Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

AN: Surprise post! I know that was a very mean cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, so here is part 2. I hope you like the chapter!

(Character/codename reminder: Riza/Loki...Roy/Tyr/Mr. Sexy Voice...Becca/Freya...Havoc/Dagr...Breda/Ymir...Grumman/Odin/The General...Ross/Hel...Fuery/Sig...Elicia/Little One...Olivier/Ice Queen)

Sanctum (Part 2)

Roy raced across the lawn with his niece to the sound of suppressive fire, thinking about how he'd brought her here for safety and now they were running from unknown attackers. He could almost feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, recognized the restrained tension in his body. He was on high alert, in a state of increased awareness, poised to run or fight, whichever was necessary to keep Elicia alive. His mind raced, not frantically but cautiously, sifting through ideas and possibilities.

Kimblee was the only person he could think of that would be behind the attack, but he was at a loss as to how the location of the safe-house had been discovered. They had all thought the safe house was completely secure. He also pondered what could be so important that Hawkeye would stay behind, but his priority was Elicia, and part of him knew it would have been pointless to try to change the woman's mind. Besides, she could handle herself. He recognized she had been protecting his niece, and he was extremely grateful for that.

He grabbed Elicia and yanked her to his right, pausing behind a shed as shots were returned from the trees, and then again broke into a sprint when Hawkeye started shooting again. He had to give the woman credit. In spite of the gloom she was hitting targets, as evidenced by the decrease in number of muzzle flashes along the treeline. Keeping his niece behind him, he kept the rifle at the ready, braced against his shoulder, squeezing the trigger whenever he saw someone peek out of the foliage.

Once they entered the woods they ran on for what he deemed a sufficient distance before he allowed them a break. Looking back through the leaves, he could just make out the door on the side of the house and saw it was already closed. He removed the magazine on his firearm for a moment, counting the rounds it still contained, and then replaced it.

He kept his voice low, continuously searching the gloom around them. "Where'd she tell you to go?"

"Umm..." Elicia's voice was shaky, and she looked around anxiously. "Southeast...she said there's a boat and that's where everyone will be."

He nodded. "Okay...stay with me." He saw something in her hand. "What's that?"

She held it up. "The passport she made me. Riza told me not to lose it."

He took it and placed it in his pocket, since if she dropped it there was no way they would find it. "You run ahead of me. Southeast is that way..." He gestured with his arm. "Run as fast as you can, I'll keep up."

She nodded.

"Let's go." She broke into a run and he walked quickly backwards for several steps, watching for anyone on the approach. When he saw nothing he turned, and just as he was picking up speed someone flew out of the trees. He fired, missing by a near margin, and was bowled over as the other man tackled him to the ground. "Run, Lici!"

The attacker managed to punch him in the face, having taken him by surprise, and then landed a fist to his gut. Roy coughed unavoidably and caught the man's hand as it swung around for another assault. He noticed a glint on his clothing and pulled a knife from its sheath, slicing at his upper thigh near the femoral artery. He then gripped the guy's other arm and stabbed him in the abdomen, reaching for his weapon that had fallen and shooting him in the chest.

He pushed the man off him and rolled to his feet, taking only a couple steps before two more hostiles stepped out into the small clearing. He fired on one who dove behind a tree and, using his momentum, got close to the other, grabbing the man's gun and pushing it away before it was fired. Rapidly spinning, Roy threw his head back, cracking the guy's nose, and then rammed an elbow into his solarplexus. He fired a few more rounds to keep the other attacker at bay and then reversed his grip on his weapon, finding a place not covered by Kevlar and squeezing the trigger three times.

As the man fell he took his gun and broke into a sprint while opening fire on the tree the other enemy was using for cover. Then he dove, twisting in the air as he passed it and shooting the thug in the temple. Roy landed on his back and immediately rose into a half-seated position, his weapon trained on the man now slumped to the ground. Wide eyed he watched him, trying like hell to catch his breath and fully expecting him to move, all the while amazed that a reckless maneuver like that had worked.

