A.N.: Yahooo! I know the last cliffhanger was hard. I have pleasure tormenting you guys, but I don't really do it on purpose to make them that bad. It just happened to end that way. Anyway, have you ever read a good story or watched a movie/TV show that doesn't have cliffhangers? How are we supposed to keep people interested in the story and make them come back for more? So, to the people who passionately hate cliffhangers, you can indeed wait for the story to be complete before reading it again. But I don't you can resist it.

Thank you so much for the reviews everyone. Your excitement is contagious :)

RIZA

Riza waited inside a book store across the street. She stood near the big glass windows in the front and pretended to look at some books. She had followed Marcus all the way from the train station to the camera store he had went in and had confirmed his identity when he had turned sideways to cross the street at some point. She had been surprised that he was walking so freely around the city. Is he really working for Mustang?

She wasn't really sure what she was doing, but her gut instinct had told her not to lose him. She needed answers. She needed to know the truth. The void in her memories and the confusion it caused her was always gnawing at her. It was too hard to come close to the Fuhrer, so she would have to confront someone else. It was just a coincidence that he happened to appear in front of her. As if I was about to leave.

She had been on the verge of fleeing from everything. Now that she thought back on it, even if she would've went somewhere else, the military would've probably still been looking for her. They were everywhere in Amestris, so that would mean that she would have had to leave the country. However, without any papers, it was also impossible. I would've had to become an illegal immigrant.

How can I just accept that? I don't even know what's going on. I have to find out the truth. She wasn't entirely sure if they were looking for her to kill her, but she didn't want to take that chance. She was being overly cautious, but her curiosity and thirst for more information was stronger. She wanted to follow Marcus to see where he would go and if he was going to meet up with anyone from the military. If he did, then that would mean that the glimpses of memories that she kept on seeing were telling her the truth. It would mean that Marcus really was working for Roy. I just need to confirm that.

She waited about twenty minutes until she saw him coming out again. Quietly, she put back the book she was holding and watched him. He was walking back in the direction he had come from. She waited a bit to get some distance from him before going out and following him from the opposite side of the street. She walked casually, mingling with the crowd on the sidewalk, keeping a sharp gaze on him and never letting him out of her sight.

When he rounded to corner, she quickly crossed the street and followed behind him. However, since it was a quiet street, she ducked into and alley and took a smaller alleyway, parallel to the street he was on, and followed him from there. He took another left turn, making him come closer to the alley she was currently on. She stood flat against the wall in the shadows and waited. His footsteps came closer, until he passed right by her.

He was focused at looking straight ahead. She let out a small breath and peeked out. An old building? He was heading toward an old, decapitated building and took a few glances side to side. He's meeting someone. No one would come out to such a deserted place for no reason. The fact that he had looked around nervously had given him away.

She watched him go in from the font entrance before she came out an rounded the building. She couldn't go in from the main doors, so she had to look for another way in. I have to hurry. She could feel her heartbeat drumming loudly in her ears as she scrutinized the building's walls. If he was indeed meeting someone, then someone was going to arrive soon, or perhaps was already inside. Behind the building, she saw a door slightly ajar. She inched closer and peeked inside. She saw Marcus and another person standing inside. They were far enough so that when she silently slipped in, none of them noticed anything.

They were already in a heated discussion, so she took advantage of that and tried to move closer while hiding herself. In the end, she was crouched behind some wooden crates and peeked one eye out to spy on them. She was about four meters away, so she could hear pretty clearly if they talked normally. She could see Marcus, but the man he was talking to had his back toward her.

"Are you crazy? Why would you come back here?" the man said angrily.

"I told you! I needed to get my camera fixed! Without it, I can't do anything," Marcus retorted with irritation.

"They're looking for you everywhere! The military knows your face and you're coming out in the open without any disguise or anything. You're just asking to be caught!"

"Victor, relax! I have my train ticket ready. I'll be leaving tomorrow. I won't come back again until the coast is clear." Marcus tried to calm Victor down, but he looked agitated and worried.

