Worlds Collide

A/N: Affie and Rysha, I'm so glad you've been reading and were happy by the way the last chapter ended. michelle, no for Rose, it's probably not fair. Phillip didn't exactly rape Aideen, but Phillip slept with Dante in Aideen's body, switching over to Aideen before it was over, so her reaction was genuine. Aideen was raped, Phillip just didn't know he was doing it. And in this story, Rose didn't have anything with Scar, and Phillip is the child of rape by someone in the military. MustangsHavoc, yes, Dante got her just desserts, but what will be done with her will be decided soon enough. Amethyst-eyed Koneko, yes, Nicholas is as reckless as his dad. Ed's definitely a mess, and there's a lot to be dealt with now. And poor Fletcher. I'm sorry you don't like him. And as far as Nina, we'll have to see.

Chapter 61

Introductions

They were in the hospital, several hours later, Aideen still hadn’t moved. She was still clinging to Nicholas’s borrowed scrub shirt, her forehead pressed against his shoulder, sleeping on her side in his arms. He knew he was only a few minutes older, but somehow, he felt the need to act as the protective older brother. Her breathing was even and deep, though the occasional whimper, the way her body tightened onto itself bothered Nicholas more than he could express.

Aideen had been unbreakable, or so it seemed. And though he hadn’t been told as much, Nicholas was more than aware of the fact that she had seemed genuinely terrified of Phillip. Worse yet, the elder twin had a slight suspicion that the night Phillip had spent with her had been a tactic on Dante’s part. Problem was, Nicholas had a feeling that its results, whether planned by Dante or not, would be something for the entire family to deal with.

Laying next to his sister, he let her quietly sob against him, the hand not fisting tightly in his stiff shirt laid protectively on her abdomen. His mind, however was drifting away, back to the information that the Gate had crammed into his head. Thinking back on it, the first part was something he was probably aware of, likely inherited from either of his father’s encounters with the Gate. It was understanding the way his emotions affected and amplified his own alchemy. It was also a faint explanation of why he, as a child just nearing the end of the phase where his soul could be used as a key to the Gate, never cemented his connection to the world, or at least his soul’s. While Phillip hadn’t been used as a key at such a late age, Nicholas had, and Dante didn’t realize that he always could have always been afterwards.

That, he came to understand through the Gate, and he was already more than aware of the way his emotions tended to add power to his own alchemy. It was why he was more successful when it came to medical alchemy, the emotional element, the idea of intent involved, than his sister had been.

It was the other two bits of information that were causing him the greatest problem as he held his sister in his arms. The first was detailed, a history of a world that hadn’t existed, one where Aideen had died at childbirth, one where his parents had suffered an enormous loss. This world would have been one where both parents eventually died, as did he, where new rulers, cruel rulers, took over. So much death, even more than…

Nicholas closed his eyes and ran a hand over his sister’s hair, wanting to do nothing more than protect her, and wondering if maybe that final piece of information could play into that. Perhaps it had something to do with her hand resting on her abdomen.

Regardless of what he was supposed to do with those last additions to his knowledge, he did realize that neither one was something he could share with his sister, not now.

There was another whimper, and her head moved from beneath his hand. “Aideen?” he said.

“Nicholas?” she said, her first words since the visit to the Gate.

“What is it? Do you need water? Food?” Nicholas was inching back to look at her.

“Food? No.” She closed her eyes, tiny tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “Just, can you…” She buried her face into his chest. “Just talk? It’s so quiet. It’s never been this quiet.”

Nicholas realized exactly what this meant for his sister. For the first time, she was alone in her head. He rested his cheek on her dark hair.

“Did I tell you that I kissed Victor?” Nicholas asked, pausing just a moment as he felt his sister shake her head, just slightly beneath his cheek. “Well, the girls at school, they rank the guys…”

********

Roy had finished yet another phone call dealing with the slowly resolving issues from this most recent attack and rebellion. He wanted to touch Ed, to run a hand over his husband’s face, but as the pain from the nerve damage had gotten so bad Ed had passed out, Roy didn’t dare touch him. He could only watch with intense worry, eyes following every twitch of Ed’s face, every involuntary movement of his body.

