Tick, tick, tick, tick.
Edward sat hunched over at the desk in the small bedroom that was located at the back of the Rockbell house. The candle flickered warding off the shadows and the darkness that the night brought forth. It may have been able to drive off the night shadows but not his own.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
His pencil flew across the pure white paper of his notebook. Open textbooks lay all around cluttering the floor piled high nearly to the ceiling. He scowled at the equation he had just jotted out as it stared at him displeasing him. He ripped the page out angrily crumpling it in his hands. Oily finger prints tainted the pages purity from his right hand as he tossed it over his shoulder. He picked up his pencil again his face regaining its deadpan expression that he had worn ever since the day that…..
"Damn it no; don't think about that. We won't think about that Alphonse right? We'll just keep moving forward little brother just like we've always done." He whispered into the empty room picking up his pencil again. The door cracked open slowly as not to disturb its occupant. Winry peered in with one eye and sighed. Edward barely spoke, hardly ate and never slept it seemed. It didn't surprise her or her grandmother any how harsh he had taken the loss of his brother, they all had. Winry couldn't help but wonder though if Edward had lost his mind.
She closed the door quietly walking slowly to her own room. Nearly every day her mind wandered to the day five months prior when she had received the phone call from colonel Mustang.
"Alphonse is dead. I'm sorry." He had said bluntly.
"What?" Winry had asked her eyes already tearing over and spilling over.
"From what I can understand his soul just finally rejected the body it was forced to inhabit." Mustang explained to her. Winry shook her head unbelieving.
"Where's Edward? How is he?" She had sobbed out. Mustang had been quiet for a moment. "Colonel please!" She begged.
"You had better come here to central as fast as you can." He said and hung up.
When she arrived at central a few days later she was met by a teary Major Armstrong who had embraced her tightly, a bit too tightly, and walked her to the hospital where Edward had been staying. He lay on a bed sweating and mumbling his eyes darting underneath their lids. She had laid a hand against his forehead noticing the white straps that tied his wrists to the bed.
"Why is he being restrained?" Winry asked hoarsely.
"Edward became a threat to himself after…." The major had began before his gaze lowered to the ground unable to continue. A few days later he was released into Winry's custody and they made their way home to Resembool. She had tried to engage him in conversation but he remained silent. She had attempted to lay a hand against his but he pulled away. She had sighed resolving that in time after the funeral he would get better. Edward had always been a survivor this time would be no different. The casket had been large; it had to be to accommodate the metal shell that had been Alphonse. Winry had been always found it distressing that Al was empty but as she gazed at the immobile armor she realized that now the body truly was.
At first Edward went to the grave that read Trisha Elric beloved mother, Alphonse Elric beloved brother and son. He sat beside it leaning against it his eyes shut. He'd lay down along its length patting the ground and whispering softly just as he had done as a child and he had known he was in trouble. Winry had told him he wasn't in trouble, that he hadn't done anything wrong; 'What happened isn't your fault Edward'. Still he would go day after day from sunrise long after sunset.
The complete seclusion had begun a couple months are he had gone to live with them. All he did was read and write. She couldn't help but be curious about what it was he was studying, what was he still trying to accomplish? She kept a close eye on him making sure he didn't attempt to bring Al back as the two had tried with their mother. She opened the door to her room and moved to her bed. Tiredly she plopped down and closed her eyes.
Edward gently set his pencil down and breathed hard as his heart pounded into his chest with the force of a sledgehammer. His eyes ran over the theory a few times quickly. Slowly he nodded his head.
"This, this could work. This makes sense. I can do it Al, all I need is a body. A living body." He said aloud. He licked his lips pushing his chair out to stand. Steadily he walked to the door opening it taking a right down the hallway towards Winrys room. He knew she wouldn't shut her door, she never did. Even if she had he would have been able to get in with alchemy.
He crossed the room as moonlight streamed in through her window basking her golden hair in it. Ed smirked to himself knowing that this would work. It had too. If it didn't what did he have to live for. Winry's eyes flickered open quickly and she gasped at the form that stood beside her bed.
"Edward! You scared me. Is everything alright?" She asked sitting up rubbing her eyes sleepily. Ed smiled at her and shook his head.
"Actually things are finally starting to look up." He said softly. Winry stared at him her mouth slightly agape before a smile crossed her lips.
"I'm glad to hear it Ed." She said. Ed nodded in agreement. "May I ask exactly what happened?"
"Well you see Winry I finally figured out a way for Alphonse to come home." He stated his tone serious. Winrys mouth dropped as panic seized her.
"Edward Al is dead. He's not coming home." She said sternly. Ed's smirk only widened.
"Al is coming home Winry and your going to help me." He said his golden eyes igniting with a sinister spark. Winry opened her mouth to speak only to have a hand clasped over it tightly. Edward pushed her back down against the bed pressing his weight against her as he laid on top of her. She screamed into his flesh hand as his metal one worked at his belt. She whipped her head from side to side as she felt her pants ripped off of her. Tears fell down as she shut her eyes tightly. This was a nightmare, she was still asleep. Edward was a lot of things but a rapist was not one of them. The pain tore into her being as he entered her and pushed roughly. She cried out as more tears collected and streamed down.
"It will be alright Winry, everything will be alright because Al's coming home. I just need your help Winry please. I need you to concentrate and focus on the matter at hand here. Concentrate on Alphonse think only about him." He whispered into her ear. She opened her eyes to stare at him. His eyes were shut tight and the muscles in his face was tight but not from pleasure, concentration.
The realization as to what exactly Edward thought he could accomplish became clear to her.
'Edward this isn't going to work! Even if I do get pregnant you can't trade our baby's soul for your brothers!' He mind screamed at him but his hand remained tight against her mouth. She was helpless against him. His body tensed as he climaxed spilling his seed deep in her body. He collapsed against her for a minute before standing back up. He readjusted his pants and stared at her for a moment before taking her hand away.
"Go back to sleep Winry. Don't worry about anything I'll take care of all of it. Whatever you don't get up okay? If you do I'll know." He spat out the last part as a threat before leaving the room closing the door behind him.