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A Little Light of Love	By : squallstorm Category: Fullmetal Alchemist > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 7987 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Disclaimer:
I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters.....I'm just
playing with them.

Author's
note:

I'd
like to thank my reviewers for leaving those awesome comments and
helpful hints. They really helped me stay motivated and focused on
improving.

Thanks
to ZaKai for reading through this chapter and finding all my many
mistakes.

(1)
Winkte - (also spelled wintke) is an old Lakota word, "Winyanktehca,"
that has been contracted through long use. Its meaning is
"two-souls-person," or more directly, "to be as a
woman" and applies to male-bodied individuals. Please refer to
my profile for further reading.

(2)
totally made this up

(3)
as in the term Noa uses to describe her people.

(4)
totally made this up

Chapter
7 – Version 2.0

“Have
the boys boarded yet?” he asked as he brought the fine china
tea cup to his lips and sipped the warm liquid.

“Yes,
sir. We just got the telegram from the console generale.”
The
aid flipped through her notes making sure she didn't miss anything.

“Good.
I want her
to
meet them in Alexandria.” The man leaned forward and placed the
cup on a side table and gave his full attention to the aid as he
crossed his hands in his lap.

“Sir.”
The aid scribbled down the instructions.

“How
did they make out? Any injuries?” The aid shuffled through her
papers again locating the report on the Elrics' physical condition.

“Edward's
ribs are broken, but mending nicely, according to the medical charts.
He also had a concussion and a bruised jaw. Alphonse is physically
sound, just a bit on the malnourished side.”

“Ah.”

“They
also have a child traveling with them now; a young girl by the name
of Isabella. She was separated from her parents and Alphonse took her
under his wing.”

“Hmmm...that's
unusual, they know that it may get dangerous.”

“Yes,
sir. The console generale made every effort in the time allotted, to
locate the parents but in the end the Elrics decided to take her with
them. Their direct words were 'it's equivalent exchange'.”

“That
again. That might get them into more trouble then it's worth. I want
you to wire them more money, we can't have a child want for anything
while I'm around. Also, let's look further into the whereabouts of
that girl's parents.”

“Sir.”

- - - - -

“Ed,
here it is!” Al stopped in front of large white door with the
number 65 attached to the middle of it on a bronze plate. Without
waiting for his brother, Al put the luggage on the floor and fit the
key into the lock. He quickly threw open the door and swept his eyes
around their room eagerly.

“Al,
wait up!” called Ed's voice from the far end of the hall, but
Al ignored it.

“Wahhh...”
Al quickly picked up their luggage and rushed inside. When they had
originally booked this passage they were way down in the belly of the
ship, but somehow Giuseppe had gotten them a suite with a living
room. At the top of the ship!

Al
could see four doors, one in each corner of the room that most likely
went to bedrooms. The middle of the room had two plush looking sofas
facing each other, beyond it there was a small games table with four
chairs pushed neatly under the table surface and a small vase of
fresh flowers on top. Flinging
open the nearest door, Al found a nicely appointed bedroom behind it.
Checking out the other rooms he also found that they all had en suite
bathrooms.

“Al!”
Ed whined from the entry way. “Why'd you run off like that?”

Al
popped his head out of the last bedroom to look at his brother,
exasperated. Ed was breathing heavily, leaning with his back on the
door frame. “Look at the room. Look! It's a suite!”

“Hn.”
Ed held on to his chest as he tried to calm his breath.

“What's
wrong? Why are you out of breath?"

“That
little brat
is
making trouble...” Ed inhaled and let the air out slowly.

“Where
is she?” asked Al, curious, as he finally noticed that she was
absent.

“She's
in the hallway running up and down like mad.” Ed pointed behind
him with a wiry expression on his face.

“Eh?”
Al joined his brother at the door and looked out into the hall. Sure
enough, there was Isabella running back up the hall towards them
dodging the other passengers trying to make their own way to their
own rooms, with a grin plastered onto her face that seemed entirely
too large for such a small girl. At some point in her mad dash, her
hat had come off and her shoulder length hair flapped behind her like
a flag, spoiling the illusion of the boy she was trying to play.

“AH!
Isabella! Stop that!” Al called out to the passing child.
Isabella giggled loudly as she dashed past the boys standing in the
doorway, unheeding of Al's command.

“Just
let her go...she'll sleep better if she wastes all her energy now,”
Ed mumbled watching as she narrowly missed colliding with man in an
impeccable suit nearly spilling the arm load of boxes in his arms.

“We
can't do that!” Al mumbled back.

“You
little! If I catch you, you'll feel my back hand, urchin!” the
man shouted at the girl as she continued down the hall out of reach,
giggling all the way.

“Al...”
warned Ed, frowning at the man's back.

“Right.”
Al slipped around his brother's body and out into the hallway. He
watched from under his bangs as he passed by the man that had yelled
at Isabella, but he took no more notice of the wayward girl. The
small girl giggled and ran towards him. Al knew that he had to stop
this...now! The other passengers were getting annoyed with her, and
them, for not stopping this sooner.

Seeing
Al in the hallway, Isabella squealed in delight; he was joining in
her game. Ed had given up too fast and she wanted someone to play
with. This was exciting. The boat, the many places she could hide,
and explore. She could hardly contain herself. Isabella ran towards
Al with her hands outstretched before her...right into Al's groin.

“UGH!”
Al's eyes widened in horror and pain as he doubled over, falling to
his knees, gasping for breath. Isabella giggled loudly beside him
until she noticed that he was now down on his knees holding the area
that she had squashed. The smile faded from her face. “Isabella...”
he groaned. All of a sudden he wished that he was back in the armor.

“Shitty...your
privates got mashed.” Ed had come up behind him, surveying the
wreckage. Al looked up at Ed, tears of pain beading in the corner of
his eyes; Ed was trying to hide his smirk as he reached out for
Isabella's hand. She meekly took it and stood by his side, hiding her
face in his brother's leg. “Come on.” He gripped Al under
the elbow and helped him to his feet.

The
horn blew again, signaling its departure from the harbour. The motor
revved up and the ship hummed to life. The deck under their feet
shuddered with the pull the blades in the water as they pushed the
boat out into deeper seas. Al nodded to them when he was ready; Ed
and Isabella led the way as Al followed behind them more slowly.

Al
noticed Isabella sneaking a peek at him over her shoulder. He smiled
at her to show he was alright and she smiled, uncertainly back at
him. The deck titled making the floor drop away alarmingly from their
feet. It was unsettling to be at sea, knowing that all you were
standing on could sink at any moment. Al braced against the swaying
of the deck and just caught Ed yanking Isabella off her feet as he
tottered towards the other side of the hallway, to regaining his
balance after a few steps.

“Eddie...?”
Isabella looked up at him, shocked, as he put a steadying hand to his
forehead.

Al
didn't think that the lurching of the deck warranted such an extreme
reaction. He rushed forward and gripped Ed's upper arm, lending him
stability. “Ed? What happened?”

“It's
nothing...just tried.” Ed sighed and slumped forward. “I
should lie down for a bit.” Up close, Al could see the dark
circles under his eyes and he wondered if his brother had actually
slept last night or not. Not only last night but at all. He'd
probably been worried about him for a while now. It had better just
be over tiredness, if he was hiding anything....

“Did
you pick out a room?” Ed inquired, changing the subject. He let
Isabella's hand drop and scrubbed both hands over his face.

“Not
yet.” Al watched as his brother yawned and blinked back the
tears, before wiping them away.

“Then
lets, so I can have a nap,” said Ed over his shoulder, heading
for their room. Al watched his brother's retreating back.

“Eddie
oday?” Isabella whispered as she held Al's hand. The words felt
strange in her mouth but she was getting better, she knew.

“Yeah,
he's just tired.”

“Tried?”
Isabella questioned. “What that?”

