28Catalyst
Chapter 9
Sacrifice
Riza was determined to wake up early, make breakfast and clean the house, however she realized most of her chores would probably wake Roy up. She wished he would stop sleeping on the couch and move to a bedroom, but that was a conversation for later on in their arrangement. Instead, she settled for making coffee and doing laundry in the basement and to thank Roy for doing more than his share with Elicia this week, she decided to do his laundry for him.
That didn't help make the next eighteen years with Roy look any more appealing as he seemed to have some aversion to using a hamper. The bathroom he claimed as his was on the first floor, had a small shower instead of the large tub the upstairs had, so she had somehow missed seeing this treatment of dirty laundry. She had to force herself to unclench her jaw as she picked up his clothes from the floor. He didn't ask her to come in here. He didn't ask her to do his laundry. He didn't ask her for her opinion on his living habits. They weren't married or dating. This was going to have to be another one of those things she learned to just ignore.
She felt through his pockets to make sure he wasn't leaving any vital information in them to be destroyed by the wash. Papers crinkled and she put her hand in his pocket to see what it was, assuming it would be a phone number. Instead she discovered yesterday's grocery bill! She put it in her own pocket so she could add up what she owed him and pay him when he woke up. Luckily she had won some money at poker last night and had some extra to spare. Clothes picked up and searched, she added them to her own basket to carry downstairs and start the laundry.
As she walked down the stairs she couldn't help but wonder if this was the lull of domestic bliss that Gracia enjoyed. Gracia was a caretaker, she thrived on providing the nurturing and services for her family. She would have never scolded Maes for being sloppy about his clothes after he got home from work. She would have dinner on the table, the baby ready to be loved on by her father and would silently work around them to clean up after the two. It was a family life Riza didn't have growing up as her Mom wasn't there and she had to play that role of caretaker to a Father who ignored her, his health and the house. Their attitudes were different, Riza felt like a servant and Gracia loved to serve.
Riza shook her head as she went to the washer and started sorting clothes. In her eyes, marriage was a partnership and professional courtesy should have been first and foremost on the priority list for the one you loved. She would expect her own husband to not treat her job any less than his and not make more work for her because he was too tired to place a dirty pair of pants in a hamper. How could a man be so observant that he could play a hand of poker, count cards and study his opponents, but still not see things as simple as where to put the silverware in a tray specifically designed to hold them?
He closed her eyes. No, she was just projected in her own annoyances with her co-guardian onto the Hughes's marriage. It was hard not to compare the two distinctly unique and different relationships to each other when they were living in the same house and raising the same baby. She and Roy were just roommates with a baby, that was not the same as a marriage. However she was really feeling like Roy was trying to take care of her since he was hiding grocery bills and also hit a losing streak last night in poker when she joined the game.
Roy Mustang, however, was still an enigma.
There were two sides of the man and she didn't know which one was real. There was the pretty playboy who drank himself into unconsciousness and had a notebook full of women he could call for a night of fun. Then there was the man who quickly and efficiently took on this new life with Elicia and was ready to fight a tiny old lady in the living room to keep the baby. The man who had made her laugh yesterday and made her wish she had given him a chance when Maes tried to set the up. So which man was the real Roy?
She looked up as she heard the floor creak and Hayate raced up stairs to see Roy as soon as he got out of the bathroom. She started the laundry and climbed back up to the main floor just in time to see the bathroom door open and Roy splash Hayate with some water from his hands. The pup immediately took off, running in circles around the kitchen and bouncing happily as Roy followed him to let him outside. Of course Roy was wearing nothing but lounge pants and she had to admire the view which didn't go unnoticed.
"What?" Roy asked and ruffled up his hair. "Someone took my shirt when they picked up my clothes off the floor this morning."
It was tempting to make a habit of that. Riza shrugged. "Hard to tell what is dirty when it's all thrown on the floor."
"I thought it was my bathroom. I didn't realize I was going to have to deal with inspection, Lieutenant." Roy said and ran his hand over his chest to show he wasn't just referring to the old boot camp practice.
"I'm just hoping Elicia doesn't pick up any bad habits from you." Riza said and walked back in the kitchen to pour him a cup of coffee.
"So I have to pick up my laundry...when she can't even walk?" Roy asked with a smile. He was trying to be more conscious of his habits, he watched Riza go back over things he had done and fix them, but he could only change so many habits at once. He let Hayate out and walked back over to her and she handed him a cup of coffee, the prefect color of brown said she had added the right amount of cream and one sip told him the sugar was right too. He leaned against the counter and waited for an answer while he drank. He couldn't help but admit he liked waking up to someone else in the house. It helped him get out of bed, gave him a purpose and helped him be way more functional than he had been in years.
