January 6th, 1980

Edward spent the next three days going over and pestering Urey. He couldn't interrupt him at work. Or at least, he decided against it. Urey was at least going to work, and when he was there he was sober, productive, and not risking his life with dangerous alchemy. Ed had sorted out all of the alchemical information Urey had acquired and, perhaps against his better judgment, actually read through Urey's new research notes.

He was getting ready to head over when the phone rang in the hotel. It was Winry. "Your voice is balm for the soul," Ed commented, settling back down on the bed.

"You're so poetic when you miss me," Winry said softly over the phone. "How's Urey? Any progress?"

"I haven't talked him into coming home yet," Ed admitted with frustration. "He can't do anything. I've still got his research and all of his materials. I don't think he'd dare try anything without them. He doesn't actually have a finished equation or a perfect circle and he knows it."

"I can't believe he wanted to try and send himself after her," Winry said, her voice echoing the pain Ed felt thinking about it.

"At least I got here in time," Ed agreed. "And I'm not giving it back. I'll burn anything that should never see the light of day again." He had once thought that the danger in knowledge was in how you used it, but over the years he had come to understand that there was some knowledge that just shouldn't be encouraged.

"How much longer are you staying?" Winry asked.

"I don't know," Ed admitted, sighing heavily. "I could talk myself blue in the face and it might not make a difference, but I think he's listening. He's not in good shape, and he won't talk to me, but I think he's got stomach issues. He reminds me of a guy with stomach ulcers." He still remembered that particular malady. It was one he avoided.

"Will he see a doctor?"

"I doubt he could afford one on his salary," Ed said. He hadn't told Winry the depth of squalor Urey's apartment was in, though Ed had taken a few steps to actually clean it up while Urey was at work. He had taken out the trash, washed what few dishes were there, gotten rid of the glass bottles, and –using alchemy instead of bothering with a Laundromat- he had cleaned what few linens and towels Urey had picked up, apparently second-hand.

"What if he won't come home?"

"Then…we let him be." Ed didn't like that answer, but it was the best one he had come up with. "I'll leave him the money for a doctor, and we'll just have to not push. Not if we don't want him to run off again now that we've found him." If Urey vanished again, Ed thought it might just break Cassie, and possibly Aldon. "As long as we know where he is, and he doesn't do anything stupid, it's something and we have a shot at talking him around."

"But how can we sure he won't do something stupid?"

She had to ask the hard questions. Ed shrugged. "I really wish I knew."

It was all gone. Urey looked at his grandfather across the little table in his apartment. "You really did it?"

Ed nodded. "It's all destroyed. Every bit of it. But I did read it, Urey, and I'm telling you, it wasn't possible. All it would have done is backfired, and you'd have been maimed, and bleeding, but what you want… it really isn't possible."

If he said he'd read it, than he had. Urey knew his grandfather might cheat at cards, but he wouldn't lie about something that important. His drive for the past few months, his hope… it was gone. Just as Cayla was gone. But he was here, alive, and stuck. He had thought about ending it the night she died…but he couldn't do that. He had known that dying wouldn't do any good. But if he could find a way, somehow, a slim chance, of getting to her without bringing her back…

A foolish theory, flawed, and doomed to fail. "And you're going home."

Ed nodded, and looked at the envelope between them on the table. "That's enough for you to see a doctor, and get some real food in here. You look like crap, and the way you're going, you'll find yourself with worse than ulcers. If you want to be left alone, well, that's your business. I think you're an idiot, but we all know how much my opinion seems to count for anything here. I'm just the expert on screwing up." He stood up. "Use it to help yourself, Urey. Get better. Move on. Do what you need to do. But give up on the research, and damn it, drink water once in a while."

Then Ed was up and moving towards the door.

Stunned, Urey stared at the table for several seconds before he found himself on his feet. "Grandpa…I…"

Ed stopped, and looked over his shoulder.

Urey sighed. "Thanks."

He saw a flicker of disappointment in Ed's eyes. "You're welcome. I mean it."

January 8th, 1980

No one met Ed at the train station. He felt mildly annoyed as he trudged the familiar road up towards the house. Where was everyone? He had phoned and told them when he would be arriving. Yet here he was, walking alone on a cold winter day.

He stopped feeling sorry for himself as he reached the first drive that belonged to a house in the family, which was Reichart and Deanna's, and glanced up the hill. He could see Winry standing in the window, then she moved, and Aldon came into view.

It only took Ed a moment to realize why he had been forgotten, and a slightly relieved laugh bubbled out of him. Relieved, not because he had really worried about it, but because he was coming home to, hopefully, good news.

"So am I too late?" he asked without any other hellos as he opened the door and walked inside.

