The chapter you've all been waiting for is finally here...it's taken FOREVER to write this scene because it is so hard and I had to rewrite it several times. Hope it lives up to all your expectations and doesn't disappoint...:S

Roy walked into the hallway. Last time he'd been into Riza's home it had been completely orderly, there were catalogued books on the shelves, antique guns and celebratory gifts from the military on her mantle. There had been landscape paintings and a certain cosiness to the flat but no photographs of family members or sentimental items. Now the flat was painted in warm hues and there seemed to be a plethora of items sprawled everywhere. Riza rushed around him and gathered up a blanket, two rattle toys and an empty bottle. She went over and cleared some space on the sofa and told Hayate to go to his bed. The dog glanced at Roy before trotting out of the room.

Riza turned back to Roy with the bundle in her arms, her eyes made contact with his fathomable black one and she muttered, "can I get you a drink?"

"No." he answered shortly remaining stiffly in the centre of her burgundy living room.

"Well then may-"

"Maes," he interjected, watching her, "I want to talk about Maes."

She froze like a rabbit in the head lights and looked at him, "How did you-"

"Elysia," he said shortly. Still watching her.

Riza turned away from him and folded the blanket in her arms, placing it on the sofa and then dropping the two toys unceremoniously into the pay pen in the living room.

"Is Maes my son?" he asked in a softer tone whilst watching her distract herself by tidying items away.

"Yes...you only have to look at him to know he's yours, Roy."

"Why?" he said, again in a softer voice. He was still angry but he also felt responsible for what had happened. Keeping a secret like this wasn't something his lieutenant would do lightly and he didn't feel like getting into a raging argument with her over this...his son was at stake.

It was Riza's turn to get angry. Her stance stiffened and she turned to face him, "Why?" she hissed a low voice, "Why didn't I ever tell you about Maes? Well let me answer that with another question, why did you leave without talking to me? I thought...I..." she trailed off, trying to regain her emotions. She was tired from the battering her emotions had taken that day but she wasn't about to let Roy see her cry. "Why, after everything I did for you, did you leave? Holding you when you cried about Ishbal, Maes senior and Edward. Nursing you back to health, cleaning your house, answering doctors calls, cutting your sodding apples! We even made love. Three times! And then I find out, from Falman of all people, that you transferred and were leaving immediately!

"I ran to the station with every intention of telling you. I even watched you get on the train and then it dawned on me." Riza's demeanour grew cold as she watched the torture on his face, "You were leaving after everything. If after everything you still had the audacity to get up and leave without so much as a backward glance then why did you deserve to know? I wasn't enough before so why would I be enough now to make you stay? What kind of example would you set in your depressed and self-deprecating state?"

Roy flinched at her words but looked back at her with a steely expression, "I'm sorry Riza...I thought you deserv-"

"Shut up!" she yelled, "Just shut up! I'm a grown woman! I'm old enough and smart enough to decide what I deserve and I thought I deserved you. I'm a murderer to, remember? I needed you as much as you needed me. No one understood me like you did! Damn it, Roy! I loved you and you practically threw it in my face!" Riza took a deep breath, letting her words sink into the stunned Roy Mustang stood in her living room. She looked back up at him feeling slightly relieved that she'd finally been able to say the things she'd kept locked at the back of her mind, "I loved you and you turned your back on me. You could have talked to me, Roy, but you didn't...you ran away. That's why I never told you."

Roy stood motionless, he swallowed, trying desperately to regain his previous composure. He'd been so determined and angry before but now it had all crumbled away. It had been taken down brick by brick like only Riza Hawkeye could, her words had settled deep. He was depressed and struggling with his actions over the last few years, maybe she had a point about him being a bad role model or a pathetic partner if he couldn't even look at himself in the mirror.

His gaze drifted back around the room and his eye settled on a photo of Riza smiling, she was sat cross legged on the grass, her loyal dog poking his head over her shoulder and his tongue lolling playfully out of his mouth. In Riza's arms was a beautiful boy with a large head of black hair and piercing hazel eyes like the woman that held him. He was smirking at the camera and his head was tipped awkwardly as Riza cuddled him. There were a couple of other pictures next to this one. He let his eye trail over each of them. Maes and Elysia both covered in ice cream and looking innocent, Maes with Black Hayate, and one of Riza pregnant next to Havoc and Breda. His stomach dropped as he saw one of Havoc holding Maes over a muffin with a single long blue candle in it and Riza holding a birthday hat over Maes' head. They looked like a family. Mother, child and...father. Jean Havoc had been more of a father and a support to Riza than he'd ever been.

"I've missed so much," he whispered hoarsely. He wandered over to the table with the photographs on and looked at each of them closely. "I have so many questions and ...regrets."

