[FMA Big Bang Fic] Chasing the Desert (8/9)
Title: Chasing the Desert
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…
Notes: Wee political savvy Roy doing an interview (still love that image, Suzume! XD ). Also realized today is Grandparents Day and this chapter is very appropriate for that (you'll see...)
Edit 4/2/2013: All right, so I decided to edit the second half of this chapter after finding out some info from the Perfect Guidebook 2 (through Grumman's Wiki): "... that guidebook states that the kinship is very evident through various mementos in Grumman's office, which means Riza and those close to her in the military are aware of the connection." Took out some lines to indicate Roy and Riza less shocked over the news.
Chasing the Desert
Chapter Eight
Last night Roy had rehearsed what he was going to say during the interview. There was a lot he wanted to talk about, however he needed to cut down on some unnecessary information as there was a time limit and didn’t want to go over that. The more he practiced the less likely he would make a mistake. He was grateful for Riza helping him, which made things easier.
On the day of his interview, the Brigadier General waited patiently until it was time for him to be on air. In the same room with him were his subordinates, Havoc, and Charlie. Roy’s shoulders grew stiff.
“I wonder when I’ll finally get to be interviewed,” Roy said
“Shouldn’t be long now,” Ross said as she looked at him.
Roy just nodded at the First Lieutenant. Good. The sooner this was over with, the better.
Riza tossed her commanding officer a smile. “You’ll do great, Sir. All of that practice will pay off.”
Roy beamed at Riza, feeling slightly more relieved hearing that from her. All of a sudden, one of the crew members came to the group and turned his attention to Roy.
“Brigadier General Mustang, you’re on in two minutes.”
Taking a deep breath, Roy got up and told everyone he would be back soon. The crew member gestured Roy to follow him to the soundproof room, which he did without any hesitation. While walking, the Brigadier General made sure to keep his nerves on check before entering inside.
+++
(Art by seta_suzume. Leave her comments here!)
“Hello, everyone, and welcome to Radio Capital. Today we have a special treat for all of you listeners. In our studio right now is Brigadier General Roy Mustang from Central Command. As all of you are aware, the Brigadier General has been hard at work revising the old Amestrian Ishval policies completely and helping out with the reconstruction of Amestris’s political and government system. I’m glad you could spare us some time from your busy schedule.”
“No problem, Vincent.”
“The first thing I want to ask is what made you want to completely redo the Ishval policies from the ground up?”
“I always get asked that question. I want the Ishvalans to live peacefully and to not have something like the Ishval War ever happens again. This was the first thing I sought to do after the eclipse.”
“I’m sure you’re aware several people are not happy with the changes happening for the Ishvalans and there are those that still discriminate against them. Does that bother you?”
“I can understand where the demonstrators and protestors are coming from. The people are still upset over paying higher taxes for the restoration. They shouldn’t forget, though, that Ishval is part of Amestris too. It’s their fellow countrymen they are protesting against. And that once Ishval is up and running, Ishvalans will pay tax and provide workers that will contribute to more mainstream society too. It’s give and take and that Ishval isn’t a separate place but a part of the Amestrian family that’s in trouble.”
“Indeed this is something we all need to consider. There are also those that are supportive of this. Are you thankful for them?”
“Yes, I am. My subordinates and Fuhrer Grumman have been supportive of my plans all the way and I know quite a few other people who are for it too. They are the ones that keep me motivated seeing this though.”
“It’s indeed nice to have your friends and colleagues behind you every step in the way. Next question is did you like your visit at Ishval several months ago?”
“I enjoyed the visit very much. I’m very pleased that many of the buildings are being remade already and I enjoyed talking with the Ishvalans. A few districts have yet to be reopened and there’s a lot of groundwork that needs to be done, but I’m optimistic that things are turning around for the better.”
“That’s great you have a hopeful view on things. Do you plan to make another visit to Ishval?”
“My team and I plan on another visit there in two or three months and I’m excited over that.”
“You have Lieutenant Colonel George Miles overseeing the rebuilding efforts at Ishval. You think they’re doing a decent job at that?”
“I believe he has been doing an exceptional job supervising what has been going on at that region. He’s able to keep me updated on the progress over the districts he had stayed at and not leave any information out.”
“Okay, good to hear that. Can you tell me some of the future plans for Ishval?”
“Well there’s going to be a library in the Kanda district fairly soon, which I look forward to. Also a few schools will be open at various districts over the upcoming weeks. And of course more Ishvalan districts are planned to be open.”
“Sounds like some huge changes are underway. Well, I think everyone listening wonders what do you hope to accomplish after all of this is done?”
“That the Ishvalans will be content with the changes and live happier lives. I also hope they and the Amestrians will be more accepting of one another as time passes.”
“Great answer there, General. Have to stop us here, but I enjoy our discussion together and I hope you can visit again sometime.”
“Same here.”
“And that concludes my interview with Brigadier General Roy Mustang. That’s all for this afternoon’s news at Radio Capital. Tune in again at eight o’ clock for more news at Amestris.”
