Author's Notes:Ahhhhhhh! It's been two weeks! –hangs head in shame- I'm sooooooo sorry people! I needed a little break, so I took some time off…I think I deserved it - if you think otherwise then too bad. Anyway, I have unofficially finished this story! What I mean is; the very last chapter sits on my computer, unedited. It was taking so long that I broke it into two pieces to buy myself some time, since I don't like feeling rushed. I have a definite ending in writing! So no more of this foggy 'I'm almost done' business, I am done. I'm just not…done done. Once again, random ending on this chapter, although I don't feel that it's as much as a cliffhanger as last time…the next chapter should be the last! Thanks for the reviews and everything! Oh, and once again; sorry for any type-os and/or /grammatical errors.
-oo00oo-
"Hey Boss! Boss!"
The moment shattered like glass dropped from the top of the empire state building. Mustang turned to see Jean Havoc bounding across the graveyard, waving his arms and shouting.
Riza snapped from her frozen state, jumping back as if her feet were on fire. She looked down at the heavy wool overcoat she wore, suddenly realizing that she still wasn't dressed. Scrambling, she began to gather her things into a bundle.
Havoc nearly tripped over his own feet at least twice before reaching them, brandishing a set of car keys that clinked with every step. "I got a car and – oh…." He stopped mid-sentence when he realized that Riza was wearing nothing but a coat. "Is that the new fashion this season, boss?" He asked, failing to hide a snicker.
Hawkeye gave him her patented death glare, but given the circumstances; she just couldn't quite pull it off. "Would you mind looking the other way while I change?" She asked coldly, indicating the pile of clothing in her arms.
Havoc grinned. "Sure, but why are you-" She silenced him with a threatening movement towards her coat pocket, where a handgun undoubtedly rested.
"Fine. Fine." Havoc turned around and studied the night sky. Mustang bent and began pulling on his boots, leaving the laces undone. He made a mental note to kill his second lieutenant the second he had a chance. He should have known that his moment with Riza was too good to last.
Riza, with as much dignity as she could muster, slipped on her t-shirt and pants, never once turning off her death glare, which seemed to have the power to melt snow. Once she'd finished she picked up her discarded hair clip, and pinned her hair back up expertly. "Okay." She said stiffly.
Mustang stood up, using a nearby tombstone to balance himself, and Havoc turned back slowly, looking sheepish.
"Eh…As I was saying before; I got a car, so we can drive to the hospital and-"
"I don't need a hospital." Roy said quickly. He wasn't looking forward to having to explain why he had fallen asleep in a graveyard on Christmas Eve, that wasn't exactly the sort of thing that got a person promoted.
"Oh sure." Hawkeye pulled her coat on back over her clothes. "Then we can get Major Armstrong to help us amputate your fingers, I'm sure he'd be only too pleased to assist."
Mustang winced. Riza had made her point. It was worth a couple of awkward questions if it meant that his digits could be spared. "Where's the car parked?" He grumbled.
-oo00oo-
Riza didn't say a word on the way to the hospital. Even when Havoc asked her what had happened while he'd been gone.
She had insisted on driving, making Mustang lay down in the back seat while she and Havoc sat in the front.
When they'd arrived at Central hospital Hawkeye had some how managed to avoid explaining how a colonel had gotten frostbite, and nobody really seemed to care. To them; Roy Mustang was just another patient on a busy day filled with people dying from all sorts of more exciting things.
An hour later he was lying alone in a small room on a neatly made hospital bed, propped up on a stack of pillows. A tray of food had been delivered several minutes earlier – by a very good looking nurse – and Mustang was picking at it moodily. His bandaged hand stung as he tried to hold his fork. Central hospital's methods for curing frostbite were hardly pain free.
He let his mind wander as he dipped his fork in and out of a pile of watery mashed potatoes. Hawkeye hadn't officially said goodbye to him. She'd only turned and dragged Havoc off. Things weren't going to be the same between them any more. The comfortable silence that he had come to enjoy was gone, and she avoided looking him in the eye now. He had no idea how long she could go on pretending that nothing had happened. Knowing how stubborn Riza was, it might never happen.
