Author: RealityBreakGirl/aquietlearningcorner
Word Count: 10235
Rating: T
Prompt: FMA Big Bang 2021
Warnings: Child abuse/neglect
Characters: Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, Jean Havoc, Heymans Breda, Vato Falman, Kain Fuery, Black Hayate
Pairing: Royai
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Family
Chapter: 1 of7
Summary: Tasked by Fuhrer Grumman to investigate a suspected alchemic incident, General Mustang's team finds themselves stranded in Hawkeye's hometown. Needing a place to stay, they find themselves taking shelter in her childhood home. However, her past can't stay buried there, and as revelations come to light, they also bring embers of danger with them. Sequel to Embers in a Wounded Heart
Chapter 1
Rain, Jean Havoc decided, was like pretty much everything else in life. It was fine once in a while, but too much of it was a problem. There had definitely been too much rain lately. He sat in the office, a cigarette in his mouth as he looked out the windows at the ever-present downpour. The view of the city was still rain-obscured, and there was no extra light coming in from the windows, unless you counted the flashes of lightning that happened every so often. Havoc didn't, and he didn't think anyone else did either.
Not that they had talked about it. The weather being this miserable had left almost everyone with a pent-up energy and short tempers. They all knew it and tried not to snap at each other, but it was hard to be either cooped up all day, or out in the rain all day. Even Hayate was getting restless.
Speaking of, the little pooch was currently sitting in Fuery's lap, although he had long ago gotten too big for that sort of thing, and Hawkeye had—mostly—trained him out of it. The storms seemed to have left the typically happy dog subdued, wanting to be close to people, and Havoc wondered if it had to do with how he had been left out in a storm before Fuery had found him. It would make sense. It would also explain why he looked calmer with Fuery, as Fuery was the one who had rescued him.
But the presence of the dog also seemed to be helping Fuery too. It hadn't escaped Havoc's notice how the young man's mostly good-natured grumbling about the rain affecting the communication lines had turned into something stiffer and more tense as the storms had moved in. Multiple cups of coffee had made their appearance on the young man's desk once more, and he had been a bit more withdrawn. The pup seemed to help Fuery, though, and for that Havoc was glad.
Fuery wasn't the only one being affected by the rain, and Havoc stretched out his back a bit as he sat there, taking the time to observe the others in the room. Falman was shifting what appeared to be a weather map around, and as he stretched, Havoc craned his neck to get a better view of what was on the other man's desk. It seemed to be full of stacks of weather reports, including ones from other parts of the country. Falman was staring intently at the map he had and making notes on a notepad. It didn't seem that interesting to Havoc, but Falman seemed focused on it. He looked at a stack of papers and frowned deeply, and Havoc caught sight of them enough to realize that he was looking at reports for the North. Havoc had to wonder—was this a project for the general, or did it have a more personal flavor to it? It might explain why Falman had looked so serious the longer this rain went on.
Havoc twisted the other way, just as Breda let out a grunt of annoyance. The red-headed man was scowling at what appeared to be a small amount of mayonnaise that had fallen from his sandwich, just narrowly missing the reports that were on his desk. Scowling, Breda reached for a napkin, although it didn't escape his notice the way that Breda was favoring the elbow he broke in Pendleton. It seemed the weather was affecting it, which explained some of Breda's irritation lately.
Havoc understood that well. He leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. His legs were aching from the constant rainfall, along with his back, and he wished he could get outside and run, or even just get outside and smoke. Anything that wouldn't leave him cooped up and soggy. He released his stretch, and reached in a drawer, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up.
Breda glanced over at him, looking up from where he was cleaning up the mayonnaise. "I thought you were quitting those things," he said.
"Tryin'," Havoc drawled back. "But right now, they're helping."
Breda looked at him a moment, then snorted. "Go to the gym if you're that restless," he said, and turned back to his sandwich and his work.
"Nah," Havoc said. "Its not the same. Doesn't really help."
"When you're addicted again and Catalina tells you to shove off because you smell like an ashtray, don't come crying to me then," Breda said.
"Aw, didn't know you cared," he said back.
"I don't," Breda replied brusquely, and turned his back on Havoc.
Havoc grinned, glad to know that no matter the weather, he could count on his best friend's surly attitude to brighten a room. Before he could say anything snarky back, the doors to the office opened, delivering a very soggy Hawkeye and Mustang, not that there was anything that wasn't soggy lately. Neither of them looked happy, though, and Havoc found himself hoping it was because of the rain, and not because whatever news they had gotten.
As they shed their coats, though, Havoc caught sight of a plain manilla envelop in their hands and mentally groaned. Something told him that wasn't pleasant news. Welp, only one way to find out.
"Hey Boss, Hawkeye," he greeted them. "What'd Grumman want?"
"Fuhrer Grumman," Riza corrected with a frown towards him. He let it roll right off him.
"Grumman wants us to go investigate another enclave," Mustang said, either ignoring or exempt from Hawkeye's scolding on how to refer to people.
"Again?" Breda said, turning around to face them. "Why us? Half of these turn out to be nothing, and most of the other half turn out to be so inept that they pretty much confess things on the spot."
"Orders are orders," Mustang said, although they could all hear the weariness in his voice. He wanted to be finished with jobs like this as well. "He wants the whole team on this one. It has the potential to be bigger than we realize. We'll need to leave tomorrow." He nodded his head towards Hawkeye. "Hawkeye will make the arrangements. We'll travel by train. When she has that all worked out, she'll let you know what time to be at the station."
There was a mumbled agreement, and Mustang went off towards his office, envelope in hand. Hawkeye, on the other hand, went around pushing all the curtains open and turning on the lamps. Havoc could see Fuery out of the corner on his eye, trying to surreptitiously get Hayate down without her noticing.
"So, Hawkeye, where are we going?" Havoc asked her, watching as she came back to her desk. There was a tightness to her shoulders again, and it made Havoc frown. Why was she so tense?
"Womiob," she said.
