Chapter 20

The doorbell rang and Ed glanced at Flynn who shrugged. They weren't expecting guests, and Roy always just barged in the back door so they knew it wasn't him. Flynn eased the drowsy Alastair off her lap and went to see who it was. She peeked through the peephole to see a pretty blond woman she didn't know. She opened the door and a child stepped from behind the woman. He appeared to be around eight years old with blond hair and gold eyes. She was unable to speak when she recognized her husband in those eyes and that face.

"Honey? Who is it?" Ed asked.

Flynn was rooted to the spot and her vocal chords were useless. She felt her husband slide his arm around her waist.

"Oh, my god," he gasped, his hot breath raising goose bumps on her neck. His whole body went rigid next to hers. He asked the woman, "What are you doing here?"

Flynn went numb yet her whole body tingled and prickled like a foot that has been 'asleep.' A black frame appeared in her vision around the woman and the child standing on her doorstep and slowly began to close in.

"Ed, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is your son, Edmund," the woman announced with tears in her blue eyes as she pushed the child forward.

Without a word, Flynn went down as the darkness closed in.

"Flynn!" Edward yelled, catching her in his arms. He jostled her around a bit to bring her back to consciousness.

Flynn opened her eyes, shoving Ed away when she realized he was holding her.

"Flynn, please," he begged, attempting to touch her but she jerked away and slapped his hand.

"NO! DON'T!" she screamed sharply then in a lower, malicious voice growled, "Don't touch me."

"I can explain," he began, moving toward her.

Flynn glared at him in a way that warned him if he laid a hand on her she would hurt him – badly. "Make it quick before I leave."

"What? Where are you going?" he asked.

"Five minutes, Ed," she warned. She glared at him as he took a deep breath of defeat and resignation.

"This is Winry Rockbell. She's a childhood friend. It was a long time ago, Flynn. It happened when you were going through one of your particularly bad times with your … condition. She came to see me here, and we spent the night together. I'm sorry. I needed someone and …" He wasn't smart enough to shut up before he had dug a hole too deep for himself. He did stop immediately when she closed her eyes and raised her hands.

"Edward Elric," she spoke calmly but with a quivery edge to her voice as she fought for control. She observed Ed's tanned face drain of its color when she used his first and last name indicating she was pissed to the point of murdering him. "I'm going to put our children to bed. If you would like, I can fix the couch in your study for Edmund because he's a young child and it's late. I'm sure he needs some rest after their trip." Flynn knew they had traveled quite a distance from his home town of Resembool.

"I couldn't ask you to do that, really," Winry said.

"Come in, Winry. I think you and Ed need to have a talk. When I get the children in bed, I'll be leaving," Flynn said, allowing the hesitant woman to come in. She wasn't going to attack the woman, and she definitely didn't blame the child for this unfortunate and uncomfortable circumstance they were all enduring now. Fury did not even begin to describe the anger flowing beneath the surface of her cool, collected exterior. She was scaring the hell out of Ed. Women were supposed to lose their minds when something like this happened. They were supposed to scream, cry, yell, cry some more, and just freak out in general.

Flynn maintained her composure as she hustled the children off to bed. She made sure to control herself around them and make everything seem as normal as possible.

"Mom, who was at the door?" Keegan asked when she was tucking him in last. He knew something was wrong because his mother never tucked him in anymore.

"A friend of your father's and her little boy. They will be staying the night because they traveled a long way," she explained, kissing him on the cheek.

"Mama?" he called. He had not referred to her as that in years. He had become a serious, sullen little boy in the last year, but he was very sensitive to others and their emotions despite not showing many of his own.

"What is it, sweetheart?" she inquired, sitting on the bed beside him.

"It will be okay, Mama. I know Dad loves you," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

Flynn covered her mouth with her hand, but it wasn't enough to hold back the strangled sob. She nodded, fleeing from the room as the tears began to fall. The child had undone her; he knew something was seriously wrong and he knew it involved his father. He had exhibited this ability to 'know' things for a few years. Could he read others thoughts or just discern their feelings? She hurriedly fixed the pull out bed from the couch in Ed's study. She went to the living room to see Ed holding a sleeping Edmund while Winry sat in a chair quietly crying.

"You can lay him down in your study if you like," she told Ed, swiping at the tears that rolled down her cheek. "I'm leaving."

"Where will you go? When will you be back?" Ed asked, his eyebrows drawing together so tightly they made a single, crinkled uni-brow across his forehead.

"I don't know. Winry, I wish I could say it was nice meeting you, but I think you understand why I can't," Flynn said, giving Ed one last wilting glance before she ran out the door.

