'Ello, loves. So, I'm sorry about that "three day" delay, which turned out to be about…um three-ish weeks, eh? My excuse I moved for college, thinking my internet would follow, and low and behold, nay, it did not. So then, I was like, fine, I'll buy internet for my new apartment. Then the computer craps out on me. So then I had to buy a new laptop. So, I got the laptop, which got back ordered, and the internet just took forever to ship because the world hates me. Also, my new laptop has the new Windows Vista on it, and I have no idea how to use it. All I wanna do is use Microsoft word, not a clue how it works. We're lucky I figured out this much. Now that you know my diary for the week, I can get to the chapter, right. If you've been following along with the music, which I hope you would, today's song is by She Wants Revenge, quite possibly one of my new favorite bands. Today's song, Red Flags and Long Nights great song. However, I suggest listening to any of their songs. Do so, or I refuse to write anymore :P, kidding, but give it a listen, I promise you'll like it. I speed edited this puppy so if there are any huge errors in grammar or spelling, please send them to me in the comment or whatever so I can fix them.

"Sick of trying to find a way inside / Sick and tired of all the after / Sick of trying to find a way to slide / Even though it always ends in laughter
Jean Havoc's Apartment, Munich
Jean had pissed his fiancé off before, but nothing like this. And now, he faced the night alone. He was pressed on top of his sheets staring at the ceiling, waiting for the familiar sound of bare feet creeping along the hardwood floor. But it never came. He waited for the tune of the door knob slowly turning and squeaking as it allowed entrance for his night mistress. But it never came. And he waited for a warm body to crawl under the sheets to warm his cold bare skin. But it never came.

She was angry, and it was obvious. He was to blame, of that he was sure, but it didn't put to rest the feeling of emptiness that sat in the pit of his stomach. Jean's mind could only replay the afternoon that led up to his lonesome evening:

"Jean, I'm sorry! What do you want me to do, beg!? I just got out of the hospital, my head's not on straight, I'm sorry," Riza pleaded in desperation with her arms leaned against his desk.

Jean let out a deep sigh and looked into her eyes. The amber orbs were filled with misery and anguish, but most of all, truth. But his mind would not be appeased so easily, "Just tell me who he is."

Riza let her chin fall to her chest. If only she knew. "I don't know who he is." Jean pulled out a fountain pen and began stamping his signature on the dozens of files that littered his desk. "Jean…" His eyes never met hers. He just kept signing away. A single tear drop dove from the tip of her eye lash and splashed silently on the oak of her fiancé's desk. "Jean…JeanJean!!! Dammit, speak to me, Jean."

Without setting down his pen, he replied, "What else is there to say, Elizabeth?" That was all he had to say. Jean only called her by her legal first name when he was really upset or when he was addressing her in front of her father, and her dad wasn't in the room. "I think I've got the gist of it, you slept with some random guy and then you called his name during sex. Isn't that right?"

"Pretty much…I mean, no! You don't understand, why can't you just trust me."

"Fine," Jean began, "you're under a lot of stress?" Riza nodded. "You want me to understand the pressure you're under?" Riza again nodded. "Fine, take some leave time."

"No, no, I don't want to be on leave. I need to stay here. The German military needs…"

Jean reached up and ripped Riza's dog tag from her neck. He grazed his thumb over the engraved lettering, "The German Military is strong enough to survive without one woman." Riza could hear the disdain that dripped from the word 'woman.' She had an attraction to arrogance, an d Jean's sexist mindset was one of the things that drew her in, but now she only felt insulted. "And if my vote of confidence on behalf of Germany isn't enough for you, than consider it an order. You're dismissed."

"Fine."

He knew he should have said some different things. Mainly, he shouldn't have insulted her intelligence or challenged her fidelity, but he was a man who felt betrayed, and though he was alone and hated it, the feeling of treachery wasn't wearing off.

It's never hard to tell when things are done / She looked into my eyes and a voice said run
The Elric's Home, Munich
"Brother," Alphonse started as he followed devotedly behind his older brother, "why didn't you tell Hawkeye about Colonel Mustang?"

