Chapter 7! Wow, and to think I'm finishing this within 24 hours of posting chapter 5. Whether or not it will be posted before the 24 hours is up is yet to be seen, and is entirely dependent on how my internet connection decides to have. With a strong and steady signal, I hope, for your sakes. Thanks to those of you who reviewed, I always love hearing from you guys, and replies are at the end. Enjoy!
-0i0-
"I hope you aren't planning on doing this every night."
Zeke looked up from the couch, his body curled up as tightly as it could be as his eyes strained to read the alchemy book he'd brought with him. "Sorry…"
"Upstairs," she said with a tired smile, guiding him with a gentle hand on his back as they ascended them together. Once again he almost protested, it would be awhile he wanted to say, but his eyelids suddenly developed rims of lead and by the time she had tucked him in again he was almost asleep. She sat beside him running her fingers through his hair, much like the night before though this time when he looked at her he asked, "How did you know?"
"The stairs creaked," she explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It had to be you, your sister, Black Hayate, or someone who didn't belong here, so I came to check."
"Oh…didn't mean to wake you…"
"It's alright, just relax."
His body obeyed accordingly, and soon he knew nothing until morning.
Riza rose and walked down the hall to Beth's room, opening the door to hear something rather unusual. A closer look showed trails of tears marking the young face, her body shuddering slightly in her sleep as Black Hayate protectively huddled beside her. Nudging the dog aside, she picked up the small girl and cradled her gently to her chest as the older woman settled in the rocking chair.
"Mommy…" the girl whispered in her sleep as her tears stopped, Riza wiping the damp marks away though it was with a hesitant hand. "Daddy…"
It hurt to hear the longing note in the girl's voice, but when she was calm and still fast asleep Riza laid her back down and told Black Hayate to stay once more. She wasn't their mother, but she was taking the woman's place, and it felt wrong. Heading back to her room, she wondered if all guardians felt like this as she set herself to sleep once more.
-0i0-
Beth, Riza and Zeke stood in a line in front of the massive building, a true testament to gothic architecture at its finest in a dark gray stone. The sign at the front proudly announced the school's name, Rochester Academy, one of the two private schools in Central that groomed its students for Military entrance after their graduation as both soldiers and alchemists. Generally, Riza wouldn't even consider something beyond the public education Zeke could get for free, but she knew the headmistress of Rochester Academy personally, and it would be difficult to get the same alchemic education in the public schools as the boy could receive here. Zeke had begged her to bring him there the moment she'd mentioned it, and so here they were.
"Ready to go in?" asked Riza as she took Beth's hand, putting a guiding hand on Zeke's back. Without waiting for an answer she moved forward at a steady pace, quickly being shown to Mistress Hoffenbeck's private office were the stately woman awaited them. She was in her later years, a full head of snowy hair neatly coiled at the back of her neck and a straight back despite the wrinkles in her skin. Tall and thin, none of her students dared show her the least bit of disrespect after the first time they crossed her. Her father had been military, and she had been raised in his harsh discipline in a way that gave her the backbone to stand down the fiercest parent or General. However, for the moment, her mouth was set in a deceptively serene smile and her eyes twinkled with a hint of amusement.
"I always did say you would make a fine mother, I just thought it would be to a brood of your own," the woman said by way of greeting, bidding them to sit as tea was brought for Riza and juice for the other two. "So, you have a possible new student for me. What is your name, boy?"
"Zeke Herndon," he replied, somehow sensing this was not a woman to be crossed as he sat up straighter. His hair was combed back for the interview, and he was wearing his best shirt and pants with freshly polished shoes. Belatedly, he added, "Ma'am."
"He's not very big," the Headmistress clucked slowly. "Nor very athletic from the looks of it…alchemy is it?"
"I would like to become a State Alchemist, ma'am," he replied with a slow nod, glancing at Riza who gave him a reassuring nod.
"Well, there certainly isn't a better place for you to learn that," she said with a spreading smile. "There are some cookies on a tray outside if you would take your sister with you for a moment; I have some things to discuss with your Aunt."
The boy complied; Beth going after her caretaker assured her it would only be a moment, finding herself under the woman's scrutiny the moment the door was closed.
