Motherhood (Part 5 - Home)

After spending the night at the ruins of a temple, Roy and Riza left for the railway station in the early morning. Even though Riza had suffered the burns, it was Roy who was looking like a mess because he was guarding Riza the whole night. When they arrived at the station, they found out that some soldiers who left a day before them were still waiting at the station for some reason. They went inside the station to find out the reason but before they could talk to anyone, they heard a familiar voice, "My doubt was correct. You two are not just friends," Maes said and continued teasing, "I never thought my buddy Roy would find a girl, but now that I see you, he found a girl and a very beautiful one at that."

Riza couldn't even react properly, whereas Roy got annoyed in his tired state. "Stop it, Maes. You have the right to torment me, not her," Roy interrupted with an exhausted voice.

Maes noticed the dark circles below Roy's eyes, so he calmed down and asked, "Haven't you taken any sleep last night?"

"He was on guard last night," Riza answered instead.

"Guarding?" Maes looked at Riza with a raised eyebrow.

"I was wounded so, he was guarding me while I was asleep. I requested him not to but, he didn't listen to me," Riza replied.

"I see," Maes acknowledged and continued, "Roy is a good person Ms. Hawkeye, he cares about some people more than he should. We have been close friends for quite a sometime now, but he never told me about you. Whatever may be the reason," He grinned slowly and shouted with an excited voice, "but you will make a great wife. I am telling you this because my dear friend doesn't have the courage to tell you that by himself."

Riza started chuckling very uncomfortable while Maes continued, "You are the first woman for whom he left me all alone. He-"

"STOP IT YOU IDIOT," Roy yelled at Maes while glaring at him.

Maes stopped right at the moment and even Riza stopped laughing. Watching that, the sudden burst of energy from Roy's face disappeared and he again got quite. Maes and Riza waited for a moment for Roy to speak up due to the rage he showed, but Roy kept quiet with the tiredness engulfing all over his face. So, Maes and Riza talked for some time without involving Roy. Maes was talking very differently with Riza where he mentioned Gracia, his fiancée, only a few times and Riza was comfortable having the conversation. After some time, the train arrived at the station and Riza had to go to the woman compartment to get a seat. Before she left, Maes asked, "So, where will you go?"

"Home. I will have to take another train in between," Riza replied. "Meet you later then, Captain Hughes, Major Mustang," She saluted.

"See you soon Hawkeye," Maes said.

Roy nodded his head, and soon after that Riza left for the women compartment. Roy and Maes also went in their coach to take their seats. After getting comfortable, Roy looked at Maes sitting opposite to him and asked, "So, why so many soldiers were waiting today? Did something happened to the second train yesterday?"

"Yes, it was stuck due to a landslide. By the way, I sent some soldiers and a vehicle when I reached the station, to pick you and Riza but, they didn't find you," Maes informed.

"We took a different route," Roy said.

"To spend some time with her alone, aren't you a naughty boy," Maes raised one of his eyebrows and smirked to tease Roy. Roy, on the other hand, kept quiet and kept gazing out of the window while the train left the station.

After some time, Maes asked calmly, "She is the one, isn't she? Back in the training days, you were quite happy, maybe it was because of her."

Roy looked at Maes with the tired face he had and suddenly his expression changed. He said with widened eyes, "Am I so predictable?"

"I ain't your best buddy for nothing, Major Mustang," Maes said with a smug look.

Roy smiled for that fact that his friend knew him so well. "Well, things have changed Maes…I am not brave like you who can smile in front of her after what happened at Ishval. I never had the guts to talk to her after I killed those defenseless women in Central City," Roy said.

"Yet destiny brought her in front of you so that you can win her back. If you want any help, then I can be your wingman," Maes smirked.

"You think I was happy watching her at Ishval?" Roy averted his eyes by looking at the floor and gritted his teeth. "She is barely 21 Maes and she was forced to join the war…I never wanted her to join the military but, she joined, and maybe I was the reason for that. I told her that, the military is the noblest profession one can ever have…what do you think Maes? Should I have been happy watching her? I couldn't see a smile on her face…her hands were stained with blood, just like you and me and I blame myself for all of that," Roy said with a pained voice.

Maes looked at Roy. Roy was in agony because of that conversation so, he decided not to talk on that subject anymore. He paused for a few minutes and then he asked Roy a question which he knew would annoy Roy but, take his mind off from whatever bad memories he was remembering. "Hey Roy, do you want me to read you a lovely letter that Gracia sent to me? I never read this to you," Maes said excitedly.

