Chapter twenty-six

Roy barely had time to let his father's words sink in before Ed dived from the table and transmuted a small box out of the dining room floor, creating a way to shield himself from any attacks that didn't feature smoke or explosions.

Understandably enough, Lucas just sat there, frozen.

Roy slowly got to his feet, hearing shaky sobs escape through the many small holes in the box that guaranteed Ed a sufficient supply of air. "Ed, it's going to be okay... I won't let them hurt you, I give you my word," Roy said gently, placing his hand on top of the miniature stronghold that Ed had made for himself. "And I think that my elders here ought to lock the doors, although I'd like Riza to lock the one closest to us." He glared at his parents in particular. "And you shut the hell up, Lucas. This is between me and my parents and Ed is obviously not exactly a threat to your well-being when his first response was to protect himself, rather than attack," he added as an afterthought without even looking at his grandfather.

Riza immediately stood up at the same time as Lucas, his grandfather obviously thinking that Roy would be less on edge should it be the one that both he and Riza could beat that was on his feet.

Roy knew full well that this would have to do with Mother's pregnancy, and that she had known about it somehow already, which explained her sudden departure after Roy's breakdown. "And before anyone begins to ask stupid questions, then Al is obviously not one, considering his neck and his ankle, compared to what Ed can do and them being brothers, so keep him out of this."

Even if Roy knew the truth, he still couldn't keep the fear at bay because of how damned good his parents were acting. And more importantly, how they would need to keep that act up.

"Roy, we're not going to hurt him," his father said calmly. "Besides, judging from what we've just seen, Edward could probably snap our necks by simply shouting at us to keep away from him."

"HE DOESN'T WANT TO HURT YOU, DAMMIT! HE DIDN'T CHOOSE THIS AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE THIS WAY, SO PLEASE JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Roy shouted in answer.

Everyone paused at that, even Roy. He didn't really know what was going on here.

...But he knew that something was wrong and Roy was getting a very, very bad feeling that Ed had just accidentally transferred his thoughts to him.

A slight streak of apprehension came over his father's features. "Roy, what exactly was that?"

"...I don't really know."

"Because that really didn't sound like yourself."

Roy just nodded, finding this to be something far scarier than anything else so far. Because Ed had just partially controlled his mind and his actions without meaning to. "... I'm aware of that, thank you."

"Has something like that happened before?" There was a lot of tension in the room. Tension and a hint of worry and even fear.

"No."

"So what you're saying is that you just got partially, yet unintentionally possessed by a half-Alpha?" Pops suddenly asked, looking slightly alarmed, even if his voice was calm. Roy could understand why he would be worried. If Ed could accidentally possess Roy or read his thoughts, then it was a very bad thing, considering his newfound information provided by his parents and their highly improved relationship.

Roy gathered himself, needing to correct his father's words, because Roy could tell that this had been something far different from what had happened to Ed when the Alpha had sneaked into his room. "No possession, just emotional impulses. There was no intrusion or anything of the sort, just a sort of burst of transferring his thoughts..." A thought struck him at that. Because this was exactly what had happened with the sword as it had embedded itself in Ed's chest, having hit Roy by accident first. "That was actually just a burst of telekinesis, just like what happens when he shouts. Which might mean that this was just him latching on to me because I am the one who has repeatedly covered his mouth and told him 'no shouting'... And so it was associative, and with me having fed him to complete his turning, I am the one that he instinctively both latches on to and trusts to speak for him. No telepathy or mind-reading, just an outlet where, based on scrambled and confused information, Ed was making me shout for him..."

"...Like a megaphone," came Ed's small voice as he suddenly made a small window in the wall closest to Roy. "I suppose that this my new uncontrolled telekinesis brought on by shouting, 'cos of how I've got a bit more control after I became fully fledged yesterday... And Roy's right, I wasn't even inside his brain... Actually, it was more like I was trapped inside my own and he suddenly spoke up. I got startled the most by that, a-and that's not an exaggeration... I know what my abilities are, and I'm able to alter the chemical buildup of matter in addition to my telekinesis and general vampire-stuff, but that's all, I swear!"

Roy decided to join in at that point so that Ed didn't get too overwhelmed, also because Roy had a theory of his own. "Which would make sense, considering the way that you were born human and then fed by one, rather than the vamp that turned you. Your whole vampirism is defined by you wanting to shut things out because you're being sensorially overwhelmed, which makes your attention to the elements on an atomic level a very logical outcome, especially when your interests as a human were centred around words and science... With how much human there is to you, I would expect your transmutation was brought on by those Alpha genes mixing with your human ones and that thereby overlapped and so this was the result."

Lucas stood up at that point, staring at him. "What the hell have you been up to, Roy?!"

Ed's terror only returned upon his words, and Roy's anger towards the only person he didn't trust in this room, made it very easy to return to his old way of thinking about his parents as well. Because they were back to their act and the act was real because nobody could ever know the truth. Mother and Pops couldn't just start acting like they felt on the inside. And the reminder of that fact made his normal relationship with General Dick a very easy one to return to. Because that was reality. This was the real life and everything about Richie Mustang and his bed-jumping wife were just Roy indulging himself in a fantasy. Things hadn't actually changed. And Mother was pregnant and he needed to protect his little sibling and his wards and it was all going to hell. His entire life was going to hell. "Oh, shut up, Lucas! You've got no idea just how lucky it is that Ed's actually here, considering the fact that my father is still enough of a stud that Mother's pregnant, which is undoubtedly why my parents are bringing this up in the first place!" Roy was getting impatient, and he could hear the terrified and shaky muffled sobs escaping Ed at Lucas's way of looking at him. "Now tell me just how the hell you found out about Ed!"