"No, no. You shouldn't have come. You'll get caught, then it'll only be a matter of time before they find out about me too! I can't leave yet. I'm not done yet!" Victor paced back and forth in front of Marcus, who sighed loudly and crossed his arms.

Victor? She recognized that name. She knew she had heard it before. Is that his partner? She strained her eyes a bit to get a look at his face, but it was too dark to make out his features. All she could tell from his voice and obscure face was that he was fairly young.

"I heard they caught Rob and Jack. Is that true?" Marcus asked quietly. Victor stopped in his tracks and turned sharply at him.

"Yes. They did. Those two were idiots! Luckily you didn't tell them anything important. They must've been useless for the investigation." Victor's voice was low and impatient. He was clearly disturbed by Marcus' presence and the whole situation.

"So what are you so afraid of then? After I leave, they won't have a chance of getting another lead. They don't even know who you are," Marcus snickered.

"You don't understand," Victor said slowly. "You haven't seen him for yourself. You can't underestimate Roy Mustang. I hate to admit it, but his intelligence and determination are frightening. Ever since he found out about Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye's death, he's been like an expertly concealed mad-man. I'm not too sure, but I think he has a team working on this case day and night. He won't stop until he catches us." Victor's hands clenched nervously and he looked at the ground.

What does he mean by that? So they're not working together. The Fuhrer is looking for them? Everything that she thought she had known was changing rapidly.

"Anyway, we shouldn't stay here too long. Don't go wandering around. Stay indoors. When you get your camera back, leave Central immediately," Victor instructed him.

"Yeah, I know."

"Where will you be going?"

"I was thinking of going to the South. I haven't been there in a while."

"Alright. Stay there and send me your address once you get there." Marcus nodded and they both parted ways.

Riza stayed motionless and watched them leave. Marcus was heading toward the main entrance again, while Victor was walking toward the same back door that she had come in from. However, before Victor had opened the door, a voice cut through the silence.

"What? You thought we wouldn't find you?"

Riza gasped silently and whipped her head toward the main entrance. Because of the dimness in the building and the bright light from outside, she could only see the outline of the person in front of Marcus. She already knew who it was. She couldn't mistake his voice for anyone in the world. It was the closest she had been to him ever since she had woken up from the hospital. Roy Mustang. She was frozen in place. She had never heard him speak with so much menace in his voice. Is that really him?

She snapped out of her trance when she heard a gunshot coming from the back. Glancing back, the back door was slightly ajar and Victor was gone. He probably ran away. The sound of the gunshot had made her realize her own situation. How am I going to get out of this one? She looked back toward Marcus and Roy. Should I reveal myself? If those two weren't together, then was Roy on her side? The place was probably surrounded by the military, so she would probably have more chances getting out of here safely if she went with him. Will he accept me?

Riza didn't have any more time to deliberate when Marcus ran inside and Roy stepped into the building. When she saw the look on his face, she froze. A cold shiver ran down her spine. 'a mad-man', she remembered what Victor had said. Her breath was caught in her throat and her limbs refused to move. She watched with horror as he snapped his fingers and sent out huge flames to burn the back wall. Riza could feel herself becoming numb. The images she had desperately tried to suppress were resurfacing and she was back in Ishbal.

I made all that. It's all my fault. She couldn't peel her eyes away from Roy. He was so much more different from how she remembered him to be. Even the pictures in the newspapers and magazines were a huge contrast to what she was witnessing at the moment. It was getting hot and smoky in the building. I have to get out of here.

She willed herself to get up. Her legs were shaky from having squatted for so long. She looked around for a way out as she crouched, but before she could figure out what to do, an explosion occurred. It wasn't that close to her to be an immediate danger, but the force of impact was strong enough to knock her down. She shielded her head as she crashed onto her back.

