I own NOTHING! (save for Adrianna Felix)
Chapter 1: Bradley's list and forgotten food. . .
The woman, no taller than the average twelve year old, walked slowly up to the blond man with the cigarette in his mouth. "Excuse me, sir, is this Colonel Mustang's office?" she asked. The blonde man just stared at her, confusion in his eyes and a larger, red-headed whistled and then said, a little too loudly, "Right here, Miss, what'cha need?" The young woman shook her head. "Excuse me, Colonel, when did you get to fat, and short, and dye your hair red? I only just saw you three months ago, in Central," she said with a biting tone, making the bear-like man shrink back, the tent in his pants collapsing. The blond seemed to regain his voice at this point, "The Colonel should be back in a few minutes, he got called away to do… damage control for someone." The blond held out his hand and with an easy smile, "I am second-lieutenant Jean Havoc, would you like to sit down?" The woman was impressed. "I am General and personal adviser to the Fuhrer Adrianna Felix." Adrianna sat in the indicated chair while she looked at the now still and absolutely silent group of men.
Adrianna laughed and looked at their faces. "What's the fish face for?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, "Would it make it any stranger to say I was here to discuss a meeting that's going to take place in Central that all Alchemists are to attend, myself included?" They all seemed to relax at this news. They were quiet but no longer absolutely silent. Adrianna lent back in her chair and pulled a leg up over the other, playing with a rip in the sleeve of her shirt.
The rip seemed to hold her attention well enough, because it took the Colonel five minutes to reign in her attention. When the General finally looked up she grinned real big and leapt from her chair to hug him. "Hello, General Felix," Roy said, trying to be professional with the group of men around him, but that was difficult with the short woman holding on to his waist as tightly as she was. "Office?" she asked, looking at the inner office, then him. "All right," he said and she detached her arms so he could lead the way, opening the door for her and letting her follow him into the small, but not too small inner office. Someone else came in as well and sat on the couch after kicking the door shut behind them.
Adrianna looked around her and then took out her book and checked something off of a list. She grinned real big again and flipped the book closed, looking at Mustang she said, "I found them all!" and proceeded to squeal in delight and do a twirl of excitement. Mustang just watched her, a smile on his face and glee in his ebony eyes. "He sent you on a man hunt again? And this time he put us on the list?" The tall man said, glancing to the other person in the room. The other man was a blond, but his hair was long and braided, and he seemed to be having an awful day. "Ed, what happened earlier?" Adrianna asked, walking to him and sitting on the couch beside him. Ed shook his head and sank back into the couch, his hands folded into his lap. He looked to be hiding something.
Arianna gave him a stern mother-like look then turned toward the other male alchemist. "Roy, there's a ball-thing going on in Central, you and Ed will go with me, right? I'm sure that you'll say yes, but I won't make you go, that wouldn't be lady-like." Roy looked at her funny once she got to the last word then his eyes skipped down her body and back up. His eyes took in the muddy combat boots, designed for men rather than women, the loose canvas pants that were patched and mended in a few places, then he looked at the tight tank top that allowed movement and flexibility, but at the same time it was a pleasure to perverted eyes – like Roy's. Over the tank top hung a buttonless jacket, white, with pockets in it and a tie that held it closed when she wanted it to, then the top coat to the outfit, a long, faded black trench coat with the sleeves torn away at the shoulders. It was an odd look for the people of Amestris. But this was the look that graced the short woman perfectly. The white of the jacket contrasted with her one black gloved hand and the dark skin of her hand and her chest. Her neck, face… Roy snapped back into reality because of the twin set of fists slamming down on his head, one automail, the other, luckily was the dark hand that he was just dreaming about. "C'mon Colonel Pervert! Stop eying Me-er like that, huh?" said the two shorter alchemists loudly. The words me and her meshing together into a new word. Roy grinned at them impishly in apology.
Adrianna was about to say something, and it was to be addressed to Ed in regards to their moment of mind entering where they spoke the same words when a loud, agonized moan seeped through her clothing and alerted them to the suffering middle of the woman's body. Ed gave her a look before leaning in next to her and saying, "Didn't eat on the train, did you, Addy?" Addy shook her head shyly and crept back a little. "I didn't have time… I fell asleep, then I got caught in the middle of a heated argument over the length of time raisins needed to be left out to dry, and that lasted until one of the men fell asleep, then I was stuck with a man sleeping on my shoulder and another talking into my ear about my clothes…" she rushed out. Addy hated when Edward got mad at her for forgetting to eat.
Ed lent his head forward for effect as his words slid from between his lips low and dangerous, "Adrianna, you're smaller then me and you eat next to nothing. Do I have to force feed you three square meals a day?" Edward took a deep breath and reached out, gripping her coat by the collar and proceeding to drag the two-inches-shorter-than-him woman out of the office and out to the hall and to the mess hall, where lunch was about to finish. "Eat," he said and shoved her toward the ordering station.
Addy deposited the dry tray on the counter to be taken care of. She looked over at the golden glare staring her down. "Will you stop with the intimidation? If I eat anymore I'm going to leak digested food from my ears," she said, an attempt to make him smile, or grimace in disgust. She always had an odd sense of humor. He wrinkled his nose and Alphonse – who joined soon after Addy attained her food – waved his hands in a "go-away" gesture, wanting the weird thought out of his head. "That is nasty!" the younger Elric whined and the elder nodded his agreement. Addy just laughed and walked toward the entrance to go back to Colonel Mustang's office.
