Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. They belong to Arakawa-Senpai~ I only own my OC's, my made up towns/cities/countries/other misc characters and this fanfiction.

Author's Note: Trigger Warning: Just like the warning in chapter 10 (Darkness), this chapter has talk of past (heavily) unwanted but consented sex (Not quite rape, but I just want to note that I would never actually write any rape scenario!) so just in case that isn't your thing, the warning is written here, black and white. Another huge shout out to all the new favs and followers~! Thank you so very much for your support, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

This story also on ArchiveOfOurOwn .org. This will be without a lemon, the other one will have lemons.

Chapter: Moving Forward

Summary: I looked at him as a friend, until I realized I loved him.

A day old newspaper rustled loudly as it crinkled under the tightening grip of tattoo-covered hands. Deep, rumbling hums and grunts emitted from the man they belonged to as he continued to read, but the events of the past month had him positively livid. Imagine! Two of his top alchemist henchmen getting themselves caught after a successful robbery of the Central Bank. He supposed they were expendable enough; they'd never talk anyway before being put to trial and likely stuck with a life sentence in prison or face a firing squad. With that thought, he began to calm. Thanks to the massive haul that night, Typhoon and his gang of ex-military outlaws had left the beaten up slums of lower South City and had been on the move since. Currently, they were residing just outside the town boarders of Rush Valley in an old abandoned mining facility. He folded the paper and placed it down beside him on the sofa before sparking up a cigarette, inhaling it deeply just as his second in command walked in with today's newspaper he had been waiting on.

"You'll like the headlines today boss." Jagger said smoothly as he strolled in, passing Typhoon the paper and sitting down on the opposite sofa. He kicked his feet up onto the wobbly old coffee table and slumped back.

Typhoon grunted as he straightened the newspaper out. "Hmph! Better be good."

In big bold letters, the headlines read 'EARTH TREMORS RELENTLESS IN ISHVAL'

Typhoon let out a sickening chuckle, grinning maliciously. "It's finally beginning. Ishval will become the pit of hell once again, and Amestris will quickly follow suit. This country will be mine before they even knew what fucking hit them!" He bellowed with glee and continued roaring with laughter. Jagger simply smirked.

"Yes, everything is going according to plan, but we still must tread with caution. At least until a war is well and truly under way." Jagger muttered slyly as Typhoon's laughter settled into a wicked grin.

"Yes, yes you are right. This is why we must be vigilant about the military's movements. Do you have anything to report?" He said, opening up the newspaper to look for any other news that might affect their plan.

"Yes. I've overheard a lot of talk about the military fixing its sights on the major cities and towns here in the South."

"Tch! Pathetic dogs. It takes a mass robbery of the Central Bank to get them off their asses to look for us huh? They'll be better off once we pummel them into the dirt. In any case, if that's true, then we can't hang here for too long. We need to stick to smaller towns from now on. Tell the men to be ready to move out in a week. "

Roy Mustang's office was in its usual serene silence for a Monday. Not your typical silence, but to his team it was their ideal working calmness. Fountain pens were scratching away at paper, some hastily and others gently. The radio that Furey usually tended to would occasionally crackle to life with some muffled voices mixed with static being heard, but usually remained dormant. Sometimes a telephone would ring and be answered, but conversations were short. The newest sound to accompany the rest was Juniper's delicate humming. Quiet enough to not be irritating, but loud enough to be heard and was found to be rather comforting. It was a subconscious working habit of hers that no one seemed to mind at all. Her tunes were soft, rhythmic and beautiful. Of course, one particular member of Roy's team seemed to be rather enthralled by it, to no one's surprise.

Alphonse often wondered what her singing voice would be like.

It had been just over three weeks since his birthday, yet he still couldn't stop thinking of that night. Keeping in mind the 'no fraternisation' rule in the military, they both agreed to keep their budding romance a complete secret. So far, everyone had just assumed the pair was still not-so-secretly yearning for each other. But this had resulted in no affections since Alphonse's birthday, not that either of them overly minded it. Alphonse was glad to not be rushing into something so quickly for a change, considering Juniper was new to 'the relationship game'. Still, he often found himself thinking back to that night…

Alphonse cupped her cheeks and pulled her delicate lips to his once again, falling backwards with her onto the sofa and holding her tightly against his chest as they continued to fall deeper and deeper. He felt so light, despite his heart hammering hard within. He was sure she would hear it, because he could hear hers too, almost beating in perfect sync. The kiss began to deepen a little more as Alphonse lightly ran his tongue over her bottom lip, asking for entrance, to which she conceded with a soft murmur. His hands began to make slow circles, caressing the small of her back ever so gently. The kiss was reluctantly broken for the need of air, and Juniper giggled softly. Alphonse smiled against her lips as he gave her a few sweet little pecks, adoringly gazing at her flushed face.

