Time seemed to pass quickly after the chain of events that led to Ed and Winry's son's birth. Two weeks had gone by after they named their baby without incident and heavens knew the new parents were more than thankful for it. Though Winry had mostly recovered, the baby had to stay in the hospital for said weeks, and though there had been no threatening life changing incidents there were more than a few disturbances from their guests.

Ling, Lanfan, Roy, Riza, some of Winry's friends from Rush Valley, Granny, Alphonse and May. They'd all been there making sure the couple never had a dull moment. Everyday Theodore was growing healthier, happier, and just growing in general. He still had to be connected to a variety of medicines and machines to help him breathe, but through the tubes and cords he gifted Ed and Winry with his first toothless smile.

It had been the thirteenth day after his birth that his vocal cords actually opened up and he gave his first real close-enough laugh accompanied by his smile and soon after, cry. His cries before had been short lived and breathy, but with a little help from Al, May, and some Alkahestry, their kid was getting healthier than he would have without. Of course, relentless teasing had been unleashed on Ed after a few tears had shed from his eyes.

It was the fourteenth day after his birth now, and Ed and Winry had been given the clearance to finally go home along with their baby. Needless to say, Winry got all her things ready in less than two minutes. She was so ready to get out of that hospital room. She already had a dislike for hospitals and that whole experience hadn't done her any favors. Though, she still greatly appreciated all it had done for her.

They'd said goodbye to all the nurses, doctors and patients they'd befriended and reached their home in about an hour and a half.

Ed and Winry, along with Theodore, climbed up the steps on their porch and reached their doorway, a sight for sore eyes.

"Finally!" Winry smiled and dropped her bags, reaching for the key in her pocket. "You ready to see your home Theo?" She cooed and reached over to him, who was being held by Ed, to rub his little cheek.

"Cool fact kid, I built this house. Every nail you'll see was hammered in by this guy." Ed stuck his thumb out and pointed to his chest, his nose growing about three inches longer.

"Shut up, you did not." Winry replied, "We've been home for twenty-eight seconds and you're already fooling around."

"Hey hey don't tell him that," he tried to defend his statement as she ignored him and walked into the house, "I gotta start looking like a super cool guy in front of him."

"Oh?" she grinned as she came back out to grab their bags, "So you admit you're not actually a cool guy?"

Ed grunted, slightly taken aback by her words, his eye-brow twitching, "n-no. I didn't say that. I meant I have a reputation I need to maintain."

"Yeah sure." She lifted the bags and went back in, "Don't stand there too long cool guy it's still really cold out there."

"tch."

"Did you just click your tongue at me?" she replied from their living room as he walked in.

"tch. No."

"That's what I thought."

She rounded the corner to see Ed making faces to himself and mouthing words he knew if he said them out loud he'd get a wrench to the head. So she waited for him to realize she was there and laughed at his completely "Edward" reaction.

It hadn't been that long since they were home, but it was far too long in her book.

"Alright Mr. "cool guy" I'm going to take these upstairs," she motioned to their bags, "and then get started on dinner. Ed, do you want to see if he'll take a nap?"

"I have a better idea." He replied with a grin, and began his prepared plan.

Ed knew Winry still wasn't feeling one-hundred percent yet, despite her convincing acting, so he also was trying to act like his usual self for her sake. But, there was no way in hell he was going to let her push herself too far. Knowing her, it would be her first instinct to get right back into her usual routine but Ed wasn't going to let that happen even if he had to tie her up. Though the best thing about this was that it wouldn't have to come to that, he had a special card he could play now.

"Why don't you, see if Theo wants a nap and I'll carry the bags upstairs and take care of dinner." he walked over and handed her the baby, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist, "How about that huh?"

Winry took Theo into her arms and was immediately consumed by his cute little cheeks, her face melting in adoration. Ed mentally gave himself a pat on the back. Normally she would've seen right through him but having their son in her arms blocked out everything else. No way was Winry ever going to refuse taking him. Now, Winry gets to take a nap with her son, effectively getting her to rest, and he gets to make Alphonse make dinner. Everybody wins.

