Chapter three


So close yet so far


The sun shone brightly against Ed's face through the opened window, along with a cool breeze. Ed let out a long groaned and pulled the cover over his head hoping to escape from the dream and realty all together. But it can't be done. He just layed there and continued to think about the dream that happened the pervious night. ' Winry...Is she lost to me?'


"Ed! Wake up already! I have something to ask you!" Winry's voice traveled through the halls and into Ed's sadden room. "Ed!" She called again. This time her voice seemed to be outside the door. But Ed didn't move.

BOOM

The door was wide open and a joyful Winry walked through the room to the bed and a lazy Ed. "Ed! Wake up you sleepy head! Al woke up a few hours ago and left to visit your mom's grave and some friends! And you're still in bed." Winry complained pulling the bed covers from his grip. But he just pulled it back over his head and let out another exhursting groan. She sat down at the corner of the bed and saw how lazy the state alchemist can be.

"What about Auntie?" Ed tried to advoid getting out of bed.

"Oh she went to meet some friends for a while." Winry replied. "Now! You wanna come to the mall with me?"

"Huh?" Ed sat up with a surprise face,letting the blanket drop. "But um... Aren't you going to the mall with your boyfriend?"
"Well yeah but I'm guessing it would be fine with him if you came too. And since you're home alone I thought it would be nice if you came too." She said with the most innocent smile she could master. Ed saw that and let out a weak smile and stared at her with amused eyes.

"You're not going to take no for an answer are you?" Ed asked. She shooked her head sideways with a huge smile on her face know he had already given up. And Ed's smile grew into amused grin at how cougvaious his little Winry was. ' Wait, my Winry?She has a boyfriend already. So she's his Winry. She really is lost to me...' Ed's eyes showed a sudden saddness. A saddness that never showed since he lost his mother and last night. Winry picked it up while he was in deep thought.

"Ed? What's wrong?" Ask with a concern look.

" Huh? Oh it's nothing" The alchemist was putting his shield up again while his saddness disappeared was quick as it came.

" Are you sure?" Winry asked know her friend for a long time.

"Yeah I'm sure. But what happens if Al comes back while we are gone?" Ed asked just to change the subject and concern for his brother.

" Don't worry! Melly will take care of him! Now come on! It's almost 12" Winry assured him. "Lunch will be served soon." With that she left the room to prepare lunch. Ed let out a long sigh trying to regain some energy. Then he stood up to get ready and get dress.

'I can't believe it's 12 already...I never stay in bed that long before...' Ed thought while he sat at the edge of the bed after he finish getting dress. ' Either this is just because I'm relieved that I get to stay home, or...that dream's getting to my head...It probably nothing in the end '

"Ed! Come on! Your rice is getting cold!" Winry shouted up to him.

"Okay! I'll be right down. Just give me a sec!" He yell back to the blond. Ed went down stairs and they ate in silence until Winry broke the ice.

"So, Ed. What are you planning to buy? After all, it's not everyday you can got to the mall since we live almost in nowhere." Winry said with excitment.

"Well I guess we'll know when the time comes." Ed said.

"Yeah. I guess you're right...So then what do you want to do until five?" Winry asked knowing that they were going to bored for a while.

"Well we could read for a while..." Ed suggusted, knowing she'll turn down the offer.

"Are you kidding?" She said hopeing to do something else then read. Ed know Winry all to well, that she wouldn't do it. "Plus I don't want to become a shrimp like you. You spend so much time reading and sitting that you become short. Ya know" Winry added to what she said before.

" Yeah. WAIT! WHAT? A SHRIMP?" Ed yelled. Winry stood up from the table and ran as fast as she could while laughing. Ed stood up and chased after Winry around the house. Winry ran into her room with Ed close behind her. He finally caught up to her and tackled her onto the bed and begun tickling her.

" Ed. Stop. I can't breath." She manged between laughs.

" Then I'll just tickle you to death." Ed said sarcastically, ticking her hard while laughing at how vonluable she could be. Winry continued to toss and turn trying to escape Ed's tickle torture. Ed finally stopped and laied down next to her. Both of them layed there trying to catch their beath again.

" This is like when we were little, remember? " Winry remembered.

"yeah.." Ed replied.

Knock knock knock

"Huh? Who could that be? " Winry wondered.

"well let's find out." Ed said standing up and leaned Winry a hand to help her up. She kindly accepted his offer. And he pulled her up to her feet. And they both race down stairs to find out who this mystery guest was.

They reached the door and Winry opened it to find that her boyfriend was there. While Ed was still stuck behind her. Not being able to view the visiter.

" Hey Winry." He was the first to speak up with a voice that was a little simliar to the voice in Ed's dream.

"Hi Shane. Um...You're here early..." She said, realizing that he was a few hours early.

"Yeah...But I just couldn't wait. It's okay,right?" He tolded her.

"Yeah. It's ok! But I can I bring along a friend?" She asked.

"Of course! So who is your friend?" He asked with a smile.

"Me!" Ed yelled from behind Winry. She stepped aside to let them met each other.

"Shane this is my child hood friend Ed. And Ed this is my boyfriend Shane." Winry introduced them.

Ed finally got a good look Shane. He was a handsome boy. Tall with sumi-long blond hair that reached half way down his ears. That remind Ed of Russel. His eyes were a light blue. He was wearing a green shirt with a pair of jeans.

