AN: Ummmmm...I'm SO sorry for the delay. I do have an excuse but it would take forever to explain *insert excuse here*. Expect more delays in the future (I will try my best to upload sooner) but I am super busy right now. Thanks for all the reviews, we really appreciate it and enjoy the next chapter! ~EmpressofBread

Riza lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to ignore the sickly knot twisting in her stomach. He was leaving. He was really leaving. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and her eyes beginning to sting. She swung her legs over the side of her bed roughly, frowning severely, silently scolding herself for getting so emotional. She knew this day would come; she would never make it through life if she welled up every time someone left. She got dressed and made her way across the small hallway to Roy's room. She was just about to knock on the door when she noticed his light was still on and the door slightly ajar. When she pushed it open she spotted Roy slumped against his desk surrounded by alchemy notes and various drawings from segments of the array on her back. Riza chuckled quietly as she shut the door behind her and made her way downstairs to start making breakfast. Just as she was about to set the plates on the table, Roy shuffled in, rubbing his eyes and yawning loudly. Riza tried to stop herself from laughing at him as she slumped into the chair.

"What are you laughing at?" Roy said indignantly.

Riza laughed and set a plate of food in front of him before replying. "Have you seen yourself?"

Roy looked at her with mock offence, "Hey! I don't look that bad!"

Riza snorted at him. "If you're going to be in the military you're going to have to get used to getting up early."

Roy looked at her seriously after hearing her comment. "There's something I need to tell you regarding that."

Riza frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

Roy opened his mouth to speak but shut it again and shook his head, smiling at her. "I'll tell you later, I don't have to be at the station until noon do I?"

Roy looked down at his plate and began eating but Riza continued to look at him, puzzled. She wanted to say something but decided she wouldn't press the issue; she didn't want to argue with him today. They ate in silence and Riza washed and cleared her things away without so much as a glance in her friend's direction. As she walked past him she felt him grab her wrist and turned to look into his eyes.

He spoke softly. "I promise. I'll explain later. I just have to pack the last of my things and then we can talk."

Riza said nothing but nodded once before heading over to the back door, collecting her guns on the way. Roy sighed and went upstairs, steeling himself for the mammoth task of packing.

Riza cursed as the shot completely missed the bulls eye, landing somewhere in the middle rings of the target. Normally shooting helped her relax but she just couldn't focus. She put down the hand gun and picked up her rifle; maybe she would have better luck with a scope. She got down on one knee and raised the gun to her eyes. As her pupils focused on the magnified target a vision shot through her mind of some unknown enemy lining up their shot from some hidden point and instead of a target their sights were aimed at Roy. A hot flush spread through her body and her palms became sweaty as her finger automatically tightened on the trigger and she heard the shot, felt the kickback in her shoulder. Her vision seemed to narrow and all she saw was Roy, Roy on the ground, Roy surrounded by an increasing pool of his own blood, Roy dying, her Roy. Her breathing was out of control and her heart tried to burst out of her chest as she watched, helpless as he bled out on the ground. She gasped as she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard a familiar voice in her ear.

"Good shot."

She whirled around, but exhaled loudly as she saw who it was, one hand clamped on her chest trying to slow her pounding heart.

Roy looked concerned as he took in her current state. "Riza, are you okay? I didn't mean to frighten you."

Riza stared, wide eyed. "I…You…" She looked down at the floor, hiding her face and took a deep breath in. She had to stop relying on other people. She would be on her own soon and she couldn't afford to be weak. She shouldn't place all her burdens onto Roy. She shook her head determinedly and looked up at him, attempting to wipe the fear from her features. "I'm fine, sorry. I wasn't expecting you to come out here after what happened last time."

Roy smirked and his mouth twitched into a cocky smile. "Honey, you couldn't shoot me if you tried."

Riza raised an eyebrow at him "'Honey'? Really?"

Roy deflated a little and looked away, laughing nervously. "Yeah that sounded better in my head."

Riza laughed at him and shook her head in disbelief. "What was it you wanted anyway?"

Roy coughed to compose himself and looked at her seriously. "There's something I need to tell you."

