A/N: This chapter's in Al's P.O.V! Arghh!

I'm trying to be a good author and update this but the stupid document uploader won't upload the DOCUMENT! That's what I get for attempting to be diligent…

Now I'll try again!

Last time:

Ed glared at him, "Come on let's go!" Roy glared at the blonde but didn't argue. Ed snapped his fingers, transporting their bags and themselves to the beginning of the Briggs Mountains.

But what they both missed was the pair of gray eyes that widened in shock as the two of them disappeared.

What Hurts the Most Chapter 5

Al stared in shock as his brother and Roy disappeared with a snap of the blonde's fingers. His eyes widened in shock and his mouth was making a great impersonation of a fish. He rubbed his eyes, hoping that the two would be back in front of him arguing.

He was disappointed.

Flabbergasted, his knees gave out and he fell onto the stairs that he'd been standing on. His mind flashed back to why he'd been down there in the first place

-# Flashback#-

Al was sitting in his room with Winry, Jean and Riza, talking about his brother…again.

"Come on Al," Winry whined, "Why don't you talk to him?"

Al sighed, "I…I don't know? Why are we even talking about him? We're here to have fun and Ed is not fun."

"How do you know," Jean asked chewing on a cigarette, "From what we've seen the only person who knows your brother would be that Mustang guy."

Al sent a glare at Jean. "Come on Al think, what do you know about your brother?" Winry asked.

"…Not much…"

"Exactly! Now go bring him up here so we can find out more!"

-# Flashback End #-

Al had gone down the steps only to see them vanish. He ran over to the kitchen, running his hands over the counter, searching for a lever or button that would open a trap door. He had to find something.

In his haste he spotted an envelope, lunging for it he ripped it open.

Al,

I went on a trip with Roy. I'll be back so don't wait up.

Edward.

Al crumpled up the paper, letting it fall from his hands. His breathing quickened as he realized all the weird stuff that Ed did. Always running to the forest behind the house, drinking those weird bottles, writing in languages that didn't exist!

He ran up the stairs, slamming the door to his room open. His friends stared at him in shock.

"I went downstairs like you said to get Ed and he was standing right in front of me with Roy when he suddenly disappeared."

Winry snorted, "Al, I'm sure you missed something. People don't just disappear into thin air. We understand if you don't like your brother enou-"

"I'M SERIOUS!" Al shouted, cutting Winry off. "I've always ignored some of the weird things about him but now they're bothering me even more!"

"Look Al, if you really want to find out more about your brother you should wait until he comes back and ask him yourself." Riza said soothingly.

"Yeah, don't have a mental breakdown. We need one of us to have sanity." Jean said, earning a smack from both girls.

Al sighed in defeat, "I guess. Sorry for ruining today…"

"No its cool, we can still party!" Jean shouted.

And that's what they did, the four of them went to various Spring Break parties around town.

The next day, Al woke up to the sun shining on his face. He groaned as various memories came back to him and blushed at some of the stupid things he did.

He stretched, standing up, and walked downstairs to have god's gift to man, coffee. He sat at the table, staring intently down at the hot liquid, 'Where to get a clue about Ed?' He mused.

Abruptly standing up he remembered that Ed would always go into the forest. Leaving his coffee, forgotten on the table, he flung the back door open and sprinted through the forest.

He stopped, resting a hand on the tree next to him. His bare feet were bleeding and his breath was coming out in gasps. He pulled his fist back and punched the tree. Again. And again.

He hadn't found anything and yet he knew there had to be something. He could feel it in his gut. His knuckles blistered and blood poured from them too. He ran his hands through his hair and a wild gleam shown in his eyes.

He will find out his brother's secret.

(A/N: Tempted to end it there but I haven't updated in a while so I'll keep going XD)

Al trudged back to the house; the pain starting to take effect on him. He stepped out of the tree line and noticed that the sun was starting to go down. He'd been out there for hours.

He was tired and hungry. So stumbling up to his room, he made a note to self to clean up the blood stains; he jumped in the shower and wished the warm water could completely engulf him.

The blood that had stained his light brown hair seemed to slowly trickle out and down the drain. His feet and knuckles burned from coming into contact with the water but he knew that if they didn't rinse out he'd probably get an infection.

He lathered, rinsed and repeated before stepping out and drying himself with a white towel. And after that he staggered over to his bed and promptly passed out.

