Hooooraaayyyy! Last chapter we brook the 200 review mark!!!!! Yaaaayyyyy!!!!! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter so that it was possible! ^^

Chapter 20...wow. When I first came up with this story idea I didn't plan it being longer than 23 chapter, but trust me-we have a lot more ground to cover. *sniff, sniff* My little fic grows up so fast...But enough gushing.

Sorry for last chapters filler but now we are getting back onto the road and stiring up some Hell. (I love this chapter title. It pretty much has very little to do with what actually goes on but I thought of it a while ago so...why not?)

So enjoy and please send me a review!

"Okay…now who's in any fit state to drive?" Maes asked as he stared around at his friends, most of whom looked like they where about to drop dead any minute now.

The mechanics shop had called early that morning to tell them that their van had been fixed and was ready to be picked up. After picking who would go and get the van (Maes pulled the short straw) they returned back to the motel. Now they were all in a discussion over who would have to drive for the next few hours.

Knowing that he was already much too tired to pay attention to the road, Maes looked around at his friends and waited for an answer that would not come. Roy was leaning against the van with his arms folded tightly across his chest and his mouth shut firmly into a straight line. He appeared to be awake but Maes, who had known Roy for several years now, knew better and could tell that he was sleeping with his eyes open; something that he had perfected during their sixth grade English class. Sheska was slumped on the ground, looking more tired than hung-over if anything, but everyone had agreed long ago that Sheska was not allowed to drive. Ever. Ed and Winry were nowhere to be seen but Maes knew that they where passed out in the back of the van already. Jean was lounging on the hood of the van, a lit cigarette stuck firmly between his lips and his eyes closed. Was he smoking while asleep? Who knew, but Maes wasn't going to ask Jean to drive; he was in the same boat as Sheska. Finally, Maes' eyes shifted to Riza who was standing in between him and Roy. Her body showed signs of fatigue and a long night but her clear brown eyes where as sharp and focused as ever. She alone looked like the best choice to drive.

"Riza?" Maes asked.

"Huh?"

"Can you drive? Just for a little, just until I get a few more winks of sleep," Maes said quickly.

Riza, already being enough of an oddity when it came to common teenage idiosyncrasies, did not like to drive at all. She would always find excuses and other ways to get around without needing to personally drive a car. When asked why, she would say that there were too many stupid people on the road that would get her into an accident. Hopefully she would realize that do to her friends' current states, she would man up and drive.

"I kinda realized that I would probably need to drive when I saw these idiots this morning," Riza sighed. "I'd really rather not die in a car crash. But yeah, I'll drive for a few hours. Hand me the keys."

"Thanks Riza, you're a life saver."

"Uh, huh. Just go and check out of the Motel so we can leave."

Edward cracked his eyes as he felt the van shudder to a stop. People were talking in low voices as they opened doors and got out of the van. Suddenly Sheska's head popped over the bench in front of him.

"Oh! You're awake, good."

"Where are we?"

"I think we're somewhere in the middle of Georgia. We just stopped at a gas station. You should probably get out and stretch your legs 'cause Winry's doesn't want to stop again until we get there."

"How far away are we?" Ed asked as he sat up quickly. If she didn't want to stop, that meant that they must be at a reasonable distance away, right?

"Umm…I thinkMaes said something like three hours."

"Three?" Ed asked as he jumped around the seat and out of the van.

They were so close. He could be reunited with his brother in a mere three hours! Edward knew that this was probably stretching it, since they didn't even know where he lived but still, a guy could wish.

"So Winry wants to leave in ten minutes!" Sheska shouted as Ed bolted across the gas station parking lot and inside the gas station.

Welcome to Florida

"The Sunshine State"

As Ed read those words on the sign, his stomach began to contract slightly with nerves that had been smothered by excitement for the past day and a half. They were only an hour away now. What was going to happen when he got there? How where they even going to find him once they got there? School was probably out so it wasn't like they could just stand around outside until they found him.

"Hey Ed?"

Ed turned around from his seat in the front and stared at Roy, who was looking unusually apprehensive. He had a felling of what Roy was going to say but he responded to him anyways.

"Yeah?"

