What Lies Beyond
By Chrissy Howe
It had been an uncomfortable and lengthily train ride, to reach Central City. The train was not only bumpy, the seats as hard as granite, but she had felt anxious the entire time. What little nails she did have, were now gone, bitten away from worrying. Having family around her did not seem to help ease her mind, it just spun with all the "what if's" she could think of. The kids were fine, she had no concerns there, with their grandmother and surrogate aunt watching over them. That wasn't what had her stomach in knots or her body refusing to sleep.
For two days and two nights she had not rested, not a single moment. It was impossible to sleep, fear and worry simply wouldn't allow it. At last the train had reached it's destination and pulled into the station slowly. She was already up and heading for the door, family close behind her, before it came to a halt. Exiting the train car, she followed the stream of passengers towards the direction of the main entrance/exit. Just as the crowd started to disperse a little, she stopped to look for a map. It had been years since her last visit, getting lost was not an option today.
"Winry!" A familiar voice called loudly from a distance away, she turned toward it and could have cried, at the sight of that familiar angelic face.
"Al!" She called back and then jogged towards him, not caring who saw, as she threw her arms around his middle and held him tight "I'm so glad your here, Al."
"I came as soon as the Colonel told me you were coming." Al said, hugging her back "I couldn't let my sister in law get lost in Central, now could I?" he half chuckled.
"Like I would ever get lost!" She retorted, but it was half playful banter that helped to make her feel just a bit better "thank you, for coming to meet us though." she added softly.
After greeting his niece and nephew, giving each a big hug, he hugged both granny Pinako and his old teacher Izumi. Al then picked up Winry's bag and walked her out to a waiting car, military black with another behind it, Second Lieutenant Breda behind the wheel of the first and Warrant Officer Falman behind the wheel of the second. Once Izumi, Pinako and the kids were loaded into the car driven by Falman, Al led Winry to the other car and they got in, both cars pulling from the curb slowly. At the intersection they split and took different routes, Winry being taken to the reason for her visit and anxiousness. The other family members being taken to the hotel they had been booked into.
Al did his best to both prepare Winry and ease her mind, on the way to the hospital. By the time they pulled up to the hospital, she was aware of most of the details. Al and Winry made their way inside and up the stairs to the top floor, also know as "The Veggie Patch" on account of all the patients on this floor..were in coma's. Induced or otherwise. Al led Winry to the room they needed to go to, two guards stood outside, Second Lieutenant Havoc and First Lieutenant Hawkeye. They both nodded to Al and Winry, as they passed them and entered the room, seeing first Colonel Mustang talking with a doctor. Winry's eyes next fell upon the bed. Her eyes widened and she gasped softly.
There laying on the bed with the covers pulled up to his chin and his long golden hair fanned out on the pillow, looking serene and peaceful..was her husband..Edward Elric. His forehead was bandaged and he had band-aids scattered on his face and neck, the exposed skin varied from badly bruised to red raw to swollen in places. Al had warned her it was not a pretty sight, but seeing it, well that just broke her heart. Winry moved to the side of the bed and softly fingered his blond locks, tears filling her Azure eyes, at what had happened to Ed. She had always known him to be a stubborn, bullheaded, reckless teen, but since restoring Al and settling down with her, Winry had found Ed to be a strong, devoted and loving family man.
To see him like this, was more than she could take. Winry dropped to her knees and clutched the sheets, crying hard as Al did his best to comfort her, Colonel Mustang halting his conversation and looking at her with sadness and regret in those dark eyes. Mustang felt partly to blame for Ed's current condition. After all, he had been the one to ask Ed to check out that warehouse. Little did either of them know, the place was rigged to self destruct, if broken into. Ed had been caught in the blast and now, now it was touch and go if he was going to survive at all. He next week or so would be the make or break time.
If his coma lasted longer, the doctor had said, then Ed would never be like he was. He would inevitably wind up as a vegetable for the rest of his life. So far only Mustang knew that detail. He felt it best to pick his moment, to tell Ed's wife. Right now though, her one concern needed to be for Ed and being the one voice strong enough to drag him back from the darkness of the abyss.
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Soft murmurs. Distant, but also close by. Ed had no clue where he was, as his eyes slowly fluttered open. His body felt strange. It was almost like a prickly heat all over every inch of his skin, only it felt cool, not hot. Everything around him, was in a grey haze and he could only make out blurry, pale colors. Ed then noticed that some of the murmurs had an echoing quality to them. Ed tried to recall what he had been doing and where he had been, before waking up here in this strange, ethereal place.
