What, an update already? Certainly is but this was an easy chapter to write. I hope its okay. No cliffhanger again I'm afraid but there will be in the next chapter so this is preparing you for that. FMA isn't mine.
They arrived in a mass of hyperactivity and joy. Armstrong nearly crushed him while Elysia clamped herself around his leg. Roy and Riza, neither partial to outbursts of emotion greeted him as if he had never been away. That was fine with Ed for he had many people to try and cope with at once.
Pinako, used to large groups of guests, fell into her element as host. The group was familiar to her bar Gracier and Elysia. All were welcome and all planned to stay if only for a short while. They had come to see Ed of course, but it would be a bonus to hear him speak of his adventures.
Grace took some of the attention from her father when she came into the room. She was cooed and played with until she fell asleep through all the excitement. Although she didn't understand it at the time, she swelled with pride at all the people who had come to see her daddy. They had bought her gifts to so she was willing to let them take him away for an hour or two while she rested.
All eyes fixed on him Ed began his story in all the detail he could remember. That meant that he had to speak of Noah, the girl that had kept him company and fallen in love with him. He was delicate with this information; the last thing he wanted was to loose Winry over something so petty. A woman's heart is deep and he feared how she would take such news. Ed hadn't felt for Noah as she had him but she was still significant.
If the truth be told, Winry was holding how she felt in, because she felt very smug and felt guilty because she did. Everyone was learning that Winry hadn't waited for no reason, that she was important to him. Of course he came back mainly for Al, but he also returned to her rather then pine for that which was lost. She envied Noah for the two years she had of Ed, but felt sorry for her for she would never know the joy of being with him.
The alchemists in the group had a disappointment facing them. They were curious to know how Ed had made it back but he could not tell them how. He told them all about the war, about there being an equivalent to all of them (that he knew of). He was able to tell Elysia that there was a man just like her father and a woman just like her mother. There was no Elysia as of yet but surely it was only a matter of time.
Then it came to the matter of Hohenheim and Al left the room. Underneath his wish for his brother he had wished for his father too. Now he was informed that he would never see him again for Hohenheim was not able to cross worlds nor did he want to. He had caused much pain and confusion and felt the world better off without him. That hurt Al but one day he would come to accept it.
While they sat enraptured Winry went to check on Grace. This was where she found Al silently crying to himself.
'He loves you Al,' Winry soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder.
'I only remember flashes of him. But I still want him home. I'm glad Grace has her dad and I know he would never leave her.'
Al, still only really a child, rested his head on her breast and attempted to calm his breath.
'If Edward had never come back, Grace wouldn't have gone without. She may not have had her real father but you gave her all the love she could take. I thank you for that.'
Grace stirred in her sleep. They sat in silence as Al recovered before heading back downstairs. He didn't want brother to see him so upset, that would be selfish. Brother was not father but he gave all the love he could and that would do.
The sun began to set leading into an orange sky and a pleasantly warm evening. The mass decided to enjoy such rare peace and explored the quiet countryside. Gracier kindly helped Pinako set everything up for the night while Elysia was entertained by Izumi and Sig who revelled in playing with a child. Roy and Riza went for a rather eyebrow raising walk alone while Brosh missed his chance to be alone with Ross thanks to Armstrong. Al ran around after Den while Winry sat with Grace and watched. Ed had gone to visit his mothers' grave which had been tended to and still looked cared for. It was not his only port of call for he also stopped by the grave of Sara and David Rockbell. Inwardly thanking them for all the selfless work they carried out during the Ishbal war he didn't notice the figure approach behind him.
'This is where they lie?'
'It is Colonel.'
'Ah, it's not Colonel anymore Edward, in fact you rank higher then me now.'
'I am not still part of the military,' Ed said, turning to Roy.
'You are if you want to be.'
Riza placed herself next to Winry and looked forlorn. She had begged Mustang not to mention going back to the military to Ed but he was adamant he should. Riza hated sitting next to Winry and not telling her. The girl was finally happy, the child finally had her father back and he was being tempted to leave them.
'Grace is more and more like her father each day,' Riza commented.
'Yes, it is worrying isn't it?' Winry laughed.
