The Story of Us

Author's Note~This used to be a prologue to a chapter story. But, I decided to make it a one-shot instead. The chapter story is now called Shattered Peace. It does kind of connect with that one though. But, you don't have to read both in order to understand.

Disclaimer: I'm a highschool fangirl. Enough said.

Edward Elric had grown up without parents. There were never really any adults in his life that he could model on how a family was supposed to be. So when his wedding loomed ever closer until it was only a day away, he felt as if he was gonna piss his pants. He was happy, he really was, but at the same time, he was scared stiff. Scared that he would end up like his own dad. Sure, Hohenheim was a decent guy overall and Edward had cared about him in the end, but he still ditched his family. That was the one thing Ed hoped he never ended up doing. What he really needed was an adult figure who'd already been through this for advice. Except the problem was, he didn't really know anyone who was married except maybe Izumi. But her marriage wasn't exactly normal, per se. Both his and Winry's parents were dead. The only relatively normal person Ed knew who was married with a family was Hughes. But unfortunately, he was murdered at the hands of Homunculi for "knowing too much."

Brigadier General Hughes 1885-1914. Ed felt a pang of remorse as he read the tombstone. His death could've been avoided but yet he was still unable to save him even with alchemy. Just goes to show that alchemy can't do everything. He fondly remembered how Hughes was always overwhelming everyone he met with photos of his daughter, Elicia. Elicia was probably around 7 years old now. She was going to grow up to be a pretty girl, Ed knew.

Well, Hughes, wherever the hell you are, I hope you're happy. Your daughter is 7 years old now. She's going to be quite the heartbreaker when she's older, I guarantee it. It kind of sucks you're not here right now. If you were, you might be able to help me through this. Turns out you were right the whole time about me and Winry. I guess you made . in the Intelligence Investigation for a reason, huh? Thanks. You gave an example of how a normal family should be. You were an awesome dad and husband. Ed smirked. Hmm. I guess we'll see if I can live up to those standards. Ed looked up and studied the horizon. It was getting dark, so he should head home and get some rest. After all, he had a big day ahead of him tomorrow. At this thought, he turned and walked away from the cemetery without another glance back.

Winry Rockbell had always been the girl-next-door. She had been practically like a sister to the neighbor boys. She was the one who had rejected both Ed and Al for her betrothal because "she didn't like men who were shorter than her." She was the one who threw wrenches at Ed when he trashed her automail. She was the one who had always waited. She had always imagined getting married but she hadn't really pictured it with Ed, and she certainly hadn't imagined getting proposed to in such an unconventional way. Every girl, at some point in their life, dreams of having that Cinderella scene of the handsome "prince" getting on one knee, holding up the ring and saying, "Will you marry me?". That would've been the normal way to do it.

But, Winry's life had never been normal so she can't say she's surprised. What little mediocrity in her life that was left crashed and burned the moment she had found out she had fallen in love with Ed. Ed. The boy next door. The brash, rude, insensitive jerk with a height complex. He had always been so outspoken, so arrogant. But he wasn't all bad. He had a tender side. She still remembered the day she found out Scar killed her parents. Ed had decided to stay and let her cry on his shoulder that day. She was pretty sure she still had the jacket he had given her for comfort stashed away in her closet somewhere. She had to admit, even though it was a bit flashy, it was actually pretty comfortable. She still remembered the day when she had delivered that baby. She couldn't get up out of exhaustion and so Ed carried her. Yes, now she was beginning to remember why she had fallen in love with him. Even though they tended to butt heads, he had always been there to support and protect her, both emotionally and physically. A knock on the door jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Winry, are you ready?" It sounded like Granny's voice.

"Yeah, you can come in." she said. Granny Pinako opened the door and gasped at the sight in front of her.

"Oh, wow. You look beautiful." Granny said awestruck. She really did. She was wearing a long-sleeved satin pure white dress. The sleeves were see-through and had jewels on the edges. The dress went all the way up to the center of the neck but everything above the chest was see-through as well. Her hair was put back in such a way that the front part was pinned back from her face and into a complicated bun held together by jeweled clamps at the back of her head. Her dazzling blue eyes were clear and shining, and her skin was clear and smooth like satin. For once, she had gotten plenty of sleep. The dress was decorative enough to where it didn't require a lot of jewelry to spice it up. Winry looked…perfect. Pinako smiled. My, how they grow up so fast. She heard a call from outside.

" Granny, is Winry ready?" It was Al.

"Yes. Go ahead and start the procession." She yelled back.

Al went ahead and started the procession. He felt as proud as if it was his own wedding. Although, he might be having one of his own soon enough. He had thought that it would take a lot of convincing to his older brother to invite Mei. But surprisingly, Ed was fine with it, even teasing him in the process. "I figured you had a thing for the Xingese bean-sprout girl," he said coyly. "Go ahead and invite her. She's a friend after all." Although, Al had to admit it was too bad that Ling and Lan Fan couldn't come, he quickly got over it. They had a country to rule, so they couldn't just drop everything for a wedding. He figured that eventually this day would come. Those two were so predictable. He looked around at all the familiar guests as the music played. All the friends that they had made over the years. Armstrong, Mustang and Hawkeye,(Those two should just get married already!), Garfiel, Paninya, Gracia and Elicia, Ross and Brosh, Mei, and even Rose.

