Blank-

"I'm innocent!"

The exclamation was ignored as the guard left from the second round of questioning for a long needed break.

"I have an alibi. And besides, has anyone actually seen Mustang dead?" Stopping in his tracks, footsteps faltering, the officer turned back to him and sneered. Edward smiled, "Yeah, that's what I thought. I bet no one in your department even looked for a corpse; you're just trying to place the blame on me. Well, I'll save you the trouble of another interrogation: I am fucking innocent."

"Just stay here, boy. Some unlucky officer will be back to question you further." With the keys placed in the lock and the door open mid-swing, the man paused. "Oh, and Elric, shut the hell up for at least five minutes. People in this building need to think, and they cannot do so with you screaming your violent obscenities every two seconds."

"Bastard, if you'd just listen to me, I wouldn't have to scream."

The door closed abruptly, echoing in the small room and Edward sighed. In repulsion he tugged on the cuffs currently linking him to the table. They were secure and supposedly a person could not get out of them without a key.

"Fuck," the blonde whispered, letting his head fall harshly to the desk.

Something was definitely wrong, and he had a distant feeling that he was stuck in the midst of it.

Roy Mustang glared for all he was worth, appreciation flooded through his veins that Alphonse had the sense to call him directly after his brother was taken to prison. Who knows what would have happened, and in reality he had a right to be there. Not just for Edward (though that certainly was on his mind), but for himself as well. After all, he was accused of being dead. What better way for him to gain back Edward's innocence than present himself before the accusers?

Triumphantly, he rang the desk's bell, in hopes to gain someone's attention, while also taking note of the fact that no one appeared to be there. On a Thursday nonetheless.

A woman crept from behind a screened room and came to the front of the desk, her face tied into a bored look. "How can I help you, sir?"

"Edward Elric. I need to speak with him," Roy saw the slight twitch in her eye, as if a tick had formed beneath the skin. Yet he continued on, "I was told that he was brought here two hours ago upon accusation."

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with her hand jittering slightly, and to Mustang's predictions, acted as if the boy were not there. "No one of that name has entered these doors. I've been on shift since six this morning."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

A smirk fluttered onto his face, one that he made no move to stop, and he pointed to the black jacket hanging on a coat rack, red handkerchief poking out from the pocket. "Then why is his coat over there?"

A drop of sweat distinctly rolled down her cheek.

He moaned deeply at the blast of hot air which blew onto his forehead from a vent up above. Frowning at the offending heat, Ed slung his head back over his chest and groaned.

How much longer was he going to have to stay here?

You know, I could always break us out of here. It'd be a snatch Chibi; we'd be out in time for dessert. The voice told him slyly.

Shut up Pride. My head hurts enough without you trying to piss me off. Go away. Edward rubbed at his eyes using his left hand and unconsciously jerked with the other.

Do you want to get out of here or not?

He paused, That depends. If I let you, would you hurt anyone?

The voice was silent.

Ed chuckled lightly. I knew it.

I… won't kill anyone. That good enough for you, Edo? It's really the best I can do.

Fine. But as soon as real trouble starts you give the control back to me.

Pride grinned manically, secretly soaring about a chance to finally have freedom, and even the chance to cause bodily harm. You have a deal.

Edward thought briefly, as his consciousness began to dwindle away to nothing that if his alter half went out of control, there was really nothing he could do about it.

"Who are you, sir?"

He withdrew slightly, the thought upon his mind that he hadn't addressed himself by his title in years at this place. "Roy Mustang, the one who you people claim that Mr. Elric killed."

She drew in a sharp breath of air, eyes locked viscously with his, refusing to look away. That, however, did not stop her from leaving.

Despite his protests, she slipped back into the screen in which she came from. There really was nothing he could do about it.

Roy was about to slam his fist into the desktop out of his irritating frustration, but the audible splash that sprang to his ears behind him left the man spinning backwards.

Standing at an instant coffee machine was Maes Hughes, disposable paper cup at his feet, coffee all over the tiled floor, and still pouring slowly from the machine's spout. His mouth was open like a breathing fish as he gaped at the sight before him.

Mustang had to admit, that were his need to find Edward not so dire, the scene before him would have looked amusing.

"Cat got your tongue, Hughes?" Roy teased lightly, recalling how the man before him (currently speechless) used to rant off about his daughter to everyone on the base.

He chuckled weakly and began to wipe up the spilt coffee with some napkins and Mustang went to help him.

"What brings you here, Roy? I haven't seen you here since you left. Must be something pretty important," As Hughes spoke; he didn't look his friend in the eye. He kept his gaze onto the floor to where the mess was nearly gone.

"Well, I'm sure you remember the shrimp Edward."

"Sure I do."

Roy grinned, "It seems he's gotten himself into trouble once again."

This time, Maes did look up to him with a serious gaze measured in his eyes. "I'd have thought you'd be smarter now," he sighed as he stood up and stretched his back. "Don't you recall what happened the last time you got involved with the kid? Don't get me wrong, I liked him enough, but, I didn't expect you to want to throw away what you have left for one kid."

