Chapter Twenty
Hughes approached the girl from behind, slipping an arm around her shoulders and matching her slow, careful steps as she made her way back to the large dormitory building. She gasped and twitched at his touch. He removed his arm and shoved his hands into the pockets of his long, blue military coat.
"I don't think we've been formally introduced." Hughes stepped ahead of her and turned to block her path. "Have we?" He watched as she shrank back slightly.
"No, we haven't."
"Do you remember me?"
She blushed. "Yes, vaguely."
The scene in the hospital room flashed in Hughes's mind and he cleared his throat. "Yes, well…that was business. I'm officially Chief of Investigations. But, my name is Hughes. Maes Hughes." He put out his hand.
The girl looked at his hand and then at her own for a long moment before completing the handshake.
Hughes puzzled over the girl's silent response. "Don't you have a name?"
She looked away and didn't answer.
"It will be hard for us to find your family if we don't know your name."
"Let them think that I'm dead." She tried to pull her hand away, but he grasped it firmly.
Hughes frowned. "Have you eaten today?"
She opened her mouth, but he didn't give her a chance to answer as he let go of her hand and once again wrapped his arm around her shoulders. His frown turned to a grin.
"Why don't you come with me? I don't know what Gracia is cooking, but I'm sure there'll be plenty." They started walking once more, but Hughes pulled them in a different directions. "I've already invited the boys, and maybe Roy will come if he pulls his thumb from his ass…" Two quiet steps. "…oh you get to meet Elysia! Aren't you excited!?"
XXX
Colonel Roy Mustang tried to stroll down the familiar street, keeping his steps slow and casual. He had debated long and hard about whether or not to accept Hughes's invitation to dinner. He knew the Elrics were already at the house and he tried to keep his relationship with them as professional as possible. But, he also knew that Hughes planned to persuade the girl to join them. And if he knew Hughes, he knew the girl was going to be there.
Mustang made another effort to slow his quickening steps, disgusted as his uncharacteristic eagerness. After a couple more minutes of this internal struggle, and a moment's hesitation, he knocked on the front door of a house he'd visited many times.
"Ah! Roy! Glad to see you!" Hughes pulled Mustang inside and, when he saw Roy's eyes immediately scan the room and land on the thin figure in the corner, grasped his shoulders and pulled him close, whispering, "You should just trust me, I know what's good for you."
"Good god, Maes!" Roy's whisper was harsh. "She's nineteen!"
Hughes pulled back and looked Mustang straight in the eye. "Is that your real objection?"
Mustang scowled and stepped fully into the room, observing its occupants. Hughes fell from his side to find Gracia and ask about the food. Edward laid sprawled on the floor Hughes's baby daughter, Elysia, lying on his chest, both of them grinning, and Al sat nearby. The girl had found a chair in a corner and sat, legs crossed, hands folded tensely, watching the activity around her with a bittersweet expression. He took a step in her direction as Gracia called form the kitchen.
"Food's ready!"
A sudden look of despair passed quickly over the girl's face and concern passed over Mustang's. But they both soon became aware of Edward struggling between the urge to jump up and run towards the food and the awkward instinct to be careful with the baby. A smirk crept to Mustang's lips and the girl stood and almost swooped down on the boy and swept the baby into her arms as Elysia began to cry at Edward's bumbling.
Gracia's motherly instinct led her from the kitchen, arms out, ready to take the crying baby. The girl shook her head slightly, soothing Elysia.
"Go ahead and eat, Mrs. Hughes. I can handle her." Elysia grabbed onto one of the girl's fingers and began to slobber happily on it.
"Are you sure?" The woman searched the girl's eyes and was startled to find fear.
The girl forced a smile. "I'm sure." The smell of the food wafting from the kitchen made her stomach turn. "I had a baby brother."
The use of the past tense stung Mustang as he followed Edward into the dining room, his eyes lingering a moment on the girl swaying in the living room, talking to the baby in a hushed whisper.
As soon as they were seated around the table, Gracia cleared her throat. Now, Maes, you know I don't usually ask about your work. But when you bring your work into my home, I need to know something."
The two men looked at each other like guilty children. Edward, oblivious, shoveled stew in his mouth as though he hadn't eaten in days. Alphonse spoke up.
"We rescued her. Um…they rescued her."
"Yesterday?"
"Yes." Hughes broke in. "I decided to ask her to join us instead of letting her spend the evening alone. Especially after the intense interrogation she was put through." He eyed Mustang.
"What did you rescue her from?"
This time Edward, mouth half full, interrupted Hughes. "Some sicko who was peddling flesh with the gate and trying to create the ultimate sex toy."
Mustang didn't even put forth the effort to scold the boy as a tense silence settled over the room and the realization sank in the Edward was absolutely right.
A soft lullaby in a sad alto drifted in from the living and sent shivers down Mustang's spine as a tear fell from Gracia's eye and Hughes squeezed her hand.
Roy cleared his throat and the surreal haze shattered. "She doesn't take kindly to pity and is in a frail emotional state."
The other adults nodded and dinner proceeded in a constrained fashion, the bittersweet sounds of the girl's voice intertwining with the words of the sparse conversation.