Chapter 7: Worry Rising

Al watched as Ed walked upstairs, and made his way into the kitchen. Hohenheim was clearly busy working on something, but glanced up as Al walked in and shot him a smile.

"Welcome back Alphonse, how did the job go today?"

Al sighed and shook his head. "It went alright, but Ed still isn't feeling well and trying to fix everything just made parts of it worse. We accidentally injured an innocent man, well, not directly… but the alchemic work collapsed and the ceiling fell on him."

Al groaned and sat across the table from where Hohenheim was seated.

"I just feel so awful. I knew Ed wasn't feeling great, and I should have made him come home sooner. I should have checked the alchemic work better, I should have offered to help him out, I-"

"It's not your fault Al," Hohenheim stated calmly. "If Ed wasn't feeling well, he should have spoken up, and if he needed help then he should have asked for it. He's the one in the military, not you, it was his job."

Al chuckled lightly at that. "As if, Ed would never do either of those things."

Hohenheim simply nodded at that, as though he hadn't expected anything different.

"What is Ed feeling?" He asked after a moment.

"I wish I knew," Al huffed. "He doesn't tell me anything about that either! I know his stomach was really bothering him this morning, and now I think he's just really tired and overdrawn. Whatever stomach bug he caught this morning really wiped him."

"Is his stomach still hurting him?" Hohenheim asked, with what appeared to be a hint of concern and fear.

"No, I don't think so. I think he's just exhausted."

Hohenheim sighed deeply at that, seemingly relieved. Al was relieved too; if Ed's stomach had still been hurting with the severity it had this morning, Al wouldn't have hesitated to take him to a doctor or the hospital.

Al was definitely grateful he hadn't had to deal with a sick and angry Ed.

Meanwhile, Hohenheim was grateful that he hadn't had to deal with the potential slew of questions a medical professional would come to him about after seeing Ed. That would be a hard situation to get out of, and it wasn't one Hohenheim was keen on dealing with anytime soon, if at all.

A loud thud echoed from upstairs and Al jumped, freezing at the terrifying sound.

"Ed!"

Hohenheim stood quickly and placed a hand on Al's shoulder, stopping him from sprinting upstairs.

"Why don't you get started on dinner and I'll go check on him, see if I need to take him to a doctor," he lied smoothly. Or, partially lied. While he may not have the intention of taking Ed to a doctor unless absolutely necessary, he did want to check in on him.

Al seemed to debate whether or not he wanted to listen to that suggestion, but ended up nodding curtly and turning to rifle through the pantry.

"Please make sure he's ok," Al muttered softly. "I'm really worried about him."

Hohenheim was glad Al's back was to him so he didn't see the grimace he made, and humming a quick answer he turned and strode upstairs.

Finding Ed sprawled out in the middle of the floor wasn't what he was expecting, and in a panic, he lurched forward and placed a quick two fingers to the pale boy's neck.

His tension eased greatly when he found a stable, albeit quicker than usual, heartbeat. He'd be fine, he just passed out. From what, Hohenheim decided he didn't care; as long as he wasn't in dire need of medical assistance, he'd be just fine.

However, it would look a bit odd if he returned downstairs so suddenly, and there were things he wanted to discuss with Edward: particularly at how he'd gone and messed up yet another job. Ed still needed to pay rent for the month, and surely the military wouldn't pay him for causing such a mess. Not to mention that the house was starting to get dusty and he sure as hell didn't intend to clean it. He was much too busy with far more important alchemic research.

Finding a small chair and desk in the corner of the room, Hohenheim slid the chair around and took a seat, waiting patiently for Ed to come to.

It didn't take terribly long, and within a few minutes Ed was blinking sluggishly from his position on the floor.

Ed blinked a few times, uncertain as to his surroundings. Last he'd remembered he'd been in Central with Mustang.

The flood of memories came rushing back and Mustang's harsh and furious voice returned to him once again, reminding him of everything he had done, or failed to do.