"Al, think about it, if you were some vulnerable woman whose only real memory of a guy is happy, do you think you'd wanna hear how this guy treated you like crap on a daily basis." There was a hint of anger in Edward's tone. He never liked the Colonel, but he disliked even more the way Roy treated Riza. If Roy truly was in love with Riza Hawkeye like he said he was, he had a funny way of showing it.

Edward threw himself on his bed and untied his tie. He longed for his red trench coat and his black leather wardrobe. He didn't like all of this superfluous layering that 20th century Germany required. Undershirt, blouse, tie, vest, dress coat, overcoat, it was all so silly. Ugh, and they way some of the women dressed! If a woman ever caught fire in this day and age, she'd have a lot of trouble getting disrobed. He felt suffocated knowing that if he had to snap into action, he couldn't simply rip off his sleeve and access his automail.

"Ed, I know you hate the Colonel, but a promise is a promise."

Edward felt his pillow wrap around the back of his head as his mind drifted back to that day so long ago…

Ed and Al had just arrived in Central from Risembool. Riza had escorted them, and both Ed and Al had to admit the change in company was nice. Armstrong was entertaining, but sometimes it was nice to just sit and listen to the sound of the train.

The brothers sat in Roy's office waiting for the Colonel to arrive. Ed's eyes darted from the window, to the desk, to his brother beside him, to Hawkeye. How could she just sit there? Ed was seventeen, and he had to admit that he was beginning to see Riza Hawkeye in a new light. She wasn't as matronly. The way stray strands of her golden hair cascaded down her neck wasn't unkempt anymore, it was sultry. When his eyes would fall on her, they sometimes would linger. Edward wondered if she noticed.

Finally, the muffled sound of Al's voice from inside his suit of armor broke the silence, "What are you reading, Ms. Hawkeye?"

"It's alright if you men call me Riza." Al always enjoyed how Riza held a soft spot for him and his brother. The whole military was against them, but Riza Hawkeye was always looking after them, even more so after Hughes' death. And Ed always enjoyed the way she referred to them as men. Roy always called them boys or kids, and sometimes, much to Ed's dismay, small fries. But Riza recognized their maturity and treated them as equals. "It's the report the Colonel sent me off with." The mere mention of Roy Mustang's title caused Edward to roll his eyes and let out a light 'pff.' "Is something wrong, Edward?"

"How do you let yourself get bossed around by that guy? You're a way better soldier than he is. You're smarter than he is. All he ever does is throw his work onto your lap, treat you like a throw rug, and use you as a human shield out on the battle field."

After hearing all Ed had to rant about, Riza slammed the file shut and put on the desk. Slowly she tilted her head toward Edward, thinking hard about how to phrase her reply. "I know it seems like Roy's well…a hardass, but someone has to be the spine in our group. Some of the men are the heart, some are the brains, some are the eyes. I'm just skin." Riza laughed at her awful wording. She could tell from Edward's expression that her little metaphor wasn't doing much for him. "I protect and cover the spine because if the spine failed, we'd all just fall apart. You guys are the hands. You're getting the stuff done."

"There has to be something more than duty, Ms. Hawk…I mean…Riza," Al said shyly.

"I hope there's something more than duty," Riza stated with a slight laugh. "Listen, if you're not fighting for somebody then what's the point? I have my reasons. There's someone out there that I fight for."

With his arms folded across his chest, Ed let out a deep sigh, "I hope you're not speaking of the colonel, Riza."

Riza's cheeks instantly turned an embarrassing shade of crimson, but before she could deny his allegations, the door slammed open.

"Riza, I'm going to need some alone time with our friends here. I left you a stack of paper work out there. See that it gets done within the…now." She could see Edward's disapproval, but she knew that Roy had a lot on his mind right now. She didn't mind that he was short with her. It was his response to pressure. Riza liked being reassured that he still felt normal human emotion.

"Like I said Hawkeye, I hope you weren't speaking of the colonel," said Edward after Hawkeye saluted. She exited with his comment still ringing in her head. Why had she come back? A part of her knew she really did have something to prove to Roy, but could it be that she still held adoration for him? Was she really protecting him? Or was she trying to prove that she was bigger than he was? How petty, competing with a man who doesn't even know he's in competition, and what's worse, she was losing.

Roy waiting for the door to click shut before he brought his attention back to the brothers. "Well, let's get straight to the point. This homunculus business is getting on my last nerve."

