Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ An Alchemic Reaction ❯ Under my Umbrella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh ( Chapter 3 )

Author's Note : The beginning of this chapter is inspired by a short Roy/Win fanfic I read a while back. Enjoy!

 

 

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An Alchemic Reaction

 

Chapter 3

 

Under my umbrella -ella-ella-eh-eh-eh ;)

 

 

Tugging his cufflinks into sharp perfection, General Roy Mustang gave himself a good look in the mirror, before grabbing his coat, and exiting the room. Upon reaching the first floor, he was stopped from his graceful escape, by the beaming Elicia Hughes. She began jumping up and down in excitement.

 

“Uncle Roy! You woke up! Will you play with me now?! Oh will you? please! I have---”

 

Gracia peeked out of the kitchen door reprimanding Elicia. “Elicia sweety! Uncle Roy has to go to work! ok? He'll be back later for dinner tonight! Right Roy?”

 

Elicia's frown, suddenly perked up at the news, and looked up at him with glossy, gleeful, eyes. Roy was once again stuck, 'secret weapon indeed, Damnit Gracia!'. He crouched down to the little girl's level.

“Why---yes, Elicia, I will see you tonight for dinner. Now I have to get going, if that's alright with you?” Elicia nodded, and gave the General a surprising salute. He chuckled, and saluted back in response, to the precocious little girl.

 

“Aren't you going to have breakfast General?” Gracia called out from the kitchen.

 

“No thank you, Mrs. Hughe's, but I really must get going.” Roy began to turn the knob to exit the house.

 

“Oh, well alright! I don't know how you and Winry can leave without eating something in the morning!” Gracia added, as he stepped out the door.

 

Roy was relieved to know that the Rockbell girl had already left. 'I guess she's an early riser.' He finally made it out of the house, looking up he noted the dark grey skies looming in the horizon. A sharp cold breeze of air sifted through his hair, as he strided through the streets and sidewalks of Central. He stopped by crossroad, as a few automobiles passed. That's when he felt something wet slide down his nose. He sighed, as the cold rain began to descend upon the city.

However as his gaze travelled upwards he did not see a grey sky above, but rather a pink fabric, being pelted by the droplets of rain. Bewildered, he turned to his side and found to his complete surprise, Winry, holding up high her bright pink umbrella. 'She's sharing her parasol with me?' He wondered where all the friendliness from this girl was coming from. What game is she playing? If any at all?

 

Roy bowed his head in thanks. “Good morning Miss Rockbell, I see you came more prepared then I for this mornings weather.”

 

Winry looked up at him and smiled. “Hmm..Likewise General...you know? my arm is getting a bit tired from holding my umbrella up so high!” She gave him a wry look.

 

“Oh..um..please, I'll hold it if you like.” Roy felt a little flustered, her kindness was a bit off-putting for him. Her close proximity beneath the rosy pink parasol didn't help much either. However, he quickly reminded himself of who he was, and quickly composed himself, as they amiably walked across the street. 'I must look ridiculous holding this pink thing!' Roy thought.

 

“I'm sure with Fullmetal you never had to raise your arm very high.” Even with the Elrics gone, Roy couldn't help but make fun of his former sub ordinate's minuscule height.

 

Winry laughed, “You're right, poor Ed...although he never wanted to share the umbrella with me, even less hold it for me!”

 

“Oh? How come?” Roy's brow arched inquisitively.

 

“He would always complain that he would look silly and fruity with my pink umbrella!” Winry crossed her arms, she looked down at the wet pavement and shut her lips tight, holding in a fit of giggles.

 

Roy felt a pang of embarrassment suddenly, as he held the “fruity” pink umbrella up high. He squared his shoulders and tilted his head up high.“Hmph, a man doesn't need to be so preoccupied with the color scheme of an object to prove his masculinity.” Of course he said this through slightly gritted teeth. 'Is this girl trying to mock me? The little minx!' He kept his gaze forward.

 

Winry looked up at him, he was looking ahead, she smiled in amusement, noting the small tinge of embarrassment that had spread upon his face. 'Does this guy ever show his real emotions?' She wondered curiously. Not that it really mattered, she was just so accustomed to Edward's emotional outbursts, that she almost expected it from most men. Not this one however, he was definitely something else.

 

The banner of Central Headquarters loomed ahead of them, as well as the giant red cross upon the hospital ward. They stopped by the entrance, both feeling the foreboding weight of what the day would hold for them. Roy turned his head towards Winry, as she pulled a military and medical clearance tag out of her purse, and clasped it onto her vest.

