"Ah, Full Metal, I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up." Mustang sat back and smiled smugly at the blonde teenaged boy entering the room with suit of armor tailing closely behind him.
"Yeah, sorry about that Colonel, I'll try to be more prompt next time." Sarcasm tainted Edward's voice, as he really didn't want to be here. He had just returned from another dead end on the hunt for the Philosopher's Stone and wasn't in a happy shining mood to have to report another failure.
Ed opened his mouth to begin but Mustang cut him off, "Through much consideration, having given it much thought, I have decided to give you a little break; a vacation, if you will."
"A vacation?" Ed's eyes widened in surprise and he blinked a couple times.
"Yes, you will be permitted to do what ever you would like for a week."
"A whole week?!" Al spoke excitedly with the usual bell like tone to his voice.
"I imagine you will probably choose to spend it hunting for the Philosopher's Stone some more, however, I'm willing to give you that time. And in case you do look some more, I figured I ought to inform you that I will not be requiring a report of your findings during that time; although it would be appreciated."
Again, Ed blinked a couple times; he really didn't know what to say to this. After a moment though, his face drew more serious.
Mustang, seemingly uncomfortable with the silence adjusted, "On your way."
"So how are we gonna spend our vacation, brother?" Alphonse looked down at his brother who had this peaceful but 'deep-in-thought' like look on his face as they lowered themselves down the front steps of Eastern Command. "Brother?"
"I thought we'd visit an old friend." Ed stated plainly without changing the direction of his gaze.
"You mean Winry?" Alphonse perked up again.
Without his answer, they both continued walking toward the train station.
On the train, Ed continued not to respond to Alphonse's questions; he simply stared out the window with a distant look about him.
Al reached across the isle to Ed in the seat in front of him and set his hand on his shoulder. "Ed?"
Ed flinched at his touch and looked up at him innocently confused.
"Are you okay? What are you thinking about? Are you worried about something?" Alphonse's voice was filled with concern and a longing to help.
Ed sighed and looked down. "I'm fine."
"What are you thinking about?" Alphonse continued to interrogate his brother's odd behavior.
"I was just thinking about the other night…" He then returned his gaze to look out the window.
"What happened?"
"I tried to call Winry but… She… didn't answer."
Al was confused as to why this would worry Ed so much. "Maybe she was busy?"
Ed shook his head, looked back out the window, and remained silent throughout the long rest of the trip.
"Is this the Rockbell residence?"
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"Are you Ms. Pinako?"
"I am. What can I do for you?"
"I'm afraid we have some bad news about Mr. and Mrs. Rockbell."
pause
"Winry, go to your room; I'll come get you when we're done here."
"Kay."
Young Winry heads down the hall, enters her room, but keeps the door slightly ajar and listens.
"I hate to be the barer of bad news but… Mr. and Mrs. Rockbell… are dead."
Winry swiftly sat up, tears running down her face as she covered it with her hands.
That stupid memory! That stupid dream!
She reached over, clicked on her lamp, and sat still in her bed for a while before Pinako (Grandma Rockbell) entered the room. "Winry, are you still awake?... Did you have that dream again?"
"I just wish I could forget." Winry sighed and fought against tears.
"Hm. Well, Ed and Al just showed up. I sent them to the guest room to go to bed since I thought you were asleep still. I'll go let them know you're awake now."
"No! I mean… I'll wait till morning." Winry didn't want them to be worried about her as she was sure she looked like she had been crying.
"Well, alright. Good night Winry." Pinako nodded and left the room closing the door softly behind her.
The next morning Winry woke late. As she entered into the dining room, she flinched at the sudden audience having forgotten that Ed and Al were there.
She slapped a broad grin on her face to hide her fatigue and sorrow. "Ed, Al, hi!" She waved from across the room before crossing to the table. "How are you?"
Ed adjusted to face away from the table and played a fake smile too but no one seemed to catch it. "We're good. And what about you?"
Winry hesitated… he seemed friendlier in his greeting than usual… he did something to his automail didn't he… "I'm fine…" There was an awkward pause. "How's your automail?" She quickly changed the subject as leaned over him and picked up his automail arm.
Ed rolled his eyes and Al snickered causing Winry to pause again before twisting his arm to look at the other side. Once she finished inspecting his arm, she went straight to his leg to make sure there was no more room in time to make eye contact with him. She was afraid that he would see that she was upset and she began to wonder if Pinako told either of them about her dream last night… gasp That must be why he's being so friendly this morning! Crap… I swear if she did I-
"Winry?" Al's voice caught her off guard, "Are you alright?"
Fearfully she slowly raised her head to look at him… then she looked at Ed's face… He looked uncomfortable; and he was blushing. She then lowered her eyes to her own hands… One was on the side of his automail shin and the other… 0.0! When she had started inspecting his leg, it was on the top of his knee and it had now slid up to about his mid- thigh.
She jerked herself away from him coming to her feet in shock, "I'm sorry! I spaced out!" She scooted around past the table with her back to them to hide her burning face. That was embarrassing! Why did I do that?!
Suddenly, she heard a chair scoot back and footsteps. She cringed to await some kind of contact between whoever had just gotten up and herself. When she heard a door open and then close down the hall, she turned her head to look behind her only to discover that Al was the only one left at the table.
Oh great, I probably embarrassed Ed too.
Winry spun on her heel, her ponytail twisting with her and she followed down the hall to check on him. Not but five minutes later, though, she came storming back into the room completely irritated- obviously at Ed.
Al's soul smiled at this… Typical Ed and Winry issue.
Just then, Ed came back out, glanced into the dining room, and kept walking to the front door. "I'm gonna go look around. It's been a while." And with that, he left.
Al rose from the table and headed out to see what was getting at Ed; he also wanted to know what Winry was so upset about.
"Brother?" Al stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him as he called out hoping Ed wasn't too far away yet.
Ed looked up at him lazily from the corner of the porch but said nothing; once he was sure it was just Al he returned his gaze to the outstretched fields before them. "She's acting funny…" Irritation tainted his voice.
Al looked down at him, momentarily surprised then took a seat next to him. "What do you mean, brother? I don't see any change"
Ed closed his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air, reopening his eyes at exhale.
Then Al spoke again, "Is this really why you came out here, brother? To think about what's different with Winry?"
Ed continued to stare distantly straight ahead. "No…"
At this point Al knew better than to ask for more answers; this was all he was going get out of him and he knew it. Nevertheless, Al was still worried. Ed seemed so serene recently, there had to be something else bothering him.
Al sighed and stared with his brother out at the many reeds rippling gently across the fields in the breeze that blew. He then longed to smell the freshness of the air again, to feel the wind in his hair, and to remember what the wood of the porch had felt like under his feet when he and Ed had sat there in the past, not too many years ago.