Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal alchemist.

Warning: MPREG. Past ROY/MAES. Eventual ROY/ED. Mentions of Child Abuse in this chapter.

FOUR

Roy was getting bigger each and every day. It was monstrous to think about. Alexis would just laugh whenever he would 'spaz' about it. On another note, her daughter was doing better it seemed now that she had gained some weight. Hayley still wasn't out of the woods yet and was being fed through a tube. It was just a miracle that she hasn't even died yet.

"Well if she's going strong, there's nothing to complain about," Roy told her during one of his visits seeing the baby in the glass.

Alexis nodded. She sat cross legged on her bed. The baby was by the dresser and near the window so she could see what the outside looked like or so she had told the others when they asked. She said that seeing the world would make her want to live another day. And also told them how Hayley seemed to like the birds flying by the window in testament to what she had told them.

"My husband is very grateful to you Mr. Don. He said that had the doctor never thought of it, the baby wouldn't have been here today. Also, you were here when I needed someone. Thank you so very much." She cut herself off to try to hold the tears in.

Roy just shook his head before giving her an awkward hug. She giggled as tears fell down her face. Cried because she finally released the pent up emotion since the relief that her baby would be able to get bigger and grow and the giggles because she felt the stubborn yet playful fetus kicking from inside the young man's stomach.

"She's gonna be a very wild child."

"Who said anything about it being a girl?" He didn't seem bothered by it so Alexis let it slide. He just had to work on the way he said things, she told herself.

"Well, I believe that God does things for a reason. He sent his own son to die for us you know. He knows more than anybody else what it's like to lose a child. So whenever we lose somebody, it always rains because heaven is crying with us when a soul departs. But on the days we celebrate those who have gone away, the sun is shining because they are home in heaven again."

"I don't necessarily believe in a God or greater being. I know that I will be going to hell for that but I don't. I've seen too much and have too much anger to. I've seen children die and could only wonder why. They haven't done anything, especially the children-"

"I doubted him a year ago when I miscarried. I thought if God was so great why must I lose my child? What was the purpose of it? I found my answer in my own way though." She was frowning and avoiding his face but she was talking so Roy listened. "I learned that if nothing bad comes, then there is no good. You have to have pain to gain right? Well that and sometimes they just aren't meant to live that long."

Roy couldn't reply so Alexis continued shocking him with what she thought he would be interested in talking about. She honestly didn't know much about the man who helped her a great deal other than he helped her more than she could ever thank him for.

"Matthew was in the war you know." He shot her a look but she just continued. "He was almost killed by enemy Ishvalans for a war he didn't believe in and then he was saved by that Mustang fellow. He didn't really remember what he looked like because he had blood loss but the man saved my husband. Maybe one day you two could meet and I could think you two properly."

Roy didn't know what to say. He never about the people he had saved. He only did it so that he could make up for the people he did kill. He didn't want to be one and he never wanted those around him to die. But looking at how grateful Alexis seemed to be, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Alexis looked over amused and continued.

"He told my husband one thing he'll never forget you know." At his questioning gaze she continued. "He said, 'don't die, if you do nobody would care. Everybody eventually forgets the dead. You need to live so that people could recognize yourself in the future for what you achieve.' He went on and took Mustang's advice. He has dedicated his mind, body, and soul to helping people in any way he can. That Mustang ought to be proud of the lives he saved. I thank him every day. Now I thank you for saving my baby Mr. Don."

Mustang couldn't help but nod. It seemed even with the fake name he helped some people. Very odd indeed.

He couldn't help but still think about it later. It was almost the end of December and Christa looked like she was going to explode. She was really going to have the baby soon it looked like. He was still bigger than he'd like to be as well. Christa reminded him of that when he laughed at the costume she had tried on. He didn't find humor in it after that though. Especially when she had lent him her maternity clothes because none of the other clothes would fit him anymore.

Poker seemed an every night occurrence as well. Chris pitched a fit telling him if he wanted to play he should do so close to the house. That just got all of the poker men to invite themselves in. They were normally rambunctious fellows and drank mugs of beer that Roy didn't lay a finger on knowing what that would garner. Instead, he just stuck to the cards.

The Morgans were downstairs in the living room listening to the radio while Roy played hand after hand of poker. He hoped that they would be kicked out rather soon, he was starting to feel sore. He massaged his stomach and wiped at the sweat glistening down his face. Yes, after he was done, he honestly thought about sleeping twelve hours straight.

