August 9th, 1990

Ian was glad they didn't have to be anywhere on a schedule this evening, mostly because if they did he was certain they would have been late. Not that he minded. Watching Bonnie work with her horses was always a pleasure. This evening, she was working with Rosie's eight-month-old colt, while the mare watched on curiously from the next paddock.

Not that training a baby that young was anything Ian would have called complicated. Most of it was regular daily repetition of the basics. The handsome little dark chestnut was now quite comfortable with being groomed, wearing his halter, and walking on a lead. Bonnie insisted that if the baby learned good manners and socialization from the beginning, he would be much easier to train for riding.

This evening had gone particularly well, and Bonnie was relaxed and beaming as she finished leading Showman around the ring, making him walk, stand, turn, and follow her without pulling.

When she was finally done, she stopped, and gave him a small bite of carrot as a reward, before leading him back to the gate, where Ian was leaning against the fence, waiting. "He's really coming along."

Bonnie grinned as she reached the fence, and kissed him in greeting. "He's an excellent student," she agreed. "I can't wait until he's old enough to be put under saddle. He's such a sweetheart."

"He has a great trainer." Ian's hand lingered for a few extra moments on her cheek. "Patient, caring, beautiful."

"My looks have nothing to do with my training capabilities."

"No, but I can still compliment them, can't I?"

"From you, I might believe them." Bonnie turned back to the foal, stroking his head. "You know, we should get you a horse too," she commented. "Then we could go for family rides."

Ian chuckled. "We'll be able to do that as soon as Showman here's broken to saddle. Won't we?"

"He won't be ready for you to ride him that soon." Bonnie shook her head. "He's going to need a very experienced trainer's hand for some time."

"So I ride Rosie. I presume you don't mind that, if you'll be on the handsome young man."

She eyed him slyly. "Jealous?"

"Maybe a little."

Bonnie shook her head. "You need someone with a bit more spunk than Rosie. She'd be much better off as a child's horse now that she's getting older."

"Well, I suppose so." Ian could see that. Rosie was the most patient, well-mannered horse in the stable. "But when would she ever—" He stopped dead mid-sentence as he thought about what she had said about family rides and a child's horse. Then there was the patient, amused expression as Bonnie waited for him to put it together, and he felt a warm, growing hope inside. "Are you saying what I hope you're saying?"

An impish grin spread across Bonnie's face as she nodded. "You did say you wanted a family. No taking it back now."

"Take it back?" Ian's joy bubbled up in a chuckle as he pulled her into a hug. "I'm ecstatic. This is incredible!" He kissed her again. "Best news ever…except maybe when you agreed to marry me."

"Better than your Award win?" Bonnie teased.

"A thousand times better." He would have held her longer, but Showman was clearly impatient with the lack of movement, because he nosed them both. "Easy there, little guy. No need to be jealous." Ian reached out and rubbed the colt's nose. "You'll still get plenty of attention."

Bonnie chuckled. "Let me put him up and we can go."

"I'll get the gate." Ian let go of her, and reached for the gate latch. Once it was open, Bonnie let the colt through. It only took her a moment to put Showman in the paddock and unclip his halter. Free, the colt pranced back to Rosie, who nuzzled him before they settled back to cropping the grass around their feet.

"I'm so glad he weaned easily." Bonnie watched them for a few more seconds. "Keeping them separated until her milk dried up was so hard."

"On all of us." Ian was relieved that Bonnie's fretting about the trauma of keeping them apart was over. Now, they could fret about all the planning they needed to do before they became parents. "So, what would you like for dinner? We can go anywhere you want."

"Anywhere?"

"In Central," Ian amended. "This is definitely celebration news."

"Can we go to Carelos?" Bonnie asked hopefully. "I have been dying for some of their seafood."

"Cravings already?" Ian teased as he slid one arm around her shoulders. "Carelos it is. You know I'm always up for seafood." They headed back towards the car.

"That's because you'll eat almost anything."

"And if we're going to afford everything we need for this kid, it's a good thing I like my own cooking."

August 10th, 1990

In the falling darkness, Xerxes loomed out of the desert like a citadel, dark and foreboding. Still, it was their safe place, a haven out of the wide-open desert where they felt like targets. It was a defensible position, with water and shade and abandoned buildings. It was a place where they could rest, take care of the animals, and then move on.
Anika hoped it would be a good place to renew their spirits, which were decidedly flagging. The view was bleak, and with the constant fear of someone behind them, their two stops had been briefer than planned. Just enough time to see to the animals, catch naps with someone on guard, and move on.

Even with radios between the trucks, chatter was minimal. Everyone was exhausted, and often lost in their own thoughts.

They drove into the ruins, and were quickly surrounded by shadows. Ted seemed to have some idea of where he was going, because he turned several times before coming to a wide-open area, surrounded by crumbling walls and columns. In the center stood a large round basin. The water inside glinted as it moved within, and she knew they had found their water source, the natural spring. There, he drove around to the larger area of the square, and parked. The other trucks lined up beside them.

