See disclaimer in Chapter One

The next day I called Colonel Mustang and demanded that I get assigned to Winry's case. Al and I had been sequestered at our Teacher's house, and her husband Sig had recommended I try to get a leg up on what's happening.

"Fullmetal, I said no," the Flame Alchemist stated.

"Damnit Mustang! I want to do this! I need to do this! What if it was Hawkeye that was attacked? What would happen then? I know! You would demand to take over the case, and ignite the bastard who hurt her! Am I right Mustang?" I ranted in frustration.

Mustang spoke solemnly. "Even if that happened to Lieutenant Hawkeye, Fullmetal, I would let real justice be served first. I said no because we don't need you here. We can catch this bastard on our own and bring him to justice our way. Winry needs you more than you need revenge, Edward, so stay where you are and visit her. Now," He ordered.

I let out a sigh of defeat, not wanting to tell Mustang that he was right. "Okay, I'll stay here, but can you at least keep me in the loop?" I asked.

"I'll see what I can do, Fullmetal," Colonel Mustang replied.

I scowled as I hung up the phone. He owes me, so I better damn well be kept in the loop. Honestly, I don't care how the bastard gets sentenced, but I would prefer to beat him senseless before he goes to trial. And I'd rather die than see him walk away…There won't be any escape from us.

**FMAB**

I approached the door of Winry's room and heard a slight commotion going on inside. I opened the door and found a shirtless Major Armstrong arguing with my former Teacher, Izumi, while little Elicia Hughes sat next to Winry on her bed and held her hand. The child's eyes were so sad, mirroring Winry's, and yet I could swear she didn't know why. I noticed a slightly scattered bouquet of roses sitting on the floor.

"What were you thinking? Do you have any sense of tact at ALL?" Teacher managed not to shout.

"She n-needed comforting! I...I couldn't help it! I always take my shirt off when I'm emotional!" Armstrong was fidgeting nervously, like a kid being chastised for bad behavior.

Teacher leaned in and hissed a harsh whisper at Armstrong's face, so that Elicia didn't hear, "Did it even once occur to you that it might be a damn stupid idea to strip in front of an assault victim before trying to hug them?!"

Armstrong suddenly went totally pale, nervous sweat dripping down his chiseled features.

"I thought not," Teacher mumbled, then reached up and grabbed him by the single lock of hair that coiled off of his forehead. "You're leaving now, for the girl's sake."

I blinked repeatedly as the irritable housewife alchemist yanked the Major down the hallway past me, only stopping for long enough to put a sympathetic hand on my non-metal shoulder. "She'll need your help, kid," was all she said before continuing to drag Armstrong by the scalp.

"You'll be able to play again once you feel better, right?" Elicia asked before being lifted up into her mother's arms. The three-year-old girl squirmed and whined, obviously unwilling to leave Winry behind. "But she's not happy, Mommy! I want to make Winry happy so she can play!"

Winry giggled, the hint of a smile showing itself once again as Gracia quietly excused herself from the room. I could hear Elicia asking questions even after the door closed… "Mommy, why is Winry so hurt? Who would hurt someone as nice as her?"

Winry's eyes snapped wide open as the toddler's voice faded. Her face grew flat and expressionless, and she seemed to shrink inward on herself, shuddering. She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and curling up like a lost child in the dark. Her head dropped between her knees, and the squeaky bed shook with the force of her racking sobs.

"Winry!" said a voice in the corner, and I looked over to see my little brother rush to the bedside, his metal-plated leather gauntlets folding over Winry's shaking shoulders. I quickly approached on his left, standing off to the side and watching my closest friend in the world crumble under the weight of her own feelings.

"I-I don't know...I do-don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore," she moaned quietly. "I just feel so angry and scared and...and...wrong!"

I sit next to her, cautiously reaching out to gently rub her back. "You aren't the wrong one, Winry. You aren't, and you won't ever be, do you hear? It's not your fault."

"He's right, Winry," Alphonse interjected. "You had no control over the situation."

I put my steel finger to my lips, but it was too late. She froze. I glared, making sure he knew to keep his echoing mouth shut.

"No. I … I had no control at all, over anything. I couldn't do anything to stop it, I couldn't control my own body, it hurt so much. He had a bat, and he just kept hitting me, and it hurt so much! And then...oh God..." She broke down, and the only thing we could do was wait for her agonized tears to wash away some of her fear.

