Havoc gave Ed a little shove and Ed backed off. Mustang's face was impassive and Edward couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"I'm not sure that I want to know what's going on, but just appease a bit of my curiosity, Jean, when did you become interested in men? I thought you loved beautiful long-legged, busty women?"

"I do! They're divine, the most divine creatures this world has ever seen! I like women!"

Ed felt Mustang's eyes turn to him, and he couldn't help the flush that spread over his cheeks. He turned away to face Havoc and commented to him. "Stop being so jittery Havoc, I wasn't actually going to kiss you, you know. I don't like you like that."

Havoc slumped down into a chair looking utterly relieved. "But the first part? You weren't just acting that were you?"

"No," Ed knew he sounded wary, guarded and a bit tense – but it always got his back up when people phrased the question like that.

The older blond haired man waved his hands, "I didn't mean it in a bad way boss. I was just surprised. I guess. Wasn't expecting the acting was partly in truth. How did you learn to do that?"

"Do what?" If Ed wasn't mistaken he heard a distinctive growl in the Brigadier-General's voice.

"Acting, Chief. The Boss is a great actor. We were playing characters from one of those old plays, well, edited at least, sort of, and I actually believed he was playing the part!"

"It's not hard to do, Havoc, especially when you have to hide who you truly are. Roaming around when you're the former Fullmetal Alchemist isn't as easy as it seems. Everyone wants a piece of me. They want to see me magically clap my hands together and create a miracle. I cannot do that anymore. It was easier to pretend I was someone else."

"I am sorry about that Boss. I heard that you couldn't do alchemy anymore."

"It's not terrible – I still have all the information of alchemy in my brain. It's sometimes hard to explain to other alchemists what I want them to do. It would be much better to be able to perform it, but I make do."

Havoc patted his breast pocket and took out a cigarette, lighting it. He shoved the lighter back into his pocket and dragged in a deep breath of the smoke. Mustang stood with his arms crossed watching his former subordinates with a placid face.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ed asked the hovering man.

"I do actually, but I came to return this to you, you left it in the office." The man casually reached into his pocket and tossed the item across to Ed. "I thought you might want it back."

He nodded casually to Havoc – "Breda asked me to invite you to dinner at the Xingian restaurant later this week with the rest of the men. He was adamant about you coming. Said he had a great idea about something."

"Tell him to give me the date and time, and I'll be there."

The Brigadier-General eyed him warily. "You aren't…planning…anything are you? Nothing that'll make me look bad at least are you?"

Ed left Havoc to fend for himself against Mustang's interrogation and headed for the Hughes' house. He let himself in with the key Gracia had lent him for the time he would be staying with them. When he entered the house Gracia looked up from the book she had been reading on the couch and smiled. "Did you enjoy your time at the office?"

Ed nodded, "Yes, I also stopped by to see Havoc. He seems fair and hearty."

"He comes to visit Elysia and I sometimes. He's a sweet man – he really does love children."

It was an odd, Ed thought, that Havoc would like kids. But when he and Al had been younger – just twelve and eleven respectively – Havoc had always looked out for the two of them when he could.

At some point in the few years after that he learned that his commanding officer had been watching out for him – had Havoc helping too. He knew he should be appreciative of the fact that they cared enough to watch out for him but the independent streak he housed often got in the way. He wasn't weak – he could very well take care of himself.

Truthfully when he thought back on some of the missions he had gone on he realized that he had had help. He didn't realize he'd had help at the time, but someone had always been there making sure that he and his brother returned safely from their trip.

"Gracia?" he asked as he looked up from his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Do you happen to have any newspapers lying around I might look at?"

The woman frowned. "I might. I usually throw them away after reading them though. Is there anything in particular that you're looking for?"

"Actually, yes. I wanted to look at apartment listings."

"Apartment listings? What for? Are you thinking about moving back here, to Central?"

Ed hesitated. If he said yes and then didn't stay he'd hurt a lot of people. If he said no then why was he asking to see apartment listings?

He shuffled his feet. "I'm not sure – I just – I think that if I find the right place I'll probably stay. Being out in the city even for a brief while made me remember all the things that I missed about it; how much there is to do, to see, to eat." He grinned briefly. "There are probably plenty of job opportunities here for me to choose from. I feel aimless at times, I feel like I'm at a standstill going nowhere."

"That's understandable with how much you undertook for all those years. I'll see if I can find those listings for you. If you want to see one I'll come with you. You could always use a second opinion couldn't you? Also, will Al be living with you?"

"Thanks, Gracia, really. I think I'd probably prefer living alone, ah, without Al. He and Winry are together; they really like each other. So depending on that – Al will be with Winry now."

"I think it's wonderful that he's found someone to love and care for, don't you?"

"I do, and don't get me wrong, as much as I love Winry like a sister, I don't think she's right for Al."

Gracia laughed as she got up. "It's not an uncommon feeling. You helped raise him so you have a protective instinct. It's not a bad thing, but you do have to let him make his own mistakes."

Ed grumbled. "I just don't want to see him hurt."

"I'm sure that you've had your fair share of heartbreak, am I right Edward? Now Al's time has come. Some things people just have to learn for themselves."

Ed was left standing in the family room looking at the fireplace as Gracia went to look for the listings.

My fair share of heartbreak, hm? I suppose that's true and isn't that why I came to Central? To look for something that could become meaningful? To find someone I can depend on?

And for a moment an image of Roy Mustang flashed in his mind before he rubbed it away.