"So, I see Al's helmet is in pieces, " Winry said shortly as she reattached Ed's arm.

"Yeah…some stuff happened," Ed said with a pained frown. "I should be able to put it together after you fix my am. The sooner the better. I don't like his blood seal being out in the open like that."

"And you're not going to tell me what happened."

Ed shrugged his non-mechanical shoulder. "What's the point? It's over. I'm not going to let it happen again."

"The point." Winry had to restrain herself from punching Ed in the face. She stopped working on his automail and crossed her amrs, her wrench dangling in her right hand. "Well, let's see. The point is, how the hell do you think you're going to stop it from happening again if we don't come up with a plan? What if next time it's not Al's helmet that shatters, but the armor just a little lower?"

Ed's face flushed. "Shut up! Don't say things like that!"

"I'll say them because it's true," Winry said. She felt sick to her stomach talking about it, but she had to force it out.. "What's the the point of going on a journey to get your bodies back if it kills Al in process?"

Ed's lip trembled a little. "It won't happen. I'll protect him no matter what."

"Yeah, unless someone breaks your automail. Then you're pretty much helpless," Winry sighed. "It was alchemy that caused his helmet to shatter like that, right? I don't really see what else could have done it."

"So what if it was?"

"You know," she said harshly. "I'm starting to think the best way to really protect Al is to refuse to repair your arm so you can't do alchemy and you guys won't be able to put yourselves in danger again."

She thought Ed was going to scream at her. His face was tomato red, his eye was twitching and his shoulders were tensed. Then suddenly his whole body slumped.

"Maybe you're right."

Winry was taken aback by this. "What?

"I…I wonder sometimes too. But I can't leave him like this, Winry. You know…you know what's it like for him to be trapped in that body. I don't know what else I can do,"

Winry's stomach sank a little. This was the closest he'd ever gotten to truly discussing the path he'd chosen with her, and suddenly she was a little scared.

"It's fine…" She picked up her wrench and started repairing Ed's arm again. "Don't give up. I-I know this is the only way to help him and I know you want to protect him… but I just wish you'd remember…I want to protect Al too. We used to protect him together, all the time. Remember his first day at school?"

Ed smiled. "Yeah. All the older kids always picked on the little ones. And Al got in trouble for trying to bring a cat he found into the classroom…all the kids our age were ganging up and giving him a hard time about it…but they ran from the hills as soon as we came after them."

"They ran from the hills as soon as they say my wrench. Nobody was scared of you. You were so terrible at fighting before you trained with Ms. Izumi, you were always trying to be cool…remember that time you tried to spin around and punch that kid and ended up punching yourself in the face?"

Ed's antenna quivered in embarrassment. "I could rip that kid apart now! And don't act so high and mighty just because everyone was scared of your wrench. I could have had an excuse to bring a weapon to school too if I'd thought to try and start a stupid "shop' club nobody ever went to."

Winry's face heated up at this, and she waved her wrench at him threateningly. "Al went!"

"Yeah, out of pity."

Winry decided to let it go. "Anyway, my point is, you're not the only one who wants to look after Al."

Ed's expression softened. "I know that. But you do look after him…and me… a lot. We really depend on you. I just don't want to burden you more than I already have."

Winry huffed loudly. "That's what I'm trying to explain! Al's like a little brother to me too, okay? So it's my burden already! I want to help too! You don't have to take this on alone!"

"Yeah, I know. And you're a lot better at your job than I am at mine. So just…I don't want to keep you from doing that job by loading you down with all the shit I'm supposed to be handling," he said, gesturing at his automail. "So…just fix me up please? So I can help him."

Winry shook her head wearily. He just wasn't going to get it, no matter how hard she tried.. She cranked the wrench town hard, reconnecting the nerves. Ed yelped.

"There. Just like you asked. Now go take care of Al."

She expected him to yell at her for not warning him, but instead he just rubbed his shoulder. "Yeah. Thanks. Really."

He toddled off to help his brother, and she sat there alone.

She was so, so tired. Why couldn't he understand how much harder it was for her to pick up the pieces if he wouldn't even tell her what was broken anymore?