To make it more enjoyable for everyone to read this story, I decided to edit it, starting with the first chapter ... and at the same time, I am going to break the long and epic story down into parts. The newest chapters, however, will be found in the main story which is called just The Little Hawk.

The Little Hawk

Prologue

The seventeen year old Riza Hawkeye also known as the Hawk's Eye of Ishbal stood in the middle of her comrades and cousins bedroom and watched how the very, very pregnant red-head called Kay Hawkeye Hamilton threw everything in her reach into a suitcase while she muttered incomprehensible things. "…need to leave … can't wait any longer … need to go…" she said.

Kay had also been part of the army which had fought in Ishbal where she had gotten the nickname Steel Rose for her beautiful exterior which came along with her backbone made of steel which had kept her sane for the longest part of the war.

"Kay … I don't understand…" Riza stood there like a lightening had hit her while she stared at her cousin. "Where are you going? And what about your pregnancy? Answer me!"

The slightly older woman, barely nineteen, turned around and regret was written in her face. "It was always you who yelled when something was going wrong … never Serena or Lynn, right?" she asked. "I am sorry, I am so sorry, Riza. Lynn understood before I even got to explain. And Serena … you know her. She never said anything. But … little hawk, I am following the invitation of Prince Claudio of Aerugo. I am so sorry, Rize, but after this war … after everything I went through … I guess I am just not strong enough to be the person I was meant to be." She sat down and rubbed her belly. "But it's more because of the mafia. They will track me down, honey. So … I can't take her with me…"

Riza froze. "That's pretty cold, even for you," she muttered as she sat down beside her and gently laid one hand of the swollen belly. "I mean … she will need you, won't she?"

"Rize, for someone so smart, you are really sometimes really foolish. I don't leave her in the dust. I will leave her in your care. You can play mommy all the time minus the trouble with morning sickness and a stubborn husband. You get the perfect cake without fat."

"You were always the one worrying that she could loose her shape," Riza muttered, "and I never agreed that I would play mommy for your daughter, Kay."

"Rize, out of all women I know, you are the only one who could ever put up with my and Charles' temper," the pregnant woman said. "And since I am very sure that she will be even worse, you are the only person alive who can deal with her…"

"You are aware of all the trouble I will be in?" Riza sighed. Oh, she hated it but her cousin had always been the only one alive who had been able to blackmail her into a mess because Kay knew just too well that Riza had never been able to say no to her when she truly needed her help. "Just in case that you didn't notice it, Hamilton: I am neither married nor do I know where I will work next week."

"You could always leave and become a free woman," the older woman said. "But since I knew that you wouldn't do this … well … I talked with Lieutenant General Grumman who was really happy when I suggested that you could work for Mr Flame…"

The young sniper glared at her. "I am very sure that Mr Flame as you like to put it has no interest in me as his subordinate," she said annoyed. "I believe that you lost your touch…"

"Don't try me, Rize, don't try me…" Kay smirked. "Well, you will choose a name and if the little child should have inherited my hair, I will change the colour to yours to make it more believable since well … given your family line, it's not likely that your daughter would have red hair."

Riza Hawkeye had always been a smart woman and she adapted fast to her new situation. It was a strange feeling to know that she was some kind of mother. Oh, she had discussed and fought with her cousin but since Kay was older, she was even more stubborn than the blonde. And Kay's final 'perfectly fine reason' had been that Kay killed at least four hundred people more during the war than Riza since she had been a state alchemist, the Lightening Star Alchemist.

The girl, Laila, was adorable.

Riza had loved it from the very beginning. The hair had been red but it was nothing what a little transmutation couldn't fix. Riza's flat was close to the Eastern Headquarter and she was at home always at the same time. The nanny who had already taken care of Kay when the female state alchemist had been a baby was the only person who knew about the existence of Laila Hawkeye.

Riza never invited anyone over to her place, not even her best friend Rebecca, and she always went home straight after work. Sometimes, she had to stay longer to iron things out but usually she was home at seven. And when she was at home, her little girl meant the world to her – just like her old friends had meant the world to her before.

A year passed and no one noticed something strange about the newly-promoted First Lieutenant. She was a dedicated officer and since everyone knew that she had been in the war, everyone assumed that the dark shades under her eyes came from the nightmares she suffered. No one even thought about the possibility that she would have a child at home because she was not married and since she was a woman with morals, she would never get pregnant unless she was married. Hell, most people even thought that she would never allow a man to touch her before he proposed to her! (Well, about this one … let's just say: what happens on the battlefield stays on the battlefield, right, Riza, Roy?)

But of course, some co-workers weren't as stupid as they looked.

"Hawkeye is acting strange today," Jean Havoc said before he looked around in the office. "I would have guessed PMS but … hell … that was last week. And if I would have seen her with some man, I would have guessed that she was pregnant or something like that…"

"Well, she is hot enough to get any unmarried man she wants and at least half of the married," Roy muttered before he sighed. "But we really shouldn't speak of her that way. She is the sole female officer in our squad … we need to respect her. Maybe she has a hard time to deal with the war and has nightmares. It has been just one year, for crying out loud. We should give her more time to adapt with this … normal life, alright? She needs that…"

"Half the soldiers who were in the war say that you slept with her during the war," Vato Falman stated. "And seeing that she does the most work around here in the office, some people even think that you and her are married, sir. And your days off often collide…"

"For your information: my relationship with her is strictly professional," Roy said and ignored his inner Hughes who called him a liar. "And I was never at her place since she likes to keep her private life away from her job … something what I really appreciate…"

"But don't you worry about her?" Kain Fuery asked. "I mean … she always used to be strong and we had never a true reason to worry … but she is acting strange…"

"Leave her alone, men," Roy ordered. "She is not good at asking for help but usually she does before everything go down the drain. Have a little faith in her, alright?"

Even though the chapter was merely edited, I am still interested in your opinion.