The Sound Of Thunder
Summary:
Finally having moved on from the Elric Brother's sudden departure, Winry Rockbell knows she must've finally snapped when she starts hearing voices. Not just any voices, mind you - the voice of Edward Elric, and he was warning her, according to him, someone was after her life.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone! This is my first FMA story, so I hope you like it. As always, please read and review, and most importantly - enjoy! This is the second time I've written this chapter, and I like it so much better than the first, if you read the old one tell me what you think? Do you like this one better or worse?
Rated M for later chapters - lemons will be noted before and after making them easier to avoid for those who don't like them.
Disclaimer:
I, unfortunately, do not own anything but the plot to this story. The delicious Edward and company are not mine.
The Sound Of Thunder
Chapter One
Winry snapped out of her stupor when Den yelped as she tightened a wire too far in his automail. Immediately loosening her beloved wrench and readjusting the wire, Winry patted Den's head affectionately.
"I'm sorry, Den - I'm a little out of sorts today." Winry apologized as she absent mindly scratched behind Den's ears. Smiling slightly at his appreciative growl, Winry scratched harder as Den leaned into her touch. Plopping back down onto her chair as Den hopped off the floor and wandered into another room, Winry sighed.
Two years, Winry thought to herself, Two years ago today Ed and Al left for good. She'd been out of sorts all day, as she always was on the anniversary. Not that anniversary was the best word for it. Whenever someone spoke of an anniversary, it was always a happy memory. Three month anniversary of being with your boyfriend, wedding anniversary, the four year anniversary of some charity event, all happy. No one ever used the word anniversary for painful things, besides funerals. But no one talked about those things, it was improper. But Winry never considered herself 'proper', she always wore her emotions out on her sleeves, and it bugged Edward to death. Winry smiled sadly at the mental picture.
Packing up her tools slowly, Winry wiped the sweat from her brow onto the back of her glove. Placing her tools on the shelf, Winry followed Den up the stairs to her apartment and twisted on the shower in her bathroom. Stripping out of her grubby work clothes and slipping the bandana off of her head, Winry stuck her hand in the shower and tested the warmth of the water. Once satisfied, she stepped into the shower and sighed in appreciation at the feel of the hot water flowing down her back. This is exactly what I need. Closing her eyes, Winry wasn't surprised when Edward's face stared at her from the backs of her eyelids.
Hand flying to her mouth at the sudden onslaught of memories, Winry felt that familiar lump rise in her throat. Hand fisting at its spot on the wall, Winry shut her eyes tight in an attempt to stop the tears that she knew was futile. Fighting a battle she had lost years ago, Winry fell to her knees on the hard tile in the shower. The water had long since gone cold as her heaving sobs continued, but Winry didn't notice.
The only thing she could do was ride out the pain - the only thing she could ever do was ride out the pain.
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Shoving his hands into his coat pockets, Roy Mustang wandered aimlessly in the park outside Central Headquaters. Pointlessly kicking a stone pebble that was in his path, Roy allowed his gaze to follow the path it had taken. While the stone wasn't surprising to him, what he found at the end of its journey, however, did. Sitting on a stone bench, alone, with her head bent and hands folded delicately in her lap, sat Winry Rockbell. Smiling at the sight of her, Roy walked up and stood in front of her.
"Now, there's a face I haven't seen in awhile." Roy smiled as Winry's head shot up and her eyes brightened in recognition, "Heard you moved to Central, kid. Didn't even bother to look me up?" Roy felt his smile falter as Winry's own lips tugged upward at the corners, concern flooding his mind as her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
"That could go two ways, you know." Winry shrugged, "You could've come to find me."
Taking a seat next to her, Roy sighed. "You know me, too much paperwork." Roy felt himself smile again at the sound of her laughter. "How have you been, kid? It's been what two years?"
"Almost to the day."
"You disappeared not much after the Elric brothers." Roy's eyes slid over to the young girl to see her reaction. "Not too surprising, though."
"It's been exactly two years today that Ed and Al left to seal the gate."
Roy's eyes widened at the statement, so that's why she was so unWinry-ish. "Really. Huh."
"Yep." Winry sighed, "So how's Riza?"
Roy flashed a familiar smile as he held out his left hand, "Married for about a year now."
Roy's smile grew when Winry's eyebrows shot up into her damp bangs, "Congratulations, sorry I missed it."
Roy shrugged, "It was a small thing, just us and immediate family. Riza's not into big events."