Ed grit his teeth and tried to think on something else, which wasn't hard considering his head was screaming at him, and his limbs ached from all the stress that he'd been under.

The floor was also cold and unwelcoming, and with a deep breath Ed slid his arms under him and pushed himself off the wood. His head roared with the struggle and the room spun for a moment before settling, but it was better than it had been while he was down.

Finally sitting up somewhat stably, Ed let himself take a deep breath.

"Glad to see you're finally awake," Hohenheim sneered from the chair in which he was residing.

Ed jolted and swung his head around to meet the loveless golden eyes that bore down at him, wincing as the notion hurt his head. Every part of him was on edge, and he felt like a mouse trapped in a corner, lion bearing down on him.

"What-"

"How could you be so careless?" Hohenheim snapped, standing so that he was bearing over Ed menacingly. Ed couldn't do much more than gape at the man, having a hard time keeping it together. Not to mention his brain was still scrambled from having just come to.

"At first I couldn't believe someone could screw something over so badly, but then I realized that since you were the one doing the job, it made more sense," Hohenheim growled. "You really are a failure; if you were just going to mess it up like that you didn't deserve the job in the first place. Do you even deserve the title of State Alchemist?"

Ed blanched, his body starting to shake.

Hohenheim was wrong, he was wrong…wasn't he?

"Maybe you should resign from the position, I'm sure your little military buddies would be appreciative. They wouldn't have to look after a bratty child anymore, especially a bratty child that just fucks everything up anyways."

Ed grit his teeth, and dared look Hohenheim in the eyes. He didn't like what he saw, but he had to do something.

"I…I thought you liked that I worked because then I could get out of your way," Ed argued back as calmly as possible.

"I do enjoy not having to deal with you all day," Hohenheim noted, "and the pay you get from the military definitely helps. But if you're just going to keep messing things up like this, do you even deserve to get paid? Maybe if you resigned and found an easier job, you'd be less likely to fuck it up."

In truth, Hohenheim figured that if Ed wasn't in the military there would be less of a chance of them poking their noses in places they didn't belong, the nosey group of them.

Ed squirmed under the intense glare, and hung his head to stare at the floor.

Everything Hohenheim was saying made sense, as much as he hated to think about it. He had gone and messed the job up, and hurt an innocent worker. He really didn't deserve to get paid for it, and Ed hoped Mustang would use the money he would have gotten to pay for the man's hospital treatment instead.

Ed briefly thought about calling Mustang to ask him to do that, but Ed didn't want to piss the man off any further than he already had.

"Are you even listening to me!?"

Suddenly a stiff hand was on his shoulder, forcing him off the floor. Ed's legs shook unsteadily and he had to fight to catch his balance at the sudden action. He felt weak, and drained, and scared.

"No, no I was! I-"

"Worthless brat," Hohenheim sneered. "Don't even bother trying to lie to me about it. I don't know what you were thinking about, but this is important so try and pay attention."

The hand was released, thankfully, and Hohenheim crossed his arms, staring Ed down.

Ed winced as he rolled his shoulder back slightly, and took a deep breath to steady himself as best as he could.

"Yes," He responded, waiting to hear whatever Hohenheim had to say.

The man merely frowned at him and tapped his foot impatiently, and Ed scrambled to correct his "mistake".

"Yes sir," he muttered.

With a smug smile, Hohenheim turned and began to walk around Ed, forcing Ed to constantly turn and readjust his already unsteady legs.

"While I do think the military is good for whipping you into shape and instilling some manners into you, I would appreciate a little more help around the house. If I'm to be providing for you and putting a roof over your head, I think a few chores are the least you could do in return," he explained.

"But…I'm already paying rent-"

"Don't talk back to me."

Hohenheim halted his menacing circle to step forward and peer into Ed's face. Ed bit his lip and nodded quickly, not wanting to suffer through another argument.

