Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

Um, wow. I normally say "thank you" here, and I AM still thankful, but - I'm REALLY sorry, you guys! I didn't expect it to take me this long. Real life completely kicked my ass, what with the job and planning to move eleven hours away in a couple of months and... well, I have my excuses, but I really am so sorry. *sweatdrop* Forgive me? You still love me, right?

Previous chapters can be found here.

---

( CHAPTER THIRTY: Thirteen Is Only Unlucky Sometimes )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

Thank you to the usual suspects, and so, so sorry for lack of an update last week. I was in California - the opposite coast from where I normally am - to celebrate my birthday. I hope you guys won't hold it against me.

Also, if anyone was waiting to read "Midnight Confessions" (the one-sided Elicia/Al fic I wrote for fma_fuh_q) for fear of being spoiled, that story takes place right around the same time as this chapter, so no fear of being spoiled anymore. You can find it here.

I am posting one chapter every other Monday. Except on the occasion of birthdays, apparently. Previous chapters can be found here.

---

( CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: The Seven Year Itch )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

Thanks as always to everyone. <3 It's good to know you're reading.

You may have noticed that the final chapter count has been reduced. This is because I decided to shave down a lot of the 'filler' material and stick to the main plot, despite my love for simply writing these two in coupley situations. I figured I can satisfy myself with one-shots set within the universe if I want to; in the meantime, the storyline meanders a little less.

I am posting one chapter every other Monday. Previous chapters and related one-shots can be found here.

---

( CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: The Anniversary Waltz )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

Many thanks to my betas, whose suggestions I actually remembered to incorporate this time, unlike the last chapter. *blush* Thanks to all the readers as well for being patient even when I suck at answering comments. It makes me unbelievably happy that you comment at all.

Also, I'm going to make an announcement about the future of this fic: Up until now, a chapter has been posted every week, and each chapter has been an average length of 2000 words. Beginning with Chapter 25, this will all change. Due to real-life circumstances that sadly necessitate this, I will begin posting one chapter every two weeks instead. To make this up to you, at least a little, the new average word-length for the chapters is somewhere around 3000. (We'll put it this way: 25 and 26 are both over 3200 words apiece and Ch 27 is shaping up similarly.)

Here's hoping you stick with me.

Previous chapters can be found here.

Current chapter title courtesy of the "random" button on my iTunes and the incomparable Carole King. <3

---

( TWENTY-FOUR: Feel the Earth Move )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

Thank you to my betas, who - when I said, "OK, now I'm off to write the dragon's wedding," came back with, "Use that for the chapter title and I mean it." *grin* (Even though I hate weddings in fics and I think it sort of showed up here. Oops.)

And thanks to everyone reading who is being patient while RL kicks me up one side and down the other.

I am posting one chapter every Sunday/Monday. Previous chapters can be found here.

---

( CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: The Dragon's Wedding )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

I am posting one chapter every Sunday night. Previous chapters and related one-shots can be found here.

Thank you to everyone, as always. <3

---

( CHAPTER )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

Thank you, thank you, thank you to cornerofmadness and evil_little_dog who have beta'd every chapter without complaint even though this isn't their pairing. Thank you to everyone who comments... and guess what? I finally stopped being a tease. Only took me eighteen chapters...

This is manga-verse, with every chapter yet released and scanlated as fair game for spoilers and many liberties taken as far as speculation about the future. If you want to know how Al got his body back, Yet Gentle and The Frost of Awakening can be considered my default answer to that question for now at least.

I am posting one chapter every Sunday night. Previous chapters can be found here.

If I have to tell you where the chapter title came from, we're going to have a long, detailed discussion about what Good Music is.

---

( CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Here Comes the Sun )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

You know, I'd ask if y'all get tired of me thanking you, but I never get tired of you commenting, so... and dude, my betas rock.

This is manga-verse, with every chapter yet released and scanlated as fair game for spoilers and many liberties taken as far as speculation about the future. If you want to know how Al got his body back, Yet Gentle and The Frost of Awakening can be considered my default answer to that question for now at least.

I am posting one chapter every Sunday night/Monday. (Except today when I'm posting way early.) Previous chapters can be found here.

---

( CHAPTER SIXTEEN: No One Is Alone )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

This is manga-verse, with every chapter yet released and scanlated as fair game for spoilers and many liberties taken as far as speculation about the future. If you want to know how Al got his body back, Yet Gentle and The Frost of Awakening can be considered my default answer to that question for now at least.

I am posting one chapter every Monday. Previous chapters can be found here.

Love and thanks to my betas and readers, whose encouragement is what keeps me writing this story when I'd rather just draw-and-quarter my muses. *grin*

---

( CHAPTER FOURTEEN: One Is the Loneliest Number )

Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my 7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."

Thanks, darlings, to cornerofmadness and evil_little_dog for your assistance, to everyone who cheers me on in the comments (because it DOES help), and to RainyFrog from MJ for confessing to reading this. ;)

This is manga-verse, with every chapter yet released and scanlated as fair game for spoilers and many liberties taken as far as speculation about the future. If you want to know how Al got his body back, Yet Gentle and The Frost of Awakening can be considered my default answer to that question for now at least.

I am posting one chapter every Sunday night/Monday. Previous chapters can be found here.

---

( CHAPTER TWELVE: Love Takes Time )