Convergence

by Le Confidant

"Winry…" Why did things had to end the way it did? He shut his eyes against the painful sensation of wanting what he could never have. "It should've been me who'd given you this ring," Edward choked out. Regret, if not remorse, crept up on him. He cursed himself for the direction of his emotions. Edward took Winry's hand in his. "I'm so sorry, Winry—for everything." -A 2003/CoS AU-

10. Nine

A/N 1: Well, it's been ages but a promise is a promise. Here's the latest chapter rewrite. It's long. I threw everything but the kitchen sink. A lot of things happened in the course of one day. It's a helluva roller coaster ride. Lots of warnings ahead. This chapter is a hard T. The song I chose for this chapter is I've Got You Under My Skin cover sung by Frank Sinatra. Secondary song is Under the Rainbow sung by Judy Garland.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: Xenophobia, homophobia, mild language and mild adult situations. Trigger Warnings: Mentions of bodily harm. Nothing too graphic.

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Earth, February 3rd, 1940 A.D — Winry's Room

Winry was enjoying the last bite of toast when she heard a gentle rap on the door. She took a quick glance at the clock then at calendar sitting close by. It was Saturday, February the third(1). If the Saturdays of Earth were like the Saturdays of Amestris, then both Edward and Alphonse were somewhere around the mansion; not at work, not working on a way to get her back home. And even if the Saturdays of Earth differ from the ones in Amestris, they still had one thing in common.

Winry turned her gaze to the door. For a split second, she imagined the birthday boy standing behind it, but quickly discarded the idea. With what had happened the day before, it was highly unlikely that Edward would want to speak with her—not like she wanted to speak with him either.

There was another knock on the door.

"Come in!" Winry called, having a good inkling about the identity of the mystery visitor.

"Good morning, sugar."

Winry blinked in surprise; she was expecting Alphonse, not the jocose housekeeper.

"I gots something for you," Mavis said, greeting Winry with a smile all while lightly shaking the present in her hands.

Winry watched the robust woman put the present—a large box with a pompous red ribbon—on the bed. She downed what was left of the orange juice then grabbed the cane and stood up.

"Master Alphonse had the driver pick this up earlier," Mavis supplied when Winry stood next to her.

Winry could tell by the inflection in Mavis' voice that she was dying to know what was inside the box. Winry eyed the box and wondered why she was receiving gifts instead of Edward.

"Well?" Mavis said all of a sudden, startling Winry out of her reverie.

Winry offered Mavis a sheepish smile before leaving the cane by the bed. She undid the ribbon and took off the top. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon the contents. She took a quick glance at Mavis; oddly, the woman appeared to be lost in thought. Mavis must've sensed she was being observed since she turned her soulful eyes on her.

"What are you waiting for, Miss?" Mavis asked, her expression set in mild irritation. Winry decided to let it slide.

She left the box top on the adjacent chair then proceeded to remove out the present from the box—a dress, which Winry studied carefully.

Being a one-piece with short sleeves, the dress was the polar opposite of the clothes Edward got for her. The skirt flared in a flattering way and she was sure the hem would sit at the top of her knees once she tried it on. The collar was rounded yet it left plenty of room to breathe. In all, this dress looked like something she would purchase for herself.

"What a beauty!" Mavis exclaimed. "Master Alphonse sure has an impeccable taste."

A smile graced Winry's lips. "You're right about that, Mrs. Mavis," she said as she turned towards the housekeeper. She burst into laughter the moment their gazes met.

After a while, Mavis said, "It's a good thing Master Edward didn't pick a dress for you, Miss Winry, or you would've ended up wearing something—"

"Gaudy," Winry finished for her.

Mavis stared at Winry for a second, then her hearty laughter once again ripped through the room. "Oh Miss, you don't even know the half of it!" she hollered.

Winry laughed though she didn't fully understand Mavis' words.

And then there was the silence.

The silence gave Winry a few moments to think, and her thoughts went back to Edward. She was sure the earlier banter had something to do with this, but she was coming to understand that everything in that house seemed to revolve around him.

"When Edward was fifteen, he gave me this horrendous pair of skull-shaped earrings. I wanted to throw them away, but in the end, I couldn't bring myself do it. I ended up melting the earrings to make new ones."

Winry didn't know why she shared that memory. Maybe she did so because she hated long silences, perhaps it'd been nostalgia what made her take a risk, and Mavis had this motherly presence that made her feel like she could open up to her. But she couldn't be more wrong.

Mavis became guarded. "Child, that's impossible!" she snapped, her tone full of suspicion. Mavis must've realized she'd been out of line because she clamped her mouth shut. Finally, she said, "I mean you was probably a teeny baby when Master Edward was a teenager."

"Just you know, I'm older than I look," Winry chided, but her words had fallen on deaf ears.

"There's another package coming in sometime today," Mavis said after a slight pause.

Winry wasn't paying attention, she was more preoccupied with the way Mavis looked at her as if she was some strange creature that should be feared. In a way, Mavis was right since she'd from another world.

Mavis didn't stay around for much longer after that. She left the room, slamming the door behind her on her way out. If it was intentional, Winry wouldn't know.

Winry sank down on the bed, her legs feeling like jelly. She sighed and gave herself a moment to collect her thoughts.

She screwed up—royally screwed things up with Mavis. Why did she have to open her mouth? Winry's shoulders slumped. All she could do at this point was hope and pray that Mavis would forget what she'd said.

Winry glanced down. Her eyes rounded as she looked at the bunched up dress in her hands. She quickly stood up and laid the dress on the bed, smoothed out any wrinkles that might've formed from being crumpled in her hands. Winry sat back down and looked at the clock. Her gaze went back to the dress. It really was a gorgeous thing. And the color... She'd never seen a color this rich. The closest color she could think of would be the color of an Amestrian uniform, like the one she wore when she infiltrated Central Command.

"So Alphonse got this for me," she mused as she ran a hand over the dress. What is it that you're trying to do? she thought, recalling the conversation she had with the younger Elric the night before.

"Hey there..." Alphonse said as he let himself into the room.

"Did Ed send you?" Winry snapped, forgetting her manners. She was angry even though a couple of hours had passed by since her fight with Edward.

Alphonse shook his head. "I came here on my own volition." He looked at the chair closest to the bed. "Can I take a seat?"

Winry was in no mood to talk and she hoped Alphonse would get the point if she flat-out ignored him.

"I think you know why I'm here."

Winry frowned like a petulant child. "I don't want to talk about it."

Silence followed.

Winry took it upon herself drive Alphonse away by sending him a steady stream of nasty glares in his direction, but Alphonse didn't budge. He countered each and every one of her glares with a big smile. For the briefest of moments, Winry hated him because Alphonse had won like always did whenever they argued. Winry had no other choice but to talk. She sighed in resignation before saying, "Edward really hurt me, Al. Russell is all I have left back home."

A look of confusion crossed Alphonse's features. "Auntie Pinako is there for you too, Win," he said matter-of-factly, and panicked when she broke down in tears.

"Granny passed away a while back," Winry said, her voice brittle with suppressed grief.

Alphonse inhaled sharply, clearly affected by the news. He stared at her in silence for a moment. "Does Brother know?" he finally said, his voice faltering.

Winry nodded.

Alphonse's sadness turned to sheer indignation. He stood up and walked to the window.

Winry felt awful. She didn't want to cause problems between the brothers. "Al...it's ok—"

"It's not okay—!" Alphonse roared as he turned to face her; and winced when he realized what he'd done. "Sorry," he said in a calmer voice. His expression was tense, but he sighed and allowed his shoulders to relax as if he'd made peace with whatever emotions were raging inside him.

"Don't worry Al," Winry reassured with a kind smile.

They both fell silent after that.

"Hey, Al?" Winry said before the silence grew heavy and uncomfortable. Alphonse looked up, and she continued.

"Edward made it sound as if Russell isn't who he says he is...that he did bad things, and hurt people."

Winry exhaled noisily when Alphonse grimaced.

"We heard a rumor about the Philosopher's Stone being located in Xenotime when we were searching for a way to get our bodies back," Alphonse began but paused for a moment to study her. Apparently, she passed whatever test Alphonse was administering since he continued speaking.

"Edward probably mentioned this to you already: that Russell and Fletcher were working on a highly illegal operation revolving around Red Water."

"Yes, Ed mentioned it." Winry looked away from Alphonse, feeling ashamed of herself. Up to that moment, she honestly believed Edward was making things up just to spite her.

"And did Edward tell you that both Russell and Fletcher were being tricked by the people who hired them in the first place?"

Winry's head shot up. "No..." she muttered.

"Thought so," Alphonse smirked. "Then you also don't know it was their benefactor the one responsible for putting the entire town in danger. This man, and the homunculi that he worked for, set out to flood Xenotime with Red Water."

Winry gasped, dismayed by her fiancée's involvement with the homunculi. Alphonse stopped, giving her a few moments to process what had been disclosed so far.

"At that point, Russell and Fletcher had seen the error of their ways. It was their plant alchemy what saved the town from utter destruction," he continued.

Alphonse's account left Winry feeling quite unsettled. All this time she'd thought of Russell as the perfect man, but now that the veil had been lifted, she could see Russell for what he really is: an ordinary man riddled with many flaws.

"Winry, both Russell and Fletcher didn't act out of malice, they were seduced by the power of a Philosopher's Stone," Alphonse supplied as if reading her thoughts. "Russell and Fletcher admitted that their actions grew out of necessity, and in the end, they were truly repentant for what they did and apologized to everyone for their wrongdoings."

