Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, related trademarks, characters, etc. in any way, shape, form, or color. Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa and whatever company licensed it. If you twisted FMA into a knot, I still would not own it. If you died it purple, gave Ed back his limbs, and threw pie at Roy's face, I still would not own it. And neither would you.

I've been wanting to write a MaesxGracia fic for a while…at first, this was supposed to be a songfic with I'm Already There by Lonestar (which I don't own), and this was supposed to be the introduction, but after writing it, I thought that it would be better if I ended it here.

Spoiler Warning: Spoilers for Episode 25. So yeah, you can basically guess it's sad…n.n;;

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Gracia Hughes was always happy when her husband came home from work. Always. No matter how grave or upsetting the subject matter of their conversation, she was always happy, somewhere deep inside her heart.

That's why she was sad that night, when Maes stopped briefly to tuck in his beloved daughter, Elysia, and then told his wife the news.

"I'm sorry. I still have to investigate something." He said it quietly, sadly, his gave never leaving his daughter.

"Yes," Gracia replied, her heart sinking into her stomach. She had expected as much- why hadn't he changed out of his military uniform? Still, she had hoped…ah, well. "Please be careful."

He took no notice of her words, but out of sadness, not aloofness. Holding back tears, he bend over Elysia. "Daddy has a lot of work to do," he cooed softly to the sleeping child. "Bye-bye!" Elysia stirred softly in response.

Maes stood up and walked to the door, stopping just at his wife.

"Maes…" she began softly, but he cut her off with an embrace, shushing her.

"I really do need to go," he said, answering her unspoken question. He paused before adding his last wish for her. "Don't tell Elysia." With that, he let go of his dear wife.

By now, Gracia's heart was beating rapidly. "Maes," she said, trying to find her words quickly, as he was heading for the door. "Maes!"

He did not answer. "Maes! Maes! Don't tell Elysia what?"

Still no answer.

"Maes! Don't tell her what?"

His hand was on the doorknob now, the door opening…

"MAES!"

The scream escaped her lips just as the door closed quietly. Elysia mumbled in her sleep. "Daddy…"

--

And outside, Maes took a break from his walk to Headquarters, his heart overflowing with unspoken words. Grabbing a streetlamp for support, he allowed a single, defeated sob to escape his lips.

He could turn around and go back home. He could take those few steps that would start him on a short and painless journey, back to a warm house and a loving family. He could turn away from his damned fate.

But at the same time, he couldn't.

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Woah…my first time writing something sad…my first oneshot…my first completed story…it's…shocking! -gasp-