A.N.: Sorry for the long wait. I'm truly flattered that so many people like this story and that some people are still waiting for an update. Thank you for the reviews! Please enjoy this chapter.
ROY
Roy sat in his office alone humming while doing his paperwork. The reason for his good mood was the look of utter shock on General Sarzoft's face yesterday. Of course he had never intended to reveal any of that information, but he couldn't help wanting to end it with the General and his quest to get the Fuhrer to notice his daughter.
Roy chuckled. The look on his face though, priceless. He had also taken the chance to glance back at Riza's face. Even though others would have said that Riza Hawkeye did not react, he had clearly seen through her facade and had seen the surprise in her eyes as well. He knew that his confession would spread like wildfire and that the press would be running over here very soon.
Roy sighed and leaned back in his chair. I've taken the first step. There's no turning back now. He was resolved not to hesitate anymore with his feelings. He was sure he was in love with her and he would not deny it anymore. That did not mean he would rush her into this either, nor did it mean she returned his feelings. Riza was still broken and had only recently started to recuperate. No matter how long, I'll wait for you and stand by your side.
There was a quick knock on his door followed by Havoc coming in.
"Yes, please come in Havoc," Roy said sarcastically. "The reason people knock is to get permission to enter before entering, just to let you know." He knew it was bad news when he saw that wicked grin on his face. Great, he heard.
"Whatever, now's not the time for that." The gleam in his eyes shined brighter. "So... you confessed your undying love for Hawkeye I heard."
"Watch it Havoc. I said no such thing." He eyed him carefully. "I said that my heart's been taken by a special lady for a while now. That is all."
"And that 'special lady' is Hawkeye I suppose and 'for a while now' is over ten years right?" Havoc's smirk stretched longer.
Roy growled in annoyance. He knew Havoc had seen through him, but he refused to give in to his subordinate.
"What do you want Havoc? You want to laugh at me?" Roy said through gritted teeth.
Havoc smiled in response. "No, not at all. I'm just glad you finally realized you've been in love with her this whole time. The whole team's known about this for years now. It was just the two of you who were blind."
Roy let his words sink in. Was I that obvious this whole time? No, he had been very careful never to let his emotions run free or to get too close to her. He hadn't even admitted to himself that he had feelings for her until recently.
"Relax chief. No one knows about it except for us and that's only because we've been working with you for years now. It wasn't as obvious as you think," Havoc explained.
"Then I won't deny it Havoc. You're right." Roy paused. "I was stupid to have waited so long. It's my fault that she got... into trouble."
There was a moment of silence before Havoc spoke again.
"But she alive and she's back. That's what's important. You'll have to make it up to her in every way you can. It's not too late for that."
Roy chuckled. "That's a given Havoc. I've never given anything less to my queen."
Havoc laughed. "Didn't know you were that cheesy boss!" He started to walk to the door. "You're gonna get swarmed by the press you know that?" Roy nodded.
"Don't let anyone know who she is Havoc," Roy told him.
Havoc looked back with a serious expression. "We know sir. We won't let anyone hurt her again." His expression changed to a grin. "By the way, do you know who the first person to notice you had a thing for her was?" Roy's eyebrows raised with curiosity.
"Your best friend, Hughes. He would've made a fortune with his bet if he was here right now." Havoc laughed and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.
Roy stared at the door, his mouth still slightly open. Then he laughed. Damn you Hughes. That's why you kept insisting that I find myself a wife. Because she was beside me all along.
Roy sat quietly in the back seat of the Fuhrer's car trying to go over the speech he was about to give in an hour. During the coup d'etat in Central, many facilities had been destroyed or damaged, including Central's biggest sports centre. He was now on his way there for the grand opening as the honorary guest and was expected to give a speech.
"Your speech is gonna be the last thing on their minds you know," Havoc said suddenly. Roy looked into the rearview mirror and knew from the look he was giving him that he was talking about the reporters.
Roy groaned. "Yes, I know. That's why I've prepared the best reply to all of their questions."
"And that would be?" Havoc asked curiously.
"No comments," Roy said with amusement in his eyes and Havoc burst out laughing.
Roy wasn't joking though. He really didn't want to comment on his personal life. This brought him back to the night before. After they had left HQ and were headed home, Riza had remained unusually quiet. She had only eaten a little bit before retiring to her room for the rest of the night, saying that she had been worn out by the training. He didn't doubt her fatigue, but he wasn't sure if that had been the only reason for her behaviour. This morning, she had looked more tired than she usually did. Roy tried to calm himself and not to worry too much. Maybe I'll try talking to her tonight.
