Phoenix: You'd be very right.

GreedxEd: If he did try to run, I'm sure Roy would send wolfies to hunt him down.

Unfortunately: I voted for Lord Voldemort.

Mokona: Yes, Roy has a sweet sappy side... he's cute like that.

Bar-Ohki: Thought Roy was the bastard? XD

mrawgirl: I hope that's not a bad thing.

sandypinkkitty: Wow, so you'll know it almost as well as me by the end. I've not reached a final chapter yet. I'm close, but I'm guessing right now it's going to end up somewhere in the low 40's. If it makes it there.

Eli: -passes the tissues- Roy does know all.


So somehow I hurt my back yesterday. Today has been tons of fun. I think I might stay home tomorrow if I'm still in pain. The chairs at school aren't exactly made for the human back anyway. Today is my final date to get all those assignments my teacher lost sent in. So I'm sending out a very packed email with lots of attachments containing my blood, sweat, toil, and tears. Yes, I stole from Winston Churchill. What can I say, the guy has a point there. Wish me luck in passing the class, just in case she pulls something else. I swear, this is so not worth it.


Chapter Twenty Eight

"Is there something going on between you two?" Frank asked as Roy and Edward reentered the cave.

Roy raised an eyebrow at the curious alchemists, "I love him, is that a problem? 'Cause I can finish you off early if you want."

"No! I was just wondering…" He said quickly and muttered several choice expletives that he assumed Roy could not hear. Oh the joys of better hearing.

"Huh, never would have thought you two'd hook up after all the years you spent fighting." Larry muttered with a smirk.

Edward shrugged, "got bored of fighting and decided this was more fun."

Roy rolled his eyes, leave it up to Edward to make comments like that. But Ed did have a point, this was much more fun than fighting. And while their friendship had been special, this was even better. He'd never known until now just why people dreamed of being in love. It was beyond words to describe the feeling it gave you.

"Anyway," Roy headed them away from the possible discussion of him and Edward, "Ed, when did you want to start heading back?"

Edward sat down near the fire, again trying to warm himself back up. It seemed he spent an awful lot of time doing that. "We have the information we need, we can head back now. And really, we should start going back before it gets to be too late."

"You won't stay the night?"

"No." Edward said simply. "Unlike you all, we still have some time left on our lives. No offense. But we have things that still need to be done."

Roy was all for that, these alchemists had been an indirect cause of his becoming a chimera. These men were not part of his pack. They had upset his mate, and thus upset Roy even further. He wanted to be far away from these dying last links to what had happened to him.

He also wanted to have Edward to himself in private. The blond would take forever to warm up properly without blankets and the body heat Roy knew he would seek. At least, if they were alone. He wanted, and needed to take care of his mate, and being here was preventing him from doing that.

"Roy?" Edward asked, the silent question hanging between them.

Roy looked over at him, meeting his questioning golden eyes. "Yes, we should go. If you're ready."

Edward nodded, and slowly stood back up again. "Well, we'll be off now."

Roy barely paid attention to the other alchemists as he and Edward quickly got out of there and started back down the mountainside again. The sky was still clear of snow, so they figured they'd be able to cover a good deal of ground before nightfall.

"Did you believe their story about them dying that swiftly?" Edward asked quietly as they finally reached level ground again.

Roy snorted, "they will die, they know that much. I don't know what they were injected with, but I wouldn't put it past the Fuhrer or his pet alchemists to have done something like that."

"Now's your chance to have your revenge, if you want it." Edward told him, "else I'll do it. After all, this is still a mission that must be completed as was asked of me."

Roy nodded and stopped his mare, turning her about so he faced the cave again. He could still smell the humans in there, the dying alchemists who he could not bring himself to feel pity for. "They'll never mess with nature again."

He felt nothing as he snapped his fingers, and watched as the cavern exploded violently. He knew, even without the stench of blood that came wafting on the air, that they were dead. The mountain shook from the explosion, but luckily resulted in no avalanche. Was he supposed to feel nothing? His human side was… wasn't it? Was it his wolf side that so easily accepted the death of those he did not care about? He knew it must be, because he felt nothing. Not even a sense of accomplishment.

"I don't even feel sad." Roy said quietly.

Edward looked at him solemnly. "Unfortunately, you may never feel sad to see someone die who was not someone you consider your pack. That part of your wolf side is too instinctual to control. You would feel sad if Hawkeye died, for instance. But others? You may never feel sadness for them."

