Chapter 10: Interrogation

Ed woke up early the next morning, feeling well-rested and much less anxious than he had been for the past few days. It certainly helped not waking up worrying about whether or not Hohenheim was home, and whether or not he would be coming upstairs.

The sun was already on its ascent through the sky, and Ed looked around until he found a clock; the only one in the room rested on the small bookshelf in the corner, its hands reading 7:05 am.

He still had a good while before he had to check in with Mustang and officially come back to work after his days off.

He'd probably have to fill out a bunch of paperwork about the drain collapsing.

Ed shivered at the thought, guilt bubbling up inside his chest. He knew it was an accident, he knew no one was killed, he knew it would be an easy fix for the other State Alchemists that had likely gone down to repair the mess he'd made.

However, he also knew he'd majorly screwed up.

Al thought so, Mustang thought so, even Hawkeye probably thought he'd made a big mistake. They weren't wrong, but thinking about it only added to his guilt; he'd let everyone down.

Taking a deep breath to try and refocus his thoughts and put himself back into the peaceful mood he was in when he woke, Ed slid off the couch, only to pause for a moment, eyes wide.

His back burned.

The dull pain that had settled in after Hohenheim had taken out his frustration was gone, replaced by a burning ache that left his back feeling warm and uncomfortable. His ribs groaned with the movement, and Ed didn't have to lift up his shirt to know the bruises were likely darker than they were the other day.

It was very probable that they were sprained, or at the very least bruised. Though, Ed wouldn't dare go to a hospital and get them checked out. He knew the kinds of questions they'd ask, and frankly, he wasn't so sure he'd be able to lie to them.

Taking a deep breath and steeling himself against the pain, Ed wandered around the apartment.

Roger and Amelia were still sleeping - and Ed didn't dare wake them - but he was feeling restless and couldn't just sit there.

He wouldn't call it snooping, per se, but he was definitely being a little nosey as he wandered about the floor, taking in everything.

His eyes were drawn to the stack of papers that resided on the kitchen table, and with a quick glance down the hall, Ed made his way over and fumbled through them.

Most of them were receipts from bills, some were grocery purchases, while others were addressed to Roger, most likely a paycheck from work.

Ed almost moved on to look at something else, when a flash of red caught his eye.

At this point, he was definitely snooping, but curiosity was a deadly enemy.

The envelope had been torn open, but the contents were still tucked away inside, some kind of a letter. The red markings on the front that had caught Ed's eye spelled out the word 'URGENT', all in capital letters.

Shaking his head, Ed slid the envelope back on the table. It wasn't any of his business, and Roger had been nice enough to welcome Ed into their home. Ed had no reason to look through their things like that, no matter how curious he was.

Besides, if he even dared do that back at…" home", in a sense, Hohenheim would've had his hide without a doubt. Ed cringed at the thought, his chest tightening ever so slightly.

However, despite his best intentions, curiosity got the better of him and had Ed slipping the letter out and reading through it.

It was an invoice, and from the looks of its contents, it was from the hospital. Ed didn't know much about medicine, but judging by the various X-ray charges, as well as the surgery cost and overnight stay bills, there must have been something serious that happened.

Unease settled in Ed's stomach as he peered at the number scrawled across the bottom of the page. Ed only had one thought when his eyes widened at the grand total.

Medical bills were fucking expensive.

However, judging by the date stamped on the invoice, it was four days late.

Sure, four days wasn't terribly long, but Ed knew hospitals weren't terribly lenient on their due dates. Mustang had always made him fill out a bunch of paperwork as soon as he returned to work after his hospital stays, and while Ed hated it with a burning passion, it made sense.

Ed frowned as he slid the invoice back into its respective envelope, before setting it back down where he'd found it.

He felt bad, for prying, but he felt worse because he knew how much Roger and Amelia were likely stressing about it. Considering the part of town they lived in, and the state of their apartment building as a whole, Ed doubted they could afford the costly bill. In fact, they'd likely have been saving toward it for a while now, but still weren't able to procure what they needed.

