Roy Mustang stood slowly and brushed off the back of his pants where he had struck the ground, staring after the young man who had bowled him over although he was half Mustang's size. He had not expected to be knocked down by a young man who had previously been dead and brought back to life on his way to a date. And those eyes…Edward had warned him that that might be the case when he awoke. He said it had happened last time Alex had come in contact with the red stone…but it had still been a shock. For a second he had looked Ishvalan, and Mustang had reacted as he always did when he saw an Ishvalan. With fear.

No, he wasn't really afraid of the race of people. Scar excepting, they were not a threat per-se, nor particularly violent. It was the fear of the memories that they brought. But Roy saw the hurt in Alex's eyes when he recognized the colonel's fear and Roy had realized his mistake.

"Shit." The boy was clearly distressed about something. Maybe it was how the stone had affected him? Mustang didn't know, but from what little he had gathered from Fullmetal and Alphonse, Alex resented the effects of the red stone, and something bad had happened when he came in contact with it before...And now Alex was running away, from both him and his brothers, it looked like. Looking at him like that was the exact wrong thing to do.

"Shit," Mustang said again. He looked regretfully towards the restaurant his latest conquest was waiting for him and then back at the retreating boy. He sighed. Definitely more important. Just as Mustang was about to lose sight of Alex, he took off running in pursuit, cursing his choice of casual shoes.

He ran faster. He could just imagine the look on Edward's face if he let Alex run off alone and somehow get hurt or lost. Plus he had that supposed stalker...Dammit! Those three boys were causing him more trouble than they were worth. Why did he recruit them again...?

Well, that and...the young man had somehow become someone Mustang–dare he say it–cared about. When had that happened exactly? Had it been when they met and Alex had lied? Or when Mustang sat beside him at the hospital, and Alex had decided to trust him even though he clearly didn't want to? Or when he had finally told Mustang the truth a few days before and the man had learned his story, supposedly the only one that knew...Or maybe it was when he saw him dead on the street and all Mustang could think was 'we could have been friends.' Whatever the case, Mustang wasn't about to let an underage boy gallivant the city at night by himself. Not without his weapons, which were still sitting beside Mustang's desk, or even a pair of shoes, dammit!

Ahead of him, Alex stumbled into another few pedestrians and rounded a corner and disappeared out of site. Mustang cursed and tried to speed up again, but he had been chasing the kid for ten minutes and he was getting tired. Was he getting old? He was only 29! But Alex wasn't slowing down at all and he couldn't deny he was falling behind.

Finally, he rounded the corner he had seen Alex disappear behind and looked around, panting. He was in the rail yard. Shipping crates and rusted unused train engines lined the old iron tracks along the gravel ground. Mustang looked around carefully, trying to spot where the wayward boy had gotten to in the lengthening shadows of the evening. He took a few crunching steps forward and froze, spotting Alex several yards ahead leaning against a shipping crate. He could see that the boy was trembling and paused, considering. Alex had not noticed him, and if Mustang startled him, he could take off running again.

Before Mustang came to a decision, Alex crouched down and scooped something up from the ground that the colonel couldn't see. Then he sank to his knees before heavily leaning back against the shipping crate, half facing Mustang but still not seeming to notice him. Clutched to his chest was the small chimera Mustang had seen the boy with before. Without prompting, the boy began speaking to the creature, and Roy made a snap decision. He stood still and listened.

o-0-o

I ran…and ran. I was running from my unwanted powers, and I was running from what just happened to me. And what I just did. But the images kept flashing through my mind unbidden and unwanted. I saw Edward's anguished face as I shouted and railed and blamed him for things I no longer blamed him for. I saw Alphonse's flinch when I threw our bond in his face. And then I…

Monster!

I stumbled into some strangers as the word rang loudly through my head like the worst curse. They protested loudly but I was deaf to them as I stumbled drunkenly on, looking inward. I had done something I promised myself I would never do. I lost control, and I hurt Edward as a result. His face covered in blood and his shocked eyes staring at me…And Alphonse's and Hughes' accusing voices.

"Why did you do that!?"

