Lessons Learned (A PRIVATE FMA rp)

[Lierik]

"Com'on, boy," Hughes spoke sadly to the dog in his lap, "We should go collec' Roy's...Roy's...Roy's bo~dy!" He looked at Hayate's beautiful, bright eyes (so much like his Elysia's) and broke into sobs against his fur.

"Oh, Roy, You'll never be Fuhrer now! No one would elect a dead Fuhrer!"

[ocobeam]

"You don't elect a Furhrer, Maes..." Roy corrected as he stood over his best friend.
He swallowed audibly looking back to see his Lieutenant return to her lair...err, apartment.
"Besides... I'm not dead... though I will be..."

Riza stayed on the phone...
He must be sleeping...
She gave a sigh... She'd call the Elrics tommorrow... they were going to come back to Central anyway... when it came to Black Hayate, she didn't know if she could think straight... He was like her son... and even though she was a strict mother, that didn't mean she'd be sick with worry.

[Lierik]

"Roy!" Maes shouted with joy, leaping to enfold his friend in a crushing embrace and casting Hayate from his lap with a startled yelp. "Oh, Roy! I knew you were alive, I just knew it! I didn't doubt it for an instant!"

[ocobeam]

Roy looked at his friend with wide eyes, but he only looked uneasy.
"Okay... now wha's the next step?" he inquired.
The usually steadfast alchemist's tone was unusually shaky, but he only blamed it on the alcohol.

Riza dressed herself. She had tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't... She had to look for Hayate.
She locked her apartment, as she walked around, calling for her dog... the knife tucked into her belt.

[Lierik]

"Now?" Maes questioned blankly. He pulled back and took Roy by the shoulders, staring into his eyes, "Now we run."

After going to the bathroom (finally!), Ed was called to what was quickly turning into the most awkward dinner of his life. And it wasn't even because he only had one arm and Winry had to cut his meat for him (though it certainly didn't help).

Watching Alphonse and Mei glance to each other repeatedly and then quickly away, Ed got the oddest feeling. He didn't know quite why, but all the strange scene called into his mind was a mixture of pride and...gooiness (for lack of a better word) and the phrase, they grow up so fast, repeating itself over and over.

[ocobeam]

Roy only nodded dumbly and followed after his friend.
"Lead the way..." he said, not knowing what else to do...

Riza continued her search... She went to the park, hoping to find them there.

Winry smiled as she watched the two.
She wasn't suprised that Alphonse had found love before Ed... Al was always such a gentleman, and she wasn't suprised that a girl had found him captivating...
But she also knew that no one would put up with Ed besides her... the reckless state alchemist...which reminded her...
"When are you leaving?" she asked, "I just want to know when to have your automail ready..."
To tell the truth, she hated watching them leave... because she wasn't sure if they'd ever come back.

[Lierik]

"Hmm?" Ed questioned, mouth full. He swallowed quickly. "Ah, I don't think we have to leave for awhile this time. And anyway, now that Al's got his body back..." He trailed off, they all knew where he stood on the issue of his continued military service.

Alphonse snapped out of staring at Mei long enough to glare at his brother. "Nii-san, no. We're not going to give up until you have your body whole again too." Al didn't like having Nii-san as a member of the military, he'd rather Ed quit and take up the post himself until he was able to restore his brother as Ed had saved him.

But, of course, Ed wouldn't hear of it.

Mei stared around the table nervously. She wasn't sure exactly what they were talking about, but it was obviously an old argument. She shifted uncomfortably on her chair, then stood and picked up her plate and cup. "Winry, thank you for generously sharing your meal with my humble person. May I wash the dishes in thanks?" That would at least get her out of the middle of the family argument.

Al perked up at that. Before Winry could get a word in edgewise he put in, "I'll help!" With on last stern glare in Ed's direction, he gathered the plates and followed Mei out of the room.

Ed slumped in his chair and studied the tablecloth with tired eyes. He forced a smile to his face for Winry,"...I think I'll go to bed."

[ocobeam]

Winry nodded, almost sadly.
"Okay... At least you'll be out of my way... I have work to do..." she said, trying to get the forcefulness back into her voice, "Good night, Ed..."

~~~~~

The next morning, Riza went to the office looking exhausted.
Her uniform was perfect, as were her looks, except her eyes... Her eyes were dull and didn't have their usual shine.
She spotted Roy, asleep at his desk, and she shook her head.
That damn pervert must've gotten lucky by his showing off...
"Sir... stop napping on the job... there's work to be done..." she said coldly... well, more coldly than usual.
"How was your date?"

Roy woke with a start.
"Oh... of course, Lieutenant..." he stammered.
His head hurt, and he barely remembered what happened last night... but the memories were still there at least... and so were the intentions.
He avoided her question, but only gave a shrug and a mumble that couldn't be considered words at all.

"Oh... I see..." she muttered, "WEll, if you excuse me, sir... I have a phone call to make... Someone kidnapped my dog last night, and you were probably still on your date..."

Before Roy could protest, she had closed the door of the office and was probably down the hall.

Riza went to the phone, and dialed the number. She remembered the number of the Rockbell's Risembool home, and she called it, patiently waiting for an answer.

Winry yawned as she stood up to answer the phone.
"Hello?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Hello... This is Lieutenant Hawkeye... are the Elrics there?" she asked.

Winry paled slightly, but then looked around,
"I'll go get them..."
She went over to the couch, and nudged Ed slightly.
"Edward... wake up..." she said, her voice gentle.

[Lierik]

"Hmmm?" Ed questioned sleepily. Winry droned on for a moment and, upon deciding that if she wasn't screaming it couldn't be important enough to him to wake up for, he rolled over and buried his head under a pillow.

[ocobeam]

"Ed... wake up..." she said, nudging him again, "It's the military..."
Her stomach filled with dissapointment... She had just gotten them back, and they were leaving her again.
It was an extremely lonely existance... a fact that she had pondered quite often.

[Lierik]

Ed snorted. "Don' wanna," he complained without so much as twitching. He had just gotten back. Before yesterday he hadn't seen Winry in two months. And to even get this time off he had had to blow off both of his automail--uh...he meant, he had been in that horrible, freak accident...

[ocobeam]

Winry sighed.
She paused, having an internal debate on whether to whack sense into him with her wrench, or tickle him until he got up.
She decided on the latter, just to make things interesting.
Digging her fingers into the alchemist's sides, she smirked maliciously.
"Ed, get up!"

[Lierik]

He shrieked as fingers slid up his sides, old experience lending the invading hands knowledge of all his most ticklish spots. He tossed and turned and squirmed but the evil monster wouldn't relent until he slide himself right off the couch.

Laying on his back on the living room floor, staring up at Winry's giggling face, Ed took a moment to contemplate the choices in his life that had brought him to this point.

...Maybe he made better choices then he had thought.

[ocobeam]

Winry smiled, her remaining giggles still lining her lips.
"Good... now Mi-... Lieutenant Hawkeye is on the phone... it sounds important..." She said, realizing that she had left the Lieutenant standing there, waiting for an answer.

[Lierik]

"Hawkeye? Oh." He blinked, "I thought it would be the b*****d." He scrambled to his feet and limped quickly over to the phone. "Hello? Lieutenant Hawkeye?"