"Alright, thanks Ed." She leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek, smiled and went upstairs and into the nursery, fully furnished by Alphonse and co. during their time away from home. It had been an amazing gift everyone had given them and the act made Ed cry again. He'd gone soft.

The sound of his footsteps on the staircase was soothing. It was a sound he didn't even know he missed until now. For a moment he reveled in just being home again and then went about his business, peeking into the nursery to make sure his family was alright, which they were, and then set the bags on their bed. Almost immediately after the putting them down, he heard a knock on their door.

"I got it." He spoke through the hall to Winry and went down to see who it was.

He opened the door and revealed Al standing out in the cold, giving him a warm smile nonetheless.

"Hey just the man I wanted to see!" he greeted his brother and pulled him in.

The smile was wiped off his face, "What is it you want me to do now, brother?"

"C-come on…" Ed played offended, "What's that supposed to mea-"

"I know you brother." Al deadpanned and shook his jacket off outside, "You want me to do something and whatever it is you know I'll do it so-" he put his jack on their coat rack, also supplied by him, "What is it?"

"I need you to cook dinner."

Alphonse sighed slightly, "Okay. Done." He replied and went over to their kitchen without another word.

"Wait I gotta tell you what she wants first!" Ed yelled as he ran after Al.

"I know what she likes brother; I've known her practically all my life."

"Yeah, yeah. Wait, where's May and everyone else?"

"They're on their way to Central right now." Al replied as he gathered ingredients for stew, something he knew would warm them up. "They have some things to tend to, I don't really know- I didn't ask. Felt it might be pushy to. Roy's already excused them for a while now and since Theo doesn't need constant care from May now, it's time to get back to work. I told them I'd be joining them in a few days."

"I see."

Ed nodded and walked over to Al, putting an arm around his shoulders and jostling him around, "Thanks little brother." he grinned, "You being here helps a lot."

Alphonse looked over to his brother who'd let him go and was now helping himself to some crackers from his pantry, "You know, you're much more open with your feelings now. I mean, you even cried a few times back at the hospital."

Ed choked on his food trying to reply.

"It's alright. I've always know you were a softy." He joked and continued prepping his food.

"Shut it! I didn't cry!" Ed denied his statement and went back to stuffing his face.

As the brothers continued to bicker and joke back and forth, upstairs Winry finally got their baby to sleep. She set him down in his crib and placed a blanket over him, resting a hand over his cheek. They were one of her favorite parts about him. They were so tiny and cute; she just wanted to look at him all day. Already, she could tell he was beginning to look like Ed. He was a boy, so of course he was going to take on boyish features, but the one thing she was really glad about was that he had inherited Edwards golden eyes. It'd always been a part of Ed that she loved; more often than not she would find herself being lost in them. Now, her son had that special trait. It made her happy.

Standing there for a few more seconds with a little hum coming from her mouth, she considered lying on the bed in the room and taking a nap too, but when she finally heard Alphonse' voice from downstairs she decided to fight the fatigue and greet him. Knowing Ed, he was probably trying to pass off dinner duty on Al. Winry smiled and let their light conversation fill her ears as she stepped down the stairs.

Three months and passed and they, by some miracle from what the doctors said, didn't have not one scare concerning their baby's health. Most likely thanks to the healing properties of Alkahestry they had on their side. Both Al and May had been giving Theodore "healing sessions" for lack of a better term. They'd sit down with him once a week, and just heal? Winry guessed. She'd never been on the inside loop concerning alchemy or Alkahestry. The basics she knew, but what exactly was going on was beyond her. Whatever it was, she was more than thankful for it.

Ling and Lan Fan had gone back to Xing a few weeks after Theo had been born, not wanting to leave their country Emperor-less for too long. He explained that he left a double in his stead and was only supposed to be gone for a few days and that time had just "slipped" away from him. May put her fist to good use after that. It still amazed Winry at times that she was friends with both her country's Fuhrer and Xing's Emperor. If someone had told her seven year old self that she would've wrenched them.