'Dada,' Grace chirped as Ed appeared on the horizon with Roy next to him. She wriggled out of her mothers grip and tottered as fast as her little legs could carry her toward her father. Riza ached even more when she saw this along with the smile spread across Mustangs face.
'My my, she has taken to Ed well,' Riza sighed.
'She knows who he is and now he's here. She is too young to hate him for not being there.'
'What if….what if he left again?'
Winry didn't have time to reply before Grace came running back into her arms. They were all ushered into the house as all approached just in time for tea. Winry struggled not to think about it, but the wobble in Riza's voice had unnerved her. Did she know something?
'Did he answer you?' Riza questioned when she managed to get Roy alone.
'Yes he answered me,' Roy replied, smirking as he did.
'Oh sir how could you. I can't look at those two and know that they'll be deprived…'
'You still call me sir do you?'
Riza was stopped short by the sultry sound of his voice. She was growing impatient with him.
'I don't want to see Grace without her father either. I asked fullmetal in the mind that he would refuse.'
'Did he?'
Roy smiled down on her, warmed by her concern. She was a stern but caring person and he felt silently bad for leaving her side two years ago. He stroked the side of her face but she didn't flinch at all.
'What do you think…Riza?'
'Everyone will hear us,' she whispered.
'Not if we are quiet enough,' he purred into her ear.
She giggled as he began to kiss her neck, but a noise across the room stopped her.
'Mama!'
Winry sighed and pushed Ed off. She strolled over to the cot and picked Grace up. Clearly she wasn't as settled as they had hoped.
'Kills the mood I'm afraid.'
Edward looked slightly deflated but the image of Grace holding her hands towards him turned it all around. As much of a shock as it still was, she was a part of him. He gathered her up in his arms and once again breathed her in.
'Winry, Mustang asked me today if I would be willing to go back to the military.'
So that was what Riza had been referring to earlier. Winry had been dreading this revelation ever since he came back. Nothing could tie Edward Elric down and he'd be damned if a child he hadn't planned was going to do it. Least, that is what her evil inner voice was telling her he thought. She gulped hard but dared to ask.
'What did you say?'
He studied her for a moment before a wide grin spread across his face. Winry was predictable when it came to this kind of thing but he loved her for it.
'Why did I join the military Winry?'
'You wanted to learn about the Philosophers stone, to get Al his body back.'
'Right, and what do Al and I now have?'
Her tensed body relaxed and she felt tears of sheer relief well up in her eyes 'Exactly what you joined the army for.'
'So there is no need for me to go back.'
All the time they had been talking he hadn't taken his eyes off Grace. He didn't want to look at Winry for fear of the look in her face. His love for her was intensely strong and it almost ached to see her in pain as it had since they were young. Teasing her about crying was his way of covering how much he wanted to help her stop crying. If she was angry with him, she would stop crying and he wouldn't have to look at her pained face anymore.
She sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He could tell something still bothered her. He worried that it was about Noah and that she had hidden how she felt when he was speaking about her.
'Penny for your thoughts,' he asked as he stood to put Grace back into her cot. Once again he turned his back as to not look at her face.
'I'm sorry about all this,' she said, a quiver in her voice.
'Sorry….for what?'
'I…I just dumped a child on you. I never gave you a choice and now you must feel you have to help me look after her,' she said, once again not giving in to the threatening cries.
Clenching a fist he turned to look at her, cursing himself for being a coward. Her lip wobbled but not one single drop of water escaped her lagoon eyes.
'And I left you to look after her alone. Let's leave it as we're both as bad as each other.'
Abrupt yes, but exactly what he wanted to say. Well almost, he didn't want to suggest Winry was at all in the wrong. She would never have destroyed a life in any circumstance. It would have pained him more to think she was willing to destroy a part of him. If she had, she would have believed he was never coming back.
Knowing the type of person he was and how bad he was with words she hadn't taken offence to what he had said. This time around she preferred such a conversation to be over as soon as it started. It was best she had confronted the fear rather then let it fester inside of her for years to come. He sat beside her and ruffled her hair. She was so stupid some times, and he wouldn't have changed that aspect even if he could. In the years to come he would learn to appreciate so much more about her.
