Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Okay doke, seems like I need to clear up just a few things ;)
Roy's actual age is 29, though he feels like he's 39 because of all the years that were taken off due to the transmutation. He aged really really really well, so he doesn't really look older, he's only got a few slight wrinkles around his eyes and his hair is barely BARELY turning gray (but he took care of that by dying it…he's so vain lol )
Riza had backed up paperwork because even though she was dead her job still had to be done. Havoc was trying to pick up the slack, but because they were still a member short on the squad, he was doing 1st and 2nd lieutenant work and being the lazy slacker he is couldn't get both jobs done, so naturally when she came back she had plenty of work to catch up on.
Hope that clears up any questions, oh and just to warn you, I'm probably about to piss every one of my readers off. Sorry, but its how it has to be. What can I say, I like the bittersweetness…that, and I'm a bitch.
BTW, this is still the same day she came back.
Chapter 28 – A Clean Slate"Colonel? Can I see you in my office for a moment?" General Grumman asked, pulling Mustang away from his lunch with Havoc and Riza.
"Of course." Mustang said, getting up and following the General to his office.
Once inside the General's office he asked Roy to sit down. The general pulled a familiar old chess set out of his desk, "Lets play a game, one last time." He said as he set the pieces up.
The two comrades had been playing since the first week Roy had been transferred to the eastern headquarters. When Mustang had found out that the General enjoyed chess he knew it was in his best interests to try and get in good with him. After all, the general had been his best chance to get out of this sand trap.
"One last time? Are you suggesting something Sir?" Mustang asked, barely daring to hope it was a promotion.
The General smiled, "There has been an order for a transfer. You'll be working in Central next week."
"Check." Roy replied smiling a bit at the news.
"It'll be lonely here, you've been quite interesting." The general continued, moving another pawn.
"Gotcha there General." Mustang replied moving his queen in.
"Oh! So you have!" he replied, sweating a little. Mustang had gotten much better at the game since last they played…or it could be that the General was a bit distracted. He knew that if Mustang left, Riza would leave. She would follow him anywhere, anyone could see that, and now after all that had happened, the General could see why. "Thanks to your hard work, you've made my job easier"
"I too was able to learn quite a lot from the work you gave me here, I really appreciate it General."
"I heard that Brigadier General Halcrow will be replacing you." The General mentioned as he moved his king back a space. "I don't like him. He's too stern"
"I wish you luck." Mustang said as he moved his knight into position. "Checkmate."
"Ah!" the General exclaimed, "I finally lost!"
Mustang chuckled a bit, "I finally beat you."
The General checked a small black book they kept the score in, "Mustang's record of 1 win, 47 losses and 15 draws." The general smiled at the dark haired youth, "This one's special."
The Colonel smiled back at the elderly gentleman, "I'll gladly take that win." The two men started packing up the board.
"Talking about special…" the General began, "would you take my granddaughter as your wife? She'll become a future president's wife."
The comment caught Mustang off guard. What the General was asking was more than just 'keep an eye out for her' he was asking him to spent the rest of his life with her…and with his permission! What do you say to something like that? He cared for Hawkeye…but did he love her? Sweat formed a little on Mustang's brow and he cracked a nervous smirk. "Don't think too much ahead General."
The General seemed to only be slightly let down. Mustang hadn't actually said 'no', so there was still hope.
"Well…talking about special," Mustang started, "I have some subordinates to take with me to Central."
"Yep, it's okay. Take them," Grumman replied, "Though I have to say I'll miss my granddaughter." He presented the chess board to Mustang, "Consider it a gift. You've given me more than I can ever repay you for."
Roy couldn't help but smile.
--
The clock struck midnight and Riza counted the chimes of the clock. She'd been awake all night and she still wasn't tired. So much had happened in just the past few days, it was a lot to take in. Silently she sat at her window seat polishing her guns. It was mindless work, but it kept her busy. It was something to do in the late hours. Rain tapped her window and she gazed out through the droplets at the moon. Riza sighed slightly, the moon always made her think of her father.
"But why do you have to go! It's Christmas!" 7 year old Riza pleaded. "You promised you wouldn't leave this time."
"I'm sorry baby girl. I have to. Daddy's work is important." Her father tried to explain.
Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes, "But I'll miss you."
The tears sliding down his daughter's face ripped at Axel's heart strings. He hated leaving his family, especially on Christmas. He tore his eyes from his little girl's face, trying to think of something—anything to tell her to make her believe that it'd be all right. His eyes caught sight of the moon just outside their window and he had an idea. Smiling he picked up the little girl and put her on his hip and took her to the window. "Do you see the moon Riza?"
The little girl nodded sadly and wiped one of her eyes.
"No matter how far away I am, I'll always be under the same moon you are. So when you look up at the moon, you can think of me and I'll think of you. It'll be like being together again because I'll never be so far away that I can't see the moon."
Little Riza sniffed a few times, her tears beginning to subside.
"Can you do that for me? Can you look at the moon and think of me when I'm gone?" her father asked.
She nodded and gave him a wet smile. The two hugged and he left for another business trip.
