A Week Away

Disclaimer: I do not own FMAB

I am so sorry for the delay, but my laptop was having some issues that had to be taken care of, and then I was with a friend until almost midnight so again, I apologize.

Enjoy

March 17th

Ed's train didn't leave for another ten minutes, so he called Winry.

"Hello?" Winry said.

"Hey hun." Ed chuckled into the receiver.

"Ed? Oh my god. Are you about to get on the train?" Winry asked.

"Yes." Ed replied.

"I…I don't know what to say." Winry whimpered.

"I'll be home in a few days and I'm staying for a week." Ed said.

"Ok." Winry croaked.

"I'll see you then." Ed said quietly.

"See you then." Winry whispered.

"Love you." Ed said.

"Love you too." Winry said before they hung up. Her heart was going a million miles an hour and her eyes felt ready to burst with tears.

"Finally he's coming home." Winry whispered to herself and unborn child.

Ed smiled as he got onto the train for Central and took his seat, and though the ride would be three days, somehow he knew it would go by faster if he simply focused more on the destination and not the journey.

3 days later

Winry waited at the station for him, sitting as patiently as she could on a bench near the loading area. She watched trains come and go, people board and exit, trains all day for the last four hours. She just about got up and left until she saw a familiar head of golden hair through one of the next entering trains. She stood and waited impatiently until the train stopped and, with his luggage in tow, her husband stepped off the train and began to search the crowds for her.

"Ed! Over here!" Winry called, waving her hand. Ed smiled and quickly walked to her, signaling her to stay where she was. Upon reaching her, Ed dropped his bag and hugged her as tight as he could though making sure not to hurt her swollen stomach. Winry had her arms wrapped around him as her eyes flooded with tears.

"I missed you." Winry hiccupped into Ed's chest.

"I missed you too. Now let's get home." Ed murmured before they pulled apart and hailed a cab to take them back home. Ed paid the man once they arrived at the address and then exited the car, making sure to help Winry out of the car and to the door before they got inside and then embraced again. Winry was trying to string words together but that was proving difficult with her crying.

"Sh…babe, I'm here." Ed said rubbing small circles on her back in soothing manner. Her sobs calmed and her body stopped shaking as he guided her to the couch.

"I'm sorry. I know I must seem weak and clingy, but I haven't seen you in almost six months and it's just been so quiet here at night." Winry whimpered.

"Actually, I think you've been strong throughout this whole ordeal." Ed said, kissing her cheek softly. They sat there in silence, enjoying each others company. Ed's hands were resting on Winry's belly and he felt the child kick in response.

"You're amazing." Ed whispered to her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks." Winry smiled.

"Wanna stay home for dinner or go out?" Ed asked.

"I'd like to stay home. I have stew that was slow cooking." Winry said as she stood and stretched a little before walking to the kitchen.

"Ok. I'll go get changed." Ed chuckled as he walked to their room and changed into something comfortable.

"I have a week of normalcy and then it's back to that hell hole." Ed muttered to himself as he changed and then walked back out to the kitchen to eat the wonderful dinner Winry had prepared.

"One of the many things I missed about home." Ed chuckled as he ate.

"I figured as much. The food there must be awful." Winry said.

"It's ok, it gets us by, but it doesn't really satisfy our hunger." Ed said with a shrug. They talked as they ate and as much as he tried, Ed could not avoid talking about the war and much to his surprise Winry didn't mind that fact. Once they finished up dinner they went to their room and continued to talk for a while.

"I'm taking you out tomorrow." Ed said.

"Was that a question or a demand?" Winry asked.

"More like a statement." Ed chuckled as Winry rolled her eyes before jumping a little.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked.

"Nothing, the baby just kicked. Hard." Winry hissed before calming down.

"Does it hurt?" Ed asked, resting his hand on her swollen belly.

"A little, but its ok now." Winry said with even breaths. Soon after they had changed for bed and Ed curled next to Winry, his arms wrapping around her belly.

"The baby is calm." Winry sighed.

"Any idea why that would be?" Ed asked.

"Because you're here." Winry said before going into a blissful sleep.

4 days later, March 21

The last few days had been much needed for both Ed and Winry. Even if they weren't doing much, every moment they spent with each other was a treasure. Winry had grown nervous over the last day or so because the baby wasn't nearly as active as it was beforehand.