The next morning found Al standing in front of Ed's room with his hand half reached out to the door knob. Al was mentally debating the pros and cons of checking Ed's room.

Pros:

1. I might find something.

2. I'll learn more about him.

3. I can try to find some sort of diary of his.

4. Never been in there before.

Cons

1. He might know.

2. The room could be booby-trapped (Highly doubtable).

3. Never been in there before.

4. If Ed finds out it might ruin our already terrible relationship.

He had reached a tie and he was starting to wonder why he even cared that Ed did what he had done. He gripped the knob, turning it slowly and opened the door.

He was shocked at what he saw. Ed's room had the distinct smell of paint and dark red walls with a black trim. There was a desk in one corner and next to it was a bookshelf, crammed with books. His bed was right next to a window that most likely had a view of the forest.

The bed had black sheets that looked extremely soft and worn. In the last corner there was an easel that had paint splattered all over it.

He didn't know Ed painted.

He didn't know that Ed read a lot.

He didn't know that apparently Ed liked red and black.

What did he know about his brother?

That left him stumped; he of course knew the obvious things that even someone who had known him for an hour could figure out but past that he wasn't so sure.

He walked around the room, careful not to disturb anything… that is until he got to the desk. There was an old looking book that was sitting there, well worn, and curiosity made him open it.

It was full of squiggles and lines that seemed to be a different language and just looking at it made his head hurt.

His head was pounding from just looking at it and his hands, the parts touching the books, were burning. Suddenly the book disappeared from his grip.

The Next Day:

The next day Al woke up with hands that were covered in blisters. He grumbled at them, mad at their connection with that book.

He had finally found some proof of something and then it up and vanished.

He grumbled down the stairs, immediately downing some coffee. He could remember a time when he and Ed would play together, running at the edge of the forest in their backyard.

And then it changed…

He slammed his down on the table, steeling himself. He had no need for these thoughts and wanted to keep himself in a good mood.

'Think about something different,' he prompted himself.

'Think about something different.'

'Think about something diff-'

Ah! His gray eyes flickered open and glanced at the clock, it was 10:14. He breathed out a sigh of release; he needed to meet Riza, Winry and Jean today at 11. Forgetting all of his thoughts revolving a certain blonde he rushed to put on some clothes.

Al found himself being dragged on by Winry as they walked to the movie theater. Jean shot a pitiful glance at him as he followed the two girls.

"This movie is going to be awesome!" Winry squealed, "It has 'blah blah blah' taking his shirt off!" Al didn't notice as his selective hearing kicked in.

"And amazing action scenes with guns!" Riza squealed, uncharacteristically as she walked at Winry's side. They reached the ticket booth and waited in the incredibly long line to buy the tickets.

"Why do we have to see it? We're guys for fucks sake! Neither of us are gay so why should we want to see some guy taking his shirt off?" Jean moaned.

Winry glared at him, "Oh and what do you propose we watch?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"The only other movie their playing at this damn theater, 'Blah, Blah!" He yelled. "I mean really, doesn't a barely clothed assassin turn you on?" He asked directing his question at Al.

'Not really…' Al decided but kept his mouth shut from all the glares he was receiving from Winry and some of the girls around her.

Riza stayed quiet, pretending not to know the idiots around her.

They finally reached the front of the line, Winry and Jean still arguing.

"Four tickets for the movie with the guy taking his shirt off." Riza said eagerly, ignoring Jean's scream of horror.

They left the movie theater four hours later. "Can you believe it? You made me watch that fuckin four hour long movie!" Jean groaned.

"It was amazing!" Winry and Riza cried out at the same time.

"The hot guys!"

"The guns!"

"Oi, Al, what did you think of it?"

"It had no plot, just weapons and shirtless guys." Al agreed with Jean.

"See!" Jean yelled but the two girls were still swooning over the movie.

"You have to admit though; it fit perfectly to their tastes." Al mused.

Winry hugged him, "See, Al does understand me!"

The four laughed, leaving to go get some lunch.

There days continued like that, watching movies, shopping, playing games and just hanging out. But Al couldn't listen to Winry.

He couldn't let Ed go.

A/N: Short chapter but I really didn't feel like writing about what stuff Al does with his friends on Spring Break so there.

Please Review!