Ed and Winry had wanted a private wedding because Ed "didn't want the whole damn country of Amestris coming to his wedding. Too much of a hassle." Al was used to Ed's behavior so it rarely ever shocked him when his brother was blunt like that. Al noticed his brother waiting over by the altar. Ed was wearing a white button-down, black vest, black tie(hung loosely of course. Ed hates ties.), and a black suit jacket. Al even convinced him to ditch the combat boots, although Ed griped about it. His long blond hair was up in its usual ponytail and his golden eyes were deep with….what was it? Anticipation? Excitement? Al couldn't tell. The crowd all looked over to the door as the bride came out. Al almost jaw-dropped. This was the girl who usually had grease and machine oil in her hair? The one who would sometimes get in mud fights with him and Brother? Who used to get called "un-cute" or "un-sexy" for her love of machines? Man, where did the time go? She looked….well… amazing!

Ed watched as Winry made her way over towards him with Pinako on her arm. He suddenly remembered why he ended up falling in love with her. She looked breathtaking. He literally felt like he wouldn't be able to speak if he continued to look in her dazzling blue eyes. He watched as the crowd all "oohed" and "ahhed" at the sight of her, and knew that he was pretty damn lucky. At this, he swore to himself that he wouldn't screw this up, not on his life.

When she made it to the altar, he grabbed her hand. Although, it wasn't dirty like it usually was, with grease under the fingernails, it still had the callouses from years of working with machinery. He loved her hands. They were rough but gentle. Able to create without destroying. They were the hands of a Rockbell. His Rockbell. She was standing next to him within the next second, giving him one of her ever-so-beautiful smiles. Damn, she was beautiful. He tried, unsuccessfully, not to blush as he turned and looked at the pastor. The pastor had been recommended specifically to Ed and Winry by an anonymous source.

"Are you two ready?" the pastor asked. He resembled someone but Ed couldn't put his finger on it.

"Yeah. It's now or never." Ed grinned. (A.N. we're going to skip over the less interesting part of the procession.)

"You may now give your vows." The pastor said flamboyantly. Was he sparkling? Yeah he definitely resembled someone he knew..anyway, the vows! Right. Should probably focus on that. Damn. Was it hot out here or was it just him? His face feels like it's on fire! He looked at Winry square in the face. Oh man, getting hotter. Why was her face fuzzy? Was he going blind?

Winry , Al and all the guests noticed that Ed's face had gotten really red, and they were all thinking the same thing. It wasn't that hot outside was it? Or was he running a fever? And why hasn't he said the vows yet? Finally, Winry got the gall and whispered "Ed. Are you okay? You look a bit flushed." Correction! He looked a LOT flushed! He looked like he was going to pass out. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he seemed to calm down and he cleared his throat.

"The vows. Right." He still felt a bit uneasy. But at least his vision had cleared up a bit.. He took a deep breath. "Winry. I've known you my entire life practically." His voice was shaking. "You were practically my sister. You took me in your home when I had no where else to go. You gave me automail so I could get back on my feet. Literally. And when I was careless, you threw wrenches at my head. You would sometimes make fun of my love for alchemy." And my height, he added silently. His voice got stronger. "But I know I didn't just go to your house for automail visits. It pained me every time I had to leave, and even though I knew you wanted me to stay, you never once complained. Not once. Without you, I'd still be the broken boy in the wheelchair that I was 8 years ago. Thank you. For everything." He said as he slid the beautiful platinum ring on her finger. He had chosen a ring without a gemstone specifically because he knew a big stone would only get in the way when she was building automail. He then looked her steady in the face. "I love you and I will never regret this day." He was seriously blushing now.

It was one thing to say his feelings with just the two of them, but there were people watching now. He met eyes with Mustang and saw that he was smirking. Ed glared at him. If that bastard Mustang even thinks of teasing me for this, then I will seriously kick his ass. Winry cleared her throat summoning him back to reality. He snapped his attention directly to her.

"Edward." She was hiding her face. Hold on, Ed thought, was she blushing? Huh. This is just as embarrassing for her as it is for me. She started to talk again. "You were the annoying neighbor kid next door. You were the one who used to tease me for being a girl. You pulled my hair, put frogs under my pillow, and insulted me. I sometimes felt as if you didn't appreciate me and sometimes I felt really useless, like I was just a pawn people used to get to you. As we started growing up, we seemingly drifted apart, and I missed the closeness. But then I realized that our relationship wasn't weaker, it was stronger! It was just different because we couldn't do some of the things that we used to do as kids anymore.