+++
Several minutes after the interview was over, Roy and the group headed back to his office, talking about that. Everyone commented how well he handled the discussion with Vincent throughout the show.
“Great job Hawkeye, you taught the chief the art of public speaking,” Havoc said, chuckling. Roy glared at him.
“Hey, I came up with that all on my own.”
This time Breda laughed aloud and said, “Sure you did.”
“Captain, tell them!”
“Whatever you say Sir, just remember to enunciate properly next time.”
“I think the listeners really like your interview too,” Fuery commented. “They get to hear your side of the story.”
“There might be some that are still skeptical and not believe you, but for the most part I agree with Fuery,” Charlie said.
“I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. If they’re going to support me after listening to my interview, though, then I’m not complaining.” Roy indeed wanted more support for his plans, hence why agreeing to do this interview in the first place, but realized he can’t please everyone; he would have to be satisfied with what he gained. The military officer lost his train of thought when someone knocked on the door. "Come on in,” he said without hesitation.
Roy heard the sound of the door opening and a young woman who he recognized as Grumman's secretary came in and saluted to him. He gave her a warm smile, returning the salute.
"Hello, Lieutenant Anderson. I assume His Excellency has a few papers I should look over?"
"Actually, the Fuhrer would like to see you immediately. It's very important." She then turned to looked at Riza. “He would also like to see you, Captain Hawkeye.”
Roy blinked at her, puzzled over why the Fuhrer wanted to talk to him now, especially since he just came back from the interview. Not only that, why Grumman insisted on seeing Riza, too? He glanced at Riza and she too was just as confused as he was, but then had her face in a stern expression. Not wanting to make Grumman wait for them any longer now, Roy pulled out from his seat and motioned his hand for Riza to leave with him. They followed Anderson as she escorted them to the Fuhrer.
As soon as the two military officers made it to Grumman's office, Lieutenant Anderson opened the door and led Roy and Riza inside. The moment they stepped in the room Roy caught Grumman beaming at them. He and Riza saluted.
"Ah Mustang and Captain Hawkeye, glad you two could come in at short notice. Have a seat."
Both Roy and Riza did as they were told. Grumman motioned his hand, which was meant for Anderson to be dismissed. His secretary saluted and left everyone alone. Roy turned his head to look at Grumman.
"Anderson said that you needed to speak to us urgently."
"Yes. Actually, there are a few pressing matters I wanted to discuss with the both of you." Grumman was silent for a moment before wearing a proud expression on his face. "Before we get to that, I want to say I listened to your interview while checking over some files, Mustang,” he told Roy. “You did very well there my boy, bravo!"
Roy beamed at the Fuhrer. "I'm glad to hear that.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riza giving him a tiny smile.
"Good, good. With that out of the way, the first thing I want to talk about is how you feel about being transferred to the East, General?"
So Anderson was right when she said it was important. Roy couldn’t help but look on with interest.
"What brought you asking me that?"
"Well I actually wanted you to take over East Command since I became Fuhrer because you had been there for a while. However, that time you were blind and I wasn’t sure what you were going to do next. I had to choose quickly who would take my former post, so in the end I decided on Lieutenant General Stills.”
A frown tugged at Roy’s lips. He remembered the first night in the hospital he was lost over what to do next since he was blind. Roy was certain he couldn’t be an officer anymore, hence his chance at being Fuhrer no longer a possibility. Eventually he settled on fixing Ishval after having long discussions with Riza over what he should do. He looked at Riza, who was frowning at him.
“Understandable. I wasn’t entirely sure myself until a while later. You still haven’t answered my question, though.”
“I’m getting to that,” Grumman responded with a chuckle. “Now as you’re aware Stills is going to retire shortly after we have our negotiations with Creta in several weeks. What I’m thinking is I want you to take over the East Command immediately after he leaves the military.”
Roy pondered this over. He had heard of Stills retiring soon. There were talks among many military officers at Central over who would take over the Lieutenant General’s place. One question crossed Roy’s mind.
“Have you talked to Lieutenant General Stills about this?”
“I did and the Lieutenant General agrees that you’re the best person to take over Eastern Command.”
His breath caught in his throat, Roy was stunned over hearing that. He had only spoken to Stills a few times before being transferred to Central, but thought he was a very nice and humble person. It shocked the alchemist to hear that the Lieutenant General thought highly of him.
“That’s very generous of him to say that about me,” Roy replied.
“Indeed, it is. So General Mustang, are you fine with this?”
Once more Roy paused to think. Staying at East City would mean shorter train trips to Ishval and Scar and Miles could come visit him more often. There was also Havoc, who was almost done with the physical therapy; he wouldn’t have to deal with moving to Central. He wasn’t sure though if Riza, Fuery, and Breda are going to be happy over the idea of going back to East. Ross might not like the sound of that either since she was getting used to living in Central again. This was something he would have to discuss about with his subordinates.
“If I transfer, can I bring my team with me and have Jean Havoc join in too once his physical therapy is over?”
