Hey, everyone. This is the GundamWingFanatic90 reporting for duty! JK! Well, this was an idea that had been floating around in my head for a while, so I decided to write it down. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist. It is owned by Funimation, or whoever came up with FMA in the first place. Well, enjoy!

It'll Be Alright
By GundamWingFanatic90

Edward Elric watched helplessly as his brother, Alphonse, was dragged backwards into the void.

"Al! Al, come back! Don't do this!" Ed cried frantically. Al just laughed softly, gazing back at his older brother, who lay bleeding among the ruins of their one-time family home in Resembool.

"Brother!" Al called, joy in his voice. "Brother, take care of yourself! Goodbye!"

"AL!" Ed cried, as Al disappeared into the Gate.

"AL!" Ed screamed as he came to. Immediately he regretted the action, as burning agony erupted in his midsection. He gasped and fell back against the cold ground, his head making a wet 'thump!' as it fell into the pool of his blood that he was lying in. More of the thick crimson liquid dripped out of the corner of his mouth as his eyelids drooped again, but his golden irises were once again revealed. He'd heard footsteps, someone murmuring.

"What happened…?" The voice was female, one that Ed recognized instantly: Winry.

"W…Winry…!" he weakly cried, gasping as pain shot through him where he lay, impaled by his own broken blade. He heard Winry gasp, and suddenly she was kneeling next to him, frantic worry all over her face as her eyes took in his critical situation.

"Ed! What happened! Where's Al!" she asked. He closed his eyes as pain flew through him, and more blood trailed down the side of his mouth. He opened his eyes, the golden irises clouding as he looked over at Winry.

"W-Winry… Al's… Al's gone…!" he choked out, clenching his eyes shut with physical and emotional agony. He heard her bite back a sob, but she refrained from breaking down for a little while, instead placing her hand on his forehead, the pouring rain cooling them both even as she positioned her hand on his stomach. Glancing over at the small, broken blade embedded in his flesh, she looked down into his face.

"Ed… I have to get you to Grandma Pinako… okay?" she said, her voice wavering. His eyes opened, and he nodded slightly before taking her hand in his, placing it on the triangular blade. Winry glanced down at him, uncertainty and worry blazing in her eyes.

"Uh, maybe I should bring Grandma Pinako here…" she said, but Ed shook his head.

"No, I… can make it…!"

"But I can't carry you!" Ed managed to crack a slight smile as Winry fretted, but he clamped her hand on the blunt edge of the blade.

"Win… I can make it back… as long… as you're helping me…" he said, and then let his hand fall onto his stomach. "B'sides… this thing's… got me pinned…" She nodded solemnly as he braced one hand against the ground, and then… she pulled.

Ed's POV

For several moments after Winry pulled the blade out of my midsection, I didn't register anything, and then I realized that I was screaming as the agony overwhelmed me. My back was arched as I attempted to endure it, and I collapsed back onto the bloody, wet earth, panting, as Winry pressed a cloth to my wound. I choked on blood and turned my head to the side as I involuntarily vomited it up. This, of course, just made it hurt even more, and tears came to my eyes, though I did not shed them.

"Ed, stay with me!" I heard her order me, and I blinked rapidly to try and clear my vision as I strained for breath, managing to stay conscious. I gripped her hand before she threw my arm-knife away, and shook my head.

"D-Don't…" I said, gasping in air. "Just… help me… to stand…" My metal hand found the blade and grasped it, gently taking it from her. I hoped she knew why I didn't want her to get rid of it. Thankfully she nodded, and came over to my left side before helping me into a sitting position. My face contorted in agony as pain flared through my flesh body, but I made no sound as I was lifted.

"Ready?" she asked. I only nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Her brow creased, but she slowly began to count.

"1…" she started. I gritted my teeth and swallowed hard, preparing for the pain that the coming movement would undoubtedly bring.

"2…" Doubts flooded my mind. What if I couldn't walk all the way? It was about half a mile to Winry's house- would my strength even hold out through the standing?

"3!" she exclaimed, and then lifted me. I released a strangled grunt as I felt my wound rip, holding the cry back as I tried not to pass out. Her well-toned shoulder muscles were tense under my arm as she wordlessly supported me, and after a few moments I was able to stand with most of my weight carried by her. After several long minutes, I looked over at her, breathing heavily, and gave her a reassuring smile and nod to signify that we should get going.

