The Butterfly and Flame Alchemists (COMPLETED)

Part Seven

The next morning, Aileana woke up and rolled over onto her side, accidentally hitting something with her head. Startled, she moved back a few inches. Lying next to her, sleeping peacefully, was Roy. His hair was messy and his face looked bright, not covered in the constant frown lines he had.  As the sun poured in through a crack in the curtains, something was reflecting the sun into her eyes. Looking closely at him, she noticed that he wasn’t wearing the chain that held his ring, but he was now wearing the ring on his left hand. She smiled lightly and kissed his forehead, causing him to stir lightly. He didn’t wake up, but buried his face deeper into the sheets.

Chuckling softly, she got up, showered, and dressed in a light sundress. Closing the bedroom door softly behind her, she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

            “Well look who decided to show her face!” Ed smirked as he leaned back in his chair.

Sticking her tongue out at him, she walked over to the stove and began to make herself a cup of tea. As she was pouring the hot water into her mug, her knees buckled and she quickly grabbed the counter for support.

            “Ana, are you alright?” Winry asked as she rounded the corner, running to help support her.

            “Yea, I just need to sit down,”

Winry led her to an empty seat at the table and sat her down gently, getting her a few things to eat and her tea.

            “Ana, since you’re awake,” Al began softly, “could you tell us about your research with the stone?”

            “Guys! She nearly collapsed just now and you’re going to pester her with this?” winry snapped, shocked.

            “No,” Aileana shook her head, “now’s the perfect time since Roy’s asleep,” she then looked at the boys sternly, “I will be telling you things that you are forbidden to tell anyone else, especially my husband, do you understand?”

            “So you guys worked things out?” Ed smiled.

            “For the moment, yes,” she took a sip of tea, “as you know, I worked a bit with your father. Roy knows him and I worked with each other before we moved here, but that was before I became interested in the stone,”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “I started research on the stone with your father while I was pregnant with my second child,” she sighed softly.

            “Wait, what?” Ed asked, shocked, “Does Roy know? And if you were pregnant where’s the baby? Is it Rosie?”

            “I already told you Rosie’s story. I found out I was pregnant shortly after Roy had left, after the accident. I didn’t know what to do with myself. At the time Hohenheim was staying with me, doing some of his own research, and he took me under his wing as well as helped me. I know you’re not his biggest fan, but I assure you Edward that your father is a brilliant and kind man,”

He leaned back in his chair again and sneered.

            “Four months after that I lost the baby. That’s why I don’t have any other children. Hohenheim stayed longer than what was agreed to continue to help me through that and we furthered our research. We worked with the red water you’ve already experienced and I found out what you most likely already know: you need live human beings to create a real stone. Though I was slightly distraught from losing both my children, I could never take the life of another human being to bring them back,”