Finished writing this on May 5th 2018, but had to postpone posting because of a trip to the hospital.

NOTE: FOR OLD READERS, PLEASE RE-READ CHAPTERS 1-8 BECAUSE I CHANGED A LOT OF THINGS THERE AND YOU MIGHT GET CONFUSED WITH CHAPTER 9.

Chapter 9: أم (Arabic: 'um)

Roy opened his eyes just as Riza left the bed in a hurry. Her footsteps were muffled by the dark red carpet and the en-suite bathroom door slammed open a few moments later and Hayate yelped from almost being stepped on. He could hear faint retching sounds coming from the direction Riza had gone to and he gingerly sat up and turned the lamp on, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. According to the clock on the bedside table, it was still four in the morning.

"Too early," he grumbled just as Riza re-entered the room, teeth freshly brushed.

Her eyes automatically found his and her expression changed into apologetic. "Sorry, I woke you up again, Roy," she whispered, throat raw from having to throw up three times since going to bed the night before.

"It's fine," he replied as he walked over to where she stood. "How are you feeling?"

Up close, he could see that her face was flushed and her breathing was a bit shallow. Her eyes were also slightly red and surrounded by dark circles from a week of almost no sleep. She was already starting to lose weight too, and Roy fought to make her eat more.

"Like an elephant stepped on me," she answered with a roll of her eyes, clearly annoyed at being weak.

"That's alright. That's normal." He steered her towards the couch by the window and gently pushed her to lay down. "Stay here and just relax for a bit."

She blinked up at him curiously, too tired to resist. "Where are you going?"

He gave her a small smile and leaned down to wipe her sweaty forehead before straightening up. "I'll just get you tea and some food."

He didn't wait for her to respond since she already looked so cozy. He quickly went downstairs to the kitchen to brew some tea that he knew calmed Riza's stomach down. He remembered her mentioning that it was some sort of secret concoction that mothers passed down to their daughters. Roy also cut up a few carrot sticks for Riza to munch on.

When he went back their room, he could see that she was still awake, but only barely so. "Hey," he called, placing the tray at a nearby table. "I've got something for you."

"Hey," she mumbled before begrudgingly pulling herself to a sitting position.

He handed her a cup of tea and held the plate of carrots sticks for her as he sat down beside her. Riza finished her tea quickly and Roy was surprised when he felt her lean down towards him until her head was sat on his lap that he had to hold the plate of carrots up.

She shifted around until she felt comfortable, her body facing him slightly. He could feel her breathe in deeply a few times before sagging against him. She must be more exhausted than she let on if she willingly let him care for her.

He finally relaxed his arms and rested the plate on the armrest by her head. "Are you feeling better?"

"Mmm…" she hummed in response before opening her eyes. Tired copper orbs stared up at him and he could see her lips quirk up a bit. "Much better. The tea helped. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome. I'll make you tea every night then," he declared, reaching for a carrot piece and holding it near her mouth. "Now, try eating these."

She wordlessly opened her mouth and bit down on the offered vegetable. They stayed quiet for a while, him alternating on feeding her and himself. He didn't even realize his hand moving to bury itself in her golden locks until a gentle sigh passed her lips.

It was a rare experience for him to see Riza with her walls down, especially since she always made a conscious effort to keep them up. Maybe it was because she was exhausted? Or could it be that motherhood is slowly changing her?

He had noticed how quickly she had adapted to being Edward and Alphonse's parent. Heck, even he felt the changes the two boys brought about in him. And Riza's pregnancy must have only intensified that motherly instinct she felt.

He saw how she'd unconsciously turn her body towards the boys whenever they're in the room, as if she felt the natural need to constantly keep an eye on them. To keep them safe. Even in sleep, her arms would wrap around whichever child who wedged himself between the two adults and would affectionately tap on their buttocks to keep them comfortable in their slumber.

It seemed like she had already accepted that she was Edward and Alphonse's mother.

Had she also accepted that she was Roy's wife too?

