Hey! So, spring break hit and I had some free time. This is kind of a slow chapter. Nothing too dramatic or anything like that. I'm also not too clear on a lot of medical procedures, but I tried to be as accurate as possible. If I had anything wrong, please, feel free to correct me.

Again, a shout out to all those who reviewed my story! Thank you very much! I have finally hit the 50 mark! It's funny, actually. I was reading another fanfiction and they were like "Yay! I've hit the 200 mark!" and I'm just here thinking, "Wouldn't that be nice?", but I still love the reviews I'm getting. Honestly, they're probably the only things I write for now. Lol!

Anyway, enjoy chapter 11!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Previously:

That weak link between Ed and Roy disappeared as Ed's hand fell limply to hang by his side, almost lifelessly.

Roy turned around and began marching forward, like he always did before, one step at a time. The only thing different this time around was that Ed was no longer able to stay by his side, and that only made Roy's heart pang with the loneliness even more…

The Wake-Up Call

Hughes sat at Ed's bedside, his hands clenched together in fists near his mouth as his elbows rested on the bed. The continuous beeping of the machines around the young man reassured the ever fretting father, but he was far from relieved. From what he had been told, it seemed as though Ed was in a touch-and-go situation. The doctors had wanted to tell Roy everything because Ed was supposed to be under his guardianship, but it had been several hours since Hughes had last seen him and he didn't want Roy to be around to hear the damage report either, though he knew that sooner or later, his friend would learn of the extensive injuries upon his lover. Everyone was still extremely tensed and worried from the battle. Ed being landed in the hospital had exacerbated the high-strung emotions, especially on Roy, and Hughes didn't want Roy to understand the statistics of Ed's recovery. That man was too pessimistic – it would destroy him if he didn't have any hope left.

The doors to the room opened and he heard Al ask, "What did the doctor say?" as he came into the ICU room, his head bandaged. The sound of his voice pulled Hughes out of his revere to smile at his second son.

"What did the doctor say about you?" Hughes returned.

Al shook his head and sat down quietly on the other side of his brother, "Just a little scratch is all. No concussion, no head injuries. I'm fine. Havoc is being admitted though. He has a couple of broken ribs that need to be reset."

"I'm assuming that Riza will be staying with him. She didn't have any injuries, did she?"

"A few scratches here and there, but like me, nothing serious…nothing like Brother…"

Silence fell between the two of them, so much to the point where Hughes felt obligated to answer Al's initial question.

"The doctors say that the only thing we have to watch out for is the wound to Ed's abdomen. The cuts he received from Adonai are mere scratches compared to that. I mean, it wasn't as if Adonai's sword had pierced any vital points, but…"

"But it cut a hole through Brother's stomach, causing some of the stomach acid to burn through nearby arteries and possibly some vital organs, right?" finished Al.

"How did you know?"

"I was the one healing him before he even got to the hospital," replied Al, his voice soft, "I knew the statistics. You don't need to spare me the details. He probably died on the table, but was brought back in the nick of time, right?"

Hughes frowned, "You're awfully calm about this, Al. Isn't Ed one of the most important people to you? I mean, I don't even want to tell Roy any of this because I'm worried what it'll do to him."

Al smiled, "It's because of that reason that I refuse to believe that he'll leave me alone again. Brother is a fighter, always has been and always will be. He'll get through this alive, though recovery will be hard, but when has that stopped him?"

"What about the damage to Ed's lungs?" came a new voice, making both Hughes and Al jump in their seats. They jerked around to see a tired looking Roy leaning against the open doorway with an expression like he had always been there.

"How long have you been there?" choked Hughes.

"Is that important?" he asked back, walking into the room, his eyes solely on the ventilator on Ed's pale face. "Someone would have told me the extent of his injuries in the end anyway. Is he breathing on his own?"

Al cocked his head to a side, confusion spreading over his face, "Why are you asking about that? Doesn't he have more life-threatening injuries that you should be asking about?"

