Welcome back readers! It's been a while since my last update because my life has been chaotic as can be. I hope you enjoyed the sweet chapter we had last time because now it is time for the drama.

It was a month after Edward's proposal to Winry and the university was back in session. The trio had enjoyed their vacation, and survived Edward's driving to the train station. They had returned to their routine feeling refreshed, and with their skin slightly tanned from their days in the sun. Life was relatively peaceful until this evening's events unfolded.

Winry was in the kitchen chopping various vegetables for the stew she was making. Alphonse had returned home from clinicals and was in the shower washing the hospital off. He said he liked to shower when he got home for sanitary reasons, but Winry believed that he was just trying to relax. Winry looked at the clock on the wall.

"Hmmm.. Ed's running late. Maybe he missed the bus," Winry said to herself. She shrugged her shoulders and continued to her task of making dinner.

That was when she heard someone softly knocking on the door. It was like someone was afraid to disturb the tenants too much or was unsure of the tenant's reaction. Winry almost didn't hear it but when she did, she set down her knife on the cutting board and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Be right there," she announced. She figured another tenant in the apartment building that needed something fixed quickly, or even a neighbor needing to borrow sugar or milk. Winry hoped it wasn't something that needed fixing because she already changed into a dress for the evening.

Winry opened the door and found a stranger. It was a woman with tanned skin and dark hair as black as ink. Winry admired how beautiful this lady was. Winry didn't remember her as a tenant in the building.

The woman looked stunned though as if she was surprised at who answered the door. She didn't say anything. Winry could see some fear in the stranger's eyes and asked with a warm smile so as not to frighten the woman "Can I help you?"

The woman looked to be in shock. "Oh!"

Winry waited for the woman to answer but there was no reply. "Are you looking for the Elrics? Alphonse or Edward? They still live here."

The woman seemed to come to her senses and asked Winry. "Yes. But who are you?"

Winry placed her left hand on her chest with her small ring gleaming. She was quite fond of it but more fond of the significance of it. "My name is Winry. I'm Edward's fiancée. What's your name?"

Winry stuck out her right hand to shake the mysterious woman's hand, but the woman grabbed Winry's arm forcefully. Her nails pierced into Winry's skin.

Winry cried out "Stop! You're hurting me! Let go!"

That's when Noah saw images flash through her mind. There was a feeling of warmth and comfort as she saw Edward as a child running to the yellow house on a hill. She had seen that same house when she had first touched Edward. Noah never had a home before, but she could feel what one felt like when she went through this woman's mind.

But there were also feelings of determination and desperation. Noah felt this as she could see surgery being performed on Edward. Attaching the metal limbs that Noah herself had become familiar with as she and Edward began their relationship. The hands Noah saw doing this were small and were not the hands of a woman but a mere child. This girl was desperate to give this boy the limbs that he wanted so badly.

Next were feelings of loss and hope. She had woken up in a London hospital to a room of strangers but then she saw Alphonse. She couldn't believe it that she had found one of the people she had been searching for.

Then there was horror as she saw Edward on the bathroom floor of their apartment bathroom covered in blood. She could feel Winry's desire to comfort him and heal him as she applied pressure to the wound that refused to stop bleeding.

But then the butterflies began flying in her stomach as Edward kissed her in the hallway. The desire grew to be closer to him, and then Noah saw something she hadn't expected. Edward on top of her in their bed making love to her. She could feel his lips on her skin and the perception of him inside of her as if it was herself that was there. It had once been her that was his woman, but this was not her. This was a strange blonde woman that was being nuzzled and loved on with desire.

There was a crashing noise as something hit the floorboards next to her. Noah snapped out of her spell.

"NOAH?!" Edward yelled after he had dropped his briefcase.

Winry struggled to get her arm out of Noah's grip but to no avail. Noah's nails had dug deep into Winry's skin.

Edward noticed the scene. His fists tightened into balls and his teeth clenched as he snarled "Let her go NOW!"

Noah immediately released her hands from Winry's arm, and Winry instinctively retreated. Winry realized who this stranger was when Edward had spoken her name. This was his ex-girlfriend, and she had just flashed her engagement ring at her. Winry felt like she was an imbecile for not figuring out who the stranger was sooner.

Edward asked Winry "Are you okay?"

Winry glanced at her arms and noticed the crescent moons left by Noah's nails but there was no blood. Winry nodded, still speechless by the scene in front of her.

Edward turned to Noah, and he glowered at her. "We're going outside to talk right now. Winry, I'll be back soon."

