This is my first fanfic, so please don't criticize me too much unless I make a really bad mistake.

Summary: Pinako must be sent to live at a care home, and Winry learns the truth about her mother's family.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did, I would be one of the characters and I would help save Amestris from destruction.

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Chapter one: The Journey Begins.

Winry stared out the window of the train she was on, thinking back to the last week. Granny Pinako had finally succumbed to her old age and was sent to live at a care home. As she was getting settled in, Winry thought long and hard about what she would do now.

Thought it wasn't exactly a law, it was looked down upon for an unmarried woman under the age of twenty living alone. The Elric brothers had offered to stay with her, but they were both thinking about traveling again and it was looked down upon even more for an unmarried woman under the age of twenty living with men who were not related to her, either by blood or marriage. Not much was known about Winry's mother, and Pinako was her only living relative on her father's side. Garfiel had taught Winry all he knew, and Dominic still wasn't taking apprentices, but both of them said that they were willing to house her. Garfiel's customers still wanted Winry to be their engineer, and she had brought in a lot of business for him.

Then, Pinako had revealed some hidden information about her daughter-in-law's heritage. Sarah was actually an Ishvalan who had changed her name and appearance when she married Urey. Winry could tell they were grateful that she took after her father in the matter of hair, eye, and skin color. Things would have been quite awkward if she looked like a native Ishvalan. The only ones who knew Sarah's family's names were her husband and her mother-in-law. Pinako insisted that she still remembered those names, but she couldn't think clearly when everything around her was changing and she was being treated like an infant. Still, it was the only lead she had, so Winry decided that she would go to Ishval to find Sarah's family, hoping that they would either reveal themselves or Pinako would remember their names.

So here she was on a train headed for Ishval. She knew that this had been her decision, but she was still as nervous as she could possibly be. She had no idea what her mother's family was like, or if they would even accept her Amestrian blood. Things were still rocky in the matter of trust between Amestrians and Ishvalans. And who could blame them?

Winry had spoken with some old friends in the military (cough cough Mustang and Hawkeye cough cough), and they made sure that everything was arranged so that Winry would be taken care of while she was in Ishval. She looked again at the paper in her hands. It told her who would be waiting for her when she arrived in Ishval and listed various activities and people that she was suggested to do and meet. It also included Mustang's and Hawkeye's numbers, in case she had any questions or just needed someone to talk to. Winry sighed and stared out the window again.

Finally the train pulled into the Ishvalan station. The train was almost empty, and everyone else who was on it was military. Winry grabbed her bags and headed down the aisle and off the train. She stood there and looked around, trying to spot the person she was told would be there to meet her. After about half an hour she was the only one left, excluding the station workers. Occasionally, one of them would go up to her and ask if she was lost and needed help or if she was waiting for someone. She would politely reply that she was waiting for someone and thanked them for their concern.

Another half hour passed, but Winry was still standing there. Her legs were getting tired, so she walked over to one of the benches and sat down. She put her head in her hands and tried desperately not to cry. More than anything, she wished that she had Ed with her now, or even Al. She could really use a shoulder to lean on.

Suddenly she heard running footsteps and frantic yelling between two men, then a thud and grunt as if someone had fallen. She looked up just in time to see Major Miles skid to a stop a few yards away from her. He rested his hands on his knees as he took long, deep breaths. Winry sighed in great relief and stood.

"Major Miles!" she called out.

The quarter-blood Ishvalan turned to her and broke into a smile.

"Miss Rockbell," he started towards her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here to greet you. Mustang thought it would be funny to inform us that you were coming only five minutes after you had already arrived."

Winry smiled. "That's alright."

"I want your first impression of Ishval to be a good one," Miles said. "So far, I don't think I'm accomplishing that."

"I won't hold something that wasn't your fault against you." Winry looked towards the door. "I was told that someone else would be with you."

The words had just barely left her mouth when another Ishvalan came running up to them. This one was even more familiar than the last. Like Miles, he stopped for a moment and gasped for air, then looked up and glared at his companion.

"Thanks a lot, Miles. You couldn't be bothered to help me up. . ." he stopped as his eyes caught Winry's. It had been quite a while since they had last seen each other, but neither of them could forget the other.

"Hello Miss Rockbell," he said in a voice that sounded like he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say.

"Hello Scar."

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So what do you think? Good? Bad? Horrible? Please review or the wrath of Ishvala shall come upon you!

End of Chapter One