FicWad

When got to the house Gracia gave me instructions to give Jim the grand tour and then play host while she prepared our late supper. Sciezka asked if there was anything she could do to help and indeed there was.

"Sciezka, if you wouldn't mind making Elysia a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then getting her ready for bed it would be a lifesaver. She's going to go into C-R-A-N-K-Y mode any minute after such a long day," Gracia said.

Jim and I started with the living room, and I showed him the pictures on the mantle, giving anecdotes about some of Maes and Roy's choicer moments. Then I showed him some of Elysia's artwork taking special pride in her picture of the "King of the Couch".

Jim laughed and said, "Elysia is a great kid, very intelligent and very sweet. She's lucky to have you."

"Are you kidding Jim? I'm lucky to have her, and Gracia," I said.

"Well after everything, you know... don't think that news didn't reach us at the hospital eventually," he whispered.

I nodded grimly and said, "But you know it's not like that. I feel protective towards her, I'd do anything for her... but nothing I do can replace him. I'm trying to be an adequate stand-in though, perhaps the favorite uncle. For now she's thrilled with having a ready playmate, a steadily available lap and her own personal racecar."

He chuckled at the last one and said, "The kid idolizes you and if this picture doesn't prove it to you then the way she sang your praises during her swimming lesson should convince you otherwise."

I shook my head and said, "You've got to be kidding me Jim. Pull the other one."

"You have a serious fan club, but I hear you have been spared from marriage because she is 'too young' for you," he said and winked.

I smiled and said, "Yes, she was not thrilled Monday when she figured out that Sciezka and I are an item. I'm glad Elysia has recovered from the disappointment."

Jim said, "So is there more on this grand tour other than discussing the fact that you are adored by three beautiful women?"

"I can't help it that I'm pretty Jim," I joked. "There isn't much else on the main floor other than the kitchen, Elysia's playroom and my room. I'm afraid I haven't seen the upstairs, so I can't be much help with that."

Hastily changing the subject Jim said, "Well I haven't seen your room finished. You knew I was in on that already, would you mind showing me? I'm curious to see what Colonel Mustang and Gracia cooked up."

"Yeah, sure. Sorry for that last part. Sometimes I just let the little stuff get to me," I said.

"Jean, you're entitled to it sometimes. It's just rooms upstairs, but Elysia mentioned that you 'Butterfly' tucked her in and I'm sure that is what gets to you about the rooms upstairs."

I nodded and said, "Let me show you your handiwork in use. Don't mind the mess. Not that it gets that messy with Gracia around, but I'll excuse myself beforehand just in case it's not regulation."

We entered my room and Jim walked around, taking a peek in the bathroom and stopping to stand in front of my bureau. He surveyed the room, crossed his arms and said, "Not too shabby."

"No, not at all shabby. It's been perfect. Though I'm sure neither you, nor Mustang has Gracia's keen taste in linens. Go ahead sit on the bed. You'll never want to get up."

Jim tested it out and said, "So you've been staying in a Five Star joint all this time?"

"Gracia is a classy lady Jim, but I think you've already noticed that," I said.

He abruptly got up and walked back over to the bureau and picked up a picture of my comrades. In the picture were Roy, Maes, Breda, Falman, Feury and myself.

"That one was taken on an R and R trip, I believe we were all spectacularly inebriated at the time. It was before Elysia was born and everyone but Maes got transferred East with Colonel Mustang. It was a great time, Fullmetal hadn't enlisted yet and the war was a fading memory."

"Your comrades, they got transferred right?" Jim said.

"Yeah, that's why they didn't visit. I didn't scare them off with my piss poor attitude," I said chuckling wryly.

We were interrupted when Sciezka came in announcing that dinner was served and I was relieved. I could only take so much introspection on what had happened in the recent months.

*

Once in the kitchen we were greeted by Gracia's tomato soup that she'd canned from tomatoes grown in the garden the summer prior and grilled cheese sandwiches. We settled in and began talking, laughing and eating.