"Hey man. How you doing?" Shane said holding out his hand.

"I'm good. You?" Ed said shaking Shane's hand.

"Yeah. I'm great. Ok Let's get going." Shane said and turned around to head to his car. Winry grubbed her purse and headed out the door after Shane. She turned back to Ed half way to the car.

"Come on Ed!" She cried. But he didn't move. She sighed and ran up to him. Winry grubbed his hand and surprised him by pulling him the whole way to the car. She sat in the back with Ed and talk to Shane the whole way there. But every once a while she turned to Ed with a confused look. But everytime Ed just stared out the window.

They reached the mall. Shane opened the door for Winry and she stepped out followed by Ed.

"I wonder, what to buy? I should buy something for Grandma Pinako, and Al!" Winry said excitedly.

"Okay okay. Calm down Winry. Let's get inside the mall first." Shane said trying to calm the jumping girl. Ed just smiled weakly and followed them into the mall.

Winry and Shane walked side by side talking on and on and on. But they would stop by a store to browse every few minutes. But Ed just walked around window shopping until something caught his eye. He went in and bought it for a two thousand dollars then left the store in seach for the other two. He found them in a dress store. Winry was coming out of a dressing room to ask Shane his opinion.

"So what do you think?" Winry asked spinning around to show the whole dress front and back.

"You look great in that dress. But you would look great in any dress." He replied. Just then Winry spotted Ed.

"Hey Ed! What do you think?" She said waving her hand back and forth over her head. Ed moved towards them to get a better look. She was wearing a silky, sparkling white dress that helded her figure nicely and ended at her knees with white strip shoes. And a white boa (A/N I don't know what you call them.) With a white silked-feathered fan that was opened and she was holding it to hide her blush. After all every boy walking pass was giving a wolf whisle.

"You look...Amazing Winry." Ed said with a weak grin.

"Thanks Ed. Thanks to the both of you." She added to show she didn't forget Shane or Ed.

Winry headed back to the booth to change back to her normal clothes.

"Having fun?" Shane asked.

"Yeah. Tons" Ed replied

" But it seems-" Shane was cut off but Winry's voice.

"Ok!" She said. She stepped out of the booth with the dress in her hand.

"Here I'll handle the charges" Shane said taking the clothes out of Winry's hand and headed to pay for the dress,

"Thanks!" Winry yelled after him. " So Ed what did you buy?"

"Nothing." Ed reply. Not wanting to tell her what he bought just yet.

"Ok. On to the next store?" Shane said with a shopping bag in his hand. Winry grubbed Ed and Shane's hand to pull them into another store. This time a make-up store. She let go of their hands and left into the store know that the two boys wouldn't want to be in a make-up store.

" I never thought that Winry would be one to wear make up..." Said Ed thinking back all those years he known her. Shane just smiled then looked at Winry going throught all the make-up products. They found a bench in front of the store and sat down.

" So Ed. Do you like her?" Shane asked not taking his eyes off of Winry.

"Huh? oh no, Winry and I are just old friends.Why would you say that anyways?" Ed said quickly in his defence while a light red blush came into view.

"Well. You're blush and she seems to care a lot about you. It seems you two would have a small connection." Shane said turning to Ed.

"But either way it's too late. You two are together now." Ed told him.

"ah. So you do like her." Shane said grinning at his victory of getting Ed to spill the secrects.

"But um..." Ed begun but had nothing to say.

"Don't worry. You have my word I won't tell her. Until the time comes that is." Shane said.

"When the time come?" Ed question the older boy.

"So what did you boys talk about?" Winry right there in front of them.

"How long have you been there?" Ed asked hopeing it wasn't too long. Shane just gave a small laugh.

"I just got here." Winry said. Ed nodded and the two boys stood up ready to go. But when Ed stood up a small package fell from his pocket.

"huh?" Winry looked down at the small tightly wrapped package.

"What's this?" She said bending down to pick it up. Ed turned around and saw it was the same package he had bought.

"Um...It's mine. Don't worry about it" Ed said snatching the package from Winry's hands.

"Um...Ok..." Winry said a little shooked.

They droved home and Ed was silent the whole way.

"Thanks for the trip Shane." Winry said.

"You're welcome. Hey nice meeting you Ed. Bye Winry." He said walking towards the car but stopped half way and waved good bye.

"Nice meeting you too!" Ed yelled after the boy.

"Bye Shane!" Winry yelled after her boyfriend. Then he droved off. Ed closed the door when Winry came into the house completely.

"Well, I guess Al isn't back yet... I guess he might spend the night...And Auntie Pinako isn't back either." Ed said first.

"yeah." Ed agreed. " Well I guess this is the first day of my vacation. And it's over."

"By the way Ed, what was in the package?" Winry asked.

"Don't worry about it." Ed said smiling to hide he was laying.

"Liar..." Winry mumbled under her breath.

"Acutrally I didn't lie...You really shouldn't worry about yet." Ed said. His shield was up again and Winry could tell. Thou she couldn't help but wonder what he meant when he said yet. But maybe, just maybe one day she would take apart that shield and reopen his heart again. Just like before.


Hey people! I think I'll start a talk show...A new story! On every chapter! I'll have a talk show host post too! Anyways I hope you enjoyed this! R&R please! thanks.