Reyna smiled at General Grumman while he led her around the dance floor. Her feet hurt and her back ached yet she continued to grant each officer his dance in turn. All of them had patiently waited for their chance to dance with her so she did not have the heart to decline and sit down. She leaned her head against his shoulder to rest despite still being in motion.
"Tired, my dear?" he asked with grandfatherly concern.
"Yes, sir," she replied, raising her head.
"You need a break. Let's go," he murmured, giving her an impish wink.
"But, General," she protested as he danced her toward the door that led out onto the open patio. "I can't run away."
"Of course you can," he insisted, swinging open the french doors to spin her out onto the patio.
The kind little man danced her to the edge of the concrete deck, releasing her near the stairs. Giving her a playful push in their direction as a hint to take the opportunity and run, he laughed, "Now go!"
Reyna glanced around uncertain of what to do. The few people who stood around sipping their drinks and talking quietly barely glanced at her before returning to their champagne and conversations. Should she fulfill her civic duty as the First Lady of Amestris keeping up appearances with a gracious smile, continuing to greet her guests and dance like her feet didn't hurt? Or should she go hide, taking a blessed respite to soothe her complaining body? The pulsating pain in her back and feet encouraged her to make the decision for self-preservation.
Reyna grabbed fistfuls of the delicate silky fabric of the ankle length skirt of her formal navy blue gown. She kicked off her shoes allowing them to disappear somewhere into the bushes and not giving one whit about where they landed. Raising the skirt to her knees to prevent her feet from becoming entangled, she rushed down the smooth stone steps that were cool against the soles of her feet. She did not stop running until she reached the edge of the labyrinth that had been restored along with the house. Her toes flexed and grasped at the damp cushy blades of grass that massaged her poor tired feet.
"Ah, that feels good," she murmured, delighting in the reprieve from dancing.
"Running away from your own party, Princess?" a sexy, familiar voice inquired.
"You're one to talk, Fuhrer Mustang," she retorted, giving him a sidelong glance when he sidled up to her from his hiding place in the nearby hedge. "Obviously you ran away before I did."
"I'm not accustomed to so much attention," he sighed as if he had endured a terrible trial.
"Poor, baby," she muttered offering no sympathy whatsoever. Since when was he not interested in being the center of attention especially where women are the ones giving him the attention?
"I believe I've danced with every woman at the ball but one."
Roy took her by the hand, leading her back to his hiding place behind the ten foot tall line of bushes that led into the living maze. He enveloped her body with his arms, lifting her off the ground to kiss her.
"Roy," she protested, squirming in his arms until he put her back down on her feet. "I've always hated it when you do that. It makes me feel like a child."
"Speaking of a child," he mumbled, placing his palm flat against her belly. "How is our little one?"
"Fine I'm sure. I have no doubt our baby has been rocked to sleep by all of the dancing." She placed her hand over Roy's and sighing with contentment.
"That's good." He nuzzled and kissed her cheek.
A light, flitting movement tickled the inside of her tummy. "Oh, she's awake."
"She?" His hand tenderly palpated her abdomen searching for the gentle movements of their child.
"Uh huh. I have a feeling this baby is a girl. Selim is going to have a little sister."
When he picked up on the quivering under her skin, he pressed his sensitive palm to the area. A joyful smile stretched his lips. "My daughter."
"Reyna, Roy. Where are you?" Maes voice carried to them in a dramatically loud whisper from the other side of the green, leafy barrier.
Roy pressed his finger to his lips as a silent signal for Reyna to remain quiet. He slid his arms from around her to tiptoe to the corner of the hedge to look around so he could ascertain the exact whereabouts of his friend. Reyna pressed her hand to her mouth to hold back laughter when Roy rounded the edge to surprise their friend.
"Gotcha!" Roy exclaimed.
A disturbingly high pitched and girlish scream disturbed the calm night air - and her nerves. Did that screech really come from Maes Hughes?
Reyna snorted, unable to hold back her laughter, giving in to the fit of giggles. Roy's low laugh rumbled from deep inside his chest to join hers. She emerged from her hiding place to join the two men.
"What are you doing out here, Hughes?" Roy questioned the man who was lighting a cigarette.
"Couldn't I ask you two the same thing?" he retorted, inhaling a calming drag.
"No," they answered in chorus.
"Anyway," he muttered, blowing out smoke rings. "I'm here to help you two make an escape."
This would not be the first time Maes Hughes had facilitated a daring escape for his friends. This time, instead of running from the Fuhrer, the Fuhrer himself would be running away. And he would running away with his wife.
"The car is waiting by the back gate," Maes informed them. He had been tempted to add 'just like last time,' but decided not to because none of them wanted to be reminded of how things had ended last time. "Go to the train station. Gracia and the boys are waiting there for you with your tickets and luggage."