"Gracia, this is amazing!" Jim exclaimed.

"It's just grilled cheese and soup," she replied modestly.

"But the soup tastes fresh, it reminds me of home. I'll have to share Mama's sauce recipe with you," he said.

"A family recipe? How wonderful, thank you," Gracia said.

"Purely selfish Gracia, I don't have your expertise," Jim said sheepishly.

Sciezka nudged my arm under the table and I took her hand and squeezed it. Things were looking better for everyone.

After we finished eating I started clearing the table, shooing Gracia out of the kitchen to sit and rest in the living room with her guests. Sciezka offered to join me in the clean-up effort.

"All right you lovebirds, we get the hint that you want to be alone," Jim said.

I chuckled and thought to myself, "I guess I'm not the only oblivious one."

While Sciezka washed and I dried we would occasionally pause to exchange kisses and hushed words of endearment.

"I can hardly wait until Friday," I said as I finished the last bowl.

Sciezka leaned in for a kiss, beginning gently and then probing my mouth hungrily. She then sat astride my hips and we continued like that until Gracia called from the living room, "Do you guys need any help cleaning up in there? It's taking an awfully long time."

We emerged from the kitchen, Sciezka a vivid shade of crimson and me grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

Jim checked his watch and said, "It's late, and I should get home. Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner tonight."

Gracia smiled and said, "It was no trouble at all. We should all do this more often. Elysia loved the water."

"Sciezka, where in town do you live? I live just a few blocks from the hospital, would you like a lift?"

Sciezka smiled and said, "That would be wonderful, I live in that direction."

Gracia walked Jim to the door and before leaving Sciezka planted a chaste kiss on
my lips.

*

After they had driven out of sight Gracia closed the front door and sat in the armchair for a few moments. Then she abruptly got up, went to the kitchen and returned carrying a few small bottles. I had moved to the couch to stretch out as it had been a long day and if I didn't rest soon I would suffer the consequences.

Gracia deposited the bottles in my lap and I looked at them and said, "So where were you hiding these Gracia?"

"At the back of the cabinet over the icebox. Partially so Elysia wouldn't get into them..." she mumbled.

"Thank you Gracia," I said taking her hand.

She sat down on the small sliver of couch next to me and said, "For what? Living here? We've loved having you. You'll be sorely missed. You're a huge help with Elysia and you were just what we needed as well."

"No, thank you for hiding my meds," I said, averting my eyes.

"They weren't hidden, I would have told you where they were if you had asked Jean," Gracia said attempting to retract her previous statement.

"C'mon Gracia," I said picking up the bottles one at a time, listing the contents. "There are enough drugs here to put down a raging bull. The short list alone contains sedatives, muscle relaxants, anti-spasm meds, two kinds of pain killers and one for sleep."

Gracia bit her lip and said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you read me right. There were times I'd thought about going through with it but I just couldn't... it would kill my parents, eat Roy alive, and you and Elysia have already lost so much. Well and now I've got a lot to live for."

"Sciezka?" she asked.

"Well Sciezka yes and you two, of course. But most importantly, me. It wouldn't have been that dishonorable, not after everything that happened but I have too many things I still have to do. It's different for sure, but it's definitely not all bad. In fact there has been so much good. I'm a lucky bastard. The only way to describe it is it's just different than I expected my life would be," I said as I wiped a tear from her cheek.

I pushed up on an elbow and she leaned in to hug me and said, "Thank you Jean, I was so worried the first time I saw you at the hospital. I knew something had to be done and when I saw your eyes light up, the haunted look fading while you were talking to Elysia. I thought that maybe we could do something."

"You have Gracia, you've worked a miracle. The hospital should hire you. Speaking of which, anything you want to tell me?" I said.

"We do get along quite well. I don't know if I'm ready, but I'd love to get to know him better..." Gracia said hesitantly.

