Chapter two, here for your entertainment, and within a reasonable length of time if I do say so myself. Thank you to the many of you who reviewed, it was much appreciated!
-0i0-
Roy felt as lost as Riza looked, both sitting across from a little five year old blonde girl who could easily have passed as the sharp-shooter's daughter as they shared the same eyes in the worn but warm sitting room at the Governor's house. The Governor himself was out chasing down the boy who had run the moment the pair had come into view, disappearing into the surrounding woods at a sprint. His wife bustled about in the kitchen just around the corner, leaving them alone with the girl for the time being. For some reason, the older couple assumed their 'family tie' would come to light and Riza would accept the children with open arms and they would love her as they had their own mother in return. Roy could see that it would not be quite that easy.
The little girl refused to look up at them, staring down at her hands that cradled a worn wooden duck with wheels for feet. It was one of the toys he recognized from his childhood, a string usually tied to its neck one could walk around with it following you for hours. Homemade by the looks of it, he wondered how it had come to be so treasured as her soft fingers ran from the head to the tail again and again.
"May I ask your name?" Riza inquired softly when it seemed the silence became too much for her. The little girl paused, looking up slowly and meeting the Lieutenant's eyes once before her gaze quickly dropped back to her hands.
"Beth. Elizabeth Herndon."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, and it broke Roy's heart as he recognized the look in her eyes. Numb to the core, and unable to even cry though the heart was torn in two, it was the look he had seen in his own eyes after the Ishabal war, the look in Gracia's eyes with the death of Maes, and the look in Alphonse's eyes when he was told his brother could not be found. She was too young for that, he thought as she looked up again, studying them through dull eyes, too young for that kind of pain and loss. But that didn't change the past.
"Are you going to take me with you?" the little girl asked, suddenly staring at Riza as her thumb continued to run over the wooden duck.
"Do you want to come with me?" Riza replied, her voice as gentle as he had ever heard it though with an underlying current of uncertainty.
Beth blinked, her eyes going back to the block as she spoke with tiredness beyond her few years. "I…want to forget."
Roy was surprised at how quickly Riza was able to move to the girl, gently bringing the small face up to meet her steady gaze as she knelt before her. "You will never forget, can never forget," she spoke with the sincerity of one who understood. "But eventually you can move on."
Beth's face crumpled as something she saw in his subordinate's eyes reached her torn heart, the tears coming fast and silent as she buried her head in Riza's shoulder and clung to her neck much like the drowning did a life preserver. Cradling the child awkwardly, she moved so she was sitting on the couch with the girl in her lap as she murmured soothingly in her ear and rubbed her back. The Governor's wife glanced in once, and seemed to find approval in what she saw before leaving them alone once more.
Getting up quietly, he slipped into the kitchen as he found himself uncomfortable in a situation where his presence wasn't necessary. Especially one involving small children in general.
"Can I help you with something?" he asked as he motioned to the dinner preparations, immediately getting a bowl and some vegetables shoved in his hands with a cutting board and a knife.
"Your wife is doing a very good job, I'm glad to see someone has finally gotten through to that poor dear," the Governor's wife commented as she passed him to reach the stove, pulling a pan off burner before she noticed his startled gaze. "Oh, are you not married yet? My apologies for assuming too much, but you are both rather old to be single still…"
"We are not together at all," Roy explained quickly, focusing on the vegetables as he willed his hands to be steady despite the way his ears burned. "We are co-workers, and have been friends for years, but that is all."
"Oh, then she has another man…?"
"Riza Hawkeye has not had a steady male companion of that nature in her life for quite some time," he replied stiffly, displeased to be reminded of the wall that had been rebuilt between them. "I agreed to travel with her per her grandfather's request."
"Ah, an old friend of the family, then, I can understand that…"
"We're back, dear!"
The Governor slowly opened the front door that was visible down the hall, a lanky looking farmer with a bow slung over his shoulder following behind with a disgruntled boy of 10 or under his right arm. Dumping the scowling load to the floor, he tipped his head to the Governor and got quiet thanks in return before heading out the door again and closing it firmly behind him.
"That was hardly the way to behave when these good folks have traveled all the way out here from Central just to see you," the Governor huffed as he hauled the boy to his feet, brushing him off in a business-like way before the lad managed to pull away and finished straightening his overalls and patched shirt himself.
