Disclaimer: The reason I'm not a fan of putting disclaimers is that if I really did own FMA, would I be wasting my time writing fanfiction?

Notes from Shardy: Okay, I upload chapter two, but I had forgotten that I didn't post it. So all this time I'm like, why aren't I getting reviews for chapter two? Duh, Shardy. You hadn't posted it yet! Heh heh...(stupid wench)...

Chapter Two

While Edward was getting over the initial shock upon learning Winry's physical condition and tossing phones at Mustang, Winry was herself trying to come to terms with this news.

She probably knew of this since day one. Natural feminine intuition or something like that. The morning sickness, the hot flashes, the need to have garlic chips in her ice-cream were merely outward indications of the child she carried.

Anyone who romanticized the possibility of being pregnant with one's best friend's child had never been in her situation.

To be honest, she hated the child. She wanted to be rid of it. But at the same time, it was a part of her and the maternal longing to hold it in her arms kept her from seeing the village doctor for an abortion. And if Pinako had been surprised, it was only because Winry had been able to hide this for so long. For the previous four months, she explained her increasingly strange behavior as a result of missing Ed so much. Though it was true that she did miss him, when she had fainted on the way home from the market, discovered by a passing villager, she had been checked over by the doctor. She had fainted due to a heat stroke, but naturally he had discovered and reported the pregnancy as well.

Winry had not been thrilled. She burst into tears, then went into a mad frenzy by chucking whatever she could find in random directions, only to sink to the floor and cry some more. She wanted more than anything for Ed to be here, but at the same time she did not want him to find out. She was afraid that he would hate her because of this.

Pinako already knew who the father was. She knew about the feelings the young couple had for each other since they were children. Right away she wrote a letter to Colonel Mustang, explaining the situation and requesting that Ed come home immediately. When Mustang replied back saying that he would send Fullmetal to Resembool right away, it was then she called Ed to tell him the news herself, figuring that Ed would take the shock better if he heard it from his adoptive aunt not his rival.

Winry pitched a fit.

"Please don't tell Ed!" she cried, practically throwing herself at Pinako's feet. "I don't want him to know!"

"Winry, Ed is the father of your baby," Pinako pointed out as if Winry didn't know that. "He has every right to know."

"But he'll hate me for it!" she wailed, tears rushing down her face. "He'll hate me!"

"Stop it and get a hold of yourself. He's not going to hate you! Honestly, child, quit being ridiculous. Sure he's not going to be the best father in the world, maybe not even a good one at first, but he'll never be happier."

Winry sniffed, her sapphire eyes dark with a heavy regret she could not reveal. If only it could be that simple. That Ed would return thrilled to know that they had a child together and that they could be happy with this. That once his work was done, they would marry and raise many more little ones.

A dream was all that was. And a foolish, naïve little dream at that.

Ed would not be happy. He would not be happy at all. Just like his own father, he would be gone most of the child's upbringing. And there was an even bigger chance that he might not ever come back, disappear, just like his own dad. Ed would not want that. He would want a planned pregnancy, so that he could be a part of the child's life. Be the father he never had.

And she had to go and ruin it.

Oh, yeah. He was going to hate her.

Winry remained on her knees, hugging herself tightly, staring down at the wooden floor. Pinako observed her for a moment, before leaning over a bit. "Winry…? Is there something you're not telling me?"

Her head shot up, and she bit her lower lip. She couldn't tell, she couldn't! Her eyes refilled with fresh tears and she could feel the fetus give a tiny kick. The child kicked a lot at such a young age. No doubt taking after his father. If Ed was...

Winry choked, bile seeping to her throat. It was as if this tiny action revealed everything to Pinako for the old woman took a step back, her tiny eyes wide with genuine shock and the pipe almost falling out of her mouth.

"You don't know…do you?" she whispered and Winry nodded, a wretched sob escaping from her throat.

"I don't know," she confirmed in a hoarse whisper, her blonde hair falling over her face. She buried her face in her hands with shame and cried harder when the child gave another kick. Apparently her position was not comfortable for it.

