Wow, guys are really diggin' this, huh? Weekend update, just like I promised! Thanks for your many reviews and words of praise, I strive to make the best because I know you guys are counting on me to do so. Hope you enjoy it!
-0i0-
Saturday Roy was over at Riza's house around noon, offering to take the kids to the park for a few hours so she could get some things done around the house or get some shooting in at the range. She agreed after a few moments of deliberation, and with Hayate on a leash they began another routine save when the weather was particularly bad that would become as habitual as breathing.
The nearest park was only a few minutes away, and upon arriving there they immediately went to the playground where Zeke and Beth ran around together sliding down the slide, swinging on swings, climbing the jungle gym and trying to get across the monkey bars. Roy took a seat on one of the benches and watched with a smile, only coming to help with Beth needed a push on the swing or one of them got themselves stuck at the top of something. Usually after about an hour they would walk around the pond there a few times, sometimes bringing something to feed the ducks with and always stopping for ice cream cones at the very end, eating them slowly as they walked back to the duplex. The only sign of the sweet treats would be the dribbles on Beth's chin and the stain on Zeke's shirt where he always spilled some on himself, but Riza (fully relaxed from having just shot off a few clips full of bullets) would let it go as she welcomed them back to a cleaner house that faintly smelled of oil and polish.
The afternoon was spent in the backyard, Roy and Zeke taking over one corner as they began Zeke's 'private tutoring' in the realm of alchemy and Beth and Riza played with Elysia, Gracia and Black Hayate. This lasted until dinner, where the group of them went to eat at Poppa's Pizza and ended the evening with games at Gracia's house.
Nightfall, as always, came, and with it Roy's departure back to his small apartment in the Military housing buildings. Sunday they would remain apart, taking care of their own business until Monday came and their lives met once more.
Routines are a natural part of the human existence, and this was theirs for many, many weeks until summer came. However, some interesting things happened before the arrival of school letting out and the two week leave that all military officers received. Some indeed.
-0i0-
Winry was always willing to help when she came to visit, so one Sunday about a month after the children had moved in with Riza she was asked to watch Beth and Zeke while Riza ran to the store for some groceries. As helpful as ever, Winry immediately agreed while asking if Riza minded if she looked through the usual pictures while she was gone. The reply was, of course not, help yourself, so when Zeke came downstairs a few minutes later he found Winry bent over a thick, blue photo album that he had never seen before but seemed to be crowded with many, many photographs.
Sitting beside her, he forgot he was coming to find Riza to ask for help with his homework as pictures of the famous Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother came into view. Winry explained she always looked through them at least once every visit. There were others interspersed among the photos, pictures of the other officers around Central or out in the field together on a mission. Images of Roy and Ed growling at each other, Al with kittens on his shoulders, Riza pointing guns at people or being caught in a rare moment of affection with a much younger Hayate in her lap, Havoc smoking with a smirk as he went from walking on his own legs to needing his wheeled chair and even Winry chucking a wrench at a fleeing figure danced before his eager eyes. There were even pictures of various members of the military in the hospital or wearing bandages, particularly funny one of Havoc and Roy playing a game of chess while both lying on their backs in a hospital bed and wearing white gowns with Riza mediating between them.
They reached the end of the section where Ed's photos disappeared completely, in their place a few scattered pictures of a young blonde man that Winry explained was Al in his real body. Those, though, quickly disappeared as well among a sea of blue that was the military uniforms.
"Can we keep going?" asked Zeke as she paused on the last page with Al's picture, noticing that the Brigadier General wasn't present at all for the last few.
She nodded. "Sure."
Al had only visited Central once, soon after he was returned to his real body, so the pictures were from about two years before. They seemed to jump right into several of Riza's small apartment, crowded with the men as they sat around the table eating different meals together. Havoc performing tricks in his wheelchair, Breda running from a happy Hayate and Riza cooking over the stove wearing only her uniform pants and black shirt with an apron covered the pages. There was one of the Lt. Colonel looking extremely annoyed with a 'Happy Birthday' sign over her head and the men posing around her. The next few her face had softened though as they showed her opening presents of gun oils, a new collar for Hayate and cleaning clothes and then eating a cake with a revolver on it.
There was a string of pictures of the men at the beach together, one of Riza in a t-shirt reading a book as Falman and Breda snuck up behind her with a bucket of water. The next she was chasing them back towards the waves with the upper half of her shirt soaking wet and murder in her eyes. The next few showed both men cowering before her on the beach while Havoc laughed hysterically in the background. A couple pictures probably from later that night showed the men still in their beach ware and fast asleep on the train on the way home.
Another cycle of pictures at the office and Riza's apartment went by, then a formal ball with Riza in a very nice black gown in the middle of all four of the original men wearing tuxes. Her hair was down and her makeup done, a rare occurrence in and of itself, but what was even more interesting was the slightly mischievous glint in her eyes. Finally, more in the office, more at her apartment, another round at the beach, and suddenly the Brigadier General appeared again. A few more at the office, and in her apartment, and suddenly there was a picture of Beth and Zeke asleep on the couch with Hayate between them as a pillow.
"I remember that!" said Zeke in surprise. "I didn't know she took a picture!"
There were some snapshots of the day they moved in, others of the two siblings at the park, and eating dinner with Gracia and Elysia. More from the office, though with the new members included, and of the new Friday Feasts at the duplex. Finally, it ended with a page of photos they both remembered Gracia taking when they'd picnicked the last Sunday out at the park. A few of the others from Central had come, and with everyone bringing food to help out it felt more like a family reunion than a gathering of friends.
"Have you ever looked at the pictures before that section?" asked Zeke as he leaned his head on her arm, watching her flip backwards through the pages.
"No, I was only interested in the part with Ed and Al," she replied with a shrug. "She would make me copies if I asked for them, but I think its better this way. All of the pictures I have are of when we were children and were still together."
