lest he draw Roy's attention back to the man's former question.

"Like I've been trampled by an elephant." Roy replied sourly, earning a chuckle from his blonde comrades. He grimaced as he carefully maneuvered himself into a sitting position with Ed's aid, and sighed when he sank back into the pillows once he was resettled.

"And you sound surprised?" Havoc grinned, quickly scanning what he could see of Roy's frame. He was satisfied when he saw that the bruises around the General's wrists and arms had faded, though the skin around Roy's wrists remained chafed where the shackles had once been. He too noticed that Roy was beginning to regain some color about him. It wouldn't be too long before the General looked like himself once again, and Jean would be lying if he said that he wouldn't be relieved once that happened.

Roy chuckled lightly in response but immediately regretted the action as his ribs ached in protest. He settled for a lazy smirk. "I can't say I wasn't hoping that I'd be out of here by now."

"Are you kidding me?" Jean laughed, staring in disbelief at his superior. "After how screwed up you were? Ha!"

"Hope springs eternal." Roy retorted dryly, his eyes settling on the blonde beside him with poorly masked concern. "You're awfully quiet."

Ed responded by removing himself from the bed, offering Roy a weak smile. "Sorry." He glanced at the clock then turned his attention to Havoc. "I have to get going. I'll be back later."

Roy's brow furrowed in confusion. "Where are you going?" The blonde's lack of response only served to further irritate him. "Why doesn't anyone tell me anything anymore!"

Havoc nearly grinned at his friend's blatant sulking, but wisely fought the urge back. Instead of indulging Roy's tantrum, Jean turned his attention to Ed. "Alright. See you."

Ed nodded his thanks and turned to leave, visibly straightening before he disappeared into the adjourning hallway.

"What's going on?" Roy demanded, his scowl now focused on his friend and current roommate. "Where was Fullmetal going?"

Jean sighed heavily and tugged his covers up around his chin, his eyes sliding shut so he wouldn't have to see his friend's expression. "Al's funeral is in an hour." He replied at length, noting the sharp intake of breath from the man occupying the other bed. The groan of bedsprings caught Jean's attention and he forced his eyes back open, only to find his friend attempting to rise from his bed. "Hey, hey, hey!" He chided, making to stand himself to restrain his friend. "Do you want Washu to tie you to the bed, man?"

"I'm not going to miss Alphonse's funeral."

"I'm afraid you are." Another voice spoke up, startling both men. Standing in the doorway was the very medic just mentioned. Havoc idly wondered if the doctor delighted in nearly giving her patient's heart attacks every time she appeared. "Neither of you are in any condition to be moving around, none the less attending an event of any sort." The elderly woman paused to give the raven haired man an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, General."

Havoc regarded his friend from his place on the edge of his own bed. He took pity on Roy when he noticed how torn the older man looked. "I don't like it anymore than you do, Commander, but we don't have much of a choice."

Roy stood still for a moment, clearly waging an inner battle with himself. After several tense seconds passed, he reluctantly sank back onto his bed. His gaze moved to the lone window in the room, as if hoping he could somehow catch a glimpse of the blonde teen as he left the ward.

"I'm truly sorry, General."

R-2-F

The sun had set by the time that Edward returned to the hospital ward. The funeral had ended hours ago but the blonde had only just managed to force himself to leave his brother's gravesite. The blonde still wore his suit, though his jacket was now unfastened and his tie hung loosely around his neck. Dark circles were present under his golden eyes, that while bloodshot, showed no signs of spent tears.

When the blonde arrived at Roy and Havoc's shared room, it was to find both men asleep in their beds. Ed could not blame them, for a quick glance at the hanging clock revealed it to be well past ten. The young alchemist had not realized it was so late and was torn between waking the sleeping raven or simply turning around. Ed desperately needed to talk to Roy, but at the same time dreaded doing so. Despite the nearly overwhelming urge to simply turn back around and leave, Ed knew that he would not gain an ounce of peace until he had gotten a few things off of his chest. So with a heavy sigh, the blonde entered the room and crossed over to Roy's bed.

