I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. Eh. Hopefully I pulled it off, ok. The story is a little slow, but I am anticipating it will be pretty long. There aren't too many chapter stories out, and personally I love chapter stories.

I do not own FMA

Scar sat in the conference room, along with Mustang, Miles, and Lieutenant General Doyle. His mind kept resurfacing the events that happened nights before. He had a witness in his grasp willing to profess everything he knew about the attack and in an instant the man had been murdered, shot, from a window nearby. Both he and the man had been in clear view through the window, but the bullet that punctured through the man's skull was meant to hit that man, not him. It wasn't clear to him why he, who was seeking their demise, was left unharmed, but yet they eternally silenced their own lackey. Scar had bolted out of the house to scan for someone who had fired the shot, however, the desert was completely desolate. His heavy steps created a dull sound in the almost soundless atmosphere, as he trod toward an object in the distance he was sure he hadn't seen earlier. The object had been a body, a bludgeoned body, a terrified expression permanently fixed in place, it was the body of Priest Aatu. What had confused Scar more was there was no trace of anyone nearby, not a single creature roaming the dry and almost barren land.

"According to the autopsy report, rigor mortis had already commenced, meaning Priest Aatu had been dead for three hours after you found him." Miles stated, handing the file to Scar. "Seeing as you were there for a short while, there is no possible way Priest Aatu had shot the man you found."

Scar remained silent, pondering the situation, he knew he wasn't followed by anyone. The area the hideout had been in was completely isolated.

"Interestingly enough, the bullet that went through the witness' head was that of a sniper rifle. So, there was no way you were alone in the desert, Brother." Miles added, shuffling through the pages of the other autopsy conducted by Doctor Knox.

"There had to have been an area the culprit was hiding, enough to make such a clear shot." Mustang uttered, having some knowledge in sniper work, he did know Riza Hawkeye, after all.

Lieutenant General Doyle grunted as he looked at Scar. "I have been told that you have switched sides and decided to assist us in restoring Ishval, but I find it hard to believe that you were not aware you weren't alone in that desert." Doyle gritted his teeth, his eyebrow cocked up, "Tell me, Brother" he motioned quotations with his fingers at the mention of his name, "Why is it you told Major General Mustang to return to base and leave you to find the culprits on your own?"

"You do not need to trust me, but I know what I saw." Scar answered calmly, no culpability present in his voice. He wasn't someone that often spoke to those he was not close to.

"You may have the approval of General Armstrong, but I do not believe for one second that you should be easily dismissed." He scoffed, then turned his attention to Mustang, "Fuhrer Grumman has allowed me to extend my stay if I find anything problematic in your project, which I have. Until then, you all will answer to me. Dismissed." He chided, remaining in the conference room which was now his temporary office.

Scar smirked, the man was foolish to think he had such a demeaning association with the military. Although he was assisting in the restoration of Ishval, he was not a dog of the military. He had wondered how Major Miles could put up with such nonsense, or how Mustang was so spineless, mending to fit the commands his superiors had ordered of him.

If he wasn't worried about the safety of his people, Scar wouldn't have searched for those who had attacked the military base. But he would not allow his people to be unjustly murdered again and if he had to save Amestrians in the process, then he would.

As the men walked out of the office, Scar came to a sudden halt. From his peripheral vision he noticed Miles had as well. Out in the hall was a person he had never seen before, an Ishvalan woman dressed in a military uniform.

"This is Lieutenant Soma Zhen" Mustang informed the men, "She is filling in as my aide until Captain Hawkeye recovers from her injury."

The woman nervously saluted and introduced herself, her long black hair fell like a curtain over her shoulders, and if it weren't for her indistinguishable red eyes, Scar would have sworn she wasn't an Ishvalan.

"Ishvalan," Scar observed, "and what else?" he questioned, well aware of her pale complexion and black hair.

"My mother is Xingese, my father was Ishvalan." She replied, the men taking note that she spoke of her father in past tense. She continued to focus on him as if she expected him to continue to question her. Instead he remained quiet, and the woman seemed to shrink under his intense glare. Scar had taken note of how Mustang's new aide was much different than Hawkeye, she was much more timid.

Miles chuckled, "I see your mothers genes were very dominant. It's great to meet another fellow Ishvalan in the military."

"Thank you, Major." The woman smiled, she felt much more comfortable around Miles than Scar, though she found the quiet man intriguing.

