Author Note: Here is the 8th chapter. I had really enjoyed writing this one - though I couldn't tell you why. The "...and Watching" wasn't originally planned to be part of this chapter, but it was just asking to be written.

Chapter 8: Protect Edward and Watching

Protect Edward…

They all sat in the home of Roy Mustang, Edward lying peacefully on the couch wrap in a thin blanket, opposite of them. Alphonse had entered the home in an anxious state, immediately questioning about Edward. Seeing Edward did little to calm his nerves, until Roy had to explain that Edward was just exhausted. Roy did not mention about Edward familiarity with him - something he didn't understand on his own.

Juliet had came in with a salute for Commander Mustang and then proceeded to watch Alphonse fret, unsure of her boundaries when it came to Edward. Maes also watched, with an observant eye noting Alphonse and Juliet's interaction with the boy. Roy lounged on the couch rubbing at his temple, this being a long day with paperwork and spontaneous events abound.

Now they were all on the couch: Maes, Juliet and Alphonse, and Edward sleeping opposite of them; Roy sitting one a chair between both couches. Coffee sat on the table that was set up in the middle of all of them. Roy and Maes were the only ones drinking. Maes explained the incident to the Roy.

"How did you find him?" Maes asks casually.

Roy almost snorts at the casual tone. Maes obviously wasn't thinking casually. Roy did not doubt that Maes didn't buy the story of an organization selling kids as slaves and workers. Combining the incident with Edward, one military personnel dead along with two of the shooters, their original story became illogical for the non-gullible. An organization in slave trade would not try to retrieve the kids back.

"I think it would be more appropriate that he came to me" Roy mockingly corrects. "If this is for a report: the child had come out of the bushes colliding into me. Two officers, on the search party, told me beforehand about the runaway. I even have the picture they gave me if you need it." Roy smirks. He knew Maes didn't need the picture, the man already had one being from investigation, but Roy couldn't help with the false helpful act. It was a low hit on the Maes's investigating skills.

"Well if you feel so incline to have the picture of your hands, you can always trade it for a picture of my daughter." A handful of pictures come out of Maes's pant pockets, and are skilfully set on the table for Roy to view.

Roy twitches. "That's quite alright."

Alphonse looks between the two of them, understanding the motive. "I don't think this is the time-"

"Nonsense Alphonse, there's always time." Both Roy and Alphonse shudder inside - it's an instinctive response.

Juliet between all of them 'is this for real?' She had heard of Maes fondness to show off his daughter, though she had never actually been a victim of suffering. And she didn't care to be now. "I think I'll wait outside." With a brisk stand and salute to Major Hughes and Commander Mustang, he hurries out the door as Major Hughes continues to his explanation of his photos.

A few minutes after Juliet's leave, Roy is ready to snap his gloves at Maes. "Hughes you can stop now! She's gone."

Maes stops in the middle of a sentence about his picnic with his daughter. "You sure you don't want to continue" Maes says, holding up a picture.

It was a joke. Roy didn't find it funny.

"Ok, I'll stop." Maes gives a laugh at his friend's twitchy anger. "The both of are going to have to fill me in on the things I don't know?"

"And what do you know?" Roy says. "I'm surprise you didn't know everything."

Maes ignores him. "Some of these kids from the lab assault are targets, but you guys don't know who. The children were taken from orphanages to be used as experiments, and considering there is more than one Commander on the case, there's more the one lab."

"The lab assault that took place a few days ago is the 2nd" Roy explains, "Currently we only know the existence of eight. I'll give you more details later."

"If I may ask sir" the older men's attention is given to Alphonse, "what will happen with Edward?"

"Considering what you told me a while ago Edward will be with Juliet, yet we have to keep surveillance of him at all times," Roy says.

"Why not place Edward and any other child under house arrest." Maes suggest.

"No." Alphonse looks to the ground, "I don't think they could stand that."

"Alphonse is right. According to the psychological report of the kids-" Roy cut off from there; Alphonse didn't need to know too much. "Considering you know now Maes, think you can do us a favour?"

Maes "tsk" at Roy, "If you're trying to worm your way out of paperwork-"

"It's for the investigation, and don't worry I can authorize you so you're officially on this case" Roy interrupts. "Help Alphonse go through the 2nd lab files." Maes eyebrows rise. "The files need to be organized since they are a mess now."

"Is that all?"

"For now." Roy gave a secretive smile. Maes would be best for the job: to spot any disconnection between files. Not all the lab personnel were arrested some escaped. If it were the case that file were missing, Maes could investigate generally or specifically what file.

Alphonse stays silent, contemplating during Roy and Maes's talk. He cared for Edward. Almost like a brother, he would dare to say. 'It's only a few days after the assault, and already they came for him.' Edward is important to the organization; Alphonse saw that during his job in the 2nd lab. He was always separate from the others. Though it could be because of the fighting, it wasn't enough to explain why Kei specifically handles the reports of his test.

'I could watch over him.' Hope stirs inside Alphonse. He could if the Lead Commander would let him. There is plausible argument. So far, Alphonse is the only person who could keep Edward under control if he became too aggressive. 'Would it be enough?' He'd ask Roy later. For now, he'd make sure Edward got to Juliet's home. Edward's first home for a long time.

x x x

Juliet stays at the front of the house in the chilly air, wondering how long it would take for Major Hughes to tire out. She didn't think it could be possible. Her thoughts wander to Edward. He had the appearance of a lost child, being wrapped in that blanket. It's different from the untrusting air around him as they walk to her house together.

