Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist characters do not belong to us. We're just having fun with them.


Chapter 34. Sentence

A couple of days after Falman and Breda's meeting with Roy and Riza, Archer appeared in the cell area to face Roy grabbing him by the shirt between the bars.

"Damn you, Mustang!" Archer snarled.

"Archer, I demand you release me immediately. Whether you like it or not I'm still your superior." Roy replied harshly, breaking free of his grip.

"As if it really matters your rank right now." Archer muttered through his teeth as he retracted his hands. "You may have won this battle Mustang, having saved your bastard and shortly your bitch, but you'll lose the war when you're executed."

Roy didn't hold back and, taking advantage of the Colonel's proximity, managed to grab Archer forcefully slamming him hard against the bars as he pulled him to himself. "I've warned you before, you bastard. I demand respect for Edward and for the Captain." The General snarled.

"General! Release him, please." Interjected Riza, who was still in the adjoining cell.

The black-haired man roughly let go of Archer, while the other began rubbing his face to get himself sobered up from the impact he had received.

"You'll pay for this, Mustang. You may have gotten away with it for now, but I'll do everything in my power to make sure your skin can't be saved. After all, your image is completely tarnished. No one is going to lift a finger for you when you went around abusing an innocent cadet, impregnating her and leaving her at your mercy because she was in your way just like your bastard. Well, although I must admit that you found them useful at the time. Your slut to satisfy your carnal desires and your bastard when he was useful to you to make you look good in front of your superiors because that's the only way you were interested in him."

"If you have nothing more productive to say to me, get the hell out of here right now." Roy snarled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists to somehow contain his growing fury.

"Enjoy what's left of your life, Mustang, because in a few days it will be your trial and no matter how much of a hero you are you'll be executed and I'll be in the front row to witness it before I leave to take up my new post." He grinned mischievously before giving him one last scornful look before walking away.

The general sighed heavily trying to forget the hard time the guy had given him. His blood was boiling at the contemptuous way the guy was referring to Riza and Ed.

"General, don't fall for his games. He was just looking for a way to provoke you."

"And I indulged him, didn't I, Captain?" interrupted Roy.

"That's right."

"But it makes my blood boil the contemptuous way he refers to you and Ed." Roy grumbled as he clenched his hands into fists again at the memory of Archer's words.

"It doesn't matter to me, because I know it's not true plus I know you don't see us that way. Don't forget that Archer's words have no credibility with me and many other people because of the type of person he is."

The general sighed, as always Riza was right but he couldn't help but be annoyed that someone would talk that way about the most important people in his life. He inhaled deeply and at that moment he realized something. "You know, if Archer came here in a rage looking for a fight and from what he said, that means Falman and Breda have succeeded and will let you and Ed off the hook for all of this."

"It's possible." Riza replied in a whisper.

Before they could discuss the matter further, Breda and Falman entered the cells, addressing a quick salute to both of them before Breda spoke.

"General, we have proceeded as you have requested and I have here the papers dictating the withdrawal of the arrest warrant and charges against Edward."

Breda passed the folder to Roy behind bars who immediately took it and began to read it.

"Since there was a precedent where the product of the relationship had his life spared and since in this case he is nearing the age of majority and was an instrumental part in saving Amestris during the Promised day, Edward has been cleared of all charges and as of this moment can go out on the street without fear of being apprehended." Breda commented.

"That's good news, thank you very much, guys." Riza said with a smile, feeling some of the pressure pressing down on her chest release.

Falman and Breda nodded.

"And what proceeds with the Captain?" The general asked, as he continued to search through the papers for the ruling about Riza.

"The assembly in charge of receiving all the evidence on this case is aware that if Lieutenant Catalina's brother's case is taken as a precedent, the Captain would be released from the firing squad but they have taken an extension to deliberate a little more about the sentence given that, like your case, Sir, there are elements to consider such as your participations in key moments of Amestris' history." Falman commented.

"Will the outcome be given until our hearing?" The general asked.

"It appears to be, Sir, given that it is the deadline they have stipulated." Falman said.

"We are still working to find a way to get you all out of this. We still have five days and we'll make the most of them."

"Thank you." Roy and Riza replied.

"If you will excuse us, we will proceed to retire to continue preparing for the trial and to break the news to Edward."

"Please tell him not to be rash." Roy commented.

"And to take care of himself." Riza added a little worried knowing that Edward might become careless as he kept an eye on what was happening to them.

"We will."

Once Breda and Falman withdrew, Riza broke the silence from her cell.

"I'm glad Edward is free of all this."

"So am I, though I would have loved for the assembly to have given you your freedom at the same time."

"Now that Edward's life is no longer at risk, I'll be able to concentrate on us getting through this together." Riza said with a look full of determination.

"Well, we still have some time to find a way." Replied Roy a little calmer knowing that at least his son would be safe.

"Yes, we will."


"So, Ed can get out now without worrying about the military coming after him?" Winry asked Breda who had given them the news.

"That's right."

"And what about my parents?"

"The Captain won't face the firing squad, that's a fact, but unfortunately we still can't rule out the option of incarceration. They are still determining her sentence but it should be given at trial along with the General's."

Ed frowned. "If I no longer have to face trial, that means you got the precedent in, didn't you?"

"Yes, it was the General's order, he wanted to get you and the Captain out of harm's way as soon as possible."

Ed slammed the table where he was sitting. "I told him not to immediately use that resource. Now his life is in danger. Damn it." Grumbled the blond as he brought a hand to his hair.

"Well, we're throwing in every resource we can find to appeal for him not to go to the firing squad as happened in the antecedent. He and the Captain have played important roles in the military and we'll use that argument to defend the lives of both of them."

"And if that is not enough? This new government has started to make major changes but hasn't had time to get all the corruption out and that same corruption is what could end his life."

Winry placed her hand over Ed's. "I know it's a difficult situation, Ed, but we won't give up. Falman has gotten you off the hook and now we'll do the same for your parents. We'll find a way out of all this, you'll see."

Ed inhaled deeply. He really wanted to believe it, but with this new news he felt that everything would become more complicated for his parents in exchange for his freedom. Time was upon them and, although they were looking for some other way to defend their case, they had not been able to get witnesses to confirm that his mother had become pregnant before she entered the academy and that was worrying him because that could be the key to the release of both his mother and his father. It was difficult, but he had to keep the calm that would allow him to keep searching and that calm, as always, was transmitted to him by Winry with her words, her scent and the way she had taken his hand at that moment. Winry was the one who anchored him in the present to focus on what was truly important in those moments. It wasn't the place or the time, but now he was beginning to better understand what his mother had told him she felt when she met and fell madly in love with his father. He wanted to continue to enjoy those moments in all their splendor, but he wouldn't until his parents were safe and sound.

After inhaling deeply, Ed replied. "Let's keep looking, then." He said as he squeezed Winry's hand.

The blonde nodded and gave him a warm smile that caused a pleasant feeling to run through Ed's chest.


The next day, the blond decided to go visit his parents and took the opportunity to bring a change of clothes for each of them and some of the apple pie Winry had made. Winry had offered to accompany Ed, but the boy told her that he preferred to go alone on this occasion. Winry understood that Ed needed that time alone with his parents so she nodded and dismissed him with a smile, an action that caused the boy to hug and kiss her thanking her for her unconditional support.

Since Edward was not one of the lawyers or investigators involved in the case, he was denied a visit in a private room as he would have liked, so he had to settle for seeing his parents in the cells. Luckily the area where they had been assigned was alone so in a way they would have some privacy. Worse was nothing.

When he reached the assigned cells, he couldn't help but feel bad and upset to see his mother in such a place. While these cells were a little better than Briggs', they were definitely no place for a woman like her mother. But when Riza heard noises and raised her gaze to meet his, he forgot about those feelings for a moment and cut the distance to stand close to the bars that separated him from his mother who had stood up and had extended her arms between the bars to ask for a hug from her boy who didn't hesitate to respond the gesture even though they couldn't complete such a hug due to Riza's handcuffs and the bars of the cell.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" Riza asked without releasing Ed from her embrace.

