I know it's been a while, and I am sorry, but here is the second chapter of Nothing I Won't Give. So much for being consistent in updating and all that stuff. At this point (when I uploaded this on 12/5/10) I haven't finished chapter 3, so I know it will be another while before I update again. On a positive note, Christmas break starts soon, so I should get some writing done then.

Well, enough rambling. I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, the characters, or anything like that. Hiromu Arakawa does. And I do not own the song "Nothing I Won't Give" from which the title came. Vic Mignogna does.

Read on. And don't forget to comment, review, and critique at the end.

Winry looked to the place she had heard Edward's voice come from. She saw his silhouetted form. Turning back and forth between the two, all she could do was stare in shock at the two boys she had known since she was little – one who came and visited every now and then, and one who she only knew by his voice. Behind her, Winry heard Den barking and Granny Pinako muttering something under her breath. A glow from the flashlight Pinako was holding lit the area where Edward, Winry, and Alphonse were all sitting.

Glancing at Edward, Winry soon lost interest when she caught sight of Al. He was pale and barely recognizable. She only knew it was him for sure when she looked into his eyes. They were the same golden sheen as Edward's, but less worn. They looked more optimistic. These were the eyes she remembered from their childhood. Alphonse smiled, a gigantic grin that reached all the way to those eyes, and Winry could not contain herself. She broke down blubbering with tears of joy. She fiercely grabbed hold of Al and locked him in a bone-breaking hug.

"Oh my!" came the shocked voice of Granny Pinako from behind the light. "I half-expected another mess to clean up. But it looks like you've finally done it."

Al, being constricted by an overly emotional Winry, piped up. "Hi Granny!"

Ed glanced over at Alphonse, startled by the new sound of his brother's voice. It was missing its metallic ring.

"Uh… Winry?" Al tapped her on the shoulder, lightly at first but getting more vigorous. "Winry? I… uh… Ed, could I borrow your cloak?"

Winry looked up, tears streaking down her face. She stared at Al and soon noticed what he was trying to imply. She jumped up, blushing, and turned to face Pinako. Ed also stood up while taking off his red cloak in the same motion, handing it to Alphonse. Al wrapped it around his skinny, pale body.

"Come on, you three. Alphonse needs something decent to wear." Pinako said, "I think this calls for a celebration. How about stew… and someone mentioned something about apple pie?"

Al's eyes got wide as he thought about all the different foods he would be able to eat now that he had his body back. He took one step, and fell flat on his face. For a minute, he still thought he was in a suit of armor. The step he had taken was too big. It had put him off balance. He felt two sets of hands, three flesh and one metal, help him up. He could feel the warmth of the human hands, the cold of the metal one, and the pressure that each put on his skin. The fabric of the red cloak rustled and tingled against his exposed skin. The cold air actually caused him to shiver. These new, yet old, feelings came to the forefront of his mind. He smelt the clean, country air. His mouth watered at the thought of apple pie and stew.

"Let's go, Al." Ed said. Al immediately turned his head toward the sound of his older brother's voice. When Al was in the armor, every time someone spoke, he remembered hearing them, though muffled. The sound would always ring inside his head, and he had to concentrate to truly listen to what someone was saying. With Ed's three simple words, Alphonse again heard the clear, crisp sound of that comforting voice. And the voice even sounded happy, something he also remembered rarely happened.

Al squinted, trying to see into the shadows of the night, past the small ring of light that lit their way. He felt his eyes close almost shut when hi brain told them to. After squinting for too long, he felt his head start to hurt. This was the signal to stop. He opened his eyes, letting in as much light as possible.

As they walked down the road, Alphonse felt the grass rub against his feet, slick from the forming dew. He noticed a significant difference when his bare toes touched the rough surface of the path. Every now and then, a rock pushed into the arch of his foot. He would lift his leg and wipe off the irritating pebble. These sensations of soft and hard, rough and smooth, were only words for so long. Now the feelings became a reality.

Looking at his brother, Ed watched every movement and emotion on Al's face. Control of those involuntary muscles had not yet taken effect. Ed could see the joy and elation in Al's eyes, in his dimpled cheeks, and especially in his smile. That smile had been gone for years, hidden behind unmovable metal. Now, Ed had what he wanted. There was nothing he wouldn't give to keep that smile on his younger brother's face.

They continued walking in silence. Al didn't say anything because he was too absorbed in the world around him. Ed was watching his brother's ever changing face. Winry watched Ed, catching this rare chance to see him truly happy. Granny Pinako concentrated on the dark path in front of her while Den scouted the night air to keep his masters safe. The quiet pervaded the air until they reached the steps of the Rockbell house.

Alphonse again found that he was quite uncoordinated in this new body. He began walking up the steps to the front door of the house and slipped on the second step. The foot would not do what it was told and refused to grip the edge of the stair. Al felt his leg buckle, his body bend, and his head hit the hard surface. A jarring pain slashed through his mind. Another memory of being human also shot through his mind. Pain.

He laid there for a moment, not knowing how to respond. On one hand, this pain he felt was welcome. It was an experience he had not been able to relate to since he had lost his body. On the other hand, it hurt. And it was quite unpleasant. He heard voice calling his name. They sounded panicked. Al lifted his head and rubbed it with the palm of his hand. "Ow…" he muttered.

"Are you okay?" Winry said as she placed a hand on Al's shoulder. "Alphonse?"

"I'm fine. Just a little bump, that's all," he responded. He tried to give her the most convincing smile he could.

It worked. Winry also smiled. She helped him up and held his arm as he walked up the remaining stairs. Al opened the door, savoring the feeling of the cool metal doorknob. He thought that it was probably what he used to feel like. The pain in his head had not yet dissipated, and he rubbed it yet again.

Edward and Pinako along with Den followed them into the room. Pinako turned on the lights. Al blinked, the brightness hurting his eyes after their trek through the dark with only the dim glow of the flashlight. It made the headache from the fall throb with a new ferocity. He brought his hand up to his forehead and put a slight pressure on the spot where it hurt.

He felt an old hand pull his own away. "If you don't put some ice on that spot, you're going to have a huge bump. You need to keep the swelling down." Granny Pinako turned to Edward. "Go get your brother some ice and a towel."

Ed walked into the kitchen. For a second before he left, Al saw a look of alarm on his older brother's face. Edward had also forgotten about pain.

There was the clanking of a pan, the run of water, and a flash of light. Ed returned, holding ice wrapped in a towel.

"I couldn't find any ice, so I just made some." Edward handed it to Alphonse who immediately brought the cold compress to his forehead. Al sat down on the nearest couch, savoring the numbing effect of the ice. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Winry, go upstairs and get Al something to wear," Pinako told Winry when Al had settled into the couch. "He can't walk around forever in Edward's cloak. And don't forget to bring down the scissors."

Alphonse looked up, "Scissors?"

"I assume you want your hair cut," explained Granny Pinako. "And if not, we need to fix that mane of yours anyway. I think we might also want to consider a bath."

"What about the stew… and apple pie?"

"We can make those while you are taking your bath. When you're finished becoming decent again, they will be waiting."

Edward watched as Alphonse smiled and nodded. The bump he took to his head did not seem to be affecting Al anymore. Ed was relieved. He took note that Alphonse would need to get more coordinated before they could spar again. Al got up from the couch, put the damp towel and ice on the table, and carefully walked up the stairs to tell Winry he was going to take a bath.

"I don't understand alchemy, but how?" Pinako asked Edward when Alphonse had gone upstairs. "What did you have to give this time?"

Edward lifted his automail arm and clenched his fingers, watching them open and close. "Doctor Marcoh, from Central, gave us a Philosopher's Stone. That helped more than you could know. But, even with it, I still had to give something in return… I guess you should know that you won't be getting rid of your most regular customer."

Pinako gave him a shocked look, "So you won't be able to get your body back?"

"No, and… I'm not sure if Al will be able to do alchemy without a circle anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"The Truth told me that in order to get Al his body back, he couldn't be responsible for the transmutation of mom. Equivalent exchange wouldn't allow it. So I took the blame. But the transmutation was also the reason that we could do alchemy without a circle. Because Al's exchange has been reversed…"

"I see…"

They both sat in silence, considering the implications of Ed's discovery. Ed sincerely hoped he was wrong. He also knew that neither of them would be doing alchemy for a while, except for the ice of course. Maybe in that time he would find a way to explain to Alphonse what went on with Truth. Edward also needed to find a way to explain the whole thing about the responsibility of the human transmutation. Alphonse would be furious when he realized what his brother had done.

"We need to get started on that stew and pie if we want it to be done by the time Al is finished with his bath and haircut," Pinako said, breaking the silence and Ed's thoughts.

"Right," he replied and went to the kitchen to help her.

Alphonse reveled in the warmth of the water. As he slipped into the steaming tub, he felt his skin tingle as the nerve-endings awakened to the sensation of warmth. After the cold night air, the warm bath was heaven. He slid down into the water, so that only the half of his face above his nose was not submerged. His long hair fanned out behind him. He decided that it needed to go. Granny Pinako was right. He did have a mane.

"Al!" Winry's voice came from the other side of the door. "When you're finished in there, your new clothes will be lying on the bed. I'll be downstairs. Just call when you're ready for me to cut your hair."

"Okay! Thanks, Winry!" He said. He remembered to bring his lips back out of the water before hand so he wasn't swallowing a soapy mess.

He sat there in the steamy paradise, thinking of everything that occurred. This whole night had so far gone by in a blur. Every nerve and receptor in his brain was firing. Every new sensation was being put to memory. He thought of the grass, the pebbles, the fall, the hands, the light, and the sounds. He thought about everything that happened after he got his body back. Even the pain of the fall on the stairs couldn't compare to the joy of that accomplishment.

But, as Alphonse thought of this happiness, he thought of the pain that he and his brother had to go through to get to this point. So many times, they had almost given up. He remembered when they were the edge of life and death. When they were separated and questioned whether or not they would see each other again. Al remembered when Ed cracked Marcoh's code and was ready to drop everything because Philosopher's Stones were made with human souls.

Those same human souls had thanked Al for freeing them from the torment inside the stone. Because they did not give up, Al was able to help those souls. Because they did not give up, even when they thought their cause was evil, Al now had his body back. Now all they needed to do was get Edward his body back, too.

Al was brought back to reality with the smell of pie and stew, and by his submerged half shivering due to the now cold water. The sweetness of the pie mixed with the succulent smell of stew and wafted into his nostrils. This made his mouth water again and caused his stomach to twist in longing. Alphonse was hungry.

He hopped out of the tub as fast as his feet would carry him. He slipped on the wet floor, but caught himself on the edge of the tub. Taking deep breaths, he pulled himself upright into a standing position. He resolved to practice and train as soon as he could so he could lose this uncoordination. He grabbed a towel and dried himself off, trying his best to get all the water out of his thick hair. He wrapped the towel around himself, picked up the cloak he had left hanging on the doorknob, and walked into the room where his clothes were waiting.

Lying on the bed in front of him was a pair of black pants. Next to them was a white dress shirt. Alphonse pulled the pants over his skinny legs and buttoned the shirt up his abdomen. The clothes hung loosely. He quickly found a belt and put it on to keep his pants from falling down. There was a pair of black boots sitting at the foot of the bed. He slipped his feet into them with ease.

Al walked down the hallway and onto the stairs, continuously reminding himself that he was not in a suit of armor. He went into the kitchen, his nose leading the way.

"Winry?" Al turned to her as she stood up to go grab the scissors from the table. "Could we cut my hair after we eat? I'm really hungry."

As if on cue, Al's stomach growled loud enough for everyone to hear. He blushed.

Winry laughed, "Sure, Al."

Edward grinned. Now that Al was here, they could start eating. Ed went over to the large, bubbling pot of a thick, chunky liquid known as stew. He ladled the steaming substance into four bowls and brought them to the table two at a time. Everyone sat down and started eating, except Pinako. She walked out of the kitchen and soon returned carrying four bottles of an opaque, white substance. She placed one at her spot, one in front of Winry, one in front of Alphonse, and one in front of Edward. Ed grimaced, glared at Pinako, glared at the milk, and proceeding to ignore it while eating his stew.

Alphonse couldn't seem to drink his milk fast enough. When Granny brought it out, he stopped shoveling food in his mouth long enough to take a sip of milk. The cold creaminess bathed his tongue. He dropped the spoon into the bowl of stew and chugged half of the bottle.

Looking up from his milk, Al said, "Ed, I can't believe you don't like milk. It's delicious. What's your problem with it?"

"I hate milk."

"That's not a valid reason. What's wrong with milk?"

"I hate milk."

"That's why you're always going to be tiny," Winry muttered under her breath.

"I'M NOT TINY!" Edward stood up and slapped his hands on the table, spilling a little of the stew. "AND I WILL NOT DRINK MILK! I HATE IT!"

Alphonse was not fazed by another one of Ed's outbursts. "Well… if you're not going to drink it, can I have it?"

Edward turned, slightly startled by this question, "Sure, take it." He shoved the milk to Al and sat down.

The rest of the meal proceeded without any issues. Everyone ate their fill of the stew, Al had about four helpings all to himself. When he was finished, he leaned back and sighed. He sat there for a moment, letting his stomach know there was food in it. Winry brought out the apple pie and Al's feeling of fullness immediately dissipated. She cut him a piece and he began chowing down. The apples were sweet, the cinnamon spicy, and the crust golden and flaky. Alphonse couldn't remember the last time he tasted something so delicious. By himself, he ended up eating half of the pie.

When Alphonse was finally satisfied, he sat back in his chair. Ed and Pinako cleared the dishes while Winry took up the scissors and walked behind him. Al relaxed as Winry ran her fingers through his hair, cutting large sections that fell to the floor. She kept cutting and snipping. Eventually, Al's hair was as short as it was when he was a little kid. He ran his fingers through his hair. His head felt lighter. His body felt clean. His stomach was full.

Ed nudged Al's shoulder and pointed toward the window. The sun was coming up. They had been up all night. Reds, oranges, and purples painted the sky. Edward watch as Alphonse took in his first sunrise as a human in a long time. Al's eyes glowed with the colors of the sky. He gaped in amazement at the clear morning. Edward laughed at Al's reaction. He felt truly happy.

Granny Pinako and Winry also joined them and watched the brothers' sunrise. Granny interrupted them when she noticed Al yawn. "You boys need some sleep. You too, Winry. We all need to go to bed. I don't think anyone will complain if we sleep through the day."

"But-" Ed looked at his tired brother. "Nevermind. Come on, Al, let's go to bed."

"Okay." Al turned from the sunrise, looked back once more, and followed Edward up the stairs and into the bedroom with two beds.

They got ready for bed and both lie down. Ed turned over in his mind all the events of the day, the transmutation, Truth, the pie, the milk, and the sunrise. He thought of all the pain that had brought them to this point. But, the pain of the past was not enough to overpower the joy of this event. Ed had reached his goal.

He turned over to face the other bed, "Hey, Al…"

Alphonse responded with heavy, peace breathing. He was already asleep.

Edward smiled and turned over to find sleep for himself. "Sweet dreams, brother."

Both brothers slept through the rest of the day and the next night. Alphonse dreamt. His dream was that of memories from when he was young. He mostly dreamt of his mother. Through the lens of his dream, she comforted him, held him, and smiled at him. He ran to her when Edward was teasing him and she helped him up when he skinned his knee. Alphonse slept peacefully with the thoughts of his mother.

Edward did not dream. When the darkness overtook him, his mind quieted and he slept without any occurrences. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity there were no nightmares. Ed did not wake up shaking in a cold sweat. His automail did not burn and itch with memories of the gate. He just slept.

They stayed in Resembool for at least a week while Alphonse regained his strength and got used to his new body. During that time, they felt truly at home. Winry insisted on doing matinence on Ed's automail while Granny worked her hardest to put some meat on Al's scrawny body. About a week through what seemed like an eternity, the brothers decided it was finally time. They left early one morning, bearing flowers, and visited their mother's grave.

Edward and Alphonse walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Alphonse was thinking of the reoccurring dream that began his first night back as a human. He was caught up in memories of his mother and the innocence of youth. Edward thought of more sinister things. The Truth and the deal he had made with the being were in the forefront of his mind. Usually, when he went to see his mother, he merely thought to himself, "I'm sorry." Today, something else permeated his conscious – "It's totally my fault."

Alphonse placed his flowers near the headstone and sat on the ground, clutching his knees like he had done since the day they buried their mother. Edward was holding his flowers in one hand, the other balled in a fist. He stood there, almost shaking, eyes locked forward, but not looking at anything in particular. Memories of the day he transmuted his mother flashed before his eyes. Eventually, he found the strength to move his arm and place the flowers on top of Alphonse's. Immediately he retracted into the statue-like pose, remembering everything Truth had said. Ed needed to tell his brother what had happened in the gate, but how could he, when he couldn't even contain it himself? He never really knew how much he depended on his brother carrying some of the burden until it was gone. He had never wanted it that way, but now that it was not possible, the weight of the world was being carried on his shoulders. Every so often, he would open his mouth to get Al's attention, but shut it soon after without speaking. Confiding in Alphonse seemed wrong, since this was no longer his problem to worry about. Edward would do anything to keep Alphonse in the giddy state he was experiencing in Resembool. They continued to remain there is stony silence.

The growl of Al's stomach told him it was time to leave. Alphonse stood up and began walking away, but turned around when he realized Ed was not following. He went up behind Edward and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. Ed gasped and turned around, coming back to reality. He shook his head and started walking next to Alphonse, out of the cemetery. As they walked back to the Rockbell's, Ed knew that it was time to leave. They had shut themselves off from the world for too long. Plus, there were people who needed to know the good news.

That night at dinner, Edward announced, "Tomorrow morning, we're taking the first train to Central."

Thanks for reading chapter 2. Look forward to chapter 3. PLEASE REVIEW!