Here I am, once again, with a chapter for you all.
Opening a new arc, with a new start, I tell you I'm having a ball.

Heh, I rhymed. Seriously though, new arc and what not. Now it's time to focus on the potential romance between Ed and Winry. Who knows, maybe there's something between them.

Enjoy.

Episode 24 - Winry's Mistake?

Ed sat back at his desk, finished with the assignment at hand and was taking a few minutes to relax. His chemistry class was ending within the month and the materials to learn were becoming sparse.

Leo leaned over. "Ed. What are you doing after school?"

Drawing his attention to his friend, he thought for a moment. "I'm helping Winry study Bio, she's nervous about her exam."

He squinted at his friend. "Is there something going on that I should know about. You've been over her place a lot lately."

It was true, Ed had gone to her house at least once a week. Not for any elongated amount of time, just to help her study and do homework also any projects he helped out on. Ed was actually taking Bio in the next semister, so this was good pratice for him.

"Nothing at all. I'm just helping her go over work." He said in his own defence.

"Seriously then, you're not interested?" Leo wanted conformation.

"Seriously." Ed replied.

"Here's hoping, don't want to lose you to the Jocks." He scoffed.

"As if. I'm not the 'Jock' type."

Leo paused. "Does that mean Al is?"

"...Kinda'...maybe...not really. He's just sporty." He defended his brother time to time; he really wasn't a jock, he just fell into that crowd because he had more in common with them.

"I guess." Hesitating, he finally decided to ask. "So, what does Al think about you and Winry spending so much time together?"

"I don't know. He seems to have lost interest in Winry. Or at least he thinks I'm not interested in her."

"I thought you said you weren't interested." Leo caught him in a lie.

"I'm not."

"You said that Al thinks you aren't interested in her. Which means you are, it's just that Al doesn't know." Leo cleverly pointed out Ed's Freudian slip.

Ed paused. "Fine." He gave in to Leo's proding. "I'm interested in her, but it's noting I'm likely to presue."

"That's better." He smirked.

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"So he had both?" Al said, sitting back on the patio furniture in Breda's sun room at the back of his house.

"Yup." He nodded, taking a sip of Pepsi. "Had Gonnorhea from the start, and got the Aids from sharing a needle with his girlfriend several hours later after the party. She got the hiv when she cheated on him with...uh, what's his face. Eh, I can't remember. Some old guy."

"Huh...they were both unfaitful and they both got screwed over." Al took in the information as an omen. 'Being faithful is a good thing.' Pausing for a moment, he pieced the information together. "So...Clause didn't catch anything then...so wait a minute...that means she didn't brush her teeth in between me and him."

The two adolesence looked at eachother, a look of sheer discust on each of their faces. "Uuuh." They cringed.

Through all the trouble the first year was laying on them so far, everyone was really glad it was at the halfway point. Winter was in full force and the spring felt as if it was miles and miles away.

"So, when are the rest of the guys showing up." It was Friday evening and Breda's parents allowed him to have people over because they were going out for the evening to a cabin party. One of the seinor players on the team was buying a some alcohol for them so they could have a drink while the folks were out. They omitted that part when convincing the folks of course.

Al stood up and went over to the wood stove to prod at it. "Think we should throw another one on?"

"Sure." He said, pouring himself some more pop.

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"Alright Ed...um, could I bother you to give me a ride to Breda's?" Winry said, closing up her books.

"Not a problem. If you don't mind my asking, what for?" Ed asked as he placed a few books in his book bag.

She shrugged. "I was promised rum and egg nog, and I love egg nog, espically when it's free." She grabbed a hair tie from around her wrist and tied her hair back in a thick pony tail. "The rum is just an added bonus."

He nodded. "Cool. Actually, that reminds me, mom asked me to pick some up." Edward thought about last year around the holiday season when egg nog was last being sold. He was kind of sad that it was only sold in winter.

"Why not come with me afterwards? That way I'd at least have one guy there who's not pawing at me." She tightened the tie with one more wrap around.

