AN: A little fluff and fun to finish ;)

Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this piece. It means the world to me that people are willing to pick this up and read it. I have wanted to explore this AU avenue for a while and I hope I did it justice!

"Please, Roy." Her voice was broken as he stared at her. "I can't do this anymore. Just… Save yourself the trouble and go. Tell Edward I said it was okay."

"Like hell it is!" the young man yelled, causing them both to jump. The door remained closed and there was someone trying to quieten him down.

"I…" he trailed off, lost for words. He couldn't think of a damn thing to say? Riza wasn't surprised. If she was in that situation, she wouldn't know either. Silence reigned once more as Roy took a seat in the chair beside her bed. "You saved my life," he stated. Nothing more, nothing less. He watched her actions, the bend of the head so her hair would fall forwards and obscure her face from view. The way her hands were clasped on her lap. She was hiding from him. Inexplicably, Roy found himself feeling the need to stay. He stilled the hand that longed to reach out and remove the hair from her face. He was drawn to this woman and he didn't know why. And, being an alchemist by nature, he wanted to stay and figure this puzzle out.

"I did, yes."

"Why? Why would you do that for someone you hated so much?" Her eyes were shining as they rose to meet his. He was taken aback by the emotion there.

"There was never any hate." Her voice was small, with a tinge of fear. "Anger simply made things easier." Riza cleared her throat. Voice stronger, she continued. "If I focussed on that then the heart break and sorrow wouldn't make its way through."

The answer was spoken matter-of-factly. It was mechanical, like something this woman had repeated over and over again in her head so she finally believed it. It was the words that tore at Roy's chest and he still didn't know why. It was frustrating. To know that this woman had some kind of past with him, that it was certainly real… He found himself wanting to be a part of it. Watching her, seeing how torn up she was about all of this… He wanted to put an end to her suffering. He wanted, no, needed to do it so badly, that he remained by her side throughout the rest of her stay.

Progress had been slow at first, but over the course of the week, but eventually Riza began to offer him small smiles as he arrived each morning. Well, Roy had thought they were making good progress, but he arrived one morning to find her gone. He called Grumman and the Fuhrer had told him sadly that he didn't know where she had gone.

"Checked herself out early this morning. I'm sorry, Mustang."

"It's…" What was it? He was drawn to her. He felt things for her that he hadn't ever felt for another woman before. He wanted to take care of her, work with her, and, dare he say it, have a life with her.

But he didn't know her. Not really.

"It's all right, sir. Can I ask one request?"

"Anything."

"Please let me know if you hear from her."

Pause. "Of course."

Riza squinted in the late afternoon sun. She frowned as she searched the throng of people, unable to find who she was looking for. Checking her watch once more, Riza's frown deepened.

Why is he so late?

"Riza!" A voice called. She turned around, spotting the man who called her name. Her heart leapt in her chest, recognising the call from the man she loved. "I am so sorry," he rushed, coming to a stop in front of her. Riza took in his state. He was breathing heavily, as if he had ran to meet her, rather than walked. His hair was windswept, but she liked it that way. Even when it was dishevelled it still looked good. Really good. "I had something urgent to attend to which took longer than expected."

Riza smiled. "It is all right," she reassured Roy. Straightening his black overcoat, he returned her smile with a grin of his own. Offering Riza his arm, she took it gladly and the pair walked towards their destination.

It had been over a year since the Evan's case. It had been over a year since Riza had come clean with him and explained everything that had happened. He still had no recollection of it, neither did his team. Roy had explained that it felt like there was something in his mind, locked away, but he couldn't access it. The pair had tried everything, but to no avail. No matter how many stories Riza recounted, how many pictures they were shown, the team simply could not remember her.

But that was okay. They had started anew. It had taken some time to win the boys and Rebecca round, but it was a work in progress. And definitely worth it.

Riza still didn't work for the military. She explained how her cover of a thief was simply just that. If anything, she stole from the bad guys so that they couldn't sell their weapons, drugs, people, you name it. In turn, she handed them over to Grumman who dealt with it discreetly. Like a mercenary, but on loan to the military.

