Okay, so I thought I had a crisis because I couldn't find this chapter's draft. And then I realized I hadn't written one yet. So anyway, I practically had a heart attack.

Disclaimer: Standard

Alright, so here we go, I won't bore you with author's comments anymore, which barely any people read anyway.


"...What?..." Wrath asked.

"I told you. The philosopher's stone I made, it's inside of me. It feeds off me, and I renew its energy. In exchange I can bypass the laws of equivalency, if there were any such laws to begin with. I know that now. The energy used for alchemy is practically not exchangeable. There is no equivalency there." Ed said, staring at Winry.

Chapter 7

On the ground, Winry stirred, rolling over to her side, facing Edward now. His eyes softened.

"Well this won't do," Wrath said. "I can't take you back with me now so you can use the stone," Wrath said. 'Otherwise there wouldn't be anyone to take Winry back and away from Envy,'

"Please," Edward said. "Please let me just take Winry back and get her to safety. Even if, after that, you want me to come back, I'll understand. Equivalency, right? There are still some things that can be attributed to the law of Equivalent Exchange," he chuckled a little. "Winry would hit me for saying that. Then she'd tell me human emotion and common sense can't be attributed to equivalency. But it's the principle that has guided my life this far, I'm not one to completely give it up now,"

"No, no," Wrath said. He knew Winry would need Ed when she woke up. If she thought he wasn't Envy...

"But, and I'm not saying I trust you, if I could spend a few days with her-- I'd owe you one," Ed said.

"One," Wrath said.

"Five," Ed said.

"Two"

"Four"

"Two"

"Three"

"Fine," Wrath said. "Three. I'll be expecting you back here at midnight in three days, got it?" Wrath said, turning around.

"Er- Wrath?" Ed said. "If you don't mind my asking- why did you do this? Why did you come out here and bargain with me? And what made you decide to let me have a few days with Winry?"

"I don't have to answer to you. You owe me one, remember?"

"Fine," Ed said, for once not pressing further. He ran toward where Winry was laying. He felt her forehead with his right hand, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. He smiled at her. "Thank you," Ed said.

"Just be here in three days, Fullmetal, or I'll come after her again,"

"Right," Ed said, picking Winry up under her back and knees. He cradled her to his chest and started to run. He ran up the hill, and then Wrath could see him no more.

"Hmmmm, I didn't think you'd have the guts to do that, pipsqueak," Someone said behind Wrath. The homunculus turned.

He came face to face with Envy.

"Envy!" Wrath hissed.

"However, now that you've kept your end of that bargain, I'm going after them, and I won't be so nice. You see, it's in the nature of a homunculus to double-cross. And when you have two people you want to capture in the same spot, it's hard not to. You boy, you have too much compassion for your own good, although I admire your bravery at going behind the Master's back just to keep me from raping that girl," Envy said. Then, he jumped high, high enough to make it up to the bridge over Wrath's head.

It was in this moment that Wrath first felt despair. Envy would catch up to Ed. He would capture both Ed and Winry, and then Wrath wouldn't have a decent excuse for master, and then he would be punished, and then Envy would get his hands on Winry all over again.

But no. He would hope.

Wrath turned swiftly and ran up the hill. Sure, he wasn't as fast as Envy, but still.

He could try.


When she woke up, Winry immediately felt foreign hands on her. She tensed, alerting her carrier to her consciousness.

Winry peeked her eyes open, and saw...

Who else? Ed.

An unrivaled anger flowed through her, as well as a large amount of dread. He was taking her this time. He would rape her, she was sure. She had to get out of here.

"Winry! You're awake!" he said.

"Ed!" she screamed, and slapped him.

Ed held on so she wouldn't fall. This was not very much how he'd pictured her waking up in his arms. His cheek stung badly, but he'd been through worse pain, from Scar, the military, the homunculi.

But he did slow down running, and that was enough for Winry. She wriggled out of his grasp, turning and punching him in the jaw.

"Gah!" Ed shouted, cradling his jaw, which had begun to bleed. "Winry! What the heck!" he shouted.

"No!" she shouted back. "Not this time! You are not taking me, Edward! I won't stand for it! I won't let you rape me!"

"Rape you!" Ed shouted. "Why the heck would I do that!"

"Wrath!" Winry shouted. "Wrath help me!"

"What do you want Wrath for, Winry! He kidnapped you!" Ed said. "I just saved you! What are you, brainwashed or something! Winry, you've only been gone for a few days! You're stronger than that, machine-freak!"

