Chapter 17

November 11th – November 15th

November 11th – Military Headquarters, Central

When Ed woke, the bed opposite him was empty. Fearing he had overslept, he bolted upright, then relaxed when he noticed the clock. It was only just past five – what was Winry doing?

Acting on a hunch, Ed wandered out onto the balcony. His instincts were proved valid by the figure dipping and swaying in the pale dawn sky.

Some part of him worried about someone seeing her, but most of him was simply spellbound by the display. Just like last night.

But unlike last night, there was no darkness to hide him. A sharp cry from above told him he'd been spotted.

"Ed!"

Winry swung towards him, one foot extending as she perched delicately on the edge of the balcony in a pose Ed knew any other creature would have found impossible. She looked like a painting you'd find in a church – an angel standing delicately on her perch, smiling benevolently, wings outstretched behind her, golden hair streaming down her shoulders, back-lit by the rising sun.

"I'm sorry," Winry said, "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't wake me up," Ed shook his head, gazing at her almost sadly. "I were just...watching."

"Watching me?" Winry asked, delighted by the idea.

Ed shifted uncomfortably, and Winry was struck with a sudden idea.

"Want to try it?" she asked, grinning broadly.

"T-try it?" Ed gaped, his stutter betraying his shock.

Winry nodded, grabbing his hands. "Come on, just put your arms around my neck and hang on tight."

"Um…"

"Come on," Winry repeated. "Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to fly?"

Then Ed realised what she was doing. She'd seen his uncertainty, the fear that he was going to be left behind as she journeyed onward, and she was offering him a glimpse of her path. A reassurance that he wouldn't be left behind.

For a moment, the gesture stole his breath away. She been afraid of the same thing – of him moving beyond her – and had he ever offered her this kind of assurance? No, he had never given any indication that he wanted her to continue being a part of life, not the way she was doing now.

For one moment, Ed felt humbled in the face of Winry's capacity for forgiveness.

He realised that he hadn't replied, and hastened to do so. "Are you sure…I mean, I won't be too heavy?" He hoped desperately he hadn't brought up a possibly fatal objection.

She beamed at him. "You're talking to the girl who can bend iron bars with her bare hands, remember? I could probably lift Al if I really tried."

Nodding, Ed wrapped his arms around her neck and she hugged his waist. Both were blushing slightly as they adjusted themselves.

"Ready?"

Ed took a deep breath. "Go for it."

Winry stepped backwards off the balcony, spreading her wings to catch the thermal beneath her. Ed's stomach felt as though he'd left it behind on the railing. For a moment, he was glad he hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

"Easy, Ed," Winry said, her mouth almost right next to his ear. "I'm not going to drop you."

Ed realised he'd been all-but choking her, and made a conscious effort to relax his grip. Winry nearly laughed – she could tell Ed was trying not to strangle her, but his grip was still a lot tighter than necessary. He was probably nervous, and Winry nearly laughed at the idea of Ed being scared of flying.

She didn't want to freak him out too much, though, and kept her wings open in a steady glide.

Slowly, Ed found he was beginning to enjoy himself. The wind in his face, the sensation of complete weightlessness, the utter freedom of the empty sky...

Winry could feel him starting to relax, so she began to truly fly.

Ed jerked when Winry's wings – held away from her body to catch the warm air rising off the ground – suddenly rose, then swept downwards. A sudden gust of wind over his face made him squint his eyes as he felt them gain height. Winry's wings continued to beat powerfully, churning the air beneath them as they continued to soar higher.

Ed couldn't hold in a smile of wonder as they rose through the crisp air. He felt so…free. Winry dipped and weaved, bobbing through the sky like a feather in a whirlwind and he delighted in the wind rushed past his face. The sensation of being totally unsupported, except by Winry, with nothing under his feet and yet he wasn't expecting a fall…

He could understand why Winry loved to fly. It was as though every worry, every burden, had been left behind on the ground.

oooooooo

November 11th – Military Headquarters,Central

Eventually, it got too dangerous to keep flying – the lighter the sky grew, the more chances they had of being spotted.

Winry landed them on the balcony, and Ed staggered a little when they touched down. It felt strange, suddenly feeling the weight of gravity on his shoulders again.

Winry smiled, "Cool, huh?"

"Very," Ed smirked.

"You're not an Angel until you can fly, huh?" Winry said, snorting at her own pun.

But then she sobered. A voice in the back of her mind was busy reminding her about a quote she'd once heard.

'A bell is not a bell until it is rung, a song is not a song until it is sung. Love is not born in our hearts to stay, love is not love until it is given away.'

She knew things had been strained between her and Ed, but she felt confident they could recover. She still loved him, and she'd thought...or perhaps she'd hoped...that there had been some feelings on his side as well.

The question was – were they still there?

"Ed," Winry began softly, "We've known each other for a long time, right?"

"Uh...yeah..."

Ed was starting to panic. Winry sounded deadly serious, and he couldn't predict which way this conversation would be going. It was obviously going to be about their relationship, but what about it? Was she going to tell him there might be something between them, or that there could never be anything more than friendship?

