AN: Well it's been real.
Ties of friendship Chap.20
Winry opened her eyes the next morning hearing the baby fussing she looked over to see Edward cradling his son in his arms with the baby's face close to his "Ssssh little man you're gonna wake up mommy."
She smiled watching him then sat up "Mommy's up and he's probably hungry."
Looking over at her he smiled "You did great Winry, He's beautiful." Edward walked over and handed her the baby and she began to breast feed him.
"Wow, he was hungry wasn't he?" Sitting on the bed next to her he watched his son get his fill of milk. Then she smiled at him "You want to try to burp him?" Edward reached out and she showed him where to place the baby and how to pat him. Then next thing Edward knew his son had threw up on him "Ahh." Smiling he turned and grabbed a towel and Winry giggled "Oh you think that's funny?" he grinned.
"Yes it's funny trying to watch you deal with a little person you don't have control over." She flashed him a bright smile.
"I see you think I can't handle this?" He said jokingly.
She laughed and pointed at his shirt "Well Mr. Elric I do believe you have throw up down the back of your shirt."
"Alright….ALRIGHT I do believe I haven't got this down but it's my first time so bear with me." He handed his son to Winry and stripped his shirt off. Winry being in a playful mood "Nice abs babe but I don't think the baby's going to care."
"Well if he throws up now I can just wash it off." He over and kissed her forehead.
Smiling up at him "So you're just going to walk around shirtless?" turning he walked to the door and opened it "AL!" AL came to the door and Edward said something to him and fifteen minutes later Al came through the door and handed him another shirt.
Al Laughed turning to Edward "This time put the towel over your shoulder brother."
"Yeah, yeah." waving over his shoulder to Al.
A few minutes later the door opened and Shinji stuck his head in slowly "Hey you idiot can we come in and see the little one?"
Winry nodded and smiled "Mmm Hmm." Everyone piled into the little room and got a look at the baby while he lay sleeping in the bassinet until Shinji decided to hold him "Boy he's a little thing huh?"
"DON'T CALL HIM LITTLE!" Edward fumed.
"I'm just saying for a baby he's little idiot." Shinji said in baby voice staring at him.
"Alright you Dumbass pass him down here." Hiyori was holding her hands out and Shinji passed him to her.
The door burst open "Hey ya Edward" Ling waved as he entered with Mei and Lan fan in tow behind him. Edward's eyes narrowed as he walked up in front of Ling and threw a punch at him but Lan Fan caught Edward's hand in front of Ling's face. "WHAT THE HELL! YOU SHOW UP HERE AFTER WANTING TO MAKE MY WIFE AN EMPRESS WHEN I'M NOT EVEN IN THE GROUND TWO DAYS."
"I'm sorry Edward I was just trying to help." Ling said dancing around so Edward couldn't hit him again.
Al looked over "MEI!"
Lolly looked over "Who the hell is this AL!" Niki popped her knuckles "Yeah Al, Who's Mei?" Al never knew Niki had a crush on him and now he probably never would.
"ALPHONSE, WHO ARE THESE HUSSIES?" Mei took a fighting stance and pulled out her kunai knives.
Niki and Lolly both took stance "WHO THE HELL YOU CALLIN HUSSIES YOU BITCH!"
Edward decided he'd had enough of the yelling in the room "SHUT THE HELL UP ALL OF YOU BEFORE YOU UPSET THE BABY!" he looked at Al "You better fix this quick little brother."
Hiyori handed the baby back to Shinji "Come outside you DUMBASSES and I'll kick the shit out of ALL OF YOU!"
Al realizing this was completely out of control grabbed Mei around the waist and pulled her out the door into the hall. Niki crossed her arms in front of her chest "Well I see she's a pussy." Lolly threw her hair over her shoulder "Kicking her ass would have been fun." Edward shook his head at both of them "You guys really don't know who you're dealing with." Both of them turning to him, "DOES IT REALLY MATTER!"
