DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did, I'd be FAMOUS, man; FAMOUS!!!!

3, Oct. 10

As the night rolls by,

I think about why

We still remember…

It was dark the next morning, the sun late to travel up behind the large mountains to shine upon the town of Resembool. But when it did, it was a hotter day than the rest, for the temperature had achieved its highest in years: 104 degrees. Wiping hot sweat off his forehead, the young blonde alchemist, Edward was the last to wake up. Though that wasn't too unusual, especially for this boy. Technically, Ed wouldn't have woken up until much later, but the heat was forcing dehydration upon him. So he got up in spite of the heat. Sighing harshly, he found his throat to be unusually dry, but with how things were turning out, he could care less. Using the one working arm he had, Ed pushed his body upwards in an attempt to get up. Instead, his body fell back to the bed and Ed coughed. It hadn't ever reached this high when he was younger, and with being in a house with not a cooling device in sight, it was really hard for the boy to get up.

While actually lying in bed, Ed took off his shirt and laid in nothing but shorts. "Geez…" he muttered, "think it could get any hotter!" He looked around the room he was in and sighed. He must've been moved from the living room. He had basically passed out after dinner, and had fallen asleep in the living room, right on that fluffy, cushiony couch. Oh, how he longed for some water right now. He wanted to get up, but his body just didn't agree.

As Ed lay there, panting, the sweet smell of food traveled to his nose, making Ed instantly stop complaining, and sit up. He got to his feet with no problem and walked to the door way and to the hall. Following the scent of food down the hall and to the stairs, he traveled down them and stopped at the kitchen door way. "Eh? You're up?" Al's voice rang out. Ed nodded and sat down at the kitchen table, and laid his head upon the flat, wooden surface.

"I'm dying for something to drink, Al…it's hot…" He told him and went completely still, as if waiting for Al to get him something to drink.

"Uh, then you'd like some water?" Alphonse asked. When Ed nodded, Al got him a glass and pulled the pitcher of ice cold water from the ice box. He was thirsty, and that was for sure, 'cause right when Ed was given that water, it was gone the next instant. No, he wasn't some sort of fish…but he sure was drinking like one!

Al had stood there, simultaneously pouring more and more water for the thirsty alchemist. When Ed finally held up his hand, signifying he was done, Al sighed in relief. Even though, now there were two pitchers gone. Ed sweat dropped and pulled one into a tight grasp, and walked over to the sink. He quickly filled it to the top with cold tap water from the faucet and brought it to the ice box, carefully putting it in, so as to make the water balance on the rack inside of it.

Ed repeated the putting away and filling routine once more before returning to his seat. The younger Elric had resumed his cooking duties, and began to set the table.

Winry, on the other hand, was outside doing laundry, and Pinako was on the porch, puffing on her pipe and relaxing on the rocking chair. As Winry folded the said clothes, Ed peered through the kitchen window, smiling sweetly at the sight. He had always had sweet feelings about her, always wanted to embrace her. As Winry came back inside, Ed was still daydreaming, and she gave him a look. "E-ed? Are you alright there?" She questioned him.

Ed still in his daydreaming mode had a smile playing his lips and he was nodding unconsciously. "Uh-huh…" He said softly. Then, when finally realizing he was nearly drooling over her, he quickly shut his trap and looked away blushing. "Eh….sorry about that…" He said quietly. Winry found that cute of him, and walked over.

For some reason, Ed felt a bit weary, and had tensed his muscles in order to help him take on whatever was to come next. Although he had no clue that this was going to happen, it did, and it made Ed blush hotter than ever before. "That's so sweet." She said ever so softly to him. Ed was tenser, so tense he looked like he'd nearly pop. Though he had recently kissed this woman, he still wasn't used to such close contact. Though, as Ed was tensed, Winry had slid her hands up his left arm–his only real working one, and that just pushed him to the limits.

He quickly asked, "Is the auto-mail done, yet?" And for some reason, felt all pressure become relieved. Winry smiled and nodded.

"Of course, and I made it so much more advanced, and…for your sake, I added a rust-proof protection layer." She let go of his awfully tensed arm, and began to walk back to the shop.

Winry had truly loved being close to him, heck, she nearly dreamed of a day she'd get close to him. When she felt his muscles, those rock-hard, solid muscles, she had truly been amazed. He was barely even 15 and a half, yet he was so filled out. Still short, but that didn't matter to her, she was glad to have him near her at all. The day he was to leave her again, as she knew it, would be soon, so Winry wanted to make the best of it.

When she brought both the leg and arm back to show Ed, she carefully showed the added features she made in it. "You see? I studied a lot about auto-mail while you two were gone. I added sensors to the hand and arm and the leg and foot of your auto-mail. Basically, if it went correctly, when I connect it, you'll be able to feel things with the arm and leg." She told him. Ed smiled. He was glad he was going to be able to feel things again, but he was even gladder that Winry had did this all for him.

"Wow…that's awesome." He smiled again at her. "So, since I've basically rusted it to the core, I take it that this procedure will be just like when I first got the auto-mail attached, right?" She nodded. Ed's face went sour. "Damn, I was hoping it would be a little bit better. Ah well." He said with a shrug.

Winry smiled and added, "Though, since this is a whole different type of auto-mail, I've taken the liberty to make it a bit of an easier task. I've been working on auto-mail replacements for you since the last time you left." She told him. Ed smiled and blushed.

Winry blushed too, but Ed's rivaled hers greatly. "Uh….thanks, Winry…" He said; only to have his blush become deeper. Then Ed looked to the auto-mail and smiled. "Alright…let's connect this thing." He said. His muscles had long loosened up, and he could move his left arm again. Next time, don't let it get to you and maybe your muscles won't hurt afterwards… He said, making it a mental note to self.

