Chapter Fifteen, guys, can you believe it? This is it, we're almost at the end.
-0i0-
Roy lay awake for a long time, watching the way the clouds outside floated along in a dull, gray sky. It matched the numbness that gripped inside as he tried to figure out what to do next.
'Knock-Knock'
"Room service!"
The Brigadier General rolled himself out of his bed with a grunt.
"I'm still here," he called back, ruefully brushing his hair back before grabbing the eye patch that lay on the bedside table and putting it on. "Sorry."
"That's alright, sir. Sorry to disturb you."
The shower felt wonderful against his pounding head and aching joints, the previous night's consumption of alcohol making its presence known in several unpleasant ways. Eventually he got out and dried off; pulling on the casual black pants and dark green sweater one of his subordinates had been kind enough to pack for him. Breda, probably, the other men would've given him his usual button down shirts. It was fairly chilly outside today, though, and he welcomed the extra warmth as he slipped on his shoes and headed downstairs.
Snagging a bagel and a little package of cream cheese from the buffet, he made his way to the bar and ordered a black coffee. The man there gave him a short nod and handed over a steaming mug.
"Here to sight see?" he asked as he wiped down the countertop, skirting around Roy's drink and breakfast by a wide margin.
"Not really," Roy muttered into his drink as he tried to lift the morning fog with the ingestion of caffeine. The bagel was dry, and the cream cheese not particularly tasty, but he ate mechanically and likely wouldn't have noticed if someone had swapped it with moldy toast and rancid jam or a fine croissant with butter fresh from the churn.
"Not much else to do around here, sir," the man behind the bar commented. "Unless you have family here, that is."
"No," he replied, giving a wry laugh. "No family, either."
"Hm."
The sound was an odd one, almost understanding and yet slightly derisive at the same time.
"You think you know why I'm here?" Roy asked after several moments of silence, a smirk having crept its way onto the barman's face.
"Why else?" his companion replied quietly. "But for a woman. I'm surprised you're still here, really, Alchemists tend to go and take what they want rather than dither about with it." His eyes wandered to Roy's watch that lay out on the counter, the ornamental cover shinning in the low light.
"That's what we're famous for?" the Brigadier General asked sourly. "That's not a very endearing description."
"No one ever said Alchemists were endearing people," the old man retorted with a snort. "Just that they get the job done, most of the time."
"I see."
"Well, it looks like my shift is over; I hope you manage to decide what you're going to do."
"I never said it was about a woman," Roy said to be contrite as the man took off his apron and hung the cloth on a hook.
"You don't have to," the man replied with that same smirk from before. "It's written all over your face."
The barman exchanged greetings with another fellow wearing a similar uniform as he edged his way from behind the counter. The other fellow smiled with a nod and took charge as the old man left, Roy watching him disappear around a corner with a sigh.
"Do you need anything else, sir?" the new barman asked, a much younger fellow than the one before.
"No," he replied as he pushed the half empty mug away and left some change on the bar top. "I'm fine, thank you." Deciding taking a short walk would be safe, at least to try and sort out his thoughts, Roy settled his still damp hair and left the main building of the hotel.
-0i0-
Quietly, Zeke slipped from the house with Black Hayate on his leash, only an admonishment from Riza to be careful following him on his way out. He had a great deal to think about, and very little time to do it.
Beth was ecstatic. To her, the wait was over, it all was through. Aunt Riza was able and willing to adopt them, and that was all there was to it. She had reached this conclusion halfway through breakfast, leaving the tears and gloom behind with a suddenness that had surprised her companions at the time. Announcing that she had decided, Riza had cautioned the small child not to say anything as of yet, that she needed to speak with Zeke about it as well later on. The moment their guardian was out of earshot, though, she had confided in her brother what her thoughts were and assumed he was joining her in them with no reservation in the least.
He tried to, for her sake, but there was something bothering him in the back of his mind.
There had been stories that had been thrown around over his head since the very beginning, things hinted at of past deeds that those in the military would rarely give a full explanation of. Uncle Roy had once mentioned that he had hurt himself to save those around him. The scars that covered his stomach were proof of that, so when the others teased and joked about how often Riza had saved their superior officer from his foolish or rash decisions Zeke had to wonder how many times she had been hurt to do so in return. This past time she had been shot in the arm, Zeke had actually gotten to see the graze the morning before they left, being called in to help Riza secure the bandage when she was unable to do so herself. The raw and angry flesh was still so foreign that just bringing the image to mind made him a bit nauseous.
