A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! I was a little worried I wouldn't have this done on time but it appears I just made it. Phew!

Warnings: This story takes place after the end of the manga so there are a few spoilers.

With this Ring…

Roy tapped his pen impatiently. Where the hell was she? Surely a woman that loud wouldn't be that hard to find. He glanced at the clock on his desk for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.

"Sir. You know the saying 'a watched pot never boils' don't you?" said Riza, not looking up from her paperwork.

He groaned and fell back in his chair. "I know. I just don't know why it's taking so long for Havoc to find her. East HQ isn't that big."

"Just work on your paperwork. Time flies faster when you're busy."

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled as picked up his pen and stared at the piece of paper in front of him. Just as he was about to write his signature at the bottom when there was a sharp knock on the door.

Finally! "Come in," he called out. The door opened and a dark-haired woman walked in.

"You called for me, Sir?" Rebecca saluted.

"Yes, I did." Picking up a sheet of paper to his right, he quickly glanced at it before continuing. "First Lieutenant Catalina. I've been told that you were the cause of a fight that broke out in the shooting range."

Roy could see Rebecca's face flush red. "It was self defense! Lieutenant Heller slapped me on the ass!"

"You could have reported him for sexual harassment. Sending him to the infirmary with a broken nose hardly qualifies as appropriate payback."

"It's not as satisfying though," he heard Rebecca mumbled under her breath. He raised an eyebrow.

"Did you say something Lieutenant?"

"No," she answered hastily.

"Anyway, as punishment I'm having you spend the rest of the week helping the kitchen staff. I hear they have a huge pile of dishes waiting for you." Roy couldn't help but smirk when he saw Rebecca's face turn pale.

"Oh come on!" she shouted "That's not fair! Heller was the one who started it! If anything you should be punishing him!"

"I think being beaten up by a woman in front of everybody is enough of a punishment for Lieutenant Heller," he responded. Both Riza and Rebecca glared at him. "I mean…err…nevermind," he mumbled while mentally cursing himself for putting his foot in his mouth.

"Riiiiiza…back me up!" whined Rebecca. "He listens to you!"

"Sorry, but he's right. There were better ways to handle the situation but you let your temper get the better of you."

"You're saying I should've just walked away?"

"I'm saying you should have done something that wouldn't have led to him being rushed to the infirmary."

"Maybe I should've just kicked him in the nuts instead," Rebecca grumbled.

Roy grimaced at the comment. "Captain Hawkeye, could you please leave us alone for a few minutes?"

"Yes, Sir," answered Riza. She picked up a stack of folders on her desk and walked out of the room. Roy waited a few seconds after he heard the door click shut before he spoke again.

"Anyway, there's another reason I called you in here. I need a favor to ask of you."

"I'm not sleeping with you."

"WHAT?" yelled Roy, almost jumping out of his chair, "Why the hell would I want to do that?"

Rebecca shrugged. "It was the first thing that came to mind."

Roy shuddered at the thought. "Yeah well you can wipe that thought out of your mind. I wouldn't sleep with you even if I had a gun to my head." He saw Rebecca open her mouth to argue but he continued. " The real reason I called you in here is because I need your help picking an engagement ring for Riza."

Rebecca's eyes widened in surprise. "Why me?"

"You're her best friend aren't you? You should know her taste in jewelry."

"Yeah…but spending my weekend stuck in a jewelry store with you? That's gotta fall under 'cruel and unusual punishment'."

"For your information, there are plenty of girls who would love to spend the weekend with me in a jewelry store."

"Then why don't you ask them?"

"Look. Are you going to help me or not?"

Rebecca crossed her arms and pouted. "What's in it for me?"

Roy grinned. "If you help me I can waive your mess hall duty."

"Oh you're evil. You planned all of this didn't you?"

"Not at all," he replied, leaning back against his chair. "I was originally going to offer to set you up on a blind date but then you went and got in that fight so I'm offering you this instead."

Rebecca gave him the evil eye. "Fine," she finally said. "You have a deal."

"Excellent!" He pulled out a pad of paper and scribbled something on it. "Here's the address of the jeweler. Saturday at 1100 hours ok with you?" he asked, ripping out the top sheet and handing it to her.

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, taking the piece of paper and shoving it into her pocket. "Is there anything else?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir," she saluted before turning around and leaving the room. Roy fell back against his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Something told him it was going to be a very long weekend.

Saturday

Roy stood outside the jeweler feeling like an idiot. Rebecca still hadn't arrived and he was starting to wonder if she had stood him up.

I should've known better than to ask her for help. How the hell is Riza best friends with this woman anyway?