"Ed!" Winry was in his arms in a moment, holding him tightly. Ed returned the enthusiastic hug. "No, I'd say you have wonderful timing. Deanna's just about finished getting cleaned up. The baby's here."

"And the name?" Ed asked with a grin.

"Hrafn," said Aldon.
"Bless you," Ed snickered. "Where'd they get that one?"

"One of Deanna's grandfathers," Winry smiled.

"Well another baby, another boy." Ed straightened up and looked at his son. "Looks like Art's taken after you in this too."

"Hopefully he'll be smart enough to stop," Aldon said, sounding mildly exasperated and pleased at the same time.

"Don't count on it," Winry said. "I'm pretty sure Deanna wants another girl."

"How was your trip?" Aldon asked then. He didn't have to point out Urey wasn't with him.

"Productive," Ed replied. He had told Winry almost everything over the phone already. "We can hope. I think, at least, he was listening."

"Well that's more than I thought he'd do," Aldon admitted. "Thanks, Dad. Hopefully, it'll be enough."

February 3rd, 1980

January started out mildly hopeful, but with each passing day, that hoped dimmed again. Urey did not call, nor did he show up at anyone's door. Everyone tried to go on with life without the feeling of waiting. There was, at least, the mild relief in knowing he was alive.

"Do we have to do this?" Ed grumbled the morning of his birthday as he watched Winry in the kitchen.

"What, you don't want cake?" Winry asked with a look that said she clearly didn't believe it.

"It's not the cake," Ed replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "It's the number."

"You didn't complain so much last year." Winry kissed him on the cheek and went back to baking.

"No one would have let me get away with not having a party last year," Ed pointed out. Last year, he and Winry had both turned eighty. Eighty-one was just even older.

"Who was the one who used to say each birthday was worth celebrating?" Winry teased him.

"I'm glad to still be alive. That doesn't mean I want to contemplate just how old I really am." He would much rather count the fifty-six years they had been married than the full run of his life.

"Good. Then instead of being a grumpy old man, why don't you take Mal for a walk. Your dog is getting restless."

Ed turned and looked at the massive white fur ball standing at the door, wagging his fluffy tail hopefully. He grinned. "All right. Come on, hairball. Let's go."

It was a bit too cold for Ed to take a really long walk with the dog. His auto-mail ports ached, despite being a good boy and taking his medicine before he left. Still, they took the winding route, over the hills and frosty ground, breath steaming in front of their faces. Mal paused for several minutes to look at a nearby flock of sheep, before following Ed down into town.

Mal sat patiently outside stores while Ed stopped for a paper and a hot cup of tea, dropped by the post office, and then stopped at the pet store and got Mal a treat for behaving himself on the street. Not that anyone would have messed with Ed's dog, and Mal was known all around Resembool as friendly.

When they finished in town, Ed headed back towards the house on the more direct route on the road. The exertion actually felt good, though the aching began to get to him. As he passed Reichart's house and the Rockbell house he glanced up the hill to see if anyone was actually home. He doubted it. Ted and Callie should be at school, Aldon and Cassie would be at work. Though lights looked to be on up at Reichart's. On a whim, Ed turned up the drive. He wouldn't mind saying hi to his adorable great-grandkids on the way home, even if he would see them later.

Deanna met him at the door with a smile, and little Hrafn in her arms. "Happy Birthday, Edward."

Ed smiled. "Thanks, Deanna. You don't mind if I thaw out and say hi at the same time do you?"

"Of course not," she chuckled. "We're just having a creative morning."

"Creative?" Ed looked curious. He knew Deanna had Yurian over, and Cailean was still too young for school, even though Rhiana was in first grade and Owen in kindergarten now.

"Craft projects for little hands." Deanna showed him to the dining table where Cailean was painting with watercolors on a piece of paper speckled with salt and glue and glitter. It made all sorts of interesting patterns, especially where the salt and the paint mixed. Mal followed quietly.

Yurian, safely in a high chair, was giggling and eating a small scattering of dry oat cereal. A smear of blue across his nose and an empty bowl spoke of a recent snack of blueberries in hot cereal.

"This looks like fun." Ed leaned over Cailean and looked at his artwork. "Wow, you're good at this."

Cailean grinned. "Yeah? It's a horse!"

Ed looked at the red and blue and green and salted areas where the salt moved and sucked up half the color, and chuckled. "Sure. That's a great horse." If he looked hard enough, he saw a splotch that looked like it might have ears and a tail. Mal nosed in and whuffed quietly. "Mal likes it too."

"Would you like something, Ed?" Deanna offered. "We've just finished breakfast, but I have cereal left, or I know Reichart left coffee in the pot."

