January 10, 1917
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Colonel Roy Mustang: 31 years old
First Lieutenant Elizabeth Hawkeye: 30 years old
Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc: 30 years old
Second Lieutenant Maria Ross: 29 years old
Maro Eleni Hawkeye: 12 years old
Corporal Edwin Hawkeye: Died 18 years old, December 1904
Private Maro Otori: Died 17 years old, April 1905
Brigadier General Maes Hughes: Died 29 years old, 1915
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"Hey, sir, do you know what's wrong with the Lieutenant?"
Roy looked up at Fuery from the paperwork he was pretending to do and nodded, "she won't want much company today- it's best to leave her to her thoughts. Can I help you with anything?"
"She gave me these papers to give you."
"Figures…" Roy muttered and Fuery laughed nervously.
"Sir?" It was Riza at the door, "may I have the rest of the day off?"
Fuery gawked but Roy just nodded calmly, "would you like me to come with you?"
"No, sir- I'm fine."
"Do what you have to do then."
"Thank you, sir."
The door closed and Fuery turned to Roy, "if I may, sir- what was that about? Lieutenant Hawkeye asking for a holiday? When has she ever done that before?"
"She takes every January 10th off," said Roy, sounding as though he thought Fuery ought to have known that.
"Really?" said Fuery, "because I thought I would have noticed the lack of paperwork coming to my desk…"
"I try to help her out-"
"You, sir? Doing extra work?!"
Roy looked offended, but nodded and gestured to the calendar on the wall by the door. Fuery walked over to look at it properly, "'Maro's Birthday', sir?"
"It's an emotional day for Hawkeye."
"Hawkeye? Emotional, sir? Are you sure you don't need a day off?" Fuery shook his head, "who's Maro?"
Roy looked sad and for a moment Fuery doubted that he would be afforded an answer, but eventually he let out the breath he'd been holding, "her daughter."
"Daughter, sir?"
"Must you repeat everything I say?" asked Roy tiredly.
"I'm sorry, sir- it's just hard to believe, I guess… I didn't even know Hawkeye was married…"
"She's a widow," said Roy.
"But she's so young!"
"She married when she was eighteen- two months after she graduated from the military academy. Her husband died just before the baby was born."
"How come she told you, sir?" asked Fuery, somewhat put out.
"I attended the funeral."
"You knew her back then?"
"Must you keep asking questions, Fuery?"
"Sorry, sir!"
When the younger man didn't leave, Roy caved, "if you must know, I've been connected with her family since I was five and she was four."
"Man, that's twenty-six years!"
"I suppose it is."
"No wonder you guys are so close!"
Roy looked up sharply, "excuse me, Sergeant Major?"
"Nothing, sir! I-I only meant that… Excuse me, sir! I was out of line!"
"Are you done here?"
"Sir… out of curiosity- would you tell me what happened to Hawkeye's daughter."
"Riza put her up for adoption when she came to Ishbal," he clenched a fist under his desk but Fuery saw the muscles in his face tighten.
"Are you okay, sir?"
"She left her own daughter so she could come and save my lazy ass…"
"Sir?" Not Fuery- Hawkeye again.
"Yes, Riza?" Roy looked up in surprised.
"Uhm, sir… maybe you could come with me after all?"
Roy stood up immediately and nodded, "Fuery, tell Falman that he's in charge."
"Huh? But aren't both Breda and Havoc of a higher rank than Falman?"
"Do you think I'd trust either Breda or Havoc running the place?"
"Point taken, sir."
"I'll trust you to bring Hayate home later, Fuery," said Riza, and though her voice was steady, the young man was sure he detected a slight hint of pain behind her eyes.
"You can count on me, Lieutenant!" he gushed in a moment of sudden and passionate loyalty.
Riza offered him a small smile, "thank you- shall we go, sir?"
Roy nodded again and the two of them left.
-
"So, Riza, why did you want me to come this year?" Roy asked, shoving his hands in his pockets to shield them from the cold as they left the building.
"I… Sir, do you think you could ask the men in Investigations for a personal favour?"
"What do you need?"
Riza looked down, "I-I want to find Maro, sir, and… wish her a happy birthday."
"You know she won't remember you," said Roy gently, "she's got to be a young woman by now…"
"Twelve, sir," said Riza, sounding as close to pleading as her monotone voice and pride would let her come, "and I know all that… I just want to see the sort of girl she's become- if she's happy, sir. That's all."
