A/N: hey people!
Okay this little three-shot is based on Edwards experiences through war in Drachma. Yep. I sent our favorite little alchemist to war.

My story, my rules.

I am sorry to all my 'Son of Flame' readers, I still have major writers block for that story though I think a crack is going through that wall.

Hopefully.

I also have my other stories that I have started and need to write more to, especially my new one 'A Role Reversal'. And I have a request from PuppysNrainbows; can you wait a little longer Puppy? Plus another story that I am starting.

Anyway this story will have major EdxWin hints as well as Brotherly Ed/Al and Parental Roy/Ed, although the last is not in this chapter that much…or at all.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The past

"W-wh-what?" Edward asked looking at Roy, for his part, didn't avert his eyes and instead was staring at Edward straight in his eyes without wavering.

"I do believe you heard me Fullmetal. I and all of my subordinates, which include you, are being sent to help fight the war against Drachma." Roy said emotionlessly. "Considering the fact that you are a State Alchemist I am surprised that you weren't called in earlier." Eds grip on the wall that he was supporting himself on tightened.

"Now then" Roy said, shuffling through the papers on his desk. He picked up a folder and looked through it. "In three days we will be sent off. You will pick up your uniform on the second floor next to the mailing room before then. In three days you will meet us at the train station in full uniform at 0600 hours." Roy looked at Edward and inwardly flinched. His pale face, his erratic breathing, the shocked and slightly betrayed look on his face. He was actually doing it.

He was sending a boy off to war.

"That'll be all Fullmetal." Roy said, dismissively once more signing his work. He didn't move until he heard Edward leave quietly and only then he placed his head in his hands.

Edward walked swiftly towards the door. "Alphonse." he decided. "I need Alphonse."

Before he even knew where he was he was already in front of the dorms and he was climbing the stairs to their room.

With a shaking hand he opened the door and called out "Al?"

"Brother?" he heard his brother say. The familiar suit of armor came out of the bedroom. He stopped however when he saw Edwards pale face. "Brother, what's wrong?"

"Al." Edward whispered. Without a second thought he ran to him and put his arms around him. Al recoiled slightly in surprise before his own arms went around Edward.

"Brother what's wrong you're scaring me." Al said.

Edward closed his eyes and for a moment he imagined his little brother, whole, complete, and in his human body once more. "Al…I'm leaving." he said.

"Leaving? Where are you going." he asked.

Edward bit his lip and leaned forward. He pressed his warm cheek against the cool armor and choked out with his eyes still closed "Al…I'm being sent to Drachma to fight."

Alphonses arms slackened slightly, but they didn't let go of him. Edward could hear his little brother trying and failing to say something.

For a few moments they stood like that until Ed regrettably withdrew himself from his brothers embrace. He didn't look up at him as he mumbled "I need to call Winry."

He walked to the lobby and took the phone to a secluded point of the room; there he dialed the number of her workshop in Rush Valley and waited.

After a few rings a semi-male voice answered "Garfiels Shop."

"May I speak to Winry please?" Edward asked.

"One moment please." Garfiel said. There was a rustle before Winry said "Hello?"

"Win? It's me." Edward said.

"Ed? You're calling me? Well this is a surprise." he heard her give a sigh. "Okay, what did you do to your automail?"

"Nothing Winry, but I do need you to come and check it. Now." he said.

"Now? Ed I can't. I have way too many things to do and make, I can't go there so if it's that big then you come here." she told him.

"Winry. I also wanted to see you. And I honestly can't go to Rush Valley. Please come here." Edward asked.

"No Edward. I can't-" Winry started to say only to be cut off by Edward who said "I just wanted to see you one more time."

There was a moment's pause from her line until she said "One more time? What…what do you mean?"

Edward leaned forward into his seat and clutched the phone tighter. "I'm being sent up north. I need to change my automail and I want to see you before I go."

"Up north? But isn't that where the war is? Why are you being sent there?" Winry asked worry evident in her voice.

"Why do you think?" he asked her gently.

There was a silence from her end of the phone and Edward heard her breathing heavily. "What?" she asked.

Edward closed his eyes and said "I'm being sent up there to fight Win. I want to see you before I leave."

For another moment there was silence then Winry said quietly "I'll be on the first train there." before hanging up.

Edward slowly put the receiver down and slumped in his seat with his face in his hands.

Late during the night

Edward shifted in his bed uncomfortably. All of a sudden he felt the presence of another human being in the room. It wasn't Al because he could feel this other persons body heat.

He sprung up in the bed and clapped his hands and formed the blade on his right arm and leaped forward and on top of the person.

"Ed! It's me! Its me!" the person cried out. The voice. This was Winry.

