Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed and favorited my story! I very much appreciate it. Just thought I would let you all know that this story will get very dark later on, which is why I labeled it under the "horror" genre. Just a fair warning!

Chapter 2

After some persuasion, or what could be more accurately be described as begging, Winry finally agreed to leave Atelier Garfiel for a short time to see Edward, the catch being that all of her expenses be paid in full. Edward happily agreed. He had accumulated a fairly sized wealth of his own from his success as a doctor, and although he kept track of his finances very well, he was also quite generous.

The two of them were to go to dinner. Edward would be meeting Winry at her hotel at six o'clock that evening.

Edward had never been more nervous in his life.

He looked incredibly classy in his black suit, with his hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. As far as looks went, he had nothing to worry about. What caused him to shake in fear, though, was the extremely expensive, one-of-a-kind, hand crafted diamond ring in the pocket in the interior of his jacket.

When the stress of Alphonse's body was finally relieved, Edward had more time to think of other things, namely his affections for Winry. The more he was able to think of her, the more he realized he loved her, and wanted her to himself. He could only imagine their life together. It would be beautiful, and he would be the father to their future children that Hohenheim was not able to be to Edward and Alphonse. The touch of her warm hands as she measured him to replace his automail leg was almost more than he could handle. He deeply treasured every encounter with her, and desperately wished to repay her for all that she had done for him in the past.

When five thirty rolled around, Edward tried his best to calm himself, and left his small but luxurious home. He stepped into his car, and drove towards the heart of Central, where Winry's hotel was located.

The building was enormous, and was bordered by carefully carved pillars. As Edward exited his car, he gulped in as much of the cool night air as his lungs could hold. His heart was racing. In his state, he tried to recall any small, simple trick he had learned for small ailments while he was in medical school, but nothing surfaced.

I can think of ways to save lives at the drop of a hat, he thought. Why is this so difficult? Edward took wobbly steps towards the hotel entrance. Alphonse wouldn't be worried.

His breath caught in his throat. Why was he thinking of his shortcomings against Alphonse, even now? He shook his head rapidly, hoping to rid himself of any other negative thoughts. He had more important things to worry about.

Winry was seated in the lobby, staring out one of the windows that reached to the ceiling. She was dressed in an elegant, floor length, red evening gown. Her light blonde hair cascaded down her left shoulder. If there was a remedy for Edward's nerves, the sight of her certainly was not the cure.

Edward cleared his throat as he approached her, managing a somewhat warm smile.

"Hello, Winry," he said, attempting to sound as smooth as he could. "It's great to see you. You look amazing."

Winry smiled back. She did not seem so sincere, but Edward tried to ignore it. "Hey there," she answered. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Edward laughed nervously. "Shall we?"

He offered his arm, but Winry was already heading towards the door on her own. After a moment of slight embarrassment, Edward followed. He studied the way the red fabric clang to her form before falling to the ground. He carefully watched the way her hips swung, ever so subtly. He listened to the soft swish of the skirt as it passed over her legs.

He had intended to open the door to his car for her, but she was already standing by the door before he reached it. He had to satisfy himself with unlocking the door and letting her enter on her own. When she was seated, he walked swiftly to the driver's side.

The drive to the restaurant was nearly silent. Winry did not seem interested in speaking to him. He made an honest effort to make conversation. He asked about her work with Garfiel, and how her studies were going, but to little success. When questioned, Winry gave only short answers.

Edward parked his car on the street, and practically ran to the other side of the vehicle to help Winry out. He smiled warmly at her, and was rewarded with a cold half-smile. As the two of them started walking down the sidewalk towards their destination, Edward attempted to hold her hand. His fingertips lightly brushed against her palm before she quickly pulled her hand away.

The restaurant Edward had chosen, called "The Starboard", was the most expensive restaurant in Central. He figured it would be a simply way to impress Winry, and would go well with the ring. When he had asked Fuhrer Mustang for suggestions, it was the first thing he thought of, mentioning that it was where he had taken Riza before he proposed. The restaurant itself had simple, yet beautiful architecture. The building was a polished white with tall windows that reflected the moonlight. The doors were glass with a thin black frame. Gentlemen in tuxedos lined the walkway to the entrance.

Edward watched himself walk with Winry in the reflection in the windows. He tried to prepare himself for the evening by imagining her saying an exited 'yes' to his proposal. He thought of what kind of wedding they would have, and how happy everyone would be for them.

