Chapter 1:

Is it Love?

I can't believe I'm so stupid. How could I've ever thought he'd think of me in that way? Winry Rockbell stared out the window at the slight rain, thinking of her childhood crush. Well, she WAS only a teenager, but still. He's been gone for forever. If we had any "magnetic pull," it's gone. She began to cry. Ah, well, I can't be too sad. He'll be here later today. Yeah, think on the bright side. But, it will be sort of weird. And Al will be with him. As always. I just wish... I just wish I could talk to him alone so I could tell him I like him. She frowned. And get rejected. No, I WON'T let that happen. No. I don't like him. I won't like him. Winry drew herself to a confident postition. But only a moment later, she slouched into a slum position, facing the facts. I am in love with Edward Elric.

"Winry! Aren't you going to fix Takkai-san's automail? He's a very busy man with only one arm, and, as I'm fixing Den's, you need to do it," Grandmother Pakino shouted impatiently.

"Hold on a sec!" She had to find her best wrench first. Glancing around her bedside table, her eyes fell on a photo frame. It showed a young blonde girl playing with a blonde boy the same age, and a brown-haired boy one year younger. The blonde male was circled with hearts in red. Oh, yeah, I gave it to Ed. She had said it was for "good luck," but, really, Winry just didn't want Ed to forget her. She grabbed the second-best and ran downstairs, to fix artificial limbs, and forget about Ed until his train arrived at the countryside home/workshop.

"Brother… Brother!" Alphonse Elric exclaimed, attempting to wake his brother from the world of daydreams Ed had fallen into.

"Huh? Oh…"

"We're near the station, brother…"

"Oh, yeah, now I recognize it. I remember that hill! That was where we had our fight about which one of us would marry Winry," Ed remarked.

"Brother, were you dreaming about her… Winry, I mean?"

"Why would you think that, Al?"

"Well, two days ago, you asked me if you thought it would be weird coming back, with Winry and all. Then, later that night, you said that you might be in love. Last night, you were talking in your sleep, saying "Does she like me? Does she?"" Al explained, acting calm, although a little nervous as to what Ed would say.

"Oh, must have been off, then… It's beautiful weather out here, even if it is rain, I had forgotten just how beautiful." But the truth of the matter was, that Ed WAS thinking, Does she like me? Probably not, she hits me with a wrench too much to like me. But, I can't stop thinking about her. No, I can't be in love, I must keep moving forward. My only companion may be Al.

"Changing the subject! Well, if you don't want to talk about it, it's just like you, midget…"

"Midget!" Oh, no, Ed was always sensitive about his size.

"Shortie, shortie…"

"Take that!" Zap! Of course, Ed had the upper hand in fights, being able to use alchemy without a transmutation circle. Alchemy is the science of magic, in all technicality. And to perform this science, most alchemists required a transmutation circle. Ed, the fifteen-year old State Alchemist, was a prodigal exception.

"Ow, brother, that hurt! Even in this armor," Al complained. Due to an accident they didn't like to discuss, Ed lost an arm and leg, replaced by automail created by "Auntie" Pakino and Winry, while poor Al lost his entire body. Amazingly, Ed transfixed Al's soul into a suit of armor, using a blood seal in the process. They both knew what would happen if the seal were wiped off. Not pretty.

DOES Winry love me? Does she? thought Ed. Why am I thinking of this? I can NOT be in love. It would endanger her. But it did not take long, until he realized: I am in love with Winry Rockbell.

"Good, Den is fixed. What do you look so confused about? Does it have to do with Ed and Al?"

"No, Grandmother," Winry replied, though in truth, it had everything to do with them, mainly her feelings for Ed. The rain is kind of romantic, in a way. Maybe Ed will think of me like that. But he said himself, 'Winry, you're like my sister. I love you!' I love you!! No, he meant that in a sisterly way. But maybe he was lying to himself. I don't know!!! I won't "try" anything, though, just in case.

"Good, because there are no takebacks, the train'll arrive in ten minutes. They thought they'd have to walk to the shop alone, but we'll surprise them," Pakino said with glee. Den, their dog, barked.

"Den you're excited, aren't you? Even you!" Winry wondered. "How would you know?"

"Ah, we're here – kind of. Just an 8 mile walk home and we'll be there!"

"Al, you always were pretty optimistic. *pause* It's annoying," Ed groaned. "8 miles!"

"But-uh"

"Whoa! Hi, Winry!" Ed exclaimed as Winry ran into his chest. Just like old times, Ed put his arms around her waist, lifted her off the ground, and twirled her in the air several times. Al watched until Winry remembered he was there, and hugged him, but with less enthusiasm.

"Wow, a silver watch.. Can I see it?!?" And so they set off the long walk to the automail store and the Rockbells' home.