There was a faint rapping on the door, a head of silvery-white hair leaning in, dark eyes meeting Roy’s. “I need to do another check on him, Roy.”

The younger brother looked to his sister and nodded, feeling her hand ruffle his hair as though he was twelve once again as she passed him to get to his husband.

He watched in nervousness as she clapped her hands and scanned over Ed’s body. Roy’s working eye took in the sight of his husband’s still-pained form, then each flash of expression on his sister’s face. He looked for a sign of something, anything.

“Raine?” he asked, tentatively.

She closed her eyes and exhaled as though she’d been holding that breath throughout the scan. “The damage is bad, Pyro. The nerves in the rest of his system will recover, but the ports and nodes, I can’t be sure they’ll ever be able to accept automail. And even if they can, I’m not sure what mobility or feeling he’ll have in it.”

Roy nodded his head, preparing to rub his husband’s left arm and halting himself.

“You can touch him, Roy. It will probably feel good now that the initial pain has worn off.”

Again, he bobbed his head, his smooth hand rubbing over the overheated and clammy flesh of his husband’s left arm. “And Aideen?”

Raine smiled sadly at him. “Physically fine, considering. But when she’s ready, she’ll need to talk to you.”

“Raine? What do you know?”

“I know that I’m a doctor even before I’m your sister or that girl’s aunt. And I trust Princess to tell you.”

Roy wished his daughter would have just told him, would have let him in the room with her. But she clung to Nicholas dearly, and the only time her eyes opened was to look at him, ashamed and with complete and total dread. Without a single word, his only daughter had made it very clear that she didn’t want him around, and at the moment, Ed was all he had to cling to for his own sanity’s sake.

********

Kain hadn’t intended to fall asleep at his husband’s bedside, but he’d been given a few hours to take a break from barking orders, and Frank had been sound asleep, Nina at his side, watching, observing.

Kain felt as though he’d failed, as the condition that Nina would stay with him had been that someone would be present at all times to watch the homunculus.

As his eyes opened, Kain found Nina holding a glass of water to Frank’s mouth, as he guided the straw with his right hand to his lips, his left arm completely useless from his injury. Frank took a sip of the liquid before looking over at the younger man.

“So, Rip Van Winkle finally woke up.”

“Rip Van… Never mind,” Kain said, looking over at the girl.

“It’s a story,” Frank said. “From where I come from.” Apparently, Kain’s husband wasn’t sure about talking about his world just yet around the little girl.

“The water, where did you get it?” Kain asked.

“The kid,” Frank said as Nina lowered the glass and carefully placed it on a bedside table. Though Frank looked pleased with her and the strange little girl looked, dare he think it, proud of her little achievement, Kain felt more than a little uneasy at it. He’d promise nearly half of the military brass—all of which happened to be his friends—that he would keep a close eye on the child.

“I asked a lady in white for it.”

“A nurse.” Frank supplied.

“And the nurse gave it to me. She said it was sweet of me to get it for my father.” The girl tucked her legs up on the seat beside her. “I think it’s funny she thought I was your daughter. I don’t look like either of you. Daughters are supposed to, I think.”

“Not if you’re adopted,” Frank said, rubbing her head with his good hand. “And since Kain and I don’t have the equip—up, ability to have a child of our own, if we had a daughter, she’d be adopted.”

The brown head bobbed in understanding.

“How do you know so much about daughters?” Kain asked. In the short time he’d known her, he’d learned that the girl’s knowledge seemed to range from all-knowing to lacking entirely.

She shrugged. “Some from the big guy, some from when I was made. He really wanted his daughter.”

“So you know you were made,” Kain said, getting a warning look from his husband to tread lightly.

“Yeah. I don’t know what the big guy did, but I know things I shouldn’t, and I think it’s because of him. Other than the stuff he told me, like the redstones. That’s why I didn’t take them.”

“You didn’t?” Kain was confused. “Then, your eyes… They should have been green or blue, I think. If you were based off of Nina.”

“Unless Wrath gave something of himself to her like Ed’s limbs to him…” Frank said, almost absently. “Looks like we’ve got his baby sister, more or less.”