She coughed and squinted her eyes as she saw the place coming down and the fire spreading fast. Shit! Marcus was scrambling to get on his feet. Roy was already out of sight. She quickly got up but halted when she saw the path in front of her blocked by fallen wooden pillars. The fire was roaring in her ears all around her. She breathed hard, trying to get as much oxygen as she could, but it burned her lungs and she coughed violently. Doing her best to cover her mouth, she turned around to find another way. Suddenly, she heard a loud crack. She didn't have the time to look up before she crashed onto the floor, covered by broken pieces of wood and metal bars. Her vision was hazy and her mind was slow. What happened? She wriggled beneath the pile of debris. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Marcus running outside.

"Wait!" she coughed again. "Help!" she cried out, but she could barely hear herself. The scorching flames were too loud. Her throat was constricted and her lungs were on fire. Dammit! She tried to push herself up, removing the pieces off of her. Her body was sore, but overall, nothing was broken and she was alright.

However, when she tried to pull herself out of the heap, her left legs stayed stuck. Gritting her teeth, she tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge. The more she pulled, the more pain she felt. The black smoke stung her eyes and the heat was overwhelming. What do I do? She put herself flat against the floor and tried to breathe but there wasn't much air down there either. Is this the end? Is this my punishment?

She knew her consciousness was quickly fading away. She wasn't afraid anymore. She was just tired. This is it. How ironic. To die by the flames I helped to create. She smiled sadly as she closed her eyes. For a while, she just laid there, waiting to get engulfed in the flames, but suddenly, she felt something cool touch her cheek. What is that? She didn't have the strength to open her eyes. Water?

The darkness and silence was welcoming, so she accepted them with ease. I'll just go to sleep for a bit.

ROY

Riza had been hauled into the ambulance truck on a stretcher. Roy was aware of Havoc's death grip on his arm, but he couldn't seem to feel it. All of the men in the team were gathered around him as they stood at the back of the truck and watched them work on her. His ears were ringing. He couldn't hear anything they were saying. His knees felt weak and his hands were trembling. Roy had literally felt his blood drain when they had said that she didn't have a pulse.

He watched in a terrified daze as they did chest compressions and breathed through her mouth. They were on the second round, but nothing had changed. By the fourth round, Roy felt his heart sink. Riza. Come back!

Crack!

He winced and his eyes widened with fear. He could see the desperate looks on the paramedics' faces. No. This isn't good.

RIZA

"Wake up little girl! This is no time to be sleeping!" Someone shook her strongly until her eyes snapped open. She looked angrily at the person who had so unceremoniously woken her up.

"J- John? Is that you?" Her eyes bulged with disbelief. "But, how can that be? I thought you- Didn't you-"

"Die? Yeah, I did." John answered normally.

Riza frowned and looked at him carefully. He was different. His beard had been properly trimmed, he was dressed in nice clean clothes and looked younger. Riza opened and closed her mouth a few times, unable to formulate what was going through her head.

"You're dead," John said bluntly.

"I am?" Riza looked around calmly. There was nothing in sight, just a vast empty space. "Oh, I guess so." She looked down sadly and blankly.

"Don't 'oh, I guess so' me. You're not completely dead yet. You have to go back. It's not your time yet," John said gruffly.

"Oh, but," Am I disappointed? "I don't really mind if I die. It's my punishment for all the things I've done."

John slapped her arm hard and she yelped in pain.

"You have your whole life in front of you. Use it to help others instead of punishing yourself. At least this way, you'll be able to improve some people's lives."

Riza stared at John. She couldn't understand how he believed in her so much. You don't know what I've done, she thought guiltily.

All of a sudden, she cried out in pain and gripped her ribcage. What's going on? Why am I feeling this pain? She looked down and saw herself becoming translucent. Huh? She looked up at John and saw him smiling at her.

"Forgive yourself Riza." He waved.

"Wait! John!"

ROY

Roy was about to look away, when Riza's body jerked and she started coughing loudly.

"She's back! Oxygen mask!" one of the paramedics said.

