Birthday Wishes

Disclaimer: I do not own FMAB

A very fluffy and sweet chapter.

3 months later, March 1st

Ed looked over what he had and had Al check for him.

"Gold. Gems. Silicon. Cotton…" Ed read off as Al gave the thumbs up.

"Everything's here." Al smiled.

"Good." Ed smiled as he clapped his hands together, the familiar ring going off as he did and then slapped them on the ground. Watching as the materials danced and wove together, Ed smiled as the final product was taken shape.

"I hope he likes it." Ed said as he then grabbed the item and went to his barracks and wrote in the card he had bought yesterday. After packing and boxing it up, he got it in the mail, hoping it would arrive in time.

March 20th

In the year or so that Winry had lived in Central, she had made a few good friends, but had kept in touch with all her other friends, and was over joyed that they would be attending Joseph's birthday. Lately, the little boys had been very unhappy, whimpering half the night and then being cranky the remainder of the day. He only seemed happy when the mail would come, and somehow, the small boy had learned how long it would take for letters to and from the military base in the south to reach home.

"I know you miss daddy, but you just gotta wait a little longer, and he'll be back ok?" Winry cooed to her scowling son. She knew things were going to get tough from here, because she planned on weaning him, or starting the process at least, this week. The doorbell rang and she picked up her slightly annoyed son and then went to the door.

"Package for a Misses Winry Elric." The man said.

"It's from the military?" Winry asked.

"Yes, from a Mister Edward Elric." The man replied. Winry took the package and thanked the man before closing the door and walking over to the couch with her son, who stared curiously at the box. Setting him and the box down, she quickly retrieved a knife and then returned, smiling as Joseph sat there, hands on the box and stared at it. He looks so much like his father. Winry thought with a smile before carefully cutting the box flaps open and pulling out a card.

"For my wife and son. I'm sorry I could not be there today Joseph, I know you're turning one and wish I could be there. I hope that when you're older and ask me about it that you will understand why I had to leave. Have a happy birthday my son, Love dad. P.S. Winry, you have been so strong for our son, I admire that. I hope to see you soon, and raise our son, and any future children we may have. I love you. Your husband, Edward Elric." Winry read aloud and smiled as Joseph smiled at the name of his father.

She reached into the box and beneath all the paper she found something fluffy. Pulling it out of the box, she smiled at the stuffed gold dog appeared with the golden flamel and chain around the dogs neck and the red tiger eye gems on each of the points of the flamel and the eyes for the dog.

"Joseph, look at what daddy gave you." Winry smiled.

"Puppy!" Joseph giggled as he wrapped his little arms around the stuffed dog and cuddled it. He knew five words: puppy, mommy, daddy, metal, and book. He learned very fast for being so young, something Winry attributed to both her and Ed. Winry got the box and threw it away while Joseph played with his toy. Just as she returned to the living room a knock sounded at the door and she had a feeling it would be one of the guests, more than likely it would be May and Kaio. Answering the door she smiled at her predicted guests.

"Hey May." Winry smiled.

"Hi." May said as Kaio smiled a single toothed grin.

"Joseph is in on the couch playing with the present Ed sent him." Winry smiled as they walked to the living room and saw Joseph cuddling the stuffed dog.

"Who gave you that puppy Joseph?" May asked.

"Daddy." Joseph smiled as he buried his face into the soft fur.

"Something tells me he's never going to let that toy go." May said.

"It's one of the few things he has of his father, so I would agree with you. He almost insists that when we take naps that we use Ed old cloak as a blanket." Winry said.

"And of course you do." May smiled.

"Yeah." Winry sighed as May set Kaio on the couch. Kaio, unlike most babies, was smart enough to know not to take something from his cousin, especially since it was something his father gave him. In some sort of language that only babies knew, Kaio asked if he could simply pet the stuffed puppies head and Joseph allowed it as their mothers set up for the party.

In the south

Ed sat down on one of the stools, on a break in a safe area, and almost everyone could tell he was not in the best of moods today.

"Sir, what has you so pissed off today. I mean, we all want to get this war done and over with, but wasn't that a bit extreme?" Makuto asked in reference to his last attack.

"I just don't want to be here right now." Ed sighed as he took a drink of water.

"Hey, isn't today your boy's first?" Makuto asked, receiving a stare from Ed that said everything.

"Shutting up now sir." Makuto said as the bell rang for them to get back to the battle.