Grumman gave Roy a small smile. “Of course.”
“Then I would like to talk to them about this first before making my decision.”
“That’s fine, too.”
Roy took a quick glimpse at Riza offering him a supportive smile.
“I don’t mind moving back to East City if everyone else is fine with it.”
Roy smiled back at Riza, glad to hear that. He soon looked at Grumman making a single nod.
“You should let me know your decision as soon as possible,” Grumman said, “so that I can get ready for your transfer if you decided on that.”
“You’ll have my answer soon, don’t worry.”
There was a brief moment of silence from everyone. Roy caught Riza having a distant look crossed her features, as if there was something in her mind.
“Sorry to ask this Fuhrer Grumman, but why am I called into meeting with you too?” Riza asked. “Brigadier General Mustang could have told me about the transfer.”
It was a while until Grumman dragged in a sigh. “You’re right that there is another reason for this meeting.”
Roy blinked when he saw the Fuhrer opening the drawer from his desk and handed an envelope to Riza, who was just as confused. The officers gazed at one another a bit before Riza opened it and took out a certificate. When Roy watched her staring at it for a while, he leaned in to read what it said. It was a marriage certificate with the names Berthold Hawkeye and Charlotte Grumman on it.
“I suspected you were related to my mother. The General had told me you kept a picture of her on your desk.” When Riza looked at Roy, he gave her a nod. A while back when they were at Eastern Headquarters, Roy mentioned the picture to her-it was easy for them to make the connection. “This confirms it.”
“So you’re already aware, granddaughter.”
Riza still had a straight look on her face, but Roy sensed she was speechless over what she had just heard.
“I don’t want to get into too much detail,” Grumman continued, “but basically Berthold and I had a huge fight, leaving your mother to choose between he or I. Guess who she decided on.”
A long silence stretched out the room. Riza’s face fell, which made Roy believe she was pondering over this. His eye shortly after caught Riza taking something else from the envelope, this time a black and white photo of Berthold and Grumman several years younger along with a young woman Roy knew was Riza’s mother. The Captain slipped the photo and certificate inside the envelope and handed them back to Grumman.
“My father never told me about you,” Riza finally said, “and my mother had passed away before I had turned three. Why didn’t you let me know about this sooner?”
“I don’t want to think your promotions were because of me. Have to say, I was quite surprised when I heard you going to Ishval.” Grumman gave Riza a sad smile. “The day you and Mustang were almost assassinated I realized I can’t keep this secret from you anymore.”
Roy’s stomach turned cold upon hearing that. He hated being reminded of that incident despite it happened not too long ago. When Roy looked at Riza, her eyes were lowered. He knew she felt the same way. Another thought occurred to him, making his eyes wide.
“Sir, remember before I was transferred to Central you asked me if I wanted to marry your granddaughter? Did you figure out I knew you meant Captain Hawkeye?”
“Wait, what?” Riza asked both in confusion and astonishment.
Grumman roared with laughter. He quickly regained his composure and said, “Indeed you’re right, my boy.”
Roy’s face softened. So all this time Grumman wanted him and Riza to get married. Roy had an idea this was why Grumman wanted him to know about his familial relationship with Riza too. He chuckled softly, thought it was actually funny, sort of.
“I’m curious as to why you think the both of us should be together.”
“I had been watching you two for a while and I could tell the both of you are devoted to each other. That then extended to love and caring.”
Out of affection Roy held Riza’s hand. Whether Grumman saw it or not he wasn’t sure, but Roy believed the Fuhrer was fine with that. Roy smiled at Riza, which she returned.
“If you still want us to be married, then sorry to say that won’t happen in the near future. I still need her by my side and to watch my back until I become Fuhrer.”
A wide grin spread across Grumman’s features. “I knew that would be the case, and that’s fine. I wonder, though, what kind of future you two want with one another after that happens?”
Feeling silly, Roy lowered his head a little. He and Riza had been busy with Ishval and helping Grumman out with the transformation happening over at Amestris that they hadn’t gotten the chance to talk about what would happen after he became Fuhrer. They knew for sure, at least for now, that marriage was out of the question. Roy then felt Riza’s hold on his hand tightened and noted a content expression lit up her face.
“I’ll still be by your side,” Riza said to Roy, as if she already knew the answer to that. “I really don’t mind us being this way.”
Roy beamed, glad to hear that from her. He too was fine being with Riza like this.
A satisfied smile crossed Grumman’s face. “I can see that happening with you two and I’m content with that.” He stopped for a second. “Okay, I think that’s enough for today. The both of you are dismissed.”
Once Roy had let go on Riza’s hand, they saluted Grumman and left the room. As they were walking to his office, Roy thought about how it was unusual the meeting went from him being asked if he wanted to be transferred to East City to news of Riza being Grumman’s granddaughter. He soon realized that he needed to talk with everyone else about the transfer and would need to make his decision right after.
+++
“How did the meeting went, Chief?” Havoc asked.
