We've Only Just Begun

[Shula Brighton]

Spade announcing their engagement had been somewhat less than conventional; usually people released it over dinner, or submitted the information to the newspapers (at least in more rural areas). Spade had let it slip, but then rather than try to cover it back up, he'd gone and made an announcement of it... over the intercom... to both Central and South HQ at once. And after that work for the rest of the day was pretty much shot, and Shula frankly wasn't sure how much of it he even remembered. There had been a rather funny drunken fax war, a few of which Shu saved for future teasing.

Announcing it had been a little like exhaling after holding her breath, only to suck in another deep breath to scream on a roller coaster. Now everybody knew and wanted details, including her family, which gave the little Ishvallan mixed results. Philip was thrilled his baby was marrying and demanded he make her dress and have dinner with she and Spade sometime to congratulate them and welcome Spade to the family (and try not to laugh or get annoyed with Spade and his hesitancy to be around the tailor). Ulrich, retired General that he was, approved that Shula was choosing another officer of such high standing. Amira was... another battle. First she disapproved because Shula had refused to consent to an arranged marriage for so long only to announce marrying a non-Ishvallan. Worse that he was also in the military. And when Shula tried to offer up the information of Spade's rather royal heritage there was momentary silence, and then another round of frustration as Amira ranted how Shula was now marrying too far out of their caste.

That was a perpetual battle that couldn't be won. Right now, Shula fidgeted in the elevator of the Central HQ before walking slowly down the third floor hall to the large conference room. Today she had another mountain to conquer that sat knotted at the base of her stomach. The green silk of her sari was embroidered with large red and pink roses, white star flowers, and small purple flowers on delicate vines. In her mendhi-patterned hands she held a few sheets of very heavy paperwork; the heaviest paperwork since those horrible release papers and do not resuciate forms she'd been made to sign back in the hospital. These papers were at least far less dangerous to her health and well being... she hoped. Her resignation. It wasn't that she was giving up or unhappy; quite the opposite. But in marrying Spade, she knew she wanted to live with him, and that meant she couldn't run South, and having the both of them try to run Central jointly... Well, it sounded good on paper, but there were plenty of risks she was hoping Hans would understand.

Equivalent Exchange. Over and over in her life, Shula had noticed that she would sacrifice one thing to gain another; even without using alchemy, those were the laws of nature and the world, and she had accepted that long ago. She was trading her career and childhood dream to the future she had never dared dream of as a girl. The papers shifted into one hand, her other stained and patterned hand raising to knock. She'd told the Chancellor she needed to come up and talk to him some afternoon when he was free, but now that she was here, she half-wanted to run like hell. Professional Ding Dong Ditch.

[Hans L. Reinhardt]

Christmas was coming and Hans was looking forward to it in the usual way. He was terribly excited to curl up at the fireside with his wife and a cup of cocoa (toppling over with marshmallows, of course) on Christmas Eve. Then sleeping in on Christmas morning to open their gifts to one another in their pajamas. Then they would cook a Christmas dinner together. It was a quiet time, happiness mixed in with sadness. Both of them would have moments where memories of Liese would arise. They had moved past crying through their Christmas days, but there was occasionally some sniffing and wiping away of small tears. Their Christmas night would end by visiting Liese's grave to lay a wreath at her headstone. It wasn't the happiest way to end their Christmas day, but it was what they wanted.

However, Christmas had not yet arrived. There were still some (many) days to go, meaning Hans still had to be at work. He was in downtown Central, staking out his conference room for a variety of meetings and paperwork. He did enjoy his job, but he wasn't always excited about it. This next meeting, however, was one he was definitely looking forward to. Word had reached him through the HQ grapevine that Spade Aeries and Shula Brighton were engaged. Apparently Spade had been forced to announce the until-then secret engagement to South and Central HQ simultaneously. Neither had approached him regarding it until now. He was eager to see his favorite general squirm a teeny bit. (Yes, Chancellors could pick favorites.)

Thinking of the devil, he heard a timid knock on the door of his conference room. Rising, he brushed imaginary dust off his cacky pants. He loosened the dark green tie at his neck, which complemented his light green shirt. He walked over to the door and opened it before Shula could run off. He smiled down at her brightly. “Come in, Miss Brighton.” Miss was far less formal than any military title, especially the conditions which brought Shula in today.

