Riza came instantly awake when Roy snuck into their bedroom. She always did, no matter how quiet he tried to be. She tensed, taking stock of where she was and assessing possible threats. Roy froze, letting her process his presence. Finally, she relaxed. "Roy," she said, her voice rough with sleep. "You're home."

Roy kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt. "At long last," he said. "I'm sorry I woke you."

She sat up. "What happened?" she asked, seriously.

Roy climbed into bed. Riza was warm and soft, and he folded himself against her. "Good news," he said. "The Tsar retreated. They're talking about a peace treaty."

Riza nodded, taking him into her arms, running her fingers gently through his hair. Roy closed his eyes, drinking in the smell and the feel of her. He still couldn't believe, sometimes, that he was allowed this kind of joy. "And Alphonse?" Riza asked, hesitantly.

Roy tensed. "He was... terrifying," he told her. "I wouldn't have believed that a human being could be capable of what he did. If the Drachmans knew what had really happened there, they'd've been surrendering even faster than they did." Roy leaned into the hollow of Riza's neck. "He didn't have to follow through," he told her. "No one died."

Riza sighed, her breath ruffling his hair. "Good," she said. "The possibility scared him. I think he's more frightened of what he can do than anyone else is."

Roy nodded, his lips brushing her neck. "It looked for a moment like the Fuhrer was going to give the order to kill. I wasn't sure whether he was going to do it or not."

Riza buried her nose in his hair, tightening her arms around him. "I don't know," she said. "I'm glad we didn't have to find out."

"Did I miss anything here while I was up north?" he asked her.

She snorted. "The Dragons tried to ram a few things through Parliament while you were gone, but Breda and I were able to deal with them."

"Hmph," Roy said, grinning. "There's a reason I made you my Deputy PM. Anyone who thinks it was just because I was sleeping with you ends up unpleasantly surprised."

"You did offer me the job before I actually started sleeping with you," she pointed out, curling her fingers around the sensitive skin at the back of his neck.

He hummed, arching into her. "I suppose that's true," Roy agreed. "Mind you, I might be a little fuzzy on the details of that. Perhaps we could recreate the event?"

She raised an eyebrow. It was her Oh, you think you're smooth, do you? expression. She used it on him often. Roy pulled back, leaning on his pillow as he looked into her eyes. "I missed you," he said. "I've gotten accustomed to having you at my back."

She nodded. "I'm always at your back, Roy," she said. "No matter how far away you are."

The contraction hit, and Winry's world dissolved into whiteness and pain. She might have screamed, if she had had that much energy left.

"Jie jie," Mei said, stroking her hair away from her face. "You have to push. It's time. The baby needs to come out."

Winry whimpered. I can't, she wanted to say. It hurts! But somehow, her tongue was tangled up, and she couldn't speak.

"I know it hurts," Mei said, as though she could hear Winry's thoughts. "But I can't do anything more for the pain without making it too hard for your body to push. You have to do this. You're strong, Winry! You've done this before. You can do it again. You're almost there."

I'm not. I can't. It hurts, and I'm so tired. Just make it stop hurting, just for one minute- Winry grunted, and pushed Mei's hand away weakly. She didn't want to be touched, didn't want Mei telling her what to do. Shut up, she thought, crossly.

The next contraction hit, and she struggled to breathe through the pain, to get purchase on it and use it-

"Good!" Mei said. "There it is, Winry! The baby's head!"

Winry felt as though her body might explode, as though she could rupture and die if there were any more pressure. She collapsed forward onto the bed, shaking and whimpering. Mei reached out to stroke her hair, and Winry pulled away, shaking her head. She didn't want to be touched.

"You're almost there," Mei said, matter of factly. "Your cervix is a little swollen; that's why it hurts so much. But it's okay. You're almost done. Just a little farther, okay?"

The contraction hit. Winry screamed this time, cried. Mei put a hand on her shoulder. "Try not to scream," she said. "It wastes your energy. Push!"

Shut up, Winry thought. Don't tell me what to do. SHUT UP. She gritted her teeth, pushing herself up to her hands and knees. She pushed, and if she was so much as breathing, she didn't know it.

The contraction subsided, and Winry collapsed.

"You have to keep pushing!" Mei said, urgently. "You have to get the baby out, Winry, right now!"

Wha-? Winry thought, confused. She couldn't push. There wasn't a contraction. Why did Mei want her to push right now?

