Winry sat alone on her couch, her mind swimming through the memories of her childhood. She felt the world shift beneath her as the dreams she had for the future were shattered. She clutched her hand closer to her chest, her grip tightening around the object in her grasp. That special item was all she had left of her past, and her future. A soft whimper knocked her out of her spiral to despair.

"H-hey den…" she said managing a soft smile. Her delicate hands trembled as she reached out to pet the dark color, soft fur. The friendly dog and good friend whimpered again, "I'm ok…" She said her voice wavered slightly as she reassured her friend. The lie showed plainly as her voice wavered and cracked. "I'm ok… I promise I am…" she said now more trying to encourage herself to smile, and to bring her own mind to believe what she was saying. Not happening. As a tear began to slide down her cheek she continued repeating over and over again. "I'm ok…I'm ok…" once the tears broke the mental barrier everything came crashing out of her as she felt her heart collapse and she broke down into soul-wrenching sobs. Winry knew she couldn't keep lying to herself it would just tear her apart. She was NOT alright.

Why had it happened to her? Why not someone else? She was so young and yet so much had already happened to the young blond. Her life had been somewhat perfect right up until earlier that day, and one small tid-bit of news sent everything down the drain. How could life change so drastically in one miniscule second of time? How? Why? She closed her eyes and the memory no Nightmare of what changed her life replayed for the millionth time in her head.

+FLASHBACK+

Winry had sat at her work bench, fiddling with a demolished automail Arm, that Edward had so graciously blown to bits. She was frustrated with the fact she couldn't get the young alchemist out of her mind. He was always haunting her thoughts, and then he always showed up when she was calm just to set her into a tizzy by showing her that her automail;, the thing she had slaved for hours over was ruine; whether it was blown to bits, or just mangled beyond repair. Yet no matter what, she still couldn't help thinking about him, and his brother and wondering whether they were ok or wondering what they were doing at that moment..

The scrap of automail slipped from her hands and fell with a clang on the ground just as Den's bark sounded the approach of visitors. Winry listened to the sound of Den's automail leg as he ran up to tell Winry that they had guests.

Pushing the door open with his muzzle, Den came into the partially lit upstairs room, with his tail wagging. "Hello there," Winry said with a bright smile as she turned to look at her loyal friend. "Do we have visitors?" her voice carried a soft baby tone in it as she spoke to Den. "Alright let's go see who it is." She stood up and walked with Den back down the stairs and to the door. Before she arrived at the door, there were three sharp knocks on the door. Alright whoever they were, they weren't familiar with the fact they could ring the doorbell or just walk right in.

"Coming!" Winry called, as she approached the door. She reached her hand out, grasped the door knob and turned it. "Hel—Oh… Hello there, can I help you with something Colonel Mustang?" Winry's posture straightened as her deep sapphire eyes watched the dark haired colonel as he gave her a small salute. His expression seemed more grave than usual.

"Miss Rockbell," came the familiar female voice who was always ever present with the colonel. "May we enter and speak with you in private?" Riza said, giving Winry a sympathetic look.

"What has happened?" As it finally clicked in Winry's mind, something happened. Something bad and it was imperative that she was to know now.

"We'd rather speak inside where our discussion can be made more privately…" The colonel said curtly. Winry nodded silently, and stepped aside and let the two Military officers into her home.

"Please sit," she offered as she led them too the dining room table. She took at seat at her usual spot to the right of the Head.

Riza went over and sat beside her, and put her hand on Winry's shoulder, something truly out of character. It was almost as if it were to give support for the information she was about to share with the young female.

"Please tell me what's going on." Winry pleaded not liking how the two were acting. When someone who is very professional not to mention friendly casts you a horrifyingly painful glance; you know something is not right with the world

"I don't know the best way to tell you this…" Riza began-

"Tell me what?" Winry interrupted rudely. The burning anticipation of what she wanted to know was killing her. "Is it about Ed? Al? Both of them? Just tell me please!" She was begging for the information, already knowing that it wasn't going to be pleasant info she was receiving, she still begged. Rather get it over with. What have those idiot brother's done now? was her first thought.

