Chapter 8: Owari

Princess Sango

Riza was about to fall asleep, when Maes came inside frantically, "Riza, come on, we got to get to the hospital! It's Roy he's not going to make it; you need to come see him!"

Riza processed it but didn't say a word as she stood up and walked out the door. Maes ran out after her, and when they were in the car, Rachel and Elysia were quiet. The air was really timid, and they left it that way. When the hospital showed up in view, Riza started fidgeting, and when the car was parked, she was even worse when she stood up. She was thankful when she had to pick up Rachel and had to calmly walk inside.

Riza was directed by Maes to the small room and she smiled when she saw Roy. Roy was pallid and she let the tears fly freely. Letting Rachel down gently she walked up to the bed and took his hand and touched his face with her free one. "Roy…look where we landed. I'm so sorry, I know I shouldn't have kept it a secret…I know…I know what you said was true…I just didn't want to ruin it for you…"

Roy opened his eyes, and they were dim and not so enthusiastic, "No…we both did this didn't we? I'm so sorry Riza, we tried our best. I love you though; I can't ever not love you…"

"Then why did you do this?" Riza almost shrieked but Roy was tacit with that. They both knew why, and now they both regret it. Riza let the tears fall, and then she felt the weak hand brush her tears away, "Don't cry, I was the one who shot myself…"

"Fool, it was me who sent you over the edge…"

Rachel crawled on the bed then, and hugged her dad, "Dad, are you going to get better soon?"

Roy felt a pang, seeing his daughter there, knowing that he was close to death, but wished he was able to stay. Was it foolish? He knew it was, but he gently cradled his daughter to his stomach, knowing that the chest was too weak to hold any weight. "No, I'm not going back home, I'm going to be waiting for you in a different place…years from now."

Rachel didn't understand, and Roy knew later, Riza would have to explain why he was dead. Roy hugged her close and told Riza to grab something out of his pants pocket on the chair next to him. Riza did as she was told and was gasped as she saw the ring and locket. She handled them gently, and looked at Roy who told them it was for them. Riza smiled and placed the locket on Rachel, who opened it and saw a picture of Roy, Riza, Hayate, and Rachel; on the other side it was a picture of Roy and Riza. Riza smiled and opened the box, and saw a ring on a chain.

"I want you guys…to have those…" Roy whispered and bit his lip. He felt weak and faint, he knew that he didn't have long, the blood had been lost and the bullet had hit his artery…it wasn't going to heal ever. He gently moved his arm slowly, wincing as pain shot up through it.

Riza gently caught it and leaned into it, pressing his almost now cold hand to her warm and wet cheek, "You're so cold…"

Roy bit his lip, "I know…I'm so sorry I won't…be there to help you… take care of her alright?" Roy looked into her eyes and all he saw was cloudy tears, "Riza…smile please, give me a memory to leave with…"

Riza gave a small smile, and leaned down and kissed him on his lips, the last place that was warm. Roy smiled and as best as he could, returned it, but when Riza pulled away, he could only give Rachel and Riza one last hug before he felt too gone to move anymore. For the next hour Roy was in a state where he could only whisper, and then, before he died, the last thing he said to Riza and Rachel was, "I'm sorry and I love you…never…forget…that…" His onyx eyes shut then, never to open again, a small smile on his face, as if he went peacefully of old age.

Riza had tears running down her cheeks as she hugged his limp body. Rachel didn't understand, and for a long time she wouldn't, but she started to cry, as if she knew. Riza then heard Maes and a bunch of doctors run in. Everything was mixed chaos, and all Riza remembered was being led outside the hospital to the clean air and being held by Maes. Riza blinked back tears and looked at her daughter, "Rachel come here…"

Rachel came and hugged Riza, tears falling down her cheeks also, "Where did daddy go?"

Riza bit her lip and then composed herself enough to say, "He's gone Rachel, and you'll come live with me now. Rachel, I'm you're mommy."

Rachel cocked her head to the side and didn't understand, "Where did daddy go? He said he'd take me to see my mommy!"

Riza cried harder, and hugged her, "Rachel…I know you don't understand right now. You don't have to, but you'll understand soon okay?" Rachel looked at her sadly, but nodded her head, and cried with her.

