Entkommen die Vergangenheit

Alphonse secretly practiced his alchemy. Sometimes Ed would help.



He was careful not to let Heiderich find out.



It was nice to do this. It came back more easily then anything else.



He just remembered facts, do\'s and don\'ts. He remembered reading book upon book.



No personal memory ever surfaced having to do with it.



By this time he was fairly confident that he had mastered his previous level of skill.



He even had begun utilizing the method of clapping his hands that Ed used. Alphonse was pretty sure he couldn\'t do that before.



He wondered what had changed.



Al was sure he knew what made it so you could do so but it was as elusive as everything else.



The kitten darted around the bed playing with Al. It hissed whenever anyone else tried to pet it.



Ed had tried to suppress his attraction so many times he had lost count.



Al had responded the first time but he knew things were different now.



Still...



It was too strong an urge to resist.



He pulled Al to his feet and kissed him.



It was so sudden and unexpected Al couldn\'t register what was happening. Suddenly memories surfaced. His eyes widened, going blank.



They used to share rooms a lot as children too.



One night during a storm he had gotten scared and rushed to his older brother.



[i]"Al, mom says you\'ll never get over it if you keep coming in here every time."



"Please?" He had been near tears.



"Oh fine."



Al had scrambled with minimal difficult onto the bed snuggling against his brother for warmth.



"Has anyone kissed you before?"



"No."



"Do you think you\'d like it?"



"I don\'t know."



"Want to find out?"



"I don\'t know, I suppose." He wasn\'t sure why Ed was going on about it.



Ed had leaned forward and kissed him.



Al made a startled noise, then decided that it was ok so he responded.



"So, do you like kissing?"



"Yes."



"\'Night Al."



"Night."[/i]



He tried to struggle but Ed held on.



A hiss distracted Ed and Al used this to break away. The kitten followed him, turning to yowl and hissed once more then slid as it ran, managing to get into the bathroom before Al closed and locked the door.



Ed called through the door. "Al! Open up!"



"No! I don\'t remember what exactly our relationship used to be but I\'m not going to be apart of it now!"



Ed didn\'t mention that their relationship hadn\'t gotten far before either. "Just let me in ok? I promise not do anything!"



Al didn\'t answer.



"Don\'t you think you owe me for everything I had to go through for you?" He didn\'t know where the thought came from but as soon as it surfaced it took firm root.



"Go away." He didn\'t know Al could sound that cold.



XXX



Heiderich could hear raised voices coming from upstairs but couldn\'t make out what they were saying.



Ed stormed down stairs and out the door.



A minuet later Al emerged almost tentatively.



"What happened?"



Al started. "N-Nothing. Cat hissed at him."



"That didn\'t sound like it was about the cat unless he really overreacts. Is everything alright?"



"It d- doesn’t matter."



He let it go, for the moment.



XXX



It was late when Ed came back. Al was sleeping in the living room.



Heiderich stopped him as he came in.



"If I find out that you hurt him you\'ll be out of this house and I don\'t care if you find somewhere else to stay or not."



"I didn\'t do anything, it was just a misunderstanding." Ed wondered how much he knew.



Heiderich was sure that there was more then either was letting on. For the first time he was afraid of the thought of leaving Al alone with his brother. He knew he was probably overreacting but he wasn\'t going to take any chances.



"Al\'s going to stay in my room from now on."



"It was just a -" He realized he had almost let it slip.



"A what?" Heiderich raised his brow.



"Misunderstanding, like I said." Ed left then. It really was something simple, he didn\'t know why Heiderich was taking it so badly.



XXX



Brothers arguing wasn\'t anything special but he was protective of Al.



He wouldn\'t force Al to tell him what it was about. Alphonse would say if he needed to.



XXX



Al hated it.



Lying to Heiderich about Ed and for keeping the alchemy secret from him.



Secrets were just as bad as lies.



It ate at him every time he saw Heiderich, which was often.



XXX



The Ed incident didn\'t bother him very much anymore.



That could have been a misunderstanding like Ed said.



It didn\'t happen again so Al let it go.



Heiderich had asked him five billion times if he was sure he didn\'t want to come to town with him.



Al wasn\'t really feeling well. Mostly tired and he had a headache.



