AN: I FINALLY DID THIS

sorry incognito4713 for talking so long to write this oneshot(ish?) you requested way back when. i always planned to write it but life and other work got in the way first

i hope you enjoy it! thank you for your support throughout this fic and for giving me the opportunity to return to this world once more :D

"Take this."

""What to expect when you're expecting"?" Riza read aloud, raising an eyebrow. The picture on the front sparked familiarity with her, a memory being brought forth in her mind. She had seen these before in the hospital in the settlement. The first time Riza had been aware of these "joke" pamphlets was after she had been taken by the Hunters. She hadn't felt the need to "give up human blood" or "turn her husband into a frog", so she hadn't paid much attention to them in general.

Said picture was a mother holding an infant in her arms, but the child had a tail that was draped over its mother's arm and two small ears that stuck up, out of its head.

Her child wouldn't come out like that… Surely not?

"It'll be more useful than you think it will be," Rebecca replied with a knowing look in her eyes as she patted Riza's knee reassuringly.

Glancing back down at the information leaflet, Riza flicked it open to see various drawings of puppies with remarkably human features. One had a dog's body but a child's head.

"Hey, what the fuck does that mean?" she asked sharply, fixing Rebecca with wide, terrified eyes.

"Just… Read it," she urged before standing to leave.

"Rebecca!" Riza called after her friend who showed no sign of returning to offer any further insight into her mysterious warning.

Surely her baby wouldn't come out with wolf ears and a tail? Right? The thought of pushing a child out of her body was bad enough, never mind the addition of a bushy tail –

Riza shuddered and stopped that train of thought there.

Where the hell was Roy? She needed him to find her grandfather. She wanted to ask him some very urgent questions.

As Riza lay back on her pillows in their bed, she racked her brain for any signs that Rebecca and Havoc's daughter had been born anything less than human but found nothing. She hadn't seen them or the child until a week after the birth. Apparently, that was a werewolf thing, to keep the parents and child isolated from the rest of the pack. The birthing process is much more aggressive than it is for humans. It is important to keep them isolated so the mother can adequately care for the child. It also gives the mother a chance to recover properly from the event, because apparently, according to Rebecca, it was much needed.

As if Riza wasn't already terrified enough.

Rebecca hadn't shared much else about the process. Also, apparently, it was to be kept under wraps until the moment for delivery arrived.

Roy wasn't fully aware of the process either. He wasn't permitted entry into room while the child was being born, something that angered him no end. Rightly so, he had kicked up a storm about it, but "it was tradition", according to Grumman.

"I don't give a flying fuck about tradition," he raged as he tightened his hold on her body as they lay in bed one night. "I'm not missing a moment like that."

Riza wasn't happy with it either. She needed him there to keep her grounded and sane. If this process was going to be so much worse than giving birth to a human child, then she needed Roy by her side.

According to tradition the mother must be alone in the delivery room, however, can be assisted by a witch to help deliver the child. Witches are skilled with childbirth and have magic that can assist the process. The child's father is not permitted entry and Riza was at a loss for why. It is important for the child to imprint on the mother and her alone as, with wolves, it is the female who feeds them for the first month of their lives. The cub will imprint on the mother and form a bond because the child will be blind for a couple of hours after birth. It will be up to Riza and Riza alone to care for the child in those first few hours. When their baby gains its sight, only then can Roy step in. In extreme cases, when the child doesn't imprint on the mother, the father can be kept away for up to a week. Riza couldn't understand it all, because this was putting so much more strain on her. When she had been blissfully unaware of how complicated the procedure was Riza had already been anxious. Now, panic rose inside her every time she thought Roy wouldn't be by her side while she brought their child into the world.

Ultimately, it was the not knowing that was eating at her.

"It may seem unfair," Grumman explained to Riza when she went for her last check up after voicing her anger at keeping the father of her child out of the delivery room. "But it's the way every pack has operated for hundreds of years. There's a reason it's carried out this way."

"I don't care," Riza replied, her temper getting the better of her. "I need someone there for me."

