Author's Notes: This fic request was actually the reason I started to go back through my inbox. I'd forgotten to write it and I knew it was in there, so many, MANY months later, I finally got around to writing it. I focus on Roy being a dad to Ed and Al, but I'm not about to forget Riza, the ultimate mom. Fun fact: I created the character Kavanaugh back in Drabble 75 ("Why?") in my 100 Royai Drabbles, "you pull me through time," just so that Riza could wreck him.

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own FMA.

Back Up

For the most part, Ed didn't mind other soldiers. They typically let him be once they realized who he was, the actual Fullmetal Alchemist, torn between shock and awe. Though he didn't think about it very often, his rank as a Major allowed him to get away with a lot of stuff, especially with the lower-ranked officers. He didn't care about being in the military, seeing as how he was just using his title as an excuse to gain access to research and funds, but it did come in handy every now and then.

Every now and then though, Ed ran into a bit of trouble with a superior officer. Generals either dismissed him as a child or tried to use him as a tool. They tried to be so subtle about it, but he could see through their ruse easily. At least Colonel Mustang didn't try to hide it; he was quite upfront about using Ed to further his own goals, even if he was also a sneaky, manipulative bastard. Colonels of any rank were the worst of the lot. They weren't too far above him, but just enough that his rank and age seemed to irk them.

He didn't know why some of them got so pissy - it wasn't like he was trying to jump the military ladder like Mustang had done after becoming a State Alchemist - but once in a while, a passing Colonel would be a jackass.

Today's asshole of the day was named Colonel Kavanaugh. Tall and handsome and the very definition of "a dick", Kavanaugh enjoyed showing up to ruin Ed's day. Maybe it made him feel better about himself, seeing as how he hadn't even been considered for a promotion since he became a Colonel years ago. Ed was busy contemplating if he could transmute the snack machine somehow to get his stuck snack when the man appeared from the corner.

"Aw, does the poor boy need help with snack time?" Kavanaugh asked, a nowhere near pleasant grin on his face.

Ed considered punching him and ruining that perfect nose, but knew that it would only serve to get him written up. Kavanaugh was a Colonel, after all. Not that Ed cared about write ups, but he didn't know whether they might affect the state of his funds. He was already on thin ice after returning from his last mission. As much as he didn't give a damn about the military, he knew that he had to be careful right now. For all he knew, Mustang could ground him somehow and force him to stay in Eastern for a while. He and Al didn't have time for that though.

"No," Ed grumbled under his breath, returning his attention to the machine. Maybe if he pretended that Kavanaugh wasn't there, the man would get bored and leave him alone.

"No, what?"

"No, sir," Ed managed through gritted teeth. Not even Mustang demanded that Ed refer to him as "sir" and let him get away with a handful of colorful nicknames. He only pointed it out when he was trying to be cheeky or a bastard. For a brief moment, he kind of wished that Mustang was here, as the man did not like Kavanaugh and tended to knock the other man down a peg, but the mere thought that he might want Mustang around (to do what - protect him?) was horrifying in itself and he shut it down.

Kavanaugh looked over the machine and then kicked it. The bag of chips that Ed had been struggling to get fell down into the bin like it was nothing. He blinked in confusion. Was Kavanaugh being helpful? The older man bent down to retrieve the chips - and then opened them, picked a chip out, and ate it right in front of Ed, making him scowl. Of course he wasn't being helpful. There wasn't a helpful bone in his body.

"Oh, these are my favorite," Kavanaugh proclaimed as he continued to eat the chips. "Thanks, kid."

That was how Kavanaugh treated him - like some stupid kid that he could walk over. It reminded Ed that the military was filled with a bunch of guys like him. Many soldiers were bullies that pushed civilians around. Some of them were good too, but the bad ones made the lot of them look rotten. It was like Kavanaugh was a school bully and Ed was the nerdy kid that he picked on. Except Ed knew how to fight. His teacher had taught him well. The only problem was that he couldn't outright fight Kavanaugh without severe repercussions.

