Readjusting

A/N: Who was bored about three weeks ago and started to write random crap? YAJJ! Who wanted to put Roy in a bad position to help his family? YAJJ! Who wanted to do a death-fic? YAJJ! And thus, Readjusting was born! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

Maes crossed his arms, snarling angrily at the headstone in front of him. He had been staring there for nearly half-an-hour, not moving or bothering to change his expression. He did believe that the phrase his mother would use was that, "your face will stick like that."

Finally, he turned away to look at the gateway, contemplating just leaving. Just as the bastard buried six feet under his feet had done.

But no. He couldn't. Not now. That bastard hadn't been given enough of a reprimand for daring to leave him and his little sisters Elizabeth, Maria, and Olivia, and his mother all alone.

His eyes were burning with hatred and… something at the back of his eyes that he was trying desperately to ignore. Because, whether he liked it or not, that man had been his father.

Maes shifted a little as clouds starting coating over the glaring light of the bright ball of fire known as the sun. His short blond hair whipped angrily as the wind started to pick up, but he still didn't move. His coal black eyes darted across the words on the headstone:

"Flame Alchemist" Führer Roy Mustang

Beloved by the people of his country and of his house.

May he live on in our hearts forever.

The words had been specifically chosen by his mother, with tears in her eyes and all four of her children at her side.

But honestly, Maes didn't care. His father may have died with honor, but the fact of the matter was that he had left. And he'd never come back.

The heavens started weeping, dropping fat, cold, pure rain drops on Maes' head, ones that he just didn't care about. The heavens could be sad that the Flame Alchemist—Maes' father and easily the single most loved Führer that the nation of Amestris had ever had and would ever have—but Maes wasn't. If that was the way that his father had felt before he'd died, maybe it was best that he'd passed on. So that he wouldn't get a chance to leave them. Maybe…

He looked toward Central, where the hustle and bustle of big city life tossed and turned him in every which way imaginable. His home was in there, somewhere. Where his mother had probably either made dinner and had it set out on the table (this she did ever since Maes remembered up until the very mission that had killed her husband) or was curled up on the couch, looking between pictures and the fire in the fireplace, never actually looking at either of them (which had started as soon as the phone call to inform them of Roy's death had arrived).

"Why did you have to ruin everything? Why did Mom and Lizzie and Maria and Olive have to care so much about you that they can't realize that you just wanted to get away? Why did everything have to change just because you died? You were only ever a bastard anyway." He spat angrily. He crossed his arms, just as ready to spit on his father's grave, as he was to just stomp away.

"It's just not fair." And he pretended that the tear that fell was one of frustration, how he had already turned into the man of the house, and that it wasn't because he was sad or, god forbid, would ever miss the pompous ass, the ungrateful bastard, the morally bankrupt Führer (ex-Führer) with a God-complex.

"You look pretty upset there, kiddo."

Maes' black eyes widened and he spun around to meet whoever had been talking. Who was it? Some random person? Or, perhaps, his father's spirit had come back to haunt him… that must be it! He'd heard enough about ghost stories to know about how they worked out. "No matter what you say, you won't change my mind, you bas-" he stopped short, seeing a young-looking blond man standing there, a small bouquet of flowers in his hands.

The golden-eyed man chuckled at him and walked forward to stand beside him. He knelt in front of the grave and set the bouquet of flowers on it. "That's a rude thing to say to someone that you hardly know." He scolded softly.

Maes' arms crossed again. "I don't care. You didn't have to just… show up. And it's raining, what the hell are you doing out here?" he snarled.

"I could ask the same of you."

Maes dropped his arms, his fists clenching. "Answer me!" his voice squeaked as it had started to for almost a month (his father had sounded so proud the first time that it'd happened.)

"The rain has always been easier for me." The man told him, sighing deeply. He stood, and looked into the boy's eyes. "You know, you have the same eyes as him."

The blond-haired boy scoffed. "Please, as if you know him. Who the hell are you, anyway, just some damn citizen to visit his beloved Führer? YOU DON'T KNOW HIM!" he cried.

The man looked shocked.

