Envy watched Ed with a mild glare for a few moments until he was satisfied that the boy was off in his own private world. Only then did he snatch the stupid bib off from around his neck and toss it over his shoulder onto the floor.

He made short work of the food on his tray, ravaging it and filling his stomach quickly. However when he looked up he found Ed had barely gotten half way through with his own food and so he decided to just ignore the chibi for the time being, carefully manipulating his form just enough to find the fasteners to the booster seat and unlatch them.

He slipped down off the chair and under the table, absently toying with the idea of biting Ed on the leg but decided better of it and darted across the room, scurrying under tables and around oblivious officers until he was out the door and in one of the hallways. With a few quick glances to make sure things were clear, he jumped upward, kicking in one of the ventilation covers before hauling his body up into the air duct.

"Think I'll see what our precious little fire bug is up to before I go check on Wrath. Maybe I can get chibi OUT of this boring building, and myself out as well." Envy muttered and complained as he crawled through the vent system, frowning a bit as a thought occurred to him.

"And where the hell is the tin can anyway?!"

Ed was deep in though mulling over the past few days...he absent mindly picked at his tray, then deciding hie was finished stood to his feet, he glanced over to where Envy was sitting only to find he wasnt there..Ed almost felt fear leap into his heart.

'Where did he go?..he had to find him"...then shaking his head he rememberd that Envy was not an innocent child, he was a sin that he was now rid of for the moment and hopefully forever.

Ed then left the mess and started for the east wing of HQ, he haddnt seen Al in two days and that was very unusual, not that he was worried..with things as they were he was glad to have more time to himself,

He was sure Al was burried somewhere on the east tower doing reaseach which was exactly what he should be doing...Ed headed off that direction.

Envy scurried and crawled along through the vent system, arching an eyebrow at some of the noises he could hear echoing up from a few of the rooms he passed, but he kept moving. When he got close enough to Wrath's chambers he discovered via eavesdropping that the fuhrer was at home with his family. Snorting, Envy continued on, eventually heading east ward and up into a higher system of vent shafts.

"You know..being the highest command in Central, you would think, that they would DUST once in a while!" He snarled, barely containing the urge to sneeze as he continued on, pausing when he came to the end of the ducts.

Peering out he glanced between the vent folds and arched an eyebrow curiously.

"Just how many books do these humans need?"

After reaching the tower Ed was now worried...his brother was not there...and no one had seen him since yesterday...Ed chewed his bottom lip...it wasnt like Al to disapear like this....he started back down the tower and with out even a thought of his orders from Mustang to stay within the boundries of Headquarters...he dashed down into the busy streets of central.

Envy happened to be standing near enough to one of the windows in the tower to see the flash of familiar gold and red go blitzing out into the main streets of the city. He paused, staring for a moment until the little blurb of colors melded into those of the other citizens and then felt his eyelid twitch.

"You know, he really ought to be more careful about obeying his superiors. tsk, chibi-san you are going to be in SOOOOO much trouble later on. I'll have to intercept you!"

Smirking at the thought of geting a little revenge for earlier maltreatment at the hands of his precious alchemist, Envy carelessly punched a hole in the glass and shifted his form into that of a medium sized hawk, nothing too out of the ordinary, and then took off, soaring rapidly through the skies until he caught sight of his target.

"There you are..now..where are we off to this time shrimp?"

An amused light flickered in his eyes as he flew above the high roof tops and street lights, keeping his eyes focused on Edward the entire time.

Ed ran at a full pace untill he reached the downtown of central, first he checked every bookshop, then every hotel, then with a heavy heart he started for the hospital.

By this time it was late evening and Edward had exhausted his search of Central....his stomach was empty but he diddnt notice. After striking out once again at the hospital the young alchmist decided to lastly check the train station,

The evning sun was waining and cast its last rays over the horizen, as he made it to the train platform...But Al was still nowhere to be found.

Upset Ed decided to buy a ticket and start searching the closest town.