"That's what is amusing. I used to swear that he would be the death of me. And apparently, he was just arrested for killing me. To make matters worse, I can't get to where he is."

Hughes paused thoughtfully, "I can."

Slowly he opened the heavy door with the keys Hughes gave him, as his friend posed as a lookout in the hall. What he saw nearly made him choke on his saliva.

Edward was standing directly in the middle of the room, trails of blood dripping from his wrist and a pair of cuffs stained red tossed onto the ground. His eyes were directed to the floor.

"Ed?" Roy cautiously questioned, aware of how impulsive the kid could be if startled. He inched his way over, grasped the slim shoulders and gave him a light shake. "Edward, snap out of it. We need to get out of here."

The blonde tilted his head to the side, eyes still obscure from view and when Roy grabbed his chin in an attempt to force him to face forward a smile graced his lips.

In horror, Mustang gazed into blank eyes.

A hard and quick punch flew into his gut, nearly keeling him over. But his grip stayed onto the shoulders while the kid jerked violently.

"Edward! Stop- We don't have time for this."

The kick that broke onto his shin enlightened Roy on just what was happening. This was not Edward.

"You're the same as then, aren't you… Pride?"

Pride snarled at his primitive captivity, prepared to bite Mustang on the hand to escape. He ignored the cries of his other self.

Roy smirked when the sharpened teeth neared his thumb. "If you bite me, I'll bite you back."

At the declaration, Pride ceased struggling and grinned.

Mustang took this opportunity to spin the blonde around so that his back was against Roy's chest and pinned his there. Pride's head lolled on his shoulder, and he turned his head to look Roy in the eye.

"Death is upon you. Whether he wishes it or not."

"Who is 'he'? Do you mean Edward?"

Shrugging as best he could, Pride refused to answer, allowing himself to be dragged past the threshold and out into a limited freedom.

Hughes smiled slightly at the sight of the now older boy, wondering where all those years had gone. "You ready to go?" He asked though already knowing the answer.

Roy nodded, picking the silent Pride up in a bridal style hold. Continuing on, he refused to react to the look of confusion on Maes' face for his actions.

He opened a side exit, ushered the two out watching as Mustang carried the kid who everyone had believed stole his life. Normally, Maes wouldn't let himself fall to such horrible thoughts of a nice kid like Edward. But he had to admit, that when all had been said and done on that day, he had blamed Ed. And worst of all, he had tried to convince his friend of the same.

However, he as a married man was not blind. Those small gestures of affection were still there, even if the kid was acting kind of strange. Roy never had been good at hiding his feeling when it came to Edward.

Although, from what Roy had told him in a quick summary, if Ed really had been hired to kill off Mustang in an assassination, then Hughes presumed something big. Whatever shit he had stepped into now was stuck to him, in a way that he could not remove.

This time, he resolved, he would not abandon either of his friends to be fed to the unseen wolves.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to find out," He whispered to the air.

This time, he would help rather than be childish and blame problems on a sixteen year old kid.

Edward wondered vaguely just where the light had gone, and why it was suddenly so dark. And was he hallucinating, or was Mustang's dark scent flooding into his nose?

Maybe this was a good dream.

A fast heartbeat pulsing on his arm told him otherwise.

Did that mean that Pride managed to get them out?

He opened his eyes carefully, aware now that a jacket belonging to a certain dark haired man was draped over him and was covering his eyes.

"Where are we going?" Ed mumbled after settling his nose back into Roy's shoulder comfortably.

"My house. If they think I'm dead, then it's likely they won't look there."

Immediately Edward panicked, "But, what about-"

"Don't worry. We'll get Al first, and he'll be coming with us."

He was about to thank Mustang for being so bluntly generous (though not quite read to admit that he could walk on his own). But, the sight of Roy's small limp as he favoured his right leg sent Ed's brain into his memories.

"You idiot!" He seethed, pushing against Roy's chest, pulling them both to a halt in their jog.

Edward recalled hurting him, remembered startling him, but most of all he knew that Roy hadn't backed down after all that. And that pissed him off.

"I could have killed you; why the hell didn't you get out of there before I did?"

Roy looked down to the blonde head, noticing the tears dripping onto his sleeve. "I knew that you wouldn't."

"Did you not see me in your old age? I was standing there with no control over my body. Of course I could have killed you, and who are you to say that I wouldn't have?"

He wanted to put his hand behind the small neck, just irking to touch some of Edward's skin. Instead, Roy settled for pulling him closer and nuzzling his face lightly. "You and Pride are different people, not the same. I knew you wouldn't do it, and was hoping that he wouldn't."

Ed blushed at the hint of a declaration, "I'm sorry for kicking you." In an apology, he chastely kissed Mustang.

"This is worth it," Roy grinned as he leaned in for seconds.

Somehow, Edward found that he couldn't disagree, despite the declarations of hate toward this man coming from Pride; Ed desired to declare something else entirely.

AN: I can't believe some people honestly thought I would kill off Roy, though if I was, it certainly wouldn't be in the sixth chapter. Comment if you wish.

As well, this has been written since Wednesday, but the site wouldn't let me post it.