Title: The End of a Journey

Timeline: Takes place during the final moments of Journey's End.

Author: Batwoman

Rating: K

Feedback: Always welcome

Archived: only on

Disclaimer: I own nothing, just playing and have put them back now that I'm done.

Author's Notes: This is my first (and only) Fullmetal Alchemist fic. I'm not new to writing fanfiction, in fact I've written several in other fandoms and have many unfinished fics collecting dust on my computer, all of which will go unfinished. I stopped writing fanfiction a few years ago when I started writing an original fiction that I plan to get published professionally someday. That story is my priority, fanfiction is something I play with mentally to get the creative juices flowing when I'm in need of a writing nudge for my book. I only recently go into Fullmetal Alchemist, having seen both the first series and Brotherhood as well as the live action movie, on Netflix recently. In fact, I just watched the live action movie last night and kept thinking about it at work today, I even found myself thinking of the final episode of Brotherhood. I had no intensions of writing any FMA fics, but I started rolling this idea around my noggin as I ate dinner and decided to put it in writing. This has no been betaed, as I no longer have a beta (due to many reasons), so please excuse any grammar and punctuation errors. With all of that said, enjoy the fic! One last note, you may need a tissue or two handy, it all depends on whether or not you needed any for Journey's End.

It was a beautiful day in Resembool, the weather was absolutely perfect, the kind of day you spent outside just enjoying the day. Yet not everyone was outside enjoying the nice day, Winry was inside the house, baking an apple pie. She had been given Gracia Hughes' apple pie recipe the last time she visited the widow. Both she and Ed loved the pie and she spent her time home while Ed and Al were away, making the pie, wanting to perfect her technique before Ed and Al finally came home. Al… his soul had been bound to that suit of armor for five years while his body was hidden away some place only Ed would be able to find and retrieve. There were many things Al missed, one of which was eating. During their journey Al made a list of all of the food he wanted to eat and try when he had his body back. Mrs. Hughes' apple pie was on his list and it was one of the reasons Winry was so determined to perfect the recipe since she requested a copy of it during a previous visit. Winry had finished assembling the pie and needed to put it in the oven, however a wave of fatigue and sadness overtook her. She hadn't slept well since Ed left with his band of misfits, a mix of soldiers, chimera and one man who welcomed a homunculus inside of himself to secure the throne. As he walked down the steps, Winry called after him, saying she needed to tell him something. Ed refused to hear what she had to say, insisting on leaving, she didn't get the chance to tell him she loved him.

Winry tried to burry herself in her automail work, needing to take her mind off the fact that she hadn't heard anything from Ed and Al. It wasn't unusual for Winry to go weeks and months without hearing from Ed and Al. This time it was different, this time Ed begged Winry to stay out of sight, she could sense his fear. He wouldn't tell her why he was worried but she knew it had to be big, and bad. There was talk among the men about going back to Central to take over the military, to remove the corruption that was deeply embedded into the military, while working with those within the military fighting against it. Corruption that was so bad, that it went all the way to the top, and included the Führer. However, when she wasn't busy with automail, Winry found herself thinking about and worrying about the young man she had fallen in love with. The unknown was so much that she often cried herself to sleep at night. All that stress left her drained, and now she sank down on the stool next to the kitchen table. She leaned forward, resting her head on her folded arms; she was just going to rest here for a moment. The will to get up and put the pie in the oven had left her and Winry fought against the urge to just go up to her bedroom and curl up into a ball on her bed.

Den's persistent barking penetrated the fog that Winry had been living in. She tried to ignore it, but his barking didn't end. Sighing in frustration, she pushed herself up from the table and dragged herself away while muttering "what are you barking at now?"

It took every ounce of effort for Winry to walk through the house. As she neared the front door she heard voices, her hand froze on the doorknob for the door to the living room. "Al," she thought. Did she hear correctly; did he say that tickles? No, that couldn't be right, Al's soul was in the suit of armor, he didn't feel anything. In fact, Al didn't eat or sleep, he just went on, keeping watch over his big brother as the older Elric slept. Winry willed her feet to move forward, Al's laughter rang in her ears, there was something different about his voice, about his laughter. It sounded different, like something she hadn't heard in years. She flung the front door open and stood on the porch, staring in disbelief. Was the stress of the unknown finally playing tricks with her mind? Al was lying on the ground loving the sensation the Rockbell dog gave as he showered Al with kisses, while Ed stood next to him, his ever-present suitcase in his left hand. Her heart was telling her that the boys were home, but she was so drained that she didn't know what to believe.

Ed spotted her first, smiling up at the woman he had fallen in love with. Upon seeing Winry, Al gently moved Den away, giving him the freedom to push himself up off of the ground. "Hey Winry," he said, as he stood.

Tears welled up in Winry's eyes, she wasn't seeing things, Ed and Al really were standing outside of her house. Not only that, but Al had his body back and from what she could see, Ed's right arm was back as well. She ran down the stairs, letting the tears fall. Once her foot touched the ground, she launched herself at the boys, arms stretched out. The trio fell to the ground entangled in each-others arms, forming a group hug. They were home, her boys were home, her family was finally back together.