Author's Note: Several years post-manga. Follows The Toll, although you don't need to read that to follow this.

Proposal

Roy drove the car to the hotel where Havoc and Breda were staying. When he didn't see them, he laid on the horn, causing the liveried pair of bellmen to give him dirty looks. Before they could approach the troublemaker and ask him to move the obviously military car pool vehicle, two men in uniform came running out.

Jean opened the front passenger door, but didn't get in, while Heymans piled into the back seat. "Hey boss, let me drive, will you?"

"Don't you trust my driving?" asked Roy.

"No sir," Jean answered. "And Major Hawkeye will kill me if we have to pull you out of a wreck in pieces."

"My name is Roy, not sir," he said. "And if you don't quit whining, I'll drive off without you." To underscore the threat, Roy actually drove the car forward a few feet, leaving Jean hanging on the open door, which by some stroke of good fortune wasn't torn off the car.

"Bellman at 5 o'clock," warned Heymans from the back seat, finally getting the last button done on his jacket. Jean jumped in and shut the door. Roy pulled out, just as the bellman got there.

"Where are we going?" Jean asked.

All Roy had told them was that they were going somewhere to celebrate his new appointment as the first civilian Secretary of State and that they had to wear a suit, civvie or uniform. Naturally, since neither of them had a civilian suit, they were in the same uniforms they had worn to the swearing-in ceremony that morning. Roy was also in the same thing he had worn, although in his case it was a very sharp three piece suit.

"First, my apartment, then the Marriage Registry Office. Here, take this," Roy said, handing Jean a small box. "And don't lose it."

Anyone else would have asked permission before opening the box. Jean wasn't anyone else. "Whoa, boss, it's just a plain gold ring. Shouldn't it be fancier?"

"If you've already got the ring, what're we stopping at your apartment for?" asked Heymans at the same time. Then, "Let me see it, Hav," as he leaned over the back of the front seat.

Jean closed the box and threw it into the back seat as Roy swerved to avoid a pedestrian.

"It's a family heirloom. Flowers." Roy answered after he had straightened out the car. One more turn and he was parked in front of his building.

As soon as Roy had disappeared into the building, Jean slid over to the driver's seat. "Hey, Manny, back me up here. Get in front."

Heymans got in front, looking at the ring. "Not much of an heirloom. It's just a plain gold band."

"Guess that proves there's no money in the Mustang family. Probably his mom's," said Jean.

Roy came out of the building holding a bunch of blue hyacinths wrapped in newspaper. He frowned when he saw the front seat completely occupied, but resigned himself to the inevitable and got in the back seat.

"So who's the lucky lady?" asked Jean as he pulled out.

"Don't you know?" Heymans said. "It's Sieska from Investigations."

"Nah," said Jean, "she's too smart. He likes his women stupid."

All the way to the Marriage Registry Office, Jean and Heymans speculated on Roy's bride-to-be, ruling out various candidates for such reasons as being too blonde, too good with guns or liking dogs. Roy just sat in the back with a small smile on his face and looked at the ring Breda had handed back to him.

Riza went to the other hotel where they'd put up the rest of the contingent from East HQ who had come in to Central City to see Roy become Secretary of State.

After Falman and Fuery had gotten in the back seat, Falman asked, "Where's the celebration, Major?"

"The celebration will be at Madame Christmas' bar," she answered. "But first we've got an appointment at the Marriage Registry Office."

"So that's why you wanted me to bring my camera," said Fuery at the same time that Falman said, "Congratulations, Major."

"Yes, congratulations, sir," Fuery quickly added.

"Did you know or did you guess?" Riza asked, smiling.

"I've had informants watching the schedule at the Marriage Registry Offices in Central City, East City and Gunja since Mr. Mustang became a civilian. There is an appointment there today being reserved by a Lieutenant Colonel George Miles. I assumed he was not the one getting married."

Riza had one more stop to make. She parked in front of her own apartment building. Rebecca came out and got into the front seat.

"I thought you were going to wear a dress," Riza said, seeing her friend not just in uniform, but wearing pants instead of a skirt.

"I wanted to," said Rebecca, "but how could I when you won't even wear one? It's all your fault. Now show me the ring."

Riza handed a small box to Rebecca and then pulled out into the street. Rebecca opened it and admired the braided gold band. "It's the same one you had at the Academy, isn't it?"

Riza nodded. "It's part of a set. Roy has the wedding ring."

"So you were engaged to Gen- Mr. Mustang when you were at the Academy, sir?" asked Fuery.

"Sort of," she answered, with a smile. "First he proposed without the ring and then I got the ring without the proposal. We've always had a problem with timing. He sent it to me because he wanted me to have it, but he asked me not to wear it until he could give it to me in person."

"Since you still aren't wearing the ring, does that mean Mr. Mustang still hasn't proposed formally?" asked Falman.

"He doesn't know I still have this," Riza said. "I told him I'd pick out my own engagement ring later."

"I'm going to slip him the box when we get there," said Rebecca. "All I can say is, he better do the right thing."

"How romantic!" said Fuery.

Roy got there first, with Havoc and Breda and they all went over to Miles. A few minutes later, the group with Riza came in. She was wearing the uniform with the skirt and heels instead of her usual pants and boots.

Rebecca detached herself from the other three and came up to Roy, putting a box in his hand.

A ring for me? he thought. He'd heard of double ring ceremonies before, but they were relatively new and very rare. Still, if that's what she wanted, he didn't mind. He opened the box and then just stared. She had kept it all this time.

He looked over at her, eyes glistening, and she smiled at him, nodding.

She took a step away from Falman and Fuery. Roy walked up to her and went down on one knee. He held the box out to her and said, "Riza Hawkeye, I love you. Will you marry me?"

She took the box from his hand, opened it, took out the ring and put it on her finger. "Yes, Roy, I will."