Roy began to stir when the bed dipped beneath Ed's weight as the teen perched on the edge of the hospital bed, but he did not wake. The blonde alchemist sighed softly as he stared down at the sleeping General, a sad smile playing gently across his lips. He brushed a few strands of hair away from Roy's face, which looked so peaceful while he slept. "Roy, wake up." He called gently, his hand continuing to stroke raven locks away from the pale face. He tried again when he received no response, only to achieve the same result. The General was fast asleep.

Ed dropped his hand into his lap, his eyes lowering as he gave small sigh of relief. He felt guilty about it, but a part of him was glad that the General had not waken. He knew it was cowardly of him, but he found he would rather speak at the raven instead of having to speak to him face to face. At least this way Ed would be able to clear his concience before he left. "…I'm sorry." He whispered at length, in a voice so broken that it could barely be recognized as Ed's own. "But I just can't do any of this anymore. I can't stay here!" Ed's voice broke painfully at that moment and forced the blonde to swallow to reign in his traitorous voice. Despite the teen's obvious desolation, no tears clouded his golden eyes. Beside him Roy remained asleep, blissfully ignorant of Ed's torment. "Everywhere I turn…I…I see him. But he's not really there, you know? But I just keep thinking…hoping, that maybe…maybe it was all a dream." Ed's hands fisted in his lap and he grit his teeth. "But it's not." He spat, his eyes narrowed unseeingly.

"It's not a dream; He's gone…and he's not coming back. I realize that now. But I…I also realize that maybe…maybe one day you're gonna leave me too. And I don't think I could take that…so I'll save you the trouble. I'll leave instead." His breathing was now ragged and his voice barely above a whisper, but his determination remained unwavering. "I won't lose anyone else. I can't. You understand…right?" Ed tenderly brushed the back of his knuckles against Roy's cheek, snorting softly. "Of course you don't understand. Roy Mustang's never run away from a thing in his life, has he?"

Ed shook his head and dropped his hand. He knew what he had to do, but that didn't make actually doing it any easier. As he bent down and ghosted his lips over Roy's for what promised to be the last time, he felt as if he was leaving a part of himself behind. Still, his resolve held firm and he forced himself to rise from the bed. "Goodbye…Roy." His legs felt like lead as he forced himself to move away from the hospital bed and Roy's still sleeping form, and his chest began to constrict as he began to head to the door. Ed felt as if he was suffocating; as if Roy were his oxygen and the further from the raven he became, the harder it was for Ed to breathe. In a way, the comparison was quite accurate.

In the past several weeks, Roy had become a vital part of Ed's life. The thought of leaving such an important person scared Ed to an unbelievable degree, but Ed had already lost his brother, and the thought of losing Roy as well was more than the blonde could possibly take in his already fragile state of mind. By leaving, Ed could distance himself from Roy, and in doing so sever all ties with the only remaining person whom Ed could not bear to lose. It would be one of the hardest things Ed had ever done, but he would do it.

When Ed reached the door his hand paused just above the handle. He knew that once he stepped through this door he would never be coming back, and it was in that moment that the blonde realized just how badly his hand was shaking. Still, he forced himself to grasp the doorknob, biting back the tears as he slowly opened the door. And with a final glance over his shoulder at the sleeping raven, Ed disappeared into the night.

R-2-F

"Are you just going to let him leave like that?" Havoc demanded once he was sure that the blonde teen was well down the hall and thus out of hearing range. He cracked his eyes open to look at his friend that lay in the next bed. He frowned when he saw that Roy was doing nothing more than staring at the ceiling objectively.

"It's Fullmetal's choice to make." Roy finally said, his face void of all emotion.

"But-"

"Just drop it, Havoc." Roy bit out, tugging his covers up around his shoulders and rolling so that his back was facing his roommate. Even from Havoc's place in his own bed, the blonde Lieutenant could see that the General's back was completely rigid.

"So it's over. Just like that?" Havoc growled, sitting up in his bed to scowl at his superior. "After all the shit you've been through for that kid, you're just going to let him walk out like that!"

Roy's answering silence was all the response Jean needed.