"No Maes, don't you dare read that to me. I have already heard a lot of those letters," Roy threatened in a scared voice.

Even after requesting a lot, Maes didn't listen to him and read the letter to him and, after that, he again started another letter. He made sure that, his friend doesn't dive into the bad memories during the long journey. Roy felt asleep in between and after long hours of travel, they reached Central City. The family members, friends and loved ones of the soldiers were in the station to receive them. Everyone was happy who returned home safe but, some families were also there who came to the station even after knowing that the person for whom they were waiting was never going to return.

When Maes and Roy got off the train, Maes looked out for Gracia, but he was unable to locate her. "She said in her letter that she was going to pick me up from the train station," Maes said.

And right at that moment, they heard a woman's voice. "Maes," Gracia called from a distance.

When Maes and Gracia saw each other after such a long time, they got emotional and gave into the moment. There was no need to contain their love in the letters anymore. Maes ran toward Gracia shouting "Gracia…GRACIA" letting all his emotions flow at that moment, and hugged her with so much love as if it was the last time he was going to hug her. Roy watched his friend uniting with the woman he loved which he could not do. He remembered what Maes said during the war, "I will swallow all the horrible things I have done here…I will smile when I am with her". And then he looked at his hands remembering all the horrible things he did at Ishval, and he remembered the night when he hurt her.

"Hughes," he thought, "you are a strong man. A much stronger man than I will ever be." He then left the station without bothering his friend to come back and say him a goodbye.

On the other side, Riza reached her home too, where Matilda and Oliver were waiting for her. Matilda was very happy that she returned safely. And Oliver who was now around two and a half-year-old came running toward his mother upon watching her. Riza put her bag on the floor and sat on her knees before Oliver could reach her. And when Oliver was about to hug her, she hugged him and kissed him. "How is my tough guy?" She said with affection and picked him up while standing.

"You are looking exhausted," Matilda commented.

"I couldn't sleep properly last night," Riza informed.

"Should I prepare some food or you want to take some rest?" Matilda asked.

Riza looked at Oliver with a duck face and replied, "First I will play with my baby boy."

Riza put Oliver on the sofa and started tickling him, and Oliver started laughing. Watching that, Matilda smiled and went into the kitchen to bring Riza some water. Riza spent time with her son to her heart's content, and after having dinner she lulled Oliver to sleep. After that, she went out and sat on the stairs of the veranda looking toward the moon with a cup of coffee. Matilda also joined her by sitting beside her with a cup of coffee. "I thought you were tired," Matilda said.

"I couldn't sleep… whenever I close my eyes, I see people dying, children crying, guts and blood everywhere," Riza took a sip from the cup.

"War has always been like that, kill or be killed, and in my opinion, you choose the correct option," Matilda tried to comfort Riza.

"I felt a small boy, a little older than Oli, taking his last breath in my arms. It was quite painful," she spoke with a cracking voice. She then stopped for a moment to calm down and said, "You may think I came back from war alive and well but, the girl you once knew, died there…the person came back is a killer."

"Stop blaming yourself, you had no option," Matilda tried to soothe her pain.

In the meantime, Riza told something which startled Matilda. "I am going to East City and I want you to take care of Oliver from now on."

Matilda stopped the cup which was about to reach her lips and looked at Riza with widened eyes. When she saw Riza calmly looking at the moon, she calmed down as well and said, "You sure are a complicated girl. I thought you were going to take Oli with you." She then took a sip of coffee from the cup.

"I could have, but I am going to serve as the aide and personal assistant to Roy Mustang," Riza informed, and as soon as Matilda heard that, she spat all the coffee in her mouth.

"WHAT!" Matilda looked at Riza with widened eyes. Meanwhile, Riza continued, "And if someone finds out that Oli is Roy's and my son then I won't be able to work under him."

"Are you out of your mind? After all the things he did to you, you are still going to help him? Are you under some kind of spell of him?" Matilda scolded.

Riza looked at Matilda with her pained eyes and said calmly, "I have seen the same agony in his eyes which I felt at the war, and I don't know from how long he is in pain… We did unforgivable things at Ishval for which we can never atone," She paused and looked at Matilda with a stiff face. "And if that man is trying to do something to stop all these meaningless wars and save this country, then I am going to be by his side no matter what. I don't care even if he loves me or not. If he loves this country then that is enough for me," she said.

Matilda was amazed at watching such a changed Riza. "So, you are ready to leave Oliver for Roy?" Matilda asked.

"I am never going to leave Oli, Ms. Becker. And Oli will anyways be safer here," Riza replied.