AUTHOR'S NOTE: So after quite the hiatus, I am updating, this is mostly due to a PM that was sent to me as a wake up call if you will, I hadn't realized that people were still reading my work…. Interesting indeed. But here I am! And I still don't have an ending for this story so help a RoyAi'er out! If you've got an idea…

PS: And I apologize in advance if this sucks horribly, but well blame it on me not being warmed up!


Chapter IV: A Startling Discovery

Roy Mustang's Apartment

2200 Local

Central

Roy sat on the couch with the little girl in his arms. The letter he had received from the mother of the infant, lay on the coffee table, it's pale pink envelope taunting him. He couldn't do this! He couldn't raise a kid. And a girl! He had enough trouble managing with the Elric brothers.

On top of all of that, what would all of his junior officers say? You can't keep a girl a secret forever. They would taunt him until his dying day for having an illegitimate child and in truth the child wasn't his! It wasn't fair.

"I should give you to Riza. She would know what to do with you." The little infant blinked and made a small gurgling noise.

"I know! But my pride doesn't matter so much anymore. Your mother, whoever she is asked me to watch over you so that means no orphanage, because that's what I really should be…" The girl cooed and giggled and her tiny fists reached for the cords on his uniform. Roy sighed and just watched the baby for a few minutes before his eyes fell on the note again. Standing up suddenly he placed the girl in her little basket and yanked on his coat. He needed to get this baby to Riza, and get her out of his hair before it was too late to do anything. Riza would know what to do, she always did and he had to admit for once he was happy his arrogance wasn't getting in the way.

Roy Mustang's Apartment

2243 Local

Central

Roy reached Riza's door a little wet from the late night rain and very, very cold, not to mention nervous. His hands were gripped on the edges of the little girl's basket so tightly he could hear the wicker handles beginning to give under his grip. Adjusting the basket onto one hip he reached forward with a fist to knock sharply on her door, but instead his palm fell flat against it and he let out a long sigh. Forget formalities, he'd jut go in… treat it like he just found the girl, yes that was good! Setting the basket down he ran to the corner across from her room and kneeling down gently pried back the baseboard to reveal the spare key Riza kept there. Then walking over and lifting the basket he turned the key and opened the door slowly and quietly to avoid having a gun pointed in his face. Surprisingly Riza wasn't in her small sitting room nor from what he could see was she in the kitchen, he stood in the entryway when her voice or rather humming filtered from where her bedroom was.

Riza walked lightly back and forth, her bare feet keeping time with the waltz she hummed as the little boy in her arms whimpered and began to calm down. She had gone to bed early tonight and yet the little boy had kept her awake. She wasn't in her normal pajamas tonight, instead feeling rather feminine, it had to be the hormones, she had donned a long dark red-orange silk nightgown that she bought long ago on a whim for one reason or another, the color reminded her of Roy and so did the waltz, it was from that past year's black tie ball, not to mention the waltz was her favorite, a fact she would never admit to anyone. She followed the steps as she continued to rock the infant and she moved slowly into the living room, she gave one glance to Black Hayate sleeping soundly at the foot of her bed, before she gave a smooth spin into her living room, her back to the door.

"Ri…" Roy's voice caught in his throat as Riza's back came into view the large tattoo upon it nearly exposed from the gown. Where had she gotten that? And more importantly why was she wearing it? Shaking his head he settled back into a level head and opened his mouth again.

"Ahem… Lieutenant…" Roy's voice was still surprisingly hoarse.

Riza's humming caught in her throat and she clutched the little boy to her breast almost as if to hide him at the sound of Roy's voice, before she slowly turned on her heel, and upon seeing it was really him words began to spill out.

"Sir! I—I can, I can explain you see I was sleeping a few nightsagoand thenIheard… and the babyitisn't…" Roy held up a hand.

"So can I." And then he lifted the girl from her basket and took a few steps towards her.

"SIR! Don't you dare tell me that child is from one of your "fancies"!!" Riza's voice turned sharp and judging, and Roy could have sworn disappointment was there as well.

"No! I might be loose cannon but I am not a--!" Roy stopped as the girl began to cry which in turn woke the infant in Riza's arms and the apartment was filled with wailing, not to mention the barks of Black Hayate as he awoke and dashed into the room, as Roy attempted to talk over the cries and Riza gave him a searing look as she attempted to calm the small child. Finally above the noise Riza shouted.

"Roy! Silence!" She then shifted the little bundle in her arms, managing to free one arm in which she expertly scooped the boy from Roy's grip and began to walk slow circles cooing to both of them.

Roy simply watched in amazement as she paced, the same military determination but with a totally female rhythm, one that Roy would never come close to. Sagging his shoulders he shuffled to the couch, Black Hayate ceasing to follow at Riza's ankles jumped on the couch next to him. From there he just followed her with his eyes as the two twins quieted in her arms. This wasn't how the evening was supposed to go. It wasn't bad per say, surprising was the word more likely, if he hadn't been so sleep deprived he might have been more intent on watching the silken fabric covering her skin the way her hair swished slightly as she moved, but he was more concerned with the simpering of the girl in her arms. After several minutes Roy spoke in a whisper.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Be quiet…" Riza stated smoothly as she walked carefully and still fluidly pushing the basket Roy had brought along the hardwood floor with her left foot. She disappeared into the bedroom and emerged a few minutes now her strong presence gone as she slipped across the room and sat down heavily next to him.

"Now you can explain sir."

"She was on my doorstep. Simple as that, you know that pink letter?"

"Yes?"

"Well I lied."

"So I figured. My blue letter,"

"Yeah?"

"I lied as well Sir."