“Means...sleepy.”
When Isabella still didn't get what Al meant, he mimed lying on a
pillow and snoring.

“Ah!”

“Let's
go.” Ed was waiting for them as they walked into the living
space between the four rooms. “Which one do you want Ed?”
Al asked as he closed the suites main door behind him.

“I'll
take this one here. Can you put my suitcase in there for me?”
Ed grinned, “I still can't lift anything.”

“Geez,
Ed. Making jokes, you can't be that tired.” Although he
protested, Al still placed Ed luggage in the room he had chosen. “You
lie down for a bit, we'll be quiet,” said Al, as he stood in
the door way to Ed's room.

Al
pulled the door closed quietly after Ed had entered the room. “Come
on! Let's un-pack.” Al proceeded to take their things into the
bedrooms opposite Ed's, allowing Isabella to follow or not as she saw
fit. They ended spending more time talking then un-packing. Al's
grasp of Italian was not as good as Isabella's for English, much to
his chagrin.

When
Isabella started to become restless, Al decided that it would be fun
to explore the ship together while giving Ed the peace he needed to
sleep. Just before leaving the suite, Al wrote a note for Ed in case
he woke up before they came back and left it on the side table. Then
they were off to see the ship.

-
- - -

After
several hours of sleep, Ed woke feeling more rested but the throb in
his auto-mail shoulder pretty much ruined the effect. He lay there
staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the gowning pain and find
his way back to sleep. He wished that he had remembered this little
problem while they were still in Rome, he could have asked for some
pain killers, but now it was too late. The pain came and went at odd
times, sometimes not for days. They were most likely far out to sea
by now, and he was screwed. Al would find out for sure.

Sighing
in defeat, Ed pushed himself into a sitting position and swung his
legs over the side of the bed. The small twinges from his ribs were
becoming less noticeable as he moved around and the large bruise that
covered his chest as a result of the impact was fading as well.
Lifting his shirt, Ed could see the very edge of his bruise starting
to fade to yellow. With a sigh, he let his hand drop back to the bed.

Pushing
himself upright, he went over to his suitcase, opening it on the
floor where Al had left it. He rooted though his clothes looking for
his notebook. Now that they were back together, he could focus all
his energy on tracking down the bomb and destroying it. If the nature
of the bomb was to be analyzed and understood, and a working copy to
be made, it would be fourteen years to soon. Pulling the book from
between a pair of pants, Ed shuffled back towards his bed and lay
down. Flipping open the book randomly, he held the book aloft.
Grimacing with the pain that shot down his arm, Ed switched hands,
letting the auto-mail fall back to the bed.

Right,
so we know that the bomb was found in Northern Austria, by some guy
who was out in the fields. Then it somehow came to Germany, where we
lost the trail until it surfaced in Egypt, where we again lost the
trial, thought
Ed
turning the page. So....that
means.....it's still in Egypt or has just left and rumor of it has
yet to reach us.

Ed
re-read the few interviews they had taken from eyewitnesses. They
mostly all described large convoys of trucks and men suddenly moving
into a remote area and then nothing until suddenly they all left. It
was very strange and made no sense unless they were conducting secret
tests. Al always told him not to jump to conclusions but Ed felt that
he was right about this. A
soft knock on his door, interrupted his study, and he looked around
the cover of his book to see Al poking his nose in his room.

“What
is it, Al?” Ed asked from the bed, letting the book fall to his
stomach.

“Oh,
good you're awake. How do you feel?” Al opened the door further
and stepped into the room.

“Better.”
Ed sat up again. The pain in his arm was more pronounced and he tried
to school his face and make it as blank as possible.

“What's
wrong?” Al asked, his tone made it clear that he knew Ed was
hiding something from him. Ed rolled his eyes. Guess he really
couldn't—shouldn't hide this. He shouldn't hide things from Al.
He'd have to try and be better about that in the future.

“Well,
when we were on the train, I met Dr. Marcoh right?” Al nodded,
he remembered. “Well before the train was stopped, I woke up
with pain lacing up and down my arm and I went to the bathroom—just
not why. He told me about phantom limb syndrome. It's when I still
feel my real arm and it causes pain, so the only way to treat it is
with painkillers.”

“And
you didn't tell me this before because...” Al waved a hand in
the air, raising an eyebrow at Ed.

“BE-CAUSE...I
didn't want you to worry,” retorted Ed, feeling slightly
exasperated.

“Well
are you sure that it's phantom pains? Could you be in need of a
tune-up?” Al moved further into the room as he spoke, taking
Ed's right hand into his own and studied it. “At the very least
you need oil...”

“Well
I haven't real—” Ed began to explain.

“I'll
be right back! You'll see that I'm as good as Winry!” Al dashed
out of the room. Al had been wanting to show off his skills for all
that time, but there hadn't been a need. Al came rushing back with a
long leather pouch in his arms. Placing it on the bed, he undid the
tie and unrolled it to reveal all of his carefully collected tools.

“Whoa...
Al how long did you have this?” Ed touched the soft tan leather
as he regarded the assortment of tools in awe.

“Ever
since I got here. I didn't want to show you this, but...I did, you
know?” Al laughed at himself as Ed looked up at his brother.
“Okay, can you take off your shirt now?” Ed nodded and
complied. He sat on the edge of the bed as Al worked on taking the
plates of metal off to reveal the inner workings of his arm. Isabella
came in and flopped on the bed watching the tune-up with mild
interest.

The
synthetic muscle, once exposed, creaked and groaned. Al manipulated
the arm, checking its range of motion. “Flex your hand please,”
Al commanded. Ed did so, and the grinding sound that issued from his
arm was a little alarming. “Hmmm...” Al reached for a
screw driver and returned to his study. “Again.” The
grinding sound was still present. He inserted the screw driver into
his arm making some adjustments.

“What's
wrong with it?” Ed questioned peering over his shoulder in an
effort to see what Al was up too.

“Hmmm...”
Al continued with out answering. The screw driver was discarded as Al
reached for a smaller version of the tool and it was re-inserted into
the arm. Ed watched as Al made several adjustments to his arm with
interest. Al seemed really into this.

“Oh!”
Ed exclaimed, surprised. “That feels better.”

“Ha!
What'd I tell you? As good as Winry eh!” Al sat back and
regarded his brother as he tested his arm. The groaning noise was
noticeably absent now, as Ed made a fist. Ed nodded, still looking at
his arm in wonder. “Some of the tension on the screws in you
shoulder had loosened. As it was so close to your nerve port, it was
probably what was causing you pain. Oh! What time is it?” Al
reached around his brother's body and fished out his pocket watch and
checked the time. “We better hurry and get dressed for dinner.
They're having a concert before dinner and dancing after, so the
passengers can meet and greet.”

“What?
How'd you know?” Ed asked. When did he find that out?

“Well,
when you were sleeping me and Isabella went to explore the ship and
we ran into the capitan. That's when he told us about it.” Al
replaced the metal plates to Ed's arm, making sure all the screws
were nice and tight. and quickly put all his tools away. Rolling up
the pouch, Al tucked it under his arm, and held out his hand for the
girl. “Come on Isabella, time to change.”

After
they left for their rooms, Ed returned his note book to his suitcase
and dug out his good suit. The dark material had become creased,
frowning Ed hung the garment on a hanger and carried it to the
bathroom. He caught sight of his appearance as he passed the mirror,
and sighed at his disheveled state.

“Al?”
Ed called out from the bathroom. “Could you re-do my braid?
It's come undone from my nap.”

“In
a minute!” Al shouted back. “Isabella! Don't do that
you'll get it dirty! Come back here!” Ed could hear the girl
squeal.

“Stop!”
shouted Al.

“What
are you guys doing?” Ed stepped out into the middle room to
investigate all the commotion. Al and Isabella were having a standoff
between the couch, Isabella was waving a pale yellow dress aloft as
Al tried to snatch it from her.

