Chapter 9: A Helping Hand

Ed's eyes widened and he barely had any time to register what was happening before the harsh leather made contact with his chest. Ed flinched, both from the unexpected assault and the sting that followed the contact.

"What-"

Hohenheim wasted no time before arching his hand back and sending the belt through the air, only this time it hit Ed's raised automail arm, the leather clinking against the metal before falling to rest at Hohenheim's side.

His golden eyes bore down over Ed's, who had slunk back to the other side of the room, back brushing against the wall as he watched Hohenheim step closer to him, teeth grit.

Hohenheim's hands moved, and Ed instinctively raised his in a defensive stance, flinching back at the movement. However, Hohenheim merely gripped the belt in his other hand, holding it taut between the both of them.

Ed was at a loss for words, not wanting to say the wrong thing and get hit again, but also not understanding why Hohenheim was suddenly coming after him, especially with such fury.

He'd done all his chores, he hadn't gotten in the way, he hadn't spoken out of line. Aside from lying about work, Ed hadn't done anything wrong.

"Your poker face is about as worthless as the rest of you," Hohenheim sneered. "I can see the confusion in your eyes, clearly you don't seem to understand what you did to justify this."

Ed gulped nervously, and cast his eyes aside to look at the floorboards under Hohenheim's feet.

Within a second Hohenheim stepped forward and his hand gripped Ed's cheeks roughly, forcing his head upwards so their eyes could meet.

"How dare you lie to me," Hohenheim growled. "After everything I've done for you, everything I've provided to you, how dare you lie to my face."

So that's what it was.

Ed could feel his heart racing, his breathing start to shallow out, his hands start to shake. His body was betraying him, despite his desire to show as little emotion as possible. Clearly Hohenheim was right, and at the moment he was wearing all his emotions on his sleeve for the world to see.

Unfortunately for him.

For someone who'd: faced murderous rouge alchemists, dealt with Mustang's snappiness, and stared down the barrel of Hawkeye's rifle when he and Havoc had been caught trying to slip a rat into Mustang's desk drawer, Ed was without a doubt terrified.

Maybe it was because it came out of nowhere.

Maybe it was because it was his father, someone who was supposed to look after him and love him and protect him.

Maybe, it was because deep down, Ed desperately wanted to make Hohenheim proud of him, make him realize he'd been wrong and that Ed was just as deserving of his adoration as Alphonse was, and this only added to his emotional turmoil.

Though, if he was being honest with himself, Ed would realize it was a deadly combination of all three.

"I didn't…I didn't want to disturb you and I wanted to make sure I got everything done…" Ed muttered in a vain attempt to get Hohenheim to see some rationale.

However, clearly Hohenheim wasn't as rational a person as Ed thought he was, if he ever was one. Or at least, he wasn't rational when it came to managing his emotions about his eldest son.

"I thought you'd be happy I did all the chores you asked of me," Ed pleaded.

"You thought wrong," Hohenheim snapped, releasing his hold on Ed's jaw so that his hand could fall to his side.

"You lied to me about going into work. If you were willing to lie to me about this, who's to say you won't start lying about everything else. It's no wonder your coworkers sent you home for three days, I doubt they trust having you around at all."

Hohenheim's words sliced at Ed's resolve and what little pride and confidence he had left, tearing pieces out little by little.

Between what happened at the drain sites, to what was happening now, maybe Hohenheim was right.

How could his coworkers, his teammates, his friends, ever trust him again?

"I didn't…I just wanted to make sure I could get everything done like you asked," Ed repeated, hoping Hohenheim would cease his physical assault with that realization.

"I appreciate your dedication to keeping up around the house, but if you can't manage your job and manage the things, I ask of you, that's on you. I'm just trying to teach you how to be an adult and manage your time, but clearly you're nothing more than a spoiled child who thinks he can skip work whenever he wants, and lie to his father about it," Hohenheim snarled.

His voice was nothing more than a raspy and furious whisper, trying to keep things down in case Alphonse was listening from downstairs. However, that didn't make it any less chilling for Ed to listen to.

Before Ed could think, before he could bite his tongue and swallow his pride to help make his situation easier, a small spark of anger flared up inside him.

"You'll never be my father."

His golden eyes steeled, and he grit his teeth together in determination. Inside he was terrified, petrified, starting to regret his choice to speak up and against what Hohenheim was saying. However, that last little flame, the remnant of the true Fullmetal Alchemist that Hohenheim hadn't yet managed to snuff out, was enough to give him the courage to speak his mind freely.

A choice he would very soon regret.

