AN: the moment i know a few of you have been waiting for ;)

i hope it lives up to expectations!

James, age 11

"Roy?"

Riza's tone was like ice and Roy jerked at the sound. What was wrong?

His eyes lifted to hers, finding her staring off into the distance. His gaze followed her, but he saw no one of note. For a brief moment terror flooded his body as he pictured his father standing at the other end of the path but Richard wasn't there.

It was a busy day at the park. The sun shone brightly in the sky and the heat had picked up from the previous week signalling the beginning of summer. James had begged Roy to take him rollerblading and he had agreed. Riza still hadn't quite mastered the art but she was content to sit in the sun and watch them bond.

"Yes?" he asked cautiously, rising from his crouch beside James. He had been tying the laces of his roller blades. James was certainly old enough to do it himself but the boy still had them both wrapped around his finger.

Eyes alert and scanning the park, Roy searched for whatever had drawn a reaction like this from Riza. It must be bad.

"Can you take James home for me?"

What? Roy looked at her surprised. But from the look on her face – which was still fixed on something in the distance – there would be no use in asking why. Scanning her he noticed how tightly she was held together. Her shoulders were tense, hands clenched into fists by her side. They were shaking. It was barely noticeable.

Movement caught his eye and Roy saw a young man making his way across the grass towards them. His face was slightly grim looking, but his eyes looked towards James and he faltered, eyes full of wonder.

Is this…? Is this who Roy thought it was?

"Roy," Riza barked.

"Hey James?" Roy called, worried eyes lingering on Riza for a moment longer. "Let's get going okay? How about you skate up towards the fountain there and I will meet you there?" He held out a hand and beckoned him to grab it. James was hauled to his feet. He wobbled for a second but steadied himself.

With a grin the boy's face set in determination.

"Okay! Race you there!" He took off like a rocket up the path, effortlessly dodging the afternoon joggers and children who were darting from the path to the grass after a ball.

"Roy." From the way she said his name he knew Riza wanted him to leave. It was both commanding and pleading. The young man he had spied before had stopped short and the two were staring at each other, about ten feet apart. As James had sped away the stranger's eyes had watched his every move. Now, after lingering on Roy for a moment, they returned to Riza.

He didn't want to leave though. He had only seen a picture of James' father once and that had been about three years ago. The memory was fuzzy but there was no mistaking it. He looked exactly the same as he did in the picture. The same styled brown hair with freckles that covered his nose and cheeks thanks to the sun.

The same freckles on James' face right now.

"Take all the time you need," he tell her, giving her hand a squeeze before starting after James. It was hard to turn around and leave her there to face James' father – Matt? He thought that was his name.

But Riza needed him to distract James. So he would.

"That was really fast, bud!" he called, plastering a grin onto his face. His stomach twisted however as he continued to walk away from his wife. Although, a warmth did spread through his chest at the word "wife". She had only held the title for two months and it still made him ecstatic.

"That was so fun!" But his face froze as he looked past Roy. His grin dropped and so did the hand that had been raised above his head in triumph. It fell limp by his side.

Shit.

He wasn't sure what the arrangement Riza had with James about his father and didn't want to step on her toes. But he would need to think of something quick because the boy had spotted him.

"Who is that talking to Mum?" he asked. James' voice was quiet now. Roy had to lean in to hear him properly.

Roy fumbled for an answer but he couldn't lie to the boy. He didn't deserve that. Plus, it looked like he already knew. He just needed Roy to confirm it.

"I think," he began before taking a deep breath. "That is your Dad."

Roy watched James' face carefully for his reaction. But there was nothing. It didn't light up happily. It didn't darken in anger. It was just… neutral.

"You okay James?" Roy asked after he continued to remain silent.

James didn't answer. He continued to watch as his mother spoke to his father. From the looks of it the conversation as becoming heated. She wore that glare on her face that told Roy that she was really unhappy with the man in front of her.

