Chapter 14

Roy's P.O.V.

We stayed our first night back in Eastern at General Grumman's home. He refused, to my men's delight, to let us stay in a hotel- deciding for us that our mission would start tomorrow at earliest. I knew he was worried to Riza and that he was venting through his hospitality- that was just his way. Besides, it gave him a few extra chess buddies.

I heard him moving downstairs once, during the night, around eleven. I was in bed in one of the guest rooms, though I'm sure the others were all playing poker in Havoc's. Still, I went downstairs and there he was, in his grey flannel pajamas, staring into the fridge as though hoping to find something other than food in there- Riza, maybe. I walked over and closed the fridge, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Mustang! Forgive me, my mind was elsewhere."

"Don't aplogise," I said. "You're worrying about Ri- the Lieutenant, aren't you?"

"I am, boy," Grumman admitted, "but, by all means, call her 'Riza'- it would make me feel better…" he paused a little before adding, "would you mind playing a few games of chess with me? I can't sleep."

"Yes, sir."

We went back upstairs, into his study and he reset the chess set. I guessed that he'd been playing with himself earlier.

"You know," he said, a couple of minutes into our game. "She came to my door a little before the incident seeming quite upset. She didn't so much tell me what had happened as I guessed- you told her you were in love with her?"

"I made her do what she did…"

"No, it was the drug that did that- you may have triggered the reaction but it was never your fault," Grumman's tone was sympathetic, even as he called checkmate and reset the game board. "It could have been anything- Hayate becoming ill, a particularly emotive case at work, someone close to her being injured- anything, boy. It was a good thing that you were there when you were- I was told that you redirected the bullet and for that I am in your debt."

"…" I tried to speak- to protest- but found that I couldn't.

"Even now," said Grumman, "you are risking your life and the lives of your men to find a way to cure her- even though she has told you many times, I believe, that she does not return your feelings."

I looked down and Grumman smiled.

"Ah, she's finally told you, then?"

"She's was half asleep…" I muttered, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Grumman laughed heartily at this, "don't worry, boy- my little Riza doesn't open her mouth if she doesn't know exactly what she's saying, besides, it's clear enough for anyone else to see that the two of you have been in love for many years now."

"Your granddaughter is an exceptional woman, sir."

"My offer for her hand in marriage still stands, you know?"

"I'd rather ask her myself some day- when she's ready, sir. I don't think her hand is exactly yours to give," I said.

"You're a good man, Mustang- I'll trust you and you alone with my dear Riza."

"Thank you for your faith in me, sir."

Grumman nodded easily, "check."

I moved my king out of check and we resuming talking. "I'll be happy with her just as her own self again."

"You love her very much," said Grumman. "I'm glad." Turning away from the game, he reached over to a box on a shelf behind him. It was silver and beautifully engraved- he opened it to reveal a smaller ring box, which he gave to me. "Please give this to my granddaughter, Mustang, when you ask her to marry you. It was the engagement ring I gave to her grandmother- it'll mean a lot to her."

"You know I can't give this to her right now, don't you?" I said, trying to push it back across the table.

"Keep it," said Grumman, closing my hand around it gently. "I trust that you'll find a way to restore her to normal- you can give it to her then."

"You trust me beyond what I deserve, sir."

"I know that you love Riza- anyone can see how strongly you feel about her. I know you won't let her down."

"Thank you, sir."

Grumman just smiled and nodded, "good boy… checkmate."

-

Narrative P.O.V.

"How are you feeling Riza," asked Maria, shaking her friend's shoulder gently.

They had boarded the train two hours ago but Riza hadn't said a word since then. Now, however, she looked up, "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm just thinking."

"About what?" asked Hana and Maria glared at her.

Riza just shook her head.

"Are you tired?" asked Miyelle and she shook her head again. "Because you can rest if you want?"

"I'm not tired."

"Havoc said that on long train rides you and Roy used to play games."

"He wasn't very good," said Riza, smiling a little.

