Edward was now coming back, it had been around a year and a half since he left for the west and hadn't seen Winry. He was quite anxious about seeing Winry again.
He was walking on the dirt road from the Resembol train station to the Rockbell's house. When he arrives there, he stops for a few seconds, trying to calm down.
He knocked on the door, a few minutes later, Winry came to open, and seemed quite shocked. Ed went to hug Winry, but she rejected him. Ed was really confused.
- Why Winry? He asks her
- Ed… I'm sorry, I couldn't wait alone anymore… she said, not wanting to look at him
- What do you mean alone? Where's Granny?
- Ed… she died 6 months ago
- Why… why haven't you told me and Al?
- I didn't want to bother you with such things
- Winry, if you'd told me I would have come back earlier
- Now it's ok, at least you could finish your researches.
- Yes, sure, but what do you mean you couldn't wait anymore?
- I… I have a boyfriend now, you'll see him tonight if you stay here.
- You… you have a boyfriend, Edward seemed incapable of understanding this statement
- Yes Ed-
- You said you would wait for me Winry! You said you'd give me 85% of your life! But maybe to you it wasn't meaning anything? He started yelling at her
- Ed that's not true! I just… I couldn't do it alone anymore.
- Then why didn't you contact me, I would have come back right away. You didn't trust me?
- I already told you, I didn't want to bother you, and just don't act like you care, if you really cared, you would have called or write to me during this all time when you were away. Now she too was starting to get angry.
- Fine! Then I'll just leave you with him, goodbye Winry
And he turned his back to her, went out of the house slamming the door behind him
- Wait Ed… but it was too late
On the dirt road, heading toward the train station, Ed saw a man his age walking toward the Rockbell's house. He identified him as Winry boyfriend and was careful not to look at him, he really didn't want to have a fight with him right now.
Arriving at the train station, he went to the ticket seller, to buy a ticket for Central.
- Mr. Elric, you're already leaving, you only came back a few hours ago
- Yeah, I've nothing left to do here
- What about Winry, last time you were here, a year and a half ago, you quite confessed to her, and she confessed back.
- Yes, but apparently it wasn't really meaning anything to her, now she's find someone else.
- Oh… sorry Mr Elric
- Why should you apologize, you're not the one who broke a promise, now, how much would it cost for a ticket on the next train toward Central.
- 200 cenz
- Here, thank you, he said faking a smile
Time skip to when Ed arrives Central
It was already late at night, so Edward decided to stay at a hotel before deciding what he would do next. He really hadn't thought about it, he hadn't imagined the possibility of Winry rejecting him.
This night, he couldn't sleep.
The next morning, Ed was settled, he would go and ask Mustang, now General if he was correct, for a new job in the military. He really had nowhere else to go.
He called the military headquarter
- Hello Amestris Military Headquarter, what can I do for you?
- Good morning, I have to talk to General Roy Mustang, he is General, right?
- Yes he is General now, but do you have military access code to be allowed to call General Mustang.
- I think my codes might be a little bit old, I had left 3 year and a half ago. But here I can give you these codes -
- Wait a minute I'll check it
- These codes are in fact outdated, but let me see who they belonged to…
Just then, Edward heard a gasp on the other side of the phone
- What is something wrong
- Just… just wait a minute please
The woman who answered the phone turned to her colleague,
- Mary, a man called and gave outdated codes.
- Yeah, nothing so special
- No, but you'll never guess who these codes belonged to
- Who?
- The Full metal Alchemist
- Why had this man called?
- He wanted to talk to General Mustang
- If I'm right, he was Full Metal's superior officer, and they were friends.
- Yeah I think I heard they were friends, what should I do you think?
- Just call General Mustang and ask him
- Yeah, I think it's the right thing to do
Taking back the phone, she dialed another number
- General Mustang's office, answered Hawkeye
- Colonel, could I talk to the General, it's an important issue
MUSTANG! Important matter on the phone for you
- General?
- Yes, what is it?
- Someone called requesting to talk to you but this person's codes were outdated
- Yes that's not the first time
- No, but these codes, they are those from the Full Metal Alchemist
- …
- General?
- Yes, I was just surprised, ok, just give me the call
- Right sir
Taking back the call she had with Ed
- Mr, I'm going to put you on line with the General
- Thank you
- General Mustang here, I'd like to know how you get those codes
- General, you know that for me you're still Colonel Bastard, and this codes are mines, so, I get them directly from you around four years ago.
- Full Metal, is that really you?
- Yes General, I know, it's been quite a long time, nearly two years if I'm right
- Yes, why are you calling
- I came back from the West a few days ago, I would like to come back in the military
- WHAT? I thought you would want to live with your lovely mechanic
- Yes, that was what I first wanted, but apparently she moved on while I wasn't there, so, I had to find something else.
- Oh, sorry Full metal, I didn't know, just come at the Head Quarter this afternoon, I have some time with nothing planned yet, I'll see what I can do
- Thank you General
After hanging up the phone
- So this was really Edward? Asked Hawkeye
- Yeah, for sure
- How do you know?
- Only him would start the conversation calling me Colonel Bastard
- Yes, that's our chief, commented Havoc, also in Mustang's office
- He'll come this afternoon, he wants to join the military again
- WHAT? Havoc and Hawkeye both gasped
- Yeah, well, apparently, from what I understood, his mechanic has moved forward without him, so he had to find another thing to do, and the military appeared to him as a good plan.
- Oh, how sad, they were making such a cute couple
- Yes, I guess now he'll have to move on too