A/N: For the Star Trek fans out there, I've snuck in a quote from TNG. See if you can find it. Hint: Tasha Yar says the line in Yesterday's Enterprise.

Definition of a Hero:

Maes wandered around the camp, looking for his best friend. He had been walking for a while now, ever since the fighting ended, yet he still hadn't seen any sign of Roy.

Where the hell could he be?

He knew he wasn't dead- if he was the news would've spread like wildfire amongst the soldiers- and he wasn't in his tent so he had to be somewhere around here.

Maybe he's badly injured?

The thought sent chills down his spine. He didn't want to think about it but at the same time he couldn't ignore it. Today's battle had been exceptionally bloody with heavy casualties being reported all over the area. It was quite possible that Roy was among the wounded. He may be a State Alchemist, but he wasn't invincible.

He was just about to go check the infirmary when he heard a snap behind him. Turning around, he saw a familiar black mop of hair sitting in front of a small campfire. Sighing in relief, he ran over to his friend.

"Hey. I've been looking all over for you," he said, sitting down across the fire from him. Roy looked up at him.

"Hey Hughes," he mumbled. Maes stared at him in surprise.

"Damn Roy. You look like you've been to hell and back."

"I thought we were still in hell."

Maes shook his head. Clearly something was bothering him. Looking away, he noticed another man wearing a white medical coat sitting off to the side smoking a cigarette.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Maes Hughes," he said, holding out his hand.

"Knox," said the man gruffly as he shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I take it from your clothing that you're a doctor?" he asked. Knox nodded. "I bet it must be pretty crazy at the medical tents right now with so many wounded, eh?"

"Probably," said Knox, blowing out smoke. "But then most of the patients I deal with now are corpses."

Maes eyes widen in surprise at his words. "Oh," he said. He made a quick mental note to make sure Knox was never treating him if he ever ended up in the infirmary. Turning back to Roy, he noticed his friend was still staring into the fire as if lost in thought. "Is everything ok, Roy?" he asked.

"I watched a soldier die in front of me today," he answered.

"Okay…" Maes said, somewhat confused. They were in a war zone. Soldiers were constantly dying around them and he didn't understand why Roy would suddenly be so distraught over it. "Was it a subordinate?"

Roy shook his head. "No. A superior. Lt. Colonel John Whitley. We were in a building when one of the soldiers triggered a booby trap. He sacrificed his life by throwing himself onto the grenade to protect everyone."

Maes whistled. "Damn…talk about the ultimate sacrifice. The military will probably award him a medal for his heroism."

Roy snapped the stick he was holding in two and threw it in the fire. "He may be a hero, but at what cost?" he shouted. "By sacrificing his life like that his kids now have to grow up without a father!"

"Whoa…take it easy, Roy," said Maes holding up his hands. He was quite unprepared for his friend's sudden outburst.

"Calm down, Mustang," grumbled Knox. "What you're having right now is nothing more than survivor's guilt. Your mind is trying to justify why you're still alive and he's not. I bet that you're also wishing you were in his place instead."

"Besides," added Maes. "He made a split second decision. He was concerned about making sure his men were safe. He probably wasn't thinking about the future and the possibility that he was going to leave his wife a widow and his children fatherless. The fact that he risked his life for others is what makes him a hero. He could've easily been killed by an enemy's bullet another time. At least his family can take some comfort in the fact that his death was not for nothing."

Roy looked at both of them with tired eyes. "You're right," he finally said, looking up at the night sky. "I've always known the risks that come with this uniform. If I'm to die in one, I'll like my death to count for something."

"Amen to that."

They were silent for a few minutes before Knox spoke up again. "Speaking of putting other people's lives before your own, I've heard that there's a pair of Amestrian doctors - a married couple named Rockbell from what I've been told - who have set up a humanitarian hospital in the Kanda region. They've ignored repeated orders to return back home and continue to treat the injured Ishbalans."

"What? They're insane!" shouted both Roy and Maes.

Knox shrugged. "I had the same conversation with another doctor a while ago. He also thought what they're doing was suicidal. But when you really think about it, it takes a strong conviction to be able to do what they are doing. A doctor's duty is to save lives and that's what they're doing. All the other civilian doctors have already left Ishbal so they have no help either.

