A/n: sorry for this taking sooo long ... i'm kinda in a summer slump

Chapter 5

Problems With Central

"Central City ... hoo boy." Leaha groaned as she got off of the train. "I always feel like hiding when I come here."

"What? You're scared of a little town?" Ed laughed as he walked off with a huge smile. "I love this city!"

With burning eyes and dagger teeth, Leaha struck out, grabbing Ed's ponytail, and forced him to turn back and face her. "This is the city where I found out that my parents had died, where I watched their caskets go six feet under, where I've seen more than anyone, even a state alchemist, should ever see ..." Suddenly, Leaha released her hold and began to walk away. "Never mind. Good luck and all that jazz ..."

"What!" Mustang roared at Ed's careless answer as to Leaha's whereabouts. "Why didn't you try to stop her from just LEAVING!"

Ed and Al shrank back as the man continued to rage on. The door hinge creaked as Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda, Furrey, Falman, and Armstrong retreated into the somewhat safer hallway. "I don't understand what the big worry is. You send Leaha off on her own all the time with her assignments, right?"

"Then she keeps at least a small amount of discipline ... but when Leaha gets into a funk ... she's a loose cannon." Mustang rubbed his forehead with a gloved hand. "Get everyone in from the hallway. We're all going to go search for her ... and you ..." He emphasized the last word. " ... are going to apologize for being so rude."

Leaha was wandering through a deserted street when Havoc found her. Neither said anything as they walked back to the office, they just put one foot in front of the other and kept their eyes facing forwards.

"Thank you." Leaha whispered as the pair entered Mustang's empty office. "I'm sorry for making everyone worry."

Havoc gave Leaha a sad glance, temporarily removing his cigarette from his mouth. "Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. Listen, kid, we all are going to do what we can to keep you safe, okay? We all love you more than you could possibly imagine ... especially your uncle."

She forced a smile and hugged the man who had always been like an older brother to her. "I know ..."

Slowly, the other officers returned. Mustang was the last, returning long after it became dark and everyone else had gone home for the night. Leaha was sleeping with her back against one side of Mustang's desk. Black Hayate's head rested on her lap as he kept a silent watch. The dog lifted his head as Mustang approached with a nod and small smile of thanks. Quietly, the creature left, presumably to return to Hawkeye's apartment.

"Come on, Leaha, let's go home." Roy noticed that his 'daughter's' eyes were scrunched shut against the light pouring in from the hall.

Finally, she stood up slowly and went to her uncle's side. "I'm sorry for making you worry, sir."

"You have nothing to apologize for, but if you make me loose much more sleep, you will." Mustang chuckled as Leaha sleepily stumbled out the door, guiding her towards his dark car.

"Thank you for taking care of me for all these years. I know that I haven't always been the greatest kid in the world." Leaha murmured as she strapped herself into the passenger seat.

"You're better than some. If I ever do have a daughter of my own ... I hope she'll be like you." Roy chuckled as Leaha made a face.

"Bah! Like the world could handle another person like me. Besides, knowing you ... you'd turn the poor kid into another military dog. Anyway, you know as well as I do that any child of yours would be in serious danger." Leaha's smile disappeared as she remembered the ordeals that she had been through when she was younger, before she became a State Alchemist.

Roy noticed the silence and turned. Leaha's face was pale and her eyes were tightly shut. "Leaha? Oh great ... this again ..."

Ed lay on top of his bed, staring at the ceiling. He and Al had decided to stay in an old hotel near the Central Headquarters Building. "Al, you asleep?' He sat up and slung his legs over the side of his bed.

"Huh? No, what is it?" A clunk could be heard as Al sat up as well.

"I don't really know ... something doesn't feel right. It's almost like something is going to happen ... something really bad." Ed pulled on his red coat and started out the door. "I felt this same feeling the night that Hughes died."

"Grace!" Mustang shouted, pounding on the door to Mrs. Hugues's house. "Grace! Open up!"

"Huh? Roy, what's going on? Elisia's trying to sleep." Grace's voice trailed off as she noticed the rare trace of fear on Roy's face. "What's going on?"

"It's Leaha ..." Mustang glanced back to his car where Leaha was practically unconscious. "It's happening again."

Ed and Al were running through the streets of Central when a black car pulled up along side them. "Ed, Al, get in."

Hawkeye shouted from the driver's seat. The pair climbed in quickly, knowing the tone of Hawkeye's voice ment something important was going down.

As soon as the door shut, Hawkeye gunned the engine again and took off, tearing down the street again. Noticing Havoc in the front passenger seat, Ed finally asked what was on his mind. "What's going on?"

Havoc's voice was taught with stress. "The cheif called us from the Hughes' house. He told us to hurry, and bring the two of you, if we found you along the way. Leaha's got a problem ... and that always means big trouble."

"This has happened before ... the results are never good." Hawkeye added. "Last time ... it was when her parents were killed."

"What does Leaha have to do with this?" Ed asked insistantly.

Havoc shook his head. "It isn't our place to tell you ... besides ... we're here."