His father was the one to answer. "Führer Bradley found that your wording when you sat there in front of Edward back in Resembool was a bit off combined with the golden eyes, which we have never actually seen anyone else have, as well as Edward's much more muscular physique than that of his brother. When you also decided to stay here voluntarily for a lot longer than you have ever done before, plus Edward's headache and significant fear of myself, it all added up to one thing, unless there had just been a series of unrelated events... Although Edward's reflexes and the current miniature stronghold that he has hidden himself inside, certainly points to Führer Bradley's theories to be correct. That is also why I was appointed to be their bodyguard during their tournament in that way... And as for those four fang marks on your arm, I can only guess that those are because he didn't immediately turn into his half-Alpha form? That abrupt a change would most likely have killed him, am I wrong?"

Roy lost all patience at that point, because Ed was terrified. And Roy was pissed off. He was pissed off because of everything that was going on.

And General Dick's words had been enough for Ed to reseal the window.

But most of all, it was the way that his grandfather was looking at Edward's box in fear. "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK SO CALMLY ABOUT THAT! DON'T YOU DARE TREAT THAT KID AS SOMETHING THAT IS BENEATH YOU! YOU HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE ABOUT HOW MUCH FEAR AND PAIN THAT HE HAS BEEN THROUGH!" Then he focused his attention to his grandfather. "AND YOU! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOUR MORAL COMPASS?! THEY ARE TWO INNOCENT PRETEENS THAT HAVE NEVER TRIED TO HURT YOU, NOR DO THEY WANT TO! THAT NEST KILLED EVERYONE THEY KNEW AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING THAT THEY OWNED, JUST TO GET BACK AT THE FATHER THAT LEFT THEM SEVEN YEARS AGO WITHOUT A WORD TO ANY OF THEM! THEY'RE THE VICTIMS HERE, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED! THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR GENES OR FOR THE NEST THAT DID THIS TO THEM! THEY ARE INNOCENT AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THEM ANOTHER CHANCE! AND I THINK IT WAS PLANNED! I THINK THAT IT WAS ALL PLANNED OUT BY THE ALPHAS THEMSELVES! THEY WANTED TO HAVE THE ELRICS END UP IN MY CARE! WHICH WAS WHY THEY MADE IT SO THAT IT HAPPENED DURING FÜHRER BRADLEY'S ROUTINE INSPECTION OF EASTERN COMMAND! AFTER ALL, RESEMBOOL PROVIDED THE MILITARY WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE WOOL FOR OUR UNIFORMS, AS WELL AS SUPPLYING THE EASTERN REGION WITH A LOT OF PRODUCE! OF COURSE THE FÜHRER WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD SAVE AS MUCH OF THE AREA AS POSSIBLE! ESPECIALLY AS IT IS THE CLOSEST TOWN TO ISHBAL AND HAVING WEAKENED DEFENCES AT A PLACE LIKE THAT, IS JUST BEGGING FOR SOME SORT OF ATTACK GUIDED BY ISHBALA!" Roy knew that those arguments were lies that sounded highly reasonable and that Bradley had used them himself so as to not draw attention to his state as a vamp, even though it was complete bullshit.

Then he pressed his hands on the edge of the table and leant forwards, panting, glaring at his parents. "AND THEY WANTED ME TO BRING THEM HERE! THEY WANTED ME TO BRING MY WARDS TO CENTRAL, BECAUSE THEY'RE MANIPULATIVE BASTARDS JUST LIKE WITH THIRTEEN YEARS AGO! AND THEY KNEW THAT I WOULD NEED TO VISIT THE FAMILY LIBRARY, AND SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT THEY DID THE FIRST NIGHT THAT WE CAME HERE?! COME ON, MAKE A GUESS!" Roy was feeling slightly delirious by now. By the pressure and the frustration and the fear and the overall burden of everything that was going on in his life and it was all just mental torture the whole lot of it because he couldn't even discuss it with his little sister and his parents were still in character because that was how they were, and Ed was a very, very weak link because of how he could get possessed. And so Roy only saw his three tormentors and nothing else as he looked at his parents and grandfather. Because they were torturing him. They were still torturing him and trapping him in this emotional hell.

And that hell did never seem to want to end.

"COME ON! THE CLUES ARE ALL THERE! THE SIX MISSING BLOOD BAGS! THE WAY THAT I WANTED ED TO MOVE INTO MY ROOM! COME ON, EVERYONE! MAKE A GUESS!"

Lucas had actually paled, his eyes having widened in horror. "You're saying that an Alpha broke into this house and hurt him?"

Roy glared at him, but he never got any further before Ed made the top of his miniature stronghold open again, this time so that his head was visible, his face full of tears and fear and torment practically pulsing from the young boy as he looked at the man who scared Ed the most, namely Richard Mustangs. He scared Ed the most, but that was probably also why he wanted to ask him directly. Because it made him the fiercest protector in the face of the Alphas. "P-please don't let them hurt me again... I-I can't go through that a-again... I-I never want to... I-I kept healing up and it j-just... It didn't seem to s-stop... I c-couldn't move," Ed said in a weak and quiet voice. "I'll do everything I can to make sure that your wife and the baby makes it... But please... P-please just keep me s-safe in return."