Since there was no military record of her, Riza would have to reapply to the academy and work through the ranks in order to reach the position she should have been at now. It would take too long. And if being something like an informant was all she could get, that was what she would take. It was certainly a better offer than the last five years.

After the case she had disappeared for a while and laid low. She needed time to process everything. Mainly, her true feelings. All her pent up anger at the world which had been present during the case needed to be dealt with. It was unfair of her to be so uncooperative with the team, but she had nothing left to lose at that point. It was her last stand, Riza had told herself, and she was going to go down fighting. She thought if she could keep them at arm's length then there would be no request for her to continue working with them. But, how does one truly distance themselves from their true family whom they still love? Family, who had no idea she had even existed.

Asking Grumman to put her on the case was a spur of the moment decision. It hadn't been properly thought through. When she was dragged into that office with the people she loved looking at her with such disdain, it hit her in an instant. So, anger was the option that made most sense. If Riza was angry, then she couldn't truly deal with the sorrow and gut wrenching pain she felt when the familiar smell of coffee and ash hit her nostrils.

Drawing her back to the present, Roy chatted away as they walked, telling her about his day and the shenanigans the team got into. A small part of Riza's heart ached to think she was missing out on it all. However, she still dropped by the office from time to time. Probably more often than she should have.

When Mustang had a case, she was employed as an informant, upon her request. Roy had been surprised, but granted her help. She knew now that it was because he was so eager to see her again. There had been no word from her in six months, so the Flame Alchemist had jumped at the chance.

"Do you like Cretan food?" he asked casually as he surveyed the area around him. They were currently walking down a busy street in Central. Riza knew there was a small Cretan restaurant hidden in an alleyway down here, because she loved it so much. It was also where the team was lying in wait to ambush their target.

Riza smiled. "Yes, in fact I do."

Roy smirked. "I was hoping you would say that. It is down here."

Despite the shady looking alleyway, it hadn't put off their pursuer.

Just as they were almost on top of them Riza "dropped" her purse.

"Oh!" she gasped in mock surprise.

"Let me," Roy said gallantly. She didn't miss the twinkle in his eye. The man was enjoying this too much. She rolled her eyes as he whipped around dramatically, poised to snap at Adam Williams, Evan's successor. Apparently he wasn't very happy at Mr. Evan's demise.

The man froze for a second, not expecting to have been caught. Then he snarled. Raising his gun, he shot at Roy. Riza kicked him in the side so he was out the way. With an audible ooph, Roy was behind a dumpster.

"Just like old times," Riza muttered as she rolled to her own cover. Checking over her left shoulder, she gauged Mr. Williams distance.

"We'll take your word for it Hawkeye," Havoc told her over the comm device, the amusement clear in his voice. paniced voices same through the soldier's earpiece, followed by commands for them to remain calm and that everything was under control.

"You better," Rebecca retorted. "She is always right." The words were not said unkindly, simply matter-of-fact.

"Did you always kick me this hard?" Roy grumbled.

Snickers came over the radio.

"Only when you pissed me off."

"Ohh, kinky."

Fuery snorted loudly, then choked on the water he had been drinking. "Sorry," he giggled. "I just didn't expect that."

"Shut it Havoc," Roy growled. "Fuery, I would say I hope you choke, but you are already doing it."

"I aim to please, Sir."

"Target is attempting to run. Catalina."

"On it."

At that moment a white van pulled up at the end of the alleyway, blocking the man's path.

Roy jumped up to snap, only to duck once more as Williams fired wildly, trying to empty his clip.

"Can I recommend you stay down?" Riza asked.

"Yeah Chief," Havoc chipped in.

"Aren't you supposed to be observing and doing damage control, Havoc?" he asked through gritted teeth. "Who is in charge of who here?"

"I am observing," he replied smoothly. "From this vantage point I can observe very well how you are getting your ass kicked by this guy. Was he always this useless?" he asked Hawkeye who laughed to herself.

"Don't answer that," Roy growled.

There was a pause as they re-evaluated their plans and Williams finally emptied his clip into the dumpster Roy was hiding behind.

