Disclaimer: I own nothing, but this fic itself.

FullAngel Alchemist

Thoughts "blah"

Chapter 2

Ed flew gracefully across the sky's of Central careful not to be seen. Normally after a two hours he'd go back to his room and try to sleep, but tonight was a different story. Right now the military officials were grading all of their papers and tomorrow they would announce who passed and who failed.

He seriously doubted that Al was doing any better than he was. His nerves were on edge and he just wanted to punch something. "Too bad Mustang's not around. I like to wipe the eternal smirk off of his face."

Making one last pass over Central HQ he saw Maes Hughes walking with a square box in hand. Ed decided to snoop into Hughe's business and started tailing the man.

Maes turned down one road and headed to another. The military officer and soon to be father was making it very difficult for Ed to keep up with him without the man noticing his presence. Ed also found it very annoying listening to the tune that Hughes kept humming to himself while shaking his head back and fourth.

Eventually Ed realized exactly where Hughes was heading. "Crap he's headed for Tucker's! He always checks in on us and is bound to follow that little tradition of his tonight. Why did you have to choose tonight of all nights to do that!" The chibi-angel gained altitude and sped up trying to reach Tucker's before Maes arrived.

Ed flew through the open window ploying into his little brother Alphonse. Unfortunately the battle between a thick headed angel and armored little brother ended with Al being the victory and Ed nursing a swollen head.

Al quickly rushed to help his brother back up and asked, "Brother what's wrong? Why the big hurry?"

Before Ed could answer the door to Tucker's home flew open with a loud thud. Both Elrics knew that they were both seconds away from Ed's condition being exposed. Al quickly grabbed his brother's jacket and tossed it to him. "Hurry Ed, get it on."

"I'm trying, I'm trying," Ed replied desperately. Stuffing his wings into the red jacket he quickly went to work buttoning the jacket up. Al assisted by helping Ed button the jacket starting at the bottom.

They finished with the jacket, but Ed's wings still pushed the red material out further than usual due to the rush Ed had been in trying to get them under the jacket. Before Ed could relax himself enough to adjust his wings the door to their room flew open.

Al swore that he saw lightening and heard thunder when their guest entered the room. "HOLD ME," Al shouted pulling Edward into a bear hug.

"AL...Let go...you're crushing me," said Ed as he vainly tried to escape his sibling's stranglehold.

"Hi ya Edward, Alphonse. Did I frighten you?" The figure hit the light switch allowing the frightened boy to see who it was.

Al released his iron tight grip on Ed who promptly fell to the floor and started twitching. Maes and the younger Elric looked at the immobile teen. "Ooops," said Al.

Hughes just continued grinning while the suit of armor lifted the angry blonde. "Well it's good to see that you two are doing well. I just came by to drop a few things off and see what you were up to."

Both boys quickly started talking at the same time resulting in a headache for Hughes. He grabbed and held both of their mouths shut and said, "Ok...what I got fromAlis that Ed was doing something incredibly stupid and Alphonse was covering for you."

"Hey," shouted Ed.

Al looked away confirming Hughe's Elric-to-normal person translation. The suit of armor thought quickly and said, "Brother was just looking around Central, that's all that he was doing."

Maes looked at the chibi-alchemist with a disappointed look and said, "You shouldn't be traveling around Central at night unless it's an emergency and even then you should never travel alone." His face softened and he sighed, "Just don't do it again or else I'll have guards posted outside of this window."

"What are we? Prisoners?" Ed was outraged that he was being told that he couldn't leave at night. Everyone knew that Ed thought of rules more along the line...of guidelines than actual rules.

Al reentered the conversation trying to negotiate for both parties saying, "Can't we compromise? If brother travels anywhere at night we'll tell Mr. Tucker where we are going and when we expect to be back. Should we not be able to return at our estimated time we will call and explain why. Sound good?"

