My Heart's Mechanic Can Only Be You

This is my first attempt at writing Fullmetal Alchemist, one of my fav animes. It's not mine AT ALL. Dammit.

By the way, I didn't like how the first anime ended, so I'm working under the assumption that the manga ends well.

Summary: Winry comes up to Central to surprise Ed and Al, but is kidnapped by a dangerous alchemist. Can Ed save her in time?

"Haaaaaah~" Winry sighed as she stepped off the train. "I can't believe it's been so long since I've come here!" She picked up her suitcases and checked her directions, written on a piece of paper. "Okay, now if I'm right, Ed and Al's new apartment is someplace downtown near HQ." Winry looked around to get her bearing and headed out of the station.

Looking over the busy streets, Winry let herself smile happily. Not only was she here for a surprise visit for her favorite brothers and childhood friends, but she had brought along a new set of automail tune-up tools that she'd been dying to try out on Ed's arm. In his last letter he'd dropped hints about his automail jamming in awkward situations - mostly in dangerous battles that he jumped into without thinking - so Winry wanted to do a complete check-up, since it wasn't yet time for a new arm. Her master in Rush Valley had let her have some time off, so Winry had packed her bags and hopped on the first train to Central. She couldn't wait to see the looks on the Elric brothers' faces when they saw her.

Especially Al's. It had been barely two years after they'd defeated Father and the homonculi and saved all of Amestris, and in that final battle, Ed had succeeded in doing what he'd promised to do that day - he'd recovered Al's body from the Gate. Now Al was human again, all thanks to his big brother, and re-experiencing the smaller joys of not being a suit of armor. Facial expressions was one. Eating was another, so Winry always made sure to bring some sweets with her.

"Maybe I should to HQ first and see if Riza can help me....." The blonde debated for a moment, but decided against it. The last thing she wanted was another grilling session by the lieutenant about her feelings for a certain alchemist.

Shaking her head to get off that train of thought, Winry shouldered her automail case and picked up her suitcase, heading down the street towards Central HQ.

(~(-)~)

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT, BASTARD! I'M NOT A SHRIMP ANYMORE!!!! GET OVER HERE AND LEMME BASH IN YOUR UGLY FACE WITH MY FIST!!"

Al sighed as he easily restrained Ed from yet another rampage. Two years and a couple inches taller, yet Edward Elric was still sensitive about his height. "Brother, calm down!" the younger Elric yelled in Ed's ear. "We need to finish this assignment!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Together the brothers clapped their hands together and transmuted weapons; Ed made his automail arm into his customary blade, while Al created a pike staff from the earth. "Let's do this, Al!"

"Okay Brother!"

Fifteen minutes and several transmutations later, Ed and Al panted as they tied up the criminal gang. Well, Al did - an unlucky misstep on Ed's part had resulted in his automail arm being busted so badly it hung limp from his shoulder. The older Elric was contemplating how he'd break the news to his mechanic while staying alive. "Maybe she'll understand that it was a necessary loss to win," he murmured hopefully.

"Brother, she specifically said that if you broke it before your next fitting, she'd shove a tube down your throat and pour milk in until you either drank it or drowned," Al said, yanking the knots tighter. His dark brown-blond hair slipped from his ponytail, which prompted him to retie it. "I think she's right. You're way too reckless when you transmute it."

"Hey, I fight with what I've got!" Ed replied hotly, transmuting a cart to carry the gang back to Central. "I have this blasted thing forever now, I may as well use it!"

Al, feeling guilty and awkward, watched his brother lead their borrowed horse over in front of the cart and start to hitch it up. Of course there had been a price for bringing back Al's body and fixing what Father had broken, equivalent exchange and all that. Ed had used Father as the base sacrifice to reseal the Gate of Truth and recover Al, but there had been an additional price. Ed never talked about it, but it had something to do with never being able to regain his lost arm and leg.

Equivalent exchange. But Al didn't think it was a fair trade for his brother, not after six years trying to fix a mistake they should have never tried.

"Al! C'mon!"

The younger Elric brother quickly ran over and climbed up next to Ed, who snapped the reins and began their trek back to Central.

(~(-)~)

Winry checked her directions again, then looked at the streetsign. Terrific, she thought. One major catastrophe and they change all the street signs on me. Awesome. How the hell am I supposed to find the apartment now!?

"Miss Rockbell?"

Winry whirled around at the familiar voice. "Colonol Mustang! I-I mean, Fuhrer!"

"Geez, a little quieter, if you please." Roy Mustang looked around guiltily. "I'm just Roy out here. Hawkeye's been trying to make me into a paper-pushing desk jockey for over ten hours now, so I needed some fresh air. Might I ask why you're wandering around South Central?"

"South Central? Dammit, I thought this was East Central!" Winry again checked her directions. "I'm looking for Ed and Al's apartment. I just came in on the train and I wanted to surprise them."

The Flame Alchemist thought for a few minutes, but his eyes kept flickering away from Winry to the grass, the sky, and every passing thing. The blonde must have looked confused, because he sheepishly said, "Sorry, it's just.......it's still amazing. I mean, I lost my sight for such a short while when I was forced to see the Gate, and now....." Again his dark eyes flicked away, staring at how light from the setting sun created a prisim effect in a nearby fountain's mist. "I know it's been two years, but it's still......"

Winry nodded, remembering what Al had told her about that day. "I understand. Sometimes I'm surprised that I'm alive." She flashed back to that day, remembering the terror of slowly dying, reaching towards Central, calling for -

"If it wasn't for Fullmetal, I don't know what would have happened." Her fist closed as Mustang spoke. "I still don't know what he did. One minute it was dark and Father was cackling his mad plan's success, then - it was bright again, Alphonse was human, and Fullmetal collapsed in a heap without his automail limbs."

"There you are!"

"Oh shit," grumbled the Fuhrer as a blond woman in a blue army uniform came over, her eyes snapping. He tried to be surprised by her appearance. "Major Hawkeye, what are you - ?"

"Cut the crap and get back to your office, sir," she said cooly, her hand going quite slowly and obviously for her sidearm. "You still have much work to do. Oh, hello Winry. How are you?"