His smile said that despite looking tired and sleepy, he was in a mood for playful debate. She liked him, this Roy, and she hoped it was the real one. It was easier than expected to get comfortable enough to relax around him. Still, things needed to be addressed and she didn't want to skirt around issues with him. She still didn't know him well enough to expect honest answers if she confronted him about things. "Then do it for child services. I'm sure that lady you pissed off is going to be very focused on surprise visits."
Roy pouted, he was going to have to admit that was something he needed to consider. Those home visits could happen at any time. "I didn't feel like emptying my pockets when we got home. I just wanted out of my clothes and into the shower to try and get that cigar stench off me. If I threw it in the basket it would have been washed with stuff in the pockets."
Riza could understand that logic. Raven's cigar smoke permeated everything. "I found the grocery receipt. I'll add up what I owe you."
Roy sipped his coffee. So much for slipping that by her. At least he managed to 'lose' some money in poker last night to cover it. "As you wish."
Riza went to the back door to let Hayate in and said "I have a lunch date with Major Miles today. I'll take Elicia and Hayate with me so you can have the day off."
Roy watched as the pup came running in and ran around Riza's feet then bounced over to him. He swallowed his mouthful of coffee and couldn't help but feel like this was a test date to see if the boyfriend could handle kid and dog. He tried to dismiss the thought, Olivier would never let Miles transfer and Riza had a home here provided by Elicia's parents. He couldn't ignore it entirely, he saw it as a possible threat to his new role here as guardian, just as real as child services coming to deem him an unfit parent. At least he knew that Armstrong had already declared him incompetent. "Thanks."
Riza's curiosity about Gracia's domestic bliss was somewhat clarified at lunch with Major Miles. She and Roy had been so careful to keep duties separate and schedule days on and off that she forgot that the Hughes' shared in the responsibilities. A family didn't take turns doing duties, they didn't look at raising a child as a chore that had to be divided up between the individuals responsible for the baby's care. Elicia was the center of her parent's universe and she and Roy simply made decisions around Elicia instead of basked in her presence like the warm and life-giving sun.
When she arrived for lunch, Miles greeted her with a kiss to the cheek, gave her dog a biscuit and scooped the baby from her stroller into his his arms and showed he was an absolute natural with kids. The simple task of holding Elicia, something Mrs. Curtis had to lecture them how to do, was done without a second thought from the man who had no kids of his own. He held her like Gracia or Maes would and was excited to feed and tend to her for most of lunch. There was warmth in the way he looked at Elicia and held her and the baby responded to it. Riza noticed his focus was on her instead of reacting to her, which made sense. It was like training Hayate, best to notice him looking for a place to pee or play and take him outside than react to him having an accident. Miles was good with her, just Like Havoc, and it made her feel like this might be the day she didn't feel like she was letting Gracia down.
Time with Miles usually went by quickly, he was an engaging conversationalist and today was no different. There was small talk about gossip he had heard while visiting in Central and rumors about the regional training missions and eventually talk about Briggs. She appreciated how he brought it up, telling Elicia some stories about his home base and the people he worked with; stories about people she could work with if she would follow through with the transfer she put in for. She sighed and decided she had let this go on long enough. It wasn't fair to him. "I've made a decision about the transfer."
Miles could hear in her voice she was going to turn it down. "I'm not putting pressure on you, am I? I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to step in and take over this family you are trying to create for her."
Riza looked at him, he was trying to make everything so easy for her. Trying to step in and help with this child she was responsible for. Trying to help her rise above the reality of her sex holding her back at work. Trying so hard to make her want this life she had committed to with him instead of Roy. He would have made it easy, but that wasn't what life was about. "I have chosen to be Elicia's guardian and with that choice came some restrictions that keep me in Central. I will have to turn down the promotion offer."
Miles nodded. He understood duty. He wouldn't question that.
"I appreciate what you're offering...beyond the promotion and transfer." Riza said. "I am already in a tense relationship trying to figure out what I'm doing. I don't want that kind of pressure on us. That being said, I don't want to leave our relationship with a promise of something I can't give."
"What we have was not contingent on you moving closer to me." He said softly. "We've both been very honest about what we have here and it's been very much seizing opportunities to be together when we are able. We both understood that a transfer was for your career and what we have...perhaps a bonus. The potential for something more for us is there, just like it's there for it to not work out at all. I would still like to have you as a colleague and friend if we couldn't make something more serious work out. I respect you and it does pain me to know that you're being held back, however I respect you all the more for this decision to put Elicia first. That being said, I would like to continue what we have until something develops that makes it no longer an option. I'm an adult, Riza, you don't have to try to protect me from that."
"I'm not sure if I'm making the right choice for her." Riza said quietly. "This decision was made by her parents and I have to try to see this through as they wanted. I have to believe they knew what was best for her. I have doubts..."
