A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. My Grandmother is fine, or so it seems. She just needs to have some surgery done on her galblatter. The doctors thought there was something wrong with her heart too hence the rush to get her into the hospital last week. There wasn't and she's back to being as strange and crazy as ever. Cray in a good way. Talk about a scare. Anyway here ya go!

Chapter 15: Where is the boogieman?

Heidi sat behind Roy's desk, in his chair in fact a few days later, chewing on the end of her pen while she stared out the window. At first the 24 hour guards had been irritating. She felt as if she couldn't have a privet conversation, kiss her husband, play and care for and with her son, or go to the bathroom alone. Now she was just use to them. They weren't going anywhere and oddly enough in their silence she'd found comfort. At least with them around she couldn't allow herself to scream, cry, or break down as they were reporting back to the Fuher directly.

She could definitely feel the watchful eyes or eye of the Fuher upon them, hell the man called once a day checking up on Roy and her personally. It wasn't just a "Have you caught Scar yet," kind of call though he did ask that question. The man seemed genuinely concerned about her little family. The Fuher had offered to get them into another home, an apartment in the very least saying a dorm was no place for a baby let alone the infirmary. Heidi was thankful for that too as she'd not really had the time to deal with such things, not with Ed and Al's arrival, Roy being in the infirmary and his fussing to get out, Kairan, the paper work, Ivan's phone calls and the man hunt for Scar.

And it was a man hunt. As much as Heidi had tried to keep this impersonal, she just couldn't, not with that man attacking her family in her very home. The Fuher seemed to agree with her on that front, said it was reasonable to feel that way and he couldn't blame her. He just warned her to keep things by the book and not do something reckless. Staying calm and collected was the part of the main focus for her and Heidi did work pretty well under pressure. Roy was concerned about her, her stress level, but as much as Heidi wanted to just stop and have a good old fashioned breakdown, she couldn't, she just didn't have the time or patience, that and she was a soldier, soldiers didn't have breakdowns.

A soft knock at the door drew Heidi's attention from the window. "Come in," she said quietly. Her guard opened the door and Havoc was allowed inside. He smiled.

"Sir,"

Heidi stood. "Lt. Havoc, have you any new information?"

Havoc nodded. "Yeah, we've covered the entire city and the sewers, and the surrounding area."

"And?" Heidi asked patiently.

"Nothing, it's like he's vanished into thin air."

Heidi's eyes narrowed. "People do not vanish Havoc, he's hiding."

Havoc pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one. "Yeah he is, but I don't think in this city."

She sighed. "I want him found Havoc, Colonel Mustang reported that he knocked the man unconscious and judging from Mustangs injuries that man couldn't have gotten far." She stood resting her hands upon the desk. "I think it's time we started home searches as well. I don't care how long it takes. If there are any problems or if any one resists arrest them."

Havoc blinked. "Um sir, don't you think that's-"

"A little extreme, yes, but if it gets that man away from hurting people then means justify the end. Dismissed." She replied. As Havoc saluted and turned for the door a thought came to her. "Wait Havoc, I have a better idea."

Havoc nodded. "Yeah?"

Heidi rounded her desk grabbing up her coat. "Forget that last order, in fact call off the entire search. I want the wanted posters taken down as well."

Havoc choked upon his cigarette smoke. "What!"

Heidi smiled. "You heard me, I have a plan don't worry."

"Uh mind telling me what that is because I don't think I like where this is going."

"I do," She replied.

"Mustang's gonna-"

"Colonel Mustang is off duty and until he's back I'm in charge. Do I have to pull rank?" She asked coldly.

"No sir, I'm just worr-"

"Don't, I have enough people worrying to fill a pond any more and it will over flow. Just do it okay, I know what I'm doing."

"I hope so," Havoc breathed. "Because I think you're nuts right now."

Heidi patted his shoulder. "Thanks, glad to hear it. Send Fury to meet me in the hall."

