Res-o-lu-tion: A firm decision to do or not to do something; the action of solving a problem, dispute or contentious matter; the degree of detail visible in a photographic or television image.

Alphonse snapped the newspaper, making the crinkles disappear and the words a little easier to read. Repercussions from the Second World War on Earth still rippled, and the Germans were paying dearly. The youngest Elric thanked his lucky stars that he had gotten out of Germany while he could. Now he was living in England with his wife of 3 years, Leanne, and their young two year old daughter, Gabrielle.

His gaze drifted to the date, and a pang of sadness hit his chest like a hammer. One year ago, in two days, Edward had died trying to prevent the Americans from bombing Hiroshima. It hadn't succeeded, but it hadn't necessarily failed either. Less people were killed, but Alphonse knew from the Gate's vision to the future, that many more people would be affected in years to come.

"Radiation poisoning," Al murmured before going back to his paper. He knew what his next project was: to try and find a way to prevent deaths from the fatal radiation poisoning.

A thud came from the stairs and Al turned in his chair curiously, only to see Gabriella making her way backwards down the stairs on her hands and feet. He chuckled and stood to scoop her up. Gabby squealed in surprise and flailed her arms and legs as Al twirled around in a circle with her.

"Daddy!" She giggled, whacking the brunette upside the head, who jokingly held his head in pain.

"Ouch, sweetheart! You're getting stronger everyday! That one hurt!" He moaned in a mock pained voice and Gabby crossed her arms.

"Nuh-uh! Daddy's too tough for that to hurt!" Al smiled at her stubbornness, which was just like her mother's.

"Fine, fine," he relented and stood her back on the ground, but she raised her arms to be picked up again. Al groaned teasingly again.

"I'm getting too old for this!"

"You're not old, daddy!"

"That's what you think," he retorted with a wink. Gabby stuck her tongue out, but nestled into the crook of her father's neck. Al's eyes softened and he pulled her a little closer. He wished Ed was here to see this. Ed hadn't settled down with anyone before he'd died. He'd only known Gabby for a few months as well since he was so immersed in plans of trying to save lives of the Japanese citizens and hopefully others from around the world.

'No. He didn't die. He simply went back to the other side of the gate. That's what happened last time. And that's what happened this time as well.'

Al was brought out of his thoughts by his daughter reminding him it was breakfast time and he moved to get started on his daily routine with his family.

Ed inhaled quickly and pushed himself up off his pillow, panting heavily and wiping cold sweat from his brow. He felt like a twelve-year-old again, even though mentally he was almost 21.

"Damn nightmares," he groaned and lay back down on the bed. His back ached from sleeping curled in a ball without moving for so many hours and he wished he could get the kinks out of it.

"Stupid Gate," he muttered before rubbing his head. He slipped out of bed, pulled his robe over his bare chest and stumbled out into the hall. He had returned to Amestris only three days ago, and Roy had convinced him to stay with him in his second home until he had recovered.

The blond made his way to the smaller kitchen, mumbling the entire way about bastards with two kitchens. He passed the ballroom on the way, shaking his head at how normal it appeared. After the New Year's party and fireworks, people began to drunkenly call their drivers to bring them home. The last few people finally left around 3 in the morning, and the next day Roy had his staff clean up the mess all the guests had caused. Not that the people were complaining- their pay checks always got exponentially larger at New Years.

Finally, after navigating the labyrinth of halls and wincing at the noise his automail made, Edward reached the smallest kitchen. Not even bothering with turning the lights on, he swung the refrigerator door open and perused the contents. Scowling at the milk that sat innocently on the shelf, he daintily reached past it for the carton of orange juice. Not even bothering with a cup, he twisted the cap off and started drinking. Sweat slowly dried on his back, soaked up by the cushy robe. He ignored the temptation to ponder his dream, because he knew it would only make him choke on the thick liquid running down his throat. The quiet 'shiff shiff' of cloth against cloth made him tip his head back to its normal position and lower the carton, to see Roy standing in the kitchen's doorway, eyes strangely clear for someone who had just walked out of bed in the middle of the night. The man nodded pointedly at the carton of juice in Edward's hand.

"Nightmares?" He asked knowingly and Edward shifted uncomfortably.

