Equivalent Mistake

II.

Two sets of eyes shifted to the opposite bed. Ed had been awoken upon hearing Winry's voice, a low groan coming from his throat. He sat up, his eyes only half open. Pressing a hand to his forehead, he cursed under his breath.

Winry froze when Al put an arm in front of her to keep her from moving. She only glanced at her young friend before resting her eyes firmly on Edward. What happened earlier still felt like a dream. She was having a hard time believing Ed was really evil. As if in a trance, she lowered Al's arm, not paying any heed to his head shaking fiercely. He tugged on her hand, but she simply slipped her fingers free.

She walked the two small steps needed to reach the other bed. She held her arms limply at her sides, her eyes wide with disbelief and slight fear.

Her heart raced when he looked up at her, his eyes as red as blood. Her throat felt dry as she tried to speak his name. He smirked when her eyes began to wander down to his neck, "Like what you see, wench?"

Realizing where she was looking, she blushed and stared at his face again. She wasn't looking at him in any sexual way. The mark on his throat drew her attention, burning a certain sensation to the core of her body. Not only that, but the way his red eyes stared at her…it was making it impossible for her to look away.

She gasped when his right hand unknowingly reached up and grabbed her chin in between his finger and thumb. She could feel her body tremble in fear, yet she couldn't deny how much she wanted him to touch her.

Before she knew it, she was forced away from him and thrown onto the opposite bed. At first, she thought Ed had pushed her away, but when she saw Al standing in front of her, it was apparent she thought wrong.

"Al…what are you doing? He wasn't hurting me," she said, pushing herself to the edge. She didn't stand, but looked up at Al. He looked determined.

Ed snickered, "What's the matter? Getting jealous?"

Al narrowed his eyes, but took a step back when Ed threw the covers off and swung his feet over the side of the bed. Al reached for the necklace around his neck, slapping his chest when he couldn't feel it. Worriedly, he looked down, surprised to find the amulet gone.

'Why is it not…' He came to a quick realization. When he was fighting Ed off of Winry in the basement, he took the necklace off to press it closer to Ed's throat. He didn't recall putting it back on…and he passed out soon after.

He whirled around to face Winry, his eyes wide in alarm. He mouthed, 'The basement!' but he did it so fast, Winry couldn't make out the words.

Winry leaned in toward him, getting more freaked out by the second. Why oh why did she even bother to come disturb them! If it wasn't for her, Ed and Al would still be sleeping peacefully.

Al didn't even bother to try to mouth the words again. Ed had stood up, and there was no telling what he would do. Grabbing Winry's hand, Al raced to the door, not bothering to look back when Winry slammed against the wall as they were running around the corner. Though she probably got the idea to follow him, Al didn't release her hand.

Right before they reached the steps, Ed jumped in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. Al backed away so quickly, Winry lost her balance of going forward then backward and stumbled over her feet. She fell on her butt, causing Ed to laugh at her.

'I have to get that amulet!' Al looked from side to side, searching for a good escape route. Unfortunately, it was only a thin hallway. Running into a bedroom wouldn't do much justice. So Al did the only thing he could think of.

With a small running start, he pushed his bodyweight into Ed, sending them both flying down the stairs.

"Al!" Winry screamed, scrambling to her feet. She stood at the top of the staircase and watched them tumble all the way to the first floor.

Basically unharmed by the whole ordeal, Ed threw Al off of him, holding his head again, "Damn it, I still have a headache. That was a real shitty thing to do." Standing up, he looked down at the young teenager who was holding his shoulder in pain. He smirked, "At least you didn't fall on your ass, right?" He raised a leg to kick him. It seemed to be his favorite thing to do.

"No!" Winry yelled, tears brimming her eyes at watching the two brothers fight. She ran down the stairs, holding an arm over her chest as she did so. It hurt to run so fast with no bra, and her flimsy nightgown wasn't much help to keep her in place.

It was too late, for Al already got a hard kick in the gut. As he came to a stop after a few rolls, Winry ran to him and pulled him to his feet rather roughly. Al didn't blame her for this, but instead silently thanked her for getting him up.

They broke into another sprint toward the basement. Al gripped the doorknob and pulled, breathing hard when it didn't open. Thankfully, it only took him a second to realize the door was locked. Unlocking it, he thrust the door open and ran hastily down the stairs, almost tripping and falling again.

As he began to look around the floor frantically, Winry could do nothing but stare at him, "Al, what are we looking for?"

Al ran his hand around his neck, dangling his fingers in front of him. The action wasn't too hard to read, so Winry nodded her head in understanding and began looking for his necklace. She panicked when she heard Ed begin to walk down the stairs.

"Are we playing a game?" he asked in mock playfulness. As soon as Ed was close enough, Winry was shocked to see the amulet that was Al's necklace glow red.

"There!" she yelled, Al reacting automatically as he dived for it. He grasped it in his hands just as Ed stepped in front of him.

Ed shook his head, "We were on a treasure hunt? I wasn't told of this…I think that's unfair, don't you?"

