Yeah...I suck at updating...anyway, I'll try to update faster in the future. If there is a future for me on this site, that is...I'm not sure if I'll be posting anything else after I'm done with this. Anyway, I now present to you the LAST CHAPTER OF HERO FOR ONE!

Disclaimer: I do not own in any way, shape, or form any part of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Thank you to all who reviewed, for you all make me feel so fuzzy inside!

Hero for One

Chapter Seven: Salvation

In a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, there stood a house. A house owned by a family of three. Other families living in the neighborhood all thought that this particular family was rather cute. The wife was a young woman, not even at thirty years of age. The husband was a few years older, but only one or two. He was a respectable man, a Major in the military. And the little girl, nine years old, was as cute as could be.

Sure, said the neighbors. The girl was a bit skinny, and did not wear the nicest of clothes. But she always appeared happy when playing outside and walking to school. The neighbors were positive that this family was the average new family, with a wife, husband, and young daughter that couldn't be sweeter. They all thought, correctly in their minds, that there was nothing interesting about this new family, nothing to worry about.

They were wrong.

For within this house, among so many other houses similar to it, there was much turmoil. The wife was not so young and carefree, despising motherhood. The father was not as respectable as first thought, beating his child with hidden vengeance. And the daughter was alone….oh so very alone….

She sat in the darkness of her bedroom, door locked tight to prevent intrusions and window shades pulled shut. She clutched a stuffed animal to her body, shoving her face into its fluffy, fake fur. A soft whimpering could be heard coming from the girl, only adding to the obvious pain she was in.

A small razor sat next to her on the sheets, sparkling in the light that managed to invade the dark inside. A bit of red could be seen on its edge, glistening. A few drops of the same color made a trail to the girl along the sheets, where some blood still flowed from her right arm.

One sob broke the silence, shaking the young girl. She lifted her head slowly, blinking once. Her eyes, once bright and lively colors of green, now were dull, filled with more pain than would be describable. She stared blankly at the wall across from her, blinking owlishly again.

The small, stuffed cat clutched to her side was dirtied; fur ruffled and dyed a deep crimson shade. She squeezed it closer to her, turning and wrapping her other arm around its small body. She whimpered softly into the stained fur, shoving her face into the comforting animal.

A grandfather clock in the hall chimed twelve, startling the girl. She jerked her head up, blinking again. Her eyes darkened further, and she sat up straight. The cat fell from her grasp as she stood and headed to the bathroom, a trail made of red drops following behind her steps.

She entered the dark room, shivering slightly at the cold tile at her feet. She stepped carefully and purposefully, making sure not to make a single noise. She stopped at the sink, staring with a blank face at her reflection for a moment. Her straight, brown hair had become tangled and messy, falling over her shoulders like brow vines. Her eyes had dulled immensely, a darker green color than what they had been before. For a moment, she reconsidered her decision.

A door slammed downstairs. The moment passed, and she made her decision once again. Then she reached up to the cabinet above, opened it, and pulled out a small bottle.

She blinked back tears and dropped one pill into her open palm, followed by another, and another, until the whole bottle-full of pills sat on her small, skinny hand. She smiled sadly down at the pile, eyes open but unseeing. She remembered a time when things were different. A time when she didn't have these kinds of thoughts. A time when she was…happy.

A boy's face flashed through her mind, and her face screwed up in pain. She shook her head viciously from side to side, as if to clear her mind of the painful image. She let out one final, heart-wrenching sob.

This was her end.

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The sun shone down upon the city, encompassing all in its comforting rays. In the streets below, people meandered among the shops and other public places to visit. Among the small crowd of people that was common on a week day in the city, the Elric brothers made their way rather slowly to the military's headquarters.

Ed yawned widely, half-heartedly covering his mouth. He stretched up his arms a bit, yawning again. Al shook his head slightly at his older brother, but did not say anything. It had been a lazy morning, and most likely would be for the remainder of the afternoon and night.

