Fooled by a Fool
Set after defeating Father. Ed and Al are on the train home. Please R&R
I don't own anything
"Now that our problems are gone, what do you plan on doing, brother?" The younger Elric, still getting used to his human body, was excited to go back home and experience the things he couldn't as a body of armor.
"I don't know, Al. All I know is that we promised we'd go back home when everything was taken care of." I also promised her that she'd cry tears of joy. The older Elric felt unusual going home without the constant problems he had with his automail.
The train arrived at Resembool an hour later. Ed gathered their things, while Al was steadying himself on his crutch. They made their way toward the yellow house. Al, however, was struggling. "Are you okay?" asked the older Elric.
"I didn't realize my muscles had atrophied so much on the other side."
"Do you want me to carry you?"
"No... Thanks. I can walk around on my own."
Ed was happy that his younger brother had finally gotten his body back. Al was sort of disappointed that his brother hadn't recovered his whole body, but it seemed like Ed didn't mind at all. After all, Ed's focus was on getting Al's body, never to get his own limbs back. He only said it because it's what Al wanted to hear. The younger Elric had no clue that his brother would be that selfless.
As they neared the Rockbell house, Den noticed them and started to bark. Winry was in as at the kitchen table, when she heard Den's barking. "What's he barking at now?" She made her way to the front door, and she could hear 2 familiar voices. She opened the door, and there on the ground was Al, being licked by Den. Ed was standing over them, when they noticed her at the porch. She ran towards them and gave them a big hug.
The days that followed were just pure bliss and happiness for the 4 of them. Ed and Al had no worries other than household chores. Pinako was happy for the 2 brothers. After all they had been through, she felt they both deserved to be happy. Winry was happy because they were finally home for good, and her family was complete. However, not everything was as Ed had expected.
Ed had volunteered to help Winry get some groceries. When they finally got back home, Ed realized that she a life outside of his automail problems. That she had other friends… guy friends other than Al and him. Of course she's got other friends. It's pretty stupid of me to think that she revolves around my world only. Ed had no idea why he was so bothered by the fact she had other friends.
Later that night, before Al and Ed was about to sleep, Al noticed his brother's unusual behavior. "What's wrong, brother?"
"Huh? Oh it's nothing, Al."
"We've spent too much together to know when something is bothering you, brother."
Ed realized it was no use to lie to his brother. "I just realized how selfish I've been, Al."
"What do you mean, brother?"
Ed chuckled. "I never thought Winry had other friends. I was stupid enough to think that all she did was worry for us. Pretty dumb, huh Al?"
"Of course she's going to have other friends, brother. We've been gone for so long, do you really think that she wouldn't have time to meet other people?"
"I know, I know Al. It's just that…" Ed smiled. "Forget it, Al."
The younger brother was confused, but he knew when to leave a subject alone.
Winry was coming to say goodnight to the both of them, when she overheard their conversation. What in the world are you talking about, Ed? Hm, I'll talk to him tomorrow about it.
After breakfast, Al decided to go with Pinako to help a customer in town. "Give me a few minutes to get ready, Granny!"
"10 minutes, Al! Winry, you have no appointments today, so you're free to do what you want. Edward, make sure she doesn't do anything crazy."
"Granny! I'm old enough to make my own decisions, y'know?"
"Sure" Pinako replied.
Ed couldn't help but laugh. It was short-lived, as a wrench made its way to his head. "What the hell was that for, gearhead?!"
"Oh shut it, alchemy freak!" This was turning out to be one of their regular arguments. They didn't even hear Pinako and Al say goodbye to them. By the time they had finished, they realized that were alone. An awkward silence followed. "So, uhh…" Winry tried to break the silence. This is the perfect time to ask him about what he said last night, she realized. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Al last night. What was that about, Ed?"
Ed was shocked at her question. He hadn't meant for her to hear that. "Uhhm… well Winry… See uh-"
"Spit it out, Edward Elric!"
Full names. Uh-oh. "I'm sorry Win. I was selfish to believe that you lived only for us. It was wrong of me to assume that all you ever did was wait for us, or help us, or anything concerning us. I barely realized this yesterday, after seeing all those people who knew you. Especially those guys…" She noticed him awkwardly avert her eyes at the mention of other guys. "I'm stupid for even thinking you didn't have any other friends. I mean, who wouldn't want to have a friend like you? You're sweet, kind, and your smile is so contagious. There's something about you Winry that just pulls people towards you."
She was very surprised at what he had said. I've never heard him say something like that to anyone. What the heck is going on? Hmmm, has he really matured that much? She smiled sweetly at him. "Why thanks, Edward. Oh, and those "guys"? They're just customers." She wanted him to know that they weren't anything special to her.
Edward was relieved to hear that. "Oh..." was all he could say.
"So there's no need to be jealous, Ed." She gave him a sly grin.
"Who said I was just jealous, Winry?" He have her a threatening gaze.
"You didn't, but I knew you were. After all, I tried to so hard to make you jealous." She laughed.
"You mean you flirted back with them just to make me jealous?!" He was red from frustration.
"Well, did it work?" She couldn't help but keep teasing the golden haired boy.
"NO! It didn't work, Winry. I didn't get jealous."
"So it did work. Oh Edward, you're so easy to fool." She kept laughing at him.
"So what if it worked, Winry. Why were you even trying to make me jealous?"
"Just to see if you would get jealous."
"And why is that?"
"Nothing." She teased him again.
Defeated, Ed left her alone. A nice swim at the lake might help me cool down. He got ready, and was on his way out when Winry noticed.
"Are you going to the lake? Oooh, can I come with?"
"Fine, Win. Hurry up."
A few minutes later, they both headed towards the lake. It was a 17 minute walk, and Ed wanted to talk about their previous conversation. "So Winry, why did it matter if I got jealous or not?"
