Chapter 5 : Baby you're Mine

Warily Ed walked down the beaten path to the city, at his right Alphonse looked just as grim and the boy they'd picked up, Ivy, had still not recovered from the horrific events of the past night and shuffled along silently to his left. It was no merry band of travelers that traveled the roads today.

What should have been an easy mission had turned into a complete nightmare as soon as they'd smelt the sickly scent of blood on the air and seen the red life coloring the earth in that clearing. Things hadn't been made much better when they'd finally gotten the chance to sit down, make camp and ask Ivy what had happened.

The sky had just begun to darken when they'd decided to stop for the day and everyone had silently gone about their tasks. Ed quickly transfiguring a sleeping bag for their unexpected companion and Al setting up a campfire with practiced ease. Ivy, for his part, had just sunken onto the ground and looked around himself with unseeing eyes, dead to the world.

After a quick and easy meal they'd all sat around the fire, staring into the flickering flames an uneasy silence draped like a blanket around them, before finally Ed couldn't handle it any longer and asked Ivy what had happened.

Said boy had looked up briefly, before turning dead eyes back to the flames and remaining silent for a long while. Just when Ed thought he might not answer at all he started speaking,

"We were headed to a city further south from here," he started, a tremble in his voice, "I'd just met them a little less than a week ago." Here he looked up to clarify, "I'm an orphan you see, and had been living on the streets. When the caravan passed by and saw how I'd been living they took me in, gave me a family, gave me a home." He trailed of a bit, obviously lost in the memories. "That was the happiest moment in my existence."

Now he paused a bit longer, and the boy's let him, seeing how hard this was for him. Ivy quickly wiped an arm over his glossy golden eyes and Al put a comforting, metal hand on his shoulder, silently giving his support.

"You don't need to continue if you don't want to." The youngest Elric said kindly, "we'd understand."

The boy shook his head however, "no, I need to do this." He said, quietly but firmly and Al nodded his understanding.

"So, I had been travelling with them for almost a week." Ivy repeated, voice a bit steadier now. "We had made camp in the, in that clearing." The boy did not need to clarify what clearing he meant and his companions grimaced at the reminder.

"Everything had been going well, we'd made a lot of progress and would soon be reaching our destination. Everyone was really happy…" He trailed off again, obviously dreading the next part if the look on his face was any indication.

"Then he came."

The pure horror on the boy's face and the all compassing terror in his eyes were undeniable and Al once more moved to stop him. A firm shake of the head from his brother however, stopped him. His eyes were telling him to let the boy continue and so Al sat back again hesitantly.

Ivy was so caught up in the memories that he'd not even noticed the brothers short exchange. He breathed in a deep, steadying breath and continued,

"It was just one man, one person destroyed everything."Unbelieving horror still colored his voice, "he just walked right up to the middle of the camp and when someone asked what he was doing he said : 'Me? I'm just here to play a little game.' The kids immediately cheered up when they heard that…they loved games."

Ivy's voice started trembling again, "one boy came running towards him and asked what game they'd be playing, but the man just laughed. He bent down and patted the boys head, 'Well little one,' he said, 'I'm playing a game of cat and mouse. I'm the cat…" He giggled then, like it was some inside joke of his, but no one got it, 'and you,' he finally continued, 'you all… are bait.'

"Then the killing started."

A deafening silence descended upon the campsite at the abrupt conclusion of the gruesome tale.

A silence that was eventually broken by the eldest Elric,

"That man," he started grimly, "what did he look like?"

"Brother!" Al looked horrified that his brother could be so insensitive.

"Quiet, Al." He ordered, not even glancing at his armored brother, "we need to know."

"It's okay, Al." Ivy interjected, "I don't mind." And he aimed a weak smile at the worried boy.

"He was kinda tall, taller than you at least." He began, gesturing towards Edward.

At this comment Al immediately grabbed his brother and clamped one armored hand over his mouth. At Ivy's weird look Al looked at him sheepishly,

"Ignore brother please, he's a bit sensitive about his height."

Seemingly deciding to follow Al's advice he shrugged and continued with his description,

"He also had really long hair, it was green, sort of like mine but a much darker shade and it was kept up with a bandana of sorts…His clothes were kinda odd to, a mini top and a skort I think it was?"

