Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the characters. I only am responsible for the (albeit poorly written and devised) plot.

Notice: some characters are made up, complete figments of my imagination. Sorry the names don't make sense in this story

Just to clarify, this takes place in a universe where Hughes hasn't died, and Riza never showed Roy her father's research notes. Roy figured out flame alchemy on his own, and Riza never told anyone else of her tattoo.

"DAMN IT!" The Colonel slammed his fist down on the desk. Hard. Another dead end. Where the hell was this guy hiding out?! "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" The whole desk rattled with his inflicted anger.

"Whoa there tiger, calm yourself. I'm sure something'll turn up soon," assured his close friend, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. "Besides, I'm not sure if your poor desk can handle any more of your misdirected anger," he said, gesturing towards the wooden edge that was beginning to splinter beneath his hands, still clenched in fury.

"I will most certainly NOT calm down Hughes. That's the 6th murder this month, and there's no trace of the guy! Where is he hiding, and why these people?" He ran a tired hand through his dark hair. "They're so specific. There's a reason for it, I know it. It's no accident that she was killed," he said, pointing at a smiling woman holding up a silver watch. "Or her," he continued, jabbing an impatient finger at another photograph of a woman whose white lab coat was bright in comparison to her dark pants. "Or even her!"

As he continued rambling to himself, his closest friend looked on sadly. He was in way over his head. This case had really rattled him, and Hughes couldn't quite figure out why. He knew for a fact that none of the victims had been associated with him personally. Then why had this case hit him so hard?

Meanwhile, Colonel Mustang was busy imagining the horrible things he would do to that man once caught. The awful, horrendous fate he would make sure the killer would receive. Maybe he was a bit of a playboy. But even he knew women were NOT toys, or things to be taken advantage of. If his time with his personal bodyguard had taught him anything, it was that women were capable of everything a man was, if not more.

The man who had ruined these womens' dignity right before mercilessly slaughtering these poor women would pay. He would make sure of it. He would find a way to banish the reoccurring nightmare. If it was the last thing he did.

The phone rang, startling both men out of their thoughts. Roy couldn't get to the phone fast enough.

"What? What is it? If you haven't noticed, I'M WORKING ON A CASE HERE!" His voice quickly elevated, making all those in the room jump in surprise.

Everyone but Lieutenant Hawkeye.

"Sir, please be quieter when answering the phone, and calm down," she responded calmly, not looking up from her desk. He huffed.

"Fine." he turned back to the phone. "What is it?"

The voice cut through the utter silence on the room.

"There's been another incident."

The rain made a strange noise as it fell down on the car windshield.

"I won't beat around the bush," began Colonel Mustang "who was it this time?"

"Another woman, sir. She was a local. An alchemist, according to the other civilians who knew her. And she was no amateur either. Only reason she wasn't with the state was probably because she didn't want to be," replied Lt. Hawkeye "Or at least, that's what they said."

"Then why am I here?" He sighed, leaning against the window. "Why not send someone else?"

"Because sir," she looked up to meet his eyes "I said that there was a victim. I never said that she died."

The hospital smelled weird. Weird and wrong. It smelled too clean.

"So Miss, did you notice anything about this man that could help us identify him? Hair color, height, age, anything?" Mustang pressed further, and Lt. Hawkeye could see that this was making the poor woman visibly uncomfortable. She could also see the returning fear as is crept back into her eyes.

"Sir!" He swiveled around, eyes meeting hers in a glare. His gaze hardened in determination. "Roy," she said again, softer. His posture relaxed. "Please let me handle this." He nodded, not even needing to think about it. "I'll just sit over there." He stood from his seat next to her bed. As they passed each other he grabbed her by the arm and whispered just barely loud enough to hear :"I know there's something only a woman can relate to. She's the only one to ever have survived, and this was by sheer luck that someone of military status was nearby. Please Riza, I can't let this happen to someone else."

For a split second, she could hear the pleading in his voice. The desperation to save this fate from someone else. And then the realization hit her like a brick. One of the previous victims had been someone he loved. Someone who wasn't her. Of course.

Lt. Colonel Hughes could feel the tension pressing up around him, it was so thick. He cleared his throat. Riza hurried back to what had been the Colonel's seat.

"Hello there," she offered a smile at the tearing-up woman. "I'm Riza." the woman gave her a small smile in return. "People call me Bell. Pleased to meet you." There was a silent understanding between the two, as they gave each other a certain look, one that only a woman would understand.

"Bell, what really happened?" Riza asked softly. "He... he violated you, didn't he?" Roy's head shot up to stare open-mouthed at them. That's what happened? But I... I thought she had been rescued in time to save her from... from..." The Colonel's thoughts were incoherent. His fist was clenched in fury.

