Title: Untitled
Author: Esmuerla (Emera D'Anae and Sull89)
Chapter Title: Speculation
Chapter Written By: Emera
Summary: It's Christmas in Amestris and even the military is delighting in the holiday. During the annual Christmas party, four people will face love, responsibility, joy, worry, and pain all in one night. Things escalate when the Fuhrer makes an announcement that scatters his troops and sends Roy, Riza, Ed, and Winry South.
Pairings: Ed/Winry, Roy/Riza, slight Maes/Gracia, mentions of Havoc/Sheska
Genre: Romance, Angst, Action (in later chapters)
Notes: Gosh this has taken me a long time to write. Xx Sorry, finals and all that. But now that school is over for both Sull and I, we'll be updating more often. We just want to say: if you read this, please review it. Just a little comment. We just want to know how many people are reading, etc. Alright, I'm sure whoever IS reading would like to get on with it, so here you go.
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Ed stared at Winry for a long moment, letting her words sink in. Finally gaining control of his tongue, he spoke slowly, thinking carefully before he voiced his thoughts. "Winry…" He stopped himself, taking a breath and thinking again before he continued, "I always come out fine, don't I? It's alright."
Winry shook her head, pushing Ed's words aside. "But what if the next time you don't? I dunno what I would do…" She let her voice drop off, leaving the rest of her thought to Ed's imagination. Ed stared at his feet, feeling horrible for making her worry. "All I can do is hope it doesn't happen again." He said, finally, after a long silence. He fidgeted slightly before continuing, "You don't have to worry, Winry. I'll be fine."
Winry nodded, although she looked almost close to tears. "Alright." She consented, inclining her head to study her hands, blinking rapidly. Ed caught the look on her face and leaned forward. "I mean it," he said, attempting to comfort her, however unsure if it was working, "I don't want you to worry."
--
Riza looked curiously at Roy, surprised he hadn't heard the news of the Fuhrer's plans yet. "You haven't? I thought everyone knew." Roy deadpanned. "When did you find out?" He asked, unable to believe he hadn't heard an announcement as important as this.
"Um…" Riza started, thinking for a moment. "Yesterday." She said, thinking again for a moment, then nodding when she knew she was correct. Roy looked ready to smack himself. "How come I didn't hear anything! When is he supposed to make this big speech?" Roy inquired, wanting as much information he could get to make up for lacking the information prior to the party.
Riza laughed at Roy's surprise before responding, "It's the closing speech for this party, according to Hughes." Roy let out a breath at the mention of his best friend, turning to look for the man. "Hmm… speaking of Hughes, where is he?" Roy asked, still searching.
Riza pointed to where Roy had yet to look before answering, "Terrorizing Sheska and Havoc with pictures of Elysia." Roy couldn't help the small smile from overcoming his features as he shook his head. "Of course, he's always terrorizing someone." Roy said, standing. "I'll be right back." With that he dismissed himself, making his way over to his friend. Riza smiled to herself as she watched him leave, thinking to herself that he wasn't always the Colonel 'Bastard' he'd been referred to so many times.
--
Winry shook her head and smiled, trying to cheer herself up as much as Ed was trying. "Don't worry about it." Winry looked up again, grinning now. "I'm being silly, of course you'll be alright! You DO have my Automail, after all." Ed smiled with her, relieved she seemed to have calmed down. "Yeah, that I do. It hasn't failed me yet."
Sitting back, Winry's smile widened to a grin. "Well of course it hasn't! I made it!" Ed laughed at Winry's enthusiasm and less-than-modest quips. "You're the best Automail mechanic I could have asked for, Win'."
Ed's statement caused a light blush to play its way over Winry's cheeks. Her voice quieted some as she responded. "Well, I still have a long way to go, but I am pretty good, aren't I?" She allowed herself to grin again, not entirely used to praise. Ed nodded, continuing his earlier compliment. "Of course you are."
He nodded again and brought his right arm around so she could easily see her handiwork. "Look at this. It responds to every little thing I want it to." He flexed the fingers a bit, but his voice fell quite a few notches before he spoke again. "It's what has stopped my hospital visits from being even more serious."
Winry studied Ed's hand for a moment before she took his Automail hand into her own. "Then, for one of the few times, I'm glad you have this arm. For that reason only." Winry knew that if he hadn't had the Automail in the first place, he wouldn't have needed it for protection, but she was still grateful that whatever she could do for him helped. Ed placed his flesh hand over Winry's for a moment, squeezing it gently before moving it away before anyone could see.
--
"Hey there, Hughes." Roy greeted as he reached his friend. He heard Havoc whisper to Sheska as Maes directed his attention to Roy and away from them. "Quick, let's get out of here while he's distracted." Roy noticed Sheska nod before they left out of the corner of his eye. Roy suppressed a smirk while Maes replied.
"Roy! Look good, man!" Maes slapped his friend on the back before whipping out the pictures he'd been showing Havoc and Sheska. "Look at this!" He shoved the picture in Roy's face, proceeding to gush over his daughter. "Isn't she just so cute? In the yard, with her dress and the bow, she's just the epitome of sweet!"
As much as he tried to hide it, Roy didn't always mind Maes' banter about his daughter; he wasn't much for children, but he'd liked Elysia. However, now that something was on his mind, he wasn't about to put up with Maes' ramblings for long.
"Yes, Hughes." Roy conceded, lowering the man's hand with his own before crossing his arms to speak. "What took you so long to get here? I was half expecting you to arrive during set up and erect a hundred foot picture of Elysia in the middle of the gathering." Roy couldn't help but smirk; he honestly wouldn't have been surprised if Maes /had/ gone and done what he'd suggested.
