Author's Note: This poor scene has sat, lonely, on my computer for over a year. It takes place between Stories 5 and 6. So now, for Thanksgiving, I give you a moment when Roy got to be truly grateful. ;)

February 4th, 1929

Whatever had possessed him to want to be Fuhrer, Roy no longer entirely knew some days, and he'd been in the job for over ten years! He grumbled to himself as he sat in his home office/alchemy lab at the desk, a stack of paperwork covering most of it that had to be done tomorrow but had not gotten close to finished in the hours available in the regular workday.

So much for glamor, power, ultimate authority; Roy had the Assembly, bureaucracy, national budgetary concerns, paperwork, long hours, and stress induced indigestion.

Dinner was getting cold half-eaten near his elbow along with a cup of tea; baked chicken and asparagus with a cream sauce. With the headache he was getting Roy would have preferred coffee, or a good whiskey, but Riza had been irritatingly inflexible on drinking and eating more healthy of late. Of course, that wasn't really that unusual. She did it from time to time. Roy just ate what she put in front of him and groused only if he didn't like the way it was cooked. In truth, there were very few foods he wouldn't eat if they were prepared well; at least when he remembered to.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Riza commented from off to his left. He had left the door open, so he hadn't heard her enter.

Roy didn't look up from the figures and analytical evaluations of the various military headquarters over the past few months. "I'll reheat it later." He held up one ungloved hand and snapped his fingers indicatively.

"Not after last time," Riza snorted softly. "If you set anything else on fire this month I won't hire a repairman. You can do the work yourself."

"Fine, I'll use the oven then," Roy made a notation on the page. "Did you come in here just to nag me or was there some other pressing business?"

"I wanted your opinion," Riza replied, and suddenly three small squares of paper in different colors landed on the paperwork in front of his face. One was pale green, one light blue, and the other sunshine yellow. "Which do you like best?"

"Are we remodeling something?" Roy asked, picking the squares up since he couldn't avoid them otherwise. He might as well humor his wife. Riza didn't usually interrupt him when he was in a bad mood and had a legitimate deadline.

"The second bedroom," Riza replied simply, referring to the room that currently contained a guest bed. There was a third room upstairs, but it contained most of their military supplies, paraphernalia from over the years, knickknacks from trips, random artifacts, the non-alchemical library, and Riza's collection of fire arms. If they were remodeling something, the second bedroom was certainly the easiest.

"What's wrong with it?" Roy grumbled, eyeing the colors. "And what's with the pastels? Couldn't we go with something a little bolder?"

"What would you suggest?" Riza asked patiently.

Roy shrugged. Most of the house was fairly calm. The living room bright white with a few military-blue highlights in the décor – in the piping on the couch cushions and the pattern on the drapes – and his office a mellow bluish-green that was nice with the warm wood of the desk, cabinets, and counter space where he did his alchemy. The kitchen was also light, in white, cream, and accented in a couple of warm greens. Most of the house was like that. The rooms less used that were not used for entertaining were not heavily decorated. "How about red?" he turned his head so he could see her.

"An entirely red room?" Riza looked dubious. "Don't you think that might be a little much?"

"For whom?" Roy smirked. "We almost never have house guests."

"I still think one of these colors will be more appropriate," Riza sighed, taking the samples back. "Much more restful and appropriate."

"Appropriate to what?" Roy shook his head, looking back at his work. "I can't believe you want to talk about this now. Can't you see this is important?"

"So is this," Riza replied and, without warning, planted herself firmly in his lap!

"What are you doing?" Roy gasped, one arm going instinctively behind her so she wouldn't fall out of the chair – or take him with her!

"Subtlety is entirely lost on you," Riza replied with a shake of her head. Roy wasn't entirely sure if she was annoyed or amused; probably both.

"Obviously," Roy groused. What was going on here? He sighed and smiled wryly. "So why don't you tell me what is so desperately important about redecorating our unused guest room that it has to be done now when I'm already looking at a sleepless night with nothing but this desk with my lamp and the dogs for company?"

Riza shook her head gently. "You're always so irritable. Is this how you're going to be when your son comes in and interrupts you to ask for something?"