Heiderich offered to stay home, he could go tomorrow. Al had been adamant that he go. He didn\'t want to cause problems.



Ed called him upstairs.



Every so often Ed would tell him stories about what he had forgotten. So far nothing had triggered any recollection.



Al assumed that Ed wanted to tell him something else.



Al walked in. "Couldn\'t you come downstairs to talk to me?" He looked weary.



"It\'s easier this way."



"Why?"



"Because it is."



Ed was beginning to scare him.



"Remember what I told you before? You still haven\'t repaid me yet."



Al turned to run to the door. He felt himself lifted and everything spun as he was thrown painfully to the floor.



Al cried out but there was no one there to hear.



Ed placed his foot on Al\'s back. "Are you going to repay me?"



"Not in that way! How could you ask that?" He winced as Ed pressed down harder.



"Well then I wont ask."



He was lifted and thrown again. This time onto the bed.



He didn\'t have enough time to react before Ed clapped his hands together to make ropelike fabric emerge from the bed and tie around his wrists and ankles.



Al cried out again as the pain amplified in his already hurt hand.



Ed climbed over top of him. "I really like it when you do that, cry out."



Somehow his brother managed to get his clothes off, once again using alchemy when it was needed.



Al refused to make another sound after that, no matter how much it hurt. It was useless anyway, no one could hear.



Ed left after, not saying a word but with an immensely pleased look on his face.



Al wondered if he would come back. He hopped not. Heiderich would kill him if he knew.



It wasn\'t his brother he was worried about.



He didn\'t want Heiderich finding out.



It was his fault it happened after all. If he hadn\'t responded all those years ago then maybe Ed wouldn\'t have gotten to that point.



It was his fault.



Alphonse began to cry. It took a while to free himself.



The first thing he did was get dressed and turn the bed back to normal. Then he threw the sheets in the washer and went upstairs to take a shower.



He put the water as hot as he could take it.



After the shower he put on a different outfit. He had been borrowing Heiderich\'s clothes a lot since he still didn\'t have much of his own but he put on one of the few that was his.



After he finished with all that he tossed the sheets in the drier and replaced them with his clothes in the washer.



Al went back upstairs and washed his hands.



After everything was clean and back in it\'s proper place Al sat on the couch.



He rotated his wrist and flexed his fingers. He had hurt it when he hit the ground.



Alphonse dismissed it as nothing too bad and curled up. Had he missed anything? He didn\'t thinks so.



XXX



Heiderich pressed a hand against Al\'s forehead. He wasn\'t sick.



"Al? What\'s wrong?"



Al shook his head knowing that his voice would betray him.



"Alphonse" He cupped Al\'s jaw and forced the exhausted eyes to meet his.



"Nothings...Wrong..." Heiderich could barely hear the words.



Thinking his expression darkened then softened.



"And where\'s Edward? Did you two argue?"



Al nodded, it was close enough. Maybe he would leave it alone.



"What about?"



"He said I owed him." It wasn\'t a lie.



Alphonse hated himself for so many reasons right then.



Heiderich squeezed Al\'s hand reassuringly and felt him jump.



Lifting it for a better view in the moonlight he probed it.



Al hissed and turned pail.



XXX



"How did you manage to break your wrist?"



Al slid further back into the seat of the car at the unchecked note of annoyance in Heiderich’s voice.



"Fell."



Heiderich sighed then reached out without taking his eyes off the road and gently placed the back of his fingers against Al\'s cheek before returning it to the steering wheel. The gesture a sign of forgiveness. Not like there was much to forgive, as far as Heiderich knew.



"Why didn\'t you say anything?"



"Didn\'t know."



Heiderich brought his hand back to stay. Alphonse nuzzled it. Wanting things to be normal. Why did everything always have to go wrong?



XXX



Ed had come home. He seemed to have a habit of showing up when Heiderich wasn\'t around.



Alphonse had been outside and hadn\'t seen him come in.



He\'d frozen in the kitchen doorway when he had seen his older brother.



Ed had said that he wanted to apologize. He was sipping a cup of tea, another was across from him. He gave it a slight shove for emphasis. Al decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. A mistake, he was sure. Running was more scary. Last time he had run had turned out badly.



He sat and practically chugged the cup, he was so nervous he didn’t care about the sting.