“Heh,
Ed...I...she won't put on her dress,” Al explained, as he
smiled guiltily.

“Whatever...I'm
getting dressed.” Ed retreated to his room; he didn't want to
be dragged into another one of Isabella's games...and he certainly
didn't want his privates mashed either. The chasing and shouting
resumed as soon as he left. He didn't feel up to arguing the point
with Al either.

-
- - -

Roy's
job hadn't gotten any easier since that
night.
When Roy had finally gotten back from the temple, he found Cain
waiting up for him, sitting in the sun from the window. The silent
battle of wills that had taken place over their sleeping comrades had
been an intense one. Resentment for every imagined slight plus the
very real animosity over leaving Tiny alone were brought to bear. No
words were exchanged but Roy still felt tingles of adrenaline
whenever he thought about it, it made him so angry.

Jimmy,
thankfully, didn't remember anything when he woke the next day. Just
some vague dreams on the roof top. With the heighten tension within
the team, Jimmy would often question him about what was going on.
Just trying to be a friend, he'd say. Roy would always pull rank and
order him to concentrate on the job at hand, not answering any of his
concerns. He hated the hurt look in Jimmy's eyes but...he wasn't
going to dissect his feelings and he certainly wasn't going to do so
with a career militarily man like Jimmy.

No
matter how much he felt that Jimmy might understand him, he was still
a sinner. His grandfather had told him while he was younger about the
way of man, and called him winkte,(1)
an old and respected word, but one Roy hated to have associated with
him. That way of life and acceptance, contrasted greatly with the
Christian church the doctrines he was raised with.

Several
days after re-enforcements arrived to bolster their ranks. With eight
soldiers now assigned to this mission, they could now watch both the
seller and buyer. Only two weeks were left until the hand-off, and
the higher ups wanted more information. They must have an iron clad
case. To that end, they sent a detachment of soldiers to wait outside
the city, ready to move in and strike at any target the main teams
directed them to.

Roy
had been placed in charge of the new team involved with watching the
buyer. He had jumped at the chance to re-locate in an effort to get
away from Cain and Jimmy. As the date of the sale was approaching,
both teams were scrambling to make sure all their bases were covered
and ready for the exchange. It would be tense until then, but Roy
welcomed the stress. It meant he didn't have time to analyze his
inner turmoil.

Currently
the buyer was wondering around the English quarter of the city. Roy
and his new partner, Kevin, had to dress now as the English did, with
their hot suits and constricting clothing, in order to blend in.
Making Roy secretly wish he could go back to wearing the robe.

They
had just found out the buyer's name today. He was the Earl of Wessex
from England, named Thomas Asherton, (2) who fell out of the Queen's
favor and had been un-officially banished here. Who he was buying the
bomb for was still in question, for it didn't seem plausible that a
simple lord would want it just for himself.

As
the Earl visited all the many shops, they would wait outside. Someone
positioned near the shop door out of sight, the other, up the street.
The various proprietors, in the upscale shops always escorted him to
the door professing their thanks. It was during on of these times
that Roy, as he was standing near a stall, discovered that the Earl
was planning a ball to commemorate the arrival of his wife; he just
hoped that he wouldn't be on duty that night.

-
- - -

By
the time they were ready to leave the room, two hours had passed.
Although late, they were still able to get a table to themselves not
far from the stage. When the waiter finally came the singing had
already started, Al had tried to order a glass of wine which Ed had
vetoed and ordered it for himself. Al had looked shocked that Ed
would do that to him until he reminded Al that he was only sixteen
and started laughing.

In
the intermission their meals came. Ed dug into his, a steak in a wine
sauce with vegetables on the side. It was so good that after he
placed a morsel of meat in his mouth, he had to pause and let the
flavor run across his tongue before he'd bite into the tender morsel.

“Oh
my! Aren't you simply WONDERFUL!” Ed was just about to place
another fork full in his mouth when a voice behind his shoulder spoke
loudly in his ear. “Those gloves are priceless, and the hair.”
His braid was lifted off his back, “more men should wear their
hair long like you.” Placing his fork on the plate, he slowly
turned to see who was talking so loudly directly in his ear and
touching him in such a forward manner.

He
was forced to lean away from the speaker, practically falling out of
his chair as her face moved in closer, invading his personal space.
All Ed could see were vivid green eyes. “Er...” was all
Ed could manage from his position. His eyes slid over to his brother
begging silently for help.

“Um,
Miss?” Al said, trying to gain the strange woman's attention
away from Ed. The woman turned, as her eyes lighted on Al, she broke
into a sly grin. Al tired to smile at her but his mouth felt wooden
and it was more like a grimace then a smile. Ed could see Isabella
out of the corner of his eye looking at each one of them like they
were crazy.

“Goodness,
but you're cute too!” The woman stood, dropping the braid and
moved around the table to take a closer look at Al. Just like with
Ed, she got too close and Al was forced to lean away.

“Leave
Al and Eddie alone...meanie!” Isabella planted her hands into
the table top and stood on her chair. She glared across the table at
the intruder.

“Er...
Isabella?” Ed reached out a hand to make her sit and she just
glared at him and then back at the lady who was looking at her with
an annoyed look. It was true that this strange woman was a little
unnerving but people were starting to look over at them and he didn't
want Isabella to fall and hurt herself.

“May
I join you?” The woman stood and without an invitation sat in
the empty seat. Al slowly righted himself; Isabella, still standing
in her chair continued to glare at the woman while Ed was
dumbfounded. This woman was so pushy; it was practically unheard of
in this world of excessive manners. “My name is Lady Rose. I'm
from England, although I'm not English myself. What are your names?”
She rested her elbow on the table and cradled her chin.

Ed
looked over at his brother; Al looked at Ed and he shrugged a
shoulder, Al was puzzled too. Clearing his throat, Ed sat straighter
in his seat. “Well my name is Edward. This is Alphonse, my
brother, and this is Isabella.”

“Oh,
is she your daughter?” The woman asked Ed as studied the small
girl who had yet to sit down,
“No...I
don't think so, her coloring is too different. You on the other
hand.” She turned towards Al. “You're very much like her,
but...you're what? Only sixteen? You'd have to have sired her when
you were ten!” She guffawed at her own joke.

Al
laughed a little uncertainly with the strange woman. Ed could only
stare and shake his head. Isabella finally sat back in her seat,
visibly peeved at them all.

“Well
my dears, my name is Lady Rose. I'm travailing to Cairo to meet my
husband, he has some sort of business there, I don't know what it's
all about myself, but it SOUNDS important. I don't know, but anyway
what are you off to see? The pyramids? Going to tour Egypt? I could
help you see the sights. Fine men like you shouldn't go un-escorted—”

“—Um...Well
actu—” Ed tried to interrupt.

“—Without
a lovely woman to show you around. Good, it's settled. I'll show you
the sights.” The stranger slapped the table with her palm.

“So
this is where you got off too, Milady.”

“Oh!
Mr. Maxton! Look what I found, aren't they precious! They've agreed
to let me show them around Egypt. Here, sit, sit.” Lady Rose
pulled out the remaining chair for the new arrival. The tall lanky
man perched on the seat and examined the tables other occupants.

“Yes,
quite,” Mr. Maxton agreed with Lady Rose, his voice laced with
contempt.

“Mr.
Maxton do you remember the time when...”

Ed
leaned over to whisper to Al as the two newcomers talked amongst
themselves. “What's she talking about? Precious! What are we,
jewels?” Al grunted in the back of his throat in agreement.

“I
no like!” Isabella whispered, as she stood between the two
brothers.

“Where'd
you come from?” Al asked, amused at her statement and the
absurdness of the whole situation. “Anyway, Ed, we can't be
rude to them. The woman, though, is really pretty don't you think?
Even if she is strange.” Al looked across the table to watch
the woman talk with her companion.