"It could be arranged, you know pick up poor Jean from therapy and head out to lunch but then I'm just too tired and Elysia is cranky and needs to come too?" I joked.

"You are bad Jean," Gracia said.

"I learned from the best," I said with a grin. "Don't think I don't figure out when I've been set up. I'd love to plot your life for you, but it is late and tomorrow is going to be a long day. We should get to bed."

Gracia agreed and we both made our way to bed.

*

I awoke to a knock on my door and Gracia's chipper voice asking if she could come in. I checked to make sure that Master Havoc was behaving and he was and said, "Come on in."

Gracia entered with two steaming mugs of coffee and as I accepted mine I said, "What am I going to do without you Gracia?"

"You'll manage somehow Jean," she said and smiled.

I pouted a bit and said, "I will, but I'm hopelessly spoiled now."

"We have so much to do, and the first delivery will be in a little over an hour. Time to get moving," Gracia ordered in her best commanding tone.

I gave her a crisp salute and a "Yes Ma'am" and quickly drained the rest of my mug.

After taking care of the necessaries and dressing I was met in the living room by Elysia, who was dressed in overalls, and Gracia who had a hamper and a box of cleaning supplies.

"Jean, I'm helping you move!" Elysia said and flexed her little arms.

I stifled a laugh and said, "You sure are Princess. We'll get your room all ready so you can come visit as soon as possible."

Gracia announced, "I have lunch taken care of and supplies so while the deliveries are being made we can unpack your things from storage and spruce things up a bit."

I put up my hands in protest and said, "You're doing more than enough already Gracia."

"Nonsense Jean, I won't have you living someplace that's not spic and span, and I've taken the liberty of calling a few of the wives I know who take on cleaning for extra money."

I was a little indignant at this; "they" were doing it again.

"I can do those kinds of things for myself Gracia," I muttered.

Gracia rolled her eyes and said, "I know you can and Jim knows you can. If you would listen to reason... ". She hesitated, wondering how to phrase the next bit. "Wouldn't your time and energy be better spent on university, your friends, and yourself? Is it so important that you do your own laundry and clean your own floors?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "I'm going outside for a smoke. Sorry to be so pissy. I'll consider it."

She gave me some time to stew in my own juices, and then we headed over to the house.

*

We arrived at the house, I still had trouble believing it was my house and headed up the walk. Once we were inside Gracia set the box of supplies down and took the hamper I had balanced on my lap from me. She then opened the hamper, took out a thermos, poured a cup of coffee and thrust it into my hands. She rummaged through the hamper and pulled out a sandwich and put half in my free hand. She handed Elysia a cookie and she began to munch contentedly as a cookie before lunchtime was an unexpected treat.

"Are you done pouting? Eat something so you act like you're human," she said good-naturedly.

I took a sip of the coffee, sighed heavily and said, "After thinking about it the shelves in the study are awfully high and it is a big house. I always hated cleaning before. This wouldn't be a charity project for your friend, would it?"

"I assure you it wouldn't be," she said. "These women's husbands are away and they need something to take their minds off of that fact and you know how little enlisted men make. You'd be doing them a favor."

"In that case, it's a good idea because the last thing I would want to happen would be for you or Sciezka to be doing those sorts of chores for me. You are my friend and Sciezka is not my housekeeper or nurse, end of story."

"Well then it's settled. Speaking of the study, Roy had your things from storage delivered. We could go through them while we wait for the delivery men to come," Gracia asked.

"Oh, that stuff? I assume Breda and the guys packed that up, it's probably a mess unless Feury saw to the organizing," I said shrugging my shoulders. "It's nothing I really need at the moment. Just some mismatched dishes and kitchen stuff, uniforms and reading material."

"We could dust the shelves in the study and sort through the books," she suggested.

"Gracia, there are a few novels and the rest is um, questionable material," I said.

"Questionable material?" Gracia asked with her best poker face.