"Well, thanks," Winry replied, smiling. "How are you doing, Miss Riza?"

The sniper sighed as she clicked her safety off. Mustang jumped at the familiar sound and warily eyed his subordinate. "I think the stress is getting to me," Hawkeye admitted to Winry. "Sometimes I feel like pumping a certain idiot full of lead - "

Mustang caught onto the not-so-subtle threat and threw his arms in the air. "Alright, alright! I'm going back!" He gave Winry a wave goodbye and quickly stalked off dejected. Hawkeye waited until he was out of earshot before putting her safety back on. Her smile was slightly dangerous.

"So! Why are you here, Winry? Surprising a certain blond alchemist?"

Winry sighed. "Yes, I'm here to see Ed and Al," she admitted, stressing the last two words. "But I can't find their apartment. Do you know where they live?"

"Sure." Hawkeye gave the automail otaku a set of clear directions to the Elric apartment and added, "But I don't think you'll find them there now. They were sent to deal with a gang who'd been abusing a village with alchemy. It's not far, but they should be back in a few hours, before nine o'clock I'd bet."

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Winry picked up her bag again. "I've got a spare key, so I'll just let myself in and wait there."

Hawkeye frowned, concerned. "Are you sure? It's not safe to be wandering the streets alone at nightfall."

"You're doing it."

"I have a gun and can use it."

Winry grinned. "I'm fine. It'll take me what, five minutes to get there? And I promise to lock the door behind me."

The older woman opened her mouth to argue, but her sharpshooter's eyes picked up a movement that appeared to be a man in uniform sneaking away in the opposite direction of Central Command. "Damn that man," she mumbled. "All right Winry, but please stay inside and be safe. I don't want to deal with Edward's whining any more than necessary." Drawing her gun and pushing a magazine into the stock, she took off down the road yelling, "Roy Mustang, you know I can hit a moving target from over a mile away! I don't care if you are the Fuhrer, I will shoot you in the ass and embarrass you in front of the citizens!"

Winry sweatdropped in sympathy for Mustang before heading on her way. Thanks to Hawkeye's directions she found her way to Ed and Al's apartment and let herself in using the spare key Ed had given her (For emergencies, she rationalized with the part of herself that squealed Living with him!) She put her bags by the hallway leading to the spare room and collapsed on the couch, tired from the long, hot, and uncomfortable train ride from Rush Valley. Pretty soon her eyelids were drooping shut and getting heavier and harder to keep open.

Maybe I'll take a little nap before they get back. Then I can make dinner for them, she thought as she drifted off to dreamland.

(~(-)~)

Ed and Al managed to hand their prisoners over without much mishap. Of course one guy had to mention beans, which made Ed fly into another rampage, but nobody really cared at that point. The Elric brothers waited for their prisoners to get processed, then Ed headed up to Mustang's office to make a report. Al decided to head home and begin cooking dinner.

"Oy, stupid Fuhrer!" Ed called, knocking on the Amestrian leader's door. "Open up! It's late and I wanna get home before midnight, if that's not too much to ask! Stop sexing up your girlfriend - "

Faster than a gunshot the door was yanked open and a flash of flame came close to burning Ed's crown bald. "Stupid brat! Shut your mouth!" Mustang yelled, grabbing the young alchemist's collar and yanking him up to his crimson face. "The hell is wrong with you? Why can't you wait quietly like a normal person!?"

Ed and Mustang bickered back and forth until Riza broke them up with the threat of bullets, and somehow everything was put in order. It's actually gotten a lot easier dealing with this jackass since I got taller and he became Fuhrer, Ed realized as he stood at attention and recalled his account of what happened. Or maybe because he started dating Hawkeye and got puss - no, I guess pistol-whipped would be more appropriate....... A grin touched his face at the image of Riza beating manners into the dark-haired alchemist with one of her many rifles, handguns, or other artillery pieces came into crystal-clear focus in his head.

Mustang, unfortunately, caught the smirk. "Something amusing you, Fullmetal?"

"Oh no, sir," Ed chuckled, now realizing there was a bit of a mess on the floor, like papers had been swept off the desk. "No, nothing at all. Just ready to head home."

Riza smiled. "I bet you are. I guess she did call you, then."

She? "Who?"

"Winry. I saw her a few hours ago at dusk. She came in from Rush Valley to surprise you." The blonde sniper's grin got bigger when Ed flushed a little. "Oh? Are you surprised, Edward?"

Mustang chuckled now, resting his chin on his laced fingers. "Now who's the womanizing bastard, Fullmetal?"

"You still hold that title, sir," came the tight reply from his subordinate. He looked properly ashamed as Hawkeye returned to teasing Ed. "But seriously Edward. Two years after the fact, you still haven't told her?"

The young alchemist squirmed. "There's never been......a right time to. I mean, I only see her when she comes to visit - "

"Which is once every couple weeks," interjected Mustang.

Ed pressed on. "Or when my automail breaks - "

"A couple times every month," Riza said. "And you always go to Rush Valley to have it fixed if she can't come to Central."

"Or when it's someone's birthday, and surrounded by the pushiest people I know," Ed finished pointedly. "There's never been a proper time to tell her. And besides, it's better this way. Winry doesn't like.......guys who are shorter than her." The lame excuse was pathetic even as it left his lips. For over six months now Ed had always been more than two inches taller than Winry. "And she's my mechanic. If it didn't work out, it'd be.....awkward. Get it?"

Riza rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you're just wimping out. It's easy to say. I - Love - You." She pronounced every word like she was speaking to a slow child.

"It's not easy," mumbled Ed, turning bright red again. "It's like drinking milk - harder to do than other people can even dream of understanding."

Mustang's phone rang. Clearing his throat, the Fuhrer picked it up while Hawkeye patted Ed's shoulder. "Trust me, when you want to say it, it'll come," she said kindly. "I should know, that idiot back there had to try over and over again before we even - "

"Fullmetal, it's your brother," Mustang interrupted, holding the phone out to Ed. "Tell him not to tie up my private line asking for you."

