The Wants of the Few

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's note: Okay, I know some of you don't know how to play chess, so I'll give you a quick over view so you'll understand some of the stuff in this chapter. The King in chess can only move one space in any direction, but if the King is taken then it ends the game. The Queen in chess can move in any direction and can move as many spaces as she wants. The queen is considered the most powerful piece on the board and is often used to protect the king. To end the game one player must put the other player's King in checkmate. Checkmate means the no matter where the player's King moves it will be taken. There is another move called "check" which is basically one player saying to another "I can take your king if you don't move it, but it's not in checkmate yet." If someone puts the other player's King in "check" they have to say it and then the player whose King is in check has to move the king, or move a piece so that the king is no longer in "check". Also the person playing with white pieces moves first. Rooks can move horizontal or vertical as many places as they like. Bishops can move only in diagonals, but as many spaces as they like. The pawns can only move one space at a time and can only take another piece if the piece is at a one space diagonal from it. Knights move in an "L" shape, three spaces straight and then one space to the side (knights are the pieces that look like horse heads). I hope this helps.

Chapter 13 – Playing the Game

Hawkeye felt as if her heart suddenly weighed 2 tons. She felt that the weight was crushing her lungs and she forgot how to breathe. She continued to the bathroom, trying to ignore her heart. 'That's what I've been doing for years…' she thought sadly, 'ignoring my heart and hoping I didn't have one…why did I invite him back? If I would have just let him go home…this would have never have happened.' The thought was a double edged blade. She regretting letting her relationship change with the colonel because neither could act…but she finally felt that she wasn't alone. It'd only been a moment…but she had felt complete, as if she'd finally found the key piece of herself that she hadn't known she'd been without. Every instinct she had told her to go back, to spend what was left of the night in his arms…to go to him and never leave his side. She restrained herself. 'This can never work.' She told herself, but it didn't make it any easier. Finally at the bathroom she opened the door. The light was still on, most likely from when Elysia used it and forgot to turn it off. 'Well that explained while it was on when we came up the drive.' She closed and locked the door and changed her clothes. Since it was Sunday she'd grabbed some civilian clothes, nothing fancy, just a simple grey skirt, grey shirt and a white jacket to go with it. She looked at herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. Her face seemed different, she couldn't put her finger on it at first, but then it occurred to her. Her eyes were different…they didn't seem to be the cold, exacting soldier that she used to be…instead, they looked sad, filled with wanting. 'Why did I let that happen?' she asked herself. 'I was fine before I found out what I was missing…' part of herself hated knowing that she could never have that completion again…but part of herself was just happy to have experienced it.

Roy lay down in her bed. He never knew how empty a bed could feel…he never knew how empty he could feel. Without her in his arms he suddenly felt so wrong. Everything told him to get up and go to her, to hold her and never let go…but he reminded himself once more that the needs of the many outweighed the wants of the few. Despite the truth in the thought it still didn't take away the empty feeling in his chest.

Not wanting to disturb Roy…or be tempted to be with him again, she went to the living room to sit and read a book. "I thought I left it on the coffee table." She said, thinking out loud. The book wasn't in the living room anywhere. 'I must have left it in my room…' she thought. She refused her craving to go back to her room and sat down on the couch. She stared at the little chess set on her coffee table. Riza thought back to when she got the chess set. She'd been 19 and had recently joined the military. Her grandfather had thought it'd be a good idea to teach her strategy. "Think ahead." He always told her, "Remember your goals, and think of a way to accomplish them…that is your best strategy…" 'Some strategy' she thought. No matter how many times she played him in chess she couldn't ever beat him. She took his 'strategy' too far and often thought too far ahead. Thinking that her queen would be taken and she wouldn't be able to protect her king, she'd protect her queen and then because she was trying to protect it she ended up leaving her King open for a check. Then naturally she'd try to protect the King and she'd have to sacrifice her queen…it just seemed she never could win. Suddenly her strategy in chess made her realize her mistakes in love. She'd been thinking too far ahead, trying desperately to protect her mind, hoping in the long run her mind would protect her heart. But in doing so she ended up leaving her heart open…and he just came in and put her heart in check.

Roy couldn't sleep. He could smell her scent all over the pillows and it only made him want her more. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face. 'No!' He protested. He was trying desperately to remind himself why he couldn't have a relationship with her, but now it seemed that he couldn't think of a reason. What had been his reason? Why had he tried to not get involved? Annoyed with his thoughts he got out of her bed and made his way into the living room. She was sitting on the couch staring at the chess set, lost in thought.

Roy's bare chest seemed to tighten just seeing her. Ignoring his chest he said, "You up for a game?"

His voice jarred her out of her memories and she turned to face him, "What?"

"A game of chess…" he said pointing at the set. "Do you want to play?"

"I thought you were going to sleep." She said scooting over on the couch.

He shook his head, "I couldn't sleep. Its funny…in the car I could barely keep my eyes open…I guess I'm too awake now." He said, taking a seat next to her. She shifted over a little more allowing him some extra room. It wasn't that he needed it, but she knew that she needed to keep her distance. He noticed she was uncomfortable and he tried to lighten the mood, "Are you scared you're going to lose lieutenant?" he flashed her that trademark smirk of his.

"No." she said, moving closer to the board…closer to him. She didn't have another chair, so they both had to play from the couch. Riza started to turn the board, but stopped. "Do you want to be black or white sir?"