He was just debating whether to find a phone booth and calling her - he had jotted down her number from Riza's address book just in case - when he heard a woman shouting behind him.

"General!"

He turned around and saw a dark-haired woman running up to him.

"You're late," he said when she finally reached him.

"Oh give it a rest," Rebecca panted. "I'm only late by…" she glanced at her watch. "…oh who cares? I'm here aren't I?"

"Let's just go," he grunted. He opened the door and walked into the store with Rebecca following right behind him. A middle-aged man greeted them from behind the counter.

"Good morning, General Mustang. How may I help you?"

"Good morning. We'll like to look at some engagement rings."

"Ah well you've come to the right place. We carry the best selection of diamond rings in all of East City."

"Yes, your store was highly recommended to me." He glanced over at Rebecca and noticed she was already busy checking out the displays. Reaching over, he grabbed her by the arm.

"What?" she demanded.

"Ah…You must be the lucky lady," continued the shopkeeper. " I must say though, it's rather rare for a woman to accompany her fiancé to pick her engagement ring." Both Roy and Rebecca turned a little pale.

"Oh no no no! It's not for me!" Rebecca exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her.

"The ring is for someone else." Roy added hastily. "She's here to help me pick one."

"Oh dear me. I'm very sorry."

"That's quite alright. Anyway, about the rings?"

"Ah yes! I have a few new ones in the back room. Let me get them for you."

The man disappeared behind a door, leaving the two of them alone. Rebecca breathed a sigh relief. "Well that was awkward."

"You're telling me," he mumbled. The day was not starting off well.

The shopkeeper soon returned with a tray full of rings tucked between rows of velvet. "These are the latest designs from Central. We just got them earlier this week so we haven't even had time to put them out for display yet," he told them while he placed the tray in front of them.

"Oooh…they're all so pretty!" Rebecca squealed. She immediately picked up one and tried it on. Roy looked down at the tray and was almost blinded by the sparkle of approximately twenty rings. Blinking his eyes, he looked back over at Rebecca. She looked like a kid in a candy store and she wore a huge smile as she tried on ring after ring. He shook his head. Diamonds really were a girl's best friend, especially for a girl like Rebecca.

"Oh! I like this one!" she suddenly exclaimed picking up a ring with an exceptionally large stone and trying it on. "It's gorgeous!"

Roy couldn't help himself. "Pick one that Riza would like! Not you!"

Rebecca turned and gave him an annoyed look. "You don't have to be such a grouch. If I have to sacrifice my weekend helping you at least let me enjoy it a little."

"Looks more like you're shopping for yourself than for her."

"Hmph! At least I'm looking! You're just standing around." Roy opened his mouth to object but quickly closed it when he realized she was right. Damn. She won this time, he thought to himself.

Rebecca smiled smugly knowing she had won their little argument before turning her attention back to the ring on her finger. She admired it for a little longer before removing it and putting it back on the tray. "I really need to find myself a rich guy," she sighed. Roy resisted the urge to make a snarky comment. It definitely wasn't to his benefit if he pissed her off before she finished helping him. He looked back down at the tray and picked up a ring. It was a pretty ring with a pink heart shaped stone surrounded by tiny white diamonds but definitely not a ring Riza would probably like. He put it down and picked up another. Once again the ring was not her type. He glanced down at all the rings and he couldn't see a single one that would be remotely suitable.

"I don't see anything," he said.

Rebecca nodded in agreement. "All these rings are a little too trendy or flashy for her." She turned back to the shopkeeper and asked in a sweet voice, "I'm sorry but these rings aren't quite what we're looking for. Do you have any slightly more traditional designs?"

The shopkeeper smiled. "Yes, we do. Let me get them for you." He walked over to another display and pulled out two more trays. "How are these?" he asked, placing them next to the first tray.

"Perfect."

Roy checked out the new rings. The designs were much simpler than the previous set; but they were definitely in line with what Riza would probably like.

"This ring is nice but the stone is a little small," Rebecca suddenly said, holding up one ring. He looked at it. It was an emerald cut diamond that was just a little bigger than the width of the band.

"Isn't it a little too simple?" he asked.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Riza prefers simple jewelery. You should know that by now."

"Yeah but…oh forget it." He turned his attention back to the rings in front him. An oval shaped diamond solitaire caught his eye and he picked it up. "How's this one?"

Rebecca shook her head. "Too plain."

"But you just said she liked simple!"

She rolled her eyes. "Simple doesn't mean plain. We need to find something simple yet elegant and unique that suits her personality. It's all in the little details. She's a closet romantic so a classic design is the safest and best bet."