So, Hughes thought to himself I guess there ARE some things only a woman can know at a moment's glance.

"Well, yes. But, no, not like that." Riza gave her a questioning look. "He only... only looked at my back. He didn't do anything else. Well, after uttering on and on about some research."

The three military officers turned to look at each other. Research?

"Bell, you need to tell me exactly what he said. What kind of research?"

"He said he was looking for some research notes. Something about alchemy." Riza's eye's widened. Luckily, her back was turned, saving her from questions from the two men.

Bell said nothing. She knew that look. A look of comprehension. A look of alarm.

A look of fear.

"Thank you for allowing us to speak with you today, Miss Bell. We are sorry for the hardships you have faced." Colonel and his friend thanked the woman while she smiled over at them from her hospital bed.

"If I may, could I speak with Riza for a moment?" Mustang nodded.

"Of course. Lt. Hawkeye, you can stay. Me and Lt. Colonel Hughes will be waiting in the car out front." She saluted, standing up strait. "Yes sir." As the two friends left together, discussing under their breath the newfound discovery.

As the doors swung shut, Riza turned to face the woman, whose jaw hung open in amazement.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth Hawkeye? Is that really you?" Hawkeye looked at her in shock.

"How... How did you know my name? I haven't used that name since before I graduated." Bell smiled. (Riza used the name 'Elizabeth' around people who weren't family/deemed worthy enough by her father to know her name.)

"Well, I suppose you wouldn't remember me. It has been quite a while since I saw you last."

Bell could see Riza trying to put the pieces together in her mind. She decided to give her a hint. After all, it had been more than ten years ago.

"My real name is Isabel." It took Riza less than a second.

"Isabel? Isabel Kano? I haven't seen you since... since my father died." Isabel took her hand. "I know. I remember." Sure seems like you've grown up, though the same thing seems to have happened to me. My old friend, Elizabeth Hawkeye. It's been far too long. Can't believe I didn't recognize you earlier, we spent so much time together back then."

Riza chuckled. "Yeah, we were pretty great friends back then. We did see each other pretty often, considering our parents were colleagues."

A snort from Bell. "Yeah, meaning your father was the boss of my mother."

Riza turned back to face her long-forgotten friend. "Have you seen any other of girls? Y'know, the ones we used to play with while all of our parents worked together?"

Bell's expression turned grim. Sad, even. "Didn't you hear? We're the last two left. Linda, Margaret, Harriet, Amanda, Rita, and Selene. All dead." She mused over the though for a moment.

"Come to think of it, you don't think...? Does this have something to do with our parents? Their work?" Riza hadn't thought of that.

"The research... THE RESEARCH! They were looking for their research notes!" Riza felt so stupid now. He had been looking for her. Somehow, he'd know one of the girls carried their parents' work. Once all of the scientists had died, the murderer had figured out that they'd left their work to their children. but that didn't explain how he'd known about where it'd be.

So stupid. So, so stupid. She'd made a mistake somewhere, somehow. And her old playmates had paid the price.

She hadn't been careful enough. And now the were dead.

"This is all my fault." Her voice came out in a strangled whisper. "Those notes. He knew on of us had their notes. And so he went after all of us, one by one. But," she was crying now, tears rolling down her face. "I left home, changed my first name years ago. I'm next on the list; he'll know I'm alive now. I'm well known around here."

She stopped her rambling to gather Bell in her arms, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry Bell. I am so, so sorry." Bell stroked her hair. "You didn't know there was a murderer. You didn't know how far he'd go. But wait. There's one thing I don't understand. What's with the looking at the backs?"

Riza turned her face downward. "I can't tell you that. Please, I can't put you in anymore danger."

Bell nodded. "I understand."

The Colonel's thoughts were whizzing around at a thousand miles and hour.

The Lt. Colonel Hughes was the first to speak.

"D'you think that maybe he hadn't quite violated them in the way we thought? Maybe he didn't do what we thought he had." He hastily re-worded when he saw Roy's expression. "I'm not saying what he did was any better! I'm trying to say; maybe we've been looking at this all the wrong way."

"Don't you see Roy? He's looking for something! Something important enough to kill for."

At that moment, the car door opened, and Riza slid into the seat next to the Colonel.

"Riza, are you alright?"

"No."

Both didn't know what to say to her answer. Riza Hawkeye did not show vulnerability. Ever.

"Take me home."

Sorry the plot doesn't make much sense. But hey, I did try to warn you in the beginning. Sorry the chapter wasn't very long. Hope you enjoyed!