March had finally rolled around and the days were beginning to warm up. It was the middle of a calm day now, and Ed was on baby duty at the house while Winry went and made some deliveries over to Granny's. She'd fully recovered within a week and a half since being home and was back to her usual vibrant self, much to everyone's delight.

"Theeere you go little guy." He praised his son on taking his binky on the first try, something he didn't do too often.

They were in his nursery with the widows open, lazing the day away reading books and learning things. It was just them two in the house. Peaceful was the best word to describe it. Not that he didn't love having his wife there, but having moments like this with his son, just sitting on a bed with the kid swaddled in a blanket lying next to him, were something he loved very much. And thanks to a certain couple, Roy and Riza, from Central, it was something he was going to get to do every day, provided he still helped out research and such once in a while.

"You'll learn to appreciate days like this kid." He looked down to his son who seemed passive but only because he had no idea what his father was talking about, "Hearing nothing but your thoughts and the birds outside, I never used to care for them. They were just regular days. But now, they're days worth reveling in."

The baby gave a small noise in response.

"Oh!" he moved off his back and onto his stomach, giving his son all his attention, "That was a good one! Wanna try again?"

Almost like a flip was switched, Ed turned into a babbler. That was that Winry had called it. Anytime Theo would make a noise he would immediately try to get him to it again by making random noises. "Aaah" ing and "Ooh" ing, Ed would sound more like a baby than Theodore did.

"Come on you can do it. Say "ahhh"!" he opened his mouth ridiculously wide and sounded the odd noise.

Theo didn't have any vocal response, but Ed didn't care. He just kept on babbling strange noises and enjoying the facial reactions he got from his son, so immersed in it that he didn't even note the front door opening and closing.

"Edward?" Winry called out into the seemingly empty home.

"Eeeeedawaard?" she spoke again as she hung her coat up and shook her boots off.

"Where is that man…?" With a solid guess, she made her way up the stairs and into the nursery, smiling at the already familiar sight.

"Well hello there my two handsome men." She made her presence known as she walked over to the bed, plopping herself down on the other side of Theo, "You didn't hear me come in Ed?"

"Ah sorry, no." he looked a bit sheepish, "I was a little distracted."

"Babbling again?" she teased, "No use in denying it I saw you two."

"Yeah, yeah" he leaned over to give her a quick peck on the lips, "How was Granny?"

"How do you think?" Winry groaned, "She's still treating me like I'm sick and I already told her for the millionth time I'm fine."

"You know she's just worried." Ed countered as he was idly playing with Theo's nose.

"Yes I know, I know," she moved her bangs out of her face, "and it's not like I don't appreciate it. I just don't want her tearing her hair out over me."

"It's no use Win. She's your grandmother, she's gonna worry just like how we worry about this little guy here." Ed was feeling positively wise that day.

She gave him a look, squinting her eyes a bit, "When did you become the master of rational replies…"

"Since today." He replied as-a-matter-of-fact-ly.

"Yeah okay." She laughed and got up, taking Theo along with her, "Anyway it's about time for the son of such rational thinking to eat, mind getting a cloth for me?"

"Sure." he hopped of the bed in a swift motion, like he always does, and left the room.

Winry sighed and moved over to the rocking chair on the other side of the room, the place where she preferred to breastfeed. She didn't know why, but it was just the best place for it in her opinion. As she sat there she thought back to the first time she'd ever fed Theo. It was hilarious. You'd think Ed would've been prepared for it with all the reading he had done, but once she'd begun he was completely flustered by it. His hatred for milk was a part of it, and the fact that he couldn't look at Winry's breast without turning completely red was the major part of it. His reaction had been so funny she actually had to stop feeding Theo and run to the bathroom before she peed herself. Since then he'd vehemently denied that fact and would divert his eyes somewhere else while in the room with her.

