Just about a day, right? A day between updates isn't bad, and there's at least three more coming after this in short order. :) Thanks for those of you who reviewed in this short time, replies are at the end, and I hope you enjoy it!
-0i0-
Winry woke to an empty bed, changing into fresh jeans and a shirt before padding barefoot down the stairs and finding a sleepy but dressed Gracia putting coffee on with the sun barely over the horizon.
"Riza went over to her new home an hour ago, I heard her moving around while it was still dark," their hostess explained as Winry poured herself some milk from the fridge. "Some days I just don't know what to do with her…"
"She loves the Brigadier General, doesn't she?" asked the mechanic carefully as she took a seat.
"Just as much as I love Maes, that man of mine used to joke that someday she would draw the line with Roy." Gracia paused as she pulled down some mugs, a thoughtful frown in place. "I just never thought I would be here to see the day when she would."
"I didn't want to like her, the first time I met her," admitted Winry as she helped pull out the eggs and flour with oil and milk, Gracia getting a round pan as she turned on the stove. "She was military, and in my mind trying to take Ed and Al away from me. The first thing I asked her was if she'd ever killed someone…she was honest, said yes she had. And that every time she pulled the trigger, it was her choice and she didn't regret it. But that she only did it because she had someone she had to protect with everything that she had, even if it meant another had to die by her hand." She poured the specified amounts into the mixing bowl and handed it with a whisk to their hostess. "There was something in her eyes that made her more…human, and somehow I knew she was talking about the then Lt. Colonel Mustang."
"The first time I met her it was at a train station, Maes was coming back to Central from the Ishabal war and Riza and Roy were traveling with him before being assigned at Eastern," Gracia murmured as she mixed the lumps out of the batter and checked how hot the greased pan was. "She was more closed off then, but she tried to be friendly for Maes' sake. The three of them stood there like wary dogs, unsure if it was safe to really let their guards down yet even in the middle of Central. Even then she was always at his side, supporting him when she could barely support herself through the horrors they'd seen and experienced."
"S'there food?" mumbled Zeke as he shuffled into the kitchen, still in his drawstring pants and t-shirt that he slept in with his hair flipping up on the side that he'd slept on. "S'hungry…"
"We'll have some pancakes for you in just a minute," Gracia replied from the stove, chuckling in amusement at his appearance as she flipped the half-cooked circles of batter. "Winry, would you go get Riza? It's right through that door there, it's the space with the water heaters, and she'll be there on the other side."
"Yeah, be back in a sec."
Making her way through the dark passage, Winry emerged into a living room that was the mirror image of Gracia's sans the furniture. In its place she found a forest of stacked boxes, oddly shaped lumps covered in old sheets and the shadows of a room only lit by the gray dawn light through the windows. "Riza…?"
"Up here," she heard from the railing overhead, the said woman peering down at her bearing a load of boxes. "I'll be down in a minute."
"Ok."
Taking the moment to explore a bit with the new owner preoccupied, Winry stuck her head in the kitchen to find it exactly like Gracia's as well, though devoid of any decoration or color and a large space towards the front where a table would probably go. Riza appeared beside her wearing similar clothes to the day before, old uniform pants and shirt that no longer passed muster in the office but were fine for day to day use when one anticipated getting dirty.
"Do you mind helping for a moment? I'm trying to get all Zeke and Beth's boxes to their rooms," she said as she motioned to the three that were left in a pile by the stairs. "Everything else can stay down here for the moment."
"Yeah, sure."
It only took another trip with the two of them working at it, so it wasn't long before they rejoined the others on Gracia's half around the kitchen table. Elysia and Beth had found their way downstairs sometime during that time, still in their pajamas, and with the kids at the table and the women standing around holding their plates that was how the men found them when they arrived a little while later.
Fuery and Falman just stuck their heads in for a quick hello before going and starting to unload the truck. The boxes were marked, so it wasn't hard to figure out where to put them, and the furniture was fairly self-explanatory as well. Ross arrived with Breda and Havoc a little while later, Brosh stuck doing some make up work at the office getting Kants settled in, and Roy characteristically rolling in last of all though he made up for it with a box of donuts that was gone as soon as it was open. Marshall, apparently, had been invited to come and help but upon learning it was for the Lt. Colonel Hawkeye had replied that he doubted she wanted anything to do with him and made himself scarce for the rest of the day.
Riza, of course, was the head of the operation and spent most of her time directing where things were to go or what people could do next as box after furniture piece after box was brought in. Roy disappeared upstairs with Zeke and Elysia and Gracia with Beth, both unpacking their rooms and setting things up with the occasional help from others the way they wanted it to go. Boxes or furniture for Riza's room where set inside but not opened on pain of death, the Lt. Colonel arguing she could settle herself in later. Havoc was sent to the kitchen as he knew how her old one was set up, and Ross was sent to help him as she had a better understanding as a woman of where things might go if he wasn't sure. Winry was given the task of unpacking the bathroom boxes and splitting the contents between the upstairs and downstairs ones, though she left the one directly connected to Riza's bedroom alone.