"Even though you were sometimes careless with my automail, I knew you didn't mean to be. I wasn't so much mad at you as I was just worried that you guys were putting yourselves into too much danger. I knew you were reckless sometimes. After all, you're the same one who literally risked his life to make sure I didn't get hurt. You stopped me from becoming a killer that day as well. You're the one that I rejected when we were kids because I didn't like men who were shorter than me. But I guess that's not a problem now is it? You've supported me both physically and emotionally and I will never forget it." She paused, looked up, and met his eyes. "I love you, Edward Elric. And I always will." She then slid the ring on his finger. The blush was gone. She realized that she wanted people to hear this. Why shouldn't they? She wanted the whole world to know that she had fallen in love with the former Fullmetal Alchemist, and he was hers. No fan girls were going to change that, and if they even thought about it, they'd have her wrench to look forward to. The guests were all teary-eyed, particularly Armstrong. The pastor then broke the silence.

"You may kiss." He said sniffling. Ed then took her face in his hand, gave her a cocky grin, and said "Til death do us part, right?" Before she had time to respond, he leaned in towards her face and kissed her: sweet and tender. All the guests were cheering, Armstrong took his shirt off and violently started hugging Brosh and Ross, while sobbing with sparkles in the background. Mustang just grunted and said. "Hmph. About time, Fullmetal." Al heard this and decided to tease him.

"You shouldn't really be talking, General. We're still waiting for you to get married." Al winked in Hawkeye's direction. Mustang glared at him and walked off. Hawkeye noticed and walked up to Al.

"What'd you say to him, Alphonse?" she asked, giving him the evil eye.

"Oh, nothing." Al laughed nervously, " I was just teasing him." Hawkeye just gave him a blank stare and went to follow after her superior officer.

"Al!" Mei came running over towards him. "Wasn't that beautiful?"

"Yeah, it really was." He smiled. They deserve each other, he thought silently. He remembered Ed's taunts a few weeks ago about him having a thing for Mei. His brother was married now, and he did like Mei a lot. She was a sweet girl, and cute too. He blushed. What if she says no? "Hey, uh, Mei?" Al asked nervously.

"Yes? What is it Alphonse?" She smiled up at him sweetly. Who was he kidding? She's had a crush on him practically since she met him. There's no way she'll say no! Aww man, he sweatdropped, I'm starting to sound arrogant like Brother. "Well, actually, I was wondering-"

"Yes?" God, she looked so cute in her mint-green silk kimono with all her braids formed in loops around her head. Her big chocolate colored eyes just stared up at him expectantly. She really had grown into a pretty girl. Although, considering he was all dressed up, he probably didn't look so bad himself. He swallowed. "After this is over, would you like to go out to dinner or something?" He blushed. How embarrassing. He was 18 years old and had never been on an official dat-. He didn't get to finish that thought as he was tackled to the ground by an extremely ecstatic Mei.

"OH YES ALPHONSE! I thought you'd never ask." She squealed. Al laughed. She was always so dramatic about everything. It was cute.

The bride and groom were both blushing tremendously on their way down to cut the cake. They had always been an unconventional couple. Neither of them believed in acting…coupley, if that was the right word. They never showed public displays of affection by kissing or holding hands. Winry secretly believed being so public about it would cheapen it. Ed was just too embarassed to show his feelings period, so they made it work. The only way people could even tell they were together was the fact that although they never touched, they were inseparable. The best part of their relationship was they didn't have to change anything. They just continued on with their lives as they normally would with Ed being a science dork, and occasionally saying stupid things and Winry being an obsessive gearhead, and occasionally beating Ed with a wrench for said stupidity. And they wouldn't have it any other way. Long story short, they had never kissed before today so it was a little bit invigorating having to share their first kiss in front of all their friends. Luckily for them, their friends didn't know. The guests assumed that Ed and Winry were blushing because they were Ed and Winry. And that's all they needed to know.

It was time to cut the cake. The cake wasn't a huge tower like most were. Rather, because the wedding consisted mainly of personal friends and relatives, it was a rectangular triple layer. Ed didn't like sweet stuff that much so he didn't want too many leftovers. Winry lifted up the cutter (note: didn't know the actual name for the thing you use to cut cake. And I call myself a cook. XD) and was bringing it towards the cake when she felt a hand on top of hers. She looked up, yes up not down, and saw Ed grinning at her. He then wrapped his right-hand fingers around the other side of the cutter and made it to where her hand and the cutter were sandwiched between his two palms. He then started to move her arm towards the cake. At least we could do one thing conventional in our relationship, she thought. The cake was delicious, perfectly moist with home-made frosting, although it was a bit too sweet for Ed's taste. Eh well, it was good enough. Then Al went up on the altar.

"Alright, now it's time for the first dance But before that, I'd like to say a few things." All attention was on the younger Elric. "Brother, all I have to say is you're the one person I've always looked up to the most. I wouldn't even be here without you! I pretty much knew all along that this day would happen, but what I couldn't predict was how it happened. Even though I fought you for her when we were younger, I knew deep inside that if we were to ever have this fight again in our later years, you would've probably won. I'm sincerely glad you did, and I hope you two are happy together." He then raised his champagne glass. "To Brother and Winry!" he toasted. Everyone echoed the toast. The crowd cheered. He nodded at the couple awkwardly standing in a corner. "Brother. Winry. Do us the honors?" he said motioning his hand out towards the center. Ed rolled his eyes. Al was always so damn polite about everything. A perfect gentleman. Ed found it almost ironic that he, the one who'd always been considered rude and insensitive, had gotten married before Al, who girls (especially the bean sprout girl) adored. Ed chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Alright. Play the music." He said amused. The overly-flamboyant, and still creepily familiar, pastor played the record, with sparkles and tears in his eyes, his lone curl starting to sag from the weight of his tears. Ed held out his hand, cheeks slightly tinted pink. Al was definitely amused, as was everybody else. They were officially married now and the man still got embarrassed at having to show his feelings. What a dork. Winry just smirked and took his hand. He led her out to the dance floor and put his hands on her waist. She put her arms around his neck and smiled sweetly at him.