"All acting as if you and the great Führer, the great Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist, Hero of Ishbal were all buddy-buddy, huh? Like you could say, 'oh yeah, I know that guy! He was my friend!' Well, you don't know him! Why would you even want to visit a bastard like him? Just go away!"

Maes knew he was getting way out of line. He thought that his dad would be mad at him, until he looked down and saw the headstone. He stomped angrily.

"Oh yeah, I was definitely buddy-buddy with the guy." The man shook his head, chuckling. "No, not quite. But I knew him. And I know that you have his eyes, not your mother's."

"Well great, now I'm going to have to shoot my damn eyes out, won't I?"

"Why don't you want to look like your father?"

"Because he left us!" Maes screamed. His eyes pained and another tear fell.

The man sighed again. He looked back at the grave, and his own golden eyes clouded over with hurt. "You know, he wasn't that much of a bastard. Not really." He whispered, practically speaking to the headstone rather than Maes.

"Uh, yeah he is. He left, didn't you hear?"

"It's not like he wanted to."

"So? Mom wanted him to stay home. Because it was… it was his birthday and we were supposed to have a family thing. And you know what he did? He up and got himself killed, for no reason other than to just leave us like the bastard that he is." Maes spat. He tapped his foot angrily.

"Nah. He didn't choose to die. He wanted to get the mission done so he could come home as soon as possible to visit his, and I quote, 'beautiful wife and four beautiful, amazing children.' Unquote. You know, as soon as you were born, he sounded very much like your namesake."

"My namesake?"

"Yeah. Maes Hughes. You know your cousin Elysia right? She stops in to visit you guys every once in a while. She was his daughter, and he was crazy about her. He was… killed. When Elysia was only three." The man explained.

"Who the hell are you, that you would know all of this?" Maes finally demanded.

The blond blinked at him and tossed a tiny, listless smile his way. "How? For years now I've worked under your father. I was on that damn mission that got him killed. If I'd only been there a few seconds sooner, you'd probably still have your dad. I'm General Edward Elric, ex-Fullmetal Alchemist—lost my alchemy years ago. I'm fine with Fullmetal, General, or Ed if you want." He knelt again, staring as water dripped down the headstone, obviously wanting to wipe it away. "Your father wasn't nearly as much of a bastard as mine was."

"Ch, liar. My father left us for good."

"So did mine. He just up and left one day when I was only four. I became the man of the house then, like you are now."

"Yeah? Well, your dad can come back. Mine had to be the worst father ever and pick the most permanent escape from us. He got himself fucking killed by a serial killer, dammit!"

"There was no escape here, Maes. He was taken away. And my dad chose to leave. Yours was forced. And they're both dead now." Edward said those words with such finality that Maes legitimately didn't know what to say for minutes. Finally, Edward continued, "Your dad was more of mine than my own father ever was. He taught me how to grow, kind of, because I worked under him. I'm damn lucky that he found me instead of one of the other bastards around here." He sat down in front of the grave and tucked his knees to his chest, resting his chin upon them.

Maes thought that he looked broken. "He just used you." He decided.

"Is that what you think? Do you think that, if he'd just used me, I'd be here, crying almost, because I could have done something to save him, but I didn't? No. I know when someone's using me. And it's not now. It wasn't then. It never was." Fullmetal explained. He offered a shaky smile to the grave.

Maes sank to the ground beside him. "Well, he's never coming back. He left us for good. He's better off gone, so he can go be with one of the ladies that he's been going after." His eyes suddenly became unfocused when he was slapped. No, it wasn't as hard as it could have been, or fierce, or mean, or… anything like that. But the fact of the matter was that he'd just been slapped. By a man that he didn't even know.

Edward's face was red, contorted with anger. "Your father…" he started. He didn't seem to know how to continue. He sighed, setting his face in his right hand just the way that Roy Mustang always did. Finally, he brushed his hand through his hair, just the way that Roy Mustang did. What the- "Your father loved your mother. Ever since I joined the military under his command, when I was 12, he has loved her, cared for her… You just… for twenty years I've seen them together in one way or the other, and if those two didn't love each other to the very depths of Hell, well then… then I'll be damned!"