Roy didn't even think as he leant down and picked Ed up in his arms and placed him on his lap as he sat down on his chair again. Then he just sat there and stroked Ed's back up and down and held him tight. "When I came up to Ed's room yesterday morning, I found him lying spread-eagled on his bed, and with his duvet, pillows, sheets, and parts of his mattress, as well as his pyjamas, all shredded around him. And every inch of his body, save his eyes, were soaked through by his own blood, the rest of it lying in a pool beneath his bed," Roy said through clenched teeth. He had told Al the full truth because they were brothers and Ed was a torture victim and Al needed to understand just how much anguish the memories were still causing him because it had to do with Ed's mental health. "He was completely unresponsive, his eyes were glazed and he was trapped inside his own fucking head, reliving that hell over and over without being able to stop it. And you've got no idea what his expression was like. There were only two things in his eyes, glazed or not. Fear and complete agony. I wasn't able to snap him out of it by just talking to him either. I had to use the way that vampires are extra protective of their necks to get through to him, meaning that I had to choke him for over half a minute until he became responsive..."

Roy just watched the pale faces of his mother and grandfather, even General Dick had lost his composure at Roy's words. And so Roy just kept explaining. "He had thousands of tiny daggers dig into his skin, latch on to his nerves, and shoot into his neck so that they could directly go into his brain. He was damned well possessed by an Alpha in order for it to learn what Ed knew about his father and to learn about his childhood and his abilities... So Ed should damn well be able to tell that he didn't possess me just now." Roy hugged Ed tighter to him. "But that wasn't what the blood was for. Because they wanted to find out just how much Ed's body could take. Which was why they blocked his throat so that nobody could hear him scream."

Ed pressed himself into Roy's chest at that, and Roy just rested his chin on top of his head. "So you tell me, after what I have just shared with you, why any of you should condemn Ed for what he is? Because the way I see it, he's just a child who was born human and who has lived as a human for his entire life until the vamps decided to use him for some twisted form of revenge. The Alphas want Ed and they want to torture him. And so before you sits a twelve-year-old child who has been targeted by the Alphas themselves for something that he can't control, and he needs our help. They both do. He doesn't want to drink blood. He had everything ripped away from him, save his brother. So you three give me one good reason why you should look at him as some inhumane monster when all he wants is safety, protection and a hug as the kid that he is."

Roy actually felt a couple of tears begin to build in his own eyes, and his T-shirt was already soaked through at the area that surrounded Ed's face. "Because he doesn't like the vampires either. He's scared, grieving, and he's innocent. So why should you treat him like he's your greatest enemy? Why should he deserve it? He just wants to be a normal kid! But when he can't be that because of what they did to him, the first thing that he does upon learning that Mother's pregnant again, is to say that he'll train as hard as he can to keep both Mother and the baby healthy!"

"Roy, why did you choose to save him when you didn't even know that he was anything more than a Turner?" Lucas asked, still pale, a small frown on his face.

"Because the last three things that he said when he was only seconds away from dying, his body spasming, were 'kill me,' followed by 'please'... And had I not fed him, then his final words would have been 'tell Al I love him,'" Roy explained calmly. "Now does that sound like a bloodsucking monster to you?" He shifted his attention to his father, hugging Ed to him just a bit tighter than before.

The man sighed heavily. "When phrased like that, then no. We're not stupid, Roy. Otherwise we would have stayed quiet about Edward. Our plans were actually to ask Edward to do the exact same thing that he told you, because Augusta did a blood test yesterday and found out when she got the results back today that she was pregnant a few hours before you discovered it, which is why she wanted to meet with Führer Bradley and me so urgently. After all, it was clear that you knew that she was pregnant, considering what you said to her, and so the official reason why you're moving back here and becoming a State Hunter is more or less the same one as the true reason, save the extra help from Edward. The risks of a miscarriage are very high, especially during this first trimester, which is why His Excellency has allowed us to ask Edward for help."

Roy felt Ed tense just slightly as his father began walking over to them. Roy was suddenly having trouble to keep thinking about the man before in front of him as 'General Dick.'

...Because he wasn't being that. Not when he had decided to ask Ed for help.

And there was exasperation rather than hate and murderousness, which made 'General Dick' even less fitting, and which also made Roy not protest it or demand any answers as to what his father was doing. And especially as Roy could tell that he was doing that 'being nicer' part of the deal.

Still, Roy was slightly surprised when the man chose to crouch down in front of Ed with another sigh, and place a hand on his shoulder. It caused the boy to flinch, but he still looked back at him. "First of all, Edward, I'm sorry about the fact that we had an Alpha go unnoticed inside our home and torture someone who is under our protection, and a child no less. Vampire or not, Roy is beyond doubt right that what you went through is inexcusable and then some. And especially when I look into your eyes when you think back to what that Alpha did to you. And so I want to apologise."

Ed just seemed lost, tears still going down his cheeks. "...Why do you say that that was inexcusable? ...Roy's been telling us time and time again about how careful I had to be because you would have tortured us and used Al as a comparison sample?" Ed asked in a very small voice.

His father then looked up at Roy. "Because Roy is very easily manipulated through his hate of us, myself in particular. I've told him time and time again that he's too soft and that his anger blinds him, meaning that he has yet to discover that I haven't actually given anyone permission to conduct any experiments since I became the head of the State Hunter office seventeen years ago."

Roy froze, eyes widening. "What?! But Mother told me thirteen years ago that you-" he began, only to have his father cut him off with a sigh, focusing his attention solely upon Roy, his hand still on Ed's shoulder.

"Like I said, Roy, a damned softie who is blinded by his anger. Telling you that we tortured that vamp for information made you even more dead set on moving out as soon as possible, which was the safest option at that time. We weren't going to have you get yourself killed, meaning that you were safer if you had no qualms about leaving. It isn't technically a banned practice, but nobody has been given permission to do so for almost two decades. I wanted to make sure that you didn't do the same mistake that my little sister did. We were using your inner softie as a way to make you hunt more efficiently. You can't deny that being afraid of your colleagues dragging any stray vamps off to some lab has helped you hunt better and faster and with far more precision. Because we have succeeded in making you afraid of what will happen if you don't do your very best. That vampire thirteen years ago was more than happy to tell your mother everything without any prompting before Augusta fooled her and killed her. Power-Wielders, and especially such old ones, are far too dangerous for us to not just kill on the spot. You experienced that for yourself that night. And so I have used your intense hatred for everything that concerns the State Hunter office to make you oblivious to that fact. And as it hasn't officially been abolished, the civilians and the vampires alike still believe that those experiments are still happening."