Gracia put a hand on her hair. "The baby's partway out, and the cord's pinched," she said. "You have to push now, Winry!"

Winry tried. She marshaled the nearly exhausted resources of her body, and pushed as hard as she could, ignoring the frantic movement of the other women around her. At long last, a contraction started. Winry grabbed onto it, pushing everything she had into the wave of pressure and pain and compulsion.

Somewhere, something gave way. Winry could feel the baby's body slip out of her, everything easy now that the head and shoulders were free. She collapsed, curling weakly in on herself, delirious with relief.

There were more contractions, and the afterbirth, and then it was over. Winry was too exhausted to move, or think, or do anything. She was vaguely aware of Mei and Gracia cleaning her up, making her comfortable, covering her with blankets.

"Do you want to see your baby?" Mei said, shyly.

Winry cracked her eyes open. Gracia was holding the baby, still slick with blood and whitish goo. Winry found herself absurdly concerned for Gracia's blouse. She reached out, and Gracia placed the baby carefully on Winry's chest. Winry gasped, holding the baby close to her breast as Gracia wiped the blood off with a soft cloth. The baby's hair was black- it would be weeks before it came in pale- and its eyes were muddy as they blinked up at her. "Ed," Winry finally croaked out. "Get Ed."

Mei jumped up. "I'll get him," she said, smiling. "As long as he hasn't fainted."

Gracia sat down on the bed next to Winry. "You were amazing," she said, stroking Winry's hair gently.

Winry looked down at the baby, and tears pricked in her eyes. "I miss Granny," she said. "She was with me for Al and Sara. It's not fair that she's gone."

"Oh, sweetheart," Gracia said. "It's not. But you still have the rest of us."

Winry shifted the baby, offering it her nipple. After a sniffling moment, the baby latched on, sucking greedily. Winry smiled, and tears spilled out of her eyes. "So beautiful," she said, stroking the baby's hair.

"Winry?" Ed said, standing in the doorway.

Winry looked up. He was shaky, and pale, and as handsome as she had ever seen him. "Ed," she said. "Come- come see your baby."

"Is it a girl or a boy?" Ed asked, coming to her side.

Winry laughed, feeling a little high. "I don't know!" she said. "I didn't think to look. Do you want to?"

Ed grinned, and nudged the baby's leg aside. "Boy," he announced, laughing. "It's a boy. Al gets a baby brother."

"So does Sara," Winry protested.

"I know," Ed said. "But- it's good to have brothers."

Winry leaned into Ed's side, watching the baby nurse. "I love you," she said.

Ed shook. "Winry," he breathed. "You're- you know- it's-"

She laughed again, looking up at him. "Right. Awesome. You're still such a kid, Ed."

Ed blushed, shutting his mouth.

"Have you thought about what you're going to name him?" Gracia asked.

"Um," Ed said, awkwardly.

"We were thinking," Winry said, slowly. "If it's okay with you, I mean-"

"We were thinking about naming the baby Maes, if it was a boy," Ed explained.

Gracia laughed. "He would have loved that," she said, her eyes glistening. "If that's what you want to do, he would have been so honored."

"No!" Mei said, glaring at him, "You are overthinking this! Most of the detail in an alkahestric circle is inscribed on the kunai. It combines with the inscribed circle, and with the flow of energy in the world-"

"I know that," Al protested. "You don't have to tell me how basic alkahestry works."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I do if you act like you've forgotten it." She smacked his shoulder for emphasis.

"Look," he said, "I'm just saying that if we alter the curve of the third pentate, that we might see a more efficient energy transfer-"

"It doesn't work that way!" She told him. "You can't alter the basic circle; its entire purpose is equilibrate, if you change it, it'd destabilize the energy flow-"

He shook his head. "That might be true generally, but with the alchemic modifications-"

Ed leaned into the door of the study. "Aren't you two done arguing yet?" he said. "Listen to Mei, Al- you're wrong about the third pentate."

Mei grinned. "Ha!" she said. "Edward agrees with me."

"You can't alter the pentates unevenly," Ed continued. "If you want to alter the third, you have to balance on the fifth."

"You can't alter the circle at all!" Mei insisted.

"Altering the fifth really will destabilize it!" Al argued.

"Will the three of you alchemy freaks shut up?" Winry said, poking her head in. "We can hear you from the kitchen!"

