A/N: Well this is the last chapter for Fetch. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I'm sad to close it so I, with the wonderful help of my Beta, Kristen who helped me get my head together, decided on a sequal. Thanks to her I have a beautiful introduction... So in the next few months if anyone is insterested in reading more of Roy, Ed, Lily, and Al, look for it. It will be titled Bittersweet.
I's also like to thank all my reviewers. You guys are great and I wish I could hug you all in person, but since I can't hugs you this way. Thank you so much for reading.
Hana
Chapter 20: beginning anew, adopting one more
It had taken two whole months before everything finally calmed and returned to somewhat of a routine and one Roy Mustang could live with. He'd received word after returning from Resembool from both Maes and General Hakuro, of the out come of Anise's case. She'd been transferred to Central while he, Lily, and the Elric's had been gone and sentenced to execution for two counts of attempted murder, arson, drug trafficking, child neglect and abuse, Roy's personal disgust molestation and somehow animal abuse. How the state had managed to work in animal abuse let alone discovered that little matter was beyond him for he'd never told anyone except for Riza what Lily had told him.
Of course it had all been carried out and taken care of while they were gone. Her accomplices, had life in prison, Mr. Lansdale, the one who helped keep Lily in a coffin would face execution at the end of the month but Roy found he just didn't care about any of them. He was focusing upon starting fresh.
He and the boys had managed to get Lily into her room after arriving home; even got her to sleep in there alone for one night and amazingly enough she didn't wake from a nightmare. But that was enough for them and Roy found a new house in East City, a slightly larger one closer to Eastern command that bordered the outskirts of the city. It had bigger yards for all three kids to play in and a nice tree in the back. The boys made a nice swing to hang from one of the branches and Edward transmuted a fence. It seemed to be the perfect house, clean of terrible memories and ready to receive new happy ones.
It was also perfect because the back yard looked out into the edge of the woods. Roy didn't know how many times he'd come home or looked up from reading in the evenings to find the house oddly quiet and find all three of his children out exploring those woods. But it didn't matter they always came home just as it was getting dark and didn't stay gone too long. They were blessedly thriving and the house was filled with laughter once again.
There were a few nightmares between all of them but they were growing fewer and farther between. Lily didn't like closets to hide in anymore, hated loud noises even less, and was still afraid of the dark but that was alright. The only thing that bothered Roy was her need to be with someone at all times but he hoped she'd grow passed that and be alright soon.
It snowed again and Roy took all three of them out to play in it, roping Havoc, Breda, Fury, and even Falman into a small snow ball fight. Lily taught Ed and Al how to make a snow dog. He showed them what Sable had taught him, the comparison between snow and people and they'd understood. Ed thought it was smart, too smart to have come directly from him, knew it had to have come from someone wiser.
Roy started looking for a new teacher for Lily and the boys, after learning that even though they had their bodies back; Edward still wanted to be a state alchemist. Well Roy couldn't very well enroll them in school and didn't really think Lily was ready for more of a public scene. A teacher who taught them at home would do just fine and could work around Ed and Al's missions as Al was dead set upon following his brother. Lily didn't like that very much but she said she could deal.
After a long discussion Roy had been convinced by Edward and Alphonse to let them handle Lily's alchemy lessons. They promised to study a variety of things and to be honest; they were both very talented and knew more than enough to pass to the state's written exam. Just because Al hadn't finished taking the exam didn't mean he didn't know what he was talking about, and well Edward was a state alchemist. But in return for this privilege they had to report in as soon as they arrived at their destinations upon missions, report in every day while they were gone, and before they left. Ed made some comment about his leash to which Roy said, "No, just making sure you come home in one piece."
Adopting the Elric's hadn't been difficult at all. He simply spoke with Kelly who put him in contact with her husband who in turn drew up all the paperwork, spoke with Ed and Al and in one week it was finished, they were officially his. They had to make the necessary change in Edward's State file but that didn't take long at all, just a simple call to Hakuro in Central who congratulated them happily.
