OwlCookies: for some reason… as I was about to fall asleep… and having fluffy dreams of royai and jerza(fairy tail) I had this random thought of this fic :P hahaha yes… OH. AND YES. THIS HAS TO HAVE ROYAI! Im sorry if im overobsessing… but its like… im a fangirl… so yknow…
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There was a knock on the door that was soon followed by the slow groan of it being opened. A woman in her early 20s walked in with a phone in her hand. She smiled awkwardly as she faced the older woman before her.
"Oh, hey, Jane. What's up?" the older woman asked nonchalantly.
"Miss Finley, Jerry Reynolds is on the phone for you."
Lynn Finley nodded, signaling for her young assistant, Jane Baker, to give her the phone.
Jane Baker was Lynn's partner for almost every case Lynn was assigned too. She had some training in the fields of criminal and defense but had changed her mind mid-course and had become a lawyer's assistant instead. You could probably even say Lynn and Jane were partners in crime… but not exactly crime… more likes justice.
"I see," Lynn said, turned away as she conversed on the phone. "Oh, alright. I understand. Glad to hear it was resolved so quickly." She paused. "150 cenz. Yes. Alright, thanks. Bye."
Her brunette hair, tied in a very loose ponytail, glistened as Lynn spun back to face Jane. She adjusted her glasses, handed her the phone, and resumed a proper position with her hand neatly on her desk, cluttered with papers.
"You know what I don't understand?" she asked, grinning half-heartedly.
Jane flattened down her skirt. "You don't understand a lot of things."
"Ok. Well yeah. But I don't understand formalities, skirts, and ponytails," she continued, slouching, and lying on her desk while she took off her ponytail. "Wearing these fancy clothes bug me. Especially because it evolves wearing skirts or dresses! Those things are yucky! It's like… why do guys get to be the ones wearing ties? Ties are cool! But NO we girls can't because we're girls. Why can't we have the freedom to wear what we want to wear? You know what I mean, Jane? I get scolded by the judge and jury for being improper because I wore a tie to a trial! If I had it my way-"
"Ok, Lynn, as your friend…" Jane interjected, then paused. "YOU ARE A LAWYER! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FORMAL!" She then calmed down a bit. "You can wear a tie now or anytime off courts for all anyone cares, but… hey, wait. What the heck? You wore a tie to one of your trials?" Jane blinked confused.
"Yes," Lynn huffed. "Got a problem?"
Jane rolled her eyes. "Do the world a favor and grow up."
Lynn chuckled and then sat back up straight. She pulled open a drawer, took out a purple tie, and put it on. "I'm wearing a tie because you said I can." She then flicked the air. "Putting that aside…"
"Don't change the subject like that," Jane sighed.
"Reynolds fired me." Lynn sighed with a distant look on her face.
A look of shock spread across Jane's face. "What? Why?"
"Said everything's been resolved without a trial. Sheesh, business is getting slower ever since Amestris turned into a democracy."
"Well… Eight years ago, the Fuhrer was a wacky psycho."
A desk bell rang, interrupting their conversation. Lynn motioned for the other to go see who it was. As Jane did so, Lynn sat at her desk, idly, listening to the conversation of her assistant the guests.
"Hello, my name is Roy Mustang. I was wondering if Miss Lynn Finley was in." There seemed to be a flirtatious tone to his deep voice.
"Do you have an appointment with her today?" That was unmistakably Jane's high pitched voice.
Lynn chuckled to herself as her assistant spoke. You monotone-ly gifted, Jane!
She heard rustling of papers and going through drawers. "And what would the appointment be for?"
There was a pause. "I'm being tried for murder at Ishbal from many years ago and I need a lawyer to get me out of this mess."
"Roy Mustang, you say? The Hero of Ishbal, I see. And what about you… Miss… Hawkeye, was it?"
Lynn visualized that Riza Hawkeye had shook her head no. "It's Roy that they accused."
"I see. Let me check in with her and see if she's available."
The door opened to reveal Jane the assistant.
"Take off your tie," she hissed at the lawyer.
"What? No!" she had a look of offense. "I'll wear a tie if I want too!"
Jane then walked out, muttering about how stubborn Lynn was. When she came back moments later, a man and a woman accompanied her. Despite the tie, the lawyer looked quite professional. She sat up straight, looked formal and serious, and had a look ok serious business on her face. It remained even as she smiled warmly.