Walking over to Shinji Edward took the baby and the girls lost all interest in their fight "Oh my gosh look at that cute adorable face." Niki smiled at the baby as Edward showed them. Lolly was ooing and aweing at him and making scrunched up faces and talking baby talk to him. Mashiro and Lisa walked forward "So what are you going to name him?" Edward looked over at Winry and she shrugged her shoulders "We haven't really talked about it."
Everybody had to put their two cents in Mashiro laughed "Why not Squishy? Because he's squishy..HA HA." Everyone just stopped and looked at her as Lisa smacked her "You can't name a baby Squishy you moron." Shinji examined the baby's face "Hmm" he put his hand on his chin "I would say Ichigo but I already know someone with that name." Niki busted in "I like Annikin" she blushed "After his favorite aunt." Lolly hip butted her out of the way and walked forward "Well since I'm going to be babysitting all the time I know what his nickname is…it's BLOW POP!"
Edward's head snapped around "Lolly…I don't think so!" she gave him a pouty face. Hiyori jumped up "I know Yumichika." She face-palmed "Oh shit I forgot that names taken." Winry raised her hand "Uh…excuse me but the baby's not Japanese." Al and Mei entered the room again "Al what do you think about a name?" Edward turned asking him.
"I really don't know brother but I like the name Justin." He said shyly knowing Edward would probably hate it but he couldn't believe it when both Edward and Winry yelled "YES THAT'S IT!"
"REALLY?" Al said excitedly looking at both of them "So I named the baby?"
WInry smiled at him "Yes Al" she yelled for everyone to listen up "Our sons name is Justin Edward Elric." Edward smiled at her and he picked his son up.
"So what do you think of your name son?" the baby cooed and everyone laughed and started ooooing and aweing over him again as they passed him around the room. Shinji motioned for Edward when he got him "Hey daddy I think baby made a stinky." Handing him back to Edward.
"Oh what's the matter Uncle Shinji can't change a diaper?" Edward put the baby down and changed him one handed "There daddy's done."
Winry was amazed "Where'd you learn that?" he smiled at her "Come on I do have a younger brother."
Sitting there watching their friends Edward smiled to himself 'My good friends all would stand next to me at anytime.' All of them were passing the baby around until Dr. Woods came in and informed them visiting hours were over. She turned to Edward "Nice to see you back to yourself Mr. Elric."
"Thanks Doc and thank you for helping with the baby." Edward said smiling at her as he walked down the hall with Shinji and Al.
When they got to Pinako's house she walked up and gave Edward a big hug "Good to have you home son." He smiled down at the old woman "Good to be home Granny."
Edward sat in his room that night staring at the bassinet and the baby stuff 'I can't believe all this has happened and now were to this point. I HAVE A SON! WHOOO HOOO!' he jumped in the air and coming down he fell into the dresser and started laughing out loud.
Al knocked on the door "Brother, are you okay?" he asked opening the door and he stuck his head in around the door and saw Edward on the floor laughing. He walked in and just stared at his crazy ass brother and wondered what the hell he was laughing at.
Edward caught his breath and looking up "I'm fine Al just happy. Well ecstatically happy little brother."
Al walked over and sat on the bed "That's great Ed but I now have a decision to make." Edward's smile faded "Yeah what's that Al?"
"Mei has asked me to go back to Xing with her. I want to go but I also want to finish college." Al had a hard decision to make but his very smart brother was about to help him out.
"Do you want to go Al?" Edward questioned him as Al glanced up at Edward "Yes I do." Edward sighed then smiled slightly "Then go Al and you can always come back and finish school."
Al smiled widely "Really Brother you think I could really do that."
Edward walked over and put his hand on his brother's shoulder "Al life's too short to not do what you want to do. DO what makes YOU happy and the hell with the rest. If you want to be with Mei then go. I wish both of you the best and you have my blessing."
"Gee Ed thanks for you blessing and I don't want to be away from her any longer. I figured out that I love her Ed." Al stood up and called Mei in the room.
