Hello all! Guess who's back with more parental goodness? That would be me. I took a little break from Fanfiction because reality, though not as much fun, is more important. But I would never abandon my stories! I love writing way too much, and I always finish what I start.

This was supposed to be a one-shot. I am now referring to it as a long shot. It will be a mini series featuring five chapters. The chapters are going to be a tad smaller, because when I realized it had become too big, I had to separate the sections in places that made sense. As always promised, there will be weekly -if not sooner- updates!

Lastly, timeline. Umm I don't really know. Sometime while Ed is in the military. This was an idea I had a while back and I practically wrote the whole thing in one day. As I started editing and filling in the gaps, I got a little lazy with the details. While reading this you may ask yourself, where is Alphonse? Well, he's not here. I don't say where he is, but if it bothers you that much, you can make up something and maybe I'll add it in later :) The focus is on Roy and Ed and their beautiful father/son relationship that we all love. I thought it was a really cool idea when I first wrote it, so I hope you feel the same!

Full Summary: Ed had come to terms with a lot of things. Like how he didn't hate the colonel as much as he had always thought. In fact, kinda liked the guy. Okay, so maybe he loved the guy. Like a father. And it was nice, knowing he had a father figure he could count on. He didn't verbalized these feelings often, as Roy usually did it enough for the both of them, but everyone knew how he felt. And he was okay with that. He had come to accept it. He thought he had come to know what to expect, but he never knew how far Roy would go in order to protect him.

*Don't own, obvi*

Ed was sitting at home one evening, relaxed on the couch as he read. It wasn't technically his home, but rather his superior's. There was a time when he would have hastily denied any allegations that connected him to the man, but throughout the years under his service, they had formed somewhat of a...relationship. No, not the romantic kind; but a parental one. Roy had become his friend, his mentor -and though he didn't say it out loud- a father. It was the last thing Ed had ever expected to happen, but here he was. He had his own room, his own bed, and best of all, he had a new family. He had gone through so much as a kid that it was a relief being able to live a normal life for once. He chuckled out loud as he recalled the events from earlier that evening..

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The two of them had gone out to dinner- not something they did very often- but Roy didn't feel like cooking, and Ed claimed he was "dying of hunger" after a full day of helping his superior sign paperwork. As Roy paid the bill, Ed had stepped outside for some fresh air. He patiently waited in the alley, mesmerized by the sky's beauty, until a dark figure snuck up behind him. The masked man pointed a gun at him, yelling for his wallet. Ed just gave him a baffled look.

"Seriously? You know I'm a kid, right? What kind of money do you think I would be carrying on me?"

The figure just became angry and demanded his coat instead. Ed looked at him even more puzzled, wondering if this guy was just drunk. Not that he was worried either way. He could take him out with ease.

"Once again, I'm just a kid. Pretty sure my coat wouldn't fit you, so I think i'll keep it."

It was then Ed realized what he had said and cursed out loud for referring to himself as a kid twice now.

"Look, you're not getting anything from me, so you can either run back to your little corner and sleep it off, or I can take you out right now. Either way, I think i'll be taking that gun away."

He stepped closer and clapped his hands, turning his auto-mail into a blade. He was just getting ready to prepare a counter measure for when the man pulled the trigger when he heard a snap. Immediately a wave of fire sped past him and burned the man's hand holding the gun. With a scream, he released the weapon from his grasp and it clattered to the ground.

"How dare you even think about harming my son! You'll suffer a thousand times for such idiocy!"

Ed just rolled his eyes and folded his arms, watching to see how this would play out. Even though the man's face was covered, he was clearly scared now, as he gasped and backed away from Ed slowly.

"I-I didn't know he was your son. I wasn't really going to hurt him, I p-promise! Please spare me!"

He turned tail and took off running down the dark alley. Ed didn't bother giving chase, and Roy knew there was no way he'd think of trying something like that again. He merely walked over to his "son" to make sure he was all right.

"Did that feel good, saving me and all?" Ed teased, musing over Roy's dramatic entrance and speech. "Because you know I could have handled it."

"I knew perfectly." He grinned and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Alright alright, let's not get crazy." Ed playfully nudged Roy's arm off him as they walked home together.

"You know it's a good thing you have me." Roy gloated as they made their way down the sidewalk to the house. "With my alchemy, you don't have to worry about things like guns."

"Pshh, I could have stopped it with my alchemy too, you know."

"Yeah, but not as easily as me. You have to clap, and then transmute something. I just snap a finger and voila!"

"Yeah, get you wet and then how useful are you? Better yet, take your gloves away completely and see how you fair compared to me." He stuck his tongue out at Roy, happy with the smug look he caused on the man.

"Fine, but when it's all said and done, mine's still better. I can take out hundreds of enemies at once. I can provide light in the dark and warmth when it's cold. So there."

"Okay, whatever. You win." Ed finally said, giving up on the argument. "I'm just glad there's only one Flame Alchemist. Imagine that kind of power in the wrong hands."

"Yeah…" Roy recalled the man who taught him his alchemy and how he said almost the exact same thing. "That's why I never take it for granted, and why I vowed after the war to only use it to help others. Often times, it can be a curse as much as it is a gift; but truth be told, It would be hard to lose the ability now. It's become a part of me."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Ed smiled. There was truly no one like Colonel Mustang. Someone who could have aspirations as noble as becoming the Fuhrer, and as ridiculous as his female officers wear miniskirts. He shook his head at the thought.