Riza let out a long sigh, "I'll answer any questions you have, Roy...but one thing first." Roy looked at her before she continued, "How long are you in Central for?"

Roy made eye contact with her and walked over to her. He wanted to know his son, he'd grown up without a father and he'd be damned if the same was going to happen to his son. He desperately wanted to be apart of the little family he'd never known about. He was willing to do anything, he'd hand over his savings, see a psychiatrist, leave the military...anything! As long as it meant being near the two most precious things in the world...Riza and his son.

"Forever, I'm not going anywhere...I want to know Maes and I want to be with you and help raise him. We'll be a proper and normal family." The look of hope in his eyes nearly shattered Riza's heart. She couldn't do this. She was happy for him to know Maes and be his father, Maes deserved that much, but she wasn't sure she could forgive him and fall straight back into his arms so easily. Once bitten twice as shy...so the saying goes.

Riza looked away and shook her head, "No," she said, "Not a 'proper' family."

Roy looked bewilderedly at her, "W-what do you mean?"

"Maes deserves his father...you deserve Maes. I'm not going to stop that...if you want to file for joint custody then I will not oppose it..in fact it would be a blessing to have you around to help but...but I can't be with you."

"Why not! Riza please, I love you, I'm sorry I ran away but I'm here now," seeing that he was losing her he resorted to pleading, "I'll get help, see a doctor about my mental scars...I'll buy you a bigger house..."

Riza suddenly felt extremely claustrophobic, she was caught and hemmed in. The room felt oppressive with all the emotions, Roy's closeness and the suddenly shock of his love declaration. She suddenly pushed passed him and into the hallway, where he hesitantly followed. She massaged her temples and gave herself a strong talking to so as not to cry in front of him. "No, Roy!" she began, "I can't...I gave you everything before and you broke my heart I can't just forgive and forget...I'm...I'm..." scared. She couldn't bring herself to confess it. She was scared of what letting him totally back into her life again would mean. He still had a lot of mental demons to cope with, could she really deal with those and raising a baby? Post traumatic stress wasn't something to be taken lightly, several of her colleagues at work had seen their families ripped apart my the disorder and she wasn't prepared to expose her innocent little family to it lightly.

She loved Roy, honest to god she did but...she didn't want to be hurt again. She was only just coming to terms with his original betrayal. She was beginning to move and get over him, how dare he waltz back in.

As if reading exactly what the problem was, Roy stepped closer and gently touched her shoulder, in a quiet voice, as if consoling a grieving woman he said, "Alright, maybe rushing into a relationship again is going to be difficult, so lets deal with the most important issue here, Maes. I want to be his father. So I'll move closer to the suburbs of Central, I'm sure we can come up with a timetable that suits both our needs and caters to his best interests...there's no reason why we still can't be a team in raising our son."

Riza looked up at him, she couldn't believe what he was offering. He was backing away from her, he was letting her go and make the decision about whether or not they pursued a relationship outside their responsibility with Maes. The words he'd used insinuated that he indeed meant to bring it up again once they'd gotten back to normality, but she was OK with that, as long as she didn't have to deal with it now.

"Yes," she finally said, "That would work." Roy relaxed and let his hand fall to his side. There was still a sadness in his eyes, he was desperate to take her in his arms. He had missed her so much, more than he could ever verbalise. They held eye contact for a moment, Roy couldn't hold himself back anymore he leant forward to take her in his arms. He had every intention of brining her closely into his chest and burying his face in her delightful hair. He just desperately needed her in his arms after almost two years without her voice, touch or face.

Riza saw him move towards her and she found herself powerless to stop herself. She wanted to be in his arms as much as he seemed to need her, even though she didn't want a relationship with him right now. Just as Roy was about to pull her into the safety and strength of his embrace a shrill cry sliced through the air. Both adults paused and stared at each other in shock before they registered the baby's wail.

Riza glanced up the stairs and began to move towards them when Roy gently caught her upper arm. She looked back at him, the shock evident of her face. "Take me with you," he asked pitifully, "I want to see him." She nodded and led him up the stairs.

They crossed the pastel blue hallway and approached a door that was slightly a jar and from where the wail was emanating from. Riza pushed it open to reveal a little yellow room that glittered golden in the dim light of the night lamp. She walked over to a white wooden cot and leaned in cooing and talking softly as the crying quietened. She lifted up the boy and placed him on her hip, her back bowing slightly with the added weight and trying to support the child.

Roy watched transfixed by the sight before him, the woman he loved and his son. A knot appeared in his stomach as he got closer to meeting his son, Maes. Riza jiggled on the spot for a moment, trying to calm the little boy down, before she turned so Roy could see him better. Maes' big hazel eyes fell on Roy and he fell instantly silent, eyes as large as saucers. He wasn't sure what to make of the strange dark haired man in his room. His little red puffy cheeks calmed slightly now he was in his mother's arms and his little hands fisted in her pyjama top.

