Author's Note: Happy Royai Day/Week! I wanted to post a chapter in honor of this holiday (with some extra royai, sort of, thrown in). Also some other shipping. Yes, this chapter is ship heavy, just to warn you. Don't worry, plot will happen ... eventually. Thanks to Sweet Genocide for the review!

Hawkeye

"You have one of their bodies?" I asked, glad I could finally give the fuhrer some good news. Havoc had finally made a break in their investigation.

"Yeah, Osman told us about him. He's been dead about a week and a half so the smell is pretty awful. But we found something interesting on the inside of his hand."

"Uh-huh." I opened a notebook to take notes. Every detail was important.

"He has a tattoo, a circle. It looks like a 'W' with a circle around it. I don't know if it's a transmutation circle or not. We're trying to figure that out, but we are having some difficulty with the available alchemists around. Marcoh is impossible to find without help, and Kaliq is reluctant to have anything to do with alchemy. Not to mention that Kaliq isn't as familiar with this kind of stuff. It could just be a symbol of their name, the Wardens."

I scribbled this down. "Kaliq will help you, if you stress its importance. How is the atmosphere down there?"

I could hear him grimacing. "Most of the Ishvallans are just plain scared, but there have been a few people who've been taking it out on us soldiers. Nothing too serious, mostly yelling , sometimes throwing things. If we don't resolve this soon, though, I'm worried things'll escalate."

I sighed and furrowed my brows. If the Ishvallans revolted against the military because of the Wardens, and the military fought back, then the Wardens, Ishvallans, and the military would lose. "Thank you, Havoc. Is there anything else you want to report?"

"Not much else is going on around here. Construction has almost completely stopped, and supplies are in greater demand because of the Warden's sabotage, but you already knew that. How're things going up there?"

"Parliament is meeting to discuss ending the border conflict with Aerugo as we speak. Fuhrer Mustang is there, as a spectator." Mustang had felt it necessary for him to be there, but he hadn't wanted to overshadow the proceedings, so he'd gone undercover, as a civilian. Him with his glasses, hairgel, and blazer was certainly a sight to see.

"And you aren't with him?"

"He wanted me to stay behind to keep up with the Ishval situation. You know how he is."

Havoc laughed. "Yeah. I'm surprised he could tear himself away. I should get back to work. I'll try talking to Kaliq about it, see if he can help us out."

"Thanks again. If the fuhrer doesn't insist I call you, call your report in tomorrow, whenever's convenient."

"Will do, chief."

Kaliq

Mida rolled over to me in her wheelchair. I'd been waiting to hear how her talk with Osman had gone, and from the look on her face, I knew.

"I couldn't do it, Kaliq." she said when she was within hearing distance. Her eyes were red and puffy and her shoulders were slumped. Kammani, who'd been pushing her chair, shook her head at me.

"He wouldn't listen to her, called her a traitor." Kammani grit her teeth. "If I'd been her, I would have lost it."

I lowered my eyes. Mida had been so hopeful when she left, convinced she could talk Osman out of his hatred. I hadn't been as sure, and I'd advised her to not expect too much. Now, seeing how disappointed she was, I wished with all my heart that I had been wrong.

"I need to go talk to Elyakim-malim about this. Kaliq, can I leave her in your care?" Kammani was in a hurry to get away. The elder council needed to come up with a way to deal with what-ifs.

I nodded. Mida spoke up. "He's taken care of me before. We'll be fine." She smiled up at me, her muscles breaking up the tear stains on her face. I marvelled at her strength, to smile in the midst of the tension.

Kammani rushed off and I stepped behind Mida's chair. She reached her hand up and placed it on mine. A rush of adrenaline came from her touch, and almost withdrew my hand. But as much as she put up a front, I knew she needed that touch, so I left my hand there.

"Should I take you back to the infirmary?" I asked.