Noah and Edward both stamped their feet, anger flowing through their veins. The air seemed to pulsate around them. Winry dashed to her bedroom to see them 'talk' outside. Alphonse steped out of the bathroom, hair dripping onto a towel that was wrapped around his shoulders.

Alphonse was amused by her rush that he chuckled "What's going on?"

"Noah's here!" Winry yelled.

"WHAT?!" Alphonse shouted in disbelief.

Alphonse stood behind Winry at the window and sighed "Oh no. Poor brother."

Noah and Edward were in a shouting match on the sidewalk. Winry tried to listen, but she couldn't make out the words. "What language is that?"

Alphonse replied "German."

Noah ended the shouting match by slapping Edward on the face.

That was Winry's breaking point. "That bitch!"

Winry turned and was about to head towards the front door when she was pulled back by Alphonse. "Winry, stop. You're not going to help by going after her."

"But Ed.."

"This is their business. Let them handle it," Alphonse told her. "Besides, she's already gone."

Winry glanced outside, and Noah was stamping off quickly. Edward was rubbing his face and yelled something at her that Winry couldn't understand. He walked back inside the building, and soon he opened the door to the apartment. Winry was still fuming, especially after seeing the red mark on Edward's face.

"I can't believe she did this. Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'll be fine," Edward said. Winry went to the sink and held a small cloth under the water. She pressed it lightly on his face, and he held it there while she went back to chopping vegetables, the knife hitting the cutting board with a force that made Alphonse pity the cutting board. Edward tried to brush it off but there was a shakiness to his voice. "It's not that bad Winry."

Winry kept chopping, releasing her anger into the motion of the knife. Alphonse and Edward both jumped as the chopping became louder.

Suddenly, Edward felt the tightening in his chest, and he could hear his pulse pounding. It had been a while since he had a panic attack but once again, it returned like an unwelcome visitor. His breathing became more rapid and shallow. Edward hated this feeling and wanted to get rid of it quickly. His gaze moved to the bathroom door, and he was reminded of how he used to silence these attacks by hurting himself. He took a few steps towards the bathroom, almost like his legs were not in his control.

But a gentle feminine voice brought him out of his trance. Winry asked "Ed, do you need to go for a walk?"

Edward faced her, and her concern grew more. Winry saw his eyes were narrow, and his face was scrunched showing her how much pain he was in. She put down the knife and poured the vegetables into the pot so they would simmer. Winry then hugged him fiercely. She whispered "It's going to be alright. Go for a walk. Do you want me to join you?"

Edward shook his head. "No, I need some time to think it through. But I'll be back soon."

"I know. Take your time. Dinner will be ready in about an hour," she encouraged him with a kiss on the cheek. Edward left the apartment, and walked in the opposite direction of where Noah went. He wanted to avoid her at all costs, but he needed his body to work out the adrenaline that had built up during the argument.

Alphonse and Winry sat at the table while the stew cooked. "Alphonse, tell me what they said."

Alphonse looked to the front door, wishing Edward would return. "Winry, it's their business. You can ask Edward when he returns home."

Winry grabbed his hand before he could stand up, and scurry to his room. "Alphonse, please. I promise I'll ask Edward later, but I want to know."

Alphonse relented. "Fine, I'll tell you. Noah said that Spain was in a horrible economic depression so there were no jobs. She came back here, and I assume she wanted to get back with brother. I just want to clarify she didn't say that."

Alphonse continued "And she is not happy about you."

"Well, she dumped him!" Winry yelled.

"Trust me, I know. I was here for that," Alphonse reminded her. "And that's what Edward told her today. He had moved on and found someone else."

Winry felt relieved. Edward had proven his devotion to her in front of Noah.

Alphonse's voice quaked a bit. "There's something you need to know about Noah. She has an odd ability or a gift. Some might call it a curse. When she touches someone, she can see that person's memories. Did she touch you?"

Winry's eyes widened at the realization. "She grabbed my arm after I told her Edward and I were engaged."

Alphonse pinched his nose, feeling awkward. His gaze shifted to the side as he told her "She may have seen that you and Edward are together through your memories. And maybe how 'close' you two are."

Winry gasped in horror. Had Noah seen Edward and Winry being intimate? "Oh god! That's awful. I can't believe she would do that!"

"Noah has no control over what she sees. She might have seen some other memories but…" Alphonse trailed off.

"What is it? Just spill it already!" Winry demanded.

"She told brother that she can't believe that he's having sex with you in their bed," Alphonse said quickly.