Pinako was silent for a moment. "And do you…plan on telling Edward this, too?"

She sat up and wiped her eyes. "I don't know," she repeated, this time in a different tone. She sniffled as her grandmother took the young girl in her arms, holding her tightly. "I didn't mean for it to happen!" she exclaimed.

"Honey, I don't even think some married folks mean for it to happen," Pinako replied. "But this is one of the risks, especially if you don't use protection. And sometimes that doesn't even work."

Winry blushed, realizing that on that night the thought of protection had never occurred to her. She didn't plan on sleeping with Ed. They had just been goofing around like they always did. Having fun.

Then he had kissed her. Stolen as smoothly as he had done long ago behind the tree when he had been showing her that bird's nest. Only now he knew exactly what he wanted and, by God, he was going to get it!

Ed had always had a crush on Winry for as long as she could remember. But he was never shy in displaying his affections. He had led her to that tree not with nervous agitation of whether or not his plan will succeed, but with the crafty confidence that everything will go his way. Whether she ran from him or not, he had kissed her and, at nine, that was good enough for him. Even if the action resulted in him trying desperately for two days to get her to speak to him.

This puppy love really was quite backwards. Until four months ago, Winry never really would have thought of kissing Edward Elric again, much less allowing him to have his way with her. All this time, Ed was the one who was smitten while Winry never really felt anything for him.

She didn't even know if she felt anything like that for him when he was making love to her for who knows how many times? Not to say he wasn't any good. Oh, he was good. He was damn good! For a boy who never had any experience, he knew instinctively how to set her body on fire and make her crave for more.

But it did not mean she loved him. And while she was not sure of the difference between loving someone and desiring someone, she knew that she was not in love with Edward. Which is another reason she knew Ed would hate her: how would he feel, knowing he impregnated the one girl who could never love him as he did her?

The moment was shattered when urgent knocking sounded upon the door. Rolling her eyes at the interruption, Pinako left Winry to answer while the girl stood up and tried to look as decent as possible. She was about to head for her bedroom when she heard Pinako yell, "Winry, it's Felix!"

Her entire body froze before she reached the first step. A young man about eighteen nearly ran in, approaching her with alarm in his eyes. It could be said that he was one of the most handsome boys in Resembool; almost six feet tall with short, dark brown hair and deep gray-blue eyes, only slightly less muscular than Ed.

"I heard about what happened," Felix panted, staring intently at her. For a panicked moment, Winry thought he was referring to her pregnancy. Then she realized he was talking about her heat stroke, which no doubt the entire village heard of by now. Pinako had not told a soul about Winry's unborn baby and Doctor Hein never discussed his patients.

"I was so worried about you," Felix continued, pulling Winry into his arms and holding her close. She looked over his shoulder at Pinako's piercing eyes, knowledge of everything sinking into that ancient, ever-observing gaze. "Are you alright, love?"

"I'm fine," she replied quietly, having to force the words out of the lump in her throat. She wiggled her way out of his arms; he was so close to her that should the child kick again, he would feel it. And then she would have some serious explaining to do in spite of the fact she was in some serious crap anyway.

"Honey, where are you going?" he inquired, hurt that she was pulling away. "I haven't seen you in a week."

"I'm sorry, Felix. I'm just really tired right now." She stared up at him, feeling her heart retch. This was the man she believed to be in love with. So concerned and selfless and giving, and while he was not as passive or as gentle as Al, he lacked the fierce intensity Ed possessed. This was what she needed. Someone who was understanding and thoughtful but at the same time aggressive enough to know what he wanted; not someone who allowed his emotions to get the best of him and generally make more of a jackass of himself. Not to be mean to little Ed, but everyone knew it was true. Winry knew she would never care for anyone as deeply as she cared for Edward, but she also knew that wasn't the same as love.

Felix merely nodded, smiling with his usual perceptiveness. Ed would have demanded an explanation on why she was tired.