-i-

"I'm excited we get to be roommates again!" Rebecca exclaimed joyfully. "I just wish I didn't have to lose all my stuff in that stupid explosion..." she trailed off.

Like Riza, Rebecca had also lived in the building that had been destroyed. Soldiers who were affected by the blast were moved into the building that had accommodated visiting personnel. The suite the women were assigned to was much larger than their previous arrangements and was more nicely furnished than Riza's former place. The decor and furniture was from a costly boutique in Central to suit the needs of high ranking military personnel who would often occupy the room. Riza thought it was a bit over the top, though, she was happy to stay in a place other than the infirmary.

"It really isn't necessary, Rebecca. I can take care of myself." the blonde declared, annoyed that Roy had ordered her friend to care for her. She was offended that he would make such an order, she was a strong woman and despite her accident she could take care of herself.

"Don't be such a killjoy, Riza. It'll be fun, just like the days in the academy."

Riza suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and continued to pet Hayate who was warmly nestled in her lap. She frowned when her hand stroked over the large healing gash on the canine's side. They were both lucky to be alive, but that fact alone didn't comfort her, instead she felt incompetent for not being able to protect Roy.

Catalina sighed when she noticed her friend's somber expression. "Just focus on getting better and you'll get back to protecting him in no time. Besides he has Lieutenant Zhen to protect him and she may not but you but I'm sure he'll be fine." Rebecca commented, as she prepared tea.

"Fine's not good enough." Riza huffed, accepting the hot beverage from her friend. If it had been Havoc she may had been a bit reassured about Roy's safety, but she never met Lieutenant Zhen and wasn't sure she was as capable as the Generals made her out to be.

"You worry too much." Rebecca remarked, taking a swig of tea. "So what do you think of Jean?" Rebecca inquired, trying to change the subject.

"Captain Havoc is a very proficient solider."

"That's not what I meant." the dark haired woman groaned. "Do you think he's good looking?"

"Surely, you're not asking because you're interested in Captain Havoc?" Riza smirked, she had been aware of the unique relationship between her friends, their bickering had somewhat reminded her of Winry and Ed. Much like the relationship between the former, Riza had a hunch that Rebecca and Havoc had also cared for each other in such a way.

"Do you think he would be interested? You know him better than I do, you two have been friends longer." Rebecca asked, hiding her flushed face behind her cup of tea.

"I'm sure he would. Perhaps, you should talk to him." Riza stated encouragingly. She was very fond of the two and believed they suited each other well despite their childish squabbles.

Rebecca nodded, feeling much more confident. "So how are you and Mustang?" she smirked. She enjoyed getting a rise out of her friend, especially when the subject involved her love life. In fact, one could even say taunting Riza Hawkeye about her love life was Rebecca's favorite pastime. "Is he good in bed?"

Riza's eyebrows furrowed, and she tightly shut her eyelids, well aware her friend was trying to provoke her. "Shouldn't you be at work in ten minutes?" She asked, not wanting to deal with Rebecca's antics.

"Shit!" she cried out, she bid farewell to Riza and left for the office.

Riza released a breath of relief once the woman left. As glad as she was to not deal with her friend's prying questions, the sudden silence reminded her of her uselessness. She sighed, if it weren't for Roy's pleading request that she stayed away from the office, then she would have been at work. His guilty expression, convinced her to comply to his request, and although she didn't blame him for her injury, she agreed to stay home as long as he would have work brought to her.

Roy had become increasingly protective of her. His temporary blindness had broken all previous barriers they put up between each other. She buried her head in her hands. How could she let herself give into temptation so easily and on several occasions? There was no doubt that she loved Roy, but she could hardly believe they put their goals on such a thin line for their desires. Life was cruel and despite their strong feelings for each other, they couldn't be together. She was disappointed in how unprofessional she had been. A future where everyone could be happy mattered more than their foolish yearning for each other. She would just have to keep the feeling of his rough fingers sliding up and down her bare flesh, his husky voice whispering in her ear, and the sweet taste of his lips engraved in her memory. It was the only bliss she entitled herself to have.

-ii-

Roy picked up the black telephone from where it rested in its cradle. He had more than enough of Lieutenant General Doyle's meddling, and to be frank, he deserved an explanation as to why Grumman had sent the man to oversee his project. After several moments, the Fuhrer's secretary had finally put Roy through to Grumman.

"Major General, how are things? How is Riza doing?" The older man asked from the other side of the line.

"She is still recovering, your excellency. Actually there is something I'd like to speak to you about"

"I'm glad to hear she's doing alright." The man chuckled. "These things you would like to speak about, would they have anything to do with Lieutenant General Doyle?"