I debated on how I'd phrase my next statement and said, "You know, under the mattress stuff Gracia."

Gracia gave me a blank look and I finally said, "Elysia, go look at your room, it's JUST down the hall."

Elysia perked up her ears at mention of her room and skipped down the hall.

Then I whispered, "I cannot believe I am telling you this Gracia, but I do not want YOU or Sciezka seeing it. It runs the gamut from porn, pin-up girls, dirty books, to whatever you want to call it Gracia. Lots of it."

Gracia just smiled and finally let out a guffaw and said, "After dating and eventually marrying Maes and knowing all of you for this long did you think I DID NOT know what you were referring to? I just wanted to see how many shades of red you would turn!"

I thought it over and half gasping said, "I should ship some of this to Breda as a practical joke!"

Gracia smirked and said, "Save some for Roy. Have it delivered to the office addressed from a 'Secret Admirer'!"

I pointed at her and no words came because I was laughing so hard at the image of the great Colonel Mustang opening a large box of porn in front of his staff.

Elysia came back in and I was doubled over in my chair and Gracia had a hand over her mouth barely stifling girlish laughter.

"What's so funny Mommy?" Elysia asked.

At this I let out another snicker and Gracia said, "Nothing Elysia, how do you like your room?"

We were saved from explaining by a knock at the door.

*

While Elysia and I dusted the lower shelves in the study Gracia split her time between playing Field Marshall to all deliveries and their set-up and making sure the house was up to her high standards. I was convinced that if she had the inclination to do so that she could become the next Fuhrer.

The house that had seemed so cavernous and empty that morning soon looked like a home with inviting furniture and the familiar lavender scent of Gracia's cleaning products. I peeked around the door of the study and said, "Gracia, where did you get that stuff?"

"It's a family recipe Jean. I come from a long line of herbalists," she said.

"So the sheets?" I asked.

Gracia nodded and said, "That would be lavender oil, sweet orange oil and a bit of rose water. Elysia calls it 'Monster Water', she uses it to keep away the Bogey Man."

"Well it certainly helps. I should have known there was some trick to your house being so soothing. Alchemists and doctors aren't the only people in Amestris who have all the secrets," I said with a chuckle. "Though Ed says Alchemy started in the kitchen and I'm convinced he's right."

Gracia blushed and said, "You did a lot of the work on the peaceful front Jean, give yourself some credit. But I did make enough of your 'favorites' to keep you happy for awhile here."

"Thank you, I think I'd go through withdrawal without it," I said.

The last of the workmen left around noon and Gracia took the hamper and placed it on the dining room table and we all had lunch. While we were eating Gracia gave me a progress report and miraculously other than making up the beds we were done.

"Gracia, you?" I asked in disbelief.

"All of the dishes are washed and put away, you didn't get THAT many," she said modestly. "The bathrooms are set up, all that's left are some finishing touches and hospital corners."

"I hate that term," I said scrunching my nose.

"Me too," Gracia said. "Let's get finished here and go home to pack up your room."

I agreed to her plan of action and we ate our lunch in companionable silence.

*


Once back at the house Gracia sent Elysia to the playroom to tidy up a bit and we busied ourselves with packing up the things I'd collected during my stay. Armed with only newspaper, orange crates and twine in a couple hours my life with Gracia and Elysia had been reduced to a small pile and a large duffle bag containing the things I would need overnight.

Gracia called dispatch at the motor pool and asked if a driver would mind taking us over to the new house, and if he'd mind terribly helping us carry a few things. She was assured that it would be no trouble at all and that someone would be over directly.

I surveyed my room and Elysia came over to me, patted my hand and said, "You can come visit all the time, and I love my new room. I'll be over a lot. We can have tea parties."

I leaned over, kissed her on the top of her head and mumbled into the mop of blonde hair, "I would like that very much Princess Elysia."

The driver at the door interrupted my contemplation. It was our usual driver and I was relieved. I said, "Hey, come in. I'm sorry, I never got your name."

