AN: It has been a hot minute since I updated this story but I am back! I don't know how frequent updates will be since I write when the ideas come to me but I would like to revisit this story because I love it so much!

Enjoy!

LATE NIGHT CONVERSATION

ROY

The nursery was silent as the moonlight poured in through the window. Even the rocking chair was oiled enough that the squeak from the movement didn't permeate the room. Looking out, the figure admired the now snow covered landscape. Where dark, snow clouds had filled the sky earlier on in the evening, the sky was now bare, giving the man a clear view of the stars. They twinkled brightly, casting a carpet of light across the night sky.

A fussing child lay on his arms, choosing that moment to make a sound and disturbing the silence. Not that the figure minded at all. Gazing down at the bundle in his arms he was in awe. That was the case every day. Seeing her eyes open and take in the world around her, completely unaware of the horrors that lay outside the castle walls, made him want to protect her at all costs. Even at the expense of his own life.

He had never felt so much love for someone before, besides the child's mother. Growing up he hadn't truly appreciated family until it was snatched away from him. Then he was taken in by the King and Queen. At first he had been terrified. It was daunting simply meeting royalty, never mind living under the same roof as them. For the first month it must have appeared he was walking with a stick strapped to his spine, he was that tense. Thinking back now, he chuckled at the memory.

It was Elizabeth, his Riza, who had drawn him out his shell. It had already been a terrible time for him, due to the loss of his parents, but over the course of a few months the girl had brought a smile to his face more than once. She was incredible. Didn't take any of his shit and gave back as good as she got. The girl had always been fond of teasing him. He had become irritated at first, eventually snapping at the girl. The Queen had been witness to the exchange and Roy had never felt so scared in his short life. Expecting a scolding or a banishment from the kingdom for shouting at the Princess, he hung his head in shame. Instead, the Queen laughed at the shocked expression on her daughter's face due to the unexpected retaliation. Apparently "it was about time he stuck up for himself". The Queen simply grinned and went on her way.

That opened up a whole new side of their relationship. They bickered as children do, much to the amused irritation of the King. The Queen however simply watched with knowing eyes and a grin, as if she had known back then that they were destined to be together. Roy remembered a young Jean Havoc boasting about how a boy teases a girl when he likes her. Roy had been disgusted. Him? Like Elizabeth? That had been out of the question.

His child's mind didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth.

"What are you doing up?" a soft voice asked him from the doorway. "I thought it was my turn?" she smiled.

Tearing his gaze away from his daughter, Roy's eyes picked out Elizabeth's form in the darkness. One hand gripped the frame at head height and she leaned against it, a smile on her lips.

"She was fussing and I couldn't sleep."

Pushing off the door, Elizabeth padded into Riza's nursery. She too found her eyes drawn to her daughter. Wrapping an arm around Roy's shoulders, the pair returned their gaze to the miracle in front of them.

"Bad dreams?" Elizabeth asked casually, but there was an underlying current of fear.

It had been three years since he had returned to her. The nightmares that had plagued him took a while to disappear. Every now and again it would resurface, but Elizabeth was ready and by his side through it all.

"Yes," Roy admitted. He loathed to worry her but he couldn't lie. Not to her.

The hand on his shoulder tensed in response.

It was one dream in particular that had become more frequent as of late. Ever since little Riza was born. He supposed it was one every parent had about their child. However every parent did not had an unseen threat hanging over them, like they did with Father.

After years of inactivity and no new information, the search had been put on the back burner. But after what the man had done, after what they knew he was capable of, the threat would always loom over them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Elizabeth asked. Her hand snaked up his neck, causing the hairs to stand on end. It rested in his hair just above his right ear. A chill ran down his spine.

"No," he replied after a moment's consideration. "Not now. Let's not disturb the peace."

"All right."

Riza fussed once more in her sleep, her little legs kicking against the swaddle. Both parents watched as she moved then settled.

"She really is amazing, isn't she?" Elizabeth grinned.

Roy nodded. The hand on his head moved back to his shoulder. "I can't believe we did this." His voice was full of wonder, but there was a constant worry in his mind. After all the things he had done under Father's control, did he really deserve to raise a child? Unthinkable things had been done by his hand. Even now as unbidden memories flashed in his mind, he tensed and his breath became short.

"It is okay," Elizabeth soothed him upon noticing the tension. Her hand dropped to his upper arm, rubbing it in comfort. "You are safe now."

How she had a knack of knowing what Roy was thinking, he would never know. But the man was eternally grateful for it. He loosed a breath, forcing the negative thoughts out of his mind. They had gone through this over and over during the last three years. He could recite the conversation in his head word for word. He did just that to remind himself he deserved to be here. Although it had been his hand that had carried out those orders, he had no control over the beast that had been shoved into his head. He had fought against it. Boy, had he fought. It took months after his rescue for him to return to his full strength. More often than not he had been able to push through and save the ones he loved. At the time he had thought it hadn't been enough, but the Queen and Elizabeth were still breathing to this day. He spent every waking moment trying to make it up to them.

Such as not waking Elizabeth when their daughter woke up in the night.

"Thank you," Roy breathed.

"That is what I am here for," she smiled. "Come, let's go and sleep."

With a nod he stood. Kissing his daughter's forehead he placed her back in her cot. Brushing the hair off her small face, the baby shifted at his touch.

"I cannot tell you how grateful I am for you both," Roy admitted as they walked out of the room. The large bed looked incredibly inviting. Half an hour of sitting in the nursery was precisely what he needed to lull him to sleep.

"And I, you."

As Roy drifted off to sleep he thought about the two most important women in his life. He would be damned if he allowed anything to happen to them. His grip on Elizabeth's waist tightened in response to his thought, drawing her closer to his body. With a content sigh, she settled in to the bed, her hand coming to rest atop his. Her thumb stroked the back of his hand as Roy finally fell into a peaceful sleep.