Hi people. First of all, I really want to apologize for how long this chapter took. I couldn't think of anything to write...it was a little sad. Stupid writer's block. Anyway, I finally got this out. Sorry for taking so long, but I hope you are all still with me! An epilogue should be coming soon, but since my semester is almost coming to an end, I don't want to make any promises saying that it's going to come within the next month or so, but I will try.

Thanks for supporting me! As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Previously:

"Welcome back, Ed," grinned Roy, his hand stroking Ed's cheek...Ed could hear the thumping of their hearts echoing into one. It was only then did Ed and Roy both truly know that this wasn't a dream – Ed had finally returned.

Ed took a deep breath, drawing more strength to tell his story. "He was my best friend…"

The End of the Beginning

The words echoed around the room. No one knew what to think. On the field, Edric had claimed that he and Heino were lovers, though Hughes could tell that he had been lying. It seemed unlikely, that someone like Heino could even be on good terms with Ed.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Roy, frowning. From the memories he had of Heino, it was difficult for him to believe that that murderer had a single shred of humanity within him. Even now, he could still feel the twinges of his broken ribs each time he breathed.

"Heino wasn't always the way he was now. According to Edric, Heino was like me. He was forced to join the camp and go through the same things as I had. By the time I met him, he was already losing himself. There were times when he would black-out and massacre innocent people, but I was there to stop him. We made a promise to each other, that no matter what would happen in Germany, we would knock some sense into the other if we lost our minds."

"Before I knew it, Heino had fallen in love with me. I was still hung up on Roy, but I couldn't refuse him either. He was the only companion I had, so I played along. We were surviving as ourselves, and that was all that mattered then. That all changed when I got hurt protecting him on a mission. He became obsessive of becoming stronger to make sure that I would never be harmed again. He started dabbling in darker methods – drugging himself to the point where he could barely recognize me. One time, he slipped up, and almost took my head off. Horrified, he resolved to find another way to protect us."

Here, Ed chuckled mirthlessly, "He chose to fuck around with me. One night, he sedated me and brought me to the mad scientists of Germany. I was 'chosen' to be the first 'invincible' soldier. I don't remember anything after that – Edric told me that he was created during one of their experiments and I would often have days where I flittered between me and him. In the end, Edric took control over the weaknesses that I had struggled to hide for so long. And the Crimson Phantom was born."

"You said that you killed Heino, but was that you or Edric?" Al questioned.

Brief sadness shadowed Ed's golden orbs. "You have to understand, Heino only went insane because of me. It only made sense that I would be the one to stop his madness." He paused. "I should have."

"But you couldn't…" finished Roy, nodding his head in understanding. The bonds between comrades who had counted so heavily on each other in times of war were not easily broken. Especially for a man like Ed who was loyal to the death.

"Edric erased my memories of Heino when my mind started to break down after he killed him. Then I met Winnie and Alphons. The rest…you all know already…" Ed's voice trailed off as the memories receded.

Ed sagged against his pillow, his grip on Roy loosening dramatically. He could feel his strength fading away; the adrenaline and urge to tell Heino's story had disappeared now that he had explained everything as best as he could. His entire body ached; the wounds from the battles throbbed painfully.

"So, basically, we were all thrown back and forth because Heino was madly in love with you? What did you do?" exclaimed Havoc.

Ed chuckled tiredly, "Oh, you know. I just turned on my charm is all."

Laughter rumbled around him and his smiled widened. Roy's grasp on his hand tightened briefly, as if saying "mine". Ed returned the gesture, though his grip was much weaker than Roy had expected.

"Maes, Riza, do you have a cover story for us? We're going to need more time to recover," he said, his eyes catching Ed's. That brightness had now dulled over with exhaustion. Even considering how stoic Ed could seem to be, there was no hiding the tiredness that took over the young man like a cascading wave.

"Ed can take as long as he wants to rest. You, on the other hand," replied Maes, "You are the Fuhrer. At best, we can only give you a few more days."

"Unless something else happens," muttered Havoc, eliciting a hard slap on the back of his head by Al and Riza.

"What was that for?" spluttered the hapless soldier.

"Don't say things like that, you idiot! What if it comes true?" hissed Riza.

