More Than You Know

MORE THAN YOU KNOW

A Fullmetal Alchemist Fanfiction

Chapter Seven: The Ascendence

-

In Ocean's wide domains,
Half buried in the sands,
Lie skeletons in chains,
With shackled feet and hands

THE WITNESS, by Henery Longfeller

-

Edward pivoted on his heal to face the Colonel as soon as the door creaked gently shut behind Lust's small frame. His teeth were bared in animalistic anger, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Do you know her?" he barked furiously.

"Not until now, no." Roy responded. Something seemed to have leaped up into his throat and affected his usually steady breathing into nervous, choaked gasps. "Make yourself useful and get me some coffee, Xiao."

"Does she strike you as odd?"

"A bit." he retorted simply. "But then again, all people are."

Ed shuffled his feet, his hair swaying gracefully in the slight movement of his frame. "How long have you been planning to sell me to such a slut?"

"Calm down, you. I'm not planning to sell. And even so, she mentioned no sex was involved - "

"I'm sure." he hissed. "But you didn't answer the question."

Roy laced his tanned fingers together, leaning his chin on them and observing the smaller child through dark eyes. "I got a phone call this morning. But I'm not selling you."

"And you still wanted her to come prancing in?"

"It's good to get to know who your co-workers are." he said crisply, turning back to a stack of tactfully asorted papers and beginning to filter through them.

"You were in control. You could have stopped her."

"Hn?"

"If I am...truely yours." a small blush spread across the bridge of his nose, obviously in a manner that Ed himself could be aware of, because he quickly bowed his head to hide it. "If you own me," he continued, "Then you could have stopped her from doing any one of those antics at any time. And you didn't."

He blinked. "You mean...her touching you?"

"Yes." he hissed, his voice surprisingly thick with impatience.

"Xiao, if I were in her position, I would have wanted to see the physical status of the slave as well. And I told you before, she doesn't want you for sexual reasons, she was probably seeing how strong you were for labor."

"She seemed rather...lustful to me." he said shrilly.

"Just from her outside appearence? Do you know this woman?"

His voice wavered for a moment, and when he spoke, Roy had to lean his upper body over the desk in order to catch the blonde's words.

"...no."

"There, we have it." he said simply.

"You talk to me like a human being." he continued in harsh, restless tones. "You take that damn collar off and put away the whip. You give me clothes and food. You even kissed me all over...and you think of giving me away as if I was an item of your divided amusement?"

"False." he said sharply. "I kissed you, but not 'all over', as you put it. You're wishing, boy."

"Don't you dare tell me that." he hissed.

"So firey." he commented softly.

"Like I said, I wasn't - "

" - always a slave." The Colonel cut him off sharply, rolling his eyes as if the blonde's protests where equal to the foolish antics of a small child. "Yes, you told me. But you're a slave NOW, Xiao, and nothing's going to change that. You are now the PROPERTY -" he slammed his open palm down on the hardwood tabletoop for emphisis, making the boy jump. " - of whoever decides to take your mouthly little ass in. Do you understand?"

"You're wrong." He said sharply. "I can change that. I can excape."

"And if you do, I won't rest until I hunt you down. I have an entire army on my side, Xiao. And they won't be as forgiving as me."

Edward lowered his head in one swift, thoughtful motion, but even in the split second where Roy's eyes connected with the blonde's, he could see the loathing burning behind them. The Colonel stared dully at his bright scalp, unmoving, and finally he heard him whisper:

"Then why?"

He hesitated, and the moved forward. "Why what?"

"Why did you kiss me." It wasn't a question, Roy thought, but never the less, the couldn't help but let his mind branch off in other directions...yes, why indeed? Hadn't he said it was to let the younger boy experience love? Hadn't he voiced his repentence and wondered ever so innocently about what it was like to be in his shoes? Hadn't he -

And then the words came spilling out of his mouth so apburtly that even he couldn't seem to harness them. "I kissed Xiao, not Edward."

"There is no such exsistance of a child named Xiao."

"But there will be." he hissed darkly. "Even if I have to bend and break you until you fit the mold."

"You still talk of me as if I were a thing." he whispered hopelessly.

Roy blinked uneasily at him, and automatically, it seemed, he picked up his files with both hands and straitened them on the shiny, hardwood desk, sticking a bic pen behind his ear and leaning his jaw on the back of his left hand. "I'm still waiting for that coffee." he commented tonelessly.

But before he got the chance to finish the sentence, he heard the soft, almost inaudiable click of his office door swingingly gently closed.

-

"Ed!"

He shifted his eyes at the sound of his name spoken in such a elated tone and found himself looking at none other than Winry Rockbell. Winry was smiling from ear to ear, dressed in blue jeans and a black velvet shirt, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail and her cheeks pink and windblown.

"Ed, thank God, I've been trying to find a chance to talk to you. Tell me what happened."

Ed shrugged, turning and continuing his toneless walk down the hall.

"Hey! Ed -" the blonde jogged to keep up with him, her shoes clicking softly on the shiny floor. "What's wrong?"

"He's treating you well."

"Oh, yes." she said happily, "You noticed. He's so very sweet, I just wish he'd call me by my name...but it's nothing to complain about. I have a little sister now." she giggled. "I'm actually starting to like it here."

"...great." he said flatly.

"Answer my question." she pressed. "That Colonel...he didn't hit you, did he?"

Hesitation, and then: "No."