"Yes, please. I'd like to lie down." I rolled her back, walking in silence. I couldn't say anything to make this better, and it was too serious to try to distract her. In the end, it was she who spoke again.

"What do we do, if it happens again?" She was quiet, scared. She was only fourteen when the war happened - old enough to understand as an adult, but young enough to fear like a child.

"It won't happen again." My voice was steady. "It won't be the same. We've both learned about the other, since the last one. And Fuhrer Mustang won't give an order like Bradley. But if it happens, I will make sure that my family is safe." I won't lose anyone else.

She turned her head slightly, to look back at me. "Your family? You found them?"

I smiled down at her. "In a way. You, Agniya, Vedran, Yousef, Cemal, Elyakim-malim. You are my family now." Mida turned back to face forward, and her head tilted down. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I consider you family, as well." We had reached the infirmary. I wheeled her down the hallways, and she would greet people as we went past. They would then smile at me, giving the same warmth to me as they did to her. I was surprised, but smiled back. We needed to stop the Wardens, stop Osman.

Those who still needed to be hospitalized had been given their own rooms, now that most of the victims had been released. Mida's room had many small gifts littering the various flat surfaces. A nurse came and helped me get her into the bed. Mida smiled at the nurse, even though she was obviously in some pain from her back and legs. I waited as the nurse checked her vitals. When he left, Mida waved at me. "Come here." I approached the bed and leaned down to hear what she wanted to tell me. She leaned up and kissed my cheek. I pulled back and looked down at her, completely dumbfounded. "Thank you."

As quickly as the color had left my face, I could feel it rushing back. "There is nothing that you should thank me for."

She smiled, a different smile than I'd seen her give just a minute ago. No, I was just imagining things. "Yes, there is. You've been so helpful, not just to me, but to Agniya, Cemal, and everyone. You always work so hard for others, and you never want any of the credit. You were the one who found me in the rubble and saved my life." I listened to her praise, and I felt ashamed. If only she knew who I really was, what I'd done. "I asked Col. Miles about you. He told me a little bit about your adventures in Amestris." I lowered my eyes, not wanting to know what she thought of me now.

She reached for my hand and grasped it tight. "You saved the entire country. Whatever else you did there, you were the one who beat Bradley. It's pretty obvious that the Amestrians have forgiven you. You rejoined us, came back to us, almost a year ago, now. For the past six years, you've been working as an honest man, rewriting your history. Please, let it go and recognize that you have done amazing things. You are the best man that I know."

With every word she said, I countered it in my head, lowering myself as much as she was raising me. I didn't say anything, but I let her words slip past me, avoiding them.

She dropped my hand. "You needed to hear this, now, before things get any worse. You need to know how important you are in the eyes of your people; how important you are to me." I met her eyes and saw earnest faith. How could she believe all the things she said, knowing what I had done in the name of Ishvalla? I couldn't take it. I fell into a chair, and for the first time in ten years, I cried.

Hawkeye

"No. Lt. Col., I can't believe you're still pushing for this." He leaned back on his desk and pushed a hand through his hair.

"Sir, she's already on her way here to talk about it. The least you can do is meet with her." I was tired of this argument. Ever since I suggested that he start dating Gracia Hughes, only as a publicity stunt, he'd been fighting me on everything, even insisting I stay behind when he left for his other duties. If he'd actually talked to me about why he didn't like the idea rather than avoiding the topic, maybe I'd have listened.

"She knows about this?" He grit his teeth and looked to the side. When he spoke again, his voice was dangerously low. "You dragged her into this, tricking her into thinking it's a good idea. Well it isn't, and I'm … disgusted that you don't get that."

His tone told me that maybe I'd overstepped by bringing her over to my side. When I mentioned it to her, she was definitely on board, but there seemed to be something going on in Mustang's head that I just didn't see. "I apologize for going behind your back. It won't happen again." I reverted back to protocol and formal language, just like always.

