Note from the Author: Gah! This was harder than it should have been! I wanted to write and EdxWinry fic, and I had an idea for one and everything (what you will be reading), but for some reason I just couldn't write it! Do you ever get those feelings where you know what you want to write but you just can't write it? They suck...
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters, no matter how much I may want to.
"There you are!" Winry called sternly from the bottom of the hill, "I've been looking all over for you! The adjustments to your leg are finished, so we can get that spare off of you now!" Despite her use of the tone Ed usually "feared," he didn't turn to say anything back. His eyes were locked on his mother's grave and showed no real sing of looking elsewhere.
"Ed?" Winry tried grabbing his attention again, though more softly this time, as she walked up behind him. With each step she took, she noticed how Ed looked more and more tense. He was standing rigid and his hands were clenched into fists.
"Is something wrong?" Winry decided to ask. She hoped maybe this time she would get an honest answer- unlike every time she had asked the question before. Neither Elric made her feel very trustworthy.
"No…it's nothing…" Ed said quietly. Winry walked up next to him and looked over at him. She couldn't be sure in the setting sun, but she could have sworn she saw something she had never seen before. It looked almost as though Ed were holding back tears. Winry felt herself begin to cry as she tried desperately to find the words she wanted to say.
"There's nothing you can say that will make me think any less of you," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice calm and relaxed, "I just…I just want to help…I know I may not be able to do much, but I still want to try." She looked over at Ed who was still staring intently at his mother's name engraved in the stone at his feet.
"You're my friend, Ed. I want to see you happy," Winry finished, smiling as best she could. She waited for a reply, but there was only silence between the two. The gentle sound of laughter rang softly from a house off down the road. Winry's smile disappeared as she got ready to turn back to the house. She doubted an answer would come. It never did…
"Do you…" Winry stopped and stepped back to where she had stood before, looking at Ed in awe.
"Do you think…she could ever forgive me…?" Ed asked, leaving Winry to assume who he was talking about, "I…I couldn't help her when she was sick…and if that wasn't bad enough…I tried bringing her back to life and now one of her sons is missing his body." His voice cracked and he tensed up even more than he had been, trembling slightly, holding back tears begging to be released. Winry was lost for words for a moment. She could only keep watching him.
"I…just can't…see how she…either of them…can forgive me…" Ed stopped himself there, letting his voice cut short. His eyes were shut tight now. Winry smiled softly. She reached the short distance between them and grabbed his hand. Ed relaxed as he felt her touch, allowing her to gently lace her fingers around his.
"You were young," Winry reminded, "When we're little we do stupid things that we don't understand, especially for the ones we hold closest to our hearts." She lightly tightened her grasp on Ed's hand. "You're her son. She loved you and Al more than anything in the world. I'm sure she still does. There's nothing you can do that can change that." Ed locked up again, squeezing Winry's hand as he let the tears he had held in fall.