Hughes shook his head. "I'm sorry boys, but I can't let the two of you do that." The soldier took a few moments to think about something and then said, "I know that the two of you think that this is unfair, but I can't let anything happen to you guys."

Ed saw something in the older man's eyes that he hadn't noticed before. Following his gut instinct he demanded, "What are you hiding from us Hughes? And don't give me any of that 'classified' crap."

Al stayed quiet not knowing what his brother was up to. In cases like this the best thing that Al found that he could do was wait and listen before acting.

Ed tapped his foot on the ground impatiently and said, "I'm waiting."

"Alright, but you have to promise me that you want leave with supervision and most certainly not at night if it can be helped." When Ed gave no sign of argument Maes took that as a yes. "Lately there have been a number of murders scattered across Central. So far the police have no suspects and many of those killed were more than capable of putting up a fight. Ed some of them could have easily taken you down and yet they were killed."

Ed nodded in understanding. "So there's a serial killer on the loose." He knew that this wasn't good, especially if the lunatic had seen Edward flying through the sky. No doubt that this psycho would want to add him to the list of victims. Slowly he asked, "How many?"

"Thirty-four that we know of. The assailant or assailants apparently like chopping people into tiny pieces," answered Hughes.

Both brothers looked away in disgust. They knew that they would have to be extra careful or else they'd be caught and/or killed. The last thing that they wanted was some lunatic informing the military that Ed had wings. They'd have him locked away in some dark, wet lab somewhere nobody had ever heard of and run painfully experiments on him.

"Fine," said Edward. "We'll be careful if we go out and we'll try to limit our trips at night." "Then again I doubt that the killer can fly...or maybe they can and that's why they haven't been caught. All he or she has to do is dive in, grab the victim, and fly out."

Hughes gave a skeptical look knowing that the Elrics were extremely stubborn and he didn't know whether or not to believe Ed. "Don't disappoint me Ed, Al. I'd hate to lose you boys." With that said he shut the door and went back down stairs.

"Looks like we won't be getting much sleep tonight," commented Al in disappointment.

The next day bright and early Maes woke both boys up. "Good morning sleepyheads. Come on now, wake up. It's a beautiful day here in Central and Glacier is with my beautiful boy or girl."

Ed cracked open an eye and said, "Hughes unless you want to be transmuted into a toaster oven I suggest that you put a sock in it."

Maes wasn't the least bit intimidated by Ed's comment, but he did notice something odd. "Ed why did you sleep in your jacket? You didn't go out after you told me that you wouldn't, did you?"

Al quickly stated, "We haven't left Tucker's home all night." Conveniently he left out the part where Ed had already been out for a relaxing flight.

Maes seemed to not believe Al for a few minutes and leaned in closer examining the glowing red eyes. He knew that he couldn't read Al like that, but if the boy was nervous he'd crack. When Alphonse didn't seem to be the least bit rattled Hughes smiled and said, "Ok. Now come down stairs boys. That's an order."

As soon as the future dad walked out Ed muttered, "...not even part of the military yet and he's giving me orders."

When the boys came down stairs they found Tucker, Nina, Alexander, and Glacier sitting around the huge dinning room table. What concerned them was that Maes was nowhere in sight.

"Uh-oh! Angel senses tingling!" Ed shifted his eyes around the room looking for the danger.

Both Elrics felt a slap on their backs. Ed of course hit the floor and quickly got back on his feet glaring at the man behind him.

Maes stood there with a triumphant grin on his face and said, "You know I did a little digging and found out that you've been keeping secrets from me Edward."

"Oh crap! He knows! But how?" Ed braced himself for a fight knowing that this could get ugly.

"Hmm." Maes reached down on the floor and picked up something bringing it up to where the brothers could see it. "Hello, what do we have here?", he said twirling a single feather around between his fingers. Taking his eyes off of the solid white feather he looked back at the boys. He noted that Ed had turned pale and the eye sockets of Al's armor was filled completely with red. "Ed are you alright?"

