Caricature of Intimacy
by Midori Bond

Chapter 3- Cracking the Whip

Rose focused on what she was doing. The morning hadn't started completely. There were still a number of officers down in the mess hall, and that suited her just fine. She really didn't want to deal with any of them at the moment. She was nervous enough.

A frowned crossed her face as she looked at the file she was holding. It was missing Fuery's signature. She sat it to the side and looked over the next one. Her frown deepened. This one was missing Havoc's signature. She reached for a third file. This time, her frown became a full blown scowl. Breda.

"You have to be joking," Rose sighed as she looked through all of the files. Almost all of them were missing something. She looked at the door to the office and saw Riza carrying two bags. "Did you know that all of these are missing something?" she asked in horrified amazement.

Hawkeye shrugged as she held out a bag. "Bagel?" she offered. As Rose shook her head, she sighed. "I told you they could be lazy," she said leaning against the desk. "I haven't been able to get on them all the way I would like to."

Rose started to divide the files into piles. "What do you suggest that I do? Telling them that they did it wrong isn't going to make them correct it."

"What did you do with your students?"

"Lt. Colonel, we're talking about grown men."

Hawkeye chuckled as she placed the other bag on the desk. "You would be surprised," she said as Breda and Havoc walked into the office followed by Fuery and Falman. "Men," she started in a commanding tone. When they snapped to attention, she gestured to Rose. "Miss Skylar has been kind enough to accept the position as secretary with us. Let's make her feel welcomed, and she has my full permission to do whatever it takes to get you all to cooperated. Understand?"

"Yes sir!" the men all said in unison.

Riza looked at Rose and winked at her. "Remember the whip," she whispered before going into her office.

Rose took a breath as she looked at the men around her. She wasn't going to let them frighten her. She wasn't a scared little mouse. As they all settled in at their desks, Rose finished separating the files. Without a word, she started to hand them out.

Havoc frowned as he looked at the files he was given. "I already did these," he said going to hand them back.

"These are each missing various signatures. Before they can be filed or sent away, they need to be completed." She moved away from Havoc and gave Breda his files.

"You mean you want us to do these, as well as whatever else is handed to us today?" Havoc said with a frown.

Rose passed Falman. His files were the only ones that were complete. "That sounds right," she said with a smile. This really was like being in front of her class again. "But just remember, if you would have done it right the first time, you wouldn't have to worry about doing it over."

Before Havoc could voice another objection, the door opened again to reveal Roy. A dark eye looked around the office and settled on the young woman wearing a blue sun-dress with a white sweater over it. "Miss Skylar," he acknowledged. As he went to the door to his personal office, he noticed the pile of files on her desk. "I hope you find everything to your liking."

Her lips thinned as she turned to the files. "Everything will be just fine Major," she started. She picked up the files and walked over to him. "All of these need your signature in order for me to send them to be processed." She ignored the way his eye widened and went back to her desk. Already, Breda was placing his files on her desk again. She smiled as she looked them over. They were completed the way they needed to be.

"They are fine the way they are," Roy argued moving around her to put the files on her desk. "The Furher knows what my reports and paperwork are like." He turned to the frowning woman, his usual smirk in place. "Besides, I told Armstrong that I would help with his troops." His smirk quickly fell into a frown as Rose closed her eyes and touched her bracelet. Before he could ask what she was doing, his hands were suddenly dripping wet. "What the hell..."

Rose smiled as she looked at her handiwork. "Oops, your gloves are soaked," she said without an ounce of remorse. "Flame alchemy is pretty useless when the array's wet."

Mustang examined his hands stunned. "Aquatic alchemy?" he asked looking at her. He pulled off his gloves and walked over to her. "We knew you were studying alchemy, but none of us knew if you learned anything useful."

She shrugged before going to to the pile again. "I did." She picked up the files and gave them back. "Now you finish your work like a good little Major, and I'll dry your gloves for you."

Everyone in the office stared at the pair. No one expected Rose to stand up to Mustang, and Mustang never listened to anyone but Hawkeye.

"You were the one that wet them, you should be the one to dry them," Mustang said reasonably.

"If your work was done properly, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's equivalent exchange. You want to go play, you have to work." She looked into his eye for a long moment. She couldn't back down from him. It was like when she was teaching. If you take down the leader, then everyone else would fall in line.

Wearing a deep frown, Roy snatched his files back. "This isn't your classroom," he said before walking to his office.