Riza unconsciously clutched the mask and tried to breathe in deeply.

"We have to get her to the hospital right away," the other one said. Roy immediately moved forward and climbed into the truck, his gaze never leaving her. No one said anything.

"We'll take care of things here sir. You just watch over Hawkeye," Havoc said. Roy glimpsed behind him before they closed the doors and saw his team saluting. They had big smiles on their faces, with traces of tears hastily wiped away. Roy nodded just in time, before the doors were shut.

One of the paramedic had covered her with a heated white blanket, which was almost the same colour as her skin. Roy reached beneath the cover and grabbed her cold hand. A layer of sweat had formed on her skin as she struggled to breathe. Her breaths were irregular and ragged, accompanied by little coughs.

"Is she going to be alright?" he asked out loud.

"Her heart is beating strongly," said the one who was monitoring her vital signs. "The fact that we were able to bring her back means that her heart had only stopped for a short time before we rescued her, probably due to respiratory failure. If that's the case, there shouldn't be too much damage to her brain and other organs. We'll have to do some tests at the hospital to assess her full condition."

Roy stared at Riza's frowning face. Please be okay. He squeezed her hand and leaned forward.

"Hawkeye, can you hear me?" he tried asking. "It's me, Roy Mustang." Her expression didn't change. "It's going to be alright. I'll stay by your side."

Roy jumped when he saw a small twitch on her eyebrow. "Hawkeye! Can you hear me?"

"It's possible that she can hear you sir. From the way she's breathing, she's not completely unconscious. But her weaken state probably won't allow her to answer you," one of them said.

That's good enough. As long as there's a sign of response. "Hawkeye. Don't worry. You'll get better soon." He could see movements beneath her eyelids, but she never opened them. He continued talking to her, trying to coax her awake, but stopped when he saw her straining. "Rest, Hawkeye. Just rest."

They arrived shortly at the military hospital, where they wheeled her in quickly into a room. Roy waited alone outside, sitting on a bench and looking down at his hands. He could hear the quiet whispers and the buzz around him when people passed by and saw the Fuhrer. Thankfully, no one dared to speak to him.

Roy intertwined his fingers together and clenched them. His hands were still shaking. Only after he had arrived here and had a moment to himself did he realize just how afraid he had been. He had never lived through something as frightening as that. Watching someone you deeply cared for die in front of your own eyes was not something he wanted to experience ever again. The worst part was that he had been the cause of her death. Everything. Everything from the beginning to the end. It was all my fault. She wouldn't have been in any of those situations if it wasn't for me. He didn't deserve to have her near him. She was too good for him.

However, no matter how much he told himself that, he couldn't distance himself from her. He was like a moth attracted to a flame. She was his flame and he couldn't help but hover closer and closer to her. He just couldn't resist that urge. I'm so pathetic. If he had wanted to keep her beside him, he would've had to be able to protect her, but he couldn't even do that. What should I say to her?

He knew without looking up that the quick footsteps that were approaching were those of his men.

"Sir!" Fuery said while trying to catch his breath. "Is Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye okay?"

"I don't know. The doctors haven't come out yet." Breda had arrived last, more tired than the others. "You're out of shape Breda," Roy stated.

"I- I know," he wheezed.

Roy looked back down at his hands. He didn't like the looks of pity he got from them, even if he knew they were just worried about him. "What happened to Marcus?"

"He's behind bars right now. We let Dorse and Goldsby take care of him until-" Havoc paused, "until we know Hawkeye's condition."

Roy nodded and closed his eyes. He was in no mood to talk. The others stood by the wall or sat on the bench. What's taking so long? Time seemed to pass by so slowly. Roy didn't like it. The more he waited, the more her felt nervous. Is her condition worse than we thought? He was starting to perspire lightly.

Roy jumped up when the door opened. Dr Knox walked out with his usual stern look.

"Dr Knox, how is she?" Roy asked with anticipation.

