So sorry it took so long to get this next chapter out! I don't like to put out a chapter without having the next one written, and I got a little writer's block and also a little distracted with other writings! But I'm back on track, hopefully!

Also, a warning: I have a... problem... where everything I touch turns to angst. Literally everything, and this is no exception. So this chapter is pretty chill but next one gets a liiiiittle angsty. Just a warning, I'll be sure to keep in some comedy and fluff.

Anyway, enjoy!

"Ed, you need to get a haircut!" Roy mused as he tugged on the golden blonde hair. It was early in the morning and by a small miracle, the boys were dressed and ready for school. Since Miss Hawkeye started giving them extra things to do and more responsibilities the previous semester, school was much more interesting to them.

Edward was sat on a stool in the kitchen while Roy haphazardly pulled the boy's hair into a ponytail. Alphonse was on the couch, his nose in an alchemy book, and he almost laughed at the idea of his brother ever deciding to cut his hair. Edward stuck his lip out in response to his uncle's comment.

"I don't wanna," he said stubbornly, crossing his arms. Roy sighed.

"Look at your brother. He's gotten his hair cut and it looks nice."

"Yeah, and you've gotten your hair cut before and it looks like shit."

Roy felt his temper flare and his eye twitch. "Why you little…" he growled and gave his nephew's pony tail a sharp tug in retaliation. Edward cried out but didn't say anything else because he knew the pinch was very well deserved. Next time he wouldn't insult his uncle when the man had a fistful of his hair in his hand!

"Alphonse, did you eat breakfast?" Roy asked, feeling satisfied after hearing the little yelp from Edward. The younger boy looked up sheepishly and shrugged.

"Maybe."

Goddamn, these kids. "It's a yes or no question, Al. You either ate or you didn't."

"I forget." Alphonse had gotten too wrapped up in the next chapter of his advanced Alchemy book the library had gotten in, that he didn't know if he ate or not. Judging by how long he'd been sitting on the couch, it was pretty safe to say he hadn't.

"You've been awake for an hour, how could you not know what you've done today? Geeze!" Roy sighed. "Go eat something, okay? We're leaving in a few minutes and I'm not in the mood for another call from Miss Hawkeye asking why the two of you are so hungry." He peered down at Ed. "Did you eat?"

Edward smirked at him, and Roy immediately knew not to trust anything out of his mouth. "I dunno." the boy said innocently. Roy glared and lightly pushed him off the stool.

"Eat!" He ordered as he walked to his room to grab his coat. The boys couldn't see, but a small smile lingered on his lips. Even in their most annoying moments, they were pretty funny kids, and he secretly loved that he got to spend this time with them. Of course, he had to be the cool uncle still, and couldn't let them know that!

Edward and Alphonse grabbed some bagels that were on the kitchen counter and before long, it was time to head off to school. Roy sent them off with a wink and a smirk directed at their teacher, who just smiled back at him knowingly. They never talked about the… incident the month before, and she dodged each and every attempt of his asking her out again. But, as far as the small town gossip mill was concerned, she wasn't dating anyone else, so he felt that was a win.

Roy then trekked back home, as the office was closed for the day for routine cleaning and inspections. He was to work on paperwork at home and then be ready to go with all the needed documents first thing the next morning.

Although he never told anyone, he hated the quiet of the house when the boys weren't around. Edward and Alphonse, even when they were reading their books, created a lively atmosphere that was difficult to part from. Although grateful for the peace and quiet so he could work, Roy found himself wishing for the laughter and shouting that followed the kids wherever they went.

A knock at the door startled the man, who looked up from his half done paperwork in confusion. He never ever got visitors. In fact, Riza was the last visitor he ever remembered having since Trisha dropped off the kids all those years ago. He stood from the couch, suddenly conscious about all the holes burned into it and the messiness of his home.

"Hello?" he asked, opening the door. A very tall man in military blue stood before him. He was oddly shaped, obviously strong and very large, but he had a bald head except for a tiny curl of blonde. He also seemed to almost sparkle, though Roy couldn't tell why. "Uh, can I help you?"

"My name is Major Armstrong," came the deep reply. "And you are Colonel Mustang?"

"I am. I'm a Colonel at the office here," Roy added, his mouth feeling a little numb with the obvious information. But, he somehow felt that reiterating that would help his case should he be in trouble.

"Yes," the man mused. "And you are in the care of two boys? Edward and Alphonse…" He checked a piece of paper that he dug out from his pocket. "... Elric?"

