Dear Reader,

I hope yall don't hate me for this chapter. It's pretty sad...But don't *sniffle* worry! There has to be a down point to the story! Think of it as Twilight *gag*...You'll catch my drift. okay so I should have the next chapter done within the hour. Thanks so much for the reveiws guys! Keep them coming! They give me strength! AHHHH! And I hope this chapter was alright...

- Ramona F.

P.S, seriosly, to get a feel for this chapter, listen to the song quoted.


Sacrifice

Yeah but nobody searches
Nobody cares somehow
When the loving that you've wasted
Comes raining from a hapless cloud
And I might stop and look upon your face
Disappear in the sweet, sweet gaze
See the living that surrounds me
Dissipate in a violet place
Can't you see what you've done to my heart
And soul?
This is a wasteland now

-Slow Hands, PDA

" Sugar?"

Winry tried to contain a tremor as the cold eyed woman gave her one of her glacier smiles and held up a beautiful ceramic cup of glistening little sugar cubes. After all of the things she had experienced while being with the humunclie and their Master, she never saw this coming.

After Winry had been whisked away, she had been taken to a sun room with walls made entirely of glass. They where surrounded by many flowers and plants, and sat at a small circular table for two, with a delicate white lace table cloth reaching all the way to the floor. It was quite beautiful in that place, and reminded her of a magical forest of sorts. She guessed the Dante spent most of her time here, and that fact made the girl a little less intimidating to Winry. Caring people cared for plants. And Dante had gone to the trouble of setting up a small brunch for them and everything. With little cucumber sandwiches and scones. Winry felt disgusting and gross, covered in dust and who knows what else, compared to beautiful Dante and her pale dress.

" Yes please." Winry smiled.

She gingerly took three sugar cubes. Dante's eyes widened slightly.

" My, that is a lot of sugar."

Winry blushed as she plopped them in her tea, careful not to let any get on the nice white cloth.

" Yes, I have a sweet tooth."

" But your so thin, how do you manage such a figure?" Dante asked, smiling.

Winry blushed. " Oh, I don't really pay attention to that sort of stuff."

Really, Winry ate whatever she wanted. She was a pretty hardy eater, but loved healthy foods. She worked a lot with her muscles, lifting and pulling heavy things, so she always burned off whatever she gained with her automail work. Winry didn't wear tube tops for nothing.

" And what beautiful skin you have. Has it always been so smooth?"

Winry smiled and blushed. " Really Dante, your skin is much prettier than mine!"

She didn't know what was going on, but being out in the mid day sun, and surrounded by the sweet smell of roses, while being complemented by a beautiful woman felt like Winry was in a strange dream, or a fairy tale. Dante felt like a queen to her.

" Why thank you Winry...Now I have a question for you." Dante didn't look up at her as she poured some cream into her tea and stirred it slowly with a small spoon.

Winry's eyebrows pulled together, " Question? What kind of question?"

Dante shrugged her shoulders ever so slightly and smiled. " Nothing important really. Just girl talk. I want to know more about you Winry. During your stay with us, you and I haven't really had time to connect yet." Dante met her eyes and her smile grew softer.

Winry didn't know what to think.

This woman was in fact scary beyond all reasons...But Winry felt like she was sincere with her words. But this was the woman who had said Envy and the others didn't have hearts...The woman who made Envy throw up red stones and cause him to get weaker...

But, Winry decided, if Envy could change, than so could Dante.

She decided to give her a chance.

" Ask away." Winry cheerfully smiled.

There was an unreadable glint to Dante's eye, but she smiled and laced her fingers, resting her face in them as Envy had at breakfast.

" So, tell me Winry, how do you and Fullmetal know one another?"

Winry was a bit surprised by the question, and took a sip of her tea. It was a little too hot, and she wanted to spit it back out, but that would be embarrassing. Especially in front of the sharp eyed girl.

