Whew! This story's getting LO.O.O.ONG, O.O!

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"I'm cold, can we go back?"

"By all means, let's get out of this building," Roy agreed enthusiastically. As Ed stood, Roy lit up a flame, then came to a sudden realization. "Ed! You can run, is your ankle OK?"

"It's kind of sore but I think it's OK."

"That's great!" Roy said prematurely, then suddenly remembered the previous events that had made up Ed's day. "But I don't believe a word of it."

"It hurts," Ed admitted roughly.

"Transmute something I can push. I don't think you want me to carry you."

"I don't want you pushing me around in a baby stroller either," Ed snapped.

"Baby stroller? Gee Ed, that's exactly what I want to be seen doing, especially in front of your teacher: pushing you around in a stroller. A dog sled with wheels would work just as well, you know."

Ed grudgingly let Roy help him over the fence before (again grudgingly) transmuting a shopping cart out of some pipes. Roy didn't offer Ed any assistance with climbing in, knowing for sure now that Ed was...well, Ed didn't seem afraid, just shocked. Either way Roy decided it was best not to touch him. How strange when just a bit earlier, Ed had been clutching the fabric on the backs of his shoulders trying to get close to him. How gut-wrenching to suddenly realize how close he'd gotten to Ed and how Ed might never want to cuddle or be carried again. This was exactly what he'd feared most when he refused to answer Ed's question.

As he pushed the strange-looking cart down dark streets, using flames to light his way, Roy asked Ed, "Tell me. Who told you that bad things happen in these situations?"

"Sig said something about it, but when he realized I didn't know what he was talking about, he said it was a good thing. That as long as I didn't know, he and Teacher would know nothing bad was happening to me."

"That's kind of true." Roy thought for a few minutes before asking, tentatively, "Ed? If I had told you instead of sending you to Jean... would you be more comfortable?"

"I...don't think so. Jean wasn't nervous or anything. Or he didn't act like it. You got all funny when I asked.

"If I hadn't, would you-"

"Roy!" Ed complained, "Stop asking!" He looked down at his hands and pouted. "I'm freaked out. Leave me alone," he murmured.

"Sorry."

They finished their stroll in silence which was interrupted the minute they neared the house. Havoc, Fuery, Riza and Mason were standing by the car waiting for the two alchemists.

"Are you OK?" Jean wanted to know

"Hey, what happened?" Fuery was clueless.

"Are you alright?"

Riza remained silent, watching the approaching runaways.

"We're fine," Roy answered, parking the shopping car next to the military car.

"Where did you go?" Fuery asked.

"What happened?" Mason wanted to know.

"We were playing," Ed blushed convincingly. "Playing hide and seek." He reached for Roy to help himself out of the cart and for a moment, the colonel was confused.

But when he pulled Ed out, he could feel the underlying tension under his hands and realized he'd never seen Ed cover something up like this before. Or...maybe he had but hadn't known. Ed was a good actor after all.

Roy couldn't help but wonder as Ed said goodbye to the lieutenants and the master sergeant, why the boy didn't make more use of that skill.

"That lieutenant sure is a nice girl," Mason remarked as they walked to the front door.

"Yes. She's the best soldier I've ever known."

Mason gave Roy a sideways glance. "I meant she seemed like a very caring person."

Roy cut his eyes to the man. What was he driving at? "She is. She cares about all her team members and she's never returned from a mission where she didn't bring them all back alive."

"Ah." Mason made a vague noise and let the subject drop. Roy cast away his confusion at the other man's seeming confusion as they entered the living room where Izumi had Ed's braid in her hand and he was huddled into the couch with his eyes squeezed shut.

'At least,' Roy noted, 'She isn't pulling on it.'

"Speak up, where were you?" Her voice was much more laid back than the last time she'd asked and Roy wondered if it might be possible to get along with her after all.

"Mm," Ed whined, trying to pull his braid free.

"I'm not letting go until you answer my question. Keep in mind I saw you go running out the door looking pale as a ghost."

Ed chewed his lip before answering and Roy noted the slightly bitter note in his voice.

"Sig said something weird but he wouldn't explain it and Roy didn't want to either so Jean did," Ed said quickly.

"What did Sig say?" Izumi demanded.

