Chapter 1

The air in Briggs was as cold and harsh as the men who patrolled the Northern Wall as it tore through the deserted town. Colonel Mustang and his team were camped out in a group of outbuildings on the edge of this small town under the shadow of the large mountain range which towered over the North. Wind rushed in through the gaps around the door and shook the building's foundations. All was silent save for the pounding of wind against wood as the storm raged on outside, keeping the occupants of the small building wide awake. Mustang and his Lieutenant were camped out on the floor behind an over turned table put there to block out some of the cold. Mustang was the first to break the silence.

"Lieutenant?" Hawkeye didn't move from her position but by the sound of her voice Mustang could tell she had been awake the whole time.

"Sir?"

"I'm cold Lieutenant." Hawkeye sighed and turned round to face the colonel.

"Well sir, maybe next time you should have remembered to bring some blankets."

Mustang huffed. "How do you expect me to find the time to pack when I have so much paperwork?" Hawkeye rolled her eyes

"With all due respect sir, maybe you would have more time if you spent your time at work actually working." Mustang faltered a little but then regained his composure and a sly smile crept onto is face.

"Your job is to protect me, correct?"Hawkeye frowned slightly.

"With my life, sir."

"So if I was to contract hypothermia and die, you would have failed to do your job, yes?"

"What's your point sir?" Mustang sent a smoldering look at her

"Sharing a sleeping bag is a good way to conserve body heat and-"

"Not a chance."

Mustang pouted. "Aww come on Lieutenant," A childish grin crossed his face as he shuffled closer to her "You know you want to." Hawkeye was suddenly very aware of his face just inches from her own. She seemed to get lost in his deep black eyes as his gaze bore into her, reading every movement, every subtle change on her face. A shiver went down her body as the ends of their noses touched and she felt quite light headed as she felt his breath on her cheek. Mustang smirked quietly to himself, he knew that look; it meant he'd won. However, before he could say anything he heard a click and something cold pressed against his chest. He glanced down at the gun now pointed at him and his face fell.
"Ah."

The Colonel hastily shuffled away from his Lieutenant in his sleeping bag to the furthest point of the room, grabbing his gloves from their box on the ground and a page from tomorrow's itinerary from the folder on one of the other tables. Mustang hastily pulled his gloves on and placed the paper on a scrap of metal lying amongst the dirt and rubbish on the dusty floorboards. He then directed his aim at the paper trying to create a flame with his fingers, while suppressing his shivering digits. After a loud hiss and a crack the paper ignited causing a warm glow that licked at the walls of the small hut. The small flame produced a lingering smell of burning that Mustang was all too familiar with and sufficient warmth as he placed his hands over it. The flame hungrily consumed the paper and as he reached for another page, but his Subordinate butted in.

"Sir, I don't think that that is a good idea that is an essential piece of paperwork for tomorrow." Hawkeye stared blankly at the ceiling delivering her sentence in a monotonous voice.

"Sorry Lieutenant do you suggest a more effective way for warming up." Mustang seemed to completely forget about the temperature in the room, wriggling back to the other side of the small dwelling at top speed, snuggling up to his minor. Hawkeye felt for her guns putting the safety click on, the sound had the same effect as a gunshot as Mustang went back to his corner reaching for another piece of paper. He stopped mid-reach and faced his Lieutenant.

"Hey Liutenant this place kinda reminds me of your old sheck."

"Sir?" Hawkeye carried on in her monotonous tone, uninterested in what the Colonel had to say.

"A sheck Liutenant, a mix of shed and shack." Mustang carried on reaching for a piece of paper grabbing some important looking sheet.

"Sir, wouldn't that be a shad?" Hawkeye tried to keep the smile off of her face but she really did enjoy teasing the Colonel.

"Of course not, Lieutenant, I said it was a sheck so it's a sheck ok?!" Mustang ranted as he spun around abandoning the page, letting it fall to the ground.

"Whatever you say Sir." Hawkeye tried to suppress a grin as she turned her head to look at her Superior as he mindlessly shredded up the sheet to make kindling. After returning to stare at the ceiling her mind went back to the root of this conversation as the Colonel had put it "The Sheck". She thought of the outhouse that took her back to her childhood, or in actual fact that reminded her of her back and her childhood.