"Kennedy, Staff Sergeant Michael Kennedy, Sir," he said and saluted.

"No need for formalities soldier. At ease," I said. "I just wanted to thank you for coming over and doing this on such short notice."

"Lieutenant Havoc, it's no problem at all. This detail is a plum assignment in the motor pool. Mrs. Hughes makes the best cookies," he said sheepishly.

"I remember those days, I was always after an assignment in this direction."

"Before I started this detail Sergeant Smith said you were in a bad way, I'm glad to see..." he trailed off.

"That I'm not such a sorry S.O.B. anymore?" I answered for him.

He gave me an apologetic look and said, "I'm glad to see that you're happy living here and that you are moving out on your own. The guys in the motor pool were worried for you. You're a good guy, it's hard to see something bad happen to one of your own."

I nodded and said, "Let them know I'm just fine, better than fine. If you see Smith let him know I feel like an ass for how I treated him."

Gracia and Elysia met us in the entry way and Staff Sergeant Kennedy started loading boxes into the car. I made my way onto the walk to have a smoke and think things over.

*


The crates were quickly unloaded and unpacked at the new house and just after dusk we arrived home. Gracia suggested that the three of us go out for something quick in the neighborhood and I agreed. It had been a long day and the weekend did not look like it would be any less tiring.

We left the house and as we made our way to a small café a few blocks away I held Elysia in my lap as I usually did when we were out. As we passed an old couple I heard one of them say a hushed tone, "What a sweet little family, but that poor young man, so tragic."

Gracia looked my way, waiting for the anger but it didn't come. I stopped and said, "To the outsider that is how it looks, I've come to accept that. Besides, they don't know me or how my life is. I'm honored that 'Old Bat' thought Elysia was mine, same goes for you."

Gracia ruffled my hair and said, "Ditto, Sciezka's a lucky woman and you know where Elysia stands on the subject of Jean Havoc."

"Jim made me very aware of that last night."

"Oh?" Gracia asked.

"Yes, he filled me in on the whole swimming lesson and he thinks that you are a very classy lady. But I bet you knew that," I said.

Gracia looked exasperated, but then smiled and said, "Dinner, now buster."

We continued to the café laughing and joking. Once there we were seated, ordered and ate without incident. I prayed to no one in particular that life under my own roof might be as placid as things had been under Gracia's roof.

When we arrived home it was almost time for Elysia to go to bed. In honor of the occasion she chose two bedtime stories after she'd had her bath and gotten her pajamas on.

Gracia, Elysia and I huddled together on the couch and read my last bedtime story as a resident in the household. When I got to, "And they lived happily ever after" I looked to Gracia and then Elysia, swallowed hard and said, "I think it's bedtime, goodnight Princess."

Gracia picked Elysia up and once they got to the stairs turned around and I blew Elysia a kiss and Gracia went to tuck Elysia in.

I made my way to my room, got ready for bed and as I was coming out of the bathroom saw the door open a crack. Gracia called, "May I come in?"

"'Course you can. I'm decent," I said.

I hauled myself into bed, scooting toward the middle so Gracia would have somewhere to sit and said, "Anything troubling you?"

"Not really, it's just that while I'm happy for you, at the same time it's bittersweet," she confessed.

"I know," I replied hesitantly. "It's nice having you both just upstairs, or Elysia in the playroom down the hall ready to show me something amazing to her... or cuddling before bed. Bittersweet is how I'd describe tonight."

Gracia smiled and said, "You'll be just down the block, you can come over and read her a story every night if you want. Come over until you're sick of us."

"Likewise with my place," I said. "Goodnight, because thank you doesn't even begin to cover it."

Gracia pulled the duvet up to tuck me in as I settled into the pillows in one of her trademark nurturing gestures and I said, "Remember to take care of you too."

She turned out the light without another word and I was left alone with my thoughts in the dark until sleep came.

*