(A/N: Sorry for the late update…lots have things have been going on and it seems my muse left me for a bit! But it's back, and here is the new chapter! Sorry it's a bit short…thanks to anyone who reviewd!)

"Papa! Papa! Mama says to get up!" Ella cried, shaking a sleeping Roy. He groaned when the shaking got worse and slowly sat up, rubbing his face with his hands.

"I'm up, I'm up…" he muttered groggily and glanced at the clock. "Eleven already? I really slept in late…"

"Uh huh!" the girl cried. "But Mama said I should wake you. She said you've slept enough!"

"So I have," he muttered, the tone of sleep still in his voice. "I'll be down in a bit." Ella nodded and left the room. Roy looked after her, his arms resting on his legs and his body leaning forward. His eyes stared intently at the knob of the door, though he didn't see it.

It was all so mysterious…How long had that lab been there? How long did they torture that girl? What did they use her for, and why had it been going on right under his nose? These questions plagued the Colonel—the only thing he could really think of now a days.

"Papa!" the young voice cried again, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Coming!" he replied, standing up and grabbing some clean clothes from a drawer, once again having fallen asleep without changing. "Really, there's no point to buying pajamas if I don't even use them…" he muttered as he walked down the stairs, buttoning his shirt.

"Good morning Colonel." He looked up at his Lieutenant and smiled slightly.

"We're not at work Hawkeye, you can drop the formalities." She returned the smile.

"I took the courtesy of making breakfast. Your daughter was hungry." Ella grinned up at Roy as Riza put a plate of pancakes in front of her.

"Yes, I can imagine…thank you." She nodded as she poured him a mug of coffee and handed it to him. He took it graciously as he sat with a sigh.

"Another late night?" she asked, taking the seat across from him. Ella ate the pancakes happily in between them, her legs dangling and kicking under the table.

"Let's just say I'll be living at the office soon," Roy replied.

"That may become a reality, what with the amount of reports you've been receiving." He sighed dramatically.

"That's what happens when you send everyone out on a mission at once…" He looked at the steaming cup in his hands, and there was a silence between them, the only sound was the scraping of metal on metal from Ella's fork and plate. "How's the situation in the West?" he finally asked quietly, glancing back across him.

"If things don't settle down we'll be interfering soon. Or, that's the rumor going around at least."

"Rumor? There's no such thing Hawkeye." he stood, and Ella looked at him with a satisfied smile, having finished her meal. He took her plate and walked to the sink. "When it comes to a situation like this, rumors are just the Higher Up's ways of telling you to be prepared." He tossed the plate and mug into the sink and left the room with his hand in his pocket. Riza closed her eyes as Ella blinked and looked after him.

"Got some more paperwork coming your way Colonel," Havoc said, placing the pile gently down on the already cluttered desk.

"Thank you," Mustang replied curtly without even glancing at him, a piece of paper in his hand.

"What's this? No complaints? That's a first!" he said with a laugh, but it was soon silenced with a narrow eyed glance from Roy. Havoc's smile faded and he put his hands up in surrender. "I was just kidding around sir, sorry." He gulped as the higher officer's gaze still pierced him, and it was only after what seemed like hours that the Colonel returned to his paperwork.

Havoc left quickly and closed the door with a relieved sigh as he leaned against it. "Sheesh, what's got him so wound up?" he muttered.

"Havoc!" He winced when he heard his name being called from the other side of the door. He quickly opened it and stepped in.

"Sir?"

"Tell Fullmetal to come here immediately." Roy looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "He has a new mission."