:This is a fascinating place,: Gavril commented, looking around with renewed curiosity. :How did you know where to find the spring?:

:Descriptions.: Ted turned off the engine. :My grandfather came here once, a long time ago. He told me about it.:

:You have a good memory.: Gavril opened the door as Ted opened the other, and Anika found herself with room to move as both men climbed out of the truck. She followed them out into the falling dusk. The sky above was clear, and streaks of orange and purple were visible through the ruins. It was stark, and yet oddly beautiful. The silence was a little disconcerting.

:There isn't a lot of wild life here,: she commented aloud.

Ted shook his head. :We'll find some, but not much in the city itself. You'll notice that they paved it well, so it's difficult for burrowing desert animals to live here. We might see some small lizards, and a few birds.:

The others joined them, and they began the routine they had set at the last two stops. First, no matter how exhausted they all were, the animals needed to be checked for signs of illness or distress, and fed and watered. Ted did something with alchemy to test the water just in case, before declaring it perfectly safe, and tasty.

Anika took buckets of it straight to the cat truck, where she started refreshing water dishes, and pulling meat out of the coolers that was keeping it fresh, chopping it into appropriate sized dinner pieces, and tossing it into cages.

None of the cats were happy. They weren't in their habitats, and they had been in this truck for days. Along with Myrda, they had saved the mated pair of Snow Leopards, and all three of their nine-month-old cubs, their single male lion, and the smaller wild cats. All told, there were fourteen cats in the truck that needed care, and they were not at all quiet about their displeasure.

Anika soothed them the best she could, being particularly cautious to remain out of reach of claws. The cages did not have spaces large enough for the bigger cats to get a paw through, even if they tried. Even though all of the cats had known her for years, that did not make them truly tame, and a frightened cat could be a dangerous cat. She was grateful that the cages had under-pans that, while difficult to move, could be slid out to remove most of the cat feces without having to bring the cats out. Or the truck would have smelled even worse than it did. Maybe they could leave the doors open for a few hours tonight and let them air out.

She saved Myrda for last, so she could spend the longest with her beautiful tiger. :Here you are, girl,: she slid the meat into the cage using the long poled grip she used with all of them, but once Myrda had eaten, she drew closer. The cat came up to the bars, making the deep rumbling noise tigers made that sounded like a smaller cat purring, only much bigger. Myrda butted her head against the bars. Anika stuck her fingers up against them so she could scratch the tiger's head, just a little. :I missed you too.:
Her career at the zoo, these animals, that had been her dream job, and all of that had been ripped away. She would never forgive Savahin, or anyone else who had been involved in this coup that had turned her country into a bloody battlefield strewn with innocent people.

:We'll find a new home, where you have a great habitat, and we're safe,: she promised the tiger.

She didn't move until she heard the sound of Mrs. Volkova shouting :Soup's on!:

It was dark outside the truck now, but Anika was unsurprised to find that there was a camp set up, and a fire burning made from the scrub that had grown up in the cracks and corners. Dinner smelled delicious. :What did you make?: she asked, her mouth quite literally watering as she sniffed the stewpot.

:I found the pot in an old building. Dry sand preserves things fairly well. Having an alchemist around is surprisingly useful. He was able to test it for any toxic metals and transmute it into something practically new.: Mrs. Volkova smiled. :So I cooked up a bit of the steak we had for the bears. Figured they wouldn't need it, and we could use the red meat, and a bunch of those vegetables you all so kindly brought along. Then I put the invalid squad to work.: She nodded to where Fyo and Gavril were sitting by the fountain. Between them was a pile of fresh washed and cut fruit in a bowl. :It's a bit late for anything more complicated, but I thought I might use some of that flour tomorrow to make biscuits, maybe slice up some more meat and fry it up, too. You, your brother, and your alchemist all look more than a bit underfed. Resistance work must be hungry work these days, and you need sustenance.:

:I've been eating, I promise.: Though the doctor in Karmatsk had said much the same thing.

The older woman ladled up a bowl of the stew and handed it to Anika with a weird looking spoon. More of Ted's work? :Well you will be tonight. Sit, rest.: She gestured with the ladle.

Anika sighed. :I will in a minute. Where's Ted?:

Volkova's face softened a bit. :Burying Potyr. There's an actual cemetery plot behind the temple. He thought it would be fitting.:

Anika suspected Potyr would appreciate that he had not be left to rot, but was being laid to rest properly, even if it was on foreign soil. :Good.: She took the food, and went to sit beside Liena a few feet from the fire. There wasn't much of anything in the way of chairs, but Liena had laid out a blanket, picnic style, to keep them off the ground. Anika sat down cross-legged, and began eating. :This is good!:

Liena chuckled. :Isn't it? It's amazing how good anything tastes when you've been living off cold raw food for a couple of days, and military gruel.: She grimaced. :I'm so glad I never joined the military. The food's terrible.:

:The food when you're living in a mountain isn't too hot either,: Anika quipped between bites.

Liena winced. :I'm sorry, Anika! I didn't even think. You've had it rougher than the rest of us. The government doesn't care about us, except for the fact we just stole millions worth of wildlife.: She grinned at that.

:It would be nice if Savahin wasn't out for my father's head,: Anika agreed. :Or the rest of us. But we have Gavril Mihalov, and if we can get him somewhere where that will do some good, then we've done something. Just by being on this mission, you're now critically important to the resistance and Drachma.:

:Wow. That's… a lot of responsibility,: Liena admitted, taking another bite of her meal.