He didn't know what to do. Roy was torn. He obviously wanted to go to her to try and calm her down. He wanted to support her as she conversed with the man who had left her pregnant and heartbroken all those years ago. Roy's own anger towards the man resurfaced as he watched their exchange. That was the man who had hurt Riza.

But, so had he.

That thought hurt his chest more than he thought it would.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Can you actually race me this time?" he asked, bright eyes looking up into Roy's. He was surprised by James' request because his eyes shimmered with tears. "It is no fun if you don't try."

Roy stared at the young man for a moment. He couldn't help but admire his strength. Affectionately and as a form of comfort Roy placed his head on James' head, ruffling his hair. James squirmed away from him as he swatted Roy's hand away. In the last few weeks he had been paying special attention to his hair. It had to be styled perfectly. James wobbled and with a chuckle, Roy steadied him. The glower James gave him mirrored his mother's so much it made Roy grin.

"Of course we can, bud."

Roy tried to stare as Riza continued her conversation with Matt. He could tell James was bothered by it too because everything he did was half hearted. It lacked the usual enthusiasm he held for pretty much everything in life. Eventually he stopped skating, parking himself on a bench. Roy jogged and caught up with him.

"You okay?"

James nodded. "Yeah." His voice was quiet once more, subdued. Roy hated seeing him like this. That his father of all people was making him feel this way made Roy's resentment grow. After casting a brief glance back down the slope to where Riza stood, he turned back to James.

"Do you want to meet him?"

James shrugged. "I don't know. When I was little I did." Roy smiled. He was still "little" in his eyes. The boy was only eleven.

"And now?" Roy softly encouraged.

"My Dad… He hurt Mum a lot. I knew he did before Mum even told me about him. I remember…" James cast his mind back, head cocking to the side to think. "I remember when I was really little waking up in the middle of the night and being scared. Mum was crying and I could hear her from my room." Roy's stomach twisted painfully. "I remember that because that was the first time Mum held me while she tried to fall asleep. It was really nice and I stopped her from crying so I was happy. I was too young to know why she was crying." He took a shuddering breath. Roy watched with sympathy as he fought back the tears. Before, he had ruffled James hair because he knew it would annoy him. Now, he placed a hand on his head and pulled the boys head against his side. James sighed shakily once more. "Now I know why she had been crying."

"I'm sorry bud," Roy told him. "I'm sorry you and Mum had to go through that. Your Dad shouldn't be making you feel that way."

"Did your Dad make you feel that way?"

Roy wondered if this conversation would ever come up. His father's trial had been all over the news and James was bound to pick up on it. Even now, two years later, there was still mention of it. It was infrequent, but the boy had always been very bright. James would have been able to connect the dots and clue in on the fact that Roy and the previous Mayor of Central shared the same last name.

"He did. He wasn't very nice to me. In fact, sometimes he wasn't very nice at all."

"How did you stop it from getting to you so much?" James moved away from his side, eyes gazing up at Roy. He detected a hint of desperation there. He just wanted to know how to deal with it all. Roy hadn't actually met or known about his father until his late teenage years. But here was James, who had found out at only seven.

"It was very hard at times. But I worked with your Uncle Havoc and finally put him behind bars where he belonged."

James' eyes bugged out of his head. "You arrested him?" he whispered in wonder.

"I did. He was a very bad man and he deserved it. He wasn't very nice to my mother either."

"I –" James quickly cut himself off.

"What?" Roy asked, amused by his stricken expression.

"I…"

"It's okay, I won't get upset about whatever you are going to ask."

"I didn't know you had a Mum," he mumbled.

Roy blinked at him. "You met her at our wedding." James' brow furrowed as he thought. "Her name was Ruth. You played with her daughter Julia."

Realisation sparked that reaction. "Oh! I remember now!" His grin was infectious as always. He looked slightly guilty though for not remembering her.

"To be honest there were a lot of people to meet there," Roy chuckled. "I don't blame you for forgetting."

"I'd like to meet her again. She was a very nice lady."

Roy grinned. "She is. And she would love to meet you too. We have just been busy lately but I will make time. I promise."

