Forgive me for how long this took. I wanted to take a step back from the Envy and Catherine interaction and got stuck with the dialogue in this chapter. Hopefully things will get a little easier as the plot progresses.

It had taken almost a week for the rain to finally let up in Central. With no more clouds in site, Catherine had politely taken the opportunity to go walking amongst some of the busier city streets. One of the servants, a girl not too far off from her age, came in attendance. While she always had the option to go out alone (within reason of course), the youngest Armstrong simply preferred the company. Though, nice as the maids are, they didn't not compare to a pleasant afternoon with Alex or one of her sisters.

"Are you looking for something, miss?" Pale eyelids blinked rapidly at the sudden sound and reawakened Catherine. Had she been staring out into the distance again?

"No, no, I . . ." The words died off in her throat. Her companion didn't attempt to press the matter further. What was the point of being out here if she wasn't looking for anything specific?

Her teeth grazed and ground lightly against the inside of mouth, just below her lips. A little more pressure and she would find herself biting the soft, numb layer of skin. The little pain she might feel if she bit off a small scrap of herself would be easily ignored. She was far too preoccupied with a new onslaught of anxious thoughts to care about physical feelings. She wondered if the servant realized how much Catherine was wasting time on pointless errands.

What if, underneath the welcoming smile that adorned all of the Armstrong staff, was a cascading storm of malicious thoughts? So much so that each compliment, smile, and general pleasantness directed towards Catherine was followed with such a boiling hatred that it could be felt physically. The thought of her existence being the equivalent of painful stones building up within this servant's chest surged back and forth through her head.

"I think it might be best if . . . I mean, I think it's time to go home." There was a short, piercing feeling within her cheeks followed by the sudden taste of iron. Her teeth had clamped down too hard in an effort to prevent the words 'sorry for wasting your time' from coming out of her mouth. She knew well that the servant would blink and quickly, without fail, reply with 'oh ma'am it wasn't a waste of time, don't say that' thinking internally how whiny Catherine Armstrong sounded.

"Oh," The plain maid gazed towards the near empty bag containing nothing more than a full pocket book. "Very well, then."

By now the delightful colors of the season that Catherine had been so excited to be a part of this morning had faded into the background of the blur of people walking amongst them. It was disappointing how something so exciting lasted so briefly.

Catherine watched the servant's medium brown hair bob up and down with each step taken. There was so much to look at, so many faces to see, but to her these foreign things seemed too distant and unfamiliar to matter.

So when her eyes caught sight of something, a figure out across the street that clashed against everything that she didn't know, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait," The volume in her voice surprised not only Catherine but the woman in front of her. It might not have been much compared to the other more distinguishable members of her family but coming from her, it was.

"Is there something wrong miss?" A sense of urgency could be seen and heard from the companion.

Catherine outstretched her arms automatically, attempting to calm the other's nerves. "It's nothing to worry about, I just saw someone that I know." She looked away from noticing the others gaze. "That's all."

"I see," the servant drew out, scanning the people across the street. "Do you want to say hi?"

Catherine didn't respond. Things had been different the last time she had saw the other person. While her life might not have been altered too seriously since then, she knew that his had. Besides, even before all this, he had left her presence in a rather disappointed mood. Maybe, if Alex had been with her, she might ha—

"Come along, miss." Catherine gasped inaudibly as the other women pressed a small amount of pressure onto her back, guiding her into the now motionless street. A red light had stopped traffic and now she, along with nameless others, flooded the street in an attempt to switch sides.

Her heart fluttered slightly as the two of them came within distance of a small outdoor café. The person in questions, who Catherine hoped noticed her before she would be forced to make an introduction, sat around a smallish table. There were two others with him, ones who she faintly recognized as well. Though, their uniforms were more familiar to her then their faces.

The only female member of their little party noticed Catherine before the other two could. The man from before might have seen before his comrade if he had not been positioned away from the youngest Armstrong. The servant and herself stood motionless, a little over a couple feet away from the table, as the woman gestured to the both of them, alerting the other two of their presence.

Catherine's eyes looked slightly downwards, attempting to hide any unneeded nervousness.

"It's nice to see you again, Lieutenant Havoc." The smile that lit up on his face did little to calm her worries on approaching him. At the very least it was apparent that he remembered her, making approaching the group somewhat reasonable of an action.

