He figures adopting two little kids wasn't the best choice he ever made in his life.

Maybe he should have thought this more through. No, he definitely should have thought this more through, but apparently getting wasted, and a very convincing, manipulating best friend were everything that was needed to persuade him into it nowadays.

Then again, Maes wouldn't have tried if the kids were anyone else than the Elric siblings. And somehow - in a twisted kind of way - Roy understood why. Anyone else than these two wouldn't have been good enough for it. Wouldn't have been good enough for a life filled with promises of waking up in the middle of the night due nightmares about a massacre, wouldn't have been good enough spending their day in a brothel surrounded by women who knew what beingdirtymeant, whilst he was working on overthrowing the man who currently stood atop the country, ruling it.

And whilst that wasn't a life someone would wish mere children, Roy understood what Maes wanted to do, why he coaxed Roy's drunk ass into adopting them.

And it was so goddamn ridiculous, because Roy didn't get how Maes could believe that two kids would be good for him, light his life up and fill his empty,emptyheart. He didn't get how his best friend believed he could take care of two traumatized kids, the younger one too trusting, because his mind was a mess and he just wanted love and comfort, whilst the older one didn't want trust anyone, because everyone and everything could stab them in the back when they weren't looking.

But he already signed most of the papers, and Maes was standing before him, grinning brightly. Roy looked up from the mess of documents, and sighed.

"I hate you."

That crazy bastardhad the guts to laugh at him.

Expect that it wasn't that easy - adopting two unwilling kids.

Or at least only one was unwilling. Roy wasn't sure what Alphonse was thinking about the whole situation, considering big, brown eyes were staring at him with curiosity and suchinnocence, which made Roy understand why the elder sibling of both would do anything to protect him.

And then Roy's gaze wandered to mentioned elder sibling, Edlyn Elric. Dull, but stubborn eyes were staring at him, telling him that the little girl was ready to defend her brother, which she shielded from Roy with her small body.

He needed to get their permission, their acceptance.

Yes, he had the paperwork filled and done, but the state won't accept that alone, especially since he was a state alchemist and no one really trusted a dog of the military. They wanted to see, that the siblings were doing well by him, but with how things were going, that would take awhile.

Roy sighed. Wouldn't it be for Maes and the horrible amount of paperwork he had to do, he would have given up here and stopped. There was no reason to adopt them after all. But Maes wouldn't stop nagging and even Hawkeye seemed to approve of it.

Looking back at the little girl who was was glaring at him, he wasn't even sure why he listened to Maes half the time. Damn, those kids actually had a father.

Which was actually pretty hilarious, because when he traveled to Resembool for the paperwork and stuff, despite him being a dog of the military, everyone, literally everyone, seemed to be willing to forget about that man's existence and as he tried to bring it up, they just looked at him and asked him aboutwhohe talked.

Well, then again. Not really everyone, considering that granny that looked after the Elric siblings, and Alphonse didn't pretend he didn't exist. Edlyn though seemed rather to enjoy ignoring her father's existence and Roy wasn't sure what to make of that.

It was supposed to be a good point for him, considering he kind of adopted Edlyn and her brother. But at the same time he couldn't really care, considering he didn't plan to adopt them and it was all mostly Maes' fault.

"Come on... it won't be that worse..."

Edlyn just snarled at him and Roy feared that he might not make it back. And it all would be his best friend's fault. Of course he could give up, but the paperwork... also he was pretty sure Maes would never let him live that down and Hawkeye would probably shot him. Or sigh in disappointment at him and Roy couldn't tell what would be worse.

But trying to have a normal conversation with Edlyn Elric was almost impossible. Well, with the exception if Alphonse was there, because that boy was an angel.

"Big sister... please listen..."

And he really had to thank that boy, because he alone was the reason why Edlyn was willing to listen and why they decided to come with him.

Finally.

It wasn't a long talk by any means. He told them about the adoption. She raged and yelled. He glared at her. She glared back. But Roy was skilled in glaring and had more experience, because Maes, Havoc and uptight generals were reason enough to pick up that skill and polish it.

Edlyn lost and Roy had now two children.

She continued to pout the whole way, until they reached the Rockbell's house.

And shit he should have seen that coming, because adopting them, meant that they would live with him until they were of legal age. And he didn't live in Resembool.

But Winry did and she glared at him with such hatred, that put Edlyn's to shame. And he got it, because he was taking her two best friends away.

Except that he didn't get it, he realized later on the train, after managing to drag the siblings away. That girl's - Winry - parents were death, gone and the Elrics were like her only family besides her grandmother.

Suddenly, he understood why Edlyn kept glaring at him.

Honestly, he was a busy man, and whilst Edlyn was ten and all, he didn't plan to let her and her little brother alone in the house, without anyone to look after them. He knows they have been living on their own in their former house, but now they were there and Roy would be damned if he let that happen.

Of course Maes was a big help, and the siblings actually loved him, which was a surprise, but Roy couldn't bother his friend like that, he had a wife to love. So, he tried babysitters.

And he stopped very soon, because either everyone was pranked by the time he came back or either Edlyn or Alphonse had a bruise on their face. And despite knowing it's their own fault, he definitely didn't like those bruises.

And as he one came back home to Edlyn bleeding and Alphonse crying, whilst he desperately was clutching onto Roy's waist, telling him that for once Edlyn didn't do anything.

Roy didn't need to search for the sincerity in those words. Instead, he hugged the little girl and decided that enough was enough.

He didn't hire any babysitters anymore. Instead, both met his foster parent.