"Gramma, c'mon!" a high-pitched voice whisper-yelled. "Mama and Papa are still sleeping. Let's just play outside!"

"Don't you want to wake them up, Edward?" a gruff voice answered and it sounded so familiar to Roy. He could tell from the direction of the voices that they were standing by the door of the bedroom to his left.

"Nah-uh." He could imagine the boy shaking his head, unruly blonde hair whipping around his little face. "Mama was sick last night and Papa stayed up to make her better."

Roy mentally groaned. Edward wasn't really 'whispering'. And who was he talking to anyway?

He opened his eyes and squinted at the bright sunlight that streamed through the windows directly in his line of sight. He turned towards the door and saw the imposing figure of his mother. Edward stood beside her with one of her hands in his much smaller ones, trying to herd her outside the room but to no avail.

"Ma-Madame?!" Roy stuttered. He had expected to see her in this world at some point. But he still was surprised at her appearance. And it brought him a sense of relief.

He moved to get up but something weighed him down. He looked down and memories of that early morning came back to him. He must have fallen asleep after making sure that Riza was comfortable. She could see her eyes moving under her closed lids. What could she be dreaming of?

Edward brightened up at the sound of his father's voice and bounded over to his parents. He placed a big kiss on his mother's cheek before greeting him with a sloppy good-morning salute. Roy had learned that it was sort of a leftover from the kid's childish hero-worship when he understood that Roy served in the military when he was a teenager.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted back, reaching up to tousle the boy's unruly hair. "Can you tell Amelia to fetch Mama her favourite ginger tea? That will make her feel better."

Edward saluted again. "Okey-dokey, sir!" Then he ran downstairs to do as he was told.

The older woman entered the room properly and shut the door softly. She then turned off the lamp he had left on earlier and proceeded to tidy up the bed. "I meant to visit here when I heard of the accident weeks ago, but important business in Central kept me there."

He recognized his mother's own form of apology and waved it away. He knew what important business entailed. "It's alright. We just got a few broken bones and scratches here and there. Nothing to be too worried about."

"If you say so," she relented. She picked up a blanket and draped it on Riza. "A little bird told me Riza was not feeling well last night?" Madame Christmas stated, but she made it sound like it was a question. Her sharp eyes scanned the sleeping woman in concealed concern before she straightened and stationed herself by the window.

"Can you tell that little bird not to talk so loud so early in the morning?" he replied with a smirk, shifting carefully so that he won't wake Riza up. "She hasn't been getting enough sleep for a couple of weeks now. And her stomach would only allow for mild food."

The madame cocked her head to the side curiously. There was no doubt that she was already thinking of all the possibilities of Riza's condition. "And have you seen a doctor yet?"

"Yes," was his simple answer. His smirk softened into a smile as he waited for Madame Christmas to make a deduction.

The older woman raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when movement drew their attention to the waking younger woman.

"Roy?" she mumbled, her voice husky with sleep. "What time is it?"

His hands rose on their own and brushed her hair away from her face. "You can sleep in if you want to."

For a second, he thought that she would acquiesce and fall asleep again. But she was already pushing herself into a sitting position, the blanket falling to her waist. When her sharp eyes found the older woman looking at them with amusement, she let out a gasp in surprise.

"Madame!"

"Good morning to you, Riza," Madame Christmas greeted, still looking amused. "How are you feeling?"

Riza turned to Roy and regarded her with a look that said something like: did you tell her I was being vulnerable and weak last night? And he just replied with a noncommittal shrug, so her attention turned towards the older woman once again.

"I feel fine, madame," she answered and moved to stand and fold the blanket in that precise and perfect way the military personnel do.

"I guess I should congratulate the both of you," she looked pointedly between the couple before turning around and stopping just short of the door. "But since it seems like you still haven't made the announcement to Edward and Alphonse, I'm deciding I'm still as clueless."

