heh heh... cough weez ...ahem... hi, sorry bout that. Chapter 5&6 really roll into one another so i figure i'd post them at the same time. hope it's okay, my editors kinda getting lazy...so i don't have a very good second opinion. but enough of me talking! let's carry on to the little Elric brother and see what's goingon.

Present

Alphonse blinked wondering why he couldn't feel his left arm. He sat up trying to wake up his body realizing he had over rolled on to his arm. The stinging awareness burned and he groaned while stretching it back out. What had woken him up? He couldn't recall a dream if he had had one. Trying to roll over, he recollected the throbbing in his legs. Memory came quickly and he rolled on his stomach. He'd fallen asleep talking to Winry.

Al looked around noticing the itching blanket slipping from his shoulders and the mountain of pillows under his head. The conclusion that came to him was that she must have tucked him in and ran off; which by all accounts seemed odd to him because he distinctly remembered now that his head had been on her knee. He smirked rolling back on his back and placing his arms behind his neck, "She escaped, better then she looks."

A pillow then flew down into his face, sporadically thrashing him, "Al! What do you mean escaped, you twit!" Alphonse could only manage to hold up his arms in defense and laugh at Winry's fuming face. And all it took was a moment for her to hesitate and he slipped a hand under his head grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her. "Al!"

Winry ducked and Al sat up in victory, "Ha!" Soon after of course, another cushion was chucked into his face. When Al looked back up the blonde girl now had her tongue out now and began giggling, "Give up Al, no one can beat me when it comes to a fight. Besides, I'm going out for a while and don't have the time to pound you." The grin on her face told Al that she had something up her sleeve, which slightly scared him. But he only leaned back into the pillows grinning still, "Fine, but otherwise you really know I would win." She rolled her eyes skipping eagerly out of the room.

"Bye Al! I'll see you later!" Before he could answer she was gone and he decided only to shake his head. Slowly he brought himself up to the edge of the couch and grabbed the arm of his wheelchair. It must have passed whatever had been bothering her before; she seemed energized and happy with whatever insane plan she'd come up with. Al smiled pulling the wheelchair in front of him. Sometimes her ideas were crazier then Ed's.

As he pushed himself up comfortably in the chair, he thought back to when sitting up made him tire for days. It had felt like a limp board, the way his body hadn't responded to him at first. But eventually feeling and warmth crept through his finger tips and his vision, thoughts, and movements were as one unit again.

He lowered his arms to the wheels and slowly rolled into the kitchen. Entering, he quickly noticed the old woman by the window looking out with the familiar old pipe between her lips. She turned and smiled squarely at him, "I suppose Winry woke you up?"

Al smiled and shook his head as she pulled the pipe out and blew a light puff of smoke into the air. He rolled over to the fridge and reached in grabbing the milk carton. Sliding a glass across the counter he shrugged loosely, and smirked, "Oh she just beat me up and then went out."

Pinako raised her eyebrows and chuckled softly in a low heavy tone, "Is that so?" She shook her head as she watched the boy pour the white liquid into the glass and only grin back putting the milk away them rolling his chair up to the table. She positioned her pipe back in its place and turned back to the window.

Eyeing the room in hunger, the cake lid caught Al's attention and he reached over the table pulling it closer. He wondered now only to himself how anyone could have lived as long as he had without sugar. At the time, while eating the cake of course, the idea seemed a bit unbelievable.

But he had known worst. When first regaining his body, the hospital had had to force food into him since he had long forgotten the taste of food and it seemed new to him. It repulsed him more then anything and after so long of throwing up everything given to him, his body rejected the sight. Finally an answer was found and for a whole month Al lived off water and baby food.

Al glanced up to see Pinako's gaze on him again and he smiled, "What?" She turned to face him and slowly took steps closer. He swallowed as she came up beside him and took a deep breath into her pipe, "Careful, we don't want you rushing things and thinning back to your state again. The only doctor around here might not be able to help you the way the ones in Central did."

Al nodded as she stepped off walking out of the room. That was Pinako. At least she hadn't lectured him. But compared to how he looked just a couple months ago, he couldn't blame her. The doctor's had warned him about waning back again, and if he wasn't careful to an even more inferior state then before. But he wouldn't let that happen. He promised himself never to become that helpless ever again. Or ever think of regretting his life and body again.

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