At first, Hohenheim was silent. His face scrunched together in fury, and his hands curled tighter around the leather he held in his hands. Ed stood his ground, not wanting to break eye contact, but also too scared to move.

"Turn around."

Ed's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to say something when Hohenheim grabbed his arm tightly, fingers falling around the bruise from the other day.

"I said, turn around."

Ed merely bit his lip and slowly turned so his back was facing Hohenheim.

He knew what was about to come, and he knew he could probably fight Hohenheim off and make an escape.

He knew he could use alchemy to get out of there, and figure out what to do from there.

He knew he didn't have to stand there and take it.

But… he was scared.

He didn't want Hohenheim to hurt Alphonse if he fled, he didn't want Hohenheim to start taking things out on Al. He was worried, because he knew that if Hohenheim was this quick to get angry about things, there would come a time when if Ed wasn't there to take it, he'd move on to Al for certain. Regardless of how much more he treasured Al than Ed.

Ed couldn't do that to him, not after everything he'd already put Al through.

In some twisted sense of reality, to Ed, this was his way of paying Al back for all these years he'd spent as a shell of his former self. This was his way of protecting him, of helping him, of doing what needed to be done so that his brother could finally live a decent life with a father who loved him, and who was more likely to actually find the stone and get him his body back.

Ed wasn't sure what Hohenheim was researching currently, or what he was doing at the library, but he knew that while Hohenheim was irrational and violent, he was smart. If anyone aside from Ed himself could figure out how to get Al's body back, it was Hohenheim.

As much as he hated to admit it, hated that it made him sick to his stomach.

The first few hits stung, and Ed had to grit his teeth together to keep from screaming out and unintentionally alerting Al. Each time the leather made contact with his back, leaving a welt that was without a doubt going to bruise tomorrow, Ed couldn't help but wonder if he deserved all of this.

If this was the universe's way of continually punishing him for the sins he'd committed, as if losing two of his limbs and losing his brother wasn't enough. Some cruel destiny pre-determined as soon as he picked up that piece of chalk and began drawing that cursed transmutation circle.

He was having a hard time convincing himself it was anything otherwise.

Hohenheim stopped after a bit, to which Ed was thankful. The pain had melted together into one large sting on his back, each hit only making him numb to the act in itself. He knew it would hurt like hell in the morning, but for the time being the emotional pain and uncertainty he was feeling did more damage than the physical welts.

Not that his body appreciated what it had been put through, as Ed's back was coated in a thin sheen of sweat, and his legs and arms trembled with exhaustion and fear.

"I'm sorry to have had to do this to you," Hohenheim stated plainly, having calmed down from when he'd first come in. As if the act of whipping his child had been cathartic to him.

Ed wanted to puke.

"I hope you understand it was merely justified punishment for you lying to me and going behind my back. I trust that you've learned your lesson, and will work to improve your behavior from here on out," Hohenheim explained, looking at Ed expectantly.

"Yes sir," Ed droned, understanding what Hohenheim was wanting and being too tired to try and fight it off. Especially not after what his poor attempt to stand up to Hohenheim had cost him.

"Good. I expect you to go into work tomorrow, as I'm sure you're aware rent is coming up and I'd rather hate having to go through this ordeal again if you were late on it," Hohenheim calmly mentioned, as if he was genuinely sorry for what he felt he was obligated to do.

Despite Ed knowing that Hohenheim wasn't sorry for what he did, and that he wouldn't hesitate to do it again, some part of him agreed with what he was saying, and understood that it was merely a deserved punishment for his wrong-doings.

That small part of him only seemed to be getting bigger and stronger every day.

"With that being said, I think it would be best to make yourself scare for the rest of the evening. I don't want Al trying to poke around and ask questions, and I think it would be best for the two of us to have some space for a while so you can reflect on what you did," Hohenheim drawled on. "We can revisit things tomorrow evening and determine if you've reflected and improved on your decisions by then."

Ed's eyes widened slightly, but he steeled his emotions in an attempt to avoid showing any panic to Hohenheim.

He didn't expect Hohenheim to ask him to leave for the night, and he wasn't sure where he would go, but if Hohenheim was giving him permission to be as far away from him as possible for the night, Ed wasn't about to think twice on it.

"I understand," he muttered. "…sir."

Hohenheim nodded to this, slipping his belt back around his waist. The act made Ed cringe, the way Hohenheim casually treated the situation as if it were just and normal. Ed knew he likely deserved it, but that didn't mean that their situation was normal. He knew that much.

After Hohenheim left, Ed took a moment to put his shirt back on, ignoring the sting that came from the fabric rubbing against the fresh wounds on his back, and the red mark on his chest. The bruises on his stomach were still ever prominent, and ever sore, but at this point they were just another drop in the pool of pain he felt all around.

