A/N: This is going to be my first Fullmetal fanfic. This will be set after episode 22 of the original Fullmetal Alchemist series and not the Brotherhood series. I am going to change everything after that basically including Hughes death. He will be alive in my story. For those of you that have read any of my previous stories within the different categories than you will already know how my writing goes. For those of you who are new, this story will be filled with angst, dark themes, violence, and strong family bonding. Especially between Roy and Ed.

Summary: Instead of the Homunculi turning and leaving Lab 5 when Scar attacked. They grabbed Ed while they had the chance so they could use him to make another one when the time comes. When Hughes and his team arrive at Lab 5 they find a very much alive Al in the flesh and a massive mess of building, red liquid and dead prisoners. With no choice Hughes makes the call to Mustang and the hunt for Ed begins. But when they finally do find him, just how much has been broken inside of Ed? And who will be the one to not only help put him back together, but also help him end this nightmare once and for all. With Scar and the Homunculi still after Ed he is going to need the protection of the military just to see another day.

Story Warnings: Violence, mentions of torture, torture through flashbacks, mentions of rape, sex and swearing.

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Chapter 1

Colonel Roy Mustang stood there in his best friend's office staring out the window. It was night time now and when normally the building would be quiet with fellow military personnel either sleeping in their temporary dorms or they were already home tucked into their warm beds. Tonight was completely different though. Tonight marked the twenty-second day where one of their own had been kidnapped. Twenty-two days since their youngest, Edward Elric had been kidnapped by three Homunculi and taken to an unknown location. Twenty-two days since Hughes and a full squad of military soldiers stormed Lab 5 only to discover that Ed was gone and Al was alive once again. Roy could still remember that phone call twenty-two days ago. The one where it shattered his life. Hughes had called in to inform him that Ed was missing and that Al was back in the flesh. Hughes didn't have any answers and they weren't getting any from Al anytime soon as the poor boy was unconscious. Hughes had found Al back in his original body at the age of ten when he had lost it trying to bring back his mother from the dead. He appeared to be fine, aside from the fact that he was naked and underneath the destroyed suit of armor. Lieutenant Ross had been put in charge of tending to Al and guarding him at the hospital just in case. After that phone call Roy didn't even think twice. He gathered his team and they took the next train out to Central and went straight over to Lab 5 to demand some answers.

Flashback

Roy stormed through the mass of military personnel that were standing around outside of Lab 5 in the pouring rain. He had his team with him and immediately walked over to Major Armstrong to demand some answers.

"Major." Roy said with complete authority in his voice. It was clear to everyone he was not in the mood for any of this and he was not going to just take this situation laying down.

"Colonel Mustang. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is expecting you. I'll take you to him Sir." Armstrong immediately said.

He too had come to like both of the boys and had been protective of them since meeting them. He didn't like that so many dangerous people had been after them, especially Ed for his natural talent. He wanted Ed back safe and sound just as much as everyone else. Armstrong led the group through the laboratory and they all took in the dead chimeras within the one hallway. When they finally arrived at Hughes he was in a room that had security camera screens on the wall. Hughes looked up at the sound of someone approaching and knew it would be Roy. Hughes could tell by the look on his face that he was pissed.

"Thank-you Sergeant, I can take it from here." Hughes said to the man that was sitting in a chair at the computer.

The Sergeant left and Roy went over to Hughes.

"How long have you known about this place?" Roy demanded.

"Hey, not that long. You know Ed and Al were coming back to Central to try and find something in the library. The Central Branch got destroyed when Scar was fighting inside of it with someone. Major Armstrong had to report back to Central so he left protection detail in the hands of Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh. Long story short Ed got the documents that he needed from Marcoh. Those documents led him to discovering that the Philosopher's Stone had to be finished by sacrificing a large number of human lives. According to Ross, Ed wanted to give up and stop looking not willing to sacrifice anyone to finish it. Ross convinced him that even finding the truth would be valuable to the world and that he shouldn't give up just because he doesn't like part of the story. Ed agreed and discovered that this lab needed to be looked into. He thought that it would be perfect for someone to make a stone especially with the prison right behind it. Turns out he was right." Hughes started.

"A large number of condemned souls." Roy stated.

"Exactly. Ross and Brosh were going to check this place out once they got clearance from Armstrong, but Ed and Al snuck out to look for themselves. My guess, Ed didn't want them to be hurt should something be left here. Shortly after they left Scar attacked the library they were staying in and that was when Ross discovered they had left. She contacted me and we had approval from Fuhrer Bradley to storm in here this morning and he came with us."

"Why wasn't I informed? I spoke to you before you stormed in here. You should have told me." Roy said with anger all throughout his voice.

"I didn't want you to worry. I thought it would be nothing. The last thing you needed was to be caught in the middle of this. I didn't think this would happen. I thought we would find them wandering around an empty lab or with their nose stuck in dusty old books."

"You knew Scar was here and you knew he was after Ed. He's been chasing Ed more than any of us. For whatever reason Scar has a strong interest in Ed over all of the others he should be chasing for what happened to his people. I should have been informed the second you had confirmation that he was within Central. Ed and Al should have had someone guarding them at all times, in the room with them." Roy turned to look at Armstrong as he continued to speak. "Major, you were in charge of the Elric's security detail. Why did they not have constant coverage knowing that Scar was in Central?"

"I'm sorry Sir. I should have placed someone within their room. I thought Ross and Brosh would be enough as we didn't have confirmation that Scar was even still alive or in Central. I should have stayed with them after reporting to Headquarters. I'm sorry Sir. I take full responsibility for the security lapse." Armstrong said knowing that he should have done a great number of things differently.

"Look, I should have called you Roy and I'm sorry I didn't. No one knew what we'd find here, or that we would ever find this. The security cameras were still working and we got it all on tape. There's no sound, but we can follow Ed's movements." Hughes said as he sat down and started to bring up what he needed on the screen.

"What about Al? How is he?" Roy asked.

"Ross is with him and under orders not to leave his side no matter what. I found him back in his body. He was naked and underneath the suit of armor that was destroyed. He wasn't conscious though and he hasn't woken up yet. Ross will call right away when he is awake. The doctors did assure Ross that Al was just exhausted and dehydrated. He was set to make a full recovery once he got some rest. So wherever he was, he wasn't hurt at all."

"A small miracle." Hawkeye said as she stood next to Roy. She knew how much this was affecting him and she wanted to continue to be his silent support system.

"Hopefully he will be awake and we can ask him some questions. For now we have this to go off of. So here you can see them sneaking onto the grounds and only Ed went in through an air vent. Al was forced to stay outside. Ed can be reckless and not think twice about his safety, but I honestly think he didn't expect to find anyone inside otherwise he wouldn't have gone in alone or left Al on his own."

"He wouldn't put his brother at risk." Roy easily agreed, because if there was one thing he knew about Ed it was that he would die to keep his brother safe and alive.