Yet, here they were. Still willing to help Edward at the drop of a hat, regardless of how things were going in their life. Regardless of what they were going through, they were happy to help and offer their home. Ed made a mental note of the number, determined to do something to help them out – once he was able to figure out how to help himself first.

With a faint smile, Ed merely bent down to grab his boots, which were placed neatly in front of the door.

There were still good people in the world, even if Hohenheim wasn't one of them.

Ed made his way out of the building as quietly as possible, having left a quick note taped to the door. As much as he'd loved to have thanked them again in person, the thought of receiving their compassion when he knew he didn't deserve it was almost overbearing.

Besides, no need for him to stay for breakfast and only intrude on them even more. Especially if having one less mouth to feed helped them inch closer to their goal; he didn't want to be another strain on their financial situation.

Heading out early was the least he could do. And Mustang surely wouldn't complain if he was a bit earlier than normal.

The sunrise left the sky streaked with vibrant oranges and yellows that faded into the dusty blue of dawn. It was another beautiful touch to the seemingly pleasant day, and Ed took his time strolling through town, arriving near headquarters only about 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

His stomach growled as he strolled along, and his leg had started to weigh down on him the longer he was out and about; he hadn't eaten since lunch the other day and his body was making sure to remind him.

With a sigh, Ed rounded the corner and begrudgingly made his way up the steps to Central's main, military building. Ed grimaced as his leg pulled at his muscles, but it was certainly less bothersome than it had been those few days ago.

He'd make sure to get something to eat at the cafeteria after meeting with Mustang.

Despite being fairly early in the morning, headquarters were abuzz with military personnel, each involved in their own task.

The military never rested.

Ed made his way through the halls and up the steps until he came to the floor his unit worked through. He could hear Havoc and Breda arguing about something, even as he was just opening the door.

Their argument stopped as soon as he stepped into the room, and they both made quick steps over to Ed.

"Boss! Welcome back! How are ya feeling?" Havoc asked before Breda could even open his mouth.

"Better," Ed replied, not sure how else to respond. His back was still incredibly sensitive, and it felt like he was cramping with every breath he took due to the bruises on his ribs, but he couldn't tell them that.

Besides, he was feeling much more rested and at peace than he had been, having slept without fear for the first time in a while.

Wow…it had really been a while.

"I'm glad to hear it," Havoc grinned, interrupting Ed's thoughts. "I never doubted you for a moment."

Breda playfully shoved Havoc to the side, rolling his eyes.

"You were worried sick when Fullmetal called in yesterday! Hawkeye had to insist you take a smoke break, just because your nervous foot tapping was getting on all of our nerves," Breda refuted. "And you know how much she hates that you smoke."

Havoc's face heated up slightly at the remark, and he sheepishly ran his fingers through his hair.

"Ah, you know I'm a worried guy by nature," Havoc argued, though there was no malice in his voice. He sighed and turned back to Ed, who felt bad that he'd made the two of them worry.

"But Breda is right. We're all really worried about you Boss," Havoc mentioned. "And we're all here to help you through whatever it is that's bothering you, and support you if you need anything."

Breda nodded to that, flashing Ed a bright smile.

"Uh…thanks," Ed muttered. "I'm fine, really, but I appreciate it a lot. Don't worry too much though, or Hawkeye will yell at you for not getting any work done," Ed chuckled in an attempt to divert the attention off of him and his struggles.

He couldn't risk them finding out.

He couldn't risk Al's safety.

He couldn't risk whatever Hohenheim might do to him if anyone else found out.

Havoc rolled his eyes at that and launched into complaining about the amount of paperwork he had to get done, and how he never would have joined the military if this was all he would ever do.

Ed slipped away as Breda argued back about something else, letting them bicker amongst themselves. At least then they weren't boring over Ed, trying to pick him apart and figure out what was really happening.