"Who cares, where's Beth, is she ok?"
"Straighten up and stop grumbling! Your sister is fine; she's just in the other room."
Still glaring with the corners of his mouth pulled in a fierce snarl, he made the passage to the kitchen as difficult as he possibly could for the old man as he was dragged along by his collar without knocking them both over. Roy was getting rather fed up with his performance, the Governor deserved more respect than that, and was seconds away from hauling the boy upright by his ear and giving him a good dressing down when the young man noticed him for the first time and stopped to stare.
Roy blinked as the lad whipped out a book from his back pocket, leafing through the pages before glancing back at him as if in confirmation. Pointing at him accusingly, he cried, "I know you even with the eye patch, you're Roy Mustang! The Flame Alchemist!"
"Ah…I am," Roy replied, setting the knife down carefully as he studied the boy more closely, finding the same red-brown eyes as his sister but with black hair that hung in his eyes almost long enough to tie in a tail. "Have we met?"
"No, you're in the 'Alchemist's Changing the World' book I got from school," the boy replied, showing him the page with his picture (it was from when he still had both eyes) with a very sparse biography below it. "Are you really an Ishabal war hero? Can you show me your flame? Or your gloves? What happened to your eye? I bet you lost it saving all kinds of people's lives, right? I want to be an alchemist too; maybe you could teach me some things!"
"Enough, lad, you can pester the man later, its time we sat down to eat and discussed your future with your cousin," the Governor interrupted, though he cast Roy an appraising look as his wife suddenly frowned. "Where is she and the girl?"
"I'll get them," Roy offered, backtracking to the sitting room and finding an exhausted looking Riza holding the little girl, now asleep, in her lap. "Its time to eat, they want to talk to you," he told her quietly, helping her stand as she carefully cradled the small girl to her chest. "The boy's a hellion, he might be hard to handle," he warned her absently as they made their way back to the others.
"He can't be much more difficult than the other boys," she replied, and he smiled as he recognized the reference back to their subordinates.
"I suppose."
The Governor's wife took the girl the moment they came into view, depositing her in what they assumed was a bedroom off to the side (after assuring the boy that she was just asleep) before shooing them all to the table and their seats. The Governor, of course, was at the head, Roy across from his wife and Riza next to him facing the boy. The food was passed around, drinks poured, and though some small talk was generated as they praised the food and its maker for it was very tasty the Governor soon brought things back to the important topic at hand.
"They have no other family," he said without preamble, watching Riza closely as she sipped her tea. "That's why we went through the trouble of tracking you down. And while having someone take them in would normally not be a problem and you would be left untroubled I'm afraid the plague has left us with empty hearts and little enough care to go around. There is a good bit of money to be had from the things their family has left behind, but I should hope you do not base your decision on the profit there is to be made. I'm not asking you to decide tonight, though an answer before you leave would be preferable if you're planning on coming back for them. Children are not to be taken lightly, and I would understand if preparations would need to be made before you could accept them into your care."
"I understand," she replied, setting the cup down and meeting his gaze steadily though her eyes gave none of her true feelings away. "I will have an answer for you by tomorrow morning."
"What if I don't want to go with her?" the boy stuck in, sneering at her from his seat until the Governor's wife nudged him sternly. Settling for a contained glower, Riza met his gaze without as much as a flinch.
"What is your name?" she asked simply, raising her brows slightly when he snorted rudely.
"Zeke," he replied in as bored a manner as he could, looking away to toy with the meat on his plate with a fork.
"Ezekiel," the Governor corrected quickly. "Ezekiel Herndon."
"Zeke, where will you go if you don't come with me?" she asked, the Governor watching curiously as the boy unconsciously responded to her authoritative tone.
"Dunno, we'll probably stay with them, maybe another family if a place opens up," he replied with a shrug.
