A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews, I really appreciate them. I'm so glad that you are all enjoying this so far.
Chapter 7
"Why do we have to do this?" Fuery wined pitifully as he trailed after Havoc. The second Lieutenant sighed morosely, but didn't bother answering. The two continued in silence towards their destination. As they approached the meeting point, they found that Falman, Breda and Hughes were already there. The five men exchanged greetings before descending into a wary silence. All except Hughes, who was busy humming brightly to himself. Havoc frowned.
"Sir, what are you so happy about?" he grumbled. Hughes flicked his eyes towards the blonde man before answering.
"I have big plans for this evening." He stated, his smile widening as his mind ran rampant with plans. The four other men exchanged looks. Breda suddenly frowned.
"Sir, I arrived early and you were already here. How long have you been here?" he asked curiously. Hughes' smile widened.
"Oh I just had a few things to get in order." He stated lightly. Seeing the officer's bemused stares he decided to elaborate further.
"Roy's plan was pretty good, but considering the nature of what we need to find out, I took the liberty of making sure that we cover all angels. Besides it will be good for them."
"Them?" Havoc wondered aloud. However before he could ponder upon the strange answer he received, voices caught his and the other's attention.
"Would you just drop it? Seriously, do I look that terrible?"
"No! No, that's not it, it's just..."
"What? What is it Roy?"
"Why have I never seen that dress before?" Havoc's mouth dropped open as his superiors rounded the corner and made their way swiftly towards them. He was stunned by Riza's appearance. She was dressed in a deep red dress that reached about half way up her thighs; black knee length boots with a small heel covered her legs. A black short jacket that stopped just before her middle completed the outfit. Her blonde hair was down and fell around her shoulders and she wore subtle makeup. Hughes grinned and bounded to his best friend's side.
"Doesn't Hawkeye look wonderful Roy!" he said with a smile. Roy gave his friend an odd look but didn't say anything. Riza frowned at Havoc, who was still gazing at her open mouthed.
"Is there something wrong Second Lieutenant?" she asked angrily. Havoc snapped back to reality.
"Nope, nothing at all." he answered looking away.
"Yes, Havoc it better be nothing." Roy growled threateningly. Havoc gulped and turned away. Riza rolled her eyes at the situation.
"Shouldn't we get going?" She stated wearily. Roy nodded in agreement. Hughes on the other hand lifted a hand in protest.
"Before we do, there is another part of this plan that I need to inform you of." He said happily. Roy frowned.
"No there isn't Maes. It's my plan, and all we are doing is investigating the deaths of the three men who were clients here. What else is there?" he asked, feeling confused. Maes hesitated for a moment but continued none the less.
"Well, considering what the men were doing when they were last seen here, it would probably be best if we got some inside information." His gaze flickered towards Hawkeye when he said this. Riza's mouth fell open.
"You want me to pose as a prostitute!" she cried, her face turning a deep shade of scarlet.
"Well you're the only one who can Hawkeye." Maes explained calmly, "Besides, the women here would be the last people to see the victims, so it's essential that someone talks to them. So my contacts put me in touch with the owner and I said I had girl that he might be interested in." The last sentence slipped out as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Riza's face, if possible, turned an even brighter shade of red as she immediately began studying her boots with great interest.
"Maes!" Roy spluttered "You're using my girlfriend in your insane plans without even asking me first!" The statement caught Riza's attention. She raised her eyes and stared at Roy coldly.
"He has to ask your permission? I am not your property Roy Mustang!" she commented through gritted teeth. Roy started. He was really messing up tonight. Attempting to keep himself in Riza's good books, he stated.
"I never said that. Besides, as my subordinate, he does need to ask my permission before using any of my people." Riza sighed and turned, grabbed Hughes' arm, roughly, dragging him to her side.
"Well Sir, considering that you were the one who originally devised the plan; we are all forced to play our roles. Now, let's get this over with." And with that she turned and stalked towards the sugar bowl, pulling Hughes with her as she went. Roy and his remaining subordinates stared after them for a moment before quickly running to catch up with them.
The entrance to the sugar bowl stood down a seemingly average looking alley. The only irregularity was the thick set gentlemen standing guard. Riza gulped as she walked towards them. While she had been confident concerning this mission a moment before, she was starting to get nervous. True, she had been persuaded by her anger at Roy's statement, a reaction that she was now regretting. Sensing her nervousness, Hughes drew slightly closer to her.
"Don't worry Hawkeye, nothing's going to happen. You just have to act the part for a few hours and we'll be out of here by ten, no later. "He promised in a whisper. Riza nodded imperceptibly, as they had now reached the door. Turning his thick neck towards the approaching group, the man on the left gruffly stated.
"Keep on walking. We're full." Hughes straightened up and without warning, roughly pulled Riza to his side.
"Louigi's expecting me. Names Jackson, I've brought a new girl." He responded. The man leered down at Riza, causing her to flinch slightly.
"She's alright looking I guess. Nice up front I must say." Roy's fingers were itching to snap, but he restrained himself, knowing he couldn't blow their cover now. The man nodded to his companion, allowing Hughes and Riza to pass. The other four men moved forward, only to be stopped once more. Seeing this, Riza and Hughes turned.
