OK, so next chap maybe not as soon as I'd planned, but here it is.
Special thanks to PRISCY ELRIC for the great and very encouraging review! This chapter was already written up when I got your suggestion, but I am so definitely keeping that in mind. It's gonna be so funny!! Thank you again.
Thanks to EVERYONE who gave me reviews!! I just couldn't live without them! Ah! Perish the thought!
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Roy was rudely woken by Ed elbowing him in the ribs as he fought to get out from under Roy. Roy hopped away from Ed's left elbow and squinted angrily at the little ball of energy that shot off the couch and into the kitchen.
Having retrieved a cold hamburger patty from the fridge, Ed ran back to Roy.
"Where are your alchemy books? Are they the same ones you mentioned in your notes? Like Betsumei Renkinjutsu and Chimera Wonderland?" Ed suddenly clapped a hand over his own mouth and started backing away.
"I meant to talk to you about that." Roy sighed. "Stay here. Sit." He commanded and stalked into the kitchen for coffee.
He beckoned Ed to the table where they could sit across from each other, then took a deep breath.
"I know that both you and your brother have read at least some, if not all of my notes." He started. "And as much as I trust you not to go around giving out secrets of forbidden alchemy, I doubt your judgement when it comes to...the military information." Roy sighed. "I'll be clear about this, Ed. Stay out of my notes. If I find anything involving the stone or the homonculi, I'll tell you." Roy looked up from his hands to Ed, surprised to find Ed wearing his 'you-don't-know-who-the-hell-you're-dealing-with-but-it-will-be-fun-for-me-when-you-find-out' look.
"Ed-...?"
"I've been waiting. For you to tell me."
"Tell you what?" Roy was not in a great mood.
"Oh, you've 'forgotten', hm?" Ed stood up, leaning accross the table menacingly.
"You never told me about Liore! You never said a thing about Cornello's reappearance or disappearance or the a faction of the military is inhabiting it! Not a word about the three homonculi sightings since Cornello's disappearance, NOTHING! You lied to me!" Ed kicked his chair over and ran up the stairs.
"It's not like you've never kept anything from me, Edward. Calm down." Roy remained unmoved by Ed's outburst.
The blond appeared at the top of the staircase again, screaming.
"You can't prove that because it's not true! I never lied to you!" Ed disappeared and reappeared a moment later, suitcase in hand and brother in tow.
"Where do you think you're going?" Roy stepped in front of the door.
"We both read it, Colonel. You kept it from us." Al said coldly.
"There's no reason for you to go back." Roy said sternly, still blocking the entranceway.
"The homonculi are there! People are going to die! That town, it means something-..." Ed trailed off suddenly.
"There is nothing you can do there! The military is-"
"There has to be something!" Ed tried to duck between Roy and the entryway wall to get to the door, but Roy leaned sideways, pinning Ed with his body. Ed was struggling wildly as Al put his huge armored hands between the two and pushed Roy off of his older brother. Ed slipped out the door, but Roy stepped back in front of it, kicking it shut as he did, before Al's much larger body could get through. Snapping his right hand and locking the door with his left, Roy sent Al tripping backward as Ed pounded on the door at his back. The blond alchemist had no way of knowing exactly where his brother was, canceling out transmuting the door as a weapon against Roy, and when he heard the crackle of flames inside, panic flooded his entire body, his logical mind completely leaving him.
"Ed won't go without you, Alphonse. I'm afraid I can't let you out."
"AL!" Ed was pounding on the door now.
"AL---!" Ed's earsplitting scream was panicked and terrified.
"Coming back?" Roy shouted through the door.
"PLEEASE!" Ed was distraught. Roy opened the door, picking Ed up before the boy could run to his brother. Settling Ed's kicking legs over his hips to comfortably carry the little alchemist, Roy shut the door and turned to eye Al, who wasn't quite sure whether or not he should move. Ed was squirming and kicking and reaching for his brother, but Roy continued to hold him until Ed turned his attention back to the brunette.
"Put-me-down!" He said all in one panicky word.
"Sorry Ed. If you get to him, you'll take off to Liore and I can't let that happen. The military has-"
"NO! Let me down!"
"No." Roy's tone made it final and Ed started to sob over his shoulder, reaching once again for his younger brother across the room.
"Al, Al..."
"Your brother is fine." Roy shifted the boy a bit and held him close, Ed's arms reaching out over his shoulders.
"I'm OK, Ed." Al took a step closer.
"Alphonse, stay by the couch." Roy stepped into the kitchen, making it clear that he wasn't going to let Al get too close. Ed tried to purposely kick the back of Roy's leg and the older man sat down in one of the chairs by the tale, rubbing Ed's heaving back.
"Did you get scared?" He tried to soothe the blond. "Everything's OK now, alright? Your brother's fine." Roy rocked Ed and continued to rub his back. Ed was shaking his head and sobbing and trying to get away and Roy moved a hand up to press Ed's face into his shoulder.
"Alphonse? Will you let him settle down out of your sight?"
