A.N/ Hi people! I'm back with the weekly update, and this time it is the final chapter...o.O! Ooh I've been anticipating writing this for so long! Again, this is a story for my friend Swordsman of Fire! KYA! Everyone read his stories he writes good. Haha okay I am very happy with all the reviews I got last chapter! I am very proud that this story has become bigger than I imagined! Please enjoy this chapter, I am trying to make it extremely long for all my poor reviewer people who say it is to-o short!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The snow was falling outside Edward's bedroom window, but still he left it open. His eyes were soft in the winter beauty of the falling ice crystals. A freezing breeze blew the silently falling snow into his bedroom, scattering it across his neat desk and onto his arms and lap. His left arm was freezing, his cuff rolled up above his elbow, while the frozen water stuck to his right arm… unable to melt on the hard, automail surface.

Ed allowed the snow to freeze his arm for a few more minutes. The alchemist bit the inside of his cheek to keep down the tears. He didn't understand himself lately, he was crying openly often (and for Ed, often was twice in five months), and he'd started to feel as if there were something missing in the bottom of his stomach. Being near Riza or the others seemed to help some but he couldn't seem to put his finger on what he kept forgetting what to do or find.

The young man sniffled once, and controlled himself. And none to soon, a soft nock came from the door behind him. Ed spun in his chair and wiped his eye s quickly, brushing the snow onto the floor and quickly shutting the window. "Come in!" he called, turning back to face his desk and pull a book out as the person entered.

"Edward, I was just wondering if you're hungry… dinner's done," Riza's soft voice asked him, and he turned around, keeping the book in his hands. She was standing halfway through the door, holding the knob and smiling gently. Her eye brows furrowed at the sight of the book, however.

"What are you reading?" she asked him, stepping forward into the room and leaving the door ajar behind her.

Ed raised his eyebrows, taken aback. He hadn't checked the cover before picking the book up to make an excuse as to what he was doing in his bedroom and what he'd been doing all day. To be honest, he had been reading on his bed most of the cold day, it was a Sunday, and there was no work. It hadn't been until about a half hour before that he noticed it was snowing and opened the window to feel the cold air on his skin.

The blonde feigned surprise, frowning slightly and turning the book to look at the cover and read the title quickly before answering her. "Rainy Days Blessed," he answered, grinning goofily.

Riza's jaw dropped before she slapped her hand over her mouth to hold back the giggles. "Are you serious?" she asked him. "You've been reading my cliché novels?" she asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes from hysterics.

Ed's face was covered in total surprise as he stared at the cover of the book. He hadn't even realized that this was the book he'd picked up. He hadn't meant to, that was for sure. But (even though he didn't want to admit it (even to himself)) he had been reading her books lately. He'd read so much on alchemy in the last few weeks that he had grown quickly annoyed. Most of it he had known since he was twelve years old, anyway!

So, though it was quite pathetic he knew, he had turned to the corny romance books.

"No! I don't even like this book! I mean, I wouldn't know if I would like it or not because I've never read it! That is, even if I did read it," he stuttered his words out in a fury. "Which I have not, I definitely would not like it!" he nodded, rethinking his words very quickly to make sure they made sense.

Riza chuckled. "Yes, so I suppose it's not that appealing for me to like them," she shrugged crossing her arms.

"No! You're a woman, of course you would like them," Ed waved it off with his right hand. Riza's eyes grew wide.

"So you're saying that all women like these types of books," she raised an eyebrow. "How sexist."

"Um, no I didn't mean it that way, only women like you do," he nodded happily, then realized that that sounded wrong too. "Not to say that you are a type of woman, you aren't! You're original!" he grinned. Way to fix it he thought to himself.

Riza's previously angry eyes softened. "Thanks, Ed." She turned away to leave the room.

"Hey, Riza," Ed stopped her suddenly and she turned around. "Dinner would be nice!" he smiled, and her spine tingled. Why was it that whenever she was near him… she felt so different?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Always take care of each other, that's what is important, boys," she whispered, her hand clamped tightly in theirs. They stared at her dark eyes, wishing that she didn't look so weak, her chestnut brown hair strewn out on the pillow. Her beautiful face surrounded in the dark locks… looking older than it really was, worn out. She looked like a dying angel.

Her grip squeezed theirs back for a final fleeting second, and then slowly loosened as her head rolled to the side. Her eyes closed, and she was gone.

Al cried, and Ed had only wrapped an arm around his shoulders, refusing to let a single tear fall. There was no way that he could let his baby brother see him weakened by anything. He had to stay strong, for Alphonse, for his late mother, for the people around him.

