Drums of War
Chapter Two
A New Addition
Fuhrer's Mansion
half passed midnight
Roy had, over the years, grown used to early wake ups. He was a light sleeper by habit, not nature. When his wife slipped from their bed he was startled awake, though he remained in bed, as she padded into the bathroom. He waited for her to return, knowing as soon as she climbed back into bed it would wake him again and therefore pointless to try until then.
Since entering her third trimester Riza had been getting up a couple of times a night. Roy woke every time. She pretended not to know he was awake and he pretended that he didn't panic the first few times it had happened, momentarily drug back to darker times.
He frowned when she hadn't returned after five minutes, it was unusual for her to be gone very long. After ten he decided he had to check on her. He climbed out of bed, and wandered over to the bathroom himself. He tapped lightly on the door as he opened it, to find his wife glaring into the mirror with a frown.
"Is everything alright?" Roy asked with concern as he crossed the small space dividing them.
"Just waiting out this contraction before I come wake you." Riza said in calm reply.
"Oh, okay." Roy said, "How far apart are they?"
"hmm. Every Five and a half minutes." Riza said as she relaxed slightly and turned back to the bedroom to get dressed. "They began just after dinner and have grown steadily closer. I believe we should head toward the hospital at this point."
"I'll have a car brought around and inform the boys." Roy said as he finished dressing himself. He picked up the phone next to his side of the bed, calling the doctor as well as security, before returning his attention to his wife. "The car will be ready when we get downstairs, do we have time to go wake the boys?"
"We should be fine." Riza said, before huffing in agitation. "I just changed!"
"I know?" Roy said in confusion as Riza turned back to her dresser and dug out new pants and underwear. He then noticed the wetness at her feet and on her pants. "Your waters broke. We should probably hurry."
"We do not need to rush. The baby isn't going to fall out on the floor. Do not panic."
"I know all that and I'm not panicking. I'll go wake the boys. Meet me in the sitting room when you can." Roy said as he left the room.
Riza started to change as another contraction hit her. She glanced at the clock, satisfied they had not grown closer, before calmly changing her clothes and walking out to wait in the sitting room as he suggested.
Roy, meanwhile, went first to Edward and Winry's room. As soon as he opened the door Edward sat up. Like his father he had become a light sleeper over the years. He frowned, then extracted himself from between his wife and second youngest son. Winry muttered in her sleep before snuggling their youngest closer to her chest and William frowned before rolling to snuggle Yuery instead.
Edward walked out of the room and shut the door before Roy asked if everything was alright. "Yeah, nightmares. You know. What's wrong, did the border-"
"Ji Mu and I are headed over to the hospital. It seems your younger sibling is going to grace us with their presence soon." Roy replied with a smile.
"Oh good, I was beginning to wonder when they were going to join us out here." Edward said with a smile. The baby had been predicted to arrive last week but had hung on for a bit longer. "Go on Dad, I'll wake everyone else. We'll see you in a while."
"Thank you Edward. Don't bother coming around until morning. Even if they arrive before then, you are going to need sleep tonight. I'm officially taking the rest of the week off."
"As we agreed. I'm still waking Al. He can stay up all excited since you won't let me." Edward said with a huff, before turning down the hall to wake his brother. Roy smiled before returning to the sitting room to collect his wife.
Riza was sitting calmly in one of the chairs by the fireplace, a small bag by her side, and a towel underneath her. Franklin and Hayete were at her feet, Cobalt resting on her stomach. Roy paused in the doorway long enough to smile at the sight, before he came over to help her up. Riza was very calm, though they did have to stop twice on the way down to the car, thanks to her pain levels.
Meanwhile, Edward walked into his brother's room and flipped on the overhead light without consideration to Al's eyes as he stated. "Hey, Up. Get up. You're about to become a big brother and you're sleeping through it!"
"Ugh, what time is it?" Al asked as he buried his head under the pillow.
"I don't know or care, Ji Mu's having the baby." Ed said.
Al sat up, suddenly excited as what his brother had told him sank in. "Wait, we're getting our new brother now?"
"Or sister. Don't be sexist." Ed said with a smirk.
"How was that sexist?"
"I don't know. How are you still in bed?" Ed said as he tugged on his brother's arm. "Come on! I need to up to wait on the call so I can go lay back down because someone needs to run the country tomorrow and for this week that's not Dad."
"Okay, okay. I'm up already. Don't pull on me." Al said as he swung his legs out of bed and sat up. "How long ago did they leave?"
"They might actually still be here in the house somewhere. C'mon. Go wake the girls to sit up with you or whatever. I;m excited and Dad instructed me that I had to go back to bed. If I'm gone much longer there won't be any room left for me in bed, Yuery and Maes are bedhogs."
