Of Full-Hearts and the 3rd of October
Edward Elric had never been an early riser. For he often went to bed at a later hour, and found joy in the occupation of sleep. But when Winry had awoken him at 3:30 in the morning due to her water breaking, the young man had immediately thrown his regular routine to the wind.
For almost nine months Edward had dealt with the trials of having a pregnant wife, and now after all the restless nights, running errands, and emotional outbursts from Winry, the time had come.
Their baby was coming.
The thought was surreal to the young man as he tried to help his wife get more comfortable. They had waited so long for this, and now it was finally happening. . . They were finally going to be parents! It was both daunting and exhilarating.
Edward helped Winry into a sitting position, and propped the pillows behind her as she cringed.
"Ed," she breathed painfully through her contractions. "W-Where's Doctor Marcoh?"
"He should be here any second, Winry," Edward reassured her gently, sitting next to her on the bed. "Just keep taking deep breaths for me. I need you to save your strength as much as you possibly can."
Winry obeyed the commands, and Edward reached out to grab his wife's hand. It was clammy and shaky- which made him nervous- but he hid his discomfort well. In truth, Edward was scared beyond belief at the prospects of what could happen, but realized that what he was currently feeling was nothing compared to what Winry was going through. So he buried his doubts and offered encouragement to the woman he loved, never once letting the fear seep through to cloud his features.
And as the minutes ticked away, Edward got lost to the ethereal feel of it all- acting on autopilot despite his wishes to give the moment a hundred percent of his attention. There was simply too much, and the young man could think of no other way to deal with the pressure of the experience.
So it was nothing short of a relief when Marcoh arrived- having acted as Winry's doctor throughout the pregnancy- with medical equipment and his alchemy at the ready.
Edward- who had been pep talking Winry nonstop, now fell silent as his old friend set to work. But despite his outward relaxation, Edward Elric's hand never strayed from Winry's, and he made no move to leave once the birthing process was set in motion.
The world seemed to blur as the scene played out, with the doctor talking them through the process, Winry crying out, and Edward comforting her.
Time came to a standstill, and for two hours this cautioned routine continued. Then at the end of the second hour- Edward cast a quick glance out of the bedroom window and witnessed the early morning sunrise. And as he did so, a special realization came to the young man- immediately breaking through the fog he had been inhabiting, with a earth-shattering blow. . . A realization that made him stop and stare at the new morning with misty eyes.
It was the 3rd of October.
The day had held the utmost significance to Ed for many years now- seeing as it had been the day that he and Alphonse had started out on their life altering journey. But now as it dawned upon the birth of his first born child, it would mean even more.
With this newly formed day- this new 3rd of October- Edward would become a father. His child's birthday would forever land on the day he and Al had burnt their home and started their quest to get their bodies back. Both good and bad memories would forever be intertwined on this date. A reassuring and magnificent assurance.
And it was then, in this moment of thought that a shrill cry escaped into the otherwise quiet room. It took Edward only a second to note that it didn't come from Winry. It was too high pitched and small sounding for it to have been his wife or Marcoh.
So with wide eyes, the once fabled Fullmetal Alchemist moved his tired golden eyes to Winry. And then, seeing her fatigue but overall pleased expression, Edward turned to observe Marcoh who was now holding a small being in his large hands.
The doctor smiled as he slowly moved to the large washbasin of lukewarm water that Edward had brought in earlier, and began to wash the crying baby.
Both Edward and Winry watched in awe as their child's perfect little body came into view, and both cried as Marcoh returned to the bed side with her.
"Congratulations Mom and Dad," he said calmly, "She's a healthy baby girl."
Edward felt his heart clench at the title, and leaned over to place a relieved kiss to Winry's forehead, as Marcoh handed the baby to her mother.
"Thanks, Marcoh," Edward said gratefully, "For everything. We couldn't have gotten through this without you."
The doctor dipped his head graciously before moving towards the door. "I'm glad I could be of some use to you, Edward. I'll stay for the next couple of hours to make sure that everything is okay. Though for the time being, I believe that you three could use some time alone. I'll be outside if you need me."
Edward nodded to him, and then returned his attention to his wife and the small being she held in her arms- never even hearing the door close behind the doctor. For in that moment, as he looked upon his child's face for the first time, Edward Elric was smitten with more emotion and feeling than he could comprehend.
And that was when his mind went into overdrive.
As he sat staring back into the golden eyes of his daughter- her eyes having just opened to regard him- faces and names began to file forward in his minds' eye, appearing before his conscious in an almost overwhelming fashion.
Faces of the people that mattered the most:
Winry . . . Alphonse, Teacher. . . Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye, Armstrong, Scar and Doctor Marcoh, Zampano, Jerso, Darius and Heinkel . . . Ling and Mei, Granny Pinako
. . . Trisha Elric and Van Hohenheim . . .
Face after face, name after name appeared within his mind, interchanging with the perfect being of his daughter. And as the innocent, golden eyes continued to peer into his soul, Edward felt the line between family and friends disappear completely until the two became one.
One is all, and All is one.
The meaning of life and alchemy had always been close to Ed's heart, but never quite so much as it was in that split second. For never before had the connections of the universe seemed so thin and close-by. Never before that moment, had Edward's past met with his future. . .
In looking at the little girl in Winry's arms, Edward Elric knew that nothing would ever be the same again.
Now, there were endless possibilities, and new secrets to explore.
After coming back from his travels to the West, and having married his childhood sweetheart, there was now a new adventure!
Despite having been perfectly happy before, the young man now knew that he had had but a taste of true happiness. Winry and Alphonse had opened the doorway to it, but now the gates swung open to reveal what lay ahead.
And never before had Edward Elric been so excited or scared of the road fate had placed before his feet.
