She understood what was going to happen; after all they hadn't known each other for this long for nothing. He was guilty and guilt pushed him this far; to lose an eye and his will to perform flame alchemy. She was his loyal subordinate; his friend and possibly more than that, and it was more painful to see him hurt; mentally.

That night was a very windy one; she returned from the store down the street to buy some fruit tart for him to enjoy, seeing that he had been trapped unwilling within the walls of his home; unable to move due to his injuries, she knew that this would be good enough to cheer him up.

She entered the house which was noiseless; the fruit tart was left on the table as she went upstairs to get him. It was at his door where she heard voices from beyond it; an old man was speaking agitatedly positively growling at his listener. She could not interrupt them; it was not right to eavesdrop either so she was about to leave when she heard the old man screaming "What about my granddaughter?" She had only one grandfather; her mother's father- a person she wasn't very close with that shared a blood bond with her. After the outburst; he began to speak in a tone as though he was very tired. "I will apologize to her personally, I promise." A moment of silence…

The door opened so suddenly; it was sure she could not hide herself in time. And true enough; the old man was standing at the door with his mouth wide open- not expecting her to return so soon. She saluted to him since he was the head of parliament; he waved it down and pushed her inside the room not hearing to any resistance. She stood there between her grandfather and him; it took a very long time before one of them decided to speak. "Tell her, what you told me earlier." She had never heard her grandfather speak this icy cold, what could have happened? She looked to him for answers; the man who was propped up on the bed spoke slowly, "I am leaving for the north; to become a normal soldier."

The words hit her heart; as though an arrow went through it. It was a horrible feeling; she stared into his dark and piercing eyes which were telling her that he wasn't fooling around or cracking a very un-funny joke. Her grandfather said in the harshest tone ever "So you are leaving her and your subordinates behind? How can you make such a decision like this? What about Ri…" She glared at her grandfather and cut into his words; "Please don't continue, Gran." She implored desperately; however the old man carried on regardless "Riza?" he emphasized heavily. He looked at her but she tried to look above his shoulders; She did not know how to face him, in her heart she knew that he would make a decision such as this but another part of her is wishing that he wouldn't go this far.

"Answer me, Roy. What are you going to do about her?" This was when she had to interrupt again; she stood in between the two men and set her gaze on her grandfather. "Gran, please don't talk further, this is alright. I already knew his decisions a long time ago and I accept it as his subordinate." She stated firmly though the last few words may have been a lie however she must settle this matter herself. "You silly girl; I am trying to get you a future…" She shook her head though slightly blushed that she was called a girl. She placed her cold hand over her grandfather's; "Can you leave the both of us alone?" The old man wanted to speak more but that face she was having over her face convinced him that he should retreat for now. Gran closed the door behind him all the way muttering under his breath "The silly and the dumb."

They were finally left alone; she turned to the patient on the bed. Their eyes caught each other for a brief moment and left; "So do you really want to go?" she asked; as calmly and resolute as she could. The answer she got was exactly how she imagined it. She breathed slowly, "Okay, but I have a small request. Is that alright with you?" those honey colored eyes seemed to have died but they were still alive, he nodded in agreement.

The man wanted to say something more; but was stopped by her words. "I know what you are going to say, so just don't say it." She had to be brave; she couldn't succumb to such weakness not now, not here at least. Mustering all her courage, she gave a false smile; "I bought some fruit tart for you, they are down stairs on the table." The man was about to remove his blankets in order to move to where his food was when, she piped up; "It is okay, I will get it for you. You stay here" with those words, she rushed out of the room. Her feelings were mixed; it was aching and it was crying. It was also relieved. She paused at the top of the stairs; "Gran…" she called to the quiet old man sitting on the table who raised his head a little when he heard her voice. She approached his side; "Don't worry about me" she said simply; the old man had to obey her wishes.

She had not much intention to return to his room; feeling sick in her gut. Her grandfather took her place to deliver the fruit tarts upstairs. However when the man left her view; she grabbed her sling bag and dashed out of the house.

No matter how cold the wind was out there; it can never be as cold as how she was feeling now.

/-/-/-/-/

She was thinking about the cold; when a blanket of warmness covered her body. The change in temperature woke her up; she was dreaming all this while, there was no house and there was no wind. She blinked a couple of times; her vision clearing up slowly. Her head felt heavy; did she catch a cold from somewhere? It felt as though, someone had placed lead in her head, focusing was a problem, though nonetheless her hearing was as good as ever.

"She is awake!" The sound of that name brought her back from giddy land a little, a tall man approached her, she could see his dark hair and the familiar smell of his cologne is enough for her to tell who that person was.

She felt her hair being brushed aside gently, a hand with gloves was patting her head. "Lieutenant, are you feeling alright?" His head was quite near hers; the blur had disappeared. She was indeed looking into those dark eyes she knew too well; "Sir…" her voice was so crackly; as though she had been ill with a sore throat for many days. He smiled at her; "I am not a sir anymore, so just call me by name; won't you?" She rubbed her eyes slowly; she knew very well that he would always a position higher than her; there was no way she was dropping formalities with a person she knew for this long.

"That is not possible; the lieutenant will never call you by name!" a person laughed from behind him; that voice and tone was of the second lieutenant. "You have been smoking again…" she whispered- or tried to. Sure enough the putrid smell of cigar reached her nose and everyone else's. The man with his famous orange hair and cannot-be-controlled-face appeared in her view; he grinned at her and half saluted. "Sorry about the smell though." She pulled off a smile, a request to her facial muscles which felt as though they were badly stung. Stung is a good word- she was indeed stung by a vicious man, slapped for no apparent reason; the memories floated to her being. "Where is General Gran?" her words were able to send the grins off the two men faces running into the distance. She looked at Roy suspiciously; He was the one who saved her and probably the person who sent her to the hospital. Could he have done something to the general?