Every gasp, every sob, was like a stab to my heart, and each time the pain multiplied. My entire body shook with anger, and I knew if Lieutenant Hawkeye was like this, nothing would stand between Mustang and his revenge. Nothing. I shook my head in disgust. That egotistical bastard was trying to be righteous, and I really, really wanted to call him out on his bullshit; but as I looked at Winry's shaking shoulders, I knew I couldn't. Mustang was right about one thing. Winry needed me more than I needed revenge.

"Uuuhhh, brother?" Al muttered, and before I could glare yet again, he had pulled off his head. "Do you think Winry would like to have a cat right now?" He reached down his neck and pulled out a small, fluffy calico cat. The frightened animal clambered over Al's arm and sat nervously on the far side of his shoulder, away from the gaping hole in his torso. He put his head back on and handed me the cat, which quickly began struggling to escape my awkward grip.

"Where did you get it?" I groaned, as the poor thing darted behind Winry in terror.

Winry, who had lifted her head from its resting place, stared at the furry form that was taking shelter underneath her folded legs. She quietly stroked the cat's ears, and it settled down with a soft purr. "Thanks, Alphonse," Winry said calmly. "She's so cute." A smile appeared on her tired and battered face, and the sun seemed to shine through the window just a little brighter. "She's just a little scared, that's all." Winry's eyes clouded slightly, tears gathering at the corners of her lashes. "Just a little scared. Just...just like me…" Her voice cracks, but she bravely holds back the fresh wave of pain I can see in the rigid set of her body.

"Don't worry, Winry. We're here for you," Al said, taking a second to glance at me and see if it was okay for him to talk again. "If you need anything at all, we'll be right nearby. And that kitty seems to really like you, so maybe it'll stay with you and keep you company!"

Winry nodded slowly. "I...I guess I could try sleeping, since...since it is you guys who are keeping watch." She settled down, lying on her side and keeping her knees close to her body as Al pulled the sheets over her. "You guys wouldn't even let Granny in if you thought it would bother me." The cat climbed up over her, settling inside the gap between her arms and legs. Her eyes struggled to stay open, and for the first time I realized that she probably had been too afraid to sleep until now. She let out a shaky breath, and finally seemed to relax, even if only a little. Before she fell into unconsciousness, she seemed to have a thought. "Ed...Al...Get some milk…" Her head hit the pillow.

I glared at the cat, which had settled its head on her thigh. It stared back at me, unblinking. "This is your fault, you fuzzy little monster." I narrowed my eyes dangerously. "She wouldn't have wanted us to get milk if you weren't here."

"Brother, don't blame the cat!" Alphonse exclaimed.

I turned my glare towards him. "Will you be quiet! Winry is trying to sleep!"

"And you say you aren't in love with her…" Alphonse mumbled.

"What was that?!" I angrily asked.

"Nothing, brother!" Al quickly denied.

**FMAB**

"AAAIIIEEEEEE! Ed! Al! HELP!"

I bolted upright from my dazed slumber, and quickly realized Winry was screaming. I ran into her room and skidded to a halt by her bedside with Alphonse clanking in behind me. She looked up at me with panic in her eyes; eyes that locked onto mine as she clutched frantically at her thin sheets. Rain pounded against the window, drawing streaks of shadow across the wall behind us. The table lamp, which we had left on, had been knocked over, and the pottery base was broken. The lamp's shade was turned away from Winry, leaving her isolated in the darkness. I raised my arm to shield my eyes before I realized that the lampshade's wide bottom opening was aimed straight at me and Al. "Winry!" I shouted. "What's wrong?! What happened?!"

She could only whimper for a moment, as she reached out to grab at my hands. Her fingers latched around my automail arm, and she yanked me toward her, hauling me off-balance and causing me to fall face-first onto her bed. I opened my eyes after the impact, my head lolling over the other side, and I saw the little calico cat huddled in the corner near the radiator, trembling.

"Ed, Al, please, don't go. D-don't go anywhere, okay?" She spoke almost too fast for me to follow. "He was there! I saw him, he was there, and he did it again! Again!" I rolled over, onto my back, and sat up to meet her eyes. She grabbed my other hand, and I almost leapt out of my skin with the pressure she put on my fingers. "I don't want to feel so afraid like this anymore! I swear I saw him, but I know he wasn't there. But Ed…" She began to cry. "It...it felt so real."

Al sat down on her other side, and even though his face didn't change, I could tell he felt the same as I did: out of our depth. I can stare down murderers and criminals that wouldn't hesitate to kill me. So why do I feel so damned helpless trying to comfort Winry?!