"Don't try using your stupid psychological tricks Edward. Wrath!" Winry shouted.

Edward stepped closer to her, trying to make her see. She kept shouting to Wrath, backing up and sneaking looks over Ed's shoulder into the alleyway behind them. She tried punching him again, but he caught her hand this time. She tried to yank it out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let go. She kept stepping backward, and he kept going with her, until she felt wall behind her back.

"WRATH!" she let out the piercing scream, slapping Ed with the other hand. He caught this one too, and pinned her to the wall. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Winry!" he shouted. "Winry listen to me. You're strong, the strongest girl I know. You can fight this, this brainwashing that Wrath did to you. Winry!" he said, licking his lips out of nervousness and hurt. He let go of her hands, cupping her cheeks instead with both of his. Her hands immediately came up to push him away by the shoulders. But Ed leaned in toward her, and she couldn't get any leverage.

"Winry, Wrath is not your friend. He kidnapped you, and worried the heck out of me. But, I'm not going to fight you, Winry. I'm not. If it came down to the two of us, you'd win, I'd concede. If you really want to go back to Wrath, I'll let you go," he said, in a soft tone.

"No, no, no," Winry murmured her head shaking back and forth as he came closer to her. She looked up, anywhere but his face. The stars twinkled in the dark sky. It must be well into the night.

"Winry, listen. Do you want to go back? Is that what you really, truly want?" His hands were wet now with her tears. "Did you fall in love with him? Because he can't love you, homunculi don't know how to love,"

She was still looking up, up into the bright stars, sobbing her heart out, fighting Ed with all of her being. But something struck her as odd, there was something that was not right.

"But if you truly want to go back to him, there is something I have to say. I like you, I like you a lot, Winry. I've liked you since the day we met, since the day you pushed me into the river, since the day I left you to find the stone,"

She hiccupped, looking back into his face finally, into those golden eyes that said so much.

"I want you to know that I would rather die than see you unhappy, Win. And if you really, truly, deeply, want to go back to Wrath, I'll understand. Well, I may not understand, but I'll certainly let you go. You're everything to me, Win. You and my brother are the most important people in this world. You are, really," he said, and Winry could see his sincerity. "And if you choose to go, there is something I would like to give you,"

He quickly pressed his lips down to hers, taking them off just as briefly. The kiss lasted no time at all.

"I would like nothing better than to say I gave Winry Rockbell my first kiss," Ed said.

Stars. It was stars. They were confusing her. She couldn't see stars when she was with Wrath, and rapist-Edward.

"E- Ed- Edward?" she asked, timidly stuttering.

But in the next moment, his presence was off of her, and on the ground.

"Envy!" someone shouted.

She looked to Edward, he was bleeding. There seemed to be that a bullet had grazed his shoulder. She looked in the other direction; there she spotted Wrath and Envy. Wrath was trying to hold Envy back from attacking Ed, with a transformed arm that was a gun. But why?

"You brought someone with you, Wrath!" Ed spat. "You said it would only be you!"

"I didn't!" Wrath shouted back to him in a strained voice. Envy was struggling against Wrath's hold. "He followed me!"

"Right!" Ed said, clearly sarcastic. "I shouldn't have trusted you!"

Just then, Envy broke away from Wrath. He charged toward Ed, his hand changing into Ed's automail knife-spear.

"Major Elric! Get down!" someone said. There were gunshots behind him as he ducked, and he saw three bullets enter Envy's chest.

"What!" Ed and Wrath shouted simultaneously at the newcomers.

Maria Ross and Denny Brosh came from behind a wall.

"You brought people too! You said it would only be you!" Wrath shouted at Ed.

"I didn't!" Ed shouted back. "They followed me,"

"I am sorry, sir. Our orders from the Colonel were to follow you. Not to interfere, just follow. I couldn't help it though, sir, when you were in danger," Maria Ross said, holstering her gun.

"You were there the whole time!" Ed shouted at her.

"Yes, sir. And I expect we'll talk in the morning about your rendezvous. Right now we have to get you and Miss Rockbell to safety,"

"Aw how touching," someone said. It was Envy.

"What!" Ross said. "Didn't I just shoot you!"

"It'll take more than that to kill me. Know why? I'm a homunculus,"

"An artificial human?" Brosh asked.

"I'm surprised you know that much. I can tell you're not an alchemist,"

"Lieutenant Ross, get Winry to the base," Ed said.