However this evening Roy got a surprise he wasn't sure he was comfortable with when he arrive home from work. There was a strange woman awaiting him in the living room, a clatter going on in the kitchen, and as soon as he called out his return, the house grew deadly silent. Not exactly what he was looking forward too, especially after receiving a note from Riza mixed in with his paperwork, a note that asked him to meet her at eight at a restaurant. It was clearly an invitation for a date and clearly not written in her hand, almost, but definitely forged.
When he spoke to her about it, she'd said she'd received a strange letter supposedly from him, handwriting near identical coming to her from the hands of Lily when she and the boys had come up for lunch. They concluded the children were conspiring against them and decided to go on the date anyway, their first.
"What are you doing?" He called.
"Nothing Dad," Ed replied.
Yeah right, Roy thought and hung up his coat, toeing out of his boots. He left the open foyer to greet a woman sitting upon his sofa. She was older than he was, probably in her fifties but smiled up at him, a warm one at that. She had a nice look about her, clean and well mannered. "They won't tell me either Colonel Mustang." She said softly.
Roy nodded. "Excuse me for being rude but you are?"
"Heather Lockwood, I'm here in response to your inquiry for a teacher in the paper for your children."
"I was beginning to think no one was going to reply, thank you for coming, would you like something to drink?" He asked with a smile.
Ms. Lockwood shook her head and declined with a smile. She did however; pass him her credentials which he took thankfully. She'd taught in primary and secondary schools in Central and recently retired from a secondary school here in East City. She had a list of references as well; all principals who wrote short but good recommendations about her abilities. She was married so she wasn't a Ms. She was a Mrs. And had three children of her own.
"Don't give him that Lily, he won't like it." He heard Edward say from the kitchen.
"Just because we don't like milk doesn't mean he will hate it too. Al look at the book, won't he need it? Maybe we should warm it up." Came Lily's reply.
What were they doing? And for that matter what the hell were they talking about.
"They do need milk brother," Al said.
"You should name him Spot." Ed said.
Alright that was enough. "Excuse me,"
"Of course," Mrs. Lockwood replied.
"Ed, Lily, Alphonse would you please come in here?" he called.
There was a shuffling of feet and some shifting about the kitchen before all three of them came, Lily holding something furry, brownish orange and white, in her arms. She wasn't exactly trying to hide it, but stood half behind Edward. All three of them had the same odd look, one mixed with pleading and dread, as if they thought they were going to be in trouble.
"He was all alone in the cold Daddy. We didn't find its family." Lily said softly and came to him.
Roy looked at the creature in her arms with a strange sense of dread, wondering what in the world they'd found. "He was shivering," she whispered pathetically. "I couldn't leave him." Where had he heard that before? He glanced at Al, the boy stiffed immediately and pointed to Edward, who in turn pointed to Lily. Lily narrowed her eyes at them both before turning her attention back to him.
He sighed, stuck and helpless and that look of 'please Daddy let me keep him'. "Well let me see,"
Lily carefully placed the animal upon his lap, petting its sleepy little head. Good grief it was so tiny and it was a fox! She'd brought home a kit! Of all the things… They could have gotten a dog or a cat. He was beginning to think a mouse was better because a fox was most certainly a wild animal and near as he could tell none of his children had any experience training animals.
Still it was tiny, would be defenseless, and helpless out in the snowy winter. "You're sure you looked for its mother?"
Ed and Al glanced at each other then back at him. They nodded but he could tell by their looks of caution and slight dread they had found the kit's mother and she wasn't alive anymore. "We did find its mother," Al began.
"But she was, well gone. So were the other two kits who knows what happened to the dad." Ed replied quickly and gave him the same pleading look Lily was giving him.
So they were dealing with an orphaned baby fox. "And I suppose you want to keep him?"
"That's the general idea," Ed replied as Lily nodded.
"He doesn't have anyone else Daddy. Can't we adopt him too?"