His train diddnt leave untill midnight so Ed leaned up against the wall of the station feeling botherd.

Envy followed Ed all over Central, from building to building and around one street corner after the next. He was starting to get slightly pissed off when the boy finally came to a stop at the train station.

"For someone with such short legs he sure runs around a lot." The sin snorted softly as he perched on one of the rails above the loading station, watching Ed with renewed patience. It seemed the runt was going to be leaving Central on his own, but if that was the case at least Envy wouldn't have to wrangle some false mission for him.

Ed was compleltly obliviouse to Envy ...in fact he had forgotton all about what had heppend just that morning, All he was worried about was finding Al...finnaly his train pulled into the station and Ed quickly boarded and took a seat by the window, because he was a state alchemist he was able to procure a first class private car..he was not in the mood to be botherd by strangers.

The train wistle blue and Ed relaxed back in his seat heading for the only place he could think of that Al could be.....Resembool.

Envy watched Edward board the train and waited till after the boy was on before swooping down on top of the train car. He cautiously shifted forms back to his favorite and then dug his hands into the metal roofing, securing his grip as the train pulled out.

He tossed his head a bit, rather enjoying the wild breeze the train created as it picked up steam, pulling farther and farther away from Central, away from Father, away from the other sins, away from that stupid colonel. Envy felt his lips quirk up into a wide grin.

"Hmmn quality time with chibi san and NO one to get in my way of a little fun. Seems the shrimp had a good idea after all. A REALLY good idea." He snickered at the passing scenery, watching it fly by.

After a fullnight of traveling it was early morning when the train pulled into Resembool.
Ed had slept fitfully, he hated traveling by train...especially alone.

The familiar sounds and smells of Risembool..filled his senses...and he felt happy and sad all the the same time....he began his trek to a all too familiar spot, where their house once stood.
he prefered to walk there...enjoying the nice slow paced life of his former home.

Envy had been awake most of the train ride, and though he was capable of going without sleep the manner in which he had been forced to ignore it had lost its pleasure around sunset, so he had been grumpy for several hours all ready before they pulled into the station at Risembol.

He didn't bother to shift his form or hide his descent off the train after Edward had disembarked from the station. He ignored the shocked murmurs as he stalked the chibi, his irritation mounting in the calm sunshine and the cheery fields. His good mood was officially slaughtered and left in bloody chunks.

Ed was so preoccupied with worry that he diddnt even notice him being followed or why people were staring and pointing in his general direction.
his thoughts so clouded by worry...there was only one face he was looking for..and it was no where to be seen.

Ed decided he should eat some breakfast before heading the rest of the way and stopped by a small outdoor cafe...and orders some orange juice and eggs.

Envy stalked Ed all the way to the little mud hole of a cafe and watched as the boy placed his order. He snorted and shook his head, brazenly striding over and leaning in, slamming his right hand down on the table so it shook slightly.

A smirk curled his lips though it never reached his violet eyes, which were holding a malicious, angry glare, directed solely at Edward.

"So shrimp...we came all this way, JUST for you to have eggs? Not worth the ride I can say that much. Hope you have something more entertaining planned. There's nothing out here to stop me from obliterating this entire town you know?"

For the first time Eds mind snapped away from Al.
"ENVY!!!" fullmetal said in surprise. "I dont remember inviting you!....and dont you DARE lay a hand on this town...or you will regret the day you were transmuted!!!!" he growled.

"Now go back to central...I have my own business to tend to here...and I am sick of seeing your face every time I turn around!" Ed slammed his fist onto the table top.

Envy sneered at the very idea of Ed making him regret anything, well he DID sort of regret ever laying eyes on the runt, but that wasn't something he could do anything about really.

"Yeah about that, see it's kinda my whole PURPOSE to be tagging along with you everywhere you go. And really as accommodating as I have been to you I haven't gotten a whole lot back yet." He smirked wickedly, leaning in a bit more toward the boy.