"You want to work a deal with the time you put in here," old woman said with a sigh. "I should have been anticipating this; you've been coming in for nothing for four years now."
Riza just smiled slightly with a nod. The academy turned out several young men and a few women who became fine soldiers, and the Military had jumped on the chance when the original firearms instructor left for another job. The Headmistress had been delighted to find Central's top marksman was a woman, and had decided it was the perfect opportunity to show the possible recruits that not all good soldiers were men. It was only a two week course every semester, done during Riza's lunch hour at work. The men never complained if she was a bit late coming back from her break, she almost always put in overtime, and if anything she was always too busy trying to keep her own work in line and find time to eat that she forgot to hound them as well during that time.
The work itself was quite simple, and because of that in the past she had refused to accept pay, it just a basic safety class for the newest group of students with a refresher course for the old ones with a few marksmanship trials to see who had the talent for lining up their cites. There was a shooting range at the school, and any student who she deemed worthy and over a certain age was allowed relatively unrestricted access. Younger students were often required to stick to pellet weapons or rubber bullets, but there were a few handguns and rifles with live ammunition to be had. The guns, of course, were not allowed to leave the facility but it was open for several hours after school ended and generally a few hours before it started in the morning.
"Half tuition, plus free entrance to the after school alchemy program, with runs Monday through Friday for two hours after classes end, so long as you keep instructing your seminar," the Headmistress said after a few moment's of thought. "He's got the drive, and probably the talent."
"That is more generous than I expected," admitted Riza as the papers were slid across to her, filling out the required spots quickly and signing her name at the bottom. "When can he begin?"
"Tomorrow, if you like, the sooner the better really so we can get him caught up with the others," her companion replied as she took the papers back and filed them in a cabinet beside her desk.
"Certainly."
"Follow me, then…"
Mistress Hoffenbeck rose gracefully to her feet, Riza following her outside and collecting Beth and Zeke for a short tour of the grounds. There was the library, complete with its own alchemy section, the firing range, the gym, and the inner courtyards for lunch periods, the various wings for math, science, history, language arts and specialized courses. Eventually they came to the uniform room, the old man behind the desk whipping a measuring cord around Zeke's thin frame before handing him a set of dark blue slacks, a white shirt, and a blazer that matched the slacks. They fit perfectly, so they were given three other sets in the same size, the transaction finished by the time Zeke had emerged in his own clothes once more with a belt, three pairs of black socks and black shoes to complete the ensemble.
"You'll have to trim his hair," warned the Headmistress when they were finished and she was escorting them back to the front. "It's a bit longer than regulation…"
"I'll do it tonight," Riza promised as they were shown out the door. "Thank you, Mistress Hoffenbeck, it's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"And with you, Lt. Colonel. Take care."
"Excited?" asked Riza as they got back in her car, heading back towards the house where a lunch of egg salad sandwiches with carrots and celery awaited them.
"Yeah," admitted Zeke with a hint of surprise. "It's really strict, and kinda scary, but she was talking about all the stuff the alchemy program is doing, I am in it, right? And it sounded so cool."
"I'll be picking you up after school every day when the program ends," Riza explained as they turned the corner onto their street. "Though I might be a few minutes late occasionally, depending on work. I know it's a short walk to the duplex, but I would prefer you don't make it alone until you're a bit older."
"Ok."
The rest of the day was spent unpacking and preparing for the day after, Gracia inviting them over for a dinner of roast pork with potatoes and gravy. They accepted, all of them crowded around the small kitchen table and enjoying a light banter with the good food until the children were finished and ran off to play in Elysia's room upstairs.
"Gracia, you need to tell me how much," said Riza the moment the kids were out of earshot, Winry perking up in curiosity as the older woman made a face over her drink.
"Money shouldn't come between families," she argued weakly, Riza standing firmly against her as she tried to protest. "I don't need anything from you to watch Beth during the day, Riza."
"I don't feel right leaving her here without paying you back somehow," the other woman stated briskly. "She's not your responsibility, Gracia, and I won't have you feeding us as well when the inheritance those two are receiving can more than cover their expenses…"
"No, I have more than enough to cover my rent and the groceries with what we are given as military compensation," Gracia said quickly. "I don't want your money…"
The Lt. Colonel sat there for a moment, her eyes suddenly dawning with an inner light as she realized something. "This duplex…it's the last one your landlord owns, right? The rest have been torn down and replaced with those apartment complexes."
