A/N: Thanks to the reviews and watchers, I appreciate it. I really feel for Roy, I too have a difficult time dealing with kids. Small RoyAi action in this chapter.

What You Make of Family

Roy sat cross-legged on the hardwood floor of his living room with Elicia leaning over his coffee table with her colouring book and a pile of colouring crayons. She scribbled furiously, her tongue poking out of her mouth as a sign of determination. The little girl had settled down surprisingly quickly after her mother left.

Roy kept as still as a statue as he observed her, not exactly sure what he should do next. He wasn't sure if he had to watch her at all times or if he could go into the kitchen and make himself some breakfast.

"Um...I'm going to make breakfast...so if you want to just come with me over here..." he trailed off. She didn't even raise her head when he spoke to her. "You should probably take your drawing stuff with you..."

Elicia kept on drawing and ignored Roy's attempts to talk to her. Maybe she couldn't talk yet! How old was she now? How do you even talk to children?

"I'm. Going. To. The. Kitchen. Elicia." he said, speaking slower in hopes she understood. She looked up for a moment, blinked then continued working.

Roy got a brilliant idea. The communication wasn't working but he could just make her move. Roy was the adult here! He tried to pick her up again but she flailed her arms and made a high pitched squeal. He set her back down and she still continued to draw. Ok so that wasn't working so well.

He thought of a new tactic! Roy crawled to the end of the coffee table and started pushing and inching the table closer to the kitchen and sure enough, Elicia followed the table and kept drawing as she scooted across the floor.

He got her into the kitchen and now that she was in his line of sight, went to his stove and cooked his breakfast.

He sat down at the table and opened the paper and read while he ate. Roy didn't notice when a little hand reached up into his plate and grabbed a toast until he turned a page and spied on Elicia now sitting at his feet and stuffing a whole slice of bread into her mouth.

"Elicia! You're going to choke on that!" Roy yelled and dropped to the floor and tried to pull the soggy bread chunks out of her mouth. She whined and tried to push Roy away from her until he stuck his fingers in her mouth and she bit down with her little itty bitty sharp baby teeth.

Roy howled, Elicia laughed. She stood up and put her chubby arms around his neck, bouncing and giggling. Roy did not find it quite as amusing but at least now he knew that the little girl could in fact eat solid food.

"You're funny!" she said.

Oh so she could talk! Roy then remember that she did speak last time he saw her but not nearly as coherently "How old are you Elicia?" Roy asked.

"I'm this many." she said and raised four fingers.

Already four years old, Roy rubbed his hand through his hair and looked into her face. He cute baby features were evolving into that of a child and she showed much more resemblance to her mother except for her cheeks, definitely a hint of Hughes. Roy wished he knew more about child development but he figured that a four-year-old was already pretty self sufficient.

"Are you hungry Elicia?"

She nodded, "Yes Mister."

"My name's Roy, you can call me Roy."

She simply giggled and then walked back to the coffee table and picked up her crayons. She held a fistful in one hand and coloured with her left.

Roy prepared some eggs and toast for her too and cut it up in kid-size chunks. He set her plate down next to her and she used her hands to pick up the yoke soggy eggs and toast and stuffed it in her mouth. Roy sat at the table and continued to read his paper.

He realized fifteen minutes later that she was awfully quiet and when he lowered his paper did he see that she had left the kitchen. Roy stood up and turned the corner into his living room and found Elicia peering over an end table at a picture. Her grubby sticky hands reached out and pulled the picture frame closer and she stared at it intensely.

"Daddy..." she mumbled and looked up at Roy.

Roy sat down on the couch next to her and looked over the picture. It was of himself and his subordinates and Hughes and Armstrong. Hughes wore a big smile across his face and had his arm draped over Roy's shoulder.

"Yeah, that's your father and me. He was my best friend." Roy explained.

Elicia looked back and forth at Roy, connecting who he was in the picture. Of course he wasn't wearing his blue uniform so he figured Elicia was trying to work it out. Her blank look made his heart drop into his stomach. She could recognize her father who had been dead for nearly a year but Roy was a stranger.

'Hughes would be disappointed in me if he knew that I alienated his family...' he thought.

There was a knock at the door and the doorknob turned before Roy could answer it. In walked Riza who was wearing a navy sweater dress and black leggings. Her hair was pulled into a side ponytail over her shoulder.

"Good afternoon sir." She said.

"Hello Lieutenant. You didn't have to come over to help me babysit. It's your day off."

"Quite alright, I knew that you might need backup on this mission." She smiled.

Roy was about to respond when Elicia turned around and yelled "RIZA!" and then tackled her knees. Riza managed to keep her balance and pick up Elicia who threw her arms around her and nuzzled her neck.

Roy frowned. "I wasn't expecting that." he said. "She doesn't even remember me."

"I visit Gracia once in a while," Riza said "just to keep her company."

"You never told me!" Roy said and gave an insulted look.

"Hughes death affected you too much. I didn't want to burden you."

Roy turned his eyes away and picked up the picture Elicia had admired.

"I've let him down." he said. "I should be taking care of his family."

"No Colonel, grief is grief." Riza replied. "It takes time to get over that trauma."

Elicia began squirming and she whined to be let down until Riza let her slip down and run towards her colouring book, still on the coffee table in the kitchen.

Riza kicked off her boots and sat down on the couch next to Roy and took the picture from his hands and looked it over herself.

"You two were more like brothers." Riza mused.

"Don't make me feel worse." Roy sighed. "I tried calling myself 'Uncle Roy' today and I think I flinched."

Riza didn't respond or try to console him. She just reached across him to replace the picture on the end table. Roy instinctively made to grab the picture for her but fumbled it. She dropped the frame in his lap and he ended up holding her fingers in his hand.

He held on to her hand and glanced up at her; she turned up her face and eyed him. Roy looked over her features and noticed that today, her lips were glossy and she purposely curled her eyelashes and wore mascara and eyeliner.

He contemplated testing a kiss, not sure what she would do or what he would feel. Uncharted waters.

At that moment there was the distinct sound of china breaking and a wailing cry from Elicia.

A/N: Kids are the best at timing catastrophes! R&R please ^_~