“Al,
she's like forty-years-old!” Ed hissed at him.

“So!
I can say she's pretty!” Al shot back. Ed sat up in his seat,
watching his brother from the corner of his eye. Sure the woman was
nice to look at, the warm brown skin made her dark brown hair richer
in color and texture. She was dressed in some fancy looking clothes
so maybe the 'lady' title wasn't too far off.

Al
seemed to be drawn to the woman, Ed noted. With her startling rich
green eyes that were so vivid, Ed could see why someone like Al would
be interested in her. For Ed, it wasn't a problem. The earlier
invasion of their personal space was soon forgotten it seemed as Al
was shyly asking Lady Rose about where she came from.

“..I'd
love to! And Ed will too, right?” Al smiled at him

“I'll
what?” questioned Ed. He wasn't interested in this person and
had let his mind wander.

“Dance
with the Lady Rose, right?” Al supplied.

Well,
that's what I get for not paying attention. Ed
thought. “Ah, well, Al you kno—”

“WONDERFUL!”
Lady Rose spoke over what ever Ed was about to say. Ed closed his
mouth. She seemed harmless enough, but something nagged at the back
of Ed's mind...something wasn't quite right. Maybe it was just her
pushy nature that irked him so.

The
ten piece band was warming up as they continued to chat. Al was quite
happy to laugh it up with Lady Rose while he and Isabella sulked. Ed
did not want to dance, and not with her. Isabella hovered by Ed's
chair playing with the end of his braid and pushing out her lip at
the strangers, they were too friendly with Al and it annoyed her.

When
the band started the first jumping chords of their song, Lady Rose
jumped up and pulled Al out to dance with her. Isabella, forgetting
her anger was enthralled. She had never been able to listen to this
type of music, her father said it was the work of the devil, but how
could something so fun be wrong? Soon she was hoping and tapping her
toes in time with the jive.

Ed
watched his brother dance with Lady Rose. He was surprised to see
that Al was able to do all the complex steps with hardly any
mistakes. It was lucky that their sensei taught them so well. They
were able to quickly learn new fighting techniques with ease; it's no
stretch of the imagination to think of dancing like fighting. As one
song ended the next began; Mr. Maxton drifted away and left Ed with
Isabella, who was grinning at all the dancing people.

After
the third song, Lady Rose sought him out and somehow convinced him to
dance with her. He was pulled to the crowded dance floor, where he
performed the steps he'd seen Al do earlier but because of his ribs,
half way though the song he was slowing and breathing heavily.

“My
dear, what's wrong?” asked Lady Rose as she twirled around him.
“You look quite pale.”

“My
ribs were broken...a few weeks ago...” gasped Ed. The more he
moved the harder he had to breathe and that in turn made him move his
rib cage more, aggravating his injury.

“Young
men play so rough these days. Come, let's have a break. I'll buy you
a drink.” She took hold of his arm and they walked back to
their table. Al had Isabella in his arms and was dancing around the
table with her.

“You
guys are back early—Ed are you okay?” Al finally looked
to his brother, having eyes only for the Lady Rose up until now. Ed
shook his head as he sat carefully back down in his chair. “Why'd
you push yourself?” wondered Al. The Lady Rose quietly excused
herself and left them to talk, Al glanced at her retreating back with
a small twinge of disappointment.

“Idiot,
you forgot didn't you?” Ed snapped causing Al to blanch. Ed
used the back of his glove to wipe the beads of sweat off his brow.
“You can stay and dance the night away for all I care, once I
get my breath back I'm going back to our room.” He was peeved
that Al would forget about his injury so fast. However, now he'd be
able to get away from that woman.

“Sure,”
Al agreed readily, he really did forget about Ed's injury.

Sighing
heavily, Ed stood and looked at his brother. The pained look of grief
at having made him suffer was enough, almost, to make him forgive Al.
Well, he could wait until tomorrow for that. “Isabella, you
come with me. Al's going to stay and dance some more.”

“NO!
I dance too!” Isabella glared at him from her position in Al's
arms.

“Isabella,
it's not an option.” Ed motioned for Al to put her down.

“Come
on Isabella, it's time for bed. I'll be sure to make it up to you
later, promise.” Al patted her head and she considered it. She
relented and took Ed's hand. “See ya.” Ed led the small
girl away.

-
- - -

The
air was incredibly hot, at 35 C, with the dry, unmoving air; to Ed it
was hell. It made his auto-mail feel ten times heavier then normal
and as a result all that tension went to his back. As the boat came
in to port, Ed could tell that he was in for a rough go. Standing on
the top deck, he watched as the sailors made the ship ready for the
passengers to depart.

The
four day voyage was pretty uneventful unless you counted the way Lady
Rose hounded them. She insinuated her way into every activity or
event on the ship with him and Al in tow. The way she doted on Al
made him worried. The woman was married, what could she want with Al
unless it was something wicked, like adultery, and if that weren't
enough his dreams were taking a disturbing turn. He started to dream
about the Colonel in less then...decent situations. While he had some
feelings of infatuation for the man, he'd as yet never dreamed of
him...like that. It was a bit startling.

If
it weren't for Isabella, he'd probably snapped by now, at Al or Lady
Rose, which ever one would have pissed him off first, so for her sake
he was trying to behave. He heard footsteps approaching from behind;
glancing over his shoulder he watched as Al and Isabella came to join
him at the railing.

“It's
pretty hot eh? How are you holding up?” Al asked as he neared
Ed.

“It's
rough, but it won't kill me.” Sighing he leaned on the railing,
letting it take most of his weight. Isabella wormed her way in front
of him peeking through the rail to watch the happenings on the quay.
As the boat moved slowly closer to its berth, more of the ships
passengers joined them on deck.

“Ed...Why'd
you let Isabella come with us?” Ed looked at his brother. Al
wouldn't meet his eyes but instead he stared out at the city of
Alexandria. “It's going to get really dangerous, right? What
are we going to do?”

Ed
snorted as he considered what he could say to that. His feelings were
complex and difficult to express. This girl, who Al had rescued, was
kind of like them in a way. No family, for now at least, and
traumatic experiences. Somehow, Ed wanted to make sure that she
didn't end up like them. So, why bring her? Being around them would
mean she'd be subjected to their bad luck. So, why?

“Let's
get our stuff ready, eh, Al.” He pushed himself away from the
rail. Not waiting to see if they would follow or not, Ed made his way
towards the door to the lower decks. He didn't know how to answer his
brother and he didn't know what to do about Isabella. They'd just
have to wait and see.

-
- - -

“Isabella,
stay close okay?” Al warned the small girl as they stepped down
off the pedway onto the dock and into the milling crowd of
disembarking passengers. He moved out of the way of the flow of
people behind him and turned back to make sure his brother was still
with them, and was startled to see that Ed was nowhere to be seen.

“Ed?”
Al called out over the buzz of conversations. “Edward?”
he called a little louder. Craning his neck he tried to look for the
brown jacket his brother was wearing today.

“Eddie
lost?” Isabella asked, holding on to Al's wrist with both
hands, she was scared of getting lost and she hoped that Eddie was
brave until they found him.

“I
hope not...” Al placed their luggage on the ground and took
Isabella's hand in his own. He watched as the ship's passengers filed
past. Where on earth could Ed have gotten to?

“Oh!
Alphonse, there you are,” Lady Rose shouted down from the ramp.
“I was hoping to run into you before we got going. Mr. Maxton
is in such a rush, aren't you, dear,” she said turning to smile
at the lanky man. Once they set foot on the rough hewn planks of the
dock, Lady Rose led Mr. Maxton over to Al. “My dear, where's
your brother?” Lady Rose asked as she cupped his cheek, her
voice full of concern.

“Ah,
we got separated somehow,” Al said blushing a little. He could
lose himself in those green eyes if he let himself.

