Hey look I still exist and write once in a while. Side note: Jean Havoc grew up in the same town as Riza Hawkeye in this fic.

Disclaimer! I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist


It was a quiet evening in late summer. The air was hot and still, but the fan in the window, with its quiet roar, kept the house comfortable. It was late, the light was almost gone from the sky, and all good children were comfortably tucked into bed while parents sipped drinks and talked or listened to the radio.

The Mustang household was no different. Their two girls were fast asleep in their beds and Roy and Riza sat at the table organizing their papers for the next day while they sipped on some whiskey. Black Hayate lay quietly by Riza's feet, snoring softly. It was a nice evening despite the turmoil at work.

Fuhrer Grumman had died a year ago and the peace in the land had begun to turn into unrest. The new fuhrer had his work cut out for him, and all of the higher ups were working to help settle the unrest of the people.

Riza looked up from her papers, and glanced out the window. Something about the motion seemed off, she was far too rigid and alert to be simply enjoying the sight of the last few rays of sun for the night. Hayate woke up and looked out the window, a low growl in his throat.

"What's wro-"

"Get down!" Riza shouted, cutting off Roy's question. She lunged forward, knowing that Roy was slow when confused, and shoved Roy backwards.

The world seemed to proceed in slow motion from there. A shot rang out as Riza's hands hit his shoulders, and then he was falling backwards. The window shattered, showering them both in glass.

Riza drew a sharp breath.

Hayate barked menacingly.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him to protect her from the bullet. But he was too late. He felt hot sticky blood flowing down his arm already. He rolled as they hit the ground, trying desperately to find the bullet wound with his hand to stem the flow of blood.

Riza's breathing was ragged and labored. The bullet had gone through her lung and she would not be long for this world.

"Roy," She breathed, voice hoarse from lack of breath, "The girls."

"They know what to do," Roy replied, blood seeping through his fingers and his panic rising as he watched the color fade from his wife's face.

She nodded once, slowly, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. She never opened her eyes again.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. He sat frozen in shock with his dead wife's body cradled against his own. He didn't notice as her blood spilled over his clothes, staining them red. He didn't hear the muffled whimpers of his children in their bedroom, hiding under one of the beds as they had been told to do in case of a shooting. He only vaguely noticed Hayate's whimpers as he nudged his master's hand with his nose.

He didn't move until the MPs came through the front door, led by Jean Havoc and Kain Fuery. Hayate yipped at them but didn't leave his fallen master's side.

Roy's eyes flashed upwards, dark and stormy until he saw that it was friend, not foe, that stood in the doorway.

Jean gasped, taking in the scene before him. Broken glass littered the whole room and gleamed in the light. The table lay on its side on the floor behind Roy, who sat in a puddle of blood, his usually crisp white shirt wrinkled and bloodstained. Riza was clutched to his chest, but she was deathly pale and Jean had to bite his tongue against the emotions that rose in his throat for his lost friend.

Kain came to his senses first. "Where are the girls, Roy?" he asked.

Roy didn't trust his voice just yet, but he answered his subordinate by glancing towards the back bedroom. Kain nodded and headed towards the bedroom, beckoning for Hayate to follow him. The black and white dog did follow Kain with great hesitation. Meanwhile, a handful MPs scattered throughout the room, taking in the scene in great detail.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. Roy moved robotically, his mind numbed by shock as he answered all of the MPs questions and packed his bags. He and the girls were to be taken into protective custody immediately. Jean had reminded him to change his clothes so that he wouldn't scare the girls any more than they already were. Hayate spend the rest of the night glued to Kain's side, though he howled when he saw the MPs take his master's body away.

Roy spent the night fighting back tears as his girls cried for their lost mother. They eventually fell into an uneasy sleep, tiny fists wrapped up in their father's shirt, his arms wrapping them close to his sides to fend off any monsters that may rear their ugly heads in the night.

They boarded the train early the next morning with Jean Havoc and Kain Fuery, who were assigned to stay with them for protection. Maeve still clung to her father's shirt. Christina, shorter than her sister, couldn't quite reach and so settled instead for clinging to her father's pant leg. Hayate whined and nudged Kain's knee with his nose. Roy didn't recognize the name of the small town they were going to, but many towns had changed their names since the fall of Fuhrer Bradley, and so many town names were unfamiliar. All he knew is that they were headed out to a small town in the east where there was a house he could stay in with plenty of room for him, the girls, and his guards.

The train ride was quiet, everyone still processing their grief for their lost friend, wife, and mother. The girls would occasionally sniffle, and Roy would pull them closer to him so they could bury their faces in his chest, the only comfort he could offer them as he fought back tears himself. Hayate whined occasionally and Kain shushed him with a handful of dog treats and comforting pats.

When the train finally arrived at their destination the men gathered their bags, and Hayate's leash, in a flurry and stepped off the train. Something like a memory gnawed at the back of Roy's mind as he stepped off the train, but he couldn't place it until he stepped out of the train station onto the main street of town. Realization hit him in the face like a brick and he stopped dead in his tracks, as did Jean. Kain, not paying attention, crashed into Roy's back.

"Oh," Jean breathed.

"What is it?" Kain asked, picking up his glasses, which had fallen off his face when he crashed into Roy's back, "Do you two know this town?"

"Yeah," Roy breathed, his voice low, "This is where Riza grew up."

"Oh," Kain said.

"Jean, please tell me, this house we're supposed to be staying at," Roy said with strained voice, the end of his question not needing to be spoken.

"It was donated to the military as a safe house when Grumman was Fuhrer," Jean stated, "I think it might be..."

"Of course," Roy breathed, "Of course. She said she donated the house to her grandfather."

"What?" Kain asked, but his question was ignored as the other two men began walking, the two little girls and suitcases in tow. Hayate whimpered and exchanged a glance with Kain, who shrugged at the dog and hurried to catch up with the others.

"This is it," Jean said, double checking the address on his paper.

"Of course," Roy said again.

"What?" Kain asked, "What's going on? You two know this house?"

"This is the house that Riza grew up in," Roy said, eyes glued to the old looking mansion of a house. His face was pale, like he was watching ghosts of the past in the dusty windows.

"Oh," Kain breathed, the full weight of understanding falling on his shoulders, "Oh."