The first clue to come to him, was the Colonel. That though reminded him of the job, the one Mustang had asked him to do, as a favour. In turn that brought to mind the old warehouse he had..gained access to..by means he would rather not mention. It was his next thought, that brought on the memory of the explosion. His body began to ache and hurt at the memory of the heat and force of the blast, that tore at his flesh and turned all the lights out in his mind. Just as the throbbing pain started to get worse, a soft voice and gentle hand reached out to him.
"Try not to think of it, the pain will stop if you do, little man." Said an all to familiar voice, as the hand lovingly stroked his head.
Ed knew that voice. It had been years, basically over a decade, but he would always remember it. He turned his head slowly, daring to look, his golden eyes growing wide with shock. There before him, knelt at his side and wearing a flowing cream dress, long brunette hair pulled to the right in a loose ponytail and soft green eyes gazing at him, looking as beautiful as the last time he had seen her and not a day older...was his mother, Trisha Elric.
"M-mom?" Ed asked, his voice small and scared, like if it turned out to be her knelt beside him, his acknowledgement of her would cause her to vanish from before his eyes.
"Yes Edward, It is me." Trisha smiled softly at him, then let her hand cup his face lovingly "My how you've grown. Your such a handsome young man now."
Ed blushed crimson. His mother laughed sweetly. He couldn't have stopped the smile that claimed his lips, even if he had wanted to. Ed reached for Trisha and she welcomed him into her loving embrace, hugging him close to her. Ed buried his face against her shoulder and held tight, unable to believe or comprehend that he was in fact actually hugging his dearly departed mother. Behind his tightly shut lids, tears built, then escaped down his cheeks like little rivers. After all he had gone through, all he had put his younger brother through, here he was in his mothers arms and crying like a baby.
"Oh my sweet, sweet Ed. How I've missed holding you all these years." Trisha said, letting her hand glide tenderly over the back of Ed's head "I've watched you, for so long. Seen all the trials you went through and all the pain you endured. I've watched you grow, yet never been able to tell you, how proud I am of you. Until now."
"Mom..I...Al and I, we miss you so much." Ed said against her shoulder, then sat back to look at his mothers gentle face "We made such a mess of things, trying to bring you back.."
"I know, but you fixed the worst of it. You made amends for the wrongs you did when you were just children." Trisha told him, still smiling the way she always had "The point is, your here now..and you have to make a choice."
"A choice?" Ed blinked, not sure what to make of this information "Mom what do you mean a choice? Where am I anyway and how did I get here?" he looked to her for answers, he was about to get them from an unlikely source.
"This is Limbo Edward." Said a deep voice from off to his right, Ed turned to look and from his spot on the ground all he saw first were legs, clad in cream pants and feet wearing cream shoes.
Ed's gaze drifted up, he recognised the voice, it was familiar to him, but at that precise moment he couldn't place it. That is till his eyes got to the upper half of the owner. Upon the torso was a cream shirt with a cream waistcoat. Long golden hair was drawn back into a ponytail, with a couple wisps falling over the face. A matching thick beard and side burns covered a portion of the strong set jawline. Thin framed glasses perched high up on the nose and a pair of slightly narrowed golden eyes looked down at Ed. Now he knew why the voice had sounded familiar, for he knew this person.
"Hohenhiem?" Ed asked, as if the mere sight of his father didn't convince him, then Ed frowned "What do you mean 'Limbo'? Where the hell am I and why the hell are you here! And why is mom here too!"
"Edward..." Trisha's eyes grew wide, hearing her eldest son talk like that to his own father. She had watched over him and seen how he reacted to his father, but she had thought after all this time and Hohenhiem's passing, might have eased things.
It hadn't.
"As demanding and angry as ever.." Hohenhiem sighed, then knelt on his left knee to get down to Ed's level "Why don't you just try and put aside your distaste for me, just for a moment, and listen to what your mother and I have to tell you Ed." he tried to reason with the hotheaded young man.
"Fine. I'll listen, but only for mom's sake I'll listen." Ed grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest defensively and averting his eyes from his father "We clear on that? I'm only doing it for her."
"That's fine. Do as you wish, as long as you listen." Hohenhiem conceded, knowing Ed to be far too stubborn to be reasoned with easily "When I said you were in Limbo, I was stating the name of this place. This is the..waiting area..so to speak. Depending on what you choose to do, you either go home or move onto the here after." he explained.