"I will be," Pinako interrupted. The witch retracted her hands from above Riza's stomach and opened her eyes. The spell she had cast allowed her to see the child in her mind's eye to check everything was developing correctly.

"I want Roy."

Pinako and Grumman both sighed.

If Riza couldn't have Roy, she suggested Rebecca, however that was shot down as well. If the child imprinted on Rebecca instead, it wouldn't bode well for the child. Her old friend shifted uncomfortably when Riza voiced her opinion and wouldn't reveal anything about her own experience. Riza hoped Becca would be able to guide her through it, or at least give her a heads up, but apparently, she had been sworn to secrecy.

"I love you, you know that, right?" Roy whispered against her stomach the night before her water broke. Unbeknownst to the them, that would be the last night they shared together until after their child was born.

Riza smiled down at him from her position against her propped-up pillows. Her hands were already in his hair and she ran her hand through it. "Of course."

"Good," he murmured, kissing her stomach. There was a twitch from within as the child kicked and Riza grinned. It quickly fell when she saw the look on Roy's face.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he replied, not meeting her eyes.

"Roy?" He kept his eyes off her, opting to gaze down at her stomach where their child was resting. Riza was glad she was nearing her due date because the kid drained her of her energy so quickly. The last week she had been on bedrest because she simply didn't have the energy to walk. "What is it?"

He met her eyes and the haunted look in his eyes disappeared, but not before she caught a glimpse of it. She could feel an emotion building within him, something desperate and waiting to be unleashed, but he was hiding it from her. They had both gotten better at that over the years, which was both a blessing and a curse.

He kissed her then, feeling like he was pouring his heart and soul into it as his mouth moved against hers. A hand was placed on the back of her head, bringing it closer to his, like the distance between them was unbearable. While Riza thoroughly enjoyed his attention, alarm bells were going off in her head. He was worried, hiding something from her. This kiss was desperate, like someone saying goodbye.

"Riza…" he murmured when they broke apart. Foreheads resting together, their breaths mingled together, creating a cocktail of heat and desire. Riza shivered. "I love you."

"Something's wrong," Riza replied, pulling away from him. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he replied too quickly. He caught her lips once more but didn't miss the way his expression turned pained, his face scrunching up. Panic begun to rise within her. What was he worried about? Why did he look so upset? What was happening?

A sudden pain shot through her stomach. Riza gasped, pulling away from him. A hand instinctively shot to her stomach, arm curving protectively over it. Shooting into a sitting position with more energy she had experienced all week, and hunched over, Riza panted for breath as an unimaginable pain overtook her body.

Roy was calling her name. There was a pressure on her shoulder which seemed to be too much. Her vision was greying and narrowing, tunnelling to all Riza could see was the closed door to their bedroom.

Then she was falling backwards.

"Riza!" Roy called as she went limp in his arms. A large wet spot covered the sheets of their bed.

Her water had broken.

Shit, shit, shit! What is happening?!

"Riza!" he cried again, shaking her shoulder.

Then he noticed the red on the sheets.

"Someone, help!" he yelled. Somebody would hear him. Someone would help. They had to. For her sake. Roy called out to Rebecca instinctively, his first point of contact should something happen to Riza.

He knew this would happen. Havoc had told him what happened when Rebecca gave birth to Julia. She had passed out, her whole body going limp in an instant. Roy hadn't meant to let his emotions run away with him a few minutes ago, but he couldn't stop thinking about what Havoc had said.

"It was awful, one of the worst experiences of my life." He swallowed hard, his jaw setting. When he next spoke, his voice was a whisper. "I thought she'd died, just like that." He snapped his fingers. "That's what it looked like."

Roy paled considerably. "Shit."

Havoc nodded. "Then I saw the blood. God, there was so much blood." He shook his head. "I wanted to help… There was nothing I could do except shout for help and hope someone heard me."

Roy remembered that night. Both he and Riza had sat with Havoc all night while Rebecca gave birth. Even then, the wait was excruciating, and that was only their friend. Eight hours later, Pinako sent for Havoc and they didn't see either of them until a week later.