"It was so hard to leave Elysia at the sitters! She was almost in tears and it was so hard to tear myself away!" Maes said dramatically, before looking Roy in the eye, a serious look on his face as he responded to the latter half of Roy's previous statement. "I was going to, but Gracia wouldn't let me."
Roy shook his head, the smirk still in it's place as he voiced his earlier thoughts. "That honestly would not have surprised me." Unable to hold off on the real reason he'd come to talk to Maes, he lifted his head, his expression becoming more serious now. "So, know anything about the 'big announcement' the Fuhrer is supposed to make, or is it just the general "thanks for coming" farewell speech?" Roy knew, better than most, that the Fuhrer didn't show up to the gatherings for such a menial reason as a "thanks for coming farewell speech," but he would have greatly preferred that over the horrors his mind was now concocting.
--
Winry grinned at Ed, letting his Automail hand go so she could slip her hands back under the table. "So, where's Al gone to this time?" She asked, changing the subject before either of them got too uncomfortable. Ed blinked, his expression showing he'd completely forgotten about his brother. "I have no idea…" He turned to look for Al, speaking again as an afterthought, "Where did he go now?"
Winry smiled good naturedly and shrugged to herself. "Well, where did he go when you last saw him?" Ed replied without turning back to face Winry, still searching for his brother. "He was under some table with a box full of kittens." He turned back around to finish his statement facing Winry. "He shooed me away and told me to go talk to y-" Ed froze suddenly, shutting his mouth to keep himself from going farther.
A slightly confused look graced Winry's features. "What? Why'd you stop?" Winry asked, not entirely sure why Ed hadn't continued. Ed blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Nothing, nothing." He waved off her question, asking one of his own before she could continue her interrogation. "If you're done eating, you want to help me find Al?"
Winry blinked, then nodded. "Sure, he shouldn't be too hard to find." She pushed her chair back as she spoke, then stood, waiting for Ed to do the same. "Thanks." He said, standing as well, a small smile on his face as both he and Winry turned to look for Al.
--
Maes let an evil grin overtake his features before he spoke. "Why are you so interested all of the sudden? Something bothering you, Roy?" He asked, knowing Roy wouldn't want to admit being as desperate for information as he looked.
Just as Maes predicted, Roy tried to keep a calm look on his face as he spoke. "Why would anything be bothering me?" Maes laughed at Roy's attempt at keeping calm, he spoke again, knowing exactly what to say to push Roy's buttons. "No reason. Waiting for him to show up before you find out what he's got to say then won't bother you, right?"
Roy coughed a bit, trying to distract himself from revealing exactly how much he wanted to know. "Not at all." Roy stood in silence, fighting within himself to keep his composure while Maes stood with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face.
Finally unable to suppress his curiosity, Roy let the pent up emotion spill out. "Just tell me what you know already!" Maes burst out laughing, managing somehow to speak. "I thought you weren't bothered by it." Roy mock-glared at his friend, becoming frustrated and letting desperation leak into his voice. "Will you stop patronizing me?"
Maes finally grew serious, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Even I'm not sure exactly what he's going to say, Roy. All I know is that it's something bordering on really big." Roy straightened up, relieved to hear even the littlest bit of information from Maes. "Any speculations? I only just found out about this thing a few minutes ago from Riza." Maes thought for a moment, then sighed heavily. "From what I've gathered, which isn't much by the way, it's got something to do with a ton of new military… rules isn't the right word, but it's the only thing I can think of at the moment. Changes are going to be made."
--
Winry spotted Al after only a few moments of looking. She tapped Ed, who was looking in the opposite direction, on the shoulder and pointed to Al. "He's over there talking to Ross." Winry squinted, trying to make out what Al was doing. "What's he doing with the box?" Ed sighed and shook his head. "He's got kittens in it." Winry smiled. "Aww, again?" She laughed at Al's predictability. "What's he doing with them?"
"Trying to find them a home." Ed replied with a small sigh. "I feel bad telling him we can't keep at least one, but we just don't have the means." Winry looked at Ed, who's eyes were fixed on his brother. Winry knew Ed had been the same as his brother when he was younger; she remembered he was the one who had always brought stray animals home. "I'm sure he understands." Winry said, trying to comfort her friend. "I am too, but I still feel bad about it…"
Ed was cut off when Winry let her hand rest on his shoulder. "Let's see how many he's given away so far, hmm?" Ed nodded slightly, grateful for Winry's understanding. "Yeah. Let's."
--
Roy got a dreamy look on his face at the mention of changes being made in the military. "Hmm… changes, huh?" The look on his face betrayed his thoughts of his dream coming to fruition; that of all female officers wearing miniskirts.
Maes laughed at Roy's obvious daydream. "Not those kind of changes." He amended, snapping Roy from his thoughts. Roy's face fell and he looked like a small child caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. "I didn't say anything…" He muttered, much to Maes' amusement.
"Maybe not, but I've known you for a long time, and I know what you were thinking." Maes' laughter had died down, but his smile still remained. Roy shrugged it off, a smile on his face as well. "It'll happen one day." Roy noticed that Riza was still sitting alone, watching them silently. "Heh, looks like someone could use some company. Care to join me?" Roy motioned to the table Riza was sitting at as he spoke.
Maes looked over to Riza and smiled. "Sure. Just let me find Gracia and I'll meet you over there." Roy nodded, turning to leave. "Alright then." He finished while Maes nodded as well, wondering off to find his wife.