Ed began to talk. "I really am sorry Al."



He was beginning to feel hazily.



Ed was beside him. When had Ed gotten up?



"Unfortunately I can\'t help myself." He bent and kissed Al. The link between the real Ed and what had been taken that made him so had faded considerately leaving him with almost none of who he was.



Why couldn\'t he move? Why didn\'t any sound come out no matter how hard he tried?



The door slammed shut.



He hadn’t even heard Heiderich come in. He must have seen.



Ed stood back, almost enjoying the look of horror that managed to cross Al\'s face.



Al found himself on the ground. The chill that came up from the floor should have made him shiver but his muscles couldn\'t even manage that.



XXX



It was wrong! Heiderich thought. So wrong.



They were brothers. But it wasn\'t so much that, that bothered him, rather the sting of betrayal.



It wasn\'t right. Alphonse...



Wouldn\'t do that.



Now that he thought about it the scene had been wrong. In more ways then he had been thinking.



He turned and went back. Hopping for his own sake that he was right.



And Al\'s that he was wrong.



Either way he was going to kill Edward.



XXX



Al tried to move. Tried so hard to stop what he knew his brother would soon do.



As if by a miracle Ed disappeared.



Heiderich pulled him away and punched the golden haired man as hard as he could.



He gathered Al to him and repeated his name over and over.



Ed considered using Heiderich’s distraction to make a quick exit. He could take the blond easily, especially with his alchemy, but he wasn\'t in the mood anymore.



Al began to shiver excessively and moved his lips but no sound came out.



Unable to resist Ed ran a taunting hand down Heiderich’s back, eliciting a growl.



He was already through the doorway when the other turned his head.



His eyes closed farther and tears streamed down his cheek. He unsuccessfully tried speech once more.



Finally his muscles relaxed and he melted against Heiderich.



Everything went dark



XXX



Al woke up in bed. Alone.



At least he wasn\'t in the guest room. That was good right?



He got up. Only falling to his knees once. Which he was proud of.



He carefully made his way downstairs.



Heiderich was sleeping on the couch.



Al sat in front of the unconscious form, put his head down near Heiderich, and fell back asleep.



At some point Heiderich woke up long enough to pull Al onto the couch with him.



Heiderich stroked the sleeping form.



So many questions whirled through his mind.



Would Al be alright? Had it happened before? If so how far had it gone?



When Alphonse awoke Heiderich asked.



Receiving nods for the first two and sobs for the last. Leaving him with no doubt as to the answer.



Some how Al ended up under him as he desperately kissed away the tears, his own falling and mixing.



"I\'m sorry- so sorry- I should have been there." He said between sobs.



He kissed Al tentavely, questioningly then pulled back. Looking for an answer on Al\'s features. Having got it he bent his head back down for another kiss.



Everything was slow and gentile.



Washing away the taint in a way that water couldn\'t. If not healing then making it possible.



Heiderich clung to Al as if fearing he would disappear.



When they were done he flipped Al on top of him to rest. He had a bad habit for that.



Both their faces were wet from tears.



He kissed Al\'s pulse. The damp skin reassuring him,



The after glow and sweet exhale of breath made Heiderich want to laugh. Or cry. He wasn\'t sure which so settled for both.



"I love you. Alphonse. Oh Al, I love you." He kept murmuring it into the others ear. Why had it taken something like this to make him say it. Finally really realize.



The words were eventually cut off by Al\'s hungry mouth.



"I love you too."



He knew he should of said it before. He had even, in a way, known the first day in the park



Edward was dismissed for now.



All they thought about was that moment.



XXX



Al saw Heiderich put something in the drawer.



He gave Al a look that left no room for debate. "You are not to touch this drawer. Understand?"



"Why do you have a gun?" Gun\'s made Al nervous. He would never go near one.



"So that if he ever comes back I can shoot him."



Al didn\'t have to ask who.



And Heiderich had that no-room-for-debate- dead serious look.



XXX



Alphonse was walking in the forest, he wasn\'t supposed to but he didn\'t think he would get lost as easily as Heiderich seemed to think he would.



Hearing the stick crack behind him he instinctively ducked and spun, his hand meeting the chin of the man behind him, knocking him out in one blow with a move he had not been aware he knew.



