Chapter 12

The Vow, the Promise, the Future

- So I'm pretty sure more than a few of you are out there cursing my name and the ground I walk on. I apologize. During the last few years, I pretty much dropped out of the anime scene completely, which meant I never really planned to finish my story. However, after much poking and prodding my reviewers, I decided that I really owed to it to all the people reading this, and myself, to finish it.

Although, I re-read the story and realized that the story was pretty much complete except for WinXEd wedding and (MAYBE) an epilogue. So I don't feel that bad.

I want to write another FMA story that is not set in the FMA universe, but I think I will write at least a few chapters before committing to it being out on the web. If you guys would like to see another story, please review or message me. It's the encouragement that gets me to finish.

Without further ado, the ending to Blind Killer . . .

Winry was lying in a cloud. A cloud that was made of butterfly kisses, babies smiles, and time. She floated serenely in her land of pure white and sunshine, knowing the peace that had taken a hold on her soul. Knowing of the love that had quieted her spirit.

As sunlight flickered through the gossamer curtains, she awoke to the sounds of waves crashing on the beach and the lion snores coming from her husband by her side. How idyllic. Opening up her eyes fully, she pushed Edward, her husband, onto his back so that his deafening snore could be quieted.

As she settled back down into the plush pillows of her bed, she settled back onto her new favorite word: husband. She liked the way it felt in her mouth, the way it rolled over her toungue and warmed her heart like a cup of hot cocoa. Her other favorite word was wife, but only when it was paired with husband.

"Husband and wife." She whispered to herself in the early morning sun. "Husband and wife."

It was only then that she gazed upon the sleeping figure that her favorite word belonged to. Edward Elric, detective, automail prodigy, and the man who had unwittingly stolen her heart. This was her first day as a married woman, and it was going to be perfect.

Only god knows that the day before hadn't been in the traditional sense of the word.

Winry giggled to herself as she began to recall the day before.

"Today is my wedding day." A rumpled Winry sat at Gracia's kitchen counter. "I am getting married today."

"Aren't you supposed to be happy about that?" said Sheska, who was eating yogurt beside her.

"Yeah." Said Elicia, "You are supposed to be SUPER happy and say, 'TODAY IS MY WEDDING! I LOVE UNCLE EDWARD!'" knocking her cereal to the floor in the process. "Uh-oh. Sorry Mommy. I was excited for Winry."

A gentle smile played on Gracia's lips. "That's okay sweetheart, and Winry is excited."

"Yeah, I mean don't get me wrong," Winry replied, looking at her reflection in the coffee, "Its just so overwhelming. I've dreamed about this day my entire life, and a part of me can't believe that I have found the man to complete that dream."

Riza smiled encouragingly with Gracia and simply topped her off. These two women knew the panic, the stress, and the overwhelming joy that went along with a wedding. They were just glad that they were done with the whole thing.

"Well, look at the time, we better get started." Gracia picked Elicia out of her chair and gave her an eskimo kiss. "We have to make you the prettiest flower girl in the whole world!"

"She already is the prettiest flower girl in the whole world!" Said Hughes as he swept into the kitchen and began swinging Elicia up in the air. "Who's daddy's princess?"

"I am!" "Who's the most beautiful girl in the world?" "Mommy!" "Besides Mommy?!" "I AM!" Around and around Elicia went until she finally found herself collapsing into Hughes embrace in a heap of giggles. "Again! Again"

"Oh no, its time for this little Princess to take her bath!" Said Gracia. A dejected Hughes watched as his wife and daughter headed toward the bathroom. He then looked around at the other women, who were still eating breakfast and smiling over his antics.

"Well, I better go help Roy and the other guys get ready. They were all still sleeping when I checked on them at the hotel." He gave Winry a hug, and when he stood back to look at her, she could see tears welling in his eyes.

"Mr. Hughes, I-"

"Winry," He started, with the calm voice and assurance that had always caused her, Edward, Alphonse, and almost everyone she knew to seek his advice, "I just want you to know how proud I am of you and Edward. You both have had to overcome many struggles to get to this day, and I know that from now on you will face them together." He gave her a final hug, a kiss on the cheek, and a wave as he headed out the door. Winry knew from that moment on that the advice that she received from her friends was more valuable than any wedding present she could ever put on her registry, and she was thankful.

Winry glanced out the sliding glass doors out onto the lawn where the outdoor wedding was set up. Nearby, there were tables, chairs, with a white canopy over them. The string quartet was just arriving to set up their equipment for the ceremony and reception. The catering company would be there in a few hours.

