I'm once again attempting to write Full Metal Alchemist fanfiction! Hopefully I've improved since last time... This is going to be a collection of EdxWin oneshots based on song lyrics. (It was supposed to be the 10 drabble Ipod challenge, but I found that I wanted to write more than just a drabble)

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA... :sadface:

Notes: I suppose this could be set in the animeverse just because Winry isn't working in Rush Valley, but it really doesn't matter.

Come Back Down- Life House

I hope that you can find your way back
To the place where you belong

When you come back down
If you land on your feet
I hope you find a way to make it back to me
When you come around
I'll be there for you
Don't have to be alone with what you're going through


"Winry!" The blond girl sitting at the workbench raised her head and let the screw driver she had been using slide from her oily fingers onto the table. She stood and walked down the hallway to the kitchen from where her grandmother had called.

"What is it Granny?" Winry asked wearily, taking a moment to rub eyes with her palms, the only clean parts of her hands. She had been up all night coming up with new designs for Ed's automail. She was always trying to make it lighter, more durable. Any extra attribute that would help him was carefully calculated into the blueprints. His automail was the only way Winry could be of help to him while he was traveling, and she'd be damned if he got hurt because of her poor workmanship.

Of course, she couldn't spend all of her time on Ed's limbs. The Rockbells had to make money somehow, and although the Elrics did rack up quite the bill, Winry had to keep up with the regular orders as well. This meant she spent many sleepless nights working on Edward's things and then labored all day on regular commissions. It wasn't good for her physical health, but Winry would feel the guilt and worry begin to gnaw at her mind if she didn't work on Ed's things.

"We've got guests," her grandmother smirked, mouth curling around her trusty pipe. She eyed her granddaughter shrewdly.

"Oh really? So soon?" Winry's hand automatically went to the pocket of her suit, feeling for the familiar weight of her favorite wrench. Her granny only referred to two people as their "guests." Two brothers actually.

A knock at the door heralded their "guest's" arrival. Pinako strolled over and opened it, admitting a huge suit of armor and a much smaller teen with golden hair into their living room.

"Hey pipsqueak, I didn't expect to see you so soon!" Pinako drawled. "I figured the next time we met you would have grown at least a little bit , but I suppose it was wishful thinking..."

"Very funny old hag," Ed snapped. "I wasn't expecting to be back this early either. And I certainly didn't come to listen to your stupid commentary."

"Ed," Al groaned, shaking his head.

"That's right, you're here because you broke that arm of yours again." Pinako gestured to the mechanical appendage that was hanging uselessly at the alchemist's side.

"Um...yeah," Ed confessed hesitantly, his flesh arm coming up and scratching the back of his head. His eyes shifted from the old lady in front of him to the girl who stood close by. Winry's arms were crossed so he couldn't see her hands, but he was almost positive she was armed.

"Hello Al," Winry said cheerfully, moving forward to greet the younger brother.

"Hello Winry," the suit of armor chirped back. He had no reason to fear her particular kind of tough love. Wrenches didn't do much good against iron.

"Edward." Winry turned slowly to face the elder Elric, her sweet tone taking one a sour note as she glared at him.

"Hey Winry," Ed grinned nervously. He kept his eyes on her hands as he said, "How've you been?"

"Busy, as usual," she answered in an offhand tone. "Except I've been working a lot lately on this one set of automail. It takes me ages just to finish one of the two required limbs, so I spend most nights working on that instead of sleeping. It's not easy working on those and regular items. It doesn't help that the guy who I'm making the special automail sets me back even farther on my work by coming by one month after I've given him new limbs because they're broken. Apparently," she drawled, "he thinks it's funny to get into fights and screw up all my hard work."

"Listen, Winry," Ed sighed, not even trying to deny her claims. "I'm sorry, but can you just fix it? We have to get back to Central soon and-"

"If you have to go back so soon you shouldn't have broken your arm in the first place!" Winry snapped at him, putting her hands on her hips. Ed cringed and took a step back when he saw that she did indeed have a wrench. "How in the world did you manage to break it so quickly? I just replaced it a month ago!"

"It's a long story," Edward replied shortly. He knew his answer was unsatisfactory, and he was prepared to feel Winry's wrench greet his head any minute now.