"They're with me." Hughes stated confidently. The bouncer snorted. However, the one on the right leaned forward.
"Come on Larry, at least let that one in." He stated, pointing a pudgy finger at Roy "He's a looker." Both Riza and Hughes sniggered as Roy was allowed through. A slight coughing sound from behind drew the bouncers' attention. Havoc was leaning against the wall, holding a pack of cigarette's obviously in his hand.
"Fine, but you're the last one." Havoc grinned and tossed the pack at Larry. The two men moved out of the way and opened the door. Hughes entered first followed closely by Hawkeye. To Roy's great annoyance, Larry slapped her butt as she walked passed. However the annoyance was short lived as Roy felt his own butt being slapped. Havoc roared with laughter as his superior hurriedly made his way into the sugar bowl. Outside Fuery let out a sigh of relief as the three remaining subordinates walked back the way they had come.
"Do you think we should wait for them?" Falman asked. Breda shook his head.
"No, they're all together, they will be fine."
Riza stared around the club in horror. How the hell am I meant to do this? She wondered to herself. The place was dingy, small round tables set all over the floor, a long bar at one end of the room. A small stage occupied the other end, on which there were two poles, leaving little to the imagination of their use. A host of scantily clad women served as waitresses, much to the delight of the all male clientele.
"Hi there, my name is Roxanne, how can I help you this evening?" An exceptionally tall and skinny woman asked, flicking her curtain of jet hair over her shoulder as she did so, causing all attention to be drawn to her beaded top and thread bare skirt. Havoc drooled. Roy glared at his second Lieutenant, but noticeably averted his eyes from the woman in front of him. Hughes on the other hand seemed completely unfazed. He smiled politely at the woman and was about to speak when Roxanne caught sight of Riza.
"Oh. Are you the new girl?" she asked peering at Riza. Riza looked away, not sure how to respond. She had never really had much faith in her own appearance, but didn't let it bother her. There were much more important things to worry about. But compared to these women, she couldn't help but feel exceptionally inadequate. In her silence, Hughes decided to answer for her.
"Yes, her name's..." he paused for a moment, glancing at Riza slightly before stating "Ruby." Riza frowned at the Lieutenant Colonel, who simply smiled moronically. Roxanne smiled.
"Hey Ruby. Louigi's not here yet, but you're welcome to come with me and wait." She stared kindly at Riza. Riza nodded, stepping forward, the others following closely. Roxanne spun round.
"Sorry, girls only." She stated with a wink. Riza turned and stared at Roy, panic in both their gazes. Hughes clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"That's fine. We'll be waiting for you here, don't worry!" he stated cheerfully. Riza nodded, tearing her eyes away from Roy's. Roy moved forward s if to stop them when Roxanne met his gaze.
"Don't worry; I'll take good care of her." She stated, taking Riza's hand and leading her away. Roy sighed defeated, watching their retreating backs.
"I need a drink." He muttered heading towards the bar, leaving Hughes and Havoc alone. Seizing the opportunity, Havoc turned and looked towards Hughes, asking a question that had been bothering him for a while.
"Sir, what exactly are you planning for them, assuming that you meant the Chief and Hawkeye?" Hughes grinned.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm helping them progress their relationship! I'm getting them married." He stated proudly. Havoc stared blankly at him.
"And having Hawkeye pose as a prostitute and the chief sit at the bar in Centrals most notorious brothel and strip club is the way to do that?" he questioned. Hughes looked at Havoc in amazement.
"Of course! It will clarify how much they mean to one another, plus experiences like this bring us all closer together!" he cried, beaming happily. Havoc's mouth fell open. Shaking his head, he began to speak once more.
"Promise me something Sir." He stated. Hughes nodded.
"Never ever make any plans to help me in my personal life. Ever." He said before turning and making his way towards Mustang. Hughes frowned, but followed Havoc.
Riza was lead through a door at the back of the club to a large dressing room. A few girls were littered around, chatting and applying makeup. As soon as they were inside, Roxanne turned and smiled widely at Riza.
"Good work." She stated. Riza frowned, confused.
"Excuse me?" she asked. Roxanne laughed.
"That dark haired hottie you came in with. He's yours right?" she asked. Riza's mouth fell open in shock.
"Was it that obvious?" she asked. Roxanne smiled.
"Only to me. I'm pretty good at reading people. He obviously loves you deeply by the way he was looking at you. I can tell. Same way I can tell that there is no way that you are in this business." Riza froze at the last statement, fear running through her mind. Seeing this Roxanne spoke.
"It's okay. I'm pretty sure I can guess why you're here. About the murders right?" Riza narrowed her eyes slightly. It was rather suspicious that this woman knew exactly what she was here for. However, Riza's intuition was pretty good and she felt as if she could trust this woman. However before either one could say anything further, a blur of blue and blonde flew past them, almost knocking Riza to her feet.
"Crystall!" Yelled Roxanne in annoyance at the girls back as she reached out a hand to help steady Riza.
