AN: Yep, another old Royai oneshot! Consider this one a sequel to "Forever And Always". I like this one a tad more than its predecessor, if I'm being honest. Enjoy!

Roy couldn't believe it. Even now, as he sat just inches away from her grave, his mind refused to fully grasp it. In place of normal reasoning, his mind kept repeating three words like they were lyrics to a melancholy dirge: Riza was dead. He couldn't even have the defense mechanism known as denial because he had been there. He had seen her die with his own eyes. He knew every gory detail of her death. What pained him the most, though, were her last words.

"I love you. Forever and always."

Forever. That word wasn't just a simple word; it was a commitment. People only used that word if they were serious about something or someone. The fact that Riza had used that word to describe her love for Roy clearly showed that she had been serious about him, just as he had been serious about her. The fact that he knew that now, when she was buried in the ground, absolutely broke his heart. What was left of his heart, anyway.

Roy wasn't even sure if "forever" existed or even mattered in heaven. Despite everything that had happened in their past, Roy couldn't see Riza going to Hell. He could only picture her in heaven, a golden-haired angel with a benevolent smile. He wasn't sure if he would make it to heaven himself but he had to hope. It was the only way he'd get to see Riza again.

Roy stared up at the sky. It was a completely overcast day. Even the sun, it seemed, was in mourning.

"So, beautiful, did you make it to heaven?" Roy asked the clouds. He hoped that, if Riza did somehow hear his question to her and did indeed make it to heaven, she would answer him somehow.

A gentle breeze came through the graveyard. As the plants swayed slightly, something caught the corner of Roy's eye. He looked and saw a single red rose, just a few feet away.

Roy blinked in amazement. It was incredibly odd that a rose, of all flowers, would be naturally growing in a graveyard. As he looked at it, it dawned on him; this rose could possibly be Riza's answer to his question. If it was, what did it mean? Was it a yes or a no?

Maybe it was neither. Maybe the rose meant that her answer wasn't as black and white as a "yes" or "no". If Roy had to guess, he would say that the rose was meant to convey hope.

Hope. That was something Riza always seemed to have, especially when it came to Roy. She never gave up hope that he would accomplish his goals and figure everything out in the end. Hope was a facet in their relationship.

After a while, Roy came to a conclusion: even though the person he loved most in the world was gone, he couldn't give up hope. That rose was proof that hope could still thrive in darkness. When he thought of it that way, the dirge would cease.

Once again, it seemed Riza had gotten Roy to have hope again.