Wow! Chapter number three! Not as many reviews as the first chapter, but I so found this to be great and fun and like... Okay! I can't resist! I need to balance out my diet from the KimRoy, RoyEd and HyuRoi that I've been focusing on and do some Royai.

NOTE: This is not my plot. This is the plot of Jokess, which, I got from her permission to use on fanfiction dot net. I'm implementing my own elements, but the framework is hers, and I know, you'll know some parts towards the end before we get there. but not everything.

Alexander Rubens belongs to Greed. I hope I got him right, Daddy!

As for everything else? Enjoy!

Review Replies!

Riza: YAY! -glomp- Riza, it's been so looooong! WE MISS YOU! We'll wipe off that rust! We'll get you so tired of us, you'll be afraid to come online! I'm glad you liked, I did write it for you after all! Ah, but I just had to do it. There had to be some backstory, if I was going to make it worthwhile, right? Anyway, don't envy me, you're a beautiful writer too! And you help me lots. I'll tell you over MSN. :3 Just cause like... you pwn. xD See you and I will update a special thing in commemorance of your return!

Daddy Elric: xDD I dunno! Why didn't you, did you figure that out? Maybe because Ed's so easily jealous and this is obviously a Royai? xD Does you? Yay! xD It's so hard to think like that man in regards to notes. I don't see how he does it. xD Yay for cute Elysia! xD

xD Of course he is, it's his job to show off.

xD He should have, but that's okay, and Ed might be in this later. xD

Dailenna: That it does.

Do you? xD I totally forgot to mention it, which could have brought out a bit more length to it, so that was on me really, but you do have a good idea. I just wonder when... hmn... xD

Thank you, and I will do my best to keep you pleased! Yay! xD

Uke: xD Of course. That's the Roy we all know and love. I had to negate all the sappiness in it somehow!

"Since when does it matter?"

Auburn eyes stared across the room. Work... yes, she was supposed to be getting ready for work. That was what the... leash in her had was for? Black Hayate gave a bark, telling her that he was ready to go, but it still had not registered what she planned on doing, or where she was. None of it made sense.

... there was a long moment of silence before she realized...

It was Sunday night, two in the morning, and she hadn't slept since, well decently before Roy's death, but at all, since before the distributing of the General's things, and that wasn't necessarily as bad as one would think. She hadn't eaten since that day and the only water she had was when she was trying to understand Mustang's notes on state changes in alchemy. Why she had been so focused since she found them, she would never know. She knew the basics of alchemy since her father had taught her the secrets of flame alchemy, but they agreed that secret would die with them, and she'd never follow along that path, but maybe there was something there to make the pain easier...

Another yip from Hayate pulled the disoriented woman from her thoughts, and she stood silently, nodding to her pup and leading him from the house. She had been afraid to come back, a neighbor feeding Hayate while she was away, but now she couldn't leave without spacing out and forgetting herself. Grief was a terrible thing, and there were times she wished she wasn't as human as she had become, but it was much too late for that.

The rain outside was gentle, more of a drizzle that had coated the concrete in a light glaze, shining in the dim lights of the street lamps made for illumination for late night walkers. Hayate probably needed her to be a bit stronger than she had become, failing horribly to even protect her dog from simple things like hunger and thirst. The ground held a magnificent sheen, puddles indicating that rain had been strong not all that long ago, the occassional vehicle passing and splashing water in attempts for late-night partiers to hurry home, sleep for a few hours and be rushed off to work.

The sky was a gentle dark blue, compared to the way she felt and the icy cool breeze that touched her warm skin, stars twinkling softly above, hardly showing a cloud and the reason for the almost sea-like breeze that night. But to her, it didn't matter, watching that half a moon shine with its borrowed light. What did it matter if they all shined brightly and giddily? They knew nothing of the pain of mortals, the gods hanging in the sky. How dare they taunt with their beauty while she suffered? The bitter taste of bile rose in her throat.

"Is that all you have?"

"Go away!" That voice continued to be persistent in her ears. Sleep deprivation, she had concluded the voice was simply a result of that, but it was bothersome, and it... it was so disheartening to hear that voice again, but know that there was no body to accompany it.

Black Hayate watched his master with a mixture of concern and intrigue, head tilted and emitting a small whine. He knew something was wrong but help seemed so far out of his reach.

"Come on, through the park." She finally directed, tugging on the leash with a weak smile. It was all she could muster, all she could give birth to in the end. Roy's words, his notes, his voice resonated in her head, and the only thing that she could do was listen to the taunts that sounded as if they were made for Fullmetal and oblige by reading the notes, trying to ascertain what they meant, break through Mustang's code, and relieve her curiosity. If she tried hard enough, and she still couldn't decode it, then she would know she tried all she could, and he could be put to rest.

"And if you did manage to decode the theory?"

