"Winry! Please, come quickly! Oh Winry, please wake up!"

Winry Rockbell jerked awake as her ears detected the desperate pleas that were slicing through the once still air of her bedroom. Yawning deeply, Winry sat up and cocked her head inquiringly at the trembling suit of armor that filled her doorway.

"Al, what is it? What's-"

"It's brother!" Al interrupted, gesturing at something down the hallway outside the bedroom. "He got into a fight in town and-"

"Oh that idiot!" Winry cried incredulously. "I can't believe him! How many times do I have to tell him not to go all out right after I give him a tune up?!" The mechanic grumbled as she trudged toward the exasperated youth.

"No, Winry!" Al declared. "It's different this time; he's hurt really bad this time. This guy was crazy strong, and he ripped Brother's automail halfway off his shoulder! It-"

"WHAT?!" Winry exploded, picking up her pace now. The flabbergasted teenager rounded the corner and stopped short when she saw what Al had been gesturing at. Edward Elric sat on the hall floor, a few feet from Winry's doorway. His face was drained of color, and his body was overtaken with violent tremors. His flesh hand gripped the upper part of his automail arm as the forearm hung limp and useless; blood seeped from a deep wound in Ed's shoulder, making quick work of the towel he was holding against it. When he saw Winry exit her room, he tried to grin sheepishly at her, either in surrender or apology, but the blood loss left him so weak that he could hardly keep his eyes open, much less smile.

"Granny!" Winry called to her guardian. "Granny, prepare the workshop, Ed's-"

"I'm in here, Winry, and I'm almost done!" Pinako's raspy voice cut in as the tiny woman popped her head around the corner. "Get Edward ready and we'll begin as soon as possible!" The face disappeared again.

Winry sighed, relieved that her grandmother was so dependable. As she bent to aid Ed, she took his hands in hers and looked him straight in the eyes, her blue orbs blazing. However, she didn't get the chance to scold him. Foolish Ed was trying to get to his feet on his own, but his efforts were fruitless. His useless legs gave out from underneath him and he fell back onto the floor, prompting a cry from Alphonse and a grimace from Winry.

"Slow down, you idiot, or you're going to kill yourself!" Winry chided him. She took hold of his hand again and guided his arm over her shoulders as she slipped her own arm across his back. Carefully supporting the young alchemist, Winry helped him stand. With Al close behind, Winry slowly, but steadily, walked Ed to the workshop for prepping.

A little over an hour later, Winry sat hunched over an unconscious Edward, tightening the last few bolts and screws on his newly repaired automail. Twisting a nut, Winry couldn't suppress the soft smile that had formed on her lips as she watched the slumbering Ed. Earlier, when he had felt himself starting to pass out, the stubborn boy had fought his body, desperate to stay awake and aware. However, the immense amount of blood loss during the fight, the trek home, the waiting, and the procedure itself had quickly taken its toll on the young alchemist, and he had slipped from consciousness just five minutes into the operation. At that time, his face had been contorted and coated in dried blood, but now, thanks to Pinako, he was fresh and clean. His features were relaxed and almost peaceful (if that was truly possible for him.) Winry blinked when she found herself thinking of how cute her childhood companion looked when he slept... Suddenly, Ed's eyes flickered open, but Winry tore her gaze from his face before he could catch her stare.

"Hey-" The semi-conscious boy mumbled with a small, sleepy smile on his lips, his voice thick and gravelly. After clearing his throat, he tried again. "Hey, Winry, I-" He trailed off when he realized that she was glaring at him as tears perched precariously in her eyes. The youth fell silent, unable to produce coherent speech under the other's steady gaze. After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, Winry finally turned the last nut and secured the last bolt. Once she'd finished, however, she merely sat on her stool next to the operating bed, those droplets still dangling in her eyes.

Ed turned his face toward the wall and whispered hoarsely, "I-I'm sorry, Winry. I-"

"You're sorry?!" Winry erupted as she sprang to her feet. Her sudden fury had such a strong hold on her that she hardly noticed as her wrench slipped from her fingers and clanged to the concrete floor. "Edward Elric, you went and got into a fight after I specifically told you not to, then you come back here and expect me to just fix you up and move on?!"

"Well, yeah," Ed stammered. "That's how it always works, right? I mean, you're my mechanic, so-"

"No, Ed," Winry bit off as she viciously rubbed at her eyes. The tears were falling freely now, even as she stood over the injured boy. "You don't get it, do you?" Her voice fell to a murmur. "This time was different, Ed. You could have died. You almost didn't make it in time. Do you understand that? You lost so much blood, and-"

"But I did make it, didn't I? I am alive, aren't I?" Ed paused, hunting for the right words. "And…it's all thanks to you, Win." He choked out as he stared into her big blue eyes. "You and your healing hands," he chuckled softly. "You've saved me more times than-"

Suddenly,the automail technician was bent over her patient, their lips meeting in a silent bliss that neither teen knew they wanted until it happened. She kissed him softly, tenderly, not daring to do anything that could crack the broken boy she loved so much. As she came to herself, though, her eyes widened and she pulled away swiftly. Her breathing was labored as she glanced fleetingly at the stunned alchemist below her.

Winry turned away and grovelled, "I'm sorry, Ed, I-"

"No," he interjected cautiously. "No, it's…it's okay." He reached out to her and tenderly gripped her elbow. As she turned back to him, he smirked devilishly and remarked, "Looks like you're good for something other than tune ups and repairs-"

"Oh, shut up!" Winry shrieked as she turned and stomped from the room. Ed chuckled as he watched her retreat, his eyes just barely missing the small grin playing at the corners of the girl mechanic's lips.