Dec 1st, 1969

Alphonse wasn't surprised to find Cal leaning against the window sill in the waiting room of the Central hospital. After all, it was Cal who had called at four in the morning and told him and Elicia that Alyse was in labor. Gloria had been dropped next door at Will and Ren's on the way to the hospital.

It was only eleven in the morning, but Cal already looked like he'd lost two or three days of sleep. Of course, after Gloria's birth, Al wasn't surprised his son-in-law looked like he was trying not to hyperventilate.

"Breathe," Al chuckled as he approached. "I seem to remember it helps."

Cal gave him a weak grin. "Very funny."

"So how's she doing?" If they were at the hospital, there must be a reason. Especially after Alyse's delivering Gloria during the holiday in Resembool.

Cal's smile slipped. "She's in a lot of pain. The baby's not in the right position, and they can't turn him yet. Ren said it wasn't something she could do with alchemy and suggested we come on over here, you know, just to be safe."

"Is she here?"

"Yeah, Ren's in with Alyse." Cal glanced down the long hallway.

Having Ren there made Al feel better. Even if this wasn't something that could be easily fixed with alchemy, she knew what she was doing. His daughter was in good hands. "You all right?"

"Not really," Cal replied, fidgeting. "They ordered me out of the room. I'm not even sure what they're doing right now."

"Have you eaten this morning?"

"No."

"Go get something," Al put a hand on Cal's shoulder and gave him a bit of a shove. "You're no good to Alyse if you pass out in the waiting room."

It was a sign of Cal's distraction that he almost stumbled and offered no resistance to Al's light push. "But-"

"I'll be right here in case they come out," Al pointed out. "I'll come get you. Just go down to the cafeteria and get food and drink."

Cal nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Al smiled. "No problem."

Cal turned and headed down the hallway at a quick pace; obviously not intending to be gone longer than necessary. "Back soon."

The sound of a muffled shout left Al just hoping that wasn't Alyse he was hearing.

A glass of cola, a bagel, and two cigarettes later Cal felt like he might be able to face the delivery room again. He'd bummed both of the latter off another guy with only the remotest twinge of guilt. He was looking forward to being a father again…. But he was never going to be able to handle this whole delivery thing.

Alphonse was sitting in the waiting room, as promised, when Cal got back. "What have I missed?" The words blurted from his mouth, sounding no calmer than he felt.

"Not much," Al assured him. "I haven't been told a thing."

As he spoke, Cal spotted a nurse coming out of the door he knew led to Alyse's room. "I think that's about to change."

"Mr. Fischer," the nurse nodded to Cal. "Your wife wants you."

"How is she?" His mouth went dry at her flat expression.

"If you hurry, you might not miss the delivery," she replied, and she didn't sound like she was kidding either.

Cal barely refrained from running down the hallway.

When he entered the room, Cal's eyes went straight to Alyse's face. The nurse hadn't exaggerated. He was glad that relief crossed her face when she saw him. "You made it," she gasped.

Cal hurried to her side and took her right hand in both of his. "Of course I did." Eyes, look at the eyes, don't look at the business end.

Alyse smiled, just slightly, as if she knew what he was thinking. "Good. Cause we're out of time."

Obviously they had managed to turn the baby without any further problems. Cal didn't have time to respond when the nurse cut in, and Alyse was following her and Ren's directions with the next contraction…. Pushing.

"You want to see this?" The nurse asked him a few contractions later.

"I ah…"

"No," Ren answered right over top of him.

The nurse looked startled, but there wasn't time to converse.

Look at Alyse, look at her face. It's all right. Don't listen to the sounds, don't look back. Just smile, look in her eyes.

Then a loud yowl filled the air, and Cal knew it was over. Alyse's grip on his hands lessened seconds later as she collapsed into the pillows behind her. Hair disheveled, sweat soaked, she still looked lovely to him.

Cal leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You all right?"

"I will be," she nodded slightly, taking long, slow breaths. "After a month of sleep."