"Wait..are you saying..I'm dead?" Ed looked shocked, the news not sitting well with him, the mere thought making his stomach churn "It can't be true..mom is it? Am I really..dead?" pleading golden eyes looked at her.
"It's not quite that simple Ed." Trisha said, looking serious for the first time "Your not dead yet and your not exactly alive either. That is why you are here, in Limbo. Your stuck between life and death." she told him, trying to be gentle about it.
"I'm..stuck in the middle?" Ed said, stunned, then he got mad "Are you kidding me! Stuck in the middle between life and death! This is nuts!"
"Son it's not nuts, it's the truth. Your mother and I were permitted to come here and talk with you. To help you choose, whether to return to your physical body and live or to abandon it and come with us, to the after life." Hohenhiem said, in his matter of fact deep tone.
"You shut up!" Ed yelled at his father "I don't care why your here! I only care about mom!" Ed then glared at his father "I still haven't forgiven you. I never will for how much you hurt mom and the fact you ran out on Al and me."
"Ed, please try not to yell at your father. He is only trying to help, just as I am sweety." Trisha, always the one with the calm demeanour and sweet voice, tried to quell Ed's temper "Will you please calm down, for me?"
"I hate him..." Ed grumbled lowly, but then he looked at his mother and sighed defeated "I'll try, but only for you mom." he said. He never could deny her anything, when she spoke to him that way, it just made him want to help her any way he could.
"You may hate me Edward, but I'm finally happy and I want you to be happy too." Hohenhiem said, then looked at Trisha and smiled lovingly "I'm finally back with the one I love and that is all that matters to me now. So you have to choose son, stay with us in the after life and never be able to be with your brother or your family ever again..or go back to them and have to wait many many years before you see your mother and I again. Which will it be son?" he looked at Ed, watching the the cogs working in his sons mind, as he thought.
What was he to do? If he stayed, he would get to be with his mother again and see her smile every day. He would have to deal with being around his jackass of a father, but being with his mother would make it easier to bear. But then he would never see Al again, never be able to hold his kids either or kiss them goodnight or read to them from the vast number of Alchemy books he had (that their mother didn't know about, yet.) or see them play together on the grass during a sunny day.
And Winry. He would never get to hold her, make love to her or kiss her sweet lips again, if he stayed. The thought of leaving her side, tore at his heart more than leaving his brother did. Al was man now himself, taking care of himself too and living his own life. A good life too. The two weren't together all the time any longer, they spent more time apart now, but they found it meant sharing more stories when they got to see each other again. That was fun for them both. So now here Ed was, having to choose between spending eternity with his beloved mother or spending what might be, fifty years or less, with Winry whom he loved with a passion.
Ed had no idea just how much time was passing in reality, while he thought. He had no clue, absolutely no idea that his time was fast running out and that if he did not choose quickly..his chance to go back to Winry would be lost forever.
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Five long days had passed since Winry had come to be at Ed's bedside. Al had watched her, day after day, sit there and refuse to budge. He had tried pleading with her. Tried to bribe her. He even tried to use her kids, to get her to think of herself and go get some rest. She had refused each and every time. He could see the strain the constant beside vigil was having on her health. She wasn't eating properly, barely nibbling on a few scant pieces of fruit from the basket that Gracia Hughes had brought over, a couple days ago. Winry only left Ed's side long enough to move across the room to the small bathroom, to relieve herself, freshen up or change clothes, when Pinako or Izumi brought some each day.
Other than that..Winry Rockbell-Elric did not budge one inch from her husbands side.
The passed couple of days had seen an influx of visitors. Gracia and Elisia had come on Tuesday with the basket of fruit. Izumi, Sheska and May Chang had come Wednesday with messages of good will from many people including the emperor of Xing, Ling Yao. On Thursday Pinako had come to see him and Al stayed a while, reading the news to his brother and telling him some of the newer stories of his travels. When Friday rolled around, Al had gone to see May, Mustang and his team, Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery, had all stopped in. It was around the time of the guard change, so as Hawkeye and Havoc left, Breda and Falman took over standing outside the room.
Late Friday afternoon, with the clouds rolling in and the first fat spots of rain, splatting on the windows..Winry and Ed were alone. But for Winry, it felt like she was completely alone. He couldn't talk to her or argue with her over automail maintenance or how much of a gear head she was (though he rarely did that anymore, unless it was just teasingly) and he couldn't move or look at her. It was like, she was sat by the empty shell, that was once Ed Elric. That strong, determined guy whom she had fallen for. The nurses had changed his sheets for him and left his arms exposed to the cool air of the room. Winry rested her hand lightly on his left arm, her eyes closing as tears began to build.