Though, while Ed could avoid them, there was no way he could avoid the Lieutenant. She didn't even have to pick him apart to know that something was up, one glance at Ed was all it took, and her eyes softened ever so slightly.

"Fullmetal, good to see you back in the office," Hawkeye said with a soft smile. Ed nodded back to her, still embarrassed about what happened the last time he was in here.

When Mustang had chewed his ass about taking care of himself, and demanded that he leave.

When Mustang had unknowingly sentenced him to twice as many beatings as he'd have gotten if he'd spent those three, no four, days at work. Though, the fourth one was on him and he knew that much.

Ed didn't blame Mustang for that though, he knew Mustang had no idea that would be another punishment he'd suffer for his mistakes at the drain site.

In a way, Ed figured he deserved every bit of punishment he received. He supposed he'd committed too many sins in the mere 15 years he'd walked the earth, and it was about time someone came to collect for them.

"Edward?"

Ed blinked a few times, just now registering Hawkeye's gentle hand on his shoulder and the way she had knelt, just a little, to meet his gaze. It couldn't have been the first time she'd have called his name, and Ed felt his cheeks heat up at the embarrassment of having been lost in his thoughts in front of the Lieutenant.

"Are you alright? Should I call for someone?"

Ed shied away from her touch and shook his head.

"No, sorry, I was just thinking about what I was going to say to Mustang."

Hawkeye pursed her lips, but nodded and stood back up. She didn't believe for a second that that's what had Edward so lost in thought, but she wasn't going to press the matter. Not yet, anyway.

She was curious as to the shirt he was wearing too; Hawkeye didn't think she'd ever seen Ed in anything other than black. However, she chose to not mention it, not wanting to potentially embarrass the kid. She just hoped Mustang didn't pick up on it and say something stupid.

Besides, Ed still had to get through his meeting with Mustang, and considering how the last one had gone, she would be a fool to say she wasn't a little nervous about how this one would go. Especially given the seemingly fragile state of Ed's mentality.

Whatever was going on in Ed's life, though she had some suspicions, she didn't want Mustang to contribute to it. Especially not if it was what she was thinking; Ed would really need him as support if that were the case.

Though Hawkeye desperately hoped it wasn't.

She hoped and prayed that she was wrong, that her intuition was simply pulling from childhood memories of hers, and that she was reading into things too much.

After all, no child deserves to suffer from abuse of any kind.

Mustang was rifling through some of the paperwork he'd needed to get done for the day, glancing at the clock nervously every so often. Though, it was still early, and Fullmetal was rarely ever there long before he needed to be.

He was incredibly anxious about Fullmetal coming into the office, and the time just didn't seem to be passing fast enough. It felt as though every time he glanced at the clock, it moved slower and slower.

He was worried about how Fullmetal would take his apology, if he'd accept it. He was worried to see how Edward was doing, if he was really doing better, if he was back to his old self.

Roy wasn't placing much faith in that last one, but he at least hoped the boy was alive and doing somewhat better than he had for the past few days.

Mustang set his pen down and was running his hands through his hair, when the door creaked open and Riza motioned to him.

With a jerky nod, Mustang fixed up his disheveled appearance and took a deep breath to attempt to settle his nerves.

As much as he hated to admit it, Roy found himself loathing that Fullmetal had started asking permission to enter, and would wait now patiently outside his office until Hawkeye had cleared him.

He would never dare mention it, especially not to Edward, but he almost wished that the blonde would throw the door open instead, screaming insults and demanding Mustang give him resources for the stone.

Hell, now that he thought on it, he hadn't heard Ed mention the stone in… a long while. He knew logically that Ed hadn't given it up; he would never stop trying to get his brother's body back. But he certainly hadn't been desperate to get out there and find it as of late.

"Colonel Mustang, here to report in."