"I think you've forgotten exactly what I'm capable of. I've let you play lead for just a little too long." The moment the words were whispered past his lips his right arm snapped forward, his hand curled into a harsh fist that flew out against Ed's face with a solid crack. The force was more than enough to send the boy flying from his table, and Envy, stood there, looking smug but only faintly satisfied.

"Let's dance shrimp. It's been FAR too long." The sin looked positively delirious with rage and excitement, stalking after Ed with his green tinted hair whipping around him and a manic grin stretching over his face. He distinctly heard people shout and scramble away but they didn't matter right now. He had only one target.

Envys punch ignited the anger inside the young alchemist, it took him a moment to shake the stars away that swirled around his head..then he looked up with a look that could kill and said in a low steady voice.

"Lets end this!" Ed growled. the cafe was now deserted as everyone who had good sense had fled. Fullmetal clapped his hands together and decomposed the floor beneath envy so he would drop down....then at the same time a large metal spike formed on the ceiling above the sin and dropped ready to split envy in half.

Envy blinked and scowled as the ground fell out from under his feet. He slid down to the center of the crater that had formed and happened to glance up just in time to see the spike plummeting down to skewer him.

He threw his body up, using that natural inhuman strength he possessed to hurl his body out of harms way, though he didn't make it out without slicing a long, jagged gash down his right leg. He cursed and spat in pain as he landed, the wound healing almost immediately but it had still hurt.

"Little bastard, you'll pay for that one." Envy lunged at Edward, rushing the boy while shifting his arms into a pair of wickedly curved blades. He spun as he got within range, twisting and turning to lash out with one foot and then his arm blades, the metal singing as it swung through the air.

For a second Ed was sure that he had finnaly nailed the sin, but was shocked and disapointed as he watched him fly up out of the crater..Ed instinctivly went on the definsive...and barely blocked the blows with his automail, but Envy was going at a frenzy speed and Ed was quickly out of breath and was loosing ground.

"You know what envy...I liked you better as a kitten" Ed sneered...he figured if he was going to be impailed he might as well get in one last jab.

Envy was feeling the old thrill of battle, the blood lust that he lived for, that felt oh so right to his dark mind. But then Ed had to go and just RUIN it all by mentioning him being a kitten. Which snapped up other memories in the sin's mind.

Edward joking back and forth with him, teasing..that amusing voice complaining and complimenting...honest laughter and enjoyment in shared company..Ed's touch on his skin, the press of one hot mouth against another, cold metal stroking over sensitive flesh, firm thickness invading..claiming....

Envy suddenly jerked forward, stabbing the wall next to Edward's head deeply, his violet eyes were wide as a shocked realization settled on him. As much as he wanted to vent his anger, something had changed, Ed had somehow..managed to make him feel some kind of bond with him.

Granted he had been observing the runt for some time, but having spent so much time together, and being intimate even if it was rough there were moments that had secretly attached tiny threads to a heart that shouldn't have allowed any connection whatsoever. Envy slowly let his stunned gaze lock onto Edward's face, his eyes holding a slight fear of the sudden knowledge that..he cared....about..the shrimp...he really..cared.

Edward knowing that death was coming had used his verbal jab at Envy as a way of letting the sin know that, there their relationship was not the same as it had been at the beginning, but he had not expected it to effect Envy, he was sure by now that the sin...so blinded by rage had all but forgotten their moment.
But that look in his violet eyes..Ed could almost see Envys mind snap to the memories...Ed had not expected that....now the sins eyes were locked on his..and they were face to face again...the stirring inside Ed swelled....that too familiar feeling began to build.....Ed taking a chance...knowing this could be his last breath...closed his eyes slowly and opend his mouth...and moved toward Envys sweet lips...wishing to drink from those fountains of sweet desire.

Envy blinked when Ed came in to claim his mouth in a sweet kiss. His mind wavered only for a moment before he shifted, returning his arms to normal so that he could slide them around Edward's body and hold him tightly.

