Disclaimer: I do not own FMA nor do I own its characters.

Crossing the Line

Chapter 1: Blood and Iron

A shrilling screech was followed by a deep boom across the demolished landscape. Edward threw himself at the ground, his hands flying to cover his head from the fallout. His heart raced wildly in his chest as his head thundered with the echo of destruction. The sounds of enemy fire kept up, but it appeared to be fading to the east. Turning onto his back, he counted to three slowly in his head before jumping to his feet. He stumbled through the rubble in an attempt to find his regiment. A few choice words flew from his mouth as his automail leg began to seize up. The knee joint had taken the impact of his fall and was certainly showing its ware. Gritting his teeth, he tried to find his comrades. The next blast hit closer this time, knocking him mercilessly to the ground. His helmet rolled away from him, as if it were abandoning a lost cause. It was hard enough as it was without having to worry about debris falling out of nowhere. His lungs burned as he inhaled the dust in the air. He knew it was bad when it hurt to even breathe. Several gut wrenching coughs wracked his body, as he lay uselessly by himself. The original blast had separated him from the rest of his regiment and the second and third had further ruined any chance of a reunion. He could tell by the numb feeling that his arm was out of commission.

He dragged himself away from the fire, hoping for any signs of friendly fire. The landscape had changed slightly, this wasn't good. While he was certainly not on the battlefield anymore, he wasn't in Central. The sloping terrain was a clear indicator of Resembol. Shit. The sun continued to beat down on him as he moved in and out of consciousness. No one would come looking for him, of that he was sure. The name on his dog tag was a fake, an alias that would go on a list of the dead without a single mourner to its mark. Even as the pain raged on and the sun scorched, he still felt his stubborn resolve. It had been a reckless decision, but it had been his. It was the first time in awhile that he had chosen his own path. He had come so close to escaping, so close to leaving this place behind. On the threshold of his life and all he could see was a white light, a really bright light.

Night had fallen, the sounds of war distanced to a nightmare in his head. He blinked wearily into the bright light shinning down on him. All his life he had refuted the presence of gods and an afterlife. What a pain that he should find there really was a white light. He was only 13 years old! What a bothersome affair, he would die alone. All the mistakes of his youth were surmounting in his mind as the light came closer and closer. For some reason he had thought there would be more mistakes to make; time just didn't agree. Just as he started to worry about leaving his brother behind, he found the most beautiful blue he had ever seen. The way it sparkled with azure put the seas to shame. He heaved a deep sigh of relief as the blue turned into the eyes of a beautiful girl, so there was a heaven.

What a rip off. If this was heaven, why did everything still hurt so damn much? Perhaps this was the equivalent exchange for not believing in this kind of place. He wouldn't be able to experience it to its fullest, maybe just a mild interpretation of what he could have had. Thoughts of being dead were thwarted as he caught sight of two men closing in on him. He tried to fight the arms that were suddenly dragging him away from her, what was going on? Ed tried to call out to her, but his voice just croaked with the dried sandpaper which was once his throat. As the arms dragged him to a lit up space, he felt the world come crashing down. This wasn't heaven, it was enemy territory and he was weak and defenseless. He recognized the insignia of their uniforms and was surprised at the level to which had been sent to pick him up. There was no way they would see past his disguise. He had cut his trademark golden locks to the standard military issued length and even died it black. Through some rather cunning endeavors of his own he had managed to obtain a privates uniform.

He wished his vision would stop blurring; he could barely make out the faces around him. A few women walked around with white uniforms, a red cross adorning the sleeves. Despite the differences between the two countries, he was sure the sign for medical personnel on the front lines was the same. The next time he opened his eyes, he was lying in a bed, a white sheet covering the lower half of his body. He also noted with a quick assessment that his mechanical limbs had been removed.

Currently, the girl with the blue eyes was cleaning around his ports. A few stray hairs had fallen out of the tight bun, framing her pale face. The worry lines across her forehead softened out as she caught sight of him staring at her. Immediately, he struggled to sit up, the danger of being confined on enemy ground not sitting well in his stomach.

She frowned, a slight noise of irritation leaving her lips. Her hands easily pushed him back down onto the bed. "If you want to try escaping here with one arm and leg, be my guest. Just don't try it on my watch."

He wondered why she looked so familiar to him. After all, it wasn't as if he talked to many girls. It took all of his will power to resist the urge to blush as she bent over him to grab a fresh cotton swab. This new fluttering feeling in his chest was unnerving.

