Thouroughly Hohenheim pulled a little white paper out of the house-trophy. Unfolding it he read "Five Alchemists thouroughly locked their door, one was broken through, then they were only four."

Roy frowned. "I somewhat hate this game. Wait and collect the dead." He thudded onto the couch next to his friend. "What about going out and have a few drinks?"

Hohenheim put the paper away. Roy seized the blonde's arm. "Come on. Let's go."

Without any arguing he got up and followed his friend. "Hey wait." Hohenheim reached for his cellphone in his pocket.

"What's the matter?" asked Roy puzzled.

"I'll call Amanda to join us. She must have recovered by now." Retorted the other placidly and dialed a number.

"Oh." The Colonel chuckeled. "So you fancy her a little?"

Hohenheim was taken aback. "No I don't. She's merely a friend."

Roy observed his friend carefully and smirked. "Yes." He paused. "A friend."

Just as Hohenheim was about to open his mouth to retort the door burst open. Two startled men blinked at the figure in black clothes that stood in the doorframe. "Yes?"

"I'm ordered to bring one of the two of you to the Headquarters." The man said gravely. His hands were folded behind his back.

"Take him." Hohenheim patted Mustang onto his back hard enough to make him step forward.

"That was uncalled-for." Hissed Roy and blinked at the man in the black suit.

"Good bye." Beamed the blonde and pushed both out of his door and shut it firmly behind them.

Just as Hohenheim thought he had finally gotten time to call up his "friend" Alphonse appeared next to him. "Dad, I think I'm ok now. Can I go outside?"

The elder frowned and touched his forehead. "Indeed it's cold. Well alright, go outside a bit. But don't overdo it."

The door shut and Hohenheim began dialing Amanda's number again. Though he was not meant to finish doing so as he realized his older son was missing once again. Frowing and sighing he called Winry. "Winry? Yes it's Edward's father. Is he at your place?"

Hohenheim nodded a few times. Suddenly his eyes grew big. "Oh really? He's at Amanda's place?"

Discreetly he scrutinized wheter her husband might be home. "Oh he isn't. Good, I meant to visit her and have a look how she is doing after this horrible accident."

Putting his cellhpone away again he left the house and headed straight for Amanda's place.

----

"Oh Hohenheim." Warbled a female voice. The blonde man turned around to face the direction the voice had come from as he ran into the woman's bosom. "Oh, Oh. I'm sorry." Stammered the man.

"Ah it's ok. Stupid me should not be running with that less clothes." She chuckeled. "What did you come here for, by the way?"

"I came to check onto my son. I've been told he is here." He hesitated. "with your daughter."

"Oh!" she smiled. "Yes yes. They are in her room." Hohenheim did not like the wink nor did he like the way she said her last sentence.

He was led inside and took a seat on the couch. "Her room is upstairs, so we are undisturbed here."

"Eh, yes." He felt slightly unwell sitting on a couch with a woman which was not wearing more than a blouse with deep neck and a mini skirt. He had trouble not staring.

"Well, where is your bathroom?"

"Upstairs." She replied and pointed to the stairs.

"Thanks." The inner-Hohenheim cheered at those words. He was going to go upstairs and check onto his son.

----

He had finally reached the upper floor. "So where is her room now?" he asked himself and took a peek into the first door to his right. "Looks like the room of the parents." He turned around to leave the room again as his sight fell onto something black lying under the bed. Curiousity winning over him he bent down and picked it up. He eyed it closely. Black, long and thin, some fringes. "A whip!" he exclaimed and dropped it again. Startled he shoved it behind the bed again with his foot. He could not help but blush a little. Actually it should have been somewhat obvious to him, the way she dressed could only imply she was living a little extraordinary. "Just leave the room now." He told himself but remained on his spot. Bending down once again he took another glimpse under the bed. He was a little afraid to reach under it and see what else he might find but did it anyways. His hands stumbeled across something smooth and cold. Moving his fingers over the surface he suddenly felt something even colder and metal-like. He froze.

Hohenheim jumped back onto his feet and left the room. Taking one last deep breath he went to the next door.