"Let's go." I murmured hoarsely. She nodded, and we began to slowly walk back to her house through the pouring rain, I holding my wound with my Automail hand, Winry trying not to slip in the muddy grass.

Several times I stumbled and we almost went down, but every time she managed to keep her footing and help me stay up, too. About 30 feet away from her front door we stumbled again, and I was sent crashing to my knees, she herself falling to one knee next to me. My head swam, and I struggled to remain conscious. My clothes were stained crimson with my blood; with each weak step I had taken I had felt it drip down my right leg, and there was a trail of bloody footprint where I had walked. So out of it was I that it took me a long time to register that Winry was speaking to me.

"Ed! Come on, help me get you up!" she exclaimed. Panic and worry were in her voice, and I briefly wondered why before my numb body and mind were sharply reminded of my current situation.

"We're almost there, Ed! You can make it!" she urged. I took a deep breath and nodded weakly before starting to stand. My legs shook as she stood next to me, slowly pulling me up with her- I was close to passing out from blood loss- and we slowly continued towards our destination. It seemed like it took an eternity to reach her front door, and suddenly Winry was calling out for Pinako to come and help. The last thing I registered before finally falling into darkness was Winry telling me to hold on, and that everything would be alright.

Winry's POV

By the time Grandma Pinako and I had gotten Ed to the operating table, he had long since passed out from blood loss. And it was easy to see why.

The wound in his abdomen went all the way through and out of his back, and seemed to have ripped even further while we were trying to come back to my home. His clothes were stained crimson from the sticky red substance, and I was covered in it, too; his once-golden hair was now a rusty reddish-brown from where it had fallen into the blood puddle I'd found him lying in. All the way home he'd left a red trail behind him with every weak, stumbling step he took.

"Winry, help me get these clothes off him!" Grandma Pinako's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I nodded determinedly before we set to work in stripping him down to his boxers. We were finished in mere moments, and I had to fight down the bile rising in my throat as I took in the sight of the wound.

"Good God…" Grandma whispered, and I turned away, my hand on my mouth. She noticed this, and patted my shoulder.

"Winry, get those clothes out of here." she ordered quietly. "And bring some heated water and a washcloth. Hurry, now!" I nodded and ran out of the room to get the water. I tapped my foot impatiently as the water ran out of the faucet, and once I saw the steam beginning to rise from it I filled a basin with it and grabbed an old, clean washcloth before bringing it back in to Granny. She was bent over the wound, her sterilized gloves on as she parted the skin to view the extent of the damage. Again feeling ill, I set the basin of water down on the supply table and went to the cabinet to withdraw a needle, thread, and bandages, with some disinfectant on the second trip. Wordlessly I set them down next to the water and pulled my gloves on, as well.

"Grandma?" I whispered. She nodded to herself about something before turning to me.

"Luckily, the blade missed any organs." she said as she wet the washcloth and began to clean the blood from around the wound. I sighed with relief and picked up the disinfectant. Once Grandma was finished with the water I applied the stinging liquid. It fizzed as it killed any bad bacteria that had found their way into the wound, and I was mentally grateful that Ed was unconscious at the moment. When the fizz had disappeared, Granny again washed the gash as I switched the disinfectant for the needle and thread, and once she was done I began to stitch up the wound. She prepared clean water for the related gash in his back, and came back in as I finished.

Together we lifted him into a sitting position, and I held him up as Granny cleaned the blood away before I repeated the process with the disinfectant. That done, she cleaned the wound again, and then I stitched it shut. Everything finished, she and I both picked up washcloths and set about cleaning the blood off of him. I wiped down his torso as she wiped down his leg, and I cursed inwardly as I realized that we'd have to detach his automail so that we could clean it. Grandma seemed to be thinking along the same lines as me, as she looked over at me before searching for the release switch on his leg. I found the one on his arm quickly, and as one, we detached the fake limbs. He jerked, and his eyes flew open as he stifled a grunt of pain, looking around after a moment of breathing heavily.

"Ed?" I asked softly, my hand that was holding him up feeling his barely-noticeable shivering. "Ed, can you hear me?" He turned a clouded golden gaze on me, and I felt a surge of gratitude and relief when he smiled weakly.

