The warm comforting aroma of soup filled the Rockbell home. I hummed quietly to myself as I moved about the kitchen. It had been a little over a year and I now was cooking dinner in the Rockbell home. Because of my therapy I had moved into a spare bedroom of theirs and now helped out with whatever I could. Luke visited every evening for dinner, and according to Pinako I was healing nicely. I still was only able to use slight motion in my hands and had stiff movement in my arm but at least on most days I was consistent with that.

I moved towards the table to begin setting places for everyone and tripped over Den, who had decided that my feet would be the perfect place to nap. I threw out my arms to catch myself but quickly regretted it as pain shot through my shoulder at the impact of the ground through the auto mail.

While I had healed I still was tender and often if something hit me too hard or in this case, if I jammed my arm it did not end well.

Cursing I rolled over clutching my shoulder with my left hand gritting my teeth waiting for the pain to dull. Steps echoed through the door way and soon I was being lifted carefully into one of the waiting chairs that surrounded the table.

"Are you alright baby? Should I fetch Pinako?" Winry was not home as she went to make a call to an old friend and client of her's she called Edward. I guess he had just passed some state exam for Alchemist's. She had tried to explain what an Alchemist was, and after a while I just settled on the idea that Alchemists were like magicians.

She had told me so many stories and shown me so many pictures that I felt I practically knew the boy and his younger brother as well as she.

Shaking my head I smiled up at him. "No, just jammed it a little that's all, nothing to worry about. But could you grab me a little ice please?" He nodded and hurried over to the freezer before coming back with a towel full of ice. "Would you also mind stirring the soup so it doesn't burn please?" and with that I was telling Luke how to finish the meal I had started while waiting for the pain in my shoulder to subside.

Dinner was quiet that evening, with out Winry there to chat with. The only talk included updates on my progress, and a few comments of the crop that day. As dinner finished up I cleared the table, before walking my dad to the door, Den close at my heels.

"Goodbye dad, I'll see you tomorrow!" I waved until his form disappeared down the dark path way. As I turned to head inside another form caught my eye and I turned back around.

Squinting into the darkness it soon became apparent who was making their way up the path towards the house and I bolted down the steps to meet her, Den never far behind.

"Pinako, Winry's back!" I called over my shoulder as I continued my trek towards the girl. I smiled as I saw her tired face grinning back at me and quickly wrapped my arms around her taller frame in a friendly hug upon meeting her. "It's about time! I was getting so bored without you!" I scolded stepping back and grabbing some of the bags from her hands. I checked the grip of my right arm to make sure I had closed my fingers around the band right; happy with my work I began the slow walk back to the porch which was now occupied by Pinako.

"Sorry, it was a long trip! You would not believe what happened while I was there!" I playfully nudged her.

"Try me."

Winry had stopped off in the Kitchen after dumping her bags in a heap by the door, before I followed her up to her room. Plopping onto her bed I listened in amazement as she recounted her adventures in central with Ed, Al and Barry the Chopper.

"So this girl, who was actually a guy, kidnapped you by locking you in his truck, before trying to chop you up!" She nodded and moved began to brush her teeth in the small bathroom that was attached to her room. She had spent a short time describing what a truck was to me, and I still wasn't sure I quite understood what a truck was. The idea of a machine carrying people instead of animals took a while for me to comprehend like many of the technologies here, such as the lights and even the refrigerator.

"And then this kid Ed, who is a state alcrest-

"Alchemist" she cut in before turning back to her mirror

"Right Alchemist, went to save you but then got his arm stolen because he has one like me, then fought off the man one handed!" She spit and rinsed before confirming. "That's so amazing I mean, he must be a great fighter."

She nodded and sat next to me wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her chin on them smiling gently.

"Yeah, he is." I looked at her expression before laughing.

"Oh I see~" she looked at me blushing at my tone of voice.

"What?"

"You like him!"

"Well of course I do he is my best friend." she defended.

"You like, like him!" I accused pointing a finger causing her face to blush harder.

"No Way! That would be like, liking your brother!" I scoffed.

"Uh huh, sure. I think there is more than your letting on." she shook her head quickly.

"Besides, I don't date guys shorter than me!" laughing I shook my head at her declaration.

"Whatever Winry, I see what's going on!" and the night carried on much the same as we stayed up going back and forth about her childhood companions.