Sorry for the late update. I've been really busy with work, but now that I've got three days off, I decided that it was a good a time as any to post the next chapter. Rather uneventful, but it's lining up for something big. XD

Drop me a review, tell me what you think.

Chapter 9 - Summertime

"Edward..." Granny Pinako stood behind the coach as she spoke to him.

"AH! Don't hurt me!" Ed yelled and jumped as he heard his name spoken. He cringed only to look up a few seconds later and see Pinako staring at him with confusion. "...I mean what?"

She sighed. "Your arm and leg are done."

"My arm and leg?" He thought about what she had said and then a big smile spread across his face, the new arm and leg that allowed him to swim was done. A day had passed since he had told her the news and things seemed to be going pretty well. Aside from Ed jumping everytime she said his name.

Upon entering the garage, he could see various parts laid out on the table. "I thought you said they were done."

"They are." Winry began. "I was going to make you a brand new arm for this, but attaching it causes you a lot of pain, so..." She picked up the front plate to his forearm. "I decided to replace the outer shell instead. Have a seat." She patted the chair which Ed gracoiusly began occupiying. "If I made the entire arm out of this boyuant material, you'll just float right to the top of the water. So, if I leave the main piston in there and then put the light material on the outside, it mimics what a real arm or leg would do in water. It'll sink, but only like a regular limb. I mean, what's the point of swiming if you're only going to float on the top, right?" She spun around. "I'll revolutionalize the marekt with this stuff. I'll make a fortune!"

Ed sighed. "I'm sure you will." He gave her a smile. "And I'll be your first test subject."

She stoped her twirling vortex and placed a hand on either shoulder. "And the best part is!" She grabbed the covers that would go right in between his fingers. "It's webbed a little with the flotation material, so that way, it's just like the webbing in your own hand!" The four finger joints that were at the base of the fingers were all attached with a plastic like substance that was quite flexable.

Ed looked at the webbing between his fingers on his left hand and then to the prostetic piece. "Now that's attention to detail." He gave her a warm smile.

After taking her 'automail attack' Winry calmed herself and laid the piece back down. "I'm sure you'll love it Ed." She hugged his shoulders as he was sitting down in his chair.

He rested his head against her belly and gave it a poke. "So, off topic...do you feel any different?"

She took a step back and looked down at herself. Nothing had changed. "No...I don't even look any different."

"You're only two months in, you probably won't start showing till about four or five months." Pinako piped up.

Winry turned around. "Oh...Granny...are you really alright with this?" She said as she placed her own hands over her stomach.

The old lady gave her a quick glance and went back to straightening the cords for the inside of Ed's new arm and leg coverings. "Let's get this arm and leg sorted out, installed and tested, then we'll talk tonight."

Ed became rather nervous. "Alright..." He lowered his head. He could really see now, Pinako was indeed not mad at him, she was just disapointed; disapointment hurt a lot more than a cleverly hurled wrench. He kind of wished she had scolded him.

"Regardless, don't be too uneasy. We just have to talk about what we're going to do. Now, let's get that shell off." Pinako smiled as she held p a screwdriver.

Ed looked at her, he smiled. "Right...thanks." He himself still hadn't let the fact that he was going to be a father, in less than a year, sink in just yet. Enjoying what he had left of his childhood was the best bet for keeping himself from being depressed.

Ed stood up on top of the bridge, leaning over the edge down to the water. It wasn't terribly deep, but it was enough for him to sink down in and drown provided the arm and leg didn't work. "So, are you sure about this? I mean, 100 precent, really sure about this. Because, I really don't feel like being fished out of the bottom of the bottom of the river." He peered down at the cold water, it was blurry to him, not that bad, but still noticably so because he didn't have his glasses on.

Al kicked his shoes off and grabbed the bottom of his shirt then pulled it off over his head. "Here's an idea." He jumped up along side his brother, only wearing shorts now. "How about I jump in first, and if you sink, I'll pull you out."

"I'd rather just not sink. But go ahead." He watched Al leap from the bridge and land with a huge splash in the water.

He disapeared beneath the surface of the water and then appeared shortly thereafter. "Come on Ed the water's great!" He swam to the edge of the river and proped himself up on a rock.

Winry walked up behind Ed and placed her hands on her hips. "Have a little more faith in me Ed." With that, she gave him a quick shove to the back of the legs, sending him flying forward.