Then she opened the door and strode out, leaving the two amused. It really was no surprise that Chris Mustang had found out about the pregnancy before they even told her. She specialized in information gathering and Roy had been the subject of her scrutiny for almost all his life. She was one of the only two women in the whole world in whose presence he always felt like an open book.

Roy released a sigh before standing up as well, snatching the rest of the blankets from her so he could fold them. "Anyway, are you up for breakfast? I sent for tea, but we can have it downstairs if you want."

Riza paused for a bit, clearly assessing herself. "Downstairs," she answered simply. "I have to make sure the kids are ready for school. What time is it?"

He peered at the clock by the bed. "Half past eleven."

"I'm sorry?"

He smiled secretly. He was telling the infamous Captain Hawkeye that she overslept. "It's eleven-thirty."

He coughed to hide his laugh as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. "That can't be right."

"I'm not lying," he chuckled and he moved behind her and put both hands on her shoulders. He pushed her forward and gently herded her out the door. "Also, there are no classes today. It's Saturday, Mama."

Riza remembered all those years ago, she had just put the venison they had hunted the day before in the oven. From her spot in the kitchen, she could see her father's most recent apprentice pacing under the old beech tree with a large tome in his hands and a pencil between his teeth.

It had been about six weeks since the boy from Central arrived and her father had given him the book with orders to memorize each formula for an assessment that would take place in less than two weeks. From the expression of desperation and hopelessness etched in the young man's exotic features, he must have hit a roadblock of some sort in his studies.

This was around the time that the apprentices gave up, packed their belongings and boarded the first train out of the remote backwoods of Western. And she had taken to peeking in Mr. Mustang's quarters every morning to see if she'd have to make breakfast for two instead of three.

There hadn't been much interaction between her and Mr. Mustang since he was always either so absorbed in his studies or preoccupied with the tasks her father assigned him. And she busy with housework and her own studies. And, though the most they said to each other were just plain greetings, the presence of someone in her age group was comforting. That's something she was willing to work to keep.

"Ugh!"

Her eyes found he had stopped pacing and just plopped near the base of the tree with his head in his hands. He looked every inch a defeated young man, surrendering to his fate of failed apprenticeships and disappointed aunts and foster sisters.

She bit her lip to hide her smile before wiping her hands on the old pink apron that belonged to her mother. She pushed herself from the counter and walked to the backdoor that led to the spot where Mr. Mustang sat.

"If I write this here…no, the formula won't be balanced…but where does it…okay, from the beginning," she heard him mumble over the sound of the pencil's lead tip scratching against his notebook.

He was so engrossed in his notes that he failed to sense her coming to a stop behind him to peer over at what he wrote. She could tell he nearly jumped out of his skin when her hand reached out and pointed to the equation. "You should change the exponent here, Mr. Mustang."

"What the f-!" he cut what he was about to say. Her father forbade foul words in the house. "Miss Riza, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I apologize, Mr. Mustang," she said, withdrawing her hand and settling next to him, careful not to sit on the damp soil in fear of ruining the pretty dress her mother sew for her a few years back. "I noticed you were having a hard time."

"Ah." His dark eyes went back to the book. "Master Hawkeye must be super intelligent if he understands half of what's written here."

"He should," She tried to hide the smirk that formed on her lips. "He's the one who wrote that book, along with a few others in his study."

She finally let out a chuckle at his dumbfounded expression. His jaw dropped and dark eyes widened, and she was so sure she never saw someone looked so much like a fish out of water before. Then he surprised her by bursting into laughter. "Should've known only someone like him could author this ridiculous book!" He must have realized how that sounded since he imitated a fish once again. "Oh, no. No, I didn't mean it like that. Umm… I meant Master Hawkeye is ridiculously smart!"

Riza giggled behind her palm. She didn't know Mr. Mustang could be so funny. He always looked so serious with that little frown marring his youthful face. "No worries, Mr. Mustang. There is actually a trick to understanding that book…or everything my father says, that is."