People around them seemed to move slower today, as if weights had been dropped in their shoes, forcing them to walk slower and more carefully. The moods radiating around the brothers completely contrasted with the shining sun and cloudless sky. It was almost as if….something was going to happen.

A single cloud passed over the sun, sending the city into slight darkness. Ed felt a shiver run up his spine at the sudden darkness. He glanced up at the skies, curious as to the sudden foreboding feeling. No sign from above told him anything; he dismissed the feeling as a chill from the blocked sun.

They reached the tall, military building in a short amount of time, with the sudden lack of people around them. Upon entering, they noticed a small group of soldiers over to their right, standing as if guarding some prisoner. As the brothers passed the soldiers, they caught a glimpse of the one being held captive. A familiar face met Ed's gaze, eyes narrowing. Ed frowned and glared at Amanda's father, feeling a slight sense of triumph at the man being caught.

After leaving Amada two days ago, Ed had called up Mustang to inform him of the corrupted official. A search had begun for the man, notices going through the city in a matter of minutes. He hadn't expected them to find him so soon. But he was nonetheless glad that Amanda would no longer have to face his beatings.

A trip up the stairs and down the hall later had them standing before the Colonel's office door. A knock and call of 'come in' had them before Mustang's desk. He had called them in this morning to inform them of a new rumor. It would send them farther away than usual, yes, but it was more believable than any of the others he had received.

Mustang regarded the teen and boy in armor before him with a dark eye. "As hard as it is to say it, I would like to thank you on allowing me to arrest DeRon. I've waited a long time for a reason to get rid of him."

Ed sent the Colonel a smug grin. "It was no problem, Colonel. No problem at all. Personally, I would have enjoyed throwing him in that cell myself, but I can let it slide for a friend."

An eyebrow was raised slightly as his pen hovered over a document. "A friend? Would that be DeRon's daughter?"

His grin fell. "I'm just glad she's free of him. Now we need to find her mother…"

"Brother."

Ed turned his eyes up. "Yeah?"

Alphonse shifted his footing slightly, as if uncomfortable. "Don't….don't refer to those people as her parents. They aren't…..they never were…" He trailed off, averting his gaze to stare out the large window behind Mustang's desk.

A frown grew slowly on Ed's face as he nodded. That was true….they never had bee her parents. More like her torturers. "Okay then, Alphonse."

He blinked when Al suddenly hurried to the window, his feet clanging against the floor. Ed frowned at his brother's actions. "Al?"

"Look…is that…Amanda?"

Ed's frown grew deeper. "What?" He moved to stand beside his brother as Mustang turned in his chair. They both followed Al's line of sight to see a small girl enter the building through a side door.

Ed jerked back and saluted to Mustang quickly as Al hurried away from the window and towards the door. He sent his commanding officer a meaningful look and hurried after his brother.

Something was not right.

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The young girl wandered the halls of the upper levels of the building, her eyes cast to the floor in front of her. Soldiers ignored the child in favor of completing their own duties, figuring a little girl couldn't get into too much trouble on her own. She dodged out of the way when people hurried by her, almost knocking her over, blankly recalling the events that led her here.

She held the pills in her hand, it was raised to her mouth; everything was set to go. But she couldn't do it. Each time her hand tipped even the slightest towards her open mouth, the image of a boy flashed through her mind, sending her in enough pain to drop her hand and send the pills scattering across the tile floor.

She didn't even realize when tears began to run down her face. It was so easy… just a tilt of a hand, and a few moments later, it would all be over. She could be done with it all. But….each time she told herself she could, she suddenly couldn't. It was like….some other force was keeping her from committing the act she had seen not so long ago.

So she had given up on the pills, dumping them into the sink and returning to her room to retrieve her Hope, only taking those drugs her mother took; the bad drugs. She left the house and wandered the streets, the stuffed creature hanging limply from her hand. She thought of all the possibilities, of all the ways she could finally join him and be happy. Each one was always better than the last.

It had to be perfect, conveying her pain in life and her hope in death. She just needed something to tell her what it was she could do. Her eyes strayed to the newly falling snow overhead. One snowflake caught her eye as it fell slowly and lingeringly until it landed on the ground below, settling among its brothers. And she knew.