Alphonse approached her. He reached out, cupping her chin and lower face in his hand. He gazed at her tenderly, and added, "Ed doesn't really hate Russell or Fletcher. He does resent Russell, but that's because Russell managed to rob him of what's precious to him."

Winry's eyes widened with dawning understanding. Earlier that day she rubbed into Edward's face that the reason he was behaving like a total jerk was that he was jealous of Russell. She had acted on pure impulse, but to think she'd been right all along—

"Al, what are you trying to say?" Her voice shook with emotion.

Alphonse smiled. "I think you already know the answer to that question."

Winry's heart leaped. She knew she shouldn't feel that way but she couldn't help it. Knowing that Edward cared for her gave her immense joy.

"What about you? What is it that you feel for Ed?"

Winry threw herself back on the bed and stared at the white ceiling.

She should've seen that question coming.

"Honestly, Al, you can be such a brat sometimes," she groaned.

Winry put an arm over her eyes. She remained in that position until it became unbearable. A few moments later, she moved her arm and opened her eyes.

"How do I feel about Ed?" she said, repeating Alphonse's question.

Winry scoffed to herself. Alphonse wasn't playing fair. How could he ask that kind of question when he knew well that her world had tilted on its axis?

In all honesty, she didn't know the answer to that question yet, but she planned on finding it. And the prospect of that venture brought a smile to her lips.

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The Salon — Evening

Winry believed Alphonse got her a new dress to save her from wearing Wendy's old, dusty clothes. The new dress undoubtedly lifted her spirits, and Winry found herself looking forward to an evening that began with a quiet dinner and ended with a birthday cake. But Alphonse had other plans in mind.

Mavis had been the one assigned to break the news to her. The housekeeper walked into her room sometime in the afternoon. She was looking and sounding like her old self. Mavis was humming a tune, which she spiced up with lyrics here and there. She was singing something that had to do with rainbows(2) and wishing upon a star. Winry's curiosity was readily piqued, but she didn't dare ask Mavis anything. She didn't want to mess up again.

Mavis was carrying a large basket with her, which she set on the vanity. "Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue...and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true," she sang as she took out a pair of red, low heel pumps from the basket. Mavis glanced up, and said, "Honey, go and take a shower while I'll set the rest of my things." She moved in front of the basket, blocking Winry's view. Winry had to crane her head to see what other goodies were in the basket.

Mavis took out a wide brush, a comb and some kind of pliers(3) that awfully looked like the ones she uses during in automail maintenance session. Mavis brought the pliers to the fireplace. She glanced over her shoulder and gave Winry an admonishing look. "Child, why are you still here? I told you to take a shower." Blushing mortification showed in Winry's face. Mavis rolled her eyes at her, before turning around to continue what she was doing. Winry huffed, hating being treated like a child. She was about to complain about this unfair treatment but Mavis spoke first.

"Master Alphonse called and asked me to do your hair."

Winry blinked several times, then, she said, "Why would I need my hair done?"

Mavis shook her head and scoffed at her naïveté. Winry scowled but Mavis didn't get to see it.

Finally, Mavis turned around. "I thought Master Alphonse told you that we're having a few guests over." Winry blinked again, stunned. Mavis schooled her face in an expression of patience before replying. "Just know that the young Master wants you to look as pretty as Miss Garland(4)."

Winry stayed silent, afraid of making herself look like an even bigger idiot. She had no clue of who Miss Garland was, or why she needed to be fixed up to look like her, but she was going to smack that information out of Alphonse the next time she saw him.

"Un-huh...that's what I thought," Mavis added, sharply. A beat later, she pointed a finger to the door. "Now go and get yourself clean so I can get you all dolled up for tonight's celebration."

Winry was in no rush to get to the salon. Even from the hallway, she could hear the lively cacophony of those gathered to celebrate Edward's birthday.

Winry slowed down her pace until she came to a complete stop. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Why would Alphonse think she was going to be fine in a room full of earthlings? She exhaled just as deeply. Alphonse might be physically older than her but that wasn't going to stop her from giving him an earful. Technically, she was born first, and space and time alterations weren't going to change that fact.

Winry continued trudging down the hall. Mavis had offered to take her to the salon, but she refused the offer. She'd wanted to take that undertaking head-on, but now that she was on her own, she was having doubts. She hadn't had any luck striking friendships with an earthling—a Virginian, as Alphonse sometimes referred to them behind closed doors. She might've felt more at ease if Alphonse was with her, but he wasn't. Alphonse had a surprise installed for Edward, and who knew how that was going to work since Edward hated celebrations. She shook her head. Really, Al, what the heck are you thinking?

Winry reached the salon but stayed in the hallway. From her vantage point, she could watch the people gathered there. At first glance she didn't see a familiar face—like Mavis' or some of the other servants of the residence—it was just party guests and some hired staff. The guests looked to be around Edward's and Alphonse's age, some even older. These people weren't just ordinary people. Everyone gathered was dress in fine clothes and had an intellectual air.

No wonder why Al wanted me to look nice for the evening, she thought as she broke off in chagrin.

Winry sensed movement coming from the right of the room. She glanced that way and noticed a stocky man was staring at her from the distance. The man adjusted his glasses before a smile crossed his face. Winry felt obliged to smile back.

To her surprise, the stocky man didn't walk up to her. He turned on a heel and rushed to the side of a curly-haired woman, who, up to that moment, was accosting one of the male servers. The woman's sugary smile set into a bitter frown when her attempts to chase away the stocky man failed. The stocky man whispered something to her ear, something that wiped off all signs of irritation from her face. The curly-haired woman looked her way, and a smile crowned the woman's lips again. The curly-haired woman grabbed the stocky man by the hand and dragged him along with her as she made her way across the salon towards the hallway. The server took off, relieved of having escaped from the curly-haired woman's claws.

Winry felt weak, it was as if all of her strength got zapped in an instant. She held to the cane for support and took a deep, calming breath. She reminded herself that she wanted to brave this new world she'd been forced into.

"There you are, the belle of the ball!" the curly-haired woman exclaimed when she got within earshot. Winry gripped the cane tighter. Turning around and retracting to her room did cross her mind, but she knew it was too late for that.

"Look, Wallace! It's like looking back in time!" the curly-haired woman added, as she let go of the stocky man to stand in front of Winry. The woman's dark eyes sparkled with wonderment as she stared at her from head to toe.

The curly-haired woman inched closer—forgetting all manners of personal space—and whispered to Winry's ear, "Don't worry, Miss Rockbell, your true identity is safe."

Winry took a step back, gasping. She sure wasn't expecting for these people to know who she was.

The stocky man pushed the curly-haired woman to take her place. "Hi, Miss Winry, I'm Wallace, Doctor Von Elric's lab assistant," he said as he extended his hand to her. Winry shook his hand reluctantly; smiled awkwardly.

"Now, where are my manners?" the curly-haired woman said as she shoved an elbow to Wallace's ribs. Wallace cried out in pain, and stepped back; the curly-haired woman shamelessly took his place. "I'm Catalina Beckham(5)," she said, then added, "You don't have to be shy around us." Catalina glanced towards the salon. "Everyone in this room is part of Doctor Rockwell's team," she informed as if she was talking about the weather.

"Oh..." Winry blurted out as a fierce blush crept up her cheeks.

Catalina looked at her again from top to bottom. "I must say...your resemblance to Wendy it's uncanny."

"Stop it, Becky!" Wallace cut her off. "You know that Al told everyone not to pester the girl."

Catalina, who apparently went by the name of Becky, narrowed a dark glare at Wallace, and Wallace, returned her gesture by blowing a raspberry.

Winry didn't know if she should blink, nod or laugh. She simply stood in place and waited for the odd pair to settle things between themselves.

"They're here! Al and Ed are here!" A colleague shouted. He made a shushing sound as he moved away from the window. "Everybody keep quiet and hide!" he said in a voice loud enough for everyone gathered to hear.

The group quickly dispersed. Some hid behind the furniture while the rest ran to the hallway. Wallace grabbed Winry by the hand and took her further back into the hallway.

There was snickering and shushing everywhere as everyone prepared to receive the brothers.

Winry started to feel the effects of the collective giddiness in the group. A bright smile touched her lips, thankful for being an active participant this surprise celebration—because she got to experience something quite extraordinary, the chance to tell Edward "happy birthday" in person.

Winry turned her full attention towards the salon when she heard Edward's grumpy voice. People jumped out from their hiding places two seconds later.

"Surprise!" Everyone said in unison, that is, everyone except Winry.

Winry froze. All she could do was stare at the brothers as they talked with those who walked up to them to congratulate Edward. Finally, Winry loosened a bit. But she found herself not paying much attention to the birthday wishes; she became transfixed on Edward's appearance.

Edward had shaved off his beard. Without it, he looked closer to Alphonse current age, perhaps even younger. He was dressed impeccably—no doubt Alphonse had something to do with that too—and he was wearing his hair the way she remembered, plaited in a neat braid. In her honest opinion, Edward looked...rather dashing. Breathtaking... she corrected herself, her breath hitching in her throat as if to prove the point.

Alphonse was a social butterfly. He engaged in conversation easily and always with a bright smile; Edward, not so much. Edward was smiling but his smile was forced. Winry let out a soft chuckle remembering how much Edward hated socializing.

Alphonse slapped Edward's back as he said, "Happy birthday, Brother."

Winry brought a hand to her mouth to suppress her laughter. The people around them didn't know that Alphonse had just told Edward to behave.