"I would like to know why the man has been sent to my station. Frankly, I really do not need further assistance."

"I understand, Mustang, but you see, Lieutenant General Doyle is a very respected soldier. If he approves of your work in Ishval, he will be one of the few on board to promoting you up a notch. As Fuhrer, I don't want to abuse my power, boy, and I already have by promoting you up two notches from Colonel. It would look less like favoritism if you had high ranking soldiers in your favor. You do understand, don't you?"

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose, why couldn't Doyle do monthly check-ins instead of abusing his power and choosing how long he would stay? Though a promotion did sound like a reasonable reason to have the old general stay. He supposed he would just have to charm the man until he decided to return to Eastern Command. After the phone call, Roy rested his chin on his fist and looked over at his temporary Lieutenant. The woman had also been staring at him, wearing a scowl. Did she over hear his conversation and not approve?

"Is something wrong, Lieutenant?" He asked, the question rolling off his tongue made him feel nostalgic. The woman let the scowl on her face subside into one of indifference. But knowing Hawkeye his whole life, he learned he could interpret any woman.

"Nothing is wrong, Major General." She answered, though the response was spoken so quickly, the words sounded like one.

"If something is on your mind, please feel free to inform me, Lieutenant Zhen." He smiled, hoping he would ease her nervousness. Though she continued to remain timid, her body was stiff, and she seemed angry. He was determined to reach out to her. Unfortunately, he was stuck with the woman for the next couple of weeks and he'd be damned if he had someone watching his back that he didn't trust.

"Nothing is wrong." The woman muttered. She was surely exerting some odd behavior. She walked closer to him, eyebrows furrowing, and her hands tightly gripped at her sides.

"Because, if you need to take a lunch break or would like to express any concerns with me, I would be glad to hear them. I know I'm not a very well liked man, especially by the Ishvalans, but if there is anything I can do to help..." he trailed off, waiting for a response.

Soma's hands were shaking, and she stopped inching her way towards him. "Thank you." She responded, though her words were spoken in a harsh manner rather than one of sincerity.

A knock on the door followed her response, "Major General Mustang?" Breda called from the other side of thick doors of his office.

"Come in, Breda." Roy answered, still keeping his Soma in his vision, there was something odd about the woman, but he was positive she wasn't a lost cause, yet.

"Edward Elric is here to see you."

The former alchemist pushed past the portly red-head Lieutenant, "Hey, Major General shitface." He smirked. It had been sometime since the two had seen each other, and as much as he refused to admit, he was happy to see his former commanding officer.

"Ahh, Fullmetal," the raven-haired Lieutenant's eyes widened when she realized that the former alchemist just walked in the room. She had always heard it was this kid who saved Amestris, and it surprised her to see how young he was. But she was also appalled by his rude language. "I'm glad to finally see you, and here I was afraid to accidentally step on you when I heard you were visiting."

Ed snorted, repressing the urge to throw a tantrum, he wasn't a small kid anymore, in fact, he was the same height as Mustang. The shorts insults shouldn't bother him anymore. "Yeah, yeah-" He snapped, interrupted by Winry clearing her throat loudly.

"It's nice to see you again Major General, Mustang." She smiled, walking past Breda who was stilling lingering by the door. Winry flinched when she saw a woman with raven-hair instead of the gun-wielding blonde.

Roy explained what had happened during the explosion, and the two were morose when they found out about Hawkeye's injury. The woman who still stood silently perplexed by Mustang and the golden haired man's exchange finally introduced herself. And Winry and Ed were both surprised to see someone who was of both Ishvalan and Xingese, it was a very uncommon mix.

"Alright, Lieutenant, I am going on my lunch. You may as well."

"Major General, I have been ordered to protect you. I will go with you." she declared, trying to conceal her frustration, but it was apparent to everyone in the room. She was nettled by his easygoing personality and how he didn't take his safety seriously.

"Yes, but right now, I am ordering you to take a lunch." Just as the woman was about to protest, Roy waved her off, "Thank you Lieutenant Zhen, you are dismissed." She was almost as pigheaded as Riza, but of course no one could compare to his Captain.

She grumbled as she walked passed everyone in the room. Winry cocked an eyebrow at the woman's behavior. She seemed to harbor some unexpressed anger that surely was blatant.

Roy looked walked over to his guests. "I was hoping we could go see the Captain." He smiled.