"Yea," he rasped, clenching the carton a little tighter. Roy nodded with a small smile.

"I'll be sure to leave that orange juice carton to you. I might as well drink the milk, since you won't." Roy mused as he reached into the fridge, then moving to grab a cup so he could drink the 'civil' way.

"Why are you up?" Edward murmured before taking another sip of the juice as he carefully gauged Roy's reaction. His former commanding officer's face remained carefully blank as he gulped down the milk. He set the glass back down on the granite counter with a clink. He swiped the back of his hand across his mouth and finally met Ed's gaze.

"The same reason," Roy growled, ripping his eyes away to look at the floor, brows furrowed. Edward pursed his lips, but sighed, knowing he shouldn't pry. He knew he wouldn't like it if Roy started prying about his dreams, so he didn't want to see Roy's reaction if he tried it. If Roy wanted to tell him, then he would.

"Edward."

Ed blinked at the sound of his name and looked up. Roy's eyes were hooded, and the darkness made it hard to decipher the emotions showing through his slightly cracked mask. He thought he saw the older man's lips tremble, but he wasn't sure, so he tossed the idea away.

"Roy."

"What was it like during the war...in that other world?" Edward started in surprise, but the shock quickly melted away into bitterness, and he scowled.

"It was horrible. Probably just as bad as the Ishballan war. One group of people decided they were superior and, guided by their leader, attempted to wipe out an entire race. I hope it ended with that atomic bomb, or else I died for nothing."

Roy chuckled harshly, shaking his head back and forth. "You say it so easily."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"

"That you died," Roy replied, with only a slight waver to his voice. Edward smiled grimly and stepped forward to grab Roy's chin and lift it up so they could meet eye to eye.

"Roy. I died. It's simply the truth. But I'm still here. Older than I'm supposed to be, but alive. I have another chance here in the world I belong in, and a chance to live the life I always imagined. I may have died, but it all worked out in the end."

To his astonishment, Roy started laughing. Laughing hard enough to sound like he was crying. The older man covered his face with his hands and just went into hysterics. Edward stepped back slightly, confusion dawning on his face. He appeared to be completely disturbed by the sight before him. After a moment, the General began to calm down. The man wiped his eyes and immediately apologized.

"I just thought for a minute there that you had suddenly become religious. Then I remembered it's Edward Elric I'm talking to, and there's no way you'd suddenly become religious just because you crossed over the Gate again." Edward rolled his eyes at his former superior's ramblings and he took the glass from the man's hand and set it in the sink as he began to guide the other up the stairs.

"C'mon Roy, let's get you to bed. It seems you're a bit over tired."

"Am I now, Edward? Well I doubt you get a lot of sleep either. It sucks being an old man."

"I'm not old, Damnit!" Edward screeched and he released Roy's arm to stomp upstairs. He was pulled back when someone grabbed him from behind and tugged him backwards, and the blond snarled in irritation.

"Let me go you bastard!"

"I see now. Since you're not short anymore, you don't react to short jokes. But now that you're old.." Roy trailed off, a thoughtful smile on his face and an amused twinkle in his eye. Edward grumbled incoherently and wrenched his arm out of Mustang's grip.

"I'm going to bed. You better go too, Mustang."

"Oh, someone's a little pissed off 'cause his pride's hurt! You're acting like your old self again!" Roy nearly cheered as his eyes drooped. Edward grumbled incoherently and grabbed Roy's ear and dragged him into his bedroom and threw him on the bed.

"You. Sleep. Now. Goodnight, Mustang." Roy's strangely out of character mood went out the window as he watched Edward walking towards the door.

"Hey, Edward." Edward stopped and turned, a questioning look on his face as he hummed in response.

"We're going to Risembool tomorrow. So you can see Winry and Pinako. I'm sure you missed them while you were gone." The blond merely stared at Roy in shock, before smiling softly.

"Thanks, Roy. For everything." Roy smiled back in response before lying down in bed and pulling up the covers.

