Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist (I mean come on; if I did it would be author fiction, not fan fiction right?)
This is based on the anime, not the manga.
Ever since the first time she had seen her childhood friends walk out her front door out into the world, Winry had waited patiently for the day they would come home, their quest complete. Until that day came however, she was more then happy when they returned just to visit, or recuperate from injuries.
Or to ask me to patch them up, Winry thought grimly, surveying the fresh metal carnage that was once Ed's automail. No matter how much better I make his new automail, he always finds a way to smash it to pieces! Honestly, I bet he's doing this on purpose!
"So Winry, you can fix it right?" said Edward Elric, oblivious to her dark thoughts.
"Fix it!" snapped Winry in frustration. "Fix what?! Ed, there's nothing left to fix! You've battered my arm into smithereens!"
"You mean my arm, Winry," Ed said, looking puzzled.
"NO, I MEAN MY ARM, EDWARD ELRIC!" thundered Winry. "I made it, therefore it's mine! I'm just letting you borrow it. And you keep breaking it!"
"I didn't do it on purpose!"
"That doesn't make any difference. Why do you two always have to get yourselves in trouble? Why can't you just accept things the way they are-" Winry stopped, aware that she had gone too far.
Ed stared at her, golden eyes wide and furious. "Winry, what is your problem today?!" He waited but she gave no reply. Finally Ed dropped the shattered arm at her feet. "Fine then, take it back. I don't need your stupid help anyway."
"Ed, wait," began Winry, but she was talking to a closed door; Ed was already gone.
Way to go Winry, she thought dully. That was tactful.
The automail arm was still lying on the floor and Winry stooped to pick it up. It felt fragile in her hands, as if it could fall to pieces at any moment. The wrist had been completely smashed in, and several fingers were missing. The side of the arm appeared to have been alternately scratched and melted. Winry hugged it to her chest, trying to imagine what could have possibly done this.
After a moment's contemplation she decided she didn't want to know.
There was a soft creak and the door opened. A large helm with glowing eyes appeared: Alphonse Elric.
"Winry?" he said cautiously. "Is everything okay?"
Winry smiled a little at the youngest Elric brother. "Yeah Al, I'm fine."
"I know the arm's messed up pretty bad, but…if you make a new one, we'll take better care of it, I promise! If Ed won't, then I'll look after it for him. I know how much your work means to you, and how much you put in…"
Winry shook her head as she ran her fingers up and down the automail. "No, that's not it Al. I can easily make a new one, and I expect some wear and tear (I mean this is Ed we're talking about) but…it's just…"
"Just what Winry?" Al asked quietly.
She covered her face in her hands. "You make me worry about you," she whispered. "You, both of you! How do you think I feel when you come in, and the automail looks like this?" She waved it in front of him. 'How do you think I feel when I hear what you two have been up to?"
"How do you think I feel," Winry's voice was barely audible, "When I watch you walk out my front door and I wonder if this is the last time I'll ever see you?" She sank to the floor, swallowing hard.
Alphonse sat down on the floor next to her. "Winry…"he said, searching for something comforting to say and feeling helpless. "We'll see each other again."
"You don't know that Al!. What if something happens? You won't know until it's too late."
"Okay, maybe I don't know." Al looked down. "But Winry, we can't just live our lives scared of losing people all the time. I worry about Ed a lot, but I don't let it spoil the time we have. I guess it's just one of those things where you just have to trust fate. I know it sounds stupid, but there's nothing else we can do but…hope."
Winry closed her eyes. "What if I don't have any hope left?"
She had never been comfortable with her parents leaving. Although Winry had been very young at the time, she was still aware that her parents were doing something dangerous. Every time they left Winry tried to hold them back, to stop them from leaving.
Her parents had smiled, and gently pulled her off of them. They explained to her that they had to go, and that there were people out there who needed them.
"But I need you too!" protested Winry tearfully. "What about me?"
Her protests landed on deaf ears. The Rockbells left anyway and waved goodbye to their tiny daughter.
"Love you, Winry! We'll see you soon!" That was what they always said, walking out the front door. It was never 'goodbye' at the Rockbells' house; it was always 'We'll see you in a couple weeks.' 'We'll see you soon.'
Until the day a letter came, telling her she would not being seeing her parents again, sooner or later.
Pinako ended up fixing Ed's automail, not Winry. Winry sat outside, brooding and thinking about Al's words.
Hope, he says. Well, I hoped my parents would come back, and look what that got me. They walked out that door and never came back. All of my hope was for nothing.
I just can't do this anymore…
"Goodbye, thanks for everything." Alphonse's voice floated down the hall.
Winry stood up. They're leaving already? Quickly she ran to the front door-
-and came face-to-face with Ed. There was an awkward silence. Finally he said, "Well, see you later Winry." Winry nodded silently. He turned to leave.
"We'll come back, I promise." Alphonse followed his older brother. "Don't give up Winry!"
She watched her two best friends walk out that door she had seen them go through so many times. Suddenly she was a young child again, and it wasn't the Elric brothers but the Rockbells walking away. No, please, not them too! I can't lose anyone else! There's got to be something I can do...
"...nothing else we can do but...hope."
"HEY ED! Al!" she called out suddenly. They turned around. "Come back anytime you need me to fix you automail, okay?"
Ed grinned. "You promise you won't bite my head off?" he shouted.
"I DON'T BITE PEOPLE'S HEADS OFF YOU LIAR! But I will fix your automail, I promise!"
"Whatever. Later, Winry!"
"Bye, guys! I'll see you soon." Winry kept waving until they were completely out of sight.
Something told her that was not the last she would see of the Elric brothers.
A/N: Oh wow, my longest fic yet! Anyway, while writing this I've discovered three things.
1 It is really weird to write about someone with the same name as you! (Al) It feels like I'm talking about myself…very strange.
2 All of my fics so far have included death in some way. Not very cheerful. But yeah, I will write a happy one eventually, I just need some time.
3 This fic really sucks! I mean, it's Winry angst! What the crap!
Please review if you can find something good in this mess. Flame only if your life depends on it.