" I've know him since I was really little...You see, we come from the town Resembool, and it's pretty small. Our houses where only a hill apart." Winry closes her eyes, and already she can see the winds of Resembool move across the grass, moving the high blades like waves in the ocean. She sees herself walking up the embedded path to the Elric's. She knows it blind folded now. Once she reaches the top, she doesn't see the charred remains of their home, or the skeletal tree that loomed over the remains like some dark, grim reaper reminding her of their past. But a two story house, with a healthy, living tree beside it, watching over the house and all who live in it. There are two boys in the front lawn, both blond and laughing. The shorter one is the one that catches her eye...He holds himself like he's ten feet tall, even though he is rather small. His gold eyes find their way to her, and he's smiling a lop sided grin, closing his eyes. He waves his arm in the air, and it magically isn't automail. " Winry! Hey Winry!"

Winry opens her eyes as the memories fade. She stares at her tea, see's her eyes reflected in the red surface. She wondered then if Trisha hadn't passed, and Ed and Al hadn't lost their bodies...If they would still be there. And she could walk that hill and have his golden eyes find her. Still have him run and and ask to play.

Winry closed her eyes.

No, Edward would never do that. He wasn't interested in anything but getting he and Al's bodies back. He was focused, and dead set on getting what he wanted. And he blatantly showed a blind eye to Winry, except when he needed her mechanical skills. But Winry sucked it up every time. It was her job. He would come home when he got himself banged up, demand a new arm in a week, then vanish.

And expect her not to worry.

Or be upset.

Or cry and think about the horrible things that could happen to him.

She could see herself now, hunched over, sitting behind him as she fixed his arm. His shirt was off, and his skin was bruised over strong muscles from his last scuffle, she presumed. His hair was down, flowing a dark gold and his head was bent. She had tried, pleaded with him not to go. But as always, when she finished the repairs, he backed away. Put distance between them. He wouldn't say anything as he left. Just would put on his many layers of clothing. Then stare at her for a moment before he shut the door.

" Something wrong?" Dante asked softly.

Winry jumped a bit, startled, because she had used the exact same words she had in her dream.

Winry squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memories. But they came.

Dante sitting on a throne. A black throne with people suffering carved into the side. Winry feels that her hands are bound. " Something wrong, my dear?" Dante asks, her tone playful. Winry tried to untie the ropes, and once she does they turn into two snakes, who hiss and fight one another, but their movements mirror one another, making it hard for them to fight. Eventually they both kill themselves. Now that the ropes are gone, Winry finds she's paralyzed, and looks down at her wrists to see her snake bites are reopened and fresh. She screams in pain, fire going through her. But like a blanket of peace, she feels Envy's arms around her. She looks up to see his amethyst eyes are full of pain. Then he changes. Slowly, he's Edward, with the same pained expression on his handsome face, only expressed through a burning gold she can feel throughout her soul. " Where did you go Win?" He whispered, his voice so close but also far away. She feels tears streaming down her face. She felt so sorry for some reason. So terribly sorry for doing something. She clasped onto him tighter and tried to hold on, but he was moving away from her. To Dante's throne. She watched as the tall woman stood to greet him, holding her arms out. Winry suddenly felt a light shinning from beneath her, and looked through it's blinding rays to see Dante wasn't Dante. She was Winry. And she was smiling that cold smile that didn't reach her eyes. Winry screamed, feeling immense pain from the light. Dante finally had Edward in her arms, and he slowly pulled her into a kiss. Winry cried through her pain. " Edward! Stop! That's not me!" Then a shadow descended on her. She looked up into Envy's amethyst eyes and saw herself reflected in them. She wasn't herself. She was Dante. " Say good bye, mother." Envy had a sadistic smile on his face as he raised back his hand and turned it in to a blade, and moved to cut through her. Just as the blade was about to fall, she was in another place. She was in Resembool. Sitting in a chair on the hill separating her house from Edwards. And then she saw them. Edward and Envy, not far off in the distance. They stood facing each other, and both had their arms turned into swords. Winry wanted to shout, but she had lost her voice. So she had to watch. They began to fight, just like the snakes. Their movements where exactly the same, and neither of them moved to doge of defend themselves. They only cut each other apart. Slowly, Winry watched them both die, and was left alone, with out a voice.

