To Have Children

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter Four

Central 1928

Roy and Ed made it a habit to see their friends, who in many ways were also their family, outside of work. Either at someone's home or at a restaurant like tonight.

"So Roy, how do you like being Fuhrer?" asked Liesl.

Roy groaned "More paperwork!"

Everyone sitting at the table in the private parlor of the restaurant laughed. Breda, one arm about his wife, the other holding a beer, spoke. "And Riza's standing over him with her gun." More laughter as Roy shook a finger at him and Riza merely raised an eyebrow.

Jean scoffed. "Bull manure! Admit it, you're enjoying the hell out of it. Especially putting the fear of Roy Mustang into those lazy buggers in Parliament!"

Furey raised his own glass of beer "Here's to the MP of Dolonton who will never sleep again!"

"Oh? What happened?" asked his wife, the younger sister of Breda's wife.

Riza gave a slightly evil grin, "He made the mistake of falling asleep and snoring! Most of those MPs got used to Fuhrer Grumman's style of government, so they were used to reading the paper or sleeping when they should have been working, trying to get this nation back on track. Needless to say, EVERYONE heard him. Roy left the podium, walked over to the MP's seat and waited. And waited. The MP next to Dolonton tried elbowing him but the man just ignored it. Finally Roy snapped, literally. Burned the chair right out from underneath him!" The adults in the room roared with laughter. The children also laughed even though they didn't understand why.

Roy smirked. "He jumped up rather quickly. When he saw me standing there, I thought he would have…an accident, shall we say."

Ed looked at his husband. "Are you going to do anything else to him?"

Roy laughed, "Yes, I gave orders that his new chair is NOT to be delivered for at least another month. So he'll be standing for a while. Other than that, nothing. It will be up to the other MPs to make sure that he's doing his proper job. If not, then his constituents can elect someone else." It was Roy's turn for an evil grin. "Of course, this incident will be the headline in tomorrow's Dolonton Press."

More laughter and cries of "You are wicked man, Roy!"

"How are you two enjoying the Residence?" asked Falman.

"It's not bad. Plenty of room for taking care of State business and plenty of room for taking care of the family." Said Roy.

"We're pretty thankful that Grumman moved the Residence to this place. It's a lot more family friendly than the Old Residence." Ed said as he wiped off Wyatt's hands.

"Well, I think Grumman did that on purpose." Said Roy. "He indicated more than once that I was more than likely going to be his chosen successor. HE certainly didn't need a house like the current Residence since he doesn't have any family."

"Sneaky old man!" said Jean. "Speaking of sneaky. Well, nothing sneaky at all actually. Liesl and I have some news." He picked up Liesl's hand and kissed it. "We're going to have a baby in five months!" Congratulations and toasts rang throughout the room. Liesl received hugs and kisses while Jean was thumped on the back and shoulders. Their three children giggled at the idea of having a new baby to play with.

"Papa! PAPA!" Sebastian tugged at Roy's coat.

"Yes, Sebastian, what is it?" asked Roy.

Sebastian climbed into Roy's lap and straddled his legs until he could look Roy in the face. "Wyatt and I want a baby sister. Go get us one!"

Roy was rather nonplussed while Ed had to wipe at his nose because he'd had a mouthful of coffee when Sebastian gave Roy the order. The rest of the adults in the room were trying desperately not to laugh.

Wyatt piped up. "Yeah, me and Bastian wanna a baby sister. Daddy, you and Papa hav'ta go get us one."

"Uh, boys." Stammered Roy. "That's not quite how it happens."

Sebastian looked doubtful. "It can't be that hard, Papa. You got Wyatt and I. So why can't you go and get us a baby sister?"

Ed lifted Wyatt into his lap. "Bastian, Wyatt, there's all sorts of paperwork to fill out. We have to find a child, then a bunch of people have to decide that we'd be good parents for that child and all sorts of other stuff."

Wyatt pouted. "But Aunt Winry said Papa can do anything now that he's the Fur-her."

Roy smiled at Wyatt's mispronunciation and ruffled the boy's hair. "Son, even I have rules that I have to follow."

Suddenly outside their parlor door there was a huge crash, then screams.

"Keep the children here!" shouted Roy. Jean tried to open the door but it was stuck. Ed clapped his hands together and made a new opening.

On the other side of the door was utter chaos. A car had plunged through the front windows of the restaurant and came to a stop in the middle of the dining area. Flames where starting to come from under the engine and with a snap of his fingers, Roy put them out.

Riza, Jean, Breda, Furey and Falman plunged into the dining room and began pulling people from the wreckage. Riza shouted at a stunned bystander. "Call for help! If the phone here doesn't work, there should be a payphone nearby! MOVE!" The man swallowed, nodded and did as she ordered.

Roy and Ed clambered over broken tables and chairs, making their way to the car. Slumped over the wheel, was a man in a military uniform. It was obvious that he was dead but Roy checked his pulse to make sure. Ed was on the other side of the car, using alchemy to get the passenger side door open. They met each other's eyes and Roy shook his head, Ed cursed.

Ed got the passenger side door open and leaned the woman so she was back against the seat. He cursed again. "ROY! She's pregnant!" Ed laid his human hand across the woman's swollen belly. "The baby is still moving."

Roy started making his way to Ed's side. "Is the woman alive?"

Ed felt for the woman's pulse. "Yeah…but from the blood, I think she's hurt bad." It was Roy's turn to curse.

Just then the woman moaned. A rasping pain-filled sound. "Jimmy? Jimmy?" She opened her eyes and before they could prevent her from looking, she saw the man behind the wheel. "Oh, God! JIMMY!" She began to cry.

