Note: I would just like to thank everyone reading my fics! I really appreciate the feedback and I will do my best to look at some of your work if you review mine . However… if you have nothing to say about my fic other than the fact that you think I spell the cute little blonde mechanic's name wrong, please don't review at all. I have taken three years worth of college level Japanese language classes, and many words that are translated from English into Japanese replace the 'L' with an 'R' because the 'L' sound does not occur in the Japanese language. For example, the word 'love story' is translated as 'rabusutorii,' and even Alphonse's name is translated as 'Aru' or 'Arufonsu.' So to me, the name 'Winri' as it would be pronounced in Japanese could either be translated as Winly or Winry in English. I think Winly sounds more 'English' and less awkward so I prefer that spelling and that is the one I will use. I don't disapprove of the fact that other people have a different opinion, and I don't give other FMA fan fiction writers a hard time for their choices. However, I'm tired of hearing it, and I am not changing every instance of her name in all of my fics to appease those who cannot get over the spelling. We all know who I'm talking about here. Anyway, I do really appreciate the readership and the other comments; its all very encouraging and makes me want to write better and more often! Thanks again!

Oblivion

Throughout the next three days, Edward slipped in and out of consciousness, unable to focus his thoughts or eyesight on anything short of the blurry images of Winly or Pinako shuffling about the room. Every few hours, or so he assumed, one of them would force another dose of medicine down his throat, this time a viscous, gooey liquid that adhered stubbornly to his throat no matter how many times he coughed or swallowed. He wasn't in much of a position to argue, and it did lessen the frequency and intensity of the coughs, however, so he took it willingly and without complaint.

He hadn't felt hungry yet, and hadn't been much inclined to eat, but Winly insisted he at least try some chicken soup broth and rice to keep his strength up. He considered retorting 'What strength?' to her last comment, but he hadn't the energy or the heart to respond so harshly after seeing her worried eyes.

His stomach had instantly rejected the first batch; a fact that Winly had accounted for by bringing an extra bowl and towel, but the second and each one after that settled, if a bit uncomfortably. It felt like he hadn't eaten in weeks, and his stomach had forgotten how to digest food.

The morning after he had arrived, he vaguely remembered Winly and her grandmother helping him up the stairs, his own legs barely able to hold him, and into the spare bedroom. Looking around, he decided that that had not been a dream; he now lay slightly propped up on the bed, just barely able to see the burned remnants of his old home through the glass window.

Feeling more awake than he had in days, he quickly discovered that his fever had receded quite a bit, and, though the cough was still rather insistent, his chest felt considerably lighter. He stretched his arms above his head to loosen the stiff muscles, and rolled his shoulders a few times as Winly entered the room with another tray of rice and soup.

She smiled happily in surprise as she saw he was awake, and sat down with one knee resting on the bed and the other leg hanging over the side. "Feeling better?" she asked, brushing a few of Ed's stray bangs behind one of his ears.

Edward dropped his gaze from her eyes as he felt his face burning, and this time he knew he couldn't blame it on the fever. He wasn't used to this; no one had cared for or about him as she had, in this world or the other, excepting his mother and Al; one of them was dead, and the other he hadn't seen in over two years. 'And this is something altogether different from brotherly love.'

Suddenly realizing that Winly was waiting for an answer, but not knowing what to say, he simply nodded. "Yeah."

She set the tray on his lap and he began to eat, slowly so his stomach could handle it, though he felt truly hungry for the first time in days. He was all too happy for the distraction at the moment, and it gave him some time to mull over his confused emotions.

While he'd been sick, he hadn't thought before doing anything; he'd simply done what instinct dictated. And it seemed that instinct had been urging him toward Winly. 'She's probably the best friend I have, next to Al. She knows me better than I know myself, sometimes, and we've been through so much together. No one else understands me like she does, equal to equal, accepting my decisions even if she doesn't particularly like them. She's seen me at my most vulnerable, and she's still here, taking care of me.'

Taking very good care of him, in fact. To his surprise, his meal (was it a late lunch or early dinner?) had vanished, and he leaned back on the cushions, feeling pleasantly satisfied and full. "Thanks, Win," he said sincerely, hoping she understood he meant it for more than just the meal.

She took human hand in both of hers and squeezed. "No problem. I'm just glad you're getting better." Pausing, she looked him over, and continued. "Think you're ready for a bath today? I've had the stones heating for a while so they'd be ready when you woke up."

