Chapter 18

November 22nd – December 29th

November 22nd – Military Headquarters, Central

Ed was worried. Winry had been brooding lately – even though 'brooding' and 'Winry' in the same sentence felt like an oxymoron.

But he'd catch her gazing into the distance with a pensive expression on her face, telling him she was thinking far too much and far too seriously. If it only happened occasionally, he'd dismiss it. But that was the problem, it was happening almost every time he looked at her.

Not that she was depressed. On the contrary, she often seemed happier than ever, but there was a sense of...irresolution...about her. As though she had something to do.

Ed looked down at the woman in his arms, and noticed her thousand-mile stare. "What's the matter?"

Winry jerked. "Nothing," she said softly, looking up at him. "I was just thinking."

And then Ed's thoughts dissolved as she pulled him down into a kiss. Whatever it was, she'd tell him one day.

oooooooo

December 5th – Hidden Cellar, Central

"This will end soon, you know," Winry murmured, sitting beside Jade and Earnest and looking out at the others.

Jade's eyes were ancient. "We know. We can tell. I know you think the other's are oblivious, but...we know you're on some kind of quest, Winry. There's something that you think you have to do, and we know that you won't rest until you've done it. And we know you're getting close."

Winry nodded. There's a man," she said softly, "A man like Mangeli..."

Earnest looked her. "You're going to try to stop him, aren't you?"

Winry nodded. "I have to."

'I have a promise to fulfill, and a bargain to keep.'

To her surprise, Earnest simply nodded. He had a strange look on his face – as though he understood, but wouldn't say why he understood.

But then, the poor kid had been raised by Mangeli, and was fully aware of the atrocities that he and his like were capable of perpetrating. He probably thought Winry was being noble.

And she was – there just happened to be more on the line than heroics.

oooooooo

December 6th – Military Headquarters, Central

Ed knew something was up when Winry asked to speak with Roy and Riza as well. The five of them – Winry, Al, Roy, Riza, and himself – were in the Colonel's office, talking in low undertones.

"Do you know of a creature called Father?" Winry asked, and all present started in surprise.

"That's..." Al whispered.

"The leader of the homunculi," Winry affirmed. "My little group and I are going to be taking him down at the end of the month, and the question is, do you guys want in on the plan?"

It was said so calmly, so matter-of-factly, that the actual question didn't register at first, but when it did...

"WHAT?"

Winry winced. Four voices yelling in perfect chorus was just painful.

"I said-"

"I know what you said!" Ed spluttered. "Are you out of your mind?"

Winry pinned him with a harsh gaze. "Ed...do you dispute that I am probably the only person in this entire world capable of doing damage to him?"

"I-"

"I can nullify alchemy," Winry continued, "So he won't be able to utilise that against me. And with my enhanced strength, agility, and rate of healing...not to mention that whole steel-skin thing...it's not like he'll be able to bring me down in a physical fight."

"Something tells me alchemy's not all he can do," Ed hissed.

Winry nodded. She knew that. She was sure that the Daemon in his body would allow him other weapons, but...it wasn't like she was completely defenceless in that regard, either.

She held out her hand for all to see. Winry tapped into the wellspring of power within her, allowing white flames to dance over her fingers.

"In this state," she whispered, "These flames do no more harm than still water. But if I were to actually attack with them...I'm quite capable of leveling the entire building. I'm not here to ask you if I have permission to do take him on – you can't stop me – but I'm asking if you'll join me."

"A chance to rid ourselves of the homunculi..." Roy mused. "I don't see how we can't."

"Winry..." Al appealed.

Winry smiled reassuringly at him, before locking eyes with Ed, trying to communicate silently.

'I know you're worried, Ed, but I don't need your protection. Not anymore.'

Ed sighed. "We'll come with. But...you'll be careful, won't you?"

Winry drew an 'X' on her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to lose my wings."

Ed snorted. Winry's version of 'cross my heart and hope to die' always amused him for some reason.

"When is this final attack being launched?" the Colonel asked, his voice dropping even lower.

"The 29th," Winry said, without hesitation.

"I'll just make sure the Lieutenant and I have the day off," Roy murmured, already picking up the phone.

Riza frowned as he laughed and flirted with the girl on the other end, pouring on the sugar to try and cajole her into scheduling a day of both his and Riza's vacation time on the 29th. Against her will, Riza found herself becoming slightly bitter.

Winry shifted, her wings rustling as the sharp twinge of a lie resounded in her body. Again, Roy was lying – flirting with a woman when he clearly didn't mean word of what he said to her. He would never even consider going out with her.

