Snapshots of Time

Author –D M Evans

Rating – FRT

Characters – Gracia/Maes

Time Line/Spoilers – no real spoilers unless you don't know how Maes' role in the Ishbal war differs from manga to anime

Series – Manga

Summary – Love weathers many storms

Word count – 4,894

Warnings- none really

Author's Note – I dithered about as to which minor character I wanted to use when Gracia reminded me I could use her to play a little with changing women's roles and all that stuff I had leftover in my head from long ago women's history classes. I modeled a bit of this on the WWII time period, keeping in mind that Amestris, at least, seems more progressive with women in the work place/military than our own world. Thanks as always to S J Smith for the look through.

Author's note two - this was written for the fma_fic_contest's prompt of 'minor character' and took third place.

XXX

Gracia was always thankful that Mrs. Higgins usually allowed an hour for lunch. It gave her time to meet her friends at the Dancing Windflower to catch up on all the latest news. It wasn't as easy as it used to be back when they were in school.

"I can't believe I'll be getting married in a month," Brooke gushed over her violet bread for the fifth time today.

"You're so lucky," Jessica replied with that wistful look Gracia was getting to know too well. "Brian is adorable."

"At least that'll be a little less competition tonight at the Just Passing By," Chelsea said. "Are you coming, Gracia?"

"To a soldier's bar?" Gracia wrinkled her nose, trying to concentrate on her strawberry salad. She knew when her friends were in their man-hungry phase, always hating it. It made them competitive and occasionally foolish.

"Don't be like that. It's a great way to find a good husband. Soldiers have good benefits and they make good pay. Even the war widow benefits are enough to live on," Jessica replied.

"And they're gone a lot so you can always have fun with the cute guys with dicey prospects." Chelsea waggled her eyebrows.

"That's terrible!" Gracia cried and her friends laughed as if it were a joke. She knew better. Gracia knew several classmates had already done that, purposely gotten pregnant just to lure a soldier onto the family registry. She didn't understand it. It wasn't like it was in her grandmother's day. Women worked. They were even soldiers, but lately she was coming to understand her friends wanted nothing more than to be cared for their whole lives and keep house. There wasn't anything wrong with that. Gracia wanted to get married and have children, too, but she couldn't go about it the way they were. She wanted more out of her life.

The conversation drifted back to what Brooke's wedding would be like and who would be wearing what. Gracia excused herself early, promising she would at least consider going with them to the bar. She had no intention of it but it was the easiest way to escape without them fussing.

When Gracia returned, Mrs. Higgins' flower shop was mostly empty but that was not unusual for early afternoon. They'd get busy again just as many places closed for the day and men headed home from work. The only person inside was her coworker, a tiny, young woman of obvious Xingese extract named Cui-Fang, which she'd told Gracia meant 'emerald fragrance'. She seemed to think it funny given her job. Mrs. Higgins was probably in the back room doing the books but Gracia didn't mind. Cui-Fang was funny and smart and she enjoyed working with the girl.

"How was lunch?" Cui-Fang barely looked up from her work.

Gracia shrugged, picking up shears to help Cui-Fang nip off the overly long stems on the mums. "They're out patrolling for men again. I'd just like our conversations to be about more than that. I guess they don't find my job all that interesting."

"Their loss." Cui-Fang bundled a half dozen of the mums with a white paper 'funnel.' "We get to make people happy all day. It's fun."

Gracia nodded. "I like working here. I thought it would be nice to own my own shop some day or maybe a tea house."

"I'd help you. My family was known for their teas back home," Cui-Fang said, her twin topknots swinging as she worked.

Mrs. Higgins peered out from her room. "A Mr. Duey will be here within the hour. His wife passed away. Please help him find appropriate arrangements, girls."

"Will do," Gracia said, hating this part of her job. It almost felt wrong to take money from the grieving but it was all part of the process, she supposed.

"I think there are some nice lilies in the back cooler," Cui-Fang said, cocked her head in remembrance.