"AAH!" He gave a yelp of fear as he plumeted into the cold water of the Resembool river. Spening only a few seconds under he resuraced and spat water out of his mouth and rubbed his eyes with his left hand. "YES! I didn't drown!" He said as floated in the water. He still had to kick to keep himself afloat, just like Winry said, but he was swimming. He kicked up on his back and began swimming around.

"Heh, you still remember how to swim. That's good." Al said as he slid back into the water and ducked under. He came back up and shook the water of fhis face. "Race you up the river."

"Sure." Ed said as they two of them took off against the current, it wasn't a strong current, the tide was out, so it was a good challange.

Winry smiled as she walked over to the other side of the bridge and watched Ed and Al both carrying on and acting like they did when they were still kids. "I guess it's not really that bad of a thing." She folded her arms and leaned against the edge of the wooden bridge that connected the town to the forest.

"What's not a bad thing?" Aria said as she approached Winry from behind and extended a popisicle to her.

"Oh." She said in surprise; Aria was quit good at being light on her feet and rather quiet. "I mean, we're going to have a baby, and he's still enjoying himself like he did when he was a kid. I guess I just thought that having a baby meant giving up on being a kid. I can see now that I was wrong." She bit off the top of her popsicle, it was grape, nice and sweet on the tongue, and cold as well. The sun was giving off a redicilous amount of heat, so the cool treat was refreshing.

"Nah, never. If you start giving up on being young, that's when it'll get depressing. Enjoy yourself, I mean, you're the same age as me, so there's no getting old on me now." She shook a finger at her as she held her own popsicle in her mouth, allowing it to melt over her tongue. "You're not that much older than me...I think. When's your birthday Winry?"

"Oh, it's on June 12th." She said with a smile.

Aria allowed the juice from the frozen snack dribble down her chin a little. She was shocked, or at the very least, horrified. "You mean...you're younger than me by..." She counted on her fingers. "Two weeks? Mine's on May 29th." She looked at the difference in bust size between her and Winry and sighed. "Why am I always the smallest?"

"What?" Winry was confused as to what she was getting at. "Don't worry about it, Ed's short for a boy his age, and he get's by just fine." She smiled.

"Hey! Don't call me small!" Ed yelled from the water.

Winry looked down at him right below her, a scowle on his face and his eyes downturned in that, almost comedic, angry look he gave people when they made a crack at his height. "Sorry Ed, that's not what I meant."

"Edward?" An older man peered over the edge of the bridge. "I thought you'd sank like a rock because of your automail."

"Oh, Jasper. Winry made me automail that floats. That's why I'm not sinking." He looked at the older man wearing fishing overalls in the heat of the summer. "I haven't seen you in a while." Ed smiled. "How've you been?" He burshed a few wet strands out of his face.

Al popped his head out from beneath the water's surface. "Hey Mr. Mullins, good to see you're out of the hospital."

"Alphonse?" He planted a fist on either hip. "It's good to be out. It's also good that you're here too." He smiled at them.

"What's going on?" Ed waded over to the edge of the river.

He placed a fist on his hip. "All my lobster traps fell into the harbor. I'm looking for a crane to pull them back out, but I can't seem to find a hook. Would you two mind helping me out? There's a lobster dinner in there for you."

Winry's eyes widened. "He's my client, and he's in the middle of testing out a very expensive piece of equipment. I can't let him go right now!" Winry folded her arms. "Unless you're willing to bribe me with a lobster too." She smiled deviously.

Mr. Mullins laughed. "As sharp tongued as ever there Miss Rockbell. Of course, I'll send one each for your whole household." He peered over Winry's shoulder. "Who's your friend?"

Winry smiled and introduced Aria. "This is Aria, Al's girlfriend."

Aria blushed. "Nice to meet you." That was actually the first time she was introduced as such, it made her beam with happiness.

"Pleased to meet you. I'll be sure to throw one in there for you too." They shook hands.

Winry looked down at Ed and Al making their way out of the water. "I guess we let our boys play enough, time to make them work now."

Aria giggled. "Not too hard though."

Ed and Al stayed out most of the day; they decided to get a ride home with Jasper while their father took the girls on ahead. Winry and Aria had watched the two boys work in the water for Jasper. They had to tie the ropes to individual traps and have them be pulled up one by one. Seeing as how there were forty traps or more, the girls decided to call it a day.

They lounged around the house for the remainder of the afternoon, doing chores in between eating something cold or just relaxing in a shady spot.

Later on, it was no longer hot, it was just sticky and uncomfortable. The sun was just beginning to set and finally the heat started to die down. Hopefully the night wouldn't be so bad.