"As soon as you shut up about your new automail designs!" Al put in, grinning. "How long did you spend talking about Brother's new leg at dinner last night?"

Winry blushed. "That is not the point!" she insisted, brandishing a finger at her brother-in-law. "Maes is upstairs asleep, and if you wake him up, I will wrench you."

Ed grinned. "I'm right about the fifth," he stage whispered. "You're being a stubborn dumbass, Alphonse."

"Brother!" Al growled. "There's no need to be a jerk about it. Why can't you be nice?"

"Why don't you make me?" Ed whispered again, still grinning. "I'd like to see you try."

With a frustrated yell, Al jumped on his brother, trying to immobilize him in a lock. Ed was too slippery, though, and they scrabbled on the floor of the study.

"Edward!" Mei said, kicking him in the side to get his attention "Leave Alphonse alone!"

"Hey!" Ed called, "Don't think I won't hit a girl!"

"Stop fighting!" Winry protested, trying to make herself heard over the sound of squabbling. They ignored her. Winry's eyes narrowed, and she put her hands on her hips. She took a deep breath. "The three of you will shut up and stop fighting or so help me I will drag you apart and put you in corners at opposite ends of the house!" she bellowed, her lungs at full capacity.

Mei, Al and Ed stopped where they were, staring at her. In the distance, they could hear a baby start to cry.

"Edward Elric," Winry hissed. "Your child is crying."

Ed had the sense to look embarrassed as he pulled himself out of the pile. "I'll just go check on Maes," he said. He hurried out of the room with a last nervous look at Winry.

Al grinned from where he was lying on the floor with an arm wrapped around one of Mei's shoulders. "Do you want help with dinner?" he asked.

Winry glared at him. "Dinner's ready," she said. "You can help Al and Sara set the table."

"Come on, Mei," Al said. "You can argue with me about arrays later."

"Hmmph," Mei said, brushing herself off. "Hopefully by then you'll have recognized your mistake."

"I'll consider it," Al said, grinning, as they headed for the dining room.

"I think that's cleared enough," Ed said, pulling a charred board to the side.

Al put his hands on the ground, thinking. "I'll just have to account for the increased quantity of carbon in the soil," he agreed. He stood up, walking outside the staked boundary that would become the foundations of his new home. Al smiled. "Are you ready, Brother?" he asked, taking a visual inventory of the materials that were stacked at the center of the marked-off area.

Ed shrugged. "I don't see why you need me to help," he said. "Can't you just clap your hands and be done with it?"

"Maybe," Al said. "But- I want this to last, Brother. And it's complicated; I don't want to mess it up because I couldn't hold every last nail in my head. It's better to draw the array."

"If you say so," Ed said, picking up the sharp stick he'd brought to carve the array. "You didn't need me to help, though, Al. I told you, it's fine for you to build the house yourself."

"You helped me design the array," Al insisted. "You should help me draw it, too."

Ed shrugged, and started drawing the circle just outside the marked boundary. On the other side, Al drew his curve segment. Ed knew without checking that his part of the circle would match Al's- perfectly, seamlessly. They walked together around the perimeter of what was going to be Al's new house, carving runes and drawing lines.

Ed tried not to think about the last time they'd drawn an array together. He and Al had been so happy then- hopeful and certain that everything was going to turn out well; that they'd see their mother again soon. Ed shuddered, connecting a line. This was just a simple construction array, he reminded himself.

He looked up, and caught Al looking back at him. There was a strange wistfulness in Al's eyes, and Ed suddenly wondered- for the first time- if Al was sad that Ed wasn't an alchemist anymore. Both their lives had been consumed by alchemy, once upon a time, and Al had continued down that road. Ed, though, had leapt off the path and gone looking for another life. Ed wondered if Al missed him there, walking just one step ahead of him.

Al dropped his stick, and surveyed the circle. "I think it's ready," he said. "We better go get the girls."

"I'll go," Ed said. "You inventory the raw materials again. We don't want to risk a backlash because there wasn't enough source to work with."

Al nodded, and Ed made his way down the hill and across the field that separated the Elric and Rockbell houses. It was spring, and there were starting to be flowers, waving in the light breeze. As he approached the house, Ed could see little Al and Sara running after each other in the yard, and Winry hanging up laundry by the house with Maes tied to her back in one of those weird Xingese devices. She caught sight of him as she turned, and waved.