"I'll go get them out. We could probably use some of these mums, too." Gracia nodded as the front door bells jangled. She hoped it wasn't Mr. Duey already. Glancing over, she saw two Academy cadets, a smaller, reed thin young man with a serious expression on his exotic face and a tall, lanky fellow who seemed to have heard a good joke before stepping inside the shop.

"Roy boy!" Cui-Fang cried, bouncing out from behind the counter.

Gracia wondered if they were related. This Roy seemed to have similar Xingese bloodlines. As she gathered up the lilies, Gracia read their body language; definitely not related. She hoped her friend knew what she was getting into. The look on the cadet's face said he was no stranger to flirtation.

"Need some help?" a voice asked too near to her ear.

Gracia yipped, nearly dropping the lilies. A big hand wrapped around her, keeping the flowers from falling.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Gracia looked up into the cadet's rectangular face. His eyes twinkled behind his glasses. She took better hold of the flowers, gently tugging them from his grip. "It's all right. No harm done," she said, heading back to the counter. He followed her like an eager puppy but she caught the askance look he shot to his partner who had retreated further away from the counter with Cui-Fang.

"I might be here a little while," he said.

"How long can it take your friend to do what he's doing?" she asked tartly. Gracia scowled. That wasn't like her. She was just tired of hearing about snaring men all day. She didn't expect Cui-Fang to abandon her to do the same. "Sorry, just got a call about having to prepare for a funeral arrangement. Those always make me a little sad," she lied. Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

"Roy can flirt all day," the cadet said, picking up a mum off the counter. "You could use these. Mums' scent reminds me of graveyards."

"I had thought to suggest it to him."

"I'm Maes Hughes, by the way." He stuck out his hand.

She shook it with her green-stained hands. "Gracia Rollins. Nice to meet you Mr. Hughes."

"Just Maes." He offered up a goofy grin. "They only use surnames at the Academy. It's been so long since anyone's called me Maes besides Roy, it would be nice to hear it again. It would be nice to hear anything that isn't military strategy or Roy droning on about alchemy." He lounged back against the counter. "Have you ever met an alchemist before? They can be the most self-absorbed people to walk the world."

Gracia picked up her pruning scissors, studying his narrow face. "Does your friend know you talk about him?"

"Roy would probably agree most of the time…when he's not curled up on his bed repeating chemical composition to himself until I'm bored out of my mind or what he's left of it. Some days, I fear he's whittled away most of it." Maes' grin grew. "And he makes me test him all the time. I'm afraid the next step is going to be chaining me to my desk so I can repeat alchemy to him. The way Roy's going, I'll never escape and I really need to because the Academy formal dance is coming up in a few weeks. At this rate, I'll be going with Roy and wouldn't that be a sight?" The babbling cadet picked up a small mum, tucking it behind his ear. "Nah, I think Roy better be the girl. I'd be a really ugly one."

In spite of herself, Gracia giggled. "You are a very odd fellow. And yes, you wouldn't make a good woman, too gangly."

He pouted, looking down his long frame then back up at her. "You could save me, Miss Rollins."

Her eyebrows shot up. "I'm not going to a dance with you. I don't even know you."

"You know me well enough to know I'm odd." Did that grin ever leave his face?

"Regardless."

The smile faltered a bit. "I'm kidding. Though, I would love to take you out for a sundae."

Gracia was about to say no then took a good, hard look into his eyes, seeing the intelligence hiding in there. Being cute didn't hurt, either. "All right. Ice cream sounds like fun," she said and his huge grin returned.

"Hughes, why are you grinning like an idiot?" Roy asked, heading their way.

"Because you never do so I have to do it for you, grim Mr. 'If I Don't Study I'll Never Be a State Alchemist'," Maes replied.

Roy heaved a huge sigh. "Sorry if he's bothering you, Miss. Hughes shouldn't be taken out in public."

"I'm not some pet." Maes glowered.

"Tell it to someone who hasn't seen you thump your leg and all but wag your tail whenever the cafeteria serves something edible," Roy waved a hand at him.

"They only do that once every five weeks. Who wouldn't be excited?"