"Womiob?" Havoc said, the name ringing a bell in his head.
She nodded, but she didn't say anything else as she was already picking up the phone and dialing. "Yes, hello. I need six tickets to Womiob, and I need to leave tomorrow. Yes, I know that your volume of traffic is up, however if you could—yes. Yes. Yes, I understand. A transfer at East City is acceptable. Yes. Yes, I'll hold."
Hawkeye glanced at the team, and frowned at Fuery pointedly, who at least had the grace to look a little sheepish, as Hayate was still in his lap. Before she could say or do anything, though, her attention snapped back to the phone.
"Yes, I'm still here. Yes. Alright, thank you. Someone from General Mustang's command will be there to pick them up in the morning. Yes, I understand. Thank you." She hung up the phone and took a moment to make a few notes on her notepad. Everyone waited silently. After a moment, she straightened up. "Alright, men," she said. "The train leaves at 7:30 sharp. We need to be there at least by 7:00. The woman said that the trains have been packed lately, so it's best to get there early to get a seat."
"Mustang's not going to like that," Breda grunted out.
Hawkeye smiled. "You just leave Mustang to me. He'll be there on time. Pack for a week or longer and pack a lunch. It's going to be a long trip."
There was a collective grumble at that, but it didn't seem to discourage Hawkeye any. She just straightened her shoulders and, still tense, made her way back into Mustang's office. They all watched until the door to Mustang's office closed, and only then did they start speaking.
"…Think we'll find anything this time?" Havoc asked.
"Who knows?" Breda said. "Half of me wants to find something to make this trip worth it."
"Yeah…" Havoc looked out the window and trailed off. "I'm not looking forward to traveling in this weather."
"Maybe it'll be better at Womiob," Fuery said, settling Hayate back in his lap.
Falman shook his head. "Not likely. Looking at the current weather patterns and the reports, I'd estimate that we'd experience at least just as much rain as we are here. In fact, looking at the current reports—"
"Yeah, yeah, we get it. It's going to be wet, miserable and raining no matter where we go," Breda interrupted.
Havoc sighed. "Well, guess we better make sure we're ready."
With a sigh, Fuery reached for the phone, placing a call down to records. Havoc could hear him apologizing to Sheska for breaking a movie date again, and he heard the others returning to their work. But Havoc's attention was fixed more firmly on that door and the tension he had seen in Hawkeye.
It hadn't been that long ago that he, Mustang, and Hawkeye had all taken a trip together. They had gone to Awrout, Hawkeye's hometown, and to Hawkeye's childhood home, for research. They had come back empty handed with that, and Havoc had carried the distinct impression that it might have been better that way. But Havoc had gained a greater understanding of both Mustang and Hawkeye, as well as some insights in their female captain's early life.
This tension didn't seem to be as heavy as that tension had been, but it was still heavier than the tension she typically had on one of these missions, and it left Havoc wondering.
"Hey, Falman. Lemme see one of those maps," he said.
"Why?" Falman questioned as he passed it over.
"I wanna see where Womiob is."
Falman passed one over to him, and Havoc looked it over. It was a little southeast of East City, near the border, and that explained why Havoc knew of it. Some of the supplies from the East had come through there to his family's store. But that wasn't what he was looking for now, and he traced the path they would take to get there. Sure enough, as he suspected, they would go through Awrout.
He handed the map back to Falman with a word of thanks, and then sat back, staring at the door again. That trip had brought up a lot of bad memories for Hawkeye, to the point of a vulnerability Havoc didn't think he had ever seen out of her. Even though they would just be passing through, after that he was sure it would be uncomfortable for her.
Breda had taken the map from Falman and was now looking at the route himself. "…That's why you wanted to see," he said, and Havoc's attention swiveled back to him. Breda's eyes were fixed on Awrout as well. "You never did tell us what happened on that trip."
That caught the attention of Falman and Fuery, who now also looked at the map, understanding and curiosity in their eyes when they saw Awrout.
"I told ya," Havoc said, taking another drag on his cigarette, "It's not my business ta tell. Hawk n' Mustang will let you know if they want you to."
"You did tell us that the captain's father was the general's alchemy teacher," Fuery said.
"Yeah, and that's all," Havoc said, stressing it, "because that's all I really know. You know how those two are. When they wanna keep a secret, no one knows about it."
"It's too bad it's a rushed trip," Falman said. "I would like to see the place the captain grew up."
"It's just a wide spot in the road, Falman," Havoc said. "Now drop it. You know neither of them would be happy to hear us talking about Hawkeye behind her back like this."
The others took the hint, and settled back down into their work, but Havoc couldn't help but glance at the door, and remember the tension in Hawkeye's shoulders. It should be fine, though, right? After all, they would just be passing through, and then all they would have to focus on was the mission.
The next day broke the same as all of the previous days—cloudy, raining, and miserable. Havoc personally felt that the early hour made it even worse. He had nothing against being up early—he had grown up getting up early—but he hadn't been sleeping well due to his aching legs and back. It took him a bit of hobbling around to get his legs warmed up and ease the stiffness and pain out of them, which slowed him down. While he was well acquainted with doing various things from a seated position, the delay in moving meant that he had to rush out the door to make it to the train station in time. It was never a good idea to keep Hawkeye waiting when she had given you a clear time to be somewhere.
Wet and muddy from the walk, Havoc somehow managed to make it to the station on time. He grimaced at the muck on his boots, doing his best to scrape it off on the curb before he entered. The station was already packed, with dozens of other soggy travelers standing around in small, sleepy groups. He supposed that most people that had to travel were opting for the train as opposed to a car or wagon. It was less muddy, drier, and you could at least get up and walk around a little.
