I said this would be out sooner than the last chapter, but it isn't. Sorry about that, but I was depressed one week and out of town the next. And my muse sort of flew away halfway through, but hey.

This is the chapter that everything goes to hell. It's nice and fluffy in the beginning but while I was writing the ending I was listening to Linkin Park. That should be enough explanation for you.

Chapter Three;Silence can be Lethal.

"Stopitstopitstopit!" Ed squeaked out, flailing about on the bed underneath his husband. "That tickles, you idiot!"

Roy grinned into Ed's neck and only continued to flick his tongue over Ed's earlobe. He loved teasing the blonde and noises Ed made as a result of it even more.

"Hmm, do you really want me to stop?" Roy teased in a whisper, placing a gentle kiss on the skin just below his ear right after. Ed shivered.

"N-not really…" The mumbled response was clear enough for Roy, and he wasted no time in straddling the smaller man's hips and leaning his head down for a passionate kiss. Though he allowed the heated kiss, Ed stopped Roy's wandering hand from going any lower. Roy felt rejected at first, but the feeling vanished when he saw the amused smile on his lover's face -- he knew there wasn't anything wrong after seeing just that simple expression.

"But! April gets out of school soon, meaning that Riza will be dropping her off at home soon. I doubt neither one of them would like to come home to find us… well, like this."

Roy smiled and nuzzled Ed's cheek. "You sure this isn't an excuse to keep us from a second round?"

Younger husband snorted. "So now you're teasing me about age? You're still a lot older than me if you forgot."

"And now we're trying to cover it up, are we?"

"You're so annoying." Ed frowned up at the grinning Roy.

"Aw, Ed you've broken my heart. But I suppose if I buy you pointless and expensive gifts, you'll forgive me?"

Ed purred in satisfaction and wrapped his arms delicately around Roy's shoulders. "Oh yes, that sounds nice." He let his eyes flutter close while making an 'mmm' sound, pondering how much Roy was willing to give him. He shivered when he felt Roy's mouth on his neck, gently caressing skin with teeth and tongue. "Get me some designer clothes, treat me to breakfast in bed, pay for a day at the spa, and redo the bedroom in red… Oh yes, there." He moaned softly when Roy's wandering tongue had managed to find a sensitive spot where his neck met his shoulder.

"Mmhmm… Your mind is always running through fantasies. You really do act like the rich man's wife that you are." The playful kick that followed wasn't unexpected. "However! I think the red bedroom can be accomplished, as the master bedroom in the new house is red. The breakfast thing might take a while, though."

"You'd better get used to it fast then or -- wait. New house?"

"Yes, new house." Roy obviously missed the annoyed tone in Ed's comment.

"What the hell do you mean 'new house'?"

"Oh." The realization that he hadn't told Ed yet finally hit Roy, making him cease the kisses to Ed's neck. "I knew I was forgetting something. As I'm Fuhrer now, we're going to live in the proper estate for it, shall I say."

"We are going to what?"

"Oh come on, Ed! It's not that bad! The house is brilliant, and Appy will have her own playroom!"

The blonde glared up at his husband with all his might, but Roy never gave in to the angry looks he was thrown. It seemed Ed knew he was doomed to lose, as he sighed and closed his eyes in defeat. "But I love this house, Roy."

"I know, so do I. But change is good, too."

"This house is big enough as it is, that damned mansion we're moving to is going to be hell adjusting to." Ed complained, "And we're not going to get out of having housekeepers now, are we?"

"No, I don't think we will." Roy knew how much Ed hated housekeepers, so silently pitied the ones who would be working for them. "But you can make some changes, right? For me?"

Ed's golden eyes flicked open to find Roy's dark ones, pleading with him to understand how much it meant. "…" Ed hated the way he lost to these battles. "Alright. I'll try."

Smiling, Roy kissed Ed's nose as a thank-you. Ed grinned and lightheartedly shoved Roy away, laughing. "You're an idiot. Now go make yourself useful and get my clothes for me."

