I return and with more fluffy fluff fluff for your heart's desire. Mind you, this chapter didn't get edited, and since Christmas is coming up soon, I'm trying to finish this ASAP. So you'll see all those wonderful grammar mistakes, and typos galore.

This is long too- sorry for that. Anyhoo, enough blabbing. Hope you enjoy!

Warning: Major fluffiness ahead.

"You're making me nervous…"

Winry said, fidgeting as the ski lift cascaded to higher slopes. Excited as she was to go skiing, she was just as terrified of taking the ski lift. Heights had always been her monster under the bed, and Riza's teasing was not, by any means, comforting.

"Then don't look down. We're so far up, everything's just a tiny speck in the snow!"

"Shut up."

"Oh wow," Riza pointed, leaning dangerously forward, "I can see our cabin from here!"

Winry clutched the railing for dear life. "Riza!"

"Winry!" said the older woman, shedding away the joking demeanor. "Ok fine. I'll stop fooling around if you relax."

"Fine," replied Winry, but broke the agreement as she tapped her fingers nervously on the balustrade. Suspiciously, Riza looked at her friend, a gut feeling advising that this wasn't about the ski lift anymore.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Something's bothering you, I can tell. And don't say that it's nothing, or I'll assume you're lying."

"Noth-" Winry paused and took a deep breath, ready to confess. "Ok well, I'm having a little problem with giving someone a gift for Christmas."

"Oh, I see," nodding in return, Riza knew this someone was no other than Edward himself. "Do you have any gift ideas?" Winry shook her head. "Well, we're going shopping later so maybe you can find something then. And to be honest, I don't know what you could get, but I can tell you this: the best gift is always the kind you can't wrap with paper and put a bow on it."

Like a sponge, Winry absorbed the words, but still remained in a pit of ambiguity.

They got off the ski lift- much to Winry's difficulty- and met with the others at the slope. Al was teaching Julia the basics, lounging in the snow lazily was Roy, while Ed changed characters to the mystery of the day, isolated from the rest as he sat in the snow, lost in some world he only knew of.

"Edward's not himself today," said Roy, too indolent to get to his feet. "He's acting very peculiar."

"How so?" asked Riza, glancing at the spaced out boy.

"He's sort of… dazed," Al put it in simple terms. "He didn't even eat breakfast this morning!"

"Look, watch this," Roy cupped his hands, calling, "Hey shrimpy!"

Ed turned, unfazed by the insult as he replied, "Shrimp? Yeah, I like shrimp…" before glancing back in the other direction.

"See, what did I tell you?" Roy said. "Maybe it's a sign that the end is near."

"Oh come on," Riza chuckled at the absurdity. "Maybe someone else knows what's wrong with him." She wheeled around, but Winry had already trudged off, destination set towards the uncharacteristic Elric.

She found him scowling at the horizon, not sure whether he was mad at something in particular, or if he was even mad at all. No emotion hinted at his handsome features, no sign of what button would be the wrong one to push. Unsure but wanting to know what was bothering him, Winry branded her presence with a meek "Hi."

Ed glanced over his shoulder, his cheeks illuminating in a shade darker. "Hi."

"What's up?" she asked, patting him on the back. "Everyone says you're acting weird."

"Oh…"

Winry frowned, not liking the one syllable responses she was receiving. "Oh? Edward, have you lost your vocabulary? Come on, talk to me. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he said more forcefully than intended. "I was just… just thinking."

"Of?"

"Of stuff," Ed replied, not ready to confess that a strange feeling had been consuming him since the night before; that the very image of her haunted his dreams; that he was so confused about this new emotion, he wished he could put it in a jar and analyze it until he understood it enough.

"Stuff, eh?" Winry sighed, knowing that this 'stuff' was turning into a major complication. "Are you going to let this 'stuff' ruin this perfect skiing opportunity?"

"… No?"

"Exactly!" Winry tugged his up. "Now come on, spend the day- you can't take it with you."