Maes shook his head. "They're crazy. The war is advancing towards that area. They'll get caught in the crossfire if they don't leave."

"The military is required to offer protection to humanitarian workers- even in enemy territory. They'll probably be forced to evacuate when the fighting reaches their area."

"I can understand why they would want to stay," Roy said. "They want to help the wounded who would otherwise die without medical treatment yet it's still dangerous. They're essentially putting themselves in harm's way. They could be hit by an artillery shell or someone could mistake them as the enemy and kill them by accident."

"I think they're aware of the dangers and have decided that it's worth the risk," mumbled Knox as he dropped his cigarette butt onto the ground. "I personally would never risk my life for people I don't know but then I never wanted to be a hero. Those people are a special breed."

Maes pondered over Knox's words. Part of him still thought it was foolish for the doctors to risk their lives helping the enemy, yet another part of him couldn't help but admire their courage and determination to do what they felt was right. While he wasn't sure if he could do what they or the lieutenant colonel did, he did know that he would gladly give up his life to protect the people he cared about.

Maybe we're all a little bit insane.

"Since we're all sharing stories of bravery I've got one too," he said. Both Roy and Knox looked up at him. "We found Roug Roa, the high priest of the Ishbala religion earlier today."

"What?" shouted Roy, scrambling up onto his knees. "How? I thought he was hiding out in the desert."

"That's what I thought too. Apparently he's been hiding in the city the whole time. He walked out in the middle of the battlefield with a group of his followers waving a white flag. He requested a meeting with Fuhrer Bradley to negotiate a peaceful surrender."

"I don't believe it," muttered Roy, sitting back down. "Does this mean the war's going to be over soon?"

Maes shook his head. "When I brought him and his followers to the Fuhrer's tent, Roug Roa offered his life in exchange for sparing the lives of all the surviving Ishbalans. The Fuhrer rejected the offer though. He had them thrown into prison and ordered us to continue the extermination."

"Oh," murmured Roy, clearly disappointed.

"You're not the only one who's disappointed, Roy," Maes said, scratching his head. "We all thought the fighting would finally be over."

"Do you know why the Fuhrer rejected the offer?" asked Knox as he took out another cigarette and lit it.

"Not really. He just said that one life is only worth one life and that there would be no exchange." He sighed. "You know, it's kind of sad. Here's a leader who offers up his own life to end the war and save his people, essentially becoming a martyr, yet not only does Bradley reject his offer, he has them locked up anyway."

"He took a gamble and lost," said Roy. "What I don't understand though is why Bradley didn't accept the offer. If we're here to suppress the rebellion then what Roug Roa offered should have been enough to end it."

"The military's not interested in suppressing the rebellion, Mustang," grunted Knox. "They want to exterminate the entire Ishbalan race. You know that."

Maes heard his friend sigh. "If that really is the case then we won't be leaving here until every Ishbalan man, woman, and child is dead," Roy muttered as he poked at the fire with another stick. "If we try to leave any earlier we'll be court-martialed."

"Oh! That reminds me, Major Armstrong was removed from the battlefield today," said Maes.

Roy looked up at him. "What happened to him?"

"Apparently he couldn't take the bloodshed. Broke down while holding the dead body of an Ishbalan child. Brigadier General Fessler ordered him to keep fighting or face a court-martial for insubordination but he wouldn't move. They'll be sending him back to Central shortly."

Roy nodded. "I'm actually not surprised. I spoke with him yesterday after our meeting with the generals. Even then he looked quite distraught. This war was probably too much for him."

Maes shook his head. "An emotional man like him shouldn't be on the front lines. What he's seen out here will scar him forever."

"No kidding," agreed Roy. "But then I doubt anyone can go back to living a normal life after this."

Maes sighed as he reached into his breast pocket where he kept a photo of Gracia. He pulled it out and stared longingly at it. "I don't think we can ever go back to the way things were before the war. But no matter what, I'm determined to live the rest of my life to its fullest once this bloody war is over and I can finally return home."

