"Escort of one"

"Hey Roy!"

Hughes was drinking a cup of coffee while he folded some documents. He had received a call and, for his surprise, it was Roy.

"How are you?", the Flame Alchemist asked him quickly. Hughes noticed then that he was in a hurry.

"Fine, everything here is really fine…including my beautiful daughter Elysia who this morning –"

"Hughes…", the man growled impatient, so Hughes just laughed.

"What's wrong?"

"Is it true that they interrogated Edward?", he said almost muttering, so Maes inferred he wasn't alone.

"Yeah, I send Major Armstrong with him since I had tons of paperwork to do and I couldn't get out of the office", he said slightly mad that he couldn't be there for Edward, but, according to the Major, the boy had done an splendid job.

"I have to go back soon, but this rebellion is not interested in agreements, they just want to fight", he said with sorrow.

"Don't worry, Ed had thousands of eyes watching over him…and I think he had noticed. The last time he threw me a dirty look warning me to let him go to the bathroom alone", he said scratching his head ashamed, but Roy laughed.

"Thanks, Hughes"

………

While, in the Headquarter's hallways, Edward was carrying a huge pile of paperwork that barely let him see where he was stepping on. He cursed in low voice for being so short, but he kept walking. When he arrived to the 'Files' department, a young lady smiled pitying him, but he opened a drawer and took out a small envelop handing it to the boy.

"Edward-San, someone left this for you", she kindly said as the boy stared at her confused.

He grabbed it and opened it carefully, would it be another letter from M. General Hakuro? More for his disgrace, it wasn't.

"Building 6. 5 in the afternoon"

The blonde scrunched it up and walked away thanking the woman. He was sick of this game, he couldn't understand why they were still bothering him. He wasn't that important to represent a menace for them…maybe they still wanted him in order to get his dad? He would have to use some evasive maneuver so anybody will follow him.

He signed and walked towards the cafeteria, where everyone was waiting for him to start eating. The boy tried to control his anger and show a smile so he would not worry anyone. The only ones that worried him were Hughes and Ross, both new him pretty well and they could tell when he was lying, but he did his best effort and he was achieving.

"I cannot believe he still asks you to bring him tea", Fuery told him before he took a bite of his lunch. Edward just smiled approvingly.

"Have you talked to the General?", Havoc asked him without a cigarette in his mouth. He had the decency of leave it while they eat at least.

The blonde nodded, "He says hi to everyone, he told me he miss you all sitting at the beach feeling the sea breeze", he said smiling when he saw the jealous gaze of all the men in there…but they didn't envy the sea breeze precisely.

"…Bikinis", Havoc said dropping his spoon. However, Ed noticed how Riza had flinched and threw him a look to shut him up.

Everyone at the table laughed, but the laughs suddenly died when they heard a 'click' coming from Riza's gun to let them know that she didn't find the joke that funny.

……

At the specified hour, Edward walked inside the building 6, one of the several buildings where they keep the tanks while they weren't used. The place was dark and the boy could only hear his own steps while he looked around alert so he could see any movement. However, he didn't have to look for too long when he saw the man in front of him with some of his crew behind him.

"At least you could have faced me alone, coward", he said smirking.

The L. General smirked him back, "Edward Elric, I though you wouldn't show up"

Stopping some feet far from the man, the boy fold his arms, "What do you want?"

"What a rude kid, don't forget I am a L. General, show some respect"

"Since the moment you turned out to be a traitor, you're a just like any civilian to me…well, not just like any, you're a filthy civilian to me".

Raven seemed offended by the boy's words and clenched his fist in anger, but his smile didn't wash out, "That's exactly the attitude I want from you, my young alchemist. How about I let you know a proposal you cannot refuse?"

"If it's about me joining your stupid little plan, you can forget it", he blonde said with a bored gaze.

The man frowned, "And If I tell you that if you don't, you father will suffer the consequences?"

A tic made the boy's brow lift, but he remained calmed, "What the hell do you want from me?"

This was when Raven smirked widely, "You can use alchemy without transmutation circles, you had a good reputation and the people respect you, military include, you have proved to be a valuable element to the military more than once…do you want to keep going?"