He pulled his coat from off the top of his dresser, sliding it over himself. The baggy red coat was a welcomed comfort, and Ed appreciated the way it weighed on his shoulders and swallowed him in a mess of fabric, hiding most of him from view.

After carefully listening to make sure Hohenheim wasn't returning upstairs, Ed slid open the bottom drawer of his nightstand and slipped the small packet of crackers into his jacket pocket.

There wasn't much else in there, but the small slip of paper Ed had hidden away with all his emergency rations caught his eye, and Ed stashed that into his pocket, as well as the last bit of loose change he'd happened to still have on him. Sliding his boots on, he made his way out of his room and down the steps to the front door.

"Where are you going?"

Ed froze, hand over the doorknob. He was so close. Not that he was desperate to leave, especially since he wasn't sure if where he would attempt to go would take him. However, he was eager to get out without disturbing Hohenheim or Alphonse, and to put some safe distance between him and the house for the night.

"Brother, where are you going?" Al asked again, impatiently.

Ed sighed and turned around, a poor attempt at a smile resting on his face. Al had his arms crossed across his metal chest, clearly unwilling to accept any half-assed attempts at an answer.

"Hohenheim and I got into a disagreement and I need to blow off some steam for a bit. I'm just gonna go walk around and maybe see if the military dorms will let me crash for the night," Ed shrugged. It wasn't a complete lie, though Ed wasn't about to raise concern with the military by attempting to stay at the dorms.

They'd let Mustang know, and Ed really didn't want to have to deal with that tomorrow, on top of everything else.

"But Ed, it's late, and while I know you lied about being sick to Mustang, you're still not 100% yourself and some rest would do you good," Al stated, a small hint of irritation slipping into his voice at the mention of Mustang.

Ed paused for a moment, unsure as to what he could possibly say to get Al off his back without completely pissing him off or giving anything away.

"I know Al, and I'll make sure to get some sleep at the dorms. I just need some time to myself right now."

"But Ed, all you've had is time to yourself! You don't tell anyone anything, you don't tell me anything. You lied to Mustang about being sick, and now you're leaving because you got into a disagreement with Dad? I just don't understand what's going on with you," Al rambled, exasperated.

"I…I know Al," Ed muttered. There wasn't much he could say, and he was exhausted both physically and mentally. He just wanted, and needed, to put some space between him and the house for the night.

"I…don't know what's going on either. But I think having some time to myself to think about things will help," Ed attempted to explain. While it was completely true, it wasn't true for the reasons Al probably thought it was for.

"Fine," Al sighed. He still seemed angry, and justifiably so, but he wasn't in the mood to argue with Ed about things. Especially because he knew he wasn't going to get much more of an answer than that.

"Just…be safe," Al added after a moment of tense silence. Ed nodded to him, before turning around and heading out into the night, shutting the door behind him.

Al watched him go, his heart sinking. He should have been more compassionate, should have offered to go with him, to walk with him, to be there for him. He was just so tired of Ed brushing him off, of being so secretive and lying about things. And he was frustrated and angry that Ed didn't trust him enough to tell him anything anymore.

Al didn't know what was going on; why Ed was always so tense around the house, why Ed always seemed so on edge whenever Hohenheim was around. Ed leaving in the middle of the night to go for a walk wasn't completely unusual, but if him and Hohenheim had really had a disagreement Ed would be fuming, or Al certainly would have heard their argument from downstairs.

What's weirder, is how Al had asked Hohenheim how their talk had gone, and Hohenheim had said everything was fine and that Ed and him had had a lovely conversation. He never mentioned disagreeing on anything, and it certainly hadn't sounded like a disagreement to Al.

Hohenheim hadn't been in their life for very long, and while Al wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, he wasn't sure he could trust him 100% yet. But with Ed lying about things and keeping things to himself, he wasn't sure he could trust him with things either. Things weren't adding up, things weren't making sense, and it was frustrating him to no end.

If Hohenheim was telling the truth, that means Ed was lying to him about a lot more than he realized, which hurt to think about, and was concerning to say the least.

However, Al knew that if for some reason Hohenheim was lying about what had happened, it couldn't have been for a good reason. A small flicker of what could be going on made its home in the flowing soul-fire that rested behind Al's eyes, but he blinked it away before it could fully settle.

There's no way it would be something like that.

…right?

Meanwhile, Ed was scrambling to pull the loose change from his pocket and slide it into the payphone a few blocks over. The coins clattered in the slot as they slid into the machine, and Ed squinted to read the small numbers on the slip of paper in the poor street-lighting that illuminated the metal booth.