"Is it time?" she asked, nervously.

Ed nodded. "The array's ready to activate. You and Mei should come if you want to see it."

"Mei!" Winry called, turning so that her voice carried up into the house, "It's time! Come on! Al, Sara- come on if you're coming!"

"Give me a minute!" Mei called back, grumpily. She waddled out onto the porch, one hand resting on her swollen belly and the other hand leading a wobbly Trisha along. "I walk so slow right now!"

"I know," Winry said, sympathetically. "It really sucks."

"Idiot men," Mei grumbled. "Getting us into this."

Ed resolved to stay the hell away from that conversation.

The group of them trooped over the field. Al and Sara talked excitedly about what the new house would be like, pulling a burbling Trisha along between them. Mei and Winry discussed pregnancy and the havoc it could wreak on the sacroiliac joint. That last probably came of having two medically-minded women in the family, Ed reflected. Other families probably managed to have less technical discussions about the aches and pains of pregnancy.

Al was waiting for them on the hill. He stood tall and somber next to the charred old tree that had always been like a tombstone for the old Elric place. Al stepped over to them and took Mei in his arms, smiling and kissing her. Ed smiled too, watching them. He held Winry's hand firmly in his.

"Alright, everybody," Ed said. "Stand well back from the array. You ready, Al?"

Al smiled, and stepped away from Mei. "Come on, Brother," he said, holding out a hand.

Ed laughed. "I'm probably the one person in the world who can't help you with this, Al. What gives?"

Al flushed a little, and Ed wasn't sure why. "I just- I want you with me, Brother," he said, and Ed knew that Al, too, was remembering the last array that he and Ed had drawn here, so many years ago. "I want it to be different this time," Al said, too soft for anyone but Ed to hear.

Ed paused, stock still, and then nodded. "Okay, Al," he said. "If you want."

Al positioned himself just outside the north end of the array, and Ed took up a position ninety degrees apart from him. He knelt down, touching his fingers to the array.

He would have felt something once, he thought. Power thrumming, waiting to be released. Now, there was nothing except the rough feel of dirt and grass under his fingertips. Ed watched as Al reached down and touched the array. Blue lightning crackled along the array, tearing the materials inside apart and reforming them. In front of him, a house grew up, the parts and pieces of it whipping around and remolding themselves, and Ed felt... nothing. The blue lightning passed over and through his hands as though they weren't even there. Finally, the blue light died away. Ed looked up, and smiled. There, in front of them, was a two-story house with an attic. The sun shone on the new glass.

"Brother?" Al asked, breaking Ed's reverie, "Did you put the dragons into the design?"

There, twisting under the eaves were two twined Xingese-style dragons picked out in wood.

Ed grinned. "I wondered if you'd notice that little tweak to the plans," he said.

"Ed!" Winry said, smacking him on the arm.

"What, woman?" Ed protested. "I thought Mei would like them. They can be like a reminder of home for her." He grinned again. "Besides, they're badass."

"They are cool-looking," little Al piped up.

Mei shrugged. "And it is true that members of the Xingese Imperial family will be living here," she said, smiling. "And dragons have long been the symbol of the Imperial House."

"I don't know about the Imperial House," Winry said, "But I think this house is beautiful."

There was Mei, Alphonse thought, closing his eyes. She was brilliant with life, and looking at her made him want to laugh and cry at the same time. There was Winry, and the tiny knot of qi that was Maes. There were Al, and Sara, and Trisha, who seemed always to be in orbit around each other.

And there was Ed, who always burned brighter than anyone else. Al opened his eyes to see Ed next to him.

"You okay, Al?" Ed asked.

Al smiled. "I love you, Brother," he said.

Ed laughed, and reached up to rub the top of Al's head with his right fist; the one that was beautifully, gloriously flesh. "You are such a sap," Ed said, grinning. "We better go check the house out, to make sure that it's not going to fall down on us."

"Sure," Al said, and stepped into the house.

A/N:

Well, thanks for going on that magic carpet ride with me. It was fun hanging out ten years in Ed and Al's future. Thanks for all the lovely reads and comments that y'all have sent my way over the course of the 63k words that makes up this sprawling piece of fluff-with-worldbuilding.

I have a few more things kicking around in my head for this universe (a little more Ed-the-politician is one) and I'm sure they'll appear at some point, so see you then.