Roy was not thrilled with the boys for using Alchemy on school grounds, and they both promised again and again that they wouldn't. And, they held to their promise, though the other kids thought they were so cool and begged them to do something else in the following weeks. Although Edward especially loved to do exactly the opposite of what Roy told him to do, he was very good about not using his Alchemy abilities in school anymore, much to the dismay of his classmates

The weeks continued on and winter fell over the small town, coating the green hills with white snow. After classes and during breaks, the boys had fun using Alchemy to create snowmen and other sculptures out of snow and ice. Letting himself go for just a few moments every now and then, Roy would join in and use his flame alchemy to burn paths in the snow and ruin the sculptures. Although the boys pouted and complained when he did that, it was all in jest, as they would make a new one in just a few seconds. Within just a week of the first big snowfall of the season, the Mustang house was littered with all sorts of beautiful and funny snow creations.

On the other end of town, at the school, Riza had come up with a great solution to helping the boys achieve normalcy. She would first give them much more advanced worksheets but also asked them to help tutor the other kids who were struggling. It was a rough start, at least for Ed, who was easy to frustrate, but eventually, all of the kids in the class were passing with flying colors. By Christmas break, there was not one student who was failing in any subject, and most had very high marks.

The boys were doing well in trying to be normal and had made friends with both Winry and Mei, as well as the other kids in the class. Often, they would head up the hill to where Winry lived with her grandmother to play. Although a kind old woman, she had quite the temper that clashed with Edward's, and often when Roy would come pick them up, he could hear them arguing from a distance. But, the woman showed nothing but love to the boys, who knew what it was like for a child to lose their parents, as Winry had lost both of hers as well.

Roy was grateful for Rockbell's and for the times the boys would run over to their house. He loved his nephews, but he'd also never asked to be a parent, and although he felt guilty for feeling this way, he missed some of his peace and quiet. Not to mention, the two could get pretty destructive, and Roy was also grateful for things not being constantly set on fire in the house.

Around the middle of winter, the boys were staying the night at Winry's, and Roy marched along the snow laid path after a long day at work. It wasn't necessarily bad, and he hadn't gotten in trouble, but it was busy and tiring. He turned onto the main street and saw the light spilling from the bar. Music and laughter echoed out into the road and the man found himself pausing for just a moment. He hadn't been to the bar in a while, but boy could he use a drink! Besides, the boys wouldn't be home tonight, and he was a good drinker. He'd never get so drunk he wouldn't be able to get to them if trouble sprang up.

He walked into the crowded bar and took a seat on one of the stools. A woman he recognized but didn't know the name of took his order and set a beer down in front of him. He sipped it, feeling his shoulders relax as weight was lifted off of them.

A few patrons saw him and whispered to each other about his presence, but it was not malicious. Although they were cautious around members of the military, they knew his nephews were playing with the Rockbell girl, and her grandmother was highly respected in the community. If the Mustang family was alright by them, they must be a good family after all, even if they were a little private.

About a half hour passed and Roy was still nursing his first beer. He enjoyed the bustle around him compared to the emptiness of the house. He could think, but if his thoughts became too dark, he was easily able to redirect his focus.

Suddenly, the door opened and the bell above it tolled, and he found himself glancing over. There, in the doorway, stood Riza in a conservative, but beautiful white blouse and blue skirt. Roy could tell she was upset but was trying to hide it with a signature thin line that gave nothing away. She looked up and met his eyes, and looked a little surprised, but she smiled thinly at him.

There was a seat next to Roy and he gestured to it, honestly not expecting her to take him up on his offer. To his surprise, she came right over and hopped up on the seat. He glanced at her, wondering what she was doing at a small town bar on a Friday night, but she looked straight ahead at the bartender.

"Whatever's on tap," she ordered and within a minute, a tall glass of beer was placed in front of her.

They sat in silence for a long moment, neither wanting to be the first to talk. But, people didn't come to this bar because they'd had an easy day, and Roy was curious as to what brought her here. She was also wondering why the town's elusive Colonel was seated at a busy bar.

"So… that kind of day?" Roy asked awkwardly, stealing a glance at her. She shifted her gaze to him before shrugging.

"I had a date," she said after a long sip of beer and a long silence.