-iii-

The couple was impressed by the extravagant suite Riza was living in. A large chandelier hanging deftly over the center of the room, gold trinkets adorning several pieces of furniture, and the threaded wine-colored wallpaper tied the room together in lavish unity.

Roy glowered when he realized this suite had been the nicest place Riza has ever lived. It was a pity that such elegant accommodations was received through an unpleasant price.

Hawkeye exchanged greetings with Ed and Winry, she had been especially happy to see the pair. The woman adored the two and it had been some time since they had all seen each other.

Roy sat on the other end of the couch Riza sat on, Winry and Ed sitting on the settee parallel to them. He looked on enviously at Ed and Winry who sat side-by-side, their fingers intertwined. He considered the short distance between he and Riza, it felt as if they were miles apart and he about did all in his power to refrain from scooting closer.

"It's really wonderful to see you again, Riza." Winry expressed.

"I just wish it wasn't under such circumstances. But enough about that, when is the wedding?" The older blonde had been exceptionally excited about the wedding. Though her delight was only apparent to Roy. He had known of the slight parental role she had for the couple and he smiled when he remembered how enthusiastic she was when they received the invitation in the mail, he could only hope he could make her that happy one day.

"Maybe when this whole situation is sorted out." Ed responded grimly.

Winry observed the older pair as they exchanged pleasantries, she took note of their almost childish behavior. One of the reasons why she had admired Riza was because of her openness with her their first meeting. The day they met she explained to Winry she had someone to protect, and though she didn't say who, Winry knew she meant Roy Mustang. The confession helped her realize that she also had someone she needed to protect. Love had driven her to great lengths to protect Ed also, and though it was a different context, she still understood.

The atmosphere was odd. That was all Winry could come up with, sitting in a room with the older adults who had yet to work out their relationship. Their elongated stares and the occasional brush of the arm didn't go unnoticed. She didn't understand Riza kept such great emotional distance from the man she loved. There may have been rules in the military that forbade such action, but shouldn't love conquer the gap that kept them apart? She tightened her hand around Ed's, she was grateful she was with the love of her life, though her heart ached for the older woman. It would be awful if she couldn't wake up to Ed every morning, or steal kisses between words.

"What about you guys, when will you get married?" Ed joked, but he received no verbal response, only Winry pinching his thigh. How could a genius be so dense?

Riza's eyes widened and Roy averted his. The awkward tension in the room had grown, it was almost suffocating.

On account of Ed's stupidity, the young blonde spoke up, "We are planning on holding the reception in Rush Valley. I have a lot of clients who would like to attend the wedding, so we decided to hold it there. I hope you two will be able to make it."

Roy hated to admit it, but he actually was jealous. He had been in love with Riza for as long as he could remember but he could never freely show it. He was known as a womanizer, a playboy, a libertine and although it was true he had been with several women, he could hardly call himself any of those things. Those women were just replacements for the person he loved or informants. The reputation he had wasn't who he really was. In fact, no one but Riza knew who or how he really was, no one alive, at least. Any meetings outside of work with the only woman he truly loved could cost both of them their careers. Instead their relationship had to be clandestine. He wasn't aware of the conversation the blondes were having, instead he continued to study the young couple. Here was Edward Elric, who he still considered a kid, ready to wed the woman he loved. They didn't have to keep their feelings secret, in fact, if he wanted he could tell the whole country and he would still live to see another happy day. He and Riza didn't have that freedom.

His break had ended shortly. Winry stayed behind with Riza, to Roy's delight, who had purposely forgot to bring her work.

The office had mostly been awkwardly silent. Both men sat alone in his private office, Roy searched for his little black book with the array he traced and Ed fiddled with his fingers.

"Uh, Sorry about earlier. I, uh, didn't-" Ed muttered.

"It's fine."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"I just thought you two were..."

"It's fine, Ed."

"If you care about her maybe you should, uh..." He scratched his head, trying to come up with something to say.

"Ed."

"You shouldn't let stupid rules keep you apart."

"Drop it."

Ed huffed, he couldn't stand how stubborn the man could be. He could also never understand how Hawkeye and Mustang could put their careers before their own happiness. Their devotion to the military was almost as sickening as it was admiring. He felt somewhat guilty being able to get happily married, while two people who definitely deserved happiness were not entitled to it.

It was a cruel world, indeed.

Also, you may think you know who the culprit is, but you really have no idea.

Reviews would be really, really appreciated! Thank you again to those who commented on the last chapter!