The sin buried one pale hand up into the soft strands of gold on Ed's scalp, working his own lips against his chibi's gently. His eyes had fallen shut by this point, his body drinking in every sensation that their contact sparked, drowning in the touch, taste and scent that was his..yes he would openly admit it now.. his Elric.

Fullmetals heart gushed when he felt Envy accept him...he diddnt know why this was important to him but it was...and he felt relived...to be so close to Envy again...it was intoxicating..he felt the world melt around him....he wanted to melt into Envy....he wanted him....no he NEEDED him..every part of him. Ed moaned through his mouth ...vibrating his tounge...and whimperd as he began to breath harder...his hands then slipped down to the hem of Envys black skirt and he pulled it up...he wanted more skin contact and the fabric was just getting in the way...he wanted to feel that part of the sin...he wanted it inside him again...filling him up with its juices....his fingers then found the prize...the now stiff shaft...Ed pulled at it...and held it in his fingers.

Envy smirked against Ed's lips and pulled away just enough to look at the boy in his arms. His eyes had dropped any hint of maliciousness for now, holding something akin to love, but maybe it was just lust? No..he could feel it, something had grown in his heart that should never have dared to take root.

None the less...it was there.

Absently, he traced the edge of Edward's jaw with a single finger tip, trying not to react much to the hand caressing him so nicely.

"Chibi san...not that I mind, but...would you really like to do this here in the cafe?" He snickered softly, arching an eyebrow at the shop, and the gawkers.

"Oh!" Ed suddenly came back to reality blushing very hard....he had been so caught up in the moment he had forgotten where they were.

'I..Ohh...uh!!" Ed then suddenly shoved Envy away from him very forcefully...this was his hometown for crying out loud..someone he knew was bound to recognize him....he heard murmers from the crowd and then his face burning even hotter he turned on his heel and took of running his head down a few tears flying from his face.

Envy bit his lower lip and watched Ed run off, then, mentally nagging himself for what he was doing, he altered his voice to sound completely feminine and drew a deep blush to his cheeks, offering a perfect ruse as he called out after Ed and chased the boy's retreating form, earning a few raised eyebrows, two whistles and a couple of coughs from on lookers.

Thankfully his movements were quick enough to keep too many people from really noticing his lack of breasts but with his gender always under confusion to strangers as it was he didn't think Ed would be confused for being with a male, so it wouldn't seem as shocking as it really should have been to his..home town.


When they were out of sight of the people Envy caught up with Edward and almost tackled the other boy, grappling at him.

"Chibi san..Edo..you do realize I get tired of always chasing you ne?" He smirked faintly, rubbing a hand on Ed's shoulder..in a way of offering comfort.

Ed shook his head a mixture of anger and humiliation marred his face.

"Let go of me!!!" he said trying to jerk away, "I dont want this..I dont!..he knew what he was saying was a lie..but he diddnt want to submit again..not now.

"Let go of me you bastard...just let me go!"

The sin glared, feeling his anger rising at Ed's behavior. In a heart beat he had curled a fist and landed it square against the boy's jaw. On the same spot he had just been tenderly stroking.

He heaved a deep sigh that spiraled into a low growl as he slowly released Ed from his arms and stood up.

"Fine then, we'll forget about all that. You came here to find the tin can anyway so let's find him." Envy snorted softly and didn't give Ed the chance to say anything before he started walking, toward the Rockbells..yes..he knew EXACTLY where those most precious to Edward Elric lived, after all, Father had been keeping tabs on the places Hohenheim of Light frequented...long before Ed could ever walk even.

Something inside Ed felt like it had been suddenly torn away as he watched Envy get up..leaving him there....the pain that he felt when Envy had hit him in the face was nothing compaired to the empty ache in his heart....but there was no way he was going to beg or plead for Envy....or tell him he was sorry and that he haddnt meant it...he gatherd what little bit he had and looked the other way.