"Didn't you want to see me?" The blond asked jokingly.

"Of course I wished to see you, my son, but not under these circumstances."

"It is at these times that I must be at your and my father's side and you will not change my mind. Ever since I heard about all this I wanted to come and see you but well... you know I couldn't and my father asked me to wait it out." Ed turned his head in the direction of the next cell looking for Roy, but it was empty. "And speaking of him, where is he?"

The blonde pulled away from the embrace without letting go of her son's arms, reaching up to give him a kiss on the cheek causing Ed to blush slightly. Riza smiled at her boy's reaction but mostly at how much the relationship between him and his father had improved.

"Your father was taken to an interrogation room to clarify certain details of the case. Falman and Breda should be with him right now."

"Damn! I hope he's back soon, those guards said I only had ten minutes."

"I hope so too." She said squeezing Ed's hand affectionately, a gesture that was returned by the boy.

Ed remembered the bag he was carrying and handed it to Riza. "Ah, before I forget, I brought some clothes for both of you and a couple of pieces of Winry's pie. She sends her regards as does Madame."

Riza took the bag and, despite the difficult situation she was in, felt joy to see how good and considerate her son was being to them. "Thank you so much, Edward. Please thank Winry and Madame for us."

"Of course and you have nothing to be thankful for." Ed replied smiling. "We're all doing our best to get you and Dad free once and for all. We're not giving up."

The blonde watched his son's golden gaze, easily being able to see the determination and fire Roy had detected in it the first time they had met again. She raised her hand to gently caress her baby's cheek, well actually he wasn't anymore, he was closer to being a full grown man as she could feel the slight hint of the beard that would begin to grow but to her he would always be her little boy.

"I know. Neither will we." Riza replied with determination. They wouldn't give up, not now that she had the chance to be a part of her son's life even if she didn't deserve it. Not for the world would she waste this new opportunity.

Riza continued to caress her son's cheek until she stopped abruptly, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Ed.

"Is something wrong, Mom?"

"My God..." Riza retracted her hand and brought it to her chest. "I'm a terrible person. I completely forgot about Alphonse. I promised him I'd get through to him days ago when you were found." She said with a regretful expression.

Ed laughed lightly. "Don't say that. It's all right. Madame allowed me to talk to him a few days ago. He and Grandma Pinako are aware of the situation."

"Thank heaven." She sighed in relief. "I don't know where my head is at. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I'd taken away your brother's peace of mind all this time."

"There's a lot going on, that's all. Besides..." Ed reassured her before reaching for his mother's hand to place it on his cheek again, keeping his hand on hers. "You're very good, Mom but it's about time you thought of yourself instead of everyone else."

"Edward..." Riza murmured.

"It's the truth. You shouldn't be going through all this so, like I told you, we'll find a way to get you both out of here."

Riza gave him a warm smile but before she could utter a word, the pleasant moment mother and son were having was interrupted by the sound of the front door announcing Roy's entrance escorted by one of the guards. As soon as he saw the scene in front of him, the black-haired man smiled while the enormous desire to approach them and hug them both was present inside him, however, that desire was quickly interrupted when the guard pushed him towards his cell. After closing it he withdrew, returning them the privacy.

Ed glanced at his mother to indicate that he would go and greet Roy. Riza gave him one last caress to his cheek and a smile reassuring him that it was okay. The boy took a few steps to see Roy standing there with a smile.

"Glad to see you safe and sound, Ed." Roy said, reaching out to grab Ed's wrist. Realizing his intentions, the boy reached over and hugged him as best he could since the wooden handcuffs put distance between them in addition to the bars of the cell.

"I'm safe and sound thanks to you... although I don't like the idea of you two still being here at all. I thought we agreed that you'd wait to use that card."

Roy and Ed broke away from their embrace.

"Yes, we did discuss that, but don't forget that my priority will always be the welfare of you and your mother."

Ed looked into his father's eyes and in them he found the same determination he had seen since he had known him, the one that, when he focused on something, there was no going back on his decision. The same determination that he himself carried in his own eyes. Now, without fear of being wrong, he could say that he understood where he had inherited it from.

Ed sighed. "I know, but you better keep your word about not giving up to get out of this, because I won't."

Roy smiled confidently. "Well I don't plan to either, not when I have a beautiful lady who has waited for me for many years and an amazing son."

"You just want to make yourself look good to mom and me, don't you?" Ed said jokingly. He knew Roy meant it but he was still getting used to getting a compliment from a father figure.

"Well sure, otherwise you're not going to let me in the house." Roy humored him.

"You'll have to do a lot of merits to get us to let you in, right, Mom?"

"That's right." Riza joined in the little game.

"Hey, you shouldn't ally against me. I'm the man of the house, I must protect my wife and my little one."

"I'm not little! If you hadn't noticed, I'm almost your height by now!" Ed protested.

"Besides, Edward is already very close to being quite a man, Roy. He can certainly protect me." Riza added.

"Hey, am I going to be left out?"

They all started laughing, enjoying that family moment.

"Whatever the case may be, you'll always be our little boy, Ed." Said Roy looking at Ed fondly.

"Yes, you always will be." Riza added.

Ed blushed slightly, started scratching the back of his neck and before he could continue chatting the guard called Ed's name indicating that his visiting time was over. No one wanted this pleasant moment to end but there was no choice. Ed went over to give his father a hug and another to his mother, who kissed his cheek.

"Edward, please take care of yourself." Riza asked him to which the boy nodded.

"And don't worry, Ed, we haven't given up." Roy commented.

"And I won't give up either. I'll come see you guys as soon as I get another pass. Take care of yourselves, too." Replied the boy before taking his leave and heading for the exit of the cell area.


After days of arduous investigation and growing nerves at what might happen, the day of the trial arrived. Ed, Winry, Madame Christmas, the Mustang team, Rebeca, Gracia, the Curtises, Alex and even Olivier Armstrong had shown up.

The night before, Ed hardly slept because of the worry he felt knowing that they had only been able to get two witnesses and that made him extremely uneasy since there was no guarantee that they would accept the testimony of both witnesses.

Al had insisted on being present to support in one way or another along with Granny Pinako, but after much convincing power, Ed got Al to stay with Granny in Resembool promising that as soon as he knew the verdict he would let him know. Although his brother was already feeling much better, he still needed to strengthen his immune system, so he didn't want to expose him.

As soon as Ed took a seat in the room, he immediately felt the tense atmosphere of the place, making him feel short of breath.

For Winry, Ed's reaction did not go unnoticed, so she took his hand and intertwined their fingers. She leaned into him slightly and whispered in his ear. "It's going to be okay, Ed. Your parents are heroes and they're good people and that's why so many people are here today to support them."

Ed nodded and squeezed Winry's hand affectionately. "Thank you, Win."


Since in less than 5 minutes Roy and Riza would be leaving to face the trial, Falman and Breda had managed to have a few minutes alone with them beforehand to finalize some details. Once that little meeting was over, the boys gave those last few minutes alone to their superiors, which they greatly appreciated.

Breda did his handcuff trick again so Roy wasted no time and pulled Riza to his chest in a tight embrace, placing her head under his chin.

"Whatever happens, don't forget that I love you and if something doesn't work out-"

"It'll be alright, Roy, you'll see." He was immediately interrupted by Riza.

"But in case something-"

"Roy... please..."

Roy tightened his embrace. "Please, Riza. I know it's not pleasant but I'm aware of what can happen and I'm willing to take the sentence as long as you and Ed are safe."

"I need you by my side, Roy." Riza pleaded.

"And I need you, but if I can't be by your side, please forgive me. I know you promised to follow me to hell and you have done so on more than one occasion." Riza tensed and Roy hugged her as tightly as he could. "But if the verdict is what we fear, please don't follow me, don't do it, forget that promise."

"Roy..."

The general pulled away slightly and took Riza's face in his hands, looking straight into her eyes. "Please, Riza, promise me that you won't follow me... promise me that you will go on with your life, that you will enjoy the chance to be in our son's life, that you will do it for both of us."

A couple of tears began to roll down Riza's cheeks while Roy's eyes were glistening, trying to hold back his own. Tenderly Roy brushed the blonde's tears away with his thumbs.