Hesitant, he thought about going. "Well...Al's going to be there, probably. It's just a little weird hanging around with his friends."

"And what am I?" She said, kind of hurt.

Quickly catching himself with being insensitive, he corrected his statement. "What I meant was, it's going to be him and all his friends and your friends, I'd feel bad bothering you the whole night if you wanted to spend time with them. That's all."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it Ed. You'll have fun, and you don't have to drink if you don't want to."

He thought about it. "Maybe not this time."

She huffed. "Fine...but I'm dragging you with me one of these times. You're so nice to me, I want to pay you back somehow." She smiled.

Not being able to help the red in his cheeks, he smiled. "I'll think about it. I'm just a little sketchy after what happened to Al."

"True enough...do you mind us heading out now?" She looked at the clock, it was dark outside, but it was only five.

"Not a problem." He smiled. Ed was beginning to think that his persute of Winry might be more likely than he originally thought. Not getting his hopes up was a good idea, but he played with the idea of actually asking her out.

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After finishing with the dishes, Ed decided to give his brother a call. Al had asked to be checked on, just in case there was a repeat of the last party he went to. Dialing Al's cell phone number, he heard ringing coming from the living room. Reluctantly, he hung up the house phone with his thumb and released the button once again. Fortunatly for him, Al left the house phone number that he was at with him.

"Hello?" A voice sounded through the phone, he didn't recognize it.

"Hey is Alphonse there?" He asked over the music in the background. It wasn't too loud, but still, he had to speak up.

"Yeah, who's this?" The guy asked.

"It's Ed. I just wanna' know if he needs a ride."

"I'll ask." He covered the mouth piece just so he wouldn't deffen Ed. "Hey Al? You need a ride, Ed's on the phone.....alright." The phone was no longer muffeled. "He said no, he's crashing here."

"Alright, thank you."

"Woah, hold on. Winry wants to talk to you." He could hear her voice in the background.

"Hey Ed." She said in an overly cheerful manner. "Wasup'?" It was obvious she had been drinking.

"This is it. You sound like you're having fun." He laughed to himself, he never really took Winry to be the 'partyer' type, she seemed more reserved and mature.

"I am...but I'm tired now. Would you gimmy a ride home. If it's not gonna be a bother." She sounded concerned.

Allowing a few different scenarios run through his head of what might happen if he was around her while she was drunk, he shook his head. "Not a problem. Do you want me to leave now?" He looked at the kitchen clock, it was only ten, so he was still allowed on the road. "Remember, I can't drive after midnight."

"Oh no, no. Now would be good."

"Alright. I'm getting my coat on now."

"Thakns." That being said, she hung up the phone.

Ed did the same, pondering why she was leaving soo soon. Maybe she was just tired and wanted to go home, but then what if Roy didn't keep his end of the bargin. Hoping for no drama, he headed out.

Trying his best to follow the directions Al had left him, he finally managed to find his house. As he feared, Winry wasn't out on the front step waiting for him. He waited a minute, crossing his fingers that she was just inside out of the cold and was periodically checking out the window for him. Not even seeing anyone in any of the windows in the front, he assumed they were all in the back. Al had mentioned that he had a sun room at one point, so they must have been there.

"Son of a..." Ed zipped up his coat and stepped out of his vehical, making sure to lock the doors, he stepped into the snow lining the roadways. Winters were always cold, it didn't help that there was a lake nearby, the cold wind blowing off of it chilled you right down to the bone.

Making it up to the side door, Ed pushed the doorbell and waited patiently. Breda, being the only one in the house who actually lived there, pushed the door open. "Yo, sup?"

Ed waved. "Hey, nothin'. Um, I'm here to get Winry, she wanted a ride home."

"Sure." He smiled. "Come on in for a sec." He held the door open for him.

Stepping inside the house, he admired the paintings on the walls. "Wow. Where did all these come from?" He said, referencing all the artwork.

"Oh, those?" He said as they both headed down to the hall to the sun room. "Just a hobby of mine."

Most of them were abstract art, but there were a fer portraits up. "They're amazing...wow."