Alphonse pushed Edward towards a small group and left him there to fend for himself. He then looked around the room. Alphonse was most likely searching for her so she took a few steps back to stay out of view.

The people around Edward started moving to other groups; only one person remained by his side. Becky was dragging Alphonse to the other side of the room, her expression hopeful. Winry shook her head. If she only knew, she mused as she watched Alphonse failing to squirm out of his current predicament.

Winry turned her attention back to Edward. One of the female servers stopped to offer him a champagne flute. She recalled Alphonse telling her that Edward was cutting back on drinking. She inched closer to the entrance of the salon, curious as to what Edward was going to do next. It was then that he spotted her.

Edward didn't move right away, he stood glued to the spot, staring at her with a rather curious yet wistful expression. Winry grasped the cane tight in her hand and marched towards him. As she approached, Edward did something she hadn't been prepared for: Edward offered her the most wonderful smile she'd ever seen. And his smile, to Winry's dismay, was also perfectly disarming.

Edward's smile had left her so affected that she came to a complete halt. Somewhere in the back of her mind, and while Edward rushed to her side, she remembered what Alphonse asked her the night before. By the time Edward stood before her, she already knew the answer to his question.

Today was February the third: it was a Saturday and it was Edward's birthday, and the events of this special day will forever be burned into her mind. Winry tried to ignore the pinprick of guilt in her chest but failed miserably at it. Russell... Would he leave her after telling him what happened on this day? She could only pray that he wouldn't. And if for some reason he didn't have it in his heart to forgive her, then she hoped that at least he would come to understand her.

Winry willed Russell's image away and concentrated on Edward. She glanced up at him, and said, "Happy birthday, Ed."

Edward stayed silent as he held her gaze. The scent of his perfume reached her nose. She inhaled the delicious scent—an aroma that was so masculine and so unique, that turned her insides to mush.

Winry didn't have a chance to react because Edward was already taking her free hand in his. He was wearing gloves, but she could feel warmth seeping through the delicate material.

"You look stunning, Winry," Edward said as his golden eyes bore deeper into hers.

"Thanks," Winry said, and let out a shaky exhale.

Edward's eyes traveled down—all the way to her ruby shoes. "Royal blue suits you," he said as he met her gaze.

Winry's eyes narrowed, confusion spreading all over her face. She didn't understand what Edward said at first, but then it dawned on her that he was talking about the dress.

Edward took a loose ringlet between his fingers and contemplated it before looking up. A wash of heat spread from her core into her extremities; she was sure her face was aflame too. Edward responded to her expression in a similar fashion, but then, everything changed.

Edward blinked several times as if roused from a daydream. All of a sudden, he jumped away. Winry couldn't understand why Edward had moved away from her in such an abrupt manner, but one good look around supplied the answer. They were not in a private setting. Winry jumped away as well, almost crashing into a hall table. Her blue eyes darted about in all directions, knowing that Wendy's coworkers wouldn't hesitate to point accusing fingers at her for flirting with a married man.

Winry breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that no one was paying attention to them. She glanced at Edward. He too was staring at the people mingling in the salon. He kept staring at them a few moments longer, his expression unreadable. Finally, he turned to her.

"I forgot something in the study," he said, before rushing past her, leaving her standing in the hallway all by herself.

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Edward's Study

Edward looked up and gazed at the sky above, not even a star was in sight to offset the darkness. He did notice the bits of frost collected around the edges of the window. Enough cold seeped through the glass pane to make his right shoulder hurt.

Edward rolled his shoulder before pulling out the pocket watch from his jacket. He flipped it open; it was going to be eight o'clock in about four minutes.

He scoffed to himself.

He'd been cooped up in the study for about an hour. Enough time had passed by for the people downstairs to notice his absence. Alphonse probably noticed this already; Winry certainly has.

Edward sighed.

He was also certain that Winry would quite angry with him the next time she saw him. He couldn't blame her, he did leave her side without so much as a believable explanation. Edward wondered then how Winry would've reacted if he told her the truth: that one of them needed to take action and put a stop to what was taking shape between them right there, in the hallway, for all to see.

"Winry..." Edward mumbled her name as he looked up at the black wintry sky.

His heart had skipped a beat the moment his eyes caught sight of Winry standing close to the entrance of the salon.

He'd never seen such beauty in his whole life.

Winry's blue dress and red shoes had Alphonse written all of them; the same thing could be said about the hair and makeup. His brother had no right to have Winry dolled up in that way, but he had to keep in mind that Alphonse loved to cause mischief from time to time.

The movie Wizard of Oz was one of the few earthling delights that had managed to pierce through the thick walls guarding his heart. The story of a young woman finding herself stranded in another world reminded of his life on Earth in so many ways. Unlike the movie—or the story, when he found out that the movie was based on a book—there wasn't a way for him to go back to Amestris. Sometimes, when his heart was about to get flattened between the crushing weight of nostalgia and regret, he thought of this movie. Of course, he didn't see himself in the role of Dorothy Gale, he saw Winry in it. In his fantasy, he took the role of the Scarecrow since he was the brainless one. Alphonse got the only role suitable for him: the Tin Man. Maybe he should change Alphonse's role to Glinda: The Good Witch of the North seeing that it was thanks to his meddling that Winry was wearing ruby-red shoes. Edward shook his head with a hopeless laugh, picturing his brother in Glinda's puffy dress.

Edward's thoughts soon drifted back to Winry. "You're really here—over the rainbow," he said, as a rueful smile tugged at his lips.

"And dreams really do come true," he added as an afterthought.

Edward fell silent, considering his words for a few moments. Then, an ominous laugh rumbled deep in his chest.

He was a fool—a fool of the highest order—who believed in the lyrics of a song, if even for a second. Who in their right mind does that? He was confusing dreaming with delusion. Was he so starved for love that he actually believed Winry regarded as something precious? Winry gazed at him the way she did, and let him hold a lock of her hair, simply because she was being friendly; because it was his fucking birthday—goddammit!

"Dreams really do come true, my ass!" Edward groused, bitterly.

And in respect to dreams, Winry didn't end up on Earth because some fantastic forces wanted to reunite them so they could live happily ever after—no, no, no—Winry was here on Earth because Wendy traded places with her with the aid of good ol' science, nothing more and nothing less.

And lest he forget it was thanks to Wendy's rash decision that Winry's life was in danger?

Edward slammed his metal hand against the window, making the glass vibrate. He drew in a few calming breaths, his expression hardening on the last exhale. He had enough.

Edward pushed away from the window and marched out of the study determined to clear things up with Winry, and in the process, gain some peace of mind.

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The Salon

Edward entered the salon in no rush. He looked around, searching for Winry, but couldn't find her. A man from the R&D department raised a glass to him to let Edward know that he was having a good time. Edward nodded in response then kept walking. He didn't find Winry in the salon but he found his brother.

Alphonse was standing by the fireplace, avidly engaged in conversation with one of the female servers. Edward wouldn't have thought anything of it if it wasn't for the fact that Alphonse was cupping her chin in his hand.

Edward headed towards his brother. Alphonse turned his attention to him and smiled. He then returned his attention back to the server. He leaned over and whispered something close to her ear. Whatever Alphonse said, made the girl blush and giggle.

The server gave Edward a nod of acknowledgment before leaving Alphonse's side.

Edward sucked in a calming breath.

Alphonse followed the server with his eyes as she moved from group to group offering drinks. The server soon reached the other side of the room and it was only then when Alphonse turned his full attention back to him.

"Brother, you got out of your cave!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms wide in jubilation, ready to give Edward a welcoming hug.

Edward took a step back, his brow dipping into a scowl. "What the hell was that, Al?" he spat as he pointed at the server with his chin.

Alphonse lowered his arms, and a small frown pinched between his eyebrows. "It's called 'flirting', Ed. You should try it sometime," he spat back, but then Alphonse shook his head as an uncontrollable amused smile spread across his face. "So sorry, Brother, I guess you already have," he added before bursting out in laughter.

Edward narrowed down a glare at him, but he decided not to engage Alphonse since he wasn't going to hear the end of it if he did. He decided to turn things around, though. "What were you doing with that girl?" he shot at him.

Alphonse rolled his eyes as if all this time he'd been talking to a moron. "Flirting—didn't you hear me the first time?"

"Oh, I did," Edward replied. He glanced over his shoulder, and added, "I think everyone in this room did."

"There's no harm in flirting with a lovely girl," Alphonse snapped, the mirth in his tone of voice was gone.

"You're deceiving her," Edward admonished.

Alphonse frowned. "Calling the kettle black, are you now?"

Edward scoffed in response.

He started to consider if he should drag his brother outside and smack him on the head, or if he should do it in the room right in front of everyone. He didn't get to do either since Alphonse acted first.

"I love the fairer sex, Edward," he said loud enough for some people to glance their way. "It's just that I prefer the opposite," he added in a quieter voice and smiled impishly as he looked around the room.

It dawned on Edward right then that Alphonse wasn't behaving like himself. "It's not fair that you're sending that girl mixed signals," he countered.

Alphonse leaned in closer. "Like you sending Winry mixed signals?"

Edward's jaw tightened, Alphonse's breath reeked of alcohol. Something did happen during that hour he went missing, and this something must've been so severe that had Alphonse chugging down drinks like they were sarsaparilla.

"Hey, Al, what happened—?" Edward said in a softer voice. He didn't get to finish what he started since Alphonse put a finger to his lips and did a shushing sound. "I'll tell you later, okay?" Alphonse said, struggling to sound nonchalant.

