December 27th, 1936

Edward was always grateful, especially lately, for a quiet family meal at home: just him, Winry, and the kids. Winry had been out of the hospital for three months now, and life was finally settling back down to normal. Consequent doctor's visits had shown nothing but improvement and healing on Winry's part. As time passed, Ed had finally been able to relax. Winry was fine and cleared, aside from a couple of appointments that were more caution than anything else, and life in the Elric family was surprisingly uneventful, which was good considering! Al and Elicia had plenty to do getting ready to bring a second child into their home while keeping up with Will's ever more creative toddler antics!

Tonight was one of those less hectic nights. After a long hard day of evaluative sparring with students – which Ed much preferred over the doldrums of paperwork – a hearty meal and family time was definitely what he wanted!

As they sat down to dinner, Sara babbled on about what was going on at school, and something her friend Lessa had been telling her, in between bites of food while Aldon tried to explain to Winry about something he wanted to build using spare parts. Okay, so perhaps it was only quiet by Ed's standards!

Things got a little quieter briefly when Winry brought out dessert.

"Ice cream!" Aldon grinned, digging in hungrily. Sara ate hers with equal enthusiasm.

"You'd think we never feed them," Ed laughed as he dug in himself. It was covered in fruit, and he liked it that way. Ice cream, another one of those strange cases where something tasty could come from milk! Especially if it were mixed with other flavors.

"They're definitely yours," Winry teased, smiling softly.

Ed chuckled. He wasn't going to dispute that! "So how was your appointment?" he asked between bites. The table was finally quiet enough for conversation. Earlier that day Winry had gone in for her last check-up.

"Oh, it was fine," she replied. She sounded a little reluctant though.

Ed looked up immediately. "Is something wrong, Winry?" The last thing he wanted was more bad news. What if something had come up since the last visit that Stevenson had just caught, or had missed the last time?

Winry shook her head and smiled. "No, Ed. Nothing's wrong."

Relieved, Ed went back to eating. "So what did Stevenson have to say then?"

"He wants to see me in another month," Winry said.

"What for?" Ed swallowed his food. "I mean, if you're healed up, what's the point? Or is he just being over-cautious?" Not that he'd blame Stevenson in this case; not when it was about Winry's health!

Winry looked like she might dodge the question, but after a moment's thoughtful expression, and apparent nerves, she smiled. "We're having another baby."

Ed sighed in relief as he took another bite. "Oh, that's all. W-wait WHAT!" It was a good thing he hadn't been drinking, the spray was bad enough as it was and he nearly choked on a strawberry. "How did that happen?!"

"DAD!"

Ed looked over at Sara, who was giving him the most withering 'oh come on' expression he had ever seen. Belatedly, he remembered Winry telling him a few months back that she and Sara had had 'the talk.' Now, he wondered exactly what Winry had told her that his daughter was glaring at him with 'that' expression!

"Sorry," Ed wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Dumb question."

"What?" Aldon looked between them, clearly confused.

Winry looked mildly amused. "It's all right, Ed. That was kind of my response when Stevenson told me too."

Well, at least Ed wasn't the only one surprised! "How far along?"

"About ten weeks we think," Winry shrugged. "Maybe a little less."

Ed knew it wouldn't be more than that. Winry had been in the hospital if they went too far before that. Of course, after she'd gotten home, and they had finally had some private time all to themselves, they had well…celebrated their reunion! "How many smug looks am I going to get the next time I walk into that man's office?"

"Oh not many," Winry chuckled, relaxing. Apparently, she hadn't been sure how he'd react. "Maybe a lecture about the proper care of patients during recovery though."

In truth, Ed wasn't entirely sure how he should react. He was still kind of in shock. It wasn't that he was upset, he really wasn't, but it was kind of out of nowhere. He and Winry had never really said they were done, but with Aldon six years old, they really hadn't been expecting another one; they certainly hadn't been trying. Usually they were a little more careful! He was about to answer that he'd been gentle, when he swallowed his response. What could he say in front of the kids?

Fortunately the children were excited and ran right over his hesitation.

"When will the baby be born, Mom?" Sara asked curiously.

"Mid-summer," Winry replied.

"Do you know if it'll be a brother or a sister?" Aldon asked eagerly.

"Not until it's born," Winry chuckled, patiently answering questions. She seemed to be taking it fairly well.

Of course, Ed thought, she'd had a little time to adjust to the idea already. Still, her calm over the whole thing threw him a little; the last two times she'd been pregnant, she had been much more irritable and difficult to deal with early on! This time, there had been no such clues.

"Ed?"

He blinked, realizing he had gotten so focused on his thoughts he had missed something Winry had said. "Sorry, what?"

Winry looked momentarily concerned, then sighed and shook her head. "Do you want any more?" she pointed at his empty dessert bowl.

"No," Ed smiled. "That's okay. I'm good for now." In truth, it was his mind that was full.

It wasn't until they were getting ready for bed a couple of hours later that Ed and Winry really had a chance to talk. Sara and Aldon had babbled on excitedly about the idea of a new little brother or sister until they were bathed and in their bedrooms.

Ed changed into shorts and sat down on the bed before turning around to talk to Winry.

"Edward?" she asked before he could open his mouth.

Ed smiled. "What?"

"Are you really all right with this?" Winry asked softly. She was already lying down on her side of the bed, though on top of the covers, in a soft blue nightgown.

Ed lay down next to her, slipping his arm around her shoulders. "Sure I am, Winry," he assured her. "More than a little surprised," he chuckled,. "But why wouldn't I be?"

"You were a little distracted earlier," she replied.

Was that what had her worried? "I could hardly get a word in edgewise thanks to little mockingbirds down the hall," he pointed out. "You just caught me off guard. Why?" Another possibility occurred to him. "You're not upset about it are you?"

Winry smiled, snuggling her head into his shoulder. "No," she replied. "Not upset really; just stunned. I had kind of figured that if it hadn't happened by now it wasn't likely to happen again."

It was weird to realize that they were on the nearing-forty side of thirty-five now, but that was part of why Ed hadn't figured they would have another one at this point either. It was possible, but less likely. Still, another little one: Ed had treasured Sara and Aldon's first steps, first words, learning and experiencing the world in different ways. He still did; but there was something special about watching babies grow. "Still," Ed said, "I like the idea."

"You do?" Winry looked both startled and relieved.

"Yeah," Ed kissed her cheek. "I mean, why not? We make beautiful kids," he chuckled. "Sara and Aldon are great. We can certainly afford to take care of one more, and we have the room, though it'll mean cleaning out the spare bedroom and actually using it. Besides," he added, "It's a little late for me to have objections now isn't it?"

"Well, yes," Winry smiled, closing her eyes as she relaxed in his arms. "I'm just nervous, and it just feels, different from last time. Not that I remember every detail after this long," she admitted. "I guess with healing up, I'm just reacting differently."

"That can happen," Ed agreed, stroking her hair with his fingers. Everything had been thrown off in their lives by her unexpected injury a few months before. There was no reason to be surprised that her body was still compensating for things being tossed off-kilter, or reacting differently to hormones. She was several years older too. Some things didn't change though; Winry was obviously tired. "I'm sure you'll be snapping my head off in no time."