I burst out of the street and stumbled as the ground turned to gravel beneath my feet, and finally came to a stop beside a large rusted train crate, leaning against it heavily. Even though my body did not need it, I was breathing harshly in panic, and even though my body trembled badly, I did not feel tired at all after running for who knows how long. I stared down at the ground in fear as my emotions and terror threatened to overwhelm me.

"mew…"

My head snapped up at the soft noise and I looked around dazedly. Walking towards me was the small chimera that had been following me, and I watched with a feeling of unreality as it approached. It stopped in front of me and waved its paws in the air beseechingly like a child that wanted to be picked up. "Mew…"

Very carefully, I bent down and with the lightest of touches I could manage, terrified I would crush it, I lifted it from the ground and pulled it to my chest. Instantly, I could feel…something. It wasn't like the emotions of humans I had experienced so far, but more of a basic group of desires that I felt from the beast. I almost dropped it in surprise, but its base emotions of desire for food, and desire to mate, and desire to sleep and be petted soothed me, distracting me from my own raging emotions for just a moment. A few tears escaped my bloodshot eyes and I sank down to the ground, my breathing calming. I wondered vaguely if I was projecting my emotions to it as well, but it didn't seem affected. Maybe it just didn't understand or animals just weren't capable of such complex feelings. Whatever the case, I was just glad it wasn't running from me. I was glad it wasn't looking at me in fear and disgust. Like Edward…like Mustang….

"I've done something unforgivable," I mumbled to the small creature. It merely mewed softly at the sound of my voice and cuddled into my arms, stealing my warmth in the darkening evening. "I hurt him…I promised myself I would never hurt them with this freakish body…" Red eyes flashed in my mind and I flinched from the memory of my monstrous reflection. "But…" I leaned my head forward, pressing my face into the little chimera's smooth scales, "he promised too. He promised me that I would never have to come in contact with the red stone again. He lied…" Cold wind blew through the rail yard where I sat and I shivered violently. I was dressed lightly, and had neither shoes nor a coat, and the temperature was dropping. But I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Now because of that, I will never be able to relax again, because I can't sleep…I will never be able to let my guard down because if I do I may kill someone…and I will never be able to touch anyone again because I will be forced to feel their emotions…I've become a monster…" I leaned my head back and stared at the now dim sky, starlight beginning to peak through the black. Crippling resentment and self-pity surged through me at what I had become. Edward's face flashed in my mind. "I hate him," I rasped. I love him. "He broke his promise…turned me into this…" He saved my life. "He stole me from my family to fulfill his own selfish desires…" He gave me a new family, and a new life. "I'm miserable because of him…" He and his brother, and everyone in this world had given me happiness…

My head started to pound painfully as my conflicting emotions besieged my mind. I could feel the tenuous strength I had been clinging to the past few years begin to crack and tear at the seams. "I want to go home…" I whispered, so quietly I could barely hear my own voice. I closed my eyes and tried to see the face of my mother, but there was only a haze of chestnut hair, and then Izumi's face flashed before my eyes. I shook my head violently and tried again. I tried to imagine the face of my father, but I could only see black hair on a receding hairline and a pair of outdated glasses before Orkan's smiling blue eyes overtook my vision. I began panting harshly and my eyes blew open wide, although I could see nothing. "No…!" I struggled to remember the faces of the friends and family I had loved, but I could barely see them through my memories of this place. In one last desperate effort, I tried to remember the face of my lover and the face of the child I had dreamed of. My lover had black hair and dark eyes…he had strong hands and a strong jaw…he was calling my name, but I couldn't hear him…! And the child…It was nothing more than a blur in my peripheral. My breathing came out harshly, and I vaguely registered that I was whimpering loudly with every breath. My lover in my mind's eye called out to me and reached towards me, but I couldn't reach him.

"-lex! Alex!" My eyes snapped down from the blackening sky as a loud male voice broke through my consciousness and the face of my lover was obliterated by the image of Roy Mustang. His dark eyes boring into mine and his deep voice was shouting my name in an identical way as the specter in my mind. I stopped breathing as the image of my lover faded into darkness, and reality settled around me once more.

"Roy…?" My voice trembled. Mustang was crouched in front of me, his hands hovering as if to grab my shoulders, but he did not touch me. His brow was furrowed in concern, and he was grimacing.

