I don't own FMA
Riza Hawkeye walked up the steps of Central command followed by Black Hayate heading towards Roy's office carrying the files that she had taken home the night before. The deadline that Fuhrer Grumman had given Roy was coming towards an end and they still had several piles of papers that needed looking at and approving before they where considered by the Führer's committee. She noticed Sheska who was opening the door to reference room one and nodded to her.
"Good morning Major Hawkeye, Hayate." Sheska said warmly smiling brightly at her as she knelt down to pat Hayate on his head Riza smiled back, Sheska had done so much for them over the years, almost getting herself fired in the process, that Riza had considered her as part of the gang and a dear friend.
"Morning Sheska, your in early today." Riza said noticing that Sheska was an hour early for work. Sheska opened the door and went in sighing at the mess that greeted her, she had told Lance Corporal Clara Douglas to make sure that the files and books that had been used was put back in there correct places. Sheska on Roy's request had been promoted to a Corporal, meaning that she now had some authority over the other's who were still only Privates or Lance Corporals.
"I think I'm going to have to have that chat with Major Fokker when he gets in, something needs to be done about that girl and her untidy habits." Sheska said bending down to pick up the books and files that had been left scattered across the floor. Riza smirked and knelt down to help her pick up a few books that had been left open on the floor,smoothing out the pages that had started to crease at the ends. She remembered the first day she started working under Roy's command, there had been papers and books everywhere and no matter how often she picked them up, the mess seemed to spread, so one day she had gone in early and put everything on Roy's desk for when he came in. Roy wasn't impressed to walk into the office to find books and screwed up pieces of paper on his desk. When he went to his desk he pushed it all of making it land on the floor again enraging Riza when she had walked back in. Without warning she had pulled out her gun and fired startling Roy and making him grab his gloves nearly setting Riza ablaze, lets just say that on that day Roy and Riza had come to an understanding and he always cleaned his office before leaving for home.
Riza giggled at the memory, handing Sheska the books that she had just picked up, receiving a curious look. Riza noticed the look and shrugged her shoulders picking back up the files that she had been carrying and heading towards the door.
"Thanks for the help Major, it's most appreciated." Sheska said bowing her head as she always does.
"No problem, if you need some help with that talk with Clara then let me know." Riza replied, Sheska said that she would be alright and went to start the task of finds the files that Grumman had asked for the meets he and the general would be having that afternoon. Riza was about to leave the room when she remembered something and turned to Sheska again.
"Oh I'll ask Lieutenant Havoc to return those reports we borrowed the other day." Riza said Sheska nodded and Riza left to head to the office to start the job of organising Roy for the important meeting he was to have with the Fuhrer this afternoon.
She opened the door, took of her coat and carried the files to Roy who was, unsurprisingly slouching in his chair moaning that it was too early and that he wished that he was a Colonel again.
"Morning General, here are the files that you asked me to look at yesterday, I had to take them home to finish so you had them for the meeting." Riza said placing the files in front of the groggy General who just grunted in reply. "I have corrected any mistakes that were in them and reformatted them so that it would make more sense to the other Generals when they read it later. It seems that when Ed wrote it he didn't quit understand the principals of proper grammar." Riza continued receiving a snort in return.
"It's amazing that Ed wasn't court marshalled for it." Havoc said leaning in his chair sipping his coffee whist he looked through the complaints that the Ishvalan people had addressed to them whilst they where visiting the east. Roy smirked at that and sat up reaching for the files and putting in the pile of things he needed for the meeting.
"If it wasn't for me and the fact that that war mongering bastard didn't need him and his brother for his plans, he would have been. I can't count the times I was up late rewriting his reports for him, written out all the colourful metaphors that he had so kindly written for me to read. I sometimes think that he did it on purpose." Roy complained, Riza and Havoc grinned at each other, they knew that even if Roy wouldn't admit it he missed have their young, red cloaked, golden eyed comrade. They turned when they saw Breda and Fuery walk into the office and Roy gave them their orders for the day before starting work on finishing his presentation for the meeting with the Fuhrer and other generals. Riza gave Roy a quick glance before carrying out her orders, wondering when she would pluck up the courage to tell him how much she loves him.
In Resembool Ed and Winry were sat by the riverside watching the leaves floating down the river and talked about their future plans.
"I still can't believe it, after all these years of fighting we made it. I fell like I'm in a dream." Ed whispered softly, nudging at Winry's neck making her giggle.