Winry knew she still had the advantage over Ed. "Just leave it alone, Ed. You'll figure it out soon enough." Her smile always made him melt. They soon made it to the lake, and there was no one else around. "Ed, look away."
"What? Why?"
"Because I need to change real quick!" She threatened him, holding out her wrench.
Ed complied. "Why the hell would you bring your wrench here?"
"Just in case some pervert might be lurking around. Ok, you can turn around now."
Ed eyes widened at seeing Winry. He had never seen her without that much clothes. Winry noticed and gave him a teasing smile. He snapped out of it, and decided to take his shirt off to jump in the lake already.
Oh wow. Ed really filled out all these months. I noticed his growth spurt, but I hadn't noticed his muscles. Ed noticed she was staring, and he couldn't help but smile. He splashed some water onto her, and she came back to reality.
"Oh that is it alchemy freak!" She got ready to chase after him, but slipped. Ed caught her, and she was once again entranced by the boy who was holding her. She then winced.
"Aw Winry! You sprained your ankle! I hate to say this, but we've gotta get back home. The lake can wait another day." He slowly put her down, and gathered all their stuff. He had to carry her and all their belongings.
"Ed, I can walk, don't worry about it."
"Are you crazy, Winry? I can't let you do that. You'd only hurt your ankle more." His voice was stern and commanding and she succumbed to his words. She buried her face into his shoulder. The pain was bearable, but it was still painful. Ed smiled.
"Is my pain funny to you, Elric?" She beamed at him.
"Haha, no, not at all Winry. I've just never seen you like this." He smiled down at her.
She never noticed how warm his smile was. As he kept walking, she kept staring at his developed face. When did he get so handsome? His face was rugged and tough from his experiences. Her thoughts were interrupted by Al's voice.
"Brother! Winry! What happened?"
"You're stupid brother made fun of me, and I tried to chase him. I slipped and hurt my ankle in the process. This is all you're fault, Elric!"
Ed laughed. "I'm sorry Win. I'll make it up to you." He brought her to her room. She did her best to bathe herself and get dressed. Ed came back in and carried her downstairs. He laid her on the couch, and went into the kitchen.
"What are you doing, Edward?"
"I told you I'd make it up to you. I'm making you soup!" He smiled at her through the kitchen.
She was in no postion to argue or fight back, so she just laid there on the couch. These next few days are yours, Edward, but when I get healthy, you're gonna get it from me. He had taken her wrench away from her, knowing it would be her only weapon against him.
He brought her some soup and put it on the coffee table. "Here, Win." He helped her sit up on the couch, and brought the coffee table closer. He sat next to her as she ate.
"What about you, Ed? Aren't you going to eat?"
"Nah, I'll eat later."
When she finished, she wanted to do something, but Ed wouldn't let her. "You have to rest, Win."
Frustrated, she asked him, "So what the hell am I supposed to do until I get better?!"
Ed smiled. "You can try reading a book, or I can carry you here and there."
Winry despised reading. "You've got to be kidding me, Edward."
"Don't worry, Winry. I'm going to do what I can to make sure that this doens't hold you back."
"Whatever." She stayed there on the couch as Ed cleaned up. She fell asleep out of boredom.
The next few days, Edward tried his best to make sure Winry was happy, while Winry was annoyed and frustrated at the fact that she had to depend on others. She finally had enough of it and blew up on Edward. When she was finally done, Edward just stared at her for a few moments, then towards Pinako. "Granny, Al. I'm going for a walk. Don't worry, I'm fine. I just need some time alone." He shot them a smile, but they knew it was forced. He made his way out and started to walk. He didn't care where he went, he just needed time alone.
"Winry! What the hell was that about?" Al asked her.
"What? This is all his fault I hurt myself anyways. Nothing he did was helping either. His cooking was terrible, and everything else was a failure."
"Winry Rockbell, when that boy gets back you better apologize to him instantly." Pinako glared at her granddaughter.
"What? Granny what are you talking about? He's the one who should be apologizing to me."
"Yeah yeah yeah. We all know you hurt yourself because of him. So what? All this time you've been hurt, he's been trying his best to be there for you, and all you did was get mad at him. So what if things weren't perfect, at least he tried! He woke up early for you, stayed up late for you. He was so nice to you, and that's how you repay him? You better fix things when he gets back, Winry!"
With that, Pinako went outside for a smoke. She had made her point clear to her granddaughter. Winry, however, was dumbfounded. She had realized how mean she was to Ed, and she was on the verge of crying.
"Don't cry, Winry. It will only make brother feel worse if you cried."
She remebered his promise from before. Now there was no way she could hold back her tears. "I'm sorry Al. I don't even know why I was being so mean to him. And please don't tell him I cried, ok?"
"I promise, Winry."
They had already cleaned up after dinner, and Ed still wasn't home. Al fell asleep at the kitchen table, and Winry on the couch. Pinako was asleep in her room. Ed finally opened the door to find Al and WInry asleep in the living room. No doubt they were waiting for me.
*Earlier*
Ed had stopped by their old house. He remembered what he had etched into his state alchemist watch that day. He kept walking, thinking about what had just happened with Winry. He sighed. It seems like all I do is hurt Winry. Am I a burden to her? Another sigh. Would she be better off without me? Well, I know she'd stop getting hurt because of me if I wasn't around anymore. With his mind made up, he went to their local post office. "Excuse me, may I use your phone?" He asked the clerk. 13 minutes later, he finally hung up the phone. I haven't seen Lieutenant Hawkeye, Major Armstrong, or that bastart Mustang in a while. He decided to walk a bit more, before he went home. He found a spot on a hill, under the tree. He laid there, deep in his thoughts. When he opened his eyes, it was already dark. He rushed back home.
