Heir to the Flame

Chapter 10

"Violet, what... what are you doing?" Roy took a step forward and Violet's blue eyes widened, and a smile lit her face. "No no no, not another step Roy." Havoc slowed to a stop behind Roy. Roy clenched his teeth as Riza moaned and stirred and Violet's grip on the gun tightened. "Violet, please stop! Don't... don't hurt her!" Roy didn't want to risk taking another step and stayed perfectly still. Riza shook her head slowly, then cried out in pain and held her left leg while at the same time trying to hold her right arm, both bleeding freely. She looked up and her frightened amber eyes locked onto Roy's. Roy's stomach twisted itself into knots and his mind exploded on the spot.

He threw himself forward towards her, unable to contain himself any longer and look into her eyes to see the pleading look in them. Havoc opened his mouth to yell and three shots rang out, each burying itself into Roy's back. He cried out in pain and fell in front of Riza and she dragged herself forward to reach him. She reached him slowly and painfully and wrapped her arms tightly around him, feeling his back and wincing as he cried out and stifled his grunt of pain.

Havoc took action immediately and whipped out hisgun, pointing it at Violet's head, and she did the same to him. She smiled again, flicking her head slightly to remove long brown strands from her eyes. "Be careful military man; one shot is all you'll get on me. I don't miss." Havoc gritted his teeth and stood his ground, his arm unwavering. "There's only one of us here that never misses," he said, his blue eyes never moving from hers. "There's only one of us here who's eyes are like a hawk's!" He threw himself to the side and hurled his gun across the floor to Riza's outstretched hand. She caught it and raised it, squinting one eye just as Roy turned to hold up the one hand whose glove was not stained in blood. He was supporting her with one arm, she supported him with her own arm as they both took aim at their tormentor. Riza noticed that Roy's hand was trembling terribly and blood mixed sweat coursed down his fatigued face; he didn't have enough energy to torch anyone. She removed the arm that supported him quickly, and, still watching Violet, she pulled the trigger as Roy fell against her, causing her to wobble.

Two shots cracked in the warehouse and the lights went dark. She felt a hand grab her in the dark and cried out before realizing it was Roy; Roy who was in no condition to drag himself out. She found his face and trailed her fingers down his body until she found his waist and sufficient strength to pull him up. Havoc had found them as well and supported Roy with one arm. Finding out that that wouldn't work, he lifted his superior onto his shoulder and hauled Riza up by the waist without waiting for her to stand.He bolted through the warehouse door and put them both into the back seat of Roy's car with difficulty, then hopped into the driver's seat and drove as fast as he could back to Eastern command.

Roy was definitely in worse shape than Riza, who had sustained only two wounds, one in the arm and one in the leg. With her good arm, she stroked Roy's hair gently. He had been laid rather haphazardly on his stomach, thinking it better not to be laid on his wounded back. His head rested on her lap and he looked up at her as best he could. She smiled at him tiredly. "How are you doing?" she asked, continuing to stroke him. He smirked at her, his eyes showing almost too well that he was in pain. "I'm alright I guess." He coughed painfully and looked out the window, assessing that Havoc was heading back to the hospital.

"Havoc," he croaked. "Head back to Central Command." Havoc shot hima look. "What are you talking about? Have you seen the state that you're in Mustang? You wouldn't last the ride there!" Roy shook harder as he coughed and Riza held him tighter. "Havoc, just take him!" Havoc blew some stray hair out of his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Alright, if that's what you want."

Roy closed his eyes slowly and listened to Riza talking to him, her words just flowing over him.

"Roy." Her voice was a bit more forceful.

"Hmm?" Was his reply, now too tired to open his eyes all that much.

"I know what to name the baby now... if it's a boy."

"Mmm."

"I want... I want to name him after you."

His eyes opened a crack. "Me?"

She nodded.

"Roy Junior?" he queried. She stroked his hair and nodded again. "Heheh... Roy Junior... Roy... Junior..." he closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep, a smile on his face. He dreamed of a little baby boy running around his mansion, a baby boy that he and Riza could raise, who he could teach to be the next Flame Alchemist, a boy he could play with, teach to be a man he guessed. And maybe after that, they would have a little girl, a beautiful little girl who looked just like her mother. He'd play with them every day after work, kiss their mother and tell them all that he'd done as Fuhrer of thecountry... he wanted to be a father they could be proud of. He already was... wasn't he? Perhaps...

He wasn't proud of certain times in his life, but there were many to be proud of; and he wasn't talking about his 'playboy' days. Well, there was the fact that he'd gotten into the military at age thirteen, just a year before his father died. He'd had a good childhood, it wasn't perfect; hiding his mother under secret holes in the floor was not the most fun thing to do, sure, but they had been there for him, they had been great parents. He hoped he could live up to the responsibility.

Havoc turned in the seat. "Mustang! Don't die on me yet, man, we're at Central!"

"Get... Mother..."

"Eh?"

"Durandal... General Durandal."

Havoc got out of the car and told them he'd be back as fast as he could. A few minutes later, Ilia raced out of the building bundled up in a coat and groaned inwardly when she saw the state of them. She shook her head and pressed her hands against his chest, and Havoc looked at her in confusion. What could this woman possibly do?

Light flowed from her hands and minute cuts opened themselves all over her arms till she was crisscrossed with them. Roy gasped quickly as Ilia pulled away and held her arms, then winced and crashed back down. "Aaagh! I thought you'd perfected healing by now!"

Ilia gave him a motherly patient look. "I didn't heal you perfectly because you need to feel some pain.It's good for you; maybe you won't do something so dangerous again." He grunted and sat up stiffly, the bullet holes in his back removed. He touched his mother's arms and she winced. "Sorry Mom..." She shook her head slowly. "What are mothers for except to take care of their children? And their children's lovers..." she healed Riza as well and more tiny cuts opened on her body.

"How did you do that?" Riza asked.

"Well you see... when I just started my career in the military... I was the Healing Alchemist."

Roy grinned and laid back in the car. "One more favor, Mom. Think you could drive us home?"