"Win…" he breathed, still weak. I nodded as tears came to my eyes, but I jolted when his golden irises were once again covered by his eyelids as he passed out again. A small smile played with my lips as I continued wiping him down, his automail lying forgotten nearby. We soon finished, at least as well as we were going to get at the time, and I held him in a sitting position as Granny began to bandage him up.

Ed's POV

After awaking when Winry and Pinako removed my automail, I drifted in a half-conscious state, able to hear things around me but unsure as to what was a dream and what was reality.

"If he's able… the night… extreme blood loss, then… be able to… a lot." I heard the voice as if through a broken radio, my hearing fading in and out. But I knew that the voice was of Aunt Pinako. Suddenly I was aware of someone standing me up, and I was jolted awake by a sharp pain in my abdomen. I hissed through my teeth and reflexively doubled over a bit before cracking open my eyes. My vision was quite blurry, but I was able to make out a small form in front of me that had a grayish-brown blur on top of its head. Aunt Pinako. So that meant…

"Ed? Are you awake?" Yes. It was Winry who was holding me up. I grunted slightly in reply, closing my eyes as a wave of nausea born of pain swept through me. I heard someone running, and then a second later Pinako was in front of me with a bucket, just as I lost my dinner, the pain was so terrible. Winry rubbed my back gently, trying to help me even as she supported me in place of my missing leg. I could feel her wince every time I retched, but I couldn't help it. It stopped in a few moments, and I groaned a little, feeling miserable for everything that had come to pass, as I opened my eyes.

"I'm sorry…" My whisper was breathy and hoarse, and I closed my eyes again so that I wouldn't have to meet their gazes.

"For what, Ed?" Winry asked me. I sensed Pinako moving away with the bile-filled bucket, and inwardly wished she would bring it back as memories, recent and old alike, flitted through my mind. Mom's funeral, the failed transmutation, the automail surgery, Hughes' funeral, using the true Philosopher's Stone, Envy running me through with my own blade, Al killing Envy, Al being pulled into the Gate, seeing Winry over me…

"I'm sorry… for everything." I whispered almost inaudibly. "Al, Hughes, everyone… I've failed so many times, and everyone around me is paying the price…" My shoulders shook as a wave of memories bombarded me once more, but I held in the tears, afraid to cry. Winry was silent for a while, and then she helped me to stand properly once again.

"Come on, Ed. You need to rest." she said gently. I nodded, grateful for the change in subject as she put her arms around my chest and we started the long trek, or hop for me, down the hall and up the stairs to the guest room.

When we arrived in my temporary residence, she helped me over to the bed and set me down on it before walking into the bathroom and starting water to fill the tub. I smiled sadly at the kindness that she was bestowing on me.

I don't deserve this… I thought bitterly. It should have been Al in that bathtub, splashing around and enjoying having a body again. It wasn't supposed to happen this way…! I closed my eyes tight as a barrage of emotions threw themselves at my barrier, and I put my hand against my forehead, trying to hold back the tears. I didn't hear the water stop, or Winry padding in from the hallway to come get me, but suddenly she was there, putting her arms around my shoulders and gently pulling my head down to rest against her shoulder. And the dam broke. I cried, hard, for the first time in all the years since the accident happened, the tears accumulated over all that time rushing out at once. All of the sadness, anger, bitterness, and anxiety that I had withheld for so long gradually soaked Winry's shoulder, the pain and fear and guilt escaping in my quiet, heartfelt sobs.

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way!" I choked out between hitches in my breath. "A-Al should've been here, n-not m-me!" Her embrace was firm, her hand running through my sweaty, tear- and blood-soaked hair as she tried to comfort me somewhat. My arm found its way around her waist, and I held onto her for dear life as I rode out this tidal wave of feelings.

It took a while, but I cried until I had no more tears left to shed. Winry held me and let me hold her through the whole thing, patiently waiting as I caught my breath. I was trembling and my vision swam when it was all over, the blood loss and exhaustion finally taking its toll on my body even as she helped me into the bathroom to wash up. Silently she lowered me into the tub, the two inches of water just enough to soak into my formerly blue boxers. I sat, my eyes gazing blankly forward, as she sat behind me on the rim of the tub, her bare feet submerged in the water. We were silent for a while as she slowly, softly, took my hair out of its messy braid and carefully began to wash it.

"Winry?" I asked in a murmur after a while. More water fell down my dirty hair to run down my back, which she had stripped of the bandages.