Havoc gave her a bewildered look, "But everything's over. Boss is back with us and we're all in one piece. All threats are gone for now, but we're in the military. We should know better than anyone else that peace never lasts."

"But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it while it lasts," huffed Maes, standing up to stretch. "Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going home to hug my wife and daughter. Then, we're going to curl up and sleep."

Riza nodded, "I'll give you a ride back, Maes. Jean, I'll walk you back to your room to get some rest too." She bent down and kissed Ed's forehead gently, "see you soon, Ed."

"Get some sleep, Ed," Maes said before he disappeared out the door with Riza and Havoc trailing behind him.

"Well, that's my cue to clear out too," smiled Al, "Winry is waiting for me back home too, so I should join her."

"Home?" asked Ed, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I enrolled back into my university – they were so happy they gave me an apartment nearby the hospital, free of charge. Winry and I moved in a week ago. You're always welcome to stay with us once you're released."

"It's okay, Al. I don't want to intrude…Besides," he looked at Roy with a smile on his face, "I'm sure Roy's got a room for me somewhere in that big mansion of his."

Immediately, the Fuhrer's expressions softened to something so gentle and warm that even Al felt his heart skip a beat.

"Of course," Roy replied, leaning down to press his lips against Ed's forehead. Al began slipping out the moment he saw his brother snuggle in closer to Roy's chest, the lines of fatigue clear upon his face. The lovers never even saw the youngest member of their family close the door behind him.

"Roy, 'm tired…" murmured Ed, his head lolling to press against Roy's hand.

"I know, but stay awake for me for a little bit longer?"

There was something about Roy's tone that made Ed force himself out of the dreamlike revere to look at the Fuhrer. Roy had started to stroke Ed's head, playing with his soft, golden hair, but even with a wistful expression, he couldn't hide the fright within his deep, obsidian eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked.

"Nothing…"

"Bullshit," snorted Ed. "I'm injured, not an idiot. Tell me what's going on with you."

"I'm just…" Roy sighed. "Just promise me that you'll wake up again?"

Instantly, Ed understood. After everything that happened, it would make sense that Roy would develop a fear about losing him all over again. If the same things occurred to Roy, there was no doubt in Ed's mind that he would be in the same boat as him.

"I promise," he sincerely replied, patting the bed next to him. "How about you join me so that you can wake up with me?"

Roy didn't need to hear that twice. Ed scooted over slowly to make enough room for the larger man, wincing as his movements accidentally aggravated his wounds. Knowing Ed, Roy didn't ask whether he was alright, but instead, curled up against Ed, his arms wrapping around the thin man's frame. Roy's chin rested on top of Ed's head while the blonde's forehead pressed against his chest. The raven could feel Ed's weak grip on his shirt, and he only tightened his grasp upon Ed as much as he could without harming his significant other.

The company of one another soothed the two to sleep, finally together with nothing between them but their clothes.

He was drifting through the wind, flittering with the flow like a thin sheet of paper. But for some odd reason, he didn't mind it. Usually, he would fight with everything he had, making his own path. This time, a certain feel of serenity washed over him. There was no blood or smoke to stifle his sense; no darkness to bury him in terror. It was just an airy light that surrounded him.

Smiling, he opened his golden eyes, seeing nothing in front of him, but he could feel the presence of someone so dear to him. Invisible hands reached down to hug him and he responded, knowing that this was probably going to be the very last time he would ever feel his other self.

"Take care, Ed," Edric quietly said to him, his voice filled with love.

"You too, Edric."

"Be careful. You haven't finished tying all the knots yet."

Frowning, Ed asked, "What's left?"

"I can't tell you that – you need to figure that out yourself," Edric said softly, slowly fading away.

"Wait, don't go!" protested Ed.

"I have to, Ed. This isn't my world – it's yours. Live my life for me, will ya, Ed?"

Nodding, Ed relinquished his hold. Edric had to disappear in order for Ed. If there was any other way, he would have wished for a different outcome, but there wasn't anything he could do but send off his other self with a smile on his face.

Tears made Ed's eyes seem like they were shimmering in the light. Grinning widely, he reach up to touch where he knew Edric's face was.

"Goodbye, Edric."

