Cost of a Secret

Review Replies: Kuragari, thanks so much. Baroqueangel, thanks. Yes, Roy's brought this on himself. radcat, thanks. Yes, Ed managed to show some tact when it came to Liam. I'm glad that despite all he's done, Roy managed to still be likeable because of how he is with Liam.

Chapter 9

Swearing

Havoc parked the car in front of the apartment building, where his place—and Ed’s too, now, he reminded himself—was on the fourth floor. Al got out of the car first, immediately grabbing one of the last boxes of Ed’s things to haul out.

“Now,” Havoc said, “you know Riza lives just two floors down from me. Breda lives across the street in the same building as Falman, and Fuery and Shezka aren’t that far downtown.” He opened his car door, Ed doing the same.
“I know that.” He’d visited them many times and really didn’t need this refresher course.

“Well, you’ll probably be getting a bunch of visitors in the next few days. They’re all going to check on you at some point, you know. But if you want time, let me know. I’ll pass the word along.”

“Thanks,” Ed said. “Time could probably be a good thing.”

Entering the main entrance, it seemed time wasn’t going to be even hours before he was confronted with his first concerned friends. Standing the lobby at the mailboxes were Riza and Melissa Rosenberg. The doctor had been Ed’s when he’d let himself stress to the point of sickness over lying on Al’s military files.

“I can make it back to my apartment,” Melissa said as she rubbed over her swollen belly.

“Just stay here until we meet with the judge about Liam,” Riza told her. “It’s closer here.”

“Are you just trying to get me up to your place?” Melissa said suggestively, which earned her a small slap from the blonde. “Fine. I’m not turning down someplace that’s closer.” She lightly tapped the bump. “Makes it hard to walk sometimes.”

Riza nodded and smiled affectionately, her eyes drifting over the doctor’s shoulder to see Ed. The smile faded.

“Ed,” she said. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. Don’t let me disturb you,” he said with a smile. He liked seeing the two women this playful. There had been seven kinds of drama when they’d started dating because Melissa had already been pregnant thanks to a donor and some connections in the medical community who were experimenting with the new art of artificial insemination. She hadn’t told Riza until they’d been on a few dates.

Ed unconsciously sighed. At least the baby hadn’t even been the size of an orange before she told Riza. Not like Ed.

“You’re not disturbing anything,” Melissa said, standing next to Riza. The expression on her face told him that she had heard the tiny puff of air from the young man.

“Do you need any help with anything?” Riza asked Ed.

He turned down her offer and shifted the box in his arms. “I’m fine.”

Riza frowned slightly. “I’ll be just downstairs,” she said, “if you need anything.”

“I know. Thank you, though.” He began heading up the stairs, trying to ignore the hushed conversation between the two women and two men. He wondered how many times he’d force a smile and swear he was fine. He knew no one believed it, but he’d still try to tell the same lie.

********

Roy was trying to decide what to wear to meet with the judge, not so much in terms of clothing, but rather whether to resume with the patch. Part of him wanted to wear it anyway. Still, he decided that the scars that remained on his cheek and eyelid were probably a better way to garner pity than putting a giant piece of black fabric over his face.

He pulled on his uniform. There was no question that the decorated military blue would guarantee some consideration.

He wondered how Liam was fairing with his own clothing and headed down the hall.

“Liam?” he asked. “Buddy, are you okay?” He heard what sounded like crying from the other side of the door. Slowly, he walked in the room, seeing Liam on the bed, holding Ed the cat. He was definitely crying.

The boy looked up at Roy, fear evident in his expression. “Liam…” Roy said as he approached his son.

“Dad?” Tearful brown eyes met his. “Do I really have to talk to a judge? Tell him… about the tattoos?”

Roy nodded. “I’m sorry, buddy,” he said, sitting next to Liam. He even risked, despite a growl from Ed, to put an arm around his son. “We need to make sure your mom can’t take you back.”

“So I won’t be able to see her again?” Liam asked. “I mean… she’s my mom… and…”

Roy squeezed his son’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry that you have to hurt like this,” he said, kissing the head of black hair below him. “But if your mom gets help, I promise you that I won’t keep you from her. She needs help, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ever see her again.”

“I’m scared, Dad,” Liam said. “What do I say?”

“The truth,” Roy said. “They will ask you questions about your mother and about me. I want you to tell the truth, no matter what. Even if you think it might hurt either of our feelings. Okay?”

