Lights! Camera! Christmas!

Author: MoonStarDutchess and Rinoaebastel

Chapter 15: Less Than Pleasant Arrival

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than needed writing practice and enjoyment.


They'd arrived at the depot earlier than Riza expected. Last year they hadn't arrived until early evening, when the streetlights were dim and ready to brighten to their full strength the moment night completely set in.

They grabbed their bags after the staff took them off the train, and then walked out of the station and into the nippy air. It would get much colder before Christmas.

"I feel like I've walked into one of those Christmas villages that stores set up in their windows," Roy said.

She turned her head toward him and smiled. He was right. This part of the area could be a prototype for those displays.

There wasn't a single building taller than four storeys. The streets were cobblestone and covered with a thick layer of snow. Tracks from the sleds flattened small lines of snow into a harder ice and revealed that the road was not asphalt.

All the buildings had sharp roofs decorated with Christmas lights along the eaves. The buildings that had balustrades were also adorned with draping Christmas lights.

Victorian style lampposts lined the streets. At the base of each lamppost was a basket with fake poinsettia. Down the street was the town square that was still void of the giant Christmas tree that would be set up there the first day in December.

"Ugh," Lauren said. "Why grandfather picks this place every year is beyond me. It's so boring." She walked up beside Berthold. He glanced at her and said nothing.

Every year the first thing that came out of her sister's mouth was a complaint. Riza wondered if Lauren ever enjoyed anything anymore. She didn't complain nearly as much when they were younger.

"I've made suggestions for other places, but he always chooses here," her mother said. "In a bigger city we'd be able to do more things."

This was his home. He didn't want to spend time in a city when he lived there most of the year. There was another more sentimental reason he chose this place as well.

It was to be closer to her grandmother. Her mother should've realized that.

"Serena, we live near the cities. The entire point of the holiday is to relax with family," Berthold said.

Riza was surprised at that. It wasn't like him to defend grandfather or this place.

"And there is stuff to do!" Martina said.

"Like what?" Lauren snapped. "Sled?"

"Yes! And skiing and snowboarding."

And horse riding, hot springs, great teahouses, and delicious restaurants. Riza finished in her head.

"I don't ski," Lauren huffed. "And I most certainly won't sled at my age."

"Just because you think you're too good to do it doesn't mean other people don't like it," Martina said.

"Girls, no fighting. Martina, don't bait your sister," Berthold said.

"But I didn't—" She shut up when their father shot her a look.

Riza was about to say something to their father but Lauren interrupted.

"I'm going to go call for our ride," she said. "We're here earlier than I thought we'd be." Lauren walked away from the group and toward the line of phones situated along the wall. Smartphones had terrible reception down in the valleys

Riza turned her focus on Roy. "Do you ski?"

"Yes, I love it, but I haven't been able to do it for a while because of work."

"It's like riding a bike. Once you learn you don't forget. You interested in going?"

"Very."

Berthold looked at her. "Since when do you know how to ski?"

She finally turned her regard to her father. She was surprised at the question at first, but then realized he wouldn't know anything about it. He rarely paid attention to her during these yearly get-togethers. She recalled that he once liked to ski but was unsure if he still did it. "Grandfather taught me after I started living with him permanently."

She didn't realize until the words left her mouth that she'd made multiple, subtle, digs at him. Both because of her comment about living with grandfather and with the skiing comment. Her father had once said that the father's in his family always taught their children to ski. She hadn't meant to throw that part in his face, but she didn't regret it. He'd never asked her to go skiing before he kicked her out and definitely hadn't afterward.

"Our ride is already here," Lauren said as she approached the group. "They knew the new train schedule apparently and were waiting for us.

Riza turned her sights to the men behind Lauren. She didn't know one of the men, but then the other came into view and her stomach lurched. Without thinking, she grabbed Roy's arm.

"Riza?" he whispered.

"My ex," she said, her voice barely coming out. She took a deep breath and tried to stave off memories of him. He'd caused so much trouble in her life, and her grandfather fired him for a reason. Lauren knew that!

Roy pulled his arm away but seconds later she felt it move around her shoulders. He hugged her closer to his side and leaned down. "I've got you. He won't lay a finger on you."

Roy and she had bodyguards with them. With one gesture or word, they'd be closer. She looked up at Roy to say so, but upon seeing his soft smile, she'd never felt more protected. A desire to protect him coursed through her as well. It felt as if it'd been there from a time long before they'd even met.

"This is Millet Barnaby and Brian Larsen," Lauren said. "They're going to be driving us to and from grandfather's house as needed.

Riza tensed when Brian's eyes fell on her. Roy's hold tightened even more. She saw him move his head slightly and seconds later Armstrong, Breda, and Havoc moved closer. Rebecca followed the men's actions. She both knew what happened with her ex, but didn't know that Brian was the guy. Maes did and was looking at him as if he wanted to rip out his throat.

"Please, this way," Brian said to Lauren. "I arranged some sleighs but …" He looked back at Riza who was ensconced in Roy's arms. "I don't think they'll be enough room."