They had eaten a rather early dinner, so it wasn't even seven o'clock yet. When they got back, Roy realized he had forgotten some important documents at the office, so he was out at the moment retrieving them. Ed dozed in and out of sleep on the couch, mostly just too comfortable to move. A slight breeze aroused him as he slowly sat up, looking for the source.

"Roy?" He started slowly. "Is that-"

Before he was able to realize something was wrong, a sharp pain protruded the back of his neck. Instinctively, he reached for the source of pain to find something sticking out of his skin.

"What the…" A dart?

"We meet again, Edward Elric."

A man dressed in black was kneeling on the ledge of a window seal behind him.

He came in through the window? You've got to be freaking kidding me!

"Do you recognize me without the mask?" The voice spoke again as he hopped into the house where Ed could clearly see him. His right hand was half wrapped in a bandage, but Ed could clearly see burn marks covering it. Now the boy remembered.

"You're the drunk from the alley!" He tried to charge the man, but the fatigue had already set in. "What did you do to me!"

"That's my own special concoction. It's designed to numb your body, basically leaving you paralyzed. You're my first guinea pig, so I'm not sure how it's going to work. I also don't know how long it's going to last on you, so I'll have to make this quick."

"Who are you and what do you what?" He growled.

"Well first of all, I've got a bone to pick with your superior."

Ed's eyes narrowed at the man. It seemed someone always had a problem with that man.

"You see, I was tracking the two of you earlier tonight. When I caught you in the alley, I was just testing your abilities. I needed to see what you were capable of in order to know how to best take you down. Then I simply tracked you to where you live. I couldn't believe the Fullmetal Alchemist would miss something as simple as an unlocked window."

He swore at the man as he fell to his knees, unable to feel his legs any longer. He quickly caught a glance at the clock. Roy should be back any minute.

This idiot just dug his own grave.

"I'll kill you…" He tried to clap his hands, but his body wouldn't react. The paralysis had taken its full effect. Hurry up and get here!

"Sorry to leave so soon, but I've got other business to attend to. I'd ask you to tell Roy that he's next, but I'm afraid you won't live long enough to say anything." He frowned as he pulled something shiny out from behind him. "This might get a little messy."

Ed felt a sudden, sharp pain like he had never felt before pierce through his skin. If he was paralyzed, why did it hurt so much? He looked down to his chest at the blade that was now stabbed through it. Of all the close calls he had already experienced, he didn't think his life would end from something so quick. So...easy.

The man ripped the dagger back out, causing Ed to cough up blood immediately. His body trembled and collapsed to the floor completely, as his blood slowly pooled around him.

Weak. He felt so incredibly weak. Did he really just get taken down by a dart and a dagger?

And what was that God awful smell?

He opened his eyes to crimson. A lot of it. It felt sticky. He hated that it was touching him.

All of that's my blood?

This really sucked. It was bad enough he was about to die, but even worse that he was all alone. There was no one to say goodbye to, or tell he loved them. It would just end here, with him staring at the door, waiting for that figure in blue to appear.

Then he saw it. Maybe. He couldn't see much of anything, but it definitely looked blue. More like a blue blob. And he thought he could hear footsteps running towards him. Definitely some muffled yelling too. Unable to hold his eyes open any longer, he let them shut for the last time.

"Edward! Ed open your eyes! Look at me!"

Why does this person continue to scream my name? Do they not understand that I'm already dead?

"Wake up, shrimp! Are you listening to me!?"

Still being made fun of for my height, even in death. Just perfect.

Then it started to feel like an earthquake was happening all around him. It made him nauseas, and he thought for sure he was going to throw up. But wait.

Dead people can't throw up, can they?

There was the shaking again. Somehow it started to bring Ed back to his senses, as he realized he was being shaken by a someone.

I'm not dead?

Well, if he was still alive, he wouldn't be for much longer. He decided to open his eyes one last time, fixating them on another, onyx pair. Roy… So he was here. Ed tried to smile, happy he would not die a lone after all.

"S-Sorry…" He whispered, choking on his own blood.

The man squeezed his hand tightly, mumbling some words he could hardly make out.

"…fine…everything's….kay….here…Ed…"

The young boy squeezed back with what little strength he had left. "Bye…R-Roy…love-"

"No!" He clearly heard the panicked words of his superior that time.

"Just shut up! You're not dying today. I won't let you!"

The man left his side for a moment, grabbing something he couldn't quite make out. He then knelt down on floor and began engraving something into the wood. He seemed to be designing something in the shape of a circle, with him at the center. Even though Ed couldn't think clearly, he could still perceive what the man was up to.

Human Transmutation.

What the heck is he thinking!? I swear I'll kill him if he does anything stupid…

The next thing he remembered was a bight light in his face. Did he just activate the circle?

No! You idiot! Don't you dare make some deal and leave me all alone! He felt hot tears sting his cheeks, as he slid into a final state of unconsciousness.

Don't you dare die in my place…

So yeah, that just happened. Poor Ed. What do you think Roy is going to do?

Please review! *But leave the flames to Roy*

(hahaha)