The colonel kept his back straight and face blank in his usual façade ,as he walked past his subordinates without so much as a nod of acknowledgement. Most would think this rude but they were all use to his blank faced stares and Riza knew why he was acting so closed of today of all days.

Mustang wasn't the only one acting odd today, most in the office had noticed the sad sighs and distractedness of Lt. Hawkeye and left them wondering what could have happened to have both of them in such a depressed mood

Roy dropped the façade as soon as his solid doors enclosed him in gloomy darkness and he visibly sagged now that all eyes were safely on the other side of the door.

"You would've been what? Thirty two?" he whispered to the room not expecting an answer from the person it was directed at, how could they? A dry chuckle left his mouth as he made his way to his desk and dropped like a stone into the familiar seat, "Would've." he muttered sadly with a shake of his head. One hand reached out towards the drawer of his desk where some personal photos sat, the rest were at home, he wondered idly why he subjected himself to this each year. Really he didn't need to ask he already knew the answer.

Guilt.

Shaking his head Roy pulled the drawer open in one firm jerk as if his misery were the desks fault, and pulled out a few photographs from his youth. His eyes softened when the first image was of the four of them; Maes in the centre of the group smiling at the camera with one arm slung over an annoyed Roy to the far left, Ritza only barley showing a small smile at her friend's expense, hair short for practical reasons and to the right. The face that caught his attention though was the shorter woman in the bottom left; her right hand held up in a peace sign while the other pushed the mousy brown hair from her blue eyes. She was smiling wide and her eyes seemed to sparkle with joy. They had been in civilian's clothes that day. Roy in black slacks and a button down instead of one of his three piece suites he was so fond of. That was her fault he though fondly, she was always good at convincing him.

Roy closed his eyes for a second remembering her soft slightly higher pitched voice than most girls. When he opened them his eyes traced the shoddy scrunched up lettering that was the woman's handwriting. He could hardly see it with only a slither of light illuminating the scrawl, but he knew the word by heart now.

It read: Roy Mustang (left), Maes Hughes (Centre), Ritza Hawkeye (right) and Ashly Summers. The best friends in the world.

Roy remembered this. It was when they had made it through the end of training and Ashly was convinced they would rise to the top together. They had graduated and given their positions, all were in different sectors.

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Roy smirked "Well we made it, finally." His voice full of pride. Ritza gave a nod and shook her head as Maes was talking to a girl he swore he was in love with, but with Maes he gave his all to everything and this would probably end in another failure. Ashly laughed at Maes attempt to be cool and ending up tripping some of the other people searching the market and ended up looking like a fool, the girl seemed to like it though.

"Remind me why we let Maes drag us to the market?" Roy asked sullenly. Ashly rolled her eyes at him, which he saw but didn't comment on, her fingers playing with the strap of her camera around her neck.

"Because his true love is here" she clasped her hands over her heart dramatically, letting go of her camera strap and gave a laugh "and he wants us all to do something together before we all ship out." she dropped her hands and gave a sad smile, in a small voice she said "I'm gunna miss you guys you know."

It had been a long time since she had had to leave Roy again, he knew that when they had met up again after so many years she was ecstatic.

Ritza patted her arm "And we will miss you. I'm sure you will be calling Roy enough that it will be like we were never apart." Roy gave a loud groan to let both women know how much he was apposed to that idea. "Please no, it was bad enough living with her when we were kids." Ashly smacked his arm playfully and Roy grinned to show he was only messing. "And I guess she's too short the get on a train, she'd fall through the cracks." Roy teased leaning on her head to add insult to injury.

Ash growled pushing him off "I am not short, you are all abnormally tall. And." she held up a finger, her voice turned to that of a school teacher, "Your head's so full of air that it stretched you out." she smiled as if it was fact and that Roy should know this. Roy ruffled her hair up into a mess, which she then tried to straighten out with a growl. "Brat." He muttered fondly.

"Asshat." she replied good-naturedly.

Maes ran over to them with a love sick smile on his face, "She had to go home." He said dreamily and Ashly chuckled at his faraway look. "Her eyes are so beautiful."

Roy sighed shaking his head and Ritza looked like she was counting to ten in her head, when Ashly suddenly held up her camera and snapped a shot of Ritza and Roy. Roy blinked away the flash and Ritza gave her the deadly glare, but Ashly was too busy smiling, "Because this is the last day we'll be together for a while, why don't we take a picture of all of us?" even though she had asked she didn't wait for answers. Maes had snapped out of his glazed state and grabbed Roy around his shoulders. "That's a great idea." Maes beamed

Ashly had grabbed a random passers-by and asked the older man if he could take their pictures, the man had agreed and Ashly took her place in front of Roy. "Smile guys." she shrilled pushing her hair back and holding up her fingers in a peace sign. Roy glanced at Maes with the usual annoyed expression that usually accompanied most interaction between the two. Ritza was smiling slightly at Roy's face as the man snapped the shot.