And then there was the phrase Uncle Roy had used more than once, though not necessarily to Zeke personally. It had usually been to Havoc or Gracia, when trying to explain something in those hushed tones that they thought the children couldn't hear. That Riza had entrusted him with her back. Zeke knew that Roy had also saved Riza's life, at least once, in the battle with the homunculi, but he was fairly sure that wasn't what that phrase referred to. It seemed, the way it was usually used, to indicate something that had occurred before Riza had been entrusted with Roy's back. A fair trade for a deed done in the past. He didn't think it was Riza's life that had needed protecting; she was not very highly ranked in the military or by family name. Could it have been something that had happened before their time in the military?
What if that meant that Aunt Riza had a debt to pay to Uncle Roy? Was that why she protected his life, to balance things between them from whatever it was that had happened?
It sounded wrong the moment he thought it, and was quickly discarded by the way, but knowing the reason his Aunt protected the Flame Alchemist was suddenly very intriguing.
If the boy had to guess just based upon what he knew, he would say it was for love. Aunt Riza loved him, and didn't want him to die, simple as that. But with adults, he knew it was rarely that simple.
Slowly, as his mind picked apart the layers of what he knew about his guardian, her superior officer, and their friends in the military he came to a startling conclusion. No matter what else, Riza Hawkeye had always believed in Roy Mustang and his cause. Even when her father had first taken him in to teach him the art of alchemy, she had believed in him. Even when she had trusted him with whatever secret it was that they shared, she had believed in him. Even when his orders didn't make sense or were difficult to follow, she had believed in him. Even in times of utter defeat, such as when Roy had run away to the boarder for two entire years, Riza had believed he would return. Any person in the Flame Alchemist's unit could tell you who his greatest supporter was, and who would defend him despite his many faults and flaws to the very end.
What would happen if that belief were removed?
One would have to be blind not to see how much the man depended on the sharpshooter constantly. If she could no longer protect his back…support his cause with everything she had…let him lean on her in return…
And what of the others, the brave men who had followed Roy from the very beginning, and the men and women who followed him now? It wasn't just as unit, it was a family. To remove one of the core members of that family…
But you don't know if any of this is true. What if Aunt Riza withdraws and everything is fine? Maybe I'm just worrying for nothing…
Zeke wanted to believe that, he really and truly did. He wanted to believe that if Riza gave up her duty, nothing would change. She would still work as Uncle Roy's aide, still help him reach his goals, just remain behind when the bullets began to fly. It wasn't a dangerous job; it had been more than a year from the time the invaders had attacked to when the anti-Ishaballan insurgents had struck the apartment complexes. But when the danger did come…
Would they be able to stand, with one less supporter?
His arm being jerked brought the boy back to the present, Black Hayate dragging him along until he pounced on a black haired man who looked just as surprised as the boy holding the leash.
"Uncle Roy?" he asked weakly, absently, shoving the happy dog aside. "What…?"
"Uh, I wish I knew," the man replied a tad sheepishly. "I was going to drop by, later today…Zeke…?"
The boy was staring at him with an intensity that had never been present before, his lips pursed as his hold on the leash turned his knuckles white.
"Uncle Roy," he said after several moments of silence. "I have some questions for you."
-0i0-
Beth happily bounced up and down as Riza helped her crack the eggs, the instant cookie dough being something she agreed to bring along in case they had an oven at their disposal. The mixing was a little harder when done by hand, the guardian having to take over a short time while the girl standing in the chair in front of her watched and rubbed her tired arm. Slowly, the dough began to take shape.
The back door opened and closed, Black Hayate giving a happy bark as he sniffed about a bit before settling at the feet of those in the kitchen.
"Zeke?" Riza called, glancing back when she didn't see him right away.
"In here," he replied from the living room. "There's someone here to see you, Aunt Riza, they're waiting outside."
The sharp shooter paused, considering his words before asking hesitantly. "Who is it, Zeke?"
"Beth, can you come with me for a minute?" the boy asked as he came in the kitchen, taking his sister's hand gently. "I need to talk to you." He refused to meet his guardian's gaze, pulling his reluctant sibling along into the bedroom and firmly shutting the door behind himself.
Riza considered staying where she was, hiding in the safety of a kitchen that she was fairly certain their guest wouldn't enter without being first invited. Cowardly would never have been a word she would have once associated with herself, but she was more afraid of what she would find beyond the back door than she was of anything else she had ever encountered in her time with the military.
Black Hayate seemed to whine at her feet, wagging his tail as he edged his way towards the back door.
"Traitor," she murmured, sighing as she slowly made her way towards the door with feet that felt like lead and a stomach that wasn't much better. Turning the knob, she let him exit first, pausing on the threshold as a familiar voice came from her right.
"Riza?"
Disheveled and bearing a few traces of a hang over, Roy Mustang sat upon the bench beside the back door, looking at her with his one eye that seemed to burn right through her.
"Sir," she replied, her body rigid as her mouth went dry, eyes staring straight ahead. "What are you doing here?"
"I still don't know," he admitted with a weak shrug. "Havoc sent me…I thought I was going on a mission…"
"They shouldn't have sent you," Riza said, still refusing to look at him. "And you shouldn't have come here."