"Why don't you just have Hawkeye take care of it then? That's what you're good at." A cocked eyebrow was all Roy could muster to use as response to Ed's off the wall comment. "For some reason she thinks you're worth protecting. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Roy had to physically escape the situation at hand. Ed wasn't the first to bring the case of Riza Hawkeye to his door. There had been others claiming the same things: You're so cruel, you're so callous, you're so fake…But Roy knew his reasons, and if telling Full Metal was the only way to get it out in the open, then so be it. He couldn't look Edward in the eye as he spoke. The thought of letting someone that far into his soul was just too sickening. Instead, he faced the window, trying hard to block out the image of his reflection, the face of a true coward. "She cares about me, and I don't deserve it. But if it makes her happy knowing that she's my go to woman, then I will go to her, for everything…no matter how big…no matter how small."

"But doesn't it bother you that you're putting her in harm's way for your safety?"

"There's no place else she'd rather be. Do me a favor, Edward," Roy whispered as he sluggishly turned his head to face the brothers, "when you can, make sure she's always taken care of. And if she ever wonders if I love her…tell her."

"I promise."

She says that I'm a mess / But it's all right / Whether it's two weeks / Two years / Or just tonight

Hughes' Residence
Gracia set down the rest of the dishes on the long oak table as Maes set up Elysia's booster seat for her. Happily, Elysia Hughes climbed her way up the chair and sat patiently in her plastic booster seat. Maes took his spot next to his wife and waited for her to join them. He looked across the table at his daughter's curious eyes. He could see her imagination working overtime. He wondered what went on in that strange mind of hers.

"Elysia, what did you do today?" Hughes asked his daughter.

Elysia's eyes immediately lit up. The sound of her name was always exciting to her. Usually the grownups talked amongst themselves, but, on occasion, they spoke to her, always making sure to say her name first. This alerted her that she was about to speak to an adult. "Well, daddy, I answered the phone today."

"Is that so?" Maes questioned with faux amazement. He loved how the most mundane of tasked seemed so monumental to his daughter.

"You know who it was, daddy?" Maes shook his head. "It was Kerny Musty."

Maes turned his head to his wife, signaling Elysia that it was the grownup's time to talk, "Roy called? Why didn't you tell me? Was it important?"

Gracia rolled her eyes and served her husband a plate full of potatoes and chicken. "We'll never know. He hung up. I assume it was because of Elysia's ramblings."

"Elysia, what did you tell him?"

Elysia shoveled a fork full of potatoes into her mouth and spat out debris as she replied to her daddy's question, "I asked the Kerny why him and Hawky weren't visiting me no more. Then he said, 'Who's Hawky?'" Elysia used a deeper voice when she mimicked Roy. "And I told him that she was the girl with yellow hair who was always fallowing him around with a gun and bossing him around. Like mommy does to you. But he still was confoozed. So I said, Musty, how can you not know who Reezzzzzza Hawky is? Don't you loooooove her? Daddy said you loooooooove her. Then the meany hung up on me. Then I told mommy and mommy got mad."

"Do you remember why mommy got so mad?" Gracia said, giving Elysia a stern look.

"Mommy said I was being a liar, and that lying was bad. But I know that. But I wasn't lying. I heard you say that, daddy. You believe me, don't you?"

Maes was stuck in one of the worst possible situations: to be the dad, or to be the husband. Being loyal to his wife was of the utmost importance, but he couldn't just call his daughter a liar. "Well, sweetie, daddy has said so many things in his life, it's hard for him to keep track of some of the stuff he says. So maybe I did say that, and I just don't remember." Gracia was obviously not satisfied with his answer. "Did Mustang say where he was?"

Elysia thought long and hard. All the muscles in her face scrunched together tightly in an attempt to push the thoughts in her brain closer together. "He said something about being at some Hawky house in the country. I dunno, he wasn't making much sense. When I picked up the phone he started screaming stuff like, 'Maaaaaaezzzzzz, I need you to get your butt out here. There's something really weeeeeeeird going on out here.'"

"Elysia, did Mustang really say that?"

"I dunno, it was something like that. I might be parrot phrases," Elysia said coyly.

"Parrot phrases?" Hughes asked.

