Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom ❯ A Heart to Heart ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I never claimed to own this, so guess what. I do not!

Summary: When faced with Love's difficulty, can three people locked in its hold push aside their fear for the sake of it? Sequel to Feel Me, Shame Me, Heal Me.

When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom

Episode 14—A Heart to Heart

The train's wheels clattered on the track. Roy Mustang propped his chin up with his hand by resting his elbow on the thin windowsill. He glanced out at the world going by. Anyone looking at him would see a calm, collected man. But on the inside, the man was feeling everything except calm, he held within a rage of emotional torture.

Friday afternoon he had gotten a telegram, and surprisingly, it was from his father. It had taken Roy another day to decide to open it, now he was regretting that decision. He should have opened it right away. It had turned out that his parents had been visiting Winry and from the sound of the telegram she sounded deathly ill or badly hurt. It wasn't really expressed what had happened to her as it was only one line and really vague. He hadn't waited, he told Hawkeye to book him a train immediately, as the only solution had been was to go and see Winry. To see what was wrong and if there was anything he could do. If she needed a doctor he would get her the best medical attention available, money was no object.

His imagination had been running rampant with all the terrible things that could possibly be happening to her. Maybe she had been trying to tell him that she was sick, that she only had a little time left when she had come to Central three years ago. But he had just been stubborn and said no to seeing her. He shouldn't have! He should have let go of his self-hatred and gone to her.

Now he might be too late.

Ice traveled up his spine as he thought more about it. He did not wish to see her name on a headstone beside her mother's in the Resembool graveyard. That idea brought a sick feeling to invade within, even worse than his guilt. `Don't die, wait for me, Winry. I'm on my way.' It had already taken more than a day to get even close to Resembool. Had it always taken this long to get there? Most likely it had, but right now he was so agitated and worried that it seemed like it was taking longer. Only another six hours to go and he would be in the rural city of Resembool.

“Who's ready for another apple-cinnamon pancake?” Winry's cheery voice carried through the kitchen. She had two frying pans on the stove, one had four buttermilk pancakes and the one directly in front of her held her special apple-cinnamon recipe that she had come up with one day by accident.

“Me, me!” Brian said, thrusting his little fork and spoon in the air. Syrup stained all around his lips.

Anna clapped, “Mama, make it jump in the air.” She replied with excitement. She noticed that Uncles Alphonse and Edward were also eager to see the trick.

With a small giggle, Winry pulled the frying pan off the stove when it was firm enough and with a strong grip of the handle she tossed the pancake in the air and it flipped before landing on its other side. The whole table erupted in cheers, and she bowed to their applause.

“Why, thank you, I had been practicing that for years now.” Winry said with one eye closed and a bright smile on her face as she returned the pancake to the fire to let it cook more firmly before giving it to her son.

The back door opened and in walked Pinako, “Don't forget, Winry, about the Abbots' down the street this afternoon. You need to go and make some adjustments to the man's arm, he busted the elbow again and the screws came out.” She helped herself to some of the buttermilk pancakes and sat down at the table.

Winry smiled, “I won't forget.” she knew that it wasn't entirely Mr. Abbot's fault that his arm needed adjustments. He was a full time farmer and he's always working out in the hot sun, lifting heavy loads, plowing his wheat and corn fields. His sweet corn crops were the best in town and along with payment when it was the season, the Abbots' would give her a free bushel of the sweet white and gold mixed corn. He did win often in the annual competition usually held next month at the county fair.

She grabbed the pan with the remaining four buttermilk pancakes and walked to the table where she put two each on Edward and Alphonse's plate.

Edward stared at the little round disk with appreciation and he lifted his fork, when from the side another fork appeared, stabbing both pancakes and in a speedy fashion his breakfast zoomed away from his plate. “What the…” His eyes narrowed and he turned to his left seeing Anna was the one that had intercepted his second helping. “Hey!”

Anna grinned, shoving both pancakes in her mouth; they were too big and seemed to flower out from between her lips.

Pinako snorted in slight laughter at the display, knowing that Anna was a little bit of a handful at times.

Winry spun around at Edward's outburst. “Ed?” She noticed his plate was clean already, “Wow, that was fast. I didn't realize you were so hungry.”

