Edited: February 18, 2018
Chapter 5: Nënë
The room became significantly quieter when Maes left, but not without the promise of returning later in the afternoon with his wife Gracia and daughter Elysia. That man was a chatterbox and not at all that different from the Maes Hughes that they both knew.
Riza glanced to her right towards the direction of her 'husband'. Roy had been silent ever since the door closed behind Maes and she could only imagine what he was going through at the moment. He acted undeterred by the sudden appearance of his dead bestfriend, but she knew him well enough to see the subtle trembling of his hands and the forced smile on his face.
Alphonse squirmed restlessly in his sleep and the sharpshooter's hand went to tap lightly on the child's buttocks, instantly calming him down. She had seen Gracia do that to Elysia during the times she visited the older woman and the child was fidgety.
When she was sure that the small child had gone back into a deep sleep, she turned her attention back to her commanding officer. "Sir, are you-"
"What..." he interrupted, his eyes wide and wild, as if what happened earlier had only sunk in just now. "What was that?" He stared into nothing and she could see him gettling lost in his own world.
"I...don't know, sir," she admitted defeatedly, hating the feeling of cluelessness and uselessness. She wanted to give him answers to his many questions, but hose were the same questions she also wanted to be answered herself.
"What exactly is happening, Captain?" he asked harshly, facing her fully now. "First, we get into an 'accident' and we find out that we're married and these children are ours." He gestured towards the sleeping children, not believing that the stubborn Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother are now fully dependent on him and his most trusted subordinate. "They're not supposed to be our children, Hawkeye! Heck, how are we not even court-martialled for this? And now..." he gasped in inhalation and clutched his chest. "Is Truth behind all this? Is he mocking us? Or is he punishing us for all our sins? He must think we're so entertaining right now."
The bitterness and volume of his voice steadily increased and Hawkeye surrendered her pointer finger to Alphonse's grasp to keep him from waking.
"How dare he fucking play with Maes' memories? Is it not enough that he's already dead!? Is it not enough that Gracia is left a widow and Elysia fatherless?"
Riza chose to remain silent, knowing that the Brigadier General was asking her questions she can't answer. All of this didn't feel real to her and her brain was still trying to keep up with everything that has been happening to them. It's like whatever it was that brought them here knew their deepest, darkest desires and put them to life...literally now, in Maes' case.
Neither she nor Roy were oblivious to the fact that their relationship wouldn't be platonic if they weren't in the military. Numerous slip-ups during the Ishval war and even during their assignment in East City proved that. A handful of times, she found herself pressed between the hot sand brick wall of an abandoned building they just raided and the higher-ranking Flame Alchemist, her hands in his hair and his gloved hands gripping her hips almost painfully and tongues battling for dominance as the thumping of their hearts drowned out the sounds of destruction that plagued their minds even in slumber.
And now, in this world, they find out they're happily married with two children and one on the way. And they still moved steps closer to accomplishing Roy's goal to become President of a democratic country.
It was so unfair. Why could they have both here when they can only choose one path in that world they came from?
And there's Edward and Alphonse. The boys lost almost everything they had at such a young age. Their mother, the constant presence of a father, their childhood, their innocence, their complete bodies...
Then this world turned them into innocent children and suddenly offered not just one parent, but two. With another younger sibling to come. Plus, they are absolutely free to enjoy their complete bodies, free of any metallic prosthetics.
Now, perhaps the biggest twist of all: Roy's bestfriend and personal advisor, who they buried to the ground a few years earlier after getting murdered by the Homunculus Envy, calmly walks back into their lives as if they didn't see his cold, lifeless corpse in that damned phonebooth.
Had Roy guessed correctly? Could it be Truth punishing them for all the sins they committed? Was this their payment for all the lives they took in Ishval? For committing the ultimate taboo of human transmutation?
For all the mothers, fathers, children and friends they took from this world, they were shown this world of 'what-could-have-been's had they chosen very different paths that the ones they took.
Oh, what a cruel being Truth was.
A few minutes passed by in silence and she woke up from her reverie with a start when her brooding commanding officer spoke. "Since we don't know where exactly we are, what and how this happened, and how we could go back to our reality," he paused and she raised her eyes to him andfound him stroking Alphonse's hair with a fond look on his face and with another hand adjusting his grip on Edward. Gone was the dark shadow that dominated his features moments ago. "I guess we can let the kids enjoy being kids and not having to worry about growing up too fast."
"Come in," Riza called out after hearing a series of knocks against the door.
She pointed the remote to the television and muted the volume of a children's show when the door opened, revealing Maes and a few other additions. Edward tore his gaze from the cartoon show and practically beamed when he saw Elysia. the little girl, in turn, ran to Riza's side of the bed.
"Auntie!" she squealed and lifted both of her arms. "Up up, please!"
"Oh no, Elysia-" Gracia began chastising and was about to step forward, but Riza already had the girl in her arms.
Riza gave the other woman a smile. "Don't worry, Gracia. It's fine." She turned towards the little girl and smiled adoringly. "Of course, sweetheart. But you have to give Auntie Riza a kiss afterwards, okay?"