"Why are you here…" I whispered. I looked away from his eyes, remembering the fear he had shown for my own.

"I followed you."

"Why?" I said shortly.

Mustang paused and remained silent. I smiled bitterly. "Get away from me. I'm dangerous. Just leave me here…"

The colonel sighed and sat back heavily on the ground in front of me. "I can't do that." I didn't move or react to his presence, hoping that if I ignored him he would go away. He didn't. "Alex, you are not a monster." My eyes snapped to his furiously and I did not miss his slight flinch at my gaze. I laughed mirthlessly.

"Then why are you afraid of me?"

Mustang sighed and ran one of his gloved hands through his short black hair. "I'm not afraid of you, Alex. The color of your eyes just brings back memories."

I shifted my gaze to the ground again. "What do you mean…?"

"I…" Mustang glanced around and then looked at me, scanning my lightly dressed form. "Let's not talk about this here. Come with me." He stood and held out his hand for me to grab.

I shook my head. "You don't want to touch me."

"Because I'll feel your emotions," he said calmly. My eyes widened in surprise.

"How did you…"

"I was listening."

I glared at the man, but he did not retract his hand. "Then you should know that not only will you feel my emotions, but I will feel yours. And I have absolutely no desire to go through that." I looked down bitterly. "I never want to be touched again…"

"You are lying," he said, and I tensed in anger. "You may say that, but you are desperate for someone to reach out to you." I shook my head in denial, but even as I did, I stared longingly at his extended hand. He was reaching out to me even though he knew what I was…He sighed. "Alex, even if you can endure the cold, I don't think that little chimera is quite as resilient."

With a shock, I looked down at my chest and the little creature that was clinging to me. I was shivering violently, and it seemed like my body temperature was not enough to keep it warm. I had to get it inside…

Mustang moved his hand slightly closer to me and I looked up, considering. I couldn't got back to the Hughes', not after what I had done…Sadly, I didn't think I would ever be able to return. Mustang was offering me asylum for the moment, but after he learned that I had assaulted Edward, he might change his mind. It would be better to just run…the chimera shivered against me, and I clung to it tighter, still careful not to crush it. I sighed inwardly and then nodded. This little guy came first. Ignoring Mustang's hand, I stood up on my own. No matter how much I desired the touch of another, I did not want to experience what I had felt with Edward again. Mustang may have been calm, but my mental state was far from stable. Mustang pulled his hand back slowly, accepting my choice, and gestured for me to follow.

As he turned and walked away from me, his white shirt the only bright spot in the dark rail yard, I felt a pang of regret for not taking the hand he had offered. It felt like I had missed an opportunity somehow, like I would never be able to take that hand again. By rejecting his hand, did I somehow reject him? Did he see it that way? If I needed it, would he ever extend that hand again? Especially once he learned what I had done…I cursed myself for my fears and weakness as he walked away from me, my sorry ass trailing behind him slowly. I looked at his broad shoulders and a sudden crushing loneliness overtook me, and my hand reached out unbidden. I froze just before I came into contact with the back of his shirt and dropped my arm. I shook my head and suppressed the feeling. What was done was done. I followed him down the cold streets of Central, trailing three steps behind silently the whole way.

o-0-o

Mustang brought me to his house, a surprisingly small two-story affair set in between two other units. It reminded me of the Hughes' house, only a bit smaller. Huh, I would have thought a lieutenant colonel would make enough money to get something a little nicer. And he was an alchemist to boot…

Mustang opened the door and gestured me inside, and I walked in listlessly. Immediately I was engulfed in a comforting warmth that seeped into my limbs that I had not known were frozen, and I shivered gratefully as Mustang closed the door behind us. I looked around.

The doorway opened into a surprisingly spacious living room, and I had to take back my earlier thought that Mustang was not making much money, because inside was a luxurious pad of beautiful mahogany furniture and sparse yet ruggedly stylish decorations. To the far left was a intricately carved stone fireplace surrounded by plush leather couches over a embroidered throw rug. The rug had a crest that looked like a wave of fire surrounding a fierce station. I smiled weakly. Mustang was such a narcissist. To my right was a long bar that separated the living room from the kitchen, which had black stone counters and cherry-wood cabinets. The open floor setup looked surprisingly modern for a early 20th-century-esque houses I had seen so far. A staircase led up to a second floor.