"Yes?" she replied, reaching for the shampoo. Squirting some into the palm of her hand, she gently began to massage it into my hair and scalp, the motions strangely relaxing.

"Thank you, for everything you've done for me…" I paused in mid-sentence before finishing, my mind drifting to my brother. "…For me and Al… over the years."

Her hands paused in their motions, and I closed my eyes and unconsciously leaned into her touch, liking the feeling. She took her hands away, and I inwardly mourned the loss of the feeling, my thoughts fuzzy. A second later, there was more water running down my back as she rinsed my hair out. I hissed a bit as the soapy liquid ran over my stitches a little, but another cascade of the warm water took care of that.

"Winry?" I asked softly. I felt her hands tremble as she laid them on my shoulders, and I jumped some when she leaned her forehead against my neck, my eyes opening again.

"Ed, what happened at your… at the remains of your old home?" she asked. "What, or who, stabbed you? What happened to Al?" I remained silent for a long time, rubbing the stump of my left leg slightly when it pained me, wondering how I should reply.

"Ed?" Finally I shook my head.

"I don't know how to tell you, Win." I whispered, my throat constricting minutely as the bad memories came back to me. "It was terrible." A warm puff of breath tickled my senses as it swept across the back of my neck, and I found my eyelids drooping, feeling dizzy again. I must have swayed a little, because her grip on my shoulders tightened before I felt her stand up. She gently gave my hair one last rinse before instructing me to try to help her stand me up, and I complied, folding my right leg beneath me as she placed her hands on my chest and in the spot between my shoulder blades. Then she helped me stand. The world spun around me, and I braced my hand against the wall to try to steady myself. She waited patiently until I was balanced, and then she helped me out of the tub to sit on the toilet seat. That done, she tossed a towel onto my head and rubbed it all through my long, golden hair, drying it effectively.

"Ed?" she asked softly. I grunted, my mind feeling fuzzy with her touch.

"When you're all better, are you going to try to bring Al back?" Now that got my attention.

"Why?" I asked wearily. She paused, and again her hands fell away from me. I looked up at her from under the towel, only to see her looking uncomfortable, wringing her small hands in what appeared to be nervousness.

"Winry?" She jumped, and I took a deep breath when I noticed the tears in the blue eyes I had come to love.

Wait a minute… love? I thought, bewildered. Where did that come from? Aww, hell… it came from my heart. Softly I sighed, pulling the towel off of my head, and attempted to finish drying the rest of my body. She noticed this diversion, and smiled gratefully, bending down and helping me to dry my back. She helped me dry my arm and automail port, but when she moved to help me dry my leg port, I put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up inquisitively at me, and I shook my head.

"I'll get that." I said, gently taking the towel from her. She rolled her eyes as I dried my leg and automail leg-port, and then she helped me up again and we walked into the guest room. Sighing, she helped me to sit on the edge of the bed and walked to the chest of drawers.

"We've still got some of the clothes you left here last time- you'll have to wear those tomorrow." She explained, withdrawing a pair of blue boxers as I blushed. "You should be able to fit in them, if you're still as short as you were then." I shot her a glare, making her smirk triumphantly, but kept my mouth shut, too dizzy and tired to argue. She set the boxers next to me and started towards the door.

"I'll be back in a few moments. You'd better be changed and climbing into that bed when I return, or you'll be re-introduced to an old friend: wrench." she said. I gulped and nodded, having absolutely no wish to be pounded in the head like so many times before. She smirked, satisfied, and left the room, closing the door behind her. I let out the breath I'd been unconsciously holding and hooked my thumb into the waistband of my wet, bloodstained boxers. I slipped them down over my hips and leg, and left them on the floor so that I could pull the clean ones on. When they were securely resting around my waist I bent down and picked up the blood- and water-soaked boxers and draped them over the bed's footboard to dry. Then I used my remaining arm and leg to push myself up to the headboard, back resting against the pillow. My vision swam, but I was able to register Winry's re-entry into the room just before I put my hand to my forehead with a groan. I felt her hand on my shoulder, and hazily looked up into her face, which wouldn't stop shifting. She put her hands on me again and helped me sit up straight as I closed my eyes.