“It was unexpected, to say the least. He first said how I did well with my interview from Radio Capital. He then mentioned wanting me to transfer to Eastern Command after Lieutenant General Stills retires.”
An awkward quietness followed. Riza had anticipated Roy being considered as one of the Generals to oversee Eastern Command due to having been there for a long time, but not sure if that was going to happen anytime soon. It was about time Grumman made his decision.
“Are you considering it?” The question this time came from Ross.
“I haven’t decided yet because I actually want to talk to you guys about it. I’m not going to East City if none of you guys want to.”
Riza glimpsed at everyone, seeing them considering this like he was. This was a big decision to make.
“It would be nice to be back at East City and relax a little,” Breda said, the first one to speak. “There are also some advantages to going back there. For instance, Havoc wouldn’t need to move to Central after he’s done with physical therapy.”
Havoc chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t mind moving back to Central, although it would be best that I don’t lift heavy stuff early on after my therapy.”
“That was one of the things I was thinking about,” Roy said. “One other thing is us able to get to Ishval faster whenever we go visit there. Not only that, Scar and Miles can report to me in person more often.”
“If you guys are indeed planning to go to East City you can visit me and my family,” Charlie said, grinning.
“That’s another advantage, I guess,” Fuery offered, eyes twinkling in amusement. He then looked at the Roy and his face turned serious. “The shorter train trips do sound great.”
“Even though I’m getting used to settling at Central again, it would be nice to experience staying at a different city at Amestris,” Ross said. “How about you, Captain Hawkeye? Are you fine with it?”
“I’m willing to go wherever the Brigadier General goes.” Riza then faced Mustang, a warm smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “You’re the only person fit for looking over Eastern Command, Sir.”
It was a while until Roy offered everyone an appreciative look. “I’m glad all of you are fine with this. All right then, tomorrow I’ll let Grumman know my team and I are willing to transfer to Eastern Command so that he can have everything ready by the time Lieutenant General Stills retires.”
“He’ll be very happy to hear that for sure,” Charlie said.
“Was there anything else he wanted to talk to you about?” Ross asked.
Roy remained silent. Riza caught him glancing at her, knowing he wanted her to reveal it instead. She nodded.
“The Fuhrer has revealed that I’m his granddaughter.”
Everyone in the room wore the same stunned look on their faces, which she expected.
“Are you sure?” Fuery asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
“The Fuhrer showed us pictures of Hawkeye’s parents when they were married and also the marriage certificate. He and her father got into an argument that led her parents to separate from him,” Roy said.
“The reason the Fuhrer hadn’t mentioned this to me until now is so I don’t think the promotions I got was due to nepotism,” she finished off. “I’m trying to figure out my thoughts over this.”
“I guess it’ll take some getting used to,” Havoc said, shrugging. “That doesn’t mean everything shouldn’t still be running normally.”
Roy gave a chuckle. “That’s true. All of us including you will be focusing on Ishval and changing Amestris. ”
A small smile slowly settled on Riza’s lips. She agreed with Havoc for the most part everything would stay the same.
+++
At sundown, Riza and Roy were walking down the stairs along with Havoc and Charlie. Both men were due to leave Central soon, Havoc in the morning and Charlie the day after. The Captain was going to miss them a lot and knew Roy felt the same way as she glanced at him.
“I do wish you guys would stay here longer,” Roy said. “We haven’t gotten the chance to go have a drink together yet.”
“Don’t worry, we can talk more once you and the team are stationed at East City.” A wide grin stretched Havoc’s face.
Riza smiled. “And we look forward to that.”
The four soon reached the ground and without any hesitation saluted one another as their goodbyes. Riza and Roy watched the men walking for a while before the Brigadier General faced her.
“The meeting with Grumman sure was something,” Roy said.
“It was, yes.”
Several hours had passed since that meeting and Riza still struggled with what to make out of her being Grumman’s granddaughter. She was glad to finally find a living relative to talk to, but it was remarkable that it had to be the Fuhrer. Havoc was right when he said it would take getting used to.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, eventually.” Roy’s expression softened and he offered her a gentle smile.
“Thank you,” Riza said, returning a smaller smile of her own. “Now I think about it, he had been watching over me all this time.”
Roy made a lighthearted chuckle. “Seemed to be that way.”
Several seconds had passed by in silence between the two. Riza glanced at Roy, his face straight. She was curious as to what was going on in his mind; Riza hadn’t needed to wait for her answer when his eyes looked straight at hers.
“I’ll want you and everyone else to gather your things before Grumman tells me the transfer has been approved.”
Riza waited to see if Roy was going to continue talking, but he left it at that. There was no need for more explanation, so Riza was fine with it. She gave him a slight nod and a determined smile.
“That won’t be a problem, Sir.”
Her tone, clipped and professional, said to him what it could never say to anyone else. She would be by his side no matter where they went. The promise they had made to each other so long ago rang true in her words as she assured him an uncertain future - but one nonetheless. And that was more than he could ever ask for.
Onto the Epilogue!