At that moment, Ed's stomach chose to growl painfully, reminding him just how much he'd wanted those chips.

Kavanaugh chuckled. "You should get something to eat or you won't grow any taller than a bean stock."

Just as Ed was considering screwing all military regulations and physically launching himself at the older man, maybe knocking him out with a bit of alchemy to show him who was stronger here, a familiar woman's voice rang out from down the hallway. "Edward, there you are - I was looking for you."

Peering behind Kavanaugh, Edward saw First Lieutenant Hawkeye walking towards them. As usual, she wore a calm expression that gave nothing away. He slunk back, watching as Kavanaugh turned to eye Hawkeye carefully and then glance at him. The look in his eyes said everything: don't tell Hawkeye what I did or you'll regret it. Ed didn't know how he would, but he was certain that Kavanaugh would come up with something and he really didn't want to suffer anymore at the man's hands. As for as their interactions went, this was a lot lighter than normal.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about getting something to eat," Ed replied lamely.

"We were just about to go get lunch," Hawkeye said as she stopped next to him. "Why don't you join us?"

Honestly, Ed didn't know if he wanted to be around more soldiers right now, but he liked Hawkeye and the guys on Mustang's team weren't so bad. They were friendly and joked around with him. Maybe they saw him as a kid at times, but Havoc and Breda always referred to him as "boss" or "chief" and he liked it.

"Sure," Ed replied.

"It'll be better than having chips for lunch anyways," Hawkeye said, a light smile on her face. She turned to face Kavanaugh, acknowledging him for the first time since walking up to them. She should've done so immediately since the man outranked both of them, but it almost seemed like she was ignoring him purposely. "Sir." She saluted. It somehow looked mocking. "I hope you enjoy the chips. It was so generous of Edward to buy them for you since he makes more money."

Edward choked on his own tongue. He could not believe that Hawkeye had just said that. For one, it was bordering on insubordination; two) it meant that she had seen Kavanaugh belittling Edward and stealing his food; and three) she was wearing the most straight-faced expression he had ever seen. Nothing was betrayed on her. She looked dead serious. For his part, Kavanaugh stood tersely in shock as well, a perturbed look on his face as he tried to come up with a decent response, but he couldn't say anything without looking bad.

"Shall we, Edward?"

"Uh…yeah, yeah!" Ed gave Kavanaugh one more glance. The man looked outraged and idiotic, holding a bag of chips and glaring at Hawkeye's back as they walked away. He jogged to catch up with Hawkeye and didn't say a word even after they rounded the corner. He didn't know whether he should thank her or not. Besides, he also didn't want to admit that he was being bullied by other soldiers. He had a feeling Hawkeye wouldn't take that well and his guns made him kind of leery.

"He's always been like that," Hawkeye abruptly said. When Ed gave her a curious look, she looked down at him and smiled. "He's the same way with the Colonel, although it was worse before his promotion."

"What did Mustang do then?" Ed asked.

"Kept his tongue in check, of course, and didn't cause problems," Hawkeye responded. That didn't seem like fun nor did it seem like Mustang. The man had a mouth on him and took every opportunity to insult someone if he didn't like them. "Men like Kavanaugh won't get any further in life than they already are. The Colonel knows that. They treat people like they're beneath them because it's the only way they can look up."

So it was like taking the high road then. Kavanaugh wasn't worth fighting with. That didn't account for Hawkeye's comment then. Maybe she just didn't like him since he took potshots at her superior officer. Hawkeye was pretty protective of that idiot, after all. "You didn't have to…"

"I know," Hawkeye said, "but you're a part of the team and it's my job to protect the men on my team." She said it so matter-of-factly. He sometimes wondered if there was anyone on the team meant to protect her, but Ed knew that Mustang's team was a tight-knit unit. She shrugged her shoulders and looked ahead again. "Plus, I really don't like him, so it's kind of fun to take a shot at his ego every now and then."

Ed grinned. Now that was more like it.