May 29th, 1965

"So do you think the cats will even remember me?" Alphonse joked as he got out of the taxi and helped Elicia out of the back seat.

"They could never forget you," Elicia chuckled, taking his hand willingly, her other on the brimmed hat on her head so the breeze wouldn't whisk it away. "Though it's a good thing cats don't recognize people by sight first."

"I wonder what your mother is going to think," Al agreed, one hand absently stroking the goatee on his face. It was still trimmed as Elicia had first suggested, no thicker than Maes Hughes' had been, or Breda's really, though it covered more of his chin than that. It was, he had to admit, a bit rakish and did make him look younger now than being clean-shaven had. Different yes; but he kind of liked it. After the last few months it had stopped shocking him in the mirror.

"I think she'll like it," Elicia chuckled as he pulled their suitcases out of the back of the taxi and headed up the drive. "Of course, I think she'll just be glad to have us home."

"Yeah," Al agreed. "Maybe we should have told her we were coming."

"That would take all the fun of out this," Elicia giggled as she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. "Hello? Anybody home?"

There was a moment of silence, then an "Elicia, is that you?" Hurried footsteps and Gracia - accompanied by two of the cats - appeared in the entry way wide-eyed and smiling. "You're home!" She folded Elicia in a big hug.

Al grinned as he stepped in and kicked the door closed to avoid cats escaping. He needn't have worried. They attacked his legs instead, a mass of purring rubbing fluff. "Missed you too," he smiled, setting the bags down carefully to avoid crushing a cat.

"And you," Gracia's attention turned to him as she opened her arms for a hug, then paused, surprised clearly. She laughed then and finished her approach, closing him tightly in her warm arms. "You look wonderful."

"Thanks, Gracia," Al hugged her back warmly. "I feel a lot better."

"Good." She smiled up at him as she stepped back. "You picked a great day to get back. Everyone's coming over tonight for dinner."

"Define everyone?" Al asked. Not that he minded really. He had come home; he was ready to see his family. He missed them.

"Oh well, I guess I shouldn't say everyone," Gracia chuckled as they headed into the living room. "Not with Ed and Winry out of town. Will and Ren are coming with the kids, and Alyse and Calvin are coming."

Al paused, his hand on his favorite chair. "Is this normal?" Every time he went away his family changed on him. At least this time he was reasonably prepared for it.

"He's come over a few times now," Gracia admitted as she slipped into the kitchen. Al heard water and figured it was for tea. "That's all right, I assume."

Elicia was looking at him expectantly, with an amused little smile that almost dared Al to say no.

"Yeah, it's fine," Al smiled and collapsed into the chair. It was so wonderfully familiar. The house, home, at least, hadn't changed much. "They'll be surprised to see us."

"But glad for it," Gracia said, rejoining them. "We've all missed you."

"Hey, I called," Elicia laughed as she sat down on the couch. As everyone settled in they were inundated with curious cats.

Al stroked Orestes as the old male draped across his lap. "Don't worry Gracia, we'll tell you all about the trip," he promised. "We've even got photos."

"And souvenirs judging from the extra bags," Gracia smiled.

"Those too," Elicia agreed. "We've had some fun ideas for redecorating."

"It sounds like a productive trip then!"

Al understood her logic, he thought. If Al could think about home decor, he must be in a better mental frame of mind? Well, she was right. "Well there was a lot of shopping," he teased.

"Which I look forward to seeing and hearing all about your trip later, once dinner's ready," Gracia agreed. "There are a lot of things I'd like to hear about."

"Daddy!" Alyse couldn't resist grabbing her father up in a big hug the moment she saw him! His return hug squeezed her tight and it was possibly the best hug in the whole world. She felt a little teary with relief and happiness at seeing him as she looked up at his face. "Wow... nice whiskers."

"Well, you know," Alphonse chuckled. "It worked for your brother."

"No... it didn't," Ren teased as she and Will came in right behind Alyse and Cal.

"She's right," Alyse smiled. "But they look better on you." Her father looked decidedly handsome with them. She gave him another squeeze. "Wow... you've been working out too!"

It was worth it to see the embarrassed amusement in her father's eyes. "I had to do something on vacation." He gave her another hug. "But it's good to be home."

"Well you've got a lot to answer for," Alyse scolded gently. "You're not allowed to turn into an old hermit without permission!"

"That's what I told him," her mother smiled, cutting in to hug her too.

Alyse felt ridiculously happy as everyone came in, making room as Minxia attacked her grandparents' legs, and Michio was passed around. There was one brief moment where she caught herself holding her breath, and that was when her father encountered Calvin.