"He said bad things happen when kids live with their commanding officers but he wouldn't tell me why and Roy didn't want to so Jean did!" Ed's voice rose angrily and he finished his sentence glaring at his teacher. Her face softened and she sat down next to him to pet his hair.

And then Roy got the shock of his life.

"I know it's not an easy thing to learn, Edward. The truth is cruel. We both know that, so I would like you to do me a favor. I want you to stay with him," she glanced at Roy. "You have nothing to fear from him and he'll protect you until you can fight again."

Ed pouted and Roy spoke up.

"I think Ed wanted some... time to think. Maybe you could watch him for a bit."

Izumi started to nod but Ed spoke up angrily.

"Wait a minute! Don't I get a say? Al and I are gonna visit Risembool!"

Roy and Izumi glanced at each other.

"What's going on?" Al tromped down the stairs and looked down at the three of them sitting on the couch.

"We're going to Risembool, Al," Ed declared.

"Oh! Really?"

Roy shrugged and Izumi followed suit. Stubborn kid but they both knew he had friends who would take care of him there.

"Well...If they're going to Risembool, then Sig and I will probably head home as well," Izumi told Roy and the colonel nodded.

"I should tell Mason," she excused herself and went upstairs.

Ed started hobbling up the stairs and Roy tossed him a broom to use as a cane.

"G'night," muttered the blond.

"I love you, too," Roy whispered so he couldn't hear.

"We're giving you two options," Roy stated firmly, blocking the door with his body.

"Use the crutches, or ride in your brother," Izumi snarled behind Ed, trapping him in the entrance-way.

Ed glared, first at Roy and then at his teacher and Izumi yelled, "Al! C'mere!"

She picked Ed up and of course he kicked and cried and made a fuss, but he didn't dare hurt his teacher and so allowed himself to be inserted into Al's stomach.

"Bleh. That feels weird," Al complained.

"Sorry, Al," Ed replied, resigned to his form of travel for the moment.

"Good. Now that that's settled, are you sure both of you are packed?" Izumi asked.

"Yes."

"Yeah."

"Al, don't let Ed hurt himself," Roy said as he tucked a sandwich and a bottle of water into Ed's suitcase.

"What! I can take care of myself!"

"Don't worry, I won't," Al laughed.

"Hey! You guys better get going!" Mason said from the top of the stairs.

"Right! See you later, Teacher! Bye, Colonel," Al waved as he headed out the door.

Roy said, "I'll come with you!" but Izumi touched his arm to get his attention.

"Before we have to leave for our train, there's something I would like to discuss with you."

"Uh," Roy glanced at the door. The Elrics were long gone. "OK."

"I was wondering: Mason would like to stay here for a little while longer, could you find a place for him to stay? Just for a few weeks or so."

"Oh," Roy was surprised, "Sure."

Izumi smiled. "Thank you. For letting us come here and also... for taking on Edward."

"You can rest assured," Roy said slightly guardedly, "I'll take good care of him."

"I know you will. Just remember, in some ways he's older than his years but there is a trade-off and in some things, he's younger."

Roy frowned in confusion but before he could say anything, Izumi called for her husband and they were out the door, leaving a slightly embarrassed Mason.

"Thank you for helping me.." he tried awkwardly.

"I was thinking you could stay here with me. I'll be lonely without the kids."

"Really? Are you sure it's alright?"

"Certainly. Just don't wake me up before seven. That's all I ask."

"Thank you!"

"Sure. Unfortunately, I still have to go to work today, so you're on your own."

"I'll go explore the city."

"Sounds good."

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Bang bang bang bang bang-

"Stop that, Ed!" Al yelled angrily.

"Let me out, please?"

"What if someone sees?"

"Just sit still and it'll look like I'm just taking off my armor for the train ride."

"No, Ed. I'll forget and move. And besides, I walk to talk to you."

"Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"Ed... Did you ever consider what would happen if our father came back?"

"No," Ed snapped. "Because I don't think he ever will."

"And you think about the colonel that way, don't you?" Al stated rhetorically.

"L-like what?" Ed asked anxiously. Al wished he could see his face, to read him more clearly.