*End*
He carried Winry to her room, and tucked her in. He woke up Al to go sleep on his bed. Al went back to sleep, and Ed started to pack up his things.
Winry awoke the next morning, surprised that she had woken up on her bed. Didn't I fall asleep on the couch? She tried to get up, and but her ankle was still injured. She let out an exasperated sigh.
Ed heard her from his room. She must be awake. He got up and went to her room. "Good morning, Win!" He went to her to carry her.
"Ed. Good morning... Hey, about yesterday."
Ed smiled at her. "Don't worry about it, Winry. I understand."
She decided it would be better to talk later. Thay all ate breakfast, and Al finally broke the silence. "So where did you end up yesterday, brother?"
"Oh, I just walked around. Stopped by the old house, and found a spot somewhere to lie down and contemplate on some things."
"Like what?" Winry asked.
"Oh nothing. Stupid things. Hehe." Ed chuckled.
"Why'd you take so long to get home, shrimp?"
"I fell asleep at that spot I found. Sorry Granny. By the time I got home, everyone was already asleep."
"Next time you decide to do that, make sure you give us a call so we won't worry so much."
"Don't worry, Granny. It will NEVER happen again."
Never? What are you up to, brother?
They all finished cleaning up, and Ed carried Winry over to the couch. "Ed?"
"Hm, yes Winry?"
"About yesterday..."
"Haha, I told you don't worry about it Winry."
"No Ed. I need to set things straight. It was out of lin-"
"It really is ok, Winry." This is going to be the best time as ever to tell them. "Hey Granny? Al? Win?"
They all stopped what they were doing and looked at Ed.
"Uhm, well. I uh... "
"Brother?" Al wasn't liking the tone of his brother's voice.
"Uhm." He let out a sigh. "I realized that I'm not the kind of person to settle down. After all Al and I have been through, I don't think I can ever get used to a quiet life. Besides, all I ever seem to do is hurt people." His gaze turned to Winry. "I'm sorry Winry, you're right. I'm the reason you got hurt. Not just for your ankle, but for a lot of things from before too. It seems that all I do is hurt you." His gaze returned to the floor. "So I've decided that since I'm no use to anyone here, maybe I can make myself useful to the military."
"Brother!"
"Al, its ok. You don't have to come with me." He shot his younger brother a halfhearted smile. "This would solve a few problems right away. It'll fill my need for an adventure, and I won't be around to hurt anyone anymore. So I called that idiot Fuhrer, and I enlisted again. Since I can't do alchemy anymore, I won't be a state alchemist."
The 3 of them looked at Edward with shock. After all, he had just gotten out a few weeks ago.
"I'm sorry to inform you guys like this, but I leave in a week. They already have something for me to do." He shot them a smile. They were all speechless. The silence was broken by a sobbing Winry. "Winry, please don't cry..." Ed said.
Winry, even with the pain in her ankle, ran to her room. This is all my fault. Stupid! Arghhh if I had just kept my mouth shut, this wouldn't be happening! There was a knock on her door. "Leave me alone."
"Winry, it's me, Al."
"I don't want to talk to anyone, Al."
"Winry, come on..."
She finally got up and opened the door. "What, Al?"
Tears were also forming on Al's eyes. "Winry, please don't blame yourself for this. Its partly my fault too. I never thanked him or appreciated him for getting my body back. All this time I was enjoying life, I never thanked the one who was responsible for giving me this life. You can't blame yourself, just like I can't blame myself. Brother has been fighting and travelling since we were both young. Its in his nature to keep moving around. He can't just sit still, and we both know his ambition to help people."
They were both crying. Ed was leaving, and they both thought that they didn't do enough to convince him to stay. They tried to cheer each other up, but nothing helped. "We just have to accept it, Al. But before he leaves, maybe we can convince him to stay." They both had hope, and decided to work together to keep Edward home.
The following days, the 3 had the time of their lives. Winry and Al made sure to leave no doubt that Edward was important to them. However, Winry was still holding back. She didn't want to tell him how she felt. She wanted to wait until he decided to stay. The day before, it seemed like everything was going to be okay. They were eating dinner, and Al asked his brother, "So did you call Fuhrer Mustang yet?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I told I'll arrive at Central around 3:30 pm."
Winry and Al couldn't believe it. He's still leaving?
"Oh, so you still plan to leave, brother?"
"Of course, Al! I told you guys, it would be better if I did. How can I hurt you guys if I'm not around? Its foolproof!"
Idiot... That's the only way you can hurt me. Winry did her best to hold her tears. "Well, I hope you have fun, and find the adventure you're looking for Ed."
Pinako wanted to smack them all in the head, but she knew it wouldn't stop Ed from leaving. He was commited, and nothing was going to change that.
Winry couldn't sleep that night. He's really leaving. I don't want you to leave, Ed. You just got here. We're supposed to be a family, dammit! How do I stop you from leaving? What can I do to change your mind, Ed?
In the other room, the golden haired boy lied on his bed. Hands behind his head, he stared at the ceiling. I'm really going through with this, huh? I'm going to be a dog of the military, again. Never thought I'd get back into the military, after fighting Father I thought we'd have a happy life. But I just keep hurting her. Hm, this is the right decision.
The next day, Pinako had customers to deal with. "You and Al can go ahead and drop off Ed. I'll be fine here." She knew how her granddaughter felt towards Ed, even if Winry didn't fully know it yet.
The 3 walked in silence. Each of their minds were drifting, and no one knew what to say. Before they knew it, they were at the station. "You guys don't have to wait for the train with me." Ed smiled at them. "You can go back home, I'll be fine by myself," he assured them.
Accepting what was going on, Al decided not to say anything. Nothing will change brother's mind.
Winry just stood there. Trying to find the courage to tell him what she felt.