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Roy ran a hand over his face "I'm sorry Ash. So sorry." his voice cracked slightly as he fought his emotions and refused to give in to the erg to cry. Ash would kick his ass for crying over her, she never liked it when he cried. His eyes landed on another picture, one much older than the first. Roy's face was more relaxed as he smiled at Ashly crammed next to him on his left as she tried to take a good picture of both of them single handed. It had turned out slightly diagonal, just about catching the doorway of the Hawkeye house hold and a scowling Ritza blocking any view of the inside.

They were all so young then. Ash's hair had still been cut in the short choppy mess she called a hairstyle that was what she got for cutting it herself. Damnit Ash ,he thought, It should have been me.

Hawkeye sighed for the umpteenth time and stared unseeingly at the pieces of paper needed to be signed, why was she here when Roy was probably in the dark staring at old pictures of them with what little light he had let in. Ash and Roy had grown up together in Madam Christmas' care and she knew he loved her like a sister. Sighing she stood. He should not have to suffer alone.

Her long even strides soon had her at the door and opening from bright sunlight to the dark oppressing office.

"Sir." Hawkeye stood by the door and squinted into the darkened room only just making out the outline of her superior. She saw the figure shift slightly but when he didn't answer she walked swiftly towards the drawn curtain, "How do you expect to get work done in the dark." She chastised him firmly, masking her pain as usual. It wouldn't do to have him worry about her too, especially today of all days.

"Stop...don't." The colonel's voice sounded strained but did the job of stopping Hawkeye from opening the curtains.

"Sir?"

Roy said nothing for a time, Ritza stepped away from the windows and the obstruction to the summer sun.

"Do you remember when you two first met?" he whispered. Ritza didn't have to ask him to clarify, she knew what he meant.

"I do." she whispered back with a sad smile. She didn't know why she was whispering too, maybe they were both afraid that talking any louder would break the stream of memories both good and bad.

Roy gave a huff of laughter "Do you remember what the first thing she did was?" even in the dark she knew he was smiling.

Ritza couldn't help a small smile on her own face "She was always the dutiful sister." She commented remembering that day.

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The loud insistent knocking nearly gave Ritza a headache, whoever was on the other side had never heard of knocking quietly. But then she supposed it defeated the whole purpose of knocking if it was too quiet the other person didn't hear it, therefore making it a huge waste of time.

Even so it still didn't solve her headache.

Roy rushed to the door "I'll get it." he threw over his shoulder along with a brilliant smile. Ritza snorted at his behaviour, she would have thought the Furhur was here by the way he sped to the door.

Ritza leaned back on her chair to glimpse who was the cause of the incessant knocking. "Bout time." a female voice grumped although, good naturedly. Roy's broad shoulders were blocking her view of the mysterious woman. "Ash!" Roy shouted delighted and picked the woman up spinning her into the house. Ritza caught a flash of black hair and her clothes were a blur of blue and white. Finally he set her down "Hey you nearly crushed this." Ash said holding up a brand new camera, "Come on Roy, I need to take a picture of our reunion." the little woman grinned pulling the grinning man out the door. Ritza followed them out but stopped at the door scowling at them, Ritza for some reason didn't like this woman.

Ash snapped the photo and Roy blinked the flash out of his eyes, "I thought you went to Xing?" Ash nodded stroking her camera lovingly before turning to Roy.

"Yeah I did, but the guy teaching me said that there was a teacher down her who worked more extensively with static electricity and electricity in general." she gave him a grin "We're neighbours."

Ritza coughed to get their attention, Roy had obviously forgotten she was here.

Roy turned "Oh Ash this is Ritza, Ritza Ash." Ash looked her up and down as if assessing.

"The one you write about?" Roy looked shocked she knew, "I do read the letters you send." she said meeting Ritza's eyes.

"You never write back." Roy muttered sullenly. "So?" He asked. Ash turned to him and grinned.

"I approve." Ritza had no idea what she was approving but by the way she had seized her up she assumed it was her. But for what?

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" Ritza asked irritated, her headache coming back full force and she refused to show weakness in front of this stranger. Ash walked up to her and stuck her hand out smiling widely "Ashly Summers, your new neighbour and Roy's big sister." Ritza gave a smile, suddenly this Ashly wasn't so bad.

So this wouldn't leave me alone until I made it. This is my first FMA fic and I'm not sure if I'll continue this or write some more, I guess it depends on you guys and girls. If I have enough people who want more then I'll do it.

Laters

- Huntress