"I don't think either one of us it going to get it," Cal chuckled. He looked over at Ren, who had cut and tied cord and held the wailing child in her arms. "We've got a loud one this time."

"He certainly is," Ren chuckled, coming around the bed side.

He. "It's a boy?" Cal asked, though the answer was quite evident when she handed him his wailing son. The skin was so soft in his hands; the wriggling infant so very much alive.

"Oh yes, that's a boy," Alyse giggled. "Do I get to hold him?"

"What, oh… right." Cal leaned in and helped settle the tiny boy in Alyse's arms. Confronted with warmth, he wriggled close against Alyse instinctively, and quieted to a whimper.

"That's right," Alyse cooed. "You know where you are now, don't you Charles?"

They had agreed on the name only a couple of weeks ago. Cal could have hoped for something a little more informal, but at least it wasn't as bad as naming the kid after his own old man would have been. "He sure does." Cal reached out with one finger, very gently brushing the tip along his son's cheek. "Hey there, Charlie. You're a good looking little guy."

"Sure he is," Alyse smirked at him. "He takes after you."

"How can you tell that when he's still all wrinkled and red and yelling?" Cal teased.

Alyse looked down at their son, then up again. "It's the definite resemblance."

Cal tried to look offended. "Are you calling me a loud old man?"

"Not at all," she kissed his cheek. "Just very insistent."

"Usually that's a good thing," Cal countered.

"Yes," Alyse smiled up at him knowingly. "Usually."

Dec 8th, 1969

"So what are you doing for the holidays?" Tore asked as he and Charisa finished shoveling the snow off the walk from the stairs to his apartment all the way around the front of Rockbell Auto-mail. He hadn't asked Charisa to help, but she'd been over visiting when Winry had asked if he could help out that evening. "Your father's gone out of town right?"

Charisa nodded as she shoved a last scoop of snow off into the gutter. "Yeah. He decided he wanted a change of scenery for a bit. So he went to Creta, and then he's going to swing through South City to visit the rest of the family before coming home."

"Well good for him," Tore smiled. He knew the General hadn't been the same since his wife's unexpected passing. He spent very little time outside the house it seemed, and Charisa was always fretting about him. "Though that doesn't answer my question."

"Spending the holiday with Niam… and Denise," Charisa added, smiling after a moment. "She decided to stay in Central over the holidays this year. The University Orchestra has a big holiday concert series this year, and she was asked to play a violin solo for the Central Orchestra's New Year's concert."

"That's great!" Tore had heard Denise play – though he hadn't actually seen any of her Softball games. She was very talented. "Sounds like you'll have a good time."

"You're going to Resembool, right?" Charisa asked as they headed around back towards where they had started, at the base of the covered stairs that went up to Tore's apartment.

"That's the plan," said Tore. He paused at the back door of the shop. "Here, let me give those back," he took the snow shovel from Charisa, and ducked inside.

Winry was sitting in the shop, Dare on her lap, looking at a piece of auto-mail. She looked up in the middle of an explanation of the basics of design. "Finished already?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tore smiled as he put the shovels in the corner and reclaimed his son. "It didn't take us long."

"Well, thank you both," Winry smiled as she gave up the boy in her arms.

"No problem," Tore assured her. It was a very small thing to do, in his mind, and as part of the family it was just one of those things you pitched in and did. Besides, he knew that the cold weather bothered Winry's hands and wrists (and probably a few other joints) if she was out in it too long. "See you later." Several days later, he knew. Winry had come up for a few days to check on things and handle a business negotiation, but she'd be heading back to Resembool tomorrow by the express train to get everything ready for the holidays.

Charisa had beaten him upstairs, and the tea kettle was on the stove heating when Tore closed the door and set Dare down. Tore had his coat halfway off when he realized Charisa was hanging up his phone. "Who is it?"