Trying to ignore Ed's derision, Al ran to the other side of the basement. Winry backed into a corner, not sure if she would be able to help or not. Al spotted her, gritting his teeth in confusion. He didn't want her to witness the gruesome scene from earlier again, but he couldn't very well tell her to run upstairs! And with Ed blocking his path, he was stuck there also.

Al remembered the back entrance. The doors led straight outside. He ran to the wall, his hands feeling over the hard cement quickly. Hardly ever being down there, he couldn't remember exactly where the door was.

'This would be a lot easier if I could see!' There was only one small window in the basement, but it was covered with glass blocks. Barely any light from the moon shown into the room.

His hand knocked against a doorknob. He twisted this one open with ease, freezing when he felt Ed's hand land on his hurt shoulder. In reaction, Al spun around and put the amulet dangerously close to Ed's throat. It was enough to back him off.

Al took a step out the door, tripping over a step before he could get too far. Breathing hard, he ran up the steps blindly, holding out a hand so he wouldn't run into the door that would lead him outside.

"Al, he's coming!" He heard Winry scream from the bottom of the steps.

Sweat poured off his face. Why hadn't he reached the door yet? Surely there wasn't that many steps! Finally, he ran into the door. He stopped his breathing when he couldn't find the handle. Panic was enabling him from thinking straight, and he couldn't bring himself to calm down and feel around rationally.

He didn't hear anything behind him, but this only invoked his terrible fear. He knew Ed wasn't too far behind him, or Winry wouldn't have yelled like that.

Before he could turn around and hold the talisman out, he felt a strong wind pass his head before he heard a loud bang in front of him. His eyes widened. Ed was standing directly behind him, arms on either side of him with his hands pressed against the door.

"I found you," Ed said, his voice dangerously low, "Do I…"

Al's hand continued to search for the knob, finally finding it was closer to the floor than most handles. Without a second thought, he turned the knob and ran out as the door opened. Since Ed had been leaning his weight on it, he stumbled forward, barely catching himself.

"Son of a bitch!" He grumbled, watching as Al ran as fast as he could down the hillside. Ed ran a few steps, but then stopped and put his hands on his hips, "I don't know if I really feel like chasing you…"

Hearing a twig crack behind him, he looked over his shoulder to see Winry had come out of the basement, too. He turned around to get a better look at the twenty-year-old blonde. He smirked at what he saw. Her one strap was hanging off her shoulder, the bottom and midsection of her gown very wrinkled and crumpled. Her hair was a wild, erotic mess from sleeping and running.

He looked down at himself clad in boxers, "It's a shame I'm not naked anymore, huh?" He asked, laughing when she blushed, "Then there'd be only one--."

Cutting himself short, Ed gave her a weird look. It wasn't a perverted or mocking look, but a genuinely confused look. She tilted her head at the sudden change. He blinked a couple times, and Winry could have sworn she saw a flash of gold.

Suddenly, Ed yelled in pain and grasped his chest, breathing heavier. The open wounds on his arms, legs, and abdomen began to bleed, dark blood dripping onto the grass. Winry stood frozen in horror. Why did he start bleeding now? What caused it?

Ed dropped to his knees, still holding his heart and taking ragged breaths. Slowly, he looked up at her. Gasping, Winry was shocked to see his own gorgeous golden eyes looking pained and perplexed.

"Winry…" That was all it took. Hearing him say her name in recognition, her legs brought her over to him. She went to her knees in front of him, grabbing his shoulders gently. He groaned in pain, bending his head as he tried to bare through it.

"Edward…" she distressed, wrapping her arms around him, feeling the top of his head press against her stomach. She wasn't worried about the blood staining her pure white nightgown, nor it coming in contact with her skin. She jumped when he screamed in agony, tears dripping down her face. 'What's wrong with him? I never heard him sound like this since…'

Through her blurred vision, she was able to see Al running back over the hill. He must have just realized that Ed wasn't following him at all. As soon as he got within one-hundred feet, Winry felt Ed go deathly still in her arms.

She looked down in worry, "Ed? Ed!"

She yelped when he pushed her backwards. Her back hit the ground as her legs unfolded themselves. Her eyes widened when she noticed that Ed crawled on top of her, his eyes back to the deep red. He smirked down at her, his hands pinning her arms to her sides.

"Just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" He asked. She found that she, once again, could not remove her eyes from his. He had her in some sort of trance where she realized what was happening, but had no control.

However, she somehow was able to snap out of it enough to realize her legs were being pushed apart. With her body going on the alert for danger, she began to wiggle underneath him. It was only then that she was able to feel how strong he really was. She shook her head, though her eyes still could not leave his, "Ed, don't!"

The Oroburous on his throat glowed again. Both Ed and Winry were surprised when Al pressed the red amulet against Ed's throat, sending the homunculus off Winry. She sat up quickly, the earlier events replaying in her mind as she watched Al weaken his brother. Ed once again seemed to have no strength when the charm was pressed to his neck.

"No, Al, stop!" Winry yelled, trying to be louder than the sounds Ed was making, "Al, something's wrong! Ed was himself! He spoke to me! He was bleeding!" No matter how much she screamed, Al ignored her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and slammed her fists against the ground, "Ed was in pain!"

