Disclaimer - Kym Rooker is my own character. All others belong to Fullmetal Alchemist. This is a sequel to Cigarettes and the Snow and placed two years later. Rated M for adult situations, language, and acts of war.

Haymens Breda scanned the loud bar for his long time friend, standing up on his toes to scan over the heads until he recognized his friend at the far end. "Finally," he smirked, draping his coat over his arm. "Been looking for you, man. When did you get here?"

Raising his blond head and bobbing his cigarette up and down in his mouth, Jean Havoc gave a toothy grin. "Been here an hour ago. The train got stuck after a few trees fell over the tracks. I meant to call, but I figured to come straight here instead of stopping by the office." He held up a glass of gin and ice. "I ordered you a drink."

"Thanks," Breda accepted the glass and sat down at the bar. "How the job been?"

Havoc swirled his glass slightly, watching the ice clink along the bottom of the glass. "Been going great. I do a number of traveling from one command center to another, but the hours are steady and the money's good. Just had to get my 'train legs'."

Breda chuckled and took a small sip of his gin. "How's Kym doing?"

"Pregnant." Jean blunted out, his head hanging slightly. "Mostly planned, but we took the chance." He stared down at his glass. "I'm wicked excited, but her mood's been a trip. General Armstrong's keeping her distracted with simple training sessions or duties. I'll be up to see her tomorrow evening once I'm done with the latest shipment."

"How far along?"

He softly laughed, putting out the remains of his cigarette. "Three months. The Briggs doc's been watching her carefully and everything is going great so far."

"Six more months, man." Haymens reminded him, giving him a light punch to the shoulder. "How's the Drachma situation going?"

He sorted, lighting a fresh cigarette. "They're tired of listening to negotiations and war is inevitable." He took a long drag and let the nicotine fill his lungs before letting it out slowly. "If that happens, Kym's going to the front lines if she's capable."

Breda raised his brows thoughtfully. "You've avoided it so far, right?" Havoc nodded. "Keep a positive thought, okay?"

"I'm trying, Breda. I'm really trying." He hung his head heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Enough about me and my life; how are you doing?"

Haymens tapped the bridge of his nose and closed one eye with a smile. "Promotion, pal! My girlfriend can't wait to throw me a party this weekend."

"It's going to be one hell of a party then, knowing her!" Havoc finished his glass and motioned for the bartender. "How about everyone else?"

"Fuery's focusing on his career more than anything, Mustang and Hawkeye are 'attempting' to focus on work more than each other. I'm not sure about Falman, though. I haven't heard from him for a while for the past few months." The larger man swirled his glass and placed it on the counter.

Havoc exhaled through his nose, smoke coming out in one puff. "Glad everyone's been doing good." He glanced at the clock, taking note of the time. "I need to get back to the station. I've got a shipment of weapons to get to the south before morning."

"It was good seeing you again, Havoc. Give my well wishes to Kym, right?"

Jean chuckled, holding his cigarette between his teeth. "I will before she freezes my nuts off."

"If she does, you certainly have my sympathy."

*K*K*K*K*K*K*

Kym Rooker scanned over an alchemy book, taking in every detail of using snow within alchemy. Even though she had been certified as a State Alchemist several years before, the half Ishvalan woman still drove forward to learn about her unique alchemy and how to use it to the best of her ability to protect her country. "Now let's see here," she muttered, folding down the corner of a page before flipping to another page. "I wonder if this would work."

"Negotiations are getting a bit touchy." A comrade appeared behind her, placing a book down in front of her. "If you have your baby before a war breaks out, you may not end up going to the front."

Rooker exhaled softly and pushed her dark shades up her nose. "I'm quite aware of that, Henschel. I'm just trying to figure out if I can still help or not, depending on what condition I'm in."

The broad-shouldered Second Lieutenant sat across from her, folding his pale fingers on the library table. "You would still be able to use alchemy while pregnant?"

"I'm still able to use it now, but I don't know if I would be able to when I'm farther along." She continued flipping through pages, not even lifting her head to give her attention to the older man. "Considering it takes a certain amount of energy to use alchemy, I might not be able later on."

The man combed his fingers through his slicked back blond hair and huffed. "Armstrong wouldn't like it if you're not able to."

"She has her tanks and weapons. Not everything is lost with me out of commission." She explained with a wave of her hand. "You all managed to survive the battle in Central two years ago without me."

