Chapter Seven
"Your boyfriend followed you here," Chris said as soon as Snowdrop shut the door to the older woman's office. Draped over the couch, James was obviously waiting for something.
Snow sat on one of the chairs. "No, he followed his brother. Roy sent Ed to Mr. Wu's. I didn't think Al would come out in the fresh snow. He's still unsteady on his legs."
"Have you managed to find anything definitive yet?" Chris asked.
"They're definitely working for Roy. We're investigating my brother." Snow spat the words out, disgusted.
"Ed and Al both?" Chris sighed.
Nodding, Snow said, "Yes."
"I have no idea what my boy is up to. Belle was wrong. Eddie isn't homosexual," James sighed. "And he had such a nice mouth, too. Big, lots of tongue."
"Thanks for that image, James. I have to talk to Ed every day and now all I'll be seeing is his huge, foul mouth." Snow grumbled. "He must be seeing Winry then, even though all they do is yell at each other. I know she was worried he'd buy Justice's house and she'd have to put up with it. I thought she was simply kidding herself, working on an unrequited crush. We really messed up this investigation, Madam. I'm sorry."
"I had expected more but this has led us to a path I don't want to go down." Christmas scowled. "I'll see about returning the retainer…and finding a way to learn more about this client. I don't like this."
Snowdrop nodded, hating herself for getting into this mess.
X X X
After putting another piece of wood on the fire, Roy settled back on the couch with Riza. "Are you going to yell at me? You look ready to."
She drummed her fingers on his thigh. "Why would I do that? Because you've been mercilessly teasing Edward ever since the Ice Festival started?"
"It's fun and I won't feel sorry for it." His chin jutted out. "He brings it on himself."
Riza snorted. "He does and he's as merciless to you. You're both bratty boys who've yet to grow up."
A byproduct of having to act like little adults when we were growing up." Roy gave her a goofy smile. "We're getting our childhoods in now."
She laughed. "I believe that."
"Riza, what do you want for wedding gifts?"
Studying him, she asked, "What brought that up?"
"The men want to know. I thought I'd ask you before you end up with Ed's train tickets, ammo from Falman, naughty undies from Havoc and something completely appropriate from Alphonse."
"I'm surprised you didn't just tell them all to get me naughty undies."
"You'd shoot me with that box of ammo then use the train ticket." Roy grinned.
"I would." She tapped his nose. "Let me think about it and write you out a list. There are things the house needs. I want to put in a rose garden and a herb garden for that healing alchemy you and Alphonse are looking into."
"Good idea, but are you sure you don't want something less…practical?"
"Maybe. Havoc's probably already bought the nasty undies."
"No, he seemed appropriately cautious about ticking you off." Roy smirked.
"He's smarter than his girlfriend, then. Rebecca already gave me a chocolate fondue with a pastry brush for painting."
"Remind me to buy Rebecca something nice," Roy said and Riza pinched his side. "Ow, I'm thinking of a pretty sweater for her. We'd all enjoy that." The pinch mutated into a slap across the belly.
"You're not supposed to be looking at the other women. You're nearly a married man."
"We never stop looking. We're men."
Riza snorted again.
"I'm serious. You and Rebecca put on some tight sweaters, go into the old veterans' home and see how many saluting soldiers you see."
Riza put her hand over his face, pushing him away. "Pigs, the whole lot of you."
"Have I claimed to be anything else?"
"I suppose not. What do you want for gifts, Roy?"
"You in those naughty undies." He grinned, leaning over to pull her onto his lap.
"I'm being serious, Roy," Riza said but she brushed her hips against his.
"So am I." He kissed her. "All I wanted was you and I'm already getting that." Roy glanced over to the fireplace. "We've got a beautiful fire and a nice soft rug in front it. I can get a bottle of wine and complete the cliché."
Riza reached between his legs and gave him a squeeze. "We can wait on that wine."