Ed mimicked blah-blah-blah motions with his right arm while taking the phone and cradling it in the crook of his shoulder. "Hey Al, what's up? Mustang says you shouldn't tie up his phone line like this; he can't call his girlfriends as often as he'd like when you do." The teasing was met with an angry scowl as the Flame Alchemist's pyrotex-gloved hands came up ready to snap him into hell.

"Brother! Winry's here!"

"Yeah, Major Hawkeye just told me she hopped in on the dusk train," Ed said, hopping up on the desk like a kid. "Did she make dinner?"

"Um, no. Her bags are in the spare room and partially unpacked, but Winry's not here in the apartment. Is she at Command Central?"

Ed glanced at Hawkeye. "Are you sure Winry went to our place? She didn't go anywhere else?"

She shook her head. "I specifically told her to get there and stay indoors. Why?"

"Al, Winry's not here."

The younger Elric paused for a few minutes. When he spoke again, his voice sounded strange. "Brother, I think you should come home. Something's not right."

"I'm on my way." Putting the phone down calmly, Ed turned to the two adults. "I'll call you later. I have to go." And without another word of explaination, he took off in a flash of red, black, and blond hair.

Al was sitting in the living room when his older brother burst into their home. In Al's hands was a plain white envelope addressed to the Fullmetal and Armored Alchemists. "It's for you and me, Brother," Al said softly, handing it to Ed. "I couldn't open it alone."

Ed tore it open and took out a folded sheet of paper. Something fell onto the floor, but he didn't notice. Al picked it up and rolled the object between his fingers.

A lock of light blonde hair, tied together with a wire most commonly used in repairing automail nerves. "Brother......I think this is Winry's."

Hands shaking, Ed unfolded the piece of paper. Golden eyes scanned the gracefully penned words:

Fullmetal and Armored Alchemists, Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric,

I hope you don't mind, but I've borrowed your charming houseguest for a short while. Don't worry, she's not dead - yet. Of course, that can be changed at any time.

I've heard the stories of your alchemy genius, Edward. How you performed human transmutation and lived to tell the tale, how you created a Philosopher's Stone, and how you managed to ressurect your little brother, Alphonse. I wonder, perhaps you could share those secrets with me? I can make it worth your while.

Bring your alchemy notes, intact if you please, as well as a complete Philosopher's Stone from Central's vault. The tradeoff will be in the abandoned warehouse district at midnight tomorrow night. Remember that your promptness and attention to detail will be instrumental in your recovering Miss Rockbell whole or in tiny peices, or not at all.

Do not involve Fuhrer Mustang or any of the Military. I have my eyes and ears everywhere. If I get even a rumor of a rumor regarding a trap, Miss Rockbell will be my first human experiment of the night. She will die screaming.

Remember: Your human transmutation notes. A complete Philosopher's Stone. You have until midnight tomorrow.

Tick, tick, tick-tock. Can't stop the clock.

Get moving.

The Lightning Alchemist

Ed's hands were shaking even worse when they dropped heavily. Al retrieved the letter and read it once, then again. His lips moved silently as he listed the demands made by the Lightning Alchemist, gasping when he saw Philosopher's Stone. "Brother, he wants to - "

"Break a taboo, just like we did." Ed's automail arm bent up, his hand curling into a fist. "But involving Winry.....that bastard's gone too far....." The young man was slowly growing more and more still, his anger acting like a paralytic agent in his muscles. "Nobody hurts Winry trying to get to us. Not anymore.....not since we've gotten strong enough to protect her....."

Al put the letter on the couch, a hard light in his eyes. "What do we do now, Brother? He said we can't involve anyone."

"No," Ed said, a furious but dangerous grin coming to his facial features. "He said 'Don't involve the military or the Fuhrer.'" Suddenly the elder boy stretched. "Man, I'm hungry! Want some dinner, Al?"

"How can you think of food at a time like this?!" Al yelled in disbelief.

"Because I'm hungry, Al. Relax." One hand snagged a piece of paper and a pen. Quickly Ed scrawled He could have listening devices in the apartment and waved it at his brother. Al read the sentance and nodded. Ed went over to the phone and called Mustang's private line. "Hey, it's me. Listen, you and Elizabeth wanna go out for dinner?" Al perked up when Hawkeye's codename was spoken. "Sure, invite the others over too. It's just dinner. We've got plenty of money to pay. Oh, and call Sheska, wouldja? I don't have her number, but she's bound to have some good stories for entertainment."

(~(-)~)

Winry's eyes felt like they'd been glued shut. Her body was stiff and cold. And there was something wet and gooey by her feet. Ugh, so gross, she thought, cringing. What a nightmare.

And then she remembered. She's woken up after a small nap and began unpacking her clothes when she'd found a package tucking in the dresser, addressed to her. Curiosity had overcome her, so she'd torn it apart to reveal the new wrench she'd been eyeing for months. Touched by the thoughtful gift (Ed must've debated long and hard about this particular present that may or may not in the future cause him cranial damage) Winry had hugged the tool and immediately stuffed it in her skirt's waistband.

She'd headed into the kitchen. She heard the front door opening. The shadow, larger than Ed or Al could have made, looming over her. The cloth, wet with a sweet liquid that stung her nose and mouth. The snip! of scissors by her ear. Her body dropping to the ground as she passed out from the chloroform. The man standing over her with a scary smile......

"Ah, you're awake now Miss Rockbell?"

Winry forced her eyes open and squinted. The light was minimal in her prison, so she couldn't tell where she was being held. Sitting in the corner of the room was a man, his features obscured by shadows. The only thing visible was his left arm, with a tattoo on the back of his hand in the shape of an alchemy transmutation circle. An alchemist? Winry thought, fog still clouding her mind. Why would an alchemist kidnap me?

Oh god, I've been kidnapped! Flashbacks of her capture by Barry the Chopper made her freeze momentarily, but Winry forced herself to think. Her hands and feet were tied, but the alchemist had forgotten to gag her. And if there was something Winry Rockbell could do fast and well, it was annoy the hell out of people.

