As years passed, the couple watched as their boy grew. He had learned to walk, talk, and was becoming quite advanced for his age. He had started reading when he was two, and now was trying to learn a plethora of new things only at the age of four, he questioned just about everything.
One day, he was sitting in his father's office, refusing to go to Gracia's to play wit Elysia, or even to Winry and Ed's to play with their children. He wanted to be with his parents that day.
Maes sat on the floor, looking at a toy car his father had bought him. The small boy looked up at his father's desk, it seemed so large in comparison to his short nature. It almost left him awestruck to see how large everything in the world was by comparison.
The boy stood and wrapped his finger's around the desks edge. The sides came just to his nose, allowing him to peer over the top and see the paperwork piled around his father. Maes stood on his toes so he could get a better look, trying to find his father. "Daddy?"
Roy had dosed off momentarily. He opened his eyes and instantly sat up, looking at his son from behind the papers, "Yes, Maes?"
"Is it hard running the country?" the young boy asked.
His father was silent for a moment, "Mm…" he thought about how to answer, "Sometimes it is."
"Why?" Maes asked.
Roy chuckled, "You like to ask why a lot."
"It's cause I want to know! Why is it hard to run the country?" the boy insisted.
The boy's father thought about it, "People are difficult I guess would be a good way to put it…"
"Why?" Maes questioned.
He sighed in response, "Ugh, they don't listen to you or they do something wrong."
"Why?"
"They don't behave properly."
"Why?"
"Because." Roy replied, hoping to end his son's questioning.
Maes was silent for a moment, "Are your men good?"
"Well…yes but-" Roy was suddenly interrupted when he saw Riza walk into his office.
"Sir-" Riza paused and looked at Maes, "Maes, are you pestering your father again?"
The boy turned around, letting go of his desk as he looked at his mother. He stared at her with the same golden brown eyes that she had and gave her the same idiotic smile that belonged to his father. "No." Maes replied, clearly lying. "I was just asking him questions."
"Come here." Riza commanded, watching as her boy ran over to her, hugging her legs tightly. "Let's leave your father alone for a while so he can finish his paperwork."
Roy frowned, "But I don't want to."
Riza shot him a look, "We will leave so your father can /finish/ his paper work." she restated, stressing the word 'finish'.
The man looked at Riza with an expression like he really didn't want to do the work. He sighed reluctantly and continued, despite his lack of motivation.
Before they left, Riza stopped and said something, "Oh, Maes." she began, kneeling down to her son's level, "Tonight you are staying with Aunt Gracia, alright?"
"Wait why is he staying with Gracia?" Roy asked, looking at Riza.
"Let it be your motivation." Riza replied simply, standing back up.
Roy smiled, getting what she meant.
"Where will you and daddy be?" Maes questioned, grabbing his mom's hand.
"Oh," Riza began, "Aunt Gracia misses you and wants you to come visit. Plus, mommy and daddy are going to be going to dinner and I don't think you would like the food there. Aunt Gracia will make you something that you would like much better."
He tugged at her pant leg with his free hand. "But I want to be with you guys."
She placed her hand on his head, gently stroking his dark hair, "Don't worry, you will only be there for a few hours. We will come pick you up when we get done."
"Do you promise?" Maes asked, a frown on his face.
"Of course," Riza said with a smile, "And then you can come to bed with mommy and daddy."
Roy frowned.
His wife looked over at him.
The man quickly looked back down at his paperwork.
"Now come on," Riza continued, "Let's leave your father to work in peace."
She took her sons hand and walked down the hall, occasionally saluting to passing by military personnel as they approached her.
"Mommy?" Maes asked, watching his mother as they walked.
"What is it, Maes?" She replied.
"How come you and Daddy act so different at work?" he questioned.
"What do you mean?"
"Hm…" Maes paused thinking about it, "Well, at work you call him stuff like 'sir', but at home you call him things like 'Roy', or 'moron' and things like that."
"It's the proper thing to do…" she replied.
"Proper?"
"The right thing." she redefined, "Here at work, we need to be polite to one another and respectful of others. Also, your father is a higher rank than me, so as long as we are in uniform, I need to treat him with respect."
"But you don't do that at home." Maes replied.
"Because at home, we are equals." she replied, "Does that make sense?"
"I guess so…" Maes replied.
Suddenly, an elderly man walked into the door. He looked around for a moment and readjusted his glasses. It was then that he smiled, spotting his target, "Ah, Riza…"
Riza looked over at the old man and smiled, it was her Grandfather.
Maes looked at him and smiled as well, letting go of his mothers hand and running full speed towards the older man, "Grandpa Grumman!" he exclaimed, hugging onto the old man tightly.
"Careful now!" the elder chuckled, "Your old great grandpa cant take blows like that anymore."
Riza walked over to him, "What are you doing here in central?"
"Cant a retired old man come visit his grandchildren?" he questioned in response.
She smiled at him, "I'm guessing then that you want to spend some time with Maes?"
"Of course." he replied, looking down at the young boy, "Do you want me to teach you how to play chess? I used to beat your father all the time."
Maes nodded, really excited, "If you teach me, then do you think I could beat him?"
The old man chuckled, "Anyone could beat him, my boy." He took the small boys hand, "Come now, let's see if there is still an old chess board around here…Riza, does your husband still have the one in his office that I gave him?"
"Of course." she replied, "Let me go get it for you."
"Thank you, dear." Grumman replied with a smile. "We will be waiting right here."