A/N: So this 3,000+ word long fanfic began as an idea I had yesterday that was only meant to be about 300 words long. But then, instead of just crying about Al, I began crying about the beautiful parental relationship he had with Riza. Honestly, Parental!RizaAl (idk if that's the name or not) is super underrated, and that disappoints me. But I'm determined to have content, even if I have to make it myself, dammit.

This takes place about a week and a half after the Promised Day, before everyone has gotten out of the hospital, and before Al has gotten his hair cut.

I hope everyone enjoys reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Tell me what you think!

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, I need your help," Alphonse Elric rolled his wheelchair closer to the Lieutenant's bed, where she sat with a light pink shawl across her shoulders, reading a novel. The wheels of his chair squeaked as he rolled them across the tile floor, and the noise prompted Hawkeye to look up.

"Help with what, Al?" She smiled as she looked at him, and placed the book down by her side to get a better look at Al's face. She had a habit of doing that, ever since the first time she'd laid her eyes on the boy's new body. And though Hawkeye was fantastic at hiding her emotions, Al could see her face light up at the sight of his.

"Something more important than anything I've ever done before," Al continued, his face deadly serious as he looked up at the Lieutenant.

She laughed, "Even more important than everything you and Edward have just accomplished in the past few weeks?"

"Even more important than the Promised Day," Reassured Al, and Hawkeye lifted an eyebrow.

"Alright, what is it?" Placing her chin on her hands, the Lieutenant leaned forward.

Al took in a deep breath- something he enjoyed doing, now that he could- and mustered up the courage to ask the Lieutenant what he needed, "I need you to help me break out of the hospital."

That certainly hadn't been what Hawkeye expected, and the warm smile melted off of her face as her expression morphed into one of shock, "What are you talking about?"

"Listen, Lieutenant, as you know, I used to have this little list of things I was going to do once I got my body back," Al said slowly, looking up into the Lieutenant's chocolate eyes with his golden ones, "And I want to do the first thing on the list, but I need some help getting out of here in order to do that."

Still not on board with the plan, Hawkeye dropped her hands back down to her lap, "And why would that require you to break out of the hospital?"

"Well…" Al started, but paused in order to choose his words carefully. He had come to the Lieutenant for help because he knew that he could always count on her for his support, even when things were going terribly. But even so, that didn't mean she would automatically buy into one of his schemes. He knew what he had to say was important, and he needed to ensure that by the end of the conversation, she knew too.

"I'm sure you have a great view of that alley from this window, here, Lieutenant," Al nodded toward the opening, and Riza glanced outside, "And because of that, I'm sure you also have a great view of Mister Fluffy."

"Mister Fluffy?"

"The puffiest, softest, sweetest looking cat I've ever seen in my entire life."

The Lieutenant's quizzical look remained on her face, "Yes, I believe I know which cat you're talking about. That orange one who enjoys sunbathing on the roofs of cars, correct?"

"Yes," Al continued, "You see, the item on the very top of the list of things I want to do now that I have my body back is pet a giant, fluffy cat…"

"…And you want to break out to pet Mister Fluffy," Riza finished Al's sentence, and the boy nodded, hair falling into his face.

"Yes, Lieutenant, please, you have to help me! For years, every time I've stayed at the hospital when Ed got hurt, all I've wanted to do was be able to pet Mister Fluffy with my own two hands- my real hands!"

The woman sighed, and ran a hand through her hair, obviously not entirely convinced, "And why do you need my help breaking out of the hospital? Of course I would like to do anything in my power to help you, but doesn't this particular task seem more fit for your brother to help you complete?"

"Ed says I'm not ready to leave, even though it would only be for a few minutes. He's too overprotective, and he convinced the hospital staff to agree with him," Al stuck his tongue out. He knew that Ed was truly only trying to look out for him, but this was ridiculous, "So I need to sneak out while nobody else is looking, then quickly sneak back in."

Hawkeye pondered Al's answer to the question, and by the look on her face, she was obviously very caught between wanting to help Al achieve his dreams and letting her own overprotective side take over. But in the end, one had to prevail, "Al, You're still wheelchair-bound. I'm not sure if you're going to be alright leaving at this point."