"I didn't mean to," he admitted slowly. "Zeke, well, Black Hayate found me. Zeke brought me here."
Her frown deepened as she shook her head. "You didn't have to come with him."
The alchemist gave a dry laugh. "Could you have told him no?"
Riza'a head shot up in indignation. "I'm his guardian."
Roy's reply was firm and steady. "So am I."
"Sir…"
"Roy." When she gave him a strange look, he shrugged. "I'm not in uniform, neither are you. We're discussing the kids, not work, and it should be a private, non-military affair."
"That didn't stop you the other day," she said before she could put her tongue in check. The hurt that flashed across his face scored her to the bone.
"I know," he admitted as he looked at his hands. "I was wrong, so very wrong, in what I said to you, Riza. I was trying to fix something that wasn't mine to fix because something scared me very much." Roy paused, flexing his fingers slowly as he blew out a sigh that left a white cloud in front of his face. "There have always been dangers we were not able to see until they were right in front of us, Riza. I have never doubted your ability to take care of yourself, but I realized something after we dealt with the terrorists. I'm not the only person you have to look after anymore. What happens to Zeke and Beth if something happens to you?"
"Legally, they would become wards of the state," she replied slowly with a helpless shrug. "I can't dictate who would gain guardianship over them next without first adopting them."
"But we can't leave them without knowing who will take care of them next incase something should happen," Roy murmured more to himself than to her. "Life is not a certain thing, even if you do leave the military and adopt them, there is no guarantee that you will always be there for them. We, well, I have made enemies in my time as an Alchemist, and it is no secret that you are one of the most important people in my life."
"So, you still believe I should leave the army as an active member."
There was another long pause, and then, "No, I don't really think you should. I never did. I need you, and so do the others. You're able to support the others when I am not; you are an invaluable member of our team. However…" The time his tone seemed to take on a ring of defeat. "The children should come first."
Nothing but the wind moved for a long time before Riza whispered, "It's cold out here, it will be warmer inside." Turning around, she disappeared through the door that she left open behind her. Taking the indirect invitation, he got up and followed her all the way to the kitchen where she filled the kettle with water and set it to boil. Her black and white dog followed, wagging his tail as he stayed by the Brigadier General's side.
"Tea?" she asked as she pulled mugs from the cabinet.
"Please," he replied, immediately relaxing in the more comfortable environment. He sat at the kitchen table, watching as she put a half-finished bowl of dough in the refrigerator along with other perishable ingredients that had been left out.
"So," she said when the kettle whistled, pouring them both a steaming mug that she dipped a tea bag into.
"So," he repeated as he began the business of fixing his tea with the correct quantities of milk and sugar.
"It's too late to change things," Riza murmured as she drank her own tea straight. "Beth is set on being adopted."
"They need to be," he agreed immediately. "For exactly the reasons I said before. Zeke was asking me a lot of questions, though, about before."
"Before?"
"When we first formed a unit, after I was promoted for my work in the war. Who was in the unit, why I choose certain people…the details were very important to him. He also wanted to know how many times you'd been injured in the line of duty, why I thought you were always my greatest supporter, and what it that you had once entrusted me with."
"He's a very inquisitive boy," she said, obviously delving into her own thoughts.
"I would like to know what you think about those things."
"Hm?"
"Why do you think I choose the people I choose every time we added someone else to our unit?"
"We are the best," she said with a certainty that held no pride, just fact. "Havoc was one of the best the stealth assault squad had. Fuery is a genius with the communications units. Falman has a mind like a library. Fullmetal had incredible talent with his alchemy. Breda's strength and work with explosives is unparalleled. Even our newest members are among the most talented of their kind."
"What about you?" he asked, keeping his gaze on his tea.
"You choose me," she said steadily as she frowned at the mug in her hands. "Because I knew you best, and would end it if you strayed from your dream of the military working for the betterment of the people."
"That's not the only reason," he said with a small smile.
"Besides the fact that I have yet to be beaten with firearms," she amended dryly.
"That's not what I meant," Roy admitted, looking up as she met his eyes in surprise. Both of his hands crept across the table, coverings hers over her mug and squeezing gently. "Although all of that is true, I also choose you because I couldn't stand the thought of you looking after someone else. Because I would be eternally jealous of the man who you served under. A double standard, I know, you've been putting up with me and my 'flings' with various women from the start. But…I couldn't imagine you at anyone's back but mine."
"I…"
"Aunt Riza, Uncle Roy?" Zeke called, the sound of the bedroom door closing breaking the tension from before.
"In the kitchen," Riza called; her voice unusually high as she cleared her throat. Roy slowly retracted his hands back to his own mug, as though it pained him to do so. "We're both in the kitchen, Zeke."