Winry found it interesting that she could feel the lie when he flirted with other women, but when he flirted playfully with Riza...nothing. Nothing but the clear ring of truth.

The click of the phone hanging up disrupted Winry's thoughts.

"It's done," Roy nodded. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Of course I know," Winry said crossly, making Ed and Al chuckle – Winry still didn't like people implying she didn't know what she doing...some things would never change.

As Winry rose to leave, however, she snagged Riza's arm and pulled the older woman in close to her. She wasn't quite sure about the ethics of what she was about to do, but her telepathy was picking up Riza's depression at Roy's antics.

"Miss Hawkeye," she whispered, right next to Riza's ear. "Don't worry, I can sense lies. And the Colonel is lying when he flirts with those women. I can sense a lie whenever he flirts with any woman...except you."

Then she was gone.

oooooooo

December 6th – Military Headquarters, Central

Riza tried to focus on the papers in front of her, but her mind wasn't cooperating. It was too busy remembering what Winry had told her.

'He lies when he flirts with other women, but not when he flirts with me?'

She still didn't know what to make of it.

Roy, for his part, was feeling almost...happy. A little anxious about the inevitable battle, of course, but mostly happy. After all, Riza was no longer under the Fuhrer's control, they stood a very solid chance of bringing the homunculi down with Winry on their side...

For the first time in a long while, Roy was actually hopeful. It was a good feeling.

He glanced at the room's other occupants – Riza and Black Hayate. The dog was curled at Riza's feet, whimpering softly in a quiet plea for attention. Riza was staring at the papers in front of her, and if Roy hadn't known better he would have sworn her mind was miles away.

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir?" Perhaps she really hadn't been paying attention – he could have sworn she jerked a little, as though in surprise.

"I've been wondering, what did Miss Rockbell say to you on her way out? It seemed to shake you up a little."

Riza kept her expression carefully blank when she replied, "Nothing important, sir, and certainly nothing relevant to the upcoming battle."

"Ah." Roy translated her reply as 'I'm not going to tell a soul, even under excruciating torture'. Well, it had been worth a shot.

He smiled as Riza's hand drifted downwards, almost unconsciously, to rub Black Hayate's ears. She tried so hard to hide it, but Riza was really one of the kindest people he'd ever met.

It was just one of things he loved about her.

oooooooo

December 28th – Hidden Cellar, Central

The night before they launched their attack, everyone gathered in the underground home of Winry and her band to review the plan for the final time.

"The homunculi are created from portions of Father's soul," Winry said, addressing the group as a whole. "Which means that if I can destroy him, the homunculi will just...die. Though I don't know if they can really die, considering they're not really alive..."

Winry didn't mention that she intended to yank Father's essence out of Ling first. She would only have time to do that to one of them, and frankly, Ling/Greed was the only one she cared to do it too. That might have been ridiculously selfish – to save only her friend – but at the moment, Winry couldn't care less.

"So my main goal will be to take Father down," she continued, "Now I know that the homunculi are gathering tomorrow-" more knowledge given to her by Truth "-so that's we'll strike. Sloth will be absent, but it won't matter. He's in no position to storm in as reinforcement, and he'll go the way of the other homunculi when Father is defeated."

'Because as soon as I rip the Daemon out of him, it can't sustain those portions of his soul that he dished out to the homunculi.'

"Our biggest problem is probably Wrath, as he has the 'Ultimate Eye', he has the best chance of spotting us and our intentions – so we need to bring him down quickly."

'And that nickname isn't a misnomer. He sees as though he had a full-fledged Daemon inside of him – he sees what Father does. As such, he's the only one of the homunculi who can identify the presence of Daemon's, Daemon essence...or see me for what I really am. That's why I've avoided him like the plague when I'm in the headquarters. And I need to have him occupied with a fight before he can blurt it out. Father is going to spot it too, so my goal is to be in combat with him by the time he notices it. Which means I have to start fighting him almost as soon as I see him.'

"I'll be depending on all of you to keep the homunculi off my back while I take on Father. It may seem like overkill – over twenty people to take on four monsters – but trust me, you'll need the strength of numbers. Fortunately, we have four practicing alchemists here; Ed, Al, the Colonel, and Joeseph. This means we can have one alchemist per homunculus, in addition to the others fighting them. One rule, though..."

Winry's eyes hardened, and her voice was the hard edge of a diamond, "I take on Father alone. No one interferes – trust me, you won't be able to withstand him. It isn't that you don't have a chance of winning, it's less than that, I'm the only one who has a chance of surviving combat with Father. Understood?"