Mustang stumbled blindly behind me, and I looked back at him. He was groping for the light switch, which was right in front of his face. For a moment, I was confused: did he need glasses or something? But then I realized that the room was pitch black, the dark curtains drawn and preventing light from entering the house, even though I could see perfectly. Mustang was just a human, so he couldn't…Depression swept through me once more and I deftly flicked the switch that Mustang couldn't seem to find with a heavy sigh, throwing the room into a soft golden glow. Mustang blinked in surprise at the sudden bright light, and straightened up.

"Thanks," he said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I just had the first floor remodeled, so sometimes I still…wait how did you see it? It was pitch black…"

I looked down, avoiding his eyes. "Your place is beautiful. Do you live alone?"

Mustang nodded, going along with my change of subject. "Yes. We won't be disturbed here." I shivered again and Mustang looked me up and down in concern. "You are freezing. Go take a hot shower."

I looked up in surprise and raised my hands, gesturing quickly. "No, that's ok, I'm fine."

Mustang rolled his eyes. "Take a hot shower, Elric. That's an order."

My mouth dropped open. "What! I'm not a soldier! You can't order me around."

Mustang smirked and leaned forward, getting uncomfortably close to my face. "If you won't be good and follow my orders, I could always join you and make sure you get warm…" he threatened.

I blushed to the roots of my hair and stepped back, shocked. But then he chuckled and I realized he was joking. I smiled tentatively at what I'd come to recognize as our usual banter, and found myself comforted. "You would like that wouldn't you." Mustang only smiled wider. I sighed. "Fine, but hold this little guy. I don't think he'd appreciate getting wet." I foisted the little chimera onto the colonel's chest and it clung to him immediately. Mustang looked down bewilderingly and held his hands up, not sure what to do with them but clearly fighting the urge to grab the creature and throw it across the room. The little chimera crawled up his chest and curled around his neck, nuzzling and Mustang shivered visibly. I snorted at his expression.

"Bathroom?" I asked.

"Up the stairs and to the left. Towels on the counter," Mustang grunted, still looking disconcerted at the little animal on his shoulder. I saluted and headed up the stairs, leaving the colonel to figure out what to do with my little friend.

I flicked the light on and closed the door behind me, finding myself in a nice bathroom with tile floors and a large bath. I looked up slowly and gazed at myself in the mirror. Red eyes stared back at me on a face that looked absolutely terrible, tear stains streaking down my cheeks and expression miserable. I looked away bitterly and began undressing, not wanting to face my reflection any longer. As the hot water ran down my back and through my hair, I tried to clear my mind for just a moment. I took a deep breath…and tried to imagine my mother's face. Long chestnut hair and smiling brown eyes came to me, and I sighed in relief. My memories were still there…for a while, I immersed myself in my past, and let the hot water warm my frozen limbs, even if it couldn't warm my frozen heart.

o-0-o

The second the boy walked up the stairs, Mustang's expression became serious. First thing's first, he had a phone call to make. He ignored the little animal on his shoulder (it seemed to have fallen asleep) and strode across his living room and picked up the phone. Something big had clearly happened to make Alex run like that, and he was going to find out what this 'unforgivable' something was.

He brought the receiver to his ear and listened as it rang twice. It clicked and Hughes' voice sounded at the other end.

"Hello?"

"Maes. What the hell is going on?"

"Well, hello to you too Roy. I'm assuming you found him?"

"Kid ran me over on the street. He's with me now."

Hughes sighed, sounding tense. "Be careful, alright? He might be dangerous."

Mustang's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure, since I came onto the scene a little late. Alex woke up after two days in a coma-like state and we heard a crash. The boys went to investigate and began fighting. I was downstairs making sure my family was safe, and by the time I got there, Alex and Edward were in a deadlock, and then Alex practically threw Ed through the wall and then ran off."

"Is Ed alright?" Mustang said, alarmed.

"A slight concussion, but he's fine."

Mustang frowned. "What does Ed say happened?"

"Nothing, neither he nor Alphonse will talk to me. They've shut themselves in the guest room."

"What do you think?"

