Disclaimer: It will be mine, OH YES, it will be mine!! But for now Full Metal Alchemist remains in the hands of Hiromu Arakawa

It's Not Too Bad

Part Three

"What the hell do you think you're playing at, Win?" shouted the young alchemist as he stood, Ed was the only person able to use this nickname and get away with it, and although she wouldn't admit it, not yet anyway, she liked the fact that only he used it. "ME?" she retorted, "YOU GRAB SOME STRANGER, AND TELL HIM TO KEEP ME LOCKED UP HERE TILL YOU TELL HIM OTHERWISE!!". They stood, staring at each other, both not wanting to back down. It was Winry who gave in first as she could no longer hold back the tears that decorated the corners of her eyes. She launched herself at the young man, who was shocked to say the least as she curled her arms around his shoulders squeezing him for a hug that could rival a wrestling move. Ed could only stand in shock as a blush crept up on his face rapidly spreading until it looked like his, trademark, red jacket was skin if you went by his face. This blush only deepened when Winry nuzzled into his right shoulder and started to cry.

"W-Win?" asked Ed as her tears ran down his jacket, it was Winry's turn to blush now as she noted the amount of affection and distress in his voice.

"You where right Ed" the mechanic answered "Eh..?" was all Ed could muster,

"You said that the next time you made my cry, it would be with' tears of joy', and you were right". Ed relaxed a little more at this as he added his remaining hand to the small of Winry's back and returned the hug. The breeze from the still open door stirred in Winry's hair, and caused it to float up in front of Ed's face as he inhaled, "Dam, has she always smelt this good?" he enquired mentally "What the hell are you thinking!? This is Winry...but..." he couldn't help his inquisitive nature, as he tried to place all the aromas that passed his nose, "Metal polish...oil...grease...and..." a small smile passed his lips as he softly said to himself "...apple pie". "Ed?" it was Winry's turn to be worried now as he had just, apparently, started spouting random inaudible words.

An hour later, and another wrench upside Ed's head as he showed Winry the inside of the bag he carried with him, Ed had just finished explain what had happened after she was removed from the battlefield; how 'Father' was beaten when he and Van Hohenheim had both attacked the dazed 'Homunculus' together, Van Hohenheim letting Ed use the power stored in his body; when he and Al were in front of the gate and Al had gained his body back, and his theory that he didn't regain his arm because he did not lose it during the transmutation of his 'mother'; he explained what had happened at the hospital and why he couldn't call, cursing Roy Mustang for not waking up sooner. Telling her that Al was in bad shape due to the malnourished body almost tore his heart out as he could see more tears welling up in her eyes, he quickly followed up by saying how well Al was doing when he left; he left no detail out as he promised her that he would tell her everything. Satisfied with what she had heard, if only a little distressed at the boys recklessness "Ah well...that's the Elrics for you" she thought as she took the bag from Ed and headed to the work shop.

Ed could actually relax for a little while as he stretched out on the couch, Winry had told him that because she didn't have to do his leg now it would only take half as long to finish his arm seeing as though she had been slowly working on it for the past 3 ½ weeks. His left leg still ached from the walk to the house, but it was a good ache as he actually had his left leg, in fact he noted that all sensations in his left leg, good or bad, were welcome. He shifted his weight and as he did his coat pulled on his shoulders, so he decided to take 'the dam thing' off, as he threw it to the chair opposite he noticed six shining objects now decorating the floor. He moved round the table and toward the fallen items, as he picked them up and studied them he remembered that Winry had given him these to look after for him, "Her earrings, I really should give them back now, I've had them since we were in that HUGE mining town with Scar and Kimblee, although I think I'm a little late doing it" he smirked "ah well a few more minutes won't matter", he pocketed the earrings but did not release them from his grip nor his hand from his pocket as he manoeuvred back to the couch to take a nap.

Later that day, Winry had just finished the new arm, incorporating the techniques and ideas she had picked up at Briggs she bragged to Ed, who was recoiled in pain with the connection of the nerves having just occurred. When Ed had composed himself he started moved toward Winry who was saying something about "...the weight-to-strength ratio of the new alloy..." as she replaced her tools in their proper place with her back to Ed, he reached into his pocket and extracted the six metallic objects when he suddenly stopped, his head was swimming with ideas of what would happen when he returned them to her, images flashed before him, everything ranging from an angry Winry swinging her wrench about asking why it took him so long to return them, to a simple 'Thank you', to thoughts that would turn the face of any top class poker player in the world as red as a tomato, well he is a 16 year old boy, and he does have hormones. As he prepared himself for whatever was to come, he noticed that his hand was sweaty, and his throat dry, "Fantastic, all the moisture suddenly leaves my mouth and makes its way to my hand and neck for some reason". The clinking of the earrings falling from his flesh hand into his metal one caught Winry's attention, she rounded on Ed as he was drying his hand on his pants.

"Are those...?"