"Do you feel sick?" she asked softly. My stomach gave a small lurch and I nodded gently, trying not to upset it even more. She muttered something like 'I thought so' and then set a bucket next to me before beginning to wrap linen bandages around my abdomen. I sat in silence as she worked, my head spinning and my stomach churning, but I managed to hold down the bile rising in my throat. She soon finished and tied the bandages off, and I tried to lean back against the headboard. However, my stomach gave a powerful lurch and I clapped my hand to my mouth. Winry grabbed the bucket and held it in front of me, and rubbed my back as I retched into the metal container. A few bile-producing minutes and dry-heaves later, I leaned back against the headboard, even more exhausted than I had been before.

"Don't worry, Ed." Winry said to me, brushing my bangs out of my face. "You'll feel better tomorrow, once you've recovered some of the blood you lost. Just rest, okay?" She walked out of the room with the bucket, grabbing my boxers on her way, and came back several long moments later. The bucket was now empty, I noticed as I scooted under the covers, and she set it next to the bed before beginning to walk out the door again. Suddenly scared of being alone, my hand shot out, gently grabbing her wrist. She turned to look at me, confusion mixing into her expression as she blushed slightly.

"Please… Stay with me?" I asked pleadingly. She raised an eyebrow questioningly as I looked up into her eyes. I was dead scared- I'd always had Al with me to keep me company, and before then my mother was with us, too. I'd always had someone to stay by my side through everything, save a couple of times, and now the prospect of being alone terrified me.

"Please, Winry…" I whispered. She smiled slightly and nodded, but I was confused when she began to walk towards the door again. My grip on her wrist tightened reflexively, and she looked back at me.

"Ed, I'm just going to go wash up and change into some dry clothes." she explained, a golden eyebrow arching. "I was so worried about you, I forgot to dry off." I blushed and let my arm fall to my side, finally noticing that she was, indeed, still wet from the rain, and her clothes had my still-wet blood glistening on them. She smiled slightly, and disappeared through the doorway.

Winry's POV

I was quick in the shower, washing Ed's blood off of me and warming up a bit. In 15 minutes I was out, my hair up in a towel to dry, and I dried myself off with haste before pulling on my underwear and white nightshirt and taking my hair down. Quickly I combed through my damp hair, and I hung up my wet clothes and towel before walking back to Ed's room.

Golden eyes met blue as I padded quietly across the floor to the bed. He was scared, I could tell, and I wondered why until I remembered that he'd probably never been completely alone a day in his 20 years of life. I smiled softly and sat down on the edge of the bed, and then gently brushed his bangs away from his face again. He closed his eyes at my touch, and my heart fluttered slightly- he looked almost angelic, even without his arm and leg. I knew of the feelings I had long harbored for him, but even with that knowledge I was afraid of something: rejection.

"Winry…" he breathed, and I snapped out of my daydream to find myself only inches away from him. He was slightly scared again, I saw, as was I, and I quickly straightened. He looked kind of dizzy from my sudden motion, and I placed my hand across his forehead- that had always helped me when I was dizzy. After a moment his left hand- the only remaining one- came up and took my hand gently.

"Winry." he whispered. "Thank you." I smiled again, and he smiled, too, and even though it was weak, I found myself leaning down, wanting to touch those lips, see if they were really as soft as they looked. I stopped only an inch away from him, slightly nervous as he looked up at me, his golden eyes hazy with weariness and blood loss.

"Win… what…?" he breathed. His breath held only a vague scent of the bile he had expelled earlier, but I didn't care as I pressed my lips to his, a gentle, hesitant first kiss. After a second I pulled away, he having not responded, and I looked down at him as he blinked owlishly a couple of times. At first I thought I had been rejected, but suddenly I felt his hand on the back of my head, pulling me down to gently capture my lips with his. We slowly broke apart after a couple of moments, gazing into each others' eyes.

"Win…" he breathed, voice husky. "I… had wanted to tell you with Al nearby, but… I love you." My mind froze for a moment, surprise coloring my features- I hadn't expected him to come right out and say it, let alone be the first one to do it.

"Winry?" His voice cut into my thoughts, and I noticed his concerned, pained gaze. "Is there something wrong?" I smiled a little and shook my head.

"No, I just didn't expect you to be the first one of us to confess." I said. "I love you, too, Ed." I gently kissed him to seal our bond, running my fingers through his hair. I felt his fingers gently entwining themselves in my own blonde locks, and shivered slightly when I realized how close we were. Again we broke apart after a moment, breathing heavily, and I gingerly climbed over him to lie next to the wall. He touched his forehead to mine and gave me one last kiss, his hand's fingers entwining with my left hand's fingers, and I gripped his forearm lightly. We pulled away soon after, falling asleep almost immediately.