There was an amused snort from Roy. "Have I tired you out that badly, love?"

"Not tired. Sore, yes. But not tired."

The comment earned him a pair of rolled eyes and his clothes tossed back at him carelessly. With sharp reflexes, Ed caught the clothes effortlessly. Roy noticed the way Ed struggled a bit with dressing his lower half, but was shoved away again when he attempted to help.

"You're worse than April." Roy stated when Ed's stubborn streak made him reject the help. April had always been troublesome to dress -- she never liked people helping her. Just like her mommy, the little girl was set on proving her independence.

"Are you calling me childish?"

"Perhaps. You are obsessed with some childish things. Like sugar cookies for example. Oh crap, that reminds me."

"What did you forget and how important is it?" Ed demanded immediately.

"I promised April I'd get her those weird animal shaped cookies she likes before we left, but I completely forgot about them."

Ed's eyes flicked to the wall behind Roy for a moment to check the time. "You've got fifteen minutes to go get them and be back here."

"Yessir."

Ed groaned and threw a pillow at him. "Don't ever say that to me again. No military speak in the bedroom, you should know that by now."

"And I have ever since the day I called you Fullmetal during sex. I just like annoying you."

"Well you're damn good at it. Now hurry up, you're wasting time."

Mostly out of habit, Roy was about to salute -- but the memory of Ed smacking him with slippers quickly stopped him. Instead, he kissed his husband's forehead. "Bye, love! I'll be back before you know it!"

&&&

"Why is Roy taking so long?" The blonde complained out loud, his only audience being the ridiculous amount of pillows sitting innocently on the couch. "He was only going to be gone fifteen minutes." He continued on to no one, pacing back and forth across the living room floor.

Maybe he was being a little overbearing. Roy was and always had been trustworthy and completely loyal to him, and maybe the traffic had been bad. He had only been gone about forty minutes, after all. That wasn't too bad… right?

"But Roy always keeps his word!" Ed wailed and pouted as he collapsed on the couch Sugar could always be found snoozing on.

He wouldn't be as paranoid if Riza had taken April home -- preschool ended a half an hour ago. No one had taken April home yet, and the preschool was only a ten minute drive from their current estate.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The blonde jumped at the sudden sound at first, but soon had the phone pressed to his ear. "Hello? Mustang estate."

"Hey darling, it's Roy."

Ed hesitated before saying anything. It was definitely Roy's voice, but there had been something off in it. Something he couldn't seem to place. And most of all, something he didn't like. "No it's not." He blurted out on reflex.

"…What?"

"You're not Roy. Your voice. That's not Roy's voice."

There was silence on the other end, followed by abrupt laughter. "Are you feeling alright, love? Of course this is Roy. This phone is just really crappy, that's all."

It did seem plausible. The voice he had just accused of being someone else did sound very similar to his husband's -- the thing he hadn't recognized was the way he spoke.

"Oh… Sorry. I guess worry just got the better of me. And where the hell are you? You said you'd be back in fifteen minutes. How long does it take to pick up a box of cookies?"

"Sorry! It was busy at the store and there was traffic!" Roy answered quickly, "But that aside, I'm just calling to tell you I'm bringing April home so you don't have to worry about Havoc getting her."

"Alright, alright. Did you get the right kind? Last time you got something completely different and April was mad at you for the rest of the day."

"…did I what?"

"Roy, are you stoned or something? I said did you get the right kind of cookies for our daughter?"

"What, yes of course!"

Ed rolled his eyes. "To think I married a loser like you."

There was silence for a moment, before slight laughter. "But you love me anyways, right?"

"Unfortunately." Though the blonde laughed after the tease, he was still uneasy over Roy's previous comment. And that feeling only got worse when Roy joined in the laughing. Eager to rid himself of the awkward feeling, Ed continued on. "But! I might not love you as much if you don't get your ass home in the next ten minutes."

