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Grave

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She still stood behind him when he went to the cemetery. An unspoken promise of support. The first time he had been the last to leave, and so she stayed. A simple presence was what he needed, not someone who sympathized with him and told him they knew how they felt, just someone he could lean on if he needed too. And so she stayed.

It had been a year since Maes' death. He had visited frequently at first, and then as matters wove themselves into thick mats of deceit, the visits had grown distant, but she knew the pain was just as raw. Today was the first in a while he had come here.

He stood in the same spot as always, back turned and staring at the grey outline of the gravestone. It was strange, how a simple slab of stone could change so much in an instant. It was only stone after all, only a building block in the grand scheme of things. But it was before this rock the only place she had ever seen him cry.

It was painful to see him broken. He'd said it was raining. That more than accurately summed up his position on the matter. Even he, a master of alchemy and reconstruction of the universe, could not master death. He was, after all , useless in the rain.

His back was turned to her once more. She wanted to comfort him, reach out and hold him, but she knew it wasn't what he needed. So she stood there, eyes silently watching and trying to share the pain. His voice came softly, a rustle in the winds. "Lieutenant…"

He head snapped up in attention. "Sir?" She asked, concern hidden in her voice. He spoke, never turning to face her. "Why am I powerless here?" His voice was broken and raw. She opened her mouth to speak, searching for the right words. "You aren't powerless, sir."

He laughed, a throaty chuckle. "You don't understand. I can't do anything for him…" She blinked. "Taisa…"

"I was coming up with so many theories on that day…" he said quietly. "I told you didn't I? Alchemists are horrible creatures." He ran a hair absentmindedly through his hair. "It's not those boys' fault, I realize. Its just the emotion mixed with the power that alchemists have…"

She didn't say anything, what could she say? She bowed her head silently. "And now I lost Havoc too. It wasn't just Maes that I couldn't protect. I…" He shook his head. He turned around, and she could see the anguish reflected in his eyes. She didn't move, only raised her head to meet his. He was only a few feet in front of her, but the distance seemed eternal. "Lieutenant," He said quickly, but stopped himself. He cast a hesitant glance over her, and then stepped forward and pulled her into a warm embrace. She was stunned by his gesture, so she just stood there as he held onto her protectively. "I won't fail you," He said quickly and quietly. "I won't let… I couldn't live with myself if…" His voice was cracking. He stopped, not speaking. She didn't see anything, just stared blankly over his shoulder as he hugged her close to him. "Do… do you mind if I borrow your shoulder?" He asked softly in her ear.

Her eyes softened. "I don't mind."