Chapter 3: Being Prepared

Roy sat on the couch as he tied the laces on his boot. He looked down at himself and thought that Tabi had done a good job on the costumes. He got up and crossed the room to the book shelf and put Professor Weltal's research on the shelf horizontally.

He went into the kitchen where he had put his gloves and lighter before he went to bed. He put them in his pocket and got into the fridge and picked up a thing of milk. He opened it and took a swig when he heard Tabi walk in.

He put the milk away and looked up at her and smiled to see such a beauty in his kitchen.

"You look wonderful." Roy said, shutting the fridge door. He went over to her and hugged her. She smelt really good. It must have been the new shampoo he had gotten for her.

"Okay so Its time to put on your mustache."Tabi said as they stopped hugging. She had a sharpie in her hand.

"No." Roy said plainly.

"Oh come on."

"I'll wear the hat put you're not putting sharpie or makeup on me." Roy said.

"Oh come on how will anyone know what character you are if you don't have a mustache. I've never seen a mustacheless Mario, let a lone a thin mustacheless Mario."

"Hughes doesn't have to have a mustache." Roy said.

"Yeah, well Luigi is thinner so its not as bad." Tabi sighed.

"No."

"Fine." Tabi sighed and left the kitchen to do something.

As Roy drove them to Hughes's for the party he could feel his heart beating faster and faster. Since he had no clue as to when Tabi was going to be kidnapped it made it all that harder to go to the party to begin with.

"Roy you seem quiet." Tabi said from the passenger seat making him jump.

"Sorry, I staid up pretty late last night." Roy replied.

"Its okay." Tabi beamed.

"Happy Birthday, by the way." Roy said looking at the road.

"Thanks." Tabi said.

"Happy Birthday." Hawkeye said to Tabi giving her a gift. Roy smiled at the two girls as he went off toward Havoc who stood there talking to Hughes.

"Oh, Roy." Hughes said.

"Hey." Roy said, "Tabi is talking to Riza at the moment."

"Okay." Hughes said, "I think I'll go say hi to my little Angel." He disappeared into the crowd as Roy turned to Havoc who looked at him.

"Have you told Riza?" Roy asked.

"No, " Havoc replied, "Why?"

"She gave Tabi a gun for her birthday." Roy said.

"Well, what can you say woman's intuition is always right." They went over to where Gracia set up all the food.

"Yeah," Roy said, "So how was the evening with future me? We haven't had time to talk since."

"He said in a week from the time future you left I was getting married."

"To who?" Roy asked.

"You wouldn't tell me."Havoc said, "But you said that she was beautiful."

"Really, I bet its Oliver." Roy said.

"Yeah right the woman hates me, she would never marry me." Havoc said

"That is true." Roy said, " But you said that I said that the girl you will marry is beautiful."

"Yeah, beautiful not scarey.' Havoc said as they both picked up cup cakes that looked like mushrooms.

"Okay, then Riza." Roy said.

"Riza?" Havoc asked. "You think she's beautiful?"

"To and extent, yes." Roy replied, "Why you don't?"

"Not really, I might think so if she let her hair down, though." Havoc said.

"Is it even some one we know?" Roy asked.

"Yeah." Havoc replied."Do you think it could be Cheska?"

"Cheska? I don't think she is beautiful, maybe cute, but not beautiful." Roy said as they both picked up glasses that had punch in them.

"I think she's beautiful. Her glasses are so big on her face that it makes her look like a little girl.' Havoc said.

"You know I think you have a point with that." Roy agreed, "I'm sure if you took of her glasses she would look pretty."

Hughes came back as Roy took a drink of the punch.

"Tabi looks like an angel doesn't she. I mean look at her she looks so cute in that little pink dress." Hughes gloated over his little girl. Roy sighed, but he agreed that she looked absolutely amazing in that dress. He had watched her as she transmuted the scraps together to make the dress. the crown he and her father had gotten her looked great with the dress as well.

"Meas, I have to asked you something." Roy said.

"And what's that?"

"I would like to know if it was okay with you if I could marry Tabi?" Roy asked.

"I'm fine with what ever Tabi decides." Hughes replied.

"Thanks." Roy said, "I bought the ring, would you like to see it?"

"Yeah." Hughes replied.

"Wow, you're that serious about this aren't you?" Havoc asked as Roy pulled out the little white box and handed it to Hughes.

"This is a very pretty ring. I got Gracia a plain band, with nothing on it. she loved it."

"You were also really young and poor." Roy said.

"That's true. I saved up all of my lunch money for a couple months to get it." Hughes said, "But it was worth every penny. Then when I saved up enough money to get an engraving I took the ring when she was sleeping one night and got it engraved the next day. She told me when I got home from work that she lost the ring and how bad she felt. She said she looked all over." He chuckled at the memory, "She cried when I gave it to her."

"What did the engraving say?" Roy asked.

"That is something I won't share with you."

"It was 'I love you' wasn't it?" Havoc asked.

"How did you know."Hughes asked.

"I picked up on it." Havoc said.

"I'll be right back." Roy said as she left Hughes and havoc to Tabi and taking the ring with him. He stuffed the box into his pocket and walked up to Tabi who was putting the gun Riza gave her down. Her back was turned toward him so he took her into his arms for possibly the last time alive.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey," he whispered into her ear making her giggle.

"Don't do that." Tabi said with laughter in her voice.

"Do what? This?" Roy asked as he whispered in her ear again. Knowing that she might die that day made him love her even more.

"Stop." she giggled.

"Why?' He whispered.

"Because." She giggled then she cleared her throat and said, "I have to go talk to Ed and Al, I'll be right back."

"Wait a little longer." He said then kissed her neck.