A sad smile began to spread across her face at the memory. She knew just what to do. No one could stop her halfway; no one could help her even at the very end. It was so simple, and yet told so much about the way she had lived. Her life, once so easy and flowing, had become a giant crash. All on her ninth birthday….it had all come crashing to an end.

The smile fell as she found herself in the main entryway, surrounded by soldiers. Her eyes flew over the faces until it connected with one that sent a chill down her spine. He sneered at her, face twisting in rage. Their eyes locked, and for one moment, he knew her plans. He knew what she wanted to do, what she was going to do. And he couldn't allow that; he would be the one to enact his revenge! With a feral roar, he broke free of the soldiers surrounding him and darted at her.

Eyes widening, she took off down the hall, up the stairs, anywhere to escape. But still he followed, loudly cursing at her and screaming her death. She ran as fast as her smaller legs could carry her, surprisingly keeping her at a relatively far away distance from him. But he was closing in, if slowly. And he knew it.

She ducked into a stairwell, pausing to catch her breath as the door slammed shut and a resounding thud echoed through the abandoned area. The smallest of smiles returned to her face. He had run into the door. They could catch him. She could continue with her plans.

The loud shouts beyond the door sealed her thoughts and she smiled. Turning away from the noise, she started up the stairs. She would need to be extremely high for this to work.

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A commotion upstairs had attracted the brothers as they searched for the young girl. Curious, they headed towards the small group of soldiers, five of which appeared to be attempting to subdue someone. When they got close enough to see who it was, Ed's face twisted in rage.

"You!" Ed yelled, glaring at the man accusingly. He paused in his struggles to stare at the boy, a triumphant gleam forming in his eyes. The little brat he tried so hard to save was not even grateful for his efforts…

"You wasted your time with her, you know," he spoke slowly, deliberately, to give her time. Not for her own benefits, of course. He wanted her gone.

Ed frowned and continued to glare at the man. Al shifted next to him, as if trying to loosen tense muscles. "What the hell are you babbling about?!" He growled out.

DeRon chuckled. "You should know, boy. You spent all that time trying to help her, to save her, and she repays you by taking the life you tried so hard to protect."

Ed narrowed his eyes, suspicion glinting in the golden depths. "What? What are you talking about? Unless…" As his mind set to the idea, he leaped at the man in fury, grabbing his shirt collar. "You bastard! What did you do to her!?"

He chuckled again. "Do? I didn't do anything. It's her that's doing something. Something I am extremely grateful for." He leaned forward, a breath away from Ed's face, despite the soldiers pulling him back. "I want the little brat to kill herself."

Ed's eyes widened before narrowing again in suspicion. "You're lying!"

He laughed this time, leaning back away from the boy. "Don't you read the news, boy? Her best friend killed himself by hanging from the school roof, after you saw me." He grinned. "I assume she's going to go the same way as that stupid boy, as some sort of retribution. I don't really care, as long as she dies."

Ed shook his head slowly. Amanda wouldn't….she couldn't…. he just saw her a few days ago, and she was just fine! Happy, even! Why would she…? A gloved hand came down on his shoulder.

"Brother," Al started, slowly gripping his brother's metal shoulder. "Remember that boy who talked to us? The one who seemed so intent on protecting Amanda? I think that's the boy that….that killed himself."

Eyes wide and frowning, he shook his head in shock. "But…" As the implication of her actions returned to mind, he jumped again at DeRon, grabbing him around the neck.

He glared holes into the man's head, locking eyes to get his point across. "Where is she?"

DeRon motioned towards the door behind him. He had seen the glint in the boy's eyes. He wouldn't stop him, even if it would be too late.

Ed released him and, with a shout to Al, burst through the door and sprinted up the stairs two-by-two. He could hear Al's footsteps hurrying after his own, leaping up the stairs. They were running out of time.