Finally climbing to his feet, he grabbed the enemy's night-vision goggles and increased his pace in Elicia's direction. He felt for her passport in his pocket and relief jettisoned through him when it was still there. She was not as far away as she should have been and as he placed a hand at her back he gruffly said, "I told you to keep going."

They sprinted in a southeasterly direction and he couldn't help but smile when they saw a small dock up ahead with a speedboat at the end of the quay. They stepped up onto the wooden structure, continued at a run, and he saw several figures moving around the vehicle. They slowed as they neared the boat and firearms were immediately raised in their direction.

"Hey, Roy. Nice of you to join us," Havoc greeted him, offering Elicia a hand to help her into the boat.

"Boss!" Maria said, appearing from the cabin and walking toward him. "Are you guys okay?" Her worried eyes jumped from himself to his niece.

He nodded. "Who are we missing?"

Becca replied while she did something with the electrical panel below the steering wheel, her voice brusque. "Riza, Grumman, and Falman." Suddenly, she stood and took a step away. "Dammit! Fuery...Breda...can you guys take a look at this? I'm not sure why it's not working. We took the fucking thing out on the water just the other day. Somebody must have fucked with it."

"Sure thing." Breda came around from the front of the structure. "Oh hey, Boss. What's up?"

"Oh, not much. Running, getting shot at...just a normal day."

Elicia tapped him on the arm to get his attention. "Umm...Uncle Roy…Falman was shot."

Six voices said "What?!" simultaneously and everyone on the boat looked at her in surprise as Roy continued, "Are you sure?"

"Yes...it happened just before you found us."

"Shit...I didn't even see him." Exasperation, sadness and guilt bled through in his voice and his hand tightened on the rifle. Kimblee just kept taking them out one by one and in that moment Roy was feeling somewhat helpless to stop it. He raised the night-vision goggles and performed a quick survey of the beach, half-hoping he would find an enemy to shoot. Letting his hand fall back to his side he shook his head, glancing at each person on the boat in turn. If he had his way, there would be no more victories for Kimblee.

She nodded. "He saved us...me and Riza...and then..."

"Dammit..." Havoc exhaled from his position as lookout, shaking his head, his own frustration plain. "Dammit...dammit...Do we know how these assholes found us?"

Roy shook his head, moving to join him. "I'm not sure. They had no way of knowing we'd show up during the hit, and they'd have no reason to track Elicia…she can't drive, doesn't work..." A thought occurred to him and he trailed off, tilting his head slightly and glancing at his niece. "But they might have been tracking Maes and Gracia. Hey, Lici. let me see your Mom's bracelet." Her expression was one of confusion as he took the jewelry and then dropped it on the floor. "I'm really sorry about this." He used the butt of his weapon to crush it and then crouched down to search through the remnants, lifting out the small device that did not belong.

Breda held out a hand for it and examined the tracker. "Whoa...this is hi-tech, Boss."

"Why would Kimblee track them though if he was just going to order a hit?" Ross wondered.

"Probably to find the best time and location to...you know." Roy took the tracker back and tossed it over the side as he looked over at the clock near the steering wheel. He then surveyed the beach since Hawkeye had said she would be there in ten minutes and that amount of time had come and gone. He took a few steps to stand next to Havoc. "See anything? Hawkeye should have been here by now."

"Not yet. Where the hell is she?"

He squinted through the goggles when he thought he saw movement near the treeline. Suddenly, two figures emerged, one supporting the other who happened to be covered in blood, and a moment later he realized it was Hawkeye and Grumman. He could not be sure, but it seemed that other figures were moving in the woods. Then he heard gunfire, saw muzzle flashes, and he was certain. He tossed the goggles aside, handed his weapon to Breda, and told him, "Cover me!" before jumping back onto the dock and sprinting away.