"Good point. Come on, we've got things to do," Roy said, starting for the door.

"Would tonight be good for ice cream, Gracia?" A hopeful look lit up Maes' face.

She bobbed her head. "That would be great. Meet me here at seven."

"Hear that, Mustang? No alchemy tonight," Hughes called after his friend.

"A night off does sound good," Roy replied without looking back.

"See you later, Gracia," Hughes said, chasing after his friend.

Cui-Fang wandered back over to the counter. "I see you made a friend."

"Those two are funnier than comedians on the radio. Are they cadets or escapees from the asylum?" Gracia grinned.

"As I heard you make a date with Maes, you'd better hope for the former." Cui-Fang nudged her playfully.

"You know him then?" Gracia knew she wasn't as causal sounding as she wanted to be.

"Through Roy, yes. They're roommates at the Academy. Maes is good people. Smart as a whip and goofy."

"Are you and Roy..." Gracia blushed faintly.

"Roy is what I call a practice boy," Cui-Fang replied. "He's a good one to sharpen the skills on but no, he's a friend of the family. I've known him since he was no bigger than a button."

Gracia giggled. "That's awful, practice boy."

"Try him some time. He can flirt like no other," Cui-Fang said. "Though I'm not sure if Maes is the jealous type."

"I think I'll stick with one at a time, thank you." Gracia stared at the glass door the cadets had disappeared through. It was so unlike her to agree on a date with a boy she barely knew but Maes was so compelling. Well, she'd make sure Cui-Fang or Elaine would know where she was in case she needed a rescue from a bad date. Who knew, maybe she'd have a good time. Her other friends would be so jealous that she had gone out with someone who'd be an officer some day.

XXX

If Gracia felt jealous of any of her school days friends, it was Elaine. Not that Gracia wanted to be in the military like Elaine but as a nurse, her friend had a good career and a fair amount of independence. She didn't have to live at home with a well-meaning mother who kept asking if she had met a nice boy yet and hadn't liked it when Gracia finally said yes. Granted, Gracia didn't think that military housing would be all the great and there was all that taking orders sort of thing but it couldn't be too bad in a hospital, could it? She eyed her friend as Elaine came down the sidewalk with a three-legged dog Gracia had never seen before.

"Hello, Elaine, I see you have a new friend."

"This is Battle. He used to be an ordinance dog until he stepped on one and got retired." Elaine said then pointed to the ground. "Battle." The dog sat obediently, looking up at her. "He's friendly."

Gracia scratched between his prick ears and he nuzzled her wrist. "He's very pretty. So, we're going for a walk in the park?"

"And maybe to that coffee shop that has the sidewalk tables," Elaine said. "Battle needs to get his exercise. He's still recovering."

"A walk sounds good."

The walk ended up being relatively short. Elaine let Battle off his leash in the park and the dog loped around like he still had all his limbs. The ladies sat on a park bench.

"How have you been, Elaine? None of us get to see you much any more."

"The job keeps me busy." Elaine's gaze swept along the tree line. "They might ship me to a mobile hospital at the front."

Gracia gulped. She knew this could possibly happen but hadn't ever wanted to think about it. Every time she looked at Maes, she wondered would he end up in the desert the moment he graduated, which was only a week away. "I'm sorry, Elaine."

Her friend waved her off. "It's all right. I knew it was a possibility when I signed up. I'm not looking forward to it but I'm not afraid, either."

Studying those grey eyes, Gracia had to assume Elaine was lying just a little. "Sometimes I feel a little guilty staying behind where it's safe."

"Never feel that way," Elaine scolded then whistled to Battle who had roamed a little too far. "I don't want to talk about the war. Tell me what's been going on with you."

"Nothing much, just working at the flower shop."

"Your mother still asking when we're all settling down and getting married?" Elaine shot her a sympathetic look.

Gracia nodded. "She points to Brooke and says, 'see, how happy she is.' I point out that I am seeing someone now but I know Mama doesn't really like him."

Elaine's feathery reddish eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

"Maes is in the Academy," Gracia explained. "I think my parents imagined me dating a teacher or banker."

