Chapter 4: You're Winry.
3rd Person
"Winry, darling, it's an hour to, we better get down there." Her grandma called for Winry to come down.
"Okay, I'm ready." Winry came down in her dress, white sandals and her hair was curled and put into a pony tail like normal and even her bangs were curled and she looked beautiful. Edward looked at her and he couldn't stop staring at her. Meanwhile Al was talking to Pinako.
"Everything's going as planned, I thought it might be harder but they seem to have realized their feelings easier then I thought."
"It was bound to happen, even if they get separated a lot they have each other's support and I'm sure that that will solve Winry's problems."
Winry was smiling, and Ed was too. "You look beautiful Winry, close your eyes." Winry closed her eyes and Ed tied a necklace around her neck.
"It's beautiful Edward, thank you. I bought something for you, I don't think it'll come in handy tonight but whatever, It just is for you." Winry handed Ed a box with something in it to Ed. Ed opened it.
"Wow Winry, where did you get these, they're amazing. This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen." She blushed. "Where did you get them?"
"I bought them from the military, hand crafted alchemic material gloves but I designed them to work even better with metals, they have special metal attributes that should help you alchemy advance even further." Ed was surprised with this gift he slipped them on his hands.
"I'm surprised they'd let you buy them without an Alchemy background." I looked at Al. Ed saw me look at Al. "Al, did you help her with this?"
"Yah, She paid for them and I bought them, then he gave them to me, that's part of what I was doing in the amo area base, apparently those gloves are like amo for alchemists, I knew they played a part but how heavily they were guarded says a lot." The truth was that being an alchemist herself she had access to all alchemic items.
They walked down to the dinner hall, it had a dance floor and everything was very nicely set up for them. Within minutes their first guests had arrived; it turned out to be the military party. "Ah, Major Winry, nice to see you tonight, you look lovely?" Mustang said and looked at Ed. "Ah Edward, I'm glad you decided to join in the festivities; what's with Major Winry, that's funny." Winry hadn't realized it but most of the military people did know who she was because she usually did have her hood down and they knew her from her travels with Ed before she joined.
"They're just playing with you Ed, don't call me major, it's strange for me, Ed wouldn't mind though." Winry laughed and Ed just looked at her.
"Of course we were just being funny, so where's Alphonse, Edward?" Ed looked around, he found it funny that he couldn't find him as easily anymore but a 11 year old should be pretty easy to spot too. Mustang laughed as his date for the evening arrived at his side, carrying a gun in her pocket.
"Do you always carry a gun with you Riza, Even to parties?"
"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Ed shook his head, Winry laughed.
"Glad you and the others could make it. It's great to see you at one of these and let you also have a break." Winry applied as a happy hostess with her escort Ed on her side.
"How are you healing up Edward?"
"Better if she hadn't tricked me so badly and made a fool of myself. I also got in a huge alchemy battle with a alchemist in Reisenbool who uses red stones, it's one of the last stones. Daniel Skyrocket his name is, he kidnapped Al, and attacked Winry." Everyone looked and Winry.
"Al's fine, and I'm fair better off then Ed and Al are though. I had a few broken ribs but they'll heal, right?" Ed looked at Winry. She faked a smiled because he had nothing but bruises and Al was perfectly fine, she didn't want to keep the attention on herself.
"Seems like you'd be hospitalized for a while in your condition, how is it healing with the way you work?"
"Yes Winry, I'd like to know that and why you haven't mentioned this to Al or I?" She faked another smile.
"I really am fine, I just let it handle itself I'm here and everything has gone as smooth as normal." Ed sighed, and desperately hoped she was okay. "So what are you working on in the office?"
"We were going to see if you needed anymore protection, we thought Ed would be enough, and maybe Al would help but it seems that Ed doesn't have control we'll have to send someone else to help." This alerted Ed and Winry just crossed her arms.
"I don't need to be watched, I'm fully capable of handling myself, when the time comes I can just call Eliza for help, right?" The others were alerted.
"I guess so, but wouldn't she protect you before so Ed could go on another mission instead of protecting you. It is her specialty."
"Yah, I was going to talk to Ed about that later." Winry turned to Ed. "I don't want to hold you and Al back; I'm going to be staying with Eliza for a while until Daniel is caught, so you can travel and do whatever you need to."
"Um, I hate to disrupt your conversation Winry, and Edward but I think you need to take care of the food Winry, and I'll help you." Riza said to Winry. Winry looked at Ed's state alchemist watch and nodded and walked off with Riza.
"You didn't tell him did you Winry?" Riza asked her.
"No, I didn't have the courage to tell Ed, he still has no respect for women, or girls for that matter. He respects them but not as fighters. He respects you but I'd rather not threaten Ed to gain his respect." Riza shook his head.
