That was too long. Sorry! Please enjoy!

#

Roy had tried to decode the thing for a week, without much success. It was a truly complicated myriad of latin words and esoteric burned the midnight oil trying to connect the circles to the text, but most nights ended with Riza fast asleep on his bed while he took to the not-very-comfortable armchair next to it. Of course, the next morning, she'd apologize, for falling asleep, as if she could have helped it.

Roy was usually good with conversation but he just didn't know what to say to the silently grieving Riza. Especially when she was topless and laid on top of his bed. Small talk seemed like a ridiculous way to pass time, and it took too much effort. The silence was comfortable enough, but the grim mood that hung around ever since his master's death was starting to choke him. So Roy was not very surprised to find himself eagerly anticipating seeing his family. His sisters would know what to do. What to say.

Riza's melancholy was very obvious. It had Roy feeling quite protective of her, and unlike his usually more light-hearted self. Roy had to get back to Central soon, and was glad he'd thought to invite Riza to come with him, despite his misgivings. She needed company, a change of pace. They'd taken an early morning train to East city and from there got on the overnight passenger train to Central. It was packed with commuters and so they'd had to share a compartment, which neither of them minded. They kept an strange companionship throughout the trip, where neither said much.

Roy didn't bother knocking on the door when they arrived. He turned a key to open the large door of the place, a large building downtown. Riza had been forewarned that Roy's mother owned a bar. The place had also been Roy's childhood home, where he'd lived before he went to the Hawkeyes.

They crossed the threshold into a dark room. Riza could see the outlines of tables and seats and even the bar as sunlight streamed in through drapes that weren't pulled together all the way. Roy undid them and light flooded the room, revealing a charming wooden interior and hardwood furniture. The bar, with its gleaming marble top, stretched across one side of the room. Wineglasses, shot glasses and bottles of a variety of shapes and sized lined the walls, neatly arranged.

"They must all be getting ready for the night," Roy said, smiling as he entered and motioned for her to sit at a bar stool. The place was clean, not what Riza imagined. Not that she'd ever been into a bar.

"It's so clean," she murmured, taking a seat. "and very quiet," she continued. In fact, it seems deserted, she thought. That's when she heard an earsplitting shriek.

"ROY!" It resounded through the room and Roy was just barely able to make a distressed face before he was promptly shoved back against the bar. "Oof!"

"I can't believe you didn't invite any of us to your graduation service! You could have at least told us that you were leaving! By the time we heard that the last batch graduated, you disappeared from the face the earth!" a dark-haired woman pouted at Roy, who held his lower back, which had crashed against the hard edge of the bar. Several women, six of them, also filed into the room. Some were stick thin, others more voluptuous. The one thing they had in common was that they were all beautiful.

"I couldn't risk getting injured," Roy growled as he glared at the newcomer. Riza watched, her eyes widened slightly. "I was busy. I visited my old master. Everyone, this is Riza Hawkeye, master's daughter. Riza, these women work here, I've known them for years." He proceeded to name each one while Riza struggled to commit them to memory. The all looked to be in their late twenties.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you," Riza told them, and was greeted by wary smiles and curious chattering.

"How old are you, Riza?"

"Where are you from?"

"Riza, are you Roy's girlfriend?

"No!" Riza cried, a little too vehemently. "I mean, I'm not-" Riza started to say as a flush crept up her cheeks.

Roy frowned. Riza's 'No' sounded much too forceful. But she was right. "She's not my girlfriend, Gen!" Roy interrupted, slightly annoyed.

"Who's not your girlfriend, Roy?" a booming voice interjected, and all heads turned to another woman who was walking in. "Stop it, girls, you'll scare our guest. Start getting to work!" The women who were crowded around them scrambled across the room, and Riza watched in amazement as they proceeded to sweep, wipe and polish every surface of the bar to a shinier gleam. Which couldn't have been possible, really.

The lone man in the room gave his mother a hug. At least, Riza supposed it was his mother.

"Christmas, this is Riza, Master Hawkeye's daughter. Riza, this is Madame Christmas, proprietress of the Duchess," Roy said as he turned to Riza. Then he continued in a softer voice, "She's the only thing that comes close to having a real mom, but I'm not allowed to tell anyone. It's a secret that we're related." Even with the quieter tone he used, female ears all around pricked up in interest.

Riza nodded, intending to assure Roy of her silence, and greeted the intimidating woman. Madame Christmas was quite...heavyset, her age seemingly having taken a toll on her appearance. One could tell she had been pretty once; but even she knew that that was a long time ago. Still, she had similar features to Roy. The coloring, Riza supposed.

The older woman raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. The others recognized the trust Roy had in Riza, letting her in on the true relationship he had with his aunt. "That's right, it is a secret. It wouldn't do for me to be recognized as his mother. I wouldn't want to be responsible for this ungrateful brat who didn't invite us to his graduation ceremony!" She shot Roy a look, and he winced. Of course, that wasn't the real reason.

"Sorry," he grumbled. "I didn't think it a good idea. Everyone already thinks I'm the most promiscuous male in my class, what would they think if I had a gaggle of beautiful ladies in attendance as my guests?" he asked with a grin.