"Something safe," Elaine supplied.

"Exactly. I tell them Maes will be an officer but that hasn't really helped." Gracia sighed.

"Do you like him?" Elaine asked simply, waving Battle over.

Gracia thought for a moment about Maes' wicked sense of humor, his good heart and his keen intellect. "I'm in love with him and I guess that's all that really matters, right?"

"That's how I see it." Elaine nudged her. "So what's he really like besides funny and smart?"

"Cute, he is so cute. I took your little conversation starter and used it on him," Gracia admitted, reaching down to scratch Battle's ears when the dog flopped back down at Elaine's feet.

The nurse grinned. "Photography? See told you it works."

"He went mad for it, even got a fat lip over it," Gracia said then added at Elaine's surprised expression, "He wouldn't leave his roommate alone while Roy was studying. They got into it." She rolled her eyes. "Boys, I don't care how old they are, they're always boys in the end."

"Don't I know it. You should see how many injuries I treat that come from some stupidity out at that Academy." Elaine snorted. "You'd think they'd know better but you can apparently dare a guy to do just about anything stupid. So." She shot Gracia a conspiratorial look. "Has he taken any naughty pictures of you yet? You could always use Tommy's dark room. I've shown you how to develop them and you know my kid brother would let you use it."

Gracia covered her cheeks, feeling the heat in them. "Elaine!"

"What? We're all adults, right? That'll give him something to remember you by when he's all lonely at the Academy."

"And his roommate will find them! Trust me, Roy is sharp as a knife and inquisitive. That's all I need, Roy Mustang seeing me naked. Besides, Maes and I don't have that sort of relationship."

"Oh, you and he haven't…" Elaine's expression finished her statement for her.

"No!" Gracia waited for her blush to melt her earrings right out of her ears. Elaine knew her well enough to know there was something hidden in that denial. Gracia did want to go that far with Maes. He had been very gentlemanly so far and that just made Gracia want to rip his uniform off all the more. She had grown up being taught by her grandmother women didn't feel that way, that marital duties were just that, duties. Gracia knew now her grandmother had been full of it. She wanted Maes, burning for him like a dry tinder after the match.

"But you're thinking about it."

"Let's talk about your love life, Elaine, for a change," Gracia countered.

"Deader than a doornail, which is why I live vicariously through you." Elaine grinned mischievously.

"Pity. So, ready for that coffee and conversation that isn't about jobs or men?" Gracia asked.

"Does that leave anything interesting?"

"Once we run through books we've read and movies we've seen, no," Gracia admitted but boring was okay with her. All she wanted to do now was ditch her friend and go find Maes and lock Roy out of the room for an hour. Coffee and talk was safer, saner and for the moment, her choice.

XXX

"Does Roy ever look happy?" Gracia hissed to Maes as he spun her on the dance floor at the graduation ball.

"No, mostly he looks wicked when he's happy. He gets this grin that you just know is trouble," Maes said, looking around to see where his friend was that she might be asking after him.

"I just thought that someone that popular with the girls would look happier."

"Girls like a bad boy…what is it about that?" Maes sounded absolutely serious when he queried her.

Gracia kissed him. "I never did understand that one. I'll take my guys good and funny."

Maes pulled her closer. "Good to know. Let you in on a secret, all those girls? None of them are the one he loves. It's like an epic tragedy, like you'd see in a novel and even I don't know the entire story."

"I had no idea," Gracia scowled slightly. She had never considered Roy had reasons to look dour.

"He'll be angry if he knows I mentioned it." Maes seemed uncharacteristically grim.

Gracia took his hand, pulling him off the dance floor to a secluded table. "You don't seem happy, Maes."

"I am and I'm not," he admitted. "So far I'm to be stationed here in Central so I won't have to leave you behind but a lot of my friends are going to be sent to Ishval."

"My friend Elaine, too," Gracia said quietly.

Maes squeezed her hand. "It's not something you should have to think about."

"But I do. I know you could go." Gracia sighed, leaning against him. "Sorry, I didn't mean for the evening to turn sad."