He reached the beach-end of the quay just as they did and took Grumman's other arm, throwing it over his shoulders. They picked up speed, basically carrying the older man, as shots rang out all around them. Up ahead, the boat roared to life and behind them their attackers were quickly nearing the dock.

The trio kept their pace and jumped into the open area of the vessel, at which point Becca pulled it out to sea. She increased their speed rapidly and he held onto Grumman as Hawkeye shrugged off her bag and grabbed a small, black transmitter. She tapped a button and just as they were passing the safe house it burst into flame, numerous explosions occurring around the foundation and within the building. Flames and smoke shot toward the sky, and in the orange glow they could see the man-shaped silhouettes that surrounded the house.

Hawkeye tossed her bag into the cabin and turned back to her grandfather, leaning down to check his pulse. She then placed her ear near his mouth, evidently listening for air and said, voice taut with fear, "He stopped breathing."

"Havoc, help me carry him into the cabin." Roy and his friend took the older man below and gently laid him on the floor.

The blonde woman dropped to her knees next to him and grabbed a towel nearby, tossing it to Havoc to staunch the wound on his upper abdomen. "Starting compressions." She tilted Grumman's head back, placed the heel of her hand on his sternum, laced the fingers of her other hand with it, and began CPR.

Roy moved to the wound on the man's leg and tore another towel into strips, securing them around the leg as a tourniquet. Next to him, Hawkeye was counting compressions and then bent further for the breaths, repeating the process. Seconds later Rebecca descended the few steps into the cabin, carrying a portable defibrillator and placing the leads on his chest while the device charged. "Clear."

Hawkeye backed away and the older man's body seized with the electrical current running through it. She then check for a pulse and shook her head, continuing CPR as she waited for the defibrillator to again charge. When it was ready, Catalina repeated, voice wavering, "Clear" and everyone moved away.

The blonde checked for a pulse once more and he saw her shoulders fall as she exhaled in disappointment, returning to compressions. Rebecca's voice once more said, "Clear" and Hawkeye backed away, her hand flying to the pulse point on Grumman's neck when his body relaxed from the charge. She took her hand away slowly, mouth slightly open, eyes wide, head shaking.

"Riz," Becca softly said, shaking her head sadly, eyes welling with tears.

"Even if we could restart his heart..." Havoc quietly added. "...he's lost so much blood."

Hawkeye made no further response, staring at her grandfather as she leaned back against the bench behind her, blood-covered hands resting on her knees. Roy handed her the remainder of the towel and she wiped her hands on it absentmindedly, then running one through her hair. There was a sheen of sweat on her furrowed brow, and the clothing on her left side was soaked in blood. Her breaths were unsteady, and he could tell she was fighting to control her emotions. He saw her eyes glimmering, liquid, and he reached out without a thought to place a hand on her shoulder. He was just about to clear the room for her when she closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and stood. "I'd better go see where we are."

"Riz..."

"Later, Becca," the blonde replied faintly, exiting the cabin quickly with the brunette following her out an instant later.

"Shit," Havoc sighed, shaking his head and looking at the man lying in the center of the floor. He gestured between the General and the door through which Hawkeye had disappeared, adding, "Any kind of relationship there?"

Roy shrugged and shook his head. "I don't think so. They were just close...been working together for a long time." He did not enjoy having to lie to his friend, but Becca, Olivier Armstrong, Fuery, and himself were the only people in the world that knew Grumman was her grandfather. He would not betray that confidence.

The trio looked up when Hawkeye burst back into the cabin and glanced around their small group before hooking a thumb behind her. "Head back out on deck, please. We'll be there soon."

He got up to follow Havoc and Elicia but hung back before exiting the small room. He opened his mouth to speak, turning just in time to see her strip off her shirt, and what came out instead was, "So that's the tattoo?" It was a salamander that ran along the bottom of her shoulder blade, with the tail curling up between the blade and spine. It was black, no other color was used, and there was a tribal-style pattern on the lizard's back.