Seeing another and knowing somehow that meeting people out here was more than coincidence he let his body move thorough the attack and defensive maneuvers he knew so well yet didn\'t know at all.



That was two down.



Then pain exploded in the back of his head, he lay still on the ground as he recovered his senses.



Al became aware of the feel of something cold against the back of his neck and an even cooler voice told him to get up.



He stood , seeing that there had been yet two more men he had missed.



One held a gun pointed level with his head, he backed up and nodded to the other man who did not hesitate to take his cue.



The second man stepped forward and backhanded him.



Every time Al fell after being hit he was ordered to get up, and he did. The alternative was worse yet some part of him wanted to refuse. To not give them the satisfaction even if it cost him.



He was hit strait to the chest, hard enough to send him into one of the trees.



When he couldn\'t get up the man with the gun yelled furiously.



The other, bigger man grinned sadistically.



The kick to his abdomen was unexpected and painful, he had never been hit that hard before.



The order to get up was repeated. He tried but couldn\'t seem to move. Unfortunately the kick was repeated too. He coughed, unable to breath.



The man with the gun pointed at the bag Alphonse had not previously noticed.



The large man seemed to understand.



He gaged Al, who couldn\'t protest if he wanted to and stripped Al\'s shirt off. Then he opened the bag, extracting rope and what looked like a horse whip. Al tried to get up again but couldn\'t.



Why was this happening? Was it something to do with his past?



He tried to clap his hands together despite his broken wrist but the man with the gun stepped painfully on his hand. Al was certain that what little healing had taken place over the last week had just been undone.



The large man forced him into a sitting position and tied his arms around a tree in such a way that his hands could not touch.



"Your not getting the chance to do your witchcraft boy." The cold voice spoke in heavily accented English.



How did they know? He panicked. He had been so careful. Heiderich didn\'t even know, the only one that did was his brother. Then it dawned on him. He had thought that his older brother had given up, decided to leave him alone but that wasn\'t true. Ed had gone for revenge.



His cry was stifled by the gag as the whip cracked against his back.



The rhythm was steady and hard. The man didn\'t have any qualms about using all of his considerable strength.



Alphonse whimpered not caring anymore if they got what they wanted. Maybe they would leave him be. This was not the case.



Tears streamed down his cheeks. He felt something warm and wet on his back that he knew to be blood.



It felt like his back was on fire but surely that would hurt less.



It felt like the skin was being torn off as the whip left him.



Sweat ran down his to mingle with blood, the salty droplets adding to the pain.



He couldn\'t even cry anymore his throat was so hoarse from trying to scream.



Pain still seared him from being kicked and every time contact was maid he stiffened and the pain was amplified in his stomach.



Would he die out here? Just because he had an ability that they couldn\'t accept?



His vision was blurred. His body becoming numb.



Merciless unconsciousness took him.



XXX



They were still there when he awoke.



It had started to rain.



He found he had the strength to sit up. Every movement hurt but he forced himself up this time when the command came.



They made him walk in front of them to the road.



The other man had already pulled out a gun of his own and left. They weren\'t at the house but had passed so it didn\'t occur to him that Heiderich could be in danger.



Al had been working at the rope, it cut into his skin but he didn\'t care.



Finally the rope loosened enough for him to get it off.



Al leapt to the side and forward, avoiding the gunfire and hit the gun out of the mans hand, sending it flying. He pulled out a whip of his own that Al hadn\'t known he had and brought it across Al\'s thought.



Alphonse fell to his knees. Mouth opening and closing. He began to choke, blood came up when he was able to cough.



Al gasped. Feeling his neck his hand came away red.



He realized that the cold voiced man had made the mistake of going to look for the gun. He hadn\'t been expecting Al to recover.



He silently walked up behind the bent over man. It was over quickly.



Al pulled on his shirt wincing as it rubbed against his fresh wounds. It was a thick black sweater he had thrown on to ward off the cold. He hated the way the high neck rubbed against his newest injury but there wasn\'t much he could do. He needed some form of protection when he looked for the other man.



A gunshot echoed through the forest.



Heiderich! He mouthed, no sound came out.



He ran as fast as he could through the trees. He shouldn\'t have been able to run like that considering his injuries but worry for his lover filled him with numbing adrenalin.