"So what do you want to do now that you are a free man?" Winry asked making Ed pull back and stare at her with uncertainty.
"I'm not sure. I have thought about starting up my own business, but I don't have a clue as to how to." Ed replied, Winry thought about it for a moment before coming up with an idea.
"Why don't you open up a book store? It's not like you don't know anything about books. You must have read every book in Central library when you was with the state." Winry suggested making Ed's face light up.
"Great idea, I could have a café there as well and when people come in they will be able to read and enjoy a drink at the same time. It could be a reading café." Ed exclaimed excitedly. Winry gave him a sceptical look.
"But then wouldn't the book become damaged and then you would have to replace them all the time, it's not like you can fix it with your alchemy any more..." Winry stopped when she noticed the look on Ed's face, it seemed that he still hadn't come to terms with that yet.
"Um...sorry about that, I didn't mean that you are useless now or anything." Winry apologised quickly trying to explain herself to him waving her hands around, Ed grabbed her hands and smiled reassuringly at her.
"It's OK I know what you meant. It's feels weird though, like we've been given a second chance at life." Ed said, he leaned forward kiss Winry when Al turned up.
"Ah here you are. Granny was wondering where you two had run off again." Ed turned and glared at Al who seemed have not noticed that Ed was about to kiss his girlfriend.
"Um...did I interrupt anything?" Al asked starting to feel a little uneasy at the stare that Ed was giving him.
"Yes." "No." Winry said receiving a funny look from Ed, Al looked between shuffling his feet in the grass. Winry stood up dragging Ed with her and followed Al back to the house, Ed grumbling about 'not be able to have any privacy.
"So Al, what are you going to do with your life now that you've achieved your goals?" Winry asked curiously, she had noticed that over the last couple of months Al's had seemed to be slightly depressed over something. She had told Ed her concerns but Ed had shrugged it off saying that Al was alright and that she worrying too much about him.
"Um...well I've been thinking a lot about it recently and I think that I might start my own business." Al replied looking a bit unsure.
"Really, hey Ed's been thinking the same thing, maybe you two could start one together." Winry practically squealing in Ed's right ear. Al smiled, nodding his head in agreement.
"What did you have in mind brother?" Al asked sounding interested in the idea but deep down he didn't want to, he wanted to be himself and do his own thing but didn't know how to tell Ed.
"I..."
"He was thinking of starting a book store with a café where people could go in and read and enjoy a coffee at the same time." Winry said answering for Ed who wondered if something had happened to his voice and Winry was the only one that knew. "Hey maybe Al could run the café whilst you run the book store." Winry said excitedly, they arrived back at the house and Winry went in to find out what Pinako wanted leaving the two brothers allow to talk about the idea.
"So a reading café huh? That sounds interesting, though not surprising. They are your two most favourite subjects in the world." Al said sniggering, Ed smiled grabbing him around the neck and ruffled his hair.
"Well at least I have an idea, all you've seemed to have done since you came back is mope around and write your letters." Ed replied, he released Al who glared at him for messing up his hair.
"I've been writing to May, she's been having some problems regarding her mother and I wanted to see how she's been doing." Al said blushing slightly, Ed knew that May had feelings for Al and had been wondering why she hadn't been to visit.
"Oh what kind of problems?" Ed asked curiously.
Al looked at the ground like he was trying to find the right way to explain the problem. "She's attracted an illness from a plant that grows in one the fields near her home. The plant it's self isn't known to be dangerous and May thinks that it was poisoned by one of the other rival families." Al explained the hint of anger present in his voice. Ed stood and listened as Al told the story.
"You see when Ling went back to Xing and claimed the throne after his father died, his older siblings wasn't pleased. He thinks that because he has offered May a royal place as a physician, due to her healing abilities that they are jealous and are trying to kill her." Al finished shaking with the rage that he had kept built up inside, he kicked a bucket that was on the floor and cursed surprising Ed who had never heard him swear before.
Ed watched Al for a moment before placing his hand on his shoulder. "Al are you OK?" He asked, Al straighten and nodded turning to face his brother again.
"Yeah, sorry guess it just gets to me that's all. I wish that there was something I can do to help." Al said frustration showing in his voice.