Roy's eyes narrowed and he felt himself becoming far more guarded. Unconsciously, he took a step back from the man, ready to fight or run if need be. He didn't care if he was military, anyone strange asking after the boys were going to get the same response. "Yes," Roy said, his tone rising to a defensive question.

"And they know Alchemy?"

Cold shock flowed through Roy. How could anyone know that? The boys kept that a secret. "Yes," he said, knowing he couldn't lie. "Better, they read about it."

"Can they practice?"

"Not well. They're children, Major."

"Yes. Seven and eight?"

"Yes."

There was a long pause and a heavy silence. Roy felt extremely uneasy and the man before him looked a little confused. Roy realized, as he allowed himself to reevaluate the situation, that the man didn't quite know why he had been sent here and wasn't really sure who he was asking after.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, sir," Armstrong said, letting out a sigh that seemed to deflate him by about two feet. "I was asked to gather this information by my superiors. I don't know why." He stared oddly at the man. "You're the Flame Alchemist? And your boys know Alchemy? At that age? That's amazing!" He smiled warmly, and Roy found himself relaxing, but only a little bit.

"Yes, I am and yes, they're practicing." The raven haired man replied. "They're really not very good. But, you don't know why someone would send you to gather this information? It's not illegal to teach children Alchemy. Irresponsible, maybe, but I'm not really up for any parent of the year awards anyway."

"Well, if they've heard about them all the way in Central, I think you're doing a good job," Armstrong said, meaning it in a friendly way, though Roy bristled at the idea that Central knew about the boys.

"Oh, well thanks," He replied, trying to accept the compliment as normally as he could.

The taller man smiled and glanced around the home and his eyes landed back on Roy's. The smile left his eyes after a moment and a frown formed on his lips. "Sir, may I be frank?" he asked, reverting to rank formalities.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"Be careful. I don't know why I was asked to come here, and I can't ask any more questions because I don't know what they have in mind. So, be careful."

Roy found himself nodding. "Thank you, Major," he said. "I really appreciate you giving me the heads up." He opened his mouth to say more to the man, but the phone began ringing. Roy glanced back into the room and then back at the Major, and he didn't know if he should go answer it or stay and be polite.

Thankfully, Major Armstrong made the decision for him. "I should be going now," He said, saluted, and then was gone.

Roy hurried to the phone, again feeling rather uncomfortable because people rarely called his house. "Hello, uh… Colonel Mustang… Uh, Roy Mustang," He answered, unable to spit out an appropriate greeting.

"Colonel, thank God." A woman's voice filled his ear and Roy felt his stomach drop.

"Riza?"

"Yes, it's me."

Shit. "What happened?"

"I got a call from Central. There's someone who wants to come meet Edward and Alphonse. They're coming down today, they'll be here any moment."

"I just had a Major from Central come to my door about the boys."

There was a pause. "Someone must have spread word of their abilities to Central," Riza said quietly.

"You didn't tell any of those connections about them did you?" Roy asked, his tone taking on a much harsher edge than he meant. There was another long moment before Roy whispered. "Sorry."

"It's okay, I understand. No, I've told no one, I promise, sir."

There was a heavy pause broken only by the sound of Roy sighing. Breathing into the line caused a cackling sound and Riza pulled the phone just slightly from her ear, but was careful to listen in case the man spoke again. When he didn't, she too let out a sigh.

"Sir, I want you to know I will protect those boys with everything I have," she said earnestly, and Roy found himself surprised by her protective tone. Of course, he appreciated her dedication as a teacher, but there was something more in her voice that told him she was used to protecting all kinds of people, most especially those she loved.

"Thank you," he replied, feeling the need to say something, but not quite knowing what. A thank you didn't really cover how grateful he was that she was his nephew's teacher and that she would protect them.

The two hung up, and Riza went back to the classroom where her students were working on an art project. As she moved to the front of the room, she tapped the Elric brothers on their shoulders and motioned for them to follow her to her desk. The boys, who had been working on some chemical equations instead of art, exchanged a confused glance but followed obediently.

"Yes, Miss Hawkeye?" Alphonse asked politely, but Edward was much brasher.

"We finished our art okay? So we're allowed to work on our homework, right?" Edward asked loudly, causing a few kids in the room to glance up at them. They quickly returned to their work and Riza narrowed her eyes as a warning for the boys to be quieter.

"No," she said in a low voice, hoping they would match her volume. "I need to talk to you two about something very important, and you have to listen very carefully and do everything I say, alright?"

Her words made even Ed fall silent as the boys realized how serious their teacher was. Since they were smart, intuitive kids, they knew that something had happened. Slowly, they nodded, anxiously awaiting her directions.