There was silence for a while, before the girl looked up at Frank. “Do you need anything else?” The older man faintly shook his head and looked as if it had pained him to do so. “Okay. So, why did they let me stay with you? The old blond guy, he acted like he wanted to take me somewhere.”

“General Havoc,” Kain corrected, looking over Frank’s bed at the large violet eyes, Wrath’s eyes, “was worried about leaving you with us. He didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Sounded more like he thought I’d hurt other people.” She smiled a little too devilishly for Kain’s liking. “Did they let me stay with you because I got so angry?”

“Of course not,” Frank said, eying her cautiously.

“Oh, because I was just wondering.” Her voice grew very quiet, barely loud enough to be heard. “What would it take to stay for good?”

Kain would never admit it, but he had thought the same thing himself.

********

Walking through the cafeteria line, Fletcher Tringham was surprised to find the fuhrer, looking very ragged, probably worse than even Fletcher, himself, felt. The silvery-haired man nodded his head in acknowledgement of the blond’s presence, and moved up through the line, others deferring their spot to him, until he was nearly to the front where Fletcher stood.

“I am surprised to see you here,” Roy said, bluntly.

“Russell’s sleeping. Medicated sleep, actually, so the doctor said he’d be out for hours.” Fletcher took the tray of food he’d ordered, grimacing at the color of what was supposed to be beef stew. “I could say the same for you. Being surprised, I mean.”

“Ed wanted something sweet. Didn’t care for the beef stew. He said it tasted terrible.” Roy, then, seemed to acknowledge what Fletcher had on the plastic tray. “Of course, Ed has an infamous sweet tooth, so who’s to say.”

“How is he?” Fletcher asked, genuinely concerned for his long-time friend, while the back of his mind screamed for word on Aideen’s status.

“In pain.” Roy stared at the wall opposite the serving line blankly.

“And the twins?”

“Nicholas is fine, passed all medical scans.” Fletcher looked at Roy anxiously, waiting for more. The older man sighed, looking more his age, even beyond it, than Fletcher could ever remember. “Aideen is physically fine.”

Fletcher only nodded, fishing in his pocket for some money before handing it over to the cashier. “And you?”

Roy seemed curious that the younger man would ask. They’d been at odds since Fletcher had kissed what he’d thought was Aideen, but it didn’t mean he had no respect for the man, and it certainly didn’t mean he couldn’t worry after his health.

“I’m exhausted, to be honest.”

Fletcher nodded, taking his change from the woman at the cash register. Then, before Roy could pay for the three pudding containers he’d bought, Fletcher patted the fuhrer on the shoulder.

“I understand,” he said. “Maybe not as well, maybe not to your extent, but… Well, I’m going to be here with Russell for a while, when I’m not helping with clean-up.”

Roy raised an eyebrow. “Did you just offer me a shoulder to so-to-speak ‘cry on?’”

“Lean on,” Fletcher corrected.

“Thank you,” Roy said.

Realizing the truce here, Fletcher held out his hand. “Hello, I’m Major Fletcher Tringham, the Green Alchemist. I specialize in plant alchemy, have an older brother named Russell and hope to one day to prove myself to a young woman and her family.”

Fletcher watched as Roy took his hand and shook it in introduction. “I’m Fuhrer Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist. I specialize in fire alchemy, am married to Edward Elric and have twins, Nicholas and Aideen. And I’ve decided that I’m going to be less critical.”

********

Hohenheim stood, looking down at the form of the girl now housing Dante. "Well, Dante? You just couldn't learn that my sons are a force that is much too powerful." The eyes rolled in her head, trying to move or fight him. "That body of yours has never moved since it's creation. I doubt you're going to be much of a threat anymore."

Dante's eyes were wide and angry. "And I assure you, that the fate you used some poor soul for to open the gate will be your own. Though I would like nothing more than to stay here with my family, Riza and I need to get back through the Gate."

Though Hohenheim wasn't a spiteful man by nature, that side of his personality having almost vanished over the years, he scowled at the woman in the child's recovering body. "I will have no issue handing you over to the Gate."

********

Ed tried to cover the tears when he saw Roy coming through the door. He’d been trying to fight them since he’d woken up. When he’d realized he couldn’t, he’d sent Roy on a mission for something sweeter. Though the beef stew had tasted absolutely terrible, Ed really hadn’t had much in the way of an appetite. He’d just wanted Roy out of the room while he allowed himself to cry more uncontrollably than he could remember even during the pregnancy.

