BWinner's note: All right, so this chapter is going to be slightly different. I've been fairly steady in a Third Person Limited narrative in Roy's favour, but I'm switching it up to Third Person Multiple, because I think Hawkeye deserves a say in this story too.

Note from 2021: The conversation between Edward and Roy has been edited. Upon re-watching Brotherhood, and re-reading this fanfic I realized how utterly stupid, hypocritical, and OOC it was for Edward to chastise Roy for using alchemic power from the gate of truth… that would mean he would chastise his teacher for her power and how she uses it for fuck's sake. Not a proud moment for me to realize that mistake. Hopefully this makes WAY MORE SENSE now.

Crossing the Line – Ch.3

Riza heaved a heavy sigh as she closed the door to her superior's home behind her. She was confused, and almost hurt that the Colonel would thrust her away like that. What in the world could have changed him to the point that he was uncomfortable being around her? Certainly, she didn't think she had done anything to offend him, and he hadn't previously given any indication of such before his emotional uproar last night, so what could he be thinking?

These were questions she turned over in her mind as she made her way to a small coffee shop several blocks away. She was meeting up with Rebecca, who had received a phone call early that morning, in order to pick up her dog. She was relieved to see her dark-haired friend had already made it and there wouldn't be a long time spent waiting.

"Riza!" her name was called in a chipper voice.

Rebecca waved enthusiastically and she responded in kind with her own demure gesture. It would be nice to have a bite to eat, put some of her tensions at ease and regain the strength she would need to sift through the haze created from last night.

"Rebecca, thank you so much for being able to make it this morning. I'm sorry I called so early," she apologized. "Hey Black Hayate," and she crouched down to give an affectionate pet to her furry companion. The little animal gave a couple of quick barks and licked her hand in turn.

"You know it's no problem at all Riza," she smiled. "Although I admit I'm shocked to hear from you so soon. Did something go wrong?"

Riza sighed, it was stupid to think she wouldn't get the third degree from her friend. "Not wrong per say. The Colonel apparently just finds me too much of a taskmaster. I would have argued, but he is still my superior after all. So, Breda is handling it for me now, although I did insist he dedicate at least an hour or so to the Colonel's studies." She hated to lie, but she knew Rebecca and didn't want to give the woman any ammunition for wild allegations.

"What is it with men and work? You'd think they were all allergic to it or something," Rebecca mused with a boisterous laugh. "Although I have to admit I can't say I blame the Colonel necessarily, he's been through so much; you both have. You know you probably need the break just as much as he does, Riza."

"I think you might just be on to something there, Rebecca." This time it was the truth.

Riza found she became more at ease, and gradually relaxed enough to have a comfortable brunch with her friend. Rebecca had always been so good at getting her out of her shell; there was such a passion for life in the woman and it rubbed off on most people around her. The end of the meal tucked her stressful conversation with Roy neatly in the back of her mind, not forgotten, but definitely not weighing as heavily on her.

When the bill finally arrived Riza insisted on covering it to make up for all the trouble she had put her friend through. Then with a smile and a brief hug the two parted ways. Gently she tugged on Black Hayate's leash and led the small dog back to her car; there was no way to avoid home forever. The drive didn't seem as daunting now with her pet back at her side, the little animal had helped to cheer her spirits quite a bit all those nights she had made it home from Fuehrer Bradley's estate. He was a very good companion and she was glad to have him with her.

The first thing she did when she got in the door was to begin drawing a bath. Having forced herself into this kind of corner she figured it wouldn't hurt to take some of Rebecca's advice and unwind a little bit. After all, if she were suddenly called back to the Colonel's side she would be useless if she were a bundle of nerves. Riza paused as she took off her shirt to examine the wound on the juncture of her neck and shoulder, it wasn't fully healed but the puss and swelling looked like they had gone down substantially. Satisfied with her inspection she eased into the tub of steaming water with a sigh. The warmth soothed her aching muscles and slowly she began to relax.