"But sir-" Ross started.

"That's an order, Lieutenant!" Ed shouted.

"With all respect, sir, you will need all the help you can get-" Ross said.

"Now, Lieutenant! Or I will charge insubordination when I get back to base!" Ed said.

Winry looked from one to the other, and back to Envy and Wrath many times during the conversation. At this last comment, she noticed Ross straightened, her eyes sad, and the lieutenant turned to her.

"Miss Rockbell. I have been ordered to take you back to base. If you will follow me," she said, extending a hand.

"Ed!" she said.

"Go, Winry!"

"No Ed, I won't leave you!"

"God, Win, why the heck do you have to be so stubborn sometimes!" he shouted at her.

"Because if I'm not, you'll get such a big head no one in the military will want to talk to you! And if I don't stay- you're liable to rip yourself to pieces, and get hurt, and have to be in the hospital for goodness knows how long! You may not have my automail anymore, Edward- but that doesn't mean I don't care!" she shouted right back.

"Ross," Edward said, indicating Winry.

"You can't just throw me off like some piece of trash Ed, to be forcibly removed!" Winry shouted.

"Winry! GO!" Ed yelled at her. "Ross, I give you permission to use force if necessary,"

"EDWARD!" Winry screamed.

Ross came toward her, Winry tried to run, but she was no match for the soldier.

"IF I HAD MY WRENCH I'D BASH YOU IN THE HEAD EDWARD ELRIC! AND THEN IN THE GRION SO I COULD KNOW NONE OF YOUR SPAWN WOULD EVER WALK THIS EARTH!" Winry shouted in a furious rage as she was slung over Lieutenant Ross' shoulder.

Denny Brosh visibly flinched, knowing that she would have done what she said. Envy stared with wide eyes at her; he didn't know she could be that spunky. Edward had his eyes closed, and although usually a comment like that would make him pale considerably and think about going into the WPP, he didn't even flinch.

"Keep her safe," he whispered to Ross as she passed by him with Winry.

Ross smiled half-heartedly, and of course Winry didn't hear, she was still busy screaming obscenities at Edward and cursing his lineage forevermore. Ed sighed.

"Colonel?" Ross' voice asked behind him.

"I think it's time I got my hands dirty with this case," came the voice of Colonel Roy Mustang. He had come out of the alleyway that Ross and Brosh had come from. As he passed Winry he whispered, "Don't worry, I'll make him come back alive," She heard him, and nodded with tears in her eyes, having finally tired out of screaming.

"Great," Edward said sarcastically, not turning around to see his superior. "Have you been here the whole time, too?"

"No, I came when Ross and Brosh called from a telephone booth a few minutes ago," he said, pulling on his gloves. He came and stood next to Edward. "Brosh, you should go with them. Take the car; we can handle it from here,"

"Sir!" Brosh saluted turning and following Ross.

Ed looked at Mustang.

"What?" Roy asked.

"What, no Hawkeye?" Ed smirked.

"It's the middle of the night, Fullmetal," Roy said, rolling his eyes, as he once again checked his gloves.

"That hasn't stopped you before," Ed said. Roy could practically hear the smirk that was on Ed's face.

"Look," Envy interrupted. "Can we just start the fighting now? All this dialogue is boring me,"

"After you," Mustang said, readying his hand for a snap.

Envy transformed into Ed, bringing out his automail knife. He charged Mustang, letting out a wild scream as he did so. Mustang snapped his fingers, lighting them on fire, and then using the air to light fire to Envy. But that didn't stop his assault. The flaming Envy still charged Mustang. Edward rolled out of the way to get behind the homunculus as Mustang dodged the attack.

Envy then transformed into Basque Gran, his arm becoming the alchemist's cannon. He shot at Mustang and Edward, laughing maniacally. Edward alchemized a wall in front of him as Mustang dove behind some crates.

"Envy! Stop this! We have to get back to Master!" Wrath shouted.

"Please, Wrath!" Envy said, disbelievingly. "If we capture these two, she'll be more than happy with me. And then you'll have to tell her how you lost Winry-"

"And gained the philosopher's stone!" Wrath said.

Mustang looked sharply at Edward, who was looking shamefully at the ground.

"What!" Envy said.

"You heard me. We have to go back so she has time to prepare. We have three days. She will want to know as soon as possible,"

"Dang," Envy cursed. "Fine! You get off easy Flame alchemist, Fullmetal pipsqueak, but don't think things will be so easy for you when you see us next,"

Envy jumped away, up to the top of the building they were next to.