"Bedtime now, Fullmetal. Old men need their sleep." Edward screeched in response as he whirled around and stomped out of the room, leaving behind a quietly chuckling Mustang, who curled up under the warm comforter and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Sunlight poured through the window, hitting the former Fullmetal Alchemist directly in the face. He groaned before rolling over and throwing an arm over his eyes in a feeble attempt at trying to stay asleep. After lying still for a few minutes and still not feeling the tide of sleep overcoming him, Edward grunted in irritation and rolled out of bed and landed deftly on the balls of his feet. He yawned and wiped his eyes before slipping a loosely fitting t-shirt onto his bare torso.

He padded quietly toward his bedroom door and opened it, only to be hit in the face, figuratively, by the sweet smell of breakfast. Mouth watering, the blond quickly pounded down the stairs and followed his nose to the small kitchen, where Roy was standing over a skillet with bacon and frying pan with eggs.

The bacon sizzled and popped, making Roy hiss as some stray grease landed on his hand. He snatched the limb away from the skillet and nestled it against his chest, glaring warily at the cooking food as if it were going to bite him.

Edward watched this scene with amusement before howling in laughter, making Roy jump and toss the spatula he was holding in the air. The fire-wielding alchemist nimbly caught it again and stared at Ed with a dumbfounded expression. The prodigy was nearly crouching from his laughter, clutching his stomach in pain from his mirth.

Roy scoffed, shrugging off his astonishment with practiced ease and an air of snootiness. As Edward's guffaws died down into chuckles, and then into hiccups, the ebony haired man began to smile and shake his head in amusement of his own mishap.

He scooped the eggs onto a plate, which were soon followed by the crunchy bacon. Edward snatched two plates and cups from the cupboard and set them on the table, along with cups, cutlery, and napkins. The two sat at the table to serve themselves and ate in silence.

Once finished, they gathered the dishes and set them in the sink for Roy's maid to do. Edward immediately scurried into his room and packed the few clothes Roy had given him into a suitcase that was also given to him by Roy.

He dashed back down the stairs, excitement in him building at the thought of seeing his childhood friend and Granny Pinako. Roy was already waiting by the front door, jacket already on, shoes already tied. Edward set his suitcase down to do the same and soon they were heading out the door and stowing their possessions in the trunk of Roy's car.

Edward hopped into the passenger seat and Roy joined him, climbing into the driver's seat. He started the car and reversed, spinning the car around and driving away from his country house and toward the train station.

A few hours later, they pulled into a parking spot. As soon as the car was turned off, Edward was out the door and in the trunk grabbing his suitcase and Roy chuckled as he grabbed his. He reached up and slammed the trunk shut and turned to follow Edward, who was nearly running toward the train with a bounce in his step.

'I'm surprised he hasn't complained that his back hurts or anything. Aging at hyper-speed should've had at least some affect on him.' Roy thought, but was soon gratified by a crack, thump, clang, and then a howl. Roy strolled up to where Ed was laying on the ground in the fetal position and bit back a laugh. Edward scowled up at him, the fire from his youth burning in his eyes.

"Don't say a word, bastard," the blond growled as he untangled his limbs and slowly stood. He stretched upwards and sighed as a satisfied crack came from his joints. Roy grinned slightly and tossed him a pill capsule. Ed shot him a grateful look and swallowed two dry. He stuffed the capsule into his jacket and grabbed his fallen suitcase. The man marched away with an air of an attempt of recovering his dignity. Roy shook his head in amusement while he trailed behind the other at a slower pace.

The two got their train tickets, which Edward grudgingly thanked him for before climbing on the train and, because of Roy's Major General status, grabbed a military compartment to relax in for the trip.

Half an hour later, the train began moving after a few whistles and screeches from the protesting metal. As it got farther and farther from the station, the train built up speed and raced forward faster and faster, eating up the metal track on which it glided on.

Edward stretched out across the bench seat he was on, happily exhaling as the pain medicine kicked in. Roy remained sitting and stared out at the blurring landscape. The winter sun glared down but didn't provide much heat for the two, but luckily the compartment was one of the few heated places on the train. Hours passed, with no words to interrupt the quiet between the two men relaxing in the train compartment; only the squeaks and rumbles of the train. A few murmurs outside the sliding door signalled a few passengers on their way to the dining car, the thought of which instantly triggered Ed's stomach's knee-jerk reaction to any mention or thought of food; it rumbled angrily.