"You're not stalling are you Ed?" she called out to him teasingly and was met with an already red Ed as he came back into the nursery.

"NO." he tossed the cloth at her face and stalked out of there, leaving a laughing Winry and an oblivious child in the room.

"I love you!" she called out to balance the mood and heard him grumpily return the phrase from the hall.

Another three months passed and there was no longer any need for more "healing sessions" from May and Alphonse. Theodore was completely healthy, and full of life thanks to them. Winry honestly didn't know where the little guy would be if it weren't for them nor did she even want to think about it.

June had made its way back into their lives and the heat was, thankfully, being kind to them. The skies were often spotted with clouds, giving them lots of shade, and the nights were just right according to Winry.

It was evening and there was a party of sorts being held at the Elric household. It was mainly an excuse for Ed and Winry to get a little break. They loved their kid so, so much, but every parent needed some time to relax. It'd actually been Granny who had suggested the idea saying, "Get a bunch of old folk like me around that baby and you won't have to worry about him for the rest of the night."

To which Edward replied, "Aren't all those old folks your drinking buddies?" and got an iron pan to the head.

In the end, both of them agreed and prepared for the dinner, or barbecue as Granny said. They were both in their bedroom now, getting ready for the crowd of people they knew Granny could get together. It was a small town and practically everyone knew when anyone was holding a gathering. Alphonse, bless his heart, had arrived early to help and was downstairs playing with his nephew, giving them time to freshen up a little.

"Do I look okay?" Winry fussed about their room, clawing fingers through her hair to smooth it out having been in a bun all day.

Ed stopped pulling his shirt down midway and left his midsection exposed as he examined his wife who was still wearing her workshop clothes, spotless of course, "Never look better."

"Really? Never?" She replied with a hint of something Ed didn't quite catch as she walked toward him.

It was quick, the way she pulled his shirt down for him and set her arms up on his shoulders, playing with his loose hair, "I mean, what about our wedding day?" she asked mischievously.

Ed grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, missing that kind of banter. It'd been a while since they acted like newlyweds, hell, they didn't even really get to celebrate their first anniversary, "I stand by what I said." He kissed her cheek and she closed her eyes, "I've always liked your shop clothes." He laid another one on her forehead, "You were gorgeous at the wedding, no doubt about that. I just like this on you more."

Ed pecked her nose now and Winry knew he was teasing her. He always did this. It was a pattern with him. He'd kiss everywhere else before finally giving her a proper one and it drove her crazy but she loved it all the same. Except on this particular day, when they were finally alone, she was finding it more wasteful than playful.

Harshly, she grabbed the top of his shirt and yanked his face down, deciding she was going to get her kiss sooner rather than later. It was long and satisfying, full of pent up emotions and desires that hadn't been met in a while. And to be honest, probably too intense for having to go down and greet people in a few minutes. She wasn't sure who stopped it, since anytime one of them pulled the slightest bit away they were brought right back by the other, but when Alphonse called the both of them it was a snap back into reality.

Winry sighed and let go of his shirt, both of them a bit short on breath, "I- uh, I'm gonna go. You stay here and uh," she motioned to something imaginary, still out of sorts, "shake it off."

Without another word or glance, she left the room and went down to see what Al needed. Ed, silently thankful that didn't go farther or else he wouldn't have been able to stop, went and splashed some cold water on his face. He'd missed that particular part of married life and now Ed had half a mind to ask Al or Granny to take Theo for a night.

He shook his head and slapped his cheek. Shake it off, shake it off.

Once he was in a state of mind that wasn't totally inappropriate for guests, he pulled his hair into a braid, like Winry liked, and exited the room.

The night passed in a flash. So many people had showed up at their house, it was a bit unbelievable. Granny had more drinking buddies than Ed had originally thought. Everyone had brought some sort of dish and a pile of questions. Things like "When's the next bundle of joy coming along?" and "How old are you two again?" Safe to say not everyone thought it was such a good idea they had a kid so young, which they weren't really, but Granny, as soon as she heard a conversation heading that way, shut them up quickly without a second to spare.

