A/N: I'm back! Thanks for waiting! :) Check out my profile page for any stories you might be interested in! :)

ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:

Guest: Thank you so, so much! :) I really appreciate your review, thank you! And don't worry if you don't like Lena, I'm not mad or anything, really! She's an OC (and my first one at that) and not everyone can like her :) Thanks for your honesty!

Inspiration: I listened to "Down" by Jason Walker while writing this and...it helps getting into the mood while reading this too! :') Text in italics at the end of chapter is a quote from the movie "Dear John".

The last thing before I died

Blood slowly trickled down the side of his mouth, sliding down his cheek, jaw, neck and soaking into the cold, moist earth beneath his still body.

The spasms have stopped but the bleeding didn't, the blood flow only slowed slightly due to the absence of adrenalin pumping through his system, but not even that would save his life.

He had lost too much blood.

He hissed out a pained breath, his ribcage feeling heavy and contracting with the shaky breath that left him and the pain spiked again as he dug his blunt nails into the moist earth to cling onto something.

Mustang failed. They all failed. The war was never supposed to happen and yet...everything went downhill.

Things weren't supposed to be this way.

Alphonse was dead. Killed before his very eyes. Ed had gone on a bloody killing spree, killing every last soldier that had dared to block his path of hatred and vengeance for his brother. His body lay somewhere there, lifeless and bleeding from the wounds marking his body.

Mustang was dead, overwhelmed by the sheer forces of alchemists and soldiers that not even the legendary Flame Alchemist could surpass. Riza had died honorably with him, like she promised him she would, side by side, for eternity.

To hell and back.

Ling was fighting his own war in Xing, he had no idea how many casualties there were. If Ling and Mei were even alive. Enemy forces had swarmed Resembool and Central so quickly none of them knew what hit them when they arrived and killed everyone he ever cared for.

This war wasn't supposed to happen.

Yet this war did happen, was happening and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He was knocking on death's door when he heard muffled footsteps approaching him, when he tried to lift his head, dizziness and nausea washed over him and he quickly decided against to see who it was.

Had one of the enemy soldiers survived?

He blinked slowly, blood entering his right eye and making it sting as he tried clearing his increasingly blurry vision.

"Oh my god...E-Ed!" he relaxed when he heard the familiar voice of his wife, he relaxed his grip on the gun laying near his hand and smiled slowly.

Winry...

"E-Ed," teary blue eyes filled his vision with a golden field of yellow as he felt the soft warmth of his wife, gentle, caring hands brushing his bloodied face and dirty hair covered with his own blood and dirt.

"H-hey...W-Win..." he forced a smile for her despite the pain in brought to his jaw and cheek muscles.

She shook her head quickly, her face covered with smudges of dirt and scratches, "No, no, don't speak please, we need to get you help. I'll try to find my medical kit, it has to be here somewhere-" but he shook his head slowly, the smile remaining on his bloody lips.

Her eyes grew wide in realization and she suppressed a sob.

They both knew this was the end.

He was laying in a pool of his own blood, even if she were able to stitch his wounds closed, he wouldn't survive this and they both knew it.

Internal bleeding, four broken ribs, a near to shredded stomach with the way the bullets riddled his midsection, a broken ankle, a concussion and a jarred shoulder.

Not even she was a miracle worker to this caliber, that much they both knew.

"B-but..." her voice broke, it sounded so helpless and desperate that Ed had the urge to get up and hug her close to him.

And that's what he did.

Mustering up every ounce of strength he still possessed in his fragile state, Ed heaved himself up, nearly vomiting the blood that kept traveling up his windpipe as he fiercely hugged her to him, her body tensing at the unexpected action.

He wasn't sure he could speak as clearly so she understood, but he would try, "I-It's f-f-fine," he fumbled with the 'f' before licking his bloodied lips, "I-I have to go n-now...Win..." he closed his eyes, feeling her for the last time.

The way her sweaty, blood covered hair still smelled of the shampoo she used this morning before they were attacked, the way the soft skin of her neck felt as he tiredly rubbed his face against it, the way her trembling arms hugged him so tightly to her he was afraid she would crack another rib and the way her soft voice spoke his name helplessly as he finally felt his strength leaving him, for the last time.

Feeling his weight begin to sag, Winry quickly supported his back as he began to fall backward, gently lowering him to the ground, watching with a crushed expression how the man that had managed to save the world he so loved was now at its mercy, the ever so bright fire in his eyes slowly fading and dulling, leaving behind tired, pained and saddened dull gold eyes.

Her body trembled and she reached a hand out to caress his face, not minding the blood, and to grab his limp hand and give it a hearty squeeze, "W-wait for me, Ed..." she grit her teeth against the urge to start sobbing uncontrollably, her heart strings tearing at the roots.

Ed smiled, a bright genuine smile that momentarily made her forget in what predicament they both were in, that made her think of fun and happy times she shared with him.

With what appeared to be his last breath, he whispered the words to her, "...Always Win,"

The tears spilled over her cheeks when he finally closed his eyes with a smile and she couldn't help but think of how, even in the direst situations, he still managed to smile.

Lowering her head, she rested it against the torn flesh of her husband, keen ears listening for any signs of life still within him.

She found none.

After I got shot...

He fell back.

Right before everything went black...

He smiled.

You wanna know the very last thing that entered my mind?

Winry's smiling face appeared in his mind and...

He was at peace.

You.

...I have no words to express how many sad videos I had to watch to write this...T_T