"Edward." Al said in a tired tone. "You said you weren't letting them crawl into bed with you tonight."
"They're my kids, I'll raise them how I want to. Yu had a bad dream, he couldn't fall back to sleep on his own." Ed replied.
"The other two?"
"Maes always sleeps with us! I'm not kicking him out to a over decorated crate!" Ed said with a huff. "And I can't expect Will to sleep all by himself. So, they're asleep and happy. I get more sleep this way anyway. Good night Al."
Al shook his head, he'd been arguing with his brother since Yuery arrived about it and tonight wasn't going to be the night he won the argument either. Ed was stubborn; worse ever since Yuery's kidnapping and the attempted kidnapping of Will. As it was, the boys' bed had been moved to Ed's room, not that the boys used it very often.
Al got up to go wait for word, though if he fell back to sleep on the couch, someone would wake him when the call came in. He knew that Ed knew the baby wasn't likely to arrive until at least morning, if not longer. After all, this was Ji Mu's first pregnancy, and the baby was already running late.
He laid on the couch with the book from his bedside table, and the dogs across his legs and his cat perched on his shoulders. He would wake someone later if he needed company but for now he was content to sit by himself as he read through his syllabus. He and Mei would soon be heading off to Xerxes. Already, other instructors had gone ahead of them, however he had delayed his arrival so he could meet his younger sibling when they were born.
Malfoy Manor
Narcissa sat silently at the far end of the table, her husband was entertaining a strange wizard who he said was loyal to the Cause. She didn't like the man, there was something about him that struck her as wrong.
Takeshi Zhao, as he had been introduced, claimed to be from the mythical lands of Cselkcess. He said he was a prince of a kingdom called Xing, and that he had come to Europe to better prepare to rule his kingdom. She didn't like the coldness in his voice. Very few people seemed that cruel to her, aside from the more experienced Death Eaters. This man had the air of a killer about him.
She had voiced her concern to Lucius earlier in the evening, not wanting this man around her son. Lucius assured her that Takeshi would cause their child no harm. Sometimes she resented her classmates that had family to turn to. Hers was largely gone, she couldn't even make the excuse of visiting a sibling or parent to get her son away from the house.
"I will be returning soon. I need to make my bid against my brother, the little traitor stole the throne while I was busy learning at Durmstrung, and now have to fight him for my birthright." Takeshi was saying. Narcissa frowned as she wondered why he was bringing this up again. "I had spoken to the Dark Lord about the matter before…well before. He'd promised me aide in my endeavor, and now I am going to have to find a new answer I suppose."
"I cannot speak for others, and as for myself, I'm afraid I am unavailable." Lucius replied smoothly. Narcissa was glad her husband was not the type to simply help others. As much as she didn't like what was happening to the man she married, at least he wasn't willing to put them in danger.
"A shame really. It's likely for the best. You have a young child, and my brother is crafty. He even befriended the leadership of all our neighbors To help prevent my bid for the throne." Takeshi said. "It is said he has an alchemist on his staff. As you can imagine, that does complicate the matter, but I am confidant I should be able to beat him with magic. The problem lays with the rest of his army."
"As I said, I am unable to offer anything at this time." Lucius said with a slight sneer. He didn't trust Takeshi anymore than his wife did.
Central Military Hospital
Riza Hawkeye-Mustang's Room
Riza was resting as best she could once Roy talked her into taking the medication the doctor had offered her. They would be waiting a few more hours, from what the doctor had said. Before she had drifted to sleep, Riza had given her husband a pointed look "Stop fretting. Take a nap, or otherwise occupy yourself."
"I can't just take a nap while you're suffering and going through all of this for our child." Roy argued. He still was fidgeting as he paced around the room, concerned over his wife's pain.
"I'm fine Roy. Please, take a break. Distract yourself. Perhaps you should go down to the cafeteria and have a cup of coffee."
"I'm not leaving you Riza."
"Fine. Then I am certain we can have Fuery bring over today's paperwork for you, since you are full of energy." Riza said with a sigh as she reached for the phone.
"I think I will try to nap for a while, just right here. Make sure to wake me if you need anything." Roy said before relaxing into the rocking chair and in his typical fashion drifting off almost instantly much to his wife's relief.
Riza felt like she had just drifted off to sleep herself when she was awoken by a strong pain. She sat up with a groan, and her husband was next to her in an instant, fluffing the pillows and offering her some water.
It was then that she realized she had to have been asleep longer than she thought, because both of her stepsons were sitting in the room, cards spread out on a table in the corner. Clearly they had been keeping their Dad busy, and she was grateful, but judging by the pain, now it was time for them to leave.
