1/1/14 A/N: Happy New Year! I was inspired to write this from an online management training course I HAD to take at work. Yes, it was yucky but I guess I learned a little because all I could think of was this story.

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Crucial Conversations

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"Ed!" Pinako Rockbell's patience had grown thin. That former shrimp boy better explain himself or she was going to put some fantastic hurt on him. "Get down here!" The elderly woman took a deep breath and readied herself for this crucial conversation with the blond boy, her surrogate grandson.

Thud!

She crinkled her nose at the sounds coming from the floor of Winry's room. Next came scampers and thumps sounding suspiciously similar to a herd of sneaking elephants. She frowned. "Those kids think I'm oblivious!"

It wasn't the first time she'd interrupted an amorous encounter between her granddaughter and the former Fullmetal Alchemist. The day before, she was washing dishes and glanced out the kitchen window to see the two holding hands as they strolled down the dirt road toward town. Earlier still, she walked into the living room and caught them in a kiss. Pinako didn't think their affection progressed farther than innocent encounters, but it still worried her.

"Hey, Granny." Alphonse, as cheerful as ever, smiled his way toward the table and plopped down two train tickets. "I got them."

"Your ticket for tomorrow and Ed's for next week?" She was so proud of Alphonse. His body recovered and he endured two years of painful physical therapy to be able to stand here whole again.

"Yup. First I want to go visit Mrs. Hughes and Gracia in Central and then make my way to Xing." Al couldn't hide his excitement.

"He's going to be lost without ME!" Ed's confident voice carried into the kitchen.

"I think he'll be just fine." Pinako took in Ed's appearance: his hair was coming out it's ponytail and he looked like he'd run here from the train station.

"Still, I am a bit nervous…it's my first trip by myself since getting my body back." The boy's smile radiated his sweetness.

"Yeah, but he'll not have as much fun as I will in the West." Ed pulled a chair back from the table and began fingering the train tickets.

"I'll probably not get in as many fights as Brother…" Al snickered.

"Shhhh, don't say anything about fighting." Ed shushed his brother. "You'll worry Winry if she heard."

"Speaking of Winry, there's something I wanted to talk to you about, Edward." Pinako sat down and tapped the old ashes out of her long pipe. "That's why I called you downstairs."

"Winry?" Worry covered his red face as the younger Elric turned to leave the kitchen. Ed suddenly really wanted his brother to stay.

"Um, I'll leave you two alone." Al slowly edged his way toward the stairwell. "I'll see what Winry's doing, upstairs." He totally ignored his older brother's eyes pleading with him not to go. Alphonse sort of knew what Granny was going to discuss with his brother-it was a conversation he, himself had with Edward but his brother's stubbornness to heed his good advice left the problem to linger. Al knew Granny wouldn't be so kind in her quest for the answer either.

"Edward." Pinako waited until Alphonse was out of sight and until Ed had sweated some. She packed her pipe with fresh tobacco and pulled out a match. "We need to talk."

"Yeah?" God this old woman made him nervous when the topic was her granddaughter.

"I've had a very serious conversation…well, SEVERAL important conversations with Winry about you." She lit the tobacco and took several puffs, then she exhaled the smoke leisurely.

"You, you have?" Winry never mentioned Granny talking to her about him. Not that they talked to each other much in the past few weeks since he and Al decided to start traveling again. Most of the time they were alone, they spent, well, ENGAGED with each other a bit. He grinned as he though about their exploits.

"Ed!" She whacked him on the head with her pipe, breaking his daydream. "As I was saying, I've noticed you and Winry and I've had a talk with her."

"Am I in trouble?" He really didn't know where this was going.

"That depends." She blew smoke across the table at the young man. "I need to know your intentions with my granddaughter." There, it was out.

"In…intentions?" What the hell did this old woman want? He began sweating more.

"Yes." She calmly leaned toward him. "I've seen you two frolicking around here holding hands…kissing."

"You, you saw?" Edward never remembered his own hands ever being so moist. He wiped them on his brown trousers. "I can, I can explain."

"Edward, you don't need to. I've watched the both of you over the years. I know how much the affection between you and Winry has grown. It's only natural." She took another puff. "But Winry has important work to do, work she's put off for two years to be here in Resembool."