"Right," Gracia replied, frowning in suspicion when she was then asked how the man could be reached. "His number is on the list with the rest."
Riza got up and went to the phone; dialing the number Gracia had listened beside her landlord's name. "Hello, Mr. Gordon? I have a question for you…"
A short while later the woman disappeared across the street, returning about thirty minutes later with a satisfied look in her eyes and a signed paper in her hands.
"Riza, what did you do?" asked Gracia when the blonde returned, the kids sitting at the kitchen table eating a dessert of chopped fruit with whipped cream. "I already told you I won't accept your money…"
"So I won't try and give it to you," the woman replied with a nod. "I assume that works the other way as well…?"
"How could I expect you to accept something that I refused?" the mother replied in confusion. "That would be silly."
"Excellent. Then as your new landlady I refuse to accept rent from you and insist that you only pay your utilities since those are already billed directly to you," the sharpshooter replied with a hint of smugness in her smile. "Your lease will be for an indefinite amount of time, that is to say until you no longer need the space, and the terms will not change, ever."
Gracia's face was a sight to behold as her jaw dropped slightly. "But…the money…! How can you possibly…?"
"It's taken care of," was all Riza would say, showing her the deed to their property. "You'll never need to worry about where you're going to live when your lease runs out ever again. Mr. Gordon was most cooperative in this matter."
"Oh…my…"
"Is everything alright?" asked Zeke as he looked up from the kitchen table, Elysia and Beth beside him as Gracia sunk into a chair.
"I was just explaining something to Gracia, I believe the way in which I did it may have…jolted her unnecessarily," Riza explained as she put a comforting hand on the older woman's shoulder, Winry fetching a glass of water for her. "My apologies, Gracia, I should have explained myself before I acted."
"No, I would've argued with you over the cost," she replied after a moment, giving her friend a weak smile. "I knew you would find a way to pay me back, regardless of what I did, I just never imagined…!"
"Zeke, time for your haircut," said Riza as she put the folded papers under her arm, giving Gracia one last pat before she picked up Beth and headed for the door. "Thank you for dinner, Gracia, it was wonderful. We'd love to stay but Zeke needs to finish a few things before we can turn in for the night and Beth needs to go to bed early since she'll be here first thing in the morning."
"We'll see you then," the mother replied as she had finished regathering her scattered wits. "You're quite welcome, dear. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
"Night, Winry, Elysia."
"Night guys!"
-0i0-
Beth watched in utter fascination as Riza tied an old towel around Zeke's neck and picked up some sharp shears from the kitchen counter. Black Hayate was sitting obediently beside her, head resting in her lap, as she sat on the floor a little ways away, well out of range of falling tufts of hair. The black strands fell away in fairly uniform pieces, lying there damp and curled on the floor as Riza worked her way around his head, leaving a neat row just long enough to brush the tops of his ears. The back she trimmed as she could, neatening it up as much as is possible with a pair of scissors and limited hair-cutting experience, but as she brushed him off and told him to go by his sister while she swept up the mess she added she'd be taking him to the barber the next weekend.
He scowled as he fingered the short black strands, but said nothing as she let them play with the dog for awhile before ordering them to bathe and then to bed. She washed Beth's hair again, per the young girl's request. His uniform lay neatly in his room and Beth's clothes chosen and spread out as well, it wasn't long before their aunt was tucking them in bed and saying goodnight.
Downstairs she traipsed afterwards, to clean her guns and set her own things out before going to bed. It was the beginning of a nightly routine that they would often go for weeks without breaking. There was a final step to be added, though.
Zeke woke at one in the morning, his mouth like cotton and his mind once more jumping about as it always did. Down the stairs he went to get some water, and just like the night before Riza was waiting for him by the time he reached the bottom. She got the glass for him, and then escorted him upstairs, sitting by his bed and combing her fingers through his much-shorter hair as he quickly fell back asleep. Then to Beth's room she would creep, almost every other night comforting the small girl in her sleep before finding her own rest once more. For a month it would continue Zeke's footsteps on the stairs always waking her up and her hand on his head putting him back to sleep, then cradling Beth into happier dreams. If the others at the office noticed she was a bit more tired in the mornings than before, it was chalked up to the added stress of two young children in her life.