This made him go redder and try to avoid eye contact. Winry was trying hard to stifle her laughter. He was cute when he blushed like that. Ed was so awkward it was laughable. As they began to sway, they gradually got closer. Ed seemed to ease up after a while, even twirling her around a bit later. Winry got caught by surprise when she saw her feet were off the ground and she was spinning in the air. She wasn't sure what to do except hold on for dear life. She could barely even think, she was having so much fun! Who knew Ed could dance? They've known each other this long but yet he still managed to baffle her. By the end of the song, her head had sunk on his shoulder and he was holding her tight. The next song, Ed and Winry reluctantly broke apart to go interact with the other guests.

It was the next song now, which meant that all the other guests joined the newlyweds on the dance floor. It also meant that Al would need a dance partner. He glanced over at Mei, trying not to be too obvious. He could do this. He just needed to get up and ask her. The song's already started, he needed to be quick. He opened his mouth.

"Wanna dance with me?" Mei looked up. She was in shock. She honestly hadn't expected him, of all people, to ask her. She'd secretly been hoping for Alphonse. As if reading her thoughts, he said, "I know I'm not Al, but I can still dance with you, right? You are my guest after all." he said with a cocky grin.

"Yes, of course." She said taking his hand.

Al was flabbergasted. The moment he opened up his mouth somebody had already asked her to dance. And what was worse, it was his own brother! So he was officially more of a romantic failure than Ed now. How humiliating. As Ed started to lead Mei to the dance floor, he looked in Winry's direction and gave her a quick wink. It was so quick that Al almost missed it. That look could only mean one thing. Brother was up to something. Something mischievous. But what? Did he really want to know? Knowing Ed, probably not. Instead, he just watched as his brother took away his girl to the dance floor.

Mustang stared at Hawkeye as she was standing next to him drinking a glass without saying a word. She looked so stiff, he wanted to tell her to live a little, but he knew he'd probably get a cold response or a threat. Or both. He kind of wanted to ask her to dance just so she would lighten up. Of course, that was the only reason he would want to dance with her. She was his subordinate after all. He wasn't a big softie like Fullmetal. Before he could even decide what he wanted to do, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Mr. Mustang, will you dance with me?" She smiled sweetly. And before he could even answer, he was whisked away to the dance floor.

Hawkeye could feel it. Something was wrong. Somebody was planning something and it involved her. At this thought, she got out her pistol and cocked it. Just in case.

"Ms. Rockbell, may I ask you what is going on?" Mustang asked as he was dancing. He was starting to feel a little out of breath. Winry just smiled sweetly, a little too sweetly.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Mustang?", she asked innocently. "I'm supposed to interact with my guests." Afterwards, she looked over at Ed and gave him a wink. A wink so quick Mustang almost missed it. Ed was bringing Mei to the dance floor and gave her the same wink. They're up to something, he thought, and knowing Fullmetal, I'm probably not going to like it. "Oh, and you shouldn't call me anymore." She added. "It's Elric now." She smiled. Winry Elric, she said silently. Has a nice ring to it.

After the wedding, Ed and Winry were both exhausted. As were all the guests, particularly Mei, Al, Hawkeye, and Mustang. Their deed had been done. Now all that's left is to see how it would play out from here. Ed had dumped the jacket and tie long ago. He had rolled up his sleeves and ditched the shoes as well. Winry's hair had fallen apart long ago. She had to change out of her dress into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, not to mention she had sweatted all her make-up off. They were both panting heavily from all the dancing.

"So." Ed asked, "do you think it worked?"

"Probably. It took a few tries and lot of convincing but I got Mustang to ask her. Although, I thought she was going to shoot him at first when he did." She sweatdropped as she remembered Hawkeye's reaction. "How'd it go on your end?"

"Well, Al was a little shocked when I stole his girl from him. But, he learns quickly. He shot me a death glare at the next song and then asked her before anyone else could. Needless to say, she practically killed him, she was so happy." Ed chuckled. His brother could be so much like him sometimes.

"Right. So who's wedding do you think will be next? My bets are on Al." she grinned.

"Well. That depends on who's got more guts. Al's too shy and Mustang is afraid for his life. But, neither of them want to be shown up by me so it could go either way." He said decisively. Right then, Ed noticed the pastor was starting to leave. He got up. Who the hell is this guy? Why is he so familiar?

"Hey!" Ed called. "Pastor guy!"

"Yes?"

"I never got your name and you never told me who had recommended you in the first place."