Roy sat upon the hospital bed watching Edward feed Kairan from a bottle. This had to mark the first time in a long time that he'd seen Edward sit still and not rant about something for more than ten minutes. It was kind of nice and wouldn't you know it the kid was smiling. The boys were under watch as well. Neither he nor Heidi wanted them in the office at the moment and they were both pretty good with Kairan, helping Roy keep the baby happy while he recovered, so it worked out pretty well. It wasn't that Roy couldn't take care of his son alone, he could and rather well, but it was that he kept dozing off sometimes against his will. He didn't know how tired he was until now.

"Colonel we saw your house," Al began.

"Or what's left of it," Ed muttered. "I can't believe he'd actually attack a baby, it's-"

Roy sighed. As utterly furious as he was about that whole day, the fact that Heidi and his men hadn't caught the man, getting worked up over it at the moment wouldn't do him any good, especially when there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it from here at the moment. "Edward I'm just happy that Heidi and Kairan are safe."

"At the moment," Ed grumbled glancing at the guard standing in the corner still as a statue. He'd read Roy's medical file, seen the man himself. Roy was terribly beat up, maybe not in the face but that concussion, the smoke inhalation, the bruises upon his arms, the ones that were reported upon his upper back…It frightened Edward to think Scar had done nearly all of that to Roy. To Edward Roy was supposed to be indestructible. Oh he was sure he could die, was sure he'd beat him some day, but the man had done much for he and his brother and as annoying as the man was Ed felt losing Roy would do more than shake his existence. He didn't realize how much he depended on the man until he was nearly taken away.

"But what does the Fuher think these guards can do that you couldn't? You're the flame alchemist."

Roy smirked. "Wow Ed that's got to be the first complement you've ever given me."

Edward sighed. "Look all I'm saying is-"

"I know and I don't like it. I can't spend any real privet time with my wife." Roy's smile fell. "Heidi won't tell me things any more. She won't do it with people standing around to over hear, won't bear her soul I suppose is a better term. It's starting to piss me off. I broke past that wall before we were married and now it's back up and stronger than before."

Ed and Al looked at each other. "Maybe she can't at the moment." Al said softly. "Maybe she thinks if she does she won't be able to do what she has to do. Havoc says she's got them working almost around the clock to find Scar. No one is complaining in the least, they want to help and do their job."

"Yeah but you saw her Al, she doesn't look so good. She seems so angry and cold it's kind of disturbing." Ed replied gritting his teeth. "I don't blame her, not where Kairan is concerned." He looked at the baby in his arms. "He didn't do anything at all, just is an innocent baby. He's not even a state alchemist yet if he's going to be one at all."

"Colonel, Fury said Scar said that Heidi did something to him, what did she do to make him hate her so much?"

Roy rubbed his face and scratched the stubble growing upon his chin as his son began to cry around the bottle. He smiled when Edward frowned taking the bottle from Kairan's mouth and shoving it at his brother. "I'll take him now Edward."

Ed left this place upon the floor and carefully placed the crying baby in his superior's arms. "What's wrong with him?"

Roy lifted his son to his shoulder snatching the small towel from Ed and placed it upon his shoulder. "You mean other than missing his mother?" Edward nodded. "He needs to be burped."

"So he eats, sleeps, burps, poops only?" Ed asked.

Roy smirked. "And he looks around and cries. Al did the same things."

Ed scratched his neck. "Yeah but I was still pretty small when he was first born."

"Mm," Roy replied adjusting Kairan and patting his little back gently. "Shh, your mom will be back soon."

Al stood in a small succession of light clanking. "He's still so tiny. Fury said he was early because Heidi did alchemy when we were last here against Scar. What does that have to do with anything?"

Roy sighed. "Well apparently using alchemy while pregnant is dangerous. It induces labor but I've never read anything about, not that I was looking for it in the library. I was asking Maes what to do when Kairan actually arrived. I mean can you really imagine me with a kid? It still surprises me."

"You know you love being a dad." Al said happily.

Roy nodded. "I really do, but I have no experience with babies, just teenagers." He smiled. "I haven't even baby sat Elicia. I held her a few times when she was a baby though and played with her at my wedding. I can't believe how much she's grown or you Ed."

Ed frowned at that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Roy chuckled. "I'm not making a negative comment Edward, calm down. You're more grown up than when I met you a few years ago, it's a good thing, but you're still a pain. You too Al, you've grown up a lot too."

