The Wants of the Few
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 9 – Lost
Riza hadn't been able to fall back asleep after calling Gracia. Roy's presence haunted her. The idea that he was finally ready for a commitment was killing her. It was one of the reasons she'd never tried to start up a relationship with him. She figured, 'What's the point, he'll go on one date with me and dump like the rest of the women he dates…besides, I know what happens when you play with fire…' Now she couldn't help but wonder if she completely lost her chances with him. 'What chances?' she thought bitterly, 'The military regulations killed those "chances" before I even came on the scene.' Riza continued to lay in the darkness trying to force herself to sleep. After a while she glanced at the clock. 2:37. "Ugh," she sighed. "This is going to drag forever-" Suddenly her ears picked up a sound. It sounded sort of like the door hinges…but that was silly, no one would dare break into her home, everyone knew her reputation, and no one would be leaving because- "Oh no." she gasped as the realization dawned on her. "Elysia!" she gasped as she jumped up from bed and ran into the guest room. "Elysia…" Riza sighed in relief as she saw the sheets were still covering a small round form. She walked over to the bed and pulled back the top of the sheet to check on the child…unfortunately, there wasn't a child beneath the sheets—only a pillow. Riza's heart clenched. What was she going to do? "She must have tried to walk home…" Riza said out loud fearing the worst. Terrified, she didn't even stop to put on shoes and she ran out. "Elysia!" Riza screamed out into the night hoping the child would hear her. There wasn't a response. Riza wasn't sure precisely how long the child had been gone, but she assumed Elysia couldn't get too far, after all , she's only a child. The night air was chilly and it cut through Riza's blue night clothes. The darkness enveloped her and she was having trouble thinking straight. Fear for Elysia overtook her senses and her usual composure left her. "Elysia! Elysiaaaa!" she screamed.
Roy trekked home. The night felt alive. His emotional brush with Gracia had had a strange effect on him…for some reason he couldn't feel happier, like some great weight had been lifted. Roy couldn't help but reminisce to his dream…he wanted to slip back into that make believe bliss. He let his mind wander and he pondered what Riza's skin would really feel like. Suddenly out of the darkness he heard Riza's voice. "Elysia! Elysiaaaa!" The unexpected break in the night and with the most unexpected person he could think of left him more than a little stunned. When his wits came back he rushed toward the sound of his Lieutenant's frantic voice. When he came upon her form she was in the street, barefoot in her night clothes. He rushed to her and gripped her around her shoulders to get her attention. She was so frantic she couldn't hardly look at him as she continued to shout for Elysia.
"Lieutenant! What's wrong? Why are you out here in your pajamas? Where's Elysia?" Roy said, his questions barely registering in her mind. She tried to fight her way out of his arms to continue her search for the little lost girl but his hold on her shoulders was too strong and her thoughts were spread too thin to really concentrate on breaking free. "Answer me Hawkeye! What's wrong? Talk to me!"
"She's gone! I was supposed to take care of her…and she's gone!" Riza finally blurted out.
"What do you mean gone? Look at me. Calm down and tell me what's wrong." Roy said trying to calm her in hopes of getting her to make more sense. After a moment or two more of struggling she began to relax a little in his arms and calm down. If he hadn't been so concerned for her, he would have enjoyed holding her.
"She's gone…I was supposed to take care of her and she,- and she's gone. I checked on her and it was just a pillow-"
"She ran away?" Roy ask, attempting to get the whole story before letting his concern take hold of him. Riza nodded, too sick to say the words. "Do you know where she might have gone?" he continued.
"I think she is trying to walk home." She said.
"Okay, let's think about this rationally. Which way would be the most probable way she'd take home?" Roy asked. A quick thought raced through his head, 'I'm actually telling Hawkeye to be rational. The world must be mad.'
"That way." She replied, her senses coming back as she pointed the direction Roy had come from.
His eyes narrowed in thought, "I just came from that way and I didn't see her. Most likely she hasn't gotten that far yet. Let's search closer to your house." As much as Hawkeye hated to admit it, she felt a little hurt at hearing the Colonel had just 'came from that way' …it was just another reminder where he'd been and what he'd been doing. "You're right, let's head back toward my house. We can grab my car and maybe we'll be able to cover more ground." She said, letting her mask of the perfect soldier take over once more.
They both sprinted quickly back to her home to retrieve the car. As they ran by the other houses Riza's eyes furiously searched the bushes and trees for Elysia. There wasn't any sign of her. Roy was concerned for Elysia's safety, but he couldn't get over Hawkeye's reaction. He'd never seen her so hysterical before. She was always so calm, collected. Even staring down the barrel of a gun, she couldn't be cooler headed, but now—well it only confirmed his belief that nothing should ever happen between them. If she reacted this way to a missing child that wasn't even her own, he couldn't imagine her reaction if she thought she lost him. His earlier ease was slipping, and dejection was settling into his stomach.
Hawkeye didn't have her keys with her. She'd been so upset with Elysia's disappearance that she hadn't even locked her door. Her keys were next to the door so she didn't even have to go all the way inside her house to get them. She grabbed them from the stand and quickly locked the door. Hawkeye motion Mustang toward the car and they both jumped in.