Roy nodded before getting up. "It's been a very long day," he said, throwing the last remaining pieces of wood into the fire. "I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright. Good night," waved Maes.

"Night," grunted Knox.

Maes watched as Roy disappeared into the night before looking back down at his photo. He smiled. Every time he looked at Gracia's picture a warm feeling would wash over him, washing away any feelings of sadness or frustration. She looked so beautiful in the photo, dressed in a pale green dress with flowers in her hair and that beautiful smile on her face. He couldn't wait to see that smile again in person.

A loud cough suddenly brought him back from his daydream. He looked up and saw Knox still staring off into space while smoking his cigarette. Grinning, he scooted over to the doctor.

"So…wanna see pictures of my girlfriend?"

Roy quietly walked through the camp, deep in thought. Whitley's death still plagued his mind. He had replayed that moment over and over again in his mind, trying to figure out what he could have done different. But each time a little voice in his head told him it was pointless. He sighed. Knox was right. Maybe he was suffering from survivor's guilt.

"So where's that cute blonde who's always hanging around you, Mustang?" asked a voice suddenly behind him. Roy turned around and scowled when he saw who it was.

"Kimblee."

"What's with the sour face? Not happy to see me?"

"You read my mind," he replied and turned around before walking off. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the Crimson Alchemist. Unfortunately, the man followed right after him.

"You know, you should share the wealth a little. There aren't a lot a women out here on the battlefield so if you aren't going to bang her, let another guy have a chance."

Roy stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists. Turning around, he grabbed Kimblee by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"Don't you touch her!" he growled. Kimblee's expression didn't change.

"Lighten up, Flame. I was just joking."

"Well I'm not!" He leaned in closer. "I swear, Kimblee, if you lay one hand on her I will burn you till you're nothing but a pile of ash."

Kimblee grinned. "You're rather protective of her aren't you? Fortunately for you, she's not my type. I prefer more spirited girls. They make life much more interesting."

"You sick bastard…" Roy mumbled. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to beat the living shit out of this man but he resisted the urge. Instead, he gripped the collar tighter. I'll warn you one more time. Stay away from her or I will make you regret it."

Kimblee laughed. It was disturbing, like an insane person laughing. "You really are something, Mustang. Threatening me like this over a girl. But really, I'm not the person you should be worried about."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked but before Kimblee could answer, he heard voices off in the distance.

"Come on sweetheart. There's no need to play hard to get."

He turned and saw a hooded soldier walking several meters away. Following her were two other soldiers making catcalls. Roy frowned. He could tell from the way the first soldier was walking and holding her rifle exactly who she was and he didn't like it. Without another word, he let go of Kimblee and quickly ran down the street to follow the soldiers.

Riza mentally cursed herself for not heeding Rebecca's earlier advice. She had gone for a walk to clear her mind after the battle and inadvertently wandered past a group of soldiers smoking near an abandoned building. Despite her best efforts to walk by unnoticed, she had caught the attention of a few of them and they were now following after her.

This day can't possibly get any worse.

"There's no need to be shy, miss. We just want to get to know you," said one of the soldiers.

How about you just go away, she thought while she slowly reached behind her back. "I'm sorry, but I prefer to be alone at the moment," she told him while she placed her hand over her revolver.

"You know it's not safe for a woman to be walking around alone at night. My friend and I can escort you back to your tent," said the other soldier.

"Thanks but no thanks," she said curtly. They were getting too close now.

"Oh, but we insist…" replied the second soldier, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She quickly spun around and pointed her revolver at them.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled. The two men stepped back, a look of amusement on both their faces.

"Oooh. She's a feisty one," grinned the first soldier. "You're not actually thinking of shooting both of us are you?"

"I won't have to if you two leave."

He laughed. "I'll like to see you try." He took a step closer. "Go ahead. Shoot me," he taunted.

Riza cocked the gun. "Don't try me," she warned. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he walked slowly towards her. "Stay back!" she shouted. He stopped about two feet in front of her.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" he mocked. She didn't answer him. Her mind was too busy trying to determine the best way out of this situation-one that wouldn't result in a corpse.