"Why do you think that is?" Ed asked as they sat at a small café.

"Maybe the baby is getting ready to be born." Winry said as she sipped her tea.

"I hope so." Ed chuckled.

"I would like the baby to be born before you go." Winry said, rubbing her swollen belly.

March 22nd

Winry was making lunch and Ed was doing some chores around the house, even though Winry had told him not to, he had insisted. Winry inhaled suddenly, dropping her utensils and clutching to her stomach, letting out gasps of breath. Next thing she heard was a splash and Ed running into the room.

"The baby's coming." Winry gasped. Ed's adrenaline went into overdrive as he grabbed her and took her to the car before running back and grabbing the baby bag and seat, throwing said objects into the back of the car and then starting and flooring the car to the hospital.

"Sir, what seems to be the emergency?" the woman at the desk asked.

"My wife just went into labor." Ed deadpanned. Within seconds the staff reacted and quickly got Winry into the delivery room, in a gown, and the doctor checked her dilation.

"Ok, bad news is that you're only dilated to five, good news is that your contractions should start to speed up." The doctor said.

"That's good news?" Winry asked her eyebrows knitting together.

"I'll have a nurse stay with you to keep an eye on your progress. When you're ready she'll call me." The doctor said sincerely. Winry could actually breathe again, and though it was strained, it wasn't the gasping pain she had endured on the ride here.

2 hours later

The nurse had been timing Winry's contractions along with checking to see how dilated she was.

"You're almost ready Misses Elric." The nurse said reassuringly. Winry let out an annoyed groan before she looked over to Ed.

"Promise me you're not going to faint." Winry said.

"I'm not gonna faint." Ed chuckled before placing his free hand on her swollen belly and rubbed it gently, calming the unease that had begun to work its way there.

"Thanks." Winry sighed as a small contraction gripped her.

"You're welcome. Sorry if I'm making you hurt." Ed said quietly as he felt her muscles tighten.

"No, it's not that bad." Winry said calmly.

30 minutes later

Her contractions were hitting every other minute, sweat was dewing at her forehead, and her grip had tightened on Ed's hand considerably. The nurse checked her and then rushed for the doctor. A few minutes had passed and Winry was whimpering when the doctor came in.

"Ok Misses Elric, you're fully dilated now, so, when I count to three you push for a ten count, ok?" the doctor said. Winry nodded weakly before her grip tightened again.

"One…Two…Three…push." The doctor instructed.

2 hours later

"Crowning." The doctor said as Winry squeezed Ed's hand.

"This is your fault." Winry hissed to Ed.

"You're doing great Win." Ed said, completely ignoring her angry and childbirth growling and threats. Ed patted her forehead with the wet cloth they had given him.

"Ok Misses Elric, I need you to push again." The doctor said. Winry let out an annoyed and pained sigh before pushing again.

15 minutes later

"I can see the tops of the shoulders." The doctor announced. Winry let out a heavy breath, her whole body was shaking with the strain and pain of the delivery, her hand was even shaky as she gripped onto Ed's. His was steady, he was keeping her steady and calm, sort of, and he was talking to her, praising her, and pretty much ignoring all her rude comments because he knew that she didn't mean them. Another fifteen minutes passed before; finally, the shoulders were fully pushed out and then shortly followed by the rest of the baby. Winry lay back against the pillow, her whole body exhausted from the labor. The nurse was toweling off the baby and clearing out its throat before it let out a wail. She swaddled the baby in a fresh blanket and then carried the cooing child over to Ed and Winry.

"Congratulations on a healthy baby boy." The nurse said with a smile. Winry smiled as she took her son and held him, rocking him a little to calm him. The doctor did a quick check on the mother and infant before they left the new family.

"He's beautiful." Winry smiled as she kissed her son on his head. He opened his eyes to reveal the same smoldering gold as his father and uncle.

"Yes he is, and you did great Win." Ed smiled as he leaned over and kissing his sons head.

"Thanks." Winry smiled as she cradled her son. It was silent for a moment before Winry looked at her husband.

"Ed, we still need to name him." Winry said.

"I know." Ed replied before that silence took hold again, but only for a moment.

"How about Joseph?" Winry asked.

"I like it." Ed chuckled.

"Now all we need is a middle name." Winry sighed.

