So I just had this idea all of a sudden and decided to try it out.

This AU is basically inspired by the hundreds of hours of British crime shows I've watched with my Mum plus my love for parental fics.

And also, as a Norwegian who's an anglophile, I know that there are different rules for different welfare systems globally, so I've made a mixture of them, so if there are any factual inaccuracies, I'd like to say that they're just the Amestrian way of doing things, at least in my story.

And this is not a modern AU, it takes place in 1910, but without the military and I have basically taken a lot of characters and moved them around a bit.

Also, if Riza seems out of character, it's because there haven't been a war in Ishbal, so she's only killed a few people as part of her job. She has also never met Roy before.

Chapter one

"I know that this is an unusual situation, Miss Hawkeye, but we'd like you to consider it," Miss Wendy Bones said, her hands folded on the desk in front of her.

The smiling woman was smiling understandingly. Or so she seemed to try to do. Maybe she just smiled that way? Maybe it was in fact genuine, but she was misunderstanding the situation.

"You want me to accept to be a foster home for two young boys that just lost their only family?"

"Yes. It is a bit unorthodox and I know your husband just left you."

That's one way to say it. Cheated on me with his secretary in our bed is more like it.

"-But the fact that you don't have a partner at the moment would probably work in your favour here."

"I thought that you had to be a steady couple to be able to qualify as a foster home?"

"That is the general rule, but we're willing to make an exception. I see from your file that you have been registered as a foster home for nine months now, although you are yet to have any children in your care."

"Yes, my ex-husband was unable to have children so we decided we wanted to do some good for children who needed it, so we signed up."

"Are you still of that opinion?"

"Yes, of course, but I'm in the middle of moving to East City. It could hardly be considered a steady environment."

"I am aware, Miss Hawkeye. The boys are actually from the Eastern area and are staying at their third foster home in just two months. As I understand it, you have just been promoted to Detective Sergeant?"

"Yes."

"So the money will be better?"

"Of course, but that hardly matters. I don't know if I could be considered suited to be a foster mother with everything I am going through. There are legal matters to take care of, and I don't know if the apartment really is big enough, especially with two boys. There is also the matter of me being a police officer, the hours are hardly steady."

"You being a DS might actually do some good considering the boys's history."

"And what exactly may that be?"

"Their mother was just murdered by their stepfather in front of their eyes."

Riza couldn't help the little gasp that escaped her lips.

"You being a Detective could be a help to them. You understand what they've been through much better than any of our other available foster parents. You could give them explanations that may help them process their loss and the crimes committed against them."

Riza's trained eyes immediately spotted that there was something she wasn't telling her.

"Why have they been living in three different homes already?"

"Because the oldest, Edward, he's eleven, keeps having violent nightmares from the incident."

"That is only understandable. There's something more about him, isn't there?"

Miss Bones looked awkwardly at her. "Well, when their stepfather attacked their mother, he moved on to try and kill his stepsons as well. Edward shielded his brother, but he lost his right arm in the process."

Riza felt the anger grow inside her. Miss Bones explained it as if it made the boy less worth. The boy had sacrificed his right arm to save his little brother? In most cases, that would make him a hero, but this lady made him sound defective. "So they figure that because he is traumatised and has lost his right arm, that he's too much work? That he's faulty? And you expect me to think so too?"

Miss Bones looked even more awkward at that. "If I have offended you, I'm sorry. It has been an issue with the other homes, that's all." She didn't look sorry, though,

Riza stood up and placed her hands on the desk, staring disbelievingly at the woman. "I'll take them." The words were out of her mouth before she had thought them through. But if those boys really were being shunned because the oldest brother had a disability, then that was unforgivable.

Riza sat down in the flat she was currently sharing with her friend from the Police Academy, Rebecca Catalina. She had opened her home to Riza the moment she heard what Will had been up to and Riza had been thankful for it. Riza would be taking the last parts of her belongings with her tomorrow by train. Inspector Armstrong had already offered to help her carry her load onto the train and once in East City, her new boss had offered to pick her up to get to know her. She didn't know much about DCI Mustang other than that he had a deep voice and was the youngest Detective Chief Inspector in the history of Amestris.

"You actually said yes to take care of them, just like that?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes. They need a home and seeing as how my relationship status isn't an issue, I agreed."

"Because the oldest boy lost his arm?"

"No, because they need help and people don't seem to want to give it because he sacrificed it to save his brother's life."

