HI!

So, it's official. There is a trailer for the new FMA anime that is mangabased. I think I'm still in shock. Only sixteen seconds, but I am still majorly stoked. YAY! *Does a victory dance*

Oh, and I read the newest manga chapter. Man, I hate Kimblee. It's going to be a looooooooong month of waiting.

Okay, beware the fluff and angst in this chapter. I'm a bit nervous about it, but...yeah. It's really long. Thirty-three pages, actually. I try to make each chapter longer than the one before it, and I think I can do that for the next chapter. This one was almost split up again to make a three-parter. Anyway, it's one more chapter, and then the epilogue. If everything goes like I planned it at least. Then, I will get to work on my next FMA story, one of the ones that you all voted for in the poll last time.

I also would like to apologize for taking so long with this. NaNoWriMo- what can I say? But, I was sick and missed three days of school, which is really why this is getting updated now.

Once again: BEWARE THE FLUFF AND ANGST. Seriously, I'm expecting a few all-caps reviews about the end...

DISCLAIMER: I am Scar. I can blow up the FullMetal Alchemist...!!! Oh, wait...that's Kimblee...

Would you want a homicidal Ishbalan or a crazy Alchemist after you? Me neither, so please don't sue.

As always, thanks to please-knock, my beta. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!


Chapter Eight

Hearts: Part Two

Three Months Later...

"And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."

Kahlil Gibran

Really, it was the perfect place.

The Armstrong estate was huge- more than enough room. Besides, the whole thing wasn't that elaborate.

Three months had passed since the defeat of the homunculi. And all of those that had fought that great battle together- and their loved ones- were coming together to celebrate.

In other words: they were having a party.

Many from the military were coming. Hohenheim was invited (though no one thought that he would actually show) as well as Izumi and her husband. Pinako was also invited, and would be arriving that day. It really wasn't a big event- not like some 'military ball' or anything. Sure, there was food and dancing, and the women dressed up if they wished, but besides that, it was fairly relaxed. Mustang had called together musicians to play for them, and had ordered the kind of wine that only the president of a country could get. Al, who could walk for much longer periods of time (though he still used a wheel chair most of the time), would be using a cane to help him walk. He was to rest often, and not dance too much- let alone stay out late.

And Al had pouted, like any teenager who did not like the dictions of his parents.

The event was not formal, nor was it required to bring a date. All in all, it was a simple gathering- especially considering some of the guests.

So it made little sense to Winry that she was so nervous about the whole thing. She paced, upstairs and alone, hands twisting together. The party was tomorrow. Her grandmother would be arriving soon- and while Winry was overjoyed at being able to finally see her grandmother again, she couldn't shake the anxiety that filled her. What was the big deal?

Sure, there would be dancing... and she would be in a dress... and with Ed...

Winry felt her face heat up, pressing her palms to her cheeks. Don't think about it; don't think about it... She thought to herself. It wasn't as if she hadn't danced with guys before. She had, a fair amount of times, too. Of course, it was an entirely different matter when she might just possibly be dancing with the guy she loved. Not that Ed would want to dance, though...

And on second thought, it really didn't matter if they danced. Winry would just be happy to be with him- to maybe actually talk with him. It was something she hadn't been able to do during the past three months. They'd had conversations, sure- but Winry was never able to say what was really on her mind.

A knocked on the door broke her out of her thoughts.

"Winry?" It was Al's voice, slightly muffled through the door.

Winry took a deep breath, smiled, and walked over to the door. When she opened it, she frowned at Al as he leaned against the black cane in his hand. Letting him through the door, she said: "Al, you should've just called me if you wanted to come up the stairs! Or Ed would've helped you! You're not supposed to climb them on your own yet...!"

Al waved off her concern, settling himself comfortably on the bed. "Brother just left," Al shrugged. "The Col- er, Furher Mustang, wanted to speak with him about a few security issues for tomorrow."

"Oh." Winry said, twisting her hands together. "Well, you still should have asked me to help you, Al," She said lamely, dropping her hands at her sides. Al twiddled the cane in his fingers, eyeing her intently. Silence filled the room.

"So, Al..." Winry said with forced nonchalance. "Anything you wanted to talk about in particular...?"

Al gave her a look.

She winced a little. "Ah, it has to do with me... I see...." She mumbled.

Al shook his head. "It's not anything bad, Winry..." He paused, frowning. "I'm just not sure how I want to say it, exactly..."

"Just say it, Al. I won't be offended. Or hit you with a wrench." She added, smiling a little.

"Well... alright..." He took a deep breath, face set. "Winry, just kiss brother already."

Whatever she had been expecting, it hadn't been that. Her face went from pale to bright red in a millisecond, and she nearly fell over, knees suddenly unsteady. "Wha- wha-" She couldn't form a coherent sentence. She turned her head away in a desperate attempt to hide her furiously red face. "Wh- What do you mean, Al?"

Al looked quite amused. "Please, Winry. Give me a little credit. I'm not as thick-headed as brother is." He grinned at her, waiting for her face to return to its normal color.

Winry swallowed heavily, coming to sit beside him on the small bed. Her fingers braided themselves in the sheets. "It's... not that simple, Al..." She took a deep breath. "I mean, it's not as though I haven't thought about it a bit..."

Al regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "A bit?" His voice was sarcastic.

Winry allowed her mind to wander for a moment, wondering who had taught Al sarcasm. Probably Ed. Though she had her own sarcastic moments as well, Ed was with him more often... She ignored his last statement, continuing. "I just... I don't really know how I can do it..." She admitted.

Al blinked. "You mean you don't know how to kiss someone? You've never-"

"That's not what I meant." Winry shook her head. " Though, no, I've never really kissed anyone. Well, except when I was around twelve or so." Seeing Al's curious look, she quickly elaborated. "Well, I was curious, so I cornered some random boy... of course, at twelve, the idea wasn't quite as appealing as it is now..." She blushed a little, and then drew her eyebrows together, suddenly angry. "And someone kissed me once. At a festival in Resembool- I didn't even know his name. Worst part is, he was half-drunk, and was practically drooling on me- plus, he tried to touch me..."

"He did?" Al looked both scandalized and mad.

"He didn't get away with it, don't worry." Winry smiled in satisfaction.

Al grinned at her. "I'll bet not." He paused. "So, please... clarify what you meant. I'm confused."

Winry bit her lip. "Why are you asking all this anyway?" Al gave her another look.

"Alright, alright! I just..." She sighed. "I just never seem to find the right time, and I can't work up the courage to do anything besides what we've always done with each other- act like friends. Besides... it makes everything harder if you know there's a chance that whoever you want to kiss doesn't love you back..."

Al shook his head incredulously. "Winry, you're one of the bravest people I know, and-" He paused, and drew in a sharp breath. When he turned his face to her, his eyes were shining. "Did you just say...'love'?" He asked, voice dangerously near a squealing level.

Winry blushed heavily in response, looking at her knees.

Al made a loud noise of excitement, leaping up from the bed and tackling her in a hug. "I KNEW it!" He cried, bouncing up and down. "I knew it, but still, to hear you say it...!" He let go of her, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm so happy!"

Winry blinked at him, more than a little shocked at his reaction.

Al's face became serious again, sitting down a little wobbly on the bed. He shook his head with a small smile. "Winry, Winry. Sometimes, both you and brother can be so dense!" He winced as she shot him a glare. Putting his hands up hurriedly, he said- "Look, all I mean is that you don't see Ed's actions clearly. Maybe it's because I was with him all the time, because he doesn't seem to see your actions clearly either. I know that there is a lot that you do for him, for us. What you don't seem to realize is just how much Ed does with you in mind everyday." He laughed. "Trust me, it's obvious to anyone that pays attention. In no way does Ed just treat you like friend."

Al paused, and then went on in a quieter voice. "He loves you, Winry. I know he does. If you could've seen him, all these times when someone mentioned you, or put you in danger- when you became a hostage- he was so worried, Winry..."

"I know you don't take him for granted. But it's like you both have this affliction where you don't see the others' actions clearly! When Ed thought you had died...Winry, he was ready to kill our father, for bringing you here... he was crying, Winry. Neither of you seem to comprehend just how much you mean to each other."

Winry pressed her hands over her mouth. "Al- oh, I just..." She took a deep, gasping, breath. "I- I want to be with him- so much, I-" She pressed her hands over her heart, bending over, squeezing her eyes shut so that the tears would not fall. "It hurts," She said. "It hurts, and yet it feels so wonderful, I can't even... begin... to describe..."

Al put his arm around her, hugging her tightly with one hand. "Then you have to tell him, Winry." He said softly. "He loves you. He really, really, does."

Winry pressed her head against Al's withered chest, keeping her eyes tightly closed. When her breathing became normal again, she sat up, and smiled weakly at Al. "I know." She said. "It's hard, but I will do it. I have the time now."

