Author's notes: First off - I'd like to apologize for the miserible langth of this chapter. It's short and there's no way around it. I'll make it up by posting more really, really soon! Okay - now that that's outta the way, I can say thanks to to everybody who reviewed this!!! I'm so glad you did! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!! Okay, moving on...Wait - one more thing! My writing may seem...broken (?) In this chapter - I'm not sure why - but things smooth out in later chapters...Maybe I just had to get warmed up...Just a quick F.Y.I.
Mustang watched the scene from the bar, then got up and wove his way through the crowds to her table "Uh – Miss…?" He asked when he reached her.
Winry looked up, her checks wet. "What do you want?!" She asked, hiccupping slightly.
"I wanted to ask you a couple questions." Roy began.
"I think I know where this is going." She said icily. "And I don't like it. Go away you creep – before my boyfriend gets back in here and beats you up!"
"You don't understand!" Roy said franticly. "I wanted to ask you about your parents."
"They're waiting out-side for me – if I so much as scream they'll come rushing in here and my father will pound you into the ground!" Winry stood quickly and began backing her way towards the door.
Mustang felt a warm rushing feeling. Winry's parents – alive? "You're parents are alright then?" He asked hopefully.
The teen froze. "What do you mean; 'are they alright' – why wouldn't they be?"
"They served in Ishbal – I was wondering…"
"How did you know?" She asked softly, he eyes were wide and fresh tears were falling down her checks.
"I – "Mustang searched for a way to explain. "I was there."
"Did you know them?" She asked, more tears come rolling down her checks and she took a step towards Mustang.
"I – knew of them. I never met them, but I heard they were treating Ishbalans too, and that the state didn't like it."
Winry nodded. "They were killed! They were executed for helping!" She rushed to Mustang and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his coat.
"Later – I found out the man who did it - Private Shmitter - killed himself. I guess he must have felt pretty awful – but that doesn't help me forgive him!" She cried, still holding onto Mustang.
Roy looked down awkwardly and patted Winry on the shoulder once. So the Rockbells were dead anyway. Either way they had been doomed…
Winry pulled away and took several deep breaths. "Sorry." She said, blushing. "I just miss them a lot."
Mustang nodded. "I understand."
"I really should go find Ed now." She sighed. "He's probably off working on his alchemy…He wants to work for the state – but he keeps failing the written exam."
Winry gave Mustang a quick wave, then left through the double doors. Frowning slightly, Roy returned to his seat at the bar, lost in thought.
Havoc had returned to his normal self, and was boasting to Julie about his adventures in the eastern rain forests – where Mustang knew he'd never once set foot.
"-and then they made me their chief." Havoc was explaining, his speech slightly slurred.
"Wow. That's really…great." Julie grumbled sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and tried wink at Mustang, who had begun staring at his drink, as though in hope that it might tell him what to do next.
Suddenly the roaring music stopped and all heads turned towards a stage at one end of the crowded room. Mustang looked up with mild interest to see a man dressed in a tuxedo enter.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The man on the stage said into an old fashioned microphone. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you; a delightful Christmas treat, the very beautiful – Miss Sandra Rouge!"
The crowd clapped unenthusiastically and Mustang turned back to the bar, taking a large swallow of the drink before him.
Music started and the voice of a woman began singing in a shaky voice. "I wanna be loved by you – just you – and nobody else but you."
Mustang spit out his drink, spraying the girl behind the bar. He knew that voice. It was unmistakable. He turned slowly to see a blond woman dressed in a sparkling red gown with a plunging neck-line holding a feather boa - a woman who could be none other then Riza Hawkeye.