Roy turned his head away from the window and looked at Edward in amusement, while the latter covered his stomach and looked at Roy in indignation.

"What?" Edward asked defensively, still clutching his stomach.

"Hungry, Fullmetal? It is almost noon. Want to go down to the dining car?" The General inquired, eyebrow raised slightly while charcoal black eyes glinted from the sun's light pouring into the window.

"What gave you that idea, bastard? Was it my complaining stomach or your need to control everything?" Edward retorted by habit, with no ill meaning behind the words. Like his stomach's reaction to food, his reaction to Roy was knee-jerk.

Roy chuckled, but opened the compartment's sliding door and slipped out, only hesitating long enough to glance at Edward before continuing on. Ed grumbled and rolled off the seat, landing easily on his feet, and popped back up to walk out and follow Roy's retreating back.

After passing through 2 cars and trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, Ed finally reached the dining car and spotted Roy at a table browsing a menu. He ignored Edward as he sat and a tick formed on Ed's head as he was continuously ignored.

Edward snatched a menu off the side of the table and harrumphed as he sulked and read, pondering what to eat. A large factor was price. Oddly enough, the higher the price, the more appetizing it sounded. The more Roy had to pay, the happier the blond would be, even though he knew he was being childish again.

'I haven't been this childish in years...I guess Roy really does bring out the worst in me.'

The two were silent for a few minutes, only speaking when they gave their orders to an overly flirtatious waitress. As she sashayed away, Edward snickered before looking back at Roy.

"Still have them throwing themselves at your feet, Mustang? I've been gone for years, but it doesn't seem like a whole lot has changed," Edward quipped offhandedly as he kicked his feet up on the space of booth across from him. Roy raised an eyebrow at the foot, but ignored it.

"Yes, my charm and good looks haven't faded in the years you've been gone. They still keep coming," Roy said with faux sadness as he rubbed a hand over his hair. His eyes sparkled with mirth and a grin twitched on his lips.

"How old are you now, Roy? I'm guessing late or mid-thirties. But hell, for all I know you could be an old fifty year old man!" Roy smirked and leaned his head on fist, which was propped on the table by his elbow. He nodded at the waitress as she set down their drinks and pouted when he didn't glance at her twice. When she flounced away, he finally continued the conversation.

"What old man could pull these looks off? Please Fullmetal, don't overestimate my age. I'm only a few years older than you physically are now," Roy easily brushed Edward's teasing away with a swat, but Ed merely grinned.

"You're not one of those people who stops counting your age when you're thirty are you? Because that is just pitiful." Edward sipped at his hot chocolate, enjoying the warmth in the cool dining car. The chatter of other's conversations floated around them, but it wasn't disrupting or irritating. It was just background noise.

"Actually, I'm thirty-four, thank you. Which is nothing to scoff at, seeing as you're now only physically six years younger than me."

"Six years, huh? Well I feel like an old man, so I don't know how you feel," joked Ed, who didn't take his eyes off Roy as his meal was placed in front of him. Roy on the other hand thanked the waitress who giggled coyly. She placed her hands on the table, not-so-subtly pushing her breasts forward shamelessly.

"Can I get you two anything else?" Edward didn't miss the double entendre, but glared at Roy in an attempt to tell him not to accept the offer.

'Don't you do it, you bastard, don't you dare do it.'

"Another cup of coffee please. And maybe a glass of milk for the old coot here," Roy requested and the waitress skipped off again before Ed could object to the milk. He scowled at the other, who merely avoided his death stare in exchange for staring at a booth with three women who were chatting amiably about something or another. Edward huffed and crossed his arms, only to realize how he was acting and uncrossed them. He turned his head to look out at the landscape that was speeding by. Before he knew it, he was reminiscing.

Alphonse paced back and forth across the floor in front of a large ornate door. He pulled anxiously at his collar until Edward swatted his hand away in irritation.

"Alphonse, I know this is your wedding day and I know you're nervous, but will you please relax and sit down for a moment? We both know Leanne would not like to marry a sweaty man," Edward scolded and Al sighed and took a seat in a nearby chair, head in his hands.