Winry peeked one eye open again as she looked up at him. "You sound like you're looking forward to it."

Ed grinned. "As long as I know you're all right, I would put up with any abuse, Winry." He had for all the years they had known each other so far!

"You're weird, Ed," Winry replied, closing her eye once more. "But I think that's part of what I love about you." Ed would have replied, but within seconds, Winry was fast asleep.

Ed decided to follow her example. The evening had taken a very surprising turn, one that was going to change their lives yet again, though this time for the better. The more he thought about it, the more excited Ed became about the prospect of another child: just one more. Their lives were as stable as they could ever really be. Nearly losing Winry had reminded him of how life could still toss unexpected twists and challenges in his direction. Ed had learned from his past two experiences, and was still being reminded daily, how much he really loved being a father.

It was that last thought that followed him as he drifted off to sleep.

January 5th 1937

There was, unsurprisingly, plenty of good-natured ribbing when the guys at HQ found out that Winry was pregnant again. Breda even suggested jokingly that Ed had done it just to keep from being matched or outdone by his brother!

"Confirmed bachelors have no room to talk," Ed retorted with a grin when Breda and Havoc started really razzing. They were the only two left in the office who weren't actually married out of the 'original' staff that had come up with Mustang in the first place. As Ed considered it, he realized all the ones who had gotten married had kids now too, even if it was only one. Roy and Riza had Maes of course; Falman and Sciezka had their son, who was a teenager now – that was frightening! Armstrong and his wife had two daughters. Feury and his wife had a daughter who was a little older than Sara.

Ed really wasn't ready to feel old, much as he was finding he actually enjoyed 'settled.'

"Hey, I've got a girl," Breda protested.

"You going to marry her?" Feury asked with a chuckle from his desk, where the man was literally hidden behind piles of paperwork.

"Maybe," Breda replied, looking uneasy.

"Oh really?" Alphonse chuckled.

"What is this, the social hens club?" Roy Mustang commented sharply as he stepped out of his office and looked around. "I thought there was supposed to be work going on here!"

"Sorry, Mister President," Al was grinning. He had already known, of course, but had been good about not saying anything until Ed or Winry did.

You can discuss Fullmetal's virility 'off' the clock please," Roy gave them all a no-nonsense stare that quieted things down fairly quickly. Everyone knew Roy wasn't really angry, but it would look bad if anyone came in while they were goofing around. There were several 'yessirs' and some shuffling as people got back to work. "Was there any other reason you chose to interrupt my office?"

"Just to piss you off, Sir," Ed grinned as impishly as he could.

Roy sighed, then smirked. "Then call it mission accomplished."

"He's partially joking," Al stepped in then, holding out a thick envelope. "We wanted to bring up the most recent reports and testing scores from the program."

"Ah, excellent," Roy took the envelope and nodded. "Is there a summary in here? The Assembly wants a report this afternoon."

"Done," Ed nodded. He'd finished it just before coming upstairs. "It's right on top; along with the recommendations for the adjustments to the budget to allow for expansion of the program." It had grown steadily, and that meant more students, more classrooms, and more needs, even if they weren't taking more students in a year from the Exam results. Several were starting to stick it out for more than one year through the entire program. Very few alchemists were showing up to take the test that hadn't gone through the course; because it had been proven to be effective. While they didn't have a hundred percent success rate – there were still students who left and tried things they shouldn't –there had been no major alchemical issues such as the ones that had been allowed to run rampant under Bradley.

"Thanks," Roy nodded, pulling the documents out and looking over them. "This is just what I need. Good work. Ah, I see your evaluations of the other teachers are in here as well."

Ed nodded. He and Alphonse had, over the years, had to include more teachers to cover things, though they still did the majority of the teaching and evaluating themselves. They had enough former students now capable of assisting! It also helped to bring in other alchemists. Armstrong was still their primary third, but the 'three Ms' and a few other alchemists were essential to keeping things up. Especially since Ed had, begrudgingly, started to delegate more work to reduce stress on his part.

This meant, of course, that Ed passed off as much lower level paperwork as possible, trying to leave the parts of his job he enjoyed for himself! "They are," he nodded. "Anything else you need?"

"You still on the schedule for tomorrow's late meeting?" Roy asked, looking up at him meaningfully. Ed managed not to chuckle. He, Al, and Roy had plans to go out, have a few drinks, play a little pool, and just relax. He had gotten Winry's okay on it; she wasn't nauseous much this time around except some in the evenings, and ready to go to sleep by the time Aldon and Sara were in bed the last few days! Still, she'd told him to go have a good time. Alphonse had similar approval from Elicia who, at six months pregnant, was no more interested in a late night out than Winry!

"We'll be punctual, Sir," Alphonse replied with a formal nod, though Ed could tell he was trying not to laugh.

"Good. We'll be working late. I expect it to be a productive session. These look fine," he gestured back to the papers. "We'll discuss the rest later."

Ed and Al nodded. "Yes, Sir," they replied in unison.

They both made it all the way back to the safety of Ed's office before they completely cracked up!

January 6th, 1937

"I feel like we're kids playing hooky from school," Ed chuckled to Al as they walked into the bar. It was relatively busy this evening but then that was the idea. Outside of uniform, they were mildly more inconspicuous. Ed, if no one else, was easily identifiable still as a 'short blonde guy with braided hair' but here they were only known as occasional regulars. With his hair pulled back in something other than a braid, and no red coat, he was just another guy.

"How would you know?" Al laughed. "Mom would have killed us both if we ever tried anything like that; so would Aunt Pinako." They had been late a few times, but they hadn't ever actually completely skipped school when they were still attending.

"True," Ed agreed as he looked around for Roy. "Izumi would have just pounded us!" But since that happened on a regular basis during their months of training, that somehow didn't sound like quite the threat now that it had at the time! Three great women who had all had their part in raising them, in shaping them; three women to whom Ed owed a great deal of thanks. Tonight, he'd remember to toast them in thanks. "Where's Roy?"

"I think he's already in the back room," Al suggested, gesturing toward the back of the building. This wasn't the military bar; but one further across town, rarely frequented by anyone in the military. It wasn't a bad place; it just wasn't anything spectacular, which made it perfect for their purposes.

They shoved their way through the crowd to the back room, which proved to be much quieter. There were still a decent number of people in there, but they were less rowdy than the crowd out in the rest of the bar. The tone of the room was quieter conversations, and the focus of the room included two pool tables. There was also a large fireplace at one end with tables for eating if you didn't want to sit at the bar and a few board games of various types on a shelf on the wall for anyone who wanted to do something semi-intellectual while they drank and talked.

Roy was already chalking a cue over near what they had come to consider their 'usual' table. While it wasn't on a regular schedule, he, Ed, and Al had started coming in and doing this a few years back whenever they could manage to get away. The only people who knew their 'scheduled late night work sessions' were actually spent hanging out at the bar were their wives, and they weren't talking!

'The military's best kept secret,' Ed had jokingly called it when they first started. They did get a lot of useful discussion in actually, but it was much more relaxed!