Liam sniffed as Roy pulled him into a hug. Ed let out a squeak and squirmed out of the boy’s arms.

********

Ed began reshuffling his things in the room, trying to find out where to put items that had occupied the better part of a house into one bedroom and a living area. Al helped him where he could and Havoc was in the process of ordering pizza and beer for them all. Ed wasn’t entirely sure he wanted his brother to have beer, but he thought it could be worth some entertainment if he did.

And it wasn’t as though Ed could stop him. Al was legal to drink, and even if Al wasn’t, Ed certainly didn’t have the right to tell him not to do it. He’d given up that right years ago along with several others. He had a slight suspicion that his brother would probably look at him disapprovingly when he had a beer or two, or ten. He wondered if Al would know he wasn’t a stranger to alcohol. He didn’t drink to excess, certainly not the way he’d seen Roy do on occasion, but he was capable of putting away a decent amount for his size.

He didn’t think he wanted to get drunk. Ed learned he was a very honest drunk, and he wasn’t quite ready to lay himself that bare, not yet.

“You are a very sexy man, Roy Mustang,” Ed said as he let himself be supported by his boyfriend. Still, staggering and slurring as he was, he saw something on the other man’s face. “What? Don’t believe me?”

“You’re drunk, Ed,” Roy said.

“These aren’t beer goggles,” Ed said, then giggled. “I had tequila.”

“I’m very aware of it. Don’t you think it was a bit much?”

“Nope,” Ed slurred. “Anniversary celebration. Amestris’s freedom from the fuhrer bastard!” He grinned dopily up at Roy as he threw his automail arm around the other man. “And I get to go home with a sssspectacular hero. I’m a lucky bastard.”

“Come on, Ed,” Roy said, hauling Ed upstairs.

“I’m complimenting you here,” Ed said. “You should say thank you at least.”

“Thank you,” Roy responded automatically. “But I’m the lucky one.”

“Pppptttbbbbttt,” Ed raspberried. There had been no real reason for it, but he hadn’t had the sense to manage a scoff. “I love you, you know.”

“Now I know you’re drunk.”

“Nope… well, okay, I’m probably drunk.” He struggled to walk up the stairs, wondering if there wasn’t something wrong with them. They didn’t used to be so difficult to climb. “But I swear I love you.”

“Pizza’s here,” Havoc called. “Beer, too.”

“Are you going to drink?” Al asked Ed.

“Just a little, I think,” he said. “You?”

“A glass maybe, I don’t care much for beer.” Al began putting some of Ed’s clothes in the closet as the older brother looked at the younger.

“When did you try?” Ed asked.

“A party at Auntie Pinako’s,” Al said. “I tried a glass or two. I wasn’t too thrilled with it. I like red wine, though, in moderation.” He snickered. “You should have seen Winry when we went out to the little restaurant in town. She had a little too much of it and got drunk enough she was saying all kinds of things. It was fun, though I heard about it later for letting her get so far gone.”

Ed smiled up at his brother, knowing this was just a small amount of what he’d missed with Al. He hoped that somehow he’d earn the right to find out more about his brother, his new likes and dislikes, what he’d found out with his new body, what hurts and injuries he’d had.

Maybe spending time with Al like he should have done would be the best distraction.

He smiled and went with his brother into the living area that would also serve as a dining room. Havoc began opening the pizza boxes. “I wasn’t sure how many to order,” Havoc told Ed. “You usually have a big appetite, and I didn’t know if Al was as bad as you.”

Ed opened his mouth as though to answer, but truthfully, he didn’t even know that about his brother.

“I don’t think anyone in the world is as bad as brother,” Al said with a chuckle
“Hey!” Ed said, bumping his elbow into his little brother, trying to keep his attitude as light as he could manage.

********

Roy took Liam’s hand on the short distance to the car, feeling the boy’s grip tightening on his own. “I promise, I’ll be right there through everything.” Liam nodded. Roy opened the passenger door to his car. “I’m not leaving you. I swear.”

“You’re not supposed to swear,” Liam said, quietly. “Mom said. Said it’s a really big promise you have to mean to keep. That you mean for bad things to happen to you if you don’t.”

Roy stopped where he was and pulled the boy into his arms, feeling as though his heart had been ripped out in one swift movement. “Then that is exactly what I mean, Liam.” He held his son tight, trying to be careful of the sore spots he knew were on the too-thin back. “Never again.”