"Winry? You okay?" Ed's voice was soothing.
"Ed... yodntrlyhvtgdu?" She mumbled, making her heard to hear.
"What? I'm sorry Winry, I can't hear you." Just then, the train was in sight.
Now or never. "Ed. Its not your fault I sprained my ankle, and I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you for caring for me. I was being mean, and you didn't deserve it. You don't hurt me, Ed. In fac-"
Ed was laughing. "Don't be crazy Winry. Of course it was my fault you sprained your ankle. You had every reason to be mad at me. So stop worrying so much. I'll be out of your hair, and you'll be happier without me." He grinned. "Live your life Win. Be happy, smile. Find someone who'll make you happy, and who'll accept you for who you are. Whoever that guy is, he'll be the luckiest man in the world. Who knows, maybe in a year or 2, I'll visit you and your new family. Well, I really have to go. Goodluck Win." For the next few years, this will be the last time she'll see his smile. He boarded the train and it left. She stood there, not moving.
You make me happy, Edward. You're such a fool. Tears were now streaming down her face.
3 years later
Winry started to date a man named Sean. It was nearing their 2 year anniversary. Al and May finally hooked up at Resembool. With Ling taking care of all the clans, she didn't have to stay at Xing. The house was finally filled with life again, but something was still missing. Al, Pinako, and Winry still thought of Ed. They had no contact with him since he left. It was a wonderful dinner. Sean asked Winry if they could talk oustide for a moment. He proposed to her, and she said yes. Excitedly, they went back in the house to announce their engagment. However, inside everyone was crying.
"What... What's wrong?"
"It's brother. Major Hawkeye just called. Ed was... He was..." He couldn't continue.
Pinako finished for him. "Edward died in the field. They wanted to know where we wanted to bury him."
Winry couldn't breathe, she fell to the floor, gasping for air. She sobbed uncontrollably. She found her way to Al, and they hugged each other tightly. Each could could not control their tears. Ed had just died. You broke your promise again, Ed. The thought of him gone was painful, and it seemed like hours before the 2 of them gathered themselves. May was worried for her boyfriend, and Sean tried to console his girlfriend. Pinako just smoked at the kitchen table. Tears streaming down her face.
What the hell did you get yourself into, shrimp? This isn't the way its supposed to end. You're supposed to be here, married to Winry with kids of your own. Now you've gone off and died. She slammed her hand on the table. She composed herself. "Everyone get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow we have to start arrangments for the funeral." She got up and headed to her room. I'm sorry Tricia. I didn't take good care of your boy.
Sean went home. They could announce their engagement some other time. Winry went to her room, and May and Al went to theirs. They could not fall asleep, as memories of Ed kept them awake. Al sobbed through the night. Winry sat in the corner, thinking of the last thing they had talked about 3 years ago. May comforted Al, but she too was crying. Ed was an inspiration to her and many others. A boy who saved a whole country. He had a drive and determination that no one could match. He kept his word and his promises, or he died trying to fulfill it. He constantly put himself in danger to help people, and he was grateful for the friends he had. Now this man was gone. He grew up too fast, and now he was gone too fast.
One day ago, at Central.
"Mustang!"
"Fullmetal. What do you want? I'm a little busy."
"Remember when you faked Maria Ross's death?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I need you to do that for me. I need to fake my death."
"Why in the hell would you do that?"
"If everyone knew I was dead, Al and Granny would be safer. Also because of the... other thing."
"And if I say no?"
"You can't. This latest mission you're sending me on is very dangerous. That's why Edward Elric needs to be dead. No one will suspect a dead person to be undercover."
Mustang didn't approve, but he knew Ed was right. Everything was set up to fake Ed's death, and they went through with the plan. The next day, Major Hawkeye would call and inform Al of Ed's death. Only Ed and Roy knew that Ed was still alive.
The next week wasn't easy for Al. He was happy to see his old friends that attended for Ed's funeral, but he was broken. The funeral was closed casket, as the body was too mangled and burnt to show. The funeral ended, and the casket was buried. Sobs and crying could be heard from a lot of people. It was as if everyone Ed knew on his journey was there, paying their respects. Roy filled Al in on what had happened. Pinako, May, Winry, Riza, and Scar listened as Roy told them that a gang of alchemists orchestrated Ed's murder. Ed uncovered their plans to make more philospher's stones, and he put a stop to it. The leader of the gang, an alchemist specializing in fire, was furious. He himself murdered Ed. Roy assured them that the leader was dealt with accordingly. This news didn't help at all. Al, Pinako, May, and Winry still couldn't believe that Edward was gone.
A few years had passed, and Pinako was getting older. She soon couldn't go on anymore. Her body was failing her, and she knew it. Winry, May, and Al all said their last words to her. "I'll get to see my son and his wife. I'd get to see Tricia, and my husband, and Edward again." She went peacefully. Another funeral was held. It was smaller than Ed's but people from Resembool showed up to pay their respects. The weather seemed to match the mood. Clouds rolled in, and it soon started raining.
Ed had received a call from Roy, informing him that Pinako Rockbell had passed away. Ed made plans to attend the funeral without anyone seeing him. He went to their old house, and leaned by the tree. The tree had lived through the fire, and was now green and alive. He watched from a distance as the funeral went on. He was sure no one could see him from that far, and the weather was sure to mask his prescence. He could see black umbrelllas leaving, and he knew it was over. He decided to wait till everyone left to go to her grave. Everyone had finally left, and he made his way to the graveyard.
"I'm sorry I lied to you, Granny. I wanted to be here, at least in the last few weeks to help you. I wish I could have said some last words, to show you how much you mean to me. I appreciate you giving Al and me a place to live, a place to call home. You always believed in me, Granny, and I won't ever forget the things you've done for us." He knelt down, leaving a single rose on her tombstone.
