AN: Hello everybody! Thankies for the reviews... again!

The Way to a Man's Heart Isn't by Crushing His Ego Chapter 22: Gotta Jazz it Up!

Riza and the little girl stared down the hole for a few minutes more. The moaning continued. Riza didn't think they'd be getting up anytime soon, so there was really no need to rush. She didn't want to be the next one to fall down a hole.

As she stared down at them a distressed expression appeared on her face. Lousy cramps. She whined to herself as she began rubbing her sore abdomen again. I swear, women were cursed with this time-of-the-month crap because men are wimps. More men would commit suicide because they can't take the pain and mood swings before they'd think to put a really warm wet rag on their stomach. If men had to have kids this world would be very under populated. They'd have one kid, feel the pain of childbirth, and swear never to do it again, no matter how much 'fun' the bedroom was. (Sorry all male readers!)

"Huh?" the little girl asked when she saw Riza rubbing her stomach from the corner of her brown eye. She smiled and took a deep excited breath. "Ooooohhhhhh! You're rubbing your belly! Are you pregnant? I know! I saw you when you first got here! I bet that guy with the black hair is the daddy, right?"

"WHAT?" Riza's head snapped and locked on the little girl's excited face. That 'I bet the guy with the black hair is the daddy' part made her face turn red with embarrassment. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, the redness wouldn't fade.

The girl grabbed Riza's arm and started jumping up in down in a begging fashion. Her small feet made a loud thump sound when they hit the wooden floor. "If it's a girl came you name it after me? Can you, can you, can you?" she asked as she jumped up and down happily shouting.

"No, I'm not pregnant!" Riza snapped with embarrassment and confusion. All this was coming on so fast. She really didn't know what to make of it.

"Awwwwwww….." the little girl said as she stopped jumping and looked down at the floor; a sad expression appeared on her face. Then suddenly she got an idea and began hopping again. "Well when you do get pregnant can you name it after me? Can you, Can you, can you please!" she asked with a big tooth-missing grin.

Riza was about to snap at the little girl, but then she remembered she was talking to a little kid, and kids say annoying things such as this. She took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and then crouched down so her eyelevel was even with the girl's. "But I don't even know your name," she said in a friendly motherly voice.

"It's Jasmine," the little girl replied happily, "But I dun like it. Everyone here calls me Jazz."

"Jas," Riza thought for a minute. "That's a cute name."

"NO!" the little girl snapped harshly. Riza was shocked by her fierce reaction. "Not Jas! I hate that name! It's JAZZ! With two Z's!" the 'z' sound she was trying to make has a light wisp to it as the air escaped out from the holes of her missing teeth.

"Jazz, that's a much better name," Riza said with a smile, trying to convince the little girl she was agreeing with her. She guessed it worked when the girl smiled back at her.

"What's your name?" Jazz asked questionably.

"Uh?" Riza thought for a moment. What am I supposed to have her call me? She wondered.

"Hm?" Jazz asked questionably after she saw Riza pondering the question.

Riza smiled when she saw the little girl's confused expression. "Just call me Second Lieutenant, all my friends do."

"Second Lieutanenet?" Jazz asked. She made a weird face when she tried to pronounce 'Lieutenant'. She was careful to try and remember all the syllables, but failed miserably. "Lutianent? Lutenint? Letanntie?"

Riza's expression turned even kinder and more motherly looking. She had to admit, Jazz was cute. "Just call me Riza," she replied when she saw how much trouble Jazz was having.

"Riza?" Jazz replied. "What happened to Leutanant?"

"Just forget about that for now, ok?" Riza said, still crouched next to the little girl.

"Ok," Jazz replied then she looked around a little.

"What's wrong?" Riza asked.

"What happened to the daddy?" she asked.

"Eh? Daddy?" Riza asked as her smile turned to confusion. "I told you I'm not pregnant!" she shouted irritably.

"Oh yeah!" Jazz replied as she stopped looking around the empty room and back at Riza. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Riza sighed. "No, he's just my boss."

"Do you wish he was your boyfriend?" she asked with an evil smile, the same way little kids do when they hear you have a crush. "Do you?"

"No," Riza replied.

"Really? I can see it in your face. You like him."

"No, really, I don't," Riza replied. She was getting a little annoyed, but she kept calm. She didn't want her hormones to get out of control, not in front of a little kid.

"Ok, Miss Riza, I believe you," Jazz replied, and then she turned her body to the side a little so Riza couldn't see her face. She flashed a smirk. I know you really like him. I can totally see it all over you face.

"I need to go find him now," Riza said as she stood up, dusted herself off a little, and began walk away.

"WAIT!" Jazz shouted and hurried after her.

"Hm?" Riza asked as she turned around. The little girl was clinging to bottom her military jacket. "What is it?"

"Can I please come with you? I won't be any trouble. I can help you look. I know all the places here. I've lived her a real long time!" Jazz cried in her little girl talk.

"Uh, ok," Riza replied. She could see tears welling up in Jazz's brown eyes.

"YAY!" Jazz replied happily, then she let go of Riza's jacket and ran toward the stairs. Her hands were waving in the air.

Her body flashed with color as she ran through the sunlight that shown through the windows. Riza's eyes widened when she saw Jazz's little body. Jazz stepped in another beam of light. "Jazz, stop!" Riza ordered. She wanted to make sure she was getting a clear fix on the small girl.