It was all his father's fault… if he had still been there then his mom wouldn't have ever gotten sick like this! They couldn't live without her. Neither knew how to cook, they were aware of the barest alchemy, had no family left, no home. Well… they had these four walls, but it couldn't really be called home without their mothe there with them.

She'd always been there. To cook for them, clean up their mess, praise their alchemy skills, give them haircuts… she was their lives.

And she was gone. Her hand slipped away again and again like an overplayed flashback, the life left her eyes.

The scene changed, and he saw his mother hanging up the wet laundry on the clothesline to dry. HE handed her a toy horse, proudly announcing that he had transmuted it. She smiled and accepted the gift… but her sweet smile turned horrendous.

An evil grin, and blood trickled down her chin as she whispered:

"But it's too bad that you couldn't transmute me, too."

Ed sat up quickly in bed, golden eyes flying open as he let out a scream. He panted, his eyes wild as he looked around the room, nightmares still running through his head. Even at twenty years old the terrible dreams refused to cease and they ripped him apart way too often.

He hadn't had anything that actually woke him up in the middle of the night since he was younger, though. It took him a few seconds to comprehend, but soon he realized that it had been a dream, and his head fell into his hands.

"Only a dream," he whispered through panting breaths. His eyes narrowed to keep back tears, the pain of losing his mother and never once crying overcoming him. There were footsteps outside in the hallway, and he heard a gun click.

A half second later the door swung open and Riza stood in the doorway, holding her gun ready. Her red eyes scanned the room, then fell on Ed, sitting huddled in the bed. He glanced between his elbow and knee and saw her standing there, worry in her eyes as she stopped, puzzled.

She didn't move, didn't seem to know what to do. If she should go to him and ask what was wrong, or just turn and leave, knowing that he wasn't hurt.

"Edward," she said slowly, her voice questioning. "Is something wrong? I heard you scream," she stepped forward towards his bed.

"Nightmare," he said simply, not able to hide the fear, the torment, the hurt in his voice. He turned his eyes away again, unable to force her. What kind of a man was he? Crying and shivering in bed at night like a child? Needing the help of a woman who had already been trough too much?

"Ed you can tell me what happened," she whispered, walking closer until she was next to the bed. Slowly she moved a hand forward to place on his shoulder, hesitated, and went to back up. An automail hand caught her wrist and pulled it down onto a warm shoulder.

Riza stood stunned, but gripped Ed's shoulder tightly. He… wants me to hold him? Ed's the kind that always shuns physical contact… then again nobody ever tries to comfort him. Her eyes softened as she rubbed his shoulder in slow, even circles. His hand gripped her wrist gently, the freezing metal hard against her skin. She couldn't believe how wonderful it felt to be touched by the automail… better than she would have imagined.

Before she would have disliked touching the artificial object that served as a limb… but in the back of her mind she knew now that in the future there would be few things she enjoyed more.

"Riza," his soft voice broke through her thoughts. She looked away from her hand on his shoulder and saw his tear stained face, amber eyes staring up at her. "You- you know you can go home whenever you want," he said, his voice louder, but choking up a couple times. He tried to hold back the tears as new thoughts and old flashed behind his eyes.

Light from the moon outside illuminated Riza's face, falling through the window where the curtains were pulled back. A snowy court yard was revealed below, the ice crystals shimmering in lunar beauty.

Riza gasped lightly, her arm froze up and her back tensed. Ed wanted her to leave, he probably wanted her and Amber to move out again so that he could entertain people. He was a grown man, and his brother a teenager, they probably wanted to start seeing women. Making friends with other men in the town….

"Ed, I'll leave if- if you want me to," she whispered, backing her arm away and half smiling. "I only wanted to see-" she was cut off by his startled look.

"What's wrong?" she asked, seeing his worried eyes, he frown. She mistook the look for anger, and backed away, half smiling nervously. "I'll leave you to sleep, sorry," she whispered, moving to leave through the half-open door.

Her hand on the knob, she was stopped dead in her tracks by his next words. "Don't!" he exclaimed, his voice a harsh whisper.

Riza stood wide eyed as she listened to him, silent behind her. Slowly, she closed the door and turned the knob. With a soft click the door shut and she stood there, staring at it's blue surface. "Don't what, Ed?" she asked softly, not looking at him.

"Don't… don't leave me! Don't leave me too!" he sobbed, swinging his legs over the bed. Riza spun quickly on her heal, seeing his eyes, intense… staring at hers.

She frowned slightly. What did he mean, don't leave him? "Ed, what do you mean?" she asked, striding across the room until she was a few feet across from him.