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Amanda stood at the edge of the roof, staring out over the city with a blank gaze. Hope, who had once been held tightly by the girl's right hand, had been dumped unceremoniously beside the edge of the building, limply leaning against the rise of concrete. The wind blew softly from the high up, teasing the girl's stringy hair slightly as she focused her eyes down below.

It truly was a far way to fall, she thought, considering her options. In her left hand, she clutched a rope, found at the top of the stairwell. She could tie it to the door handle. It was long enough. But…

She glanced down the long stretch of wall and sighed. She would only go down so far. And nothing would show. She wanted to leave behind some kind of mark. Some sort of physical mark, one that people would glance at and think of her. The thought came quickly and stuck in her mind. A smile grew.

She would jump. Without the rope. That would leave a mark. A big red mark. Right below where she stood. And no gripping the large insignia cloth that hung from the building. It stretched halfway down the building. She would have to be careful nothing got caught in it as she fell. That would be even messier.

Pounding footsteps behind her had her glancing back in curiosity, despite her promise to never look back. Someone shouted out her name, just as the door swung open to reveal a blonde-haired boy, someone she knew. He called her again when he caught sight of her, his face paling.

"Amanda?"

She blinked, the memory coming back. This was Edward, her friend. He helped her, didn't he? He got her away from Them, didn't he? She frowned. Why couldn't she remember? Some part of her mind told her it was the drugs she'd taken before coming, but she ignored the little voice and instead focused on the other person standing behind Edward.

A six foot tall suit of armor, cold appearance but warmth in his heart. She smiled slightly. This was Alphonse, also her friend. He helped her too, didn't he? He made her feel loved and warmed her when she was cold, right? She couldn't remember. But they did seem so significant…

"Amanda!" Alphonse called, taking one step forward. "Come down from there, now, please!"

She shook her head. "I can't." Her voice came out raspier than she though it would. That voice in the back of her head told her it was from crying so much last night and early this morning.

Edward took a step forward as well, reaching a gloved hand to her. "Yes you can, Amanda. Just step down and come here."

She shook her head again, harder this time. "I can't," she insisted again. "I promised him I'd see him!"

A frown grew on the shorter boy's face. She could remember something about his height…something he didn't like….she dismissed the thought.

"Promised who? Who did you promise?" Alphonse spoke this time, his voice soft. She prided herself on remembering their names. If only her head would clear so she could remember something else.

"Keith. I promised him I'd see him again. And he's up there." She pointed to the heavens above, the sun shining brightly. "I need to go up there. So I need to fall."

Edward frowned and shook his head. She remembered him being the more….angry brother? "You don't have to visit him, and you don't have to fall. Amanda, come here, right now."

There was a demanding tone to his voice she felt herself immediately rebelling against as the memory of another man telling her the same thing, only to hurt her. Was this the same person? She regretted taking those pills earlier….now she couldn't remember anything!

"No," she said, her voice going cold. "No…" Her mind cleared slightly. "I'm going away forever. No one cares, anyway. Why should they? I'm not important. So I'm leaving. Forever! And no one can stop me!" She shuffled closer to the edge.

Edward moved closer to her, Alphonse right behind. "Amanda, don't! Stop! We care! We don't want you to die-"

"Yes you do!" She yelled, cutting him off. "You're just saying that so I'll go to you, and return to the pain! I don't want to go back! I don't want to feel anymore pain! I just want it all to go away, to leave me alone! And this is the only way!"

Alphonse shouted at her in the slightest, making her flinch. This was the first time she ever heard him raise his voice, even just a bit, from what she could remember. "It's not the only way, Amanda! We can help! Now, please come here!" He held out a hand to her, like Edward.

She looked from their hands to their faces, switching between brothers. Her decision faltered only slightly, when that little voice in the back of her mind told her it was okay to go back. She crushed it down, instead filling herself with anger at the ones that wanted her to return to the pain, both inside and out.

She narrowed her eyes in a glare. "NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She screeched out, shocking them slightly. She turned away from them and looked down at the gathering crowd of soldiers below. She spent one second to send a hopeful glance to the skies before stepping forward and over the edge, all in one heartbeat.