"So that's their file there?" Rebecca pointed at the folder on the coffee table.

"Yes."

"Can I have a look at the boys?"

Riza bent forwards and removed the paperclips keeping the pictures attached to the sheets of paper. They showed the boy who clearly was Edward, due to the missing arm, looking grumpily up at the camera. Then there was Alphonse who was looking shyly at the camera.

"They're cute. How old are they?"

"Edward is eleven and Alphonse is ten."

"Judging from the picture, you're going to have trouble with Edward. He really doesn't seem to like this."

"Would you, Rebecca? He's lost his dominant arm and is still having phantom pains."

"I guess you're right."

Riza sighed. She had read that Edward indeed seemed to be a handful. He had grown very wary of men, especially the ones trying to be his father. He also seemed to have a lot of rage towards his biological father who ran out on them when he was three. He didn't seem to be too keen on a mother either. He was apparently bad at following simple orders and mostly shut himself in his room unless he was yelling at his foster parents.

Then there was Alphonse. He too had a lot of nightmares and was distrustful towards men, but he expressed his feelings by mostly being quiet and crying in a corner.

Riza was getting worried that she had bitten off infinitely more than she could chew.

Riza was woken up by the alarm clock at five o'clock the next morning. She didn't really know what to think. She'd be picking up Edward and Alphonse at the Social Services centre in three days and start work in a week. She had thankfully already brought a camp bed to the new flat so the boys could have the bedroom while she slept on the couch. They would be a bit cramped, but it was only for a while. It could be a long while, though, maybe years.

Riza panicked as she walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. "What have you done, Riza Hawkeye? I thought you prided yourself on thinking things through before acting!" she told herself. "Those boys will be hitting puberty in less than two years, and unlike you, they don't get periods and boobs! You don't know what you're doing!"

Riza knew she had acted spontaneously ever since the separation a month ago, but this was almost suicidal. She had agreed to take in a couple of traumatised boys that were only half her age in a much too small flat and she would have to feed them and clean their clothes and…

Riza felt like screaming at herself. How the hell was she even considered suitable for this? She'd be much better suited for a dog and hardly that, because animals weren't allowed on the property!

Riza showered without thinking about what she was doing, ending up washing her armpits first with soap and then shampoo for good measure.

"Wow, girl, you look tense!" Rebecca said as Riza walked quickly out of the bathroom, only wearing her bra and trousers, having forgotten her socks and and sweater in the spare bedroom.

"What the hell have I agreed to?! I'm still an emotional mess from the separation! It's only been just over a month and already I've agreed to take in two boys I know nothing about and raising them! I've only read about parenting! But Will was the one who was supposed to take care of "boys's stuff"! I'm alone! But at the same time, there's no way in hell that I'm abandoning them after hearing their story!"

"Riza, calm down. You know more than most parents do when they have kids the first time."

"But they grow up to know them! I'm far from old enough to be their mother! I'm only eleven years older than the oldest!"

"Riza, you will do great! It will be all right."

The doorbell rang and Inspector Armstrong's voice rang out. "MISS HAWKEYE! I AM HERE TO HELP YOU MOVE YOUR PRECIOUS BELONGINGS! OPEN UP AND I WILL ASSIST YOU!"

Happy to have something to distract herself from the rising panic, she swung open the door and was handed a gigantic orchid tied up in a pink ribbon.

Riza was in a nervous daze when she walked off the train two days later with her hands filled with the extravagant white orchid as well as the large rucksack on her back. Maybe transferring East hadn't been a good idea? But then she wouldn't have been able to work as a Sergeant because the spots were all filled and she would have been stuck in the city that she'd rather escape with crappy pay.

People eyed the orchid with alarm and Riza felt stupid as she walked to the luggage area to find her many cardboard boxes stacked into a corner. She felt someone tapping her shoulder and turned around to see a man dressed in an immaculate black suit and a long, black coat. Riza could smell the aftershave from a mile off, and even though it was actually rather pleasant and definitely easy to get used to, it reminded her that she hadn't been able to wash her hair on the train so it was slightly greasy and she was looking dishevelled, her hair was static because of the way she had thrown her rucksack on, and she was holding an orchid that was at least a metre tall and had decorative sparkles stuck in the earth in the pink flower pot.

"You wouldn't happen to be DS Hawkeye, would you?" The man asked her calmly. He had a trolley standing beside him.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm Detective Chief Inspector Roy Mustang, it's a pleasure to meet you."