"Oh! I must've gotten my count wrong," Lauren said. She smiled at them. "I wasn't thinking clearly with the holiday stress and all." She looked at Riza. "You did get my text didn't you? About you hiring a driver, right?"

Anger took over Riza's unease and she narrowed her eyes. "You don't even have my phone number."

"Oops," Lauren said and turned to Millet and Brian. "Bring the sleighs around please."

They both nodded and left the group.

"Lauren! How could you pull something like this?" Martina snapped.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.

"Lauren," her father warned. "I'll give you the benefit of a doubt this once, but from now on double check."

Riza almost scoffed. He always gave Lauren the benefit of a doubt. She could've lied about something happening right there in front of them, and he'd make some sort of excuse for her, or find a way to mitigate whatever issue she caused.

She whispered to Roy. "I knew she'd—" She raised her arm and put it around his waist as Brian came into view. He was driving one of the sleds, and Millet was driving another. There was a third man she didn't recognize driving a smaller sled, one not made for people, but for luggage. The other sleds would hold about five people other than the driver.

"Let's go," Lauren said.

She and Antonio got into the sled driven by Millet, who was putting the luggage on the small sled with the help of the other drivers. "Come on mom and dad." Lauren motioned to them.

Riza noted that Antonio looked annoyed at the situation, and was surprised to find her father and mother hesitating, her father shooting a subtle look at her.

"It's fine," Riza said.

"I'll send them back after you," he said.

"Please don't," Riza said, sounding a bit more panicked than she wanted. "We'll make it fine on our own." She looked at her sister. "Go with them Martina."

"What? No way, not after-"

"Trust me," Riza whispered to her. "I was expecting her to pull this."

Martina grumbled and scooted in the sled to sit next to their father.

"The rest of you can go in the other one," Riza said as Millet pulled away a few feet and stopped to let Brian pull to the steps.

She avoided looking at Brian but could feel his eyes zeroed in on her. It felt like he was rubbing dirt into her skin.

"What about you and Roy?" Maes asked.

"We are your bodyguards," Armstrong said. "We are to stick with you at all times."

"That's right," Havoc agreed.

"People are harmless here. Unless Roy is uncomfortable, we should be..." Roy let go of her and moved to her other side when Brian approached the luggage.

"We'll be fine, Havoc," Roy said. "We can take care of ourselves here. No one seems to be around anyway."

"Okay, chief, if you say so."

She leaned forward slightly. "Take our bags with you," she said. "Don't let them out of your sight." After what Lauren did, she didn't trust her things near her. She didn't want Brian touching her things either."

Havoc and Armstrong did as instructed, putting their bags upon the smaller sled. The crew that came with them piled into Brian's sled. She and Roy watched as both sleds pulled out and headed through the town streets.

"You okay?" Roy asked. "You were terrified."

She nodded, much more relaxed now that Brian was out of her sight. "Knowing he's around will make me uneasy," she said and pulled away from Roy's hold. She instantly missed it. It'd been hard to pull away from him when they woke up that morning. Roy seemed like he was radiating fire. "And Lauren knows it. She hired him on purpose."

"I won't push you to talk more," Roy said, "But if you need to talk, or you need me around and close, I'm here."

"I appreciate that. Thank you. I'm sorry you're being exposed to Lauren's pettiness."

"Don't worry about it." He reached up and moved a strand of hair out of her face. "So you expected her to do this sled shit."

"I did, yes."

"I'm curious about what you planned."

She stepped closer and looked up at him. "Remember when I asked if you could ride a horse?"

"Yeah."

She took his hand, and they walked down the street. They made a left and she pointed in the distance at a long building. She gave a mischievous smile. "Fancy a horseback ride in the snow?"

He smirked at her. "Definitely."

-/-/-

"What you did to them was awful!" Martina yelled at Lauren. She wasn't only angry due to the lack of a ride for them. She hated the way Riza reacted when the men showed up, especially Larsen. She didn't know why Riza had clung to Roy, but she hoped the feeling in her gut wasn't right. She was thankful that Roy was such a good guy and immediately caught her sister's discomfort.

"Why? It's her fault she changed her number from me. I tried to call, didn't I, Antonio."

"Yeah, you tried," he said but kept his focus straight ahead.

"Besides, they're celebrities. They'd probably complain about riding on a sled since they're so used to expensive cars."

"Neither one of them are like that," Martina said. "What you did was childish."

"No more of this," Berthold snapped. "I will understand if you don't speak to Riza, Lauren, but Martina is right. What you did today is childish. I don't want to see it anymore during this holiday. Do you understand?"

Lauren's eyes widened. "Father, I was—But…"

A joyous yell ripped through the air. The groups on the sleds looked back to see two people on Friesians riding toward them. Roy rode past first, a huge smile on his face.

Riza was on the horse behind him, riding slower, and deliberately prancing her beautiful, black horse through the snow as if she were riding in a dressage competition. The horse had its head raised proudly, as if it were taunting them. On the back sled, Riza and Roy's staff were in stitches.

Martina laughed as Riza took off in a gallop, following Roy and kicking up snow behind her.


RW: 2022