"What do you want?" she asked, still pointing her gun.

"I think that's pretty obvious," leered the first soldier. Before Riza could respond, he quickly grabbed her gun and they began wrestling over it. She felt herself pull the trigger and heard the gun go off but it didn't hit anything.

Dammit.

"Hold still," muttered the first guy as he finally knocked the gun from her hands and was trying to restrain her. She cursed out loud as she tried to break free. Without thinking, she turned and drove the heel of her hand straight into his face, breaking his nose. He immediately let go off her and staggered backwards, holding his nose. She tried to make a run for it but before she could get away she felt a pair of arms grab her around her neck and waist.

Shit.

"Ha. I've got you now," grinned the second soldier.

"Let… go…of…me," she said, gritting her teeth. He laughed.

"Now why would I do that?"

"Because I'll make you regret it…" she murmured. Raising her arm, she elbowed him hard in the ribs. He yelled out in pain and his grip on her loosened slightly, allowing her to swing her other arm and hit him on the side of the head with her elbow before turning around and kneeing him hard in the groin. He groaned in pain and fell to his knees.

"You little bitch. You're going to pay for that," he gasped as she quickly turned to run away. She only managed two or three steps before something hit her foot, causing her to fall onto the ground. Turning over, she saw the first soldier standing over her.

"You're quite the troublemaker aren't you?" he sneered, his face a bloody mess. Riza quickly looked around her and saw her revolver lying nearby. She grabbed it and pointed it at him.

"Don't take another step!" she shouted. Her heart was beating wildly now.

Suddenly, a wall of fire appeared between them followed by yelling. She turned and saw Roy standing there, his right hand stretched out in front of him.

"Didn't anyone tell you that when a lady says 'no' she means 'no'?" he said calmly as he walked towards them.

"Shit. It's the Flame Alchemist," she heard the first soldier mutter.

"I want your name, rank and squad name," Roy barked.

"Private Mark Adrian. Kimblee squad," mumbled the first soldier.

"Private Curtis Stokes. Also Kimblee squad," winced the second.

"Kimblee…that explains a lot of things. And why were you harassing this cadet?"

"We were just trying to talk to her, Sir."

"Bullshit! Don't lie to me!"

Neither of the soldiers said anything but a look of fear was clearly etched on their faces.

"I'll be reporting your conduct to the higher ups. You'll be lucky if you don't get kicked out of the military for this. Now get the hell out my sight!"

"Yes, sir!" The two soldiers quickly scrambled onto their feet and ran off, probably relieved that they were no longer under the burning gaze of the Flame Alchemist. When they were out of sight Roy turned back to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded. He held out his hand and she took it, pulling herself up. Brushing the dust off her uniform, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Roy raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't quite the response I was expecting. Whatever happened to 'Thank you for coming to my rescue'?"

She scoffed. "You were a few minutes too late for that. I had the situation under control."

"I don't usually count pointing a gun at a fellow soldier as having the situation under control. You do know that you were jeopardizing your military career right? If you had killed him you would've been kicked out of the academy and possibly jailed."

"I'm quite aware of that. But when my only other options were getting raped and/or murdered I'll take my chances with the self defense claim." She reached down and grabbed her wrapped rifle that she had dropped earlier during the scuffle. "Anyway, I better get going. Good night, Mr. Mustang."

"Wait," he called out. She stopped and turned to face him. "You're bleeding, " he said, brushing away her hair. She reached up and touched her temple. Sure enough, she could feel a cut on the side of her head.

"It's nothing. I probably got it earlier today while we were fighting the Ishbalans."

"It's pretty deep," said Roy inspecting the wound closely.

"It's just a small wound. Nothing a bandage can't fix. I'll just stop-" Before she could finish her sentence Roy had grabbed her by the wrist.

"Come on. I have a first aid kit," he said, leading her back to the camp. She tried to protest but he didn't seem to hear her.

"Ow!" Riza shouted, pushing Roy's hand away. "That stings!"