His hands were shaking as he looked at the materials in front of him. Large blue eyes looked at the shadowed figure standing quietly by, watching his every move. "And this will work?" he asked nervously.

"Yes," a soft voice whispered. "You have all of the ingredients. I've gone over the research myself. There shouldn't be any problems."

The teenager swallowed as he turned his attention back to the transmutation circle in front of him. "Okay," he said rubbing his hands on his pants. He had never tried anything this big before. Especially not by himself. He took a shaky breath as he picked up a pocket knife and cut into his palm. "This should work as an anchor," he said as blood spilled on to the floor. "A spark of life begins with blood. He and I share it, so this should call him back."

The large figure stood by, cradling his precious doll to his chest. He knew how this was going to play out. This boy would lose more than just a little bit of blood. It would actually be a miracle if he survived this. Alchemic energy soon lit up the room. A smile could be seen on the teen's face. He searched for the past two months to find everything he could on human transmutation, and that was when they stumbled upon each other.

A scream echoed in the room. The teenager's body started to convulse, falling away from the circle. Sapphire colored eyes that were once so full of life and happiness were now staring vacant at the pile of flesh and muscle that he attempted to transmute.

For the first time, the figure in the corner moved. "Very good Fletcher," he whispered as he stepped over the boy's body. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two small pebbles. His eyes looked over the mass that was trying so valiantly to breath, and smiled. "Very good in deed." He found the outline of a face. Two glowing red eyes, the cavity for a nose, and spiked teeth that could almost be considered fangs. "Do you want to live?" he asked the mass, knowing that there was a conscious mind in there.

A low hiss escaped it. "...yes..."

He fed the two small stones to it. This was how they were created. Three were already in their ranks. But they needed this one. The one that knew how to make the stones not only to strengthen them, but to also fish out those that can actually created a Philosopher's Stone. "Now, what to call you," he whispered as the mass started to shift and contort. "Pride, Lust and Wrath have been taken." His eyes traveled to the prone figure of Fletcher Tringham and felt his lips thin. "I know. We'll call you Envy. Is that alright?"

"...tcher..."

"We will talk about Fletcher when you're stronger Envy."

"...etcher..."

A slow breath left the mutated chimera. "It appears that the cost for young Fletcher to bring you back, was his soul."

"...brother..."

"I know he was your brother. But you have to become stronger. We may be able to find a way to bring his soul back, if you help us." He was suddenly reminded of another blonde that would do anything for his younger brother. Yes, this new Envy was just like Edward.

"...name... yours..."

"Oh, how silly of me. I forgot all about that. My name is Shou Tucker." He then gestured to the lifeless body in his arms. "And this is my daughter, Nina."

Rose rubbed her eyes as she closed the drawer to the file cabinet. She knew it was late, but for she didn't want to go home. Her head lowered as she leaned against the metal tower. She didn't realize that she was starting to think of that little room with so much of the Elric brother's belongings as home. It made her heart ache.

"Miss Skylar?" Mustang asked from his office door.

She jumped at the sound of his voice. Automatically, her hands came up and wiped at her eyes. She knew there were traces of tears in her eyes, but she didn't want him to know that she was about to cry. "Major Mustang. I didn't realize you were still here."

He watched her for a moment. He knew that she was trying to keep her composure, and he would allow her all of the time she needed. "I was just about to leave." He held up the last of the paperwork that he had to go over today. "I wanted to finish this."

She nodded as he approached her. "I'll get it filed in just a minute."

"You don't have to bury yourself in your work," he said placing the files on her desk.

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Why are you still here?" Mustang challenged.

Rose opened her mouth to answer, only to pause when no sound came out. She closed her mouth in a tight line and frowned as she turned away from him. "I wanted to finish all of this," she said lamely.

His eyebrow arched as he leaned his hip on her desk. "You're a secretary for a large military office. You'll never be finished with the filing." He saw the way she moved away from him and folded his arms over his chest. "And there is still the matter of my gloves."

She couldn't look at him. "Put them on the desk, and I'll dry them," she said quietly.

He did as she asked. He placed his gloves on her desk and moved away from it. There was something that was making her nervous, and he wanted to know what that could possibly be. "How was your first day Miss Skylar?" he asked.

"It was fine," she said automatically. "General Hakkai came in to see the Colonel. He said something about the Fuhrer awarding you a promotion in a few more days."