"Al is helping me cover because he respects everyone, once you're a suit of armor you respect that all people can fight, children, men and women. I'd think Ed would understand too." Riza sighed.
"He's going to find out by the end of tonight, he can be clueless but he's very smart and with all these people treating you with the respect of Edward, you're in trouble. Oh and here's your state issued state alchemist pocket watch." I took it and bowed and put it in my pocket, I hoped Ed would never see it so he'd never find out.
"I'll explain it to him tonight after the party, that way he won't freak out during his party." Riza nodded.
"He'll find out soon enough if you don't tell him."
"Either way he'll find out by tonight hopefully I can watch him enough to make sure that doesn't happen before I have the chance." Riza nodded and we carried all the wonderful food I made out onto the buffet.
"The food all does look very nice."
"I had a lot of practice, I had to cook 7 servings of every meal for the last week, Ed at us out of all food the first day, he had to buy it all to replace it all."
"You do know if Edward retires he'll be out of money, home and will be unprotected." I nodded.
"Ed's amazing even without his powers and all his money, he had a home when his house burnt down and he does when his place in the military is done."
"You're amazing, putting up with Edward, standing all the problems he's faced with and are so sweet and protective; Edward's one lucky guy. I've seen so many girlfriends of army guys leave because they came back with so little compared to when they were on break. Edward will have to go back to normal person after he retires."
"I'm fine with that, him being safe is a load off of my worry list, Al is next to be cared for, he's 5 years behind where he's suppose to be." Riza nodded. "Al's the only one who could stand being a 16 year old in a 11 year old's body."
"What are you getting Edward for his birthday?" Winry stopped setting things down and just thought.
"I really don't know, I haven't bought Ed anything for his birthday in years. It was easy to think of things he'd need as a traveling alchemist but this is harder, he is going to be going back to normal and I can't think of anything."
"I know what you mean, Edward's birthday present was something I know he needs because he complained about it everyday."
"What would that be?"
"A left boot that fits, he doesn't have boots that fit, they were all huge for the automail that you fitted him with and someone bought him shoes after he got it back but when he grew they're too small, we were all laughing." Winry laughed and thought about something Ed needed.
"Al is much easier to shop for because I'm creating a photo album with Ed of all the times that he and Al were on road, the pictures were copied from the military's database, which Ed did on his own, I decorated the album, and Ed made commentary about it."
"You're doing a great job with Alphonse, he's going to grow up to be a fine person, better than I'd thought was possible after his little set back, he bounces back nicely." Winry smiled.
"Ed is happy about that too, but Ed's the hardest person in the world to shop for. I'm glad I happened to have a run in on the alchemic gloves that I altered with special metal attributes to help him better transmute items."
"That was a very thoughtful gift. Well it seems we've gone. I'm sure Edward is ready to tackle Mustang to the ground if he hasn't already." Winry and Riza walked over there and Ed was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Ed perked out when he saw Winry. Mustang walked over to Riza and then planted a kiss on her cheek and Ed and Winry watched and Riza and Mustang looked at them, Ed grabbed Winry's hand and walked off.
"Winry, brother, there you are. Brother have you tasted the wonderful cakes in our honor?" Ed looked at Winry, and she sighed.
"I guess you could have some now, but just a little, don't stuff yourself."
"Okay, I'll only eat half of it, and I'll save you a piece."
"Thanks. Wait…Ed!" Al laughed as he watched Winry scold Ed for trying to eat that much cake.
"Attention everyone, now that all our guests have arrived, please take a seat at the dinning area, and Edward Elric don't you touch that cake." Pinako scolded Ed, Ed pouted and then properly escorted Winry to their seat. Ed, Winry, Al, and Sciezka were all at the same table being the guests of honor and all.
"Why can't I eat the cake, it's in my honor, I deserve to eat it." Ed argued.
"See it this way, the couple at a wedding only get a piece of their wedding cake, the rest is for their guests." Ed put his head down on the table. Winry's comment didn't help him feel better.
"Brother, if you ask Winry nicely maybe when we get home tonight she'll make you a cake that you can eat all by yourself." Ed looked hopefully at Winry.
"You behave and I'll make you as much cake and food as you want, and behave means not eating all the food."
"Come on Win, I'm a growing boy, how much is all of it." She laughed.
"Two servings is enough of anything because you need to save enough room for the next course." Ed nodded.
"Do you two always argue this much?" Sciezka asked.
"No brother and Winry have been getting along very well over the last week but when it comes to food, Winry goes all out on the most delicious foods she can make and Ed well he loves her food and eats it all, so there's none for anyone else." Sciezka laughed, and looked at Winry next to her.