She spun, eyes somewhat like daggers, and he thought he could discern where a few tears had trailed down her cheek. "How do you know about it?"

"I saw part of the tail in Paris...when you dropped the phone on the guy next to me in the bar." His eyes started to follow the curve of her neck downward when she glanced away and it fully dawned on him that she was standing in front of him in her bra. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and forced himself to respectfully keep his gaze trained on her face. She seemed to notice because a light blush appeared on her own face and neck before she lifted her shirt to hold it over her chest.

Hawkeye eyed him briefly before exhaling. "You realized that was me." Her posture relaxed minutely. "You never mentioned it. Why?"

He shrugged. "I saw no reason to."

She shifted, meeting his gaze but not holding it and playing with the fabric in her hands. "Thank you..." She paused. "For not saying anything. Not many people know about the tattoo."

"Of course." He looked around the cabin, unsure of what to say next, and then tilted his head toward the door that led topside. "I'll just...excuse me." He turned and left her to at least partially change out of the clothes inundated with her grandfather's blood, joining everyone else on the small deck of the speedboat. Trying to kick the image of a shirtless Hawkeye out of his head, he surveyed the water behind them, hoping that the men that attacked them did not happen to have a small fleet of speedboats at their disposal. At the sight of the team's weary and discouraged faces he thought, We could really use a win.

Once Mustang had closed the door Riza slipped on her extra shirt, still a bit off kilter after all that had happened. Her breaths were shaky and she tried to inhale deeply to calm herself, blinking away the pressure behind her eyes. She was by no means fine, but she did not get the luxury of falling apart until everyone else was safe. Meeting her reflections eye's in the mirror, she willed herself to believe that she could handle it.

When she felt more in control, she slung her bag over her shoulder and took a long look at her grandfather's body. With a little nod, because she could almost hear his voice in her head saying, 'Everything will be alright,' she left the cabin and moved to stand next to her friend.

She shared a meaningful look with Becca, who was no doubt hurting as well, and the brunette said, "We're nearly there." After a moment she added, "The radio's dead, by the way."

Riza nodded and lifted her bag, setting it on the dash. "I got the extra passports."

"I got the cash," Becca replied.

"And I got my laptop," Fuery added. "I started the destruct sequence for the computers as soon as I saw the alarm...they shouldn't get anything." He paused, and his eyes saddened. "Riza..."

She placed a hand on his upper arm. "I know, Kain." Turning to the rest of the team she said, "Everyone needs to hang back when we get there. We're visiting the Armstrongs, and I'll do the talking." After this mission, she would be surprised if she had any favors left to call in.

They continued on a short distance until a certain rocky outcropping on the coast became visible. She helped direct Rebecca exactly where to turn in order to avoid running aground and they traveled slowly into a camouflaged tunnel. It was damp and dark, save for the occasional light in the center of the ceiling which was just enough to avoid scraping against stone walls. Suffice it to say that the Armstrong family was absurdly wealthy and cherished their privacy.

Eventually, light could be seen pouring in from some larger space, and when they exited the tunnel they found themselves in an underground marina. Becca maintained a slow speed, keeping the wake to a minimum, and carefully pulled closer to a dock where men were already gathered, weapons in hand but not raised. She and her friend tied off the moorings and then Riza approached the rear of the boat. "I'm here to see Alex Armstrong."

"Who are you?" The man that must have been the head guard gestured around the group with his weapon.

"Just tell him that Reinita wants to see the Príncipe." She watched the guard, pushing back the memories triggered by using that codename since it came from the General's favorite nickname for her.

The guard considered them before reaching for a radio and saying a few quiet words. They did not have to wait long before Alex appeared and strolled down the quay toward them. He was practically a giant: taller than most professional basketball players and bald, with extremely muscular arms and legs. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was also one of the kindest people she had ever met.

