Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter!

Ed and Al take the kids out on a walk to go visit their parents' graves, and while they're there, they can't help but reminisce on the path that has led them to this point in their lives.

Enjoy!

"Bye, bye, Mommy!" Little Trisha waved at her mother on the porch from Edward's arms.

Winry giggled, smiling sweetly at the almost two-year-old. Waving back, she said, "Bye, bye. Say hi to grandma and grandpa for me, 'kay?"

Mei, who was standing next to her sister-in-law, smiled as well. "Dinner should be ready in a half hour or so, so don't take too long."

"Like the two of us are ever late for food," Alphonse joked, chuckling also.

Edward nodded in agreement, smirking at his brother. "Yeah. Al could eat a whole feast by himself at any time of the day if he wanted to."

His younger brother gave him a sour look, but quickly retorted. "You eat just as much as me, so I don't want to hear it. I'm making up for lost time. What's your excuse?"

"Ah, shut up."

"No, no, Daddy!" Trisha scowled at her father, promptly wagging her finger. "Bad!"

Ed stared back at the toddler in surprise for a second, but quickly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. He and Winry always stressed to their children to be as kind as possible to everyone they met, which included not saying mean things like "shut up," "stupid," etc. However, old habits die hard, and Ed was having trouble practicing what he preached, even if he was only joking. "You're right, sweetie. I'm sorry."

Al laughed at his brother's expense. "You tell him, Trisha."

"Uncle Al, can you put me on your shoulders?" Aaron tugged on his uncle's shirt, looking up at him expectantly.

The alchemist smiled at the boy apologetically. "Aaron, you're getting a little big for that, don't you think? You're almost too heavy for me to even pick you up anymore."

"Pleeeaase!" Edward watched as his son gave his brother "the look." He wouldn't necessarily describe it as the signature puppy-dog eyes, and it didn't look like Aaron was about to cry or anything, but there was something about it that made the boy's father and uncle buckle under the weight. Edward could never understand how Winry and Mei were so invulnerable.

After a short stare-down, Al's expression switched to one of defeat, though he was still smiling. Sighing, he said, "Okay. Just on the way to the cemetery, though."

The four-year-old grinned widely at his victory, holding up his arms. Al braced himself for a second before quickly scooping up his nephew and setting him on his shoulders, clearly having some difficulties. Once Aaron was in place, his uncle grunted somewhat, chuckling. "I won't be able to do this for much longer, otherwise I'm gonna throw my back out."

"Oh, come on, you're not that old," Ed commented. Turning to his wife, he said, "We'll be back soon."

"Let's go!" Aaron exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "Run, Uncle Al! Run!

"Okay…Here we go!" Al smiled at the boy before bounding down the road, now completely ignoring the weight on his shoulders and the possible repercussions on his spine that he'd been complaining about earlier. Aaron's amused giggles grew softer as they got farther away.

"Hey, you two! Wait up! I can't run with a baby in my arms!"

As Ed followed them at a brisk speed walk, he heard Mei laugh behind him. "Have fun!"

Ed wasn't sure how he managed it, but Al ran the entire way to the cemetery gates, sixty-pound Aaron bouncing and laughing widely the whole time. It was about another minute or so before Edward caught up with them, and by that time, Al was leaning against the fence, panting, though there was a playful smile on his face. "Now there's a workout." He looked at his nephew, smirking. "What do you say, Aaron? You wanna do that with me every morning?"

The boy nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah!"

"You'd have to get up while it's still dark out," Edward informed him, also smirking.

His son considered this for a minute, his smile waning. After some contemplation, he shook his head. "I don't wanna get up that early."

The two brothers laughed heartily, escorting Aaron into the graveyard with Trisha still in her father's arms, looking around passively. Trisha Elric and Van Hohenheim's graves were just inside the entrance, and, having visited there quite a few times, Aaron knew exactly where to go. Standing in front of the two markers, the boy smiled mildly. "Hi, Grandma. Hi, Grandpa."

Edward came up behind his son, smiling and ruffling up his hair. Glancing at his daughter, he asked her, "Can you say hi?"

Baby Trisha processed his question for a second, then looked down at the graves and, with a rather unenthusiastic wave, muttered, "Hi, Gamma, Gampa."