"Getting started without us, I'm hurt!" Ed laughed as he pulled off the black jacket he'd worn – in the name of not painting a target on himself tonight that said 'Edward Elric' – and tossed it over a chair.

"You're late," Roy smirked.

"I had two kids and a wife to put to bed," Ed retorted as he waved a waitress over and ordered a drink.

"One, and the same," Al laughed as he ordered as well.

"Excuses, excuses," Roy rolled his eyes as he tossed cues at Ed and Al, who both caught them easily. "Straight pool; your break, Ed."

"Great. I'm feeling good about tonight," Ed grinned as he set up his first shot.

"You said that last time," Roy pointed out. "And you only won half the games."

"Yeah," Ed replied. He didn't shrug. If he did, he'd bring his cue out of line. "But you paid for the food and the drinks!"

"I think it is Al's turn tonight," Roy pointed out as he watched.

Al nodded. "I've got it covered."

Ed hit the cue ball, and the balls split sharply. Right off, two went in. Yes, this was going to be a good night! "Good," he chuckled as he set up his next shot. "'Cause I'm starved."

"What else is new," Roy snorted.

"Seven in the corner," Ed replied, sinking the shot. He paused to consider his next move. The last ball hadn't lined up exactly the way he had hoped, but there were a couple of shots he could try for that were a little tricky. "And hey, one night every couple of weeks or so of real, unadulterated junk food isn't going to kill me." Really, there was no other word for cheap bar food; it was usually just that, cheap, often greasy, but oh so tasty!

This particular cheap bar, at least, had decent quality food, and drinks that were actually passable. After living so many years in Germany, and bumming around the rest of Europe, Ed had learned a thing or two about good drinks! Still, even nights out like this were done in moderation. The last thing he wanted was to ever leave himself prime for another ulcer or worse!

"Winry might kill you though," Al teased as he waited for Ed to make the shot. While he stood there, the waitress came back with their drinks, and Ed's order, and then left. She smiled playfully, but the usual wait staff in here, while they didn't know who they were, knew that all three of the men had women, and the girls didn't do more than look appreciatively and smile.

"Nah," Ed grinned as he looked down the cue. "I'm sure she'd understand. Twelve in the side." Crack, and sunk!

"This may be a boring evening," Roy yawned, covering his mouth with one hand and leaning back against the table.

Ed looked around the table. There wasn't another easy shot in place. There was actually only one he could see, and it was much tougher. "You better believe it," he grinned anyway, coming around the table to set it up. Really, their games usually went like this; whoever broke, if they broke well, had a good chance of winning. It was part of why they rotated who started each night! All three of them had the coordination, and the reasoning capability, to pull off some pretty complicated pool moves. "Two in the far right corner."

"You're nuts," Al replied.

"Ten thousands sens he misses," Roy smirked.

"No way," Al laughed. "I'm not taking that bet. The odds are too far in your favor."

Roy shrugged and grinned. "I tried!"

Ed lined it up, and shot, but it went about like he'd expected, missing by the merest fraction. But it didn't leave a good set up for the next player either. "Ah well. Your go, Roy," he replied, coming over to the table and picking up his beer. These evenings were mostly about relaxing; their little escapes into the normalcy most of the regular soldiers might enjoy, that Roy had once enjoyed in his youth, and Ed and Al had completely missed. And that was what he enjoyed most about it. If they had something Mustang actually felt needed talking about, it was also encoded in the casual conversation, and came up fairly early. Tonight seemed like it would be pleasantly uneventful.

Five long games, three slow beers, and two large plates of cheese slathered potato wedges later, Ed had won two games, Roy had won two, and Al had won one. It was nearing midnight, and Al was leading the last game by two shots. They were almost the only guys left in the room, though Ed could hear the serious drinkers still out in the main bar through the closed door. It sounded a little rowdy tonight, but that was all right. It didn't sound like a fight was brewing, so Ed ignored it. There had been a bar fight a couple of years back – one which Ed, Roy and Al had managed to squash in a matter of minutes – and things rarely erupted anymore. The bar owner was rather happy to have them as customers, even if he thought they were just regular guys.

Al finally missed one, and it was Ed's turn again. There were three balls left on the table. If he could sink them, he'd win for the evening. Ed finished off his last drink and started lining up his first shot.

"No pressure on this one, Ed," Roy chuckled.

"Oh don't worry," Ed grinned. "I've got this one." It was a tricky shot, but as always happened over the course of the evening, his game improved as he relaxed and his mind focused in on the game.

"No chance," Roy shook his head, smirking.

"Oh really? I win, you owe me another plate of fries," Ed retorted as he bent down low.

"I don't know how you can eat those things," Roy grimaced. "Those are disgusting; nothing but fat and grease. I'm amazed Winry lets you eat that stuff."

"My wife's not my drill sergeant," Ed laughed, taking the shot. Yes! Perfect, with a nice set up for the next one too. He moved around the table. "Or my dietitian." Okay, so the last part wasn't entirely true.

Roy just looked disgruntled. "Neither is mine," he replied. "The stuff just always goes where we really don't need it."

"That's why they call it 'middle' age 'Colonel,'" Ed laughed.

Roy sighed. "You little ass."

Ed smirked. "Thanks for noticing." It was a mean dig, but he couldn't resist.

"What? I…" Roy frowned; then his eyes went wide. "That's not what I meant!"

Ed stopped setting up his shot as he covered his mouth, laughing. Al was roaring. "Relax," Ed finally managed when he had himself down to chuckles. "But you should have seen your face!"

"Take the shot, Ed," Roy looked flustered, but regained his composure as quickly as usual. "We don't have all night."

"I know, Old Man," Ed was still chuckling as he got back into place. "Got to get you home by bedtime or you turn into a fossil. In the side." Another shot, another ball in the pocket. Now, for the eight ball. This was going to be a hard one. The angle was lousy.

"Looks like I won't owe you anything," Roy replied smugly, crossing his arms as he watched.

"Don't be so sure; eight ball in the corner." Ed replied. Okay, it was time to concentrate, focus; relax the hands. It was going to need to bounce at just the right angle there….four bounces. Wow this was going to be something. Steady, steady and…. Crack! The cue ball bounced once, twice, three times, and on the fourth, it rolled into the eight ball, knocking it just hard enough that it rolled lightly across the felt, and into the hole.

"Nice shot!" Al grinned as he put his cue back on the rack. "That's it for me. I've got the morning class. You want a ride home, Ed?" Al had driven them over to this part of town in the first place. It was just a little too far off the usual track for them to walk reasonably without extra time they never had anymore.

"Yeah," Ed grinned as he put up his cue and snagged the last bit of food off his plate. "You can cover next time," he smirked at Roy. He was done for tonight.

"Yeah, yeah," Roy rolled his eyes; then chuckled anyway. "Another age crack and you'll be doing all of my paperwork for a month."

"No thanks," Ed shrugged casually. "Not in my job description!" He shrugged on the black coat.

"Neither is this," Roy yanked Ed's hair as he headed for the door.

"Hey!" Ed rubbed the back of his head. "If you didn't like it, you should have said something when I was twelve." The only time it had been short since he'd grown it out while going through auto-mail therapy originally was after the Creta incident almost six years ago, and he had done his best to grow it out as fast as he could again afterwards!