Christmas smacked him on the head. "Don't try that charm on me, young man. You're still in trouble. Now, what brings you here?"

Roy's demeanor turned serious, his eyes boring into Christmas'. "Riza needs a place to stay. Her father, Master Hawkeye, passed away just last week. She has no relatives to stay with, so I-"

"Why didn't you mention it? I'm sorry for your loss. But why don't you stay here?" Christmas asked Riza as soon as she figured out what Roy was going to say. "There's more than enough room."

"I...would be very thankful if I could rent some space..."

"You poor thing, can't be much older than eighteen, can you?" The older woman gave her a sad smile. "You're very welcome to stay. We all live upstairs."

"I'm sixteen, ma'am. Thank you so much, I promise to work hard to get a job and to repay my debt."

"I have a feeling you'll fit just right in," Christmas told her, waving off her insistence. "Em," she called to one of the girls. "Prepare Roy's old room. Riza will be using it now."

#

"So Riza," the girl called Jasmine started. "You're looking for a job?"

Roy, Riza and the seven girls had settled down into two booths, and Roy, who seemed to have known each girl from his childhood was bombarded with questions about the military, the academy and who were the most good-looking soldiers (Roy refused to comment). Soon the girls grew bored and started to focus on the timid-looking girl who sat next to Roy.

"Yes, I am," she conceded shyly. She felt so overwhelmed by these beautiful women, and who could blame her? She felt like a dumpy sack next to the long-legged model lookalikes.

Daphne, the petite brunette, grinned devilishly as Jasmine sent her a look. Furtively taking a glance at Roy before focusing her attention on the blonde, she posed the question: "Well, Riza, would you be interested in our occupation?"

Roy, who had been drinking some tea, took everything he had to keep himself from spewing the liquid out. "Daff!" he shouted, sounding upset.

Daphne continued to smile, innocently now, while the others snickered. "What's wrong with Riza becoming a waitress, Roy? " she reasoned out to him in a singsongy voice.

"No!" he didn't want to discuss it right now. He wasn't even sure if Riza knew what that meant... "It's just..."

"It sounds like a nice job," Riza suddenly spoke up, and all eyes shot to her. After a slight pause, the room was filled with laughing, giggling, guffawing. It was then when Riza started to feel apprehensive.

"No, you don't understand, Riza. They aren't ordinary waitresses. They...work in the bar," Roy tried to explain as Genevieve, the tallest one, the one who'd tackled Roy earlier, started to tear up.

The woman stopped laughing to say, "Yes, young one, we're special...waitresses, who serve to customers'...specific...needs." A wave of giggling washed in anew.

"Oh, then they're bartenders...I'm not sure if I can do any drink mixing or..." Riza amended in dismay. She looked so perturbed, even Roy could not cease his lips from quirking up a bit at the sides.

"Oh my, you're such a dear!" Jasmine laughed. "Don't worry. You don't have to be a...bartender. We'll look for a different job for you, if you want. 'Sides, you're too young to get into a bar."

Roy frowned. Right. He'd forgotten how Riza would be unsafe from the patrons of the bar. Sure it was respectable enough, but it did get crowded and too crazy at times. "Riza, promise me you won't get anywhere near here when operation hours start. Stay upstairs and lock your door every night."

Another girl, Jane, rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Roy. The entrance to the residence from here is blocked off. If you want to get to the upper floor, you'll have to take the stairs that were built just to get to the entrance of the apartments. It's located at the side of the building. I'll show you later," she offered the blonde. Riza nodded and smiled in thanks.

"Good. Also, I want you guys to remember that she's only sixteen," he said as he glanced around meaningfully.

Riza looked at Roy- was sixteen really that young? She thought she would be okay.

#

"I've never seen Roy that serious," Jane said thoughtfully as she strode down the hallway alongside Riza. Jane had offered to show Riza to her room and get settled down. Roy had gone back to the barracks to report to his commanding officer, and notify him of his arrival.

Riza looked up at the older woman, who continued: "He must care about you some, to go to such lengths."

The younger girl shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I believe he's doing it because of my father. My father's last wish..." she trailed off with a wistful smile, her brows drawn together, as if she couldn't believe what she was about to say next. "Roy said that my father's last wish was for his to take care of me. I'm not sure what possessed him to say that, but I don't want Roy's concern if he were forced into it and were only duty bound to a dying man's last will. But don't get me wrong; I appreciate all that he's done, to get me a place to stay and all, so I'll do my best to learn to sustain myself and become less of a burden to him."

Jane looked skeptical. "Well, I wouldn't say forced, but I'm sure he wanted to respect your father's last wishes. He did have a choice. Then again, there have been a lot of times when Roy was strongly motivated by self-interest. He hides it very well, too." Jane spoke as she swung open the door they had just stopped in front of. "Why, I remember that as a child, he would never do the chores unless he was promised some kind of award, the naughty child..."

Roy's older sister started the anecdote about Roy's alleged selfishness and Riza listened. Then she noticed with a shiver how her right hand had unconsciously travelled up her back, and was resting where her father's secrets lay.

Strongly motivated by self-interest. He doesn't care about you that way, Riza. Don't even go there.

#