Promises

"Edward!"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Um…"

"What?" the young boy opposite her was getting annoyed. "Winry. That's your name, isn't it?"

"Um… yes." Winry looked sheepishly at Edward. "I got something to tell you."

Edward cocked his head. They had just started their third year of primary school, and were in all the same classes.

"Um… My Granny knows your mom, and told me to ask you all for tea." She flushed deepest crimson. She held out a letter, labeled 'Trisha'.

Ed glared at her. He snatched the letter from her hand and stormed off, looking angry.

Winry watched him, then began to walk too. After a while she realized Edward must live near her, for they were going in the same direction. She ran to catch up to him, and said, politely, "Where do you live?"

Ed snorted and shouted, angrily, "None of your business!"

Winry fell back again and fell silent, staring at her shoes. Suddenly the boy turned around and yelled at her, "Look, stop following me!" angrily.

Winry was terrified, though she didn't know why. She blushed again, and said, voice trembling, "But I live this way, too!"

Edward snorted and marched away. Silently, Winry wondered where her parents were. She hadn't seen them in at least four months. Since they had left, saying they "Were just going away for a short while, to work in the East," she had begged Granny to let her go there herself.

Finally, Edward stopped. He sighed and scratched his head, seeming to be deciding something. He span on the spot, and pointed straight at her. "Fine!" he yelled. "I'll speak to mom about your letter." Then he stomped away, up a path which led towards the church and graveyard. There was a small house a little past it.

Winry watched the odd boy walk away for a minute before she continued to the house.

Granny was inside, she could hear the kettle boiling. Den was chasing butterflies in the enormous field. She wandered into the house and smiled at Granny.

"Hello, Winry. How was school? Did you give… Edward the letter?" She took a moment to remember the name.

"Of course," Winry said, with a mix of exasperation and incomprehension at her grandmother's inability to trust her with the simplest of tasks. "Can I have some toast?" Winry asked, hunger suddenly jumping into her mind.

Granny smiled, and nodded. "But wait til after tea." She said, cutting Winry's look of glee short and replacing it with one of desperate sadness.

Winry sat down at the kitchen table and pulled her bag up onto the tabletop. She pulled out a book, and opened it in the back. There were a series of math questions there, and she frowned as she tried to work out how to do some of them.

"Granny?"

"Yes?" Her grandmother was busy peeling the potatoes.

"What's five times three?"

"Your homework, baby." Granny grinned.

"Aww, Granny!" She moaned.

"Aww, Winry!" Granny parroted. Winry laughed, her smile illuminating the whole room.

Silently, she worked on the homework for a further hour. Determined as she was, she couldn't do some of the tougher sums, even though she was clever. So, with an air of sheer hopelessness and desolation, she cleared the books away with a sweep of her arm.

Almost as if it had been waiting for this cue, there was a knock at the door. Granny jerked her head at Winry. "You get it," she said.

It was Edward, with someone who must have been his mom, tall and with beautiful brown hair. Winry's jaw dropped as she smiled, for the woman was unbelievably beautiful. Edward was stood in front of her, and behind him was someone who looked quite similar, but had his hair in a different style. Whereas Edward's was long at the front with a centre parting, this younger boy had his untidy dark golden locks loose and free. Edward grimaced at her, but Winry didn't notice. She was too busy looking at the guests, jaw open. It was weird. Their mother looked… so different from anything she'd seen before.

Granny appeared behind her. "come in, come in," She smiled. Winry hastily stepped back, nearly tripping on her shoes which were lying by the door. Edward laughed, but was quelled by a look from his mother. Scowling, he sat down. The other boy sat next to him, and they turned in unison to look at the two women they'd not seen before.

Granny was behind Winry again, and put a hand on her head. "This is my son's daughter, Winry." She smiled. "See what I meant?"