"It'll take getting used to… but then again, I can't let myself keep trying to think in terms of whether or not my actions are humane. I'll never be a human again."

"You'll have plenty of emotions to make up for it in regards to the rest of us." Edward pointed out, knowing how much Roy's instincts towards him drove him crazy sometimes.

Roy looked over at him and sighed, "this chimera business is going to take me a long time to get used to. Trying to accept myself as one thing, and having to act as another is hard on me. The lines are fuzzy in places… the separation in my mind of human and wolf is growing dimmer the more I get used to being this."

"No one ever said you can't become an eccentric bastard." Edward winked at him and looked around the mountain range. "By the map… I'm guessing we're actually not too far from the ice fields near the border. If we cut north further we can come around quicker through the ice fields and back to the prison. We won't have to worry about ground conditions."

"How long then do you estimate it will take us to get back?" Roy asked.

"Two days at the most." Edward said, "you want to go that way? You can build me an igloo again."

Roy smirked at him, "you just liked the fact you didn't have to be outside during that snowstorm."

"That, and it was kind of romantic." Edward winked at him. His gaze then drifted around the landscape before his eyes landed on something glittering in the snow near to where some of the last debris from the explosion had settled. Urging his horse forward he leaned over in his saddle as he reached it, scooping up the glittering object from the snow.

Roy had followed after, and leaned over to see what Edward had picked up. "Someone's rich." He remarked idly and looked around. "Think there are any more?"

Edward grinned, and offered the fist sized diamond to Roy. It still had chunks of rock around it, but it was obvious what it was. "Probably, this area was volcanic. I'm sure the pressure and heat did wonders for whatever coal happens to be in these mountains."

Roy took the diamond with interest. "I think when I'm Fuhrer I'll have these mountains mined, what do you think?"

"I think you're about to make Amestris very rich, sir." Edward grinned at him.

"Well, this one's for us…" Roy said as he peered at the diamond before pocketing it. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with part of it. Though the thought made his stomach flutter nervously.

"Yes… well we better get moving then so you can do all your Fuhrerly deeds." Edward smiled, "and build me an igloo."

Roy glowered at his mate's teasing smile. He knew Edward was messing with his wolf side, and he didn't even mind. Anyone else might have gotten snapped at, or bashed over the head. But only his mate could get away with making cracks about his being a chimera and get away with it. "Fine, fine. I'll make you another igloo. Demanding little-"

"Not little." Edward hissed under his breath and chased after Roy. "Roy!"

Roy snickered as Edward finally caught up with him. "Oh don't be so gloomy." He taunted Edward.

As Edward smiled Roy knew that they'd be okay. Today had been emotionally hard on them both. But they were moving on, in more ways than one. He was glad Edward was no longer upset, and even he was finding he didn't mind so much anymore what had happened. They were alive, Edward was happier, and he had the information he needed to finally get the needed position of Fuhrer.

And he dared anyone to try and prevent him from claiming it.

He could get rid of any challengers, brave fools. And he had Edward by his side supporting him. That was practically the seal on the promotion right there. He'd thought it before, that together, he and Edward even just as friends had formed a formidable team. Now that they loved one another, he felt that he could take over the world with his mate by his side. Fortunately for the world, right now he only wanted Amestris.

The two of them cut through the mountains, the farther north they went, the colder it became. But that also meant that they could pick up more speed. The snow was cold and compacted, and provided a safe surface for racing over. Yet Roy could tell that Edward had begun withdrawing. He knew his mate was cold, and that his automail leg at least was probably struggling to stay warm even with the body heat of the horse right next to it.

They did not stop though, Edward wouldn't have heard any such idea. Not until night began to fall. And there were still a few hours yet until then.

It was obvious when they made it free of the mountains at last. Roy felt oddly exposed, even though he knew they were the only ones out here. Nothing but snow and ice stretched all around them, with the mountains in the backdrop. It was even colder though out here, without the insulation of the mountains.

"No wonder people in Drachma keep trying to invade us." Roy remarked idly, "I'd get pretty tired of freezing my ass off everyday too."

Edward laughed, "maybe you should offer them a tourist package?"

"Yeah, invite them in to kill us. There's the intelligent thing to do." Roy rolled his eyes, and they started the horses west, heading towards where the prison would lay.