"Coffee would be great. Here let me hold him for a bit," Ed offered his arms, and was rewarded with a handful of sleepy one-month-old. "Hey, kiddo." Hrafn yawned and settled right back to sleep. "Well, nice to know I'm exciting," Ed chuckled softly.

Deanna smiled as she poured him a cup of coffee and added cream and sugar. "The only thing he gets excited about so far is meal time."

"Sounds like par for the course," Ed chuckled. "Meal time has always been a favorite in our family."

"Without exception," Deanna set the cup down on the table as Ed settled into a comfortable chair. "Yurian loves it."

"I've noticed." Ed looked over at the ten month old. He still looked a lot like Urey, save the eyes, and Ed had noticed that Yurian was more like the other boys in the family, meaning he loved to eat, but he wasn't as chunky a baby as Urey had been. Cayla's influence I'd bet. "It's funny, I never could have imagined our family would grow so big," his voice softened as he stroked Hrafn's cheek with one finger. "It amazes me sometimes that we've gained so much."

"It's because you and Al and Winry have worked so hard to shape and support our family. Everyone deserves a family that loves them as much as this one does."

Her words were the best present Ed thought he could have gotten today.

Winry was glad to see Edward in a good mood when he and Mal returned from their walk. He joined her in the kitchen and they spent the afternoon cooking together, making all his favorites. Winry didn't even smack him hard with the spoon when he stole tastes of everything… not hard. Besides, Ed had learned how to dodge over the years.

Everything was ready by dinner time, when everyone descended on the house from their various corners and activities and jobs.

"Happy Birthday, Grandpa," Callie presented him with a card, a wrapped present, and a kiss on the cheek.

"Should I be jealous?" Winry teased him softly as Ed opened the package.

Ed laughed. "Of course not," he whispered. "You know I prefer blonds."

Callie had painted Ed a small oil painting of Mal, which Winry thought captured the dog's gentle personality, and amusing smile, perfectly.

Ed exclaimed his evident pleasure over the picture, and the smattering of other presents, which he opened between the serving of dinner and the period of digestion needed before they tackled the rich chocolate cake. Winry suspected that the kids, and most of the guys, would have been happy to dig right in.

The doorbell rang just as Winry started cutting the cake.

"I'll get it," Deanna offered, heading for the door with Hrafn asleep on her shoulder.

Winry wondered if it might be a neighbor, or someone looking for Aldon, which happened fairly regularly.

She stopped wondering when Deanna opened the door, and silhouetted in the dark, a lean figure stood, startled, on the steps. For a moment, Winry's hands trembled.

Cassie was on her feet, and in moments had crossed the distance between the table and the young man in the entry. "Urey!" she tackled him, nearly taking him backwards with the force of a mother's hug.

Urey hadn't expected to have the breath knocked out of him. He hadn't even been expected a welcome response. Momentarily stunned, he hugged his mother back mostly on instinct. "I'm… home," he said, unnecessarily he was sure as he looked around, taking in the fact that everyone was here. He'd expected that, since the other two houses were dark, but he had forgotten it was Grandpa Ed's birthday.

His mother was crying, even as she looked up at him with first a scowl, then a smile. "Of course you are, Urey. Of course. But look at you," and the frown was back, a furrow of worry. "You're half starved! Come in here right now and sit down and have some dinner. Have you eaten?" And she was chivvying away. Urey let himself be led into the room.

"I did," Urey replied, mostly honest. He hadn't eaten much on the train, his stomach was still tender. "But I'm not really—"

"Don't try and tell me you're not hungry." His mother propelled him towards the table. Urey felt his cheeks flush. "And I know about that. Now sit down and I'll get you a bowl of stew. It's about as gentle as you'll find." As his mother hustled into the kitchen, Urey found himself looking at everyone else, who were watching him, almost expectantly.

Urey wasn't sure where to begin. He still wasn't entirely sure what he was doing here, other than ever since Grandpa had appeared like a whirlwind in South City, destroyed his illusions, and injected harsh reality back into his life, he hadn't been able to settle back into obscurity, to let his mind go numb. He had started thinking about home, and other things. But what to say, now that he was here, standing there after he'd run off for months… he wasn't sure.

His father saved him an awkward moment, by coming forward and hugging him so tightly Urey thought his ribs might break. "Welcome home, son," he whispered, his voice laden with emotion. "I'm glad you're back."

Over his father's shoulder, Urey could see Grandpa grinning. Other people began moving, and as soon as his father stepped back, Urey found himself thumped on the back by Reichart, whose hug rivaled their father's for strength. Ted's was surprisingly as strong, his arms almost bars of iron, though he didn't squeeze as hard. Urey wondered just how hard his youngest brother had been working out to achieve that.