"Mommy taught me that word, it's when you say something cuz you're trying to 'member what someone else said, but you can't really 'member so you say all the stuffs you can 'member. You know, parrot phrases."

Gracia nudged Maes while smirking, "Paraphrasing."

Maes sat his napkin down and excused himself. "Well, I'd hate to cut this meal short, ladies, but I've got to track down the Fuhrer. I'm a little worried about all this." A light kiss was placed atop the head of each of his girls. "Gracia, you wanna wrap this up for me and I'll finish later?"

You can occupy my every sigh / You can rent a space inside my mind / At least until the price becomes too high
Central Headquarters
The bone chilling sound of the phone ringing was just surprising enough to wake Havoc from his blissful sleep atop his mountain of paperwork. He quickly began where he left off by lighting another cigarette while grabbing the receiver. "Central Headquarters, Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc."

Before Hughes could get out his words, a voice that seemed to come from nowhere jumped from his lips, "Havoc? Jean Havoc? Boy am I glad to hear you. Tell me, is Gracia alright?"

Havoc ran his fingers through his hair and scrunched his face. He had slept through a lot of things in his life, but what the hell was Hughes talking about? "I dunno, Hughes, why don't you tell me? She's your wife"

Maes cleared his throat wildly while trying his hardest to block out the screaming thoughts in his head. Gracia! My Gracia! Tell her I'm alive! I don't know where I am but I'm alive! He could hear his mind demanding him to tell Havoc, but he wouldn't allow the foolish thoughts to be turned into even more foolish words. "Where's the Fuhrer?"

Ashes fell onto the desk as Havoc was once again struck with confusion. "Your guess is as good as mine. He's been a little strange lately. He's somewhere in the country. Some Hawkeye estate. I dunno. I had Fuery look into it. It's just some ritzy villa. Maybe he was just looking for some vacation time."

For the second time, Hughes lost control of the second voice and was caught off guard, "Hawkeye! Riza Hawkeye! Your fiancée! Where is she?"

The cigarette slipped from Havoc's lips onto one of his stacks of files. "How do you know about Riza?"

"I'm sorry, Jean, my mind's a little split. I didn't mean to say…whatever I just said. I'm going to go look for Roy. You just keep things quiet at Central."

"Wait, Maes, my fiancée? What are you…" Click. The familiar sound of a dial tone told Havoc the conversation was over.

Jean looked down at the hole his cigarette was burning into the top file. He was instantly reminded of Roy, the Flame Alchemist. What was going on? They all seemed to be connected by a presence that none of them knew, Riza Hawkeye. That's when he noticed what paper he was burning, a statement of release for Winry Rockbell.

I can find a reason that we should quit / I can find a reason to do it / I can find excuses for all my shit / She tells me just to work right through it
The Elric Home, Munich
"I'll get it!" Edward shouted up the stairs to his younger brother. The knock on the door came, but it didn't echo nor did it shock anyone. By now the brother's were used to reporters, doctors, and scientists coming to check on Edward's research on Riza Hawkeye. The question of how he cured her seemed to be on everyone's tongue. Unfortunately, he had no answers, nor did he know exactly what he cured. As far as he knew, he had somehow activated his alchemic powers again, but that couldn't be possible on this side of the Gate.

Edward unlocked the door and found Gracia Hughes standing with her wrist in one hand and her eyes cast toward her feet. "Hello, Edward, are you busy?"

"Who is it?" Al called from upstairs.

"It's Gracia. Why don't get you some coffee going?" Edward took a step back and politely allowed Gracia to enter.

Gracia nodded and instinctively took a seat on the couch. Ed sat next to her and watched as she pulled out a handkerchief. She wasn't crying, but the tone in her voice told him that she soon would. "I'm sure you heard about Maes."

"Yeah, I read it in the paper." It was the second time Ed had heard about Maes' death from a belated source. It was also the second time he had missed the funeral.

"It was the same time your mystery woman came back to life." Edward rolled his eyes at the thought. Lately every doctor in Germany had been looking into the strange coincidence. Hughes' time of death matched almost exact to the time Edward had clocked Riza's awakening. Edward knew it was an odd happenstance, but his best guess is that it had something to do with the alchemic happening. "That's not the only thing that happened that night." Gracia extended her left hand and displayed a glowing red stone on her ring finger. "When Maes died, my engagement ring started glowing."