The children peaked around the corner, solemnly entering the room. Beth climbed immediately into Riza's lap, curling up in the woman's comforting embrace, and Zeke sat in one of the remaining chairs between the two adults.
"We made our decision," the boy said as he fiddled with a pen he was carrying with him nervously. "I was thinking a lot about stuff, and I know this isn't one of the options you gave us, Aunt Riza, but I think it would work."
"I'm sorry Aunt Riza!" the little girl broke in as she began to cry. "Please let us stay with you; I don't ever wanna leave your house even if Uncle Roy is really nice!"
"Zeke, what's going on?" Roy asked, looking very confused and a little concerned.
"I called Uncle Havoc," the young one explained quickly. "He checked a couple of things for me. Wasn't too happy, I think I interrupted something, but this is what he told me. Women can't adopt kids and still be on active duty, but men can."
"Zeke, Roy can't adopt you when I'm your guardian," Riza said quietly as she hugged the small, shaking body in her lap. "He's not even related to you…"
"Yeah," Zeke agreed as he pulled out a piece of paper. "But that doesn't actually matter as long as you sign us over to him."
"You can't come live with me," Roy said, completely flabbergasted as he tried to process everything that was being thrown at him. "I hardly have room for me, let alone two others…"
"We don't have to move in with you," Zeke explained, beginning to look a bit frustrated. "Look. Once you sign us over, Uncle Roy would adopt us, and then he can name any guardian he chooses to look after us, and there can be more than one. One would be you, Aunt Riza, so we can still live with you and all and we would technically be adopted it, like Beth wants. There's only one thing…"
"I can't think of anything that could go remotely wrong with that," Roy admitted, feeling rather amazed at what the boy had done. "Everything would be covered…what is it, Zeke?"
"I think…" The boy hesitated, pushing bangs that needed to be trimmed out of his eyes. "I think this is the easiest way to say it. Uncle Roy, if you ever wanted to get married, if you married someone who was listed as a guardian they would automatically have to adopt us as well. Which would mean the adoption laws would then apply to them as well."
There was a long silence after that.
"Beth," Riza said softly after awhile. "Why are you still crying?"
"I don't want you to not like us 'cause we want someone else to adopt us," the little girl sniffled as she rubbed a fist over her eyes. "I love you, Aunt Riza, but Zeke said we can't be selfish and keep you to ourselves. This way everybody gets what they want, so please don't be mad at us, Aunt Riza, please don't hate us!"
"Hate you?" Strong, but gentle hands lifted the tear stained face until both sets of red-brown eyes met. "Beth, I could never, ever hate you. You are so dear to me…" Roy was surprised to see a tear run down the battle-hardened Lt. Colonel's face. "Zeke…?" The boy willingly came to her, and both children were held close as the tears continued to fall. "Thank you, thank you Zeke."
"Couldn't take you away from your job, someone's gotta watch Uncle Roy," he muttered as he tried to blink back the wetness that threatened to overwhelm his own eyes. "And you're pretty important to all of us…"
Riza closed her eyes and savored the feel of the two of them holding her tightly; starting a bit in surprise when a third pair of arms enveloped them all from behind. A familiar, reassuring smell of fresh ash and something else filled her nose as a warm breath tickled beneath her ear.
"You're both very special to me too," Roy said, looking at the children as they met his clear gaze. "And I would be honored to adopt you both."
"Why are you crying?" Beth asked as she touched the damp that streamed down Riza's face. "Are you're you happy?"
"I am happy, so very, very happy," Riza replied in a half-whisper. "That's why I'm crying."
"We'll be a family forever, right?"
Roy was the one who nodded this time, discreetly pressing a tissue into one of Riza's hands. "Forever."
"It might take awhile to get things to go through," Riza commented as she wiped her eyes slowly. "It always takes a long time."
"Uncle Havoc said he has a friend of a friend who might be able to call a favor in for us," Zeke added as he backed up a bit to give himself some room. "To make it go faster. Could we ask him?"
"We can," Roy agreed as Riza nodded slightly. "I think that might be a good idea."
Zeke was the first one to remember the dough in the fridge, but it didn't take long to remind the others of the very tasty treat that was just waiting to be made. Beth and Riza agreed to finish the cookies while the 'men' of their family went out to find dinner. It didn't take long, and by the time Zeke and Roy had returned with their boxes of take-out the small cabin had filled with the delicious scent of chocolate chip cookies.
Roy inquired as to where the mixing bowl was, and after Riza presented it to him both he and Zeke sat at the kitchen table and scraped what bits of dough off the edges they could. They felt very proud of themselves for that until they saw the spoonfuls of dough Beth and Riza had set aside for themselves and were nibbling on while watching the boys work for their few bits.