Edward walked over to her and gave her one of his demanding looks "LISTEN UP you obnoxious girl." Then his face softened as he smiled at Mei which caught her completely off guard "Make my brother happy Mei." Mei thinking she was going to have to argue with Edward was shocked at his attitude "Uh….Thanks Ed" she looked at Al "I will." Edward pulled her into hug and she didn't know what to think about that "I know you will Mei."
THREE YEARS LATER
"I CAN'T DO THIS!" Winry screamed as Edward cheered her on.
"Yes you can Winry."He smiled as he watched Pinako do her magic.
"Push Winry. Push hard girl." Pinako looked like she was waiting for a spring to go off as she sat there her hand on her chin and just staring in a place Edward thought no one would ever look.
Winry grabbed Edward by the front of the shirt and screamed "I WANT DRUUUUGS." Edward rubbed her head "You don't need them you can do this Winry." she pulled his face close to hers "ARE YOU THE ONE GIVING BIRTH EDWAAARD!"
He just smiled at her "Why no dear I'm not."
She started breathing again "THEN shut the HELL up!"
Justin had been sitting outside waiting for his father to come tell him if he had a brother or a sister but it seemed like it was taking forever so the four year old decided to go look through the window.
"AHHHHHH! SHIIIIIIIT!" Winry screamed as she grabbed the couch and dug her nails into it.
"Here it comes Winry I can see the head." Pinako said moving closer.
Edward smiled "You hear that WInry she sees the head." He tried to comfort his wife as best he could. They had made the decision to have the baby at home because they both had just graduated from college and Edward had just started at the investigations department for the military.
"Push again Winry HARD!" Pinako yelled and Winry pushed so hard she thought her eyes were going to bulge out. Then she looked up and saw Edward's face as he was looking down where PInako was.
"WHAT? WHAT IS SOMETHING WRONG?" then she heard the smack and the cry.
"I-It's a girl Winry" Edward smiled at her and kissed her forehead "You did it we got our girl."
Winry looked over at the window "Uh Edward" She put her finger up and pointed to the horrified face staring in.
Edward walked over and opened the door and went outside and picked his son up "Well son did you see that miracle of birth?" His son just nodded his head.
"You have a SISTER." Edward said throwing his son in the air and catching him. Justin just laughed as his father caught him. Seeing that Pinako had cleaned Winry up some Edward walked Justin in.
"Hey little man" Winry smiled at her son "DO you want to see your sister?" Justin smiled and shook his head vigorously.
Justin was amazed at the little person they called his sister as he put his hand out and she grabbed his finger and he laughed looking at his father.
Winry looked at Edward "What are we going to name her?" He shrugged his shoulders and thought then he smiled "What about Sara Trisha Elric?" the baby giggled and he stuck his face down to hers "You like it huh?" He started talking baby talk "Yeees, Sara Trisha Elric is such a pretty name."
Winry looked up "Edward stop talking that way please." He straightened up "I'm sorry baby but she's so cute I can't help myself."
As Edward sat outside on the porch he realized all the crap and the good that had happened that led them to this moment in time and the friends that had helped them through it all. 'Sacrifices are what we make them and sometimes we have to sacrifice the things we love most. But that doesn't mean those things aren't important it's just that we loved them so much we didn't care what we did. Friends are worth the sacrifice also sometimes, your friends sacrifice for you and you would do the same for them. If we all just didn't give a shit this world would just be unrealistic and people would be meaningless. Friendships are the same way cherish them and let the other person know that you would sacrifice for them as they would for you. Sacrifice the time to talk to them if they don't listen or pay attention to you it's not worth ending a friendship over. A little sacrificing goes a long way in a good friendship and if it doesn't and they don't want to be friends anymore than at least you know you took the time to make that small sacrifice to save it.'
Looking down the street he saw the group of their friends coming over for the get together they had planned today. But now they would be surprised to see the new addition to their family. Edward knew anytime he needed his friends were there for him and anytime they needed him he was there for them no matter what.