A/N: Sad. No one reviewed back there. But please do try to. At least take a guess for the question. T^T

I do not own fullmetal alchemist and any of its characters, Just the OCs and the amazingly not-well-planned plot.

"You're not the man I knew

And I'm not the person

You think you know."

The walk in the mansion's hallway was silent.

Vera bit her lip for the fourth time as the silence around them stretched, disrupted only by the echoing sound of their footsteps. She was a cheerful girl and living in a huge and rich house didn't please her very much. It was gloomy. What with the rain that day, the depressing aura only doubled. Though she was quite happy when she heard that the woman her cousin was talking about was coming, expecting that that certain lady was special. She frowned. The woman was also gloomy. Wasn't there anyone out there that could relieve this miserable household from its despair?

It was a disappointment to see them appear with her up on her guard and him, chilly as ever. What, was she expecting them to be lovers? As a matter of fact, she was! And she was too hopeful to dream for the impossible. She should have known otherwise. Her shoulders involuntarily slouched.

Her cousin, Lord Hawthorne, was a man of ice. She knew he was a caring man despite that, though sometimes she couldn't help but wonder where that kindness of his had retreated to. He had a heart of gold, she knew that, but there was this coldness of his that always seemed to cover him.

The curly-haired blonde glanced sideways to the adult. Riza had that far-away look in her eyes and half of her face was hidden in the shadows.

Vera sighed through her nose. And here, she was expecting this woman would melt that ice.

They had stopped in front of the doors of Vera's room. The girl walked in and signalled the older woman to follow, though she saw it quite useless considering their guest had been spacing out all the while since they were on their way.

The jets of water gushing from the sky had reduced to a light shower. As the tumult of rain hitting the earth died down slowly, Riza noticed how irrevocably quiet the mansion was.

The hallways were dismal despite the soft candle-light dancing from the walls. Though Riza suspected it was not because of the weather. She inhaled deeply. The house smelled good as expected of a well-furnished noble's home. One glance around and she knew everything there was expensive. The walls were of an elegant red and the carpet was made of velvet. It was the very embodiment of a Victorian home.

They had reached their destination before Riza knew it. Her thoughts were still drifting as Vera started to search through expensive looking cabinets. Throwing Riza a measuring look from her shoulders, a twisted smile crossed Vera's angelic face. The look went unnoticed by Riza who was still lost in thought. Pulling out a velvety black fabric, the girl sniggered to herself. Oh how that dress would throw her dear cousin off. After years of that stoic behaviour of his, Vera vowed that today, he would pay.

"Wear this for now!" she shouted loud enough for Riza, throwing it towards her. Not surprisingly, the cloth squarely hit the unfocused sniper on the face. It appeared to have pulled the woman back to reality as she made a startled jump, relieving the object from her face. Riza then realized it was a dress. But not just any dress…

"W-what is this? You expect me to wear this?"

"A dress, and yes, you have to wear that." She answered matter-of-factly.

"No way. Don't you have anything more decent?" Riza didn't care if she sounded demanding despite her generosity to give her a change of clothes. But there was no way in hell was she going to wear such stuff.

Her protests were left unheeded as she was shoved in some dressing room. The door slammed shut behind her with Vera's cheery voice answering, "Sorry miss. This is my territory. You do as I say and you're not going anywhere until you've changed into that."

Riza frowned. Was this the noble's idea of a joke? If it was then he sure had some sick humor. Pulling out the dress in front of her, Riza tried to think it wasn't so bad. But after seeing it for the second time, she had the urge to just flush it down the toilet. She proceeded to make sounds as if she were changing. At least if that could fool the girl into letting her out then she'd take her chance and escape. Then quickly settle the deal with the Hawthorne guy. Because for sure, they don't have the right to push her around when her side of the deal still wasn't complete.

She was about to take her time pretending she was changing when the girl spoke from behind the door. "Have you heard of the saying when in Rome, do as the Romans do?"

Her shoulders slouched. It would seem that the girl knew quite well that she was not doing as she was told. Feeling very miserable and having no choice, Riza dejectedly wore the despicable junk that was the dress.

So in the end, the girl was victorious. The black dress hugged her body perfectly and the slits on the sides showcased her legs. The sides of the gown weren't fully covered and connected the front and the back with criss-crossing ribbons. It looked no more than a gothic vampire's usual wear to Riza. Vera looked very pleased with her choice of clothes while Riza had the air of a woman attending a funeral.

"Of all the bloody clothes, tell me… why this?"

"Stop complaining! You look breath-taking!" She cried, eyes sparkling.