"Winry?" he asked straightening up and correcting his automail. He squinted through the darkness and saw that it was indeed Winry. Whom he was laying on top of with his legs on either side of her waist.

He immediately jumped off her and offered her a hand to stand up which she took gratefully. Up close she looked exhausted.

"How did you get here so fast?" he asked her ignoring the happy emotion bursting in his chest.

"I took the express train here." she answered tiredly. She picked up her tool case and set in next to the table and took off her coat and shoes as well while Edward watched her.

She walked in the direction of the room she had stayed at the last time she was there and paused as she looked over her shoulder at Edward "Night Ed."

"Win. Wait." Edward said hesitantly, holding his hand out. Winry stopped at the doorway and looked back questioningly.

"Could you…" he started. He swallowed past the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. "Would you sleep in the bed with me?"

Winry looked surprised and startled at his request and then for a moment a pleased expression passed through her eyes as she nodded.

Wordlessly she walked to him and he grasped her hand and led to his bed where they both laid down comfortably and in each others arms.

Three days before being sent to war.

Edward woke up with the sun in his eyes and Winry in his arms.

He glanced down at her sleeping peacefully and just gazed at her sleeping face. The way her face was clear of any worry or stress. The calm and soothing sound of her breathing.

He heard the sound of footsteps and looked over and saw his brother staring at them.

"You okay brother?" he asked quietly.

Edward nodded and looked back at Winry who was stirring and was soon blinking her eyes at him.

After she woke up and they both freshened up in the bathroom and grabbed breakfast Ed sat down in the chair in their room and Winry took her place besides him adjusting his automail to the one suitable for up north.

"How long are you going to be there?" she asked looking at him over his automail.

Edward looked the other direction. "I don't know. As long as the war lasts I suppose."

Winry bit her lip as she focused on the automail.

"You'll be fine right?" she asked him her arm shaking slightly.

Edward looked at her "Of course I will be."

Winry opened her mouth to say something else when Edward cut in saying "Can we not talk about this? Please?"

Winry nodded and refocused on the automail arm and then later the leg.

She worked in silence her eyes never leaving the automail and his eyes never leaving her moving figure. Alphonse was sitting on the other chair watching the both of them silently.

The day passes in a blur. The three of them acting like little children once more. Going around the town, getting all sorts of sweets, sight seeing, even though they have seen Central many times before.

Once Winry slipped away only for her to come back with a bag of fresh apples that she promised that she would turn into a pie.

In the evening the three of them went to the public park and enjoyed all the views there. The lighting made everything seem a bit like a fairy tale. Al had left Ed and Winry so that the two of them were able to walk through the park themselves and after a half hour of gathering his courage Ed had placed his arm around Winrys waist and pulled her close.

Winry had been startled at first and looked at him questioningly. Ed had just smiled at her and she smiled back and placed her head on his shoulder.

Heaven.

Complete heaven.

When they returned to the dorms the three of them played games and talked for hours about absolutely nothing on end.

When the Edward and Winry finally grew tired they went into different rooms and changed into their sleeping wear. When Edward entered his room where his bed was he saw Winry sitting on the edge of the bed and when he entered she looked at him.

Both Ed and Winry looked at each other in silence before Winry smiled and nodded and leaned back into the bed and lifted her arms towards him.

Wordlessly he followed her and put his arms around her while she did the same.

Just like the night before the two teenagers slept in each others arms.

One day before being sent to war.

This day was practically a replica of the previous one except for in the early afternoon Edward, who was accompanied with Winry and Alphonse, Edward went to the military headquarters and picked up his uniform, something he had believed he would never wear.

The whole affair was a tense one. Even the jokes about 'that is was amazing that they had a uniform small even enough to fit him.' went unnoticed and it wasn't until they had taken it back to the dorms and when Winry had grabbed it and thrown it into the corner of the room did Edward finally crack a smile.

This time at night when the two teens once again laid in the same bed they gripped one another just a bit more tighter and were more reluctant to let go in the morning.

The day before being sent to war.

This day was different then the others. In the afternoon Edward spent that time calling Pinako Rockbell and Izumi Curtis, his and Als alchemy teacher, and telling them that he was being sent off to war the next day.

Pinako was quiet. She barely said a word as Ed told her the news. She merely wished him all the luck and that she hopes that he will return soon, healthy and unhurt.

Izumi on the other hand was the exact opposite of silence. She screamed and yelled and threatened.

"This is exactly what happens when you become a dog of the military Edward! You knew that one day you would have to do this and yet you still joined them!"

Ed had cringed with each yell, she was on the phone and a couple hours away by the train yet he still heard and reacted to her voice as if she was right next to him. He could picture her yelling face clearly along with her fist in her other hand.