R-2-F

"How can I help you, sonny?"

The teen stepped forward and put a handful of money on the counter before him, his eyes glued to the floor. "I need a ticket." He said at length, shifting from foot to foot.

"Alright." The red headed woman replied as she looked down at the train schedule she held in her hands. "Where to?"

"Anywhere." The blonde answered quickly; too quickly.

The teller, who a glance at her name tag revealed to be named Hedda, began to flip through her list with a light frown. It was not unusual these days to see disgruntled men trying to get out of town, but seeing this young man in such a state bothered her. "When would you like to leave?"

"As soon as possible."

Hedda gave the teen a small smile. "There's a train leaving in three minutes. Shall I book you a seat?"

"Please."

"Alright." Hedda retrieved a boarding ticket and began to fill in the information she already knew, pausing when she reached the space for the passenger's name. "Name?"

"Uh…I…" The blonde teen began to fumble.

Hedda smiled gently and nodded to herself, writing something else on the ticket before handing it to the teen. "Have a nice trip, Mr. Breig."

The blonde's head shot up in surprise, his confusion evident on his face. "What…?" He blushed lightly when the woman winked at him.

"If you don't hurry, you'll miss your train." She chided softly, depositing his payment in the drawer beside her.

"I…uh…thanks." He mumbled, grabbing his suitcase in one hand and bowing respectfully to the woman. The train whistle sounded, signaling the last boarding call of a train, and with another thankful nod to the woman, the blonde teen disappeared into the crowd.

R-2-F

Ed sank into his train seat with a weary sigh, his luggage resting on the seat next to him. The train was, for the most part, sparsely populated. It was too late at night for there to be many passengers, and for that Ed found he was grateful. The thought of being surrounded by too many people at that moment was an unwelcome one.

There was a small boy sitting with his mother in the seat behind Ed's. The woman was currently trying to coax her young child into sleeping until they reached their stop, but the boy was stubbornly refusing to listen. Despite all of the mother's attempts to still the child, the boy was just too full of energy to listen to her.

Ed had been just about to doze off when he felt a tug on the end of his hair. He frowned and opened his eyes to find the boy hanging over the seat, grinning down at him. The boy was missing several of his front teeth, which only served to make him look all the more endearing.

"Hey mister!" The boy whispered, trying to keep quiet so not to draw his mother's attention, who was currently talking with another one of the other passengers. "Why're you sitting all alone?"

Ed gave the boy a strained smile. "No reason."

"Oh." The little boy said, seeming disappointed with the vague answer. His dissatisfaction didn't last for long though. "Well what's your name?"

Ed's smile fell and he looked down at his hands, his eyes falling upon the boarding pass still clutched tightly within his grasp. "…It's Breig." He said finally, his eyes raising to stare out the window to his left. "Joshua Breig."

The End

Hope fades into the world of night

Through shadows falling,

Out of memory and time.

Don't say,

We have come now to the end.

White shores are calling,

You and I will meet again.

Author's Note: Wow! It's actually finished! So what did you guys think of the ending? (Dodges angry readers) I know! I'm an awful person! But don't worry, there will be a sequel. Work on it will be beginning soon, but I may take a small break from my FMA fanfiction and write a Gundam Seed, but I will not abandon this! I've got a lot in mind for the sequel, and I can't wait to write about it. Look to my profile for details on the sequel.

Of course, I'd like to give a huge thanks to all of my reviewers! You guys have really been my inspiration. Without your feedback and support, this story would never have developed as it did. It would probably have been abandoned after the first chapter! (le gasp!) I hope to hear from all of you again once the sequel starts up!

And I have to thank the person who helped me get through all of this, my beta Eirisbadluck. She helped me through this story more than she'll ever know! She endured my (sometimes scary) brainstorming and helped me bat around possible ideas, and listened to me rant over the plotline. I might have had to badger her to beta this last chapter, but can you blame her? It was 21 pages long! So again, thanks sis!

Again, thanks to all of you! I hope to see you again soon!

Keep an eye out for Nothing Left to Give, the sequel to Take It All Away!