Heiderich had his gun, he had gotten to the second man before Al. He must have heard the first gunshot.



The thunderous look on Heiderich’s face said that he had been told why they were there and wasn\'t happy about it.



Al slowed, stopping in front of him. "Wait in the car." He turned and went back inside.



Al had never heard Heiderich sound like that before. Devoid of emotion, eyes looking past him.



For the thousandth time that evening he complied.



Heiderich didn\'t take long. He dropped a suitcase on the floor in the back.



Al looked at him questioningly.



Heiderich pulled out onto the road. He didn\'t look at Al as he spoke. "It isn\'t safe here anymore, if we stay they\'ll find you. I made a phone call. Someone owes me some favors, he\'s going to get us some fake identification and find somewhere for us to stay." After that he didn\'t talk to Al unless he had to.



XXX



Alphonse lay on his side on the couch, his face pressed against his balled up coat. All he wanted to do was sink into the oblivion that beckoned him. He would be free of pain finally.



So he forced himself to stay awake.



He felt so guilty about not telling Heiderich everything.



The blond was mad. Even more so then when he had gone through the cupboard after being told not to.



Heiderich was in the bedroom. Al knew he wasn\'t sleeping, he just wanted time to steam.



Al was scared. The darkness was getting harder to resist. He hadn\'t told Heiderich and was beginning to regret that. He had stayed silent not because of the fact he wasn\'t sure he could speak in the first place but because he had feared even more displeasure.



Heiderich walked out of the room, anger still swirled around him but it had lessened.



Seeing Al on the couch sudden worry replaced the anger, he had been to upset to make sure Al hadn\'t been hurt. There was something about the way he was laying, the way he had carried himself when he walked.



He all but ran to the couch.



"Al?" He whispered. Al didn\'t respond so he assumed he was sleeping.



He had to make sure. Carefully he gripped the bottom of Al\'s sweater and began to pull up.



A hand grabbed his wrist.



Al looked at him, tears and pain unable to dull the determination in his eyes.



But Heiderich was more determined and he was the one to win. Al let go and went back to pressing his face into his coat.



Heiderich lifted the shirt.



What he saw made his expression turn from annoyance to horror in an instance. Al\'s breathing quickened, he realized that it must hurt to have the shirt stripped away.



He only then thought of the fact that Al had not made one sound since before everything happened.



With a sinking feeling he reached up and pulled down Al\'s neckline. He swore under his breath.



He stroked Al\'s hair.



Al finally brought his face away from the coat.



"Shouldn\'t you lie on your front?" Heiderich asked.



Al\'s eyes widened almost unnoticeably and he shook his head.



"Why?"



Al opened his mouth before remembering he couldn\'t talk so he closed it again.



Catching on Heiderich slipped a hand under Al\'s shirt and gently probed.



At the first touch Al curled up, squeezing his eyes shut.



Heiderich got up and went to the phone.



When he came back Al was ashen.



Heiderich tightly held his hand and was relieved that Al held on too. "I called Dr. Cavanagh, he\'s going to come and help. He promised not to tell anyone and he said he\'ll take care of the cat."



If the doctor did talk then they wouldn\'t be able to escape a second time. There had been no choice, he knew that if he wasn\'t seen to soon Al might not be able to recover.



XXX



The doctor came, alone.



He looked nervous.



"Some men came to the hospital. They asked about Alphonse. They wouldn\'t say why they were after him but I know that boy couldn\'t have done anything to get them after him. I told them I didn\'t know where he went after he left." Cavanagh babbled.



"Thank you." Heiderich really meant it. Most people would have been to scared not to talk.



The doctor looked touched. "Do no harm." He said as he was shown in.



Al was still on the couch, he had fallen asleep.



Cavanagh went through the motions and checked him over first. Pulse, pupils, etc. He had gotten a description of what was wrong from Heiderich.



Laying his bag on the floor he opened it and brought out a pair of long thin scissors.



He cut away Al\'s shirt and cleaned and disinfected the cuts.



"What on earth happened to him?"



Not having been there at the time and with Al in the state he was in Heiderich explained what little he knew.



The doctor carefully probed Al\'s injured throat.