"What's funny?" He said dazedly as she let out a sigh of contentment. He was glad he could make her feel that way.

"I was just thinking of how plainly obvious it was that we both wanted to do that since we met each other." She giggled again as his face grew redder.

"S-So… You knew that I-..?"

"You've made moving to Central so easy for me and you've been nothing but a gentleman since that night after my final exam. Not to mention you saved my life and helped me recover much faster than I would have on my own…" She paused. "…You also never left my side the whole time I was unconscious… I had a feeling of how you felt about me, because I was feeling the same… To be honest, I tried to deny how strongly I felt about you, but I quickly learned that it was a battle not worth fighting. The heart wants what the heart wants after all." She said sheepishly.

He smiled lovingly as he lightly traced the tips of his fingers over her brow and temple to move a lock of hair from her eyes, then trailing down the side of her face. "You know, so did I. I guess we're both hopeless romantics."

Their lips met once again briefly before Juniper spoke again. "I think I tend to agree with you on that one, Colonel Elric."

Alphonse loved reliving that night in his mind, even when Juniper was sitting beside him, humming away while she worked. He was broken from his daydreams when an officer from communications entered the office and asked for her.

Juniper stopped humming and stood up from her desk. "Yes?"

"Urgent telegram for you, Major Fox." The soldier said as Juniper stepped up to him and took the small notepad sized paper from him.

"Thank you." She muttered softly as she began looking over it. The soldier saluted and promptly left the office.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she noted that it was from Riley Connors, the young man who she met during exams. They had swapped contact information to stay in touch, but she couldn't work out why he would send her a telegram. That is, she didn't understand until she read, then re-read what it said, only pausing briefly to translate it.

Major Juniper Fox. STOP.

Enil etavirp a morf. Em llac. STOP.

P.S Reciffo gnidnammoc ruoy htiw. STOP.

Juniper walked over to Roy's desk and passed him the telegram when he looked up. She knew he was smart enough to work out the hidden message, the spark of realisation was apparent in his obsidian eyes as he stood up from his desk almost instantly.

"Very well, let's follow this up, Swiftshot." Roy said as he began to head for the door. Juniper nodded affirmatively and followed silently, giving Alphonse a discreet reassuring smile as she walked by. Passing Havoc's desk, Roy dropped the telegram into the ashtray there and, with a snap, it burst into flames, and then the two alchemists were gone.

"Thank you Mr Connors, you've been a big help." Roy muttered slyly before hanging up the receiver. He closed his pocket journal and tucked it away in his uniform before stepping out of the phone box, where Juniper was dutifully waiting.

"Good work Swiftshot. That was a decent lead. Keep it up and you might just earn yourself a promotion before your first year." He said with a smirk.

"Thank you Sir." She replied sheepishly as she followed her General through the park they had come to in order to make the call.

Roy surveyed their location briefly. The large park they walked through was quiet, with barely a person going by due to it being a Monday and the weather looked as if it might turn to rain anytime soon, despite the warm air around them.

"Let's take a small walk; it's rather pleasant out here and I could use some air."

"Uh.. Okay sir." Juniper was a little surprised, but continued on nonetheless.

"How have you been feeling since coming back to work?" Roy figured he'd start the conversation easy.

"Oh yes, great actually. I'm just so relieved to finally be back…. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused that night." Juniper looked down at her feet as they walked.

Roy looked at her sympathetically as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll admit, it's not the way I would have liked to have handled things, but we caught two criminals because of you. I honestly didn't think we were going to get even one without getting our men hurt in the process."

"Yes I know, but still; I won't let my impulses control my actions like that again." She smiled apologetically.