His mind went to Hughes and what he was doing right now. He had tried to call him but it seemed he was on a case earlier. Something about one of the higher up's sons being kidnapped after being out after curfew. Those kids were brats. Kind of made him glad he was here and didn't have to listen to that nonsense. Of course Gracia had told him that she would pass the message that he tried calling but Roy honestly didn't think she would. They hadn't been on good terms since Hughes had gotten married.

A sudden wrenching of his gut caught him off from his thoughts and he let out a surprised squeak. One of the many men turned to him in surprise before going back to the cards. Roy found the odd sensation disheartening and drew his knees up further to keep that from happening again. This time there was an odd pain like sensation followed by a rush of fluids.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

The one named Bruce gave him one look and screamed.

"PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT THE BABY IS COMING MAN! THIS IS YOUR OWN BODY! DO SOMETHING!"

"I WOULD IF I COULD MORON BUT I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING WET AND DAMP DOWN THERE AND IT'S NOT WHAT YOUR THINKING!"

It caused the other drunks to scream as well until Chris had opened the door seeming to investigate the noise. He saw that the poker game had halted however and that Roy seemed uncomfortable. He looked down seeing a good sized stain on the floor where it seemed Roy had sat as well. This was a surprise.

"Please don't say you poured beer on the expectant father? Or that one of you peed. That would be nasty especially in my own home-"

"OUCH! OKAY THAT WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE I EVER FELT AND I THOUGHT BRONCHITIS WAS THE WORST!"

Chris took one look at him and ran to the end of the stairwell.

"HEY HONEY, GET A PAN OF HOT WATER AND TOWELS! TELL BEATRICE TO ALERT THE OTHERS. I THINK THAT THE BABY IS COMING TONIGHT!"

Roy looked confused until the last sentence then blanched curling inward to try to lessen the pain. Chris just laughed and helped Roy to the bed. The drunkards seemed to be trying to make Roy more comfortable by dousing his sweat with the towels they had only the man wasn't being so quiet anymore.

"YOU SAID C-SECTION! A C-SECTION DOC! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME HAVE IT NATURALLY, IT HURTS! IT HUR-" Roy whimpered as a contraction hit him. It was definitely strong judging by the size of the contraction and by the way it came and gone at least every one in a half minutes apart.

He didn't want to tell Roy the bad news but it seemed like he would have to start bearing down soon. He put a blanket over him and helped him out of the bottom half of his clothes before trying to check the dilation of the opening. Roy let out a surprised gasp and the doctor shot him an apologetic look before finding out it was definitely immediate. This man was going to lose his pride.

"Okay Mr. Don, it looks like your dilated nine in a half centimeters."

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN!" He was trying to breath in between them but Chris could tell that he ignored the coaching his wife had given him with the idea that he wouldn't have to go through with this. He was a downright idiot and was paying for it now. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL DILATED MEANS!"

"Of course you don't," Chris muttered. Aloud he beckoned Cindy over to him. She was a good midwife but wasn't used to this sort of pressure especially since the patient was obscenely loud. "Is Alexis here? I know she seemed to think that she should be available in case something like this happens-"

"OWWW! You crushed my hand! I thought I was through with this after my wife left me and went off to the south! Not cool at all dude. You're making us men look like sissies by screaming through a little-"

"THEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING THE SIZE OF CANTALOUPE OR TWO COME TEARING OUT OF YOU FROM THE INSIDE AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! I CAN TELL YOU IT AIN'T PRETTY AND I COULD BE DY-OUCH THAT SMARTS! OKAY AT LEAST GIVE ME SOME MEDICINE DOC! PLEASE, IF NOT THEN KNOCK ME OUT AT LEAST! OW! OW! OW! I DON'T WANNA FEEL THIS ANYMORE!"

Chris felt for the opening again and saw that the head seemed to already be at the opening. He sighed knowing the man would have a hard time coming for him. From what he felt though, he knew the baby was covered in a head full of hair. He smiled before frowning when Beatrice showed up looking confused as to why her dad's hand was underneath the blanket.

Roy withered from the next coming pain.

"AREN'T YOU GONNA DO SOMETHING!" He stopped spotting the little girl with bulging eyes and almost felt ashamed. He didn't want her to see this.