Still, in the crush of people, it took him a minute to spot his team. They weren't the only military personal traveling by train—there were plenty of others there too. It took him a moment to spot his team, but once he did he wound his way through the crowd towards them, taking them in as he approached. Mustang had his expensive luggage again and was yawning, just like the last time they had traveled. Hawkeye was, to no surprise, looking positively bright-eyed and bushytailed, as his Pa would say, and had her sturdy carpetbag by her feet. Fuery was traveling like him, a rucksack slung over his shoulder, still looking a bit tired as he rubbed under his glasses. Breda was Breda, looking grouchy with his plain piece of luggage, but was, as usual, alert. Falman's bag was odd, looking like something from up north, which it probably was, and the tall man was currently holding Hayate for Hawkeye, keeping the pup off of the muddy ground
Part of Havoc wondered how much longer it would be until Falman just went back up North and stayed there. It was obvious that he had become a Briggsman, and Havoc wouldn't be the least bit surprised when he made the final move up that way.
"Finally," Breda said as Havoc approached them, although there was an upturn to his lips that let Havoc know he was teasing him. "You just gotta be the last one here, huh?"
"Yeah, well, you try finding a taxi in this weather," he shot back.
"Alright boys," Hawkeye said, interrupting the banter. "Here are your tickets." She started passing out tickets to them, along with a file folder. "You're also getting copies of the reports that we'll need to look over. This is confidential information, so let's keep the chatter on it to a minimum until we're in a more secure location—and please, try to keep it dry."
Havoc was half sure he heard Breda mumble something that sounded like "good luck" at that, but if Hawkeye heard it, she ignored it.
"When we board, we need to do our best to find a place to sit together," Mustang said. "It's not going to be easy, but it'll be for the best. Keep close. It's clearly going to be a crowded train ride."
"Is Hayate going to be alright on the trip?" Fuery asked, the sleep starting to leave his eyes.
Hawkeye smiled at him, concerns about the pup always softening her a bit. "He'll be fine enough, I think. We'll just have to keep an eye on him. If you can help me out with that, Sergeant, I'd appreciate it."
"Of course, sir!" Fuery said.
"I'll pitch in, too," Havoc offered. "I'm sure I'll be walking the train some—the pooch can come with me."
"Thank you, Havoc, I appreciate it."
Breda was eyeing the dog with a bit of distaste, but he wisely chose to not say anything. He still wasn't fond of dogs, but he had nominally accepted Hayate as something that would be around and was occasionally useful, which was a big improvement from screaming in fear—not that Havoc was ever going to let him forget that. What good buddy would?
The rest of the time until boarding was spent watching each other's stuff while they took turns for the bathroom, talking over the situation that they were heading into, and generally making small talk. They subtly moved closer to the train car as they did, hoping to get a good run at the seats.
Breda bumped his elbow. "Hey," he said, in a lull in conversation, "You alright?"
He must have noticed the way that Havoc was shifting as he was standing there, having trouble standing still for a bit. "Yeah… it's just going to be a bit rough. This weather has been messing with me. My legs and back have been aching a lot. I didn't sleep well last night."
Breda frowned. "I get that," he said. "My elbow's been aching for days. I know it's not quite the same, but…"
"Nah, close enough," Havoc said. "It's just something I'll have to deal with. I'll take this over not being able to walk at all."
Breda grunted, but Havoc could tell that he was keeping an extra eye on him.
Soon it was time to board the train, and they, along with almost everyone else, made a rush for it. It was a bit of pushing and jostling, and Havoc felt a bit sorry for the conductors, but they managed to get on board and snag some decent seats. They stowed their luggage and settled in for what looked to be a long and very crowded ride.
The poor weather did, though, help keep the crowds a bit subdued. The skies were still exceedingly dark, with the rain pouring in droves against the windows. Thunder crackled overhead and lightning flashed, and most people kept their conversation to a low murmur. The conductors came by and lit the lamps that were in the train cars. Groups sat together, cramped into seats, and kids played in the aisles, although quietly for the most part. The whole atmosphere had an odd feel to it that Havoc didn't like, and it made him put off reading the folder that Hawkeye had given him. He didn't want to add to the uneasy feeling that he already had.
The ride was long and, as he suspected, Havoc had trouble staying still. His legs ached for movement, and so he walked the train car, even walking the length of the train a couple of times. They passed through several small towns, although Havoc frowned when he realized that for some reason things were becoming familiar. It was only when he heard a conductor mention that they were coming up on Awrout that he realized why and headed back towards the team.
Passing between the cars was a bit more difficult this time, with the wind buffeting him and rain slicing into his uniform. He wondered if it was just the direction he was going, or if the weather was picking up. Ultimately, it didn't matter. By the time he arrived back in the car he was more than a little wet. It wasn't as important to him, though, as how Hawkeye was feeling. She had switched seats by this time—although to be fair they all had, several times—and was now sitting with Mustang between her and the window. She seemed tense, although she was trying not to appear tense. To her team, though, who knew her so well, it was obvious. Mustang angling towards her was a dead giveaway. Their subtilty was a little less subtle then normal, and the team took notice.
"You're not sitting next to me like that," Breda said, eyeing Havoc. "What did you do, stand on the platforms between cars?"
"Yeah. Thought I'd bring Falman another weather report and a sampling," he replied, although he didn't try to sit down.
Mustang frowned. "Is it getting worse out there?" he asked.
"I think so, sir," Havoc said. "Or at least, it seemed to be. Coulda just been how we were traveling."
Falman's brow creased. "I hope that it isn't going to cause any problems," Falman said. "There have been reports of the amount of rain causing problems with infrastructure."
Mustang's frown increased, but he didn't say anything as a conductor came by. "We're going to be pulling into Awrout in a few moments. Please stay seated if you are not disembarking here."
Breda looked out the window, although nothing but trees could be seen. "Doesn't look like there's much here to disembark for."
"There's not," Hawkeye said, a bit harsh, and the other men exchanged a look. Havoc knew what was up, but the other men seemed concerned or curious as to her tone. None of them pressed it though, knowing how private Hawkeye was.