"You're right Ed, like always. I need to calm down. But what if I'm making a mistake? What if Leanne doesn't actually love me? What if-"

A 'smack' echoed around the hallway, abruptly interrupting Alphonse's fretting. Edward stood over his little brother, eyebrows drawn together, and golden eyes sharp.

"Leanne loves you Al. She loves you for you. She said yes. She's going to be an Elric. Do you love her, Al?" Al slowly lifted his head at his brother's words, eyes wide and slightly glazed as his mentally ran over memory after memory.

"Yeah, Brother, I do. I do love her. She's perfect," Al trailed off and his eyes sharpened again, but once again with panic. He breathed deeply and put his head back in his hands and began murmuring something quietly. Ed crouched down to hear what his brother was saying.

"-bon; twenty kilograms. Ammonia; four litres. Lime; one-point-five kilograms. Phosphorous; eight hundred grams. Salt; two hundred fifty grams. Saltpe-"

Edward chuckled at his brother's monologue. He didn't understand why alchemy calmed them both, but it did. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his tux and peered down at the younger Elric.

"Mom would be so proud," he spoke, successfully stopping Al's mantra. His head snapped up to peer at Ed, eyes glistening.

"You think so?"

"I know so," Ed affirmed. "Leanne is kind and thoughtful. Mom would love her. She would be here; fussing over you, straightening your hair, tightening your bow tie, wiping off the imaginary lint."

Al grinned and stood, embracing his older brother. Only then did Edward notice his brother was shaking slightly.

"Thank you Brother. Thank you so much. For everything."

"Al, you're my brother. I would do anything for you."

The two pulled back and laughed; the sounds were pure and clean, echoing down the hallways.

"Well, I suppose we better go stand by the altar. The wedding is going to start soon."

Edward grinned at Al, before shaking his hand and patting his shoulder.

"Don't faint when you see her," Edward teased.

"Just because on our first date that happened doesn't mean it's going to happen again!" Al retorted with red cheeks.

"Whatever you say Al, whatever you say."

In Edward's head, the scene changed.

Alphonse was once again pacing. His steps reverberated around the white tiled floors and plain white walls. He kept stopping to glance at the door he was walking in front of before resuming his restless tread.

Edward stood propped against the wall nearby; he would first look at Alphonse and then the door of his sister-in-law's hospital room. She had kicked them both out, for fear of their constant tendency to panic over everything. Al had once told her the story of when Winry helped a woman give birth to a baby and he'd made the mistake of mentioning their reactions. Obviously Leanne remembered the story.

Ed had pushed himself forward off the wall to comfort his brother when the door opened and Leanne's doctor stepped out. He smiled softly and gestured for them to come in.

"Come see your daughter, Mr. Elric."

Al pushed past the doctor and hurried to his wife's side. She looked exhausted, bags evident under her eyes. She peered up at Alphonse before shifting so he could see what she was holding.

The younger Elric brother's eyes widened and his mouth formed a slight 'o'. He reached out and Leanne passed him the small bundle. He cuddled the baby in the blanket, gently sitting down to get her in a comfortable position in his arms. The baby was red faced, but it was evident that she was slightly tanned. Her hands were fisted and her eyes were narrowed against the bright light. She whimpered and Al hugged her closer. Leanne sat on her bed, watching the scene with tender eyes.

"What're you gonna name her, Al?" Ed inquired, head tilted as he watched his little brother stare at his daughter with such love. Al broke out of his trance and looked at his brother before exchanging a glance with Leanne. Leanne simply smiled and nodded, causing Al to grin happily.

"Gabrielle Trisha Elric."

"Gabrielle Trisha Elric," Edward repeated with a slight smile on his face. Only Leanne's father was in the room besides the Elrics; Leanne's mother had died when she was a little girl, like Ed and Al's. Edward intuited that Leanne had agreed with Al to name their baby after both of their mothers.

Al's voice broke through Edward's thoughts with the offer of holding his niece. Edward happily accepted and took a seat before taking the newborn into his arms. He felt slightly awkward holding a baby, but he quickly became accustomed and examined the newly named Gabrielle.

She had a head of black hair, which Edward guessed would turn a lighter shade of brown like Al and Leanne's over a few years. When her eyelids flickered open long enough for Ed to see, he spotted two brilliant blue-gray orbs darting around. Her tiny fingers were still in a fist and every once in a while she would wave them around.

