Childhood's End
By: Neptune Butterfly
Crushes and Special Promises
Pinako opened the curtains to let the sunlight in. She looked down at her granddaughter curled up on the bed still clutching the metal animals the Elric boys made. Its been two days since the news, and Winry still hadn't come out of her room.
"Winry?"
Winry moved but didn't wake up.
Pinako gently rubbed her back. "Winry, it's time to get up. You have a party today, and everybody will be here. Don't you want to see them?"
Her granddaughter opened her eyes and just laid there staring at the toys she was holding. Pinako sighed and helped her up pulling the covers away and letting the metal animals fall out of Winry's hands as she sat her up.
Winry's hair looked liked it never seen a brush, and her eyes still looked red and sore from the constant crying she did yesterday. She yawned and tried to resist the urge to fall back down and sleep.
Pinako did her best to straighten up her hair. "I have a bath ready. I'm sure you'll feel better once you get in it."
"Grandma," Winry's voice croaked from too much crying, "I don't wanna…" She whimpered and her eyes welled up again.
"Now don't you start that. No more. I want you to get up and get dressed. You'll make yourself sick!" Pinako pulled her up to a standing position and led her to the bathroom. She helped Winry out of her nightgown and into the tub.
Winry's sore body loosened up as she sat in the warm sudsy water. She let her grandmother gently wash her off and shampoo her hair. She didn't even mind it when her face and ears were rubbed red by the coarse washcloth she hated so much. Still half asleep, she slipped as she climbed out when they were done.
Pinako made her sit down on a low stool to dry her off. "Now, don't you feel better?"
"Unn-nn-mm" Winry tried to open her eyes up more. The brightness of the bathroom hurt her head, and the intense rubbing of her scalp somehow made her feel a little dizzy.
When the rubbing stopped she felt the tug of a comb attempting to unknot her hair which didn't help with the headache. It took a good half-hour to smooth it all out. By then, Winry was wide awake.
Pinako handed Winry her nightgown. "Now, go try on your new dress. The Elrics will be here soon to help set everything up."
Winry only nodded and headed towards her room without bothering to put her nightgown back on. Pinako watched her to make sure she was awake enough to find her way. She was getting tired of the one-sided conversations. This morning was the first time Winry talked to her directly in a long while. She hoped that interacting with the other children will help Winry come out more.
-----
The cake was baking nicely in the oven when Trisha and her boys arrived with the decorations. Ed and Al were dressed up a little more than usual with brand new pairs of pants and shoes and collared shirts. Al's shirt was blue and Ed's was red with white stripes on their sleeves and sides. If it weren't for the hair and eyes they could've been twins.
Den, who had been in hiding for the past two days since Winry didn't feel like playing at all, bounded down the stairs from his secret place in the hall closet barking and wagging his tail. His metal limb made a heavy thump with every step.
Pinako opened the front door and Den pushed passed her to greet the boys. She grabbed his collar and pulled him back. "Control yourself Den! Come on in! Don't you two look nice."
Ed had his pout face on which Al called the angry potato, and when it got red the angry tomato. Ed felt itchy in his new shirt and wished that he could find a way to burn it with alchemy. Right now, though, he had to endure the scratchiness and look good for Winry's sake.
Al pushed him through the door. "C'mon Ed! Quit pouting!" Ed grudgingly marched to the living area followed by his brother and Den.
"Be nice, Al." Trisha handed some of the decorations to Pinako. "I got purple and pink streamers for the birthday girl!" She carried a banner and a couple of presents in with her. "How she doing?"
"I managed to get her out of bed, but she refuses to talk much." Pinako set the streamers down on the kitchen and went to the oven to check on the cake. Seeing that the mix was rising nicely, she got out the icing tools and sprinkles. "Boys, help your mother with the streamers!"
Ed laid on the couch and rolled around hoping to alleviate a terrible itch. Den was on the floor copycatting him. Al was having a giggle fit over their likeness. "Ed!" Trisha scolded as she entered the living room, "Get up! You'll wrinkle your clothes! Both of you, help me with this banner."
"But Mom! Its…so…itchy!" Ed rubbed his back into the cushions even harder.
"No whining. Get up now!"
Ed grumbled and got up and stuck his tongue at the still giggling Al before he went over to help his mother.