What would she do then? She wasn't certain about anything any more. If she broke the code, and she understood what he was saying in that intricate wording that seemed beautiful but lying beneath all the poems he wrote for women, all of the journal entries from dates... was a horrific science, a science of building a human being from the most basic components... the art of human transmutation. It was sickening. The mere thought that he even tried to develop something on it was appalling, but... if she could have him back, if she could make it all right again, everyone would be happy, right? They'd have Roy back!

... and then she remembered what had done all that hell to Roy, what had mangled his body, and left the curse on him to finally suffer and die. Bradley was born in a similar fashion. Homunculi were failed results of a human transmutations to bring a person back to life, a doll that relied on other souls trapped within immitation Philosopher's stones. Could she really dishonor his memory so, by doing the forbidden, and risking it all? Could she risk losing him again, and further more, risk ending his life with her own hand because she had messed up?

It was all too conflicting. She had his face in pictures, she had his beautiful voice echoing in the hollows of her head, what more could she want, outside of those strong arms, telling her that the world wasn't cruel wherever he could protect her, that reassuring fact that he was alive, and muttering words into her ear... that she still had a purpose, because she could protect him. All of it made the end all that more reliable... it was worth the hell.

She couldn't do it. Roy had gave his life, ultimately, to rid the world of the corrupt Fuhrer. His death could not be wasted, just to bring another into existence.

"A homunculus is born from a failure. It's different if you succeed."

And she refused to listen anymore. Roy would never encourage such things. It was taboo for a reason. It wasn't going to bring him back, it was just going to bring more heartache... so she decided to cut the last tie. If she forgot his voice, it was fine. He'd understand, from what it was telling her.

"Come on, Hayate."

"I didn't know you'd be such a coward."

"Coward... yes, I'll take that, but I won't suffer anymore. Come on, Black Hayate."

The dog yipped excitedly, tugging on the leash and directing his master along the longer path home. Riza didn't argue, and trusted his judgement. He was usually right, and if anything, it was best not to go down that road, not having slept properly since the incident. It was still a great feat to call it that, 'the incident', let alone even say the man was dead. She had told herself, once she could say it three times, out loud, she would be able to get over it, and move on, and even saying it once was hard. The thought of it made her stomach turn. How long... would her heart twist like this?

"That won't do."

"Huh?"

"Shh, now. You need your rest my precious girl." a voice no louder than a whisper floating along the wind's breath, drowned out by the warnings of the trees to the dog trying to escort his master home. It didn't matter who this was, they were spying on someone, and the the wind could not sit idly by. The scent of blood stained his clothes, made him dangerous, and this innocent soul had suffered enough.

"Daddy?"

"Hush. We have to find your brothers and sisters. We will find them, yes, Nina?"

There was a pause before the girl nodded. "Yes! We will Daddy!"

He laughed quietly, still not daring to raise his voice above the whisper of the wind, beginning to mutter to the child that had his attention. She was perfect. She was his Nina. His perfect little girl, the one he made. Science could do everything, science could birth the greatest miracles. Why waste nine months making sure a woman concieved when he could mold actual flesh with his hand? His own hand could bring so many miracles... and that was what he was going on. Laboratory Five had been excellent in this little event. Nothing could stand in his ways, eyes seeing, not the world before him, but the future. The future where he and his new family could live comfortably... where little Nina would not be alone anymore.

"Sir..."

"Don't worry, Hawkeye. That's far from my mind, even now, in this hole I've dug myself. I don't think I could manage it, even using alchemy takes its toll. I know it's impossible to bring back what is lost... no matter how much we want it." He smiled ruefully, looking up from the book he was packing away. "Hughes called me stupid for it, and I must admit, thinking back on it now, it was a coward's way out. A life for a life, that's the trade, isn't it? If I used mine to bring theirs back, not only would I be free from my responsibilities, but I could bring people who died by my hand back to existence. However, death wasn't as willing to take me, and I wasn't as willing to embrace it as I first thought. I can't waste what everyone worked so hard to protect, right? You were there for me, and if you hadn't been here to take care of me, make sure I had my medication, to dress my wounds, I wouldn't have lasted longer than that night."

She watched him carry on noiselessly, still holding the bowl of water to clean and redress his infected eye. It had been a long day, and she herself was tired, but listening to him made her worry. "You should get some rest, General."

"I'm packing it all away. Even the Flame. I don't think that there is much use with my horrible aiming now." He chuckled, straightening when the book had been placed away and the box tapped up. "Besides, I have more important things to do. Come, Lieutenant. Naptime."

"Sir..."

The sun shined in through that oh-too-familiar window, cascading through the translucent curtains and shining down on the bed she hadn't recalled passing out on, the blankets gently, almost in a tender loving manner, had been pulled up to her chin. It was almost like those times... something she must have unconsciously did during the night to help her sleep. It was nice... nice to finally get some rest. Though the sleep still hazed her mind, she felt a lot better than she had the night before, and as Hayate sat next to the bed that the three of them once shared on Roy's bad nights, she risked a very miniscule, but obvious to her and her pup, smile, climbing out to tend to him.