It was a few minutes later when the train started to slow, although something about it felt a bit off. They had all traveled on trains enough to feel that, and it seemed that they weren't the only ones, as several other adults around seem tense up a bit as well. Still, they pulled into the station with no problems as far as the train went. Hawkeye, though, was very stiff and still, Mustang very atuned to her, and the rest of the team seeming a bit unsure about the whole thing. Havoc eyed them carefully, trying to get a good read on the situation as they sat in the train and waited to leave.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
They waited far passed an acceptable time to wait, even if the train needed water. Hawkeye was growing more and more tense as they sat there, and Mustang looked as if he was about to get up to go demand some information. Havoc was just about to volunteer to do it himself, just to make sure Mustang didn't throw his weight around too much, when a conductor, drenched in rain, entered the car.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention, please," he said, and the train car quieted down. "There's been some trouble. The tracks have washed out down the line and have made any further travel unsafe. We're going to stay here in Awrout until the tracks are repaired. There is a small inn that has offered up rooms for a reduced price, and many of the good folk have offered up their homes for guests. We'll also be using the train for sleeping accommodations. I'm sorry for this, folks, but it's not safe to go on."
Havoc glanced at Hawkeye. She had gone ramrod straight in her seat, her knuckles white as she clutched her folder. Mustang was frowning deeply, and within a moment he stood up.
"Excuse me," he said to the conductor, and the chatter that had started up stopped. "If it's a matter of repair, I can be of help. I'm a state alchemist. I can fix the tracks if you take me to them."
A murmur started up again, but the conductor shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, sir, but it's not just the tracks. The ground is too saturated for it to be safe. Additionally, there's also a bridge to cross further down that is too risky right now."
Mustang frowned. "What about going back, then?" he asked.
The conductor shook his head again. "The problem of ground saturation is the same. Even after this rain ends, we're going to have to inspect the tracks for safety. I thank you for your offer, but unless your alchemy can stop this rain, then there isn't much you can do."
With that the conductor left, and the train went back to murmuring among themselves. The team exchanged uneasy looks, but no one seemed to have a good suggestion as for what to do.
Finally, Hawkeye, who had been growing more and more on edge, spoke. "This is ridiculous!" she said, abruptly standing up. She gathered Hayate in her arms and strode down the car towards the door. Mustang shot out of his seat, following her with a look of alarm on his face.
"What—" Havoc heard Breda mutter, but that was all he heard before the red-head was gathering both his and Mustang's luggage and following behind. Taking the hint, the rest of the team quickly followed after, Havoc grabbing Hawkeye's bag as well as his own. By the time they got outside, Hawkeye and Mustang were already at the small Station Master's building, Hawkeye pressing in to talk to the Station Master. Havoc couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but it was clear that she was unhappy.
"—you telling me that there's nothing? No cars, no trucks, not even a wagon out of here?"
The Station Master was shaking his head. "No, there's nothin'. Nothin' can get through this rain. It's hard enough for the locals to get about."
"But surely there's something. Clearly supplies have been coming in," she pressed.
"Until right now, it was the trains," he said, giving her a stern look. "There's no gettin' out of here unless you wanna walk, Miss Hawkeye—and I don't recommend that."
Her jaw worked for a moment, and tension seemed to fill her.
"What's up with Hawkeye?" Breda murmured, his brow furrowed.
Havoc considered what to say for a moment. How much should he say about the little that he knew? Should he even say anything?
Even in her obvious emotion, Hawkeye was a logical person, and she seemed to sense that there was no further to go on this argument. She huffed. "Fine. We'll go take a room at the inn, then."
The station master fixed her with a chastising. "I never took you for the selfish type, Miss Hawkeye," he said. "There's plenty 'a people on that train with no place to stay 'round here. You've got a place that'll hold you 'n all of yours, just with some supplies."
Hawkeye looked something between outraged, guilty, and chastised, to Havoc's eyes and, after a moment, she turned to leave. Mustang stood in her way and their eyes met, one of their silent conversations flowing between them. She took a couple of deep breaths, her jaw set, and Hayate whined against her.
"Fine," she said, voice tight. "We'll go there."
She turned and stalked off, heading off the platform and down, the bewildered team following.
"What's going on?" Breda asked again, although louder, so that anyone could answer the question.
When neither Hawkeye nor Mustang answered, Havoc took it upon himself to. "…This is Hawkeye's hometown," he said. "And it looks like we'll be staying at the place she grew up."
That apparently answered very little of the team's questions, but Havoc wouldn't answer more at the moment. With no other idea what to do, they followed Hawkeye and Mustang. The packed dirt road Havoc remembered from his last visit had turned into thick muck that pulled at his boots, and the rain soaked his uniform even further. It didn't slow Mustang or Hawkeye, though, as they made their way to the general store, where Hawkeye ducked in with no hesitation at all. Mustang followed her, but Breda stepped in front of Havoc and turned to face him, stopping the rest of them before they went in.
"Alright, I want to know what you know," he said to Havoc. "You and the general and captain came here a few months back because the general wanted to do some research. Mustang and Hawkeye looked like they were going to end each other when they left, and when you came back, they were better than before. You know what happened here and you have information. I wasn't going to press because it wasn't relevant. It's relevant now. What do you know, Havoc?"
Falman and Fuery's eyes turned towards him, and Havoc looked between the three men who were looking to him for answers. Finally, with a sigh, he relented. "Alright. Look, not all of it is mine to tell, okay? And some of it is private. But I'll give you the bare bones."
Breda nodded and seemed satisfied with that.
Havoc continued. "This is Hawkeye's hometown. She grew up here, but… I don't have the whole story, but it wasn't a happy childhood. All I really know is that it was tough, her mother died when she was young, and she took care of her father until he died." He could see the men's reactions: the sympathy blooming in Fuery's eyes, the uncomfortable shifting of Falman, and the stoic, calculating gaze of Breda. "I… don't think he was good father," he said. "I already told you that her father was the General's alchemy teacher, but no, I don't know what this means about flame alchemy. For all I know, he just taught the general the basics and he learned flame alchemy somewhere else. I don't know anything for sure." Although he had his theories that it at least came from Hawkeye's dad's research. "But that's the basics. Hawkeye's hometown, hard childhood, and Mustang studied under her dad."
