The events of that day ran through the young Colonel's head like Jeff Gordon's NASCAR racing car, only instead of it being what you'd expect, it was a hearse that ran around the track. He thought of every word she had said to him, from when she first met him at her father's home when he was his student, to minutes ago when she told him not to worry and remember her and she loved him, those words and that song she had barely sung as she laid there bleeding. Someone, he couldn't remember who had helped him into his apartment and into bed. Which is now where he lay, thinking about the day wondering what exactly was happening, to say the least he was in a state of shock. He turned over and hit his alarm clock unintentionally, but hit it just the same. A country song rang out from the speaker he began to sob, thinking about what she had been doing just mere moments before it happened. He couldn't bring himself to think of that, what had happened to his lover, subordinate, best friend, and sole witness to what he had done in Ishval. It was too much to think about, the woman who had so many plans for her life, and their plan that after he became Fuhrer he would marry her, and they would have a son, though it seems someone beat him to that last part. Then there was a knock at the door, Roy not really caring got up and answered it, "Mustang I don't like you, you don't like me but we both need to talk." The man sounded like he was about to bawl like a child, but tried to keep a cool reserve, Roy let him in seeing who he was and figuring out a few hours ago how he knew her.
"Come in Scar, I need to ask you a few things."
"Wait one thing I want- no, need- to know is can I come to her-" He left the last word unsaid as he knew they both knew what he was speaking of: her funeral. Roy kind of laughed at this.
"Who am I to say you can't? You're her ex husband."
"No, I am not."
"What? You're not her ex husband?" Roy responded to the quiet reply.
"We were never legally divorced, she just up and left one day only leaving me with an idea where she had gone. I had waited for 8 years to see my wife again, but she had saved you from me and it was obvious who she loved, so I never made another appearance like that until a few months ago. However our son, Matthew saw a picture of our wedding day, and he knew who she was, but I had given him to someone else to care for him while the war was going on, I had only seen him once after that 4 days ago, now a 9 year old. That's why I looked for her and found her in that bar tonight, I had no idea that Matthew was capable of something like that." This said, he began to sob. All that it did for Roy was break the fragile bubble he had made for his mental self to keep him from losing his mind. While the two men in Roy Mustang's apartment had a much needed breakdown you could hear the radio that Roy had turned on by accident. The song seemed to wash over them like a tide would wash in a grain of sand, it was Riza singing, almost comforting them in their time of grief and from what they could remember the words went something like this:
Through the back window of a '59 wagon
I watched my best friend Jamie slippin' further away
I kept on waving 'till I couldn't see her
And through my tears, I asked again why we couldn't stay
Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain
Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same
And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?
It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye?
I sat on our bed, he packed his suitcase
I held a picture of our wedding day
His hands were trembling, we both were crying
He kissed me gently and then he quickly walked away
I called up Mama, she said, Time will ease your pain
Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same
And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?
It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye?
Sitting with Mama alone in her bedroom
She opened her eyes, and then squeezed my hand
She said, I have to go now, my time here is over
And with her final word, she tried to help me understand
Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain
Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same
And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?
It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try How can I help you to say goodbye?
How can I help you to say goodbye?
Back at Headquarters, the coroner, Havoc, Falman, Bloch, and Ross were retelling what they had seen when they first arrived at the scene, some had an easier time than others, they then heard a voice over the radio that had been turned off in respect for the dead lieutenant and they listened to the same thing that Roy and Scar had listened to, never once thinking it was Riza, though they thought that it sounded familiar, then the secretary working that night screamed as she ran out of the office,
"THE RADIO JUST TURNED ITSELF ON!" But no one noticed; they were too enraptured with the song.
A/N time!
Okay umm thanks to my reviewers, and I tried to make this with as little angst as possible but hey when writing about death it happens, anyway, THIS IS STILL NOT THE END I STILL HAVE 2 CHAPTERS! TO GO! and maybe a side story on Scar and Riza's past. And Thank you to my beta Thatlittleblondeangel it was a lot of help!
Later Dayz
Dementia