Chapter 5
Two Months Later…
Things with Ava and I were okay. We argued a lot over what we should name the baby. She didn't like anything I picked and there was no way I was going to let it be named something like Severus or Casin.
Jean was finally over it all. He was still clingy when it came to Ava and the baby, but no longer was he threatening us.
"I'm getting fat," Ava groaned, rubbing her belly. "My back is starting to kill me."
"It can't be that bad," I replied in monotone, not looking up from the paperwork I received from Hawkeye.
"You think having a melon growing in your stomach is nothing?"
"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to eat melon seeds?"
"You bastard. You know I meant the damn baby."
"So you're comparing our baby to a melon?"
She huffed and stomped out of the room muttering, "You're impossible."
"Good night, Beautiful!" I yelled, smirking.
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"Good Morning, Roy!"
I jumped and scowled at the face above me.
"You were in a pretty deep sleep, huh?" Ava asked, tilting her head in question.
I pushed myself back into a sitting position at my desk and put my index finger and thumb on my eyes and rubbing. All I could manage to say, however, was,"Yeah."
"How long did you stay up?"
"I don't know. I dozed off a while after you went to your bedroom to sleep."
"I see. And are you going to be up for coffee, or am I just going by myself?"
"Hold on a minute. Just let me get ready."
"I'll get your shoes."
Then, Ava walked off. I looked at my paperwork, tempted to burn the damn stack of good for nothing papers. To burn it or not to burn? That is the question.
"Quit glaring at your papers and put on your shoes."
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"Good Morning!" Havoc greeted us, joyfully.
"Morning," Ava and I said at the same time.
"How's the baby?" Havoc asked Ava, turning towards her and giving her a hug.
"Great. Gives me back pains."
"You two should read a pregnancy book."
"Sounds fun," I muttered, sarcastically which ended up with twin glares from Ava and Havoc.
"Cranky much, General?" Havoc asked.
"No, I'm ecstatic." I reponded.
"He was up all night," Ava said, in explanation.
"Yeah, kind of figured that. He always gives me that look when he stays up all night. That's okay, General. Let's get you some coffee."
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After coffee and a nice talk with Havoc, I sat in the chair at the café as Ava and him went up to the front desk. Ava had decided she was going to help Havoc get some girl. I remembered those times when we would bet on who would get the girl first. I always won.
"Roy?"
I looked up only to come face to face with and ex-girlfriend.
"Roy, remember me? It's Lilly."
"I remember you. Hello."
"Hey, it's been a while. How have you been?"
"Great, you?"
"Just great! Would you like to come over or go out again sometime?"
She was quick on making a move. I thought it was over. She broke up with me for Maes, before he started dating Gracia. When Maes met Gracia she dumped him because she thought he was cheating on her with Gracia.
"Sorry Lilly, no."
"Why not?"
"You broke up with me."
"So?"
"It means I don't want to date someone who broke up with me."
"Yeah, but it was for some trashy friend."
"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Your friend was so trashy," She explained, nose in the air. "He decided to date some tramp instead of me."
I stood up, chair falling backward. "Get out. You don't know anything. Get out and never let me see your face again."
"Roy?" Lilly asked, scared
"You go around throwing yourself at people like a whore. I'm tired of it."
Ava's POV
"Okay Jean. Just ask her out," I whispered, sending a glance toward the tall, blond haired girl Jean had his eye on.
"I don't know. What if she says-"
"Get out. You don't know anything. Get out and never let me see your face again." We both jumped as Roy's voice floated through the café.
"I know that girl." Havoc said, staring at the red haired girl that had just happened to stand on the bad side of Roy's rage.
"Who is she?" I asked, looking at Roy, shocked to see him yell at a girl.
"That's Lilly Howard. She is a good for nothing tramp. She dated Roy at one time, and Maes, and Breda. Then Furey, me, and Fallman. There are many others, as well. She probably decided she wanted Roy back. She might want to play her little 'damsel in distress' act."