"...Winry? Winry!"

Winry shook with terror. She felt her body go out in a cold sweat.

She had never had such dreams. Not since her parents died. And not since Ed and Al first left home. But these dreams where different...they sent a fear through her that was all too real.

It took her a moment to gather herself together. She looked up at Dante's slightly startled face.

" You went white as a sheet...Is something wrong?"

The chill was still in her voice.

Winry didn't want to speak about her dream, so she told a half truths.

" I was remembering the night Ed and Al tried to bring their mother back."

That was also a disturbing image that she could erase from her memory. Ed in Alphonse's arms...And the blood. All of the blood...It had been too much for Winry. She had nightmares about it for weeks on end. " I'm sure you know what they did...Since you seem to know everything." Winry whispered, looking down, then meeting her icy gaze.

Dante stared at her for a moment, appearing to be in deep thought.

" You where there? During it all?" She asked quietly.

Winry shook her head, and stared down at her tea.

" No...I doubt they would have let me, even if I knew what was going on. No, I wasn't there. But Al...He came to our doorstep...With Edward in his arms. His arm and leg where cut clean, and he was...Bleeding to death. I...I've never been so scared in my entire life." Winry whispered that last part. She had been so afraid Edward was going to die. She didn't know what she'd do if...She shook her head. She couldn't think of that.

" You care deeply for him. Much more than a mechanic or child hood friend would..." Dante mused. She held her tea cup before her lips.

Winry met her eyes and smiled softly.

" Yes, I do. But Edward...He's complicated. He doesn't have times for things like that...And he sees me only as his childhood friend, Winry Rockbell," She laughed bitterly, " The automail junkie. He's too absorbed in alchemy and getting he and Al's bodies back for anyone else. So...I'll be whatever he wants me to be, besides," She stopped herself before saying what she was about to. She was going to say, I have Envy. But she knew she couldn't, so she simply said another true statement, " I'm just glad he wants me around at all."

Dante stared at her as she explained this, and a knowing smile came on her face.

When Winry finished, she and Dante stared at each other for a few minutes.

" He does care for you my dear. Deeply."

Winry couldn't conceal a startled little gasp.

" What makes you say that?" She asked, suspicious.

Dante closed her eyes and smirked.

" I have my resources...But since you went missing Fullmetal has been a complete mess. I hear in his free time he puts up missing persons adds all over Central. His new obsession is no longer the Philosophers stone my dear," she opened her eyes and Winry could see the pale blue. They pierced through her, and Winry dared her to say the words she expected. She hoped she wouldn't, because it would only taunt Winry's poor heart even more. But at the same time, a small part of her hoped she would. But Winry tried to fight it off. Because now she felt halved...

She now realized something crucial that she had been trying to ignore. But what her dreams where bringing to reality.

Twin snakes...They're both so much alike...

Winry was in love with Envy.

She felt joyous for having announce it. Her soul felt like it had leapt off a building and was soaring high in the air, free.

But then came crashing to the ground with a sickening realization of what was staring her in the face.

Because her old love was burned into her, and unmovable. Winry doubted if she would ever rid of it. It was something she had had her entire life.

Because she is also in love with a certain alchemist...

" Edward Elric is searching for you. Winry Rockbell."


Envy stood on the roof. He stared up into the cloudy sky. It had been a bright day, but he feared it may rain. He noticed how ironic it was. That this morning everything had seemed to be perfect...And now it was all going into chaos.

Damn...This better not put us behind schedule.

His hands itched in anticipation.

And dread.

While Winry was at her little tea party ( Sloth had used her powers to their advantage) Envy and the others had devised a plan. Everything was very simple.

But also, very, very complicated.

Because Lust's instructions where thick in the back of his mind...

And he really didn't want to carry out with them.

Don't listen to Lust...

Envy shook his head at the voice, as if it could see him. He then remembered it couldn't and was probably waiting for a reply. He still felt crazy when he spoke to the blasted thing.

