Disclaimer: Not taking credit for anything here, other than this story written with Arakawa's toys on her playground.

Canon: Animeverse1 including CoS and the Mangaverse where it doesn't directly contradict, or Ed where tells me "yah that happened, but it was like this:"

Note: Reviews are wanted, so please encourage me with feedback whether it's good or bad. It lets me know you read it and either enjoyed it, or that you think I need to work harder to make it enjoyable and why. If you see some glaring error, please feel free to point it out. I'm really not too delicate, and I usually actually go and fix those.

Note: This chapter has been a LONG time coming. 11 years or so. Sorry. I really am. I think I have figured out what my problem is now. My goal was to finish this chapter on 3 Oct, and I made it! It's marked as posted on 3 Oct, but I didn't actually manage to post it until slightly after midnight because of a technical issue with my new workspace.

Previously: Edward Elric is sick with an infection in his shoulder port wakens from a strange nightmare to find Winry and his brother are safe and still looking after him. He's improving, but still still has a ways to go.

"Why don't you take another nap, Winry?" Alphonse suggested seeing the way she tried to ease her back and shoulders.

"No…" not that she didn't consider that option, but sleep wasn't really what she needed right now. "I'm not really sleepy. If you don't mind though, I think I'd like a hot bath.

Alphonse looked a little embarrassed, but he waved a hand at her, "Of course, Winry. Ed's fine now."

"He's not fine," Winry said firmly, pointing a finger at the younger brother. "He'll be okay if you keep a close watch on him."

"Yes, ma'am," she heard him agree as she whirled out of the room. Winry was relatively certain Alphonse had rolled his eyes as he said it. She was less certain of hearing a hoarse snicker from Edward, but she wouldn't be surprised. Edward seemed inclined to sleep for only a few minutes at a time, and it was probably why he was having so much trouble keeping track of time. Still, she let it slide. Better snickers and rolled eyes behind her back than either boy in the condition she'd found them in this morning.

Date: 09. Dec. 19 - Tuesday
Time: 09:26
Location: Central City – Home of General Roy Mustang

"Al, you know transmuting gold is a felony," Edward hissed turning the cufflinks he'd picked up off the side table over in his hand and jabbing them at his brother.

Alphonse had no idea why they had caught Edward's eye just then. It wasn't as if the older brother had been too aware of the finer details of his surroundings the last few days. His almost bug eyed reaction once he saw them was comical. "Brother, you know that's only if you transmute other things into gold." Al laughed, and rolled his eyes. "Not transmuting a broken gold thing into a fixed gold thing. Besides, you obviously transmuted it yourself before the party to get it closed."

Edward snorted, fidgeting with his blankets, though it was obvious that he knew his little brother was right. "Still, why'd you have to go and fix it?" He groused. "I was planning to take it to the jeweler."

Alphonse cocked his head slightly. He adjusted a pillow behind Edward's back when he tried to stretch his shoulder and grumbled at the pain. Alphonse had been surprised when Edward had voluntarily asked for help choosing some of his finer wardrobe pieces for the upcoming holiday season a few weeks ago. He still wasn't used to this more adult version of his brother. Granted Edward was still Edward, and still as much of an annoying ass as ever, but now his older brother actually considered how he was perceived by others. Some of it came from living on the other side of the gate where looking out of place could get them into real tangible trouble. With no alchemy to back them up in a fight, it had seemed better to avoid that kind of notice. Edward, once too hotheaded to do much to avoid a fight, had grown up and while still capable of finishing a fight if he had to, was much less likely to engage in one if he could help it.

Once they had returned home, his brother mostly continued to dress more conservatively a majority of the time. At first Alphonse thought it was just what they'd gotten used to. It wasn't like he never saw Edward show any of his flashier tastes. It was just more subtle, like the ruby and gold cufflinks. Alphonse thought when Edward had started teaching, that his mode of dress had become more formal. He was less likely to go out dressed casually. A suit jacket allowed him to display a "badass" red pocket square, or even red dress socks occasionally spied flashing from under the cuffs of his black slacks.