The event was grand and loud. Many people were there to witness the opening and to cheer as the Fuhrer made his speech and cut the ribbon. He wasn't sure, but he could've sworn the amount of reporters and flashes had doubled its usual amount. Is this opening so special to deserve all this attention?
His thoughts were cut short when a reporter from a reputable newspaper asked a question as he was coming down from the stage. "Fuhrer Mustang! There is a rumour going on about a mysterious lady that has captured your heart recently! Is that true?"
"No comments," he said curtly before his security guards blocked off all the reporters. That one reporter seemed to have opened the lid to a wave of other questions pertaining his love life. Roy could hear them scream their questions, desperate to get him to notice them.
He walking swiftly back to his car and sighed as Havoc closed the door and climbed into the driver's seat.
"Well, that went well," Havoc said.
"Drive Havoc. Get us out of here." Roy ordered.
"Aye aye boss."
RIZA
"Ten more minutes!" Kuresh said out loud, trying to encourage her.
Riza was only doing a light jog, but she found it a lot harder than she initially thought it would be. Come on, you can do it! It was currently two in the afternoon and she was in the middle of her second session of the day with Kuresh. She had personally asked the therapist to make it as intensive as she deemed safe, which she did. Her mornings consisted of stretches, balance and fine motor skills exercises for two hours and a half. After a two hour lunch break, she would then work on her strength and cardio for another hour and a half.
Maybe I shouldn't have asked for an intensive program. Riza cursed as she jogged on the military's interior running course. This morning, she had seen another class of students in another part of the gym. Thankfully, no one had disturbed her today. Word had probably gone around that she was the infamous Hawk's Eyes and the Fuhrer's right hand woman. No one dared to approach her anymore.
There were no students right now, but it seemed like it was a free period for everybody. Many officers were working out in the gym and a few of them were running on the same course as her. Some of them saluted her or nodded with a smile as they passed her, but very few of them spoke to her. It was a known fact that the Lieutenant Colonel was recuperating from an injury and that she was undergoing a special training.
"Alright, break! Walk it off a little bit," Kuresh instructed her.
Riza let out a long breath and slowed down to a walk. Every time she stopped, her mind would start drifting back to Roy. She couldn't help it, everyone had been talking about it since the morning. She had heard some younger recruits gushing over the rumours in the changing room and some more when she was in the gym. People can't seem to mind their own business. She guessed the love life of the Fuhrer was a juicy topic for most people. She remembered reading an article about him being the most eligible bachelor in Amestris.
She couldn't argue with them though. Roy Mustang had always been the talk of the town, even back when he came to live with her and her father as an apprentice. He was smart, handsome and now powerful. Who wouldn't want him as a partner. The woman he loves must be lucky.
The idea of him having a significant other had bothered her since she had found out about it yesterday. She hadn't thought about that possibility until then and it shamed her as his right hand woman. How could I have possibly thought of living in his house when he has a person he loves? She felt guilty for having intruded in his personal life and being extremely unprofessional. He had probably put off seeing this lady ever since she had showed up.
She had been so ashamed that she could barely look him in the eyes last night. When the opportunity had come, she had quickly retreated to her room. With those thoughts running around in her head, she had found it extremely hard to fall asleep. However, the lack of sleep and her exhaustion from the day before had allowed her to get a bit of good sleep without any nightmares.
"So? How are you feeling? Not too hard is it?" Kuresh handed her a water bottle as she took a seat on a bench against the wall.
Riza gave her a tired smile. "It's hard. But that's the way I want it." She drank slowly.
"You're a tough one Hawkeye." Kuresh smirked. "I didn't imagine you'd actually be able to keep up with it."
"Well it's not easy, but I want to get back in shape as fast as possible," Riza answered. In shape for what, she thought, but she couldn't come up with an answer.
"Alright then! Take a five minute break then we have one more hour to go!"
By the time the last hour of her training had finished, her body was utterly out of strength. She collapsed on the mat as she finished her last round of sit-ups. I can't do this! I can't possibly do this again tomorrow! She was breathing hard as she laid flat on her back with her arms and legs spread out, eyes closed.
"You did it Hawkeye! You deserve your rest now." She heard Kuresh exclaim. She allowed herself a weak grin, but kept her eyes closed.
She was so tired that she felt she could sleep right there right now. It wasn't until the equipment room had suddenly turned quiet, that her attention came back to her surrounding.
"Fuhrer sir!" The room exclaimed.
