October 15th, 1955

The first day of the Harvest Festival dawned cool and crisp. The leaves had just started changing and the normally green fertile plains that butted up against the mountains were dotted with gold and scarlet.

For the first time in over forty-five years, Edward, Alphonse, and Winry would be at a Harvest Festival together. Ed couldn't help but feel that it was an oddly momentous occasion, even if it probably meant nothing to the universe as a whole. The last time Ed had been to a Festival in Resembool at all, he and Al had gone with their mother.

Now, well, getting the family down the road was a much bigger production! Coran and Reichart loved festivals, and were constantly underfoot and bouncing with energy as everyone else got ready to go. Trisha didn't really understand what was going on, but caught the excitement easily enough! The one year old tried to toddle around, but was quickly scooped up by her father and distracted when the kids were sent out front to play until it was time to leave.

The chaos lessened slightly once they were on the road. The pack spread out a little into groups and conversations that seemed to revolve either around alchemy or children. Aldon was carrying a temporarily-covered canvas that contained Cassie's latest work of art, an entry in one of the Festival's many competitions. As always, Ed was sure his daughter-in-law had outdone herself once again. This was a stunning landscape of the Resembool lake at just this time of year. If her last several pieces were any indication, this one would probably sell before long at a rather handsome price, and go somewhere beyond Resembool to be displayed proudly. Cassie's works were getting very popular. At least in Central, Ed knew that she had pieces hanging in their home and Al's - naturally – one at Mustang's, Breda had one, the Armstrongs had two or three… or was it four? Ed knew that Alex's wife and daughters were all fond of art and appreciated Cassie's talents. One of their girls was also an artist.

Not that Cassie was much different from the lovely young woman Aldon had brought home. Her quiet confidence had blossomed, but even today, she looked like nothing more than herself; a lovely, dark haired young woman with her hair back in a pony-tail and a soft knit sweater in stripes of cream and dusty rose. She smiled and laughed and chatted animatedly with Winry, Elicia, and Gracia, having no difficulty keeping up with the brisk pace no matter her advancing pregnancy. As always Aldon kept glancing in her direction, though his concern was clearly unnecessary.

The Festival turned out to be everything Ed remembered. Except for the differences in the faces, he almost would have sworn they had just stepped back to 1908. The tables were laid out the same as they always had been and the same banner – repainted three or four times by now certainly – was strung between two poles at what was the 'entrance' to the field that was the festival grounds.

"Wow, Ed," Al grinned as paused beside him. "It all looks smaller doesn't it?"

Ed snorted, laughing at his brother's observation. "Yeah, I guess it does." Leave it to Alphonse to shatter Ed's daydream of stepping back in time. They were both a lot bigger now than they had been then! "Hope that doesn't mean the food's less filling."

"Somehow I doubt that will be a concern," Al chortled. "Come on, Brother. Let's have a look around."

Despite the changes, Ed quickly found himself feeling like a kid again. After so long, it was a wonder to see what everyone had brought. Cassie's wasn't the only artwork on display, though it was by far and away the most professional. There were also quilts and embroidery samples, woodcrafts like chairs and carved boxes, and even some more intricate wooden children's toys.

As always however, Ed was drawn in by the smells. The fall Festival, unlike the Spring, had the benefit of a year's fresh produce and it had obviously been a good year; Pies, cakes, breads, soups, casseroles, jams, pickled vegetables, and even competitions for the best in fresh produce. Ed counted pastries made from at least ten different kinds of fruit!

One of the nice, though occasionally dangerous, things about coming home was that a guy's reputation always preceded him.

Old lady Martins spotted Ed just as they were starting the food judging. "Edward! Just the man we need."

"Me?" Ed paused, wondering if he was about to get in trouble. Mrs. Martins had slapped his hands with wooden spoons more times than he could count keeping him away from contest entries in his youth.

"We need another judge," Mr. Engles nodded, grinning. The man was even older than Mrs. Martins. "I seem to recall you have just the talents for the job."

"A discerning pallet and excellent taste?" Ed asked.

"More like a large appetite and a stomach of iron," Alphonse ruined the moment with a brotherly grin.

Mr. Engles did not contradict him, but laughed heartily. "Well I was going to put it more delicately."

Ed shrugged and smiled, not particularly offended. "Don't worry about it. I'd love to help judge. It means I finally have a legitimate excuse to try everything while it's still fresh."

