Disclaimer: I only own what I write….sigh and what I own sucks….T-T

I'm glad that y'all seem to enjoy my story. So far…I've only got like one flame…I was depressed, but not everyone likes the same thing but quite a few of you people seem to really enjoy this, so I will continue writing. Oh, and for the Envy thing…I thought I fixed it on the website…apparently not, though. If you like this…tell me. Also, if you want me to do something, as in you get an idea for this story (that won't make me cry) I'll try it out. Tell me whatever, I'll even listen to your problems…I'll be a psychiatrist! YAY!

Chapter Eighteen

Choices

Morning came quickly. The only one's who got any sleep that was worth anything was Ed and Winry (A/N: Wonder why… ;), I'm nasty…-). Because nobody else slept well, they (mostly Inuyasha) were cranky.

"When the hell can we leave!" Inuyasha was yelling without any cares of who heard him.

"Inuyasha, SIT! You are so rude! He is injured, so you have to be patient and wait." Kagome was glaring bullets at the hanyou on the ground until she noticed Ed limping out of the tent. "Edward! You really shouldn't be up and walking, should you?" She put her hands on her hips in a know-it-all fashion.

Ed shook his head somberly, but looked up at her with a new fire. "I'm holding everyone up! We should be traveling and we're just sitting here and it's my fault!" He looked down at Inuyasha with an expressionless demeanor. "I don't wish to hinder you any longer. I've over stayed my welcome, I'm being a burden. I'll stay until I recover…alone."

"No, that's insane!" Kagome's eyes were burying themselves into his.

"Well, it's either that or we leave now. I will not hold you guys back. Those are the choices, I either stay back alone and catch up with you guys in a couple days or we head out now and ignore me and my 'injuries'…I'm fine." Ed's expression showed that he would not give up on this cause.

Al walked up and put a hand on Ed's shoulder. "I'll stay with Brother."

Ed looked at him with defiance. "What are you, an idiot! I said I'm staying alone! You have to go with them and find a way for us to get home to Central or Resembool or somewhere even Ishbal, we have to get home and fix you and stop the homunculi and Scar!"

"And what are you going to do? Sit here injured and get yourself killed! Do you even care about your physical state! We all worry about you! Even Mustang! He must be sick by now; he was soo worried about you and Al! Now he's gotta be freaking because I was his only connection to you and he was hoping that maybe I would find you, we all were hoping for that. And now that I've found you, you're still trying to get yourself killed!" Winry turned and ran into the tent with Kagome on her heels.

Ed fell backwards and sat there dumbfounded. He never intended for anyone to worry about him. Too many people did. Rose, Winry, Pinako, Mustang, Russell, Fletcher, and even the other Military subordinates.

In the tent

Winry was already lying on her stomach on the cot weeping into the pillow as Kagome walked in.

"Winry?" She sat on the cot next to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Its okay, Winry, men are fools. They'll risk it all to keep those they cherish safe."

"Why is he so selfish? And moronic!"

"Well, I…" Kagome stopped talking when she noticed Ed walk into the tent.

"Um…Kagome, can have some alone time with Winry?" His eyes never left their gaze on the floor.

Kagome nodded and left after giving Ed a warning glare. He shivered slightly but kept his ground with an expressionless face.

After Kagome left, Ed took her place next to Winry on the cot. "Winry…I…" He reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, but she moved forward. "I'm sorry. I love you; I just want to keep you safe. I never want you to get hurt again and have it be my fault. That's why I was trying to send you away. That way, you and Al could return to Central and you both could be safe."

"I'd rather be with you." She turned to face him with a somber face.

He pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you so much."

Outside

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Al, and Shippo sat with their ears stuck to the flaps of the tent door. Inuyasha lounged on the other side of camp inspecting his blade, considering seeing Totosai to have it honed again. There was no real reason to have honed again, but he was bored out of his skull just sitting there.

"Y'all are going to get into trouble if they see you there." Inuyasha didn't look up as he said that. Something came flying at him and took him out. He stood and yelled. "Ya' know what, what the hell ever!" He stomped off in a very pissed off manner and leapt into the top of a tree. The others continued eavesdropping.

Inside

Winry rested her head on Ed's lap. He sat there shameless and stroked her hair. It calmed her. They sat there in silence.

"What do plan to do?"

"When?"

"Now…when we return to Central and Resembool…the rest of your life…whenever."

"I plan to tell off those who piss me off, namely Mustang, and find something else to do with the rest of my life."

"Now, when have you ever held back from telling Mustang off?"

"True. But for now, I think we should head out tomorrow since none of y'all will let me do what I want to do."

"Sounds good to me."

Outside

"Did you hear what Brother just said! We'll get to leave tomorrow and he'll be coming and that should be enough time for him to return to full strength!" Al danced in a mini circle happily.

Ed stumbeled out of the tent and hurlled himself at Al, who stated screaming frantically as his brother hit him and mid-pirouet. "DAMMIT, AL! IF YOU'RE GOING TO EAVESDROP, AT LEAST DO IT QUIETLY! IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME TO IGNORE YOU IN THERE! IT'S A TENT, NOT LAB 5 WITH CINDER WALLS!"

"I have to eavesdrop because you never tell me anything!" Screamed Al as he was running a foot in front of his brother.

"I tell you what I have to!"

Al stopped quickly and turned around abruptly. "That's what I mean by nothing, you always tell that you'll tell me something, byt you never do. When Mustang breifs you on what you have to do for a mission, I never have any idea on what's goin gon because you never tell me. Like when Nna and Alexander when missing, I found out what had happened just as you told Tucker you knew what had happened! You always hold responsibilities, you never fill me in on anything."

Ed kept his head down and his gaze toward the ground. "I'm sorry. I wanted to protect you. I felt Nina was my responsibilty because she called me 'big- brother'. I kept imaging that it was you that it had happened to. I just wanted to keep you and her safe. I failed her and I didn't want to fail you that's why I was so much more protective afterwe left Tucker's. I just want to protect you. Always."