Chapter Sixteen: Their Nostalgic Ways

Sleep was troubling that night. That's all I really had to say. I kept feeling Winry beside me breathing. But as soon as I opened my eyes I was alone. A deep kind of loathing welled inside me. My dreams only filled with her kisses, yet my body tingled right to this moment from it. Just dreams. I told myself, there was really nothing to worry about. You could dream romantically about a woman even if you didn't think of her that way right?

"Who am I kidding?" I whispered to myself sitting up. I wanted Winry here and I knew this.

I rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom,rubbing my eyes tiredly. I looked at myself in the mirror, my hair falling past my shoulders. She wasn't here to take it out tonight. And she wouldn't be here to braid it in the morning either. The thought saddened me and I splashed cool water onto my face with a sigh. I was going to have to get through this somehow, and I was dreading it.

"Full Metal Sir."

"Winry?" I asked drowsily, turning to take her hand. I grasped onto her arm and pulled it down to my chest. "Winry I'm so sorry… please forgive me." I mumbled.

"Full Metal Sir… I'm not Winry…" She said trying to wriggle her hand free. "Excuse the intrusion but Colonel Mustang has prepared a car for you, so you don't have to experience the train trip once again."

"Isn't that nice of him Winry… but what do you want?" I whispered opening my eyes lightly.

"Full Metal Sir…" The woman was blushing and looking away.

My eyes widened suddenly and I sat up observing the surroundings around me. "Ross…" I said with apology in my voice. "Where is Winry?" I looked around frantically.

"Edward… she left…you must hurry your car has been prepared…" Ross straightened herself up.

"Where is Broche? You guys go everywhere together." I said trying to avoid the subject of Winry, since I was calling her name stupidly just a second before. I could not believe how spaced out I was, that I was calling Ross Winry… I must have been dreaming.

"Oh he is around somewhere…" She said, blushing a little. "You look a lot like your father you know…"

I glared at her; she was obviously staring at me shirtless, observing my hair out. I had been told by so many people that the older I got the more I looked like him. I couldn't see the slightest resemblance… yeah sure we both had long blonde hair… Ross had a thing for my father… that time he had given her the slightest compliment she had gone all coo coo over him. How did my father have this affect on women? I remember how much I wanted to bash him up when I saw him for the first time flirting with another woman!

"I really don't think so… now if you could please…" I pointed towards the direction of the door with disapproving look.

"Right away Sir. Have a nice trip." She smiled walking out of the door.

I slapped my forehead, kicking my sheets to the side. I dressed as quickly as I possibly could. I wanted to get out of here. I'd really had enough of the soldiers popping up every second, barging into my room to hear me mumble crap about Winry… it occurred to me more than once that the military people were all insane… but they were part of my family in a strange way. I felt strange without my coat and found it hard when I tried to braid my hair, so I just pulled it up in a pony tail.

I re-checked the room for anything left over and found the most unlikely thing mixed up between my bed sheets. Winry's wrench. She was looking for it that morning. I looked over to the bed that Winry should have slept in but barely slept in at all and sighed. "I can't believe she still brought it over here when she slept with me." I sighed holding the wrench carefully in my hand. Sweat started to pour down my face as I started having strange visualizations of the thing flying into my head itself. I puffed in frustration and stuffed it into my suitcase. "Can't you go anywhere without your stupid wrench Winry!" I said with amusement. "But if you even brought it to bed with me… then I guess I really should return it to you." Like mail it.

I set out of the building and chucked my suitcase into the boot of the car. The man in charge of taking me to Resembool was a solider I had never met and we remained silent for most of the trip. I had no idea if returning the wrench was just an excuse to see Winry again, but I was going to return it to her with the full knowledge I was going to get hit in the head with it as soon as I did.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW DAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" I yelled out chucking my toolbox across the room.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Kanou asked me, raising his head from the current book he was reading.

"My god-damn wrench!" I answered back, searching through the pile of mess which had accumulated around my work desk. Things were flying around the room as I frantically scrounged through all my random belongings for my most important one. Trust your most important item to be missing!

"Is that a hassle?" He said with a confused look on his face.

I tensed my face and let out a loud scream of frustration. "AWWWW I take that god-damn thing everywhere! Honestly what am I going to bash Ed up with now?" I said to myself completely ignoring his sentence. "I bet he took it… and he is laughing right now… oh why the hell did he do that?" I shouted. "Actually… he has every right to since I most likely gave him brain damage with that thing! MAYBE THAT'S WHY HE IS SO DAMN CLUELESS!" I yelled trying to keep my voice low, but only ending up shouting with the amount of anger growing inside of me.

