This one is a little strange in concept. It was going to be different, but then I thought that this would be less confusing and weird, but I'm not so sure if it is. Was going to be longer, but it would have detracted from the theme, so it's short-ish.

I'm assuming that they have multiple sets of their uniform, so that when one gets icky then they don't have to rush to clean it or whatever.


May require a tissue. Maybe. It was sadder in my mind but I think it's still pretty sad.

I don't own FullMetal Alchemist. Promise.

004. Grave

"Do you want the car?" She asked, hesitating beside the dark colored vehicle.

"Not this time." He replied, "It's just as easy to walk."

Riza nodded and hurried to catch up to her superior. He seemed sad, his eyes watching his feet thoughtfully, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders slumped as though weighted.

"Did something happen? Everyone seems so down today." She observed aloud, feeling as if she had missed something important.

"Yes." Roy sighed, turning to pass through the open gate that lead into the cemetery. "Something horrible happened."

Dread knotted in Riza's stomach as she followed him across the cleanly cropped grass dotted with pale gray headstones. How could she miss something like that?

He stopped in front of a new looking grave and closed his eyes. She stood and watched him, his body blocking her view of the silvery stone. He took a deep breath and took a step to the right.

"That's what happened." He stated, gesturing towards the grave.

Riza peered at the stone.

Riza Hawkeye.

"No," She whispered, shaking her head she tore her eyes away and looked up at her superior.

"I-I can't be dead, I'm right here, I'm not…" She trailed off as Roy's dark eyes, serious and somber, met hers.

"You died a week ago Riza." He said.

"No, I…" She paused as he offered his hand to her. She reached for it tentatively, her fingertips passing through his palm. "No!" She screamed, pulling her hand away "I can't die!" She fell to her knees, "I can't die." She looked up to meet his eyes and added in a whisper, "I promised to protect you."

Tears spilled from his eyes. "You did." He murmured, his voice shaky. "We were on a patrol, a man jumped out of an alleyway with a gun. You shielded me from his shot. You died on the way to the hospital."

"Then, how am I…" She trailed off, not knowing if she really wanted to know the answer.

"Because you're not really here." Roy cried, choking on the words, "I can't accept that you're gone so I go through every day as if nothing happened, or try to, I'm so good at this illusion that I can see and hear you, as if you really are there. But at the end of the day I know that I have to stop this, so I come here, to try once again to explain to myself that you're dead. When I go home I'll see the uniform I wore that day, still splattered with your blood, and toy with the idea of bringing you back even though I know that I could never do it. I'll go to bed and maybe get an hour of sleep. Tomorrow I'll get up and go to work and do it all over again," His voice faded to a teary whisper and he closed his eyes, knowing what would happen next and not able to bear watching it, "Because I can't let you go."

He stood, eyes closed, sucking air into his lungs as though through a straw for the last few drops of soda in an attempt to calm himself for the walk home. When he finally did open his eyes the apparition of his beloved first lieutenant had gone, leaving him feeling suddenly abandoned, despite knowing that he hadn't entered the cemetery any less alone than he was now. He turned to leave, plowing straight into his second lieutenant. The taller one that didn't have an irrational fear of four legged creatures that barked.

Unbeknown to the colonel, Havoc had followed him out of the office. It had only been a week but they all were still mourning their lost co-worker, but the colonel wasn't dealing with it very well, worse then they previously thought, judging from his conversation with his deceased subordinate.

"You have to let her go." Havoc said, slowly and evenly when Mustang looked at him with heavy eyes. "She wouldn't want you to do this to yourself over her. Your goals have always been more important than us. This doesn't change anything, you need to move on."

Mustang glanced back at the pale grave and sighed, knowing that Havoc was right but still unwilling to let go.

"It's just like Maes, you won't forget her if you don't see her every day." Havoc reassured his troubled superior, "Go home, wash your uniform, get some sleep, and get on with your life. You still have four subordinates ready to help you to the top."

Mustang sighed again, and looked Havoc in the eyes, "Thank you Havoc." He said, clapping the man on the shoulder and walking past him, pausing a few steps away, "I'm making it your job to keep me on track. Think you can handle that?"

"You got it chief."