Zeke, of course, got half of Beth's when he asked for some, but Roy snuck Riza's spoonful out from under her while she was getting plates and cups out for dinner. When she found most of it missing, he had smiled guiltily with a shrug when glared at. Pushing it towards him, she told him just to finish it off, and he had refused saying he didn't want to ruin his appetite. She should finish it; she had made the cookies after all.
Roy thoroughly enjoyed watching her squirm as she licked off the last bit of dough, Beth and Zeke too busy with the task of sliding the first batch off the sheet and onto the cooling racks. Neither one of them helped, though, when they asked a few minutes later why Riza was so red in the face.
"It's just too warm by the oven," she said with a wry smile. "I'm fine."
Dinner was a bright affair, all of them laughing at Zeke's attempts to use the chopsticks that came with his noodle bowl, and Black Hayate receiving more scraps under the table than usual as the children took advantage of their guardian's distraction to rid themselves of the vegetables they didn't like.
Eventually, it grew dark, the majority of the cookies consumed and Zeke soundly cursing his inability to draw cards that would help him as Riza once more told him to go fish. Roy hid his smile behind his own cards while Beth picked up the last ace and announced she was done.
The small girl was then shooed off to take her bath, Riza washing her hair as always and Zeke immediately claiming it second. Roy, who had moved his things over after Zeke said he didn't mind sharing the sofa sleeper with him, got it third while Riza helped Zeke set up his bed and cleaned up the kitchen from dinner. It was rather late by the time Riza had showered and changed, coming out into the hallway to find the door to her bedroom already closed. Trying the handle, it wouldn't budge, and after giving it a few firm turns noticed the note taped to the knob.
Me, Beth and Black Hayate want the bedroom tonight. Hope you don't mind. Thanks.
Zeke
She had been locked out. Riza wandered out to the main room numbly, wondering what she was going to say, when Roy spotted her from his place on the fold-out bed. He was in his pajamas as well, with the blanket pulled up to his waist and a notebook in hand that he was writing in.
"Where's Zeke?" he asked as she got a drink of water from the kitchen. "He said he needed something from the bedroom when you first got in the shower."
"He locked me out of the bedroom," the Lt. Colonel replied with a faint flush. "Roy…"
"I can go back to my room," he said hurriedly as he put his notebook down and grabbed the pants folded neatly on the chair next to him. "It's not a big deal, I'll just leave my stuff here for tomorrow…" Checking his pockets, the Flame Alchemist came up with empty hands and suddenly gave a soft curse. "That boy…!"
"He offered to turn your key in for you, didn't he?" Riza asked as she ran a hand over her face. "I can't believe it…"
"I can still go over there, get another room maybe. It's not the height of their tourist season; they probably have a few rooms still open…" Riza agreed and helped him gather his things together before letting him out the front door.
Five minutes later she let him back in, cursing the mountain climbing convention that had come to town that very day and taken over most of the resort and every single room available.
"I'll sleep on the floor," he said as he began to strip the top blanket from the bed. "Won't be any worse that those cots they call beds back in the dormitories."
"That's silly," she said practically as she got into the bed on one side, refusing to meet his gaze as her face seemed to be permanently tinged pink. "Just…get in the bed, Roy, alright?"
"Are you sure?"
"We're both adults, it's not like…it's not fair for you to sleep on the floor when there's room for you."
Carefully, the Brigadier General obeyed, laying down just a foot and a half away as he turned switched off the lamp and the dark settled over the room like a soft blanket for the night.
Neither one moved.
Or even breathed.
One gave a small sigh.
The other shifted just a tad.
One hour.
Two hours.
One had finally rolled on his back.
The other was still facing the other way.
Neither moved.
They were breathing, at least, but barely.
"Riza?"
The whispered name was spoken, almost half-afraid the other might hear it.
The darkness seemed to debate whether or not to respond.
"Yes?"
"Please."
It wasn't a command.
Neither was it a plead.
There wasn't a verbal reply, but one wasn't needed as both gravitated towards the center and Roy held the woman closest to his heart as close as he possibly could.
"I've missed you," he sighed as he felt her relax into his embrace, kissing behind her ear tenderly.
"I've missed you too." Her lips pressed against the palm of his hand.
And both slept.
-0i0-
Zeke was awake at the crack of dawn. He hadn't heard anything last night, so he wondered if his plan had worked. There was no way to get Roy into the bedroom and keep him there, Riza would have simply expelled him from the room and carried Beth in with her. Besides, he wasn't sure he was quite comfortable with the idea of them sleeping in a room that can have a locked door quite yet.
Peeking out of the room, he was accompanied by Black Hayate who whined in his throat and headed for the back door. Creeping as quietly as he could, the boy followed and tiptoed past the bed where two sleeping masses cuddled close in the center. As far as he could tell both were clothed, but as he turned around and let the dog out he suddenly felt a prickling between his shoulder blades.
