Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the characters. And I do NOT own the song by Sir Cliff Richard 'Mistletoe and Wine', I just use the lyrics
Summary: This story takes place between Chapter 8 and 9 of my story 'A second chance for a life'. But you don't have to read it to enjoy this story. It's rated T to be safe.
For all of you, who didn't read the other story: Ed was adopted by Roy and Riza after his parents died and his violent elder brother committed a crime.
Ed is 13 in this story. Dr. Megan Hyde and Silver are characters I invited and Silver is a chimera, who can speak and understand the human language.
Have fun and please review
Thanks a lot.
TenshiShanai.
Chapter 1: December, 23rd
Ed was standing in front of the mirror and couldn't decide if he should braid his hair or do it in a high ponytail. What would be the best? I wonder what Winry will wear. He smiled to himself. He knew he was in love with her as she had feelings for him. But they didn't decide yet what kind of relationship they had. He sighed and put his hair in a high ponytail. If she will like the turtleneck? He wore a white turtleneck with black leather pants and black boots.
"Are you ready, sweetie? We're about to drive." His father was standing in the door with their coats over one arm. Ed took a last look in the mirror, decided he looked good and went with Roy downstairs to the waiting car, his mother and little brother already in there. Ed climbed behind his father in the car next to Alphonse. Roy started the car and drove down the street. He looked in the rear view mirror seeing his eldest son smiling while he looked out of the mirror.
"Do you know when Winry and her grandmother will arrive at the Armstrong mansion?" Ed looked up to answer his father.
"She said they will be at the train station in the early evening. A member of the Armstrong staff will get them and bring them to the mansion." His father nodded and turned the radio on. Major Alex Louis Armstrong had invited them over the Christmas holidays saying something about old Armstrong traditions to invite friends to celebrate with them. It was a coincidence that Winry was with Ed in Roy's office and Alex invited her and her grandmother as well. 'The more, the better.' Alex didn't expect an answer as nobody would dare not to come. So Roy's whole office staff, as well as Hughes and his family were coming for a small holiday.
The drive there was quiet just the radio playing Christmas songs. Sometime in the early evening it started to snow. They were far away from Central right now, where it hardly ever snowed in the winter. Al was happy as it would be his first white Christmas he could remember. Ed smiled to his younger brother ruffling his hair. His father drove in the large drive way to the mansion. There were statues of every member of the Armstrong family in the garden, the drive way and the pillars in front of the entrance were statues of them, too. Ed had been once at the so-called main building in Central, were a lot more statues were standing. This still larger than life mansion was "just" the leisure residence.
They parked behind Hughes' car near the entrance, some staff members coming out of the house to help them with the luggage. Ed got out of the car to help his father and the staff members to get the bags. He recognised some of the other cars. This one is Havoc's car and that one belongs to Falman. The family was befriended with the office members and more than once one of them played the baby sitter for him and his younger brother. On one of these occasions Ed learned playing Poker from Havoc. At first his parents weren't fond of this until they heard that Ed has mastered the game and won nearly every game.
They got into the house where Alex himself welcomed them, sparkling as ever.
"Oh young Edward. I'm proud to say that already a trusted staff member went to the train station to get your lovely Miss Winry and her gorgeous grandmother." Ed sweat-dropped to this statement, as Alex was as over excited as ever, showing his muscles.
"Thank you, Major Armstrong." Ed tried to smile back as well as he could. Alex looked him in his eyes, some tears forming in his large blue ones.
"Oh Edward. It's a pleasure for me to welcome your beloved friend. The Mustangs are a part of my family as well as their friends are." He took Ed in his arms hugging him close nearly breaking the boy in this process.
"Major?" Ed tried to get some air in his lungs. "Could you please let me down?" Alex looked at the nearly blue Ed and let him down, letting Ed inhale some air.
"Thank you, Major." He was still out of breath as the door opened again and Winry and her grandmother were brought inside. Ed blushed immediately seeing the girl he liked so much. Alex Armstrong ran to welcome them at their small home and told them to make themselves at home as they belonged to the family.
Ed was still standing where Alex had left him looking at Winry. He didn't notice as Havoc approached him. He nearly jumped as he heard the low whisper coming from the elder man behind him.
"She's cute. Think you have inherited your taste from your father." Ed was as red as a tomato to this statement. He swallowed.
"Don't say that this way. We're not together." Havoc looked down at him.