Maybe his brother wasn't as aware of it, but being the same age, or even younger than some of his own students might have been the catalyst. Alphonse thought that Edward had needed to find ways to separate himself from the young men to whom he was responsible for teaching alchemy and high level mathematics and yet still express his own sense of style. Sometimes though, Edward still didn't make sense. "What difference does it make, Brother?"

"Because, I thought Winry would want to go when she got here."

What? Alphonse blinked. "To the jeweler?"

"Girls like that stuff, Al," Edward mumbled, reddening. "The holidays are coming up. I gotta get stuff for the bastard's little party and then there's that big event on New Years Eve. Everyone in the world will be there. We can't look like morons who don't know how to dress ourselves, you know. Why do you think I asked Mrs. Hughes to help me out?"

It was hard for Alphonse not to laugh when Edward said that. "Because we are morons who don't know how to dress ourselves?" Of course Alphonse generally did not need advice to put together a decent wardrobe, though he didn't like to admit he'd asked around about the best places to shop for proper formal attire… "Oh…" he laughed,"because we ARE morons who don't know how to shop for ourselves."

"Correct! At least partially. You win a prize!" Edward tossed the jewelry at his brother.

"I can put it back like it was if you really want me to, Ed," Alphonse laughed.

Edward snorted at that. "Nevermind," he mumbled through a half yawn. "Keep your prize. I'll go pick out some new ones in a couple of days."

Alphonse might have questioned him further, but Edward yawned again, and started shuffling his way down into the blankets for another nap leaving his little brother to the task of setting up Winry's work area so she wouldn't have to be sequestered in Mr. Mustang's lab while she worked on saving what she could from his brother's arm.

Date: 09. Dec. 19 - Tuesday
Time: 12:04
Location: Central City – Home of General Roy Mustang

"You know…" Winry kept her focus steady on her work as she spoke. She had learned long ago not to move her head around when she had her magnifying goggles on. Al was right at her shoulder, watching her carefully pick through the remains of Edward's broken automail arm. "There's a lot of damage here." She pointed out a pair of actuation rails. "These abduction actuators shouldn't have that curve to them. I guess that could have happened when he threw it…"She paused to growl about that. "Damn it! He does the stupidest shit when he's feverish!" Once Winry had that out of her system, she continued to poke around the actuators. Look at this…" Since the top ends of the long narrow strips of steel were disconnected, Winry could pull one of them towards her to reveal the underside of it and the dark angular streaks. "See that?" She sensed Al leaning forward. She could almost feel his frown.

"What is that?"

"It's an arc scorch," Winry told him. "Looks like this was the main contact point," she pointed to it with a probe, "but look here, and here and here," she pointed her tool at various other locations. "This wasn't an isolated arc. It's been going on a while." She dug around in the arm some more. "The hell happened in here?" she grumbled. "It wasn't like this when I did his last maintenance." She released a clip and pulled out a handful of heavy cable. "Look, Al," she jerked off her goggles and shook it at him. "This conduit is split open, and the sheathing on most of the wiring inside is just about burnt off. This didn't happen when he swung that arm at Mr. Mustang." Her voice dropped to a murmur as she considered what she was seeing. "His infections have been caused by impurities in the metals he and his father used to rebuild his shoulder joint to support that arm they made, but it looks like it's going both ways. Biological fluids are also leaking into the main mechanics. This looks like–" she swiped a finger in the rusty looking fluid and rubbed it between her fingers. "It's a mess. Most of these parts are trashed. I was going to build him a new one anyway, but I was hoping more of this one could be salvaged."

"That's going to take some time then," Alphonse observed as Winry flipped her goggles onto her forehead. "I know you brought Brother's new leg and the parts to finish it, but you weren't planning on having to build a whole new arm."