Al sat down cross-legged in front of the markers, staring at them with a hint of sadness and nostalgia in his eyes, not unlike all the other times he and his brother visited their parents' graves. Ed followed his example, setting Trisha down in front of him so she could lean on his legs, and Aaron, seemingly feeling left out, plopped down with a thud, spreading his legs out in a "V."

After a few seconds of silence, Aaron frowned a bit and turned to Edward. "Why do we visit Grandma and Grandpa so much?"

"Because we like to see each other. They miss us after a while of us not coming."

That was his answer, but, for Ed, it only felt partially true. He usually found himself coming down to his parents', but mostly his mother's, graves whenever he began to think of his early childhood and miss all the times that they had together, even the times before Hohenheim had left them. Somehow, being near the markers bearing their names helped him to feel closer to them, if only briefly. Now, the part about seeing each other…it was a well-known fact to pretty much everyone that Edward wasn't one to believe in the big man upstairs. He originally didn't believe in an afterlife either, but over the past few years, his opinion on that had changed a bit. The thought of all the wonderful people he'd known in his life who had died – Nina Tucker, Brigadier General Hughes, Granny, his mother, and, hell, even his father – having their souls disappear into nothingness and their bodies disintegrate into ash and dirt was too painful to even comprehend. They deserved to be as happy as possible, both in life and in death. He knew that the idea of heaven was completely illogical by most scientific standards, but the more he told his children that their grandparents were watching them from "up there," the more he found himself believing it. Then again, maybe it was more of hope than belief.

"That's right. We can't let them get lonely," Alphonse added to his brother's statement, smiling gently. Turning to his nephew, he playfully asked, "Did you know that these are mine and Daddy's mommy and daddy?"

Aaron nodded tiredly, rolling his eyes exaggeratingly. "Yeah. You've told me a billion times."

"Well, maybe we like reminding you, ya little turd," Ed retorted, making a sour face at his son's newfound smart-assness. The boy had been trying to spread his wings a little bit by seeing what exactly he could get away with saying, and he'd recently discovered the concept of sarcasm and the like. His father wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.

Still, the older Elric couldn't find himself to stay annoyed or irritated at it for long. Smirking, he poked the four-year-old in the side, causing the boy to jump up and yelp a bit at the sudden nerve pinch. He began to laugh, however, and, smacking his father lightly on the shoulder, exclaimed, "That hurts, Daddy!"

"Hey, don't leave me out!" Al chuckled as he grabbed Aaron from behind, wrapping him in a one-armed bear hug as he tickled him with his free hand. Aaron struggled to free himself, laughing as he kicked and squirmed.

As Ed chuckled at the sight, he felt a little tug on his other arm. Looking down, he saw Trisha pointing to something on their left and leaning toward it. Smiling innocently, she cried, "Peetty bugs!"

Following his daughter's eyeline, the former alchemist spotted countless tiny lights flying all around the open area beside them, illuminating the oncoming dusk.

"Lightning bugs!" Aaron, seeing the lights as well, broke free from Alphonse's grasp and stood up. Glancing at his dad hopefully, he asked, "Can we go catch them?"

The excitement in his little boy's eyes made Ed's heart feel warm, something that'd been happening pretty much daily since he'd been born. This peaceful like was definitely making him soft. Nodding and smiling gently, he told him, "Stay close, and mind your sister."

"Okay!" Aaron knelt down and took his baby sister's hand, helping her stand up. "Come on, Trisha! Let's go catch lightning bugs!"

"Ligh-ning bugs!" The toddler cried gayly, trotting alongside her brother as they headed toward the tiny lights.

Edward and Alphonse watched the two children in silence for a bit, observing as Aaron jumped around wildly, trying to catch the higher fireflies when there were multiple ones down near the ground. Trisha focused on those, though when she would waddle upon one, she would pause a while before clapping her hands in flash. Most of the bugs got away, but Ed couldn't help but feel sorry for the ones his daughter ended up accidentally squishing.

Al's voice broke the quiet around them. "How on earth did we get here?"

