“May!” Edward said getting up from the couch to go give her a hug. “It has been a long time. What are you doing here?”
May and Alphonse looked at each other and just laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Edward asked.
May took Alphonse’s hand into hers and smiled. “Al convinced me to come back here once we were finished with his training in alchehestry. My clan doesn’t need me anymore especially since Ling kept his word and made sure they’d all be taken care of now that he’s become emperor and I missed you all so much…”
Edward gave his little brother a sly grin. “Oh I get it, you sly dog Al.”
Alphonse blushed. “You’re one to talk brother…” he said looking over at Natalie. “Oh! May, you haven’t met Natalie yet!”
Natalie got up and went over to stand beside Edward. “I’m Natalie Simon,” she said bowing her head slightly.
“May Chang, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she replied.
Edward put his arm around Natalie. “Yup and she’s going to be staying here now.”
Alphonse looked at them a bit strangely. “Staying here? Really? I have to admit, I didn’t even expect you two to come back…”
Natalie sighed a bit then smiled. “Well, yeah. This is going to be my home now since Edward asked…”
“I asked her to come back here and stay with me, forever.”
“You mean...?” Alphonse started.
Edward grinned wide. “That’s right.”
Alphonse grabbed Edward and Natalie and hugged them. “Congratulations you two! See Brother, I told you she would be good for you!”
Edward and Natalie just laughed as they hugged him back. “Thanks Al but what about you?” Edward said as they let go.
“Well, um…”
May laughed. “Nothing so grand, not yet anyway…”
Edward and Natalie both just shook their heads and Alphonse blushed.
“You know what, why don’t we make some lunch and we can all catch up on things,” May said with a smile.
“Sounds good,” Alphonse said. “Um, but first… Natalie, Brother, can I talk to you two first?” Alphonse asked sounding a bit nervous.
Natalie and Edward looked at each other wondering what he could possibly want to talk to them about without May there. Why did he sound so unnerved? “Sure Al,” Edward replied.
They both sat back down on the couch and Alphonse sat in a chair opposite them. “I don’t want to pry because well it’s really none of my business but um… while you two were gone… did you… um…” Alphonse couldn’t seem to vocalize what he was thinking.
“What is it Al?” Natalie asked.
Alphonse took a deep breath and tried another way to ask. “Well, while I was studying with May she taught me how to read people’s chi and well Natalie… Um… well to be honest I felt two very small, very faint ones along with yours when I hugged you earlier…”
Natalie and Edward looked at Alphonse then at each other then blushed a deep shade of red. “Wait, are you saying…?” Natalie started as she put her hand on her stomach.
“But it was just that one time…” Edward said. “And it wasn’t that long ago, how could there be anything there to…”
Natalie just smiled softly. “I’m not completely normal and neither are you anymore Ed…” she said softly.
“You think it has something to do with the stuff that Serenity and Endymion told us about?”
Natalie nodded. “I think that’s exactly it.” She then looked down at her stomach and then over at Alphonse, the soft smile on her face. It would seem that Yuko had been right about the Gatekeeper not taking this from her. “Thank you for telling us Al…”
Edward put his arms around Natalie and hugged her close and she hugged him just as tightly. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.
Tears started streaming down her cheeks, this is the happiest she had ever been.
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