Noticing the questioning look on his lieutenant face, he spoke quickly. "That person is fine; I didn't burn him into crisp though." It was obvious enough that he wanted so much to burn him up so badly that even his own mirror wouldn't recognizing him however his first thoughts was to get the lieutenant to a doctor, everything else did not matter.

She heaved a sigh of relief; He had not done anything reckless; Thank goodness. Second lieutenant Havoc settled into the chair; and Roy followed suit. He sat in the chair closest to her; Riza gave herself a few minutes to examine her own body properly. The scars, wounds and cuts were healing properly; the red marks on her neck should be receding soon; everything seemed to be fine except the pain in her head. She placed her hands on the most recent burn scars on her arm, a few unwanted memories flashed past through her mind. The reason for these; I need to tell someone as soon as possible. She gazed into his eyes; but whatever she tried to say was stopped by an unprompted timing.

The door slide open violently; it felt as though a monster was entering into their room. It was the hands at the door which made Riza cringe; and the rest of the general rejoined with his hands. He stepped in and slides the door close; a darkened feeling that she was trapped in a small room with that person rose steadily within her.

The general cold eyes glare without blinking at the lieutenant resting on the bed; Riza recoiled slightly. The atmosphere was tensed; Roy and Havoc and jumped from their seats to salute him but he gave no impression that he wanted to acknowledge the two. He continued to glare menacingly at her; it was those eyes that she saw and what they were looking at that made the chills run down her spine.

"You saw those papers I left on the table; didn't you?"

"No, sir, I did not."

"You little slut; lying through your teeth again."

"With all due respect, sir, I had not seen any papers left on the table."

"My, I wonder if your previous superior had any idea that you were such a great liar. Maybe he is too stupid to notice your impudence…"

"He isn't stupid! And you are the one who had been lying all this while!"

"You will suffer for your rudeness, woman. Come to my room later."

The same menacing stare he gave her at that moment was exactly the same as now. She had received her punishment for talking back to the general which was boiling water poured over the skin of her arms; however that was not the reason for her to be worried or scared about, she had to tell someone about what she had seen.

Though it was just a simple fear injecting sentence was enough to kick her intentions to the depths of the sea; "I will kill everyone who knows about the contents of the papers; if your colleagues hear even a single word about it, I swear they would not live to the next day. And if Roy Mustang hears about it…you can be sure he will die within the next few minutes." He had pinned her to the wall when he whispers such cold threats into her ears and more importantly into her soul. Her skull had numbed due to both his crush on her windpipe and the deep fear of losing them. Her friends and him; she was released from his grasp seconds later; it was obvious that he had saw her most delicate and important fears. For he went away laughing in delight; all the way…calling her a pathetic rag.

Presently; the general had taken notice of the other two soldiers in the same room as he was; he merely muttered- at ease- beneath his breath; there was no at ease from this man. He gave a hearty slap on Mustang back and shoves havoc aside, he approached the lieutenant. Riza caught Roy's worried gaze however she glance back with a transparent message- don't do anything-.

"Come back to work tomorrow, and drop this sickening act." He spat with a poisonous tongue.

"Yes, sir." She replied without hesitating; which caused Roy to gape at her incredulously. He was about to speak when he was given a painful jab in the ribs by Havoc- requesting painfully for him not to speak.

The general left the room soon after; leaving Roy, Havoc and Riza looking awkwardly at each other.

"Why did you say yes?" asked Roy impatiently

"Because I can't say No." replied Riza fairly calmly.

"But you are ill and injured, you can't possibly return to work in this state." Injected in by havoc.

"You heard the general, it was an order." Riza spoke though this time softer.

"An order like that; you don't have to obey!" this time Roy seemed to have the rage up slightly; he was glaring at his lieutenant hoping that his words could make her stay in the hospital.

"Sir, you know better than me that I can't refuse an order!" Riza sighs; there was no way she can ever call Roy by his name. It just comes to her mouth so easily…

"He is hurting you all this while; why won't you stop him? You can shoot him…" the last few words was wrong, Roy could tell; his lieutenant had shot a warning glare. But he had to continue; "You can shoot him." He emphasized.

A moment of silence.

"Do you really think I would scoop that low? Sir?" her voice was trembling slightly. She refused to look at either of them; she kept her gaze on the edge of her blankets.

"But he had hurt you, very badly. I can't believe you are letting him do it!" Roy rebutted her, and the wrong move made her for the first time; truly irritated at Roy.

"You have hurt me too; but I let you go didn't I?"

"That is different!"

"It is NOT! I am doing what he says for the sake of others."

"Erm…excuse me, what are you guys talking about here?" Havoc butted into the conversation unwittingly.

"Are you hiding things from us?" Roy questioned her seriously ignoring Havoc; there was something wrong within her own sentences; why would she do this for the sake of others? It was not like her to say such a thing; the truth…

"No. I am not." Riza ended simply…though…in her heart, it was bursting with slight joy, and he had understood her clues well.

"I am red, to prevent white." She said carefully and slowly; with this, Roy stood up and pulled Havoc along with him out to the corridor…

/-/-/-/-/

A few minutes later; Roy was strolling silently down the street with Havoc by his side; he did not answer to any of Havoc questions ever since leaving the hospital. In his mind; her words were clear as crystal; he understood the meaning very well… she is a prisoner to prevent deaths…that was her meaning. It didn't take him long to understand, after all, they had discussed about the red and the white before.

Lieutenant, wait for me. I will figure it out; everything.