Mustang blinked a few times to pull himself from his thoughts; he hadn't heard Ed walk in, or up to his desk.

The blonde stood in front of him, in proper form, waiting patiently. His hair was more unkempt than usual, and he had dark circles under his eyes that only stood out against his pale skin, which seemed to almost be sinking into the bone.

His shirt wasn't tucked in, and he wasn't wearing his usual black shirt he was so fond of. He still wore his famous red coat, but it seemed to hang off him more than usual.

Roy hoped he'd been eating decently, to prevent what had happened the last time he'd missed meals. However, seeing him standing there in front of him after the last four days, that didn't seem to be the case. Ed seemed frail, almost as if he'd reverted back to when Mustang had first laid eyes on him in that wheelchair all those years ago.

He just…didn't seem like himself. In any aspect.

"Fullmetal, glad to have you back in the office. I trust that you're feeling better?" Mustang inquired, attempting to play it cool.

"Yes sir," Ed muttered, casting his eyes down to fixate on his boots.

Mustang peered over to Hawkeye, who was standing by his desk, listening and observing. If anyone picked up on the little details that were off, or different, she would.

She simply shrugged and threw him a concerned glance, a frown etched onto her face. Clearly, they were both on the same page.

Something was still very, very wrong.

Mustang hoped it was simply because of the argument they'd had, or that the boy was still ashamed of what had happened with his last job.

However, he also knew that the real Edward would beat himself up over the mistake, without letting anyone else know about it. He'd still come in pissed off at Mustang for having yelled at him, instead of shying away and being quiet.

"I'm glad to hear it. Fullmetal…Edward, listen before proceeding I wanted to formally apologize for how I reacted the other day. Yes, you should have been more responsible, especially considering other people were at risk. But…I still should have been more understanding and tried to not be as quick to anger," Mustang said.

His fingers were tapping against each other incessantly during his apology, and he nervously watched as Ed's eyes widened at his words.

"I…thank you," Ed said, seemingly surprised. He looked up at Mustang, eyes a little brighter than they had been for a while.

When he had first walked in, he had been terrified that Mustang would only continue to yell at him and berate him for the drain incident. It was a surprising relief, to have someone apologize to him for once.

Even if he didn't necessarily think he deserved it.

"I don't hold it against you," Ed admitted. "I made a pretty damn stupid mistake."

Mustang smirked at the language that slid its way into Ed's words, a flicker of his true personality and fire. It was an incredibly relieving sound, even if it followed words unlike Ed to mutter.

"Well, I appreciate that," Mustang smiled sincerely. He stood from his desk and made his way to stand in front of Fullmetal.

"There's still some paperwork regarding everything, that I need you to sign and go over, but I think otherwise we can officially declare this incident a thing of the past, yes?" Mustang asked, reaching a hand out to Edward in an attempt to civilly make peace.

He hoped, that by moving past this, things would start to begin their uphill climb.

He hoped, that this was what had been bothering Edward, causing him unnecessary stress.

He hoped, it wasn't something else, something Hawkeye had mentioned in fleeting moments that sent chills down his spine and left him sick to his stomach.

Ed looked down at Roy's outstretched hand hesitantly. It was almost too good to be true, Mustang wanting to put all this away instead of holding it over him for eons. Mustang being nice, and sympathetic, and apologetic.

It all seemed false, like there were conditions he was missing, things he would regret not noticing earlier.

Mustang noticed his hesitation, but kept his hand out steadily.

"I promise Fullmetal, it won't be spoken of again after this," Mustang reassured. "I will not hold it against you in any way."

Ed simply gulped nervously and nodded, grabbing Mustang's hand delicately and giving it a small shake. It was as if Mustang read his mind, though he knew if that were to be true, they'd have had some major conversations earlier on.

It would have been a monumental moment for the both of them, a moment of growth and solidarity. A time when they weren't at each other's throats, being civilized adults. Something Hawkeye would have smiled fondly over and brought up when they both were being difficult.