Breda and Fuery all helped shove everything off to the sides in the living room as Riza and Falman carried in one of the rugs they'd procured from Zeke and Beth's house, a giant circle of rich browns and russet reds with gold hints that easily spanned the width of the room and almost two thirds of the length. It was set towards the center, with Riza's couch and the one they'd added from the other house making a square with two overstuffed chairs from the children's father's library and the stairs. A coffee table that had also come from their old house went in the center and a small circular table went at the corner of the couches and between the two chairs. A bookshelf Riza had had in her apartment went along the front wall to the right of the front door coming in, and perpendicular to it just before you came to the stairs was a thin table that sat along the wall with small shelves underneath it and a mirror above.
It was lunch time by the time all that had been accomplished, Zeke yelling from the top of the stairs that he and Beth's beds were finally put together and Roy adding that he wasn't as useless as people thought with tools. The look on Gracia's face belied otherwise, but further conversation was stopped by Brosh and Kants arriving and bearing enough food to feed an army between the two of them. Riza frowned at the way they brought in the bountiful feast without her permission (or letting her help pay for it) but remained silent when Winry quietly reminded her that it was probably their way of showing their appreciation of her. The coffee table in between all the couches was spread with more sandwiches, bags of chips, and cans of soda as everyone found seats on the furniture or boxes or chairs brought in from the kitchen. Talk mainly revolved around the settling in of the newest members of the Brigadier General's command and Riza's two new charges.
Private Kants didn't say much himself, only responding when spoken to and spending most of his time surveying the scene from a slight distance. The camaraderie among these soldiers was beyond anything he could have hoped for, really. He had heard horror stories in the Military Academy, even of the Flame Alchemist and his aide. The people you didn't want to be assigned to because they were impossible to please or constantly sending their people out on dangerous missions without regard for their safety. This wasn't a group of subordinates with their commanding officers, though; this was a group of friends. Maybe even a family.
Not in the 'mother, father, and kids', sense, though. This seemed to be more like a large group of siblings or cousins. The Brigadier would, obviously, fill the roll of the oldest, leading them wherever they needed to go without fail. The Lt. Colonel would then be the oldest female, and regardless of who was 'older' than her she held the second spot in ladder simply because she treated them with a mix of sisterly mothering that held them together when the Brigadier General's orders could not. He gave them the drive and the dream; she gave them the heart and the hope.
"Enjoying the view?" asked Havoc as he appeared beside the new recruit, unusually quiet in his movements despite his method of transportation. He leaned back in the chair and absently balanced on two wheels as he watched with Private Kants the sight of Riza scolding Breda for trying to teach Zeke how to balance an open can of soda on his head and nearly spilling it all over the place in the process. "You're lucky, you know, you're getting to know her out of uniform before you have her over you in the office."
"That much of a difference, sir?" Kants replied lightly, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face as Winry skipped across the back with Beth clinging to her back towards the kitchen.
"You'll understand come Monday morning next week," Havoc said simply, leaving it at that as he followed the Private's gaze back to the young Miss Rockabell. "Taking an interest in our temperamental mechanic, kid?"
"Huh?" Private Kants looked back at him, flushing slightly. "Oh, uh…she's really nice. You said she's from out of town…?"
"She only knows us because she was Edward Elric's childhood friend," Havoc explained with a laugh. "That guy kept screwing up his automail, and she'd come all the way from Risembool to fix it every time."
"She works with automail?" the younger man replied, looking a little surprised. "She seems young to be an actual mechanic…"
"Don't tell her that, she might chuck a wrench at you," the lieutenant joked as he took a drink from his can. "Incredible aim, too, you'd think her and Hawkeye were sisters sometimes the way they act…"
"Was she…involved with the Elric brothers?" Kants asked cautiously, studying his superior as he awaited the answer. Havoc looked at him out of the corner of his eye, lips curling slyly as realization sparked in his mind.
"You thinking about asking her out?" he guessed with a smirk, the tips of Kants ears burning slightly. "Well, she's not seeing anyone as far as I know. There was something going on between her and Ed, but he's disappeared back through the gate and I think it's safe to say we won't be seeing him again in this lifetime."
"So…" The young man debated on how to interpret that, seeing as he wasn't sure what the officer was actually talking about, and finally ventured, "She's free?"
Havoc snorted and rolled his eyes. "Apparently."
Both men laughed as Breda freaked out at Black Hayate streaking towards him across the room because of a ball the Brigadier General had thrown. Riza, of course, cut him a dangerous look and the man had the grace to look sheepish for the resulting mess but it was Winry who offered to clean up the spilled chips and plates as everyone began to move back towards their jobs. If Kants was more enthusiastic than would generally be considered polite interest to help, no one said anything. Fuery moved upstairs to help Zeke and Beth with the room work and Maria Ross was allowed into Riza's room to help her start setting up her things. Falman and Breda, who had known her apartment very well before, were given the boxes of books to place on the tall bookcase she had set against the front wall (arranged by subject and in alphabetical order, of course), and Havoc was given the task of arranging the one box of pictures she'd had set up in the apartment around the new duplex.
