Disclaimer: I shouldn't have to tell you I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or it's characters.

Author's Note: There are SPOILERS here and there for the manga! Be warned.

I have been working on many Roy/Riza fics lately and like all the others this one just started developing in my head so I had to do something with it.

This takes place during the events of chapters 52 & 53 of the manga, with flashbacks from previous chapters. I have used very little actual dialogue and have summed things up in my own words as best I could. If you read this please take the time to give me a review. Although I do write stories for my own enjoyment, I would like to know if others find them enjoyable as well.

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His Weakness

You should never let your enemy see your weaknesses. Roy Mustang has always known this. Therefore he always made sure that he had no weaknesses. Not ones that could be used against him that is.

Sure, there was the fact that he couldn't use his flame alchemy when his gloves were wet. But that didn't mean he was powerless. He could still use an igniter to start his explosive flames. He also knew how to use a gun, although he would admit that his aim was nothing compared to the First Lieutenant's.

No, he never considered this a weaknesses because it was something he could overcome. He had before and when he was determined nothing could stop him. Or so he thought.

But despite all these efforts and all his self-torment, he did have a weakness. One that the homunculus, Wrath had noticed very easily. He was exceedingly kind. Although Wrath had to admit that was a strength as well. So that alone could not be used against him. But there was one more. One more that would prove to be his downfall.

He hid himself in a false image. Pretending to be something that he was not. Not wanting to get to close to anyone, he pretended. Pretended that he was a playboy. A different girl every time he was seen. Many dates but never anything more. The whispers at work, everyone talking about how shameless it was to act that way.

But that was all it was, just an act. Each date could never end fast enough for him. Many times it was with a girl that hoped she would be the next one to go home with the handsome Colonel. None of them ever did.

This misconception was a great cover though. If everyone thought he was a womanizer than no woman could be used against him. It should seem that a man that held so little respect for a woman wouldn't care about her. After all, how could you treat a woman like that if you cared for her? At least, that was what he though.

But, despite all the effort there was that one. His weakness.

It was the one weakness he thought he had hid well. Despite his urges, he never tasted her sweet lips. He never touched her creamy white skin, save for taking paperwork out of her surprisingly soft hands. She was always by his side, but he thought there was no way anyone would think she was more than just a subordinate.

That was a good assumption. Most perceived her as cold and militaristic. They didn't see her as being very feminine. Even after she grew her hair out. She always wore it up, making her look almost boyish in a way. Not the kind of girl that a playboy would ever fall for.

Her job was to assist him, protect him, follow him. They never displayed any kind of affection that anyone could see. Just a loyal soldier following the leadership of her commanding officer. That was all Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was to him in the eyes of the public.

As the years went by she became something more to him. Feelings he kept locked away in his heart, not wanting anyone to know. Not because of his image or because he was embarrassed. It had to be done. Not just for the sake of his work and his goal, but also for her own sake.

He didn't know where it all began. It had been so long now. It crept up on him like a concealed enemy. He began to feel protective of her, worrying when she had a dangerous assignment to fulfill. He felt jealous of others who got near her in ways he found threatening, to him that is.

Like the time she had apprehended the transmuted Barry the Chopper. She was waiting for him at the phone booth, trying to keep Barry under control. When he showed up Barry peered around her from behind, his hand on her hip. "Hey Missy, who's this punk?" This made him very angry and he seriously wanted to roast the poor bastard.

Then there was her sniper mission to protect the hideout they were keeping Barry in. Positioned in the tower, she was poised and ready. Her rifle was ready to combat any foe. Roy called her up to see how the mission was going, pretending she was one of his girlfriends. God how he wished that conversation had not been so fabricated. If anyone would ever be called his girlfriend he could only think of her.

Before long a "guest" was bothering the other girls they were talking about. Or rather their comrades that were also involved in this mission. She said she would call back, but before she disconnected the headset fell to the ground. He could hear sounds of a scuffle and she no longer answered him. After calling to her several times he feared the worst.

He didn't know what he would have done had he not made it in time. Gluttony was a seemingly unbeatable adversary, one that just couldn't be handled by the guns the Lieutenant and Sergeant Feury had wielded.

She scolded him for recklessly coming out into the field like that. They could have handled it themselves. She called him an idiot for his actions. He told her she was right, he was an idiot. He just laughed it off. He could live with being an idiot. He couldn't live without her.

The battle that followed was even more perilous. They followed the enemy into the 3rd Lab. Lust seemed even more deadly than Gluttony. She had come very close to killing Lieutenant Havoc and Roy himself. He was forever indebted to Alphonse Elric for his actions that day. For if it weren't for him Lieutenant Hawkeye would have been their only casualty.

"You Fool!" Those were the words he screamed at her when he had found out she had lost her will to fight. She slightly winced as if he had slapped her. If he had ever denied that her devotion was more than just her loyalty to duty, he couldn't any longer. Lust had left both the Colonel and Havoc for dead. They would bleed to death as she moved on to the other "rats" that had entered the lab. When Lieutenant Hawkeye learned her beloved Colonel was "dead "she displayed pure outrage. Emptying her entire clip into Lust's vitals. Upon the realization that this effort was futile, everything became so. She no longer cared if she lived. She could do nothing but sit there, silent tears streaming down her face.