"Miss would you like me to go get one?" The man said dropping his newspaper with equal frustration.

"No…" I sighed lifting myself from the ground. "Really… I can do your auto-mail with something else…" I said walking up to him. "BUT IT HAS SO MUCH SENTIMENTAL VALUE!" I said my eyes filling with stars while flowing tears poured out of them. "I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO LET IT GO!" The man coughed slightly with fear and returned to his reading. "What are you looking at romance freak?" I asked, vengefully side glancing him.

The day progressed slowly as I used my spare (smaller) wrench to do the job. It was done painstakingly slow with not my usual passion. I constantly found myself daydreaming about where it would be… or if it was with Ed… then I started to day dream about Ed. When I looked down I had screwed up a whole section that didn't even need fixing with my mindless fiddling.

"Oh what's wrong with me I am usually so efficient at fixing these things… hell I love these things with all my life" But there was something… no someone else I loved too, and it was just so hard to be motivated after something so beautiful was taken away from you… after experiencing his touch, could I really live without it? "Hell yes I can!" I shouted. "I'll be damned if someone as short as Edward is gunna win to me. I'M WINRY! THE MOST BELOVED BEAUTIFUL AUTO-MAIL ENGINEER IN THE WORLD!" I said bringing my hand up to cup my face. It was then I noticed the man sigh with defeat.

"Could you please get working on my leg then?" He asked seriously.

"Hai…" I replied with a sigh, turning back to the work that I usually enjoyed with a passion.

"Excuse me…" I interrupted with a sigh leaning against the car window. "How long is this trip going to take?" I asked pondering the reason why I had spent over a day in this stupid hot car with this annoying solider.

"Well the train tracks cut right through to Resembool but go slower and stop more… but driving in a car I have to go the full way through cities… but at a faster rate so it's really going to be the same as a train trip." He said with a grin. "Maybe just a little faster."

"And here it is…" I whispered referring to the answer. "And I have no idea why I'm stuck in a car with a freak when I could be on the train by myself!" I muttered folding my arms over my chest.

"Pardon what was that? You want to stop at a hotel?" He asked looking at me in the mirror. Keep your eyes on the road old man!

"No no just keep driving." I said with frustration looking away so he wouldn't see the complete heck in my eyes. "Honestly what's with all these escorts I'm 21!" I said even lower, only receiving a curious expression from the man as a result. God-damn SCREW HIM! I realise I am being moody... but I think I have a right to be!

I tried not to fall asleep as the night stars came out and began shining brightly. The same old beautiful, yet boring scenery of the country passed me by, and with the bright shining stars I found my self slowly falling to sleep. We had been travelling for quite some-time now, but the boredom was starting to get the better of me. I desperately fought the battle against my eyes since I didn't want to fall asleep in the company of this fool. He had said more than enough things on this trip to convince me that I didn't mix with him at all. But he had to keep backing up my decision by talking again! It was tiring and frustrating when you had to tense your own fists for a whole drive because if you didn't you would have thrown a punch for sure.

"We're almost there… you going to visit your sweet heart Miss Winry?" He said with on cheerful note.

I then looked down at the seat next to me where the wrench sat. I had given it its own space to show that I did respect it, I did. But now as I stared down upon it, I saw the tool suddenly increase in value as a weapon… now I knew why Winry found this soooo delightful. I was finding it tempting not to ram the freaking thing into his head. Calm down Edward… the last thing you want to do is inflict the pain from that wrench on someone else… the pain.

"No I'm heading to the centre of Resemboo,l where the current carer or the city lives to claim back my rights." I said in monotone too agitated to argue or place any emotion into my voice.

"Oh really? That's boring…" He said with disappointment. I sighed and looked at the window. I wish I was visiting Winry… I can do that tomorrow though. I will return the wrench and be on my way… I shouldn't even tell her I'm staying in Rezenboul really… it could complicate things. Damn but what the hell am I going to say to her? "Sorry for being a jerk my whole life, will you forgive me?" with some sort of cheesy smile planted on my face? I really didn't think that was going to work on Winry.