Winry, when finished with the lunch pickup, was asked to help Ross and Riza assemble a bed, and the somewhat disheartened Kants was invited to come along with Havoc to the grocery store for a few basics as Riza's kitchen was frighteningly bare with some milk, juice, a few eggs, some bread and butter being the only things left from her apartment. Riza had given him a list and money, but Havoc told the young man on the way out the door he intended to leave the cash waiting for her in a mug later and add a few fun things for the kids to the list.
Fuery had a date, much to his coworker's surprise, with the same secretary he'd won the bet over earlier that week and was forced to bow out just as the sun set, Falman leaving with him as they'd driven together. Breda had promised some family to visit for dinner, so he wasn't too long in leaving after the first pair, and Ross and Brosh left about thirty minutes after that for another gathering of friends they'd planned to attend earlier that week.
The duplex felt a lot emptier when Havoc and Kants returned, finding Roy and the kids seated at the kitchen table snacking on some fruit Gracia had cut up with Hayate seated at their feet while the three women continued behind the closed door to Riza's bedroom.
"I'm not allowed in," Roy explained with a small grin. "They seem to think I would be more troublesome than helpful…"
"You are known for being difficult to work with," Havoc admitted as he chewed on a cigarette, smirking as his superior officer sputtered excuses much to the children's amusement. Opening the fridge, he piled in the extra milk and juice they'd purchased, adding the few cans of soda left from earlier. Bread, flour and sugar were placed on the correct shelves, boxes of dry cereal and dry pasta finding their own places as the vegetables and fruit were placed in their proper bins in the fridge. A box of cookies Riza had not asked for Havoc showed to the delighted children before pouring the contents it into a cookie jar the said woman rarely used and wondering how long it would take for the Lt. Colonel to realize what had happened.
"I will tell her it was you if she asks," Roy warned from his seat at the table, popping a slice of apple in his mouth. "Especially after that last comment."
"Yessir, I suspect she'll just glower at me and then eat one herself, it's one of her favorite kinds," his subordinate replied cheekily and popped one chocolate studded circle in his mouth, Kants smothering a smile as he watched the two banter back and forth. Definitely a group of siblings, he decided, with a mutual respect and understanding all around.
"You need to wash it out," a voice interrupted as the bedroom door opened, all three women emerging as Gracia tried to fuss over something on Riza's hand and the woman kept brushing her aside firmly.
"I know, I just need the antiseptic from the medical box and some bandages," Hawkeye replied a bit curtly, obviously finding the fuss and bother to be a silly thing. "It should only take a moment."
"What happened?" asked Roy, standing as Riza quickly skirted past them to the sink, putting the back of her hand under the cold water as she flipped on the faucet.
"A metal lockbox slipped while we were moving something and the corner caught the back of her hand," Winry explained as she helped Beth finish her last few pieces of orange. "It's just a deep scratch…"
The Brigadier General didn't need to hear any more than that, accepting the medical kit Havoc had wisely retrieved from the cabinet and pulling Riza's hand from under the water despite her protests that she could handle it herself to inspect it. Winry had been right, it had already stopped bleeding and could hardly be called a cut, but it stretched across the length of the back of her hand and he hated to see anything marring her flawlessly white skin.
Everyone wisely ignored them as he trapped Riza's wrist with his hand to the counter, using his free hand to open the kit and procure the needed bottle of antiseptic. Rubbing a small amount along its length, he covered it with a thin pad and taped it down before letting her free.
"Hey, chief, you hungry?" called Havoc before Riza could berate Roy for helping when he wasn't needed. "I'm thinking pizza, and there's this great place right down the road…"
"Poppa's Pizza?" asked Elysia, suddenly very excited. "Can we go, mom? Please?"
"It depends on who else is going," Gracia replied with a smile. "How about it, Riza? It is getting late, and neither of us has anything started for dinner."
"Pizza sounds fine," the Lt. Colonel replied as she rubbed a hand over the Brigadier General's work. He'd been very gentle, she remembered with a faint flush, and the feeling of his hand on her wrist hadn't been exactly unpleasant. "If you two don't mind, that is."
"Can we get sausage pizza?" asked Zeke as Beth just beamed from her seat. "I love sausage pizza!"
"You get your own pizza there," explained Elysia as Havoc turned to Winry and Kants with a knowing look.
"Well, are you two in?"
"Of course, where else would I go?" replied Winry with a smile, looking at Kants who flushed slightly under her gaze. "How about you?"
"I-I'll come," he replied, turning a brighter red at the way his voice cracked slightly as he cleared his throat. "That is, if no one else minds…"
"The more the merrier!" replied Havoc as he threw his hands in the air. "C'mon, guys, I know it's a Sunday night but it'll still be crowded."
