Ed paused in the waiting room, hovering uncertainly in front of the receptionist. Ordinarily, he would have charged back without a second thought, but he felt a little uncomfortable. Mustang had almost died, and the last time he'd been conscious, Ed had been horrible. He wasn't sure that Mustang would want to see him, it's not like they got on particularly well even at the best of times.

But Riza had asked him to come; apparently the whole squad would be there. And Ed didn't want the Colonel to be all alone in the hospital on Christmas Day. He gathered his courage and approached the receptionist.

"We're here to see Colonel Mustang," Ed said firmly as Al hovered at his elbow.

"Room 37, it's on the left," the receptionist answered, motioning down the hall. Ed followed her pointing finger and crept into Mustang's hospital room.

He was still asleep, sunken eyes ringed with dark purplish black, his face paler than Ed had expected. There was a thin tube leading into his nostrils, no doubt supplying oxygen. A cannula, his brain inserted mechanically. Ed's resurgence of guilt was interrupted by Riza's voice.

"Edward," Riza said softly, voice pitched low so she didn't wake Mustang. "Thank you for coming."

"Yeah, well, I had to come so I can yell at him for almost dying," Ed muttered. "He doesn't get to die til I say so."

"I think the rest of us are with you on that," Havoc said, looking over from where he was hanging paper chains in the corner. Falman, helping him, nodded his assent. Breda handed them a string of lights and wandered over to Ed, holding out the Santa hat Mustang had made him remove earlier.

"Merry Christmas, kid," he said warmly, and Ed thought that maybe he would let the hated appellation slide, just this once. He pushed the Santa hat to a more rakish angle as Breda handed Al his own oversize hat.

There was a knock at the door, and Fuery entered holding a plate of cookies. "Am I late?" he asked, hurrying to set the cookies down on the bedside table.

"No, don't worry. You're just in time. I'll wake the Colonel up now," Riza said, smiling at him. She bent down by Mustang's bed and shook his shoulder gently.

"Sir? Sir, there are some people here to see you."

Mustang's eyelids flickered and then he opened his eyes fully, looking blearily around the room at his squad. For a long few moments, he simply looked disoriented, as if he couldn't figure out how he had gone to sleep in the hospital and woken up in some sort of Christmas wonderland. He blinked slowly, expression unreadable.

"What...what is this?" he finally said hoarsely. His voice was so weak it was barely audible, but Ed was startled by how coherent he sounded. On the phone, Riza had made it sound like he could barely string two words together. Ed supposed he had still been coming off the anesthesia at that point, confused and in pain, and it seemed the extra hour of sleep had done him good. He looked like he knew what was happening now, at least.

"Merry Christmas, sir," Havoc whispered from his place in the corner. Riza had talked to the doctor before doing any of this, and he had said it was fine as long as they didn't talk too loud, didn't let him move around much, and didn't stay for more than an hour. He was still liable to be overwhelmed, although the doctor had also apparently reassured Riza that he was responding well to the surgery and the particular mix of drugs he had been given, and was recovering much better than expected.

"You're all here?" Mustang said. He sounded so completely shocked and overwhelmed that Ed felt his insides twist. Had Mustang really thought they all planned to abandon him?

Riza had told them how upset he had been at taking away their leave. She had reminded Ed that while he could be horrible sometimes, he really did care about his men, and when he had seen how angry they were he had tried to solve the case himself, which is what had ended up getting him so injured. Now their full leave was restored and an additional two days tacked on for their troubles, and all of them would be able to go back to their families, albeit after Christmas. Ed and Al had already acquired tickets back to Resembool, although they weren't leaving until the 27th. Ed was a little disappointed he couldn't be spending Christmas itself with the Rockbells, but it was still far, far better than the alternative.

"Of course we're here," Ed forced out. He had no idea if Mustang even remembered the last interaction that they had had, he looked pretty out of it. But he wanted to somehow reassure the Colonel that he wasn't still mad, that all had been forgiven and then some.

"You did a good thing," Havoc said quietly. "We're...thank you."

Mustang's eyes widened with pleased surprise as there was a chorus of agreement from the rest of the team. He managed the smallest, weakest of smiles.

"But don't you ever do that again, Colonel," Riza said sternly from her place by his bedside. "You scared us half to death."

"She's right," Ed said, still caught up in the overwhelming desire to thank him or apologize or simply run out of the room. "It wasn't a very good Christmas present."

"Hey," Mustang said. He shifted slightly, wincing. "I survived, that should be a good enough Christmas present for all of you."

Ed grinned. Mustang was still pale and weak-looking, hooked up to an overwhelming number of machines feeding him an overwhelming level of drugs. But beneath all that, he was still the same old Colonel. Ed felt the knot in his stomach loosen.