Charisa turned around. "Noelle. She wanted to know if you wanted to get together after the holidays?" There was an odd note in her voice. Tore didn't think it was jealousy, but it did sound a bit guarded.

He smiled. "I'll give her and Jean a call back later. Thanks for catching the phone. Actually, do you want to go with me?"

That was not something she had expected; it was clear as she blinked. "Me?"

"Well why not?" Tore asked as he watched Dare run over and pounce near Rapscallion, who darted out of the way. "They've said they'd like to meet you." Which was true. He hung out with them semi-regularly, especially now that their son, Jean Jr., was almost two and sturdy enough that Dare couldn't hurt him on accident. He wondered if she was thinking what he thought she was. He had mentioned Noelle in passing before, always with Jean as reference too. But he hadn't told her much about them.

"Noelle is the one you met up in Buzcoul."

"Yes, that's right," Tore nodded. "When I was shot, her uncle hid me in his clinic until Cal got me out."

Charisa looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, I'm just going to ask this straight out. Were you and she… involved?"

So much for coming up with a subtle way to explain things. Tore shrugged then nodded. "Briefly, after we liberated Buzcoul during the war. But we've only been friends since then." Obviously, since Noelle was very happily to married to someone else.

"I see." Charisa smiled then, and looked a little more relieved. "Sure, I'd like to meet them. I mean, I think I've seen Jean Stevens around Headquarters. Sara says they hang out sometimes too."

"See, it'll be fun." Tore chuckled. "Besides, you should get out more. You work too much."

Charisa looked like she wanted to stick her tongue out at him. "Niam says the same thing."

"And we can't both be wrong," said Tore. For the past few months, all Charisa did was work it seemed. Friends had to pry her out of her half-empty apartment. Lonely at least.

"Don't push it," Charisa shook her head as the kettle started whistling. She turned and headed into his kitchen. "Or you can make your own hot beverages."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it." He was the only man in Central – outside of family – who could get Charisa Breda (she had changed her name back almost immediately) alone in his kitchen fixing him a drink.

Dec 19th, 1969

"Nice work," Edward grinned as he picked up the kitchen pan on the table by the handle and looked it over. It was Urey's latest piece of original transmutation from raw materials. Smooth lines, perfectly even cooking surface, polished matte metal finish. "Now we can make lunch!"

Urey laughed, clearly pleased with his Grandfather's praise. "Which is, of course, why it was critical we do this transmutation this morning, right?" The thirteen-year-old alchemist stood and stretched. They had spent half the morning hunched over the cleared dining table working on various transmutation exercises.

"Of course." Ed agreed as he took the pan into the kitchen. "Winry can't make those Aerugean wraps without the right pan." They were hot wraps with meat and grilled vegetables, rolled in soft flat bread. Ed preferred his with avocados and sour cream.

"Not enough to feed everyone anyway," Winry agreed as she met him at the kitchen door. She owned one pan, but to make enough for the whole family it was better to have two. "Thank you, Urey. It looks perfect."

"You're welcome, Granny," Urey smiled back. "What's next Grandpa?"

"Sparring practice," Ed replied. Nothing like working up an appetite. "But it won't be just us. I thought we'd take a little walk down to the train station and meet up with the Central crew when they arrive, and Trisha could join us." And anyone else who was interested, but Ed would definitely be hijacking his other alchemy student.

"Great! Someone else for you to beat on." Urey quipped, ducking Ed's playful cuff at his head.

"More like someone else to beat on you," Ed chuckled. "Trisha spends a lot of time sparring with Roy, and you know how competitive those two are."

"Is that competing or flirting?" Reichart asked as he left off flipping through an art book to join them. He grinned. "When they were here this summer it sure looked like both."

Ed couldn't deny it. Trisha was fifteen, the same age Sara had started getting involved with boys. His daughter was lucky it hadn't started earlier. While he only saw them a few months out of the year, he had to agree that both of his other regular alchemy students – aside from being best friends – certainly seemed to have a growing interest. "Just don't tease her about it unless you want your shorts transmuted into something embarrassing," Ed warned him. If nothing else, Trisha had certainly developed more of her mother's temperament, though her temper was a bit calmer in most cases.