"Anyway, I am grateful that you're paying rent and helping out in that sense, but unless you want me to start asking Al to pay rent as well, some chores are in order," Hohenheim stated confidently. "After all, I am providing for both of you, and a three-bedroom house is more work and more expensive than a two room one."

Ed's eyes widened at the thought, and he was quick to nod and show he understood. It didn't make too much sense, seeing as Al didn't sleep or eat and wouldn't need anything like that. And if Hohenheim was so worried about the finances of everything, Ed could always return to the military dorms that were provided. Though, if Ed returned, it would leave Al alone with Hohenheim, and he couldn't chance that. He'd worked too hard to protect his younger brother to just abandon him like that, no matter how much he had to suffer for it.

Ed definitely noted that this could be considered blackmail, Hohenheim holding his brother and his brother's wellbeing over him in order to keep him around to use him like this. Though, Ed noted, it's not like there was much he could do about it. At least not now.

"What…what would you like me to help with?" Ed asked softly. "…sir," he added after Hohenheim shot him a glare.

"Well, I think as long as you cleaned the floors, counters, and did the dishes daily, that would be sufficient," Hohenheim stated, ceasing his circling and settling to stand in front of Edward.

Ed gaped at the list; while they may not take terribly long individually, to have to do all of those was something he simply didn't have time for on top of his military duties. Not to mention if he was ever going to get time to research how to get his and Al's bodies back.

"I…I don't think I'm going to have time to do all of those things," Ed stuttered. "I already have military responsibilities that you said were important too."

"You'll make time, if you want to get dinner and be allowed to continue staying here."

Ed's stomach dropped.

Everything Hohenheim was saying refuted his earlier apology, and his promise of feeding him so that his automail didn't wear his body down into nothing.

"But you promised!" Ed about yelled, not caring that he was talking back to him again. "You promised that you'd feed me so that what happened before doesn't happen again!"

Heavy footsteps echoed in Ed's ears as Hohenheim walked towards him, until he was mere inches from where Ed stood shakily. He bent down until his face was right in front of Ed's, and Ed couldn't help but flinch back ever so slightly.

"I was going to get after you about talking back, but you're right," he said after a while, continuing to stay within inches of Ed's nose.

Every muscle in Ed's body was on edge, ready to flee if need be, as he waited patiently.

"I did promise you food, and I'll continue to act on that promise. However, if you aren't behaving, or aren't doing a good job, I can't promise it will be…edible," Hohenheim smirked, his white teeth glinting under the dim light of the room.

Ed couldn't help but whimper slightly at what Hohenheim was saying, and he hated the way his body couldn't seem to stop shaking. He was a State Alchemist for crying out loud, he'd fought other alchemists and weird monsters without so much as blinking.

Why was he so paralyzed now?

Why couldn't he fight back?

Why was he such a coward?

"What…what do you mean?" Ed dared ask, already knowing he wasn't going to like the answer provided.

"You're a smart little brat, I think you can figure it out," Hohenheim snarled.

Ed gaped for a moment, trying to discern what Hohenheim was hinting at, but he was having a hard time focusing with everything that was going on.

Hohenheim huffed with impatience as he waited for Ed to try and figure it out. He was wanting him to come to the realization on his own, so he could relish in the horror he'd no doubt display. However, he wasn't known for being a very patient man.

"For example, how was your food this morning? Or last night?" Hohenheim grinned smugly, "I'd bet it made you feel energized and content all day today."

Ed froze.

Everything seemed to spin before him, and he half-sat half-fell on the floor.

"What did you do to it?" He asked hollowly, his voice and face void of anything. He felt numb, and terrified.

"Oh please, for a State Alchemist you really are pathetic. How hard is it to figure it out? Do I really need to spell it out for you?" Hohenheim snapped.

Ed shook his head, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. He was definitely in shock, and everything seemed to be going so quickly.

"You…you poisoned it…" Ed choked out.

