A/N: Not my characters, although my nephew and father partially inspired a couple of the minor jokes. Surely, I wouldn't to happen to know a Maes Hughes of a cameraman, much less be related to him...

There's one more snapshot into Hughes's life coming up, and then a short epilogue. If you're interested, I originally had small doodles of the titular photos to accompany each chapter, and may upload them to my Livejournal (B2WM) at some point in the future once I can get the scanner working, but I'd really hesitate to call them fanart. There's a reason why I generally stick to the written word.


"Smile for Daddy, Elysia!" Hughes says, though it's hardly necessary. Their baby girl is just as photogenic as her mother, and Elysia has never complained about her father's shutterbug tendencies. Gracia has jokingly warned that the two Hughes ladies will probably end up blind from the near-constant flash glare, but their two year old loves the camera, and the camera loves Elysia. Maes Hughes knows that he will not be able to capture every precious moment of his daughter's childhood on film, but that never stops him from trying.

The photographs join those of his wife and their friends in his office, giving Hughes an opportunity to talk to her even when he can't pick up the telephone. Elysia is still too young to hold clear conversations, although she is more than happy to ramble on disjointedly about her teddy's adventures and her "day today in my belly!" The girl is a Hughes, all right, her father thinks with pride: Elysia throws herself wholeheartedly into brightening people's lives. Not even Hawkeye can keep an entirely straight face when Maes insists that the first lieutenant talk to his daughter on the phone.

Roy, though, is something else. Just as when Hughes passes around pictures of Gracia, Mustang complains that he has absolutely no interest in looking at the latest shots of Elysia Hughes. Roy also insists that he doesn't want to hear about her over the phone, and weasels his way out of talking to her directly whenever he has the opportunity to pass the receiver to one of his subordinates.

Hughes, however, isn't fooled in the least. He knows that Roy is jealous; the way Mustang grins every time Elysia runs up to hug her "Uncle Roy" is proof enough that he likes the girl. It was high time Mustang started thinking about getting some foals and fillies of his own, and if it took Elysia to help him realize that, Hughes wouldn't begrudge his daughter her ability to do what he had been unsuccessful at.

"Cheese!" Elysia says, grinning widely at the photographer. Her first word had been "da," but she said it to Gracia while her mother was holding the camera. This time, though, there will be no confusion. Elysia knew the arms that held her as well as she knew the flash of his bulb.

"That ought to be a nice one, Maes," Roy says, handing the photo equipment back to Hughes. "But please remember that I've already seen it."

"Come on, you know you're curious as to whether it turned out as well as my shots," Hughes teases, letting his little green eyed girl fumble with the knobs on the camera. "We'll have to do a comparison to see if you could moonlight as a photographer once you get bored with alchemy and taking over Amestris."

Roy shrugs. "I guess everyone needs a hobby to do in their spare time."

Elysia reaches out a hand to grab at Roy. "Show Blimpie," she directs imperiously, pointing between her unrelated uncle and the teddy bear that has been sat just outside of the family photo shot.

Gracia takes hold of her blonde daughter's outstretched hand, lowering the pointer finger. "How do nice girls ask, Elysia?"

"Plwease?" the little girl adds dutifully, glancing up at her mother. Gracia has always been the disciplinarian; Maes will let his daughter get away with anything short of first degree murder, and even then, it would depend on the victim.

"We have to develop it first, Elysia-chan," Roy tries to explain.

"Show Blimpie please," the girl repeats. "He wants to see."

"I think I've got a few others that we could show Blimpie," Hughes suggests, throwing the strap around his neck and adjusting his grip on daughter before reaching for his overstuffed wallet.

"Did Uncle Roy take 'em?" Elysia asks suspiciously. "Blimpie wants an Uncle Roy pict're."

Maes Hughes kneels to let her down and grab her bear while he digs to the bottom of his overstuffed wallet.

"Well, here's one of me and Uncle Roy when we were kids," Hughes offers.

Mustang raises an eyebrow and reaches into his pocket for his ignition gloves. "Is that… the photograph that I think it is?"

"You can't burn this one, Roy. You were absolutely too adorable in that lion costume," Hughes says with an evil smile.

"Cute!" Elysia coos in agreement, touching the figures in the photo.

"What do you think, sweetheart? Shall we show this one to Blimpie and Aunt Riza?" Hughes asks. His ash-blonde daughter nods as quickly as Roy shakes his head. "I've got enough copies for everyone!"