AN: Just something that jumped in my head one morning.

My Child

It was a beautiful spring day when Winry awoke that morning and stretched. She looked next to her then around the room but he was nowhere to be found. Then she spotted the note on the nightstand next to her bed. Her shaky hand reached over and picked it up and as she read it tears formed in her eyes but then she smiled as she read the end.

Winry,

I had to go but I just wanted to tell you last night was everything I ever dreamed it would be. You are so incredible in so many ways but I promised Al I would gather all the information I could on Alchemy in the West. I wanted to stay but I'm not finished yet when I am I promise you we'll be married please don't cry because I WILL BE BACK. WAIT FOR ME!

I love you

Ed

She wiped the tears away and got out of bed, got dressed and went downstairs. 'He's going to be back I just have to believe that.' He had stopped by just for a tune up on his leg before continuing west a day ago and one thing had led to another and they ended up sleeping together last night.

She continued doing the orders she had to get out that day. But her mind kept drifting back to last night. Their bodies intertwined around each other and the feel of his hands on her, his kisses and the taste of his lips the thoughts were enough to make her blush. She continued working every day after that and days turned into months.

FOUR MONTHS LATER

She stood on the porch drinking some tea that morning when she saw a figure walking up the road. 'Is that? It is it's him.' She put her cup down and walked out towards him to meet him and as she got closer she could see that his leg was giving him problems.

"Hey" he said smiling at her as she stopped in front of him 'You look so beautiful' he thought to himself as he looked her up and down.

"Why Ed what did you do to yourself now?" She bent down and placed her hand on his left leg.

He smiled a huge grin "I think I screwed it up really good this time." He tried to move it but it was useless "Can you fix it?"

She flashed him a huge bright smile "Of course I can you dummy." She slide under his arm to help him walk. As they walked towards the house Edward looked over at her "I've missed you." He told her softly.

Looking up at him she smiled "I've missed you too." She knew he was probably just passing through to get his leg fixed and she wasn't expecting anything from him. She knew when he was ready he would be back for good so she helped him into the house and down to the workshop.

"Let me get a better look at it Ed." He dropped his pants and climbed on the table and she began to examine his leg.

"I can't believe the hell you put your automail through. You never even oil it." She looked up with a frustrated look "How do you expect it to-" She was shocked at the box staring her in the face in his hand "W-What is this?"

"Maybe this will make up for me not maintaining my leg." He reached out and opened it "I bought this for you as an engagement ring." He pulled it out of the box and motioned for her to give him her hand. As she lifted her shaking hand to his he took it and slid it on 'Perfect' he thought.

She stared at it then smiled at him "Does this mean-" He cut her off in mid-sentence.

"I'm not finished yet with what I have to do. But I wanted you to know I meant what I said Winry." He knew she was probably doubting him but, he had to prove to her he wasn't just saying what he told her in that note "When I'm done and come back we will be married."

He reached over and pulled her into his arms "I do love you very much Winry." She wrapped her arms around his neck "I love you too Ed." He noticed that she was a little more filled out then he'd remembered 'Has she gained a little weight?' He thought but then he shook it off as he kissed her on the lips.

After she fixed his leg they sat down with Granny and had some lunch. Edward knew he had to get going because Al was waiting for him. He didn't want to leave he just wanted to stop all this traveling and settle down. He got up from the table and looked at Granny and Winry "I have to go but I'll be back soon." Smiling at both of them he turned to walk out the door and Winry followed him. Stopping at the door he leaned over and kissed her cheek "I'll see you soon."

She nodded "Mmm Hmm." She knew the next time he came back it would be for good. Watching him walk away was hard for her she hated to see him go. But she knew he had to do what he needed to 'That's just the way Edward is always trying new things.' She smiled and looked at her hand and the beautiful ring he gave her 'Now I know he'll be back when he's ready and I'll be here waiting for him.'

THREE YEARS LATER

The time had got away from Edward it seemed like everytime he thought he was finished something else would come along. He hadn't even realized that three years had went by since the last time he saw Winry. He was wondering as he walked off the train 'Is she still waiting or did she find someone else?' Al looked over at his brother's face and knew he was in deep thought "Ed don't worry I'm sure Winry is still waiting."