"Here you go, Gracia…" Al had entered and offered a cup of coffee to their guest but dropped it when he caught sight of the jewel on her finger. "Edward, is that…"

"Yes," Ed interrupted, "It's the Philosopher's Stone."

She's pretty and I like her / But she's too well / 'Cause I need / Red flags and long nights / And she can tell
Hawkeye Estate
Roy was on top of his blankets in the room he had recently rented. He wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery that haunted him, and something about the house brought him closer to understanding things, he just couldn't quite grasp it all yet. He had vague suspicions that he may have hit his head at some point and gotten some sort of amnesia. But it didn't quite explain how he had memories of everything. What was happening seemed to be correlating memories, but it was silly to think that he had been two different places at the same time. It meant one of his memories had to be fake. But how? He had physical proof of both things happening. He remembered passing all his basic training for the military and being quite happy. Now he finds letters of heartbreak and sadness dated at the same time.

As his mind fought violently with itself, trying to sort fact from fiction, a memorable scent drifted into his nose. It was a strong must of a scent, but gentle enough that it didn't nauseate him. The smell had been so common that he almost hadn't noticed it. What triggered his brain to react was simply the fact that the scent shouldn't have been there in the first place. It was the smell of Roy's cologne, and it had been coming from the pillows and linen that covered the mattress.

Roy began wrestling through the sheets and comforter, sniffing like a dog on the hunt as his face came into contact with the soft white cloth. It was everywhere! But how? He had never been in that bed before in his life.

"What are you doing?" Riza asked Roy.

She stood before him like a ghost. Knowing it was a vision, he dared not touch the light figure. He was afraid that if he laid a finger on her she would disappear. Instead, he relived a memory that was begging to escape from his mind.

His body fell victim to the memory, and he found himself grabbing his bottle of designer cologne that sat on top of his suitcase.

She stood in front of him with a coy smile dancing on her lips as he sprayed his cologne generously all over his body and then on her. She let out a flirtatious laugh. It was going to be her first night alone with Roy since they secretly began dating. Her father was out of town on strict military business.

The emotion that laced the memory was definitely lust, but the words that were scripted in the memory came from his lips as more of a question, "You know what we're going to do, don't play dumb."

"What do you think we're going to do, Roy?"

He slowly got up and walked toward her, careful not to touch her, "Well, Riza, you and I are going to make love and…"

"Make love? Is that the term you use with all your girls. I'm not special enough to get 'have sex' or even the illustrious 'fuck'?"

"No, you and I are going to make love, and I want this bed to smell of me forever. That way, whenever one of us is ever in this bed, we can remember." A part of Roy was glad to know that he had finally grown out of such corny lines, but the fact that he had once said those words was still present. He had finally gotten into the groove of things. He could almost remember all of it. He could already sense what was coming next:

She would put her hands on her hips.

She'd lunge her head ever so slightly, like she wanted to kiss him.

And then she'd whisper, "You didn't answer my question, Roy Mustang. Why did you say 'make love'?"

Without even having to consult the memory, he replied, "Because I love you."

Then he'd reach toward the buttons of her blouse.

Then…

…Her father would come home early from his mission.

Of course her father was no longer alive to do such a thing, but something did stop his delightful trip to the past. It was a knock at the door. "Who's there?"

It's not that it's my fault / It's just my style / Beginning with a look / And then a smile
Abandoned Warehouse, Munich
Riza lay silently on the cold cement floor of one of the empty rooms that lined the walls of the warehouse. It was the Jews' safe haven, and she knew she was going against Nazi rule for being there, but it was the last place Jean would look for her, if he did.

All she wanted was sleep. Knowing that her fiancée was angry with her left an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she'd give anything to block it out. It wasn't her fault that she called out the wrong name, and she couldn't necessarily blame it on the alter-Riza either. It just sort of happened.

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, alter-Riza was slowly gaining control of the body. She could now move and think and speak without any barriers. She enjoyed the feeling of having a body that responded to her command. She took advantage of her new found freedom and decided to do some exploring.