The routine she had done for years before the final fight against the Fuhrer had begun. She set out food for Hayate, forcing him to do a series of polite tricks, such as 'sit pretty', 'shake', and 'lay down', just to make sure that he knew 'mommy' wasn't going to go easy on him just because she was in mourning. The dog seemed to cooperate very well, licking at his master's hand, telling her he was there for her before moving to eat.

Riza managed to break away when she found Hayate was satisfied with the meal he'd been granted, and moved into the kitchen, pulling out a carrot stick and chopping up bits of ham. An omelette sounded fairly good at that point, and her stomach refused to wait for nourishment any longer. For some reason, she had felt... happy. As if nothing had ever happened. Oddly enough, her mind had pushed out the fact that Roy was gone.

"Black Hayate! I'll be off soon." She called, finishing up her meal, and moving about the house to get ready. Her shirt was on, her pants and jacket followed suit, replacing the pajamas she had been clothed in the night before, her boots were on her feet, her hair pulled back. It didn't feel like a chore, getting moving. Today it just felt like Roy had proposed, or that he had actually said the words 'I love you', without some hitch on the end to ruin the moment. It felt... like the best day of her life.

With a small smile in place, she grabbed her bag and Riza Hawkeye was off to work, just like any other day...

"Good morning gentlemen." Riza stepped into the office, moving straight to he desk and setting her things down, glancing around the room at the solemn faces. They didn't bother her, nothing could bother her at the moment. The world seemed so perfect...!

"You seem well today. Did you find yourself a nice bedmate?" Havoc commented, cigarette dangling uselessly from his lips, an all-knowing gaze in those strong blue eyes, attempting to hide the sadness within. It wouldn't do to let their new boss know they were falling a part at the seams, not yet anyway.

"No, I just realized something." She replied, sitting in her chair and looking towards the desk she had often stood by, watching the ghost of the man who once resided there looking on with a smirk, commenting on the 'women of the East', or some sarcastic quip towards Fullmetal.

"I really should get to this paperwork, hmn, Fullmetal? It's so hard to see you."

"I wonder what the women out east are like?"

"Do tell me that's not all you have for me, Hughes. I expected more!"

"Why... why did he have to be so stupid?!"

There were far too many memories of the man in that office. Roy didn't go home unless he had a date, and even then there were times he was in the office before her. There were more memories in that office than she could count. More than she remembered having at home. More than she remembered before that. Though, to her, the memories of abundance simply meant that he was a dedicated man, and she realized that. "Who is coming to take his place, I wonder." Riza continued, signing the papers that had been on her desk for some time at that point. Probably a week, she recalled, she hadn't been in since that night.

"Dunno, hear it's some guy, newly promoted." Havoc remarked.

Breda snorted. "Great. A newbie. Just perfect, don't you know."

"Sorry, that I'm not what you expected." It was a calm voice, almost hesitant as the door opened, revealing a man with strangely colored hair, of the violet persuasion, eyes a focused gray behind a pair of glasses that seemed to be sliding off of his nose, arms full of papers and files he must have needed to transfer, a heavy-looking bag dangling from the fingers on his right hand. "It seems... that it's still a bit difficult. I apologize in advance, but it can't be helped, right?" He grinned sheepishly around, struggling to get through the door with no aid. Just before he could drop anything, Riza had moved to help him, taking some of the files from his arms.

"You'll have to forgive them. Getting used to someone after you've been so faithful is difficult. He just left us a little over a week ago..."

He blinked at Riza before giving a reassuring smile. "I'm not here to replace anyone. I'm just here to do my job. Thank you... ma'am."

"No need to thank me. I'm First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, sir." She placed the items on the desk, turning and raising her hand in salute.

"I'm Colonel Alexander Rubens, but the formalities are a bit unnerving... perhaps we can drop those unless in the company of the higher ups then?" He approached the desk as well, tensing at the glares on his back. He supposed it was normal. "Wait... did you say first Lieutenant? I was told you were a Major, and Captain Havoc, First Lieutenant Breda, and second lieutenant Fuery..." He glanced at the phone. "Unless I'm mistaken?" He took the reciever in hand, placing it to his ear. "Colonel Rubens' office."

The guy seemed more anxious than they did. It was odd, they were the one getting the new boss...

"Yes, sir." He set the phone down carefully, glancing at Hawkeye before finally turning to his new team. "We have a case. A big one. There's been a body found... limbs ripped from their sockets. The only thing that the witnesses know... it was a voice from the shadows..."

"Who are you?!"

"You don't know me?"

"No!"

"Then you can't be..."

"What do you want?"

"I'm looking for my brothers and sisters. You're in the way." There was a pout on the echo of that voice, two cruel eyes opening, full of lust for blood, a wide, malicious grin on the shadowed form's face. "If you're aren't here to play with me, you're in the way. I can't find them with you here."

"What -- " Before the soldier could finish his sentence, there was a blood-curdling scream a gurgle, and blood splattering against the wall. As the shadows dispersed, there lay the neatly cut bits of a random soldier on patrol of the streets.

"Daddy... Daddy, I want them. I'm so lonely..."