A/N: Happy (belated) Memorial Day to you all! Especially to all you deceased troops out there. We will all remember you dearly as a soldier who had died in battle, protecting the one country that you serve. I now have a moment of silence for all of you...OKAY! That's how dedicated I am to the US armed forces (I hope I didn't offend any of you non-american readers. If I did, my apologies) and for those of us who are fans of the late Brigadier General Maes Hughes might as well take a moment for him as well, for being KIA (killed in action)...okay. Sadly, speaking of Maes, his ghostly image/conscience of Roy is not going to be with us this chapter and we will have a quote/dedication for him at the end of this chapter in my ending author's note...I'm just too obsessed with ep.25...well on with chapter 4. Oh, and we're back to the present now...

Ch.4 Central

1025 Hours (10:25 am) Central HQ, The Office of Roy Mustang

"Sheesh," Ed said marching back inside the office of Roy Mustang after having his 'little talk' with him and Hawkeye.

"Brother, what happened?" Al asked when he noticed his brother had returned.

Ed looked at his younger brother and sighed. "All I'm supposed to tell you is to tell nobody on what you just heard about Hawkeye and Mustang," he said between clenched teeth. Al nodded. "And same goes for you guys," Ed said to the other men in the room. They all nodded, but something, or rather someone was missing in the room.

"Hey Ed!" Havoc yelled, having come back from his bathroom break. "Where are the two lovebir-" And who else but the two 'lovebirds' would come in. Havoc had to think of some replacement word fast. "LOBSTERS! Where are the two lobsters that you promised us when you guys said you'd come back from your mission?"

Corny.

Everyone looked at the second lieutenant in a weird, dumbfounded look. Havoc just shrugged at his own... idiocity. "Hehe."

1751 Hours (5:51pm) Central HQ, The Office of General Roy Mustang

Hours later, Ed and Al found themselves still inside Roy's office, bored out of there misery. The constant tick-tocks that the clock made was starting to drive the young alchemists mad...well, mad is an understatement. It was more like-

"This is really pissing me off!" Ed yelled. "Why again am I still here?" he asked, looking to his younger brother. Al could only guess.

"You're only here, because you've got nothing better to do," Roy replied in a simple manner. He signed a document after scanning through it, not caring one way or the other what it said. "Plus, torturing you is one of my many hobbies," Roy said to himself.

"Get a new one," Ed said, crossing his arms.

1758 Hours (7:58pm) Central HQ, Roy's Office

"Okay," Roy said. "That's the last of that paperwork crap," he said as he placed the last document on the top of the stack. "So, two more minutes and I'm off duty." He tapped his pen on his desk for the umpteenth time when a sudden realization came to him. Hey, I finished my work on time. I guess there is a god out there...

"Okay, sir, you're permitted to leave now," Riza said as she packed up some of her things, some two minutes later.

"Does that mean we can leave too?" Ed asked, ecstatically. He sat up from the sofa he was lying on in pure excitement of finally having to leave this dump of a headquarters.

"Maybe," answered Roy.

"Go suck balls."

Roy smirked as he held the door open for him and Riza. "C'mon, Fullmetal. You know I was kidding. Now let's go, unless you'd rather stay in my office. You're more than welcome to do that."

Ed got up and immeidiatly headed out the door with Al behind him.

"C'mon, we'll give you guys a ride," insisted Roy. They all piled into Roy's car. Roy got a car after deciding to save his money (it pays to be a general) and to lay low on the alcohol for a while. When Roy finally reached the military lodgings, Ed and Al hopped out of the car and bid the two officers a goodnight. But Ed noticed something was up.

"Hey, aren't you guys coming out?" Ed said.

"No," Roy said.

"Why not?"

"Because we have something we have to take care of."

"Does it have to do with the military?"

"Why does it matter?"

"I just want to know." Ed was beginning to act like an insane, curious child.

Roy sighed. "No, it isn't military related."

"Then can we come?" Ed said. Al didn't really want to go anywhere, but he always tags along with Ed...usually.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to come."

"Well, with just the two of you, aren't you guys gonna get lonely?"

Al sighed. Brother, you are such a child.

"Please," Ed pleaded.

"No. Why do you want to come anyways?" Roy said. "You seemed eager enough to get away when we were at HQ," Roy retorted.

"Well, we just want to."

Roy sighed. Ed, your stunt will cost you one day. Roy was getting to pissed at him, and saying no would only make things worse. One way or the other."Fine, just get in."

Riza raised her eyebrow at Roy's response.Well, can't blame him. I was just getting pissed at him myself. Oh well. Roy drove off and they returned back to Central. Roy parked the car and they got out.