If Ed's coat hadn't caught in his elbow with the movement, riding up his arm as he shook Mustang's hand.

The black and yellow splotches that covered his arm from Hohenheim's rough hands and poorly aimed fists only drew both Mustang and Hawkeye's attention immediately.

"Edward Elric what in the hell happened to your arm?" Mustang demanded, his voice taking on a tone of shock and disbelief. He was quick to tighten his hold on Edward's hand and prevent him from pulling it back, using his other hand to run a thumb over the marks softly.

Ed froze.

His heart hammered in his chest, his muscles screamed as they tensed, and his eyes widened in fear.

Mustang knew. Mustang saw. Mustang knew.

Hohenheim would know.

"It-it's nothing," Ed snapped, attempting to weasel his way out of Mustang's grip. "Get your fucking hands off me."

He was struggling to try and remember that this was Mustang, not Hohenheim.

That Mustang wouldn't hurt him, that Mustang wouldn't…do the things Hohenheim had done.

But his memories only continued to blur the present, and as he looked up at Mustang, he swore he could only see eyes of flaming gold and feel the harsh grip of Hohenheim's rough hands.

"Fullmetal this is clearly not nothing," Mustang said sternly, trying not to raise his voice, trying not to let his emotions and frustration get the better of him.

"Don't think we haven't noticed that there's something going on, something that you're not telling us. You aren't yourself, Edward."

Ed merely shook his head, continuing to squirm in a haze of panic.

"It's just from the drains, it's not a big deal," Ed muttered, desperation seeping into his voice. "Let me go."

"If I asked Alphonse that, would he give me the same answer?" Mustang said coldly, not expecting an answer.

Ed stopped his movement, his breath speeding up as his eyes found solace with the carpet.

"I didn't think so," Mustang frowned. "Edward, what is going on? Where did this bruise come from? What aren't you telling us?"

Ed opened his mouth to speak, tempted to give in and tell Mustang everything that had been happening, to plead for his help and let him give Hohenheim everything he deserved.

But he couldn't.

Ed was scared. Scared to stir the waters, scared to admit that things were going poorly, scared to put Al at risk.

Scared to put himself at risk.

Scared for things to be different.

In a weird, and disturbing way, he had started to adjust and get used to dealing with this. He knew what he needed to do to appease Hohenheim, he knew how to bite his tongue and take the physical hurt, he knew how to navigate the thin ice that he had been walking on.

If Mustang went after Hohenheim, if Mustang knew, things would change in an instant. His entire life would be uprooted, Al's entire life would be uprooted.

That change, it terrified him.

Maybe it wouldn't have scared him before all of this, maybe months ago Ed wouldn't have thought twice before letting Mustang know, eager to see Hohenheim get what was due.

But things were different now.

And now, Ed was scared.

"Answer me Fullmetal," Mustang snapped, starting to lose to his frustration and worry.

Ed's head jerked up and he flinched at the harsh tone, something that Mustang didn't notice through his haze of concern, but something Hawkeye was quick to pick up on.

"I…It's really nothing," Ed repeated, jerking his harm harshly and freeing himself from Mustang's grasp, the thick red fabric once more concealing the item in question.

"Fullmetal, you and I both know it is damn well not nothing," Mustang yelled, his voice rising in volume and in anger.

"I know you lied about not feeling well the other day. Alphonse covered for you, whether you realize it or not, but he clearly was surprised when I called to check in on you. I don't care, and I'm happy to give you time off when you ask for it, but it's unlike you to lie like that, especially to Alphonse."

"I know you're not sleeping well; I doubt you've been eating much better than you had been. You're too quiet, you're too polite, you've turned into the complete opposite of yourself in such a short period of time. I feel like I don't know who you are anymore, because you refuse to tell anyone what's really going on," Mustang shouted, waving his hands in frustration and anger.

Though, in truth, he wasn't angry with Ed; he was angry with himself for waiting so long to confront Ed.