"We'll be out in the waiting room. I love you." Edward said as he kissed her cheek and Al phones nodded. Al kissed her other cheek before both young men left the room and Roy hit the call button.
A nurse came in, not the one she had seen before so they had obviously changed shifts, and asked how she was feeling before giving her a brief exam. The next thing Riza knew she was being moved to a delivery room, and waved at her boys as she passed them in the hall, Roy trailing behind.
Her doctor arrived shortly after they had her situated, Roy moments later. Then came the part that actually scared her a bit when her doctor cheerfully announced it was time to push. She worried something would go wrong. After everything she and Roy had done, did they really deserve this happiness in their lives? It felt like they were already being selfish and pushing their luck claiming two orphans who were mostly grown by the time Roy adopted them.
It was both the shortest and longest ten minutes of her life before the doctor announced that the baby was a boy and held him up for her to see. The baby let out a thin wail, as the doctor handed him off to a nurse. "Stay with him, I'm fine." Riza said to Roy as the nurse disappeared to the other side of the room with their new son.
Roy nodded and followed his son. He, like his wife, wasn't sure what he had done to deserve this tiny person in his life, or his other two boys, but he vowed right then to do everything in his power to remain worthy of being this boy's father. The nurse cleaned the baby and took his vital signs as Roy watched on carefully staying out of the way and at the same time hovering as close as he could.
"Would you like to hold him now Sir?" The nurse asked after placing a diaper on the newborn and wrapping him in a blanket.
"Yes, thank you." Roy answered before taking the boy in his arms and smiling down at him.
"Does he have a name yet?" the nurse asked as she busied herself copying information down in the chart.
"hmm? Oh! Yes, we picked a name. Thaddeus Bethold Hawkeye Mustang." Roy said proudly as he stared at the tiny baby in his arms. "We named him for our fathers. I considered naming him after his brothers, but that didn't seem right. So we went with our Dads instead."
"That's a wonderful name. He is clearly loved already, judging by the number of people waiting to see her. Later, after we get him settled in the nursery, we will have to arrange a viewing." Thr nurse said with a smile.
Twenty Minutes Later
Roy stood on the other side of the glass, staring at his new son, surrounded by his sons and the former team. Jean Havoc and Rebecca Catalina stood next to Ed, smiling at the baby as they hugged each other. Kain Fuery and Heymans Breda stood next to Al.
"He's beautiful, sir." Breda said.
"Thank you Breda. Riza did the hard part." Roy replied.
"I'll be sure to tell her you said that." Havoc said with a smile. "How is she doing?"
"Resting. They promised to bring Tad in to see her after they get her settled." Roy said.
"I wanna hold him." Ed said, his face nearly pressed against the glass.
"I asked. They are to be released the day after tomorrow. No one else is to hold him until we take him home. I'm sorry." Roy said.
"Well that's just stupid." Ed frowned. "I hold babies all the time. I know what Im doing. You could pull rank you know."
"So could you." Roy said with a small laugh.
"Nah. I'm not a corrupt politician. I'm just some kid they shoved in an office."
"Brother. You are literally the second highest ranking person in the country." Al said, looking over at his brother.
"Shh. Don't tell anyone. No one recognizes me out of uniform." Ed said in return.
"Seven people greeted you by name on the way up here sir, I;m afraid they know who you are." Fuery said quietly.
"Let him have his delusion. It makes the trip home easier." Havoc stage whispered.
The nurse noticed the large group staring into the nearly empty nursery. She clearly recognized either Ed or Roy or both, with a smile she waved then picked up the new baby to hold closer to the window for them.
"Next time, you should have the baby at our place in Resembool, so we can hold them right away." Al said as he cooed at his new brother.
"Don't mention 'next time' to Riza when you go in there!" Rebecca said with a glare in Al's direction.
"We haven't talked about that yet, and I think we're just going to enjoy this little one for now before worrying about another one." Roy said.
"Riza always said you were smart." Rebecca said. "I didn't believe her at first, but the more time I spend with you the more it seems she was right."
"Wow. You do remember that you're speaking to the Fuhrer right Bekka?" Jean asked with a laugh.
"Not today. Today I'm talking to my best friend's husband which means I gotta tease him so he knows we love him."
"Is this how normal people treat their friends?" Roy asked Ed.
"Why are you asking me? My closest friends are my wife, an emperor, my brother, and this guy who used to pretend to be me to get free stuff. I'm not an expert in normal." Ed said with a huff.
"Ha! You just admitted Fletcher and Russell are our friends, not just mine." Al practically yelled.