Riza placed her hands over Roy's and inhaled deeply. "I... promise, Roy." She brought one of her hands up to caress his cheek. "But I have no intention of giving up because I will fight to the end. It's not fair that you can't enjoy our son when this is all my fault-"

Roy gently placed his index finger on Riza's lips. "It's not your fault. It's all my fault, I should have tied the knot before we conceived Ed, just like my mother and even Grumman told me to." Roy cracked a slight smile. "But if I have to relive everything we've been through so far for the sake of having you and Ed by my side, I'd do it without hesitation." He leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Thank you, Riza, for loving me the way you have and for giving me such an amazing son. For you and Ed I will fight to the end."

"You better, because we both love you and want you in our lives." Riza put her arms around Roy's neck and pulled him to her to kiss him. "I really hope this isn't a goodbye, because I've had enough of them, especially when they refer to you."

"It won't be because they're not my cup of tea either."

A couple of knocks on the door signaled that the time had come. They both sighed before hugging and kissing one last time.

"Let's do it." Riza said.

The black-haired man nodded and reluctantly let go of Riza to let Breda and Falman in for one last quick chat and repositioning of the handcuffs before facing the trial.


The trial began with the entrance of 3 soldiers who would serve as judges and 9 as part of the court martial ruling council. After covering the initial aspects of protocol, Roy and Riza were called to testify in different shifts. Roy's turn was very brief (basically they focused on whether or not he was guilty of having procreated a child with a member of the military) while Riza's was longer and more strenuous. In the face of this, Riza had to tell much of her story in front of several people which was quite uncomfortable for her but she had to be truthful about her story so that the council could realize that Edward's conception had happened shortly before she officially joined the military.

After Riza's statement, to the surprise of almost everyone, they did not call witnesses to testify, opting to retire all 12 members to deliberate on Riza's legal status. Those in favor of Roy and Riza began to worry, but, between murmurs, Falman reassured them by saying that it was most likely that everything had happened that way because the defense that he had previously introduced was really working, so there was a high probability that Riza would be acquitted of the charges and released that same day.

About an hour later, the soldiers returned and one of those belonging to the court-martial ruling council stood up to begin after clearing his throat.

"Well, the council of this court has come to a resolution regarding the legal status of Captain Riza Hawkeye. While the evidence finds her guilty along with Brigadier General Roy Mustang in violation of the anti-fraternization law, her defense decided to file case 1898AM099 as precedent a couple of days ago to grant a life pardon to the product of this fraternization, in other words young Edward Elric. If we were to follow the precedent to the letter, Captain Hawkeye would be liable to at least 3 years in prison, but her defense, in conjunction with the request of Major General Armstrong and the Führer himself here present, has caused the specific situation of this case to be reviewed to take into consideration the trajectory and achievements of the accused during her time in the military, in addition, prior to this session, the testimonies of colleagues of different ranks were reviewed as is protocol in this type of investigation. The council recognizes that all of the accomplishments achieved by the Captain cannot be ignored as they were for the benefit of the military and, therefore, for our nation. Given the above, it has been ruled that Captain Riza Hawkeye will not be sentenced to prison."

After these words, Ed and Roy let out the air they didn't know they were holding, they felt immense relief knowing that Riza would neither be executed nor sent to prison.

"However, it cannot be ignored that the Captain violated one of the most delicate laws governing our system so it has been decided to dishonorably discharge Captain Riza Hawkeye from her post. This means that her separation from the military will be final as she will not be entitled to any retirement benefits nor will she receive any additional pay over and above what she has received up to this point for her service as a member of our nation's military, with this sentence taking effect immediately."

At that moment Riza felt, on one hand, relieved to know that she would not have to spend indefinite time in prison and that, although she was aware that she deserved the firing squad for her involvement in Ishval, she was happy because she would have the opportunity to live with her son and Roy if everything went well with him. On the other hand, she was somewhat disappointed that if Roy managed to stay in his position, she would no longer be able to continue working alongside him to help him restore Ishval and to also help him get to the top in order to fulfill the common goal they had set for themselves. Riza inhaled deeply. But, if she looked on the bright side, she wouldn't let that stop her. Whether she was in or out of the military, as long as she was alive and had the love of her life and her son by her side, she would not stop finding ways to continue to restore Ishval and improve the country.

All the others who were supporting Roy and Riza murmured words of relief and some others of disappointment at letting such a valuable element like her go in such a way. There were even some annoyed words from Olvier, muttering that the court was made up of pure morons for letting the best sniper in the history of the country go in a dishonorable way because of that idiot Mustang.

Once the commotion subsided, the soldier continued. "We will now proceed to the unburdening of evidence concerning the case of Brigadier General Roy Mustang which has been given place because of his record within the military. Like Captain Hawkeye, General Mustang is found guilty of violating the anti-fraternization law, a notion supported by DNA evidence presented by Colonel Frank Archer. So before we move on to give the floor to the defense, I proceed to give it to the Colonel here."

Archer stood up and gave Roy a challenging look.

"Thank you, General." Archer said with a slight bow to the soldier before he approached Roy. "General Mustang, you were aware that it is strictly forbidden to engage in amorous relationships between members of the military but even knowing this you proceeded regardless of the consequences. By your actions you have dishonored the values of the military and of the very law you broke, given that the law exists to protect low ranking soldiers and the families that may arise from these relationships."

"I know perfectly well why that law was established in the first place, Colonel." Replied the General calmly. Archer had managed to get on his nerves before, but now that Riza and Ed were safe he would not give him that pleasure.

"Then why did you abuse a 17 year old cadet, with a career at the military academy ahead of her?" He pretended to check the document in his hand. "While Ms. Hawkeye's age certainly could be of concern, what concerns us more in the military is that we're looking at a very likely rape scenario." Archer said with obvious disdain in his tone at the mention of Riza.

Edward immediately tensed up and made an attempt to stand up because in those moments what he wanted most was to smash the guy's face in for implying that about his father, but Winry immediately placed her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

Ed, relax, you and all of us know that's not true, he just wants to provoke your father.

Ed closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when he exhaled he opened them and met Winry's beautiful blue gaze which helped him calm down. The blond squeezed her hand to thank her and again focused on the trial.

For his part, Roy clenched his right hand into a fist and focused on calming himself. "You've already mentioned what's supposed to be about me but I'm willing to share my side of how things happened. I'm well within my rights to do so, right?" Archer frowned and the judge nodded at Roy's words. "First of all, I have never abused any woman and never would, it goes against my own principles. Now, while it is true that Miss Hawkeye was very young, we both had a romantic relationship of approximately 2 years prior to the conception of our child, although, I might add, we both began a relationship of friendship that started long before we both enlisted in the military."

One of the judges turned to Riza. "Miss Hawkeye, please can you confirm if what General Mustang says is true? Don't forget that you are both under oath to tell the truth."

"That's right, sir. What General Mustang has stated is true. He and I met when we were teenagers and had a romantic relationship long before he entered the academy that persisted even after he had already entered the military. He didn't know about my status in the military because I didn't mention it to him when we were able to meet. If I had, he probably would have warned me what it would mean for our relationship, which I had to discover on my own." Riza replied in a neutral tone.

"Alright, let's assume your relationship thing is true, do you have any way to prove that the conception of your child happened before Miss Hawkeye officially entered the military as the defense is proclaiming?"

Breda and Falman stood up.

"Yes, we can prove it." Breda said confidently approaching the judges to hand them a copy of a document. "The document I just shared with you is a copy of the birth certificate of Edward Elric, son of General Mustang and Miss Hawkeye. Young Elric's adoptive parents were residents of Resembool, so after his birth in Rivière, they returned to their hometown to register him properly, but, considering that Resembool is a very small town, at that time they did not have their own civil registry office so a clerk from the main office in East City was the one who made trips every 2 or 3 months to register new births. The actual date of birth of the young Elric is almost two months earlier than stipulated in the document, specifically on December 18, which allows us to determine that the date of conception was actually before the official entry of the former Captain Hawkeye and, according to the Military Code Article 1 Section A, it is established that a citizen is effectively considered a member of the military until the registration process has been completed. In the case at hand, reviewing the military records, Ms. Hawkeye's enrollment process was completed when she reached approximately 2 weeks of gestation."