"Want to play?" asked Maria but she declined and, instead, took her beloved FN Model 1910 out of her the black shoulder bag slumped at her feet, as well as the gun cleaning kit Roy had bought her for her last birthday. "You are way too obsessed with that gun," Hana noted and Maria kicked her sharply.

Riza chuckled a little and nodded, "maybe" she said, taking it apart in her lap and beginning the cleaning of it. "Thank you for returning my weapon to me, Fuhrer Miyelle- I was feeling quite bare without it."

"Miss Ross seemed to think it would cheer you up- you may thank her."

"Thank you, Maria," said Riza obligingly.

Maria just grinned and shook her head.

Riza spent the next three hours cleaning that gun and reassembling it, and Hana spent them watching in total boredom, "how do you do that for so long?" she found herself moaning.

"Would you like me to show you again?" asked Riza, resting the gun in her lap, knowing that she wouldn't.

"Hmph!"

"Ignore my sister," said Maria, rolling her eyes, "she lacks the attention span to walk to the corner shop for milk."

"Bitch!"

"Am not!"

Riza sighed and exchanged a half-amused glance with Fuhrer Miyelle, who laughed. "Girls, quiet please. Quiet please," she commanded, and the sisters shut up, though still glaring at each other.

"You're just mad because you know I have a better chance at the Colonel than the Out Of Action sharpshooter," Hana hissed. It was only barely audible but Riza heard it. Pretending not to have, she turned to look out the window again, not wanting to have to admit that she was right.

"Enough!" said Miyelle loudly. "Miss Hawkeye, would you like to come and get a drink from the dining car with me? I don't think I can handle much more of these two for the time being."

Riza nodded silently and let Miyelle, who was ignoring the Ross sisters' fervent apologies, lead her out.

-

"Maybe it was a mistake bringing the two of them," said Miyelle when they were out in the corridor, "but both the young Miss Ross and her older sister are excellent soldiers and I am confident in their loyalty to the military, despite their incessant arguing."

"Siblings…" Riza mused, a mixture of emotions splashing over her face.

"Do you have any?"

"Well, not real ones… but growing up, Colonel Mustang was a sort of big brother to me. God knows we bickered in the same way. Father would always get so annoyed when he came into the study and saw that neither of us were working… and we'd usually find ourselves in tickle wars that ended in the most compromising positions- Grandfather laughed so hard when he walked in one day and found R-Mustang pushing me against the wall with my arms pinned above my head… Father was not amused…" Riza blushed, seeming to notice only then that she was still speaking aloud.

"You've always been close to him, haven't you?" said Miyelle, smiling.

"Almost as far back as I remember," said Riza, frowning a little. "He never liked my Father, but he respected him. I was the same way. He came into my room one day when I was nine and started ranting about all the work Father had given him to complete before he returned from his parents' house in the city. I laughed at him, but agreed to help and we became friends."

Having reached their destination, the two military women –the two friends- poured themselves glasses of orange juice and sat down in one of the booths in the dining car. Riza immediately turned towards the window.

"What are you looking for anyway?" asked Miyelle curiously.

Riza shrugged and dragged her eyes over to the Fuhrer across the table, "I don't know, Lady. Something familiar? On the rare occasion that Father tolerated our coming with him to the city, Roy and I would always be on our knees, looking out the windows. We'd go back and forth yelling out things that we saw starting with a certain letter… Animal, Bush, Cloud, Dodgy-old-man…" she smiled at the last one and Miyelle guessed it had been one of the Colonel's.

"You miss him a lot, don't you?"

"I don't know why this is happening, Lady… but if someone hurt Roy- hurt the Colonel because I wasn't there to protect him," Riza said, a sort of determined strength marking her even words, "I know I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"It wouldn't be your fault, Miss Hawkeye- you know it wouldn't."

"It would," said Riza knowingly, "and it would be me breaking my promise to watch his back. That idiot…" Riza took the FN 1910 out of her skirt pocket and stroked it gently, somewhat comforted by the feel of the cool metal beneath her fingers, "…why won't he let me protect him…?"