"Three days," Wrath said, looking meaningfully at Ed.

Ed nodded.

Wrath jumped away too, following Envy.

The pants of Roy and Ed were heard for a few moments.

"Edward..." Roy said, in one of those tones that indicated he didn't want to be crossed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ed said, standing and starting out of the alleyway.

"I'm your superior officer Ed. I asked you a question. Answer it,"

"I can't talk about it," Ed replied.

"Cant... or won't?" Mustang asked. He didn't receive a reply. "They said they're going to take the philosopher's stone in three days. Tell me where it's hidden Ed,"

"No," Ed said.

"This is no longer about just you and your brother. You told them where you hid it- which I can't believe you did, by the way- and they could get their hands on the most powerful alchemical weapon known to man," Mustang tried to persuade Ed as they walked back toward the base. "If you tell me, we can post guards, make sure someone's watching it. They won't be able to get their hands on it,"

"No,"

"Edward. As your superior, I order you to tell me the location of the philosopher's stone,"

"You want to know where it is that badly?" Ed asked.

"Yes,"

"Fine... It's... It's inside..."

"Where, Ed?"

"It's inside..."


Ed walked into his dorm room feeling mixed emotions. He was angry that Mustang had asked him for the stone, pleased with his lie, and worried terribly about Winry.

"Ed?" came a meek voice from somewhere in the corner.

Ed turned on the lights. "Winry?" he asked.

"Ed! You're alive!" she sobbed, running to him and hugging him with all her might. "Ed- I was- I was so scared. I didn't know anybody there! Except for- for-"

"Wrath?" Ed whispered, feeling her tears on his neck.

"And- and Sloth," she felt Edward tense between her arms.

"Oh," he said.

"And then- I didn't believe it was you! Because- because-..."

"You don't have to talk about it now. As a matter of fact, I think it's better that you don't. Right now, it would be best for you to get some sleep,"

"I'm not sleepy," she said, with a loud yawn. It seemed that she had passed from scared-and-sobbing to delusionally-happy-at-being-rescued-from-mortal-peril.

"Nice try, Win," Ed said, stepping toward the bed. Winry followed his lead.

"But I'm not!" she said. "Kiss me!"

"What?"

"In the alley, you said that you wanted to give me your first kiss. Well that thing in the alley doesn't qualify. That was barely a kiss. So, I want you to kiss me. Kiss me now,"

"No,"

"What! Why!"

"Winry, you're tired and delusional, and don't know what you want. Get sleep,"

"I know exactly what I want," Winry said, swaying from tiredness. "I want you to kiss me!"

Ed sighed. "If I kiss you, will you go to bed?"

"Mhm,"

"And no more of this silly nonsense?"

"Mhm,"

"Fine," Ed said as he sat her on the bed. She lay down onto his pillow, yawning again. They sat for a few moments.

"I'm waiting," Winry said.

'Dang' Ed thought. He had hoped she would have fallen asleep when her head hit the pillow to save him. "Here goes," he said, leaning over her.

He briefly pecked her on the cheek. Winry made a contented little noise (which he liked), but she wasn't satisfied.

"On the mouth, silly," she said.

Ed rolled his eyes. How was he going to explain this in the morning to her, when she was back to her senses? He didn't know. But, he leaned down and pecked her on the mouth, anyway.

As soon as his lips touched hers, her hands were behind his neck. It was almost as if she knew he would try to get away with just a brief kiss. When he left her lips, her hands brought his lips crashing back down onto hers. Ed made a little squeaking sound at her abruptness, but when her lips started to move against his, he closed his eyes and simply let her kiss him.

Winry started making noises in the back of her throat, and Ed decided he liked the sound. He began to move his lips with hers, making the sounds come more often and louder. Winry tilted her head to the side, making it easier to kiss him, and her tongue darted out once into Ed's mouth. He squeaked again. She stuck her tongue in again, this time rubbing it against his.

She took her mouth off of his, trying to get air, and fully ready to go back to kissing him. But he pulled away when she tried to go back.

"There, I kissed you," he said, sitting up and then standing.

"Ed!" she said, almost desperately. "Will you- will you sleep next to me tonight?"

Ed stopped and turned to look at her. Her eyes held the look of a lost puppy, scared and alone, reaching out for a friend. He sighed, took off his shoes and sat back down on the bed, where he pulled off his shirt, jacket, and pants. Winry watched him, almost staring, as if memorizing the process by which he undressed.