"Oh my, do we need to do something?" I asked, frightened.
"We probably should. If this gets any worse, the military might get wind of your experiment."
"What?"
"Trust me! She did something like this to Maes, too, but he handled it better than the General. Mustang is too cranky to think straight."
"Ah! Someone help!" Lilly screamed.
"Hey, little kid!" I yelled, waving over a child walking past. "Would you like to earn some money?"
"You can't do that, Ava! Ava?"
Roy's POV
"Poor girl."
"Yeah, what a jerk."
"I thought he was a hero."
The whispers all around me became louder and louder as the people in the café took in our argument. I was becoming steadily angrier when Lilly started to cry. Damn her. I should have just let her off easy, but I couldn't let her get away with saying those things about Maes.
"Mommy! Mommy, I've been looking for you!" A little girl cried, wrapping her arms around the long, tan legs of Lilly Howard."
"Hands off. I'm not your fucking mommy." Then, she pushed the little girl off her and slapped the child in the face.
The whole café gasped.
"What a bitch."
"Mustang probably yelled at her to put her in her place."
"I always knew General Mustang was the good guy."
"Yeah, I heard she was a prostitute."
Lilly screamed in frustration. "I'm out!"
She stormed past the crying little girl and out the door.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see that coming," Ava muttered, suddenly appearing and helping the child off the floor before cradling her in her arms and handing the girl a lollipop and $2.
"Ariel!" A young woman ran up, out of breath.
"Mommy!" The little girl ripped herself out of Ava's arms and hurled herself at the woman before us.
"Sorry, ma'am," Ava said, smiling sadly. "I'm afraid Ariel here was slapped by Lilly Howard."
"Yeah. She's my sister."
I watched Ava's eyes widen in shock.
"I'm sorry about what happened," I said, placing myself in the conversation.
"No worries, Mr. Mustang," The woman responded, turning to me and smiling. "I'm just going to go home now. Thanks for giving her that lollipop. It's her favorite."
And, with that, she followed her sister out of the café.
"Wow, that was dramatic," said Havoc, appearing out of no where. I sat back down in the chair and looked at Ava. Everybody in the café went back to their business now that the drama was over.
"So, did you ask the girl?" Ava asked, turning to her brother.
"Yeah."
"And?"
"She's into other girls."
"Whoa," Ava and I exclaimed at the same time.
"I know! Why does this always happen to me?"
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Ava's POV
I didn't notice until after we were home, but Roy was sad.
"Roy, what's wrong?"
Roy looked at me. Then, looked away with a heavy sigh.
"Nothing."
"Doesn't seem like that to me."
"Listen, I just don't want to talk right now. I want to be alone."
"I understand, but you haven't heard the last of me on this."
"We'll talk, but right now, I just don't want to," Roy sighed, walking toward his bedroom.
I went to my bedroom, too. When I got in, I screamed into my pillow. Why did he have to be so difficult! It had to be something about Lilly Howard. I would think that, after she dated a whole squad, the military wouldn't even look at her! I felt sharp pains going though my back again, then into my stomach. I jumped up and went, as fast as I could, to the bathroom, throwing up in the opened toilet.
"No more coffee for me," I muttered to myself. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost noon, time for lunch.
8 hours later…
"Roy, you've been in there all day! You should come out, soon."
No answer.
"I made dinner."
"I'm not hungry."
"Roy, would you please tell me what's wrong?"
I heard footsteps heading for the door, but, instead of coming out, he locked it.
"Mustang, you, jerk!"
I headed back to the kitchen, stuffing the spaghetti I made in the trash can and tossing a plate at the wall. It broke and I fell into a chair, crying. Down the hall, a lock clicked and a door opened, Roy's footsteps sounding as he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He rested his head on my own and I found myself stiffening at his touch.
"I'm sorry, Ava."