Yay for chapter 2 of Shellshock! -is at a loss for what to say- Umm...yeah...I'm just gonna start now. Wait...I really should list the pairings. Don't know all of them...lets see...AyumixEd as always, slight EdxWinry, WinryxAl and uhh...that's all from this chapter. (kinda a love rectangle going on in there)

Disclaimer: Full Metal Alchemist is owned by a greater and richer person then I.

Dedications: Before I forget! Dedicated to the usual: Emjay, Keaka, Yun, Eli, Alexa and Cathy. Also to my S.S. teacher, because without him and his pwning-ness this fanfic wouldn't exist, and the FMA world would be alot happier.

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"Brother!"

"Al!" Ed struggled against the rough current of his fellow soldiers, all running in a wild frenzy, trying to get away. He could barely hear Al's voice over the screaming, the gunshots, the explosions.

Then, a small, muffled explosion sounded, follosing by a soft hissing sound. The attempts to get away increased as the air started filling with a yellow fog.

"Brother, where are you! I-I can't see!"

"Al, I'm coming!"

"Fullmetal, what the hell do you think your doing?!" Ed was halted, his arm jerked back as someone grabbed him as he sprinted past. He panicked, turning and glaring at his captor. "Let go Colonel."

Roy only tightened his grip on his arm, sternly returning the glare. His other hand was clutching at a bullet wound on his side, where blood was slowly blossoming over his cobalt jacket. "Do you have any idea what you were running towards?"

"I don't care, just leave me alone!" Ed snarled.

"You idiot, you'll only end up poisoned by the gas." Roy responded bitterly.

"Look, you can even see that it's dissapating, let me go!" Ed started, struggling, tugging himself towards where he heard Al was. He couldn't even hear him anymore, but then, Al's voice was suddenly heard, clearer then before. The soldiers were leaving.

"Brother! Br-" Al's shouts were inturrupted by sudden, violent coughing, following a horrible splattering sound, and a pained, ragged scream.

"Al's over there?!"

"Yes, you bastard! Rot in hell!" Ed punched Roy's arm off, throwing him another glare full of hatred before sprinting towards the trench. The soldiers had finally cleared out, and bodies of the unlucky littered the ground.

He finally saw him. Al was on all fours, vomiting a mix of blood, bile and gore. "A-Al!"

Al looked up, a thick dark liquid dripping from his mouth, collecting in a puddle below him. His eyes were frantically searching around, now dull and clouded over. He coughed again, then his eyes closed and a pained, but blank expression washed over him. He fell sideways, into the trench. He landed onto the bloodied ground with a soft splash and a weak moan.

"No! Al!" Ed jumped into the trench, sliding down the steep walls. Water seeped into the legs of his pants as he fell towards Al, sliding on the ground to him, rolling him ovr onto his back, holding him upright in his arms. "Come on, please."

Al's eyes opened slowly. But he was blind now. Everything looked dark, blocked by shadows. He could only just see Ed's face above him, staring down at him, racked with worry and devastation. Or was he just imagining his face, as he stared up at the darkness.

"A...you'll be okay..." Ed's voice came out shaky and small. He tried to hold back his tears. Al felt so frail in his arms.

"B-brother...it hurts..." Al croaked, staring up at the sky with a distant look.

"It's okay Al...you're gonna get help, alright? Just...just hold on.."

"Brother...I...don't want to die..." Al's voice cracked. He winced. "There's still things I want to do...I...don't want to...to go...d-don't..."

"You're not going to die Al! I'll make sure of it. You won't die, not here, not now, just please, hold on." Ed felt hot tears form in hsi eyes again. He was lying to himself. Lying to Al. He was going to die, he could feel it.

Al opened his mouth to say something. His breath came out shaky as he vomited again, tears starting to now pour from his destroyed eyes. "Brother, don't let me go, I don't want to die, I wan to stay with you! I can't...say goodbye..." His voice weakened.

"I won't Al...d...don't worry..." Ed said, pulling Al closer to him. "Together, we'll both get through this, okay?"

Al nodded weakly, trying to speak but grimacing, a new wave of the same dark liquid forcing it's way out from deep inside him. He muttered something through the flood, his eyes closing. His whole bdy went rigid, then slowly limped.

Ed's heart skipped a beat, He froze...then quickly looked at Al's face. "A-al...Al! Wake up! Please wake up Ed! Come on, get up!"

Ed jolted awake, quickly being joined by huge headache and the realization that it was all just a dream. Everything seemed hazy. He felt sluggish, cold, and his skin was clammy, covered in cold sweat. Something dripped onto his cheek. He blinked a couple of times, and looked up. Ayumi was leaning over him, glaring angrily at him, but tears were cascading down her pale face.

"Ayumi...?" He started groggily.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" She shouted.

He winced. Her shouting only made his head hurt more. What was she so angry about? "What?"

"Don't you act dumb!" She shot back, shaking the small white bottle in his face. "What were you doing with these?!"

"Crap..." Ed muttered, sitting up and taking the bottle. He didn't answer.

"Ed, please...tell me." She whispered, no longer looking angry. Just sad.

"...some guy gave them to me during the war. You wanted me to sleep, so I used these. But they're expired, they weren't working right, so I took more to get them to work faster." He said in a monotone, looking up at Ayumi through his golden bangs.

"You idiot..." She hugged him. "I thought I lost you..."

He sighed. "No..."

-

Winry stared down at the small gravestone in front of her. Her eyes were blank, red and swollen from crying. "Al...why did you leave me...I never...got to tell you how I felt..." She whispered dryly, wiping her eyes as she turned, heading back for the house.