“Should
we wait with you dear?” Lady Rose asked as she scanned the
crowd for the missing Elric.

“No,
no. It's okay. You got to get going, so...” Al assured her.

“Alright
dear, but promise me that you'll come see me once you arrive in Cairo
and don't forget to tell your brother about that thing I told you
about. You must come, okay?” Al nodded, he just hoped his
brother would agree to it. As the two of them moved back into the
crowd, Al resumed his search for his missing brother. As the milling
people started to thin, Al started to get really worried.

“Alphonse.”
A soft voice called him from his left. “How are you?”

“Noa!”
Al turned to face his friend. “It's great to see you. What are
you doing here?” She bowed her head in acknowledgment.

“Your
patron asked me to meet you. I was in Sudan when I got the call, so
it wasn't hard for me to get here before you.”

“Wow,
you got there
pretty
quick.”

“Yes,
my people left Germany right away. A roman (3) gathering was taking
place. This must be Isabella?” Noa addressed the child. “How
do you do?” she asked in flawless Italian.

“Good...”
Isabella replied before burring her head into Al's leg.

“Edward...”
Noa glanced around and frowned.

“I
don't know where he went. He always doing rash things like this,”
Al said, exasperated.

“Eddie
lost. He scared,” said Isabella, lifting her head and
addressing the woman making Noa smile at the child.

“HEY!
NOA!” Ed's voice echoed around the dockyard as he jogged down
the quay towards them.

“Ed!
Where'd you get too?” asked Al, annoyed when his brother was
within talking distance.

“Sorry,
I saw something that I needed to get.” Ed slowed to a stop, a
brown paper package under one arm. “Noa, how are you? I'm
surprised to see you here, but I'm glad.” He embraced her and
she returned the hug easily.

“What's
that?” Al demanded.

“It's
a present.” Ed grinned at his brother, brandishing the bag.

“No,
what's that on your face?” He pointed to Ed's cheek.

“Hmm?”
Ed swiped at the place Al indicated and looked at his finger. He
grinned. “Oops! I thought I got it all.”

“You
made us worry while you went to get a snack!” complained Al.
The nerve!

“Relax
Al, you're to young to worry so much.” Kneeling down stiffly,
he presented the package to Isabella. “Open it,” Ed
commanded the small girl. Al huffed at his brother. Well he couldn't
really stay mad at him, he did buy a present for Isabella.

She
slowly took the paper bundle and held it lightly in her hands. Al
could see the excitement in the small girl but still she was just
looking at it. Al smiled at Noa as they watched to see what Ed had
gotten. Ed reached forward and tore a hole in the paper and smiled at
the small girl. Surprised, Isabella was spurned into action and the
paper was gone in a flick of the wrist.

In
her hands, Isabella had a lovely, locally-made doll. She took several
minutes to study it and still there was no reaction from her. Ed
looked at his brother and shrugged, maybe she didn't like it.

“Isabella...if
you don't like it, Ed can get you a different one,” said Al,
softly. Isabella shook her head hard, sending the soft curls bouncing
around. In the next instant she had hurled herself at the kneeling
Ed, clamping on to his neck and forcing him back onto his butt as she
proceeded to strangle him.

“Ack!
Izzy, too...tight.” Ed pried the small arms off his neck. “I
guess this means you like it.” He smiled warmly at the
happiness in Izzy's face.

Noa
smiled at the change in Edward. Before he left he was moody and
snappish, now he was happy and joking around with Al, he'd even
hugged her, which was rare. Truly, he was a wonderer like her, never
happy unless he was moving. “I have made arrangements for
transportation to the train station, your train leaves for Cairo this
evening. They have a wonderful outdoor café
were
we can get a light dinner,” suggested Noa.

“Sure.”
Al picked up their luggage following Noa as Ed and Isabella brought
up the rear.

-
- - -

“Al!
Why didn't you tell me sooner?” Ed stomped out of his brother's
room over to his own. “What were you waiting for? Christmas?”

“I'm
sorry, already!” Al called back, annoyed. Isabella and Noa sat
in their own room listening to the exchanges, waiting to see how the
argument would play out. “I knew you didn't like her, but come
on! It's a chance to find clues, right!”

“No
means NO!” Ed yelled back. Really, his little brother was
getting so head strong these days. Ed stuffed his clothes into his
suitcase. Al could play all he wanted; he had a mission to finish.

“What
are you doing?” Al asked from the doorway to his room.

“I'm
packing.” Ed threw his clothes into the case; quickly moving
about the room to gather up all of his belongs.

“I
see that. Why?”

“Listen,
Al, you can play nice with that old lady, I don't care. But I'm
finding that bomb!” He threw a shirt into his suitcase and
stood to face his brother, ready for a battle royale.

Sighing
heavily, Al entered the room and sat on Ed's bed. “Look...the
trail ends here in Cairo, right?” Al reasoned, unwilling to be
drawn into a fight. “What do you have to lose? These people
obviously have money, whoever they are. Let's go where the money is.
There will be a lot of people from high society there.”

“You
just want to be around that old lady!” Ed accused his brother.

“Edward...I'm
not going to fight with you...but...it's true that I like Lady Rose.
She's nice to us, don't be so distrustful,” said Al in a clam,
even voice.

“Al,
I hope you didn't forget that she's married,” said Ed flatly.

“I
don't like her like THAT!” protested Al, shocked at what his
brother was thinking of him all this time.

“But
we still have to look into that tip we got the other day,” Ed
hedged, unwilling to admit that Al might be right.

“And
we will. But tonight, let's try a different route. We've been out
walking for several days and we only JUST got a clue today. This
could work.” Al could tell Ed was close to relenting, and he
pressed on. “Isabella and Noa should come too. It'd be good to
have the appearance of normalcy and they could pass as our family.
I'm sure Noa will help us with her ability.”

Ed
turned away. He really hated when his brother was right. “Fine,
we'll go...next time, tell me sooner.”

“I
will! Isabella, dancing!” Al ran out of the room to inform the
others about Ed's decision. Ed just shook his head, sometimes Al
could be such a kid.

-
- - -

Roy's
team had 'acquired' an invitation to the Earl's ball taking place
tonight, and unfortunately for Roy he was ordered to go even though
it was his night off; his face was the most 'noble' of his group,
even though his skin tone was darker then the pale porcelain quality
that the English prefer. He just hoped that his heritage didn't show
through too strongly.

Roy
checked his appearance in the mirror, adjusting his tie so that it
rested down the center of his chest. He smoothed his hair back away
from his forehead once more before grabbing the rough metal plate and
attaching it to his belt on his right hip.

“Roy,
five minutes,” Kevin called from the hallway. He steeled
himself for what was ahead; crowed rooms, stuffy atmosphere and
surveillance. It was going to be another stellar
night.

“I'm
ready.” Roy stepped out of the washroom and faced his team.
“Let's review it one more time.” They gathered around Roy
and studied the building plans.

-
- - -

Ed
shifted his feet, although the night cooled off nicely, he was still
too hot in his wool suit. He really wanted to take off the jacket but
he made himself wait until he was inside before he could remove it.
He stared up at the red sandstone building; the ornate white marble
entrance was surrounded by party goers and ushers. Many of the
revilers turned to look at the newest arrivals. Ed caught himself
standing just a little bit taller under the scrutiny.

Mentality
shrugging, Ed helped Noa get out of the car Lady Rose had provided
for them. Al came out next with Isabella just behind. Noa had
insisted that Ed wear his hair loose but the added heat it kept at
his back made him want to grab the tie on his wrist and pull it into
a pony tail. The long tresses of gold was certainly drawing a lot of
attention. He could hear the murmurs of the other guests and their
surprise at the length of his hair. Noa swatted his hand away.

“What?”
whined Ed. He hadn't even realized that he was lifting his hands
towards his hair.

“Leave
it,” Noa commanded in her soft voice. “It'll be better
inside,” she said as she straightened her skirt, making the
silk fall in a more pleasing manner.