Not knowing what was going to happen to his mate was killing him inside.

"Help!"

"Mustang?" Havoc called into the cabin.

"In here!"

Rebecca and Havoc burst into their bedroom, eyes frantic. They took one look at the scene before them, Roy crouched on the bed with an unconscious and bleeding Riza in his arms. He knew he was a sight, eyes wild and panicked, breathing heavily as he fought to keep the terror of the unknown under control.

The first one to move was Rebecca. She moved to lift Riza into her arms, but Roy drew her back protectively. Her limp head fell against his shoulder and the feeling of it thudding against him, a dead weight, knocked him back to reality.

This is what Havoc had been so afraid of. This was what he had been so afraid of when Havoc told him what happened to Rebecca a couple of days ago. When he kissed Riza, Roy couldn't explain why a wave of sadness rushed over him. He just wanted her to know that he loved her and that he was there, no matter what happened. His sleep had been filled with nightmares of her dying in childbirth and it nearly broke him. The lack of support and information only made his frustration and anger grow towards this pack. They were supposed to be family, all of them, but nobody would fucking tell him what would happen to his mate in the upcoming months. To him, this "tradition" was backwards as hell.

If Riza died… He would burn this fucking place to the ground. There was no doubt in his mind about that.

That was the last thought that crossed his mind as he kissed her, trying to convey just how much she meant to him before she passed out.

"Roy, we need to go," Rebecca told him, expression sympathetic. "It's the only way to help her."

He wanted to shake his head, no. He wanted to hold her and cradle her body. He wanted to be there for her while she brought their child into the world, but he would never get the chance.

"Listen to me," Rebecca replied, voice low. "The reason you're not allowed in there is because if that kid imprints on you instead of her, it could die. Do you understand that? That's why they don't let the father's in there. You have no way of feeding the kid and it won't accept bottled milk until a couple of months down the line." Roy's eyes were wide, drinking up everything Rebecca rattled off to him. He was numb but a sliver of understanding slowly made its way into his consciousness. He needed to let her go so that Pinako could save Riza and help his child. "When the child is born, they're essentially a wolf. Not physically, but mentally. If they don't eat within an hour of giving birth, they could die. That's how wolves operate. That's why it's tradition. So please," Rebecca begged. "Let me help your mate and my friend."

Roy stared at her, unmoving, then his grip went slack.

Without hesitation Rebecca scooped up Riza and exited their cabin, leaving a dumbfounded Roy behind her, all the while yelling for someone to get Pinako.

After a moment's pause – initially being too shocked and frozen with fear to move – Roy shot out of their bed and followed Rebecca. There was no reply from Havoc and to be perfectly honest, Roy had forgotten he was even there. He had tunnel vision and all he saw was Riza's limp body in Rebecca's arms.

"In here," Pinako barked to Rebecca. The two disappeared through a set of double doors in the hospital. Havoc placed a restraining hand on Roy's shoulder before he automatically went after them, murmuring that they needed to stay here.

Right.

If they didn't stay here, his child might die.

Time stood still for the longest time while Roy waited for any news on Riza. Rebecca returned, face solemn. Havoc offered him a blanket. That's when he realised, he was still shirtless. They didn't feel the cold, but a chill had run through him more than once for another reason than the temperature.

His mind whirled with every possibility. Rationality did not play a major part as he worried, but Roy tried. He thought about all the facts he knew, running through them to try and calm his anxiety.

Firstly, this practice had been going on for hundreds of years. Riza was not the first werewolf to give birth this way and would not be the last. She was in good hands in a place where people knew what to do should anything go wrong. If they had been out in the world at a normal hospital… Roy shuddered at the conclusion that train of thought reached.

Secondly, Pinako was a witch. She used spells to assist with the birth and would do what she could to ensure Riza was healthy. Roy had learned during his time here that spells were incredibly useful to every aspect of life, and not just for offensive manoeuvres. Pinako was skilled. Riza was in good hands.