All of a sudden she snarled "If you die so help me I will bring you back just to kill you myself! And I won't care what I'll lost this time! Do you hear me Edward Elric? You. Will. Not. Die!" she had said before throwing the receiver down and disconnecting them.

That night was filled with tension and fear. When Winry looked over the automail her hands shook and everyone had trouble saying anything.

"You'll write to us right?" Winry asked Edward as she checked his arm and leg.

"As many times as I can." Edward answered.

Winry nodded and continued with her work. After a few moments she laid down her wrench and said "Ed?"

"Yeah?" he said, looking at her.

She bit her lip and they looked at each other for a few moments before she shook her head. "It's nothing."

Ed looked at her for a few more moments as she turned back to her work then also turned away.

That night Winry didn't wait for Edward and immediately after changing into her sleeping wear she got into his bed and waited for him.

That night they gripped each other as tight as humanly possible.

'Don't leave me Ed. Please don't leave.'

The day he was sent off.

He woke early that morning. He looked sadly at the girl in his arms and got out of the bed as softly as he could.

He had been instructed to pack a light bag so he took only the essentials. His toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, underwear, a new and clean notebook along with pens, and a small portable oiling kit for his automail.

He wasn't taking his alchemy book, instead he was entrusting it to Al. He was only supposed to wear the uniform there and those would be given if the one he had brought along was damaged. Speaking of which.

He looked over to the corner of the room where Winry had thrown his new uniform and slowly walked there to pick it up. He straightened it out and smoothed the wrinkles in it before taking it to the bathroom and picking up his other belongings that he was taking from there and putting it on. He looked in a mirror and took his hair out of the usual braid and into a high ponytail. It suited him better in the uniform. He straightened it out on himself and looked himself over in the mirror. He then attached the pocket watch given to all State Alchemists to the pocket of his uniform and put it in its proper place so that the chain was visible. Everything was in order and final.

He was really going off to war.

When he went back to the room he discovered that Winry was also awake and Al was in the kitchen. Wordlessly she walked by him and into the bathroom. Once she was out the two of them had a quick bite to eat and then they all left the room together in the direction of the train station.

When they appeared at the train station they saw all kinds of soldiers standing there and saying goodbye to their families and loved ones. He saw Roy and the others waiting for them. Edward nodded at them and turned to his brother and Winry.

Winry took his hand and gripped it tightly "You'll be okay right?" she asked him.

"Of course. I'll be fine." he said, squeezing her hand back reassuringly.

"How do I know?" she asked tears starting to fill her eyes. "How do I know that you'll keep that promise?"

He lifted his hand to her face and wiped her face where the tears had started to fall. "Don't cry. I promised you that you wouldn't until they were happy tears." he said, quietly.

Winry nodded and gripped his other hand tighter "Tell me how I know that you'll be fine." she repeated.

Edward looked at her. Then said "Winry, there's something I have to tell you. Something that I have wanted to tell you for a while."

He paused for a moment before picking up his bag and turning to Al.

"Al…" he started only to be interrupted by Winry who said "Wait Ed you didn't finish. What did you want to tell me?"

He looked at her again and a small smile appeared on his face. His hand lifted and cupped her face and he said "That's how you know that I'm coming back." he said, gently. "I'll come back to tell you what I have to."

Her eyes widened before she nodded and she launched herself at him and hugged him tightly. "Please be safe Ed." she whispered before letting go.

He nodded and hugged her back, placing his chin on her shoulder comfortably.

He let her go and look at his brother. "Al. Take care and don't worry kay?" he asked.

Alphonse nodded and said "You take care of yourself brother. That's what I'm more worried about."

Edward smiled for a moment before extending his fist and his brother did the same until they bumped together, then he quickly hugged him before letting go.

He turned and walked to where Roy and everyone else were waiting for him. He looked over his shoulder, waved, and smiled reassuringly at them once more before turning and moving forward.

Time for war.

It's done. It's finally done.

You have no idea how long I have had this waiting to be written and you have no idea how long it took me to actually write it down.

Like I said before this is a three-shot. Meaning that there are two more chapters and that's it.

Did you guys like the EdxWin moments I put in there? And before when Winry was checking over his automail for the second time she was about to tell him that she loved him just so you know.

What do you guys think Ed is going to tell her if he comes back? That's right. I said if. I don't know if he will live or die. It can go either way.

The next chapter will be called 'The Present' following the time thing of past, present, and future.

In the next chapter there will be more EdxWin, you'll see how, Brotherly Ed/Al, and of course Parental Roy/Ed.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see you soon.

This is Phoenix-Fire Power over and out.