Ed however, wasn't focused on that at all. Instead, he watched Mustang's hands with fear and tensed up even more, worried that one of them might come his way.

Some part of his brain knew Mustang wouldn't do that, but raw emotion was quickly overshadowing that logical voice. His chest felt tight, and with every word Mustang yelled, all Ed could hear was Hohenheim's voice.

I doubt they like having you around at all.

Clearly, you're nothing more than a spoiled child.

You're worthless.

You don't deserve kindness after what you did to your brother.

Mustang watched as Ed seemed to ignore his questions, and opened his mouth to shout them again when he felt a stern hand on his shoulder.

Hawkeye glared at Mustang, "Sir, you need to stop. You raising your voice and getting angry is scaring him…" she said worriedly.

Roy's eyes widened, and for the first time since his anger had seemingly consumed his vision, he realized just how terrified Ed seemed. His eyes were wide, but he was staring at Mustang's hands that were raised in the air, as if he wasn't really hearing anything. His breathing was much quicker than it should have been, and he seemed tense and uncomfortable.

He was leaning back ever so slightly, arms hesitantly out in front of him, like he was ready to defend himself and protect himself from-

No no no.

Roy quickly shut that trail of thoughts down; it couldn't be that. Anything but that. Surely it was just a defense mechanism from years of being a soldier, and a state alchemist.

Though the more Roy noticed, and thought on, the more his stomach started to clench with uncertainty and that gut feeling that he knew exactly what was going on.

"I-I'm sorry, Edward," Mustang said as softly as possible. "I shouldn't have raised my voice and gotten so angry with you."

Ed looked up at him, golden eyes wide with disbelief and fright.

"It's just that we can't help you if you don't tell us what's happening," Roy sighed after a moment, folding his arms across his chest. "We just want to help. I speak for everyone here when I say that we're extremely concerned. So, what's really going on?"

Ed snapped out of his panic for a moment, just long enough to provide a meager answer.

"I-it's fine, it's nothing I promise. I just bumped my arm, that's all," Ed attempted to say with confidence, though the shakiness in his voice quickly betrayed him.

He'd done something wrong, again.

He'd messed things up, and let them down, again.

Mustang was mad at him, again.

…he probably deserved it.

Mustang pursed his lips but didn't say anything else on the matter. Getting stuff out of Ed might be harder than he'd initially thought. He didn't believe that the bruise had come from a simple "accident" for a second, but he wasn't going to continue to argue it and wear both him and Edward out.

Especially when Ed seemed so frightened of him.

Sighing, Mustang turned and headed back to his desk to take a seat. Hawkeye, who had been cautiously glancing between Mustang and Fullmetal, ready to jump in if needed, turned her attention back on Edward.

"Well, we don't have to talk about it. I do need to check in with you though, before sending you back out on another job. I know you seem to always be skeptical of it but you are a part of this team, and I care about all my team members' wellbeing," Mustang attempted to reassure him.

Ed simply nodded, trying to dismiss Hohenheim's voice in his head, trying to pull himself back to the here and now instead of past instances. He needed to put his mask back on, and do anything he could to prevent them from finding out any more.

He knew this, and it wasn't as if putting that mask on was anything new to him.

So why, why was it so hard to do so now?

"With that said, how are you feeling? Do you think you're up for returning to work?"

"I'm fine, and yes," Ed said quickly. He wanted to get this over with, get his job, and get out of there.

The office was beginning to become suffocating, and his brain just kept screaming at him that Mustang was mad at him, and he was certain it was right.

"Ok. Have you and Al been able to get everything adjusted and moved into your new home?"

The mention of "home" stirred some unpleasant emotions within Ed's chest, but he tried to shove them back into the boxes they'd come from.

"For the most part."

"Do you want me to try and find somewhere to send you that has information about the stone?" Mustang asked.

"It's your call."