Roy paused, not exactly sure whether he was happier or more pissed off at the revelation. "And why did you abolish it?" he demanded.

"Because taking time to conduct experiments on vampires is both dangerous to the hunter, inhumane, and it was far too hard to control which ones were doing what and whether people were taking advantage of the power that they had been granted by the State in order to make comparisons. Have you never asked yourself just why Solf J. Kimblee has never been promoted more than once, even though he's been a State Hunter of one of the wealthiest and famous hunter families in the country for fourteen years? He got promoted to lieutenant colonel just a year after he joined up at age seventeen because he tracked down and eliminated a large group of vamps that had raided a town and had taken a total of thirty-four children with them for lunchboxing. We were in the South at the time, training for hot-weather conditions, as you might recall. When we returned, Lewis had demanded that his son be promoted for what he had done, and the Führer had listened because it had been a very media-friendly story about heroic actions and equally heroically rescued children. Plus, Solf had been a thorough and dedicated soldier up till then."

Roy felt his stomach churn slightly at just what was about to be revealed. "What did that bastard do?"

Anger began flaring in his father's eyes at that. "He had taken a group of homeless civilians with him under the guise of charitable work, only to have strung them up and then injected them with blood from dead vampires in order see what happened. It wasn't ever proved to have been him, seeing as how I had been the one to have discovered the abandoned factory where the corpses hung, malformed and broken. There was only one who was still alive, though he died within a few seconds after he told me that the one who had done it had been wearing a white three-piece suit and a matching hat, had black hair, and had called it 'art,' as he had worked. With him in the right age group, there really was no doubt in my mind, especially as his age was described to be the same. However, we didn't have any solid evidence, and the only eye witness was dead. And so the Führer decided to take my word for it even so, which meant no interrogations. But what with how neither Lewis nor Solf asked about any further promotions for the latter after that, it was very clear."

Roy felt his gut churn at the idea. "Why are you letting me know now, then?"

His father sighed at that. "Because I have requested and have been granted my request for you to lead the State Alchemist office with me, and so you would have found out soon enough. So it was good to be ahead of that, otherwise you would come across as even more of a novice as you will already be viewed as."

Roy froze, eyes widening, not at all interested in being associated with the State Hunter office to such an extent. "So you want to keep an even closer eye on me because you know that I hate the idea of being a State Hunter?"

There was another sigh with more than a tinge of exasperation. "Actually, Roy, it's because I want to avoid you being pushed about by everyone above the rank of major. You're a better hunter than the rest of them, you keep a cool head, and you're still a great tactician. Which means that you having the power to actually give orders to those that outrank you and which also leaves you free to follow more tactical plans than that of your superiors without facing a court-martial. You can give orders accordingly to how you think is best mid-hunt, without having to get into an argument with those that are supposed to be leading the hunt. Because you're actually able to balance saving as many lives as possible whilst also killing as many vamps as possible in the way that puts your men at the lowest risk of death and injury. After all, I think that it's better that you can refuse the orders of both Kimblees without me seeming to be showing favouritism by defending my son's insubordination and using my power to turn a blind eye to you refusing orders from someone who outranks you by four whole ranks."

"You know, you're putting a lot of trust in someone who never wanted to become a State Hunter in the first place," Roy said with a hint of spiteful reluctance.

His father just fixed him with a stern look. "Because I know that you won't let it interfere with your work. You may despise your profession and your role, but you're not going to let it impair your judgement. You want to make things go as smoothly as possible so that the fatalities, both for civilians and soldiers, will be at a bare minimum. I can trust you with that level of responsibility without second thoughts, which hasn't happened before with any of my other subordinates. You know how I work and I know how you work and so it can be a great asset, rather than a potential liability like it would have been with anyone else. I requested it before Augusta came to join us because it gives me a lighter workload that allows me to get to know your wards better. Now it also means that I get to spend more time with my wife as well during her pregnancy and then with our child, which only makes it even more sensible."

"And are you going to train my new sibling as a hunter too so as to get another heir? Another heir to preserve the family name as hunters?" Roy asked with a growl.

His father just shook his head at that. "No. Not when Edward is a part of this family. If there were to be another attack like the one thirteen years ago due to us technically not upholding the deal that was made, then we're most likely going to find ourselves with a hostage situation that ends with a half-Alpha getting forced to fight on the vampires' side."

Roy felt a wave of both gratitude and hatred at the same time at his father's words, and he swallowed hard as he tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to overwhelm him. "So you love Mother, you're okay with not training the Elrics, Riza gets four billion without having any blood relation to the Mustangs at all, and all I get is to work alongside you?! I get to become a State Hunter and join you in heading the State Hunter office, which means that I'll most likely be the one in charge of it upon your retirement, whilst the new child gets to not train at all? You trained the butler's daughter for the sole purpose of her not getting me killed by being a liability, because I was a liability myself, and yet your own child who isn't me, gets to grow up without any blood on their hands, while I'm left in charge of the office of the thing that I have never wanted to be?! I get my first hug from my own mother at age twenty-six, which only happened because I manipulated her through her mood swings and the most effective guilt-trip there has ever been in combination with it?! And you're only being nice to me because Ed asked you to! Your display of 'fatherly love' towards me has been nothing else than voluntarily kicking me out after eighteen years of hell and slaughter, which you dragged my little sister into because she was a nuisance and I was too soft to be reasonable! I have grown up as nothing but an annoying disappointment as your only heir! Everything that could be considered even remotely nice that you have done for me has always been to balance out the inconvenience that I am as your s-"

He was interrupted by the hard slap to his left cheek from the hand that had been resting on Ed's shoulder only a second earlier. "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, ROY! HAVE YOU NE-!"