And the Crimson Phantom was no more…

Ed woke with tears still running down his cheeks. His heart ached with the loss of the one who had protected and sacrificed so much for him. All of a sudden, he felt like he needed fresh air – to come to terms with Edric's ultimate sacrifice. Hearing Roy's slow and steady breaths, Ed knew that his lover was still asleep. Not wanting to wake him from the sleep that he probably needed more than anything else, he quietly slipped out from Roy's grip, ignoring the pangs of pain from his injuries and the sudden cold chill from the lack of touch.

Treading silently, he walked down the dark hallway of the hospital, completely unseen by the scurrying doctors and nurses. Who knew that the skills he learned from Edric would be so useful? Making his way to the stairs, he slowly climbed the stairs to the roof. The heavy door slammed open with a loud thud – the cool breeze caressed Ed's face as he welcomed the sight of the falling dusk. Standing close by the railing, he took a deep breath, feeling the thickness in his chest gradually lessen. Though he would probably always miss Edric, he felt a little relief that his body was now his alone once again. Perhaps, with the Crimson Phantom gone, he could put Germany and everyone connected to that time behind him. Move on and live on as the Fullmetal Alchemist again.

Now there was a thought he liked. He could always be by Roy's side, protecting and being protected. He would get to visit Al and Winry and their future children – he would probably be the fun uncle who showed off with his alchemical skills. Maybe, he might even be given the honor to name them. Who knew? Hughes and Gracia would never close their doors to him either – Elysia would grow to be a gorgeous woman and Hughes would freak out, using his connections to spy on her suitors. Maybe after Havoc and Riza got married, the woman would hang up her gun for good, though he highly doubted it.

Chuckling to himself, Ed found himself relaxing more and more, almost missing the familiar presence of Roy who embraced the blonde from behind. The black-haired man had woken up to an empty bed. He had panicked for a brief moment, but when his logical mind started to turn, he knew that he would find the alchemist on the roof – Ed always did like secluded and high places when he had something on his mind.

"What are you laughing at?" he murmured into Ed's ear.

Ed leaned back into Roy, shaking his head with a smile still on his face. "Nothing. It was just silly fantasies."

"What are you doing out of bed?" Roy asked.

"Thinking. I had a dream about Edric."

Silence filled between the two of them; Ed could feel Roy's arms tighten. Was he jealous of Ed's other self or was it anger? Ed doubted he would ever know. He was expecting Roy to continue questioning him, but when nothing came from his lover, he knew that Roy respected him enough to let Ed go at his own pace – to talk only when he wanted to. Other than Al, he would never find another man who was so understanding, so patient with someone as explosive as him. His heart beat harder with the sudden surge of love for Roy. Roy deserved to know everything.

"Edric is gone," he said quietly, "I can't feel him anymore."

"Good," Roy sighed, "I'm thankful for what he has done for you, but now you can finally be freed from what bound you to Germany."

"It feels so surreal. Everything is over. I'm a free man, but I can't help and feel like I've forgotten something. That it's lurking in the shadows, just waiting to screw everything up again."

"There is always something there. If you keep looking back to search for it, you're never going to move forward. Stop worrying about what could be there, Ed. I'll always be right behind you, no matter what."

"I'd rather walk with you side by side. How else am I going to be able to make fun of you, bastard Fuhrer?" laughed Ed.

"How original, Fullmetal shorty," chuckled Roy.

Ed sagged further, letting Roy's strong arms support him. All the tension died away in his body, leaving nothing but the desire to sleep until the next day.

"Shall we go back?" Roy suggested.

Ed nodded numbly and Roy bent down to pick up the blonde princess style. Under any other circumstances, Ed would have thrashed about and protested, but he needed this close contact with Roy as much as Roy needed him. Lolling his head against Roy's chest, he succumbed to sleep listening to that heart beat ever so steadily, convincing him that this was reality and nothing else.

A tall man with a chiseled face gnawed at his nails in the shadows. His once neatly combed tan hair was fraying out of place; stubs covered his chin, giving him a ragged look. His brown eyes were crazed and furious as he quietly watched a handsome figure with a blonde man in his arms walk past him and into a nearby room. Loathing struck him even harder than before. His plans had failed – his entire life was ruined because of some stupid kid who was too smart for his own good. What had he done wrong? Sure, he accepted bribes from the Drachma, but he still kept Amestris running, didn't he? No one was hurt by his actions. Now, he had lost all his power and authority, not to mention all his money as well. He couldn't contact his wife who, after hearing the news about him, filed for divorce and disappeared in a fortnight. Everything was gone.