"Ok…I have found a lead, but it would require you leaving Central and headed to a place that's not incredibly safe, though I know it's nothing you couldn't handle," Mustang started, Ed's lack of answers only heightening his concern.

In truth, he didn't have a lead. He was just trying to gauge where Ed was, and see what kind of information he could get out of him. If Ed wasn't going to tell him anything, Mustang would just have to poke around to try and find it.

"If you and Al went after this lead, would you want me to meet your fath-Hohenheim to transfer guardianship to him? That way if something happened, he would be contacted and could help take care of things?" Mustang inquired, catching himself after remembering the last time he had referred to Hohenheim as the boy's father. He had a feeling he knew the answer he'd receive, but he didn't want to make any assumptions.

Ed blanched at the mention of Hohenheim, and the thought of that man having guardianship – legal rights over Ed and his brother – made him nauseous.

"No," Ed said after a moment. "That's ok, but I don't think that's necessary right now."

Mustang nodded, folding his hands under his chin.

"How are things going at home so far?"

Ed nearly bit his tongue with surprise and fear at the bluntness of the question. Ed was a smart kid, and he could see Mustang was trying to lightly prod at the things Ed had been deliberately keeping from him.

Which just meant he hadn't done a good enough job of hiding it, and that Mustang was closer to figuring things out than he'd thought.

He needed to do something. Needed to fix this, to stop this from happening, to make Mustang and Hawkeye forget about all of this.

"I don't see how that's relevant," Ed snapped, in a poor attempt to steel himself and revert back to the fiery Fullmetal Alchemist he used to be.

"I'm just asking," Mustang sighed. "Am I that awful for trying to lighten the mood a little and ask about your life?"

"So, how have things been going at home? How's the adjustment been?"

Ed opened his mouth to tell Mustang that things had been fine, good even, and that he had nothing to worry about.

But his voice caught in his throat, and he couldn't even muster the meager lie.

"I'm sure it's a lot different than the dorms," Mustang continued, trying ease the tension in the room with small talk and basic conversation, even if that conversation was still lightly prodding at sensitive issues.

"It's probably nice to be able to spend time catching up on missed years with Hohenheim," Mustang added; at this point, he was genuinely reminiscing on the subject at hand and trying to be sympathetic.

Ed's breathing had picked back up, and the way Mustang was talking about his home life as if it were pleasant and relieving made him tremble.

Mustang knew.

Did Mustang know?

Maybe Mustang hasn't figured it out yet.

No, he definitely knew.

Ed's thoughts were bouncing around in his head, shuffling from assurance to doubt every second. He couldn't keep up, he couldn't think, he couldn't focus, he couldn't breathe.

The room had started pressing against him, with a wave of heat roaring at him and stealing his breath as Hohenheim's voice echoed in his ears. Ed didn't know what to do, he didn't know how to breathe anymore.

"Edward?"

Mustang had been waiting patiently for Ed to say something, when the boy's breathing had begun to increase. He watched as Ed's eyes glued to the floor, and as he brought shaky hands up to his ears.

He shot a quick look at Hawkeye who nodded and stepped slowly over to Ed, as Mustang got out of his chair equally slowly.

"Ed it's ok," Hawkeye said in a quiet voice.

Ed still had his hands plastered over his ears; his eyes locked on the floor.

His back stung, his chest ached, his lungs burned, Ed was overwhelmed and it felt like the perfect day he'd started with was only a cruel joke.

He didn't deserve perfect days.

Hawkeye placed a soft hand on Ed's arm, barely putting any pressure there at all, simply trying to pull him from his thoughts.

Ed felt the touch and flinched back hard, his breathing only continuing to pick up as his eyes widened.

He was in danger; he was going to get hurt.

Then, as if his body acted on its own, Ed spun around and sprinted out of the room.

Mustang watched as Hawkeye approached Edward, trying to be as gentle as possible. Roy was worried, he recognized the signs of a panic attack right away, but he wasn't sure what had driven Ed to one, especially not one this bad.