"Really?" Al asked almost timidly.

Roy nodded with a sigh. "Yeah,"

Ed returned to his seat and picked up the book he'd been reading before taking on the task of feeding Kairan, by permission of course. He'd found that since Heidi came into the picture it was a lot easier for him to relax when around Roy. It wasn't so much that Heidi had to be in the room to stop the short comments because sometimes she didn't. It was more along the lines that Roy was more relaxed with her around. He was the same old annoying bastard Colonel who sent him on stupid missions, but he was just nicer? Then again Roy had never been mean. He was always seemingly trying to teach him and Al something or help in his own strange way.

Soft humming broke into Ed's thoughts and reading. It wasn't Heidi; her voice was soft like a flute. This was a man's voice and what the hell! It sounded like Mustang's and it was just as nice as Heidi's, not out of key, off beat, just really nice. Ed slapped his book shut gaping at the Colonel. "You sing?"

Roy's wandering obsidian eyes met Edwards. "What?"

"You're humming."

"And, it always works for Heidi." Roy replied. He paused. "Do I sound that bad?"

Al chuckled. "No, we're just surprised that's all."

"I wish he'd sing and hum all the time, but then again I've always loved the sound of his voice." Heidi said from the doorway. She smiled as she came into the room. "How are you feeling?" She asked Roy as she sat in the chair beside the bed.

Kairan burped or rather spit up and Roy closed his eyes, making a face from the sound. No matter how many times he heard it and knew it wasn't going to stop for some time it still got to him.

Heidi chuckled softly. "Aw, too bad we lost the camera in the fire else I'd get a picture of that face."

"I'm ready to go home; can you get me out now?"

Heidi's eyebrow rose. "What did the doctor say Edward?"

Ed snickered knowing that Roy absolutely loathed the idea that he was Heidi informant in this matter. "He said not for another week in the least."

"Well there's your answer lover."

"I'd get you out." Roy muttered.

"Maybe so, but I am not you."

Roy sighed adjusting his son and grimaced when Kairan spit up again. "Not done yet? Ed, how much did you feed him?"

Ed lifted the bottle. "Not that much,"

Heidi frowned. "Was the bottle full?" Ed nodded. "Well he more than normal. Maybe he's going to have an appetite like Edward… Can I have him now I missed him Roy."

Roy began to hand over Kairan but hesitated. "You going to tell me what's going on?"

"Roy-"

"Heidi I mean it, no more walls. We're supposed to be passed that remember?"

She nodded biting her lip. "I've called off the search. I'm hoping that once the heat from us dies down Scar will resurface and make a mistake. I feel like catching him is close. And well it's not news that you and I, Kairan, Edward, and Alphonse are typically together here in the infirmary in the evenings." She glanced at the line of flowers and cards long the window from random people, some she knew some she didn't. "It's a great time to attack. Of course I've got some people working under cover here all the time. No one comes and goes unnoticed and unreported."

"Major," Al said as Roy leaned over placing Kairan in his mother's arms.

"Yes," she asked smiling at her son. "Hi baby Kai, miss me?"

"Why is the Fuher asking you to hunt Scar, he seems to be concerned about you and Colonel Mustang, calls everyday in fact but you need a break and it contradicts-"

"Yes it does," Heidi breathed. "But I know exactly what he's doing. It is the same things Gran did to me in Ishbal. It's not a tactic I like personally, but it is effective. What he's doing is making sure the job, catching Scar gets done."

"How?" Ed asked adjusting his position upon the floor.

She smiled meeting Roy's gaze as his hand touched her cheek. There was a sad smile upon his face. "He's using my emotions against Scar. Think about it. Something terrible is done to a person and human nature's first reaction is anger and pain which often leads to retaliation and revenge.

"I've lost a lot in my short life time and never hoped to gain what I have now. Scar threatened that, at first I was terrified, terrified of losing Roy and Kairan. I was upset of what he'd done to the two of you but too drugged up at the time to really feel or be angry about it until later. I was angry, I am still angry, no furious is a better word choice. No one comes in a hurts my family, my friends and gets to walk away unscathed. He will pay for what he's done, might even die by my hand if it comes to it. The Fuher knows I'll fight to keep the things I love, I've done it before and failed, but I won't fail again.