3 Days Later, Ed's POV

I sat still and ramrod straight as Aunt Pinako inspected my stitches. I had healed more slowly than I usually do, probably due to my wounds ripping from walking to Winry's house 3 days ago, but the mending was coming along nicely, or so I was told.

"Hmmm…" Pinako murmured. "Good, good. All seems to be healing well. You'll have a couple more scars to add to your collection, but you should be back to normal in a couple of days." I rolled my eyes.

"That's what they always say." I said jokingly. She scowled at me. Winry chose that moment to enter.

"Well, in any case, we should probably take some measurements for your arm and leg- you're taller than me, now, Ed." She said cheerfully. I blinked owlishly a couple of times, my brain not quite comprehending what my girlfriend was saying.

"Wait a minute… I'm taller than you!" I finally exclaimed, disbelieving. Winry nodded, seeming to be stunned, herself. Pinako clapped me on the shoulder.

"Congratulations on finally being 5"7'." she said smugly. I glared at her.

"Actually, Grandma, he's hit 5"11'." Winry said quietly. The room fell silent after this latest proclamation, Pinako and I gaping at Winry. After a few moments, I closed my eyes and chuckled bitterly.

"Al finally got me to swallow my pride and drink some milk." I murmured, the memory of that day floating into my mind. I swallowed hard at the memory of my little brother, my treasured baby brother, and fought back tears as I remembered that I'd probably never see him again, now.

"Ed…" Winry murmured sadly. I still hadn't told them what had happened three days ago, and I looked up at her briefly before again fixing my gaze on the floor.

"I guess I'm long overdue for an explanation, then, aren't I?" I asked. Pinako and Winry nodded sadly, and I sighed before beginning my tale.

"It started about 3 months ago…"

"Brother, we've got it!" Al joyously cried as Ed and he peered at the blood-red stone in Al's leather-gloved hands. Ed laughed a little.

"Finally…" he murmured. "Finally… We can finally get your body back, Al!" Al shook his head, laughter echoing out of the huge suit of armor he was trapped in.

"No, Brother. We'll get your body back to normal, first." he said, laughing still. "That automail's so tough on you…" His tone had sobered up as he said this, but Ed shook his head, long blonde hair flip-flopping every which way.

"No, Al, we fix you first." he said, and held up a hand as Al began to protest. "Al, I can live with automail if I need to. We'll get you back to normal first so that you can live like yourself again." He shook his head at Al's protesting noises again. "And don't try to argue with me. We fix you first, and that's final!"

"The stone was stolen soon afterwards by Envy of the Homunculi." I continued, looking down in shame.

"Then how'd you get it back?" Winry asked solemnly, and yet she was excited at the same time.

"It took us two months of constant chasing to catch up with him…"

Envy ran into the abandoned warehouse, his green hair swishing behind him, his breath hitching as he tried to regain it. There came clanging sounds from behind him, prompting him to run more, but he found his way barred by a man with blonde hair and gold eyes wearing a red coat. The clanging behind Envy stopped, and he turned to see a huge suit of armor standing there, reddish lights flashing in its eye-sockets.

"Hand over the Philosopher's Stone, Envy, and we'll let you go without a fight." The blonde man, Ed, said sternly. Envy snarled.

"Never!"

"We fought for the Stone, and in the end Al and I won. Envy dropped the stone and ran, and we decided to come back home."

"I guess it's kind of fitting that we fix everything here, where it all started, isn't it, Al?" Ed asked quietly as he set the Philosopher's Stone on the ground between him and his brother. Al's metal helmet bobbed as he nodded, and Ed smiled somewhat.

"You ready?" he asked. Al nodded again, and Ed clapped his hands together before holding them out over the stone. He closed his eyes as a whirlwind of golden light began to swirl around Al, and a small smile came to the elder's lips as eh felt the alchemy begin to work. However, the golden light was suddenly quenched as something came out of the darkness to Ed's left and punched him in the jaw, sending him sprawling.

"Well, well, well." a taunting voice said as Ed picked himself up. Al was moving into a guard position, and Ed used his alchemy to transmute his short blade from his right arm. The attacker approached them, and he was revealed to the brothers in the light of a lantern.

