"Look at this one, Lieutenant." I pointed to the long face of a man on my State Alchemists list and read his attributes aloud. "He can manipulate water, but not through his hands it's only if he has a source available...hmm." I rubbed my chin as my lieutenant sighed out the window of the fast moving train.
"Well," she began. "It's a good thing you won't be the only one fighting these men. Because if it happened to rain during a fight you'd be taken out for sure, you know with you being useless when wet and all." I flinched and could just hear the smug smile in her voice.
"You know one day I will learn how to make flames without these damned gloves and I'll be able to set each raindrop on fire using the oxygen in water." I nodded to myself at my witty remark.
"And then end up setting the entire surrounding area on fire." she turned to smile at me and I couldn't tell whether I wanted to kiss her or order her to shut up. I decided the latter was more practical given our situation.
"Shut up, Lieutenant." she laughed and I gave a slight smile as my eyes continued down the list of men.
"Look at this one, Lieutenant. He can move metal with his fingertips..."
It didn't take long before we were striding down the long road to the Elric's house. The train ride had gone by faster than I had anticipated and I figured it was because I was reading that damn list, and formulating a way to beat and every alchemical power those men possessed. I was contemplating this same thing as my Lieutenant and I reached the top of a hill where we could plainly see the Elric house, only it was different and now there was a house next to it.
"I guess," My Lieutenant spoke softly at my side. "I guess they rebuilt the house they grew up in." And sure enough as I glanced back down to the second house I saw Winry walk out the front door and start jogging toward us.
"Miss Riza!" Winry held her arms out to my Lieutenant, who smiled wide and threw her arms around Winry. For a second, I felt a slight tinge of jealousy that she could freely hug Hawkeye, and I, a man who loves her, cannot. I focused my attention away from the two affectionate women and settled my eyes on a little boy with blonde hair, dragging a little girl with the same shade of blonde around by her hand.
"That's my boy, Sam, and my daughter Trisha." Edward walked up not far behind Winry and the children, with Alphonse close behind.
"Hello, Ed." I gave him the smirk I knew he despised. "Long time no talk, shorty. Aw darn, it looks like you've grown." and he did. He was almost as tall as I am.
"Eat dirt, Mustang. With height on my side I can sure as hell kick your ass now." he bared his teeth in his grin.
"Not without alchemy you can't." I grinned back.
"Whatever." he shrugged off my comment and brushed past me. "Kids, be as nasty as you want to this man." I looked down and little Sam was sticking his tongue out at me while Trisha giggled. I heard Ed greeting Hawkeye as Al held out his hand toward me.
"General," he smiled. "It's great to see you." I took his hand.
"You too, Al. Man, you have grown." he was taller than Ed only by a little, and he had a square jaw -not a pudgy one anymore- and a lean but muscular body. I thought in the back of my head that even if I could take Ed, I probably would have a hard time beating Al. This actually helped settle my mind a little. At least Hawkeye would have good protection.
"General," Winry came into my view with a sweet smile and a warm, welcoming aura. "I have pie waiting, just like I promised." she pointed her thumb over her shoulder toward her house and then turned to lead the way.
"It's nice seeing you, Mustang." Ed mumbled as he sped past me to his wife, and as my lieutenant showed up by my side.
When I entered the Elric home I recognized it automatically. The house that the brothers tried human transmutation in, how could I forget seeing that ugly piece of meat on the floor? Well, it wasn't the exact house but it was a pretty good replica rebuilt by some phenomenal memory.
"I will grab the food. Sam, Trishy and Al go make the table. Ed, ask our guests if they would like anything to drink." Winry scurried around in the kitchen gathering any food she could fit in her hands to place on the table. The scent of apple pie filled my nose and I realized I hadn't eaten. I glanced over at Hawkeye and she had the same hungry look on her face.
"What would you like to drink?" Ed looked and smiled toward Hawkeye but I knew he was talking to me too.
"I would like water, please." Hawkeye responded in her light, feathery voice.
"Same for me, Ed, please." I gave him a smile that was returned with a glare.
"Seems like age has nothing to do with maturity," Hawkeye mumbled. "Winry, would you like any help?" I watched as my lieutenants beautifully lean figure marched its way into the kitchen and began picking up food.
"Here's your water," Ed handed me two glasses. "That's the lieutenants, so I guess just set it on the table next to wherever you are going to sit." I picked the two seats furthest from the window. Just in case. When I sat down the food had pretty much all made it to the table and my mouth immediately began watering at the sight of it all. Chicken, and salad, and fruit and pie... Al claimed a spot across the table from me and took my attention from the scrumptious food.
"So, General," he began. "How's work been?" his eyes flashed to my lieutenant then back to me and he smiled. I cleared my throat.