Somewhat cured from his disability, Ed did as she prescribed. He spent the morning suppressing the odd, strange, and close to irritating new feeling. But just as the dilemma subsided, a new one arose.

Ed was no prodigy in the snow.

No matter how many times he tried, no matter how many times he fell and got back up again, skiing did not get any easier. Winry offered multiple of times to help him out, but being the stubborn mule, he refused.

"Ed, why don't you let one of us help you out?" Riza suggested cautiously.

Ed scowled at the slope. "No, I can do it."

"Are you sure?" Roy sneered. "It's a looonngg way down."

"I said, I can do it." Taking a deep breath, Ed started downwards with full determination, not realizing he was missing a vital piece of equipment.

"Wait- brother!" Al cried. "You forgot your poles!"

Winry noticed Ed's rods lying on the ground, useless. Picking them up, she dashed after him.

Consciously aware that he was the idiot of the day, Ed cursed himself for his stupidity. He sped down the slope, picking up momentum as he neared a tree. He tried to get out of the way, but luck had abandoned his side. A spiteful looking rock intervened into his path, and Ed lost balance, rolling endlessly in the ground before hitting the trunk of the tree. The impact triggered the dormant snow on the bare twigs to fall, burying him in its entirety.

"Ed! Ed!" Winry rushed towards the snow mound, brushing off the white fluff to excavate him. "Are you ok?"

"Is Edward alright?" the others rushed to their side, hoping he didn't sustain major damage.

Sputtering out some melted snow, Ed nodded slowly. "I'm…" he groaned.

"Hurt? Broken? Paralyzed?" Winry shook him slightly, very concerned for him.

"I'm…"

"Yes? Yes?" Everyone was staring at him, eyes wide.

"I'm hungry…"

Winry twitched. I got all worked up, and what does he say? He's hungry! Well, at least he's not hurt or anything.

To fulfill his famished needs, Ed decided to stop by a café in the venue after the skiing escapade. Accompanying the weary traveler, Winry came with him. They were to rendezvous with the others at the store across the street, all who were quite eager of the two of them going together.

An essence of coffee beans filled their nostrils, displays of the morning's fresh pastries teased Ed's hungry stomach as they walked to the counter. It was a cozy café with tables for two, and white laced curtains for a home décor look. A pretty woman with emerald eyes, and styled, sandy-brown hair stood by the register, her name tag bearing the name Psiren.

"Hey handsome," Psiren flashed a pearly smile at Ed, "what can I get for you today?"

As Ed contemplated his order, Winry glared at the employee, wanting to wipe away that smile targeted at her man.

My man? she thought, shocked. Where the hell did that come from? We're not even a-

"A couple," said Ed, done with deciding and ready to eat, "of muffins look good, and a hot chocolate. Winry, do you want-?"

Psiren interrupted the question, choosing to not bother with the other customer. "What size?" she asked, batting her eyelashes cutely. Winry rolled her eyes.

"Uh medium."

"How 'bout I make it a large? And it's free just for you, handsome."

Again, Winry fought the inner battle of keeping herself in control. The urge to smack the woman upside the head raised to a dangerous level, a monster wanting an out in the cages of jealousy.

"Ok, sure," Ed replied. Nodding, but still beaming, Psiren went to fetch the order. "Hey Winry, do you want anything?"

"Not really," she replied, scowling as her least favorite person of the day returned.

"Here you go," Psiren handed a cup of hot cocoa and a bag with two muffins. "Will that be all?" Ed nodded and gave the correct amount to pay for his food. Handing the receipt, she winked.

"Have a nice day," she said, sounding more like a vixen than a humble waitress. A whole stamina of effort was needed as Winry stormed out of the café, restraining herself from going back inside and showing Psiren a nice day.

"Hey, what's up?" Ed asked through a mouthful, noticing her cloudy disposition.

"Nothing," Winry fumed, stomping down the snowy sidewalk. "It's just that woman."

"What? You didn't like her? I thought she was rather nice."

