Chapter 6: Liore (WARNING: I EARN THE M RATING HERE)

"Oh Edward, I knew you'd return back to your rightful home. I've stayed ever vigilant for the past twenty-two years waiting for your return and now here you are." The Mountain Man scooped up Edward and hugged him, as though he weren't a man in his forties but a child. Edward twisted and kicked off the man's face and landed on his rear.

"Shut up Armstrong." Edward seethed. But he smiled as he stood and I relaxed slightly. Armstrong, who didn't seem phased by the attack, stayed silent with tears streaming down his face.

"Where have you been Edward? And where's your brother?" Armstrong poked his head out and looked around, finally noticing me. He snapped back, startled.

"Can we go inside?" Edward huffed impatiently. Armstrong stood upright and moved aside.

"Of course, of course. How rude of me." He said and herded us inside. Once we entered the house, I noticed that the tile seemed to radiate with cold. I dropped my satchel by the door and looked around. The walls were a simple plaster and they were adorned with certificates and photographs.

"Who is this young woman Edward?" Armstrong asked. I turned and smiled at him.

"I'm Natalie Elric. His wife." I answered. Armstrong looked beyond dazed now.

"His wife?" He repeated. With a grin, I dug through my satchel and pulled out a large book before moving to Armstrong's side. I opened the cover to reveal several small photos and showed them to him.

"These are our twins Evan and Livy. They're eighteen. Then this is Sara, she's sixteen. And this is Bean, or Trisha. She's five." I started to gush as I turned pages. Armstrong looked genuinely involved when I peeked up at him.

"Natalie." Edward groaned. Armstrong and I both snapped up and glared at him.

"Wait just a second Edward." He and I said in unison. Edward cowered and backed into the front door.

"Now this is Alphonse with his wife Abigail in London. And here's their oldest Maes. He's Sara's age. And then there's sweet little Elisa, she's fifteen. And Nina, their youngest, she's five. This is Alphonse now, doesn't he look so old? And Sara in her cute little page boy dress. And here is Edward and I in London, after we were married. This is Edward after the war. And my father is standing next to him, he died a few years ago. And this is my mother." I finished with the photos and beamed as Armstrong took the book and moved me, with Edward trailing, into the sitting room. I was shocked by the floral print of his furniture. Armstrong sat down and looked a over the album again, going slowly and tracing over the captions. I sat next to him while Edward stood next to me.

"Hughes would've been so damned proud if he had heard about this." Armstrong muttered and I was suddenly subdued. Edward looked down at the ground and I looked from one man to the other. I had been told about Hughes in a bit more detail on the trip to Munich but I wasn't aware he had had this big of an impact on either man.

"Armstrong, we came here because I need a favor." Edward posed. Armstrong shook himself and handed me my open album. I looked at the sepia and black and white tones that had softened and faded with time. Then I looked up at the crisp, glass covered colored photos the Lieutenant Colonel had on his walls. This world was strange and advanced in ways that America didn't even have. I had seen the automobiles on the streets and they, just like Edward's prosthetics, were by far more advanced than that which I had seen at home.

"What do you need Edward?" Armstrong inquired. Edward bowed his head and moved to sit in a lone armchair.

"I need to get a hold of Roy. Tell me he hasn't died yet." Edward said. Armstrong laughed and pulled a frame from the small table next to his chair. He handed Edward the photo and I moved to get a glimpse. It was a picture of four people. I saw a man with dark hair and two women with light hair all about the same age standing with a woman who looked only a little younger than me.

"Who are these people?" I asked. I was surprised when it was Edward and not Armstrong who answered.

"That man is Roy Mustang. The blonde woman to his right is Riza Hawkeye. The woman with the gray is Gracia Hughes. And between her and Mustang is her daughter, Elysia." Edward replied.

"That was taken this past May. Roy is alive and well, if not a little old." Armstrong added. Edward looked up and grinned.

"Aren't you all?" He quipped. I smacked the back of Edward's head to which Armstrong only chuckled.

"So tell me Armstrong, did Hawkeye and Mustang ever?" Edward asked as he handed back the photograph. Armstrong replaced it and stood looking at it for a minute, leaving his back to us. In that time, Edward reached his right hand over and took mine in his. He gave me a squeeze and I felt something, different. I wanted to ask but Armstrong turned with a bemused look on his face.

"They married, yes, but you really won't believe anything I tell you about them until you see for yourself." He answered.

"Where are they living now? Not still in Central?"

"Still in Central, thankfully. It took a few years for Roy to abandon his self-imposed exile. But he left the military for a quiet life at home."

"Quiet? The Flame Alchemist?" Edward roared with laughter and Armstrong kept his bemused smile.

"I told you, you need to see it to believe it." The man repeated. I leaned against the armchair, finally relaxing, when everything caught up to me and crashed down. The excitement, fear, and spikes in my sleep schedule all became physical weights on my person. Edward looked up at me and jumped up as he realized I was exhausted.

"Armstrong, we've had a long journey. Do you know where we can get a room?" Edward asked as he moved around the chair to help support me. Armstrong's eyes twinkled, something I had never seen a man do before, and clapped his hands together, loudly.

"You will stay here off course!" He boomed. I was startled awake for a second and dug my fingers into Edward's shoulders.

"Thank you Armstrong." Edward said, laughter edging his voice.

