#3 - Genetics
There was little mistaking Liebe's parentage. It was painfully obvious in her cornfield blonde locks and raven eyes. Her scowl and her soft smile. The mischievous twinkle in her eyes and the protective hover of her steps.
It hadn't occured to Riza to get rid of the baby. Not once. The moment she connected the dots - the failure of her period to make an appearance for a month and a half, the night they had both been so broken that putting anything between them seemed wrong.
The initial panic had set in until it dawned on Riza, as she slumped down onto the bathroom floor, that this baby was Roy's. And anything that was his was far too precious not to nurture, not to care for, not to keep. Subsequently, her mind had whirled through a series of what if's only to be brought crashing down into reality when she remembered the dream and why they were even a secret in the first place.
For the first time in a long time, Riza felt vulnerable as she stood by her commanding officer's desk. The captain was marginally busy, actually looking over his paperwork for once with a frown creasing between his eyebrows that Riza was tempted to (but would never in public) smooth over. It was late and she had just ushered Fuery home for the night. The sun was burning low on the horizon. There was no one to overhear them and no one to hide from. And yet, Riza couldn't help the bubbling anxiety that rose to choke her lungs.
Roy still hadn't looked up at her. He was either too focused on his work - unlikely - or was struggling to understand the report (much more likely). Riza figured.
It's now or never.
In hindsight she should have heeded some tact, especially with a man like Roy. But Riza didn't quite know how else to say it besides blurting:
"I'm pregnant."
Initially, Roy had hummed in absentminded acknowledgment. Riza calmly inhaled a breath as she waited for the words to sink into his thick skull.
Eerie and still, the captain's ears seemed to twitch like they'd just been turned on. Then a muscle in his neck bulged and his head swivelled like a motocycle in a high speed car chase. His attention snapped to her - eyes razor sharp and mouth spilling over with words.
"You…what?"
Riza heaved a sigh. Half exasperated. Half fond.
"You heard me."
Roy took the news very differently from Riza. His beam spread wide in delight as he sprung up from his chair to reach for her. This was in marked contrast to her horrified deer-in-headlights look she sported and the way her legs practically gave out beneath her.
And then he did something Riza had never thought he'd do - or that she'd wanted him to - he picked her up and spun her. It felt as if she had never known his large hands on her, smooth from wearing his gloves in battle, yet warm to remind her of the power she had given him. When in fact, in the wee hours of the morning, they would run up and down her arms and spread her thighs apart like that was all they had been made to do.
Winding, his arms came around her slender waist beneath her stuffy uniform to lift her up and off the ground and spin her. On a whim of the universe, her hair fell from the hold of her clip and cascaded around them like showers of gold - the sun's rays filtered through her tresses - casting fire and light on Roy's face like a kaleidoscope. His dark eyes glinted almost brown and his smile was stretched so wide she thought he'd break with happiness. For a moment, in the face of his joy, she forgot the dilemma they had found themselves in and laughed along.
"We're having a baby," Roy breathed and Riza could feel it - warm. He radiated awestruck wonderment.
Riza grinned. A rare sight. "Yeah, we are."
The celebration was tossed overboard into a murky sea when Riza reminded Roy of their dream.
"No one can know."
And that was how Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye got assigned a station in Resembool for six months. There was little explanation provided by Grumman nor Roy about the purpose of her trip, simply: The Elric Brothers.
Which was not far from the truth. Al had promptly rushed back when Winry wrote him, telling of the guest they had received. Ed too returned, nearer the time of the birth, with nostrils flared and a "what-the-hell-is-Mustang-tryna-pull" to which Riza responded with a soothing smile and a pat to her large belly.
"Don't forget the dream, Ed."
At which point Ed deflated and grudgingly handed his things over to Winry who pecked him on the cheek and busied about with dinner for the night.
Everyone was present for the birth. With Ed and Al hovering nervously at the top of the bed, both holding one of Riza's hands, they were caught between wanting to watch concernedly and trying to spare themselves the likely gruesome image. Riza had been too distracted to notice. She was far too busy yelling profanities at the man behind the door who was responsible for her predicament. He had been informed by Al that he was to stand outside the room, if not Riza would "shoot your….private parts off". Roy was fairly certain Al had edited out Riza's colourful choice of words with that sheepish laugh of his.
When Roy was finally let into the room at the sound of soft, keening cries, Ed and Al sported a reddened hand each and Winry was tired but smiled as she handed him his little bundle of joy. Though swaddled in bloodied fleece, face red, Roy marvelled at his little girl.
She was so small.
"You're welcome," huffed Riza from the bed. Eyes still closed from exhaustion, her hair sticking persistently to her skin, slick with sweat.
Roy thought she'd never looked more beautiful.
When Riza finally returned to the capital, there was no mistaking Liebe's parentage. She was not seen often, spending much of her mother's work day at the Hughes' home. Riza never offered information on her daughter's father and no one ever asked.
There was really no need to.
When the dream had truly and fully been realised, Roy took to making the announcement in the form of a public marriage proposal.
"No more hiding." He had said.
The "finally" Fullman groaned next to him tipped him off.
Later that night, when the bed was warm with their lovemaking and their daughter sent off to spend the night at the Hughes, Roy threaded his fingers in her Riza's hair and asked, "Do you think they knew?"
Riza breathed a sigh that sounded like a laugh.
A/N: I believe Liebe means love in German :)