Edward sniffed. Anger began bubbling inside him just from thinking that someone had enough guts to hurt Alphonse in the sanctity of his home. Winry would have to wait because first, he was going to find out who hurt his little brother, and he was going to send off that bastard with an unforgettable parting gift.

Edward set off, ready to start the hunt, but Alphonse's hand locks around his shoulder. Miffed, Edward turned around only to find a pair of eyes that were begging him to reconsider what he was about to do. Edward had no other choice but to avert his gaze in shame.

They stood in silence for a brief moment after that.

Alphonse was the first one to speak. "Did you manage to apologize to Winry, or did you waste that moment with your shameless flirting?"

Edward's eyes darted up, felt heat rising to his face. He cleared his throat and narrowed eyes at Alphonse in a warning glare.

"I guess you didn't then," Alphonse sighed.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest, and said, "I don't see the point on doing it now."

Alphonse chuckled. "I know, but it would be a nice gesture, don't you think?"

Edward glanced down, knowing his brother was right.

"She retracted to the living room after you left her in the hallway."

Edward snapped his head up and stared at his brother.

"She's been in there for quite a while, sitting by the window," Alphonse supplied. He paused, then added, "She's probably in dire need of some good company."

Alphonse's words made the butterflies in his stomach stir. Edward looked in the direction of the living room and gulped. Alphonse rested his hands on Edward's shoulders. "It's okay, Ed," he said in an amused voice as he gazed into his widening eyes. "Just let things run their natural course, and you'll see that everything else will fall into its rightful place."

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.

.

"Hey..." Edward said as he entered the living room. Winry must've been immersed in thought since she jumped when she heard his voice.

"You're not having a good time?" Edward followed up in an effort to strike up a conversation, but he instantly cringed after having asked such dumb question. Winry arched her eyebrows but said nothing, and this made Edward feel even worse than he already was.

Winry offered him a sympathetic smile as if sensing his misery. "It's been interesting, to say the least."

Edward's shoulders squared when he heard Winry's words, but then he recalled what Alphonse said to calm his nerves. He mostly agreed with his brother, since it was the rational thing to do. He just worried that letting things run their natural course landed him in more trouble.

Edward ran a hand through his long fringe. Why was he so nervous? He was fidgeting like a fucking teenager when he should be acting like a grown man!

"Winry, we need to talk," he said without many preambles.

Winry didn't answer right away. She studied him in silence as if trying to figure out his angle.

"Sure, Ed," she said at last.

Edward let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He had gone downstairs to speak with Winry, and to gain some peace of mind. It became clear to him that things were not going as smoothly he'd intended.

Winry started rubbing her arms.

Edward arched his eyebrows. "Are you cold?"

Winry nodded. "I am," she said then fell silent.

Edward offered her a contrite smile. He'd been such a nervous wreck that he didn't notice the temperature in the room until Winry mentioned it. He returned his attention back to Winry and offered her his hand. "Let's go to the kitchen. I'll find something there to warm you up."

Winry stared at him for a moment before accepting Edward's help. "Let's go," she said, in a subdued tone.

Edward opted to not put much stock on this as he helped Winry off the seat.

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"I hope you don't mind me having a drink with you," Edward said as he emerged from the cellar. He kicked the door closed behind him. The slamming of the door was strong enough to make the skillets hanging next to the kitchen bell rattle; it also produced a loud bang. Edward felt his cheeks reddening, so he tried to cover this up behind a toothy grin. If Edward hadn't kicked the cellar door shut, he would've heard footsteps getting closer to the service door.

Edward ignored the way Winry was looking at him. He remembered well that scrutinizing expression of hers. It was the same one she gave her customers when they came to the shop with banged-up automail.

Edward had intended to leave the wine bottle with Winry, but it was best to steer clear of that area for the time being. He headed to the cabinets instead.

Edward left the wine bottle on the counter table and began opening doors. By the time Edward found the wine glasses, almost all of the cabinets were wide open. He picked out two glasses and set them next to the bottle. He started closing each cabinet door lest he wanted to face Mavis' wrath the following morning.

After finishing the task, Edward brought the wine and the glasses with him to the breakfast nook.

"It's a red," Edward mentioned, wiggling the wine bottle for added emphasis. "This will warm you up pretty fast."

Winry simply smiled. Edward could tell by the twinkle in her blue eyes that she welcomed the idea of having some wine. He placed the wine bottle and the glasses on the table and produced a corkscrew from one of his pant pockets. He'd found it back in the cellar, sitting on top of a barrel, when he was searching for the perfect wine.

Winry gazed at him with amusement, and he didn't mind. Winry should know by now that he liked being practical.

Edward took great care in opening the wine bottle since the grip from his automail could easily shatter the glass. The cork was out. He took one of the wine glasses in his natural hand. "La Tâche, pinot noir, année 1934," he said as he poured the garnet red liquid into the glass. He offered it to Winry, who accepted the glass with some reluctance. Odd. Edward wasn't sure what to make of this, so he added, "It's a wonderful wine. Pretty expensive too(5), just the way I like it." He hoped the joke would make things easier between them.

But Winry remained as taciturn as before. Edward decided to let this slide by. He filled his glass almost to the brim, then sat down next to Winry.

"I thought you were not allowed to drink," Winry mentioned, finally breaking her silence.

Edward, who was already enjoying the wine, almost choked when he heard the comment. He managed to get his coughing in check. "I see that Al has you well informed," he said, rather miffed. He glanced at his glass for a beat. He then looked up, and added, "It's my birthday, Winry, so I'm allowed a free pass."

Edward didn't look away. He stared at Winry, challenging her to say something against the matter, but no reproach was hurled his way. He didn't come out unscathed, though. He would've handled better an earful than a gleeful, yet highly mirthful, smile.

A fierce blush rose up Edward's neck fast.

He wasn't about to go through the indignity of flushing like a schoolboy—the type who'd never talked to a girl in his life—in front of Winry. Edward knew he had to do something fast, so he did the only thing that would get him out of that potentially embarrassing situation right away. He picked up his glass, drained it as if he was drinking a shot of tequila, then set it back on the table.

The red wine took effect fast. Warmth spread everywhere, and this pleased Edward immensely. Now Winry wasn't going to be able to make fun of him if his face turned beet red.

The wine also had a calming effect, all of his jitters were pretty much non-existing—but so was his sense of prudence.

Edward snorted and leaned forward, a lopsided smirk etched on his face. "You know who's drunk?"

Winry cocked an eyebrow, her interest undoubtedly piqued. "Who?"

"Your dear confidant," Edward followed up, smugly. "I found him flirting with one of the servers—a cute girl, I may add."

Winry's mouth parted in surprise but then it set in a hard line. The severity in her face made Edward feel like a jerk for taking a jab at his own brother, even if it had been in jest.

"It probably has to do with that Becky woman I met earlier," Winry said, grimacing. "I don't know how you didn't notice it, Ed, she was all over Al back at the salon."

No, he fucking didn't notice. How could he have notice anything happening around him when he only had eyes for her? Edward ignored the new pang of guilt, preferring to focus on what Winry shared. Catalina Beckham was the reason Alphonse was making a fool out of himself back in the salon. That fucking bitch! Just imagining that awful woman questioning his brother's sexuality right in front of everyone present was enough to dissipate the pleasant buzz the wine had given him. Edward poured himself some more and downed it in three gulps.

"It's a situation that was bound to happen sooner or later, Ed."

Edward jerked his head at Winry. He blinked a few times, surprised by the blunt words.

Winry continued. "Al's homosexuality is only going to become more obvious as time passes, and I think Al knows that." A slight pause. "That is why he was flirting with that server, to show Becky that he's a manly man, a man that's simply not interested in her." Another pause, longer this time. "A reed before the wind lives on, Ed. Never forget that."

Once she was done, Winry picked up her glass and drank half of the contents before setting it back on the table.

Winry's words had been so spot-on that it left Edward feeling tiny and hollow. Unbeknownst to Winry, she had imparted a valuable lesson: the willingness to adapt to any situation. Still, her words felt less like sound advise and more like harsh criticism. Winry left out the last portion of the saying, the one that speaks about the fate of the mighty oak. Maybe she did this on purpose, maybe she didn't, and he wasn't going to ask neither. Winry said Alphonse was like a reed then it stood to reason that he was like the mighty oak, helplessly falling before the wind.

The pain from this sudden realization was so intense that had him reaching for the wine bottle. He refilled his glass fast and emptied it even faster. After setting his glass down, Edward gazed up at Winry, and said, "Winry, I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but want to apologize to you."

Winry stared at him, willing him to continue.

Edward obliged, but first, he took one of her hands in his. Winry's cheeks suffused with soft color yet she didn't fret or averted her gaze.

Winry's strength had always excited and frightened him.

"I..." Edward began, but his voice faltered, and he paused to collect himself. Finally, he said, "Russell, I had no right to insult him." Edward sucked in a deep breath before adding, "He's a lucky guy to have you in his life."

Winry's jaw dropped in shocked disbelief but recovered fast. She stared at him, studying his face, as she tried to find the lie behind his words. A few, torturous minutes passed by before she was done. "I thought you hated him," She said, her words were simple and on point.

