I know, I know; new story, again. . .

It isn't even very good, but it helps me break down the writer's block I have on some of my other stories.

My friend challenged me to write a Parental!Riza/Edward story, and here is the result.

And yes, I am award of the OOCness in this chapter, but I hope you like it anyway^^ (The rest of the story is better, I hope).

I'm sorry for my horrible grammar and the OOCness of the characters.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Prologue

End of War

The sky was clear blue, something it hadn't been in years it appeared. The blood from the war had washed away everything beautiful in the world, had turned most innocent soldiers into cold-blooded murderer. Nobody had escaped the killing. At least not those down there in the war-filled territory.

It was a horrible thing, she was sure of that. Why did it even have to be that way? That killing each other was the only way out? Couldn't someone just figure things out by talking?

The young woman watched the soldiers as they walked past her. She herself wore the same uniform, the same gunner. The Hawk's Eye, that was her nickname during the battle.

Not so bad, considering the fact that her surname was Hawkeye.

"Come on, Riza," the person beside her said. Roy Mustang, one of only two that held her father's secret, the other one being herself. She had sworn to protect him so that he could reach his goal and create a better world for them all. He didn't know of this, of course. If he did, she would be screwed. Really screwed.

It would have been better if she just could have ignored her feelings for him.

The two of them walked toward the train that was supposed to take them away from this place. Back to their homes.

It made her almost sad. She didn't have much left, not now after her father's death. And Mustang wouldn't be there either. A student didn't live in his teacher's house after the passing of the teacher.

Maybe she could stay in the military, so that she could be close to him? Hopefully she would be working under him, so that she could keep her promise to protect his back.

Riza had almost fallen asleep when the train started to stop.

"What's happening?" Mustang asked his best friend – a man named Maes Hughes – about.

Why was he asking? Apparently, they were stopping. Hadn't they reached Central yet?

"I don't know. Which town is this anyway? I don't remember them calling it up," Hughes answered. The two men watched as Riza gazed out of the window. She could have sworn she had seen this place before.

"I'm sorry for the stop, people, but it seems like this place could use a little help. All soldiers out of the train," a man said over the calling.

Riza and the two men followed the crowd out on the station. The young woman could feel her eyes wide as she watched the town. It was all blown into tiny pieces.

Oh God, was this the result of their war? Had so many towns outside the fighting-place been hurt? What about the people that had lived here? How many had died for their peace?

"Maes, what town is this?" Mustang asked again.

"According to the sign over the station, this town is called Resembool," Hughes answered. Riza could feel her heart grew in her chest. Resembool. That had been the hometown of one of her friends. She had been here, visiting her friend right before she went off to war three years ago. Her friend lived here with her boyfriend – they weren't married yet, or at least she hadn't been told in any of the letters she had gotten – and her two sons. The oldest of them had been born right before the war, a sweet little boy that she just couldn't remember the name of. The other one was a year younger, a little guy she had never met. But from a picture, she could tell that he was cute, just like his brother. What had been the boys' names again?

Followed by Mustang and Hughes, she made her way deeper into the town, 'till she stood right outside it, near the ruins of a house.

An old and small woman stood there, talking to some police-officers. A little girl hugged a little boy outside the ruins.

". . . But you are not allowed to take him to an orphanage!" she could hear the woman tell the officers.

"Mrs. Rockbell, you have to admit that you are a little too old to take care of two children on your own. Little Ms Rockbell here is one thing, she is after all your responsibility, but the boy has no parents, and you are not the one they asked to take care of him if they died," one of the officers told the woman angry.

Riza watched the children closely.

The little girl had blond hair and light-blue eyes, she was small and dressed in a cute dress.

The little boy had golden hair and golden eyes, and he was even smaller than the girl.

Edward. Edward Elric was his name, the first son of her friend Trisha Elric and her boyfriend Van Hohenheim.

And his brother's name was Alphonse.

"What is the problem, officers?" she asked once they got close enough. One of them – not the same as the one that had talked to the woman – looked at her before he answered:

"The little boy over there lost his parents in the attack some hours ago. We are not allowed to put him into someone's care without it being the one his parents wanted him to go to."

Riza swallowed hard. Trisha, her friend, dead? Sure, she had lost a lot of comrades in the war, but a close friend that hadn't even been a part of the war? That was too much.

For some minutes, she even had problems speaking.

"Where is his brother?" she finally got out, her voice cold like a snowstorm.

"Missing." Missing.

"We could help you find this person!" Hughes shouted. Riza shook her head as the two men and the old lady started to discuss with the officer. They were never going to find the right person, anyway.

Instead, she sat down right in front of the two kids.

"Hello, Edward. Do you remember me?" she asked the little boy about. He seemed to be thinking about if for a while, before answering;

"Wiza, mummy's fwiend," he said, smiling cutely. The little girl tugged his arm for attention. She obviously wasn't happy with being left alone.

". . . Riza Hawkeye," the woman looked up once she heard her name.

"What?" she asked, looking sharply at the officer.

"Riza Hawkeye, the name of the woman the boy's parents wanted him to go to if something happened to them. Both him and his brother," one of them answered. Now that he said it, Riza could remember Trisha ask her if she could take care of her children if anything were to happen to her and her husband. At that time, it wasn't even something possible. It was even before the woman got her two sons.

"I'm Riza Hawkeye," she said, wondering what would happen. The officers looked her over for some minutes, before one of them opened his mouth.

"Do you want to take care of the boy and his brother if we can find him?" her eyes went down on Edward again there he sat, playing with the little girl.

Would a little boy get in the way for her plans of protecting Mustang's back? She could still stay in the military, right?

Her eyes met the ones of the old woman. She knew what it would mean if she didn't.

The little boy smiled brightly again when she looked at him. Obvious, he didn't understand what had happened.

"I bet you're coming back to Central with us, then, Edward?"

A/N: Hope it wasn't too weird or bad. Like I said earlier, I am award of the OOCness, but hey, it is right after the war; I don't think they would be in character right after a war. Anyway, hope you liked it^^