"Here, let me show you to your room." I watched as Armstrong walked out of the sitting room, expecting us to follow. Edward took my hand and I leaned on him as we walked back out into the entrance hall together. From there we took the stairs, half listening to Armstrong telling us about the house. I was hazing in and out when we got to the room and left Edward talking to Armstrong as I went to the bed and lay down, still fully clothed. I fell asleep in seconds.

Hours later, when I finally awoke groggy and sticky in the desert climate, I found Edward still awake and watching me.

"You snore when you're exhausted." He stated cheerfully. I snorted and rolled off the bed, onto my feet, noticing that Edward had relieved me of the boots. I unbuckled the jacket and laid it on the rocking chair that stood next to the bed. Then I carefully unbuttoned the shirt, discarding it with the jacket, and was unbuttoning the pants when I heard Edward come up behind me. I was now barely on the edge of sleep and consciousness so I was unprepared for the brisk touch of Edward's hand on my bare back. I shivered, feeling the goose bumps rise on my skin, but smiled as I leaned over to pull off my pants. As I stood back up, Edward's hands moved over my hips and onto the soft flatness of my stomach. After four children, I wasn't as firm as I used to be, but working in the shop had kept me in shape.

"What time is it?" I asked. Edward leaned forward and nuzzled his face in the nape of my neck, taking in the scent of me.

"About midnight I would assume." He answered, his voice muffled by my flesh, and then bit me. I gasped as another chill went through me and certain parts came to complete attention.

"Edward…" I drifted and leaned back into him. At the same moment that I realized that only the thin fabric of my panties was separating me from him, Edward pushing his hands underneath my bra and cupped my breasts.

"Edward." I hissed sharply and pulled away. He smiled and I couldn't help it, I looked down. I bit back a moan as I saw the length of him, ready and waiting for my consent.

"Edward." I said again, but softer this time. He came to me and kissed me, at the same time moving his hands to unhook my bra. He pulled the straps over my shoulders and down my arms before discarding it, ending the kiss to look at me.

"Not in someone's house Edward." I pleaded, but half-heartedly. Edward continued to smile and moved his hands down the curve of my body.

"Everyone's asleep. Plus, Armstrong is way down the hall and an old man, we'll be fine." He whispered into my ear as his fingers plunged past the elastic band of my panties. I pushed him off to finish undressing myself and he watched me, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You have to promise me something love." I said as I walked to him and straddled his lap.

"Hmm?" He replied just as his hands went to my back.

"No more children, we're too old." I said. Edward smirked and fell backward onto the bed, pushing me down with him. I put an arm at either side of his head and stared down at him, my hair becoming a curtain shielding us from the room.

"No more children." He assented and rose to kiss me. He propped himself up with his right arm, using his left hand to cup the back of my head, holding me too him. I gasped when he sucked in my lower lip and nipped it, and he took that opportunity to split my lips with his tongue.

I groaned into his mouth as he kissed me deeper and in a fluid motion, he pushed against me to make me move my arms and then rolled us so that he was on top of me. He broke away for a second to move me so that we were lying on the bed properly.

"Natalie, I love you more than anything." He said and lowered his hips so that the very tip of him brushed against my lower, swollen lips. He moaned when he found them slick and I smiled with pleasure.

"Edward, my love, you are my true heart." I whispered. He leaned down to kiss me and pressed his chest against mine. His metallic limbs were taking on the heat we were both radiating but I still felt the smooth surface run over my skin.

"Oh Natalie." Edward groaned. He propped himself up again to gaze down at my body, washed in the orange glow from a light outside, and I took my chance. My arm snaked down between us and I grabbed his erection and guided it into myself. We both moaned as he entered me, while I let out a happy sigh when he was fully sheathed in me.

"Natalie, Natalie, Natalie." He murmured. I clasped my hands behind his neck and he collapsed on me, breathing hard. My hands moved over his back as he shifted me to put his under my butt. He squeezed and began to thrust in me, my fingers at once digging into his back.

As he moved, Edward pushed my hips up to meet his thrusts and I began to pant. I felt him nuzzle my neck again and I turned my head. His tongue darted out and tasted the salt that covered my skin. He then picked the tender part of my shoulder and sucked gently. As his thrusts came quicker, he bit me again and I gasped.

"Edward." I moaned, trying to stay myself from shrieking.

The tempo picked up to an even faster beat and I scored his back with my nails. Our breathing both became rapid and when he pushed in deep, we came together.

It was quick but there was a desperate need to it that made my body feel electric afterward. Edward stayed plastered to my chest for a few minutes, trying to steady his breathing, while I rubbed my hands up and down his back. The sweat had cooled and his skin felt clammy.

Due to the heat, Edward rolled off and made no move to pull me too him, both of us feeling uncomfortable in the warmth. I rolled over and kissed him lightly, feeling his lips smile underneath mine.

"I love you Edward." I sighed. Edward smiled and caressed my face with his hand.

"And I you Natalie." He replied and kissed me again. We both felt the spark deep within ourselves but I could feel Edward's fatigue. I pulled away and studied the length of his body. He was lying on his right side but I could see him false leg just fine. And it looked, different.

I jolted upright in bed and Edward looked startled.

"What in God's name happened to your leg?" I very nearly shouted at him. The entire design was different and I felt panicked by this.

"My prosthetics change into automail when I'm in Amestris. I can do different things with them. But lovely, can I show you in the morning?" He asked with a yawn. I relaxed and settled back into bed.

"Fine, fine. But you owe me an explanation." I retorted.

"I'll even show you alchemy." He said and rolled over, giving me his back.

And with that, I couldn't go back to sleep for another few hours.