As far as his brother went, Alphonse knew to be prepared for anything, but he definitely didn't expect Ed to answer the door in Winry's frilly pink apron. Ed, on the other hand, seemed to think nothing of it, and pulled Al into the house. "Thank goodness it's you, Al," he said as he closed the door.

"You were expecting someone else?"

"I was expecting someone to wake Henry - after I'd finally gotten him down for a nap."

"And I'm incapable of doing that?"

"Yes, because you're a considerate brother who cares about my sanity."

Al chuckled. "He giving you trouble today?"

"Today?" Ed snorted. "Is he giving me trouble today. Let me tell you" - he held Al's shoulders - "the terrible twos are real, Al. And they're evil. Run while you can."

"Okay," said Al as he extricated himself from Edward's hold. "I'll remember that. So, uh, what's with the apron?"

"What do you think it's for? I'm cooking." He made a gesture, and Al's attention turned to the mountains of raw meat and vegetables on the kitchen counters.

"Were you planning on feeding all of Rush Valley?" asked Al.

"I happen to find chopping food into tiny bits an excellent form of stress relief. Besides, it's a special night. Winry's finals are over."

"You mean -"

"She's officially a state-certified automail mechanic and surgeon," Edward said proudly.

"That's great!"

"Yep. So I got Granny's recipe for beef stew, and we're having a little celebration tonight."

"Sorry. I don't mean to be a bother -" But Al was cut off by a sudden bear hug.

"Are you kidding? This is great! I missed you like hell!"

"I missed you too, Brother." Al returned the hug and was satisfied when Ed grunted from the tight squeeze. Knowing Al had done so on purpose, Ed broke out of the hug and tousled his brother's hair.

"When did you decide to come back from Saxian?" he asked as Al finger-brushed his hair back into place.

"Around the time I got your little package." Al pulled out the envelope containing the identical photographs. "I would have mailed them back, but I figured I'd probably get here first."

Ed took the envelope and thanked Al as he tucked it into his own pocket. "I was worried you might've left before it got to you. Anyway, we'll be leaving for Risembool the day after tomorrow. Sound good to you?"

"Yep. And so does that stew you're making."

Edward laughed. "I knew you'd expect me to feed you the minute you walked through the door." He took off the apron and tossed it to Al. "Equivalent exchange, meathead. You want some, you get to help out."

"In this?"

"Don't be such a pansy. It takes a real man to wear pink."

"Or a tacky sense of style," muttered Alphonse.

Al took a hit to shoulder. "I heard that!"

Somehow dinner preparation managed not to involve knife-throwing, though Al ended up having to transmute the pot in order to accommodate all the ingredients. By the time Winry walked through the door, the stew was simmering, the smell permeating the whole house.

"Ed, I'm - wait a minute . . . I know whose suitcase this is . . ." She burst into the kitchen, squealing, "Alphonse!" Before he could take another breath, Al was caught in yet another bear hug. Or at least, what was supposed to be a bear hug. Winry's belly was in the way.

"Wow," said Al as he placed his hands over it. "You're so huge! I've never seen you this pregnant before, Winry."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment. I'll just be glad to get out of the Rush Valley heat before summer sets in."

"Yeah, because Risembool is so much better."

"Shut up, Ed."

"Aw, come on. My brother gets a hug and all I get is 'shut up?'"

"You're not getting anything until this kid gets out of me."

Al's hands moved quickly off Winry's belly and over his ears. "Ew, ew! I do not want to hear about you and Brother 'getting some.' Do not want."

Red-faced, Winry said, "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Of course you didn't," said Ed, equally red. "You being pregnant doesn't have anything to do with . . . that. How much that happens, I mean. I mean it might make some difference, I don't know, it's not like I've run a statistical analysis or anything -"

"Shut up!" Al and Winry said together.

After a few moments' awkward silence, Edward stomped over to the stove and turned the heat down, muttering to himself. Al was about to change the subject, but a little figure came in from the other room.

"Mommy?"

The attention of all three adults turned to the toddler standing in the doorway. "Is that my little boy waking up from his nap?" asked Winry. "Did Daddy get you to sleep for more than ten minutes today?"

"Hey, I do better than that," Ed protested. "His average is half an hour."

Henry nodded as he walked to his mother. "Baby awake in there?" he asked as he reached for her tummy.

"You can feel Baby later," Winry told him. "Your uncle Al's come to visit."

"Hey Henry," said Al, kneeling to meet his eye level. "You remember me?" When he only got a blank stare, he continued, "It's been awhile since I got to play. Will you be my play buddy?"

"Horsey?" asked Henry.

"That the game you want to play?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Al got down on all fours. "Climb aboard, buckaroo!"

It didn't take long for Uncle Al to become Henry's new favorite. Within moments it was as though he had never left. The two were bounding through the living room as Ed and Winry set the table.