"Sheesh, you're pushy." Roy laughed again before issuing an affectionate goodbye and hanging up.

Putting the phone back on its cradle, Ed fell back onto the couch and stretched his limbs with a stifled yawn. Golden eyes met the ceiling, and he frowned as thoughts started to flood his mind again.

Get a hold of yourself, Ed. He's only a little late, what are you worried over? Stupid gut feelings mean nothing, remember?

Grumbling, the blonde rolled onto his stomach and shoved pillows on top of his head.

&&&

The moment he heard the front door open half an hour later, Ed was promptly dashing down the hall to do only two things: Scold the hell out of his husband for not keeping his word and to happily greet his daughter with a hug.

"Sorry I took so long, Ed! I -"

"I know, I know." The blonde interrupted nonchalantly, not wanting to hear Roy repeat his excuses.

"And how exactly would you know what held me up, then? Don't tell me you've been stalking me again." Roy grinned after mentioning Ed stalking him, suddenly recalling early memories of Ed following Roy everywhere like a puppy. (It was how they had gotten so close in the first place, even though Ed insisted that that memory was all in Roy's head.)

Ed marched right up to his husband with his hands on hips and an exasperated look on his face. He stared his husband down who just stared right back, ignoring any and all anger in his eyes.

"Because you called and told me? You're so bad at lying. Well, at least I won't have to worry about you cheating on me I suppose." The blonde taunted, sticking out his tongue. Roy only tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"But I -"

"Never mind, never mind." He interrupted, waving his hand to show the dismissal of the subject. "Where's April?"

"I don't have her with me… I thought Riza or Havoc would have taken her home by now."

Roy did not like where this was headed, and he felt his heart sink a little more when he saw Ed suddenly pale.

The younger husband stared with an unreadable expression in his golden eyes for quite some time before managing a weak laugh. "Very funny."

"But I'm not joking, Ed." Roy's eyes were deadly serious. It immediately scared blonde so badly that he wasn't sure he wanted to listen to the rest of what Roy had to say. "I didn't call. The reason I'm late is because there was a sale at a toy store, so I stopped by to pick up some more stuffed animals for April." For proof, he held up a shopping bag filled with stuffed kittens and other plush creatures that smiled despite the darkening situation.

The dead silence that followed was enough to crush them both.

Then, hesitant and slowly, Ed managed to speak. "…Y-You didn't call? Then who the hell did? Where the hell are Riza and Havoc? Where's our daughter, Roy!"

"I… don't know."

The second Roy had said 'don't', Ed was running into the living room and fumbling with the phone until he realized he didn't know Riza's number. Roy was the one who dialed the number in the end, but Ed snatched the phone back to speak.

"Brigadier Gen-"

"Riza? Riza, did you send Havoc to get April?"

It took her a moment to recognize who was speaking so frantically to her on the other end. "Yes, he left a while ago. Hasn't he dropped off April yet? It's only a ten minute drive…"

Ed looked horrified. The phone slipped out of his hand and hit the wooden table with a loud clank, causing Roy to jump forward and demand to know what she had said to him.

"Ed? Ed, are you there?" The clanking noise had worried Riza, and the yelling between Ed and Roy that followed only made her assume the worst.

"What the hell, Roy! Where's our daughter!"

"I don't know, Ed!"

"Damn it!" Ed stood with his fists clenched, his face torn between desperation and anger. Roy was managing to keep himself together, but there was no escaping that scared look in his dark eyes.

"We're going to the preschool." The statement was more official than anything. Ed looked at him, silent and angry at the lack of concern -- until he saw Roy's eyes.

Roy's eyes did not lie to him.

"Come on, I'm driving." Roy took Ed by the hand, leaving a worried Riza Hawkeye forgotten on the other line behind them.

&&&

The teacher of April's preschool class was just finishing packing up her things for the day when a car pulled up in front of the building. Curious as to why any parents would be here now, especially since all the children had left nearly an hour ago, she peeked out the window to get a better look.