As the description started to slowly penetrate Ed's height enraged mind he stilled and a look of dread took over his features.

"His eyes…I don't think I'll ever be able to forget those eyes, a deep violet, like shards of amethyst piercing your very soul when he looked at you."

Ed gulped, he really didn't like where this was going,

"And a tattoo? Did he have a tattoo?" he asked.

'please say no, please say no, please say no.' He was begging on the inside now.

Ivy looked at him weirdly then, "yeah, I think so, on his leg I believe…How did you know?"

"Damnit." Ed couldn't stop the curse from leaving his lips.

"Brother," Al said hesitatingly, "if Envy's here then-"

"Yeah, I know." Ed interrupted his brother and raked a hand through his hair. "Things just got a whole lot more complicated."

The rest of the night had been spent informing the clueless Ivy about the homunculi and the brothers occupation as alchemists. They didn't tell him everything of course, but the boy had a right to know at least something and so they had explained.

When it came time to sleep Ivy had grabbed his sleeping bag and dragged it close to Edwards, stating he didn't want to be alone if he woke up in the middle of the night. Ed, of course, agreed.

And even now, while they walked, the boy remained close by his side. Arm and shoulder brushing his own, claiming his space in what Ed would have normally considered an almost possessive gesture, but knew to see as nothing more than a frightened young man seeking comfort. Knowing how hard it is to lose family, he allowed it.

When they finally reached the city it almost felt like a cloud had lifted from the exhausted party. The thought of real food, a nice hot shower and a warm bed temporarily wiping away all worries, for most of the party anyway. Ivy, contrary to the two Elrics, only seemed to shrink in on himself further, sticking even closer to Ed and glaring at anyone that tried to catch the small alchemists attention. Eventually Ed could no longer ignore it and turned to the glaring teen plastered to his side.

"It's okay you know? They won't hurt you, so there's no need to glare at them like that." He said, indicating the cringing people lining the streets that Ivy had been staring at just moments before.

"I'm sorry," The boy murmured contritely, glare softening considerably as he glanced down at Edward. "I just don't like the way they're all staring at us."

Ed's own look softened in understanding and he offered the other a small smile, "I know, just try and tone it down a bit, okay?"

Seemingly stunned all the other boy could do was nod, though he did try really hard to stop glaring so obviously, when Ed was watching at least.

Eventually they reached the town hall and after a brief conversation with the secretary, they were ushered in to speak with the major. Ivy had to wait in the meeting room since he wasn't really involved in the boys mission and after they'd been assured that, yes he'd be fine, the two Elrics finally stepped into the office.

Meanwhile Envy was staring bloody murder at the secretary that he felt had looked way to greedy at his alchemist. When they'd still been walking through the forest everything had been perfect. The alchemists had believed his little sob story and his Ochibi-chan had even allowed him to stick close to him, not even commenting on his possessive behavior.

When they'd entered this sorry excuse for a city however, people had started looking at his little chibi. Not that he could really blame them, he liked looking at his angel to after all, but the boy was HIS possesion. Not the giggling teenage girl on the corner's, not the man at the fruit stand's and most definitely not that blasted secretary's.

At least his chibi was thinking of him. He thought, trying to relax a little before he burnt a hole through the frightened secretary with his glare. He'd promised Ed he'd play nice after all.

He'd heard him murmur in his sleep last night, and while it had obviously not been a very pleasant dream, it had at least been a dream about him. And Envy was willing to take what he could get.

There's a fine line between love and hate after all…

And he'd make the chibi cross that line, even if he had to drag him over it.

Eventually, Ed would be his.

AN/ aww poor Eddy, he's got a rough time ahead of him...

Anyway thank you all for reading and for the reviews, faves and alerts, they're a real motivation as you might have noticed from the increased update speed XD This was pretty annoying to write though, Envy is such a little drama queen and it's pretty hard to keep him IC while still having him apear all weak, sad and vulnerable...

also I do believe I've forgotten this the last couple of times sooo:

Disclaimer : I do not own Fullmetal alchemist (brotherhood), nor do I own the songs used for the chapter titles. They all belong to their rightful owners (artists, writers etc.)

See you next time! xXx~64