The slight wonder and dumbfoundness in his brother's voice made Ed laugh. Reading his mind, as always. Still watching his children, he answered, "That's the million sen question, little brother – one that I ask myself every damn day." There was a small pause before he chuckled again. "Honestly, we should've died long ago."

"But we didn't."

Ed finally turned around to see that Al had that signature look and smile he always had whenever he was completely happy. The younger Elric had taken to having that as his default expression, as he'd been unable to use it for so long. Ed smiled as well. They didn't die. Al had his body back. They had married the women they loved. They finally had the peaceful life they'd longed for for so long. How they had accomplished all this was beyond him, but he certainly wasn't about to complain about it.

Glancing back at his kids, the former Fullmetal Alchemist said, "Ten years ago, I never would've imagined any of this was possible for me. Now…I can't imagine life without them."

"You're a good father to them, Brother."

Ed chuckled. "There's something I definitely never thought I would hear." Sighing, he added, "I don't deserve any of this."

"Well, I'd beg to differ, but that's my opinion." Al's smirk was prominent in his voice. "Still, I've got to admit you surprised me. I honestly thought you would be an absolute train wreck."

Giving his younger sibling a half-hearted glare, Edward muttered, "Gee, thanks for having so much faith in me."

Alphonse laughed at his brother's dismay, but his eyes grew somewhat sad with his small smile. "I sometimes had my doubts, but…back then I could imagine having a life like this. Stuff like that, hoping for a happy future – that's what kept me determined."

"Admit it, though: you definitely never imagined yourself being married to Mei." Ed couldn't help but bring this up, smirking.

"Definitely not." Chuckling, Al said, "I probably would've thought, That psycho girl!? No way! I guess the same thing can be said about you and Winry though."

"Let's just call it a draw and say we're both completely insane."

"Works for me."

There was a short pause with only the cheerful shouts of Aaron and Trisha filling the silence as the two brothers stared at their parents' names on the two stones before them.

"Thanks, Brother."

"For what?"

"Giving up your alchemy to get my body back."

Edward looked at his younger brother in surprise. Chuckling and sighing a bit in exasperation, he said, "Come on, Al. I've told you that you don't have to thank me for that. You and I both know you would've done the same thing if our places were switched."

He couldn't help but think back to that day – the Promised Day. The image of Alphonse laying on Mei's alkahestry circle while the light of his soul died from his armor's eyes flashed in his mind. Out of all the times Edward had faced death and destruction, that moment had been one of the most terrifying of his life. He'd thought he'd lost his little brother, for good that time, and it had been his fault again. Seeing all the anguished faces of their friends and comrades, especially that of the sobbing Mei, and feeling the gaping hole in his heart at the realization that Alphonse was gone had immediately made his decision for him. To get his little brother back, Ed's alchemy was worthless for all he cared.

"Besides…" he continued, turning back to watch his son and daughter frolicking in the grass. Aaron had apparently caught one and attempted to hand it to Trisha, but it had flown out of her hands, and the two were now in pursuit of it once more. "You sacrificed your entire soul just so I could get my freaking arm back, so I don't want to hear you talk. Giving up my alchemy was probably the best decision I ever made. I got you your body back, just like I promised. Plus…I was able to finally realize what my life should really be focused on. I mean, who needs alchemy when I have all you guys, right?"

"Brother…" Al's eyes were still filled with a hint of guilt, but he was clearly surprised by Ed's words. Eventually, though, the younger Elric smiled, also watching his niece and nephew. "I guess you have a point. It doesn't make me any less grateful though. I mean, if it weren't you giving up your portal, I would never have gotten to do a lot of things. I never would've gotten to try Ms. Gracia's cooking or Winry's apple pie, for one."

"Geez, you and your food!"

"I told you: I'm making up for lost time!"

"You were in the armor for four years, and you got your body back over ten years ago."

"Hey, I'm trying to be sentimental!"

"You're always sentimental!"

"There's nothing wrong with that!"

"What's sem-mi-mental mean?"

The brothers were torn from their rather trivial argument by Aaron, who now stood beside them holding Trisha's hand. No doubt they'd been drawn by the men's shouting. The kids' father and uncle stared at them in surprise for a second before rubbing the backs of their necks and chuckling in embarrassment.