She recognized the two stumbling out of the vehicle. They were the couple who had adopted that little Ishbal girl, April. It had taken a while to adjust to the thought of having the child of a homosexual couple in her class; but after meeting the two many times she learned that they were actually brilliant parents, and good people.

When the couple entered the building, she waved merrily and smiled. "Good afternoon Mustang-san and Edward-san."

"Did someone come to pick up April this afternoon?" Roy was the one to ask, as both knew that Ed wasn't able to ask anything calmly.

"Yes, a military man did. I was hesitant to let her go with him at first, but she definitely knew who he was and was fond of him."

"Was his name Jean Havoc?"

"That sounds about right. I remember April calling him Havoc-chan."

This time, Ed was the one to speak. "Y-You sure?" Roy glanced over at his husband when he spoke the stumbled words. There was little colour left in his now pale cheeks.

"Yes." The young woman replied, starting to feel uneasy with the tension. "Is… is there something wrong?"

Ed buried his face behind his hands the same way he did when he had a headache and let his body slump against Roy, who caught him before he toppled over. "Oh fuck."

Roy made sure that Ed wasn't going to collapse first, but soon turned his attention back on the teacher. "As of now, we have no idea where our daughter could be."

She could only stare, alarmed and guilty at Roy's words. "This… this is awful! We must contact police immediately!"

Barely a minute later, it was the young teacher who was explaining what had happened over the phone; as Roy was occupied with calming down his distraught husband.

&&&

The sun was beginning to set, and there was still no sign of April -- or Havoc. Now Riza was also worried for a loved one. A search party had been dispatched, and the three of them hadn't hesitated to join.

Now, six hours into the search, there were absolutely no traces of either person. The only thing that remained was Sugar and three distressed adults.

"Have you checked the west side of town?" Ed demanded the moment he saw an officer cease talking to another member of the search party.

"Yes sir, twice."

"The east side?"

"Yes sir."

"The sewers?"

"Yes sir."

"The main shopping area?"

"Sir, I know that you're worried over your daughter and her safety but I can assure you we have teams searching for her and the man she was with as we speak. We will find them both; you shouldn't worry yourself too much."

"Shouldn't worry myself? My first and only child has been kidnapped! She's only four! And you're telling me not to worry!"

"Please sir, I think it's best you get some rest. You've tired yourself out."

"That doesn't matter! April is probably feeling worse than I am right now!"

"Ed!" Roy's familiar voice made Ed turn his head and attention onto his husband instead of the police officer. "Ed, he has a point. You're going to hurt yourself if you don't rest soon." Coming closer and placing his hands on the smaller man's shoulders, he let his firm mask falter so that Ed could see how he truly felt; afraid and concerned. "Please… go home. I'm already worried for the health of one of the dearest people in my life, don't make it two."

Ed hesitated and looked away. "A-Alright… But… search a little longer before you come home. For me, and our daughter."

"Promise." Roy pulled Ed into a tight, reassuring hug that the blonde wished he could simply melt into forever. "Officer, have someone take Ed home."

"Yes, Fuhrer." The officer saluted and dashed off.

"I'm never going to get used to that." Roy mused quietly, trying to lighten the mood. When the man in his arms didn't respond to him, Roy went back to being serious. "It's going to be alright. Take Sugar home with you and rest."

"Sugar… That's right, he was with Riza too." Ed's voice was quiet and faraway, as if afraid to speak any louder.

"Yes, and I'm sure he will appreciate getting home as well. Now, your ride is ready." Roy announced when the car drove up next to them.

Roy saw that Sugar was already in the back seat when Ed opened the door, but also noticed that the orange feline did not meow. Sugar always greeted Ed. Instead, he only stared up at the blonde with round, wide eyes that seemed restless. Could a mere cat even understand the situation?

Perhaps he did; because when Ed sat and closed the door, Sugar crawled into his lap and proved himself to be the closest comfort Edward could find.