Hughes heaved a sigh. "I think that kid is scared. He seems to have developed some kind of super strength or something. He punched a damn hole in my bathroom wall! Whatever Edward did to him the other day, he's not taking it well. He looked terrified."

For a few moments, Roy remained silent. So…the unforgivable thing was injuring Edward after misjudging his strength…That was why he was running, or at least part of it.

"Roy? Should I tell the boys that Alex is with you?"

Mustang snapped out of his thoughts. "…No. Knowing them, they'd probably try to sneak out and find Alex on their own. Scar is still on the loose, so make sure they stay there. Just tell them he's safe and do me a favor? Try to figure out exactly what happened."

"…Ok. I'll do my best. And Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

Mustang hung up the phone and sighed. What a mess. He was starting to get the picture now. He tried to line up what he had learned in his head.

One: something happened, probably in Xenotime, where Alex was exposed to the red stone and lost control. Something started changing in the boy and he was starting to resent it. Not being entirely human was clearly bothering him.

Two: Edward made some kind of promise to protect him from the red stone, and then broke it to save Alex's life. Alex was mad, if what Mustang heard from him at the railyard indicated anything.

Three: Alex was clearly terrified of his own power. Worse, he actually lost control and hurt Edward, which will only heighten his fear, making it more likely that he will lose control again.

Aaaand those three issues just barely scratched the surface of what was really going on.

Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose. What a damn mess. He sighed resignedly, knowing what he would have to do if he wanted to keep those three Elrics from doing something foolish. Since when did he become a damn psychiatrist for all these messed up kids anyway? He glanced at his phone, wondering if he should call Riza for backup, but shook his head. No, Alex was a loose cannon right now, and for some reason or other, he trusted Roy. Bringing in another party might make him clam up more.

Roy looked at the clock on his wall and groaned at the hour. He turned and trudged tiredly into his kitchen and began preparing coffee. Whatever the case, the colonel would have his work cut out for him. He needed caffeine if he was going to get through this with his own sanity in tact. Lord save him from ridiculously overpowered and over dramatic hormonal teenagers.

A half hour later, and Roy was beginning to wonder whether he would have any hot water left. Finally, Alex trudged out of the bathroom, releasing a wall of steam, wearing the clothes Mustang had left for him. Since they belonged to the older man, the white button up shirt and the slacks were loose on the boy's frame. His hair was pulled back over his left shoulder and it dripped on the white shirt, making it slightly transparent. He looked around listlessly before spotting the colonel on the couch in front of the fire, sipping coffee and staring into the flames. Mustang saw out of the corner of his eye that Alex hesitated before padding softly down the stairs and joining him. He sat on the couch adjacent from the colonel.

"Thank you for letting me use your shower," he said, tugging at his overly large clothes self consciously. He was avoiding Mustang's eyes, and the colonel inwardly sighed.

"Your welcome." Mustang got up and poured Alex a cup of coffee and placed it on the table in front of him before taking his seat again. Alex picked up the cup and took a large gulp, grimacing at the taste. Mustang contemplated for a second on how he should go about this. Did he just come out and ask what happened? Or maybe he should just lay everything he knew out on the table. That would probably force Alex to talk…But it might also make Alex upset and try to run off again…hm…

While Mustang was contemplating this, out of the corner of his eye, he could see Alex glance at him several times and opening his mouth as if about to say something, then quickly looking away.

"You can look me in the eye, you know," Mustang said, not taking his eyes off the fireplace in front of him.

"My eyes disturb you," Alex said softly, looking at his lap.

Mustang sipped his drink slowly. "…Yes, they do." He glanced at the young man beside him and could see him frowning deeply. "But not for the reason you think."

Alex finally looked up, his red irises gleaming in the firelight. Mustang looked straight into them unflinchingly, careful to hide his usual reaction. "Then why?"

