Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Some Kirstin/Havoc fluff. I think the story is going nicely, don't you? Thanks to DarkSahara and GHOSTplanetINC for the reviews! You have no idea how happy and surprised they made me...Anyway, onto the chapter!

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

"Idiot…does he think I sleep that heavily when I'm on guard duty?" she thought amusedly, partly in amazement, as she slid out of the bed early the next morning. "But…damn it, he's growing on me. I have to catch that bitch soon," Kirstin decided firmly, tiptoeing into the bathroom, shutting the door before turning on the light.

"You got up early," Havoc yawned as the sun came up, rubbing his eyes as he strode out of the bedroom. Kirstin looked up from the table where she was studying files as usual, and blinked.

"Oh. You're finally up," she commented, before returning to her files.

"What're you looking at now?" he asked, coming over to make coffee for himself.

"About the Black Widow, of course," Kirstin said matter-of-factly, flipping over a page. "This is all the data I've collected about her over the years. It doesn't matter how many times I read it, though! It's all the same, and I can't find anything helpful!"

Havoc blinked in surprise at the sudden show of temper before something registered in his mind. "Wait, several years? I thought this was only going on for a few months."

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, and slammed the files shut.

"Hey, I think we may as well be in the clear with each other, if we're going to get along, right?" Havoc pressed, taking her arm in his grip as she tried to stand up and leave. She turned to him, her look one of surprise, before jerking her arm away and sighing.

"Mustang was told by Armstrong," she began, sitting down along with him. "Armstrong discovered it while the homunculis Pride was still Fuher and he was working with Archer. I was under Archer's command during that period, and my abilities came in handy for concealment of less-than-scrupulous items."

"So…you were on clean-up duty?" Havoc asked, and she shrugged.

"Well, a little of all, actually. Guard was what I was best at, and I was assigned to guard one particular item right before the war ended," she told him. "Archer, along with Shou Tucker, was experimenting with stray Alchemists and their different powers, trying to find easier ways to incorporate the Philosopher's Stone with an Alchemist. Archer would lure some in with promises of military positions, while Tucker did the rest. To sum it up, they were experimenting on humans – if the Alchemists were lucky, they were turned in chimeras or killed outright."

"Damn."

"Well, they finally made a breakthrough with a certain woman," Kirstin continued. "Her power was an unusual one to begin with, but it was horrific once paired with a Stone. Archer and Tucker molded a Stone to her body while she was in-stasis in a containment center, held by alchemic seals created by me. It was the only success they ever had – and she escaped during a raid the military executed on the hideout after the Fuher was deposed. In the subsequent investigations, Armstrong discovered my part in the whole damn mess and offered me a deal. He'd keep me from a hearing and sentence if I agreed to spend my time tracking and hunting her down. Once she's caught, he agreed to discharge me from the military and set me up far from the State."

"And the Black Widow – Sarena, is that woman," Havoc finished, and she nodded.

"That's why I was transferred to this division – I needed to follow her steps. And now she's after you, and I'm going to use you as bait to lure her out," Kirstin suddenly smiled at him, and he gulped. She abruptly stood up and left the room, taking her papers with her, and he frowned over his coffee.

"Something wasn't right when she mentioned that woman," he thought. "Why would they use another Alchemist, a potential threat, to guard an experiment like that?"

"She'll kill again in the meantime, of course," Kirstin said calmly, sitting in front of Mustang's desk with her legs crossed. "But it's a matter of pride for her. She refuses to live with the fact that anyone who knows her true form remains alive. Which is why Havoc is the perfect bait for us. I'm bait as well, in a way. She hates me for those experiments, and she'll kill anyone or anything she thinks is close to me. Which is why it's stupid to let him near me."

"I thought that was coming," Mustang nodded in self-satisfaction, and she grimaced. "Two reasons Havoc is bait: she thinks he's close and means something to you, and he saw her form. For that reason alone, you can't afford to leave him alone or you'll miss this chance. It took you almost a month – using up the military's resources, I might add – to track her down from the last area, and we don't need you to lose her again."

"I understand, sir," she muttered, standing up stiffly. "I have a job to do, sir. If you'll excuse me."

"Of course," he smirked and waved her out, watching in amusement as she stalked out. "I wonder if they'll name it after me…?"

"What's the matter now?" Riza asked patiently, noticing Kirstin's posture. "You'll never get anywhere if you keep fighting him like that. He'll decide to send you back to Armstrong and not help you."

"I don't want his help!" Kirstin hissed, glaring at the woman. "You're the one in love with him, not – me! So back off and let me alone, Riza."

"If that's what you want," she replied calmly, not even flinching when the door slammed.

"She's certainly got a temper, doesn't she?" Havoc commented – this time causing Riza to start in surprise.

"You!" she stammered, and he blinked.