"From there we can follow Ed as he makes his way through hallways. He lands on a bunch of traps and almost gets rolled over before he changes the hallway to make it safe. He ends up in a room where he gets into a fight." Hughes said as he pointed to the right monitor and they all watched as Ed fought an empty souled suit of armor.

They could see he was getting tired and he was wounded by the blade. When they thought it was over they only discovered that there was a second soul within the suit and they were forced to watch Ed fight for his life once again.

"I've never seen how good he can fight." Havoc said as he watched.

"He had a good teacher." Hughes said.

They watched as Ed destroyed the suit with his alchemy and Hawkeye noticed it before the others.

"Wait, how did he do that?" Hawkeye asked.

"He stopped on the second step, destroy. To change something you need to destroy it first before transforming it to something new. Ed did what Scar is doing, stopping at the second stage, destruction. It was smart for him to do. He's losing too much blood he wouldn't have been able to stay awake for much longer." Roy explained.

"And somehow he managed to do just that. They talk for a while and then Ed grabs the head and goes off down a hallway where he unfortunately crosses the Chimeras and has to fight once again. They get called back by their Master, wait for it, Shou Tucker, who turned himself into a Chimera."

"What? Fuery asked shocked.

"Ya that's going to need a conversation whenever we find him. But from there Tucker leads Ed into this room." Hughes said and they all could see the room with the large containers of red liquid and the transmutation circle on the floor. They watched as Tucker talked to Ed and then Ed eventually went and placed a circle on the ceiling and then changing the one on the floor to a hexagon.

"A hexagon transmutation circle has never been done before. It would be a lot of power and require someone very powerful to be able to control it." Armstrong said.

"The kid is a prodigy." Havoc said.

"That liquid, it's incomplete Philosopher's Stone. Based on how powerful one small stone is, all of that would be enough to destroy half this world. Not to mention Tucker leads Ed up to the room above to see even more of it. What Ed doesn't see are the prisoners that are kept behind the walls. Prisoners that Brigadier General Basque Grand ordered to be moved there." Hughes said.

"He's dead." Roy automatically said.

"And that would be one of the many questions that we have unanswered. Because we all know he is dead and buried missing his brain. From here we can piece together what happened even without the words. Ed is about to do the transmutation when the ceiling gives and the prisoners fall, stopping Ed. Then three new players come out dragging Al with them." Hughes said as he brought it all up. "Ed gets mad and goes to attack this one guy, but something goes wrong with his automail as his arm stops working. Said guy then goes to town on Ed. From here we can then assume the conversation goes somewhere along the lines of, finish the stone or your brother dies. The women goes over and removed Ed's helmet and uses her very long nail and places it against his blood seal. Ed then goes to finish the transmutation with the prisoners in the middle, but last second he can't do it."

"He's not a killer. It's different to kill in self-defence or for his brother to keep him safe. This would be mass murder so he could restore his brother's body. He wouldn't be able to live with himself, even if that means Al's death." Roy said feeling sorry for Ed, because he knew the inner turmoil that he would have felt in that situation. Having to choose between is brother's life and those of prisoners.

"His heart is too pure. It would have destroyed them both if he did." Armstrong added.

"But then how did Al get his body back?" Havoc asked.

"That would be an Alchemist question. Watch what happens." Hughes answered.

They watched as an explosion happened causing the ceiling to fall and for one of the canisters to break open. They could see that it was Scar that had made the explosion, but they had no idea if he was doing it to help the Elric's or if he was doing it for his own motives. From there they saw that the incomplete Philosopher's Stone landed on Ed covering him with it's power. They watched in horror as his body started to glow with power and give off electric sparks and strong wind.

"What's happening to him?" Hawkeye asked.

"His body is absorbing the power of the stone. His chemical makeup would have been rapidly changing giving him unbelievable power. He's not in control though, it's taken over his body and mind." Roy answered with concern in his voice for what that type of power could do to Ed.

"Power like that could make him a God if his body absorbed enough of it." Armstrong added.

"That power is how Al got his body back. I don't know how the kid did it, because he didn't move from this spot, but one second Al is a suit of armor the next he's a kid and Ed stops glowing and passes out. The three unknowns then grab Ed and leave. We can track them down the hallway until they reach the last camera outside. After that we have nothing." Hughes added.

"Ed has only one purpose, one constant thought in his mind and that is returning Al's body. Even in that state his body could have just reacted to his most desired thought and brought Al back. We need to search a five mile area. Ed's automail makes him twice as heavy they wouldn't have been able to carry that much dead weight for long." Roy said.

"I've already got three squads out searching the area and another set looking for any type of security cameras that we could use. It's a mess in here, we have missing prisoners and dead ones on our hands. Not to mention trying to figure out how this place was still operational after it was supposed to be shut down. We also have a dozen or more chimeras that are perfect for a lack of a better word. And we can add in a missing Tucker. The Fuhrer is pissed and has ordered all military personnel out looking for any clues to Ed. It's bad enough when a State Alchemist is kidnapped, but when said Alchemist is only fifteen you have a code red. The Fuhrer had ordered this case be the only case that anyone works." Hughes said.

"It's not just his age that's the issue. When this breaks and eventually it will, all people will hear is that the Alchemist of the People has been kidnapped. It's going to cause panic and riots if people feel that the military isn't doing enough." Roy added.

"Excuse me Colonel." A female voice said.

They all turned to see a younger officer standing there. "Lieutenant Ross has just called to inform you that the boy is awake."

"Thank-you Sergeant." Roy said dismissively before turning his attention back to his team. "Hughes and I will go and speak with Al. The rest of you start looking for clues as to who was keeping this place operational. That person might lead us to whoever these other three are."

His team simply gave a nod and Hughes and Roy headed out of the lab and outside so they could get to the hospital. The clock was ticking and they all knew that Ed wouldn't be able to hold on forever. The car ride to the hospital was done in complete silence, a tense silence. Hughes knew that Roy was furious with him for not contacting him sooner. Given the current situation, Hughes couldn't blame him. He was furious with himself for not letting Roy know the second Scar had made an appearance here. Or right when he knew that Ed and Al could have been in trouble. Hughes had seen how close Roy had become to Ed. He never showed it, but Hughes could see how much he cared for Ed when he found out that Ed was hurt or in danger. All thoughts of his own career and dream were thrown out the window when those boys got in trouble or were in danger. Hughes had seen Roy keeping every one of the letters that Ed had sent over the years to keep him updated on what they had discovered.

Roy cared about them, Ed especially. Hughes knew though that Roy had never admitted to himself just how much Ed had gotten under his skin. Just how much he cared about the boy and Hughes was worried that this would push Roy passed his limit. Roy was his best friend, he didn't want to see him throwing everything away that he had worked hard for, but at the same time, if he was at least it would be for a good reason. Hughes cared about those boys just as much as Roy and he wanted them to be safe and okay. He wanted them to fulfill their dreams and be happy. He could see that there was a lot of stress and pressure on Ed's shoulders. He was the big brother. He was the prodigy and he would be the one to make all of this possible. It was a lot to put onto a child, even a fifteen year old one.