"I've really missed Al," said Winry. "Think we can get him to stick around this time?"

"You mean the same way you got me to settle down?"

"I can't marry both of you, silly."

Ed made a face. "What, like he couldn't marry anyone else?"

"All the girls in Risembool are either six years younger than him or married." She looked thoughtful. "Though six isn't too big a difference . . . considering your dad was four hundred years older than your mom."

"Ugh, did you have to bring that up?"

"Bring what up?" asked Al, walking into the room with Henry on his shoulders.

"Oh, nothing," said Ed, and his expression quickly turned sly. "We were just wondering how long it'll take Soo to get over you."

"Wh-what? I never said -"

"Funny thing about your letters, Al." Ed grinned. "The longer you stay in one place, the less you mention any of the girls you met when you got there."

"Maybe I don't say anything because nothing happens."

"Suuuure it doesn't."

"Can you put me down now?" asked Henry. When Al did so, he wasted no time in asking his daddy for a snack.

"We're having dinner soon, buddy," Ed told him.

"I'm hungry now!"

"Just get him a cracker or something, Ed," said Winry.

"And spoil his dinner?"

"One cracker is not going to spoil his dinner."

"Until he asks for another one."

"I don't care. I just don't want a temper tantrum right now."

When Ed said, "Whatever," and headed off to the pantry with Henry in tow, Al had thought the relationship discussion was over. But of course Winry had to say, "I never imagined you'd grow up to be such a heartbreaker, Al."

Al groaned and said, "You know, maybe there's a reason I never bring up girls with you two."

"Oh come on. You and Ed tease each other about most everything else. Don't tell me you can't take a little ribbing over that."

"Well, what if I don't want joking around? Maybe I want to get serious."

Ed called from the pantry, "Then get a move on and ask Mei to marry you!" Henry waddled out, nibbling his cracker, with his father close behind.

"How many times do I have to tell you? We're friends. She got over her crush on me a long time ago."

"Exactly. She moved past the crush stage," said Edward. "And now she's just waiting for you to quit messing around and admit you two are in love."

Al rolled his eyes. "I think I'd know if I was in love."

"I wouldn't be too sure, Al," said Winry. "I think you're so used to loving everybody that it's really difficult for you to tell when it's romantic love."

Leave it to Winry to hit the nail on the head. It always felt that way when she made her little insights - like she was hitting him over the head with the hammer of truth. And while his head was still spinning, Al would always end up spilling his guts.

"I know what romantic love is," he muttered. "All I have to do is look at you two."

Ed and Winry glanced at each other, then back at Al, and then started cracking up.

"We're your idea of a perfect couple?" asked Ed. "Damn. No wonder your love life is screwed up."

"Damn!" repeated Henry.

Sure enough, Winry's wrench made an appearance and did a number on Ed's head. "How many times do I have to tell you to watch your language around him?!"

"He's just doing it for attention. Stop making a big deal out of it," Ed groaned.

"A big deal? Since when is a two-year-old potty mouth not a big deal?"

"I think it's cute as hell." After another smack with the wrench, Ed added, "Couple of the year material, Al?"

"But that's exactly my point," said Al. "You can't make it fifteen minutes without snapping at each other. But at the end of the day, you'd give up anything for each other."

"Yeah. I'd give up all the milk in the world for you, Winry."

"Could you give up being a smartass?"

"Ass!" said Henry.

Winry jumped and covered her mouth while Ed pointed at her, short of breath for laughter. Henry looked delightfully between them before letting out a shriek of his own. Al couldn't help but smile himself.

"I'm sorry, Al," said Winry in an attempt to shake off the incident. "Why don't you finish what you were saying?"

"Oh it's just, well . . ." Al sighed."You remember the day you met Scar? And Ed jumped in between the two of you?"

Ed stiffened, obviously not excited about bringing up the memory. He gave a furtive glance to Winry, who merely nodded.

"Well, Ed, you didn't do it just because you know how harmful revenge is," said Al.

"Yeah," said Ed. "I guess I didn't."

Winry shook her head. "Really, Al? You have to sacrifice yourself for someone before you know you're in love with them?"

"No, not necessarily," said Al.

"Of course not," said Ed. "Because he's already done that for Mei and he still doesn't know."

Al groaned. "Brother, can you please drop it?"

Ed shrugged. "I just don't understand why you have to make things so hard on yourself . . ."

"Like you wouldn't know all about it, Ed," said Winry.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you're stubborn as a mule."

"Tell me something I don't already know. Now are we going to sit around chatting or eat the damn stew?"

"Stew!" said Henry.

"That's right, little man," said Ed as he picked him up and sat him at the table.

"Damn stew!"

Edward dodged the wrench as he went to dish up.