As soon as she was done, so was Ed. He passed out again, leaving Al to retract the necklace. They both sat there as if in shock for many minutes. Finally, Al turned to Winry. She could see how much it pained him to hurt Ed like he was, but he didn't know what else to do. He couldn't allow him to hurt her.

Winry crawled over to the brothers. She couldn't yell at Al anymore. He didn't need it. She stood up, not caring that her nightgown was about to slide down her arms and reveal her top. The ground had still been soggy from the rain, so mud splattered her body in different areas.

"Let's get him inside," Winry said, lifting Ed's shoulders from the ground, "Then we can call Izumi-san in the morning, okay?"

Al shot his eyes toward her with fear. If she found out what he did…she would kill him! How was he supposed to explain this one to her? And without a voice, at that. However…he always knew what was best, and Winry was right. If anyone knew what to do in this kind of situation, it would be his Sensei.

Nodding his head reluctantly, Al picked Ed's feet up and helped Winry drag him back down the basement stairs. He wished they could have gone in the front door, but figured it was probably locked.

Carrying him down the stairs, across the basement, then back up a flight of steps was no easy task. Ed might not have been the largest person ever, but his rock hard muscles gave him enough weight to make lugging him around difficult.

Not attempting to carry him up to the second floor, they discarded him on the living room couch. Winry grabbed the blanket that was draped over the sofa and covered Ed up. All the mud and blood that splattered his skin was not attractive, but she figured she would get Al back to bed before dealing with that.

"Come on," she urged gently, glad when Al willingly followed her back up the stairs and down the hall to his room. It was still quite early, Winry figured around three-thirty. Al had still not fully recovered from all the damage he went through and was physically weak.

Winry pulled the covers back and waited until he climbed into bed before tucking the blankets up to his chest. His eyes were so heartbroken over his failure to properly bring his brother back, that Winry couldn't help but gently stroke the hair from his face. Ever since he came back as a ten-year-old, she felt a more maternal attraction toward him. She had the urge to take care of him and soothe him when he felt scared.

Exhaustion overtook Al none too quickly, allowing Winry to leave his side. She walked down the hall, stopping right outside her grandmother's door. 'Funny…' she thought, 'it's hard to believe she slept through all that.'

Feeling too curious to turn away, Winry pushed her door open and peered inside. She saw Pinako lying on the bed, but as she grew closer, she couldn't help but notice how so very still she was.

"Grandma?" Winry questioned. Nonetheless, she knew she wasn't going to receive an answer. She wasn't a little girl anymore and couldn't try to deny or hide the facts of life. Her grandmother was getting old and wasn't able to take as much drama as she used to. With everything that happened the day before…Winry couldn't blame her for not wanting to live through another horrible incident. She took care of the three of them. That was her duty.

Feeling in a daze, Winry left the room and walked back downstairs. She went into the kitchen where she got a large bowl and filled it with warm water. She dropped a towel into the water before bringing the bowl into the living room.

Mechanically, she set the bowl beside the couch as she uncovered Ed. She reached for the towel, wringing it until it was damp. Her eyes followed her hands when she pressed the rag to Ed's chest, running it over his skin in circular motions. When the cloth got too dirty, she would dip it into the water and repeat the process over again.

At one point, her eyes wandered to his face. She couldn't tell if he looked peaceful or in pain as he slept. Dropping the cloth into the water, she leaned in closer to him to get a better look.

He was still…him, right? Just because things got a little messed up didn't mean he wasn't Edward Elric. The face, the body…it was all him. No one could mimic it.

She dared to lean in even closer. She looked at his face closely, noticing the pores…he still had human skin. It was the same skin she always wanted to touch affectionately but never got the chance to. It was the same face she always wanted close to hers when they had sweet moments. It was the same lips she always wanted to kiss. It was the same eyes she always wanted to--.

His eyes snapped open, red staring into blue.

Gasping, Winry fell back. She blinked her eyes, left with staring at his sleeping form again. His eyes were still closed, his chest still rising and falling softly with each breath. 'I only imagined it…he's not awake…'

She went back to her knees, her hands clenching the material on her thighs. She looked down at this, two silent tears falling onto her hands. Then, she let it all loose. Between attending Ed's funeral, to seeing him be brought back to life, to having run for her life, to seeing her grandmother's dead body…her soul just couldn't take it anymore.

Sobbing louder than she ever remembered, she didn't even try to stifle her sounds or halt her tears. She always told the Elric's that it was bad to keep everything locked inside. So she was crying now…for the horrible, messed up lives they were all having.

Nothing would ever be normal, would it? They would always be living in fear, being scared of not knowing what was going to happen next. It was a sad thing when the future never looked bright, but always dull and worn out.

Winry laid herself down on the floor beside the couch, only slightly feeling the warmth radiating from the bowl of water.

Soon, the water would be cold.

Thank you all for the reviews. Yes, I know, like I said, some things did get changed around. I'll explain the differences and why it worked this way in later chapters. So far, Winry and Al haven't figured it out, but there was a little bit o' foreshadowing in this chapter. Did ya see it?

Anyway, I'll try to get chapter 3 up soon.

Enula