"Didn't you two just cover that?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"I think he's trying to ask why you're more worried about that than anything else," finished Hughes. "And I'm curious to find out how you already knew that there are traces of scarring in Ed's lungs."

"Brother has scarring in his lungs?! What was that caused by?" demanded Al, his golden-brown eyes widening in surprise.

"Something similar to tuberculosis," answered Roy, "Though there are no traces of TB within his bloodstream, right, Maes?"

Now it was Maes' turn to look confused. "How did you know that?"

"Because this idiot decided to make another deal with the Gate to protect us," Roy said, with a slightly angry tone, "Apparently, Adonai's powers were poison to humans, though I have no idea why, and the only way to prevent to world from dying before Ed had a chance to get rid of him was to agree to the Gate's ludicrous plan to make him the sole inheritor to whatever toxins Adonai was giving off."

A hiss of anger escaped Al.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too, but then, Ed told us about Germany and what he had to do to survive. Somehow, I can't seem to blame him for the actions that he took. He was just scared that history would repeat itself. He would rather die before he sees anyone else dear to him hurt. Even though it isn't fair to us, can you blame him for thinking in that way? I'm sure you're the same, Al. I am too. That's why we can't seem to forgive him for doing such things, but we would do the exact same things to protect him. We're all such hypocrites, but we're hypocrites for the ones we love. Does that make any sense at all?" mused Roy, lightly touching Ed's foot. Isn't that right, Ed?

Hughes grinned. It looked like Roy's time had finally started moving again. A little bit late, as usual, but stylish. It suited Roy, in every way. "Lucky Ed. Thanks to his lover, he can avoid lectures from his little brother…" chuckled Hughes, his mood lightening considerably, "According to the doctors, Ed should be fine, once he wakes up, but it's the recovery that might take a while, and knowing Ed's record with hospitals, it might take longer."

Roy nodded. "How long do you think he'll wake up?'

"Soon," responded Al, "And if he tries to escape, I will yell at him. I'm allowed to do that, right?"

"Perfectly," smiled Roy. "Maes, give me a call when he wakes up, alright? I'll try to stop by as much as I can, but I'm getting swamped with work."

"What kind of work?" frowned Hughes, "Even as a General, you shouldn't be getting overwhelmed with work, and I know for a fact that Ed hasn't blown up anything since he's come back, so no paperwork with that. What's going on?"

"Let's just say, I'm not a General anymore," said Roy as he turned to leave. Something about his tone perked Hughes' curiosity and desire to dig deeper.

"Roy, spit it out. What's going on? Why aren't you a General anymore?"

Roy turned his head back slightly so that Hughes could see him smiling, "Now, now, Maes, is that any way to speak to your new Fuhrer?"

Roy could almost hear his best friend's and little brother's jaws unhinge completely. He chuckled and just shut the door behind him. Outside, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his fluttering heart. Ed had not looked worse than when Roy had brought him in, but he didn't look any better. Roy was worried beyond reasoning, even though he knew that Ed would pull through. He knew…yet he had this feeling of dread that he could not just ignore. What was the cause of it? Without Hughes knowing, Roy had talked to all of Ed's doctors before he had visited his lover. They all reassured Mustang that Ed would be fine, but there was that feeling of unrest, like something hadn't been completely solved yet.

He sighed. There was nothing he could do now anyway, especially now that he had to pick up whatever Hakuro had left over. After hearing the truth from Ed, Mustang had already prepared himself to bring down Hakuro the moment this battle had ended, but someone had beat him to it. When that soldier brought him to headquarters, he was informed that Hakuro had "disappeared" without a trace and that he had left a will stating that Mustang was to inherit his position. He shook his head as he began walking back to his new office. Ed was definitely behind this – this had to be the "surprise" that Ed mentioned before. How, he did not know, but he had a feeling that Ed's assassination skills had come in handy once again.