And, as that thought crossed his mind, exhaustion and lingering pain helped his emotions break loose again. He’d given birth to Aideen and he hadn’t been able to tell the difference between his own daughter and the bitch Dante. He’d actually believed he preferred that false behavior from Dante over his own daughter. He’d ignored all the times Aideen had tried to warn him, tried to guide him to save her. He’d ripped out all of that research, which he was certain now was left out so that he would find it and do something to rescue her. If he had, he could have stopped Dante from…

He shook his head, the tears flowing more freely.

“Ed?” Roy’s concerned voice said. There was the sound of the pudding containers hitting the table, the feel of Roy climbing into the bed beside him, then stopping before they touched. “I’m sorry. Are you hurting?”

Ed shook his head. He was so exhausted, so tired of it all. “The pain killers are working okay,” he said, as Roy’s arms wrapped around him, his one remaining arm doing the same to his husband. “Roy, I screwed up so bad. I should have known. I should have seen.”

“We both should have, Ed. I’m just as guilty.”

“How could we not have seen it?” Ed said, his face buried in his husband’s chest. “We’re supposed to be her parents.” Ed couldn’t deny that he was still in pain, but nothing was going to change the feeling of hundreds of pins and needles poking every inch of his body. “We missed it and because of that, Dante got Aideen raped. Raped, Roy.” Ed continued to cry, not knowing how or if he would even stop. “Even if Phillip didn’t… Aideen didn’t want it.”

Roy had lifted Ed from the bed, and as Ed was positioned on his lap, a warm hand rubbing over the smaller back, but the feeling of something wet at the crown of his head told Ed that, at least, he wasn’t alone crying. “We didn’t want to believe it could happen, Ed. All we can do now is cope and help her.”

“But Dante tried to use her to open the Gate. Who knows what kind of damage that could do? It shouldn’t even be possible.” Then, as much as he could, Ed pulled back. “Unless… Oh, shit, Roy. Dante had her raped to get her pregnant. She’s pregnant, Roy.”

“We don’t know that.” Roy said, but his eyes looked afraid, what little color had remained on that pale skin long gone.

“Roy, she could be carrying a child who was supposed to be a key to the Gate. What do we tell her?”

“If it’s true, we’ll work with her on this, whatever her decision. And we’ll support her.”

“Of course we will.” Ed said, defiantly. “But, it isn’t fair. It isn’t a decision she should have to make.”

There was knocking at the door. Raine’s head popping in a few seconds later. She took one look at Ed and immediately ran to the bed. “Baby? Is it pain? Are you okay?”

“He’s hurting,” Roy answered for him, much to Ed’s surprise. It seemed his he kept underestimating how much his husband knew about him. “But that’s not the reason for this.”

“Baby?” Raine said, standing at Ed’s side. “Let’s see if I can give you a little more in the way of painkillers, and you two can tell me what’s going on here.”

“Aideen,” Ed answered, watching as Raine clapped her hands and scanned over his body. She said nothing, but seemed to understand. Then, Ed felt the blissful sensation of his body’s natural painkillers being released into his system. It didn’t quite take away the prickling feeling all over his body, his remaining body, his mind reminded him. He had been so concerned about his daughter, he hadn’t thought about himself. Even still, it helped him from dwelling on the loss of his limbs, the idea that he might never…

He wouldn’t allow himself to focus on that. Not now.

There was another knock at the door, one which Ed was grateful for. “Dad? Papa?” Nicholas said as he stepped inside, a somber, wizened look on his face.

“Nicholas, shouldn’t you be in with Aideen?” Roy asked. Ed, however, had hope that his daughter might have sent Nicholas to tell them they could finally see her.

“She wanted me to go to the cafeteria.” Nicholas folded his arms across his chest. “I think,” He paused. “I think she could see you now. She seemed willing.”

There was a part of Ed that tensed at his son’s words. Who was he to decide whether they saw their own daughter? He was a teenager. He was their son.

He was also the only one she’d trusted to be with her after the Gate.