"Oh, do you think Aunt Riza would mind if we looked?" His fingers were already inching towards the edge of the page as she paused thoughtfully.
"I don't think so…"
Through the pages they flipped, finding a few shots of Ed and Al Winry had missed previously as they noticed Riza's hair begin to shorten as they turned the pages and suddenly the office be full of boxes and then change drastically into another room altogether.
"This must be from when they were at Eastern," explained Winry as they saw pictures of Hayate as a mere pup sitting in short-haired Riza's lap as she worked at her desk. Roy's desk was in with the other officer's, and there was even a few shots taken on a train with most of the officers asleep, save Riza who glared at the picture taker with Roy leaning on one shoulder and Havoc on the other in a way that probably rendered her incapable of actually carrying out the eyeballed threat. Havoc, Zeke noticed, was standing on his own, and there was a dark-haired man with glasses that kept popping up making peace signs with pictures in his hands of a little girl.
"That's Maes," explained Winry when he asked who it was. "Gracia's late husband and Elysia's father. He died in the line of duty several years ago, and Gracia and Elysia live on a generous stipend from the military because of his many courageous acts."
They reached the very beginning of the book and Winry surprised Zeke by reaching down and pulling up another, this time a dark red. Together they started at the back once more, the new one picking up where the old had left off as they continued backwards through Riza Hawkeye's life. There were pictures of Roy playing chess with an old, wizened man with a thick mustache and that same man then posing with Riza out of uniform with a pretty old lady with snow white hair. He looked familiar, but the boy glossed over it as several very funny photos suddenly occurred. They all seemed to have a common theme, a prank gone wrong, and somehow it always seemed to include Riza soaked in water, covered in feathers, or something equally irritating with a gun out, Roy laughing behind her and Breda running for cover.
Making a mental note to ask Riza about them later, or maybe Roy as she looked less than pleased in the photos, they moved forwards and suddenly came to a page of official looking pictures of Riza, Roy, and Maes in full ceremonial garb saluting the camera. The next pictures showed them all exiting a train wearing worn uniforms and looking far worse for the wear though Maes was waving excitedly to whoever was holding the camera. A page later and they were all in the desert with dark rings under their eyes, haunted looks to their faces and bodies gaunt from strain and lack of food and sleep. A tan cape flung about the sharpshooters shoulders, someone had gotten a snapshot of her sitting in the shadows of the clock tower with the sniper rifle raised and ready.
"This must be from Ishabal," whispered Zeke, his eyes wide as he ran his fingers over a picture of a destroyed town in the distance completely in flames. "Whoa…"
"Those were hard times," a familiar voice said over his shoulder. "Maes still managed to take a picture whenever possible, though."
Both glanced up to see Riza and Roy standing behind them, groceries set aside for the moment as they looked over the page with sad eyes.
"Keep going," Riza encouraged them when the pair paused awkwardly with an encouraging smile. "I don't mind." Winry turned the page, this time coming upon several images of Havoc and Riza together in the mess tent, in the trench, up in the watch tower together, sleeping side by side in the shade of a building when they weren't on duty or beside a campfire late at night among several others holding mugs of coffee. Three things could generally be counted on, Riza would be serious, Havoc would be goofy, and they would both be carrying some sort of firearm in sight at all times. "We were in the same unit," Riza explained when Zeke glanced up at her inquiringly. "So we were always together.
"Where's Uncle Roy?"
"That was before we met on the battle field," the Flame Alchemist explained as he picked up the bags and transported them to the kitchen. "I'm fairly sure I'm in there before that part, though."
"Really?"
"Turn the page," said Riza, and soon they came across several photos of her in military academy. Her uniform was a dark grey, and in some of the pictures appeared very young versions of the officers they knew today. Pictures of medals and trophies with her name on them for excellent marksmanship marched their way across the page, along with the occasional picture of her studying under a tree outside a brick building or with a group of people taking part of a mock mission.
That area passed quickly, and by the time Roy returned they were setting aside that album and picking up the third. This one was black, and much older than the first two. The last page, as they began at the back again, was taken up by a newspaper clipping yellow with age announcing the death of the famous fire alchemist Hawkeye, who had used his alchemy for the betterment of the town for the last couple decades. The one before it showed a grave with flowers beside it bearing the same name, and beside it pictures of Roy and Riza in all black in a funeral type procession. Riza's hair was long again, perhaps even longer than it was now, and her features had a softer feel than after her time at the academy and Ishabal.
The few photos before it were of an old, but well-built house on a hill with a few trees around it and a swing on the front porch. Among them were pictures of Riza and Roy as a very young man and woman, both doing their tasks in the said house with the man that was Riza's father generally in the background somewhere. Roy drawing arrays at a table as his Master watched over his shoulder, Riza serving her father his breakfast with an apron on, Roy and Riza posing with the old man between them for a formal picture.
There was one image of Riza putting a blanket over Roy as he slept at the worktable, Winry thought the picture was very adorable herself, but she was surprised when Riza reached past them and instead touched the photo beside it bore the picture of her father with a flame in the palm of his hand.
"He was a good man," was all she said, but Roy seemed to understand as he put a hand briefly on her arm. "A good alchemist."
"I didn't always agree with him, but I try and be the alchemist he wanted me to be, one of the people," the Brigadier General added seriously, motioning for Winry to turn the page when the moment stretched on too long. Both of them grew younger as the pages turned, Roy eventually disappearing completely and a few pages later a beautiful blonde woman appearing instead after another procession of black clothes, somber faces and grave stones. Zeke recognized his father as a boy in one picture as obscure relatives began to make their presence known, and his other aunts and uncles as well. Eventually, the last picture of Riza was shown, a mere babe newly born in her mother's arms. There were a few pictures of her mother and father alone and with family. Finally, on the first page, there were two final pictures. One of her parents sitting under a tree as her father offered her mother a flower and another of them standing together on their wedding day.