[Shula Brighton]

The door opened to a smiling Chancellor, and as Shula looked up at the man, something reminded her freshly how very big he was, especially in momenst like these when she felt like she might lose her nerve... but bolting now that he'd opened the door just wasn't acceptable. "Come in, Miss Brighton," he said warmly, moving to let her in.

Shula smiled up at him, raising her hand to adjust her sari over her shoulder as she entered the conference room. Right, here she was. Just... breathe. It wasn't like he'd be furious about it, right? And he was nowhere near as scary as the Dragon of Ishval named Amira. Shula couldn't really hide her mild nervousness about it all, though, as she took a seat and seemed unsure of what to say. It wasn't like it was a spur-of-the moment decision or that she hadn't already thought of what would happen to South and other important things, just...

She bit her lower lip light before letting out a faint laugh. "It's so funny to think that soon nobody will call me that anymore," she offered up lightly. It was true. Soon she'd be Mrs. Aeries, but for the moment, her brain was drawing a blank. She'd planned out everything except for what she'd possibly tell her boss and how. "Thank you for seeing me today, Sir." She fidgeted again, unsure if she were wishing Spade were there with her, or if him not being there was a blessing. "I... guess you heard by now, but I wanted to tell you in person." Shula took a deep breath, figeting still, but smiled.

[Hans L. Reinhardt]

"It's so funny to think that soon nobody will call me that anymore." Hans nodded his head absentmindedly, pretending to be absorbed in straightening out some paperwork in front of his seat as he sat. Not that it was very hard to pretend at this, as there was quite a bit. "Thank you for seeing me today, Sir. I... guess you heard by now, but I wanted to tell you in person." Hans really had to bite down a laugh. The girl was acting like she was about to tell her parents she had eloped or was pregnant. Something of that grandiose, bomb-dropping nature. Though, perhaps to her this really was that huge of a deal. This fidgety nature was created by something past her engagement, he suspected. Of course, there was no way to know for sure until he heard the words from her lips.

He looked up, giving her a polite smile. “Hear what exactly, Miss Brighton? I'm afraid I've been terribly busy recently.” His eyes widened slightly and then narrowed. “Did you find out about who was taking from my stash of cookies?” He managed to keep his mischievous tone from his voice, though he couldn't handle the sparkle in his eyes. It wasn't that he enjoyed seeing Shula uncomfortable, but it was amusing. This woman could face an army and tear it apart if she chose, but she couldn't find one harmless leader of a country. Definitely odd.

[Shula Brighton]

As the Chancellor resumed his seat he was already burying himself back in paperwork. Seems that was a beast never slayed around Central, even with the department in South to handle their back-flow of work. Shula couldn't help fidgeting, and for a moment was wondering if it really was best to resign? Yes, yes it was- not doing so would be a conflict of interest that would put too many in danger if a crisis came up, and Shula already knew from past experience that she wasn't strong enough to resist that sort of thing. It had taken all her strength just to keep South where they were when they'd been handling refugees as Central was caught in the fight.

Finalyl Hans looked up, his smile innocent and verging on coy. "Hear what exactly, Miss Brighton? I'm afraid I've been terribly busy recently. Did you find out about who was taking from my stash of cookies?” Oh, she could have pouted! And might have just a little. Hans was playing dumb to make her say it! Resisting poking her tongue out at the Chancellor, Shula merely grinned playfully.

"Couldn't say I'd know for sure about that, Sir," she said, her teasing tone plain. "But if I had to guess about your missing cookies? I'd start with Spade and Colonel Furor." She laughed at her own teasing joke, knowing that if anyone was pinching cookies, it'd probably be Spade and Jay; cookies and beer went well together. She gave a little sigh in defeat. "No, I actually had something important to tell you. Regardless of if Spade's been stealing cookies... I'm stealing your country's leading General."

The fidgets returned slightly, carrying with them a pink tint to Shula's earthen cheeks that dripped with elated pride, nearly making her bounce. She held out her left hand, patterned in dark henna stains and adorned with a single ring that had been Spade's mother's. "General Aeries and I are engaged, Sir." There was more news than just this, the paperwork still heavy in her lap, but... it could wait a moment.