"Jackpot." He exclaimed.

A shocked and blushing Edward jerked off the bed – without a shirt.

"Edward, what are you doing?" asked his father, no less surprised than his son.

"I'd rather ask you what you are doing here." He retorted placidly.

"Well I am still wearing my shirt."

"Oh…that." Edward searched for his shirt. Suddenly the girl's head appeared in the bed. Apparently she had been lying. She too, was without shirt. Edward's dad's jaw dropped open.

"I'll pretend to not have seen. I'll just leave and …do whatever." Hohenheim waved his hands weirdly and left the room.

Banning the pictures he had just seen out of his mind he went downstairs again. Amanda had already brought a few glasses to the table and poured wine into them.

"Can we trust your daughter?" he asked placidly and took a seat.

"Well, she wont harm him." She warbled and offered him a glass.

"I'm calmed now." He retorted sarcastically and took the glass.

-----

The door flung open and the Colonel appeared. Hohenheim jerked off the couch and got to his feet as quickly as possible. Swiftly he flattened the crinkles on his shirt to hide the fact he had leant pretty close to the woman sitting on the couch. Amanda though wore a satisfying look.

Hohenheim could not help but blush.

"Oh, blushing, aren't we?" gibed Roy and took a seat.

"That's just the wine." Retorted the elder and faced the wall.

"So what did you come here for?" interjected Hohenheim cutting off the black haired young man lazing on the couch.

"I've been told about an apartement's door being kicked in. So far they did not find the corpse." Explained Mustang placidly and placed his elbows on his knees.

"Though, this is only due to the fact I kept them off from investigating so far. We need to take a look first." Mustang stood up and gestured for the blonde to follow him. "Come. The dead might not run away, but the time will. I'm sure Amanda will still be here later on." He smiled at the lady still sitting on the couch arranging her half-way opened blouse. Amanda just grinned, a rather pathetic grin – or would you call it drunk?

A little frustrated yet happy deep inside he would not betray his beloved woman, Hohenheim followed as ordered to.

----

Both men stepped outside into the cool rain. Drop by drop cold water wettened moistened their skin.

"Do you think it's ok to leave your son alone here?" scrutinized the Colonel while opening his car's door.

"Thank you Roy. I've been a fool." Hohenheim's voice was languid. The younger threw a worried look over to him and shut the door again without taking a seat inside the car.

"You-"

Hohenheim knew what his friend was about to say- he would just tell him that there is nothing he would need to thank him for. Yet he knew there was, there always was. It's just that in a friendship, you don't always say "Thank you."

Hohenheim's look made clear to the Colonel that he had understood what he was about to say.

There was no need for more words and with a last glance at the big house behind them both got into the car and headed for the apartement that was said to be broken into.

"I'm somewhat getting sick of seeing corpses." Shuddered Mustang as he pulled up to the apartement.

"Yet you are one of those that kill." A faint note of bitterness underlay his words once again. Roy felt his stomach cramp a little at these words and followed his friend out of the car.

----

There was no sign of a violent entrance. "He must have known the murderer." Explained Roy taking a close look at the obviously undamaged door.

"Of course. It was them after all." The faint note he had earlier still did not leave his friend's words. Roy felt uneasy but decided to pretend he did not notice the change.

Hohenheim picked up a few books and browsed them while Roy took a look into the kitchen.

"This man seriously needs a woman." Grunted Roy kicking some tins to the right.

"Why? Your kitchen is clean too and you do not have a wife." Retorted Hohenheim grinning. Roy felt the knot in his stomach opening at the sight of the grin he had missed on his friend's face the entire drive.

"The dung lingering around here dwarfes this kitchen even more." Added Roy pretending he did not hear this last statement.

"I do not need a woman." Snorted the Colonel and left the kitchen.

"Oh I'd better not tell that Riza." Chuckeled Hohenheim and followed.

"Jackpot." Exclaimed Mustang.

"Why? Found the reason why you are living a clean and neat life without the helping hand of a woman?" chuckeled the elder once again and patted his friend's shoulder.

"Nope." He grunted. "The corpse. I wonder though, why one would hang him up in his closet."