They were greeted warmly as they entered, and as they passed through the doorway, the smell of freshly cooked food wafted past their noses. A giant chandelier hung from the fifty-foot, domed marble ceiling. The other guests talked quietly, and their gentle voices echoed throughout the room. Each table had a silver candlestick for three candles and a tablecloth of pure white.

Winry actually seemed excited to be there. A wide smile spread across her red lips, and the light of the chandelier sparkled in her eyes.

Once Edward confirmed their reservation, a waiter quickly escorted them to a table in the back, slightly secluded from the other guests. They were then brought their menus and the wine that Roy had recommended. The kind Fuhrer had put in a good word for Edward, who was promised only the best service on this night.

"Oder whatever you like," Edward said with a smile, "and as much of it as you want. Money is no object."

"Wow, Ed," Winry said. "This is all so...extravagant, and kind, of you."

"Anything for you. I owe you a lot for all the good you've done for me."

"Well, you've never fallen behind in paying me for your automail expenses."

"I know, but time with you is worth more than that."

"Yeah..." Winry stared at him for a moment, confused, before looking quickly towards her menu. "How's Alphonse?"

Edward froze for a moment, unable to answer. Why was she bringing him up now? "He's doing great, as far as I know."

"Better than great is what he's told me."

"Oh, you two talk a lot?"

"Well, yeah."

They were both silent for a few minutes. Edward thumbed through the menu, not particularly interested in the food. It all looked delicious, but his appetite was suddenly gone.

"It's really funny," Winry said, "Al is like the new and improved Fullmetal Alchemist."

Edward looked away quickly, and sipped from his wine. "Really? That is funny, I guess. I was a good alchemist once, right?"

"Yeah, sure. You're not an alchemist anymore, though. It's a bit irrelevant."

When the waiter returned, Winry ordered a large steak dinner. Edward simply asked for whatever the chef recommended.

They ate their meals in silence, and Winry had no second thoughts about ordering dessert. Edward could not bear waiting any longer, though, and thought that perhaps now would be as good a time as any to offer his life to the woman he loved.

"Winry," Edward said gently when the waiter was out of earshot. "You know I really care about you, right?"

"Yeah," she answered. "We've known each other for a long time. I care about you, too."

"Well, there's something I want to ask you. Something important."

"Shoot, Ed. I'm sure whatever it is, it's not a big deal."

Edward cleared his throat. Negativity suddenly passed through him again. What if she rejected him? What if she was seeing someone else? He didn't know what he would do if she said 'no'. Sure, he was only a doctor, but he had to be worth something, right?

Right, he assured himself. I know I'm worthy. I at least have to try.

"Winry, will you marry me?"

Edward spent weeks without seeing anyone other than his patients. He just couldn't bear to face his friends. In solitude, he could deal with his pain in peace. Maybe it was better that way.

His house was empty and silent. He had nothing to distract himself with, so he was left with only his thoughts to torture him. He sat slumped in his leather chair in his small library, which doubled as his office. He had read every book in that room at least twice, and saw no point in going over the information again. He considered going out to purchase more books, but he would then run the risk of seeing someone who knew him.

Perhaps his situation was not so bad. Everyone experiences rejection, and Edward was no different. Now, he had nothing but a clean slate, as far as relationships were concerned. A fresh start. He could find someone who had never heard of him before. Things would be perfect.

Edward tried to cheer himself with these thoughts. Despite his low mood, it was something to consider. If he could see things logically, it wouldn't be so terrible.

Winry had grown to be a spoiled woman, anyway. Edward told himself that he probably had no use for her in his life outside of her being his mechanic. There were plenty of other people in the world. He could even leave Amestris if he wanted to.

After some convincing, Edward was able to get himself to agree to go outside to get the mail. The sunlight would be good for him, and if he was fast enough, no one who would recognize him would notice him.

The sunlight and fresh air were quite refreshing. Instead of scurrying down the walkway from his house, Edward took a leisurely pace to his mailbox. He took a deep breath of the clean air, and closed his eyes for a moment.

The mailbox was empty, save for one envelope nestled in the very back. Edward reached in, and once he had it in his hand, he took another deep breath before returning inside.

Once he was seated comfortably in his chair again, he took a look at who his mail was from.

Alphonse Elric.

Edward gulped as his heart began to race. He tried desperately to calm himself. Maybe Al was traveling again, and was only able to write a letter to ask about his brother.

Edward took the letter opener from the table beside him, and sliced the envelope open. Slowly, he pulled the paper out from inside.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of:

Winry Rockbell and Alphonse Elric