"Did this have to happen during my first week?"

Arnold Reese, a young man recently appointed to the Führer's security detail, panted to himself as he ran down the corridor. Assassination attempts were scarily normal for the leader of a country like Amestris, they were well equipped to defend him and his loved ones, but he wished they'd waited until he'd settled at least a little.

The guard at the family's personal living room was already on alert from the unusual noise and commotion in the house. Arnold nodded to him as he reached the door, pathetically gasping out their code phrase for assassins- "Donkey on the loose." (Their Führer had a sense of humor.)

The other soldier let him into the room, staying outside to guard the door, and he burst inside rather dramatically. He stood there, feeling rather foolish, as the Führer's wife raised one blonde eyebrow and stared him down with scarily calm brown eyes. Riza Mustang (née Hawkeye) was apparently not a woman to startle easily.

He pulled himself back together quickly, very aware of the three pairs of tiny eyes watching him from where they sat gathered around their mother; Erin and Emily, the eldest girls, had just turned ten and nine respectively while the little boy Hughes was just three. He hadn't had the chance to interact with them much, but Führer Mustang doted on his daughters and adored his little son. The responsibility of protecting them settled heavily on his shoulders and he drew his composure around him like a shield.

"There are donkeys in the household, ma'am." He said respectfully, inwardly preparing himself for the flood of tears and panic he thought would result; Mrs. Mustang may be former military, but any woman worried for the safety of her children.

She surprised him.

"Girls. To the cabinet, now. Take your brother and stay quiet until Dad or I come and get you." She put the book she'd been reading to them aside and handed Hughes to Erin, who took her sister by the hand and led the way to the heavy oak cabinet in the corner. They opened the door and pulled away the false back, revealing a small enclosed room; a cleverly hidden hideyhole. Mrs. Mustang stopped them a moment before they would have shut the door.

"Hayate, guard them." The mistress's little black-and-white dog was getting on up in years but he still moved easily enough, jumping into the raised cabinet with only slight scrabbling. The girls looked relieved as Emily cuddled him close before closing and locking the door.

Arnold looked at Mrs. Mustang in confusion as she sat on the edge of the couch and pulled a handgun from the back holster apparently hidden under her sweater. She handled it with the ease of long practice and the gun looked well-maintained.

"Aren't you going to join them, ma'am?" She was still eerily calm as she regarded him with those inscrutable brown eyes. Did she feel anything at all? Unease ran down his spine.

"I'd rather stay out here where I can see what's coming." Her eyes flicked over his form appraisingly. "You're new to the security staff, aren't you." He gulped and nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. This is my first week." She smiled a little ruefully.

"Welcome to the force. It's a shame this happened so soon. Now, what's the situation? How many intruders?" He drew himself up, reminding himself again that Mrs. Mustang had fought in Ishval and the uprising against Bradley- she was trained as a soldier, she wouldn't settle for vague reassurances of safety.

"At least three, ma'am. They entered with the grocery delivery this morning; there was a lot of extra staff to bring in supplies for the upcoming banquet." Her lips pressed tightly together as she nodded.

"Are they armed?"

"Small arms only as far as we can tell, ma'am. They're all wearing masks as well-"

Gunshots and a shout just outside the door stopped their conversation abruptly. An ominous thump as the outside soldier fell- then silence. They stood with guns pointed towards the door as footsteps drew closer. The door creaked open.

Despite himself, Arnold flinched to the side when Mrs. Mustang's firearm cracked beside before the door had opened more than a fraction. The pair in the doorway dropped instantly, one clutching a wounded knee… And the other with a bullet hole clean through the center of his skull.

The soldier gaped as the Führer's wife stalked over to the downed man and planted a foot on his chest, pointing her gun at his head. Her voice was completely level and calm, sending shivers down Arnold's spine.

"You're going to stop crying and tell me everything about your little group, unless you want me to go through all the painful, nonlethal targets on your person that I know. Believe me, I know a lot of them." Her eyes narrowed. "By coming in here you've endangered my children. Don't try my patience."

The pinned, bleeding man lost control of his bladder. Arnold couldn't blame him; he'd revised his opinion regarding Mrs. Mustang. She cared so much it was scary.

"Riza!" Führer Mustang wrapped his arms around his wife, eyes closing with relief as she hugged him back.

"We're alright, Roy. I even got information on the rest of the group…" She smiled a little as Erin came charging up to wedge herself in the middle of their embrace. "… But it can wait." He gave her a relieved little smile and scooped up his daughters; both of them were the spitting image of their father, pale skinned with dark hair and eyes. They snuggled into his chest, nervous but not terrified. Luckily their safe room was sound-dampened, so they'd avoided overhearing the worst of the screaming and gunshots.

As he cuddled his daughters, Roy noticed one of the new members of the security team standing nearby looking slightly green. He sidled up to him.

"Something wrong, Soldier?" The young man just blinked at him for a moment, then gave himself a little shake.

"Frankly, sir? Your wife is terrifying." The soldier looked slightly taken aback by the wide grin that Roy couldn't contain.

"I know, isn't she wonderful?" He left to rejoin his wife and his son, leaving the agent to stare after him with a stunned look on his face.

Author's Notes:

Hehehehe. Riza's awesome. =D

Nothing much else to say. Hope you enjoyed, review if you feel like it!

-SS