Cue extra sparkles. "Let's just say, I've been serving the Armstrong family for generations." He smiled. Extra sparkles. Then walked towards his car. Cue sweat drop from Ed and Winry. Well, that explains the sparkles.

"Brother!" Al came running towards them. "I saw what you were doing earlier." He said nervously. "Thanks." He smiled and walked off to go join Mei. Ed just smirked. Anytime Al, he thought, anytime. Ed noticed Mustang a few minutes later. Mustang merely acknowledged him with a nod of his head. He was never going to let Fullmetal get the satisfaction from knowing he'd helped him get one step closer to his subordinate. Ed merely threw a lazy wave in response. He glanced over at his new wife. She wasn't in her wedding dress anymore, her hair was a mess, and she looked exhausted. But to him, she was still just as breathtaking, if not more, then she had been walking down that aisle. Because now, she didn't look like a bride. She just looked like Winry, and that's how he liked her best. He lightly tapped her head with his knuckle. "You look exhausted. Do you want to go back inside?" he asked.

"Yeah. We need to go to bed anyway. We have to catch the early train to Resembool tomorrow." She said standing up. Ed walked back to the hotel with her, his thoughts wandering off. Well Hughes, he thought, I'm eligible to accept that challenge now. We'll see if I can pull it off as well as you did.

"Dammit, this sucks! How long am I gonna have to sit here?" Ed shouted. He kicked over one of the tables in the waiting room. He was furious! His wife was in labor and the bastard doctor wouldn't even let him see her to make sure she was okay! The dumbass probably didn't even know what the hell he was doing.

"Mr. Elric, please calm down. I'm sure your wife is fine." The nurse sighed.

"Oh really? And you know that for sure?" he said through gritted teeth. Damn, he was going to end up punching these bastards in the face if they didn't get him a straight answer soon.

"Instead of just assuming, why don't you give me a damn straight answer?" Ed asked angrily. "Why the hell is she screaming? What are you bastards doing to her?" He knew freaking out like a psychopath wasn't going to help anyone, but well, he's lost so many important people in his life and he'll be damned if he loses another one. The nurse was starting to get irritated.

"Mr. Elric, I understand your concerns, but if you don't control yourself, we're going to have to restrain you." By this time, the nurse was rubbing his temples from all the stress Ed was causing. Ed sat down.

Just calm down, Ed, he told himself silently, Don't think about it. Think about something else! This suddenly brought back an old memory from 5 years ago when he was in Briggs and they were keeping Winry as a hostage. She had been updating his automail and he was trying to warn her about that maniac Kimblee. He still remembers how he had freaked out when he recalled then Lieutenant Hawkeye's accusation of his feelings for Winry. Huh. How childish he was back then. Getting so startled over something so trivial as a love proclamation for his childhood friend. What had he done to get his mind off of her? Maybe he could use the same method now.

"Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon…" he muttered. He could hear Winry yelling in the background. Dammit this isn't working! I need to do something that requires more concentration. Maybe I could try it backwards. He began muttering to himself again. "Darmstadtium, Meitnerium, Hassium, Bohrium, Seaborgium…"

"Mr. Elric." The nurse said.

"…Thorium, Actinium, Radium, Francium, Radon…"

"Mr. Elric!" The nurse repeated, a little more forcefully. He sighed. They don't pay him enough to deal with these freaks.

"…Ytterbium, Thulium, Erbium, Holmium, Dysprosium…"

"MR. ELRIC!" the nurse shouted.

"Huh? What? Did you say something?" Ed said in a daze.

The nurse's eye twitched. "Yes." he said as calmly as possible. "You're allowed to go visit your wife no-" he was interrupted by a loud slam. The nurse looked over and saw that Ed was already gone. Huh. He bolted out of here pretty fast. Finally. Maybe I can get some peace now, he thought. Although, it wasn't every day that he saw someone mutter the periodic table backwards to calm themselves down. He grunted. Damn kids these days.

Ed took a few deep breaths and walked in her hospital room as calmly as possible. He didn't want to startle her after all. He opened the door and couldn't help going wide-eyed at the sight in front of him. Her blond hair was matted and sweaty and there were bags under her eyes. Overall, she looked completely exhausted. But her sapphire eyes were shining with happiness as she looked down at the bundle in her arms. He still couldn't get over how freaking awesome child birth was.

Humans giving life to other humans, something done without alchemy. Creating another life. This was definitely the most amazing thing he had ever experienced. That's why, in his eyes, the worn-out young woman in front of him takes his breath away. She defied Equivalent Exchange. She could create without destroying first. Winry looked up from the bundle, finally noticing her husband standing in the doorway. She looked straight in his eyes and thought she might get knocked off the bed by the impact it had on her. He had never looked at her that way before! She never thought she could get such a strong wave of feeling from somebody just by looking into their eyes. She shuddered and motioned him over.

