Disclaimer: We all know how these work, I acknowledge that J.K. Rowlings, Warner Bros. and Scholastic own Harry Potter and all other characters and settings from cannon, and I get to write whatever I please and even add in characters of my own as long as I don't get any money. The no money sucks but there you go, at least I don't get lawyers knocking on my door.

Sirius' Savior

Chapter 20 Life Changes

The Magic Castle Baltimore, Maryland December 5,1988

Beth was furious. She couldn't believe her father had gone so far as to block her phone calls. It had been two days since she had last talked to Sirius and Harry. She really wanted to talk to Sirius she was "late". She hadn't thought much of it at first because it had been a stressful month.

She had come home and asserted herself much to the dismay of her parents. The time on Palau had been a revelation to her. Sirius and Harry's undemanding companionship had let her experiment and find herself. They invited not told, and they had no expectations of her other than company and fun. As result she tried things she'd never done before surfing, kayaking, snorkeling and a few she'd never do again scuba diving for example but it was okay. She had discovered who she was apart from her parents, something most people do as children into teens. Something she had never allowed herself to do because she hated feeling their disappointment with her empathy. It surprised her that she had gone so far as to ignore her own empathy in the matters of her previous fiances just to please her parents. Now her parents were sub-consciously and sometimes not so sub-consciously trying to reestablish their control over her.

Everyone was getting edgier, a slightly pale Roy had come and spoken to her two days ago.

"Miss O'Neill may I speak with you."

"Of course Roy, it must be important for you to come this late. Weren't you supposed to be off by now?"

"Yes but I was waiting for something in my office when your father sent for me. He apparently had been looking over the overseas phone logs you know the ones that list when and where overseas calls come into and go out from the Castle."

Beth nodded then her eyes widened as she suddenly comprehended. "What did he say? What did you say?"

"You know how that first morning you left your parents the ..."

"Impression Sirius was a beach bum. Yes."

"Well, when your father learned of the calls he wanted to verify I was doing my job so he called me to his office..."

"And flew off the handle because I was talking to a beach bum. And so.."

"He asked for a name. I had to tell him. I gave him a copy of the file, everything you said everything I've found out from the Brits, the ICW, the Indonesians there's enough there to see there's something off about all of it but you have to read the reports. He all but exploded; the decanters on the sideboard shattered the furniture was rattling..."

"And you're all but shaking. He can be a very scary man with all that power at his disposal can't he. Bess!" When the house elf popped in "get Mr. Mustang a Brandy please. I assume you just left him."

Roy nodded when the brandy arrived he sipped it, wondering when and how Beth learned his drink of choice.

"Well aside from breaking things in a mini-fit, what did he say, did he even look at the file?"

"No, he ordered no more phone calls. I'm sorry Beth."

"It's not your fault Roy...this is just another bump..." her voice firmed. "Sirius will figure out a way around this, he's been right so far."

Since that day there had been fights, Beth had come late to her independence but she wasn't giving it up. Beth was stressed and she knew it. She was wanting to nap a lot an had had bouts of upset stomach like she had before she went on her trip. She wasn't sure if she was developing an ulcer again, or if she was, dare she say it, pregnant.

Beth had been driving her parents crazy every time they tried to lovingly manipulate her, which was most of the time, she would push them away. If they asked openly, honestly, and respectfully she would generally do as they asked she made a point of asking politely when her phone privileges would be restored. Her father would glare and ignore her. Every one in the castle walked around on tiptoes unsure of how the obedient daughter suddenly became so rebellious.

Things came to a head a week later, Beth was at dinner and asked, "I would like to make a phone call, are my phone privileges restored yet?"

"No. I will not let you call degenerates halfway around the world." Her father snarled.

"Fine I'm moving out next weekend."

"But dear you can't!" her mother objected.

"YES, I bloody well can! I'm thirty fucking two years old, an adult. I am sick and tired of you both treating me like I'm a child in love. I refuse to put up with it any longer! If Daddy would read the file Roy gave him he would see that Sirius is damn well innocent of what he was accused of and I wouldn't" She stopped and suddenly seemed to look like she was going to be sick. She bolted from the room. Winry followed her.

Winry had noticed a few things about her charge. Beth was quiet and caring her aura always invoked comfort in those around her. Intensely aware of other people's feelings she was instinctively nurturing and calming it was one of the things that made her an asset in the State Department. People around her sensed her care and in return wanted to help her. It made her a natural at creating win win situations. But the Beth that came home from vacation had found something on her journey, she had found what mattered most to her personally. She would probably even kill to keep it. Winry knew that Beth hadn't had a period since she came home. Pairing that information with the tiredness and now this sudden sickness it said pregnancy to Winry.

When Beth finished throwing up she shakily found her feet. Winry put an arm around her. "Let's get you back to your room."

As they exited the bathroom off the dining room. Maryanne Stevens met them at the door "Beth you can't just..." she stopped as her daughter interrupted.