When they finally arrived at the hospital they immediately went to Al's room. Ross was standing on the outside on guard just in case.

"Report." Roy demanded.

"Colonel Sir, I have not been in the room yet. The doctor informed me that Al was awake and was in good spirits, but very confused. I thought it would be best to wait for you to handle the situation as I did not want to release any questionable information."

Roy didn't say anything as he opened the door and went in with Hughes behind him. Hughes closed the door because he didn't want anyone else listening that may have walked by. They both saw Al sitting up in the bed with the covers over him. He looked good except for the obvious tired eyes. What they weren't prepared for was the confused look in his eyes.

"Hey Al. How are you feeling?" Hughes asked with a warm smile as he went and sat down in one of the hospital chairs next to the bed.

"Fine Sir. Um… who are you?" Al asked with a shy voice.

"You don't remember us Al?" Hughes asked, but he had a feeling based on the confusion in his eyes when they first walked in.

"No Sir. Where's my brother?"

"Al, do you know where you are?" Roy asked gently. He wanted answers, but he knew Al wouldn't be able to give them. For some reason he didn't have any memory of the past four years. Roy figured it had something to do with his body still being ten years old. It would only make sense that his memories would mimic his age.

"The hospital." Al answered.

"Do you know why?" Hughes asked.

They could both see that Al didn't want to say and they had their answer with just that. He thought it was because of the human transmutation that they had tried to do.

"Where's my brother?" Al asked again, but with worry in his voice.

"Al, you're in Central City. And we are still looking for your brother." Roy answered.

"Central? But how did I get here? And what do you mean you're still looking for him? He was with me back at the house." Al said now more confused than ever.

"Al what I'm about to tell you may sound crazy and will be confusing, but it's the truth." Hughes started.

"Ok." Al said slightly unsure.

Hughes grabbed a newspaper that was left on the beside table and placed it down in Al's lap.

"Do you see the date?" Hughes asked.

Al looked down and saw what the date was and his eyes instantly went large. He looked up at both men with confusion all throughout his features.

"Four years? But how is that possible? What happened? Where's brother?"

"After you and your brother tried to bring your mom back somethings happened. Your brother lost his left leg and you lost your body. In order to bind your soul, your brother lost his right arm. For the past four years you both have been traveling the world looking for a way to get your body back. Yesterday your brother finally did it. He got you back to normal. But someone has taken your brother and now we are looking for him. We were hoping you might have an idea, but you clearly have lost the past four years." Hughes answered.

"You're serious?" Al said after a moment of looking at both Hughes and Roy's faces.

"We are Al. I know this is a lot to take in for you. But it is the truth." Roy said.

"But then my brother is missing. I have to help find him."

"The best thing you can do is stay here and rest. He wouldn't want you getting sick or hurt. Not after everything that has happened. Your brother is a State Alchemist and has the whole military out there looking for him. We'll find him." Hughes reassured.

"But if he found a way to bring me back, how do you know he isn't gone too? Lost to equivalent exchange." Al said with fear.

"We have him on a security tape being taken after you were returned to your body. We know he's alive and we have images of the people who took him. We will find him. Maes is right Al. You just rest and we will find your brother. I'm going to have Lieutenant Ross stationed outside your door just as a precaution." Roy said.

"We need to get going, but you just rest for now. We'll keep you updated on what we find." Hughes said as he stood up.

"Please find him. He's all I have." Al said sadly.

"We will." Roy promised. He knew no matter what that Ed would fight until the very end to survive long enough to get back to his brother. Based on the video feed, Ed would have no idea that Al was even back alive. He wasn't about to leave him brother.

They both headed out to see Ross waiting anxiously to know if they had any leads. She hadn't known Ed for long, but he had already gotten under her skin with his determination and sheer drive to help his brother. Once the door was closed Hughes spoke.

"Well that was no help. He has no memories of the past four years."

"Oh that poor boy. He must be so confused and scared right now." Ross said sadly.

"Stay with him until we know he's safe." Roy ordered.

"Yes Sir." Ross easily agreed.

"Maybe hangout in there with him. He's probably got a lot of questions right now." Hughes suggested.

"Of course. I'll keep him safe." Ross promised.

Roy didn't say anything else, he just turned and left. They weren't going to get any work done from the hospital and each second was another second that Ed was getting further and further away from them.

End of Flashback

Hawkeye and Hughes stood outside of his office looking in on Roy who was just staring out the window. They had both been worried about him during the last three weeks. He had barely slept and barely eaten anything. He would spends days and nights searching the streets to find Ed. They had all given up on finding a lead and had opted to search every possible location that Ed could have been taken to. The problem was, it was a large order. Roy had been irritable and had been pushing himself just to try and find anything that might lead them to Ed's location or one of the three people who had taken him. Only to come back with nothing. After a week of Ed missing the Fuhrer had no choice, but to declare that Ed was most likely dead and they had other cases that needed their immediate attention. Roy had refused to leave Central to go back East though and Hawkeye and Hughes both knew it would cost him in the end, but Roy was refusing to leave. He and his team had stayed back to help Hughes with the investigation and the Fuhrer was allowing it for now, but soon that would turn into a serious problem when he ordered them back to their command post. The clock was ticking down for them and for Ed.

"I've never seen him like this." Hawkeye said sadly with worry in her voice.

"Ya not even after that war. He was a wreck in a completely different way then. But this is different. I wonder if he's realised it yet."

"Realised what?"

"That he's a father."

"You think?" Hawkeye asked slightly shocked.

"You don't? Only a father would go this far, would risk everything he's ever worked for just for his kid. He didn't mean for it to happen, but it's happened. He'll burn the whole city to the ground if he thought it would help. He's a father and Ed is going to need him to get through to the other side on this."

"You really think he's still alive?" Hawkeye asked softly.

"I have to. I have to." Hughes said back just as softly and Hawkeye could hear the hurt in his voice.

"How's Al?"

Al had been staying with Hughes ever since he was allowed to leave the hospital two days later. He had refused to leave Central without his brother. They had called Winry to inform her of the situation and she had come down with her grandmother Pinako to be with Al and wait for when Ed would be found. The Rockbells were staying in a nearby motel while Al had stayed with Hughes for the added protection. They didn't think he was in danger anymore, but they weren't taking any chances.

"He's worried. He doesn't sleep too well either. He just wants to find Ed and he's feeling guilty that he doesn't remember anything from that night. Gracia is trying to get Al involved during the day and trying to keep his spirits up, but he's not an idiot either. He knows Ed's time is running out."

