Quick on this one, but chapters are far shorter and I know exactly what I want to write. Probably many errors as people wouldn't stop talking to me. I will edit it later, but now I'm sleepy and can no longer spell. FMA isn't mine.
Although Winry was known to get upset when Ed hurt himself it did not faze her to remove two of his limbs from him. She decided the best way to go about it would be to take it away in as big a chunks as possible. She could see in his eyes the desperation to find his brother. Yet if he left sooner he could clear all the hassle that was going on up and be back to her quicker. She found the biggest part of his false arm and with a quick jerk she pulled it away.
He cried out in pain but not knowing such mechanics she knew pulling had to have been the quickest way of removing it. She winced slightly as she heard him grind his teeth in an effort to keep quiet. Perhaps talking to him would be a distraction.
'So now you decide to come back? And you bring all these troubles with you.'
'Thanks for the affection Winry,' he growled.
'You've had me being nice to you. I can't keep it up forever.'
'I've been away two years and this is the sweetest you can be?'
'Perhaps if you had been here I wouldn't be so mad!'
They had only said a few words to each other but in that short space of time her temper had flared up. She had many, many more things she wanted to say to him but now was not the time. It had been two years and she hadn't let one day go by where she didn't think of him. Toward the end of the first year being parted from him she was just about ready to give up hope. But Al assured her he would keep his promise and now that promise was sat in front of her. She wanted again to through her arms around him, if anything in a vein attempt to strangle him. But considering he was minus an arm and a small war was beginning in the world above them she kept it all in. She would have plenty time after they had saved the world to tell him how she truly felt.
'So Edward…did you miss me?'
He chuckled for a second or two and she could see how it would sound funny. The problem was she wanted a real answer from him and the chances of that were slim to none. Still it was a chance to hear his voice without it being raised in anger.
'Not a day went by when I didn't miss this place. Hell I even missed the colonel.'
She smiled but it had not been what she wanted to hear. She guessed he would have missed everyone as it went without saying. She wanted to know if she had left a hole in his life that only she could fill. But then even the thought of this caused her to blush and she concentrated harder on her work. Shezka had demanded Winry tell Ed how she truly felt when he returned but somehow Winry was still unsure how she did feel. She loved him that was certain, but to what extent did she love him? She was adamant it was just a love between friends but with the way she had thought about it she knew it was unlikely that was the case. Working purely on the adrenalin pumping round her body from her heart she asked;
'What did you miss about me?'
He took a deep breath and replied, 'My auto-mail probably.'
She got to her feet and slammed her wrench to the ground, 'That's all I was to you! A mechanic?'
'No…no that's not what I meant,' he stammered knowing full well what Winry was capable of with a wrench.
'What did you mean then Edward! I spend two years waiting for you to come back to me but all you ever wanted from me was auto-mail! Isn't that what you meant?'
'Winry sit back down, I can't talk to you when you're up there!'
She took a gulp of breath and knelt back in front of him. Refusing to look him in the face she picked up her wrench and carried on with her work.
'My auto-mail, well it was something I could always have that was a part of you. You made it for me, so it was special.'
'You're only saying that so I don't make this painful.'
Her heart almost stopped beating as he took hold of her hand with his free one. It felt softer then she expected and the tears began to fill her blue eyes once again.
'You know, in that world there are equivalent people to those here. I met Al, Rose, Hughes and Gracier…'
'Hughes! H's alive.'
'In that world yes he is. But I never met the equivalent you even though I really wished to. Thank-you for never giving up on me.'
They both sat for a moment, hand in hand and staring at each other. She opened her mouth to speak again all the words she so longed to. But the approach of Shezka knocked her back into mechanic mode and she quickly finished attaching his leg.
'How is it?'
Standing up he grumbled about how painful the attachment had been but all seemed to be fine. Shezka became all starry eyed behind her, exclaiming how well it fit.
'I knew how much you would have grown,' she mumbled quietly knowing full well a blush played across her face. Another crash made them all turn and she knew what he would do next. Calling to her to stay away he ran off in the direction of battle and left her behind with a battered false arm in her hands.
As she stood there a funny feeling came over her. She feared for the safety of the pair of them but that was not it. Something in the pit of her stomach burned and her heart began to ache. Edward had been away for such a long time that no mater how much she loved him he might no longer be the Ed she originally fell in love with.
'Winry,' Shezka cried after they had walked for a while. Winry followed her gaze to see a great block of stone speed into the sky. She could see a glow of alchemy coming from the top and she guessed who was causing it. All she could do now was hope she would feel his warmth again.
Notice me, take my hand
Why are we strangers when
Our love is strong
Why carry on without me