Riza's eyes snapped open and she saw Kuresh standing at attention beside her and the Fuhrer making his way toward her, waving the other officers off. Damn it! She tried to muster her remaining strength to stand up quickly, but with her best effort, she could only roll onto her stomach before trying to scramble to her feet.
She felt her knees wobble but before she could tumble down, Roy caught her arms and steadied her.
"Woah there Hawkeye! Is the training that hard? Aren't you pushing yourself too much?" Roy asked with concern. He looked at Kuresh and Riza saw her panic a bit.
"It was I that asked for this program sir." Riza said before Kuresh had the chance to reply. "It's an intensive rehabilitation program and she made sure that it wouldn't harm me in any way."
Roy seemed to hesitate a little bit. "Alright, as long as you don't overexert yourself Lieutenant Colonel."
"Yes sir," Riza said. Her limbs felt heavy and she really wanted to sit down. A few seconds passed by without anything from him and she could feel the whole room watching. "Is there a reason for your visit here sir?" she tried asking. Roy seemed to come out of his reveries.
"Hm? Oh yes. I wanted to see how you were doing with your training. It seems like you're doing fine." Another pause. "And I'll be working later tonight. In four days the generals from every headquarters will be coming to Central for a meeting."
"Yes sir. Will I be accompanying you to this meeting sir?" Riza asked. She had heard people talk about it since it was a pretty big event in the military. She assumed as his aide she would also have to attend it.
"That won't be necessary Hawkeye. You haven't fully recuperated yet. I want you to concentrate on that," Roy said. Riza felt a tightness in her chest. He doesn't need me.
"Yes sir." She saluted.
"I'll let you finish up then. I'll head back to the office first," He said before walking out from a room full of salutes.
Riza ignored the stares as she went to the women's changing room. I don't understand why he has to pass by here every time he needs to tell me something. It'll created unnecessary rumours. I should really let him know about it soon.
She showered quickly and got dressed in her uniform. It wasn't even four yet and working hours were not done until five. What should I do now? Because the Fuhrer had ordered her to focus on her training, she didn't have anything else to do apart from that. She remembered Havoc telling her that she was in charge of the new recruits' military training program. It hit her then that she had told herself that she would make sure the newcomers had proper training against torture. That's right. I promised I would change that.
She walked with purpose to the documentation office, saluting officers who noticed her on the way.
"Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye! It's good to see you again!" An officer saluted briskly with a big smile upon seeing her. I don't remember her name, Riza thought uncomfortably.
"Sergeant Walters, why are you so happy to see the Lieutenant Colonel, but every time you see me you scowl?" Riza heard a voice behind her. She turned around and saw Breda.
He saluted her and gave her a discreet wink. Riza smiled a bit, thankful that he had saved her from an uncomfortable situation.
"Captain Breda. What are you doing here?" Riza asked him.
"I had paperwork I had to file." He waved a small pile of folders in his hand. He walked forward and dropped it in front of the scowling face of Sergeant Walters. "Could you please make sure these get to Major Lien by tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes sir," the sergeant said grudgingly.
"What about you Lieutenant Colonel? What brings you here?" Breda asked her.
"I wanted to get all the files on the training program for the new recruits."
"You can't take a break can you? I can't believe you're actually looking for work," Breda sighed.
"I know the Fuhrer wants me to focus on my training, but apart from that there's nothing else for me to do. When I have too much time, I tend to think too much." She said the last part in a lower voice. And I feel useless. She saw Breda's eyes widened slightly before being replaced by a sympathetic look.
"Walters! Can you get me all the files on the training program for the new recruits?" Breda called out to the Sergeant who had gone to the back of the room.
"What? All of them?" She asked with bewilderment.
"Yes, all of it. From every HQ. It's for the Lieutenant Colonel," Breda specified. He turned around and grinned.
Riza gave him a small smile and waited for the piles to come. Breda had offered to carry the whole load. Everyone in the office looked at her with surprise as she instructed Breda to place the pile on her desk.
"Lieutenant Colonel? What's all that?" Fuery asked her.
"All the documents on the military training for the new recruits. I'll be looking them over and making a few changes," she answered dismissively before sitting down and starting to sort them.
"Hawkeye, you came back... with some paperwork," Roy said with clear disbelief, standing at the doorway to his office.
"Yes sir, I was thinking of making a few amendments to the training program after I read some of the documents," Riza explained, hoping he wouldn't mind. She saw him share a questioning look with Breda, before he caved in.
"Alright Hawkeye. When you have the documents finished, send them over to me so I can look them over."
"Yes sir."