"We need something soon, because I don't know how much longer either of them can last or if we lose Ed." Hawkeye said with worry for Roy.

Their conversation was cut short when Havoc and the others were running down the hallway towards them. Both Hughes and Hawkeye foolishly allowed themselves to get their hopes up that they finally had a lead.

"We found him." Armstrong said once they were close enough.

Hughes and Hawkeye ran into the office and Roy turned around at the sudden sound of the door opening. He saw the others had all gathered around the door and Armstrong came in and handed him the piece of paper as he spoke.

"We found camera picked this up less than an hour ago. We went back on the footage and saw them bring Edward into the building and he hasn't left. I pulled the schematics, there's only one way in and out."

"Everyone gear up we're leaving in fifteen minutes. We don't know who these people are so be prepared." Roy said with determination in his voice.

After twenty-two days they were finally on the right track to finding Ed and hopefully they would have him back with them safe and on the road to recovery within the hour. The others didn't need to be told twice as they left to get ready to leave. Roy grabbed his gloves and made his way out to gather more men. They didn't know what they were going to walk in on and Roy was not going to take that chance with Ed's life. He had been waiting for this for three weeks and he was not about to screw this up now. This maybe their only chance at getting Ed back from these people and Roy was not going to fail.

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When they pulled up to the abandoned warehouse they all got out of their trucks and made their way slowly inside. Armstrong went first followed by Roy. They didn't know what to expect, but they weren't going to take any chances. They had thirty soldiers with them all with the order to find Edward before anything else. He was their objective. The main area was empty so they all split up to search the rest. Roy, Hughes and Hawkeye went together off to the right. They got ten feet down the hallway when they heard fighting behind them, followed by growling. They knew that there would be someone here guarding the building and it only just confirmed that. The three of them took off running down the hallway searching every room so they could find Ed and find him fast. There was no telling what could be happening behind them or what could be lying behind the closed doors. After ten doors they finally opened one that contained exactly who they were looking for, but that didn't prepare them at all for what they saw. The walls were all surrounded in transmutation circles that Roy recognized at making it so that someone couldn't use their alchemy. There were no windows within the room and the room was freezing cold. There in the middle of the room was Ed. He had a chain around his neck that was attached to the floor, keeping him in that position. His automail arm and leg were missing. He was on his right side curled up, naked and covered in blood, bruises, burns and cuts. They all ran over to him and Hawkeye had her body facing the door just in case. Roy removed his jacket and placed it over Ed to cover him.

As Roy covered Ed he noticed the blood between Ed's thighs. He looked at Hughes and he too had seen it. They then took notice that there was dried semen on his body as well.

"Son of a bitch." Hughes said with pure rage in his voice.

"What?" Hawkeye asked as she turned to face them as Roy covered Ed up.

"He's been raped." Roy said through clenched teeth as he took the rest of Ed's appearance in.

"Bastards." Hawkeye said with pain all throughout her voice. She knew she needed to be strong and to do her job, but it was hard when she saw the state that Ed was in. He was only a fifteen year old boy.

Roy took in the endless number of bruises and cuts on Ed's body. His left eye was swollen shut and his right eye was almost just as bad. His left arm was covered in second degree burns from his fingers all the way to his shoulder. He still had cuts that were bleeding within the arm and they looked infected. Ed's body was shivering and they could feel the heat radiating off from him. He was sick from the infections and possibly the room itself being so cold. They could see that he had lost weight and for someone his size he couldn't really afford to lose much. They could see that he had five broken ribs easily. He also had whip marks all over his back that they were sure would scar. On top of all of that he was covered in blood, dirt and semen in spots. Even his hair had red in it and was all matted. From the sound of his breathing Ed was barely hanging on. Hughes checked his pulse to find it fast and unsteady.

"We need to get him out of here. He's fading." Hughes said as Roy started working on getting the chain off. The problem was he couldn't use his alchemy within the room.

"Hawkeye, shoot." Roy said as he pulled the chain as tight as he could to give her the best opening.

Hawkeye turned around and carefully took aim and fired, hitting the chain and successfully snapping it. Hughes helped Roy remove the chain around Ed's neck and they could see bruising and cuts from Ed fighting against it. Now that Ed was free Roy gently and carefully picked him up being shocked at just how light he was. Hughes made sure Roy's jacket was wrapped around him for protection against the weather, but also to keep his naked body covered. Roy took a moment to make sure he had a good enough grip on Ed as it was a little awkward with him missing and arm and leg. He didn't want to hurt Ed by mistake from grabbing him in the wrong place. He knew from research when he first met Ed that automail ports could be painful if touched in the wrong spot and with his limbs not attached those nerves were exposed and could be painful if anything touched them.

Once Roy was confident that he wouldn't cause any further pain to Ed they made their way out of the room and back down the hallway. Hawkeye was in front with Hughes behind Roy just in case they came across trouble. The closer to the main room they got the louder the fight got. They knew that Ed was the priority, but they also didn't want to leave their men only to be killed. When they arrived to the main area they saw that their men were fighting off chimera's and one of the men that were in the lab that had attached Ed. Roy say that Armstrong was busy fighting him so Roy yelled loud enough for everyone to hear as they continued to run for the door.

"Armstrong! Abort! Abort!"

Armstrong took a second to see that Roy had Ed before going back to the fight at hand while everyone else finished their fight and started to get out of there. The three of them headed outside and straight for the truck. Hawkeye got into the driver's seat while Roy and Hughes got into the covered back. They were joined by the rest of Team Mustang and once Roy made sure all of his immediate men were with them he spoke.

"Go and don't stop."

Hawkeye didn't need to be told twice. She took off as fast as the truck could take and headed for the hospital.

"How is he?" Havoc asked as he tried to get a look at Ed.

"It's bad." Was all Roy had said as he looked down at Ed in his arms.

He couldn't see a single spot on him that wasn't bruised or hurt. He had clearly been tortured and beaten for the past three weeks while they had been searching for him. Hawkeye hit a bump and they all jostled around. The movement caused Ed to let out a scream as he slowly opened his right eye, as his left was swollen shut. The first thing Roy saw within Ed's eye was complete and utter terror. It was something he never thought he would ever see in Ed and Roy found it breaking his heart. Ed was one of the bravest men he had ever known and he was only fifteen. That look should never be on Ed's face.

"It's okay Ed. You're safe now. It's okay." Roy said gently as he held Ed closer to himself to try and help warm him up.

"Col...Colonel?" Ed's voice was hoarse and very weak. It sounded like even talking was painful to him.

"That's right Ed. Maes is here too. We're on the way to the hospital."

Ed's breaths were coming in a weeze right now and it was clear he was in an extreme amount of pain and struggling to just breathe.

"H...hu...hurts." Ed said weakly as he fought to keep his eye open.

"I know. Just hang on for a little while longer and the doctor can give you something for the pain. Just hang on Ed. Al is waiting for you remember. You can't give up. He's depending on you."