There were footsteps scampering down the hallway again and several cries of his new title reached his ears. His break time was over, though he had actually snuck out of the office in order to see Ed. He sighed again. He had wanted this position for so very long now and worked his ass off to fulfill his goals, but now that he was here, now that he had climbed the top, he wanted nothing more than to climb straight back down into Ed's arms. Truly, there was nothing he could do now but to accept what had been laid in front of him and hope that everything worked out for the best.

Truth to be told, Ed had always welcomed the darkness - it was his quiet sanctuary, one that he was compelled to escape to often. Though he would never admit it to anyone else, he felt much more comfortable being hidden by the shadows. It was almost like all of his heinous sins could be washed away and forgotten in the empty night, and that was something he so desperately needed. Never once had he run away from his guilty pleasure, but right now, he was more terrified than he had ever been in his entire life. The pitch dark blackness dulled all his instincts and capabilities to react, but he could feel his heart thumping rapidly and heavily within its cage. His chest heaved as he tried to stop himself from hyperventilating; sweat dripped down his back and his entire body shook like a leaf in a gale. The worst part was that he didn't even know why he was so frightened of what used to be something he had taken comfort in. Some genius he was. For the life of him, he couldn't even figure out where he was or what he was doing there. He could just feel the heavy pressure push down upon him, suffocating and stifling any sound that he may or may not have made. He tried to move beyond the invisible bindings around him, trying to find that one person who could always shine the light upon him and save him, but suddenly, the tiny black hands of his victims clutched at his feet, crawling upwards to destroy any hope of escape. The putrid aroma of a metallic, iron smell sent his mind reeling into those locked memories of his past. He could see the blood stained faces of those he killed with his own hands. He could hear the sorrowful and angry whispers of their bodiless souls. Tears ran unchecked from his eyes. Whether they were caused by his guilt and remorse or his terror, he couldn't tell.

"Save me..." he whispered, covering his eyes with his bloody hands even though he knew that the images he saw were not truly in front of him but created from his nightmares.

"Roy, Al, save me..."

"No one can save you, Edward Elric," came that god awful, dead sneer. "I told you before, alchemist, your sins are too great."

Ed froze at the sound of his voice. In any other circumstances, Ed would have stood his ground and lashed out with the confidence he had in himself, but he was still too traumatized by his past sins. "Shut up, Adonai. You don't exist anymore," he said quietly, "You're sealed away and gone forever. You're not here. You're not here!"

"I warned you, didn't I, Edward Elric? I will haunt you and I will torture you until you can find no respite. You cannot run from me. You cannot hide from me."

"Shut up! You fucking bastard, leave me the hell alone!"

A freezing breeze caressed Ed's neck, sending icy chills down his already trembling spine.

"You will never be alone..." whispered Adonai, "I will always be here for you, just as he will."

In that second, Adonai shoved Ed's shields down and there standing in front of him was an exact replica of Ed, but his entire body was covered in a disgusting crimson liquid and his eerily silver eyes glittered with malice within the shadows. Shock nailed Ed to his place, unable to move as he came nearer and nearer. Slowly and silently, his automail arm drew closer and closer to Ed's eyes.

Ed couldn't help it. Despite being a hardened, strong man, his terror consumed him and he let out a scream which echoed around the dark emptiness that had now become Ed's worst nightmare.

Ed's eyes jerked open, his senses reeling into overdrive and overwhelming him. Machines hummed nearby and the breathing of a solitary presence made itself heard above all else. It comforted him, even though pain and paranoia was slowly creeping throughout his body. He gradually became aware of a throbbing, hot agony around his stomach, shooting lightning to all his numbed limbs, but that wasn't the only source of extreme discomfort. Something was obstructing his airway, like a plastic bag had been spread over his mouth. Clumsily, he tried to raise his left hand to remove whatever it was that covered his mouth, but his arm merely flopped at his side, weak and useless. Shock ran through him. He tried his right arm - same thing. Angry and frustrated, Ed let out a growl, but even his vocal chords seemed damaged by that stupid plastic bag and what was supposed to sound threatening turned into a low whine.

