Chapter 17

A Chapter by Keevan

Lucy

The door slammed open, and Edward stood up abruptly, an unreadable expression across his face. I turned in my chair to see the door, not feeling like standing up.

It was Colonel Mustang, followed by Lieutenant Hawkeye. He marched into the house right up to Edward and wrapped his hand around his neck, shoving him to the floor.

Edward hit the floor and grunted, spouting, "Hey! What the hell was that for?!"

"For being an idiot!" the Colonel shouted, sounding stupid. He wouldn't look at me.

I pieced together his actions and what he said to Edward in my mind, and it made perfect sense to me. He found out about my pregnancy and was blaming Edward. My eyes flicked to Lieutenant Hawkeye, standing by the door, looking like she didn't know what to do.

As Edward stood up and Colonel Mustang advanced on him again, I lashed out my arm and gripped his wrist.

"Colonel," I said loudly and sternly. "Look at me."

Everything was still and silent, except for the sound of the four of us breathing. Colonel Mustang hesitantly turned his head to look down at where I was sitting, and when he did, all he muttered was, "Oh, dear sweet Jesus..."

Edward led Lieutenant Hawkeye over to a chair at the table, and Colonel Mustang sat down next to her. Edward helped me up, and sat on the bottom of the stairs.

I paced back and forth, fidgeting with my fingers, unsure of how to start.

"Alphonse said you're four months," Lieutenant Hawkeye said. I nodded and continued pacing.

"Why didn't you say something four months ago?" Colonel Mustang grumbled.

"I found out two months ago, and I...I didn't have the courage to tell you," I said, keeping my eyes away from them.

"Lucy," Edward said. "I think it's best to just tell them everything that happened."

I nodded at him, and took a deep breath, delving into the big explanation of having to go to the funeral and coming back to find Edward kissing that stupid Katsura girl, and then having to explain to them who she was. When all that was said and done, I continued on to how I reacted, i.e. running away to Central for the night, getting drunk in a bar, thus ending up getting knocked up by a total stranger, named Evan, who was only nineteen. I ended my tale with telling how Alphonse said Evan killed himself, and then two months later with how I found out I was pregnant.

"The end," I finished, sinking into a chair at the table across from Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye.

No one said anything.

"Are you...sure you're ready for this, Lucy?" Lieutenant Hawkeye finally asked.

"I have to be," I said, crossing my arms. "I don't really have any other options."

"Have you considered...the alternative?" she asked. It took me a minute to realize what she meant.

"I'm not getting an a-abortion," I said, staring hard into her eyes. "I'm having this baby. I'm twenty, I think I'm old enough to be a new mom."

"But who's going to be the father?" Colonel Mustang asked. "Who's going to help you with this?"

"Who do you think?" Edward asked, standing up from the stairs. "I am, of course."

"Even though he has nothing to do with it," I said quietly, staring down at the table. For some reason, I wanted to cry.

"Do you have a name picked out yet?" Lieutenant Hawkeye asked suddenly.

"Lieutenant, now's not the time to ask--" Colonel Mustang started, but I cut him off.

"Yes, we do," I said. "Asher. He's going to be a boy."

"A boy," Lieutenant Hawkeye repeated. She had a look on her face that seemed to be happiness and grief at the same time. Colonel Mustang was silent, until he said, "Lucy, do you even realize what you're getting yourself into? Raising a child isn't going to be one big game, and at times it won't be fun. Things will get real hard real fast." He stood up from his chair. "Do you really think you're ready? When the time comes, how are you going to explain to him that mommy used to kill people for the military? That mommy was at one point allied with Homunculi?"

"When the time comes," I said. "I'll explain it to him as best as I can. No matter what you say to me, I'm committed to this." I stood up as well, using the table for support. "I spent the first eight years of my life with a perverted, abusive father, and a weak mother and strong sister, who all ended up dying at one point. No family. I'm not going to make Asher go through the same thing. I'm going to be a good parent and never abandon him. Do you understand why I feel this way, Colonel?"

No one said anything.

______________________________________________________________________________

They eventually left. When they did, I felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I finally told them. And it turned out alright.

I folded my hands over my stomach and sighed a great sigh of relief, and suddenly felt an arm wrap around my waist.

"I believe you have a question to answer," Edward whispered in my ear, kissing my cheek.

"Oh, yeah," I said casually, hoping to annoy him. "what was the question, again?"

"That's not funny," Edward said, trying to sound serious but wearing a grin on his face. He stood in front of me and took my hands, staring into my eyes, maybe even past them and into my soul.

"Let me ask again," he said. "Lucy Mustang, or Riinath, or whatever your last name is..." He cleared his throat. "Will you be my wife?"

I thought it over quickly. I knew in my heart that I loved Edward. Edward loved me. I couldn't raise the child alone. And Edward was willing to be with me and help, even though it wasn't his child.

My answer was quick and simple. "Yes," I said, hugging him. "I'll be your wife."

"Wonderful," he said quietly, hugging me back. And it was.

______________________________________________________________________________

I called Alphonse when I went to bed that night.

"Hello?" he said sleepily a few moments after I dialed.

"Alphonse Elric," I said, trying to practice with my "Stern And Annoyed Parent" voice. "You have some explaining to do."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"I was planning to tell them myself, you know," I said.

"I know, I know," he said, sounding like he was suppressing a yawn. "I'm sorry. I just said out loud to myself, 'I wonder when Lucy will tell them that she's pregnant,' and Colonel Mustang heard. I'm sorry."

I couldn't stay mad at him.

"It's okay, Alphonse," I told him. "and, now that I think about it, I'm actually kind of glad that that happened. I don't have to worry about telling them anymore because it's all alright now. Okay?"

"Okay," he said. "goodnight, Lucy."

"'Night, Al." I hung up the phone and just sat there on the edge of my bed, looking at the floor beneath me but not really seeing it. Things were about to get hectic.

That, I knew for a fact.

prev chapter