"Al…"

"That's right Ed. He's okay. He's been really worried about you. You can't leave him now. He stills needs you."

Roy could see the tears building in Ed's eye as he closed it to try and get his emotions under control. Even after everything that had happened to him he was still trying to be strong. Roy just wanted to shake him and tell him that it was okay to be hurt and scared. That it was okay for him to just be a kid and let the adults handle things from here. Roy didn't get the chance though because Hawkeye stopped and they all proceeded to get out. Roy picked up Ed once again, but the movement caused Ed to let out a moan. Hughes and Roy could see that Ed was biting his lip to keep from screaming out again.

"It's okay, we're at the hospital. I just need to get you out of here and onto a bed. I'm going to try and move as best as I can without jostling you too much." Roy said as he made his way out of the back of the truck.

Ed did his best to try and not make a sound. He knew that any sound would be perceived as a weakness and he wasn't about to come across to everyone any weaker than he already appeared. It was bad enough he was being carried like a child into the hospital by his boss because he only had two limbs. He wasn't going to embarrass himself even more. Once inside Roy placed Ed down on a stretcher as a doctor and nurses surrounded it talking about injuries and potential injuries as they pushed Ed down the hallway and into a treatment room. Roy was right behind him, but was stopped by a nurse.

"I'm sorry Sir, but you can't go in. We need to work on him and to do that we need to concentrate. You and your men can wait over there in the waiting room. When we know something you will be informed." And with that the nurse turned around and closed the door behind her.

Roy let out an annoyed sigh before he turned and headed over to the waiting room with the rest of his men. Hughes went to call home to inform his wife about finding Ed and that he would have Ross come by to escort Al here. From there all they could now do was wait once more until someone came out to tell them about Ed.

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It was five hours before a doctor finally came over to the group. They all stood up once the doctor came over to them.

"I'm Dr. Lin. I've been told that Colonel Roy Mustang is the man I need to speak with."

"That's me. How is my man?"

"If you would come with me, then we can discuss his condition." Dr. Lin said and even though Roy would have normally demanded that he tell them all. He could tell that Dr. Lin was not about to budge on this topic. Roy just gave a nod and followed the doctor to an empty room so they could speak.

"It's my understanding that Edward doesn't have any family." Dr. Lin started.

"That's correct. As his Commanding Officer his medical power of attorney falls to me. What is his condition?"

"He's serious injured. Starting from the top; he has a three inch skull fracture that will make him tire easily, get dizzy spells, have some trouble concentrating, he could have some memory loss, the bruising around his eyes and nose will be darker because of it and some days he will just feel rundown. On those days it's best for him to rest as much as possible and to take it easy. It will take roughly two months before his skull is fully healed. He can be out on missions should he feel well enough to, but it is vital he does not get hit in the head.

His left eye is swollen shut due to trauma, his nose was broken and had to be set, he also has a fractured left cheekbone. His throat is bruised and his vocal cords are as well due to some type of chain around his neck. He struggled hard enough to bruise his vocal cords. They will heal with time, until then his voice will be hoarse and it can be painful for him to talk for a couple of weeks until the bruising heals. He has pneumonia and bruising on his chest that is similar to someone being given CPR. Based on the bruising and water in his lungs that turned into pneumonia it's safe to assume that he was repeatedly drowned and resuscitated as a means of torture.

His left arm is covered in second degree burns. He also had several cuts that were infected and required stitches. He has ninety stitches in his arm for various cuts. His arm has been wrapped completely and needs to remain that way for three weeks until the stitches can come out and the burns have healed more. Twice a day a cream needs to be applied to his whole arm and hand and then rewrapped. He also needs to be careful when showering to not get the stitches wet.

He has six broken ribs that I have wrapped, but unfortunately only time will heal those. His body is covered in bruising and cuts. His back had thirty whip lashes and a few of them got infected along with several other cuts on his body due to the old blood and dirt. They have all been cleaned and he is on a highly strong anti-biotic to help fight the infection off and for his pneumonia. He is also dehydrated and malnourished from no food for the past three weeks. He needs to slowly start eating again and in small meals to help his stomach adjust back. After a week he should be back to normal.

We found a chemical in his blood work. It's a bio-engineered drug that works for his genetic makeup. From what we can tell the drug was used on him for roughly twenty days now. The drug would make it so that his body wouldn't allow him to pass out from the pain. It also would have intensified the pain. If that wasn't enough the drugs that makeup the enhanced drug are also addictive when given on a constant basis. Edwards body is already showing signs of withdrawals. He will be fairly sick for the next week before his body has the chance to burn off the drugs.

His automail was not removed properly, but rather ripped out. Most people believe that automail is just metal and not apart of the person wearing it. When in truth automail is an extension of that person. It is very much an arm or a leg and the body reacts to it as its own. It can take years of physical therapy for a person to be able to use their automail limb properly. I've never seen someone this young with any least of all two. When the limbs were ripped out it would have been very painful. It would have felt as if someone was ripping one of your arms or legs right off. The nerves were still exposed and left irritated from it. We have wrapped both of his ports to keep from any dirt or from accidental contact with anything. We do have mechanics that can build him new limbs, but most prefer to use their own mechanic for the job. I would give it five days or so before any new automail is attached to allow his nerves the break. Automail takes a toll on a person's body and Edward's body could use the break from it. He's awfully young to have two automail limbs. They would be heavy and put stress on his heart and breathing. With the current state of his body he needs the rest from them and the extra weight.

Finally, there were signs of sexual assault. We ran a rape exam and he was brutally raped multiple times a day for the past three weeks. There were no diseases in his blood, but he will be very sore for a week from it. He will also need some form of counselling to be able to mentally and emotionally recover from it. There was also bruising on the inside of his mouth from being forced to perform rough oral sex. We took all DNA samples and photos of all of his injuries for your case files. That is all of his injuries, do you have any questions or concerns?"

Roy stood there for a moment just trying to take it all in. Edward had been seriously injured on so many levels Roy didn't even know what questions to ask right now. He understood now why the doctor had him come over to speak alone. Roy already knew about the rape and he wasn't about to tell anyone about it. Hughes and Hawkeye already knew, but Roy was confident that they wouldn't be telling anyone about it. What happened to Edward was up to him to tell and only whom and when he was ready.

"When can he leave? I know he'll be anxious for that."

"I need to keep him for at least two weeks. I want to make sure that the drugs are out of his system and that his infection is healing. The nurses have tried their best to get him cleaned up, but he still has areas of blood and dirt on him. His hair is also still dirty. When he is awake and feeling up to it he can take a bath to get cleaned up. If he is unable to do it himself then a nurse can help him. We do have swimming trunks that he can wear if that would make him feel more comfortable. We do find though with sexual assault victims, especially young males, that even the thought of a stranger around them and touching them in anyway is too much for them to handle. He will have problems mentally with what has happened to him.