"Nice my ass! She was flirting with you!"

Ed blinked as he sipped his hot chocolate. "Was she really? I didn't even notice…" Taking another gulp, he blinked again. "Why are you so bothered about her anyways?" A smirk careened its way across his face. "Is someone jealous?"

"I am not!" Winry bit back fiercely, cursing her complexion for giving her away.

"Lying isn't the best quality a person can have, you know."

"Shut up!"

Ed laughed, swishing his beverage. "Well, jealous or not, it doesn't really matter. She's not my type anyway."

"Really?" a bemused grin crept on her lips. "Wow, Ed. I never knew you had a preference. Tell me then, who is your type?"

Ed bit into his muffin, contemplating whether to answer the question or beat around the bush and leave it a mystery. Sapphire eyes searched his face; he could tell the suspense was killing her.

"Oh, just someone," he casually replied.

"Do I know this someone?" Winry questioned, the conversation drifting off towards flirtatious seas. She watched him as he watch her, before Ed glanced to the side, smiling foolishly to himself.

"Yes, in fact you do," he replied. "Quite well actually." It's you.

Without giving another clue, Ed went back to drinking his beverage and stuffing his mouth. Winry pressed her lips together, suppressing the smile that wanted to break free. Somehow, she knew she didn't need to interrogate him any more; somehow, she knew she didn't need to interrogate him any further or guess random people. Somehow, she knew what the answer was without really having to ask.

They met Al, Julia, Riza and Roy in front of a shop's window, planning the day's schedule. It was agreed that they would split up into groups of two- Winry, Julia and Riza in one, the remaining three in the other- for some last minute's shopping. It was a good strategy to say the least, especially since two in the group were caught in a dead end of uncertainty.

What would I give Ed? Winry wondered. Damn, who knew he could be so hard to shop for!

Hungry eyes scanned the display windows for something appetizing with attention. Christmas was sneaking up around the corner, stealthily hiding itself until the stroke of midnight the next evening.

"Oh my God," Winry gasped suddenly. "Christmas eve is tomorrow!"

Julia and Riza looked as though they had been told this months in advance.

"We know," said Riza, cutting off Julia accidentally. "Why are you so jumpy about it?"

"Because I don't have a gift for him!" Winry shouted, close to hyperventilating.

"Ok, first, calm down," Riza slowly iterated. "Second-"

"-breathe," Julia chimed, aiding Winry's panic attack.

"You'll find something."

"Don't you worry about it," Julia gave a comforting pat on the back.

Winry shook her head, smiling in gratitude for her friend's support. "Yeah… you guys are right."

"Aren't we always?" Riza joked, seizing Winry and Julia by the arm. "Now let's go. My credit card needs some exercise."

Ed had never seen so much jewelry in his life. Luxuries of gold and silver, topped with precious gems of diamonds and sapphires twinkled so vibrantly, he thought he'd be blind by the time he got out of the store. But even so, the sparkling of such jewels could not hinder the doubt coveting his mind.

"I don't know about this," Ed said. "Something tells me that jewelry wouldn't be the best gift."

"But aren't diamonds a girl's best friend?" asked Roy, grimacing at the extravagant prices.

Ed shook his head. "I've known Winry all my life- she's not the type of girl to go crazy over fourteen karats."

"Well," Al said as he peered at a display case, "I think what you should give her is more valuable than all the diamonds and pearls man could ever want."

"More valuable than diamonds and pearls, eh?" repeated Ed. "Say, where on earth are you getting all this advice from?"

Al shrugged idly. "Oprah."

"Oprah?" a duet chorused, disbelieved.

"Yeah. She's very inspirational, you know, you two should watch her show. I even cried once when she had this one episode with this woman named Izumi, who wanted to bring her unborn baby back to life."

"Oh, I saw that one," Roy suddenly chirped. "I swear, it was the closest I've ever been to brink of tears- Riza made me watch it," he added briskly. Al raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but changed gears, not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to discuss the touching episodes of Oprah.