"And how can you validate that the date of registration is actually not the same as the date of birth, Lieutenant Breda? Don't you find that small margin very convenient for your defense?" Archer asked scathingly.

"We're just looking for the truth, Colonel." Breda replied in a serious tone trying not to show in his look how much he detested Archer for the predicament he is putting his comrades in. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Plus we have as a witness the person who registered Edward Elric." Turning to the seats where the attendants were seated, he added. "Please, Mr. Brown, would you come forward?"

A man who appeared to be nearing his 50's with brown hair graying at the temples came forward. Once he took the oath to speak the truth, Breda resumed the floor.

"Mr. Brown, could you tell us if you were the person who made and registered the birth certificate of young Edward Elric?" Breda asked as he passed him a copy of the document.

The man put on his glasses and read the certificate carefully. After examining the document, the man spoke. "Yes, that's right. This document was extended by me and my wife who is also my assistant."

"Is your assistant present?" Archer asked with the obvious hope that the answer was in the negative.

"That's right." With a nod from the man, a woman rose from her seat and approached the dais. With a glance, Breda asked one of the judges if they could proceed in that manner to which the man nodded so the russet-haired woman took her place beside her husband as soon as he finished with his own oath.

Once the woman read the same document as her husband, Breda resumed the conversation. "Mr. and Mrs. Brown, according to our inquiries, many times babies that are registered in small towns are done so with a different date than their birth date. Is that correct?"

The man and his wife nodded.

"Yes, that is something we usually do since we have to visit several towns and truth be told it is much easier to use the date on which the paperwork is done." Mr. Brown replied.

"Do you guys remember seeing young Elric when he was a baby?" asked Falman.

"Yes, we remember. A child with that eye color is very hard to forget. Even we took care of his brother's registration too, didn't we, dear?" said Mrs. Brown.

Mr. Brown nodded.

"Did Mr. and Mrs. Elric, young Elric's adoptive parents, request any specific date for his birth registration?"

Mr. Brown was quiet for a few seconds as he recalled. "It seems to me that they did."

"Do you recall the date requested?"

They both shook their heads and Mrs. Brown took the floor. "It's hard to remember dates from so many years ago. But, if I may venture a little, I would say it was a day in November or December."

"Okay. Any specific reason why you refused to use the requested date of birth?"

The man put a hand to the back of his neck. "As we told you, taking the date we go to each town makes our job easier. Sometimes we make exceptions if we have a receipt from a clinic or the face-to-face testimony of the midwife who received the baby as either one supports our records but Mr. and Mrs. Elric had neither so, in all honesty, we gave them no choice. We were in a hurry to get to the next town."

"I see, from what you observed and remember, could you give us an estimate of the baby's age on the day you registered it?"

"Considering that we usually take 2 to 3 months to visit Risembool, I would venture to say that the baby was about 2 months old. He was small but didn't look like a newborn. You see how fast babies grow during the first few months." Mrs. Brown replied.

At that point the ruling board members asked Mr. and Mrs. Brown a few more questions regarding their relationship to the Resembool records and their usual trajectory to clarify dates as they took notes. When they had no more questions for the couple, Breda spoke again.

"We thank you very much for your cooperation Mr. and Mrs. Brown, you may retire to your seats."

The pair bowed slightly before returning to their seats.

"Does the defense have another witness?" One of the judges asked.

"Not at the moment." Falman replied.

"Well, we will take the testimony along with the other documentary evidence the defense has provided to deliberate General Mustang's sentence." Said the judge at the center. "Although it should be noted that per militia protocol at least 3 testimonies outside of family and friends are required, so we can't guarantee whether or not the Brown couple's testimony will actually proceed. We will see you in 15 minutes." He concluded before retiring with the other judges to the adjoining courtroom.

"Damn! That's what I was afraid of." Breda muttered when he was near where the group of friends were standing.

"Breda, we really couldn't get another witness?" Ed asked with concern.

"I'm sorry, but I must say that if it hadn't been for a homunculus finding out the secret would have been kept hidden without a problem. Hawkeye was very good at erasing her tracks."

Riza ducked her head trying to think of some way she could defend and prove that she was already pregnant when she started the academy. There had to be a way.

"I'll go talk to the judges." Ed said suddenly.

"I doubt very much that they will take your testimony into account, Edward. After all you are the General's son." Falman said.

"But I was a dog of the military and helped them defend the country. My word should carry some weight."

"It doesn't when someone is directly related to the accused." Breda mentioned.

"We can't just stand by and wait for them to crucify my father... I can't allow it." Grumbled the blond.

"But you can't go and confront them either, you'd only make things worse." Havoc said.

Ed slammed his fist down on the table where they stood. "There's got to be something."

Suddenly the boy felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his father's hand. "Calm down, Ed. We can't get desperate..."

"And how can you expect me not to when they've implied that they probably won't take Mr. and Mrs. Brown's testimony into account. Your life... your future is at stake."

Roy looked into Ed's golden eyes, finding in them the characteristic fire he loved so much. "I'm aware of the current situation, but I'm also fully aware that everyone has been doing everything they can to help us out of all of this. Thanks to their efforts you and your mother are out of danger and to me that is excellent news. If I'm lucky enough not to get executed or sent to prison, that will only be a bonus." He cracked a slight smile at the end.

Ed looked away. "Well, I'm not going to stand idly by. I don't care if I have to punch the judges in the face to get them to let you live and go free too."

"Edward, let us have faith that all the evidence presented is sufficient." Riza said, looking at her son.

Ed sighed, he hated feeling so much uncertainty. "I'm trying but..." The blond couldn't finish his sentence as he felt extremely lost and helpless in the current situation. Winry came over and hugged his arm as the others were silent at the tension that was growing by the minute in the room.

After a couple of minutes, Rebeca decided to break the silence trying to divert the attention for a moment from the big problem they were facing. "Hey, has anyone seen Fuery?"

They all looked around the room.

"I remember seeing him during the session, but now I have no idea." Falman commented.

"Maybe he went to the bathroom." Havoc replied.

"Well I hope he doesn't take too long because the session won't be long in resuming. Falman, let's take one last look at these documents, maybe we can find something else." Breda mentioned before passing the papers to Falman.

Ed broke away from his girlfriend and began pacing the room for a few minutes thinking of some way that could help get a favorable verdict for his father until Winry took his hand to ask him to relax, as with each step it seemed that his worry and stress was growing in overdrive instead of releasing tension. The blond took a deep breath and tried to think a little more clearly by focusing on the warmth of Winry's hand.

Meanwhile, Roy took Riza's hand under the table to give it a light squeeze to get her attention. Relax, it's not your fault. Riza returned the squeeze and the two stood with their hands intertwined until, a few minutes later, they stood up to stretch before the session resumed.

A few minutes later, the people who had left the room began to re-enter along with the judges and everyone began to take their seats. Ed was extremely uneasy, so Winry did not let go of his hand in a sign of support and closeness.

Once the entire audience was seated, Fuhrer Grumman took the floor. "The judges in charge of this case have deliberated on the sentence to be given to General Mustang, who has indeed been found guilty of violating the anti-fraternization law." He paused slightly. "I now proceed to cede the floor to Colonel Douglas."

Douglas stood and bowed slightly. "Thank you, your Excellency. Since General Mustang's defense has appealed to use Catalina's case, the sentence that has been under deliberation takes us to the firing squad. However, at the request of Major General Armstrong and the Führer himself it has been decided to analyze all the documents which the defense has provided. While, it has not been possible to prove with certainty that the conception was prior to Miss Hawkeye's entry into the military, it has been decided to spare the General's life for all his accomplishments and services he has rendered to this country." He paused for a breath, enjoying the beginnings of signs of relief on the faces of Mustang's allies knowing that those expressions would not end in complete reassurance. "But it must not be forgotten that this cannot go unpunished, as his offense is considered a dishonor to the statutes governing our army. It is for this reason that it has been chosen to sentence him to 30 years' imprisonment for his disrespect of our rules."

