Longer A/N following. I realized I was getting babble-y, and I don't want to hold up the chapter.
23. Waiting
Ed not writing was only to be expected. The boy had a one-track mind, and that track was currently set on alchemy.
Al not writing was understandable. His hands weren't built for holding anything smaller than the hilt of a sword.
Winry, my one and only grandchild, my own flesh and blood, not writing was unforgiveable. When Ed had called all those months ago, Pinako hadn't seen any harm in sending Winry. The old woman despised trains, the military, and whiney children who couldn't keep their limbs in one piece. Winry had also done most of the work on Ed's arm, anyway. Maybe with her along, those boys would remember to check in.
No such luck. Winry had called once, only to say she was going to travel with the boys for a while. Then nothing. It had been bad enough when Pinako only had those boys to wait for, but now they had Winry. Pinako wasn't dumb; she could read between the lines of what that Major Armstrong told her. The Elrics got in a lot of trouble. Winry had good aim with a wrench, but against the enemies Ed had… Pinako knew a teenage girl wouldn't stand a fighting chance.
She shook her head and picked up her own wrench. Worry wasn't productive, as she'd told Winry at least once a week. All she could do was keep waiting- for a call, a letter, a return, a ring on Winry's finger, maybe (to his credit, Ed had learned quickly that he'd be getting one of Pinako's tools thrown at a far more painful area if his eyes strayed south of Winry's shoulders).
If there was danger, Edward would keep Winry safe (of that, at least, Pinako was sure), so all she could do now was wait.
A/N: It's been mentioned that I don't really give much advance knowledge of which continuity I'm writing in. Admittedly, yeah, I know. My response to that? I'm going to borrow Vic's: whenever you ask him at a con if he likes the first series or Brotherhood better, he'll tell you that he sees them as the same characters, just new stories on the same continuity. Part of me thinks that's just his not putting down either series, but he says he sees the whole thing as one. For the purpose of character sketches and drabbles, I'm choosing to see it that way as well. Most of the time, I don't specify because it doesn't matter; no matter the continuity, Ed and Winry are always Ed and Winry.
Admittedly, however, some drabbles have a very firm placement in one world or another, so I suppose I'll try to give fair warning if that's ever the case. For the record, I strongly recommend watching both series in their entirety. FMA:B may win for better ending (SERIOUSLY), but as far as the philosophy... sometimes I feel like the first anime gave me more to think about. Don't want to spoil anything, but do yourself a favor and check it out if you haven't.