Everyone nodded. They'd all heard the plan before, and Winry distinctly remembered Ed's outraged objection that she would take on Father alone. Winry had expected it – Ed was nothing if not protective, and since they'd become involved, that had only increased.

It had taken many hours (and many reassurances and demonstrations of the true extent of her powers) before Ed had finally agreed. Though 'agreed' was probably too strong a word – he'd given her the non-verbal equivalent of accepting the situation, but not liking it.

Winry was worried he'd charge into the fight if it looked like she was getting the worst of it, but there was nothing she could do except pray it didn't happen. If Ed jumped into the middle of a fight with Father...there would be very little he could do against the...creature (Winry wasn't sure if she could call Father a 'man').

"That being said, I think we need to get some sleep," Winry grinned at her friends, "Big day tomorrow."

'And that's the understatement of the year'.

oooooooo

December 28th – Hidden Cellar, Central

"Winry!"

Instantly assuming they were under attack, Winry's eyes snapped open, the vestiges of sleep banished in an instant. She leapt up, her wings sweeping the sheets from her body as her skin turned to metal and her fingers lengthened into claws, her muscles already tensed for a fight...

But then she saw exactly who had shaken her shoulder, and relaxed. "Ed?"

Ed gaped at Winry from his position on the floor. The sudden, instinctive defense had been utterly unexpected and completely shocking. Just when he thought he knew all the changes Winry had gone through, she did something like this to throw him for another loop.

"You okay, Ed?" Winry asked, offering him her hand.

"Fine," Ed muttered, letting her help him back to his feet.

"What's up?"

"Well, uh..." Ed looked almost embarrassed to be mentioning it, "I don't have a bed – there's none left."

Winry snorted. Typical Ed – embarrassed to admit his need for the creature comforts. "It's alright to be human, Ed," she giggled, "It doesn't hurt, I promise."

Still, Winry was rather miffed that she'd miscalculated – she'd been sure there were enough spare beds to house Riza, Roy, and Ed (Al didn't need one for obvious reasons). But it appeared she'd been wrong.

"Very funny," Ed said, but the look he gave her told her he found it anything but. "Seriously, Winry, I need somewhere to sleep."

Winry flopped back onto her bed – half of a circular barrel filled with pillows and sheets – and pondered for a moment. Then she wriggled to the side, deliberately making room for another body beside hers.

Ed's face was turning red. "You're not suggesting..."

"I'm sleepy, Ed," Winry interrupted. "Even though I could cleave another barrel in half with ease, I'm not going to spend hours rustling up sheets and pillows, okay? So either hop in or nap on the floor."

"Yes, ma'am," Ed muttered, sliding into the bed next to her.

He seemed deeply uncomfortable, and Winry took pity on him. She'd long ago learned that while tentative contact made Ed jittery, deliberate, prolonged contact seemed to soothe him. So she snuggled into his side, her head leaving the pillow in lieu of his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his chest.

She felt him stiffen in shock, and pressed a kiss to his chest in reassurance, muttering, "Good night, Ed."

Winry could sense the tension flow out of Ed's body as he slipped his arm down her back – running along the strip of skin between her wings. That was probably her biggest complaint about the feathery limbs – they made cuddling a little more difficult.

'Still,' Winry thought as she began to slip into sleep, 'I like my wings, and I'm not getting rid of them.'

oooooooo

December 29th – Father's Laboratory, Central

The ceiling exploded, white flames pouring into the room like a waterfall. Winry leapt to the ground, instantly honing in on Ling/Greed, tackling him to the ground.

While Father and the other homunculi were still recovering from the shock and her group was just beginning to enter behind her, Winry gripped the side of his face and snapped her eyes to his.

It took just under a five seconds. She felt the part of Father's soul yanked from Ling's body like a car crash victim felt whiplash. It was gone, and Ling was gasping on the ground, shivering as though in shock.

But she had no time to reassure him, or explain to her group why one of their foes was suddenly not an enemy anymore.

Fortunately, Winry had never suffered the company of idiots. Seeing that the once-Greed had been well-handled, the fourth group split up, joining the others as they converged on Wrath, Gluttony, and Envy.

The man who looked exactly like Hohenheim was staring at Winry as though she were the devil incarnate. She knew he was seeing the seed of the Gate within her body, just as she could see the black shadow of the Daemon within him.

"It's not possible," he whispered.

Winry didn't bother replying. She simply raised her hand, and let her white fire roar towards Father.