"La Reinita!" He bellowed, grinning widely. "It's been a long time since I've heard that codename."

She gave him the best smile she could muster. "It's been a long time since I've visited in person."

He helped her out of the boat and then pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "We are always happy to see one of our best customers. Who are your friends?"

"You remember Freya and Sig, of course. And this is Tyr, Little One, Dagr, Ymir and Hel." She gestured toward Mustang, Elicia, Havoc, Breda, and Ross, respectively.

"Where's the old man? And Freyr?"

She looked away briefly. "We've suffered a few casualties...Odin is in the cabin."

"I see...We'll take care of everything. Please, follow me." While Alex gave his men various orders, Riza's group grabbed what effects they had and joined her on the dock. When they started moving, she fell into step next to Armstrong, who asked, "Would your visit have anything to do with the fire I've heard about up the coast?"

"Yes, we were attacked. I had to blow up the safe-house...and I really liked that safe-house." She shot a glance back at the boat where the guards were removing the General's body. "We just need a place to stay for the night, some equipment, and a ride to the jet in the morning."

"I'm sure we can manage that. Just to get business out of the way, you'll be charged for weapons, but everything else is on the house."

"Thanks, Alex. Is Mr. A here?" Mr. A was Alex's father, whom she had known for years thanks to her grandfather, her work with her father, and Olivier.

"No, he's away on business. He'll be sorry he missed you." He paused, opening a door into the main house. "Have you talked to Liv?"

"Not yet." Their conversation stopped as Alex began doling out more orders to various members of his staff. He set them up with rooms, sent someone for clothes, organized the equipment they'd need, and had food prepared for them.

While he took care of everything, her group moved off to their rooms and, after giving him all necessary information, she went directly to her own. She stepped inside and let her bag fall off her shoulder, half-hearing the door shut behind her. Pacing dazedly into the room, she dropped to the floor at the foot of the bed and finally stopped holding back. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she drew her knees closer, lowering her forehead onto them, body wracked with sobs. She shook her head, unable to fully fathom that the last member of her family was dead. He was her grandfather, the General. He was one of the few constants in her at times chaotic life and now he was gone. She felt desolate, an all too familiar hollow sensation creeping into her chest. And she was furious for what had happened to her father, the Hughes family, Denny, Falman, and now the General.

She cried as she had not in years, her head shooting up when the door opened again, and she saw Becca lock it before walking toward her. Wordlessly, her friend sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and she saw the brunette's face was tear stained as well. She grabbed the other woman's hand to give it a squeeze, and together they mourned.

A couple hours later, Riza found herself downstairs at the indoor firing range, doing her best to blow off some steam. After showering off all the dirt and blood she had contacted Olivier, eaten a little something, and then they all raised a glass in honor of Mrs. Hughes, Falman, and her grandfather. Those people deserved a more fitting memorial, which unfortunately was impossible at that time. From what she could tell, Gracia had been an incredible mother, as well as an all-around wonderful person. And Vato had been a great asset to his team, not simply because he had a genius level intellect and an eidetic memory. He had been a dependable and caring friend, as well as an excellent soldier and FBI agent. And the General had been one of the rare people she could always count on.

She fired off a few more rounds, thinking about how Gracia Hughes' and Falman's families would never know what really happened. Just like Denny's family, their loved ones would be fed a steady diet of lies to keep the truth carefully concealed. The bullshit stories of 'theft gone wrong' and 'gas main leak' ran through her mind. If the general populace knew everything she did, they would not be able to sleep at night, and would probably fire their government forthwith.

She performed a flawless tactical reload, letting the clip drop out and fluidly replacing it with another, less than a second passing before she continued squeezing the trigger. In all honesty, there had been few times that she'd regretted the life she chose, but at that moment she was finding it difficult to justify it. Her father had made her the perfect thief, and her government had turned her into the perfect soldier and spy. Now, because of the life she'd selected, her grandfather was dead. He would not have been in danger if not for her. He could have continued his rich, retired criminal's life off the grid, but he came to work with her.