"I did something about it once," Roy pointed out with a smirk.

"Don't remind me," Ed grimaced.

"That's enough you guys," Al shook his head as they filed out the door and through the rest of the bar. "You're worse than brothers."

Roy and Ed exchanged glances. "You want to assign him menial labor or should I just plant embarrassing photos around the house for Elicia to find?" Ed suggested with a smirk.

Roy laughed. "You'd do better to plant them around the office."

"Good idea!" Sadistic; Ed liked it.

"Hey!" Al objected, sounding a little more worried. "That's not fair."

Roy and Ed shrugged almost in perfect unison. "All's fair in war."

"But this isn't war!" Al objected.

Ed smirked. "That's what you think." He was kidding of course, but he'd let Al sweat about it for a few days before he let him in on the secret!

April 10th 1937 (3 months later)

Winry wasn't entirely sure if she was actually hearing it or dreaming. There was the pattering of falling rain, and the distant sound of the phone ringing. Beside her Edward shifted, and she heard his distinct steps as he went downstairs to answer the phone.

So she probably wasn't dreaming then. Reluctantly, she opened one eye and tried to gage the time in the rainy morning light. The ringing downstairs stopped, and she heard Ed's voice, though she couldn't make out the words. She really didn't feel like moving. Their bed was warm and soft, and the soothing sound of rain made her want to doze off again. It wasn't a work day. She didn't have to get up; and while the baby in her belly wasn't wiggling, punching, or kicking, she was not inclined to wake her! Or him, of course she had no idea what they were having; science hadn't been able to come up with a foolproof method for determining gender beforehand. Far from it!

"Winry," she heard Ed as he came back in the door to their bedroom. "You awake?"

"Sort of," she replied with a tired chuckle. "What's going on?"

"That was Alphonse," Ed said as he sat down on the bed. "Elicia had the baby this morning."

That was enough to bring Winry into wakefulness, moving just enough to be able to look over at Ed. "That's wonderful! How are they?"

"Fine," Ed chuckled. "Though Al sounded a little shell-shocked still. Apparently it was a pretty fast delivery; baby was here in five hours, born over an hour ago. Elicia's asleep now, but Al said we should come over and visit in a few hours."

"Of course we will," Winry replied, feeling a little impatient. "So, what is it?" she asked when Ed didn't immediately volunteer the answer to the most obvious question!

"Oh right," Ed laughed. "A girl; they've named her Alyse."

"That's pretty," Winry smiled. It was good news, and while she was glad to know, she was glad Alphonse had waited until a little later in morning to call! At least, she hoped it was later. "What time is it?" she asked.

"Seven," Ed replied. "You should get some more sleep while you can. Even Sara and Aldon aren't up yet."

"That's a miracle," Winry said, closing her eyes as she felt Ed slip back under the covers. He snuggled up against her back.

"Take advantage of it," Ed whispered in her ear, and Winry felt his hands go to the small of her back, massaging the spot that was always tight when she was pregnant. "I know I'm going to."

April 20th, 1937

Edward looked down at the transmutation circle sketched out on the paper in front of him, contemplating it. While he personally rarely drew circles anymore they had their uses, and different ones were necessary for a variety of purposes. He had spent years now researching different ways for using alchemy for defensive purposes, and other more useful, day to day applications. It was something he enjoyed even when it didn't come out to something overly useable or useful.

"Daddy, what are you up to?"

Ed looked up as Sara popped up behind him and looked over his shoulder. He smiled. "Just a little research. Did you need something, kiddo?"

"Actually, I had a question," Sara admitted, looking abnormally hesitant. Usually, Ed's headstrong daughter just said what she felt needed to be said right out.

"Shoot," Ed replied, setting down his pencil. He was curious what could have her so knotted up; and wondered if it had to do with the recent amounts of chaos their family had gone through not that many months ago.

Sara took a deep breath then opened her mouth. "Will you teach me alchemy?"

Ed blinked. "Well, that was a little out of left field," he admitted. Alchemy: It was something he hadn't discouraged an interest in with his kids, but he had made a point of not offering to teach them unless they showed genuine interest and inclination for it. The basics he was sure Sara knew and the principles behind it. That much it was almost impossible not to pick up just from listening to him and Alphonse, and sometimes Roy, talk shop. "Why do you want to learn?"

Sara bit her lip and fidgeted a little, but her face firmed up after a moment into a very familiar stubborn set that Ed knew far too well; it reminded Ed of him. "I want to be able to help people the way you and Uncle Al do, and fix things and problems people have and…."

"And?" Ed pressed the issue, hiding the fact that he was still a little worried by the question.

Sara managed a weak smile. Then she started talking quickly, obviously wanting to get her entire case out before the point she was sure Ed would cut her off, "And I think it's really neat. I know it's a big responsibility and it can be dangerous, but it's really fascinating and I've always wanted to and…"

"Okay, okay!" Ed chuckled, finally cutting her off. If he needed any evidence of her sincerity, he had it! And he couldn't really blame her. He was still too often excited by something in alchemy. He still got a kick out of using his skills. After those seven years without it, he had been briefly surprised at just how wonderful it felt to have it back; to feel like he was complete. He hadn't realized how strongly he had learned to identify himself with alchemy until that point. "Slow down, Sara. Can I talk too?"

"Oh…yeah," Sara stopped, and blushed. "Of course, Daddy. Sorry."

"It's all right," Ed ruffled her hair, chuckling when she grimaced. "If it means that much to you, I'm certainly willing to start teaching you."

"Really!" her eyes lit up.

"But," Ed held up his hand, "There are conditions."

Sara, to her credit, nodded and didn't try to object. "What are they?" she asked.

"If you want to be an alchemist," Ed began, considering his words carefully. Fortunately his years of teaching other alchemists were a big help here. If he hadn't thought Sara was a mature enough kid to handle it – she was ten now after all – he would have flat out refused. "Then you're going to have to be willing to submit to real training, and everything that comes with it; the same way Alphonse and I did."

Sara had heard their stories of training under Izumi, their time on Yock Island, Ed knew she knew what he meant. Sara's brow furrowed seriously, and she seemed to be considering that very hard, even though she nodded almost at once. "I understand, Daddy. I want to learn all of it, and I want to do it right."

Ed silently steadied himself before answering. This was a big step for him. In a way, it was more a sign of his daughter's growing up right before him than anything else. The last thing he ever wanted was for one of his children to repeat his past mistakes. But refusing her was only more likely to set her up for disaster later. At least if she learned it from him he knew she would learn everything. "Then consider yourself a student of alchemy," he smiled and stood, going over to the bookshelves. Reaching up, he pulled down a copy of 'Basics of Alchemy.' It wasn't the copy he and Al had learned from of course – that had burned with their childhood house – but it was a copy Ed had picked up later. He turned and held it out. "Some of this should already be familiar, but we're starting at page one. Read the first chapter, and we'll discuss it when you're finished, all right?"

Book work; Ed couldn't have been prouder when Sara's eyes lit up and she practically snatched the book out of his hand. She nodded and grinned. "Thank you!" Then she tackled him, hugging him tightly.

