Hana Greenfield stared forlornly into the mirror at the swell under her dress while she smirked sadly at her reflection. She could hardly remember the last time she had worn a dress... and now here she was, left without a choice in the matter. Her reflection sighed as she gently ran a hand across her tired face. Under her misty grey eyes lay dark patches of sleepless nights and restless days, while her skin clutched desperately to her face, whining for nourishment and sun. When was the last time she had gone outside? In fact, what was the date? When had she last looked at a clock?

A knock sounded on the door, startling her out of her reverie. Who was coming to visit her? When had she last seen anyone? Quickly, she tugged futilely at her clothes, trying to look as presentable as possible. Her bare feet sounded like trumpets in her ears as she waddled as quickly as she could to get the door. A second knocking came just as she reached the door, and a surprised looking Kiyoko Elric backed quickly away as Hana pulled the door gingerly open, careful to avoid her enlarged stomach.

"Hana! How are you!? Should you be out of bed so far along in your term?" Kiyoko asked in concern as she stepped inside.

Hana was almost irked by the comment from her younger friend. But then she remembered Kiyoko had been through this twice now. She should know.

Instead, Hana simply shook her head. "No. I need to get up... I've been doing nothing by laying around the house for weeks. I can't sleep, and the morning sickness is coming more often..." she paused briefly to rub her stomach, a painful look in her eyes. "...I can't stand it any longer."

Kiyoko placed the basket of apple she had brought on the table and gave her ginger-haired friend's shoulder a light squeeze. "Don't worry. You already passed your due date, right? The baby will probably come any day now. Alphonse said he checked up on you yesterday and you were doing fine, but I was worried, so I decided to come over today. Piro and Erika are out with Al today, and the apple tree was perfect for harvesting, so I thought I would bring some over for you."

Hana barely heard anything but a distant and pleasant humming as Kiyoko unloaded her basket. Had Alphonse really come only yesterday? Hana thought back, desperately trying to remember the events of the day before. Al's visit had seemed like months ago....

What was wrong with her?

"Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Hana blinked, trying to clear the fuzz from her eyes, and the cotton from her ears. "Hm? What was that?" She asked, furrowing her brow in consternation.

Kiyoko gave her a concerned look, placing her hands on her hips, her honey-colored hair falling gracefully about her face. "I said, don't you think that coming to stay with Al and I would be a good idea? We could have so much fun! Piro and Erika would love it, I'm sure."

Hana nodded submissively, not really sure what had been said, but understanding it as an attempt to help her.

Suddenly, without warning, her head exploded into a chorus of bells, erupting from her skull. With a scream and a chime, her world went black.

~*~*~*~

Hana opened her bleary eyes, as a dull pain throbbed in her head, causing her to wince slightly. The harsh florescent lights harassed her pupils and she had to blink several times before she could tolerate the sight. Wait... florescent lights? Where was she? Slowly she began to sit up, her stomach protesting with little taps and kicks, and her brain beating itself against her skull.

As her eyes began to focus, she became aware of people standing around her. There was Kiyoko clutching Alphonse's arm tightly, and Jet Huges watching another figure warily, her arms crossed defiantly across her chest as usual. The fourth figure was wearing a long white coat, his hair slightly silvered, and he was checking the contents of an IV drip, whose tube snakes suspiciously towards her arm. Without understanding, she realized that it was connected to her arm. She continued to stare at her limb, trying to comprehend what was happening.

She felt a pair of hands grasp her shoulders ans she looked up to see Kiyoko saying something to her. Hana could tell she was saying something, though her words were distant and muffled, as if she were talking through several thick blankets. As she continued speaking, the noiseless word which Hana seemed to be inhabiting began to deteriorate. It was as if every syllable smashed against this strange barrier and was cracking it, bit by bit, piece by piece, with every hit. Jet was grasping the hand rail on the side of her bed, and Alphonse stood awkwardly at the end of the bed looking concerned. They too were saying things, each word coming closer and closer, slowly but deftly defiling her perfect silence.

Finally, she could hear actual words. Every now and then, an "at" or a "the" manged to push its way to her ears, but still nothing of consequence reached her. That's when she heard it. The word she hated, the place she despised, the home of bad tidings and pain: Hospital.

With that one word, every sound came flooding back towards her, all at once.