A gentle hand ran through his hair. If Ed could move, he would've flinched, even though he knew that he wouldn't be injured further. His nightmare, if that was what it could be called, was still fresh on his mind.

"Are you awake, Ed? Does anything hurt?" came a soft voice originating from the space to Ed's right.

Ed blinked and tried to place that familiar voice since he couldn't seem to move at all. It wasn't Roy's, which made his heart fall considerably, but Roy probably had a good reason to not be next to him. Ed whined again. He wanted to get what he figured was a ventilator out of his mouth. It wasn't much, but apparently the man sitting next to him understood what he was trying to say.

"Sorry, Ed. We can't take it out yet. You weren't breathing on your own and you still have some damage to your lungs, but the doctors say that it can be taken out tomorrow."

A face came into his field of vision and he smiled in relief to see his father figure grinning at him. The last time he saw Hughes, he was exhausted and still trying to cover for his fallen comrades. There was that unspoken fear that Hughes would have been taken back as well, but he was alive and well in front of Ed and that was enough to settle Ed's fears for now.

He stared up at Hughes, his mouth moving to ask about his brother and precious people. He didn't mention Roy though. As much as he knew that his disappointment was not logical, he couldn't help but feel slightly hurt. Hughes seemed to comprehend Ed's thoughts and began reassuring him about all his precious people, including Roy.

"Everyone is fine," replied Hughes, "Al was here until ten minutes ago. He needed to take a shower - he's been by your side every minute. He was starting to smell bad," he joked, "Roy is also fine. According to him, you took the extensive injuries he would have had."

Ed could hear the disapproval in Hughes' voice, but he couldn't bring himself to regret his decision.

"Roy has been coming and going, visiting you whenever he can, but he's been awfully busy."

Ed shot him a confused look.

"Roy is the new Fuhrer," grinned Hughes, "Apparently Hakuro felt threatened to stay in position after so long because of the Adonai incident and delegated that Roy was to take over once he left. Now, this is on the down low, but Hakuro had been doing some shady business underneath the tables, so Roy is trying hard to figure out a solution to everything before people suspect him. He pretty much has everything settled now, though. That man truly is amazing."

Hughes frowned when he glanced at Ed's seemingly unmoved expression. "You don't look surprised or shocked by these news. You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this, would you?"

The blonde shrugged as best as he could. He couldn't really say that he was the one Hakuro felt threatened by, could he? He would only seem to be the puppeteer behind Roy if that got out and all of Roy's efforts to get to where he was now would go to waste.

"Never mind," said Hughes, "You probably went all ninja on him, right?"

Another confused look.

"Sorry, sorry," laughed Hughes, "I'm saying a whole bunch of things that won't make sense to you. I'm starting to remember some parts of my time in the Gate. It's not clear, but there are some memories that stand out more so than others. Have you ever seen cherry blossoms, Ed? Standing underneath a rainfall of their petals in a soothing breeze – it was probably the most beautiful scene I have ever seen in my entire life, and I'm married to Gracia! I can't remember anything past that though – I have a feeling that I don't want to either. Is that how it was for you in the Gate?"

Ed hesitated. Where would he even begin to start explaining the darkness that still threatened to swallow him whole? Unlike Hughes, Ed never really had any hope in that other world or within the Gate itself. He merely accepted where he was and strived to escape. He never hoped, he never wished. He stuck to the facts. That way, he would never have to feel the same way he did on October third when he failed to bring his mother back. Perhaps that was why Hughes was able to see such a beautiful scene within the Truth. The Truth merely reflected what the heart saw. Hughes saw hope and beauty – Ed saw nothing and blackness. Even now, that indefinite darkness threatened to take him. Ed's eyelids started drooping and the room became hazier. He fought against the impeding weakness, but the drugs had started to take effect and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He whined softly again, hoping that Hughes would understand his fear of falling asleep again.