Winry was in her room, looking out her window. First Ed, now Granny. She was depressed to say the least. Her loved ones were slipping away, and she could do nothing. Her relationship with Sean had hit a speed bump. They postponed their engagment, until she had gathered herself. It wasn't easy dealing with death.
The weather was starting to get better, and the sun shone through some of the clouds. It was a beautiful scene. The sun reflected off the puddles on the ground. She moved her gaze towards the graveyard in the distance. She squinted a bit, as the sun reflected off some golden hair. Ed used to have gold hair. And golden eyes. Oh Ed I wish you could've been here before she was gone. Soon the man with the golden hair walked away. Ed used to walk like that. His automail leg and his flesh leg couldn't seem to work together, so his form while walking was very distinct. With the weather cleared out, the man took off his coat and put it over his shoulder. Ed used to carry his coat like that. She squinted some more to see if she could get a better look of the man who reminded her so much of Ed. Ed used to braid his hair like that, but he keeps it in a ponytail now. She smiled at her memory of Ed.
Ed had finally said what he needed to say to Pinako and his mother. The weather had cleared, so he started to walk. He took of his coat, and held it over his shoulder like he usually does. I wonder how everyone is doing? Don't be stupid, you'd only risk their lives by showing yourself. He decided to walk towards the Rockbell house, but made sure to keep his distance.
The golden haired man had changed his direction to walk towards the house. He changed his direction again as he got close enough. Ed used to have bangs like that. She had turned her gaze onto something else while he walked towards the house. Now that he was close enough, she focused back on him. Ed... The man stood there, staring at the house. Coat over his shoulders, and the other hand in his pocket. Ed. She saw him standing there, and she couldn't help but smile. She saw the man. Ed? She adjusted herself to get a better look him. "Ed? Ed!? EDWARD!"
Al heard Winry in her room calling out her brother's name. "Winry? Is everything ok?"
Winry raced down the stairs. "Its Ed!" was all they could hear her say, as she stormed out the door.
"What?" Al was confused.
Ed looked at the house, and noticed a certain blonde haired girl was sitting by the window upstairs. Winry... He smiled. He stood there just taking in the sight in front of him. Coat over his shoulder, other hand in his pocket. His bangs were flowing in the wind. By the time he turned his gaze back at the window, Winry was gone. Hm, well I finally saw the house, after 5 years. He decided to go. There's nothing here for me. He walked away towards the train station. A few minutes later, he heard his name being called.
Winry ran towards him, hoping to get his attention and stop him. He was walking away now, and she was sprinting. "Edward! Ed is that you!" Ed's dead! But I have to know for sure.
Al decided to follow Winry. She just went through a tough ordeal, and Al wanted to make sure she was safe. He could see her yelling after some guy. He ran towards them.
Ed, seeing as he was spotted, decided to run for it. I can't let them see me. Dammit, how could I be so careless?!
Winry was running out of stamina. He was getting away... There's no way I'll catch up. Tired, she stopped running.
Al saw that Winry was slowing down, and caught up to her. "Winry, what are you doing?"
Just then, May drove up to them. "Get in!" She drove towards the station. "I'll try and cut him off."
"Who is that Winry?"
"I think it's Ed, Al."
"What? It can't be Winry. Brother's dead." Isn't he?
Ed turned back and saw that no one was following him anymore. Whew, close call. He turned back around, and a car stopped him. Inside, Winry, May, and Al were wide eyed to see ED... alive. Winry got out first, and made her way to Ed. Ed tried to book it again, but her wrench found his head, as if it yearned to hit his head again after so many years. Winry stood over him, looking furious.
"What the hell is going on, Edward Elric?! Why the hell have you been lying to us?! You're supposed to be dead! I'm going to kill you!"
Al stepped in and tried to calm her down, to no avail. "Brother! What? How? Why?"
Defeated, Ed spoke up. "Look, I'm sorry. Right now I can't tell you anything. I'm on a mission, and I can't reveal anything until afterwards. I promise to tell you everything after that. But right now, you've got to let me go. I'm dead, so don't tell anyone you saw me. Its very important that everyone thinks I'm still dead. Do you understand?"
"Uhm, sure. Brother."
"EDWARD ELRIC, how long until you finish this stupid mission?"
"3 months, give or take."
"3 months? Fine. In 4 months, if you're not home, I will find you, and I will put you in your buried casket. You may not be dead, but no one will notice the difference when I kill you. In the meantime, I'm gonna stock up on wrenches." Winry was furious. He had been lying to them all this time, and missed Pinako's last words. If he ever wants me to forgive him, he's got 3 months.
"Fine, whatever. I've gotta go now." Edward got up, and left again. This encounter only left more questions than answers.
4 months later, and Ed still didn't go home.
Winry, Al, and May decided to head to Central and find him. Winry had broken up with Sean, and she hadn't really explained why to anyone. After a few days in Central, catching up with old friends and saying hi to others, they started to look for Ed. No one had seen him, and the only people left to ask were Colonel Hawkeye, and Roy Mustang. Hawkeye had received promotions as the years went by. The trio separated to cover more ground. In a few hours, Al and Winry met up, when suddenly, a thief stole Winry's purse. The thief was fast, and they were losing him through the crowd.
The thief turned to look back if they were still on his tail, and saw that he was losing them.
Ed was casually eating dinner at a cafe. He opted to eat outside, as the weather was very nice. He was waiting for his meal when he noticed a man running with a purse, checking to see if he had any pursuers. Ed realized he was a thief.
By the time the thief turned back around, he received a blow to his chest. A metal leg had just stopped him dead in his tracks. Right away he knew his collarbone and a few ribs were broken.