He set his head in his hand again and suddenly laughed, "sure, you're father was always a bit odd in that way, but he was only like that because of the damn rules: no members of the military could be dating, could marry, or in any other way be romantic, basically, with another member of the military. Those women… were all distractions."

Again, Maes thought that he looked broken. The man, already on his feet, started to wander between his father's grave and the one next to it.

"Sorry about this…" the blond started. "…It looks like out of all of the things you could have gotten from your parents, you got my temper. Good move, Roy, good move…" he chuckled to himself. Maes wanted to call him legitimately screwed up in the head.

"Why are you trying to defend him?" Maes suddenly breathed. He dug his hands into his arms. "If he was so much like a dad to you, don't you feel like he left you too?"

"…No. I'd like to, but no, because I know that if there had been any other option, he'd have taken it. He was taken away from us. He didn't try to get away." He said.

"Bull." Maes hissed.

"Why are you so determined to think that your father is such a bastard when everything that you see, everywhere that you look, his influence is there? You have Ishbalans in your class, don't you? Well, if it weren't for your father, they would still be fugitives, every single one of them."

"…"

"…"

"Why?"

"Mhmm."

Maes paused, looking the man before him up and down. Why did he think like that? It wasn't just because he'd left. Not totally. He glanced down at the grave before him. "Because… because he's always just been the damn Führer! Always! He could hardly stand to spend a day as just dad, as just the man that would take his kids to the park just to push them a little higher on the swings! And… it wasn't fair. He promised." Maes suddenly found himself whimpering. He covered his eyes and shook his head.

"…What did he promise?"

"We… on the day that he went on that mission, he promised me that as soon as he got back, we'd go down to the orphanage again. To help there, you know. The whole family did it a while back, but now mostly dad and I go to help. We just like doing it, and the kids there love us. They…" tears started falling out of his eyes as every emotion under the sun hit him, "the little kids there called my dad their dad, sometimes. We'd stay for hours, just playing with them, helping them through adoption papers and stuff." He had to break for a second, had to stop so that he could breathe right. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a sob escaped. 'Why am I crying over him? He was only a bastard and that's all he ever would have been!'

Edward was soon by his side, rubbing his back.

"He loved helping them. He really did. We went on the weekends, sometimes, as a surprise for the kids." Maes sniffed. He scrubbed at his eyes. "They… the kids had a surprise for him that day; that's why I wanted him to go. They knew that it was his birthday and they all pitched in to buy him something nice. They were gonna throw him parties like we did for them. It would probably just be a little kid one but… that's all they know. And he wouldn't have cared anyway. That it was a little kid party, I mean, 'cause there'd be a grown-up one when we got home anyway."

Edward sighed a closed his eyes. "Maes," he called softly, to grab the shaking blond boy's attention. "Maes, would you like to know how your father died?"

Maes shook his head. "No. He probably just went and killed himself on his own and pretended it was the bad guy, huh? Probably jumped right in front of a bullet-"

"You could say that."

Maes looked up at him. No matter what he said, he didn't want that to be true. "Wh-what?"

Ed stretched, turning to look at the grave next to Roy's, the one that he'd been pacing in front of. He shoved his hands in the pockets of the long, red coat he was wearing. "You heard me. He jumped in front of a bullet. But it wasn't to kill himself." He dropped his head to stare at the muddy ground. Rain drops hit the back of his neck softly, pitter-pattering him almost reassuringly. "There was a serial killer going around about a half-an-hour north. I told him to stay home; it being his birthday, he should be at home to spend a day with you guys. But he told me that it was fine; it would be quick and easy. The killer was an idiot, always leaving so much. With the greatest alchemist in the military on our side and the greatest hand-to-hand combat fighter, it should have been easy. This guy wasn't even an alchemist himself. We knew who we were looking for, where he lived, his normal path to work and the stores, everything. He and I were stationed by an orphanage that he often passed by, just to surprise him. Well, he got us, by blowing up the orphanage right when he was supposed to come by us. The blast burst my eardrums; your dad was thrown to the ground enough to hit his head pretty roughly. Probably knocked him out."

Maes watched him, confused. Why was this guy who had worked under his father telling him this? What was the point?