Anika let the conversation drop as Fyo and Gavril joined them with the fruit, and Mrs. Volkova finished cooking and served herself a bowl. Niki joined them next, having finished helping water the birds.

Anika was already on seconds when Ted joined them without a word. He took a bowl, and sat down between Gavril and Niki, eating in silence as the others chatted quietly around him. Whatever had come over him since the fight, it clearly had not dissipated. Anika wondered if anyone else had noticed. No one else seemed bothered by his change in behavior.

She wasn't really sure what to think, and they hadn't had a private moment to talk since leaving Karmatsk. They needed to talk. She needed to talk. She needed explanations. What was bothering him? Why was he being so distant? Why wouldn't he say more than three words to her directly in any sentence? Anika at least thought she understood his insistence that she get in the truck. It wasn't just because she was pregnant. Or at least, she didn't think so. It had been safer, and it had turned out to be exactly right as a vantage point for firing at the enemy. Despite what his tone had implied when he ordered her back, Anika wasn't reckless. She didn't want to risk her child either. Did he think she was that stupid?

The first sign of life came when Fyo disappeared for several minutes, then returned with an armload of bottles. :Who's up for a little refreshment?: he called out, grinning broadly. :I'd say we've earned some serious relaxation.:

The mood around the fire perked up considerably, as Fyo handed out what proved to be a variety of alcoholic beverages, none of them mild. At least, that was most of them. When he got to Anika he winked and handed her a bottle of ginger soda. :Lucky for you, I had something less potent tucked away.:

Anika eyed him. :Do I want to know why you were hiding alcohol in the zoo's truck?:

:Don't ask, and I don't have to lie.: He moved on around the circle, before sitting back down between Liena and Gavril. :To our insane, successful escape!: He held up his own bottle. :And to Potyr… for sacrificing himself for the rest of us.: Fyo upended his bottle and took a long drink.

The others followed suit with varying levels of enthusiasm, some sipping, others taking longer drinks. It was interesting watching everyone. It had been a long time since she'd been out socially, and there was very little to drink up on the mountain besides water, coffee, and tea. She sipped her soft drink as slowly, people began to talk, to work through their grief and stress as suited each one best.

It started with stories about Potyr, and stories about the zoo in general. They'd had a lot of good times there. Then Niki chimed in about a goofy story that had happened at the expense of their older brother, Leonid, when they were teenagers. Soon everyone was sharing stories, even Gavril Mihalov, who told an audacious and almost unbelievable story about working with Amestrian alchemists on a diplomatic mission to uncover and capture some of the earlier members of the movement they were fighting now. Anika might not have believed it, if she hadn't seen the things she had in the last few months.

That, and Ted spoke up for the first time that night to confirm it.

:What, like you were there?: Fyo snorted, well into his bottle.

Ted smirked back. :Almost as good as. He's talking about my cousin Trisha and Roy Mustang. The same Mustang who worked with me when we broke General Marskaya out of prison and then blew up the Petrayevka airfields on our way out of town.:

Since only Niki and Anika had heard any part of that story—and the part Anika had been there for—everyone else clamored for more, and Ted obliged, launching into a dramatic and only mildly exaggerated tale of their daring prison break. The facts themselves followed Anika's memories, though there seemed to be even more of a threat of being caught, and more close calls. Everyone was attributed their own part in the heroism though, including her. Then he moved on to how he and Roy had blown up the airfield and their dramatic escape, not unlike the one they had just made with the animals, except that the soldiers at the base never caught up with them.

The night grew later, and as everyone drank, the stories devolved, getting more exaggerated, but also more crude.

Finally, Anika stood up and went to go stand watch. Someone needed to do it. The edge of the square that faced the way they had come was also on the edge of a hill. Below was a long wide area that might have once been a park, or a market place. There were a couple of trees planted here, and bushes that could withstand the desert that had survived on their own. It was pretty, in its own way, and she had a good view of the stars above them, spread out like a vast ocean of glimmering flecks, each one incredibly clear.

The sound of footsteps behind her made her turn quickly.

It was Liena. :Hey, mind some company?:

She relaxed. :Not at all. I just figured someone should be keeping watch.:

Liena smiled, and sat down on the edge of the stair beside her. :It's a beautiful view. It's too bad no one lives here anymore to see it.:

:I wonder what happened here.: Anika hadn't been able to get much information out of Ted about the place on the drive, and history was fuzzy. Drachman history called the place a land of barbarians and demon-worshippers. Anika suspected that had to do with the tradition that alchemy had come from here. Ted's comments before had confirmed that much. Amestris and Xing considered this the home of alchemy and alkahestry as well.

Liena shrugged. :I don't know. Maybe a plague? This city is a lot bigger than I always thought it would be. It must have been a thriving civilization once upon a time.:

They both grew quiet for a time, contemplating the night sky and the mysteries of the past.

At least until Liena said, :So… Ted.:

:What about Ted?: Anika asked.

:Mrs. Volkova called him your alchemist, and he helped break your Dad out of prison. Niki says he left the Amestrian military for you.:

:He did,: she acknowledged. :What do you want to know, Liena?:

:I'm not even sure how to ask in words,: Liena admitted. :I just have lots of questions, and they're all really nosy. Like, when did you meet? When did you… I mean, I'm assuming your baby is, you know, his. Is it love? Are you marrying him?: The questions came out on a rush as she got going, eyes alight with burning curiosity.