"So I figured." Roy answered and picked the small blue letter up from the coffee table and skimming it, once again not bothering with the postscript.

"Did yours say the same thing?" Riza asked leaning her head back on the couch near Roy's left shoulder.

"Essentially yes. Nearly the exact same wording." Roy stated tossing the letter aside and hunching forward and rubbing his temples.

"So what do we do?" His voice was muffled from his hands. Riza straightened and looked down at him.

"Well it looks like we have one option sir." She paused.

"It's either a setup or legitimate but either way we take them to the orphanage, it's certainly the best thing to--" Roy snorted and looked up at her.

"Or we could eat them!" He teased a devilish smile crossing his features. Riza gave him a playful push.

"Don't be ridiculous!" She wanted to add to this thought but was stopped as Roy grabbed her retreating hand from the position on his shoulder and with a small pull she was off balance and now sprawled across his lap. Roy let out a laugh.

"You've gotten yourself into quite a compromising position Lieutenant."

"Only because I followed you sir." Riza smiled tiredly and only moved her head so it rested neatly in his lap and so it was easier to look up at him. It was certainly an interesting scene. There was nothing sexual or necessarily loving to it, just to slightly confused and extremely tired individuals finally comfortable, and yet love was there. They rested in silence for a long time, Roy's hand fiddling with the ends of Riza's golden hair, as she began to drift off to the best sleep she had in the past few days maybe even few years.

Roy as he examined the dimly lit ceiling muttered nonchalantly,

"You know, we could raise them."

"Well I suppose…. WHAT!" Riza's head shot up so fast she hit Roy's chin.

"SIR! You can't possibly be serious!"

"First drop the 'sir' and secondly, yes it's completely possible, you raise the boy, I raise the girl, granted it would be difficult, but,"

"Difficult? Sir! My salary can barely cover myself! And there this would be no way to bring up a child! And think of the questions! I'd have to give up my career and you, yours, and I won't let that happen! Not after you've come so--" Riza was silenced by Roy's still gloved finger to her lips.

"No one said you had to do it alone you know, exactly."

"Wha??"

"There's the Hughes family and then everyone else, we don't have to do it alone." At this Riza turned her head away from him.

"Oh… wait, is that your, Roy! Did you wear this when you were around her!" Riza snatched his gloved hand.

"What if you had accidentally set off a spark and oh its soo unsafe! Are you crazy! That's it we can't raise them! You don't know the first thing about anything!" And with that she ripped the glove from his hands and balling it up threw it to a far corner of the room before walking over to the telephone on her desk, and lifting the receiver to her ear dialed a number.

"Yes, hello Sister, yes I do apologize for waking you but my friend and were left with two children abandoned on our doorstep… yes, I see… well that would be lovely… oh no questioning of the conditions… so shall we bring them in the morning then…" Riza was surprised by the silence on the other end.

"Hello… hello… Hell—"

"We aren't abandoning them, Hawkeye…. Riza whoever left them intended for us to raise them, why I don't know but whatever it was there was a reason. Would you rather we try a formal investigation? Would that make you more agreeable?" Roy offered lifting his finger off the base. He'd intentionally hung up the phone. Riza was jumping illogically to things and Roy couldn't understand why exactly.

Riza slammed the receiver down with a loud clatter and crossed her arms in front of her.

"It has nothing to do with that! Logistically it won't work! They are brother and sister, twins. We can't raise them independently, nor "working together". Colonel you need to think this through, something you always asked me to help you do. And it just isn't reasonable." Riza didn't state that he was completely missing the point, and that working together would be more painful for her, having Roy was what she wanted but a business partnership to raise abandoned children was not the way she wanted to go about it.

Turning away from Roy, Riza paced the room and then walked to her bedroom door. She could hear his footsteps behind her. Stopping in the doorway she watched the two infants sleep. Looking at the two baskets sitting atop her small dresser again, she knew that when morning came she wouldn't have been able to walk to the orphanage, not when that letter was addressed to her. And she knew Roy wouldn't do it either. So what were they going to do?

Roy standing behind her cleared his throat.

"Why don't we get some rest and decide in the morning? Your exhausted, I'm exhausted and they are finally asleep so…"

"You take the couch sir. If they wake up then they won't disturb you. You have a meeting with the General's from South in the afternoon you need your rest, and if you leave the uniform on the chair in the kitchen I'll press it for you." Riza stated half heartedly as she reached into her closet and pulled out the bag that she had commandeered from Roy's apartment in case they had to get somewhere in hurry and it made it easier for dangerous situations. Riza took the bag into the living room and then looking at Roy she touched his chin and the corner of his mouth.

"Where did you get this?" She asked at the small cuts he had at each location.

"Probably when your head slammed into my chin." Roy stated touching under his chin and his hand coming away with a few droplets of blood. Riza was touching the top of her head.

"Dammit! I forgot to take the pins out! That's why you're bleeding, sit down." And with that she bustled off for a first aid kit and returned where she cleaned and wiped the cut where he bit his lip and then as she cleaning under his chin she began to nod off again. Not good, not good at all.

Roy let her work silently and was surprised when he felt her whole weight fall onto him as she fell asleep rather suddenly. Slowly and carefully he adjusted so that the wad of cotton under his chin was now on the coffee table he removed the pins from the top of Riza's hair and whispered into her hair as he held her up so she wouldn't fall off the couch and onto the floor.

"Goodnight Riza." He barely heard the murmur of her reply as he wrapped his arms more comfortably around her.

"Hmmm, figure it all out in the morning..." Was all he heard and Roy smiled, lightly kissing the top of her head.

"Yes we will." And with that he leaned back and closed his eyes, selfishly praying that the two infants in the next room would sleep until the few hours remaining till dawn.


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