Melissa's not here right now, so please leave your disclaimer after the beep. (BEEP!) "Hello, this is Disclaimer saying that Melissa doesn't own Fullmetal alchemist, which is probably why she hasn't answered the phone."

Dear Winry,

I don't really know why I'm writing this to you, but I know I'm confused, and you're a trustworthy friend, and a girl, and… I'm making myself look like a fumbling idiot. I'm sorry. It just shows how confused I've gotten.

Do you remember Lt. Col. Hughes? I don't remember whether you met his family or not. You probably did, knowing you. Me and Brother stayed at their house the other night because by the time we were ready to leave, it was late, and Gracia refused to let us go out on our own at night since we didn't have a car. Honestly, we could have taken care of ourselves, but there was no point in arguing with her. She was just being caring, and she had a warm bed for us and good food, so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience.

What bothered me so much that I had to write to you was when I woke up to hear her crying. I got out of bed and went out into the living room to see if there was any way I could comfort her. I knew how hard it was to lose someone you loved dearly, and I hated to see her cry like this.

She was sitting on the couch, and I sat down next to her and tried to initiate some sort of helpful conversation. No luck. So I placed my hand on her shoulder hoping she didn't have too strong of an aversion to being touched. She allowed that, and it seemed she appreciated it. Somehow we eventually got into a mutually sobbing bear hug.

Apparently that had helped her, because she was able to go to sleep after that. But I wasn't. I don't know what it was that clicked in me, but it scares me, and I don't know what to do. I'd ask Brother, but he doesn't pay any attention to his feelings, so I don't think he'd know. Besides, he's got enough on his mind without having to sort through his little brother's confusion too.

I guess I just don't know what I'm thinking, or feeling, and the whole thing scares me. I'm afraid of trying to tell anyone about it, but I'm afraid of keeping it inside too. Do you think this feeling came up because she reminds me of Mom? It doesn't feel like how I always thought of Mom, but I have to find some explanation somewhere, and that's the only one I could think of.

Anyway, I hope you don't think I'm crazy after reading all of this babbling about my confusion, but if you're inclined to write back, I hope to hear from you soon.

---Alphonse Elric

Dear Al,

It's perfectly understandable why you would be so confused about something like that. You have had no one to teach you what to expect of yourself as you grow up, and so you're having to find out on your own. I can only imagine how scary that is.

Since I'm young too, I shared your letter with Granny to get some more insight. I hope you don't mind my doing that. She's completely understanding of your situation and doesn't judge you for it.

She says that, yes, Gracia reminds you of your mother, but it doesn't appear that you're thinking of her as a replacement mother. It seems you have a bit of a crush on her. Don't worry, it's okay to have a crush. One can't control who they like. Just be careful with that situation, since you would both be rebounding if you were to try for a relationship.

The age difference is a little bit awkward, but like I said, you can't control who you like. If, in the future, you and Gracia both decide that a relationship would work for you, then it would be fine to go ahead. Just be careful right now. You're both too stressed to think straight, and it might just be a passing crush. Granny did say that guys tend to seek out girls who remind them of their mother, but there's a good chance you might find someone like that in the future who is closer to your age and doesn't have so much baggage as of yet.

I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just giving you some advice. Further, don't try to stifle your feelings or they'll get miserable. Take your crush seriously. That doesn't mean you have to act on it, but you need to acknowledge that it's there. You don't have to tell Gracia about it if you don't want to, but at least be open about it with Ed. You two have been honest about everything else with each other, so why not that? I think he'll be more understanding about it than you give him credit for.

But anyway, thanks for writing to me, Al. It makes me feel better, knowing that you're both alive and well. Take care of yourselves, and try to write me again soon, okay?

Love,

Winry

I've just been feeling really confused lately about my feelings for a particular individual, and figured I could probably let it out in a little fanfic like this. If you got something from it, I'm glad, but I'm not going to beg for reviews or anything. This was my therapy, so only I need to approve, though I like hearing from my readers all the same.

I'm writing more now, so check out my profile and see what else I have written. I'm picking up some of my old things and either finishing or revamping them. So keep an eye on my page and see you soon!