Hearing the sentence Riza's heart went all the way to her stomach. Yes, she was relieved that he would not be killed but to lock him up for 30 years in a small, horrible, cold cell was something she would not wish for any of her friends, let alone the love of her life. For a man who from a very young age had had a free and dreamy soul, locking him up in 4 filthy walls was like cutting off his wings. Inwardly she knew that she and he deserved that and more for their actions in Ishval, but it wasn't fair for him to pay for everything she had done 'to protect him'. It wasn't fair. She was the one who should go through that sentence.

For his part, Ed felt a lump form in his throat. It wasn't fair that his father was sentenced to so many years in prison when he had spent so much of his life doing everything he could to repair the damage he himself had caused and to end the corruption in the country. He admitted that at first it was difficult to recognize Mustang as his father, but in the short time he had lived with his father and mother, he had learned to respect and love them. Now what he really wanted was to be able to continue to enjoy the experience of having both of his parents in his life, to get to know them more, to share new experiences with them. But now, with this sentence in between, everything was difficult. It wasn't fair. After all, his conception had happened shortly before his mother's entry into the military, so why couldn't they take Mr. and Mrs. Brown's statement as true? Perhaps in the eyes of the military the act would still be seen as improper by their standards but they could not condemn his father for a fault he technically did not commit.

Unconsciously, Edward's breathing began to quicken. Winry noticed this change and began to whisper in his ear. "We're not giving up, Ed. You have to be strong right now for your mom. For your dad."

The blond closed his eyes, analyzing his girlfriend's words. He remembered his father's words when he asked him that if anything happened to him, he shouldn't leave his mother alone... Winry was right. He had to be strong to support his parents and to find some way to get him out of there. Not all was lost.

Roy lowered his head as he heard his sentence. He knew that even though he was being tried for something else he deserved that punishment and even the death sentence. However, he had the illusion that he would get out of this situation, because what he wanted most was to continue enjoying the relationship he had reestablished with Riza and to continue being part of the life of the son he thought he could never find. It was selfish to wish for that after what he had done in Ishval, after all the suffering he had given Riza, but he really wished he had that chance.

"Well, we'll call this hearing to a close. Soldiers, please take General Mustang to his cell." Douglas stated.

Roy stood up and sought the gaze of Riza who was at the other end of the table where they had been placed to stand trial. I will be fine, take care of yourself and our son. The black-haired man said to her with his gaze before the contact was interrupted by a pair of soldiers approaching to handcuff him.

The Mustang team members were upset that they had not been able to save their leader. Breda and Falman were still quietly discussing whatever they could think of at the moment to stop the current situation.

Just as they began to lead Roy across the room to get him out, the entire team stood up and gave him a military salute, including Riza. We'll get you out. She told him with her eyes.

"WAIT!"

All eyes turned to Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong who came running in, breathing heavily to catch his breath.

"Your Excellency, please wait." Alex turned to Grumman.

"What is it, Armstrong?" Grumman asked.

"We have a witness who can testify on behalf of General Mustang. Please allow her statement to be taken into consideration." Alex, who was still recovering from his marathon, said haltingly.

Almost imperceptibly, Colonel Douglas frowned and hurried to respond to the request. "Armstrong, the session is over and the sentence has been given, so-"

"Douglas." Grumman interjected, raising his hand to signal him to stop. "Is the witness present at this time?"

"Yes." Replied Maria Ross who at that moment was entering accompanied by an elderly lady and Fuery carrying a folder under his arm, who immediately went over to where Breda and Falman were standing to show the contents of the folder to the Führer.

"Your Excellency, please allow Mrs. Wilkinson's statement to be taken. She has been too kind to go to the trouble of traveling from the North."

"Hmm, I see." Grumman put his right hand to his chin. "It would be very impolite of us if we didn't allow it, after all the lady has made a very long journey."

"But, your Excellency-" Douglas tried to retort.

"No buts, Douglas. Remember that we are rebuilding this country and we have to show the people with actions that everything is being done fairly and that our people are taken into account in such decisions. So let's cut the nonsense and please take up the case." Said in a firm voice the Führer before turning his face towards the lady standing at the entrance. "Excuse our discourtesy, Madame, please take a seat." Grumman gestured with his head to the chair next to the dais where the jury was seated.

Mrs. Wilkinson curtsied and made her way to the chair, while Maria Ross approached along with Armstrong toward where Breda, Falman, and Fuery were deliberating how to proceed. The guards who were about to take Roy to his cell removed his handcuffs and stepped back for the trial to resume.

Riza took a closer look at the lady who had appeared, she was a rather elderly woman of medium height with blue eyes that, despite her age, shone brightly. In her face was reflected the experience and the passing of the years, but there was something she found familiar, as if she knew her, but that was almost impossible since in the north she did not socialize with anyone but the Elrics. Some memories of when she was pregnant came to her mind and a face tried to occupy the main thought in her mind.

As soon as Mrs. Wilkinson's oath was concluded, one of the jurors cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Let's take up the case, then. We yield the floor to the defense."

Breda, Falman, Fuery, Armstrong and Maria Ross shared a nodding glance, letting Breda take the floor.

"Thank you, Gentlemen." He paused slightly to approach the lady. "You are Mrs. Amelia Wilkinson, correct?"

"That's right, Sir." Replied in a neutral tone the lady.

"Could you tell us what part of the North you are from?"

The lady nodded. "I'm from Rivière. I own a small restaurant near the outskirts of town."

"Very well, madam, did you know Miss Hawkeye about 18 years ago?" Questioned Breda, discreetly pointing to Riza who was still seated at the defendant's table.

Riza's and the lady's eyes met. At that moment recognition by both women was given and the doubts Riza had about who this lady was dissipated at the same time a slight smile broke out on each woman's face.

"It was a long time ago, but I do remember Miss Hawkeye. My family has always told me how good my memory is and I can see why." She laughed lightly. "Although I must admit it was until Miss Ross came to visit me to ask me to contribute my testimony that I finally learned Miss Hawkeye's name."

"I see, could you tell us where you met Miss Hawkeye and under what circumstances?"

"As I mentioned, it was a long time ago. Miss Hawkeye was very young at the time, maybe she was about 17 or 18, no more than that. I met her at my restaurant, as every month she would go without fail to make a long distance phone call. At that time, there weren't that many establishments that offered that service and one of them was my humble business, so I guess that's why she ended up there, plus she would take advantage and buy some food from my restaurant."

"Did you ever see her accompanied by anyone?"

She shook her head. "No, in fact the times I saw her was when she was visiting my business to make the call, from then on I didn't run into her on any other occasion. I even thought she was just a tourist or had moved away but she always showed up the following month. I must confess that I was always curious about her situation since when I met her I could tell that she was probably pregnant but I never saw her with a man by her side or with a family, she was always alone. And obviously as time went by I could confirm that she really was pregnant. At the beginning I thought that maybe the baby's father had abandoned her to her fate or that she had even been raped. But I never had the courage to ask her very personal questions. However, my curiosity about her remained latent, but I was relieved after the third time she came to make her monthly call. I felt a little calmer and dismissed those ideas."

"Why were your ideas dismissed?"

"Because, although I never listened to any of the conversations she held on the phone, from the third time she visited my restaurant I allowed myself to see her from afar and I could tell that after each of the calls she was smiling and when her belly became more noticeable, she was caressing it during the conversation. All this made me think that she was talking to the baby's father. I figured maybe he was working out of town to gather money for the arrival of their baby. If I'm honest, several times it crossed my mind to get the father's information to give him a good slap on the wrist, because even though I always saw Miss Hawkeye as a self-sufficient girl, it didn't seem fair that she had to go through the whole pregnancy alone and even more so being so young. Well maybe there's still time to give the father a slap on the wrist." She said in a joking tone in her last sentence.

The lady's last comment made some people unable to contain a slight smile.

"Did you get a chance to see Miss Hawkeye's baby?"