"You bastard! You're gonna regret this!" she yelled, struggling to get upright from her prone position on the ground. "I know two alchemists who are gonna love kicking your ass to kingdom come if you don't let me go this instant! I'm warning you, you'll be lucky if - "

A low chuckle cut through her rant. "Ah yes, the Elric alchemists. Those are the two you're referring to, right Miss Rockbell?" Another chuckle sent cold shivers down Winry's spine. It was like this man had no fear; rather, he enjoyed it. "Well, you shall see them soon enough. They only have twenty hours to bring me what I have asked for, and once they do, you can all be on your merry way."

"What are you after?"

The man's white teeth gleamed in the shadows. "His notes on human transmutation and a complete Philosopher's Stone. I know he sucessfully performed both on the Promised Day, and that stone is in Central's vaults. He can get it easily - who would ask why the Fullmetal Alchemist, hero of Amestris, would need to research his own creation?"

A stab of pain went through Winry's heart. Again.......again I'm being used. Used to make Ed do things he should never do....... "He won't do it. He'd never give something so dangerous to some random psycho," she said, smiling despite the continued pain in her heart.

"Oh, I think he will," aforementioned psycho said calmly. "That is, unless he wants to try and reconstruct you after I'm finished with you."

Another chill raced over the automail mechanic at all the implications that one sentance carried. If there was one thing she'd learned from Ed and Al, it was that sometimes there are far worse things than death. A tear began to drip out of her eye, but she managed to rub it away.

Ed......Ed......Ed!

(~(-)~)

Thankfully Mustang had understood Ed's subtle message - using Riza's old codemane had been his tipoff that someone was listening. Somehow he'd managed to reassemble the old crowd in record time. Now Fuery, Breda, Falman, and even Havoc in his wheelchair were sitting with Ed, Al, Mustang, and Hawkeye while Sheska read and reread the letter explaining the terms of Winry's kidnapping and subsequent release.

"Well, what he wants is painfully obvious," Mustang said, folding his arms together in front of him. "He wants to know how to successfully transmute a human being from beyond the Gate of Truth. And he'll want the Philosopher's Stone for one of two reasons - either to amplify his own powers, or create a homonculus." One hand went to his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Neither is a good idea at this point."

"Isn't resurrection impossible?" asked Hawkeye, looking very womanly and very civilian. But the sniper in her was continuously checking the distance to exits, other patrons in the restaurant, and escape routes outside.

Al shook his head. "Complete ones, yes. But if you have the soul, like Brother had mine in that suit of armor, then putting it in the original body is possible. The other way around, though, is not."

Ed watched Sheska very carefully as she scanned the letter, lingering over the way it was written, the wording, and of course the signature. The table had grown very quiet as the letter had been passed around, and now that the Bookworm had it, everyone was holding his or her breath.

Despite having come up with the original plan, Ed was now as fidgety as he once had been as a child. His automail fingers drummed on the table in a constant rhythm as his golden eyes glared a hole into the tablecloth. Dark and horrible thoughts were cycling through his head - images of his attempt at resurrecting his mother, of Nina Tucker and her dog Alexander, and of what had happened to them due to alchemy. The thought of seeing Winry's blue eyes staring up at him from a chimera's body or, God forbid, a failed human transmutation, was too much to bear.

It wasn't a good way to think about the situation, but Ed wasn't stupid. Winry had been taken by an alchemist. The possibilities existed that she -

"I remember this name," Sheska announced, starling Ed out of his thoughts. "The Lightning Alchemist. There was a report a while back......" She rubbed her temple, possibly jump-starting her photographic memory. "Ah! Yes, the Lightning Alchemist. His name is Robinson, Alfric Robinson. He was a State Alchemist around the time of the Ishval Massacre who practiced alchemy designed to manipulate lightning. It works much along the same principles as Flame Alchemy, I think.......details were sketchy about it......" She frowned at the lack of data. "Anyway, he dropped off the map once the war was over. Nobody's seen him in years. He's officially listed in the registry as AWOL."

"I've never heard of Robinson," Mustang said, raking back his raven-colored hair. The others murmured their agreements at not knowing the name. "Not on the battlefield or in any reports."

"I found the information in a classified file. The higher-ups mainly utilized Robinson's talents in more......specialized tasks." Sheska spoke softly, her voice tinted with a great amount of horror that she was unsuccessfully trying to hide. Ed immediately picked up on it.

"Tasks? What tasks?"

But it wasn't Sheska who answered first. "Think, Fullmetal. War is all about information gathering." Mustang averted his eyes to stare at the floor. "Interrogation. Torturing your enemies to learn what they know - or what they don't know."

A dark, cold ball of fear Ed hadn't known existed in his stomach exploded, drenching his insides in black terror. Winry is being.......tortured? An image of her face, smiling, laughing, scrunched in anger when he came back with a busted arm, crying when he himself was injured........but never, never had he seen her in outright physical torment before.

"Winry's in the hands of a torturing maniac?!" Al cried out, slamming his palms on the table. Thankfully the restaurant was almost empty, or he would have drawn stares. "Brother, we have to find this guy!"

Fuery spoke up. "Well, the letter said to meet in the abandoned warehouse district. I'm sure the two of you remember, there's a lot of warehouses there and they're all empty. Not to mention all the underground tunnels that aren't locatable on any map. Miss Rockbell could be in any number of places in there. Unless you're keeping information to yourselves, we have no option but to do what Robinson says." He bit his lip, aware that he wasn't giving hopeful help.

"Oy, Mustang." Everyone looked at Ed. "Where is that Philosopher's Stone I managed to make? Still in the vault where I left it?"

The Fuhrer's eyes narrowed. "No. I had it moved to another location. Too many people saw it placed in there. Sorry Ed, but you can't take it."

The blonde alchemist sighed. "I figured."

(~(-)~)

Winry's eyes were wide with fear when the man came back later, this time with a line of rope. He tied a rough collar around her neck with one end and looped the rest through her tied hands, effectively making it impossible for her to run away. Biding her time, Winry obediently followed her captor down a stretch of tunnels that stank of sewers and water.

All the while, she concentrated on the item rubbing against her thigh every time she took a step. Thanking her lucky stars that she'd decided to wear leggings under her long skirt, Winry knew what it was - the wrench Ed had gotten for her. She'd stuck it in the waistband of her skirt as a reflex, forgetting her toolbelt wasn't attached. It had probably slid into her leggings when her captor had drugged her, and as such avoided detection. Now Winry had a weapon in case she needed it.