 

“Here Ms. Rockbell, it was too kind of you to share your umbrella with me.” Roy gritted out, closing and handing over the pink confection of an umbrella to Winry. She closed her eyes and smiled.

 

“No problem at all, it's the least I can do to keep the Great and Mighty General dry! Seeing as how useless you would be if you got soaked through!” She winked playfully at him, taking pleasure in watching his eye twitch in annoyance. “Have nice day, General Mustang!” She twirled around, waving her hand flippantly in the air, as she headed for the hospital ward.

 

Roy sighed,'Damn that little-' He lost his train of thought as his eye caught site of her lithe form sashaying down the hallways ahead of him.

 

“GENERAL MUSTANG!!!!”

 

Roy was yanked out of his thoughts as he felt an enormous hand clasp shoulder.

 

“Armstrong,” Roy smirked, “How are things holding up?”

 

“Very WELL INDEED SIR! Don't you see this physique?” Armstrong stepped aside to show off his everlasting and ever-growing biceps. “How could a man with this...THIS statuesque form not have things under control!??”

 

Roy rolled his eye, “Excellent, just as I expected of you Major...so where--” Roy couldn't finish his question before getting cut off by Armstrong's barbaric arm around his shoulder.

 

“LET ME SHOW YOU, YOUR NEW OFFICE SIR! OH EVER SINCE YOU LEFT YOU WE----” Major Armstrong rambled on, dragging the sleep deprived General with him. 'It's gonna be a very long day indeed' Roy grimly thought to himself.

 

In the Hospital

 

“Here you go Dr. Rockbell, the roster of available medics on staff, and a list of your patients for the day.” Alice greeted Winry with a warm smile, she had been a nurse in Central for nearly 15 years, and had doubts about the young woman standing in front of her at first, until she had heard about her past, and connections with the Elric's. 'She must be a prodigy as well' she thought.

 

“Please Alice, call me Winry, no need for such formality!” Winry gave her a toothy smile. She wasn't really sure if she could emotionally handle being called a “doctor”.

 

“Oh? Oh well, alright..Winry.” Alice found it odd, most doctors took extensive pride in being recognized and called “doctors”. 'Maybe she is a quack! No no Alice don't start thinking such things she's just a young nice girl..that's all..hhmmm.'

 

Winry was a bit puzzled by Alice's befuddled and contemplative expression. 'I better change the subject.'

 

“So let's see who we have to repair---I mean—uh---heal today! Hm?” Winry pulled out the charts, and blinked in surprise at one of the patient's names.

 

“Room 208....Hawkeye....Hawkeye?” Winry quietly asked. “Oh my god...she is...comatose? What happened? Poor woman, I knew her fairly well ever since Ed began working for the military. She is or perhaps..was General Mustang's guard and right-hand.” Winry paused, 'My god does Mustang know about this?' She lowered her head in thought. “Alice, I need to see her, please show me the way to her room.”

 

Alice nodded sheepishly, and ushered Winry down the sterile corridors to Room 208. As the large and heavy door whooshed open Winry gasped at the site of the young blonde. She was always such an intimidating and strong woman, to see her now, nearly broke Winry's heart. “I would like to be alone for a moment Alice, if you don't mind.” Alice responded with an understanding smile and left.

 

Her skin was pasty, but her face showed a calm expression. Her golden locks spread limply around the pillow's edge. As Winry approachedd her quietly,to pick up the nearby chart for further information, a flash of movement startled her into place. She wasn't alone!

 

“Oh!! Oh...it's you..” Winry panted out, pressing her hand upon her forehead. “Wow you really gave me a fright!”

 

Jean Havoc rose up from the cot he had layed upon the floor. With his hair in complete disarray, and dark circles around his big blue eyes, Winry instantly knew that this man had been the one to save Riza Hawkeye, and that he has probably not left her side ever since.

 

Havoc looked Winry up and down in deep concentration. He was so sleep deprived that he couldn't immediately distinguish who the young woman in front of him was.

“Wait a minute...aren't you the chief's friend? Yeah..the mechanic, right?” Jean questioned her suspiciously as he scratched his 5 o'clock shadow.

 

Winry blinked, “Yes, I am, well..I was Ed's automail mechanic. It has been a long time since we last met Mr. Havoc.” Winry stretched out her hand in welcome.