"I thought you knew I was here," he complained, and then shrugged. "Oh well. I think I'll let her go cool off for a while, or she'll just snap at me like usual. What a handful…"

"You love her, don't you?" Riza asked quietly, and Havoc's jaw dropped to the floor. He took a step forward, his boot heel crushing the cigarette that had dropped to the floor.

"Wh-wha-what?" he demanded, reeling in shock. "How the hell did ya come up with that, Hawkeye?"

"It's obvious in your manner, Major," she informed him, standing from picking up papers that had drifted to the ground when Kirstin had slammed the door.

"You're crazy!" he stammered, crossing his arms in protest. "There's no way I am! She's a pain in my ass and nasty as hell. All she does is snap at me and glare. Never a kind word or warm touch…"

"Now you're just a pervert," she sighed, and looked at him sternly. "I've known the Lieutenant Colonel – Shadow Alchemist," she corrected herself. "No ranks can change an Alchemist's way of thinking. Well, not most. Anyway, I've known the Shadow Alchemist since she joined the military. Not well, but enough to figure her out a bit. You may not think so, but she's actually quite mellow around you, Major."

"Mellow?" he repeated in disbelief. "That witch?"

"That witch was just in that office requesting to be transferred again to lure the Black Widow away from you," Riza told him sharply. "She's not a block of ice, Major. Any human being has basic needs – and one of those is to be loved, and to love in return."

Havoc was left speechless as the woman glided out of the room, and groaned.

"Now three scorned women – I think I'm gonna die soon if this keeps up," he muttered, shuffling out to the hallway.

"What took you?" Kirstin demanded, glaring at Havoc as he made it to the car. "I need to go over across town to Brigadier General Carbora's headquarters to pick up some things. Get a move on."

"Sure, sure," he nodded in defeat, and started the car as she buckled the seatbelt. Eyeing her sideways as he pulled out of the space, Riza's words ran through his mind as Kirstin ignored him, staring out the window.

"To be loved, and to love in return, huh?" he thought, and shrugged to himself. "I find it hard to believe about this chick, no matter what the Lieutenant Colonel says."

"What?" she huffed, noticing his gaze.

"N-nothing!" he stammered, quickly turning his eyes to the road. She peered at him suspiciously for a moment before shrugging and returning her attention to the people they passed on the street. "Maybe if I keep my mouth shut she won't find a reason to go off on her own again."

"Thanks. I'll drop by later in the week if I need anything further," Kirstin nodded briefly to the colonel who had met her before turning back to the car, where Havoc was waiting after refusing to leave it. "I'm done now," she told him, sliding into the car. "I needed to pick up some photographs they were unable to ship quick enough, as well as some more detailed reports that had been gathered late."

"Good," Havoc replied shortly, starting the car. Kirstin blinked at his sudden change in attitude, and paused in thought before grinning darkly at him.

"You can stop sulking now," she informed him. "I don't know why you are, but it's pretty obvious."

Havoc remained silent, and she frowned at him in frustration.

"Hmm…hey, I know!" she suggested, and her lighthearted tone made him suspicious. "Why don't we take the rest of the day off and go out around town or something?"

"What?" he managed, and stared at her. "Can't we get in trouble for that?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "I'm part of the investigation unit now – I go where I go, and it's nobody's business but my own. And Mustang's, but he won't do anything," she added as an afterthought. "And since you're my driver, I'll deal with anything if it comes up."

"You're up to something, aren't you?" he guessed, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at her. She blinked, taken aback, before shaking her head.

"Gee, do I really come across as much of a bitch as that?" she asked, not sounding very surprised. "I guess it's to be expected," she told herself, before looking around. "Hey, you make me nervous when you're not acting like an idiot. Besides, who's gonna lighten the mood if you're sulking? I can't."

"Huh?"

"So, it's agreed!" she smiled at him, and he was aware of a tightening in his chest.

"All right," he agreed reluctantly, still a bit suspicious.

"Good," she nodded, and settled back in her seat. "Let's go back to the apartment and change before going out. I'm tired of wearing this damn uniform. And we can't have much fun in them, after all."

"I've never seen you out of uniform," Kirstin commented, waiting for him by the door.

"I thought women were supposed to take longer to change," he laughed nervously, dressed in light jeans, boots, and an unbuttoned red dress shirt over a tight black T-shirt. Taking a moment to straighten his shirt, he paused at seeing her in normal clothes as well. "I haven't seen you out of uniform either," he said, after a moment's silence. "I was thinking they were glued to your body or something."

"Very funny," she glared at him, wearing heeled boots, fitted dark jeans that flared out slightly at the bottom, and a light black jacket over a snug pastel-green T-shirt with a loosely folded collar. "I bet you know all the good bars," she continued, locking the door behind them.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, trying for an innocent tone. She merely raised her eyebrow at him in amusement and strode to the car.