Winry raised her arm, wondering if she and her tool could knock some sense into the boy this time since the last couple attempts had been in vain. Just as she was about to swing, Winry caught sight of Ed's face, hidden beneath his bangs. It was worn and tired looking, even more sleep deprived than her own. He was biting his lower lip, a habit he must have picked up somewhere among his travels, and his hair was coming undone from its usually neat braid. It was not the face a fifteen year old boy should have. It was the face of a man, one who had gone far and left a part of himself behind.

Winry continued to study him, her arm wavering. It looked like more than just his arm had been damaged since she last saw him. Then again., wasn't this always how Ed looked? Maybe today it was just more obvious.

"Come on." Ed winced when he felt something touch his arm. He looked down and saw Winry's hand encircling his wrist, dragging him forward. He raised his eyes and saw that she was dragging him to the back of the house where the workshop was. He followed her mindlessly, amazed that he wasn't lying in a pool of his own blood by now.

Winry heard her grandmother welcome Al and begin quizzing him about what had happened as she led Ed back into the shop. She knew Edward was surprised. She just hadn't the heart to hit him when he looked like that. Why add a head injury to everything else he had going on? Though it would have made her feel better... She should just be thankful he had come back to her in one piece. Going by the state of his automail, he and Al must have gotten into some serious trouble this time.

Ed collapsed onto the chair next to the table, resting his automail arm on the flat surface for inspection. He shifted slightly and took something out of his back pocket. Winry glanced at the object while busying herself with the tools. It was his state alchemist watch. She saw him flick it open and stare at the inside. She knew what he was looking at. There was a date written on the inside cover: October 3. A day Ed would never let himself forget. That watch was the weight he was carrying. It wasn't just a small disk of polished metal. It was his mother's death, his brother's body, his burned house, and the hope that he and Al would find some way to set it all right.

Winry sighed quietly and sat down next to her friend. She inspected his automail more closely and was relieved to see that the damage wasn't as bad as she had initially thought. He and Al could probably be back in Central by tomorrow. Winry would return to her automail, praying and hoping that one day the brothers would come home safely. Because Ed and Al had never really come home yet. They only came to the Rockbells for a tune up or repairs. They were still travelers, still searching. Winry hoped that when they were done, the two would find their way back home to Risembool. To her...

The mechanic tugged out a few frayed wires from Ed's arm and made a grunt of displeasure.

"Really Ed, can't you at least try to take better care of your automail?" She asked impatiently. "What the hell were you two doing?"

"Just the usual stuff." He wouldn't look at her. He was staring out the window. One could barely see the remains of the Elric house from there.

Winry twisted some more wires in the arm, and Ed choked out a yelp, slamming his other fist on the table.

"Damn it Winry, what was that for?" Ed growled, matching her glare with one of his own.

"Why won't you tell me what's going on?" Winry demanded. "I'm worried that one day you're going to come in here, and you're going to need more than just a simple repair job."

"It's nothing new Winry," Ed told her heatedly. "All and I want our bodies back, so we're exploring our options."

"I know that!" Winry went back to her repairs. "But that's all you tell me. It can't be easy Ed because every time I see you it's either your body or automail that's been broken."

Silence greeted her outburst. Winry knew he wouldn't answer. He and All were too far gone, and she couldn't go with them. She couldn't follow the brothers around like she used to; their threesome no longer existed. She was just going to have to wait for them to come back to her.

"Ed." Edward once more felt a light pressure on his wrist. He looked up and saw Winry, the look on her face a mixture of worry, compassion, and determination. His eyes widened slightly when he felt her hand slip through his own as she twined their fingers together.

"I'm here for you," she told him firmly, almost desperately. "I know you won't tell me anything, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone. If you need anything," she squeezed his hand tightly, "you can always find me."

Ed nodded once, trying to keep the weird feeling in his throat from closing it up. He smiled grimly and squeezed her hand back, feeling her strong, warm grip. The two teenagers stayed like that for some time, hands and gazes locked. Then Ed gave one last squeeze and gently released Winry's hand. He settled back against the chair and let his eyes close, sighing deeply, a contented look smoothing the lines off his face.

Winry saw his body relax and smiled to herself. She went back to work, satisfied that when he did come down, she would be there.

I had hoped to have the next one up soon, but I have lost my notebook with all my EdxWin story ideas in it....grrr...hopefully it turns up soon.

Thanks for reading!