They made it relatively far before the sky began to grow dark. The clouds were gone from above them right now, showing only black sky glittering with stars that seemed so very close. On the patches of ice the night sky was mirrored, creating a fascinating polka dotted pattern on the ground.

"It is beautiful out here though, even for snow." Edward said quietly, they'd reined in their horses.

Roy looked over at him with a smile. "I know you don't like snow, but you look beautiful yourself out here. Makes me wonder why I never saw it before."

Edward flushed somewhat, "we see what we expect to see. Before this, you never expected to see me as anything more than your friend I'm sure. Maybe in time that would have changed… but I'm glad it didn't take too much time." He admitted as he reached over to take one of Roy's hands and squeeze it gently.

"Would you have ever grown to love me on your own?" Roy wondered.

"We'll never know, so why wonder." Edward smiled, "I'm just glad I love you now. So stop wondering about that, and build me my igloo so I can warm up."

Roy rolled his eyes and swung off his horse. "You're lucky I love you." And he began to get the transmutation ready to the backdrop of Edward laughing.

It was easier the second time, and soon a glittering igloo was erected in the middle of the snowy and icy landscape. Edward picketed the horses and Roy grabbed their supplies before they went inside to set up their camp and seal the door shut from the outside.

"Edward," Roy sighed as he went to sit down behind the blond and pull him onto his lap. It was where he knew Edward would end up anyway on his own. "You are so stubborn, you're lucky you haven't gotten frostbite yet."

Edward had shed down to his normal clothing already, as had Roy, and he leaned into Roy's firm body behind him with a contented sigh. "I tend to be lucky. It's nice though having you here, I like it when you help warm me up."

"It's funny, because had anyone else tried to warm you up like this I don't think they'd be alive the next morning." Roy grinned.

"Naturally." Edward yawned in a satisfied way and tucked his head under Roy's chin. "You're the only one I'll drop my guard around in this way."

"Good, or I'd have to kill my competition."

"No one could compete with you. You're too egotistical, I'd say it's inhuman, but the joke is kind of lost when you're not human."

"Ha-ha." Roy grouched affectionately.

Edward smirked and gave a short half of a laugh. "So, my soon-to-be Fuhrer, have I passed my mission?"

"You," Roy hugged Edward gently, "have passed. Mostly."

"Mostly?!" Edward screeched at him.

"Mostly." Roy repeated firmly. "You still haven't thanked me properly for all the help I gave."

Edward gave a snort of disagreement. "I never asked for it."

"I still require it though, else I shall have to punish you when we get back." Roy smirked and bent his head to nip suggestively at Edward's neck. "Maybe have a joint weekend imprisonment in the stockades together."

"You," Edward managed through a shiver, "have got to be the strangest future Fuhrer I've ever met."

"Lecture in my office then?" Roy suggested with a grin as he licked at the place he'd nipped.

Edward bit back a groan, "how about we skip the thanks and the future punishment and you just give it to me right here and now." Edward suggested impishly as he twisted where he sat so he could look up at Roy.

"In an igloo?" Roy blinked at him.

"In an igloo."

"Before we've eaten?"

"Working up an appetite is good for you."

"In an igloo?"

"Yes, Roy, in an igloo."

Roy smirked at him, "very well. You can start by getting the food going. And then my boots need to be polished. After that you can-"

Roy's smirk never faded as Edward's lips crashed into his to silence his teasing list. Apparently Edward was not about to be deterred or distracted for Roy's amusement. Which was fine by him.

He'd not wanted to do this in one of those dank caves. But if he had to think about it, an igloo was kind of romantic in a way. And Edward needed to be warmed up.

When they separated for air, Edward gave Roy a pointed, lustful look. "I know you can smell pheromones."

To right, Roy could, and he grinned. "Just how much about wolves do you know that you're keeping quiet about?"

"Enough to keep surprising you." Edward breathed as he began slowly unbuttoning Roy's shirt.

"You're sure about this?" Roy asked quickly before he gave in. If he did, he knew he'd have a hard time stopping if Edward changed his mind. The wolf in him would happily fuel his perverted side.

"Roy." Edward said with a smirk, "I'm your mate. I know wolves normally wait until Spring, but I go into heat whenever I want."

"Spring should be interesting then." Roy said before he claimed Edward's mouth again urgently and gently lowered him to the blankets that were spread onto the snow and ice ground next to the crackling fire.