He froze at the same time as Roy did.

Because Ed was suddenly pressing his face into Roy's chest with his hands covering his ears as soon as he had been able to because his shoulder had been freed.

Roy felt guilt slam into him like a freight train, and he began stroking up and down Ed's back. "Ed, I'm sorry, we'll stop shouting."

"I-I didn't want to interrupt you 'cos I know how you need to s-sort things out, but I-I just c-can't... I-I'm not used to having so sharp hearing and it hurts a-and you're about to start shouting at each other a-and I understand why, but p-please just... Please stop shouting," Ed said quietly, slightly muffled by Roy's T-shirt.

"Of course, Ed," Roy said in unison with his father, save the way that the latter used 'Edward' instead, making Roy pause. Especially as his father placed his hand on Ed's left shoulder again, regaining his attention. "Furthermore, I want to thank you for agreeing to help us. And so, yes, we will do what we can to protect both you and your brother. And I'll refrain from shouting when you're in the room. I should have taken into account the way that your hearing is so advanced. My apologies for being so inconsiderate when I am one of the first ones who should have thought about how that would hurt you."

He held out his right hand to shake, something which Ed apprehensively did.

Then his father sighed and looked back at Roy, saving Ed even more of an awkward conversation. "And as for what I was about to say to you Roy, it had to do with how you have never seemed to wonder just why we never had any other children before that night." His voice turned just a bit sterner. "Because I have a question for you based on your claims of me only doing remotely nice things for you so as to balance out the inconvenience that you are as my son... Because exactly how does that fit in with us letting you grow up with the butler's daughter as your unofficial sister?"

Roy froze, Ed tensing up even more.

The man before him just kept his eyes locked on Roy's sternly. "Because the way I see it, we let you get raised by the butler, which turned you highly opposed to everything that we had to teach you. Had we not let that happen, then you would have been far more cooperative."

"Then why?" Roy asked, a bit stunned at the way that things were playing themselves out.

"Because if it hadn't been for Berthold Hawkeye, then there's a strong chance that you would never have been born in the first place. You're not the only one who was a bit alarmed by me suddenly finding a barely legal girl attractive when I was twenty-six and I had first met her when she had only been eight. And whom I had since been around often for the following four years whilst she had also been my then sweetheart's little sister. And Berthold Hawkeye had been watching me grow up and had been trained as a staff member whilst his mother had worked as our cook, and he was only two years older than Augusta and had spent some time with her to keep her company while I had been alone with Theresa. Which means that he was the one that I sought out for advice and to check with if I had ever seemed even remotely interested in Augusta prior to that evening when I met her again at sixteen. Without his confirmation, then I would have been far more reluctant to propose before my parents had been able to oppose it, which means that I might not have happened at all because I had been too reluctant due to my previous relationship with Theresa and Augusta herself. And so, when Riza's mother died during childbirth, we decided to repay Berthold Hawkeye by letting her have you as her big brother, also because it helped her father deal with the loss of his wife. And so we let you grow up with her as your sibling whilst postponing any plans about having other children until Riza was old enough to not be left out by her big brother. Which means that your mother and I were discussing it around the time right before that night, and then everything ended with you and Riza." He stood up sharply and walked back to his chair. "Now that we have addressed those particular matters, I suggest that we finish eating our soup while it's still to be considered warm, and then finish the rest of our meal as well. We'll be starting the day early, what with me going to the tournament with the Elrics, Augusta going to work, and you and Riza will be meeting with the Führer at ten in the morning to sort out the details concerning your transfer orders as the two of you are about to have a lot more to learn concerning your new positions. Also, Roy, you will be taking your written exam at twelve o'clock."

"Yes, Father," Roy said, causing people to pause once more, and his father turned around to look at him.

Roy just shrugged before the man could answer, though he was still glaring at him on principle, feeling tears stinging in his eyes. "I suppose you could say that I am promoting you. Plus, I need to practise, what with how calling you 'General' might be seen as a bit odd for those under our command."

Father nodded at his words. "I see." Then he sat himself back on his chair and took a sip of his soup. "You'll be doing the practical exam at three o'clock in the afternoon the day after tomorrow, and then the psychological evaluation will come once you've had a shower and a change of clothes after that. We'll be using the parade grounds and have a vast audience so that people can see that you are more than capable of being a State Hunter with a very high position. Once you obtain your licence, you and me will be arranging for you to meet with the other State Hunters in a fashion similar to the examination process so that you can familiarise yourself with those under your command. And as for you, Edward, how far along would you say that Augusta is?"

Ed seemed very much taken aback by the abruptness of everything that was going on. "The heart's beating, though there's no blood pumping yet."

Father just took another sip of his soup. "I see. We'll work out how to train you once we come back here after our appointment with the tailor tomorrow... Though I suggest that you begin said training by returning the floor to its former state so that we can unlock the doors again."

Wrath was predictably enough met by his wife as he walked in through the front door. She had always been one to worry about him when he had had to phone home and tell her that he would be late because of some kind of urgent matter.

