New chapter! Tomorrow's might be late though, as I have two greek myths and an essay to write for Philosophy, so...yeah.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"They could be lying."

Alphonse nodded. "Well, that's true, brother, but I don't think they are. I think they honestly do want to help us."

"And if they aren't?"

"Well... we could plead self-defence. She did try to kill us, and it was her who drew the weapon..."

"So they'll ask us why we didn't report her sooner, accuse us of some other bloody crime!" Edward argued.

"Al's right, Shorty. Besides... you heard him. He knows it all already, so we either tell them and there's a possibility they'll help us, or we don't tell them and I get convicted while you two end up dumped on the old man or in some foster family. We don't really have much of a choice."

Edward 's I'm-not-short-you-bastard glare quickly subsided, to be replaced by a look of indecision. "I guess you're right," he muttered grimly. "We have to tell them."

"So, we're going to explain?" Al asked cautiously.

Envy nodded. "We'll tell them. I'll call them in." he said, standing and making his way into the kitchen.

"Uh, officers? We'd like to talk to you."

Hughes grinned at him. "I told you, we're off duty. I'm Maes, this is Riza and that's Roy."

"Sure," Envy nodded as they followed him back through to the living room. "Before we explain this... it's a long story. Don't interrupt unless it's important."

The three officers nodded, and took their seats.

Edward, Alphonse and Envy exchanged nervous looks, and launched into their story.

"-while they were fighting, she pulled a knife on him." Edward stopped, and gave Envy a hesitant look.

Envy, although obviously uncomfortable, nodded.

"I'll tell them," he said, voice oddly low. He took a deep breath before beginning to talk.

"When I saw Dante, I... lost control. I wasn't thinking while we were fighting, I was just reacting. You don't know..." he stopped. "You have to understand this: she abandoned me. For years, I watched Ed and Al grow up with Trisha doting on them and although she treated me the same way I could never believe that she really loved me. She treated me like her own son... but I wasn't, and I knew that. I just felt so... jealous, angry, confused, upset... alone. And then when I found out that she'd sabotaged Trisha's car that time, and she sent fucking gang members to kill us... I kept thinking, 'Why does my mother have to be like that? Why couldn't she be like Trisha?' and... when I saw her, I couldn't stop myself. I just attacked."

Maes, Roy and Riza nodded, faces grim but understanding.

"When she drew the knife, I... She was my mother. My mother. And yet... she was trying to kill me. When she drew the knife, I knew that she didn't care- she never had and she never would. I wanted her to at least feel some remorse, or- or motherly affection... god, anything! I wanted her to show me that it mattered in some way to her, that she gave a damn that I was her son even if she hated me. But she didn't. She really... didn't care. I couldn't- I wanted- I just- I grabbed the knife without thinking first."

He shut his eyes, and is jaaw clenched as the memory replayed, as fresh and painful as the day it had happened- and she was lying there on the ground, eyes wide with shock, and bleeding.

"When I could think straight again, she was dead. I never meant to kill her, I just... I don't know what I wanted to do. I never meant... she was my mother. I killed my mother."

He opened his eyes again, and turned to face them, pain and anger sketched across his face.

"I- I murdered Dante Bolton." he said. "We've told you everything. Are you satisfied?"

The silence was stifling. Nobody knew what to say or how to say it, and so instead they stayed quiet, uncomfortable and awkward.

"Envy..." began Maes in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry we made you relive that. I-"

He was cut off by a loud ringing noise from Roy's pocket. Roy gave them all an apologetic look and checked the number- and then he blanched.

He held a finger up to his lips and answered the phone. "Mustang speaking, Sir."

Edward glanced at Maes and Riza. Both looked surprised, and a little nervous, which did nothing to improve his own anxiety.

"But sir, surely-!... Yes, sir. Yes, I understand, but- yes. Yes. No, sir, we haven't, but give us..." he sighed. "Yes. I... understand."

He snapped the phone shut and turned a piercing gaze on everyone else in the room.

"We have a problem." he said. "We have a very, very big problem."