A/N: ...

Edward walked up the dirt road to the small, two-story house he called home. Being a grown up married couple, he and Winry had gotten a place of their own. (Partly to not be a constant burden to Granny, partly because privacy was very nice thing to have). Ed was quite proud of it, as he should be for the amount of work he'd put into it. The walls outside were painted a pale blue, a red brick archway stood above the white door. He would've put some gargoyles or something on top, but Winry had won that argument.

He walked along the path which led to the wooden steps, green weeds pushed up through the cracks. Ed sighed, knowing he'd probably be told to pull them the second he set his suitcase down.

Winry still worked at Rockbell Automail in Granny's house, which wasn't very far at all. It was about a twenty minute walk, nothing compared to his commute to the market in Central. And he was on bike there!

His life in Central was pretty exciting, but it left him pretty homesick. Still, after traveling and learning so much from the west, and Alphonse from the east, Edward had found (and created) a way to share that information to the masses. He was a professor at Central University, and he couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling job. He was likely the youngest professor to ever teach there, still being in his twenties. A good amount of his students were older than him.

The board creaked dramatically as Edward stepped the weight of his left leg onto it, making his way towards the closed door. The sun was setting in the west, casting shadows across the front of the house. Ed smiled to himself before opening the door to his home.

"Hey Win, I'm home!," He shouted, dropping his suitcase on the ground.

As much as he loved being a teacher in Central, he missed his home and his wife. During the semesters, he'd live in the city for the weeks of classes, then return to Resembool on the weekends. He and Winry were both doing the professions they loved, but the separation was starting to get to him.

It's not like it's the longest he'd been away from her. There had been times in his time as a state alchemist and his travels afterwards when he'd been gone for months-even years- at a time. But there wasn't some abstract goal he was chasing after. There was a routine in place, and it didn't seem like it was going to change any time soon. He didn't want to be away like that for the rest of their lives. What would happen when they decided to have children? Would they hate him for being gone so much? Would he completely miss them growing up? Edward didn't want to be absent like his own father had been.

Ed stomped a little too hard into the floorboard as he thought of him. He knew Hohemheim's reasons, and they had been pretty good ones at that. But Ed still felt that bitterness which had grown towards that old man since childhood. Leaving his family to save the world was acceptable, or slightly less than. But even after all that was through and done, he didn't even bother to visit his sons in the hospital. Hohenheim could've stayed and at least tried to make amends. But no, he just died. He'd left without a word and died.

Rotten father, Ed thought, shoving away the pressure behind his eyes.

Edward sighed and looked around for a moment, "Winry?"

It was really quiet, the rooms holding a vacant feel to them. The red light from the sunset bounced off the walls and shiny floor as it streamed through the front windows. Maybe she went out? Ed scratched the back of his neck, She knew I was coming home tonight.

He shrugged, making his way to the small pantry room. He was starving after the train ride home, and since she wasn't there he didn't have to wait for dinner.

Turning the corner through the kitchen, Edward noticed the light was switched on. Which was strange. Electricity had come to their homes when they were very young, and turning them off when not in use had been driven into them by their parents and Granny. Winry wouldn't forget and leave it on. Ed stepped into the closet pantry, and it felt like time had slowed to a stop.

Before him, Winry lie on the stone ground. Her arms were limp around her turned away face. The floor was littered with bruised apples, fallen from the shelf they belonged on.

Edward couldn't breathe, his lungs blocked by the panic. He was frozen in place as he stared down at her in horror. The apples seemed to morph, turning into tomatoes smashed on the ground. In the silence he could hear his own childlike voice, screaming for his mother over and over. The chestnut hue to her hair turned ashy against the grey stone. Sickness stealing her away from him and Alphonse.

"Mom…?" Ed whispered. His voice sounded weak, but older. Matured along with his age. It shattered the memory which invaded his reality. Paralyzed, he stared at the fallen woman before him. The room was yellow with the electrical light. The apples were still strewn about. Her pale, gold hair draped across her arms to the stone ground. On her finger, the wedding band he'd bought shone dully in the tight room. She was obviously not his mother.

"WINRY!" Edward dove to the ground, pulling his wife into his arms as her head lolled back and forth with his movements.

"What happened? What happened?" Ed shook her slightly, getting no reaction from her limp body. "No, no, no, Winry!"

Panic flooded through him as he hugged her to his chest, burying his face in her neck, This can't happen. IT CAN'T!

"Dammit," He growled, his voice low and menacing. "You can't do this. You can't take her! You've already taken too much, you bastard! JUST GIVE HER BACK TO ME!"

His shout echoed through the empty house until the silence settled over him again, buzzing through his skull. Ed breathed in deeply, the scent of her hair filling his senses. He could feel himself trembling, though it was warm in the house. Especially with Winry's body pressed against him.

Warm?

Edward pulled back, looking over her. There was color in her face, heat in her skin. Stuck in his panic-inducing childhood memories, he'd stopped thinking rationally. Without hesitation, Ed pressed his ear to her chest. It rose and fell against him with her every breath. Her heart pounded soundly, pulsating relief through his whole being. He sighed as he remained for a few beats, letting her life signs calm him enough to think.

Why is she unconscious?

Ed eased her down, examining her for any sort of evidence. Her eyes were closed, mouth slackened. A strand of hair across her face floated as she breathed. Her long hair was worn down, tangled and twisted as Ed searched her head. Seeped in her golden locks was a trace of crimson. He pushed his hand through her hair, feeling the sticky, warm liquid.

Blood? Edward thought, his stomach sinking to his toes. His face paled as he stared as it coated his fingers.

"What the hell?!" Ed grasped Winry's face between his hands, the rest of her sliding to the floor again. "Winry, wake up! WAKE UP!"

Winry's eyes remained shut, her mouth ajar.

"WAKE UP, DAMMIT! WAKE UP!"

Still, she didn't stir. Edward felt the pressure of emotion building up in his chest, making his lips quiver and his eyes water. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't. It was just too much to bear.

"Please," Ed whispered, tears overflowing as he pulled Winry close again; they dampened the hair against his face. "Please. God."

Edward believed in the Truth, and if that thing was truly God, then he believed in it. But that didn't mean Ed wanted anything to do with him. Taking Winry away from him, after everything, it made Ed desperately want to open that portal. Not to perform human transmutation, but to punch that bastard in the teeth. It was impossible, anyway. He could no longer perform alchemy, nor did he have much medical knowledge, either. He had no idea what to do.

Ed sunk deeper into Winry's neck, slumping forward.

"I need help."

A/N: So I guess I'm a sucker for cliff hangers... Part 2 will be coming soon! Sometime this week or next. No later, I promise! In the meantime, comments would be great! Any I get, I will reply to in the author's notes of chapter 2!