Chapter thirty-five

Roy could tell that Ed felt odd as soon as they stepped down onto the platform in Resembool. Ed was looking about him everywhere, taking in the changes to his own memories.

They had a few awkward conversations on the way over to the Rockbells because there were plenty of people who recognised Ed and wanted to know what had happened to him. Ed was an odd contrast to Rolf, because even though they both walked slowly and stopped after just a few metres, Ed was clearly filled with a kind of sad horror while the dog was as happy as could be, taking in the new surroundings with excitement.

They reached the yellow house on top of the hill that Roy still remembered striding up towards, although this time he wasn't furious and horrified. This time he was scared of an old lady that didn't even reach his navel. It was odd to think how things had changed in just four years.

Last time he was here, he had pulled an eleven-year-old boy who had just lost two of his limbs out off his wheelchair and yelled at him. Roy had to say that it was probably a rather unusual way to start an adoption process…

Then the dog, Den, came running towards them, barking, suddenly pausing a metre away from Ed. Roy had never seen a confused dog before, but this one certainly was.

Then Rolf started yapping and went over to Den to say hello.

The front door was opened and Pinako walked out onto the front steps, taking them in. She puffed her pipe with a smile at the boys.

"Hey, Granny!" Ed said, walking over to her and giving her a hug. Taking Ed's lead, the rest of them followed him inside, Hawkeye taking the energetic puppy with her on his leash.

Once inside the large house, Ed paused, looking about him. He went over to the wall that was covered with photographs. Roy and Al went over to him to lend him some emotional support. "We grew up…" was all Ed said, taking in the many pictures of him at different ages. His eyes fell upon a picture of the three kids, Pinako and a smiling woman Roy guessed was Trisha Elric. She was pretty and definitely kind, it practically shone in her eyes. "Mom…" Ed said, tears welling in his eyes. Roy put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "That was last year…" Ed suddenly turned towards Pinako. "Can I keep it?"

The old lady smiled at him. "Of course, Ed."

"Thanks." Ed then turned to Roy. "Daddy? Can you keep it safe in your wallet for me with the other ones?"

Roy couldn't say no to that face and nodded. "Of course, Ed." And so Roy took down the picture in question and then put it in his wallet.

Ed then hugged Roy's leg. "Thanks, Daddy!"

Roy ruffled his hair with a smile.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs and Winry appeared. "I thought I heard someone coming!" She then went over to the boys and said hello to Alphonse before she settled on kneeling down and hugging Ed. Ed looked confused and grumpy at being greeted this way and tried pushing her away. "Get off, Winry!"

The blonde let him loose and stood up to greet Roy and Hawkeye. "Hello, Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Riza." She bowed slightly to them both.

Roy was a bit lost as to what he should say or do. He wasn't here as an officer, he was here as Ed and Al's father. Should he call her Winry? Tell her that she could just call him Roy? Or would that just thoroughly piss off Pinako and Roy would mess things up with the Rockbells even more than he already had? They had a strong reason to hate him after all.

Hawkeye was thankfully on better terms with Winry than he was, and shook the young girl's hand with a smile. "It's good to see you again, Winry."

And so Roy turned to Pinako instead. "Thank you for letting us stay."

Pinako grunted a bit which didn't really give a clear sign as to what she thought of the matter.

"Oh, Granny! You know what?!" Ed said eagerly.

Pinako shifted her attention to Ed and her expression softened slightly. "No, Ed, but it certainly has you happy."

"I'm an Elric-Mustang now! With a hyphen!" Ed grinned.

Roy had a feeling that Pinako was not as happy as she pretended to be. "So I guess you have something from both of your parents now."

"Yes!"

"Well, Ed, I guess you want to get to know the house again, it has undergone some changes these last few years, why don't you and Al go check it out while Winry shows the Lieutenant where she'll be sleeping?"

"What about Daddy?" Ed asked.

"He is going to help me prepare dinner."

Roy gulped, but pretended like it was nothing. "Of course."

And so the others disappeared, leaving Roy alone with Pinako. "Come with me, Colonel Mustang."

Roy didn't dare refuse her. He needed to make this work out somehow. He watched in silence as she handed him a knife and an onion and set him to work. The silence made the atmosphere even tenser than before.

"So he's taken your name, huh," Pinako said after a few moments of tense silence as Roy cut the onion into small pieces. "And they both call you their father now too."

"Yes. I know you don't like me or my choices, but I'd like for us to at least reach a kind of truce for the boys's sake. I do not wish to force them away from you, they were your family first and I am not going to try to change that."

"You know, Colonel Mustang, I still haven't forgiven you for what happened to that boy. He was your responsibility and he got to suffer for it." Her tone was sharp, giving Roy a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I know. And I won't ever forgive myself for that. I've failed those boys. Why they still trust me, I have no idea." Roy felt his stomach twist painfully at the mental pictures of Fullmetal tied to that chair, quite possibly screaming, only to be replaced by the crying boy that was Ed, him too shrieking with pain and fear. That was Roy's fault, even if Ed didn't think so. If Roy had only got off his ass and joined Havoc and Breda as they escorted Fullmetal, then things would probably be different.

But then he wouldn't have the boys now, and that thought hurt too. It made him feel despicable and selfish, but it was still there.

"You know why? Because they're good kids. They looked up to you, even Ed, and because they are so much like their mother, they still do. I don't. You're the military dog who took my grandsons away and introduced them to a world of horror and blood and pain. So you tell me, Colonel Mustang, why should I trust you now?"

Roy didn't know what to say. She was completely right. He should have thought this through before coming here. He didn't have a good reason for why she should entrust them to him. He had destroyed their lives. So why did he keep them? Why did he keep selfishly holding on to them when they would probably be better off without him?

"Because I love them." The words had escaped his lips before he even knew they had. But they were true.

The old woman was silent for a few minutes. "I guess I ought to call you Roy from now on, then. Which makes me Pinako to you."

"So what you're saying is that it's okay that I am their father now?"

"I'm saying that I'm giving you a chance because despite the mistakes you've made, the boys are also happier now than they have been in years and you haven't just adopted them: they've adopted you too. So I'll give you an opportunity to show me their father instead of Ed's commanding officer."

"Thank you, Pinako."

The woman just puffed her pipe.