Fullmetal Alchemist: Solitude
Chapter 5: Conversation II
The car ride into the city had been difficult to bear. Olivier and Miles sat in the backseat with their arms crossed; as well, they were sitting as far away from each other as possible. Neither had spoken of the current issue at hand. In fact, they had barely spoken at all.
"We've arrived at Central Command," spoke the chauffer from the front.
"Excellent," said Olivier as the car came to a halt. She grabbed the door's handle, yanked it open, and stepped outside, slamming the door behind her.
A cold wind whipped through her long blonde hair – winter was on its way. Her breath came sharply. However, she could bare more than a little frigid wind. The name "Ice Queen" was given to her for a reason.
"We should get inside," said Miles, standing next to her. "Otherwise we'll have a hypothermic fetus on our hands." Olivier glared at her subordinate. He stared at the Command Center, his gaze unwavering, as though he had not realized the immense lever of strangeness that accompanied his statement.
"Jesus," she said. "Don't say strange shit like that Major." He let out a small chortle.
"Understood sir." Olivier started off without him. She made her way to the front gate. She was met with fearful glances from the soldiers manning the entranceway. They all recognized her of course, and opened the massive gate without question. She figured it was because they were intimidated, even scared. What could she say? Central soldiers were all wimps.
She made her way across the courtyard, head down the entire way. Miles was acting like a shadow, following closely behind her. They walked in silence. Olivier seethed, anger flowing out of her pores. She had just become extremely angry, for some reason or another. She supposed it was because of the impeding conversation with the Führer, the one for which she couldn't predict the end result.
The two finally entered the building. Olivier ignored the soldiers in the lobby and turned right. She briskly walked through the corridors and hallways of the building; she knew the place like the back of her hand. A few more minutes passed, and the two arrived at the Führer's office. Olivier reached out her hand to open the door.
"Wait, sir," said Miles suddenly, stopping her hand with his.
"What?" She demanded, glaring daggers at him.
"I can sense your anger. Just –,"
"I can handle myself. Do not attempt to give me orders!" With that Olivier brushed off his hand and hastily opened the door.
"Welcome General," spoke Grumman. "You're early." The Führer sat behind his desk, engaged in an interrupted game of chess. His adversary was none other than General Mustang.
"I am aware," said Olivier. "And it does not matter – we'll being the meeting anyway. Mustang – out." Mustang smiled and stood up.
"It appears we'll continue this at a later date," he said.
"We all know the inevitable outcome," smiled Grumman.
"I'll beat you one of these years," said Mustang. He walked over to the door, and nodded at Olivier and Miles as he passed. "Good day General, Major," he said before exiting the office. Olivier slammed the door shut behind him.
"So what is this about?" Asked the Führer. "You scheduled this meeting two days ago saying it took top priority. Is Drachma giving you trouble?"
"No," answered Olivier, her voice blunt. She approached the desk.
"Please, take a seat," Grumman motioned to the chair. Olivier ignored his request. Oh lord, she was actually nervous. She was shaking with anxiety and suddenly was overcome by a cold sweat. She opened her pink lips to speak, but found herself lost for words, or for any idea of what to say. Her mind was blank – what would she do? Could she even tell him? Curse that night!
Miles' gaze deviated from its usual focused stare to glance at her. He seemed to sense her unexpected trouble.
"There's been an interesting…" What was the right word? "Development, sir."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"Well…" Began Miles, unsure of how to continue.
"I'm pregnant," burst Olivier. The moment the words left her mouth, she had a sharp intake of breath, and she bit her lip awkwardly.
"Congratulations General!" Exclaimed Grumman, much to Olivier and Miles' surprise. "This must be so exiting for you!"
"Uh huh…" Said Olivier.
"So who's the lucky father? Are you engaged? Well, I suppose it's not any of my business…" The Führer was clearly very happy with the news. The smile on his face spoke volumes.
"That would be me," said Miles. Olivier tensed, bracing herself for what was to come. She watched as the smile on her commanding officer's face fell into a slant.
"What?" He said, disbelievingly. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," said Olivier quickly. "Look sir, it's not our fault!"
"Well of course it is! How do you think this happened? The only way for this to have happened is if you and Miles consented to -…"
"STOP, sir!" Interrupted Olivier. "And listen to what I'm trying to tell you!" She paused. Even Miles seemed surprised at the outburst. Grumman was silent, but his eyes were narrowed. He gave an agitated twitch.
"We were drugged, sir, at the party my brother gave two months back. The last think we both remember is a toast, and then we woke up next to each other," she explained.
"So the fault lies with someone else," said Miles.
"Clearly," said Olivier. Grumman was silent. His face, however, changed from angered to serious.
"I see," he said. "Hmm… well this sure is an interesting development indeed."
"What shall our punishment be, sir?" Asked Miles. Grumman reclined in his chair, thinking. He finally spoke.
"I see no reason for you to be punished."