Ed laughed and hugged her back. He had no doubts his daughter would be a capable and eager student; he just hoped she had better self control and perspective than he'd had at that age!

June 5th, 1937

Ed was a little nervous as he sat next to Sara on the floor of their living room. He had pushed the coffee table out of the way to make room for what they were about to do. He wanted plenty of space for this! It had been nearly a month and a half since he had handed over the alchemy book to his daughter; and she had torn through it with an eagerness he remembered well from his own childhood. He had quizzed her on each chapter as she went; making her draw circle after circle until he was satisfied that she did them accurately; she could recite for him all of the major elements, and all of the basic rules and principles of alchemy. She had even started joining him for simple morning workouts. Ed wasn't nearly as violent with her as Izumi had been with them; but then, his daughter wasn't likely to take that kind of treatment from her own father! She kept up pretty well too. Sara was ready, Ed thought, to be part of her first actual transmutation.

Winry and Aldon were out, so now seemed like a good time to get it done without interruption.

To start with, Ed had decided to have her do something very simple. She wasn't even creating stuff from elements. They were going to start with an uncomplicated repair job. "All right now," he said, setting a broken mug down in the middle of the circle he had just watched Sara painstakingly draw in chalk on the wood floor – she had a natural artists eye and a steady hand, so it had been pretty fast actually. "You remember when Aldon knocked this over last week."

Sara nodded, looking at the cup as if seeing it almost for the first time; studying it carefully. Good.

"Well, today you're going to put it back the way it was," Ed nodded. "Before we begin, tell me what you're going to do."

Sara considered the cup some more. "The first thing to do is figure out its components. It's a ceramic mug, so I know it's made out of a lot of silicates…" Ed listened as she outlined the basic make up of the mug, and what was involved in breaking it down and putting it back in its original shape by visualization. When she was done, she looked up at him hopefully. "That's right, isn't it?"

Ed smiled. "Sounds right to me. Are you ready to give it a try?" At Sara's confirmation, he stood and stepped back. "All right then. Go for it."

Sara got down at the edge of her transmutation circle and closed her eyes a moment, focusing on what was going to need to be done. Then she opened them again and placed her hands on the circle.

The familiar glow of a working transmutation filled the room, and Ed watched as the three pieces of broken mug shifted, bent a little, and then began to come together surrounded by the whirling light generated from the transmutation. It took nearly half a minute, but when the light faded away there was the mug, sitting whole and good as new in the middle of the circle.

Sara was grinning from ear to ear, eyes wide. "It worked!" she exclaimed, then blushed, and looked up at him like a puppy, eager for praise, but fearing she might have done something wrong.

Ed wasn't sure if he had ever been prouder. His own excitement won out, and he grinned broadly. "It's good as new," he chuckled. "Nice work. You can show Mom when she and Aldon get back."

"All right!" Sara whooped, picking the mug up and taking it back into the kitchen, cradling it like a special treasure.

Ed bent down to erase the circle so Winry wouldn't complain about chalk on their good hardwood floors, when the phone rang. With a sigh, he stood and went over. "Hello, Elric residence? Oh, hi Gracia," he recognized the other woman's voice immediately. "What's up?"

Gracia sounded upset. "Edward, you need to get to the hospital. Alphonse is already on his way over there, but Winry was here and she was having some pretty serious contractions."

Ed blanched. "She what?" But, the baby wasn't due for a month and a half! "Are you sure?" This was bad. He had to force himself not to panic, but he still hadn't fully recovered emotionally from the strain of almost losing Winry.

"Yes," Gracia replied, and it was a sign of how upset she was that she sounded annoyed. "We're sure. Aldon is here with the rest of us. Do you want to drop Sara here?"

Ed was tempted, but he didn't want to take that much time either. "I'll keep her with me," he replied without a second thought. "She can sit with Al if necessary."

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Sara said, catching some of the conversation as she walked back into the room.

Damn it. Oh well. "I'm going, Gracia. Thanks for calling." Ed hung up, and hoped Gracia would understand his haste as he headed for the door. "Looks like your little brother or sister wants to come early, kiddo. Uncle Al's taking your Mom to the hospital." It was only after he said it that he realized how bluntly the words had come out. He turned, but was a little startled when Sara just hurried past him, grabbing her jacket off the rack, her expression serious but not panicked.

Together, they rode in silence down to the hospital.

When they got there, Al met them at the door. "She and Aldon dropped by on their way home," he explained quickly. "Winry wasn't feeling well, and then she was having pains and well," he shrugged, looking a little helpless. "Elicia and Gracia were both pretty sure her contractions were serious ones so…"

"Thanks, Al," Ed clapped him on the shoulder and then headed down the hall, Sara and Alphonse in tow. "Where is she?"

"This way," Al pointed past Ed. "Up the stairs."

It took only minutes to reach Winry's room. When they got there, Ed found it surprisingly quiet, and that unsettled him for some reason. Winry was lying down, and one of the doctors Ed knew who worked with Stevenson often was there, Doctor Gray.

"What's going on?" Ed asked, not bothering to pause as he came in the door.

The doctor looked up, scowling, until she saw who it was. "Mister Elric. Your wife has been experiencing pre-term contractions. We've managed to arrest them for now."

Thank goodness. Ed felt his chest muscles relax a little. "So everything's all right?"

The doctor didn't shake her head or nod either way. "For the moment. Things are stable, but we've seen this before in plenty of patients. In this case, given her relatively recent medical issues, it seems likely that any regular level of activity may well stimulate the same problem." Briefly she explained in more medical terms, which Ed was able to follow without much trouble. It wasn't that complicated for him.

"So she's stuck in bed till the baby comes?" he finally asked incredulously when the doctor was finished.

"For the most part," Gray replied. Winry, who was in bed, said nothing but she looked upset. "We're prescribing bed rest until she reaches full term; no working outside the house, and staying off of her feet as much as possible." She handed over a long sheet of instructions. "You can take her home tomorrow morning if things remain stabilized, and she and I have discussed all this. Doctor Stevenson or I will come visit you at home as well, so there's no need for her to go to the effort and strain of coming all the way here."

Ed had never considered it an effort to sit in a car and be driven to the hospital as a relatively healthy adult – and Winry had been vigorously so during both of her last pregnancies – but from his wife's embarrassed and upset silence, he knew it was serious. Winry wasn't objecting. "Yes, Doctor," he replied. Ed couldn't think of anything else to say. It wasn't as if they couldn't follow the orders; not with the safety of Winry and their child at stake.

June 11th, 1937

Ed knew he was being a bit of a coward, but when Stevenson came to visit Winry at the end of her first week on bed rest, he hid out in the kitchen and worked on making lunch for his wife. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in the room. Winry was trying to be patient, he knew that, but she was frustrated and scared and staying off her feet 'as much as possible' amounted to being allowed out of bed to occasionally bathe and relieve herself, with someone with her of course.

Gracia, bless her, had immediately volunteered to spend partial days at Ed's house, and Elicia had volunteered as much time as she could manage as well; easier in the afternoons, when Sara and Aldon were able to distract Will and at least keep an ear out for little Alyse if she cried.