Breda's eyes cut toward the doorway of the store. "That explains a little, at least," he said, although it was clear that he also had other questions.
"Yeah, well, don't push too much on anything else, okay? I don't think she's in the mood for it." With that, Havoc moved around him and into the store, looking around.
Mrs. Nelson spotted him immediately and waved him over. "Oh, Lieutenant," she said. "It's so good to see you again! I didn't expect you to come back so soon."
Havoc gave her an easy grin. "To be fair, ma'am, we weren't supposed to do more than just pass through."
She clucked her tongue. "I'll say! What a situation! My husband is out back looking over a wagon that should be good for you. Riza said that there were six of you this time, correct? Plus, that little fellow," she gestured to Hayate, who was currently enjoying the scratches and cuddles of a couple of kids. "That's quite a number of supplies. We might have to stretch it a bit. Then again, she always has been good at making things stretch, poor thing."
"Yes'm," Havoc replied. He had heard the others come in behind him. "These are the others that are with us. Lieutenant Heymans Breda, Lieutenant Vato Falman, and Master Sergeant Kain Fuery. If you don't mind, ma'am, I'll let them help you with the supplies. The captain knows more about wagons then the general does, but I'd still rather look myself."
"Mercy, yes," she said. "You go on out back, that way." She waved her hand. "I'll take care of the rest."
Havoc gave her a wave, leaving the others to her, and went out back towards the loading dock. It was still, of course, pouring rain, but Havoc had just resigned himself to being soaked to the bone at this point. He didn't see them anywhere, but he kept going, eventually finding them in a barn out back that was, mercifully, fairly dry. Mustang, Hawkeye, and Mr. Nelson were discussing a wagon, and Riza was looking at it a bit uncertainly.
"If you're wonderin' if I can drive that in the rain, the answer's yes," he said, interrupting them. "I've driven them in all sorts of weather. It'll be slow going, but I think I can manage."
Mr. Nelson looked at him. "I like your confidence, son, but are ya sure? It's a mite of a distance t' the old Hawkeye place, and the road isn't good to begin with."
"That's true," Havoc said, "but if we do come across a problem, there's a good chance that the general's alchemy can help us out."
Mr. Nelson eyed Mustang as if he wasn't quite sure that he could believe that, but Hawkeye cut in on him. "No, Havoc has a point. If something breaks, or we need something made, then the general should be able to help us out. If you're worried about your wagon, please don't be. We will take care of it, and repair anything it needs."
Mr. Nelson seemed to consider this, then nodded. "Alright. I'll let ya take her 'n' a couple 'o the horses, as long as ya bring them back in a couple o' days, even if it's still pourin' rain."
Mustang nodded. "We can do that, Mr. Nelson."
Mr. Nelson nodded. "Alright. Then let's get her loaded up for you."
The next few minutes were spent with readying the wagon and horses, while Hawkeye went back to check on the state of the supplies. Mustang followed her after Mr. Nelson practically chased him out, telling him he'd be of better use in there then with the horses.
Mr. Nelson looked over at the door to the barn, then back to Havoc. "They seem to be better than they were comin' in the last time ya were here," he said.
Havoc smiled. "They are," he said. "They got better by the end of that trip."
He nodded. "Alright. You all look after her now, alright? I know she's strong, but she's had a tough time here."
This time, Havoc grinned. "Don'tcha worry about that. She's got a whole team to look after her."
Mr. Nelson gave a nod, and they spoke no more on it after that.
After preparing it, Havoc and Mr. Nelson took the wagon out into the rain, but not before they made sure all of the supplies were ready to load. Neither of them wanted the wagon or the horses to be in the rain more than necessary. Havoc took charge of the loading, as Mr. Nelson's sons who would usually do it, were busy helping with the train passangers. He had experience on how to load the wagon, and Mr. Nelson watched for a while until he nodded approvingly and left. It took a while, but the wagon was loaded up and covered with an oiled cloth. Not long after that, they were ready to go, Havoc at the reigns with Hayate sitting up there with him to spare the little dog the mud.
It was slow going, and most of the team walked just because of that. Truthfully, they could have walked it faster than the wagon was going, but they all stuck with it simply because of the difficulty that the wagon encountered along the way. More than once, they had to stop and dig the wagon out the mud or levee it up. At times, Mustang had to use his alchemy to try to make a way for the wagon to move easier through the mud. By the time they arrived at the Hawkeye estate they were all soaked and filthy.
The house, to Havoc, looked even more foreboding in this weather. It loomed, especially as the lightning flashed behind it. He looked at Hawkeye out of the corner of his eye and watched her shudder. It could easily be passed off as a chill from the weather and the way that she was soaked, but both Havoc and Mustang seemed to see something in her eyes, and they exchanged glances. This was clearly going to be hard for her, not that Havoc had really expected anything less.
He drove the wagon around back, just like before, although this time Hawkeye didn't go in through the front door but took her keys around to the back. The team followed, all of them drenched and muddy. Hawkeye took the keys and put them in the lock, turning it, cursing, turning it harder, and then shoving her shoulder into it. It made a creaking sound like it was unsticking, but it didn't budge.
"Oh, come on!" she snapped out, clearly irritated. She shoved against it harder, and it didn't move. She huffed. "It's always stuck in bad weather," she said.
"Let me try," Breda said, and Hawkeye stepped out of the way. Breda turned the knob, and leaned his shoulder into it, giving the door a hard shove. For a moment, it looked like it wasn't going to move, but after a couple of seconds, it finally did, pushing open with a sticking, scraping sound. Breda stumbled inside with the door, shoving it all the way open.
Hawkeye followed after him, but Havoc stayed on the wagon. Mustang turned to look at him and the other men. "Alright. Let's get this unloaded. Try not to track too much mud in."