Just then, a squealing, naked Elicia ran past her with soapy bubbles covering her whole body. "Mommy will never catch me!" She shrieked as her mother whipped around the corner to gather her in a warm fluffy towel.

"Yes, I will always catch you." Gracia smiled and nuzzled Elicia. Winry glanced over to Riza, who was looking at her plump belly, and she caught a rare, warm smile. When Riza looked up, she just smiled at Winry and began cleaning up the dishes.

"Riza," Winry began clearing dishes of their leftovers and rinsing them off to be washed. "Do you think I will be a good mother?" Riza began filling the sink with warm water and soap.

"Yes." She said simply. "You will."

Winry grabbed a dish that was washed and rinsed it before placing it in the drying rack. "How do you know? What if I don't love my children right? What if I don't love Edward enough? What if I have to give up my dreams?"

Riza continued to wash the dishes in the warm, soapy water. "I just know." Winry looked panicked. "And I know because I've seen you with Elicia, with Edward, and with all of your patients. You are kind, patient, and optimistic, all of which are good traits in a mother." She finished the last dish and dried her hands. "That's how I know, Winry. That's how everyone knows." Smiling, she started walking towards the master bedroom, "Its time to do your hair."

Winry followed Riza into the master bathroom where all of the tools and supplies were before her. Winry was nervous, she didn't know how well Riza and Gracia did hair because neither of them really did anything with theirs.

As they twisted, curled, and pinned her hair, Winry began to relax. The day was shining, everything was going as planned, and she was marrying the man of her dreams. What could possibly go wrong?

Two hours later, Winry's hair and make-up was finished. As she stood, looking into the mirror at her image, she was stunned. Gracia and Riza had styled her thick, blond locks into a loose, princess knot at the back of her head, with curls being unruly and free over her shoulders and back. It was accented by tiny, jeweled flowers and her discreet veil that tucked underneath. Her makeup was done, but you could barely tell. She had never been one for putting on too much make-up, but the mascarera and eyeliner along with a subtle shadow really accented and brought out her best features. If you had asked Edward, he would have told you already that Winry was the most beautiful girl in the world. But now, Winry felt like it.

Winry walked back into the kitchen to walk and called out to Riza, "I'm going to make sure that the caterer is here and that the band is ready. Do you know where the boys are?"

"Stuck in traffic. They'll be here in time, but just barely." Winry stopped.

"What?! Do you mean that they might be late? To my wedding!?"

Riza remained expressionless. "I said 'Might.'"

Winry, who didn't want to ruin her perfect hair and make-up, quickly calmed down. If they are late, I will freak out. No use in worrying about things that haven't happened yet.

Winry then walked outside to an increasingly cloudy sky. I hope it doesn't rain! She shook her head, trying to will the weather into cooperating. As she made her way over to the tent, she remembered Edward saying that he hoped it wouldn't rain, and how she had insisted on the outdoor wedding because it was just "Sooooooooo romantic!" She cursed her simple, overly romantic sentiments, and walked up to the very confused caterer.

"Hello Ma'am." He said. When he saw the very bridal looking Winry, he looked panicked. "I think we may have a mistake."

Winry frowned. "What kind of mistake?"

"Well," he said, wringing his hands and looking at his feet, "We had two events today: a formal wedding and a company barbeque."

Winry raised her eyebrow. "And?"

"Well, you see, our secretary must have accidentally switched the addresses, and the company barbeque is all the way in Central Park." He saw Winry beginning to get upset, as she started to realize what he was saying. He panicked, "Well, you see, instead of your salmon, champagne, and hors d'oeuvres, we brought pulled pork, ribs, mashed potatoes, and green beans."

Winry's eye twitched. "And how to intend to get me my correct order in less than an hour?"

"Well you see Ma'am, we were hoping that you would take this food, and we would discount your order 75%. We are very sorry for the mistake, and we hope that you will choose us to cater from us again."

Winry exploded, "What do you mean my food isn't here!? How could you make such a stupid mistake?! What kind of business screws up such important orders!? Do you realize that this is my WEDDING DAY!?"

"Yes, Ma'am! I'm sorry Ma'am!"

Just then, Riza walked up. "What seems to be the problem?"

Winry turned towards her and pointed at the man in charge, "This idiot brought us the wrong order!"

Riza looked calmly at him. "May I sample the food that you did bring?"

"Yes Ma'am!" He quickly showed Riza over to a hot container holding the ribs. Riza took the plate that he offered her and sampled it along with the other dishes that were there.

"Did you at least bring the right dishware?" She said.

"Yes, Ma'am, as well as the four tiered cake. Somehow that did make it."