"Envy!" Ed snarled. "Al, protect the Stone!" Envy and Ed charged each other and clashed, throwing punches, kicks, and slashes light lightning. Uppercut, roundhouse kick, down-block, knife hand, up-block, slash with arm-sword. Their dangerous dance continued for a long time, Envy attempting to get to the Stone. Finally the homunculus grabbed Ed's metal arm in one hand, using the other to snap the blade clean off the automail.

"I'm tired of playing this game." Envy hissed, and then used a technique to put Ed flat on his back. Then the evil homunculus plunged the broken blade into the stomach of the Full Metal Alchemist and into the ground beyond.

Winry gasped as I fell silent, my shoulders shaking with suppressed tears and rage.

"My God… Ed, how did you survive?" she asked, her voice trembling. I barked a bitter laugh.

"I didn't."

Al gave a cry of rage and anguish as his brother was impaled. Wide golden eyes stared up into Envy's face, shocked and incredulous as he sneered down at the young Alchemist.

"ED!" Al screamed, and charged Envy. Before the green-haired homunculus could react, Al had punched him as hard as he could. He went flying, landing sprawled out across the ground. Enraged, Al wasted no time in pursuing the sin, beating its body mercilessly. Envy stood no chance, Al straddling his hips, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Al!" came a cry. It was Ed.

"Ed!" the suit of armor cried, stopping to look over at his bleeding elder brother.

"Al…!" Ed called weakly. "Kill him now, or he'll escape and break your seal!" Al was stunned at his brother's words, but he snapped out of it when Envy threw the suit of armor off of himself. Al got up quickly, but Envy was already on him. Envy flipped up onto Al's shoulders and began pounding on the back of the neck-guard, attempting to shatter the hard metal and break the blood seal.

"Al!" Ed cried, but he couldn't move. Envy pounded Al repeatedly, but Al couldn't shake the homunculus off. So he did the only thing he could do. Al reached up, grabbed each side of Envy's head, and twisted as hard as he was able. With an audible 'snap!', the green-haired sin fell limp and off of Al, who then rushed over to his fading brother.

"Ed!" Al cried softly, kneeling and placing a hand on the older one's shoulder. Ed looked up at him through clouded eyes and managed a weak smile.

"Hey, Al…" he murmured hoarsely. "Sorry… I couldn't change you back…" His eyes widened and his body stiffened, and the light dimmed from the beautiful golden orbs as he went limp.

"BROTHER!"

"I don't know what happened after that." I whispered solemnly. "I remember waking up, though, and seeing Al being drawn into the Gate, and being helpless to stop it. He shouted to me to take care of myself and then vanished. I must've blacked out, because I woke up alone and then you came, Winry." By this time Winry was crying, Aunt Pinako patting her on the back. I would've gone to comfort her, too, but I was immobile without my automail, so I settled for gazing at the floor guiltily.

"So that's the story…" came a feminine voice from the doorway. I looked over to see Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang standing there.

"Roy? Riza?" I asked, my mind blank with shock. "What're you doing here?" Roy glared at me.

"Now, is that any way to greet a superior officer whom you haven't seen in nearly a year?" he asked, tone half-joking. I scowled at him.

"So, Full Metal, did you really die?" Riza asked before a fight could erupt. I swallowed and nodded before looking down to the floor again. Feeling somewhat cold, I picked up a nearby blanket with my only hand and draped it over my shoulders with some trouble, but my silence didn't last long before Winry came over to me with a measuring tape and pulled my left arm out horizontally. Roy and Riza looked at her oddly for a moment as she began to take measurements before the blanket slipped down off of my shoulders, exposing the automail port on the right side of my torso. I sat there nonchalantly as she measured my arm, too used to it to really care anymore as she wrote down the measurements on a clipboard next to her. Soon my arm was done, and she moved on to measuring my leg. Roy and Riza each raised their eyebrows as Winry moved to the inside of my leg, but I just ignored both of them and the feel of Winry's complicated measurement-taking. After a few moments passed, she straightened with her clipboard, and handed half the notes to Aunt Pinako before turning to me.

"Grandma cleaned all the blood from your automail off the other day." Winry explained. "Now we just have to adjust them to fit your current size." She smiled a little, a manic glint in her eye, and I knew she couldn't wait to start working. "We should be done by tomorrow, if we pull an all-nighter." I shook my head violently.

