A/N: Greetings! I come bearing another fic. I actually wrote most of this a while back before I got stuck, left it, then forgot about it. Found it just a few days ago on my computer and decided to finally finish it.

Similarities:

It was another typical day in the Colonel Mustang's office. The office was bustling with activity with deadlines fast approaching. The group was scrambling to finish some paperwork needed for the monthly Eastern HQ meeting in the afternoon when a noise interrupted them.

"I said drop it, Al!" shouted a voice just outside the door.

"But brother…" protested another voice.

Everybody looked up and watched as Edward Elric marched in through the door followed by his brother Al. Ed quickly marched up to the Colonel's desk and tossed a binder onto it, scattering the other loose papers that had piled up on his desk. "Here's your damn report, Colonel."

Roy looked up and frowned. "Oh it's you, Fullmetal. I must say it never ceases to amaze me how someone so small can make such a loud entrance."

"Who are you calling so small that they can be stuffed in a bottle and thrown into the sea!"

Riza shook her head and continued her work, mentally trying to block the sound of the two bickering. Sometimes she wondered why the Colonel enjoyed teasing Ed so much. It wasn't like he was that much taller when he was that age.

"Umm…Lieutenant Hawkeye?" asked a voice nearby. She looked up from her paperwork. Al was standing in front of her. "I was wondering if you could help us on something?"

Riza looked at him somewhat surprised. "What is it?"

"Well…Winry's sixteenth birthday is coming up and we want to give her a gift." Riza noticed the room had suddenly gotten silent. "We've been discussing about what to get her but we're kind of stuck. Brother says to just get her a wrench so she can throw it at him but I don't think it's a very good present."

A chorus of "Oooooooh…" suddenly erupted around them. She turned around and glared at the men but their attentions were focused on the brothers.

"Can't figure out what to get your little girlfriend, Ed?" smirked Roy. Ed turned a dark shade of crimson.

"Al! That conversation was between us!

"But brother…" protested Al. "We've been thinking for days and we haven't thought of anything. I just thought Lieutenant Hawkeye might have an idea."

"You didn't have to ask so loudly that everybody else could hear!"

"Just get flowers," interrupted Roy. "Every girl I know loves receiving flowers."

Ed turned back at Roy. "They'll wilt in the Rush Valley heat in less than a day. Got any better ideas, Colonel?"

"How about jewelry?" offered Havoc. "Something like earrings."

"The last time we bought earrings she kept making new holes in her ears so we're avoiding that," answered Al.

"Chocolates?" suggested Breda.

"She'll say I'm trying to get her fat," mumbled Ed.

"A puppy?" asked Fuery.

"Already has a dog."

"How about a book?" suggested Falman. "A book on automail?" Everybody gave him an odd look and he shrugged his shoulders. "I would like a book on my birthday."

Ed sighed. "Anything else?"

"You could get lingerie," grinned Havoc. "Now that's a present you can enjoy too." There were a few snickers among the men while Ed's face turned an even darker shade of red.

"NO!" Ed slapped his forehead. "Geez…You guys are useless."

Riza smiled inwardly as she fingered one of her earrings. She could tell from their reactions that they wanted to get something special.

"I have an idea," she said. "But it's not exactly something you can buy."

"As long as it's better than anything everybody else suggested," mumbled Ed. Riza smiled.

"Go visit her. She rarely sees you two now so spending the time to celebrate her birthday with her will mean a lot more to her than any gift you can buy for her."

The room was silent while everybody comprehended her words. Then, a smile slowly formed on Ed's face. "You know what? I think she's right."

Al nodded. "It has been a while since we went to Rush Valley."

"For once I won't be greeted with a wrench in the face because I broke my automail again," laughed Ed.

"Thanks, Lieutenant," said the brothers simultaneously.

"You're welcome." Riza watched as the two quickly make their way towards the door before she remembered something. "Oh and Ed? Buy some small gift for her too. You don't want to show up empty-handed."

Ed nodded and gave her a salute before disappearing out the hallway with Al following right behind.

Riza smiled and turned her attention back to the office. Everybody was still staring at her.

"Get back to work!" she barked. Everybody quickly buried their heads in their work except Roy who looked at her curiously before finally going back to the papers in front of him. Later, after everyone else had left for lunch, he got up and walked towards her.

"You alright?" he asked, sitting down on her desk. Riza looked up at him.

"Yes. Why?"

"You were playing with your earring earlier. You only do that when something's bothering you."

"It's nothing really," she answered, dropping her pen on her desk and pointing to her earrings. "Do you remember these?"

"Of course. I bought them for your birthday years ago." She nodded.

"My sixteenth birthday to be exact. Right before you left for the academy. We used to go out for lunch on my birthday and afterwards you'd follow me around town while I window-shopped. You bought these after you saw me admiring them in the window."

"I remember," Roy said softly. "I tried to surprise you but you caught me while I was paying for them. I wanted to get you something to remember me by."

She smiled. "It was really lonely after you left. Father hated being disturbed from his research so celebrating my birthday alone was a bit depressing. Even though you sent me cards it wasn't the same as you being there with me to celebrate."

"So that's why you told the brothers to go to Rush Valley."

She nodded. "I see a lot of similarities between us and them with Winry. I don't want them to repeat the mistakes we did."

"Now what mistakes would those be?" Roy asked with a mischievous grin. She grinned back.

"You know which ones Mr. I'm-too-busy-to-write-or-call." She looked down at her watch. "Anyway, we should go get something to eat. It's already quarter past noon."

He nodded. They got up and began walking towards the door before he turned to her and asked, "Speaking of gifts, is there anything in particular you want for your birthday this year?"

Riza smiled as she gently touched the diamond ring hanging around her neck that he had given her last week. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I've already got everything I ever wanted."

A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed this. I gotta say, writing funny short jokes is not easy, at least for me. Kudos to all those writers out there who can and do.

Reviews are much appreciated.