"He could just deal with being teased back," Urey suggested with a grin. "What are you doing here anyway, Art? Shouldn't you be with Deanna?"

Reichart chuckled, though he looked a little wistful. "I wish. Her family's visiting relatives on the other side of the mountain for the solstice." It was clear that he'd rather have had her around for the holidays.

"That's too bad." Ed sympathized. They'd been going out for two years, and it certainly looked pretty serious from Ed's perspective. There was definitely something of Aldon in his second son, the way Reichart spoke and smiled when he talked about Deanna. Fortunately, the boy seemed to have more patience and common sense.

"Yeah, especially with Coran bringing Gale," Urey added.

"Which is very nice of him," Winry cut in with a don't-go-teasing-your-brothers-too-much note to her voice. "She doesn't have a lot of family."

"Well, we've got plenty to share," Reichart grinned.

"Or spare," Urey laughed. "She can have Coran."

Reichart's grin turned slightly wicked. "I think that's the idea."

Ed laughed as Urey's face turned red. "Okay, let's think about something else instead. If we don't get going we'll leave everyone standing at the station." And really, there were some things they really just didn't need to be speculating on. Privately, Ed was fairly certain that there wasn't anything too intimate going on between the two of them; Gale wasn't the type and Coran seemed to be taking things slow; a hard learned lesson. But it wasn't something for them to be discussing anyway.

"Right. Can I come?" Reichart asked.

"Sure." Ed agreed as he headed for the door and grabbed a jacket off the rack. It was chilly outside, even if it wasn't snowing. "We can always use extra hands to help haul luggage."

If there were a way to make Resembool and Central closer together so she could spend more time with all of her family at once, Winry would have loved to see it done. As it was, she had to settle for faster trains and transportation than existed when she was a girl. Having everyone around her, getting to catch up with them and enjoy time in person instead of over the phone or through letters, was by far the most wonderful way she could think of to spend her time.

Especially when having everyone home even meant her auto-mail workshop was full. The house was just like that; half auto-mail talk, half (or more) alchemy, and half a dozen other fascinating topics that cropped up from time to time, usually punctuated by food (both discussion, and eating).

For once, though who knew how long that would last, no one was actually pregnant. Though Winry had already insisted on taking at least one turn snuggling little Charlie, who was only nineteen days old. At the moment, Alphonse had his grandson in hand, while Cal and Alyse snuggled on one of the living room couches, enjoying having free hands (such a rare event with a newborn).

Glad for free moments, Winry leaned against the doorjamb between kitchen and living room, just watching. Now that they were all there and somewhat unpacked, the adults all seemed content to just relax. Franz and Sara, Will and Ren, Ethan and Lia, Aldon and Cassie… Most of the adult couples were snuggled up comfortably on the living room furniture. Elicia and Gracia were in the kitchen making hot drinks, and after lunch Edward had taken his alchemy students back outside for the promised sparring match that had been – unsurprisingly – postponed until after eating.

Most of the other kids had piled outside to play under the watchful eye of Reichart, and within eye and ear shot of where she knew Ed was working with Urey and Trisha. The littlest few (the four and unders), remained in the living room, playing with a humongous pile of rainbow colored blocks that Ed and Urey had transmuted the day before. They were a variety of shapes, and held up well, but were as soft a wood as might be usable, so they held shape but didn't hurt as much when someone accidentally smacked one into their head. Eamon, Lily, Callie, Kamika, Gloria, and Dare seemed to be having a great time. Alphonse, perched in a stuffed chair he'd pulled away a little bit from the crowd, rocked the now-sleeping Charlie and took part in conversation from the sideline.

There were only three people missing, Winry realized. Coran and Gale were notably absent. Though given how hectic things had been getting off the train, Winry suspected they just wanted a little quiet time to themselves. She had no intention of going looking for them.