It took two cars to transport them all, Havoc riding with Riza and the three kids all in the back as her car had a trunk for his wheelchair. Roy drove the other car with Kants beside him in the front and Winry and Gracia in the back, the older man amusedly watching the way the younger man watched the back seat with his side mirror at the two women talking there animatedly.
"So," said Havoc the minute they were in the car, the kids in the back too busy discussing their pizza choices to hear what was being said in the front. "How was the trip with the chief, really?"
"Hard," admitted Riza, knowing Havoc knew her to well to believe a straight lie, especially after their time together in Ishabal. "But manageable. It's been interesting since then…"
"He's taken to the kids and them to him," the soldier observed as they moved through traffic. "He really would make a great dad…" She shot him a look, one he recognized all to well with a sigh. "Hawkeye…Riza…c'mon, you know I know."
"Then you know why I can't," she replied with a finality that left no room for further discussion. "How is your pursuit of the elusive Sheska going?"
"Nowhere," he grumbled, letting her change the subject for the moment. "She thought I was joking the first time I asked her out. The second time she turned me down for a book. For a friggin' book!"
"Language," Riza warned quickly, glancing at the kids who were talking animatedly in the backseat with the rearview mirror. "I won't have those two learning your rough tongue while they're living under my roof."
"Yes, ma'am…"
The pizza place was crowded, as Havoc had predicted, but it didn't take long for them to get a table and with all of them seated in a circle it made for an interesting picture inside. Beth and Zeke sat together, with Riza beside Beth and Elysia beside Zeke. Roy, of course, was on Riza's right and Havoc's left and Gracia sat between her daughter and Winry. Kants completed the circle between the chair bound solider and the blonde mechanic, looking decidedly elated and yet uncomfortable as Winry brushed against him briefly when reaching for a straw.
"Five bucks says he asks if he can see her again after dinner," Havoc murmured to Roy when Riza was distracted with Beth.
"No, he won't," Roy replied with a shake of his head. "Nice guy, but no backbone when it comes to girls, like Fuery."
Havoc paused, his lip curled as he sucked on his teeth. "I really think he likes her, though. Ten?"
Roy nodded a confident smirk in place. "Ten."
"Sir, you wouldn't be doing something that might cause problems later, would you?" Riza asked as the Brigadier General lounged in his seat, hooking one arm over the back.
"No, just a friendly…disagreement with Havoc," he replied with a shrug. "Either way, I don't think things will change much."
"Very well…"
"You know," said Gracia, bringing everyone's attention back into focus. "I'm curious to know more about your new Private. I don't think you've ever been assigned someone fresh out of the academy."
"Not true, Fuery came to us right out of the academy," pointed out Havoc, punctuating the statement with a nod. "But I gotta admit I'm a little curious, too. Where'd you come from, sharpshooter?"
"Uh, Northern, actually," he admitted with a faint flush, unused to being the center of attention and well aware that three of his superiors plus a girl he found very attractive were at the table. Suddenly wondering if coming along was such a good idea, he continued, "I'm the youngest of five sons, and with the oldest getting the farm there wasn't much there to hold me down."
"How old are you?" asked Roy as he sized the boy up a bit. "You look young to be out of academy already, actually."
"Nineteen, my father signed for me so I could join early," he admitted with a sheepish shrug. "Most people don't graduate until they're twenty, twenty one. Older if they join late."
"Ah…"
"Unless you're a State Alchemist," stuck in Havoc with a smirk, "Then you can be lazy as anything, not put in two or three years at the academy and just make pretty sparks to get an automatic promotion from the judges to Major. I've been putting in overtime for a couple of years now plus the time in the war and going to the academy and I still don't have that rank."
"Hey," protested Roy with a scowl. "I worked hard to make those sparks! You try manipulating molecular makeup sometime; it's not as easy as it looks."
"Yeah, and I can do the same thing with my lighter," Havoc shot back with a snort, pulling out the said object and flicking the top of it. "Look, pretty sparks! Not only that, but I'm not useless in the rain."
"That's what Hawkeye's for," he grumbled as he rolled his eyes, Riza just shaking her head as Beth asked what they were talking about. "I ought to write you up for insubordination…"
"Be careful, sir, or people may think you don't like your subordinates," said Riza with a straight face, sipping her water lightly. "You wouldn't want to give your new private the wrong impression."
"I don't, at least not him," he replied with a pouting scowl, putting his back to the man. "Havoc could take a lesson from Private Kants, he doesn't try and make fun of his superior officer."
"He just hasn't learned how lazy you are yet," Havoc replied with a snort.
"Actually, the Brigadier General's work ethic, or lack there of, is somewhat legendary among those preparing for their first assignments," put in Kants with a nervous cough. "There are a few assignments people pray they do not receive, yours isn't considered the worst but it isn't that far off by those who don't know better…"
"Whose ranked number one?" asked Havoc curiously. "I know when the guy was still alive people at Central hoped with everything they had not to be put under Brigadier General Basque Grand."