A small arm wrapped round his middle, hugging him. "Thanks, Dad."

"No worries bud." Roy really didn't want to tarnish this nice moment, but he needed to direct the conversation back towards the boy's father. "Now, about your Dad." The hands around him gripped his t-shirt. It was a minute change but one that spoke of uneasiness. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, all right? No matter what he says."

"What do you mean?" he asked in a small voice, the hands fisting in Roy's t-shirt.

"If you don't want to meet him then you don't have to. If you want to wait a few days, weeks, months, or even don't ever want to see him at all then you don't need to."

"I don't know…" He sniffed.

"If you do, then that is up to you as well. You will need to check with your Mum. I don't know if she will find out a way to contact him." Roy's gaze travelled back down the slope. "From the looks of things she still isn't very happy with him."

"She once told me she thought she had forgiven him."

"I'm sure she did think that. We don't know how these kind of meetings will go until we are actually in the situation. He hurt your Mum. A lot. I don't blame her for being angry at all."

"If I did want to speak to him… Would you help me?"

"Of course, bud. So will Mum, I'm sure. But we will need to speak to her first, okay? I technically don't have anything to do with that side of your family so it isn't really up to me."

"But you are part of my family. You do get a say."

Roy smiled down at the top of James head. "I wish it was as simple as that, but it isn't."

James huffed in annoyance. "You always say that," he mumbled. "That's just adult for "I don't want to make Mum upset so I am going to get you to ask her first"." He pulled away and narrowed his eyes at his step-father.

"Hey," Roy chuckled. "You are too perceptive for your own good."

"Perceptive?" He sounded the word out, face scrunching up in confusion.

"You have me figured out too well," Roy winked.

James grinned then stuck out his tongue.

"I don't know if I want to meet him yet." James took a deep breath before continuing. "But I do know that he hurt Mum and I will talk to her about it. I am just happy you are here Dad."

"Yeah?"

James nodded with his sincerity clear in his expression. "Yeah. Because you make Mum happy and I always want her to be happy." Roy felt that familiar warm feeling spread across his chest. "And you have been a great Dad to me already. I don't know if I need another one." Roy felt his own eyes watering slightly at the acceptance this young boy had shown him. He had welcomed Roy into his small family with no fuss. James was fiercely protective of his mother. The opportunity never came up often but when it did the boy would do anything to try and make her happy. And Roy – a stranger – had stumbled into their life unannounced and James took it upon himself to welcome him with open arms. Now he knew how Riza felt when she met his family for the first time.

"But if I do decide to meet my real Dad then you will always be my proper Dad."

Roy didn't stop the tears from falling.

Matt.

The name was a growl in her head.

She had told James years ago that she thought she had forgiven him. But seeing him here now evidently she was wrong.

The moment she had set eyes on her ex her anger flared in a way she had never felt before. It burned in her chest and stomach. There was a fire within her that she couldn't put out. A fire that he had started elven years ago.

She just hadn't been aware of it until now.

She had been too timid and submissive when she was younger so these feelings never really found a place in her heart. But she had changed a great deal over the last decade. She would put up with his bullshit no more.

Riza didn't want James to see or hear this conversation. With the emotions raging within her now Riza had no idea what she would say in the heat of the moment. He didn't need to see his mother get worked up like this.

Roy didn't need to hear this either. This was her past. And while he was welcome to it wholly, Riza clearly hadn't dealt with it herself. This was something she needed to do by herself. For too long she had been avoiding this situation. And who could blame her? The bastard left her while she was pregnant with his child. She had told herself he didn't matter to her anymore. And in truth, he didn't. She had moved on. She was with Roy now.

But that didn't stop years of pain and suffering. Her anger was justified, she felt. No, she knew.

"Riza?" Matt asked in wonder. There was a hint of fear in his voice probably because of the glare that had slowly begun to form in her face.