"Ed, please.." Winry whispered in a shaky voice, as the first tears rolled down her cheeks, streaking her skin "..Please wake up. Come back to me. I..I can't live without you Ed..don't want to."
Her shoulders began to tremble as the tears flowed like fountains from her azure eyes. Her fingers curled around his lifeless arm gently and squeezed, as she let her head fall to the bed next to Ed's left hand. Winry sobbed her heart out, a damp patch forming on the clean sheet. With everyone visiting, that constant stream of people, all wanting to wish Ed well..it meant Winry hadn't had the privacy to cry. She wouldn't so it with people around her. If Al saw, he would get upset. If anyone else saw, they would try to comfort her. But all she wanted, the only person she needed right now..was Ed.
"Don't you leave me Ed." her tone was more desperate now, getting a bit louder than a whisper now "Don't you dare, even think, for one minute that I'll ever forgive you if you leave me here all alone." she looked up at his face, so calm and so unresponsive "Dammit Ed! Wake up! Wake up you dummy!" she half yelled at him, hoping that her own anger might rouse him.
It didn't. And once again her head dropped to the bed. Where she cried her heart out, letting all her worry and pain and despair, just leech out of her via her tears. She knew time was running out and that scared her. The longer Ed was unresponsive, the less likely he would ever wake up again or be the pain in the ass she adored, either.
And so she did all she could do. Sat by his bedside and sobbed quietly, in the silence of the room.
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It felt like only minutes had passed, since Ed had come face to face with his parents. He had sat there, on the floor, staring at his hands in thought. In his mind a battle raged. Part of him wanted to stay with his mother, to be at her side and see her loving, warm smile forever. He didn't like the idea of his father being around, but he could deal with that. If it meant being with her. He wondered what lay on the other side of that grey haze, that seemed to completely surround him and his parents. Distantly he could make out other voices, probably others like himself stuck here and having to choose their next path, he surmised.
The other part of him wanted badly to go back home, to the life he knew now. His bright adoring kids who filled each day with joy. He loved them so much. Ed had never believed he could be a father, not since his own was never there to be an example. But that hadn't stopped Ed, seeing how he always loved a challenge. Then there was his brother, Al. They enjoyed such good times of catching up, every time Al came back home for a visit, after his travels. But most of all, there was Winry. Feisty, vivacious, beautiful and so skilled too. What that girl couldn't do with her hands, was not worth mentioning. How could he give that up?
It seemed impossibly hard to decide. How was a person meant to do this? To choose?
"Edward, you have to decide and soon. Time is running out for you." Hohenhiem said suddenly, breaking Ed's train of thought "If you don't choose and quickly, you will be stuck in this place for eternity."
"What!" Ed got to his feet in a flash and balled his fists at his sides "What the hell so you mean I haven't much time to choose or else I'll be stuck here! I've only been here for like ten minutes!" he shouted in his fathers face, having grown enough to at least reach almost eye level with him.
"Edward please stop shouting at your father." Trisha said exasperated "He is right, you don't have much time left, I'm sorry to say but it is always like that..for everyone." she explained in a calm tone.
"As you mother and I have told you, your running out of time son." Hohenhiem said, narrowing his eyes further at his angry son "Time here and time in reality, elapse differently Edward. You may have been here in Limbo for ten minutes, but in reality you have been out for five days. For every minute that elapses here, half a day passes by back home." he told him.
Ed just blinked in stunned silence at the new revelation his father just slapped him with. Five days had passed back home? If he was here, then that meant he was in all likelihood, laying in a hospital bed somewhere. That also told him Al was probably there too. And then his thoughts were back to Winry. He had left her in Risembool, but if he had gotten badly hurt, she would have been told and most certainly boarded the first train to Central to be by his side. Ed swallowed hard, his throat having gone dry and it felt like it closing up on him. He didn't want her crying again from pain.
Since the day he had made that promise to her, of only making her cry tears of joy, he had kept to his word. She had cried with joy, when he and Al showed up at the house. Then the day he asked her to marry him, in his own shy kind of way, tears had filled her eyes and a great big happy smile spread over her face. And also when finding out she was pregnant and the day each one of their precious children came into the world, Winry had cried with joy. Ed had sniffled. He was man and men didn't cry. He had done plenty of that as a kid, he wouldn't do it anymore.