"I'm going to go find Elicia. Save room for dinner, Ed," Al said as he walked off. "Don't forget tonight's feast!"

"How could I?" Ed retorted. The Harvest feast was the biggest meal of the year in Resembool. If a guy had room left when it was over, he'd definitely done something wrong! And given all the talented cooks who would be in the kitchen at the house this afternoon, Ed could imagine what delights awaited them later.

Judging all the food entries took nearly an hour, and by the end of it Ed was glad he hadn't had a large breakfast. Still, it was one of his childhood fantasies come to fruition. Though Ed did wonder briefly what that said about his actual childhood aspirations before the events that had changed his life forever.

Winry found him as they were finishing up. "I didn't even have to ask Al to know to find you here," she chuckled. "Enjoying yourself?"

"What do you think?" Ed asked. He couldn't help grinning.

"I think they knew the right man for the job," Winry chuckled. "Come on. Coran's in some of the kids' competitions this year and we're all going to watch."

That was something Ed had always enjoyed when he was younger, given his competitive nature. His size hadn't been a detriment when it came to the various types of races especially. He had been able to outrun pretty much any other kid in Resembool no matter the age bracket – useful if one of his and Pitt's pranks went awry with the older kids. Now wrestling, well, he had avoided those contests!

"Dad, there you are," Ethan waved at him and Winry as they joined him. He shoved a steaming mug in Ed's hands. "Here, have some mulled cider! We managed to get a hold of a jug of this year's winning batch."

Ed looked down at the cup and took a cautious sniff. It smelled great for sure.

"It's not the hard cider," Ethan rolled his eyes, but he smiled with a little more sensitivity. "Come on, Dad. You really think we'd do that to you?"

"Well no," Ed admitted, feeling slightly foolish for even testing, but it was something he was still a little paranoid about. The sad part was, when he was a boy, he had always wanted to try the hard ciders. Everyone else seemed to enjoy them. But his mother had forbidden that of course! Now here he was at the Festival and it was still forbidden, if only by his own fault and choosing. He took a sip of the smooth, hot drink and enjoyed the flavor as it went down. He would be content with what he could have.

Coran was in the competitions for the smaller kids; foot race, sack race, and nothing too complicated, but he did well, coming in first in the foot race and third in the sack.

"You can practice at home for next year," Aldon consoled his son when Coran looked a little disappointed in his last performance. "It's only your first time after all."

Coran perked up quickly, and eventually they managed to round up everyone and head back up towards the house. It was time for dinner preparations to begin! And while Coran could probably have kept going all day, Reichart and Trisha both looked ready for a nap. Ed would never admit that he thought a nap didn't sound like a half bad idea.

"Well ladies," Winry smirked as she surveyed the living room, "I think we won the war."

Not a single man in the room was conscious, or barely so. If nothing else, Winry could guarantee that not a one of them had room for another bite. Edward and Alphonse were crashed out on one couch, Will and Aldon on the other, and Franz had claimed the easy chair.

It had definitely been a feast to remember, and a first for many of her family though Winry remembered the tradition fondly. A kitchen full of talented cooks had certainly made for a lot of fantastic food, though even Winry was a little amazed – and slightly grossed out – that there wasn't a lick of leftovers!

Gracia, Elicia, Alyse, and Cassie surveyed the scene with her; Sara had taken Trisha upstairs to put her to bed and Coran and Reichart were playing in their room.

"It wasn't much of a battle," Cassie chuckled. "They come so willingly to the slaughter."

"It's a miracle any of them could move that far from the table," Elicia smirked. "I thought Resembool was sheep country, not pigs."

"Not during Harvest," Winry laughed.

"Hey, we're not dead over here," Will commented wryly, though he didn't budge.

"Just stuffed," Sara countered, grinning as she came back downstairs, "And in some cases, unconscious." It was true, Winry was fairly certain that at least Ed and Al were actually asleep. It always amused her how, while everyone always ate plenty at this particular holiday, it always seemed to be the men in the family who passed out afterwards. As young as she had been the last time she had a comparison, she remembered her father and uncle doing the very same thing back before the war in Ishbal.

"Well the rest of the dishes can wait until they're capable of getting up again," Cassie commented, one hand resting lightly on her belly. "We cooked, they can clean."

"Another time honored tradition," Winry nodded in agreement.