Al smiled, but then gave her a hard look. "Tomorrow," He commanded. "Don't waste time waiting for the 'right moment'. Do it tomorrow."

Winry took a deep breath, feeling a knot inside of her tighten. The knot hurt, but made her unreasonably excited as well.

"Tomorrow," She agreed.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

The crowd was thick. Winry stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer over the many heads of the now crowded train station. "Good luck spying Granny above all them," Ed smirked. "You might just be able to see her hair, though."

Winry turned around enough to glare at him, smacking him on the head. He winced, rubbing the sore part of his scalp and scowling at her. "What was that for?"

Rolling her eyes, Winry tried to make her way through the crowd. "That was for being rude," She scolded. "I don't suppose you can spot her, can you?"

Ed opened his mouth and then frowned. He glared hard at her. "Are you insinuating something?"

Winry rolled her eyes again, exasperated. "No, Ed. Just help me look for Granny, okay? Can't you part this crowd using your military authority or something?" Winry didn't much like him using his rank in the military for things like that, but she was starting to get a little anxious. She hadn't seen her grandmother in so long...

"Technically, I'm on temporary leave. At the moment, I have no authority." Ed shrugged, hands resting comfortably in his pockets. "And unless you want me to create a path with alchemy..."

Winry shook her head. "Just help me look, doofus. Her train should've arrived by now."

Sticking his tongue out at her, Ed helped her push their way through the thick crowd. Now that the danger seemed to have all but passed, those that had been evacuated or had left were returning in droves. They were surrounded by families embracing each other, separated lovers exchanging long kisses...

The sight made Ed think about a few things he really didn't want to think about at that moment- especially with Winry right there. He tried to ignore them, hiding his blush by peeking through the thick crowd of bodies. But he still found his eyes flicking back to the happy couple, trying to block out the images that came to his mind each time he looked.

He noticed Winry didn't seem able to keep herself from looking either. And- was it possible that her face was a bit redder?

A loud bark broke through the noise of the people around them, and both Ed and Winry jumped. A black and white blur ran forward, knocking Winry onto her butt. Something warm and wet brushed along her face, and she opened her eyes to meet black ones.

"Den!" Winry cried, wrapping her arms around the dog. The animal barked happily, licking her face and neck until Winry felt she was surely dripping with slobber. Laughing, she struggled to her feet as Den turned around, charging toward Ed.

"Whoa!" Ed barely kept his balance, patting the dog on the head. "Hey there, Den," he said, grinning. Den wagged her tail, licking his palm.

"That's probably not the hello you were expecting," Pinako's voice floated over from a few feet away. Winry whirled around to see her grandmother standing with full arms, a large suitcase propped up beside her.

"Grandma!" She cried, running forward and sweeping the old woman into a hug before she could do more than blink. In her happiness, Winry actually lifted her into the air, the suitcases falling on the ground. Setting her down, Winry grinned at her grandmother, hands twisting behind her back. Pinako smiled up at her, straightening her suddenly askew glasses.

"It's great to see you well, Winry." She frowned, and then smirked teasingly. "That's quite a grip you've got there..."

"That's why the wrenches she throws hurt so much," Ed said, coming up beside them- rubbing his head in memory, and smiling crookedly. "I think you got shorter, granny."

Pinako gave him a look with a beady eye. "Are you trying to tell me that you actually grew, bean?"

Ed scowled, bringing his face close to the old woman's. "What was that, hag?"

"You heard what I said, bean."

A vein seemed to be pulsing in Ed's forehead. Winry jumped between them before they started fist fighting. "Ed," She said crossly, trying not to smile at his antics. "Calm down before you cause an incident."

Ed growled something that sounded like threats, crossing his arms.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, runt. Good to see some things never change." Pinako smirked. "Now be a good boy and help granny carry her luggage."

"Oooh!" Winry exclaimed, eyes suddenly sparkling. She cupped her cheeks in her palms, squealing in delight. "Granny, are those-" She took a deep breath. "Are those all the automail tools?!?"

Pinako grinned at her, hoisting a sizeable suitcase onto her shoulder. "You bet, Winry. I take it you want to make some modifications to your creation, right?" Winry nodded, picking up a suitcase as well, walking beside her grandmother and talking excitedly about her new designs.

Leaving Ed with at least three- make that four, he thought sourly- cases full of heavy automail equipment and parts.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

He pushed his way through the dining room door (which happened to be on the second floor), panting. Winry looked around. "Oh, there you are, Ed," She said. "I was beginning to worry, it took you so long to come back from the car."

Ed stared at her for a moment. Then, without the slightest change of expression, he unceremoniously dropped all four suitcases he had been carrying, listening with faint satisfaction to the loud thumps as they landed. Winry shot him a glare.

"Ed!" She crossed her arms. "You don't know what's in there!"

"I know it's heavy- and I'm not your pack mule!" Ed tried to keep his eyes on her face. With her arms crossed like that, he was remembering what had happened before he had left for the promised day...

Damn it, now he was blushing.

Trying to hide his suddenly warm face; he turned his head, crossing his arms behind it, only hearing half of Winry's sentence.

"...not a pack mule. I just haven't seen Granny in a while, and got really excited. If I'd known she was bringing so much, I would've had Mr. Armstrong come and help."

Ed snorted, still blushing. Why couldn't he get that image from his mind? Not that he really wanted to, but still... "Armstrong could lift all the suitcases, and all of us, without breaking a sweat. Any of them probably could, actually." He shuddered, thinking of Olivier. Winry giggled.

"You're probably right."

Pinako came through the door that led to the kitchen, sticking a pipe in her mouth. "The case with Ed's arm is in there," She said, jerking her thumb at the partially open door. "I was right in thinking that I was carrying it. I left the leg back at home like you told me to." She stuck her hands into her pockets. "Do you need my help, or-"

"Hey, Granny," Al called from back in the kitchen. He hobbled out, leaning hard on the cane, smiling. "How about I show you around? I need to get more exercise for today anyway."

Pinako shrugged. "Probably a good idea. This place is even bigger inside than how it looks on the outside." Al laughed, and the old woman walked toward him, nodding as he explained where they were going. Before he disappeared around the corner, Winry was pretty sure that he sent her a sly grin and a wink.

She slapped a hand over her eyes, shaking her head.

"What's up?" Ed – who had obviously seen nothing – asked.

Winry removed her hand, smiling weakly. "Nothing, just thinking." Pulling her face into a mock stern expression, she pointed to the wooden chair she had pulled out from the dining table. "You know the drill," She commanded. "Sit."

Ed rolled his eyes, grumbling something that sounded like "I'm not a dog either..."

Deciding that saying he technically was a 'dog'- as long as he called himself a state alchemist, anyway- wasn't a good idea, Winry merely raised her wrench threateningly.

Ed scowled, but made no further comment.

Winry tucked some hair behind her ear, striding into the kitchen, eyes momentarily blinded by sunlight shining from a window onto the gleaming countertops. Hoisting the 'brand new' arm she had made for Ed over three months before, she smiled a little, running her fingers over it fondly. Soon, she reflected wryly, she would probably have an even better model for him, and she felt proud that she could help him this way. He didn't need an automail leg anymore, but he still had an arm, and the idea that she was able to help him made her smile widen.

But then Winry remembered how he and Al had set out to get both of their original bodies back, and she nearly dropped the arm, stomach plummeting. Suddenly, she felt very sick.

In the end, Ed still hadn't gotten all he'd fought so hard to achieve. It wasn't fair, and worst of all, Winry thought it the worst kind of cruelty. She remembered all that she knew they had endured, and felt a rush of anger and sadness. She was no alchemist, but she did know of the law of 'equivalent exchange'. How could it not be enough after all that had happened to them? They had seen things that would make adults cringe in fear, and would probably give the brothers' nightmares for the rest of their lives. They had suffered more than enough for three lifetimes. Ed deserved to have his full body back too.

Winry realized that her eyes were filled with angry tears, and she wiped them away with her arm, the weight of the automail reminding her what she was holding- filling her with a deep sense of shame. She had no right to take pride in Ed being forced to have a fake arm that he didn't deserve. An arm that, though it allowed him to move and live somewhat normally, still caused him pain and had gotten him into dangerous situations more than once.

"Hey, Winry, you comin'?" Ed called from the next room.

Winry started, then looked down at the prosthetic in her arms. She had always loved automail- how it shined, how it was built, the simple complexity of how it worked. But in that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw her 'precious creation' to the ground, and tear it apart with her bare hands.

But she knew that act wouldn't make a difference. Not a damn difference, she thought bitterly. Even if she destroyed this arm, Ed would still need a new one. He would still need automail.

"Yeah, Ed. I'm coming." She pitched her voice as normally as she could, gritting her teeth and marching out into the next room, getting to work. Ed looked at her curiously when she came in, frowning a little at her closed expression. She avoided his eyes, knowing that if she looked into them, she wouldn't be able to hold it in.