"Don't worry, Ed. We'll still be here, and so will Roy. Just rest and by the time you wake up again, you'll be able to talk, alright?" Hughes said gently, completely misinterpreting Ed's sound.

Ed's eyes fell closed, whatever little hope he had disappearing.

All he could do now was silently bear with it and survive the night again as the shadows consumed him once more.

"Done," sighed Roy, slamming down the last of the tedious paperwork he had on the large desk in front of him. Hakuro's deeds had been erased from the history of Amestris and all relations with Drachma had been cut. All the money lost had been replaced with whatever was in Hakuro's bank account, which, oddly, had amounted to a large sum. Of course, all this was done under the tables. It wasn't that Roy was trying cover up for the previous Fuhrer – he just couldn't risk the people believing that he was a part of all the shenanigans that was going on.

"Fuhrer," came Riza's muffled voice from behind the heavy door.

"Come in," Roy responded, sinking down into his comfy, leather chair.

The quiet markswoman entered the office, shutting the door tightly behind her. "Sir, I have finished what you have asked. Everything has been dealt with. There are no traces of any documents left and no ties leading back to you or Ed."

"Good, I'm finished on my side too. We can finally push this behind us," said Roy, his tone filled with relief.

"Your inauguration will be set next week then."

"Right…" Roy paused a little, "Has there…?"

Riza smiled, "Maes just informed me that Ed has woken up. He was only conscious for a few minutes, but he was awake and responding to everything Maes was saying to him. He wasn't in too much pain either, at least from what Maes could see."

"Really?" Roy burst to his feet, "Did he ask for me?"

Riza shook her head, "He couldn't talk. The ventilator was preventing him from doing so."

Roy picked up his coat. "I'm going to go see him."

"You might want to wait. The doctors are taking out the ventilator in ten minutes or so. It won't be pleasant for you or Ed."

"I need to be there," insisted Roy, "I haven't seen him in the last three days and he finally woke up after a week's time, which by the way, I wasn't there for. I need to see him, Riza. Don't you dare stop me."

"I wasn't planning to, Roy, but you have to remember, Ed doesn't like people to see him in pain or weak. If you're around while he has to undergo an uncomfortable procedure, he's just going to hide it and in his situation, that may not be the best idea."

At that, Roy hesitated, "I know…but…"

Riza sighed as she looked at Roy's expression. It was as if someone had just kicked his puppy. "Roy, I'm not going to stop you. Just keep in mind that Ed is still not out of the woods yet. Please don't get him worked up about anything – and that includes you, do you understand?"

Roy nodded, and Riza smiled, opening the door for him. Roy didn't need a second indication. He sprinted out the doors like Riza had her gun pointed at him and within minutes, he was panting in front of Ed's hospital room. He took a huge breath and then quietly opened the door. Hughes and Al was sitting by Ed's side and playing cards.

"Maes? You're still here? What about Gracia and Elysia?" he asked after Al and Hughes greeted him.

"Gracia understands. I called her earlier. What about you? Aren't you busy, oh mighty Fuhrer?" grinned Maes.

Roy just brushed him off. "I'm officially done with any work until I'm actually inaugurated next week. How's Ed doing, Al?"

"Pretty well, actually. The doctors said that he is finally stable."

"He's going to be breathing on his own today?"

"That's the plan, but if he isn't able to, they might have to stick that atrocious long tube back down Brother's throat."

Roy frowned, "Are you sure they should take it out today?"

"Ed asked for it," said Hughes, "When he woke up, it was really bothering him, which is a sign that he can actually breathe on his own. However, there's always that slight chance that something will be aggravated and he'll have…issues…again."

Roy's frown grew more pronounced. He came over and sat on the bed, near Ed's hip. "So is this going to happen when he wakes up on his own or is the doctor going to do it?"