"Where's Ethan?" Elicia asked after a moment, looking around.

Sara smirked. "Perhaps the more important question is, where's Lia?"

Now that was a good question!

Ethan was glad the evening was only slightly cool. The weather in Resembool was pleasantly balmy compared even to East City and the sky was cloudless, dominated by the sunset as he and Lia topped a grassy hill not far from the house. Still getting over the last remnants of the cold he'd caught at school, he hadn't been as hungry as usual. When everyone else was crashing after dinner he just wanted to get out of the press of the crowd for a while. He loved his family but he had gotten used to having a little more privacy, even living in a dormitory.

Apparently Lia had figured it out, because she had suggested the walk. The two of them had left the house quietly while the table was being cleared and Ethan wondered if she was feeling overwhelmed by it all. His family had been nice, of course, but there were a lot of them and given Lia was an only child he could imagine it might be a bit much.

"Your family's really nice," she commented softly, almost as if she had read his mind. But then, her thoughts often seemed to parallel his. "I mean, I remember most of them but it's been such a long time I wasn't sure if anything I remembered was accurate."

"Well they all remember you," Ethan smiled, glancing in her direction. He couldn't help but wonder if anyone had been bold or impertinent enough to ask her any questions or rib her as badly as he'd gotten it the last couple of days. Aldon and Sara especially had always teased him as a kid, calling Lia his girlfriend. Will had often looked smug; Alyse just smiled. Of course, she had known Lia better than anyone except Ethan, since they were all about the same age.

The last couple of days the fuel had only been fed by Will. Sara especially seemed to be amused if Ethan was anywhere near Lia at any time. Of course, given how much Ethan had teased Sara about Franz back before they got together, he supposed it was fair retribution, but it still bugged him! After all, he and Lia were friends… just friends. At least for now.

He stopped dead as he realized there was something warm in his hand. Eyes wide, he glanced down and realized that it was Lia's hand in his.

She smiled at him with a questioning look. "What?"

Ethan swallowed. "Oh, nothing."

Lia chuckled. "This looks like a nice spot to take a break," she commented, sitting down. Since her hand never left his, Ethan had little choice but to sit too. She let go of his hand as they did, thank goodness. Ethan sprawled out in the grass, watched the last of the sun set and the stars begin to pop out.

"It's beautiful out here," Lia said softly. "It's no wonder Aldon and Cassie like it here so much. Your Mom and Dad always seemed so comfortable in Central, I couldn't see how they could have been happy growing up in the country until I came here. Thanks for inviting me, Ethan."

"You're welcome," Ethan shrugged, but couldn't help smiling. "I thought it'd be fun, you know; more than staying at school all week."

"Definitely," Lia chuckled. "The Festival was fun, and the food was amazing. Your family is easy to get along with. It's so easy to feel at home here."

"I'm glad." Ethan tried not to read anything into her words other than gratefulness and enjoyment, but it was hard. Everyone was convinced Lia liked him, but he just couldn't tell if she was interested that way or not. She just acted like Lia! He focused on the stars coming out and tried to avoid awkward silence. After a couple of minutes he spoke up again. "What did Stacia and Cindy end up doing over break?"

At that, Lia's face flushed. "I think they were doing something with Colt and Lance."

By something, Ethan could infer the rest. "Oh." He was sure his face turned as red as hers! So much for things not getting awkward. He couldn't even say he hoped they were having a good time with embarrassing himself.

Lia looked up at the stars. "Yeah, crazy isn't it? I mean I don't know really, but from the way they were talking…"

"Aldon said it was like that up at Briggs," Ethan nodded, leaning back in the grass, glad for his jacket in the cool night air. "Everyone paired off, or tried to, pretty quick even if it didn't last. No one wanted to be lonely, and it didn't bother anyone how serious it was or not."

"No one likes to be lonely," Lia pointed out with a soft smile. "And it's a dangerous, uncertain life more in some places than others."

"Yeah," Ethan sighed then he smirked over at her. "Like you'd know."

Lia giggled, shrugging. "South City was more dramatic than anything else, at least as far as the usual high school melodramas go. I watched so many friends go through boyfriend and heartache after boyfriend, and I couldn't figure out why they did it to themselves."

"Central wasn't much different," Ethan admitted. "Well, except for the number of guys chasing after Alyse."

"So how did that turn out?" Lia asked.