Yeah, but she isn't in your hands, is she?

Biting down on that whisper in his mind, Roy ran through reason a third and final time. Riza was strong as hell. Stronger than anyone he had ever met before. All she had been through in life was a testament to that. The woman had been beaten down again and again and came out fighting. Nowadays, the major threat from the Hunters in this area was gone and her smiles were more frequent which was all Roy had ever wanted for her.

This would not best her, Roy was sure of it.

Those were all rational reasons however his worry invaded his mind instead. Irrationally, he thought that if Riza died – he almost choked as he thought it, dread pitting in his stomach painfully – it would be his fault because he wasn't in there to offer support.

You should have researched it more. Should have tried harder to get information out of Havoc and Rebecca.

Should have, should have, should have.

It would be too late for "should have" if Riza didn't make it. If only they had been more prepared.

Speaking of, Rebecca and Havoc never left his side throughout the ordeal. Roy appreciated it, although he wasn't exactly in the correct frame of mind for small talk. He supposed they were aware of that, because they never bothered him or attempted to fill the silence, opting to quietly converse between themselves. Roy appreciated the hell out of that.

Pinako exited through the double doors six hours later with a tired smile on her face. Roy's spine straightened in his chair, eyes wide and pleading. Hope filled him once he noticed the smile on the witch's face.

Havoc slapped him on the back with a grin, ushering him forward to follow after Pinako.

He was going to meet his child.

Was… Was Riza okay?

"She's fine," Pinako announced, as if reading his mind. "Both mother and son are doing very well." Son. Roy felt his knees weaken. "She's ready to see you now." Pinako chuckled to herself, as if remembering a private joke. "More than ready."

Roy entered the room without hesitation, but he stuttered to a halt upon setting his eyes on the bed. Riza grinned back at him, expression tired but eyes dancing happily. She held the small bundle in her arms protectively to her chest.

"Hey," she whispered.

Roy strode over her bedside, pressing his lips to her forehead in greeting, almost crying in relief that she was okay. All this worried seemed foolish now. Of course she would have been all right. She was Riza Hawkeye, his wife, and now the mother of his child.

Seeing his son made Roy almost keel over. It was real. He was real. All those months of worry and planning and he was finally here.

There was a tuft of black hair on his head. His tiny fingers were gripped tightly in tiny fists, one placed against the skin on Riza's chest. Roy nudged that fist with his own finger, marvelling at how tiny and perfect he was. His son's fingers twitched and gripped onto Roy's. The father gasped, tears springing to his eyes.

"Hello, Jack," Roy greeted his son, tears tracking down his cheeks.

"I'm at my wit's end," Rebecca told Roy and Riza, her left eye twitching, eyes focussing on a point behind their heads. To be honest, Roy could have guessed that much. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and her hair was sticking up on end. He noted that it had been weeks since she last cared about her appearance, but he wasn't going to point it out or make a joke about it. He'd learned that the hard way when Rebecca changed into a werewolf in anger at a dumb comment he had made about her hair looking like a bird's nest.

In his defence… It looked like a damn bird's nest. Rebecca didn't appreciate that.

The reason for her dishevelled appearance was Julia Havoc, who was currently running riot outside their cabin. Nothing took the kid's interest for longer than two minutes at a time. She was always on the go. Roy often wondered where she kept the energy.

In order to tire her out, Roy had proposed the idea of tying Julia to a tree and allowing her to run in circles to Riza one night, who promptly elbowed him in the stomach in response. Roy sighed. No one appreciated his hilarious jokes.

Julia was four now and was a terror, a literal terror. Grumman had told them both it would be like having a puppy. Thinking he was joking, Roy laughed it off and downplayed it. Seeing the evidence, how fucking wrong he was.

Havoc didn't look much better. He smoked even more frequently now – "it won't kill a werewolf so why not?" he had told them, a half crazed look in his eyes – and probably hadn't slept in a month. Riza had offered to take Julia off their hands for a day or two to allow them to get some rest, but the kid had screamed until she was blue in the face, refusing to be parted from her parents. Defeated, the Havocs returned to their home for another sleepless night.