"We're here." He said, pulling up in front of the house I had specified. I hopped out of the car feeling the familiar wave of tiredness wash over me. The type where you were in heaven as you sank into some soft surface and closed your eyes. I could really do for a couch right now. I was too busy worrying about how tired I was that I didn't even notice the incredible size of the country house. I was left staring up at the mansion with wide eyes, suddenly forgetting the previous haziness. "Well this is where I leave you." The man said opening his car door. Please do. I turned around and smiled at him, since I was appreciative of the ride here, but yet not so appreciative of his never shutting mouth.

Is it really alright to go in there? I thought to myself as the car slowly faded away in the distance. I pulled out my pocket watch and observed the current time. "Maybe he is asleep…" But where am I supposed to sleep then? Winry's sounds good… "Damn why the hell does everything come back to Winry am I freaking obsessed?" I muttered under my breath shoving the watch back into my pocket.

I walked towards the door slowly doubting every single step I took towards it. Maybe I really should just rock up at Winry's. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. GREAT! I WISH I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THAT! What if he is some freak? I seem to bump into those alot. I can see it now "Oh Edward Elric! You can sleep with me in my bed! NO TROUBLE AT ALL!" I cringed, my eyebrow twitching slightly when a very unlikely figure opened the door, dark circles under his eyes.

"Oh you must be Edward, please come in."

I nodded slightly amazed at his youth; he looked about 30, had short brown hair, and towered over me. I'm already used to it. He had papers scattered all around the house and attempted to clean them up as I dropped the suitcase onto the floor with a sigh. "I have set up a room for you but if you don't mind I would like to pack up in the morning, I'm simply too tired to do it." He said to me, the colour of his face telling me everything.

"Of course… I hope you don't feel like I'm taking your job away from you…" I asked sadly watching him as his gathered he papers into one disorganised pile… kind of reminded me of myself.

"Of course not, I was told I would only be a fill-in but to tell the truth I am glad you are back so soon. Running the countryside town is harder than I thought, and I don't have any experience." He said slapping his forehead. "I have been trying to figure out these orders for auto-mail parts to central for ages, and all the farming products. I have to consider water, tax, food for these people." He sighed with exhaustion.

"Yeah that's pretty standard, but Winry does order in a lot from central, but she still doesn't have much freedom that's why she tags along with me whenever I go to central… I guess it's hard, but Winry is pretty much the only one who makes orders for auto-mail in this city." I grinned holding up my arm.

"I'm sorry you lost me…" He said with a confused look on his face. Wait please don't tell me I was rambling about Winry… again…

"Sorry sorry, never mind. But is it really hard work I never noticed." I wasn't trying to sound cocky but I had studied hard every day since I was young and paying attention to the city for part of the day seemed like a fairly light load of work to me. I had researched for an answer on my brother much more than I had tended to the city.

"I guess it's the lack of experience then." He said laughing while scratching the back of his head. "Well I'm of to bed; feel free to sleep wherever you want."

"Okay thank you very much." I replied throwing my boots to the side and kicking my legs over the lounge. Soon all the lights were out and I was drifting in the peaceful sleep I had forgotten I needed.

"Winry it's late are you going to get some sleep?" Mr. Kanou asked. I lifted my head from my work. I smiled nervously and put down my wrench.

"Well see I day dreamed a lot today… which isn't usually like me, and I am behind so I can't go to bed till I catch up to where I should be. Let me work the way I want to." I said in the kindest voice I could. I wasn't trying to be rude merely let him know that I worked the way that was best for me.

"Alright, make sure you don't completely block out Edward I am sure he had his reasons." He told me soothingly. I looked up at the man sadly yet stubbornly and tensed my fists.

"What do you mean?" I whispered my bottom lip quivering. For someone to even bring up what had happened between us was enough for me to burst into tears. And I wasn't planning on having an emotional breakdown while I was trying to fix a clients auto-mail.

"He broke your heart… I can tell. But his heart was also broken you know?" He said standing up from the couch. He strode towards me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"That idiot doesn't know anything, how could his heart break." I grunted turning my head away from him.

"He doesn't know anything, that's why you must guide him, goodnight Winry."

The man walked away, I became wide-eyed. For some reason his words really touched me and I instantly put down my wrench gently. "Ed doesn't know anything?" I whispered sadly. Guide him… help him… I had only failed and brought more stress down upon him by imposing my feelings of affection for him onto him. But I couldn't live the way I was living anymore. I wanted Ed, no I want Ed. But in the end all we could end up doing for each other was causing sadness.

Saturn Stars