"Sentimental," Alphonse corrected, smiling at his nephew. Simplifying it, he explained, "It's when something makes you happy and real warm inside, like a memory."

"Oh," was all the boy responded with, once again plopping down next to his dad. Trisha walked around and crawled into Edward's lap, where her father wrapped his arms around her protectively. Meanwhile, something inside him sparked some concern for his little brother. Al certainly wasn't a stranger to talks like this, and he constantly thanked his brother for his sacrifice, but for some reason, something didn't feel right.

"Al, is something bothering you?" he asked. "I mean, yeah, you're usually all about being sentimental and all that, but…I don't know. Something seems off about you today."

Al sighed tiredly, but still have him a reassuring smile. Oh, yeah. Something was up. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately, that's all."

"Whatcha been thinking about?" Aaron butted in, crawling around to sit on his uncle's lap.

"Stuff," Al joked, poking the four-year-old in the side once more and causing the boy to jump and laugh.

"Al…" Ed gave his brother a look of concern, cutting off his son's giggles. He wasn't about to let the subject drop.

Al's smile didn't waver, though his eyes showed that he was contemplating something. He stared at his brother for a moment before turning to the graves of his parents. A few more seconds of silence passed before he finally said, "I guess I might as well tell all three of you at once."

Edward raised an eyebrow, some of his worry now being replaced with confusion. There were six members of the Elric family all under one roof, so there really wasn't any room left over for secrets. He wasn't quite sure what Al had to tell him. In addition to that, what could it possibly be that Al would feel the urge to tell their deceased parents about it?

His younger brother now had a very excited smile on his face, almost like a small child ready to tell an important secret from the playground. His eyes seemed to swirl with all different kinds of emotions, so much so that Ed couldn't read them. However, in that moment, seeing that exact expression on his brother made him understand everything. He'd bore that look before himself. Two times – to be exact.

"Mei's pregnant." Upon saying those words, Al's whole demeanor seemed to relax, and he chuckled out of pure joy. "I'm going to be a dad, Ed."

The former alchemist stared at his sibling for a second. Even though he'd given himself a bit of a heads up, he certainly hadn't expected this information. Still, his initial shock quickly grew into a huge grin. "Al…that's awesome!"

Reaching over, he clapped his little brother on the back and pulled him into a hug, one that Al tightly returned, a huge grin on his face.

"You're squishing me!" Aaron yelped from between them, pushing on his father and uncle to separate them.

"Quit your whining! It's a group hug!" Ed retorted.

"Hug!" Trisha exclaimed, also in the mix. She somehow managed to wrap her tiny arms around her brother, squeezing him tightly.

Edward and Alphonse laughed at the children as the four of them finally drew back from the strange embrace. Aaron looked up at his uncle curiously. "What's pregnant mean?"

Al's smile impossibly grew even wider at the question, like he was so happy to finally be able to talk to someone about it. Resting his hands on his knees, he said excitedly, "It means that Aunt Mei has a baby in her tummy."

Ed nodded, also smiling as he addressed his son. "You remember when Mommy had Trisha in her belly? Like that."

This only seemed to confuse the four-year-old more. "Auntie doesn't have a big belly though."

"That's because the baby has to grow a bit first," Al explained, chuckling. His eyes sparkled. "She'll have a big tummy before long, I promise."

"God, Al, that really is awesome." Edward gave the alchemist a huge, genuine smile. It warmed his heart so much to see his little brother so happy. Al had been through so much pain and suffering, but he'd always confronted it with a kind and peaceful sense of mind. He was the reason Ed hadn't given up or grown depressed during those years they spent in the military. If anyone deserved this chance, it was Al. "I thought you two had been acting weird lately. When'd you find out?"

"A week or so ago. Doctor Matthews did some blood work and…voila, I guess." The young man shrugged, but his smile didn't shrink a centimeter.

"So, that's what's been making her dizzy and stuff?" Mei had been feeling very fatigued and had been experiencing some dizzy spells for the past month, give or take. It had gotten to the point where Al had pretty much demanded she see the local doctor. When the couple had returned though, they'd simply told Ed and Winry that it was a slight case of dehydration.