-----
Al finished up icing the cake with Aunty Pinako, and Ed placed the last few streamers on the railing of the staircase just as the rest of the guest began to arrive. Nelly's family was first, since they were the closest aside from the Elrics. Addison, Nelly's four year old sister, just recently had her own birthday party and was still telling everybody how old she was, rushing around with her brown pigtails swinging. Nelly was sick of it by now. Her sister woke her up every morning since the party telling her. She was just glad that Addison had other people to bug now.
Next came Karl and his father who was still sweaty from the fields. Ed always said that he smelled like bread because of the baking his wife did in their house all the time. She was sick today, so she couldn't come. Johanna and her little brother Erik came with their dad too. Their mother had to stay home with their newborn sister. The twins Sammy and Tommy and their parents showed up next.
Then Felix arrived with a bunch of new jokes he desperately wanted to tell Winry. He was too impatient to wait for her to come down, so he started off a round of knock-knock jokes he just learned with the twins and Al. Ed didn't enjoy them very much. He kept thinking about the itch on his back and how nice it would be to get back on the couch and scratch it.
Within an hour most of the kids from the local school made it to the house. There were roughly thirty something people in all. Many of the kids came in groups with a parent, and the parents who did come brought plenty of food and offered to set up folding chairs and tables outside.
Tons of streamers fluttered outside on the porch. Ed and Al had a contest going earlier to see who could decorate their side the best and fastest. Ed lost because he kept trying to alleviate his itch on the rail. The balloons had to wait until they had a few more mouths to blow them up. Most of them never got a chance to be hung up because the kids started a big balloon fight in the living room.
The last one to show up was Cynthia and her mother. As soon as Al saw them coming up the pathway through the window he ran upstairs to hide. It was no secret that Cynthia had a huge crush on him. Every time they were together at school she would stare and giggle uncontrollably. A week ago Al overheard her tell a friend that she wants to make him her boyfriend. He was determined to never let her have the chance to ask.
It was almost two in the afternoon. Everyone was ready to sing happy birthday and eat, but the birthday girl still hadn't come down yet.
Trisha remembered Al going up the stairs a few minutes before, so she called out to him. "Al?"
Al came out of the upstairs bathroom where he had been hiding. "Um, yeah, Mom?"
"Could you ask Winry to come down? We're ready to start."
He looked across the hall to Winry's door wondering if she was okay. Al and his brother silently made an agreement not to talk about what happened the other day, especially in front of Winry. When she never bothered to come down and help they didn't mind. They were able to avoid another uncomfortable situation for at least a while longer.
"Okay," he answered. Slowly he stepped towards the door. When finally made it, he stood in front of it for a good long minute before deciding to turn the knob.
Al poked his head in. "Winry?"
He saw her in front of a full length mirror modeling her sleeveless lavender party dress. There was a soft pink tie in the back that matched the trim on the hem of the skirt and around the neck. She had on new sandals that matched her hair, which was up in its usual pony tail. Winry twirled to see the skirts fly around and tried a curtsy.
Al couldn't help but blush. She was so pretty.
Winry turned around when she saw him appear in the mirror showing her tired blue eyes. She managed a soft smile. "Hey, Al."
Al came in leaving the door slightly ajar. "Everybody's here. We're all waiting for you."
Winry noticed that his face was getting redder by the second. "Is my dress okay?"
"Yeah. It's very nice." Al quickly looked down at the floor attempting to hide the flush he felt on his cheeks.
"Thank you." Tears tried escape her eyes, but Winry swallowed and blinked them back. "Mom and Dad ordered it for me." She walked up to Al and took his hand. He looked up, still blushing. "I like the metal animals you and Ed made me."
Al was very aware of Winry's hand holding his and was unable to say anything. He'd always had a crush on her. Even after he and Ed ended their fight over who would marry her, they continued to compete for her attention. He thought of what Ed would do if he saw this. Most likely, he would flip.
Winry didn't mind not getting any response. She was just glad to see him again. Al's the first person she had seen besides her grandma in two days.
Still holding on to his hand, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Al's right cheek and could hear him trying to hold back a little squeak. She thought Al's reactions were so cute. There was no way Ed could ever be this sweet.
Winry pulled back. "Ready to go?"
"U-uh-huh," Said Al. He slipped his hand out of her grip.
They heard quick footsteps coming up the hallway and stop at the door. "What's taking so long! We can't eat until you come down!"