Alphonse had always been thrilled at the thought of becoming an uncle, and thus upon receiving a call from Edward- stating that his niece had been born - the younger Elric had donned his coat and jumped on the nearest train to Resembool.
It had taken him the better part of two days to get there from where he was staying in Central, but it had been worth every second of travel. Or at least, that's what the young man thought as he rushed up the country road towards the old Rockbell home where Ed and Winry now lived as husband and wife.
Being more excited than he had been in many years, Alphonse opened the door without invitation and entered breathing heavily- having just run the entire way from the train station. Then, in complete excitement, he jogged through the house towards the back bedroom, calling out anxiously.
"Ed! Winry! Where are you?"
"In here, Al," a voice replied, making the young man rush even more.
Alphonse entered the bedroom quickly, and found the welcome sight of Winry lying in bed, propped by pillows and smiling. Assuredly, no young woman had ever looked so radiant in her pajamas. From the way she was glowing there could be no question as to how she felt. Her smile was brighter than the sun and her eyes twinkled with absolute joy as she placed a forefinger to her lips, bidding her brother-in-law to be cautious with his voice.
Alphonse closed the door silently behind himself, and lifted an eyebrow as he drew close to his childhood friend.
"Winry?" he whispered. "Is everything alright?"
Winry nodded once, and then pointed to the corner of the room, wordlessly explaining her demand for a silent entry. Alphonse followed the path of her finger and instantly let out an emotional sigh.
There- sitting in the rocking chair with a pink bundle held gently in his arms- was Edward. His eyes were closed and his face was peacefully slack, indicating sleep. Though even in his state of relaxation Ed held his newborn child with care.
Never before had Alphonse witnessed his older brother touch something with such obvious adoration, and being there to witness such a bond made his heart do strange things.
Winry looked at her husband lovingly before whispering, "He's been like that since earlier this morning when I fed her. I think Ed's in love."
Al glanced at his brother again, happy tears instantly forming in his eyes. "Brother's loved her since you first told him that you were pregnant, Winry. . . He'll always love and protect her."
"I know," Winry agreed, laying back further into her pillows. "And I'm glad that feels that way. But I've never seen him act like this, Al . . . At this rate he's going to spoil her rotten."
Alphonse chuckled. "Of course he's going to spoil her! Because brother knows that if he doesn't, I will!"
Winry laughed good-naturedly- not seeming to be put out by the admission in the slightest. In fact, she was secretly pleased with the whole idea.
Then after a moment of comfortable silence between the two old friends, Alphonse asked a question.
"So, what's my niece's name?"
Winry gestured with her hand towards her husband. "I think Ed should be the one to tell you, Al. . . It was meant to be a surprise for you after all."
Alphonse was surprised by the answer, and was about to say so aloud, when Winry interrupted him by continuing.
"You can wake him up now," she said easily. "Ed's slept long enough, and our little ball of sunshine will need to eat soon."
Alphonse, amused by Winry's familiar manner and intrigued by his niece's name, walked over to where his older brother was resting in the rocking chair, and slowly crouched at his side.
Then, he issued his wake-up call.
"Brother. . ."
Edward continued to sleep.
"Ed."
Still no difference, so Alphonse changed tactics.
"Brother. . . Breakfast is ready."
Slowly, Edward's eyes slid open to regard his younger brother, and for a moment there was only the grogginess of sleep reflected in his golden eyes. But then, after a moment, recognition shot throughout his tired face and he flashed his sibling a lazy grin.
"Hey, Alphonse."
Alphonse returned the grin, "Hello, Brother."
Edward eyes shone in the sunlight coming through the window, before he shifted his arms that currently held his little girl. And despite the fact that he was ecstatic, the new father didn't raise his voice above a whisper as he addressed his brother. For he was afraid of waking his daughter up before she was ready to be done with her nap.
"Isn't she beautiful, Al? And so little! She's only 6 pounds!"
"She's perfect, Brother," Alphonse whispered back in awe, reaching out to brush his niece's miniature knuckles with the tip of his forefinger, "Absolutely perfect."
Edward proudly beamed a glance at Winry before saying tenderly, "Yeah. She got her mothers' good looks; though her eyes are the same shade as ours."
From the bed Winry laughed. "Her father and uncle are good looking too, you know! So I can't take all the credit! And I'm sure that she got your brains, Ed. She'll most likely be able to do alchemy before the age of three!"
Both Edward and Alphonse shared a loaded look before they laughed too- for the idea couldn't have been more appealing to them. And when they were finished with the their momentary lapse of amusement, Alphonse once more asked the most pressing of questions.
"What's her name, brother?"
The Fullmetal Alchemist was silent for a moment, and several tears rose in his warm golden eyes, as he reached one of his hands out to grasp his young brother's shoulder. The touch was comforting and all telling.
"Well, Al. . We decided to name her Trisha, in honor of mom."
Al took a deep breath, letting the name sink in before he once more looked at the peacefully sleeping Trisha Elric. And as he looked at her, several tears- matching Edward's- fell from his eyes.
"That's wonderful, Ed," Alphonse said happily, letting his tears fall without shame or hesitation. "She's beautiful just like mom. . . The name suits her."
Edward Elric looked at his brother, wife, and daughter before placing a tender kiss to little Trisha's peachy-fuzz cheek. Memories of the past drifting through the air as if they were visible to the external eye; and the young man let them. Feeling the beauty shared by those closest to him, and knowing that the future was full because of his loved ones the Fullmetal Alchemist smiled. . . For his heart was full, and yet another chapter of the story had begun.
A/N: I wrote this for a contest and the writing prompt was 'family'. My first thought came to these three. Cause you can't be the Fullmetal love. Seriously. You can't.
^^ Hope you guys like it!
~Lyn Harkeran