"Soon enough. It's already partly drafted though, don't worry. I have the schematics with me too. Look…" She set the arm down and gave the younger brother a swat on the shoulder and snatched a roll of paper from the far side of the table. "I could build him a new arm like this old thing in two or three days, and you know it." Winry flashed him a cocky grin, but it faded quickly. "He's got time. It's not going to be any rush job for this. He's not going to be ready for a new arm for a while. I'm going to have to replace that port, before he's ready for a standard Automail again. Especially with some of the upgrades I want to do. Ed's not going to like it, but he's going to need some healing and rehab time in a lighter simpler limb. I'll have the real deal done by the time he's ready for it and he's going to be amazed at what some of the new designs can do. It's just as well we're replacing that port. His old one was barely enough to run his current arm, much less manage some of the new breakthroughs. Besides he's bigger now. His anchors and supports should be okay, but he shouldn't have a child's port anymore. You think you're up to assisting me with that?"

"I'm willing to try, Winry, but…" Alphonse shrugged. "It's not specifically my area of study, and I doubt I've learned enough to really be qualified yet. "Don't you think you would want someone with some experience?"

"Uh uh." Winry shook her head and hooked her foot around the leg of the drafting chair that Mr. Mustang had borrowed for her to draw it closer. "Last thing I want is someone second guessing my work. I'd rather teach you as I go than have to deal with that." She planted herself on the stool. "Let me show you something." Winry unrolled the paper, pinning down the corners and reached for her drafting pencil.

She felt Alphonse step closer to look over her shoulder but before she got a chance to expound on the forthcoming virtues of her emerging design, a clunk from behind them turned them both around, just in time to watch Edward ease his back into the chair they'd set by the foot of his bed. How he'd gotten there, without them hearing him moving around was a mystery to Winry, but as he gave it another hard shove with his remaining foot it was clear that the sound that had caught their attention had been Edward kicking the chair around to face more toward the windows.

Winry pitched her pencil down and strode over to stand in front of Edward her hands on her hips. He was sweating and a little pale, but he had a smug grin on his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing Ed?"

"Sitting in a chair?" Edward sassed back.

"Edward…"

"What?" the demanded a little breathlessly. "I wanted something to look at. And besides you said when I got a little of my strength back I could have the spring loader. Obviously I feel a lot stronger now than I did then, right?"

Winry bared her teeth, giving him a short growl of frustration. "It's not just about strength, Ed!" She said pointing at him. You wouldn't be able to bear weight on it even if I were going to let you have it today."

"Aw c'mon, Winry!" Edward groused. "I'm sick of being stuck in bed all the—"

"Ed…" Al's tone was admonishing, but Winry didn't give him the chance to finish.

"Have you seen the bruise in your groin?"

Edward colored and looked away. Winry was pretty sure he was going to say she shouldn't have been looking at it either, or something else stupid like that, but Chairman Mustang came in the room behind them just at that moment. "Well, look who's up. Already getting yelled at again, Fullmetal?"

All three turned to look at the older man. He was carrying a fairly large crate as he pushed his way on into the room. Alphonse went to help him. "What is that, Chairman Mustang? It's heavy!"

"I wish you would just call me Roy. After all, we're in my private home, so it's a little strange for you to call me by my title isn't it?

"Well…" the more polite Elric still seemed a little hesitant, but didn't dispute the request outright. Instead, he avoided the subject by helping to maneuver the box to where Mustang wanted it.

This is something I ordered for this room a few weeks ago." Mustang grinned as he and his helper set the crate down. "The delivery man dropped it off while you were all busy bickering just now."

"So what is it?" Edward echoed Alphonse's question. Winry was glad to see that though he looked tired, he was alert, his eyes bright with curiosity.

"Kinda late for a delivery isn't it?" Winry observed.

"A little unusual," Mustang agreed, "The delivery services are all pretty far behind from the storm, so they're out late."

Mustang pulled the top off the crate, and Alphonse gasped, his eyes widening. "Ed! Wait'll you see this!"

Edward leaned forward huffing impatiently. Winry was pretty sure it was more about not being able to just get up and go look, and annoyed with himself for not healing instantly. It was good to see his eyes so clear now, and less glassy than they had been a day ago. However, she didn't miss the flash of pain that ran across his face before he sat back in the chair with a sigh.