"Maes." Reyna approached him, flinging her arms around his waist for a back breaking hug. When he leaned down to hug her, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."
"It's what friends do, right?" He patted her cheek, kissing her forehead. "I want you two to experience some of the happiness I've had with Gracia and Elicia."
"Hughes." Roy stepped forward, his hand extended to shake that of his friend's.
Maes ignored the outstretched hand, enveloping Roy in a bear hug. He lifted Roy off the ground making him yell in protest. Now Roy knew how she felt.
"Dammit, Hughes! Put me down!"
"Oh, Roy Boy, you know I love you!"
"Goddammit, Hughes," Roy muttered irritably but he could not keep the corners of his lips from turning upward into a grin.
"Okay, guys that's enough of the mushy stuff. Maes, give me my husband please," Reyna requested.
Maes granted her polite request by setting Roy back down on his feet and releasing him from the crushing embrace.
"Keys are in the car. Have fun," he said, turning to walk away. He raised his hand in a wave without looking back at them.
Roy took Reyna by the hand, and they were off. Winding their way through the maze, they emerged at the back gate. They felt like teenagers again, as if they had been transported to the past. However, things were much, much different this time.
"Oh, no!" Reyna gasped, staring at her bare feet. Blades of grass were stuck to her toes and tops of her feet with dew. "I forgot my shoes!"
"It's okay, Princess. There's nothing wrong with running away from the ball and losing a shoe or two," he remarked with a lopsided smirk. "Those kinds of stories always end with a happily ever after."
"Yeah," she agreed, squeezing his hand.
Roy opened the car door for her, assisting with gathering the yards of material that comprised the skirt of her dress. Once she and her dress was crammed into the car, he ran around the other side to take his place in driver's seat. She slid across the seat to be next to him.
"Sweetheart, you are beautiful," he complimented, putting his arm around her shoulders to hug her to his side while he drove with one hand on the wheel. "At the moment, you're more gorgeous than ever with your hair all mussed up. Bare foot and pregnant too."
"What?! My hair!" She grabbed the rear view mirror to see herself. There was not a hair out of place despite their athletic jaunt to the car.
"I'm kidding. You are always beautiful to me no matter what anyway."
"Thanks." She leaned her head against his shoulder. Weariness settled over causing her to feel a little dizzy.
"Hey, when we're on the train, you can get the rest you need. You can be rocked to sleep just like our girl."
"That will be nice," she whispered, allowing her eyes to close. She wanted to rest them long enough to make the insistent burning stop.
By the time they arrived at the train station, Reyna had nearly fallen asleep. She struggled to rouse herself, only coming halfway awake. Roy took her into his arms, carrying her inside in a bridal carry. As Maes had said, Gracia, Edward, Alphonse, and Selim waited for them on the platform by the train.
"Mom! Dad!" Selim exclaimed, running to greet them.
Roy dropped to one knee, sitting Reyna on his knee with her back against his chest to support her. Their child rushed into their open arms for a hug.
"Mmmm, my baby," she murmured, embracing him tightly.
"I hope you have a good trip!" he chattered brightly, his deep bluish purple eyes shining happily.
"We will, son," Roy assured him, patting his child's head.
"I will miss you, sweetheart," Reyna sniffed, tears forming in her eyes. She could not bring herself to let him go yet and hung on a little longer, hugging him as if to transfer enough of her mother's love to keep him sustained during their absence.
"Mom, I'm a big boy now. I'll be fine. I'm about to be a big brother and I have to be strong, you know?"
"I know." The tears shimmered in her eyes making the face of her little boy blur in her vision when she looked at him.
Standing on her own two feet, she took him by the hand, allowing him to lead her down the wooden platform where their friends, their family, awaited them to say farewell. More kisses and hugs were exchanged. Tears streamed down both of the women's faces. Although the occasion was indeed a happy one, parting still made tears fall.
"Here," Gracia said, pushing the three tired stack of boxes wrapped in a sunshine yellow cloth into Reyna's hands. "I packed you two a snack. You both were too busy meeting and greeting everyone to eat at the Fuhrer's Ball."
"Thank you," Reyna replied gratefully, giving her friend another hug.
"Here's your tickets," Ed announced, shoving the slips of paper into Roy's hands. "We've already had your luggage checked and taken to your private train car."
"Car? We have a whole car?" Roy inquired in disbelief.
"Well, you are the Fuhrer of Amestris. You get to travel in style now as such," Edward returned with a big grin on his face.
