Mei pressed the cold compress against Winry's forehead and let it rest there. Sweat bathed her neck and chest and she was breathing heavily enduring premature contractions that shook the room with crashing intensity. Her skin was so pale it looked translucent and give her a ghostly quality. It made Mei nervous. Marco stooped over her, examining her while Edward and Alphonse waited in the hall. There was blood everywhere.

"Mei. What's happening." Winry asked weakly, trying to look around by rising up a little. Mei pushed her gently back down onto the bed. She didn't want Winry to see the blood.

"Dr. Marco is looking to see if he can find the problem. He is going to fix you up." Mei said positively, brushing the wet cloth across her cheeks and neck, trying to keep her cool.

Meanwhile, out in the hall, Alphonse sat in a kitchen chair moved and pressed against the wall, facing the bedroom doorway. He held his nephew in his arms. Maes had dozed off and hung limp across his uncle's left leg and arm. Alphonse cuddled him gently in order not to wake him. He may be a grown man now, nearly 23 years old. But at this moment, he felt as small as Maes – as small as he had been as he waited for the doctors to examine his mother all those years ago. He watched his brother, concern etched deep through his gold eyes. Edward couldn't keep still; he paced the hall from end to end. One moment his hands where in his hair, pulling ruthlessly, the next they were in his pockets then behind his back. Sometimes, Alphonse saw a tear streak across his brother's face that was quickly brushed away with anger. He knew all the emotions Edward must be feeling in this moment. The fear.

Marco emerged from the bedroom and shut the door behind him. He came to stand before Alphonse and beckoned Edward to him. At once Edward sprung to attention, he face tense with anxiety.

"What's wrong, Marco. Will we lose the baby? Will Winry be alright? Can I see her."

All the questions flew from Edward's lips like a hail storm. He thought he may split into two if he couldn't see Winry soon. Marco raised his hand and gripped Edward's shoulders hard, the lines of his face stark against his aging skin.

"Edward, the baby is putting a lot of stress on Winry's body now. She is losing too much blood. I do not know exactly what is happening in the womb to cause this, but if we do not remove the child, your wife will die."

The silence hung as lifeless and heavy as a stone. It crushed Edward like a landslide. He felt cold all over. His legs buckled beneath him and he sunk to the floor.

Alphonse spoke for him. "Will the baby be okay if we do an emergency delivery?" He clutched Maes closer to his chest in anticipation of the answer.

"I can not guarantee that simply delivering the baby early will save either life. Childbirth is very dangerous. The baby should be developed enough to survive assuming the delivery goes well. I do not know what will happen though once we begin the procedure. Their heart rates could drop." Marco stopped. He could tell that continuing in detail would only be cruel, the look on Edward's face was so pitiful that he could not go on.

His hand went for his pocket.

Marco knelt opposite Edward and patted his leg. Edward looked up, tears leaking out of his eyes.

"Edward. I know that you will say this is not an option. I beg you to reconsider. I can tell you now that I have the power still to save both lives tonight, but it will be through extraordinary means.

He pulled out a glowing red stone, the size of a small pebble.

Alphonse's eyes widened. He knew that eerie pink glow all too well.

"The power of the Philosopher's Stone will save them. It will restore the lost blood and remove the child from his mother without further trauma. It will replace any oxygen that has been lost. May I use it to save Winry and your child?"

Edward made no sign that he had even heard, Marco. He merely stared blankly at the stone in his hand. He had forgotten that Marco had had this. There were hundreds if not thousands of souls trapped in that little stone. Human lives.

Winry gave out a strangled cry from inside the bedroom. Edward was torn away from his thoughts and back to the present.

He met Marco's gaze. "The souls in that stone no longer have bodies to return to. I can not presume to know how they would like their lives to be used. I have to think that rather than for war or power, they would want to be used to save a life."

"I think so too, brother." Alphonse affirmed.

Edward nodded. He felt certain that it was the right course. He could not abandon his wife and child. They were his entire world.

"Do what you can. Use it."

/

Winry was having a vague dream. She tasted the subtle hint of salt on her tongue and heard the rush of water. She was swimming in a vast, green ocean. The water was murky and deep. She was cold and numb but desperately clinging to the surface of the water – pushing for air.

The sky above the water was misty gray. There was nothing to hold onto in the water. Just the vision of sky.

But then, there was a light – a red electric light.

It felt warm. Winry swam towards it.

The next thing she knew she was opening her eyes. It was as if she had slept for days, but it could have only been a few minutes. There was a low murmur of voices from across the dimly lit room. She noticed that she was no longer in agonizing pain. She noticed that her body felt different than it had before the dream.

"Where's Edward" she croaked, trying to raise herself up.

"Shhh, honey. I'm right here."

That familiar warm hand gently rubbed the crown of her head and fell to rest on her red cheeks. His other hand clasped her shoulder and rubbed softly. His eyes looked tired but content. He seemed to have had a great relief. She smiled up at him faintly.

"I had a terrible dream." She whispered, bringing her own hand to rest on top of his.

"I want to introduce you to someone, Winry." Edward said. He turned for a moment. As Winry gained strength, her vision became clearer. She marked Alphonse handing Edward a bundle of something small and red.

And then she realized.

Alphonse helped Winry raise up and let her rest gently in a sitting position against the head board. Edward kept one hand on his daughter's newborn back but let Winry gingerly hold her with what strength she had. Winry looked down into the closed pink eyes of her newborn daughter. Her breath went out of her. She felt reckless with love and relief.

"Trisha. I am so glad you are okay."