Three seconds later, he was flying towards a surprisingly empty foldaway bed.
"AH!!"
"Next time," Riza said as she pinned him face down on the bed, his face digging into the pillows while one of his arms flailed about uselessly. "No tricks, alright? We're big kids; we can take care of ourselves."
"Just trying to help things along," he grumbled as he was let up. "You guys are like nervous cats around each other half the time."
"Hey, just because it might take us awhile doesn't mean we'll never get there on our own," Roy said as he clapped the boy on the shoulder, Riza leaving to start breakfast in the kitchen. "Though," the older man murmured as he bent closer to the boy's ear. "You can't tell Riza this, but thanks."
"Any time," Zeke said with a smirk.
The day was spent together visiting the local sights they hadn't gone to the first time, and the boy watched his guardians as he reveled in the sense of completeness that had come from the night before. Both were a great deal more likely to touch the children than each other still, but sometimes Roy would put his hand on Riza's back as they wound their way through the crowds. Or she in return would put a hand on his arm as they paused to see the historical or natural sights.
Later that night, when Zeke slipped in with Beth again to sleep in the bedroom, neither adult said anything and when the children woke early joined the adults on the fold away bed for a short while before demanding to be fed. It was more Zeke demanding to be fed than Beth; she loved cuddling into Riza's side with her brother next to her and Roy's arm encircling them all from behind. But the boy was growing again, and the need for food seemed to become a constant in his life.
The car ride home was interesting, Riza and Roy sitting up front while the kids climbed in the back with the dog. The luggage was put in the trunk or set on the floor in the back, and for the most part the kids slept the entire way back. Zeke woke once to find Riza nodding off onto Uncle Roy's shoulder. The Brigadier General had given him a wink in the rear view mirror, and the boy had smiled back in return. That is until Roy had to swerve to miss oncoming traffic. That was when Zeke learned never to distract the man while he drove, and Riza didn't sleep at all after that.
That night, back at the house and fully set to get back into things the next day, Zeke watched through a crack in his bedroom door as Roy left for the night using the car one of the men had left in the driveway earlier that day.
"Goodnight," Roy whispered as he held her close.
"Goodnight," she replied as their lips drew near. The kiss didn't last long, but it didn't need to. "I do love you, Roy."
"I love you too," he breathed as he leaned his forehead against hers. "See you in the morning?"
"You know we can't do this at work, right?"
"I know," he replied softly, running a hand through her hair. It hadn't been up for the last two days, he seemed to prefer it that way. "But the fact that I can do it at all, that will be enough for me. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Zeke smiled to himself as he gently shut the door. Finally.
-0i0-
Gracia looked a little worried as Riza appeared with Beth and Zeke in tow the next morning, dropping them both off as usual.
"Is everything alright?" the other mother asked as Zeke sat down to eat with Elysia and Beth fell back asleep on the couch.
"It is now," Riza replied with a smile Gracia hadn't seen in a long time. She wasn't given a chance to ask further questions, though, as the sharpshooter was already saying goodbye as she headed out the door.
Ross was surprised when Riza showed up to spar, though she eagerly put her body to the test when she realized the Lt. Colonel was practicing with a focus she had lacked for the past few weeks. Asking how the trip when, she was given a general, though pleased response as they moved on to the office.
Havoc was waiting for them with a file folder in hand, the Brigadier General seated there as well with a happy look in his face.
"This is the paperwork," the Lieutenant said as he handed it over. "He's already signed it, so have I as a witness. Your court hearing is in two weeks, on a Friday morning."
Riza Hawkeye opened the file, signed on the dotted lines and handed it back without saying a word. She bade them all a good morning and headed for her desk in the next room.
Havoc and Ross shared a glance, but neither said a word as the Brigadier General took the file and left the room with a smile.
The week went by, and nothing was said at the office about what had happened the weekend before. The work was caught up, everything ran smoothly in the office, and no one had any reason to complain. Roy went to have dinner with Riza and her charges every night, and Winry came over to visit once as it was her two weeks in be in town. It wasn't until Friday that the entire crew came together and saw the change that had come over the small family.
The children were happier that they had been in a long time; Beth's beaming face might have been able to light the room. Riza was back in her element of cooking and keeping an eye on everyone, including the Brigadier General, with a slightly brighter smile than before. Roy couldn't have been more pleased, he looked like the cat that got in the cream and occasionally his eyes would stray to a certain blonde hawk across the room as she went about her business.
No one actually saw the Brigadier General leave that night with everyone else, but there were no extra cars in the driveway when they left. No one remembered that he'd ridden along with Falman, and if Riza's table the next morning had an extra guest Beth and Zeke didn't say a word.
The next week came, and one night Roy wasn't able to come over due to a meeting with the upper brass. He showed up later, to help with homework and tuck the kids in bed (and of course to get his goodnight kisses) but if he glossed over what had taken so long with a shrug Riza didn't seem to mind.