"Orphans are generally passed around a community until no one can afford or want to keep them. If times are hard, they'll be sent to an Orphanage as wards of the state until they come of age to leave and often times if there is no will all their possessions and means will be seized as well as payment for raising them. That means you would have to wait six or seven years from the time you would be sent out until you could see your sister again, unless you're lucky enough to be sent to the same children's home to begin with; and you will have next to nothing when it occurs," she explained in the same voice she used when explaining to Havoc why it was a bad idea to put Hayate under Breda's desk. "I heard you say you wanted to become an alchemist, a difficult task for any person, even more so when you have nothing to your name. Studying is impossible without books and the right education. I live in Central, work in the Military offices there, and am friends with State Alchemists."
"I thought you hadn't decided yet," he mumbled, pouting as he averted his gaze.
"I haven't," she replied quietly. "But considering your position if you are truly serious about your dream and taking care of your sister it may be in your best interest not to persuade me to leave you to the mercy of the people of this town. Your parents' money is of no concern to me, nor is the land or their possessions, what I am interested in is what is best for you and your sister."
"I didn't ask for you to try and choose what's best for me, I didn't ask for other people to take over my life, and I didn't ask for my parents to die," he replied, almost yelling the last part as he jumped to his feet. Storming out of the room, he paused only to throw her a final glare before disappearing up the stairs and out of sight.
"He is…very angry," the old man sighed as he rubbed his chin slowly, eyeing the visitors from the corners of his vision. "They were away when the worst of it struck, visiting friends that live on a farm just outside the village. The friends would have probably taken them in had they not gained three extra mouths of their own, cousins belonging to an aunt and uncle that were also taken by the plague. These are hard times for our people."
"He believes he could have changed something had he been there," Riza murmured quietly. "Survivor's guilt."
"I believe you are a respectable woman who will do well by them if you choose to do so," the Governor's wife interjected politely. "But I am a little concerned at the possibility of a lack of constant male presence in their lives. Being single is nothing to be ashamed of, but having only one parental figure can be hard on a child…"
"I don't think that'll be a problem, our friends would be delighted to have a niece and nephew to spoil all they like, and you won't find finer men in all of Amestris," Roy cut in firmly, nodding when Riza gave him an appreciative glance. "They may not have a father, but several uncles and an extra aunt or two certainly can't be too far off the mark."
"And my grandfather is there at Central as well," Riza added after a moment's thought. "I am sure he and my grandmother would be pleased to welcome them into the family, should they come with me."
"Then allow me to voice my other concern, you are clearly a State Alchemist if you are Roy Mustang indeed, and you mentioned that you were co-workers. To what extent are you involved in the military and what is the likelihood you may return home one day in a box rather than on your feet?"
"I am a First Lieutenant, and I am Brigadier General Mustang's body guard and aide based upon my abilities with firearms and in hand to hand combat and skills in organization and management," Riza explained slowly, glancing at Roy as she wondered how much she should reveal. "The last dangerous incident I was included in was the attack on Central and Lior, when the entire military was deployed to defend the city. That was six months ago."
"Lieutenant Hawkeye's job has gotten far less dangerous with my last promotion," Roy stepped in as she hesitated to say more. "Our fieldwork has been curtailed to an absolute minimum, and neither of us will be called back into active duty unless another war breaks out. Even then, our skills are too valuable to be thrown away carelessly. Seeing as Parliament is in the process of making treaties with everyone and their mother, I very much doubt we shall see another conflict the size of the Ishabal again for many years, hopefully the peace will hold for at least our lifetime."
"Then you have time to raise two children?"
"I have room in my life and my home," she replied simply, looking down at her hands once again. "I am just not yet convinced myself that I am the best caretaker for these children."
"We would keep them ourselves, were we in our younger years," the Governor sighed, rubbing a hand along his wrist. "But even now we are hard pressed to keep up with them, and as you can see they have not responded well to us since their parent's funeral."
"Beth just sat there when they explained what had happened to her mother and father, blinked, and got up and left the room," his wife added quietly. "Tonight was the first time I saw her cry since that day, and it has been over a month."
"I think it would be best if we left now," Riza said slowly as she rose to her feet, though her food was still mostly untouched and Roy had barely had time to make a dent in his. "I need some time to think. What time may we return in the morning?"
"We rise with the sun here, whenever you want to drop by is fine," the Governor replied, getting up and showing them to the door. "Thank you for considering this, Miss Hawkeye, it is greatly appreciated…"
"I will act according to what is best for the children," she replied simply. "Good night, Governor. Thank you for your hospitality."
