Note: Last chapter, I changed the encounter between Envy and Riza to go with this story.
Riza steps into Human Resources and a young, fresh out of the academy women with brown hair and blue eyes, Sgt. Angelica Bay gets up from her desk and gives Hawkeye a salute. Hawkeye returns the salute and hands over the winter ball plains to her.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Hawkeye. How is Fuhrer King Bradley?"
"He is well and quite busy." says Riza Hawkeye with as much care as she can pretend to muster. Thinking to herself how many poisons she would like put in his cup of tea. Even though it might not effect him the slightest. It was a comfort thought.
"That's good to hear." says Angelica Bay with a smile. Riza Hawkeye envy's the young woman's not knowing what she does about the military. Bay give's a salute to Hawkeye, Hawkeye returns the salute and leaves the office. Feeling a bit hungry from skipping breakfast today she heads to the mess hall. After turning down a few hallways she meets up with Colonel Roy Mustang, her "former" superior.
"Lieutenant." says Mustang in surprise.
" Colonel."
"It's good to see you." says Mustang with a warm smile.
Hawkeye smiles back."You to Colonel."
"Are you heading to the mess hall?"
"Yes, sir."
"Is it O.K. If I walk with you Lieutenant."
"I would like that Colonel."
They walk down together to the mess hall which isn't far from were they meet up. Being a perfect gentleman, Mustang opens the door for Hawkeye.
"After you Lieutenant." as he holds the door open for her.
"Thank you, Colonel." she walks through the open door way and into the mess hall. Mustang fellows behind her and together wait on line.
"How's Black Hayate doing?" says Mustang as he picks up a red tray.
"He is doing well. I think he misses the gain a bit and coming to the office."
"What will you be having?" ask the chief behind the counter.
"Oh, I'll have a ham and cheese hero with lettuce, tomatoes and mayo please." says the Colonel.
" You miss?" says the man
"Chicken noodle soup, please."
They take there food, drinks and find an empty table by the window away from everyone else in the mess hall. Mustang breaks the silence between them.
" I miss the gain as much as Black Hayate does." said Mustang
" I just hope Sgt. Fury doing O.K. With the South Border dispute." said Hawkeye with concern.
"It's going to be hard on him. But he will survive."
"How are you sure he will come out alive?"
"I ordered him not to die." said Mustang. Hawkeye couldn't help but to chuckle and shake her head.
"Have you visited Havoc lately?" asked Hawkeye
"Yes, he's doing well."
"That's good to hear. I just wish, I had more time to visit him. The Fuhrer has been keeping me busy with the plains for the winter ball."
"Where is it this year?"
" The Armstrong estate."
Mustang laughs to himself.
"The major must be loving the idea of having a you know what in his home." Said Mustang with sarcasm.
Hawkeye doesn't laugh at Mustang's sarcastic remark. She starts to stare out the window watching the gentle snow out the wind.
"Lieutenant, whats wrong?" asked Mustang with concern. Knowing Hawkeye for so long this was one of her ways of coping with a unpleasant thought or memory.
" Colonel, I don't know how to tell you this."
" What is it, Lieutenant?" Mustang concern grows.
" The Fuhrer told me to inform you that, you are to be in his entourage at the winter ball."
"Your kidding?"
Hawkeye shakes her head no.
"There's more, I am to be in his entourage as well and you are to be my escort. The dress code is civilian formal."
Mustang's eyes widen as he put his hand to his mouth as his a thought paced through his mind.
He thinks to himself, "Why?" Hawkeye reading his body language she know what he was thinking.
" I wonder that too." She said to her bewildered Colonel.
" They separate us, all of us and then bring you and me,close together at a formal event? It just..."
"Doesn't make sense." said Hawkeye finishing his sentence.
" Lieutenant I polity decline the honor." Mustang,believes this is a trap.
"Colonel, you cannot. I have been ordered to make sure you except." said Hawkeye with fear.
"Shit" He whispers under his breath. Remembering his dear Lieutenant's current position. A thought come to Hawkeye.
"It may not be a trap."said Hawkeye.
"What do you mean?"
"One of the Fuhrer's favorite hobbies is to watch humans and make fun of our emotional attachments and gentle missing of friends company, as he would put it. He must be excepting some sort of reaction or interaction between us. What? I don't know."
"Either way, we have to be ready." said Mustang as it to be a fact.
"Yes, sir." Hawkeye replied as if it was an order.
Silent tension falls between the two as they finish there food.
"Well, since you are my "date" in a way. What color will be your dress? I need to know so we can dress to match. Said Mustang with a smile that could cheer up the saddest of people.
"To be honest, I don't know."
"What do you mean?" asked a confused Mustang, thinking that his Hawkeye being a women might have a dress or to in her closet.
" I don't own a dress that calls for such occasion."
"Oh, well when you find one just let me know the color." said Mustang trying to re insure Hawkeye.
Hawkeye thinks to herself what shops in Central would have a dress that wasn't too sexy and covers her back so, no one would see the past she bared.
To be continued in the next chapter.