She worked fast to sort the files and to find the ones that she was looking for. Somehow, her body remembered doing this before and the files looked familiar enough that she didn't need to spend so much time reading through them all. In thirty minutes she had all the files she needed on one side of her desk and had started looking over them. I knew it. There's not much when it comes to methods to withstand torture.
"It's finally five! I'm beat!" Havoc said suddenly, pulling her out of her musings. She looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was indeed the end of the work day.
She looked down at the rest of the pile she had to read. I'll continue this tomorrow. She was starting to feel her exhaustion seeping in and it made it hard to concentrate. She knew her body would be aching everywhere tomorrow.
"Lieutenant Colonel, are you going home?" Falman asked her.
She looked toward the Fuhrer's closed doors. He had told her that he would be staying later tonight.
"He has to stay late tonight because of the upcoming meeting with the generals. That's why Fuery and I have to stay overtime to work too," Breda answered her before she even had the chance to voice her question.
"You look tired Lieutenant Colonel. You should go home," Falman said.
"Yes, I will Falman," Riza said.
"Just let the Fuhrer know that you're leaving first. Then we'll drive you home. It's too cold to walk outside," Havoc chipped in. Riza nodded before getting up and heading to the Fuhrer's office, not noticing Havoc's mischievous grin.
She knocked two times, before she heard his permission to enter. He was bent over a document, deep in his thoughts. Seeing him work so hard made her feel even more useless. I should be helping him. Shouldn't I?
"What is it?" Roy said without looking up. Riza blinked away her thoughts.
"I'm sorry to disturb you sir. I just wanted to inform you that I was going home first," Riza said quietly.
Roy looked up with surprise, clearly not having expected her to be in his office. "Hawkeye, sorry. I thought you were Royce or Sakel." He got up and walked toward her. "How are you feeling? You seem really tired. You should go home and rest."
"I'm fine sir, just a little bit worn off."
"It must be hard to adjust with the sudden amount of training. Are you sure it's not too much?" Roy asked with concern.
"Yes sir. It'll take me a few days to adapt to the intensity, but I'll be fine," Risa said to reassure him.
"Okay. I'm sorry I can't go home with you right now. I still have some work to do. Are you going to be fine for supper? There's a lot of ingredients, but-"
"Sir, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. I should be the one apologizing for not being able to help you when you have so much work to get done." She had to cut him to stop him from fretting over irrelevant matters. He has so much on his shoulders, yet all he cares about is what I'll eat for supper. You have to stop doing that Roy, or else you'll make it hard for me not to like you too.
"Don't be Riza. You went through a lot. I don't want you to force yourself. I don't mind waiting. I'll wait for you to be ready." He smiled at her. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond and stood there staring at him.
"Um, then I'll be going sir." She saluted and quickly left his office.
Havoc and Falman drove her to the Fuhrer's house. "Goodnight Lieutenant Colonel. See you tomorrow!" they said.
She gave them a small wave before entering the house. The first thing she did was take another shower, a nice long one, before putting on some more comfortable clothes. She cooked herself a simple meal and left a portion for Roy on the table. It was nine in the evening and he had yet to come home. She looked out the window at the snow glowing under the moonlight, watching the gate to see if he would come, but he didn't. She left him a note telling him to heat the plate before eating it and retired to her room.
She laid down on her bed gingerly and pulled the covers up to her chin. She felt Hayate cuddling up to her legs, providing her with a little bit more warmth. She sighed as she felt her muscles already starting to ache. Maybe I started a little too roughly. I'm going to be in so much pain tomorrow. She felt utterly drained, but she still found it hard to fall asleep. She didn't know if it was her fear of nightmares or her recent thoughts about the Fuhrer, but she knew she couldn't continue like this.
She reached into the drawer of her night table and took out a bottle of pills. Take one or two pills before sleep. She walked to her adjoining bathroom to take some tap water and swallowed the two small sleeping pills. This better work.
She heard Hayate bark once, but she couldn't muster the strength to open her eyelids. Just a few more minutes. The next thing she knew, she was jerked awake by a not-so-gentle shaking and someone calling her name. She blinked sleepily as she looked up to find a frantic-looking Roy. Suddenly aware of her surrounding and the look on his face, she quickly reached under her pillow, pulled out a gun and flicked the safety off.
"What's wrong sir?" She asked tensely, quickly scanning the room for intruders or any danger.
"N- No it's fine Riza! There's no danger!" Roy said quickly. She looked at him carefully. "You never came down for breakfast, so I came to see if you were awake. I knocked many times but you wouldn't answer. When Hayate barked, I came in and found you still in bed."