The hum of a car coming up the road filled the air. Aria sat up from where she was laying on the grass in the shade of the house. "They're back." She nudged Winry who had managed to doze off. "We should pour them something to drink."

Winry stretched and hopped to her feet. "Good idea. I'm sure they'll appreciate it."

After getting the lemonaide from the fridge and topping off two glasses, the front door opened and Ed kicked off his shoes. "We're home." Edward said as he came in the door. "Hey Aria, I have a question for you." He said, making his way into the kitchen.

"Yeah?" She was slightly confused as to why he would need to ask her something so soon after coming in the door.

"What's good to put on a sunburn?" He asked her from the other room.

"Aleo vera leaves are good. Why, did you get a burnt?" She asked, pouring a glass for herself.

Winry thought for a moment. "Ed never burned when we were kids." She watched as Ed walked in the kitchen, his skin quite a few shades darker than last they saw him. "Wow. That's some tan." She smiled. Ed's blond hair contrasting with his bronzed skin made him look very appealing to her. She herself only ever lightly tanned, so it was only natural to be attracted to it.

Shortly after Ed walked in the room, Al, with his newly defined muscles, came in and looked for something to relieve the pain of his burning hot red skin. "Pain..." He said weakly.

Aria's eye's widened. "Oh my God...Al...you're burned to a crisp." She downed her drink and placed the empty cup on the counter. "Don't move, and no one touch him, I'll go get the aleo vera plant." She smiled, even thought Al was probably in a great deal of pain, it was nice to see that he was a good hard worker. Always a plus.

Winry's eyes were wide as well. "Did you want your dirnk?" She held it out to Al, Ed had since taken his off the counter and proceeded to drink it.

He looked at the glass and then to Winry. "I can't move my arms." His burnt skin made it impossible for him to move, not only did it fell like it was tightly stretched over him, but it stung everytime he moved.

She looked in the cupbord behind her and grabbed a straw. "Here..." She held it out for him to drink.

"Thank you." He said with a half smile.

Making his way downstairs, he saw everyone sitting in the living room. Ed next to Winry, his father and Pinako sitting across from them and Aria, sitting in the pufy soft armchair. He entered the living room and sat on the coach next to his father, closest to Aria.

"Alright." Painko began. "The trick is, where to begin." She stood up and paced. "Now, I'm not too sure how this all happened, what the circumstances were behind it and such, but the fact of the matter is, is that it's happening." She went to light her pipe, but stopped short and placed it back in her apron. "This is serious, I don't know if the two of you realize that..." She spoke to Ed and Winry who listened intently. "It's no laughing matter. It's high time you two grow up and face these challenges."

Ed sighed. "I know that. It's not like we planned this to happen, it kind of, just did."

Winry hung her head down low, her hands clasping the front legs of her jeans. "It's actually really depressing."

Pinako smiled warmly at her. "You don't need to worry Winry, after the baby's born, you'll be able to carry on as normal."

Winry's eyes filled up with tears. "But I want to work on automail and not stop. I can't lift anything heavy while I'm pregnant."

Then it finally hit Ed, the whole reason for Wirny's depression. "You mean to tell me, the only reason you were sad and crying was because you were told you can lift heavy machinery?" He inquired, that inevatible twitch in his eye.

Winry got defensive. "Of course! Automail is a good chunk of my life, it's my carreer. Without it, I'm as good as in the poor house."

Ed bacame angry. "That's what I'm here for! You don't need to be an automail junky your whole life, take a brake!"

"That's about as easy as you taking a break form alchemy, it's impossible." She snapped back at him.

"Stop it!" Pinako snapped at the two of them and they ceased their bickering. "You two really need to grow up and face this with some maturity."

Ed sighed. "You're right." He turned to Winry, a newly calmed state of mind. "Compaired to your health, automail should be disconcerning. I mean, you don't just have to take care of yourself day by day anymore."

Winry lowered her head. "You're right...I guess I shouldn't have gotten as upset as I did. Sorry."

Had he have known the true reason for Winry's sadness, he wouldn't have done what he did that night; a whole lot of pain would have been avoided. Taking in mind that Winry's body was going through a lot of changes, he decided to let it go. He took her by the hand. "It's alright." He smiled.

Pinako smiled warmly. "Now, to more important matters. Do either of you know how to take care of a newborn baby?"

Ed and Winry both exchanged glances and then, as if it was rehearsed, they both spoke. "Not a clue."

There you go. Once again, really sorry for the late update.
I hope you guys still stick with me.