Ed kept quiet. With too many things swimming in his mind, he tried sorting them out before they could accumulate and turn into dusty thoughts; the persistent question nagging and asking:

What could I give Winry? Ed wondered. Damn my inability to give Christmas presents!

As they left the jewelry store, a fragrance of something sweet wisped through the air, a perfume with an all too familiar essence. Immediately, Ed knew what it was.

"Are those… flowers I smell?" He turned, query answered as he saw a floral shop down the street.

Blue roses stand for someone special, Winry's voice echoed the words she had spoken not too long ago. Yellow for friendship… pink for a crush…

"Brother?" Al noticed Ed had been trailing behind. "Did you say something?"

Red… stands for love…

All uncertainty vanished as a light turned on in his brain, clearing away all the dusty piles of ambiguity.

"No, it's just- I'll meet you guys later." Without another notion, Ed turned on his heel and ran, the snow crunching softly in his wake.

"Oh wow, look at that!" Beaming in delight, Winry squealed at the pocket watch in her hand. It was an old model, almost close to being an antique, but it was a brilliant innovation in her eyes. She listened to it tick, wanting to take it apart then and there, before hastily putting it back in its velvet case. "Are you sure Ed will like it?"

"Mm hmm," Riza said as she rummaged through a rack of skirts.

"He should," Julia added, flipping through the pages of a magazine she had smuggled in. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. It feels like I need to give him something else…" Winry sighed. "Something more… more… Argh, I don't even know the right word I'm looking for."

"Priceless?" Julia asked, hoping to fill in the blank. "Valuable? Precious?"

"Sexy," Riza said.

"Sexy?" the others inquired, looking at her mortified.

"Oh, no I was talking about this." Riza held up a red skirt with white trimmings on the bottom. It was a nice pick, but the length of it was rather revealing. "You like it?"

"Uh, yeah," Julia said, feigning a favorable smile.

"You're going to wear that?" Winry pointed, looking distraught. "Riza, I've never seen you wear anything so short. What's the special occasion?"

"It's a secret," Riza replied with a cheeky grin. "I'll be right back. I'm going to see if they have any Santa hats around here." Taking the small piece of clothing with her, she disappeared amongst the crowd.

"Memorable?" Julia guessed, returning to their previous conversation. "Special? Wonderful?"

Winry sighed. "Well yeah, I mean I want to give him something that will incorporate all of that…"

"You love him don't you?"

"What?" Winry turned crimson. "Julia, you're talking an awful lot to-"

"Then just tell him!" Julia exclaimed. "You two are going no where unless you do something about it, but just to help you out, there is one thing you can give that no one else can."

"What would that be?"

"I'll give you a clue: it doesn't have a price tag, but it could be the most valuable thing in the world if it were given to the right person."

Winry frowned. "I'm not good at riddles."

"It's not a riddle," Julia went back to her magazine. "It's just a matter of fact."

"Is that for me?" Roy asked as Riza added a wrapped box to the mountainous pile of gifts underneath the tree.

"No," she honestly replied.

Roy pouted. "Is that so? Well, I am hurt."

"Aw, poor baby," Riza kissed him on the head. "How 'bout I make it up to you with some apple cider?"

"Now how could I pass up on that offer?"

Smiling, Riza turned to the occupied trio near the fireplace. "How about you three? Do you want some apple cider?"

"Yes, please," Al, Julia and Ed chorused. Riza nodded curtly before wandering into the kitchen. Curious as to what they were so intrigued about, Roy joined the secluded group.

"What are you playing?" he asked.

"Battleship," Al replied, snickering at Ed, who was grumbling under his breath.

"Brother lost, and now he's all mad about it."

"You sunk my battle ship!" Ed defensively said, fighting a lost battle. He zoned out the eye roll from Roy and the guffaws from Al and Julia, busying himself with the lights blinking in the tree.

"Hey Mustang," he called, "do you still have that ring? You know, the one you showed me in chapter two?"