"What?" Gasped Olivier. "But sir, we broke military regulation! We deserve to suffer the consequences!"
"No, no, no," said Grumman slowly. "It is true that you disobeyed the military law, but I trust you both – you wouldn't lie to me. Not to mention that an act of careless sin like this is blatantly out of character for you both! It appears that you must have been drugged and have no knowledge of the… 'incident' that occurred."
"Sir…?" Asked Olivier.
"You've both created new life, and no matter the circumstances surrounding the actual conception, that is truly a miracle. I know that you, Olivier, hold your job at the top of your priorities; therefore, I will allow you to keep your position. You'll simply be as any other woman in the military. Near the end of your pregnancy, you'll be required to take maternity leave." Olivier cringed at the word. "And then for a couple of months after the birth." Again, she cringed. It was so surreal.
"Thank you," she managed.
"Another thing sir," spoke Miles.
"Yes?"
"We would like to remain together for the sake of the child." Grumman raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes, a child to grow up in a divided household… Look." He stared the two directly in the eyes. "The circumstances are suspicious, there's no doubting that, and normally something like this would be met with severity. But that would only harm the child. I hereby give you both permission to be a couple, well, so to speak. What you choose to tell your soldiers is up to you. You must understand that this is a very unusual situation, and what I'm telling you is unique. Keep that in mind."
"We will, sir," spoke Miles.
"Good!" Said Grumman, clapping his hands together. "Then this meeting is adjourned!" Olivier breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you sir," she said.
"Don't mention it," he replied. "Make sure you take care of the kid! No alcohol or caffeine, plenty of ultrasounds…"
"Thank you," repeated Olivier. Ultrasounds! She hadn't even thought about those! Grumman was smiling again. Miles and Olivier turned, heading for the door.
"One more thing," spoke the Führer. Olivier turned to face him.
"Yes?"
"You should be happy – both of you. Parenthood is a wonderful adventure, and you are about to embark on a journey more rewarding than your heroism on the Promised Day." He smiled smugly. "Now if only my granddaughter were to have a child too…"
"Then you'd have a reason to discharge Mustang!" Smiled Olivier. Miles gave a slight smirk. Grumman let out a short – lived laugh.
"Return to Briggs now," he said seriously. "You have jobs to do." Olivier grinned, opened the door, and left.
Miles and Olivier made their way through the building silently, but this time the air of awkwardness had dissipated, and they were both visibly relaxed. Soon they reached the courtyard, and from there, the main gate. Once again, the guards allowed them passage, wordless.
"Should we get a cab?" Asked Miles, standing in the cold.
"No. We're walking to the hotel," said Olivier, starting off.
"Alright then." Miles followed at her side.
"Don't worry – we won't have any hypothermic fetuses today," Olivier grinned.
"So I can't say, I quote, 'strange shit' like that, but you can?"
"I am your commanding officer."
"Of course." Silence. "So how do you feel about Grumman's decision?"
"It's not right," said Olivier, crossing her arms. "We've clearly violated military law. It doesn't make sense for us to just go free like we did."
"I was expecting a demotion, perhaps even a discharge," admitted Miles. "We're lucky Grumman took pity on us due to the circumstances."
"I agree. Still, work should continue on as usual," said Olivier. "I have no intention of becoming a stay – at – home mom. This baby will not hinder my career in any way." She looked up. "There's the hotel."
"Right," said Miles. They headed into the white building, and were met by an elegant interior, typical of elite Central society. They proceeded to check in, both into their prearranged separate rooms – they had an early morning tomorrow.
"Here's my room," said Miles, arriving at room 213, the numbers embellished with gold. "Goodnight sir," he said, opening the door. Olivier felt strange. Here she was in Central, spending the night in a hotel with a subordinate as she had done hundreds of times before. This time, though, it just felt different. He had said something earlier…
"Wait Major," she ordered brusquely. Miles turned around quickly.
"Sir?"
"Don't speak," Olivier said, firmly placing her hands on his cheeks. She leaned in, kissing him fiercely. Miles reacted slightly, but quickly relaxed, and kissed her back. They stood there in the hallway, locked in each other's embrace.
"Would it be so bad, being lovers?" Breathed Olivier. Miles said nothing, but he fervently kissing Olivier instead. She realized what he was doing.
"Permission to speak solider," she managed.
"Should we be doing this?" Asked Miles, grabbing Olivier and pressing her against the open door.
"I'm already pregnant," whispered Olivier.
"I guess nothing else can happen then," murmured Miles. "In that case…" Suddenly Miles' hands were around her waist, and he lifted her off the ground.
"That second room is out of the question," he spoke. Olivier smiled, answering him with a passionate kiss. Miles returned the gesture. As he held her, he entered the room, kicking the door shut behind them.
AN: Thanks to Lalalupin, darkreverie13, and Azulic Blade for all reviewing the chapter! I love to hear your thoughts on my stories, so keep them coming