That night

The cool air nipped at Ed's ears as he walked to the communications area, where there were phones that could be used every now and then, but there was a trick to them. The less someone used them, the more time they got. And Ed had only used the phone once. He walked up to the man at the desk and asked if he could make a personal call, gave his name, rank, and all the other required information before the man looked up at smiled at him.

"You have 3 hours' worth of time sir." The man said as he led Ed to a phone and gave him the information he needed before he called Winry.

In Central

The shrill rang through the now quiet home as Winry finished cleaning up the house after the party. Joseph was just barely awake and was still cuddling his stuffed dog. Picking up her drowsy son, Winry walked to the phone and answered it.

"Elric residence, this is Winry." Winry rattled off.

"I think I know my own phone number." Ed chuckled. Winry went stiff for a second as Joseph's eyes flew open and he looked at the phone. Quickly sitting down after untangling the cord, she finally managed to speak.

"Ed?" Winry said.

"Were you expecting another call?" Ed teased.

"No, but I was not expecting this. Oh my god." Winry said, a smile breaking out on her face.

"How's birthday boy?" Ed asked.

"He was almost asleep, but he's wide awake now." Winry smiled as she looked to her curious son.

"Mommy?" Joseph asked.

"It's daddy Joseph." Winry said and she almost cried with how bright his eyes got and the smile on his still chubby face.

"He's talking now?" Ed asked.

"He knows, now, ten words, and two sentences. Before today he only knew five." Winry chuckled.

"My god." Ed said.

"I know. Hey Joseph, wanna talk to daddy?" Winry said.

"Yes." Joseph smiled as Winry lowered the phone to him and turned up the volume so he wouldn't have to fiddle with holding it.

"Happy Birthday Joseph!" Ed said over the phone.

"Thank you Daddy." Joseph giggled.

"Did you get my gift?" Ed asked. Joseph looked to his mother before she pointed to his dog and he smiled.

"Uh-huh! Puppy!" Joseph smiled.

"Yup. Mommy told me you liked puppies." Ed chuckled.

"Yeah." Joseph said. They all talked for a little while until Joseph started to get sleepy and start nodding off.

"Oh, someone's getting sleepy." Winry chuckled. Joseph nodded.

"Daddy." Joseph murmured.

"Yes son?" Ed asked.

"Nigh, nigh, I love you Daddy." Joseph said.

"I love you too Joseph, night." Ed said before Winry turned the volume down and talked to Ed as Joseph snuggled his toy in his mother's arms.

"He hasn't let go of that stuffed dog since he got it. He absolutely refuses to let go of it." Winry smiled.

"I take it he misses me?" Ed asked.

"Naturally. He sees our wedding picture and a few other pictures, but he hasn't seen you since he was born." Winry said.

"I know. I miss him too, and of course I miss you Hun." Ed said.

"I miss you too." Winry sighed.

"I'm just surprised that he can talk already. I mean, he's only one." Ed said.

"Yeah, but keep in mind who created him?" Winry smiled.

"Hmm…valid point. If he's anything like either of us, he had to have hit the jackpot of intelligence." Ed chuckled.

"Though, questionable at times." Winry teased.

"And you still agreed to marry me and carry our child." Ed teased.

"Hmm…this is true." Winry giggled before Joseph wriggled in her arms.

"I need to get him to bed babe. I hope to get a letter soon. I love you so much."

In the south

"I love you too." Ed replied before hanging up. If there was a moment in his life that he wanted to just say to hell with it and go back home, now would be that time. His son, of only a year old, could talk and he was missing everything. Leaving the booth he walked back to his barracks to find his brother reading.

"I was wondering where you ran off to brother. Where did you go?" Al asked,

"I called Joseph and Winry." Ed replied as he changed for bed.

"How did that go?" Al asked with a smile.

"The boy can fucking talk already." Ed said. Al looked up at him with a shocked expression.

"But he just turned one." Al said.

"He can say ten words and two sentences." Ed replied.

"Whoa. I wonder if Kaio can talk yet." Al thought aloud.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Ed chuckled.

"Did he like the stuffed dog?" Al asked.

"He hasn't put it down since he got it this morning." Ed chuckled.

"That's good. I hope Kaio will like what I'm giving him." Al said.

"Hey, I'm sure he will." Ed chuckled. Al smiled before fatigue finally go to them and they soon were both fast asleep.

So let me know what you thought. I hope you enjoy it. I will post next Friday, so until then, please R&R!