Edward was mute for a moment….no, something didn't fit, "Still, I think you only want me to have some control over Kimbley"

Losing his patience, General Raven began to walk approaching the boy, who just backed up with caution, "I'm not always this friendly, you know? For some reason, you didn't give us away with the kidnapping thing and my interest in you grew considerably"

"I just did it because I didn't have any proofs"

"Sure", he said with sarcasm as he stopped, "I'll tell you just one more time. Take my offer o there will be consequences"

Ed stared at him for a moment before he turned around and walked towards the door.

"Very well, Edward Elric"

Backwards, the boy seemed determinate and walked confidently; however, Ed's face was quite the opposite. His eyes had widened and his hands were shaking. He really hoped he had made the right choice….

…………

That night, Ed crashed deafeningly against a tree and fell heavily on the ground feeling sore. However, the stood up immediately since Olivia was already running towards him. The woman swung the sword and Ed evaded it trying to kick her, but she grabbed his leg making him lose his balance and fell on the ground again. The blonde rolled and barely dodged the sword and used his arms as a lever to stand on his feet trying to punch the woman with his elbow; however, she evaded it and hit the boy in the back with her arm making him fell on the ground…one more time.

Olivia sheathed the sword and began to walk towards the mansion leaving the boy in the land, "You have improved, but you're too weak yet", she said coldly while Alex clapped his hands thrilled by the fight.

Edward flinched and looked up watching how the woman walked away from him. He stood on his feet using all his strength trying to brush off the pain, "Not yet!"

The woman turned and Edward attacked her. Olivia quickly unsheathed her sword and swung it to hit the boy, but he grabbed the weapon with his automail arm taking the woman by surprise. The blonde threw the sword away and kicked the woman's leg making her fall, but she jumped back in order to avoid the boy to immobilize her in the ground and both fought without weapons.

However, it wasn't that long when Olivia pulled Edward from his arms to smash him against the ground and held him. The boy clenched his teeth in frustration, but he was surprised when he saw a small smirk in the woman's face.

"You have improved", she simply said while she rose and glanced at her brother, who was staring at them with sparkles around him…or maybe Edward was imagining sparkles for the beat. Alex headed to the mansion when Olivia offered her hand to the boy to help him incorporate.

The blonde sighed in resignation, grabbed the woman's hand and rose while he felt how every inch of his body ached. However, he noticed that the woman's sky blue eyes were fixed at him.

"Something's wrong?", he asked drawing a shy smile

"I want to know why I am training you"

Ed stared at her confused, "Hadn't Armstrong-San said anything to you?"

She nodded folding her arms, "Yes, but I'm sure he doesn't know the entire story"

For some reason, Ed was sure that if she could, Olivia would kill him with her eyes. Her gaze almost pierced him and she could tell if he was lying easily, a situation that made him feel nervous.

Soon, they were sitting above some rocks of the garden near a huge fountain. Edward glanced at the woman out of the corner of his eyes for a few seconds, but then he looked down and stroke his bangs deciding how much he should tell her…or how. "I guess you know the situation inside the military". She noddede without looking at him, "Isn't that enough reason to ask you to train me?"

"No. At least, you wouldn't seem so desperate to learn"

The boy stared at her slightly astonished, but then he smiled. The woman wasn't that naïve, "…Raven wants me to join them. If I don't, they will hurt Otoosan", he finally said as Olivia turned to see him emotionless, sometimes that made the boy shudder.

"Did he ask you personally?"

Edward nodded, "Yeah, I obviously said no and I'm afraid that some day they will call me to let me know that Otoosan had gone missing or hurt…", he said lowering his face so his bangs would cover his eyes.

Olivia stared at him for a moment in silence, "L. General Raven, did he approach you in the Headquarter?"

The boy nodded with his head still down. The woman then rose and walked towards the mansion making the boy flinch for her reaction, but he followed her not saying another word.

……..

Hughes waved his hand to the newly arrived Roy who was getting out of the train with his luggage on his hand. It's been a 15 days trip due to the rebels, since they didn't want to stop fighting the military. Fortunately, the negotiate skills of the B. General Mustang ended the attack with a fair agreement.

"You seem older and everything", Hughes said grabbing the man luggage when he noticed Roy looked exhausted.

