August 21st, 1964

Gracia watched her daughter absent-mindedly chopping carrots to go in the stew pot that sat on the stove between them. Gracia was almost finished with the celery. She understood her daughter's pre-occupation. Alyse and William were supposed to have arrived back in Central today, but had not been able to give an exact arrival time. The military train didn't run on the same schedule as everything else. On top of that, when Will had called a couple of days out, he had told them not to worry about picking them up. Ren would be there to meet him, and Alyse would be following Calvin Fischer to the hospital to make sure he was settled in all right; devoted and unwilling to leave him alone until then. They would come over for dinner tomorrow, but today was likely to be too busy.

Elicia had claimed she understood. Her children had other loved ones to see to first. However she had been moping quietly all day. Gracia could tell her daughter was trying to hide her disappointment.

"Do you want to work on the quilt tonight?" Gracia suggested, trying one again to begin a conversation. Their latest quilt project was nearly completed; a thick, warm interlocked ring pattern in greens and roses.

"Maybe," Elicia replied noncommittally. "I'm not sure. I think I might read a book."

"That's always nice too," Gracia nodded. "I'm in the middle of a good one myself; it's a very good mystery."

"What's it about?" asked Elicia.

"A mysterious gentleman, unexplained murders, and an ill-advised attraction to said mysterious gentleman on the part of the heroine," Gracia chuckled. She was almost certain that the mysterious gentleman – set up to seem like the murderer – was not, and that the two would wind up romantically entangled.

"It does sound good," Elicia chuckled, smiling as she added the carrots the pot and reached for potatoes. The tea pot on the stove began to whistle loudly, set for hot water.

A moment later Elektra streaked through the kitchen, yowling, Orestes hot on her tail.

"Well what's into them tonight?" Gracia watched the cats in amazement as she reached over and turned off the burner. A moment later several of the younger cats – including Alyse's – darted past in a pack.

"Are they heading for the door?" Elicia looked just as puzzled.

"I think they heard me coming."

Elicia dropped the knife on the cutting board and spun around, mouth and eyes competing for which could open wider.

Gracia did not have to turn to know who was standing in the kitchen doorway. She turned more slowly, and smiled at the pleasant surprise. "Welcome home, Alphonse."

Her son-in-law might not have heard her, for his entire attention was focused singularly on his wife. Beneath the shaggy head, scruffy chin and tired eyes, he was thoroughly absorbed in her. His bag slid off his shoulder without another word being spoken. Then he began to shake, and in a very few steps he was across the kitchen, down on his knees, his arms wrapped around Elicia's waist and his face buried in her pale blue skirt. "It's done," he whispered, barely audible as his shoulders shook. His voice broke. "He's dead, Elicia. And I'm home… for good."

Elicia almost bent double wrapping her arms around her husband's neck and shoulders. Tears welled in her eyes. "Thank you," she replied just as softly.

"Don't," Al shook his head subtly. "Please… I need you."

Gracia was nothing more than a flower in the wall paper print. Alphonse stood, and gathered Elicia to him, and they were murmuring quietly to each other so intimately that Gracia turned away and did not attempt to listen. She knew what it was like when a husband came home after something difficult and unpleasant; what men were like when they came home from wars. They needed each other. She was not at all surprised when she heard footsteps, and when she turned they had vanished from the room without a word.

Gracia reached for the potatoes herself. She didn't know whether or not to expect them for dinner, but there would be plenty waiting now, or tomorrow, when Alphonse was ready to face the world at least so far as his own dining room.

"Nice room," Alyse chuckled as she glanced around, glad that Cal had been given a room to himself.

"Well it's not a swank hotel," Cal snickered, winking at her as she crossed to him.

Alyse leaned over and kissed his cheek. "At least it means we can talk with as much privacy as anyone gets at a hospital. And you don't have to worry about roommates who snore."

"Or hit on pretty girls," Cal agreed, catching her arm and pulling her toward him.

Alyse complied and kissed his lips too. "As if I would notice," she teased. "I promise to turn down any offers of dates from the male nurses."

Cal's face blanked momentarily. "They've already made offers?"

"Aren't you paranoid," she smiled and shook her head. He worried too much. "No they haven't. They know I'm your girlfriend."

"Yeah, and I could beat them up if they try anything," Cal joked weakly. "You know," he said a moment later. "You don't have to spend all your time here. I mean, I appreciate it… but doesn't your family want to see you?"