Winry smiled and told him to go into the shop. "Get on the cot, and me and granny will be there shortly." Ed followed instructions and left to do his tasks. Winry went to the front porch and told Pinako that Ed was ready. Den, the dog, barked in anticipation. They went back and told Ed to brace himself for pain, and they begun to do the needed operations.

We left for a long time,

Only to find,

That we still remember…

Hours had passed by the time Ed had his auto-mail replaced, including all the parts that actually connected the auto-mail to the body. Ed's prone form lay tired and in massive pain, and all at the same time peaceful and unconscious. He was trying his best to be strong, even in his sleep. Sad. He had to be strong even when in pain, and when sleeping! That just drove Al and Winry both mad. "Geez, Ed...you can't even let yourself show pain, eh?" Winry said as she watched him.

She had thoughts. Thoughts about him, and his body. Naughty thoughts. She wanted to be on him, but knew that it wasn't about to happen, or at least she thought. In reality, Ed also wanted Winry. Wanted to be with her; to hold her in his arms. Oh, how he longed for the time he'd have his normal limbs back.

As Ed slept and Winry watched, Al was playing with the dog, Den. "Who's a good boy, huh? Who's the best doggy in the whole wide world!?" He chuckled and riled the dog up. Den barked with much anticipation, and happiness; his tail wagging like crazy.

Ed was starting to slowly come to, while Winry herself, was starting to fall asleep. Ed woke with a shock of pain, and cringed, yelping loudly. That brought Winry back from falling asleep and she jumped to her feet. "Ed!" She ran over to him. Since he had the whole auto-mail system redone, there was much blood on the table, but that wasn't why Ed was in so much pain. It was the fact he even had auto-mail reinstalled. Ed gripped the cot and tensed his muscles to its max.

"Damn it...it hurts..." He muttered. Well duh, it hurts! He just had auto-mail reconnected...no, reinstalled! Ed felt those muscles tighten more and more so, somehow, as each second passed. Ed groaned as the pain began to overwhelm him, sending him into a spasm of random shocks of pain. "Nnnn...it didn't feel like this when I had my auto-mail...installed the very first time..." He muttered. "I thought you said it wouldn't hurt as much..." He opened one eye painfully to look at Winry. She looked guilty. She actually thought she had failed on this version of auto-mail, and that made her very sad. Ed's pained expression went into a pained smirk. "It's fine, just...goes to show I need to work...out and beat this pain...you said I can feel with this auto-mail, right?" He asked her and she nodded. "Good."

Ed grumbled and forced his body to a sitting position, mumbling and cursing the pain. Alright, I'm sitting, now to actually stand. Winry saw Ed's plan and shook her head, "No, don't stand!" She ordered him. He didn't listen. She curse him in her mind for being so stubborn. "ED! LAY DOWN!" She yelled this time. Ed only glanced at her and shook his head.

"I need to walk it off..." He told her. Wasn't that just like him, trying to be strong for her and Al when truthfully, he wasn't strong enough to even stand. Though, that was just what Winry was thinking when Ed forced himself to his feet, and smiled, though grunting at the lack of balance he had. But he smiled in approvement. He had feeling in his leg and in his arm. He could feel everything again. It wasn't just his imagination, now was it even a dream. "Wow...you did great..." He complimented her. When Winry heard that, she smiled though needed a few seconds to process the fact that he had just then ran off.

"Ed...hey! HEY!!" She yelled out. "Darn it, Ed...can't you be more...relaxed?" She said, finally remembering the word she had in mind. She glanced outside and realized it was already getting darker out, and thus she sighed. "Oh well...he's strong, I'm sure he'll manage."

I've finally seen this light,

Which taunts me through the night,

And we still remember...

Well, time went by and Ed gradually recovered through it all, and although it meant for Winry and Al to both hold him down (cause when he said he was going to get stronger, he very well meant it!), he still recovered. That was weeks of being forced to rest, being told to stay in bed, and many other commands. Ed refused to do anyone of them which in the end, resulted in Ed being strapped to the bed, and he couldn't use alchemy for he couldn't move either arm. That angered him, but there wasn't much that could be done. "GAAAAHHH! LEMME OUTTA THIS PLACE!!! PLEASE! SOMEONE! ANYONE!!!!" He pleaded. He was desperate. He REALLY wanted out. And though, for the short time period he got in with excersizing and trying to ignore the pain, he ended up building more muscle mass in such a short time, but that still wasn't enough to get out of bed.

He was in his boxers and nothing more, the sun glimmering upon his skin which was tightly stretched around the muscle he had. Oh, he was happy as hell that he didn't look like that giant gorilla, Major Armstrong. Oh he was definently happy for that. He was still stong and pretty well filled-out for his age. Oh yes. In Winry's opinion, this was a dream come true. All she needed was a whip, a pair of handcuffs, a chain, and a hook to hand the chain from. Oh, that'd be perfect - Ed's arms raised about his head by force, handcuffed to the hanging chain, and she able to whip his as with joy. Ehehehehe... of course, she refused to do any of that, for she felt it would damage him. Ed would be exposed greatly in that particular way, and she didn't want him that way - it would make him dull and boring. No, she liked him how he was. And especially now. Either way, Ed was recovered, but no one had let him go, for Ed was one hell of a liar.

"Please...someone..." Ed's voice rang again. Winry finally sighed and gave in to his cries, and released him from that torture. And Ed nearly busted out of it as she losened the rope. "HAHAHA! I'm FREEEEEE!" He screamed loudly.

Author's Note: Allo, all My fanfic now has chapter TWO up! Enjoy!