"Chapter two?" Roy frowned, bewildered. "What are you…? Yeah, I still have it, why?"

"Just wondering," Ed shrugged.

Firing an inquiry, Roy questioned, "And where did you run off to this afternoon?"

"Somewhere," Ed didn't bother to elaborate as he scanned the room. A link was missing to the chain, a presence absent to complete the company. "Where's Winry?"

"Out on the second-floor porch," Riza answered, appearing into the room with a tray of apple cider.

"You should go see her," Al advised wisely.

"And keep her company," added Julia.

Roy pulled him up to his feet. "Onward, and go see your woman."

"What?" Ed proclaimed as everyone pushed him upstairs. "She's not my-!"

"Here's some apple cider," Riza handed him two warm mugs. Paralyzed by their peculiar behavior, Ed made no argument and found himself on the balcony outside their room.

She was sitting at the foot of the railing, entranced but aware of his presence. "What are you doing out here?" Winry asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"I should be asking you that," said Ed, lowering himself next to her. She had her legs dangling out the railing. Stealing the originality, he copied her.

"You didn't answer my question," Winry poked him on the side.

Muffling a rather girlish squeal, he handed her a cup. "I was sent to give you this."

"Is it apple cider?" she asked eagerly, holding the mug as though it were something precious.

"Yeah- hey remember when we were younger and we used to drink apple cider almost all the time?"

"Mmm, we drank it so much, we got sick of it."

Laughter resonated in the air before silence filled it again. The two of them paused, relishing the temporary relief as they sipped their hot beverage.

"So," Ed set his cup aside, "what are you doing out here?"

"Oh," Winry gestured upwards, "I was just enjoying the view."

Taking a look for himself, Ed glanced up. Countless of twinkling gems, priceless despite their value in the velvet sky, wheeled overhead; a galaxy, an untouchable heaven so magnificent and so far away from the reach of humanity. A half-crescent moon smiled, shining in superiority now that the sun was gone.

Winry sighed, star-struck. "It's a shame we don't get to see such a sky back home. Here, it's just absolutely beautiful."

"Yeah," said Ed, stealing a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah it is."

"But you know, underneath this big sky, there's someone out there you could end up with for the rest of your life," she said, the hopeless romantic in her seeping out. "Someone you could be happy with, cry with; a solace to treat you right when the entire world has done wrong to you."

"You really think so?" Ed asked, noticing her hand remotely close to his.

Winry faced him. "Yeah, don't you believe in Fate?"

"No, not in particular." His mind reeled with questions; his stomach danced a jittery jig. Her hand's right there. Do I just take it, or do I wait for the right moment? And exactly when is a right moment? Is it now?

"Really?"

Now?

"Yeah, you know me. I'm not into things like that."

Now?

"Well," Winry reached over and whispered into his ear, "It's about time you start believing."

Now.

"Yeah," Ed seized the moment, clasping his hand with hers. "Perhaps you're right."

Winry smiled as she leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. It was remarkable how perfect her hand fit into his, how their fingers entwined and fit together like matching puzzle pieces. It was indescribable how everything felt right, and every sense of wrong drifted off with the wind.

In the tranquility of each other's arms, the two of them nestled under the stars, finding in each other a steadfast link to the heavens themselves, a complete and unwavering solace.

I told you it was going to be fluffy. Tee hee. I can't believe this story's almost done! It seems like only yesterday when it was only August and I just started writing this. I think I'm going to break up the next part into two chapters, or I might not. Either way, I'll try my very hardest to get this in by Christmas day.

akai-ryu: Aw, shucks, you're so sweet! Thanks so much for the super review:D

Eighth Deadly Sin: Lust and Scar are an interesting couple, but for some odd reason, I think they'd make a good pair. Anyhoo, thanks so very very much for the lovely review!

And… that's it. I'm pooped and I'm going to bed.

Stay tuned for the next chapter: Christmas Eve- I'll think of a better chapter title later. Until then!