"I look like a slut…" Riza murmured.

"Come on, you have to let him see you!" Vera said excitedly, jumping up and down as she grasped Riza's hands.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Riza interrupted, suddenly suspicious, "Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

"Oh, My apologies! I'm Vera. Lord Hawthorne's cousin. And you are?" She completely missed Hawkeye's point as the older woman rubbed a hand on her temple.

"Riza. Riza Hawkeye." was all she said.

"Nice to meet you. And if I may ask," Vera lowered her voice and pulled Riza to her bed. Sitting beside her, Vera looked like she was going to ask some confidential girl stuff. "What is your relationship with him?"

The question startled Riza. What else does their relationship seem like? "Believe me, he's nothing but a stranger to me." She replied truthfully.

Vera was somewhat disappointed at this though she did not show it. But somehow, she kind of knew that was the way it was considering the time when she saw them together for the first time. She was pretty disappointed still that she at least expected something between them. Her cousin's life was dull after all.

That left to only one explanation as to why that woman was there.

"Oh." Vera sighed ruefully.

Edward and Alphonse Elric, fortunately, had put enough trust on Noa that they were currently researching to their heart's content without worrying about a certain Lieutenant's whereabouts. Noa, unfortunately, knew that that trust would soon be shattered when the time that they finish would arrive. Unfortunately again, that time would be arriving sooner than she'd like.

And she knew she was going to be in BIG trouble if she doesn't do anything.

It had been three hours since Riza left. Three hours of successful deception. But she couldn't possibly lie to the brothers forever. If they found out before Riza managed to get them back then they would surely attempt to rescue her- a situation that would completely ruin the plan. But Noa's role was simple. She just had to buy Riza some time, pretend that Hawkeye was there, and when the portal opens, she had to make sure Ed and Al were there.

"Noa, she's still in her room, right?" Ed suddenly asked, sparing a moment to look at her.

The girl cracked a smile, ". . . yes."

"We have to hurry and solve this circle. I'm sure she's plotting to escape so we have to take her back before that slimy noble gets his hands on her." Ed evaluated thoughtfully and with determination.

The cracked smile remained frozen on Noa's face. Simple indeed.

Riza Hawkeye was never a fan of measly dresses. At that moment when she was making her way to the dining hall, she found herself grudgingly wondering how she ended up wearing one.

Gritting her teeth, she half-stomped and half-walked, trying, in all her might, to compose herself. If this was the bastard's way of testing her then so be it. She wasn't going to back out from their deal. But something in the back of her mind told her that it wasn't his intention. She might as well be calm, if it really isn't. She had to be ready for anything. Her hand drifted down her right leg where she had her only gun secured, feeling that the object was her only consolation.

Through the candle-lit corridor, Riza glimpsed the end of it which was brighter; an area presumably lit by a chandelier. And chandeliers that produce that strong a light were probably illuminating a large area –like a rich noble's dining room per se.

She leaned against the wall, noting that the shadowy hallway was perfect camouflage with her dark attire. For some reason, she'd decided to observe this mysterious man before hurling herself unprepared for his plans for her.

Then she saw him. He sat alone as his grey eyes were transfixed almost dreamily on the glass of wine that he was holding. He mildly brandished the glass as the liquid inside moved smoothly. The way he stared at it was almost like he tasted it without the use of his mouth. He set it down on the table and upon seeing the crimson liquid as if for the first time, he froze as if recalling a haunting memory.

Cautiously, Riza stepped out of the shadows. It took him a moment to register that she was actually there. He acknowledged her presence with a nod and upon taking in her appearance, his eyes widened ever so slightly; a reaction barely noticeable but went unmissed by the sniper.

"I see Vera had her way with you," he said while motioning her to sit with a wave of a hand, "though she overdid it. I know you're remarkable enough with your prim choice of clothes."

Choosing to sit at the other end of the table, Riza ignored his comment. But she couldn't help to think that it was not everyday someone complimented her. Even the Colonel who had simply called her "conservative" just because she was wearing what was most appropriate for her. But if this Hawthorne was just trying to get to her, she wasn't falling for it. Despite the fact that Riza sensed his praise was genuine, her guard was up.

"I'm here already. Now it's your turn to do your end of the bargain." She demanded, slamming a hand down the table which rattled faintly.

He was unfazed at the crude gesture and stared at her emotionlessly. "Sit down. We shall talk."

"We don't have time for that! They don't even know I'm here."

His cold eyes were unrelenting as they stared at her auburn ones. "We have plenty of time." His voice was calm but icy, "Sit.