"Like a father or something, I don't know!" Al exclaimed. He wasn't sure how his brother felt toward Mustang exactly and Ed would be mad at him if he thought the wrong thing.

"...I don't want to think of him as my father, Al. That bastard, he left us and I don't want anyone else to be... in that position."

"But what about as just a parent? I know you like him in some way, you can't hide it from me."

"I'm not trying to, Al."

"Well?"

"I...guess I just want him to take care of me. I haven't felt like anyone was taking care of me since Mom first got sick," Ed said quietly.

"You can't replace her," Al said coldly.

"Al, I'm not. No one could ever replace her."

"That's what you say-"

"Al!" Ed was keeping his voice low but it was still drenched with pain and resistance, like he was trying not to drown in his brother's angry feelings.

"Alphonse, use your head. If anyone in the whole world could ever replace her, if there was someone who could have done so at any time in our lives, do you think I would have come up with the idea to bring her back? If you had thought anyone could replace her, would you have agreed to bring her back even though you knew what we were doing was forbidden? Use your head, Al. We have both known since the day she got sick that no one could replace her."

Al was silent, his body completely still. He remained so until Ed gently knocked against his back.

"Al...?"

"You're right, Ed. But I'm jealous. You can't just ask the colonel to take care of you when no one takes care of me!" He sounded ready to cry. "And don't say Roy would because he can't. No one can. He holds you but he can't even pick me up. You're still mostly human but Edward, what am I? What am I, big brother?"

Ed couldn't move or speak. He was drowning again, this time in his own guilt. Of course. Al didn't think he was replacing his mother, Al thought he was leaving him behind. IT hadn't been easy, but he'd learned to let Roy take care of him and yet Al didn't even have that option.

"Al..." Ed's eyes narrowed, "Dad's study had so much information in it that we burned. There has to be a way to get some of it back, don't you think?"

"I don't know, Ed. If we tried to use alchemy... All the ashes have blown away. There's no way to get those books back. And we can't find out father so we can't ask him."

"Dammit! Al, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let myself be distracted, I want to get your body back more than anything."

"It's OK, Ed. I know you weren't trying to hurt me, but please... I-I don't want you to be guilty, I just want to be able to feel again... I want it so much."

Ed looked down at his lap. Roy hadn't mentioned any leads or anything recently and he hadn't heard anything himself, so what could he do? Besideswhich, he couldn't even walk on his own, let alone chase down the crazies that the stone normally associated with. Fake prophets, artificial people-

"Al, we know the homonculi have something to do with the stone, right? There's gotta be a way to find them."

"We don't know for sure that they have anything to do with the stone, Ed," Al sighed. He'd gone over this in his head many times already.

"Hey," Ed said in a tone that told Al he'd moved on to a new idea, "I know the Ishvarlans are pretty much against alchemy, but they did do that weird ritual with me, so what if we looked more in that direction?"

"Brother, have you gone nuts? They'd recognize you as Amestrian in a moment! They'd kill you."

"Al, have you lost your faith in your elder brother?" Ed huffed dramatically.

"No-"

"Who was the one who used to hold you during thunder storms at night? Who was the one who lifted you up to counter-top level so you could reach the cookie jar? Who-"

"You only did that so I could get cookies for you!"

"What! How could you accuse your older brother of being so selfish!"

"You don't have a leg to stand on," Al argued with humor in his voice.

"Al!" Ed whined and Al laughed.

"Look, one: not all Ishvarlans are that violent, two: you can beat up anyone I have trouble with, three: I can hide my face and four: do you really think I would let myself get killed?"

Al sighed. "You're right, I guess, but I just can't see them having any information on either the stone or human transmutation."

"Do you have a better idea?" Ed asked dryly.

"Not really," Al sighed heavily.

"Ed! Al!" Winry was waiting for them at the station, waving her hands over her head to get their attention.

"Winry!" Al yelled, "How'd you know we were coming?"

"That Mustang guy called and said you were coming... Where's Ed?"

"In here!" Ed banged on Al's stomach.

"Is he hurt?" Winry asked Alphonse.

"Sprained ankle," Al answered. She just shook her head.

"Come on! Hurry up and get to the house so I can get out of here! It's hot," Ed complained.

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Next chapter- midnight phone calls to Roy!

R&R please!