This is a series of short stories focused on Gracia's life after the end of the manga (though this first one is set during the manga, as I felt it was necessary). It features other characters, of course, mainly Elicia and Roy. All the stories are connected, but I decided to keep them in one-shot format instead of making a long-fic out of the story.
Paying Respects
The funeral is a small ceremony. There are none of the usual honors that would be paid a fallen soldier, certainly nothing like last time. Traitors don't deserve honors, and very few people want to be associated with them. It doesn't matter how fishy the story is, not many people question official statements on these matters.
But Gracia Hughes does.
She had her doubts about the accusation on Maria Ross from the beginning (she remembers Maes talking about her, he liked her, and he was the best judge of character Gracia ever met), and after her conversation with Edward and Alphonse Elric last night Gracia is certain that Maria Ross did not kill her husband.
Gracia's hand tingles as she watches the coffin being lowered into the hole. It has been tingling for the last two hours, ever since she left Central Command. She went there early this morning to talk to Roy, to ask why ("why did you kill that girl?" "Why did things have to end like this?"). Roy's reply was vague, something about his job, duty, and all those things that Gracia knows are nonsense, because she knows Roy Mustang well enough to realize he wouldn't kill someone out of duty when he could just as easily incapacitate them. No, if Maria Ross is dead it's because Roy wanted her dead, and the only reason Roy would want her dead is because of Maes.
Maes would never want anyone to take revenge for him, much less Roy, and Gracia said as much right after slapping Roy hard enough for her hand to hurt afterwards.
It still throbs, and Gracia rubs at it while she looks at the desolate parents. She still isn't sure why she felt the need to come (maybe to let them know someone believes in their daughter? As if that means anything now), but the fact remains that she left Elicia with their neighbors (because there is no way she can bring her to a funeral again), put on black clothes she had to wear barely a month ago, and came here today.
And so, Gracia Hughes waits for the other mourners to depart before she approaches Maria Ross' parents, her hand throbbing and her mind still blank for words.