Lost Memories

Disclaimer: I Don't Own FMA In Any Way.

Rating: PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and alerts!

F----------------M----------------A

Soon, Winry had finished replacing all the wires in both Ed's Automail arm and leg. He was currently lying on the operation bed so that Winry could finally connect his nerves and she could get started on teaching him how to use them. That is, when he'd recover, of course.

"Give me a minute," she told the blonde Elric. "I'm going to go get my grandmother so she can help me," she explained and Ed gave her a confused look as she walked off.

"You have a grandmother?" he called out, wondering if he'd get a response.

"Yeah, hold on," she replied. Ed shrugged and let his head down, awaiting Winry's return. He suddenly wondered about the whole 'nerve connection,' thing and wondered how badly it would hurt.

It can't be that bad, he supposed. Soon, he could hear footsteps once more and, through the door, walked Winry and a short, elder woman with a pipe in her mouth and high, and an unusual high bun in her hair.

"Ed," Winry began. "This is my grandmother, Pinako. When you and Al visited, you guys would call her Auntie," she said to him and then turned to the woman. "Isn't that right, Granny?" she asked. The elder, woman, known as Pinako apparently, took a puff from her pipe and nodded. She had a stern expression across her face that wouldn't seem to leave.

"So what did the bean sprout do this time?" the elder Rockbell asked. Winry gasped silently and looked to Ed. She thought he was about to scream, yell, and insult the older woman, yet again as he used to whenever she insulted him. But, all the two women received was a blank and confused stare.

"Did I miss something?" the blonde asked curiously as he tilted his head and raised a brow. Winry walked up to his side, dumbfounded.

"You really have lost everything, haven't you?" she asked.

"What, why, what happened?" the Elric asked nervously.

"Anytime someone insulted your height, you'd get mad and threaten the other person. You'd even say things that the person never said in the first place; you didn't like to be teased about how short you were," Winry explained. Ed shrugged and gave an annoyed look.

"I'm that short, am I?" he asked, quietly but irately at once. It caused Winry to giggle slightly.

"Of course not," she said happily. "But we always liked to mess with you just to see how you react," she said playfully. Ed sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "I got nothing coming back to me." Winry offered a small, sweet smile for him.

"It's OK, we understand," she told him kindly and then turned to her grandmother. "Anyway," she began, her voice reversing to a more serious one. "We're gonna finally connect your nerves, 'K?" she asked.

"I'm willing to walk as soon as possible," Ed replied happily.

"Then let's get started, shall we?" the Pinako woman asked as she grabbed a tool and walked over to Ed's metallic leg. Winry then grabbed a tool herself and walked over to the teens Automail arm.

"Winry?" Pinako asked and the young Rockbell looked to her.

"Yes?" the girl asked curiously. The elder woman falsely cleared her throat. Winry's eyes widened but she understood and nodded. She turned her gaze to Edward and tried her best to smile for him.

"Ed," she said tensely. "Before we actually connect the nerves, you have to know…it's going to hurt," she explained. Ed's eyes widened and he shrugged and looked away.

"How bad?" was all he asked of her.

"It's not gonna be a little sting, let's say that," she replied.

"Shit…" the Alchemist said heatedly and then set free a breath. Bracing himself, he looked back to her. Winry's eyes widened at the look in his eyes; it was the same exact look he used to give her, the one when he was determined greatly about something. His brows were tensed up and his eyes…they were filled with purpose.

"Give me your worst." Once he said it, he shut his eyes tight and prepared for the pain.

"Alright," Winry said back.

"One…"

The Elric tensed further and gritted his teeth.

"Two…"

Winry herself was sweating; wondering of the teen could really take the pain.

"Three!" In that moment, the two Rockbell's simultaneously connected the nerves. Ed's face contorted; his right eye twitched and his metallic hand and foot were fidgeting. He forced himself not to scream from the pain, no matter how badly he wanted to. Soon, though, he got to the point where the pain became unbearable.

"AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" His voice screamed out terribly, shutting his eyes tight but he refused that the smallest of tears prick at his eyes. He gritted his teeth tight and hoped the pain would leave. But it didn't; it went throughout his entire body, not just his arm and leg. No, the nerves immediately sent signals of pain to his Central Nervous System, which caused those same exact signals to be sent out through the rest of his body.

Winry cringed from the sound of his pained voice. She looked up to him and felt so sorry; it was like it was the first time all over again. Remarkably, though, he took this time much better that the first. The first time he ever did it, he was sweating and fidgety all-over. This time, he managed to restrain himself and hold in the pain for as long as he humanly could. But still, it was awful to see him in any kind of pain.

The two Rockbell's pulled away. Pinako immediately went off and came back with a small, moist towel. Quickly, she handed it to Winry, and the blonde mechanic came to Ed's left side and placed the towel over his forehead. The young Alchemist flinched for a moment but allowed the towel to be placed, properly, on his head. Soon, the trembles of his body subsided but he still shook, slightly.

"You did great, Ed," Winry said to him soothingly. Ed panted slightly but forced himself to smile at her.

"Thanks…" he muttered, trying to sound happy but the pain was still kicking through him so he flinched again.

'We're going to let you rest, alright?" the Rockbell mechanic asked as she turned to leave.

"No, wait!" the Elric pleaded as he grabbed her wrist in his flesh hand. "Don't leave me…" he begged. Winry looked down to his eyes; they were filled with hope and sadness, desperateness as well. Her eyes softened as she looked into his and she came to his side once again. It felt so different; he would usually just want her away from him after connecting the nerves, seeing as she usually teased him about something. This time, though, his hand was holding her wrist tightly, imploring that she stay at his side.

"Of course, I'll stay right by your side, I promise," she told him, slipping her hand into his. Ed allowed his eyes to close finally but is breath stayed at a panting pace. Pinako took a puff from her pipe before walking off out of the room, leaving the two teens to themselves.

F----------------M----------------A

Once Ed had fallen asleep, Winry carefully pulled away from him and walked off into the kitchen; as much as she wanted to stay with him and keep him company, she still had other things she had to do. She felt bad leaving him all alone, too. After what had happened earlier that day, she was afraid leaving him alone would cause a few more nightmares to take place. She supposed she could pop in every once in a while, just to see if he was OK; so that's what she did. After every few chores she completed, she'd go check in on him.

Alphonse, too, had gone to see if his brother was OK. After hearing him scream, he was worried that the pain may have been too much. Winry explained how the connection had gone and Al gave a sigh, relived.

"He's resting now so don't wake him," Winry said. "For Ed's sake; he needs as much energy as he can get. Automail connection is tiring for the one with the nerves being connected," she explained. Al nodded, reassuringly.

"Of course," he said to her, understandingly. The day went on after that and, before they knew it, the Sun was departing. Winry was just about to finish all her chores for that day and asked that her grandmother prepare dinner for today. Pinako agreed with a nod.

"Take care of that boy," she told her granddaughter. "He might repay you sooner than he used to." Winry supposed she meant payment for the Automail but, after thinking about a little more, she realized that her grandmother meant a little more. She blushed at the thought but forced herself to brush it off. She walked off to the backroom, where Ed still lay, out cold, on the bed.

He was breathing steadily; his arms and legs, both metallic and flesh, twitched every so often. It caused Winry to chuckle quietly to herself. Nevertheless, she turned away and turned off the lights to the room; she figured he'd wake up in the middle of the night, later that day, or in the morning. Either way, it was best to let him sleep as much as he could. Maybe some memories would come back to him, plus, he'd get the energy he needs.

For now, that's all she could hope for; that he'd get better and, with any luck, start familiarizing himself with everyone and everything around him. Hope for him and try to help him. Either way, though, she had to admit that it was amusing to see this Edward; he seemed so innocent yet still had the minor rudeness that used to have. She suddenly wondered how he would wake up if he didn't know how to use his Automail.

That's gonna be interesting, she thought humorously as she walked upstairs and waited for her grandmother to call for dinner.

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A/N: Please R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks! I hope you like!