A/N: YO! Um...not much to say but that this chapter is a flashback, 6 months and 18 days ago. The day before Roy and Riza started going out...for those of us who don't remember when Roy and Riza started dating. I thank TearShield Alchemist for the first review! I hope that reminds all you other readers to review (anonymous welcomed) as well. And I don't think I metioned this before. Slight AU. Only in some chapters that involve cars, electronic stuff and other random stuff... like a game that's sorta like jeopardy, you'll find out where that comes in as you read this chapter. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, slght OOCness..partially b/c I dunno much about the supporting characters. I.E., Havoc, Brosh (I only put Brosh in here cuz he's cool like that), Fuery, and the rest of the subordinates. Plus, we have a surprise guest star in here. If you haven't seen ep.25, I suggest you ignore that last sentence...or something.

Ch.2 How It All Began: A Random Discussion With The Subordinates

6 months, 18 days ago at precisely 1143 Hours (11:43 am), Inside The Offices Of General Roy Mustang and his Subordinates

"General! Get your lazy ass up and start on that paperwork!" Riza yelled. It seemed like all that Riza cared about was paperwork. Paperwork this, paperwork that, is that all she thought about? Is that all she ever did?...With the exception of shooting of course.

She clicked the safety off her pistol. The all-too-familar sound of the click of her pistol got the sleep deprived general to immeidiatly sit up. To the untrained ear, it may seem like a regular click, like the click you hear when you flick the switch of a lightswitch, but to the comrads of Lt. Hawkeye, it was nothing but an omen.

"Huh?" Roy said, regaining his composure from his partially pleasant nap, which just so happened to last two minutes. He looked at the stack of papers that were placed on his desk. Three inches, Roy thought. It grew three inches in two minutes. Oh joy. It was a miracle to how fast one's paperwork can grow...and if you compared it, it could probably grow faster than Ed if Roy never had to do it (A/N: I like making fun of Ed's height if you hadn't noticed). "Ugh," Roy moaned. He slapped his head. Riza bit her lip.

"Sir, are you alright? This is your third time falling asleep today," Riza said, looking up from the book she was reading. It was as if she never told Roy "to get his lazy ass up and start on that paperwork".

"Y-yes. I'm fine," Roy said, propping his head up so his head rested on his right palm and his elbow was against his desk.

"Good." I hope you really are, sir. For your sake. Riza sighed. "Sir, I need to go out now and take Black Hayate to the vet's for his monthly check-up. I'll be back as soon as I can, sir." Riza said. She stood up and saluted her superior officer and left the office.

"Hey! Don't forget to give him his disciplinary lesson!" sneered Havoc with his eyes in a closed and his eyebrows casting downward, making it look like a fake scowl look. His look was followed by a corny grin. Altogether it looked like one of those faces where you look like you're up to something no good, like one version of Ed's faces, where he has something devious on his mind. Plainly, it scared people. Greatfully, Havoc's look suddenly blankened and he looked bored again. "Who the hell discplines a dog by shooting at it anyways?"

Havoc looked around. Only Mustang, Brosh, and himself were left in the office. Everyone else had left for an early lunch. The office looked so...dead. Mustang looked like he either was on crack, or having a hangover. Brosh was staring out the window...watching the green grass grow. That's how lifeless the office looked. Then an idea hit Havoc.

"I got it!" Havoc yelled. "Wanna play a game?" he said ecstatically.

Brosh sat up. "I like games. What kinda game?"

"Um..." Havoc put his hand to his chin and began thinking. "How 'bout I say the answer and you guys have to tell the question that goes with the answer. Make sense? Then the next person tells the answer and so on and so on."

"Awww," whined Brosh. "I wanna go first."

Havoc blinked. "You know how to play?" Funny, I just made this game up 5 seconds ago. Oh well.

"Uh-huh," Brosh nodded. He was such a child.

"Well to bad. I'm goin' first, so myeh. C'mon Chief," Havoc said.

"Urgh," the Flame Alchemist said.

"Right then," Brosh said in a british/australian-like tone. "On with the game, mates."

"Okay...um...this one goes to Brosh," Havoc looked up into his mind. "So pick a category." Havoc extended his arm so it pointed to a blank wall. "Okay, choose from Mustang and his subordinates, Mustang and his subordinates' social life, food, The Elrics, and random," he said. Each time he said a different category, his arm moved so it faced a different part if the wall, even if nothing was there.

"Hmm," Brosh said. "I'd like Mustang and his subordinates for 200," he said, also pointing to an invisible card on the wall.

"Okay," Havoc magically pulled out index cards from his military jacket and started flipping through them.

"Jean," Brosh said. Havoc looked up. "If you just made this game up five seconds ago, where did those flashcards come from?"

