A/N: I had an unexplainable urge to write. This came out.

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

Token

When women are surrounded by men constantly, people tend to believe they are inferior. This is especially true with the military. Women have to prove themselves more often than the men do, constantly having to re-assure those in authority that they are worthy of their positions. Many of the women soldiers in the Amestresian military despised this, hating that they had to demonstrate their capability far more often than their fellow male officers.

First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye however, did not. True, she did not think it fair that she was assumed to be inferior on first glance, but that was the brilliant thing about assumptions. Once disproven, people were hesitant to make them again. And she was an expert at making her superiors think twice before underestimating a female soldier once more. No, Riza Hawkeye had nothing against demonstrating her skills. What she did hate was the assumption that she was a token, a women placed on a team for diversity, to demonstrate how Amestris was "moving with the times". This she had dreaded all though her years in the academy, that she would be chosen for a position by default, just simply to tick a box rather than because she was the best for the job. And this still haunted her slightly throughout her military carrier. Every time she was placed for a promotion she always second guessed herself. Do I really deserve this? Or is it simply because they have not promoted enough female officers?

But she didn't need to worry. While she was surrounded by a team of five men day in day out, they always saw her as one of them. Yes, they recognised she was female (some of them more than others) but they never believed it was a reason for them to treat her any differently. She was part of their team, an intricate part that a simple token could not fulfil. And she had been chosen for a job for a reason. Because her commanding officer knew she was the only one who could protect him no matter what. He never even considered the possibility that she would be regarded as a token, as to him she a necessity. In his opinion, she deserved to be a much higher rank than she was, probably higher than himself by now. But he knew that she would never accept it, taking her job as his protector seriously.

No, while Riza Hawkeye may have feared that she was simply a token officer, the thought had never crossed Colonel Mustang's mind. She may have been given many privileges at a young age, many opportunities that some soldiers may never have. But they all knew it was not due to a need for diversity. Anyone who caught the sidewise glances he gave her, noticed his inability to be separated from her on almost any mission, his panic at the slightest hint of danger to her and how her presence was sometimes the only thing that could calm him.

She wasn't kept with him because she had to be there. But because he needed her there.

And no token woman could have ever done that.



A/N: please review.