A/N: Chapter 20?! I want to give a big thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this far. Your feedback means the world to me and keeps me writing

Chapter Twenty: Growth Spurt

"Oh my God, I just can't stand it!" Jessica hid herself behind the doorframe, watching as Roy took their suitcases out of the trunk. Riza stood beside him, holding an umbrella over them both.

"Jess..."

"Shhhhhh!" Jessica waved her hand dismissively behind her. "Bea, I'm trying to watch." How her best friend wasn't as invested in the two children as she was, she'd never know. When she looked out the door again, her view was blocked by red fabric. Her eyes lifted upward to meet Chris' face, which looked down at her with a quirked eyebrow.

"Don't go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Chris warned, flicking Jessica on the forehead. "I'll not have you playing matchmaker with those two. You've wreaked plenty of havoc like that."

To prove their surrogate mother's point, Bea began to list as she held up her fingers, one by one. "Tamara and the guy who was way too into cats, Rene and the unfortunately mustachioed woman, me and the one I'm pretty sure is a serial killer..."

Jessica made an nonverbal noise of disapproval at the recounting of her failures. "Okay, okay! Geez."

"Please tell me Jess isn't trying to get Bea and Jack the Ripper back together," Roy smirked as he entered the house. Riza shook the umbrella off and left it on the porch before shutting the door behind them.

"One time!"

Roy exchanged a glance with Riza, and she grinned despite herself. Internally, she was trying to figure out whether this was overexaggeration or reality. It was always hard to tell with this group. Roy's eyes answered the question she hadn't asked. Her laugh was both nervous and jovial, enjoying the absurdity while thankful that nothing happened to Bea.

"Alright. That's enough of that." Jessica weaved her way over to Roy and Riza. She pulled them both into a hug, squeezing them uncomfortably to her. "I can't believe it's been almost a year since I've seen you two! You've both gotten so tall!"

"You know the drill, you two. Up on the doorframe," Bea ordered, pen in hand. One after the other, she placed her hand on their heads and drew a line against the white paint. Instinctively, she marked both lines with a "r" before expanding them into their full names. "Wow, Roy! That's gotta be three inches. Same for Riza. Geez. Slow down, would you?"

Roy hadn't noticed that he had grown that much. Due to their slight age difference, he was growing at the same rate as Riza. Their height difference was still pretty consistent. They had both been growing like weeds, which explained why Riza always seemed to be mending or altering their clothing. That must have taken more work on her part than he realized.

"You know, Ree, I think we might have some hand-me-downs that would fit you," Jessica supposed.

"She's about Tamara's size, isn't she?" Bea asked her sister.

"We can even get some of it altered, no problem." Jessica nodded. "We'll probably have to take you both shopping."

"Oh, hell no!" Roy exclaimed, stepping backward. "Over my dead body!"

Bea smirked. "Whatever you need to tell yourself."

"It's for your own good, Roy. You need clothes that fit you. Now quit complaining and go try these on!" Bea shoved several pairs of pants into his arms and sent him away with a wave of her hand. "And don't you come out without showing me how they fit!" Roy visibly cringed with embarrassment before disappearing into the fitting room.

Riza shifted from one foot to the other, taking in the store as a whole. She could tell that Jessica and Bea were watching her, which only made her anxious. Sensing that she was supposed to do something, she walked over to one of the racks and took a hanger off the bar. When she held up the dress, she wrinkled her face. Why would anyone wear something like this?

"No, sweetheart. That'll drown you." Bea gently took the hanger from her hands and put it back. "What size are you?"

"Um... I don't know. I usually alter all of my clothes to fit. So I know my measurements, if that's what you need?"

"I can work with that," Jessica confirmed. "None of this will fit you quite that well; it's pretty standardized. But that'll give us some guidelines."

"Good. You go with Jess. I think Roy's looking for me," Bea said, turning around so that she could see her younger brother. "Don't slouch!"

Jessica had already begun to sort through the racks, pulling and replacing items as she went. "Don't worry about the prices. Aunt Chris will cover it."

Riza's stomach sank. "I'd really rather she not..."

"It's not like it'll put you in her debt or anything. She can call it a business expense." Several articles of clothing found their way into Riza's arms. "Besides, you're turning thirteen soon, right? Consider it a part of your birthday gift."

Still not convinced, Riza nodded. It wouldn't do any good for her to argue. "Should I go try these on?"

"Yeah, the room's right there." Jessica gestured without looking up.

"Do I need to show you?"

Jessica chuckled. "No, I trust you. You're not going to buy things that don't fit just to get it over with."

It was easy for Riza and Jessica to fall into a rhythm. Garments were passed over the door from one direction to the other, with Riza handing slightly fewer back than came her way. As their pattern slowed, Riza decided to show a few of the outfits she had chosen to Jessica, searching for her approval. The validation she received for her selections made her glow. Her insecurities about money being spent on her was drastically reduced. Jessica didn't let her put any of the items she had chosen back on the rack, insisting that she needed all of the clothing. She had gone as far as to create fictional scenarios where she would need that dress, or these pants, or that blouse, and Riza had to relent.

When they were through, they walked to the other side of the store and found Bea. She hadn't moved very far and was trying to get the same sort of pattern going with Roy, who only groaned when more items were passed over the door. Jessica passed Riza's purchases off to Bea. "We'll meet you outside, okay?"

"I might be here a while..." Bea cautioned as she held several shirts over the door. When Roy didn't take them, she shook them to gain his attention.

"That's alright. We have a little more shopping to do."

Riza let herself be led out onto the street, keeping her confusion to herself. Her trust in her companion led her to believe that she knew what she was doing. She was ushered into a small boutique a few doors down, and she had to admit that she was caught off guard. "Undergarments?"

"You're growing up more than you think. Come on, I'll help you. If you're okay with that?"

Riza nodded, feeling overwhelmed. "Yes, please."

"Ah, there they are." Bea stood up from her seat on a bench. Several bags sat at her feet and beside Roy, who looked like he had faced the first circle of hell.

Jessica waved to them as they approached, but Riza kept her eyes fixed on the ground. Her short hair couldn't cover the redness of her ears. She clutched her bag tightly to her chest. As soon as she had the chance, she stuffed it inside of another bag, which she picked up to carry. Roy followed her lead, taking up his fair share. The group of four began to walk down the street, with Roy and Riza leading the way.

Roy looked over at Riza, concerned. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." She didn't even look at him.

"What happened?"

"Idon'twannatalkaboutit."

Roy looked over his shoulder at his sisters, searching for a clue. Bea and Jessica only smiled at him. That was more suspicious than anything else they could have done. When he looked back at Riza, however, he decided to drop the subject. As curious as he was, he had a feeling he would be smacked upside the head for asking by one of his sisters. Eh, he'd just ask Aunt Chris later on.