But now..his heart lurched in his chest and a stabbing pain racked his body. He had done it again. Gotten into a situation that would make her cry. He just hoped it had not happened yet and that he could somehow fix it. His mother seemed to sense the turmoil in his mind. Trisha walked up to him, encircled her arms around him and held him lovingly. Ed clung to her, a slight trembling starting to seep from the center of his body to the outer edges. Hohenhiem moved to his left and swept his hand through the air, the grey haze swirled and began to clear, an image shimmered in the clear section. At first, it was like looking through water.
"I can only do this once Edward, so use it wisely." Hohenhiem said, turning to look back at his beloved and their child "Take a look at what is going on in your hospital room. Perhaps that will help to clear any doubts or confusion you may have, and help you choose."
The image cleared to almost perfect, as Ed let go of his mother and came closer to it. He looked at it with a sceptical gaze. He could see what looked like himself, laying in a bed with only his arms, shoulders and head exposed. However the next thing to catch his eye, was the head of buttercup yellow hair on the bed next to his left hand. He knew who it belonged to. Ed also knew, she was probably crying over him. That was just like her. Crying at his bedside, just like she had fretted when he caught that nasty bug out west and come home sick as a dog, high fever and all. She almost worried herself into becoming ill that time. That incident, had resulted in one big argument and some incredible making up, that produced their adorable little girl.
"She is worried so very much about you Ed." Trisha said, coming up on his other side "They all are. Your friends, family, they all want you to come back to them. But Winry most of all. I can hear her pleas. She loves you very much." she said, putting an arm around Ed's shoulders.
"I know she does mom. I love her too, with everything that I am." Ed said, his voice soft and laced with emotion "How can I be doing this to her? All over again? I swore, swore she would never cry like that..and look at her now..look what I did." he said, hanging his head.
"Edward, I truly feel this is not yet your time to leave those you love behind." Hohenhiem said wisely, putting a strong hand on Ed's left shoulder "Your mother and I will always be watching over you boys, and we will be waiting years from now, to welcome you into the after life. But you have so much to live for..don't throw it away, the way I did." he told him.
"Dear you didn't throw it away, you tried to change things for the better." Trisha said smiling at Hohenhiem "Look at how you helped to save all the people of Amestris dear."
"I don't feel that was enough, you know that Trisha." Hohenhiem smiled at her, then turned his attention back to Ed "I think the right choice, would be to go home Edward. Live your life and see your children grow. Have what I missed out on." he squeezed Ed's shoulder a bit.
Ed thought on it for a mere moment. Making his mind up, after seeing the images and hearing his fathers words, it was clear to him. Ed was certain now.
"I'm sorry mom, I can't stay with you." Ed said, still looking at the image in front of him as it faded slowly "I have too many people waiting for me at home. Too many that rely on me being around. So many, that I love without question." his golden eyes held that familiar determination in them.
"I understand sweety. I know you love me, and I will be here waiting for the day when you come back." Trisha said, pressing her forehead to the side of Ed's head "I am so, so very proud of you, my little man. Oh I can't really call you that anymore now can I? Your a man now, my little man grew up." she sniffled, eyes watering up and a big proud smile gracing her lips.
Ed felt her presence start to drift away, his fathers too. They got more and more fuzzy, like they were fading into the grey haze around him. He stretched out a hand as if to beckon them back, but they were soon gone. Ed's world bled from grey to black slowly and he felt the pains through out his body, take hold much stronger than before. He could hear voices, not ones he recognised yet, but there somewhere in the distance. He couldn't see anything now, he could only feel..and it hurt real bad. Everything ached. Searing pain coursed through every nerve in his body. He heard a very anguished cry of "NO!" from nearby, followed by uncontrolled crying.
Winry was crying again, hard.
Winry was clutching his hand.
Winry...Winry...her tears dribbled down the back of his hand, wet and warm.
Suddenly Ed's sole thought..was Winry.
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The seventh day had come all too fast for Winry's liking. Everyone was gathered outside Ed's room. Pinako and Izumi were keeping the kids busy, while Al and May watched them. Mustang and all his team were there, even Sheska too. Winry was in with the doctor, listening to his diagnosis and what he felt was "The right" thing to do for Ed. That meant giving up on him entirely. Winry couldn't do that. It just wasn't in her to give up on anyone, least of all Ed. She was sure, that he could fight back and be just as he always was. But the doctor gave her some hard truths, some very hard truths.