"There is supposedly a Brigadier General out in Southern that is frighteningly strict with his subordinates," Kants explained as he took a drink of his iced tea. "And Lt. General Hakuro has never been considered to be a good task master. Many possibilities of promotion, yes, but he has a reputation for valuing his subordinates based upon their ability to reflect well on him. At the other end of the spectrum, there is a Lt. General at Northern and a Colonel at Western that are considered 'dead ends'. Unless you manage to save the Fuhrer's life or something equally grand you will be stuck in the same rank doing the same job regardless of your skills and talent until the day you retire."
"That is the problem with the military, so much of the evaluation processes are subjective," said Roy with a frown. "I don't consider much of what I've done over my career as extraordinary or positive, yet somehow I keep getting promoted."
"A great many people feel the same way, sir," replied Riza as she gave a ghost of a smile.
They managed to order a few minutes later with a minimum of trouble, the only hitch being they were out of anchovies, much to Havoc's dismay and everyone else's relief. The place's specialty was personal pizzas just about the size of a plate, and with everyone able to pick their own toppings there were no arguments about what one should order. The food was quick to arrive, and even quicker to disappear as moving boxes and furniture tended to give people a good appetite.
"I completely forgot to ask, how is the reconstruction going?" asked Roy as he nibbled on his last crust, his plate empty save a few crumbs and even those where being thoughtfully eyed. "I noticed everything around the train tracks and rail station was completed.
"We're about 95 finished with the first phase," Havoc replied as he scratched the back of his head. "Crews are going to be put on a once a month rotation after this last stretch of homes and streets are repaired. Their shift will be half days for a single week, then three off before they go again. Those crews will be techs like Fuery and people with construction skills like Falman, working to repair buildings that weren't completely destroyed but only require a little work to get them in top shape again."
"So we're loosing Fuery once a month for a week," Roy grumbled to himself. "Are the alchemists still going to be doing work?"
"No sir, at least not after this week. In fact the only people on crews this week are Falman, Ross and Breda."
"How long is this next phase to last?" asked Riza, already reworking some of their office schedules in her mind for when Fuery and possibly Falman would be absent.
"Another six months or so supposedly but it'll probably be another year, after that they'll implement 'Phase Three', which is supposed to entail groups of officers given community service projects once a month for two days like planting trees in the destroyed sections of the park or fixing up some of the older areas of the city," the chair bound man explained as he absently balanced on two wheels once again, his seat off to the side so he wouldn't trip any of the waiters. "That's supposed to last for about a year, but I heard the Fuhrer talking to some of the parliament officials in the courtyard and they were saying with the way the Military being as big as it is and our neighbors no longer at war with us since they're making all those treaties we should consider having a survey done of the whole country and sending out groups of soldiers for a month every year to go work somewhere for the betterment of the people. Alchemist's too."
"An excellent idea, the Military is supposed to be working for the people," Riza stated simply as she noticed Beth's yawn out of the corner of her eye. "I think it may be time to head back."
"Absolutely," agreed Gracia as Elysia leaned against her arm tiredly. "My little girl's got school in the morning and it's been a long day."
"I suppose that's it then," said Winry as Havoc picked up the check and rolled himself over to the register. "Oh, he doesn't have to pay for me…"
"Let him, he likes spoiling people," said Roy with a grin. "And if you convince him to take your money the rest of us will be forced to do the same."
"Cheap and lazy, why is it the women of Central fawn all over you again?" quipped Gracia as she followed the rest out the door.
"My dashing good looks, of course," he replied with a hint of pride, brushing the hair from his eye and patch smoothly. "They just can't resist the Mustang charm."
"Actually, it's just because he's got the money to take them to the restaurants on the nicer side of town," Havoc stuck in there with a grin, barely managing to evade his superior's smack on the side of his head. "That and he's so girly half of them think he's gay, so he's safe to hang out with."
"I'm not gay, Havoc!"
"I never said you were, sir," the man drawled as he switched the cigarette to the other side of his mouth. "It's some of the ladies that think so, not me."
"Load up the cars already, before these munchkins fall asleep on the way to their beds," ordered Gracia as she helped Beth and Elysia into Riza's backseat, climbing back there with them when Winry took the front. This left the boys, including Zeke, to ride back to the duplex together, though Havoc's wheelchair still had to go in Riza's trunk.
"Pay up," said Roy the moment they were in the car, Havoc sighing and handing over ten dollars before grumbling something about men without backbones under his breath.
"Did I do something wrong?" asked Kants carefully when he caught Havoc glaring at him in the rearview mirror, him and Zeke sharing the backseat.
"He just didn't read you well enough, that's all," Roy assured him with a short laugh. "He seemed to think you'd try and ask the young Miss Rockabell for a date after dinner tonight.