Pressing the keys and picking up the receiver, Ed crossed his fingers that if there was some slight chance the universe could bless him with this one thing, that it would do so readily. He felt bad about calling so late at night, and felt even worse when he realized what he was about to ask, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice.

He just hoped he understood.

The phone rang a few times without an answer, only adding to the nervousness Ed was feeling.

However, by some string of fate the line clicked and a gruff voice could be heard on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

Ed froze for a moment, unsure of what to do now that he'd actually been answered. He had spent so much of the time walking to the booth planning for an absence of an answer, that he was shocked to receive one.

"Listen it's late, who is this?"

Fumbling with the receiver, Ed stuffed the crinkled slip of paper into his pocket.

"R-Roger? This is Ed, Edward Elric…" Ed muttered, cursing his shaky voice. "We met a few days ago at one of the drain sites…I'm the alchemist-"

"Elric! Yeah, I remember. Why are you calling so late at night? Are you okay?" Roger's voice was thick with sleep and Ed felt terrible for having clearly woken him up, but the concern was also evident, something that gave Ed a little flicker of joy.

Someone, even if simply a random stranger, was concerned for him and cared for him.

"Um…about that," Ed gulped nervously. "I um…I kind of need a place to stay for the night," he whispered.

"I know it's last minute, and late, and I know you barely know me and-"

"Whoa, whoa kid slow down," Roger huffed into the phone. "Just breathe for a second yeah? You're ok."

Ed hadn't realized how fast he'd been talking, or breathing for that matter, and cringed at how awful and desperate he probably sounded.

Like a helpless child.

"Do you need any medical help?" Roger asked, before moving the receiver away from his mouth as he whispered something to another person in the room.

"Uh, no, nothing serious enough for that," Ed admitted. The welts stung, and were starting to get achy, but they weren't worth a hospital trip.

"I'm glad to hear that," Roger sighed, relief heavy in his voice. He then rattled out an apartment address to Ed, who was quick to make note of it, realizing it was only a few blocks from where he was at. Roger offered to come pick him up and give him a ride, but Ed admitted he could use the walk to sort himself out a little more, and that it wasn't far from where he was at.

"See you soon kid, be careful out there yeah?" Roger urged Ed through the phone. Ed assured him he would be, and hung up, his spirits lifted ever so slightly.

Ed arrived at the building about fifteen minutes after the call had ended, and stood outside awkwardly. The building was older, older than the house Hohenheim had purchased, and had clearly seen better days in its youth. Spiderwebs gathered in the half-dead bushes outside the building, and cigarette buds littered the ground outside the trash can, likely having been tossed in only to fall to the ground and been forgotten.

It certainly wasn't a step up from his room back at Hohenheim's place, but then again, any place Hohenheim wasn't was a step up from that room.

Ed was hesitant to head up and find the apartment, restless thoughts plaguing him for making the decision to call Roger in the first place.

What if Roger had called the police on him, and wanted him to confess everything to them?

What if Hohenheim found out about where he was, or about him telling someone else?

What if Roger got mad at him for having bothered him so late at night?

What if-

Ed was broken from his panicked train of thoughts by the front door to the building opening, and pale light flooding the cracked sidewalk Ed had been pacing on.

Roger stepped out of the building, his dark brown hair tussled from sleep, but a warm smile resting on his face.

"C'mon kid, let's get you inside and somewhere warm."

Ed couldn't do much other than nod sheepishly, and followed him up to the room. As they walked up the creaky wooden steps, Ed worried he was making a mistake in trusting a complete stranger, who very well could intend nothing but harm upon him.

He hadn't thought of it before now, panic and desperation having clouded his thoughts earlier.

Then again, he was a State Alchemist, and Roger certainly wasn't an alchemist of any kind. Ed knew if he needed to, he could handle himself, but some part of him didn't seem to think he'd have to.

Roger pulled his key out of the pockets of his checkered pajama pants, and was about to slide it into the door when it swung open revealing an amber haired woman with striking green eyes.

"Amelia, this is Edward Elric, who I was telling you about," Roger said with a smile as he stepped aside and motioned to the shorter boy. "Kid, this is my wife, Amelia."

The woman, Amelia, shot Edward a smile before extending her hand in greeting. Ed took it hesitantly, looking away as his sleeve slid down to reveal the bruise on his arm.

If Amelia saw it, she paid no mind, and instead gently led Edward into the apartment, Roger following behind to shut the door behind him.