“Just please, prepare yourselves to see her,” Nicholas said. “Especially you, Dad. Aideen is so sure you’re going to hate her, most of all Dad. If she sees you looking at her with fear, I don’t know how she’ll react. This isn’t the usual strong Aideen. She feels very guilty and she’s so weak because of it.” Nicholas’s eyes darted down to Ed’s body, the tiniest flash of pity written across his features. “And seeing you is going to be hard enough.”

Nicholas crossed the room, wrapping his arms around Ed. “Dad, I know I’ve been dealing with Aideen, but…” There was a quick intake of breath, as though he was fighting back tears. “I’m just so glad you’re here."

“Me too,” Roy said.

Nicholas released Ed, struggling to meet his eyes instead of the missing limbs. “Well, I’m off to the cafeteria for some toast and water for Aideen. Do you need help?”

“No,” Roy said. “We’re okay.”

Nicholas hugged Roy, then Ed once again before leaving the room. Ed couldn’t help but feel terrible, knowing that their son had grown up last night, it seemed, and Ed might have stopped that, too.

Roy was gentle, but he still startled Ed as he pulled the smaller man into his arms, Raine moving to grab a wheelchair from the hallway. Though she hadn’t exactly given permission, it was obvious she felt this was better for Ed than staying in the bed.

The small alchemist struggled not to wince or groan in pain as Roy shifted him to the wheelchair. He hated to imagine what this would have felt like if he hadn’t been given the pain killers by Raine. Though she was slowly trying to heal his nerves, keeping him medicated and comfortable was the most important at the moment.

As the chair came in, Roy carefully placed him in the chair, belting him in place. Ed couldn’t help but wonder how long he might be dependent on his husband. Would it be a few months? Would it be forever?

He shook his head. His children were more important, and until he saw a twinkle of mischief in Nicholas’s eyes again or saw to it that Aideen got to live the life her twin had gotten for her, Ed felt selfish for worrying about his own life.

“You okay?” Roy asked, looking just as anxious at the prospect of seeing their daughter. Ed could only manage a nod. Frowning unconsciously at his own situation once again, Ed allowed himself to be pushed forward down the hall. Together, the older man and the younger went down the hall, Raine leading them through the set of silver doors and to a pine one, where they knew their daughter was waiting.

Raine knocked on the door, opening it slightly. “Princess? Your fathers are here for you.”

“O-okay,” a timid voice said inside.

“Go on in. I’ll leave you alone for a while. Don’t get her too worked up.” Raine looked down at Ed. “You either. I’m only letting you leave that bed because I think you need this. Understand me, Baby?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, putting emphasis on the ma’am she dreaded so much.

“Don’t push your luck.”

As they entered the room, Ed was faced with a very small looking daughter, as she sat on her bed, knees tucked up to her chest, eyes watching their every mood. In the back of his mind, Ed had expected to show a sign of fear when he saw her. But he couldn’t help but feel that this girl sitting on the bed was hardly recognizable as his daughter, let alone the host of Dante who’d injured him.

“Aideen?” Ed said, his voice far more quiet than he’d expected.

“I-I” There were tears clinging to her eyes. “Oh, Dad, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for what I did—”

“You didn’t do anything!” Ed said, much too loudly. He then lowered his voice. “That wasn’t you.”

Roy pushed them closer, just enough so that he could reach out a hand to her.

“I should have stopped her.” The tears were running.

“And we should have recognized she was there,” Roy said. The three were silent, as though nothing they wanted to convey could be spoken. Ed couldn’t find the nerve to ask the questions on his mind, and it seemed the same of both his husband and their daughter. Then Roy, out of nowhere, stuck out his hand. “Roy Irving Mustang. I’m fuhrer of Amestris, but most importantly, I’m your papa. Nice to meet you.”

Seeing what Roy was doing, Ed stuck his own hand out. “Edward Warren Elric. I’m your dad, first of all. Though some call me the Fullmetal Alchemist.”

There was a bit of warmth in the young teen’s eyes, though there was no smile as she took both their hands. “I’m Aideen Riza Mustang. I’m your daughter.” Her hands drew theirs to her stomach, almost nervously, eyes filling up again. “And this… is your granddaughter.”