Scar can't help but feel rather fortunate these days.

There was a time where he couldn't sleep, so heavily plagued by the guilt of what he had done. For a solid two years after the Battle Of Central, he'd nightmares almost every night, the only way to soothe him after being his wife holding him close. As much as he loved those half-asleep cuddles, he must admit that a well-rested night is a fair trade off. Now that his nightmares have finally lessened, Scar finds he can sleep solidly throughout the night.

So when then is he awake at three in the morning?

The answer? He was shaken awake by a pair of tiny hands.

As he came back into lucidity, Scar recognises the hands as belonging to Nehemiah, his eldest son. A child of nearly five now, he resembles his father in almost every way, except for the shape of his eyes; they're shaped just like his mother's eyes.

Once he's fully aware of what's happening, Scar eyes Nehemiah with concern. 'My son? What's wrong?' He notices that the skin around the child's eyes is puffy, a sign that he's been crying.

Nehemiah frowns, fresh tears appearing. 'I had a bad dream, daddy. It was scary.' It seems as if Scar isn't the only one prone to such things.

Moving carefully as to not disturb his sleeping wife, Scar invites Nehemiah to sit on the bed with him, stroking his son's back soothingly. 'It's okay now. You're safe, I promise. Would you like to tell me what it was about?' Knowing his son like he does, Scar is almost convinced it's about his second son, Cheng. While Nehemiah has always been a sensitive soul, Cheng is as energetic as his namesake, always finding new and creative ways to irritate his older brother; Scar can't help but wonder if he used to treat his big brother the same way.

Nehemiah hugs his father's arm, his own far too small to fully wrap around Scar's chest. 'I h-had a dream that you…' He starts sobbing properly, so much so he struggles to speak. 'I-had-a-dream-that-you-and-mum-mummy-did-nt-lo-love-me-any-m-m-more.' Scar encourages Nehemiah to release his arm and sit on his lap, his arms encasing the small child with ease. That sounds like quite the nightmare, alright; Scar would be lying if he said he'd never had similar ones.

Still, now is no time to talk about his own; he has to calm his child down as quickly as he can.

Scar's voice is quiet, so much so that he has to lean down so that Nehemiah can hear him properly. 'I can promise you it was just a dream, Nehemiah. Your mother and I both love you and your brother more than anything else. There will never be a time when we don't love you. Nothing you or anyone could do will ever change that.' Nehemiah's tears begin to soak through Scar's vest, but he doesn't care. He just wishes he could make his son stop crying over something that will never come to pass.

Nehemiah sniffles a bit, but he seems to be calming down. 'What if- what if I did a bad thing?' Should Scar be expecting a confession?

He should probably ask Nehemiah about that. 'What bad thing have you done lately?' Knowing his sensitive eldest, it's probably things like 'I stuck my tongue out at Cheng after he got told off' or something equally ridiculous.

Nehemiah takes a deep breath. 'IsnatchedmytoybackfromChengwhenhetookitfrommepleasedontbemad!' Scar was right; ridiculous. Also, something Scar already knows about; his wife had told him all about the incident, which left Nehemiah in floods of tears after he realised what he'd done.

Scar sighs. 'I know about that. While doing one bad thing shouldn't warrant someone else doing another, it's not something that would make me or your mother love you less. Although next time, I think you should tell mummy before taking things into your own hands.' Then again, given that he's just started school, maybe Scar should be teaching him to stand up for himself…

Nehemiah relaxes a bit, before he continues to confess. 'I snuck my vegetables to Uncle Cheng last week at dinner.' Scar and his wife know all about that too; Uncle Cheng had told them, on the condition they didn't tell Nehemiah that he'd told on him. Honestly, the man is like a child at times; that explains why the boys like him so much…

Again, Scar sighs. 'I'd rather you just told us which vegetables you dislike so much. We just want to make sure you're eating properly.' Not to mention how much of a waste it is when others could have enjoyed the food he refused to eat.

To Scar's relief, Nehemiah smiles. 'Okay, I'll tell mummy. Um…' He seems to think for a moment, before deciding to confess one last thing. 'I hid mummy's bag the other day so she'd be late to see the doctor.' Now this is news to Scar. Both him and his wife had assumed she'd misplaced it due to her lax memory, a result of her current pregnancy. Baby number three will be here in a matter of weeks now, and while they're both looking forward to meeting the new arrival, this pregnancy has been a little more taxing that the first two. Scar keeps saying it's because they're having a girl this time, but his wife isn't convinced; they've made another nappy-related bet as a result.

