Ember Alchemist

Chapter 5- Winry Meets Ember.

This should be an interesting chapter... As much as I hate Winry, if Ed's got another gurly in his life, Winry's gonna have to find out sooner or later. Oh yah, I gave up on the whole reviews thing. I'd still reeaalllylike a review, but I've kinda given up hope. But thanks Drowningforyourlove for your nice review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Full Metal Alchemist, if I were i'd be having a feild day right now.

Catch Up: Ed and Al saved Ember from The Nightriders, however the hideout was an old place and the roof caved in on everyone. Ember was about to fall victim to a large chunk of metal falling from the roof until Ed dived infront of her to save her... However, Ed's wounds are serious and he needs to go to hospital.

"Oh Al, this is all my fault!" exclaimed Ember, gazing at Ed's almost lifeless body lying on the ground. His red oversized trench coat was ripped and tattered and he had cuts all over his skin, his automail arm was smashed up too.

"No it's not!" soothed Al, "Don't say that" He placed a friendly arm around her to try and offer her some comfort... It made Ember remember the night she had fallen asleep, even if it was accidently, in Ed's arms and it only made her hurt even more.

Al lifted his big brother up, "We'd better get him to the nearest hospital, and on the way we'd better tip the police off about The Nightriders too" Ember added a small sigh to her nod and they went on their way.

Al and Ember sat beside Ed's bed at the hospital for hours, simply watching him sleep. Al wanted to say something to Ember to make her feel better but it seemed that nothing he could possibly say would.

"Oh Al, do you think he's gonna be ok..." Ember asked him, their sad eyes both met eachother.

"Well, it's almost impossible to tell right now," Al answered, truthfully enough. Just then a slightly stumpy nurse with brown bobbed hair entered the room.

"Ah, so are you two the family and friends?" Al and Ember nodded grimly. "Right," the nurse began, pulling her red clipboard up to her face, "His injuries are serious and we're doing all we can to help him... Unfortunatly he's going to have to see his mechanic about that arm, but we've got him on a drip so the rest of him should be getting better.

Al stood up, "I'll go call Winry- his mechanic," he informed Ember and the nurse, leaving the room to go find himself a pay-phone to do so.

Ember burried her head in her hands, not moving in the slightest, she just wanted to be alone for a bit. The nurse got the message. "We're doing our best to save your boyfriend..." She said and on that note she left.

"He's not my..." Oh what was the point anyway. "Oh Ed, please don't leave us, please don't leave me!"Ember thought aloud.

"Well, Winry's on her way," Al said as he sat back down on his chair. His eyes circled the room. It was a fresh white colour with bright white sheets and linoleum flooring and two grass green potted plants in two corners of the room, with a nasty smell of rubber gloves and other hospital things lurking outside in the corridors. "I think I'll go meet her at the train station, if anything happens with brother, come get me right away, Ok?" Ember nodded slowly, following it with a sad 'Mm-hm'.

"Wait," she stopped Al just before he left, "What's this Winry like?"

"Well, um, she's..." the thought had never really crossed Al's mind before, "She's got real character... And likes to throw wrenches at Ed" Al added. Ember pondered on this for afew moments. To her, this Winry sounded like a batty old middle-aged bitch with a temper problem.

"Al!" cried an attractive young blue eyed blonde in a blue miniskirt, cream sleeveless tee and a pink bandana.

"Winry!" Al called back to her. She rushed on over to her, and Al opened up his arms thinking they were both about to embrace eachother in a hug.

No such luck.

"What have you and Ed been up to now," she screamed at him, bonking him on the head, getting all up in his face... literally.

Al took afew steps back, Winry was dangerous when she was like this, and he knew from experirence. "Well, um, a roof caved in on us and Ed was unlucky" he put his hands infront of himself to protect him, convinced Winry was about to hit him again.

"What did you do to your hands!" she screached at him, noticing the huge scuff marks, "They look awful!"

"Um.. Come on, let's just get back to Ed..." Al said, running off.

"Get back here!"

By the time they had reached the hospital, Al had dissapeared. Winry was a scary girl, but now she felt totally lost, standing in the middle of this huge busy hospital looking like a complete vegetable. She spotted a nurse and tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Edward Elric?" she told her, hoping to be enlightened.