He looked up at me, eyes still angry. "Your apology is much appreciated, Col. Now," he closed his eyes briefly, dumping all of the resentment toward me back into its usual place, to be locked away until a later date. "She's on her way?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then let's get ready for our guest." He stood up from his desk and started walking around it. He stopped and turned back. "Is Elicia coming with her?" I could see traces of pain in his eyes. Was the girl why he was so reluctant to go along with this?

"No, sir. Mrs. Hughes said she would be visiting a friend today."

"Does she know about this?"

Gracia hadn't said anything about Elicia to me, except that she wouldn't be coming. "Not that I know of, sir." He nodded absent-mindedly and went back to his desk, shuffling papers around. I left, going back to my own desk to finish up on some paperwork while I waited.

Not five minutes later, someone knocked on the door. "Come in," I said, loud enough for both the visitor and the fuhrer to hear. Lt. Kain Fuery opened the door and gestured for Gracia Hughes to enter.

"Thank you, Lt. Fuery." she said as he saluted and left. She nodded at me. "Lt. Col. Hawkeye, it's nice to see you." She seemed to be studying me for something. I ignored her look as I answered.

"It's nice to see you, too, Mrs. Hughes."

She smiled. "If we're going to be discussing what you talked about, I think you should start calling me Gracia."

I returned her smile. "I guess you're right. Fuhrer Mustang should be waiting for you. I'll go let him know you're here." Her presence was putting me on edge, but I couldn't figure out why. Knocking on the fuhrer's door, I heard him stop moving for a moment before his chair was pushed back.

"Yes?"

I opened the door and stuck my head in. "Gracia Hughes is here to speak with you."

He gave me a weighted look as he said, "Send her in."

I turned back to Gracia and nodded. She placed her hand on my arm as she whispered, "I'd appreciate it if you'd come in with me. You know him better than I do, and we both want the same thing, I think." Despite all the warmth in her tone and demeanor, I suddenly wanted to fail in convincing Mustang to fake a relationship with her. He obviously didn't want it for reasons important enough to him that he thought I would already understand, and there was this nagging feeling that this was wrong. But it was the most reasonable course of action, so I ignored my feelings, which I had become very accustomed to doing, and placed a hand over hers.

He seemed surprised that I came in with her, but wore his fake smile he reserved for family. "Gracia, come in. It's great to see you."

"You too, Roy." She looked around the room briefly. "This is an improvement for you, compared to your previous office, isn't it?"

He laughed. "Yes, quite a bit. Please sit down." He escorted her to one of the chairs facing his desk and then returned to his seat. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" He was fishing, something he both loved and hated to do. It put all the pressure on the other person, but often left him in a cornered position.

Gracia glanced at me, slightly confused by his question. She'd thought he would be more direct about this. But I knew how childish he could be when he really didn't want something. "I'd heard you were thinking about starting a serious relationship. I'd like to put my name up for consideration." I could almost hear her thinking, 'Ball's in your court, Roy.' I should have know she could handle him. She had been married to Hughes for five years, after all.

"Consideration? It sounds like you're applying for a job." He had turned up the smoothness in his voice, which made me uncomfortable. He was doing badly and he didn't know it.

"I am, in a way. Neither one of us is actually interested in a serious relationship, but it's a beneficial scenario for us. You want to appear more socially invested while retaining respect as a leader, and I wouldn't mind some stability for both me and Elicia." Her bluntness impressed even me. As much as I was starting to dislike my idea, I hoped she'd stick around to keep him humble.

His smooth facade dropped, leaving nothing but honest reluctance. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

"Why not?" The bullets started flying between them. "I'm fully aware of what I'm getting into. You're already a father figure for Elicia, whether or not we go through with this, so if that's the issue you have with this, then there's no basis for your concern."

"That's not it." He could no longer meet her eyes, which almost sent me into full-out guard dog mode.