"No, although I would have loved to. I was curious if her baby would inherit her eyes or maybe give away its father's features. The last time I saw her, she had told me she was already close to 8 months pregnant, after that I never saw her again." She said with a slightly sad tone. "I was sad not to hear from her, but I thought maybe the baby's father had finally shown up for the delivery and had taken his family elsewhere."

"Do you have any way of verifying the dates on which Miss Hawkeye made those calls from your establishment?"

"So I do. As I told you, there were few establishments that had phone lines so I tried to keep a record of the calls that were made in my restaurant as well as the corresponding receipts for the last 25 years. One has to be careful that people don't go overboard and charge one's hand with a huge phone bill." She coughed a couple of times before continuing. "You'll forgive that I don't know the military installation lines very well and I don't even know the code for calls in East City by heart but on the receipts come all that data and, as far as I understand, it's already been checked by your colleagues."

Breda nodded before motioning to Falman. "Falman, would you please show the jury the receipts?"

Falman proceeded to turn over the papers before speaking. "Based on the telephone receipts and with the help of former Second Lieutenant Maria Ross, Second Lieutenant Fuery, Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong and Mrs. Wilkinson herself, the telephone numbers that were not known to the lady were delimited, leaving aside those that were dialed by her regular customers. Only one of them is the one that appeared constantly in at least 5 receipts corresponding to 5 months, that is, 1 call per month for 5 months, comprising the period from July to November 1898. We investigated that telephone number and during that time it was being occupied by General Mustang in the apartment where he lived in East City. Location supported by the electric power and telephone contracts and receipts that you can find in the second part of the folder." He paused slightly to address the lady. "Mrs. Wilkinson, did you see Miss Hawkeye during the month of December 1898?"

"No, sir. The last time I saw her was in November."

Falman nodded before turning again to the jury. "According to the statement of Miss Hawkeye and Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Edward Elric was born in the month of December, one month ahead of his expected date of birth. For that reason, Mrs. Wilkinson did not see the Captain that month or the following months. With these date ranges, it can be deduced, without a doubt, that the conception occurred during the month of April 1898. A couple of weeks before Miss Hawkeye's official entry into the military. If we review the Amestris Military Code, in Article 1, Section A, it clearly states that a citizen is considered a member of the army until the military academy enrollment process is completed, which you can see in the series of documents we are sharing with you. Inside you will find a copy of the matching that was done when Miss Hawkeye fulfilled this requirement in the month of June 1898. So officially, the crime for which General Mustang is on trial should be considered a minor crime since at the time of conception he was the only active and official member of the military."

At that point a few people could be heard whispering, including among them the jurors. Archer stood up and took the floor.

"I only hope the jury doesn't forget that there is a pre-registration involved, which to some extent has validity as an official induction into the military."

"You said it, Colonel, to some extent. As I mentioned, it should be considered a minor crime." Falman replied.

As the murmuring began to increase, Grumman stood up and cleared his throat to get the attention of everyone present.

"Gentlemen, if you have no further questions for Mrs. Wilkinson we better allow her to take her seat in the tribune." When the defense and jurors, including Archer, did not ask to speak, the lady took her seat with the others. "Well, considering recent events, we should take the rest of the afternoon to rectify General Mustang's sentence. We will resume this hearing tomorrow at 900 hours. In the meantime, the General will have to remain in his cell while Miss Hawkeye can be released since her sentence has been read previously. If there are no further comments, I adjourn this session for the audience. For the jurors and myself, we will take a 30-minute recess and meet in the east wing boardroom to deliberate on the new information concerning this case."

After Grumman's speech, the Führer proceeded to retire followed by his staff. Roy stood up and the guards immediately approached to handcuff him, but before that, the General said goodbye to his comrades, thanking them for their support, giving a nod of acknowledgement with his head to them, Maria Ross and Armstrong and a glance at Riza and Ed trying to tell them with it not to worry.

Once Roy was taken away, Riza turned to Mrs. Wilkinson giving her a slight smile. "Thank you so much for giving your testimony, Mrs. Wilkinson, I really appreciate it." She said as she gave a slight bow of thanks.

The lady waved her hand to indicate to her that such formality was not necessary. "Don't worry, Miss Hawkeye or perhaps I should call you Captain."

"You can call me whatever you like, besides you knew me long before I reached the rank I have or rather had. But that doesn't matter, if I may ask, how did you know about this whole situation that made you want to help us with your statement?"

The lady smiled, "Miss Ross came to my establishment asking if I had met you some time ago, showing me a photograph of you. When I confirmed that I had indeed met you a while back, she informed me in a general way of the situation that was transpiring here and asked me to please agree to accompany her to Central to testify and here I am. Unfortunately we had a delay in the train which caused our late entry. It was a good idea that a half hour before our arrival she called Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong to give him the number we assumed was the one you were dialing so they could corroborate where it came from."

Riza turned to look at Armstrong, Fuery and Maria Ross then gave them a slight bow. "Thank you very much, I'm very grateful to you for going to so much trouble to help us."

"You have nothing to thank, don't forget that we appreciate you, the General and Edward very much. I can never finish thanking and repaying you for saving my life. When I heard about this situation, I made my own inquiries and with the help of Edward, Rebeca and all the others I was lucky enough to find Mrs. Wilkinson who kindly agreed to cooperate with us. Miss, if I may say so, you are quite an astute woman. It was almost a miracle to come across the only place and therefore the only person who had dealings with you during your pregnancy." Maria Ross mentioned with a slightly teasing smile at the end.

Riza returned the smile as Madame Christmas moved a little closer to Ross.

"Girl, thank you so much for all your hard work. If you ever wish to pursue any work as a spy, feel free to contact me. Your talent would come in very handy in my network." Chris mentioned.

"Thank you Mrs. Mustang, I'll keep that in mind." Maria replied slightly flushed at the compliment.

"Ross, really thank you so much for helping us." Ed joined in extending his hand to her.

"It's my pleasure, Edward, I really hope this all clears up." Replied Ross reciprocating Ed's greeting by shaking his hand and smiling.

Riza moved a little away from where Ross and the others were standing to return her attention to the older lady who had come from the North. "I'm so sorry I didn't give you more details at the time, but now please allow me to take charge of your lodging and meals. I imagine you must be tired from your long journey."

"Don't worry, I feel fine. We ate on the train and one of my sons lives here in town, so it's the perfect pretext to visit him. And now that I know the whole truth, I fully understand what you had to go through back then. You were very brave. I really hope the army doesn't think of punishing you severely after all you have done for this country, including your boy. Your friends have filled me in on all your exploits." She paused slightly as she searched around with her gaze and, stopping on Ed, continued. "What I would really like is to meet the boy you were carrying in your belly back then." Mrs. Wilkinson said with a smile.

Riza reciprocated the smile and looked at Ed, asking him with her eyes if he was okay with her introducing him as her son, to which the boy smiled and without hesitation walked over to where his mother stood to stand beside her, resting his left hand on Riza's right shoulder and extending his right hand towards Mrs. Wilkinson. "Nice to meet you ma'am, I'm Edward."

"Wow, I can't believe how long it's been." Laughed the lady as she greeted Ed. "The last time I saw you, you were still inside your mother's womb, kicking her." At the comment the blond smiled slightly embarrassed. "It's too bad I didn't get a chance to meet you as a newborn, but I'm glad I do now. Miss Ross told me a lot about you and you don't know how glad I am to know that you've now reunited and are treating each other like the family you are."

The blond nodded with a smile on his face. "I'm proud of my parents and even though my dad can be a jerk sometimes, he's a good person." Ed commented jokingly about Roy.

Those present allowed themselves to smile or laugh lightly at the blond's comment, forgetting for a moment that Roy's situation was still unresolved but now in the air there was a new hope that recent events would help the black-haired man come out of this all right soon.

"Madame, let me take you to your son's house please." Alex offered turning to Mrs. Wilkinson after a few moments.

"Thank you very much."

"No, the grateful ones are us, thank you very much." Commented Ed with a broad smile full of gratitude towards the lady.

Respective farewells were made by the lady before she retired being escorted by Alex.

"Mom, we'd better go home so you can get some rest too."

"Thank you, Edward, but I want to see your father before we go."