"Oh, Good." she sighed. "Great. Did he...?" she locked her eyes on his, trying to illistrate her point.

"Spit it out." he snapped, pouring steaming coffee into a mug with one hand.

"You know." she whispered, blushing slightly. "Did he...do anything?"

"No, Winry, he didn't fuck me." he hissed shrilly, his face red. "For the last time, don't even bring that up."

"I'm sorry." she whispered, gesturing tonelessly to the overflowing mug. "I just worry."

"GODDAMNIT!" The blonde cursed loudly, scambling under the cabinet for a paper towel. Winry bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing, but she knew Ed would grow angry anyway if he saw her pinkened face.

"He better like this." he muttered darkly, tossing the darkened, dripping towel across the room and into the waste-basket.

"I think I'll get Mister Hughes a glass." she chirped happily. "He'll like that."

"You tumbled into heaven, you know." he murmered. "He won't lay a finger on you, and you act as if you're his daughter, Winry."

She stared blandly at him for a moment, and then her face lit up with a radient smile. "Of course I am!" she said, "And now I baby sister! Besides, Auntie Pinako-san is okay, and I couldn't ask for anything more. Me and you are the same, Ed. We'll do anything for those dear to us."

Ed pretended not to notice her indirect glancing at his automail arm. "Did the medicine work, by the way?" he asked her lightly, pressing his fingertips against the mug to warm them.

"Yes, she used to write to me alot and tell me about her plans. Said she was looking for an emancipationist to go and get me back, but..."

"I hate to sound so pessimistic, Winry, but the chances are pretty low. Hughes-san and Mustang work in the military. Damn Colonel won't let me forget."

She waved a hand with a most dismissive air. "He's all talk. Edo-kun, I ment to ask...what exactlly were you looking for in those files?"

"If the military got to Al...I'd want to know. I'd get out of here no matter what the cost." he raised his eyes to her, biting down firmly on his lower lip. "You'd help me, right, Winry?"

"...of course. But you didn't find anything?"

"Not yet." he muttered.

"There's always the chance they could find you." she said happily, grabbing her own mug and beginning to set down the hallway. "You keep your chin up, 'kay?"

( it's better that leave for you, niisan, my body will be able to hold ground )

"I guess." he said finally. "I know Al's looking for me, I just wish I knew exactlly how..."

Winry grinned carelessly at him. "Just be good." she said in conclusion. "The Colonel may be a little off the edge, but he doesn't seem as horrific as those bastards that surrounded us back at the market. There's always a bright side, Edward. Maybe you could talk to him?"

He snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Or not." she sighed, vanishing behind Hughes' darkwood door-frame.

-

Colonel Roy Mustang fished out three neatly adressed letters from his mailbox around three in the afternoon. The first was written in large, scrawly writing, which he could only guess was from his newest girlfriend, since she had decorated the envelope with little hearts in red ink. He smiled to himself, turning it over.

S.W.A.K. She was adorable, but strangly chilish as well. Surpressing a laugh, he shoved it into the far corner of his desk. The second was a bill from his phone company, and the third, a letter with "E.ELRIC" neatly printed across the front.

Frowning, he tore the envelope up and unfolded it, spreading it out across his desk.

DEAREST EDWARD,

You're not going to recognize me, but Al-chan wanted me to write this letter to you so you could grow more fermilar with me. My name is Martel, I ment your brother half a year ago and we've been dating. He's a sweet kid, I really do adore him, and when he explained to me why you weren't living with him, I knew I had to help out. You're a kind hearted boy, Ed.

I'm not going to give you the details of everything I would like to tell you since there is a chance this letter may be read by someone other than you. Actually, since it's going through the military arms, I'm sure of it. I'll try to put this in the most stranger-friendly way possible.

One: WATCH OUT. One of the factors helping us to pinpoint your location was very dangerous. I believe you know the woman, she's very sinful.

Two: Behave. I'm not trying to sound like your mother, Ed-kun, but you better stay where you are. No trying to excape, no talking back, no nothing. I'm dead serious.

Three: We can't reach you. I know it sounds a bit...inexcusable, but we're broke as hell. The money Al-chan saved up was just enough to move and to try to track you down to a fault, but we're just about out of leeway. I can't even afford to get a seat on the trian. I'm sorry.

Al was suprised to hear Winry was in the same circle as you. Treat her well. We'll be doing everything we can to look out for you, but we will not under any cases resort to illigal means and neither must you. It's very important that we don't screw up this position any more.

One more thing - regarding something very special in order to bring Al back to us, the sinful woman knows a thing or two about it. I can't stress this enough, Ed-kun, WATCH OUT. If you're going to meet her or already have, do everything in your power to stay away, even if it means desperate measures.

Al-chan was so elated when he got your number, Ed. I just thought you should know that. No boy ever had a better brother. I'll love him the best I can. I'm looking forward to meeting you, and I know I will someday. We'll try to save up enough to get some action into this play, but I can't give you an exact date or time. Keep waiting, Ed-kun. Hang in there.

Much love,

MARTEL AND ALPHONSE ELRIC

The Colonel felt a frown slowly spread across his face. At that moment, the door creaked softly open and Ed's bright nest of hair peeking curiously out from behind it, but in response to the picture greeting him; clapped his other hand loudly to the mug to keep from dropping it. Slowly, he pushed the door wider open, taking a aprehensive step back, his eyes fearful, his lips taunt.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, his frame shaking slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"