"You're sweet," Alyse smile as she leaned back and settled into the chair by his bed. "I'll see them tomorrow. We all agreed that there were things that needed to be done first." And for her, making sure he was comfortable and settled was a big part of that. "Besides, this is where I want to be right now." Just as it had on the train, and every moment she'd worried about him before this. Will was with Ren, and her father and mother would be fully preoccupied tonight she was certain. After all, she and Will had conspired to leave them as alone as possible! She was sure her grandmother would do the same.

"I'm glad." Cal reached his hand out and grasped hers. "I hate sick beds. They feel like when I lost my leg and I could barely move around without it. Then even when it was healed enough for surgery, it took over two years before I could move normally again."

Alyse squeezed his hand back. Cal had rarely said much of anything about his time between the Aerugo War and the day they first bumped into each other at Headquarters. "I'm here. Someone has to take care of you after all." She wasn't just going to leave him to the mercy of hospital technicians all day! "Auto-mail recovery and therapy are hard," she added in understanding.

Cal gave her a surprised look and shook his head. "I suppose you already know how to maintain auto-mail and have just never mentioned it?"

"Only the basics," Alyse chuckled. "It's hard to grow up in my family and not know a little something. I've never really worked on auto-mail, but I've helped Ethan with his fingers once or twice. Besides, if I need to know something about your leg, I can always ask Aunt Winry or Mom what to do. She used to work with Aunt Winry when she was a kid; she actually knows a lot about auto-mail maintenance. And I think almost everyone's had to help keep Uncle Ed in one piece over the years," she added.

She was glad to see Cal chuckle, though he winced and quieted quickly. His side was going to take weeks more to heal up properly. "That sounds like Fullmetal. Though I definitely prefer having you here over him," he winked. "You're much cuter."

He had such an easy way of making her blush! Alyse was already beginning to think she would just have to get used to it. He hadn't tried often when they just hung out and bantered over drinks. Now, he seemed to take some perverse delight in making her feel a little off balance; wonderful at the same time, but a bit less experienced. Of course, she was in comparison to him, but that was what he seemed to like. "Well thank you," she giggled. "But don't you think you should save a few compliments? That silver tongue of yours is bound to run out sometime."

"Never." This time he didn't sound or look like he was joking. Deep gray eyes caught her gaze and held it. "There aren't enough words to say what I feel with you, or about you. I'm not even sure I deserve you; but that isn't going to keep me from enjoying this." Then the grin was back, tired as he might be, and he was all Cal again.

Alyse collected herself, smiling easily as she kissed his cheek again. "Good. I'd be very put out with you otherwise, and you'll find quickly the women in my family have more dangerous tempers than the men."

She liked catching him off guard as well. Fortunately, once more Cal realized she was mostly joking, and he chuckled. "Good. For a minute I was worried you were going to tell me there was no fire in your family."

"That's the Mustangs," Alyse quipped. "In our family, it's just good old Elric blood."

"I don't think I can eat another bite," Will chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, which squeaked in protest.

"Well it's nice to know you at least appreciate my cooking," Ren teased as she stood and began to remove empty serving plates, now devoid of home-made Xingese cooking.

"I appreciate the rest of you too," Will retorted as he reached out with his uninjured arm and caught at the edge of her blouse. "Come here and I'll show you how much."

"Later," she tugged easily out of his finger-tip grasp. "After bedtime stories," she added with a chuckle as Minxia cheered and Michio giggled in his high-chair.

"I'll help!" Minxia hopped down and picked up her own little plate, then Michio's, and bounded into the kitchen ahead of her mother.

Will turned to his drooling son. "We've got it good, don't we?"

Michio smiled, and Will felt his heart warm. He wasn't sure how much Michio remembered from their meeting months ago, but his son had been agreeable in his company all afternoon, and for now that was enough.

"You certainly do," Ren replied from the kitchen. "I think my brother's advisors would be scandalized to know I can cook, clean, and cater to half your whims."

"Only half?" Will looked up in amusement as she returned. "And here I thought they liked traditional roles for women."

"They do," Ren came over and kissed his cheek. "But that's a role for women of a completely different class." Then she winked and kissed him full on the mouth.

"You're in a class by yourself," Will murmured, enjoying the familiarity and the comfortable hominess that pervaded everything today. He suddenly wished the children couldn't see them.

"I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Ren straightened up, smiling coyly. Even playful, she somehow made everything look elegant. "So what do you want to do now?"