"How did it go?" He felt a little hurt she'd gone on a date, though he'd not thought much more about her. She was beautiful, yes, but he was in the military and had two rambunctious boys at home. Although ever a charmer, Roy had not been on many dates lately.

"It didn't," Riza grumbled ruefully. She narrowed her eyes, as though her drink was what offended her.

"Jean?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet his and she looked a little surprised. "How did you know?" It was a small town, but he'd only asked her out the night before, and Roy didn't strike her as a gossip.

"He does this to every young woman in town," Roy sighed. "Some of the old women too. Asks them out, forgets he asked them out in the first place and then cries to me about why he doesn't have a girlfriend. He's not a bad guy, just a little dense."

Riza stared at him a little longer and then shrugged, returning her attention to the gold liquid before her. Roy wondered if he should ask her more about how she was feeling about the missed, date, but she seemed just as content now to sit at the bar with him. Another silence passed over them, and Roy found himself feeling comfortable in her quietness. It was strange because silence in the presence of others usually unnerved him.

"So, did you like him?"

"Who?"

"Jean."

"Oh." She paused and then shrugged again. "I suppose. He seemed nice enough."

"He is."

Another pause. "So, what brings you to this bar. I told you my story. What's yours?"

Now it was Roy's turn to shrug as he finished off the last of his beer. "Rough day at work. I just needed a little break. The boys are staying at the Rockbell's tonight, so I figured I'd have a pint."

"How are the boys doing?" Riza asked politely, as she had not seen them in a month since school let out for the winter.

"Good. A pain in my ass as always," he smirked. "But healthy and happy."

"Are they still using…" her voice dropped just above a whisper, as though she was worried someone would care enough to overhear in the loud, crowded bar. "Alchemy?"

Roy glanced at her and nodded. "Yup. Getting better every day. They're going to be great Alchemists one day, mark my words. I just hope they find something better to do than join the military."

"That's strange," Riza noted, "Most military members want their families to continue the legacy. At least, the ones I've come across feel that way." But Roy shook his head fervently.

"No," he said a little harsher than he meant. "The military isn't a great path. Especially not as a State Alchemist."

"First-hand experience?" Riza asked, knowing a man as young as Roy didn't ascend to Colonel without a major bump in rank. It was also common knowledge that Roy was both one of the highest ranking military officers in the rural area they lived, and also an acclaimed State Alchemist.

"Yes." Roy paused and asked for another beer. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was Riza's warm and inviting eyes, but he felt compelled to unload on her. She didn't judge him the way the other townspeople did. In fact, she seemed completely unfazed that he was in the military at all.

"Their mother was a State Alchemist too."

Riza's eyebrows went up and her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yup. One of the best too," the man replied and took another swig of his newly poured beer. "Absolutely amazing. Better than me. Better than anyone. Then she got sent to Ishval."

"Oh," Riza said sadly. "She died there?"

"No. She was discharged after. High honors. She was a star, they were so sad when she left." He gazed at the table sadly while Riza stared at him. "She met a guy, a fucking shit stain of a person, and had Edward, then Al. Then he left. The kids don't even remember him, they were so young. She tried to make things work by herself, but she couldn't handle what happened in Ishval. So, one night, when the kids were, oh… three and four, she dropped them off at my place. I tried to get her to stay, but she left. That was the last I saw her alive."

"I'm so sorry," Riza said after a moment, though no words could do justice to how badly she felt for the man. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his back and felt him shrug and exhale heavily.

"That's life, I guess. But I don't want that kind of life for Ed and Al. They deserve better than Alchemy."

Riza nodded, unsure of what else to say. Although the bar was loud and crowded, it felt so silent. "They're lucky to have you as an uncle," she said weakly after a long moment. He straightened up and looked at her, a sad smile lingering on his lips.

"Thanks, Miss Hawkeye. It's much appreciated."

"Riza. Just Riza is fine."

"Then thank you, Riza." He sighed again, trying to get all the emotion out of his system. He glanced at her empty beer glass and a mischievous smirk replaced the sad look on his face. "Well, Riza, I'm going to have to insist I buy you another beer."

She smirked over at him and laughed. "Well, if you insist."

Thank you as always for the lovely words! I also wanted to write this note as a reminder that this story is loosely based on the movie Gifted, so that is why I changed how Trisha died. Some things will more closely follow the movie, others will more closely follow FMA. I'll just pick what flows the best as I write!