When I started this, I was yelling at Ed while watching CoS. I was gonna toss it, but decided to keep going. Glad I did!

"Brother, why?"

"Why what?" Edward asked bitterly.

"Why'd you leave her?"

Edward stared out his window at the rapidly passing landscape.

"Brother!"

"I didn't- I couldn't bring her into this, Al."

The younger Elric stood with his fists balled, in a strangely angry mood.

"Do you have any idea how committed to you she was, even though you were gone? She knew you were still out there? She had your auto-mail ready for you! She waited… you won't talk about it because-"

"Why Al? You tell why!" Edward exploded.

"Because you're guilty!"

Edward stood and tried to leave their car, but Alphonse stopped him.

"She loved- no, loves you."

The elder Elric shook his brother off and slipped out the door. As he was leaving, Alphonse could've sworn he heard a sob.

Winry headed absently through Central to Maes Hughes' grave. Ever since Edward had temporarily returned, she had tried to stay in Central. Especially since Pinako's death, she'd felt pulled there.

Pinako had died not long after Ed's return to the other side. She, like Trisha Elric, never told anyone of her sickness, not even Winry.

"I swear, I'll find a way, Al."

"No, Brother. Unless you know any homunculi, we're staying here."

"You mean-"

"Yeah. There's no way back."

Ever since their train, Al had been bitter and hostile toward his brother.

"I will find a way, Al. I have to."

"How?"

"I don't know," Edward admitted. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

"here. Win told me to give you this. I think she knew this would happen." Alphonse held out an envelope.

Edward opened it almost dropping it when he saw the contents. He flipped through all the pictures of himself, Al, and Winry. His heart sank when he saw the most recent of Winry. On the back, he found a note.

'You'll find a way. I know you will. And when you come back, we need to talk.

Love, Win'

Edward's shoulders shook as he read the note scrawled in Winry's neat handwriting.

"Wait…" Edward smacked his forehead. "How could I have missed this?"