"Well have a good time at the Rockbells...because thats not where I am heading." Ed said a twinge of anger in his voice.
"You think you know me Envy...but you dont!"

Ed stood and dusted the dirt from his pants and started walking in the opposite direction.

Envy sneered over his shoulder, fury lacing his voice with the old hatred and scorn he used to hold for all humans, including Edward. Maybe the caring feeling had been a fluke, right now he just wanted to hurt the boy.

"Then go your own way! It'll be more fun to torture the little bitch and the old hag without you there to whine anyway!" He snarled, stalking away at a faster clip. His mood was foul again, brooding and dark. Lust had been right really, he should listen to her once in a while.

Still..breaking some bones and pulling some heart stopping screams from Ed's close friends would be good enough payment. The chibi had hurt him, and even if he wouldn't admit it, he would make the brat regret it.

Ed stopped in his tracks and spun around.
"DONT YOU DARE HURT THEM!!!" Ed said his face flushed with anger again....how he hated Envy...he was right in shoving him away.
"If you want to hurt anyone...HURT ME!" he screamed..."Because you have already killed me inside..why dont you just FINISH THE JOB!...you sick twisted psyco PERV!!!"

Envy glared at Edward, and in a sudden and unexplainable bout of near childish rage, stamped his feet and shook both fists before pointing at Edward in a way that simply shouted 'YOU are to BLAME!'

"I OFFERED to help you find that stupid lumbering pile of metal that you CALL a brother! And you SHOVED me off! So FINE! Go look by yourself! And if it comes to it I'll hurt you in EVERY single way I can! I was going to HELP you! You stupid idiotic self absorbed midget!!"

With that, Envy turned on his heel and kept stalking down the road. He was blushing slightly, from both frustration and a bit of embarrassment. He couldn't understand WHY he had just done that...but it was done.

Like lighting Ed threw himself at Envy tackling him to the ground his arms locked around envys neck willing to squeeze the very breath out of his....if it were possible.
"I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU!!!!...CALL ME MIDGET JUST ONE MORE TIME AND WE WILL SEE WHAT COLOR A HUMUNCULS BLEEDS!!!!"

Ed was in a fuery of absolute rage..not only had Envy insulted him..but he had insulted his borhter too...and now the sin was actting like a spoiled bratt who diddnt get their way and Ed had enough!!

Ed dug his knee into Envys back as he choked him harder...he wanted to snap the sin in half.

Envy snarled as he hit the dirt, he wasn't expecting to have the runt go ballistic, but he had taken all he could of Edward's attitude.

Fists clenched and pushed down on the ground, sending spiraling cracks out in all directions. The earth below his body caved slightly, sinking down several inches as alchemic light began to spark and crackle around him.

Envy's voice shifted tones, deepening and acquiring an animalistic growl as his body began to change, enlarging and hunching over, four extra limbs sprouted from his lengthened mid section and a tail began to develope, thick and scaled like a dragons. He turned his head to look at Edward over his shoulder, one eye turned a deep blood red and the other grotesquely filled, at least twenty eyes held within the space where only one should be. His nose was stretched slightly, sharp fangs filling his snout like mouth.

"GET OFF ME!"

Ed really diddnt have a choice at this point...he had not exprected this move from Envy at all, last time he had attacked the sin...Envy made no real moves to fight him...Eds jaw was wide in shock at the hidiouse beast that was before him and he slid off of Envy and stood before him about to wet himself....this truly was the end...he had finnaly pushed Envy too far.

Envy felt so many voices in his mind, the souls of Xerxes, all compiled into his stone, those who gave him life, screaming and howling and clawing to get free, to find rest. They never bothered him except for when he took on this form..his true form. Only then did he hear them, only then did he feel them, oozing off of his body in vain attempts to get away, but so long as the stone existed, so long as ENVY existed they couldn't get away.