Edward chuckled, albeit ruefully. "It doesn't matter what I think of him..." He let the words trail off as he remembered the last time he last saw Russell. It'd been thanks to that idiot, and his equally idiotic brother, that he found a way into the Underground City, to rescue Alphonse from Dante and the homunculi. If things hadn't turned out the way they did, and he would've come out victorious, he wouldn't have hesitated to call Russell his friend the next time they met. He would've felt this way in the present if it wasn't for the fact that the little shit got betrothed to the love of his life.

"You were right," Edward added after a long pause.

Winry's eyes narrowed with suspicion. Edward chuckled at that. He didn't blame her for her reaction, though. He hadn't been clear enough to begin with, so he tried again.

"The day we fought. You were right about calling out my bullshit." After a pause of a few beats, he added, "I'm jealous of Russell—insanely jealous, actually."

Winry's eyes rounded, her breath catching in her throat. Edward smiled, thoroughly understanding. But her initial shock made him wonder how Winry was going to react after listening to what he was going to say next.

"I love you, Winry, I always have."

An inexplicable sense relief washed over him as he spoke those words aloud, for those words had been weighing heavily on his heart until that very moment. He paused to look at Winry, who was staring at him with unblinking eyes.

A wry smile spread across Edward's lips. "How do you think I was going to react after hearing that my former rival had won you over?"

"Ed...I..."

Winry was so shocked, so flustered that she couldn't piece two words together. In all honesty, she looked like a fish out of water, and he found that strangely endearing. He offered her a sympathetic smile, and said, "I'm jealous, and that probably won't change for the rest of my life, but..." A slight pause. "I'm glad that he makes you happy."

Before he finished, Winry already had a lost look in her eyes.

He chose not to panic. He might've overstepped his boundaries but he didn't regret doing this one bit. Alphonse had said to let things run their natural course, and that is exactly what he was doing. Back in the study, he already had decided to set things straight with Winry. Opening up and telling her about his feelings for her was the right thing to do seeing that Winry—like his brother—was a reed before the wind.

Winry glanced down and fixed her gaze on her half-full glass, her troubled expression telling Edward that a million things were going through her head.

Perhaps his candid confession had been too much, or maybe he read her wrong, to begin with. Regardless, it was only fair to put Winry's mind at ease.

"Winry, you were my friend before I started having feelings for you," Edward began, only stopping until he had her full attention before continuing. When Winry finally looked up, her eyes had glazed over. Edward cleared his throat and swallowed hard. He too was overcome with emotion. Finally, he said, "I don't want to lose my friend."

"Oh, Edward..."

The tears Winry had been holding back now rolled freely down her cheeks. Edward pulled out a handkerchief from the back pocket in his pants and offered it to Winry, who gladly accepted it.

She dried her tears and rested her hands on her lap.

After a few moments, Winry met Edward's gaze. "I don't want to lose you neither."

Edward felt as if a vice grip was tightening around his heart. Winry's words had shaken him to the core. That simple declaration made him question—like he'd questioned himself numerous times before—about his foolish decision to leave Amestris for good.

"Let's make a toast!" he announced out of a sudden.

Today was his goddamn birthday, and wanted to celebrate this day like no other—because thanks to a miraculous accident—he got to spend it with Winry...besides...he had enough of being like the mighty oak.

Winry didn't respond right away. After a moment's pause, she smiled and nodded in agreement. He smiled too.

Edward began by refilling his glass. He lifted it up high, and said, "To happy celebrations!"

Winry raised her own. "To unforgettable moments," she added as their glasses clinked.

They each took a sip of wine and smiled to each other as they lowered their glasses.

A second later Winry's smile faded. The sudden change filled Edward worry.

He moved his chair closer to Winry. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he placed his natural hand over hers.

Winry retracted her hand as if his touch burned. "It's nothing." A momentary pause. "I don't have a birthday gift for you," she said, embarrassed.

Edward chuckled, relieved that he hadn't screwed things up with Winry. "You being here with me is more than enough," he reassured her.

There was a moment of stillness, broken only when Winry inched closer to him.

"Is that right?" she muttered, absentmindedly.

Out of nowhere, a blush spread across Winry's cheeks. She averted her gaze.

The pinkness in her cheeks brightened even more as the seconds passed by.

Edward arched his eyebrows, wondering what was all that about.

A few seconds later, Winry returned her gaze to his.

"You might think it's enough, Ed, but I don't," she said before leaning forward and kissing him full on the lips.

Edward's eyes rounded like saucers, Winry had her eyes closed so she was spared from watching his shocked reaction; and by God, he was shocked alright!

But thankfully his brain wasn't completely muddled by what was unfurling between them. He was well aware that he had to put a stop to what Winry started—for her sake—for his sake—yet he couldn't; wouldn't. This act of intimacy—spurred by Winry no less!—was intoxicating, like the highest grade of opium.

Winry suddenly drew back, making Edward lament the loss of closeness.

But Winry wasn't done.

She leaned in, brushing her lips over his before claiming them again.

Winry's kiss was stronger, the next one even more so; before Edward knew it, he began kissing back. He clutched at her face in both his hands just as Winry dug her fingers in his braid, making a mess of it.

This act...it felt right. "Natural," like Alphonse said to him back in the salon.

Winry began kissing him more ardently, her tongue dancing in perfect tune with his. It was heaven.

He moaned against her sweet mouth—what was he doing? How foolish had been he'd been thinking he stood a chance against fate.

This sudden realization was so intense that instantly cast doubt in his mind.

Could he somehow gotten things wrong from the very beginning?

Could the images Truth showed him, as he traveled between worlds, have been figments of his own imagination?—his fears and regrets mixed in with actuality?

Of course, those questions didn't explain why Alphonse had a similar experience—what if what had happened with Wendy and Winry had no reasonable explanation? That idea certainly went along the lines of what Alphonse had mentioned before.

What if there were indeed unexplained forces at play? And what if these forces were conspiring with the universe to make the impossible happen: for him and Winry to be together? If that was true, then who was him to challenge this grand design?

Ironically that extraordinary plan went along with what he always wished for.

Edward broke away from Winry with effort. Winry stared at him, wild-eyed, her cheeks pink, her lips swollen, and his heart ached. If it were up to him, he would give in to his inner desires right away, thus finally giving life to the fantasy he'd nurtured for most of his life, but he was no beast, he was a gentleman. He had to make sure his wishes aligned with Winry's. He already knew they did, but he had to hear it from her. Edward ran his thumb over her cheek, tenderly, as to let her know he wasn't rejecting her, then said, "What are we doing, Winry?"

"That's what I want to know!"

Edward froze like a startled deer.

The booming voice came up from the back of the kitchen, close the cellar; the service door was also located towards the far back.

Edward moved away from Winry, his breath catching in his throat when Winry paled.

Winry brought her hands to her mouth and shook her head as the figure approached.

Winry looked as if she'd seen a ghost—in a way she had—since the unwelcome guest was Wendy's father, the patriarch of the Rockwell family, and Urey Rockbell's Earth counterpart.

Edward remembered little from Urey Rockbell, but what he did recall was that Urey had been an exemplary man.

Urey Rockbell loved his wife and adored his little girl. He had been tenacious, like his mother; courageous too since he challenged the mighty Amestrian military by providing aid to both allies and enemies in the Ishbal Civil War. Benjamin Rockwell was also the tenacious type, but if he was courageous, Edward couldn't tell. Benjamin's shrewdness defined him. It was a trait which undoubtedly would've kept Urey—and his wife—alive if he would've had it in him, to begin with. Benjamin Rockwell was also cold and calculating whereas Urey was not, and these Machiavellian traits made Benjamin untrustworthy in Edward's eyes.

There was no doubt in Edward's mind that he was biased against his father-in-law since Benjamin had made it clear time and again about how much he abhorred him, but right at that moment, as Benjamin approached the table, that mask of seething hatred fell off. Benjamin stared at Winry, eye-eyed, his mouth slacking; he looked just as distraught as Winry.

Benjamin tore his gaze away from Winry and turned his full attention on Edward. "Where's my daughter?" he growled as he glared menacingly.

This was bad, really bad.

Edward stood up and put himself in front of Winry. "Benjamin, let's talk in the study," he said.

Benjamin didn't answer so he walked up to him.

"Let's go." He grabbed Benjamin by the arm and pulled in an effort to get him as far away from Winry as possible, but the older man jerked away.

"Don't you dare put a hand on me, you vermin!" Benjamin roared. He even went as far as to shove Edward with enough force to made him stumble.

Edward regained his balance. As he stared at Benjamin, his fists clenched and face growing darker and darker. He didn't care if the man was his father-in-law, he would gladly knock the lights out of him if he attempted to get physical again.

"Please stop it!" Winry screeched.

The tears rolling down her cheeks doused the flames of anger in him, and in Benjamin.

Footsteps fast approached the kitchen; it was Alphonse.

His startled expression turned into discontent when he saw Benjamin.

"Benjamin," Alphonse greeted dryly once he reached the breakfast nook.

Benjamin glowered at him. No surprises there; Benjamin hated Alphonse as much as he hated him.

"Al, please take care of Winry," Edward said as he glanced worriedly at Winry.

Alphonse nodded, his lips pressed into a determined line. He walked up to Winry and knelt in front of her. "Winry, let me take you back to your room," he said in a soft voice.

Edward used the opportunity to persuade Benjamin.

"Please, sir, let's take this conversation to the study."

Benjamin snorted, his expression twisted into disdain.

He was being excessively belligerent—more than usual—and this worried Edward.