"What's her problem?" Roxanne muttered, turning her attention back to the blonde Lieutenant. She sighed.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked in earnest. Riza sighed before speaking once more.
"Another whisky for you Sir?" the petite brunette asked sweetly, pouring Mustang a refill before he even answered. Hughes frowned at his friend. That was his sixth generous helping in the past hour, and already his speech was starting to slur.
"Chief I think you need to slow down." Havoc stated as he slid into the stool next to him. Mustang shot what would have been a threatening glare at his subordinate. That is, if he could have focused on Havoc clearly.
"I'm good." He muttered, turning away and concentrating on his drink once more. Hughes sighed, leaning across his friend's back to speak to Havoc.
"Anything?" he whispered. Havoc shook his head.
"Nothing. No one's talking. But that's hardly surprising, they don't want to even admit that they go to places like this, let alone talk about others." Hughes sighed and shook his head.
"Keep trying." Havoc nodded and left his chair in search of any information. The chair was promptly occupied by a long legged blonde, who instantly stared stroking Roy's hair.
"Hey there hansom." She purred into his ear. Roy gazed blearily at her for a moment.
"Naaah, you're not her." He slurred, shrugging out of her hold. "She don't call me hansom." He squinted. "You sure do lookie like her tho'" the girl laughed, moving closer to snuggle up to him.
"I can be whoever you want me to baby." She whispered seductively. Roy stared at her looking confused.
"Why would I wants dat when I can have the real thing?" he asked, seeming completely confused. He turned and looked at Hughes.
"Why would she ask that? I just wants my Riza. Maes, where my Riza go?" he asked, whining slightly. The woman looked disgusted at this comment, automatically untangling herself from Roy and flouncing off to find her next conquest. Maes sighed.
"I think that's enough drink Roy." He replied, taking the glass and draining it himself. Roy pouted.
"I wants my Riza." He muttered. Maes glanced around, a dangerous look in his eye. He leaned forward.
"So Roy...when are you going to marry Riza?" he asked curiously. Roy stared at him.
"Well I needs a ring to marries my Riza. So when I have a ring!" he stated, seeming exceptionally proud that he was able to answer the question. Maes beamed.
"So you want to marry her?" he asked barely able to contain his excitement. Roy frowned.
"I don't know. I need to do this ring thing. And she needs a dress. But I loves my Riza so yeah I just need a dress and a ring. Do you know where I can get a dress from?" the last sentence was said quite loudly, causing the people around them to stare at him in confusion. Before Maes could stop him, Roy continued.
"And not just any dress, I want a special dress. A smexy dress! A mini skirt dress!" he yelled triumphantly, stumbling out of his chair. Maes grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards the exit.
"Come on Roy, time to go." He stated, signalling to Havoc on his way. The three stumbled out of the sugar bowl, Roy whining incoherently about dresses and for some reason, peacocks.
"Sir?" Maes turned and saw Riza standing outside, Roxanne next to her, leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand. Riza turned to the woman and smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow." She stated. The other woman nodded and waved as Riza ran towards her fellow officers.
"What happened?" she asked worriedly, as Roy leaned heavily on Maes, his head drooping slightly.
"Whisky." Maes stated. Riza rolled her eyes. She moved forward, sweeping the bangs out of his eyes.
"Roy?" she asked. His eyes focused.
"My Riza?" He whimpered, as he stumbled on to his own two feet. Maes smiled softly at the two.
"I'll go get a car, there's no way he can walk home and I definitely do not feel like carrying him." He stated.
"I'll go to. You guys keep walking we'll come and get you." Havoc added. Riza smiled at them both as the two turned and walked away. She turned her attention back to the swaying Mustang.
"Come on Roy." She stated tiredly, putting an arm around him in order to support him. They began to walk slowly down the street. Roy leaned his head down so it as resting on top of Riza's.
"Missed my Riza." He whispered. Riza couldn't help but smile slightly.
"So you replaced me with alcohol." She commented dryly, a tinge of humour in her voice. However Roy stopped, wavering slightly. He turned and shook his head violently at her.
"No no no no no ..." he broke off as he realised that shaking his head was not a good idea. He blinked rapidly waiting for the world to stop spinning.
"No replacing. Nothing is as good as my Riza. My Riza is beautiful, amazingness, so strong and she puts up with me cos I'm useless and not worthy. My Riza can do so much better but she wants me and I don't understand it. My Riza is the bestest thing in my world, nothing is replacing my Riza." Riza stared at him, feeling as if her heart was melting. Even though Roy was very drunk that was the sweetest thing anyone had said to her. Roy walked unsteadily up to her, hugging her close.
"Love my Riza." He said happily. Riza found herself fighting back tears as she whispered back.
"I love you too Roy." Roy pulled back and smiled, officially become the cutest thing Riza had ever seen. Suddenly his smile turned into a grimace and he automatically let go of Riza, stumbling away. Riza looked questioningly at him before he fell on his knees and vomited. Riza groaned, shaking her head slightly.
"Maybe he's not so cute." she muttered to herself.
A/N: Roy's grammar is meant to be like that, he is drunk after all.
As ever please review and let me know what you think!