"Oh yes, he's on the second floor, ward four, room one-one-five. He's with his little girlfriend" she smiled sweetly.

"G-girlfriend?" Winry stuttered. Her eyebrow began to twitch wildley and she looked as though she had just seen a ghost.

Winry stormed away, her face like thunder. She was going to give Ed a piece of her mind. The truth was Winry had been trying to pluck up the courage to confess to Ed how much she loved him for years, but now this random girl, who probably wasn't even good enough for him, waltzed into his life and suddenly he was totally smitten! "I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" She murmured to herself furiously.

The nurse watched Winry nervously, "Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Winry exploded into Ed's hospital room as if she were an active volcano on the verge of destruction. "Right where is he!" she hissed.

Suddenly Al popped up behind her "Winry I've been looking for you everywhere!" he said. Winry turned round, giving him a look of death, Al slowly edged away from her.

"So Ember, any news?" Al asked her, trying to get away from crazy Winry. Winry's gaze fell on Ember, but when she clocked Ed, lying motionless on the bed her anger turned to saddness. Her eyes welled up and she flung herself at him. "Poor Ed, Al you didn't tell me Ed was seriously ill. I worry about you guys so much..." Winry's kind and sweet side started shining through, this was the side Al liked to see. Al had always thought Winry was a beautiful lady, however he knew there would be no point of even beginning to show feelings like that... After all, what phsychopath would return them; he was a metal suit for crying out loud!

"Ah, so this is Winry..." Ember said to nobody in particular. 'She's not at all what I imagined, although... She is a bit mad... But she's pretty I guess'

Winry looked at Ember with a weird emotionless expression. "And you're Ed's girlfriend"

"What? No I'm not, we're just friends" Ember stuttered suddenly.

Winry breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh that's good" Seeing how frightened and somewhat jelous she had gotten after thinking Ed had gotten himself a girlfriend really made Winry think... Ed wasn't going to be single forever, she need to show him how she truelly felt now, before it was too late and that Ember loser snatched him up.

"Ed, please wake up," she whispered softly, staring at his handsome face. She longed to see his gorgeous golden eyes again.

Suddenly, Ed gave a groan. His vision was blurry as he first opened his eyes, but slowly but surely he made out the fuzzy shape of an attractive young girl looking at him. "Ember is that you?" he said slowly.

Winry flashed a scary look, "I'm Winry, moron!"

"Winry, when did you get here?"

"During the time you were out cold, Ed you've been unconcious for ages" She pulled him into a long hug, Ed didn't have any time to react, but it was still good to see that old friendly face again.

Al and Ember stood side by side watching them, "I think I'll go for a walk," Ember said sadly and she quickly left, folding her arms, hanging her head sadly.

After afew moments of hugging, Ed wriggled away from Winry's tight grasp, "Where's Ember, is she alright, what happened. Is she safe?"

"Why all the questions... And what does it matter anyway. You're safe!" Winry answered snootily.

"Because I got like this trying to save her. If Ember's not ok, then all of this was in vein" Ed stated, crossing his arms pouting.

Al stepped in, "Ember's fine, she went for a walk"

"Does she know I've woken up though. Wouldn't she want to know?" Ed said, searching the room as if Ember would spring up infront of him.

"Well actually..." Al said, slightly confused, "Ember left after you woke up. Strange..."

Winry sniffed, closed her eyes and shrugged, "Well, guess she just doesn't care" Ed tried to stand up, but his right arm wouldn't work right, when he had leaned on it, his hand just wouldn't take on the weight... Then he remembered. That pillar had crushed it. Winry got out of her pale pink rucksack a screwdriver and some metal scraps, "Well, I'd better get you fixed" Ed sighed and layed back down on the bed.

"I don't get it... What's wrong with Ember, did I do something bad?" Ed mumbled to noone is particular as he rested his heavy head onto the pillow.

"There there, just relax," Winry said, producing her beloved spanner from her back-pack. But suddenly as she searched inside it for some screws she needed she gave a huge gasp. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Al and Ed asked at the same time, both sounding slightly panicky.