"She'll be fine." Everyone sighed out with relief. "She's got a big bruise on her left shin and ankle and a broken rib. Her lungs, however, have moderate inhalation injury. It's not so bad that she won't recover, but she's in a state that makes her more susceptible to pulmonary infections due to some lesions in the tissues. If she gets one, then her condition will become more complicated. To prevent that, we're giving her some antibiotics for the few first hours and a mask providing filtered air."

"So, she'll be alright?" Roy asked again to make sure. The relief was evident in his voice.

Dr Knox smirked. "Yes, she'll be fine. She just needs to rest for now. She's lucky her heart only stopped for a short while. If it would've been any longer, her brain would've sustained some injuries."

"Thank you Dr Knox. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm only doing my job. You look like you need some rest too. I wouldn't recommend going to see her looking like that. You're as pale as a sheet. You'll scare her back into unconsciousness."

Roy chuckled. "Thanks for the advice, but I doubt it would scare her that much."

"Well, the nurses are cleaning her up right now. We'll be moving her into a visiting room after, so you can visit her then. It shouldn't take that long. But don't go all rushing in, just one or two person at a time. She's in a delicate state."

"Please put her in a private room," Roy said. Dr Knox waived his hand as he started walking away.

"I know. I've already given the instructions. The Fuhrer will be visiting after all. I'll be back to check on her later."

After Dr Knox left, Roy flopped down on the bench and exhaled slowly.

"Ahhh," Havoc sighed, "I'm so glad she's going to be fine."

"Me too!" Fuery exclaimed as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"But that really gave me a scare. Why was she in that building? Does this mean Marcus knows she's been alive all this time?" Breda contemplated.

"Even if he didn't know, he does now. The problem is his partner. You said he got away?" Roy asked and looked at Breda. "How did that happen?"

"He came out of a back door and ran away. He knew the place really well and took a small alley. We tried chasing after him, but he was too fast and agile, and the size of the alley was too small to move well. We shot him though. It grazed his right arm. We took a blood sample from the site and brought it in for analysis. Hopefully we'll be able to identify him."

"That's good since the military hospital keeps a blood sample of every officer in their records right? If he really is a spy in the military and is properly enlisted, then he should be in the data bank," Falman said.

"Is it being analyzed right now?" Roy asked.

"Yes sir. I sent one of my men to bring it to the lab."

"You trust him?"

"Yes."

"Good."

The door opened and two nurses wheeled Riza out carefully. Roy was immediately beside her bed. Her face had regained a bit of colour, but barely any. At least now she seemed to be breathing normally. Her mask was connected to a large machine that was being wheeled beside her bed by another person. Her IV drip was hanging on a metal support that was connected to the top of her bed.

"Hawkeye," Roy looked at her hopelessly, not knowing what to do. He gingerly laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Um, sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have to move her into her room as fast as possible. Keeping her in the hallway is not good, considering her state," the nurse said.

"Of course. Please go ahead," he and the others moved aside quickly to let them pass. Roy followed closely behind.

They arrived at a set of wooden double doors with 'VVIP' written beside it. The inside was designed like a high-class hotel room. Roy felt like he just stepped into one of the rooms in his house. There was a couch, a TV, a small 'living room' and a nice private bathroom. Roy stood at the side, while the others stared with awe at the entrance of the room, as he waited for them to settle her in place.

"She's all ready. You can visit her, but I wouldn't recommend all of you to be here at the same time. She need a lot of rest and it would prevent the risk of spreading pathogens," one the nurses said before leaving them alone.

"Now that we know she'll be fine, we should be getting back to work." Havoc winked.

"We'll take care of things and make sure to update you on the investigation with Marcus," Breda said.

"Take care of the Lieutenant Colonel, sir," Fuery chirped in.

Roy gave them a tired smirk. "You know I will. Now scram."

