ACROSS: 2.Peking Fowl

Author's Note: Okay so here is chapter two, pretty quick I know but one was short so here's another bit, three should be up on Sunday and then updates will probably be weekly... just like the crossword. Thank you for the reviews thus far and keep it up!

Central Headquarters

Central City

1145 Local

Sunday

Roy stood and stretched tossing his pen on the desk with a dull thud as it hit the piles of papers below it.

"Well it's lunch time for me!"

"You mean date stealing time sir…" Havoc muttered over his paper work. Roy shrugged.

"I can't help it Jean, it is their nature to be indecisive." That comment gained a snort from Riza which sent Roy from the room at a faster pace.

Once Mustang left the room, things got just a little bit tenser as Hawkeye eyed the lazy soldiers around her. Deciding it wasn't worth it she just put her nose back to the grindstone and continued working through the huge pile of files at her feet, not even noticing when Hughes slipped into Mustang's chair and began riffling through the papers stacked haphazardly there.

Finally his eyes landed on it. There was the section missing from the paper, that he'd spent the past few hours reading careful that Hawkeye didn't see it. Lifting Roy's pen he marked in a few answers and stopped on 2 Across.

'2. Peking fowl…'

It took a minute and then it hit him. Of course! And speaking of which how appropriate that today was the day that they returned from Ishval what seemed all those years ago.

… "How much time left Lieutenant?"

"Just under ten minutes sir." Hawkeye looked up at Hughes and he smiled.

"Wonderful! I bet she's been waiting at the station for hours already!"

"Well we are late."

"You can't blame the trains Roy. But I'm almost home!! I will finally get to see her!!"

"You saw her in between trips, Maes, and you get letters every day." Roy rubbed his temples annoyed. Hughes laughed.

"You will understand one day man! One day! Yes!! The station is in sight!!" Hughes stated spotting the glow of the station in the dark and let out a sigh and leaned back on the hard bench. He was finally done with the war and everything that it brought with it, including the distance between him and Gracia. He knew that he would marry her almost as soon as they were back, and the feeling was wonderful. He glanced at Roy and Riza and shook his head. He didn't know too much about Hawkeye but something told him that she hadn't been as fortunate as him in receiving letters and love the way he had.. And Roy well that man had more women here in Central then a bird had feathers, and he rarely wrote them back, but the silence between Roy and Hawkeye said that they had an agreement that somehow to Hughes made sense… and yet he didn't know what it was.

Hughes shook his head and as the train began to slow he was on his feet, yanking his pack down and jumping out onto the platform as soon as he was able. He searched left and right his eyes sharp behind his glasses and then he spotted her. It was spring but still chilly. Gracia stood in a light wrap and dress with small flower prints and a pair of sensible heels. Hughes heart about flew out of his chest when she turned. Her hair was longer then when he had received the last photograph of her, but it didn't matter, she was beautiful even if she had been waiting for hours.

"Maes!!" Her voice reverberated over the hustling crowd and like a line of dominos other men's names were shouted and women's voice echoed back as the mass of earthen and bright colors molded with the shove of blue from the train.

When Gracia reached Hughes he wrapped her so tightly in his arms that for a moment he wished she would just become a part of him. Giving her a small twirl he set her down and kissed her forehead and then lips gently as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh I'm so happy that you're finally here, I had begun to worry, they said the trains would be late but its nearly midnight! Oh Maes!!" He pressed her face into his chest and he took the opportunity to look behind him to see Roy surrounded by a gaggle of whimpering women and Riza was off to the side ensuring that his own, Mustang's and her duffels were gathered and organized and supervised. He couldn't help but see that she was treating this like it was a simple and regular trip. A general approached her and gave her a small pat on the shoulder and a touch to her face and then turned away and she smiled only slightly.

"Maes… It's getting quite cold, perhaps we should go…"

"Yes yes of course my darling." Hughes purred, and then walked over to Hawkeye and lifted his bag.

"Thank you."

"It is no trouble sir." And with that and a small wave and nod to Mustang, Hughes left, his arm around the love of his life.

Roy and Riza stood together for a few moments once he managed to shoo the women away.

"It was a pleasure working under you sir." Hawkeye stated and saluted Roy who returned it.

"And it was a relief knowing you were watching for us all." Both dropped the salute and lifted their bags. It would be a long trek home for both of them, of that both were certain but as to where they may meet again was anyone's guess, but the footsteps that followed the placement of their feet as they moved away from each other spoke volumes, for just how intertwined their fates were soon to be.

Hughes and Gracia had taken the long way back to the apartments in Central City and now strolled through a park, with a small pond where the light of the moon reflected on the water. Gracia stopped suddenly.

"Maes… look!" She pointed at two birds that were illuminated in the moonlight.

"Hmm, their internal clocks must be off… it's the middle of the night."

"Oh it doesn't matter, they are together and that's what matters." Hughes nodded and pulled Gracia closer.

"That's true."

"Maes…"

"Hmm?"

"At the station Major Mustang and that woman…"

"Yes?"

"Those were the two in your letters, correct."

"Yes."

"Do you think they will be happy?"

"I couldn't say Gracia… but I have a feeling that it will take them a long time and many troubles to make a promise and get their ducks in a row…" He gave a small laugh and gazed back out to the water and the two ducks swimming in the water, side by side, in a companionable silence.

And there you have it. Please submit a review, or even an idea if you have something you are just dying to read about!

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