Mustang gazed at Alex, considering whether he should say anything further. His past wasn't nearly as painful as it used to be, and he had talked through it several times with Maes, but it was still a sore subject that could bring back his nightmares if he delved too deep. But he could also see the value of opening up first. Alex probably felt exposed and raw, and Mustang needed to show him that that it was possible to get through this. In fact, Mustang could almost see Alex as a younger version of himself. Oh yes, Mustang knew what it was like to fear your own power…first though, he needed something a little stronger than coffee. He set the cup aside and walked to the shelf across the room that held his tumblers, and more importantly, his whiskey. With only a slight pause of hesitation, he poured a second glass for the boy and set it down in front of him. Alex took it gratefully and took a long sip, looking unfazed by the strong drink, and Mustang was reminded that he was actually a lot older than he looked. Roy settled back down and took a sip of his own drink.

"Several years ago…" he began, his baritone filling the room softly, "I was involved in a war. It was called the Ishvalan rebellion." He looked into the fire and could almost feel the hot desert air brushing his face as he opened a door that he usually kept under lock and key.

"Ed mentioned that before…" Alex mumbled. Mustang nodded.

He briefly described how the war began while Alex listened silently. "Several years of sensless bloodshed later, they sent in the State Alchemists. They ordered us to exterminate all of Ishval." Alex gasped. Mustang leaned forward and laced his fingers together, looking down at his hands. "I am responsible for the death of thousands," he whispered. Hundreds of terrified red eyes flashed before his fingers poised to snap in his mind but he forced them down. He finished his story with difficulty. "The fire alchemy that I had so cultivated through years of hard work and passion, the alchemy that I had dedicated my very soul to learning and obtained through great personal loss, was suddenly a horrific curse, a weapon of mass murder."

Mustang grit his teeth and forced himself to take a deep breath. He looked straight into Alex's red eyes. "That's why your eyes disturb me. Ishvalan eyes are red." The boy was staring at him and Mustang forced himself to look back. An old fear surfaced then, the fear of judgement from another that he had long thought he had gotten over. He shook it off. This wasn't about him, it was about Alex. It was time to make his point. "I thought I was an inhuman monster for the longest time. I thought that because I had power, I was cursed to do only evil with it…It tore me apart. I wanted to run away…and I almost pulled the trigger."

"How did you hold onto your humanity through all of that," Alex whispered.

Mustang sat back and stared at the ceiling. "I looked up after the war was over, and my victims lay charred at my feet, and I saw the Furer standing over the soldiers, looking down. I thought to myself: If I had been standing where he was standing, would any of this have happened?" Old anger and resentment rose within the older man. "I resolved that one day I would be the one standing there. I found my purpose that day. I would become the Furer and make damn sure that something like that would never happen again." The room fell silent, save for the crackling fire and the slight clink of the ice as it melted in Roy's glass, each occupant within their own thoughts.

"You found your purpose...and it saved you..." Alex said slowly, looking into the fire.

"What you've done isn't unforgivable, not even close. Edward and Alphonse will forgive you. But will you forgive them? Or more importantly, will you forgive yourself?"

Alex's eyes widened in surprise, but then he shook his head with a rueful smile. "How is it that you always know everything?"

Mustang threw his arms over the back of the couch, crossing his legs and leaning back. He let his eyes fall to half mast and said with all seriousness, "Because I'm God."

"Pft." Alex snorted and let out a soft laugh, finally giving Mustang a genuine smile and Roy preened on the inside. "You are so full of it, oh future Furer King. You would decide to take over the whole damn world to fix your problems."

"Well, not the whole world," Roy said, putting his hand to his chin and taking on a thoughtful expression. "Just Amestris...although..."

This pulled another laugh from Alex, and then the two fell into a comfortable silence, the boy giggling every once in awhile. The little chimera, which had been resting on Mustang's shoulder the whole time, woke up and yawned, looking around blearily. It spotted its chosen master accross the room and jumped from the colonel's shoulder. It sauntered over to Alex's lap and curled into him, purring loudly. Alex smiled at the little creature softly.

"You're here to stay, aren't you, little guy? I guess I should give you a name..." Alex glanced around the room, looking for inspiration. He was pretty sure it was male, so it had to be something cool..."Well, you've managed to track me all this time...so how about 'hunter'?" He looked over to Mustang. "Hey, what's another word for 'hunter'? That just doesn't sound cool enough."

"Well, in old Amestrian, before the reform, it was pronounced Jäger."

"Ye-ag-er?" Alex tried the name on his tongue. He said it a couple more times before smiling. "Yeah, Jäger, it's perfect." He pet his new friend on the head, and Jäger purred louder.