Roy grinned. "I love you how think."
X X X
Sitting across from Ed and Winry, Snowdrop blew across her mug of hot tea. The mission might be over but she had no intention of letting Alphonse go. Maybe he'd never learn the truth. There was no reason for him to ever suspect she was sent to him to spy on him. He wouldn't forgive her if he knew but she should be safe.
Of course, now that they no longer needed to watch Edward, she still wasn't free of him. At least Ed seemed to be finally warming up to her. Snowdrop didn't want to upset Al so that was a good thing. He was so fond of his brother that Snowdrop had to admit maybe Ed had hidden pockets of goodness she hadn't seen yet.
"You should take Winry on a horse-drawn carriage through the ice sculpture garden, Ed," Al said, breaking into Snowdrop's thoughts.
"What do you think, Winry?" Ed looked over at her.
She smirked. "I'd like that."
"Al, we should try that this afternoon. And I think the ice bar might have a few non-alcoholic drinks we could try. I'd like to see it. It's supposed to be pretty," Snowdrop said.
"Sure. That could be fun," Al said. "Maybe we could sneak some wine."
"Al, who have you been talking to? You get more like that bastard Mustang every day," Ed growled.
"This from someone with General Mustang's exact personality." Al rolled his eyes.
Snowdrop tried not to show her surprise at that comment, shielding her face with her tea cup. Her brother was sweet. Yes, he could be an arrogant loud mouth but Ed was…not like Roy. Maybe Al was right but she didn't want to think about that.
"Snow's old enough to get us drinks," Al said.
"Don't drag us into this, Alphonse." She set her cup on the vendor's shelf. "I'm not going to pay to get you drunk in public. Ed will have a fit and we're just finally hitting it off."
"Ignore him, Snow. He'll be looking for a way into that bar," Ed groaned.
"Speaking of which, were you in a bar over on Climax Street, Snow?" Al asked.
Grateful that she had finished her tea so she wouldn't choke on it, Snow stared off across the festival grounds. "Why would I have been in a bar, Alphonse?"
"I don't care if you were. I just thought I saw you in the Gate Hangs Well."
"That's next to Little Xing, isn't it?" Snow asked, feigning ignorance. "I know where you mean but no, I haven't been there."
"I told you it was probably someone else," Winry said. "Though she did look a lot like you, Snowdrop."
"I hear that a lot from Amestrians." Snow smiled. "You seem to think all Xingese look alike."
"Well, we did see her at a distance." Al shrugged.
"What would you have been doing over there in the first place, Al?" Snow asked.
"We had to go get something from Mr. Wu," Al replied. "For General Mustang."
"Yes, the bastard gave Al that stupid kitten."
"I was wondering if you got Xiu from Mr. Wu's queens. I go to his shop to get herbal medicines." Snow pursed her lips. Why in the world would her brother give Alphonse a kitten? "Why did the General purchase you a kitten?"
"Wants to make me insane," Ed grumbled.
"He likes me," Al countered then scrunched up his nose. "And to make Ed insane."
"It seems to be a mutual obsession," Winry said. "It's two parts amusing, one part annoying."
"That's one way of putting it," Al said.
"Those cats are very special to the Xingese people. It's a wonderful gift," Snow said.
"I know. I've thanked him. Ed should be getting Mustang a gift for all the man's done for us."
"I am. I'm buying a train ticket so Riza can run away before she marries him saving her from her insanity in marrying a bastard," Ed said then frowned. "Guess that's more a gift for her."
"See what we mean about the obsession, Snow?" Winry shoved Ed.
"By that logic, I should be buying Winry a train ticket," Al grinned and Snow glanced over at Winry, still unsure of what the girl's relationship was with Ed.
"I guess I didn't realize you were thinking about marriage, Edward. I thought it was more of a brother-sister relationship," Snow said, confused. Winry flushed.