The one that made her feel mildly concerned was Tore's noted absence. Sure, Dare was giggling happily with the other little ones, but his father was nowhere to be seen.

"Wonderful sight isn't it?" Elicia smiled as she joined her in looking through the doorway.

"One of the best," Winry agreed, turning her head to look at Elicia. "Do you know where Tore is?"

Elicia blinked. "No. I thought he was in there with the others. Maybe he's outside sparring?"

That was possible, though she hadn't seen him slip out. "Possibly." Winry moved quietly towards the nearest window that looked out in that direction of the yard, to the flat area Ed kept clear for sparring, mostly because he had gotten tired of fixing gardens if he or his students got too enthusiastic. She could see most of the older kids playing tag with Reichart, and Ed working with Urey and Trisha, who both looked warm despite the chill outside. "Nope." She glanced back at the happily chatting couples. She didn't want to draw everyone's attention to Tore's absence. It was very possible that he'd rather no one had noticed. "I think I know where he might be though." On a hunch, she slipped across the long living room and down the wide hallway that led to the backdoor near her auto-mail shop. She peered out the door. There he was, standing on the back of the big wrap-around porch, staring out at past the ornamental Xingese meditation garden at the rolling hills and the creek, and the mountain rising up not too far behind the house. He looked melancholy.

Quietly, Winry fetched a coat and opened the door.

Tore glanced up, startled by the sound of the door closing. Something square vanished into his pocket and a guilty look touched his cheeks with red. "Oh, ah, hi Winry."

A quick sniff caught no scent of smoke. Not that Winry had really been expecting that, but his furtive action had made her cautious. "Are you all right?" she asked gently.

Tore looked like he wanted to say yes, absolutely, but he didn't lie to her. Instead he shrugged. "Yeah, I'm okay. I've just got a lot on my mind."

"And at least part of it's in your pocket." Winry leaned up against the railing beside him, resting on her elbows, facing outward same as he was. There was no reason to play coy.

Now Tore did blush. "I…it's not anything…"

"I know, Tore," Winry smiled reassuringly. Despite his issues over the years, she doubted it was anything he couldn't do in his own apartment with his son around. She'd have smelled it for one thing.

Tore's expression said he had the feeling she wouldn't leave him alone until her curiosity was assuaged. It wasn't true, but Winry didn't say so. With a sigh, he pulled out what turned out to be a slightly worn-around-the-edges photograph.

It was a relatively old picture actually, though Winry knew the woman in it on sight. Somehow, I'm not surprised. "I thought you two were getting along," she commented neutrally. Tore was out here pining over a picture of Charisa. Though she knew they had been spending time together; after all, Charisa had helped him shovel the walk around the auto-mail shop just a couple of weeks ago.

"Oh we are," Tore assured her, almost a little too fervently. "I mean… yeah. We've been hanging out regularly. It's almost like old times."

Pre-dating old times. Or so Winry surmised. They hadn't dated very long at all, and that was years ago, but they had been best friends before that. "And that's not enough for you."

"Yes! I mean… no! I mean…." Flustered, Tore stuck the photo in his pocket again and ran one hand through his already ruffled hair. "No, it's not, but it has to be."

"Why?"

"Be…because I don't want to ruin what I have," Tore replied. "We're friends again. She trusts me, and just having her close again, being able to talk like we used to, without her looking at me like I've turned into some kind of asshole.. I…sorry."

Winry smiled. "I've heard worse."

Tore stared out at the landscape. "Every time I've tried to push things that way, it's backfired. I just don't think I could take losing her another time. If she knew I still lo-liked her, she'd probably put distance between us again."

There, wasn't much Winry could say to argue with that. She didn't know how Charisa felt. "It might," she conceded. "Or it might not. But given she only got divorced a few months ago, giving her time is a good idea right now. I have a feeling she's not unaware of how you feel."

