sorry for the long pauses but life and all that fun stuff

this is post-manga so for those who are unaware, for a little while, grumman is the fuhrer. also, as an easter egg, there is rumor in the FMA-verse that grumman is actually riza's grandfather or uncle (can't remember). you'll see what i mean.

enjoy.


Havoc rubbed his eyes again as he tried to stay awake and look at the files a little longer. He wouldn't rest until he got through every last page, every file… every word. He lifted the paper again to read it, squinting to try and concentrate. He had to finish this one last page in this last file. At least if he could do that then maybe he could rest halfway decently. Havoc laughed at that thought. Sleep… halfway decent… if tossing and turning on a continual basis suggests that then I'm in for a treat. he said to himself sarcastically. He breathed in and shook his head again, trying to keep himself awake through this one last page.


"Havoc?"

Havoc sat up quickly, the paper he had been trying so hard to finish was stuck to his forehead. It fell to the desk as Riza looked at her fellow officer in bemusment.

"Have you been here all night?"

He yawned. "Apparently so… Damn, I was trying to finish this section of the file at least…"

Riza smiled sadly. "Any luck?"

"To be honest, I don't remember much of this report. Long hours and all… I think I would have remembered if there was something so I'm going to just say no, there isn't. God, why did they have to make things so complicated?"

"Why did they have to do anything at all?" she asked quietly; odd coming from the usually straightforward woman.

"Have you heard anything more from the higher ups?"

"The Fuhrer said he spoke with the Czar and although they are on peaceful terms, he said that the faction that has him in not tied to the government, but under the military. They are two different sections in Drachma. He said that the Czar is hoping to meet with the Grand Generalissimo soon to discuss a negotiation with said faction."

Havoc pulled his cigarettes out and lit one up.

"It's been too long already. I mean, a year and a half just to even get an audience with the Czar? How long will the meeting between him and this Grand Generalissimo character take? Another year? By then he should give up on us."

Riza could tell the late nights and constant worry was getting to him. She couldn't blame him though; she had the same feelings. Even though Havoc felt responsible for what happened, she was just as guilty as well as another person. Well… none of them were guilty of anything. It was all happenchance.

"Why don't you go home and rest, Havoc? Pulling all nighters to ruin your career won't do much good. Eventually, you have to get back to your own world and back to routine."

Havoc wanted to choke the lieutenant.

"Did it really take you so little time to get over him? Did he leave your mind that quickly?" he snapped, taking the cigarette out his mouth to glare at her.

Riza narrowed her eyes. "You're out of line, Second Lieutenant. I'm going to act like I didn't just hear what you said because I understand what fatigue can do to a person but no, I haven't forgotten him. I dream of him every night. I dream that he'll come waltzing through that door with that smug grin on his face talking about a date he did or didn't really have just to make you mad. I dream that he'll call me on the phone and vent to me about the hold ups that's keeping him from returning back from his yearlong mission, like sheep on the tracks or something beyond his control like that, but that he's making his way home. That he'll be home soon… But they're just dreams, Jean. It's all I have to keep me from going insane."

Riza never called him Jean unless her guard was down and he reached across the desk, taking her hand.

"I'm sorry. I should have realized this would be harder for you since you were so close to him. I'm just tired and cranky and sore. I didn't mean to upset you."

"How's the therapy coming?" she asked, and her complete façade dropped long enough for Havoc to see the actual desperation in her eyes for him to change the subject.

"Doc says I should be able to walk without the cane soon if I continue on this pace. He said I'm coming along well."

He stood up and rubbed the small of his back and then his thighs, grabbing the cane from beside his desk.

"I'm going to head home. Let me know if you hear of anything. Have you heard from Ed lately?"

"No, but I'm sure he'd like to hear an update or two. I've been busy dealing with the logistics of everything to have time."

"I'll give him a ring."

Havoc smiled and left.


Alphonse opened Edward's door and found him laying on the writing desk with an open bottle of wine next to him. Al sighed and touched his brother on the shoulder. Edward stirred and looked up blearily at his brother.

"Al?"

"You did it again."

Edward narrowed his eyes at his brother and then looked at the open wine bottle.

"Oh… must be becoming a habit."

