"She's gone, Hughes." Roy sat at the table, head in his hands, speaking to the figure of a man sitting on a stack of unpacked boxes. The morning light shone brightly, illuminating the kitchen with rays of light. "I woke up and reached for her and the bed was empty. Did I imagine it all?"

"She'll be back." Hughes reassured him. "Look at the bowl still on the floor for Black Hayate."

"I hope you're right."

"Of course I am. Don't doubt her." Roy looked back up at his friend. "She said she loved you, right?"

"Yes," he replied softly. A small smile appeared on his face and he tried to remember everything she'd said the night before.

In the middle of the night, he'd woken up to find her gathering her clothes and leaving the bedroom. In his wish to make her happy, he'd stopped her and asked what he could give her or do for her and she said there was only one thing she wanted -- him. He'd never heard such sweet words. She said she wanted him. It couldn't have all been a dream. Surely life wasn't that cruel.

It was easy to think that but he knew just how cruel life could be. She was gone. Nothing of her remained -- he'd checked his bedroom and the living room, but she'd left nothing. The only sign she'd been there was the bowl on the floor of the kitchen and a few dog hairs on his couch. She had to have been here. Surely he hadn't imagined it all. It couldn't have been just a dream...

"Have a little faith in her." A different yet familiar, voice said from across the table. Roy's head popped up. The ghostly and slightly transparent figure of Havoc was sitting in another kitchen chair.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Roy stood and pointed an accusing finger at the new figure sitting across the table. "No, you don't! You're not dead so you can't be here!"

"So you'll only see dead people then." Havoc said critically.

Roy grumbled something about insubordinate specters.

"Hey, I just lost use of my legs, isn't that close enough to death?" The smoke from his ghostly cigarette wafted up toward the ceiling. Roy would have sworn he could even smell it.

"No. There's got to be a way to heal you and I will find it. My mother once spoke of something called Ritanjustsu from Xing and as soon as I'm well, I'm going to learn more about it. Remember you said you'd support me on my way to the top and I intend to hold you to that, Lieutenant."

"Yeah well, as soon as I can use my legs, I'm still going to kick your ass for hurting her, Chief. And I think it's a form of discrimination if you won't talk to me just because I'm not dead," the man complained as he faded away.

Roy sat down at the table again, once again, his head in his hands. Yep, he was insane. Being harassed by the ghosts and memories of one dead man and another undead man pretty much threw him into the wacko category.

And she was still gone.

"She'll be back." Roy heard Hughes's voice say only a second before the back door into the kitchen creaked open and a furry face poked through. With a single bark of greeting, the puppy trotted to the bowl on the floor and sloppily drank some of the water.

"Riza!" he called out when he saw the sunlight glinting off her blonde head. In his pleasure at seeing her he hadn't even realized Hughes had disappeared, as he always did in the presence of others.

"Sir, what are you doing out of bed?"

"You're back," he stated. The pure joy on his face sent her heart doing back-flips in her chest.

"Of course I'm back." She said indignantly. "I had to walk Hayate and you had nothing to eat here." She set the bag of food down on his counter. "I also stopped by my place to pick up some fresh clothes."

He barely let her set her bag of clothes on the floor before he had her wrapped in his arms, holding her tightly with his face pressed into her hair, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo.

"I thought I'd dreamed it all," he whispered into her hair. "I woke up alone and I couldn't find you. The only sign you had been here was Hayate's fur on my couch and the bowl in my kitchen. I thought last night was another one of those dreams from the medication." He squeezed her even tighter, determined not to let go until he was sure she was real.

"Si- Roy, I left a note on the bathroom counter. Didn't you even look there? You aren't supposed to be out of bed for very long, much less searching the place." His lips searched for hers, quickly finding and pressing them hard against his own. Her hands automatically reached up to cradle his head, fingers playing with his hair as the warmth of his mouth flooded through hers. Her lips had opened instantly for his tongue to sweep through her mouth, enjoying his taste and the pleasurable sensations drawing a small moan from her. And time stopped, the only thing that mattered was the man holding her in his arms, kissing her so sweetly, knowing at that very moment there was no other place she'd rather be. Knowing this was where he too, wanted to be.

Finally pulling away, he whispered softly, his breath hot on her cheek, "That doctor doesn't know what he's talking about; I'm fine."