“Stop
reading my mind,” pouted Ed. “It's un-lady like.”
He presented his arm, which she took with a small bow of her head and
Ed led them across the court yard towards the museum.

At
the entrance, Ed handed over their invitations and they were waved
through. The hall was filled with people and nobles all dressed in
their finest. Small groups of people were chatting and milling about
as the four of them moved further into the room. Dotted around the
open chamber, were glass display cases showing off the more lavish
finds from the Pharaoh's tombs. Ed led Noa over to one case
containing a head piece made out of gold and enamel.

Al,
with Isabella in his arms, was showing her a case just behind them.
Ed rolled his shoulders, trying to make the kinks go away for a
while, without any luck. Their plan was to use Noa's ability to scan
the minds of the guests and see if anyone was in possession of the
bomb. For that they'd have to wait until the ball got really going,
when people had too much too drink and were in a better mood so that
Noa could touch them and scan the party goers. Ed nodded at his
brother and the four of them moved towards the dinning room.

-
- - -

Once
inside the museum, Roy walked the entire first floor making sure
everything was just like the plans said. He also took note of the
lighter-then-planned security. That made him wonder how the Cairo
officials felt about exposing all their precious treasures to the
upper crust of English society; unless they had some kind of
guarantee from Asherton.

He'd
already seen the Earl walking amongst the guests and then head off
towards the kitchens. Roy positioned himself so he could see the door
to the kitchens, awaiting the man's return. In order to blend in and
not draw attention to himself, Roy struck up a conversation with an
Egyptian business man standing near him. They chatted easily for half
an hour before Asherton re-appeared. Roy excused himself as he wove
through the growing crowd of people after the Earl.

Servants,
all dressed as ancient Egyptians, came streaming out of the side
entrances towards the front of the ballroom. They lined the perimeter
of the room, ushering the straggling guests forward, as Asherton took
the stage. Roy moved to the side of the gathering where he could
still have room to maneuver.

Taking
a hold of the bulky microphone, Thomas Asherton singled the band. The
drummer beat out a rolling rumble and the piano man tapped on the
white keys.

“Thank
you, Ladies and Gentlemen, for coming here tonight to welcome my
wife, the Lady Rose, to Egypt.” From behind the curtain, Lady
Rose emerged, resplendent in the latest fashions from Paris. The
crowd clapped politely as she took her place by her husband's side.

“More
importantly, I want to share with you a startling find.” The
violins joined the piano and drums, adding an eerie quality to the
music. The lights went dim except for on the stage, frightened gasps
and murmurings swept though the crowd. “As some of you know,
I've been out scouring the desert in search of the lost treasures of
Egypt. Tonight, I would like to share with you my most impressive
find.”

The
music stopped abruptly and a large gong rang though the vast room,
reverberating back and fourth before finally dying away. The crowd
looked around, wondering from where the show case would appear from.
Unable to help himself, Roy craned his neck as well.

Startled
exclamations from the back of the room made the people by the stage
restless. Soon, Roy could see the crowd pointing up towards the
ceiling. Spotlights flicked on illuminating the object; a vast gold
and jewel encrusted quilt.(4) It was the only thing Roy could think
of to call it. The throng clapped and exclaimed the wonder of the old
world.

Roy
saw Asherton and his wife leave the stage and the band began to play
softly; the main dishes were brought out from the adjoining rooms and
placed on the long tables for the guests to pick at.

Roy
turned away from the tables and went around, behind the stage,
looking for his missing mark.

-
- - -

“How
is it Noa? Anything?” asked Ed; after the tenth straight dance
he had to tell the next hopeful that he needed to get some
refreshments before continuing. Finding Noa waiting for him on the
edge of the dance floor, he had made a bee line for her. So far their
plan was working out nicely. Noa was able to touch many of the guests
as she passed them by, weaving through the crowd.

“Nothing
yet, I'm sorry Edward.”

“Ah,
it's okay. There are a lot of people here and the night's still
young.” Ed grabbed a glass of wine off a passing servant's tray
and downed the contents. “What?” demanded Ed when Noa
just stared at him. “Dancing is hard work and with my hair this
way, all the ladies seem to want to be around me.”

Noa
laughed softly into her hand. It was true; with his hair down Edward
was drawing quite a bit of attention. Even standing here talking with
her, she could see the envious glances from the other women as they
talked.

“So,
have you seen Al around?” asked Ed as brushed the hair off his
face.

“Yes,
he took Isabella to the bathroom. They'll be back in a moment.”

“Good.
I wanna steal Izzy for a bit, I need a break from all the rabid
women.”

“Edward,
have you been able to learn anything?” Noa inquired bring the
conversation back on topic.

“No...”
Sighing, he slouched his shoulders. “I hope Al's having better
luck then us, but then again, with Izzy in tow I doubt anyone would
talk to him about stuff like that.” As another waiter passed,
Ed placed his now empty wine glass on the tray. They stood together
in silence for a time, watching as the people moved across the dance
floor in time with the music.

“Ah!
Here he comes,” mumbled Ed, as he strode over to his brother.

-
- - -

“Lady
Rose! I haven't seen you all night.” Al wove through the crowd
over to the side of Lady Rose.

“My
dear! How WONDERFUL, I was wondering if you decided to come.”
She reached out her hands for the young man as he approached her.
Smiling, Al clasped her hand in greeting. “Let me introduce you
to my husband.” She turned and tapped his shoulder. “Dear,
this is the young man I was telling you so much about, Alphonse
Elric. This is my husband, Thomas Asherton.”

“How
do you do, sir?” Al shook his hand.

“Very
nice to finally meet you too! I've heard so much about you.”
Asherton studied the young man, who held himself with such
confidence; sure of himself and his surroundings. “You look
like someone I could use. How about it, would you like to assist me?”

“Er...I'm
not sure what I could do.” Al wondered just want this man was
talking about. “Maybe you should talk with my brother.

“Oh,
Dear, please don't bore him with that kind of talk. Tell me Alphonse,
where's your brother hiding?”

“Ha
ha, he got tired of all the women hounding him for dances so he
grabbed Isabella and is dancing with her.” Al pointed over his
shoulder at the mass of moving bodies.

Leaning
against the pillar, Roy watched as Asherton chatted up his guests,
all of it was just small talk. It wasn't until Lady Rose brought a
young man to Asherton's attention that he perked up. He
wanted to use him for something? And the guy said to see his brother
instead, eh?

Roy
looked over Asherton's shoulder in the direction the young man had
indicated, but he had no clue on who to look for. He dismissed it
immediately and concerted on what was being said in front of him.

“That's
WONDERFUL, I bet any woman would want a dance with such a fine man.
You must be quite popular with the ladies as well, Alphonse. Ha ha
ha!” The Lady Rose laughed easily with the young man. If Roy
wasn't mistaken, that woman was flirting with him, and right under
her husband's nose.

“Poor
Ed, he's not used to that sort of attention. When we were younger, we
were quite well known around our country. He's much more comfortable
being infamous, then being a playboy. Ha ha.” The young man
joked back. Roy narrowed his eyes at the pair. Infamous
eh? Better keep an eye out for this brother.

“Make
sure he comes over to talk with us, okay Alphonse. Mr. Maxton is
around here somewhere. I'm sure he'd want to see you two as well.”

“I
will! Also, our friend came down to meet us, so I'd like you to meet
her as—ah! There's Ed now. They look so cute together.”
Roy looked back at the throng of people, looking for some sort of
impressive man. “Noa made him wear his hair loose, looks like a
curtain of gold don't you think?”

Curtain
of gold....? Roy
quirked an eyebrow, and wondered what it all meant.

“Oh,
Alphonse, no wonder the ladies are after him...” Lady Rose
breathed.