"Mother, I won't be your doll any longer. Unless you imperious me, this is me, who I am. I won't be the person I used to be."Beth's eyes glittered with tears. "I'm sorry that isn't good enough for you and Daddy" then her eyes rolled back and Beth fainted.

"What's wrong with her?"

Winry used the two way mirrors the team carried. "Walter I need you. Beth fainted in the hallway outside the dining room."

"On my way."

"Relax ma'am, I'm sure Beth will be fine."

"I should get a healer."

"I am a healer ma'am and I have a suspicion as to why she fainted."

"Why?"

"Ma'am that would be breaking patient confidentiality."

"But I'm her mother!"

"After that little scene I just witnessed in the dining room I'm not sure she sees it that way ma'am." Winry said."Walter carry her up to her room."she said as Walter appeared.

Maryanne Stevens had picked up her daughter's left hand and as Walter moved away something caught her attention. Her daughter was wearing a ring.

Roy got into the office at three in morning, the phone rang. "Mustang."

"Ah yes Mr. Mustang, Indra Budiono my apologies for taking so long to get back to you. The person you were inquiring about is a good friend and a bit of a hero to the people of Indonesia I was not comfortable speaking of him without speaking to him first. I hope you understand."

"You call him a hero to the people, why?"

"I first met Sirius when he saved both the muggle and magical presidents of Indonesia from an attack of the Darah murni a group of extremists that feel those not of pure magical decent don't deserve to live. A few month's later I hired him as an auror, his skills were...better...sharper than those raised and trained here in Indonesia so I had him train his fellows. He worked well with the goals we have of working as law enforcement. Here in Indonesia the lines dividing magical and muggle are...blurred some what, Sirius proved to be most adept at making the..adjustments and teaching others to do so. He is a most brilliant man. And such a loving guardian, he loves his godson very much not many wizard would give up magic for the benefit of their wards. He worked for me until the end of August when he officially gave me his resignation."

"Why did he resign?"

"He resigned because he almost died. The attack you inquired about was a last attempt by the Darah murni to kill the President. They succeeded in killing two aurors and injuring seven others, Sirius had insisted the President get some advanced training good thing too it saved his life. The delegation to the ICW was the president and a group of nine aurors. They were attacked as soon as they landed from the portkey. Sirius wore armor that day he took eight curses had any of those curses hit the president he wouldn't be alive today. All of the delegation fought including the president to last the two minutes it took for the news of the attack to reach us and help to arrive. Sirius had just taken the curse that felled him in the fight as we arrived that day. He is a great man.

"I despise the English especially Albus Dumbledore for what they did to Sirius, however their stupidity is to the benefit of those who are willing to listen to truth. Are you such a man Mr. Mustang? I must go my next appointment is here. Good day."

Roy hung up the phone. The conversation had taken less than fifteen minutes but had confirmed in his mind the feelings his gut had been giving him. He wrote up his report. He added it to the file about Sirius in the office. He sent a copy to the president not that he held out much hope of him actually reading it. Then he got up and went to the castle locker room to change into workout gear. It had become a tradition in the two weeks since Beth had first stood up to her parents that the team and their principle would meet in the mornings for a workout the eight of them would run Beth in the center to the training barracks on the far side of the compound where they would spar, strength train, or in Beth's case do yoga then after half an hour they would run back to the Castle. Beth would have breakfast with her parents, then she would leave for her office at the State Department.

That morning when they got to the training barracks Beth bolted for the bathroom again, she didn't come out for twenty minutes. Winry asked when she came out, "Do you want me to do a scan?"

"Why? So you can tell me I'm pregnant? I already know that." Beth laughed at the shocked expressions on her details faces. "Is Winry the only one who guessed? Why do you think I went back to yoga, instead of continuing with martial arts. I was due that third morning back from the trip and I've never been more than five days late I didn't want to hurt the baby so..."

"What? When?" Roy sputtered.

"When is the baby due around the beginning of August. I just wish I could get hold of Sirius."

"I'd still like to do a scan Beth, just to make sure you're healthy."

"I'll be fine. Time's up I'm supposed to meet with Charles and go over the NATO meeting notes from last month."

The rest of the day the team did it's best to run interference with Beth's family and anyone else Beth didn't want to see. Riza and Roy brought her home from work and were met at the door by Walter and Radar. "This package arrived today but the contents don't make sense to me." Radar said. Beth took the box and headed to her suite. The entire team had gathered for the evening meeting as Beth opened the box. "Cell Phones?"

"Why would an unnamed someone send you eight cell phones? They wouldn't work here and wizards short out cell phones?" Radar asked.

"I don't know." Beth noticed one of the phones had a case that had a turquoise color tropical flower made with rhinestones with a silver rhinestone stamen. She picked it up out of the box. Suddenly the box changed it was bigger and had more than phones in it. The team jumped.

Several "What the.." were heard. Suddenly the phone in her hand rang.