Um, Ok here's the next, but possibly not-so-great, chapter.

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Roy shook Ed's shoulder. "Hey. Come on, wake up." He shook harder. Ed opened one eye and stared at him. "Get up. It's time for you to escort Ms. Catherine to her tournament."

"Why are you making me do this again?" Ed asked even though he knew the answer.

"Just get up." Ed rolled out of bed and pulled on his clothes before taking a brush to his hair. He blushed, remembering practically going limp when Mustang had straightened out his hair the night before. The last time he'd let anyone touch his hair...was all the way back when his mother had been alive. It hadn't even been long enough to braid then. Still that was no reason to let Mustang know how much he'd actually liked it. Ed wondered if Roy had noticed.

"Hurry up, FullMetal!" Ed growled and twisted his hair up with deft speed. Grabbing his coat and stuffing his pocket watch into his pocket he dashed toward the front door. Al jumped up to follow while Ed strapped his boots on. Roy smirked at him. "Have a nice day." he sang. Ed rolled his eyes.

When he got to the Armstrong house, he was immediately waved into a black limo parked in the driveway. Jumping in he came face to face with Ms. Catherine and her mother. He blushed slightly, uncomfortable already with the way both women were staring at him. "So Mr. Elric. My son tells me you will be capable of keeping a clear safety zone around Catherine. Do you feel up to the task?" Even sitting across from him she towered over him. It really irritated him. "I can handle anything." he glared.

"I want you to keep those ruffians away from her and no one is to disturb her at any cost, is that understood? Should you fail, I will be forced," she said firmly " To beat you with this cane." Ed's eyes bugged out and he almost choked on his own spit. 'What the hell?' he glared, nervously sweatdropping 'Is she serious? Scary. No way...'

Ed relaxed once they got to the grounds. Some jeering boys that greeted them ended up bound and gagged by transmuted giant hands, much to Mrs. Armstrong's approval. Al was actually following everything and watching scores and comparing different competitors' swings, but Ed was bored stiff. After 9 am he stopped using alchemy and fought with his hands instead because it was more interesting. Catherine did have quite a few admirers, not to mention those who were making fun of her for no reason Ed could discern. On the 16th hole, only two left, Ed spotted something in the crowd. A shock of white hair and a similarly colored scar. Something almost matched up in Ed's mind. But who? He pushed roughly through the crowd after the man. He saw black shiny pants with white stripes.

And then Scar turned around.

White shocks above darker hair and a large X shaped scar interrupted by a pair of sunglasses. Heading straight for Al. Adrenaline rushed Ed. It wasn't going to end like last time. Al wasn't going to get hurt and Ed wasn't going to give in and go belly up like the military's dog dammit. He still had the element of surprise. He had to use it now. He clapped his hands softly and thought for a moment, planning carefully. He touched them to his arm first for a blade, then another clap, a pat to the ground and spectators started to fall off the sharp rise Ed had created to swallow the Ishvarlan. "Al! It's Scar!" Ed screamed before said man blasted a hole in his earthen grave-hill. He looked at Edward, then bolted in the opposite direction. Al braced himself, not predicting that the man would go past him and grab Catherine around the waist. Screaming, she tried to beat him off with her club, but her flailing only served to make things easier for Scar. He clamped a hand over her mouth and started to run. Ed was hot on his trail, Al following him. Catherine was still flailing out, and being as much of a burden as possible, slowing her captor down. Ed would have to thank her later for that, he realized. He and Al got closer with every step, and Scar knew it. He whirled around, hand on Catherine's head. Ed froze, Al alongside him. "Don't move FullMetal Alchemist, or she will go to Ishvala." Ed clamped his jaw. What could he do?

"If I have to use her to achieve justice I will. Move and she dies." Scar snarled, taking a step closer. Scar's hand swung out to Ed's head and Ed ducked down to avoid that hand of twisted fate. Al grabbed Scar's hand away from Catherine's head and Ed punched him in the gut. Ed clapped his hands together as Al tore Catherine out of Scar's grasp and set her down on the grass. Ed smashed both hands down on Scar's back. For a moment, the world lost focus as blood splattered his face and a man nearby screamed. Then the world went black.

"Ed?" Ed snapped awake. He smelled disinfectant and heard the muffled atmosphere of a hospital coming from outside his room. Mustang, Al and the entire Armstrong family were sitting near the bed. And Mustang was grinning. It was wider than his usual condescending smirk, and happier.

"Why are you smiling?" Mustang's grin grew wider.

"You're a military hero, Ed. You killed Scar. The whole military's been after him for months and you killed him single-handedly." Ed looked at the wall.

"Believe it or not Mustang, I didn't...I didn't mean to kill him-I just didn't know what else...to do."

"Well I think you did wonderfully Ed. And the Armstrongs are grateful as well." All of the tall blond people nodded now. Major Armstrong was crying. At seeing Ed's non-response to the family's thanks, Roy told them Ed was worn out and needed some sleep. After they left, with Al to escort them, Roy came back to sit down next to Ed.

"Edward. What's wrong?" Ed looked up at Roy and just shook his head. "It's nothing."

"You can tell me Ed. Why are you upset?" Roy gently prodded the nonreactive Elric who had closed his eyes.

"It's not important."

"Then you can tell me."

"How about this: I don't want to."

"How about this: I order you to tell me what's bothering you, FullMetal."

"How about-"

"How about you tell me because I just gave you an order?" Roy cut Ed off.

"You'll laugh at me."

"And you're afraid of that?" Roy smirked. That should draw Ed out.