This time, Scar pulls back, looking at Nehemiah with his sternest expression. 'Tell your mother where it is first thing in the morning. That was a very foolish thing to do. You know she needs to see the doctor to make sure the baby is healthy. Why would you do such a thing?' He's sure Nehemiah is going to cry again, but he needs answers.

Sure enough, Nehemiah starts crying again. 'B-because I don't want another brother or sister! You won't love me when it arrives! You only have love for two children, not three! It's going to replace m-me!' Of all the…

Scar holds his son just a little tighter. Of course, he should have realised this sooner. He's too young to fully understand how love works. He probably thinks it's finite, that his parents are in danger of running out of love when he has siblings to share it with.

Even if he's too young to understand, Scar has to at least try to explain. 'Listen to me, Nehemiah. Love… it doesn't work like that. In my heart, I have lots of people already. There's you, your brother, the baby, your mother, Uncle Cheng, my brother, and a few others that I've met in my life. Your heart is never full though. There's always room for one more. Your mother and I could have ten more children, and I'd still love you just as much as I do now. Love isn't something you spread like butter on toast. It's more… vast. Like the desert or the ocean. Does that make sense?' He hopes so, at least; his wife is far better at explaining love than he is.

Nehemiah hums through his tears. 'I suppose… it does… but I'm confused, daddy. You don't have a brother?' Well, this is a story Scar had hoped to tell his son when he was a little older. Oh well, there's no time like the present…

Scar sits back a little, taking in a breath. 'Did I ever tell you the story of your birth?' Technically, this is about his creation, but Scar's not going to open up that particular subject if he can help it.

Nehemiah nods. 'I was born in a tent not far from here, because you and mummy didn't have a house, so Uncle Cheng built you one. Is that right?' So he's heard that part? Probably from Cheng…

Scar hums. 'That's right. I was with your mother as she brought you into this world. I heard your first cries, saw you look at the world for the very first time. Our miracle, a gift from God. But do you know why we were homeless?' It's a silly question; why would he?

Nehemiah seems to think a moment. 'I think Uncle Cheng said it was because you used to travel a lot, so you didn't need a house. Then you made me, so you had to make one because you didn't want me to have to move about all time time.' Is there anything Cheng hasn't told his son?!

However, as the Xingese madman-turned-Uncle omitted a few details, Scar still has a story to tell. 'Not quite. You see… your mother and I were both born in Ishval, but we had to leave because there was a big fight here. A lot of our people died, and most of the buildings were destroyed. My big brother, your uncle, died in a district not too far from here. He died saving my life. Without him, I wouldn't be here.

'Your mother and I didn't know each other then. She settled down in a camp Near East City, assisting the camp healer. I travelled around Amestris, anger fuelling my every step. I… I did a lot of bad things, hurt a lot of people, so one day, some people decided to hurt me back. That's when I first met your mother, her beauty so striking I thought God had sent an angel to care for me. She treated my wounds, healed me, and when it was time for me to leave, she came with me. Even though I kept hurting people, she never left my side.

'Over time, I fell deeply in love with her, the angel. Somehow, despite everything, she fell in love with me too. She taught me that I was fighting the wrong people, that there was true evil in this world that I had to stop.

'So I stopped. I stopped being so angry at the world, and I started trying to make it better. As a reward, one night while I promise your mother I would marry her, God gave us you. Your mother… she didn't tell me about you straight away. She was worried, just like you are, that my love might not stretch that far. But the moment I knew, the moment I felt your tiny body moving inside her, I loved you. I loved you both, and I would do anything to keep you both safe.

'So, when the bad things in Amestris got too bad, when I thought I might not win, I told Cheng to take you and mummy somewhere safe. So he did. I kept you safe for me, while I made the world safer for you. And once it was safe again, he gave you both back to me.

'As a thank you for everything me and the other Ishvalans had done to help against the bar people, Amestris promised to help us rebuild here. So we did. Even if we did have to live in a tent while we waited for a house, we returned here. We're rebuilding here right now, and it's because of your mother. If she hadn't loved me when no one else would, none of this would have happened. You and your brother wouldn't exist, and I'd still be fighting the wrong people.