"Yes, sir!" Fuery replied. He reached up to the wagon, and gathered Hayate in his arms, taking the soggy dog inside.
"That's cheating!" Havoc called after him but turned and got down off the wagon. He instructed Falman in how to roll the oiled cloth back just a bit at a time so all the goods wouldn't get soaked while they were unloading them, and then a frenzied unloading began, all the men working quickly to pull out the items. Havoc got glimpses of Hawkeye as she directed them in where to put things, clearly in charge of the house. Most of it was piled in corners until she could clean the counters and the cabinets, but it was at least inside and out of the rain. Her floors were a mess of mud and water, but there was little any of them could do about that.
"I'll go take care of the horses and get them settled. I think that the barn was relatively sound," Havoc said.
"It is," Mustang replied. "I made sure of it."
Havoc saw Riza look at Mustang askance, but she said nothing. Instead, she started directing the men about what to do about their muddy clothes. After all, cleaning up tracked mud through the house wasn't exactly anyone's idea of a good time.
Havoc left them there, heading out to the barn. Like last time, he parked the wagon in it, and unhitched the horses. The Nelsons had been kind enough to provide hay and feed for them, and Havoc took care of it all, getting them settled. He figured that Hawkeye would probably know how to do this, but would anyone else? He honestly wasn't sure if any of his teammates had the skills for this or not. It would be something that he would need to find out.
Soon enough, it was all done, and he stopped at the barn door to scrape what he could of the mud off of his boots. Sure, he was just going to get more on them, but it was, at least, less to track in or to leave by the back door. He made his way across the squishing, muddy yard to the back door, which had been at least somewhat shoved closed. He pushed it open and slipped inside, closing it behind him. The only one in the kitchen at the moment was Hawkeye, who was busy cleaning out cabinets and cleaning off counters.
"Where's everyone else?" he asked as she worked.
"I made them strip down and leave their clothes in the washroom," she said. "Then I sent them with their luggage to go clean up and change." She looked at him. "You're less muddy than the rest of us because you were on the wagon, but you're still pretty dirty and soaked through. Why don't you put your boots and clothes in the washroom, and then head to the showers yourself."
"What about you?" he asked, not wanting to leave her to do all the work herself.
She shook her head. "It'll be easier for all of you men to go first. Then I'll go. I know where everything goes, and I can work on getting the kitchen order and cleaning this floor."
He frowned at her. "It'll be a bit, then, before I get a turn, yeah? I can help you out until then at least."
Hawkeye seemed to consider that. "Alright," she said. "I already sent the others up with cleaning supplies for the rest of the house while they wait. You can help me start unloading the food and washing the dishes here." She jerked a thumb at the washroom. "Leave your boots on, because there's no saving this floor at the moment, but go ahead and leave your jacket and butt cape in the washroom."
"Right-o," he said, and headed off to do that.
It only took him a few minutes, and then he was back with her, cleaning the taller things, and helping to get the kitchen in order. He helped her get the stove cleaned out and fetched some wood from the indoor pile to get a fire in it started. As soon as they had cleaned up the coffee pot, a pot of coffee was put on. All of the men would be appreciative of the warm drink. With the two of them working together, it wasn't long before the kitchen was getting in working order, with the food put away and the appliances functional.
She sent him out when it was mostly done, to strip and then go wandering upstairs in his underwear to see if he could get a shower yet. It seemed Mustang and Breda had managed to shower, although the water was getting colder with each turn they took, and were now dressed in clean, and more importantly, dry clothes. Falman was currently in, and Fuery was waiting.
"I was wondering when you'd get here," Breda said.
Havoc flashed him a grin. "What, couldn't wait to see this?" he teased.
"Ugh, no. I just want to see Hawkeye put you to work like the rest of us."
"Hey—driving that wagon was hard work!" he protested. "And I took care of the horses and helped Hawkeye clean up the kitchen. I think I've been doing more work than you!"
"It does sound like a lot," Fuery pipped up from where he was leaning on the wall, waiting on his turn for the shower. "She gave us a list of things to do when we were clean as well. Most of it is just things to prepare the rooms, though."
"Yeah?" Havoc said. "She tell you which rooms to go in?"
"She said all the bedrooms, but told us to stay out of the study," Fuery said.
"Huh," Havoc said. "Even that one?" he pointed to the Master bedroom.
"Yeah," Breda said. His eyes narrowed in confusion. "Any reason she shouldn't?"
"I mean, it was just that was her father's room. I didn't know if she wanted anyone else in there," he said with a shrug.
"I'm the only one that's been in there so far," Mustang said, as he appeared from the study, the one room that he, apparently, had permission to go into that the others did not. "I've taken care of it. It'll be up to her, though, what happens from here."
"Gotcha," Havoc said, but before he could say anything more, Falman emerged from the bathroom, done with his shower. "Fuery," he called. "Your turn."
Fuery wasted no time in getting up and heading towards the shower, clearly ready to be clean and in dry clothes again.
"If you want," Havoc said to the other men, "Hawkeye 'n I put on a pot of coffee downstairs. You might have to ask her pass it back out to you, if the floor is still muddy, though. She's pretty adamant about us not tracking it in the rest of the house."
Mustang sighed. "She always was." The other three men looked at Mustang curiously, obviously hoping for some sort of story, but he didn't give it to them. "Alright," he said, "let's finish up here and then see what she needs our help with downstairs."
Fuery was, mercifully, a quick shower, and he was in and out soon. Havoc soon found out why. The water was freezing, but it did do its job. By the time he emerged, his teeth were chattering, but he was clean.
"I vote we make Falman shower last," he muttered to himself. "He had to have gotten used to the cold at Briggs."
He dressed and took note of how the second floor seemed to be quite clean and, at this point, fairly well-lit despite the dark day. He could hear the others downstairs, and so he made his way down. Hawkeye already had them cleaning, although she had clearly confined herself to the kitchen, who's floor was about half clean.