Winry bursting out crying was the only thing that made Benjamin stand down. To Edward's surprise, Benjamin's face filled with profound sadness as he watched Winry sobbing into Alphonse's shoulder. It wouldn't be surprising if he was seeing Wendy in Winry, just like Winry was seeing the departed in Benjamin.

The Rockwell patriarch tore his saddened gaze away from the heartbreaking scene and fixed a harsh one on Edward.

"Let's go," he said before storming out of the kitchen.

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Edward's Study

"You really have no shame, boy," Benjamin grumbled the moment Edward closed the door. "I always thought you knocked up my daughter because you wanted money and power." He continued with his tirade as he headed for Edward's desk. He sat down, with a devilish smile plastered on his face, knowing fully well how much it bothered his good-for-nothing son-in-law that he'd taken the seat for himself.

And just as expected, Edward narrowed his eyes at him but didn't complain.

Edward closed the door behind him yet didn't leave the spot. He kept glaring at him from the distance.

Benjamin paid him no attention. He'd become much preoccupied with the books and journals littering the vermin's desk.

He picked up one of the journals and opened it to the bookmarked page. He frowned, recognizing the penmanship. Edward Von Elric—Edward Elric, he corrected himself—was looking for something in Wendy's journal.

He glanced up, giving Edward a stern look. "Start talking," he spat at him.

Edward snorted defiantly; this only served to add more fuel to Benjamin's fiery ire.

The seconds passed by and no response, so Benjamin decided to share with the blond bastard a little secret. He stood up and walked around the desk, and sat down on the edge.

"You must think I'm stupid," he said as his hands curled tightly around the desk's side. A dark chuckle rumbled in his chest. "I know that girl comes from that other world, the same world you and brother come from."

Edward instantly paled; his expression changed from shock to horror to disbelief. His mouth moved but no words came out, and for some reason, Benjamin found this funny.

"Oh, you think I didn't know? Well, I do!" he said smugly, delighted about having dealt a heavy blow to that prideful bastard. He had a few more down his sleeve, blows he was going to deliver at their rightful time. Benjamin composed himself, then said, "Now that things have been cleared; do tell me where my daughter is."

Someone knocked on the door, Edward moved away to let the person enter the room. It was the younger brother: the sodomite. Before discovering that secret back in the kitchen, Benjamin had an inkling this had always been the case since a proper, respectable man would already be married with a few children of his own—or at least have a few well-known affairs, the kind to brag about with colleagues while having a few drinks.

"Winry is resting in her room," Alphonse relaid to his brother. "She's calm now," he added as his solemn gaze traveled across the room towards the desk to where he was sitting. What an insolent faggot, Benjamin thought, smiling darkly. Alphonse Elric was also going to get his comeuppance.

"Welcome back, baby brother!" Benjamin cried as he glanced mockingly at Edward. He turned his attention back to Alphonse, and asked, "Perhaps you can tell me where Wendy is since the dreck can't seem to piece two words together."

Alphonse's eyes darted over to his older brother, and then back to him.

"What's wrong?" Benjamin chuckled, dripping contempt. "I asked you a simple question, faggot."

Alphonse's eyes widen, his face drained of blood. Unmasking a fake was a true delight; Benjamin couldn't contain his laughter.

Alphonse, in his chagrin, bared his teeth at him; amusing indeed.

"You can thank your big brother for that one, Alphonse," Benjamin replied as a sly grin played on his lips. "He should've been putting more attention to his surroundings instead of trying to get under your friend's skirt."

Alphonse flashed a glare at his brother, who in turn, crossed his arms over his chest and expelled his breath.

Edward pursed his lips. He looked up at his brother, and stared at him for a few moments, before turning his attention towards the desk.

"Wendy is in Amestris, that's our current hypothesis," he said.

Alphonse's head jerked towards Edward. "What are you doing, Brother!" he cried.

Edward glanced at him. "He knows, Al." A pause. "I don't know how, but he knows."

Edward's response left him distressed and distraught, despondent and impotent. Despite sitting on the edge of the desk, he felt his old bones were about to buckle underneath him. Benjamin glanced up and spotted the sofa. It wasn't far from the desk, so he walked up to it before he collapsed. He made it just in time. Benjamin sunk on the sofa; ran a hand down his mouth. "Wendy's on the other side..." he mumbled before sighing heavily.

Earlier that day, he had received an anonymous phone call. The muffled voice on the other side of the line told him that his daughter hadn't been seen since the last testing in The Annex. As a man of considerable influence within American society, he was accustomed to hearing all kinds of threats. He tends to disregard such idiocy, or send his men to "take care of business", but the unknown caller had mentioned two things that only a select few knew. This person knew about Wendy's top-secret experiment and he knew about the location where the experiment took place.

Benjamin abhorred setting foot in the Rockwell Estate. It was the proud legacy of his forefathers but the place had been defiled ever since Wendy returned home accompanied by those loathsome posers. The voice in the phone implied that his only child might be in danger, so he decided to put his hatred for the Elric brothers aside and confirm the veracity of the rumor. He hadn't been expecting to find cars covering the entire expanse of the driveway when his chauffeur pulled off at the front entrance. He barked to the chauffeur be dropped off by the service entrance where he was going to sneak in, unnoticed. His daughter might be missing and the junkers(6) were partying!—it made his blood sizzle.

As he slipped inside the kitchen, he was already thinking of ways to humiliate the two brothers in front of their guests. He stopped in his tracks when heard someone coming out of the cellar. It was his son-in-law. Edward had a bottle of wine with him, which wasn't surprising since the man was an alcoholic. When Edward started talking out loud, he knew that a third person was somewhere in the kitchen. He ignored the rubbish coming out of Edward's mouth; and sighed in relief when he heard his daughter's voice. Wendy was well, and he was made out a fool.

Even though he'd confirmed Wendy's safety, he remained standing in place. While he was grateful that Wendy was okay, he couldn't bring himself to speak with her. His relationship with Wendy hadn't been the best in the past two decades, especially after having found out that she had gotten herself pregnant by a German junker a few years younger than her.

From the beginning, he knew Edward Von Elric was a liar and a cheat. The day he saw Edward in a photograph during one of his brotherhood meetings, was the day he saw his son-in-law as a real threat. Edward Von Elric and his brother Alphonse were not of Earth. He knew from gathered intel that the older brother had ties with the Thule Society and that he was pursuing a top-secret material. Rumors around the brotherhood mentioned an elemental force capable of mass destruction. It was called the uranium bomb. The genius behind such terrible power came from the mythical Shamballa, and Edward and Alphonse came from the same place. He hated that his daughter was mixed in with such shady characters, and for the longest of times, he suspected the invaders were going to bring his daughter misfortune.

His fears materialized the moment he heard the dreck call his daughter "Winry". He inched in closer, breathing in and out a few times to calm down the thundering in his ears. He made sure to be close enough to hear them talking while staying out of sight. He only got a glimpse of the woman who sounded like Wendy, but her back was to him.

It took all of his will power to remain hidden after hearing his son-in-law declare his love for this Winry. Although he knew the bastard didn't love his daughter it still hurt to hear it spoken out loud. He swore to himself at that moment that he was going to make Edward pay for his infidelity—for everything. Finding out that the younger brother was a homosexual has been icing on the cake. Now, he could get rid of both brothers for once and for all.

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange."

The ominous words, spoken by the younger brother, prevented Benjamin from following his thoughts to their rightful conclusion. His heart sank, remembering how his grandson had said those exact words in the past.

"Your daughter and our childhood friend traded places," Edward added.

"It was an unexpected variable—a glitch—in the experiment(7)," Alphonse clarified.

Benjamin let out a harsh breath. The caller mentioned Wendy was missing but this—? "Can it be corrected?" he said in a quiet voice. The younger brother was Wendy's right-hand man so he must know how to bring his daughter back!

"We've been working on it since Dee disappeared," Edward mentioned.

Benjamin bit down on his tongue. Hearing that bastard use such term of endearment was like adding insult to injury when back in the kitchen he'd been all over Wendy's counterpart.

"Then I sincerely hope so," Benjamin said dryly. While staring at Edward, he added, "I'm going to see Winry."

With that said, Benjamin stood up and started for the door.

"Absolutely not!" roared Edward as he blocked the way.

Benjamin stopped mere inches from him. "I didn't ask for your permission," he spat and made a notion to move Edward out of the way.

"Please, sir!" Alphonse said.

Benjamin stopped. He glanced over his shoulder at the sodomite. He considered his plea but then decided that undesirables deserve nothing.

"You can take your frustrations on us!" Edward cried out, his fear was palpable.

Benjamin snorted. "Move!" he bellowed.

"She's a victim of circumstance, just like Wendy!"

Edward's words were as effective as a dousing of cold water.

Benjamin stiffened and scowled at him. He hadn't considered the situation that way, but now that heard those words, he couldn't deny its legitimacy. His Wendy and her double were not at fault. Benjamin sighed. "I only wish to speak with Winry. No harm will come to her," he said in a softer voice.

Edward looked at his younger brother, Alphonse gave him a small nod, and he nodded in turn. Then, he returned his attention back to him. "Fine, we won't object. But you have to give us your word that you will back down if by any chance Winry doesn't want to speak with you."

Benjamin considered this for a moment. "Agreed," he then said without much preamble.

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Edward led the way to Winry's room. He stopped short of opening the door. "You stay put," Edward ordered, narrowing his eyes at him; then he turned to his brother, and said, "Let's go." Alphonse nodded, and with that, the brothers entered the room.

The door was left ajar—perhaps on purpose—so he could listen in to the conversation. He moved in closer and peeked through the slit.