"Okay, Ed!" Winry's sudden outburst startled them. She pulled Al by the arm hurried downstairs and Ed impatiently followed.
Everyone clapped and cheered when they saw her. Her grandma led her to the kitchen table where the cake sat with eight lit candles on top. Vanilla icing; her favorite. Probably chocolate underneath. Winry suddenly felt hungry. It was the biggest cake she had ever seen. It had to be. There were almost forty people to feed.
She didn't want to cry again. Even with all these wonderful people standing around her, she still felt lonely.
Winry felt a tug on her dress and looked down.
"Guess what?" said Addison.
"What, Addi?" asked Winry.
"I'm four now!"
Some of the parents and older kids laughed. Winry had to smile. "I know."
Nelly pulled her away. "This isn't your birthday, Addi!"
Addi pushed her off. "So!"
"Alright," Pinako said, "It's time to sing!" She counted off and everyone began to sing.
Winry looked around for Edward. He was at the other end of the table barely singing at all and looking very grumpy. She was disappointed that he came with an attitude. She really missed seeing him.
Someone giggled to her right. Cynthia, with her dark brown curls and flowery dress, was staring at the nervous Alphonse on the other side of Winry.
The song ended and she blew her candles out. With that over, all the kids rushed outside for food. Ed was first in line.
-----
After dinner and cake, presents from each family that came were opened. They knew Winry was starting her automail training, so most of the gifts were things they thought she might need to help her along. Karl and his dad bought a set of bandanas she could even wear while she worked.
She also received a cute stuffed purple bear that sat on the top of the other presents unwrapped. As soon as Addi got done eating, she grabbed it and hurried over to Winry to give it to her before it was time.
Felix, who had been filling Winry in on the new knock-knock jokes he learned during dinner, gave her two joke books. Johanna and her little brother picked out two books Winry couldn't put down when they went to a town bookstore one time.
Sammy and Tommy decided to give some toys that she and Den could play with. Den was so excited he jumped on the twins licking their faces like a nut then took off with one of the toys to hide it in the upstairs hall closet.
There was some time left for playing a few games outside before going home. The parents sat on the porch talking as they watched the kids do a game of hide-and-seek. Cynthia was it and was counting on the porch rail while everyone else scattered.
Ed just came out from using the bathroom and was told to hide quickly by one of the boys. He stepped off the porch and looked around for a possible hiding place. On the stone wall that led to the house, he spotted Winry just sitting there. She wasn't really watching anything; just staring off into space at something unseen. The lavender dress she wore floated around her legs on the breeze like a cloud.
She was thinking about her parents. Winry wondered where they were right now, at this moment. It would be a while before they could have a proper funeral for them. Her parents' bodies had not come home from the East yet, and there was still wide open hole in her heart. If only they were safe and close by she could feel like fully rejoining the world again. Right now, it just hurt too much. None of the smiling faces and all the presents she got today were going to help, even Felix's jokes.
"What are you doing over here, Winry? Aren't ya gonna play?"
Winry looked down at Ed in front of her. He didn't have his pout face on anymore. The food must've been enough to make him happy and even forget that itch Al told her about. She wished she could've seen him rolling around like Den. It would've made her day just a little better.
"I don't really feel like it," She said.
Ed climbed up onto the wall and sat with her. "It's too bad. You're really good at this game." He looked around. "Hey, do you know where Al went to?"
"He's probably in that hole we made under the porch. It's a good thing 'cause Cynthia's it."
"She's the one who like Al, huh?" Ed snickered.
"Yeah," Winry giggled a bit herself. "I bet he'll stay there the whole time and never come out."
They spent the next few minutes poking fun at Cynthia, then fell silent enjoying the sunshine and the other kids playing.
"I'm sorry."
Winry turned to Ed. "What?"
Ed fidgeted looking down at his feet gently bouncing against the wall. "You don't have parents anymore. And me and Al made you mad that day. We just got scared when we thought of what it'd feel like losing Mom." He raised his head quickly to meet Winry's eyes. "I'd do anything to give you your family back!"
Winry knew he'd do if he could. His eyes were almost too intense to look at. She turned away from them. "You don't have to. You can't anyway. But, thank you." She allowed herself a little smile.
Ed felt relieved now. She wasn't mad at him.
"Did you know that Mom and Dad said that they wanted to have another baby when they came back?"