Henschel caught her waving hand and grabbed her attention when she raised her eyes. "You were helping during the battle by making sure the weapons and the man bringing the weapons in wasn't harmed if he was found out."

Kym pulled her wrist free from his hold and formed a solid snow knife, holding it between his eyes. "Give me a warning next time before you grab me, 'kay?"

A smirk formed on the man's face and he stood up, ignoring the glistening sharp weapon pointed at him. "Like I can take your threats. I know you better than that, Alchemist." He shoved his hands into his military jacket pockets and walked out of the library. "At least remember to eat. You need to keep up your strength."

Yeah. Yeah. She thought, the weapon evaporating into the air. Her red irises glanced at the he had placed in front of her and she frowned slightly. "Damn man. Not even involved in my life and he wants to help." She picked it up and flipped through a few pages, scanning it quickly. "Actually, this could be helpful. Looks like this holds complicated equations to advance what I already know."

"You're welcome!" Came Henschel's voice near the entrance of the library.

Jean stretched his arms over his head, looking over the clipboard before him as the train continued on through the snowy mountains. Being in charge of weapon shipments and making sure everything was working well, Havoc had his hands full and enjoyed his job. He mainly worked in Central and had an apartment there, but he traveled all over the country to various command centers and exited the train in North City every other day to see Kym in Fort Briggs.

Writing his initials next to a checklist for North City's shipment, he caught his oil lamp before it fell to the train floor as they went around a corner. "Getting awfully tired of catching you," he muttered to the lamp, returning it to its hook on the wall.

"Mr. Havoc? We'll be in North City in ten minutes," reported a train employee, giving the man a salute.

Havoc returned it. "Thank you. Please make sure the ammo is taken off first as I don't want the cold to affect them."

"Yes, sir." The employee counted the number of ammo cartons and ready them to be moved first.

The train slowed to a compete stop and Jean watched over the cartons being moved, writing down a check for each one removed off the train car until all designated cartons were off and he called it an evening. He pulled the train car door shut and handed the check list to a train officer. "This should do it for the week's shipment. See you in a few days?"

"Certainly will, Mr. Havoc." The young man gave the smoker a nod of the head and climbed back into the train.

Slipping a fresh cigarette between his lips and lighting it with a flick of his lighter, Jean Havoc watched small flakes fall from the darkening sky, inhaling the now familiar smell of the North City and the cold winter weather. The north had become his second home over the past year as his relationship with Kym became much deeper than he would have imagined. Then, after one pleasurable evening, Kym had paused in the midst of taking a medical pill given to all female personal to prevent pregnancy. 'What if we had a child?' she had asked, causing Havoc to almost drop a lit cigarette to the carpeted floor.

He had almost swallowed the smoke that froze in his throat as well. 'How's that?' he asked, attempted to compose himself.

Kym flopped down onto the bed and crossed her legs, dressed in only her matching bra and panties. 'You and me having a child. I'm financially stable and you're financially stable.' He remembered watching her nervously rolling the small round pill between her fingers, her eyes rising up to look into his. 'If I freaked you out, we can just forget about it. Just a stupid woman thinking out loud.'

Smiling to himself, he inhaled a deep breath from his smoke and exhaled through his nostrils. As snowflakes fell gracefully on his blond hair, Jean remembered specifically agreeing to the life changing choice and pulled her into a tight hug. It was more or less unexpected as they didn't know when she would become pregnant and he still laughed to himself when she dropped into a chair when the Briggs doctor broke the news to them.

"Time to head home to see my happily expecting woman," Jean spoke out loud to no one in particular - it was just wonderful to have those words pass through his lips.

*K*K*K*K*K*K*

Two hours later, Jean Havoc quietly unlocked the door to Kym's quarters and quickly noticed the place was pitch black. Must be asleep, he thought, shedding his winter coat and hanging it, silently heading to the bedroom.

He reached a pale hand out and felt around on the bed until he came in contact with a warm foot sticking out from under the covers, following it up until his hand rested on her waist. "Kym?" He whispered softly, sliding up against her. "I'm home."

"Hm?" She stirred slightly in her sleep and nuzzled against his bearded chin.

Havoc smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I missed you."

"Uh-huh," she muttered, wrapping draping her arm over his side. She finally cracked an eye open and stared where his face was located. "When did you get back?"

Laughing, he nuzzled his nose against her light brown hair. "Just now."