Roy turned her head away. The woman focused on him. She tried to raise her hand in salute but Ed was holding it. "My Fuhrer!" she rasped.

Roy smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"Corporal Jessica Stiltson, Communications, sir." She looked at the man on her other side. "That's my husband Sergeant James Stiltson, Logistics. He's dead isn't he." The last was not a question.

Roy couldn't bring himself to lie to her. "Yes. He's dead."

Jessica sobbed once. "He was trying to get me to the hospital. I don't know what happened but next thing I knew…"

Ed patted her hand. "Don't worry about it. We'll take care of you. You'll be okay." He looked over his shoulder, rescue teams had finally arrived and were taking over. "MEDIC! OVER HERE!" he shouted.

Jessica shook her head. "No, there's something wrong with me, I can tell." She looked at Roy and grasped his hand. "I don't care what happens to me. Take care of our baby. Please. I know you have children. If I die, I want you to have our baby. I know you'll be good parents."

"What about your own families. Wouldn't they want to raise your child." Asked Roy.

Jessica shook her head again. "Jimmy and I grew up in the Military Orphanage in West City. We don't have any family other than each other. Please, I want you to have our baby. Please."

Roy looked her fiercely in the eye. "You are NOT going to die! But, I will promise that I will take care of you and your child."

Jessica smiled weakly. "Make it legal so that no one can take the baby away from you. If it's a boy, name it after Jimmy. If it's a girl…name it Christine. That's my middle name."

Finally two medics were able to make their way to the car carrying a stretcher. With their help, Ed and Roy lifted Jessica onto the stretcher and carried her out to a waiting ambulance. "Riza!" Shouted Roy. "We're going with her to the hospital! You're in charge! Get someone to take the boys home! Explain to them where we're going and why!"

Riza waved in acknowledgement just as the ambulance doors were slammed shut and it drove off, siren blaring. Roy grabbed the radio and snapped off a series of orders. Ed held Jessica's hand while the medic worked frantically. "Drive faster!" ordered the medic. The driver complied.

In quick order they arrived at the hospital. Waiting for them were several people. As Jessica was pulled out of the ambulance, she cried. "Your promise!"

Roy held her hand. "And I will keep it." He gestured imperiously to a man in uniform standing just off to the side. The man jogged next to the gurney as it was wheeled into the hospital. "Corporal Stiltson, I'm with the Judge Advocate General's Office. I need to ask you a question." Jessica nodded weakly. "If you should die, do you want Fuhrer Roy Elric-Mustang and his husband, Edward Elric-Mustang to adopt and raise your child?"

"Yes." She murmured weakly.

"Do you swear on your honor, to the best of your knowledge, that there is no other family to claim the child."

"I swear."

The JAG smiled. "Stop the gurney."

The nurse glared. "She needs to get into surgery!"

The JAG glared back. "And she needs to sign this!" The gurney stopped and he held out a clipboard with a paper on it. Jessica's hand shook but she was able to sign her name. "She's all yours." The staff raced the gurney to the operating room. The JAG pulled aside two of the nurses before they could leave and had them sign the paper as witnesses. The JAG looked at Roy and Ed. "Hopefully, we don't have to use this."

Roy sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. "Hopefully." Ed said nothing but wrapped his arm around Roy.

More of the injured were rushed in. Eventually Riza and the rest arrived. Roy looked at Riza. "How bad?"

"Three dead, including the driver. Seventeen injured." She looked at Roy and Ed. "The woman? How is she?"

Ed replied. "We don't know. No one has come out and said anything. Where are the boys?"

Jean spoke. "Falman took Liesl and the kids to the Residence. They're a little scared but doing okay. I told them that you'd call as soon as you could."

At that moment, a doctor came through the doors and walked wearily towards them. He stripped off his bloodstained apron and tossed it in a nearby basket. A nurse carrying a tiny bundle followed him.

Roy and Ed got to their feet. The JAG straightened from leaning against the wall.

The doctor sighed. "We tried everything, sir. Corporal Stiltson's injuries were just too severe. We were able to save the baby. It's a girl."

The nurse stepped forward. Ed held out his arms and the nurse gently deposited the baby in them. Roy leaned over to take a look. The baby was red and wrinkled and her face was all scrunched up and she was as bald as could be. Both men fell instantly in love. Ed placed a gentle kiss on the top of the baby's head while Roy stroked her cheek. "Hello, Christine. Hello, our precious baby girl."

The JAG didn't bother talking to the two men who were so absorbed. He saluted Riza and spoke. "I'll get this paperwork filed ASAP. I'm not an adoption attorney but to be honest, with Corporal Stiltson's declaration, I don't think that there will be any difficulty in letting the Fuhrer and the Fullmetal adopting her."

Riza nodded and the JAG quietly left.

Two weeks later Roy and Ed sat before a Judge with their two boys and Christine. The Judge was perusing the accident report, the witness statements and the paper that Corporal Stiltson signed. The Judge looked at them. "It's a bit unusual for someone to get custody this way. But, dying declarations have been legal in Court for years." He smiled. "My decision is this: Congratulations. You gentlemen have a new daughter. And you boys have a sister!"

Sebastian and Wyatt grinned. Sebastian leaned down and whispered to Wyatt. "See! I TOLD you Papa and Daddy could get us a baby sister! All we had to do was ask!"

Author's Note: In this chapter I also used the abbreviation MP but in this case they stand for Member of Parliament rather than Military Police.