Anika had known her friends would ask eventually. There hadn't been time to explain anything during the escape, and they'd been too tired when they stopped, but apparently that hadn't kept Mrs. Volkova from making the connection or Niki from talking. Mrs. Volkova had met Ted and Roy before, after all. Liena and Fyo were friends. It made sense they would wonder. Her face flushed as she hoped that the drunken stories behind them didn't turn in that direction. :It's… complicated.:

:Well I've never heard anyone call any relationship simple. Goodness knows, none of mine ever have been.: Liena's head cocked slightly to one side as she looked at Anika with a considering expression. :Can I guess?:

Anika sighed. :Go ahead.:

:Well, thanks to the story-telling fest and your chatty brother, I know you met Ted when you helped his team get into Karmatsk, but that was only a few weeks before you broke your father out of jail. You probably connected really fast because, from what I've seen so far, he's totally your type. He's smart, and creative, and he's got that military thing going for him. You're used to military types, so it's familiar too. He's competent, and he's not an ass. At least, I haven't seen him be an ass. I assume if he was you'd have shot him in his by now.: She grinned. :So, you two connected, and somewhere in there—not gonna guess where—things got steamy.:
Good thing she wasn't going to guess, but Anika was never going to tell anyone. :Right so far.:

:So, you rescued your Dad, and then Ted and his alchemist friend wrought glorious havoc on the airfield on their way out of town.: Liena sat forward. :But it doesn't end there. It sounds like a war romance out of some old novel or a movie… except that he defied his entire country to come back to you, and he's fighting for us because of you. That's amazing.:

Anika nodded. :So, you like him.:

:How could I not?: Liena asked. :Who wouldn't, really? On top of being practically magical, and the kind of hero you only expect to see in fiction, he's hot. Besides, he's clearly in love with you. I mean, how many people would put themselves between a bunch of soldiers with guns and someone else without a , he had his alchemy, so I guess that counts, but he had no cover, and he put himself out in front to protect all of us, but you're the one he was worried about. It was like something out of a movie, when he ordered you out of harm's way.:

Anika snorted. :You don't find that a little, I don't know, stereotypically sexist?:

Liena gave Anika her are you nuts? Face. :Anika, you're what, eight months pregnant? No one in their right mind would put you on the front lines of anything. You're a distance shooter and you can't run for cover or dodge worth anything. Besides, you didn't see him telling me to save myself, or Mrs. Volkova, did you? No. He made me stand there and shoot at people coming over a wall. I'd never killed anyone before that night. It's going to give me nightmares forever, but that's the nature of this whole civil war thing, isn't it? Regular people get involved. If he hadn't known what to do, we'd have all died. He took charge, and told me to shoot. He took the hard part away from me, deciding I had to kill people. It was easier to do it when he told me to, because I knew if he thought I could do it, and it was necessary, than I could. It was terrible, and I never want to do it again, but at least it wasn't my call, you know? And I'm sure that makes me sound like a horrible coward, but I don't know if I could have decided fast enough that I needed to do it. And I never would have been able to put them out of their misery if I didn't kill them on the first shot… or thought about what happened if one of them was faking. But that's what he was doing, right? Making sure they were dead before we left. None of them suffered, but they couldn't give us away either. It was… I don't know. But he didn't make me do that part. He did it himself, and then he went all the way out there alone and found Potyr and brought him back. Even if someone had been waiting out there to ambush us. He didn't have to do that. Leaving Potyr's body wouldn't really have told them anything important.:

Listening to her talk, and to Liena's interpretation of events, Anika felt irritated, but also a little foolish. She was used to being treated as another member of the team. On most missions, aside from not putting her on the front—which made sense given she was a better shot than a close-combat fighter anyway—her family and comrades had actually been fairly even-handed about treating her normally.

Still, that didn't fully explain his recent behavior. She could explain it away as battlefield behavior, but he hadn't been like this on any of their other missions. Overthinking or not, it made her uncomfortable. Something was different. Even after months of living and working together on a daily basis, and hours of talking about their lives, their feelings, their goals… there were clearly sides to him she still hadn't seen before now.

:You're right,: she finally remembered to say something as Liena sat there, waiting. :And I do love him. It's just really not how I expected a relationship to go. Not knowing a single thing about what our life is going to be like, from day to day, let alone weeks, or years from now, is hard. If we get into Amestris, will they let us stay? I'm not a citizen. I'm not even sure what their rules are for marrying foreigners. Can I get a job? Will everyone hate us there because we're Drachman? I never even planned on leaving Drachma. Ted said he was willing to stay with me there forever if he had to, just to be with me, but if Savahin stays in charge… it would be a terrible place to raise a family and if we went back, we'd have to keep fighting for as long as there's resistance, and you can't raise a child that way.: Not that she had planned on getting pregnant in the middle of a civil war. She hadn't even been looking for a boyfriend.