Ed made regular talk while she was working, and Winry tried to respond normally, but knew that she wasn't doing a good job. Her voice sounded choked- almost dead.

Ed kept trying to get her full attention- why wasn't she looking at him, damn it?- and decided that getting a rise out of her might work best. "Okay Winry, what's up your ass?"

"Oh, thanks, Ed," Winry said, slightly hysteric and bitterly sarcastic. "Sorry that I'm not bubbling with happiness." She still avoided his eyes. She could practically hear his eyebrows crease in worry. His flesh hand caught her arm firmly, but gently.

"Winry, what's wrong?" There was an edge to his voice. Fear and worry made his hand go tighter. When she didn't answer, his voice grew a little, sounding almost...desperate..."Winry, look at me, please."

She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, feeling the emotions rise within her, threatening to spill over. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and lifted her head to meet his gaze. His golden eyes were widened a little- still carefully guarding the full emotion in them to be released- but still showing quite clearly how upset and worried he was. Strength from his gaze seemed to flow within her, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

"Ed... It's just..." Winry paused, and then said in a rush- "You didn't get your full body back and I couldn't help but think of what that must be like. You suffered so much, don't try to deny it, and it isn't fair, and-"

"Winry." Ed grabbed her shoulder firmly, turning her around so that she was facing him. His hand gripped her tightly, face inches from hers. "Winry... that's... what you were worried about...?" His voice dripped with wonder, and she looked up at him again, seeing a stunned expression on his face. He ducked his head, and suddenly he was shaking.

Winry felt her mouth drop open, eyes widening. He was that upset? All she could see was the top of his head, but she could hear suppressed sounds coming from him, like he was stopping himself from crying out. "Ed..."

He let go of her shoulder, lifting his head and raising his hand to cover his mouth, eyes squeezed shut. "Winry..." He rasped out, still shaking. A slight snort escaped him, and then a titter. His eyes snapped open and Winry saw that they were full of nothing but humor- humor and wonder. He lowered his hand, revealing a stunning grin- the likes of which she hadn't seen on his face in far too long.

"Winry... that's..." He seemed unable to form a coherent sentence while trying to mask his laughter.

It took a moment for Winry to gain control of herself. "Edward Elric, are you... laughing?"

Ed straightened, still smirking a little. "Yeah," He said easily. "I am."

"But..." Winry stared at him, shocked. "Why?"

"Because," He said, and his face was serious- not unhappy, but thoughtful, focused, wanting her to understand. "I really don't mind, and it's nothing for you to worry about." He leaned back in his chair, looking toward the high windows. "Honestly, Winry... in a lot of ways I'm lucky to even be alive, let alone have one of my limbs back."

"But still..." Winry looked at her hands. "It's not fair. You've had to suffer so much... and it's not right of me to take pride in giving you this fake arm that you don't deserve."

"Winry." Ed's voice was suddenly sharp, and she looked up, startled. His face was intense, eyes hard. "Don't you ever say that. The automail you've given me has saved my life countless times. I wouldn't be here without it. Al wouldn't be here without it." His face softened a little. "Winry, every time I look at him, it's just..." He took a deep breath, leaning back, eyes closed. "Every time I see him using expressions or eating, or sleeping, I just-" He cut off, shaking his head, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"I know." Winry said softly, and he looked up. "It's like that for me too." She smiled a little at him, eyes shining with tears that she would not let fall. Ed smiled crookedly back at her.

"Well," He said, face going serious once more. "Can you understand, then? How can I be unhappy, or even disappointed, when I am alive and my brother can sleep and eat again? My arm is a small price to pay for that. I don't even consider it a price, really."

"But... Ed..." Winry's voice was a whisper. "I understand, but... You can't really want to wear automail. I know that it's painful..."

"Winry..." Ed paused, and then looked away. His hand grabbed at the back of his neck in apparent nervousness. "Winry... you put holes in yourself because of the gifts that Al and I gave you. So..." He took a deep breath, and Winry saw that he was blushing, refusing to look at her.

"Automail is something that you gave me..." He whispered. "How could I... not... want to wear it?"

Winry couldn't stifle the gasp that rose up her throat. Her hands went to her mouth, and she stared at him for a moment, his face still turned away.

Suddenly, she threw her arms around him, nearly pushing him off of the chair. "Ed..." She whispered. I love you, She thought. I love you so much... She didn't say anything else out loud though, and after a moment, Ed relaxed in her embrace, even leaned into her a little bit. She hugged him tighter, burying her face in his shoulder.

Ed knew that he was blushing. He wanted to ask her about what Hohenheim had said, but he couldn't get the words out. They sat on the back of his throat, waiting, held back by something that he couldn't name. Slowly, he raised his arm, wrapping it around her loosely. Nothing could describe the way that he felt right now. He hadn't known that it was possible to feel this way... but now that he felt it, he never wanted it to go away. It was something that seemed to rise within him- like it had always been there, but waiting, waiting until it was safe to admit that maybe...

Maybe...

...This... feeling... this place...Winry holding him this way... was something he wanted above almost all else.

They broke apart, and Ed dared to look at her, heart thudding in his ears and quickening even more to see that she was blushing a little as well.

He wanted to say it. Almost more than anything, he wanted to say it. But something held him back, and he didn't say anything. Winry held his gaze for a moment, and then said- so gently that his heart seemed to swell at the sound of it- "I'll finish working on your arm, then." He nodded, and forced his gaze to go to the window.

Winry wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him so badly, that holding the words in her hurt her in a way that she couldn't name. But somehow, she couldn't get the words out. Something was holding her back. She remembered her promise to Al with sudden fierceness. She would tell him tomorrow. She would. She decided to change the subject.

"What did Mr. Mustang want to tell you about the security? You were gone for a while..."

Ed snorted, tapping his flesh hand on the table. "Security? Hah. He just wanted to brag about the kind of wine he's gotten for tomorrow." He said the word 'tomorrow' with slight distaste. Winry laughed a little. Ed's expression suddenly changed, and his body became tense, face dark.

"What is it?" Winry asked, worried at his suddenly dark mood.

"That bastard Mustang... I cornered him." Ed's voice was fierce. "He didn't know, he honestly didn't know... and now he can't do anything about it."

"About what?"

Ed turned his eyes to her, and they shocked her with their anger. "Scar," He hissed.

Winry blanched, dipping her head, not saying anything.

"Scar murdered your parents, Winry. They helped him, and he murdered them. Mustang should never have let him get away." His voice came out through clenched teeth. "I told him what happened, but now it's probably too late!"

Winry was silent for a long moment. "You... told him...?"

Ed calmed a little. "Yeah. I'm... I'm sorry to bring this up, Winry, but, man, if Mustang had known and done that anyway... I probably would have throttled him...."

She fiddled with his arm, now ready to attach it. Her knuckles were white from gripping the metal so hard.

"Winry...?"

She took a deep breath, and then raised her head, staring softly at him.

"Thank you, Ed." She said quietly, smiling just a little, trying to let the sudden swelling in her heart show in her eyes. "Thank you."

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

"...Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Riza turned a little to look at her, hand paused at the rack.

Winry smiled nervously. "What's it like?" She whispered, eyes glittering in excitement.

Riza raised an eyebrow, and then smiled a little. "Being engaged? Or being engaged to Roy Mustang?" She turned back to the clothing rack in front of her.

Winry giggled. "Both, actually."

Riza chuckled. "Heard the rumors, have you? Or is it all just things Edward's told you?"

"Once again, a little of both. I don't believe the rumors- well, not all of them anyway –but... well, he is the Furher now..." Winry trailed off.

"You'd be surprised just how many of those rumors are false. Most of them played up an aspect of Roy's nature to a degree that really doesn't exist. All men have a certain amount of that aspect.. .most are either shy about it, or extremely boisterous. I won't deny that Roy's a flirt..." She chuckled fondly.

"But he's not as bad as people make him out to be," Winry finished. The older woman nodded. Winry paused, and then continued. "That's not really what I meant, though. I never really believed most of those rumors anyway."

"What is it like to be engaged, and to Roy Mustang?" Riza frowned for a moment, searching for the right words. "Well... it's not what I expected. Things like this rarely are. For me, we fight both less than I thought we would, and in some cases more. All of the things that frustrate me about him nearly drive me up the wall, but at the same time they keep me amused, surprised, and... happy, I think." She lifted a heavy purple dress and then discarded it with a shake of her head. "In many ways it's not all that different than it was before, between us. Now, we just no longer have to pretend, and we both know without a doubt how the other feels. Mostly... it just feels... right. Better, simpler, happier, than anything that I've felt in a long time." She turned to smile at the younger girl. "Does that answer your question?"

Winry nodded, and then bit her lip, cocking her head to one side. "...'without a doubt'?" She repeated. "He said that he loves you?" Winry had figured that he had, since they were getting married after all.

