It was snowing in Dillon, it had been snowing all day and all the night before. Winry stared out the window at the flakes, still not recovered enough to be discharged from the base hospital, and not really wanting to return home alone. Her daughter slept peacefully in her arms, and Winry was satisfied, for the moment, just to watch her perfect face, at peace, asleep.
She was vaguely aware of the voices in the hall, but she was too lost in thought to pay them much mind. General Hawkeye had been to visit her earlier, her time having been both cheerful and short, and leaving Winry feeling refreshed. The day before General Mustang had visited her again, which she appreciated but could not help but feel awkward.
"I'm a state alchemist, that makes me your superior," said a voice outside the door, and her head snapped up, eyes on the door. "Now you let me into my girlfriend's room, or I'll transmute the door open!"
Her eyes widened. There was a bit more commotion outside, and then her door burst open in a flash of alchemical energy, and he ran to her, not stopping when he reached the bed but climbing on next to her, wrapping his arms around her and the baby and burying his head in her breast. There was snow in his bronze hair and on his shoulders which quickly became tiny freezing droplets which soaked into her hospital gown. "Winry I missed you so much while I was in that place," said the muffled voice, and the baby began to squirm in her arms. He picked his head up, his grey eyes looking intently into hers. "We didn't know where you were, we didn't know you were in the hospital or we never would have been so long-" once he spoke to her it seemed like he could not stop the words "-you have no idea how different it is there, it's a whole other world, a whole other universe, like a mirror of this one, and-" he stopped the flurry mid sentence, simply staring at her, biting his lip and reaching up to brush long bronze bangs out of his eyes. He smiled hesitantly, shifting on the bed so that his body aligned with hers.
"I missed you too, Alphonse," she whispered, feeling tears form in the corners of her eyes.
"I didn't know," he said slowly, staring at the baby girl in her arms. "I didn't know you were pregnant, if I did I never would have left. I'm so sorry. I never guessed that I would end up trapped on the other side of the gate." He touched his finger gently across the baby's tiny knuckles, and she shook her fist in her sleep at the sensation. Then he looked up, leaning forwardto press his lips to her cheek, near her mouth, very softly. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you." He touched the corner of her eye, where her tears had begun to well.
"I was afraid you were never coming back," she admitted with a small, sad smile.
He reached over and gently slid his arms under the tiny bundle, lifting her from her mother and into his own embrace, leaning back on the bed pillows next to her. "Did you name her?" he asked softly.
Winry nodded. "I want to call her Kaiya," she told him,stroking a finger over one tiny eyebrowand watching her eyes flutter open.
Alphonse rocked the baby back and forth, his expression enraptured. "That's pretty."
"It means forgiveness."
Winry looked up to see Ed leaning in the doorframe, lookingsteadily over at the threesome she and Alphonse and the baby made. "That's right," she whispered.
"Brother," Al spoke up, "do you want to hold her?"
Edward hesitated for a moment before coming over to the bed, and Alphonse stood, placing the baby carefully in his brother's arms. "She's perfect, Winry," Edward said. "She's perfect."
Author note: whew! I can't believe it's over! ...except for me, things are never really over, not in my head. Check out some short preveiws for the up-and-coming novel-like epic continuation "I'll Love You More" by going here: www . livejournal . com / users / infinitesimi / 10770 . html(take out the spaces)