"It's a boy." She said proudly." Her voice was hoarse from all the yelling and thick with congestion. She wanted to pass out right there but her will was keeping her awake. Ed knelt by her bed to get a closer look at his son. "He's got your eyes." She said. She smiled wearily. The little newborn shared more than just his eyes with his father. He had the same hair too. She had always loved Ed's golden eyes. They were gorgeous and she had always felt as if she could drown in them. They had a certain air of mystery about them too. One moment, they'd be somber and endless, the next they'd be sparkling with mischief. Sometimes she felt as if she could feel every emotion in them, but then there were times where she couldn't tell what they were thinking. It frustrated her, how they were so unpredictable. However, the unpredictability of them is what she loved the most. She always felt as if she were solving a mystery when she looked into his eyes. Winry broke out of her trance.

"Do you wanna hold him?" Winry asked, handing the baby to Ed. Ed was almost hesitant to touch him, as if he would taint the baby's innocence with his touch but at Winry's insistence he took the child and cradled him in his arms. He looked down at his son, the life he had created with his wife and came to a realization. They still needed to come up with a name for him. They had both well-prepared for this moment in their life, but they had forgotten the most important thing. Identification. Ed wanted the name to be meaningful. Something sentimental. After someone who'd died and would likely never be forgotten. Then again, maybe it could be someone he looked up to, the person he most admired. He grinned. He had just come up with the perfect name.

Of course, Winry would have to agree, but he was sure that she'd probably feel the same way he did. He glanced over at his wife and noticed that she had passed out while he was in his thoughts, clearly exhausted from her hard day's work. He walked over to her bed and stared down at her sleeping face. This was the most peaceful he'd seen her in months. He bent down and brushed her damp hair off her forehead. Then, he very gently pressed his lips on her forehead. Sleep well, he thought, you deserve it more than anybody. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard a whimpering noise. It was the baby. Amazing. His son hadn't made so much as a peep until just now. He must be hungry, he thought. A young nurse came in to check up on things and was carrying a bottle for the child. She had tried to take him away to feed him, but Ed had insisted on doing it himself.

"I'm gonna have to learn eventually, aren't I?" he asked, flashing his trademark grin. At this, the nurse reluctantly left and let Ed handle things. As Ed was feeding the child, he let his thoughts wander back to his teenage days. Back to Nina and how he couldn't save her. Back to Hughes. Al. Armstrong. Mustang. Granny Pinako. All the people who had constantly teased him about Winry. It's because they had seen it. They had seen his feelings, which had been so painfully obvious, before he had even figured them out for himself. Back then, he would always get flustered at just the thought of going on a date. Back then, he had hated his own dad. But now. Now, he was a husband and a father, and he would be the damn best that he could be. He had his own family now, and he would protect them with his life. He would not run away like his own father did. So, he thought, this is what it feels like.

"DAD! WAKE UP!" Ugh someone was disturbing his sleep. Ed groaned. "Leave me alone, kid. I'm tired." He muttered grumpily.

"Dad! You promised!" the boy whined. Damn, this kid is persistent, Ed thought. Where did he learn that from? Oh yeah, me. "Alright, I'm getting up. As long it gets you to shut up." Ed mock glared at his son. Alphonse Elric was 6 years old and literally the spitting image of Ed, right down to the hot temper. The only difference was, he had a family. And a pretty good-sized one at that, with 2 sisters, a brother, 2 cousins, both his parents, and an aunt and uncle. Unfortunately, he didn't have any grandparents but all the close family friends he had made up for it. They weren't family, but they might as well be. Ed chuckled as Alphonse pouted. He knew that even though he tried to sound gruff, he wasn't serious. He never was. Whether Ed cared to show it or not around other people, he showed a very affectionate, although teasing, side around his family. Ed was jolted out of his thoughts when she came in the room scolding his son.

"Ugh, Alphonse! I told you not to wake your father up! Do you know how hard I have to work just to get him to put down his book at night so he can sleep? It's like trying to get a child to give up sweets. Practically impossible." Winry sighed with annoyance.

"But he promised he would take me shopping today for my school books!", Alphonse whined. Winry's face softened. She nearly snickered at this last statement. What a little nerd. Just like his father. Most normal kids try to avoid school.

"Yes, I understand. But you should still learn some patience. Tell me. Has your father ever broken one of his promises?" She was looking at him expectantly.

"No." Alphonse sighed.

"That's what I thought. Now go downstairs and eat your breakfast. We'll be down in a moment." She had that tone. Uh-oh. Ed didn't like that tone. It meant she was gonna nag at him for something.

"Bu-" He was cut abruptly by Winry's stern glare. Alphonse gulped.

"I'll let myself out." He said nervously and then was out of the room before Ed blinked. Smart choice, kid, Ed thought. Never argue with Winry, for it won't end well. At this, he looked at his wife as she was glaring at the spot where their son had just been. She turned her menacing glare to him. He cringed. This probably wouldn't end was relieved when he didn't see her wrench on her anywhere.

"Ed." she asked him. Here it comes, Ed sighed to himself. "Do you know what time it is?" Hmm, interesting question. How should he answer that? Maybe he could try to humor her.

"Time for me to go back to sleep." he said cheekily as he got out of bed and walked towards his closet. He saw her eyebrow twitch and knew she wasn't amused.