"I guess it's better than that time you got me 'Dating for Dummies,'" Havoc muttered. Mustang looked as though he wanted to laugh, then settled for a grin. He was probably still in massive amounts of pain, Ed thought. It was a wonder he was even able to carry on a conversation.

"That was a thoughtful gift," Mustang said as firmly as he could manage. "God knows you need the help."

Havoc grinned and shook his head in mock anger. "I'm only gonna take this cause you almost died, sir."

"You have to take it, I'm your superior officer."

"If we're exchanging gifts, I do have a present for the Colonel," Riza said. "I left it at home though, I didn't realize we would be doing this in the hospital."

Mustang turned towards Riza, and Ed noticed that he was trying to avoid moving anything but his head.

"I can get it for you if you want," Havoc volunteered. Riza gave him a surprised, grateful nod, and Havoc headed out the door, saluting Ed with a wink as he went. His footsteps echoed down the hallway, then came to a stop. Ed heard a muffled string of words, then Havoc's reply.

"Yeah, they're all in 37. Door's open, go right in."

Ed frowned in confusion. All of Mustang's squad was here, who else could be coming? Maybe one of the nurses, to check on the Colonel?

His thoughts were interrupted by a cautious knock on the doorframe, and then Winry was stepping through the doorway, smiling at Ed and Al.

"Hi!" she said brightly, as though they'd just come to Pinako's for dinner, as though she'd seen them as recently as yesterday. Ed realized he was staring and forced himself to speak.

"W-winry?" he finally managed to say, and before he finished her arms were around him. She pulled back and grinned at him, and Ed still couldn't believe that Winry was here, in East City.

"Merry Christmas! Al, how are you? Ed, have you been drinking your milk?"

Ed let that one slide. He was still too mystified about her presence to be bothered by her nagging.

"Winry, how…?" He trailed off, leaving it to her to figure out the rest. She chuckled, eyes lighting up.

"Lieutenant Riza called me. When she told me you couldn't make it home. We worked together and figured out a way that I could make it to East City for Christmas, to see you and Al."

Ed looked at Riza, lost for words. He couldn't believe that the Lieutenant had worked so hard for him, just to make him and Al feel a little better about their holiday. He had had a long twenty-four hours, and he was honestly a little afraid he might start crying again, just because he was so exhausted and confused and relieved.

"Thank you for helping me set this up, Lieutenant," Winry said, addressing Riza.

"I'm so glad to see you here," Riza responded. She still didn't seem willing to leave Mustang's side, but she smiled warmly at Winry.

"How was your train ride?"

"It wasn't bad. But I nearly had a heart attack when I arrived at the hotel and asked for the Elrics, and they told me that they were at the hospital."

Riza opened her mouth, probably to apologize for forgetting to call Winry, but Winry held up a hand to stop her. "Don't worry about it, it wasn't a problem. I know you had a lot on your mind."

Ed shook his head slightly, still barely able to process what was happening. He found himself completely in awe of Riza. In the middle of being yelled at by Mustang, trying to solve the stupid case, she had still had time for this?

He looked over at Winry again, almost convinced she would have disappeared in the time he took his eyes off her. He touched her shoulder gently, half to bring her attention back to him and half to reaffirm to himself that she was in fact really here.

"But you...you told me you weren't going to be able to see me when I called you. Didn't you already know about this?"

She shrugged slightly. "To be completely honest, I didn't know for sure if it was going to work out, and I didn't want to get your hopes up." She smiled mischievously. "And that would have ruined the surprise anyways."

Suddenly overwhelmed, Ed reached out and hugged Winry again.

Mustang was...happy. He was in a lot of pain still. Every single breath hurt as the sheets rubbed up against the surgical site, as his damaged lungs expanded, as his ribs were jostled. He kept forgetting that his arm was injured and would try to move it, and every time he did, pain would spike through him, so intense he thought he might pass out. He knew the IV was feeding him pain medication, probably morphine, but it wasn't enough to completely dull his senses and it made him feel dizzy and a little sick. His oxygen mask had been removed at some point, and as much as he had hated the way it felt he now seemed to be perpetually a little short of breath.

But still. He found that he was...happy, or at least content, for one of the first Christmases he could remember. Pretty much everyone he cared about was in here, bustling around and laughing and teasing each other, and even though it was so loud it hurt his ears a little, and he couldn't hope to keep up with even one of the conversations, he was glad they were here.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant Colonel Hughes isn't here," Riza said to him suddenly. He moved his head so he could look up at her.

"What?"