Al and May had been there of course, helping Ed and Winry escape the crowd by pretending to be in a serious discussion. Though, it really did turn into one when Al and May told them that May was staying in Amestris for good.

Over the time she'd been there, it'd been about a year then, she and some officials down at Central were fine tuning some details about entitling her as "Official Xingese Ambassador to Amestris." It was a big deal and a very long process to get everything right. Though she was still pretty young, nineteen, Ling had vouched for her and continuously professed she had would take it very seriously. It just about killed her to keep her mouth shut.

Winry had actually begun cry and threw herself on May, overjoyed that her friend was finally going to stay. Ed had congratulated her with a smile and a pat on the head then moved on to his job of teasing his brother saying "You know what his means huh~?"

The night went on nicely from there. Theodore had been passed around to probably twenty-eight pairs of arms, with a smile on his face and caused a bunch of older women to melt in their shoes. Once he'd gotten passed back to his parents, they were flooded with compliments. Typical things like "Oh he gets his good looks from his parents!" were said and it did wonders for Ed's "Proud Father" ego.

It was eleven in the evening when the last people, Al and May, had left. Theo had already been put down for the night, or however long he would stay asleep for, while they saw everyone off. Now, the proud, complimented, tired parents were trudging up the stairs, checking on their, thankfully, still sleeping son and throwing themselves on their bed.

"Gosh…" Winry groaned and somehow managed to awkwardly get her jumpsuit off her lower body and didn't even care to go get shorts. She was too tired to move and being in just her underwear and bandeau was the least of her worries.

"That lasted way longer than I thought it would." She rolled around to look at Ed who was also stripping down to his boxers, "I didn't think Granny would invite the whole town…"

"Yeah well, at least we got a bunch of free food and baby stuff." He suggested as laid back down and moved to face his wife, "That way no one has to cook for a while."

She smacked his arm, "Oh please. I'm the only who benefits from that. You never cook."

He nudged her back, "Do too. I make breakfast all the time."

"Yeah at five in the morning! You're the only one who ever eats it." She rolled her eyes, "I still don't understand why you wake up so early."

"Internal clock." He replied simply, "And you weren't complaining about it yesterday when I was up to stop Theo's crying."

"He was crying yesterday morning?"

"Exactly."

She took a second to process, and then smacked his arm again, a grin spreading on her face, "Whatever. Don't act so high and mighty. It's because you wake up so early that I find you asleep with him in the middle of the afternoon so often."

Ed didn't reply, he just smiled, grabbed her and pulled her against his chest, sighing with a sort of content he never imagined he'd have.

"What?" she asked in curiosity as she nuzzled further into his embrace, "Something wrong?"

"No… nothing. Just wanted to hold you."

Winry made a cute face at that, "You know you're sounding really cheesy right?"

"Yup."

"Hm. Okay then." She moved her face upward, "While you're at it you mind giving me a kiss?'

"Not at all."

He moved down to reach her lips and gave her a quick, sweet kiss. Not at all like the one they shared earlier. This was calmer, like their usual kisses. Though there was nothing about them that was less satisfying. Ed had a way of expressing a lot through them and Winry felt she would never get enough even if he kissed her every hour for the rest of her life.

"I love you Ed." She stated and buried her face back into his chest.

"Yeah. Love you too Winry."

They both fell asleep in silence, hearing only the crickets outside and peaceful in knowing their son was safe in the other room.

A/N: dear holy jesus... i finished it. damn i'm kinda sad now. took me long enough but i finally got it done...

I really, really hope this was satisfying for all you who have been keeping up with this for so long. I kept putting it off and I'm suuuuuuper sorry about that but I do hope this was good enough. I'm probably going to do little one-shots stemming off from the end of this story, once in a while, so if you've got any questions or prompts you'd like to read lemme know.

Again, I hope this is a good ending. I felt it was, but it'd be amazing if yall thought that too. Thanks for reading!