Riza shook her head. With everything that had happened, she had not thought to check the fucking bracelet. Reloading once more, she emptied another clip, letting her anxieties melt away in the familiarity of the action. Firearms were one of her specialties and target practice, even weapon maintenance, had become relaxing for her. Once finished she held down the button to bring the target back and, as she analyzed her shots, someone spoke from her right. "That's a nice-looking target."

She glanced behind her to see Mustang leaning against the partition. "Thanks. What are you doing down here?"

He gave a shrug, taking a few steps to stand next to her as she started to clean her weapon. "I couldn't sleep."

"Me either. Seems like that's been going around."

There was a brief silence while she worked and then he said, "I want you to know how much I appreciate you taking care of Elicia." He gave a light chuckle as he toyed with a corner of her target. "I feel like I'm always thanking you for something."

"Well, you can stop." Her response was sharp, as residual irritation abruptly welled within her, tired of gratitude when it felt as though she was letting people down right and left. His hand stilled momentarily and she took a breath. "Mustang, I..."

"It's okay." Suddenly, and to her great surprise, he pulled her into a hug and Riza stiffened, uncertain of how to react. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his body relax minutely once she responded. Softly, somewhere near her ear, she heard him say, "I'm sorry about your grandfather, Hawkeye."

"Thank you," she replied and stepped away, meeting his gaze momentarily since she was still trying to accustom herself to the unexpected embrace. She inhaled and let it out slowly before offering a quiet, verbal olive branch after the edge in her voice earlier. "We wouldn't have made it to the boat without your help."

"You're welcome." Out of the corner of her eye she saw him lean back and hold up her target, evidently wanting something to do with his hands. She heard him hesitate and then say, "Elicia told me about your mother."

Riza's face softened and she watched him for a few seconds. "I wondered if she might." A little smile curved her lips in spite of everything. "I did know about your parents...I guess it's only fair." She held his gaze, and realized she liked his eyes. They were dark, profound, exceedingly kind and, despite being accompanied by black hair, the effect was not overpowering.

He gave her a small grin in return. "If we're going for fair, I think you still owe me some secrets. I'll let you know how many."

"You do that." It occurred to her that he, Olivier and Becca were now the three people in the world that knew the most about her. When she sat down across from him at that restaurant, she never anticipated that she would end up telling him about the General or Alya. She never imagined that he would find out his old partner was her father, and she certainly assumed her tattoo would remain a secret. She had told him some things at the beginning to inspire trust, but now they almost acted like friends. "You know, Mustang...people didn't shoot at me this much before I met you."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess I have that effect on people." After a brief hesitation he added, "So, is there any special meaning behind the tattoo?"

"Yes and no." She finished reassembling her weapon and turned to face him, leaning back against the other partition. "Do you have any?"

He smirked. "I might." He looked at her, as if waiting for her to say something, and then continued. "You're really just going to gloss over the whole 'yes and no' thing?"

"For now." Riza holstered the pistol and started toward the stairs, feeling much more relaxed than before and thinking she should sleep. Talking to him had eased her mind and, as they climbed the staircase, she suddenly recalled the way he'd looked at her earlier, after she'd removed her shirt. She felt her cheeks warm again and laughed inwardly at herself. When they reached the hallway where their rooms were located, she stopped at her door and glanced at him, softly saying, "Thanks, for this."

Mustang turned where he stood a few steps away and nodded in reply, the corners of his lips quirking upward. He started to move away again and added, "Night, Hawkeye," before disappearing into his room. She entered her own and set her holster on the bedside table, falling into bed and surrendering to sleep almost immediately.

AN: Hopefully this helped make up for the giant break between posts and the evil cliffhanger. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and have a great day! :)