"Erm...yea, I just realised I still had them" he said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "What the hell am I nervous about? It's just Winry"

"Thank you for keeping them safe for me, Ed" she beamed at Ed as she took them, remembering that the oldest set were a present from her parents before they went off to Ishbal, the other four were a present off Ed, she had been given many presents in the past off her clients as an added 'thank you' but these six pieces of metal where more precious to her than any other object she owned, including her beloved wrench.

"No problem, Win" he smiled back at her, still rubbing the back of his neck.

She moved forward slowly and gave him another hug, "No...really, Ed...thank you, you have no idea how much these mean to me", Ed was once again blushing as Winry hugged him, but this time he did not hesitate in returning her hug, catching Winry off guard making her blush as well, "Maybe now this whole WAR thing is over, and Al has his body back, he may actually be begining to open up" she smiled to herself. They stayed in the embrace for a little longer than normal, not that either of them minded. As they parted Winry's lips brushed against Ed's cheek, she quickly excused herself and almost literally fled the room, Ed was stood there like a deer in the headlights, rubbing his cheek, wondering if the 'kiss' was intentional or not, "What's going on? Why is it I can mentally breakdown and recompose any mixture of known elements, defeat the most terrifying monsters in history, save the entire country, but I can't figure that dam girl out!?" Ed grabbed the sides of his head as he contemplated the answer, but none came.

Winry had retreated to the sanctity of her room, "He won't come in here, unless I tell him he can come it" she reasoned with her pillow. Her fingers traced her lips, "Almost" she gently smiled to herself. It was then that she heard the knock on the door, "I'LL GET IT" she heard Ed shout from the workshop, she looked out her window and saw that it was the food she mistook Ed for earlier on in the day. Ed opened the door to another soldier, one he didn't recognise. "Can I help you?" he questioned. "Ah, Mr Full Metal sir. I was commissioned by the other Private, the one I believe you assigned to this post, to run food up to this house each day to ensure that Miss Rockbell was not put in harms was as you ordered." The other Private obviously did not tell this man bout the treat Ed had given him as he seemed relaxed and yet formal.

"Oh, very good" Ed eyed the man and the bags of shopping in his hands, still not sure of what he had been told.

"Good afternoon, Miss Winry" The Private greeted over Ed's shoulder. Ed looked in the direction of the greeting and saw the girl in question moving down the stairs.

"Afternoon, Carl. This all the food for today?" The soldier only nodded, as Ed was glaring at the man now. "Thank you, Ed, take the bags to the kitchen will you?"

"Hm, yea, sure" replied Ed as he moved to retrieve the bags the Private was now offering.

"Thank you for all you help, Soldier" Ed loudly declared as he returned from the kitchen, "You will no longer be required to bring food to this house. I will see to it that you are compensated along with your fellow Private for your help in this matter" Ed hated being all military, but for some reason he wanted Winry to know that they would do what he said.

"Bye, Carl" Winry waved to the soldier as Ed shut the door. On the other side of the threshold, the military man could not help but snicker at what he had just seen; the two in the house obviously had issues as he had seen both sets of eyes flickering at the other more than a few times in the sort period he had been there. "Ah...young love..." he chuckled at the cliché as he gently strolled back to his post.

Back in the house a shouting match was in full swing as Ed wanted to know why Winry was being so friendly to the man who had just left, Winry was trying to establish why Ed had acted like the man wanted to take his favourite toy away and literally 'shooed' him away.

"He's just some random man, Win! You only met him a few weeks ago"

"Carl has been nothing but nice to me, Ed. Besides he's only bringing shopping up to the house I don't know what the big deal is"

"THE BIG DEAL IS THAT YOU'RE LETTING SOME RANDOM MAN INTO YOUR HOUSE!!"

"WERN'T YOU THE ONE WHO JUST PICKED SOME 'RANDOM MAN' TO TAKE ME FROM CENTRAL AND BRING ME HERE AND STAY HERE TILL YOU CAME BY!?!?"

"THAT'S COMPLETLY DIFFERENT, WINRY"

"HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT, EDWARD?"

"BECAUSE IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO KEEP YOU SAFE, YOU DONT EVEN HAVE THE FAINTEST IDEA HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME...", all was quiet for a while till Ed spoke up again, "...if I ever lost you...or Al" he added quickly "I don't know if I could forgive myself...I don't know if I could go on" he finished softly. Winry didn't know how to react to this statement, he had never seen Ed like this, sure she had seen him upset, but this was something new. He moved to the stairs and started to climb, "Stop him..." Winry ordered herself "...grab him, do something, don't just stand there!" her mind was willing but her body was still in shock from what she heard, a few moments later she heard his door click shut.


A/N – WOOO!! This was supposed to be a two part story, but it seems that I am a little too pessimistic, who knew I had it in me lol. Any ways, to all those that have read and liked my story: I love you all. To those who have reviewed: I would do 'special things' to you if I could find you, lol. And to those who don't like my story: I want to hear from you, I want to know why, so I can improve, the only way any of us can improve is by knowing our shortcomings.

Chapter 4 will be up soon