"Hold up!" Ed didn't like where this was going. He sure as hell didn't make Winry stop her studies in Rush Valley. He couldn't make her go back once she saw how much help Alphonse needed with his rehabilitation. "Winry made that choice herself!"

"That's true, but it wasn't just for Alphonse that she stayed here…" Her eyebrow arched as she took in Ed's shocked expression. He evidently never realized this fact.

"No." He slunk in his chair. "I, I never wanted her to give up her dreams."

"You're a good boy, Edward." Pinako didn't want to make him feel bad, she really knew that Winry did this of her own accord, but she felt that Ed needed to know it was for BOTH the Elric brothers, not just for Al. "But, before you go run off to the West, you need to figure out what Winry means to you and what you want for her…and YOU."

"What I want for her?" He scrunched his eyes together in thought. He wanted to be with Winry, every day. He wanted to never let her go. He wanted to have fights with her and make up. He wanted to see her open her own automail shop and he wanted brag about her success. He knew he fell in love with her a long time ago, but never figured out just HOW to tell her.

"You've never told her, Edward. And now, you're going to leave for who knows HOW long." She gave him a hard look. "Do you expect her to wait for you again? She's waited her whole life for you, you know."

He couldn't answer. It hurt him, but it really was the ugly truth- he'd never verbalized just what she meant to him. Surely she knows? He'd tell himself this every time Alphonse would poke and prod him to tell her.

"I know Winry, I think she'll wait for you…but, what if someone else comes along…while you're gone and you've never TOLD her how you felt." The old woman smiled, her evil seed planted in the young man's brain.

"S,s,someone else?" Ed never considered THAT. There weren't many young men in Resembool, but Winry was already planning on returning to apprentice under Mr. Garfiel in Rush Valley. There certainly were enough eligible men there…some with more automail…some that MADE automail... Pinako and Al were right, he had to make his intentions known to Winry. He had to give her something so she'd know how he felt and she'd wait for him to return.

"That's all I wanted to tell you." She stood, still puffing on her pipe, very satisfied in herself. Ed's faced told her all she needed to know, that he suddenly feared losing Winry. "That and …"

"Yes, Granny?"

Whack!

The frying pan came out of no where and came in contact wit his face. The old woman grinned hysterically as stars circled the young man's head and he slowly came back to his senses.

"Quit fooling around with her in MY HOUSE!"


The next day, Alphonse prepared to leave for his travels and spent the morning packing and talking privately with Edward. When it was time to go, he reminded his older sibling to tell Winry he loved her, to make her a promise like he did at the train station years ago. Edward said he'd try, that he'd been thinking about what to say to her all night. The brother's hugged and then made a their own promise to each other to meet here again soon to share their research.

"Al, let me carry some of your luggage to the station." Ed reached for the biggest suitcase but was stopped by his brother's hand, swatting his away.

"Brother, no." Alphonse smiled sadly. "I want Winry to walk me there, if that's all right." He didn't want to hurt Edward but not only did he not think he'd be able to leave without breaking down if Ed watched him go, but he wanted to have a crucial conversation with Winry too.

"Are, are you sure?"

"Yeah. You're not mad are you?" His amber eyes searched his brother's face for any sign of hurt.

"No way, I've spent enough time with your ugly mug this morning…I guess I can give Winry ten minutes with you." He grabbed Al in a big bear hug. "Just keep yourself safe, and write when you can and LEARN a lot about alkahestry." He pulled back and held his brother by his shoulders at arms length.

"You can count on it!" Al put his hands on his brother's shoulders in return. "And you do the same about Western alchemy…and Ed?"

"Yes?"

"Stay out of trouble!" Al chuckled. "And you better talk to Winry before you leave!"

Ed's face turned red at the mention of his mechanic. "I'll, I'll do something, I promise."

"You better." Alphonse slung a duffel bag over his shoulder and picked up two suitcases and he started off for the door of their shared room. "I'm aching to be a best man in a wedding…" He turned his head to wink at Edward and was rewarded by the elder Elric's wide eyes and bright red face. "Winry!"


Winry insisted on carrying some of Al's luggage and he protested, after all, he had fully recovered from his time inside the gate and was quite proud of his strength now. Not to be thwarted, the girl silently grabbed his heavy duffel bag while Al was hugging Granny goodbye and when he noticed, there was no way she'd relinquish the item back to him until they got Resembool Station. He slung one suitcase over his shoulder much like Brother used to on their travels, and carried the other by the handle. Al and Winry walked slowly in the brisk morning air.

"Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you and Ed really have to go?"

"Yeah…there's still so much for us to learn so we can help people harmed by alchemy." He turned to see her sad eyes. "Just like there's so much for YOU to learn back in Rush Valley."

"True…" She knew he was right but still was so sad the boys were leaving her.

"I know you've put your own education off for me, these past years…and for Edward." He wanted her to know how grateful he was to her for helping him recover. "I'll never be able to repay you for that…that and all the years you took care of Brother and I on our journey to get our bodies back…you never ever doubted we'd do it." He stopped suddenly and let his luggage fall. "Damn," He thought, "this is harder than if it were Brother."

"I knew you'd find what you were looking for…I knew you'd save the country." She stopped walking when she didn't hear Al's footsteps anymore behind her. Suddenly, two warm, strong arms were wrapped around her in a tight hug.

"Thank you." He couldn't stop the tears from falling down his cheeks and staining the crisp white cotton of Winry's shirt as he rest his chin on her right shoulder. "For saving Brother that night…for giving him an arm and a leg…for taking care of both of us, even with Brother treated you like shit. And, and believing in us." He couldn't stop crying, this girl, no, this woman stood on the highest pedestal to him, right there with the strongest women he knew: Teacher, Granny Pinako, Ms. Hawkeye, Mrs. Hughes, Miss Ross, and even scary General Armstrong. Winry, these woman and so many other people helped him and Edward in their quest and without all of them, they'd never gotten their bodies back .

"Alphonse Elric!" She turned to face him, her own face full of tears yet stern. "You quit crying, you big baby!" She chuckled and reached up to wipe the tears from his handsome face. "I did what I had to do…I'd do it all again exactly the same." She then wiped her own tears away.

"I know you would…and thanks!" He straightened himself up and sniffed back the crying. "You made me feel so much better, I think I needed a good cry." He hugged her again. "Oh, and one last thing."

"What is it?"

"Brother is madly in love with you." Alphonse's grin spread wide across his face. "He's been in love with you for a long time. He's just stupid and can't figure out how to say it. Just remember that, ok?"

"Oh…ok." Her face turned bright red as Al picked up his suit cases and left her dumbfounded for a minute until she ran to catch up with him.


A week passed and the former alchemist and current mechanic barely said a word to each other. Both took in Granny's and Alphonse's advice and let those thoughts swirl around in their minds making it hard to talk. They both weren't mad at each other, they just didn't know what to say, how to approach what they felt in their hearts. Pinako tried to get them together so they'd work this out before Ed left: she made them wash dishes and then do laundry together. It sure was awkward watching them sidestep each other in a delicate dance performing their chores together but without actually speaking.

Finally, the morning that Edward was to leave arrived and the big house filled with tension. Ed made a snarky comment to Granny for burning the toast and she replied by making another frying pan come in contact with his head. He yelled a Winry for losing a favorite shirt in the laundry and Winry responded with a flying wrench. All three knew this grumpiness came from his leaving so despite their gloomy moods, they tried not to kill each other.

It was still early morning when Ed's bag was packed and he was ready to go. Unlike his younger brother, who had become a "clothes horse" since getting his body back, Edward managed to pack everything he needed in one suitcase. He wished Al was here to see it and he could rib him some for this accomplishment and for Al having too many outfits. He grabbed his brown trench coat, tugging the drab, grown-up garment on his shoulders. Ed snickered a little wondering when his fashion taste changed from the days of wearing his brash red coat to this "old man" coat, but he rather liked how the trench made him look older…and taller.

"Hey." A small voice carried from the doorway. "Are you ready?"

"Winry?" He turned to see her. She made him gasp as she stood there so beautiful and, well, quite vulnerable looking. "Yeah, I think so." He managed to get out.

"Just one suitcase? Al needed three bags!" She laughed.

"Yeah, he's more fancy than I am with clothes." Edward joined her, chuckling himself at his brother's expense. "Since he got his body back, he's collected quite a few suits. I would have never thought."

"Oh, Ed." She patted his shoulder. "He just wants to make up for all that time wearing just one thing." A cold breeze came in from the open window, it encircled her small frame and raised goose bumps on her bare arms. "Brrrrr." Winry quickly made her way to the window and closed it. It may be spring, but it sure was cold this early. "I'll have to find a jacket to walk you to the station."