"Three years Al. I've kept her waiting three years. I don't think any girl would wait that long." Edward said walking down the road kicking a rock.

"Winry's waited more than three years Ed. She waited all that time before too." Al smiled being sarcastic.

"You just had to remind me didn't you?" Ed scrunched his face up thinking "So actually she's been waiting?" his eyes widened "OH GREAT!" He face-palmed "She's been waiting six years?" he started calculating on his fingers 'Let's see the four years we searched for our bodies, and the father thing, then this wild idea about going East and West.' "Ahhhh, I'll be lucky if she's not already married."

"Well brother if you want the truth she's actually been waiting since we were kids." Al smiled a huge smile.

Edward just wanted to smack him "Gee thank's Al for sharing that I feel much better now." He looked up and spotted the house and stopped as he felt his stomach turn in a thousand directions. 'CRAP! WHAT DO I SAY TO HER?' He thought for a minute 'I'm sorry Winry time just got away from me. NO! That sounds really stupid you idiot.' He started walking again as Al turned to him "Geez Ed for a minute there I thought you were going to run in the opposite direction."

"Trust me I thought about it." He could make out a figure on the porch but it was short so he knew that was Granny. She saw them coming as she stood up and walked to the steps and puffed on her pipe as they got closer.

"Well I was beginning to think you were never coming back you two." She took a puff and blew it out.

"Hi Granny" Edward waited for the wrench to come flying at his head and knock him to the ground and then to hear that beautiful giggle he missed for so long followed by an ass chewing he was long overdue for…But it didn't come.

The sound that caught his ear was a child giggling as she came around the corner chasing a butterfly "Putter py nana. Putter py. Hahahaha"

Edward chest got tight as he looked at the girl her eyes were golden like his and she had blonde hair like her mother's "G-G-Granny?" Edward looked up surprised.

Pinako smiled at Edward "Yes Edward she's your's." Edward's suitcase dropped out of his hand and he stared at the girl and the girl stopped and stared at him. Then she walked wobbly over to Edward "Da" she said pointing up to Edward.

Edward smiled a soft smile and Al was just in complete shock as Edward bent down to the girl "Hi" He said smiling at her "I'm your dad." He put his arms out and the girl ran into them "Da da." Edward hugged her tightly then he looked around searching for Winry.

"I made sure she knew who his father was with the pictures we have. I also made sure she knew what her mother looked like." Pinako's head lowered.

"Looked like? What do you mean Granny?" Edward had a frightened look on his face.

"Sit down Ed." Pinako said softly.

She didn't have to say it he already knew by the way she was acting but she said it anyway "Winry's dead Ed she died in childbirth."

Edward felt all the air being sucked out of his lungs and he felt his heart stop for a minute then the numbness that took over his body was hard to take as he sat his daughter down and then hit his knees 'NO!….NO!….I Waited too long. I should have been here for her.' The tears that were streaming down his cheeks stung a little as he wiped them but more kept coming. 'S-S-She's gone? No! This can't be I must be in a nightmare and haven't woke up yet.'

Pinako walked over and put her hand on his shoulder "W-Why? Granny. Why didn't anyone get in touch with me?"

"She knew you would come back some day and she wanted you to finish what you were doing." Pinako said helping him up as he tried to stand.

"B-But I think this was a little more important." Edward stood up looking at his daughter still chasing the butterfly "Hahahahaha" as she laughed without a care in the world.

"She's a good girl Ed" Pianko puffed her pipe "Always happy just like Winry used to be."

Edward wiped a tear from his eye "Yeah I see that." He knew he needed some time to himself "Granny I need to take a walk" He gave her a reassuring look "I will be back."

"I know you will Ed" She smiled "She's buried next to her parents."

Edward turned as he lowered his head and walked off and in the background he could hear Al talking with his daughter. Then he heard them giggling together as Al picked the girl up and sat her on his shoulders.

Edward walked the long road to the cemetery he looked over and spotted some flowers 'Dasies those are Winry's favorite.' He stopped and picked a handful then continued on. Walking into that cemetery was the hardest it had ever been before as he approached the three headstones now with the Rockbell names on them. He stopped and fell to his knees at the end of her grave "W-Winry I am so sorry I waited so long and you had to do this alone." He looked at the sky "I wasn't even by your side when you died." 'What kind of person am I? You died alone giving birth to my child.' Feeling it was his fault this happened 'I should have never touched you that day. I should have waited till we were married then you'd still be here.'