"Ed and Al why don't you two go have some food while I talk to Winry. I haven't talked to her for a while and I want to catch up." Ed shrugged, smiled at Winry before he left and Al smiled at Sciezka and she waved good-bye.
"So does he know yet, everyone knows except him, I think he deserves to know." Winry rested her head on table. "Everyone's asking about it, aren't they?"
"He's my greatest rival, love and friend, he'd lose respect for me if I told him, I'm hungry, let's go get something ourselves." Winry and Sciezka got up and Winry didn't notice she had dropped her pocket watch on the chair.
Ed came back with all, on the chair Ed saw the watch. "Hey Al, is this your pocket watch?" Al shook his head, and Ed handed it to Al.
"Oh this must be one of the other state alchemists' here, I'm sure they must have dropped it and Winry found it to give back to one of us to return to them." Al was bad a lying to Ed about Winry, he was also bad with figuring out and excuse that didn't give it away.
"Al, you're lying to me, other than Mustang you and I are the only two state alchemists here, if it's not yours, mine, or Mustangs which his is tied to his side and never leaves it, who's is it?" Ed tried to ask.
"Winry, save me." Al jumped up and hid behind her.
"Al, what's wrong? Ed what did you do to Al."
"He knows something that I need to know." Ed said complaining. Winry noticed her pocket watch in his hand, she knew that his was on his waist.
"Sciezka had it to give back to the owner, she thought it might be someone's at the party, the person was stupid and didn't right their name on it, Ed." Winry snatches the pocket watch from Ed and hands it to Sciezka.
"Oh yeah, I was wondering if it was one of yours." Ed held up his tied to his waist, and Al did the same thing. "Okay, so I'll have to take it back, who ever lost this is pretty stupid not to tie it to their waste and put it in their pocket."
So they all finished eating and Ed was still wondering why everyone was acting so different, he thought about the date on the watch, it was within the last year. The only new person at central was Eliza, but where could she have lost it, why would she be here.
"It's Eliza's watch!" Ed shouted disrupting the whole party, Winry grabbed Ed's human shoulder and shoved it down. "Sorry everyone," Ed stood up and then sat back down.
"How do you figure that, Ed?" Sciezka asked, she was good a covering.
"She's the only new alchemist added this year, and you get the watch after 3 months in service so one of you was meeting up with her after this to give it to her, I plan to hold onto the watch and when she can't get back to central she'll come get it from me and the person who was suppose to give it to her. Everyone looked at me.
"I give up, Ed. If you want to meet Eliza I'll take her spot in protecting whoever she's protecting and you stay here and I'll go get her." Winry stood up and walked out of the party. She went out and changed from her dress to her uniform as defense military alchemist and after a few minutes she made a whole underground to far away from the party and walked on foot to the place back to the party.
Then she appears in the doorway and leans against the door. "Edward Elric, Winry says you have something of mine. Care to hand it over." Ed tossed the watch at her which she easily caught and tucked into her pocket and clasped it to her belt.
"Now would you like to tell me what is wrong with you, you go around saving people then humiliating them to death, do you have a mental disorder." Inside Winry's mind she wanted to give up all of this, because Ed had already made a mess of everything.
"I prefer to stay with my job and not leave it to Winry when other people are in danger. So are you the one with the mental disorder, we'll settle this outside, come and ask all the questions you want." Ed smiled and nodded as he walked out of the party, everyone in the party followed to watch.
"Why can't you just be polite and nice to me like Winry, you are her friend, aren't you?" Eliza shook her head. "Winry said you were."
"I'm more than her friend; we're like relatives, but not exactly, very far cousins or something." Ed looked at her and she laughed. Ed realized that she was right, they were closely related, they had the same crystal blue eyes.
"So why do you torment me like this, no one has ever caused me to go crazy, except Winry, but she causes everyone to go crazy." She laughed.
"Before I bring Winry back and explain what's going on, let me do this." She grabbed Ed's face and brought it together with his and the kissed.
"What? I'm so confused, what's your problem?" Ed said and the wind blew and he hood was about to fall down. She pulled it back instantly.
"My only problem would be that, Edward Elric, I am Winry." Eliza pulled down her hood and undid her hair and Ed was shocked and a lot of other people were too. Ed was speechless and just stood there looking into the eyes of his friend, enemy, and love.
"You're Winry." She nodded. "You're Winry." She began to laugh because he couldn't say anything else. "Have you always been Winry?" She nodded, and flipped her hair.
"Well we have a party to attend in our honor and I'd like to get back in my dress, okay?" Ed didn't move anything, and she bend down to where he was sitting on the ground and kissed him on the cheek. "You were so close, but we were all working together, Al's the genius behind the plan. I'll be back, and don't eat all the cake."