"Eh?" she replied as she stopped dead in her tracks. Her body looked as if it was frozen solid. Her arms will still up in the air. "What's wrong?" Jazz asked nervously. Her brown eyes stared back toward Riza, but her body remained still.

Riza stared at the little girl. Her eyes full of surprise as they traced the Jazz's small frame. "Where did you get those marks?" she asked. She saw purple and greenish color bruises all over Jazz's arms and legs.

"Oh, these?" Jazz asked. Her body relaxed as she held one of her arms up. The blotches of color stood out vividly on her skin. "My daddy gave these to me."

"What? Just what exactly were you doing hiding in here? This place doesn't seem very safe," Riza scolded and was about to take Jazz's skinny arm in her hand when they heard and explosion outside.

"I think they found the daddy," Jazz said as she pulled away from Riza and took the few steps to the window that was next to her. She was glad to change the subject.

He's not my boyfriend. Riza grumbled to herself then rushed over to the window. Sure enough, a little ways down the street one of the buildings was being engulfed in flames. The sounds of all sorts of gunfire were heard, as well as people screaming.

"This is bad," Jazz said. She leaned her arms over the side of the window frame, and then rested her head on them. Her eyes took on a hint of sadness as she watched the building burn. "Those loud noises are back. When they come lots of people cry."

Is she talking about the gunfire? Riza wondered as her gaze went from Jazz's sad face and back to the chaos outside.

"He's going that way!" the heard a rather loud shout. The sound of shooting followed shortly after.

Riza leaned out the window toward were they heard the loud shout, she looked to her right. She saw Roy running through the sand, trying to dodge the bullets coming after him. He was running straight. If only he'd turn to the left then he'd see her. "Lieutenant Colonel, sir!" she shouted hoping to get his attention. She saw him glance up at her just as he ran behind one of the buildings. Then a mess of men in black leather ran in the same direction.

"GET DOWN!" Jazz snapped as she pulled Riza back in the window. "If they see you they'll come this way," she hissed. She didn't mean too, but she pulled so hard on the back of Riza's military jacket that Riza stumbled back and fell on her butt. A loud crack was heard as Riza's hind end hit the floor.

Riza flashed an annoyed look.

"I'm sorry! Are you ok?" Jazz asked as she looked over her new friend. "I don't see any cuts."

"I'm not hurt," Riza replied as she stood up. More cracking noises were heard as she lifted her body off the ground.

"Oh," Jazz said as she covered her mouth with her hands. In the floor was an indentation of Riza's butt. "At least you didn't fall through." She glanced down at the indentation once again. "Oh! There's blood on it! Did you fall on glass?" Jazz asked as she rushed to Riza's behind.

Riza had begun dusting her butt off. "WHAT?" her eyes widened when she heard 'there's blood on it'.

"Let me see!" Jazz said in a whiny voice as she tried to move Riza's hands away. They were coving her butt.

"No! I'm ok, really! It's just a little- uh…" Riza began then cut herself off. I can't tell her that! She's only a little girl. She'll have no idea what 'that' is!

"Let me see! Let me see, let me see, let me see!" Jazz whined as she pulled on Riza's arms, trying to get her to remove them from her buttocks.

"No, it's fine. Ummmm… stay right here. I'll be right back," Riza said as she looked around for a location sealed from any prying eyes.

"Where are you going?" Jazz asked as Riza began walking quickly away.

"Just to check on something, stay right there," Riza replied as she walked to an area she thought seemed to be ok, still covering her bottom with her hands.

"Awwwwww… ok, but don't forget to come back!" Jazz said.

"I won't!" Riza replied. Not to far away there was a door. She didn't know what was on the other side, and she didn't care as long as no one was there. I can't believe this is happening to me. Riza whined to herself as she shut the door. She had to check and make sure nothing was out of the ordinary.

After a few minutes Jazz walked over to the door. She knocked on it. "Are you still in there?"

"Yes, I'm almost done!" Riza replied. She sighed with relief. At least it's down far enough between my legs that no one will notice it. She thought to herself she straightened her pants and opened the door. "I told you I'd be back," Riza said with a smile as she looked down at the girl. She smiled, trying to act like nothing was wrong, but on the inside she was dying of embarrassment. I can't believe I forgot about that. My suitcase is still outside, too. Luckily I packed an extra pair of pants.

"Can we go now?" Jazz asked. "Or do you want to stay here? I saw your boyfriend. He looked up and saw us up here, so he knows where we are. Do you want to wait here for him?"

"I think we'd better go find him. He could be in trouble," Riza replied. Then she grumbled under her breath. And knowing him, he probably is in trouble.

"Ok then, let's go, let's go!" Jazz said excitedly as she grabbed Riza's hand and pulled her to the stairs.

AN: What did you guys think? Isn't Jazz just so cute? I'd have to thank Jazze-Al-Bhed-Girl for her. I made her up after reading her Chibified! fic. The thought of putting a little kid in the story was just too cute. That's more or less how her character came into existence. So I name her after you Jazze. Bows humbly. Or, if you don't like having her named after you, then I apologize and you can just think of it as a strange coincidence. I hope this chapter made more sense to you Jazze! Everyone please review! I'd name people after you guys too, but I really don't think you'd want to be nasty smelly gang people. But if that doesn't bother you tell me and make you one of them, warning they will either be really bad, or really stupid.