"Don't be a smartass." She said drily. "It's almost noon." She said as he picked out a plain white t-shirt and some faded blue jeans from his wardrobe.

"Sorry. I'm just really damn tired." He said resignedly, slipping his pants on over his boxers.

As he was putting his belt through the loops, he heard her huff in frustration. "Well maybe you wouldn't be if you didn't stay up til ungodly hours. And before you say anything about how taking those notes and writing the books are important," she said right as he opened his mouth to say something, "you should at least consider the fact that your health is more important." Ed closed his mouth immediately. He knew she only got this way when she was worried about him.

"I know but if I turn them in late, the Fuhrer is just going to bitch at me." Ed complained. "Like he doesn't enough, already." He muttered inaudibly, while throwing the white t-shirt over his head. But Winry wasn't backing down.

"Then let him bitch!" Ed raised his eyebrows at this retort.. Winry wasn't usually so brash. That was his job. Looks like he's rubbed off on her. "He should be decent enough to give you more time on these assignments. After all, he has a family too right? So he must understand where you're coming from." Ed was losing this battle. It wasn't even really worth fighting for anymore because he had to admit that she had a very valid point. The bastard didn't give him nearly enough time to complete these assignments so Ed frequently had to pull multiple all-nighters at a time just to get them done. But then, he thought of Winry. She frequently pulled all-nighters for her job, so wasn't she being a little hypocritical? Ed finished straightening out his shirt.

"What about you?" he asked, challenging her.

"What ABOUT me?" she retorted, clearly not liking where this was going.

"You pull frequent all-nighters all the time when you make automail."

"But there's a difference, Ed." She sighed, her head in her hand.

"Oh really? What's the difference?" He was glaring at her now, expectantly.

"I'm not being forced to pull all-nighters because of a deadline. You are."

"Then what's the point of losing sleep if you don't have to?"

"Because even if I tried to go to bed, I would never be able to sleep until everything had been accounted for." This actually made perfect sense. Winry had always been that way. Once she started on her automail, she wouldn't stop for anything until she finished it. It sometimes took Ed quite a bit of effort just to get her to come upstairs to eat. "Anyway," she continued, "this isn't about me. This is about you. It worries me that you're losing sleep because some insensitive jerk decides to pile work on you without giving you enough time to actually do it."

"And you don't think it worries me when you pull multiple all-nighters in a row? That can't be healthy! Like you said before, your health is more important than your job." Ed used her own words against her. He was starting to gain the upper hand.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, enough!" she was irritated that she was losing the argument now. "How about we make a compromise?" She asked. Of course. This was how all their arguments ended up No one ever won because they were both too stubborn and bull-headed to back down. They always ended up in stalemate, so after a while, one of them (usually her), would suggest a compromise they'd both agree on. The system worked out pretty well but it sometimes made him wonder why they even bothered to argue in the first place if they know it's not going to get them anywhere. I guess old habits never die.

Ed raised his eyebrows to show he was listening. She continued.

"How about this? You talk to Fuhrer Mustang and ask him for longer deadlines, and I'll try not to overexert myself when I'm building an automail piece. If you see that it's late and I'm still working, come get me and don't back down. If you have to drag me away, do it. And if Mustang starts being a jerk, give me his number and I'll straighten him out myself. Or have Hawkeye do it." She said that last part darkly. Oh crap, Ed thought, if Mustang acts like the arrogant bastard he tends to be, he's gonna regret it. He's been hit with enough wrenches to know from experience. He almost felt a pang on his head just thinking about the wrench. He couldn't even count how many times Winry had hit him with that thing for being an asshole. And with Hawkeye in the mix, Mustang was a goner. Hmm, Ed thought, I'm sure Havoc would be decent fuhrer. Or maybe Major General Armstrong. Lt. Col Breda? Oh, maybe they'll pick someone young. What about Major Fuery? He's a pretty decent guy. No, he's too much of a pushover. Maybe we should get a woman. Maybe Armstrong's scary sister? Nope, too merciless. Lt. Col. Maria Ross? Yeah, we'll go with Ross. Her and Major Brosh could run the country together.

"Ed. What do you say?" Winry drew his attention away from Mustang's future death and back to her. Her anger was gone to be replaced with interest. But he could still hear the tone. The tone that said "argue with me and you die.", so he merely just nodded to confirm.

He'd made the right choice for once because she smiled, clearly satisfied. "Great! Breakfast is downstairs if you want some." She started to walk out the door. Then she snapped her head back around. "Oh, and do you think you could watch Theo and Trisha tomorrow? I have an appointment with a client."

"Sure, no problem." Ed turned his attention back to his morning routine(although it was more of an afternoon routine now). When he looked in the mirror, he saw that his long sun-blond hair was a bit unkempt, so he started to brush it out. As he was doing that, Winry popped her head in. "Oh yeah, you might wanna walk Alphonse and Sara to school tomorrow since it's Sara's first day."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." He said dismissively, his attention still focused on the tangles in his hair. She grimaced and then proceeded to walk downstairs. Man, she could sure be a nag sometimes. When he finished brushing his hair, he got a leather tie and tied his hair back into a silky ponytail. He stared at himself in the mirror for a brief second and, for once, it wasn't Hohenheims reflection he saw. It was his own. Just him, Ed. With a satisfied smirk, Ed went downstairs to join the rest of his family. The challenge had been beaten.