On his first night home? Will stifled the first four things that came to mind since they definitely shouldn't come out of his mouth. "Anything that involves time with you," he answered more wisely, his grin including the kids.

"Stories!" Minxia exclaimed."Read us stories, Daddy, pleeeeease?" Big dark eyes flashed thick lashes.

"She gets that from you," Will grinned at his wife before turning back to his daughter. "I think that's a fabulous idea. Why don't you go pick a few and we'll read stories until bedtime?"

"Yes!" Minxia bounced on the balls of her feet and dashed upstairs.

"And after bedtime?" Ren asked a little too-curiously.

"After bedtime may require a little creativity," Will responded. Under different circumstances, he would have vowed to carry his wife upstairs gallantly and make love until dawn. Right now, he would be grateful to walk upstairs under his own power and hopefully find a position that allowed intimate activity without the agonizing inconvenience of his injured arm!

"That's all right," Ren stepped up close and whispered in his ear. "Tonight I'm feeling artistic."

It was heartbreaking to see him like this. Elicia felt cried out now, and hoped Alphonse felt the same. She watched him sleep, one hand absently playing with a stray lock of his hair. It needed trimming again, though that could wait. She had her husband back, and for that she was grateful.

Though she wished she could have had him back just a little more undamaged. Not that she wasn't appreciative that he was whole and uninjured, alive and healthy. But she had listened silently, as he'd made her promise, while Al poured out the entire story of the war; his actions, his thoughts, his relatively simple taking of Tamirov's life, and then his self-recriminating and yet righteously angry retelling of his conflict with Edward.

They had kissed. Elicia had forgiven him, and assured him that he hadn't done the wrong thing in taking out a monster like Tamirov. She couldn't even summon guilt for feeling glad to hear about someone's death. While she rarely had nightmares anymore, she still caught herself glancing at alley corners from time to time, and flinching at shadows. Now, she knew he was gone. It made little difference in reality, but in her mind it was much better.

They had snuggled, bathed, made love in a way utterly opposite from Al's return from Aerugo. Then he had wanted her almost hungrily, with a more aggressive passion than he normally exhibited. This time was soft, tender, and meant to comfort them both in the solace of being with the one they loved most.

It seemed to have worked. Elicia was still stunned from the whirlwind of Al's unexpected arrival, and couldn't quite bring herself to fall asleep, lest she wake and find it a dream. Al had passed out not long after they finished, despite skipping dinner, and Elicia was happy to just snuggle against him, pressed against the warm softness, feel the smooth firmness of muscled arms around her.

Physically he was almost exactly as he had left her. Under other circumstances, Elicia might have found it amusing; chided him by asking if he'd eaten every baked good she sent him on his own. But not tonight. Perhaps not ever. Her sweetheart was hurting inside the worst she had ever seen.

He stirred under her hand, and she stopped playing with his hair. He shifted, and his grip around her tightened, but he did not awaken. That was good. He needed rest. In this state, Elicia could have denied him nothing, no matter the request. She had not expected the one he had made though, not so soon after his arrival. At least he wanted her to go with him, but she had hoped that he would be happy to settle back in at home first. The trip probably wouldn't be much of a vacation, but it would be good for him she hoped, in the ways he hoped it would help.

Elicia closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Al's breath stirred her hair as she rested her head near the crook of his arm, against his chest. Sleep my love. Rest and find peace. I'm here, and I'll never let you go.

August 22nd, 1964

They hadn't even woken her before leaving for the train, but Gracia was only mildly surprised when she got up to find that Alphonse and Elicia were both gone. There was a letter on the table she was sure offered more explanation than she even needed. Gracia had seen Al's face. Still, she put on a pot for tea, fed and watered the cats, and made toast and jam before sitting down to read the letter penned in Elicia's neat script.

Mom,
We are going out of town for a little bit. Al needs time and for reasons he has asked me to keep private for now, he wants to go someplace more private and quiet than Central. I will call when we get where we are going. The important things you should know are that Al will be fine, and that he has resigned his commission. The military should be sending the paperwork to the house directly. General Breda said he would handle it.

Love,
Elicia

So Alphonse was done with the military. Gracia could not say she was surprised. She had wondered that he did not retire after Aerugo. But he was such a resilient man, his good spirits overcoming just about anything given enough time. These last years had been difficult; perhaps now he could reach some peace inside himself. He had needed it for a long time. She was just relieved that he had taken Elicia with him. The time, she hoped, would help them both.