Winry was sitting on the bed, her back resting against the headboard. Her despondent expression, for some reason, pained him. He wouldn't have believed this was even possible if he wasn't experiencing it first hand. It made him wonder about the existence of a binding force that went far beyond the physical aspects shared in common by both worlds.

"Benjamin wants to talk with you," scoffed Edward. "But you don't have to speak to him if you don't want to."

Edward kept his end of the bargain—then why was he hesitating? Being scared wasn't in his nature, in fact, he couldn't remember the last time he felt fear. Others felt fear when being in his presence, not the other way around! He was Benjamin Rockwell, the one appointed to bring the family name back to its previous splendor, as it had once been before the North dragged his ancestors into hell(8).

Wendy's counterpart hadn't answered yet. She too must be feeling troubled by the situation.

"C'mon, Al. Let's leave Winry alone," Edward said a few beats later.

Benjamin felt relieved, but he also felt a little disappointed. It was better this way, he supposed.

"I want to speak with him," Winry said, surprising him and the brothers with her response.

"Are you sure about this?" Alphonse asked.

Benjamin was left in suspense since the faggot had blocked the view. He stepped back when he heard footsteps approaching the entrance. The door swung open. Edward glared as he walked out of the room. Alphonse also glared, but his expression was less severe.

"We're going to wait for you downstairs. Our guests need a proper sendoff," Edward snapped. He exchanged glances with his brother before both headed downstairs.

Benjamin drew in a calming breath before entering Winry's room. He avoided initiating eye contact by quickly turning around and pushing the door shut. Never in his life, he'd been so scared to speak to a woman. He sighed, thinking how silly he must look before Winry's eyes.

He mumbled a small prayer, then turned around.

"Where's my manners?" he said, trying to sound nonchalant. This, of course, didn't help ease the awkwardness of the moment, but nonetheless, he kept pushing onward.

"I'm Benjamin Rockwell," he added as he approached the bed. He extended his hand to Winry while saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss—"

"Rockbell. Winry Rockbell, sir," Winry said as she reluctantly shook his hand.

They both fell into silence after their introduction.

"You look so much like my dad," Winry said before long.

Benjamin smiled. He somewhat guessed that this was the case seeing how upset the girl looked when she first laid eyes upon him.

Winry's candor was what he needed to loosen up.

"If he's anything like me, then I bet he must miss you terribly."

The drastic change in Winry's demeanor didn't go unnoticed.

"I hope that was okay for me to say..." he added, worried that he might've offended her.

Winry averted her gaze; began fidgeting with one of the pillows. Benjamin cursed at himself for his stupidity.

"My father died when I was five(9)," Winry said after a few minutes passed by.

"Oh..." Benjamin trailed off. Learning about his own counterpart's death filled him with profound grief. There was a long pause. "I'm so sorry, dear," he finally said as he gazed tenderly at Winry.

Winry forced a smile to her lips just as tears began lining up on her eyelids. "I'm glad, though..." she said, but her voice broke. There was another pause, longer than the one before. Finally, she said, "I got to see how my father would've looked like as an older man." She cupped her hands over her face. A moment later she started to cry.

Benjamin was at a complete loss for words. He felt like he was standing at a crossroads. His heart ached for this girl, who resembled his own daughter in indescribable ways; and for his own counterpart, who he didn't know existed until that night, and that he would never get to know, even if there had been a way to do so.

After a long moment—in which Benjamin took upon himself to silently pay respects to the departed—he finally spoke.

"I'm glad to have met you..." he managed to say before his voice faltered.

He was sure that there was a connection between worlds; and this girl, this Winry Rockbell, was paradoxically, his daughter.

"Me too—" Winry subsided into uncontrolled sobbing.

Benjamin's fatherly instincts kicked in. He sat on the bed and pressed Winry against his broad chest. Winry didn't push him away, she sank into him, sobbing, her face pressed to his shirt. Benjamin closed his eyes and held Winry tighter, rocking back and forth like he used to do in the distant past. He felt a prick of guilt, realizing he hadn't been this kind to his own daughter in years. Pride had rendered him blind. He couldn't see Wendy as his beloved daughter anymore, all he could see was a traitor to the family.

"Thank you..." Winry whispered the tenderness in her voice made him shed tears.

He was never going to forget this day, for it was one of humbling revelations. He understood now why his daughter fell for the junker's sweet lies. He swore to himself right then that he was going to ask Wendy for forgiveness once she returned to Earth.

Benjamin gently pulled away. He cupped the side of Winry's face and planted a loving kiss on her forehead. "Take care, Winry Rockbell," he said before standing up. "I wish you all the happiness in the world...dear daughter."

Winry chocked back a sob. "Thank you...dad."

Benjamin offered Winry one last smile before closing the door behind him.

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Benjamin took out a handkerchief from his pants pocket and made sure to wipe any traces of tears from his face. He then put the handkerchief in the pocket of his blazer. His expression hardened.

The pledge made to his daughter went far beyond forgiveness. As the head of the Rockwell family, how he defended the lineage, fell solely on his shoulders. For Wendy's sake, he was going to take care of the adulterer and the sodomite—whatever means necessary.

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Benjamin found the brothers waiting for him in the foyer.

Seeing Edward's arrogant face rekindled his anger, but he put this feeling on hold. He needed to take things slowly, for the sake of his promise to Wendy.

Benjamin turned his attention to Alphonse. "Send for my car," he barked as if he was talking to a lowly servant and not to the younger brother of his son-in-law.

Alphonse gave him a surly look before exiting the room.

Now that they were alone, he could unleash his wrath on the dreck.

Benjamin started by grabbing Edward by the collar of his shirt and slamming him hard against the wall.

"You and your faggot brother knew who Wendy resembled—who I resembled!—and still decided to play your little games?" he roared. "Did you both get off on Wendy's innocence?"

He was starting to feel murderous so he let go of Edward and backed away. He heaved in ragged breaths and did so until he managed to clear his head. But regaining his composure led him to form an unwanted visual image of Winry crying in his arms. He fixed Edward with a menacing glare. "Don't you dare hurt that girl, you hear me? You already ruined my daughter's life so at least have the decency to spare Winry from suffering the same fate."

Edward—who had plenty of time to recuperate from the shock at being manhandled—scoffed. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

Benjamin should've known better than to try reasoning with vermin. His father—God rest his soul—would've beat him senseless for forgetting his station, and rightly so! There was only one way to put vermin in their place: by using force.

This time, Benjamin grabbed Edward by the neck.

"That's where you're wrong, dreck!" he hissed as he squeezed Edward's throat with a force he hadn't experienced since his younger years.

Edward tried to pry his hand free, but the unexpected burst of strength and the marked height difference was working against him.

"This his how things will go: you and your brother will bring back my Wendy, and if you don't obey, or simply can't make this happen, then your lives will be forfeit. You will leave me with no other choice but to have you both shipped back to Germany—you know damn well that I have the means to make this happen! I'll make sure you both get thrown into Buchenwald(10) with the rest of the deviants and undesirables—oh, and I promise you this: your children grow up knowing that their father never loved them—because, let's face it, how can he love his children when he didn't love their mother! They will also learn that their dearest uncle is a sick homosexual. Trish and little Ben will grow up to despise two as much as I do!"

The headlight beams swept across the walls as the car pulled over.

Benjamin let go of Edward; a cruel smile crossed his face when Edward started coughing.

"It was nice talking to you, son."

The sarcastic words made Edward bare his teeth at him.

Benjamin opened the front door. His chauffeur was already standing next to the car, waiting for him by the side door.

He ignored the sodomite as he walked past him. His chauffeur opened the door and he got in the car.

As the car sped away, Benjamin kept his eyes forward without so much as a sideways glance.

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Edward closed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly ashamed of his inability to subdue Benjamin.

His father-in-law's unhinged expression transported him back to Dante's house, to the moment when Greed engaged him in battle. Many years had passed by since that grim encounter yet he still had problems processing that particular memory. The experts called this maladjustment "shell shock"—and they might be right; they might be wrong as well. He tends not to fixate on technicalities, afraid of what he might find if he persisted.

"Edward, what happened?"

Edward's head jerked, as he came to. After a few blinks, his gaze settled on Alphonse, who was staring worriedly back at him. This so-called "shell shock" must be written all over his face—

He cleared his throat. "Benjamin's gone crazy, that's what happened," he said to divert attention, but Alphonse's worried frown remained intact.

"I'm afraid to ask what he said...or did," Alphonse said after he finished scrutinizing him.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "He wants to ship us to Buchenwald, can you believe it?" he said, dropping his gaze from his brother once he was finished.

Alphonse drew a sharp breath.

Edward looked up. He pursed his lips before adding, "He also plans to manipulate Trisha's and Ben's perception of us, so they end up hating us."

Alphonse visibly shuddered. "My God, does that man even know the meaning of compassion?" After a reluctant pause, he said, "I don't like where this is going, Brother."

Edward fixed his eyes upon Alphonse, his eyebrows pinched into a worried frown. "I don't like it either." Winry came to his immediate attention. He shuddered just from thinking about what Benjamin could've told her when they spoke in private. Edward returned his attention to Alphonse. "Let's talk later. I need to see if Winry's okay."

"This is all my fault..." Alphonse shook his head, his shoulders sagging. "If I hadn't planned your birthday party, none of this would've happened"—he sighed deeply—"I shouldn't have pushed you two so hard."