"Absolutely not. You're on bed rest for at least another couple ofdays," she said sternly, having regained control of herself. Her next words were softer with a slight teasing tone. "Besides, then I have an excuse to be here."

"By all means then, let's go back to bed!" He said with a smirk as he tried to pull her toward the bedroom. "I think I feel a relapse coming on..."

"Breakfast first." She removed his hands and turned back to the counter to pulled several grocery items from the sack, including a pale blue box with gold script on the top. "Where are your baking pans?" she asked. He looked confused. Brushing him aside, she rummaged through a few boxes before finding a slightly dented old pan to put the sweet rolls in. As she opened the pale blue box to remove the pastries, his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"If you're staying, you definitely have too many clothes on." His skilled fingers found the buttons of her coat, pulling the garment away to toss it on a chair and start on the next piece. He reached for her blouse and she smacked at his groping hands.

"Roy, stop that. Just because you're only wearing your boxers doesn't mean I need to be naked."

"No, you should be naked because I want you to be," he said, his voice low and seductive in her ear. He lowered his head to kiss along her jaw. "I think you should be naked at all times when you're in my apartment. Come to think of it, I should be too." He stripped himself of his boxers and tossed them toward the pile of unopened boxes of furnishings, Riza's eyes automatically falling to his growing erection.

"I want to see and touch each and every part of you, Riza, while I can," he said with a touch of sadness. He was well aware of how difficult any relationship they had would be and how little time they could be together without arousing suspicions. He wanted to be with her as long as possible until they were forced back into their regular positions, enough to dull his painful need of her. He could never get enough of her, but maybe he could dull the edge of that need a little. Just enough to keep himself from throwing her on his desk at the office and screwing her into oblivion.

He tugged at her blouse nearly hard enough to break the buttons until she gave in and unfastened them herself. Piece by piece, he removed every part of her clothing, kissing the soft smooth skin newly revealed until she was standing just in her panties and bra.

"I didn't notice they were this lacy last night..." he said, running his fingers under the elastic band of her panties.

"You were focused on other things," she said, taking a few coffee cups from the cupboard and setting them on the counter. His fingers fumbled for the clasp of her bra and he drew the straps off her shoulders.

"I guess I was," he said as his hands reached around her to touch her bare breasts, gently stroking her nipples with his thumb and forefinger. "There are just too many good parts of you, I keep getting distracted."

"Can I distract you long enough for you to get back to bed?" she said, trying to keep her concentration on breakfast instead of his wonderfully skilled mouth.

"Not without you. You know that will be the only way of getting me back there."

"I have no problem with that," she said, her mind pushing aside thoughts of cleaning his apartment and unpacking some of the boxes. The bathroom looked like it hadn't been cleaned since he moved in -- and it probably hadn't. Her hands were just itching to clean this place. It was always easier to clean someone else's things than it was your own. Ah, well, maybe while he slept she could work on other things. Or maybe she would just cuddle up to him and sleep all day.

"Now, you go to bed, I'll bring the coffee and rolls in a minute."

"Lieutenant, you seem awfully determined to get me into bed..." he said with a smirk. He liked how she blushed lightly at the observation.

"Well, it took long enough and I don't want you going anywhere for the next few days. If I have to have sex with you to accomplish that, so be it." She flashed him a mischievous look.

"Mmmm. Since you said it would only take a minute to make breakfast, I think I'll just wait here in the kitchen with you." He came up behind her and pinned her against the counter, his mouth lowering to lick and suck gently at her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered shut and she bit her lip to stifle her groan, only releasing it to speak. "Oh god, how did you get so good at this?" His teeth nipped at her skin.

"Many, many fantasies of you," he whispered softly. Blonde hair still held up in its clasp drew his eyes to the elegant curve of her bare neck, which he kissed softly.

While she was struggling with the coffee percolator, he continued to distract her, his lips roaming lower, again kissing the scars on her back. She turned to slip the pan of sweet rolls into the oven while he continued to look at her back.

"I'm sorry for this, Riza," he said tracing the scar with his finger. "Because of me, you have this terrible scar."

"Are you going to do this every time you see my bare back?"

"What, feel guilty? I look at it and all I can think is how badly damaged your body is because of me and my alchemy," he said leaning against the counter and watched her.

She turned and reached for him, pulling him close and resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't see it that way, Roy. These symbols on my body became a common bond between us, something that linked us together even when we were apart."