Grudgingly, she sat in silence and waited for him to speak as a maid poured wine in her glass. Then she was given a plate full of expensive-looking food but Hawthorne had none. He did not look hungry for he merely toyed with his drink.

"Please do eat. I can assure you that is not poisoned." He told her in a tone that had anything but assurance.

"You're going to bring them back to our world as you promised. I have no idea what your intentions are but I refuse to do anything until you do that." Riza stubbornly said, ignoring both the plate and his statement again.

He seemed to expect her reaction. Poker-faced, he began, "Very well. Can you tell me then about their current whereabouts?"

Riza did not respond immediately. She had to see with her own eyes that Hawthorne would really transport the brothers back to Amestris safely. On the sudden inquiry, her suspicious side kicked in and she started to think that he might have had a different plan for them after all.

"You're not a murderer, are you?" a frank question but she blurted it out nevertheless.

The glass in his hand shattered.

"I'd like to know the public's opinion on this first."

It had been a week since Mustang was announced to be the next leader of Amestris. His proposal of letting citizens vote for the president instead was clearly unexpected both by the government and the people. But it wasn't a surprise when it turned out he was fairly unrivalled by any of his competitors. He was unmatched both by fame, power, and favor of the people. Everything he had done, especially the time when Central was suddenly attacked by rockets coming out of nowhere, combined with his mostly positive works were appreciated (hopefully). Despite his name swiftly having a low profile after the Elric brothers' disappearance, his re-emergence in Central was not left unforgotten. He protected his country and was naturally considered a hero.

It was a sure victory for Roy Mustang. But somehow, he stubbornly insists it wasn't right. And now, he awaited the soldier to speak.

"We took surveys, sir." The soldier said, raising his clipboard and read, "5% of the population are against it."

He paused, fearing the Flame alchemist's wrath.

"Go on." Roy ushered good-naturedly.

"Reason being: young, inexperienced, crime of terminating the previous leader and leaving the case unexplained, and. . . Unmarried."

The last reason caused some raised eyebrows.

"Unmarried? I've never heard of concerning marriage and ruling a country." Havoc guffawed.

"Apparently, sir, it affects the Fuhrer's image on the public and it also has great role in his duties." The soldier replied.

"Indeed." Roy agreed matter-of-factly, "Okay, men. Let's clean those up and prove them wrong one step at a time. So, who's with me?"

"Did you have to ask?" Breda said as the others nodded, "We're stuck with you until we find Lt. Hawkeye."

"Good."

The sky was already dark by the time Mustang and his team dismissed themselves.

At the absence of Hawkeye, Havoc appointed himself as Mustang's "temporary" (he emphasized) bodyguard. Of course Roy wouldn't like it considering the only person he allowed that much intimacy is Riza and Riza alone. But knowing Hawkeye would never forgive him if he allowed himself to get killed (she'd probably want to kill him with her own hands), he had to let Havoc do the job seeing that even if he didn't trust Havoc to the extent he does to Hawkeye, he knew he could still trust the man.

And that was why the two of them walked together down the busy night streets of Central. Sure, Roy appreciated what Havoc was doing but that didn't mean he was comfortable to have another guy tailing him all day. Havoc didn't seem to mind it since he had more of the air of a good friend accompanying another friend home instead of being on guard.

"So, what about the last one?" Havoc asked all of a sudden, grinning like hell.

By the teasing look he was receiving, Roy assumed he was talking about the things required for him to be Fuhrer. Roy managed a smile, "Don't worry. I'm searching for her and when the time comes…"

There was silence for a moment.

"Havoc, go home. I've got something else to do." Roy stated, stopping in his tracks.

To his surprise, the smoker simply shrugged, "Fine, if you say so. See ya."

He turned to the other direction and Roy caught some of his muttered thoughts, "I mean it's not like anyone would dare attack you. Being the Flame alchemist and all…"

He watched as the blonde head soon disappeared from view. Stepping aside, Roy took some time to think around the bustle of people passing by and it was no surprise when his thoughts immediately went to his missing Lieutenant.

It was almost two weeks since she disappeared, for crying out loud, and it felt like years to him. Since that time when he was in the snowy mountains, he had felt how hard it was to be away from someone he loved (Yes, idiot, love. How stupid of him to have realized it a little too late). The time he was recovering was probably his most treasured time when he was still with her. And that time was what made him strong. He believed that that strength could help him through anything even if he were going to be alone. When the time came that he really ended up alone, he realized that his strength had left him. But it was just wrong since he knew that he was the one who left his own strength. He had left her.