"No, actually. He hasn't. I haven't said it to him, either."

"What?" Winry stared at her. "But then..."

"We both knew... for a long time, how the other felt. Of course, there were the occasional doubts, as we had to pretend otherwise, but all of that really erased the second that he asked me to marry him." Riza laughed suddenly. "He told me later that he was actually afraid that I would say no! Or shoot him, for that matter..." Her smile softened. "I couldn't believe how nervous he was..."

"They're cute when they're nervous, huh?" Winry smiled a little dreamily.

Riza laughed softly. "Yes, they are." Her face grew more serious. "I won't deny that when he says it, I will be happy... but I will not be sad if he doesn't say it either. I know, he knows, and that's all that matters."

Winry nodded, biting her lip harder. "I see. This one's pretty," She said in an effort to distract her thoughts, touching a deep red dress that tied together at the back.

Riza nodded. "It is." She grabbed it, moving her fingers lightly over the surface of the fabric. "Winry," She said quietly. "That doesn't mean that you don't have to tell Edward, or that he doesn't have to tell you."

Winry jerked a little, blushing, but not saying anything.

"Winry, Roy and I are older than you. We're getting married. We have no reason to doubt. But if I were your age... I would probably feel about the same. In fact, I did, once. I've known Roy almost all my life. My father taught him alchemy, you know. I've loved him ever since that time... after my father died, I didn't see him for a few years. When I did, it was at Ishval." Her voice darkened a little. "I expected myself to be mad at him, to no longer feel the same... but when I looked at him, I saw the same cocky, idealistic, frustrating, kind man that I loved, buried underneath the weight of his sorrow. I knew that my feelings had not changed, anymore than his core personality had. Still, I did not tell him- at least, not in so many words. 'I would follow you into hell if you asked me'... that's what I said." Riza paused, and then smiled at the younger girl that was staring at her in rapt attention.

"I didn't need to say it after that. All of our actions pretty much spoke for us. Even under the doubts I sometimes felt... In my heart, I knew. Winry, while I think you know the answer as well, it is remarkably hard to find once you start searching for it. It can take a while, especially under hardship. But you are not me, nor is Ed Roy, despite how similar they sometimes are. Ed has had no experience with love other than the familial kind, unlike Roy. That was one of the truer rumors." She smirked a little, and then shook her head, putting her hand lightly on Winry's shoulder. "You're a little young to get married, and if you don't say something now, then the doubts that both of you have will eat away at you, and one day you might find yourselves saying things you'll regret. Consciously, Ed probably has no idea how you feel. He can be a bit... ignorant, sometimes. Deep down, he probably does know, but sometimes we act and speak without thinking clearly."

Riza squeezed Winry's shoulder. "Tell him, or you'll regret it. Eventually, you'll get to the point that you won't need to hear it- it will be a fact of life, like knowing that you need to breathe. But it takes time to get there, and you'll save yourself a lot of hardship if you say it now."

Winry nodded. "Yes, I..." she cleared her throat. "Thank you."

Riza smiled. "Think nothing of it. Try this one on. It's the right size." She handed Winry a pure white dress that tied together at the back of the neck. Winry took the dress, marveling at how soft it was, going to one of the changing rooms. Riza waited just outside.

"What about you?" Winry asked, slipping on the dress. "You're the Furher's fiancé- don't you need some kind of dazzling dress in order to make an entrance?"

"I already have one. Roy hasn't even seen it yet- his opinion on what I should get wasn't helping. He said something along the lines of being fine with me just wearing my underclothes..."

Winry snorted, shaking her head, and then frowned. "Why did you come here on your day off then? I thought you needed to get a dress too." She stepped out from behind the curtain.

Riza shrugged, smiling. "I thought that I could help you out- in more ways than one. I like you, Winry. I think it's safe to say that we're friends." Her smile widened, and she looked her up and down in satisfaction. "You look great. It's elegant, but..."

"Simple," Winry finished, smiling down at herself. "I know. I like simple things." She came forward, pausing before the older woman, a little hesitant. Then she jumped forward, wrapping her arms around Riza in a tight hug.

"Thank you," She said softly.

Riza started, and then hugged her back lightly. "You're welcome, Winry. Want to be one of the bridesmaids?"

Winry nodded, wondering if it was possible for her heart to feel any lighter- if it could swell any more.

"Winry?" Pinako's voice startled the girl out of her reverie, and she shook her head, smiling, turning away from the window.

"Yes, grandma?"

Pinako paused, hands behind her back. Her pipe stuck up, and she seemed to chew on it thoughtfully. "Seems I underestimated you all these years, Winry." She said quietly. "Why is it all you kids show more courage and strength than adults?" She shook her head. "You never cease to surprise me, you, or those two boys. Your automail is amazing, and gets better every time you work on it. You're brave and strong and kind. I always feared that I wasn't raising you how your parents would have wanted... but I guess somewhere along the line I must've done something right." She smiled. "You've grown a lot over these past years, grown into more than I'd ever hoped you'd be... and I just wanted to tell you..." Pinako paused, and then came closer, looking up at her granddaughter.

"I'm proud of you, Winry. Prouder than I can ever say." Her voice was quiet, and she reached up, squeezing Winry's arm. "And I know that if they were here, your parents would feel the same."

Winry sank to her knees, speechless, giving her grandmother a tight hug that was returned just as fiercely.

"Goodnight." Pinako said, stepping away. "You'll want to get some sleep for tomorrow."

Winry nodded, wiping at her slightly damp eyes. "Goodnight, granny."

"Hmmm." Pinako paused at the door. "I just had a thought." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "With you and Ed being so strong... just imagine what your kids' gonna be like!" She smirked.

"Granny...!"

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

"Is it supposed to snow this much in Central?"

"I don't see why you're complaining, Ed." Al rolled his eyes. "It's not like the party is outside."

"Besides," Winry added. "It looks pretty. It hardly snows in Resembool..."

"Pfft." Ed snorted, crossing his arms. "Well, as I'm currently not in cold-weather automail, the idea of even going outside for a second and freezing my ports isn't all that appealing. And people aren't going to want to come if it's a blizzard outside. Not that I'd mind, but..."

"Oh, Ed," Winry sighed, shaking her head, the few strands that escaped her pinned-up hair flicking about her cheeks, distracting him from his irritation. "Come on, don't be such a loner," Winry grabbed his arm. "Go mingle!" She dragged him toward the door, where people were starting to pile in.

"'Mingle'? With who? No one's here yet!"

"What am I, sliced toast?" Havoc demanded, wheeling his way through the door, cigarette in his mouth, grinning as he brushed snow off of his shoulders.

"You get over here too, Al!" Winry called, motioning for him to come over. Al smiled, hobbling forward on his cane to shake Havoc's hand. Seeing his brother's pace, Ed immediately stepped forward to support him, but Al waved him off impatiently.

"Brother, let me learn to walk! I won't get better if you're always helping me."

"I just don't want you to tire yourself out, Al," Ed fretted, pouting. Havoc slapped him on the arm in a friendly way, holding out his other hand to Al.

"Nothin' wrong with helping him out, but he really does need to do the majority of the work by himself now," Havoc said. "Your brother's more than strong enough to do it, Ed. How are ya, Al?"

"I know that," Ed protested in a mutter. Winry rolled her eyes.

"I'm great, sir." Al grinned, shaking Havoc's hand enthusiastically.

"Glad to hear it. You're certainly looking better." Havoc winked. "Get taken care of by a hot nurse?" His eyes flicked to Winry and he winked again.

Al blushed, and then smiled. "Well, I suppose that depends on how you look at my brother..." He grinned wickedly while Ed spluttered, Havoc and Winry roaring with laughter.

"I don't believe we've really met," Havoc said, holding out his hand to Winry. "Miss...Winry Rockbell, correct?" Winry nodded, taking his hand.

"Just Winry. And you're... Mr. Havoc, right?"

Havoc chuckled. "Never had anyone call me 'Mister' before. The name's Jean. And I think we'd better get out of the way before we're trampled by cold party-goers." The doorway did seem to be filled with a lot of people that were indeed shivering. Most looked only vaguely familiar. Two black-haired women spotted them as they moved out of the way, hurrying over.

"Edward! Alphonse!" Maria Ross called, dragging another woman with wavy black hair. They stopped short in front of them, and before Ed or Al could do anything but grin, Maria had enveloped them both in a hug. "It's good to see you both," She said fervently, stepping back and smiling. "Al, you didn't tell me you were so handsome. Too bad he's too young for you Rebecca," She teased the other black-haired woman beside her.

Rebecca chuckled while Al blushed, grinning.

"First you hit me, then you hug me," Ed shook his head, smiling. "Should I expect this to become a pattern, Lt. Ross?"