Roy knew he needed to handle this next question delicately. Coming across a park bench under the coverage of a large oak tree, he took a seat and waited for her to join him before gently searching her for answers. "Yeah… About that…" He went quiet for a beat. "Juniper, if it's not too painful for you, could you please tell me why you acted on impulse? What prompted you to put yourself in harm's way like that?"

As expected, she hesitated, her hands fisted against her lap tightly. The memory would forever be painful, no matter how much time she had. It was something that would stay with her until her last breath. She regarded Roy, looking into his obsidian eyes for even the slightest hint of untrustworthiness. She held his gaze, searching, hoping, that she could trust him with a secret kept even from her family. Roy knew it was hard for her, even without having the slightest idea of what tormented her. Her eyes dropped back to her lap, and he thought she was going to refuse. But when he caught her hazel eyes discreetly darting back and forth for nearby people, he knew she was about to open up.

"You'll be the first person I've ever told this to, Roy." She murmured as her eyes spoke wordlessly to him as well. "I trust you." He nodded and patiently waited for her to begin. He didn't at all mind that she had said his name.

"I was 17… and it was a normal day in Kadayr… well, at least as normal as New Year's Day could be. My family and I went about business as usual until a squadron of military officers entered the tavern, asking to be put up for the night. Most of them had to bunk up, except for one we assumed to be the commanding officer, who I now know was Typhoon. We suspected something wasn't quite right when the majority of them got drunk, which is not exactly something you'd expect of traveling soldiers. Our suspicions only heightened when they gave us those pocket watches as payment. My Da accepted them simply because he knew they were rogues, being a retired soldier himself. He didn't want anything to kick up, so he told my brother and I to act none the wiser. Although, that's when I started feeling like I was being watched. I couldn't shake the feeling, but I knew I had to be as blasé as I could." Juniper stopped talking so suddenly that Roy blinked, wondering if there was more. Her demeanor changed, tensing her shoulders and balling her hands into tighter fists on her lap. Roy noted this, but remained silent.

"It was Jagger that had been watching me all that time. He came into my room when the rest of my family were asleep. He knew that we had figured their gang out, he knew we weren't going to say anything yet he still took joy in laying the threats on thickly. He made his intentions of being in my bedroom clear rather quickly by transmuting a tacky bomb right before my eyes, saying that if I didn't cooperate, my family and our tavern would be gone by morning… so I-… I conceded… to save my family. I had no choice. Not even my basic knowledge of alchemy at the time would have saved me and my family against a former State Alchemist."

Roy's eyes widened as he slowly realized exactly what Juniper was portraying.

"He marked me; cutting my body with the sharp edges of one of my arrows for his own sadistic pleasure while he proceeded with his painful and vile act that I so hatefully agreed to... I couldn't scream, nor call for help; I had to simply succumb to it, crying silently for it to be nothing but a nightmare… They say a person's first time doing… that… is memorable. But I'll never be able to forget the pain and suffering that awful man made me endure. The worst part is, I don't regret it, and never will be able to because I know for a fact he was not bluffing with his threats of murdering the only family I have left if I didn't submit to that inevitable outcome." She finished, turning her head away from him to hide the utter disgrace and humiliation that was expressed in her eyes.

Roy slumped forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he hung his head. He knew it would be bad, he knew it had something to do with Jagger, but he never could imagine it would be to this degree. His heart felt torn for the broken young woman beside him, and slightly hated himself for seeking this information. Only he knew what had happened to her, and he felt somewhat empowered to do even more to catch Jagger and Typhoon, and anyone else that follow them because of it.

"Juniper." Roy spoke roughly, his voice tinged with raw, withheld emotion. "We're going to catch them. They will be brought to justice for everything they've done, including what you've just told me. Can I continue to rely on you to help us accomplish this goal?"

She turned to him again, and the determination he expressed was palpable. It instilled her confidence back. "Yes Sir!"

Roy smirked, being rather impressed with her quick mood recovery. "You're not alone in this battle anymore Juniper. Don't ever forget that." He stood up from the park bench and turned to her.

Juniper smirked back and stood. "Thank you Sir."

They began strolling back towards Central Command, but before leaving the vicinity of the quiet park, Roy had one more topic to bring to the forefront. "Pardon me for being so blunt, but I hear you and my young Colonel have possibly begun disregarding the 'no fraternization' rule." He said it almost nonchalantly, and it halted Juniper dead in her tracks.