"Anytime."
Roy bid them goodnight as well before following his subordinate into the street, their Inn a good ways down the lane as the house was just outside of town. The sun had set some time before but the moon rose full and without a cloud in the sky they could easily make their way along the dirt roads.
"You've already decided," he accused her teasingly as he dropped his coat over her shoulders, ignoring her protest as they walked side by side.
"I've decided they cannot stay here," she replied quickly. "The government means well, but orphanages are never the best place for the majority of children and this town will likely not keep them for long with the way the boy is acting. However, whether they belong with me or another is yet to be seen."
"Who else could you send them to?" he asked curiously.
"If Hughes were still alive, I wouldn't hesitate to offer them the money and the children. He had a way with young ones, I believe he could have reached the boy with ease," she murmured more to herself than he as she ticked names off her on her fingers. "However, I could never ask Gracia alone to undertake such a task. The boy is interested in alchemy, which puts the Elric's Teacher in mind as she had a soft spot for those without parents, but she passed away recently and even before that she was sick for quite some time. Pinako, also, but she isn't exactly young and it might be more cruelty than kindness to ask her to watch another who might give his life to alchemy. Louis Armstrong may no longer be in the military, but while he has a heart of gold for 'strays' he is…unlikely to impress the boy with his odd ways."
He nodded. "And if they stayed with you?"
"The girl needs someone who understands, I can help her there. I'm sure I can work out something with Gracia to watch her during the day until she is old enough to start school," she sighed, staring off into the distance as her mind ran down several paths at once. "The boy, though…he is a tough one, and what he needs is a strong male he can look up to. Being ten is not easy to begin with, it is when boys start down the path of becoming men, but to lose your father at this time must be devastating."
"He's being pushed into growing up too soon, and he's fighting it with everything he's got," Roy added, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I suppose I don't have a choice then."
She frowned in confusion, pausing in the middle of the road to look at him. "Sir?"
He stopped as well with a cheeky grin. "Roy."
She rolled her eyes, but gave in. "Roy?"
"The boy needs a man in his life, I can be that man until either a replacement is found or he no longer needs me as such," he explained, watching as her frown turned into disbelief, then concern.
"Sir-"
"Roy."
"Roy, are you sure you wish to commit yourself to a boy that is not even related to you in any way, shape, or form? If you really are to become the man in his life, you will need to always be there for him." She paused, glancing up at him with a guarded look. "The men and I, we can stand having you disappear for years a time, to do that to this boy would be inhuman."
"Riza, I'm not going anywhere," he said so sincerely she was almost forced to believe him. Almost. "I understand what I'm getting myself into. Even if you or I find someone else to share our lives with, I will still be there for the boy and his sister and you. I promise."
"You don't need to worry about me, it's the children that will need the looking after," she sighed as she started back down the road. "I suppose I should call Central and begin making arrangements. My apartment is not big enough for the three of us, I'll need to find a school for Zeke, and I will need to call Gracia about arrangements for dropping Beth off for the day…"
"Actually, I was already thinking about some of that," Roy admitted, having the grace to look a bit sheepish when she glanced at him surprise. "Did you know the other half of the duplex Gracia lives in just opened up last week…?"
-0i0-
Three days later found Roy going through yet another room with Riza, Beth clinging to his subordinate's back as she had virtually become the sharp shooter's shadow and Zeke grumbling in the background. While the Governor had been delighted with the situation, and was more than willing to help them in any way possible, they had been poorly prepared for the massive amount of work that followed.
The duplex was secured that very first day after a few quick phone calls, a delighted Gracia agreeing to help out as she could and the men setting up a schedule to go pick up the boxes as they arrived at the station. As they moved from room to room in the house everything in it was labeled as 'keep', 'discard' or 'sell' depending on a few key factors. All of the children's things were boxed first, everything but enough clothes to last the week and a few toys to keep them occupied were sent ahead to their new home along with their furniture for their new rooms. Photos, family keepsakes, and almost anything the children wanted to save was packed as well, the boxes marked 'Duplex' or 'Storage' depending in which they were to be delivered to first. Unfortunately, because the children had not only inherited their parent's house but that of their aunts, uncles and grandparents the work they originally had cut out for them was increased by four fold. Thankfully, not every family had owned its own house or they might have been there for weeks.