"AMANDA!"

The scream echoed behind her, as well as those from below. She watched, as if in slow motion, the ground became closer, her end coming. A glint of fear entered her eyes at the thought of pain. But the reminder that only a bit more and it would all be over comforted her, and she closed her eyes to accept death as it came closer.

The air whooshes by her ears, and if she turned her head slightly to the side, the sound of the air flying by went away. It became so quiet, so peaceful. A smile began to grow on her face at the calmness. Soon enough, she could be with him again…

Her eyes snapped open as an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against a solid chest. She blinked as, still in slow motion, she glanced back to see Edward holding onto her, them both falling through the air, as he shouted something up to Alphonse.

He reached out with his metal arm, grabbing at the cloth that hung from the front of the building. The metal fingers dug in and tore the cloth, slowing them down only slightly. Ed cursed as it did nothing and shouted back up at Al.

The wall shifted around them, forming a small ledge beneath them. Ed grabbed at the ledge as they reached it, latching onto it with his metal hand. Their descent stopped, and the stuffed animal Amanda had grabbed before jumping continued the fall to the ground below as it was tugged from her arms.

Time sped up, and the two hung in midair as the stuffed cat landed on the ground in less than a second and exploded at the seams from the impact. Amanda stared wide-eyed at the fluffy remains of the animal. She refused to believe that would have happened to her if she fell….would it have?

Ed shifted her in his arm as the wall around them glowed with a blue light. Stairs formed beneath them, leading safely down to the ground. He dropped onto the first step, setting Amanda down on the one in front of him. Keeping his hands on her shoulders, he led her safely down the stairs to the ground below. Alphonse appeared from the main door, having run down just as he finished making the stairs. He headed over to where Ed stood with Amanda, stopping only when he stood at their side.

Amanda looked up at the armored boy before her. She stared into the glowing eyes of his helmet, her own wide and afraid. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. She swallowed twice before managing to stammer out a sentence.

"I-I'm…s-sorry…"

She hid her face in her hands, letting the tears fall and the sobs escape, shaking her small body. She jumped when a hand landed on her hand. Glancing up, Amanda glimpsed Ed smiling in relief down at her. She choked, and a new wave of tears sent her sobbing again.

A crowd of soldiers had gathered around them, talking loudly. Somehow, reporters must have gotten past the gate, as lights went off as pictures were taken. Amanda flinched at the light, hiding her face against Ed's leg. He frowned and glanced to Al, who nodded. The younger brother reached down to gently lift up Amanda into his arms and carried her into the building. Ed followed closely, sending one last warning glare over his shoulder to the reporters and journalists that attempted to move closer.

They found an empty office to let Amanda compose herself, closing the door and setting her down on a desk. Once the tears subsided, she peeked at the brothers, afraid of what she'd see. Her head was perfectly clear now, most likely from the shock of almost dying. She met the eye of both brothers before looking to the floor in shame.

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled out again, her voice soft. Ed shared a look with Al and set a hand on Amanda's head. He wasn't the best with comforting children, especially little girls, but he could manage.

"No worries," he said, rubbing her head slightly.

"You're still our friend, Amanda," Alphonse added. "We really do care." Ed nodded his agreement.

She glanced from one to the other, her eyes unsure. "R-really…?" she asked uncertainly, hiccupping slightly. At their nods, she felt an immense joy flow through her body. A smile grew slowly on her face until it reached from ear to ear. She jumped from the desk, wrapping her arms around Ed's shoulders. He caught her awkwardly, smiling slightly. Alphonse laughed lightly. Amanda looked to him and, seeing his smile, reached out to hole one of his larger hands in her own.

"I'm glad…that someone cares."

Well, that's it. Or is it..? HMMM... I don't know. At this point, I may do an epilogue, since I believe I may have some loose ends to tie up. Ah well...one more chapter won't hurt, will it? Anyway, thanks again to those that reviewed and even just read this story! I enjoyed writing it, and I really hope you enjoyed reading it! Farewell, for now, my friends!