Roy
craned his neck trying to see around the milling people to look for
this 'infamous' brother with the 'curtain of gold' hair. Several of
the guests moved away reveling a perfect view of the hall. He scanned
the crowd, not really seeing anything like they had described. He saw
the younger brother wave at the dance floor, and Roy snapped his eyes
back to the middle of the room. The only thing he saw was a small
child waving at the brother. She was being carried in the arms of
small woman.

Er—wait!
That's a man!
Roy
watched as the two swung around. The MAN was holding the small girl
in his arms, resting on his hip. As soon as he saw the waving boy,
the man grinned and Roy's heart skipped a beat. He watched as he
dipped the small girl and continued around the floor.

The
Lady Rose was talking with the younger brother again, but Roy didn't
hear them. The sound of his blood pounding in his ears drowned out
all the buzzing conversations and music. He watched the lithe man
move surely across the floor, staying on the perimeter of the
dancers. Every third or fourth step, however, the man faltered. Not
so much that it was hugely noticeable making Roy wonder at that.

He
was vaguely aware of the younger brother moving away from the
Ashertons towards the buffet tables and he was sorry to see the older
brother move into the crowd and vanish from sight. Without the
distraction of the blond, Roy's blood pressure slowly became normal
again and he resumed his attentions on the Earl.

“—I
really want him, dear. He's young, and handsome. He'll last a long
time, I promise.” The wife was pressing her body against her
husband

“Are
you sure they're both from Shambala?” Asherton asked. “Can
they really open a gateway?”

What
the HELL was this about...? Finally,
Roy thought. Something
viable. He
gave his full attention to the couple and their conversation.

“That's
what Haushofer said,” reply Lady Rose. Asherton seemed to
consider this and for several minutes he would not speak, nodding to
his guests but not addressing them.

“Once
we're done with the oldest...” The Earl paused while he
considered what he was going to say. “We'll give him to the
Seniore, that should keep him quiet and off our backs. I heard how
grieved he was when he slipped though his fingers. He's in town...”

“Then
does that mean...” Lady Rose looked expectantly up at her
husband.

“Yes,
my dear, you can have him.” Roy watched as the Earl leaned in
and placed a kiss on his wife's red lips. He turned away from the
moment of intimacy, slightly jealous of their 'togetherness' and
looked for the blond, older brother.

The
man was just re-emerging from the dance floor, Roy watched
fascinated, as the long hip length hair lifted and fell with each
turn he made. Having discarded his suit jacket, the blond's build was
clearly visible. Roy's eyes roved down his body, unconsciously
studying the man, the vest he wore, the way the dark pants made his
golden hair even brighter, down to his tapered torso.

When
the music came to a stop, the blond let the small child slide down
his body to the floor and then they both started clapping along with
the other dancers. The younger one walked over to his brother and
they exchanged some words. A dark woman also joined in their little
pow wow, and then the whole lot of them was moving back towards
Asherton and his wife.

When
the introductions were made, Roy noticed that Asherton seemed to be
reluctant to touch the woman and he wondered at that, when he readily
shook hands with everyone that night. Roy listened as the group made
plans to go sight seeing the following day. He made a mental note,
slightly upset that he'd be on duty that day, but then again, he'd
get to watch that guy.

The
blond grabbed a glass of wine off the tray of a passing waiter and
excused himself, saying he needed some air. Asherton suggested a
veranda off the back of the ball room that should be empty, having
been roped off to prevent guests from using it, but the Earl said
that he'd be alright to use it. Thanking him, Ed excused himself. As
the man walked away, Roy could have sworn that he saw Asherton single
someone, but from his position he couldn't make out to whom.

Pushing
himself off the pillar, Roy casually walked in the direction of the
blond, pausing to also snatch a glass of wine.

-
- - -

Ed
looked back at the party, sipping from his glass. He was getting
tired already. A month off of training was starting to catch up to
him; he wished his ribs would hurry up and heal already. As soon as
he was able, he and Al were going to spar, he couldn't wait.

Gathering
up his hair he drew it over his left shoulder in order for his back
to cool off. Taking another sip of wine, Ed walked towards the back
of the ball, heading for the porch Asherton had mentioned. Switching
the wine glass to the other hand, Ed massaged the right side of his
neck making sure to work his fingers close to the metal on his
shoulder.

“Good
evening, sir. Would you care to dance with me?” a girl, no
older then sixteen asked as he was standing there.

Shit,
shouldn't stop or else I'll get hounded.
“Ah...maybe
in a bit. I just need to get some air. If you'll excuse me.”

“I
could join you...” the young girl tried again, placing a hand
on his arm and smiling at him.

“Er...um...no...that's
okay, thanks anyway,” Ed stammered before walking rudely away.
Man,
do I ever suck at this! He
shook his head at himself, but in the end it didn't really bother
him...too much.

Ed checked over his
shoulder to make sure the girl wasn't following him before finally
stepping out onto the porch. Once outside, Ed breathed deep of the
night air, he could just smell the Nile from here and the cool air
felt good to his heated skin. Ed brought the wine glass to his lips,
it was nice to have some peace and quiet and luckily there was no one
else out here.

-
- - -

Roy
was sweating bullets; the blond had almost spotted him twice before
he finally walked out onto the veranda. Watched from the edge of the
gathering for any signs of miscreant behavior, all Roy saw was the
blond, standing on the patio sipping wine. He must have imagined that
signal.

He
was just about to turn away when he noticed a lengthening shadow
detaching itself from the surrounding darkness out on the patio.
Frowning, he watched as the shadow became a looming shape that
advanced slowly on the unsuspecting blond. If he called out now, he'd
create a panic and loose what ever chance he had to unravel this
growing mystery.

Placing
his glass on the nearest flat surface, Roy hurriedly walked towards
the veranda. The giant man raised a fist and Roy's heart leapt up
into his throat; he was still to far away to stop it! The blond
crumpled to the ground; his wine glass clattered and smashed with a
delicate plinking sound, spilling the liquid inside in a wide arc.
From between the legs of the attacker, Roy could see prone man
struggle to push himself upright.

The
giant reached down and grabbed the back of the blond's neck lifting
him high off the floor; drawing back his arm the attacker threw his
victim at the veranda's railing. Roy could hear the explosion of air
from within his body as he hit and slid, slowly to the ground. Roy
glanced around, the crowd was getting thinner and most people were no
where near the porch; no one suspected.

Slowing
his pace, Roy approached cautiously. The attacker was advancing on
his prey assured that he wouldn't have any interference. Taking one
last look around, Roy crossed the threshold onto the porch. Stepping
loudly so that the giant could hear him, Roy reached for that
part
of him; closing his eyes momentarily as he searched for the light.
When he opened his eyes, the man had turned towards the sound of his
foot steps.

“Get
out of here, this doesn't concern you,” the man whispered,
sounding more like a growling then speech.

“On
the contrary, I think it does.” Roy placed his hand on the
metal clip on his belt and stepped towards his adversary.

-
- - -

Ed
tried to lift his head, succeeding only a little bit. His vision was
blurry and un-focused as he blinked at the warm light from the party
inside. Propped up against the banister, Ed struggled to breathe.

Why
am I on the floor?... Bees? What's that buzzing noise? Are there bees
in Egypt? The
hair over his face fell aside. Blinking at the additional light, Ed's
head rolled to the other side. Opening his eyes wide, Ed tried to
concentrate on the moving shadows. They
sound like bees...

As
one shadow buzzed to the other, Ed wondered how they got to be so
big!

Suddenly
a bright light and a gust of heat whipped his hair into the air and
buffeted his body, knocking him sideways. As the after image and the
darkness ate at his vision, Ed noticed one bee kneeling down in front
of him.

Do
bees...kneel...?
As
the shadow leaned in, he succumbed to the darkness.

