Prologue

Edward Elric stood outside the military hospital room, waiting patiently for a nurse to come and inform him about his pregnant wife .The morning sun was beating down on him through a window .He was too agitated to sit so he stood and quite nearly forgot about his year old son. The little boy was playing with the buttons of his shirt and blabbering happily to himself, he seemed oblivious to the tension in the hall.

Edward picked him up and clutched him tightly to himself; he remembered the time when this little replica of himself was born .The boy had been named Albert after his maternal grandfather. Back then when he had stood outside the same hospital room, he had been a bundle of nerves and at a complete loss of what to do. Now, a year later, his experiences seemed to have made him no wiser or better prepared. A grim looking nurse interrupted his thoughts.

"Are you Col Elric?"

"Y...yes"

"I am sorry to inform you that Mrs. Elric had some complications during the delivery and is critical. Dr. Benson will talk to you in a few minutes. Your newborn daughter however is in good health. "The nurse said sympathetically.

Ed blinked; all his worst fears started creeping their way back into his mind. He tried to push them away but to no avail .He tried to speak but no words came out. He struggled with sadness and heartache at his wife's condition .Nevertheless he was relieved that his daughter was alright.

"You want to see your wife? Am I right?"The nurse continued.

Edward simply nodded and followed her. He left little Alby with a nurse in the maternity ward. They soon reached a large ICU .the sight he beheld took the air out of him. He wanted to believe he was dreaming, but everything was so real. Winry his beautiful wife was so pale, so sick looking that he had to look away. There were tubes all over her body. He stood there in silence for a while until he was again interrupted but this time by a doctor with thick glasses.

"Col Elric, I'm Dr. Benson."

"Yes?"

"I am sorry about your wife. We have done all that we could, but I'm afraid we cannot save her .She has lost too much of blood. Her condition is steadily deteriorating, she won't be able to sustain much longer."

The words struck him like a sword, his mind kept repeating 'it's only a bad dream; it's only a bad dream, WAKE UP!' But no, he was still in the hospital talking to a bespectacled doctor about his dying wife.

"That can't happen …she can't just die." He said, trying to evade reality.

"I'm so sorry ", the Dr. Benson said as he patted shoulder.

And suddenly Edward started to cry.

The next few hours were a daze .He didn't know what was real and what was fantasy. He saw his daughter but it only made him cry because she looked exactly like her mother. He could almost visualize her opening her eyes to peer at him with soft blue irises that he loved so much.

He spent the last hours sitting by Winry's bedside wondering how he was to go on without her. She was his anchor, his support .Her smiles, her laughs and even her angry fits -he'd miss them all. He played with a few strands of hair that fell on her face as he thought of her.

She regained consciousness during that time; Ed was relieved at this as he took it as a sign of recovery. But all his hopes were dashed when Winry spoke in a rather breathless voice.

"This i…is goodbye Ed."

"Winry, don't ..." the words died on his lips .he took her hand and kissed her fingers.

"Take care of the child...ren and your…self. Call her...Trisha…you'd like that." A ghost of a smile gracing her face.

"Winry….I…"

"Don't do anything (cough)….stupid Ed….let go ….let go…."

He knew what she was talking about and he knew that she was right; he would eventually have to move on. She coughed again. Ed tried to put her at ease though it did not help.

"You'll find some…one. "Opening her eyes she looked at him meaningfully.

This time he worked up his courage to speak.

"No…that can't be …you can't leave us …please "he said weakly.

Winry was slipping away and he knew it, but there was nothing he could do. He hated it, she was leaving them and nothing could make her stay. His golden eyes brimmed with tears.

"Don't c...ry E…Ed ...Bye…."she mumbled with difficulty as a single tear ran down her cheek. Then slowly she drifted back into unconsciousness. Someone tapped his shoulder from behind. He turned around to see Alphonse's face wet with tears. But he wasn't crying anymore. Ed knew that Al was trying to be strong for him.

"Brother." Al whispered.

And somehow that simple word comforted him and assured him that he was not alone. He realized that Al was very sensitive to others' misfortunes and Winry had been a major part of his life, so he must be hurting a lot too. Ed felt a sudden urge to console his brother. He knew that Al was keeping back all his grief because he was worried about him. His brother's selflessness touched him deeply.

Outside he saw General Mustang standing with Albert in his arms; he eyes reflected sadness and understanding .Maybe it was because he too had seen a loved one nearly die before him and could feel Ed's anguish.

Alphonse sat beside Ed. All the while there was silence with Al observing his brother and occasionally sparing a glance at his dying sister-in-law. Looking at Winry brought pain to his chest and it was intensified futher by Ed's broken state. Meanwhile, Ed thought about what Winry said to him. She seemed so unlike her usual fiery self. She must have known death was approaching and had tried her best to comfort him when it was she who needed it. The sad teary look that was on her face as she said goodbye remained etched in his memory.

The doctor came in for occasional checkups and two hours later at dusk she died.

Peyton the Blood Alchemist , Gisel0202 thanks for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. This is the first time I've ever written a story.