She saw the fear in his eyes and slowly lowered her gun, putting the safety back on. That's right. I took those sleeping pills yesterday. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she didn't have any nightmares and that was why she had slept until now.
"You scared me Riza. I thought something bad had happened," Roy voiced his concern, but she could see that his fear ran much deeper and that he was refraining himself from something.
"I'm sorry to have worried you sir. I guess I was too tired the night before," Riza said, feeling a little bit guilty.
"As long as you're alright. Are you feeling better now?"
She thought a bit and realized that one long night of sleep had helped significantly. "Yes, I feel better."
"Good. I made breakfast, so come down to eat when you're ready," Roy said and started to walk toward the door.
Riza quickly removed her covers and prepared to get up, but as she took her first step, she gasped and fell to the floor. Roy was quickly by her side.
"Riza! What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
She groaned as she felt all of her muscles ache from the slight movement. She clenched her teeth in embarrassment. I can't believe I'm in so much pain! And I fell right in front of the Fuhrer after I told him I would be fine with this intensity of training!
Getting no response from her, Roy cautiously asked, "is your body sore from the training?"
She could see his knowing smile from underneath her bangs and glared at him. Using her nightstand for support, she heaved herself up, but not without Roy's help. Her stubbornness refused to let her acknowledge her pain.
"I'm fine sir," she said tensely before stiffly making her way to her bathroom and quickly closing the door so he couldn't continue looking at her miserable state. Oh my god. This is terrible. How am I going to endure today's training? The last time she remembered feeling like this was during her training in the academy.
The hardest part of getting ready was clasping her bra and sliding her arms into her shirt. There was definitely no was in hell she could ever ask somebody for help. She sighed when she was finally done and looked at Hayate, who laid there staring at her strange behaviour.
"I'm good to go boy. Let's go down to eat." Hayate barked and they headed downstairs.
Roy smiled at her when he saw her come down, not in a mocking way, which was a relief to her.
"Isn't this too much?" she asked him as she saw two eggs, two toasts, a sausage and some yogurt and fruits on the side.
"You have to eat a hearty breakfast before working out so you'll have enough energy. The protein will help you build muscles," Roy stated and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to start.
Riza sighed inwardly and began eating. It's like I'm being followed by a personal trainer.
"Thanks for the supper yesterday Hawkeye," Roy said suddenly.
She looked up in surprised and remembered that she had left him a portion of yesterday's supper for him. "It's the least I can do sir. Thank you for breakfast too."
By the time she finished her plate, her stomach felt like exploding.
"Good, now let's go to work," Roy said as he picked up her plate and utensils and brought it to the sink.
"Is Havoc here already?" she hadn't heard anybody ring the doorbell.
"He's been here for ten minutes now. I told him to give you time to finish your breakfast."
"You should have told me that before so I could eat faster!" She felt bad for having made both of them wait for her.
"It's not good to rush when you're eating Riza. I'm sure Havoc didn't mind. It actually gives him a morning smoking break."
"That's not exactly a good thing sir," Riza grumbled as she went to get ready to leave the house.
In the short ride to headquarters, Riza was lost in her thoughts. She still had to deal with the problem of living in the Fuhrer's house and hadn't had the time to find an apartment. She didn't really know the area around here very well and wasn't sure where to start looking. Maybe I should ask someone for help. Her choice of people was limited though. It had to be someone from the office who knew she was currently living with the Fuhrer.
"Hawkeye, did you hear what I said?" Roy asked, bringing her attention back to him.
"I'm sorry sir," she apologized.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'll be very busy this week, so I'll be returning home later than usually every day. I'll make sure someone can drive you home every day though."
"I can walk back sir, it's no problem. It's not that far," she retorted, feeling bad for always having someone driving her back.
"No can do, Lieutenant Colonel. It's way too cold outside and it'll be safer in the car," Havoc said from the driver's seat.
"That's right. The case isn't closed yet and before it is, I don't want to take any risks," Roy said with resolve. He left no space for her to rebut, so she had no choice but to concede.
As they were walking to the office, Royce and Sakel found them and whisked the Fuhrer away. Once she was alone with Havoc, she took the opportunity to talk about her apartment hunting.
"Havoc, I know I've already asked you for a favour before, but do you think you could help me with something else?" she asked him in the hallway outside their office.
"Of course Hawkeye! If it's anything I can help with, it'll be my pleasure!"