1814 Hours (6:14 pm) Central

Ed moaned as he got out of Mustang's car and set foot back into Central. Why did I come back here again? Oh well. Mustang had it coming for making me stay in his office for... however long he works. Ed stood up straight when an idea struck him. "Catch me if you can!" Ed yelled, and he ran off.

"Ed! Get back here!" Roy yelled.

"Brother, where are you going!" Al asked.

Riza just shook her head in mock disappointment. How do I put up with this?

1815 Hours (6:14 pm) Central, Where Ed Is

"Hehe," Ed chuckled when he saw that the others began to chase him. He turned arounds so he could focus on where he was going when-

"Oof," Ed said as someone bumped him. Ed fell to the ground and threw a fit. "Hey, watch it!" he said, bobbing a fist.

"Ed?"

Ed looked up at the mention of his name. The voice wan't Roy, Riza, or even Al. It was someone else. "Winry?"

"Ed!" Winry stooped down and offered a hand to him. Ed took it and stood up.

"Winry, what are you doing here in Central?" Ed asked. But before she could answer, Roy, Riza and Al, finally caught up with Ed, after Ed had decided to play a game of "can't-catch-me".

Winry looked up, upon recognizing the man who had killed her parents years ago. But at least she forgave him for it. She also recognized Riza, noticing her guns, she assumed that she probably hasn't changed for her gun-toting purposes. And Al, he also looked confused. Why was Winry here?

"Winry," Al said. "Would you like to join us? We're just roaming around Central."

"Sure," Winry agreed. "You guys are the only reason I'm here anyways."

Ed backed up so he could talk to Winry. "You wanna get some dirt on Mustang?" he asked like some stalker.

"Uh.." Winry said. "Not really-"

"Great," Ed said. "See Mustang and Hawkeye over there?" he said pointing to them.

Winry nodded. "Yeah, I know who they are, Ed."

"Exactly. Mustang is seeing Hawkeye." Oh shit.

"What!" Ed covered Winry's mouth before she could say another word.

Ed took his hand off of Winry's mouth and hushed her. "Don't tell nobody. Hawkeye and Mustang are gonna kill me if they find out. If anyone asks, well you didn't hear it from me. Okay?" Winry nodded unsurely.

1821 Hours (6:21pm) Central, Roy and Riza

This sucks. Me and Riza are supposed to be on a freakin' date. Alone. But then that stupid runt that's an excuse for a state alchemist just has to barge in. I have do something about this...

Roy turned to Riza. "Riza," he began. "This isn't working out."

Riza stopped in her tracks and looked at Roy. You can't be serious. Are we breaking up already? Shit. But what she said was, "W-what do you mean?" she asked, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

Roy turned his head so it faced Ed, Al, and Winry. Winry seemed to be in a serious talk with Ed and Al was starting to fall behind because he was looking at a wanted poster for a lost kitten. Roy looked back to Riza. "I mean them. They're like stalkers... paparazzi. We need to ditch them."

Riza stole a glance at them as well and frowned when she saw Ed and Winry.

Roy noticed it. "What?" he said in a dead serious tone.

"Ed," she said simply. She reached for her holster and pulled out the Beretta that Roy had given her nine and half years ago (remember its six months later).

"Hey," Roy said. "That's the Beretta. Wait-what're you doing with that?" he said when he saw her load it. She pulled the hammer back.

"Ed spilled our secret."

"What?"

Riza didn't answer and deliberately shot the pavement that Ed and Winry were standing on. Ed went into 'Hawkeye-and-her-gun-mode' and grabbed Winry and they made a run for it. When they passed Al, he did the same when he saw the chunks of metal that were coming straight in his direction.

"I think they heard us," Ed panted. "When I told you about them." They dashed into a narrow alleyway.

1827 (6:27pm) Central, Roy and Riza

"Umm," stammered Roy. "Did you have that idea in mind from the beginning?" he asked. Riza tucked her gun back into her holster.

"No."

"Well, it was still well rehearsed."

"I read Ed's lips. He was talking about how me and you are seeing each other."

"Really?"

"Yes. He was."

"Well, at least it got rid of them and now-" Roy stopped mid-sentence. He looked up, so his eyes landed on the roof of a building. Damn. They're here.

"Roy? What's wrong?" Riza said.

Roy mouthed to her," They're here." Riza nodded, although she had no idea what he was talking about. And being clueless was not one of Riza's traits.