"Woah, really?"
Winry's smile turned brighter at Ed's response. "Yup! I was really hoping for a little sister, like Nelly has."
"Why not a little brother?" asked Ed.
"I already have you and Al! I need another girl around to even things out!"
"But, we aren't your brothers."
"I know you're not! But you're not just my friend…either…um…" Winry blushed. She just realized that didn't come out right.
Ed came up with an idea. "Would you want us to be your brothers?"
"Uh, well--"
"And you can be our sister."
"…Really?"
Ed held up a pinky. "Really. I promise to take care of you. I know Al would too."
Winry slowly raised up her pinky and linked it with his. "Okay. I promise to be your sister and take care of you and Al too."
"Like we would ever need to be taken care of!"
Winry pushed him playfully. "Yeah right. You still can't even get dressed by yourself!"
"Not true! Shoes look too much alike! So do shorts and shirts!" Ed defended, but it made Winry laugh so hard that he just let it be. She was so cute when she laughed.
"Ed! Winry! Help me! Hide me!" Al was running towards them as if his life depended on it. He scrambled up and over the wall never minding the scrapes he was getting.
"What's going on?" Ed asked.
Al crouched down. "It's Cynthia! She actually found me in that hole!"
"You mean the one under the porch?" said Winry.
"Yeah! I managed to lose her by running around the house. Please don't let her find me!" In a panic, Al covered his head. "I don't wanna be her boyfriend!"
"Don't worry, Al. We won't." Ed reassured his brother.
"Why don't you just tell her no?" asked Winry.
"He can't do that!" exclaimed Ed.
"But, why?"
"Because she's a girl! She won't take no for an answer!"
"That's right!" said Al. "Cynthia will think that if I let her ask it means yes!"
"Well, that's just stupid!" said Winry.
"What's so stupid?"
Ed and Winry jumped. They turned and saw Cynthia huffing and puffing, her curly brown her in a mess and her flower dress wrinkled up by running around in the wind.
Cynthia took a moment to catch her breath and asked, "Where's Al? I want to ask him something."
Ed and Winry looked at each other.
"Where is he!" Cynthia demanded.
Winry decided to end this once and for all. "Um, Cynthia--"
"--What?" she huffed.
Winry ignored her rudeness the best she could. "Al doesn't want to be your boyfriend."
"I didn't ask you!" Cynthia snapped. "Besides," she pointed at Ed, "You can't have two boyfriends!"
Ed went bright red. "WHAT!"
Winry was also a little pink in the face "He's not my boyfriend!" she yelled. "Neither is Al yours!"
Cynthia's green eyes flashed at her. "He's behind the wall, isn't he!" She stomp up to the wall and climbed up between Ed and Winry to find Al still huddling on the other side. "You will be my boyfriend, won't you?"
Al looked up at her then Winry. Winry was shaking her head no. He looked back at Cynthia. "No, I won't." He sounded like he was whining.
"Don't do what the birthday girl tells you to do!"
"But Cynthia, I don't want to."
"See!" Ed exclaimed. ""He doesn't want to! Now go away!"
"Shut up, Ed! C'mon, you don't really mean that, do you Al?" Cynthia was practically begging him to say so.
"I do mean it. I'm sorry." said Al.
Cynthia didn't say anything else. It just hit her. Al didn't want to be her boyfriend. She hopped off the wall and quickly walked back to the house.
Al got up. "Cynthia?"
"Don't call her!" said Ed. "We don't want her to come back!"
Winry watched Cynthia go inside thinking about the hurt look on her face. Al wasn't mean to her or anything, but it probably didn't feel good knowing that someone you like so much didn't like you in the same way.
-----
By the time the sun went down everyone had gone home except for the Elrics. They spent the evening helping Pinako and Winry cleaning up. It would've waited until tomorrow, but Pinako had some new customers coming by the next day. Winry was told that she didn't have to clean, just to put her presents up and get out of her dress so it wouldn't get dirty. Ed and Al popped all the balloons that weren't taken home by the other kids by sitting on them. Al was much better at it than his brother. Ed kept missing them and hurting himself on the floor.
All of them ate leftovers at the table together when they were done. Winry didn't say much, but she felt happier than she did in a long while. They really did look like a family.
Trisha looked at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. "Okay, boys, lets get going. It's almost bedtime." They didn't protest. It had been a busy day.