 

“Please, call me Jean, no need for all the formalities with me, Miss Rockbell, correct?” Jean shook her hand in friendly acceptance. 'So she's also a doc now? Huh..the irony..' he thought.

 

“Oh yes, please, call me Winry,” Winry smiled politely, as her gaze drifted over to her silent patient. “Jean, I need to know exactly what happened with Riza. I have been looking through her information and find that she was indeed wounded in battle, by a gunshot, and that she fell back against a large rock?” She looked up into Havoc's distressed face.

 

“After Mustang arrived to aide us against the invasion, he promptly left once again, to help the Elric's. Unfortunately, well...I don't know if I should be telling you any of this....it's personal and I don't know if....”

 

Winry rested her hand gently upon Jean's shoulder. “Please sit down and relax Jean. I really need to know as much as possible, as it will help me determine the outcome better. You can trust me I am only here to help. I can keep a secret if need be, but I need to know the circumstances.”

 

Havoc sat upon the windowsill, fiddling with his thumbs.

“Well, alright, see Mustang and Riza were a couple for some time. I'm not sure why they broke it off. All I know is that they were both complete wrecks after the break up. So Roy left to the North, leaving Riza here to continue doing what she knew best. She's a tough cookie, but she was pretty alone. I've known her and Roy for a long time, and I hated seeing her so unhappy....so I decided to pay Roy a visit up North with Breda. They were both walking two different paths. It was clear that Roy didn't want to reconcile with her. That's when I realized...well...” Havoc looked over at Riza, the morning sun brightening her hair into a sunny radiance. He sighed deeply, crossing his arms over his chest, he hung his head low. “I love her...”

 

Winry thought her eyes would nearly pop out of her own skull. Her mouth slightly agape, she was rendered speechless by his sweet and powerful admission. She plopped down into a chair.

He looked up at her then, and scoffed at her shocked appearance. “Heh...well long story short...when General Mustang returned, Riza was surprised and happy to say the least, of course having to see him leave again to help the Elric's...well lets just say she felt abandoned by him again, and in that moment of weakness she was wounded.”

 

Winry coughed, and pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen across her face. “I see...but I thought they no longer cared for each other?”

 

Havoc gave her a piercing stare, “I highly doubt they will ever stop caring for each other, they have always been comrades, but a broken heart is a broken heart....huh...I should know...” He leaned back and streched out his arms.

 

“You saved her didn't you?” Winry was glassy eyed at this point.

 

“Hnh...yeah...I tried my best...but look at her now...” Havoc stood up and leaned over Riza's bed. He laced his fingers into her hands, rubbing them lightly as he spoke in a shaky voice. “I just hope she will wake up....there is so much I want to tell her, and something i need to know and ask of her.....”

 

Winry stood up, and gave one more look through the chart in her hands. She decided it was now or never to let Major Havoc know the truth about Riza's condition. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

 

“Jean..”

 

Havoc still grasping onto Riza's hand looked over at Winry expectantly.

 

“She will be fine, we just need to keep her body in good condition, and well fed. Her mobility will be limited when she comes to. According to the charts, it looks like there is hope for her and the baby, but I want to make my own analysis too ensure a safe neural recovery, and delivery of the infant.”

 

Havoc's jaw dropped. He felt the earth move beneath his feet at that moment. “B-baby??” he uttered in a meek whisper.

 

Winry gave him a puzzled look. “Jean..you are aware that Miss Hawkeye is pregnant aren't you?”

 

 

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Author's Note : OOOOHHHHH!!!Scandalous!!! Cliffhangers??? Why am I so cruel?! Damn! Well it is 4am...lol....and I will hopefully have the next chapter up in the next few days. WHEW this was a TOUGHIE! lol....I hope you guys are liking it so far. I am enjoying writing this little fic, it's quite fun. I know it sounds a little “Kill Bill”esque” towards the end, but it wasn't intentional! Oh, and as for the ranks and titles of the military personell, I'm keeping them as lieutenants and majors and all that since nothing was left clear after the film, as to what exact rank each person had. Roy is General even though he hates to accept it, and as far Winry being an autmail/doc well hopefully thats not toooo far fetched :)

 

GOODNIGHT everyone! Next Chapter coming up will engage a bit more Roy/Win ;)

 

 

 

he breaks down into winrys arms when he hears the news, he is drunk and feels ill.

no good to have our top automail mechanic as a frozen popsicle. Then he gets sick due to lending his coat, and she takes care of him.

Pink umbrella, he lends her his coat as they go back to gracias, it is snowing, and very cold.