"S-sir?!" Kants looked positively horrified as Havoc burst into a rant about how he had to have more backbone if he ever wanted a girl to like him. "S-sir, I really don't think it's your business…"
"Correction, you're under our command and officially part of the family, everything in your life is now our business," broke in Roy with a smirk as the color drained from the young man's face. "Don't look so scared, kid, it's not as bad as all that."
"Yeah, could be worse, you could be one of the unfortunate few who knows the Brigadier General's business as well," Havoc shot teasingly, the said man glaring at him out of the corner of his eye as he drove. "Well, sir, you do have the most messed up personal life I've ever seen…"
"Please, Havoc, the last thing I need is to be reminded of that," the Brigadier General snapped sharply. His voice suddenly dropped considerably, Zeke capturing Kants' attention with a question about his rank in the Military. "What did she say?"
"Who, sir?"
"You rode with her there, Havoc, don't play these games with me."
The handicapped military officer sighed and wondered how he'd gotten in the middle of the two of them in the first place. Oh, right, he'd become a close friend of Hawkeye's during the war, then decided to take a liking to his commanding officer after they were assigned together. A commanding officer she had an interesting past with. He really should've seen it coming right from the start. "Her stance hasn't changed," he said as he stared out the windshield. "Straight and true, she's going to support you to the top no matter what. And I do mean no matter what." They both knew what was not being said, Hawkeye would keep herself as untouchable as long as it could possibly be a detriment to his career. Even with the fraternization laws gone, it wouldn't take much but a well-placed rumor and being caught once in a compromising situation to end both of their lives in the military permanently. Murdering a previous Fuhrer, even if it was proven that he wasn't human, was a bad enough stain as it was, Hawkeye would never allow him to tarnish his name again.
"Damn…"
"Uncle Roy, do you think Winry likes Uncle Ollie, too?" asked Zeke suddenly, both men glancing back to find their subordinate a brilliant shade of red and the boy as curious as ever. "Cuz I think he likes her."
"Oh, he definitely likes her," Havoc crowed as they pulled into the driveway. "But the person to ask that first question might be your Aunt Riza; she usually knows things like that."
"Oh, ok."
"N-no, really, you don't have to," rushed Kants as he tried to convince the boy by waving his hands slightly. "I'll, uh, ask her myself sometime."
"But I wanna know now," Zeke whined as he slid out of the car, scowling slightly.
"Well, then, I'll tell you first thing when I find out," Kants promised quickly. "Before I tell anyone else."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Ok!"
"What's that about?" asked Winry as Zeke passed her with a wide grin before trotting inside behind his aunt and sister.
"Uh, just a game we were playing," Kants tried to explain lightly, his voice squeaking at the end. She smothered a smile as he flushed both immediately looking away when their gazes met again. "He's a…good kid."
"Yeah, he is."
"He'll ask her out by the end of the week," said Havoc to Roy he helped him into his chair, pulling another ten from his pocket.
Roy shook his head with a grin. "No, he'll wait until next time she visits. Ten it is. I almost feel bad, though, because you're going to lose again."
"I've won plenty of money off of you chickening out asking Riza to dinner," Havoc chuckled as he watched his superior officer almost do a double take at him. "What? It was pretty obvious what you were trying to do since you got back, at least to us guys. I know she thought you were acting a little strange, but she doesn't know yet. Or at least I didn't tell her. If she asked Fuery, though, you're screwed; the man can't lie to save his life."
"Nice to know my officers are so involved in my personal life," Roy grumbled as they headed for the front door.
"We're only returning the favor," Havoc replied, giving the Brigadier General a pat on the arm.
"Sir, do you think you could do without me tomorrow?" asked Riza as Gracia bid everyone goodnight and went from Riza's half to her own, giving the excited Black Hayate a pat before closing the door behind them. "I still need to enroll Zeke in a school, and another day to settle in would be helpful."
"I actually wasn't expecting you to come back at all this next week," admitted Mustang as he sauntered up beside her. "Are you sure that's enough time?"
"Plenty, sir," she assured him with a nod. Beth came up beside her a tugged on her sleeve, the older woman crouching beside her to have her whisper in her ear. "Don't worry; I'll be inside in just moment…"
"Go ahead and go, Hawkeye, we'll see you tomorrow," he said as he turned towards his car. "I'll come pick up the truck during lunch, see you then!"
"Ok, sir."
Havoc and Kants bid them goodnight as well, Winry coming inside as Riza closed the front door with a flushed face and a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Go get ready for bed," she told Zeke as she picked up Beth, the younger girl's eyes already drooping. "Are you going to bed?" she asked Winry, the mechanic snapping back to the present with a blush.
"Uh, not quite yet," she replied quickly. "Are you?"
Riza shook her head, giving her a tired smile as the little girl in her arms snuggled more deeply against her. "Not quite yet, you can stay for some tea if you want."
Winry nodded gratefully. "Alright."
"Wanna show you my room," Beth murmured from where her head rested on Riza's shoulder, her aunt carefully cradling her as she walked up the stairs.