"Hell no! But you just don't care when you kill someone anymore! I never really killed a person with my own hands before and I feel guilty about it and I didn't think I really needed you teasing me for actually caring even though he hurt Al last time and killed Nina Tucker and-" Ed was yelling at full volume when Roy stopped him.

"Who who whoa Ed. Calm down. It's okay now, I won't tease you." He reached out to rub Ed's arm, but Ed drew back. Roy snapped.

"Why do you think I don't care, hm? You think I'm trying to become Fuhrer for fun? You think I don't feel bad about the Eastern War?" Ed shrugged. Roy bristled.

"You don't know everything about me Ed. You don't even know me that well. And just because you don't know what self-control is doesn't mean you can shit on me for having some." Roy snapped at him. "Let's get some things straight here, alright? I'm not a bad person. I'm not trying to make your life hell. I'm certainly not an unfeeling bastard who's going to make you feel bad for feeling bad for killing a man, OK? So don't think that just because you were never ordered to go and kill people for no reason, means you're better than me. At least I knew to let go and wasn't so stupid as to try and bring them back!"

Ed was holding in tears, fists clenched and head down.

"Happy now?" Roy finished. He stomped out of the room to cool off. He shouldn't have snapped right then: so much for his self control. He just couldn't stand Ed thinking he was such a horrible, evil, guiltless person. He went back to Ed's door and peeked in the window on the door. Ed was curled up on his side, clutching the blankets with his fists. His face was hidden from Roy, but his hands trying to snap, or maybe crush, the sheets were a clue. Ed shook his head suddenly and rolled out of bed, pulling his jackets on and looking around. Roy opened the door, startling Ed who slammed the window open and tried to jump out. Roy grabbed his wrist, holding him inside.

"Don't run away from me. You deserved every word I said." Roy hissed. Ed tried to pull away. Roy swung him back onto the bed roughly, pushing him down into the blankets. Ed cringed and bit his lip, trying to shrink away from Roy.

"What's wrong with you?" Roy growled. Ed wouldn't answer. Al walked in and started at the sight of Roy pinning Ed to the hospital bed.

"Colonel? Brother?" Roy let go of Ed's wrist and backed away.

"He tried to jump out the window." he offered.

"The window? Brother, what's wrong?" Ed snorted and glared at Mustang. Roy walked out, mulling over Ed's behavior as he walked the halls absentmindedly and found a bench to sit on.

'he never seems to think I'm being reasonable. And so he jumps out the window? What was that about? And why did he look scared when I pinned him down? groan...I wonder what that looked like to Al. He must've thought I was bullying Ed or something...something else. GROAN' Roy sighed.

Al tapped him on the shoulder. "Um, Colonel? Ed...wanted to know where you were..."

"Does he want to talk to me?" Roy asked.

"Yeah. He's upset..." Al trailed off. Roy went back to Ed's room where Ed was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Something you want to say, Ed?" Roy sat down in his chair, facing Ed.

"I'm sorry." Ed was giving him an openly regretful look. It made him look vulnerable, Roy thought.

"I thought you'd stopped caring because you had to. I didn't mean I thought you never cared."

Roy sighed. "It's hard to be angry with someone who does puppy-eyes as well as you do." he offered. Ed blushed and scowled.

After an awkward moment of silence, Ed's face softened. Looking down at his leg he asked Roy "What happened...After I transmuted him? Why's my leg wrapped?" Roy looked up. "What? You weren't...huh?" They stared at eachother.

"All I remember is him grabbing Catherine. He told me to stay still or she would die. He tried to grab my head- to kill me. But I ducked and Al pulled Catherine away from him and then I remembered what we figured out last time. How he uses alchemy to break things down, but not reconstruct them. I...I did that. I transmuted his body...and I can't remember anymore." Roy hmmed for a moment, then spoke.

"Let's see. Al told me you blew his-" Roy made an it's-disgusting-sorry face at Ed "You blew his spine out of his back or something and that he grabbed your leg when he went down and twisted it under him. But that he died before he could transmute it. Al dragged you out from under him and carried you and Catherine back to the 16th hole and then the military showed up. We confirmed it was Scar and I brought you here. The Armstrongs followed. They thought your leg might be broken at first thought, so they sort of cut up your pants..." Roy held them up. Ed's eye twitched.

"You know Mustang, I don't know why. I don't know why every single time I come to a hospital they cut them up!" Ed fumed. Roy laughed. "So where do you by new ones? I'll swing by. I think they want to keep you here for...umm." Roy grinned "Mental reasons. I didn't realize you blacked out so fast, but anyway..." Ed twitched.

"I'M NO MORE MENTAL THAN I AM SHORT! AND I'M NOT SHORT!" Roy started laughing. "Shut up! Just give them to me!" Ed snapped, snatching his pants from Roy. Roy gave him a funny look that said 'What are you going to do, wear them like that?' Ed ignored it and dug in the pockets before coming up with some twine and a needle. Roy stared in amazement as Ed whipped the thin rips back together seamlessly.

"You can sew?"

"Shut up. I have to keep my clothes in good shape when I'm not near a city, don't I? You can't buy leather pants just anywhere you know." For some reason he couldn't quite explain, that last statement sent Roy into rollicking fits of clutch-your-side laughter which at first pissed Ed off, but then made him laugh too.

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Um, ok. I had writers' block and then I thought I needed to revise this chapter, and then I thought maybe I didn't, so if it still does need revising, well too bad. Sorry. Anyway, I was having a lot of trouble with it, so it's probably not my best. If anything is confusing or unclear though, please send me a review so I can fix it.

Also sorry it took so much longer than anything else. Hopefully the next chapters will come along better but this was really weird/hard because it was supposed to be part of the plot, but then I didn't really want to do it...and you get the idea already, I'm sure.

Thanks for reading!