"Welcome. Please, have a seat and we'll get straight down to business." Lynn motioned for the two to sit down and for Jane to stay. She then continued. "As you both probably assumed, I'm a crime and defense lawyer, here to bail out your butts during trials. But before I can do any of that, I have to know what's going on. And before that, I'd like to know if you want me to be your lawyer or if you're just here for advice."
"Actually, yes, I would like you to be my lawyer," the man spoke up.
Lynn nodded. "Alright, then. I'm Lynn Finley." She then pointed to Jane. "This is my trustworthy assistant, Jane Baker."
"My name is Roy Mustang and this is my fiancé, Riza Hawkeye," the man said.
"Please to meet you both." Lynn looked at both Roy and Riza. "Now I'd like you to explain everything me. Don't leave out any detail."
Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist and the Hero of Ishbal. He wasn't a bad looking fellow. From his jet black hair, onyx eyes, and fancy clothing to his serious yet relaxed and playboy-like personality.
And Riza Hawkeye, his loyal subordinate and an amazing sniper. She too, had also gone through the Ishbal war. Her hair fell down past her shoulders of her also fancy attire. Riza's brown eyes told nothing past her stoic computer. She had been quiet the whole time.
"Wait." Riza had broken her silent spell. "Why are you wearing a tie?" Curiosity, wonder, and a hint of humor expressed themselves in her voice.
Jane shot Lynn the I-Told-You-So-Face while the latter scrunched up her face in a pouty/aggravated way. "What? Do you have a problem with girls wearing ties? Hm?" she challenged with a childish tone.
"No, not at all." Riza drew back instantly.
"Alrighty then. Please, Mr. Mustang, continue." Lynn smiled innocently as if nothing had just happened there.
He paused awkwardly, collecting his thoughts before he proceeded with his explanation. "In 1905, by order of Fuhrer King Bradley and Order 3066, all the state alchemists and I were sent to battle against the Ishbalans. At that point, it had left the phase of war and turned into an extermination."
Lynn nodded as she listened and took notes.
"As I was ordered too, I went around through my shifts killed every Ishbalan I saw. I killed men, women, children, infants…" His voice wavered. "I still remember the putrid stench of their burning flesh. I don't exactly recall how I became known as the Hero of Ishbal, but I assume it was because I was the one who killed the last of them who remained on the battlefield before the extermination came to a close. Or maybe it was because I took the most lives… I don't know. But now that the name 'Fuhrer' has been put out of line, I've been accused for countless murders and they plan to have me tried."
"Mr. Mustang, sir. You're leaving off some details. Who accused you and when? Who followed out the accusation and gave the OK for you to be put on trial?" Lynn impatiently tapped her pen on the paper she had been writing on.
"I believe it was an Ishbalan who accused me Roy replied. "And because it was an accusation of homicide, which I obviously did do, I'm pretty much already guilty as charged.
"When did this all happen?"
Roy ran a hand through his hair. "Probably about three to five days ago?"
"Hold on a sec." All eyes turned to Jane who had taken a seat right next to Lynn's desk. "Weren't you the one who led the reconstruction of Ishbal? Why would they do that? After you helped them out. I mean, yeah, you killed a ton of their people, but that was seventeen years ago!"
Lynn held up a hand, silencing the woman. "Though the accounts of that happened many years ago, even repentance of starting over again can't completely extinguish the burning hatred that that Ishbalan felt. Forgiveness isn't a very easy feat to partake in."
"I know but-"
"There are people like that. If you can't change how they are and they take the opportunity to do something about what happened, then you have to go and do something to get out of that situation. Isn't that right, Mr. Mustang?" Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly.
Roy only nodded. He noted the dimming of light coming from the closed blinds covering the window behind his attorney.
"Back on track now. What exactly was Order 3066?"
"It was a direct order from the Fuhrer calling for the extermination of the Ishbalans."
"Did it order the state alchemists to be part of the extermination as well?"
"Yes."
Lynn chewed on the end of her pen. "Why did you go to Ishbal and why did you kill the Ishbalans?"
"It was an order."
"By who."
"The Fuhrer." She seemed to be getting repetitive.
"But it wasn't in the Order he signed?"
"It was."
"If you were to disobey those orders and refuse to kill anyone, what would happen?"
"I would be punished."
"How so?"
Roy didn't understand the point of these questions but he played along anyway. "I would be discharged from the military."
"Ouch. There's a loophole," Lynn muttered to herself as she wrote down the information. "If you had to be discharged then, how would you feel?"
"I would feel confused… Why was I discharged…?"