Ed had decided to take the two eldest siblings to school. Normally, they were capable of walking by themselves, but it was Sara's first day and he wanted to make sure everything went smoothly. Well, that and he was tired of Winry nagging him about it.

"Alright, so do you remember what I told you, Sara?" Ed asked his eldest daughter.

"Always do my homework. Don't smart off to the teacher. If people ever make fun of my height, just stay calm and walk away." She said monotonously. Ed was startled by that last one. He didn't remember ever telling the kids that. Then it hit him and he flinched with annoyance. Of course she would tell them that. He swears she does this stuff on purpose to piss him off. Even now, though he was taller than her by several inches, she still made jabs at his height. Old habits really didn't die, did they? His attention was back on Sara. She looked just like her mom, and although she was only 5, she had a certain amount of maturity and intelligence that many adults wished they possessed. She was always polite, always kind. Was a natural genius and was probably the most mellow 5 year old he had ever met. But, naturally, being the daughter of him and Winry, she inherited a nasty temper, which was best to avoid. Ironically, although she her and Alphonse were very close, he was the one who usually felt her wrath. When she was pissed at him, she tended to hit him with whatever items were available at the time.

"You're a smart kid. This is why you're my favorite.", he said slyly, looking straight at Alphonse. As he expected, Alphonse's face went red and Ed could've sworn he saw steam from the ears. Although it irritated the hell out of Winry, Ed loved getting a rise out of this kid. It was just too easy.

"Hey! Why is she your favorite? She's a girl! I'm the oldest and the smartest so I should be the favorite!" Alphonse rambled nonstop on why he was the better child while Ed just stared at him blankly. He got a quick glimpse of Sara and saw that she was getting irritated by her brother's brash behavior. Uh-oh. Alphonse got interrupted from his rant when a heavy book bag was thrown in his face.

"You moron. Quit making a scene. It's my first day and you're making me look bad.", she said exasperatedly. This of course, just pissed him off more.

"Who cares what you think? You're just a dumb girl!" he shouted. Sara sighed and walked away, cheeks flushed with embarrassment of being related to such an idiot. Once he got started, there was no shutting him up. Then she heard a voice that made her stop.

"Hey, are you new?" a dark-haired boy with brown eyes asked her.

"Ahh yes, my name's Sara." She said holding out her hand, flashing the sweet smile that her mother had taught her so well at the boy.

"Oh right. Cool. Are you related to Alphonse by any chance?" he asked, smiling and taking her hand. She was pretty cute. Her face dropped. Great. He probably thinks I'm a freak like my brother. She almost wanted to deny the accusation and pretend as if she didn't even know who Alphonse was, but decided against it. She loved her brother and although he could be an idiot, he was her idiot. She wouldn't replace him with the world.

"He's my brother." She said. She could hear Alphonse rambling on several yards over and a blush crept on her face. Why couldn't Alphonse ever keep his mouth shut? Then, it suddenly went quiet. She looked over and saw him looking at their dad with rapt attention. This must be important, if Big Brother is actually listening, she thought.

"I only have one thing left to say." Ed said. His son groaned very loudly and dramatically, much to Ed's annoyance. "Shut up. This is for your own good." He snapped. Alphonse looked up with interest.

"You have to watch out for your sister. No matter what. Don't ever let anything happen to her. That goes for the rest of your siblings too."

"Why should I have to babysit her?" He said brushing off the subject.

"Well, if you would have let me finish instead of being ignorant, you might have gotten your answer before you opened your mouth." Ed said drily, giving his son an intense stare. "You're the older brother, which means you have the biggest responsibility. You were born first to make the mistakes so your siblings don't have to. Is it hell? You bet, but it's worth it. It's your job to watch out and set examples for the younger ones, to protect them even at the cost of your life, and to be willing to put the weight of the entire world on your shoulders for the sake of their happiness. Why else would we be chosen to be born first?" Just at that moment, Sara had come back to give her dad a hug before going to school. She put her arms around his waist and hugged him tight.

"Bye, Dad." She whispered.

Ed merely grinned down at her. "Let me know how it goes when you get home." Just in case I need to kick someone's ass, he added sgrimly. Sara smiled and bowed and headed off to her next class. Ed was baffled. She was so polite, just like his brother. Ed then turned his gaze to his son. Alphonse merely nodded and flashed an eerily familiar cocky grin. He then ran after his younger sister to the schoolhouse. Huh, kids, Ed thought. He's not too different from how I was. Noting that his kids were both safe in the schoolhouse, he turned around and started to walk home.

Alphonse was sitting in the schoolhouse staring at his sisters back, his dads words ringing in his head. I'll live up to how a big brother is supposed to be, he thought. I won't ever let anything happen to my siblings while I'm around. I swear on my life!

Author's Note~ Just saying, I wrote this about 2 months ago and took it down. I'm putting it back up. Whaddaya think?