But Ed still came home early most days, grateful that his brother didn't mind taking the extra load for a little while. He wanted to be where he felt he was really needed, and right now, that was home taking care of his wife! Winry had even been forbidden from working on auto-mail until the baby came and it was driving her crazy.

He tried to make things comfortable for her, but her frustrations were hard to deal with sometimes. She had already broken down in tears several times. Ed hugged her, stroked her hair, and spoke words of comfort, but he wasn't sure how much good it did. Still, he did it, and held his tongue when he wanted to snap. He was worried, and nervous, but Winry was what mattered. If she got up and tried to move around much, the contractions started up again. The doctor had assured them they weren't false contractions either, but definitely the real thing. So they waited, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the baby came and things could get back to normal.

Ed hoped that today's news would be good. Maybe Winry would be allowed up more, or at least things would have improved. Anything to make her feel better and a little less worried; that would reassure him that his wife and child were not in imminent danger!

"Smells good," Doctor Stevenson commented from the doorway to the kitchen. Apparently the examination was over.

"Thanks," Ed replied with a shrug as he stirred the stew in the pot; not the Rockbell traditional one, but something of his own creation. There would be enough to feed the whole family for dinner as well. He set the spoon down and turned around. "How's she doing, Doc?"

Stevenson shrugged. "There's been no real change. In this case, that's actually a good thing, but she's going to have to stay in bed. We need to keep that little one in there as long as possible." He looked sorry he had to say it, but Ed knew it wasn't like there was much the doctor could do about the situation.

"I understand," Ed sighed. "I take it she didn't take the news well?"

"Better than I expected," Stevenson replied honestly, "But no, not really."

Ed turned back to the food and spooned up a hot bowl of stew and put it on the tray he'd already set out. "Thanks for coming by."

"You know the drill," Stevenson commented. "Give me a call if you need me, otherwise I'll be by again next week."

"We will." There wasn't really anything else Ed wanted to say at that point. He heard Stevenson let himself out while Ed focused on the meal. It was something that kept him distracted, and kept him from breaking something in frustration. He got his own bowl, then added buttered toasted bread to the tray, and a tall glass of milk – something Winry craved a lot lately – and juice for himself, and headed upstairs.

The door to their room was open, which made it easier to get in with both hands occupied. Winry was in bed, leaning back against the pile of pillows Ed had arranged earlier so she could at least sit up and be more comfortable. There was a stack of books by her bed; some from downstairs, and a couple that Sciezka had brought by, though Winry wasn't reading anything at the moment.

When she looked up at him, Ed could tell she'd been crying. Her face was pale, the rims of her eyes pink. He put a smile on his face and hoped she wouldn't be able to tell how little he felt it. "Lunch time," he came around the bed, setting the tray down on the side table. "I hope you're hungry."

Winry sighed, but offered up a small smile in reply that Ed could tell she didn't really feel either. "Did you talk to Stevenson?" she asked without commenting on the food.

"Yeah," Ed picked up his own toast and took a bite. Lead by example right? "He said things are looking pretty good." Not a lie, not really. He'd said that no change was a good thing in this case after all.

"I'm still trapped," Winry replied, and she didn't seem to be trying to hide the bitter note that came out in her words. Her eyes were damp, and for a moment Ed thought she would start crying again. "I hate this. I don't want to do anything that will hurt the baby, but if I have to stay like this I'm going to go crazy long before it gets here!"

Ed swallowed his toast and set the rest down. "Hey," he stroked her arm. "I know it's hard. Just a little longer though. I know you can handle it."

The half-smile Winry gave him was a little more sincere. "Since when are you the optimist in this family?"

"I just know how tough you are," Ed leaned over and kissed her cheek. "And we're already both crazy, so I'm not really worried about that," he joked, trying to calm her down a little and lift her spirits.

"You're half right," Winry chuckled and actually reached for her bowl of stew; a good sign. She rested it on her stomach as she ate. Ed tried not to laugh; he'd seen her do it before and had gotten thwacked for shelf comments. "You'd have to be crazy to put up with me like this."

"Crazy about you anyway," Ed smiled, picking up his own bowl. He relaxed a little at the smile that brightened up his wife's face before she focused on her food. Ed was still worried, but as long as Winry wasn't stressed out, he would be okay. All that mattered right now was keeping her happy and comfortable a little longer. Maybe next week the news would be better.

June 22nd, 1937

"You were kind of harsh in there, Brother," Alphonse commented as they walked out of the classroom.

"It was a stupid question!" Ed exclaimed, clearly irritated.

"You didn't have to call him an ignorant moron," Al countered reasonably. Obviously Ed was not in a good mood today. He had been pretty lousy to spend time with at work lately in general. Their students had been tiptoeing around for the last couple of days since a particularly grueling work-out and sparring session Ed had run them through a couple of days ago, barking orders to match any drill sergeant.

"It was a really stupid question!" Ed retorted, emphasizing the last words.

Al sighed as they walked down the hallway. He noticed their students had all taken a different route! "You've been very irritable lately brother."

"I'm not irritable," Ed groused.

"And contradictory..."

"I am not...well, fine, I am that," Ed admitted. Al watched him take a deep breath, release it, and actually straighten up nearly an inch as he relaxed his muscles and stopped hunching forward. His stride evened out too and he looked immediately less menacing. "Sorry, Al," he sighed. "I'm just a little stressed out right now."

"A little?" Al chuckled. "Did you hear what they've been calling you this week?" There had been several murmurs and comments if he listened to their students when they thought no one was listening; Heartless alchemist and Metal-Heart had been two of the kinder ones. General Gruesome had been one of the better ones as well.

"Yeah, I heard them." Ed snorted and waved it off. "They're just a bunch of wimps."

"That's a little harsh," Al rolled his eyes. Even if Ed hadn't admitted to being stressed, anyone could probably tell. Lately Ed's more obnoxious tendencies came out under pressure more than anything else. "Two of them nearly passed out!"

"My point exactly," Ed smirked. Then the smirk faded and he seemed to deflate a little. "Damn, I'm doing it again."

"Let's get lunch," Al suggested. Food was always a good suggestion when it came to placating his brother, and even Al was hungry, so it was a good bet that Ed was too.

"Great idea." Ed immediately sped up a little.

Al followed, letting the subject drop until they made it through the line and found seating at the end of one of the tables. The place was full, and Al noticed that, while usually a few of their students would wave, or say hello, or ask a question - once in a while they would actually sit with them and talk - today no one, not even the other state alchemists they knew, dropped down beside them immediately.

Al had expected as much. While he couldn't blame their students for wanting to avoid Ed at the moment – most people did when he was in a foul temper – he knew the rest were just trying to give Ed a little space. Ed didn't take camaraderie and encouragement well when it came to touchy subjects and there were few secrets in the military. Most of the higher ups, and pretty much every alchemist, knew that Winry was pregnant, and things weren't going smoothly, and all of that on top of her near-death experience some months back. While most didn't know the details, they seemed to understand why Ed was acting like a particularly unfriendly attack dog and they had been, Al felt, amazingly tolerant.

Ed noticed too. "Hell, I've alienated everyone lately haven't I?" he sighed, digging into his food.