Ed looked down at the thief. "Sometimes having an automail leg can have its advantages. One, you can't feel pain when you hit someone with it." Ed chuckled, and grabbed the purse. "Two, it hurts the other guy more than regular flesh." He started to look around for who ever the purse might have belonged to. Seeing no one, he decided to look inside and see if their was any identification. It's rude to look through a lady's purse, but I have to return this.
Al and Winry made their way through the crowd. They saw the thief lying on the floor, groaning as a golden haired man sat on the thief, making sure he didn't get away. "Excuse me..."
Ed turned around, and saw 2 stangers calling to him.
He turned around, and Winry and Al couldn't beleive it. They had found him!
"Mrs. Rockbell, I presume? I apologize for looking through your purse, but I had to find out who it belonged to. Hm, and you must be Mr. Rockbell." Ed smiled to them.
"E... Ed?"
He was surprised they knew who he was. "How do you know me?"
Al spoke up. "Brother! What do you mean how do we know you?"
Ed's eyes widened. "Brother? What?"
"Yeah, you're his older brother Edward. I'm your childhood friend." Winry continued.
"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. I don't have a brother, and I'm sorry ma'am, but I have no clue who you are." They all shared confused glances.
Just then, another familiar voice came out. "Ed! I'm sorry I'm late." Riza Hawkeye was meeting Edward for dinner it seems. She then saw Al and Winry standing beside them. Oh no, I hope they haven't said anything yet.
"Oh hey Riza!"
"Colonel Hawkeye!" Winry and Al shouted.
"You know Riza, too?" Ed asked.
"Well yeah, she's a friend of ours. Colonel Hawkeye, please tell Ed to stop playing jokes."
"Haha, Riza yeah. They claim that he's my younger brother, and she claims to be my childhood friend. Crazy right?!"
Riza let out a sigh. This is going to be complicated. "Let's talk somewhere private, ok?"
They made their way towards her apartment, walking in an awkward silence. Winry and Al were both very worried. By the time they got to her apartment, Al asked to use the phone. Luckily, May was at their hotel room, so Al was able to get ahold of her.
Riza made tea and served it to everyone as they all sat in her kitchen table. Winry noticed all the baby toys and the mess that was there.
"I'm sorry about the mess. The kids don't know how to clean up after themselves."
"Kids?" Edward and her have kids together?
"Yeah, sorry we haven't told you, but Roy and I got married and had a 2 kids."
Whew. "So where is the Fuhrer and the kids?"
"They went camping this week. I couldn't go because I had to help Edward."
"Help brother with what?"
She let out a sigh, getting ready to tell them what had happened, and revealing to Ed who they were at the same time. "2 months ago, Edward contacted Roy, informing him he was almost done with the mission. We didn't hear from him again until 3 weeks ago. He said that the number was in his wallet, and he didn't know what else to do. We went to where he was, and he did finish the mission. Unfortunately, his memory was wiped by one of the alchemists there. Since then he's been here. He hasn't shown any signs of remembering anything." She looked towards Edward, who was hearing the story for the first time. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you, Ed. We were eventually going to tell you, but we wanted to see if maybe you'd start remembering. Hmm, has any memories popped up from seeing these 2?"
Ed stayed silent, taking in everything. "No... I don't remember anything." He had a very confused and lost look on his face. Dammit
"How do you know your name, Ed?" Winry asked.
"It was in my identification card. I didn't know I was in the military until Riza and Mustang told me about the undercover mission. I'm sorry everyone, this is all a little too much to take in."
Before he could get up, Winry already stopped him. "No Ed, you are not going for a walk."
What? How did she know I was going for a walk? "Why not?"
"You've been gone for far too long, Ed, and walking will not solve anything. We're here, we know who you are. I've known you long enough to know your habits. If you want help remembering stuff, it'd be best to hear it from the people who were there." Winry was right, and Ed knew it.
"Fine, but can we do it tomorrow? Today's been such tiring day." He pleaded to them, he wanted to give his mind a rest.
"Tomorrow sounds great. I guess we'll be heading back to our hotel. Thank you for the hospitality Colonel Hawkeye!" Winry was grateful for her help.
That night Edward had a dream about Winry. He dreamed about them living in the same house, and one day Ed had to leave. It wasn't till years later he learned that she marrying another man. Edward woke up from his nightmare. It won't be long till I make a mistake and everyone figures out what I'm doing. I never thought they'd come looking for me here. Ed lay there, unable to sleep for the rest of the night.
*Flashback*
Edward had received a call from Mustang, informing him that Winry was engaged to a man named Sean. "So he went through with it, and she said 'yes'?" Angry and sad at the same time, Ed went out to fulfill his duty to the military and finish the mission. Afterwards, he went looking for an alchemist who specialized in pyschology. He found who he was looking for, and told the alchemist he wanted his memories erased. If I don't know about it, then I won't be hurt by it. It seemed like it worked, and for a few days Edward was lost and confused. His dreams, however, kept bringing up scenes from his past. It wasn't long for him to figure it out it was his memories. So that's why I lost them in the first place... I WANTED to.
*End FB*
I've gotta find a way to get outta here by tomorrow. He got up and started to pack. For the 3rd time in his life, he was packing up what was left of him, and moving on.
Winry couldn't sleep that night, and decided to read some books that Ed owned. She really hated reading. Better than lying down looking at the ceiling all night. Skimming through the notes Ed had wrote throughout his journey, Winry stopped at a page that caught her attention. I never knew Ed was an artist. In one of the pages, Ed had a rough sketch of Winry. She found other sketches, some poorly drawn, of her. Some sketches depicted the 2 of them at her house. Why did you draw me so many times, Ed?
Al woke up and noticed a light was still on. He went up to investigate and saw Winry on the couch, reading Ed's old notes. He caught a glimpse of what she was looking at, and noticed that she had a confused face. He chuckled, "Brother was so focused on research and the philosopher's stone, but sometimes he'd take time off and doodle whatever was on his mind. Most of the time, you were on his mind, Winry."