"I was just proving a point. That little jerk is not my friend. I'm his boss." Ed said while crossing his arms. "Oh look the baby in question is being moved."
Roy then excused himself to visit with his wife and son. Ed and Al hung around the waiting room while everyone else went home. The brothers sat quietly talking as they waited for Roy, who had said he'd join them for lunch before they went home. Everyone knew Ed wouldn't stay very long, he hated leaving his wife and children unprotected after the last couple of years. Alex Armstrong had personally offered to watch over them while the former team went to see the new baby.
Roy waited until Riza and Tad were settled, and the baby nursed, before he talked to the doctor about letting his sons in. The doctor, of course, knew who the family was and advised the staff to make an exception to the rules. A few minutes later a nurse came out to the waiting room to collect the Elrics.
Ed and Al practically bounced into the room, excited to meet their new brother in person, without a glass in the way. Riza smiled at the boys, as she gently passed Tad over to Roy. "Who wants to hold him first?" Roy asked with a smile.
"Al. He should get to hold him first, he's never gotten to hold a little brother before." Ed said as Roy passed the baby to Al who had sat in the rocking chair.
"I'm pretty sure your logic is flawed Ed. You never got to hold a little brother before either. We're only a year apart." Al said even as he smiled down at his brother relishing the feel of the baby in his arms.
"I did hold you. Mom had a picture of it. I saw it once." Ed said with a frown. He remembered Pinako talking about Trisha helping Ed hold Al. He'd never actually seen a picture of it but his brother couldn't prove it one way or the other after most of their stuff burned with the house.
"Still. It's not like you remember it." Al argued.
"Yeah, well, maybe I wanted to be sure you weren't going to chicken out like you did with Yuery. It took you months to hold him." Ed said with a blush.
"That's enough boys." Riza said with a smile, but the both immediately stopped arguing and Al handed the baby off to Ed.
Ed smiled down at his newest brother, marveling at the tiny boy. Thaddeus had Roy's hair, the little of it he had, however, he had Riza's eyes. Ed couldn't decide if he looked more like Dad or Ji Mu, but most babies you couldn't really tell to begin with. It didn't matter much either, he was theirs. Ed was pleased to have a new brother. It was a bit weird, when he thought about it, that his little brother was younger than three of his kids, but then Ed was a young father, so it was not unexpected.
He couldn't wait to introduce Tad to Yu, Will, and Maes. He sat there holding the baby long enough that his Dad jokingly asked if he was ever giving them back the baby. Ed laughed before handing the boy off to their Dad. He decided then that he needed to head back home. Alex had other things to do aside from watching over his family all day.
Fuhrer's Mansion
Alex sat at the door to the Fuhrer's apartment. He had been invited in but hadn't wanted to intrude. He also felt more comfortable sitting out here where he could watch for trouble. He had sent in Maria Ross to sit with Winry. Maria had offered to help him with guarding the First Family.
The team arrived shortly after Winry brought Alex a sandwich and insisted Alex eat. Jean and Rebecca went directly into the apartment to let Winry know that Ed planned to stay a bit longer, and tell her about the new baby. Kain and Heymans offered to sit with Alex for awhile.
Winry poked her head back out a few minutes later, to ask if one of them would mind taking Hayate and Franklin outside for their walk. Heymans pointedly pretended not to hear her, and Alex twitched. He was divided between doing as she asked standing guard as he promised. Kain took mercy on both other men, taking the dogs outside. He liked the dogs nearly as much as their owners.
After a few minutes of silence, to ensure they would not be overheard, Alex speaking in a surprisingly quiet tone asked Heymans. "How are you doing? Has your visits with Dr. Hardy helped?"
"I- yes. Thank you for the recommendation...and thanks for keeping quiet about it." Heymans said.
"You don't need to thank me. We're friends, I hated to see you suffer. I just want you to be happy again." Alex replied.
"Happy may be a bit of a stretch. However, I don't feel like I'm drowning anymore." Heymans said, a hitch in his breath. "I miss him still, you know. I'll always love him. But it doesn't hurt like it did. I'm not just here because I promised anymore. One day, I will join him, but until then, I need to live. He didn't want me to stay alive. He wanted me to have a life. For a long time, I didn't know what that was supposed to look like. Life without him. So yes, Dr. Hardy helped, and for that I thank you."
"I wish I could do more." Alex said with tears streaming down his face. Heymans wasn't worried about what anyone would think if they walked by and saw Alex distraught. The man was known for being dramatic. He did pat Alex on the back to comfort him.
"Really, you've done more than enough Alex. If you want, we can go out for drinks later, Mustang recommends a great bar. I think you might need it."
"Yes, that is an excellent idea. I'll see who wishes to join us."