"Wow," was all Zeke could say as Roy quietly withdrew, Winry murmuring something about a drink of water before she escaped as well. "That was…wow…"
"I've had an interesting life," Riza replied as she closed the book for him, putting it away with the other two in their designated box and putting on the book shelf as always. "Most of the pictures were given to me, and after my mother passed I just kept adding to what she had started before I was born."
"Can I start an album?" asked Zeke as he remembered the photos they'd brought from his home that were being kept in storage. "I've got all kinds of pictures I could put in it, too."
"I suppose so, though we'll have to buy you an album," she replied as Beth entered the room, running to give them both a hug as soon as she found them.
"Gracia's cat is gonna have kittens!" she announced, referring to the stray the Hughes had taken to feeding as it was more than happy to stay outside and seemed to keep the mice away. "Its tummy's all big and hard!"
"Really? Can I see?" asked Zeke, not waiting for an answer before he dashed to the other side. Riza was happy to follow at a more sedated pace as Beth wondered aloud if they would keep them all or give some away. Black Hayate was kept from the mewling bundle of fur as a game of chase would hardly be good for the gray tabby right then, and Roy had to admit as they stood around and admired the feline that it was a cute cat for missing half an ear and having a crooked tail.
-0i0-
The first monthly dinner Riza had with her grandparents after the children came to live with her was a nervous expedition all around. Zeke and Beth had only been told that her father's parents were very kind and generous but that her grandfather had been military since he'd been old enough to join and he supported her career choices entirely. That, of course, wasn't much to go on, so dressed in their best and standing before a very nice home set far back from the road just outside of Central both kids were experiencing butterflies in the stomach in a way that made them very fidgety and Riza wondered if this venture was such a good idea after all.
The door was opened by a servant in a gray uniform, ushering them in to the front hall to take their coats before being escorted to the usual drawing room. There was a fireplace in the center of one wall, the chairs grouped around it and a chessboard set up to one side as always on a small portable table. Her grandfather sat in one of the chairs by the fire, puffing slowly on his pipe as he studied the board with hooded eyes.
"Your granddaughter, sir, and her charges," said the servant as he held the door open for them, closing it immediately behind them with a soft 'click'.
"Hey, you're the Fuhrer!" cried Zeke as he spotted the old man, pointing a finger accusingly at Riza an then her grandfather. "You didn't tell me he was your grandpa!"
"I honestly didn't consider it that important for you to know," admitted Riza as the old man rose to his feet with an amused chuckle. "I completely forgot you had already met…"
"At Central, yes, but not in the comfort of my home," he put in as he shuffled towards them with his cane. "Good to see you again, my boy, and you too little girl. You'll have to remind me of your names, my mind isn't quite as sharp as it used to be."
"Don't let him fool you," added Riza with a wry smile. "He's still the master strategist he was as a young man."
The Fuhrer laughed as he held his arms out for a hug, Riza complying before kissing the weathered cheek affectionately. "Well, I wouldn't say that…it is good to have you here, Riza."
"It is good to be here."
"Now, names." Grumman studied the pair for a moment, Beth clinging to Riza's leg with wide eyes and Zeke standing beside her with a frown. "You can call me Mr. Grumman or Papa, whichever you're more comfortable with. You're family, and it's been a very long time since we've had young people around. Now, what can I call you?"
"Beth," said Riza when the little girl refused to let go of her leg, picking her up carefully so the hem of her dress stayed down. "Aren't you going to say hi?" The little girl buried her head in Riza's neck, watching the old man through a curtain of her caretaker's hair.
"Beth, a pretty name for a pretty girl," the Fuhrer said as he smiled at her kindly, getting a shy smile in return. "And you, boy?"
"Zeke," said the boy as he regarded the old man with a curious look. "Are you really a master strategist?"
"That's what they call me," he admitted with a shrug. "Perhaps over a game of chess we could discuss whether that is so…?"
"I don't know how to play," said Zeke as he eyed the board. "M'not real good at those kinds of games."
"Oh, we'll see about that…"
"Riza, is that you dear?" asked a soft voice as her grandmother floated into the room, a tiny woman with spectacles perched on the end of her tiny nose while her well-padded frame took tiny steps towards them. "Oh, look at you…and who is this pretty little girl?"
Her grandmother was quick to gain the trust of little Beth, and was soon talking to her in a low tones as the Fuhrer walked Zeke through the basics of the game. Eventually, dinner was served and they moved to the one of the dinning rooms, seating themselves along the fairly small table they reserved for such familiar affairs. The five course meal was a novelty for the children, who were unused to such fine settlings, and it was an adventure teaching them the proper fork and knife to use at the proper times for each new serving. The talk was light and innocuous, skirting over anything that might actually be meaningful as they progressed through the salad, soup, vegetables, meats, and finally dessert.
With the sun setting, the grandmother told the children she wanted to show them some of her flowers on the veranda with a promise for hot chocolate if they behaved. Beth was reluctant to leave Riza, who was asked to accompany her grandfather back to the drawing room, but eventually agreed when she was assured the separation wouldn't be for long. Out the door they trooped, the Fuhrer only pausing for a moment before he led Riza back down the hall.
"A game?" he asked as he motioned to the board, setting the pieces back to rights from his early explanations to Zeke. "Black or white?"
"You're always black," she replied as she sat down across from him, helping him rearrange things with the white lined up across from her. "You like to give the illusion of control to your opponent by letting them make the first move." She picked up a pawn and moved it forward a space.
"But there is so much you can tell about a player by their opening move, though. Are they offensive? Or defensive? Cautious or bold? Upon this you can base your entire strategy, if you know how to read things correctly." He smiled as he moved a pawn himself. "You are as cautious as ever."