"Wait, Lieutenant! I can sort of walk with a cane now! I can walk out of the hospital and it will be fine!" Al waved his weak hands in front of him, and began to try to hoist himself out of his seat, before Hawkeye leapt out of bed and assisted him.

"Alright, Al, I believe you," She reassured him as her hands gingery set him back down into his chair, "I don't want you getting hurt in my room, though," She sat back on the edge of her mattress, "Still, do you think you can walk well enough to leave without getting caught by one of the nurses?"

"I know I can," Al stared up at Hawkeye, his eyes firm and unwavering. If he set his mind to escaping, he was going to do it. His legs would cooperate no matter what, "And I'm going to try, no matter what. Even if you won't help me."

For a moment, the Lieutenant just looked at Al's face, but soon turned hers to an equally as serious expression, "You're absolutely sure about this?"

"I'm going to pet Mister Fluffy no matter what, and I'm going to walk out of here to do it."

This plan was five years in the making. For five years, all Al had wanted was to pet a fluffy cat, and now, he was able to. Nothing- not hospitals or security guards, or anything else could hold him back from his dreams. He would fight the entire Amestrian military if he had to. He was going to pet that cat.

"I guess there really is no stopping you, is there?" Riza's hard expression melted, and she closed her eyes while smiling.

"Definitely not," Al shook his head, his waves of long, blonde hair catching the light as he did so, "So please, Lieutenant Hawkeye, will you help me?"

"Alphonse…" She started, and opened her eyes again, looking directly at his, "Alright, but you have to promise me two things."

"Anything!" Al almost shouted with happiness at the sight of Hawkeye's sincere face.

"Number one: I want to be there with you the entire time, to ensure that everything goes alright. I know you said you can walk, but I want to be there in case anything goes wrong to protect you. Does that sound fair to you?"

"Of course," Al nodded as his face lit up. The Lieutenant was agreeing with his plan. And with her there the entire time, nothing could go wrong. Besides, Al really enjoyed her company, "What's the second condition?"

""The second condition," Hawkeye took Al's bony hand in her soft, warm one, and smiled, "Is that you start calling me Riza. 'Lieutenant Hawkeye' is such a mouthful, don't you think?"

This time, Al couldn't contain himself with glee, and used all of his strength to jump onto Hawk- no, Riza's bed, and surprise the woman with a warm hug, "Thank you so much, Riza! You're the best person ever!"

One day after Al's conversation with Riza, the two escapees met up in the Lieutenant's room.

"Are you ready, Al?" Riza asked him, looking at the boy up and down as he laboriously lifted himself from his wheelchair.

"Ready as I ever will be," Al smiled, and nodded at Riza, who came over and helped him to his feet. Taking hold of a cane he had found lying around in the hospital lounge for patients, he steadied himself on his feet, and let the Lieutenant hold his one hand which wasn't on the walking stick. Like that, the two patients make their way out of Riza's room, and into the hallway.

Nurses and doctors that passed by gave the pair odd glances, and sometimes stopped as if to question Al and Riza, but she had come prepared to divert any suspicion, "We're just heading down the hallway to get a snack from the vending machine, that's all."

Soon, Al's muscles ached, but he kept on walking, determined not to let himself be deterred by something so stupid as his lack of physical fitness. He knew he had enough strength to make it outside; he had to have enough strength.

Once the pair made it to the elevator, they hid next to the vending machine until they saw that no doctors or nurses were coming, and dashed inside. Riza hit the ground floor button, and typed in some kind of military code she knew to ensure they wouldn't stop on their way down and get caught. Being an officer apparently had its perks.

After Riza and Al's elevator made it down to the ground floor, their real challenge began. The lobby would be swarming with people, namely hospital staff who would want them to stay within the confines of their floor. There would be security guards, too, who they'd need to slip past in order to gain freedom. And those people would be almost impossible to get by.