Looking up at the moon was an old habit that was hard to break, but it comforted her somehow. Staring up at the stark white sphere she wondered what Mustang was doing…she wondered if he was looking up at the same moon, thinking of her. She pushed the thought away. No need to indulge in those sorts of dreams.
There was a sharp knock on the door. 'Who would be knocking on my door at midnight?' she thought as she got up to answer it. She glanced through the peephole and what she saw made her eyes widen. She jerked the door open, "Colonel? What are you doing here?"
"Can I come inside?" he asked, shaking a little rain from his hat.
"Of course, come in." she replied stepping aside. He walked in dripping water all over her carpet. "What is it?" she asked again, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm being transferred to Central at the end of the week." He informed her. "Are you still planning on following me?"
She cracked a slight smile at him, "Your asking me this now?"
He couldn't help but throw a sad smirk back at her.
"This just means I won't have to unpack my things." She added gesturing toward the dozens of boxes that Mustang had packed up while she'd been "gone".
He sighed and sat down on her couch. She could easily see that something wasn't right. "Why did you really come here? It wasn't just to tell me about the transfer. You could have told me that tomorrow at the office."
He sighed again, "You're right…you're always right. How is it that you know exactly what's going on in my head when half the time I don't know what I'm thinking?"
"You didn't answer my question Colonel."
He smiled slightly at her, "I guess I was lonely." Hawkeye's face was blank, but inside she couldn't help but feel touched. He actually missed her. "This past week you've been there all the time and it was…nice." Riza could feel something big was coming…she could tell that Mustang had been thinking about whatever it was for a while and she could just sense it…it was big.
"I talked to your grandfather today…" he started. "He made me really start to think."
"Think about what?" she asked, a little annoyed that she had to drag this out of him.
"To-to think about what exactly our relationship is." He mumbled.
That was all it took, she knew what he was thinking, what he really wanted to say to her. He was conflicted, it was written all over his face. She could see it in his eyes, he cared for her, in a way he'd never cared about anyone before. He just wasn't sure if he actually loved her, or if this was some sort of precursor to actual love. "You don't have to say it." She replied to him
He looked up at her with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen, "But I want to."
"You want to tell me, because I told you…but you're not really sure if its real, or if it's just because of all that's happened in the past week."
He nodded. She always knew just what was going on in his head. She was amazing.
"It's really all right. You don't have to say anything. In fact, I'd rather you wait until you were really sure…then I could be sure that you were saying it because you really meant it, not because you felt guilty because I told you how I felt and you didn't feel the same way. Besides, I've got the time. I'm not going to leave you." She explained.
A grateful smile crept across his handsome features. "Thank you. For understanding."
She smiled back at him, "That's what people do when they really love someone, they try their best to understand them…to do what's best for them." A little part of her couldn't help but think back to what had happened with Eli, he'd tried so hard to do what he thought was right. He'd really loved her, even if he'd gone about it the wrong way. She finally realized what he'd been going through. Riza couldn't help but be glad that Roy hadn't actually told her that he loved her…it was best to wait; then she'd really know, without a doubt that he really did love her, when or if he finally told her.
He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Thank you." He said again. "For everything."
"What are you thanking me for? You risked your life to bring me back from the dead, I didn't do anything." She replied her face flushing from the feel of his lips.
"You've done a thousand things for me. All those times you were willing to jump in front of bullets for me, for all the times you brought me coffee in the morning. For all those little things you do and for every time you've saved me. When you died, I realized that I'd never told you thank you."
She smiled at him, "Better late than never." His little speech made her remember his conversation with Havoc in the bar the day she'd died. He hadn't been able to see her then, but she'd been listening. He'd said that he'd never got a chance to thank her, to tell her that she'd been the only woman he'd ever respected. She smiled at the thought. It was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said about her.
"I suppose I should go." He replied as he got up and made his way toward the door. Just as he was about to step outside he turned to her and said, "I have to admit though…my bed is going to feel very empty with out you floating next to me."
Riza blushed slightly, "You were awake when I did that?"
"I'm a lighter sleeper than I look. And lets just say that maybe I wasn't as forgetful about where I was sleeping as I lead you to believe. I'll see you tomorrow." He answered with a smile as he donned his hat. Slowly he turned and disappeared into the drizzling night.
--
"Ed!" Izumi shouted from the kitchen of her little house in the south, "You've got a letter from Central."
"Oh?" he remarked as he stumbled sleepily into the room and taking the envelope from his master. "I hope it's not another notice for my State Alchemist's license again, I'd hate to have to go all the way back to Central just to get someone to stamp the stupid thing and say 'good job, see you next year.'" The blonde haired boy eyed the envelope. The return address just said "Central". He ran his finger under the flap and pulled the letter from its wrapper. The message was short and to the point.
Ed,
We owe you one.
R.M. & R.H.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Al asked reading over his brother's shoulder.
Ed smiled at Mustang's familiar handwriting. "Nothing Al. I just helped someone get a clean slate."
The conversation with the General was taken directly from the manga (and yes, the general did ask Mustang to marry Hawkeye.) so please don't kill me.
I STILL HAVE TO WRITE THE EPILOGUE! This isn't done yet.
Sorry this took so long to write. It was a really complicated chapter and I had to rewrite it at least 3 times.