"The same goes for you Miss Armstrong." There was a nasty scrapping noise as he pushed his chair out. Catherine's throat began to dry up as he attempted to stand up in ample time. It was obvious from the way his legs shook under his weight and way he held his back that total recovery was still a bit far off. She wished she had told him, or at least gestured to him, that standing for her was unnecessary. A feeling of guilt washed over her body, wondering why she had to bother a man who simply wanted a nice lunch with friends.

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced," there was another scrap as the only woman stood up seconds before the other man of their group. "I'm First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye." Catherine smiled at her before glancing towards the last unnamed member.

"Sergeant Major Kain Fuery," out of the three, this last man appeared the youngest. "It's nice to meet you Miss Armstrong."

"Please," with her voice slightly hushed and her cheeks becoming a shade pinker, the young woman looked away. "Call me Catherine."

. . .

Catherine Armstrong had left her house wanting to get a bit a fresh air. It had been such a long time since she had roamed the streets of Central. She also guessed that some alone time might do her little pet some good. Maybe, after all this time, the poor thing was beginning to feel smothered with her intrusive presence.

Now, barely two hours into her little journey, Catherine somehow had found herself as an unexpected guest at a quaint café. A little place, she realized, that was only a few blocks away from headquarters. Her companion had been offered a seat at the table as well. Though, seeing how crowded their little area had become, the young woman had declined and opted to sit alone a few tables over.

"I heard you were in Xing a little while back." She blinked at Havoc's question.

"Yes," she nodded. "My parents and I spent quite a few months there." Her thumbs tapped against her legs from under the table, attempting to think of noteworthy things to say. "It's was such a unique place, I really wouldn't mind going back." She paused once more. "But . . . I missed my brother and sisters quite a bit. It wasn't truly a vacation without them."

The young man, Fuery, tilted his head at her. "Sisters? As in more than just Major General Armstrong."

Catherine couldn't help but giggle at the nervousness of the question. She guessed that her eldest sister had made quite an impression with Central during her stay. "I have three sisters in total. Olivier is the eldest, Amue is the second, and Strongine is the third." A warm smile drifted onto her face at the remembrance of each sibling. Even Olivier, with her cold exterior, gave a feeling of happiness. "Alex and I are the last two to be born in my family."

"Hm," Havoc, absentminded, rubbed at his unshaven chin. "Your sisters, Amue and Strongine, what are they like?"

There was a pause as Catherine tapped her shoes against the concrete pavement.

"Well, Amue is rather . . . willful and restless . . . but also compassionate. I think, growing up at least, Olivier liked her the most." Though she knew that wasn't saying much. "She likes to travel around a lot, now that she's of age. So I don't really get to see her for more than a couple times a year." There really wasn't much to say about Amue in her eyes who, other than the eldest, was gone too long to really put detailed description on. "Strongine, however, is a bit more like Alex as far as personality goes." Unbeknownst to the others, the third eldest was more than just similar internally. "She's kind and bold and . . . well . . . just a very good sister." She stopped to look down. "I was really sad when she decided to leave."

"Was there a reason that she left?" Hawkeye, though sympathetic, did not easily show it.

Catherine chuckled at the thought, her lips spreading out onto her face. "Well, she wanted to spend more time with her boyfriend." For a moment she wondered if any of the three soldiers knew Strongine's beau. Mother did mention that he had been in the military, as well as present during the Promised Day. Then again, so had a lot of people. "What about you all? I mean, how has everything been since . . ."

There was a heavy feeling in the air lingering after her question. Not necessarily a bad one, just an uncomfortable one. "Busy," Havoc admitted. "Just very busy."

Catherine couldn't help but notice the uneasiness in his voice. As much as she didn't want to admit it, her own brother sounded that way more often then she would like.

. . .

"Are you sure you want to go home?" With a wave of her hand, the blonde bid her final goodbyes to the small group behind her. The whole thing was quite short but she had no clue how long they had intended to stay out and the last thing she wanted to do was force them to spend more time with her then they anticipated.

"Yes," Catherine said with a nod. "I didn't intend to stay out so long anyways." Nor did she intend to talk to people, two of which being near-strangers, for more than a few minutes.

The young servant nodded curtly and turned to lead them back home. No words were exchanged during their little journey, leaving Catherine to ponder her little encounter. Part of her had wanted to ask them about her brother seeing as they seemed to be around him more often she was these days.

But in the end she didn't. Instead she settled for a more casual conversation, one that avoided the topic of their job altogether. For despite the fact that they had won, with greatest evil in this country defeated, there were still some remnants of worry in the demeanors.