Cal smiled, looking less nervous than she would have expected. "Good afternoon, Sir. It's nice to see you again."

Her father seemed to be considering him, then shrugged and smiled back, if just a little. "Thanks, Colonel. Congratulations on the promotion."

"Thank you," Cal's grin widened into his more natural one; the one Alyse liked most.

Alyse relaxed as her father went over to speak with Will. "That wasn't so bad," she smiled.

"Not at all," Cal took a deep breath. "He didn't even threaten to kill me."

Either her father was feeling better than he had in years, or he had completely had a brain transplant of some form. Either way, Alyse was grateful!

June 10th, 1965

There was nothing like watching the late afternoon sun dip towards the horizon over the expanse of blue-and-orange where horizon met the sea. Leaning back against the beach chair he'd transmuted out of sand, the warm breeze blowing teasingly across his face and chest, and any other bits of exposed skin, Edward enjoyed the indulgent feeling of utter relaxation.

The loose, white linen shirt he wore open kept the sun off his shoulders and arms, though it let through the breeze. Winry's auto-mail enhancements worked wonderfully, but that didn't mean staying out for hours in the sun with his auto-mail exposed was a good idea.

Other than that, a comfortable pair of red swim trunks was all that separated him from the salty sea air of Creta. Ed sipped his drink and admired the view.

"Is there room for two?"

Ed glanced up to his right at the beautiful woman beside him; blonde, long legs, shapely curves, in a bikini of tropical blues and greens with large white blossoms, and one of those tempting shear beach-wraps that hid little, but kept the sun off and went barely half-way down her thighs. Blue eyes twinkled under a wide, white brimmed beach hat. "If we snuggle," he grinned.

"I think that can be arranged," Winry chuckled as she sat down on his chair and swung her long legs over beside his. She draped her hat over the back and eyed his drink curiously. "So what's that?"

"It's a local specialty," Ed grinned, putting his auto-mail arm over his wife's shoulder. "They call it a pina colada. Though normally it doesn't have the raspberry."

"What's in it?"

"Pineapple juice, coconut milk, ice, rum..." Ed winked. "A little alchemy."

Winry chuckled. "Can I have a taste? It sounds good."

"It's delicious," Ed promised, holding it out so she could reach the straw. He couldn't help chuckling as her eyes widened.

"That's good!" She looked at his glass. "You're sure you neutralized that?"

"Every particle," Ed said. "I've got the trick down pretty well, wouldn't you say?" The taste was almost indiscernibly different now from any regular alcoholic beverage. The only difference was the lack of intoxication or any physical whiff or burn of alcohol.

"Brilliant," Winry agreed, stealing another sip. "I'm going to have to have one of those later. I don't suppose you've found a way to neutralize calories?"

She would ask. Ed laughed and kissed her cheek. "I'll have to make that my next alchemical research project."

"I knew I loved you for a reason," Winry laid her head against his shoulder. "Though I have to say, you took to lazing around on vacation surprisingly well."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult," Ed chuckled. "I figure I've earned a real vacation."

"Well this definitely counts," Winry smiled.

With the sea in front of him, and the large resort hotel out of view behind him and through the trees, Ed was in agreement. When he told Winry he wanted to live it up, travel, relax and spoil her on what amounted to a second – though really it was more of a first – honeymoon, he had meant it! "The feast tonight should be fun."

"I knew it," Winry poked him in the abdominals. "You dragged me all this way to this beautiful tropical paradise just so you could eat the food."

"They have an entire roast pig in that pit in the sand," Ed replied. "An entire pig, stuffed with fruit and wrapped in leaves and spices! Aren't you even curious?"

"Curious, sure," Winry teased. "But I'm not salivating over a meal that's almost two hours off. I didn't come here to stuff myself."

"In that swimsuit I hope not," Ed grinned, purposefully eyeing her up and down in a way that would have gotten him killed if he had been any other man leering. Okay, even him if he had actually leered.

Winry flashed him a smug grin. "I knew you'd like it when I picked it out."

"Well sure," Ed chuckled. "But I like you in anything… or less."

"Less comes later," Winry promised.

Ed felt his heartbeat speed up, and he almost laughed out loud. Winry said these things just to get him stirred up, he knew it. Still, he liked it too much to ever ask her not to! "I look forward to it," he replied, his voice softening as he leaned over and kissed her.

"Hey, Old Man, get a room!"