Maria rolled her eyes, shaking Havoc's hand, then Winry's. "We met at the hospital, right?" Winry nodded. "It's nice to see you again."

"You as well." Maria nodded at them all.

"Hi," Rebecca said, holding out her hand. "I'm a friend of Riza's. My name's Rebecca, and you two must be the Elric brothers?" At their nods, she smiled, shaking their hands in turn.

"Winry Rockbell, I've known Ed and Al since childhood," Winry said, shaking the woman's hand. "And I've become friends with Ms. Riza. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Rebecca's eyes met Havoc. "Well, you I know," She said, eyeing him thoughtfully. "Hm. You clean up pretty good."

Havoc grinned at her crookedly, resituating his cigarette. "You don't look so bad yourself," He teased. Rebecca looked rather flattered.

"Hey, speaking of Hawkeye, anyone seen her or Mustang yet?" Ed asked, looking around.

"He probably got... held up... with Riza," Rebecca smirked, nudging Maria.

"Well, they are getting married," She pointed out, laughing.

"Wait." Ed's eyes went wide. "You mean they're-"

"Who knows?" Rebecca shrugged. "But as it's Mustang we're talking about..." She exchanged looks full of meaning with Maria and Winry, who laughed.

Ed blushed, putting a hand over his eyes. "Oh man, did not need those mental pictures..."

"I don't know if I'd mind as far as Riza is concerned," Havoc said thoughtfully. "However, he needs to hurry it up, I gotta ask him a few things."

"Like what?" Ed asked, ignoring Winry's whispered: "It's none of your business, Ed!"

Havoc's face became serious. "Like whether or not it's true that Mrs. Bradley has been imprisoned."

"What?!?" Ed and Al demanded. "Where'd you hear that?" Maria and Rebecca asked.

"The old Furher's wife?" Winry frowned. "Why would they imprison her? I thought she had nothing to do with what her husband or son did?"

"She didn't," Ed insisted. "She's human, for starters. Didn't have any clue about her husband and son." He curled his lip in evident distaste. "Mustang's a bastard, but I can't see him--"

"Maybe he didn't, Ed." Havoc held up his hands. "But whether she knew or not, she loved her husband and son. Who knows what she could do because of that? You two hear anything?" He asked Maria and Rebecca. They shook their heads.

"Hmm," Havoc scratched his chin. "Probably just a rumor, then. Much harder to get this kind of information when you're not in the military. The rumors about Scar were certainly-" He stopped at the looks on Ed and Al's faces. "What?"

Ed's eyes flicked to Winry, who was looking at the ground, eyebrows furrowed. "Nevermind," He said roughly. "Let's not-"

"Scar killed my parents." Winry said quietly. "They were doctors in the Ishval war, that treated both Ishvalans and Amestrins. Scar was one of their patients."

"Winry," Al began, while Ed touched her shoulder, eyes deep and sad- worried. Winry smiled at them slightly, shaking her head while the adults beside her grew quiet at her words. "It's alright, guys. I don't like thinking about it, but it's not a secret. They deserve to understand." She jerked her head toward the three adults who were looking at her in concerned surprise.

"Does Mustang know?" Havoc demanded, hand clamped tight on his wheelchair.

"He does now," Ed muttered darkly. "I cornered him about it, actually." He crossed his arms. "He says that there's not a whole lot he can do now, as he turned over Scar to the Ishvalans, but he also said that they will most definitely hear about this."

"That's good. A crime like that can't go unpunished." Maria said quietly, but fiercely. She laid a hand on Winry's shoulder. "I'm sorry," She said sincerely.

Winry shook her head. "Thank you for saying that." She smiled a little, voice strained and eyes tight.

"Well, what have we here?" A voice demanded.

They all jumped, turning to see Izumi Curtis, hands on her hips, her husband Sig beside her. She grinned, clapping her hands just a little hard on Ed and Al's backs, making them double over. "You're getting out of shape, boys." She announced. "Al, you have an excuse. Ed, if I was still your teacher, I would punish you." She winked.

Ed and Al looked at each other, rubbing their shoulders and grinning a little.

"Good to see you, boys," Sig rumbled, nodding at them.

"Hah, you too." Ed shoved his hands into his pockets.

Introductions were made, hands shaken all around.

"Winry!" Izumi beamed. "Pound some sense into Ed's head with your wrench yet?"

Winry gave a small smile. "Perhaps just a little," she said. "It's nice to see you both again." Sig nodded at her.

"Oh, that reminds me," Izumi snapped her fingers. "Ed, Al, I have a message for you from Hienkel and Darius. They passed through Dublith a few weeks ago. They wanted to know if Winry was available to fit automail here soon."

"Oh," Ed said. "Darius' hand still not quite ready?"

"Aren't they some of those Chimeras that helped fight Bradley?" Havoc asked. "What happened to them? They didn't have automail at Mustang's speech."

"Train crash." Al said. "Fuhrer Mustang gave them positions in the military, and they were on their way somewhere for a mission about two months ago. Darius lost his hand- nearly his whole arm, actually. He met with a mechanic in Rush Valley, and goes there to get full use of his hand every few weeks. Most of the hotels there were destroyed by some Bradley supporters, so they had no place to stay. Hienkel's eye was destroyed by some rubble, so they kind of help each other out. But isn't it a bit soon to refit Darius's automail?"

Izumi shrugged. "From what they said, the engineer just had too many people to work on as of late. The engineer's name was... Garfiel, I think. He had a trainee, but apparently she surpassed him and had other things to..." She paused. "Oh. That was you, Winry?"

Winry nodded. "I called him a while back, asking to go back there in a while, once Al was completely healed, but he told me that he'd taught me everything he knew, and that I needed to enjoy my life. He even said that I could probably open my own shop somewhere...." She blushed a little. "I felt so bad for leaving all of my customers behind, but then they found out I was here and said that they wouldn't mind taking a trip to get repairs." She shook her head. "I offered to go to them, but they flat out told me not to! They said that they knew what I was doing meant a lot to me, and that it wasn't all that out of their way to come up here every once in a while."

A trumpet-like sound exploded from the entrance, and they all turned, staring at the large open doors, through which Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye (arm in arm) walked casually into the throng of people, all of whom watched them respectfully.

Roy wore the standard military uniform, and he was hard-pressed to downplay his triumphant smirk- especially when he looked at Riza. Her dress was red, strapless, going to her ankles, a long slit running up the middle of it, revealing her legs as she walked. Her hair was down, falling over her shoulders gracefully.

Conspicuously, a bright ring glittered on her finger. She wore no other jewelry.

As they passed, Roy shot them a wink, and Riza smiled.

They continued down the hall of people, and then stopped. Even from far away, Winry could see some kind of tattoo on Riza's back, barely showing over the red fabric of the back of the dress. Before she could do more than exchange looks with Ed and Al, Roy raised his hand toward the band in the far corner, moving his palm up in a signal to them. All at once, the music started up, and Roy pulled Riza closer to him, spinning her around.

Winry swore that she saw Riza roll her eyes, and then smile, leaning her head forward against him.

The music was slow, and people began to pair off and dance. Soon, the whole room was full of swirling couples. Giving a slight wave to Ed and Al as Izumi began to dance with her husband, Winry made her way through the dancing crowd, toward the back of the room, where the bigger windows and glass patio were. Faint roses were etched into the glass, and Winry opened the patio door, stepping out into the greenhouse-like room made of glass. Lightly, she touched her fingertips to the glass closest to the snow outside, feeling the cold wash up through her fingertips like it was alive.

"Winry?" Ed's voice made her jump.

She turned to see him standing in the open doorway, one hand on the glass door, sleeves rolled up. His eyebrows furrowed. "You okay?" He asked.

Winry nodded, smiling a little. "I like parties, but I just wanted to watch the snow for a while. And it was..." She paused. "...Getting a little stuffy in there." She knew that he realized she was talking about Scar by the way his eyes widened in understanding.

He really did look good. Well, he pretty much always looked good, but he looked even better when he made an effort. It wasn't as though he was wearing a suit or anything- he wore his usual black pants, and a red button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled to the elbows, showing his automail arm. His hair was tied back in a tight ponytail- Winry noticed that he rarely wore his hair in a braid anymore, not that she minded, for the look suited him. Ed frowned, closing the sliding glass door, the music and laughter from the other room becoming muted.

He walked closer to her, lowering his voice. "I'm sorry, Winry."

She hadn't made a huge effort to dress up. No makeup (at least as far as Ed could tell) and her hair was up in some high bun, a few strands hanging down to brush her cheeks and ears. The dress she wore was simple- white as the snow outside, going to her knees with a slight flare, held on her shoulders by a strap that tied at the back of her neck, revealing bare shoulder bones and the pale skin of her back, all the way down to her waist. She wore no jewelry, save for her earrings. She was beautiful. She was really always beautiful, but something about the way the soft moonlight was hitting her, the way the snow fell behind the glass, the way the dress fit her body- something about it made it almost otherworldly...