"I'm sorry, Hawkeye, but visitation will be restricted for today. Only Breda and I will have a few minutes with the General to prepare for possible scenarios the sentence may have tomorrow." Falman interjected with a slight apologetic smile on his face.

"Come on, Hawkeye, the kid's right, you should get some rest. Besides I'm pretty sure the boss would order that just to make sure you get some well-deserved rest. Don't worry, we'll take care of everything and hopefully tomorrow the boss will also be free and this will all remain a bad dream." Havoc replied.

"Don't protest anymore, Riza, and go rest with your son. If anything should happen I promise I will inform you personally." Rebeca replied.

Riza sighed but internally thanked her friends for their attentions. "Okay, but please-"

"Yes, yes I know, now go and rest. Godson, take good care of your mother and get her out of here before she regrets it." Rebeca said, pushing Riza to leave.


After taking a bath and eating some food, Riza sat on her bed, thinking and worrying about Roy. She couldn't get it out of her mind that maybe the new testimony wouldn't be enough to avoid jail time for the damn pre-registration she already had during that time. But also when she thought about the best-case scenario (where he would be spared jail time), she knew that his dream of being Führer would probably be completely destroyed by this whole scandal. In the end I always end up ruining things for the people I love the most. She thought as she exhaled heavily.

A soft knocking on her door half-open brought her out of her reverie.

"Can I come in?" Ed asked quietly.

A slight smile tugged at Riza's lips at the sound of her son's voice. "Yes, of course."

Ed walked in and closed the door behind him before sitting down next to his mother. "I thought you'd be asleep."

"I can't, not while your father is still there."

Ed sighed. "I figured as much." He turned to look at her. "But you know he wouldn't be at ease if he found out you weren't taking proper care of yourself, besides he and I promised to take care of you, so please let me do it. I know you're really worried about my dad, I'm worried about him too, but I want to be optimistic that everything will work out in the end. Especially now that we finally have a chance to be together." The blond said with a smile at the end.

Riza caressed one of her son's hands before pulling him to her in a tight embrace. "I really don't deserve to have your love or your father's."

The boy returned the gesture without hesitation, hugging his mother tightly. "Of course you do, Mom. You've always taken care of us. Now let us take care of you."

"How can you say that? I wasn't with you-"

"You've always taken care of him and me." Ed interrupted her. "You've done so much for us..." He sighed. "Dad and I are lucky to have you in our lives." After these words, the blond broke away from the embrace to look into his mother's eyes.

Riza couldn't help but shed a couple of tears as she began to caress her son's face before depositing a kiss on one of his cheeks. "I really am lucky. I love you and your father very much."

"And we love you." Replied the boy before wrapping his mother in another hug. "You'll see, one way or another we'll get dad out of there."

Riza nodded and remained hugging her son in silence for a few more minutes until Ed pulled away again before speaking again.

"I talked to Al a few minutes ago. He was worried sick about you two but was relieved to hear that you and I are now free from all persecution. Although he did get a little uneasy knowing that Dad is still in jail. He asked me to pass on his regards, love and support. If it wasn't for Win, Grandma and I forbidding him to move from Resembool, he would be here by now."

Riza smiled. Even though Al was not her biological son, she loved him as such and not just because he was her son's brother, but because before she learned of her kinship with Edward, both brothers had won her heart.

"Next time you call him, please let me know, I'd like to say hello and thank him. I'm actually very fond of Al too. Maybe it sounds a little conceited of me, but I like to think that, although for a long time I lost a son, I've now got my son back and also gained one more, and I'm absolutely sure Roy feels the same way."

Ed smiled back. "And I'm absolutely sure Al feels the same way about you." Something shiny dangling from his mother's neck caught the boy's attention, so he carefully took the object in his hand to realize that it was the engagement ring his father once had among his belongings. "So he finally decided to give it to you."

"Yes, that's right, he told me it was your words that convinced him and since I can't wear it as I should, I decided to keep it on my chain that is always hidden under my blouse."

"I'm glad you did. I must admit he made a good choice, it's a very beautiful ring. Now I hope that when all this is over, he will finally deign to espouse you as you so much deserve."

"You know, a part of me feels that I have been married to your father ever since I met him when we were little kids, because since that time I have never been able to tear him from my heart. Even though we haven't sustained a romantic relationship for too many years, the devotion and care we've had for each other I consider to be far more important than what a mere piece of paper can say."

Ed immediately understood as he recalled the difficult times his parents had had to go through and yet they carried on despite it all. "I understand, although I think it wouldn't be a bad thing if you finally took your rightful place."

"Maybe one of these days."

The boy hugged his mother once more before standing up. "You'd better get some rest, tomorrow will be a long day but with a little luck we'll all be together sharing dinner."

Riza nodded. "Thank you, son."

Ed left the room with a smile and was greeted by another in the hallway when he found Winry watching him sweetly.

"That was nice of you to say that to your mom. Right now she needs all your support." Winry told him softly before giving the blond a kiss on the cheek.

The blond widened his smile at his girlfriend's gesture of affection. "She's my mom and I want to help her in any way I can."

Winry nodded. "You're very lucky to have them, Ed."

"Yes, I am." Replied the blond smiling.


The next day, all the people who had been present during the previous day's hearing were there again waiting for the hearing to begin. Roy was already at the defendants' table with Breda and Falman, while in the front row of the tribune, just behind Roy, were Riza and Ed.

Grumman stood up and took the floor. "Good morning to all of you. I appreciate everyone's presence today. As you may know, late yesterday additional information was received from the defense, so the jury and I came to a resolution to take it into consideration in determining General Mustang's sentence, obviously doing legitimacy and corroboration tests among other related documents so as to validate the veracity of the documents presented." He paused slightly. "Regarding this point, we have confirmed that the data provided is true, so we accept that the date of conception of Roy Mustang's son was prior to the final registration of then Cadet Hawkeye."

At Grumman's words, several people began to murmur, some with words of optimism and a few with suspicion.

"However, we cannot forget that during that date there was a pre-registration and General Mustang was from that time already a member of the military. The crime is minor, but it still exists and the new government we are building cannot afford to feign ignorance and leave such a crime without any sanction."

A few murmurs were heard in tones of disappointment.

"We have picked up on all the merits that former Captain Hawkeye and General Mustang have earned throughout their time in this institution for the welfare of their country, not forgetting that the product of their relationship, former Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, along with his brother Alphonse, have likewise defended the integrity of this country. Also, a thorough investigation has been conducted during all the years in which former Captain Hawkeye and General Mustang have worked together and no evidence was found that they have fraternized again after the birth of their son. Both have conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism and performed their duties to a high standard. People who have had the opportunity to work with them at some point give good references of them and up until the time this situation was discovered, there was not the slightest indication that they had maintained more than a friendly relationship born of their daily professional dealings."

"Yesterday, the jury and I made the decision to give the General a 30-year sentence and the immediate dismissal of Ms. Hawkeye. After reviewing the new facts, it has been decided to reconsider that sentence. While it is true that this infraction should not be overlooked, it has been taken into consideration that at the time of Miss Hawkeye's pre-registration the anti-fraternization law and its sub-variants were not known to the applicant until they begin their preparation, so we will also be correcting this in our processes to avoid this type of situation in the future." He paused. "Taking this into consideration, it has been decided to desist from the 30-year sentence, since General Mustang, despite being guilty like the former Captain, is undoubtedly an officer who can be counted on and that in the short time he has been in charge of the East his intervention has been positively reflected, besides that after the cleaning we are carrying out within the military, there are few soldiers with his rank with whom we can trust. Therefore, as part of his sentence, it has been decided to withdraw Mr. Roy Mustang's title of State Alchemist, which involves the withdrawal of the funding he was receiving for his research. In addition, it has been decided that he will be suspended from his duties as responsible of the East for a period of 18 months without pay or any benefits, not forgetting that at the time he decides to retire he will not enjoy more than the minimum benefit that would be granted to a soldier with a rank equivalent to 'Officer'. After 18 months, hoping to count on his valuable support to improve the Eastern part of the country, Mr. Mustang will have the possibility of returning as an auxiliary member of the position he held until these days but, from this moment on and for the foreseeable future, under the rank of Second Lieutenant without any possibility of promotion in the ranks."