'So that's the story of your birth. You are here because God saw how much we loved each other, and knew there was enough love in us to love children, too. As for you Uncle, I think he's up there with God right now, still watching over me. In fact, as much as this is your mother's doing, if your uncle hadn't loved me so much that he'd given his life in exchange for mine, I wouldn't be here.' Scar smiles tenderly at that thought. Knowing that his brother will always be with him has been a great source of comfort throughout his life, and even now, he's sure it always will be.

Nehemiah yawns loudly. 'That was a good story, daddy. I'm very sleepy, can I sleep in with you and mummy tonight?' Perhaps that would be best. If nothing else, it should stop the nightmares from retuning…

Scar shifts again, making space between himself and his wife. 'Just this once, alright? I'll make sure to keep the bad dreams away now. Go to sleep, Nehemiah. You have a busy day ahead tomorrow.' Specifically, a school visit to the temple Scar had once tried so show a two-year-old Nehemiah. He only hopes he's more interested now that he's older.

Nehemiah snuggles in between his parents, hesitates for a second, then gives Scar a kiss on the cheek. 'You're the best daddy in the whole world. I love you so much. I'm going to tell all of my friends how my daddy loves me more than anything! You even love me more than chocolate! You do love me more than chocolate, right?' In truth, Scar doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, so that's hardly a fair comparison.

Scar smiles, leaning down to plant a kiss of his own on Nehemiah's forehead. 'Even more than chocolate. Goodnight, my son. Sleep now, knowing that your mother and I love you more than life itself, and that nothing will ever change that.' The child smiles, before he falls into a deep sleep.

Scar relaxes a moment, trying to calm himself enough to sleep. Hearing his son say such things about him always makes him feel so emotional, as if everything he's ever done is okay, because it lead him to this life. Lead him to start a family of his own.

He's about to sleep himself, when a feminine voice calls out to him. 'He's right, you know. You really are the best father our children could have asked for.' His wife is awake? A pity. The baby has been restless lately, he was hoping she'd be able to get at least one full night of sleep.

Scar's voice is contrite. 'I didn't mean to wake you, my love.'

His wife only sighs. 'Bold of you to assume it's you who woke me. No, a certain someone trying to use my organs as kicking practice did that just before Nehemiah walked in. I would have spoken to him myself, but he seemed quite intent on speaking with you.' Scar is certain Nehemiah wouldn't have minded which parent he spoke to, but his heart jolts when he realises that it's true; his son came to him for comfort, rather than her.

Trying not to let it show just how much that means to him, Scar chuckles. 'I'm sorry our youngest has it out for you. When she's born, I'll make sure to buy her a ball instead.' He's just happy this baby is as active in-utero as the others; it's a good sign that it's healthy.

His wife sighs. 'I should probably just accept that you're right, shouldn't I? Still, I'm not disappointed. It'll be nice, having at least one of each. I hope this baby looks like me this time. So far, we've had one that looks like you, and one that looks like… well, he looks just like your brother, right? Little Cheng?' It's uncanny. Cheng is the spitting image of his brother, minus the glasses. If Cheng ever needs glasses though…

Scar nods, even if she can't see him clearly in the low light. 'That he is. I'm sure this next one will take after you.' Is that something that bothers her? That both children so far take so heavily after his side?

His wife chuckles. 'I hope so, if it's a girl. I can't imagine what you'd look like as a little girl!' Scar can; it's not the best thing he's ever imagined.

After a few moments, Scar's wife speaks again. 'You know, hearing what you said to Nehemiah reminded me of something I said to you once. Do you remember what it was?' Scar grunts in confusion, so she continues. 'I told you we had no way of knowing where we'd be in five years. It's been about five years since then, and look where we are now. Married, with our own home, two children, and a bump ready to drop before we know it.' A good life, the kind Scar is happy to live. But he has to ask…

'Is this the life you imagined for us?'

His wife takes a moment to think before answering. 'No, it isn't.' Scar's certain he can feel his heart breaking now. Is this life not what she wants? Is this not a dream that they share?

To his surprise, his wife reaches over their sleeping son, and takes his hand into her own. 'It's so much better.' Scar's heart fixes itself in an instant, settling down again.

He falls asleep not long after, dreaming only of the happy future his family is sure to have.