He was angry at her. He belittled her and scolded her like she was a child. A switch, considering she was usually the one scolding him. This was the only way he knew how to handle it. He couldn't say or do the things that were in his heart. He could only play the role of the angry superior. His heart wrenched as he saw the pain and disappointment in herself that reflected in her eyes. She hated herself for failing and for being weak. There was nothing he could do for her. That day he cursed himself and his position.

With all that had happened his feelings were still concealed. He showed no more concern for her than he did Lieutenant Havoc that day. So how? How did they know? Was it just an assumption because she was a woman there had to be something more?

Although he was good at playing a role and hiding his feelings, the look now on his face was sheer horror. Horror at the fact that somehow, despite all his efforts, they knew. The Fuhrer, King Bradley, Wrath, had him captive in his office. Roy wanted to know why they kept him alive. "I want you to understand the position you are in". King Bradley seemed sickeningly satisfied with this notion.

The look of horror came after he was told that all his followers had been reassigned, all to different areas. This was very bad. But he showed no sign of emotion, yet. That was until he heard the Fuhrer's next words.

"Your loyal First Lieutenant has been given a reassignment as well. She is to be my new personal assistant. We have you where we want you, Colonel Mustang. I would hate to think that something bad would happen to Miss Hawkeye should you become careless." The Fuhrer's words cut through him more than any sword could.

At that King Bradley turned and left his office to let Roy absorb the severity of his situation. The stubborn Colonel would be putty in their hands with his Lieutenant's safety on the line. Everything was going according to plan.

Silently time passed.

The door opened and the cruel and calculating leader of the army re-entered the room. Roy still sat in the hard wooden chair by the Fuhrer's desk, elbows resting on his knees, head hung down in defeat.

The Fuhrer started to talk about how he became what his is now. He had been human once. Injected with the raw Philosophers Stone into his blood he became something more.

Roy now confronted him. "If you were once human, why can't you go back to being human?" That was the question he now posed. The answer was something he didn't want to hear.

King Bradley was now a homunculus, not just a mere human. He had pride as a homunculus, like the others of his kind. He would continue on with the goal that was ahead of him. Just the same as anyone else, human or otherwise.

"I still don't understand why you have gone to the trouble of keeping me alive." Roy's voice had a little bit of an edge to it. "What do you want from me? You must want something or you would have silenced me like you did Hughes."

"Ah, perceptive as always." King Bradley spoke with a sense of satisfaction. "We need a powerful alchemist to open the gate for us. You are going to do it."

Roy didn't know what they would gain from the gate, but he knew it wasn't going to benefit the people of Amestris, or the entire world for that matter. The gate would be a dangerous thing in the hands of the homunculus. Opening the gate was something he would not do.

"I am sure I don't know how to go about it. You will have to find someone else I am afraid." His defiant tone was evident.

"Oh, I think you will change your mind." A terrifying smile crept onto the Fuhrer's lips. "Despite your kind nature I am sure that even you would sacrifice the life of one person to save the world." He gave a slight pause, trying to unnerve the Colonel. "But, I seriously doubt you would have the stomach to do so if that person was your dear Lieutenant Hawkeye." The look on his face displayed ultimate triumph.

Roy's breath stopped short in the back of his throat, along with his heart. He realized they had him right where they wanted him. There was nothing, nothing he could do. That was, except to give in to their demands. Unless..

"I won't open the gate. Like you said for yourself, people can't be used against me. She is just my subordinate." Roy tried his bluff, and prayed it didn't backfire.

"Lies don't become you Colonel. Someone of your caliber should be an honest man." The Fuhrer adopted a serious look as he spoke. "I would suggest you cooperate, or I can assure you her fate will be much worse than just death."

The Colonel let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "How did you know?"

"Are you finally willing to cooperate, Colonel Mustang?" The Fuhrer knew the Colonel's only choice was to give in.

Roy gave a solemn nod, he didn't have any choices left.

"It was during the incident at the 3rd Lab." The Fuhrer's voice just about startled Roy. "I had come to take care of the situation and was observing from the background. It became apparent at that time that you cared for all of your subordinates. But one stood out more than the others. Although you both tried to hide it, you cannot deny it. I noticed this feeling seemed to be mutual. The amount of emotion displayed by Lieutenant Hawkeye at your supposed death was more than just concern for her superior. You might have fooled everyone around you, but nothing can escape my Ultimate Eye."

A dark shadow was now cast on Roy, his loyal comrades and loved ones, as well as the rest of the world. Surely if he did not open the gate they had a backup plan. He should refuse just the same, but he couldn't sacrifice her. Not her. Not his beloved Riza.

All he could do now is pray for a miracle.

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Author's Notes: This story was written before chapter 56 was released and should be considered a "what if' story. Since the actual events in the manga are past this point I am hoping this is just a really good AU fic done in cannon. Again, please let me know what you think. I know people are reading this, I can track the stats... WHY doesn't anyone ever give me reviews! I get a few, but when one of my stories gets over 1,200 views and only 17 reviews I think my writing must suck...