"I was thinking of finding my own apartment, but I'm not very familiar with the neighbourhoods and was wondering if you could help me look for one."
Havoc was surprised. "You want to move out? I don't think the Fuhrer will agree to this. It's safer if you stay in his house for now, at least until things calm down. After this week passes, we'll have more time to solve this case," Havoc explained hesitantly.
"Havoc, I can't keep staying there. It's the Fuhrer's house. If someone ever found out I was staying there, it would ruin him. He's done enough for me already. It's already more than I could ever ask for. Please, could you help me find a place?" she pleaded him, hoping he would understand her.
Havoc seemed to be having an internal debate in his head. "Well... I don't know Hawkeye. I don't think it's safe for you to be on your own."
Riza frowed. "Why? I'm capable of protecting myself, Havoc."
"Uh, well," Havoc stumbled with his words, clearly on the verge of saying something that he shouldn't be saying. Is it because I was kidnapped once, so he thinks I'll get caught another time? Or is it...
"Are you thinking about my mental health Captain Havoc?" she asked coldly. Havoc looked at her uneasily. Riza was staring him down and a strained silence settled between them. She knew they all knew about her condition and probably all suspected that she had many problems. She knew they were only worried about her, but that didn't mean she liked to be viewed as someone fragile or as an invalid.
"I'm just worried about you Hawkeye," Havoc said calmly, his voice laced with concern. "If something were to happen to you again... I don't think any of us could forgive ourselves."
Riza's glare melted away at his confession and now it was her turn to feel miserable. "I'm sorry for getting angry at you Havoc. I know you're all worried about me and I appreciate it. I really do. But you don't have to worry about me. I'm handling it well." Am I really?
Havoc sighed after a while and scratched his head. "Alright, if you're absolutely sure about it. I can take a look at the place where you used to live. It was a good place and maybe they have some availabilities."
"Thank you Havoc, I appreciate it," Riza said sincerely.
"But you know he won't like it. If he finds out, he won't agree to this."
"I know. That's why I'm hoping we could keep this between ourselves. I'll tell him myself after I've signed the contract," Riza said.
"Alright. Don't worry, I don't really want to get my ass whooped either. I can keep my mouth shut," Havoc grinned.
"Thank you Havoc. I should get going now. I don't want to be late."
"See you at lunch time Hawkeye."
The next few days were a repetition of the same routine. She would wake up, eat breakfast with Roy, head to HQ, do her morning session with Kuresh, have lunch with the boys and sometimes the Fuhrer would join them, do her afternoon training, continue her research on the military training for the new recruits and head home before Roy. Her body had finally started to get used to Kuresh's intensive program and she could start to feel a difference in her performance.
On the fourth day, she had finally finished her paperwork for the new program she wanted to included in the new recruits' training. Getting up from her desk, she knocked twice on the Fuhrer's door and awaited his response before entering.
"Sir, I have the paperwork for the proposition of a new program for the recruits' military training. Should I leave it somewhere for you to take a look when you have the time?" she asked him.
"I have some time right now Hawkeye." He held a hand up, motioning for her to give him the manila folder. She hadn't expected him to look it over immediately since his desk seemed to be overflowing with documents.
"Yes sir," she said after a slight pause and handed him the documents. He opened it and began reading as she stood in front his his desk debating whether she was supposed to leave his office or not. Suddenly, he looked at her with his eyebrows raised, clearly not having expected to be reading about a program that teaches about everything pertaining torture. She nodded with a serious look before he looked back down and continued reading.
"I," he said absentmindedly and finished reading the last sentence. "I think this is a good proposition. The program we have right now certainly is lacking in this aspect," he said as he looked back up.
"This proposition is still only in its first draft sir. We would have to consult experts in this field and draw up a formal and complete outline of the course that could be integrated into the training," Riza explained.
Roy picked up his pen and signed at the bottom of the page. He closed the folder and handed it back to her. "You have my approval Lieutenant Colonel. Whenever you're ready you can start gathering the people you want in your team to work on this project."
"Thank you sir," Riza saluted and turned to leave.
"Hawkeye," Roy called her before she reached the door. "We haven't had much time together lately. How is your training going?"
"It's the same sir. My body is starting to adapt to the rhythm so it's less intense."
"That's good. I'm glad to hear that. The meeting with the generals is tomorrow and it'll last two days. After that, I should have some more free time. Sorry for being so busy lately," he said with a sheepish look.
"You're the Fuhrer sir. It's only normal that you have a lot of work to do. You're the leader of a whole nation. Please do not trouble yourself with me."