"Caution is what has kept me alive these years in the military," she replied as she moved a knight. "And my fellow officers."
"Oh, caution is not such a bad thing, not a bad thing at all," he replied with a chuckle. "You know, Riza, perhaps you should finally be less cautious yourself and let me set you up with that fine man I was telling you about…"
"As much as I appreciate your effort to secure great grandchildren before you die, no thank you," she replied with a sigh, smiling wanly at the familiar exchange. "I seemed to have skipped a step in the normal progression of things, and for now it is probably best that I concentrate on the children rather than my own personal life."
"He loves kids, I bet he'd get along with them great," he coaxed her genially. "Or does already. He works at Central, you know."
She rolled her eyes and moved a bishop with two fingers, only to wrinkle her brow when he captured it a moment later. "So you have mentioned before."
Grumman laughed, twiddling the end of his mustache merrily. "Really, Riza, I know you would find him very attractive and an attentive mate…"
"Don't you think you should ask him what he thinks? Before you go offering him to me, that is. He may already have someone else in mind." Riza gave him the usual exasperated look, but he ignored it and moved his queen, effectively cutting off half of her defensive line.
"I doubt it; he hasn't been the type to settle down for years." He rubbed his mustache as he as he considered the pieces laying before him. "I'm sure he's ripe for the picking though, much longer and he'll be stuck with whatever's left over in his generation of women."
"So I'm a leftover," teased Riza as she evaded his trap, moving her king to safety though she had to sacrifice the other bishop to do so.
"Oh, you're as good as your grandmother at twisting my words," he hmphed with a grin as he sprung a second trap, this one effectively catching her king. "Check. And that is not what I meant. But are you both older than most of the single folk these days, I'm sure I could convince him to take you out once if you let me. Just to see if you like him."
"So you can get us married the next day? Thank you for your concern, but I am fine on my own," she laughed as she gave up within another two moves and knocked her king over before his invading force. "Checkmate."
"You're losing your touch, giving in that soon," he teased as he noticed the door opening to allow his wife and the children entrance, a servant following them with a tray of steaming mugs. "Ah, you're back! How was the veranda?"
"The flowers are pretty," said Beth softly as she climbed into Riza's lap, the woman unthinkingly shifting herself to accommodate the young girl. The mugs were passed around, and as they enjoyed the sweet treat together Grumman brought Zeke over and began to take him through the game once more. Riza spoke with her grandmother about their new home, and the way it was set up with Gracia sharing the other half, and Beth listened to everything going on around her with her usual wide-eyed look.
Eventually it was time to leave, the children yawning and even Riza looking a bit tired as Grumman escorted them to the door still discussing the tactics of chess with the boy.
"Do you still have the old chess set?" he asked as they stood together on the porch once more bundled up in their coats against the chill spring evenings.
"Yes, somewhere in my closet," she replied with a hint of surprise. "Why?"
"Give to the boy so he can practice until next time."
"Yes, sir."
"When are we coming back?" asked Zeke as they got in her car, waving to the Fuhrer as he watched them leave from the porch. "He was kinda cool."
"Next month," she replied as she lifted up her arm so Beth could snuggled beside her. "Why?"
"I'm gonna practice so I can beat him!"
The sharpshooter gave the boy a surprised look. "You think you can?"
Zeke set his chin mulishly. "I know I can."
Riza held in the laughter that threatened to bubble to the surface, replying instead, "We'll see about that."
-0i0-
Usually too long didn't pass until Gracia would need a night out of the house, and with Maes gone Riza would be dragged out for an evening on the town. Every two or three times this occurred it would be on a week where Winry was visiting so she would be invited and now that Maria had become a good friend of Gracia's she agreed to come as well. The girl's night out was agreed up, the date set on the calendar in red marker so none of them could forget. The only problem: who was going to baby sit?
Gracia's usual sitters were Riza and the girl down the road, but with the girl pregnant and only a week from being due and Riza going with her for the evening it left them in a bit of a pinch.
When Riza had posed the question in general to her subordinates the next day as a chance to earn some money silence had filled the room, Ross only barely managing to hide her amusement as they all paled and did their best not to meet her inquiring gaze. Havoc had the excuse that Sheska had finally agreed to a date, though it was a bookstore, Fuery and Falman claimed prior engagements as well. Kants begged off on practicing with his guns, and Breda reminded her he was afraid of dogs and wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Black Hayate too. That left Brosh and Marshall, who both stammered out a general excuse on not being good with kids sans their primary caretakers and left it at that.
The Brigadier General walked in right about then and asked what the fuss was about. His Lt. Colonel quickly explained the situation and he beamed as he told her he would be more than happy to watch the kids and dog for her and Gracia. In fact, he was a little miffed that she hadn't thought to ask him first.
Three days later with four inquiring sets of eyes watching him as the door closed and the ladies pulled out of the driveway he wondered what had possessed him to say so. In general Roy liked kids, they were innocent and sweet and everything he had destroyed within himself during the Ishabal war. They were the hope for the future. But he also didn't have much experience with them as far as care giving went except what he saw in the presence of their mothers or guardians.
So when Beth suddenly said she was hungry and the other two chimed in as well to him the logical thing was to ask what they wanted. That didn't prepare him for the flood of answers.
"Chicken!"
"Roast pork!"
"Maybe sliced beef?"
"Mashed potatoes!"
"No, fried squash!"
"Carrots and peas!"
"What about rolls?"
"Or toasted bread?"
"Grilled cheese!"
"There's no tomato soup, though."
"That's gross!"
"Is not!"
"Grilled ham and cheese?"
"Oooh, and sliced fruit!"
Roy felt something akin to a headache coming on so he grabbed for the first thing he heard that he knew how to make from the rush of words pouring out of their mouths.