"I tried to call him earlier, back when I thought...when you were still in danger. But he didn't really talk to me. I've tried to get ahold of him a few times since then, but I haven't been able to. I wanted him to come, or I at least hoped he'd be able to talk to you. But...it didn't work out. I'm sorry."

He realized, somewhere in the back of his pain and drug-addled mind, that she was legitimately upset. She felt she'd let him down. And he didn't like that. Of course he would like Hughes to be here, he missed his best friend, he wanted to see him. But the fact that he wasn't certainly couldn't be Riza's fault. He was probably with his family.

"It's not your fault," he said, catching her eye. "This...this is amazing. Thank you."

She smiled, and he knew she didn't believe him. Even after everything she'd done for him, even after saving his life, it still wasn't enough in her eyes.

Mustang forced back a yawn, hoping that Havoc would be back soon. He could feel himself getting sleepy again, the drugs and the pain pulling at him and forcing him down. He just needed a little longer….

A few minutes later, he heard Havoc's footsteps at the door, moving quickly down the hall. He didn't stop to knock, and Mustang had a split second to be surprised by that before he was surprised about something entirely different.

"Roy? You're...you're awake? Oh, thank god…."

Hughes covered his eyes with a shaking hand, and Mustang gaped at him. Hughes was here? Had Riza done this for him, like she'd orchestrated Winry's arrival? But a quick glance at his Lieutenant confirmed that she was just as surprised as he was.

Without thinking, Mustang went to push himself upright, then fell back to his pillows as excruciating pain from his arm and ribs washed over him. Black spots swam across his vision, and for a few seconds, he was worried he was going to pass out. There was a bustle of panicked confusion, he heard Riza and Hughes' worried voices, and then his vision cleared and he could breathe again.

"Maes?" Mustang asked, after his team was done fussing over him and making sure that he wasn't going to pass out. "Lieutenant Hawkeye said she missed you…."

"I got on a train as soon as I heard you were hurt," Hughes answered. "I kept getting rerouted because of the holiday schedule. God, Roy, I was so worried…."

"Sorry," Mustang mumbled, trying not to smile. Hughes wasn't back in Central, he was here, with him.

"But what about Gracia?" he asked, just now remembering why he'd assumed Hughes wasn't coming.

"They came after me," Hughes answered. "They'll be in East City soon. Gracia has family nearby, so we'll just stop in and say hi. Worked out for everyone."

He glanced around the room for the first time since entering, noticing the other people scattered around. "Ed! Al! Merry Christmas!"

Ed grinned at him, and Al nodded his greetings. That taken care of, Hughes turned back to Mustang.

"Don't ever do something like that again, Roy," he warned, drawing closer to Mustang's bed. Mustang had learned his lesson and didn't try to move again. He settled for giving his friend a crooked smile, as if he couldn't help himself. True enough, although Mustang would rather like to avoid this close of a shave. He was used to thinking of himself as a loner, without friends or family, but the room was full of people who evidently cared about him. He didn't want to put any of them through something like this ever again.

"I'm sorry," Mustang said, and he meant it. It was difficult for him to conceptualize that this many people cared about him. But they couldn't all be faking this much emotion, right? Hughes wouldn't have spent all night traveling around Amestris on a bunch of different trains. He may not have a family, but it appeared that despite everything, he had ended up with some friends….

Hughes reached out and affectionately ruffled his hair. "Don't be sorry," he said. "I'm just...happy you're still with me."

Mustang closed his eyes softly, trying his best to breathe around the steady, constant pain. The drugs were making him feel slow and stupid, and almost worse, they were making him feel rather sentimental. "I'm happy you're with me too."

Riza was pleased with her handiwork. It hadn't exactly been easy to set this whole thing up. She had had to fight with the doctors to get them to let her have this many people in the room, and she had to admit, they had kind of been right. The room clearly wasn't meant to hold nine people, and most of the squad was squished up against the back wall talking quietly amongst themselves. Mustang looked to be in a lot of pain, despite the fact that he was smiling, and she wasn't sure how much longer he could go without resting. She wasn't sure how much longer she could go without resting. She hadn't slept in around thirty hours now, and it hadn't been an easy thirty hours either.

But it was all worth it. Ed and Al looked happier than she had seen them in months, chatting animatedly with Winry in the corner. She hadn't fully expected that to work out, since it was so last minute, but she was glad that it had. They were so young, and she had wanted to make them happy, and she was relieved that she had been able to.

Hughes...had been a surprise. She had felt horrible that she hadn't been able to contact Hughes beforehand, even though she knew she'd tried everything that she could. Now she knew that she hadn't been able to reach him because he'd been on the train, trying to get to Mustang. She looked over at them and smiled. Hughes was talking excitedly to him, telling him about his epic journey to East City, and his hand was placed lightly on Mustang's shoulder as if he needed constant reassurance that he was real. It was nice he had someone who cared about him that much.