"I'm sorry for moving you," her gentleman captor said in a mocking tone, "but I thought you'd rather be lying down on something softer than the floor." At the end of the tunnel was a door which swung open at his touch. A bright light blinded Winry temporarily, making streaks in her vision that she tried to blink away. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Winry saw a table lined with silvery steel instruments and rubber rods, a metal-frame bed with a mattress on it, and a machine connected to the bed frame with volt clamps. She froze in the doorway, smelling the foul odors of blood, excrement, and sweat as well as a burned stench that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end.

Now that he was in the light, Winry took a good look at her captor. He was an older man, maybe ten for fifteen years Mustang's senior, with long chestnut hair tied into a low ponytail. There was a lightning bolt-shaped scar over his left eye, which had no pupil. The right eye socket held an eye with an electric blue iris that was wide open, giving him a manic look. Add on the dusty stubble on his sloped jaw and a slightly demented smile, and this man's entire aura screamed I'm a psycho man. Be very afraid, I like that sight.

"You see, I was an invaluable asset in the Ishval Massacre," said the alchemist, tugging her inside. "My unique alchemy was useful for torture and interrogation, as well as quick and clean executions. Perhaps you've heard of me - the Lightning Alchemist." When Winry didn't show any signs of recognition, his shoulders slumped. "Of course. Nobody knows my name," he muttered bitterly. "I'm only famous among the dead. But that's about to change." He tugged on Winry's lead again, bringing her to the bed. "Yes. When I get the Fullmetal Alchemist's notes and his precious Philosopher's Stone......."

Winry scoffed - a dangerous gamble, but she was banking on the fact that the Lightning Alchemist didn't want to harm her intentionally. "What part of 'Ed's not going to do any of that' was too hard for you to comprehend? Besides, I doubt an old fart like you can even understand Ed's highly coded notes, not even Al can - "

Her tirade was cut off by a sharp smack to her cheek, driving her backwards onto the bed. The blonde mechanic almost passed out from the pain. Stunned, she could hear the chink of chains as her wrists were snapped into leather straps and buckled tightly to the bedframe above her head. Her ankles were likewise strapped in, turning the girl into a human starfish.

The Lightning Alchemist turned on the machine with a dull hum, rubbing his hands together. He pulled a black glove from his back pocket and put it on, the backless glove revealing the transmutation circle tattooed on the back of his hand. "The glove is specially made to create an electrical spark, which I can manipulate and control," he explained as the blue flash of alchemy burst to life on his hand. "Would you like a rubber gag stick, Miss Rockbell? The pain is going to be quite excruciating, and this is only going to be the beginning."

In response, Winry spat in his face. His gleeful expression slid off and became blank as he wiped the liquid from his face. Then he snapped his fingers, discharging a shower of sparks that formed a bolt of lightning and hit the bed frame.

And the screaming began.

(~(-)~)

"Brother, this is crazy!"

Ed turned around and clonked his brother's head with his automail arm. "Shut up Al! This is the only way," he said, glancing back around the corner to peer at the guarded building. "That stupid Fuhrer is going the legal way to authorize a team for us, but that'll take too long. I need my notes and the Philosopher's Stone, and they're inside that building under maximum security."

Al's golden eyes widened. "You're not giving Robinson what he wants, are you?!"

The elder Elric glared at his brother. "You got a better idea?! If he was in Ishval, chances are he used Philosopher's Stones to increase his power, so bringing a fake Stone would only get Winry killed. Not bringing my own notebook with all my research notes in it will also get her killed. And the longer we screw around waiting for Mustang's high-handed attempts at helping, Winry could - Winry could be - " His eyes squeezed shut, only opening when he faced the vault again. "No. I need my original notes and a complete Philosopher's Stone. It's the only way to even begin to get Winry back."

That being said, the Elrics began to plan how to infiltrate the highly-guarded building to even try and get their objectives. First, Al used alchemy to tunnel underneath the foundations into the lower halls. Once they entered and covered the hole in the wall (effectively masking their escape route from passers-by) Ed swiped military uniforms and caps for disguises. A quick addition of snow glasses for Ed and a fake birthmark on Al's cheek, and the two Elric brothers were almost unidentifiable.

The vaults were guarded by a pair of second lieutenants. This part was easy - the brothers only had to flash their State Alchemist pocketwatches to open a pathway in. Once inside, Ed and Al seperated to find their objectives quickly.

The Philosopher's Stone was found rather quickly by Al, hidden underneath a pile of old paperwork dating to before the Ishval war. Ed's notes were a bit harder; his small traveler's notebook had been stuffed inside a larger book and squeezed between a shelf of textbooks. Taking another article of lesser value, the Elric brother were able to mask their dealings fairly easily and get out without mishap. Returning the uniforms to their original places, Ed and Al left via their hidden tunnel, resealing it on the way out.

When they arrived back at their apartment, there was another sealed envelope addressed to the Fullmetal and Armored Alchemists. The script was the same, as was the blunt simplicity:

Very good. I see that my instructions were carried out well.

This is the address where we will exchange what we have. Another way to make sure nobody else interferes with our midnight rendez-vous.

Al C O P Na Cl N

You have until midnight.

Al gritted his teeth. "Brother, what does it mean? They're random elements found everywhere!" Looking at the clock, he threw up his hands in exasperation. "There's only five hours left!"

But his older brother was already in puzzle-solving mode. Golden eyes darted from one word to the other, mentally seperating letters and rearranging vowels and consanants to suit his fancy. The phone rang, but as Ed was preoccupied, Al answered it. "Elric residence."

"Alphonse?"

Al blinked. "Miss Elizabeth?" he asked carefully.

"We've got a green light to go early today. I managed to get him to finish his work in record time." She sounded very proud, Al could tell, of her superior. "So, what's the next move?"

"Um, we got another letter. It's nothing bad," he quickly assured the woman when she gasped, "but Brother's working on it so it's gonna take us a while. Bedtime's been pushed back as well; two A.M."