She was startled at first, but ended up smiling at the thought of Ed thinking about her through his adventures. "Thanks, Al. I'm sorry for waking you up." Al waved his hand and went back to sleep. After a few more minutes, Winry knocked out too.
Morning came, and Riza was about to wake Ed up to eat when she noticed he wasn't in his room. She panicked and called Al's hotel room. Maybe he decided to find them and talk to them about his memories.
"Good morning, this is Winry," she groaned as she picked up the phone.
"Winry?! Is Ed there?"
"Hm? Wait a sec." She got up and looked around the hotel. "No, he's not here. Is something wrong?"
"I don't know. He's not here either..."
"I'm sure he just went out for a walk or something," Winry explained.
"No, Winry. He took all he had with him."
At this, Winry jolted towards May and Al's room. "Al! Wake up! Your brother left!"
"Huh? Left? Who?" He was still drowsy while Winry was getting dressed.
"Your brother left in the middle of the night, Al! Now get up, we have to look for him!"
"Again?!" cried May.
"Sorry May, but this is urgent. I'm gonna go to the train station. You 2 check the outskirts of the city and ask if he went through there during the night." She left right after, and the couple got up and got ready for another manhunt for Edward.
Edward anxiously waited at the train station. There wasn't another train leaving until the morning, so he just waited there all night. Hurry up. C'mon. He was worried they would try to find him there. As if on cue, Winry called out his name.
"Edward?!" She ran to him, out of breath. "Just-what-thehell-areyou-doing?!"
"Oh, Winry, right? I'm sor-"
She cut him off. "I told you the only people who were able to help you are right here, and now you want to get away from us?! Are you crazy?! What the hell are you trying to do by leaving? Do you not want to remember? Don't you want to go home? Don't you want to be around your friends?!" She was on the verge of tears. For the 3rd time in her life, Edward Elric was about to leave her again, and she wasn't about to let him go that easily.
"Look, Win, this is just something I have to do, okay? For some reason, I have a feeling that I don't belong here, or with you and Al. What's the poi-"
Winry noticed something and cut him off once again. "I haven't heard anyone call me 'Win' for years."
Edward was stunned. "Huh?" was all he could say.
"Only one person calls me by that nickname, and he wasn't around for years to call me that. You really expect me to believe you lost your memories, Edward Elric? Do you really think I'm that dumb?" She was already reaching for her wrench. "A person who lost their memories would do anything to get them back, not run away from them, Edward. You might be able to fool Ms. Riza or the Fuhrer, but I've known you since we were kids. SO WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU PRETENDING YOU LOST YOUR MEMORY?!" The wrench flew towards his head, and all he could do was brace himself.
Bam! "Owww, c'mon Win, you still carry that thing around with you?" he looked up at her.
"Get up. We're going back to the hotel, and YOU'RE gonna explain to all of us why you're lying, about this and your death."
Great. Stupid train.
They finally got back to the hotel, and the couple hadn't left yet. They called Riza, and she was on her way. She finally arrived, and it was finally Ed's turn to explain himself.
"The funny thing about wanting to lose your memory, is that all you do is try and get it back once you do lose it. I may have succeeded in getting it wiped, but my dreams said otherwise. The reason I wanted them gone was because I found out you were engaged to someone, Winry. I couldn't bear the pain, and my only solution was to forget you. But even then, it's not easy to forget you Winry. How could I forget you? How could I forget your smile? And your eyes? And your wrench?" He laughed at that last part. "I guess I realized that I couldn't handle it, losing you to another man. I've dealt with different kinds of pain all these years, but I finally found the one that I couldn't bear. I was going to come back home, promise, but not after finding that out, Win."
The special nickname he called her made her shiver. I thought I'd never hear anyone call my by that. I assumed it also went away when I heard you died, Ed.
Everyone was still silent. They had never heard Ed admit to being hurt, much less heartbroken. Winry was still thinking about everything he had said, when she finally asked, "How hurt were you, Ed?" He had just expressed how he really felt about me, and I'm not gonna let this opportunity pass. After all, he'd made it hard for the rest of us these past few years.
"Huh? What? I just told you, Winry. I couldn't bear it."
"Would you do it again? I mean, lose your memory again?"
"It wouldn't matter. I'd just end up remembering you all over again, and end up getting hurt again by the news of your engagment."
Everyone thought the same exact thing. He still doesn't know she called off the engagment. They all smiled at this realization.
"Well, Ed. Would you fight for me if you could?"
"Oh c'mon Win. You know I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't openly ruin a relationship because I was jealous."
"Oh so you WERE jealous?" She sneered at him. "Hm, but if it was a challenge, how far would you go to win me?"
"You're not a trophy Winry. Any guy who thinks that about girls are stupid. You're not something to be won."
"So what am I, Edward?" She asked teasingly.
"You're everything to me, Winry. I can't even begin to describe it."
"If I was everything, then why the hell did you leave?!"
This was going to be a serious talk. Everyone else decided it was best to let the 2 talk about this themselves. They all headed out and picked up breakfast.
"I left because I was just a burden to you. All I ever did was hurt you, Win. I left because I didn't want to see you get hurt anymore. The time you hurt your ankle, I felt so guilty about it. I tried to make things right, Win, but it seemed I only made it worse for you. I left so you could be happy. I left so I wouldn't be in your way anymore."
"Did you ever stop to ask me what I wanted, Ed?! No! You never once asked me how I felt about you going away again. You didn't know anything about how I felt because you never bothered to listen. You did all the things you did, not knowing how bad it hurt us. You left thinking you were erasing problems, when in truth, you were creating one. You left thinking I'd be happy without you, when the truth is I'm nothing without you."
