Protect Me

Written by: Luna

Chapter 4 – Only Choice

Disclaimer – I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, yet any new characters that I have created to fit the story are mine, and part of Protect Me. Thank you!

Author's Note – I wanted to say thank you to all my reviewers, you are so kind to me! Also, I wanted to give a special thanks to my sister who is also my editor. She has saved me from many errors. (hugs) More will be explained in further chapters. Thank you and until next time!

Edward had insisted on staying by Al's bedside ever since the horrifying event from that morning. He could hardly keep his eyes off him, afraid he was going to break at any moment. Ed had talked quietly to him and told him stories that he thought he would like, in hopes that if Al could hear him, he would know someone were there.

Winry had brought in food for Ed during lunchtime and sat with him for a while and talked, but nothing more than a few minutes because she knew Ed just wanted to be left alone with Al right now.

It was later in the day when Alphonse finally opened his eyes.

Edward was dozing slightly in the chair next to the bed, but was awake when he heard his brother shift a little under the covers. He had been trying to keep his senses aware so he would be there if Al happened to wake up.

"Alphonse?" Ed asked in a quivering voice. He moved over so he was right beside the bed and took Al's hand in his own. Ed was almost afraid to speak to him because he didn't know what his brother was feeling or thinking. He didn't want to scare him.

"Al, I'm here."

Al looked over to Ed and gave a strained smile. "Did it work, brother?" he asked in a scratchy voice.

Ed's eyes were sad, but he tried to smile. "Yes it did, Al. You have your body back, but now you just have to get better, okay?" he said as he squeezed his hand gently.

"It hurts, brother. Why do I hurt so much?" Al asked as his eyes squinted shut and small tears formed in the corners.

"Do you remember anything that happened, Al?"

Al didn't say anything, but kept his eyes squinted shut and flinched at the immense pain that ran through his body, squeezing his brother's hand in the process.

Ed took the cloth from Al's forehead and quickly went over to re-wet it and then gently wiped his brother's face.

"That's okay, Al. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." He said in sadness at having even brought the subject up at all. His brother's pain was enough for right now.

There was silence and then Al stammered agonizingly. "I…I don't remember…what…happened."

Ed looked down at Al in silent shock, his brother's eyes shut tightly against the pain. He couldn't remember anything at all?

"…Brother…" Al pleaded through clenched teeth.

"I'm here for you Al. I won't leave you, okay?" Ed said as he dropped to his knees beside the bed, letting Al continue to squeeze his hand for the comfort it gave him as he put his other hand up to brush away his fallen hair.

There was nothing more that could be done for him except for someone to be there through his pain until it was over. His wounds had been bandaged up earlier, which was most of his body. He face was scratched also, one fairly deep on his left side. Ed had no doubt that whatever had happened inside the alchemy had been torture.

After a while, Al had fallen back to sleep. Ed took this chance to leave the room and get some fresh air.

Winry was in her workshop with her automail project when she noticed, from her window, Edward walking outside. She quickly put her tools down and went to go catch up with him.

Ed walked over a little ways from the house to where a big tree stood that the three of them had used to play on as kids. When he reached the shade underneath, he sat down and looked out to the sky.

It wasn't much longer when he heard someone approach from behind and he knew, without turning around, who it was. "Hi, Winry." He let out in a tired voice.

Winry took a seat next to him and curled her legs up to her chest, putting her arms around them. "Hi."

They sat in silence for a little while until Winry finally spoke up in a quiet voice, keeping her gaze straight ahead. "Ed…" she paused, "What happened?"

He had known that the questions would come sooner or later, so he wasn't going to fight them. He sighed and took a while before answering.

"We were able to get the stone…the Philosopher's Stone that we had been searching for for years now."

Winry turned to look at him as he kept his eyes ahead, staring at the horizon.

"The entire city of Liore was sacrificed in order to create the stone, but it wasn't done by us. Scar had done it, and he died in the process."

His eyes saddened, "I was there to witness it. In just a matter of moments, the whole city was destroyed along with everyone in it, soldiers included."

Winry didn't speak; she just watched him and listened with a horrified expression, trying to grasp the concept of hundreds of innocent people being murdered in an instant.

"Later…I found the stone. It was mostly buried in the sand, but I caught a glimpse of it. The military, everyone else had left to take care of the wounded, if there were any survivors. I stayed behind and so when I found the stone, I took it and never looked back."

"Ed…"

"I know!" he yelled, frustrated, as he clenched his fist in the grass. "You don't have to tell me anything. But the only thing on my mind at the time was Al and that now I would have the power to help him get his body back from beyond the gate."

Ed had hated having to use a stone that had cost so many lives, but what else could he have done? …What else?

He continued. "Once I grabbed the stone, I headed straight for Al. He had stayed behind in the room we were staying in at the time. I had told him that I thought something was up that involved the stone and I had wanted him to stay there this time because I thought it was too dangerous."

He sighed.

"Once I got back, I didn't tell Al right away that I had the stone. I wanted to be far away before I revealed it to anybody. We left without a word and found an abandoned warehouse a few miles from here. I figured it was the best place to do what we needed to."

Ed paused for a while and looked like he was fighting his emotions on the inside.

"Al trusts me too much. After I told him everything, he was hesitant at first, but followed my lead, trusting me completely. …Then we started to set everything up. I drew the array and Al lay in the middle while I performed the alchemy."

He shut his eyes tightly and flinched at the memory of his brother's screams that night. Images of the terrifying scene flashed in his mind. "Al…"

Winry reached over and put her hand on his shoulder, causing his eyes to shoot open, snapping him back to reality. He looked over at her for the first time since she had sat down.

"Al will be okay. He's strong and you have to be too." She smiled slightly. "You did what you thought was right and you succeeded in bringing his body back. You are both still alive so things could have been a lot worse. This was no easy task that you guys had set out to do, so I had expected there would be consequences."

"Winry…"

She sighed and brought her hand back around her bent knees. "I know there is nothing I can do for you except be here when you need me, but I worry about you two all the time when you are away."

The two teenagers fell into silence, both looking into the sunset.

Suddenly, they were torn out of their thoughts as a blood-chilling scream came from the house.

They both looked up, reacting instantly.

"That was Alphonse!" cried Ed, panic in his eyes. He sprang to his feet, taking off in a full sprint back to the house, with Winry following close behind.