[Hans L. Reinhardt]

"Couldn't say I'd know for sure about that, Sir, but if I had to guess about your missing cookies? I'd start with Spade and Colonel Furor." Hans nodded his head sagely, pulling a post-it note from the dispenser on the right side of his table. He flattened out the top portion and picked up a pen, muttering as he wrote. “Interrogate Aeries and Furor regarding cookies.” He glanced up at Shula with a smile and a chuckle as she laughed. It was more than likely that those two had been pilfering snacks... not many other soldiers had the nerve to enter his office when he wasn't there. If they did, it was only to set papers down on the area of the table closest to the door.

"No, I actually had something important to tell you. Regardless of if Spade's been stealing cookies... I'm stealing your country's leading General." Hans didn't respond, slightly puzzled over the statement. It was an odd statement to be sure. He knew very well what she was going to be saying next, but he didn't really expect to lose any of his generals. Unless there was something else she was planning on sharing today. Hans wasn't so sure about that particular thought.

"General Aeries and I are engaged, Sir." Hans leaned over to look at the ring on her finger, a smile lighting up his face. He leaned forward to give her a gentle clap on the shoulder. “And a thousand felicitations to you both!” He settled back into his seat, his mind flitting to his own awkward proposal. Different scenes and different people, true. But the love was surely there, and that is what mattered the most. “Is there anything else?” He had a slightly sinking feeling that there was.

[Shula Brighton]

Hans seemed generally pleased about their engagement, but Shula had rather doubted he'd take that sort of news poorly; it wasn't like he had to worry about paying for any of it, yet the uncertain heaviness was still there lingering, tugging at Shula's conscience and making her wonder still if this was the right thing to do. "Is there anything else?' Marriages meant changes, and this one would surely be no different. Slowly Shula nodded, moving the loose papers with her to her lap.

"Actually... Yes, there is." Holding her breath, Shula handed the papers to Hans as though there was a scorpion hiding between them, ready to sting her. "At present Spade and I live a few hours apart to run South and Central Headquarters respectively. We make it work, but a lot of time it takes nearly moving mountains just to see each other for a night." It seemed like a bit of a stretch, but it was true; most of the time Shula did only get to see Spade if one of them had a day off coming soon and they'd drive to see the other just for that night since morning meant one of them was working. Occasions that they both had the same day free and could actually avoid doing work was like trying to get souffle to stay tall during an earthquake.

"There's also a matter of security. The emergency tunnel is nearly complete and in final testing, but should another crisis arise..." Shula looked down at her lap, nearly ashamed of admitting the truth. "I don't know that I would always be able to put my duty before my husband, especially since Ishvallan vows dictate that my husband is my first duty. But I do honestly know that Spade is strong enough to make the right choice." She knew because she had seen it, more than once. The first time had been in Drachma as Spade pulled himself, Shula, and Acra to the top of a building and out of danger's way, leaving many others behind. He'd demonstrated it again nearly a year ago when Shula confessed her treason to Spade and he realized that her life and informaton were giving Aerugo a dangerous advantage. He'd saved her partially to free her from multiple dangers and to keep Amestris safe. And if it came down to it again, Shula trusted him to choose Amestris first again, even if it meant her.

"We've both been discussing it for a while, and I don't want there to be any conflict of interest that could pose a danger for Amestris. So after we're married, even if not immediately, I would like to relocate to Central City and leave South in the hands of Colonel Holmes." She was Shula's second in command, after all, and a very capable woman. Shula was quiet for a moment, her fidgeting gone and leaving behind a calm like the air after the rain in South. Slowly she looked to Hans, trying to read him for any immediate reaction. "I would still be at your disposal of course, and happy to do anything asked. But unless there's a way to run South effeciently from Central... my resignation seemed the best course of action." And then, Shula waited- either for her ass to be chewed out royally, some alternative to resigning to come up, or for a meteor to burst through the building and conveniently land on her. Knowing her luck, it would be all three with a wonderfully perfect solution followed immediately by that pesky meteor.

[Hans L. Reinhardt]

Hans listened carefully as Shula moved to the next reason for her visit. The reason that required a lot more explanation and one that the Chancellor liked far less than the engagement of two of his best generals. He supposed that in some roundabout kind of way, Shula's logic made sense. It wasn't fair to make her run South's headquarters from an entire city away, and it was equally cruel to make her be separate from her future husband. Spade giving up Central to move to South was practically impossible. Yet, that didn't mean that Hans had to be happy about it. He mused for a moment over the small stack of papers Shula had handed over. He moved two fingers to his right temple and massaged it for another moment before placing the papers on the table. He then looked back at Shula with a kind smile.