"My fault more than yours," Maes assured her. "I guess I'm more upset about Roy than anything. I still have you but wherever he's going, it's not going to be in Central. He wants to pass his state exams and if he does, they'll definitely send him directly to the front."

"That is depressing. What will I do if they send you, too?" Gracia looked up into his face, forbidding the tears to come. That would be unfair to Maes.

Maes kissed her deeply before answering. "You are a strong woman, Gracia. I never want to leave you alone but if I have to, I have faith you'll be fine until we're together again."

Gracia smiled. "That was the perfect thing to say."

"I have something else to say, probably less perfect but." His cheeks pinked up. "I was going to save it until after the dance but I'm not really sure I'm feeling the music any more. And I know I want to hold onto you and never let go."

"What are you suggesting, Maes?" Gracia hoped he didn't notice the breathless tone. She could imagine what he might have in mind but his quarters had no appeal and her room in her parents' house was out of the question. Could they find something this late at night?

"I, um…took the liberty of renting a hotel room. I know we never really talked about…"

Gracia covered his mouth. "Take me there now."

He blinked behind his lenses. "Are you sure?"

"You wouldn't have gotten the hotel if you had much doubt. You might have to leave me some time soon so I plan on enjoying you as much as I can until then," she whispered and he grinned, helping her up.

Gracia paused long enough to call home and lie to her mother about staying with Elaine to lend support to the worried nurse and then to call Elaine to make sure she knew. Maes had a cab waiting to take them to the hotel. Gracia couldn't find her voice on the short drive there. She knew she wanted to be with Maes but she also knew this was huge step. There was no going back once they took it. She had never really imagined waiting until her wedding night; none of her friends had. Still, she wasn't sure she was ready, at least not until she gazed at Maes. Doubt flashed away.

She couldn't remember much of the cab ride or even getting up to the room. Gracia would never forget, however, the feel of his mouth on hers, the way they clumsily learned each other's body, the pain-pleasure of him inside her. Afterwards, as he slept, she held onto him tight, almost desperately. If she willed it hard enough, war wouldn't touch him. Gracia knew it was a vain wish but they were just starting out together. She wouldn't let him go without a fight.

XXX

Gracia slid down behind the counter in the florist shop, clutching the letter that she found in the day's mail. She promised herself she wouldn't cry but she wasn't as good as her word. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she simply felt the paper, thinking about the man who sent it to her. Gracia swore she could feel the dryness and the desert sand under her fingers.

Maes never told her much about the horrors of the war but she could see them in between the lines. He told her about how much he missed her. He told her about the rotten sleeping arrangements and the worse food. In tinier than usual script – she wondered if he even knew he did that every time he had to relate truly bad news–Maes told her how Roy had nearly been stabbed by an Ishvalan. Maes assured her that Roy had a very powerful protector and she didn't think he meant himself.

Something soft tickled along Gracia's wet cheek. She looked up to see Cui-Fang teasing her with a half dead rose. "Get another letter from Maes?"

Gracia nodded. "He sends as many as he can." She wiped her cheeks. "I know I shouldn't cry. He's alive to send me these."

Cui-Fang came around the counter, sitting with her. "Who wouldn't worry?" She took Gracia's hand, looking at the little ring that rested on her finger now. "You're going to marry that man. I'd never sleep knowing he's in that desert."

Gracia traced her finger over that cool stone. Maes had proposed during a short furlough he had been granted from the war after the concussion wave from exploding ordinance had torn ligaments in his knees, leaving him unable to perform his duties. Even then she had seen the changes in his eyes, the loss of mirth and the gain of hardness. But she loved him even more for being able to cling to his sense of humor as much as he could. Her parents were still furious with her for saying yes to a soldier but it was her life, her love, and she wanted to give it all to Maes. She and Cui-Fang and a few of her other friends had pitched into the war effort with recycling paper, rolling bandages and gardening to take the burden off the government having to find fresh supplies. It was the least she could do now that she knew so many people who were in the war. "It's difficult sometimes. I'm sure you worry about Roy."