"I understand that you boys gained an appreciation for music while you were away," Mustang noted as he reached into the crate. "So I thought I might as well go ahead and bring it up here." He lifted out what looked something like a small chest with short legs, but parts of the front and sides were cut out and seemed to be protected behind the cutouts with mesh fabric.

"Is that a radio?" Edward leaned forward again a little more carefully. "It looks like an Edison, doesn't it, Al?"

"I guess it does a little," the younger Elric agreed, brushing his hand along the curve of the waterfall top that matched the dresser in the room.

"What's an Edison?" Winry asked.

"An inventor from the other side," Edward supplied. "He's an American."

"Whatever that is," Winry rolled her eyes.

"It's where he's from, Winry," Alphonse explained. "The United States of America. He invented the lightbulb, and—"

"Technically, he didn't invent the lightbulb," Edward interrupted. "He invented the first practical electric lightbulb, and improved the telephone, the telegraph and all kinds of crap."

"He also invented a movie projector, owns a company that makes Edison radios, and invented electrical power transmission to run it all."

"Speaking of which," Winry stopped the brothers before they could derail her train of thought. "I could really use some better light up here. The gaslight is quaint, and all, but I can't get enough light to really see what's going on inside Ed's shoulder. I need a good electric light, but it's too awkward to try to work on it in the bathroom. Do you think we could get an outlet in here somehow? Even if all I can do is plug in a lamp and shine it in there, it would help."

"I could just go downstairs, Winry," Edward suggested.

Winry waved him off. "Don't be stupid, Ed. I don't want you being jostled up and down the stairs right now."

Edward opened his mouth to protest, but Winry silenced him with a black look and a sharply pointed index finger in his face. Edward's mouth closed, though he scowled and a soft growl rumbled in his chest.

"I made arrangements when you mentioned it, yesterday," Mustang told her. "Unfortunately, the electrician can't do the work until late in the day tomorrow. Not to worry, though," He turned his glance to Alphonse. "I think between the two of us—the three of us perhaps, we can work out a temporary solution to get a good lamp in here for you to use."

"A longer cord?" Alphonse suggested?

"Yes!" Winry nodded emphatically. "Something we can screw into the light socket in the bathroom, or maybe plug in downstairs? I can patch something together if you can find the right kind of wiring. Then maybe you or Al can do something to extend the insulation and covering so that it's safe to use."

"Definitely!" Alphonse agreed. "We don't want to burn down the Chairman's house!"

Edward snorted from the chair. "At least not while we're in it."

"Oh, isn't that nice of you, Fullmetal?" Mustang began.

"Pff,"

The older man opened his mouth for what Winry was sure would be another jibe, but a warning glare at both of them, put a quick end to the exchange. She was glad Edward felt well enough to be obnoxious, but she still didn't want those two going at it, banter or not.

Mustang let them prattle on for another couple of minutes. Winry could see the older man was feeling no small amount of relief that Edward's condition seemed to have improved so much in the last 24 hours given how bad he had looked that morning. Winry knew he had a long way to go, but she was also glad to see some spark in him again. Eventually Mustang shrugged and turned the set on, tuning into one of the local stations that played modern music.

"It sounds nice, Mr. Mustang," Alphonse announced. "It's got a really good tone."

"Let me show you something else," the former general closed the hinged top that allowed access to the radio inside the table, and plucked out a square section of the top of the table, flipping it over to an eight by eight grid of inlaid pale maple and dark mahogany squares.

"A chess board!" Alphonse enthused
"A checker board!" Edward observed at the exact same moment.

"Both," Mustang agreed. Pulling out a drawer at the bottom of the table with a set of checkers and a set of chess pieces.

"Oh!" Winry picked out one of the chess pieces. "That's some nice craftsmanship, isn't it?"

Mustang nodded in agreement. "There's another game under this board called backgammon. You play it with the checkers and the rest of this stuff. There's also a deck of playing cards."

The Risembool trio agreed that they'd all seen backgammon played, but none of them knew how to play it. Thus, the next little while was spent in a little lively chatter and a game of checkers between the brothers. Edward lost, and demanded a rematch, but then fell asleep before he could make his first move.

