"Here's the damage," their server handed the general their bill, "Thanks for coming in!"

"Thank you my dear!" he exclaimed, pinching the woman on the backside as she walked away. She jumped and turned to him angrily, "I think the young chap likes you!" He tried to blame poor Fuery, half asleep at the table. He bolted awake at the commotion, surprised to see a server glaring daggers at him.

The young woman wasn't so easily fooled and she slapped Grumman across the face before heading back to the kitchen.

"You can't win them all!" Grumman pulled out his wallet and handed a wad of bills to the woman on his lefthand side, "Would you kindly take this to the barkeep and thank him for his excellent service this evening?"

"Of course," Hawkeye nodded, sliding out of the booth, shaking her head slightly at her grandfather's antics. She had a feeling the server wouldn't be returning to their table.

As she paid their tab at the bar, she could feel an extra set of eyes watching her. A man sat around the corner, sliding off his stool to approach. He smelled of cheap cigarettes and cheaper beer. Had he been sober he would have almost been handsome, tall blonde, and well built. He could have been military, but she did not recognize him, at least in his current state.

"Uh oh," Fuery observed, "Some guy is going to try to pick up Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"Now now, who are we to judge if our dear lieutenant wants a young man, or woman, to warm her bed tonight?" Grumman chided.

"Hawkeye goes both ways?" Breda asked incredulously.

"Stop, stop," Falman pleaded, covering his ears, "I can't know this!"

"Oh, come now! Don't be prudes!" the general laughed, "She can knock boots with whatever tickles her fancy."

"Yeah, that mental image does not help things, General," Breda agreed, a little uncomfortable, "I don't want to think about her fancy getting tickled by that dude."

"You want me to make your world start shaking again sweetheart?" the man slurred, "God, you're gorgeous." She didn't even have to look to tell he was looking her up and down. Even though her uniform hid nearly everything, it didn't stop him from looking.

Hawkeye smiled politely, taking a step back, "No, thank you. I'm not looking to go home with anyone tonight."

"The night is still young," the man kept closing whatever distance Hawkeye tried to create between them, backing her up into a corner. "We don't have to go home, I've got a car out back."

Hawkeye tensed. She hated feeling trapped, even though she knew her team was close by, watching for any sign that they needed to intervene. Before she could open here mouth, she felt her back run up against something. A hand gripped firmly on her shoulder, "Is there a problem?"

"No, sir," she didn't even have to turn around to see who it was, "This gentleman was just bidding me goodnight." Roy had a tendency to be protective, sometimes excessively so, ever since they were teenagers.

The newcomer sized up the colonel, and the blonde man at his side, cracking his knuckles as a not-so-subtle threat. He laughed at the woman's protector. "You know what they say about Xingese men, right? Nothing below the waist."

"Really? What's your excuse then?" she jabbed. She'd tried to be polite, but she just wasn't getting through.

Havoc snorted. He was already red in the face from drinking but his fit of laughing brought it to a whole new level, sending him into a coughing fit.

Roy loomed over the man, "The lady told you no. Even a dog can understand no."

"What? You already said we were going out back," the man told her, "You've just had a couple too many. We were hitting it off great before we were interrupted."

Before Hawkeye could even respond to that claim, Roy had thrown the man down on the greasy bar, holding him by his collar, "If she's too drunk to remember, she's too drunk to consent. For that matter so are you, even if you could get it up after all that pisswater you've had."

Havoc stepped in, "Roy, that's enough, I think he gets it." He understood wanting to protect the team but he didn't want anyone going to jail for it. "Apologize to the lady, man."

Hayate growled from under the table, waiting patiently for his master's orders.

The man stumbled to his feet, straightening his shirt, "Dumb bitch," he grumbled.

The barkeep held out a hand, stopping Roy from running after him. Despite his reputation, Roy had been raised to respect women. He despised men like that because he knew that was how others often saw him. In a way it was a strategic advantage because his political rivals always underestimated him. Men like that were predatory, looking for who they perceived to be easy targets. The drunk, the emotionally vulnerable, the social outcast, the ones most likely to get hurt. Roy refused to let his subordinate be used that way.

Hawkeye was leaning heavily against the bar, her normally sharp vision out of focus. Havoc was quick to notice, while Roy's eyes were still glued on the man, making sure he left the bar for good. "Hey, you okay there?"

She nodded, realizing she had everyone's attention. "I think I just need to go sleep this off. I can't remember the last time I had this much to drink." She gripped the edge of the bar tightly, trying to keep the room from spinning.

Roy could tell she was being less than honest. She was no lightweight, she held her liquor well. The woman also claimed to have never had a hangover, although he wondered if she just told him that to make him feel worse when he would wake up sick the next morning. Tonight something about her made the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end. She wasn't red in the face like she was earlier, she was pale and sweating.

"Lieutenant? What's wrong?" he asked. He kept his voice soft. It was not an order, he was asking out of concern. When she tried to brush off his worry he became a little more impatient, "Something isn't right. Your injuries..."

Roy draped his coat over her shoulders for privacy and began to unbutton her uniform. To his surprise she didn't fight him on this. Subconsciously she knew that something was different now. Her injuries were still painful from earlier, but she'd been able to keep the discomfort out of her mind until recently.

Breda shouted from their table, "Get a room you two!"

"Shut up," Roy growled, finding a deep purple painted across his lieutenant's side. He had seen it earlier when the medics were examining her and it had obviously grown since then. "We need to take you to a hospital."

"Sir, I-"

"Dammit Hawkeye, you need to learn to follow orders," he barked, "You wouldn't have been injured if you had listened to me earlier. You wouldn't still be bleeding if you'd gone to a hospital like you were asked. If you can't learn to follow orders, orders that are meant to keep you alive, then what the hell are you doing in the military?"

It was harsh, and he knew it. He had spent all day worrying about her, but trusting her instincts and training to keep her safe. She put others first when she disobeyed him the first time. She put others first by refusing to take up resources at the hospital. He would not allow for a third time. She didn't even try to hide the hurt painted across her face. They both knew what she was doing in the military, it was a question he never needed to ask. That was what hurt, not the yelling, not the nagging pain in her side. She was neither as cold or as strong as everyone believed her to be. Those closest to her were also the ones capable of hurting her the most. This was why she kept people at an arm's distance. This was why she refused to let anyone push the limits with her. At some point, they all hurt her. And Roy Mustang really knew how to salt a wound.

"Back off, Chief," Havoc got between the two, pushing Roy away and easing Hawkeye over to an empty seat. He respected his boss, but he wasn't going to let him bully anyone either, especially a friend. Roy could be pissed off for a little while, he'd get over it. There were more important things to consider. "Hey, Hawkeye, sit and rest for a minute. You'll be fine. Although alcohol probably wasn't a good idea with these kinds of injuries. We'll get you checked out just to be safe, okay?"

Hayate ran out from under the table and stayed glued to his master, trying to keep anyone from getting too close. His ears were kept back, his hair standing up a little straighter than normally, knowing something was not quite right. He even snapped at Roy when he tried to approach. Roy couldn't blame the dog for not trusting him. He knew how harsh he had been, but a little shocked to see how strongly she reacted. "I'm sorry. I just want you to be alright. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I was going to tell you that I agreed with you." she told him, trying to keep her emotions at bay. "I was not going to disobey your order."

Roy stood by, stunned by her words, finding none of his own to respond with.

"I, um, I'll call for an ambulance then?" Havoc offered.