Clear The Area

Disclaimer: I don't own a parrot, I don't own a motorcycle, and I don't own this song (or the lyrics I used), and I definitely don't own FMA or its characters, so please don't sue me for playing with them….

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You find your way back down.
Way back down,
And I'll keep the area clear...please clear the area.
When you find your way back down...in one piece.
Then I'll just be waiting here...right here.

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The boy was falling.

He was plummeting too fast and she was so far away.

Golden strands of hair were flowing in front of his face, covering his eyes. His black clothes were flapping wildly in the breeze, trying vainly to stay on his body. His arms were outstretched, as if he accepted the fall and was waiting for impact. But there was nothing below him, just a dark, empty abyss.

She desperately called to him, not wanting him to disappear into the black void.

He finally seemed to hear and turned his head to face her. She caught a glimpse of the unreadable expression in his golden gaze. The girl couldn't help but think that if she could just understand what secrets the boy held behind those eyes, maybe, she could get close enough to catch him, before he was completely lost in the darkness.

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But your eyes tell a whole other story...and I feel the weight of the world.
Won't talk...Won't try...just move...
It's too still in your sadness.
Cry...give up...it's okay...
You've just got to trust me.

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With a gasp, Winry sat up in bed. "It was just a nightmare," she said to herself, panting slightly. She repeated it again just to be sure. The blond girl looked out of her window into the black sky.

Rain hammered against the glass, leaving trails as it made its way down the pane. She stared at it for a long time, thinking the veins of water the rain was creating looked like an intricate map. But with this map she could see where the rain would stop, where its journey would end. If she could just see where his journey would end, maybe she wouldn't be so worried for him all of the time.

She always had bad dreams when it rained…. It reminded her of that night. That awful night when a giant bloodied suit of armor had appeared at her door carrying an equally as blood-soaked boy in its arms.

She shuddered and looked away from the window. I bet Al and Granny won't be able to make it back in this weather, she thought, not wanting to dwell on that sight any longer. They had left yesterday, Granny to go to the store in the village for more parts to repair Ed's leg, and Al because he was a big pushover and hated the thought of a little old lady carrying around all of those heavy tools.

Since the brothers had come back to the yellow house on the hill for an automail repair, Edward had been determined to make Al get out of the house as much as possible. Whether it was because he wanted Al to catch up with some of his old friends and lead a normal life (or semi-normal, at least), or because Ed was just annoyed with him, or some other reason, she didn't know. But whatever it was, he just seemed so distracted lately.

The pajama-clad girl was still tired from her sleep being interrupted, but she arched her back and clasped her hands over her head in an enormous stretch. I guess I'll be the one taking care of the bottomless pit today. She smirked slightly, thinking of Ed's eating habits.

She looked at her clock. "Speaking of bottomless pits, it's time for breakfast. I'm starved," she exclaimed, grasping her stomach as it growled in agreement. Sighing, the blue-eyed girl got out of bed. "And I bet Ed is going to be hungry when he wakes up too, if he's not already waiting at the table …"

She changed into her black tube top and lavender work pants. When she was presentable, she made her way downstairs; thinking the short boy with an equally short temper would be getting impatient.

When she reached the first floor, she was surprised to see that there wasn't a pair of ravenous eyes following her movements, nor a hungry mouth demanding breakfast. It was almost 9:00, after all. Normally Ed was more of an early riser. She shrugged and began making bacon and eggs, thinking the smell might wake him.

9:30 came around, the breakfast was eaten, and the dishes were washed; yet there was still no Edward. She had been hoping he'd come down. She hadn't seen him in such a long time and wanted his company. Especially since the golden-haired boy would definitely brighten up the dreary room. It was almost as if he were the sun…. her sun...No, she quietly berated herself, don't be stupid, he hasn't even shown any interest in you.

She decided to check on him.