" I have to..." He whispered out loud.

" Don't worry Envy, everything will be okay."

He jumped a bit to see Wrath standing beside him. He was staring out at the horizon, with sharp eyes. Envy noticed that he had grown a little. Envy smiled. He wasn't going to be able to call him imp for much longer. He turned his gaze back to the sky, his smile fading and his face becoming serious.

" Even so, there is the chance that this plan could back fire."

He felt Wrath tense beside him.

" And then Winry would be in even more danger..." Wrath finished.

" Exactly. So, I'm counting on you Wrath." He turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Wrath stared up at him with wide eyes. Envy had seen little brothers looking up tot heir elder sibling with the same expression. And he was glad to be receiving it.

" But what if I'm not fast enough." Doubt and nervousness crossed his eyes momentarily.

Envy shook his head. " Your fast enough kid. Trust me."

Wrath smirked, and revealed his sharp teeth.

As they stared at the horizon together, watching the skies slowly churn into darker grays, Envy couldn't help but smile darkly at them.

He felt as if fate was testing him.

That same fate who had sent the pipsqueak to the train station and made Gluttony speak like the voice. The same fate that seemed to be testing him now with making a crucial decision.

A decision Envy certainly did not want to make.

He looked up at the sky.

Never, in his whole existence had he ever believed anything was up there. Not once. He laughed at miserable humans who believed the sun was a living being, or any other rubbish. But he knew of the gate. Had heard tales. So there must be something beyond this. There had to be someone pulling the strings to his rotten existence. So he looking up at it. Looked straight into it's imaginary eyes and grinned.

" Now listen to me you sick bastard. I don't know who or what your are, and I don't even know if your there. But..." He closed his eyes, and he saw Winry sleeping. Curled up with a smile on her angelic face. He opened his eyes again, and found he felt calm. Relaxed, " I don't know what will happen to me after this. And I really don't care. Just...Give me the strength to do it."

He looked down at his hands. They where trembling. Thunder boomed in the distance, as if the fate was ordering him to continue.

Envy closed his eyes and whispered to the imaginary fate, " Give me the strength to do what's right. For once."

Wrath didn't ask him who he was speaking to. He had an idea that the child actually had an idea himself. Wrath just stood and looked out on the horizon. Envy didn't know what was going threw the kids mind. But he looked a hell of a lot more focused than Envy.

" Envy..."

He turned to see Sloth. She had a small smile on her face. But it was sad. She had her eyes down cast, and her cheerfulness was gone. Replaced by her old self. She finally met his eyes.

Envy's chest tightened.

A thunder clap sounded over head.

" She's in her room."

Envy stared at the roof tiling. He studied it's intricate designs. The water that now beagn to spirnkle down onto it's surface. It pooled and collected, then eventually the entire roof was soaked. He hardly felt the rain. He hardly felt anything at all.

Except for that feeling of falling.

He looked at Wrath, and saw he was staring up at him.

" I love her to, Envy." He whispered.

He couldn't help but smile a small little smile. But it faded as quickly as it had come, and his face became like the calm before the storm. His face was emotionless but his amethyst eyes where raging with inner turmoil.

" Just be ready." He said in his steely tone. As he said this, he fell off the side of the roof with grace and agility he was proud of possessing. Grabbing on to the roofs edge he flung himself into Winry's room, landing silently on his feet. She always left her window open for him. Sorrow filled him and he tried with all of his being to bite it back. But Déjà vu flooded over him.

She was facing away from him. Facing the desk in the room. Brushing out her long, wet hair.

Envy stiffened. And couldn't help but smile.

This was how we met...He smiled.

Envy recalled how different the circumstances had been back then...

How different he had been.

Envy stood and marveled her for a moment, but he knew he couldn't stand here for too much longer. There wasn't enough time. And if he didn't do this quickly, then he wasn't sure he would be able to work up the courage again. Being quiet as a shadow, Envy walked to her, the only sound was his arm turning into a blade and the water dripping to it's point and onto the floor.