He will most likely experience PTSD where he could have flashbacks randomly, anxiety about large crowds or being outside. Depending on where he was kept he could have a fear of the dark and trouble sleeping. He could feel guilty about the situation and feel that what happened was his fault, that he deserved what happened because of something he did in the past. Some children regress within their growth, meaning social interactions or if the child is smart any quirks they may have had when they were younger could come back. He could feel like the trauma he has endured is happening all over again. He could smell the room or feel the hands even though he's not there anymore. Low self-esteem is common among males as well as a difficult time trusting people, especially adults. He could also avoid what happened and claim that he is fine and try to pretend events never happened. And of course he will be depressed and could have feelings or urges to hurt himself or to die. All of these symptoms needs to be dealt with early on so he doesn't end up taking his life or turning to drugs or alcohol to numb the pain. I wouldn't recommend that he lives alone even when he can leave in two weeks. It wouldn't be healthy for him."

"No he won't be and he will have someone around him at all times to make sure he is okay and taking it easy. He has a lot of people who care about him that make our own family. The military has some of the best psychiatrists and Ed will be seeing them before he even leaves the hospital. All of this information is confidential of course." Roy didn't want anyone trying to use this against Ed later on.

"Completely. Only a court order would be able to release the information and only to another doctor." Dr. Lin confirmed.

"Can we see him?"

"A few at a time can and someone can stay with him at night. I think it would be for the best if he wasn't alone for a little while until he has a better handle on what happened to him and his body is more healed. He's in a private room with it's own bathroom. Room 418 and I can have a cot placed in it for whoever is staying with him."

"That would be appreciated thank-you. I'm grateful for everything you've done for him."

"I wish there was more we could do. We were able to give him a low dosage of morphine until the other drug is more out of his system. When he does wake up don't be surprised if he seems a little out of it. It's from the morphine and the fever."

"Thank-you Dr. Lin."

"I'll be checking in on Edward until the end of my shift and then Dr. Xan will be taking my place. If you need anything hit the nurse call button and one will be right away. Edward has his own nurse assigned to just him due to his condition and age."

"I appreciate it. I will be giving the others a more vague report on Edward's injuries and keeping the sexual assault out of it. I would appreciate it if you did the same when asked about his condition."

"Of course. If that is all I need to check in on some of my other patients."

"Of course. Thank-you."

Roy and the doctor headed out of the office and Roy made his way back into the waiting room to see that everyone was anxiously waiting for news on Ed. Roy held his hands up to stop anyone from asking any questions before he could speak.

"He is going to make a full recovery. In time he'll be fine. For now he is injured mostly with bruising, cuts and some broken ribs. He had an infection in some of the cuts on his arm and pneumonia from the cold room he was kept in. He has a skull fracture as well , but with time he'll be fine. He just needs rest right now and time for his body to heal."

"So the Chief isn't too injured then." Havoc said.

"The doctor did say that his automail ports could use a five day break. The nerves in his arm and leg are irritated from the way his limbs were forcefully removed instead of being properly disconnected. He also said that his body was showing signs of distress from the added weight." Roy said to Winry.

"Ya I noticed that when he was by last time. It's why I changed the metal so it was eighty percent lighter, but as a result it made it easier to break. I've been doing research though on a new metal combination of magnesium and some other metals. I've been working on it since arriving here. I had a feeling he would need some new ones. I really wish his opponents would stop going after his automail. It really is a cheap shot. But I've found a way to make his automail thirty percent lighter so instead of them weighing fifty pounds they would weigh thirty-five roughly and they would be as strong as his original steel ones. They also won't rust from water or snap in the cold." Winry explained.

"It's also been four years since his ports were changed. We also should redo them and make sure they are the proper size now that he has grown from the age of eleven. Doing it in the hospital will be easier as they can give him some pain medication this time. Last time he didn't have any." Pinako said.

"He got automail attached to him completely without pain medication?" Hawkeye asked sadly as she couldn't even imagine how painful that must have been.

"He did. He said his pain was nothing compared to Al's. He got them attached and a week later he was doing physical therapy and leaving a year later. He pushed himself hard to get in top shape again." Winry said sadly.

"What's important is that he will make a full recovery and that he is safe now." Hughes said with a warm smile to Al and Winry.

"But who took him and why?" Al asked.

"They were enemies of the State. Your brother was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We'll have a guard on just in case. He's in his own room and they are going to put a cot in there with him. Someone can spend the night with him and the doctor said if everything goes well he can leave in two weeks, but he can't be on his own with the skull fracture." Roy said.

"I need to see him." Al said and it was clear he was filled with anxiety to see his brother finally after all of this time.

"He's in room 418 you three go on up and see him first. We'll be there shortly once we have a schedule organized for guard duty." Roy said looking to speak to his men alone.

"Come on Al. He's going to be so excited to see you." Winry said with a smile as she put an arm around Al's shoulders. Once they were alone Armstrong spoke.

"What do you not want the young ones to know?"

"Ed was tortured. He was whipped thirty times roughly and he was also drown and resuscitated multiple times. It's how he developed pneumonia. The doctor is worried about PTSD and him being alone once he leaves. With these enemies after Ed he can't go back home. He needs to be staying with someone that can keep an eye on him. I'm going to petition the Fuhrer to allow whomever wishes to stay behind to help with protection detail and to find those that are responsabile and Scar. I think given the current situation he will approve of the request. Any of you that would like to be apart of that let me know."

"He can stay with me." Hughes easily said.

"Ed's going to be staying with me. I'll have the best chance of protecting him should any of these enemies appear. He also won't want to put your family at risk." Roy said.

"I will always be there to protect the young Elric brothers." Armstrong said.

"Ya I'm in." Havoc said.

The rest of them easily agreed to stay in Central to help. Ed was one of them and he was apart of their family. They weren't going to leave him on his own with this.

"Make no mistake. I'm not looking to make arrests. There is no trial for these three that have done this to him. The mission is hunt and kill. I will not risk them breaking out and hurting Ed once again. You shoot to kill. Anyone have any problems with that?" Roy said in a deadly tone and the others didn't even object to it. They were all pissed by what had happened to their youngest family member. None of them would lose any sleep over their deaths.

"Hughes, Hawkeye, a moment." Roy said and the others knew that it was time for them to leave. They all made their way towards the stairs to go up and see Ed. Once they were alone Hughes and Hawkeye turned to Roy.

"I'm assuming this is about the other situation." Hughes asked knowing that Roy left out a key point in Ed's injuries.

"I don't want anyone knowing. It's up to Ed whom he tells I won't take that from him. Dr. Lin took evidence of the assault and photographs of his injuries. From what the doctor could tell he was raped multiple times a day for the whole time he was there. He also has bruising on the inside of his mouth from forced oral sex." Roy said as he tried to keep his voice calm and even when inside he was fueling with rage that was threatening to explode any minute now.