There was a soft knock on the door that had been left ajar. Gracia Hughes stuck her head in. " Roy ?" She asked softly. Mustang looked up.
"Oh, come in." He said, trying to sound cheerful. She pushed the door open wider and Mustang saw that she was carrying a tray laden with dishes. Elicia was at her heels, holding a small cardboard box. The smell of roasted ham mingled with the ammonia scented hospital room. Riza appeared next, dragging a large pine tree and avoiding looking at Mustang. She pulled the tree into a corner of the room and set it up right, busying herself with straightening the branches.
"…how did you?" Mustang stared at the tree. He was pretty sure that hospitals had regulations about those sorts of things.
Gracia laughed, and even though she was smiling, the sound had a sad feeling to it. "We snuck it past the front desk when they weren't looking. We thought we'd have a little celebration." She set the tray of food down on Mustang's empty bed side table. "Common Elicia, put that down and you can come help mommy get the rest of the decorations." The little girl nodded before carefully putting down her parcel then taking her mother's hand.
"We'll be back in a second." Gracia said over her shoulder as she stepped out.
Riza became even more absorbed in her work of preparing the tree, pushing herself as far behind it as she could, so that the massive evergreen blocked her almost completely from view.
Mustang watched as branches rustled back and forth, their needles falling off and littering the already covered floor.
"Can I help you?" he asked softly. The tree stopped moving.
"No thank you, colonel. I can manage." A muffled voice answered after a moment. The rustling started again.
Mustang didn't speak again. This was all Havoc's fault. If he hadn't shown up Riza would have let him kiss her. He was positive of that. Then they wouldn't be stuck at this halfway mark between feeling something and acknowledging it.
Gracia appeared again, balancing an armful of large cardboard cartons. Elicia toddled along behind her, holding a plate with brightly colored cookies.
Mustang set the tray from his lap aside and stood shakily, taking the boxes from Gracia.
"What is all this?" He asked, setting them down on the bed and straightening back up.
"Decorations." She answered, taking the lid off one of the cartons and pulling out a gold and silver garland.
"You don't have to do this, I'm fine." his 's words of protest went unheard. Gracia kept insisting that it was no bother, and Riza caught Mustang's eye once with a look that told him not to argue. After that she went back to avoiding him.
Soon the little room was filled with the sights and smells of Christmas. Gracia seemed almost to forget her sadness for a minute and Elicia became more talkative as the evening wore on, challenging 'Uncle Roy' to a game of checkers and then countless rematches, using an old set that she had brought along.
The time seemed to creep by, Mustang felt a surge of guilt every time Elicia moved a checker to a back square and squealed "King me!" He couldn't help but think how she would be playing with Hughes if it weren't for him…
After over an hour of visiting, the little party began to draw to a close.
"We'll come back tomorrow to pick up the tree," Gracia said, scooping a slumbering Elicia into her arms. "and if you're feeling up to it, perhaps an early dinner?"
Roy nodded, agreeing more out of Gracia's sake then his own. She really had seemed to enjoy herself that evening, and bringing her a little distraction was the least he could do.
Gracia looked relieved. "Wonderful. You should be discharged by then, why don't you stop by the house around three ?"
"Sure." Mustang nodded again. "Oh, and Hawkeye?"
Riza looked up from her task of packing away the food. "Yes, colonel?" She asked, her teeth gritted.
Roy paused for a second, finding the words hard to get out. "Would you mind if I had a word alone with you before you leave?"
"I'm sorry sir, but it's late and I don't want to keep –" Riza was cut off by Gracia who gave her a suggestive look. "He wants to talk alone." She whispered, raising her eyebrow.
Riza, her jaw set defiantly, pulled up a chair next to Mustang's bed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Five minutes." She said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.
Gracia smiled and closed the door as she left; the sound the latch made against the wood was almost deafening in the sudden silence.