Winry stared at him in surprise, eyebrows knitting together. "What for, Ed?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He moved so that he was beside her, ducking his head a little. "That Scar was brought up, that he's not..." His fists clenched. "Getting what he deserves."

"It's not your fault, Ed. And it's alright, really."

"No, it's not, Winry-"

"Yes, Ed." The fierceness of her voice stops his cold. "It is."

"What... do you mean...?"

Winry didn't look at him; instead she stared out the glass at the falling snow. It fell much more gently now. "I traveled with him for a little while, Ed... and I know that I will never be able to forget what he did, let alone forgive him. But even if he had been sentenced to death, or put into prison, there's a part of me that still wouldn't be satisfied, you know?" Her voice rose, cutting into the air, harsh and slightly hysteric. "I would want to make him die, and then I would want him to be alive again just so that he could die and look into my eyes as it happened, so that he would never forget what he'd done. And I'd want that to happen again and again and again until he felt some portion of the pain it caused me-" Her fists clenched tightly, and she tucked them under her arms. Her voice choked. She took a deep breath, and then calmed herself.

"But I've had time to think about what happened to him. His brother was killed, his whole family killed, and I realize that he's felt my pain and perhaps more. In some ways it's different, because I was so young, but even though my parents are gone... at least I still had grandma, and both you and Al. And I realize... that maybe Mr. Mustang was right. Maybe the worst punishment he can get is to have to live with what he's done, because..."

"Do you mean to tell me that you don't want him to pay for what he's done?" Ed's voice came out too fast, before he could form the words fully in his head.

Winry turned toward him so fast she was a blur. "Don't you dare say that," She hissed, eyes spitting the kind of fire that leaves scars. "Don't you dare say that I don't want him to pay for what he's done- not just to me, but to others! Don't you dare say that, Edward Elric!" Her voice rose to a shout. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to admit that he's not evil?!?!?"

Her chest heaved, and tears left trails down her face. "He was not right in his revenge, but I can't say that he was wrong either. If I'd lost all that he has, I don't know what I would've done. I don't think I could've lived." Her voice was low, and this was somehow more terrifying than her yelling, it ripped from her throat as something that she wished desperately wasn't true, but knew in her heart that it was.

"He's not evil," Winry said quietly, and here her voice was breaking. "I know he's not evil but I also know he's not good. I don't know what I want to happen to him because somehow it will never be enough, and somehow it will always be too much, and..." She couldn't stop the tears from falling, thick and fast. She raised her fists to her eyes, gasping and choking on tears that hurt from some deep place inside of her.

"Winry..." Ed's voice was a little desperate, and he came forward a little, unsure of what to do. "Winry, don't... I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I... oh, damn it..." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

A wet giggle startled him. He looked over to see Winry peering at him from red eyes. She smiled a little- a weak smile, an only-somewhat happy smile. "You make me want to strangle you sometimes..." She whispered, hiccupping a little. "And then you turn around and make me smile just by being you... and all in the same breath..." Her smile grew wider, and she wiped a few stray tears away. "How do you do that?

Ed blushed a little, and then shrugged. "Luck?"

Winry shook her head. "No... it's more than that. You just being you is enough to make me smile everyday, no matter how much I feel like I can't move on." She smiled more brightly. "You're wonderful, you know that?"

Ed's eyes flashed to her and then away, Hohenheim's words echoing in his mind. "...she said: 'Edward Elric is the most wonderful person that I know...'

"Ed... can I ask you something?" Winry's voice was hesitant.

"Wh-" His mouth was suddenly very dry. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What?"

"Will you... hug me, please?" Her eyes looked at him- big and bright and blue and all the things he loved about her- because that's what this feeling was, he realized. Love. He loved her, loved her like he had never imagined being able to love anyone besides his family.

And maybe, just maybe, she loved him too.

It took a moment for his voice to work correctly. "Winry..." He said softly, clearing his throat to try and make it less deep, less rough. "Winry, you don't- you don't have to ask about something like that..." His voice was so quiet, he wasn't sure that she could hear.

But then she was in his arms, and the compression on his heart- the doubt, the fear, and the sadness- seemed to somehow float away, and suddenly it was only him and Winry, her hair under his nose and her face pressed close to him, arms around him tight.

And Ed realized that he never wanted to let go.

His chest felt funny. Like before, it had been ready to crack apart but as soon as she hugged him, she pressed all the pieces back together.

"...Why did you come?"

Ed shifted a little, brought back from the strength of his epiphany. "The truth?" He asked.

Winry raised he eyebrows, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Why would I want anything besides else?"

"Well, because you might get mad at first..." He sighed. "All right. The truth is, Al convinced me to come."

Oh. That was what he meant. She was a bit disappointed, but it did explain why Al wasn't there too. "I see." Her voice was quiet.

Ed winced. "Not like that! I was- well, you seemed upset and I thought you wanted to be alone 'cause you left, but then Al said you left because you wanted me to follow you-"

"He was partly right. It's been a while since we've had a real conversation."

Ed paused, though his heartbeat quickened. "...Really?" It came out as no more than a whisper.

Winry nodded against him.

"Ah, well, I guess it's a good thing I listened, huh?"

Winry couldn't help rolling her eyes, laughing a little. A sudden thought struck her and she stepped back, hand sliding to meet his, pulling him toward the glass door that led out into the cold night. She put her other hand on the door, ready to push it aside.

"Winry! What are you doing?!?! It's freezing out there!"

She shushed him. "It's pretty, and I want to stand in it. I also want you to come with me. And before you say it-" She cut across the half-hearted protest that came from his mouth "-you know, and I know that your ports aren't going to freeze here unless you're out there for hours. Just a little while, please?"

Before he could say anything, she had opened the door, and dragged him outside into a wall of cold.

Does this mean I'm pretty much whipped? Ed wondered to himself, shivering.

Winry dropped his hand, bending over and slipping off her shoes.

"Winry!" Ed squawked. "What're you-?"

"Relax, Ed. Haven't you ever wanted to walk barefoot in the snow?" She smiled up at him, running forward and spreading her arms out as though she would suddenly be able to flap them and fly away.

"Burr." She said. "Even colder than I thought it would be." She jumped from foot to foot and then started spinning, dress twirling around her.

And any protest Ed had died in his throat as he watched her.

She spun, arm held out above her, palms spread toward the sky, head thrown back. Gently, hundreds of little snowflakes fell down to brush her skin and hair, catching on her and somehow staying, glittering on the gold strands. Winry reached up, untying her air and letting it fall, swaying, down her back in a waterfall of silky gold. She turned, dress flaring out, grinning at him, eyes bright.

He couldn't help but smile back.

Snowflakes sat on her eyelashes. Suddenly, she raced forward, grabbing his hand and pulling him along, laughing, hair trailing behind her, face flushed and skin pink from the cold, fingers tight and warm around his.

Ed found himself laughing with her- throwing his head back, letting out great whoops that seemed to echo all around them. Winy cocked her head at him, slowing a little and panting. The smile she gave made his breath catch.

"You should smile and laugh more often," She said. "They're beautiful things." She blushed suddenly, one hand flying to cover her mouth. She slipped, twisting away as she fell toward the ground, pulling Ed with her.

Ed pulled her toward him, making it so that he would take the brunt of the fall.

"Ooof!" Well, it wasn't that bad of a fall, for sure. The snow softened it a bit, though Winry falling on his stomach and knocking the wind out of him didn't help.

"You okay?" She asked, rising up on her elbows, wincing and shivering. "Thanks for the softer landing. Sorry if I squashed you."

"I'm fine." It was true- as if she'd be able to squash him anyway. "You?"

"Well, no broken bones, thank goodness. I've had enough of those to last a lifetime." Winry pulled herself up, sitting back, looking toward the sky, hair falling down her back. Ed propped himself up on his elbows, watching her. The scars left over from her injuries stood out against her cold, flushed skin, dotting along her arms. Faint, but still there.

Winry cocked her head to one side, listening, and then stood up, offering her hand to him. "Get up," She said, smiling. Ed took her hand, letting himself be pulled to his feet.

"I don't like that look in your eyes," He said, backing up a little.

Winry grinned, shaking her head and laughing silently. Then she moved closer to him, making him freeze in place. She grabbed his hands, guiding them over and setting them on the appropriate places on her body. Then she placed her hands lightly on him as well.

"Will you dance with me?" She whispered. "Please? I know you know how."

Ed swallowed, unable to do anything except mutter an: "Okay."

And just like that, they were dancing.

The music was faint, not too loud, sometimes barely reaching them. Winry felt sure that her toes were frozen, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Well, she thought ruefully, at least I won't feel it if he steps on my feet. But she really didn't have to worry about that- Ed knew how to dance. They both knew. His mom, and her parents, had taught them when they were kids.