"Al this isn't your battle to fight, May and Ling are strong. I'm sure that they will find the bastard that hurt her mum and punish them for their crime. You need to start thinking about your own future now." Ed said given him a stern look. Al thought about it for a moment before smiling at his older brother.
"Your right brother, now shall we go in to help Winry before she decides to throw that scary wrench at us again." Al said rubbing the sore spot where Winry had throw the object after catching Al fixing one of the fences with his alchemy. Ed laughed at that and agreed walking into the house to find Winry and Pinako.
Roy Mustang walked down the corridor towards the large double oak doors with an air of uneasiness, he took a deep breath before entering the large room saluting the Fuhrer before taking his place at the big table where all of the other generals sat waiting for him. He looked around the table and regarded the faces that where staring at him as he shuffled through the papers he had brought for the meeting.
"Brigadier General Mustang, so nice of you to finally join us." Grumman said not sounding to happy about having to been made to wait. Roy checked his watch and saw that he was indeed late.
"My apologise Sir for the delay. I had an late report given to me that I wanted to look at before coming to this meeting." Roy explained trying to hid the nervousness that he was feeling.
Grumman excepted the apology and started reading out the first agenda.
"OK first on the agenda is the issue off the reference rooms being left a mess after use, I can not stress enough to you all the importance of organisation and cleanness when it comes to working with that kind of information. When you all go back to you offices after this meeting I expect you all to talk to your staff about it. Understood?" Grumman asked everyone nodded their heads and wrote it down in their notes for when they got back.
"Aright now as you all know there have been talks about us joining an Alliance with Xing for trading purposes. Mustang how is the track construction doing? Will it be ready on time for the Emperors arrival?" The Fuhrer asked looking at Roy who found out the report that he had not long received.
"It will Sir, there was a few problems that causes a few delays for the trains heading east but they have now been rectified." Roy said passing the report down the table for Grumman to read.
"Good, it is very important that everything goes to plan. General Hakuro have you manage to find someone to act as an escort for him when the young Emperor comes?" Grumman asked looking at Hakuro who was looking worried.
"Um...no Sir I haven't yet. Can't find anyone with the skills or experience for the job." Hakuro explained receiving a glare from him.
"This will not do Major General, we have only got two weeks till his visit, what do you expect us to do? Tell him that we couldn't find someone willing to escort his highness and leave him to wonder Amestris on his own?" Grumman asked frustrated that the simple task hadn't been carried out. The generals started muttering about who there could ask to do the job, when Roy had an idea.
"Sir may I make a suggestion?" He asked receiving a glare from Hakuro who was sulking from the telling of he had just received. Everyone stopped talking and faced Roy waiting to hear what he had to say.
"What might that be General?" Grumman asked.
"Edward Elric Sir, he already knows the Emperor from his last visit here as a price and is one of the best martial arts in Amestris, he wouldn't find it too hard to escort him." Roy suggested causing the generals to start muttering again in surprise.
"What? You can't be seriously considering allowing that disruptive, hotheaded delinquent to escort the Emperor are you? He isn't even in the millatery any more and can't even preform alchemy." Brigadier General Henry Douglas the father to Clara Douglas argued deciding that he wanted his opinion to be heard.
"That hotheaded delinquent is the person who was fighting and defending this country from the threat from that 'father' guy and saving all of your pompous asses whilst you all where hiding scared in your offices. So next time you talk about him try and show some damn respect." Roy said angrily standing up from his seat glaring at Douglas forgetting where he was, Grumman cleared his throat reminding him where he was and told him to sit back down. Roy sunk back into his chair annoyed with himself for allowing that little slip of his mask.
"Another outburst like that Mustang and I will have you doing paperwork till you've retired." Grumman said knowing how much Roy hates paperwork.
"Sorry Sir." Roy apologised, noticing Douglas' smirk from across the table and waiting nothing more than to cremate him.
"OK well even though Edward isn't unfortunate in the millatery any more, I think that it is a good idea. Mustang will you make the arrangements for me?" Grumman asked, Roy nodded and said that he would call 'Fullmetal' when he got back to the office. He sat there only partly listening to the other generals discuss some complaints they had about the food in the cafeteria and the fact that they couldn't get there radio's to work, thinking about the position he had got himself in.
'I hope Ed won't be too upset with me for nominating him.' Fuhrer Grumman dismissed them after asking if there was any questions and Roy left the room rushing back to try and think of a plan to trick Ed into taking the job.
Thanks for reading.