Everywhere she walked the people around her gave her strange looks. She knew that there was something that set her apart from them, but she didn't quite understand what it was. She wasn't particularly sure, but she assumed they bled the same blood and cried the same tears, why should she be set apart?

"Riza, you must calm down," her father whispered as he wiped her tears gently with his handkerchief.

"But daddy, why? Why did the kill mommy?"The thought of her mother never being in the house again was not one six-year-old Riza Hawkeye was going to get used to. Who would be there for her first dance? Who would be there at her wedding? Who would she look to for knowledge when she became pregnant? Who would she go to for feminine advice?

"The Ishbalans…they…they just didn't like mommy because she was an alchemist. They just didn't like her because she was different."

These people, these Jews, as they were called, they didn't like her because she was Nazi? What was Nazi? She tried connecting the questions to the memory that had flashed before her: The Jews were Ishbalans, and the alchemists were Nazis?

Before she could use that as a conclusion, another memory came to her.

"What grudge do you have with the people of Ishbala, sir?" It pained Riza to salute a man like Frank Archer. She would never allow herself to enjoy war.

Frank smiled at her. She could almost taste his condescending words. He didn't believe women should be in the military. He didn't believe they could understand the glorious art of war. "My grudge is they're different. They worship a false God and think they are righteous because of it. Our job, Hawkeye, is to take them down a notch."

Now the role of Nazi and Jew had been reversed. She wished she could make up her mind for herself, but it was no use. She just didn't know enough about both sides to decide who was wrong and who was right.

"Sorry," the man who simply called himself Roy had bumped into her as he walked back toward his bedroom with his face buried in a newspaper.

When he entered what to be the living room, the mood shifted from anger toward Riza to respect toward Roy. He was obviously the leader of the group. "What's the news, Roy?" a male voice coming from the corner called.

"Seems that Hitler has called for more man hunts. More of our brothers are headed toward the camps." There was pain in his voice. Riza wanted to console him.

A small boy came running to Roy's side. He laid his head against Roy's knees and sobbed, "Tell me, Roy, when will mama return from the camp?"

Roy patted the fragile boy softly on his head. "There, there, child. We pray soon. Have faith, child."

She had never seen a child like that. He was so small and so sullen. A child of his age should be out playing, not cooped up in a warehouse. There weren't very many other children, and the ones that did reside in the warehouse had the same appearance. In fact, all of the people carried themselves the same way. Their shoulders hung low and their face showed no sign of hope. They looked as if they were waiting, but not for relief, simply for death. Roy was the only one who looked different, but he was the leader. He had to remain committed to their cause, no matter how bleak the outcome seemed.

"What camps?" Riza asked. Her voice sent lasers into the spines of everyone in the room. They all shot piercing glares at her.

Roy chuckled at her. The others saw her question as a cruel joke; Roy simply saw it as a joke. "What camps? Nazi girl here wants to know about the camps? Why don't you tell us, Nazi girl? What are the camps? Where do you take our brothers? What happens at those camps? And how come they never come back? Tell us!" His laughter quickly turned to rage. He was shouting now, and he pushed her in the shoulder as he screamed, "How dare you, Nazi girl! My people are suffering and dying and starving, and you're making jokes. You want to know about the camps so bad? Let me show you!"

Roy grabbed her by her arm and dragged her toward a room at the end of the hall. He threw open the heavy door and Riza dropped to her knees at the sight of dozens of men and women in beds against the cement wall, each only weighing about 70 pounds. A full grown adult weighing about the same as the boy that had wrapped his arms around Roy's knees. The people drew back in fear when they saw her.

Waterfalls of tears came cascading from Riza's eyes. How could anyone let this happen to a fellow human being?

You can occupy my every sigh / You can rent a space inside my mind / At least until the price becomes too high
The Rockbell House
Jean could barely look Winry in the eye after knowing what she had been through. Yes, she had snapped but he couldn't overlook the large amount of anguish in her eyes. Something was eating away at her. He hoped his visit would heal her slightly. She hadn't had real human contact in while. Still, he wasn't sure if she wanted to see the military at this point in her life.