Her long ivory legs carried her up the stairs to the room he normally shared with his brother. About half way there she heard a thud, and quickly rushed to the door leading to his room. She stopped in front of the door and lightly knocked. When there was no answer, she slowly pushed open the wooden panel separating them, making the aging barrier creak in protest. As she opened the door, the light from the hallway leapt into the room to greet a small body thrashing on the hard wooden floor.

The girl saw that the lithe form on the floor was in the clutches of a nightmare. She crept up to the boy's side and saw his face contorted in fear, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, and sweat streaming down his face.

She lightly brushed her fingers against his forehead, hoping to pacify him. The boy's eyes sprang open, catching the light of the hallway and making them glow a soft tawny color. He sobbed and scooted back against the floor until he hit the bed frame.

"Al, I'm sorry," he croaked.

"No, Ed, it's me. Winry," the girl with cerulean eyes cooed softly, trying to soothe the blonde.

"Winry…" he said, pushing his long blond hair out of his eyes and seeing her for the first time. After quickly rubbing his eyes to remove all traces to the tears, he mumbled, "What are you doing here?"

She smiled slightly and moved her hand forward to stroke his hair, but stopped when he jerked away. He looked around, and realizing he was on the floor, pulled the blankets with him and got off the cold ground and into the warm bed. "I live here dummy. I got worried when you didn't come down to breakfast," Winry stated matter-of-factly.

"You make it seem like the only thing I have on my mind is food," he complained quietly looking up at Winry, only to receive a knowing smile. "I don't eat that much," he pouted. Then asked, slightly nervous, "What did you have for breakfast anyways?"

Winry, seeing that he was trying to change the subject, and not to be dissuaded, asked, "What were you dreaming about Ed?"

The blond boy sighed "You're not gonna leave it alone if I don't tell you, right?" He questioned then lowered his eyes to watch as his metal and flesh fingers played with the bedspread.

"Sorry Ed… You say you don't like to see me cry. Well, I don't like to see you upset either. If something's bothering you I can try to help you work it out. I'm just tired of seeing you so distant from everyone, it seems now that even Al has a hard time getting close to you," she said, this time managing to run her fingers between his golden locks.

"I-I…" she could tell that he was dying to get the weight he carried off his shoulders. "You would hate me if I told you…" he finally whispered.

"Ed, I wouldn't hate you, I could never hate you," the blue-eyed girl told him.

"You say that now, but…" Ed scoffed, letting his sentence trail off.

"Whatever it is, it'll be okay, you've just got to trust me," she reassured him, still relishing the silky feel of her fingers sliding through his hair.

Ed took a deep breath, "Will you… Will you take care of Al after this… search, journey, whatever it is… is over?" he asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean? Where are you going?" she asked, scared, as her fingers froze, still embedded in his hair.

Ed paused, missing the feeling of her digits massaging his scalp. "I don't want him to be alone when I'm gone, I don't want for him to cry…. for you to cry. I can't keep hurting people I love, and maybe if I can fix my screw ups, I can… well, this thing, the stone, there's no way that I can find a way to bypass the human sacrifice law, and if it comes down to it, then I'll be fine with giving my life for him. I'd rather die than have him stuck in that suit until the seal gives out. I knew that it was going to be a suicide mission anyways, so I was trying to distance myself from Al, so it wouldn't be so hard for him…. And me…. When I'm gone." He sighed tiredly.

"No, Ed, you can't! He needs you… and I need you…" she blushed and looked away when she saw his eyes widen in shock. "I was hoping you would stay with me when this is all over, and you can't break you're promise…" She said hesitantly. When she received a blank look she explained, crossly, "You said you wouldn't make me cry again! And if you left, I-I don't think I could stop myself…. Ed, I," she stopped and bit her lip, then continued tentatively "I love you…"

She quickly turned toward him when she heard him exhale. "Winry… I can't. If I do get close to you and… leave, then, I'll leave you all alone. But if you never feel anything for me, you can move on with your life and find someone else.

"Ed, I won't feel anything for anyone else, because you're the only one I could ever want, nobody else matters…" she muttered, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes and voice.

"Winry, please…" Ed moaned, hearing her futile attempt to not break down.