"Out of the 23 children in that area that lived in that orphanage, two survived. The killer proclaimed that it didn't make any sense that parents should die while children live, and so he would kill the last two orphans and move on to the next one. As soon as Roy woke up- he was out for a second or two if he was at all- he got up and stepped in front of the two. The little orphans were twins, one boy and one girl. Real cute kids, Winry and I took care of them until we could get them set in another place.

"The guy attacked, forcing your dad out of the way and attempting to strangle the girl. I kicked him off of her and pushed the kids behind me, though Jackson- the killer- crashed into your dad and knocked him further back. Then he tackled me and held me to the ground. He took out a gun and aimed at the boy. The girl stepped in front of him. The gun shot as soon as your father was up. As soon as the gun went off I shoved the guy off and went to the kids, to try and get them. Once I realized what the Führer was trying to do, I planned to shove him out of the way and take the bullet myself." Edward gulped deeply and looked down at his hands.

Maes looked down to see if he had something in his hands, but nothing was there. He looked back up at the man, and noticed that one rain drop was following the shape of his face, as though not a raindrop at all, but a tear…

"Just a few seconds earlier and I would have saved him. Him and the kids. Everyone would be alright. Sure, I'd be in the hospital, but I've been there often enough that I know most of the doctors there anyway. He wouldn't… have died…"

Again, Maes noticed how broken he looked. "Were the kids alright?"

"The kids? Yeah. Emma and Isaiah were fine; they're a little shaken up but making friends well enough in another orphanage in Central. I killed Jackson not long after your dad fell."

"Why?"

"…He hurt my family…"

Edward said those words as though they were blatantly obvious, even with a little bit of pride in his voice.

"But you said that he's not your dad, he was just like one." Maes countered.

Edward chuckled. His eyes crinkled as he looked at the eleven-year-old. "Isn't Elysia your family?"

"Yeah."

"Exactly. By blood, she isn't related to you at all. She's just your… god-sister, I guess. Your family doesn't have to be limited to 'by blood'." The blond man explained.

"But-"

"Listen. I killed that son of a bitch- you'd better not tell your mother I said that, she'd have my head- because he took away my dad. And yours. And Lizzie's and Olivia's and Maria's. Because he could only think of himself. You know why your dad died? Because two orphans had already lost everything, and he knew from experience that they couldn't lose each other. He died protecting two kids."

Maes listened to him with a little bit more than just mild interest. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to glare at his father's headstone.

'He died protecting two kids…'

'The Führer, the single most important man in the country, died protecting two kids, who would never get a decent future unless they were adopted.'

"My Dad died defending two orphans."

"That's right."

'But… he wouldn't do that…'

"Does anyone else know that?"

"Besides the kids, you, and me… no. Well, Winry knows, actually. Uh, my wife. And your mom, of course."

'No one said anything. They're just letting everyone believe that he died fighting a serial killer. No one said that he gave his life for two little kids.'

"Why?"

"I think that he's not the bastard that you claim his is. The whole orphan bit kind of hit home for both of us. My mother died when I was really young. And his… they were both gone in a train crash."

"So he got killed because he was an… orphan?"

"You could say that."

Tears filled his eyes and started falling.

Ed crossed his arms to let the boy cry. "You want to know something else, Maes? A few hours after your dad died, my youngest was born. A boy. He's a month old now. Do you want to know what we named him?"

Sniffing, both shaking his head no and nodding his head yes, he affirmed through his tears, "y-yes General…"

"Roy. Roy Urey Elric. After your dad. And Winry's."

Heart pounding, Maes took a few steps backward, crashing against a headstone behind him. His father was good enough for Edward's child to be named after? The tears gushed down his cheek as everything hit him. He'd spent an entire month hating his father, pretending that he'd just left them. An entire month! He held his hand against his mouth, suddenly looking like he'd puke. "My dad… my dad!" he cried suddenly. His legs gave out, and he'd have crashed to the ground if Edward hadn't knowingly caught him and cradled him against his chest.

Maes started sobbing against the man's chest. "Oh god… oh god! My Dad's never coming back! I can't… not fair! My dad's dead and he can't come back and he'll never come back and what was he thinking? What kind of a person does that!" he demanded, curling into the older man's grip.