"And will this feed the number that we requested?"

"Oh yes. This will feed the same number of people."

Riza looked at the still fuming Winry. "We will take the food at 25 percent of our cost, and you will throw in the wedding cake and dishware for free. Do you understand?"

The man looked so shocked that he simply nodded, "Yes Ma'am. Right away." He started shouting orders to his crew who started putting tablecloths on the tables and setting the dishware for the four course, improvised meal.

Riza walked over to Winry who was barely holding herself together. "Don't worry about the details. Food is here, its hot, its good. We have extra food in the house if someone has special dietary restrictions. Besides," She smiled, "The company is now benefiting from your good taste."

Winry returned a weak smile. "I guess." She looked out across the lake. It was a still, perfect day, and the lake reflected the sky like glass. At least the weather looks like it will hold. She glanced down at her watch. Time to put on my wedding dress.

An hour later, Winry was still getting the dress just right. "Pull a little harder!" Sheska gave a final pull at the corset strings at the back of Winry's dress. If they weren't adjusted just right, the whole dress would fall a little, and Winry would trip.

Sheska gave a final tug to the delicate silk strings, knotted them off, and hid them away in the folds of Winry's dress. Winry gave a final twirl of her gown, becoming even more excited, and nervous, for the hour of her marriage to come upon her.

"Well, Winry, I wish your mother and father were here to see this." Winry turned to look at her aging grandma who had drops of tears in her eyes. "They would be so proud of you, dear." Her grandma's short stature and folds of wrinkles shook as she quieted her gentle tears. Winry held her close.

"I know gram. I wish they were here too." Memories of her parents, who had died serving as doctors in a civil war, flooded through her mind. They were supposed to be here, but they had been taken from her by a vengeful government that did not like their practice of treating all who needed to be treated. Before she started to completely melt into a pile of tears, Winry stopped herself and smiled. "I'm just glad you could make it, Gram."

"I wouldn't miss your wedding day for the world dear, even if you are marrying that pipsqueak." Her grandma grinned. She had learned early on how to push Edward's buttons, and she wasn't afraid to do it.

As everyone was walking out of the room, Winry allowed herself one last peak at her gown. It had a full skirt that fell in soft waves around her. It reminded her of stiffened egg whites being folded. The bodice was fitted folds, which accented her curves. The sides of the V created by the corset style strings in the back were accented with covered buttons, giving her dress a very Victorian feel. That was the kind of wedding her and Edward preferred, classic, but modern. Edward was going to be wearing a white suit with tails and top-hat. She had always thought that the bride and groom should be wearing white together.

Riza walked in to get Winry, and told her that it was time. Winry smiled and nodded, and walked quickly out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where she could witness the rain that was falling around her beautiful wedding.

"What!? The skies were supposed to be clear!" Winry wailed, running up to the glass to see the caterers and musicians taking refuge underneath the canopy. "Its a disaster!"

"Don't worry, its already clearing up!" Sheska said brightly. Winry looked up to see that, yes, it was clearning up. However, the flowers had been destroyed by the falling rain, the chairs were wet, and the guests were going to start arriving at any minute.

Little did Winry know that a task force was already being deployed.

"Listen up!" Roy shouted above the heads of the groomsmen. Edward was still staring out the window at the disaster that had befallen his wedding day. What a disaster.

"Breda, you take care of the grooms pews by drying them off, Falmen, the brides. Furey, replace the ruined flowers with flowers down by the lake, take cat tails if you must!" Roy threw them both bags of towels, then turned to Havoc and Hughes, "You two get the black rugs we rented for this emergency that are in the basement. Edward!" Edward turned, at attention and ready for his orders. "You stay here."

Edward was confused. "Why? I want to help." Hughes winked at him, "You wouldn't want to see your pretty bride accidentally! Its bad luck!" Roy gave him a glare, and Hughes took off in search of the rug.

"I am going to make sure that the band is still ready to go and that the caterers can be competent enough to clean up any areas under the tent. Roy strode out of the room, leaving Edward and Alphonse on their own.

"I've never felt more useless." Edward pouted.

"Don't worry brother, Roy and everyone just wants you and Winry to be calm." Alphonse patted Ed on the back.

"Yeah, but how can I be calm at a time like this?" Edward asked, with an exasperated tone in his voice. "I just worry."

Alphonse, immediately understanding that Edward still didn't feel like he deserved Winry's love and affection so completely, just patted him on the back and said, "I know brother. Just remember that Winry loves you too."

Edward smiled. "Yeah, I know."