The silver lining came in the fact that the duplex had more than twice the space of Riza's current military apartment, and she hardly owned enough furniture to fill it. With the children giving her suggestions along the way, they picked out another couch, some tables and chairs, a few floor rugs and other small things that would go in their new home. While it was hard, especially for Zeke, to say what would stay and what would go, it seemed to comfort the pair knowing some of their home would be going with them.
Deciding they could not possibly stay long enough to sell everything, including the land and houses, Riza struck a bargain with the Governor. He would sell everything for them, and then send her money along with whatever the families already had stored in the bank after keeping a small percentage for himself for his troubles. Half the money sent to her she would set aside in two equal savings accounts, their inheritance when they reached the proper age, the other half she would use to pay for their current living expenses as the need arose.
"So, I guess we're stuck with you," said Zeke one evening as they ate dinner at the one restaurant in town, Roy treating them for having worked hard that day. He had fought against it at first, even tried the running away tactic again only to be dragged back by the same farmer, but slowly he seemed to accept the fact that there was nothing he could do about it. The fact that she was friends with Roy Mustang, the famous Flame alchemist, certainly helped but he was far from pleased. That displeasure came in the form of as much rude behavior and snide comments he thought he could get away with. Riza, of course, took it in stride and only outright corrected him beyond her highly effective disapproving looks that he'd already come to hate when he crossed certain boundaries. "What are we supposed to call you? Miss Hawkeye?"
"We're cousins, but somehow the age difference makes even that a bit strange," she mused aloud. "What did you call your other older cousins?"
"Aunt Mary and Uncle Jonstan," Beth said from her seat, one of the few things she'd said all night long.
"Then you may call me Aunt Riza," their warden replied, giving a dry smile as she did.
"Can we call you Uncle Roy?" he asked the Flame Alchemist, obviously surprised when the man immediately agreed.
"Certainly, in fact you'll be gaining several uncles upon our arrival," Roy replied lightly. "And an aunt or two, I suppose. Did I tell you, Riza, that Falman said the Fuhrer has assigned us at least four new subordinates? There might be some others, but I was given the impression they were more for field than office work."
"Really, s-…Roy? Who?"
"Brosh and Ross, Armstrong's old helpers before he went civilian," he explained. "A new alchemist that just passed this year's exams, apparently they thought I needed another one with the Elric brothers gone, and a Private fresh from the Academy for us to break in as far as office work goes. I imagine we shall have our work cut out of us, hm?"
She shook her head, but laughed quietly. "I imagine so."
"That's right, you're military, too," Zeke broke in, smirking. "What are you, a pencil pusher?"
"She's my aide," Roy replied with a touch of pride. "And the best there is to be had among her peers."
The boy snerked quietly. "For what, her skills at planning meeting times? Or her short hand notes?" He sat up a little straighter, unintentionally assuming the stance his father would take when lecturing him at home before his death. "Women don't belong in the military, they might be useful with the paperwork but when it comes to a fight they're useless. That's why it's only the men that go to war; women would just get in the way."
Riza quickly put a hand on Roy's arm, silencing his immediate protest. "Ezekiel," she said as she rose to her feet. "I would reconsider those words before you spoke their like again. They could become…dangerous in the future. Especially in Central."
"I don't get it," he told Roy as the alchemist asked for their check, Beth following Riza out the door presumably back to the house to finish what they could before it got too dark. "What I said was true, right?"
"You are very lucky you are just a boy," Roy explained simply as he handed over the required bills and left and generous tip on the table. "She's more willing to forgive your ignorance with your youth."
"What do you mean??" The boy was tempted to throw a fit when his question was ignored, assuming he was meant to figure it out by himself though he wasn't sure where he'd gone wrong in the first place. Women weren't fighters, that's what his father had drilled into him once his sister was born. He was to protect Beth with his life, because Beth would never be able to protect herself. That's why men were stronger than women, and why wives always obeyed their husbands. It's just the way life was.
-0i0-
Another day passed, sunset finding Roy and Riza bidding the children goodnight for the last time at the Governor's house before turning in at their rented rooms.