"We used to be close. Really close. And now...not so much. Have you noticed?"

Ed nodded. He'd noticed. He also knew the distance between them was mainly his fault – Winry had treated him the same way she'd always treated him. She still fixed his automail (and yelled at him for not going to Pinako about it), she still called him short, still teased him about eating too much...

But he found he was increasingly uncomfortable around Winry. And it centered around the fear he'd felt after her memories returned – that she'd moved beyond him. Sure, before all this happened, he figured he'd had a chance with her, but now...now he wasn't so sure. She seemed so different, and at the same time...not. The more changes Ed saw, the more he became convinced that they weren't truly changes, just aspects of Winry's personality she'd never felt truly comfortable expressing...until now.

Her leadership? She orchestrated a baby's delivery efficiently and practically, with enough skill to impress a fully-trained doctor. Her strength and responsibility for those she'd taken in? Winry had always been strong, and he never met anyone more reliable. Her confidence in herself? Perhaps the laboratory had simply shown Winry that she could survive whatever this world threw at her.

Ed was convinced that the woman standing in front of him was the woman Winry was always meant to be.

But could that woman ever feel anything for him?

He nodded again when he realised Winry was still waiting for an answer to her previous question.

"And Ed, I don't think we can get back to normal unless we're totally honest with each other. I think we need to have an open, honest talk about what's happening here. Can you agree to that?"

Another nod. Ed didn't quite trust his voice yet.

"Alright." Winry took a deep breath. She decided this had to be handled the way jumping into an icy stream would have to be handled – plunge right into the deep end and get it over with quickly. "We've been friends for a long time, and I have to admit, for me it gradually became something more-"

Ed was rather pleased his jaw didn't drop. It happened to her, too?

But Winry was still talking, her eyes fixed on the ground, afraid to look Ed in the eye and make this even more awkward. "But, well...getting kidnapped, experimented on, losing my memory, becoming 'Angel'... it kinda messed with my head a little. But I want you to know, those feelings are still there...in my case, at least. I still...love you, Ed."

Winry shut her eyes, feeling as though she were waiting for a guillotine to drop as she awaited his reaction.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it wasn't for Ed to sweep her into a hug with a shout of joy. Winry blinked, frozen in shock, but Ed pulled away before she could react.

"Uh...?" was all the response Winry could muster, but Ed was speaking before her brain could process what had just happened.

"I know that I haven't been...like we were, but that was because...I thought that you...that you didn't really want anything to do with me anymore-"

He got no further. Winry, on instinct, had cuffed him on the side of the head.

"Idiot!" she growled.

"Well, yeah, I know that now," Ed admitted, slightly shame-faced. "But that was because...when you were away...it was kind of a wake-up call for me...and I...uh...I...uh..."

Winry could see Ed was obviously struggling to say his piece, and she now she had a good idea of what that piece was, but didn't want to jinx it by saying it aloud. However, as she watched Ed stutter and stammer and blush, she realised she might have to. Ed had never been good at vocalising emotions or affections – she'd probably have to give him a helping hand.

"You love me?" Winry supplied.

Ed nodded and fell silent, fighting the blush he knew was spreading across his face. But then he was distracted by a different kind of heat. He forgot about the warm blood suffusing his cheeks as all his attention went to the warm lips that lay across his own.

oooooooo

November 11th – Military Headquarters, Central

"It's funny, isn't it?" Winry commented, swinging her legs where they dangled off the railing.

"What's funny?" Ed was sitting beside her, his position more cautious than hers. But then again, he didn't have wings to stop his fall if he slid off.

"That what happened in the lab could have led us to something like this," Winry clarified.

Ed shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I don't like to think of 'this'-" he put an arm over her shoulders and hugged her for a moment, "-as being caused by...what happened. I mean, I think I was already...you know...and it just..."

"Took losing me to make you realise it," Winry finished for him.

"I guess," Ed mused. "But now that I look back on it, it's like...like I was already in love with you...and had been for a long time..."

"Wow, Ed," Winry grinned, "I would never have taken you for a closet romantic."

"I'll push you off this railing," Ed threatened, a slight tinge of red across his cheeks.

"Go ahead," Winry challenged with a smirk, "I've got wings, remember?"

Ed was still a little surprised at how comfortable this felt. They had some moments when embarrassment took over them, sure, but they were few and far between. No, what was really shocking was how...natural...this seemed.

To be with Winry.

In the romantic sense of the word.

"I feel pretty comfortable with this," Winry said, sounding surprised. "I thought we'd be awkward with each other, all stammers and blushing and everything."

Ed snorted with laughter.

"What?" Winry was indignant. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No!" Ed nearly yelled. He'd learned at an early age that an angry Winry should be placated, fast, before the famous wrench made an appearance. "It's just...I was just thinking the same thing."

"Same thoughts at the same time?" Winry smiled. "Must be a sign."

"We're just meant to be," Ed sighed dramatically.

"In a week or two, I bet things won't be so perfect," Winry warned, her voice serious. "The bubble's going to burst."

