Riza gaped at Jackie. "You rejoined!" she finally gasped.
"Yeah…" Jackie was staring at Riza too.
"Dang, Hawkeye, you know this pretty young lady?" Havoc teased, sidling up to Jackie.
"Mitts off." Jackie said sternly, causing Hawkeye to chuckle.
"So Jackie, if we're going to be working together, why don't we have lunch together?" Riza suggested. Jackie nodded.
At lunch, Riza and Jackie were relatively quiet. Finally, Riza asked a question. "Why did you come back?" she asked.
"Well…" Jackie pushed her food away. "I guess even though I found out you were a girl, I still found I liked you enough to want to be close to you. But I didn't know you worked under Mustang! I'd wanted to work under him or Hughes, but Hughes is apparently dead. You see, I met the two during the war. I thought it'd be best to work with a familiar face."
Riza hesitated. What Jackie had just said was true for her too. She'd wanted to go to Jackie, to make friends. To become best friends, no better than friends. They were perfect for each other. "Well, I'm not doing anything after work today. I can come over to your place." she suggested.
"Sounds great!" Jackie said, eyes sparkling.
At the end of the day, Jackie led Riza to her house. It was a small modest place at the edge of town. "It's pretty." Riza complimented.
"Thanks. Hey, I want to show you something!" Jackie took Riza's hand and led her through the house. She pulled Riza out the back door and through a small gate. Riza gasped. "One for every person I've shot." Jackie said solemnly.
Riza wandered the rows of brightly colored roses. They were in colors she'd never seen roses come in before. "These aren't roses, are they?"
"No, they are. Ishvalans were different from us, so using my Alchemy, I alter the chemicals that make them red. That way, I'm honoring their difference from us. I hope that they see me, and thank me for my secret garden." Jackie said quietly.
"You're an Alchemist?" Riza asked.
"Only a beginner. I only ever really worked with changing the color of things."
Riza stood up and walked back to Jackie. Jackie looked up at her. "Do you like it?" she asked timidly.
"Yes. And I admire your remorse." Riza said leaning in and kissing Jackie.