"Really?" Tore looked half-hopeful, half-terrified.

She didn't have the heart to tell him how obvious it was. "She knows you. She knows you don't change easily, and you've put aside nearly everything to be a good friend to her. Charisa obviously still cares about you. It may just be friendship, or it may not. Don't worry about figuring it out so soon. If she's interested, eventually I'm pretty sure she'll tell you. After all, Charisa isn't the type to play games, or to be subtle about how she feels."

Tore nodded, and there was a look of relief in the back of his eyes. "Thanks. I… needed to hear that."

"I thought you might." Winry reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "Just keep on as you are, and things will work themselves out in time." As long as Charisa kept coming to Tore and wanting to spend time with him, Winry knew that right now, that friendship was good for both of them. She just didn't want to see Tore get his heart broken again. He'd had to pick up the pieces more than enough. "Now, how about you come inside before all the hot drinks are cold?"

Tore looked over at her and offered him a slightly coy smile. "Are you offering me a drink?"

The hand on his arm turned into a half-slug. "Watch it, or you can scrub out all the cups tonight." And that was a lot of cups!

"Yes ma'am." But the cheeky grin was a definite improvement. Winry wanted Tore to enjoy the holidays.

December 24th, 1969

Like every major holiday involving a feast… the cooks had clearly won the battle, the war, and the day, and just about anything else they could have won with their amazing home cooking. By the time everyone had open gifts, devoured breakfast, played with and enjoyed their new things, and stuffed themselves on the main holiday meal, only a handful of people were left who were not unconsciously napping off their over-indulgence, or at least sitting in one of the many comfortable seats in front of the fireplace, somewhere between conversation and nap.

A lot of the littler ones had been tucked away upstairs in rooms for their naps, and Coran had to say, he was glad for it. As much as he loved his family, the larger it got the more it seemed a little overwhelming sometimes. He'd spent the last few days helping Gale adjust to being around that many people at once. It wasn't the same as the pile of auto-mail apprentices they hung out with. He was glad they all liked her; Gale fit in pretty naturally and she'd met a lot of them before coming at least once.

She'd been a little wide-eyed at all the food, though at the moment, he was trying hard not to smile as she gave him a slightly displeased expression as she stood over him, arms-crossed. "So we're not going?"

"Not right now," Coran nodded, stressing the 'now,' and hoping the disbelief left her face soon. "It's a holiday. This is one of those rare times where you're supposed to kick back and relax." Yes, he had promised her some detailed time showing her around his Dad's workshop at the other house, and a walk into town, but right now the idea of moving was enough to make him want to groan. Feast days in Resembool were not meant for moderation!

Gale did not look convinced. She had enjoyed the rest of the holiday so far, Coran guessed, in part because everyone was busy doing things. Right now… aside from the last dishes being washed in the kitchen by Grandpa and Great-Uncle Al, there was actually nothing going on. Frankly, Coran was wondering how those two could still move enough to do the dishes! Practice was the only thought that came to mind.

"I think you're just too stuffed to move," Gale disagreed, poking him in the stomach.

"I think you're right," Coran didn't object, though he swatted her finger away with one hand and offered her an impudent grin. He was careful to keep in shape. A couple of times a year, he was allowed to enjoy the best cooking in Amestris. "So why don't you relax for a bit and join me?" There was room in the overstuffed chair for two, if they snuggled. Coran patted the spot next to him. Even if he had wanted to go with her – which he wasn't really opposed to – he doubted his stomach would appreciate it.

For a moment, Gale looked torn. Then she sighed, smiled, and sat down next to him. "Fine, but you owe me."

Coran slipped an arm around her shoulders. He paid little mind to the amused glances from some of his other relatives. None of them were 'kids'… but plenty said 'I've been there.' His parents were notably trying to look like they weren't even there. Coran kissed Gale's cheek and grinned. "I'm sure I can find a way to make amends."

Apparently he was forgiven. Gale snuggled into his side, and kissed him more directly.