Roy cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable under the painful scrutinisation of his son, "hi...Maes..."

Riza couldn't help but let a small grin cross her face at Roy's awkwardness and her son's persistent stare, "here," she said and came close to Roy. She moved the child off of her hip and held him in mid air towards Roy, who stared blankly at her. She rolled her eyes, "Take Maes, Roy."

Roy blinked and lifted his hands, placing them just below where Riza's were on Maes' body. Riza let go and watched as father suspended son at arm's length in front of him in a state of shock. Maes continued to stare at his father until the position got uncomfortable a few moments later and began to wail again. A moment of panic set in on Roy's face, what was he meant to do with a screaming child?

Riza moved his arms and Maes so that he sat against his hip and side. Maes continued to stare up at his father with renewed curiosity. He began to wobbled slightly in Roy's arms, his eyes darting around the room, his eyes settled on his mother and for the first time he seemed to notice that he wasn't in Riza's arms but a strangers. He burst into tears again, his little arms and fat fingers reaching for her.

Riza walked over to him and stroked his hair, cooing softly, "It's OK, Maes sweet heart. It's just Roy...it's Daddy?" She gently kissed his forehead and Maes seemed to calm down. Riza glanced at Roy, "He's tired, that's why he might be a little irritable." Roy nodded and gently bounced Maes, trying to make him comfortable and happy.

Maes' gaze rested back on Roy and he placed his thumb in his mouth as he continued to gaze at Roy's face. Riza watched as Roy's eye slowly teared up. The tears didn't fall but as Roy watched his son, Maes, he felt a sense of overwhelming happiness and pride. Maes, having obviously decided that Roy was a friend and not foe, laid his head down on Roy's shoulder, still suckling his thumb, and let his heavy eye lids slide shut.

Riza let out a small chuckle at the startled look on Roy's face as the child fell fast asleep, "That's a good sign, he's obviously comfortable with you." She led Roy over to the arm chair next to the crib and he sat down, still cradling Maes in his arms. Roy watched Maes awestruck and rocked quietly in the chair. He looked up at Riza, who was smiling down at them, her eyes going moist at the scene. He noticed the soft glow of the night light lying on her hair and moonlight from the window complimented her complexion, "You look beautiful," he murmured to her.

Riza's face faltered and she looked away, "Please don't, Roy..."

Roy swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, redirecting his attention back to Maes. Riza sat on the floor next to the chair and smiled up at Maes, her gaze then went back to Roy, "So where do you think you'll live?" she asked quietly.

Roy had to hide the flinch, he really wanted to live here with his little family but Riza had made it clear she didn't want to be with him...maybe he could change that. Once she'd gotten used to him being around and things with Maes had settled. Maes was what was important right now.

The pair of them sat in Maes room, with Maes silently sleeping in Roy's arms, discussing the up and coming tactics for their new life with Maes. Roy agreed to find an apartment near-by and they would file so Roy could have joint custody of Maes. Riza agreed that Roy could have Maes every Wednesday night and although Roy would officially have him every other weekend, they agreed to spend most weekends with him together. They wanted things to be as close to a normal family as possible while he was too young to understand the separation.

After awhile Riza fell asleep on the floor, the exhaustion from the day finally catching up with her, her head resting on Roy's knee and one of Maes' blankets as a pillow. It left Roy alone with his thoughts and he looked around the small house and then back at his son and Riza. The situation really dawned on him then. Everything had been so busy and frantic up until no, with the silence enveloping him, he was a father. It wasn't about him any more, he had a beautiful little boy. He smiled softly at Maes, with his eye's closed he looked just like him.

He suddenly went cold as a thought dawned on him. Jean Havoc. The man was meant to be one of his closest subordinates and friends yet he had failed to mention in all the communication they'd had that Riza was pregnant. He could understand that Riza had probably threatened him but apart of Roy couldn't help but feel, from the way he'd seen Havoc hold Riza and his presence in the photographs, that Havoc had ulterior motives for not telling him. Roy's face darkened, Havoc would have to be dealt with. Now he was back, Jean Havoc's presence was no longer needed, or wanted, as far as he was concerned.

Roy He loved them both so much and he wanted them to be his whole family. Not some broken resemblance to a family that had been caused by his absence, he admitted that he wanted what Maes senior had had with Gracia and Elysia. I'm not giving up, he thought, I want to be a family with you. He leant his head back and kissed Maes' forehead and let a small smirk cross his lips as he saw Maes gurgle in his sleep, oh yes, you're definitely a Mustang...

Reviews are greatly apprieciated...:D