Riza led Al, inconspicuously as she could, into the lobby, and helped him walk near the sides of the room, so the view of other people would block the nurses and guards from seeing them. Alphonse felt incredibly lucky and grateful that he had asked someone with stealth training to help him out with this. The closer and closer the pair got to the outside doors, the more and more Al wanted to hug Riza as tightly as he could.

"Alright," The Lieutenant stopped ten feet short of the exit, "We need to either find a way to distract those men, or we need to find another way out.

Al looked around for possible distractions, "Okay, well, maybe you could throw that potted plant across the room, and while they're looking at it, we can run out," he suggested, hoping that nobody would actually have to throw a potted plant.

"That won't work, because then they'll look at us who threw it," Riza's eyes also scanned the room, but before she could suggest an alternate plan, a convenient distraction appeared on its own.

"Ow, SHIT!" Someone with a suspiciously familiar voice yelled out, and there was a thud on the ground. Everyone in the lobby turned toward the back, close to where the elevator was, and swarmed the person who had fallen.

"Hey," A nurse called out, "A blind patient who says he lost his cane just walked into a pole, and now his face is bleeding! We need someone to help carry him back up to his room!" With that, the two guards at the door began jogging over to where the blind patient had fallen, and Al saw his opening.

Riza tugged his hand, and the two walked forward, fast as they could, but still too slow. Someone was bound to look back at them at any moment. Even though every move was slow and so tiring for Al, he gritted his teeth nonetheless and tried to move faster. He knew he could make it outside. This was his dream, and it was not something that was about to be squashed when he was so close to achieving it.

The last few steps toward the exit, which had golden sunlight streaming through, and a soft, gentle breeze that made Al feel all warm and fuzzy inside, seemed to go in slow motion. Al's heart pounded, and he could feel the squeeze of Riza's hand, and watch her looking back to make sure they wouldn't get caught. Until finally- finally- the escapees made it outside. Al never thought he would be so excited to be in a parking lot, but here he was almost exploding with joy.

They'd made it. He would get to pet Mister Fluffy.

As Al and Riza trekked across the parking lot toward the alley Mister Fluffy frequented, Riza couldn't contain her joy either. A rare, radiant smile spread across her lips as she held Al's hand, and let him tug her along to meet the cat. At this point, even though his atrophied legs were weak and could give out at any moment, Al took the lead. It was true that nothing could keep him from petting the cat.

Soon, they reached the end of the parking lot, where the entranceway to the alley lay, and there he was. Mister Fluffy.

Sprawled across the sidewalk, taking in the sunlight, was a cat so big and orange and so delightfully fluffy, that Al broke away from Riza and dove down.

This was it.

This was the moment Al had been waiting for, for five long years as he as Edward had journeyed across Amestris to get their bodies back. This was the moment Al had dreamed about so many times, and the moment that had brought him out of his darkest moments. This was it. This was Mister Fluffy.

The cat raised its head, and slowly blinked its eyes up at Al, who had his hand raised mere inches from Mister Fluffy's fur. Al paused, and took a moment to just look at the beautiful creature in front of him.

Sunshine reflected off of Mister Fluffy's marmalade fur. The hair waved in the lightly blowing wind, and the part that was closest to the sidewalk splayed out from Mister Fluffy, making him seem even bigger. His little paws were tipped with white, somehow pristine and perfect, despite the fact that Mister Fluffy's favorite place to hang out was in the parking lot or alley. His small, button nose was bright pink, and Mister Fluffy sneezed and licked it, making Al's heart melt. This cat was perfect. He was the best cat Al had ever seen before in his entire life, and Al finally brought his hand down onto the soft Mister Fluffy's stomach.

It was like sticking his hand into a cloud. It was like reaching out and touching the heavens. Mister Fluffy's fur was so glorious, so divine, that Al could have sworn he heard a choir of angels singing from one of the nearby rooftops. He could have sworn that in that moment, world peace had been achieved, and every physical ailment wracking Al's atrophied body dissipated.

This was the single best moment in Alphonse's entire life up until that point.

And in that moment, everything else melted away, and the only thing Al could process was taking Mister Fluffy into his arms and burying his face into the softest pillow he'd ever he'd ever laid his hands on before.