"Great…" he muttered under his breath. He replaced the ring in its original spot and continued looking. His eyes widen when he saw one ring nestled in the corner. He picked it up and examined it closely. It was perfect.

"I found one," he said.

"What? Let me see!"

He handed the ring to Rebecca. She held it up to her face to inspect it. "Hmm…very simple design yet elegant…diamond is a good size…" She tilted the ring a little and the diamond sparkled in the light like it was on fire. "Nice and sparkly too. The girls at work are going to be very jealous." She handed the ring back to him. "I think Riza would like it."

He grinned. Turning to the shopkeeper, he said, "I'll take this one."

The shopkeeper looked at him in surprise. "You haven't looked at all the rings yet. Are you sure this is the one you want?"

"Yes. I have a really good feeling about this ring."

"Alright. Do you know her ring size?"

Roy pulled out a thin strip of paper with two pencil marks on it from his coat pocket. He careful bent the paper so the two marks overlapped each other, forming a circle, and handed it to the shopkeeper.

"Wow, sir…you're smarter than I give you credit for," remarked Rebecca as they watched the shopkeeper measure the circle to get the ring size.

"Thanks…" Roy said sarcastically. She was really starting to get on his nerves now.

The shopkeeper jotted a few notes on a pad of paper before looking back up. "Alright. The total cost of the ring and resizing is this." He held up the pad of paper. Roy nodded. The amount was well within his price range. "I'll need a deposit of 200,000 cenz and you can pay the rest when you pick up the ring two weeks from now."

Roy pulled out his wallet and extracted some cash. He counted the bills while laying them out on the counter. The shopkeeper smiled as he took the money and handed Roy a receipt. "Pleasure doing business with you, General Mustang."

"Likewise." Turning to Rebecca, he said, "Let's go." They thanked the shopkeeper for his time before walking out the door.

"So how are you planning on proposing?" Rebecca asked while they walked down the street.

"I was going to make reservations at Chateau Riviere, and proposing there."

"Oh."

Something in Rebecca's tone didn't sit well with him. "Something wrong?"

"Nope."

He stopped and faced her. "You're awfully quiet. Normally you have no problems voicing your opinions about anything. Spill it."

She bit her lip, clearly debating in her mind if she should. "Ok. Fine. While I think that going to Chateau Riviere for dinner and proposing is so romantic I feel that it's also kind of unoriginal. It's a known fact that half the men in East City propose to their girlfriends there and Riza's not stupid. Once she finds out you made reservations there she'll know something's up. If you really want to surprise her then I think that you might want to propose somewhere else and then go there later to celebrate."

Roy mulled over her words. Rebecca had a good point. Would Riza really know if he took her there? They'd gone out for dinner many times before but definitely never to a place like Chateau Riviere. She would definitely think something was out of the ordinary and get suspicious. He had only thought of that place because of its reputation for being one of the most romantic spots in the city.

"Do half of East City men really propose there?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Feels like it. I know at least four couples that have done it and it IS one of the classiest restaurants in East City. I definitely would like to dine there once in my lifetime."

"I see." He pondered for a moment before looking back up at her. "So how do you suggest I propose then?"

She scratched her head. "I don't know. Do it somewhere more private I guess. Maybe hollow out a romance book and plant the ring in it? Or make dinner for her and sneak it in the dessert?"

He pursed his lips. Her suggestions weren't that much better. As he wracked his brain for a better idea he spotted a café across the street. Grinning, he grabbed Rebecca by the wrist and pulled her across the street.

"Hey! Where are we going?"

"For coffee. You and I have a lot of brainstorming to do."

"Whoa… wait a minute! The agreement was that I only had to help you pick a ring. You didn't say anything about going on a pseudo coffee date with you too!"

"Well too bad. You opened that big mouth of yours and now you have to help me think of a better idea."

"You ordered me to! If I didn't you would have started pulling rank on me." She wrenched her hand away from him. Rubbing her wrist, she muttered, "Damn…that hurt. I hope for Riza's sake you're not this rough during sex."

"Fortunately, that's something you'll never find out." He opened the door and held it out for her. "Come on. I promise I'll make it up to you if you help me."

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment before finally sighing and walked inside the café. "You owe me big, Mustang," she muttered as she passed him.

"Believe me, I know," he muttered under his breath as he followed after her.

Weeks later…

Riza couldn't help but smile as she enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon lying on her back staring up at the clouds. Roy had called her up that morning suggesting they go out for a picnic in the park. She had hesitated at first since she had a huge list of things she wanted to do at home like doing her laundry and catching up on her reading but he gave her a compelling argument.