Chris felt the same way obviously so he led the little girl outside and closed the door behind him. He kneeled and gave her a hug seeing as his daughter was about to cry. She seemed to be really sad and he didn't want her to witness anything like that soon, especially when he had his hands where he did and checking the dilation of the baby. That was not for innocent eyes to see.

"Listen sweetie, it's gonna be okay-"

"He's not gonna die, is he? I don't want Mr. Don to die because he promised to play with me the other day."

Chris nodded.

"He'll be fine. He is in a bit of pain. Well remember when you had the stomach pain last year?"

Beatrice nodded and sucked her thumb. The four year old was wise but in other areas she was still just a small innocent child that didn't know the in and out of childbirth.

"Well Mr. Don has a stomachache and unlike you, he needs something to come out. When it comes out he'll feel better but it is a little too late for medicines so-"

"Beatrice go with Misses Jennilyn and Hannah." Alexis was here at last.

Chris smiled and nodded to his child to do just that. She turned around running as fast as her small legs could carry her although she could not be blamed. He just hoped that she forgot this talk or else she'd be asking if she would have the same thing. He didn't want to tell her that eventually she'd want the same thing in years to come. She was his baby and he was going to keep her innocent for as long as he could.

"Is he taking it well?" Alexis asked and Chris smiled.

"He's a man of course he isn't accepting it well. He probably didn't know the signs of labor as well so now he is going to be getting a painful reminder of why we don't ignore coaching on how to breath."

Alexis laughed a little before entering and taking one side of the head of the bed. She smoothed the hair from the man's forehead and smiled.

"You'll be okay. Remember when I had Hayley? It's going to be like that."

"DON'T TELL ME THAT! DOC WHERE IS THE MEDICINE!"

Chris sighed.
He was sure that everyone in the neighborhood could hear them by now. Did he have to be such a temperamental brat? He got his answer by the way Roy screamed out as the contraction came out stronger. He supposed it was time for the pushing to begin. As for the brat thing, he could see why the unborn child was how it was now.

"Listen, you are way far into this for any procedure or medicine. You are an idiot for not seeing the symptoms and now you are getting a taste of motherhood that you bet you never thought you would experience…"

"HELL NO! I HATE THIS! KNOCK ME OUT AND PULL THE BABY OUT WITH YOUR OWN TWO HANDS!"

Chris sighed while Alexis continuously stroked his hair back in a soothing manner hoping to calm him down. He counted backwards from ten and once he hit zero he tried again.

"Okay Mr. Don when the next contraction hits, I want you to bear down and push. It would be like squeezing something out and yes it'll hurt a little. But think of it this way, you'll have something great in the end."

Roy tried to listen, he honestly did. At the next contraction, he did and found he couldn't hold it long. The pain was too extreme for him. He let out a shout and squeezed on the hand that was offered him. When another one hit, he tried again only to end it a minute later but the doctor didn't look worried at all, he kept encouraging it. Hell it was one a.m. in the morning and he was tired as fuck. Now he was in pain!

"Hey Mr. Don the phone is for you-" Roy snatched it from the man hastily and bit back a scream before answering it.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!"

"Roy, why are you yelling, oh I see you don't want to hear from me."

The world seemed to stop spinning. The second that Roy heard the voice, he felt like he was going to die, sadly the contractions just kept coming and he couldn't just stop pushing because Hughes was on the phone. He was glad that he was the only one to hear Hughes really.

"No.." His lip quivered as he tried to control the pain and at the same time push when he was told to. It was rather difficult as he was hurting way too much. "I'm glad to hear from you."

"Good Gracia told me that you called and I saw the number today and thought instantly when my best bud was coming home. I'm lonely when you are away. I know you had some type of parasite but it couldn't have been this long right? Gracia says you should hurry home and have dinner with us-"

Roy couldn't help it. The pain was way too unbearable and he couldn't control his mouth at the moment.

"YOU DID THIS TO ME YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO! SON OF A BITCH IT HURTS!"

"Roy? I never heard you cuss me out like that before. I'm pretty sure in my academy days I would have found it kinky but if you're trying to impress me now it's a little too late. I have a wife-"

"FUCKING SOD OFF! OUCH!"

Chris looked confused at first but Alexis couldn't help but giggle. Apparently the person on the phone was the one that had gotten Roy in this condition. She didn't have to ask to confirm that belief and it was very cute that the man seemed to blame all of it on him, it took two to make a baby after all.

"Roy are you in pain? Where are you?"

"Well Mr. Don you're have way done. You're doing a good job."