"Come on!" she called, and he shook himself, still unused to this new side of his superior he had never seen before.

"You don't get drunk, do you?" Havoc asked in amazement several hours later, as darkness fell around them.

"Nope – never have," she grinned. "I've drunk men under the table. I just handle alcohol well."

"I'll say," he shook his head in disbelief, and glanced around as they walked through the night-covered streets. "I can't believe the car broke down. Damn cheap piece of crap."

"I'll get Mustang to pay for the repairs – or for a new one, whichever he decides is cheaper," Kirstin added dryly. The streets were deserted, due to the chill in the air, and the silence only added to the ominous feeling Havoc was suddenly feeling.

"Is everything all right?" he began, before Kirstin whirled around and thrust her hands forward. A twisting rope of black shot from her palms, and wrapped themselves around something in the alley nearby. "What the hell –?" he managed, as her alchemy returned, dragging a young man along with it.

"He's under her spell," she said calmly, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Got a gun on you?"

"Always do," he nodded, pulling it out from under his shirt. "Why?"

"We're surrounded," she informed him, pressing her back against his. "She's attacking using these civilians as puppets. I can use my alchemy to blind them, but you'll have to take them out."

"You mean – kill them?" he asked in surprise, and she huffed.

"No! Just wound them so they can't get back up again," she clarified, before abruptly turning her attention to her front. "Now!"

"Got it!" Havoc nodded, and ducked as a wave of blackness enveloped them. Staying low and underneath the spell, he shot several in the legs, dropping them to ground. Once they were wounded, the Black Widow seemed to drop her spell and concentrate on the ones left.

"Damn it!" Kirstin swore, kicking sideways and hitting one in the groin. "These bastards! What I wouldn't give to be able to see her!"

"I know how you hate to be blind, little sister," a voice laughed nastily, and Kirstin froze to the ground.

"You bitch!"

"Still as stubborn," Sarena said casually, dropping to the ground in front of them. Straightening, she smirked at Kirstin. "I would have thought our last encounter would have humbled you a bit, but apparently not."

"Shove it," Kirstin hissed, and Sarena easily dodged her attack.

"You know that can't hurt me," she admonished the other woman, and suddenly turned her attention to Havoc, who was off to one side. "Now – he, on the other hand…"

"Don't you dare!" Kirstin cried, rushing forward the same moment the other woman did. Havoc braced himself for the impact, but opened his eyes in surprise when he heard a grunt and landed on his back with Kirstin on top of him.

"How noble."

"I said…I'd take you down, even if it meant me too," Kirstin panted, sitting upright on his abdomen with obvious effort. Taking in the scene in a glance, Havoc realized in shock that Kirstin's side was covered in blood, and a hole the size of a small melon was in her clothing. "You damn bitch…I can't believe you accessed more power."

"It's all thanks to you!" Sarena laughed mockingly. "I got to thinking – if my dear baby sister has powers like those, maybe I do too! I am superior, after all. And low and behold – the boost I received thanks to you enables me to use the energy I suck from men and turn it into a physical killing force. Like it?"

"Lovely," Kirstin laughed wryly, staggering to her feet. Her arm on her wounded side hung limply, apparently affected by the blast as well, while the other hand clutched at her side, vainly trying to stop the dripping blood seeping out of her body. A puddle began to form at her feet, widening by the second. Standing in her own blood, the Shadow Alchemist glared at the other woman and braced herself to attack.

"You're not really going to attack me!" Sarena said, with a short laugh. "It's no fun at all to beat you when you're in this kind of condition. If you had merely let that man take the blow, both of your miseries would be over – there wouldn't be any reason for me to stick around any longer. Well, I suppose I'll have to save the remainder of my power for when you're healed enough to appreciate it. Until then!"

"Get back…here, you little…bitch…" Kirstin panted, and suddenly collapsed. Havoc rushed forward and caught her before she landed on the stone, and found himself kneeling in her blood.

"Damn it…" he shook his head, looking around anxiously. "Where the hell is everyone? Didn't that attract anyone's attention?"

"Havoc!" Feury called, running toward them. Havoc's jaw dropped in surprise, and went even lower when he saw Falman and Breda behind the pudgy officer.

"You guys?"

"Mustang told us to keep an eye on you," Falman said calmly, assessing the damage in his usual calm manner. "It seems he won the bet. Damn it."

"Oh, get over it," Breda sighed heavily, before turning his attention back to the problem at hand. "Feury called for a cab when we heard gunfire. We'll take care of things for now – Falman'll take a report from ya both later. For now, we gotta get you two to a hospital to get looked at."

Yep, Mustang won the bet! They - albeit inadvertantly - went on a date! Now, more mysteries will be revealed. Please review!