-0i0-
Everyone at Central who knew much about Riza Hawkeye was aware of a few key things. She had the eye of a hawk in almost all matters, enough authority to boss around her own boss without repercussions, and if she wasn't at work early she was deathly ill, someone who needed her care was deathly ill, or the world was about to end. However, few people knew how early she usually arrived. Those who sectioned out the paperwork would usually have hers laid out the night before to be sure it was ready when she arrived in the morning.
Promptly at six o'clock in the morning Riza rousted her charges from their beds, Zeke changing into his uniform and heading over to Gracia's for breakfast and his ride to school while Beth was carried over with her clothes in a neat pile and laid on the couch to sleep for a bit longer. She was at the office by 6:20, and across from her sparring partner at 6:30. Maria Ross had been an academy student at the Central academy during Riza's last year out at Eastern, only spared the Ishabal war by a few months to her graduation. Though Ross's hand to hand tactics were phenomenal, and she had been put under Alex Armstrong simply because he was one of the few that could keep up with her in a serious fight, it was decided that she didn't have the right temperament for special ops officers and short range fighters were of little use on boarder duty. As such, she had remained under the Major Armstrong until he resigned his position over two years before.
Riza had met the young woman early in both their careers, but hadn't really gotten to know her until they were transferred to Central and they met on a nearly daily basis. They quickly realized that they had skills that they could teach each other, and from there a solid friendship had blossomed despite the differences in rank.
Honestly, the sharpshooter knew her now subordinate could wipe the floor with her, should she choose to. The fact that Ross was able to hold back and still get a workout while not breaking any of Riza's bones was a testament to how well she had honed her skills over the years. For close to forty minutes they would spar and go through forms and such. The corner of the gym they used was generally abandoned at this time in the morning, and not many stuck around if they did notice the pair practicing there. By the time they hit the showers, the early risers of the soldiers and officers would begin trickling in to start their day. By 7:30 Riza would be clean and dressed once again with the efficiency that came from perfecting the routine over the years. 7:35 she was entering the office, and by 8:00 sharp the last officers filed in sans the Brigadier General Mustang who was always precisely fifteen minutes late.
This morning was no exception to this honored routine, and though Ross was wary at first of landing a blow on her new superior officer, Riza quickly beat that notion out of her head and the two were trading strikes and blocks as always. The exchange left them both with a few marks that would fade before the day was through, though more on Riza's part then Maria's as usual, and soon they were in the showers and preparing for work. Down the hall they walked together, turning into the same office and both fixing cups of coffee while quickly eating the protein bar both had taken to consuming as their morning meal during the week. Papers were shuffled and divided with the last stacks being put in place as everyone else began to arrive. Hawkeye had considered that having Ross under her command could be strange since they had been friends first, but found it worked out very nicely.
Ross went to her desk, asking questions only when necessary and being as efficient as one could ever hope in a subordinate with her paperwork. Brosh had left on a field mission with Marshall the day before, the alchemist having begged to go along when he learned the Lt. Colonel would be back in the office again the next day. Roy, understanding the poor man's plight, had allowed him to go though not without a few digs at him learning not to stick his foot down his throat while he was gone for the sake of his future survival. Falman and Breda were both gone, assigned to clean up crews around the city where they were still working to repair the damage done by the recent attack. Havoc rolled in to park himself in front of her as she bent over one of the work tables in the back of the community office, a cheeky grin on his face as he tossed his lighter on top of her papers.
"So you won't have to yell at me for smoking inside," he said when she glanced up, her eyes rolling slightly as she stood up straighter.
"Really, that's too bad, because I was looking forward to raising my voice today," she replied flatly, moving the lighter to one side. "I'm actually surprised you didn't try to sneak the first one past me, Havoc. You always smoke in the office when I'm gone."
"He smoked inside the first day you were gone, then felt so guilty he didn't smoke again," called Fuery from his desk, ducking when the chair bound man glared at him. "Ross telling him it made the room smell awful may have had something to do with it."