Winry, on the other hand, felt her stomach drop. She didn't want them to leave. Quickly she jump out of her chair. "Uh, grandma? Can Ed and Al stay over tonight?"
"But Winry, its late," said her grandma, a little surprised.
"I know, but they'll be here tomorrow anyway. We could do a sleepover in the living room! Please, grandma?" Winry put hands together.
Pinako looked over to Trisha. Trisha looked down at her boys. They pleaded with their faces knowing that a sleepover meant they didn't have to walk back home. "Well," she said, "We'd have to borrow some blankets and something to sleep in, but I guess we could stay. I'm a little too tired to walk back myself."
Ed and Al jumped around and headed upstairs for pillows and blankets. Winry was smiling from ear to ear and went up herself to get ready for bed.
Pinako was just happy to see her smiling again. She got from the table and began to clear it off. "I'll find something of Sara's for you to sleep in, Trisha. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
Trisha helped. "Are you doing all right? You'll be raising Winry all by yourself now, and I'm sure the past couple of days haven't been easy."
"Ha!" Pinako laughed, "Don't you worry about me. If you can take care of those two energetic boys, then I bet an 'old bat' like me can handle my granddaughter. She's just starting her training and picking up things quick. I'll only have to worry about keeping her busy with new things to learn."
"That's good to hear. I wish I could do the same for my boys. Books can only teach them so much." Trisha sat the dishes on the counter while Pinako filled the sink with water.
"That reminds me," Pinako was hesitant to ask, "When is Hohenheim coming back?"
"I don't know," Trisha said softly. Her head was still pounding from cleaning up earlier. For the past couple of years the headaches have been getting progressively worse, but they didn't always happen after doing chores or any other hard work. Sometimes, they just happen for no reason at all. Strangely, they only started after Hohenheim left.
"Are you alright, Trisha?"
"Hm?" She noticed that Pinako was speaking to her. "Yeah, just tired."
Pinako listened to the thumping coming from above. It traveled across the ceiling and came tumbling down the stairs ending in a great bang.
"OUC--!" Something muffled the cry.
"Ed!"
She sighed and asked Trisha to take over the sink so she could check on the boys.
Ed had tripped halfway down and landed on his back with all the blankets on top of him. Pinako scolded him for running, then grabbed the blankets and walked to the living room.
Al carefully walked down the last few steps with a pillow in each arm. "I told you not to run!"
"Shut up, Al." Ed sat up to catch his breath. Al ignored the comment and went to help set up their sleeping space.
Winry came down in her night gown and with her own pillow. Seeing Ed sitting on the floor trying to breathe, she helped him up. "Dork. Your shoes on the wrong feet again?"
"I'm not wearing any shoes!" Ed said breathing a little easier now. He glared at her.
"Just your feet then? You're such a klutz."
"No I'm not!"
"Yes you are!" Winry giggled and hit him with her pillow. Ed chased her into the living room jumping on the couches and ignoring Pinako's threats.
-----
Winry snuggled into the thick blankets and watched the clouds pass over the crescent moon in the window. Her grandmother's voice echoed softly in the kitchen as she talked to Trisha. Al was behind her slowly breathing, indicating that he was in a deep sleep. She was facing Ed who had his back to her making it hard to tell in the dark if he too was asleep.
"Hey, Ed. You still awake?" Whispered Winry.
"Hmhmm." Ed slowly turned over. "What do ya want?" He mumbled.
"You really meant it when you said you'd be here for me?"
Ed yawned. "Of course."
"You won't leave like Mom and Dad, will you?"
"Why would we want to?"
"So…you won't?"
"Stop worrying so much." Ed reached out and grabbed Winry's hand from underneath the covers. "We're not going anywhere. And if we do, we'll take you with us."
"Really?" Winry squeezed his hand.
Ed squeezed back. "Really. Now go to sleep." With that, he pulled the covers over his head with his free hand.
Winry waited for him to let go. After a few minutes, Ed's grip loosened. He had fallen asleep. She gave another squeeze, then slowly withdrew her hand under her own covers, silently thanking him.
A/N: Yes! I'm finally done! Sorry folks. School's beating the crap out of me right now. In a couple more weeks it won't be a problem anymore. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. I realize I introduced a lot of characters, and you will get to know more about them later on. So review everybody! NB