"Those bastards." Hughes said not even bothering to hide his anger.

"How could they do that to him? He's just a kid with enough problems already. He might never recover from this." Hawkeye said with anger throughout her voice with an edge of hurt in it. Edward was a good kid, despite the trouble he could cause . He truly wanted to help people and he had a strong moral compass that made the others all want to be better. He didn't deserve any of this.

"It'll take time, but he'll get there. For now we protect him and be there when he needs someone, even when he doesn't know it." Roy said.

"Do you think he knows about Al?" Hughes asked.

"Unless they told him I doubt it." Roy answered.

"At least he can now take the time off to heal and recover from this. " Hawkeye said knowing that if Al was still trapped Ed wouldn't take the proper time to recover as he would have been more focused on his brother.

"Hopefully he does. We still have no idea who these people are or why they are a fixated on Ed." Hughes said.

"When he's able to talk we can ask him. For now we protect him." Roy said with determination in his voice.

The other two were just as determined to keep Ed safe and Al now that he was back in human form. They made their way towards the stairs to go up to Ed's room. When they got there they saw that everyone was there with Al and Winry right next to Ed's bed. Ed had an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose to help him breathe and he was hooked up to a couple different monitors to keep track of his pulse and heart rate. The doctors weren't going to be taking any chances with him. Roy couldn't help, but notice how small Ed looked in the bed. His skin was also as white as the bed sheet and he barely took up any space, especially with two limbs missing. It reminded Roy of seeing Ed back in the house after he had just tried to bring his mother back. He was so small and weak then and to think of how much power he had at just eleven years old. He was truly a genius, a prodigy.

"Winry, Al, do either of you know if Edward had trouble growing up socially with his IQ?" Roy asked wanting to be fully prepared for whatever might be happening with Ed.

"Why do you ask?" Wintry asked.

"Dr. Lin said that it's common with child prodigies to regress after experiencing a trauma. It's important that I know of any problems so I can help him or prevent a situation that may make it worse." Roy explained.

"Well he never had any problems really. He didn't have friends though besides me and Al. Even at school he didn't fit in really with the other kids. They used to pick on him for being smart and Ed used to get annoyed with them for being stupid. He mostly interacted with teachers or spent all his time reading when me or Al weren't around." Winry answered.

"He could be social and act like any other kid, but it was mostly around us or like Winry said with adults. His main problem was reading. Brother has this hyper focus that when he reads something he can block out the whole world around him. You could be yelling in his face and he wouldn't even know you're there. He'd snap out of it when you removed the book, but if you didn't watch him he would keep reading for days straight not stopping for anything. The doctors used to say his mind goes into this void where water, food and sleep just doesn't exist." Al added.

"Reading was the only time you could get him to sit still for more than five minutes too. He was always moving or fidgeting. And any book he read was always a research book or a textbook, never a novel." Winry said.

"He used to drive the teachers in school crazy because he was always asking them why or how to questions. He always wanted to no more until the answer was completely broken down. Mother used to say he was born able to read. He started reading on his own when he was just three. He was five when he first found Father's alchemy books and that same day he was able to transmute clay. Seven he was able to make a metal horse. Brother can solve anything when he puts his mind to it." Al said proudly.

"We know." Hughes said with a warm smile as he looked at Al. Al was proof in of itself that Ed was a true genius and an amazing kid.

"He never had any behavioural problems if that is what you are concerned about. He's always been a very well behaved child. Hyper active, but who could blame him? His mind was not designed for rest. He was born to explore and discover new and exciting things about this world. I always knew that he would never stay in Resembool forever, though I had hoped to keep him there longer than just nine years old." Pinako said.

"Some kids are meant to explore the world and some are meant to stay in their hometown and help the other kids grow. There's nothing wrong with either option." Hughes said.

"Does he still eat a lot?" Al asked as he didn't know anything about his brother anymore.

"All the time. I don't know how he can eat so much." Winry said with a small smile.

"It's the alchemy that he uses. Alchemy takes energy from a person and with Ed being young and the power of his alchemy it takes a lot from his body. He has to replenish that with food." Roy explained. It's why he never bothered arguing the expenses for food when Ed put them through. He was not only a growing teenager, but also had a great deal of power when he used his alchemy so his body burns through it faster. Even before you add in the energy he uses when walking from one location to another.

"Oh well that makes sense." Winry said.

"The doctor didn't want anyone to stay too long. With Ed's infection his body needs as much rest as possible." Roy said.

"We'll head out soon." Pinako said.

"I'll take first watch." Hughes volunteered.

"It's fine I have it." Roy said.

"No offense Roy, but you look like crap. He's not going to be waking up anytime soon. You're better off going home getting some sleep, food and a hot shower before coming back in." Hughes said.

"He's right Sir. You will be no use to Edward if you are too tired to do anything. I'll drive you home and bring you back here tomorrow morning." Hawkeye said as a suggestion, but Roy knew that tone of voice and that look in her eyes. It was anything but a suggestion and normally where Roy could pull rank with Hawkeye he just couldn't do that with her, at least not tonight.

With a small sigh Roy turned to speak to the others. "Make sure they get back safely." Roy said referring to Winry, Al and Pinako.

"You got it Boss." Havoc said.

"We won't stay long." Winry said.

"I'll call if something happens." Hughes said.

"Be safe everyone." Roy said before he turned and headed out with Hawkeye right behind him.

They made their way into the car and Roy sat back to rest his head against the seat. Hawkeye didn't say anything as she drove them through the streets until they reached his house. Once there Hawkeye stopped the car and Roy opened his eyes to see his house. He had an overwhelming urge not to be alone tonight. He looked over at Hawkeye and saw the woman that he had wanted for so long. A woman whom he knew wanted him as well. They had a silent agreement between the two of them that they would keep their relationship professional and typically that had been fine with Roy in the past. But after everything that had happened with Ed Roy couldn't remember why he thought it would be better to keep the people he cared about at a distant. He couldn't remember why being the Fuhrer was so important if he didn't have a family to share it with. For the first time in his life Roy wanted more. Where before the idea of a wife and kids running through the house left him with a knot in the pit of his stomach. Now the idea didn't sound so terrible. The idea of teaching someone alchemy or how to fight. Teaching a daughter how to ride a bike. Coming home to a loving wife and having family dinner. Something Roy didn't have growing up. It was just him and his foster mother and the endless working girls that came and went. Roy never truly had a family until his squad in the military. Now he was looking at his house and thinking about what he would need to turn the office into a bedroom for Ed. What food he would need to get for when Ed could be released. Roy didn't think he wanted this, but maybe he really did with the right people.