"I think the Hughes' had the best intentions but they certainly didn't consider all the factors involved in this arrangement past their daughter being in good hands." Miles said. "We all write our wills in boot camp, but it doesn't make an impact on us until we lose that first comrade. It doesn't mean anything until we see an empty seat or cot and know this was what we were preparing for. "
Riza sighed. It was the truth. The letters the Hughes' wrote were meant to be replaced by something more permanent. That was why they went to the lawyer, to work out the legal issues and discuss a more solid plan eventually. The letters were a placeholder, they were too hastily written to be anything else. They didn't expect to die this soon and were more than likely thinking about what the real letter would say when they returned to the lawyer for another appointment. It was an accident, not a terminal illness, there was no time to prepare. Still, this was no longer about them. "It's only been a few weeks. It's not fair of me to not give Roy a chance. My priority is Elicia and I regretfully have to decline the promotion and transfer. I put it in writing and I hope you will deliver it to General Armstrong for me? The mail room is the source of most of the gossip and I honestly don't want this complicating matters."
Miles gave her a warm smile. She resorted to being professional when she was questioning her resolve. "I will. So now can we enjoy lunch without worrying dancing around this?"
Riza relaxed a little and reached for her drink "Thank you."
"Speaking of dancing..." Miles said and raised an eyebrow. "I was hoping you might be my date to the annual North City ball?"
Riza blinked. That was a huge step in their relationship.
"It's just a date." He assured her. "Dinner, dancing...whatever you would like to do for the rest of the weekend. It's not for another two months. I just wanted to get in my request early so you could make arrangements in case you wanted to accompany me."
"Major." Riza said with a shake of her head. He knew exactly how to lower her defenses when she was getting ready to retreat behind them. "Sometimes I remember why you outrank me."
"I reserve those tactics for you, I know you appreciate them." He gave her a grin. "You're not an easy woman to try to get ahead of and you and I both know we should be a lot closer in rank."
Riza knew this would be hard, but he was making it damned near impossible to make a clean break. The man was too compassionate and dedicated to let her just give up her life to care for Elicia. He wasn't going to let her push him away, nor push those promotion papers into the trash. This was what she was not understanding when she was thinking about the Hughes's marriage earlier, even if they divided up duties they never accepted that it was going to be one individual's task to succeed or fail. Even if the promise of maintaining her own life on it's path looked impossible, there could be someone there who helped pull her through to the other side. It would have been easier if she didn't have that glimmer of hope, it scared her when she thought about it fading away over time instead of being extinguished in one quick move. "I'll think about it. I have a lot to adjust to in the next few months with Elicia in my life...I'll let you know."
"Well, we should be going. I don't want to miss my train." He said and reached for the bill but Riza quickly grabbed it and was getting money out of her purse. "Thank you for lunch, even though I asked you out. Will you see me off at the station?"
"I'd love to." Riza said and used the rest of the money she won at poker to pay for lunch. Seeing him off wasn't going to make her decision any easier as neither Miles nor Armstrong were keen on taking 'no' for an answer.
Roy was at a loss as to what to do with himself after he cleaned the house. He didn't realize how much he enjoyed spending time with Riza and Elicia yesterday until they left without him. He tried not to get a surge of emotion when Miles showed up to take everyone to lunch, but as the door closed and silence overtook the house it dawned on him that maybe he was getting used to not living alone. Once chores were done, he didn't want to stay at home. The empty house just made him feel like he was waiting on Hughes to come home so he quickly got dressed and left. Needing a task to keep himself from dwelling on thoughts too long, he opted to do some work on determining what he needed to do to get Child Services off his ass. Knowing only one person who could help him with that, he decided to go see his Mom.
Lunch time at Christmas's bar on Sunday was an interesting after-church crowd; People who felt obligated to confess their sins but didn't wait very long to commit more. He looked around, regulars all of them...except for one person. He was surprised to see someone in uniform at the bar on a Sunday, mainly because officers in Central mostly had weekday jobs and the ones who did not should not be drinking on lunch break. Roy's curiosity got the better of him and before he could duck away from the bar and into a booth, the man saw him in the mirror behind the bar.
"Mustang."
"Archer." Roy put on a fake smile. Addressing him without his rank was a intended insult and he intended to return it. Fucking Frank Archer, the last person he was expecting to see in this bar. Not because he thought it was beneath him, but because he seriously wondered if the man ever took breaks or ate. He walked over to him, there was no avoiding it now. Archer was in uniform, he doubted that he had civilian clothes, but on closer inspection he saw there was another star on his shoulder that wasn't there when he saw him last. "Nobody show up to your promotion party?"
