Hi there! Thanks for sticking with me everyone! Anywhoooo, this chapter was kind of a bitch (excuse mah French) to write, so sorry if it seems choppy. I've been working on it since, like, noon.
Soooo, since I didn't really get to ask earlier... how was your vacation guys? get any writing/ anime watching done? I know I did- finished a new anme called Angel Beats! if you like Clannad go check it out, cus its AMAZING!

Weelllllllll, then. How about an extra long chapter to make up for the short prologue? ^-^


Chapter 1: I Gave You All

He was shivering.

Because it was cold or because he was scared? He couldn't tell anymore. Everything felt odd and muted, as if a giant blanket had been thrown over the world and was slowly smothering everything.

Edward wasn't sure where he was—it just felt like he was floating among the pure whiteness, unable to move on his own, much less get away.

He struggled to open his eyes, and found even that task was too daunting for him.

He let himself float for a moment longer, then tried expanding is mind outward, feeling for anything, anyone who might be there to share the eerie light with him.

The mind he came in contact with wasn't human, and he shrank away from it immediately, trying to pull his mind out before he caught its attention.

Too late.

The thing snapped back at his mind before he could protect himself, and he winced as it felt like something stabbed into his thoughts.

The torture lasted for maybe a minute before the thing pulled back abruptly and whispered venomously, "You have escaped me…but next time…"

Ed's eyes snap open and he sits up with a gasp, breathing harshly in the darkness. Was that just a nightmare…or was it something more…?

"Ed." He heard someone say softly. "Edo…"

"Skye?" He mutters back, blinking wearily. He stands shakily, using the wall as a guide.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and he could tell they were in some sort of dungeon like place, only a small window allowing them any light, and even that provided little if any.

It must be sometime around dawn or twilight, Ed realizes slowly, as he call out again, "Skye…where are you?"

"Here." She whispers.

Ed spun around and strains to catch sight of her.

He grimaces and with shaky legs stumbles over to where she is chained to the wall with both arms shackled above her head uncomfortably. She took quick rasping breaths, and Ed realized that she would slowly suffocate if she stayed like that.

"Are you okay?" He asks quickly, as he touches his palms together and uses alchemy to free her ankles first of the heavy chains.

"Are you?" She asks, avoiding the question. Her hair hides her expression from view and Ed struggles to understand what she is getting at.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You died." She whispers softly. Tears streak down her face and fall to the floor silently, glistening in what light shone through the dark. "You were dead, Edo…"

"You…brought me back?" He whispers, frozen in place by shock. The memories rush back into his mind all at once and his eyes widen. "Skye. No. You shouldn't have…" He stumbles back, tripping and falling to the ground. "No! You could've gotten yourself killed!" He shouts hoarsely.

"I had to. I couldn't…I couldn't lose someone else…especially not you…"

"You can't do that Skye!" He says, "You can't bring people back! Not me, not anyone," Angry tears build up in his eyes and he can't keep them from falling. "When people die, it's absolute! You keep moving forward, no matter what, even if I die!"

She stays silent, refusing to even lift her head so he knows she's listening.

"Why do I matter? I'm nothing. People die, and I'm no exception. Why would you bring me back, why not your fiancé?"

Silence.

"Skye, what did Truth take from you?"

"Nothing," She mumbles.

"You could be dying, now tell me!"

She repeats, "Nothing, Edward. He didn't take anything."

Ed makes a frustrated sound and runs a hand through his tangled bangs, and says again, "Why me? Of all the people you could've possibly saved, it had to be me. Why?"

She mumbles something brokenly, but Ed can't understand her. "What?" Ed asks, wanting to hear her answer.

She wrenches her head up and truly looks at him for the first time. Her onyx eyes glisten, no longer clouded and unfocused. Skye stares into his golden eyes, unbelieving of how they match exactly the color of his soul.

Ed's eyes widen as he slowly realizes she can actually see him. "Why…?" He repeat, unable to say anything else. But he's afraid…

He's afraid he already knows the answer to that.

"Because…" She murmurs, "Because I love you."

(*FMA*)

Riza was beyond tired. So much had happened during the day. She and Roy had been sifting through personal files all day…belonging to both the Ebony Alchemist Leonard Keyes and Skye Mustang...

Neither had been prepared for what they found.