"Well I was just wondering…well, how do you think we're going to find him? I mean, you just found out the school he goes to. That doesn't mean that he lives there or anything."

Everyone in the van appeared to perk up at these words. How were they going to find Al in the first place? How big of a city was Tallahassee? Defiantly too big to go door to door and ask if they new an Alphonse Elric. Ed stared out the empty window for a moment before he let out a breath that he hadn't realize he was holding and spoke the only reasonable idea that came to mind.

"We'll just have to go back to the old stand-by and break into the damn place."

Okay, maybe reasonable wasn't the right word for this idea but it was damn sure going to be the most likely of choices when Ed had Roy Mustang, local miscreant and lock picker extraordinaire, with him.

"Wait. What did you just say?" Winry asked while staring at him for a few moments; she only stopped once she began to swerve on the road.

"You heard me. It's probably the best and quickest way to do things."

"Ed," Riza spoke up with a small, almost hysteric laugh in her voice, "You do realize how it would look if we got caught breaking into a school that we don't go to? Hell, we don't even live in the same state. Do you think this is really a smart idea?"

"Hey, I never said this was a smart idea. I just thought it was the easiest and most realistic idea."

"But it's insane!"

"Well I don't see any of you people coming up with ideas. So speak up if you have an idea."

Everyone looked around at each other, hoping that someone would come up with another idea, but no one said a word as they exchanged their worried expressions. The only one, who didn't look worried about prospect of breaking into a completely unknown school, was Roy. He hadn't said much of anything after he asked the initial question. Truth was Roy knew that he would be very much needed for this plan to work and truthefully, that didn't bother him in the slightest.

"So no ideas then?" Ed asked as he turned to look at his friends. "What do you think Roy?"

"Let's do it," Roy said with a small smirk, causing several of the teens to let out noises of annoyance.

"Fine!" Winry exclaimed in annoyance. "But I'm leaving you dumb asses in prison once you get caught."

"No you won't," Ed said with an evil grin while he gave Roy a quick Hi-Five.

"This is it…" Ed whispered as he stared out the open window of the van.

A large building stood in front of them, looking like a towering monster in the dark of night. Edward's heart was pounding against his rib cage as he reached out to open his car door.

"Wait!" Maes hissed into his ear; he was going to be tonight's get-away driver.

"What?" Roy and Ed growled in whispers.

"Let's just go over the plan one more time."

"But-."

"But nothing. I don't want us ending up in jail just because you were too excited to pay attention to what was going on around you."

"Fine."

Hours had passed since they had arrived in Tallahassee. Once the group had found a small motel to stay in again, they instantly went into action. Roy and Ed did most of the work, not wanting anyone else to screw up accidentally and then being rewarded in guilt for their mistake. They really couldn't do that much research on Maes' laptop but they had found out, thanks to the school website, they had learned a few good pieces of information: the school let out the past Friday and teachers had just finished organizing their work and left for the summer. But how were they going to break into a school that they didn't know? Who knew, they'd just have to go by luck. So they donned all black clothing, hats and gloves, and loaded up a bag of supplies before they left.

"We have to find the main office first," Ed recited to Roy.

"Once we find it, we have to break in and find the records office."

"Find Al's file-," Ed started.

"And leave as fast as fucking possible," Roy finished.

"What about alarms?" Maes asked worriedly. "All school's have alarms."

"Oh don't worry about that," Ed whispered with a grin while he fumbled with something in a gym bag. He then pulled out what appeared to be a white bed-sheet, casing Maes to become utterly confused.

"What the Hell is a bed-sheet going to do?"

"Trust me, it works."

"How do you know?!" Maes asked as he turned to his best friend.

"Let's just sometimes it benefits from watching too much T.V." Roy said, also smiling.

"What?"

"Let's just say a certain show called Mythbusters has helped us with a lot of our evil deeds." (1)

"Oh great…" Maes said with a small moan. "Well, just be careful in there. I swear I will leave your asses if I see a cop."

"You're a nice friend," Ed said before he opened up the door and hopped out, Roy following close behind.

"You better be out in twenty minutes!" Maes hissed as the two became lost in the dark.