"I know a good one." Ed said, looking to Winry with quizzical eyes.

"Really?" Winry asked with curious eyes.

"Van. Joseph Van Elric." Ed said, seeing how the name rolled off the tongue.

"Van was your father's name." Winry said quietly in realization.

"I need to honor the bastard somehow." Ed chuckled.

"I like it Ed." Winry smiled. The doctor returned with the papers that they filled out and then he got a wheelchair for Winry so that she could go home. They got to the car; Ed situated Winry and the baby in the back, putting the wheelchair in the trunk of the car, and then drove home.

1 hour later

Winry was still resting in bed from the tiring delivery, so that left Ed with the task of caring for his newborn son. Luckily, the baby had yet to cry for food yet, but he was wide awake. From the few times Ed had seen a baby be born and stayed around after, he had picked up on how to hold a child. His son was cuddled into his chest and Ed stared in awe of the small life he held in his arms.

"I may be able to make spear shoot from the ground, fix up busted radios, and produce all kinds of objects by simply clapping my hands together, but there is one thing that I have never been able to make with the use of alchemy." Ed murmured to his son, who looked at him with big curious golden eyes.

"You, Joseph, my son, are my greatest and most wonderful creation." Ed smiled. Joseph smiled in the mere response to his father's smile.

"But I can't take all the credit. Your mother carried you and brought you into this world. I don't care what the books say, you are a perfect being my little son." Ed said, kissing his sons forehead. Joseph yawned before nuzzling into his father's chest and falling asleep.

"I heard that." Winry whispered and Ed smiled at her.

"I knew you were awake." Ed whispered back.

"Yeah. And you're right, he is perfect." Winry smiled as she stretched.

"Babe, you need to rest. You gave birth to our son today." Ed said as he stood, making sure not to wake Joseph.

"I know, but we do need to eat." Winry said.

"Which is why I ordered take out, just for tonight." Ed said as the doorbell rang. Ed carefully set Joseph in his crib and then went to the door, paid the delivery man, took the food, and then returned to his still resting in bed wife. They ate in peace as their son slept soundly and soon after finishing dinner they too went to bed.

The next day

Joseph had cried only twice throughout the night and Winry, after regaining most of her strength, had tended to both times.

"You know, you could let me do something." Ed laughed as they talked in their living room, their son all giggly and playful.

"I know, but you need rest too." Winry argued.

"Yes, but so did you." Ed retorted. Winry rolled her eyes before she realized that today was Ed's last day here and that tomorrow morning he would be off to war again.

"Seven days is way too short." Winry sighed. Joseph somehow picked up on his mother's mood and nuzzled into her chest, his little hand going to her chest and going in small circles.

"Yeah, it is." Ed simply replied. Now that he had this taste of normal family life he didn't want to go back, but he knew he was needed. As the day went by, Ed noticed that Winry was letting him change Josephs diaper and cuddle him more.

"You're not going to be here for…I don't know how long, so I figure he needs to spend what time he has with his father before...well, before you go." Winry said in answer to his unspoken question. Ed smiled before pursing his lips.

"Huh…kinda ironic…my father left me and my brother when we were really young, and I swore I wouldn't do that to my children willingly like my father did, despite it being for the better like he did. And now I find myself being forced away from my wife and son." Ed said, in almost mocking humor.

"You're fighting for our country. I'm sure when he's older he'll understand." Winry said.

"I hope so. Looking back on it now, I was a prick to my father until the promised day, and it was only then that I realized that I did care and miss my father. I'm sure he knows that, but still, that doesn't take back what I did or said. I just don't want Joseph to hate me." Ed sighed as his son snuggled into his chest as he slept. It was remarkable at even this young how much Joseph looked like Ed. Same hair color and eye color, same chin and eye shape, a mix between Ed and Winry's nose and eyebrows; definitely Winry's cheek bones and lips. His skin was the same tone as Ed's in comparison to Winry's porcelain white skin. Ed now understood what Roy had described a while back, how it felt to hold his son was like holding the most precious of gems in the world and his soul would lift when his son looked around the room with innocent curiosity.

Before either of them knew it, it was night again and that sinking feeling of departure loomed over their heads.

So I hope you liked it, and, as a way to make up for the lateness of this chapter, I'm posting a second one today that I managed to finish on Friday. Keep an eye open.