Ethan chuckled. "From what Sara says, now the only difference is there's a long line of soldiers and officers added to the queue." While his cousin was technically a civilian, she had been doing a lot of work organizing dinners and events for the military as well as some of her civilian contracts. She had already organized two weddings outside of that, and was assisting with some of the major events coming up for the State. Her talents were definitely paying off in spades.

"I don't think I'd like that," Lia commented thoughtfully. "I'd rather just know that one guy liked me for me and knew who I really was." Then she smirked over at him. "What about you?"

"Me?" Ethan tried not to swallow his tongue as he tried to figure out how to answer that question in light of her comments.

"There's an awful lot of girls on campus who'd probably go out if you asked them," Lia teased.

"There are?" The truth was, Ethan only noticed them if they got pushy enough to be blatant in their interest, and when they did he always politely told them he wasn't interested. He sat up and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to blow his nose.

Lia shook her head. "Still oblivious. Of course, given the rest of the guys on campus, that's refreshing and reassuring."

"Why reassuring?" Ethan asked after he finished wiping his nose. Darned cold.

"Because it means you haven't changed," Lia reached out and squeezed his free hand again, then stood up. "We should go back. Can't have you getting sick again."

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Ethan shoved the handkerchief back in his pocket, but he stood up as well. The warm house did sound good at this point and everything should have calmed down a little.

Lia shook her head and headed back down the hill, her hair glowing brightly in the starlight. "That's what you said last week at school, remember?"

The kitchen was mostly clean when Winry noticed that Ethan and Lia had rejoined them. Not that she said anything to her youngest son. He got enough ribbing from other people that she figured that leaving well enough alone would do more for him than anything else. Franz and Aldon were helping with the dishes, and Alphonse had wiped down the table and swept the room. Will, once prodded into moving, was drying dishes and putting them away.

Winry was glad that Ethan hadn't changed much since going to college – at least not so far. Like Elicia, she was still getting used to the changes that college had wrought in her nephew over the past couple of years. Will was as smart and responsible as ever, but he was hardly the well kempt young man he had been when he lived at home. Though from what Ethan said, Renxiang was definitely a positive influence.

"Where's Edward?" Winry asked Alphonse, realizing that she hadn't seen him since the cleaning started.

"He went upstairs," Al replied. "He said he was tired."

At seven o'clock? "Is he all right?"

Al shrugged. "I didn't pry. You know how he gets."

She did. Winry had gotten used to Ed's lack of complaints about his health of late. If she asked, she could get a pretty good litany of every ache, pain, or other problem, but she knew Ed hated admitting weakness, and some days was just glad he preferred to keep it to himself. Still, this was early even for Ed. So she went upstairs to check on him.

Apparently he really was tired, because Winry found him already curled up in the guest bed. Though the balcony doors were closed against the cold, the curtains were open and the last glow of the horizon had vanished, replaced by the familiar starlit splendor. "Edward?"

He stirred slightly. "What is it, Winry?"

She crossed the room past Cassie's art supplies and canvases, and sat down on her side of the bed. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right. It's still pretty early."

Ed's blanket covered shoulders shrugged and he didn't turn around. "I'm fine," he replied quietly.

"You've never gone to bed at seven o'clock in your life unless there was something wrong," Winry countered, smiling softly.

There was a quiet sigh. "I've just got a bit of a headache," he admitted after a few seconds, "And I think something I ate didn't agree with me."

"Just something?" Winry chuckled, resting her hand on his shoulder. "I haven't seen you eat like that in years."

"Yeah, yeah," Ed shrugged more sharply, clearly agitated. "Well I'm paying for it now. Can I suffer in peace?"

Winry's amusement faded. She had hoped to lighten the mood. Really, she had found it reassuring watching him forget himself for a few hours and just be. He had seemed happy earlier. "Sure, Edward. Sleep well." She bent over and kissed the side of his face, then stood up to leave.

"Winry," Ed's voice caught her at the door.

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

October 16th, 1955

Edward tossed and turned all night, though he tried to keep it to a minimum. Winry came to bed a couple of hours later and he didn't want to keep her up. He really wasn't sure if it was something that didn't agree with him, or just far too much food on a stomach that wasn't used to handling it anymore, but it hurt. Eventually he did fall asleep, and by morning he just felt uncomfortable.