Havoc blinked. "Oh you mean these?" he held up the index cards. "I like to keep a record of everyone." He nodded in corny way. "So, off with that. Here's one. Uh...she oversteps her rank quite often, usually carried at a minimum of two guns, never misses a bullseye, let alone target, has a dog, and...gets the better of her superior," Havoc said. This is an easy one. Only an ass can't get this one.

"Uh..."Brosh stammered. "Schieska...? No wait! Um..Ross! Er...Winry Rockbell!" Everyone looked at him like he had a third head. They sweatdropped. "Duh. I was only playing. Hawkeye. Obviously," Brosh rolled his eyes.

"Correct!" Havoc yelled. He grabbed a pen and paper from nowhere and jotted down the score. "That's 200 for you, Denny." Brosh nodded. "Okay give the chief his question."

By now, Roy had snapped out of his boredom, or whatever he was having, and relaxed in his chair. "Okay," Roy said. "Give it to me."

"What about the category?"

"I don't care. Draw a card. Pick a stick. Decapacitate a bone. Whatever."

Havoc smirked. A devious plot fell into his mind. He moved closer to Brosh and whispered in his ear. Brosh nodded. "Okay, here's one. How come Hawkeye gets the better of you?" he and Havoc raised and eyebrow, waiting for the answer.

Roy furrowed his brow. What? But what he really said was-

"What?" which was exactly what he thought. "This doesn't seem to make sense. I thought you gave the answer and I have to find the question," he said pointing at each other to demonstrate.

"Who cares, Mustang!" Havoc said. "She cursed at you with an adjective and added to it with a noun!" he exaggerated.

Falman walked by the office, and seeing that the door was open, he decided to correct the mistaken man. "Noun. Ass is a noun. Lazy is an adjective."

"Screw it!" Havoc said. A vein popped and Falman walked away. Gee, thinks for the english lesson, teacher.

"So..why does she?" Brosh said, gently elbowing the general."Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon. Tell us."

Roy crossed his arms. "I owe it to her for simply helping me up the ranks."

"Is that all? C'mon. 'Fess up."

"That's it," Roy said. The two lower-ranking soldiers gave Roy a look. "Seriously, it is."

"I bet you like her."

"Do not," Roy denied.

"Oh, I think you like her. Oh I think you like her. Oh- oh I think you like her," Denny "rapped", putting up a new version of that song by Dem Franchize Boyz as Roy and Jean were having an argument.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Quit!" Roy yelled. "This is childish."

"You're just in denial, Roy-ee," sneered Havoc. "We'll help you through it."

"Shuddup Havoc," Roy said between clenched teeth. I'll demote you if I have to.

"So you do like her? You told him shut up, so I'm implying that you do, right?" Brosh said, ending his "rap".

Roy groaned. I thought we were supposed to be playing a damn game. "How about this?" Roy said. "I'll say what I think about Hawkeye, then you guys leave me alone, okay?" Havoc and Brosh didn't look satisfied. Roy sighed. "And, I'll pay you a couple sens."

"How much we talking?" Havoc said eagerly. Brosh elbowed him.

"No, keep your money," Brosh said. Mustang's up to something. Why would he give us money when he doesn't even want to say anything about Hawkeye in the first place?

"What!" Havoc said, turning to give Brosh a look. "He's giving us money for God's sake!"

Brosh ignored him. If there was one thing Brosh could do, it was negotiate (A/N: I made that up. Does he?). "Listen, sir," Brosh said. "We'll give you money to tell us." Brosh pulled out his sens.

Roy looked down. Is this how it goes? I admit I like Hawkeye...for money? Is that right? They can't bribe me.

That's right, Roy.

Who the hell? Maes? Hughes?

That's right, Roy. Its me.

What? Why?

I'm your conscience.

What do you want with me?

Roy, Roy, Roy. Can't your best friend help you without having to be questoned?

Maes, your dead.

Yes. Yes, I am. Anyways, I say, do the right thing. If you're bribed to admit you love Riza...then you're screwed.

Screwed! Maes!-- Wait! I never said I loved Riza!

I know you do!

Maes, stop playing with me!

"What's his problem?" Havoc whispered to Brosh as they eyed the general suspiciously. He seemed...psycho. Mental. Going out of his mind. Mad.


Okay,
Roy thought when he was sure that his "conscience" was out of his head. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them.

That's right Roy. You da man!

"WOULD YOU GET OUT OF HERE, HUGHES!"

The two soldiers, Havoc and Brosh, stared at the alchemist with a queer look. They both sweatdropped. If you listened close enough, you could hear the crickets chirping. Someone in the background coughed.

"Eh..hehe," Roy said, rubbing the back of his head. "You neither heard, nor saw nothing." The two subordinates nodded.