"I'm not sure I trust you." Al replied.
"If you go upstairs, he won't be so panicky. I won't hurt him, but I need to come and talk to you privately in a moment, alright?"
Al though carefully for a moment, then "Alright." He solemnly ascended the stairs as Ed reached for him again. Ed squirmed harder after Al as Havoc suddenly appeared.
"Hey, what the hell's going on? What was all that screaming? Alphonse won't speak to me."
"Take care of Ed for a bit? Don't let go of him. I need to try to reason with Alphonse."
"No! Leave my brother alone!" Ed cried as Havoc tried to take him. Kicking, the boy dropped to the ground and tried to run, but Havoc had his left wrist in a tight grip. He tried to pick Ed up, but the boy was flailing too hard and Havoc ended up simply pulling him over to the couch and awkwardly pushing Ed onto it, holding the boy down with two hands pressing down firmly on his back until the kicking and flailing stopped and Ed lay sobbing dryly into the couch. Jean expertly flipped the golden-haired boy up into his arms and sat down, settling Ed in his lap with one hand around his shoulders holding both a flesh and a steel wrist. Ed wiggled frantically trying to free his hands and when he couldn't get them free with sheer strength, he glanced nervously up at Jean.
"If I let go, you won't hit me, will you?"
Ed shook his head, his bangs flying around his pale face.
"Will you try to escape?"
After a moment, Ed gave a slower shake of his head.
"Promise?"
Ed nodded solemnly and Jean released his hands. The taller blond jumped a little when Ed suddenly grabbed the side and front of Jean's shirt, balling his fists into the fabric. Realizing the young alchemist was only trying to comfort himself, Havoc started rocking his body gently. Fast choked breaths were pumping Ed's little body, his stomach rising and falling quickly with each pant. Roy had tried to torch his brother...locked him out of the house...What was Roy doing to Al now?
"You're OK, Ed. You're OK." Havoc told him. "You want to tell me what happened?"
Ed shook his head again, pulling himself closer to Jean's body with his hands. Why did Roy have to be that way...?
"OK, you're OK." Jean shushed him.
Roy came back down the stairs looking none too happy.
"Al...?" Ed tried to wiggle away from the man holding him.
"Ah-ah-ah. You said you wouldn't try to escape."
The upset little blond wriggled unhappily, but didn't try to get away.
"So what happened to Al?" Havoc asked. Roy exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm pretty sure he's seeing reason now. I told him I'd call him down when his brother stopped throwing a fit."
"I'm not!" Ed wriggled. Havoc held onto him and Roy came over to the couch.
"You're still too upset. Here, can I hold you?" He held his arms out gently. Ed narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, but Havoc stood suddenly, bringing Ed with him and quickly handing him off to Roy.
"Auugh! Havoc!" Ed wriggled uselessly.
"Come on now, Ed. I don't want you to be so upset." Roy murmured.
"It's your fault."
"I know it is, but military-style is the only form of damage control I ever learned, Kid."
Ed had previously decided that no one except Havoc could call him "kid", mostly because Jean was the only one he couldn't seem to break of the habit, but the way Roy was talking to him, it sounded only just short of calling him "little one", and for right now, Ed could let it pass. Roy sighed and shifted Ed in his arms before setting him down on the floor. As predicted, Ed immediately dashed up the stairs to his little brother.
"Hey Boss...?" Havoc stood up.
"Yeah, you'll be late for work." Roy smiled. "We both will, but I wonder if I can call in sick." He pondered, glancing up the stairs.
"You used up all your sick days already, Sir. But umm...I have all of mine left."
Roy raised one eyebrow. "Havoc, are you offering to babysit?"
"Well..."
"I'm not sure you want to do that. Ed will probably still try to escape and he certainly won't appreciate being watched."
"Are you sure he even needs to be watched?"
"Yes. If we're lucky, Al will talk some sense into him, but if not Ed will drag his brother off to Liore."
"Hrmmm...Liore...Isn't that where they put the military filter on all of the people coming and going into the town? Few citizens are allowed passage in or out of city limits, and no unauthorized military personnel are allowed in either besides the ones already stationed there."
"That's exactly it. Ed kept cutting me off, but I told Al. Hopefully that'll keep him here, except for one thing. Homonculi have been spotted inside city limits since the filter was placed."
"So Ed of course, will want to find them." Havoc added. Roy nodded.
"I'll call in sick and look after them Boss. I promise not to let them escape." Havoc saluted suddenly. "You have lots of paperwork you need to get done." He grinned. Roy moaned. But despite Havoc's promise, it was already too late. Roy jerked his head up at the loud bang from upstairs and guessed correctly that a transmutation had taken place. The two officers raced up the stairs and into Al's room to find the window had been modified to allow even something as large as a suit of armor through it. Roy swore as he saw Ed and Al taking off down the street below toward the train station.
"We have to follow them, Havoc."
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What will happen in Liore?! Will homonculi be encountered?!
Review if you want me to post the next chapter quickly!!