"They're just worried about you, Ed," Al shook his head. "And Winry. They care, but they don't want to make things harder for you either, and they're not sure what to say. But no, you haven't really been hospitable lately."

Ed mangled a bread roll and looked guilty. That was actually an improvement. "I'll try and rein in my temper," he replied between bites.

It became quickly clear that Ed wasn't going to volunteer any further insights into why he was wound so tight lately. The obvious answer was Winry, but that didn't help Al with the specifics. All he knew about Winry lately he was getting from Elicia, who was over there regularly. Al had been over a few times to chat with Winry and give them both his own support, but they hadn't discussed the problems. "What's really bothering you, Ed?" he asked finally. "Other than the obvious; you're handling this worse than usual, and it's just getting progressively more obvious every day to everyone we know." He knew it wasn't going to go over well, but Ed was getting more stubborn too.

As predicted, Ed glared at him over his plate. To his credit, he actually clamped his mouth shut and didn't say whatever smart response Al could almost see formulating in his brother's mind. Instead, Ed stuffed the rest of his roll in his mouth, swallowed it down with water, and shook his head. "I just… I need an outlet somewhere, I guess," he spoke quietly. "I can't at home. The last thing I want to do is make things more difficult for Winry. The house is supposed to stay quiet, and it should be calm, relaxing; not boring, but any unnecessary stress could be too much."

Just listening to the slight waver in Ed's voice, seeing how he tensed again thinking about it, Al understood the problem. Ed didn't want to be the cause of sending Winry into pre-term labor; he didn't want to risk losing their baby, and he was, as usual, shouldering that burden and stuffing down his own worries and fears. "You're going to crack if you keep this up you know," Al commented just as quietly. The ambient noise of a couple hundred men and women eating and talking covered their conversation well. "Winry can probably tell what you're doing, how you're feeling."

"Maybe," Ed shrugged. "She doesn't seem to. I just want the next few weeks over with, Al. We didn't ask for this. We didn't plan it. I'm thrilled that we're going to have another kid but…"

"You're scared," Al replied nodding. He didn't have to ask. "You're not the only one, Ed, but you can't take all the guilt either. Sure, the timing could have been better, but Winry will get through this; both of you will. Stevenson said things are still holding stable right?"

"Yeah," Ed replied, leaning back a little. His plate was empty. "He says that like that's good news, but it doesn't feel like it."

"Given the alternatives, it is good," Al said gently.

Al was still thinking about Ed when he got home that evening. Ed had gone home early, as he had for the past couple of weeks, so that meant Elicia and the kids would have beaten Al back to the house.

His own house was a peaceful haven compared to going over to Ed's lately, or even being at work. The place smelled like roasting meat and vegetables, and he was greeted by the enthusiastic streak of toddler that tackled his legs every time he came home. Not that he would be a toddler much longer with his third birthday fast approaching!

"Daddy you're home!" William giggled, hugging Al's leg as tightly as he could. "Mommy's got dinner ready!" he informed Al who laughed, scooping him up into a big hug and then transferring him up so his son could sit on his shoulders, one of his favorite places to be!

Al let Will 'ride' him into the living room, where Elicia was actually sitting in the rocking chair, their two month old daughter tucked up under her shirt, feeding hungrily. "And here I thought he meant dinner for the rest of us," he chuckled.

Elicia looked up and him and laughed. "That's ready too," she replied. "Though you can serve. I'm going to be here for a while I think."

"No problem, beautiful," Al leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek before he straightened up and headed into the kitchen. There, he swung Will down to the ground and watched as his son ran out of the room. It was a little like watching a moving picture of himself when he was little. They shared many of the same features, especially the eyes, and Will's hair was only a little lighter than Al's. It was always a joy to watch him play though, especially lately, because he was absolutely fascinated with Alyse.

By the time Al had dinner on the table, Elicia had finished feeding the baby. "I'll hold her," Al smiled as they sat down. Alyse preferred to be held most of the time when she was awake, and since she was only two months old, they were still inclined to oblige!

"If you don't mind," Elicia chuckled as Al eagerly took his daughter and cradled her easily in his left arm. He could eat one handed. He had gotten a lot of practice with Will! Besides, it always made him feel warm inside to spend time with his kids. He hadn't meant to envy Ed his family as he watched his niece and nephew grow and learn, but he had been very happy when he and Elicia had gotten married and had their own!

He stroked the dark hair on Alyse's head as she blinked up at him, her little eyes had already started changing colors from the blue of most newborns; they looked like they might end up green.

"I never mind," Al smiled back as he took a bite. "This is delicious."

"Thanks," Elicia smiled. "I wanted to try something a little different tonight, and Edward got home a little earlier than I expected, so I had time when I got home."

"How was he?" Al asked curiously, though there was a reason for asking. Ed had still been pretty snappy when he had left HQ.

"Fine," Elicia shrugged as she ate her vegetables. "He always is. Winry was telling me earlier today she wasn't sure how she'd have survived otherwise. He's been nothing but supportive and positive. She's right. I wouldn't say he was all smiles or anything, but he always seems to have things under control." She gave him a side-ways look. "Why do you ask? You see him every day."

"Because he's got half of HQ avoiding him for fear of being bitten," Al admitted with a sigh. "He's been irritable, short tempered, and downright rude lately. Anyone who has to deal with him is on pins and needles. Well, most of them." There were a few who understood and were just used to dealing with Ed's moods, or at least remembered when they were more prevalent.

"I didn't realize that," Elicia looked concerned. "Don't tell Winry, okay?"

"I have no intention of doing so," Al shook his head. "As long as Ed's behaving like that at work, it's not getting all bottled up inside. I'd be more worried if he was holding it all in. Neither of them needs any more stress right now."

"Winry's a lot less sure lately," Elicia nodded. "I know how she must feel. Being pregnant is tough enough when everything's going right! I'm sure seeing her like this has to be hard on Edward. Especially after what's happened this year already. I know we're doing everything we can, Alphonse, but I still feel like we should be doing more to help."

Al put his fork down long enough to give her hand a squeeze. "We're doing what we can, Elicia, and they appreciate it. You know that. As long as we're making things as easy for them as we can, that's all we can expect of ourselves."

Elicia nodded. "Still, I hope things improve soon."

"So do I." Al really wasn't sure how long Ed could keep up the act at home and, even venting all his frustrations rather spectacularly at work, he would burn out eventually. If he did, it wouldn't be good for anyone in the family.

July 3, 1937

Edward was handling things all right until they ordered him out of the hospital room. He had survived helping with Elicia's birth, and being there for the birth of both of his first two children, but he had never been forced to wait before and asked to leave. He had seen Roy's reaction to it when Riza's delivery of Maes had not gone smoothly, and he was pretty sure he wasn't handling the waiting any better!
Despite being essentially bed ridden, Winry's water had broken three weeks before her due date, and the contractions had come on hard and fast. Ed wasn't the best judge of things, but when Winry had been in tears, he was worried that something was wrong. He'd called the doctor, and they'd transported Winry to the hospital. Ed had been there for the first couple of hours, but then there had been some bleeding, and Winry was clearly in a lot of pain, and Ed had started to think he might lose it, or at least hyperventilate; panic seemed likely.