"You're still here, Winry. You're here with us, and you're alive." I just said what I thought, and to hell with planning. She didn't want flowery reassurance and false promises. She wanted us.

"When Colonel Mustang told me what had happened to you…" I blinked back the hint of a tear from my own eyes, looking toward the rain-spattered window. The dark outside was broken only by the reflection of my eyes on the glass, points of gold standing off against the sea of black and blue. I have to stay strong for her. "...I almost lost control. They had to handcuff me to a chair to keep me from storming out and tearing apart whatever I found. But they made me realize how stupid I was to try and fight my way out of this. I know it's hard, Winry, but as much as we want to...no matter how much we ache when we see you like this...we can't fight this for you. You have to try. Try and fight your fears, Winry. You're the only one who can win that battle."

Winry hugged me with all her strength, and while I struggled to breathe, Al just stared at me. One of the little lights in his helmet winked, and he slyly held up a thumb. I felt my face go red, but before I could silently shout at him, Winry's shoulders stopped shaking. She took a deep breath, and pulled back from the hug. "Thank you, Ed," she whispered, a bit of iron creeping into her voice.

The cat jumped carefully back onto the bed, striding quietly up to us and nudging its forehead against my leg before climbing onto Winry's lap. It meowed, annoyed that its rest had been disturbed. Winry stroked its back, and it calmed down, settling into a lazy sprawl over her legs. "I...I was having a nightmare. A flashback to the...the attack. I must have tossed and turned a bit, because I woke up screaming next to a broken lamp and a terrified cat." She held up her left arm, inspecting it. "I think the lamp might have cut me when it broke. That must have been what woke me up." Now that I looked, I could see a long, thin line of blood drying across Winry's forearm. The cut hadn't been very deep, thankfully.

"I'll get a bandage for that from one of the orderlies," Al said. "Stay right here, Winry. Edward won't go anywhere, will you, brother?" I glanced at him, and his eye lights grew brighter for a split second. His voice sounds like he's smiling. He turned around and waved over his shoulder as he left the room.

I rolled my eyes at him. "If you're ditching on me, you won't be allowed to pet Winry's cat, you hear?" I called after him jokingly as the door closed. His footsteps stopped briefly, then continued forward a little faster. Winry looked puzzled, and I shrugged. "We came up with a little system to keep us alert in the night hours. If he shirks his duty as your guard, he's not allowed near the cat. If I shirk mine, I have to take care of the thing for the day."

Winry gave an amused snort, shaking her head at me. "I think I'll name her," she mused, staring at the purring furball perched on her long legs, "but I can't think of any good names."

A flick of the cat's ear expressed its indifference. Winry scratched it just behind the irritable ear, and the cat's eyes closed to tiny slits. Another purr softly rumbled out of its chest. "I mean, if you want to...I'm certainly not gonna stop you." I mumbled awkwardly. "Go ahead. Name your cat."

"I...I thiiink I might have an idea." She picked the cat up, cradling it like a baby as she flipped it upside down. She studied its face, looking at the cat's eyes. They were slightly darker than most cat eyes, a deep orange color with little flecks of yellow. Winry put her face up to its nose, and smiled. A real smile, one that lasted for more than an instant. She looked up at me, stroking a patch of orange-brown fur on the cat's belly. "I know exactly what to call her."

I looked at the cat with uncertainty, hoping Winry wouldn't grow too attached to it; it might encourage Al in the future. Al's hollow footsteps drew my attention to the door. It's about time he returned.

I saw Al open the door just a crack, looking around to make sure he wasn't interrupting anything. When he made eye contact with me, he took a step back, realizing I had been glaring at him the entire time. He sheepishly made his entrance, as he handed off the roll of bandages to me. "Here you go, brother." I continued to glare at him as I accepted the bandages, and watched Al slowly move to the right side of the bed.

I was about to address Winry concerning her cut, when Al piped up. "Winry?" He drew her attention away from the smugly staring cat, and she looked up to find him hopefully hovering next to her. "Do you think I could pet the cat?"

Her smile brightened, and she handed off the offending creature to my brother. "Of course, Al." I watched the cat squirm as Alphonse hugged it close to him.

"What a pretty kitty!" he bubbled, rocking from side to side with the helplessly swinging animal.

I almost pitied the poor thing, being forced to return to its former captor. The sound of laughter filled the room, and I turned to see a beam of moonlight shining down on Winry's face. I looked to the window, and realized that it had stopped raining.

Please visit my friend and co-author, DarksteelRebelhawk, out on Wattpad! His stories are so amazing!

-warehouseluver13