I decided to update the story to see if it would spark more interest in the story and because I felt like writing and this came out. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, review for goodness sake! You have no idea what no reviews do to me! But I still appreciate the silent love. All you have to do is review once and I'll get off your backs.

Disclaimer: FMA and FMA:B belong to Hiromu Arakawa, only Aria belongs to me.

Chapter 1: Hindrance

"Riza, what's it take to kill someone?" Aria asked as Riza tucked her in. She stopped what she was doing and looked at Aria with a shocked gaze. Aria looked back, curiosity lacing her features.

"What brought this up?" Riza responded, continuing slowly. Aria shook her head, still waiting for an answer from her adoptive mother.

"It takes reason for one thing. Meaningless killing makes you a monster. You should have a reason for taking life. It's a simple thing to pull a trigger or plunge a sword, but having to deal with the consequences is the difficult part. Why do you ask?" Riza said as she took off the girl's glasses and set it on the night table.

"Just curious, kinda had a flashback about you shooting Ishvalans." Aria explained with a shrug. Riza sighed and looked down to the ground. An apology made its way through her lips. Aria lightly tapped Riza's forehead as a scolding. Riza glared harshly at being reprimanded like a child before her features become soft at the sympathetic look she was being given.

"You don't have to apologize every time Ishval comes up in conversation. If I really held a grudge over the thing, I wouldn't be here 'cause I would have had you bring me to a slum to live there. Am I angry about Ishval? Hell yes. Do I hold you responsible? No. That's why I'm proud to be your adoptive daughter, because you're helping a man who wants to change the world, even if I don't understand how." Aria explained as she turned on her side to get more comfortable.

"Alright, alright." Riza agreed with a smile. She bent down and placed a kiss on the girl's cheek. Aria kissed Riza's in turn and she stood up to go.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Aria asked as Riza reached the door. She smiled and nodded before slipping through the door, but not before whispering, "always."

Riza sighed as she made her way downstairs. No matter how old Aria got, it seemed she still believed one day Riza wouldn't come back, thus she constantly asked if she'd see Riza the next day before bed. Though Riza feared one day, when Amestris was a democracy and she paid for her crimes in Ishval, there would be a morning when Aria waited for her and she'd never show.

"Are you alright?" A familiar voice asked. Riza looked up with surprise.

"Sir!" She exclaimed with surprise as she saluted. Roy waved her off. Her face was red at seeing the man her daughter teased about earlier that evening.

"No need for the formalities, Hawkeye. We are off duty after all." He reasoned. Riza nodded and met him at the foot of the stairs.

"What are you here?" She asked and Roy stretched.

"I had some paperwork to drop off and Grumman said you were still here so I decided to walk you home." He said with a shrug. Riza's face dropped.

"You don't have to do that, sir. It's only a ten minute walk." She reasoned, walking to the coat rack, getting her jacket, and making her way back to the dining room. Grumman was still there finishing the newspaper he'd been reading earlier.

"Yes and a ten minute walk at ten at night, could lead to a ten minute ride to the hospital." Roy argued as he put his own coat on. Riza rolled her eyes.

"Just let the boy walk you home, Riza. Don't let chivalry die just yet." Grumman chided as he put down the newspaper. He stood while yawning and shooed the two away with a goodnight. Roy and Riza left with a goodbye of their own and walked into the brisk air of Central.

"How's the kid, she doing alright?" Roy asked as he led her back to her apartment, his hand resting on the small of her back longer than necessary, not that Riza minded.

"She's fine. Grandfather and I are looking for a tutor who would be able to teach her the basics of everything." She said and Roy gave her a look.

"Do you think that's a good idea? I mean, what if the tutor decides to tell someone that she's Ishvalan?" He said the last part in a whisper. Riza shook her head.

"Grandfather has trustworthy friends who he's taking into consideration and told me he won't say anything about Aria's race until he's positive they are reliable." She clarified and Roy made an affirmative grunt. The walked in silence the rest of the way, each lost with their thoughts. After a few silent minutes they reach Riza's apartment building. Finally, Roy spoke up.

"You really are something, Hawkeye." He said with a chuckle. Riza gave him a questioning look and Roy elaborated. "I mean, taking in a kid you barely know just like that, it's well, bold." He said with a shrug. A soft smile graced her features, and Riza shook her head.

"Not bold, sir, reckless. There was nothing else I could do." In all actuality there was something else she could have done. What was meant was there was nothing else she would do. Roy picked up a stand of her hair and Riza sucked in a slow breath. There was a strong emotion showing through his eyes that Riza couldn't pinpoint. It could have been respect but there was something else there too.

He leaned in closer, breaking the bubble of her personal space and for a second Riza thought he might kiss her, not that she would mind if he did, but it would cause a lot of conflict afterwards. Before her opposing thoughts could become an all-out inner war she saw Roy smile. It was almost like his signature smirk with it's mischievousness but there was sincerity there as well.

"Good night, lieutenant." He whispered before turning on his heel and walking away. It was only when he was out of sight that Riza's normal breathing pattern returned. She treaded up to her apartment slowly, her mind in a haze. The spell Mustang had left on Hawkeye was broken when she heard her phone ringing from inside the house.

Quickly unlocking the door she rushed inside, closing the door with her foot. She stumbled once or twice before picking up the phone.

"Hello?" She asked as she began to take off her coat.

"Miss Riza? It's Andrew, Mister Grumman's assistant. He asked me to call to deliver an important message saying it was urgent." He spoke quickly and Riza stopped the removal of her military jacket.

"Spit it out, Andrew." Riza said worriedly. Had something happened to Aria? Before any more possibilities could be thought of, Andrew spoke again.

"Scar's back in Central." He said gravely and Riza almost dropped the phone. She gaped for a few seconds before a coherent thought managed to make it's way to her mouth.

"What? How?" She asked shock still evident in her voice. Scar hadn't been around Central for a month and a half by now, having been last reported seen southwest. Andrew was explaining that an alchemist had been murdered and several MPs injured before a witness came to Central Command.

"He told me to call because your Colonel Mustang's-" His voice was cut off as Riza slammed the phone down. She was out the door in second, coat left behind and gun in hand. She prayed to whoever was listening that Roy went straight home and was either there already or not to far from her place.

His retreating figure flashed in her mind before it was replaced with an image of him lying on the floor with blood pooling around him. Fear shot through her jog became a quick sprint.

Well? Let me know lovers, bash me haters, construct it, better writers!*

*I'm talking about almost everyone on Royai's page.