"You know I'll help you no matter what, Riza… but are you sure about this?"
"Yes, sir- I am," said Riza. "I've been sure about this for a while now."
"Okay then," Roy nodded, "we can talk to them now if you'd like- have them go through the records…?"
"Thank you, sir."
-
"This the place?" asked Riza, staring up at the large house that towered before them only ten minutes later.
"'Happy Birthday Maro'?" Roy read off the banner stuck up over the garage door.
"Okay, so I'm nervous, don't rub it in," Riza snapped and Roy almost smiled.
"Don't be- come on," he walked ahead of her and rung the doorbell.
It was soon answered by a tall man with grey hair and a warm smile, "may I help you, officers?"
Riza blinked, then looked down at her uniform, "oh, uhm, I'm sorry- we're both off duty. Could I have a word please?"
The man nodded easily and let the two oddly dressed strangers into his home without a second thought.
"Who're they, dad?" asked a petite blond 12-year-old, halting as she dashed through the halls after her friends.
"Just some people who want to talk to me," said the man, smiling, "you go ahead and play."
"'Kay, dad!"
Riza watched her run off but followed the man into the kitchen when Roy tugged at her sleeve gently.
"I don't know whether or not you'd know, but my name is Jeremy Waters," said the man, setting about getting three coffee cups out of the cupboard. "How can I be of assistance?"
Riza looked down and Roy shook his head sympathetically, knowing that she would have a whole speech rehearsed but just couldn't speak, "this is Maro's mother, Mr Waters. She just wanted to wish her a happy birthday."
Jeremy abandoned the coffee machine and sat down, smile fading a little, "her mother?"
Riza just nodded silently.
"Just how old are you, anyway?"
"Thirty," Roy answered, seeing that she wasn't going to answer herself. "She was eighteen back then."
"Are you the father?" asked Jeremy and Riza spoke up, then.
"Her father's dead," she told the hands folded in her lap. "Just before Maro was born… December 1904."
"I can say I have much sympathy for a teenage mother showing up on my doorstep, but I am sorry for your loss- it must have been hard on you, so young."
"Your smile is forced," said Riza, looking up. "Well you needn't be threatened, I didn't come expecting any sort of custody over her- I just wanted her to know me…"
"Well, I'm sorry," said Jeremy, "but I can't let you speak to her- she hasn't been told that I'm not her real father. My wife died in childbirth and our daughter, not long after… it seemed like a miracle when I was offered a healthy baby girl to raise as my own- abandoned, poor thing… and 'Maro'- such a beautiful name."
"It was… my best friend's name."
"Was?"
Riza shook her head and looked down again.
"She also died," said Roy, watching Riza sadly.
"I'm sorry," said Jeremy, "…but Maro is my child now- you abandoned her-"
"I had no choice…"
"You couldn't take care of her-"
"I wanted to!" Riza cried, looking up with tears in her eyes.
"It was my fault," said Roy, "she left to protect me at Ishbal."
"You were part of the Massacre."
"Too many people had died… I didn't want h-him to die too. Not if I could help it…"
"What is your relationship, anyway?"
Riza blinked and said, "he's my superior," at the same time he said, "I'm her friend" and they both blushed and looked away. "He was my father's alchemy student," said Riza eventually, "now he is my superior in the military."
"Forgive me, I can't read your insignia."
"I am First Lieutenant Elizabeth Hawkeye, he is Colonel Roy Mustang, the-"
"-Flame Alchemist!" Jeremy finished, eyes wide. "I've heard of you both- you helped to overthrow the corrupt Fuhrer!" his face fell, "you have sacrificed much for us, I am sorry. You, sir, are the only State Alchemist who was ever 'for the people'!"
"Mr Waters… Maro is happy, isn't she?" asked Riza quietly, drawing the old man's attention back to her.
"Of course she's happy-"
"Hey, Dad! Mei's leaving, where're the party bags? Hey- are your guests still here? What do they want?"
Jeremy seemed at a loss for words, but Roy just grinned, "this is your Aunt Riza," he said and the other two adults in the kitchen stared at him.
"She wanted to come and tell you happy birthday."
Maro looked at her 'father' for clarification and he nodded quickly. "Nice to meet you, Aunt Riza- do you wanna stay for cake?"