And it was all Edward Edric's fault.

Cackling to himself, he pressed himself against the wall, completely disappearing from view as he blended into the darkness. People did always tell him that if he wanted to get something done right, he had to do it himself. Heino obviously failed, but he wouldn't. No, he was determined to get his revenge on the Fullmetal Alchemist. It was killing two birds with one stone – once Edward was out of the picture, Roy Mustang would be easy pickings. After all, a man couldn't survive long without his heart, which meant that he could take back everything that was his from the start – the seat of the Fuhrer.

Hakuro could wait just a few hours more for his arrangements to succeed. A few more hours, and everything would be right once again…

It had been a long time since Ed had a dreamless sleep. His body was relaxed, lulled deeper and deeper into the abyss. There was no pain in this world – no black hands grabbing at him to drag him down further. Yet, even as his consciousness drifted along, he could feel Roy's strong arms around him, never wavering from his side. A smile touched his lips as he snuggled closer to Roy. Subconsciously, Roy shifted slightly, curving his body more comfortably nearer to Ed's.

Somewhere in his sleep, Ed heard a click. It sounded familiar, but his mind turned too slowly for him to immediately determine the origin of the sound. Deciding to ignore it, he tried to will himself back to sleep. Suddenly, his instincts screamed at him, jerking him awake. His eyes snapped open only to stare down the barrel of a gun pointing start at the center of his forehead. He didn't have time to even see the person holding the weapon – adrenaline rushed through his veins and he immediately ducked as a shot rang out. Mustang jolted at the all too familiar sound and reacted defensively, meaning to snap his fingers and attack the intruder. With horror, he realized that he had no gloves on to protect himself or the man in his arms.

"Stay down!" hissed Ed as he pushed himself upwards. His strong arms pressed down on the bed, supporting his lithe body as he swiped his right leg towards the attacker. There was a grunt of pain, but Ed's kick did nothing to daunt him. Another shot rang out and Ed recoiled; the bullet had buried itself into his automail leg, too close to the nerves for comfort.

"Little fucker," snarled Ed as he clapped his hands. Blue, alchemical light lit up around his hands as he slammed it against the metal railing. Roy and Ed saw the maniacal grin of Hakuro a second before an iron fist struck his face, knocking him to the ground. Springing out of bed, Ed transmuted his arm into a blade and placed it dangerously close to Hakuro's neck. Roy clambered after him, his black eyes filled with anger.

"What is the meaning of this Hakuro?" demanded Ed, "I thought I told you to disappear!"

Hakuro laughed mirthlessly, "Do you really have the right to tell that to me, Edward Elric? You are not so different from me. You're covered in more blood than any of us!"

Ed stiffened at Hakuro's words, but the man wasn't finished.

"I heard from Heino – you betrayed him, didn't you? Pretty words come out of your mouth, but you have nothing to back them up. You are nothing more than a murderer and a traitor! What right do you have to tell me to disappear?" roared Hakuro.

The scars still ran too deep to be healed quite yet. Doubts began to resurface in Ed's mind – did he have to right to stay by Roy's side? Confusion spread through him and his blade moved a fraction to the left and out of range of being threatening. Roy reacted a second too late and Hakuro pressed his hand against a transmutation circle he had drawn with his own blood. A flash of light blinded the two as the alchemy wrapped itself around them. Ed found himself hanging from the ceiling, his arms tied up with chains above his head. His feet were spread apart and anchored to the ground. Roy, on the other hand, was halfway submerged into the wall. Neither could move a single muscle.

Hakuro laughed loudly, his fingers running across Ed's cheek. Ed instantly turned his head away.

"Submit to me, Fullmetal. And I'll let your lover live," crooned Hakuro, taking a step closer to the bound alchemist.

"Fuck you," spat Ed, "You can't kill him even if you tried. You're too much of a coward."

Hakuro just laughed again. "You don't understand your position, do you? You both are at my mercy."

"What do you want from us?" growled Roy.