"So," Mustang said after a moment, "what now?"

Alex paused in his ministrations, a deep frown on his face. "...I don't know. After what you've told me, my problems seem insignificant in comparison." He smiled ruefully and glanced up at Mustang. "I'm being overdramatic, aren't I?"

Roy shrugged one shoulder and looked at the ceiling, as if to say 'well...'. Alex snorted. "Alright, alright. I may have...overreacted. Ed did save my life after all...but if this episode has shown me anything, it's that I need to learn to control my new powers."

"...I might be able to help you with that." Mustang said, lifting his gloved hand with the transmutation circle on it. Alex looked at it curiously. "Fire alchemy takes an incredible amount of physical as well as mental control. If I make one little slip, one little lapse in judgment in the amount of power I put into a single transmutation, I could end up consuming an entire block, or even myself. As a result, I have to train religiously or risk an explosion. I could teach you my methods. It doesn't really matter how physically strong you are in control training." He grinned, "You can even call me 'master'."

"Ha ha," Alex deadpanned, but he frowned thoughtfully, considering. "I might just take you up on that, Mustang. But...there's something else I have to do first." Mustang tilted his head. "You've given us three weeks, right?" He nodded. "I think it's time I visited some old friends of mine. I need..." Alex didn't finish, but Mustang could imagine what he meant.

"What about Ed and Al? Will you be going alone?"

Alex nodded, although his expression relayed that it gave him great pain to do so. "Yes. I don't know if I can handle seeing them right now...I still feel betrayed...and guilty..and afraid."

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but Alex lifted his hand and stopped him. "I know. But saying I should forgive them, and myself, and actually doing it are two different things. I just need a little time."

The colonel nodded. "What should I tell them?"

"Tell them that I've gone to see my master, and I'll meet them in Resmebool in two weeks time. And tell them...I'm sorry."

"You should tell them yourself." Alex just shook his head. Mustang sighed. "Well, you can't go in those clothes. In the morning I'll buy you some new ones, and some travel gear since it's clear you refuse to go back to the Hughes'."

"Wha–no, this is enough, really–" Alex said embarrassed.

"Oh? As far as I know, Edward carries all of the money for the three of you. Are you really saying that you're going in my clothes?" Roy lifted an eyebrow.

The boy blushed, much to Mustang's amusement. "Um...no, but–"

"And how were you going to get there, by running? Train tickets cost money too, you know."

"Yeah, but–"

Mustang rolled his eyes. "Just accept my help, you little twerp."

"Don't call me twerp!" Alex shouted, and then smiled. "Yeah, alright, you great bastard. Thanks. For everything."

Mustang sat back smugly. "Don't make a habit out of it, kid. I don't want people to think I'm going soft. I'm going to be Furer someday, you know."

Alex just smiled softly, his blond hair, dry after all of the talking, gleaming golden in the flickering firelight, the dim light setting his face in soft shadows. In that moment, his red eyes no longer looked quite so menacing to Mustang. Roy cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away, staring back into the fire. He threw the rest of his drink back in one gulp and leaned back tiredly. God help him...

Hi! Been a while! So Alex almost lost it yeah? But Roy brought him back...this time...

That's right, Alex is going on his own for a while. He needs space cuz he's becoming a moody teenager. And, you know, he's terrified of accidentally going insane and killing someone. Way to put it into perspective, Mustang! One of the greatest ways to make someone feel better is to show them that someone else is way worse off. This was actually ridiculously hard to write. Alex has so many problems, but I didn't want this to become some kind of super long therapy session. It actually ended up being Mustang who talked about his past. Hm, he and Mustang are getting rather close. I didn't really mean for that to happen, but that seems to be the way it's going. Should be fun to see how that develops in the future...

And finally, introducing Jäger! Hope you like the name, cuz he's going to be sticking around for a while. Can't have Alex just talking to himself like a crazy person the next few chapters, after all. He'll keep the crazy kid from introspecting too much.

Next Chapter: Alex begins a journey, and we hear the other side of the story.

Thanks so much for all the great feedback! Especially welcome to my new readers. Hope I can entertain you for a while yet!