"Cigarette smoke is an unpleasant smell regardless of the situation," the young woman put in from her seat across the room. "And while it is bad for the smoker's health, it is even worse for those of us who must bear the unfiltered fumes."
"Yeah, yeah, if I wanna torture my lungs do it on my time," Havoc sighed as he took the lighter back, stuffing it in his coat pocket. "Aren't you proud of us, though? Even you and the Brigadier General's work piles aren't too big after being gone a week."
"Did he do any work yesterday?" asked Riza as she opened the door to her office area, seeing the said stack there and noting that it wasn't that monstrous indeed. "Or was it a general holiday without me around?"
"He actually worked, I think he's trying to make a good impression on the new guys," admitted Havoc as he jerked a head in Kants' and Ross's direction. Under his breath he added, "That, and Ross packs one helluva glare…I think she takes after you a little too well for the men's comfort, ma'am."
Riza smiled slightly. "I'm sure. Back to your desk, Lieutenant, we've got work to do."
He gave a sketchy salute and rolled on. "Yes, ma'am."
Kants and Ross were quickly becoming acclimated to the general routines the office worked along, and with Roy mostly picking up the slack from being gone a week things progressed fairly well until lunch. Hawkeye elected to remain at her desk, chatting with Ross for a few moments when the young woman dropped by to invite her to a café before quickly eating the sandwich she had packed the night before and resuming her work. The ground she was able to make up gave her the peace of mind to leave on time and a glance at the Brigadier General's diminishing stack gave her hope that he might leave on time as well.
Papers were filed, reports finished, profiles updated and requisitions signed as the afternoon wore on. Eventually, the clock hit 5:30 and most everyone rose to their feet and began to finish last minute tasks before they could meander out the door. Riza was in the process of neatly organizing everything on her desk when her superior paused beside her when returning from a meeting with the other Generals.
"Tell Gracia I will be able to make it in time for dinner after all, Hawkeye," he informed her though his eyes never left the report they were scanning.
Her surprise only betrayed her for an instant. "Of course, sir."
"Thank you."
He shut himself in his office and she finished her task, gathering her things before heading out the door with a wave to the rest of the crew that was still hanging around for some reason. She noticed Ross walking down the front steps as she got in her car, and though she did note it was odd for the rest of the men to still be at Central when their work was clearly finished, she left it alone and went to pick up Zeke with her mind already focused on what homework he might have that night and how much time she could spend with Beth before it was time for the little girl to go to bed.
-0i0-
Roy was a little surprised when there was a knock on his door soon after he'd set himself to finishing the last little pile on his desk before he could leave for the night. "Yes?"
"Got a minute, sir?" asked Breda as he stuck his head in the door, a few other figures visible behind him.
"Yeah, is something wrong?"
No one replied as Breda, Fuery, Falman, Havoc, and a confused Kants filed in and stood or sat before him in neat line.
"With all due respect sir," said Havoc as he rolled himself forward slightly, obviously the elected spokesperson for this little event. "The men and I were talking and we just thought it'd be good to let you know something now, before you get in over your head."
"Over my head?" replied Roy, feeling as confused as Kants looked. Apparently the Private had no more of a clue as to what was going on than he did. "Speak plainly, Lieutenant, I have much to finish before I can leave."
"I mean this with the greatest of respect sir, but we want you to understand that if you break our girl's again heart we're gonna have to break your legs," said Havoc as he bobbed his head politely, a sincere smirk in place though Kants seemed to grow pale . "She's one of a kind, and what sort of brothers would we be if we didn't try to take care of her once in awhile?"
Roy sat there in stunned silence, his mouth slightly open as all but Havoc seemed to sweat nervously waiting for his reply.
"Is that…a threat?" he managed to choke out after several seconds.
"No sir," replied Havoc as he twirled a white stick between his fingers. "Just a very sincere promise. Threats tend to lead to nasty things like write ups for misconduct and court marshaling, things we'd really like to avoid."
"Oh…"
"You've probably got a lot to do, so we'll leave you alone now, sir," said Havoc when nothing more came, turning to leave with the rest about to follow.
"Wait, Kants?"
"Yes, sir?" The young man looked positively white he was so nervous; his hands shaking slightly though he'd clenched them into tight fists.