"Macaroni and cheese it is!" he declared as he scooped up Beth and Elysia and headed for Riza's kitchen, Zeke and Hayate close on his heals. "And maybe some cookies if you're good for desert."
"Will you make them fresh?" asked Beth as he set her and Elysia down beside the stove.
"Um, maybe, but first the mac'n'cheese." He began to dig through the drawers as Zeke pulled out the needed ingredients, coming up with the pots and pans required before shooing them all to the kitchen table and telling them to play nicely while he made the food. Macaroni and cheese was something he had once made by rote before the days of taking women out on an almost daily basis after the war. It shouldn't be too hard to remember, right?
He boiled the water, putting the noodles in and setting the lid on top before looking at the cheese and trying to remember how to make the sauce. Milk was used, he was sure of that. Butter, too, but was it flour? And there was something else, he was sure of it. Hoping his hands would remember how much when his mind didn't he put a sauce pan on another burner and started to pile things into it, turning the heat on low and mixing it all together.
His concentration was so great that he didn't notice when the kids began to play a game of chase around the kitchen and living room, even when this game came perilously close a few times to interfering with his work. Taking the noodles off when they were done, he was in the process of running cold water over them when Black Hayate tried to dart through his legs, Zeke running too fast to stop and unable to get out of the way when the sudden contact sent Roy reeling away from the sink. The two collided, sending the strainer full of noodles up in the air where they all watched in slow motion as it cascaded out of the pan and onto both males and the rest of the kitchen.
There was a moment of silence before Black Hayate barked loudly and began to eat the spilled noodles, lapping up the tender pieces of pasta eagerly as Roy emitted a high whimper.
"Sorry, Uncle Roy," said Elysia as she and Beth helped Zeke to his feet and brush the noodles off of him. "We didn't mean to…"
"It's alright," he sighed as he stood as well, picking the noodles off his shirt and dropping them to the floor. At least he wouldn't have to feed Hayate later. "Dinner might be awhile, I'll have to make some more. Stay in the living room this time, ok?"
"Ok," they chorused, filing out of the room as Hayate continued to eat to his heart's content. He barely remembered to turn the heat down on the sauce, saving it from burning as he filled the pan with water and noodles once again. Cleaning himself and the counters while watching the pots carefully, he tasted the sauce and thought it was close enough to the usual to pass for tonight. Pulling out plates, cups, and spoons, he quickly had everything prepared and served up before calling the kids back in a second time.
They sat down and ate quickly, complaining only a little about the taste and the way the sauce stuck to the roof of their mouths. He told them just to drink more milk, and soon they were rinsing the dishes in the sink and putting the remains in the already-stuffed Black Hayate's bowl. Pulling out a package of cookies instead of making them fresh from his coat and sharing it among them for desert, he was surprised at how quickly the round treats disappeared given how much the small ones had already eaten.
Having not learned his lesson from the last time, when the food was gone and the kitchen relatively put back to rights, Roy asked, "What now?"
Once again, there was a veritable flood of answers.
"Alchemy stuff!"
"Tea party!"
"Coloring?"
"Chess!"
"That's boring!"
"Is not!"
"What about dolls?"
"That's girly."
"It's fun!"
"It should be something you all enjoy," broke in Roy quickly, wondering how exactly Riza and Gracia managed to control them so well all the time. "Otherwise it's not fair."
"Alright."
Beth's face suddenly lit up. "Detective!"
"Yeah, that's a great game!" agreed Elysia eagerly, both of them looking at Zeke who shrugged.
"Ok, that's fine with me."
"You're the detective, Uncle Roy!" decided Elysia as she got paper and pencils for everyone, passing them around to Zeke and Beth. "You're gonna go in the other room, and we're gonna write down clues and you gotta guess what the clues are about! It's something each of us has."
"Ok…"
The Brigadier General didn't entirely understand the rules of the game, but allowed himself to be led back into the kitchen where whispers and soft murmurs eventually reached his ears. When they called him back, he sat with them on the floor and read their clues one by one.
Yellow, brown, and black.
"Hair?" he guessed as he looked at them all, Zeke sighing in as Beth clapped her hands happily.
"I told you it was too easy," he replied roughly.
"Then try again," offered Roy as he got up and went to the other room once more. They went through a few rounds like this, sometimes someone else playing the detective but for the most part the children content to let him fill the role.
He was getting tired as time wore on, yawning occasionally as he read the clues and tried to guess, so when it was quiet for an unusually long time he was content to let it be until loud shrieks could be heard from the other duplex. As his head jerked up he saw the clock attest to the fact that nearly thirty minutes had passed and when it comes to kids he knew that was a very bad thing indeed. He was through the door like a shot, the scene before him unfolding to reveal a laughing Beth, Zeke and Elysia sitting on Gracia's kitchen floor covered in what looked like finger paint and splashing it on each other.
"What happened?!" he cried as his face fell with the mess, though it was hard not to laugh at Zeke who had a ton of pink sprinkled across his shirt with smatterings of purple and red in his hair.
"We were just painting," explained Elysia as she grinned guiltily. "Zeke said pink was a sissy color, and I said he should have some on him 'cuz he's a sissy and it got a little messy from there."
"…oh."
Somehow that still didn't explain why there was paint across some of the cabinets and Beth was using the paint on the floor to doodle pictures on the tiles, but somehow with children the most rational of thoughts are never thoughts that immediately come to mind. It took a few minutes for him to collect his scattered wits, giving a hoarse laugh when he realized the mothers would be home in less than thirty minutes.