Memories of their laughter floated through Winry's mind, and for a moment she felt sad. But then Ed turned a little, a look of concentration on his face, and Winry let herself relax, let go of her sadness, if only for a little while.

They didn't dance perfectly. They were both out of practice, and Ed's flesh leg sometimes seemed to give out on him, and much of the time it was all they could do to hold each other up, laughing so hard that they nearly fell over again. When Ed half-heartedly tried to walk away, Winry only dragged him back, wagging her finger at him.

"Ah- ah-ah," She said. "I'm not done dancing with you yet."

After a while, she was thinking that they would have to stop soon, as they were both panting and she could no longer feel her toes. But Ed spun her out, and her dress flared around her, palm going up toward the sky. The world seemed to halt as she drew in again, stopping, not continuing the dance, merely stopping in front of him, curled in his arms, one hand on his chest, the other intertwined with his hand. She looked up at him, breath misting softly in front of her. Ed's eyes were very soft. Wide, surprised, almost shy, a slight blush coating his cheeks.

"You're taller than me," Winry whispered.

Ed blinked, and then straightened a little. His mouth opened, but he seemed unable to say anything.

Winry couldn't help but laugh. "You honestly didn't notice? You've been taller than me since you left for the Promised Day. I knew you would be someday..."

Ed gave her an unmistakable grin- cocky, smirking. "Oh, really?"

She nodded. "You just react to teasing so much, it's funny to watch you. I guess it's a part of who you are... just one of the things that I..." She caught herself.

Ed furrowed his eyebrows. "That you...?"

Winry cleared her throat, heart pounding. She had promised to say it today... and she had almost blurted it out right there... "Ed," She began, looking down a little. "There's... something that I need to tell you, face to face."

"What is it?" His voice had lowered to match hers.

"Ed..." She took a deep breath. "Ed, the thing is, I..." She brought her face closer to him, so close that their noses were almost touching. "I..."

"What...?" Ed pressed, voice very quiet, heart pounding almost audibly.

"I..."

"Well, well, well, aren't we cozy?" A lilting voice drifted out from behind Winry, from the shadow of a tree. They jumped apart, Ed automatically tensing, putting himself in front of Winry, a heavy scowl on his face. He knew that voice.

"Damn," He hissed. "Kimblee, you bastard, you're supposed to be dead."

A man stepped out of the shadows, long hair messy and around his face, wearing a suit that was covered with rips. A wild look danced in his eyes. "Nice to see you too, Fullmetal." He tipped an imaginary hat to them. "You as well, Miss Rockbell." His gaze lingered on her.

Ed's fists clenched. "Get the hell out of here, Kimblee. We don't need to involve others in this." He angled himself as Kimblee came toward them casually, baring his hands for them to see. The transmutation circles were dirty, but still very visible.

"On the contrary, Fullmetal. Involving civilians is one of the things I love best. More screams that way." He smiled, revealing a blood red philosophers stone in his teeth before swallowing it.

Ed's eyes flicked around. He knew that fighting Kimblee would be bad here, where all these people would get hurt. If he stepped forward, Kimblee could just use the stone to blow up some buildings. Or worse, Al, Winry, and the partygoers inside...

Before they could do anything, a loud explosion sounded from the other side of the city, the ground rumbling.

Kimblee tilted his head back. "Oooooh, how delightful! I wonder how great the screams will sound here...?" He grinned.

Ed growled, charging forward. "Run, Winry!"

"Not so fast, Fullmetal," Kimblee raised his hands and Ed froze, staring at the transmutation circles pointing directly at Winry.

Winry knew she couldn't move. Her heart pounded in her ears, breathing uneven. Ed could die! Everyone here could die... they needed to alert Mustang and the others somehow...

Belatedly, she realized that the music wasn't playing from inside anymore.

Her face calmed. She threw her head back, took a deep breath, and screamed.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

Roy smirked as he twirled Riza in his arms.

She smiled up at him, nodding to Rebecca who waved at her from across the room before entering a conversation with Havoc.

"I think Al's beginning to realize that being young, handsome, and heroically injured, can be a very pleasurable experience," Roy whispered to her, breath tickling her ear.

Riza's eyes found Al, who was indeed surrounded by girls. He looked more than a little embarrassed, and just a tad smug. She couldn't help but laugh.

"It's a good thing that little Xingese girl Mei isn't here anymore... she seems to worship the ground Al walks on..." Roy continued. "Ah... that brings back memories..." He winked at her. Without doing anything other than giving her most charming smile, Riza leaned in, whispering: "You do still realize that I have a gun, don't you?"

Roy chuckled. "And I did give you permission to shoot me anytime, didn't I? I suppose I ought to be careful then."

"Indeed, sir." She smiled, and then winced. Her shoes were killing her.

"You alright?"

Riza nodded. "Fine." She didn't have to dance the whole night after all. And the ensemble had been worth it, to see Roy's face when she came out with it on...The memory brought a smile to her face again.

As they passed by Havoc and Rebecca, she heard a few snippets of Havoc's tale from the Promised Day- how he had defended the hospital he was in (and all the others over radio), by making barricades, and using his family's ammunition shop to keep soldiers/homunculi at bay. Rebecca seemed rather impressed, though she spotted it easily when he tried to make it more exciting than it actually was.

"Hmmm." Roy's voice jerked her out of her thoughts. His eyes were on Izumi and her husband. "I wouldn't have minded having her as an alchemy teacher..."

Riza rolled her eyes. "And here I told Winry that you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be."

Roy grinned, and then leaned closer, kissing her temple lightly. "If I thought this offended you, or that you thought me to be serious, I would never make a comment like that again- and you know it. Speaking of Miss Rockbell, she and Fullmetal seem to have vanished. Wonder what that means?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Riza laughed a little. "Well, for both of their sakes, I hope it's going well. Winry's got a lot to say to him."

"If I know Edward, he's got just as much to say to her." Roy pointed out.

Without warning, the ground shook.

People paused in their dancing, all sound seemed to disintegrate. The band immediately ceased playing, and Roy looked around the room with sharp eyes, frowning. Riza found Rebecca's eyes, who was now standing by Havoc, Maria Ross, and Denny Brosch. Al hobbled away from the girls around him, looking around frantically. Roy turned back to her.

"What do you-"

Before he could say anything else, a piercing scream sounded from right outside.

This time, Al's horrified eyes found Riza's.

"Winry," He whispered.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

"Damn," Kimblee said.

The second his eyes moved and he was distracted, Ed charged forward, transmuting his automail hand into a blade, swinging it in a high arc.

Kimblee ducked, raising his hands to blow up something else-

A combination of Ed's transmuted arm, and a flying rock, hit him in the stomach.

Kimblee doubled over long enough for Ed to cut deep into his shoulder, staining the snow around them red.

"Edward!" Alex Armstrong called. "Get out of the way!" He prepared another transmutation.

Ed ducked as a rock went sailing over his head, just missing Kimblee this time.

Something red flashed through the air, and a tree that Kimblee had been swinging on just a split second before exploded. Ed looked back long enough to see Mustang, fingers ready to snap, Izumi right behind him, Riza right next to him holding a gun, Alex Armstrong running toward them, and even Al clapping his hands together.

Ed jumped out of the way, shouting. "DAMN IT, AL, DON'T GET IN THIS FIGHT!"

The ground rose beneath him, dislodging Kimblee for a moment. His eyes flashed up, and around all the people that were screaming ran from the house.

"No more games," He whispered. And before any of them could do more than charge forward, Kimblee spread his arms.

And the world exploded.

Ed felt himself being thrown backward, seeing through the thick dust Kimblee jumping the fence, clutching his injured arm. Screams echoed in his ears and Ed found himself buried under some rubble.

For a moment, he blacked out.

A little light shone through the rubble. He pushed his hand toward it, peeling back the wood and other debris in his way. Nothing felt broken, but a shallow cut ran down his cheek, dripping down his chin.

All around him, people were digging themselves out of piles of rubble.

"Someone call a doctor!"

"Where is he, where did he go?"

"HELP!"

"Someone help me lift his off of her!"

Ed stumbled forward, landing on his knees. "Al..." He gasped. "Winry..." He clambered to his feet, staring around blindly, running into the masses of people. Some tried to call him back.

"Ed, don't worry, the Fuhrer's taking care of Kimblee, we're going after him-"

"AL!" Ed screamed. "WINRY!"

"Ed!" Riza Hawkeye caught his arm. "Edward, calm down. They're fine, look." She pointed toward a small group of people, through which he could see Winry, her dress torn, standing next to Al, who looked severely shaken but unharmed. Ed nodded toward Riza, quickly seeing that she was far more scratched up than he, running toward Al and Winry.

Winry's blue eyes, wide and frightened, found him first. "Ed!" Al looked toward him, relief showing clearly on his face.