This entry was originally posted at http://bay-alexison.dreamwidth.org/85393.html. Feel free to comment wherever you like!
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…
Notes: Wee political savvy Roy doing an interview (still love that image, Suzume! XD ). Also realized today is Grandparents Day and this chapter is very appropriate for that (you'll see...)
Edit 4/2/2013: All right, so I decided to edit the second half of this chapter after finding out some info from the Perfect Guidebook 2 (through Grumman's Wiki): "... that guidebook states that the kinship is very evident through various mementos in Grumman's office, which means Riza and those close to her in the military are aware of the connection." Took out some lines to indicate Roy and Riza less shocked over the news.
Chasing the Desert
Chapter Eight
Last night Roy had rehearsed what he was going to say during the interview. There was a lot he wanted to talk about, however he needed to cut down on some unnecessary information as there was a time limit and didn’t want to go over that. The more he practiced the less likely he would make a mistake. He was grateful for Riza helping him, which made things easier.
On the day of his interview, the Brigadier General waited patiently until it was time for him to be on air. In the same room with him were his subordinates, Havoc, and Charlie. Roy’s shoulders grew stiff.
“I wonder when I’ll finally get to be interviewed,” Roy said
“Shouldn’t be long now,” Ross said as she looked at him.
Roy just nodded at the First Lieutenant. Good. The sooner this was over with, the better.
Riza tossed her commanding officer a smile. “You’ll do great, Sir. All of that practice will pay off.”
Roy beamed at Riza, feeling slightly more relieved hearing that from her. All of a sudden, one of the crew members came to the group and turned his attention to Roy.
“Brigadier General Mustang, you’re on in two minutes.”
Taking a deep breath, Roy got up and told everyone he would be back soon. The crew member gestured Roy to follow him to the soundproof room, which he did without any hesitation. While walking, the Brigadier General made sure to keep his nerves on check before entering inside.
+++
(Art by seta_suzume. Leave her comments here!)
“Hello, everyone, and welcome to Radio Capital. Today we have a special treat for all of you listeners. In our studio right now is Brigadier General Roy Mustang from Central Command. As all of you are aware, the Brigadier General has been hard at work revising the old Amestrian Ishval policies completely and helping out with the reconstruction of Amestris’s political and government system. I’m glad you could spare us some time from your busy schedule.”
“No problem, Vincent.”
“The first thing I want to ask is what made you want to completely redo the Ishval policies from the ground up?”
“I always get asked that question. I want the Ishvalans to live peacefully and to not have something like the Ishval War ever happens again. This was the first thing I sought to do after the eclipse.”
“I’m sure you’re aware several people are not happy with the changes happening for the Ishvalans and there are those that still discriminate against them. Does that bother you?”
“I can understand where the demonstrators and protestors are coming from. The people are still upset over paying higher taxes for the restoration. They shouldn’t forget, though, that Ishval is part of Amestris too. It’s their fellow countrymen they are protesting against. And that once Ishval is up and running, Ishvalans will pay tax and provide workers that will contribute to more mainstream society too. It’s give and take and that Ishval isn’t a separate place but a part of the Amestrian family that’s in trouble.”
“Indeed this is something we all need to consider. There are also those that are supportive of this. Are you thankful for them?”
“Yes, I am. My subordinates and Fuhrer Grumman have been supportive of my plans all the way and I know quite a few other people who are for it too. They are the ones that keep me motivated seeing this though.”
“It’s indeed nice to have your friends and colleagues behind you every step in the way. Next question is did you like your visit at Ishval several months ago?”
“I enjoyed the visit very much. I’m very pleased that many of the buildings are being remade already and I enjoyed talking with the Ishvalans. A few districts have yet to be reopened and there’s a lot of groundwork that needs to be done, but I’m optimistic that things are turning around for the better.”
“That’s great you have a hopeful view on things. Do you plan to make another visit to Ishval?”
“My team and I plan on another visit there in two or three months and I’m excited over that.”
“You have Lieutenant Colonel George Miles overseeing the rebuilding efforts at Ishval. You think they’re doing a decent job at that?”
“I believe he has been doing an exceptional job supervising what has been going on at that region. He’s able to keep me updated on the progress over the districts he had stayed at and not leave any information out.”
“Okay, good to hear that. Can you tell me some of the future plans for Ishval?”
“Well there’s going to be a library in the Kanda district fairly soon, which I look forward to. Also a few schools will be open at various districts over the upcoming weeks. And of course more Ishvalan districts are planned to be open.”
“Sounds like some huge changes are underway. Well, I think everyone listening wonders what do you hope to accomplish after all of this is done?”
“That the Ishvalans will be content with the changes and live happier lives. I also hope they and the Amestrians will be more accepting of one another as time passes.”
“Great answer there, General. Have to stop us here, but I enjoy our discussion together and I hope you can visit again sometime.”
“Same here.”
“And that concludes my interview with Brigadier General Roy Mustang. That’s all for this afternoon’s news at Radio Capital. Tune in again at eight o’ clock for more news at Amestris.”
