Chapter 5

"Sheska!"

"Ah! W-Winry! What are you-?"

"How about we walk home together this evening? You could come over for dinner?"

Big brown eyes blinked back repeatedly at the shining blues ones staring back at them. A broad smile was accompanying the pair, completing the very excited face of Winry Rockbell. A finger crept up towards glasses, pushing them further back onto her nose.

"Sure Winry. That sounds like fun. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You'll see. I'll meet you on the main steps in a few. See ya!" Winry took off down the hall, leaving a very confused looking Sheska watching her fading back. It had been several weeks since Winry had received the secrete paper works of Hohenheim; Ed and Al's father; an enigmatic and highly respected alchemist, even beyond Amestris. Though his discoveries in automail technology were of high interest to Winry, it was his other abilities, his taboo work in alchemy that caused her to be in perkier moods lately.

"Ms. Rockbell! It's good to see you smiling today."

"Hello, Lieutenant Fury. Nice to see you!" Winry paused beside the entrance to her laboratory door. It was the end of the working day and she needed to grab a few blueprints before heading out and meeting Sheska.

"You're in a hurry."

"I'm meeting someone in a few minutes. I was just stopping by to gather some things to take home."

"Oh! Do you need any help?" Winry waved at the lieutenant as she started to turn the knob of the door.

"No no, lieutenant. I'm fine, really. It's just a few blueprints. Besides, you look very busy."

"Ah, just delivering some reports to Brigadier General Mustang. You know, there are heavy talks that say he will be inducted as fürher in as little as a few months."

"Really? Wow." Winry could hardly believe how far the former Colonel Mustang had come in such a small amount of time. After seeing the brothers come back through the gate and their battle together against the "others" intrusion, he seemed to have regained strength in creating a better military once more.

"Yea, it really is something. I can't wait till he's more than just acting head. Then some of the major changes he wants can really be put into action!"

"Not those tiny-"

"Yes! Those tiny mini skirts for all female employees!" Winry looked utterly embarrassed as she slunk inside the lab, away from the beaming Fury. Leaning against the closed door, she let out a long sigh. "Seems like some things never change around here," she shook her head, smiling as she walked towards her work stations and took a few papers from a few of them. Looking around one last time, she turned to leave the laboratory and meet the waiting Sheska.

Warm air lifted and caressed Sheska's face as Winry poured warm tea into a mug that sat in front of her. The young woman poured some of the warm liquid into her own mug before returning the kettle to the stove and taking a seat opposite from the brunette on the sofa.

"Ok, you made me wait all through dinner. I know we're friends, but why was there such urgency to have me over today? Let me guess. Have you met someone? Ooo, I knew it! It's probably that gorgeous guy I see coming into the library every once in a while!"

Winry almost spilled the hot tea into her lap as she watched Sheska's theatrics. "No! It's not about that! It's about those papers that you gave me a few weeks ago. You know the one's that belonged to Hohenheim?" Winry's voice had dropped several octaves and she stopped to take a sip from her mug as she felt Sheska's eyes on her.

"Yeah, sure, of course I remember. It's my job to remember every book in Central's library."

"Well, I've discovered something in them."

Sheska laughed a bit at the woman sitting across from her as she lifted the mug closer for another sip. "I know, wasn't that the point. I showed them to you so that you could improve your automail research."

"It's….it's not the automail that I discovered. It's… about alchemy."

Both girls jumped to their feet as Sheska's mug dropped and hot tea went flailing across the sofa. Winry ran towards the kitchen and tossed the now frazzled brunette an extra rag as both dropped to the floor to clean the mess.

"I'm so sorry Winry! I didn't mean to make a mess. It's just…alchemy?! Why were you reading about that? You aren't an alchemist. Besides, the things that are written in those papers are deemed forbidden!" Her glasses were hanging dangerously onto the tip of her nose as she scrubbed furiously across the couch's fabric. Winry looked over at her, pausing slightly.

"I want to…I want to try to go over to that other side; that other 'world' where Edward is." Sheska suddenly stopped cleaning and sat back onto the heels of her feet. Her head slowly turned around to look at Winry, whose head was looking down into her lap. Her hands were shaking as she continued to speak, and Sheska could hear the emotion swell within her voice.

"If I…If I could just find a way to open that gate. Then I could leave here and see him again."

"Winry, you know that's not possible. Brigadier General Mustang dismantled that weird portal that was in that Underground city. That area's even been sealed off. How are you..?"

"I've been reading…all those papers…all his books. I don't understand most of it, but I remember some things that Ed used to talk about. About a gate that revealed the 'Truth'. If that gate took Ed away to the other side, then it must be able to take me, too."

"Winry…."

"I miss him, Sheska. I've been missing him my whole life. Those brothers, they were always off on some sort of adventure and I'd always be left behind. But I never once doubted that they…that he…I always felt that I was apart of his heart and he was apart of mine. This world…it's not much to me without him in it!" Winry could no longer hold in her tears and she leaned forward, burying her face into the wet warmth of the tea soaked couch. Sheska scooted a bit closer to Winry and embraced her. Winry convulsed as her sobs took over. Sheska left her side and walked into the kitchen, returning a moment later with another hot cup of tea.

"Here, drink this, Winry. It'll make you feel better." Winry's shaky hand reached out and took the mug, turned to sit down on the floor. Sheska gave her a tiny smile as she sat next to her friend.

"I never realized just how much you missed them. I know you sort of went into hiding after the brothers disappeared for the final time. I tried phoning your grandmother a few times but you weren't receiving any calls, and after awhile, I just gave up. Then, years later, I see you in Central and you're working there. You don't know how happy I was to see you. I really missed you. We had a lot of interesting adventures of our own, even if you did tease me for my 'conspiracy theories'." Sheska nudged Winry a bit and laughed, punctuating her own joke. She pushed her glassed further up her nose. "I'm not sure what it is you need my help on, but…but because you are my friend, I'll help you however I can. I don't want to see you go, but who am I to stand in the way of love?" Winry's watery eyes looked up from the liquid that stared back up at her from the mug and stared at Sheska, who was giving her a comically crooked smile. In an instant, Winry dropped the mug and hugged the girl tightly, tossing another batch of tea into the air.

"Oh! Thank you, Sheska!"