Lessons Learned (A PRIVATE FMA rp)

[Wolfborg007]

"Of course..." the mechanic replied, "ARe you just finished raiding the table?"
She took a biscuit for herself, trying not to eat too much.

Gracia smiled,
"I'm glad you boys are enjoying it." she said smiling.

Riza only took a bit to be polite... but her mind was elsewhere.

[Lierik]

Ed considered his plate carefully. "...Just about."

Mei stopped feeding Xiao-mei tidbits from her plate long enough to watch Riza pick at her food. Her hand slowly sunk to her lap as she relised the woman's puppy was stll missing, even while they all ate and enjoyed themselves.

She shifted uncomfortably for a moment before taking a deep breath and patting the other's elbow. She forced an encourageing smile to her face and said, "You should eat, Ms. Hawkeye. Once we start searching for your pup we all have to be in top condition."

With one last look at the blonde, she turned back to her own meal--and watching Alphonse-sama and his veracious appetite.

[Wolfborg007]

Winry helped herself, filling her plate decently, as she shook her head with amusement at Ed's response.

Riza looked up at the younger girl, and nodded.
She knew it was the truth and forced a half-hearted smile.
"Thank you..." she said, "But I'll be fine..."

[Lierik]

Mei turned back for just a second with a surprised look. Maybe...Ms. Hawkeye wasn't quite as bad as she had thought...but only just.

"So," Ed began when he was mostly done with his meal, "Hughes, where do you think we should begin looking?"

"Yeah," Al added, "And have you heard of any other dognappings?"

Maes looked up from his plate and choked on a mouthful of his (delightful!) dinner. "Uh...That is...I haven't...heard anything. But I'll...um," he smiled hopefully, "look into it?"

Maes was going to murder Roy.

[Wolfborg007]

"I think it's absolutely terrible..." Winry added, "Taking such an innocent dog like that...I mean... who would do such a thing? They must be a real p***k..."

[Lierik]

"A monster," Mei agreed quietly.

"A horrible parody of a human being," Al concurred firmly.

Ed just narrowed his eyes and punched his automail hand into his flesh palm. He looked darkly satisfied at the heavy thud the action produced.

Maes gulped quietly and tried to placate, "I'm sure that...whoever it was, was a desperate man. He must have been confused...maybe a bit inebriated...and he'll take wonderful care of Black Hayate until we can recover him, safe and sound.

...It looked like others were going to get to Roy before he could. And knowing what a dirty, little rat-fink Roy was deep down, Maes would be joining him in his fate.

[Wolfborg007]

"Well, when I get my hands on them, they'll be quite regretful that they messed with my dog..." Riza said flatly... her tone business-like... a hint of the true Ice-Queen...


Gracia looked at her husband with a certain skeptisicm, but only gave her gentle smile.
"Well, whoever it is... let's not let them pull down our spirits... we have good food on the table, and I'm sure we'll find little Black Hayate soon."
She was going to be asking her husband about this later...

[Lierik]

At that grim pronouncement, Maes stood from the table, upsetting his glass and a pitcher of juice without seeming to notice. He started pushing their guests out of their chairs, taking Winry by the arm and putting a hand on the small of Riza's back. "Woops! Look at the time, time to go, Elysia has to sleep, bedtime for everyone!"[

He giggled nervously, "Bye! Good night! I'll see you tomorrow!" With that he slammed the door in the girls' faces and turned to see the startled looks of those left.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes...what-"

"Did you know," Hughes cut in loudly, "that a recent study found that teenagers who sleep more tend to spring up extra inches by the time they hit seventeen?"

The Elrics slowly turned to face each other before turning and running pell-mell for the stairs and racing towards the guest bedroom they would be sharing.

Hughes heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed heavily into a nearby chair.

[Wolfborg007]

Riza was actually stunned... she looked at the door wide-eyed for a few moments, but then turned to look at Winry and Mei.
"Let's head home then..." she said.
Wondering if Roy knew anything about the Lieutenant Colonel's odd behavior.

Winry only nodded.

Gracia waited until everyone was gone until she confronted her husband.
"So... what's going on?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

[Lierik]

Mei blinked dumbly. People in this country were...quite odd. With an internal shrug she turned and followed the others.

~~~~

Maes stared at his darling wife with a dull sort of horror. "Have...Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Ed rolled over in his bed. It was comfortable enough, but...something just didn't feel right. Then from across the room, his brother called.

"Nii-san?" Al asked, huddled into his blanket, "Are you still up?"

Ed rolled over to face the younger boy. "Yeah, I'm up. You can't sleep either?"

"No..." Al trailed off, his voice soft in embarrassment, "I think I ate too much. My stomach hurts."

Ed rolled his eyes and kicked his legs over the side of the bed, "You have to be more careful in what you eat, Al! You have a untested digestive tract." He got up and pulled the covers off of his brother, "Come on. Let's go downstairs. I'm sure Mrs. Hughes has some medicine you can take."

[Wolfborg007]

Riza led them to her home.
"Well, it's not much... but feel free to make yourselves at home..." she offered, "I'll sleep on the floor... there's a couch and my bed... Feel free to take either..."

"I'll take the couch." Winry volunteered with a raise of her hand.

Gracia smirked,
"Yes, dear... you have... but I'm serious... I want to know what's going on..." she said, "Are you or Roy in trouble? He's not being a bad influence on you, is he?"

[Lierik]

Maes blinked. How did Gracia always know? Because she was a genius of course, and she--

No. No, now wasn't the time. "Well you see, it's like this..."

Ed and Al stayed crouched at the top of the stairs, frozen with shock. They had stopped when they heard the Hughes talking and couldn't help overhearing, but...

"...I'm going to murder them, Nii-san..." Al said faintly, not quite believing what was coming out of his own mouth.

Ed shook his head slowly, "We can't do that, Al. Hughes has a family..." His face hardened, "The Colonel on the other hand..."

Alphonse sniffed hard, "I just don't believe it." He threw himself into his brother's arms and clung to his neck, "Why is every adult man we meet evil?!"

"I don't know, Al," the older brother buried his face in the younger's shoulder, "I just don't know."

[Wolfborg007]

"You didn't..." Gracia almost pleaded with disbelief, "What were you thinking?"

[Lierik]

"I was drunk!" Maes defended desperately. "I just wanted Roy and Riza to be happy together! But Roy had to go and be such and idiot about it..."

Ed and Al climbed shakily to their feet and back to the bedroom, where they curled into bed together and cuddled close like puppies....like kidnapped, scared little puppies without their mommies. And cried.

The Elrics were really more softhearted than should be possible for what they had been through...

But after realizing that everything they held to be good and true in the world was a lie, allowences could be made.

[Wolfborg007]

Gracia looked at him in awe.
"I understand how you're feeling... I want them happy too... but kidnapping her dog? I don't see how that will make things any better..."