Winry smiled, "That I could see."
"What about you?" Roy raised an eyebrow, "Any lucky man in your life?"
Roy immediately regretted his question as soon as the words fell from his lips. Inwardly cursing himself as Winry visibly flinched, but was surprised at how quickly she regained herself. So quickly, he almost missed it. He felt his eyebrows knot in thought, if she was that quick, how long had she been hiding her pain?
"Nope, no one for me." No one but Edward. Roy thought and sighed. He knew long ago that the girl harbored serious feelings toward the runt, as did Edward toward her, but he never realized that she could actually be in love with him. Seeing the look in her eyes, the haunting there while he knew she was thinking of Edward - Roy knew.
Winry Rockbell was in love with Edward Elric.
They sat in silence for awhile, a comfortable silence. It had been so long since they'd seen each other, but it seemed like just yesterday. Roy didn't realize until this moment just how much he had missed the virbrant, young, wild, and dangerous Winry Rockbell. Before he ever realized it, he had come to think of her as his own daughter. Maybe the fact that he had killed her parents fed to that feeling, but he wasn't sure. One thing was sure, he was genuinely fond of Winry Rockbell.
And he was going to get her back to the way she was - which was just plain happy.
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After declining Roy's offer of bringing her into Central to see Riza and the others, Winry gave him a quick hug and handed her a piece of paper with her address and phone number on it. Only after she assured him that yes she would call him in Central if she needed anything anything at all, and yes she would stop by soon for a visit, was she finally able to go home. Pulling her key out of her purse, Winry let herself into her automail shop and locked the door behind her. Taking a moment to glance around the front room of her business, Winry allowed her hand to run affectionately along the glass case that sat about three feet from the back wall containing samples of her work. Winry's gaze softened as her eyes fell onto Ed's model.
Sighing to herself, Winry walked behind the glass case and pulled out a bottle of windex and some paper towels from the cabinet under the register. Having nothing better to do, Winry squirted the bluish tinted liquid onto the already-clean counter and began to clean. Scrubbing until she heard the glass squeak in protest, Winry wandered over to the waiting area by the window and fluffed the pillows, restacked the magazines, and vaccummed the rug. Anything to keep her mind from wandering into dangerous territory.
After finally having finished cleaning the entire front room of the shop, Winry smiled as Den barked at her and began to walk toward the back door. Following him, Winry opened the back door and let Den into the small courtyard behind her store. Winry shared this courtyard with a few other buildings on the block, mainly the ones on either side of her and the three behind her, resulting in a square, but it was a large space and no one really used it but her.
Smiling as Den brought her his worn out tennis ball he refused to let her replace, Winry tossed it lightly and watched as Den slowly made his way to where the ball had landed. Even in his old age, Den still loved to play fetch. Winry giggled at Den as he collapsed at her feet after about three tosses, thoroughly exhausted. Getting up from her spot on the couch, Winry coaxed Den inside and he immediately trudged himself upstairs and plopped onto his bed in Winry's room.
Smiling as she changed into her pajamas - black plaid pants and a light blue cami, Winry walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Splashing cold water on her face, Winry rubbed her arms as goosebumps suddenly popped up and she shivered. Rolling her neck in an attempt to ward off the sudden chill, Winry yawned as goosebumps rose again.
That's weird, its the middle of July. Why am I so col-
"Winry."
Winry's head snapped up at the sound of her name, and she jumped when her eye's met with her own in the mirror. Staying still for a minute with ears alert for any sound, Winry glanced toward Den to see if he had noticed. Shoulders dropping in relief as Den was sound asleep on his fluffy bed, Winry wrote it off as the wind and a figment of her tired mind. Climbing into her bed, Winry lay awake a few moments waiting for another sound. Glancing at the clock Winry waited. One minute. Two minutes, then three. Nothing. Rolling onto her side and betrating herself for her childish stupidity, Winry felt her eyes shut in exhaustation.
"Winry. Winry, can you hear me?"
End.
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Short, I know and rather uneventful. But first chapters normally are - and I just wanted to point out the pain that Winry had to go through once Ed and Al left. Not only losing the man she loved, Ed, and her best friend, Al, all in one night? Come on, folks - that has to blow.
Obviously this takes place after the movie - Full Metal Alchemist The Movie: Conqueror of Shambala
So unless you've seen the movie, I'd stop reading now cause there will be major spoilers.
But please, stick with me until the second chapter, I promise it will be more eventful and fun!
Please read and review!