Mr. Mustang brightened up, eager almond eyes sparkling. "Really? Tell me!" His ears reddened and he backtracked. "Err… That is if you want to, Miss Riza."

She pursed her lips to prevent any more laughter from escaping. "Well, the trick is to concentrate."

"I'm sorry?"

She gestured towards his notebook. "May I?" When he nodded, she took the notebook and tore a page from it. "Father always says that discipline and concentration are o matter of being interested."

"But I am concentrating!" his tone turned indignant.

She didn't look up from what she was doing and continued folding the paper between her deft hands. "I know. But you're not doing it enough."

Mr. Mustang sputtered for a bit before curiosity finally won him over. "Will you tell me how?"

She was quiet for a few moments before she presented him with her finished work. "Here. It's supposed to improve your concentration and reasoning skills."

He looked at her incredulously before his eyes shifted to her outstretched hand. Then his eyes returned to her face. "What. You're telling me a paper bird would help me learn your father's lessons?"

Riza shook her head, an amused smile appearing on her lips. That moment felt like a lifetime ago. Back when both she and Roy didn't know the horrors of war and they didn't know how warm blood feels like when you hold your hands over your comrade's wounds In a desperate attempt to stave the bleeding.

She pursed her lips at the sobering thought, the dreadful atmosphere threatening to corrupt one of the fondest memories she had under that beech tree.

Maes' loud laughter boomed from downstairs brought her back to the present. She regarded the inconspicuous piece of paper on the floor between Edward and Alphonse's beds with much amusement before bending down to pick it up.

Upon closer look, she could see the unmistakable curved wing of the paper crane. There was no doubt that this was the specific way she taught Roy how to make origami all those years ago.

"Hey."

Riza looked up towards the door and saw Roy entering the boys' room, Black Hayate in tow. She put the origami in her pocket and met him halfway, scooping the small black and white dog in her arms. "Hey."

"Come on, dinner's ready," he said, leading her out of the room with an arm around her shoulders.

Roy had volunteered to do the cooking since she couldn't bear to be around so many smells and aromas, so she just busied herself with folding the kids' clothes. She was confident in his skills in the kitchen since she was witness to his culinary expertise for a couple of times.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the dining area, the room was empty. She wondered where Maes and the guys were, as they had come over for an informal meeting a few hours earlier. The table was set up elaborately and the candles gave the room a warm mood. There was also a smooth instrumental jazz music coming from somewhere.

Roy steered her towards one end of the large table before seating himself on the other end at the head of the table. As if on cue, the kitchen door opened and the rest of Team Mustang along with the Hughes family appeared with each of them holding a platter of some sort of food. Soon enough, the table was filled with dinner.

"Roy," she gasped. "You said 'dinner', not a feast!"

He responded with a wide boyish grin. "Hey, it's your birthday. You can call it whatever you want."

"What." She paused, looking at everyone. "My birthday?"

"Happy birthday to youuu…"

She turned around to face the singing voices of the children. Edward took the lead, holding a big chocolate cake in his hands. His steps were a little wobbly so Madame Mustang followed him closely with watchful eyes. The lighted candles on the cake made his hair shine in an orange glow, and the grin on his face shone brighter. The eldest child brought the cake to her for her to blow the candles before letting Uncle Breda place it on the middle of the table.

Next to come to her was Alphonse who held a significantly smaller mango cake. A single lighted candle was perched on top of the cake, occasionally sending harmless sparks around. "Happy birthday, Mama," Alphonse said when they finally finished singing, holding the cake up to her. "Make a wish!"

She glanced at Roy and found him staring at her with a soft smile on his face. They held each other's gazes for a few moments and Riza could feel warmth spreading across her cheeks. She turned back to Alphonse lest Roy notice her getting flustered.

"What should I wish for, love?" she asked the boy after carefully taking the confection from his hands.

"You can wish for a new toy!" Edward interjected from his perch on Roy's lap, earning a few chuckles from everyone. "I wished for a toy train before and I got it the next day!"