Roy frowned. "It's supposed to sting. It's alcohol." He reached out and pulled her back towards him. "Now hold still," he said firmly as he dabbed an alcohol-soaked handkerchief against her head. She winced slightly at the burning sensation but didn't pull away this time. As she watched him out of the corner of her eye, she felt a little uncomfortable. Considering what happened the previous night, sitting there alone with him in his tent didn't seem like a good idea.

"There," said Roy, placing a bandage on her head and pressing it to make sure it stuck. "Good as new."

She reached and touched the bandage. "Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome," he said as he put a few items back into his medical kit. While his back was turned, she tried to make her escape.

"Well, good night, Mr. Mustang," she quickly muttered while she grabbed her rifle lying next to her. He turned around just as she stood up.

"Hold on a minute," he said, grabbing her sleeve. "What's with you today?" he asked, staring at her with his dark eyes. "You seem to be avoiding me. Did I say or do something that upset you?"

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. "No," she finally mumbled, looking away from him. "It's just been a very long day and tomorrow's going to be even longer. It's probably not a good idea to stay up late talking." She glanced back at him and the look on his face told her that he didn't quite believe her excuse.

"I agree it's been a long day but after what happened this morning with Kimblee and just now with those two pieces of shit I want to make sure you're ok. Remember, I promised your father I would look after you."

"I'm fine," she said, brushing him off. "And you don't need to keep your promise to Father. I can take care of myself now."

He frowned. "I'm not doing it just because of Sensei. I'm doing it because I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt. You mean a lot to me."

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his words. Did he just say she meant a lot to him?

"You've been through quite a lot," he continued. "Especially the last few years. Both your parents are gone and you don't have any other family for support. Not to mention, you also have the burden of protecting Sensei's resear-" She held up her hand to stop him.

"I don't want your pity," she said curtly. So much for thinking he had feelings for her.

Roy looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Pity? I'm just saying that you've had a rough life and I want to make things easier for you! This has nothing to do with pity!"

"This is the path I chose for myself. It may not be the easiest path but it's what I chose and I will be responsible for the consequences of my actions. I don't need you to protect me!"

"You're being stubborn."

"Maybe, I am!" she said, her temper flaring. Taking a deep breath, she added, "I should go." She turned to leave but Roy spoke again.

"That revolver you're carrying… is it the same one I gave you years ago?"

She looked back at him in surprise. "Yes, it is," she said, pulling it out from its holster. "I carry it with me all time, just like you told me to before you left. Been very useful in more than one situation too."

"It's clearly doing a much better job protecting you than I am then."

Riza smiled slightly as her anger quickly dissipated. "I'm not seventeen anymore, Mr. Mustang. I can take care of myself now. That said, I'm very grateful to you for teaching me how to shoot and protect myself."

"I should've done more," she heard him mutter. "I was selfish leaving you to fend for yourself after Sensei died while I fulfilled my own dreams of becoming a State Alchemist. I should have brought you to East City with me or at least gone back to check on you during my time off."

His words touched her, making her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Hindsight is 20/20. I wasn't upset that you left and you actually had the foresight to make sure I could take care of myself before you left so it wasn't like you abandoned me."

He looked up at her. "Riza…" he whispered. She took a step towards him.

"Please don't beat yourself up over this. And I'm sorry for getting mad at you earlier. I had no idea you were so worried about me."

"It's human nature to worry about people you care about," he told her.

She smiled. That's sweet, she thought to herself. Looking down at her watch, she noticed the time. "I really should go," she said. "It's getting late." Part of her didn't really want to leave but she knew she had to before she did something crazy or stupid.

"Let me walk you back to your tent. I want to make sure those two bastards aren't waiting to exact revenge on you," Roy said, getting up.

Riza grinned. "I doubt it. You scared them off pretty well. I'll be ok." She placed a hand on his shoulder and gently kissed him on the cheek. "Good night and thank you, Mr. Mustang." she whispered before pulling away.

"Riza, wait!" he called out to her but she quickly slipped out of the tent before he could stop her.

A/N: So sorry for the late update. Work's been crazy busy with lots of deadlines coming up and I had some family issues earlier this month that I had to attend to so I barely had time to write the past several weeks. Anyway, thank you for your patience and thanks to everyone who reviewed my previous chapter.