But despite her soft heart, she had been the one that he had chosen as his wife. The reason had been simple, as even if humans were far beneath his own kind, she had earned his respect somewhat. Because, unlike all the hunters that were brainwashed into their combative mind and mindless and fearless slaughter, Evelyn Saunders had acted out of her own free will and had told him exactly what she had thought about him.

And so he had been slapped by a socially insignificant human woman just because she hadn't been afraid to have give him a piece of her mind.

That was something that he could respect. And she was an easy woman to be around, she never took anything for granted, was never snobbish, talked with people regardless of social status, all of which were qualities that befitted the wife of the Führer.

"Hello, Dear, is everything all right?" Evelyn asked, none of them needing to mention where 'Selim' was, seeing as how the boy would always bathe at this hour.

And so Wrath smiled encouragingly at her. "There's nothing to worry about, Evelyn, though I have some surprising news for you."

She smiled at him in relief and was obviously intrigued by his words. "And what are they?"

"Dr Mustang has just had it confirmed that she is pregnant again."

Wrath was partially irked with himself, and Pride too, for the way that none of them had noticed the embryo, though Wrath was almost certain that the heart had not been beating when he had last met her two days previously. However, they had both been focusing on the two half-breeds, Wrath having needed to have done so at the same time as having acted like he didn't have the ability to do so as he had needed to mingle with those that had been within significantly closer vicinity at that moment.

However, unlike Pride, Wrath would also not be too prideful to admit that he had many times been caught off-guard by some sort of significant biological change, simply because of his own way of viewing humans as nothing more than livestock. By having assumed too much superiority, he had found himself not to have bothered to have studied those around him to the point of blatant ignorance. He had no way of denying the fact that Dr Mustang had been pulsing with hormones that wouldn't have suddenly appeared just within the past two days.

And that was probably the thing that he appreciated the most in Evelyn. Because she wasn't afraid to tell him that he wasn't always right. She had always had a great amount of integrity out of her own free will, which was something that he respected even if she was just a human. She was undoubtedly the most honest human he had come across.

And in the meantime, it was in most ways a bad thing to have the Mustangs encourage and train the half-breed to use his powers, and to do so in a way that could prove itself to result in the boy learning how to weaken the Alphas themselves, simply through his ability to alter the chemical make-up of matter on an atomic level. And now he would specifically be learning how to use that on people, meaning that he might be able to one day find out how to block some of the abilities of the Alphas long enough to give one of the three Mustangs an opportunity to potentially even kill them.

However, it was also obvious that said hunters were well aware of their limitations in a fight against an actual Alpha. He would be foolish to deny the fact that the Mustangs were intelligent and great tacticians, but they still had soft spots even so. They still had their emotional weak points, and now they would be adding a new one. And it was one that was so weak and feeble and completely defenceless. And Dr Mustang would be a very easy target as well soon enough due to her pregnancy.

And everyone would be terrified of losing her.

And so the Mustangs had more or less been neutralised through their emotions in a way that could not be undone. Not when Edward Elric would be doing everything possible to make sure that none of the emotional liabilities would die in a way that would actually have freed them to become a threat to the Alphas again. Which meant that the half-breed would be taught to harmlessly heal those around him, rather than learn how to weaken the Alphas.

Richard Mustang had also silently been asking Wrath for his help in using his political power to spread the word even quicker, just so as to make sure that every vampire that could become a threat to the new child's health would know that the child wouldn't become a hunter and was thereby harmless, which was obviously important to become a well-known fact as soon as possible when Roy Mustang was becoming a State Hunter.

And the man knew, just like he had said, that they wouldn't have had a chance in the face of another attack like the one thirteen years ago. After all, the Mustangs were smart enough to admit defeat when they were at risk of losing those last few that they still had left.

And they were also smart enough to fear the consequences of Edward Elric being forced to switch sides.

And right about now, they would be learning for certain that they were to behave like they should.

After all, they knew now that Alphas were able to sneak into their house without trace and slaughter whomever they pleased, and the Mustangs would be powerless to stop it.

Completely powerless.

And so they would be left alone with the fear of being attacked again, even if Father or Mother had no plans to send Pride to do so.

...Because fact remained that it was also risky for the half-breed to recognise Pride's scent now that he was a fully fledged vampire and would be able to alert the Mustangs before Pride could subdue them.

And it wasn't a good idea to give the half-breed a chance to pull the same trick that his father had done last night when he had been able to get into Pride's head too and learn the exact nature of what had happened to his father.

Richie sighed deeply as he sat down in bed next to his wife who was frowning at her notebook and with a fountain pen in her hand. She put the two objects down and helped him pull their duvets up to their chests. He had already decided that with everything else that was going on, he would wait to read Theresa's diary until he was a bit less likely to begin crying if he added that on top of everything else. "I have had a lot of long days in my life, but this one feels about twenty hours longer than the rest of them."

"I know what you mean... And yet we can't deny that it's also one of the luckiest days we've had so far," Augusta said as she moved herself closer to him so that he could put his arm around her.

Richie just sighed again and instinctively hugged her tightly to his side. "And we're indebted to a half-Alpha who is going to have to be trained just in order to make sure that our baby makes it and that you stay healthy as well..."

"I know... But Edward is a good kid, I am sure of that. Especially when seeing the reaction he had to us finding out about him. And teaching him will give me a way to pass my days locked up inside this home for the duration of my pregnancy."

Another heavy sigh escaped him. It was how things always worked in elite hunter families, and so Augusta would have to stay at home because of the health risks involved in hunting, and also because being pregnant interferred with her ability to hunt and it wasn't good for her to strain herself like that. "So you were making a checklist in case you should forget something like you did last time you were pregnant?"

She shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no, far from it. At least not in that way." She leant over to her side and pulled out a book from underneath the duvet. "I was looking at names and at your family tree. And I can already tell you that it's going to be a girl."