Roy smirked a really evil one. "Hey, Riza. Do you think that Fullmetal would be better off with a girlfriend? I think he'd be best off with Winry Rockbell." Riza raised a eyebrow at Roy's...short attnetion span. First, he's all serious, and now he's all... jokey.

"What're you-"

"She's just my mechanic!" Ed said. He jumped down from the roof that Roy had just been eyeing. Al and Winry followed him. Winry just looked as clueless as ever.

Roy smiled again. This never gets old. "Say that again. You're too far away...oh no- wait. You're right there. I didn't realize you were so-"

The thunder rolled followed by a fork of lightning. Ed snickered just as the rain came pouring down. He transmuted a bucket and began collecting the rain that was coming down on them

"You know Fullmetal," Roy began. "Drinking rainwater doesn't get you growth spurts. Drinking milk does."

Ed ignored him."Its raining! It's raining!" he sang. Ed then stuck his tongue out a the older alchemist and started mocking him. "Oo-o-oh" he put a hand to his forehead. "I'm Roy Mustang, and I'm afraid of the rain. Someone help me, help me," he started prancing around like a little girl in a dress with the bucket above his head.

Roy scowled. This was really pissing him off.

And came Ed's finale. Ed transmuted the ground below him and Ed grew two feet taller. he was now face to face with Roy.

"Brother, what're doing?" Al asked.

Ed smirked to his younger brother and continued his mocking. "Help me, help me. I'm useless in the rain. Useless." He then dumped the rainwater all over Roy's head. Roy.Was.Soaking.

That did it. Roy's veins popped and his blood started to boil. If there was one thing Roy hated, it was being called "useless" especially if its in the same sentence as "rain". But rainwater being deliberately thrown on him crossed way over the line.

Ed noticed. "Uh-oh," and he made a run for it. Al and Winry, who were unsure of what to do, followed Ed, who was running for his dear life.

"Fullmetal, you get back here! Now!" Roy yelled, chasing after the vertically challenged alchemist. Riza followed, otherwise, she would've been left alone. In the rain. With no one there. A creepy situation if you think about it.

Riza had finally caught up with Roy, who was behind Winry, who was behind Al, who was behind the person in front, who was Ed.

"Hahahahaha!" Ed laughed. "You can't catch me now, can you Flamie!" Ed cackled. He turned around, making sure that Mustang wasn't behind him, and Ed slipped into a narrow alleyway, unseen. He kept running, and without warning, stepped into a dip in the road. The dip was in the disguise of a puddle, and Ed, thinking that it was level, ran through it. But since it was a dip, he stumbled and fell, twisting his ankle.

Ed regained his composure and decided to quit the game, even if it meant getting incinerated. He turned around so he can make his way back to the entrance of the alley, when he slipped in his attempt for making a run. He hit his head on the wet concrete and he felt a warm, running liquid settle behind his head. Ed felt the rain fall down on his face. Everything went black.

A/N: Wow. I know there wasn't much fluff r anything romancey (if there was, I must've missed it) but whatever. I've had nearly 500 hundered hits, but them couch-potatoes won't reveiw. So waffles to the following who reviewed: FruitsBasketFreak44, Cles, flOofymikO, C.A.M.E.O1 and Only, Pichie, and MoonStarDutchess. Oh well, like I promised, I said I'd give a special quote for Maes Hughes, cuz he was one of the best. This is for him. But if you haven't seen episode 25, then DON'T READ THE FOLLOWING EXTRAS! Happy (belated) Memorial Day to you all!..I would've posted this yesterday, but my dad had to go to the hospital. Typing the extras just almost made me cry. I was watching the ep on DVD as I typed this...now the song "Brothers" is playing on the piano. I'ma lose it soon...

-

Flashback (extra)

"I'm going to become the Fuhrer, Maes. I'll transform how this whole country runs. Its the only way I can justify taking my next breath." -Roy Mustang

"To do that, you're going to need someone who understands you and the system, and supports you from the inside. I'll work under you, stay close to the higher-ups, and help push you to the top," -Maes Hughes

-

The Funeral (extra)

"Mom...how come? Why are the burying daddy?...Who are those people? Why are they burrying him? Why?" -Elicia Hughes

"He's gone baby."-Gracia Hughes

"They can't! I don't like it! Daddy said he had lots of work to do and if they bury him he can't do it when he wakes up!" -Elicia Hughes

"Elicia..."-Gracia Hughes

"Stop them, Mommy! Daddy said he had lots of work! He told me! Why are you burying Daddy, Mommy? Why? Daddy wake up!"-Elicia

Episode 25: Words of Farewell