"Werewolf children are a fucking nightmare," Havoc muttered, unashamedly. Rebecca didn't even tell him off, simply nodded in a daze. "A little warning would've been nice beforehand," he scowled.

Their Jack was all right… so far. He rarely complained and was a generally happy boy. Currently he was sitting on the table in front of them, playing with a toy car Roy had bought him a week ago. He clapped his hands happily as it moved with the momentum Jack had given it, grinning up at his father. Roy mirrored his smile, pushing the car back towards him across the smooth surface.

Werewolf children have a time period in which they begin to change. It is different for everyone, but typically begin to show signs around the age of five. Julia would be five next month and apparently that was why she was so hyperactive right now. Her werewolf was making itself known and since she was only a child, the wolf was just a cub, excited and desperate to get out and explore the world.

"The joys of parenthood?" Riza exclaimed with a nervous grin. Roy chuckled next to her.

"You laugh now," Rebecca grinned wickedly, as if suddenly remembering something. She had perked rather quickly, causing Roy to narrow his eyes suspiciously. "But you have all of this to come."

Roy glanced towards his boy, feeling his stomach sink.

A black wolf streaked through the forest, invisible in the night. Like a shadow, the wolf weaved in and out of the trees effortlessly, enjoying how freeing the sensation of the wind moving through its fur was. Stress melted away, leaving calm in its wake. It had been a long time coming, but the werewolf was finally relaxed.

Suddenly, something hit his left side. The wolf lurched with a whine, the force knocking him to the right and he skidded along ground, pine needles bunching around his head and flying over his body, tangling in his long fur.

"Yay!" a voice cried in Roy's head. The pressure was gone for a moment but then reappeared with a vengeance, a set of small paws hitting his side. Roy whined in pain for real this time, sitting up and lying on his belly in order to stop his son's paws from sliding in between his ribs. "I finally caught you!" Jack cried happily.

"You did! Well done, Jack," Roy congratulated. He smiled at the way he was bouncing about in his joy, paws thumping against the forest floor. At five years old Jack's wolf was just smaller than the size of a normal wolf, coming about half way up Roy's legs. "I'm proud of you."

"Wait until I tell Mom! She won't believe it!"

Roy rose to his feet, his muzzle bumping Jack's body. He yipped playfully, tongue lolling from his mouth. "She'll believe you, don't worry."

"This has been so cool. Thanks, Dad!"

Roy smiled softly at his son. Jack was finally still, staring up at his father happily, tail wagging behind him. "No problem, kiddo. Sorry we haven't been out before now. Your mother and I have been really busy trying to get the new house ready."

"I know, Dad, don't worry."

"I promise you," Roy begun, lying down on his belly so that he was almost eye level with Jack. "As soon as it's complete and we've moved in, we'll do this every day if we can."

Roy watched as Jack's eyes lit up, his tail wagging even faster.

"Oh, cool!"

"Come on, let's get back to your mother. Race you?" Roy challenged.

"Yeah!" Jack cried, shooting off in the direction of the settlement and their home like a rocket.

They had experienced a similar situation with Jack as the Havocs had with Julia. He had been hyperactive both before and after his first changed, desperate to learn how to change into a werewolf. He needed to learn, but it had been one of their worst decisions because once he learned, Jack couldn't help himself. He was too curious for his parent's own good.

Now Jack had the chance to run free in the forest with one of his parent's supervising him, Roy didn't doubt that he would want to do it every day. However, his excitement at finally being able to run free was worth it. Roy knew how freeing it was and all that frustration, stress, and sleepless nights they had experienced had all been worth it when he saw how happy it made his son.

A yip drew him back to the present.

"Come on, slow coach!" Jack goaded him, turning and running, but looking back over his shoulder, eyes daring Roy. "Keep up!"

Roy chuckled to himself. With a burst of energy, his paws thundered after his laughing son.