Everyone in the hallway, had heard her cry out.
Pinako was about to go in there, but Al was faster. He shot into the room like lightning. As the door swung open for that one moment, the sound of anguished crying filled the hallway. The kids got scared, having never heard their mother cry like that at all. Izumi and Pinako did their best to comfort them. May lowered her head and sniffled, as did Sheska. Mustang's team all looked at each other, silently conveying to one another, how they couldn't believe that after all he'd gone through in his life, that Ed wouldn't make it back this time. Mustang had closed his eyes, determined not to show how much he cared. Yes Ed had been a pain in the ass, but he was a tough and Mustang knew he was no quitter.
The door to the room opened a second after it shut and the doctor looked to everyone waiting there, then simply shook his head. He walked away down the hall, to tend to his other patients for the day. The entire group, were left sullen and silent. All but the kids of course, who cried at not knowing fully what was going on around them or what was making all the adults so sad..or what made their mother cry that way. In the room Al did his best, rubbing Winry's back and talking softly to her. Doing his very best not to fall apart at the mere thought, that his strong older brother, was gone. Or at least his mind was, trapped in that unmoving body, that could do nothing more than lay there.
Ed could hear her now, loud and clear. But he still couldn't seem to move or talk. His vocal chords weren't cooperating and neither were his fingers. He could hear her crying, the sound breaking his heart. There was also Al's voice too, talking softly. Thank goodness Al was there, Ed thought, at least she wasn't totally alone.
"Winry, please don't cry." Al was saying softly, rubbing her back "Brother wouldn't want to see you crying like this..you know how he was about it."
"How he was?" Winry singled out that phrase and shot it back at Al, then proceeded to bawl a fresh round of tears "He's still breathing! His heart..it's still pumping! Why! Why won't he wake up Al!" she sobbed.
"I don't know Winry.." Al replied in a defeated tone "I just..don't know.." he sighed and looked at his brother, wishing for all the world, that he would wake up "I should go and let the others know what's happening. Will you be alright on your own for a minute?"
Winry just nodded. Words failed her now as she sobbed. Holding Ed's still warm hand to her face.
Ed was screaming in his mind, but not a single sound would come out. He tried in vein to move, to let her know he was still there.
And then, as if the band that restricted him somehow snapped..Ed managed to move. One finger. He wiggled it just a bit, feeling the tip touch her cheek bone. A rasping breath pushed from his dry lips.
Winry was so lost in her grief, that she almost jumped out of her skin, when something touched her cheek bone and that eerie breath sounded close by. She pulled her face away from Ed's hand a little bit and opened her eyes...
….to see the most wonderful sight. Ed's pinky finger was moving!
Winry was up like a shot, leaning over to look at his face, still clutching his hand in hers. She cupped his face and listened. Another raspy breath was let out, though it sounded like he was trying to form words.
"Ed?" Winry said cautiously, watching and waiting on baited breath, to see if this truly was real or just a dream.
"Why..." a croaky voice uttered low and almost impossible to hear "...are you doing that..Winry?" Ed managed to ask, followed by a dry cough.
"Oh Ed!" Winry exclaimed, leaning down and resting her head next to his on the pillow "I thought I had lost you forever! You dummy Ed! You made me cry again!" she said, through her tears, though now she was sounding more happy then before.
"Ow ow ow..Winry..not so loud..in my ear okay.." Ed rasped out, grimacing at her all too exuberant volume level "I'm sorry okay..couldn't help it..but I, came back..for you." he said, coughing a bit more.
"Ah! I'm sorry Ed!" Winry gushed, stroking his face gently and lowering her voice, sniffling "Yes you did..but you took your damn time about it Ed." she pressed a delicate kiss to his dry lips "Don't you ever, do that to me again." she said, against his lips.
"Heh, sorry 'bout that Winry..I had.." Ed smiled, from the kiss he had gotten "..an unexpected meeting to attend." he said, with a little snort of amusement.
Everyone in the hallway, suddenly heard an almighty yell and some rather expletive words through the closed door. All eyes were on the door, wide with shock. Al ventured to peer in and was relieved to see...
...not only was his brother back in the land of the living...
...but things had gone right back to normal, with how the couple acted around each other. Since Ed now sported a new wound to add to his collection..from the wrench his wife had just smacked him upside the head with.
That resulted in him shouting at her with his croaky voice and her yelling right back at him.
Al just laughed and shut the door.
Fin.
Written by: C. Howe