As the guests started coming in and taking their seats, two brothers stood up in an attic room saying their final farewell. It was no longer just the two of them anymore, and their lives were changed indelibly.

Winry started wringing her hands as the band started to play. Everyone was seated, the groomsmen were standing at the front and Sheska, her first bridesmaid, had started her walk down the aisle. What if I'm making a mistake? What if something else goes wrong? What if the meats cold? What if Edward doesn't really love me? What if Alphonse secretly hates me? What if I pass out? What if he passes out? Who will call the doctor? Is there a doctor here? There should be, I'm friends with doctors. What if all my friends are in surgery? What if I need surgery? Around and around her thoughts fled through her mind. Riza, sensing the panic that poor Winry's nerves were undertaking, gently laid her hand on Winry's. Winry looked up into Riza's calm, sure eyes.

"It will be okay." Winry nodded and calmed down as Riza let go to walk down the aisle. Hughes, the only man she trusted to give her away after he had acted like a father to her and Edward for the past few years, looped his arm through hers. "I didn't think I'd have to give away one of my daughters so quickly," he said. Winry smiled, and the the clouds parted finally to let rays of sunshine pass through and warm the wedding party.

As the quartet, whose instruments were thankfully not harmed during the storm, started playing a waltz, Edward walked from the side to stand at the end of the aisle to receive his bride. Little Elicia started throwing her petals over the guests and charming them all with her cuteness. Hughes started forward, guiding Winry to her destiny.

As she walked from underneath the doorway of the house and out onto the aisle, she saw Edward's face light up as he saw her, and her dress for the first time. His face shone with love and adoration for this woman who had saved his life, his soul, and his happiness. He could not have asked for more, as he had been given all that he could possibly want.

Winry's knees shook from excitement. Edward looked so fine in his suit and hat, and she saw that beautiful, simple simple of his light up his face. She took the next step forward towards her wonderful husband and proceeded to step on the front of her gown and trip. As guests stood up, waiting to see if the bride needed help, they were soon calmed because the strong arms of Hughes had held her up. Winry's face was flushed with embarrassment, and Hughes whispered, "No one noticed." She smiled weakly at him.

She finally made it to the altar, and heard the rush of words and activities as if there was a muffler over her ears. All she could really see and hear was Edward, and all he could see and hear was Winry. The two of them were completely immersed within each other.

As they exchanged rings, each said the vows that they had written themselves.

"Winry," Edward started, "You are the other half to my soul. I am forever bonded to you by the steel that you used to heal my body, and the love that you used to heal my heart. I would be lost without your guidance, cold without your warmth, and despairing without your hope. With this ring, I tie myself to you forever, beyond our mortal lives, and into the hereafter. I promise you my soul, self, and all my worldly possessions. I am now bound to you, if you shall have me." He choked up and he slid the simple gold band down her lovely, callused fingers, knowing the type of work that these rough hands were capable of.

"Edward," Winry stopped, trying to hold in her tears, "I did not know the darkness that I was in until you came to bring light to my world. You have provided me with love that I'd never known and a family that I didn't even know I was missing. You have completed me in so many ways, and made me into a better person. With this ring, I tie my soul to yours, to never be in the dark, and to cherish and love you from this day on, and into whatever world lies after this. I love you, and I will bind myself to you if you will have me."

With that the Chaplin graciously announced, "With the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." As Winry and Edward hugged each other and enjoyed their first kiss as man and wife in front of their friends and family, they both cried. They had finally found that other person, and they were now bound to be with each other until the end of time.

As Winry turned again to her snoring husband, recalling the reception that went off with as little effort as possible (that, and she stopped paying attention to anything besides her husband), she snuggled into his back where warm flesh and cold steel greeted her. He started to wake up and turned over in her arms, holding her close to his chest.

"Good morning, wife." Edward grumbled in his half awake state. Winry smiled and rolled him onto his back with her lying on top of him.

"Good morning, husband." As the warm air of the ocean breezed over them in their cottage in Thailand, Winry felt Edward's hand graze her thigh.

"What a good morning indeed." Winry laughed and hit him with a pillow, quickly running out to their private beach with nothing covering her up. As Edward chased after her naked body, finally catching her as they fell into a wave, he remembered to count his blessings. He had his wife, his life, and his family.

What more could he possibly need?

Well that's it. As I was writing this, I realized that I could extend it into a sequel. I don't know, file your requests people!

Other fanfictions that I am thinking of dabbling in are Princess Tutu and Trigun. If you guys have any other suggestions, wants, or needs that I can help you with, please feel free to drop a line.

-3 IA