Nevertheless, she set a cup of tea in front of him and took a seat in front of him at her kitchen table. She held a level of respect for Roy Mustang, even after hearing that he had been the one who murdered her parents. However, after her trial at which he testified against her, she had lost any feeling or reverence for the man whatsoever. She didn't understand how he could testify against her even after seeing what they did to Riza. They murdered her, or so Winry thought. She wanted to go back to the Sugiyama estate and get to the bottom of that night and maybe kill Kimbley along the way, but she couldn't risk any more trouble, especially now that she was under strict watch by the military.

Jean Havoc, on the other hand, was a man she hadn't known very well. Edward had always spoke kind of him, and she assumed from his appearance that Havoc was a good hearted man.

Jean had heard about Winry from Edward. She had been like a sister to him and Al, but she had also been their mechanic. The most he had ever seen from her was her outbreak at the Sugiyama estate, and he hadn't known much about how she used to be. As far as Jean Havoc knew, the reserved ex-psychopath who sat before him was the only Winry Rockbell there had ever been.

Winry smiled sweetly after a quick sip of tea. "Did you men ever find out what happened to Riza?"

Jean was glad he had come to see Winry if she too knew of the Riza Hawkeye mystery. "You know who Riza is?"

It was true then. During her time in jail, Winry took the time to go over her thoughts about all that had happened. She had Schezka, one of the few people who believed Winry was innocent, do a name check at Central for Riza Hawkeye. Confirming her fears, Riza Hawkeye never existed. "So it's true. She's somewhere on the other side of the Gate."

"Please, Winry, tell me everything you know," Havoc pleaded.

"Listen, Mr. Havoc, I'm not really too happy with the military right now. If you want the military back in my good graces, you're going to have to do me a little favor." Havoc thought for a moment. Bargaining with someone who had a criminal record like Winry's didn't seem like a good idea, but Riza was plaguing the minds of him, his Fuhrer, and from what he heard, Hughes. They all deserved to get to the bottom of things. "I want to see Zolf J. Kimblee and the Sugiyama's put to justice."

She don't need a thing / She don't need saving or a lay / She's got all her friends around / And you can hear them say/ "He's not into you / He's into the idea of…"
Hawkeye Estate
"Fuhrer Roy Mustang, what a pleasant surprise," Shall Sugiyama stated in his elegantly cool tone. Zolf stood behind him with his trademark sadistic smile.

"Kimbley, aren't you in violation of your parole?" Roy said flatly.

Kimbley chuckled at the statement and at the sight of Roy shirtless on top of his tousled sheets that reeked of cologne. "You'd be surprised what money can buy, Flamer."

"Listen, you two, I don't have time for this shit…"

"Yes, we don't want to disturb your vacation, Fuhrer," Shall interrupted. "We just wanted to visit for a moment after we heard you were here. This is quite a quaint little villa, wouldn't you say? Did you know the Hawkeyes?"

"Quite well," Roy said through his gritted teeth. He wanted nothing more than to snap his fingers together and end that arrogant jack ass Kimbley and his prissy boy counterpart, but he still wasn't sure of what their angle was.

"Well then, if you're so acquainted with these grounds, then I'm sure you've heard the tale of Riza Hawkeye." Shall's words had more than piqued Roy's curiosity. The more he heard her name, the more Roy wanted to plunder every house and shake every person for information he could to get to the bottom of this mystery woman. "Yes, she died quite tragically. The story goes that she was in love with a man who was determined to be fuhrer. She diligently remained at his side until one day they both confessed their love for one another, but in the heat of all the trauma of war, the man refused her. Heartbroken, she returned to the house where they had first fallen in love and committed suicide. Once the man became fuhrer, he was forever haunted by her ghost that followed him, reminding him of all that happened. Until one fateful day, the fuhrer came back to this house, went mad, and killed himself, vowing to return to his love in the next life. So you see, it's a little funny that a fuhrer should find himself here. But I'm sure you don't believe in such things." Roy sat speechless. "Of course, the ghost still haunts the grounds." She couldn't just be an apparition. These memories, they couldn't just be a spirit trying to coax him to an early grave. "Well, I see you're busy, so my colleague and I will take our leave of you. Good day, Fuhrer Mustang." Shall bowed and exited with Kimbley behind him.

"What was all that about, Shall?" Kimbley asked in a hushed voice.