"Nothing without me, huh? Pfft... If that's true then how come you found somebody else so fast Win? You got engaged to him as soon as possible!"
"I thought you had just found out about that 2 months ago?"
"Yeah well I lied! I found out when I was trying to come home all those years ago. I stumbled into Sean, and I saw the ring he had. I asked him who the lucky girl was, and I practically died when he said your name. I left right after, AGAIN, and found my way to Central. You know I never believed in drinking, but that night, I drank my life away. That idiot Mustang and his men struggled to get me out. It took me a few days to recover, and it gave me time to think. That's when I came to Mustang and told him to kill me. He couldn't do it, so we agreed to just fake my death. It just so happens that the news came to you and Al the same night he proposed. It was fate, really. Because I really did die the moment you said 'yes' to him."
Winry just stared at him. You... came back home?
"If you were nothing without me, then I don't know what 'nothing' means to you Win. I'M nothing without you, and it was hell going through all of that. My definition of 'nothing' might be wrong, I don't know. All I know is that I was heartbroken. I tried to be happy for you, but I was too selfish. I couldn't even bear to face you during Granny's death. I am nothing without you. Just a dog who has no master, wandering around looking for something to do. That's what nothing is, Win."
Winry remained silent. All this time I thought I was having a hard time, but it seems Edward's been through worse. Just like when I broke my ankle, I was having the best time, but Ed suffered a little more because he wanted me to be happy. "You're a fool, Edward Elric. You keep thinking you know what's best for other people, yet you don't even know how they feel. You thought being away from us was the solution, when it was the problem. You're a fool to think that we were happier when you weren't around. You're an even bigger fool if you think I replaced you with Sean. What happened with him was just that, a happening. I went through the motions because we were getting older, and I'd eventually wanted a husband and kids. Of course, my plans took a detour when you and Granny died. Hm, do you know what her last words were? She told us it wasn't supposed to end like that. She said YOU weren't supposed to go before her. She said that we… You and I were supposed to have given her great-grandchildren. She always pictured us being together, and you ruined that Ed with your foolish way of thinking."
"So what if I've been a fool. No one told me to act otherwise."
"Because you never bothered to call or write to us."
"That was for your safety."
"Oh shut up, Ed. Every time it's always about our safety. Every time it's about the less we know, the less in risk we are. Well I'm tired of it, Ed! We all understand the risk we take with you and Al. I knew the risks and accepted them when I loved you. I waited for the day you'd come home, and never have to leave again. I thought that day had come, but I pushed you away."
She had kept going, but Ed's thoughts stopped at 'when I loved you.' "Y…" He interrupted her rant. "You… What do you mean by that?"
"By what?"
"'When I loved you'?" He held up his hands, gesturing quotation marks.
Through her rant, Winry hadn't realized she had just admitted her feelings for him. "Did I really say that?"
"Yeah, you said you knew the risks when you loved me." Ed did not want to change the subject.
"Uh… well. It's like how yo-"
Edward closed the distance between them, and enclosed her between him and the wall she was leaning on. "Winry Rockbell…" His golden eyes focused on her blue eyes, his voice stern and commanding. "Spit it out."
"Since we were younger, it wasn't hard to figure out the trouble you and Al got yourselves into. Then when you left to be a state alchemist, Granny and I knew that you wouldn't be home for a long time, and even if you were to come home, we knew it'd be a short stay. All those times you came back with your automail destroyed, Granny and I knew something was wrong, even if you didn't want to tell us. I spend nights crying thinking about what the hell you got yourself into, but I knew that no matter what, you and Al had each other's backs. Even through all your attempts to keep us in the dark, my nosiness got me involved. It was then I saw the extent of what you did, and how dangerous it was. I held that gun up to Scar's head, and you sacrificed your life to keep my innocence intact. It was then that I knew you were more than a friend. After you left here to go back to Central, all I did was worry about you. I wished and cried every night for you to come home safe. Then when I finally saw you outside, with Den licking Al's human face, all my dreams and wishes came true. The weeks that followed, I knew I wasn't treating you right, Ed. I don't know why, but maybe its because I wasn't used to having you around so much. I knew no matter what I said, you weren't going to leave. But I was wrong. I managed to drive you away in the end. Everything you went through after that was all my fault. I thought I was heartbroken, Ed, but it seems like you were far worse than I was."
Ed listened intently, letting the words come to him. He leaned in toward her, his mouth right next to her ears. "I see you still have those earrings I gave you." He chuckled a little. "I only got them as a peace offering, hoping you wouldn't kill me for breaking your automail."
Winry could feel his breath by her ear. It tickled, but she didn't movie. "I've always liked them, Ed. They reminded me of you. Strong, reliable, but imperfect."
He basked in her scent. I've never been this close to her. "The past is the past Winry. We've both made mistakes, but all we can do now is learn from them." He leaned back again to look into her eyes. "I'm sorry for not being there for Granny. I wish I was, but I can't take that back."
Winry had tears forming in her eyes.
"Please don't cry Winry. I promised you long ago, and I'm about to break it."
"Fool, these are tears of joy." She smiled at him.
"I'm sorry for lying Win. I promise to stop running away, and go home with you. I plan to fulfill Granny's vision, and live with you until you get sick of me. What I did was wrong, and I know that my fake death was very hard for all of you to accept." They both stood there in silence, until their stomachs interrupted them. They hadn't eaten breakfast, and it was already 1pm. "Wanna get some lunch, Winry?"
She happily nodded, and they went out to join the others. As he sat there and caught up with Al and May, she couldn't help but think of Ed and his antics. "Fooled by a fool," she said softly. Ed heard, but decided to let it go.
I promise, Granny, that I'll love her with everything I am and everything I have. I'll do what it takes to make it up to you…