Hawkeye paused. "I see," she replied sweetly. "Thank you for telling me, Alphonse. Just be sure to be in bed before two. You wouldn't want to be too tired for work."

"Thanks for the call, Miss Elizabeth." Al hung up and hoped she'd gotten his code; he was good, but Ed was the real master of hidden messaging. Speaking of which.......said master was currently staring at the letter, seeing nothing of what was written on the paper. "Brother?"

Ed didn't hear him. Again his mind had taken him down a dark train of thought regarding Winry's situation. They were running out of time, and now he had to play stupid games with his beautiful mechanic's kidnapper! Screw that bastard! He's gonna regret the moment he first had the brain-fart idea of taking my Winry! His fist curled up and almost crushed the paper -

And then he got it. "Al! I know where they are!"

(~(-)~)

She barely heard his voice past the incredible haze of pain dulling her senses. "You sure you don't want the gag, Miss Rockbell?"

Her mouth opened to reject it, but the only thing that came out was a pathetic whimper. He took that as a beg and put one of the rubber rods between her teeth like a horse's bit. Then he started up the machine again, stood at the foot of the bed, and snapped his fingers to create his static lightning.

Winry's body exploded with agony, buckling and arching off the bed as her tortured throat screamed weakly. The gag rod helped only a little, but the pain was still immense. Tears freely flowed from her eyes and dripped on the mattress as her blonde hair tangled and matted from her constant thrashing. She was close to passing out for the tenth time when the current was cut. She sank into the mattress and spat out the rubber rod, gasping for breath and trying not to give in to the terror that was throttling her worse than the spasms in her chest.

She'd lost count of how many times he'd sent her on that joy-ride of pain. Time was unknown to her. And Ed still hadn't come.

Not that she was surprised. She knew Ed almost well as, if not better than, herself. He wouldn't put the research that almost destroyed Amestris in the hands of a dangerous alchemist. Despite her despair, Winry still smiled proudly. Ed wouldn't risk the safety of the people for one mechanic. Equivalent exchange.

Robinson - he'd revealed his name during the course of her torture, Alfric Robinson - chuckled as he looked at a nearby monitor. "Your heartbeat is becoming quite erratic, Miss Rockbell. You could go into ventricular fibrillation if you're not careful." A sick grin graced his once-handsome face. "Excellent. It's refreshing to know that I still have my edge." He glanced at her hands and sighed. "Seems that you're losing circulation to your hands. That simply won't do." He came over and loosened the buckles enough for blood to flow again - exactly what Winry had been hoping for.

Unknown to Robinson, Winry had been formulating a plan of escape. It was very difficult to do with electricity racking pain through her body, but she was very determined and single-minded. All she needed was feeling in her hands again, which Robinson had provided by loosening her bonds.

Making absolutely no sound, the Resembool girl pulled her hand out of the sweat-soaked leather bond and fumbled to free her other hand. Robinson's back was turned to her, looking at the monitor again. Pins and needles stabbed inside Winry's hands, making it hard to free her ankles. But soon she was free and, still being extremely quiet despite the pain coursing through her body, she slipped off the bed and stepped slowly for the door.

Robinson chuckled once again. "I knew they'd be on time. Though I must say, Edward Elric is much smaller than I'd expected him to be."

Winry froze, shocked. Ed is......here?

But her moment of surprise cost her. Robinson chose that moment to turn around and saw her, not shackled to the bed, but halfway across the room. "Get back here!" he yelled, bringing his hand up to bear.

"NO!" Winry screamed, throwing her wrench at him blindly. Years of practice at Ed's head finally paid off; the tool slammed into Robinson's cranium, making his arm throw upwards in mid-snap. The resulting bolt blasted a hole in the cieling and wall. Winry screamed again, caught her wrench as it skidded aross the floor to her feet, and raced down the hallway, clutching her thumping heart and praying that she still remembered the way they'd come.

Water splashed around her feet as she ducked around a corner, sinking to the ground to catch her breath. Her heart was hurting with every palpatation and her breath hitched in her lungs. Crap, she thought. It didn't take this long to get down here. Did I miscalculate?

"Miss Rockbell?"

The mechanic's blood ran icy cold at the sound of approaching footsteps. Not daring to peek around the corner, she pressed herself against the wall and tried to melt into the darkness. But his footsteps came closer, ever closer, splashing in the puddles of water she'd only just ran through.

"Come along Miss Rockbell, this is futile," he said patiently. "Come back with me. The Elric brothers are here to negotiate your release. Once I have what I want, you can leave with them. You'd like that, wouldn't you Miss Rockbell?"

He's baiting me, Winry told herself. He's trying to make me talk so he can find me easier. Don't listen, Winry. Don't listen to him.

"I know that you're keeping silent to hope to throw me off your trail, but that's not smart," the Lightning Alchemist said, stepping closer and closer. "Remember, Miss Rockbell, that we're in a damp, metal-ridden, enclosed space. I can snap my fingers and electrocute you as easily as a sneeze."

The fear was almost crippling. The thought of more lightning coursing through her body, more of her screams echoing around her, and Robinson's sick grin hovering on the edge of her hazy vision.......Winry abandoned her silent cowering and took off again, racing down the tunnel blindly.

I don't want to die here! she cried in her mind, tears flying behind her like liquid diamonds. I don't want to leave Grandma, Den, Mr. Garfiel, my customers in Rush Valley, Al, or ..... or.....!

A familiar blond braid blurred in front of her mind's eye, whipping around when its owner turned to face her and call out -

"ROBINSON! GET YOUR SORRY ASS OUT HERE AND GIMMIE BACK MY GIRL!"

Winry almost tripped in relief. Sobs ripped from her throat, mixing with laughter as she recognized the cynical tone of the one boy she'd ever loved. He called me his girl.....he does care about me! "I'm down here! Ed, Al, I'm - "

But then there was the dreaded snap behind her. Yellow-white lightning arced off the walls and floor puddles to strike her full in the back, turning her cry into a scream of agony that echoed in the underground labyrinth like a bone-chilling chorus of the damned.

(~(-)~)

Ed and Al had almost thought that they were in the wrong place. Granted, there were only a small block of warehouses in the district that had the blend of elements specified by Robinson's letter, and even fewer had phosphorus anywhere near them. But as midnight drew closer, the Elric brothers' nerves were becoming frayed thin with worry.

Especially Ed. He kept thinking of how, somehow, all this was his fault. If I had just destroyed my notes and that damn Stone, Winry wouldn't be in this position. She'd be safe and we'd all be at our place, me and Al waiting for her apple pie. She wouldn't be here. She wouldn't be in danger. This is all my fault. Why can't I protect her?!

Anger gripped his soul tightly, so he filled his lungs and bellowed into the darkness wherever Robinson was hiding. He didn't even realize he'd said 'girl' instead of his intended 'mechanic' in the haze his mind was in. But when he heard Winry's voice answering, "I'm down here!" his heart jump-started again, having been frozen without his noticing since she had disappeared.

Then he heard her scream and his heart almost stopped dead. "WINRY!" Ed yelled, clapping his hands together and creating a hole in the ground to jump into the sewer. "WINRY! HANG ON!"

"Brother, look out!" Al yelled, clapping his hands as well. A wall shot up to deflect the bolts of lightning headed right for the Elric brothers. Only one bolt got through, grazing Ed's automail arm and electrocuting the older Elric badly. Ed dropped to his knees, clutching his tingling metal arm and cursing.

"Ah, the brothers Elric." The voice made both Ed and Al tense up. This was the voice of an enemy who held a good hand and didn't care if you knew it. "Thank you for coming. You're early. Very good - Miss Rockbell was getting fidgety."

Al's golden eyes glanced back at Ed. The older Elric nodded that he was all right and held up two fingers to ask for two minutes. "Where's Winry?" asked Al, stalling. "Why did we hear her scream?"

Ed gritted his teeth and crept along the shadows, dragging his partially-working automail leg quietly. Dammit, his lightning alchemy messed with the nerve circuits, Ed thought angrily. Winry's gonna kill me for breaking this one. Pressed against the wall, the young alchemist slowly and carefully made his way along the dimly lit tunnel towards where Robinson was speaking.

"Well, Miss Rockbell decided she didn't like my particular brand of hospitality. She attempted to escape." The Lightning Alchemist sighed heavily. "Dumb child. I warned her that the damp air and metal would only cunduct my lightning easier. But she insisted on running."

He electrocuted her?! A rage previously reserved for those who had insulted his height descended on Ed, making him see red and causing the process of oxygen getting to his brain to be restricted. That bastard is DEAD!

Al's voice likewise held a tremor of rage. "How could you hurt Winry? She's not a part of anything!"

"But she is special to you both," Robinson replied smugly. "I've done my own research. In all Amestris, there is only one person whom the Elric brothers would sacrifice everything for, aside from each other. That person is their childhood friend, Winry Rockbell. So, who else would be the perfect exchange for the knowledge of human transmutation and a complete Philosopher's Stone?"

Ed's self-control was slowly eroding with every word spewing from Robinson's mouth, but he didn't snap and kill the bastard. He was more concerned with finding Winry and safely getting her away from danger. Using his ears to determine where Robinson was, he continued to creep down the tunnel. Slowly his leg returned to normal and functioned properly, but his arm still spasmed at time.

"Now, this has been a lovely chat, but I want the notes and the Stone, now," Robinson said, losing his genial tone. "That is, if you wish for Miss Rockbell to remain in this world."

A snap of fingers made Ed think that Mustang had arrived, but electrical light suddenly blinded the golden-blond boy. Shielding his eyes, Ed saw that his position was revealed by the lightbulbs hanging from the cieling. Robinson stood on the opposite bank of the sewer, an older man with a lightning-scar on his face and blood dripping from a fresh wound on his crown. The placement and size looked to be from a wrench hitting his skull at high speed. Ed had to grin. That's my Winry. Give her a wrench and she'll knock your brains out.

Then the second sentance permeated his brain the same time he saw Winry on her knees beside Robinson, limp and held up by her long blonde hair. "Winry!" Ed screamed, horrified at the angry red burns that were visible on her skin. "You son of a bitch, let her go!"

The Lightning Alchemist gave a demented grin. "First the notes and the Stone, Fullmetal."

"Why do you even want those things?" Al cried, deconstructing the wall and advancing towards Robinson. "They only cause heartache and death!"

But Ed was done listening to the alchemist. His entire world focused on Winry. Her shirt was torn and sweat-stained, the pure white discolored in patches of palest gray-yellow. Burns clearly marked where electricity had entered her body. Her entire body trembled from pain, and tears continuously dripped from her cheeks to hit the filthy ground beneath her. His heart broke seeing his strong, caring, beautiful mechanic reduced to this.

As if she felt his eyes, Winry's eyelids fluttered, then cracked open to reveal her sapphire orbs. A quirk of her lips formed a ghostly smile, and then she forced herself to mouth three words. I'm sorry, Ed.

Al wasn't surprised when Ed transmuted a spike of earth to attack Robinson, forcing the older man to drop Winry to dodge. On the contrary, he used the time to transmute a lance and attacked Robinson himself, crying out, "Brother! Take Winry away from here!"

"Like I need you to tell me that!" Ed yelled back, picking Winry up bridal-style and running for the exit. Leaping out of his alchemy-created hole, he was confronted by Mustang, Hawkeye, and Hawkeye's dog Black Hayate. "Al's down there fighting Robinson!"

The Fuhrer pulled on his pyrotex ignition gloves. "I sent for an ambulance, Fullmetal. It'll be here within ten minutes. The EMT said to make sure her heartbeat stays regular." He glanced at the blonde woman holding two handguns lethally. "Riza, let's go." Her only response was to click her safetys off before leader and aide jumped into the hole.

Ten minutes is too long, Ed thought, sitting down with Winry gently cradled in his arms. "C'mon Win, open your eyes, please! The ambulance is on its way, but you gotta stay with me, okay? Winry, please, open your eyes! Come on!" His flesh hand gently stroked her face as his automail arm brushed over her burns, trying to use the metal's coolness to calm the angry red wounds. "Please Winry," he begged, feeling the tears burning his eyes when she remained still and unresponsive. "Winry, please...........I love you. I love you Winry. Please sweetheart, open your eyes!"

"E........Ed?"

"Winry?" he gasped, seeing her eyes open. He brushed her bangs aside and touched her cheek. "Winry, you're all right?"

"It.......hurts," she grimaced. "My body......feels really tingly......and my heart........" She winced. "It's like........wriggling worms.......in my chest......"

Aw shit, what does that mean!? "Winry, just hang on," Ed begged her, looking around helplessly for the ambulance. "It'll be okay. Don't worry, I'm right here for you." He clasped her hand between both of his. "You hear me? You're going to be okay. But you gotta stay with me, all right?!"

"Sorry........for making you......" she whispered weakly. "Know you hate........being used........"

"Winry, stay with me! Don't give up!" Ed could hear the ambulance tearing through the streets, coming closer. "Hang on! Winry!"

Her beautiful angel face formed the most pure smile for Ed. "I'm sorry, Edward........." Her eyes fluttered shut as the ambulance came roaring up. In Ed's tight grip, her hand fell slack.

The arriving medics disembarked to find the Fullmetal Alchemist with his head thrown back and screaming, "WINRY!!" to the heavens.

(~(-)~)

Winry opened her eyes and found nothing but white. Looking around, she sat up and rubbed her arms. Her hands touched unbroken skin, which surprised her greatly. Looking down, the automail mechanic saw that her burns were gone. "What the?"

Someone knelt beside her, a woman with chestnut-brown hair and a loving smile. "Winry, I think you made a wrong turn," Trisha Elric said nicely, patting her on the head. "You're not supposed to be here."

"But I - didn't I die?" Winry asked, not surprised to see her childhood friends' dead mother addressing her. Shock. It's the shock of death that's made it that I'm not that surprised....

"No dear, you're merely unconscious. You're not to die today." Trisha laughed lightly. "Besides, I think you have a job to do. Didn't you come to fix my son's arm?"

The blonde girl blushed. "Y-Yeah. B-But he can always find another mechanic. H-He's j-just picky," she stammered. There was a faint memory of Ed calling her sweetheart and telling her he -

Trisha tilted her head to the side with a knowing smile. "Picky, is he? All right then, I'll tell you what. Let's have, what my son likes to call, an equivalent exchange. You go back and hear exactly what Edward has to say, and I'll tell you a secret." She leaned over and whispered something in Winry's ear, but a sudden gust of wind deafened Trisha's words and blew Winry away, making her fall down, down, down away from the light towards an even brighter light that illuminated everything and blinded her -

Winry's eyes flashed open, gasping for air. Birds were chirping nearby, and the light was weak daybreaking rays that were reaching over the horizon like a child stretching awake from a long nap. Winry looked around and saw she was in a hospital room, wearing a hospital gown and bandaged, and covered with a vary familiar red coat bearing a black Flamel symbol on the back. Ed's coat..... she thought, looking around now for the young alchemist.

Ed was sitting beside her bedside on the floor, fast asleep, his automail arm reaching up to hold her bed rail, his left hand holding her hand loosely. Winry's cheeks burned at the contact. Staring at the sleeping blond alchemist, she tentatively twitched her hand in his grip.

"Winry!" he gasped, coming awake with a start. Winry shut her eyes to tiny slits, playing unconscious, as he scrambled to his feet without letting go of her hand. "Winry, you awake?" he asked worriedly, leaning over her. Winry almost shivered when Ed's breath feathered over her face. It blew for a few seconds before leaving, but his hand never released hers. Scraping noises told her that he was pulling a chair closer, then sitting down beside her bed again.

Ed's heavy sigh showed how tired he was. "Come on Winry, please," he whispered. "Wake up already. It's been over six hours. Please, please, please, just open your eyes." Cradling her hand in hoth of his, Ed brought her hand up to touch his forehead. "Don't leave me, Winry. Please don't leave me. I - I couldn't bear it if you left me."

Winry fought to keep her breathing even. Ed was laying his feelings bare, something he'd never done before. She hated hurting him like this, but it was necessary. If he realized she was awake, he'd never finish.

"Winry, goddammit, wake up! You're my frickin' mechanic and I refuse to get another!" Her other hand clenched under the covers, seeking a wrench to clobber the older Elric. "That's what I'd usually say, but I don't think of you like that anymore," Ed added, rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumbs. "I mean, you're still my mechanic, but - well, I think it's been a gradual thing, thinking of you more than just my mechanic and my childhood friend." His left thumb still rubbing her skin, he raised his right hand and touched Winry's cheek. "I - Winry, I - I lo - " He paused, then swallowed hard and blurted, "I love you!"

Despite her best efforts, tears leaked from Winry's blue eyes as she opened them to gaze at a stunned Ed. "Do you really mean that?" she whispered, happiness making her voice break.

Ed got over his shock quickly and gave her his trademark cocky grin, albiet with a serious blush. "Well, yeah," he said like she was stupid. "Of course Winry. You know that." Moving quickly, he covered her mouth with his own in a hard yet chaste kiss that made her head spin. "I love you, Winry."

His mother was right, Winry thought, joyfully squeezing his hand. "I love you too, Edward," she whispered back breathlessly.

He straightened up. "I'd better go get Al. I promised I'd get him once you woke up."

"Ed?" He looked back when she refused to let his hand go. She pointed to his automail, where there were scorch marks from Robinson's attack. "Get those checked out. I'd do it myself, but I'm - "

"You idiot automail otaku," Ed snapped with a grin. "I'm not going to anyone else until you get better. You'll only be in here for a few more days."

Winry shook her head. "Ed, electrical interference from an outside source could have fried the circuits that let your limbs recieve signals from your brain. It's too dangerous for you to - " The rest of her reasoning was cut off when Ed kissed her again. Her eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers, moaning when he broke contact too soon for her.

"My mechanic has always been you," he whispered over her lips. "So that means............My Heart's Mechanic Can Only Be You. Never forget that."

And Fin!! Well, what do you think? I think I made Ed a little OOC in the confession, but he's gotta be awkward, right? Please Rate and Review!!