"I sleep in my boxers," he said, when she didn't say anything.

"I know," she replied. "So?"

"Do you want to sleep with someone who is half-naked?" Ed asked, hoping she'd say no.

"It doesn't bother me. We used to do it when we were children too. Even then you slept in shorts," she shrugged, pulling up the covers and leaving a space for him.

He sighed. There was no way out. Getting up, he turned out the light. Then he scooted under the covers, as far away from Winry as possible. But she immediately curled up to him, finding warmth in him. He blushed solid red. She tucked on of his arms under her head so that it came around to hold her to him. She made contented noises and kissed his neck a few times.

In moments, she was asleep.

'This is nice,' Edward thought. Although he would never say it. Never.


Edward got up in the morning before Winry awakened. He didn't want her to see their position and think he'd done something to her. Knowing her, she'd find a wrench and start smacking him with it. Or worse, carry out her threat from last night.

Maria Ross intercepted him in the hallway before he could make a clean getaway.

"Not you, Elric. We need to talk," she said, sounding like she had more authority than he did.

"I have nothing to talk about, Ross," he said. "And how many times do I have to tell you, this is a guy's dorm,"

"Winry slept here with you last night. You don't tell her this is a guy's dorm," she pointed out.

"Yeah? Well she actually needed me last night," Edward replied. "And I didn't have time to,"

"She needs you now, and here you are trying to sneak out,"

"She's asleep. I'm going to get food,"

"Elric. I heard some things last night that I was not informed about. I want to talk to you about them," she said firmly.

"...Fine," Ed said, taking her into one of the dorm's dens. "We can talk in here, it's safe,"

"First off, where do you get off making an unauthorized deal with the enemy!"

"He approached me, Ross. I wasn't about to turn down possibly my only chance of getting Winry back," Edward said, sitting on a couch. "He also told me not to tell anyone, or bring anyone with me. I wasn't about to jeopardize her safety, not again,"

"What about those things you said, Edward? Are those true? You have a new arm now? Your brother's back? You made a philosopher's stone?"

"I wasn't going to lie to him, Ross. If he found out I'd lied, we all would have been done for,"

"And what about... the location of the philosopher's stone. Is that true too?"

"Yes, it's true,"

"What happened after that? That was when we called Mustang, so I didn't hear it. I want answers Ed, the truth,"

"I took Winry and left,"

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it," Ed lied. He wasn't about to tell her that he was meeting the homunculi again in three days to help them use the stone. Only Mustang knew that. And the Colonel thought he knew where the stone was, when he actually didn't. So if they both collaborated, they could come up with the true story, but he highly doubted that would happen. "Up until you found us in that alley and shot Envy,"

"He is a homunculus, sir?"

"Yes, he's a homunculus," Ed replied.

The door to the den swung open, and Winry entered. "Ed?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Winry," he said. "I was just going to get up some breakfast when Maria asked to talk to me,"

"Oh," she said, looking down. And uncomfortable silence gripped them.

"If you want," Ed said. "I can take you out for breakfast. And then we can go shopping around Central," Ed offered.

He only had three days with her. He was going to make the best of it.

"Really?" Winry asked, sounding relatively happy.

"Yeah, and you can call your grandmother and talk to Al," Ed said, getting up. "If you'll excuse us, Lieutenant,"

"Certainly, sir," she replied.

Ah young love.


"Sir?" Maria Ross asked at the entrance to Colonel Mustang's office. From the window, you could see Ed and Winry exiting the base.

"Lieutenant?" Mustang asked, surprised.

"Sir, you ordered me to collect intelligence on Edward. I just came to tell you about it,"

"Sit down, please," he said, indicating a chair. To his right, Hawkeye lifted an eyebrow at him.

"I didn't know someone was spying on Edward," she said to him.

"Well, now you know. Go ahead, Ross,"

"The philosopher's stone, sir, it's located inside-"

"I already know about that piece of information, Ross. Edward told me himself. It is unwise to say it here, but you should know, I have guards looking after it, and it will undoubtedly be safe," Mustang said, cutting her off.

"Very good, sir," she said.

"Please continue, though. I have yet to hear how he made it and such. Hawkeye, will you check the hall and lock the door?"

"Sir," Riza said, following her order.


TBC


There you go! Edward has three days with Winry. How will they be spent? And what will happen when Ed meets the homunculi again?

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