"Okay, if you say so." Roy chuckled sadly. "So what are you going to do now?"
"I was thinking of heading to the range," Riza said. She had been itching to go there for the past two days and since she was finished with her report, she thought it would be a good time to visit.
Roy raised his eyebrows. "Is your left shoulder well enough for that?"
"I've been working on it with Kuresh and it's feeling better. I just want to try it out for a bit."
"Make sure you stop if it starts to hurt. Don't force yourself. It'll make it worse," Roy said.
"Yes sir," she said. He should stop worrying so much and focus on his work. She felt bad to have wasted some of his time. He was already working overtime and now he would probably have to stay a bit later because she interrupted him.
At the range, she removed her jacket and placed it in her locker. She took out the case of her sniper rifle and walked out of the changing room. It was near the end of the day, so most of the occupants were other soldiers taking some time off for personal training. She looked around to see where she could install herself, but most of the lanes were occupied. She noticed two free spaces on the far right. Long range? She wasn't sure if she was up for that as her first time back, but it was the only available ones left. They were mostly reserved for snipers since most people couldn't shoot a target that far away.
I guess I have no choice. She walked to the right end of the large range and opened her case on a table. As she was assembling her rifle she heard someone call her name.
"Riza! You came!" Rebecca practically screamed her name, drawing some attention to her at the same time. Riza gave her friend a knowing smile. She never changes.
"Sorry it took some time. I was busy with my training."
"Yeah I heard Kuresh is making you go through a spartan training of some sort. Is she crazy?"
"I was the one who asked for it," Riza said as she attached the scope onto the rifle and turned around.
Rebecca scowled. "I should've known. Only you could ask for something like that." Rebecca whistled as she eyed Riza's rifle. "That's a sweet gun you have there! Is it custom? When did you get this? I've never seen it before!" She was gushing over the specs excitedly.
"I received it as a gift not too long ago. I didn't have the time to try it out properly yet." Riza allowed her friend to take a look at her gun.
"A gift? What? From who? Tell me!" Riza frowned as she saw the sparkles in her friend's eyes.
"Don't go imagining anything crazy in that head of yours. The Fuhrer gave me this gun as a gift to thank me for my years of service," Riza explained calmly.
Rebecca snorted and laughed. "Right... a thank you gift. Girl, stop deluding yourself. I know what kind of gun this is and it is not easy to get. This is a limited edition series and a custom made one at that. Of course someone like the Fuhrer could get his hands on one, but to think that he went through the effort to get it made for you. I think it means something." Rebecca wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Riza sighed and took her gun from her friend's grasp. "And you should stop with your ridiculous speculations." She walked to the two available lanes and was about to settle into the one on the left, before she felt Rebecca gently pushing her to the one on the right.
"I'll practice with you, but there's no way in hell I'm taking the hardest one. Only an expert like you could use that lane." Rebecca smiled as she laid down and started to position herself.
Riza did the same and placed her box of bullets beside her. "Start at 300 meters?" Rebecca asked. Riza nodded. She didn't really have a choice since that was the minimum distance her lane allowed. She's testing me.
She put on her earmuffs and aimed. Her first shot was slightly off the small red bullseye.
"Can't you be just a bit rusty on your first time back? Jeez! Give me a chance to beat you." Rebecca said as she looked at Riza's target through her scope. When Riza didn't answer her, she looked at her. "You're kidding me right? Riza, you hit the center. That's great." Rebecca insisted.
"It's off center. It touched the line," was all Riza said before she aimed and fired again. Her next few shots went closer and closer to the center. "That's better."
Rebecca was looking at her with a baffled expression. "A sniper's job is to hit a target from a long distance. A slight deviation of angle can make a difference between life and death. This is just 300 meters. If the distance had been farther, it would have missed the center," Riza explained.
"I know that. I'm technically a sniper too and I also teach!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I meant that, as your first time back, it's really good. You just have a whole other set of standards different from ours. Us, normal soldiers," Rebecca joked.
"So I'm not normal?" Riza asked, amused.
"No, you're definitely not. You're a super soldier." Rebecca grinned.
They went back to shooting and Riza was quick to raise the distance of her target. By the time her shoulder started to ache from the position on the mat, she was shooting from 800 meters away, through a panel that opened in the wall, allowing the target to be placed at farther distances outside the range. She released her breath and removed her earmuffs. It was then that she noticed the small crowd gathered around them. Rebecca got up, grinning at her. The people around clapped their hands.
"That was a good performance Lieutenant Colonel!" someone said and others agreed.