"Ok then…Elysia, where's the towels?" She told him and he soon had them all out of their clothes and wrapped in the terrycloth blankets, shooing them into various bathrooms to clean themselves while he took care of the kitchen. Stripping off his button up shirt, he stood there in his undershirt as he wiped up the paint and cleaned the floor, counter and table until they were spotless. Setting the almost empty paint containers and drying pictures on paper aside, he finished just as the three met once more in the living room in their pajamas with damp hair fresh from the baths. Elysia had helped Beth so the little girl could get all the paint from her hair.
"Good," he told them as he checked to be sure they didn't miss a spot. "Ok, everyone back over to Aunt Riza's side, its story time."
So it was like that, seated on the couch together that the women found them a little while later as they trooped in the front door. Maria said goodnight as she left almost as soon as they arrived, Gracia taking Elysia to her side with Winry a few moments later after thanking Roy for helping out which left Riza and her kids alone with the exhausted man. He noticed her eyes held the slightly softer glimmer they tended to acquire when she'd been drinking in small quantities. That was usually just enough to loosen her tongue, and he wondered what the conversation had been about around the dinner table.
"So, they were good for you, sir?" she asked as she escorted him to the door.
"They were fine," he replied with a light shrug though his smile was a bit strained. "What are a few children after keeping an eye on the men during a mission, right?"
"Very true, sir." She paused in opening the door for him as something caught her eye, reaching up to pluck a forgotten piece of macaroni from his hair with a questioning look in her eyes.
"I'll see you in the morning, Lt. Colonel," was all he said, turning and leaving with a faint flush.
The blonde woman immediately turned to the kids, holding up the macaroni as Zeke flushed as well.
"Uh, Black Hayate knocked him over on accident while he was making dinner," he said as he glanced away, adding quietly, "I kinda helped…"
"Riza, I think they had a paint war again," commented Gracia as she stuck her head back in the room. "It's a good thing I got the water-based ones this time.
Riza sighed with a slight smile as the kids ducked their heads with guilty smiles. At least she wasn't the only one that had had a rough evening…
-0i0-
Earlier that same day
Riza had always prided herself on being better than average when it came to sensing traps, so when one was closed around her like a noose on her neck she came closer to panicking than she had in years. Really, the signs were there, she should have seen them from a mile away. Maria and Winry had been a bit quick to agree to go along with Gracia's impromptu night out, their schedules a little too free for women who were always busy. The fact that they picked a restaurant Gracia knew Riza loved should have been a sign, as well as when the older woman ordered a margarita for all of them as a treat upon arriving. And while the alcohol content in such a drink wasn't high, Gracia also knew that it didn't take much more than a few sips to loosen Riza's tongue on anything personal.
So, tucked away in a dark corner of the seafood place with their meals ordered and the second round of margaritas on the table, the unshakable Hawkeye experienced her first instinct to flat out run and hide for her life in several years when Gracia flat out asked, "So, what is going on with you and Roy?"
Somewhere in the coherent part of her mind buried beneath layers of shock she noted she'd forgotten how straightforward the woman could be with some alcohol in her, but that was quickly taken over by the need to save her drink as it nearly tumbled from her nerveless grasp. Thankfully, only a small amount splashed on the tabletop and it was easily mopped up. A glance around the table showed an amused Winry with a flushed cheeks and Maria studiously focusing on the cup in front of her but with an ear cocked in their direction and her chair blocking Riza's only hope of escape.
"The hell…you tricked me," she accused them with a wry bark of a laugh, leaning back in her chair as she ran a hand over her face.
"Yeah, and you won't leave because you've got a freshly baked platter of salmon and lobster on the way that you know you love," Gracia replied knowingly with a somewhat feral grin. "And Maria has graciously agreed to make sure you don't leave that spot as long as you don't pull a gun on her. So, explain."
Riza was tempted to get up and try to leave anyways, she could probably goad Roy into buying her another meal like it later…deciding that train of thought was entirely too dangerous with the present company, she quickly banished it and tried for tactic number two. Apparently the small amount of alcohol in her system, though, was like kryptonite for her super-like glaring abilities. Even Maria just chuckled in amusement when she turned the supposed death beams in her direction, and Riza knew that was never a good sign.
"Can I ask what prompted this?" she hedged carefully, deciding to at least attempt to put up a fight rather than lie down and go quietly.
"The man is at your duplex at least three or four times a week, usually more, with the fraternization laws gone and the kids becoming very attached to him with the constant contact. He helps Zeke with his homework and plays with Beth on the floor, very father-like qualities, and is constantly helping you with chores or the housework whenever he comes over. You even let him help you in the kitchen, the sacred domain of Riza, which I'm not even allowed to do unless it's an emergency," Gracia said as she ticked the items off her fingers. "I've seen the way he watches you when you're ignoring him, and don't think I didn't notice you watching back when he was helping Zeke clean out off the shed in his undershirt. You generate more sexual tension than dogs in heat! So why the hell are you being so stubborn?"
Winry at least had the grace to blush when Riza looked over at her, but Maria just watched the unfolding scene with a sense of deep amusement at watching her hardened superior officer be raked over the coals by a tipsy housewife.
"It has been remarked on more than one occasion that Roy Mustang spends an inordinate amount of time with you and your charges during after work hours," the Sergeant replied when she received a questioning look from her superior. "Many of the gossips at Central already have you in bed together and the Flame Alchemist out shopping for rings on the weekends…"
The markswoman shook her head, sighing as she did. "Really, the Brigadier General-"
"Roy," Gracia interrupted her firmly. "You're not in uniform and he's at your house watching your kids for free so you can have a good time out with us. Call him Roy."
"He's watching Elysia, too," pointed out Riza flatly.
"Yes, and I call him Roy, too," came the smirking reply.
"Fine, Roy is a good man, but I'm not interested in a relationship right now with him or anyone else," she explained as she fidgeted with her drink, taking a slow sip when she was finished. "My main priority is to raise Zeke and Beth the best that I can. If the…if Roy happens to spend a great deal of time with them in my home it does not imply anything is happening in our friendship. Winry spends a great deal of time with Private Kants, or Oliver, whichever. I don't see you haranguing her."