"Do you…agree with the other officers?" Roy asked as he stood slowly, straightening his uniform carefully.
"I…think toying with a woman's heart is a cruel things sir, regardless of the circumstances," the young man hedged carefully. "It is not my place, though, to say whether your have or will do so in response to any particular person, including Lt. Colonel Hawkeye."
"Well spoken, Private." Roy shook his head as he met the eyes of his other officers, a wry smile twisting his lips. "As for the rest of you…I thought you knew I had learned my lesson after this last time."
"We never thought you would behave as you did last time at all, sir," pointed out Fuery, though he blushed furiously for having the nerve to speak at all. "It was a poor way to repay her kindness, sir."
"I know." Kants' brows practically jumped at the pieces of history he was learning, though he didn't yet have the entire picture.
"Last time we left it alone, it was a long time coming and it looked like everything was falling into place fairly well," Havoc elaborated when the younger officer glanced at him pleadingly, as much for his sake as well as driving the point home with Roy. "If we'd known…well, let's just say the big brothers are just gonna make sure history doesn't repeat itself this time. She doesn't belong to just you, sir, and even if I am just a brother I think I've still got a right to protect her."
"She'd shoot you if you said that to her in person," Roy laughed hoarsely as the world stopped spinning and things began to make sense once more. "…thank you, for looking out for her. I'll keep what you said, eh, promised, in mind."
"Sure thing, sir. Let's go, guys, chief's probably got lots of work to do." Havoc herded the rest out before him, waving over his shoulder before he shut the office door. Roy sat back down heavily, leaning in his chair as his shoulders sagged. So much for going home in a peaceful frame of mind…!
-0i0-
Dinner at around the Hughes' table was a lively event. Zeke was bursting with news about his new school while Beth spent as much time as she could in Riza's lap even to the point of the Lt. Colonel setting her meal aside before she was done so the little girl could climb up. Black Hayate would take attention from anyone who would give it to him though Winry was the favorite for the night, and Elysia was caught three times trying to feed the dog her green beans. Gracia, of course, was all praise for how well Beth had behaved during the day, playing quietly with her dolls in the corner when the woman was cleaning the house and asking politely every time she needed something until Elysia had gotten home and the two had played together in her room. Uncle Roy had come in rather distracted, occasionally having to be called from his thoughts to the present conversation, but when Zeke started in on his alchemy club the Flame Alchemist was suddenly all ears and asked him many questions about the program. As there was homework to be done and things to be set up for the next day it wasn't long after dinner when everyone dispersed and Roy found himself in Zeke's bedroom helping the boy through his math homework.
Occasionally the pair would hear Riza or Beth's voice float up from the living room below with accompanying barks from Hayate, but for the most part it was a quiet time spent together. Eventually the boy was done and they went downstairs as well, Roy and Zeke taking over the game of tug of war with Hayate while Beth followed Riza into the kitchen for making the lunches for the next day. The last fifteen minutes before Beth was to take her bath was spent all together in the living room with Beth and Zeke on the floor and Riza and Roy on opposite ends of the couch with the dog stretched out between them. That, too, passed quickly and soon the Brigadier General was on his way home alone as the rest of the occupants readied themselves for bed in the routine they had established the night before.
Things continued this way for a week, the only change in their daily lives being whether Uncle Roy graced them with his presence or not during the evening meal and afterwards. Two other times he was able to make it, yet he fit so well into their new pattern of life that his presence being there or not being there seemed to make little difference. Things ran a little smoother, but they could do without him for the moment should it be necessary.
It wasn't until Friday that the routine changed, Riza leaving promptly at 5:00 as she'd taken a short lunch and Roy promising to pick up Zeke on his way over. By 5:30 her half of the duplex was filled with the smell of chicken casserole baking in the oven with steamed carrots and green beans were simmering beside it with bacon and butter. Gracia watched from the kitchen table where she set up the disposable plastic forks, plates, knives and cups with a pitcher of freshly made iced tea, lemonade and milk, her contributions to the evening's fare. Beth was given the privilege of licking the spatula when Riza finished icing the cake she'd made the night before after Roy left, and at 6:00 pm sharp the doorbell rang to announce the first guests.
