I am SO sorry it took so long to get this out! I was working graves for the entire winter break and since then it's all been about homework, isu's and finishing up my uni applications! Anyways, here's chapter four, it's kind of rushed and I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I dont think it's too bad :) I'm doing one more chapter for this and it'll be a month after they got back :]

"Why did you invite us over?" Gracia asked Winry kindly as her and Elicia sat down along with Roy and Riza.

"Yeah, big sis, why did you?" Elicia included enthusiastically.

Winry chuckled and filled a cup of tea for each of the adults to go with the apple pie she made. "I have a surprise for you all."

"I may know something about that," Mustang said smugly. He removed his gloves and set them on the table. "Two nights ago, there was an occurrence in Liore where an unidentified aircraft emerged from the ground. Hawkeye and I have come to the conclusion that-"

"What did you not get when Winry said 'surprise'," Edward commented dryly as he came around the corner, there wasn't really a point in him hiding anymore if the Colonel was just going to ruin it. Alphonse came out as well and Gracia covered her mouth as her eyes widened. She wiped away a tear and embraced the two lost brothers. The boys were surprised for a moment, but relaxed. They hadn't expected that Gracia would miss them as much as she did.

"I thought I'd never see you two again." She whispered. She smelled the same and even looked the same-besides the creases that had begun to develop around her eyes over the years.

"Can't get rid of us that easily," Edward joked, although the uneasy tone in his voice noted that he felt the same way and pulled her in tighter.

Elicia pulled on her mother's skirt to get her attention. Her mom looked down at her with a smile. "What is it sweetie?"

"Who are these boys?" The little girl whispered to her mom nervously. She hid behind her mother's skirt and snuck careful glances towards the brothers.

"They're Edward and Alphonse, remember? You used to play with them when you were little," her mother explained.

The little girls smile grew gradually as she remembered the boys. "I remember! Mommy told me you were gone! Did you see Daddy while you were gone? Did you bring him back with you?

The excited tone in Elicia's voice seemed to make Gracia's happy mood vanish as quickly as it had come. "Elicia…"

"Actually, I do have a surprise for you," Edward whispered to the little girl. Elicia clapped her hands excitedly and looked at Edward eagerly.

Footsteps came from behind the wall and the confused faces looked up at the doorway and were shocked to silence to see the familiar face of Maees Hughes. For a moment no one moved- but Elicia quickly broke away from her mother and threw herself into her father's arms.

"Papa! Where have you been?" She cried happily as Hughes held her tight.

"Don't worry princess, daddy's home," The officer cooed. When it came to his daughter, Hughes will always be the same, no amount of time away from his family can change that.

"Maees?" Gracia whispered quietly as she stepped forward. "Is that really you?"

Hughes set her daughter down and stared at his wife and nodded. It was as if they were the only two in the room now. "I'm sorry Gracia." He pulled his wife towards him and held her close. Gracia's body shook as she cried into her husband's shoulder and Hughes just stroked her hair as his tears of his own fell. "I'm home now, you don't have to worry."

"How is this possible?" Roy asked, directing the question toward the brothers to allow Hughes and Gracia to have their moment. "It couldn't be human transmutation-"

"Of course not," Edward scoffed as if her were insulted. "What do you think we are, idiots? Just let Hughes explain it, he can describe it best."

"And that's what happened," Hughes finished.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, pondering this. Roy was the first to speak. "So you were the same soul?"

Hughes nodded. "I sensed it when he entered, but the more I was around him, the more alive I began to feel, and I knew." He chuckled to himself. "I sound crazy don't I?"

Roy ignored his side comment. "And then you transmuted your mind in his, and his mind in yours?"

Hughes nodded again.

Roy looked at his friend, surprised. "How could you manage that? You were never an alchemist before and you never showed any interest in it either."

Hughes laughed again. "I wasn't an alchemist because I didn't understand how that form of science worked, but when you die, you pass through the gateway and that knowledge is given to you."

There was a moment of silence, similar to the ones the boys experienced when they first heard this. Gracia hugged her husband and leaned in closer towards him.

"So you're just as Alphonse was," Roy muttered. "A soul attached to a body."

"Don't insult me," Hughes huffed. "I'm the same person in the same body. This body literally has the same scars that I had, it's an exact reflection of mine. This body won't reject me, because it's still the same soul. All I did was transfer our minds."

"That's amazing," Riza whispered, but was still smiling. She always was a beautiful woman, even if she didn't see it, Roy saw it for her. "You truly are an incredible man Hughes."

"Yay! Daddy's amazing! Daddy's incredible!" Elicia sang. "Daddy's home!"

Roy stood up and gave Hughes a fierce look, startling the people seated next to him. "I understand that you have only just arrived back, but I have a proposition for you."

"Whatcha' need Roy?" Hughes asked with a crooked smile.