She hummed before blowing on the candle. Everyone cheered and greeted her too. She couldn't believe she missed everyone preparing for this. She should've known something was up when Madame Mustang showed up that morning, or when the boys were just chatting instead of having a meeting like they said they would.

Roy had thoughtfully prepared dishes that didn't aggravate her nausea and she was thankful for that. He even thought to have the Madame bake her her favourite mango cake and the chocolate cake for the rest of the guests. Once more, she caught Roy's gaze from across the table. Instead of looking away, she mouthed, "Thank you."

The night had wound down, the food finished, the table cleared, the dishware washed and dried, and the fireplace lit. The guests said goodbye one by one until eventually only the family was left. They gathered in front of the fire, trying to escape the chilly weather. The children whipped out their coloring books and crayons while the adults sipped their tea.

"Were you surprised?" Roy asked from beside her, stoking the fire.

"Admittedly," she grumbled but sighed in contentment when Roy's hand reached up and gently massaged her nape. "How did you pull it off?"

He sipped from his cup and winked playfully. "Now, that's a secret." Then he clapped his hands together excitedly. "Boys, why don't you go get Mama's gift?"

"Okey-dokey, sir!"

"Yes, Papa!"

Loud steps thundered upstairs as the children ran to their room to fetch whatever gift they prepared for her.

"Roy, what-"

He shushed her, wrapping an arm around her to keep her from standing. "I know you don't like people giving you things, but the boys worked hard for this."

"But-"

"You know how my biological mother was Xingese?" he interjected, cutting off whatever protest she had. She cocked her head to the side in curiosity to show that she was listening. "Well, she taught me some traditions they had on her side of the family."

She could hear the boys coming down the stairs but remained silent so Roy could continue his story.

"The Xingese are traditional people. They believe in gods and karma and fate. They also believe that gods sometimes visit the mortals in the form of animals." Seemingly from out of nowhere, he produced a square piece of yellow paper and proceeded on the familiar steps of meticulously folding it. "The crane is a particularly special animal to them, believed to live for a thousand years. They are symbols of longevity and good fortune, which are both major things for the Xingese. An ancient legend says that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by the gods." He finished folding the paper crane faster than she remembered him do and he presented it to her with a flourish at the same time Edward and Alphonse returned.

She accepted the small origami and turned to the children. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Edward held a metal pole twice as tall as he was. Attached to the top of the pole were hundreds upon hundreds of multi-colored paper cranes, mostly yellow and white in color. Alphonse struggled to see his mother's reaction from his spot inside the waterfall of origami. Black Hayate was somewhere in the mess, buried in paper birds.

"So, Edward, Alphonse and I folded nine hundred ninety-nine paper cranes now, including the one you're holding," he boasted, gently guiding her to stand. "You have to make the final one before you get your wish."

Riza was speechless and tears unexpectedly gathered in her eyes. This was the first time somebody –or, in this case, some people- made this much effort for her. And during her birthday, too! Sure, folding a paper crane is easy. But a thousand? Now, that would take her weeks if not months!

"Oh no, Mama's about to cry!" Roy announced dramatically, his hands over his mouth. "Quick, boys! Smother her with hugs and kisses!"

The boys giggled and were only too eager to comply, jumping into Mama's arms and kissing her face until she too was laughing.

"Papa! Join us!"

A/N: I am so sorry for the late update. For old readers: If you are confused at some things, please know that I had major editing fit and changed a lot of things. This is also one of the reasons why it took me so long to come up with a new chapter.

So, that's why these boys were being so suspicious! If you think Riza and Roy are being too comfortable with the situation, just bear with it. It'll be explained in the next chapters.

Also, I used a bit of Japanese folklore in this one. With Senbazuru (A thousand paper cranes) and stuff. I am not Japanese, nor am I an expert in Japanese mythology. If I got things incorrectly, please forgive me and please send me a message so I can correct things. Thank you!

Don't forget to leave a review!