"I never said that, shrimp." He waited a bit until the statement sank into Ed's mind and stepped back.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE WOULD DROWN IN A WATERDROPPLET LIKE A SMALL WATER ANIMAL??" He loved to tease the boy and ruffled his hair while Ed was still fuming. He grinned happily.
"I never said that, Edo." Ed pouted and looked away. He was pissed. He couldn't help being so short. He was an 8-months child and Megan had told him more than once that he would grow in his puberty. He just hoped it would be soon. He sighed heavily as his father called for him to get his bags to the room he would join with his younger brother.
It was a large room, as every room in this mansion. Who needs so large beds? My parents' bed isn't as big as one of them. Ed laid the bag on one of the beds with the crimson comforter and went to the window to find a balcony behind it. He opened the door and stepped out. At first he was blended by the setting sun, which was reflecting in the snow. "Whoa!!" behind the house was a large garden with a forest surrounding it. At the far end was a small hill. Maybe I should ask Dad if we could go sledging. He smiled and went inside. Ed laid their clothes in the commode standing in the room and put the bag aside to lie on the bed. It's so soft. Then somebody knocked on the door.
"Come in." He leaned on his elbows awaiting the visitor. Roy opened the door.
"So I found you." Ed gave him a questioning look.
"Don' tell me you lost your way." His father blushed and turned away from Ed's gaze.
"It's huge and we're in the other wing of this building." He muttered under his breath and took a seat next to his son. Ed couldn't suppress a snicker.
"The great Colonel Roy Mustang and flame alchemist got lost in a building." He laughed to his own statement his father sulking next to him. They laid back and looked at the ceiling.
"Dad?"
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Can we go sledging?" Roy sighed and looked at his son.
"I'm sorry, but today it's too late. Tomorrow, okay?" Ed nodded.
"Okay." His father sat up and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I think we should go down and greet the others. I think Megan and Silver are already here and actually I haven't seen Hughes since we arrived here. Maybe he's lost, too." He got up and held a hand out to help his son stand up from the soft bed. They got out of the room and went downstairs where they assumed the living room. It took them nearly ten minutes to arrive there, the other visitors waiting for them.
"You're late. Don't tell me you were lost." Dr. Megan Hyde sat in the armchair near the heath with Silver sitting in front of her. Ed and Roy blushed to her comment.
"Don't tell me you know where everything is." Roy hoped that he wasn't the only one besides his son who couldn't remember the way from his room to one of the other rooms. She gave him a look and continued sipping on her tea.
"Actually, I do and I should remind you that I'm a lot older than you are." She sipped her tea. "And Pinako, who is 70 by now, does remember her way, too."
Roy swallowed hard and took a seat next to his wife still sulking. Ed sat next to Winry on the other sofa.
"Hey. We didn't have the time to greet each other."
"You're right." She squeezed his hand lightly, and blushes light pink as did Ed.
They sat there for a while until dinner was ready and they went to the dinning room next to the salon. The kids had their own table as the adults had. Even that Ed and Winry were the eldest; they didn't get boring with the younger ones. It was pretty late as Hughes, Roy, Havoc and Falman brought the kids to bed as they had been falling asleep on the couches in the living room in front of the heath. Pinako and the mothers went with the four men to go to bed themselves. Havoc laid Al in the one bed and left the room as Roy laid Ed in the other one. He and Riza started to undress their children and put them their pyjamas on. As Roy put the crimson comforter over Ed's chest, the teenager woke up.
"Huh? How late is it?" Roy sat next to him stroking his hair.
"Late enough. You should go back to sleep. Good night, sweetie." He stood up, gave him a kiss on the forehead and let Riza sit down, going to Al to give him a kiss as well.
"Good night, Edo-chan." She kissed him on the forehead as she had done before with Al. Ed smiled and closed his eyes.
"Good night Mom and Dad." He lay on his side, curling himself up under the comforter. "Don't get lost again, Dad." He spoke the last words already asleep again. Roy rolled his eyes while Riza was snickering to her boy's comment. They stepped out of the room and closed the door behind them as quietly as possible. They knew that some nice days with their family and friends were coming.
AN.: So this was the first chapter Please review for all of you, who are interested or didn't get it ; Hughes was carrying Elicia, Roy carried Ed, Havoc carried Al and Falman brought Winry back to her room. yay!! And of course there will be the other staff members in here, too. They just didn't get an appearance in the first chapter. I'm sorry for that.
Don't forget to review
TenshiShanai.