She sighed. "It's smart of him to use me in this way. It's not right to play with emotions of wounded people or animals but in this case I have to okay it because it's me and I know my limits. If it gets to be too much I'll back out and demand that someone else step in." She smiled then. "Really I survived Ishbal and my brother I think I can weather out this storm. What is this man other than a boogie man using alchemy to commit crimes against people? I won't die, I've got a husband to keep out of trouble and a son to raise, not to mention two amazing teenagers to help look after."

Roy rolled his eyes to her reference to a fabled creature of night time horror stories. That signaled she'd been spending too much time listening to Fury again and not enough time here with him.

Ed smiled a little at that. "Thanks, but who's going to look after you, you're not alone any more."

Heidi nodded. "I know that Ed. You guys are looking after me by helping me keep Roy in line and looking after Kairan while I'm working. I might opt to take some leave once this is over. I have an apartment to take care of."

"I already said once I'm out of here we'll get another house Heidi." Roy said softly. "I promised you a home."

Heidi smiled. "But I am home Roy. I don't need extra rooms to be home, not when my home is with you and Kairan. Where ever we are that's home."

Roy sighed. "You really will take some leave?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm so tired." She admitted.

Roy got out of his bed. "Then get some sleep, Kairan will be ready for a nap anyway." He looked at her feet. "And damn it get those boots off your feet. That right foot of your still isn't healed yet."

Heidi chuckled. "Yes Sir," And she carefully lay down in Roy's place, setting Kairan beside her. Kairan's light blue eyes looked around the room as he yawned, his little fists bunching up. She smiled smoothing his black hair. How she loved her son beyond a words description. How she hated to be away from him afraid to miss a smile or a new expression.

"Roy?" She asked once he'd settled in the chair beside them.

"Huh?" he asked softly.

"Hum again, for me?"

Roy glanced at Ed and Al a faint blush gracing his cheeks. Oh they caught it but chose to busy themselves with something else. "Sure,"

Heidi was back in the office the next morning listening to her adoptive mother chatter away on the phone. "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"Huh?" Heidi asked taking her pen from her mouth.

"Are you sure something isn't going on dear, you seem so distracted today and why haven't I spoken to Roy or heard my little grandbaby through the phone. It seems like every time I call both are out of the room. What's going on dear?" Verina asked.

Heidi sighed. "Nothing Mom, Roy's in a meeting, Kairan's sleeping at the moment and every thing is fine, you worry too much." She lied. She hated doing it, especially with the Kruger's and she could hear her father's heavy breathing on the other phone. He said nothing just listened always.

"You sound exhausted."

"I am a little Mom; I've got a baby now who likes to wake me up and so much work to do."

"Well at least they allow you to bring him along to the office." Her mother said.

"You're lying Heidi, that baby isn't there and neither is that husband of yours." Her father finally chimed in. "You've never lied to us, but you are now. Why did something happen that you think you can't tell us?"

Heidi sat back closing her eyes. Leave it to Mr. Alex Kruger to open his big mouth.

"Heidi!" Her mother gasped. "You have to tell us, we're your parents!"

"Ugh, it's nothing really."

"That's funny Heidi because I got a hold of Ivan this morning and bullied him in to telling me that you lost your house due to an alchemist serial killer."

Heidi glared. "Well, Ivan-"

"Don't even try to cover it up child." Her father snapped. "What the hell is going on!"

"Now Alex don't yell at her," Verina chided. "Just tell us the truth honey, it's all we ask."

Heidi tossed her pen upon Roy's desk, looking at the wedding photo of she and Roy. She sighed. "Okay, yes there is an alchemist serial killer on the lose and he did come to my house-"

"Oh my God! Heidi what happened!" Her mother shrieked.

"He attacked us. Kairan's fine, I got some glass through my foot, and Roy's well he bought us some time to escape. He's alive and in the infirmary and should be out soon. Just had a concussion and some pretty bad bruises… Mom, Dad please don't try to replace anything we lost. That stuff doesn't matter to us. We're okay that's all that matters right now, and catching this guy before he hurts anymore people."

