A semi-continuation of chapter 32-Dear Santa so ::SpoilerCough::hughes isn't dead in this::EndSpoilerCough::

I don't own FMA

For Dai who suggested I continue this when I mentioned the other story I wrote for Royai Day- Happy Royai Day!!

:)-------(:

The train ride across the desert was long and turbulent. In a compartment reserved only for members of the Armestrian or Xingese military a certain exotic looking alchemist's cheek was flush against the warm window. Every few minutes his head moved a little against the pane of glass as the train rattled down the freshly built tracks. Roy Mustang was dreaming of the vacation he'd have when they got back from their mission.

In the same car of the train a blonde sharpshooter was on her knees hunched over a toilet. One hand gripped the railing on the side of the wall, and she used the other to clutch the side of the toilet.

"Do you want me to go wake Roy?" Maes Hughes asked from his position behind her while she heaved yet again into the toilet bowl. His hand softly held her hair back, so as not to tug it when she moved her head, but not letting it fall in her face or the toilet.

"Why...would I…want…you to… do that?" she asked between gasps for air.

"Because you're having morning sickness," Maes replied confidently as he pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"No I'm-" she didn't finish her argument as the train gave a violent lurch and she found stomach being emptied into the toilet again.

Roy Mustang peeled his face off the window with a start as he noticed his companions were missing. "Ow," he whimpered and held his hand to his cheek as if he'd been slapped. He looked for a note and panicked when he didn't find one. Riza always left notes unless it was an emergency, in which case she would have woken him.

Maes smirked as he heard a door on the car slam open. He waved his freehand from the small bathroom as Roy called Riza's and then his name.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked as he shoved his friend out of the too small booth.

Riza nodded and then shook her head after another round of 'aim for the toilet.'

"Is it the flu, something you ate, motion sickness?" he asked as he sat behind her and rubbed circles into her back with the hand that wasn't holding her hair.

Maes' smirk grew as she answered his suggestions in the negative. "I'll go get her some water and mints," he called out as he walked away.

She moved her hand from the toilet and tore some tissue off the roll beside her to wipe around her mouth. He let the silence reign for a few minutes. "What is it," he asked when she didn't explain.

She turned around to face him with a grim expression. "It might be morning sickness."

"Morning sickness?" his mouth fumbled with the words.

"Yeah, if she's lucky she'll only have it for a week or so. Poor Gracia had it a little over a month, and trust me they don't call it morning sickness just because it happens in the morning," Maes said as he returned. "This should help. I've also got them to deliver some warm mint tea and crackers to our compartment. Oh, and her toothbrush," he told Roy before he walked away.

Riza took the cup of water and rinsed out her mouth. After fifteen minutes without the urge to vomit she brushed her teeth, took a mint that he offered, and turned away from the toilet to him.

"When did you know?" he asked.

"I had a suspicion two nights ago, but I brushed it off. I've just been so caught up with all the lat minute details this past month and a half that I never thought about it until we were assigned this last mission," she explained with a frown.

Roy couldn't reason out her glum mood. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She forced herself to smile.

"Riza," he coaxed her to tell him the truth.

"Idon'twantanyonetothinkwe'regettingmarriedbecauseI'mpregnant," she admitted as quickly as possible.

Roy laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "Any of the guys back home would be more than happy to help us set anyone straight who thinks that. Besides, we've been engaged for over a year now, so unless it's been a very drawn out pregnancy there's no way that it's what prompted me to marry you."

Back at their cabin they found a trolley with a tea kettle, cups, and crackers in the middle of the room. Roy picked up a note off of his seat. "Maes went for a walk," he told Riza.

She sat down, took the warm cup he handed her, and sipped it carefully. Riza flushed as she felt Roy's intense gaze directed at her. "What is it?" she asked.

"I have to disagree with Maes. You are the most beautiful creature on this planet," he answered.

"That's just because I'm your fiancé, and I'm carrying your child," she commented.

He took her cup from her hands and put it back on the trolley. "No," he said as he placed his hand on her neck, using his thumb to message the area below the back of her ear. "I've known that ever since you first opened the door of your father's house to find me drenched in rain and asking for his audience," he said and leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was slow and powerful, building up momentum until they parted gasping for breath.

"I don't want you to treat me like glass while we're in Xing. This mission is easy. All we have to do is check up on Ed's and Al's research and deliver the gifts of congratulations to the Emperor and Empress," she told him.

"I couldn't even if I tried. You'd just put yourself in more danger, but I am making you go see a doctor the minute we get there."

"I wouldn't endanger our child," she protested. "I'm sure Winry can point us in the direction of a good doctor once we arrive."

Maes saw the service trolley outside their compartment and wondered if it had helped her. He slid the door open and smiled at the pair. Roy's head was leaning against the wall of the cabin and his hand was buried in Riza's hair—her head was cushioned by the coat folded in his lap. Maes' finger itched for his camera, but he kept it stowed away for fear of the flash waking them. He sat down on the bench opposite them and pulled out a post card. He chewed on his pen thinking of what to say so that no one else who read it would know the news. He didn't want it spread around central before they got back.
Gracia smiled at the picture of Xingese architecture on the front of the post card and flipped it over to find her husband's neat scrawl.

My Lovely Gracia,

Do you remember that present Elysia asked for about a year and a half ago? Well, let me just say that it's on its way.

Missing You,

Maes-xoxo

P.S. Please give Elysia a hug and kiss from me. Take plenty of pictures while I'm gone.

:)-------(:

A.N.- I wanted to have Military Affairs finished by today, but I'm still writing out the lat chapter. I will have the next one up some time tomorrow. Well, I hope you enjoyed this one. Meas' letter makes sense if you go read chapter 32.

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