After his 'talk' with Mustang, Ed noted the time. It was only a little after six, so there should be enough time to get to the shop and go home, right? He didn't have to drive his brother home today, because Alphonse was home, sick with a fever. Thus, his schedule was free for the next few hours.

The shop was two blocks from his house, built between two larger shops. As he walked down the road towards it, he stopped at a local pet shop. Right inside the window were a few kittens, prancing around. Each one was black, with amber or green eyes. Man, wouldn't Alphonse love it if he came home with one of these guys, wouldn't he? Alphonse loved cats…

Edward shook his head, and continued down the road. Maybe next day. Didn't he tell himself that every time he passed a pet shop? Who knew?

He almost walked right past the auto-mail shop at first, and then thought better of it. As he pushed open the door, it gave a little jingle, a small bell hidden strategically on the roof. A young teenage girl of nineteen rushed to the front, her hands spotted with oil, her blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail.

"Hey, you must be Elric, right?" She was over excited as she cleaned off one of her oily hands on her pants, and extended it. "Rockbell. Winry Rockbell."

"Edward Elric." He took her hand and smiled warmly.

"Could you wait a second out here? We're just fixing up some auto-mail right now." Winry said, motioning to a chair as a deep-throated scream emitted from the back room.

"Erm… sure?" Ed sat down as Winry turned around.

"I'm coming Kenny!"

- - - - - - - - - -

A few minutes later, she helped a middle-aged man out of the surgery room, who had tears running in rivulets down his face. After getting him to his car and sending him home, Winry led Edward into another back room, and sat him down on a flat, metal bed.

"So, you're the Edward that me and Kenny made the leg for?"

"Kenny?" Edward wore a blank look on his face.

"Oh, she's my friend. Pinako's my grandma."

Pinako was his old auto-mail doctor, so the name was familiar. He just gave a silent nod, and turned his head to the door as another slightly older girl bustled in.

Her own long black hair was pulled up into a ragged bun atop her head, and a few stray strands hung around her eyes and chin. Her hands were gloved with the same white gloves as the older Elric brother, and she too, wore all black, from her sleeveless vest to her cargo pants.

Edward didn't know if it was his pounding head, but she looked an awful lot like the woman from this morning.

"Kenara." She said as she held out one hand to the Elric on the table, who shook it.

"I'm-"

"You're Edward Elric. You've got the best auto-mail arm and leg Winry and I have ever made." She shot him a quick smile. "So, what're you here for?"

"Well, I thought I should get a check-up…"

Kenara threw a blue pair of shorts and a white jogging shirt at him, which he caught.

"Put these on, and call us when you're ready."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Edward was nervous as he sat there, the two girls examining his arm and leg. He never did like auto-mail check-ups, and rarely went, not only because of the pain, but also because he found it very odd to sit on a metal bed in shorts and a Tee, while two pretty girls checked you over.

"Have you had any problems with your leg lately?" Kenny asked, fiddling with something at the bottom of his left foot.

"Well, sometimes it's hard to walk, and I can't find a grip." He said as she lifted it up.

Kenny reached over and grabbed a screwdriver from a nearby table and lifted the bottom platform off of his foot, showing the gears underneath. She slowly pried a piece of jagged metal from the bottom, placed it on the table, and Ed slowly lost all feeling, however dull it was in the first place, in his leg.

Meanwhile, Winry was taking notes on his arm. When she was finished, she began to talk.

"In about a week, you'll need to come in to get your leg extended. I understand that's when you'll be off work, right?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"Well, then, during that time, we'll also get your arm upgraded."

Edward groaned. "And how much is this going to cost me?"

"Nothing, actually."

Ed blinked, and then shook his head. "What?"

"Nothing. You're our guinea pig." Kenara said, as she snapped something in his leg, and feeling started to slowly return.

"That makes me feel so much better."

"What, do you want to pay?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's a lot, and I doubt you could afford it."

The two girls stepped back to look at their work, and smiled.

"Do you need some help getting home, Mr. Elric?" Winry asked.

"No, I don't." However, as Ed slung his legs off of the table, he found that, try as he may, he couldn't stay up. Soon, he crumpled to the ground in a mass of swears and pain.

"We'll give you a ride home. Where do you live?" Kenara asked as she and Winry helped him back onto the table.

"13911, 36 street." He said, defeated.

"Well, then get changed while we start up the car again." Winry said as she pointed to the folded pile of clothes, and left the room, Kenara not far behind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hello... one reviewer. Oh well, writing it is more fun anyways. Hope you liked the chapter!