"That's right, I haven't seen it yet today," she replied quietly, easily reaching the top. The first door was Beth's, and she opened it before flicking on the lamp to her immediate right. Light flooded the small room, and it showed Beth's small white bed against one wall to the immediate right with her matching nightstand beside it and the bookshelf painted the same color along the other way. The pictures that needed to be hung leaned against the foot of the bed, waiting for the room to be painted first as Riza had promised, and several glass figures decorated the top of the dresser. Pulling out pajamas and helping her into them, the sharpshooter tucked the little girl under the covers with a small smile.
"Comfortable?" she asked as she smoothed the golden hair back from sleepy red-brown eyes.
"Mhm," the girl replied with a nod. "I don't wanna be by myself."
"Well…" Riza paused with a slight frown. "I can't stay here with you, the bed is too small and there's not much space on the floor. Would Black Hayate do?"
The dog stuck his head in the door after she whistled quietly, tail wagging as his mistress ordered him on the bed beside the girl. Beth smiled and reached out to the furry creature, who obliged by licking her fingers eagerly.
"He'll protect you," she promised as she silently told the dog to stay. He seemed confused as she rose to her feet, about to try and follow, but another command and he lay there perfectly still. Beth curled up beside him, one arm pulling his shaggy neck close. Guard, Riza told him silently with her hands, stay. "And if you get scared just come downstairs, I'll be in the kitchen or my bedroom. He'll go with you wherever you go."
The little girl seemed content with that, her face free of all signs of worry once more. "Ok. 'Night."
"Goodnight."
Closing the door softly with the lamp left on per the occupant's request, it was only a few steps to Zeke's room and after a quick knock on the door she procured entrance to his area. The bed was bigger than his sister's and against the far wall with the nightstand beside it just like hers. Two book shelves stood to the immediate right of the door in the corner, and beside the closet was the chest of drawers. All of the furniture was in the same dark wood with a black varnish, standing starkly against the white walls.
The boy himself was already in the bed, the alchemy book Pinako had given him spread over his lap.
"Go to sleep," she told him as she took it from his hands, setting it aside on the nightstand. "You have to go register for school tomorrow."
"Where am I going?" he asked as he settled under the covers, her keeping her contact to a brief brush of fingers along his forehead to settle his hair.
"I'm not sure yet, we'll talk about it at breakfast," she replied as she switched off the lamp. "You know where to find me if you need something. Even if it's just not sleeping well."
"Ok…"
"Goodnight."
"'Night."
She shut his door as well, turning off the lights in the hallway before making her way down the stairs to the kitchen.
Winry was just pouring the hot water into the cups, handing her one along with a teabag and the sugar bowl.
"Thank you," said Riza as she pulled out her purse and with it the gun that she always carried. Taking it apart, she was soon cleaning it with the care most reserved for bathing a newborn. "For everything."
"Just trying to help," Winry replied with a small smile, settling herself at the table with the gun-toting woman already seated and putting the firearm back together. "It was fun, too."
"Hm, yes, you especially seemed to enjoy the scenery," her companion said in an offhand manner, setting the gun aside as the younger woman bowed her head slightly with a blush. "And I'd say the scenery enjoyed looking at you as well."
"Is it wrong to feel a little…guilty for enjoying his presence?" Winry asked as she ran a finger along the rim of her mug. "I mean, we hardly spoke at all, but…"
"You had a special connection with Edward, but he's no longer here," the Lt. Colonel said flatly as she eyed the young woman sitting beside her. "I very much doubt it was ever actually acknowledged on his part, if he even realized it at all. So, even if you hold a special place for him, and he for you, I think he would understand if you didn't sit around waiting forever for him."
"Six months isn't exactly forever…"
"Winry."
The young woman sighed, putting her head on her arms as she pressed her lips together. "I miss them so much," she whispered after awhile. "Now they've both left me, and sometimes I wonder how they could just push me away like that, but for a little while tonight I forgot." Her eyes closed as her the corners of her lips raised slightly. "He was so cute turning red when everyone looked at him like that at the restaurant and really helpful when Breda and Black Hayate knocked over all those chips and plates…"
Riza just sipped her tea, letting the young woman talk herself out as she described how his eyes changed colors in the light, and his hair looked so masculine even if it was longer than most. He was taller than she was used to, but for some reason she didn't feel like he was hovering over her when they stood next to each other. She then, of course, wondered if he really had been watching her as well and what he thought and if he might ask her out sometime before she left. Would she say yes? Could she say yes? She didn't know yet, maybe she needed more time before she could say for sure…
An hour passed before Winry stopped completely, silence sitting between them for a few minutes before Riza rose to her feet and announced she was going to bed.
"Thanks," said Winry as she got to her feet, collecting her mug to put in the sink.
"For what?" her friend replied as she stretched slowly, emptying what was left in the kettle.
"For listening."