"What\'s wrong?" He asked seeing the doctors look.



"I can\'t be sure right now but he may never get his voice back. The odds will improve greatly if he has surgery."



Heiderich looked devastated. "But we can\'t risk going to the hospital."



"I know but it\'s to dangerous for me to do anything here. You\'ll have to wait and see from there, it could go either way."



The doctor deemed that Al didn\'t have any serious internal damage but he didn\'t want Al to so much as sit up. Not that he would be aware enough to do so right away.



He stitched what needed it and bandaged the whip marks on Al\'s back.



They took turns watching Al. He still hadn\'t woken up and though he hadn\'t said anything the doctor seemed worried about that.



Heiderich shook him awake. "Something\'s wrong."



He got up in a flash and went to the boy. He was completely white now, even his lips had lost their colour.



He felt Al\'s forehead and repeated the steps he had taken on first arriving.



Heiderich waited, not sure what to do.



"Let\'s get him to the bed." The doctor suggested.



Heiderich easily picked up the brunette. He tried to pretend that it was like before but that was impossible.



He carefully lay Al on the bed and covered him with the blankets.



The doctor came back with more blankets and put these over Al as well.



"We have to warm him up."



Heiderich left the room to light the fire place.



"You should get in there with him."



Heiderich stared at him oddly. "What?"



"Body heat will help keep him warm better than most anything else we can do."



Understanding dawned on him and he climbed in, rubbing Al\'s arms then wrapping his own around him.



Cavanagh unsuccessfully scoured the apartment for anything else that might help.



He smiled when he knew Heiderich wasn\'t looking.



The two fit together perfectly.



Heiderich had been so worried. Much more so than concern about some kid that had come to stay with him.



It was quite obvious from not only this but also seeing them before, how much they cared for each other.



Of course he understood their reason for keeping quiet.



Strictly speaking he should abhor them but love was something that he found beautiful no matter the situation. One couldn\'t chose who they cared for after all.



He thought of a pretty nurse waiting for him back at the hospital.



Yes he understood quite well.



He went back into the bedroom to check Al\'s pulse.



He was still worried him self actually. The poor boy had taken a lot.



Al\'s skin was cold to the touch but he though he seemed a bit better.



Heiderich asked him if more body heat would help. He said he supposed it might and Heiderich asked him to get in too.



He really was surprised. Alphonse’s unpleasant turn must have scared Heiderich more then he thought.



He got in the bed, Alphonse between them.



Every once in a while he checked Al\'s pulse until it finally started to become more steady, even if it was still weak.



Al woke up. Heiderich was pressed against his back. He could feel his lips against his ear.



Dr.Cavanagh lay in front of him.



He knew Heiderich was awake.



He tried to turn over but gave up right away.



He looked at Heiderich confused then pointedly at the doctor. He tried to ask, having forgotten again that he couldn\'t. When that failed he pointed at the sleeping figure.



Seeing Al like this made him want to cry. He explained what had happened, that the doctor had been helping them, he told Al about the fact that he might not get his voice back.



Al\'s mouth formed a silent O of understanding. He indicated through gestures that he would need paper and something to write with.



Heiderich agreed to find something later then told him to settle back down.



Al bit his thumb in thought.



Heiderich pressed his forehead against the back of Al\'s neck. Tears blurred his vision.



One would think he was taking things worse then the one inflicted but he knew that Al would have a thousand thoughts and regrets going through his mind right now.



XXX



The doctor left them the next morning.



Al was awake and there wasn\'t anything he could do by staying so he left a list of orders and some supplies.



Al gave him a note before he left. He read it when he got to the car.



Heiderich will need this, I think he\'s almost out.



Underneath was the name of a medication.



He wondered why Heiderich had never spoken of this before, he was a doctor after all.



Then again he was his friend too.



So much was happening.



Footnotes!



It\'s just so fun traumatizing Al... Poor rapeable Alphonse. He should have gone with Heiderich.



I ended up working on several scenes for chapter three and four. "Bad self! Bad!" Slaps wrist.

Self "But I can\'t help it!"



I know I started with Al\'s alchemy then left it but he uses it later in the story and I want you to know where he stands with it. And yes. -.- Heiderich has magical powers that involve happening to know people that can supply him with everything they need.