"I've forgotten a whole bunch of screws and other stuff!" Winry cried. "I'll still be able to fix your arm a little but it won't be the same. you'll have to come back home to Rizenbul with me so I can fix it up properly"

Ed said nothing and waited until Winry was finshed with his arm until he actually did. He didn't even make a sound during the process, which impressed Winry, but she supposessed it probably had something to do with how Ed was used to it now. Four years it had been. Four long, struggling years full of stress and dissapointment. Winry wished Ed and Al would just come home so they could all live together happily and things could be just like it had been when they were little kids again.

"So, can I use it again now?" he asked, trying to move his hand.

"Yes," Winry answered, "But don't put too much of a strain on it ok?" she added sternly. Ed nodded. Winry smiled. "Ok, just let me put all my mechanic stuff away"

"Oh here, let me help you with that..." Al said, turning to help Winry.

"So Ed..." Winry twirlled round again, ready to engage him in conversation, but all she could find was an empty hospital bed and an open window.

She rushed to the window. "Ed, where are you going?" Winry watched as he used his alchemy to turn part of the wall into a stone hand that caught him at the bottom of the building, enabling him to jump off swiftly on to the ground. "Ed!" Winry called once more, but he ran off. "Ed, you stuborn ideot..." she sighed sadly.

"Ember! Ember where are you!" Ed called, smoothing down his red trench-coat and making sure his white gloves were still hiding his auto-mail. "Excuse me sir," Ed lightly tapped a passing gentleman on the shoulder. "Have you seen a red haired girl round about here? She's about the same hight as me and she's wearing baseball boots" The man shook his head so he went off to find another person. He gave a short exasperated sigh. 'I'll never find her'
"That'll be 4.50 missy," the jolly shop-keeper said, his brown moustache bobbing up and down as he said it.

"Thanks," Ember said dully and handed him the money. She cradled the beautiful white lillys and 'Get Well Soon' card in her arms and scuffed her feet as she walked outside to find somewhere she could sit down. The park wasn't to far from this shop she was at, so she decided that would be a good place to go.

Ember collapsed onto the park bench, gently lying the Lilys beside her, the card she rested on her knees. Ember rumaged around in her back pocket for the pen she had bought in the store before the flower shop, once she had found it she sat cross legged on the bench and chewed at the pen lid, thinking of what to write inside the card.

It was a goodbye card she was planning on writing. Ember didn't really know how she could possibly some up all her feelings into one tiny message. After about five minutes of wracking her brain she finally came up with a good start...

'Dear Ed,

Thank you so much for everything you've done. I've never had a friend that was as caring as you...' She scribbled. Her expression became even more upset looking as she went on.

'I think it's time I left though, I've caused you guys so much trouble already... You almost died because of me, I think id I stayed around something even worse would happen to you... I wouldn't be able to even look at myself if you died because of me. Besides... I don't think Winry really wants me here to be honest but thanks for being so kinds towards me and tell Al thanks too, he's so sweet... I'll remember you two forever, always'

Ember paused for afew thoughtful moments and suddenly memories of her and Ed flashed into her mind, they made her smile and suddenly without thinking she wrote at the very bottom of the card:

'I love you.

- Ember x'

"Wait, why did I write that?" Ember suddenly yelped, touching her cheek. She wasn't in love with Edward! He was just a friend to her... A friend that was all, nothing more, right?

Ember shook her head feircly, trying to desperetly shake the idea from her brain, but it wouldn't budge and slipped into the very back of her mind so the idea would always be there, planted in her head as if reminding her of what she had stupidly thrown away.

It was as if her subconcious was trying to tell her something, by the way it had taken control of her hand, making her write those three small but powerful words like that. Ember stared hard at it, concentrating on it as if in doing so it would solve all the problems of her heart she so clearly had.

Ember was too busy reading it to notice the blonde in the red trench-coat sit down on the bench back to back with hers. "Ember," Ed whispered almost silently under his breath. he noticed she was reading something. Curiously he sat directly behind her, craning his neck around so he could read the writing on the little card she was holding.

Ed squinted his eyes slightly and began to read...