Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will. Unfortunately. And on THAT note…
A/N: So… this is random. Whatever. It's another story I did that wasn't a fanfic, but I modified it when I thought, 'aww, this is a sweet happy end. Why not let Winry and Ed have it?' The story had two brothers and their childhood best friend in, who kind of reminded me of Ed and Winry… had they ever expressed their true feelings for one another. And the last line too, I really liked, because as far as I can tell, there's nothing BEHIND Winry's house, 'cept hills and stuff. So it is, the end of the road. Blah. Whatever. Please R&R, it's not as bad as it sounds! (Hopes)
After having gone on a long journey with Winry tagging along, the Elric brothers finally complete their quest and return home to Risenbool. What happened on their travels? How did they get their bodies back? No one knows… frankly because I could never be bothered to complete it, so I just wrote the end.
Long live happy endings!
.o0o.
The three of them walked, up the Old Road together, arm in arm, for the first and last time. All three were laughing, full of talk of their childhood and the home so near awaiting them. They talked of their Granny Pinako and their old friends, and of Den waiting for them on the porch. None of them talked about the adventure they'd shared.
Just after they'd passed the stream, Edward turned around quite suddenly and said to Winry, "Have I told you that I love you yet?"
Winry just smiled secretly. "No." she said simply.
"Well, Winry, I love you."
Her smiled widened into a grin. "I know." She said, and broke forward into a run.
"Wait!" yelled Ed, frowning deeply, "aren't you going to say it back?"
"Nope!" She chanted, "you'll have to catch me first!" and she raced off into the meadows.
Ed stared at his brother. Al gave him a shove. "Go on!" he gestured.
Ed didn't need to be told twice. He flew off after her, dumping his bags and racing through the fields in her wake, laughing and smiling with joy, happiness and contentment. Behind him, Al started running too.
They were kids again. Years of sorrow, sadness and loneliness all washed away. They were free, they were home. After a minute of pointless, boundless running, they had forgotten that anything existed outside of their world.
When Ed reached the stile, he leapt over it effortlessly, despite having regained his former limbs and lost the automail advantages. He was still really strong, and positive he had grown in the last few days during their journey home, despite what everyone else said. He was so preoccupied in his thoughts of height and Winry, he didn't notice that Al wasn't following him any more, he was just following Winry's parted pattern in the long grass. Not daring to loose her, he galloped off.
Eventually, he found her sitting on a bent-over branch of a tree, on the edge of the meadow. She turned to him and grinned.
"You caught me!" She laughed.
"You let me catch up!" he complained.
She shrugged. "I wanted to be caught."
Ed shook a leaf out of his hair and made his way towards her. He flopped down against the trunk. Then he frowned, stared around, and laughed.
"This- this is where I, er, proposed!" He said.
She nodded, remembering with slight embarrassment when Ed had pulled her away from their other friends one morning, and declared that he was going to marry her one day, before giving her a ring he had fashioned out of metal. Not being much good at daisy chains, and disliking the way they wilted so quickly, he had used basic alchemy to twist some spare wire they'd had lying about the house into the shape of flowers. He knew how much Winry loved them, and he'd loved even more the look she'd given him when he gave it to her. That, he said, would never wither away. It was a promise.
"You kept the ring all this time?" He asked.
More nods.
"Can I see it?"
"Why?"
"Please?"
She fetched in out from under her shirt where it still hung, as shiny as pure silver, on a long plain chain.
Ed took it from her and examined it carefully while Winry stared out at the distance, admiring a long forgotten view. When she turned around, Ed was on one knee, the ring in his right hand, reaching out to her.
"Oh my God!" She said.
"Winry," Started Ed.
"OH MY GOD!"
"Er, Win, I know we're still young and stuff, but well… well, you know… we've known each other forever! Loads of people who -who get… you know- don't know each other as long as we have, and well, I was thinking. Wondering. Wondering if you would… Oh, Hell. Winry, can I just skip with the romantic crap, and kiss you?"
"Yes!" She screeched.
"What, yes you'll marry me or yes I can kiss you?"
"Both, dummy!"
The ring was hastily pushed onto her finger, never to be hidden from the world again. Winry jumped into Edwards's arms and he spun her around, both of them laughing and smiling in the same breath.
"Hey, Ed?" Started Winry, still smiling ecstatically.
"Yeah Win?"
"I love you too, you know. Even though you're mean, and rude, and insensitive –most of the time- and a midget-"
"I am NOT!" He objected loudly, his ridiculously happy grin collapsing into a dark scowl.
She giggled cutely. He decided he could get used to short jokes if it meant hearing her laugh again.
"Oh, Ed," she shook her head fondly, pulling his lips onto hers. An earthquake couldn't have moved Ed from that spot right then, as he pulled Winry into his arms and leant into the kiss deeply, savouring each sweet moment with her, knowing that they could last forever.
There was the sound of cheering, followed by clapping and the bark of a dog. The two of them lifted their heads to see Al sitting on the fence with Granny Pinako, the military behind them. Mustang, Hawkeye, Armstrong, Schiesza, Falman, Fuery, Bloch, Ross, Havoc- all of their friends in casual clothing. Even Black Hitate was there, wagging his tail and sniffing Den's bum happily. They must have driven there and beaten them by days. Laughing, Ed and Winry waved back.
"Well, it's about time!" Roared Armstrong happily, sparkling with joy.
Granny Pinako smiled secretly, and puffed on her pipe. She leant up to Al's ear and whispered "'Spose I'd best start knitting the booties now."
"Grandma!"
"Well, I do like preparing Al…" she explained wisely, "I'm just glad it can be preparing for the best now, rather than the worse. You were right, Major, by the way," she laughed at Armstrong, "only took 'em… Oo, eighteen years?"
"Since birth?" Hissed Al, clearly shocked, "You've been betting how long Ed and Winry would take together since they were born?"
"Of course," Answered Pinako plainly, "It was obvious since they were about- er, three? You were too little to remember, but their parents would talk about it constantly! It was a good job I discovered Major Armstrong here, I'd missed making the bets."
"BETS!" Shrieked Al, "You made bets on them?"
"Investment's more the word," she mulled, "I suppose we best go pick up my winnings from the other villagers, eh, Major?"
She elbowed him playfully and the two giggled to themselves. Al rolled his eyes dramatically and sighed, before Mustang caught him under his arm and ruffled his hair affectionately, at the same time cheering at happy couple, Hawkeye's keen glare eyeing him carefully. He gulped nervously, hoping Fullmetal wouldn't need a bullet-proof vest for his honeymoon.
To please them further, Ed pulled Winry round and caught her in his arms, kissing her deeply again. More cheers and claps. Then they ran up to join them. To be with their family.
And Al… well, even if Ed was his only living relative, he was more a part of the Rockbells than he had ever been before. Edward would always be his brother, no matter how large his own family got, but blood and flesh didn't matter anymore. He stared up at the house on the hill, gazing down happily at them. He was finally home. He had Granny Pinako and Den again. He had Ed too, both of them complete and whole. But best of all, they had Winry. There was no awkwardness between the trio, he did not feel left out, but more a part of it. Their friendship could only be strengthened by their marriage. For the first time in his life, Al had nothing to worry about- and he didn't care what happened in the future. In the end, every promise had been kept, and everything was OK.
After all, they were here, weren't they?
Here at road's end.
.o0o.
A/N: I know. It doesn't work. But I HAD to do something. (bows down an apoligises) Sorry folks!