"I'm not getting married!" Ed barked and at Winry's sharp look he added, "Too young yet. But Winry's my girlfriend. Why can't anyone see that? I don't like guys, no matter what story about me and the deli Al might have told you."
"I did hear it was a good kiss." Snow grinned at him.
"Al, I'm going to bury you naked in the snow." Ed punched his brother's shoulder.
"Like to see you try. You never beat me unless you cheat."
"But I have no qualms about cheating." Ed grinned widely.
"That says it all, Edward." Al took Winry's gloved hand. "Good luck with hi- get down!" He yanked Winry back against the tea hut.
Ed grabbed Snowdrop, pulling her down just as a gun shot rang out. Even as Ed and Al slammed their hands to the ground, raising a wall of stone, more shots rang out. Snow couldn't breathe. She barely heard Ed demanding for her and Winry to stay put as Al and he ran around their own wall, not with all the people screaming in fear around her.
"What the hell?" Winry snarled.
Snow scrambled over to the girl. "Is someone after Ed? He's a State Alchemist."
"He was a target after the battle," Winry replied tightly. "Idiot. He's not bulletproof."
"Boys never think," Snow grumbled, listening intently. "I think the gun fire has stopped."
"I can't sit back here." Winry started out around the barrier and, against her better judgment, Snow went with her.
Festival goers milled around them, screams echoing through the park. People swarmed around Winry and her as they fought against the tide of panic to try and reach their boyfriends. Snow could see Al and Ed not far in front of them now, heads up, perhaps scanning for the sniper on the rooftops. Snow knew it would be the best place for a sniper to hide. She slowed down, looking up at the roofs herself. The Madam would be pleased with her.
Ed and Al finally came to a stop, scanning about. Ed spun around, racing toward them, his face flushed. "Winry! What are you doing out here? It's too dangerous."
"For all of us," Winry fired back.
"We need to contact Roy," Al said, before they could get to fighting. He slipped his arm around Snow. "Are you two all right?"
"We're fine," Snowdrop said. "And I don't think it'll take long for the military to get here." She nodded to the approaching soldiers. She knew the constables wouldn't be far behind.
Snow let the brothers take the lead with the soldiers. Next to her, Winry shifted uncomfortably. Snow could tell the young woman didn't like not being in control. Snow didn't worry about that. She'd so little control through so much of her life, she was never sure how to act when she did. Instead, she let her mind flow over the course of the attack. There was no doubt in her mind the attack was directed at the brothers. There was every possibility whoever her mother's client was had gotten tired of waiting for the information. Snow needed to get away from her new friends as soon as she could. The madam had to know about this.
X X X
Chris had seen Snowdrop agitated many times but today was the worse. Her little feral kitten girl –as she thought of Snowdrop – was practically climbing the walls. Snow's hands shook when Chris finally got her to sit down. "Thank you for calling so quickly about the shooting," Chris said.
"The shooter was trying to kill the brothers," Snow replied, finally alighting in a chair. "But I don't think the sniper was a pro. They did a poor job of it, thankfully. I'm not sure the sniper was even serious. It could have been a warning shot." She scowled. "But I doubt it. Al spotted the gun before the sniper got the first shot off."
"A risky warning," Chris said. "You're probably right. The brothers foiled the attack. It's time for you to break it off with Alphonse. I'm not going to risk your life."
Snow said nothing, just nodding. Chris's eyes narrowed, not trusting what she saw in her daughter. She should have trusted Roy's judgment and not sent Snowdrop on a mission like this. She hadn't thought Snowdrop would lose her head over a boy since she had such a grim view on men.
"I'm going to give Roy boy a warning. He'll need to know what's going on. He can take responsibility for alerting the boys as if someone shooting at them wasn't warning enough."
"I thought we'd all be killed," she replied, her voice hollow.
"I warned you this was dangerous. You're the one who wanted to something more than records searches and tending the bar," Chris said a little coldly. She hoped to dissuade Snowdrop from seeking more active duty. Her young daughter wasn't made for it, no matter what she thought.