Edward stroked his back softly, tears slowly filling his own eyes. He pressed his face to the child's hair and let a few fall, rocking the boy.

"Why did he have to die?"

"Maes, he didn't want to…"

"I mean, I… I can't do this!"

"Shh, I know… you're alright…" Edward cradled him for another ten minutes, letting him sob and cry, even falling to the ground with him.

"I hated him for a whole month! 'Cause he saved two kids' lives!"

"Maes, you didn't know." Edward scolded softly.

Maes curled up against him. "No. No, no, no… 'm sorry, Dad…" he whimpered.

Ed sighed, breathing deeply into his golden hair. He glanced up suddenly when a loud voice cried, "Edward!" spotting a young woman running toward him with a golden-haired, golden-eyed baby in her arms, he smiled and held one finger to his lips. He softly shook Maes' shoulder. "Maes…"

Maes looked up, his eyes red, tears heavy, breathing in gasps of air. "Wh-what?" he whimpered.

Ed motioned up to the woman. "This is my wife Winry. Win, he just found out how Mustang died."

Winry gasped. She knelt and held the little boy out to Ed. "Ed, take Roy. Oh, sweetheart, come here…" tears trickling out of her eyes, she wrapped her arms around the young, father-less boy. "Shh, now, shh…"

"How come people hafta kill people?" Maes whimpered.

"No one will ever know, love." Another five minutes of tears finally found Winry and Edward pulling Maes to his feet. The young boy's wind tossed hair was an absolute mess (much like his father's) and his face was red. "Why don't we get you back home, love. Your mother's probably really worried about you by now."

Maes sniffed, his dark eyes on the headstone of his father. He felt Winry take hold of his hand.

"You can visit him tomorrow if you want. Maybe with your little sisters if you want." Winry purred.

Maes nodded. "Yeah… maybe I will." He felt Winry tug on his hand and turned to follow her and her husband. He finally noticed the young blond in Ed's arms. "Wh-who's that?" he asked.

Edward glanced at him. "This is Roy. I told you about him." "You can hold him if you want." Winry offered, glancing at the blond man for confirmation. Ed stopped and held out the tiny child to the young boy.

Gingerly, Maes took little Roy. The boy squealed in excitement and gurgled. He looked like he was working hard to stick his little fists into the air and brush his knuckles on his (Maes') collarbone. He gurgled happily.

"But he's so small… was I?"

"If not smaller." Ed assured softly.

Maes turned and stuck his tongue out. Suddenly… "You guys came around a few times when I was little, didn't you?"

"A few times. We haven't gotten the chance to recently. Now come on." Edward tugged on Maes' elbow. Maes followed him again, still holding tightly to Roy.

The two adults escorted him to a white car. Winry opened the back door and leaned in after taking her baby boy back. "Girls, I need you to move over, okay? We're going to be giving someone a ride home." Shuffling was heard in the back. Winry set Roy in his baby seat and buckled him in tightly. "Thank you girls." She moved out and turned to smile at the shaken boy. "In you go. You won't mind one of our girls sitting on your lap, would you?" she asked.

Maes shook his head. He climbed into the car and sat in the window seat. A weight climbed into his lap. He looked down at it.

A little girl was there, grinning at him. "I'm going to sit right… here." She decided. She had golden hair like Edward's, but blue eyes like Winry. She pointed to her chest with her thumb. "My name is Trisha Elric. My daddy is one of the most important peoples in the whole wide world. See him? He's real important." She told him proudly, sticking her chin out proudly.

"Hello?" Maes offered.

"And that's my sister. See her? Me and her are identical twins. We look the exact same, but she's a lot more quieter. Her name is Sara. I'm named after our Daddy's mommy, and Sara is named after our Mommy's mommy. And my little brother is Roy. He's named after my Mommy and Daddy's daddy! Except he's gone away now, but my daddy says that maybe we'll be able to see him again. Did you know that my Mommy and Daddy's daddy walked my mommy down the aisle? Whatever that means. Granddaddy was an awful lot proud when he told my sister and me that." Trisha explained. She turned around when Edward scolded her, taking the seat belt and buckling them both in.