Al nodded. Almost like he read his brother's mind, he said, "We didn't technically lie to you guys though. Mei is usually a healthy eater and stuff, but she's a tiny girl to begin with, so she just wasn't getting enough water and nutrients to properly sustain the two of them." His eyes lightened up when he mentioned the baby inside his wife's stomach. "Doctor Matthews told us that as long as she eats and drinks a bit more than usual, she should be fine."

"That's so awesome." Ed felt the need to repeat this statement once more.

Al chuckled, his words sounding wistful. "I couldn't think of a better way to describe it."

"You're a great uncle, Al," the older Elric grinned supportively and determinedly, "and you'll make an even greater dad. Guarantee it."

"Thanks, Brother." The young alchemist gave his signature, gentle smile with a hint of gratefulness. He turned to Aaron, who'd been watching and listening to the conversation intently, though how much he understood of it, Ed wasn't sure. Al patted his nephew's head, a soft look in his eyes. "I know you tell me not to thank you for what you did, Ed, but nothing will ever stop me from feeling grateful. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. I never would've gone to Xing or fell in love with Mei. I wouldn't have been able to see you and Winry get married or see the happy looks on your faces when Aaron was born. I never would've met my niece and nephew, and we wouldn't have so many of the memories we have now. We wouldn't be having this conversation. I would…I would've never gotten the chance to be a dad."

By this point, tears had filled the younger Elric's eyes, and he choked out a happy sob. He let his hand slip from Aaron's head and looked down, hiding his face. "Thank you so much, Ed. I…"

"Don't cry." Trisha furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Her tiny, innocent eyes were somehow filled with concern. She waddled up to her uncle, roughly patting his head in comfort, not entirely knowing how to control her arm strength just yet. "Don't cry, Un-le Al."

Al lifted his head in surprise, but his mouth spread into a gentle smile. Wiping his tears away and picking her up, he assured her, "It's okay. They're happy tears."

"That's weird," Aaron remarked.

"Aaron, hush," Ed half-heartedly chastised his son, though he was far from upset. Smiling, he told his brother, "Al, you and I both know my ability to transmute is nothing compared to all that stuff. So, don't mention it."

He then glanced at their parents' graves once more. "I bet you just made their day, little brother. They're probably balling their eyes out from wherever they are."

"Yep!" Aaron added, smiling wildly. "They're gonna cry so hard in heaven, it's gonna rain!"

This managed to get a hearty laugh out of Alphonse. "I hope they do."

"Well…" Ed grunted as he stood up. "I think we've visited long enough. Winry and Mei should have dinner ready right about now. You guys ready to eat?"

"Yeah!" The kids threw their hands up in the air to express their hunger and enthusiasm.

As the four of them – the father, uncle, and two children – walked out the gate and began to make their way back up the road, Al perked up, remembering something. Leaning down to Aaron and Trisha, he told them, "Make sure you don't tell anyone about Aunt Mei having a baby, okay? It's a big secret."

Aaron nodded fervently, making a far-from-proper salute. Trisha nodded as well, putting a finger to her lips.

Ed smirked. "What's this? Did you tell on your wife without her permission?"

"In that regard, I'm kind of telling on myself too, wouldn't you say? We were kind of planning to break the news to you and Winry at the same time, so…"

"Gotcha. Act surprised."

Al chuckled, "Surely that won't be too difficult for you." He turned forward, fixing his gaze on the yellow house appearing on the horizon with a determined look in his eyes. "We got ourselves in deep, Brother."

"Yeah, but the last thing I'm gonna do is complain. Come on, let's get moving. I can smell that beef cooking and my stomach's growling something fierce."

Ah! Cute! I really liked writing this.

Just a heads up, my family is taking a huge month-long trip overseas, and I am unaware of the kind of internet access I will be getting while I am away from my ever faithful wifi, so an update within the next few weeks is not gonna happen. I will try to update once I get back and before I have to move into college. So, just warning you there.

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please favorite and/or follow this story and/or me if you haven't already. If you have, then many thanks! Also, please leave a review to tell me what you think! I love ze feedback! (I feel like a freaking YouTuber putting the same footnotes after every chapter. Like and Subscribe!)

Anyway, I once again hoped you enjoyed this! Have a wonderful day!