Al stood up and came next to her. "You were so close, why'd you do that?"
"Ed and I were both so close, and either way I think I'll be happy, if Ed found out on his own I'd be happy, and if I got through it he'd find out eventually and I'd still be very happy." Al nodded and she hugged him and walked off, none of the people at the party had understood this.
Ed walked over to Al and fell to his knees. "You knew, and didn't tell me." Al looked sadly at his brother.
"Brother, Winry made me promise she's been trying this whole time to cover it up and could have if you wouldn't have bribed her with her watch."
"She really is, isn't she?"
"Brother, Winry wouldn't tell you because you laughed at the idea before so many times of a girl fighter, and then you fell of chairs when we came up with the crazy idea of a female alchemist, such Eliza was born but you went crazy and she was going to tell you but she was afraid you wouldn't respect her if she'd didn't show you what's up, sorry."
"I'm low, aren't I. I got beaten by Winry, tricked by Winry, saved by Winry, and humiliated by Winry, and corrected by Winry. I think Winry owns me, I don't deserve to be an alchemist." Riza walked over to Ed sitting on the ground.
"Would you like me to end your pathetic life?" She pointed the gun at Ed, and Ed's eyes go big.
"I think I own Ed, Riza. I'd prefer him alive." Riza shrugged and smiled at Winry and Winry walked over to Ed. And took her wrench and smacked him hard over the head with it. "Haven't you learned anything, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean you have to be stronger than me. I also taught you, and know you better than yourself. I knew that you'd go insane with this, I didn't doubt you'd be close so I got out of this as I could before you broke down."
"What did I do to you to make you hate me?" Ed said, holding his head with his normal hand.
"I don't hate you Edward Elric, I love you. I just knew you'd break down because I know what you think of girls who fight and are alchemists. Eliza was always me, I wanted to see how you'd react. I was the perfect person to fight you, one I know you better than you know yourself, two, you'd underestimate a girl, but you didn't you did try your best. That's what I wanted, but you still didn't learn, for that I wouldn't trust you for a while, and then when you wouldn't listen to the hints, I gave up, and you did too." Winry began to glow and fell to the floor.
"Winry!" Ed noticed that she had a transmutation circle on her hand. "It's direct, not on a glove. She did it direct, what do I do?"
"Ed, she's fine, just exhausted, she has five broken ribs, and after that much fighting it's worn out, and direct alchemy takes a lot of uncensored power, she's asleep, passed out I think." Mustang said to Ed. Ed looked at everyone and then he put his hands on her hands, and focused.
"Huh, what happened, oh yeah, Ed, what's going on?" Ed looked around. She got on her knees and tried to stand up but fell and Ed caught her.
"What did you do?" Mustang asked, Ed shrugged.
"Brother, you recharged her, alchemic energy from your hands, it was enough to give her enough energy." Winry rested her head on his chest and Ed put his arms around her. Ed's thoughts returned to her. 'How much have I put her through? The battle, then she had to save me, then she must have done some major alchemy to cover up her being Winry. She tried hard to cover this, and I messed it up, and hurt her.'
"I'm going to take her back, sorry but two of the guests of honor are leaving. Fell free to eat the cake, because Winry said she make me as many as I wanted but I think blowing up half a building counts a messing up so bye." Everyone went back to normal party activities. He carefully carried her like a baby and she rested her head on his good shoulder.
"Sorry, for upsetting you, Ed?" Ed could faintly hear her say.
"Upsetting me, you didn't do anything, except hit my head with a wrench, which my head is use to. I'm sorry I never respected you Winry. It's that I needed to be shown that there was a reason to respect something." She looked confused. "How could I respect a female alchemist without knowing they could exist, I didn't think women could be a military until I met Riza, I'm a visual person. You show me it and I'll believe it exists."
"Riza was right, I should have demanded respect then I would have got it and I'd have saved myself so many problems." Ed nodded.
"It's a good thing you didn't."
"How?"
"Because I learned that you're much braver when you're yourself, the alchemist that can fight. Alchemy made you brave and now you're brave. You could protect yourself, and save me, I just never respected you, and that." She nodded. "I'm just braver than you. I didn't want to scare you with alchemy the first time but I tried to start small and Al and I agreed on making you a gift, the doll."
"Seeing makes me a believer too." Ed looked at the girl he was carrying in his arms.
"Okay then, do you believe I'd set you down on the couch and kiss you."
"Maybe, are you that courageous?"
"Courage is only a small part of this battle, the others are half love and a quarter strength."
"Okay Edward, let's see your courage, love and strength."
"You can't resist me."
"Never could."