Ed stopped short in front of them, panting, nodding toward them both, then flicking his head about. "Where's Mustang? Kimblee jumped over the fence- and where's teacher?"

A single gunshot stopped them from answering. Everyone turned to see Mustang, gun in one hand, standing on a pile of rubble.

"Look for survivors," he called. "An ambulance is on its way. I'm going to take care of Kimblee. Fullmetal, I know you're on leave, but I want you with me. Miss Curtis, I cannot command you but you are free to come if you wish. Strongarm, you come as well. Hohenheim, I don't know if you're here, but if you are, we could use you. Everyone else, help dig these people out, and-"

Another loud explosion cut him off. He cursed, and then ran toward the fence. "Get medical attention! Hawkeye, you're in charge in my absence! A car's waiting for us. Alchemists, come on!" He put one hand on the fence, flipping himself over it.

Everyone that he called began to follow, while the others looked toward Riza's stricken, angry, face.

Ed paid them no attention, turning to go.

"Brother!" Al caught his arm. "I'm coming with you!"

Ed turned on him so fast, Al staggered back a few steps. "No, Al, you're not! Stay here! I have to go!"

Al's voice rose as he clung to his brother's arm.

Winry stared at them. She couldn't say it now, not when he had to leave. There was no time for anything- not even a goodbye. She caught Al's arm, pulling him back, hurrying forward and touching her fingertips to Ed's face.

"See you," She whispered. Before he could say anything, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his cheek.

Ed stared at them both for a moment, his carefully controlled expression melting away. He knew that he didn't have time for this, but he couldn't help staring at them, the two most important people in the world to him- people he had sworn to himself to never leave behind again.

He knew very well that there was a possibility he wouldn't come back alive. Some things were out of his control- but he wasn't about to let it happen. He would come back. He had to come back. There would be too many waiting for him.

Winry saw Ed's face, which had twisted suddenly as though he had a terrible stomach ache- saw his eyes take them both in as things he knew he might not see for a while- or ever again. But she couldn't let herself think that way. Ed would come back, he had to come back. She smiled a little at him, and his eyes focused on her, showing for a moment such a vulnerability that she nearly gasped at the sight of it. Then his gaze hardened, and he stared at both of them.

"See you," He said, turning and running away, not looking back.

And just like that, he was gone.

Winry fell back against Alphonse, knowing that he couldn't support her, because here they supported each other as they sank to the ground. All around them people called for help, but they didn't move. They just sat there, a cold far more painful than that of the snow settling in. They shook against each other, and Winry could feel Al's tears falling. They stung as they hit her shoulder. They shook and clung to each other as they stared after him- stared after one of the most important people in their world disappearing before their eyes.

And Winry didn't cry. Though she felt as though all the pieces of her- that Ed had somehow pushed together- were breaking again. She didn't cry. She just stared forward, at the broken fence. She stared past all the people around her that she knew and cared about, stared past the piles of rubble and the fires that were being put out.

She sat there, staring, Al by her side, until the ground stopped rumbling and people were being carried off to the hospital, until the sky grew so dark that not even the moon could be seen. She sat there until Riza Hawkeye ordered some men in the military to carry her and Al to someplace safe. She didn't let them carry them too far apart from each other- for she felt sure that if she couldn't cling to Al right now, then she really would fall apart.

And she still continued to stare out the window of Gracia's rebuilt house, staring out the dark window with Al by her side, toward the outskirts of the city. Riza told her that Kimblee was far beyond the city now, and that they wouldn't be able to see or feel anything from the fights that would ensue. Winry stared out the window as rain began to fall, washing away the fire and the rubble, washing away everything. She squeezed Al's hand, and he squeezed back, leaning against her. She stared out the window, knowing that neither her nor Al would fall asleep. She closed her eyes, remembering the last image of him she had, of his back as he ran headlong into danger- as he always did.

I love you, Ed.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)


Well, there ya go.

Originally, I had something else written for the end. No, Ed still left, but I had Winry crying and screaming as soon as he was gone. It was longer, and perhaps more emotional, but for all intents and purposes I think I like this one more. That's just me, however.

Oh, and some of you may have noticed that I added stuff about side characters. As this story is no longer current with the manga, I thought it would be good to throw in some manga elements. Mrs. Bradley was one of them. (Speaking of current manga, despite the very large cliffhanger, there was a Ling/Ran Fan implication that I really enjoyed even though it was short) And some of you may have gathered the slight Havox/Rebecca hints. Yes, I am a fan of them now. The last manga chapter converted me. The thing is, I never see them paired together, but I think it would work. She's always talking about finding a good man, and Havoc's always saying something about finding a good girl. I've seen Havoc paired with everyone from Martel to Gracia to OC's, even Riza. While the first two I don't really have issues with, teh last one bugs me. Big time. Large Royai fan here. Not as much Roy/Rizaness in this chapter as I wanted there to be, but I can make it up the next two chapters...

I was worried about the emphasis I put on Winry being so desperate to tell Ed that she loves him, and I hope I explained why, though it is not necaccary for Roy and Riza, I think it is for Ed/Winry. Oh, and a lot of you were looking forward to EdWin kisses: I promise you, they will kiss. But, for now, you'll have to settle for the quick cheek peck Winry gave him. Sorry. :)

Reviews:

obsidianlight: Yeah, I love Roy's proposal. Most people write about their wedding, not him actually proposing...Thank you! Glad you enjoyed:)

ArtificialRed: Not too many people vote for Leverage, but counting yours I believe that's two. I will do all of them eventually, but I'm begining to realize which one I'll do next...Anyway, glad you liked, and thanks for reviewing! :) My inspiration is wackadoodle though, so this may change.

Sakura22222: Thank you! Yeah, so many people are down on Winry, but she's so awesome! I hope the fluff wasn't too much in this chapter...I think people that like the FMA movie are crazy. :) Thanks!

Took-Baggins: Most people seem to like that one. I'm glad you loved Roy's proposal. I wrote it on a whim, and I really like how it turned out!

CreativebutLazy: Yeah, maybe it's kind of lame what I did with the arm, I dunno. *Shrug* But, I really wanted this convo with Winry and Ran Fan, and as soon as Ed said her arm wasn't working right...I know, Roy's proposal. I love it. Is it bad for an author to love their own stuff? XD Hmm...crap...well, if I knew the military ranks, Armstrong would probably have a promotion. I think Scar will die too. Of course, I could be wrong and then he will end up being the only main character that survivies...God, THAT'S a horrible thought...Thanks for the review!

alchemichelper101: Soon, my young padawan, soon...XD Thank you, glad you like!

Larxenethefly: I laughed at the part with Armstrong too. :) I think Ed needs to have that song from 'The Little Mermaid' (Kiss the Girl) played around him until he gets the idea. :) Thank you!

S J Smith: Thank you! Yep, Kimblee's back. I wish he wasn't...

YourFavoritePlushie: Thank you! Everyone seems to have liked Roy's proposal, which is good. :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as well as the 'unexpected arrival'. Or, rather, I don't suppose you liked that too much, huh...condisering...oh well. XD

AnimeFallingStar: Yep, Royai proposal. I'm glad you liked it so much! I know, I made it sort of obvious. I love all those pairings too (obviously).

xxCelestialStarxx: Thank you! I love Roy's proposal as well. Ohh, you've played some good ones. VIII is a really good one. Nine is great too, and who doesn't love 7? I'm a major Cloud/Aerith fan. ^^And I've written stories for all of those except twelve. Check 'em out, if you're interested. :)

Arden Anam: Glad you like! Everyone loves the proposal, I feel like there's an echo in here. :) Eh, I like AlMei, but that's just me. :)

Wow, a lot of reviews this time! Oh, if you didn't vote last time, please do so this time! And, I need two things from all of you: One, an 'Alchemist Name' for Al. I don't want to mooch off of anyone else, and I can't think of anything...and Two, a girl name and a boy name that will be Ed and Winry's kids in one of my future stories. I have a working name for the girl, (Sarah) but I really don't want to go with that one, and I have no clue for the boy...Please, not Trisha. I can use that for middle names, but I would also like to use Nina for a middle name...

Oh, and I have that Ed/Winry video I was talking about made. It's my first manga vid, so I'm a bit nervous. It's to So Close from Enchanted, and here's the URL (If you don't have an account, comments here would make my day!): h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = 9 T E o 1 V T b J Q Q & f e a t u r e = c h a n n e l _ p a g e

Make the obvious changes. ;)

Next chapter preview:

A Turn of the Tide: All the powerful Alchemists race to catch Kimblee before he destroys more. Will they get help from Hohenheim, or will it be too late? Back in Central, those left behind struggle to pick up the pieces. Winry and Riza have a heart to heart, and a letter from Mei arrives. But when you have to bury your friends, nothing seems right. Will the alchemists return alive?

'Till next time! Reviews make me smile inside, and write faster!

~AerithHeartilly