Flynn found herself at a bar. She was dressed in a thin, loose fitting cotton summer dress and a plain pair of sandals. Despite her simple outfit, she had the attention of every man in the bar. Four of them converged on her as soon as she walked in. They were younger men in the mid-twenties and a veritable buffet of delicious bodies each in a different flavor by their hair color; vanilla, strawberry, caramel, and chocolate. She sat down in a booth with the strawberry and chocolate flanking her. All four bought her drinks which she downed in quick succession without even tasting them. Caramel, with his light golden brown hair and gorgeous hazel eyes, grabbed her by the wrist and led her to the dance floor. She allowed him to move her anyway he wanted not even caring when he brazenly pulled her against him, rubbing his bulging crotch against her belly. A shriek escaped her when the beautiful and almost girly pretty redhead grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. She moaned when his lips covered hers. She could feel one of the others at her back, grinding himself against her behind as the strawberry slipped his tongue into her mouth.

"Excuse me! Get your damn hands off of her, she's mine," a familiar voice boomed, shoving them away.

Flynn screamed as she was picked up and flung over a broad, muscular shoulder. She reached down, grabbing the man's ass with both of her hands. She'd recognize that ass anywhere even after all these years. "Jean Havoc! My hero!" she yelled, slurring her words terribly.

"Dammit, Flynn! What in the hell were you doing in there?" he demanded, throwing her into the back of his car.

"Edward Elric has another son! He and his mother showed up on our front doorstep tonight," she announced bluntly as he started the car. "Don't take me home, Jean."

"I'm not. I'm taking you to Mustang," he said, throwing the car into gear.

"Oh, yes. That's a brilliant idea," she commented sarcastically.

"You've avoided him long enough. Besides Flynn, if I take you home with me, I won't let you leave," he admitted with blunt honesty.

"I've still got your ring, you know. I plan on giving it to Keegan when he finds the girl he wants to marry."

"I never imagined you as the sentimental type, Flynn."

"I never imagined a lot of things about me, Jean."

After a long uncomfortable silence, Jean announced their arrival at Roy Mustang's house. He grabbed the half asleep drunk woman, dragging her across the seat. He put her over his shoulder once again, carrying her to the door. It took forever to wake Mustang up.

"What in the hell do you want?" Roy yelled at Jean.

"Hey, I brought you something," Havoc said, setting Flynn down on her feet to show Roy her face.

"What the hell…"

"Hi, Roy!" she exclaimed in a drunken drawl, falling forward into his arms.

"What happened? Why is she like this?" Roy asked, gathering her up into his arms to carry her into the house.

"It's bad, Roy. Apparently Edward had an affair with Winry several years ago when Flynn was constantly in and out of the hospital with her issues. There's a child," he added, thankful that Flynn was over Mustang's bed when he dropped her.

"Is that so?" Roy inquired, walking back downstairs with Jean. "Why'd you bring her to me, Havoc?"

"Because you love her and will take care of her," he said plainly, saluting the man who was even now his superior before he walked away.

Roy took a deep breath staring at the ceiling above him as he thought about the woman in his bed. He slowly made his way back to his room. The plaintive howls interspersed with her bawling her heart out met his ears when he was halfway down the hall. He went to his bathroom first to get a wet washcloth and towel for her because he already knew she would be a mess. "Flynn?" he called gently, sitting on the bed next to her. He brushed her thick red hair out of the way so he press the cold cloth to her face.

Flynn jumped when the cold dampness hit her burning hot face. She opened her eyes to look up at him. She took the washcloth from him, pressing to her whole face. "Oh, god!" she snarled into the thick cloth to muffle it. "I'm trying to understand, Roy. I really am. I know things were terrible back then, but…" The tears flowed anew down her red puffy cheeks.

Roy pulled her into his arms, feeling her tears drop onto his bare chest. He leaned against the headboard of the bed with her still in his arms. He held her while she cried, never saying a word as she poured out her pain in tears. At some point, they both fell asleep from exhaustion curled into each other's bodies and clinging to one another tightly.

The blazing sunlight woke them both up around nine in the morning. They lay quietly in each other's arms, neither one wanting to move but both wide awake and thinking.

"Flynn?" Roy said in a low, gentle voice.

"What, Roy?" she asked, her voice thick with the emotions she was fighting to control.

"What are you going to do now, sweetheart?" he inquired, running his fingers through her shoulder length hair.

"I don't know, Roy. I don't think I'm over the shock yet. I love Ed, but I don't know how to process this. How the hell can you men hide such big secrets for so many years?" she inquired brusquely.

"We think we're trying to save the women we love pain, but in the end we hurt ourselves and them more. Do you and the kids want to stay with me until you figure it out? You won't be far from home but at least you won't be in the same house with him. You'll have time to think…to figure things out," he said, running his fingers down her bare arm.

Flynn shivered under his light touch that tickled her. She wasn't sure how much thinking she could do if he did things like that. There was almost too much to think about. Could she forgive Ed? Would she always wonder what else he had lied about? How would the child fit into their lives? Would they want him to get to know his half brothers and sister? Just so many questions…