Roy watched her as she held her hands over the gloves. With a small flash of light, he saw that his gloves were completely dry. "Did Hakkai say anything to you?" he asked tilting his head to the side.

She looked at him and brushed bright pink bangs out of her eyes. "I can take care of myself, Major. Thank you."

"I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't." He picked up his gloves and inspected them. "You seem to have a gift with Aquatic Alchemy. Can you dry anything this quickly?"

"All I did was adjust the amount of moisture in the fabric." She looked at him and swallowed as their eyes locked. "It's pretty easy to manipulate, once you get the hang of it." She was trying to avoid the topic of her day. There were too many men in military uniform here. She didn't know who she could trust, who she couldn't.

Roy opened the blue coat to his uniform. "Have you eaten?" he asked suddenly.

Her eyes started to widen as she slowly shook her head. She swallowed as he removed the coat. "No, I was thinking about grabbing something before I went home," she said softly.

He nodded and held out his hand. "Come to dinner with me, and then I'll walk you to the dorms," he requested in a polite tone.

She looked at him with wide eyes. Before she could answer, a tall man with short black hair walked into the office and looked at the pair. "Mustang," he acknowledged. His green eyes then turned to the trembling young woman he had been looking for. "Miss Skylar, I wanted to see you for a moment."

She folded her hands in front of her and swallowed. She couldn't let this man see her trembling like this. There was something in his eyes. A hungry expression that she hadn't seen in a man's eyes in almost four years. "What can I do for you General Hakkai?" she asked in a whisper.

He smiled. Rose had to admit, he could be handsome, but she couldn't shake the fear that was clawing up her throat. The emotion that was clear on her face, which the general was choosing to ignore. "I was thinking you and I could have dinner together," he stated.

Roy's lips pressed into a line. Rose's terror was almost tangleable. He stepped between the pair. "Actually, Miss Skylar and I already have plans," he said gently taking one of her hands into his own. He saw the way Hakkai's smile fell, and placed his free hand on the small of Rose's back. "We should get going Sweetheart," he tenderly. "Good evening General," Roy said as he felt Rose trembling under his attentions.

With practiced ease, he guided Rose out of the office. She was too quiet, and she was also beginning to make Roy nervous. He leaned over to her ear and whispered words of comfort into her ear, hoping that he would be able to break through the shell she was starting to encase herself in. "You're fine Rose. He wasn't going to come after you. Not with me there."

Her eyes closed as she leaned against him. "You aren't my knight in shining armor," she said before looking at him.

He couldn't help but smile. "I always think of Alphonse when I hear that," he said as they reached the streets. He felt encouraged when he saw a tentative smile on her lips. "I can walk you home if you would like," he offered.

She held onto his hand as they continued to walk down the sidewalk. "Can we grab some take out?" she asked.

Roy nodded. There was something about this woman. She reminded him of Edward. There were times when she was strong, but there were also times, like now, when he just wanted to hold her close and protect her. "You can have anything you want," he said softly.

She didn't want him to know that she was scared of him. There was something about him that made her want to run from, as well as to him. She slowly inhaled as they continued down the street. She knew he wanted answers, but she also knew that he wouldn't push for them. "I remember Hakkai," she said quietly. Rose frowned as she felt his stare on her. "Back during the uprising in Lior." She slid her hand out of his grasp and wrapped her arms around herself. "He was there."

Roy's jaw tightened. "Was he the one?" he asked lowly.

Rose shook her head. "No," she said quietly. A chilled breeze blew past them, making her shiver. Her eyes then widened when she felt his arms around her. "Major?" she questioned as he stepped away from her.

His eye took in her slim form. "It's only a jacket," he informed her. He adjusted the heavy blue coat on her shoulders. When a soft, pretty blush came to her cheeks, he knew he did the right thing. "Where would you like to eat?" he asked.

Rose looked around and chewed on her bottom lip. She had only moved to Central a month before the attack, and she really didn't know where anything was. "I don't know," she confessed. "Riza and Maria usually take me to the mess, or Alex would bring me something Emma made."

The thought of the newly married Emma Armstrong brought a smirk to Roy's face. "I really haven't had a chance to ask him about his life now," Roy said thoughtfully.

She looked at him. "Alex always spoke highly of you," she said as they turned down a corner. "I was shocked when he told me that you haven't even met Emma."

Roy lowered his head slightly. "I respect him," he whispered, as if he were confessing. "I would like to think of him as a friend, but I don't know if I'm ready to risk having another one."