"I want you to suffer!" shouted Hakuro. "You two took away everything that mattered to me! And now, I'm going to do the same to you." His voice lowered and an insane smile ghosted his face. "I originally just wanted to kill you, Fullmetal, and tear out Mustang's heart, but now I see a much better solution."

Hakuro licked his lips. "The years have been kind on you, hasn't it? I can see why many soldiers of both genders lust after you."

Ed's eyes widened as he realized what Hakuro was after.

"Don't you fucking touch him!" roared Roy, struggling against his bindings.

Hakuro's hand came closer and closer, ripping Ed's shirt off his torso. Ed couldn't help it; he flinched at the chill. Hakuro's breaths came quicker and harsher as a blush reached cheeks. As active as he was, Ed's body was well-built. Every muscle was toned, though scars blemished the otherwise smooth skin. It was more than enough to send fire through Hakuro.

He leaned forward, licking Ed's collarbone. "What do you think? I dirty you in front of your lover. Isn't it brilliant?" he whispered into Ed's ear. "It's much better than just killing you."

Shuddering, Ed whipped his head around, colliding into Hakuro's. "Fuck off, you fucking pervert!"

Angrily, Hakuro slapped Ed hard across the face, making his cheek burn as it began to bruise. A thin line of blood appeared on a cut on his lip. Smiling, Ed spat at him.

"You hit like a woman. Can't you do any better than that?" he taunted.

Playing on Hakuro's short fuse, Ed found himself bearing the pain as Hakuro pounded on him, over and over again. But at least Hakuro wasn't going any further than what he had planned to do. Ed would rather be killed than have his first time with some bastard like Hakuro. Roy seemed to understand – Ed no longer heard Roy cry out his name. Maybe it had something to do with his waning consciousness. Ed didn't know, but he had to think of something quickly or else they were screwed. Hakuro had clearly lost his mind and would not stop until one of them was dead. Ed sincerely hoped that someone would be him.

If only his body wasn't so weak from everything that happened, he could have easily wrenched apart the chains on his hands and use alchemy. And Roy didn't have his gloves on. What could he do?

Suddenly, Hakuro stepped away, panting heavily from the exertion. Shaking his head, he straightened himself. "I see what you're doing, but you won't be able to do anything."

Ed felt his heart sink to his stomach. Was there really nothing else he could do?

Hakuro reached one hand over, hovering centimeters away from Ed's pants. Time seemed to stop as Ed and Roy both watched, horrified, at Hakuro getting closer and closer to touching Ed.

A huge thud distracted Hakuro and he swung around to see the door burst open. He saw nothing more than that after a certain blonde sharpshooter shot at him. Hakuro was dead before he even hit the floor; blood pooled out from the bullet wound to the temple.

Hughes rushed forward, a blade out as he started to cut the chains that bound Ed. Hawkeye approached Roy, accurately shooting at the cement wall so that the prison crumbled to pieces. Roy stepped out, rubbing his sore wrists, as he and Riza moved toward Ed. Worry could easily be seen on all their faces.

"Are you okay?" Hughes asked, working frantically on the chains.

"Just peachy," retorted Ed, rolling his eyes, but despite how sarcastic and indifferent Ed seemed to be, Hughes could feel him trembling.

"How did you guys know what was going on?" asked Roy, relief clear on his expressions.

"I planted bugs all over this room, just in case," Hughes replied.

Roy's eyes narrowed, "Just in case of what, Maes? What were you hoping to record?"

Hughes' ears turned red at the connotation. "Nothing!" Hughes protested, "It was a precaution – you never know what kind of crazy people come after our beloved Fuhrer, right? And you're both injured."

Ed stared at the body on the ground, "Frankly, I'm surprised that we actually forgot about him. I really thought that I scared him away for good."

The three of them took in the sight of the alchemist hunched over, his hands in fists wrapped around himself to stop the shivering. Was the reason behind that due to what Hakuro was trying to do or the feeling of utter helplessness? Either or, Ed was shaken and was failing at hiding it from his friends.

Hughes paused and took his time to make eye contact with Ed. At some level, Hughes felt a little responsible for what happened. If only he hadn't left, if only he hadn't checked the audio earlier…there were so many things that Hughes could have done to prevent this, but he had failed. Though he knew that he would never be blamed for it, Hughes felt that he still owed something to Ed.