"Don't say that so blasé. If you would actually talk about it with someone not think that you have to shoulder all of the blame then you might not try to drown your sorrows in the bottom of a wine bottle."

"If I don't forget then I remember. If I remember, then all I can think of is-"

"Don't say it." Alphonse hissed, making Edward look at him in confusion. "Stop saying that it's your fault when no one knew what was going to happen that day."

"I can't just do that, Alphonse. So far, you haven't done anything that's had cause for you to believe you needed to shoulder a whole hell of a lot of blame. I made you lose your body for years and you were stuck in a hollow suit of armor, unable to feel or express proper emotion… I took your life away practically. And now… just when I finally fixed one thing I massively screwed up, something else came along… I got him captured because of me."

"Did you send a letter to the Drachman army to tell them where he would be? Did you plan a coup against him, setting up informants at that exact location?"

"No."

"Then you had nothing to do with what happened and you're not at fault."

Edward ran his fingers through his hair, trying to wake up more and fix his hangover.

"I get that, really-"

"Well then if you get that, then why do you still rely on that bottle instead of your family? Why do you keep putting the blame on your shoulders alone?" He didn't answer and Alphonse sighed in exasperation. "I came to tell you that someone was on the phone for you."

"At this hour?"

Alphonse shrugged and left as Edward yawned again, stretching. He walked as slowly as possible to the phone, careful not to jar himself due to the hangover. He got to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chief, it's Havoc." He said.

Edward jumped at Havoc's voice being too loud in the phone and pulled the receiver from his ear.

"Oh… hey…"

"How's it been?"

"Peachy. What's the status?"

"Well, the Fuhrer said he's spoken with the Czar and all he can do as of now is speak with the Grand Generalissimo since the government and the military are separate divisions in the country."

"What does that mean for us?"

"The Czar has to get permission from the Grand Generalissimo to conduct a search within the military as well investigate on accounts of anything we present. Without the Grand Generalissimo's permission, the Czar can't get any information to the Fuhrer and can't negotiate anything for us through the Czar."

Edward clenched the receiver. "So what the hell have they been doing all this time? Playing checkers when they're supposed to be playing chess?!"

"Your anger is as much as mine, kid. All this time and all we've gotten was a silly little answer?"

"Grumman seems like he's taking his sweet time. Does that bastard even care?"

"If I didn't know him personally, I'd agree with you, but Grumman views him almost like a son and so I know for a fact that he's been doing everything possible within any spare minute he has to try and get things done. Hawkeye could tell you more since she has a connection to him on a more personal level. All I can tell you is this: when we get the okay to go in there, you and I are already on the team."

"And if we don't get clearance?"

"You and I will already be a team. I want him home. I don't care if Grumman wants us to go or not but I'm not letting another year slip by without him being home… dead or alive."

"Please don't say that."

"Wouldn't you rather know he was back in Amestris at all? At least if he's here, we know where he is, and if he happens to be… dead… he's not being left to rot like a piece of garbage or treated like some insignificant peon. No, he'll be back in Amestris where he belongs, in a monument, with a gravesite and a headstone so we know exactly where he is at all times. I'm not going to give up on him, good or bad."

"I know… just keep me informed of what we're going to do… Hey, Havoc?"

"Yeah, Chief?"

"Do you… do you think I hadn't asked him to come to Resembool-"

"No one blames you, Ed. The Colonel wouldn't blame you either. The only thing that can be blamed is the time. We are taking way too long to find him."

"Yeah."

"I'll call you if I get any more information."

They hung up and Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, massaging his aching head. I hope you're alright, Colonel. We're doing the best that we can. We'll find you… don't give up on us. he prayed to a god he didn't believe in.


it looks like it's the colonel's turn. mwahaha. what will i do with him? and i wanted ed just a teeny bit ooc in regards to his handling of roy's capture just for plot's sake. sorry.

anyway, just a quick little plip of info: drachma seems like they might be based off russians due to the hats i saw when they were invading. i could be wrong. but we don't know much about the other lands around amestris.

second, there are ways for the military and the government not to work together. technically, the czar is over the people and laws and stuff and the military is run by the grand generalissimo (which is a real term) and runs all military dealings except assassinations. they collaborate with the government

ps: i will try my HARDEST not to make this like Broken. i really don't think it will be but please don't hesitate to tell me if that happens.