He sat the flowers on her grave "Look I remembered your favorite flower." He sniffed as he wiped tears from his eyes. "She's beautiful Winry she looks just like you." Sitting back and pulling his knees to his chest he sat there and let out every emotion he felt till he got to anger. Then he got up and walked over to the tree in the cemetery and punched it "DAAAAAMN IT. WHY? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU?" He screamed and kept punching the tree till he fell to his knees then on his face as he sobbed into the grass.

"I CAN'T DO THIS BY MYSELF WINRY. NOT WITHOUT YOU!" He screamed into the ground and sobbed more for what seemed like hours.

"Ed" He heard his brother's voice coming from behind him "Are you okay?" He sat up seeing Al with flowers in his hand "Brother you've been gone for hours and Granny was getting worried."

Edward sat up and Al could see he was distraught beyond rational thinking "NO! AL I'M NOT OKAY! THE WOMAN I LOVED IS IN THE GROUND AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS GET IN THERE WITH HER!" He pulled the knife out of his pocket "Can you just kill me now? I can't go on without her."

Al walked over and smacked his brother's face to bring him back to reality "ED! You're not going to leave that girl without a mother or a father I don't care how you feel right now." Al took the knife from Edward "She needs you, you idiot."

Just then a breeze blew through the air and Edward felt a warm feeling come over him then he looked up at Al surprised "Do you smell that Al? That's Winry's shampoo." He stood up and sniffed the air "I can smell it, it's like she just washed her hair." He walked back over to the grave and he heard his name "Edwaaard" in the wind in her voice and he knew that was her way of saying goodbye to him.

"Al" Edward turned to him "I'm okay now." Looking down at the grave he smiled "I heard you Winry and I will take care of our child for you." He stood up straight and glancing at the headstone he turned back to Al "First I need to fix this headstone."

Al looked at him confused "What do you mean brother?" he stared at the headstone "Her names right."

Edward stared off looking at the countryside "No it's not Al. It's missing a name."

Al's head lowered "Ooo I see." He looked up and smiled at Edward "Well I guess were making a trip to town then?"

Edward turned and smiled "Yeah, Let's go get my daughter first."

Knowing Edward the way she did Pinako feared the worst when she heard him on the phone with Mustang that day. He hung up and walked into the kitchen and sat down "Granny I have to ask you something?"

"I know what you're going to do Ed but I have to tell that girl is all I have left of my family." She puffed her pipe "I know you want to take her away."

Edward eyes widened "NO! Granny I would never do that to you."

"But I heard you on the phone Ed." She sat down at the table and stared at him for a second while he sighed and looked up at her "What I want to ask you is will you be okay watching her for another week while I go to Central and settle some thing's." He pulled his pocket watch out of his pocket and laid it on the table he knew this would be the last time he would hold it or see it, "Al's going to stay here to help you till I get back."

She narrowed her eyes at him "You are coming back right Ed? Cause I know you when you go somewhere and get sidetracked."

He was shocked she said it but then he thought back and his face softened "I'll be back Friday because I have a headstone being placed."

"Whaaat?" The old woman's eyes widened "Why are you replacing the headstone?"

He smiled softly at the old woman "Because they left a name off it."

"Reaally and just what does this one say?" She wondered what he was up to.

"Winry Rockbell Elric My love, My life, My all." Edward stood up and pushed his chair in and stared at the old woman.

Her heart and face softened as she looked at him "Aw, Ed she would have loved that."

"Listen Granny I know Aurora is the only family you have left and I'm not going to take her from you. I think of you as the only family Al and I have left so I guess we're stuck with each other." He walked over and put his hands on her shoulders "The other thing I wanted to ask was would you mind if we built two more rooms on the house? Because if we're stuck with each other, we're going to need our privacy sometimes."

"Ed you mean you want to stay here?" she looked up smiling.

He nodded "My mother and father are buried here. My Granny is here. My child is here and My wife is buried here. So where else would I want to be." He leaned down and hugged the old woman "I'll never leave you alone again Granny."

Tears rolled down the old woman's face as she hugged him, "Aw, you damn fool."