"Ya' think?" He looked at them in passing. "Thanks. I didn't think they're anything special, but I'm glad someone liked them."

Ed was wowed, he always figured Jocks to be brainless sport fanatics, but Breda had some real talent. The nicest one was, from the looks of it, a pencil sketch done of him and his parents. It looked as though it was based on the picture on a nearby shelf.

Finally making it to the back porch that was lined with windows, he set his eyes on Winry, who, at that time, was curled up in the armchair closest to the wood stove, dozing slightly on her own right hand. Al was nowhere in sight, Ed sighed in relief. Walking up to Winry, he touched her arm lightly. "Winry. Ready to go?"

She came to and smiled. "Hey Ed. Thanks for showing."

He could see that he face was red from ear to ear, it was apparent that she enjoyed the egg nog to it's fullest extent. "Sure. Need some help up?" He extended his hand.

Taking it lightly, Winry rose to her feet, giving a teeter as she did so. "I shouda' stopped two drinks ago. But lets go." She walked to the exit, not befrore giving Breda a hug and thanking him for inviting her.

"Hey Ed." Breda said.

"Yeah?"

He smiled. "Would you have showed up if I invited you?"

"I don't see why I wouldn't." Edward said with uncertainty.

"Fine." Giving Ed a smiled, he raised a glass to him. "Al's a good guy, I'm going to assume you are too. I'll invite you next time. You better show." He pointed a finger at him, the rest of his hand holding on to his glass.

Giving the red head a smile, Edward nodded. "Sure."

Heading out to the vehical, he watched the young blond girl lean up against the side and fuss with the handle. "Is locked." Her forehead pressed against the glass.

"Hold on." Ed hopped in the van and popped the lock on the driver side door.

Winry got in and buckled her seat belt. "Thanks agian Ed." She said, relaxing in the passenger seat.

"No problem. I really didn't have anything better to do." He started up the van and headed towards Winry's house. Fortunatly for him, he found his way quickly and was at Winry's place before he knew it.

"I hate to bug you again...but it's icey, mind giving me a hand to the step. I'm sorry I keep bugging you for stuff." She said, he feet hanging over the edge near the snow.

He, once more, got out of the van and rounded the front. "I told you, I don't mind. You're a friend, remember."

She smiled warmly, her cheeks still ravaged with blush, maybe now a little more than before because of what Edward had said to her. "Thank you." She took his hand and got out into the cold night air.

Even though it was cold and wet out, the night sky was clear as a bell, not a clud to be seen. The clouds had all been snowed out a few days ago and hadn't had a chance to move more in.

Winry held onto Ed's arm as they both made their way safely to her door. "So um..." Ed began. "Is your mom and dad home? Won't they be cross with you?"

She shook her head. "I rarely drink, so they don't care, so long as I'm home before one in the morning."

Ed envied Winry's freedom. "That's pretty cool of them."

"I guess. Anyway, thanks s'again." She was still tipsy, if she hadn't have been so, she wouldn't have wrapped her arms around Ed's neck and gotten in really close to his lips.

Ed could feel his entire body start burning. "Winry?" He said, her only inches away from his own.

Snapping out of her stupor, she took a step back, sobroity slapping her right in the face. "Oh gosh...I'm sorry Ed, I forgot, we're not dating..."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it...can you make it to your room ok?"

She nodded, she didn't seem as cheerful anymore. "I'm good, thanks." That being said, she headed off into her house, closing the door behind her.

After driving home and getting setteled in bed, he thought about what Winry had said. In the last couple months, he did notice them becoming closer, but for her to say 'she forgot' that they weren't dating sent a berrage of ideas though his adolecent mind. "Maybe we..." Shaking the idea form his head, he just kept telling himself that she was under the influnce and wasn't thinking right.

There you go. Just a tiny snippit of what is to come. I've had an idea for Ed an Winry's relationship for the longest time, and now, I finally get to present it to you. I know for a fact, if you've like this fic so far, you'll love my latest idea.

Tell me what you think. :P