Three days later…

Riza stood at attention as she watched them lower Roy's coffin to the ground. She blinked back tears while clutching Rachel's hand, but a few escaped. The few people around her, who knew of their relationship understood, and Maes was right next to her. Everyone was shocked about his death, and Rachel still didn't understand the whole death part. When they finally had his grave solid, and everyone was gone, only Rachel, Riza, and Maes remained. Riza ran over to the tombstone then, and hugged it close, while whispering his name over and over again.

Maes kneeled down to her level and pulled her away, "Riza, come on, let me take you two to the hotel."

Riza looked up at Maes, "They questioned me yesterday, and they asked me what happened. I told them Roy was depressed and drunk, he went back to nostalgia and killed himself…It hurt me to lie…"

Maes sighed, "Riza, I'm transferring you near the base where I live. That way you'll have help when you need it. I'll be going back with you and then we'll go back together. You guys pack some stuff, and when you're feeling better you can go ahead and move back okay?"

Riza smiled softly, "Yes, I'll go back with you…but only till I'm better."

Maes nodded, "Now come on, I'll take you to the hotel." Riza stood up and took Rachel's hand and went off but before she did, she gave the tombstone one last glance.

8 years later…

Riza sat down at the table and looked at her daughter on the other side. After a year of staying at Maes's house, she moved into a house close by his. When Riza tried to go back to her old house, depression and paranoia came with the visit. She couldn't stay, so she ended up moving close to the Hughes's house and made a permanent transfer. Two years ago, Hayate died of old age and he was buried in a pet cemetery close by.

Rachel on the other hand is now twelve and is questioning her family. It was a hard subject for her to approach with anyone, because when she had often asked questions, they told her that he wasn't here anymore or that she'll find out later. Now though, she wished for answers, answers she feels she has a right to know. Looking at her mom, she took her fork and pushed her dinner around the plate before finally asking, "Mom, what happened with you and dad? Why is our family like this?"

Riza straightened up, "Why are you asking now?"

"Mom, everyone at school does at least one report on their family. As for me, I ask my teacher if I can just not do them…"

"Do you want me to talk to them?" Riza asked, trying to avoid it even more.

"Mom, please, I need to know…" Rachel begged, "I really want to know."

Riza sighed and put her head in her hands, "I guess now is better than later right?" She looked up at her and felt her eyes tear, "Your father and I had a relationship, but we never went public with it. We were planning…"

Rachel sighed and placed a hand over her mother's shaking hand, "Mom, calm down, I just want to know who my father was, and I want to know who you were before he was gone. I was four when he died, the most I remember was that I didn't know who my mom was until after he died, and that I lived with him. I don't even remember his voice and touch, and only the pictures he made up until I was four…I have no memory of him."

Riza looked at her daughter, "You're lucky; his memory haunts me from time to time. As I was saying though, since I doubt you will let me stop here, we were planning to tell everyone when your father became fuehrer. It never happened obviously, but I became pregnant with you, but as soon as you were born I gave you over to your father. I left you on his doorstep and he found you there with no explanation. I didn't tell him anything about you, I looked after you from afar and he raised you. I wasn't planning on telling him anything until he reached his goal. To no avail though, Maes helped me when I had a hard time coming to grasps of letting you go, of leading him on."

Rachel sighed this time, "So did dad think you were having an affair?"

Riza nodded, "And within that same day, I told him my relation to you. He was drunk…you were at a neighbor's house, and when I went to get you he injured himself, and he died in the hospital." With those words Riza cried, "I told him…and that killed him…I shouldn't have told him while he was drunk. He was a great man, and he's dead because I didn't…"

Rachel stood up and walked over to her mother and held her, "Mom, thank you for telling me. I just needed to know, why dad wasn't here. We can make things better, I just didn't want to be left in the dark about dad."

Riza looked at her daughter, the only person who was a reminder of the love between Riza and Roy. Crying harder, she nodded, "You look like him, if it weren't for the eyes, I would swear you were him."

Rachel nodded, "It's okay, we'll work together right?" Riza nodded and hugged her daughter, thanking her for forgiving her and knew they could try to make it better. Oddly enough, the pair felt two pairs of eyes on them but saw no one in sight. It was Roy though, with Hayate by his side, and he took his ghostly cold hands and touched both of their cheeks.

Roy had stayed in the house always watching them grow, watching Riza fall into a deep depression and then her working her way out of it, he saw Rachel grow and she's still growing. Patting Hayate's head, Roy gave them one last glance before saying, "Let's go boy, we'll see them again." So they walked through the walls, and left the two to grow.

Owari