Shaken from his thoughts back Alphonse hitting him on the head with his armored forearm Ed said, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'll take that." The blonde quickly snatched the feather out of Maes' hand and tucked it away in his pocket.

Hughes just shrugged it off and said, "That reminds me. I want to go bird hunting sometime soon. I'll shoot down the biggest one that I can find."

The Angel Alchemist's face turned pale again and a dark cloud appeared over Ed's head. "Great! I'm going to be shot at!"

"So what is it that you think that brother's been keeping from you?" asked Alphonse. He was nervous because he didn't want to lose his brother or for both of them to be put in labs for study.

Maes leaned in and said, "I think that you both know what I'm talking about." With the looks on their faces turning to fear he continued, "Yes, I'd say that you both know exactly what I'm talking about." He reached for something that had been set on the other side of the door.

"This is!" thought Edward.

The younger Elric thought to himself as he dropped into a fighting position, "Why did it have to come to this?"

Both Elrics started to attack when Hughes jerked something in front of himself. "Surprise Edward! Happy Birthday!"

Ed stopped in time, but for his brother it was too late. Al's fist took off part of the cake and circled back around towards Edward. The next thing that Ed knew his face was sore and covered in cake. "Hmmm...whipped cream frosting."

Glacier stood up and asked, "Ed are you alright?"

The pipsqueak nodded and used his tongue to pull as much of the cake as he could into his mouth. It was obvious to both Hughes that the teen was happily munching on the pastry even if it was scattered all over his face.

Maes looked at Al and asked, "What was that about? Don't tell me that you don't like whipped cream frosting. It's the best kind."

"Umm, yeah that's it. I allergic to it." said Al chuckling slightly. "Good save."

When Ed's face was visible again he asked, "Is this what you were talking about?"

Maes leaned in so that only Ed could hear and replied, "Don't worry so much. Mustang told me about all and how you lost your arm. Your secret is safe with me...and Roy."

The chibi-alchemist believed Hughes, but he would never trust Mustang anymore than he absolutely had to.

The Elrics relaxed and enjoyed the party that everyone had put together for them. Later on that day Maes was called away on some urgent business and Glacier was left in their care.

As luck would have it shortly after her husband left Glacier's water broke all over Tucker's new couch.

"And I just finished paying it off too." the alchemist thought to himself.

After the first forty-five minutes Hughes called and said, "The weather has take a turn for the worse. I'm snowed in here and I won't be able to make it back tonight."

In the background Glacier shouted, "MAES YOU ASSHOLE! YOU DID THIS TO ME! I'M GONNA CUT'EM OFF WHEN YOU GET BACK! YOU COWARD, YOU SHOULD BE HERE!"

All present knew that Hughes was now glad that he was where he was. The Elrics followed Tucker's instructions and gathered up a small tub of hot water and lots of towels.

Ed made the mistake of letting Mrs. Hughes hold his hand...or rather crush it. Even with his Angel strength he was quickly defeated by this woman and screaming louder than she was. "OW! OW! My hand!"

Alphonse thought, "He should've listened."

When Ed finally pried his crushed hand out of the woman's grasp he excused himself to check on the tub. The water had already turned cold, the baby was due at any moment, and his hand felt like it had met a trash compactor. "This is just pissing me off." He slapped his hands together and pulled them apart quickly realizing his mistake. As he nursed one hand he set the other on the rim of the tub. With a bright flash of light the water was heated again. "I...I transmuted...without a circle. Now that'll be handy."

When it was all over Ed and Al smiled at their good work. It was truly a wonderful feeling to help bring a life into this world.

"Well I guess that Mustang lost that bet. He had fifty on it being a boy." Ed was going to love rubbing this one in the lecherous Colonel's face.

Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of updates lately. I'm trying to handle several stories at once right now. I'll try to update faster if I get more reviews. Later.