Richie could only frown at her sttatement. "You doing that is a scientific impossibility, you know... Though I suspect that it has something to do with naming traditions?"

"It has everything to do with naming traditions. I have bought a large book on boy names and girl names and their meanings, and our options are very scant by now. Last time we picked a name almost at random because I decided to see if the rumours about how one simply knows what sort of person that the baby will be because I was curious and halfway trying to irritate your mother... And it was all just because of the way that she kept tutting at me for wearing dresses with only one shoulder strap, as it apparently it made me look like I had been fooling you into marrying me by dressing in such an impertinent fashion so that I looked like her son was marrying a young prostitute," she explained quickly.

"I remember that, I had to tell her to shut up or I would join you myself when buying your wedding dress and thereby bring shame upon the family traditions even further."

"...Which you did, though she didn't know about it before it was too late."

...July 19, 1879...

"Augusta, please take into account that my family is the one that will be paying for your dress, so the least you could do is to not make it look like we are dressing up his fancy woman when she comes of age on your wedding day to make you even more attractive to him," Veronique said in exasperation, once again showing just how much Augusta's standard state of dress was bringing shame upon her fiancé's family. However, they were still following some of the Mustang traditions when the groom was from that side of the family; the dress would be chosen exactly half a year before the day of the wedding, and the future mother-in-law would be there to offer advice in a symbolic way.

Richie had agreed wholeheartedly with her that it was basically just the first half of the deal between the parents, seeing as how the Mustang family would be paying for the entire wedding. The groom's mother would assess the bride's qualities and traits, and the bride's father would lead the bride down the aisle to her new owners once the additional equipment that came with buying her had been paid for.

Basically, Augusta could traditionally be seen as a sort of pet to be used for a high-quality breeding programme.

And even though Richie's parents didn't like his decision nor her age and their overall eagerness, Roderick and Veronique Mustang were perfectly happy with Father. They carried no grudge towards him at all. In fact, their strongest reason for not wanting Augusta to marry their son was that they were afraid that it would be an insult to her father. That fear was based on the way that Richie had decided to have proposed to Augusta only two days after her return to Central, making it halfway look as if he had only been waiting for her to be legally able to date. Which could mean that a) he had been interested in the then very much underage little sister of his supposed sweetheart for years, or b) that Augusta was a consolation prize, or c) that Richie felt guilty about the way that his fiancée and her mother had lost their lives simply because of his family, or d) that he didn't value the Pembrokes at all, and that it was only because he found them to be practical, or e) that he was marrying Augusta out of convenience so that he could stop looking for a new wife, or f) that it didn't really matter which sister it was, or g) that he was taking advantage of Augusta's love for him so that he could get to do whatever he wanted to with her without caring about anything but her body.

But thing was, he was being comfortingly, bordering on annoyingly, gentle with her. As if she would break into pieces if he got eager.

Which meant that Augusta was partially wondering if he would even dare to attempt to make a child with her before she turned at least twenty-six as a sort of symbolic gesture.

But it obviously also had to do with the fact that she was a teenager who was more than twenty centimetres shorter than him.

Which just meant that she would have to prove to everyone that their marriage was based on something entirely else than simple hormones.

"I swear that I have no plans of making myself look like I am a simple object for his desire, as that is actually what he wanted to avoid through proposing so soon. I still have my own family reputation as a Pembroke and especially as I will have some of my students and colleagues present as well."

Veronique frowned slightly with a nod. "You best remember that, Augusta," she said, before knocking on the door to the wedding dress shop where everything had been closed for the following six hours until closing time for security reasons as well as avoiding the press.

When they went inside, Augusta felt her stomach clench with far too many emotions to actually be sure about what to say or do about anything.

...Two hours later...

"Ah, Dr Pembroke, I didn't expect you to be back here so soon. How are you doing?" Ms Lloyd asked, looking at her in gracious concern. Augusta had ended up with having lied to the tailor about how she had needed some time because of all the memories of her sister and mother and the way that they wouldn't be able to be there. And so she had picked a long-sleeved princess-style dress with Veronique, but had found it all too much because of her memories of her sister when she had bought her dress and had requested that they do the fitting in a couple of days and had made a new reservation.

Then she paused upon seeing Richie. "Colonel Mustang? Well, this certainly is unexpected, is there something wrong?"

"No, not really, but Augusta voiced some misgivings about the dress that you had agreed upon as she felt that it had more to do with pleasing my mother than with making her happy. And so I decided to come her with Augusta myself as I think that no matter how untraditional it may be for the groom to help choose his bride's dress, fact still remains that I am technically also helping her choose her dress for her eighteenth birthday through this, and there are certainly no traditions that would interfere with that fact. And so we are choosing to focus on that part of the significance of the dress, seeing as how one only comes of age once, and so I think that it is only sound that Augusta should get to choose whom she wants to help her decide on that. After all, she has no female relatives to rely on in giving her advice, and so I am simply here to help her pick her dress and to pay for it as her birthday gift. This is an unconventional wedding, and she should be allowed to feel just as beautiful on such an occasion as she wants to. Also because Mother and I are disagreeing on the symbolic value of Augusta wearing the jewellery that I gave her as an engagement gift."

Augusta held up her left hand to show Ms Lloyd the engagement ring on her finger, and she was now wearing her necklace and bracelet. "I want to wear these, you see, but my future mother-in-law finds that me wearing these cheapens how Richard actually values me as they have malachite rather than diamond. However, fact is that Richard chose something different than the standard way of choosing the diamond ones as it would suddenly raise the question about which ring was more special than the other according to the sister. And so he chose to buy something that he knew that I would adore, and bought the necklace and the bracelet so that it is something different than the ring that he bought my sister, regardless of the economical value. Which is why we would like your help in finding a dress that will show the guests and our families just how beautiful and valuable malachite can be."