Everyone looked different, even as much as things were the same. It felt as if he had been gone for years instead of months. They treated him as if he was back from the grave… almost. Urey was used to people in his family dodging that fate. Still, he had expected them to be madder. "I thought you'd be furious," he admitted. The words slipped out as Grandpa Ed and Grandma Winry got their hugs.

"We were," Grandpa said. "But that's because we worry. I'm glad to see your ears still work."

"And your mouth, now let's see about the rest of you." His mother came out of the kitchen with a heaping bowl of stew and thick slice of buttered bread. "Now sit, and eat this all down."

Urey's stomach growled, even though he cringed at the thought of a tender stomach later. It was healing –Grandpa had been right about needing a doctor, of course- but his insides were not as sturdy as they had been. Still, the smell was better than he expected, and it taunted him. "Yes, Mom." He turned to sit down at the table-

-and froze as a pair of big, pale blue eyes looked up at him from a little boy in Callie's arms; a boy he didn't recognize at first. The baby in Deanna's arms was too young to be Yurian; intellectually, he knew that, but to stare into the eyes of his wife, right there on that little boy…. Eyes that were curious, but unafraid, and there was no condemnation in them, however much he thought maybe there should have been.

"Looks like you, doesn't he?" Grandma Winry commented gently from beside him.

Urey shook his head slowly. "No… he doesn't." He looks like Cayla. He swallowed deeply, and buried the hurt that tried to overwhelm him. Instead, he sat down at the table before his knees gave way, and let his mother put the food down in front of him.

But Callie wasn't done with him. "You want to hold him?" she offered.

Urey wanted to say no. He was sure if he did, he'd fall right to pieces, but everyone was watching him, and after the hell he had given them before he left, he didn't have it in him to do it again. "All right."

"Here you go," Callie smiled at her nephew as she offered him to Urey, settling the boy down on his lap and guiding Urey's arms so they held him properly. "Say hi to your daddy, Yurian."

Urey looked down at the baby. He had grown so much; without the eyes, Urey wouldn't have known him for his own.

Yurian looked back up at him for a moment, then his nose wrinkled, his eyes filled with tears, and he started wailing.

Urey panicked. "What did I do?" he asked helplessly as he tried to ease the boy. He tried bouncing his knee a little, but Yurian's wails grew louder. He didn't want to hurt the little guy but he was lost.

"It's fine," his mother assured him, taking Yurian into her arms and cradling him against her shoulder. In moments the wails had softened to soft sobs, then hiccups. "Shhh, there, there. It's okay."

"What's wrong?" Urey asked, though he thought he knew the answer. He doesn't like me.

"Oh, he's just tired, and you're new to him," Cassie explained calmly, though Urey wondered if she wasn't trying to convince herself as well as him. "Give him time."

What you mean, Mom, is he doesn't remember me because I wasn't here. Perhaps that wasn't fair. He had been expecting chastisement and anger and disappointment, despite his grandfather's words the month before. "Sure," he said as he picked up the spoon and started eating the stew she had brought him. "I'm sure that's it."

Edward stood with Winry outside the second story guest room that Urey had claimed for the night. He hadn't wanted to go back to the other house immediately, and no one had wanted to argue with him, not even Cassie. The healing process had begun, it seemed, and they wanted to give it time, to be positive and helpful.

The rest of the party had been pleasant and even more cheerful after those awkward minutes. Urey was back, however emotionally scarred, and that mended a space in their hearts and homes that no one had wanted to spend too much time poking at before. To Ed, having Urey home was the best present of all.

Urey had eaten everything his mother put in front of him without any words of complaint, and he had spoken little, though he had acknowledged questions, responded with answers, and seemed all right with small talk as long as it didn't turn to anything serious.

Afterwards he had crawled into the shower, nearly running them out of hot water before he crawled into bed. Which was how Ed had come to feel the urge to poke his nose in, almost to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. Winry caught him at it. "You too?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Yeah." Ed closed the door again. "He actually looks better than he did when I found him."

Winry shivered slightly, sidling up close to him as they turned and headed for their bedroom. "He looks like he's aged twenty years. Or maybe he just feels like it."

"Inside, he probably has." Ed pulled her close, one arm comfortingly around Winry's shoulders. "But he did what I asked; he got a doctor, he looked like he's actually eating something. And he's here now." And he showed up sober. He was grateful for that. He hadn't mentioned that part of his discovery to Winry in any detail. It would have only upset her more. "Yurian will get to know him, and eventually maybe he'll be ready to live under the same roof with his son, and raise him himself."

"You're right," Winry smiled, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Finally, things are off to a start."

Author's Note: 9/17/2013 Finis! *Sniffs into a tissue* So much drama in the family lately. First Ian, now Urey... is it over? Nah, we've got more drama coming! New story starts next week. *cue the dramatic tragic music*