Old man? Ed glanced sideways and spotted a couple of twenty-something tanned boys with surfboards snickering. He smirked. "You're just jealous!"

"Edward," Winry hissed at him.

"What? It's true." Ed grinned at her.

"Well you shouldn't be pawing all over pretty women on the beach!" the tallest of the guys called back.

Ed couldn't help winking at Winry. "I told you so."

There was a disbelieving look on her face that, Ed felt, made her look even younger. "Are they blind?"

Ed kissed her again, partially for effect and partially because she was irresistible. "Not at all." Then he turned back to the guys in question. "If you're ogling my wife you can answer to me."

"Wife?" A couple of them looked nonplussed. Then the tall one grinned. "What'd you do to win over a woman like that?"

"More than you can manage," Ed snickered. His mood couldn't get any better!

Two of the other guys seemed to converse for a moment, then the shorter one grinned. "Then show us what you've got!" He held up his board meaningfully.

Surfing. Ed had never tried it, but he had spent the last couple of days on the beach watching them at it. If he hadn't had on Winry's water-proof well balanced auto-mail – and a couple of decades of swimming experience more than he'd had as a kid – he would never have considered it. "You're on!"

"Edward! Are you crazy?" Winry asked as he stood up.

"I can't back down from a challenge," Ed pointed out as he took off the white linen shirt and draped it across the chair. Then he kicked off his sandals. "Besides, if I don't they'll be hitting on my woman next."

"Your woman can take care of herself," Winry replied archly. "But watching you try surfing should be fascinating."

"Good thing I learned to swim," Ed turned around and headed towards the young men who were waiting. "All right, gentlemen. Let's get to it!"

Winry's concerns were quickly disproven as she watched Edward speaking with the young athletes for several minutes before one of them loaned Ed his board. It was funny, almost, contrasting the group. The young men – mostly Cretan – were dark haired and dark tanned, and mostly taller than her husband, but Ed's confidence and physical prowess made him stand out in a way that was different and yet not inexperienced or beneath anybody. That just wasn't Ed.

She watched them paddle out into the ocean, stifling the old worries as she watched Ed out on the deep water. With the next big wave, she momentarily lost sight of them. Squinting into the lowering sun, she saw the small shapes up on top of the wave. Winry felt a small thrill inside when she identified Ed's long blonde ponytail in the middle of the pack.

The guy who had given Ed his board stood watching nearby. One hand over his eyes, he was grinning. "Wow… he's not half bad."

"He's pretty good at picking up this kind of thing," Winry chuckled.

"Is he an athlete of some kind?" the guy asked, glancing down at Winry. "I mean, that seems weird with the auto-mail, but he looks like one."

If Ed hadn't told them who he was, Winry wasn't going to spoil the surprise. "He's a martial artist," she replied, not lying but not telling the complete truth. "He trains soldiers in hand-to-hand combat techniques."

The guy whistled. "If Mako had known that I'm not sure he'd have made the challenge."

"At least he didn't try and fight him," Winry replied.

He grinned. "Yeah, Mako's okay in a fight, but he's no trained expert." His expression softened, just a little. "Did he… fight in the war?"

Winry smiled. These kids weren't so bad. "He's been in a couple of them."

Ed wasn't doing anything fancy, and Winry was no expert, but his form must be okay if he was still on the board. As the wave crested and the surfers came back on shore, he was grinning, exhilarated. "Winry!" He waved at her, shouting to cover the distance. "What'd you think?"

Winry giggled at the youthful joy on his face. "I think it's a good thing you learned to swim!"

"Tease. You mind if I go again?"

"Go ahead!" He was enjoying himself, how could she say no? Besides, she was enjoying watching him.

"Great!" And he ran off again with the surfers. This time, the one who had been chatting with Winry followed, leaving her momentarily on her own. She didn't mind. She liked watching him, and she was happy that they could just relax. Winry certainly didn't want to rush into what remained of their lives.

"You know it's only going to get added to your legend," Winry teased Edward as they sat at one of the long feast-laden tables under the trees by the beach.

"Hey, they liked the tattoo and asked who I was," Ed shrugged, though he had been rather amused by the looks on the guys' faces when he'd introduced himself, simply, as Edward Elric. Apparently he really didn't need to add more than that anymore. They had surfed for over an hour before someone wanted to know his name beyond 'Ed.' They'd also been curious about the auto-mail, though they hadn't asked much about it. Mostly they had just been impressed with his dexterity while having it. "It's not my fault it never occurred to them legends might enjoy having fun."

"And eating," Winry chuckled.