"Win, you don't have to pull an all-nighter." I said. Now it was her turn to respond the negative.

"If Roy and Riza are here, then you probably have a mission." she stated matter-of-factly. "Therefore, you need your automail soon." I sighed in defeat, and she disappeared into the workshop. Aunt Pinako helped me attach a training leg, and then she followed Winry. I turned to Roy and Riza.

"So, what brings you all the way out to Resembool?"

The Next Day, Ed's POV

Winry and Pinako had, indeed, pulled an all-nighter, only reappearing to eat and relieve themselves before going back into the room. Roy and Riza, I had discovered, were getting married. They slept in the guest room and I slept out on the couch, which, I had found from experience, was very comfortable in actuality. So here we were, finishing breakfast and preparing to re-attach my automail. I sat in a chair in the living room as they positioned the arm and leg properly, in easy reach of the couch so I could move over to it when we were finished. Mustang and Hawkeye stood off to the side, and after a few moments Winry turned to me.

"Ready?" she asked. I nodded, already preparing my mind for the pain of having each one of my nerves connected.

"1, 2, 3!" she exclaimed, and then they connected it. I threw my head back and closed my eyes as searing agony flared up my nerves, spreading like wildfire along my bones, but I made no sound, clenching my teeth. The pain only lasted a few moments, but it seemed like an eternity to me until it went down and I sat there, breathing heavily as sweat dripped down my face. As I opened my eyes, I caught a glimpse of everyone's faces. Pinako was indifferent and Winry was guilty and concerned, as always; but Riza looked outright horrified, and Roy… well, Roy was just being the unreadable bastard he always was. After a few moments, Winry helped me over to the couch, and I gratefully dropped onto it, my red shirt flying up a little to expose the heavy bandaging on my stomach, and I quickly fell unconscious. My body craved rest and relief from the pain, and I gladly gave it.

A few hours passed, and I was soon feeling well enough to move around. Winry had decided to take a nap a while ago, as had Pinako, so I had been left alone. Now, I just wanted some air. I held onto the couch as I gingerly tested my weight on my left leg, and finding that I could walk if I rested often, I headed outside. The sun was shining as I sat down under the tree and leaned back against the trunk. The breeze toyed gently with my hair, and I closed my eyes, wishing that the dull ache growing in what was left of my left leg would go away. I was enjoying it so much, however, that I didn't hear Winry come up behind me until she slipped her arms around my neck and placed a wet kiss on my cheek. Cracking my eye open, I checked to make sure it was her before turning my head and catching her lips with mine in a long, gentle kiss. In time, we broke apart for air, and I wrapped both arms around her waist before turning to stare outwards and down the hill.

"Ed? What's the mission?" Winry suddenly asked. I blinked before realizing what she was talking about, and I laughed aloud.

"Roy's asked me to be the best man at his and Riza's wedding." I replied. She squealed and kissed me in joy for our friends.

"I have to congratulate them!" she said, and we stood up to go back into the house. However, a figure running up the hill caught my eye, and I grabbed Winry's arm before freezing in place as I caught the sound of a voice from the man.

"Brother!" he cried. Winry whipped around at the sound, and I released her arm as the man ran up and nearly tackled me. The sandy brown hair; the too-wise brown eyes… This was definitely my brother.

"Al! You got your body back!" I exclaimed. "But… The Gate sucked you in!" Al laughed, pulling Winry and myself into a group hug.

"It did! I'll tell you about it inside." he said, grinning widely. "I'm just glad you're okay, nii-san." Al bounded into the house to greet the others, letting go of me and Winry previously, and I gingerly rubbed my stitches before pulling her in and kissing her gently.

"Ed?" she asked curiously as we broke apart. I smiled.

"Everything's finally going to be alright."

End.

Wow, that has to be the longest one-shot I've ever written. 7,415 words, 13 pages, and a lot of paragraphs. Wow. O.O That's a lot for me. I'm working on a sequel for this, though this can be read singularly. When I finish it, I'll post it up here. Sorry if the characters seemed to be a little OOC, and if you couldn't figure it out, the parts in italics were flashbacks. Oh yeah, please review and tell me how I'm doing! 'Til then, goodbye, and God's blessings to all of you.

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