"A man from the military is going to come to class today," she explained. "He is from Central. He wants to talk to you two about Alchemy. They know you can practice it, but don't know the extent. You are to tell them you only know a little, that you're not very good. If they ask you to demonstrate, make a small toy out of wood or something, but don't do a very good job. Do you understand?"

It would be hard for the boys, especially Edward, to swallow their pride to pretend to not be very skilled at what they've been studying for almost the entirety of their short lives. But, seeing their teacher's eyes hardened with earnest and seriousness, they nodded and vowed to do what they were told.

"Good." Her eyes softened a little and a small smile graced her lips, though it was tight with worry for the children. She opened her mouth to say more, but a knock at the door startled her. She shooed the boys to their seats with one more frantically whispered command to act normal and opened the door to greet the same Major who had appeared at Mustang's house.

"Hello, you must be the Major from Central. Welcome to our classroom," Riza greeted, trying to push down the knot forming in her stomach. She felt like she was shaking and hoped that her outward appearance portrayed her are more stoic than nervous. Major Armstrong greeted her politely and didn't seem to notice the thoughts racing around her head.

"I just came to have a quick chat with the Elric boys," his deep voice stated and he glanced over at the two kids who were now standing politely. Riza gave them a slight nod and they walked up to the large man.

"You're huge!" Edward blurted out and Alphonse harshly elbowed him in the side. But the Major laughed, a deep and jovial laugh that actually made Riza a little more relaxed. She was decent at reading people and could tell he meant no harm. He was just doing his job.

"We can move to the teacher's lounge," She said. "The class is just working on a project and no one else should be there." She turned to her class and instructed them to keep working and be good, and then showed the Major and the two boys the way to the small lounge on the other end of the hallway.

"My time is short, so I'll be brief," Major Armstrong said once they were seated around a table. The table was far too large for the two boys but far too small for the large man. It was almost comical seeing how Armstrong towered over everyone, including the table set.

"I was sent here because we received word that two boys in this village are extremely gifted in Alchemy, and I was told to go meet them," he explained. "To my understanding, those two boys are you." He peered down at the brothers, who shifted nervously in their chairs.

"We're not very good," Alphonse managed out and Edward nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we're just kids!" Edward said.

"I see. How long have you been practicing Alchemy?"

"Like a year." Edward lied. The words slipped off his tongue before he could even stop himself. Roy was always telling the boys not to lie, and he looked at the Major, wondering if the man could tell. But, he just nodded, and Edward was excited that it worked. It was also pretty cool to be explicitly told to lie.

"What can you do with your Alchemy?" the Major asked.

"Just make little toys. Change things around a little. Not much else." Alphonse was the one who answered that question and felt the same thrill Edward did when the Major accepted his response as fact.

"Can you show me?"

The boys glanced at each other and got off their chairs. It would be difficult for them to pretend to be terrible at Alchemy after years of intense study. But, they put their hands to the floor and tried their best. Or, in this case, their worst.

The floor began to glow with an eerie blue light, and Riza and the Major watched on as the boys each crafted their own small, cruddy little toy out of the hardwood floor. Ed's was a little horse with the front right leg cracked, and Alphonse made a dog but forgot the left ear and tail. Riza let out a sigh of relief when she saw what the boys made. She had never been so happy to see such bad Alchemy in her life.

"I see," the Major mused and then stood. "Well, if you continue practicing, you'll be great Alchemists in no time! I look forward to seeing you complete the State Alchemist Exam in a decade or so!" He flashed them an encouraging smile and the boys found themselves at ease and smiling back.

"We're going to be the best Alchemists you've ever seen!" Edward said with all the enthusiasm and confidence of an eight-year-old as he jumped up. That produced another deep laugh from the Major, who then thanked the teacher and the boys for their time.

Edward and Alphonse went ahead to class, but as Riza showed the Major out, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I spoke to their uncle today." he said, a frown hiding behind his blonde mustache.

"Oh?" Riza asked, trying to sound like this was the first time she was hearing this information.

"Yes, those boys… Central wants something to do with them. I'm not sure what, but… If I were you, I'd keep a close eye on them." He glanced at her and then looked out over the hills surrounding the school. "They're not much good at Alchemy now, but I can tell those boys are special."

"They are charming," Riza said noncommittally. "I'll be sure to watch out for them, Major. Thank you for stopping by."

The Major nodded and began walking down the long road towards the train station on the other end of the town. Riza stood and watched until she couldn't see his large form anymore and then turned and went back to her classroom.