an: aaaand done! (that took way longer than it should of whoops!)

an extra longer chapter to make up for it though? :D

hope you enjoy!

Riza's breath was frozen in her throat.

Words may have been spoken but she wasn't sure. Roy encompassed her vision completely, just like old times. However, Riza did notice that the rest of the team filed out the room, even Annika, and left her and Roy alone.

He stepped forward and Riza flinched. She didn't know why. Roy stopped, continuing to simply watch her.

"Riza?" he called to her quietly.

She broke.

She took a shaky breath in, feeling tears threatening to overwhelm her. Why was he here. Why now? Why, when she couldn't have him, did she want to fall into his arms and never leave them?

Her eyes close and the weight of everything that'd happened in the last half hour crashed into her at once. She was a free woman… But she had nothing left. She was out of the military with this "scandal" and she no longer worked for Roy. She'd lost everything trying to set things right, only to fail miserably.

Arms enveloped her and Riza fought against his hold. She didn't deserve it.

Roy shushed her. "It's okay," he soothed, readjusting his grip so he could hold her even tighter.

"No, it's not," she sobbed. Her knees shook and felt herself falling. She didn't fall hard though. Roy caught her and eased her onto the floor, following along with her. The pair of them knelt on the rich carpet, Riza a sobbing, pathetic, mess in his arms.

"I tried," she told him. "I tried to make things right, but I failed." Her eyes squeezed closed tightly. His scent flooded her and made her want to cry harder. She didn't deserve comfort from him.

"I know," Roy murmured. A hand was pressed on her hair and smoothed down her short and greasy tresses. "You were amazing," he soothed.

"What?" Riza asked, blinking her eyes open.

"The strength you had to do that, to offer yourself up to be executed of all things," he added, choking on the word he stressed. "I wish I could possess half of that."

She pulled away, meeting his gaze, but Roy had cast it downwards.

"The Elders approached me. I explained your thoughts on the matter, but they still insisted. I…" He glanced down. "I know this was what you wanted, and I, of all people, would never want to take it away from you, but… I couldn't say no to them." He met her eyes and saw how pained they were. "I took so much from them already… I couldn't leave them out."

Riza pressed a hand to his cheek. "You brought them so much back too, though remember?"

"So, did you," he stressed, giving her a tight squeeze. "And I couldn't have done it without you. Havoc's right. Everything falls apart with you, Riza. We all need you. The world needs you. I need you more than anything," he finished, his voice dropping to a whisper.

The reminder of Annika popped into her head, and Riza froze.

"What about Annika?" she asked before swallowing past the lump in her throat.

Roy shifted in place, glancing away from her. Riza's grip on him loosened, finally understanding. She realised the position they were in and moved away. As she did, Roy's head snapped back to hers, his brow furrowing.

"Riza?" he asked uncertainly.

"It's okay," she whispered. "And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that, sir – I mean… General," she finished lamely. He wasn't her commanding officer anymore. Old habits die hard, but she was just a civilian now, she supposed. General would justify for now, until she figured out where she sat in this world now.

"What –?"

"I'll let you go, General Mustang. You don't need to stay any longer." Riza could feel her shoulders rounding in on themselves, so she stood and straightened her spine. Roy rose in a hurry, meeting her gaze with his own worried one.

"What are you talking about? Of course, I do."

"Your wife will be wondering where you are, General." Riza cursed as her voice broke on the use of wife.

Realisation seemed to dawn on Roy, but Riza couldn't figure out why.

"Oh. No, you misunderstand," he stated, shaking his head. Roy approached her hurriedly as Riza watched his movements cautiously. He gripped her hands tightly, anchoring himself to her. "She's my wife, but I don't love her."

It took Riza a moment to grasp what he was saying.

"Excuse me?"

Roy shifted uncomfortably. "I wasn't sure how to bring it up. And these were her words, not mine, but what I have with Annika… There's no live. It's an arrangement. A marriage of convenience for us both."

"It's still a marriage."

"Yes, I know that, but she won't mind."

Riza frowned. "I won't get in between a marriage, General –"

"It's Roy," he interrupted. "Please. And don't worry about it."

Riza snatched her hands back. "No, I won't –"

"Riza," Roy soothed her, trying to calm her down. He sighed in frustration, running his hands through his hair. "I'm not explaining this very well."

"No, you're not," Annika interrupted, appearing from nowhere.

Riza jumped about a foot away from him, fear prickling over her skin.

Annika noticed and waved off her reaction. "Riza, my dear, relax. Roy has always appeared to have been excellent with words but when it comes to you, it all goes out the window." She shot a look at her husband. "I wonder why?" she asked allowed, shooting Roy a pointed look. Roy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Riza, look," Annika stated. "There's no love between us. Never was. I used him, and he used me."

An unsettling feeling settled in Riza's stomach at the implication of her statement. It climbed up her throat and Annika appeared to have noticed. Her eyes widened in horror.