"Right. I'll admit that you're a bit better than me," Rebecca said.
Riza chuckled at her friend. Rebecca dispersed the small crowd and Riza went to store her rifle away. Rebecca came to stand beside her and was staring at her gun again.
She sighed longingly and pouted. "I'm so jealous. I wish someone would give me one as a gift too. I guess I'll have to find myself a rich boyfriend that'll buy one for me." Riza smiled to herself.I'm sure you'll find someone great one day Rebecca.
Havoc was the one who drove her home that night.
"Hawkeye, I looked into the apartment for you and they have one that's available. It's about the same as the last one you had. Here's the layout." He showed her a simple blueprint.
"It looks good," Riza said.
"And here's the contract," Havoc held out another paper before Riza could say anything else.
"You're really efficient Captain," Riza smiled and he grinned back.
"I knew you'd like it, so I asked for the contract right away.
"Thank you Havoc."
"Take a look at it tonight and if you decided to sign it, you can give it to me tomorrow and I'll handle the rest."
"You already did most of the work for me. I can handle the rest," Riza responded.
"There's not much to do. I just have to bring it back to him. You can be in charge of telling the Fuhrer about your move."
Riza chuckled. "Alright Captain. I'll take care of that."
"One more thing. I just thought you might want to know that Victor Brandt is being moved to a prison cell tomorrow." Riza stared at him. So he's well enough to be released from the hospital? "He'll be escorted by two military cars and First Lieutenant Ryan Dorse will personally oversee that the transportation goes smoothly," Havoc explained in detail.
"Good," Riza said. After a few seconds, she thanked him and left. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
The next morning, many people were bustling around headquarters. The generals from all the different headquarters were scheduled to arrive in the next few hours. The soldiers accompanying them were going to participate in joint practices and friendly competitions, so everyone was working on the last preparations to welcome them. Roy had left the office around eight in the morning and would only return after lunch with the generals.
Riza had just finished her morning session with Kuresh and was changing back into her uniform.
"Did you hear what happened?" she heard someone say in the changing room. Riza paused in the middle of buttoning her jacket and listened.
"Apparently there was a bomb and some shooting."
"What? Is the Fuhrer and the generals involved?" another woman asked loudly.
"I don't know."
Riza quickly got out of her stall and out of the changing room. She ran down the hallway and headed toward the communications department. She arrived to a scene of mayhem. People were scrambling, screaming messages to each other and orders being thrown around. She spotted someone that looked like the one in charge.
"Colonel!" she saluted him after figuring out his rank that showed on his shoulders.
He looked at her distractedly, but after recognizing her, he turned his attention to her. "Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye."
"What is going on sir? Is the Fuhrer in danger?" she asked quickly.
"No. A military car exploded and there was an exchange of gunfire. Thankfully, it's nowhere near where the Fuhrer is. He's being taken to a safe place right now, as well as the generals," the Colonel explained briefly.
"Colonel! The two military cars were transporting someone to the prison," someone said.
"What? Who were they escorting?" Riza felt the dread in the pit of her stomach.
"We don't have that information sir. We don't have the clearance to verify it."
"What? Tell them it's from Colonel Glenn Griffin," the Colonel said agitatedly.
"I did sir and they said you do not have clearance to access that information." The colonel growled in frustration. Everyone knew that it could only mean one thing: someone with a superior rank had put that restriction. Roy.
"What's the situation on site?" The Colonel asked.
"A few civilians got injured, no casualties. Four injuries on our side, one of them gravely injured." the man paused before adding, "and one casualty, First Lieutenant Ryan Dorse."
The room turned quiet at that news. A shiver ran up Riza spine and she felt numb. This is all my fault.
"Is there a team dispatched to the site yet?" the Colonel asked with suppressed anger.
"Yes, they'll be arriving in less than two minutes."
"Make sure they track them down. I will not allow those murderers to get away with this." Colonel Griffin turned to another soldier and gave an order. "Get three more teams dispatched. We don't know how many they are. Get the MPs to control the crowd around the area. We'll be heading out too. I'll be leading this operation."
"Colonel Griffin, allow me to join you," Hawkeye said.
The Colonel smirked. "I'd be honored to have the Hawk's eyes on my team."
"Yes sir!" she saluted and ran toward the range to retrieve her rifle. Victor, who is working with you?
A.N.: Once again, I apologize for the long wait. I think the story is nearing its end. I'll try not to wait a year to update the next chapter... Heads up: the next chapter will be action-packed. :D I appreciate reviews and enjoy reading people's opinions on this story. See you next time.
D