After a few minutes, Ed tugged on her sleeve, sheepishly asking her if he, Al, and Winry could leave. Riza nodded. Of course they could. She was grateful that the kids had even stayed this long, it couldn't be fun to have a Christmas in the ICU, especially now that they had better options.

"Merry Christmas, sir," Ed said, turning towards Mustang's bed and standing formally beside it.

"Merry Christmas, Fullmetal," Mustang said. He shifted a little, looking possibly like he wanted to shake Ed's hand, but he was too weak and settled for a small nod.

"Thanks again, Lieutenant!" Al said as they walked towards the door. "You're the best."

"You're very welcome, Alphonse," Riza responded, but she wasn't sure they had even heard. They were already gone by that point, too caught up in the extraordinary magic of Christmas to pay attention to anything else.

Havoc came in just a little after that, holding a small, neatly wrapped box. "Is this it?" he asked. She thought the question was probably rhetorical, she knew it was carefully labeled "Colonel Mustang" and there was no way to confuse it with any of the other precisely labeled packages. But still, she nodded.

"This is for me?" Mustang asked, eyeing it carefully. "But I...don't have anything here for you…."

"It's alright, sir," she said quickly. She knew the Colonel well enough to know that he never purchased any gifts until after Christmas, and any present from him tended to be rather pointless and incorrect anyways. But despite the fact that he had joked about it earlier, she really did believe that the fact that he was still alive was enough of a Christmas present for this year.

"Aww dammit, are we exchanging gifts now?" Hughes complained. "I do have one for you, but it's back in Central…."

"I am giving the Colonel a present, no other gifts need be exchanged right now," Riza said firmly.

"I have one for the Colonel after Hawkeye's done!" Havoc piped up. She turned around to stare at him. As far as she knew, the Colonel and the second lieutenant didn't normally exchange gifts, and she had absolutely no idea what this might entail. Mustang looked confused as well, and possibly a little concerned. Well, they would find out soon enough.

Riza considered giving the box to Mustang, but he still hadn't managed to move, and she didn't want to embarrass him. So she settled for unwrapping the ribbon herself, removing the lid to reveal a dark blue knitted hat. She'd knitted it herself, ostensibly as a response to his half-joking complaints about the cold.

"Merry Christmas, Colonel," she said, knowing that he'd like it.

"Is that a hat?" Hughes asked from beside Mustang's shoulder. She nodded, handing it to him so he could examine it and give Mustang a closer look. Before Mustang had a chance to realize what was going on, Hughes jammed Riza's hat onto Mustang's head and stepped back with an appraising look.

"It's a nice hat," Hughes said, sounding impressed. Mustang regarded him from beneath the hat, trying to look annoyed and failing miserably.

"It's very warm, Lieutenant. Thank you," he said with a smile, and she smiled as well.

"Wish you'd knit me a hat," the incorrigible Havoc muttered, and Breda rolled his eyes.

"Your mom doesn't knit you hats? You go home often enough."

"I go home once or twice a year," Havoc said with careful dignity. "Besides, my mom doesn't knit. And now, if everyone's done being rude, I have a gift for the Colonel."

Fuery looked panicked, Falman confused, and Riza realized with some surprise that this was truly Havoc's idea, and he hadn't involved the rest of the squad.

Havoc took a deep breath, as though he was preparing himself for something unpleasant. He screwed his eyes shut in a comical grimace, then opened them again and faced Mustang.

"This is only cause you almost died so we can all go home, but…." he trailed off, and Riza tried not to snicker as Mustang gave an impatient growl.

"Fine. I'm gonna sit here, in this chair, and listen silently while you lecture/abuse me about whatever you want. I won't even defend myself. You have fifteen minutes." Havoc sat down in the chair he'd indicated and looked at Mustang expectantly. Mustang's face lit up.

"Whatever I want?" he asked, looking like he couldn't believe his luck. Riza could no longer hold back her laughter, but she managed to turn it into a small cough. Behind Havoc, the rest of the squad looked a little shell-shocked. Clearly, this was a surprise to them.

Havoc nodded morosely, and Hughes cackled. "That's a good gift, Roy. I can't wait to see this…."

Muttering gleefully under his breath, he backed up to the corner and joined the rest of the squad. Mustang gathered as much breath as he could and turned his head towards Havoc.

"Have I mentioned your annoying smoking habit yet? You know, girls don't want to kiss an ashtray…."

"Merry Christmas," Havoc muttered under his breath, and Riza felt a genuine smile cross her face as she watched the Colonel happily attack Havoc. Despite all the odds, it was shaping up to be a merry Christmas indeed.