"Ed it's ok," Hawkeye muttered, placing a hand on the boy's arm in as gentle a manner as possible.

Ed jerked away from Hawkeye, his struggled breathing only continuing to get worse. Roy was worried that if he didn't get his breathing under control, that he was going to pass out.

But before he could say anything or try to help, the boy spun around and dashed out of the room.

Mustang jumped to follow after him but Hawkeye stuck her arm out, keeping him in the office.

"Hawkeye I need to-"

"Let him be," Riza spoke softly. "Chasing after him might only make him feel more trapped, which would make things worse."

Roy huffed and ran his fingers through his hair worriedly, but he knew she was right.

"I'm really worried Riza," Roy confessed.

"I know, I am too."

"I was quick to dismiss you when you brought up…that one thing, I just didn't want to believe it to be true. But now…" Mustang trailed off.

"I know. We can't make any assumptions yet, and we don't have any proof to start taking action on anything. We still have to abide by the law and handle things in the way that best helps Edward," Riza reminded him.

"Do you think he's really having problems like that at home?" Roy asked, turning to face Riza.

The Lieutenant frowned, "I don't know, and we don't have any solid evidence other than how Ed's been acting, and the stuff from today."

"But as someone who…has seen similar things, do you think it's a possibility?"

Riza paused for a moment, fleeting memories from her past making their way to the forefront of her mind.

"I do think it's a possibility," She admitted. "But I fear that it's a reality."

Roy gulped nervously, rubbing his eyes in a stressed motion.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

Riza shook her head, and placed a supportive hand on Mustang's shoulder, who leaned into the touch ever-so-slightly.

"I know Roy, I know. We just have to be diligent about finding anything we can, so that we can take action if need be. As much as I want to jump in there and start demanding justice and interrogating him, we're still military soldiers and need to abide by the law," Riza said with a frustrated huff.

"I'm just worried that Ed doesn't have that kind of time, if it's really what we're thinking," Roy admitted. "I just don't want to believe it; I can't seem to fathom that Ed would let that kind of thing happen. I mean, he's a tough kid. You've seen him stand up to me and to rogue alchemists a million times over."

"Maybe it isn't what we're thinking. Maybe his behavior is simply reminding me of mine and my past, and I'm pushing my struggles onto him," Riza said with a shrug. "There is a chance that we're overthinking this and that he's hiding something else..."

Roy nodded to that, but some part of his gut didn't seem to accept that as the truth.

"But maybe it is," Roy finished. "Maybe it's everything that we think it is, or worse. And to think that I just had him stay home for three days," Roy choked, feeling queasy from the stress and worry that was building up.

"Roy, don't beat yourself up over it. We don't know for certain yet, and even if we do figure things out, that's not your fault. You wouldn't have known, you only did what anyone would do in that situation," Riza assured him.

"It doesn't make me feel any better," Roy grumbled. With a heavy sigh, he moved back to his desk and sat down with a defeated groan.

"Do you think he'll come into the office tomorrow?" Roy asked after a moment.

"I'm not sure. I would like to think so, but it wouldn't be surprising if he didn't show up."

Roy merely nodded and continued to sort through the stack of papers on his desk in an attempt to reorganize his thoughts, and distract him from the gnawing anxiety that tore at his stomach.

"I'm just really worried," Roy repeated, not sure what else to say.

Riza gave him a sympathetic smile, but her eyes spoke only of sadness and haunted memories.

"I am too Roy, I am too."

A/N: It's been a little longer than I'd have liked, but I'm glad to have still managed to get this chapter out! Things are definitely starting to pick up, and hit that point of no return. I'm really excited about how things are going to progress. Thank you as always for being patient and supporting what I do! With everything going on in the world right now, I'm happy to provide just a little bit of solace and escape, for those that need a mental reprieve. Please take care of yourselves!