~*~RIZA~*~

As I go up to the house, I can hear Black Hayate barking like crazy. He usually doesn't bark unless something is wrong so I walk a little faster in order to see if there is an emergency that needs to be addressed. When I open the door, I find Fuery running back and forth in front of the door. I thought he needed to go to the bathroom at first until I actually listen to what he was saying.

"Colonel, colonel, colonel, colonel, colonel, colonel, colonel…" is all he says, running back and forth from one wall to the other.

Black Hayate is going crazy and so I finally do the only thing I know will quiet them both. I pull out my gun and shoot a warning shot into the air. Black Hayate quickly quiets, jerking into an almost board straight position and Fuery stops running around, looking up casually as if I had only called his name.

"Now then…" I say softly. "Fuery, what's wrong?"

"Colonel." He answers, nodding.

"What about the Colonel?"

Fuery turns his head at me, squinting to see me.

"Colonel sad… So sad…"

"What do you mean?"

"Sad… sad, sad, sad…" he says, shaking his head slowly side to side. "So sad…"

"Kain, I need you to focus for me." I say, kneeling down and grabbing his face to look at me. "Why do you say the Colonel is sad?"

Fuery looks at me with those haunting eyes and rubs his head into my chest.

"I feeeeeeel." He says mournfully.

Tears prick my eyes and I pull back to look at Fuery again.

"Do you want to see the Colonel?"

His black ears perk up and he butts his nose to my hand. I nod and get the leash, tying it to his neck. I know it's against hospital regulations but I have the strange feeling that having them together will help them cope for a little while.

I turn to Fuery as I park the car and he looks up at me.

"You have to be very very quiet. I told Hughes that I was bringing you and he has already warned the nurses but you have to be quiet. Understand?"

"Cooollll-oneeeeel?" he says softly.

"Yes. Mustang."

Fuery doesn't say anything else and so I lead him into the hospital, wary of what the staff may say. They seem not to notice him as we go to the elevator and to the floor that the Colonel is on. As the elevator opens up it dings and Fuery looks up.

"Ding." He repeats softly, looking at me.

I smile at him and we walk toward the Colonel's door. Edward is sleeping in one of the waiting room chairs with Al next to him reading a book. Upon seeing Alphonse, Fuery tries to walk to him but the rope keeps him from going too far. Alphonse looks up and I can almost feel the smile I know he is giving from that empty suit of armor. He gets up and Fuery patiently but still fidgeting, waits for him to get to him. Alphonse bends down and pets Fuery on the head and Fuery licks the helmet, making Al laugh.

"It's nice to see you too, Fuery."

"Alllll-phoooonse."

"Fuery…" I say, his voice getting a little loud in the quiet hallways.

He shrinks back a little as Maes looks at him in horror. I forgot that this is the first time that this will have been the first time that he will have seen him. Fuery looks at Maes and turns his head.

"Man." He says obviously.

"Yes. That's Lieutenant Colonel Hughes."

"Huuuuughes…"

Maes nods and then clears his throat.

"I don't know how much time we have but we should let him see him now."

I nod and go to the door. I open it softly and find the Colonel sleeping on the hospital bed but his sleep is definitely troubled. Fuery whimpers and I untie the leash from him as he creeps in. He finally gets to the bed and gets on the edge of it with his front paws.

"Cooool-oneeeellll…" he says softly.

Roy opens his eyes slowly and upon seeing Fuery, stares at him. Fuery whimpers softly and butts his nose to Roy's hand.

"Colonel saaaaaad."

Roy's eyes seem to tear up as Fuery gets himself into the bed and lays next to Roy.

"Keep Colonel safe…"

They seem to stare at each other for a long time until Roy lifts his arm shakily and wraps it around Fuery. He buries his face into him and I hear him begin to sob. Fuery nuzzles his nose into Roy's hair and licks his face a little in comfort and I close the door to the scene. I know that Roy wouldn't want me to watch his weakness.

I walk out and sit in the waiting room with Hughes and the boys. Hughes seems to be having a discussion with the boys so I try not to overhear it until Ed gets up, giving Hughes a dark glare.

"You think I can't keep the Colonel safe?"

"That's not it, Edward. I know that it's becoming a lot to keep up with him and also try to look for a cure for Fuery. After what's happened last time, I think it would be best for you to focus on getting Fuery out of that body and I will focus on Roy."

"You just don't trust me anymore."

"Edward, please don't take this as me not trusting you."

"But it is you not trusting me."

"Brother, he's not trying to be mean." Alphonse says.

"I know exactly what he means, Al, I don't need you to translate for me. He doesn't trust us anymore because of what happened and now he wants to take up the job he should have had in the first place. You're the one who pushed him on us! We didn't want to have him because I told you we were not good at this sort of thing but you insisted that he come with us."

"That's true but he did get better with you. He's finally talking now and not so introverted. We needed that in order to move on… I just think it's best if you try and focus on what is a little more important and that is getting his subordinate back to his normal body."

"What about us? What about getting our bodies back to normal? Shouldn't that be more important than some dumb dog and a man getting fused?"

"BROTHER!" Alphonse yells in surprise.

"Ed…" I say, surprised at his selfishness all of a sudden.

Edward seems to realize what he had just said and puts his hands over his mouth.

"I- I didn't mean it, Hughes. Honest…"

Maes just smiles tiredly but kindly at him and nods.

"I know, Ed, but this is also why I need to take Roy off your hands. You aren't getting sleep and it's making you cranky as well as unfocused. Taking care of Roy is too much and I didn't realize that until just now. You're taking offense to everything."

Ed nods, a horrified look in his eyes as he realizes how selfish he had sounded. Alphonse puts a hand on his brother's shoulder and looks at Hughes.

"I'll take him home now."

Maes nods and Alphonse leads Edward away from the hospital.

Once they are gone, Maes puts his face in his hands and sits there like that for a moment.

"I should have never entrusted those boys with taking care of Roy."

"Maes, you only did what you thought was right."

"Entrusting a 30-year-old man to a 15-year-old kid is not right, Hawkeye. They're not even related… god, how dumb was I? I should have just taken him in like I knew I should have… I just thought that Ed's personality would be so much better for Roy but all I've done is exhaust Ed."

I put my hand on his shoulder and squeeze.

"I'm sure things will work out better."

He nods and I stay for a little bit longer.

~*~ALPHONSE~*~

As we go to the Colonel's home in one of the military cars, Ed is leaning on my armor, sleeping soundly but troubled. His eyes are fluttering under his eyelids and I know he feels horrible about saying what he did about Sergeant Fuery. The car almost passes the Colonel's place.

"Right here, sir." I say.

The car stops and I wake up Brother so that we can leave.

"Goodbye, Edward Elric." The driver says.

Brother looks up and says something uncomprehensible and I look at the driver to tell him sorry for brother's mumbling when I get a strange feeling. I feel like I know this driver. The lights from the streets make shadows that make it hard to see the man's face but he smiles.

"You should get him inside. He looks very tired." The driver says.

I nod and get Brother in as fast as possible.

hmm what's this here? looks like i'm actually moving forward in plot ahaha. anyhow, sorry the chap is short but yeah... and fuery is so adorable