"No! Not like that!" she reassured Riza. "No, Roy helped me get away from my abusive father, and I promised I'd help get him to Fuhrer. We agreed from day one that if someone else was to come along, we would end it. I would be a disgraced Princess if I was divorced and wouldn't need to travel back to Drachma to my awful father – which, don't worry, I am very happy about – and Roy said I'd be free to be with anyone I wanted to be. I said the same to him…" Annika cast her gaze between the two of them. "However, I see that the person he's been in love with has been with him all along." She shot Riza a pointed look.

The dread in Riza's stomach had left, and in its place, several emotions were churning up inside the organ, too difficult and muddled to name.

"Do yourself a favour, Riza, and jump at this chance you've been given. You're an amazing woman who I admire so much." Annika gently grasped her hands and gave them a squeeze. "Make him happy," she smiled. With a final squeeze, Annika turned and left the room without another word.

"Riza?" Roy called to her. It sounded far away as Riza stared at the door Annika had exited. She may have stood there frozen for seconds, for minutes, she wasn't sure.

"Is that true?" she whispered.

"Every word," Roy replied with confidence. He smiled sheepishly at her. "She was right. With you, I've never been able to find the right words, or the right time. One thing happened after another and then I was too scared of messing anything up. But I do love you, Riza. You've known that for years and it's never changed." Riza felt tears spring to her eyes. "And I realise how much that marriage must have hurt you. I apologise for that, but it was necessary to get her out of that home."

As Riza's brain caught up with her, she couldn't help but notice the similarities between her childhood situation and Annika's. Had Roy helped her because Annika reminded him of herself, and their childhood together under Berthold Hawkeye?

No, surely not…

But it certainly sounded like something Roy would do.

Both Riza's hands were back in Roy's grip as he met her eyes with a soft smile.

"What will you do now?" he asked quietly.

"I… I don't know." She really didn't, and that terrified her. She was still reeling for the judge's decision. Her brain hadn't even thought about where she would sleep that night.

"Come and work for me again," Roy offered.

"I can't," she whispered. "The military won't let me."

"The Fuhrer is your grandfather. I'll be Fuhrer after that," Roy argued. "I'm sure you'll be able to."

"It wouldn't be fair."

"Riza, you offered yourself up to be executed for what you did in Ishval. The majority have praised you for your actions. I wasn't joking when I said I wish I had half the strength you did."

She studied his eyes, trying to discern if he was lying, but he wasn't. The truth was all there in those dark orbs, laid out before her for Riza to accept.

"Or," Roy added, giving her hands a squeeze. "Private security is also another venture you could find yourself in." His eyes flashed, with… mischief? "Then you won't be working under me."

"What?"

"Annika and I already spoke after your trial went live and are readying the divorce papers." Riza's mouth parted in shock. "Discreetly, of course. No one knows and it won't be public until next year sometime." He sounded displeased by that admittance. "It wouldn't be good publicity if I was to be divorced right before becoming Fuhrer, no matter how much I want to be."

"Why?" Riza asked. She still couldn't grasp what he was saying.

"So, I can be with you, of course. Only if you want to."

Her mind and her emotions were being jerked in every direction today. Just when she thought she'd got a lid on one surprise another came barrelling at her at full speed. She needed to sit down. Or a drink. That last one sounded better.

Unfortunately, there was no drink available to her in the courthouse, so she sank into a couch behind her. Roy followed suit, his hands not leaving hers, but instead of joining her on the couch, he knelt in front of her.

"Do we deserve it?" she asked.

His smile faltered. "Annika has opened me up to many different ways of thinking. Before I met her? Absolutely not. Duty came first for us always. However, we've conquered our demons and rebuilt what we had a hand in destroying. For me…" Roy dropped his gaze. "It doesn't ease the guilt, but my soul feels more at rest now that I know by job is done."

"I felt the same way," Riza admitted in a whisper. "That's why I was so okay with all this."

Roy nodded. "I understand. I was too, however Grumman said I would have to wait until I became Fuhrer. And God knows I didn't want to leave you to do it alone. It felt like I was abandoning you, but I still had work to do." Roy shifted on his knees, giving her hands a tight squeeze. "So do you, if you're willing?"

"Everything is done."

Roy shook his head with a dry smile. "Someone still has to keep my sorry ass alive. The best person to do that is you. If you decline, I won't fight it –"

"Okay."

A heavy breath left Riza as she accepted his offer because there was no place better for her than by his side. Whether that was as his bodyguard, or, further down the line, his wife, Riza didn't care. She just wanted him.

Roy edged forward and pressed his lips gently against hers. Riza whimpered and wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly. His arms snaked around her back and pulled her flush against his body. Her tears dripped onto her cheeks, but she didn't mind.

They were happy tears. It had been a long time since she'd experienced that.