"I know and you were right," Snow replied unhappily. "I don't feel right leaving them to it, madam. They deserve to know something is wrong."
"And you can't tell them anything more than they already know. We haven't figured out who is trying to kill them and you wouldn't be able to tell them if we did."
Snow sagged further at that hard truth. "We have to protect them. Roy could do it."
"I'm tracking who our contact works for." Chris dug out her cigarettes. "If this goes back to Roy, he'll protect them."
Snow nodded, obviously not comforted. Chris didn't blame her.
XXX
"Those boys got lucky today. They could have been killed," Riza said, loudly to be heard over the sound of running water.
Roy peered out from behind the shower curtain. "I need to talk to the madam and see what she knows about the attack. I wanted to earlier, but Olivia kept me busy trying to track down the sniper. I'm just glad he's not as talented as you."
Riza scowled. She knew what he meant but it didn't sound good. "I don't like this, Roy. I'm tired of life being a series of enemies after our heads."
He stepped out of the shower, taking her in soapy arms, pressing her against his slick chest. "I am, too, but I'm not sure the world will ever be what we want it to be."
Resting her cheek against his warm, wet skin, she said, "I know, but it could be kinder."
"You won't get any argument from me or those boys." He rubbed her back. "Like I said, I didn't get a chance to talk to the madam. I don't doubt she has some knowledge the military hasn't uncovered yet about the shooting."
"Your mother usually does." Riza peered into the adjoining bedroom at the clock as Roy dried off. "It's late."
"She might still be up." He shrugged into his pajamas. "Then again, she's getting older. I probably shouldn't bother her now." Roy frowned, heading into the bedroom. "I'd better call, after all."
"You'll feel better if you call," Riza said, climbing into bed.
Roy did but only got hold of Lois, one of his 'sisters,' who told him the Madam was out with General Grumman. Roy decided he didn't want to know why.
"And you said she was getting old." Riza smirked when he told her where Chris was.
"Older, not old. If she heard that, I'll be dead."
"And Edward will be relieved I'm spared the horrors of marrying a man like you." Riza tapped Roy's nose.
He grunted. "A man just like him. No telling the madam anything about the older comment but what in the world is she doing out so late?"
"Probably planning what we were," Riza said.
"Man, I hope not because the idea that my mother and your grandfather are having sex all over the house just killed my mood," Roy replied, his eyes wide with horror.
"When you put it that way, me, too." Riza scowled. "And I love you how assumed I meant sex."
"I'm not sure what you had planned for tonight but my plan was to work on perfecting sky soaring butterfly." He grinned, running his hand along the curve of Riza's hip, picturing her in the erotic position.
"I think I could be persuaded to give that a try but I might need convincing," she replied slyly.
"Oh, why didn't you say so." Roy started his persuasion with a deep kiss.
XXX
"What do you mean the sniper missed?" Evelyn raged. "Did you hire a blind marksman?"
Yu listened to her rant patiently, well accustomed to his mistress's temper. "The brothers somehow spotted him. Once they were warned, a gun had very little effect on them. Their alchemy allowed them to raise an impenetrable shield."
She stopped stalking around the room to throw herself into a chair in front of the fire place. "I hadn't counted on that. What we need, I suppose, is an alchemist willing to help us. Surely that can't be too hard. There were any number of alchemists who supported Bradley and might have had to go into hiding. Can we find one?"
"I'll start someone looking. We might still get use out of Madam Christmas, after all."
"Find someone good. I'm losing patience." She frowned. "Too bad Crimson Lotus disappeared in the middle of it all. He would have been perfect."
"We should be able to find someone near his caliber. In the meantime, I'll have the sniper look for another opportunity. You never know, he could get lucky," Yu replied.
"Good idea. One way or the other, the Elrics need to pay for my father's death."