"If the man in charge of the entire government finds out what's been going on, we'll all be in deep water. I told him the story to throw him off the scent. Besides, you should be one to take pleasure in the misery he's about to endure."

But little do they know that she's not through
Eastern Headquarters
Roy's head rested comfortably on Riza's breast as he wept uncontrollably.

Had she not come entered in the nick of time, Roy wouldn't be alive. The gun was cocked and ready, pressed against his temple, but her screaming was the only that could stop him. They fought for control of the weapon until Riza finally bashed the gun out of his hand against his desk. With his wrists grasped tightly in her hands, Riza began crying. It stung her so many years ago thinking that she would never see him again. Now the thought was face to face with her again.

He hated being the cause of her pain. For the second time in his life, his heart was overflowing with conflict. He loved her so damn much, but the only way to prove it was to hurt her. He didn't want to cause her anguish, so he left her, which pained her to no end and ruined their relationship. Now he wanted to spare her ever having to see his cowardice, and here she was staring down his spinelessness.

When her tears had finally subsided, she pulled Roy inter her arms. Her soft skin brought him back to the moment and out of his darkness. What would have happened if he pulled that trigger? Would he ever have the chance to tell his one true love how he felt? Would he ever get to pick up where he left off with her? Would he ever be in her arms like this again?

Her words were what finally brought the strong willed man in his moment of need to tears, "He would have wanted you to live, Roy. He wanted to see you become fuhrer. We all do. And you can't do that in death!" she shouted.

Now Roy sat with his head on her chest, his tears soaked up by her black t-shirt, his hair fondled gently by her caressing fingers, and her heart beating delicately in his ear. "Riza, I can't do it. He was the one person who ever believed in me after I left you."

Usually Riza would dismiss herself or ask Roy to change the subject. She didn't want to have bare the subject again after she was sure that they were over. But he was desperate for human contact, and if her words, her truth, could sooth him, she wouldn't deprive him any longer. "Roy, we all believe. We all want you to be fuhrer. Do you think I would have stayed if I didn't believe in you?"

"Why, Hawkeye, why do you believe in me? I've never given you any reason to do so. I broke your heart. I know it. I live with it every day. I see your face every day. I know I can never kiss you or hold you the way I once did, and it's my own fault. But you still believe in me? Why?"

She placed a light kiss on his head, so light that he could barely tell if it really had been her lips that had graced his head. "It's going to take more than your cowardice to make me stop loving you, Roy." There had been moments like the time she had caught Roy coming out of the shower where the pair had crossed the lines of love and duty, but they always retreated back before anyone got too emotional. Now, Riza held Roy close to her heart, a place that suited Roy quite well, telling him that she loved him and she hadn't ever stopped. How long had he yearned to hear her say those words again. "We want to see you shine. You deserve it."

His tears had finally dammed, but he stayed pressed against her just to confirm he was alive. Hearing her heartbeat somehow reassured him that there was life on this cruel planet that only bred sadness and pain. "It's what would make you happy?"

"…Yes."

"Then you know that you and I could never…"

"…Yes. But I had to tell you. I needed you to know. I'll always protect you. I'll always follow you. And when you forget, I'll always be there to remind you. But I needed you to know why."

"Riza, I never stopped either."

"I know."

"But how?"

"You're eyes have yet to lie to me. The only reason I kept myself from telling you was because I thought it would get in the way of you becoming fuhrer. But now you have to."

She began to get up, but he shifted his weight to keep her pinned. "I promise we won't do anything to get us into any trouble. I just don't want to be without you tonight. Just stay here, like this. Let me know that there's something beautiful out there to live for."

You can occupy my every sigh / You can rent a space inside my mind / At least until the price becomes too high."

--She Wants Revenge

HOLY FRIGGEN COW! This chapter was longer than…than…HOLY FRIGGEN COW! Well, I hope this chapter's length made up for my absence. I hope you're all satisfied and curious to see what happens next. Well here's a little preview, Roy will be in the next chapter and so will Riza. Maybe not in the order, maybe not in this life, but definitely in the next chapter somewhere. AND! I will add another royai scene (your choice of citrusy goodness or none at all and we can just have sappy sweetness) specifically for the person who can tell me when volume 15 of the FMA manga comes out. Also, this person will earn my undying respect and love. See you next chappy!