The only noises were the soft crunches of their feet on grass, the small shifting noises coming from Ed's bag, and their quiet breathing. Roy began to sprint once they were under the over of a large awning. After another moment of running, they reached a row of high window; Ed instantly pulled out a number of screw drivers.

"Can you get to it?" Ed asked.

"Nah, I need a boost."

"Am I supposed to lift your fat ass?"

"Not unless you think you can open the window yourself."

"Fine, fine…" Ed grumbled before he helped Roy up to the window ledge. "Can you hurry up there? My arms are killing me!"

"This is an art work and you have to…give…it…" there was a soft click and then a swooping noise, "time," Roy finished with a grin, sounding very proud of himself.

"Okay now can you get off of me?"

Ed instantly felt Roy's weight leave him. Ed looked up and saw Roy's head hanging out of the window.

"Do you remember where the nearest door was?"

"It was right before these windows."

"Okay, hand me the sheet so I don't trip any alarms."

After a moment of struggling, Ed managed to toss Roy the sheet and began to run back to the door he had jus passed. As he waited for Roy, his heart began to pound somewhere near his Adams Apple. They were so close…

Click

Ed jumped at the small noise but once he heard a slight snicker form behind him, he automatically knew who it was.

"Oh shut up," Ed muttered before Roy could make a single comment.

Roy opened the door further and let him in.

"Did you see any alarms this way?"

"Nope, but we should walk slowly just to be careful. Do you have the flashlight?"

"Yeah," Ed answered before he began rummaging into the bag and pulled out a small red flashlight.

"Okay, let's go."

They crept along the deadly quiet halls, occasionally lifting up the blanket to the alarms as they passed by. (2) After taking many wrong turns and ending in dead ends, they reached what appeared to be the main office. It was locked.

"Hand me the screw drivers. It'll just be easier if I take the door knob off all together. Hey, while I'm doing this, call Maes and tell him what's happening."

"Right."

Ring…ri-

"Hello?"

"Hey Maes, we're at the main office now."

"Good. I had to move the van a little because I think I saw a cop come this way."

"Well where are you now?"

"I'm in the next parking lot over. I can move back when you're ready to come out-."

"No. Just stay there. It'd look suspicious if a cop saw a van return to a school to pick someone up. Then they might get our plate number or something. Stay there, we'll meet you, alright?"

"Right."

"Well I got to go now."

"Right, bye."

"Bye."

Ed stood there and watched as Roy fiddled with each screw before he managed to wiggle the door knob out and open the door. As Ed made a move to run into the room, Roy held out an arm, stopping him.

"What was that for?!" Ed hissed.

"Do you not remember that there could be alarms in there idiot?! Now wait until I get the sheet up."

"Fine."

Step by slow, agonizing step the two moved across the room and down a small hallway until they reached the door that was adorned with the plague: Guidance counselor. This door too was locked. And again Ed had to wait, as his nerves surged through every vein in his body, for Roy to finish unscrewing each screw. Every small click that Roy made when he moved the screw against the door knob caused Ed's head to snap in another direction, annoying Roy.

"Can you stop that?" Roy growled.

"I would if you could just hurry up!"

"Well sorry Mister My-Girlfriend-Is-Better-At-Using-A-Screw-Driver-Than-Me, I'll try my best to hurry up," Roy whispered acidly.

"Oh, you're too kind," Ed growled back as he felt heat creep up into his cheeks.

A moment later, Roy managed to open the door and they walked into the room. Ed began to feel a sense of Déjà vu as Roy slowly broke into each file cabinet and searched for a file. But after what felt like hours to Ed, he found the file he had been dreaming about and saw the address that he had wanted to know for almost two weeks. Edward quickly copied the file into a note book while Roy went back to reinstall the door knobs he had unscrewed. Before he replaced the file, Ed flipped though it and felt an unstoppable flood of memories come to him as he stared into the face of his baby brother.

(1) Go Mythbusters!

(2) I'm not quite sure how this works but I saw it on one of their episodes and I'm too lazy to go find how it does work. So if you're dieing to know, go look for yourself.

Ooooh, Ed knows where Al lives *evil sing-song voice* I wonder how many people want to kill me at this moment...well why don't you send me a review to tell me. :P

Thanks for reading!

-FSK