"Good." Rooker raised her head and pressed her lips to his. "I've been missing you the second you left." She felt one hand rubbing her gradually expanding belly and sighed into his neck. "I feel huge already, too."

He tsked with a smirk. "Hardly, sweetheart. If you feel huge now, I can't imagine how you'll feel in the next few months."

"I've been eating everything in sight, snapped at Henschel earlier, and had to bite my tongue before talking back at Armstrong during a very casual meeting about border patrol." The Blizzard Alchemist shifted closer until she was pressed firmly against him. "I feel huge."

"Well, you're still not huge." Jean whispered, running a hand along her side. "You are still beautiful to me." He gently took a hold of her dark complexion hand and felt the roughed calluses along her fingers. "How are negotiations going?"

Kym was silent as she slowly pulled away and sat up, draping her legs over the side of the bed. Dressed in only a tee and sleep shorts, the state alchemist firmly gripped the edge and finally spoke up. "They're not working, Jean. War's going to happen whether or not I have our child and I'll have to go to the front lines no matter what."

Havoc reached a hand out and touched her shoulder, sadly sighing when she jerked under his touch. "You haven't been sleeping since I left last time, have you?"

"Not really," she muttered, her mouth barely moving as she spoke. "I've been studying in the library on orders and on my own choice." Rooker stood up and stretched her arms over her head, cracking her back slightly. "I need to get back to work. Get some sleep, okay?"

Jean grabbed for her wrist and pulled her back to the bed. "No, you're not. You need the rest or you'll collapse from exhaustion. You could also lose the baby, Kym."

"Jean, do you understand the stress Briggs soldiers are under? We're to protect the border line between Amestris and Drachma. The responsibility on my shoulders is doubled because of my alchemy." She calmly explained, not resisting when he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her against chest.

Shaking his head and kissing her shoulder, the blond former Lieutenant wasn't going to hear it. "You also have the responsibilities of being a mother. You need your rest. What if I brought the books to you?"

"Do you know what I need to read and where to find them? It's not your usual literature."

Havoc moved around until he was facing her, seriousness etched it his normal carefree demeanor. "Then show me."

The next morning -

Kym Rooker dropped five books in front of Jean Havoc, watching his jaw almost drop. "This is what I've working on. I'm trying to control my alchemy so it can be merged with other types of alchemy."

Havoc picked up a rather thick book, flipping through the pages carefully. It was very complex and scientific equations with different alchemy symbols he recognized and didn't recognize. "This is so complicating. What you're trying to do is see if you can combine different types of alchemy? You're going to control two instead of one?"

"No, this is going to involve two alchemists - myself and someone else." She sat down slowly and opened another book, flipping through the pages until she found a chapter and showed it to him. "I have someone in mind, but I want to find out if I can can combine mine and his before asking for his help."

Jean understood, getting a clear idea of what was causing her restlessness during the night. "You're trying to become a better alchemist?"

"I always am. That's another reason why I decided to become a state alchemist because I would have research funds." She smiled in relief, glad he was starting to get it. "I don't know when we may go to war, but I need to be ready. I want to be ready."

The blond shook his head in amazement. "How long have you been working on this?"

"Two years. At least since we got word Drachma's been pissed for Kimblee's trick that resulted in the slaughter of the entire Drachma army." She formed a large solid marble and started rolling it between her hands on the table. "That's why Armstrong's been a little pushy with me about this. I'm the only alchemist assigned here and she wants me at my best."

"I had no idea this was going on. I mean, if a war's going to happen, you'd think there would be more weapons being shipped this way?"

She shook her head, light brown hair waving slightly. "Not really. We don't want to worry anyone, especially since The Promise Day fiasco. If a war does happen, then there will be a larger quota of weapons being needed to supply all of the troops."

"And then?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Then I'll be sent to the front lines with Armstrong and few others she trusts with that responsibility of ordering different sects of troops." Kym raised her eyes and gazed deeply into his sky blue eyes. "Please don't go assuming the worst is going to happen. When it comes to that, we'll deal with it."

Jean gradually nodded his head, wishing he was allowed to smoke around Kym, let alone smoke in the library. "For now," he motioned to her expanding belly. "We have that to look forward to."

"That we do. Don't care about the gender, either. I just want it to be healthy."

To be continued...
Yeah, I did a sequel. Don't like it, don't let the door hit you on the way out.