"Some," Cui-Fang admitted. "But I know what he's capable of now. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

Gracia wish she could be sure of anything. Even her family ties, something she had always trusted in, seemed strained and foreign. "I just want this war to be over with."

"We all do." Cui-Fang peered down at the letter. "Look here, he wants you to send some photos. I can help you with that."

"I wouldn't know what to wear for them," Gracia muttered remembering what Elaine had suggested all those months ago.

"As little as possible."

"Cui-Fang! You and Elaine share a brain on that," she scolded.

"Trust me, he'll love it."

"Well, I do know how to develop pictures."

The next letter out had sane, sensible pictures of Gracia in her best dresses. Tucked away inside the letter by themselves were just two far less sensible and far more scandalous pictures that she hoped wouldn't come back to haunt her.

XXX

She didn't really like crowds but there was no way she could stay away from the train station. The war was over. They were all coming home and loved ones thronged the station, getting short tempered from the humidity and heat sucking at them as they waited for the overdue train. Finally, it chugged into the station but it was next to impossible to find anyone in the sea of blue limping out of the cars. It tore Gracia's heart seeing the faces of the soldiers, men and women forced to their breaking points, some maybe even past it.

Shockingly, she spotted Roy first then realized why. The crowds, including other soldiers, thinned out around him and a few others within in view. The one thing these soldiers with pockets of space around them had in common were the silver chains dangling from their pockets. Roy had his arm linked with a blonde woman who looked like she were in extreme pain as she stumbled along. "Roy!" Gracia cried.

His dark eyes widened, hearing his name. Gracia ran to him, stopping short wondering if she were intruding. "Gracia." Roy managed a smile. He looked so old, Gracia realized in a rush, his eyes holding centuries worth of pain in them. "It's good to see you, though Hughes talked about you so much it was like you were with us."

Gracia fought back a sniffle. "I'm not surprised. Do you know where he is, Roy? Is he on this train?"

"He was behind me. I hurried ahead to make sure Hawkeye gets to the hospital quickly," Roy replied.

"I don't need-" the female soldier said but Roy cut her off.

"I don't trust field hospitals. You're getting checked out here. Burns can get messy fast," he countered. "Good luck, Gracia."

She watched them go then struggled to sort through the crowd. Gracia finally spotted him craning his head around, obviously looking for her. "Maes." She waved her arm overhead. He swept over, taking her right off her feet as he kissed her. Lost in that moment, Gracia forgot there were crowds, forgot that there was anyone in the world but him.

When he set her down, his voice sounded broken as he said, "Take me home, love."

**

Gracia stared at the ceiling, her body deliciously exhausted. She knew she should be sleeping but she couldn't. Maes was back with her, sleeping next to her in the hotel bed. Soon they wouldn't have to rent a room for the night. They would have their own bed and she would sleep in it contently with him. Maes didn't talk much once they got to the room, almost afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd accidentally tell her the terrible things he saw. She felt them in his kiss, regardless. He was a changed man but still Maes at the same time. Gracia knew why she didn't sleep, half afraid that if she closed her eyes that when she woke this would have been a dream and he would still be in the desert.

Maes trailed a hand up her arm, not quite asleep as she thought. "Are you all right, Gracia?"

She turned, looping an arm around him. "Just thinking about how wonderful it has to have you home and hoping you won't have to leave any time soon."

Maes kissed her, pulling her tight against him. "I'm never going to leave you, Gracia," he whispered in her ear. "It's going to be me and you together in this world until we're old and grey and surrounded by rambunctious grandchildren."

She smiled, her lips against his neck. "Promise me that."

"You have my word. We'll have more years than we'll know what to do with," he said, squeezing her gently.

"Oh, I'll know what to do with them," Gracia murmured. "Together forever," she sighed happily. Gracia drifted off to dream, thinking about all those promised years. She looked forward to every moment of growing old with her wonderful man.

Author's note - I really rather wish I was being facetious with Gracia's friends but I've seen it happen way too many times (and oddly enough it was the subject of an NCIS episode the day I posted it to the contest)