"Sometimes it's just better to let people get it out of their system," she reasoned with a shrug as she turned towards her bedroom door. "I'm sure you'll sleep better now. Goodnight, Winry."
"Goodnight, Riza."
-0i0-
A little bit longer than last time, and even more about the new additions to the crew. On Kants end, at least. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, here's the review replies!
GENREAL NOTE TO ALL READERS: Some of you seem to be confused about where exactly this story takes place in the FMA time line. In the first chapter, I detailed it out fairly well, and I'll do so again here. After this, I won't be answering this question because you should at least know as readers by now to at least peruse the Author's Notes from time to time. It's just polite.
This is a manga/anime/movie mix since I prefer some manga elements but it hasn't reached its conclusion yet. For clarity's sake, here are the important details that I can think of that have great influence on this piece. This will have lots of spoilers for the manga and series, consider yourself fairly warned. Roy and Riza have their past together, with the array on Riza's back and Roy studying under her father. Havoc is in a wheelchair from the battle with Lust and has been rehired by the military as a non-commissioned officer under Roy training new officers. Similar to Sheska's position. The movie has occurred, and the conflict ended six months before, with both brothers disappearing to the other side.
And now on to the rest of the reviews!
Anne Packrat : Yeah, Zeke's quite the complex kid. Read above for your answer, and thanks for the review!
Dennisud : Gotta say, the whole family element is one of my favorite things about this story too. Seeing the behind the scenes lives the military folks, especially Roy and Riza, just makes my day. And yeah, the new characters will certainly be leaving their impact before long. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
Leigh : That's right, Zeke knows better than to mess with Riza now! That doesn't mean it'll stop him, probably, silly boy. Glad to know I've managed even more than your expectations, I hope I continue to do so! Thanks for the review!
Blknblupanter1 : Thanks for the review, glad to know you'll be sticking around for a bit and that you approve of the multiple updates. Hope this was soon enough for you!
Danelle : Thanks, even if you did forget to review for a bit. I do it too, sometimes. : ) Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you may never doubt how good this story is again. Loved the review!
Causmicfire : I've always hated it when they made one, or both of the cannon characters perfect and entirely without fault or flaw. Perfection can be earned, to a certain degree, I think if Riza had been practicing constantly in preparation for that exact contest for weeks before it happened a perfect score could have very well occurred. Without that practice, I think the pressure would get to her at least a little bit. The family times together are great, as is the way Riza is slowly learning to deal with her charges. Thanks for the many compliments and the wonderful review, hope this part lived up to the rest.
Kurissyma san Tybalt : I don't think I've ever had someone miss a bus for want of reading one of my chapters. Almost been late to class, yes, or tempted to skip a period or work shift in order to read it, yes, but never actually completely missing a bus. The complement that pays me is great, and I really truly appreciate it though I hope you weren't late wherever you were trying to go. All of your questions about the past are answered above, hopefully, and if not go watch the end of the FMA series plus the movie. That should explain things well enough.
SxL : Of course I quoted Wicked, I've seen it live twice! Almost saw it three times, but that's another story. And of course she will eventually be convinced, the question is when and how. Stick around to find out! Thanks for the review. :)
Jacksparrow589 : Your most adamant approval was met with great delight! Don't worry, if I plan on setting records it will be for speedy updates, not long ones. I hope your paper went well, thank you for the review, and I hope you enjoyed it once more!
Humor Queen Merc : You are too kind! Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed the next chapter!
Dailenna : Look, less than 24 hours! Can't get much better than that, eh? Zeke's gonna learn eventually…it's just gonna take him awhile. It usually does with kids. And yeah, Riza now has a subordinate all her own. Always gotta throw in another element, you know what I mean? Yeah, and I like making fun of pairings I don't agree with. Sorry, but Roy Mustang was straight. End of story. Gracia's subtle attempts are about to get a whole lot less subtle, so stick around, and yeah, she takes after Maes far more than she probably should. I'm glad you found something personally relevant in the story, I try to make them as realistic as possible. Thanks for the awesome review, can't wait to hear from you again and I hope the chapter was most satisfactory.
SakuraTearDrop : Aw, I guess you loves me forever now, huh? Glad to know you're in for the long haul, can't wait to hear from you again and thanks for the review!
Momiji-k : Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of dirty humor myself but I couldn't help poking fun at Ed/Roy fans, it's just so wrong. It's like saying Riza and Wrath should hook up, or Fuery and the old Fuhrere. I'm glad you enjoyed the story, and I'm going for realistic so I'm glad I'm succeeding. Yeah, I know about the typos, but if that's the worst people can blast me on I'm as happy as a clam. Sorry about the lapse in updates, but I did explain why at the beginning of last chapter, and the next few rapid updates should more than make up for it. Thanks for the wonderfully long review, hope the next part was just as good.
OTP : Glad you loved it, thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed the next chapter!
That is for now, folks. See you again soon!
CB
'God save me from my friends. I can protect myself from my enemies.'
-Martin Luther