Again the murmurs were present, while Frank Archer, though annoyed at the overturning of the jail sentence, allowed himself a smile as a thought came to his mind. This will be my chance to control the East. Even if they try to disguise it, they are probably still contemplating it in the future but I will not allow that place to be waiting for him all this time.

"Since the East cannot be left without a command, especially considering the projects being developed in Ishval and the other small towns in the area, not to mention that some trade and transportation agreements are being established with Xing, I have spoken with the jury and my advisors and we have decided that Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong in company with First Lieutenant Breda will take charge of that area until further notice."

What the hell? Archer protested internally, trying to contain the anger that was seizing him.

"This sentence will take effect as of today, therefore General Mustang is released but is suspended from his duties he performed until a few days ago as of this moment. Does the defense have anything to add?"

Breda and Falman looked at Roy for confirmation, when the General gestured to them that he was more than satisfied with the sentence, Breda took the floor. "No, your Excellency."

"Well, if there's nothing more to say, it only remains for me to thank former Captain Hawkeye and General Mustang for bringing into the world a boy who was a vital piece in the defense of this country during the worst crisis we've ever been through." Grumman smiled. "I'm adjourning this session and closing the case."

As soon as Grumman left the scene and once Roy was finally released from his handcuffs, the entire Mustang team, friends and family approached Roy, the first being Riza, who was almost immediately drawn into the black-haired man's arms.

"Sir... remember we are inside the headquarters." Riza whispered in his ear.

"I remind you that as of yesterday you are no longer a member of the military and I am suspended, so technically we are not breaking any laws." Roy replied quietly.

"We'll talk about it, for now behave yourself. Let's not abuse the luck we've had on this occasion."

Roy nodded and reluctantly let go of Riza to give Edward a tight hug. "Thank you for taking care of your mother and for supporting us."

"You know you have nothing to be thankful for, old man." Ed said with a smile.

"Remind me to teach you to respect me, young man." Roy muttered feigning anger before releasing Ed to hug his mother and everyone else around him, all the while thanking each of them for their support.

After the thanks, Madame Christmas offered to take everyone to her house for a celebratory meal, which was accepted by everyone present, including Mrs. Wilkinson and her son, who had also come to hear the verdict on Roy's legal status.

Madame, her girls, Riza, Rebeca, Gracia, Maria Ross, Winry and the Curtises with a little help from Roy and Ed, took care of preparing and serving the food and drinks. Everyone present had a pleasant time, although the unit members were a little sad that they would not see the General at work for the next few months and neither would they see Riza. But they didn't let that ruin the moment so they started joking around, eating and drinking until they gradually retired as night fell.

"Wow, I thought Havoc would confess to my godmother with how drunk he was." Ed said jokingly.

"I wouldn't doubt he'd do something foolish considering they were both pretty drunk." Roy said laughingly before Riza gave him a nudge and a look that told him that Ed and Winry didn't need to imagine what that pair could come up with in that state. Roy smiled sheepishly offering an apologetic look. He hadn't had too much to drink so he quickly understood what Riza was referring to.

Ed yawned. "I think I'd better get to bed."

"Me too." Winry said.

"Good night, Winry, Edward." Said Roy, Riza and Madame.

The youths said goodbye to each of the adults before proceeding to retire.

"You'd better each go to your own room, okay?" Chris commented, which caused the youths to blush as they nodded their heads before continuing on their way.

"You don't change, do you?" Roy said, smiling at his mother as he put his arm around the shoulders of Riza who was sitting next to him.

"I don't regret having a grandchild, but if in the father there was no prudence, I hope at least in the son there is." Chris replied calmly with a smile.

Roy fell silent and Riza couldn't help but smile. She knew that hint was probably meant for her too, but it was always fun to see how someone else could put Roy in his place.

The black-haired man sighed. "Well you win this one, but I want to believe Ed will wait a little longer than me, since I wouldn't want to be a grandfather being so young."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about it, boy."

"Well, I already gave him the talk so maybe-"

"I gave you that talk too and here we are."

Roy sighed defeatedly.

"It's nothing personal, Riza. It's just that this boy of mine still doesn't have me very happy for not visiting me sooner and for not paying me any attention." She said with a strict tone at the end, looking at Roy.

Riza waved her hand indicating not to worry.

"I'm sorry, mother. It won't happen again." Roy said.

"It better not." She gave him one last stern look before softening her features and smiling. "I think I already know the answer but I'd rather confirm, will you sleep in one room or do you prefer separate rooms?"

Roy and Riza shared a look agreeing on their decision in a second. "We will sleep in the same one." They replied at the same time.

Madame smiled, "I thought so. Is the room you slept in yesterday okay, Riza?"

The blonde nodded. "Yes, it's perfect."

"Good, then I proceed to retire. Good night."

"Good night and thank you." Roy and Riza replied in unison, Chris made a gesture with her hand implying that it was nothing.

"Shall we go to sleep?" The black-haired man asked.

"Yes, let's go."

Once they each took a bath, they snuggled next to each other on the bed, Roy making circles on her back and Riza making them on Roy's bare chest.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened, Roy." Riza said suddenly. "All this wouldn't have happened if-"

Roy stopped his movements to look Riza in the eye as he interrupted her. "You have nothing to apologize for. Remember this is all behind us now. That fucker Archer wanted to hurt us but in the end, thankfully, he didn't get his way."

"But now you've practically lost your chances of becoming Fuhrer."

Roy shook his head before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Don't think about that, the most important thing is that Ed and we're okay."

"But I won't be able to watch your back anymore."

"You always have and I have no doubt you will continue to do so, just as I will watch out for you." Roy took her chin to force her to look him in the eye. "But now I want us to do it as a married couple."

Riza looked into Roy's black orbs, seeing deep love, respect, devotion and sincerity in them. She reached out her hand to place it on one of his cheeks.

"But I promised to watch your back and help you get to the top and now I won't be able to do that... I won't be able to help you to redeem us both-"

Roy placed his index finger over her lips. "Sure you can do it, because I don't plan on giving up and I'm still going to need all your support to change this country. I'm definitely going to miss having you in the same office, but maybe this is our chance to finally formalize our feelings, our devotion. I know we don't need a piece of paper to know how we feel about each other, but I want everyone to know that my heart, my body, my mind and my soul have always been and will always be yours. I want to give you the place that has always been yours, I want them to know that I am yours and you are mine. I want to sleep and wake up by your side for the rest of my days. Please, Riza, marry me, it's something I've been dreaming of practically since I met you. Please agree to go down this new path as my wife."

"But what are we going to do now that they will have you extremely limited in the military?"

Roy tucked one of Riza's blonde locks behind her ear. "We'll find another way to keep helping Ishval and Amestris, have no doubt about it... So?"

Riza cracked a warm smile before taking the ring that sat on her chain to show it to him. "If you don't misremember, a couple of months ago I had said yes to you, though if I'm honest I didn't think this moment could come so soon." She said before leaning down to kiss him tenderly on the lips. "What do you say we wait a couple of months for all this to pass before we announce it?"

Roy smiled broadly. "Whatever you say. If I've waited for you for 18 years, I guess a couple of months will be nothing." He said before kissing her.

"I love you, Roy Mustang."

"I love you, Riza Hawkeye."

They turned off the lights and hugged each other again, kissing each other goodnight before closing their eyes to relax in each other's arms, feeling for the first time in a long time calm, as they could finally live their love without limits and without the latent fear of being discovered.


A/N: Hi over here!

This time we decided to only use endnotes to avoid spoiling how all this situation was going to resolve and well to add a little extra suspense (also the little additional delay is courtesy of FF login problems D: ), did it work? hehe

Now a wedding is on its way! :D And this also means that we're definitely reaching the final part of this story. We loved writing and sharing this story with all of you but the time to put it to an end is nearing so we only have two more chapters and an epilogue ahead of us.

We hope that you continue with us in this final part :)

Thanks for reading and see you in two weeks

Golden and Flame.