Finally, Roy had his time alone with Riza. He pulled a chair up beside her bed and sat down. He leaned forward to get a better look. It was definitely Riza Hawkeye, but somehow, his memories of her were different. She was paler, slimmer and had an overall unhealthy look. He slowly reached for her hand and gently held it in his. Her skin was chapped and rough, probably from exposure to the cold air. What have you been doing Hawkeye? Did you eat well?

There was a thin film of sweat along her hairline. He put him palm against her forehead. Hmm, she's a bit warm. Roy wasn't sure if it was normal. Should I call someone? Dr Know said he was going to pass by later, and it's not like she's having a fever... He decided to wait. The only sound in the room was from the machine and her soft breaths echoing in the mask. Even though he wasn't hurt anywhere, watching her lie there made his heart ache.

Roy didn't know how much time had passed, but Dr Knox eventually came by.

"How is she doing?" he asked as he walked closer.

"Nothing's changed," Roy informed him. He stepped aside and moved the chair to let Dr Knox pass.

Roy watched silently as he examined her.

"Good. She's all good. I was afraid she would have some severe inflammation in her lungs, but it seems to be under control. We'll still have to continue giving her anti-inflammatories just to make sure. A nurse will come in to administer it and we'll also take another blood sample to check for infections," Dr Knox said.

Roy relaxed his shoulders. "Do you think she'll wake up soon?" he asked.

"When she's fully rested, she'll wake up on her own." Roy nodded solemnly.

"We also received her medical record from the General Hospital. She went through quite some things," Dr Knox said gravely.

"I know," Roy looked down shamefully. "I don't know what to expect when she wakes up."

"We'll have to wait and see. We'll run some more tests to check her cognitive functions when she's awake to see how they are."

Dr Knox waited for a reply, but didn't get any. Roy was staring longingly at Riza's sleeping form.

"I'll return later at night." Roy nodded absentmindedly.

The room fell quiet once again.

"Riza," Roy in a low voice. "Please forgive me."

He wanted to apologize for so many things. From the moment he had left the Hawkeye residence until now. He had never been able to take care of her or to protect her. In fact, it had always been the other way around. Ever since their childhood, she had been the one to make sure that he ate and slept enough, that the house chores were done, and when they grew up, she had protected him from the shadows, had made sure that he got his work done and had always organized everything for him just to take some burden off his shoulders.

It had become natural to know that she was always there to help him. He had definitely taken her for granted. Whenever they devised a plan for a field mission, she was always the one that thought rationally and about their safety first. Her advice was one that he never ignored. Everything she did for him had never been fully rewarded and truly thanked for. She was always the first one to sacrifice herself for the team, even if it meant she had to work overtime. I'm sorry.

Roy was nervous. He didn't know how he was supposed to tell her all about them. Their story wasn't particularly normal. Even now, he could not rid himself of the guilt and shame he felt about what he did in Ishbal. How am I going to tell her about that? He glanced at her anxiously, his heart beating rapidly. How is she going to forgive me for what I did? That question had always stayed with him. He had never asked her, but he had always wanted to know how she felt about what he did in Ishbal. Did she accuse him? Was she disappointed in him? Did she hate him for it? She had never shown or voiced any of her thoughts. That is who she is. Everything still remains hidden.

A nurse came in with a small cart.

"Hello Fuhrer Mustang. I'm here to give her her medicine and to take a blood sample," the man said.

Roy nodded and moved to the side. He watched the nurse disconnect the IV tube from the catheter and proceeded to take a blood sample. He put the IV tube back and injected the medicine. Roy scrutinized every action and could tell the man was aware of his gaze.

"There. All done," the nurse smiled. "If you need anything, just press the red button by the bed."

"Thank you," Roy said.

It was dark outside now and he had turned on the small light on the bedside table. Riza had regained some colour and was looking better. The soft light made her hair glow a deep yellow. Carefully, Roy stroked her hair. It had grown a lot since the last time he had seen her. That just proved how much time had passed. Roy ran the length of her hair between his fingers lightly. It reaches your shoulder now.