"I think that's been well established," Ed laughed as he leaned back in his chair, relaxing. The truth was he was already stuffed full. This south-western part of Creta, more tropical than the parts he had spent most of his time in, even along the ocean, certainly knew how to feed their guests!

"I'd say so," Winry agreed with an amused shake of her head. The wreath of red tropical blossoms on her head shook and moved against her hair. The effect was quite striking. All the women at the feast had been festooned in the same manner upon arrival, but the colors had varied. Ed knew it was coincidence that Winry's flowers happened to be red, but they suited her.

"What are you staring at?"

Ed blinked, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. "A pretty girl."

He would never tire of seeing Winry blush. The look of pleasure on her face with any sincere compliment made him wish he had given her more in their lives. "You're sweet."

A sudden eruption of drums drew Ed's attention. The tables had been set along three sides of a large square, the middle of which was a sandy area in front of a simple wooden stage. In the middle of it now the same dancers who had bedecked the women with flowers before were now moving out into the area. It wasn't like Romani dancing, but there was a lot of hip movement, and the woven skirts and bare shoulders and stomachs of the dancers flashed as the women spun. There were men too, but Ed didn't find his eyes drawn to them. Or the women for long really, except as part of the intricate piece they we doing.

"It's really something," Winry smiled as they watched. "I heard they're offering lessons after the show."

He didn't even have to look at his wife to know she was looking at him. Ed glanced her way and shook his head. "No way I'm getting up and doing that." It wasn't that it wasn't cool, it just… wasn't his thing. Some dancing was, and some really wasn't. "Though I think you'd be great at it," he grinned rakishly.

"You just want to watch me."

"I have a beautiful wife," Ed said. "Why shouldn't I like it when she shows off?"

"You think I'd be any good at it?" Winry asked, apparently surprised by his response. Had she expected him to not want her to? Or was she more self-conscious about it than he had realized? Sitting there in the flowers, and the simple but elegant sundress she had slipped over her swimsuit for the party, she looked stunning, and exotic herself; the country-girl blonde stood out like a lily among most of the guests.

"Yeah, I do."

He was right, of course. Winry, never one to really be shy once she decided something, proved to be more of a natural than some of the other girls – even a lot of the younger ones – at moving her curves the way the dancers were teaching. Sure, a lot of the younger girls knew how to flaunt their curves, but Ed thought it was too much. They tried too hard and it took away a lot of the natural beauty of the movement.

Winry's hips… okay, so he had always been partial to Winry's hips, but she moved with an understated grace that was no less enthusiastic than the others, and showed a mature confidence that the women other than the professional dancers.

Watching her… gave him ideas.

"Hey," Ed waved over one of the waiters.

"Did you need something, Sir?"

Ed nodded, though he waved away the offer of a refill. "Yeah. I need you to tell me something…"

"Just where are you taking me, Edward?" Winry asked, still perplexed as Ed led her by the hand through the rocks. He had nearly stolen her away from the dancers after a while, insisting there was something she had to see. But how did he know where they were, or what it was?

They had gone way down the beach, and then up into the rocks and cliffs that continued to edge the ocean. She was glad she was wearing shoes, even if they were just slip-ons.

"Just a little farther," Edward promised, grinning breathlessly back at her, eager as ever. It must be something special.

A rushing sound reached her ears, and a minute later they came around a bend and she nearly ran into Ed's back when he came up short.

It was a waterfall. Under the star-strewn sky it shimmered and flashed as it fell, like a spill-way of the night sky itself, into a freshwater pool before it continued its way down to the sea. "It's breathtaking."

"And completely private," Ed slipped an arm around her waist. "I've been assured that no one will bother us here."

"Bother us?" Winry turned her head. "Just what did you have in mind? Something dirty no doubt."

"I'm appalled at your accusation," Ed laughed. "You're close though. Come on; don't tell me you've never wanted to go skinny dipping in a waterfall." His arm moved and the next thing she knew Ed was stripping out of his shirt, kicking off his shoes, and even pulling off his swim trunks. Then there he was, standing before her, hands on his hips… moonlight glinting off well-sculpted muscle.

"Well how can I say no to that?"

"You're turn then."

"Maybe you really are turning into a dirty old man," Winry smirked as she rolled her eyes, but slipped off her sundress and slipped off her shoes.

"It'll never happen," Ed shook his head as he stepped in close and pulled his arms around her. "Cause you never get any older."

Her skin flushed, and Winry leaned into the kiss that came so naturally out of the moment. She didn't even smack him when she felt his hand slip around to the back clasp of her bikini top.