His dry voice croaked out a sarcastic crack. "Why are you doing this?"

One perfectly manicured eyebrow raised on her face, "Well…if I don't clean your ports before I reattach your limbs, it could lead to a serious infection."

While she seemed genuinely concerned for him, he couldn't help but notice the presence of the two large men behind her. They kept their distance, but he was sure they were keeping an eye on him. Part of him wanted to laugh at that. If they seriously thought he would be a threat to this facility with only one arm and leg, their country was in trouble.

Her fingers left a trail of heat down his arm as she searched for cuts. If he had been concerned about his luck before, it had certainly changed now. Of all the nurses in this place, she was defiantly the youngest and undoubtedly the most beautiful. Still, he couldn't figure out why they had saved him. He knew the stress their own soldiers placed on what little supplies and help they had. He couldn't believe they would willingly take him in. Before he could really ask her the questions that were swirling around in his mind, she was on her feet. She smiled kindly at him before taking off.

"Hey!"

The girl stopped in mid step, her face tilting back over her shoulder. "Is there anything you need?"

Why were the words caught in his throat? "I uhh..."

She turned impatiently, her hands resting on her hips in waiting. "Yes."

"Where are you going?"

A crocked smile flew to her lips as if it were obvious. "Going to fix your automail…you do want them back, right?"

He nodded once; the ability to form coherent sentences no longer within his capacities. She shot a quick glance at the two guards before pretending to examine his shoulder port one more time.

"I suppose I should check my measurements one more time." Leaning over him, she whispered into his ear so that only he could make out her words.

"Whatever you do, don't say you are a Central soldier." Her breath warmed his neck. "I'll get you out of here; you just have to trust me."

It dawned on him that he wasn't in the Central military uniform and that his dog tag had been removed. She was obviously breaking protocol by bringing him here. What could have possessed her to do such a thing? In the long run it looked like he would have to trust her. He wasn't familiar with their military; he would have to feign amnesia for the time being.

The two guards moved swiftly, trailing behind her as soon as she moved away from him. One glance around the room was enough to truly captivate his curiosities. There were still patients in the wing, along with one doctor and few nurses scattered about. If those guards had been protecting them from him, why did they follow the girl? There was something different about her; he just couldn't quite place it.

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Winry left the ward, her adrenaline running like rapids through her veins. She could hardly wait to get started on a new arm and leg for the soldier. Her grandmother would be pleased at her desire for mechanics, but she wasn't sure how she would feel about her other desires. Sneaking out onto the battlefield to help rescue and treat the injured wasn't the safest place for a girl her age or of her title. Her guards had caught up to her eventually, but they had always been her guards. She knew they had a soft spot for her; they would keep her secret…at least for now. If the boy just kept quiet and didn't cause any problems she would be able to get out of this little mess without a hitch.

A sick, sinking feeling weighed down on her. No wonder her country held such animosity towards Central, they had even stooped to sending their children to the battlefield. The boy had been rather short, but he did look about her age. There was no way she was going to sit behind the palace walls and ignore the bloodshed. The once beautiful valley that separated Central from Resembol was now a stalemate between two armies. While she was a genius with automail; she was no stranger to the medical field. If her parents had left one legacy, it was their deep desire for the advancement of medicine. No matter what title was attached to her name, she was determined to help…even if it put her very life on the line.

Once she reached the workshop she locked herself within its confines. Winry threw her designs on the drawing board and went about scouring for parts. That was one plus of living in the palace, she could easily find everything she needed.

"Princess, please let us in."

Winry sighed in annoyance. It was impossible to work with someone standing over your shoulder. She wasn't an ill mannered brat, it had just become exhausting to try and find some peace. If she didn't lock them out right away, she would be hard pressed to fight off two exceptionally well built men.

"I just need some time to work on this." She didn't wait for them to argue back, "And I can't possibly get this done with you two staring me down!"

Winry held her breathe and prepared for them to break down the door. Yet the door didn't budge. The muffled conversation stopped. He sounded aggravated. "Fine, you have till morning."

She smiled, they knew her too well. With the proper amount of concentration she would have it ready by the time the sun rose again. The familiar feeling of excitement mounted in her body as she began to piece together the plans she had drawn up a few days prior. She had been dying to build her latest model, and this was a great excuse to do so.

The rise of the morning sun cleared the cobwebs from her head as she finished screwing in the last bolt. "Perfect."

