Sorry about the long wait.

skatterkat - Thank you so much! Roy-Fan-33 - That wasn't one of my better chapters and rereading it just now, I realize I wasn't clear and lots of places. Oops. As for the pre-story notes/replies, it comes from posting stories to a couple of message boards and I just feel like if you are kind enough to reply to my writing, then I should acknowledge it. SnufflesWillRise - No worries, the action will pick up with this post.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Dreams of Ordinary People

The Present

Wispy clouds drifted through the evening sky like crests on a great ocean of the deepest blue fading to purple to the last dying oranges of the day. Along the fiery edge of the horizon were stark, black silhouettes of statuary and trees that overlooked East City's quiet Garden District. One by one, the yellow glow of streetlamps lit up the thoroughfares of the city.

Most of the shops had long since closed, leaving only restaurants, theatres and the dance halls open as dusk fell. Signs of people were sparse, as most had already made their way home for the evening.

A lone car passed quietly through the empty streets. Few private citizens owned vehicles and the transport of the military was king as it turned onto Sulbury Lane that bordered the southern edge of Grasmere Park.

From the confines of the brown car, Roy stared tiredly out the window at the elegant row houses that lined the streets. Interior lights gave them a warm glow. Every once and a while, he caught sight of people moving about inside the houses. Families. Mothers, fathers and children were settling in for a home cooked meal and then an evening together around the radio.

In one of those fleeting moments of insanity, he tried to imagine himself in an ordinary life, working a regular job and coming home to a real family. Perhaps that was too much of a fantasy. Even career military men could have families. General Hakuro and Maes came to mind. Hell, he imagined Maes was probably glued to a phone somewhere getting updates on how much little Elicia had grown today from Gracia.

Family was something he had never really given much thought too. His goals came first. Family would only complicate things.

A silent smirk bled across his features. The fact was he could not imagine any other life than the one he had.

This was the way it was and he could not change it, only amend for mistakes along the way.

Noting the tightly clipped blond hair of his driver, he glanced at the rearview mirror and caught her deep amber eyes shifting away. With a heavy sigh, he accepted the waiting fate and decided to face the executioner. "What is it?"

Hawkeye glanced at the mirror again but swiftly turned her gaze back to the road. "Nothing, sir."

He hated it when she used that curt, formal tone with him. Folding his arms across his chest, he looked back out the window at the stream of houses. All the thoughts of family were just a wasted effort, the truth was, he had something better than a wife, and a modicum more annoying: Lt. Hawkeye.

"You think I should have told Ed the truth."

"I did not say that."

He rubbed his forehead slightly and closed his eyes. A dull throbbing was beginning to take shape inside his skull. The pain seemed to be attached to any and all thoughts of Edward Elric. "I also suppose you think I shouldn't have had them arrested."

Hawkeye said nothing, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.

"I had to protect Ed from himself."

"And who is going to protect you from yourself?"

How absurd, he thought as he lightly chuckled. Without looking up, he said, "That's what you are for."

"Then you should take more care to listen to my advisements, sir."

Ah, now Roy understood. He had released her of her duties earlier that day, but as he left to attend a dinner meeting, he found her standing there with the car. A part of him wanted to be angry that she disobeyed but another part was glad to see her, even if she was acting as his self appointed bodyguard.

A smile reached his dark eyes. "So, what's next?" He purred, "Are you also going to spend the night with me, Lieutenant?"

"Sir?" she sounded a little startled.

Propping his elbow up on the passenger door armrest and resting his chin against the heel of his hand, he sighed.

"Rhodes could be waiting in my apartment. Who will watch over me then?"

The sternness returned to Hawkeye's voice. "Very funny, sir."

"I am not a child that needs to be protected."

"Sometimes you do."

"Lieutenant—"

"Forgive me for my frankness, sir, but when the people around you are in danger, you tend to be irrational." Damned, stubborn man was what she was really thinking. "This isn't all about you, sir."

"She is after me."

"There are people who care about what happens to you. Loyal people." At first, she was afraid to steal a glance into the rearview mirror, afraid to see if her words had angered him. In the end though, she managed a quick look and found him staring out the window again, like he had all the way to the meeting and now on their way back to HQ.

She wondered if he had heard anything she said.

It took her a moment, but she forced her attention outside the car. As she drove, she scanned the street, the sidewalks, even the dark alleys as they passed by. Every fiber of her being knew an attack was coming but not when and she hated that.

Slipping a hand from the steering wheel, she lightly brushed her fingers over the cool metal shape of a holstered gun at her hip. Earlier that afternoon she had decided to carry a second, more accessible weapon, particularly when seated behind the steering wheel.

Riza Hawkeye would not hesitate to fire her weapon—to kill—if the Colonel was in danger. She had decided that a long time ago.

Slowing as the car approached an intersection, she did a quick scan before coming to a complete stop. They would be back at Eastern in a few minutes and then she could let her guard down, at least a little. Giving the car gas, perhaps a little too heavy footed, the vehicle quickly picked up speed toward the familiar glow of lights that was Eastern Headquarters.

Slowing at the next intersection, she rounded the corner and started to accelerate when someone ran into the car's path. Slamming on the breaks, she swerved to avoid hitting the figure who just seemed to stop and watch. Jerking the wheel hard as the car hit the curb and rolled up onto the sidewalk, she managed to gain control and direct it back onto the street.

Exhaling sharply, she asked, "Colonel are you—"

The window next to her exploded in a hail of glass. She tried to swerve to avoid the attack but thick, crystalline shards smashed through the opening and the back window as glass shredded metal and cloth.

The vehicle was forced up onto its passenger side wheels as the metal doors were torn apart. Struggling with one hand to grab her gun and keep a fierce grip on the steering wheel with the other, she lost her balance as slid over the bench. A shard burst through the windshield, its sharp edge slicing through her uniform and into her arm. A pained cry escaped her as she smashed into the passenger side door.

Above her, the cloth roof lit up in a flash of controlled flames and was quickly burned away. Something grabbed her by the back of the jacket and pulled her through the freshly made opening.

Crashing into the street with such force, the wind was knocked out of her. The burn of dozens of cuts fogged her mind as she fumbled to reach the weapon she had dropped.

To her side, the Colonel was on his knees, leaning forward, holding himself up with one hand firmly planted to the pavement. He let out a cry that was followed by the clank of glass hitting the ground.

Her gaze briefly alighted on the shard, glistening red in the light of a distant street lamp.

Movement out of the edge of her vision brought an instinctive response. The gun in her hand quickly found its target. The man, who had caused the accident, clutching a long pipe jerked back as a spray of blood exploded from his forehead.

The sharp smell of gasoline lingered in the air.

"Colonel—"

"Get out of here!" he growled as he struggled to get up while gripping his wounded side.

Something moved to her right. She twisted, raising her gun to fire at another figure when a sea of black washed over her.