Still, he knew what he looked like in this form. The ugly, monster..that he appeared to be. He hated it. None of the others looked this revolting and grotesque when they showed their true selves. Envy couldn't stand it, couldn't stand the expression on Edward's face. It pained him to know that the boy was disgusted by him.

A myriad of voices howled as forms moved along his leviathan like body, screaming and shrieking in distorted tones.

"Help me!" "Kill us!" "Run away!"

Envy's own voice suddenly snapped out above all the others, above the maddening laughter of the deranged souls trapped inside of him. He couldn't fight Ed like this, he couldn't bare to look, to see Ed's face.

"Don't look...Don't LOOK AT ME!!" He slammed past Edward, kicking the boy harshly as he quite literally fled from the road, into the forested area over the edge of the hill side. He trampled trees and underbrush, slowly willing his body back to his favorite form, only then did he leap up into a tree and curl up against himself, trembling with an over flow of emotions, and for the first time in over a hundred years he wept.

Ed in his anger had said that Envy diddnt know him, but now watching the sin writhed in agony...showing the monster that was him, the Alchemist relized that Ed really diddnt know Envy at all. There he was...Envy could just as easily chomped him in one bite....but he ran...and showed a side of himself that Ed had never seen before...it was shame...the shame of the reality of what he was.

Ed stood frozen watching Envy run away.....there was an eerie silence that follwed...it was empty and hollow...and the Fullmetal knew what he had to so.

"ENVY!!!!" he called loudly entering the woods...he looked around franticly...as if he were looking for a lost child...maybe that was exactly what he was looking for....then he heard the sound of crying....Ed followed the sound untill it lead him to a tall tree...Ed looked up.

Envy looked so small, so frail...Ed felt that ache in his heart.

"Hey...what are you doing all the way up there?" Ed said..his voice sounding gentle.

Envy jerked at the sound of Edward's voice and clutched a fist to his chest, wavering on how to react. Part of him wanted to lash out and hurt Ed, part of him wanted to run away and go back to Father in Central, to admit he had failed and accept whatever punishment was given, then request a new mission, far away from Ed.

A tiny sliver of him, the part that had started caring, that had caused all of this mess, hoped that maybe Ed wanted to forget what he really looked like, to accept him and to hold him again and kiss and do all those things that felt so good.

The sin remained in his tree, his head pressed against the tops of his knees as he drifted between hope and despair, not knowing how to respond, unable to decide what to do.

After hearing no response Ed took a gamble and decided to climb the tree.
deep down inside the alchemist had no idea why he was doing this, maybe it was because he had seen Envy take the form of a child before...and even though that was not the form that Envy was in right now....there was an emotional connection there..that no matter how hard he tried...he could never break....how could he...they had already been so intimate...after something like that...there would forever be an unbreakable bond between them...no matter how angry they got at eachother.

Ed easily scaled the tree and carefully sat down next to Envy.

there was an uncomfortable silence for a moment and Ed put a hand behind his head.
"Sorry about blowing up at you back there...I diddnt mean it..I can be such a monster sometimes."

At the word monster Envy's breath hitched and he let out a low hiss, that ended with a miserable sniffle. After a moment he lifted his head slightly, rubbing a hand against his face and peering over at Edward from between long tendrils of green hair.

"I would have helped you look for him.." His voice was subdued but still held a sharp edge, bitterness and malice long old embedded in every syllable. Though, maybe now Ed might have a better understanding as to why Envy's mind and emotions were so often wildly shifting, as easily as his body shifted.

Ed couldnt belive he had said such a stupid thing...but it was too late to take it back.

"I know...b-but..I dont your help." Ed now sighed. "Its complicated..I dont expect you to understand...Its just ...that ....hes my little brother...I'm the only one that can watch out for him...to find him......I have to do it alone...and you..."

Ed paused he diddnt quite how to say this.

"Well I dont like people making descions for me....if you havent noticed I dont even listen to the Colonel."