Roy smiled to himself, he missed hearing his friend's voice more than ever, but he wouldn't let anyone know that. Roy was nothing if not professional-well, when he chose to be. "I'm undergoing a dangerous assignment Hughes and I need your guidance, I'm afraid the lieutenants may be not be enough."

Everyone in the room looked confused including Riza-but only for a moment. Her cheeks flamed before she turned her face towards the floor to avoid our gazes. Even the colonel looked choked up for a moment. Everyone looked back towards the colonel and lieutenant, trying to understand what was happening. It was rare for one of them to be too choked up for words-but both of them? That's unheard of. Hughes looked at his Roy and Riza's expression and then erupted with laughter; it was a sound that they hadn't heard for years. Hughes slapped his friend on the back and put his arm around him like old times.

"Well, it's about time Roy! I didn't think you'd ever settle down!" Hughes laughed. He pulled Roy closer so he could whisper in his ear. "It was the eye patch wasn't it? Must have been a real lady killer when you first got it."

Roy pushed away from his friend and wiped his arms. He looked as though he were about to insult Hughes but smiled and decided against it. "You're lucky you just came back from the dead," The Flame Alchemist muttered.

"What's going on?" Edward interrupted. Although he prized himself on being the youngest state alchemist in history, he was rather oblivious at times.

"Don't you see you, Ed? Roy's getting married!" Hughes exclaimed. He looked over and winked in the lieutenant's direction. "And to Hawkeye no doubt."

Riza went an even brighter shade of red and slid further down in her seat, trying to avoid us.

"The colonel?" Edward asked in disbelief. He looked to Riza. "You agreed to marry him?"

"Hey, that's brigadier general and future leader of this country to you!" Mustang retorted.

The two alchemists glared at each other and waited for the first one to look away. With no sign of victor, Hughes intervened. "So what do you need Roy, I'm sure that there's more to this then just telling me about your wedding."

He averted his gaze and Ed laughed in the background. Roy appeared to be sputtering but took a breath and calmed himself. "How would you like to be my best man? I've already offered it to Havoc, but I'm sure that he'll sacrifice it for you."

Hughes looked taken aback for a moment but then give his friend a genuine smile. "Well if Havoc is okay with it, I'll be honored."

Roy smiled and pulled his friend in for a brotherly hug. He turned his face towards the floor and allowed one tear to slip his eyes. He promised himself that he would never have to cry over Hughes again.

"Aw, is the colonel crying?" Edward chimed in a baby voice after peaking down to look at the tear streaked face. Edward only had to time to widen his eyes in surprise when he barely managed to jump out of the passing flames path.

"What the hell are you trying to do, kill me?!" Edward shouted from the floor.

"If I'm lucky," Roy muttered under his breath.

Although it's been years, instinct made him clap his hands together and slam on the wooden floor. "I HEARD THAT!" Edward shouted irritably as wooden spikes were sent towards the colonels face.

Standing at the side of the room, Alphonse shook his head and sighed. "Brother never does change, does he?"

Gracia tried to look worried, but a small smile played on her face and protested against her attention. "No, but that's not always a bad thing." Her eyes shifted towards her husband and her smile grew.

Ed and the Colonel continued to argue until a wrench struck Ed in the head-knocking him out cold-and a bullet flew by Roy's face and out the open window, clipping off a strand of hair.

"Brother!" Alphonse shouted as he helped Edward up who was looking at Winry with terrified eyes.

"Edward, I am not letting you get in a fight and already break the arm and leg and I worked so hard to upgrade this morning!" Winry snapped and threatened to throw another wrench in his direction.

At the same time, Roy slowly turned his head to face his soon-to-be-wife with wide eyes. He was lucky that his lieutenant never missed the target-or was he?

"Colonel, quit acting like a brat," She snapped. "You're not twenty-nine anymore!"

Over the years, the Colonel began to fear getting old-or more specifically, he feared getting grey hair and wrinkles. The colonels face fell and he walked into a corner and bent his head down in shame.

Hughes, Gracia and Elicia were all standing at the side, watching his two groups of friends argue. Elicia scowled and looked up at her father. "Daddy, why are they so loud?"

"They've always been like that pumpkin," Hughes chuckled as he tickled her chin. "Don't worry you'll probably be in those arguments with them soon enough."

Gracia bumped him gently and laughed. "Don't encourage her Maes."

He smiled but didn't say anything.

Hughes looked over and saw Edward cowering on the floor from what he knew would be his future wife, and Alphonse giving her a nervous smile trying to calm her down. Hughes laughed quietly to himself and closed his eyes. He decided he would count to three and if he were still here, than he would accept this miracle and continue on living. One. He wanted to stay alive, he wanted it more than anything. Two. He missed all of his friends and family so much, he can't get that taken away. Three. I need them more than they need me. He took a breath and opened his eyes, his prayers finally answers.

Maes Hughes had finally returned home.

One more chapter to go for this story :) I'm also starting a oneshot for fma, where riza has the colonels gloves on lockdown and she decides to try them out ;) I hope to get that one up soon so stay tuned ! :]