Roy stopped and turned to face her, his expression not giving anything away. "Is this true?"

Juniper knew she was a bad liar, but what would happen if she told the General the truth? She began to panic as her face flushed completely crimson. "I-… Uh-… That is-… I mean-…"

To her utter shock, and much relief, Roy began laughing as he spoke. "Don't worry Major. I'm actually one of the Generals that is trying to get that stupid rule abolished."

Juniper blinked, still stunned. "Did he tell you?"

"Not exactly. I could just see the signs."

"So… does that mean you're going to punish us? Or separate us from working together?" Juniper worried her bottom lip.

"If I did that, then I'd have to send Hawkeye away to be separated from me." He said with a smile, a wink, and then continued back to the office, leaving Juniper stunned for more reasons than one.

"Here." Roy grunted as he handed Riza a wad of money. The two were walking home after work, Roy walking Riza to her apartment first before heading off on his own as usual. "I'm never betting with you again."

Riza smirked evilly as she pocketed her winnings. "Who confirmed it?"

"Fox did. We both know Juniper isn't the type to stutter, and she could barely get a word out when I asked her about it. Not to mention her face turned the most charming color." Roy snickered.

"You're truly cruel Sir."

"Says the one who's carrying half my weeks wage in her pocket."

"You should have known it was stupid to bet against me, especially when it comes to those two."

Roy let out a defeated sigh.

"Did you tell her?" Riza asked.

"Yeah, I think it was the only way to reassure her that it was okay."

Riza smiled. "I'm glad you did." She paused as they approached her apartment complex. "Well I guess I can make you dinner then, considering I'm that much richer this week."

"Oh, how wonderful you are." Roy murmured as they made their way upstairs and into her apartment. Once the door was shut behind him, he couldn't resist. "What a fine wife you would make one day." He teased as he threw himself down onto a sofa.

Riza snorted with amusement. "You're sounding like Maes, Roy." She turned to face him and noticed he was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands folded together in front of his mouth; his deep thinking position. "What is it?" Riza asked after a beat.

Roy slowly leaned back with a devious smirk on his face. "Just an idea I had for following up the lead we got today."

Riza let out an exasperated sigh.

"Hey Alphonse?" Juniper murmured quietly from her spot on one of the sofas at her place. She had closed the book she was reading and turned to look out the window beside her.

"Yeah?" Turning golden eyes up from his own book, Alphonse tilted his head slightly as she appeared to be fretting.

"I need to tell you something, but you have to promise not to freak out, alright?"

"Jeez you're cute when you worry." He laughed as she tossed a cushion at him. "Okay okay, I promise I won't freak out. What is it?"

"Well, today when I was out of the office with the General, he more or less told me that he and Hawkeye are… well… together."

It was quiet for a moment before Alphonse chuckled softly. "Why would I freak out about that? I always knew they liked each other in that way. So they're ignoring the 'no fraternization rule' just like us-."

Juniper cut him off. "That's not it. Why do you think he would suddenly come out and tell me something like that?"

Alphonse blinked, quiet for a beat as he waited for her to elaborate.

"He told me to reassure me that this-." She gestured her hand between them. "-was okay." Mustang and, I'm assuming Hawkeye too, worked out you and me are together."

The room was silent for a moment before Alphonse's eyes went wide with realization.

"WHAT!? They figured it out?! But we've been so discreet! What's going to happen now? What if we get separated? Or worse, transferred!? What if-mmff..! Mmmh…" Warm, soft lips silenced him quickly as gentle hands cupped his cheeks. He couldn't resist deepening the kiss before it broke off, earning him a soft murmur from her.

Juniper looked up into his eyes and giggled softly. "Nothing is going to happen to us. Do you think Mustang would have told me about himself and Hawkeye if he was going to have us separated?" She leaned up and pecked his cheek. "And you promised me you weren't going to freak out."

Alphonse's sheepish smile slowly shifted into a devilish smirk. "Oh, I apologize. How can I ever make it up to you?"

Juniper licked her bottom lip, not failing to catch his attention. "There is one way."

"Very well." Alphonse whispered before sealing his lips with hers once again.

Author's Note: Hint for the telegram: Read it backwards :p