Mister Fluffy, being a perfect, heavenly creature, did not attempt to wriggle away from Al's touch, or struggle against the tight embrace. Instead, he did something even more magical. He purred.

The deep rumbling, and the vibrations coming from Mister Fluffy's warm body sent Al over the edge. He was going to remember this cat, and this experience, for the rest of his life, no matter how many years went by. He would remember everything. From the way Mister Fluffy nuzzled his head against Al's, and how his tiny paw grazed Al's cheek, he would never forget.

A single tear slipped from Al's right eye, in the midst of it all, as Alphonse was unable to contain his elation anymore. And Mister Fluffy- beautiful, wonderful Mister Fluffy- brought his pristine, snowy paw up and wiped it away.

Al wished he could stay in that moment forever, and never let go.

Riza also wished the same, as she stood a few steps back from Al, and observed the entire, heartwarming sight unfold.

In this moment, more so than any other moment Riza had had with Al after he had gotten his body back, made her heart soar. For so long, she had helped the boys on their journey, and supported them as they'd gone through their hardship. For so long, Riza had had to watch Alphonse struggle with an armor body, one that couldn't eat or sleep or feel fluffy cats. But now, he was here with her, his arms wrapped around Mister Fluffy and a scintillating smile on his face. Alphonse was back, and he was doing things, and he was finally happy.

And with the thought that after all of their struggle, Al was finally allowed the joy of being with Mister Fluffy, a single tear of Riza's also fell. She almost never cried, but just watching how magical and beautiful, and right everything was now, she couldn't help it.

Riza and Alphonse didn't know exactly how long the two of them stayed outside, but time didn't matter to them anymore. Each caught up in the moment in their own separate ways, they just stayed outside on the sidewalk until eventually, Riza lowered a hand down to touch Al's shoulder.

"Alphonse," She bent down to his level, and could hear Mister Fluffy purring, "Are you about ready to head back now?"

The boy gave Mister Fluffy one last squeeze, and gingerly placed the cat back down onto the sun-warmed concrete of the sidewalk. Mister Fluffy mewed softly, and glanced up at Al, but soon hopped to his feet and shook himself off.

Goodbye, Alphonse, he seemed to say, and with that, turned on his feet and trotted daintily back into the alley, his puff of a tail trailing behind him.

"Goodbye, Mister Fluffy. Until we meet again," Al clutched his cane, and with assistance from Riza, stood up and watched the cat disappear.

"But most importantly, thank you, Riza," Al looked up at her, the gold in his eyes and the gold in his hair shining brighter than ever before, "I never would have gotten to experience that if you hadn't helped me with it."

"Anytime, Al," Riza returned the smile, and Al could see the sun illuminating the back of her hair like a halo as she looked down at him.

Seeing her so carefree and happy filled Al with the same warmth as holding Mister Fluffy did, so Al did with her what he had done with the cat. He dropped his cane and threw his arms around the Lieutenant, surprising her. For a second, Riza just stood there, a bit shocked, but soon enough, brought her own arms down, and wrapped them around Al's slender figure. With one of her hands, she stroked the back of his head, untangling Al's long hair, which desperately needed to be cut. The touch was tender, and sweet, and Riza almost managed to remind Al of the way his own mother held him. But comparisons to other people didn't matter, because the hug was glorious and warm all on its own.

Riza's hug was almost as warm as Mister Fluffy.

The hug was long, but all too short at the same time. It was fantastic for Al, to finally be able to feel hugs. And it was fantastic for Riza to be able to feel Al, happy and human and whole again. And with the combination of hugging Riza and Mister Fluffy, Alphonse marked that day down as one of the absolute best in his life.

"Thank you for this, Al," Riza murmured, and slowly unwrapped her arms from around the boy in front of her, "Today was just as great for me as I imagine it was for you."

"I hope so. You helped make it amazing," Al broke away from the Lieutenant, and bent down to pick up his cane.

With that, Riza took his hand in hers, and the two turned back to the hospital building, both feeling fulfilled. And they trekked back, the magic of the moment not lost in the journey.