"That explains why I won," Alphonse laughed. "He usually beats me at checkers. He doesn't even have to cheat. I beat him at chess more often than not, though."

"Let's get your light set up while he naps," Mustang suggested quietly. "That way you can get a look inside by the time he wakes up again. It doesn't seem like he ever sleeps that long."

Date: 09. Dec. 19 - Tuesday
Time: 14:26
Location: Central City – Home of General Roy Mustang

Within minutes of her charge stirring awake, Winry got him filled up on his medicines and had her lamp pointed at the inside of Edward's socket. "It looks like a hot mess in there, Ed," Winry pulled her magnifiers over her eyes and leaned in to get a look. "I'm going to remove a couple of the inner brackets and clean this out. It might pinch a little," she warned as she reached for the fine bent nose pliers that Alphonse handed her. The younger Elric, had a good sense of what tools she needed as she worked. His intuition reinforced Winry's choice to ask him to assist her when Edward was healed enough to replace the port. In the meantime, all she could really do was remove as many of the outside pieces of the old port as Edward seemed able to tolerate while getting a look at the tissue underneath. It was still swollen and inflamed, but there didn't seem to be any necrosis.

"That's enough for now." Winry sighed. Even though she often teased him for being a baby when she worked on his automail, Winry knew how tough he was. At the moment though, her childhood friend was flagging, though he tried not to show it. "I'm getting some medicine in there," she told Edward, shushing him when he hissed as she swabbed. "I'm sorry it stings. It just means it's working. It'll settle down in a few seconds." She took the sterilized rubber port plug Alphonse handed her, and screwed it in.

Edward's eyes were squeezed shut. She knew the plug was uncomfortable, but it was necessary now.

"I know it feels weird, but you'll have to keep the plug in all the time until we do your replacement. Your port isn't sealed any more since I took those parts out. I don't want any contaminants getting down into your socket.

Edward grunted softly. "What the hell is going to get in there while I'm stuck in bed anyway?" he wanted to know.

"Water for one thing, Brother," Alphonse explained.

"Don't forget you close on the house tomorrow, and I'm pretty sure you're going to want to bathe before those people get here."

"True."

"Any you'd be surprised. You can get sweat in there, oils from your outer skin, cotton fibers from the sheets, dirt, germs. You're not completely stuck in bed right now, are you? Seems to me that you're sitting in a chair."

"Not much difference," Edward began.

"Enough for you to get yourself in trouble," Winry told him sharply. If you could move yourself to the chair, who knows what kind of trouble you'll get up to now. I'll have to let you have your crutch, of course," she went on, noting how those words brought the light back into his tired eyes. "Yes. I said you could have it when you were strong enough," she asserted. "And you can use it sparingly in this room and to go to the bathroom when you need to if you feel up to it. You better not go crazy though, or there's going to be hell to pay.

Most of the rest of the day was spent quietly despite Edward, complaining of his boredom, he slept more often than he was awake, and that pleased Winry. When he was awake, his appetite was improving, but he also wanted coffee, which she would not allow yet. She did concede that he could have tea to ease the headache the lack of caffeine was causing now but only in moderation.

As evening rolled in, Mr Mustang popped in the room to say goodnight to the trio and headed to an early bedtime. Edward had fallen asleep in the chair again, this time deeply enough that Alphonse was able to just pick him up and ease him into bed while Winry straightened the blankets over him.

"I'll sit with him for a while, Winry," he offered. "You could probably use more sleep."

Winry struck that idea down quickly. "No you won't, Al. You may not be physically tired, but you had a trying weekend with him. You need a break. Go get some more rest." She told him.

"You're tired too, Winry!"

"Ahh!" her finger game up warningly. "Do not argue with me. I'm staying here. I'll just lie down with him. I'll rest just fine and I'll be right here if he needs something."

Winry conceded to let Alphonse stay with his brother for long enough for her to get ready for bed, and then proceeded to shoo the younger Elric out of the room so she could turn down the gaslights and watch Edward sleep for a while.