Riza looked concerned, her voice wary. "I don't like it when you say that. No good news ever follows from you saying that."

Roy grabbed her hand and pulled her over to sit on the step by the back door. He cupped her face in his hand and turned it so he was looking into her eyes. "I didn't tell you at the time, because I didn't want you to get the wrong idea."

Riza's frown deepened. "I don't understand."

Roy glanced at the floor nervously, wringing his hands together in anticipation. "I joined the military because I wanted to keep you safe," Riza's mouth dropped open in shock but she didn't interrupt. "When I saw what your father did to you it made me so angry, I felt ashamed at myself for not being able to do anything. That was when I realised there are more things in the world that could hurt you than just your father, things that could hurt hundreds of thousands of people. I meant what I said the first time, but my number one concern will always be you. They're saying the border wars are getting more and more violent, and there are rumours of an uprising in the East," Riza watched as he clenched his fists in angry determination. "I won't let you get hurt again, I won't let you suffer. You deserve to be safe and happy, and if that means I have to join the military, so be it."

Riza tried to swallow the lump in her throat before talking. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Roy looked up at her. "I didn't want you to think I was just saying it just to get you to give me the secrets. I wanted you to know I meant it."

Riza was speechless. She wasn't sure how she felt at his revelation. Her instincts were screaming at her that this was bad, that going down this path would lead to nothing but trouble for her. And yet somehow another voice in her head was drowning it out. What's the worst that could happen? He wants to protect you, what's wrong with that? But this was what she was afraid of. The voice chimed in again there's no reason to get hung up on him. You can still make something of your life while he's gone; this might just be your chance. Riza calmed significantly; just because he wanted to protect her it didn't mean she had to rely on him. She would show him, show her father, show everyone; Riza Hawkeye would do something meaningful with her life. She wasn't quite as ambitious as Roy but she liked his ideals. She turned to Roy, who looked at her apprehensively and a huge smile spread across her face as she took his hand reassuringly.

"I know you do. Thank you Roy, for everything."

People in military uniform bustled around the pair, luggage and passengers being hastily boarded before the train departed for central. Roy shifted nervously from foot to foot as he looked at Riza.

"This is it then."

Riza nodded slowly, suddenly lost for words. "This is it," She repeated quietly "You're off to be a big shot alchemist in Central."

Roy looked sad for a moment before smiling and laughing slightly. "Yeah, hopefully," His faced remained serious. "Promise you'll write?"

Riza looked equally serious when she replied. "Of course I will. I've got nothing better to do."

Roy smiled "Aw come on, you're intelligent! You'll probably be so busy becoming a mathematician you won't have time to write me a letter."

Riza raised her eyebrow. "A mathematician? If I ever become a mathematician I give you permission to shoot me."

Roy chuckled. "If you insist ma'am." He gave her a mock salute and they both began to laugh until the moment faded and they were once again left in silence. Roy took off his backpack and hesitated before pulling out a carefully wrapped package and holding it out to her.

Riza gave him a puzzled look. "What's that?"

Roy looked back at her. "It's for you, open it."

Riza continued to look at him suspiciously before cautiously unwrapping the parcel. She gasped as she gazed at the object in her hands; it was a new copy of her mother's old book but had a few of the old pages pasted in. Her fingers absently traced her mother's neat handwriting as she tried to hold back tears. It became nearly impossible when she noticed the new addition. Opposite her mother's writing, Roy had written a message:

Riza,

I may not always be here for you in person,
but I promise will do everything I can to protect you.
Never let anyone tell you you are beneath them,
one day you will outshine them all.
I can't get back all the things you lost, but I hope this goes some way to making up for it.

Roy

Riza could barely breath, her heart felt as if it was being torn in two. She stood on her toes and pressed her lips gently against Roy's cheek, wrapping her arms round his neck and holding on tight as she poured all her emotion into the only phrase she could manage.

"Thank you."

Riza clutched the book to her chest as she watched the train pull away from the station, taking her alchemist with it. She vowed to herself that she would see him again before too long, and when she did she knew she would be the happiest girl in the world.

"You'll see Roy," She said to herself. "I'll help you make your dream a reality."