+++
Several minutes after the interview was over, Roy and the group headed back to his office, talking about that. Everyone commented how well he handled the discussion with Vincent throughout the show.
“Great job Hawkeye, you taught the chief the art of public speaking,” Havoc said, chuckling. Roy glared at him.
“Hey, I came up with that all on my own.”
This time Breda laughed aloud and said, “Sure you did.”
“Captain, tell them!”
“Whatever you say Sir, just remember to enunciate properly next time.”
“I think the listeners really like your interview too,” Fuery commented. “They get to hear your side of the story.”
“There might be some that are still skeptical and not believe you, but for the most part I agree with Fuery,” Charlie said.
“I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. If they’re going to support me after listening to my interview, though, then I’m not complaining.” Roy indeed wanted more support for his plans, hence why agreeing to do this interview in the first place, but realized he can’t please everyone; he would have to be satisfied with what he gained. The military officer lost his train of thought when someone knocked on the door. "Come on in,” he said without hesitation.
Roy heard the sound of the door opening and a young woman who he recognized as Grumman's secretary came in and saluted to him. He gave her a warm smile, returning the salute.
"Hello, Lieutenant Anderson. I assume His Excellency has a few papers I should look over?"
"Actually, the Fuhrer would like to see you immediately. It's very important." She then turned to looked at Riza. “He would also like to see you, Captain Hawkeye.”
Roy blinked at her, puzzled over why the Fuhrer wanted to talk to him now, especially since he just came back from the interview. Not only that, why Grumman insisted on seeing Riza, too? He glanced at Riza and she too was just as confused as he was, but then had her face in a stern expression. Not wanting to make Grumman wait for them any longer now, Roy pulled out from his seat and motioned his hand for Riza to leave with him. They followed Anderson as she escorted them to the Fuhrer.
As soon as the two military officers made it to Grumman's office, Lieutenant Anderson opened the door and led Roy and Riza inside. The moment they stepped in the room Roy caught Grumman beaming at them. He and Riza saluted.
"Ah Mustang and Captain Hawkeye, glad you two could come in at short notice. Have a seat."
Both Roy and Riza did as they were told. Grumman motioned his hand, which was meant for Anderson to be dismissed. His secretary saluted and left everyone alone. Roy turned his head to look at Grumman.
"Anderson said that you needed to speak to us urgently."
"Yes. Actually, there are a few pressing matters I wanted to discuss with the both of you." Grumman was silent for a moment before wearing a proud expression on his face. "Before we get to that, I want to say I listened to your interview while checking over some files, Mustang,” he told Roy. “You did very well there my boy, bravo!"
Roy beamed at the Fuhrer. "I'm glad to hear that.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riza giving him a tiny smile.
"Good, good. With that out of the way, the first thing I want to talk about is how you feel about being transferred to the East, General?"
So Anderson was right when she said it was important. Roy couldn’t help but look on with interest.
"What brought you asking me that?"
"Well I actually wanted you to take over East Command since I became Fuhrer because you had been there for a while. However, that time you were blind and I wasn’t sure what you were going to do next. I had to choose quickly who would take my former post, so in the end I decided on Lieutenant General Stills.”
A frown tugged at Roy’s lips. He remembered the first night in the hospital he was lost over what to do next since he was blind. Roy was certain he couldn’t be an officer anymore, hence his chance at being Fuhrer no longer a possibility. Eventually he settled on fixing Ishval after having long discussions with Riza over what he should do. He looked at Riza, who was frowning at him.
“Understandable. I wasn’t entirely sure myself until a while later. You still haven’t answered my question, though.”
“I’m getting to that,” Grumman responded with a chuckle. “Now as you’re aware Stills is going to retire shortly after we have our negotiations with Creta in several weeks. What I’m thinking is I want you to take over the East Command immediately after he leaves the military.”
Roy pondered this over. He had heard of Stills retiring soon. There were talks among many military officers at Central over who would take over the Lieutenant General’s place. One question crossed Roy’s mind.
“Have you talked to Lieutenant General Stills about this?”
“I did and the Lieutenant General agrees that you’re the best person to take over Eastern Command.”
His breath caught in his throat, Roy was stunned over hearing that. He had only spoken to Stills a few times before being transferred to Central, but thought he was a very nice and humble person. It shocked the alchemist to hear that the Lieutenant General thought highly of him.
“That’s very generous of him to say that about me,” Roy replied.
“Indeed, it is. So General Mustang, are you fine with this?”
Once more Roy paused to think. Staying at East City would mean shorter train trips to Ishval and Scar and Miles could come visit him more often. There was also Havoc, who was almost done with the physical therapy; he wouldn’t have to deal with moving to Central. He wasn’t sure though if Riza, Fuery, and Breda are going to be happy over the idea of going back to East. Ross might not like the sound of that either since she was getting used to living in Central again. This was something he would have to discuss about with his subordinates.
“If I transfer, can I bring my team with me and have Jean Havoc join in too once his physical therapy is over?”