“Are you intending to remain with the military, at a position here in Central? I would find that much more agreeable than complete removal from the military. We need you here.” He tapped his fingers on the table for another moment, clicking his tongue in thought. “I'd like you to remain at South through the spring, if that's acceptable. Once tunnel is completed and everything is sorted over, I can more fully accept your resignation.” Or at least as fully as one possibly could. Shame.

[Shula Brighton]

Well, Hans had taken the news a lot better than Shula had worried he would, so that was good at least, but it was still very plain to see that he wasn't really pleased about her decision. And she understood, really she did. With Reila and Dai gone, Briggs still under Drachman control, East and West serving more as outposts than functioning bases, Shula dropping off didn't really help Amestris any. And she really didn't want to have to give up South entirely. She loved South; it was her home where she was born, where she'd served, where she'd put so much effort and dedication into, and even where her grandfather had presided over many years ago. But her vows to Spade would stand higher in Ishvalla's eyes, and if she failed in her duties as a wife, especially after everything they'd gone through together to get to that point... She couldn't live with that. That was what she'd meant by conflict of interest. Other Generals, hell, other soldiers could get around these things in some way usually as long as they were near enough to the same rank and didn't directly work for or with each other. But for Shula it was a battle of faith versus duty, and that was a hard choice to have to make.

Shula was quiet, awaiting Hans' judgement on the matter, patient as he rubbed at his temples. “Are you intending to remain with the military, at a position here in Central? I would find that much more agreeable than complete removal from the military. We need you here.” It was nice to know her hard work was appreciated at least. When she'd joined a few years ago it was certainly not something Shula ever anticipated hearing from her superiors, least of all someone who ran the country, but then again, she had surpassed even her wildest dreams with her work. It was only fair to show her appreciation in return.

Anxiety dissolving, Shula couldn't help but give a gentle laugh. "My dear Chancellor, I am at your disposal now and always. I think the only thing that could make me take an extended absence would be motherhood." Shula laughed again lightly at the unlikelihood of that, even though it were true. She had no idea what she'd do with herself if this weren't her life and passion, and Shula had come to the understanding that she'd only be done for good when she was dead. Still breathing now, so, Alchemical Dog it is. 

“I'd like you to remain at South through the spring, if that's acceptable. Once the tunnel is completed and everything is sorted over, I can more fully accept your resignation.” That was fair enough. The tunnels were still in their final testing stages and still only select few soldiers had access codes to their entrances or even knew about them. Right now the final defenses were being tested for total removal of air supply and sealing both ends; an enemy trapped in an airless tube underground couldn't do too much damage since there were no failsafes inside, and Anton was adding the final programming to his little "darlings".

Shula nodded. Hans' terms were more than acceptable. "That would be jsut fine, sir, and in the end if you do find a way for me to effectively manage South and still want me to once I'm married, I would be happy to. I really only filled out the resignation form since I wasn't sure what would be best for Amestris." Shula just needed a clone. That was it.

[Hans L. Reinhardt]

"That would be just fine, sir, and in the end if you do find a way for me to effectively manage South and still want me to once I'm married, I would be happy to. I really only filled out the resignation form since I wasn't sure what would be best for Amestris." Hans nodded his head. He wasn't entirely sure that Shula leaving South was entirely best for Amestris, but he wasn't going to say that. The fact that Shula was remaining in the military was a fantastic boon. They could make whatever changes work, Hans could be more than flexible when needed. “If the situation arises that you are needed to remain at South, then we will create an effective system.” Effectively demanding and ridiculous, but effective. Hans' mind swam with the possible ideas, but settled them for the time being. Worrying over something that hadn't happened yet was completely unnecessary. He had enough on his plate already, at the moment.

He picked up the resignation papers and looked down at them again. “I'll place these aside until the point where they're needed.” He gave her a polite smile, rising to go over to an orderly set of file cabinets in the corner. He opened the second drawer from the top and went midway through before finding a manila folder that was labeled “Brighton, Shula.” He slipped the resignation paperwork into the folder and earmarked just a bit to stick out, so he would remember to review it the next time he saw it. He let the file cabinet roll back and shut with a click, turning back to Shula. “Come now, Miss Brighton. That's enough for business. The holidays are almost upon us!”

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