Okay, I'm not sure if you guys have discovered by now, but... this story isn't very good anymore. The drive to write it is gone... I might just end up posting the rest of the chapters in one final one so I can work on something else. I'm not sure if I like it anymore... Feedback is loved!

By the way, S J Smith, I went over the story and fixed the thought-process-inducing stuff. Hope I got it all, thanks for your feedback! :)

London, 1925

Hold Me Close

It was hard to believe that the Elric/Rockbell party had entered their second week in jail. After breakfast was collected, Ed and Winry were caught and allowed to stay in the same cell, and were given their outfits; Winry was given some sort of hospital gown and was told she'd be assisting in the infirmary to pay her dues while Ed was interrogated during the day. At night, they were given half an hour to eat and bathe, and they were to report to their cell immediately at nine o'clock.

The only reason either of them were aloud to leave was if they were either eating in the dining hall or when they were being put to work/questioning. Winry worked as a nurse, assisting by standing beside the doctor and having to call him right. Occasionally, she caught him staring at her breasts, and she smacked him in the face.

The day that happened, Winry was thrown, quite literally, back into hers and Ed's cell. Thank heavens Ed was there to catch her before she hit the cement wall hard on her back.

Winry, having worked in the infirmary with doctors who treated Alphonse day after day, had heard that Al was making a speedy recovery and was going to be released from the hold of the police. When she told Ed, he was relieved, and the two went on with their day quietly, smiling and happy that Al was alive and healing.

When evening rolled around, Winry was kindly escorted back to the cell by the guard, who had no intention of letting her go. She winced as his rough, calloused hands tightened around her wrist, and let out a sharp exhale as she was thrown back into the cell, quite literally. She turned her head, looking for her lover, and found him with his auto-mail hand covering his eyes."Ed? Are you alright?" Winry whispered to the sleeping boy, who stirred and rolled his head to look at her.

He smiled, a beaten, weak smile, and said "Elric men don't give in easily, Win. I'm perfect," he sat up, wincing as he applies pressure to his bruised side, and Winry walked over to take a look.

"It looks like you took quite the beating... what did you do this time?" Winry kept her voice calm and steady, and he looked up at her. He smiled guiltily, and she sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind. I don't think I want to know. As long as you didn't start any fights with anyone who could possibly get us outta here..."

Ed sighed. "No, nothing like that. Ray referred to you as my 'little prostitute' and I broke his nose. No big deal." Winry smiled at him and crawled to sit between his legs.

"Ed, I want to get out of here."

"I know." He said quietly. "Me too."

"We don't belong here." Winry croaked. "We don't belong in a place like this (with no alchemy, she added in her head), despite the fact that you broke that man's jaw..."

"Heh..."

Winry looked at him sleepily, and he smiled. "You're exhausted, aren't you? Let's pass on our little deal and just go to sleep, okay? You're practically sleeping on my shoulder," he laid them down and she took of the jacket to rest it on top of them rather than around her. Ed wrapped his right arm, still auto-mail, around her body to pull her closer, and she fell asleep almost immediately, her hair being her cushion.

Ed hadn't realized his arms acted on their own and wrapped his arms around her, so he started to pull his arms away when he was sure she was comfortable. Suddenly, he felt her fingers bring his arm back around her and she said "Hold me, you idiot."

He smiled and fell asleep after her.

When morning rolled around, Ed's head was spinning. Not only that, but his heart ached. He opened his eyes lazily, his eyes fluttering and not focusing fast enough. Right above him was the woman who resembled Riza Hawkeye, Elizabeth Ravenclaw. He sat up, letting Winry sleep under his chest, and he looked at her sternly.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

Liza was wearing a violet suit, like one would wear to a dinner. Her hair once pulled back was resting at her shoulders, and she was wearing glasses. If Ed hadn't known better, he'd have thought she was a mother looking at her child as if waiting for an explanation as to why he broke her favorite vase. Ed flinched and sat up all the way, crossing his legs close to his abdomen.

"Did you come to interrogate me some more?"

"Raymond is going to drop the charges against you," she said simply, peeling off her glasses and cleaning them on her dress. He hadn't thought they were dirty. He nodded, but added, "What charges? What did I do, exactly?"

Liza sighed through her nose. "You broke his nose, remember? He says he's going to drop the charges, on one condition. But I don't think you're going to like it." Ed looked at her, motioning for her to go on by rotating his hands in a circle.

"He wants that friend of yours for some testing and research. Chances are she's not from here (Ed gulped) and he needs to confirm some data..." Ed cut her off rudely, red in the cheeks.

"No. I'm not going to let them take Winry. Not to do anything so risky." Liza nodded, adjusting her gown. She pulled out a police uniform and shoved it into his chest.

"I know. And to show you I mean no harm, I'm going to aid in your trial in any way I can."

This took a LOT of fixing, but I think I got everything right. The descriptions in this one kinda suck... I think it's one of those chapters put in just to keep the story moving.

By the way, the next chapter is the reason this story has an M rating, so be warned. It's nearer to the end, though, so I'm not sure if there's any major information you'll be missing. The chapter after that, though, is when the action really picks up. ^_^ Happy reading/reviewing!

~Cookie

Next Update: 09 February 2011