"Hey, I'm out," he said, looking at her, and she nodded to him.
"Alright, let me just finish this floor and then I'll head up as well." She said.
"Just to warn you, that water is as cold as Briggs." Havoc said.
He could have sworn he heard a muttered "not likely" from Falman, but he didn't follow it up right then.
Hawkeye just snorted. "It wouldn't be the first time," she said. "At least it's not frozen solid. That was a problem one year."
Havoc could imagine that it was, but he didn't really have too much to say on that. Instead, he stepped into the kitchen, on the clean parts of the floor, and reached for the coffee pot. It didn't take him long to pour a cup, just as it didn't take Hawkeye long to finish the floor. Within minutes it was sparkling and clean, and there was no mud in sight. He honestly had no idea how she had managed it, but she clearly had.
"Alright," she said, standing in the doorway of the washroom. "Close your eyes."
"What?" he said.
"Close your eyes," she repeated. "Do you think I'm going to go up there in this and track mud all throughout my house? No thank you. I need to strip down too."
"Ah," Havoc said, and immediately turned around. "I'm just gonna… I'll go warn the guys," he said, slipping out of the kitchen and into the rest of the house, keeping his back to her the whole time.
"Hey," he said, as he walked into the rest of the house, spotting Breda and Falman right away. "Hawkeye's about to strip down to go get her shower, and she'd rather have her privacy."
"Of course."
"Sure."
"Hey Fuery,'d hear that?" He called, spotting the young man scrutinizing the old radio in the living room.
"What?" he said.
"I said Hawkeye's about to come through, so look away."
"Oh! Yes, sir, can do!"
"Where's Mustang?" Havoc asked.
"Right here," he said, emerging from the lower bathroom with Hayate wrapped in a towel. "I was trying to heat up the water. I think it worked."
"What's what the dog?" Havoc asked.
"She'll want to bathe him too. Might as well do it while she's bathing. It's faster that way."
"Is everyone warned?" Hawkeye's voice floated back from the kitchen. Havoc looked at the men, who respectfully turned their backs to the direction that she'd need to come through. He turned his as well.
"Yeah, you're good!" he called back, and closed his eyes for an extra added layer of security. He could hear her bare feet padding through, moving quickly, and then heard another set of footsteps join her—the General.
"I've got Hayate for you," he said as they walked.
"Thank you, but I'm not sure how he's going to take the cold water."
"You don't have to worry about that. I made sure that the water was warm."
"Without burning the house down? Impressive."
"Hey, that was one time!"
Their voices faded as they made their way upstairs, and when they heard the last stair creak, the men opened their eyes and turned back around. For a moment, they were silent.
"…well. We all knew it," Breda said.
"Seems the general can see the captain like that," Falman said.
"Yeah, and like it wasn't anything new," Breda said. A moment of silence fell over the men before Breda spoke up again. "Alright, back to work. We don't want the Hawk shooting us because we were here gossiping instead of working."
There was a bit of grumbling, but the men kept working. Havoc helped a bit with direction seeing as he had been here before and had a vague idea of what Hawkeye might want. Meanwhile, from upstairs they could hear some noise that sounded like feet moving too close together, and heavy steps. The men exchanged looks, Havoc raising his eyebrows more than once, at least until Mustang came down the stairs with Hayate wrapped in another towel.
"Sounded like quite a time up there, sir," Havoc drawled as Mustang came into view.
Mustang blinked at him for a moment, and then scowled. "It was Hayate," he said. "The captain was bathing him too, and after he was finished, she handed him out to me. But he didn't want to come."
"Mm-hm," Havoc said. "Handed him to you, huh?"
Mustang's scowl increased. "I can still set you on fire, Havoc."
Havoc grinned at him but got back to work.
It wasn't long after that, that Riza came back down, looking much cleaner and a bit more relaxed. Mustang had started a fire in the fireplace in the living room by then, and Hayate was laying by the fire, sleeping as he dried off.
"Feel better, Captain?" Fuery asked her.
"Much," she said as she looked around the room. "You boys seem to be doing a good job."
"Well General said you were picky," Havoc said. "Although he didn't say how he knew."
A bit of a smile played at her lips. "I would hit him with the mop when he tracked mud in my house," she said.
Breda stopped, leaning on the broom he had. "Yeah, so, that brings up a few questions."
Mustang and Hawkeye exchanged a look. Finally, Hawkeye spoke. "This is my childhood home," she said. "I grew up in this house with my father. He was an alchemist."
Even though she had said it with a straight face and an even tone, that statement seemed to hold a hidden weight. Havoc exchanged looks with Breda.
"When I was young, he took on the general as an apprentice. My father taught him basic and advanced alchemy before the general left for the military."
There was clearly more to the story, but she also obviously wasn't going to share it. Eyes shifted over to Mustang.
"I was here for many years, but her father didn't approve of me leaving to join the military and kicked me out. I only returned when I learned that Master Hawkeye was dying. After that, I returned to the military. But, if your question is, did Hawkeye and I grow up together, I'd have to say that yes, for a good portion of our childhoods we did."
It was clear from his redirection that he considered the questions on the rest of it closed. It was also clear that there was a lot more to the story. But why they weren't saying more, well, that wasn't nearly as clear. Havoc had been satisfied last time with the little knowledge he was left with. But now? He had the feeling that he was going to end up learning more than he had the first time around.
He just hoped it was in a better manner then his last visit here.
With the topic clearly closed, the team got back to work, and, under Hawkeye's clear direction, it wasn't long before the house was clean to her satisfaction. With the fire blazing in the living room, making it the warmest in the house, they all took a break in there. Fuery headed straight to the radio to mess with it, clearly giving it a look over.
"It's not very good," Hawkeye said as she sat down. Hayate woke up enough to pad over to her and paw at her for attention. "Father wasn't much for spending money, or for the radio." She reached down to give Hayate some attention.
"Are you kidding, sir?" Fuery said. "It's a beauty! It old, but I bet I can make it work again—with your permission, sir."
