Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of its characers. Enjoy!
Brigadier General Roy Mustang was feeling rather degraded as he lay in the hospital bed, wounds still healing slowly, an eye patch over his left eye, and Hawkeye sitting beside him monitoring every little move. She was currently trying to get him to eat again, but what she just didn't seem to understand was that he didn't feel much like doing anything since learning about what had happened with Edward and Alphonse. Not to be misunderstood, of course. He was very happy that Al had gotten his body back, but at such a high cost? Surely there must have been another way.
"Sir," Hawkeye said respectfully but with a forceful tone. "If you don't eat, I'm going to force it down your throat. You won't be of any use to anyone if you don't keep up your strength. You know that."
Suddenly, a voice from behind her said, "Well, Roy always has been a picky eater. There's no accounting for taste, Riza. Give the guy a break."
They both turned to look at the door, and there stood Mustang's little sister Colonel Amy Mustang. At the age of twenty-eight, she had already accomplished much in her lifetime. She was a State Alchemist, a war veteran, a colonel, the list went on and on. Mustang himself couldn't have been prouder of his sister, and he made a point of telling her so whenever he had the opportunity.
Though he wouldn't admit this aloud to anyone, he hadn't had very high hopes for Amy when they were younger. After their parents had died, Amy had taken an involuntary vow of silence. She had been so devastated and heartbroken at her tender, young age that she had cut herself off from everyone, refusing to speak to anyone. That is, refusing to speak to anyone but her big brother. She had clung to him like a life raft, and as a result, he became very protective of her.
However, as they grew older, Amy became more independent and outgoing. They moved into Central and made different friends, new acquaintances, and after they joined the State Alchemists, she was like a pillar of emotional strength, especially after returning from the war in Ishbal. That hadn't been easy on anyone, but Amy had been the youngest among them, and a relationship she had been holding during the war was torn apart as a result.
While the war was raging on, Amy had been captured by some Ishbalan extremists and tortured for six months. The only kind person she had met while she was there was (ironically) the man who later became the State's greatest enemy: Scar. He had even been the one to rescue her in the end and help her get back to the military encampment outside the city. While Amy had felt that she had never been able to thank him enough and would never forget him and his kindness, Mustang thought that those little acts of gentility could hardly make up for all the State Alchemists he slaughtered later.
Unfortunately for him, Amy and Scar had become good friends during the time that she was with the Ishbalan extremists. They were almost like each other's confidantes, and that close relationship even endured throughout the years. He would write letters to her whenever he could, and she would write back, hoping that the letter would reach him wherever he happened to be. It wasn't until he started killing State Alchemists that she questioned his character.
In the end, she had decided that he was still the man who had befriended her when she was the most scared she had ever been, and even though she didn't stand beside his decision to kill so many soldiers, she still remained close to him. It had been extremely hard for her to endure the terrible truth about how he had died in Liore just weeks earlier, but she was slowly coming to accept it.
The two smiled as Roy said, "Hey, kid. Come in and have a seat anywhere. You haven't been to see me in a few days; I was beginning to worry."
"Sure," she said sarcastically as she sat down on the side of his bed opposite Riza. "I'm sure you were so worried about poor, defenseless baby sister. Roy, who are you talking to here? I have one of the best records in military history. Besides, if something had happened to me, you would have been the first one to know."
He continued to smile as he put a hand over hers and said, "So what's new in Central? Besides, of course, the new rule, the new laws, the new division of powers. What has been happening with you? Have they given you a new assignment?"
She nodded slowly and said, "They have, but I'm not sure you're going to like it."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll continue to support you. What do they have you doing next?"
Amy breathed deeply and replied, "I'm going to go help out the Ishbalans while they rebuild their city. They've even agreed to let me use alchemy to make the process go a bit faster. I'll be leaving in two days, and Havoc is coming with me."
Mustang was floored. He wasn't sure what to say at first, but he quickly regained his bearings and said, "That's great, Amy. You always said you wanted to do something to help the Ishbalans with their situation, and now you have a chance to do it." He paused for a moment and then said a bit more slowly, "How long will you be gone?"
A small silence followed until she said, "At least a couple of years. They're going to need every bit of help that I can give them, and that is exactly what I plan to do."
Again he was quiet for a long moment until he perked up to his normal self and said, "That's great, Amy. I'm proud of you for doing this. It's a great opportunity to help them out. So, how did you convince Havoc to come with you?"
She laughed and said, "Well, Parliament said that I could only go if I took at least one subordinate with me, and I figured that since Hawkeye has to stay here and baby you, Havoc was the lesser of five evils. He passionately refused at first until I reminded him that there will be plenty of nice-looking young ladies there who have never even set eyes upon you, so he might have a fair shot at them. Sure enough, that did the trick."
Mustang laughed saying, "That sounds just like him. I'm glad to see that recent events don't seem to have changed anyone very much." He then put a hand on Amy's cheek and said, "I just want you to promise me that you'll be careful while you're out there, Amy. It's going to be dangerous, and I want you back here alive. Don't work yourself so hard that you collapse and die of heat stroke, because I know you'll just keep working until someone tells you to stop."
Amy held up a hand to make him stop, and she smiled as she said, "That's part of the reason that Havoc is coming with me. Besides, I wouldn't go and die on you, Roy. I think you know me better than that." She then glanced at her watch and said, "Oh, no! I have to get going! I have a meeting with Parliament again in ten minutes to finalize my plans."
"Will you come back to see me again before you go?" he asked.
"Of course I will," she replied. "I'll come to see you the night before we go." She then kissed him on the cheek and said, "I love you, Roy."
He nodded and called after her, "Love you too, Amy!" After she was gone, he let out a deep breath and leaned his head back against the wall. "I can't believe it, Hawkeye. She's always been my little sister, the baby girl I had to protect and look after. And now she's leading her own life, a life in which she really doesn't need me to protect her anymore. It's almost…disappointing."
Hawkeye smiled at her commanding officer as she replied, "Sir, I think Amy has proven more than enough times that she is fully capable of taking care of herself. After all, she's been through rigorous training, wars, heartache. She's even been promoted to Colonel now. You shouldn't worry about her so much. Right now, worry about yourself until you get better, and eat this fruit!"