Disclaimer: If I even thought I owned Fullmetal, why would I so blatantly write fanfiction about it?

Previously:

He opened the door to get out and instantly was greeted with a face he did not want to see.

Hakuro.

Ed felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Hakuro had made his presence known the past few weeks. Men would follow him around headquarters and the one thing that had kept Ed from informing Mustang was Hakuro's threats. If Mustang found out about Edward being followed, especially now then Ed knew Roy's reaction would not be good. Roy would do something stupid that would cost him and Ed didn't want help at the risk of that. He could usually lose them with quick turns and hiding in near by rooms till they passed, but he'd forgotten completely after leaving the hospital to make sure he wasn't followed. Fuery and anyone else down here would be easily spotted and Ed had walked straight to them.

Ed realised he'd been standing there staring far too long and saluted his superior officer in his normal lazy way. Too formal and he'd raise suspicion but no salute and he'd be called out on it. He waited for Hakuro to ask the first question out of fear of babbling and saying too much.

"What are you doing out here Fullmetal, I was informed you'd be staying at the hospital for a bit longer?" There was something about his voice that just irked Ed. He sounded too confident and knowing of everything, as if he controlled the whole fucking universe and if it didn't go his way then he'd kill or punish them. Bastard.

"I left early, no need to stay in a place filled with idiots for longer then I need." Ed started, ignoring Hakuro's first question.

Hakuro glared off and Ed could almost hear the gears spinning in his head to turn this around. Hakuro could call Ed out on avoiding the subject but that just made himself look more like an ass. They both knew he already was but that didn't solve anything. Fuery tried ending the silence, still at attention though. "What is it you need sir, someone like you isn't normally walking around?"

"I was just going for a little walk, breath of fresh air. Office is too stuffy. " Hakuro turned his attention back to Edward and Fuery still standing next to the doors kicked them lightly to try and warn Mustang and the other two down there. "Fullmetal, I'd like you to follow me to my office. There are a few things I'd like to bring to your attention."

"Sorry sir, I'll have to decline. Even if I wanted to follow you somewhere, I have the intelligence not to do so."

Hakuro's anger spread through his face. He knew that Edward was still a teenager and therefore still resilient. Then Hakuro grinned slightly, he still had the cards. Edward would no longer care about his own life, but that Winry girl from his years ago. He knew they didn't have such close ties anymore but he would still keep her safe. "Hmm, I was wondering. Some of the veterans have been complaining about the low quality of their automail. Maybe I should call that mechanic of yours?"

Edward gasped for air, and his throat became dry. Did he really just do that? Threaten someone he hasn't even spoken to for weeks, months, years?

"Surely you could find someone a bit closer, General Hakuro?" The familiar voice Ed had heard hours before now rung through his ears. The last words he said to him replayed in his head and he was getting more and more frustrated and anxious and fuck he really really wish this wasn't happening. Even if Roy was now saving his ass, he did not want to even be here. He should have told Jean to tell Mustang to fuck off and do things on his own. Then he wouldn't be in this mess.

But he knew he would have regretted someone else seeing those circles. Maybe that's why Mustang had called him here to somewhere he never wanted to see. Had it been some other alchemist, they would have asked questions. They would have searched deeper and they would have been disturbed by the circles. Ed already knew what each one did, from painful experience therefore he wouldn't need to ask deeper questions. He already had those answered for him.

Ed found himself staring a deep hole into the ground and looked up to see Hakuro's gaze no longer trapped on him. He was glaring over at Mustang and Hakuro knew he could not win against him. Mentally or physically, not that he would even try to have a fight with him here. Mustang and Hakuro were having one hell of a staring contest and it was obvious who would be victorious. Hakuro shuffled and walked away, but as he passed one of his men he whispered something in his ear. It wasn't until both men were out of site before Roy looked over to Ed.

His vision was cold and business like. It was as if the day before hand hadn't even occurred. As if Mustang was back to the way he was when Ed first joined the military. Ed's gut twisted into a very large knot and he averted Mustang's gaze finding the trees around to be much more appealing then seeing Roy's hardened expression. "Fullmetal," Ed's throat once more became sickly dry. His tone shot daggers into his heart. Just the sheer way he said it made him want to hurl. He didn't show this of course, but he felt it all the same. "I need you to follow me." Mustang stated before turning around and stepping downwards. Edward hesitated before following him, bracing himself for mental torment. Fuery looked around before following close behind and closed the doors.

Edward knew to watch out for all the circles that surrounded the large room they walked into. None of them were of the fun or helpful sort. They were all different forms of torture and punishment and sheer pain.

Fuery stood close behind him. Obviously Mustang had told them something but hopefully he hadn't told too much. Ed looked around trying to hide the horror on his face. This was a place of torture, of deep pain and death. A place he always saw in his nightmares. Fuery followed behind him with a notebook and a pen. Obviously Roy had put him to the task of writing down what each one did. Why the hell was Roy even investigating this anyway. They knew the culprit, victim was healthy for the most part. Roy didn't need all the circles, just the one that gave him wings.

Ed stood looking down at one and in a cold voice stated what each one was. He tried to hold back details for the most part, since he didn't want to bring back every memory. Even if they still surfaced, wanting to break free.

After a few hours, Jean and Riza had left to watch over the office with Breda and Falman. Paperwork was still flowing even if the team was underground. Mustang sat several feet away from the door. He needed to be able to hear anyone coming down. Yet that wasn't where his mind was.

Edward was quite a ways from him, with the size of the room it wasn't surprising. Roy could still see Edward clearly though. Edward kept his face clean of all emotion. But the twitch in his leg and the way he moved himself around so cautiously and looking away from circles as soon as he told Fuery what it was. It showed fear, and to anyone else they wouldn't be able to tell, but to him it was easy to see how much Edward hated this place, how much he still feared this place.

Fuery had been afraid and disturbed at first of what Edward described them as but now he seemed to keep it out of thought and just wrote down what Edward told him and drew basic details of the circle to identify them with.

Roy had been cold and hard to Edward when Hakuro had left, and he knew it was a harsh treatment. But he couldn't let his emotions be stirred by seeing Fullmetal. Especially when his crew was around. Ed's words were still bitterly in his mind, as if on constant replay. He had told Edward he might love him. He knew he shouldn't have. Especially when the words and the anger Edward had shone back toward him for the way he acted.

To be honest with himself, he wanted nothing more then to send Edward home, or to take him away from here and just hold him. But he couldn't, and it pissed him off. He knew he was a dumb ass. The one time Edward let Roy in, he lost the chance. He lost the ability to be close to Edward and he wish he could go back in time. He wish he could stop himself from doing what he'd done.

Even if he had enjoyed the way Ed's lips felt so chapped against his own.

AN: Don't kill me! I'm extremely sorry for such a long time for this update. My muses kinda died, I have a boyfriend and friends who take up my time so much and I have dealing with high school as a junior. After so long I finally got one of my muses back. I tried doing a better job at describing thoughts and actions rather then just using talking to fill up the page.

I feel kinda ehh bought this chapter but I did enjoy writing the part of Roy's pov.

I actually reread the chapter to find grammatical errors but being human I more then likely missed a few. I will try very hard to update soon. I have some plans for the next chappy, but don't expect it in a few days.

For the people that kept alerting this story even though I haven't updated in months, you are the reason I wrote this chapter. Every few weeks I got that little notice and it made me smile. Reviewers are epic though so I love you guys too :3