"Why?" she asked in the same tone.

"Maes Hughes," Roy answered. "He was my best friend."

Rose nodded as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Ed said you were really close," she told him. When he looked at her, she pulled the jacket tighter around her shoulders.

"He did?"

"In his journal." She felt another blush cross her face when he placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Is this it?" she asked looking at the restaurant in front of her.

Roy nodded as he lead her inside. He stopped when he saw a familiar mop of blonde hair bouncing around a small bush. "Elicia?" he questioned as he stepped into her path. As he caught her, he smiled tenderly. "Hello Elicia," he mused.

Large eyes looked up at him. "Hi Uncle Roy," she said happily. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her mother following her. "Mama, Mason and me were just getting something to eat."

The tender expression on Roy's face faded. "Mason?" he questioned.

Elicia nodded. "Yeah. He's Mama's new boyfriend."

Gracia sighed as she heard her daughter's statement. She had meant to tell Roy about Mason in her own time. She painted a smile on her face as she looked at her late-husband's best friend. "Good evening Roy," she said quietly.

"Gracia," Roy acknowledged. "Elicia was just telling me about Mason."

She folded her arms over her midsection. She didn't have to answer to him, but for some reason, she felt like she needed to. "You may as well come and meet him."

Roy looked at Rose and gently took her hand. "I would love to, but Rose and I were only going to grab something quick to eat."

Rose shook her head. "It's alright," she said softly. When he looked at her, she smiled. "This is your best friend's family. You have to make sure you protect them."

Without thinking, his thumb reached up and caressed her cheek. "You're an angel," he whispered as Elicia grabbed his free hand.

Rose lowered her eyes to the ground as Roy was dragged into the restaurant She didn't know why she was so comfortable around him. It must have something to do with their admiration of Ed. A faint smile came to her face as she thought about the blonde. He would love to see Roy Mustang, the man he named thirteen kinds of bastard, being lead around by a little girl. She hugged the coat around her shoulders tighter before following the pair to a table.

Gracia smiled as her date stood. He was tall, with a medium build. His short red hair was brushed back neatly, but what seemed to catch everyone's attention were his eyes. They didn't match. One was soft brown, almost amber, and the other was pure black. He extended a hand to the man Elicia was dragging with her. "Hello, you must be Roy Mustang," he said with an easygoing voice.

Roy looked at him for a moment before shaking his hand. "Yes, and you are?"

"This is Mason Hodges. He's the owner of the new jewelry shop that just opened up a few blocks from the house," Gracia said quickly. She knew that Roy wasn't going to like this man. She knew that he would do everything in his power to keep them apart, but damn it, she mourned Maes long enough.

"Jewelry," Roy echoed with a slow nod. Something about this man seemed off, and he couldn't place what it was. "It must take a lot of patience to deal with making fine gold chains, watches and the like."

Mason's smile didn't falter. He expected Mustang to hate him. "It is a lot of work," he confirmed. He then wrapped his arm around Gracia's waist, delighting in the way she blushed. "But then again, anything worth having is."

Roy didn't like him. His tone and mannerisms were all too familiar, and he couldn't place his finger on how. He gave Elicia's hand a gentle squeeze and knelt down to her height. "Listen, Sweetheart, I promised Miss Skylar that I would get her something to eat."

"So you have to go?" Elicia asked softly.

"Yeah, I have to go. But I can make it up to you this weekend if it's alright with your mom." Roy brushed a lock of her hair out of her face. "The carnival's supposed to be coming back. I would love to take the prettiest girl in Central."

Elicia smiled brightly as she looked at her mother. "Can I Mama?" she asked happily.

Gracia smiled as she nodded. She couldn't take Elicia away from Roy. She was the last piece of her husband any of them had left. "As long as I get pictures."

The six year old giggled. "Okay Uncle Roy, it's a date."

Roy kissed her forehead and stood straight. "Gracia, Mr. Hodges, it was nice meeting you," he said bowing his head slightly.

"You too, Major Mustang," Mason said as the officer started to walk off.

Roy's eye narrowed as he approached Rose. It was official, he hated him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and lead her over to the counter. "In the morning, I want you to stop me from doing something really stupid," he said as they looked over the menu the cashier handed them.

"What's that?"

"Stop me from running a background check on him."

Rose couldn't help the smile on her face. When his eye turned to her, she cleared her throat and focused on the words in front of her. "I'll try," she said clearly trying to hide a laugh.

TBC...