"No, Ed, if you're planning on going off to die, then why can't we just pretend for awhile. Why can't you just let me be happy, why can't you just try to be happy, for once," she screamed at him, the tears were now really flowing down her pale cheeks.

"If there was any other way, you know I would do it…"

"Then find a way, don't go out there thinking you won't come back, 'cause then you really won't. I don't want to loose y-" she was cut off by his shout.

"If there was any way, any way at all I would do it," he yelled. "Because I love you too…." He halted, realizing what he had said. He took a furtive glance at her, only to see her shocked expression reflecting his own feelings.

He sighed. "I don't want to die-" a fuming Winry interrupted him.

"Then don't, just stay here with me. I know you can find Al's body, and I know there must be some other way, keep looking and I'm sure you'll find it… Please, for me," she begged.

He closed his eyes. "I guess there's no arguing with you…. I will try, as hard as I can, to find another way. And I'll try to come back to you, but if it doesn't happen you have to promise to move on and find someone else," he explained firmly.

"I promise," she said, while crossing her fingers behind her back.

Ed smiled slightly and pulled up the covers, inviting her into the warmth. She crawled over him to the other side of the bed. Once the blanket was securely tucked under her chin (thanks to Edward), he closed his eyes, trying not to doze off. "I think I'm gonna go back to sleep, that nightmare took a lot out of me…" he trailed off sleepily.

Winry nodded in agreement. But before Ed dozed off, he planted an uncertain kiss on her lips, which was returned with enthusiasm, and, smiling slightly, wrapped his mismatched arms around the slight blond girl. In return, it's only equivalent exchange; after all, she slipped her arms around his well-muscled body.

She, realizing her own exhaustion, let her eyelids droop tiredly, because she knew now that she didn't have to worry about him anymore. He was close to the edge, but he hadn't fallen yet… And maybe that was enough to save him. She smiled and looked down at his sleeping form, even if he did fall, she would be waiting at the bottom to catch him.

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The next day, Al and Granny came back to the big yellow house and Ed and Al made plans to leave the next morning on yet another quest for the stone.

Before the train came the morning they were meant to leave, Ed came into Winry's bedroom and gave her a hasty farewell kiss (and a stern warning to come back home soon from a wrench-wielding blond), before dashing after the large metal suit of armor to catch the train.

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Slowly...darling...nobody means anymore to me than you
If you're in...baby then I'm in (into this)...with you, always.
Careful...close to the edge...(You're scaring me)
Fall in to my arms...(where did it all fall?)
Fall...into love...love...

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Two years later, while making a new arm in the attic, Winry heard thumping as Granny Pinako hurried up the stairs to where the blond woman was working.

The door burst open to reveal an elderly woman, much to the surprise of Winry (she never showed much emotion in the first place, besides an occasional smirk when winning a game of poker…), grinning.

"Why don't you go take a look outside, we have visitors!"

Winry sucked in a quick breath of excitement and ran to the window, where a bright sunny day, and two men (one slightly smaller than the other), was waiting.

She screeched and ran down the stairs, slamming the door open and throwing her arms around a tall, brown haired boy of seventeen, the other man pouting angrily in the background.

"Al! I can't believe it's really you!" she exclaimed, finally able to hear Al laugh as he caught the blond in an enthusiastic embrace. "Ed how did you do it!"

"Actually, we went to Reore, where the uprising was and found father there-" he was (rudely) interrupted by a kiss on the lips from the excited blond.

"Oh, do you really think I care? I'm just so happy you're here. Both of you," she said, looking from one to the other, beaming the whole time.

Ed rolled his eyes and muttered something along the lines of never understanding why he loved the crazy mechanic.

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All right, another oneshot….

I apologize for all that mushiness; I don't know what came over me! I just got the idea while listening to "Clear the Area", by: Imogen Heap.

But anyways if you liked it, please review, if you didn't like it and want to tell me that it was stupid, sure, just please review, and if you have any suggestions on how to make it better, it would really make me very happy if you would be so kind as to review!!