When he actually opened his eyes and came fully awake there was a bright band of sunlight coming through the curtains that Winry had obviously pulled closed at some point, and he could hear a lot of chatter that sounded like it was coming from outside. Chatter and what was almost certainly the sound of alchemical transmutations.

Ed stood up and peered out of the curtains long enough to confirm his suspicions. Alphonse, Sara, Ethan, Will, and even Alyse were outside getting in a little sparring practice in the huge yard in front of the house. Alphonse and Sara were currently going at it full out with alchemy, much to the amazement and delight of Coran and Reichart, who were sitting over with Aldon and Franz – who had Trisha ensconced on his lap and out of the way– watching the display. The boys whooped and hollered and clapped. Lia was with them, also clearly enjoying the show.

Ed pulled the curtains shut sharply, feeling stupid for the tears that came unbidden, and took his time getting dressed. He just had to accept his limitations. He found his most comfortable pair of pants and a t-shirt, socks and shoes, and headed downstairs.

Winry, Elicia, Gracia, and Cassie were in the big living room, sitting on the couches and chatting over tea.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Winry smiled at him when he first came in. "I was wondering when we'd see you."

Ed shrugged, glancing over at the clock on the wall and noting that it was after ten. "I was tired," he replied vaguely.

"There's still biscuits left from breakfast if you want something," Gracia offered.

At even the mention of food, Ed's stomach twinged. "No thanks," he waved it off.

"Everyone's having fun outside," Elicia grinned. "I think they all decided that the best way to get over yesterday was to transmute it off."

"Clever," Ed chuckled weakly. "I think I'm just gonna go for a walk." He just couldn't face it this morning, and he didn't want to rain on anyone else's fun. He turned and headed down the hall towards the small back door.

Winry caught him halfway down. "Ed…" she stopped though when he turned around, as if she wasn't sure how to begin. But she looked worried.

He flashed a lopsided smile and brought one hand up to her cheek. "Hey, I'll be back," he promised. "I just want to walk some of this off."

Winry nodded. "All right. Just don't be too long, okay?"

"Sure." Ed lowered his hand then and turned around and kept walking. He didn't tell her where he was planning on walking. Winry knew him well enough; she probably had it figured out.

Of course, they both had very different definitions of too long. Winry wasn't surprised when Ed didn't return by lunch. Not that she really expected him to be hungry after yesterday. When he looked at her that way, she knew he needed some time alone but was trying to spare her feelings. Besides, she knew where he was.

"Hey, where's Dad?" Ethan asked her about mid-afternoon. "Don't tell me he's still in bed," he added with a chuckle.

"No," Winry smiled. "He's visiting family."

Ethan gave her an odd look, then understanding hit. "Oh. I was going to see if he wanted to go back down to the Festival with me for a while."

"I'll see if he does," Winry replied, leaving off on her reading. "I was going to go check on him anyway."

She left the house, heading down the road and across the grassy hills on a walk that was as familiar to her as walking in their neighborhood in Central, despite the span of years. It didn't take long to reach the cemetery on the hill.

As she had expected, Ed sat on the ground, cross-legged beside his mother's grave. He had likely been there for hours. There was a bouquet on the grave made of the few autumn-blooming flowers that grew in Resembool and as Winry approached she could hear Ed talking quietly. She didn't look for anyone else; she knew he was talking to his mother. Not wanting to intrude, she stopped walking and waited.

"I guess that's about everything since my last visit," Ed was apparently wrapping up some part of the one-sided discussion. "Pretty pathetic, right? Sometimes I'm almost glad you weren't here to be disappointed in me too. I just…. How can I tell them?" He paused, and his voice hitched. Winry couldn't see his face, but she could hear the anguish. "It's not that I don't love them, or that I'm not happy to still be here, or grateful they still love me. But I ... I just don't feel alive anymore. It's like I'm watching the world… but not really living in it. I don't want to die, but I know it's coming, and when that time comes the world will go on without me… and I'm not sure how much it will really miss me."

Ed straightened up a little. "It's all borrowed time anyway. I should be dead at least five times over by now, and I don't know why I'm still here. What have I done that I deserve to be alive, but can't do anything with what life I've got left?" He stood, but did not turn immediately. He stared down at the ground in a silence that seemed to stretch endlessly. A soft, cool breeze came over the hill, and Ed's hair rose and fell with it. Winry waited, almost holding her breath as she resisted the urge to break the scene just yet. Finally, Ed shifted again. "Thanks for listening, Mom," he addressed the grave, and there was an ironic smile that Winry could hear, then a heavy sigh. "I know I need to tell Winry. I just don't know how."

