AN: Here's another chapter! This one is shorter than I intended and starts back in the present. The first bit might not make any sense right now but stick with it and all will become clear :)

Edward closed the door to the outhouse, shutting out the raging winds outside, a puzzled expression on his face.

'Everything okay, Ed?' Havoc asked from his position huddled in the corner.

Edward sat back down on top of his blankets 'The Lieutenant was acting really weird.' his voice was laced with concern.

The other members of the team looked at each other in confusion but it was Havoc who spoke. 'How do you mean?'

'It was strange,' said the young alchemist, 'It was like she was having a conversation with herself. She said something about bears.'

The men looked to Lieutenant Havoc whose face had visibly paled despite the cold making everyone look like ghosts.

'And…' Ed rubbed the back of his head nervously, 'She said 'Sir'.'

A wave of sadness came over the group but Havoc couldn't quell the rising panic in his chest.

'I'll go check on her.' He said, rising from his bed and bracing himself before heading out into the cold biting storm.

Back in the other hut, Mustang and Hawkeye were lying facing each other, the book between them. Hawkeye felt his warm breath on her cheek as he spoke.

'I was a little bit disappointed I have to say,' he chuckled.

Hawkeye narrowed her eyes at him 'What for?' she said with an air of suspicion.

Mustang smirked, 'I expected a lot more than just a kiss on the cheek to send me off to the army.'

Hawkeye rolled her eyes 'It was more than you deserved. I wasn't to know you would become a total man-whore,' she chided playfully.

'Hey you know those women were information drops!' he said defensively. 'Besides,' he shot her a playful smile 'I don't remember you complaining when I-'

Hawkeye gasped 'That was totally different! I…we…it was…'

Mustang laughed loudly, the sound warming her right down to the tips of her toes. His face had somehow got even closer to hers so all she could see were his great dark eyes, making her a little breathless as she recalled the incident.

She closed the door to his apartment and took off her stiff military dress boots before making her way across the hallway into the living room. Mustang had already rid himself of his jacket and was slumped into an armchair staring at a picture on his coffee table of himself and Hughes at Hughes' wedding. The sight of him looking so utterly defeated nearly broke her heart.

'It was my fault,' his voice was thick and quiet and it reminded Hawkeye of a child apologising to their parent. She felt so utterly helpless and she sank to her knees in front of him, cautiously raising a hand and resting it on his knee.

'Don't do this to yourself. You can't take the blame; He didn't just do it for you. He did his duty as a soldier and as a man who knows to do the right thing no matter the consequences.'

'You honestly believe that?' There was anger in his voice now and the sudden change shocked her 'Are you that blinded by rules and regulations that you can't see that someone is playing a sick game that I got him caught up in?' He abruptly stood up causing Hawkeye to retract her hand and clutch it to her chest. He looked down on her with such rage that for the first time she was afraid of the man in front of her.

'Roy.' Her voice sounded so small, so frightened that it brought Mustang to his senses and he took a step back in shock. Images of her on the ground after being beaten by her father flashed across his vision and he reeled away, stumbling to the kitchen. He lent against the counter and breathed deeply, his heart pounding in his chest and his eyes squeezed shut. He sensed her presence in the doorway behind him.

'What am I doing? Why am I treating you like a monster?' He turned to rest his back on the work surface and covered his face with his hands. 'How am I meant to do right by the people of this country if I can't even treat you right?' He let his arms fall to his sides as tears snaked their way down his face 'I'm useless.'

'You stop this right now, Roy Mustang,' she cursed herself for letting her voice shake. 'Don't you dare give up now; There's people counting on you,' she raised her voice but didn't shout 'If you decide to quit so easily after one setback then Hughes died for nothing.'

'But how many more setbacks will there be?' He shouted, but then sighed and spoke barely above a whisper 'How many more people have to die before I can reach my goal?'

Hawkeye raised her hand to slap him across the face, hoping it would knock some sense into him but she saw his hands shaking and she suddenly realised what he really meant. She rested her hand on his cheek and took his other hand in her own to stop the shaking, causing him to look up at her.

'I'm right here, Roy. I won't go anywhere, nothing is going to happen to me I swear to you.' She smiled at him softly.

He leaned forward slightly and rested his forehead against hers and they both stood there for a while, listening to each other's heart beats. Eventually, Mustang broke the silence.

'Don't go, Riza. Promise I'll never lose you. I can't do it without you.'

Hawkeye broke their contact to stare into his face and wipe away his tears with her thumbs 'I promise.'

Before either of them really knew what was happening, their lips came crashing together and Mustang wound his arms around Hawkeye's waist, pulling her in close as she brought her hands up to tangle in his hair. His grip on her was strong, almost desperate as he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He was numb inside and he just needed to feel something and Riza Hawkeye's golden hair falling in a waterfall as he released it from its clip was like the sun coming out from behind a storm cloud, a glimmer of salvation in the crushing darkness surrounding him. Her skin was pale, almost luminous he thought, as if she were some heavenly being sent down from on high and as he became drunk with her words of reassurance he thought that if he was doomed to hell it couldn't be half as bad if she was there beside him.