"Matt," she answered coolly. She reigned in that anger. She was not one who was prone to outbursts. She would keep it under wraps. But if this idiot pushed her buttons in any way she would rain fire and brimstone down upon him.

He let out a breath and a laugh of disbelief followed it. "It's really you," he murmured. The way he looked at her… His face was soft as if he was seeing someone he loved after a long time apart.

What?!

"What do you want?" The ice in her tone made his face falter.

"I... I don't know. I saw you across the park. And I saw…" he trailed off looking to the left in the direction Roy and James had travelled. The pair were at the end of the path. Roy's back blocked James from view, which she was secretly pleased about. This bastard didn't deserve to look at her son.

"What is his name?"

Riza narrowed her eyes. He didn't deserve to know.

But the way he was looking at her… He was so full of regret and sorrow. She could see it in Matt's eyes. They pulled her in the same way they had done when they were teenagers. She wanted to open up and tell him everything. She felt an inkling of the need to forgive him…

No.

She straightened, eyes forming a glare once more.

No. She was not a simpering teenager anymore. She was a grown woman. Roy was her husband. This man before her had left her pregnant, disappearing after she revealed what should have been their happy news. He had hurt her in such a way that she no longer wished to love anyone ever again, besides her son. Roy had come along and soothed her pain. He had brightened her life even more than her son already had. It had opened her up to the possibility once more.

She had been terrified when she first thought she was falling for Roy. She didn't want to get hurt again. She often thought, and still did, that is there was to be another "Matt Repeat" she would break. Her heart couldn't take that. Her father had beaten her. Matt had left her. Her childhood was isolated and lonely. There had been nothing but pain. Matt had dispelled that during the brief time they had been together in high school but he had brought it back again just as quickly.

No. She would not forgive him because he didn't deserve that kindness. Respect was earned and this man had done nothing to earn hers. He had stomped all over it and set it on fire.

"You don't get to know that," she spat. Use the anger. Keep him at bay because if he tried anything she wouldn't be able to stop herself.

"Why?" He actually looked genuinely hurt.

Riza barked a laugh but it was devoid of any humour. "You actually have to ask that?"

Matt sighed and cast his eyes downwards. Ashamed.

Good. He wasn't entirely delusional.

"Riza…" His eyes were wet as they met her gaze. "I am so sorry for leaving. I didn't want to…"

"What?" she asked incredulously.

Matt floundered for a moment. "Your father… He told me to leave…"

Oh, did he now? Why did that not surprise her?

Also, how convenient of an excuse. Blame a man who could no longer defend himself. Blame a man who she had no way of contacting to find out if it was true.

"I was only a kid. I didn't know what to do. He threatened me –"

"We were both just kids," she interrupted. The ice was back in her tone, freezing him in place. "We were both kids and you left me to suffer by his hand alone." His face paled. "You knew what he did to me growing up. You knew what you were getting yourself into that night. The night our son was conceived we both knew what we were doing. We were both consenting adults. Don't try to worm yourself out of it because you feel guilty now." Her words held so much venom she surprised even herself.

"What was I supposed to do?" he cried.

"I expected you to step up," she snarled. "I expected you to not leave me while I was fucking pregnant with your kid. Apparently basic human decency was too much to expect from you."

Matt swallowed. He knew she was right. She knew she was right. The words flowed from her mouth easily as if she had been saving them up over the years.

"Can I at least –?"

"No."

She knew what he was going to ask. He didn't earn the right to meet James just because they shared the same blood. Not yet anyway.

"Riza, please –"

"So you are going to beg? Where was all this sentiment and care when I was pregnant, huh? Where was it when I was looking after our child alone? Where was it when I was in the delivery room by myself?"

It was harsh. But it was the truth. That was what she wanted an answer for. Where had he even been for the last eleven years? He had disappeared seemingly off the face of the earth, made no move to contact her or find her. And now he suddenly shows up expecting to start a relationship with his kid? Not a chance.