:That is pretty crazy,: Liena conceded. :I have no idea what's going to happen either, but anything in Amestris has to be better than being a prisoner of my own government forced to watch while they sell our animals. Without the zoo, I wouldn't have had a job, and I don't know what they were going to do with us when it was over. Potyr thought they might shoot us. They might still…the ones we didn't bring with us.: Tears started leaking from her eyes, but she rubbed them away briskly. :I hope I can get a message to my family someday, telling them I'm okay.:

Anika felt like a bad friend. She reached out and squeezed Liena's hand. :We'll be fine. We got away, and we'll stay together for as long as it takes. Our best hope for ourselves, and for Drachma, is in finishing this mission. Even if it doesn't do anything, it'll make Savahin look bad when everyone finds out that Gavril got away, won't it?:
Liena nodded. :Right. Maybe it'll keep people fighting, or maybe they'll figure out a plan. I don't know. I just… I already miss home. It's like Drachma isn't even the same place anymore.:

:Because it isn't. We've been lucky to grow up during a time where we had a pretty good government. Things aren't ever perfect, but it's better than some of our history.:

:That's true. We've had some pretty awful governments.:

:So…we'll fix this too.: Anika couldn't imagine this regime lasting long. It was so hateful and destructive that eventually the people would rise back up.

:Is this a private revolution?:

Both of them jumped, and looked back as Gavril Mihalov came up through the dark. His smile, good-humored, was the only clear thing in the dark until he stepped out from under a tree. Liena leapt to her feet. :No, Mr. Mihalov… I mean, you're welcome to join us.:

Gavril chuckled softly. :Please, just Gavril. We're all refugees together. Given recent events, I'm not worth much more than anyone else, and probably less.:

:Of—of course.: Liena nodded. :We were just sitting watch.:

:A good job for clearer heads,: Gavril agreed. :Dinara was looking for you, Liena. She had a question about one of the wolves.:

:Oh. Okay.: Liena nodded and hurried off.

When she was gone, Gavril sat down in the spot she had just vacated.

:You're on a first name basis with Mrs. Volkova?: Anika asked slyly.

Gavril smiled back, but shrugged. :We actually travelled in the same social circles once, if you can believe it. Rodi Volkova and I were friends at University. We got into a lot of…misadventures together. I introduced them at a party.:

:I had no idea.:

:No reason for you to have known. We lost touch after a while, outside of the occasional conversation or letter. Life gets busy, and sometimes you just drift a part.: His voice softened. :I went to his funeral, after he died of pneumonia. Dinara and I don't talk much anymore. Though, that might have more to do with her also being a friend of Darya's.:

It was no state secret that Gavril Mihalov and his wife had separated several years ago, but knowing him in person now, that information seemed much more immediate.
:That… must make this awkward.:

:Not as much as you'd think,: Gavril admitted. :She's been very gracious, really.:

:If it's not too impertinent….can I ask why your wife left?: Anika wasn't entirely certain why she felt like the answer was important, but it was. He seemed like a good man, respectful, who cared very much for his country and for people. What would make a woman not want to stay with him?

Gavril nodded. :No, that seems a reasonable question. It wasn't anything I did, really, but what I didn't do, in the end. At least, from what she told me. Darya left because I was too devoted to my work.:

:That makes no sense.:

:Doesn't it?: Gavril looked up at the stars. :They tell you that what really matters in this world is being devoted to something worth your time, to making the world a better place. I wanted that for Drachma, and I think that sense of vision, that determination, was what Darya saw in me, but it was also what left her feeling like she wasn't as important to me as my work. Hours in the office, late nights, travel, politics. It wasn't all dinners and socialization, particularly not once I got to where I could make real change, but when you're established, there's nothing glamourous about being the wife of a government representative, or a member of that government. It's the late nights, dinners apart, slipping in late and making apologies for another meeting that ran late hashing out the details of a bill being presented the next day. I guess… it wasn't the life she wanted, or maybe it wasn't what she'd expected. If I'd been able to tell her that before… well, I don't know that it would have made a difference. I didn't know how alone and unappreciated she felt, or how much of a good face she'd been putting on, until her patience ran out. She left me, and she took Amylla with her. Not that I would have been any good as a single parent. There was always too much to do, and she'd have spent half her time in child care.: He shook his head. :I always thought, we'd be different. It's not that uncommon a story really, not for civil servants, or for people I've known in the military. Still, I thought we understood each other better than that, and that the work I was doing was as important to her. That it would last, but it's been over three years now since she left. I never meant to hurt her.:

Anika could see that, if she thought about it. Her mother had always been entirely behind her father's career in the military, even when it meant weeks or months without seeing him. Anika remembered her mother's patience, and love. She had known what she was getting into when she married a young and promising officer. :That sounds like the opposite of my mom,: she verbalized the thought. :My parents were completely devoted to each other. It didn't seem to matter how long Dad was gone. We always missed him, but we were happy. I know she was happier when he retired from active duty, and became a representative. They were together more then.: Maybe it was a matter of perspective. Even up to the day she died, her mother had been wholly devoted to her family, and the causes they fought for.

:It takes a shared vision, and a lot of understanding.: Gavril nodded. :I had the honor of knowing your mother. She was enchanting.: He paused again, then wiped his face with his hand. :I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go so long. I've had a bit more to drink than was probably wise.:

:You are hardly the only one,: Anika pointed out.