Just as she was about to clean her workspace, a sharp knock broke her stream of thoughts. She didn't wait for their call, she burst through the door, the new arm and leg gathered in her arms. The look of awe on their faces was just the response she was looking for.

With the zealous feelings of building her masterpiece fading out, she was suddenly aware of just what she had done. Besides sneaking onto the battlefield to help rescue and treat injured soldiers, she had smuggled in the enemy. She had asked him to trust her, but could she trust him? It was an extremely bad lapse of judgment on her part, but she honestly didn't believe he presented any danger. Besides, without an arm and leg, he would be at a severe disadvantage.

Hastily she shoved her work into her guard's arms, while she toted her toolbox. The other guard rolled his eyes with an amused smile on his face. "You know, little girls your age don't play with tools."

She stopped in her tracks, a fiery reply on her lips. "Well, I'm not a little girl. Besides, what could be more interesting than this?"

The two of them chuckled at her response. To act so normal after seeing the battlefield up close was not a heartless mirror of her. She didn't want them to worry about her. If they truly knew how disturbing the battlefield had been to her, they would blame themselves. There was not a moment in her life to which she could remember there not being war. The sight of fighting and death were commonplace. If she were to truly lead on how much it bothered her, she was sure they would never let her out of the palace walls ever again. For now, she would placate her mind with the task of helping the young boy go home.

Upon approaching the wing she heard the sound of crashing. That was not a good sign. There was no doubt in her mind of just who was causing the disturbance. Frowning, she marched forward, her eyes trained on the boy causing a ruckus.

"NO! You can't make me drink it!"

The poor nurse looked flabbergasted and rather annoyed. "Please be reasonable, you can't hope to grow any taller if you don't drink your milk!"

If it was possible to turn into a tomato, she was sure his face had succeeded.

"Who are you calling so short he could help out in Santa's workshop?!"

The nurse clicked her tongue in reprimand. Winry placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, "I'll take it from here."

The woman shot her a grateful look before moving on to the next patient. The blonde girl picked up the untouched glass of milk in question.

The boy looked embarrassed to have been caught in a temper tantrum over something as silly as milk. "I'll make you a deal, you drink the milk and I'll attach your limbs right now."

He groaned in apprehension, "You really think that sounds like a good option?"

Winry narrowed her eyes, "It's your only option."

He flinched, but took the milk down in one agonized looking gulp. "There, happy?"

She chanced a look around before taking out his dog tag from her pocket. "Not quite." Looking it over closely, she made a face. "You sure don't look like a Wilhelm."

She wasn't a stranger to the look of guilt on someone's face and he was lying. Usually she couldn't wait to see how her auto mail worked once attached, but for the moment she was more intrigued by who this boy really was.

"What happened to you?"

The boy looked uncomfortable, the lies preparing behind his lips. But there had to be some truth behind those lips, because there was a true pain residing on his face. "My regiment got hit; I don't really remember much of what happened after we went down. I was trying to stay alive when you found me." He blushed, "You were the one who found me, right?"

Winry nodded her head, trying to erase the images of the other men who she had not been able to help. "Yes."

"So why are you really helping me?"

The question was innocent enough, but it startled her none the less. Just why did she save him? She wasn't sure she knew exactly why she had been so set on saving him. "Your hardly older than I am, your parents are probably worried about you."

His reply was instant and hollow. "No. I have no parents." He looked at her, his expression changing. "Sorry, I don't like talking about them. What about you?" He gestured towards the automail. "Aren't your parents wondering where you are?"

Her throat constricted at how easy it would be to say yes, how badly she wanted to say yes. "They died at the beginning of the war. It's just my granny and I now. I really don't think she has time to worry about what I'm up to at the moment."

It wasn't necessary for her to add in the fact that her grandmother had two guards watching her at all times. He looked apologetic, but she didn't want sympathy. Everyone had pain in their lives; it's unavoidable in the midst of war.

The boy smiled gently at her, "It helps …having at least one person by your side."

For the first time she felt as if someone really did understand her. It was a strange new frontier, one that included her acknowledging that he was rather cute. "Yeah, it does." Trying to change the subject, she took the pieces of automail and held them out in front of her in a proud display. "So, what do you think?"

The boy gulped, "I think it's going to hurt."

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Tearing off limbs had to hurt less than the feeling of reattaching them. He would grit his teeth and bare it. After all, it wasn't every day that he got free automail from a pretty girl. Through his pain, he watched her place a cold wash cloth on his forehead. It was almost as soothing as the sweetness in her face. As he faded in an out of consciousness he could have sworn he felt her hand on his.