When his arms began to go numb from holding still, Edward offered Gabrielle up to Leanne's father, who looked giddy as he wrapped the small baby in his arms.

"Gabby for short, right?" Edward questioned, to which Al nodded. None of them spoke a lot, simply enjoying the moment.

Edward was literally shaken from his memories by Roy, who looked curious. The blond merely shook his head and picked up his drink, only to find that it was cold. With a sigh, he clapped and used alchemy to warm the drink back up. He took a sip and burnt his tongue, swearing under his breath. Roy chuckled and Ed scowled, clapping once again to get the drink to the perfect temperature before gulping it down. He stood without any forewarning and left to go back to their compartment. His eyes glistened with unshed tears at the thought of his brother, niece and sister-in-law. It'd be just after a year since he died to them, even though it was only a few short days ago for him. Which probably meant they had moved on, while he was still grieving the loss of his little brother and his family.

'How strange these times are.'

He sat down on the plush bench and stared out the window, listlessly watching the landscape roll by. He didn't even look up when the compartment door opened. He tensed when he heard a click, but it was only Roy flicking a lighter open and close. The two sat awkwardly in silence for a few minutes.

"Anything you want to tell me?" Roy asked offhandedly out of the blue, startling Edward from his trance. Edward hesitated, but then shook his head.

"No. Nothing at all." Roy looked like he was about to protest, but he caught himself before he did. He acknowledged Edward's decision with a nod and the two stared out the window until they pulled up at Risembool's station. Ed inhaled deeply before grabbing his suitcase and walking quickly off the train, Roy following behind at a slower, more leisurely pace.

Edward stepped onto the bare station, merely staring at his hometown. Nothing had changed. He smiled slightly and moved slowly down the steps, taking his time as his automail clicked. He needed to get it changed, he knew. It was uneven- had been for years- to the point that he'd gotten used to walking with a constant limp.

He gazed down the path to the Rockbell's house and marched forward, his stride long and meaningful. Roy grinned and followed, easily keeping up with Edward's pace. They were silent, just walking quickly down the dirt path. After an hour, they were standing on the Rockbell's front porch. Edward hesitated, chewing his bottom lip anxiously.

Roy sighed, dropping a hand on Ed's shoulder as he moved past him to knock on the door. A grouchy old voice told them to wait before the door swung open. Edward and Roy turned their heads down to see Pinako in the doorway, pipe hanging limp from her mouth.

"Winry!" She called hoarsely before embracing Edward tightly. Footsteps announced Winry's arrival as she came up behind Pinako. She looked older, but not overly. She had a weary look in her eyes, which brightened when she spotted Ed. She didn't speak, as her eyes widened.

Edward grinned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey Win, been a while, hasn't it?" Tears leaked out from the corners of hers eyes and she reached in her back pocket for what Edward assumed was her wrench, and he flinched in anticipation. What he expected to be the wrench, however, was a grease-stained towel, which she wiped her eyes with, leaving slight black marks on her eyelids. She put it back in her pocket and hugged Edward, clutching tightly onto his shoulders. He hugged her, lightly rubbing her back.

After a few seconds, Winry pulled back, gently rubbing her eyes. Before she could even begin speaking, more footsteps, quieter this time, approached the doorway. A young boy poked his head out from behind Winry's leg with wide blue eyes.

"Mama, who's this?"

Winry dropped to her knees and put her hands on the boy's shoulders. He had blond hair that was cut short, looking eerily similar to how Alphonse's hair looked as a child.

"This is the man Daddy and I named you after." The boy looked confused, eyebrows scrunching together.

"But Daddy said he died..."

Winry sighed, pulling the boy close.

"Sometimes miracles happen, Ed." She murmured, kissing his forehead. Edward glanced back and forth between the two wildly with a bewildered expression.

"Winry, who is this? Why did he call you Mom? Why did you tell him he was named after me? What is going on here?" He practically shouted, while Roy stifled a chuckle.

"Isn't it obvious Ed? Your childhood friend here had a kid. She thought you died and figured she'd name her kid after you. Easy as that."