Both Skye and Leo had been awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for valiant efforts on the battlefield, each wounded more than twice.

They had made a good team- that much was evident from all of the reports and honors they had received.

Roy notes in bittersweet tone that his daughter of only nineteen has nearly the same amount of awards and medals as he does.

Riza has to pull Roy physically away from his desk and work.

Mustang has a tendency to avoid work, as everyone knows, but when he is stressed or worried, he uses the work as away to keep himself at a distance. He would sit at his desk until the sun had fallen then leave as it rose the next day, only to return an hour after leaving as he was unable to sleep.

But Riza would get him to rest, even if it meant dragging him away forcefully.

And it seems it has come to that.

"Roy, come on…"

"I'm almost done," He yawns, rubbing his eyes and reaching toward the next stack of papers.

Riza snaps them up and places them out of his reach. He glares up at her.

She ignores the hostile look and stares into his eyes pleadingly. "Please Roy. I know you're worried. Skye and Edward are going to be fine.

Roy looks unconvinced.

"Come on," She says, taking him by the arm and pulling him to his feet bodily. He was heavy and unwilling, so he stood balanced for maybe a second before tipping forward and landing on Hawkeye, who let out a loud yelp.

Their noses nearly touch and now Riza can distinctly smell the alcohol lingering around him.

Obviously he had been drinking when no one was looking.

Now Riza was practically kicking herself. She should've noticed this earlier—but she hadn't allowed herself to get to close, less they are suspected of a relationship that could them both fired.

"Roy," Riza says firmly.

"Hmm?" He says grinning stupidly. He was obviously liking the position they found themselves in.

"Roy, you were drinking."

"So?" He mumbles, still smiling like an idiot.

"Sir, you shouldn't drink while at the office."

He frowned at her formality. "It's after hours. My shift ended hours ago." His words slurred together

"Then let me take you home."

"No," He pouts like a child and doesn't move, keeping her pinned to the floor easily.

"Roy." She tries again, wriggling beneath him.

"What?"

"Please get off me. You're heavy."

He blushes and moves slightly, but still won't allow her to get up.

Riza lets out an irritated sound and finally lets her anger get the best of her. She slaps Roy on the back of the head as hard as she can from her place on the floor, and he howls in pain, jumping back away from Riza as she scrambles to her feet.

"Owwwww…Riza, why'd you do that?" He asks tearfully, rubbing the newly forming bump on the back of his head.

"Let's go sir. You shouldn't drive intoxicated." She grabs him by the hand and pulls his right arm around her shoulders to support him.

"I swear to drunk I'm not God." He says truthfully as he and Riza stumble out the door together.

"You don't believe in God, sir." She reminds him.

"Right…. yeah, hehe." He hiccups at his mistake and sways to the left nearly making Riza drop him the floor.

It takes ten minutes to get outside, then an extra five just to get situated in the car.

"Can I drive?" Roy asks slowly, trying to keep his words from running together.

"No." is Riza's simple yet nonnegotiable answer.

The drive is relatively silent, other than Roy and his unintelligible mumblings. Once or twice Riza could've sworn she heard Roy mutter something about ripping a certain blonde alchemist limb-from-prosthetic limb.

She gave a small smile and kept her eyes on the road.

When they pulled up to her apartment, Roy presses his face to the window and stares up uncomprehendingly. "Where're we?"

"My apartment," She answers, getting out of the car then going to help him get out from his side as well

The stairs were a challenge. For every four they got up, Roy nearly fell down twice, and once they did, luckily only crashing down five steps before they became too tangled to keep going on mere momentum.

Riza gave a sigh of relief when they reached her door, and she struggled to get her keys from her pocket. She would have to get Roy to stand on his own.

"Roy." She says, shaking him gently. His head lolled back and he mumbles something. Riza notes his eyes are closed and he's drooling.

The bastard fell asleep! She thinks incredulously. She could only wonder how much he had drunk. Usually Roy had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol. And he managed to do it while everyone was there.

Very carefully, she set Roy in the closest corner, making sure he wouldn't fall, then rolled her shoulders. God, he was heavy.

Digging in her pocket, she found what she was looking for and put the appropriate key in the lock, turned it, then pushed the door open. She flicks on the lights, and sets down her bag on the dining room table as she goes around turning on lights and picking up the occasional book she had left lying out.

