Full Metal Alchemist

If it's meant to be

Coly456

After showering Winry walked back down the steps and straight forward into the living room. The room was mostly tiled with a tan carpet in the middle. A circular table sitting in the middle with a stack of books and flowers. Two tan chairs that had a black piano behind them, and a tan couch across from them to match.

Walking to the left she walked into the kitchen. It had archways over the bar that had three stools. An Island in the middle which Al was standing at mixing a salad. A tiled floor.

"Um, Alphonse, Ed told me to ask you where the study was."

"You're a friend so you call me Al. The study is under the staircase and tell him dinner is ready please." he smiled as he walked around the island and bar and into the dining room Winry followed.

It was small compared to the other rooms but still lovely. It had light blue walls and a medium sized wooden table in the middle with flowers and a crystal chandelier hanging over it. In the corner of the room were cabinets holding nice plates.

Walking out the other door she walked into where the front door was to see a door slightly opened that looked to be a closet but had a light leaking out from under the door.

"Ed?" Winry knocked on the door opening a little with the knock.

The study was small and the floor was littered with books and papers. Edward was hunched over his desk reading a book that had a picture of what looked like a dragon and a star.

"Ed? What's that?" Winry asked walking up behind him

"Huh?" he looked up then back at the picture. "Just some research. This is an Alchemy symbol for a 'false human' Nothing big really." he picked up a sketch which was identical if not more detailed then the picture in the book.

"You're a good artist" she said as she looked around the room at pictures both drawings and photos decorating the room. One drawing caught her eye. It was framed with photos surrounding it. It was a young woman with a pregnant stomach in a rocking chair holding a small child around one. She walked over to it and saw the signature said Hohenheim Elric (I took of the Van part in the front of his name) 1900 February 3

"My dad drew that before he left. My mom was pregnant with Al and I was a year old that day. The day after he drew this he left. He came back when Al was about four months old he left again when I was three and Al two we haven't seen him since."

"Dinners ready. Al told me to tell you." Winry smiled. "Then after dinner I get to look at your automail like you promised I could." she pulled him out of the study. The house smelled like a home cooked meal making the house seem less lonely.

"Al's a great cook mom always teaches him when she is over." Ed smiled when they walked into the dining room.

"She tried teaching Ed but always drawled in the cook books." Al laughed and Winry smiled at Ed's scowl.

"It was one time!"

After that dinner was silent until they all went out onto the enclosed patio for Winry to look at Ed's automail. Edward is currently sitting on a chair with Winry on a small stool next to him while he read the book he was reading earlier while Al and Winry talked.

"So Winry what made you want to become a mechanic?"

Winry stopped messing with Ed's arm (not knowing about the leg yet) and glanced at Al then went back to work.

"My granny wrote about every patient. She would write my dad and mom about them. What was wrong, and age never their name though. I was kind of how she kept a record she was never good at that."

She reached over into her tool box and pulled out oil stained crinkled letter.

"This letter was sent on my eleventh birthday or around that time."

"She wrote about a boy a couple months older than me who lost his right arm and left leg in a fire. She said he wanted automail and set his goal to be walking and using his arm in one year. His brother ended up in a coma. She said the boy didn't cry during his surgery, but his mom cried for him."

Putting the letter away she went back to Ed's arm that had long since put the book down.

"Mom and dad though never told me what happened to the boy saying it wasn't my business. I wanted to make it my job that people no matter what age will ever have to feel like they are different because they are missing a few limbs."

Everyone was quiet though Winry still worked. Ed was clutching his left pant leg in his hand.

"Brother you okay?" Al asked

Ed just started to laugh.

"Pinako never could mind her own damn business."

"She never wrote about you though! Nothing about an adult losing their right arm!" Winry defended

"Wrong." Ed pulled off his boot and lifted his pant leg showing her his left leg. She dropped her wrench.

"It was you!"

"Yup. Took a full eight months to learn to walk again and use my arm then joined the military. Al recovered just in time for my first attachment."

"But that would mean you're only sixteen and in the military! What the hell is wrong with that picture?" Winry yelled standing up.

"It's none of your business why I'm in the military. I do what I have to; to make sure my family is safe and always will be."

The doorbell rang before Winry could respond she sat back down with a huff and pulled Ed down so she could look at his lower leg now. Al went and got the door returning with a women following behind him. Winry glanced at the women who had soft green eyes and long wavy brown hair pulled into a loose side ponytail.

"Al! You didn't tell me you boy's had company!" she fussed.

"I didn't know we were going to have none mom brother brought her home."

"Ed brought her home really?" their mom smiled and looked at Ed who blushed.

"No it's not like that! She had nowhere to go and she's aunty Pinako's granddaughter."

"Winry? Your grandma talked about you a lot before she passed. How are your mom and dad I haven't seen them in years?"

"They are doing good worried about the war going on out there but otherwise its going good." Winry smiled at her.

"Yes I worry about the war to with Ed in the military I'm afraid they are going to send him away." Trisha frowned and looked at her son who was looking guilty at his lap.

"Ed you didn't tell her?" Al hissed from beside his mother.

"Tell me what?" she asked as she sat down followed by Al. Winry packed all her tools away, and looked at the family members.

"If the war isn't resolved by the end of this year they are going to sent in most the state alchemist to help out, Mustang and Hawkeye estimate that we will have to go and that it won't be any less dangerous for us than anyone else if not more deadly." Ed looked at his mother with sad eyes as he saw her eyes tear up a little.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I bet you have known this for a long time haven't you!"

"A couple months but I didn't want you to worry I mean it's no big deal really I might not have to go."

"But you're only sixteen you shouldn't have to go!"

"I do though I signed up for the job so I have to do what's right. They don't want the war getting any closer to Rush Valley then it is."

Winry watched as Ed and his mother stared each other down eventually his mother looked away.

"I'm going to go shower and go to bed."

"Okay see you in the morning" Ed stood and walked to his study. Winry followed Trisha upstairs.

"I borrowed some of you clothes I hope you don't mind" Winry broke the silence on the way up the steps.

"Of course I don't mind, you are welcome to anything as long as you're here." She turned back then smiled, then turned and walked to her room.