The bath she was running for Ed was extremely hot, but she knew that was the way he liked it. A silly part of her wondered if this was his way of punishing himself, immersing himself in scalding hot water. She shook her head at the idea.

Winry drew the curtains, hoping to see a clear sky and the sun smiling back at her. Damn rain, she thought miserably. Her hair was in a sloppy pile on top of her head. She surveyed the gray world outside, her eyes falling on a sliver of gold amidst the gloom. Ed was laying in the grass, rain soaking everything inch of his being.

"Al," she turned to face him, "how long has he been out there?" She hoped she didn't sound too angry. Al shrugged in reply. "His automail is going to rust! What the hell is wrong with him?"

"Check the date Winry." Al's voice was somber and cold. She ran to the calendar in the kitchen. October 3rd… Her eyes widened in realization. That was the day Ed and Al burned down their house. That was when they decided to leave Resembool. Their mom's death, the human transmutation, losing their bodies…

Knowing Ed, he's probably lumped all of this together. And I know he blames himself every day. But what can I do to help him? She cursed under her breath as she went to the closet to grab a coat. She threw the hood up and struggled with a pair of boots. "Winry, where are you—" She was out the door before Al could finish.

Her feet squished in the soggy earth below her as she made her way toward Ed. The rain was cold, making her even more miserable than she was inside. "Ed, just what the hell are you doing out here?!" She asked, exasperated. His gaze was blank, staring into the heavens above him. He did not turn to look at her. "Ed." She towered over him. Try to be patient, her mantra for the moment. He was looking through her. "Ed, why don't you come inside? I'll make us some tea. Maybe some stew?" A small smile on her face, knowing he loved stew. "Gee, the rain really is coming down," she commented, looking up, wishing she knew what was going on in his mind.

He blinked, gaze never wavering. Winry sighed impatiently. "Come on, Ed. Let's go inside." She extended a hand to him, smiling weakly. "You're going to rust."

Ed had barely been able to walk himself inside, clinging to Winry as she stripped him of everything but his underwear, drenched clothes discarded in the laundry room. Now he sat on the bathroom counter, Winry on the ledge of the bathtub, staring expressionlessly at the wall. Winry's eyes widened as she noticed several unsightly scars on his upper arm and thighs, all neatly in a row, but said nothing. Those look self-inflicted, she thought sadly. She shook her head furiously at the thought of Ed hurting himself, terrible images of him sitting alone, taking his anger and sadness out on himself with a piece of scrap metal or glass.

"C'mon, Ed," she said, rising to her feet. "Let's get you in here before it cools off." He didn't move, wet hair hanging in his face. Winry tipped Ed's chin so he was forced to look at her. "I can't lift you off this counter, Ed. I may be strong, but I'm not that strong." A weak laugh. "I'm going to help you get down, though, okay? Here, put your arm around my shoulder and I'll put my arm around your waist. Lean on me! There you go. That wasn't so bad, was it? Now let's get those underwear off you." Her voice was soothing, her maternal instincts taking over. "Alright, let's get you in the tub."

Ed shakily lifted a leg, Winry holding his hand to help him keep his balance. He put all his weight onto her hand as he put one foot, then the other, into the bathtub, sitting down slowly. She could see the scars up close, some looking fresh, others old and fading. Some, she knew, were from various fights and encounters he had over the years. On his shoulder, a tiny scar from when they were kids, an accident with a screw driver. "Is the water okay, Ed?" She managed, but no reply. "I'm going to go get your tea. I'll be right back."

She left the bathroom, carefully closing the door, and felt tears brimming in her eyes. She walked sullenly into the kitchen, pouring the tea carefully. She placed a few cookies on a plate and grabbed an extra cup. She walked back to the bathroom, opened the door to find Ed the same way she left him just minutes before. "Are you hungry?" She offered him the plate of cookies, taking one for herself. She wasn't really hungry, but she hoped if she ate one, Ed would do the same. A few moments of silence passed. She placed the cookies on the counter. "Here's your tea, Ed. Drink it while it's hot."

To her surprise, he took the cup out of her hands, having a few small sips before putting it on the bathtub ledge. Winry put one of the two towels on the floor, finished her cookie, and knelt down next to the tub. She gently took Ed's braid out. He pulled his knees into his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. Something flickered across his face for a brief moment, gone before Winry could even place what it was he was thinking about.

She took the extra cup, filling it with the hot water and gently poured it over his hair. She grabbed the shampoo, putting a generous amount in the palm of her hand, rubbing them together before applying it to his head. She lathered the soap, massaging his scalp gently. Ed let his head hang back, a soft moan escaping his lips, his eyes fluttering shut.

Winry continued to massage the shampoo through his hair, carefully rinsing it as to not get it in his eyes. She lathered the bar of soap in her hands and began to wash his arm, gently rubbing in small circles. Winry marveled at his muscle tone, smiling as a soft sigh came from Edward. She lifted his arm straight up above his head to wash underneath. His automail hand grabbed hers, eyes darting to his face, a small gasp escaping her mouth.

"I'll do it," he croaked.

"No, it's okay. I'll do it." She tentatively pulled her hand away from his, a small smile on her lips as she began to wash his chest and neck.

"Winry," he started, his voice tinged with annoyance.

She began to wash his back, massaging it a bit with her free hand. Despite his aggravation, he groaned gently as she began to work at a knot. "You're so tense. We'll take care of that later." She moved the bar of soap to his lower back in large circles.

"Winry. Let me do it." Firmer this time, a command, not a plea.

"Don't be silly, Ed! We're almost done," she smiled, beginning to wash his chest.

"Winry!" She froze, the smile fading from her lips, tears springing to her eyes. He had never snapped at her before. Sure, they joked around, teased each other, and yelled, but the harshness in his voice was something entirely new to her.

The bar of soap slipped through her fingers, a stunned expression still plastered to her face. He couldn't even turn to look at her. "I was only trying to help," she whispered, fighting the tears. She got up quickly, her hand slipping as she pushed herself up, causing it to slip into the bathtub, her face pressed against Edward's wet shoulder momentarily. She scampered out of the bathroom, embarrassed, slamming the door behind her rather hard.

It was then that the tears came, relentlessly streaming down her face, her hands shaking as she clamped them over to her mouth to muffle the choked sobs ripping out of her throat and ran to her room. She threw herself on her bed, her face in her pillow, not caring anymore if he heard her cry. All she wanted to do was help Ed. What had she done that was so bad? She thought that snapping at her like that was very out of character. But I have no idea what's going on in his head, she thought weakly.

She screwed her eyes shut and buried her face deeper into the pillow, sobbing loudly. She had never felt more helpless and useless in her life. She felt compelled to help Ed in any way she could, but she didn't even know where to begin, or if he wanted help at all. The one person she loved more than anything else in the world was troubled, and there was nothing in her power she could do.

A/N: Thanks to those of you have read these so far! This theme is actually going to be split into two parts. I've been working on it for a while, but I could never seem to finish it. I have so many ideas but no motivation to write them. Sigh. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible!

Also, shout out to VicTheButcher for being awesome! You should check out his stories. They're dark and well written and absolutely beautiful.

Thanks again, you guys!