A loud thud from outside her doorway nearly scares her half to death.

She rushes out, her gun drawn.

Riza doesn't see anyone. Not until she looks down.

Roy moans, lying face down on the floor. He had fallen from his spot in the corner, his balance compromised.

Riza can barely contain her laughter. She giggles almost hysterically as she drags him once more to his feet and pulls him into her apartment.

Carefully arranging her very drunk superior on the couch proves to be somewhat easier, and she goes to her small kitchen, planning on making some tea for herself.

"Roy, would you like something to drink? Or some food?" She asks politely. Even at one in the morning she's at the top of her game.

"How bout a beer?" He mumbles into the couch.

"No, sir. You'll have a terrible head ache in the morning as it is." She answers. Riza seemed to have to say no a lot today, and yet Roy continued to be stubborn.

"Pwease?"

"No."

He gets the hint and drops it, lifting his head to watch her prepare a pot of water and set on the stovetop to boil.

"I'll make you some tea, too, if you'd like," She adds.

"M'kay…"
The next ten minutes is nearly unbearable. The pure silence is as loud and deafening as a car crash, though in a much different and more concerning way. It was almost embarrassing, though Hawkeye had no idea why.

When the water boils and the pot starts to whistle half heartedly, Riza finally regains her ability to talk

"You should take my bed," Riza says quickly as she stands to finish the tea.

"Nah, I can't kick you out."

"It's fine, really."

"I can't intrude like that-."

"Sir," She interrupts, "No offense, but you already have sort of intruded by being drunk and making me bring you home with me."

Roy pouts and whimpers like a puppy.

Black Hayate tilts his head at prone colonel, padding up next to him silently. He licks Roy on the cheek happily, before trotting off to go back to sleep.

"Here," Riza says, reappearing beside Roy as he fumbles to wipe the dog spit off. She holds a mug out to him, which he takes thankfully.

"I'm going to go get my room ready for you." Riza calls over her shoulder.

"You should sleep in there with me."

Riza freezes.

"I mean, we wouldn't do anything…" Roy calls out carefully. "We can even put a barrier between us.

She tries to say no once more, but she can't convince him otherwise. He has his mind set. So she put three pillows between them. She doubted it would help in the slightest.

I don't think the wall of Briggs would keep you from cuddling me like a teddy bear.

(*FMA*)

Skye gasps and lets her head fall again, mentally kicking herself. She'd just said that…out loud?

Never in all of her days had so easily admitted she loved someone. She hadn't said those three words to Leo until they had been dating for nearly a year and now…now she just let the words escape like she was just saying a simple hello.

Ed's eyes were wide in the semi darkness. As the sun rose slowly outside, she was able to discern little details she never would've been able to before her visit with Truth.

She notes how he had kept his hair in a loose braid, and realizes that his hair is also that same gold.

"Skye…"He whispers. "We could never…be anything more than…friends." What? What is wrong with you Edward? You love her back! Tell her. TELL HER! He pushes his alternate thinking away.

"I don't care! I don't care if you hate me, but I love you!" She yells bitterly. "I love you, Edward Elric, and no one can make me change my mind!"

Ed breathes in. He has to make a choice. To tell her, or not to tell her.

"Good…" He finally says. She lifts her had to stare at him, confused. "That's good…because I love you. I love you too, Skye."

(*FMA*)


lol, nice place to leave ya off on huh? Hahahahaha

I am SOOOOOO evil!

Some notes—

1 Anyway, how about that royai fluff in there? *winkwink nudgenudge * that was for you cometdragon ;) hope you liked it girl! :D :D :D :D :D

2 Hahaha, well, moving on-, the title of this chapter came from my fav ever band. A cookie and sneak peak to the next chapter if anyone can figure out the name of the band ;)

3 Yes, Skye is no longer blind but the irony of her regaining her sight is yet to come my dearies! Muahahaha! This is not as pointless as it sometimes seems!

4 if you like royai, go check out my other fic called Collecting Rarities. it's really just a way to get out some writing relief when i can't work on y more stressful stories * cough cough like this one * it's sort of a crack fic, meant to funny and fluffy :D enoy and leave a comment if you check it out :D :D :D

Well, I hope you liked it!

I'll try to update again this time next week or earlier!

Enjoy and review plz!

Love,

gilraenstar