Grumman gave Roy a small smile. “Of course.”
“Then I would like to talk to them about this first before making my decision.”
“That’s fine, too.”
Roy took a quick glimpse at Riza offering him a supportive smile.
“I don’t mind moving back to East City if everyone else is fine with it.”
Roy smiled back at Riza, glad to hear that. He soon looked at Grumman making a single nod.
“You should let me know your decision as soon as possible,” Grumman said, “so that I can get ready for your transfer if you decided on that.”
“You’ll have my answer soon, don’t worry.”
There was a brief moment of silence from everyone. Roy caught Riza having a distant look crossed her features, as if there was something in her mind.
“Sorry to ask this Fuhrer Grumman, but why am I called into meeting with you too?” Riza asked. “Brigadier General Mustang could have told me about the transfer.”
It was a while until Grumman dragged in a sigh. “You’re right that there is another reason for this meeting.”
Roy blinked when he saw the Fuhrer opening the drawer from his desk and handed an envelope to Riza, who was just as confused. The officers gazed at one another a bit before Riza opened it and took out a certificate. When Roy watched her staring at it for a while, he leaned in to read what it said. It was a marriage certificate with the names Berthold Hawkeye and Charlotte Grumman on it.
“I suspected you were related to my mother. The General had told me you kept a picture of her on your desk.” When Riza looked at Roy, he gave her a nod. A while back when they were at Eastern Headquarters, Roy mentioned the picture to her-it was easy for them to make the connection. “This confirms it.”
“So you’re already aware, granddaughter.”
Riza still had a straight look on her face, but Roy sensed she was speechless over what she had just heard.
“I don’t want to get into too much detail,” Grumman continued, “but basically Berthold and I had a huge fight, leaving your mother to choose between he or I. Guess who she decided on.”
A long silence stretched out the room. Riza’s face fell, which made Roy believe she was pondering over this. His eye shortly after caught Riza taking something else from the envelope, this time a black and white photo of Berthold and Grumman several years younger along with a young woman Roy knew was Riza’s mother. The Captain slipped the photo and certificate inside the envelope and handed them back to Grumman.
“My father never told me about you,” Riza finally said, “and my mother had passed away before I had turned three. Why didn’t you let me know about this sooner?”
“I don’t want to think your promotions were because of me. Have to say, I was quite surprised when I heard you going to Ishval.” Grumman gave Riza a sad smile. “The day you and Mustang were almost assassinated I realized I can’t keep this secret from you anymore.”
Roy’s stomach turned cold upon hearing that. He hated being reminded of that incident despite it happened not too long ago. When Roy looked at Riza, her eyes were lowered. He knew she felt the same way. Another thought occurred to him, making his eyes wide.
“Sir, remember before I was transferred to Central you asked me if I wanted to marry your granddaughter? Did you figure out I knew you meant Captain Hawkeye?”
“Wait, what?” Riza asked both in confusion and astonishment.
Grumman roared with laughter. He quickly regained his composure and said, “Indeed you’re right, my boy.”
Roy’s face softened. So all this time Grumman wanted him and Riza to get married. Roy had an idea this was why Grumman wanted him to know about his familial relationship with Riza too. He chuckled softly, thought it was actually funny, sort of.
“I’m curious as to why you think the both of us should be together.”
“I had been watching you two for a while and I could tell the both of you are devoted to each other. That then extended to love and caring.”
Out of affection Roy held Riza’s hand. Whether Grumman saw it or not he wasn’t sure, but Roy believed the Fuhrer was fine with that. Roy smiled at Riza, which she returned.
“If you still want us to be married, then sorry to say that won’t happen in the near future. I still need her by my side and to watch my back until I become Fuhrer.”
A wide grin spread across Grumman’s features. “I knew that would be the case, and that’s fine. I wonder, though, what kind of future you two want with one another after that happens?”
Feeling silly, Roy lowered his head a little. He and Riza had been busy with Ishval and helping Grumman out with the transformation happening over at Amestris that they hadn’t gotten the chance to talk about what would happen after he became Fuhrer. They knew for sure, at least for now, that marriage was out of the question. Roy then felt Riza’s hold on his hand tightened and noted a content expression lit up her face.
“I’ll still be by your side,” Riza said to Roy, as if she already knew the answer to that. “I really don’t mind us being this way.”
Roy beamed, glad to hear that from her. He too was fine being with Riza like this.
A satisfied smile crossed Grumman’s face. “I can see that happening with you two and I’m content with that.” He stopped for a second. “Okay, I think that’s enough for today. The both of you are dismissed.”
Once Roy had let go on Riza’s hand, they saluted Grumman and left the room. As they were walking to his office, Roy thought about how it was unusual the meeting went from him being asked if he wanted to be transferred to East City to news of Riza being Grumman’s granddaughter. He soon realized that he needed to talk with everyone else about the transfer and would need to make his decision right after.
+++
“How did the meeting went, Chief?” Havoc asked.