"I think I could get used to this. Living like royalty. Huh, Princess ?" Roy teased, elbowing his wife in the side. He knew she hated that nickname when they were teenagers but insisted on using it like he was doing presently. "But I guess you're no longer a Princess," he corrected himself. "You're my Queen."
"Yeah. And don't you ever forget it," she joked with a wink and elbowing him in the ribs in return.
"All aboard!" the conductor bellowed.
"Okay. That's it. Time to go!" Gracia proclaimed, hugging and kissing Reyna on the cheek before doing the same to Roy. This preempted a round of farewell embraces from everyone.
"Reyna, I have a present for you," the shy Alphonse announced, extending his closed hand to her. "Ed and I made it. I used part of my armor."
"Oh, Alphonse," she gasped when he opened his hand to reveal the round iron pendant and chain.
"It's a shield. Remember, when brother and I first me you, you formed a shield to protect that man at the Alchemist's test?" Alphonse knelt down on one knee in front of her like a knight bowing to a queen in reverence. In actuality, he lowered himself to be in closer proximity to her so he could put the necklace on her.
"I remember." She turned her back to him, fingering the smooth, round disc of gunmetal gray iron laying heavily against her chest while he latched the chain to hold it onto her neck.
"Now you'll always have metal with you to form a shield, to protect yourself and those you love," Alphonse explained, his child's voice faltering and cracking at the end.
"Thank you," she gushed, spinning around to throw her arms around the gigantic shoulders of the suit of armor that contained the soul of a precious young man she loved like he was her own son. She had adopted him and Ed both into her heart and loved them dearly.
Edward became the next victim of a barrage of kisses and hugs. Despite his crimson cheeks and furtive glimpses around the train station devoid of people besides them, he did not appear to mind the public display of motherly affection.
"Ed," Roy began, clamping a strong hand down on Edward's shoulder.
"Sir?" the usually prickly blonde responded dutifully.
"I'm leaving the family to you. They're in your care, and they are your responsibility. I trust you to take care of them." His dark eyes cut right through the suddenly nervous young man.
"Yes, sir!" Edward exclaimed giving the High Commander of the Amestrian military a crisp salute.
Roy saluted in return before grabbing Edward and pulling him into his arms for a hug.
"Uh, Roy...oh, I mean, Fuhrer Mustang -"
"Shut up, Ed. I'm only your friend at the moment, not the Fuhrer." Roy let him go, stepping back abruptly. He slapped Edward on the back, sniffing loudly to hold back the tears that swam in his eyes. "Well, then, good luck, son."
"Son?" he murmured under his breath looking perplexed.
The train whistle shrieked and steam hissed from the brakes startling all of the distracted people on the platform.
"Last call! All aboard!" the conductor hollered again.
"Have a great trip!" Gracia yelled, giving her friend one more hug.
"We'll take care of everything here! Don't worry about a thing!" Edward assured them.
"I love you. I love all of you!" Reyna cried out, waving and blowing kisses while walking backwards to keep them in her sight.
"We love you too!" they harmonized in way that made it sound like a song.
Reyna laughed with tears in her eyes from the chorus of endearment while she and Roy boarded the train. Roy put his arm around her waist to steady her while they stood at the metal railing at the edge of the car's platform to wave good-bye one more time.
"I will have to ask you to enter your cabin," the conductor apologetically and politely informed them, opening the door to their private car. A sad smile tilted his lips when the couple hesitated, glancing from him back to their friends who waved from the platform. "We are pleased to have the Fuhrer and First Lady aboard tonight and want to protect you at all costs." He opened the door to the car as an invitation for them to enter. With a flourish of his arm, he prompted them with a plaintive, "I'm sorry, Sir, Ma'am, but you must go in for your safety before the train moves. Please, if you will..."
Reyna and Roy entered the car. It looked like a room in a house decorated with a Persian rug, a couch and two chairs. Beyond that was a small dining table and four chairs. Behind the curtain that partitioned the cabin was a bed. Rich reds and earthy browns gave the room an even more homey appeal.
The train started to moving, pushing both of them forward slightly. Roy protectively held Reyna to prevent her from falling. She wiggled out of his secure grip to rush to one of the windows, unlatching it and lowering it so she could thrust out her arm for one last wave to the their family standing on the platform.
"I didn't realize how difficult it would be to say good-bye. I guess I just assumed we'd never have to leave them for any reason. Even a good one," Reyna murmured, sitting down on the couch.
"I know," Roy agreed, sitting beside her. He put his arm around her, gathering her to his chest to hold her. "But everything will be all right. I promise you."
Roy pressed his lips together, determined to make good on his promise. He would do whatever it takes to keep his family, his country, everyone and everything he holds dear to his heart, safe and free from harm. Thankfully, he has a whole army of people to assist him with accomplishing that task.