Roy and Zeke were the first to arrive with Ross, Breda and Havoc right on their heels. Fuery and Falman rode with Kants, and Winry and Elysia came in through the connecting doors just as the trio entered the main room. Brosh and Marshall came straight from the train station where they'd arrived only a little while ago, the new State Alchemist a little apprehensive about entering Hawkeye's personal space after his last royal screw up but in the end he had nothing to worry about.
With the main room and kitchen nearly bursting to full, it wasn't hard to see why the new Major hardly saw much of his superior officer at all. The food was equally shared among all, and even if that meant the cake, which had originally fit the group quite well, had to be cut into rather thin slices so be it. Zeke and Beth seemed to bloom under the spoiling affections of their many uncles and aunt, and with Elysia at their side there was no end of fun to be had in the group.
Kants somehow found himself next to Winry, the two blushing and stealing glances when they thought no one else was looking until Zeke asked quite blatantly if Kants had asked Riza about Winry yet. The young man had stammered and blushed so bright red amid the laughter of the others his companion immediately took pity on him (though curious as she was about the question) and told Zeke Riza was looking for him. That wasn't entirely untrue as the Lt. Colonel was wondering who had taken the last half of her cake (she had only gotten up for a moment) and Zeke was the unknown guilty party of that little theft. Thankfully for him, any witnesses to the crime found it too funny to actually rat him out for the moment.
Havoc entertained the kids with rides in his lap as he did wheelies and twirled around in his chair, Uncle Roy always available for a piggy back ride afterwards and Maria a guaranteed lap to sit on if Riza and Gracia was no where to be found for little Beth and Elysia. Breda, when coaxed by the group, juggled some balls for them, and Brosh became their favorite person to dog pile and use as a jungle gym when someone suggested that he wasn't participating much in the group. Fuery, they found out towards the end, turned out to be quite a story teller, and by the time he finished his tale it was time for the kids to go to bed and the adults to head home.
Clean up was done together, as it always had been, everyone picking a chip out of the bag and taking the job listed on it. Two were assigned to wash, one to dry, someone to sweep the kitchen and clean the counters while another took out the trash, the living room was put to rights by someone else, and there was always the lucky fellow who choose the duty of taking Hayate out on a short walk. There was the extra lucky guy who got the leftovers, but seeing as their group had expanded and the leftovers no longer contained enough to feed a fellow for half the week it wasn't quite as a special as before. With the house put to rights, and everyone rather tired but in a very good mood, it soon felt deserted as the officers said their goodbyes and left for the night.
Roy was the last to leave, saying goodnight to Beth and Zeke as Gracia had already retired to her side of the duplex with Elysia for the night. A hug and a slapped palm later he was sitting in his car as is rumbled down the road, thinking about how much had changed just in the time he'd been gone. They'd been together before his departure, but somehow, in those two years they'd become something more. A real family.
And it was all thanks to Riza. Havoc had mentioned once when he'd gotten back that he and the boys had taken to some 'unhealthy habits' on the weekends, drinking themselves in dirty bars to sleep on the countertops, and it was a direct order from their then First Lieutenant that had pulled them out of it. The first Friday they'd reported to her apartment after hours they'd been a little apprehensive, she hadn't told them what to expect and that was when few knew just how good of a cook she was. Finding a full dinner on her little kitchen table with Riza pulling a perfect batch of cookies out of the oven had not been the first thing to come to mind.
She'd calmly explained as they'd meekly helped themselves to the food that it was better to have them here, eating with her, than out there doing heaven knows what. If, Saturday evening, they wanted to go back out and drink to their heart's content, they could, but she would never feed them again. The pull of good food made by an actual woman, even if it was Hawkeye, with the companionship of being together was too strong of a force against even the numbing lull of alcohol. They agreed to shape up, and every Friday came together to eat and share. There were slip-ups, of course, but after the lecture that followed no one messed up more than once. Gracia and Elysia were eventually invited to join, and though with this addition Riza's old apartment was nearly full to the top nothing would prompt them to move it elsewhere until she was forced to.
In a way, mused Roy as he pulled into his driveway, it was a good thing Riza had been forced to move. There's no way the original apartment would hold the current number of attendees, unless they were willing to sit in each other's laps, and while he wouldn't mind a certain blonde hawk in his lap he was quite certain she would protest most vehemently. Especially in a public place.