He just drew a weak smile. "How is everyone? I couldn't call for some days, Edward must be worried"

"Don't worry, he knows. Everyone is…fine", he said wavering and almost slapped himself since Roy noticed it.

"Something's wrong?"

"Em…not exactly", he said while he put Roy's luggage in the car while the man looked at him confused, but he didn't ask anything else. If Hughes didn't want to tell him and he had smiled, it couldn't be anything serious. "Let's go to the Headquarter, Edward is still there".

Roy nodded and got into the Hughes' car.

………..

When they arrived at the Headquarter, both walked through the hallways while Hughes talked about the amazing draw Elysia did and Roy heard him with his eyes closed. He was away too tired to threw him a dirty look, so he allowed him to be annoying just this time. However, Roy suddenly stopped and froze, Hughes immediately knew why. In front of them, Edward was handing some documents while he signed the receipt. He had a bandage on his forehead, some cure bands on his cheek and noticeable bags under his eyes. Roy stared at his friend with wide eyes, but the man just smiled and shrugged.

"…Edward?"

The boy flinched and turned to see who had called his name. When he saw it was Roy, he smiled excited and ran to hug him at the same time Roy embraced the boy in his arms….until he heard a small moan coming from Ed.

"What's wrong?", Roy asked him kneeling and grabbing the blonde's shoulders, who had a hand on his mouth indicating that he didn't want his dad to hear that.

Edward smiled slightly nervous, "…It's nothing"

"How can you say that? You're hurt!"

Edward shushed him and pulled Roy into an empty room followed by Hughes.

"Now tell me what happened", he demanded not believing that Hughes hadn't told him about this.

"Well..you see…Olivia-San-"

Roy flinched and stared at the boy incredulous, "Did she hurt you?!"

"No!...Well…yes, but this is not what you're thinking", he said scratching his head. However, it was obvious that Roy was losing his patience.

"Edward.."

The boy sighed, "I asked Olivia-San…to train me"

In that moment, the door burst open and the woman came into the room. The three stared at her with small eyes and they backed up when they saw how she unsheathed her sword.

"O-Olivia", Roy rose and raised his hands trying to calm down the woman. However, Olivia approached him and pointed her sword to his neck scaring the three man, "W-What are you doing?!"

Olivia stared at him for a moment, but then she sheathed the sword and walked towards Edward, "I told you not to disappear from my sight any moment"

The man looked at the woman slightly shocked while Hughes smiled and Edward apologized to Olivia, "What's going on here?"

Edward turned at the man and approached him when he was sure Olivia had calm down, "I'm sorry, Otoosan. Since I couldn't talk with you for a few days I couldn't tell you"

"Tell me what?", he said watching how the woman fold his arms.

In the cafeteria, Roy jaw dropped staring at the nervous but smiling Edward. He had to take a seat in front of the blonde since Oliva sit at his side and there was any more space for him.

"Escort?", the man glanced at the woman half confused half angry, but she remained silent and with her eyes closed, " I thought I had left Major Armstrong that job"

The boy nodded, "Yeah, but Armstrong-San can't be with me all day. So Olivia-San offered – or forced me to accept would be more accurate – to escort me"

Olivia narrowed her eyes and stared at the not-too-happy Roy. Although he was grateful with her, he couldn't ignore the wounds the boy had everywhere. However, he rose and saluted the woman, "I really appreciate this, Major General Armstrong"

She was surprised by his reaction, but she closed her eyes again and smiled, so Mustang sit again and everyone kept eating holding back their laughs afraid to make both titans angry.

……..

At home, Edward threw himself in the couch muttering how much he had missed those pillows. Roy hang up his jacket and smiled when he heard the almost giggles of the boy. He missed his house too of course.

"Edward, do you want to do something in particular tomorrow?"

The blonde just growled, "Since it's our free day, I want to sleep…sleep until noon at least", he said burying his face on the pillow.

Roy stared at him confused. Maybe the boy had forgot? After all what happened it was possible and understandable, but it was hard to believe it…

"Don't you want to go somewhere special?", he insisted, but Ed shook his head.

"I feel like eating the delicious meatloaf you cook and sleep….and sleep…"

The man couldn't help but smile. 'Yeah, he forgot'

…….

What could have Ed forgot about? ;D