Roy waited for them productively, finishing his paperwork and walking it out to the blond female so she could file it for him. "Riza, I'll be leaving now, Adrianna won't want to dwell around base for much longer." Riza looked up, nodded and proceeded to flash a smile. She didn't say a word.
Addy strode in the door and looked at the phone on Riza's desk. "Can I make a quick call?" she asked and inched toward the phone. Even if she had rank she was raised to be somewhat lady like. Roy nodded at her and she picked up the phone, dialing the number and waiting for the other line to go through. "Hey, Mark? Tell 'im I found them all and the bastard can kiss my ass, I'm not coming back until the dance-thing and only of the lousy dumb-ass calls me all nice and polite to ask for me to come." Everyone in the room was appalled at her language, except for the Elric's, they had to grow up with her mouth; they were used to it by now. "A- Adrianna!" Roy sputtered, knowing who she was calling a bastard and dumb-ass. Addy ignored him and hung up with a satisfied grin. Roy glared at her. "Bite me Roy, I call Bradley worse to his face. It keeps him on his toes," she explained and began to walk out of the office.
Roy was on her right, Ed was on her left and Alphonse was behind her, because he insisted on carrying her backpack while she clutched her messenger bag to her stomach. They were walking through the dark to Roy's house, where lots of food would be cooked and games would follow, along with the ritualistic glass of sherry or scotch – which ever was grabbed first – and then catching up. Addy hated the dark, though, and so now, even with three skilled alchemists around her and herself able to protect herself, she was frightened into forcing herself to even breathe.
As if sensing her discomfort, Roy slung his arm around her shoulders, Ed sliding his arm around her middle, silent encouragement that got them to the large looking, lonely house. Addy stopped on the front walk, just looking at the large house. "It's… just like I remember…" she murmured and held the bag closer. "I tried to keep it that way, so that you had a place that was familiar to come home to.," Roy explained with a smile then ventured forward to unlock the door and let them into the warm and inviting inside of the home that still had a flicker of loneliness inside of it.
Addy skipped into the house and did a twirl before falling back to land on the worn loveseat that she used to call a bed before Roy had cleared out one of the four guest rooms and had the walls painted a pretty light green then seemed to shine every time the sun hit it. Roy walked in after her, Al and Ed heading to the kitchen, which was through the living room and to the left once you were in the hall. "Glad I'm back?" she asked to the freakishly tall man. Roy smiled and walked over to her, leaning down to get right into her face, "I am, but how you talked to the Fuhrer's assistant was disrespectful and you could be hung for it." Roy had the most serious face on that he had ever had in his life. Adrianna stared at him dumbly before she began to giggle. She laughed and writhed on the couch for a good five minutes before she calmed down, panting softly as she rubbed tears from her eyes. "You're kidding! I've said worse to his face and all we do is laugh about it! Honestly Roy, relax, okay?" she said and lifted her arms up toward him, wanting a hug as a worried look passed over his face. The freakishly tall man complied with her silent request and hugged her tightly.
Edward glanced back into the living room and looked at the two now sitting down on the couch, the shorter of the two looked like she was about to fall asleep. "Hey Addy, Al wants to know what kind of dessert you want," Ed said, an attempt to get her moving and thinking about food. The woman in question looked up and tilted her head to the right, making her long brown bangs fall into her face, obscuring her vision. "Um… Ice cream and cake?" she questioned and shook her hair out of her face, grinning like a child as she did it. Ed nodded and glanced back at Alphonse, who nodded and began to pull out the ingredients he needed for cake while he let the meat defrost for a little while. Addy managed to get up with Roy still clinging to her somewhat and scurried to the kitchen, watching the hollow armor cook the most delicious food she had ever tasted.
Dinner was done and eaten and now Roy was holding a tall wine glass full of amber liquid. Addy, because she didn't feel like arguing held one of her own. Though she was seventeen years young and not technically legal for another three years, no one bothered to question her, because no one knew how long she'd drank for, she was drinking when the Fuhrer took her in at age thirteen. "Ed, will you stop trying to steal my scotch? That's the fourth time you've tried to trick me into putting it down!" Roy exclaimed, smacking Edwards hand away from his scotch glass. Adrianna just shook her head while Alphonse looked on with laughing eyes. "Awe, you guys never met me have any of your scotch! It's not fair; Adrianna isn't old enough for that stuff, either!" Edward always used that as an attempt to get his way, but it never worked. "She acts older then her age, Ed, you act younger," Roy said and took a long swig from his glass, about the same time as Adrianna topped off her glass for a second time. The small woman looked around at the men in the room before she stood and dusted off imaginary dust off of her pants. "Mmm, I'm going to bed, you three keep it down." She looked right at Ed when she said that, hushing any words that were about to leave his lips.
"Good night, Adrianna," Roy said with a grin, leaning over to kiss her cheek.
Alphonse gave her a hug and his eyes seemed to smile at her, "Sleep well."
Ed looked at her, almost lost for a few moments before he grinned and moved to hug her and kiss her lightly on the nose. "Heh, dream of me, all right?" he grinned his famous Edward Elric Grin and then Addy padded off to her bed room.
After changing into her sleep attire: a pair of pilfered boxers from Roy and a tank top she brought with her, she closed the door and looked at herself in the full body mirror. She gazed at her feet with a solemn look, the toes of her lower appendages cold and metallic, as were her feet and her legs all the way to her thighs, where skin was hidden under the boxers. Her eyes followed her clothed body to her right hand, which was now exposed to show off the matching metallic automail that allowed her to function. Addy shook her head lightly, tossing her hair into her face and thus obscuring her vision. "You won't live like me, Ed… not for much longer…" she whispered then turned to switch off the light and go to bed.