Hawkeye gestured at it. "Go ahead. If you can make it receive better, I'm all for it."
"You said your father didn't like the radio," Falman said. "May I ask why?"
Riza reached down and picked up Hayate, bringing him up onto the couch with her. "He never really told me. He didn't really talk to me. But I think it was because the music reminded him of mother, and he didn't want that."
"What happened to your mother?" Falman asked, and Havoc listened with interest.
"She died," Hawkeye said, "when I was young. I don't really remember her, aside from associations of brightness, warmth, and color. I know she taught me a lot, because I have some early memories where I was thinking 'that's how Mother did it,' but I don't actually remember her teaching me. But Father didn't want much that reminded him of her, so no music."
Havoc looked at Hawkeye, and he couldn't help but wonder about her statement that her father "didn't want much that reminded him" of her mother. He wanted to ask, "did that mean you too?" but he didn't feel like he should ask that, and so he didn't.
But the question lingered in the back of his mind.
The day had been a long one and, even with a moment to rest, there was still more to do. They had been either traveling or busy most of the day, and the dinner hour was nearing. All of them were hungry and, after some time to rest, Hawkeye stood up.
"I should start supper," she said. "It'll require more prep time to feed this many mouths."
"I'll give you a hand," Havoc said, and went to push up, only to stop with a wince as pain flashed through his lower back.
"Hav?" Breda said, concern in his voice.
Havoc gave him a strained smile. "Ah, it's nothing. Weather's just been affecting me."
Hawkeye was frowning at him. "You've done a lot today too. Maybe you should just rest."
"Yeah, but you need some help. And we know the General is of no use."
Mustang muttered something under his breath, but Breda stood up. "You're not the only one that can at least peel a potato, Hav," he said.
"I can help too," Falman volunteered.
"If you need me, I can as well," Fuery said, although it was clear that he really wanted to stay working on the radio.
"No, you're good, Fuery," Hawkeye said. "These two should be good enough. Too many cooks spoil the pot and all of that."
Havoc could see Fuery blinking at her in surprise, obviously not expecting a phrase that had a more country flair to come out of her mouth but nodded anyway. "Alright, thank you, sir," he said, and turned his attention back to the radio.
Havoc watched them leave, and then turned and stretched himself out on the couch. It felt good to put his legs up. He watched as Mustang left, and then came back with a book in is hands. The house fell quiet, except for the sound of the falling rain, the crackling of the fire, and the muffled voices from the kitchen. Havoc closed his eyes, listening. He was just starting to relax when he felt something wet gently shove into his arm. Startled he opened his eyes to see Hayate staring at him. He let out a breath.
"Alright, pooch, come on up," he said, patting his belly.
The little dog hopped up onto the couch with him and settled down on top of him. Havoc put a hand on him, lightly petting him for a few moments, and then little dog closed its eyes. Havoc decided to follow suit, hoping that the pains in his legs would die down soon.
It was actually kind of nice like this, with the quiet sounds, and Havoc's mind drifted while he laid there. It was a lot different than the last time he was here. That time Mustang and Hawkeye had been angry at each other, dangerously so. If a few missteps had been made, he was pretty sure that there would have been irreparable damage done to their relationship. But, after a breakdown from Riza and an attempt at an apology gesture from Roy, they had reconciled, which had made the last two days of the trip more bearable, at least.
The whole trip had left him with lots of questions, though. Hawkeye had grown up here with her father, and with Mustang for a bit. So why were they so formal with each other? Why didn't they let it be known that they were childhood friends? And then there was the fact that Hawkeye's father was Mustang's alchemy teacher. Neither had said anything about flame alchemy. In fact, the one time he had tried to bring it up, Hawkeye had abruptly exited that conversation, and Mustang had been unwilling to go further. But it still begged the question: Where had Mustang learned flame alchemy from and did Riza's father have anything to do with it?
There were other questions as well. Things that Hawkeye did, or stories she told that made him wonder about the kind of life she had. The way she had spent a lot of her childhood hunting. That she had bathed at the pond on her property quite a bit. The way that she saved everything, even the smallest bits. All of the things in the house that had been sold to help with upkeep and bills. The lack of modern conveniences. The stories that Riza told about places she had slept, or time spent outside, or about the "first thrashing" she had gotten from her father or the anger he would show. All of that ran through the back of his mind as he laid there.
He honestly didn't know if he should be concerned about protecting her past, or if he should be interested in learning more of it. Either way, Havoc was pretty certain that he was going to end up finding out more about her.
Havoc just hoped that it wasn't as painful as last time.
The afternoon and night were spent fairly peacefully, with supper being eaten, the kitchen being cleaned, and all of their uniforms being put in the wash tub to soak. Tomorrow would be the day to deal with that more directly. Tonight, they were all tired.
Riza gave them permission to all the rooms on the bottom floor, including the library, much to Falman's delight. She barred them from the basement, though, and the study on the second floor. It was curious, but no one really questioned it, although Havoc couldn't help but draw parallels from the last time they were here. They were too tired to bother questioning it, though, and besides, Riza Hawkeye never did anything without a good reason.
Rooming arrangements were discussed. There were, technically, four bedrooms. But it was clear that the idea of someone in her father's old bedroom was difficult for Riza. So instead, they agreed to share the other three bedrooms. Falman and Fuery took the bedroom that Havoc had been in last time, and Havoc and Breda took the one that had been Roy's. There was an awkward moment where Hawkeye and Mustang discussed Mustang sleeping in the master bedroom, at least until Breda threw a blanket at them.
"Just go share a bed," he said. "It's not like you haven't shared a tent before on missions. This isn't different."
With that it was settled, and they went into Hawkeyes' old room together.
"Just so you know," Havoc told Mustang before he went into the room, "the bed squeaks. I heard it the last time I was here."
Mustang gave him a shove and slammed the door in his face, and Havoc laughed, making his way toward the room he was sharing with Breda to hopefully sleep.