A small movement made him stop. He looked at Riza's face with alert. Roy had stopped breathing as he saw her eyes shifting beneath her eyelids. Her eyebrows were knitting together and her breath became irregular. She's waking up, Roy thought with unexplainable dismay. A mixture of emotions came crashing down. He had waited so long for this moment, but at the same time he dreaded it. Roy wasn't confident he was mentally prepared.

Riza cracked her eyes open, only to wince and shut them back. Roy immediately lowered the light intensity.

"Hawkeye," he tried calling.

This time, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Her eyes wandered confusingly around the room as she took in her surroundings. Finally they stopped on him. He could tell she was drowsy since she was having difficulty focusing on him.

"Hawkeye, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

Her eyes grew wider and her focus got better. She looked shock and her breath was starting to become erratic. She pushed herself up, but grunted in pain half way and started coughing.

"Hawkeye!" Roy's arms were immediately around her and helping her sit up. She had one arm around her torso, near her broken rib.

With surprising strength, she pushed him away from her with her other arm. By then, she was coughing lightly and gasping. Roy stumbled away from the bed and looked at her, startled. His blood turned cold as he saw her glare. Speechless, Roy stood motionless.

Her breathing got better and she took deeper breaths. Her eyes were hostile and full of resentment. Why? Why is she like this?

"Haw-" Roy said, but Riza interrupted him.

"Stay-" she started, but her voice was still raw and her attempt to speak had made her cough again. "Stay away from me," she forced the words out. She looked at him with menace. Her face glistened with sweat from all the effort she was putting in.

Roy hesitated, then smiled lightly. "Hawkeye, it's me, Roy Mustang."

"Stay away from me," she said a bit louder as he tried to come closer. "Get out." Her eyes never left his. He had never seen her look at him that way and it terrorized him. Never had she acted in such a hostile way toward him or anyone. What have I done?

Seeing that he wasn't moving, she said as loud as her raw voice allowed, "get out now!"

Roy's heart fell as he looked at her sadly. He saw a flash of regret, sadness and even fear in her eyes that he couldn't comprehend. Slowly, he backed away and turned around, just as he saw her look down, distressed and anguished. What happened to her?

He closed the door silently behind him and walked in a dazed to find someone.

"Fuhrer sir!" a nurse exclaimed when she saw him. "Can I do anything for you?"

"Yes. Please get Dr Knox to come see Riza Hawkeye immediately. She's woken up," he said sombrely.

"Yes sir. I'll call him right away."

Roy walked back to the room and leaned on the wall facing the doors. He stared at the floor pensively. What do I do? He didn't know how he could approach her. He wanted to be close to her, to talk to her, to know what she could remember, but it didn't seem possible anymore, especially since she harboured such a deep hate for him. What made her hate me so much? It wasn't only resentment that he saw. Her feelings were much deeper and much more complicated.

As much as he wanted to hold her and tell her everything was alright now, he didn't want her to over-exhaust herself and get hurt. She would definitely have tried to fight him and reject him. Right now, the best thing was to let her rest and recover before he tried again.

Roy heard quick footsteps coming his way. He looked up and saw Dr Knox and a nurse coming down the corridor.

"What's this? Why are you waiting outside? I thought you were keeping an eye on her," he said quickly, with a questioning look.

"She doesn't want me close to her," was all he said. Dr Knox grunted with understanding before going in with the nurse.

Roy peeked in eagerly when the doors opened. She was still sitting in the same position. She looked up when she heard them enter, and her gaze darkened when she saw him in the distance. The doors closed, leaving him behind.

Roy chuckled sadly to himself. Looks can really kill someone, he thought wryly. He leaned back heavily against the wall alone and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

A.N.: CPR to the rescue! Lol, anything can happen in a fictional story. And of course Riza doesn't stay dead! Who kills Hawkeye? Come on! She's a phoenix. Anyway, poor Roy. I hope this chapter has appeased some of you. There is more to come. Stay tuned for more!

D