Zeke didn't watch his guardians say goodnight anymore. It wasn't like they were doing anything that shouldn't be done, but he had a feeling spit swapping wasn't something he'd find attractive for at least a couple more years. Havoc kept teasing him about what girls he liked at school, so he knew it would come eventually, just not quite yet.
Friday came, and with it the absence of the two most superior officers in Mustang's unit until the lunch break came around. Roy strode in wearing a very nice suit, and a few minutes later Riza followed in her immaculate dress uniform. An explanation wasn't given, but both quickly finished what was on their desks and left early to prepare for the gathering at Riza's house later that evening. Havoc and Ross picked up Fuery, who was finally out of the hospital but still on leave for at least another week before he would be let back into the office.
The food was excellent as always, but the two bottles of wine sitting out on the sideboard was a surprising addition. When dessert was done, Roy called for the bottles to be opened and said he had something to share with everyone.
The congregation fell silent, instinctively knowing they were about to hear whatever it was that had changed these two weeks past.
"This is probably going to surprise some of you, but you're going to have to trust me that this is for the best," he said as he accepted a glass of wine from Gracia as the woman continued to pass them around. "Today, the court awarded me the permanent guardianship of Beth and Zeke as their adopted father. As their new father, I named Riza as their main guardian and the one who the permanent guardianship will pass to should something happen to me."
"Why didn't Riza just adopt them?" Breda asked, stating that which everyone wanted to know.
"Chapter V of the Military Articles, subheading C, paragraph 4, dealing with the rights of women in the military. No mother or adopted mother is allowed to be on active duty, because of the ramifications of their death in their children's lives until said children are more than eighteen years of age," Fuery quoted in surprise from what the Brigadier General had asked him before. "That's why you wanted to know!"
"Aunt Riza can't quit protecting Uncle Roy," Zeke stuck in. "He'd probably end up dead in a week."
"Anyways," Roy went on as everyone laughed at that. "We couldn't have gotten it through so fast without help from Havoc and his many connections, so thank you Havoc. And, I know this hasn't been the easiest last couple of months for us, so thanks to the rest of you for sticking with us. Cheers."
The rest raised their glasses with him and drank (the children all holding cups of grape juice) and afterwards Havoc let out a small laugh.
"Anything else you've got to tell us sir?" he asked with a meaningful glance in the Lt. Colonel's direction.
"No, that's it," Roy replied with a smile. "Please enjoy the wine; I'd rather not have to drink the rest of it by myself later tonight, and thank you all once more for your incredible commitment to this group. We are the envy of the military, not for our decorations or many achievements, but because we have something the rest of them will never have. A family."
Havoc seemed rather disappointed by that, and tried on more than one occasion to suggest that there had to be something more that hadn't been shared yet. Of course, he got nothing for his efforts at all, and Ross teased him on the way out the door that maybe he was really looking into nothing.
"Hey," Havoc said halfway to his apartment, Maria being kind enough to drive him home. "Who did Roy ride in with tonight?"
"Falman," Ross replied absently as she watched the road. "So he could help pickup Fuery."
"Fuery and Falman left early," Havoc said as he tapped his fingers against his knee. "Who else drove?"
"Breda," she replied as she went through the list in her head. "Marshall and Brosh came with him. And Kants, Winry went with him."
"Breda left before we did," he said as he tried to put all the pieces together. "And Kants lives in the opposite direction of Roy. I knew there was something they weren't telling us!"
"He stayed over last weekend," Ross said in surprise. "You mean you didn't notice?"
"What? Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't realize you didn't know."
"I was distracted…"
Ross laughed as Havoc flushed bright red.
"You're sweet," she said as she pecked the chair-ridden man on the cheek. "Thank you."
"You're sure you don't have a hidden attraction for the General?" he asked for what was probably the hundredth time.
"Yes, I'm sure," she replied, sounding a bit annoyed. "Why do you keep asking that?"
"Habit. You have no idea how many women that man has stolen from me, and I'd like to keep you around for a long time…"
-0i0-
Riza lay content as Roy ran a lazy hand over her bare shoulders, tracing the inked lines there from memory.
"Are you awake?" he asked as nuzzled her gently.
"Yes," she replied groggily as she turned her head to look at him through lidded eyes. "You can't possibly want to go again…"
"I want to, but that doesn't mean I can," he replied, smiling against her skin. "I have something for you."
"Hm?"
He reached over on the nightstand, picking up his dog tags and unhooking the chain for a moment. Pulling off something that twinkled in the moonlight that shone through the shade, she became fully awake when he took her left hand and slid the solid metal object up her fourth finger.
"Roy, I can't…"
"Not for about twelve years, no," he agreed with a sigh. "But someday, I promise you, I will marry you. Consider it an extra-long engagement."