"Easy for you, Mustang! Have you ever just appeared from another dimension only to find out your best friend named her kid after you?" Winry slapped the side of Edward's head and angrily put her hands on her hips.

"Edward Elric, why are you talking about me as if I'm not here? I can answer your questions just as well as Mr. General here!" Winry fumed while little Ed's mouth formed an 'o' as he looked back and forth between his namesake and his mother. Edward threw his hands in the air before clenching them tightly.

"Then will you please explain what the hell has happened in the past 2 years I've been gone?" He retorted and Winry blew out a sigh.

"Come on in and get comfortable. It's a decent story." Edward and Roy exchanged a look and Roy nodded imperceptibly as they followed Winry inside.

"So, I guess you started drinking milk Ed? You've gotten pretty tall," Pinako muttered, looking up as Edward bit his tongue to keep from replying angrily.

"No, I just had a growth spurt, thank you," Edward said with gritted teeth. Pinako tipped her head back and laughed, while Edward cracked a smile.

"I missed you kid." She grinned, taking a seat on a chair as Roy and Ed sat on the couch. Winry disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Ed to explain to Pinako what'd happened briefly. He wasn't too far in his story when a tug on his pants interrupted him.

"Mr. Edward sir?" Edward chuckled, picking the kid up and setting him next to him on the couch.

"Call me Ed. Or Edward. Or Uncle Ed. All of them work."

"O-ok! Uncle Ed, why did you leave? My mama has missed you," little Ed told him, eyes on his lap the entire time. Edward didn't reply for a few seconds, until his 'nephew' looked up at him.

"I missed her too, kid." Before Ed could respond, Winry came back in the room with some tea and food, which Edward dove into happily. Roy copied, but at a slower pace.

"So, where do we begin?" Edward asked when he'd pulled back from the food, leaving mostly scraps behind. Little Ed giggled and toddled over to Winry, who picked him up and set him on her lap.

"Why don't you start? What'd you do in that other dimension once you left again? And be sure to tell us about Alphonse." Edward grinned, popping another piece of food in his mouth.

"How could I forget to do that?"

Over the next couple of hours, they began to exchange stories, starting with Edward telling everyone else about his and Alphonse's interest in rocketry. He told about Alfons, Leanne, and Gabrielle and how she was named after Trisha and Leanne's mother. Then he explained the war and how he died, leaving off with his arrival in Amestris and Roy taking care of him. Then Winry launched into her story of what had happened in the last 2 years he'd been gone, assuming he knew about the two before that because of Alphonse.

She explained meeting her husband, who was currently in Central taking care of business. She told about how automail mechanics were high in demand because of the attack from the other dimension. They discussed the need to replace Edward's automail. She asked questions about Alphonse, Gabrielle and Leanne. They had a long conversation, although Pinako and Roy remained quiet most of the time. Their conversation ended when the sun set, however, and everyone decided it had been a long day, and that it was time to go to bed. Roy got the spare bedroom and Edward got the couch. He curled up slightly on his side, and was about to fall asleep until he heard a little voice, waking him up instantly.

Little Ed was standing there with a teddy bear in his hands. The bear had a rip in its stomach and one of its eyes was disconnected. Edward smiled slightly in sympathy, before taking the bear in his hands and repairing it easily with alchemy. Little Ed beamed and wished him goodnight before scurrying back upstairs to his room.

Several hours later, he jolted awake, without knowing the reason why. He climbed off the couch and wandered out the door, just letting his feet lead him wherever. He ended up at the cemetery, in front of his mom's grave. He smiled grimly and took a seat on the dewy grass.

"Hi mom," he murmured, his throat closing slightly. He cleared it and continued. "I know I've been gone a long time. Much too long. I'm sorry I haven't been able to come see you. Forgive me?"

He paused, and swore that when he inhaled, he could smell a hint of his mother's perfume on the wind. The corners of his mouth turned upwards and he laid down on the grass, staring up at the stars in silence. When the beginnings of dawn poked at the sky, he sat up and gave a last goodbye to his mother.

He made his way down the dirt path; hair tousled and dirty, eyes bloodshot and clothes rumpled. Yet he was smiling as he gazed down the path to his childhood friend's home, happy memories flowing fresh through his mind again.