Winry's face reddened with embarrassment. She looked down in her lap and played with her fingers. She didn't know whether she should be angry at Noah or not. Noah left Edward because they both wanted different things out of life. However, he was heartbroken by it, and he had no idea how to cope with the loss of her companionship. He was incredibly vulnerable when Winry found him covered in his blood on the bathroom floor in an attempt to escape the pain of Noah's absence.

But Edward, with some help from Winry, had learned to pick up the pieces of himself and put them back together. Now he was stronger because of it. He learned some healthier habits of coping with his anxiety. Winry couldn't force him but could only show him that were alternative methods. It had been ultimately up to him to use those methods. And Winry would be furious if Edward regressed back to physically harming himself just because Noah had shown up and caused a scene.

Winry and Alphonse were eating dinner when Edward returned an hour later. He walked inside out of breath and sweat dripping down his face. His hair sleeked with moisture. Instead of taking a walk, it seemed like he had gone for a run.

"Feel better?" Alphonse asked.

Edward in between huffs, replied "Yeah."

Winry stood up and hugged him. She kissed him on the cheek. "Take a seat. I'll bring you a bowl of stew."

Edward gladly sat in a chair. As he sat, he could feel his clothes stick to him. He felt the need for a shower, but his stomach also growled. It was hard choosing between food and cleanliness, but the food was presented to him. His choice was made for him, and that made it easier. The less decisions he had to make, the better he felt. His brain had been overloaded with thoughts earlier, and he felt fatigued from it. The run helped clear his mind but still his body felt the physical effects.

Edward had eaten a few bites when Alphonse asked, "Did you see Noah?"

He nearly choked on his stewed carrots. Alphonse immediately regretted asking this when Edward was eating. Once Edward recovered, he answered "No. I really didn't want to either. That's why I went in the opposite direction that she took."

Dinner was quiet, and when Edward finished his bowl, he took a shower. He noticed someone had removed the razors from the bathroom just to ensure his safety. He was grateful for that. The temptation had been removed by someone that loved him and wanted no harm done to him, even by himself.

Edward knew once he and Winry went to bed, that she would most likely have questions. He thought about what answers he would give to what potential questions she might have. He wasn't quite dreading it, but he wished he could just go straight to sleep after this. His eyes were drooping in the shower as he held himself up with an arm on the shower wall. He was at his limit for today.

'Might as well get it over with,' he thought. He turned off the shower and dried off with a towel.

Edward made his way into the bedroom where Winry was already in bed. She was casually reading a book though he wondered if she was reading or just pretending.

When he got into bed, she closed her book. Her eyes were marked with worry. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said as he closed his eyes, hoping she would let him sleep.

"Ed, please, I want to know what happened between you two. Don't leave me in the dark again," Winry said with a voice that trembled.

Edward's eyes quickly opened and saw the pitiful look on her face. "It's nothing for you to worry about. But if you really want to know, Noah was in Spain, and unfortunately, they are going through an economic crisis. She returned thinking that I would take her back in. However, you answered the door, and she found out quickly that I had moved on."

Winry continued "Alphonse told me about her powers."

Edward grimaced. "Yeah, about that. She could see in my mind, and she saw you before you even came here. She knew you were special to me, and to see you answer the door, I think she was in shock."

"I told her we were engaged," Winry said. Edward's face clenched as a wave of awkwardness flowed over him. Winry continued. "That was so stupid of me."

"No, it wasn't. You didn't know," Edward consoled her. He wrapped his automail arm tenderly around her, and she moved in closer. "She was angry, but I reminded her that she was the one who left me. I think she's more upset because she doesn't know where to go now. Her plan didn't work, and now she must find her own way again."

Edward kissed Winry on the forehead. "I don't want you to worry about her. You're the one for me, and that's final."

Winry tilted her head up and kissed him. "Thank you for opening up to me."

Edward ran his automail hand on her hair, wishing he could feel how soft it was. He admitted "Yeah, it feels good to get it out."

"Good. We need to be open with each other. We are getting married soon," Winry kissed him good night, her lips lingering on his, and he pressed back gently. Edward was exhausted, and just wanted rest for tonight. She pulled back slowly releasing him from her mouth. She saw his eyelids were heavy as fatigue was claiming him. She whispered good night and turned off the bedside lamp.

The next chapter will be posted soon. It's written already but it needs to be polished. I was going to combine them but this chapter had so much happening in it that I thought it best to separate them. Next time will be an encounter with Lynda, and the meaning of the tattoo will be revealed.