“But what if those people who want to hurt you come back? Or what if you decide you don’t want me around? Jenny Anderson’s dad decided he didn’t want her around. He doesn’t see her at all.”

“Not going to happen. I want you here. And those people are gone. And if they’re not, your dad can take care of it. Promise.”

“You didn’t swear to that one,” Liam said, making Roy certain his son was far too smart for his age.

“Put down the gloves, Brigadier General,” the man said as he held a gun to Ed’s head. Somehow, he had managed to capture the young alchemist and had his hands separated by a board-like contraption, similar to the one he’d heard they used on Zolf Kimblee.

“Don’t you dare, Mustang,” Ed said, barely flinching as the man pressed the gun closer to the teen’s head.

“Why do you think I’d give up my gloves for him?” Roy asked, earning a glare from Ed for it.

“Because he’s part of your team, and everyone knows you’d do anything for your team,” the man said. “There’s a reason you keep them close to you, and it has nothing to do with their ability to move you to the top.” He smiled. “You’ve been a subject of scrutiny for those of us who were loyal to the fuhrer.” Roy began removing his first glove from his fingers, then pulling it off all together. As the man watched him, he apparently lost track of Ed and the fact that the teen had pried one hand from the wood restraints.

Ed clapped his hands together and speared the man in the stomach while Roy snapped his fingers and set off a fireball at the man's shoulder and upper arm that had enough force to guarantee the gun would not hit Ed if he managed to pull the trigger. Thankfully, he didn’t.

It would make another death on Ed’s conscience, but the teen still swore he didn’t blame Roy for that. He only sent him the doctor’s bill for the massively dislocated thumb.

Roy let Liam sit beside him on the bench seat of the vehicle. The smaller body was currently pressing itself up so closely to Roy’s that he thought they might be joined if he kept that up. Then his mind reminded him of the symbol on his son’s back and how possible that statement could be.

His muscles ached as he fought off the shudder at the thought, not wanting to disturb Liam more than the boy already was. Never, not once, had he thought his son would not be safe with his mother. Karen was determined, as much of a ladder-climber as he was, himself, and that in itself was an important thing. If you were looking for rank, being able to say you had a family was one of the best ways to guarantee it. He remembered how surprised she had been that he’d never claimed Liam.

So why would she do this to him?

And how would he answer questions about why he never took him in? Aside from whatever had gone on recently, all demonstrated evidence showed him to be the parent who came to visit on a whim and her the caregiver, a good mother. Somehow, it made him sick to think he sounded a bit too much like Hohenheim. But he hadn’t just left Liam to be raised away from him. He always came for his son, was going to split custody of the boy with Karen if the time came when the attacks would just stop.

“So, tell me,” the woman said in his ear, “how you defeated the fuhrer?” She was a major in the military, and had apparently known what King Bradley had been. She put a knife to his side as he was tied up. Better him than Ed.

“I burned him,” Roy said. It was a half truth.

“He couldn’t die from something as simple as fire. Tell me how you did it? You must know how you make more of him.”

“I don’t know… Aaaa!” He screamed out as the knife dragged across his bare side, where she must have known it would hurt but not kill. Either way, the pain was intense and made Roy question how long he could take it.

“You’re asking the wrong one, lady,” Ed said as he stood there with Riza and Havoc. “He knows how to kill. I know how to do it all.” Riza immediately opened fire before the woman could manage to stab him with the knife anywhere else, anywhere that the damage would be more permanent. As soon as the major was down, Riza and Havoc were detaining her and stopping the bleeding in her legs. Ed was busy attending to Roy.

“I always said you were a screamer,” the young man said, with a too-strained smile, putting his hands over Roy’s wounds, as though trying to hold off the blood flow. There were a growing number now. “This is going to hurt. Sorry.” He clapped his hands and brought them down on Roy’s torn flesh.

It had been six months since that last attempt on his or his friends’ lives, and Roy was more prepared now, more suspicious. He did, at least, know that the major, the last of the fuhrer’s known supporters was finally behind bars.

The problem was, in doing this, he was not simply bringing his son into his home; he would likely be putting it across national news that he was taking him on and having a custody battle.

He hadn’t sworn he’d keep Liam safe, because that wasn’t a promise he could guarantee. He could only swear he would do everything in his power and sacrifice his own life for his son’s. Roy had simply been in the military long enough that he was more than aware that could sometimes not be enough.