-0i0-
I really don't feel bad ending it here because you will be getting another update before the weekend is through. It might not be tomorrow morning, because I have a friend who's getting married this weekend and I'm in it, but I can reasonably promise at least one more update by Sunday afternoon.
Thanks to the many of you who replied, here's the replies back!
Kurissyma san Tybalt : Aw, well, I hope you don't have to miss a school bus often for my fics, that could get difficult when it comes to attendance. Glad you loved it, here's the update!
Jacksparrow589 : Good luck on your finals! I'm lucky, mine have been out of the way for awhile now. Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and that you're not too upset for Winry falling for another guy (Ed is gone, sorry). Thanks for the review, can't wait to hear from you again!
GreyBlue Angel : It's quite alright, I'm just honored you thought well of it enough to review at all. :) Thanks for the website, I use www dot narutocommunity dot com but I bet it works pretty close to the same. I'm doing my best, thanks a bunch for your many praises and I hope this next chapter didn't disappoint.
OTP : Updated again! Hope you liked it, and thanks for the review!
Causmicfire : Of course Riza's up early, she always is! I thought pancakes would be easier to throw together than waffles or French toast. Yep, they're a family, yes, he likes Winry, and I think that chucking a wrench line is particularly amusing myself. How else would Riza's books be arranged? I think Riza is a closest chocolate chip cookie lover, and Havoc always rocks. Hope you enjoyed the next chapter just as much, can't wait to hear from you again!
Crystal Mage : Anything to keep you from pining as I can, especially after such a long wait for updates! Glad you like Kants, I was afraid half you people might want to kill him for appropriating Ed's girl. And don't worry, I think you're about to get all the Roy-Riza you can handle! Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
-Kai Isolated- : Glad you love it so much! Awkward is certainly the name of the game, kind of like a cat and a dog sniffing at each other and not sure what to do. Thanks for the awesome review, hope you enjoyed it once more!
Yun Min : Good guess! Here's the update, hope you enjoyed it!
Leigh : Most of the chapters have been written out for several months now, all I have to do is format and proofread before their posted for your enjoyment. Which isn't quite as time consuming as writing the chapters is. Yeah, you've got a bit more of Riza digging her heals it before you get that far. Thanks for the review, can't wait to hear from you again!
Blknblupanther1 : Yeah, I'd like to get this published, but it's kind of illegal, seeing as the characters and all belong to someone else. If you know of a way, though, please share! Thanks for the review, and the wonderful compliment, hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Humor Queen Merc : I try to please, glad to know I occasionally succeed. Hope it still meets your standards, and thanks for the review!
Dennisud : I'm sorry it's hard for you to accept Kants and Winry together, so I'll explain a bit why I didn't bring Ed back. He is obviously locked away in a rather hard to reach spot, and the fact is you really need a story all in of itself to explain how Ed and Al returned to their homeland and why they did so, who helped them and who tried to stop them. Beyond that the relationship between Ed and Winry is so stretched and screwed up that they'd either end up having a one night stand and then not know where to go from there or beat around the bush for years going on as they used to. That is just my opinion, of course, but the point is Winry and Kants are going to help push Roy and Riza's relationship along in their own way, and Ed and Winry just doesn't work nearly as well without some sort of a prequel that has to take place in the six months between the movie and when this story starts. Since I'm a) too lazy to come up with it and b) this works much more conveniently I'm afraid that's just not gonna happen. Maybe I will write an EdWin story for you guys someday, but I can say there's nothing in the planning stages right now. Hope you enjoyed it still, and that you'll continue to read regardless!
Dreximgirl : I'm glad you discovered it too! Stick around, there won't be any loud admissions of love anytime soon, but there's sure to be some amusing spots along the way!
FFVII : Yeah, well, as much as that stuff needs to happen it never happens quickly. Or at least the stuff that lasts doesn't. So…don't hold your breath for at least a couple more chapters. Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for the review!
Alright guys, that's it for this chapter. Thanks again for the review, hope you had fun, and see you sometime this weekend!
CB
"A closed mouth gathers no feet."
-Unknown