As she approached it, Ayumi and Ed both walked out of it. Ayumi smiled weakly at her. "Sorry Winry, we'll be right back. I'm just taking Ed to the hospital, he kinda...well, I'll tell you later."

Winry nodded. "Okay..."

"Just um...wash up, you're looking kinda..." She shook her head, continuing down the road after Ed, who was walking slowly down the path, staring at the dirt.

Winry winced, walking inside. Why Al...why now...I was counting on you...you and Ed...She walked into the bathroom, staring at her reflection. She grimaced. Her hair was messy and uncombed, her eyes puffy, her face pale. She sighed, covering her eyes with her hands. "I hate this..." She looked at the mirror, gasping. She stepped back.

Instead of her, Al reflected back at her through the mirror. Something dark was dripping from his mouth, and his eyes were dull, but he was smiling at her, his palm pressed against the glass.

"Al...y-you..." She pressed her palm on his. Then, he was gone. Winry bit on her lip. She can't be doing this now, but...

"Winry..."

Winry looked around, startled. It was Al's voice.

"Winry, come here."

She followed the voice into her room, stumbling on a chair in her way. She looked at her mirror. Al reflected back at her again, smiling widely. "Hi Winry."

"A...Al..." Winry stuttered, backing up.

His head tilted. "Why were you crying?"

"B-because..." She gulped. "You left me...and I wanted you here with me...Granny died, and I wanted you here to comfort me, you and your brother both, but now..." She sniffed back new tears.

"I'm sorry..." Al whispered. "Now that I have to leave you again..." He faded away, as a new figure filled in for him. A pale figure with long hair of every color. Black eyes shining hungry, angry, death filled. A starved, beautiful, deformed monster. Death.

"Hello Winry." Came Death's booming, but soft voice.

Winry tried to scream, but her voice was caught in her throat.

Death smiled pearly white teeth at her. "You're lonely, I can tell...missing your loved ones?"

She nodded. "I want them back..."

"Hmm? Do you now? Why?"

"I...didn't...w-want..."

"You'll see them again, just tell me the truth you wanted to tell him so badly. What's your real reason?" Her voice was icy. Winry shuddered.

"I wanted to tell him...th...that I...love him." She sighed. So she finally told.

Death smiled at her. "I'll let you be free at last." She pointed behind her. Winry turned, and gasped. Hanging from the ceiling, was a long, sturdy looking rope, right over a thin black chair. "You can take your own life...or you can live with the pain forever...it's your choice Winry."

Winry walked towards the rope, her eyes wide and empty. She touched it delicatly. She could see Al again...Al and Granny...Ed would be upset...Ayumi would be mad...but there's nothing they could do, right? She looked back at Death, now replaced by Al's still form inside a coffin, hands closed around a single white rose. She twitched.

She touched the mirror's cold glass, a slight smile on her face. "I'm coming for you Al..." She whispered, kissing it lightly. Then, on her desk, she slowly wrote a short letter. When Ed and Ayumi see, they could read it. They'd understand, right? She taped the letter to her arm, then she quickly jumped onto the chair.

She faced the mirrored coffin, slipping her head through the noose. She smiled weakly. "Al..." She kicked the chair from under her.

-

"You're lucky that nothing bad happened to you." Ayumi muttered as she walked into the house with Ed behind her. "Hurry up and get ready for dinner, I'm cooking tonight."

"Uhuh..." Ed slowly walked down the hall, tracing the cracks with his finger. Something didn't feel right.

"Winry!" Ayumi called, looking around. "Winry, it's almost time for dinner!"

"Winry?" Ed poked his head into Winry's room. He froze. "No...NO!" He screamed, falling to his knees and pulling at his hair, his eyes wide and almost crazed looking.

"Ed? What happened?" Ayumi asked, coming down the hall. Ed didn't answer, just kept screaming.

Ayumi stared at Ed at the doorway, puzzled. She looked into Winry's room and grimaced at the sight. Winry, hanging from the ceiling, slightly swaying back and forth.

"Noo..." Ed moaned, rocking with his hands clenched over his heart. "Not Winry too...why..."

She walked into the room, her breath held as she approached her body, grimacing again. "Oh Winry..." She whispered, slowly taking the girl down. As she layed the corpse on the bed, a piece of paper caught her eyes. Looking confused, Ayumi peeled the paper from Winry's arm, unfolding it to read the contents.

To Edward and Ayumi,

I know this must be shocking for you to see. Me hanging from the ceiling dead. Another death isn't the easiest thing to take in. But I had to, I just couldn't live on knowing that each day of my life would be filled with the pain I feel now. When Granny died, I knew I could move on with both Ed AND Al conforting me, but that wasn;t what happened, was it? Al, the love of my life since I was a little girl, was killed in this pointless war. Granny's death and Al's was just too much. I couldn't handle it. I know that I'm taking the coward's way out but it was all I could do. I saw him today. After that, I couldn't just live on my life, not without Al. Death met me, I admit it, I agreed to take my life. Ed, I'm sure you'll get better and move on. I know you will. You're so strong and so unlike me. I'll tell Al and Granny that you miss them. Even your mom I taught Eli everything I know about automail, so I'm not worried about that. Please be strong Ed. Ayumi, please help him. Don't take the coward's way out like I did.

With my deepest love and sorrow,

Winry Rockbell

Ayumi was shaking with anger by the time she was finished. "You idiot...you...don't understand, Ed's not the way he is just because Al died..." She hissed, glaring at Winry's body. "You just didn't understand...Winry..."

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Ahh, fun! n.n Good chapter, good...liked the ending, yes I did...writing this chapter was...fun...-nod nod-

Please review!