AN: Finally a new chapter! We're nearly there now, thanks for sticking with the story and for your feedback, I really appreciate it. Enjoy!

Riza burst through the door to her room and threw her bag viciously against the wall. She had stayed calm the entire train ride back to her home town but all her anger and frustration had built up during the long journey and now she was fuming with rage. How could this happen? Why would he do this? Was she so easily replaceable? She slumped down against the wall, her head in her hands. She shouldn't even care; Roy had no obligations towards her, he could do whatever he wanted.

She chuckled bitterly, 'More like whoever.'

She raised her head up and her eyes settled on her night stand. Her mother's old book was perched on the edge next to a photo of herself and Roy in the back garden, a rifle slung over her shoulder and a pile of alchemy text books in his arms. The temporary calm she had felt dissipated and fury surged through her veins once more and she abruptly stood up and snatched the book off the table and swept down the stairs. She paused briefly in the kitchen to collect a box of matches before continuing outside where she gathered some twigs and a few small logs and set about making a fire. When the flames had established themselves she took the book and threw it on the blaze. Her heart ached at the thought of destroying the only link she had to her mother but she couldn't bear to see those words he had put there. She stuffed her hands into her pockets to stop herself from grabbing it out of the fire and came across a piece of paper. She pulled it out and looked down at the folded document. She had forgotten it was there since she was so busy thinking about her encounter with Roy.

As she arrived at the station a group of soldiers were outside trying to sign up new recruits.

'It looks like there's a war coming after all.' She muttered to herself.

'Excuse me, Miss!' one of the soldiers called.

Riza turned to face the young man. He can't be much older than Roy she thought. 'Can I help you?' she said politely, but wished he would just leave her alone.

'I was wondering if you were interested in signing up with the military.' He smiled at her and she was reminded of her alchemist once again.

'You must be desperate if you're asking women to sign up.' Her tone was impatient but she offered a small smile. He was only doing his job; it wasn't his fault she was in a bad mood.

He wasn't deterred, 'On the contrary, Miss, women are invaluable to the military. We're always in need of secretaries and nurses.'

She rolled her eyes 'Thanks, but I'm alright.' She went to walk past him but he shouted after her.

'Wait! I'm sorry, you were right we really need soldiers.' His face fell and his gaze dropped to the floor.

She looked back at him with narrowed eyes, 'Why are you telling me this? What makes you think I could be a soldier?'

He cleared his throat nervously and rubbed the back of his neck 'Well from the way you just acted I would say that you're not as weak as people might expect you to be, you won't take any rubbish which is good because most military men still have the mentality that 'a woman's place is in the home' and you'll have to learn to rise above it if you want to survive in that environment. Plus you're smart; You worked out that we need more men, and not just idiots who do it for the chance to pick up women, actual soldiers, people willing to fight for the cause.'

'I'd never thought about the army before,' Riza said 'I mean I can shoot alright but-'

'Really?!' his eyes lit up, 'Long range? We're desperate for snipers.'

'Yeah I hunt rabbits in the fields near my father's house.' She replied.

'That's perfect! You'd fit right in I'm sure,' He said shifting through his pile of forms before finding the right one and handing it to her 'Just think about it, okay? If you want to give it a go just fill in this form and send it to the Central recruitment office.'

Riza took the offered paper hesitantly and skimmed over it, then folded it up and put it in her pocket. 'Thank you; I'll give it some thought.' She said smiling at the young man.

'No problem!' His grin widened 'Oh, I never caught your name. I should start my specialist training at the same time as the beginning of the sniper programme so I'll look out for you. We might even end up in the same barracks!'

'Riza Hawkeye,' she extended her hand 'It would be nice to have at least one familiar face, I hope we cross paths again Mr…?'

He shook her out-stretched hand 'Havoc. Jean Havoc.'

She eyed the sniper form and nodded her head resolutely. If Roy could find purpose in military service then why couldn't she? She went to go back in the house but heard a fizzing noise coming from the fire. She turned back and gasped when she saw the book amongst the embers. It was completely untarnished apart from the inside front cover where she could see some writing had appeared where before there was only empty space. Since the fire had died down she was able to reach down and pick it up to examine it more closely. As she read the passage that had appeared on the cover a lump formed in her throat.

Riza,

If you're reading this I guess I did something really stupid and made you mad at me.

She laughed at his words 'So predictable.'

For that I apologise (although I guess that doesn't mean much considering I don't know what I've done). If I seem to have pushed you away or acted coldly towards you don't think it's because I stopped caring about you. I've probably realised how rubbish a soldier I am so by pushing you away you won't be so wounded by my death. Wow look at me assuming that you would even be that bothered if I died, not to say you're heartless or anything it's just…oh never mind.

Riza shook her head in despair 'You're as awkward when you write as you are in real life.'

Getting back on track, I will do anything I can to protect you, and if that means keeping you at a distance, no matter how much that would hurt me, then so be it. If I have to make you hate me to keep you safe I would do it. I would do it in a heartbeat. You mean so much to me, Riza. But these are things I should be saying to you in person. Then again these are things that if I said them would make it impossible for me to keep you away. You see my dilemma? Anyway, I hope this message explains my actions and that you can forgive me. If I didn't do anything like that then I apologise again and I promise you can balance apples on my head and use them for target practice as much as you like.

P.S. I didn't want the book to get damaged so I coated it with a fire retardant coating and transmuted this message to be heat activated (pretty cool huh?). I know how much this book must mean to you so I didn't want it destroyed because of me. The message will even show up if you use it for clay pigeon shooting but I don't think I can do anything about the bullet holes.

Forever yours,
Roy

Riza closed the book and hugged it tightly to her chest, a warmth spreading through her body that had nothing to do with slowly dying fire. She went back up to her room and gently set the book back on the night stand and she settled down to fill in her recruitment form.

That night she lay in bed but couldn't sleep so she opened her curtains and sat staring up at the stars piercing the thick black of the sky. It reminded her of a certain head of hair, a certain set of obsidian eyes. She gave a half smile as she thought of him as he stood outside his apartment, so much more grown up than the last time she saw him but his eyes hadn't changed, they still glimmered with passion and determination like the stars in the night sky. She thought of the forms she had sent away with the evening post and felt resolute. This was her chance to do something with her life. She would show Roy that she had grown up as well and she could protect herself.

It was with that same determination that she walked through the doors of the military academy a few months later, and a few months after that went off to the front lines, full of pride that she would get the chance to prove her skills, protect her country, 'fight for the cause'. But it was a kind of grim determination that she took with her into his office after the war, as she stared into those same eyes, once so bright, now deadened with reality and promised to follow him to the bitter end.

AN: I jumped at the chance to include Havoc in this! I always thought that he and Hawkeye must have been about the same age so were probably at academy at the same time. I want to write about Havoc, Hawkeye and Rebecca in the academy but so far no stories have come to mind. There may however be one coming soon after I finish The Sheck following Fuery so stay tuned for that. Let me know what you think!