"Hopefully, when Ed wakes up on his own. The drugs are supposed to wear off in a few minutes, so he'll be conscious soon. At least that's the plan."

"If the drugs wear off, will Ed be in pain then?"

"They're just stopping the drugs that are helping him sleep."

"Why did he need that?"

"He's been restless in his sleep."

"Aren't those just nightmares? Why did they sedate him like that? Why didn't they just let him wake up from them?"

"Even though those nightmares are just as damaging as his physical wounds, Brother's body can't take any serious jostling or movements. He almost bled out on the table – he can't afford to hurt himself further. We had to make this decision. I just hope we won't regret it…" whispered Al. His face looked tortured and so painfully young that Roy felt inclined to be supportive even though he disagreed with his friends' decision.

"He'll make it through," assured Roy, though he shuddered to think of being trapped in the never-ending nightmares of his past sins. He couldn't even begin to imagine it…

Suddenly, they heard a muffled whine and they all leaned in closer to see Ed's eyes flutter open. Oddly, they weren't dull or tired. Instead, they swiveled around quickly, his pupils taking in every detail in the room; even his breathing was shallow and rapid – he was having a small panic attack from what he had dreamt of.

"Ed, can you hear me?" Roy asked, gently touching his lover on the cheek. Ed entire body froze at the contact, but softened as he realized who it was. He was safe. Roy was alive, Al was alive, everyone was alive…It was just a nightmare…one that he had been trapped in for heaven's knows how long. Ed snuggled against Roy's hand, almost purring at the feel of his skin.

Roy chuckled, "It's not a dream, Ed. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Sorry for not being here when you woke earlier though…"

"Listen, Ed," started Hughes, "Now that you're up, the doctor is going to come and remove the ventilator. You okay with that?"

Ed's eyes shined at the prospect. By the Gates, he had loathed that stupid tube. He didn't even think it was necessary!

The door opened and a bald, rotund man in a white coat walked in, reading a clipboard. "Colonel Elric, I assume that you're awake?" He glanced up and confirmed his question. "Alright then," he continued in the same bored voice, "We will be taking out that tube and see if you can breathe on your own. And by 'we', I mean 'me'."

Ed tried shooting him a glare. Oh, hell no. This man was not going to touch him with that condescending attitude. He looked at Roy, his mouth moving in anger.

"Excuse me, doctor, are there any other doctors that can perform this procedure? Ed isn't comfortable with you," Roy quickly said.

Al laughed, "Comfortable wouldn't be the exact words, would it? It's more like 'piss off', isn't it?"

Ed shot him a look. His little brother should not be saying such things!

"What? I was just saying aloud what you said, Brother! And you started saying such vulgar things long before my age, so you stop your glaring."

Roy snorted. Even speechless, it didn't mean that the Fullmetal Alchemist was wordless.

"I assure you, I am perfectly capable of doing a simple procedure. Besides, the longer you wait, the more discomfort you'll feel," the doctor explained calmly.

"Have you been Ed's doctor before?" Hughes asked. "You seem to know how to deal with him."

"Should I say fortunately or unfortunately?" he responded. "It's been a while though. Long time no see, Colonel Elric."

Al and Hughes laughed.

"Alright, enough of that. Colonel Elric, before I perform this procedure, I must warn that there will be extreme discomfort while removing the tube from your throat. I also must warn you that due to your injuries, you must be careful not to move too much lest you worsen them. Is that understood?"

Ed just glared. The doctor ignored him and approached the bed, shooing Hughes, Roy, and Al away. Roy moved closer to Ed though, standing by the right side of his head.

The doctor removed the tape surrounding the tube and glanced at Hughes and Al, "If he starts struggling, make sure you hold down his arms, understood?"

They nodded. "Then let's begin."

