TK: Well, it certainly took you long enough...
AM: Yeah, I know, I came across a dilemma...
TK: Of what sort?
AM: Okay, because I marked the story as EdXRoy, and once Winry finds out about the two, uh... well, basically it'll turn into an AlXWinry story XP I don't want that... so I had to figure out a way to keep the focus on Ed and Roy... My beta suggested making someone get kidnapped at the wedding, and I thought about it for a while... and thought some more... and then, lo and behold, I came up with an actual plot! I hope you don't mind. If you do mind, say so in your next review, and I'll end it where I was planning to... but it won't be very interesting...
TK: What about the OCs?
AM: Oh right, the plot involves a lot of OCs, though... because if I were to use non Original characters, I may be turning someone's favorite character into a "bad guy" yeah... so there are some OCs... and there's one in here that would have been put in anyway... If you want to tell me that my OCs are Mary Sues, I want an actual reason as to why, not just, "Grace is a Mary Sue" I would like to hear, "Grace is a Mary Sue because insert reason here" so I can fix the problem, and my characters won't be Mary Sues anymore... Yeah... there's my rant.

Chapter VI: The Rockbell House

Cerulean optics widened when she saw 3 people walk up the path.

And, we rewind again! (don't worry, not too far)

The train came to a stop, as the conductor called out, "Resembool Station!"

Roy stood up. As Alphonse gathered their luggage, he visibly stiffened.

"Something wrong, Roy?" Edward asked, standing, and taking the older man's hand.

"Koi," the darker haired man looked down at his blonde fiancée's face, "Winry is going to kill me," he said, his face gave no indication that he was joking.

"Positive thoughts, Mustang-san," Al insisted.

Roy chuckled dryly, "Right... positive," he echoed.

They got off the train and made their way from the station to the Rockbell household on the hill.

"Winry!" Al cried, running up the hill, his heart swelling in his chest. He missed Winry significantly, he hadn't seen her since Pinako passed away. (1)

Edward grinned, and looked up at his fiancée. Alphonse really loved Winry, and he had since they were kids. As kids, they used to fight over who would marry Winry, and Edward never won anyway. Of course, they had just been kids then, and everyone thought that Edward would be the one to marry the blonde mechanic, but here was Edward, not only already engaged to someone else, but engaged to a man. He chuckled at the irony.

"Something funny, Koi?" Roy asked, while they were still out of earshot.

"No, not really," Edward replied, shaking his head. The closer they got to the Rockbell house, the harder it became to tell her about his engagement. According to his brother, and Roy, the girl was in love with him, right? How would she react? Would she cry? Would she run away? Would she hit him with that damn wrench? Would she keep her feelings inside? Or would she be happy for them? Maybe none of these, maybe she would kill them both... Oh God!

"Al, You're early!" Winry said in greeting.

"Yeah, I know," Al said, scratching the back of his neck. He took an earlier train than he was planning on, of course, only he knew this.

"So, what's the surprise?" Winry asked, clasping her hands together.

"Hey there, Winry," a familiar voice greeted from behind her.

Winry whirled around and her eyes widened even more, "Edward!" she screamed, flinging her arms around the young man's shoulders, "I thought you were dead!" she cried, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Well, I'm not," Ed confirmed, as Winry pulled back so she was looking him in the eyes, "Winry, you're crying!" he exclaimed, "Are you okay?" (2)

"I just missed you so much!" she cried, hugging him close again and sobbing into his shoulder.

Ed couldn't tell her now. She was so happy to have him back, and telling her he was engaged would only ruin it.

Roy, however, couldn't help but think, 'My Edward' when the blonde mechanic threw her arms around his fiancée's neck. Though, he reminded himself, that Winry really thought Edward had died, and was also in love with him. He and the blonde girl were rivals in love, and four years ago, he would have beloved the mechanic to be winning. Life was funny that way...

"Uh, Winry," Edward began when the mechanic let go, "I know you'll hate me for this, but d'you think you could do some automail maintenance?" he asked nervously, scratching the base of his braid.

"Of course!" Winry exclaimed, motioning for the general and Al to follow when she dragged Ed inside.

"Winry, another phone call!" a girl who looked about twelve or thirteen called from the phone table, waving the receiver in the air.

"Oh!" Winry cried, releasing the blonde alchemist's arm, and rushing to the phone. "Thank you, Grace" she said, before holding the receiver to her ear and greeting, "Winry speaking."

The three sat down on the couch in the living room. The girl walked over to them, "Hello," She greeted.

"Hi, Grace" Al greeted, smiling at the girl. Now that she was closer, Ed could she that she was indeed young. Her snow white hair was tied back, and bound in a braid, and the bottom of it brushed the back of her knees. Her eyes were a dark brown, almost black, a strange contrast to her pale skin and hair. She wasn't a big girl, but she looked sturdy enough to lift the heavy machinery she worked with.