Maes chuckled at her. She was so talkative. "I know your brother. He was named after my… Daddy."

"Granddaddy is your daddy? Does that make you my uncle?"

"No. I'm not your uncle." Maes scoffed.

Up front, Winry giggled from the passenger seat and Edward rolled his eyes.

"But then who are you? We don't even know your name!" the other little girl, Sara, cried.

"I'm… Maes Mustang."

"Are you our brother?"

Edward snorted. Roy screeched and laughed.

"Sure. I'm your… quarter brother."

"Brother!" Sara and Trisha cried happily. Roy squealed, apparently agreeing with them.

Five minutes later found Edward pulling into the driveway of the Mustang household (mansion). He shut off the car and opened the door, letting himself out and then letting out the kids in the back seat. Sara, determined to be the ever-responsible one, took Roy and held the baby out to his mother. Edward then led his small family (and Maes) up to the front door. Yes, technically, Maes could have let him in, but he wasn't exactly thinking straight.

Winry rang the doorbell as Ed slid one arm around Maes' shoulders and the other held out for one of his daughters to grab.

"Just a minute! Girls, settle please… oh my Lord…" came the frantic, worried voice of Maes' mother. Seconds later, a tired looking Riza Mustang opened the door, leaning against it. "Oh… Edward… I'm sorry about this; I feel so out of place right now…" it was about then that she noticed that Edward's arm wasn't slung around his wife. She followed the flesh arm, finally spotting Maes. Her eyes brightened gratefully. "Oh… Maes!" she cried. She pulled him out of Edward's grip and into her own, rocking him softly.

Edward let her, releasing the young child softly. He took the hand of his other daughter.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, young man! I just lost your father, the thought of losing you too…" Riza squeezed her eyes shut and kissed her son's head.

"Sorry Mom."

"We'll talk about this later." Riza released her son as three little girls appeared behind her.

"Mommy?"

"Where did you find him? I was so worried, he'd been gone for half a day and… you're soaked to the bone! Come in, come in!" Riza ushered them in.

Edward pulled his daughters inside and tugged off their raincoats. "I went to visit the Führer, you know, and he was there. Being all mad at him. So I told him… you know what."

Riza's eyes softened immensely. "Well thank you."

A small tug on his shirt grabbed Edward's attention. He soon found himself looking into deep black eyes. Two hands held themselves up to him. "Uncle Edo!" It took a second for Ed to realize that it wasn't Roy Mustang's eyes that he'd found, but the man's little daughter, the only of triplets to look exactly like her father. "Well hello, Olive." He said, stooping and picking her up.

Little Olivia scrubbed at her eyes and leaned against him. "Hallo, Uncle Edo." she said.

Edward sighed. "I bet you miss your daddy, huh?"

"Very much all the time." Olive squeaked. She hummed when he pet her hair.

Edward softly set her down and she went back over to her mother and brother. She cuddled against the young blond boy's leg.

Elizabeth soon found comfort in the soft arms of her Aunt Winry. Little Maria—who was just as stressed as her siblings—went over to cry to Sara and Trisha.

And the entire household was quiet. Besides Winry, who was shushing her crying youngest child and at the same time rocking young Elizabeth, there was no noise. Riza wrapped one arm tightly around her son's shoulders and took Olive's hand, leading her over to the couch. Slowly, the other two adults found their way over to the living area, dragging their children with them.

Both Trisha and Sara cuddled in their father's lap, while Roy snuggled into the blankets in his mother's arms. Riza's four just gathered around her. Finally, "how are you two handling it?"

Ed sighed, rubbing one of his daughter's back while petting the other's hair. "Well enough, I think. Considering the circumstances. I've gone down to visit every week but… that's beside the point."

His girls giggled softly.

"Are you heading back up to Resembool soon?" Riza asked them.

"After one more visit."

Winry sighed at her husband who had cast a downcast look at the carefully placed rug. "We're all going this time. All five of us. You can come with if you want. I think that he'd like that." She said.