"She just met Kants," pointed out Maria as she nibbled on the cherry that had come with her drink. "They don't have over ten years of history, which rumor has it includes an ongoing affair that reached an interesting peak around two years ago when Fuhrer King Bradley was finally overthrown."
"Rumor is just that," Riza growled back, though it was unconvincing even to her ears. "A rumor."
"So you've said before, but I know for a fact he wasn't the only one receiving 'special care' when you stayed with him…did you ever wear a nurse outfit while giving him his 'medicine'?"
And thus came the second time Riza fought the run and hide instinct that welled up inside as a high squeak emitted from her throat and she flushed brilliantly in mortification. "Gracia!"
"I didn't think it was as innocent as you both proclaimed," the woman crowed triumphantly as Winry's eyes grew round. "And considering the color of your face, I would say it was a very memorable experience."
Sighing, she muttered to herself in a voice so low few caught it, "It couldn't have been that memorable, he left me…" Maria had the grace to give her a look of pity as Riza sunk down in her seat, the waiter saving her from further mortification for the moment as he served their food. The smell of her salmon and lobster revived her enough that she could enjoy the succulent flesh as she ate it in small bites, but she was constantly glancing at Gracia who was enjoying her own meal of filleted salmon and fresh shrimp. Winry was experimenting with a dish of frog legs, which she said didn't taste that much different from chicken, and Maria seemed very content with her crab platter.
Conversation seemed to revolve mainly around the food, everyone sharing pieces of theirs around with the others though only Riza seemed brave enough to try the frog legs as well. Deeming them edible but not among her favorite foods, she commended Winry for having the guts to try something new with pointed looks that Maria and Gracia easily ignored.
About the time they were contemplating whether they wanted a third round of drinks Gracia finally dropped the final bomb, one that far outweighed all previous 'attacks'.
"So, when are you going to finally give in and invite the man to spend the night? And I don't mean sleeping on the couch, either, and your room is sound proof, right? You know he won't make the first move this time around."
The mixed look of shock, utter bewilderment, a small dose of wonder (was her room soundproof? Not that it mattered, of course…) on Riza's face was absolutely priceless. "Gracia Hughes," she said as she rubbed her forehead in frustration. "You are an evil, evil woman."
"Yes," the said woman agreed with a ghost of a smile. "But now he'll be stuck in your head all night and maybe you'll work through some of these problems out of desperation for sleep rather than just ignoring them."
"I can be very good at ignoring irritating thoughts," Riza reminded her with a hint of smugness. "Especially about Roy Mustang. He may be attractive, and we may have a past, but that doesn't mean I want him to hold any particular significance in my life other than as my superior officer at work."
"Then you admit you find him attractive?" pounced Winry with an interested look. "I never knew tall, dark and handsome with an eye patch was your type."
"He's the most sought-after military man at Central for a reason, you would have to be blind not to see that he is attractive," the sharpshooter argued as she rolled her eyes. "There are some men, like Roy, where it doesn't matter if they're your 'type' or not, almost every woman is going to find them pleasant to look at. Whether they would consider dating him is another matter entirely."
"He does have that Xing influence that makes him exotic without being foreign," Maria added with a nod. "He most certainly isn't my type, but you're right, he's pleasant to look at."
Winry's lips curled slightly. "If he isn't your type, Riza, what is?"
The question was beyond loaded, and every woman at the table knew it. Unfortunately, Riza's pride and Maria blocking her exit route (why was it wrong to pull a gun on a subordinate again?) wouldn't allow her not to answer. She was tempted to say wild horses were her type, but somehow that didn't seem intelligent considering the position she was currently trying to take, so that also took out the labels of men with a fiery, confident personality, guys with good smirks, and fellows with dashing good looks. Feeling military men, guys who look good in blue or love to wear gloves might carry the same hazards she was forced to go with the one description that came to mind that seemed relatively neutral.
"They have to love dogs."
If Riza hadn't been one hundred percent serious, her tablemates might have outright laughed at her. As it was, Maria's eyes sparkled in amusement and Gracia muffled a chuckle with her hand.
"Really, they have to love dogs," she repeated when Winry raised one brow slightly. "If they don't love dogs, Black Hayate will try to bite them every time they try to enter my home, let alone try to touch me. There is no room for a male in my life that doesn't love dogs."
"So that includes everyone in the office, save Breda," Maria pointed out with a soft snort. "So…all the men in the office are your type except him?"
"Private Kants is a bit too young," Riza admitted, making a face as she did much to Winry's obvious relief. "Fuery too short, Marshall too stupid, Falman too boney, Havoc too smoky, and Roy too cocky…I suppose none of the men in the office are my type." There, that was the truth; she hated it when the man was too full of himself to admit he needed help from others.
"Hm, I recall you saying he hadn't been a cocky bastard since he returned…"
Damn, she'd forgotten about that. How the hell did Gracia remember? The waiter came by with their check, leaving it off to one side with everyone waiting for her response. "He's Roy Mustang, he will be a cocky bastard eventually," Riza said with a confidence she didn't feel. "And when he is I will once again wonder why the hell I still work for him as I resist the urge to shoot him."
"If that's the case, why are you still working under him?" asked Winry curiously.
"It's not unusual to have a superior that you would like to shoot or wring the neck of occasionally," admitted Maria as she made a face. "Honestly, the Brigadier General is probably the least irritating superior I have had to date."
"He's also been on his best behavior since his return, so it isn't a true representation of his nature," Riza pointed out quickly. "He can be a very irritating man when he sets his mind to it."