"Wait. Let me clarify. If you disobeyed orders and got discharged, would you want to fight back so you could stay as an officer?"
"Yes, I would."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to become Fuhrer so I could change Amestris into a better country. How are these questions relevant, exactly?" Roy asked feeling impatient.
"If I proved that you acted under orders and that you couldn't necessarily do anything about it, then it's a likely chance you won't be arrested. Imagine this as simply geometry. Proving that squares have parallel sides. It's a long complicated proof, but in the end it's possible to prove it. Look." Lynn lifted up her paper of notes and presented it to Roy.
Roy and Riza examined it. All her notes were bubbled and had arrows attaching the bubbles to each other. Some of the notes were in clouds and had lines connecting them to one bubble.
"It's an unfinished flowchart," she prompted as Riza gave it back to her.
"So… this is math now?" Jane chided.
"Everything is math whether you like it or not," Lynn replied, sighing. "Anywhoo, back to the point. When is the trial?"
"They didn't release the date yet," Roy replied.
"Hmm... When you hear anything about it, even rumors, I'd like you to call me about it."
"I have something. Why don't you want to get arrested?" Jane asked suspiciously.
Lynn shifted her gaze to the assistant. What are you trying to get at, she thought.
Unlike the attorney, Jane was a more relaxed, calm, and mature being. Even faced with a though decision or a challenge, she would stare straight ahead and keep her cool while Lynn, next to her, would be doing her usual childish rants. But this made Jane an observant one. Before she dove into anything, she would assess the situation and get all the key concepts first. This was why Lynn chose Jane to work for her- with her.
"Who would want to get arrested?" Roy shot back as Riza twined her fingers with his, calming the man down.
Jane neatly folded her hands on Lynn's desk in front of her, looking straight at the man. "I understand that. But what is your specific reason? Obviously you have your reason."
Roy leaned back in his chair. He looked to the closed blinds. "At one point, I was fully prepared to die for my actions. Murdering all those people... I still don't think I have the right to decided whether I die or not. But then Fullmetal came along after he left the military just after the democracy became real." Jane nodded, not daring to interrupt. "He told me that he had remembered what Riza had told him a few years back about Ishbal and how it was suicide for me when Amestris became a democracy. Edward told me to suck up my feelings about the past and look toward the future." He smiled lightly. "He even said that being married with kids was one of the best things he had ever experienced and said that I'd better not die before him so that he could see me married and with kids."
"So you took his advice." Lynn smiled warmly, slouching now as she rested her head on the back of her hand.
"I did." He squeezed Riza's hand. "I probably owe him as much as he owes me. But if I let myself get killed now, that balance would fall. Like we alchemists say, it's equivalent exchange." Roy then chuckled. "And besides, that kid still owes me money."
"It's getting late. I suppose this meeting has ended," Lynn closed. She stood up and stretched, her tie dangled as she did so.
Jane sighed. "I forgot about your tie."
"The best thing about it is that it's purple," Lynn giggled, seeming to forget about her new clients.
~.x.x.x.~
The kitchen light flickered above her as she sat down and ate dinner. Her eyes moved to the kitchen counter, eyeing the phone and knowing that it was going to ring any moment now. As she put her fork back down on the plate, she closed her eyes and sighed.
"I really need to get a pet or a boyfriend or something like that. I've been reduced to loving work because I can talk to people there."
She let her shoulder relax, slumping down in her chair. She then found herself glaring at her food.
"I am a lonely and old, yet young, woman," she ranted to herself. "I wonder how long Mr. Mustang and Ms. Hawkeye have been engaged. They make a great couple. I can never seem to find a nice guy for myself."
The phone rang. Instantly, she sprang up to get it. Right when she picked up the phone, she felt an eerie chill roll down her neck and down her spine.
"Hello?"
Rasping was on the other end. "Don't you dare represent Roy Mustang during trial," the voice rasped.
She felt her heart beat rapidly. The chill grew colder and a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her neck. "Excuse me? May I ask who this is."
"Lynn Finley, I will kill you if you continue to be Mustang's lawyer." The caller's voice was deep and scratchy. He seemed to be speaking in a rage yet clearly and calmly.
"I'm sorry, sir. But he is my client and I cannot turn him down."
And heartbeat after her last sentence, the dial tone began beeping. But she remained standing there with the phone clenched in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a fly buzzing around her food but her appetite was gone. Slowly and gently, Lynn placed the phone back on the receiver and smiled mischievously.
"Thank you for revealing yourself to me Mr. Accuser."