"Riza –"

"Don't "Riza" me," she spat, mimicking his simpering voice. "That shit won't work on me anymore. And right now I don't want you near my fucking son. He is yours by blood, yes. But that's it. You have to earn the right to a relationship and whimpering like a child isn't going to get you anywhere."

Riza turned on her heel and stormed off. If she stared at his pathetic face any longer she was sure she would tear his head off his shoulders.

She was so fucking angry.

She didn't know where she was headed. She just needed out. Out of this stuffy heat and as far away from Matt as possible. Her breath shortened as she walked. Suddenly she began to choke on her tears. She felt them build behind her eyes. The pressure blurred her vision but she kept staring ahead, willing them away. She would make it home before she broke down. Riza refused to do it in the street.

The slamming of her apartment door was satisfying. Finally, sitting on her couch, she let everything loose. She hugged her sides tightly as the sobs wracked her body. Her whole frame shuddered with each breath. It was a struggle to breathe. She had fallen onto her side and curled onto a ball on the piece of furniture.

She didn't hear the apartment door open.

Suddenly she was bundled in a set of warm arms. Riza clutched them tightly as her upper body was hoisted up off the couch. She was drowning and this was her life raft. She breathed in the scent of Roy. He was safety. He was home.

He would make her feel better.

"Shh…" Roy soothed as he stroked her hair. His arms were tight around her body, pulling her tightly against his body as he rocked her. The pressure was nice. It made her feel wanted. Matt and her father had left her feeling hurt, unloved, and unwanted. Roy was the opposite of that. He always had been.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured. "We've got you."

That made her cry harder. What did she do to deserve such a loving person as him?

Going by her previous track record everyone left her in her life. Roy had yet to do that. There was a tiny part of her that feared it. Everyone else had, why wouldn't he?

But then she thought of her son. The boy loved her unconditionally. Then, Jean and Rebecca. Rebecca had taken her in no questions asked when she turned up in her doorstep sobbing and pregnant. Jean hadn't asked any questions or protested when Rebecca told him Riza would be moving in with them. He simply gave her his "Jean grin" and asked her if she would like some tea.

She had nothing to fear because she had surrounded herself with the best people she could.

"Mum?" she heard James ask worriedly. The arms around her tightened their hold before loosening, offering her the opportunity to move if she wished.

"Just give her a minute, bud," Roy told him softly.

Riza squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the tears drip onto Roy's t-shirt. It was sodden.

She twitched at the unexpected pressure on her leg. A small hand began to rub circles on her calf as her son offered her the only comfort he could in that moment. Roy's hands were already rubbing circles on her back.

She loved these two so much.

Finally, once her body had stilled and her tears run dry, Riza pulled away. Roy's eyes met hers and they were so full of love and understanding she almost started sobbing once again. There was an undercurrent of concern in them. Looking up, she pressed a hand to his cheek as thanks. Roy closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. His sigh of relief filled the quiet room.

Riza turned her attention down towards the foot of the couch where James sat, hand still on her leg. He watched the two of them worriedly. His poor bottom lip was red as he had worried it.

"Come here," she beckoned, sitting up.

James all but launched himself into her arms. She hugged him tightly. Perhaps she squeezed him too hard but he never complained. And she needed the comfort only he could provide.

Riza remembered hugging him like this when he was only three or four. On a night when she was feeling particularly lonely she would creep into his bedroom while he slept. She couldn't help herself from climbing into his bed and holding her wonderful boy tightly. Those nights were the best night's sleep she had had.

"I don't like it when you cry," he whispered into her shirt. "And if my real Dad does that to you then I don't want to see him ever again."

Despite thinking her tear supply was spent, they made themselves known once more, building behind her eyes.

Roy shifted beside her, silently wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He pulled the pair of them to his side leaving Riza feeling complete.

This was her family.

This was her home right here. Sitting in Roy's arms with James on her lap.

This was her happiness.

"Anyway, Roy is my real Dad now. I don't need another one."

The sobbing begun once more, but it was happy.

James pulled back in horror but Riza chuckled at him.

"You are amazing, James Hawkeye."