Archer couldn't help but stare at himself in the mirror behind the bar and smile as he saw those three gold stars on his shoulder. "I'll celebrate my promotion by bringing order back to the streets of East City and eventually the entire Eastern region."
Roy hid his reaction by taking some peanuts out of the bowl in front of them and popping them in his mouth. Promotion to full Colonel? Archer? Promoting him when there already was a full Colonel who was sitting in Central waiting on a command of his own? Of course the Fuhrer was well aware of his situation now and was involved in it. If he had been under consideration for the transfer, as he knew he was, then Bradley would have passed him over because there was something more important for him to do in Central: Public Relations. The eyes of the county were on him and Elicia, as Bradley had told him himself.
"I wanted a quick lunch before catching my train. This place wasn't going to have screaming kids and families." Archer said and then looked over at Mustang. "Something that doesn't bother you, from what I hear?"
"Maes Hughes was my best friend, I am honoring his wishes." Roy said. The fact that they were having this conversation in a bar and brothel was not lost on either of them.
Archer wasn't going to vocalize what everyone knew, that Mustang was the top candidate for the East City transfer and would have had a command of his own. Clearly the Fuhrer felt he was more useful being the hero who saved Maes Hughes's baby from the orphanage instead of returning him to the East as the Hero of Ishval. Good. It was his own time to make headlines. "Well, enjoy your new family. I'll be sure to quell the unrest in the East and make it a better world for your daughter to grow up in."
It was said with a smug smirk and a voice that sounded too much like a phony politician. Someone was already practicing his victory speeches. East City transfers were usually looked at as an exile, there was a lot of terrorist activity and racial tension that Central preferred to turn a blind eye to. The military was already feared and violence criticized, officers there tried to handle things quietly. More violence meant more danger for them and their families and many felt it was already a losing battle. Roy was looking forward to a transfer, not just for a regiment of his own and more responsibility, but because he felt there was a need for someone to actively seek out and destroy the terrorists groups and individuals perpetrating the violence. He knew Archer was of the same opinion, but was going to use far more forceful methods.
Roy hoped it would be a place he could make a name for himself, not just as a soldier, but as a leader and an officer who could use all the divisions at his disposal to reduce the potential damages and death toll. Intelligence and undercover work, in addition to improving public relations, were key to removing and preventing groups like this from wreaking havoc. Archer was going to go in and use force, alienate the populous further and increase resentment. He actually got more upset from the statement that Elicia would have a better world because of him than anything. So he didn't really feel bad dropping the pleasantries.
"I forget you weren't deployed to Ishval. You remind me of the new recruits that were excited to board that train in Grand Central Station and head East to war. " Roy smirked as he saw Archer's grin disappear. It was a sore point for the man that he had 'missed out' on the war, clearly he was planning to rectify that by starting his own. He wouldn't get too far, his superiors would have to answer for any large scale damage he caused. Still, it could have been him. It should have been him. The path to General was not paved with paperwork. "It's not as easy to put a positive spin on news when the public is around and affected. I'm sure your superiors out there will educate you on those matters. Good luck."
Madam Christmas watched and listened and when Roy went over to a booth she went over to take his order. "I assume you came in here for something other than finding out you were passed over for a promotion."
Roy glanced up at her. "Just a transfer. I'm already a Colonel."
"Mmm."
"We're being put into play at the same time for a reason, I will counteract his bad press. The Fuhrer is a smart man, he doesn't make a move without balancing it out somewhere else. He's using me as a distraction for whatever he's giving Archer license to do out East. Fortunately, I happen to play poker with three rather high ranking Generals who tend to be rather receptive to my input after a few drinks. I can do damage control without leaving Central." He opened the menu as if he wasn't the one who created it and stared at it while he tried to find the right words. He was confident he could pull this off, even if that transfer slipping through his fingers stung quite a bit. He tried to maintain that confidence as he said, "I'm sure there will be other opportunities, however right now I need to focus on Elicia and I was hoping you could help me with that."
"Roy..." Chris knew it was an act. He'd been working on that transfer for a while, making plans to take a step towards his grander plans of changing things in Amestris. She knew because he had used her information network to see what strings he needed to pull and what people he needed to win over in order to secure a position out East. This was a setback and it was going to be harder to swallow knowing he was passed over because he had a family now. The family thing was going to be harder because he had been passed over for the position. She hoped he knew what he was doing.
Roy smiled. His Mom was more uncomfortable with the baby than he was. "I'm not asking for baby advice, I need some information about a woman who works for Child Services. A little background on her could help me understand what I need to do to figure out her resentment of the military."
She watched him pull a business card out of his pocket and slide it over to her. "Twenty five years later and I'm still having to deal with Child Services because of you."
Roy huffed. "I'm not 30...yet."
