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I do not own FMA, nor do I wish to.

Short one. Rewatched a couple episodes (noooo! Nina!) and this happened.

This chapter has s General rating, there's not even any bad language.

italics are inside thoughts.

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It was Winry that gave up Ed's secret, on her very first visit to Central. Though, it was under extreme circumstances so Ed couldn't really be mad. She was glad her friend was there for her when she needed it, even if the whole situation wouldn't have happened if Winry hadn't come into town.

She'd been working in Headquarters and at the announcement of Winry's arrival Ed had happily abandoned the office and almost ran out of the building to see her best friend but when she got to the steps Winry wasn't there. The officer that had summoned her was equally confused. The girl had said she'd wait on the stairs.

Ed looked out on the street to see if Winry had decided to walk around. And that's when she'd found the missing screw. So, immediately following the evidence, she was able to track her friend to the butcher's storage.

The situation after that escalated very quickly, it was Ed's first encounter with full-on serial-killer-crazy and it shook her to her core. Winry was the original target but when Ed had showed up Barry suddenly shifted focus and, tied to a chair, she'd gotten the serial killer's full attention.

She learned that day that Winry was stronger than her, Ed had always thought muscle made strength, but here she was, a shivering coward leaning on her best friend for support, her best friend who had been the initial target of a serial killer.

The stress finally claimed her and she passed out on Winry's shoulder for a few minutes while Mustang's crew cleared out the building and took evidence. It was during this time that Mustang had come by to ask if they were ok. Winry had shushed his questions, "Let her sleep a few minutes."

Winry recounted apologetically later that Mustang had gone wide-eyed for a moment before recovering and leaving them alone. She immediately realised her mistake but Mustang had already gone.

Ed couldn't do anything about that. The Colonel's reaction would be nowhere near as terrifying as Barry's attempted murder. But still, she hesitated outside his office door the next morning.

"Come in Ed."

Crap, he'd heard her arrive.

She entered his office and, at his waved hand, closed the door behind her.

"Is there anything you need to tell me?"

"Sir, I was going to tell you, just later on."

Mustang flicked his eyes to the other side of the office, where Brigadier General Basque Grand sat and clarified his question. "I need to know exactly how you found Barry the Chopper. There's no reason to withhold information on the topic."

And just like that, the tension was gone. They never discussed it, though she could tell he knew, and was helping her hide her secret over the years. Guiding people this way or that when they got too close in the hospital, or … well, it mostly only came up when she was injured and/or missing automail in the hospital. But he was there, with Al and Winry. The people she loved.

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Awwww.