"Black." He replied. They were back, safe behind their masks, trying to pretend that nothing had changed. She turned the board without a word and she made the first move. He made his opening gambit and they played back and forth for a few minutes without much conversation. Both of them were absorbed in the game and had temporarily forgotten their brush with change. Without either noticing they had both began to shift closer, in order to plan their strategies and see the board better.

Riza was a lot harder to beat than he expected. He'd never known her to really be a woman of strategy. She often preferred to tackle her problems head on…usually with a gun. She seemed to be holding back her pieces, trying to shield all of her more powerful pieces with pawns and rooks. It was costing her though. The more she tried to shield her powerful pieces the more small pieces she lost. Before long he'd taken all of her pawns, one of her bishops and both rooks.

Roy was really good at chess, but she wasn't surprised. He'd told her how he'd beat her grandfather at the game and she knew that if he'd beat her grandfather, he'd have no trouble beating her. While he was currently beating her, she had taken down a few of his more powerful pieces. He lost one rook, both bishops and his knight was in danger. His knights seemed to be his favorite pieces. He moved them and used them more often than any of the other pieces. The knights were as unpredictable as he was. Just as you thought you were safe, a knight would move in and take something else. Riza couldn't help but smile a bit, 'Mustang and his horses...the puns just keep coming…'

"What are you smiling at Lieutenant, your going to lose." Roy said.

"Just smiling at my next move." She said as she moved her knight to take one of his knights. She looked up from the board, expecting him to appear annoyed but instead of looking irritated he was smiling…well, smirking. 'He's got something up his sleeve…but what?' Riza looked at the board once more…appalled at her mistake. He'd set a trap for her and she'd fell for it. By moving her knight she'd just set an opening up for him to take her last bishop, and what was worse, was as soon as her bishop was out of the way, he'd have her king in check. As expected he took her bishop, "Check." He said, as if she didn't already know. "You surprise me Hawkeye, I didn't think you'd fall for that."

"Yes, well everyone makes mistakes sometimes," she countered. "At least I was able to take out one of your favorite pieces along the way."

"No you didn't." he replied.

She looked up from the board at him, "Yes I did. I just took one of your knights."

"I know," he replied, "But that's not my favorite piece. This…" he said as he picked up his queen, "is my favorite piece."

Somehow his selection didn't surprise her, the queen was the most powerful piece on the board and often used to win the game. "You always did love the ladies…" she said as she contemplated her next move. Roy smiled at the comment. "What about you?" he asked.

Riza's breath caught in her throat, "What about me?"

"What's your favorite piece?" he asked.

Riza almost let out a sigh…for a moment she'd actually thought he wanted to talk about what happened in her bedroom. She looked at the board for a moment and picked up her king. "This is my favorite piece."

Mustang looked a little confused. "But the king is such a helpless piece…you can't used it for anything."

"Only if you don't use it correctly. If you play the game just right it can surprise you. Besides it's the most powerful piece on the board…it's the one that decides the outcome of the game." She explained.

"I still say he's useless…if it weren't for the queen the king would easily be killed."

"Well if it weren't for the king then the queen wouldn't have a reason to live." Riza replied…suddenly they weren't talking about chess anymore. "Without him, she would probably just let herself be killed…she wouldn't have him to protect."

"If he was any kind of king at all he wouldn't have fallen in love with someone in his military…if he loved her he wouldn't make her protect him." Roy said, looking at the floor.

"So you're saying the king doesn't love her?" Riza asked her heart clenching. She almost hoped he'd say no…that the king didn't love her. Somehow, she thought maybe it would make ignoring her feelings easier.

"I didn't say he didn't love her…only that he shouldn't have fallen in love with someone in his military…you said yourself that she didn't have a reason to live if he was gone…she probably wouldn't feel that way if he hadn't fallen in love with her. If they'd just kept each other at arms length then if he were to be taken…then she wouldn't hurt so bad, she would still have a reason to carry on." It was getting a little strange talking to each other through the pieces, but somehow it was just easier to say these things if it wasn't really him saying it.

"They did keep each other at arms length…but they had a connection, they couldn't walk away from it." Riza said, trying to convince him that she protected him because she wanted to.

"I'm not saying that they should just walk away from what they have…all I'm saying is that the country should come first…he needs to get to the top and take care of everyone else first before they can fall in love…the needs of the many out weight the wants of the few…Hawkeye, as much as I-they want to, they have to take care of their responsibilities first."

"I know…I didn't say that they shouldn't take care of their responsibilities first…all I'm saying is that the Queen would follow the King to hell and back…whether he loved her or not. It doesn't matter if the king loves her, she loves him and she'll be hurt if he's taken, even if he doesn't love her."

"I just don't want you to hurt if I'm gone…" he said breaking their little game of parallels as he looked her in the eyes.

"It can't hurt much worse than this…" she said, he heart aching to be closer to him. Without a word he put his arm around her and held her close to his chest, quietly stroking her hair.

"I never wanted this to happen." He said, "I tried to keep you at arms length…I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not hurt." She said sitting up. "I'm a better person from knowing you. I love…my job." She said, narrowly avoiding saying something she would regret. The chess set caught her attention again, "It's my move, isn't it?"

He nodded. She understood his reasons…why they couldn't be together, and he understood her reasons for staying…things hadn't changed as much as either really wanted, but until he achieved his goal…they'd have to just keep playing the game.

side note, I know a few of you have been wondering if the last chapter was the end (obiviously it wasn't, but could have been) There are actually 18 chapters in all, so you guys have a little ways before the ending :)

Also, what just happened was that they just sort of agreed that they care about each other, but the country comes first. So they'll have to hold off until the country is taken care of :)