Chapter Five: Whatever It Takes (Lifehouse)

A/N: Ah, a post-movie piece. I figured this would fit since it very much fits the theme. So does the song!

Playing nicely on the separate anime and manga storylines, I'm just going to assume that they don't have as much of a past in the anime as they do in the manga, so I'm just going to gloss over that while giving the necessary details of what I think could've happened.

Everyone had noticed how Riza had been acting since Roy had come back.

She had been jumpy, and seemed rather sleepless. It seemed like she almost didn't want Roy there.

Part of her didn't want him there, actually. How dare he come back after all he put her through, and then let Ed and Al run off like that?

Well, it wasn't really his fault. Not many people were able to stop Edward and Alphonse Elric from doing what they wanted to, as Winry had pointed out rather bitterly one day. Roy had looked rather guilty at this, but he told them he had tried. There was just nothing he could do.

And yet, she wanted him as badly as ever. She wanted to be with him, to feel content in his arms, to laugh with him, to make dinner for him, to just look at him and know that he was safe and with her.

It was all very confusing to her. It was the same thing she'd felt in Ishbal: the strong urge to run away, but the equally strong push to give things a chance. Her problem was that she didn't know what to do about it.

That was why she was even more confounded when Roy showed up at her door one night with some nice flowers and a very apologetic look.

She let him in, shooting him the most confused looks she had ever given, and getting more and more morose looks in return.

They had just sat in silence, sipping the coffee that Riza made and petting Hayate as he walked between the armchair Riza occupied and the couch on which Roy sat.

Then, Roy knew he had to speak. "I'm sorry, Riza."

She didn't bother to ask for what; she knew he'd tell her, even if it took a while.

Sure enough, after a moment, he sighed and began again. "Riza, I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. Since the day we met, I've caused nothing but trouble and heartache for you. I'm sure you know all of what I'm talking about."

Did she ever.

The first time they'd met, there had been a spark of attraction that had jumped between them. He had used some lame line that had gotten him nowhere (something he secretly loved about her), but they had talked for a while. They had begun meeting more and more frequently, and soon enough, Roy was coming to watch her practice her marksmanship.

They had been drafted into Ishbal at different intervals, Roy having been sent first because he was more advanced in years and in education than Riza. Still, in the middle of all that hell, they had managed to meet. They had talked, laughed, played games, cried, and lived. They somehow made it through the war with nothing to show for it but innocent blood on their hands and the nightmares that came with it.

It was sometime during Ishbal that she had learned of Roy's goal. It had ensnared her, and brought her fully into the cause that she already believed so much in. It was perfect.

Then, Ishbal had ended. They were lost for a while after that. Roy's goal was forgotten for awhile amidst the depression and confusion of the end of the conflict. It took them a while to get back on their feet, but once they did, things were set back in motion. Roy wanted to complete his goal now more than ever. He had to. For the sake of what they'd gone through, something had to be done.

Their romantic relationship took a back seat, then. Things had to be arranged in such a way that the pieces would all fall into place in the end. Roy set up his own intelligence network, mostly through Maes.

And then Maes was killed. Slaughtered. Gunned down because he was trying to do something right. It brought them closer than ever, yet it also brought them almost to the brink of destruction. It was hard, saying good bye to someone so wonderful, so talented, and so vital to what they were doing. It was worse having to go to work day after day, knowing that Maes should be there, thinking that he'd pop up around every turn with a new photo or story of Elysia, and then being disappointed at the remembrance that he never would again.

Roy, though he held his mask for the world, fell apart when he they were alone. Nothing Riza could say would comfort him. He just wanted to be left to his own devices, to just mourn for a while. Riza knew better, or thought she did. She just couldn't stand the thought of losing Roy in an irrational moment. So, she stayed with him.

By the time things were getting back to normal, they were in too deep to get out. They couldn't abandon their cause, and they knew that already. However, they hadn't known that they wouldn't be able to abandon each other.

That night, when Roy had almost lost his life, Riza hadn't known what to do. A part of her was saying that she had always known that it would come to this, that she'd be left to watch while the man she cared for so much died right before her eyes, and because of her no less. Another part said that she should do all she could because she didn't want to be without him.

And yet, the worst was yet to come.

He left as soon as he recovered, shattering her heart just enough that it didn't completely break, but so much that she wished she could change things and almost talked herself into doing it. He had sent her letters, of course. Most were dispatches, telling her that he was alive and giving a weather report, but nothing else. Occasionally, he'd add in something a little more personal, but he kept it to a bare minimum for the most part.

And now, he was back. She had accepted that, of course, and rather warmly at first. She was glad to have those little annoying quirks back, but it was also very difficult. She wouldn't say anything to him, and he didn't seem too intent on talking to her for any other reason than business.

Maybe, she had thought, it just wasn't meant to be.

And then he had shown up at her door, and they came full-circle.

"Riza, I know I've screwed up, and I know you deserve so much better, but if you'll have me, I'm still yours. Always have been."

Riza got up, went over to the couch, sat down, and leaned against him. "Roy, I don't care what I deserve; I care what I want. And I want to stay with you."

Roy pulled her roughly into the most tender, loving embrace. "Riza… thank you," he whispered.

Riza felt something wet slide down where their cheeks met. Roy was crying. And now, she was, too.

But really, she wouldn't have it any other way. She had him, and she wasn't letting go again.

A/N: Aww. A sappy, cliché ending, but I had no other way to do it.

Random: In my opinion, Relient K's "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" also fits this one, but I've used one of their songs before, and "Whatever It Takes" came to mind first. There you have it.

Please review! I treasure your feedback, and it can help make your reading experience more enjoyable!