"I'm sorry, Ed," he said quietly, "We tried to get here sooner."

"It's fine," gritted Ed, "Just get me out of this."

"Step back, Maes," Riza said as she whipped out her gun. It took three shots before the chain finally broke, and Ed fell back into Roy and Maes' waiting arms. Without hesitation, Ed clapped his hands, brushing against the chains on his wrists and feet. The metal melted away into the air, but Ed remained seated on the ground, his shaking legs unable to support him.

Maes scooted way from Roy and Ed, standing up to give them room. Roy hugged his arms tightly around Ed. At his touch, Ed's trembling gradually stopped and all the tension faded away in his body. With Roy next to him, Ed knew that there was nothing to fear. He didn't have to fight anymore, not when Riza and Hughes were here watching over them. Whatever Hakuro wanted to do would never happen…Everything was alright now – he could relax. Feeling safe, Ed let his eyes close as he let his exhaustion take him. He was asleep in a matter of minutes.

"We're going to need to treat his face," Maes said, taking note of the bruising. "Who wants to tell Al what happened?"

"Or Winry that she will have to fix Ed's automail again?" added Riza as she noted the bullet hole in his leg.

"Before that, can someone get Ed another shirt?" Roy asked, picking up the young man. "And Riza, can you pull up the car?"

"Where are you going, sir?" Riza questioned.

Roy strode out the door, leaning forward slightly to kiss Ed on the forehead. "Home."

Riza smiled as she followed him, leaving Hughes behind slightly confused.

"Does this mean that I have to clean up the body?" he called out, but when no one responded, he sighed and glanced down at Hakuro.

"Why does this always happen to me?" muttered Hughes, wishing fervently that he was still back at home with Gracia and Elysia.

He let out a long breath – at least Ed and Roy were safe. That was all that Hughes asked for.

Even though Roy felt tired beyond belief – his entire body aching to rest, he forced himself to stay wide awake, watching the blonde man sleep in his arms. Riza had driven them home and opted to stay downstairs in the living room to keep watch. With Hakuro's death, it was highly unlikely that the two would be attacked again, but Riza wasn't risking anything again. This was the third time that she had come so close to losing Ed once more – there would be no other opportunities. Roy was almost sure that Havoc, Falman, Breda, and Fuery were stationed all around the house as well – Maes was sure to join in later on too.

Roy felt comforted by their invisible presences, but nothing could shake that cold feeling of dread he had when he saw Hakuro touch Ed. Jealousy, fury, and panic flooded him over and over again. He couldn't believe that he had let down his guard and put Ed in that situation. Even worse, he couldn't even help the person he loved most in this entire world. What if Hakuro had actually succeeded? What would he have done? He never would throw Ed away just because someone else had touched him, but he couldn't say that he wouldn't treat Ed differently. It wasn't like he would hate Ed or feel disgusted by him – he loved Ed, but there was no doubt that he would see Ed as fragile and broken. He would forever be even more overprotective. And that in turn would make Ed hide behind that wall of his or make him act out. Ed hated being treated like a child. Roy knew that well. Though nothing did happen, Roy still couldn't stop himself from running over the possibilities and hating himself for even thinking it. It was a never ending cycle.

There was a murmur of sound coming from Ed and Roy started to caress the blonde hair, soothing the sleeping man. Ed seemed to be having a nightmare and Roy loathed to think what it was about.

Gently, he shook Ed awake, despite knowing how much he probably needed the respite. "Ed, wake up," he breathed.

The golden eyes fluttered open and took in the sight of a ragged, tired looking Roy. Ed smiled, reaching upwards to wrap his arms around Roy's neck and bringing him down for a sweet kiss.

"That's a nice greeting," Roy chuckled, banishing all signs of his pessimistic thoughts from his expressions.

"We should do more of those," Ed quipped back, sitting up to survey his surroundings, "We're at your place."

He didn't ask a question, but Roy could hear the curiosity in Ed's voice.

"Yeah, after what happened in the hospital, we figured it would be safer here. Riza is downstairs keeping watch, just in case."

"You should tell her to go home. Hakuro's dead. No one else is stupid enough to fuck with us."

Roy took note of the snarl in Ed's tone when he said Hakuro's name. Carefully, he watched his lover as he asked, "Are you okay?"