In the silence her mind wandered and she found herself reflecting on last night. '…I can't be around you with all of the confusing thoughts and emotions going on in my head right now...' Those words echoed through her and she hung her head.

Riza paused on that particular statement. He had said that he couldn't be around her specifically due to an emotional turmoil, and there were only two emotions she could fathom that would bring him to that kind of state of mind, shame of showing a weak moment, or love. The second thought was crazy though, he was her commander, and he relied on her to assist him in the hard work his job entailed. Perhaps he just felt a stronger closeness to her due to the traumatic events of the past few weeks, but that shouldn't be enough to have wanted her to leave. At the same time though, the first option didn't make much sense either. Roy had shown his weaker side to her before, on a couple of occasions, and he should have definitely known she didn't look down on him for it.

What frustrated Riza the most right now, was that she couldn't get over the fact that it might be love. Roy Mustang had been a bit of an enigma to her when he had arrived at her father's doorstep to study alchemy. While he had been young and somewhat impulsive he still treated her with a level of kindness and respect that few people had before. When her father passed away after the long struggle with his illness, Roy Mustang was the one who came to her aid to help with the funeral preparations; and when Roy spoke of his vision as they stood over her father's grave she could see the ideals of a man who cared about his nation and the people in it. As she stood there and listened to him she decided he could be a person she could trust, and one who would use her father's secrets for the betterment of the country. When she came face to face with the horrific truth of what her father's research could be used to accomplish she justified following him because at that point she was no longer able to judge his actions without falling into hypocrisy. At that point she had been guilty of just as much murder.

Then there had been that fateful moment when his flame had kissed her back; he wiped away the burden bestowed to her by her father, broke her chains and set her free.

Riza understood what kind of man Roy Mustang was on that day; a man who despite having a goal was not willing to compromise the feelings and needs of another just to fulfill it. He respected her fears and showed her true compassion, so when he revealed his plan for the country she believed him and was willing to continue following his lead. When he told her to remain by his side and act as an adjutant she knew that he was serious about not misusing her father's research and that he would find a way to help his country while causing the least amount of destruction from that point on. Riza also understood it was that day her affections likely began to develop for him, affections that as she watched him continue his work through the years would slowly evolve into love.

Things had been so much easier when the two of them were constantly encased in a military struggle. Because their interaction was always on the strict and professional side it was easy for Hawkeye to bury her feelings. She could tell herself that he couldn't possibly hold any affections for her, and even if on the off chance he did, because of his ambitions it was easy to say neither of them would dream of acting on those feelings. So, this latest emotional outburst from him was infuriating because it brought back to the forefront her own suppressed emotions and was allowing her the opportunity to entertain the thought that he might feel the same. Even though the two of them would never be able to act on those feelings.

Riza knew she would never obtain those answers without confronting the Colonel directly, but she couldn't do that. Under no circumstances would she ever allow herself to be a distraction to him and so it meant keeping her distance and allowing the notion to fade. Riza heaved yet another sigh, this one bordering on longing; pushing this whole thing out of her mind had proven harder than she thought. Woefully she got herself out of the tub and reached for a towel; once sufficiently dry she snagged her robe off the back of the door and threw it on before wandering to the kitchen. If a bath failed then a warm cup of tea would hopefully do the trick. As she waited for the kettle to boil she heard an almost excited yip come from Black Hayate; with a knowing smile she grabbed a treat from one of her cupboards.

"Black Hayate, sit," she commanded before she crouched down. "Shake a paw… other paw, good boy," and the dog snatched the morsel from her hand

Her kettle soon came to a screeching boil and she finished making her tea. Beckoning her pet to follow Riza made her way into the living room; on her way past the coffee table she plucked her own Ishvalan text from it and settled into a large chair by the window. She intended to be just as well versed when it came to Ishval and its people, so dutifully she sat with text in one hand and tea in the other.