Edward smiled sadly. "I'm glad you care, Al." A pause. "What happened tonight was inevitable—I know that now. And you were right; it was natural, and it was perfect"—he sighed—"It's a fucking shame that Benjamin had to ruin everything."

"But—"

"But nothing," Edward cut off. He paused for just a second, then said, "I should be the one apologizing, Al. It's thanks to me that Benjamin knows you're gay."

Alphonse's eyes grew moist. He blinked fast, trying to quell the urge to cry. "Just go and check on Winry. She must be beside herself," he said, waving a hand in dismissal.

Edward swallowed back the lump in his throat. He nodded and offered Alphonse a contrite smile before leaving side.

He did his best to ignore the terrible dread beginning to unfurl in the pit of his stomach as he climbed the stairs.

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Winry's Room

Edward stood before Winry's room, with his automail hand raised to the door, but unable to knock. Winry's warmth—her supple lips, her soft caresses, her delicate scent—still ghosted over him.

Thus knocking on the door turned into tribulation. He was torn between wanting to protect the blossoming love that took life back in the kitchen and squashing the life out of it.

Edward heard a loud sob.

Oh, Winry... His heart sank in his chest. He remembered well the confusion—and ultimately the heartbreak—he felt when he looked at his reflection in the mirror in his double's bedroom.

And to think he put Winry in a similar position when he showed her his wedding picture...

Guilt chose for him; Edward knocked on the door.

No answer. "Winry, I'm coming in," he said, his voice tremulous. He opened the door quietly and slid inside the room.

Winry was sitting by the window, her gazed fixed on the darkened landscape. When he got closer, he noticed her eyes were puffy, and her skin was mottled from tears. And his heart sank deeper.

"I wanted to check on you," Edward said softly, testing the waters. Winry didn't bother to acknowledge him, so he spoke again. "It's normal to feel upset—and confused," he added, giving Winry her time to process his words.

Winry turned. She looked up sharply, and regarded him for a very long time, which made him feel quite uneasy.

"What did you feel the first time you kissed my double?" Winry said finally.

Edward grimaced and suck the air in through his teeth.

Winry frowned at the lack of response. "What you did to Wendy was cruel," she chided, shaking her head with disapproval. She paused for a second, and then looked at him straight in the eye. "Why didn't you turn around and ran the other way?"

She was on the verge of tears.

Edward swallowed hard and looked away. I tried, he wanted to say but the answer got stuck to his throat.

"Please get out."

Edward jerked his head toward Winry. She had already dissolved into tears. His heart pounded rapidly, blood whooshed through his ears. For the first time since Winry came back into his life, he was terrified at the idea of losing her.

"Winry, please—"

"I can't do this right now!" Winry cried before breaking into a series of loud sobs.

Edward blinked back tears and swallowed. It took him a moment to compose himself, and when he finally did, he nodded slowly, barely moving his head.

Moments later, Edward slipped out of the room as quietly as when he first got in.

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Edward stood motionless, looking heavenward as unwanted tears streamed down his face.

There was dead silence in the hallway, except for Winry's sobbing.

A few beats later, he started laughing.

It began as a soft chuckle that changed to guffawing. Edward tried to suppress it by clenching his jaw. It worked, for the most part. Gradually the frequency and intensity subsided until he was only breathing.

There hadn't been anything funny about what happened in Winry's room yet he couldn't help but laugh about it. All the energy he'd spent trying to keep Winry at an arm's length was all for naught! In the past few days, he lowered his guard for Winry—even offered up his heart to her only to have it crushed in the end. Oh, sweet, sweet irony!—he'd been so sure that he was going to be the one doing the crushing.

Tendrils of despair began to wind around him. He was ready to let himself be engulfed by them, but then an old memory came to his rescue. He remembered the words he spoke to Rose when she lost everything she held dear.

Walk on your own. Move forward. You've got a good strong pair of legs. You should get up and use them.

Edward burst out into another fit of laughter, thinking it would be quite hypocritical of him not to follow his own advice. Soon, he quieted down, and in the subsequent moment of stillness, he turned inward. Edward realized that he'd lost sight of what was important.

Never again.

Winry was going to return to Amestris, not because he'd been afraid of Winry dying if she stayed on Earth, not because Benjamin had threatened his and his brother's life, but because he wanted Winry to live a rich life, and he wanted to give Wendy her freedom.

Edward sighed. It was a long sigh, a weary sigh. There was nothing he could do at the present moment, so turned on a heel and headed for the study. Alphonse would be there waiting for him, hopefully with a brand new bottle of wine or some other type of spirits.

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A/N 2: This is still the longest chapter I've ever written. This behemoth chapter is close to 16,000 words. It's an hour of reading. It's eight 2,000 words each in a chapter or four 4,000 words in each a chapter. I hope you understand why it took so long to write, dear reader.

A/N 3: The inspiration for the rewrite came from the song I've Got You Under My Skin. It's a song written by Cole Porter in 1936. I didn't like Eleanor Powell's version but Frank Sinatra's. I didn't like the original (Powell's), and I was thinking of Ed when I listened to Sinatra's cover (plus I love Sinatra's voice). I urge you to listen to Sinatra's cover, dear reader, it's like taking a stroll back in time. And yes, I do song lists for my stories. I don't share them, though. Convergence will have songs from 1930-2005 as Ed in the Kids OVA was very much alive in 2005.

A/N 4: The Wizard of Oz was a tremendous influence when I decided to write Convergence. I tend to do this with most multi-chapter stories, not in this account but in the other. It was a bonus to find official FMA art with Wizard of Oz theme. You will see more of this influence (the good and the bad; and the occult) as the story progresses.

A/N 5: Can we talk about the Ed/Win moment? After much consideration, I decided to move things along. The kitchen scene was much tamer than what you read. This is why I also altered Benjamin's character to match the intensity of the new scene (and why the chapter ended the way it did). Talk about a ginormous roller coaster of emotions! And there's more to come...I might have to bump the story to M (in AO3) soon.

Visit my Tumblr page: hirstories dot tumblr dot com for story-related artwork and other stories.

Thank you for reading!

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References

(1) February 3rd, 1940, landed on a Saturday, I checked. You're welcome :)

(2) Mavis was singing some lyrics of the song Over the Rainbow. The ballad was composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz and was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role as Dorothy Gale. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Garland's signature song. Source: Wikipedia.

(3) In this chapter, Winry was curious about the appliance Mavis brought to her room. That appliance is a curling iron, and yes, curling irons were used in the 1940s and they used to look like giant pliers.

(4) Catalina Beckham is Rebecca Catalina from the manga/Brotherhood series. Becky replaced Riza Hawkeye's alter in the original chapter. I decided to replace her as part of the global changes to the story. And I made use of my creative license because I can. :P

(5) La Tache (written as La Tâche) is a Grand Cru vineyard in the Cote de Nuits sub-region of Burgundy. The vineyard is one of six Grand Cru sites in the village of Vosne-Romanee, and the most southerly of the Cote de Nuits Grands Crus. The current average price for a bottle from 2015 is $5,708.00 (USD) in 2019. The cost in 1940 is roughly around $318.00 (USD). Yep, Edward has pretty expensive tastes.

(6) Junker is pretty much a lesser noble in German-speaking countries. It was a class that was "erased" from society after World War II. Benjamin shares the sentiment of Karl Marx when referring to junkers. Marx hated the German aristocracy and saw junkers (aristocracy) as social parasites, an attitude seen throughout Europe and Asia in the first half of the 20th century.

(7) Aphorism xxv. "There is nothing furnished Free—No Thing given for Nothing—in the Cosmos." The passage from the century-old book The Arcanes by William Walker Atkinson. Here's another passage: "This is the Law of the Cosmos, as all wise men know it. It does one no good to deny or ignore it—it is Law, fixed, constant, immutable." And this passage sounds pretty familiar: "For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something." I wasn't aware of Hermeticism when I started writing Convergence, but now that I know I couldn't help but share. P.S. I bet Arakawa knows a thing or two about The Arcanes...and so do the people behind Bones.

(8) There was much chaos in the United States after the North won the war (Civil War). Most plantation owners were left in ruins, and the promise of freedom wasn't exactly as it was sold. Power shifts at the end of war (any war, all wars). Benjamin implies that the Rockwell's played the power game (whatever it takes, no holds barred approach) to survive, and survive they did.

(9) It is stated in the FMA Wiki that Winry's parents died before Trisha in the 2003 anime, so Winry is around five years old when she became an orphan.

(10) Buchenwald was a Nazi concentration camp built in Weimar, Germany in 1937. Prisoners from all over Europe and the Soviet Union—Jews, Poles, and other Slavs, the mentally ill and physically disabled, political prisoners, Romani people, Freemasons, criminals, homosexuals, and prisoners of war—worked primarily as forced labor in local armaments factories. Source: Wikipedia. The prisoners also suffered horrific medical experimentation. The camp was liberated on April 11, 1945 days after the U.S. 89th Infantry Division arrived on April 4, 1945. The ruthlessness, the violent streak seen in Benjamin shouldn't come as surprising. This is related to point (8) in the references section. Benjamin snapped. He relied on the cutthroat teachings he was taught as a child: everything goes in order to survive. In his eyes, Edward and Alphonse had become even more threatening than before so they must be eliminated/erased, nothing more and nothing less. In the original chapter, Benjamin wasn't as repulsive as in his present incarnation, and he tolerated Alphonse too. This time around, he's the type of antagonist I always wanted to portray. And I have a few more surprises along the way. Stay tuned. XD