He softly kissed her bare shoulder as she continued. "When I first showed them to you, I knew I would follow after you, to protect you if you used them well or... kill you if they didn't. When I asked you to destroy them, it only completed our bond because I knew I would never pass that secret on to anyone else. I knew I had chosen the right man the first time and I don't want to give away your secret to just anyone who may have accidentally seen them. I could have been responsible for creating a monster."

"You did," he said in a slightly dejected tone.

"No. I created a great alchemist who will change the world. And I'll be with him the whole way to make sure he doesn't... screw... it... up." She emphasized the last words, separating them with a kiss.

"You really see it that way? That you chose the right man."

"Of course. You're the right man, one determined to push for change in the government even at the risk of your own life."

"And yours."

"That's my choice."

"Did they hurt when your father burned them on you?"

"Of course, but only for a short time."

"Why did you let him?"

She leaned closer on his bare chest and with a soft sigh, she explained. "My father had other students before you. The secrets of flame alchemy were something handed down through the Hawkeye family, each user improving it in some small way. My grandfather was one of the first state alchemists but by the time he died, he'd seen the dangers of such a position and changed his mind, no longer supporting the institution. My father agreed with him and this was why he so strongly objected to you becoming one.

"Father never taught any of his other students the secrets to flame alchemy either. When his illness became life threatening, he left the information to me; calling it my birthright. He asked before burning those symbols onto my back and I agreed. Because I didn't learn my family's alchemy, he at least gave me the power to pass it on to whomsoever I chose, so as to give the it to the next generation. His wish was to keep the secret in the family but if I wouldn't be the one to use the flame alchemy, I could at least choose who would."

"And you chose me?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever regretted that?"

"In Ishbal, when I first saw what you could do with it, I held you in the sights of my rifle, debating with myself about pulling the trigger. And then I saw how much it aged you, how completely miserable you made yourself over using it to kill civilians. I realized this wasn't your choice; you were merely used as another military weapon. When you finally told me you wanted to become führer and the reasons why, I knew you were the right man.

"These symbols are yours now. Having them on my back is something that links me to you. It's a special bond that only I have with you."

He turned her around so she faced the counter and displayed her entire back to him. "I can't promise you they still won't bother me, but I'll try to see it your way." He lowered his mouth to kiss the individual symbols he knew by heart.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her eyes flew open and she twisted to open the oven. "Oh, no! The rolls!" she cried out. "I just needed to warm them up!"

Roy started laughing as she scrambled around the kitchen looking for hot pads. Only finding a towel, she pulled the pan out to set it on the top of the stove. She poked the rolls with a fork and sighed in relief. "At least the caramel didn't burn," she said just as the coffee started to perk. She turned to look at Roy who was panting heavily and leaning against the counter with a hand pressed to his bandages.

"Oh, god, Riza," he chuckled. "Don't do that again. It hurts to laugh. I think I tore something."

"Serves you right for laughing at me," she grumbled, showing him no sympathy. She transferred the rolls to a plate and using a fork, scraped the remaining caramel from the pan. Turning, she thrust two empty coffee cups at him. "If you're well enough to laugh, you're well enough to help. Now take those to the bedroom and I'll be right behind you with the rolls and coffee."

Roy smirked and obediently headed for the bedroom, happy to lead her back to his favorite place to see her; curled up with him in his bed.

TBC

Hi everyone, thanks so much for the reviews! I actually have more than a hundred reviews, I can't believe it! I've never gotten so many reviews for a story and it's so nice to find those comments in my email when I get home. Only one more chapter to go and I hope to get it up fairly quickly (the next week or so). My mind has already started turning to new fics and I'm struggling to finish this before working on those. I hate unfinished fics and I promised myself I wouldn't post anything I could possibly leave unfinished.

I touched up the last chapter and I like it a little better now – not quite so anticlimactic, but it will probably get rewritten with the rest of the fic in a few months.

And I did like the suggestion about 'christening' his new desk when he's fuehrer, but I want my ending to slip back into the manga so my story could have been just a missing scene or two. But I like the suggestion and might write that scene anyway... I'll explain my ideas for the end of the story after the next chapter.

So just one more chapter and yep, I threw in another lemon. Because I can.

And please review! I like to know if people are actually still reading this.