The woman was smiling at her. "Yes, of course. Winry, dear," She leant down and looked Winry face to face, before continuing, "I'm Trisha Elric. I've heard a lot about you." She smiled, and Winry grinned back. No matter what, she felt so insignificant next to this impossible woman. "These," She said, gesturing to the two boys, "are my two sons, Edward and Alphonse." She smiled. "Ed's told me all about you, Winry." At which point, Edward, who'd been drinking a glass of juice, spluttered and coughed. "I didn't!" He said indignantly. Trisha just laughed.

Winry sat down opposite Edward, still slightly confused by what had just happened, but felt slightly bemused at Edward's sudden incapacity to look her in the eye. Trisha sat down next to Al, at the end of the table and looked across at Granny. "Do you need a hand, Pinako?" she called.

"No, I'm fine, Trisha." Granny said, bringing out plates. "Have you heard from…?" There was a brief pause, during which Winry looked around, confused. Granny was looking hopeful, Edward angry, Alphonse sad and the woman looked blank, but played with her hair.

"I'm afraid not." There was an awkward pause, which Granny broke by saying, "Ah. Well, I was just wondering if you had any news about Ishbal?"

This time, Winry was relieved to see she was not the only one looking confused. Edward and Alphonse were looking at their mother with curiosity in their eyes.

"I'm afraid not. I heard the military's planning on putting their State Alchemists into the fray."

Granny frowned, but did not say anything. There was more silence, before Trisha turned to Winry. "So, then. I hear you're quite a-"

However, before she could finish, Edward cut across her, blushing deep crimson and leaving his mother laughing. "-quite an annoying woman? Yeah! You were invading my personal space!"

Trisha laughed, lightly, as Winry said, frightened, "What's that?"

Edward looked flummoxed. He settled himself by picking up his fork and playing with it. "Edward," His mother said, sternly. "Don't do that."

He put down the fork and intoned, as though he'd said it too often before, "Yes, mom."

"Thank you… ah, and thank you, dearest Pinako!" Said Trisha as the plates were laden with food. Winry stared, jaw wide open, at the feast before them. She recognised Granny's cooking and knew instinctively it was delicious, though she hadn't a clue what it was. She waited impatiently, fidgeting in her seat, as Granny took the dish back to the sink.

Across from her, Edward was looking apprehensively at the food. Alphonse was staring, wide-eyed, at his mother.

"Dig in, children, dig in." Granny said, sitting down. Winry didn't hesitate and attacked the grayish lump on her plate with a ferocity that made Alphonse look around.

Edward glanced at his mother, who smiled and took a bite.

"My, Pinako! This is delicious!"

"Thank you," Granny said. "Family recipe."

Winry concentrated on her food, attacking it with renewed vigor and pulled lumps of the vegetable pastry into her mouth without pausing to breathe.

She glanced up and saw Edward, who had tentatively taken his first bite and then attacked it with the same apparent adoration as Winry herself. Catching Winry's eye looking at him, he grinned, and she grinned back as Granny and Trisha talked over their heads. Alphonse was eating, slowly, watching Granny carefully, as though he was deeply fascinated by something. Perhaps it was the odd hair, or the way her glasses flashed when she laughed.

Winry, who had taken her eyes off her plate for the first time since the start of the meal to look around, heard a dull clink, and looked down to see she had already finished her plateful.

"Heh. Hungry, dear?" said Granny.

Winry shook her head and said, playfully, "Nope. I'm full up!"

Edward grimaced at these words. Trisha laughed. "Edward, just because you can eat a horse doesn't mean everyone can."

Edward blushed, but grinned at Winry again. She smiled, and his eyes widened before he quickly busied himself by returning to finishing off his plate. Winry listened to Trisha and Granny talk about things she didn't understand. However, after a short while, the plates were empty and Alphonse was rubbing his stomach.

After Granny and Trisha talked for a little while longer, Edward yawned without bothering to hide it. Trisha looked around and saw Edward's eyes drooping and Alphonse already fast asleep. "Oh dear," she said, "It looks like I'd better take these two home."