"We've been so busy the last couple of weeks in the office. I think we deserve a little break to relax and enjoy each other's company without all the paperwork between us," he had told her over the phone. "Besides, it's such a nice day and when was the last time we went out on a picnic or went out together in general?"

She really couldn't answer him. Ever since they started working together they had been forced to hide their relationship from everyone for fear that someone would find out and blackmail them or worse. It was a little frustrating at first but she quickly got used to it. Not to mention, there was something exhilarating about sharing forbidden kisses in the records room and sneaking into each other's apartments with thinly veiled excuses. However, now that Bradley and the Homunculi were gone and her grandfather was the Fuhrer, they no longer had to hide their relationship. Yet it was difficult to break those habits they had built all those years. It felt a little odd being able to finally show their affection in public and to be seen as a couple instead of simply supervisor and subordinate.

"I suppose Hayate could use some exercise in the park," she had finally answered. She still had reservations when he came to pick her up but it quickly disappeared once they set foot in the park. Roy had picked a nice and rather secluded location in the park so they could enjoy their picnic without being disturbed by people passing by and he had packed a rather impressive basket full of her favorite foods. Even Hayate was ecstatic to be out and was currently having the time of his life playing catch with Roy. She smiled as she watched the two of them play. Hayate was really enjoying himself. Maybe she should take him out to the park more often.

"Whew…I need a break," said Roy as he plopped down next to her. "Hayate's full of energy today. When was the last time you actually played with him?"

"It's been a while," she said as she poured a glass of lemonade and handed it to him. "Unfortunately, I've been too busy lately finalizing the latest trade agreements between Amestris and Xing to play with him."

"I figured," he murmured before taking a large gulp of lemonade. They sat there in silence, enjoying the moment while Hayate ran around them sniffing the wildflowers that were growing nearby.

"So…are you enjoying yourself?" Roy finally asked.

She nodded. "It's nice being able to relax and not worry about work. We've been so busy with rebuilding Ishbal that I honestly don't remember the last time I actually had time to just sit down and unwind."

"Maybe we should do this more often," he suggested. She smiled.

"Maybe," she said before lying back down on her back and closing her eyes. The sun felt warm on her face, making her a little sleepy. However, before she could drift off to sleep she heard a clap and the sound of alchemy being performed. She sat up and looked over at Roy. His hands were covering something and when he removed them she saw a small circle made of grass and wildflowers underneath. She smiled.

"What's that supposed to be?" she asked.

Roy picked up the ornament. "A ring," he answered. She raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"And why did you make a ring?"

He shrugged. "Felt like making something." He twirled the ring in his fingers. "You like it?"

"It's cute, but I don't think it's quite your style."

He smirked. "You sure? I could have sworn baby blue flowers went well with my eyes."

"Maybe when you're presenting the flowers to someone. I don't think they work as well with you wearing it. "

"Oh really…" He placed it on his finger and it slid halfway down before getting stuck. "Hmm…I guess you're right. Like always." She smiled as she watched him pull it off and hold it in front of her. "I think it might look better on you." She reached for it but he pulled away. "No. Give me your left hand," he said, holding out his other hand.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

"Okay…" she held out her left hand and he gently grasped it. Grinning, he held the grass ring up in front of her and asked, "Riza Hawkeye, will you marry me?"

Riza laughed. Roy could be such a dork sometimes. "Of course," she said as he proceeded to slide the grass ring on her finger. Still smiling, she turned away to take a sip from her glass but stopped when she felt something cold and heavy slide onto her finger instead. She looked back at her hand and gasped when she saw a sparkling ring on her finger.

Oh my god…

The ring was gorgeous. A large princess cut diamond was at the center with smaller triangular stones on either side on a white gold band. It was very similar to her mother's engagement ring but with a few minor differences. She moved her hand slightly and watched as the diamonds sparkled brilliantly in the sun.

"You like it?" asked Roy.

"It's beautiful," she said, smiling. Looking up at him, she added, "You tricked me though. I thought you were joking when you proposed."

The grin quickly disappeared from Roy's face. "So you don't really want to marry me?"

"I didn't say that," she said as she admired the ring. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"Good." He moved closer to her and grasped her hand again. "Riza," he said softly, leaning in so their foreheads touched. "We've known each other for a very long time. We've been there for each other, through thick and thin, even when all seemed lost. You mean everything to me and I know you feel the same. You could say we've been engaged to be engaged for a long time and I wanted to make it official. I'll ask again. This time seriously. Will you marry me?"

She blushed. "Yes," she whispered before their lips finally met.

A/N: There's still more! Check out the next chapter for an omake.