"Then what? Are you afraid that it'll get exposed? Because I can be a very good actress when I need to be. Being married to Maes gave me a lot of experience in that area. Is it that you don't feel like it's moral to falsify a relationship? I have no problem with that whatsoever."

"It's not that." I could see him beginning to break, just from her presence. And then she just kept pushing and pushing him. I wondered if maybe she was trying to break him.

And then she stopped. "Roy, just tell me why you're so uncomfortable with this, please." He met her eyes again, just for a moment.

"I can't. I need a minute." The worry on her face was genuine, if I took the time to look at her. But I was completely focused on the fuhrer. He was on the verge of tears, again, and it was my fault. He needed me to protect him and I threw him in the line of fire, so to speak.

Gracia nodded. "I'll wait outside. Let me know when you're ready to continue." She stood to leave and I went to follow when she turned and leaned in to whisper to me. "Stay here. He's going to need someone to talk to. He should be ready to talk now." She had intended to break him, but not for her to hear - for me. The smile she gave me was reminiscent of one I used to see on Hughes' face when he'd tease Mustang. The anxious feeling from before suddenly flipped and turned into dread. She left me standing there as she pulled the door closed. I looked back at my superior, who hadn't seemed to notice I was still there. His head was resting on his hands, propped up on his desk. I said nothing, waiting for him. The slightest disturbance and all of Gracia's work would be wasted.

"I can't do it, Hawkeye. I can't go through with it."

He wanted me to say something, but I wasn't as good with people as Gracia. I couldn't make them confess their deepest thoughts. Honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to. But he needed to get this out. "Sir?" I kept telling myself to keep it simple, give him just enough to keep going without changing anything.

"It's Hughes." Just those two words were enough to clear the air. I knew in that instant what had been troubling him. It hadn't been about lying to Elicia, or leading Gracia on, or even lying to the people. It had been about honoring his best friend.

I approached his desk, trying to comfort him. "Are you afraid that he would have been upset?" He nodded. "He wouldn't be. His wife is now alone, taking care of his precious daughter by himself. An opportunity arises for you, his best friend, to give them everything he's ever wanted for them. Elicia will have the greatest opportunities he could have ever hoped for her. Gracia will have support in a great friend, someone whom he trusts beyond all others. And they will help you reach your goals, which Brigadier Gen. Hughes had been more than supportive of. He would have wanted this for you, and for her." I knew it was the truth as I spoke it. And if that was what was holding him back, he was wrong.

He looked up at me with such vulnerability that I almost lost myself in him. But I remembered what we were doing, and why, and I stopped before I said something foolish. "Please, sir. This will help you reach your goal."

He gave me a smile to reassure me that he was all right as he answered, "Thank you, Lt. Col. I didn't realize you wanted this so badly."

He was teasing me, and it was working. "If it'll help you, sir, I'd do anything." He raised his eyebrow and smiled, but didn't respond with a comeback my statement had been asking for. We both knew what he could have said, and I blushed.

"Let Gracia back in." I followed his order and brought her back to sit in the same chair at his desk.

"All right, Gracia, but we need to talk ground rules." He had gone back to all-business.

She smiled - smirked? - "I agree." She turned to look at me, almost too deliberately. "If you wouldn't mind, Riza, would you let us discuss this alone?" I suddenly felt very suspicious of what was about to be discussed, but agreed and left. Once back in my office, I had to force myself to leave the door and sit down, trying to keep myself seated, rather than listening at the door. It bugged me more than I expected, that I couldn't hear what they were saying. The possibilities of what they were discussing ate away at me as they sat in there. The first hour passed, and I was able to somewhat distract myself with paperwork. But then I finished the paperwork, and I just waited. The second hour passed, and I started thinking about the other parts of a romantic relationship. They'd certainly been in there long enough. My insides knotted up with anger, surprisingly. Why was I so upset about this? They were two consenting adults who were no doubt feeling lonely and - nope, not going there. All I could see when I thought about it was red. But why?