"Well, actually, it's going good. Except for this um detour." I smiled back and he raised an eyebrow. I gave him a look that said, 'I will explain more later' and he nodded and leaned back in his chair. When everyone was seated, Winry stood at the foot of the table with her hands on her hips and said,
"So let's eat this stuff! Youngest served first, oldest last. Sorry, General." she smiled sweetly at me again.
"No worries, Mrs. Elric. I can wait." it was a lie, but better to be polite when she's the one feeding me.
Dinner went quickly and was for the most part silent as everyone stuffed their faces, including myself. There was small talk mostly being started by Al or Winry but the only interesting things that happened at dinner were when I would randomly get up to glance out the window to keep an eye out for danger and one long phone call Ed answered about halfway through dinner.
When dinner was over we all sat around and congratulated Winry on a well-cooked meal. Not long after we had picked up the plates and bowls from the dinner table we heard a knock at the door. I immediately found my Lieutenant and side-stepped my way in front of her, my hands in my pockets with the gloves. Edward calmly walked up to the door and answered it.
"Finally," I heard a familiar voice say. "It smells like food in here!" Havoc forced his way through the entrance to the Elric house with Fuery and Breda following after him. Edward closed the door behind and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh my God," I lowered my guard. "What the hell are you all doing here?"
"Well sir," Fuery started. "We got a little worried when the Lieutenant didn't show up for work yesterday." He said as he lowered himself into a chair.
"It was normal for you," Havoc continued. "But completely strange that Hawkeye wasn't there." I rolled my eyes.
"So we asked around," Breda said. "And no one knew where you were except maybe Grumman, though he didn't tell us exactly he just said you were at an old friends'." He shrugged.
"So we figured out to call all your old friends." Fuery said.
"We called Ed first, and it turned out he was our ticket to you, sir." Havoc finished.
"So wait a minute, now even more people know where I am?" I asked, becoming furious. I sent a cold stare in Edward's direction and he held up his hands, palms facing me.
"Well, you told Grumman, didn't you? I mean he's sending men out here tomorrow." Fuery said. "And we used an outside line yesterday and earlier when we called, so it wasn't tapped."
"Why does it even matter?" Havoc chimed in. "Why did you and the Lieutenant run away anyway?"
"Eloping, I hope." Breda added under his breath.
I heard Winry giggle and realized everyone was watching this little conversation take place. My eyes landed on Winry's and shifted upstairs.
"Okay, come on kids." She said. "Bed time." She began to lead the way up their stairs and Edward was about to join me when Trisha called,
"Daddy, come say goodnight."
He sighed. "Alright, sweetie."
As they disappeared up the stairs the men and I settled around in the living room leaving Hawkeye in the kitchen, but still directly in my sight. She began to pick up the plates off the table and she and Al started cleaning the kitchen.
"It's weird that the little runt is a dad now." Said Havoc. "And I'm still not even married."
"Mm," I cleared my throat, signaling a subject change.
"Right, so why are you here, sir?" Breda asked.
I began my explanation as the men all leaned in curiously; at the end of story they all looked as horrified as I had felt for days.
"Bastards!" Havoc banged his fist on the arm of the couch. "Damn bastards." He rubbed his temple with his fingers and closed his eyes.
Hawkeye had joined us along with Al, Ed and Winry. She sat there staring at her hands; I knew she felt ashamed she was causing trouble. But I also knew she was the only person worried about the "trouble" she was causing-everyone else was just worried about keeping her alive. The men were like her brothers, and the Elric's like her children.
Everyone sat in silence for a while until Winry finally spoke, "Alright," She said. "I think it's time we all go to bed now."
The men stayed in various places around the living room, mostly for space reasons around the house but also because they wanted to make sure they were in control of the downstairs windows and doors; just in case.
Edward and Winry had only three rooms in their house, on was being occupied by Sam and Trisha, the other by Edward and Winry and the final room was Al's for when he stayed there on occasion. Though he had volunteered to sleep downstairs and give the Lieutenant his room.
That just left the question of where I would sleep. There was absolutely no more room downstairs, and I couldn't have possibly invaded Edward and Winry's privacy nor could I sleep in Sam and Trisha's already cramped room. I wasn't about to sleep next door with Pinako, I had to be close to Hawkeye.
"You could sleep in the hallway." Ed joked. Winry elbowed him and handed me a blanket and pillow.
"You could sleep with Riza," She offered. "On the floor in Al's room."
As inviting as that had sounded, I felt it was completely inappropriate.
"You could keep her safer that way as well." Winry added as a smile engulfed her face.
"I guess the floor wouldn't hurt." Hawkeye said and opened the door to her room. I followed behind her and was suddenly thrust into a sleepless night of worry and day dreams.