When the morning finally broke him from his feverous night, he was startled at what he saw. Sleeping soundlessly in the chair next to him was the girl. A stray hair had fallen once again in front of her face; he pushed it behind her ear. He remembered when he had long hair and how aggravatingly unruly it could be. He blushed scarlet when he caught sight of the peanut gallery which was currently smirking at him. Quickly he withdrew his hand, only to notice something he should have before. Holding up his new automail arm his mouth dropped open in awe. It felt weightless compared to his previous model. Amazing! He formed his hand into a fist, punching his arm in the air in a victorious salute. This motion hadn't gone unnoticed. The girl laughed a tiny tinkling laughter, muffled by the hand over her mouth. She sat back in her chair, her arms folded over her chest.

"How does it feel?"

To emphasize just how it felt, he jumped out of bed and onto his feet. "Best automail I've ever had!"

She blushed under his compliment and he suddenly realized just how close he was to her. Sitting down quickly he smiled at her. "Thanks."

She returned his smile briefly before sinking into a saddened recluse. She pulled his dog tag out of her pocket and dropped it onto his lap. "We can drive you to the boarder, but I am afraid that's the closest we can come to taking you home."

Ed swallowed hard; he knew he had to go home, he just didn't think it would be so soon. Why it bothered him to leave her, he wasn't sure.

That night he watched as she ordered the two men around, creating a diversion to allow them an easy escape. He marveled at the way she lead them through what must have been an elaborately made plan. Just who was this girl? She obviously held some kind of power to make those men listen to her without hesitation.

She led him through the darkness and into the woods. Every now and then she would stop and look up at the sky. "How do you know where we're going?"

The girl looked as if it should be obvious, "By following the north star of course."

He should have known; after all, she was very smart. Sure enough they found themselves on a dirt road, an idling jeep awaiting them. Sitting in the driver's seat was an ancient looking man, a few teeth missing from his mouth. He caught sight of them and jerked his thumb to the open back, "Well don't just stand there boy, jump in!"

He stuck out his hand towards the girl. It seemed like the proper thing to do. As his palm clasped around hers he shook her hand, "I don't know how I can ever repay you."

She held onto his hand. "Just remember when you go back, that we are people too. Not all disputes must be settled by blood and iron."

He nodded his head before heading to the awaiting vehicle.

"Wilhelm!"

He turned as she called his alias. It saddened him that she would never know his real name. "Yeah?"

She smiled, "Make sure you take care of my automail!"

He shook his head in response, a soft murmur on his lips. "Machine Geek."

The driver took a long drag of his cigarette. "Come on, I haven't got all day kid!"

Edward quickly jumped into the jeep, waving at the girl until he could no longer make her out. It was probably the only time he was actually excited to go home. Her words had sparked something in him and he was dying to do something about it. He would never forget those blue eyes or those words.

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Winry flipped the letter over and over again. No matter how many times she read it, she still felt mildly sick. It was no wonder her grandmother spoke so ill of his country, why the men were as selfish as they come. She wouldn't doubt that this was a clever ploy to make her out to be desperate or ill morale. Throwing the letter onto her desk she set her chin in her hands. No matter how up surd it was, it was an offer to which she had been so desperately seeking. It had been five years since she said goodbye to the boy with amber eyes, but she couldn't forget him. No matter how cruel the military of Central could be, she had to remember that they were people too. With a relinquishing sense of strength she read it over one last time.

Dearest Princess,

I write to you to propose something of great importance. I have seen our two countries wage war since I was little, as I know you have too. I know our desires for peace are the same, it is merely the way to this future that we cannot see. Our people have fought too hard and for too long to stand for negotiations. Such a fight based on blood and iron will lead only to an all encompassing destruction, a world on which I want no part. I fear my country will take its victory soon, by releasing our deadliest weapons. Thus I ask you to consider a proposal of my taking. If you will agree to a union, my father will be forced to withdraw his sword so to speak. A marriage between the two of us is the only option to which I can foresee peace. If you will accept my proposal, please send word immediately. I do not wish to see any further harm come to you or your people.

Faithfully yours,

Prince Edward

Winry slowly grabbed a piece of stationary and began to scrawl her response. It was hard to believe that such a response could be a lie. She would sacrifice herself a hundred times over if it would end the killing. Dropping her pen, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. Her response was written in ink, there was no turning back now.