"Nii-san, Mustang-san, this is Grace, Winry's apprentice," Al introduced, gesturing to the girl.

"Hello, Grace" Edward extended his hand, "I'm Edward Elric, Al's older brother."

"Hello" Grace replied, somewhat shyly, "You're the older brother?" she asked. It seemed hard to believe, since Al was taller than him. "But you're so sh--"

"I wouldn't, if I were you," Roy cut her off, and flashed her a dazzling Mustang brand smile, offering his own hand for her to shake, "I'm Roy Mustang, General Roy Mustang"

Grace blushed, and shook the offered hand, as Edward snorted.

"You know, Fullmetal, I think she's taller than you," he commented, smirking, as Ed's face turned red with rage.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL AN ANT COULD CRUSH HIM!" he screamed.

Grace stepped back a few steps, and stared at the shorter man, shock painted all over her face.

"And that's why," Roy concluded, before turning to Ed. "I didn't say any of that, Edward."

Ed relaxed almost instantly when the general addressed him, and she couldn't help but notice the ring on the younger man's left ring finger, and the way the taller man looked at him... there was something between the two...

"Anyway, now that that's all over with, let's take a look at your arm, okay?" Winry asked, walking over to the group.

Ed sighed, and removed his red coat, and black jacket. After that he pulled off the white gloves. If Winry noticed the ring on his left ring finger, she didn't let it show.

Her faced looked more shocked than upset, Edward decided after looking at her for a few moments.

"How did this happen?" she asked, looking at the busted piece of machinery. It was rusted, and pieces of the outer layer were missing, exposing the gears and wires inside.

Edward scratched the base of his braid and shrugged in response.

Winry sighed, and covered her face with a hand. She was amazed the thing was still moving, and it gave her a slight ego boost. Her work was so good, it would still work, even in those conditions. "We're going to have to start from scratch," she concluded, turning to Grace, and nodding, then turning back to Ed. She added, "We'll check your leg too, I think you may have grown out of it again." She smiled and turned her whole body to Grace, "M'kay?" she asked.

"Kay!" Grace replied enthusiastically, going over to the store room to find the parts needed to reconstruct Edward's arm.

Winry sat down on the couch next to the blonde man, "So, you're really not going to tell me what happened?" she asked.

Edward shook his head, "I just... don't want you to worry," he tried to explain.

Winry cast Al a glance, and he understood, leaving to the guest rooms, Mustang in tow.

"You know, I was really worried when you were gone," she told him, in hopes of getting him to talk. However, he only looked away.

"Winry, I have to tell you something," he said, still not looking at her. He looked at his hands in his lap, and swallowed, "I'm getting married"

"You're what?" she asked in disbelief. There was no way! He couldn't be!

Edward only nodded.

Well, she couldn't stand for this, to have Edward taken from her by some girl he probably didn't know half as long! She had to tell him now, then, "But, Edward, I love you!" she cried, tears starting to spill from the corners of her eyes.

He knew she was crying. He couldn't look at her. Crying girls was one of his few weaknesses, "I'm... sorry," he said, looking at her anyway.

The blonde girl looked down at her hands that were clenched into fists on her knees, "I see..." She wouldn't let it ruin their friendship, though. No way.

"This doesn't change anything, right?" Seems like Edward had the same idea.

"Of course not!" Winry said, jumping up, and giving him a fake grin. "I hope you'll let me meet her," she said before turning around to find Grace. "Grace, where are you!" she called out, running up the stairs to check up there.

"You've already met 'her,'" Edward said to himself, letting out a sigh, and cradling his head in his human hand. But she didn't ask who it was, and he didn't tell her... Now what?

AM: And there you have it, another chapter, yaaaay! Here is what I have to say:
(1) OMG! I'm sorry! But if she were alive, I'd probably forget about her!
(2) God, he's such an idiot...
AM: Again, tell me if I should continue, and start my actual plot, or let it morph into an AlXWinry story, or end it with the next chapter (I'm hoping you won't pick that though XP, I really wanna continue it)
TK: So why don't you just continue it?
AM: Because I want the reader's opinion. If I don't continue it here, you know I'll just make it as another fanfiction.
TK: Right.
AM: And if you feel the need to call Grace a Mary Sue, I want a legitimate reason as to why you call her that. Because, I'm quite fond of her. I'm also planning on posting my sketches of the OCs on my Livejournal (asahi-minako. livejournal. com) Yeah, if you don't give me your opinion on my continuing the story or not, I'll continue it. That's if I get absolutely no opinions. Majority rules, yeah, that's all, caio for now!

-Ai
Minako-baka