Edward rubbed his eyes and yawned again. Slowly, he stood up and stretched, before waking Alphonse. Winry watched with interest.

"Pinako." Trisha said, standing up. "There is something I have to tell you."

Granny's eyes flashed, but there was a look of seriousness on her face now. Trisha turned to Edward. "Ed, get your jacket on and help Al with his."

Edward looked puzzled, but didn't argue. His mother smiled. "I'll be right out," She said, soothingly.

Winry watched Granny and Trisha walk through the door, into what she knew was the garage. Curiosity moved her, and she walked away, going around and running quickly through the garden to a spot where, she knew, she could hear what was being said.

"…How things have been lately. There's talk, and I didn't want to say in front of your… in front of your poor Winry."

"I understand. Still, don't worry about it. Custody papers have been transferred to me, I made sure of it."
"Still," Trisha's voice hesitated, "If I was in your position, Pinako, I'd make sure it's gone through. I had real trouble with the boys when… when he left."

"I know, dearest." Granny's voice was soft. "But I'm sure that Winry's parents are fine. If something had happened to them, the military would have let us know."

Winry's eyes widened. What? What had happened to mom, to dad?

"Goodbye, Pinako. I'm sure you're right."

There was the sound of distant footsteps, and Winry heard Granny say, gently, "Goodbye, Trisha. Take care of the boys."

Then a slam. Winry ran inside and saw Granny.

"Granny?"

She didn't respond.

"Granny, what's wrong?"

Granny turned around and saw Winry. "Ah, nothing. Just an old woman's troubles."
It was beginning to get dark outside. "Granny?"

"Yes?"

Winry hesitated. "When… When are mom and dad coming home?"

Granny smiled. "As soon as they can, honey. As soon as they can." Then the old woman sighed. "Listen, Winry, I'm going to bed. I need an early night. I'm going to check the locks on the doors and everything, okay?"

Winry nodded. She walked up to her room, and paced around in the centre, thinking. Where were mom and dad, really?

Finally, she came to a decision. She pulled a bag from her chest of drawers, and opened it with a flourish. It was already dark outside, but Winry didn't care. She grabbed a lantern, and crept downstairs. After taking her jacket and shoes, she pulled open the door to the cold room, where Granny kept the food. She pulled out some food, though she didn't know what it was, and crept back up, as silently as possible. She put the things she had taken inside her bag and zipped it up again. She then silently moved to her window and opened it, just enough to slide through. She jumped from the ledge to the low roof of the shed, and silently hopped from that to the ground. Dusting herself off, she ran away, down the long path, through the big wheat field and didn't stop until she reached the town.

Looking around, she hazarded a guess which way the east was, and set off down a dark street. Meandering through alleys, she came to several dead ends and ended up retracing her steps. Finally, she came out in a large meadow. There was a tunnel in the middle, and Winry stood looking at it for a moment before she felt the first raindrop on her forehead. She looked up and saw a storm cloud overhead. Screaming as the thunder struck in the distance, she ran to the tunnel, and by the time she got there the rain was falling hard and fast.

Here she was… All alone, without a clue where she was, frightened and alone… there was nobody nearby and she contemplated sleeping in the tunnel. If she was going to the east then-

"Winry?"

She jumped at the sound of someone's voice. Looking up, she saw Edward, coming into the tunnel. She looked at him as though she had seen a ghost, before whispering, "Why are you here…?"

Edward looked at her. "I live just near here! I saw someone in the field running with a lamp, into this tunnel, and I came to see… Oi!" he exclaimed as Winry dived upon him, wrapping her arms around his back. He pushed her off. "Do you mind…?" He looked her up and down.

"Eh, nothing for it… Fine, I'm taking you home."

Winry looked up at him, tears swimming in her eyes.

"Promise?" She whispered.

"I promise." Edward said, except he was now taller, with a muscular, lean build and his hair was longer. He was now wearing a gaudy red coat, and his right arm and left leg were Automail. "I promise," He repeated.