"I called Winry today," Roy commented as they walked together down the road towards the Inn. "Her usual trip to Central is sometime this next week. We have a few more days before our vacation time is spent, why not spend part of it in Risembol?"
"What did Winry think of that?" Riza replied, glancing at her superior as they ambled along. "I imagine she would still want to go see Gracia and Elyasia…"
"If we leave in the morning as we plan to, we can make it to Risembol around dinner time," he said as he pulled a train schedule out of his pocket. "There's a chance we'll miss the change-over here if our train is more than ten minutes late, but that only sets us back an hour or so. Winry said she was planning on leaving in three days; she could travel there with us and offered to help you settle things while she's there. I know you planned on taking an extra week off to unpack and arrange the duplex how you wanted it but an extra hand could probably help move things along…"
"That puts us back in Central on a Thursday, Friday I could pack up what little there is in my apartment and be ready to move on Saturday," she mused, nodding to herself. "Very well, as long as Mrs. Rockabell doesn't mind the extra company."
"Pinako said we were welcome to visit, and a few days rest would do us all some good," he chuckled lightly. "Especially you, you haven't stopped worrying since you said 'yes'. I don't see why, though, you've done just fine raising Hayate."
"They're children, Roy, not pets," she grumped, scowling slightly though she knew he was right. "I'm not worrying; I'm just…concerned that I may not be the best choice."
"Riza, you've kept me and my men in an obedient line for years," Roy pointed out as he stopped her outside the building. "And it's not just a reign of terror, either. You managed to train Breda out of his loud snacking habits, teaching him a semblance of manners. Havoc would probably have fewer dates than he actually has if you weren't slowly coaching him into something resembling a gentleman even if he hasn't realized it yet. You even managed to break me to paperwork, even if I do still hate it, and didn't earn a reputation as my 'babysitter' by doing nothing. I may be the leader of our group, and our ideals are what hold us together, but you're our heart. And, damn it, if that doesn't qualify you to raise two kids, I don't know what does."
She cleared her throat, trying desperately to hide her blush and failing miserably. "Ah, sir…"
"Roy."
"I'm not sure having the capacity to boss around grown men and force them to act like civilized beings is a qualification for parenting," she plowed on quickly, though she refused to meet his gaze. "But I still thank you for your faith in me."
He smiled softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "How can I do any less for one who has never lost faith in me?"
"Ah, thank you…" She hesitated before adding quickly. "G-goodnight, s-…Roy."
He stepped back, recognizing the glint of panic in her eyes from him overstepping his bounds. "Goodnight, Riza."
She disappeared inside, leaving him alone in the dark to ponder a bit. He knew what he wanted; he had tasted it once upon a time in what sometimes felt like a dream. His only question was did she want it as well?
-0i0-
And that is chapter 2. Please review, it's like giving a junkie crack except without the nasty side effects. All replies to reviews can be found below!
Tiramisu of Impending Doom Might I just say that's an excellent name? I love the scene with Riza sleeping on Roy too :) thanks for the review, I hope you liked part two!
LoonyBin08: Thanks for the review, hope you liked part two!
Mrs. Jean Grey-Summers: Thanks for the review, hope you liked part two!
Bar-Ohki: Of course Roy's gonna be driven up the wall, it's almost mandatory, right? Thanks for the review, hope you liked part two!
Azilie: Glad you liked it, thanks for the review!
winglessfairy25: Aw, I'm glad I could make your day! Thanks for the review, hope you liked part two!
jacksparrow589: Yes, children, as in plural. :) I hope this was soon enough for you, thanks for the review!
Alex: Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoyed part two!
Martrex: Here's more! Thanks for the review; I hope you liked part two!
Anne Packrat: bows I do try. Thank you for your very high compliment, it made my day. Hope you liked part two!
Neopyrocitrine: Glad you liked it, hope part two lived up to it!
Ruki44: Thanks for the review, I hope this continues to meet your expectations.
OTP: Thanks for the review, hope you liked part two!
Dennisud: Yes, Riza. As a mom. And Roy. Being Roy. Glad to see you're still around, old friend! Hope you enjoyed part two!
Thats it for this update. Hopefully the next one will be just as quick.
CB
'And lo, I looked upon the sky, and it was puce.'
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