"I know this ring," she whispered as she inspected the plain gold band carefully. "Did you-?"
"I asked your Grandfather if it was alright, and he gave me this to give to you," he replied with a smile. "He approves, I think."
"He would be," Riza snorted. "I'm surprised he didn't demand an immediate ceremony."
"He did suggest going around regulation and having a private ceremony that wouldn't be recorded. I thought it might be a little suspicious if I went ahead and moved in with you, though, so no go on that."
"I still haven't said yes," she pointed out, giving him a dry look.
"You don't have to," he replied. "At least not for the next twelve years. Until then, you keep the ring."
"Twelve years is a long time," she pointed out as she slipped the ring on her own dog tags, leaving it beside the bed. "Are you sure I won't change my mind?"
"No," he admitted with a low chuckle. "But I have twelve years to give you every reason not to. Starting right now…" Working his way down her neck, inwardly he glowed as she began to go limp in his arms.
"Again?!" she asked in mild disbelief.
"Maybe," he replied with the Mustang-trademark smirk.
-0i0-
And that is chapter 15. Yes, there is one more chapter after this. Hopefully it'll be ready by next weekend. Hope you guys enjoyed it, thanks for the many reviews and kind words. The replies are just below this as always, please review again, it totally makes my day!
Crystal Mage : Gotta love being away for awhile and finding a nice collection of your favorite things awaiting your return. It's like a miniature Christmas. I think this should be enough Roy and Riza interaction, eh? And I know the temptation to stay up and read more than you should, it is one I face often myself. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
The winter of midnight : Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Humor Queen Merc : I think that talk was pretty serious, hm? Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Crazycheezieness : Lucky me indeed. And now, not only has Roy come after her, but has managed to win her heart once again. Thanks for the review!
Dennisud : New information definitely turned things up a notch. Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Causmicfire : It always gets worse before it gets better. And if I could find a Havoc, sans the smoking, I'd be keeping him for myself. Glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for the review!
FFVII : Thanks for the many, many compliments. Yeah, Roy was certainly in a very tough spot. Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
SakuraAyanami : If it wouldn't get somebody killed, I would say locking them up is the perfect solution to all their problems. Thanks for the review!
BlaznXrapture : Glad you enjoying it so much, and thanks for the many wonderful compliments. Gotta love how Zeke has developed, he's definitely one of my favorite to write. Thanks for the review!
Bizzy : Aww, I hope you don't almost hate me anymore. I hope this chapter made you happy and all kinds of good stuff. No more stomach aches now, the story is no longer sad! Thanks for the review!
Dailenna : If everybody didn't take care of their commanding officers, there would be more than a big mess. There wouldn't be a unit anymore, because it would've dissolved after Roy left before the movie. And then there wouldn't be this story, which would be very, very sad. Thank you so much for the review, hope you enjoyed the chapter!
WingedChunsa : I'm pretty addicted to it too, I have no idea what I'm gonna do after I post the epilogue next weekend. sighs Oh well. Don't worry about missing a review, I'm late posting chapters all the time. Consider it fair payback. Thanks for the review!
Jennlyn78 : Hey, it's the only cliff hanger you've had, and it really wasn't that bad. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
GreyBlue Angel : Don't worry about the Potter hints, I've read it now and enjoyed every second of it. Glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for the review!
Kurissyma san Tybalt : Hey, I'd say they found a nice little loophole this time, hm? Hopefully you won't miss a bus to read this chapter, it is rather late. And I don't know what's up with I've been getting my reviews and chapter updates late, too. Oh well, thanks for the review!
-Kai Isolated- : All is forgiven, I now mourn with you as I've finished the book. So good, and yet so sad. And there is only an epilogue after this, so this is definitely the end. Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Winglessfairy25 : Yeah, been acting weird for awhile. Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
SxL : Thanks for the many wonderful compliments, and Roy definitely went for it this time. Thanks for the review!
Rizalicious : I don't plan on moving again very soon. Thanks for the review!
JenovaJuice97 : Yeah, it was pretty sad and depressing, but we're all happy now! Thanks for the review!
OTP : Yeah, definitely a tough spot to be in. Thanks for the review!
Momiji-k : Eh, typos happen, sorry! Yeah, Roy is pretty sexy, no matter what. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
Bar-Ohki : Hm, not so much, sorry! Good guess, though, and thanks for the review!
Jacksparrow589 : Hope the babysitting went ok, and thanks for the great review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
That's it for this chapter guys, sorry the replies weren't as long as usual, I wanted to get this chapter out to you as soon as possible and my weekend was very full. Sorry for the wait, epilogue will be up next weekend hopefully at the usual time. Please review, it would totally make my day!
CB
'Your success as a teacher is not measured by the grades your students make, but by the way you shape their lives after they have left your classroom.'
-Unknown