:I'll leave the revelry and relief to those young enough to recover more quickly.:

Anika sniffed. :Doesn't make it any more wise.:

:Oh, I wouldn't be too hard on them. After the past few days, I think we all need to release a little pressure, and everyone deals with grief in their own way. You've lost a colleague, if not a friend, and most of us are not used to killing people, or being shot at, myself included, and I'm already more than tired of it. Ted, well, I think he's taking it harder than anyone else.:

There, there it was, one of the things that was bugging her that she hadn't been able to work into words. :Why is that?: she asked, hoping that the older man might have some idea. :He's been in combat plenty of times. He's lost men before.:

:That's precisely why, I expect.: Gavril held up a finger as if she had hit a point. :He's trained military, and he's been an officer, with people working with him, and under his command. Their lives are in his hands. His orders can be the difference between success, and comrades dead on the field. It's not all up to him, but those decisions, they matter. None of us are military. Yes, you and your brother were raised by a general, and you've been fighting in the resistance, but you haven't seen real military action any more than I have. Your father: he'd probably be feeling the same way; though, with his experience, he'd probably hide it better. The whole rescue was Ted's plan. We agreed to it, and provided input, but he was in charge of the mission. He gave us orders, and we followed them. Potyr died following those orders. It could have been any one of us, or more of us. All things considered, it would be a successful mission. But a man still died. Don't you think he wonders if there was anything he could have done differently to save him?:

:We all wonder that,: Anika replied softly. :I mean, if any of us could have saved him.: But he had a good point. Ted had made dozens of decisions without any time to think things over, acting on experience and the knowledge he had of their skills, and all of it to protect the group, and the animals, and the mission with minimal losses. Knowing Ted, and how much he cared about people, he would carry the weight of Potyr's death. That was why he had gone to the trouble of carrying his body back to the truck, even with his own shoulder shot and still bleeding, and why he had buried him. It was all the apology he could offer. This was the type of combat he'd really been trained for. :Are they done telling lewd stories yet?:

:When I left, they had shifted to stories about siblings, but only Fyo and your brother were really into it.:

: I hate to leave you alone…:

Gavril chuckled. :Go. He needs you right now.:

:Thank you.: Anika got to her feet, and made her way back to the camp. As he had said, the party seemed to have broken up a bit. Fyo and Niki were still sitting around the fire, red-faced and chortling about something. Liena and Mrs. Volkova had cleaned up dinner and were pulling out blankets from the back of the truck that had come from Karmatsk.

Ted was nowhere in sight. Anika bit back irritation and asked Liena if she'd seen where he went. She pointed towards where Ted had come from earlier, when he'd gone to bury Potyr.

Hoping it wasn't too far, Anika followed.

She didn't have to go more than a dozen yards before she found him.

Ted stood in another, smaller, empty space, surrounded by spaced columns, staring up at a broken wall. He held a lantern up as if by that he could better see whatever was so interesting.

Anika joined him. :What is it?:

:A transmutation circle,: Ted replied in hushed tones.

Squinting, Anika could make out lines and circles, like the ones he drew, and also symbols and images. :What does it do?:

:I'm not sure, with the top half missing,: Ted admitted. :My grandfather told me about it once. I wanted to see it for myself.:

:It's very beautiful. Why are we speaking so quietly?:

That got a small smile, though Ted continued in the same soft, awed tone. :This is… where my family comes from. Where my Great-Grandfather came from. It's the birthplace of both alchemy, and alkahestry. It's…well, I guess you could call it the closest thing alchemists have to holy ground.:

:I can see that.: Anika looked back up at the circle. :So—wait, what do you mean your great-grandfather is from here? I thought Xerxes was abandoned hundreds of years ago.: Maybe he was even more drunk than she thought.

:It's one of the biggest secrets of my family.: Ted's smile widened into a grin. :I don't know how much you know about Amestrian history, but the corruption that ended when my grandpa, and Roy Mustang, and others took out Fuhrer King Bradley…all of that was a secret plot that had to do with alchemy. The mastermind behind it… was a homunculus that had existed since before Xerxes was destroyed. It knew my great-grandfather. They had, let's call it a complicated past. All I know is what Grandpa Ed told me, because the homunculus looked just like Great-Grandpa Hohenheim. He'd helped it when it was a helpless thing, and it gave him an almost immortal body.:

This story was crazy. :How was it almost immortal?:

Ted shrugged. :Nothing can really last forever, even something enhanced with alchemy. He lived hundreds of years, wandering the world. Then he fell in love in a little village in the middle of nowhere, and that's where Grandpa Ed and Great-Uncle Al were born…in Resembool. They live there now, too. It's a bigger town, but it's still pretty rural. That's where I grew up.:

She wanted to call him out for telling her something so insane, but it was clear from the look on his face as he looked up at the remains, and how he'd been acting as they came close to this place, that maybe his thoughts had been occupied here as well. :So… does that make your grandfather, or your great-uncle part immortal?:

Ted shook his head. :No. I mean, they're both really old, and surprisingly active, but they're as mortal as the rest of us.: His words faded away then, and silence stretched between them. :I'm sorry, Anika.:

She swallowed. :Sorry for what?:

:For getting your friend killed. For making you dig through the pockets of dead men. For shouting orders at you… for being preoccupied. I've… had a lot on my mind.:
As soon as he said those words, the knot in her stomach eased. She reached out, wrapping her arms around him in a sideways hug. :You were just trying to keep us all alive.:
His free arm went around her, and she felt him bury his face in her hair. :A task at which I almost failed. None of you are trained military. I should have thought about that.:

:Should you?: she asked gently. :Was it the best plan? Would something else have worked?:

:It was the only plan I could think of,: Ted admitted. He lowered the lantern, setting it down on the cut-off remains of a nearby column. Then he wrapped his other arm around her, grip tightening. :We've been working as a team, all this time, but that's not how I treated you back there. I treated you like one of my alchemists.:

Anika hugged him back. :So you're not going to tell me it wasn't because I'm a pregnant woman.:

:I can't tell you that, because I'd be lying,: Ted admitted. :If anything happened to you back there… both of you, I'd probably have leveled everything in a half-mile radius.:

:You could do that?:

:Easily,: Ted replied seriously. :But I would have just as likely killed everyone else, and the animals, too. That kind of power… it's harder to control. I could have taken out their entire force on my own, or with a group of alchemists, without even worrying about it. But I couldn't have done that and protected the rest of you, and I just… I can't focus when I'm worried about you. Not that I can focus well when you're around anyway,: he added with a low chuckle. :It takes all my concentration to focus on the mission. It's been that way since the first time we met.:

:Oh, really?:

:Really. You're…intoxicating. You were smart, and funny, and you knew how to shoot. What guy in his right mind would be able to think about anything else? I'd never met anyone like you…and you're so beautiful… and sensual…and just having you near drives me to distraction.:

:Even now?: she asked, teasing him lightly.

:Especially now.: She could feel Ted's breath in her hair. :The first time I saw you, you took my breath away…after you stopped shooting at me. Now, I can't help wanting to be close to you every chance I get. Snuggling up with you at night, talking… just being close. Though I do dream at night, about what we'll be able to do after kiddo gets here.:

She didn't need to see his face to know what Ted was thinking. His tone held all the meaning she needed. :Next time…more forethought.:

:Definitely,: he agreed with a chuckle. :Oh…gods…I love you, Anika. The world is nothing to me without you in it. You…and our son. Maybe a daughter some day, who's a crack shot like her mom. You know…if you ever let me in your bed again. Settle down somewhere with a nice house, get a dog…or a cat. Just need to take care of this pesky little war problem first…:

Pesky little… Anika tilted her head so she could look him in the face. :You are drunk.:

Ted shrugged. :I am very drunk. I came within a hair's breadth of losing the two most precious lives I know, and got a civilian killed by ordering him to fight against trained Drachman soldiers, whom I had to put out of their misery if they weren't actually dead… and then I buried an innocent man. So yes, I am drunk. I am exceptionally drunk. I am incredibly drunk… and your friend Fyo has excellent taste in booze.:

:You are… weirdly eloquent when you're drunk.: Anika had never seen him like this before. The occasional drink did not seem to have much of an effect on him, and she'd been too busy with other things to wonder.

:When you meet my team, they could tell you stories,: Ted grinned, then it dropped almost as quickly as it had come. :Well, when you meet my friends. I can't really call them my team when I walked out on them. They might not even count me as a friend anymore…actually.:

Anika hugged him a little tighter. :If they're your friends, they'll forgive you.:

:I don't know about that.: Ted shook his head. :My first team… one died, and the other two won't talk to me. It's been years. These guys…:

:I have met them, remember?: Anika reminded him with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. :I think they'll understand, even if they're mad at you. By now, they might just be glad to find out you're alive.: He had never managed to get a message home, and Anika could only imagine what his family thought. Surely, they would just be happy to have their son back alive, right? It occurred to her that, in his current frame of mind, she could probably ask Ted anything and get a straight answer.

:I hope you're right,: He replied. :They don't usually put deserters to death in Amestris these days, but I'm still not convinced I won't be looking at jail time which…might complicate the future a bit.:

:About that. What is our plan?: Anika asked. :We keep talking about someday, and in the future, but… well, in the next ten weeks I'm having a baby. I'd rather not do it in prison, or out in the middle of nowhere as some refugee. I don't even know what the laws are in Amestris about marrying non-citizens.: Given the border was closed, she doubted she'd be granted citizenship. She might not even be granted permission to stay, though she was certain she knew enough information to be useful. She'd barter that intelligence if she had to. :Can we get married? Where will we live? Where are we taking my animals? I know you're really good at winging things and somehow they work out with an unrealistic level of success…but I need a little more of a plan here.:

Ted's face flushed. :I wish I had more concrete answers. For the animals, well, the Central Zoo is huge, and they have exhibits for almost every animal you have with us, though you've got several species they don't have, but would probably love to, because they're a bit short on Drachman species. For the rest… I'm hoping they'll let us all go to Central. Intelligence needs to know what we know, and there's where all the political decisions are made. No one can touch us there, and from there Gavril can make whatever political move he likes, and Drachma can't touch him.: He blinked in the lamplight. :I've got a good amount of my pay saved up. Don't spend much when you live in military housing…I can cover a place that'll fit us. Until we work that out, I've got lots of family. We'll have somewhere to stay.:

:Any priests in the family who won't care that I'm Drachman?:

Ted snorted, almost choking on a laugh. :No priests in my family…at all. There's no law in Amestris about marrying a non-citizen. As long as they let you stay in the country, the government can't tell us what to do with our lives.:

:But what if they don't Ted? No matter what we want, they could say that they're not letting us in the country. What if they do arrest you for desertion, and don't let us in? What happens then?:

He looked like she'd punched him in the stomach, but she had to ask. They needed to know how they were going to handle it if the worse scenarios happened. :I… I don't know,: he finally admitted. :But I won't let them separate us. Where you go, I go. Even if it means I don't go home.:

:Ever?:

:Ever.:

:Ted…do you realize what you're saying?: Anika asked, feeling her own heart aching deep down. :You're giving up everything if that happens. Your parents, your family, your friends… your reputation….your career…:

Ted shook his head. :Not everything. I knew what I was risking when I left. After I got home you really were all I could think about. Anytime there wasn't work to be done, and sometimes when there was, I could hear you in my head. I could remember every conversation we had, and even the smell of your soap. Not being with you… it was driving me insane. I needed to know if you felt the same…. If you feel the same now? Because I still do… I would do anything to keep us together, even go back to Drachma if you wanted, but… only as long as you want to be with me. After everything we've been through, I'd understand if you didn't. Hell, I couldn't even get the other women I thought I liked to go out with me. Sometimes I'm still not even sure why you're with me. I just… I want us to be together only if we both want it.:

Anika had not expected the conversation to turn that direction so suddenly, right on the heels of her own earlier uncertainty. It took her a moment to find her tongue. :Ted… I…"

His face fell at her hesitation. :No. I get it. It's … " His grip loosened, and he started to back away.

Anika grabbed the collar of his shirt. :No! You don't get it! Now wait and let me speak.:

Ted froze.

:Better.: Anika took a deep, calming breath, and tried to gather her thoughts. :Ted… this whole thing it… it feels like we're living in a drama…or a nightmare. Except that sometimes… sometimes it's not so bad, because you're here. I don't know if that makes any sense. I'm giving up everything too. Maybe not forever, but right now I've lost…my country, and I can't go back to my family, or a job I loved. Nothing is certain anymore, and none of this was anywhere in my life plan a year ago. Not a war, or losing the zoo, or meeting you… and definitely not becoming a mother: Her grip tightened as her hands trembled with emotion. :I do love you…and I want to be with you, but there are times I still wonder if I'm completely crazy, or if we're both crazy, and the fact that we're relying on a lot of luck right now is not reassuring.:

Ted nodded. :Can…can I breathe?:

Anika released her hold. :I suppose so.: Her hands slid down from his neck to his chest. :I'd started to think maybe I knew as much about combat as some of the soldiers I know, with everything we've been through. I've killed people. I've been shot at but… I realized the other night that being a crack shot sniper isn't nearly enough. The way you…dispatched the dead was unnerving. I realize now it was necessary but…:

When she looked up, there was realization on Ted's face. :Oh, hells. I'm sorry. That's just what you do with the bodies if you can, to make sure no one's faking death, or might come after you, or survive to report what happened. It's gruesome, and I hate doing it, but it was necessary.:

:Like I said, I get it. It just seems so cold.:

:It is,: Ted nodded. :War is heartless and brutal. I just did my job. I didn't want to make anyone else do it. Then I asked you to get their ammunition, didn't I? Shit.:

Weirdly, it made her feel better. She'd been there, he'd told her to do something he'd have told any soldier who happened to be there. This reaction though, this was the Ted she knew and understood. :I'll get over it,: she assured him. :It was a shock, though. You are… a different person, in combat.:

Ted's face flushed. :Most people are. It's the only way to stay sane afterwards. Well, what little sanity we had to begin with. We're all a little nuts, especially State Alchemists.:

:I'd noticed.: Anika leaned in and kissed his cheek. :I know we'll figure everything out. I just wish we had some kind of assurance that this was going to work out, besides luck and positive thinking.:

Ted smiled sheepishly. :Well, both of them have gotten me this far.:

:And you should learn to quit while you're ahead,: she suggested, the last word punctuated with a jaw-splitting yawn. Anika had no idea what time it was, other than it was late. The sun had gone down at least a couple of hours before. :Or tomorrow you're going to have a head.:

:You underestimate me, m'lady,: Ted chuckled. :As did your friend and your brother when they challenged me.:

:This was on purpose?: She didn't want to know what shape Niki and Fyo were in.

The look on Ted's face made her wish she hadn't said anything. :I think I can sleep now.: He took a step back and turned towards the camp, the lamp casting his shadow in start relief against the broken wall. His features cast half in shadow, there was nothing boyish or smiling about the man in the dark. Not imposing, but a hint of the otherworldly. Anika wondered, if Ted looked like his Grandfather as much as he claimed, if he looked like his Great-grandfather…the ancient alchemist.

Then she realized he had turned, and was looking at her. :Are you coming?:

Nodding, Anika hurried to catch up with him. :Got room in your blanket for two?:

Ted didn't look at her, but she thought she caught a bit of a smile on his face as his hand reached out, his fingers twining with hers. :As long as it's you.: