Oh yes, finally I got round to updating at least one of my fics, and at the moments its my preffered one. Not much to add, this chapter follows manga chapter 46, but hey you don't have to have read the manga to read it. FMA isn't mine.

By the time she stirred again the sun was up and shining through her window. The odd flicker of shadow meant the tree outside was being blown about by the breeze. She closed her eyes again and longed for another hours sleep. Familiar voices were heard outside.

'It's a clever plan brother if you are sure you will be safe.'

'I've tackled him before Al. I know what I'm doing.'

If anything was going to stir her from her bed that small section of conversation would do it. Throwing on her dressing gown she threw the door open just in time to see them at the end of the corridor.

'What plan?' she called.

She could tell she had caught them off guard as they slowly turned around, revealing guilty looking faces.

'What plan? Who have you tackled?'

'The Colonel,' Ed blurted out, 'we have made plans to go and see him but you know what he can be like.'

'Yes Winry, I was over-reacting, but you know what he's like.' Al supported.

She opened her mouth to make more of a protest but they made a dash for it. If she had been clothed she might have chased them but she had to leave them to it.

'Oh Winry,' Ed called to her, once again appearing round the corner, 'why don't you go visit Gracier and Elysia?'

'Don't you think you can tell me what to do Edward Elric!' she yelled. Realizing he had indeed vanished this time she slammed her door and leant her head against it. Nightmares, she thought, the only nightmare I suffer is him.

Quite of her own will and nothing to do with Ed's suggestion Winry paid a visit to Gracier and little Elysia. Since the boys had vanished so early Winry would have to entertain herself for the day. She hadn't seen Gracier since the day she had found out about Hughes' death. It had been a sad meeting and Winry would hate for them to part on such a memory.

They were stood by Hughes grave but the feeling was not so sullen. Winry found she could talk to Gracier easier then her own Grandmother and so was taking the chance while she had it. The wind was blowing her hair into a frightful mess but her mind was too occupied to notice. She wasn't talking to Gracier about the uncomfortable feeling that had taken her over the previous night, but Edward was very much on her mind.

'I know I should be happy with what I have but…'she sighed.

'Go on dear,' Gracier urged.

Winry took a deep breath, 'It's so horrible. Why does everyone disappear in some place I don't know?'

She didn't expect an answer. Brushing her hair away from her face she continued.

'My mom and dad too, "We'll be right back so be a good girl and mind the house"', she remembered with a sore heart, 'Then they went to Ishbal and never came back.'

She felt as if anyone could have been there and her words would have streamed out like water down a river. Her words and voice were lowered as if she were only talking to herself. Perhaps this had been why she felt so out of place last night?

'The last I saw of my parents were their large back when going to the battlefield. As their backs became smaller, I began feeling lonely.'

Gracier turned to walk away but encouraged Winry to keep talking as she stayed with her.

'But I remember feeling hope as I watched from behind, them taking pride in their work. I may have been comparing Mr Hughes' back with my own father's'.

As they stepped through the gate, Elysia merrily stood between them Winry knew this probably made no sense to Gracier.

'Something that I have lost and can never get back again. My mother and father and myself laughing in the middle,' she turned to look at the little girl as her realisation broke through, 'I was comparing myself to Mr Hughes and Gracier and Elysia because I was welcomed like family there.'

A weight she maybe didn't realise was there lifted off her shoulders, 'It made me happy. Very much. It was kind of a familiar, happy feeling.'

Gracier smiled that motherly smile Winry delighted in seeing, 'Come and visit every now and then okay? He gets so lonely all the time.'

Winry felt humbled to be asked such a thing and promised herself she would drop by when she could. Her visit was coming to a close but she walked back with them just to have their company a few moments longer. Last night she was seeking reassurance from Edward that he would not disappear too; she just hadn't realised that was it at the time.

'Alchemists?'

'I've heard the Elric brothers are in a fight.'

'Where?'

Although all that came out of her mouth was an angry 'eh' Winry screamed inwardly. Sods law was playing his cruel trick on her again. She calms herself that the people she cares for won't always vanish just as two of them are in danger. Quickly excusing herself from Gracier's company she made a dash for the centre of town. She could only imagine they were very much in the public view. They were such idiots sometimes!

As she ran she heard more comments from passers by. Her anger soon melted into fear as the severity of their situation became apparent.

'A State Alchemist killer?'

'He's still alive?'

These words caused her heart to drop into her stomach. She knew they were up to no good this morning but she never expected this.

'Hey hey is this alright?'

'What's the military doing?'

Panic drove her legs to go faster but she frustratingly didn't increase speed. Her mind raced with the conversation she had just had with Gracier. The image of her parents walking away from her came to mind mixed with the image of Ed and Al from the back.

No, she thought to herself, why do they have to be the same? She associated one thing with another. That had been the last image of her parents and now she believed it would be her last memory of the Elric brothers.

She ran and ran until her breath was ragged and her legs weak, but still she kept on running. Flashes of light and the sounds of stone smashing could only mean alchemy and she ran to the source. Sure enough she came upon a crowd who appeared to be keeping their distance from something. Mumbling an apology as she pushed her way through a few men, she ignored their calls of 'danger' and kept going. The alchemised metal and rock, broken to pieces that surrounded her was not a sign of comfort. Tears began to form in her eyes as she fully expected the worst. She mentally pleaded to whoever could hear her to keep them safe until she could reach them.

Edward had his hands poised to defend himself from another attack. His plan was backfiring on him, as the homunculus had not made themselves known yet. He needed to stop fighting even if for a little while, to catch his breath and think of another plan. While he had Scar in his presence he would tackle and issue that had been burning in his mind and kill two birds with one stone.

'Certainly, we alchemists have been making mistakes,' he called across the battlefield, 'but that doesn't mean we are going to acknowledge what you're doing.' He took a deep breath, 'Scar, there's something I want to ask you.'

She could hear his voice and she could smell his metal. To see Al standing there filled Winry with relief. They were both still alive even if the danger was still present. As she approached she could see the back of a tall, dark skinned man with tatty clothing. He was the State Alchemist killer. She knew Al had seen her, but she had to see Ed with her own two eyes before she would back away.

'Do you remember a couple of Doctors from Ametris named Rockbell?' Edward asked, his anger raising the volume of his voice unintentionally. He heard his brother try to call him to stop but Edward would not let this opportunity go.

'They went forward into the Ishbal rebellion,' he carried on, 'and even after there was an order of annihilation they continued helping the people of Ishbal…'

'Wait brother!' Al pleaded again, but Edward would not stop.

'Scar! Do you remember those doctors who you were helped by and you killed?'

'BROTHER!'

That final cry stopped Ed in his tracks and he turned his head. Standing just round the side of a nearby wall was Winry. Her face that last night had been so soft was twisted into a look of confusion. His mouth fell open in silent explanation. If he had known she was there he would never have…

'What?' her voice quietly trembled, 'what do you mean? This person…he killed…mom and dad?'

Although her voice was small each word pounded into him as if to remind him of what he had done. He tried to lie and tell her he was wrong but he couldn't do it. She knew the truth and nothing would change that or the fact she knew because of him. Stupid, loudmouthed him.

'No way, they were killed by someone they saved?' she carried on, 'you killed my mom and dad?'

In that moment of he could hear nothing but his own breath as he gasped for air. Her eyes shone with tears and her face showed a pain he hadn't seen in many, many years.'

'You don't deny it?' she asked and he winced as she fell sharply to her knees. She began to breath deeply and he knew she would break down any moment. They were in a dangerous position to leave themselves unguarded but he desperately wanted to go over to her.

She knew she had damaged herself when she had fallen but the pain did not register. Her brain only appeared to be functioning as much as it needed to. Words came out of her mouth but she couldn't recall what she was saying. She knew however, her words were not conveying her pain so she cried at the top of her lungs and used up all the voice she had left.

'Give them back, give mom and dad back!'

Her knuckles slammed hard onto the ground and silence fell again. The anger and sorrow pushed her into a dream like trance from which she could not remove herself. All she knew was that this man didn't deserve to be standing. He didn't deserve to have the chance to hurt others. He had to go, and the gun in front of her would do the trick.

As if sensing Ed and Al were trapped in stance her hand drifted toward the weapon. Ed's voice filtered into her ear but rather then mean anything she let the words fall.

'Wait Winry…don't…not that. Winry! Please stop Winry!'

Her hands fell on the gun and she lifted it onto the air. She had no knowledge of these weapons but somehow she became an expert once it fell into her hands. She was aware of nothing but her enemy and the weapon she had to destroy him.