"Okay!" came the enthusiastic reply.
With both her legs in casts, it was a bit difficult for Riza to twist just her upper body and she quietly grunted at the effort as she heaved Elysia up and onto the bed. She winced slightly when her skin rubbed painfylly against the cast but schooled her features immediately, knowing Maes and Gracia were both observing her.
"Thank you, Autnie Riza!" Elysia giggled before wrapping her tiny arms around the blond woman's neck and giving her a loud smooch on the cheek.
In response, Riza rubbed her nose against the child's. Elysia giggled once more before turning to Edward who beckoned her to watch the television with him. Finally, Riza turned towards the adults standing by the doorway.
"Hello, Maes and Gracia," she greeted them properly with a polite smile. "Please make yourselves comfortable."
The couple settled themselves on the ocuch near the door and put the bags they brought on the table. They must have brought dinner since Roy mentioned earlier in passing how much he hated hospital food.
"How are you feeling now, dear?" Gracia asked with a motherly voice.
Alphonse, noticing he didn't have his brother's sole attention anymore, crawled over to his mother and Riza carefully sat the toddler in her lap so he didn't touch her injuty. She leaned back slightly so the boy could watch the show comfortably before turning to answer the older woman's query. "I'm feeling significantly better than the past few days," she said then she unconsciously rubbed the part where skin met plaster. "But my legs would need a few months to heal completely."
"Oh my, I can only imagine how difficult the next few months would be," Gracia voiced with a frown. "You know, with the kids and with school starting next month. Not to mention that the campaign period has just recently started."
Maes wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. "We want you to know, Riza, that we'd be glad to assist if needed," he added sincerely, knowing perfectly well that Riza was going to deny it good-naturely. "We can even babysit Ed and Al for you when it becomes too busy."
The door to the adjoining bathroom opened and Roy came out wearing fresh clothes and was rubbing a towel against his damp hair. He caught sight of the visitors. "Oh. Hey, Maes." He drew a breath shakily before walking over to the newcomers. He shook his bestfriend's hand and turned to Gracia, bending over to kiss her cheek. "Hello, Gracia."
"Papa!" Alphonse perked up at the sight of his father. He had been asleep when Roy entered the bathroom for a shower and had missed the older man greatly.
The child squirmed in his mother's arms, causing her to inhale sharply when he accidentally hit a sore spot on her knee. And Roy must have noticed since he quickly sprang into action and snatched Alphonse into his arms.
"You need to be careful, buddy," the dark-haired man chastised the child gently. "You don't want to hurt Mama, do you?"
Alphonse's golden hazel eyes widened in alarm and he whipped his head towards Riza. "Mama?" His mouth pulled into an adorable pout and his eyes watered but the child seemed to want to hold back from crying.
Riza wanted to uncharacteristically coo at the cute display but she stomped on the urge. Just a few days in this strange world and it's already influencing her thoughts and emotions. And maybe the hormones are also part of it. "Mama's fine, darling," she told the boy, reaching up to gently pinch his pudgy cheek. She, then, turned to glare at her 'husband'.
Roy just chuckled and walked away to help the other couple set up the table for dinner. With everyone else preoccupied, Riza had a chance to survey the room the whole family shared in detail.
The four beds lined up together at the center of the spacious room, facing the wall where the television was mounted. The right corner of that same wall held the door that led to the bathroom which Roy had just used, while the left side of the wall continued to another section of the vast room which could also be called a kitchenette, a reception area, and a living room in one.
Gracia heated food on the stove while Maes loaded the fridge with different kinds of beverages and desserts. And Roy laid plates and utensils on the table for all seven of them with the help of Alphonse.
Her eyes came to where the wheelchair was parked.
Her wheelchair.
Her cheeks still became hot with embarrassment when she had to ask Roy for help going to the bathroom. She really detested being treated like an invalid, which Roy had vehemently denied.
He called her temporarily incapable.
The fine hairs on the back of her neck prickled at the sensation of someone watching her intently. She turned her amber gaze to her eldest boy who didn't even flinch at being caught staring. Instead, the golden-haired boy crawled across the bed and over to her to tentatively touch the cast on her right leg, just below the knee.
"Mama?" his voice was just above a murmur but she picked it up. His eyes were fixed on her legs in a strange mix of fascination, curiosity, anxiety and fear.
When did Mama's legs become like those of a statue's?
"Yes, Edward?" Riza prompted when he didn't continue, causing the child to look up to her. And only then did she see the tears gathering around her son's golden irises. Thinking back to the rash and volatile nature of the Edward Elric she had known as the Fullmetal Alchemist and Major of the Amestrian Military, she opted for the gentle approach. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"Mama?" he repeated, this time putting both of his hands on her cheeks.
She almost laughed when he pinched her cheeks experimentally. "Yes, Edward?" she, too, repeated with patience.
And then the child's hands were back on her cast. She had to wonder where this fascination came from and why Edward seemed so distressed by their presence on her legs.
"Are you going to die, Mama?"
Yes! Finally finished this one.