Riza, who had focused her eyes on the fireplace where no fire was roaring (around this time and in this situation, Roy would have snapped and made a large enough one to heat the whole house), glanced up at Winry again. "Huh? Maybe… I don't know." She watched Winry bounce the tiny Roy as the blond baby giggled and kicked his little feet. "How's Roy been?" she breathed.

"Pretty well. He's been giggling a lot lately." Winry said.

"He cries all the time." Edward deadpanned. Riza knew it would come to this.

"He loves being held."

"I haven't gotten a wink of sleep since he was born." Ed moaned. Riza knew that it wasn't entirely because of baby Roy and may have something to do with the man that he had long ago first considered a father.

"He gets along with the girls; they at least like him."

"Between him and the twins, we haven't gotten any free time." Riza knew that that was a lie. Why else would he be going to the cemetery?

"Can't you think of one nice thing to say about your son?" Winry suddenly demanded, turning to her husband, one hand cradling her son and the other on her hip.

Edward blushed. Sure, he'd been teasing, but still. "Uh… he looks an awful lot like you?"

By that time, the four-year-old Elrics were having laughing fits through the tears that wouldn't fall. The one-year-old released a short but loud giggle of delight.

Winry just rolled her ocean blue eyes. "You never change, do you Elric?"

"Do you?"

"Well, I changed something for you!"

Riza rolled her eyes at the couple, hearing her triplets giggle at the two and even Maes fought to suppress a laugh.

Finally, Ed slumped backwards, stretching his arms above him. Both Riza and Winry could tell, from his eyes, that something was bothering him. "Ahhh… this is all so weird." He admitted after a long sigh.

"What is?"

"I don't know. Nothing. Everything. Being here. Well, here especially. Just the three of us, rather than the four. Uh, not counting the kids."

"Ohh…" in all honesty, Winry knew that that was the case. She giggled a little as her son grabbed her hair. "You're right. It kind of is." She agreed, wrestling her hair from her darling baby's little grip. The boy squealed cheerfully, his round features beckoning for her to hug and kiss him like she always did at bedtime.

Riza sighed. She looked toward the kitchen. "Well… I was about to start to make supper. It's just some chicken. Do you five want to stay over? I'm sure the kids don't mind." She offered softly.

"Yes!" Olive, Lizzie, and Maria decided for them. Trisha and Sara animatedly nodded as well. They clung to their father, crying, "please, Daddy?"

Winry chuckled.

"…If it's alright with Aunt Riza, it's alright with me." Ed decided, sighing in defeat.

"I don't mind." Winry agreed, smiling at her two little girls.

"Thank you, Mommy and Daddy!" the twins squealed.

A few days later, Maes found himself standing in front of the large, gray, bleak building that was the orphanage he and his father used to volunteer at all of the time. He looked up at it, shining coal eyes filled with sadness. This place… he had never been here without his father by his side. Not once. Now… he'd have to face that horrible truth for the rest of his life.

His mother had offered to come with, but somehow… it'd never be the same. And besides, the kids knew him better than they knew his mother, who had only been there once.

He looked up at one of the windows, where he knew the playroom was. Finally, he forced himself to step forward and go into the orphanage. The same one, he'd been told, that Isaiah and Emma had been placed in.

First of all, before he went to visit the kids, he had to see the caretakers, to apologize for not being there in so long. That was the first order of business. Then he had to apologize to the kids.

The first door that you saw was the caretaker's office, and his current destination. He knocked on the door first and, after hearing a deep voice call "come in", he opened it.

There were two desks. The one on the right belonged to the man, and the one on the left belonged to the woman. They were a couple, married for years, and co-ran the orphanage. They were both very nice, and took very good care of the kids.

"Mr. Nicholas? Mrs. Jena'a? Can I speak with you?" (1) Maes pushed the door all of the way open, finding two pairs of green eyes watching him.

"Maes! Maes Mustang! Why, it has been a while. How are you?" Came the sugar-sweet voice of Jena'a. Though he did hear the hint of sadness in her voice. Ah, she'd heard.

"Come in, Maes, sit down. What do you need?" Nicholas asked, waving to a chair against the wall.

Maes gulped and took a seat. Soon, he found the words that he wanted to say spilled out in a rush so quick that not even he knew what he was trying to say.

