A/N: my first story for FMA day, Oct. 3. I'm pretty sure this is the only Fem!Edward FMA day story in the archive. ;) Enjoy.

Riza was growing worried as she glanced at the clock on the wall. Eden and Al were supposed to have reported in hours ago. She had been informed that they had been seen at the train station earlier this morning. Why weren't they in the office yet? Normally, the golden girl and her brother would have destroyed Roy's door, handed in their report, and gotten the heck out of East City Command by now. Ed was no doubt staying away until the last minute in an effort to get a rise out of the Colonel. Honestly, for how mature the fourteen year old girl was, she really knew how to push Roy's buttons.

Riza didn't mind watching Ed mess with the Colonel. It could be amusing at times and occasionally, Riza would join in. This absence, however, felt more…ominous. Something was wrong. She needed to find out what it was and how it was associated with the Elrics.

With a silent sigh, Riza signed the last of her forms for the day. She set her pen down and rose. Roy's head came up from his slight doze to meet her eyes. "I request permission to go on a break, Colonel Mustang," Riza said in her formal tone. It wasn't really a request, but she phrased it as one. They all knew who really ran the office around here.

Roy shrugged and waved a hand in assent. Riza's eyes narrowed. "By the time I return, I expect you to have completed at least half of your paperwork, sir," Riza said, shooting a pointed look at the still massive pile on the Colonel's desk. As an added incentive, her hand dropped oh so casually to her holstered weapon.

The sudden sound of five scratching pens filled the room as Riza hid a secret smile.

Riza left Roy's office with firm, quick steps. Now that she thought about it, Eden might not be deliberately annoying the Colonel. Riza's eyes narrowed as she ran through all her memories of the times Ed would disappear with no explanation only to reappear the next day. Al refused to say where she went and he would often keep to himself at the same time.

Riza paused on her way to the roof.

Most of the disappearances fell on the same day, the third of the month. Did the Elrics have some sort of bad association with that date? Riza shook her head, continuing her way up the stairs. She would find out soon enough, if her hunch was correct.

And it was.

The hinges on the door to the roof squeaked as she opened it. Riza tried to be quiet but knew the young alchemist seated on the edge of the roof had heard her. Eden, dressed in her typical red coat and golden braid, was perched in a precarious position. Her normally open face had closed off and turned very dark.

It came as no surprise to Riza that Eden was a brooder. She could be full of life and exuberance, but on a bad day, her dark aura and brooding face could put Roy's to shame. It made sense given the circumstances of her life. A child should never have to look the way Ed did. She was too young to have gone through Hell, even if it was one of her own making.

Riza seated herself next to Ed silently. The girl didn't acknowledge her presence and continued staring out over East City. There was no way of telling what she thinking right now.

"Are you alright, Eden?"

The question hung in the cool autumn air. Was she alright?

No.

No, she wasn't. That much was evident to the blonde Lieutenant.

Eden dropped her head. " 'm fine, Miss Riza," she mumbled. Ed ducked her head and buried it in her arms. She didn't want anyone to look at her. How could she bear the shame and agony she was feeling right now if she looked up to see Riza' sympathetic brown eyes boring into her? Didn't she know what she had done? The pain she had caused her brother? The pure heartbreak Ed felt every time she looked up to meet glowing red eyes instead beautiful golden ones? Her own agony was nothing in comparison to what she had put her brother through.

My fault, my fault, my fault.

"Eden?"

"I'm okay, Lieutenant." Ed's slightly broken whispered lie blew away with the wind. "I'll be fine." Riza watched her for a long moment.

"If you're sure." It wasn't a question, but Eden nodded anyway, turning her head away.

"Thanks for checking on me. Tell the jerk that I'll be in tomorrow with my report, okay?"

Riza nodded. Before she turned to leave, she rested a hand on the alchemist's shoulder, her metal one. Ed froze under her hand. "It's okay to ask for help sometimes, Eden. That doesn't make you weak." Eden looked up, golden eyes full of unshed tears. Her bottom lips trembled as she tried to keep herself under control.

"Thanks, Lieutenant." Ed awkwardly patted the other woman's hand then turned away. Giving into a sudden impulse, Riza bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to Eden's head. How long had it been since someone had shown the girl affection like that? Too long, if her reaction was any indication. With a strangled cry, Eden threw her arms around Riza's legs and buried her face in her stomach. Sobs wracked her slender body as she cried desperately. Startled by the sudden change in her behavior, Riza was struck into silence. In place of empty words that no doubt wouldn't help, Riza settled for stroking Ed's hair. She still had no idea why the girl was so upset today, but she clearly needed affection.

Several minutes passed punctuated by sobs and gasps and Riza's quiet crooning. Riza needed to go back to the office soon even if Ed was a priority. The girl seemed to sense that and her tears slowly came to an end, with only a couple sniffles and whimpers.

Eden finally pulled away. One gloved hand went up to scrub at her eyes. "You can go back to the flame jerk now, Lieutenant, I'm okay." Eden looked up, honesty in her deep eyes. There were lines around them that no child should have. "Besides, I need to go find Al. There's no telling what trouble he's gotten up to without me," she managed to joke feebly.

Riza nodded and left without another word. She had done her job and now she needed to get back to Roy.

It was silent on the rooftop now. One metal hand clenched convulsively around a metal watch.

She would never forget.

But now it was time to move forward.