"You just did." Winry couldn't keep quiet anymore. Not letting him know she had overheard that heartbreaking soliloquy would have been unfair, and she was sure she was going to cry as it was. He'd wonder why later.

Ed spun around so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. "Winry!" There was panic on his face for a moment that faded quickly to resignation. "I… I'm sorry."

"For being human?" Winry closed the distance between them.

"For not being stronger," Ed whispered, pulling her tightly against him as soon as she came in range. She didn't fight it, wrapping her arms around his chest. "For being a coward, a reckless, selfish idiot, and a lousy drunk too."

"Give yourself some credit," Winry looked up into his eyes. "You haven't had a drink in almost two and a half years, Ed. Why do you keep beating yourself up over these things?" She had forgiven him long ago, why couldn't he forgive himself?

Ed averted his eyes. "Because I keep screwing up." While he said nothing else, Winry knew that the rest of her answer lay in what she had just unwittingly overheard.

Winry shook her head, ignoring the few tears that stained her cheeks. "That's not entirely true. You've done so much good and tried so hard."

"Yeah, and what do I get for it?" Ed asked bitterly, his tone still quiet, and now a little raspy. "I'm slowing down, breaking down, and there's nothing I can do but accept it. What good am I now? I'm trying, Winry, but except for you, our family, and the rare few people outside of that who like me, no one will likely even notice when I'm gone."

The tears kept spilling. "Do you really feel that way, Ed?"

"Now you know why I couldn't figure out how to tell you." Ed let go of her, but he didn't move away. "Please… don't tell the kids. I don't want to ruin anyone's holiday."

"I won't," Winry promised. This was something that could remain between them, at least for now. Ed knew his family loved him and wanted him around. At least he didn't doubt that. She just hated to see him so down on himself. "Come back to the house? Ethan was looking for you."

"All right," Ed finally looked her in the face again, forcing a smile. He slipped his arm around Winry's waist as she turned and started to head back towards the house. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. No matter how he felt, she knew there was a lot of good left in him and fight too. She didn't know how, but she would help him find it.

October 20th, 1955

The rest of the week was enjoyable. With a little help, the playground that Aldon had dreamed up was finished, and Coran and Reichart – and almost every other kid in town – took it over for several hours out of the day. Most of the time was spent in conversation, playing games, exploring the latter days of the Festival, and just relaxing.

Will, Ethan, and Lia left on the Friday train back to East City. Ethan seemed sorry to go, but Ed assured him that everything was fine and he was glad his son was enjoying college. Lia seemed almost as reluctant to leave. She and Alyse has apparently reconnected, having more in common now than when they were in grade school, and the two had spent a lot of time talking. Will put up with Elicia's motherly fussiness, admonitions, and reminders as he boarded the train. Ed felt a little sorry for his nephew, but he stayed out of it.

The rest of them boarded the train the next morning to head back to Central. Ed had been glad for the couple of months away while he was recovering from last summer's heart attack. He felt a lot better physically. At least as much as he figured he was going to. Emotionally, well, there was only so much he expected anymore. He only barely dared to hope that Ethan's idea of exploring the options with Xing alchemy would provide some kind of improvement for his situation. He tried to keep his spirits up for Winry's sake, and he did enjoy time with the whole family. He just hoped that the little revelation hadn't ruined her trip.

"What are you thinking about?" Winry asked as he sat looking out the window of the train as it pulled away from the Resembool station.

Ed turned around and smiled. "How grateful I am to have you, and that we took this trip. Also, that it's going to be nice to be home." In their own house, just the two of them and the dog, with a little more space. He was almost looking forward to his next medical visit, if only to see if he could get back to work again as something other than a desk jockey, though at this point, he'd take the desk over having nothing to do at all.

Winry smiled, but the look on her face said she didn't entirely believe him. "I'm glad. I think it's been good for all of us. It's getting harder for us all to spend time together."

"It is," Ed agreed, putting his arm around her shoulders. "So we should appreciate and take advantage of every moment we can." Someday those moments would run out, and he didn't want to regret any more of them.

Author's note: Finis! New story next week. :)