She reeled back, writhing, as the beep of the EG machine filled the gap where only her heartbeat had dwelt. She writhed as the voice of her friends chorused in surprise around her and struggled with the shout of the doctor for his staff.

She was in a hospital! The room began to twist and transform, and swirl around her. She had to get out! She had to leave! In her dazed and deranged state, the bed had elongated to the horizon, and the rail seemed to stretch to the heavens, stranding her in the pit of hell. She scrambled about madly, trying to find a way out , thrashing around in her blankets which tightened around her like boa constrictors around their prey.

"LET ME OUT! I HAVE TO GO! I CAN'T BE HERE! HELP! HELP!" she screeched, clawing at her face. She dove towards her arm to try to rip out the IV, but Jet was there holding her back while Kiyo tried to calm her down, trying to get a hold of her frantic friend.

"NO! STAY AW-!" Hana cut off just before she finished her sentence and slapped Kiyoko, a look of pain and shock on her face.

Kiyo looked from her friend to the doctor who was briefing the nursing staff and snapping on a pair of gloves. Kiyoko looked back to Hana's face and knew exactly what had happened.

"It's COMING!" She screamed, as Hana let out an unearthly yowl, which shook the bones of all present, and would haunt the patients in the surrounding rooms for years to come.

~*~*~*~

Hana's hair was sticking to her face as sweat dripped from every pore. Her body ached, and pain occasionally swelled up inside her head, but she didn't care about any of that. All she cared about was the singular figure in the room, holding a warm little bundle that cooed softly.

It was a dream, she concluded. Here she was, laying in a hospital, and he was there, with a baby in his arms, and the sun was shinning through the curtains. She didn't hear the drip of the IV, or the beep. Beep. of the EG machine. It wasn't the deafening and oppressive silence from earlier either. No. Every one of her senses was trained on the man holding her child.... his child.

She remained speechless, sitting up, watching them silently. Hana didn't know how to break in. They were so connected in that tiny piece of time, a time which seemed to stretch across all of forever.

Eventually, then man looked up, and the sun caught his eyes which burned with passion and guilt. He smiled slowly and softly at her. "Hey there." He looked back down at the baby, nuzzling it gently with his nose. "Wanna go see your mother now?"

The cooing continued from the baby.

He looked up and walked carefully over to her, holding the child in his arms like the most beautiful and fragile thing he had ever held. Hana reached out tentatively towards her child, a small and wonderful gasp escaping into the atmosphere as she drew the child into her arms.

Looking down, she saw a pair of beautiful blue eyes shinning back out at her, with small and wispy golden locks curling out from the head. The little mouth with it's cherry red lips.... perfection. It was obvious from the start that she was holding a little girl, with slightly chubby cheeks, and adorable baby dimples. Her little baby.

"She's a tough little thing, like you."

Hana looked up a the sudden intrusion into the world she now shared with her daughter. "What?"

The man smiled. "She's tough. Gave a lot of people quite the scare. She was practically kicking her way out when I got here." He chuckled slightly, then looked towards her, his eyes full of unsaid words. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."

That was all he said, and that was all he need say. She wouldn't put up with any excuses, a fact that he knew well, and she, in turn, knew he wouldn't let himself live it down for years.

She smiled, forgiveness showing on her face. Her eyes told him though, that this would be discussed later. But now was not the time for that. Now... they were a family.

Edward Elric leaned towards her and pressed his lips gently against hers. "I ... I .... I really missed you." he muttered, whiping her head with his sleeve.

She had missed him too.

"What day is today?" she asked suddenly, looking up at him with a renewed vigor. This is the question that had started her whole day... she might as well get in answered now.

Edward smiled and cocked his head slightly. "Today?" He asked, amusement dancing through his voice. "Today is April 10th. Mother's Day." He smirked at the irony.

Hana looked shocked for a moment before a small smile grew on her lips to match his. How appropriate. She looked down at her child and smiled. She leaned in close to nuzzle her and whispered, "Well, Miss Emma Korrina Elric, you gave me my first present without even knowing it eh? How about that. Just as oblivious as your father."

"Hey!" Edward laughed, "I'm not oblivious! Just a little forgetful, is all! Jeez..."

Hana began rocking her baby and smiled up at her husband (who's last name she did not share) and grinned. "Well, at least you're not short anymore. Let's hope Emma here got my genes for that one!"