Winter 1923 January

Ben 3 (almost 4) , Lucy 17 months

It was early on a frosty morning at the Elric home. Ben was asleep but Lucy had been up and down all night with a nasty cold. It normally would've been easier to handle but Edward and Alphonse had been gone for two months researching in the south. Lucy was in her pink footie pajamas sitting in her mom's lap in a chair in the living room. Winry wanted coffee so badly but was too tired to get up and make it.

The sun had come up and was giving the world some warmth. Winry laid her head back in the chair half asleep as the little girl sniffled with a stuffy nose. Just when the girls had fallen asleep is when the phone rang. Winry jerked up which woke up the toddler, who just sniffled. Winry got up and answered the phone hoping it was her client cancelling for today so she could get a nap in.

Winry faked a smile and said happily into the phone "Hello, this is Winry."

"Winry! Its so good to hear you," Edward said.

"Ed?! Are you back in the country?!" Winry was thrilled.

"Yep. Al and I just got off the boat. We're in Aerugo but we'll be catching a train to Central soon. Wait until you see the pictures. We were in a jungle with tall grass and trees. You wouldn't believe how hot and humid it was. It felt like we could never dry off. Oh and the natives weren't super friendly at first but we bartered with them. They really liked the tobacco we gave them. And I got something for the kids too. How are the kids?"

Lucy had a horrible coughing spell just then. Winry sighed. "They're okay. Lucy has a nasty cold. She was up half the night. I was actually hoping you were my client calling to cancel."

Edward grew concerned "Do you need me to come home first?"

"No Ed. We'll be fine. Your report is due soon, right?"

"Yeah but it can wait."

"Ed it's fine. Just go to Central." Winry was getting irritated. She was a good mom and felt a need to prove that she could handle the situation.

"Fine Winry. We'll see you in two weeks. I'll call you when we get to Central." Edward was still concerned but was annoyed with Winry's attitude.

Winry hung up the phone and felt incredibly guilty. Her husband had been away for two months, and that's how she talks to him. She was disappointed in herself. She was so tired but didn't want to ask Ed for help.

The next day in the late afternoon, the door to the Elric home opened and Edward was greeted by Ben and Lucy. "Daddy!" Ben ran and hugged his dad and then looked behind Edward. "Uncle Al!" Ben then ran to Alphonse and Al picked him up after setting his suitcase down.

Lucy saw her father and started crying while toddling to Edward. The tears streaming down her face along with snot running from her nose. Edward kneeled down and picked her up. "Hi sweet girl. I missed you. Look how much you've grown."

Ben yelled at his dad "I grew too!"

Edward looked at him. "Yes you did! You both did! Ben, you might even grow up to be taller than Uncle Al." Edward ruffled his son's hair with his fingers. Ben smiled smugly.

Winry came into the living room in her pink pajamas. "Edward? Alphonse? You're home?!" Winry's cheeks were red and she looked exhausted. She hugged her husband and almost cried. She was so grateful that he had come home. She then turned from Edward and had a coughing spell of her own. Winry had woken up sick that morning, and Mei had been helping her during the day.

"Winry, you're sick?!" Edward asked her.

"Yeah, it happened this morning. Mei's been here helping me. She's in the kitchen. You should go see her Al."

Alphonse nodded. "Definitely." He set Ben down so he could go see his new wife. They had gotten married in the fall and had a honeymoon before Alphonse had to venture off for research.

Winry sat down in the living room along with her husband. Lucy and Ben went to play with toys in the corner of the room. Edward was surprised that the kids were getting along much better. They were playing together. Ben wasn't nearly as jealous. He was happy with his playmate now that she could play some. They had grown closer.

The family turned their heads when they heard Mei shriek in surprise at seeing her husband return. Edward and Winry laughed a little. The kids went back to playing. Shortly after Mei called them in for dinner, which had been a soup that she had prepared.

Mei asked "What about Central? Don't you have to report your findings?"

Alphonse answered "Well I called Roy Mustang and we told him about Lucy being ill. So we will head there in two weeks. This will give us some time to put our notes together in a in a more organized fashion."

Winry was relieved. Edward felt good like he had made the right decision.

Later that night, Edward and Winry were laying in bed. Winry was disappointed and told her husband why. "I'm sorry. This wasn't the homecoming I had planned." She had planned on making his favorite meal and pie, and to have some wonderful sex. She was too ill to be intimate with her husband, even though part of her wanted to be. She knew she needed her rest.

"Winry, it's fine. We can celebrate when you feel better," Edward said and then kissed her forehead.

Edward laid on his back and Winry laid her head on her chest listening to his heart. "Ed, I'm glad you're home."

"Me too. Don't worry about getting up with the kids. I got them tonight and tomorrow morning. You just rest."

Winry smiled. Finally, her relief was here. Even good moms need help every once in a while.

Lucy had gotten up once that night. Mei had done some healing on her to help with her cold. She had made it more tolerable for the little girl to rest. Edward rocked her in the chair. He had sort of missed this while he was away. Snuggling a little one, trying to convince him or her to go back to sleep.

The next morning, Edward got up when he heard Lucy. He had on pajamas that Winry had gotten him. They were red, which he loved. Edward grabbed an elastic band and pulled his hair back while he walked into Lucy's room. He picked up Lucy from her crib and headed downstairs. Lucy was in her yellow pajamas today that she had inherited from her brother.

Edward set her down when they reached the kitchen. He brought some toys from the living room so she could play in the kitchen while Edward cooked breakfast. "Lucy, you want pancakes?"

Lucy looked at him "Pancakes? Yeah!"

Edward was surprised at her speech. He wasn't expecting a response. Her speech had grown since he left home two months ago. How much had he missed while he was away? "Well okay then. Let's get started."

Edward made the batter with Lucy's help. Then she wanted down to play with her toys. Edward was flipping the pancakes and watching Lucy play. He poured more batter, and went back to watching Lucy. That's when she slipped in her onesie pajamas and hit her head on the chair. She looked at Edward, who had a shocked look, and Lucy started crying. He picked her up and comforted her. "It's okay. Shhhhh… shhhh…," He kissed her forehead. Then he smelled the something burning. He looked at the pancake that was smoking.

"Shit!" Edward yelled and ran to the stove while still holding Lucy. Edward took the pan off the stove and trashed the pancake. Lucy had stopped crying and was curious about the black pancake.

Edward looked at Lucy. "Guess we'll have to make another one."

Lucy smiled at him and said "Shit!"

Edward looked at her in horror. "No. Please no. Don't say that. Mommy will hurt Daddy."

Lucy replied "Shit!"

Edward put a finger on her mouth. "No, don't say that. That's a bad word," So he became stern with her hoping that it would work. But it didn't, and shortly after Winry woke up, Winry had learned that Lucy had started saying a new word. And if Winry hadn't been so sick, she would've hit him with a wrench. But when she did Edward's next tune up on his leg a few days later, she reattached the nerves without telling him. She figured that would be his punishment for teaching his daughter a vulgar word.