"I don't know if I'd say poison per say, but something along those lines perhaps. I thought I'd give you some incentive to behave," Hohenheim chuckled harshly.

Ed's eyes only widened as he processed everything that was going on. His father, or "father" as was a better term, had poisoned him.

Poison.

Ed didn't know what to feel; he felt betrayed, horrified, absolutely sick all at once. Sure, he had thought of it but he didn't realize Hohenheim was actually willing to go to such lengths. It was terrifying, and it made Ed start to question everything that had been happening. Verbal insults he could manage, and as terrifying as the physical stuff had been, he could deal with that too.

This…Ed wasn't sure what to do.

It was all so confusing and complicated, nothing he did seemed to satisfy the man. Thinking back on the early days in Resembool when things had just started to get heated, Ed desperately wished he could go back to them.

The verbal insults had steadily increased over their weeks there, sure, and Ed had been devastated in the moment, but it was nothing compared to everything he was dealing with now.

He never would predicted that things would have escalated this much.

When did he let things get so bad?

Not that there was anything he could do to fix it, however. Mustang was already livid with him, and Ed doubted he'd believe anything that came out of his mouth. Hawkeye was loyal to Mustang, and while she might be more believing, she hadn't seemed to have suspected Hohenheim of anything when they met.

Al couldn't know, Havoc would only tell Mustang and Hawkeye, and Winry was too far away to do anything to help. Not that he'd want to bother her with this stuff anyway.

Suddenly the crinkled note Roger gave him felt a hell of a lot more important.

A rough kick to the side jerked Ed out of his thoughts and he bit his tongue to keep from yelling out. Having not expected it, it threw him off balance and he hit the floor harshly on his automail shoulder, wincing at the sudden jarring movement.

"Damn brat I thought I told you to listen," Hohenheim snarled. "While I enjoy seeing that look on your face, I also need you to pay attention."

Ed couldn't do much else other than nod, still shocked from the sudden assault.

"I thought…you promised…you apologized for what you did, why are you kicking me now?" Ed choked out. "I don't understand, you said you weren't going to hurt me anymore!"

Hohenheim paused for a moment, seemingly shocked about the question.

"Things change," he said after a moment. "I am sorry that I acted so rashly the other day, but I think if you're doing something to justify it then it's to be expected. I'm not unreasonable."

"But-"

"It's not unreasonable to be punished for doing something wrong, is it?" Hohenheim stated coldly, glaring down at Ed.

Edward could barely breathe. He'd gotten his hopes up for nothing, nothing was going to change and he had been a fool for believing it would. He felt ridiculous and stupid for having been such an eager and naïve child. He moved to push himself into a sitting position when he felt another swift kick to his stomach.

"Is it?" Hohenheim half-shouted, still trying to be mindful of Al downstairs.

"It's not unreasonable," Ed whimpered, curling in on himself. Everything hurt, and he knew the bruises he had from the other day would only be worse tomorrow after these events.

"Good. Now, since you're home early and the military isn't pleased with you right now, that you'll have some extra time on your hands, so I expect to see you cleaning in your free time," Hohenheim mentioned.

Ed merely bit his lip and nodded.

"Hohen-sir…how…how am I supposed to get everything done on top of military work? I want to help out, I just don't know how I'm supposed to do everything all at once," Ed asked quietly, his voice barely but a whisper.

Hohenheim seemed ready to snap again, before he took a moment to collect himself. It wasn't an unreasonable question, and he'd worded it nicely enough.

"I guess you'll just have to figure out how to manage your time. No different than being an adult," he shrugged. "You'll figure it out if you know what's good for you."

With that, Hohenheim turned and left, satisfied with how that had gone. He relished in the control he had over the fiery alchemist, and took pride in the fact that he had been the one to help clip his ego and mold him into a more sophisticated and better-mannered child.

After all, that's what his job as a father was supposed to be, right?