"Um…Winry?" Looking into Felix's blushing face, Winry knew that this could not be a comfortable question. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing everywhere but at her. "I've been wondering…have you…I don't mean anything mean by it…but have you been…gaining weight?" Quickly he held his hands up in defense. "I don't mean you look fat or anything!" he cried nervously. "You just look…fuller to me is all."

She didn't say anything at first. Simply stared at him. If Ed said something like that, she would have laughed, even thrown in an "I thought you liked your women with curves" comment or something along those lines. Ed just made her feel so comfortable like that. But when it came from Felix, she felt like she was being criticized.

"Well, you haven't seen me in a week," she pointed out, hoping that if she related it to memory division, he might think that was the real problem.

"Sweetie, I've been noticing it for a while now," he replied, in a gentle firmness that indicated memory division had nothing to do with it. "I just haven't said anything."

Ed would have said something right away. And he would have been blunt about it, too. "Are you getting fat, Winry?" he would inquire flat-out. "You might wanna stop eating so much."

She felt herself smiling at the image. Sweet little Ed. One could always count on him to be so honest.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," she told him softly. With Ed, she would have responded with a loud "What the hell do you mean I'm getting fat?". Why was it she could never bring herself to yell at Felix? Why was it she never pulled the wrench on him, and beat him to a pulp with it? Well, of course, it was because she loved Felix, right? You don't beat the people you love with wrenches.

"Honey, are you pregnant?"

The words stabbed through Winry's being and she went instantly stiff. Pinako gasped under her breath that Felix had been so quick to figure it out. The silence was more than enough to confirm Felix's conclusion. "You are…" he said quietly, his eyes wide with surprise. Then they lit up as a smile broke over his face and he jumped on the stairs to cage her tightly in his arms.

"That's so wonderful! A little soon for us, I know, but it'll be okay! I'm almost done with my apprenticeship at my father's clockwork shop, so by the time the baby is born I'll be able to have a start for us. Of course, we'll have to get married as soon as possible, but I'll wait until everything is settled…"

As Felix excitedly went on and on with the pathetic attempt in trying to tape her world back together, Winry felt herself drift away, almost as if she were watching this scenario being played out like some bad radio drama. Hadn't she always dreamed this for the past two years she claimed Felix as her boyfriend? To marry him and bear his children, continue with her mechanics while her kids played outside and then he came home from his shop, tired but happy to be welcomed by his darling wife and adoring offspring? Wasn't that what she dreamed of?

"Hey, Winry!" An image of Edward at the age of seven suddenly appeared before her mind's eye, grasping her hands in his own as he giggled, grinning his trademark boyish, toothy grin. "When we grow up, let's get married, okay!"

An image of Edward at the age of seven suddenly appeared before her mind's eye, grasping her hands in his own as he giggled, grinning his trademark boyish, toothy grin.

"Okay!" she had agreed with her bright smile. Back then, concepts of love to a pair of children simply meant if two people liked each other enough they got married, end of story.

But Ed had left. And Felix Mortimer came into the picture when he moved into Resembool with his father at the age of fourteen in hopes of starting a new life with their clockwork shop. Older than Ed by three years, many girls of the village took an instant liking to Mr. Mortimer's young apprentice including Winry. And she had been the one to capture his eye…and his heart. For a year and a half, Felix pursued her, but during that time Winry was still slowly getting over the Elric brothers' absence and, while she liked the young Mortimer enough, she distanced herself from his advances in hopes of...of what? That Ed would magically reappear and things would go on between them as if they had never been separate?

Then months turned into years, and until four months ago, it seemed as if Ed and Al were never coming back. So she accepted Felix's affections. If there had ever been a point where she did return Ed feelings, it was gone.

And then, after being with Felix for a little over 18 months, Ed came back. Returned to her like a phantom from a grave.

What kind of person was she, not only not telling Ed about Felix, but letting him do as pleased with her without so much as a protest…when only two days previous Felix had taken her virginity under the very tree where Ed had stolen her first kiss?