She could hear her mother muttering softly in the back ground and her father's heavy sigh. "Sounds like you've things as under control as you can keep them. It's better than nothing." Her father said after a moment.

Heidi nodded rubbing her face. "Dad I'm scared."

"Well we'll come." Her mother said quickly.

"No we won't Verina, the last thing Heidi needs is us breathing down her neck and to have to worry about us getting in the way or becoming targets. We'll go when this is over. That's alright with you right Heidi, we'll stay here if-"

"No I want to see you and I want you too see Kairan. He looks so much like Roy." Her voice cracked.

"Well that's settled then. We'll be on the first train for East City as soon as you give us the okay. Now about replacing everything you lost, Heidi you're going to need things for Kairan at least." Her father lectured.

"I know, we've got most of that covered at the moment. Roy said he was going to make him another bassinet as soon as he gets all the supplies."

"What about clothes and furniture?" Alex asked.

"We'll take care of that-"

"No you won't. We'll help you wouldn't let us help the first time and we want too. You're still my little girl and Roy's my son. Let us take care of you for once; you can what do you alchemists live by uh equivalent exchange I believe. You and Roy can pay us back when we get too old to take care of ourselves."

Heidi chuckled. "Dad you and mom will still be young and feisty and stubborn until the day you die."

"You're damn right." Alex said assuredly. "Now just have Roy send us a list of what it is that you will need and we'll get it as soon as we get to East City. You two do have a place to stay, the military compensated you for that at least?"

"Yes, we were staying in the dorms until the Fuher put in for us to move to a n apartment." She replied as her door opened. "I'm sorry I have to go, duty calls."

"Alright dear, be careful." Her mother said softly. Heidi shook her head hearing her mother on the verge of tear. This is why she didn't want to tell them, they would worry and she hated that the most. They were wonderful people and didn't deserve to worry like this.

"I will, love you, bye." She hung up the phone and sighed lifting her eyes to Havoc as he smiled.

"Parents?"

"Oh yeah, so anything?" she asked.

Havoc shook his head. "Not but like I said I don't think he's in the city any more. You really thin this plan's going to work?"

Heidi shrugged. "Don't really know, but it's worth a shot." She sighed. "Thanks Jean for everything."

Havoc shook his head lighting a cigarette. "You and Roy would do it for any of us."

"You're right." She mused.

"You should go, there's nothing to do, and the paperwork's all caught up."

Heidi nodded. "Yeah," she glanced at her guard. She wanted to take a walk alone, just a short one with out some one hovering near by, just a short walk to think, but how? She sat quietly pondering this and got an idea. "I need to use the bathroom, and then I'll be ready to leave."

The guard nodded once, his approval and moved to stand in the hall way to watch. Heidi rolled her eyes as Havoc chuckled softly. Since she had been working again Havoc and Fury were the one's she talked to about how annoying having this guard was. She did it even with the man right in the room not caring. The man seemed indifferent, never spoke, never complained, just stood watching.

Heidi got up and ran down the bathroom and closed the door. Quickly she locked it with alchemy and turned to the window behind her. There was a fire escape from this window, thank what ever god there was left in heaven.

It felt great, really great to be able to get out on her own and the great thing about East City, in her opinion was that there was a button factory about seven blocks south from HQ. She'd gone there before, though it was shut down, the building still stood and it held a sort of peace for her. She'd been in and actually worked with the Kruger's while recuperating from Ishbal. There were many fond memories from that time, so coming here, was like being close to the people who had been so kind to her. It was just so nice to get away and really think about nothing. No it was liberating.

Because the front doors to the factory were locked as were the rest of them, Heidi was forced to use a window to get inside.

Smiling she smelled the dusty air, let her hand run along one of the conveyor belts as she walked. She stopped frozen in place when she saw someone she never expected to see, sleeping, curled up in a fetal ball upon a make shift pallet on the floor near some rotting boxes. She was frozen, rooted to the spot, eyes wide, heart beating away a marathon inside her chest. Finally she reached for her gun and pulled on her glove.