"A jacket?" Ed remembered an item he didn't pack to take on his trip. "There's a sweatshirt in the closet if you wanna borrow it." He motioned with his eyes toward the wardrobe.

"Which one?" Winry started rifling through the small closet, first eying his red flamel coat, the one Mrs. Bradley had so kindly mailed back to him several months earlier. "This thing?" She pulled out the red sleeve.

"If you want…but I was thinking of the white one." He wasn't quite sure he could take the sight of her in his red coat, the last time she wore it, he'd wrapped it around her after he'd stopped her from shooting Scar in a Central alleyway. Though, now, she'd probably look quite stunning wearing it…his face felt so warm.

"Here it is." She pulled out the white hoodie he'd worn home that day he and Alphonse finally came home after the Promised Day. She slipped it on relishing his warm scent that still lingered on it. "Let's go!"

"Right." Edward picked up his suitcase and followed Winry downstairs. After saying his goodbyes to Granny, the two made their way toward Resembool Station.

"I think after I get my journeyman's license in Rush Valley, I'll go to Medical School."

Ed stopped at Winry's statement. "Uh, THAT sure came out of nowhere."

"I've thought about it a lot…I'll be like Granny, a surgeon and an automail mechanic, it'll garner top dollar for me."

"How, how long do you think that'll take?"

"Um, let's see, six months to a year to get my license and four or more to pass the medical boards. I don't intend to practice in a hospital so I don't have to intern, but I need the knowledge for automail surgeries."

"Oh." He couldn't say more than that. It surprised him that she'd figured out her life already and made these plans. But what did he expect? He and Al had their own plans too. Ed just hoped that somehow, all three of their plan met in the middle somewhere.

"There's the station!" They made their way to the platform, the train wasn't due for twenty minutes or so. Winry took this time to give Edward a run through on self automail maintenance.

"…I packed the expensive oil…"

"Ok." Edward couldn't take it. He had less than ten minutes to tell her how he felt and even though he had a week to figure it out, he had nothing.

"…don't forget to use it on the inner screws…"

"Yeah." What was he going to say? His face scrunched up making him look mad and he slunk down on the bench, his hands firmly in his pockets. What if she met another man? What if she got caught up in her studies and didn't have time for him anymore?

"…and Granny always says, the less stress you put on it, the better…"

"Right." Damn it! His heart hurt, his stomach churned and he didn't know what to say to her! And, this made him angry. He started to sweat. This was worse than any battle with a homunculus. At least he understood his enemy, his opponent when physically fighting, but this was WINRY for fuck's sake, she made him feel clueless and so helpless. He hated feeling helpless.

"…and don't forget to dry it off when you get out of the tub…"

"Fine." Now or never, Elric. He felt the unmistakable vibration of the approaching train along with the booming steam whistle announcing its approach.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course I am." Now, Ed, do it now!

"There's your train!" She stood up with such excitement that he didn't quite understand. She watched him pick up his suitcase slowly and make his way to the open door, steam billowing all around them. "And when you need a tune up, be sure to call first and make and appointment."

"An appointment?" The hell? She still expected him to make an appointment? Wait. "Appointment? A promise." He spoke so softly she couldn't quite hear.

"What?

"Equivalent Exchange!" He turned on his automail foot, pointing at her and yelled so loudly, she was sure the conductor heard it. "I'll give you half of MY life, if you give me half of YOURS!" There, he finally said it. Sure it was an alchemical reference to a marriage proposal, but Winry was smart, he knew she'd understand. Her shocked face and sharp intake of breath told him that he was correct.


Edward left for the West relieved that he had HIS crucial conversation with Winry and she accepted…at least he thought that's what happened, his nerves still frazzled after telling her he loved her in his own way. Yeah, he was stupid. Yes, he still mixed up real life with Alchemy, he couldn't help it. What he could help was making sure that this one girl knew how he felt and she knew he'd wait for her if she'd wait for him. That he'd be back, this was a temporary goodbye for the two of them.

Yeah, he'd be back. When he did return, whatever and wherever she was in her own life plans he'd work around them and make his life part of hers, he'd make their lives work together. This thought made him smile and his face felt warm all over again. The warm thoughts of their future gave him something to strive for, for completing his task and finally coming back home.

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-fin