Desperate to return to the original subject, Havoc said, "So...about Hawkeye...?"

Roy exaled and fumbled with his hands. He sat back down. It was as if he was asking Hawkeye on a date. In his dreams. "Okay. I'll spill."

You will! the subordinates thought. Thank you God! Praise the angels!

"Okay," Roy thought. "I think of Hawkeye as...as a friend."

Well, duh. Well, I usually think of her as a gun toting co-worker...the lower-ranking subordinates thought as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking.

"And... she's a good friend."

Say it Roy! Maes had returned to the mind of Roy Mustang. The best Roy could do, was ignore his best friend's minuscule tranluscent image.

"A friend, who's stayed by my side. Saved my neck numerously, nonetheless."

He sounded like he was at her funeral.

"And...I'll just come out with it."

Yes! Havoc smirked.

Yes! Brosh smirked.

YES! ROY'S FOUND A WIFE!

Roy ignored the "conscience".

"I guess its safe to say...I do like Hawk--"

"Wh..a..t..'s going on?" Riza said as she stepped into the office. Hayate in her arms. He barked.

Damn, Havoc scowled

Dammit, Brosh scowled as well.

Aww...C'mon. I really wanted to hear him say it. Maes weeped/sobbed.

Riza blinked. She felt as if she were stuck in an awkward moment and that said she should come back later. But she was better than that. "So..what's going on?" she asked.

"...Hughes. That's it! Uh-huh... We're talking about Hughes," Brosh lied. "He was a good man. Its a shame how he died so young."

What! Why are you picking on me? Maes shrugged it off like it was nothing and began playing with his halo that hovered above his head. Oh well. And like magic he disappeared, returning to the guy upstairs.

"Really?" Havoc said. "I thought we were talking about Hawk--" Brosh jabbed him in the mid-section. Hawkeye gave him a look and Brosh smiled a really cheesy one. "Hawks," Havoc choked. "We were also talking about hawks. Cuz Hughes liked hawks and he said that...when he had a hawk, he would name it son," Havoc nodded. Everyone sweatdropped.

"Uh..." Havoc blinked. "What I meant to say was, when he had a son, he would name it Hawk...not the other way around. Hehe," he rubbed the back of his head.

"Okay," was the lieutenant's response. "Well, then. I should expect that you all got your paperwork done if you had all this time to talk about the late brigadier general."

"Ugh," the 3 slackers moaned.

2207 Hours (10:07 pm) Central Command Headquarters

"So...you need a ride home?" Roy asked nonchalantly as he grabbed his coat. He had just finished his paperwork and had been permitted to go home now. Brosh and Havoc had gone home ages ago, seeing that they didn't have the responsibility of a general, and the other subordinates had left at the exact time they were scheduled to return home. Riza stood by him as usual, regardless if she did finish her work (which she always did) and if she didn't.

"I prefer walking, sir," Riza responded.

Idiot. I don't even own a car, except for that military one for emergency use only. Roy metally kicked himself. "Uh... yeah. So, you mind if I walk with you then?" Roy said.

"You're house is in the opposite direction of mine," Riza said.

"Oh." Bull. What do I say now? "Um...I'm meeting a friend along the way," he lied.

Riza closed her eyes. Please don't lie to me, sir. She shrugged and let Roy accompany her as she made her way home. Black Hayate both nipping at each other's heels.

"Sir," Riza said as they turned another block. "You seemed a little off today. Is anything wrong?"

"No. I'm fine," he said in a positive way. Am I?

Roy-ee is lovesick

Roy scowled and flicked the figure of Maes Hughes off his shoulder. He and his pictures of his family went flying.

"So...um," Roy said, casully starting a conversation. "Me and the unit are getting together tomorrow morning and having some breakfast. Would you like to join us?" he lied.

"What's the meeting for?" Riza asked.

"I--er..um. We..'re just having a cup of coffee among each other. As friends and you know."

Riza shrugged. "Well, I don't have anything planned, so..."

"So, yeah, okay I'll pick you up at 9AM okay?" Roy said. Riza nodded unsurely and Roy waved at her and ran back in the other direction.The other direction that lead to his home.

Yeah, I'm sure you had to meet your friend. Either your lying or, your "friend" is going to have a major fit.

A/N: Yeah... I can't believe I wrote this much in like n. hours. I have to constantly switch places with my wordpad and my journal (the journal where I wrote it down) and the internet (I sent my friend the first 6 chapters of it) b/c the internet one has the edited version. I have to decide which is better, or otherwise fuse it (like a chimera). And I had no intention of putting Maes on here. In the notebook, or the edited version, but I think that he was an awesome guy. He has the right to be in this fanfiction. Review please! -- FLAMETAL