He ever so lightly pressed the point to her back.

Envy closed his eyes. They where burning. Like his throat.

Like the rest of him.

" Envy?"

He opened his eyes to find Winry looking up at him. Her face was full of confusion. She looked at the blade, and then back up at him.

God damn it!

He gritted his teeth as Lust's stupid plan rung in his mind.

To make sure she is completely safe...

" Envy? What's wrong?"

He felt warm hands flutter on him. The feeling made him feel warm. He gritted his teeth and opened his eyes. His face twisted into that of disgust and it took all of his strength to bat the hands away.

" Don't touch me, human."

Every word stung him, as he could see it did her. Winry's face fell into an even deeper confusion. But he pushed himself to continue...All the the while with Lust's words in his head.

...You will have to do what you fear to do...

" Envy I...What's wrong?" she asked, as tears filled into her blue eyes.

He made himself smile darkly through his pain.

He wanted to reach out and wipe those tears away. Wanted to smooth out her hair and whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Wanted to make her his...Wanted to be everything he couldn't be for her.

" Nothing. I've just come to kill you, that's all. I hope you weren't expecting something else."

Her body shuddered. But she got a determined look on her face, and she stood her ground to him.

" What's wrong Envy? Why are you acting li-"

He pushed her back wards into her desk with brutal force. He could see the fear in her eyes. Could hear her small gasp. He closed his eyes, trying not to remember nights spent with her.

But it was too late.

He was already remembering her snuggling up to him, looking up at him. He could feel her fingers out lining his face, a finger going over his lips. He could hear her laugh. Could taste her on his lips. He could hear her gasp. Could feel his slow hands go up her back.

" Envy...Your hurting me.."

He hadn't realized he had her pinned to the desk.

He stared down at her fiercely.

" Your going to feel nothing in a moment dear. Don't worry..."

Her eyes went wide with alarm as he grabbed onto her. He threw her like a rag doll out the open window and prayed that Wrath be on time...

There!

Envy moved to the window, and saw as Wrath landed, Winry in his small arms. He stared angrily up at Envy.

" What the hell Envy?" Wrath shouted through the rain.

" Master says we don't need her anymore, so I was just taking care of her."

He saw Wrath stiffen, and then turn his attention to Winry.

He knew what he was saying. They had rehearsed it.

" Don't worry, I'll get you out of here."

Envy could remember Lust's red eyes on him as she stared straight into his eyes.

She'll have to never want to come back. She'll have to hate the one thing that's keeping her here. Fear what she's learned to love.

Envy bitterly smiled.

No. She had never loved him. He had never heard her say it.

I was so close...

He jumped and spun in the air, landing just in front of Wrath. Now he was supposed to chase them. This is where it got tricky.

Wrath ran with Winry in his arms, and Envy followed suit. They dodged trees, and jumped over upturned roots. Envy never lost track of them, and when Wrath came to the vantage point, Envy changed into him. Wrath pretended to stumble and drop Winry. He fell behind a tree and Envy came gliding up behind him. Wrath and he met eyes for a moment, and Wrath nodded with a small smile.

Envy scooped up Winry, feeling her softness against him sending that damned fire through him. But it went away when he heard her sobs. They where quiet...But still there. She shivered against him.

He grunted. It was very hard to carry Winry in these small arms. He didn't know how Wrath could have done it...But he would make it. This was his idea of the plan. He had used his shape shifting as an excuse to see her one last time...He had to see her off. Had to made sure they got her before Dante could realize she was gone. Once she was safe with the Elric's then everything would be okay. She would be safe. Envy seethed with old rage, but let it fade as quickly as it had come.

Winry's going to be safe. That's all that mattered to him now. Not even his own life. Whatever a lame excuse it was for a life.

Even how much I hate to give her up.


Ya...So this is *sniffle* the best I could do! Seriously guys, if it sucked I'm sorry! AHHH! But it's all coming together now. *sigh* even if my fingers hurt, I've already got the next chapter half way done. *makes a determined face* and I shall finish it! Review please!