43. Goodbyes.

T: Last chapter and I wish to say a big thank you to both Thesmallestghost and Bar-Ohki for being amazing reviewers and pushing me to carry on writing this monstrosity! Extra large chapter, slash, etc, etc also I own nothing that you see here!!

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"That is right, Edward, Envy is the child I had by your father…is your brother." Dante informs him. "The one he replaced was killed by mercury, a loss that hit Hoenheim heard and yet when I showed him what I had done…when I showed him that I had brought our child back to him…he walked away."

"I hate that man for that action and yet I hate you even more. Why should he love you more than he loved me, why should he come back to you?" Envy enquires as the creature steps towards him.

He feels a hand then on his shoulder and suddenly he is being pushed towards his brother…pushed away from the surprise attack that Envy has just conducted.

His father stands now in the space that, but moments previous, he had occupied, Envy's hand stuck proudly out of the elder man's back.

"I am sorry that I walked away from you, that I did not take responsibility for what she had done to you…" His father places a gentle hand to Envy's face and a soft smile on his lips, he says, "goodbye, my son," before he strikes his hand into the creature's torso.

The homunculus collapses then to the floor, its hand sliding free his father's body and freeing the other at last. Instantly he is there at the elder man's side, his hands crushing the other's body hard to him.

"Why…why did you do that?"

"I could not watch you be tainted by my mistakes as that child was, Edward, could not watch you waist your potential on someone such as myself. Thus I chose to stop running away and, once I had tied my loose ends and removed the last residue of that boy's body from its hiding place, I came here to face him…I am glad that I got here in time, that I stopped him from hurting you." The other sags a little harder into him then and he enquires,

"Tousan, is everything alright?" When he is given no response he presses a finger to the man's neck and, upon finding no pulse, he screams out in an incoherent rage.

He comes back to himself as his brother's voice says,

"Stop, 'niichan, please stop." The other had freed himself from the circle, the toll of this escape showing well in the absence of the armour's right arm.

"What have you done?"

"What was necessary to be at your side one more time, 'niichan, to stand with you as everything comes to an end." His brother pulls him close then and, as he is furled into that cool embrace, he registers the blood staining now Dante's face and the promise of a painful death clear in her smile.

This is the forth time that he has face the certainty of his own death and this is the very first time that he is not at all afraid…that he can say that he will leave his life without regret.

Dante brings her hands together and a fire sparks about her.

"I can only control the flame for so long, Edward." A most beloved voice remarks.

Roy stands in the doorway, his skin slick for blood and Rose's slight form propped up on one shoulder. "I'm serious, Ed." The anger in his tone pushes away a little of the numb sensation that has clouded his him and, tapping his brother's back, he says,

"Let's go, Al."

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Roy leaves them in the Tringiham's company as he 'clears up' matters bellow and, upon his return, he furls him hard into an embrace.

"Tell me everything," He commands.

He spins the man his story, bleeding out his anger, self hatred and grief with the words. As he reaches the matter of his father's death his emotions betray him and he breaks down into uncontrollable tears.

Hugging him all the tighter Roy requests a moment of privacy and, once they are 'alone' he says,

"On the night before we got our automail your father wished to talk to me, do you remember?"

"Yes."

"He wanted to thank me for helping you, for protecting you even though it did nothing for my advancement and he wished also to tell me a very important story."

"He told you about all of this, didn't he?"

"That is correct and then he asked me to say nothing to you until 'the time was right'."

"Wouldn't that have been before he did such a stupid thing? When I could have stopped him?"

"No, because he did not wish to be stopped." Roy brushes his tears away then and, kissing his forehead, he says, "That night he told me 'Those boys wish me to be at their sides forever and yet such a thing is not possible. I have, after all, chosen to die in this form and, though that is a selfish decision, I do not regret it, for this is the body that Trisha loved.'"

"I see."

"There is also this." Roy passes him an envelope then and, looking at his name, scribed in his father's curled hand, he feels the tears threatening again.

He calls Al to him and they read the note together, their manner remaining clam despite the grief they feel.

'Edward,

There are many lessons that I shall never be able to teach you, yet I have no regret, for you are growing into such a fine boy and you are leading the best of examples for your brother.

Boy now you shall know that, for a time, I participated in Dante's crimes…stood aside as innocent people died…it is a sin that has weighed my life down and that has, at long last, caught up with me.

For the longest of times I have simply sat on the sidelines and yet, with your brother so very at risk, I know that I can no longer do as such. Thus I have done what I can not help you bring your brother hack to himself and I have sent this note, along with a list of suggested reading material, to Brigadier General Mustang's office in the assurance that he shall deliver both into your hands when the time is right.

I shall not ask for your forgiveness or your brother's for I do no deserve such a thing. I wish only for you to know that I loved you and your mother very much, that the love of this family has given me a reason to again live my life.

Otousan.'

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"'Niichan, were you trying to leave without saying goodbye again?" There is a flicker of a smile in the corner of his brother's mouth that tells that his anger is little more than an act and, feeling a little childish, he raises his hands up in defeat,

"Okay you got me! It's just so hard to say goodbye to the kids, especially when they give me those puppy eyes."

His brother breaks into a bright laughter and, catching a hold of him with his mettle arm, he says,

"You know they only do it because they love you so very much and because you're their favourite uncle."

"I'm their only uncle."

"True." There is a moment of silence and then his brother says, "You know you could always come and live with us. Winry would be more than happy to have you back, the kid's would be ecstatic and I miss you so when you're away."

He hugs a little tighter to the other and, a note of guilt in his voice, he says,

"My life is in Central now, ototo."

"You'll give Roy my best, won't you?"

"Of course! You're still travelling up for my 21st right?"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world!"

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He had wondered aimless for a long time after that alchemist had killed the woman he had thought of as 'mama', thinking first of begging Dante to bring the woman back and then thinking of doing the thing himself.

He knows that such alchemy is beyond him, knows that the fire that his right arm has placed into his blood had only just proven enough to wake the array that the other alchemist had drown and Seal Lust away. Yet despite this knowledge he pursues the idle thought for a time.

He has been walking for what seems like days when he begins to regurgitate the stones that had been given to him by Envy, a little of his determination and anger bleeding from him as the things empty from within him.

By the last mouthful he has lost his comprehension of the world, has lost everything other than his desperate want to be at his mother's side again.

It is then, lost and confused, that a warm hand reaches for him and a gentle voice enquires,

"Where have you been, son?"

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Feeling in an oddly nostalgic mood Gracia Hughes pulls out an old photo album from her shelves.

She flicks through the many pictures of her husband posing with Alisa, her hands rubbing over each image as though trying to capture the memories.

She pauses a moment as she reaches the middle of the album, her fingers resting over a shot of the three of them stood together and then a voice enquires,

"That was the day we learned there was going to be another addition to the family, wasn't it?"

"I'd forgotten that!" She remarks as she passes the album into her husband's care.

The man flicks through the other half of the album, a gentle smile on his lips and, once he has reached the end, he enquires,

"They grow up so quickly, don't they?"

"It seems like only yesterday that little Tom celebrated his first birthday and yet tomorrow he'll be 16…it almost makes you feel old, doesn't it love?"

"Talk for yourself!" The other remarks before kissing her gently and returning to the task of blowing up balloons.

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T: I think that's all the loose ends tied. I may do a small side story on Roy and Ed at some point down the line…will see how the inspiration takes me! Review???