Riza woke with a start, it seemed as if she had been more tired than she thought. Blearily looking out the window she saw the skies were getting dark, and not missing a beat she rose from her chair to head back to her room. Quickly she threw on a pair of black pants and a black short-sleeved turtleneck, after putting her hair back in a clip she began going around the room gathering her equipment. It was time to go to work. While it was true she had left the Colonel's immediate care, she had been entirely serious when she told him the "Hawk's Eyes" would be on him.

With resolve firmly in place Hawkeye left her apartment and headed towards her superior's residence. By the time she arrived it was fully dark and she parked her car just down the street from Roy's apartment. She was about to get out of the vehicle when something caught her eye; Edward Elric was on his doorstep.

It shouldn't have come as that much of a surprise she supposed, Alphonse was still in recovery in the hospital in Central and perhaps Ed didn't think so low of the Colonel that he wouldn't decide to check in on him. She watched him carefully as he entered the building; once she was certain he was out of sight she got out and positioned herself across the street in a darkened alleyway. She had only been there for perhaps an hour when the door opened once more and Breda came out. Just what was going on here, he didn't know she would be so close at hand, so why was he leaving his post without the relief of another officer? Riza was intrigued now, and she was determined to find out what was going on. Quickly and quietly she ran across the street and stooped outside an open window light was pouring from.

The conversation she caught was light at first, how was Alphonse, and when did he think the young man would get to go home; Ed then naturally admonished the Colonel upon learning he had discharged himself early from the hospital. The mood grew slightly somber following that exchange; and there was discussion about the manner of Mustang's being ripped through the portal of truth. Ed knew Colonel had been forced through the portal, and therefor there was only one thing he was going to be able to do in order to get his sight back; the Philosopher's Stone. Did the man understand the implications of using one, was he prepared to take that kind of step?

Riza heard the older man take a deep and almost contemplative breath. "I can understand it not being an ideal situation Ed, but I don't have much of a choice. I have ambition for this nation, and its relation with surrounding nations. I have ambition to fix the wrongs in Ishvall, and against the Ishvalan people. I can only do that with my eyes," he said with firm resolve. "Besides that fact, there's a man who was injured due to my negligence, he deserves his legs back and the chance to stand strongly again. Perhaps it's selfish on my part, but it's what I feel truly needs to be done."

Ed gave a soft chuckle. "Alright Colonel… I suppose I just needed to hear your resolve with my own ears. On a different note; how is Lieutenant Hawkeye? I wanted to pay her a visit as well but they said she had been discharged with you. Given your current state I would have guessed she would have been the one here with you, not Breda."

"She's fine Edward, I can promise you that," Mustang assured him. "She had been here, but I requested she leave not long ago, and Breda took her place."

"Felt the need to give her a break or something?"

"More accurately, it was to give myself a break… and have a chance to collect myself."

"I'm afraid I'm not following you here Mustang." The young man sounded genuinely confused.

"Well, since we're alone right now perhaps I can confide in you Edward… I love her," he finally stated, but so softly she could barely hear him. "I'm not sure if you know this, but if the two of us are caught in any kind of romantic relations together it could mean discharge from the military for me, and the same if not worse for Hawkeye. I was on the verge of being an idiot and telling her how I felt, of almost destroying the relationship we actually do have on my own selfish desires."

"So, the military doesn't allow its members to be in a relationship? Well that's stupid."

"The military has its reasons Edward, I don't expect you to understand them, but they exist for a purpose."

The room went quiet again, and Riza sat frozen trying to comprehend what she had heard just now. What's more she was surprised to hear the Colonel confide in the young man; although Roy had a secret parental affection for Edward, she never would have pictured him close enough to the young man to share such information. Also, even if Edward was no longer in the military it was still a risky thing to admit to another person; he really was taking more risks than she would have liked. The sound of a chair shifting startled her from her musings and she snapped her head up to look at the window once more.

"It's getting a little late, I should be getting back to Al at the hospital. Thank you for answering my question though, and I'm glad to hear you and the Lieutenant are well." She heard his voice strain with the stretching of his limbs.

Quickly she ducked around the corner and out of sight.

TBC…