Both were silent. They looked from each other back to Winry. Roy then reached into his pocket and seemed to grasp something. When he pulled his hand out, he revealed to Winry a small silver object. Winry immediately knew it to be a state Alchemist's watch. Roy placed the watch on the table before Winry, who looked quizzically at Roy as he did so.

"Open it." He commanded as if he was struggling to hold back and hide some emotion he didn't want the world to see.

Winry tried to open it. It wouldn't open, not a surprise. It probably wouldn't open, not easily at least. That meant one thing. It was Edward's watch… Why was he showing it to her? She wondered but came up with nothing to answer her inquiries.

"Don't try… OPEN IT!" he commanded again, that hidden emotion began to rear it's ugly head. Winry was shocked by his tone, it was both full of frustration and pain.

Digging in her own pockets Winry found what she was looking for a small flat head screw driver. She pried the watch open and stared wide eyed in horror, before throwing the watch down on the table. No. What she saw in the watch was so horrible.

All three of them watched as the small amount of liquid seeped out of the watch, only Winry saw the message carved into it.

I'm sorry, written above his painful reminder.

"Wh-what is this? Where is Edward?" she asked, the obvious sound of confusion and hurt lined with the ever present tears brimming her eyes, the realization of what it was, was like a stake through her heart. It was too painful to even think about calmly, emotions rushed from her brain and out through her vocal chords "Why didn't you just send a letter like you did before!" she said as hinted rage filled her words, but it was sadness and pain that brought about the expressions upon the officers faces. Winry slammed her tightly clenched fist down upon the table and stood up, "WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME! YOU TAKE MY PARENTS AND NOW MY BEST FRIEND!" she said the tears streaming down her cheeks as she collapsed back into her chair. "N-no. Ed…Damn you… No… Why? Wh-" she said as the final stake of the realization for what she saw sunk in. It was of course going to take a moment for her to regain enough composure for her words to be heard and understood, when she finally got it she opened her mouth and asked the only three words that she could think of that formed a true sentence, "wh-where is he?"

"We are going to be bringing him here next week." Riza said her voice wavered slightly but never lost the professional mostly emotionless tone.

"Why next week…? Why the hell not now?" Winry asked viciously.

"Because we need to examine him more," Roy cut in, before Riza could answer. Winry's eyes were locked on the watch. The blood that oozed out of the watch told her one thing. Her best friend; would not need another automail check up. In fact it told her that her best friend was gone forever. Edward was dead.

The sound of foot steps snapped Winry out of the memory. She looked up and saw Riza there. Riza had offered to stay with Winry to comfort her, for that she was grateful. Riza sat beside the depressed engineer and offered her a hot cup of tea. Today was the day that Edward would return to Resembool for the last and final time.

Winry accepted the tea though right now all she wanted was for death to take her too. She could feel how her tears were on the rims of her eyes waiting for her to blink so the force would make them fall. She sniffed and inevitably she blinked and the tears began to follow the path that so many tears before them took.

Noticing the tears Riza resumed her post of comforting Winry by sitting down beside her and putting her arm around Winry's shoulder. Winry wanted nothing more to shrug her off, but she didn't.

"It'll be ok..." Riza's voice was low and calm, obviously hoping to rub off upon the young automail mechanic. Her attempt failed. Winry nearly blew a gasket at the comment.

"No it won't!" she said just barely keeping her tone in check. Her voice was already shaky and torn though it was not yet a yell or scream, but Riza's comment just made it worse. "How can you say it'll be ok? The man I love and my oldest best friend is dead!!! How the hell can things get better?" It was unusual for Winry to curse, but when she did she was really upset.

"I know it's difficult to accept. Death is terrible-

"I of all people know it's difficult." Winry's words were now barely audible behind the complete sobs, as she began to cry. "The Military took my parents away, and now Ed… I have no one left. No one…" her voice trailed off as she buried her head in her hands and cried. Riza said nothing just sat there.