“It was unexpected, to say the least. He first said how I did well with my interview from Radio Capital. He then mentioned wanting me to transfer to Eastern Command after Lieutenant General Stills retires.”
An awkward quietness followed. Riza had anticipated Roy being considered as one of the Generals to oversee Eastern Command due to having been there for a long time, but not sure if that was going to happen anytime soon. It was about time Grumman made his decision.
“Are you considering it?” The question this time came from Ross.
“I haven’t decided yet because I actually want to talk to you guys about it. I’m not going to East City if none of you guys want to.”
Riza glimpsed at everyone, seeing them considering this like he was. This was a big decision to make.
“It would be nice to be back at East City and relax a little,” Breda said, the first one to speak. “There are also some advantages to going back there. For instance, Havoc wouldn’t need to move to Central after he’s done with physical therapy.”
Havoc chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t mind moving back to Central, although it would be best that I don’t lift heavy stuff early on after my therapy.”
“That was one of the things I was thinking about,” Roy said. “One other thing is us able to get to Ishval faster whenever we go visit there. Not only that, Scar and Miles can report to me in person more often.”
“If you guys are indeed planning to go to East City you can visit me and my family,” Charlie said, grinning.
“That’s another advantage, I guess,” Fuery offered, eyes twinkling in amusement. He then looked at the Roy and his face turned serious. “The shorter train trips do sound great.”
“Even though I’m getting used to settling at Central again, it would be nice to experience staying at a different city at Amestris,” Ross said. “How about you, Captain Hawkeye? Are you fine with it?”
“I’m willing to go wherever the Brigadier General goes.” Riza then faced Mustang, a warm smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “You’re the only person fit for looking over Eastern Command, Sir.”
It was a while until Roy offered everyone an appreciative look. “I’m glad all of you are fine with this. All right then, tomorrow I’ll let Grumman know my team and I are willing to transfer to Eastern Command so that he can have everything ready by the time Lieutenant General Stills retires.”
“He’ll be very happy to hear that for sure,” Charlie said.
“Was there anything else he wanted to talk to you about?” Ross asked.
Roy remained silent. Riza caught him glancing at her, knowing he wanted her to reveal it instead. She nodded.
“The Fuhrer has revealed that I’m his granddaughter.”
Everyone in the room wore the same stunned look on their faces, which she expected.
“Are you sure?” Fuery asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
“The Fuhrer showed us pictures of Hawkeye’s parents when they were married and also the marriage certificate. He and her father got into an argument that led her parents to separate from him,” Roy said.
“The reason the Fuhrer hadn’t mentioned this to me until now is so I don’t think the promotions I got was due to nepotism,” she finished off. “I’m trying to figure out my thoughts over this.”
“I guess it’ll take some getting used to,” Havoc said, shrugging. “That doesn’t mean everything shouldn’t still be running normally.”
Roy gave a chuckle. “That’s true. All of us including you will be focusing on Ishval and changing Amestris. ”
A small smile slowly settled on Riza’s lips. She agreed with Havoc for the most part everything would stay the same.
+++
At sundown, Riza and Roy were walking down the stairs along with Havoc and Charlie. Both men were due to leave Central soon, Havoc in the morning and Charlie the day after. The Captain was going to miss them a lot and knew Roy felt the same way as she glanced at him.
“I do wish you guys would stay here longer,” Roy said. “We haven’t gotten the chance to go have a drink together yet.”
“Don’t worry, we can talk more once you and the team are stationed at East City.” A wide grin stretched Havoc’s face.
Riza smiled. “And we look forward to that.”
The four soon reached the ground and without any hesitation saluted one another as their goodbyes. Riza and Roy watched the men walking for a while before the Brigadier General faced her.
“The meeting with Grumman sure was something,” Roy said.
“It was, yes.”
Several hours had passed since that meeting and Riza still struggled with what to make out of her being Grumman’s granddaughter. She was glad to finally find a living relative to talk to, but it was remarkable that it had to be the Fuhrer. Havoc was right when he said it would take getting used to.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, eventually.” Roy’s expression softened and he offered her a gentle smile.
“Thank you,” Riza said, returning a smaller smile of her own. “Now I think about it, he had been watching over me all this time.”
Roy made a lighthearted chuckle. “Seemed to be that way.”
Several seconds had passed by in silence between the two. Riza glanced at Roy, his face straight. She was curious as to what was going on in his mind; Riza hadn’t needed to wait for her answer when his eyes looked straight at hers.
“I’ll want you and everyone else to gather your things before Grumman tells me the transfer has been approved.”
Riza waited to see if Roy was going to continue talking, but he left it at that. There was no need for more explanation, so Riza was fine with it. She gave him a slight nod and a determined smile.
“That won’t be a problem, Sir.”
Her tone, clipped and professional, said to him what it could never say to anyone else. She would be by his side no matter where they went. The promise they had made to each other so long ago rang true in her words as she assured him an uncertain future - but one nonetheless. And that was more than he could ever ask for.
Onto the Epilogue!
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