She admits Edward did willingly talk to her, opening up slightly. Yet when the guards came, he distinctly became nervous when she had tried to coax him into the car. 'I did something wrong.' Juliet knew something she did made Edward want to run, and she had to wonder 'what happen to these kids?' She couldn't imagine the prospect of knowing you'll be sold for work or servants like objects. She heard of things like that, but never… Juliet looks down at Edward and shivers. Edward clearly is a teenager, though she didn't know is age. No one had told her.

If Edward is to live under the same roof with Juliet for a long period of time, till the danger passed, she has to try again. Get to know Edward and make him feel comfortable. She pauses pondering about Edward's past, thinking about his possible family.

For now, she is Edward's guardian. So it's her responsibility to care for him. She would try her best to make Edward feel at home.

x x x

…and Watching

It's night, around 8:00PM and a car pulls up to the front of the house. A woman is already standing out there - the same one that was with Edward during the shot out. He had to assume that is Edward's guardian. She walks back into the house, knocking of the door before entering. A few minutes later she comes back out, yet with more people following her.

He feels a shock of recognition seeing Alphonse with them. 'So he's with the military.' It explains how the interior structure of the lab was so well known. With Alphonse being disguised as a nurse he had access to many parts of the lab. He had also probably weaseled into areas that he didn't have access to. It explains a lot, though it now isn't important but to just stay out of sight from Alphonse.

Following Alphonse is a man: dark hair, military uniform, and glasses. What this man carries in his arm is the real important. Edward looks fine. Sleeping peacefully, and that's good. A breath of relief comes from the man; 'Edward's alright.'

Moving away farther into the shadows of shrubs Davis moves quickly and efficiently through backyards. He's a traitor now, so he couldn't go back to his original home or hiding places. Two organizations would be hunting him: his own and the labs. The military assault has interesting timing. The night Kei question his loyalty to their black market organization, the entire masquerade as loyal 'Facility' workers is shot down.

After escaping the 'Facility' Kei had acted quickly in retrieving a few of the kids, now in military possession. They listened to military gossip and media reports. They knew it was a fabricated story, yet there were based on factual truth. People in the military were actually adopting the kids. Davis laughed. Some of the kids were dangerous, and they didn't intently have to try. It was also a bonus to discover that the same occurred with the other lab, the one they assaulted themselves. Finding the test subjects location was easy, so they planned.

Edward or 15099 was top priority, according to Kei. She convinced the leaders of this, so a team of three was assembled. Davis was one of them - Kei believing a familiar face would help. Kei probably couldn't believe he had the nerve to betray all of them. 'It is stupid of the woman who accuses me of my loyalty.'

Davis didn't care about the organization wants. Their wants were once his own, but now he had different wants.

The guards were unexpected. Something happened and they were going to take Edward away. Logically they would have retreated and wait for a better time. That man had grabbed Edward, and he could still hear Edward's yell. He shot the guard. It was easy. Aim for the head and pull the trigger, Edward's safe. Protective, this is what it was. The guards in the Facility had liked touching Edward too. When Davis puts Edward safely in his room, he would yell at the guards for their behaviour.

Both of Davis's team mates had hissed at him. He had given off their position and let the military know they were there. They were going to take Edward without any death, not anymore. So it's best to take Edward now, and the gunfight had begun. Davis shot round after round, intentionally missing each time. The woman was a terrible shot, and came out from cover a few times making her an easy target. His team mates were just as terrible - lucky for her.

He had smiled seeing Edward run away. Just a few more minutes, to keep them preoccupied, let Edward run as far as he can.

Satisfied of the length the gunfight had carried out, Davis shot at his team mates. One of them was already injured, a bullet wound in his shoulder. Davis aimed for the head. The other one didn't know, too focus on the woman and the guard hiding behind the car. The other man was close to the roof. As he comes out of hiding to take a shot, shots being fired at him Davis aims for the shoulder. The force of the bullet propels him forward out of hiding, and he's sliding down off the rooftop. He had already known the man would survive the fall - he counted on it.

Davis made a quick escape, and all he had to do was look for Edward.

He was so close, so very close. Davis watches as Edward tightens his hold onto a dark-haired man in the military blue uniform. Edward's claiming of familiarity. He had never seen the man before in the Facility. Yet Edward claims of knowing him. He would have to look in Edward's files, look through his entire testing that dated back to Edward's arrival. Davis was not there in Edward's first year, by then the boy had automail due to some obscure experimental accident leading to infection.

The man looked surprised, and Davis wasn't sure to either placing this as a case of mistaken identity or forgotten memory. The man could have looked like his father for all he knew? The thought was scratched instantly. Davis had found a picture of Edward's mother. She was a pretty woman and kind looking. Yet her hair and eyes were different from Edward's, so his traits were inherited from the father. Davis looks at the man: hair black like his own and eyes that looked black. He was young too, twenty or thirty-some years old.

He had almost rushed out from hiding seeing Edward faint, but the man caught him. Reluctantly Davis left. Edward would be safe with the military, away from both organizations. It was better with the military. He'll wait for the perfect timing to retrieve Edward, and he'll keep Edward safe with him.

So Davis watches, making sure Edward safely reaches his guardian's home. Watching for the day he's ready to leave the military with him.

(If question of previous chapter review weren't answered in this chapter)

Author to Reader/Reviewer:

For anyone wondering: Was Roy 'that guy'? Or not? (VampssAmby10210)

I'll let the current or future chapters speak. So for now you'll have to guess and wonder.

Uniasus: doesn't Roy know about the 2nd lab incident? I mean he knew and helped Al.

Roy does know about the 2nd lab incident, yet he doesn't know who Edward is specifically. I don't believe I mentioned Alphonse talking about Edward to Roy, or Roy knowing the existence of Edward (via Al). I hope that's the detail you were asking about, if not…ask again. :p