Ed gripped his stomach tightly, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. Everything hurt, both inside and out.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen, where things were going to go. He'd been so hopeful that it was going to start to look up, even just a little, but clearly Hohenheim had different plans for him.

Ed was, without a doubt, terrified.

And even that was putting it mildly, considering the way his heart was hammering in his chest and he couldn't breathe and he felt hot and everything was spinning and oh god he couldn't breathe.

How was he supposed to find time to do everything?

Even if he gave it his all, how would he know whether his food would be alright or not?

How was he supposed to ever feel safe again?

His stomach churned angrily and Ed scrambled to his knees and half-crawled half-drug himself into the bathroom, where he proceeded to gag forcibly. He didn't have anything left to give, however, and the empty gesture did nothing more than bring tears into his eyes and make him even more upset.

Spots danced in front of his eyes and he gripped the edge of the toilet seat firmly in an attempt to keep himself grounded and get his breathing back in order.

A soft rap on the door shook him out of his thoughts and he winced at the sound. His breathing was still much too fast, and he could barely focus.

"Ed? Are you alright? It's been a little while and I hadn't heard from you after Dad came to check on you…"

Al's voice was a calm presence to his panicked soul, though he could have sworn he hadn't been panicking for that long.

He tried to choke out something, anything that would convince Al everything was alright and that he was fine, but it seemed he was too far gone to even manage that.

The door creaked open softly and a harsh intake of breath was heard through the room. Al was quick to make his way over to where Ed was sitting on the floor of the bathroom, gripping his shirt tightly with one hand, and the rim of the porcelain bowl with the other.

A few uncontrollable tears were steadily making their way down his face, and he still couldn't breathe.

"Ed? Did you get sick?" Al asked softly, placing guiding hands on Ed's and slowly removing the fingers from where he held, so that Al had both of them in his palms.

Ed couldn't do much other than nod, and Al sighed.

"Ok, can I bring you to your bed so you can lay down?" Al asked. "Or would you rather I get Dad and have him take you to the doctor?"

The mention of Hohenheim made Ed freeze, and he felt like a herd of horses was trampling on his chest.

Al watched his brother's eyes grow foggy as he stopped moving, sitting up like a statue.

"Ed?"

Ed bit his lip and closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing down. He felt Al's hand around his shoulder, and was grateful for the support.

"Ed are you ok?"

The soft voice that came after a while of silence snapped Ed out of his panic and he took a few shaky breaths to calm down.

"I'm ok Al, I'm just tired and going to go lay down for a bit," Ed muttered, pulling his hands from Al's and moving to stand up.

Despite the lack of emotion Al could display, Ed knew he was hurt and disappointed with him.

He didn't even have to look at him to know that much.

"Ed, Ed wait-" Al huffed, placing steady hands on Ed's shoulders and helping him stand. Ed's legs nearly buckled with the sudden weight and the exhaustion he was suffering, and Al had to readjust his position to keep him upright.

Together, the two of them made their way to Edward's bed, and Ed sat on the edge of it gratefully. Al took a seat next to him, the bed groaning under the extra weight.

"Ed…I don't know what's going on with you but there's something you're not telling me and…I'm scared for you brother. You're not yourself, and you aren't taking care of yourself. I know, I know you're not always very good at that, but it's never been like this. What's bothering you? You know you can come to me, right? I'm always here for you," Al rambled nervously, hoping that Ed would take the bait and give him the conversation he'd so desperately wanted to have.

Ed however, was internally panicking over what to say. He couldn't just tell Al everything that had been going on, but he also couldn't lie without hurting him, and making himself feel guilty and awful.

"I don't know Al…" He muttered honestly. "I'm just not feeling great, and I'm pretty tired. I just need some good rest and I'll be back to normal."

"Don't say that Ed!" Al snapped, moving off the bed to kneel in front of Ed. Ed couldn't help but flinch at the sudden movement and Al's raise in voice.