"Whoa, whoa, son. Slow down. Now, slowly, what do you need?" Nicholas chuckled.

"Uh… I'm sorry. That I haven't been here in a while. With everything that's happening… you heard?" Maes glanced up at both of them.

Jena'a nodded. "Aye. We did. We went to his funeral actually. We'd have come to say hello, but we could see that your family needed some time." She fisted her hand in her skirt and relaxed.

"Did you tell the kids?"

"No. We thought it best that you do that." Nicholas admitted softly.

'Shit.' Order of business number 3. Explain to the kids why he was alone. "Okay. I will. Um… you won't mind if I stay here a while?"

"Of course not. The kids have been missing you and your father."

Maes nodded and stood to leave. "I'm just going to go and visit them…" he paused, his hand on the doorknob, and turned around. "Hey wait. Are there two kids named Isaiah and Emma here? They should be new."

"Yeah. They don't hang around the kids much, just stay around each other in their rooms. It's sad, actually. They seem so shaken up."

"Okay… anyway, I'm going to go see the kids now. Um… talk to you later." And with that, he went off to find the kids.

As expected, most of them were in the playroom. As soon as he opened the door and stepped in, the kids stopped playing and stared at him in disbelief. Finally, a little brunette named Nami broke the silence by running up to him crying, "Nii-chan!" seconds later, the others were in his arms. Everyone, besides two little kids in the corner.

One little boy giggled at him, "wow, nii-chan, you haven't been here in forever! What took ya so long? We been waitin'!" he told him.

Maes chuckled. "Sorry, little otouto-chan. I didn't do that on purpose." He assured, which was technically a lie.

"Are we gonna celebrate otou-san's birfday today, nii-chan? We still got most everything ready! Shh, hold him off and we'll 'SURPRISE!' him!" a young redhead laughed excitedly.

The mention of the Führer sent the kids into a language of confusing gibberish, each of them asking their questions at the same time. The main question being, "where is otou-chan?"

Maes' breath hitched and he sighed. He held up his hand for silence. The kids obeyed excitedly. "Can someone go and get all of the other kids? I think that this is something that everyone needs to hear. And, try to stay silent. Me and a few kids have to talk."

Nami raised her hand, followed by a blond boy, Brandon, and a white-haired girl, Nicole. They took off.

Maes pushed his finger to his mouth and left the crowd. The kids stayed where they were, curious.

The two kids in the corner watched as he approached. "Emma and Isaiah?" he asked, nodding at each in turn.

They seemed hesitant, but nodded.

"Do you know Roy Mustang?"

The little girl Emma gulped and nodded. "…Yes… he saved our lives. And he…" she glanced at the other kids, knowing that they didn't know. She leaned in and whispered in his ears, "died for us."

Maes nodded at her. "I know that. Roy Mustang was my father."

Emma whimpered. Isaiah looked down in shame. "Sorry…" he whispered.

Maes sat back and shook his head. "Nah. I don't blame you. It's great, that he died protecting you two. Makes him really brave." He said.

Both nodded in agreement.

"Nii-chan! Here's e'erybody!" Nami rushed back into the room excitedly, followed by Brandon and Nicole and the other kids. The newcomers giggled and went to him as well, "hello, Nii-chan!"

"Good." Maes looked around and found a chair. He grabbed it and dragged it over to the kids. "Sit down, guys. It's story time. I've got one of my own."

So he explained to them the story of his father's last mission and his death. A few didn't understand at first, but they seemed to catch on. By the end, several were crying.

"B-but he can't! He was always the biggerest and strongerest! He can't be g-gone! Niiiiiiii-chan!" one girl sobbed.

Maes nodded, starting to tear up as well.

He ended up receiving a hug from everyone of the orphans, and giving them back in return. Emma and Isaiah got extra long ones. He even promised to visit everyday for the next month. Even for a few minutes.

And, walking from the orphanage, feeling lonelier than he had all month he knew that for the rest of life, nothing would ever be the same.

(1) Jena'a is pronounced Jenaya.

Sorry for the bad ending :p I've been working on it for a while and I just wanted it done. :) Please review, hope you liked it! XD

~YAJJ