The apartment was cozy, with various plants and flowers decorating nearly every available surface. The apartment had a small fireplace that had been recently lit, and a soft brown couch rested in front of it. A small kitchen to his right was home to a round table covered in various letters, drawings, and photos of the two of them. There was definitely some clutter to the small space, but it felt homey and peaceful.

"Make yourself at home Edward," Amelia said warmly. "I'll put some tea on the stove."

Ed merely nodded to her, and took that as initiative to at least remove his shoes before stepping on the light carpet. He moved to take his jacket off, but paused, realizing it would only show the bruises on his arm. He hadn't had time to change into his long-sleeve black shirt he favored, instead only able to slip on an old white t-shirt he usually slept in.

Opting to leave the jacket on, Ed fumbled with the edge of the sleeve, unsure of what to say now that he was here.

"Thank you," he muttered eventually, "I appreciate you letting me stay here with such short notice."

"It's not a problem kid," Roger huffed. "You're always welcome. You don't have to talk about what happened if you don't want to, and I won't ask. Just know that you're always welcome here. I wish you didn't have to have called, but I'm really glad you did."

Ed glanced up at him, seeing nothing but sincerity, and a sad smile.

"I've been where you've been kid, you're not alone in this ok?"

Ed swallowed hard, in an attempt to keep the tears that were threatening to fall stashed away, shooting Roger a weak smile instead.

Amelia handed Ed a small ceramic cup that sent warmth through his fingers as he held it delicately.

"I put some blankets and pillows on the couch, why don't you try and get some rest? If you need anything Roger and I are just down the hall, so don't hesitate to knock and ask," Amelia mentioned.

"I…I don't know what to say," Ed stated honestly. "I still don't understand why you'd be so willing to help a random stranger, and I don't understand why you're being so nice to me, but I…I really appreciate all your help."

"It's not a problem kid, I promise," Roger chuckled lightly.

"I've seen a lot of the same things you're probably seeing," he admitted. "I…unfortunately, didn't have anyone there to help me, and it wasn't until I met Amelia here that I realized how much it helps having someone there to support you through the hard times."

Amelia wrapped her arms around Roger, resting her head on his shoulders while shooting a sympathetic smile at Edward. Roger rested a hand on Ed's shoulder, and for once, Ed didn't flinch at the touch.

"I know we may still be strangers, and I know it may seem foreign to you right now, but just like you're willing to risk your life to help others as a State Alchemist, a young one at that, we're willing to help support you and do what we can to help. No one deserves to suffer through hard times alone, and you don't always have to be the one helping everyone else. It's ok to need help sometimes too, and that's what we're here for."

Ed blinked up at them through misty eyes, and for the first time in a while, was able to give them a genuine smile.

"Thank you."

"Always kid. Now get some rest, we're here if you need anything," Roger nodded to him, before walking into the room down the hallway.

Amelia hung back for a moment, helping Ed get the couch situated.

"I know it may not seem like it now, but Roger's been through a lot," Amelia admitted. "When he first met you those few days ago, he came home in tears, because he saw you working hard and trying to tough things out despite everything else going on, and it only reminded him of himself."

Amelia sighed. "I remember he worried so much, he was so worried he'd scared you or made you uncomfortable, despite only wanting to help. I know calling tonight was probably really scary for you, and I know it's strange relying on people you don't know very well, but I can speak for both of us when I say we're really glad you're ok, and that you were willing to ask for help."

Amelia smiled at Ed, before wishing him goodnight and walking to join Roger in their room down the hall. Ed listened to the door click, and found himself curling up on the couch, facing the fire. The amber colors danced in front of his eyes, and for once, he felt at peace.

Tomorrow was bound to bring with it a whole new set of problems, and he knew he'd have to return both to work and to the house. However, for the moment, Ed felt at peace with everything going on.

Hohenheim couldn't get to him here. He was safe, and warm, and with people who seemed to genuinely care about him, despite not really even knowing him. They reminded him of the Hughes' family; so ready to accept anyone who needed it into their family at a moment's notice.

Ed sighed, exhaustion hitting him. He'd get some sleep tonight, and face tomorrow's problems in the morning.

Closing his eyes, Ed drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

A/N: Wow, didn't expect to have another chapter out as fast as I did but I've really been enjoying writing again. This chapter is mostly some good 'ol comfort to break apart some of the heavy angst we've been having, aside from the first half where we get to see some more of Ed's attempt to rationalize what's going on. However, I assure you things will continue to go downhill for a while before they get better, though we are at the start of the turning peak of things! I'm really excited to continue this, and get through some of the really intense moments to come. Thank you as always for your support, I appreciate you all very much!