Surprise lit in Ed's eyes, but there was no sign of fear. "Of course. Well, I have to admit, my wounds hurt a little, but that's to be expected with all that shit that went down."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Slight irritation now shone in those golden orbs, "Look, stop beating around the bush and just tell me what is bothering you!"

"Bothering me?" exclaimed Roy, "Are you kidding me? I didn't do anything! I was trapped in the fucking wall, and Hakuro was…" he trailed off. "You know what I'm talking about, Ed. Please don't make me say it out loud."

For a second, Ed froze, but not for the reason that Roy had thought of. While Roy was scared that his words had resurfaced some unwanted memories, Ed was more worried about what to say. There was no denying that Ed was freaked out for a couple of moments when Hakuro got awfully close to raping him, but right now, Roy needed the comfort more than he. He was saved when Riza and Hughes showed up and his fears were mollified when Roy reassured him that he was there by their intimacy.

"I'm fine, Roy," he said slowly. "The fucker never got anywhere. I'm fine. Are you okay though?"

"Yeah…"

"Roy, don't lie to me. I know you're beating yourself up, but you need to stop it. You may think that you did nothing – that you're blaming yourself that you didn't stop him. But if you weren't there to calm me down afterwards, I don't think I would have gotten over it as quickly as I did."

"But…!"

"Stop thinking about the 'what ifs', Roy!" interrupted Ed. "Nothing happened. That's all that matters, okay? We're fine," Ed reassured, reaching up a hand to cup Roy's cheek. He lightly pressed his lips against Roy's. "See?"

The heaviness in Roy's heart fell away. He knew that he would always fear losing Ed and seeing him hurt, but he understood that loving Ed came at that price. It was the same for Ed. Loving someone who was strong and held an enormous amount of power had its risks. They just had to take the good with the bad.

"What were you dreaming about then? You looked like you were in pain," asked Roy.

"Hmm? I don't really remember," replied Ed, his tone nonchalant. He leaned back into the pillows, closing his eyes, "Probably something with Germany and Heino…That's usually what I dream of."

Roy hesitated, wanting to probe more, but he didn't want to push Ed too far.

Sensing this, Ed cracked one eye open, "You can ask what you want, you know. I'll answer what I can. It's not every day I get to see an insecure Roy Mustang."

Ignoring the jibe, Roy decided to question Ed on something that he had been bothered about for a long time now. "I wanted to ask you…when you regained control after the battle with Heino, you said 'I'm sorry'. Who were you saying that to?"

Ed sighed, "That's not important."

"Please, Ed. I have to know."

Those golden eyes were like a window to a whole other world – one that was filled with despair and guilt.

"You, the crew, Al, Heino, me…everyone in general. Too many fucking things to be sorry for…"

"Did you apologize because...you were going to give up?" Roy whispered, "Is that why it took you so long to wake up again?"

Now it was Ed's turn to hesitate. It was true that at one point he just didn't want to face all the consequences of what he had done – to try to fight his way through all the sins that he had committed. He was so tired after that battle – so tired of fighting for life and sanity. If Edric didn't come to find him, perhaps he never would have found his way back. But deep down, Ed knew that he could never leave Roy and Al behind again.

"I was just a little lost," Ed replied truthfully, "That's why it took me so long, but I would never leave you again, Roy. I made a promise, didn't I?"

Relief filled Roy. His fears of Ed blaming himself for the injuries of everyone weren't necessary. They could finally relax. He laid back down with Ed, cuddling with the willing blonde. Within moments, both tired and injured men had drifted off to sleep, dreaming of each other and the bright future that awaited them.

Finally, everything was truly over…for now.

After all, this was simply the end of the beginning. Tomorrow may be the start of another chapter. Whatever did happen, Ed and Roy knew that they would be together forever, and that was all that mattered.

So, what did you guys think? There's going to be epilogue, so I hope you guys stay with me! Again, I really want to apologize about how long this took. There were so many road blocks...it was dreadful.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!

As always, please review! I swear, it was only because of the reviews that I forced myself to sit down and get this done. Granted, it took me a while (each time spurred on by a review), but I got it done, right? ... Point is, please review! Thanks!

~ Kanae Yuna