"Don't leave us. Don't leave Al, don't leave me. You do everything here," he whispered, staring down at his lap. His shirt was off (A/N which is how I imagine Ed would normally sleep. Besides Riza would not be embarrassed! Roy had abs too!) and he wore blue pajama bottoms.

"Besides, we like Amber! I think Alphonse is happier with her along, like a little sister," he stood up quickly. Riza stood still, looking at him with wondering eyes. "We need you…. I need you," in a swift motion, Riza was pulled towards the young man, and felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her into a gentle, tight embrace.

Her eyes were startled as she looked out the window over his shoulder.

"First with Mom, then Alphonse, Hughes, Nina, Winry, Pinako, Dad, Roy…. Everyone always has to die," he said softly, his forehead on her shoulder. She felt his shoulders shaking with more silent sobs, and she slowly moved her arms up, hugging him back. Relaxing into the embrace, she hushed him, running a hand through the soft hair.

"It's okay… Ed, I'm not going anywhere," she kissed his shoulder. "I'll stay with you if you want me to. But only if you want me to," she consoled him.

"But why would you tell me I could leave if you don't want me to?" she wondered aloud, running her hand through his loose hair in a rhythmic motion.

"I thought you didn't want to be here anymore, held down by Al and I. Maybe you wanted to go back to the house where you were with Roy," he choked. "But then you sounded like I was kicking you out. And all I want is for you to be happy," he hugged her tighter.

(A/N Okay just a quick note. Yeah this is where stuff gets all cute and fluffy. HAHA! I know that there's been barely any romance up until this point and it all seems harried but remember these people have been living together for 7 MONTHS! Besides they've known each other for 8 years so get over it! Neh neh!)

"Edward…" she whispered, not sure what to say. They stood together for a few moments, the silence surrounding the couple in its silky folds.

There were foot steps outside the door, and behind them they heard It swing open.

"Momma where are you?" a small voice asked. "You weren't in bed. I need a drink," she moaned. Riza turned her neck to look at her daughter and Ed looked up at the toddler.

Her eyes were still closed, she hadn't spotted them yet. Neither knew what to do, they were stunned… and as the girl's dark eyes opened, Ed and Riza's faces turned bright red.

Amber's face portrayed shock, confusion, and happiness all in one. She clapped her hands together after a second and blushed.

"What are you two doing?" she giggled.

Edward and Riza stuttered, neither sure how to explain the true story to a four year old. Finally Amber grew bored of their ramblings and cut in, snapping her fingers three times at them.

"Are you gunna kiss?" she stressed out the word (A/N I let you guess which one) with anxious eyes.

"Yes but we can't exactly do that in front of a child, now can we?" Ed asked over Riza's shoulder, his voice childish and somewhat mocking.

"Go to bed, Amber, Momma will be there soon," Riza sighed, turning back and resting her forehead on Ed's shoulder… portraying exhaustion.

"Goodnight," Amber yawned, turning and leaving.

The two stood there for another moment, unsure what to do.

"Hey, Riza?" Ed asked, his voice slow and worried.

"Yes, Edward?" she asked as nonchalantly as possible, positive of what he was thinking.

"I did say, um, you know she's just a kid and…" his voice trailed off.

"It's okay Edward," she whispered, looking up into his eyes.

"I can't lie to her," Ed whispered… and their faces got closer, and closer… until…

"BROTHER!" Alphonse yelped, swinging the door open. "Where's Riza?! She disappeared!" he paused suddenly at seeing the others, lips a mere inch apart.

Ed glared up at his younger brother, motioning curtly with his hand for him to leave.

"Oh, uh, okay. Sorry, I'll just be going now, I gotta get to… the laundry," he said unsurely, turning a deep red and leaving.

Ed laughed loudly as he turned back to Riza. And in a single swift motion, he had kissed her with the most intensity he could muster, and she was smiling into the kiss and kissing back.

Ed and Riza got married three months later. They had five children and three of them grew up to be state alchemists. They haven't parted and never will… and they are just as in love as they were when she first moved in.

Alphonse married a girl named Eileen, and they had eight cats… or rather they adopted them. They also had a son and a daughter, whom they named Edward and Trisha.

As for Amber, she takes after her father. Wears the spare pair of gloves that her mother saved, and knows just how to use them. When people asks, she replies that she is the daughter of the three most amazing soldiers the Military State had ever seen.

END

A.N. Yay! All done! I'm so happy! Wahoo can't wait to upload this! I am pretty happy with the ending and the detail! Yay but now I find myself wishing to be Riza (grr). Okay see you all soon and I hope you liked the story, Swordy!