The doctor unscrewed the top of the ventilator and began to draw it out. Ed squeezed his eyes shut with the choking sensation. Despite the warnings, he started to thrash about, coughing and hacking, trying to get the tube out as quickly as possible, but as he did so, fire shot through his entire body and his back arched in response. Hands groped at him, shoving him back down. His entire body protested, causing more agony to spread through him. Tears reached the corners of his eyes. Then, he felt a comforting hand grasp his. He clung to it, just as the tube exited his throat. Instantly, the hands released him and he swung over to the side, vomiting whatever liquid was in his stomach, burning the insides of his esophagus. The tears dropped to the ground as Ed heaved to catch his breath back, groaning as he stretched his wound far more than he should have. Someone rolled him onto his back and his shirt was flung upwards as someone checked his wound, probing around and striking tender areas. Comforting words reached his ears as he bit his lower lip to prevent any whimpering sounds to escape. It soothed him, and so did that gentle hand that never let go of his. Slowly, his body began to relax, his breathing evening out. The pain from his injury had not subsided completely, but Ed could at least form coherent thoughts now. Unconsciously, Ed's hand hovered over his stomach, lightly pressing it as if it would dissolve all the pain for a minute.

"Colonel Elric, could you speak for me? Your throat might be sore, but we'll have some ice chips nearby that will make it feel better," said the doctor.

Ed blinked a few times, trying to find his voice.

"Colonel Elric?"

"Shut up…" hissed Ed, his tone extremely hoarse, "You're annoying."

Al laughed in relief, "Figures that would be the first thing he says…"

"Why did he puke?" asked Hughes, "I've seen this procedure happen before, but I've never seen anyone react like him."

"Well, Colonel Elric has a serious wound to his stomach which was aggravated by the removal of the ventilator. That shouldn't be a problem anymore though. You should get some rest, Colonel Elric. We'll resume the drugs that will enable you to sleep."

"No. No drugs," said Ed, "I refuse to have that running through my body."

"Fine. I will be back later to check on your injuries. Until then…" The doctor bid goodbye as he left the room.

Ed relaxed visibly into his pillows, sighing as he rubbing at his stomach.

"Stop it, Brother. That won't do you any good," scolded Al.

Ed ignored him. Instead, he tightened his grip on Roy's hand. "What's the verdict on me? When am I getting out?"

"You're not getting out anytime soon, Ed, no matter what you're planning," replied Roy.

"I'm not planning anything," sniffed Ed, his golden eyes sparkling mischievously, "What about you, almighty Fuhrer?"

"I knew it! You were behind it, weren't you?"

"What are you talking about? Hughes told me when I woke up. Congrats, Fuhrer Bastard."

"Liar."

"Fuhrer Bastard…that just doesn't roll off the tongue as well…"

"Stop deflecting, Ed. I know you did it."

"Can you prove it?"

"Can you prove yourself innocent? You were the last one near Hakuro after all."

"I'll prove it if you discharge me."

"Not going to happen."

"Come on, you know I hate hospitals!"

"No, Ed. You have a hole in your stomach. You're not going anywhere!"

"I'm fine. I can rest back at home."

"And where is home for you? Your old residence was sold when you disappeared."

"What?! What happened to my stuff?"

"You're worrying about that now? Don't you have other things to worry about?"

"Yes, like getting out of here!"

"Quiet, you two! Damn, I'm leaving. I don't need to hear you two arguing like an old couple. I'm going home to see Gracia," shouted Maes. Hughes outburst was like hearing a piece of glass break. It shocked everyone in the room.

"I'm going with you," hurried Al, "Winry probably wants to know what your condition is, Brother."

The door slammed behind the two. Roy and Ed just glanced at each other and started grinning. In the past, whenever the two would argue, the vicinity would clear out within seconds. It felt good to know that it still held true five years later.

Roy moved around so that he was sitting on the bed again, his hands caressing Ed's face. "Now that we have the room to ourselves…" he murmured, dipping forward to place a gentle kiss on Ed's lips.

Ed returned it, smiling as he stared up into those deep pools of midnight darkness, "Spend the night?" he offered.