Roy turned to look at Hawkeye and he could see the concern in her eyes. They had known each other for a long time now, even before he joined the military. There had always been an attraction and something much deeper than anything he had ever felt. Roy didn't know how he ever thought being close friends would ever be enough for him. He didn't know how he ever thought that the meaningless hook ups would ever satisfy him when the only woman he has ever wanted was the one right beside him always. The one he trusted to have his back. The one he trusted to kill him should he ever go against the side of good.

"Stay with me tonight Riza." Roy finally said.

"Roy, I thought we agreed it would risk too much." Hawkeye said softly back.

"Risk what? If there's one thing I've learnt over the last twenty-two days is that all of it would be for nothing if at the end I'm still alone. Life is short, especially for people like us. Why are we not allowing ourselves to be happy? We both feel it, have for years. Why are we denying it?"

"Makes things complicated at work."

"No more than they already are and you know it. I want to be Fuhrer to stop massacres from happening. But I don't want to come home to an empty house ten years from now or five years from now only to have nothing but a job in my life. And I don't want to die knowing that I didn't spend every minute that I could with the woman I love. It'll be complicated, but I'm willing to figure it out if you are Riza."

"Are you sure about this? You've been through a lot recently." Hawkeye started not looking to be some mistake come morning.

"This won't be a mistake on my half Riza. I've never been more sure of anything in my life as I am right now." Roy said as he moved a stray strand of hair from Hawkeye's face.

"Then what the hell are we still doing in this car?" Hawkeye said with a smirk.

Roy smiled as they got out of the car and headed up to his front door. Roy opened it Hawkeye spoke with authority in her voice.

"You're not getting sex tonight mister. You need some serious sleep."

Roy went and placed his right hand on the back of Hawkeye's neck with his thumb on the side of her chin. While his left hand went to her right hip and he pulled her in gently and brought his lips down on hers. Hawkeye immediately pressed her lips back, finally getting to taste each other after waiting for so long. Roy deepened the kiss slightly and when Hawkeye felt his tongue against her lips she easily gave in and opened her mouth to Roy. There was no battle for dominance as Hawkeye was more than happy to let Roy explore her mouth and finally get a taste of him. She put her arms around his neck to hold him even closer to her so their bodies were pressed up against each other. They pulled back slightly when they were running out of breath.

"All I want to do is hold you all night long tonight." Roy said as he placed his forehead against Hawkeye's.

"Sounds perfect to me." Hawkeye said back and with one quick kiss to her lips Roy pulled back and took her right hand and guided her into his home.

Hawkeye had been here many times before. She had her own key after all. There had been many times she had to come here to get Roy out of the damn bed when he slept in or was too hungover to get up on time. This time was different though, this time she was here because Roy wanted her here. He wanted her to spend the night with him and Hawkeye was really starting to second guess her no sex option. They made their way through the house and up to Roy's bedroom. Roy went and got out a t-shirt and handed it over to Hawkeye who took it with a smile. They then went about getting dressed for bed. Once they were ready they got into bed and Roy had Hawkeye curl up on his chest that he left bare. Roy ran his hand up and down Hawkeye's back as she spoke.

"Do you think Ed will be okay?" Hawkeye dropped the authority and tense voice she normally had for work and allowed herself to be her true self.

"I don't know." Roy said dropping his voice to normal as well. "I want him to stay here. I want to lock him away and never let the world get to him again. He's just fifteen and has been through so much already."

"It's hard to believe just what they have been through at such a young age. Did you ever find their father?"

"No. I think he's dead. I don't know why he left his family the way he did. He was obsessed with his research on human transmutation, but I thought he gave all of that up when he had his sons. He seemed to love those boys I was shocked to hear that he had left and was in the wind. I never thought when I went there to answer their letter that I would arrive the night they were trying to bring their mother back."

"To be in that much pain that they went against the laws of nature and everything they were taught. Those poor boys truly believed that the laws were set in stone and if you followed them nothing could go wrong." Hawkeye said sadly.

"Unfortunately they got a fast reality check that equivalent exchange doesn't always exist in the world. It was a childish belief from children."

"I think the day they buried their mother was the day that Edward stopped being a child. He was nine wasn't he?"

"About that. I know he spent two years training before he attempted the transmutation. Hopefully now that Al is back in the flesh Ed will relax and go back to being a kid."

"I don't know if he will. Not with these people after him. It's not easy to go back once you see how the world is. Al is different. He doesn't remember the past four years. He doesn't remember seeing the death and pain that they have. He could go back home and it never even happened. Ed doesn't have that luxury."

"He doesn't, but that doesn't mean he can't try and still have fun and be a teenager. What happened will change him, I just hope it doesn't break him."

"Did the doctor say anything else about his condition?"

Roy let out a sigh before he spoke. He knew he could tell Hawkeye anything and she would keep quiet about it. "He was tortured every day. To think that someone could look at him and hurt him that way. To whip him and rape him. He must have been so terrified."

"I can't even imagine what type of monster could do that to anyone, let alone a kid. Holding him for their own gain is one thing, but to go to the lengths that they did is just cruel and inhuman."

"Dr. Lin said it's common for rape victims to blame themselves. I'm worried that he is going to think he deserved all of this because of that mistake when he was eleven. There's a great deal of guilt inside of him that he keeps hidden from Al."

"It's a good possibility that he will think he deserved it. We'll all just have to make sure he understands that he didn't. He needs to let that guilt go or it will destroy him. They both were children and they both made the decision to try and bring their mother back. Neither one should feel guilty about how things turned out."

"That's easy for us, but to Ed he was the oldest and the prodigy. He was the one that should have done something different or better or not at all. He could also feel guilty for the way Al lost his body and was bound to an empty suit of armor for four years. He did what he needed to do to keep Al alive, but he probably doesn't always feel like it was the right decision to make."

"Most likely he doesn't. Maybe now he can move on from it with Al back to his body again. It's crazy though. I know he had the added power of an incomplete stone, but still he brought a body back to life basically. He did the impossible." Hawkeye said with a slight amazed tone to her voice.

"He did do the impossible. He performed a human transmutation and if the military ever caught wind of it they would take both of them into one of the labs for experiments. We need to come up with a cover story soon and it needs to be believable to all military personnel to make up for how the suit of armor is gone and in it's place a ten year old boy."

"Good luck on that one. A problem for tomorrow."

"Ageed. For now at least they are both safe again. That's all that matters." Roy said as he kissed the top of Hawkeye's head.

Hawkeye closed her eyes and gave a content sigh.

"I love you." Roy whispered.

"I love you." Hawkeye whispered right back.

Roy closed his eyes and just allowed himself to enjoy holding the woman he loves in his arms finally after all of these years. He knew that tomorrow would be another hard day, but he was confident that he was ready to handle it as long as he had Hawkeye by his side. Tomorrow he would start to help get Ed back to being healthy and okay once again.

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A/N: Ok can someone please help me and tell me what Ed and Al's Father's connection is to the military? How did he know Mustang and other Military Alchemists? I can't find it anywhere.