Running a hand through his now-loose hair, though he didn't remember anyone having taken it out, he decided that, though he was still tired, he definitely needed to clean up. 'And this has nothing to do with the fact that Winly's doing this for me; no, not one tiny bit,' he thought sarcastically. Cracking a half-smile, he nodded and replied, "I owe you one."

Taking the tray off of Ed's lap, Winly smiled wryly. "Two years spent in Ishbala-knows-where and you still haven't given up that old equivalent trade philosophy?"

Remembering the truth about the real energy that enabled alchemical reactions, Ed sobered instantly. He'd almost forgotten he was back in the world where alchemy existed, prospered even, at the cost of human lives in the other realm called Earth. Those lives could potentially be anyone; even the mathematical and mechanical geniuses: Einstein, Leibniz, and countless others he had done research with.

"Uh, just a slip of the tongue, Win," he lied, feeling quite exhausted, but knowing he truly needed that bath. "I'll – uh – see you downstairs in a few minutes, then."

Frowning in concern, she mumbled an "okay" before heading to the kitchen with the tray.

'Dammit, I didn't mean to do that. I should tell her what I learned…' His train of thought broke off as he remembered bringing Al back to this world. 'Al's here, and if I know him, he's been practicing alchemy… and he doesn't know either…'

He sat up as quickly as he dared, and swung his bare legs over the side of the bed. He stood up carefully, shaking off the dizziness, and put on the clothes either Winly or her grandmother had left for him on the bedside table. His movements felt slow and heavy, but definitely easier than they had been when he had arrived. 'I suppose Winly was right to make me eat, especially after all that time - ' He almost had to sit down again as he remembered just how he had come back. 'That explosion, the gate… how long was I there? Hard to tell with no sun, no space even, just white everywhere.' He shuddered at the madness that had nearly claimed his mind; only Izumi-sensei's meditation tricks had saved him from that horrible fate. Then somehow, somehow he'd been pulled between realms, wandering in a darkness that felt all the more complete after the white spacelessness that contained the gate. He'd seen the blinking light, burning his eyes but nevertheless pulling him toward it. 'And I instantly knew I was on the road here. And that storm, what if - ' His eyes widened as understanding dawned. 'What if Al tried to get me back?'

Edward forced himself to stand and stumbled toward the door, thinking of nothing but finding Al; he needed to know that his brother was okay, and fervently hoped that he hadn't actually tried to bring Ed back, though the coincidence was far too great to ignore completely. He forced himself impatiently to take the stairs slowly and carefully, and burst into the kitchen, surprising both Winly and her grandmother.

"Al?" he panted, leaning heavily on the doorjamb. "Where – is – Al?"

Winly reacted first, dragging him toward a chair and finally resorting to forcing him to sit when he argued. "Ed, calm down. Al is fine; he's still training with Izumi-san."

"No, no. He – I think he brought me back. I need to know, now, if – if he actually tried, if – if he's all right, what happened - " Ed knew he was rambling, and crazily at that, but he couldn't help it. This was too important, too urgent, to wait. He'd run all the way to Dublith if he had to, he simply needed to know –

Kneeling in front of him, Winly grabbed both his shoulders and shook him, trying to break the gripping spell of distress. "Ed, get a hold of yourself," she ordered sternly, meeting and holding his gaze, and fighting down the panic and resentment she read there with the love and concern she put into her own. "Obaachan sent a letter to them three days ago, the day after you arrived. We're expecting a reply from them in the form of a letter or a visit anytime now."

His shoulders relaxed beneath her hands, and he lowered his eyes to his hands, which now lay clasped in his lap. Winly dropped her hands to take hold of his, and lowered her voice. "I know you were thinking about going to Dublith yourself, but you're still too weak. All you can do right now is hope everything will turn out fine."

He nodded dumbly, surprised at how mature Winly had become since he'd seen her last. He'd rather expected an egg-shaped lump on his head from her blasted wrench rather than this kind of reasoning from her, a reasoning which, coming from anyone else, he would never have listened to.

"Ready for that bath? The water should be warm, now."

He nodded again, and walked out to the bathtub in the yard, closing the curtain behind him as Winly watched with concern. "Obaachan, what do you think happened?"

She turned away from the stove and shrugged. "I suppose we'll find out when he's ready to tell us."