That was when Stevenson had ordered him out of the room.

Ed was still shaking. He looked down at his hands, hearing the slight rattling in his auto-mail arm. It had been a long time since he'd frozen up in panic, or lost his composure because of things that haunted him about his past; but he knew he wasn't handling this well.

He sat in the hallway of the hospital delivery ward on a metal bench, trying desperately not to hear Winry's cries in his head, see the blood, and hear the nurses and Doctor Stevenson discussing complications. It just made him shake more. He didn't want to go back to the waiting room where his family was. He didn't want anyone to see him like this.

"Ed. Are you okay?"

Ed looked up from his hands. He should have known Alphonse would come looking for him. His brother always did. "No," he replied after a long pause. "I'm not."

"Didn't think so." Al sat down next to him with a sigh. "How's Winry?"

"I…I don't know," Ed stammered, cursing himself for it, and the tears that were welling in his eyes. Yeah, here he was, sitting in a hallway crying; so tough. "But it's not good, Al. More damned complications, after everything she's been through with this one, and…" His throat seized up, and nothing else came out.

"She'll be all right," Al said encouragingly, ever the optimist. "Stevenson knows what he's doing, and frankly, you look like you shouldn't be in there right now anyway."

It rankled, but Al was right. "I'm scared, and I hate it."

"You've both been through a lot lately," Al continued calmly. "It's natural to be scared. I'm worried too you know."

"Yeah, I know." Ed sighed and used his sleeve to scrub his eyes dry before anyone else came by and saw him. Dumb that he cared what anyone thought right now too.

They sat in consoling silence together; Al knowing when it was time to just be quiet and let Ed be, and Ed grateful for his brother's comforting presence.

"Is anyone else here?" Ed asked once into the quiet of the hallway.

"Elicia took the kids home," Al informed him. "It's pretty late."

"Good," Ed nodded. It was better than them sitting around in the waiting room worrying.

"Gracia may still be here," Al added. "I haven't seen anyone else, but I think most everyone in Roy's office probably knows you're here." After all, Ed hadn't shown up for work at all today, and Al had been the one to inform Mustang.

Ed nodded. That didn't bother him. It was probably for the best. He had lost track of time. The hallway was mostly sound proof, and he couldn't hear what was going on in the next room anymore with the door closed. Nurses came and went though, and he felt entirely ignored. Finally he took to pacing the hallway.

Eventually, he gave in to temptation and pulled out his pocket watch, flipping it open to find out just how long he'd been waiting.

Four hours. He had been out in this damned hallway for four hours without a word! Frustrated, he slammed his palms into the wall, leaning forward, his forehead resting against the cold surface. Damn it! The stinging of the skin on his hands did nothing to ease the ache he felt inside.

"Maybe we should go back to the waiting room," Al suggested, walking up beside him. "A change of scenery might…"

"Oh shut up, Al!" Ed snapped, though he was immediately sorry when he saw Al's expression blank for a moment. "Sorry," he turned his head away. He couldn't take much more of this.

The door behind them opened. "Mister Elric," the soft voice of one of the nurses echoed slightly in the hallway.

Ed sighed and turned around. "Yes?"

The middle-aged woman stood there patiently, as if she saw angry, nervous men in the hallway every day. Of course she probably did given her profession. "Doctor Stevenson says you can come in now."

"That's it?" Ed griped. "All right." He pushed past her into the room, barely hearing Al behind him, apologizing for Ed's abrupt behavior.

The delivery room was quiet now, with only Winry and Stevenson inside. Ed relaxed a little when he saw Winry awake and alert – alive – and while she looked exhausted, she wasn't crying anymore. Ed went straight to the bedside. "Winry, are you all right?"

She smiled softly, and nodded. "I'm okay, Edward." She looked down at the blanket-swaddled infant in her arms. "Isn't he beautiful?"

He: another son. Ed felt some of the tension leave him as it sunk in that Winry and their newborn son were both safe. "He is," he smiled, sitting down before his leg collapsed out from under him; he felt more than a little weak-kneed. "What happened?"

"Early placental separation," Stevenson replied. "Messy, but it didn't turn out to be as critical as it could have been. A couple of days more of rest and you can all go home."

"Can I hold him?" Ed reached out hopefully, and was a little surprised at the brief look of insecurity in Winry's face before she smiled again and held out the baby.

"Of course, but Ed there's something you should know…" Winry started.

"What is it?" Ed asked as he took the bundle and looked down at his son's wrinkled little face. Two little hands poked up out of the blanket as well, fingers curled. Ten little fingers that… then Ed saw what he thought Winry was going to say. The baby's left hand was normal, but on the right. One, two; Ed only counted three fingers, the thumb and first two digits. The other two just, weren't there. "What happened?" he stared, too shocked to say more. Why did his son only have eight fingers?!

"He was born that way," Stevenson said calmly. "It's rare, but it's a birth defect I've seen before."

Birth defect; the words rang in Ed's mind. There was something wrong with his son? He felt sweat break out on his forehead and his heart pounding. "But why?"

"There are plenty of things that could have caused it," Stevenson replied, still insufferably calm. He was only sarcastic with Ed when things were going well. "I'm guessing it's a combination of age, and recent physical stresses, but there can be other reasons. Nothing, of course, that is either of your faults."

Not their fault; but their innocent little son was missing fingers. Ed shook his head. "How can that be?" he snapped; his frayed temper already too close to breaking. He had known plenty of people who had lived without sometimes crucial body parts; it had never bothered him, and he didn't resent his own auto-mail limbs; but he had lost his limbs out of his own stupidity. It wasn't fair for a child to be born marked so already!

"Edward…" he was surprised by Winry's quiet tone. He caught himself and looked down at his wife's calm face. Obviously, she had already accepted the fact. "It's all right. Ethan's a healthy little boy. There's nothing wrong with him." Ethan was the name they had agreed on for a boy.

"Nothing wrong? He's missing his fingers!" Ed exclaimed. How could Winry be so calm about this?
"In a couple of years, when his growth rate slows down, I can fit him with auto-mail fingers," Winry pointed out. "Right now, it's not important. He's not hurting, and the hand is otherwise perfectly formed. He's ours, and he's fine just the way he is."

The way she said it made Ed feel ashamed. He loved his son – he loved all his kids – that was what had him so upset! He looked down at the warm bundle he held; Ethan Elric. He couldn't fathom the why of this happening, though he understood the 'what' and the how. It still wasn't fair! But Winry had a point. Ethan was sleeping peacefully, and appeared in no discomfort what so ever. Missing body parts didn't define someone, or make them less of a person. He knew that. Or he should, better than almost anyone! Al had been Al even without a human body! Perhaps it was his own guilt that colored his view of things. The need for auto-mail wasn't a trait he had ever wanted to share with his children.

The last thing he would want though was to make Ethan feel like less of a person for something that wasn't his fault. Ed took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Rational; he needed to be rational. Silently, he made a promise that Ethan would never know embarrassment over being different from anyone else.

"You're right…of course," he smiled at Winry, feeling more than a little ashamed for his initial reaction. "He is a handsome little guy."