"I'll probably be kicked out, you know," Roy warned, but he still laid down onto his side facing Ed. He reached out a hand and twirled a strand of golden hair.

"You're the Fuhrer. I highly doubt it…" Ed shifted slightly to become closer to Roy and feel the warmth of his lover, but his wound was already aggravated from earlier and Ed froze with a hiss of pain..

"Ed? Are you alright?" Roy's voice was laced with concern.

Ed waited for the wave of pain to pass, his hand lightly rubbing his stomach. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Don't push yourself, Ed. I've already lost you twice – I won't be able to stand any more of this…"

Ed brushed his lips against Roy's, his eyelids already growing heavier and heavier. He snuggled closer to Roy's chest, his free hand grasping his lover's shirt. "Sorry, Roy…"

"Don't apologize," Roy whispered, kissing the top of Ed's head as his arm wrapped around the slender body. "Just don't leave me again."

Slight pause, and then the sleepy response: "I promise."

"Good. Sleep well, Ed."

Ed smiled. When Roy was here, it felt as though Ed had nothing to fear, not even the nightmares. It was like Roy's presence was his shield – protecting him from all physical and mental dangers. "I love you, Roy," he mumbled, the heavy exhaustion pushing down upon him.

"I love you more, Ed." That was the last thing Ed heard before falling into a restful bliss. Roy followed suit quite quickly. The long work hours and the stress had finally taken a toll. Together, the two most powerful men in all of Amestris slept like lambs, completely free of any hauntings from their past in each other's arms. They didn't even notice Hughes sneak back into the room to snap a photo of the two. Of course, if Roy knew, he'd smack Maes first, take the negatives, and keep a copy of the picture for himself, but for now, the ever doting father was safe.

The two slept peacefully with no knowledge of the wheels that had begun to turn in the shadows…

"The Fullmetal Alchemist is now weakened by the battle with Adonai. I want you to finish him off and then go after the Flame. Mustang will fall with the Fullmetal's death. It will be an easy mission. Do not fail me, Heino. Your training from the other world should be more than enough to complete what I have commanded of you."

A slim man dressed in all black bowed his head, "Yes, Lord Hakuro." He stood and began to exit the dark room until Hakuro spoke up again.

"You refused to work for me until I mentioned the Fullmetal. Why is that, Heino?"

Heino turned back around, his handsome face smiling at Hakuro, "I haven't seen my protégé since he completed the training camp four years ago. I'm quite intrigued on how he is now."

"You are to kill him, do you understand me, Heino? This is no time for a reunion."

"Of course. I have to get my revenge someday, won't I? Keep in mind that that is the only reason why I am working for a stupid pig like you."

"How dare you?!"

Instantly, Hakuro found a steel blade against his jugular vein. Heino's cold eyes shone with killing intent.

"I am not like Fullmetal. I do not have a conscience in killing anyone in my path. That includes you, but I will complete this mission merely because it seems like fun and I owe you my thanks for giving me this opportunity. Are we clear?"

Hakuro nodded dumbly.

"Good." The knife disappeared. Hakuro shuddered and fell to his knees.

"Fullmetal will die in a week's time. In that time, I will wreak hell upon his world, as he did in mine."

And then Heino was gone, like an ominous shadow that threatened to overtake everything – even the brightness of the golden Hero of the People.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Like always, I would really appreciate any feedback on it. I feel like I'm getting worse and worse at writing this story...it's quite sad, really. Anyway, this will be the last chapter for a while. I'm not going on hiatus and I won't stop writing this. It's just that the month of April is going to be hectic. I have to study for AP tests and keep my grades while balancing badminton in my life. I seriously have at minimum 3 games a week. It's going to be terrible, so I probably won't have time to write anything. The month of May should be better, so if you all will just bear with me and continue to support me, I will be forever grateful!

Anyway, thanks for reading and as usual: PLEASE REVIEW!!! :D

~ Kanae Yuna ~