He had never felt so miserable when he came back, determined to re-unite with what was his, only in the end, to inevitably fail to protect her and disappear from him forever. But he was going to make sure it was not forever and when he finds her, he will never let go again.

His eyes drifted to the crowd, watching them go about their business and not caring that one of them was slowly wilting inside because its source of life has gone missing. He knew deep in his heart Riza was alive. Just thinking of the possibility that she could be dead by then would kill him.

Out of the blue, he felt a very familiar pair of eyes watching him among the crowd. With a jolt, it dawned on him that the sensation was the same when a Hawk's eyes were watching over him but the difference of the one he was having was that it had a tinge of something his lieutenant would never have. It was a mixture of despise and reprieve.

Onyx met auburn and Roy felt his body freeze. In a flash, she was gone and that was when he felt his body move automatically after her. She instantaneously disappeared within the crowd but his eyes knew too well what they were in pursuit of. He shoved his way through the sea of people who glared and complained as he passed. But he didn't care. He was beside himself with joy. And he had no intention of letting her go just as he had silently vowed.

There was no doubt in his mind as he sprinted after her when she sharply turned to a desolate alley, probably hoping she had lost him. Never feeling quite so victorious in his life, Roy rounded to the same corner… and stopped. It was dark while the place was a clear dead end. The smile on his face melted. Riza was nowhere to be seen.

It dawned on him like the sensation of being swallowed alive that her loss might have already been pushing him to his edge. That perhaps what he had seen was a mere optical illusion or something, caused by his desperation.

No. I know it's her. I'm sure of it.

Depressed but not beaten, he turned around to leave when something reached out of the shadows and violently pushed him against the hard brick wall. He didn't have time to resist for a long knife was already pointed menacingly on his throat, its razor-sharp blade gleaming with the moon light. But the expression on Mustang's face was nowhere near fear or anger. At first it was shock, however it gradually changed to one of exultation upon seeing the identity of his attacker.

"Hawkeye!"

Her eyes were filled with hard emotions that he didn't have time to decipher for her expression immediately changed to one of forlorn. She seemed to have come to realize something mere seconds upon the ambush for her grip on his collar loosened and the knife she was holding clattered to the floor.

"Shit. I forgot," he heard her mutter, "He's not him." Her pensive look became angry then blank again.

She turned to him with cold eyes. "I assume that you are Mustang."

The sentence confused Roy but it wasn't the only thing. Something obviously changed in her. A mixture of emotions welled inside him. No words were enough to put it more properly; this woman was his lieutenant and at the same time, someone he had never known in his life.

"Lieutenant. . . I'm so glad to find you." he whispered, joy overwhelming the rest of his thoughts. He tentatively raised his hand as if to touch her, taking a step forward when another knife was pointed between his eyes. Her face was emotionless as she held it.

The movement was unexpected by him. His eyes widened and he didn't move any further. Seeing that he got the hint, she withdrew her weapon. A cold smile was now on her lips.

"First things first," she began, stance relaxed, "you're not the man I knew and I'm not the person you think you know."

Her words sliced through him like knife to flesh (only it was mentally more painful). But for some reason, a small part of him knew what she said was true.

"What do you mean?" was the only thing he managed to say. Without a doubt, the person in front of him was Riza Hawkeye. But something was off and he couldn't place what it was.

"It means what I said." She explained, carelessly throwing her knife up and down her hands like a harmless toy. "But I figured you wouldn't understand that easily." She threw him a mocking glance that was new to Roy.

"A different world…" Roy mumbled out of nowhere.

She had an amused look now, "That was quick. But I don't think an alley's a good place to chat about this. See you tomorrow."

She turned to walk away when her farewell jolted Roy from his puzzled predicament. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find myself a hotel. And don't even think about following me." She added, looking sideways at him. Warning him.

"But-" I can't let you go again! His thoughts screamed at him.

"We shall talk tomorrow." With that said in a tone that left no space for arguments, she walked away without even looking back.

And Roy was left watching the one person he swore never to let go again vanish from his sight.

A/N: My sincerest apologies to those, if there really are, who have been waiting for an update. The loss of review for the previous chapter kind of weighed me down but I'm not blaming anyone since it was clearly unsatisfying, not to mention trashy.

It took me this long so there is chapter ten. Need I remind you that Reviews are always welcome? And the question about Hawthorne's first name is still open until the chapter where it will be mentioned is out. Given that the clue I gave back there was obviously pathetic, I'll give another one: It starts with the letter "R".