Geez, talk about capricious this evening! "Well of course not," Roy scoffed in annoyance. "I…wait, what son?" A sneaking suspicion crept over him as he looked into Riza's expectant brown eyes, as if she was awaiting a particular response. But no…that wasn't possible.

Riza's mouth twisted into a knowing little smile. "Or daughter then, if you prefer, not that we have much say in the issue."

The world froze, the moment hanging suspended as the full impact of what Riza implied sank in to Roy's mind. Two years since they had decided to actually try for it. Months without success, knowing that starting so late chances were getting slimmer every day. At a time when Roy had watched most of his friends get married and have children, he had waited…and in waiting, perhaps missed a wondrous opportunity. Hell, even Edward had a two-year-old daughter! After a year of concerted effort, and still nothing, Roy had begun to lose hope, not that he had said a thing to Riza. It wasn't her fault. If anyone's, it was his. What if their inability to have children was a problem with him? While they kept trying, they hadn't discussed it in months. But now, if what she was hinting at was true…

"You're sure?" Roy asked, surprised by how softly the words left his lips, a cracked whisper. His good eye searched her face, desperate for assurance.

"Affirmative," Riza chuckled, her arms lightly around his neck, eyes dancing with a light that he saw rarely, and only in the most private moments. "We only have about six months to get the room redecorated. Don't you think now that might be a relevant discussion?"

Heat, dampness… his cheek was wet! Roy pulled Riza into a close, tender embrace. "Oh god, Riza." Disbelief, then relief, and then joy surged through him in a way Roy had so very rarely felt it was overwhelming! "I thought…"

"I know, Roy," she replied softly, returning his hug fiercely.

"When?" He asked, loosening his grip just enough that he could sit back and see her face again. She looked normal; hair down, in brown slacks and a pale green blouse, and yet profoundly changed, just by his knowing that cradled in her womb was an unborn child; their child.

"Late summer," Riza replied. "August more specifically."

Roy did a little quick math in his head. "That is barely six months away! Riza, why didn't you say something sooner?" That put her a good three-and-a-half months along already. How long had she known?

"We wanted to be sure," Riza's expression was apologetic and gentle. "That is, the doctor and I wanted to make certain everything was going as it should before I said anything. I didn't want to disappoint you."

Disappoint him? "Riza you could never do that," he replied softly, kissing her to prove his sincerity. He didn't even have it in him to be angry that he hadn't known earlier. Her logic made too much damned sense. "You're incredible. This news is incredible! Are you all right?" he asked then, realizing he hadn't yet! "I mean, you haven't seemed sick or tired or—" Or had she? Roy felt guilty as he realized he had been so wrapped up in work lately that he couldn't actually remember enough morning interaction with Riza to tell if she'd felt lousy or not!

Riza relaxed, removing her arms from his neck to rest her head against his shoulder. "Yes to both," she admitted, though she didn't sound upset. "Though the worst has just been recently. Of course," she chuckled, "The worst has been finding anything that fits in my wardrobe. I own far too many pairs of fitted pants and tailored skirts." Her hand took one of his and very firmly pulled it downward, under her shirt, and lying it across her belly which, to his surprise – and embarrassment once more at having missed it – was not the flat plain he was familiar with, but just slightly rounded, soft yet firm; subtle to the eye still but much more evident to the touch! Damn, how long had it been since he'd taken enough time from work to make love to his wife? Or even just cuddled for that matter, that he had missed this!

Roy let his hand rest there, gently caressing the most surreal yet tangible evidence that there was most definitely a baby inside. "Get anything you want," he smiled. "Can't have you uncomfortable, either of you," he added, grin widening. "Got to have plenty of room."

"Of course," Riza replied with a soft chuckle, "If the baby's ego is as big as yours people will be asking if it's twins."

"Very funny," Roy grumped, but mostly in jest. The news had put him in far too good a mood to be irritated. Work could wait; the Assembly be hanged! Tonight, he wanted to do nothing more than sit just like this, alone with his wife and the most wonderful news he had ever received. They had always made a great couple; now, they would have the chance to be a great family.