"Let it burst all it wants," Ed scoffed, hugging her to him. "I'm happy. For the first time in a long while, I'm actually happy."

There was a long, serious silence, both savouring the emotions in the air. Then Winry spoke again.

"By the way, have you thought about what you're getting Al for his birthday?"

oooooooo

November 15th – Military Headquarters, Central

"Happy Birthday, Al!" Winry squealed as soon as she entered the door.

It was Al's sixteenth birthday, and Winry had risen from the sewers once more, to see her boyfriend and pseudo-brother.

"Hi, Winry," Al said, a smile in his voice as he returned her exuberant hug. "We missed you. Brother, especially."

Winry could have sworn there was a subtle smirk in his voice. Four days ago, when she and Ed had walked into the room and told him they were about to embark on a relationship, Al had simply laughed and asked what had taken them so long. Both teens had gaped at him, and he had told them that everyone with eyes had seen their relationship coming.

It had been sort of disappointing. What they had thought of as a shocking revelation and been, to those who knew them, a sort of belated recognition.

'You guys are a couple now? About time.'

Winry yelped as someone sneaked up behind her, clapping their hands over her eyes. "Guess who?"

"There's only one person stupid enough to do that to me, Ed," she rejoined sarcastically.

His hands slipped from her eyes, spun her around, and she kissed suddenly and swiftly.

Winry laughed and shoved him away. "Enough, Ed. It's Al's birthday, you know."

"Of course I know – I spent two hours looking for his present."

"By the way, Al," Winry smiled. "I haven't got you your present yet. Someone else is getting it for me, so I have to do some things for them before you get it. But I think you're going to like it."

oooooooo

November 15th – Military Headquarters, Central

Riza was embarrassed to say she was taken completely off-guard. One moment, she was walking down the hallway, the next, she had been yanked into a broom closet by her arm, one hand closing over her mouth to muffle her shout.

She twisted in her attacker's arms, and was surprised to realise how strong her opponent was – r struggles were having so little effect it was ludicrous.

"It's okay, Miss Hawkeye, it's me," Winry's voice whispered right next to her ear.

Riza relaxed as Winry eased her grip. She was reassured that Winry wouldn't harm her, but was shocked at the girl's strength. Riza worked out everyday, yet when she fought Winry's grip it was like fighting an avalanche. She had known, intellectually, that Winry was changed, but it was one thing to know, and another to know. To find that a seventeen year old girl can suddenly match you in a physical fight with no more effort then holding a moth in her hand.

"What's wrong?" Riza asked, instantly business-like.

"I need to talk to you."

"Any particular reason why it had to be in the broom closet?"

"I don't want anyone to overhear this, or even know we're talking."

Riza's eyes were beginning to adjust – she could now just make out Winry in the darkness. "Why?"

"Miss Hawkeye...can you think of a reason why anyone would want to...control you?"

Riza stiffened. "What do you know?"

"I know that someone implanted the essence of a Gate Daemon in your body, with the intention of gaining your mindless, unquestioning obedience to every command they uttered."

Riza flinched. She hated being reminded of the Daemon essence within her, hated acknowledging that Wrath exercised complete and utter power over her whenever he chose to do so. It left her feeling violated, helpless, victimised. She was living her life under a shadow, knowing that the ultimate control – that of her mind and body – could be taken from her at anytime, anywhere.

But Winry wasn't finished speaking. "And I know that I can stop it."

"What?" Riza's voice was painted with disbelief.

She was just starting to discern Winry's eyes, and they were hard as blue diamonds. "I can take it from you, take it out of you. But before I do, I have to know something...who placed it in you?"

"Wrath," Riza said quietly, then mentally berated herself. Winry wouldn't know who Wrath was. "I mean-"

"You mean the homunculus masquerading as the Fuhrer," Winry nodded – the information Truth had given her had already supplied the answer.

"Y-yes..." Riza knew her eyes had widened. How did Winry know about Wrath? How had she known about the Daemon essence? More importantly, how did she have the power to take it away?

"Damn," Winry cursed. "That means he'll know if I take it away."

"So you can't do anything," Riza supplied, her heart sinking. She'd hoped...just for a moment, she'd hoped...

"I can do something...it'll just take a little longer, that's all," Winry whispered. "I can neutralise it. That is, it will remain within you – so Wrath doesn't get suspicious – but he won't be able to control you with it."

Riza nodded. "Do it." She hoped she didn't sound too desperate.

"Give me your hands."

Riza felt Winry grip her outstretched fingers. And then...

It was the strangest sensation she'd ever felt. As though something were squirming in her body, struggling to escape.

But she even more surprised when Winry began to glow. Thin tendrils of white flames – especially noticeable in the dark closet – began to drift from her skin like smoke. Riza inhaled sharply as they licked her own flesh, but they didn't even feel warm.

Before she could say anything, the flames died, and the strange feeling stopped. Winry released her hands.

"There. He'll still think you're under his control, but he can't do anything now."

"I...thank you..." Riza's voice was hoarse with repressed emotion. "But how...?"

But Winry had darted back into the hallway before she could say any more.