"I'm sure…"
"Well, it's getting late and we should probably leave before I drink more than I should," said Gracia as she got to her feet, only a hint of a flush high on her cheeks and the bill long since taken care of. Winry was perhaps the most unstable on her feet, the young woman not quite used to drinking alcohol, ever, but with Riza supporting her on one side they easily made it out the door and to the car.
The ride back was fairly quiet, Maria leaving as soon as they arrived and Gracia and Winry departing for their side of the duplex a few moments later. If the Brigadier General noticed she had the faint glow in her eyes and relaxed posture that meant she'd been drinking some, he didn't say anything and was soon gone leaving only a guilty Zeke and Beth in his wake.
"Off to bed," she told them as she walked them up the stairs, tucking them in. She would have to be more on her guard the next time Gracia suggested a girl's night out, especially with where she sat.
-0i0-
And that is chapter 8. Hope you guys enjoyed it, the review replies are right below this. For the record, we'll be returning to the once a week update schedule, with one week getting two updates (I'm just not sure which one) because we're still one update behind from the break.
Reviews:
Ruki44: Pretty interesting indeed. Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
FFVII : Ok, you're the one that's taking it waaay too seriously. Look, I think Roy knows Havoc is not actually going to break his legs. I mean, c'mon, he's in a wheelchair for crying out loud. However, there is something to be said for people knowing that there are others who care about them. Also, Roy did do something incredibly horrible. He left when things were at their best, and that's not exactly something I would call normal or healthy in a relationship. Roy isn't relying on the men to take care of his problems for him, but they have stepped up this time and are simply telling Roy that Riza isn't one of his play things to toy with whenever he feels like it. She's their girl, their big sister, and they'll stand up for her if he decides to turn running away every time they get together into a habit. That's nothing more than good big brothers should do. Hope you enjoyed the update regardless.
Jacksparrow589 : Yay for finals being over, hope you did well. Yeah, gotta love Riza's big bros. :) Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
Dailenna : Oh yeah, Roy totally wants some blonde hawk in lap time. Not gonna happen anytime soon, though! Oh and so you don't get your hopes it, that school thing was just to show Riza's being a good mom figure. Yeah, there is the whole issue with school safety and stuff, but I wasn't planning on really using it at all. Poor Kants, he's about to get dragged into a lot of stuff he doesn't quite understand, oh well. Thank you for the many praises, and can't wait to hear from you again. Thanks for the review!
Winglessfairy 25 : Oh, I forgive you for not reviewing all the time. It happens. Get more sleep, it makes life better. Glad you liked the chapters, and can't wait to hear for you again!
Bar-Ohki : Glad you like it, thanks for the review!
Jennlyn78 : First time reviewer, WOOT! Thanks for the many high praises, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story as it progresses. Can't wait to hear from you again!
SxL : Less Winry/Kants now, and only a little bit in the next chapter, I think. Don't worry, they do have a purpose! Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it.
Cheeseycraziness : Another first time reviewer, WOOT! I'm just glad to have a review period, no matter when it comes in. Glad you enjoyed it, hope to hear from you again!
Hawkeye Chuui : Hawkeye?! As in THE RIZA HAWKEYE?! WOW! What an honor! ; ) Glad you enjoyed it either way, and let me say it tickled me to no end that 'Lt. Hawkeye' was reading the story and loved it. Hope this is soon enough, and that you continue to enjoy it. Thanks for the review!
Crystal Mage: Aww, thanks! The wedding went very well, just very tiring. Well, something like a time skip, think of it like Naruto filler only better, because it's only gonna last for two chapters instead of 50 some episodes (I wanted to cry…) Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
Kurissyma san Tybalt : I don't think I've ever mentioned just how interesting I find you name. It's very unique. Sorry that I made you miss the bus, I hope it was worth. I hope your sister didn't murder you too, that tends to get messy… Thanks for the review!
Leigh : Again and again and again thank you very much! I don't think Riza ever wears out, she's super woman with a gun. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for the review!
Bizzy : Havoc just seems like the big brother type, him and the rest of the guys. And who else would they choose as the little sister but Riza? It's so sweet…thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed the update!
Blknblupanther1 : I am so proud of myself, I just spelled your name right on the first try for the first time! Oh, and even if I change the characters names, if I use the basis of the world (alchemy, the gov't set up, the personalities of the characters themselves) it would be enough to sue me with if whoever made FMA got their hands on it and got mad. Yeah, not a good idea. Thanks though, and glad you enjoyed it!
Causmicfire : Riza likes to say things rather formally at times, but not without sounding stuffy. Instead she sounds very intelligent and well-educated. Thanks for your many kind words, I hope you weren't disappointed with the update!
-Kai Isolated- Aw, you're too kind! It's Roy's on fault he missed what he missed, so don't feel too sorry for him. About how long it's gonna be, well, I can't see us going over 20 total chapters, but right now I've got up to chapter 13 at least partially written out and there's at least two or three chapters after that, maybe more. I hope that's satisfactory for the moment!
Yun Min : Riza's is super woman. Plain and simple as that. Besides, I was up and out the door every day for highschool at 6:20 to make it there on time, it is possible. It just turns you into a zombie occasionally. Hope you enjoyed it!
Anne Packrat : I enjoy the get together too, it seemed like a logical, Riza-idea that would keep the men together without taking Roy Mustang's place.
Dennisud : Lol, here's Winry, Riza and Maria's talk, and it didn't quite go like the boy's did. I'm glad you're willing to accept the alternate pairing for this fic, it means a lot to me as an author. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for the review!
Humor Queen Merc : Oh, there will be a discussion between Riza and Roy at some point, the question is, how's it gonna end? Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Dreximgirl : Glad to be of service, I hope you continued to enjoy it. Thanks for the review!
That's it for now, folks. Until next time!
CB
It's not my anti-social, I'm only anti-work, golly-Moses, that's why I'm a jerk!
-Officer Krumpky, West Side Story