1. I do not own any of these characters at all in any way, they belong to 'The Cow.' I do own Andrea, Little Maes and Micah, Lindley and Hanna.
2. THIS IS IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!
Chapter Seven- Children?
The next day an old friend made an early morning trip out to see Roy and heal his wound. Edward and Alphonse had arranged Dr. Marcoh's surprise visit so Roy could get back on his feet quicker. The doctor healed him with his medicine and his philosopher's stone; within hours Roy was sitting up and talking animatedly to his nurses. He had full use if his neck now, and he wasn't going to let himself be kept in that hospital room another moment. He called Riza and asked her if it was safe to return to his place, but she told him no. He gave her a list of things he would need from his apartment while he wondered where he would stay from right now.
"I've got an extra bedroom and bathroom here at my home; I would enjoy the company greatly if you would like to stay with me. If you don't…" She said, right before he interrupted her.
"I would love to. Where do you live? I feel like a walk." He said, standing and stretching in the hospital room.
"No you don't; you can't leave that room without someone to help disguise you. If anyone on the street sees you, there could be some trouble. Remember, they all think you're dead." She said matter-of-factly. "Just stay there. I'm sending someone you know to come get you. Please don't do anything rash Roy…"
"I won't. By the way, who are you sending to come get me?" He asked before he hung up.
"Alex. Alex Armstrong." She said, hanging the phone up. Roy's eyes drooped and his spirits crashed to the ground. 'I better think of an injury quickly so I don't get squeezed to death…' He thought as the knock came on the door.
"You've been missed so long sir! It's wonderful to see you awake and healthy again!" Armstrong said, walking in and shaking Roy's hand until it hurt. "Please come; Patricia and the children think I'm running paperwork up to the lieutenant general's house. Put these on and no one should recognize who you are." He said, handing him some clothing. Roy changed and left the hospital with Armstrong; he drove him past several neighborhoods and eventually drove up a long dirt road to a large house on top of a hill. It was a beautiful two-story house with white pillars holding up a second porch that came out from two huge doors. When Armstrong dropped him off in front he waved and made his way up to the door; he rang the doorbell and listened to the barks of two dogs. He heard the pat pat of feet and the door opened; he was looking up when he should have been looking down. A girl who must have been around seven years old answered; she turned and yelled as two other children came racing around the corner playing a game of tag.
"Mooommmmyyyyy! There's someone at the door for you! It's a man in a black coat!" The girl said, racing off after the two other children. Riza came from around the same corner and sighed, motioning for Roy to come in. She closed the door behind him and stood in front as the three kids came around the corner again. They stopped dead in their tracks, looks of pure fear on their faces; Roy stepped around her and looked at her face. It was the same face she had given him often when he would get behind on his work and try to sneak out of the office.
"Excuse me you three; I do believe we have a guest and you're not acting your ages. Andrea, where's the baby? Go get her." Riza commanded the girl who had opened the door and held out her hands to the little boys left standing in the room. "Come here darlings; I didn't mean to yell, but you know you're not supposed to run in the house. Go outside where you can run in the grass until your ears fall off. How about that?" She said, lightly tugging on their ears before taking them into another room to get their shoes. A few moments later Roy heard the slam of a door and Riza came back into the foyer.
"This is a beautiful home you have here; I know you didn't buy this with your military salary…" He said, walking around the room again. On the wall were many pictures of children; he recognized the girl and both boys as Riza stood next to him.
"These are my children, well were my children at one point in time. Since I got this house when my father passed away, I decided it was too empty; I almost sold it. One evening when I had just gotten out of your room after bringing puppy Roy to visit, I heard someone talking about a little girl who would have to go to an orphanage because her mother had just died; I looked into it an eventually adopted her as my own. Her name is Andrea; she reminded me so much of you I couldn't let her go to the children's home. The rest of the children on this wall are foster children that stayed here before they were adopted. The two twin boys are Micah and Little Maes, Major General Hughes' youngest children; Gracia had them right before she contracted the plague and died. And this-" She said as Andrea brought the baby Riza had asked for to her to get. "- this is Lindley, Edward and Winry's daughter."