Understandably enough, Ms Lloyd was caught just a bit off guard by her words, but she smiled graciously all the same, obviously deciding that Richie would be to blame and that she wouldn't be held accountable no matter what. After all, the younger generation would be the one to decide, and Richie was a smooth talker and a terrifying, tall, scarred State Hunter who could make entire nests flee just by raising an eyebrow at them.

And Augusta was basking in it.

...March 25, 1885...

Richie looked down at the crying little bundle in his wife's arms, and he was having a very hard time to fathom the fact that that little human was his son. It was fifty per cent Richie, and fifty per cent Augusta.

One hundred per cent theirs, in other words.

And they were thankfully alone now. The doctor had left together with Mother so that Richie could sit there with his wife and be there together with their crying, little bundle. Augusta looked about as exhausted as expected, but she was smiling all the same. "Heir produced?" she offered with a playful smile even through her weakened state.

Richie chuckled lightly and gave her a quick kiss, remembering well his father's orders about Richie 'putting an heir in there' as the old man had pointed at Augusta's stomach three years previously. Augusta had of course continuously said 'heir placed' during her pregnancy when they had been alone. "Sounds just about right," he offered her.

"And we made your mother happy." Then she frowned, looking up at him with a humorous glint in her eye. "Or, more accurately, we satisfied her through living up to her wishes upon our return from the wedding dress shop the day before the fitting of the dress that we hadn't bought, as we had swapped it out for something as vulgar and tasteless as a mermaid-style dress with a dark green halter neck and a dark green belt with an elegant bow on the left side... And the abomination that was the cleavage of the dress which showed less of my breasts than my bras, mind you. But no, slight cleavage and bare arms and colours and it was an abomination beyond compare. And especially as the waist of said abomination showed the way that my own waist is thinner than the width of my breasts. Honestly, I really cannot fathom why you would marry such a far too young lady of the night."

Richie couldn't help but chuckle slightly. His mother had only said one thing upon learning about just what it was that they had done, and that had been 'the least you could do is to bring us a male heir, I do not think it's a good idea for you to have a daughter who takes after her mother.'

"So, what about names?" Richie asked her, sitting down next to her hip and looking down at the soft and thin black hair that lay across their child's head. "Did the rumours prove themselves to be correct? Can you tell just what sort of person he is based on the first time you see him?"

"Roy," she said, looking down at their son. "It fits all the criteria for a newborn son of the Mustang family, it begins with 'R', there are no second names, and it has a very noble-sounding meaning if we say that we are switching the 'i' in the French 'roi', with a 'y', so your mother should stay happy because we bring in some of her French heritage as it means king."

"So King, son of Brave Ruler and Great Friendship, first male heir to continue the family line of Famous Ruler Mustang and Bringing Victory Mustang?"

"Well, that's what we're telling your mother... My first impression is of our son being a boy and our joy, which all rhymes with Roy... And that he's red, which is what Roy actually means."

Richie snorted with laughter. They hadn't looked at names much since she had become pregnant because they had wanted to see if they would have a nice naming story, so anything beyond the names that they had already known about, had been entirely discarded. But Augusta still had an amazing memory for such things as these, and so he leant forwards and kissed her lightly again. "That sounds perfect, then," he told her as he pulled back.

"You see why the Pembrokes are a lot nicer? We just went with names that have a nice ring to them. My big sister was Harvester Rich War, my mother was Happiness God Is Gracious and my father is Light Well-Born, Young Warrior. Much more fun that way. Now pick our son up into your arms and tell me that he doesn't strike you as red."

...Present time...

"Well, I'm not really into naming our child after some of your ancestors, although I do love the thought of the name 'Ramsey' purely out of the meaning," Augusta said, making Richie certain that it wouldn't be a good idea to use, should someone look it up.

"Which means...?"

"I think it would be absolutely wonderful to have a non-hunter son of the great Mustangs be named 'Garlic Island,' considering that silly joke about it repelling vamps, when truth is that they're more inclined to kill you brutally because your breath is highly overwhelming for their advanced sense of smell," she said conversationally.

Richie paused, barely repressing his snort of laughter. "I can see how you would think that to be terrific, yet not an option."

"Exactly. They're all either having the right traditional meaning, but they don't sound like something that I would ever want to name my son, unless we start going back to your ancestors, but I'm not really interested in just being uncreative. I don't like the whole 'the second,' thing that would follow it. So, no, it will have to be a girl, especially when I have found the perfect name."

Richie was highly intrigued by this point. "I'm listening."

"Well, it has both a forceful sound to it, as well as beauty and elegance, when it comes to the ring of it. Because I think that Harriet Rosaline Mustang sounds very agreeable."

"Well, I have to agree on that," Richie said, still feeling more than a little scared and shocked at the fact that he was going to be a father again. "And what does it mean?"

"It means Home Ruler Gentle Horse, which I think very much fits the way that our new child won't become a hunter at all," she said softly, placing her hand on her stomach as tears began to form in her eyes.

Richie immediately hugged her tightly to him and closed his own eyes, still terrified that Edward wouldn't be enough to save either Augusta, the baby or both. "That sounds perfect... It really does."

"Besides, what with the Elrics' names sounding so elite hunter-like, we really need to balance it out... Alphonse means 'noble,' and 'ready for war,' and Edward means 'wealthy guardian.' I think a gentle horse is exactly what this house needs, and I am more than happy to provide."

lillyfrog06: Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter as well!

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