"Only when it rained," Riza muttered with a grin. Guffaws came over the radio as she rolled out from her hiding spot and disarmed Williams. With a cry, he dropped the gun as the bullet entered his shoulder. Another to his left leg sent him to the ground.

"Nice," Breda muttered to himself, appreciating her work.

Riza stood with a satisfied smirk. The man in front of her had hunted her down relentlessly for six months before disappearing. Only then had she contacted Roy and his team again. Once he had reappeared, she at least had the manpower to go after him.

"You know," she began as she approached Williams' wailing form. "You made my life hell for six months."

Roy's head poked up from behind the dumpster. Frowning, he watched the interaction. She had been tailed for six months?

"I didn't appreciate the attempt on my life in the hospital," Riza spat. "No matter how sloppy it was."

"Fuck you," he hissed, his voice shaking with pain and fear.

"No, fuck you, Williams," Riza stressed.

"He tried to kill you?" Roy asked, his voice hard. His glare was cold as he looked down at the pathetic man.

Riza snorted. "Tried being the appropriate word. But he couldn't even do it himself. Am I really not worth that much? You would send a two scent assassin after me? I am offended."

Williams had stopped listening by this point. With a shrug, Riza turned and entered the restaurant. The air conditioning felt blessedly cool on her skin that was hot after the heat of the moment. The owner, Mr. Pendleton, looked on fearfully.

"Wait, where are you going?" Roy asked.

Riza motioned inside, as if it was obvious. "For food."

"We need to finish up here."

"Ah, that's where you are mistaken." Exiting the restaurant, she sauntered over to him with a smirk. "I am no longer military. You need to finish up here. Don't worry, I'll save you a bit." She pecked him on the cheek, enjoying immensely his shocked expression.

"Dude," Breda began, amusement clear in his voice. Rebecca was already cackling alongside Havoc.

Riza grinned as she passed Havoc. The man offered her his hand in a high five, which she graciously accepted.

"Can we keep her?" Breda asked, akin to how a child would ask to keep a pet. But Riza wasn't offended by the analogy. This was all she had ever wanted. To be welcomed once more by her friends.

"Oh, Riza is definitely, staying. I could watch that shit all day."

"Let's get to work people," Roy muttered, but he caught Riza's eye once more. She noticed his expression soften as he offered her a smile.

Once everything was done and the scene was cleaned up, Roy entered the restaurant with one goal in mind. Riza was sat with her back to him, flipping through the newspaper absent mindedly. Her legs swung gently off the edge of the bar stool.

He nodded to the owner who nodded back, a look of awe on his face, as if he couldn't believe that a General of the Amestrian Military was in his little establishment.

He strode over to the woman who had occupied his thoughts for the last year. He marvelled in the way her hair caught the sunlight, turning it golden. Her posture was relaxed, something that was a rarity for Riza. Roy had noticed. Whenever they were out anywhere she was always on her guard, scanning the rooftops and the streets for possible assailants and emergency escape routes.

She must come here often if she feels safe here, Roy noted with a smile.

As promised, a piece of cake lay to her right. He chuckled. She really had saved him a bit.

Noticing the movement out the corner of her eye, Riza spun in the high stool to greet him. Instead of words, Roy reached for her face, placing his hand on her neck. He leaned in to kiss her, his other hand running down her bare arm, leaving goose bumps in its wake. In response, Riza grasped his shoulder, fisting his coat in her hands.

"Hey," he smirked. He had picked up on how much she loved that smirk.

"Hey yourself," she replied with a grin.

"Get a room you two," Breda muttered. He hopped up on the stool next to Riza. "Budge up Riza."

Fuery excused himself and sat on the stool next to the one Roy was currently blocking.

The team all gathered around the bar, ordering drinks and food. It was a moment of celebration for them all, to finally close this case.

Roy squeezed her hand and took his seat. His smile promising her there would be more to discuss later.

It was her turn to smirk. "I'm looking forward to it, sir."

Okay, so a bit of angst too ;P

There we have it! Let me know what you think, if you can :D