Roy exhaustedly hung up the phone ignoring Hughes's cries to tell him what was going on. He pushed again and when he stopped after that one, Chris took a bulb and started suctioning the baby's mouth and nose. Roy heard the little cry and almost wanted to himself. He stopped himself though and when given the go ahead, pushed again. If he ever had to go through this again, he at least knew to at least make sure there was enough time for a pain medication because naturally it hurt far worse than he ever experienced before.

"Almost there Mr. Don, the baby it almost there. Push again. Okay again. And again," Cindy tried to help him as well ignoring the painful yelps of pain and the screaming wails when he did.

It was definitely a genuine miracle. Men weren't supposed to have kids so what could be explained about why this happened. Christa entered when the baby was finally out and wailing as if she had been kicked. He quickly clamped off the cord in two places and cut it in between, freeing the baby from the placenta and putting the baby in a blanket before handing her to Roy.

The baby wasn't small like Hayley had been but she wasn't big either. Roy saw the size and couldn't help but wince at the mental image. He pushed out this big of a thing that was in his body for a full seven in a half months. He gave life to this special little girl who he didn't think he'd ever be able to give away like he had originally thought. No, now that he saw her, he realized just how special this was. He smiled and held her tiny hand and was amazed that he could fit the whole thing in his palm without a problem.

He was surprised when he felt contractions again but Chris just laughed.

"How do you think the placenta comes out? It can't dissolve in your body you fool."

Roy groaned but returned his gaze to the baby. She had a head full of jet black hair, his eyes, nose, and it seemed even his mouth. Nobody would be able to deny that he had this child. He couldn't tell that it was Hughes's kid as well until she opened her eyes and he felt his heart quicken. She had the prettiest dark green eyes he had ever seen. He imagined that if she had had the other man's eye color that it would be the light gold- green color Roy adored but his onyx eyes must have come into play as well.

"She's a pretty baby. How could this miracle happen?"

Roy seemed thoughtful for a moment before he smiled. He let the infant grab his finger, seeing as how she seemed content in just grabbing stuff. He placed a kiss on her small forehead agreeing with what Alexis shared. The drunks looked amazed as well.

"You are going to be throwing boys off of her left and right you know? I bet she gets her first kiss when she is three, not a year later."

Roy frowned remembering that. He would wouldn't he? Well that was when a certain fire alchemy came into play but he wouldn't worry about that now, he had to worry about the here and now. That meant successfully hiding the child from the eyes of Central while keeping her there. He couldn't not take her. He knew that he loved this place well and the flame alchemist would never be known by that name here and for good reason. Now he was only the friendly stranger known as Mr. Don and his child would love this town as well.

"Jocelyn." He saw them look in surprise and tears to spring in their eyes. He was confused by the sad faces and wondered what caused so many emotions. It came to him at the last moment and he wanted a good strong name for the girl he was going to live for, the one that would make him forget about his other love; his forbidden love for Hughes.

"Jocelyn Grace was a little girl that showed us that miracles were possible," Christa told him. Everyone else was looking away or trying to hide their tears. "She was born and lived even though she was way too premature. It happens just like with Hayley. But sadly her dad went off to war. She was so proud of him. She would go around announcing, 'My daddy a soldier. He fights in the army and he is my hero.' While he was fighting that god forsaken war in Ishval her mother's boyfriend hit her in the stomach and killed her. She was only two and a half at the time. She would be four had she lived."

"Marie." Roy said after the explanation. When they looked confused he cleared his throat and said, "Jocelyn Marie. Jocelyn for hope and she really is a playful thing. Jocelyn means playful. Marie because it means stubbornness. She has been just that."

"Hmm. Playful stubbornness, Mr. Don. I'm sure she would grow up to be a whole lot."

"Here, hand me Jocelyn and you could sleep. I bet you're exhausted." Alexis didn't give him enough time to protest before gathering the little girl up in her arms and laying the blanket over him. She continued as though it was nothing. "I'm going to let her meet Hayley, do you mind? Hayley really is going to have a friend in her."

Roy nodded. He really was tired. He was closing his eyes before he could help it but Chris got one last word in.

"If you find blood on the sheets in the morning, don't be surprised. You just pushed a baby out of your opening that was let's say half a size smaller at the least. Your baby is five pounds two ounces as well. See I knew you were eating junk food or something. It's why she is so energetic. Get some sleep now, we'll see you both in the morning."

Roy did exactly that without complaint.