"I know things aren't ok and that this is more than you just getting sick, something is seriously bothering you and I don't understand why you can't just tell me," Al cried. "I'm here for you and I love you, please let me help Ed…"

Ed bit his lip and hung his head slightly, determined to both keep from crying and let Al know how much he was struggling with the current situation.

"It'll be ok Al-"

"Damn it Ed, it might be ok eventually but that doesn't mean you need to shoulder it all on your own!" Al argued angrily, though he was far from angry. He was worried, and concerned, and upset. "I know things didn't go well today and I'm so sorry for failing to check things and make sure you were ok and-"

"Whoa Al wait," Ed interrupted. "What the hell are you talking about? The only one who messed things up today was me, don't blame yourself for it. I'm frustrated about it but I'll get over it. I have three days off to do so anyways," Ed was quick to mention, though he knew he wouldn't get over it anytime soon.

"It's both our faults-"

"My job," Ed snapped. "It was my job, so messing it up was my fault. I'm the one that did alchemy, not you." He sighed, and his next words were barely more than a whisper.

"Please Al…please don't blame yourself for it."

Al opened his mouth to say something but paused, hearing the dejected tone in Ed's voice. He rarely was so soft spoken and pleading, and it was chilling.

"…ok brother," Al muttered softly. "But don't blame yourself too much, I know you want to take the brunt of the guilt but you don't have to always protect me, I'm your brother. I can protect you too sometimes you know."

Ed worried his lip between his teeth as he tried to keep from breaking into a sob. Al's words hit too close to home, and while he appreciated Al being there Al could never protect him from what was going on. Ed refused to let it happen.

"What's going on Ed?" Al asked again, softly.

Ed shook his head, not trusting himself to speak without breaking into a million pieces, or giving in and telling Al everything that was going on.

He couldn't.

He just couldn't.

Al sighed, but didn't pester him about it. He was incredibly worried, but he could also see how exhausted Ed was, and how hard he was trying to stay strong and not cry in front of Al. Al wished Ed would just let it out and cry in front of him, but that wasn't his brother's way and he needed to respect that.

He'd be here for whenever Ed needed him, and he knew Ed knew that too.

"Ok Ed, I'm not going to force you to talk about things. I'm just worried, ok? I'll let you get some rest but if you need anything please ask for help? You aren't alone in this Ed, whatever this may be," Al muttered softly. He placed a hand on Ed's shoulder in a reassuring gesture before slipping out of the room and heading back downstairs.

Ed watched as Al walked out, and waited for the door to close before laying down and curling himself into a ball. The tears he'd worked so hard to fight back came rushing out and the next thing he knew, he had cried himself to sleep.

With Ed upstairs, and Hohenheim having left for the afternoon to do some research at the library and run a few errands, the house was quiet. Normally it'd be a peaceful kind of quiet; one in which you could pick up a book, brew a warm cup of tea, and settle down for the afternoon to enjoy some relaxing moments.

However, Al was nearly sick with worry – if he could get sick that is – and the quiet was only suffocating for him.

Picking up the phone, he punched in the memorized numbers and waited for the dial tone before providing his brother's information.

"Fullmetal, I must say I'm surprised that you called-"

"It's Alphonse actually," Al was quick to cut Roy off before he could get the wrong idea.

"Oh, Alphonse, I didn't expect to hear from you. Is everything ok?"

Al could hear the shift in Mustang's tone, and was relieved that he was still concerned for Ed despite everything that had happened.

"I…I don't know," Al muttered, his voice breaking slightly. "I'm worried about Ed, and I know he and I messed up big time today and we're really really sorry and-"

"Hey, Alphonse, just breathe for a second," Mustang murmured softly. "I…I was wrong to get as mad about it as I did. What you boys did was reckless, and stupid, and unbelievably dangerous. It could have been a lot worse of a situation than it was, but I also know things aren't all that great right now and I should have been more…considerate."

