"Will you be needing anything else tonight Sir?" Riza Hawkeye asked as she stood before the desk of Roy Mustang.

Roy looked up from his pile of paperwork, most of which was actually due yesterday and eyed the Lieutenant carefully. "Not that I can think of, at the moment. But you might want to stay a little longer, in case I need your help."

"You have Second Lieutenant Havoc if you need any assistance. I shall see you tomorrow morning Sir." Riza saluted before turning on her heel and walking out of the office.

Roy stared after her, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Havoc!"

"Sir?" the blond man asked as he stepped into view, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Fill out this paperwork for me. I have something I need to check out."

Havoc blinked, "Sir?"

"Just do it," Roy muttered as he stood up. Grabbing his coat, he headed out the door after his First Lieutenant. Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery peered out the door after him, before looking at one another in confusion.

Roy followed Riza home, from a safe distance. This was the sixth time she'd gone home early in as many months. And each time coincided with the full moon. It couldn't be a coincidence, Roy didn't believe in coincidence. Tonight he would find out what happened when she left early.

Riza surprisingly headed straight for her apartment. She made no stops along the way, just hurrying home. She ran up the flight of stares to her door, unlocking it and slipping inside quickly. Roy followed her and pressed his ear against the door, just in time to hear the deadbolt snap into place. Frowning, Roy pressed his ear closer to the wood that separated him from the Lieutenant. He could just barely make out her voice.

"Are you alright? I meant to be home earlier, but things at the office were a little hectic today." There was some kind of sound, like a whine. Roy stiffened. Riza's voice was still soft, but it covered the whine. "It's alright. Almost done. I know it hurts, but you'll be alright. It's almost over."

The whine turned into a strangled yelp, a sound of pain. Then there was a sound of something snapping, something like bone snapping. The yelp turned into a full-out scream of agony, and Roy followed his instincts. With a single snap of his fingers, the door was blown off its hinges.

"Lieutenant! Are you al…" Roy stopped and stared at the sight before him. Riza was kneeling on the ground next to a little boy. He was pale with black hair and eyes, eyes which were glistening with unshed tears. Roy blinked, "…right?"

"Sir? What are you doing?" Riza asked calmly, pulling the boy, who Roy now realized was naked, into her arms.

Roy stiffened under the scrutiny of the blond woman. "I was worried about you Lieutenant. You have been acting strange lately and I-"

"Followed me home in an attempt to figure out what was the cause of the strange behavior?"

"Yes."

Riza sighed, "Well Sir, you can plainly see the cause of my bizarre behavior."

Roy's attention turned once again to the boy in the Lieutenant's arms. "I find it hard to believe that boy is yours, Lieutenant."

With a bemused grin on her face, Riza sighed, "You'll find what I'm about to say even harder to believe Sir."

"Oh?"

"This boy is Black Hayate."

"Excuse me?" Roy nearly screeched.

"Black Hayate. Shortly after taking him in, I learned that every night, during the full moon, he will turn into a human child. As such, I've needed to leave early in order to take care of him. Even if he's a dog thirty days out of the month, I couldn't force myself to leave him alone like this."

"B…Black….Hayate…?" Roy mumbled. He leaned against the wall and slid down it till he was seated on the floor. "That…that can't be…"

"I assure you sir, it is."

Roy looked at Riza with a confused expression. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Look at him Sir. There is a very good reason I couldn't tell anyone. He looks like you." Riza gently tousled the boy's hair, "People would assume he is your son, not a dog. And I would be his mother."

"My son?" Roy choked out. "Nobody would jump to such a conclusion, Lieutenant."

"There are people who would love nothing more than to see you fall. An illegitimate child with your second in command would cost you your goal, Sir."

Roy stared at the boy, Black Hayate, again. He sighed, knowing that there was truth to what Riza was saying. "I see Lieutenant. Then, you may continue to leave early on the nights that Black Hayate…changes."

"Thank you Sir."

Roy pushed himself off the ground. "I'm sorry about your door. I'll fix it now." After drawing the necessary circle and a flash of cool blue light and the door was returned to its regular position. "I bid you goodnight Lieutenant."

"Goodnight Sir."

Roy paused in the doorway. "Does he say anything?"

"Sir?"

"Black Hayate. Does he speak like a human?"

Riza nodded. "Occasionally."

"What does he say?"

Riza stiffened. "Well, he'll ask for food if he's hungry and he knows my name… He's hardly ever awake after he changes, so he doesn't say much at all…"

"I see. Goodnight." Roy walked out of the apartament, his head pounding with the shock he'd received tonight. A were-baby?

Black Hayate looked sleepily up at Riza. "Mama…?"

"Yes?" she whispered, resting her cheek on the black haired boy's forehead.

"Was that Papa?"

Riza pulled back to peer into the large black eyes of the boy. "Papa?"

"Yeah. I remember him from when I was little. He held me and said that dogs were great…"

Riza winced at the memory. "Yes, he did hold you."

"His hands were warm. I liked them. I want him to be my Papa." Black Hayate yawned then.

"Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Okay Mama. But, I really want him to be my Papa. He'd protect us."

Riza smiled to herself as the dog-turned-boy fell asleep in her arms, "Except when it rains."