-
- - -

Roy
watched, fascinated, as the eyelids covered up golden-brown eyes.
Slipping into unconsciousness, the man, his prize, lay crumbled on
the floor. Roy checked over his shoulder once more, no one seemed to
have noticed what he did....but to be safe he'd better re-locate
somewhere where they wouldn't be seen. He slid his arm under the
blond's neck and knees and lifted.

Good
grief! How much does this guy weigh?
thought
Roy as he strained to lift the guy off the ground. Abandoning that,
Roy wove his arm under his left arm and grabbed his pants, lifting
him to a sitting position, then placing a foot over both of his, he
hoisted him up-right.

Once
on their feet, Roy lugged the man over to the deep shadows along the
side of the building and out of the light from the arch way. In the
corner, Roy let the limp body down to the ground, placing a hand
underneath his neck to ease him onto his back. The man immediately
began to wheeze as soon as Roy stepped away. Panicking slightly, Roy
quickly lifted him into a sitting position making his breathing even
out.

Better
check for broken bones... he
thought
since that rattle in the blond's chest didn't sound healthy at all.
Squatting
in front of him, Roy made quick work of the vest and dress shirt,
pulling them open to revel a chest that was already bound in tight
white bandages with an ugly bruise that was just starting to fade.
Frowning, he felt along the rib cage, hoping he'd be able to tell any
new breaks from the old. As he probed the bindings, the blond
twitched away from his touch as though in pain.

Studying
his face, Roy let his hands fall away from the small, bound chest and
searched for any signs of wakefulness. Roy frowned at the man before
him in contemplation. If Asherton wanted this man for his 'work' why
have someone attack him? The long, golden hair was mussed and tangled
looking, as his eyes traveled down his torso, Roy took in the wrapped
ribs and slim waist. It didn't make any sense.

A
small gust of wind ruffled the fringe of hair draping over the
blond's face. Roy reached out and caught the errant stands, tucking
them behind an ear, reveling more of the man's face. A glint of metal
on the blond's right shoulder puzzled Roy, and he opened the shirt
wider to investigate further.

There,
just below his collar bone, a bolt was screwed directly into his
flesh and the collar bone. Opening the garment even more, Roy saw
that instead of a fleshy shoulder, this man had a metal one.
Horrified, Roy let the shirt fall down to the bicep. Unsure of what
he was seeing, he reached out to touch it. His fingers brushed
against the cool, very real, metal arm. Ugly scar tissue encompassed
where flesh met metal. The angry, red look to of it made it seem as
though it was newly done.

His
uncle had lost a limb during the war in Europe. The army had provided
him with a fake arm that was cosmetic at best; Roy had seen this very
arm move and grip and act like the real thing. What
is going on here? he
wondered. His thumb brushed over the metal, feeling the ridges and
coolness. He suddenly pressed his thumb heavily into the bicep,
watching to see if he got a reaction from this, but the blond was
still out cold. Lifting
the fabric of the shirt back in place, he hid his view of the
mutilation. Chewing on his thumb, Roy pondered his next move.

“....Edward?
Are you still out here?” a female voice called from the arch
way.

Panicked,
Roy sprang to his feet and hid himself behind the pillar close to the
prone body.

“Edward?”
the voice called uncertainly, a note a fear crept into her voice.
Peeking around round the pillar, Roy saw the dark woman that was with
the brothers earlier. She seemed reluctant to leave the false
security of the light from within as she strained her eyes trying to
penetrate the darkness beyond. At this rate she would give up and
leave, but Roy wanted her to find the man. Let those who know him
take charge of him.

Crouching
down, Roy fumbled around for some stones or pebbles he could throw in
the direction of the worried woman, while keeping an eye on her.
Finally his hand nudged a stone, he scooped it up and stood. Making
sure he was still hidden he tossed the stone over his shoulder in the
woman's path.

“Oh!”
she exclaimed. Roy could hear her step towards their position.
“Edward? “Edward? Is that you?” Noa called again.
She was trying very hard to banish the feeling of dread she'd been
experiencing since he left them to get some fresh air.

As
she moved out of the light and into the shadows, her anxiety
increased ten-fold. She moved along with infinite care and caution,
her eyes swinging back and forth though the night to find the source
of that noise until she thought she saw something laying on the
ground by the wall of the building. The darkness was playing tricks
on her and she couldn't make out what it was. Tilting her head to the
side, she studied the object. It wasn't until she titled her head to
the other side that she finally figured out what she was looking at.

It
was a foot.

Gasping,
she rushed forward, her previous hesitation gone, as she knelt at the
side of the body and noticed it was Edward. His chin rested on his
chest as he breathed shallowly. The mussy hair blew and swayed with
the wind and his shirt was undone exposing his bindings to the air.
She would have guessed him to be sleeping but for the location.

“Edward...wake
up. Edward?” Cupping his cheek gently, Noa rubbed her hand
along the side of his face. “Edward!” Mere moments passed
before Edward was groaning and starting to move. Noa let go of the
breath she'd been holding since she found him.

“Mmthmels...”
Edward mumbled as his head fell to the side.

“Edward,
wake up now,” soothed Noa, using her voice to call him back.
She could feel his consciousness reach towards her. She closed her
eyes and sought him out, helping him towards wakefulness.

“Thanks,”
Edward mumbled. Noa's eyes fluttered open, to look into dark golden
eyes.

“What
happened Edward? Why are you on the ground?”

“Why...?”
Noa watched as her friend thought about it. “Holy SHIT!”
Edward exclaimed as he sat upright. Groaning, he grabbed the back of
his head and hunched awkwardly over his legs.

“What?”
Noa asked trying to keep the hint of panic out of her voice at his
foul language.

“Ahhh...”
groaned Ed, winching at how tender his head was right now. “The
colonel was here!” Ed looked up into Noa's eye with an excited
intensity and conviction.

“Wha—”

“Mustang!
He was here! I don't believe it! How'd he cross the gate? Where'd he
go?” Edward struggled to get to his feet with out any luck.
“Help me up!” he demanded. Noa gripped the blond under
his arm and hoisted him upwards. Once on his feet, Ed ran to the
banister and looked over the side for any signs of either his
attacker or the colonel. “But, why'd he leave...?”

“Are
you sure it was the colonel?” asked Noa hesitatingly before
following Edward to the banister and look at his profile as he
frowned. “What happened out here?”

“I
think...I was attacked.” Edward felt the back of his head and
winced again. “And then I was thrown...and then the colonel
used his alchemy...”

“Alchemy
doesn't work here Edward...”

“I
KNOW THAT!” Edward yelled as he gripped the railing, glaring at
the back of his hands. Noa shifted uneasily beside him but remained
silent. Looking down, Edward finally noticed his open shirt. He
turned away from the railing and look back at the ball, thinking.

“But
I did see fire...” He quickly re-fastened the buttons of his
shirt and un-did his belt and pants. He turned to Noa, who hadn't
moved or adverted her eyes. Stuffing his shirt down his pants, he
refastened his belt and buttoned up the vest restoring his
appearance. “He was here.” Ed said again, pulling his
hair back and smoothing it out.

Noa
just nodded, Edward was not in a mood to have her argue with him. She
could tell that without touching him.

“Com'on.”
Edward walked back into the ball, with Noa on his heels.

Roy
exhaled, sliding down the pillar to sit on the floor. Whew,
that was close...what was all that talk about a 'colonel' and
alchemy? Mustang? How does he know about that? Grandpa was the
only—no, it's just a coincidence.

Roy
pushed himself back to his feet. Time
to get back to work.....

- - - -

The moon emerged from
behind large wispy clouds, casting its silvery light on the court
yard and veranda below. A lone figure watched as the dark haired man
went back to the ball leaving the veranda empty.

Soon,
soon, that wonderful man would be in my possession...soon....

The moon light glistened
off the large toothy grin, just before the figure melted back into
the shadows.

--
To be continued --
- 6
- 7
- 8
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A Little Light of Love