Al was stunned, to say the least. He hadn't expected any kind of an apology from Mustang, especially not after everything that had happened.

"Oh…uh, thank you Sir, but I don't think I'm the one that really needs to hear those words," Al mumbled.

Roy chuckled on the other end of the line.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to pass that along for me huh?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Alphonse laughed lightly for a moment, "I think you and I both know that he needs to hear it from you."

Roy hummed in agreement, "What's going on Alphonse? What has you so worried? Do I need to send for a medic? Is everything alright?"

"It's nothing like that, well, at least I don't think it's anything like that," Al muttered. "I'm just scared; Ed isn't acting like himself and he won't tell me anything. He's been crying a lot more lately, and hasn't been sleeping well, and looks terrified all the time. I just…I was wondering if you knew what to do. Or if he'd told you anything about whatever's bothering him."

There was a long moment of silence, and Al almost wondered if Mustang had hung up on him, before he spoke again.

"I don't know Al," Mustang spoke somberly. "He hasn't told us anything; if he went to anyone it would be you so I'm not sure why he's being so weird about it. I'm sorry I can't offer more advice other than just being there for him, and keeping an eye out. We'll do our best from this end to do the same, though I still don't expect him in for the next three days."

Al nodded, though Mustang couldn't see that.

"I understand. Thank you for looking out for him," Alphonse said.

"Of course, Alphonse. He's part of the team. Do call if anything changes or if you need anything," Roy added.

"Thank you sir, will do."

Al hung up the phone, not feeling any more relieved than he had before he called. He was grateful that Mustang and the team were there for him, and had realized something was wrong. And he was relieved that Mustang wasn't as mad about today as he had been earlier. Considering the state Ed was in, he knew Roy apologizing would go a long way for him.

However, he was still just as concerned that something was seriously wrong, and he had no idea what it could be. He knew Ed was probably stressed about being around Hohenheim again, and having to adjust, but they'd had a lot of time in Resembool to get used to it. Surely he'd have warmed up at least a little to the idea by now, and surely it wasn't the cause of this much stress for him.

Shaking his head, Al walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch, pulling the book he was reading earlier off the coffee table.

Maybe after some rest Ed would be willing to talk with him.

Just maybe.

Roy set the phone down after Al hung up, and sighed deeply, running his fingers through his hair worriedly.

"Is everything alright?" Riza asked from where she was filling out paperwork on the other side of the room.

"That was Alphonse," he muttered. Riza's eyes widened and even from across the room Roy could tell she had tensed up.

"He's worried about Full-Edward, and wanted to know if Ed had told us anything."

Riza nodded to that, her concern lessening, but only slightly.

"I see…" She trailed off. "Has Ed not told him about anything?"

"Apparently not, which raises my concern. He's clearly hiding something, but if he's not even willing to tell Alphonse about it, it makes me incredibly worried as to what it is that he's hiding," Roy admitted.

"Well, I think if you apologize to him when he comes in in a few days, that might help him be more willing to open up about things. To you or to Al," Riza added. "Sometimes things just take time, and eventually he'll be willing to talk to someone about whatever is going on. We just need to give him that time, and respect his boundaries."

Roy nodded, picking up his pen to resume where he was at before Alphonse called.

"What if by giving him that time, things only get worse?" Roy pondered solemnly.

Riza merely sighed, and shook her head. "All we can do is be here for him regardless," she said softly. "And just hope that he comes to someone before they get there."

There was unspoken tension in the room following her response, and the silence only carried the shared worry that Roy and Riza were having.

What on earth was going on, that was so bad Ed couldn't tell anyone about it?

Thank you all for your continued support and kind words! I appreciate each and every one of you, and I'm super excited about where this is heading. Thank you as always for being patient with me. Now that college has sort of slowed down I hope to get more chapters out a little faster than I have been, but I appreciate the patience nonetheless!