"Ed and Winry's? They've had a child already? The squirt doesn't waste time, does he?" Roy said as the front door opened again.
"No, I don't waste time. And if I ever hear you call me squirt, or short, or anything like that I'm going to have to beat your-" Edward started to say before Winry cut in.
"Edward! Not in front of the baby!" She said, taking Lindley from Andrea and kissing the top of the girl's head. "Thank you for watching her; I'll make sure Uncle Ed doesn't forget to take you out this weekend. How about the big pool over near Little Maes and Micah's?"
"Yea! Can Elysia come too?" Andrea said, jumping up and down in circles around Ed.
"If her father says it's okay, I'll bring her too; how is my favorite niece?" He said, taking her outside to play.
"I'm your only niece; no one else will put up with you." She said matter-of-factly. Ed turned around and narrowed his eyes at Winry; She smiled and waved her finger at him.
"You know it's true; no one will put up with daddy and his temper, will they Lindley…" Winry said, laughing and cooing at her baby. He shook his head and went out of sight, chasing his niece around the corner of the house. Roy watched in amazement as he observed the scene that had just happened; he almost couldn't take in all the details he was learning.
"Roy? Roy? Are you ok? Let's go sit down…" Riza said as she startled him out of his stare. They went into the sitting room and sat on nice couches; Winry on one with the baby and him and Riza on the other one. The room was a light brown color with green accents; the couches were tan with green pillows, the curtains were green and the table that sat in the corner was the same color wood as the light brown colors in the room.
"So you've become a foster mother; I never imagined you as the motherly type." Roy said, lightening the mood.
"You would be surprised at what kind of person I've become Roy." Riza responded as Lindley began to cry. Winry stood up and excused herself to one of the spare bedrooms to feed her daughter as Riza sighed and stood up also. Roy followed her to the back of the house, through the large kitchen and onto the back porch where she fed the dogs and began to yell at the two boys for fighting. Roy admired her ability to keep everything in order in a house that could be chaotic; just like he remembered her doing in their office six years ago.
"Riza, where are your foster children now? I haven't seen anyone other than the people I know and their children." He asked, holding the door into the house open for her.
"All of them are either content at the children's homes or don't need a foster parent. I sometimes have lulls where there aren't any state children living with me. But I should show you to your room; it's this way." She said, pointing up a staircase and beginning to climb it. He followed her to the second story and stood on the landing with two ways to get up onto the level on either side of him; two more steps on his left let you up onto the second level on the left side of the floor and on the right side was the same thing. Roy looked at the two doors on his right and the two identical doors on his left, then straight ahead of him at the double doors that obviously led to the master bedroom. Riza explained to him that the two rooms on the right were the rooms where the foster children slept when they were there; the room closest to the stairs on the left was Andrea's room and obviously the other one was the guest room right next to her master bedroom. She opened the door and let him wander in, observing his reaction to his new room; he set his things down on the bed and looked in the mirror on his dresser. He was tired looking, and his black hair was longer than he liked it to have been; his skin was pale and he felt like he needed a shower. Riza came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest as he sighed and smiled. The second he felt the hard metal on his body he jumped, but didn't push her away; she backed off on her own.
"No, No; it's ok. You just startled me, I'm sorry Riza." He said, walking closer to her and hugging her tight. "I just don't expect to feel hard metal when you touch me…"
"Nothing to be sorry about; I'm probably being a little too forward. I should go help Hanna with dinner… you just make yourself at home and I'll bring your food up to you when it's ready. And just to let you know, the Altering Alchemist will be here after dinner to take care of you. " She said as she used her left hand to lightly caress his cheek before she left and closed the door.
A/N: I scared you didn't I? And wait until you see what the Altering Alchemist does to Roy... you guys will die! And I would like to thank Nekomo, Fading wind and Zirra Nove for reviewing; I know that SMM reviews too, but she calls me to tell me. Thank you so much for your support and threats(0.0) if I didn't continue. and in response to Fading wind, (i think it was) I've alreayd written the whole story, but I only post one chapter a day, but Roy does reenter the military... you'll just have to wait and see what the circumstances are.