"Why?"

"Because, I said so." He replied, "And besides I'm sure your father will want to cut that really nice cake soon."

"Fine, I'll stay a little longer but I really have to talk to the boys." Tabi sighed.

"Great." Roy said letting go of her and she turned around and hugged him. "What other gifts have you gotten?"

"All kinds of things, where is my gift from you?" Tabi asked.

"I left it at home." He replied, "I wanted it to be only us when you opened it."

"That's sweet." Tabi said moving her finger around on his chest as he thought, this really isn't the time ti flirt and flirt well.

"I'll be right back, I have to talk to Jean about something." Roy said in a low growl.

"Okay," She whispered. He kissed her as she released her hug and he headed toward Havoc who was now sitting on an arm chair talking to Cheska. He could tell that it was coming soon, her abduction. Cheska left as Roy could hear a giggle pop out of her.

"Havoc Its going to happen soon, I can feel it."

"What is the plan?" Havoc asked. Roy had a funny feeling that this was going to happen, he had come up with a plain yesterday.

He remembered that the future him said she was going to be taken to a deserted house on the outskirts of Central and that they were going to take his car. From this information he made a plan. He went to the out skirts and found around eight deserted houses so he made sure that he knew where they were. Then he went to Hughes's place and timed how long it took to get to each one of the houses from Hughes's place. He figured it wouldn't hurt to know how long it took to run to all of them.

"Look you tell Hughes whats going on, have Ed tell you all about the kidnapper, then help Tabi's mother escort the guests out as orderly and as smooth as possible. Tell every one that Tabi has the flue and she has to go home or something." Roy stated, "I'll go after her, I know where every deserted house is on the out skirts."

"Got it." Havoc replied, "When do we do this?"

"When we are told by Ed that she was kidnapped."

"Okay." Havoc said as Roy sat down with sigh. "You're going to save her this time."

"This time." Roy sighed.

About five minutes later as Roy and Havoc talked Roy watched Ed as he walked over to the cake and then see him made his way over. Roy knew this was it.

"Havoc get ready, here he comes."

"Okay, play it cool" Havoc replied

"Right." Roy said as Ed stopped in front of him. He looked down at his costume and smiled, "Hey, Ed, I have to say you are the shortest dinosaur I've ever seen."

"Stop calling me short!"

"Okay BubuGump Shrimp." Roy said.

"That's a good one." Havoc said laughing, "Where on earth did you get that one?"

"Tabi showed me what she calls a 'moving picture' called 'Forest Gump'." He replied,"By the way where is Tabi?"

"I'll go look for her and get another cup cake." Havoc said putting his hand on Roy's shoulder then left.

"What are you talking about? We just left the two of you outside." Ed stated then said, "Envy, that sneaky Bastard."

"What are you talking about Fullmetal?" Roy asked knowing what was coming.

"Awe man. Why didn't I see it earlier. Tabi just told me that she had the Philosopher's stone. The Homunculi are looking for the stone. Envy is one of them."

Ed was still talking as Roy ran to the front door. He figured that he should check out the house the furthest away. Did she have the gun Hawkeye gave her? he couldn't remember, he hoped she did, it would give him more time. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his gloves, tore off the plain white ones and put his on as he ran down the street. He knew his car was taken so he kept running down the street.

"Meas, Tabi has been stolen." Havoc said putting his hand on Meas's shoulder.

"Do know if she had the gun I gave her on her?" Hawkeye asked.

"She didn't." Ed replied, "Its on the table over there." They all looked where Ed had pointed and saw the gun sitting on a table.

"Shit," The tree of them said in unison.

"I told her to keep that on her at all times." Riza said angerly.

"Where do you think they would have gone?" Hughes asked.

"I have reason to believe that she has been taken to out skirts of town." Havoc said.

"Mustang took after her already." Ed stated.

Roy stopped in his tracks to see Scar in front of him.

Oh great, He thought to himself, like I need this now.

"Roy Mustang Flame Alchemist, Its time for you to go before Ishbala and receive Judgment."

"Not today Scar." Roy said as he thrust his arm forward as he snapped. Scar dodged and came at Roy with his arm outstretched. He dodged Scars hand as it neared him. and snapped his fingers causing scar's coat to catch on fire. Roy watched as he ripped off the coat then kick Roy in the chest making him go flying, making him land on his butt in the street. Roy dodged another one of Scar's attacks as he snapped his fingers making an explosion. Scar jumped out of the smoke from the explosion at Roy who dodged again.

"What about scar?" Hughes asked, "If he gets to Roy before Roy can get to Tabi he might be toast."

"I'm on it." Hawkeye said as she turned to leave.

"Take me with you. Saving people has be apart of the Armstrong family for generations." Armstrong said stripping of the costume Tabi made for him.

"Fine come on." Hawkeye said running to the door.

Roy dodged another attack from Scar by inches as he snapped making an explosion. Roy lunged forward as Scar came up from behind him to attack. Then he heard a gun go off and he turned to see Riza Hawkeye pointing a gun at Scar.

"Run sir. Go find Tabi and bring her home." She said as Armstrong came out of nowhere.

"Alex Armstrong the Strong-Arm Alchemist Its time for you to go before Ishbala and receive Judgment." Scar said as Roy ran off to find Tabi.

"This is what Envy looks like by the way." Ed said showing Hughes a sketch he drew on a paper napkin.

"Thank you Ed." Hughes said

Gracia and Havoc said goodbye to the guests and they left.

"I hope that Tabi is going to be okay, I bet the aliens did this." Cheska said, making Havoc smile.

"I don't know, I'll make sure to tell you if you're right." Havoc said. "Roy took her back to their place."