Soft chuckling sounded from Mrs. Lockwood as Roy sighed and gave in. He just didn't have the heart to turn a baby animal out into the cold on its own nor deny his kids. "Alright but he's your responsibility. You should go to the library, one of you, to read up on foxes."
"I'll go," Al said happily and ran from the living room to put on his shoes and coat.
"As for you Edward, you should look into making dinner or at least watch the kit while Lily makes it. I'll be going out tonight with Riza and we know the three of you wrote us those notes; we'll be discussing that later. Now if you'll excuse me I need to finish this interview."
"Yes Daddy," Lily said excitedly and carefully lifted her new pet from his lap. "Come on big brother we have to make him a bed."
"And find a better name than spot." Roy called after them.
"Okay," Ed replied.
As soon as they were alone again, Roy turned his attention to Mrs. Lockwood. "You're hired, when can you start? The fox isn't going to be a problem is it?"
"Next Monday," she replied with a smile.
"Wonderful, thank you very much," he said with relief then showed her out.
When he found Lily and Edward, they were in the study and had the kit in a blanketed shoe box in the middle of the floor, both petting it. A fox. A real live baby fox, he'd never even seen one that small and hoped it didn't die on them.
"How about Peter?" Ed asked.
Lily wrinkled her nose. "You can't name a fox Peter."
"Why not, you named a mouse Tristan."
"Foxes need prettier names big brother." She replied matter-of-factly.
Roy snorted and knelt before them. "Brennan?"
Lily perked her brow. "I'm only seven Daddy, something I can spell consistently please."
Roy chuckled. "Bob?"
"I'm seven not three," She bit.
"Okay how about Logan or maybe Kai, Morgan?"
"Kai sounds nice," Ed agreed.
Lily sighed in thought for a moment. "I like Logan better. It's the name of the fairy prince in a book Daddy read me last year. I can spell it too."
"So it's Prince Logan?" Roy asked, brushing her hair from her eyes.
"No, just Logan. He's not a fairy but he can work for knighthood if he's good."
"Knighthood?" Ed asked. "Lily he's a fox."
"And I'm a princess and this," she motioned to the house. "Is my castle where I live with my Daddy who is king and big brothers who are princes. Where have you been?"
Hmm, Roy rather liked the title of King.
Ed rolled his eyes.
"Now all we need is a queen. So Daddy go get ready and sweep Riza off her feet." Lily ordered and it was an order not to be taken lightly or in jest. She was dead serious.
"Now that I am good at, don't expect her to come home with me right away Lily, these things take time." Roy cautioned with a soft smile.
"It might but not much, you like her, she likes you, she'll be a great mom, just hide her guns." Ed replied with a grin.
Roy nodded, there would be no pointing of guns or shooting at him at home, else he'd not be safe anywhere. He certainly didn't want to have to hide behind one of the kids and he couldn't do that.
"Daddy!" Lily persisted poking at his arm. "Go,"
"Alright, alright," He said getting to his feet. He paused not really wishing to leave them at home by themselves. "Are you guys going to be alright here alone? Do you want to come along?"
Lily and Ed both exchanged annoyed glances before Lily sighed.
"You aren't afraid of her are Dad?" Ed asked with a wicked grin. "The Roy Mustang afraid of a date? I can't wait to tell everyone."
"Now wait a minute-" Roy began as Lily got to her feet with one hand upon her hip. She pointed sternly toward the door.
"Get out of that uniform and into a nice suit, then get your butt out the door. Make sure you pick up flowers too or you're in big trouble!"
For a moment Roy could only blink, did she just… She did just, he'd be damned, he'd been commanded by a seven year old. He smiled and ruffled her hair. It looked like things were really going to be okay. "Alright," he said and turned to head up to his room. They'd be just fine, he'd be just fine, and soon Riza would be with them, he was sure of it. Then everything would be… perfect. No, not perfect, he didn't want perfect, just wanted this, this feeling of ease and happiness he was feeling right at this moment. He finally had what he'd always wanted, a family of his own. He'd had it before with Sable and lost it, but who said there weren't second chances.