Gold eyes narrowed suspiciously at Anna as she chewed really large and almost exaggeratingly while making pleased sounds. When the little girl swallowed, she lifted her hands in the air proudly.

“All done, Mama!” She grinned and pushed away from the table.

“I done, too!” Brian tried to get up but his mother came over with a wet cloth and started to wipe his face from the breakfast, he always managed to get more on the outside of his mouth than on the inside. “I don't need to be clean!”

All Winry had done was laugh. “Tonight is also bath night.”

“No!” Brian pouted. He thought he heard laughter and turned his head seeing Uncle Edward snickering as the old man got out of his chair. “No laughing at me!”

“I wasn't laughing at you, Runt.” Edward snickered.

After his mother finished wiping his face, Brian got down from his chair and walked over to Uncle Edward. “No call me runt, Poop-Head!”

“Brother, you should apologize.” Alphonse warned and tried not to laugh as he was usually always one to keep the peace, while his older brother always disrupted the peace. He could definitely see where this was heading.

“I'm not a Poop-Head.” Edward frowned.

Anna giggled, “Poop-Head, Poop-Head!” she jumped up and down clapping her hands. “Uncle Edwar, Poop-Head!”

“Stop saying that!” Edward stomped his foot, irritated. This only made the twins shout it louder in taunting laughter.

“Anna, Brian.” Winry's warning tone drifted over to the twins and they stopped their taunting. She also had tried not to laugh; she was a mother and couldn't condone that kind of behavior in her children, even though it was hilarious.

Blue eyes focused on Uncle Edward's metal arm, “You have Atmail?” Brian pointed, suddenly impressed and he moved closer and reached up, touching it.

Letting out a smooth breath, Edward nodded “Yeah, your mother made it for me.”

“I help lots, too.” Brian gestured at himself with a proud thumb.

“My leg is also Automail,” Edward said, seeing the young boy's eyes light up.

Brian looked back at his sister and they both grinned before he turned back to face Uncle Edward. “Which one is it?”

Pointing to his left leg and knocking on it, that seemed to make both children giggle and they turned and ran from the room.

“We're leaving in fifteen minutes to go down to the Abbots' place, so be ready.” Winry shouted as her two young ones laughter filled the house. She turned back to Edward and Alphonse, “So, are you boys still hungry?”

Alphonse shook his hands back and forth and patted his stomach, “No thanks, I'm full, Winry.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Edward's eyes narrowed. “Yeah, well I'm not. That daughter of yours took my last two pancakes.”

Letting out a small sigh, Winry turned to head back to the stove when Edward's hand came down on her shoulder.

“I'm fine though, you don't need to make anything more.” He smiled and could see the relief in her eyes.

Pinako felt that was a little odd, but said nothing of it. So, Edward was trying to make nice now was he? What she felt was coming will certainly be very interesting to witness. She smirked down at her plate.

“How's the arm and leg?” Winry moved her hand over the metal of Edward's arm that she had attached the morning after he arrived.

He glanced at the floor, “Your Automail has always been the best, and it feels perfect.” Edward praised, seeing a tiny blush sprinkling her cheeks.

Winry always appreciated it when her clients loved her work. “I've actually been working on this for quite awhile, improving the way it allows movement. Can't you tell that when you move it that it's much smoother and light?”

“Maybe I should start a fight to really test it.” Edward smirked and received a smack upside the head from Winry's fist.

“Don't you dare, you put one screw out of place on this baby,” She patted the arm, “and you'll be eating wrench for a week.” She said with eyes narrowed.

Lifting his hands defensively, Edward took a step back. “Don't get all huffy, I'll try not to get into any fights.”

Alphonse snickered, “Yeah right, Brother, that's like asking you to stop breathing.”

“He does have a point, Ed. I better write up a contract for you to pay me three times as much as you would normally for maintenance, just so I have insurance on that arm and leg of yours.” Winry's tone was of amusement, but anyone in the room could tell she was dead serious. “This is, after all, my best work ever! Can't have you go damaging it as if it were scrap metal.”

Taking a look over at the clock above the door that led outside in the kitchen, Winry noticed it was time to go. She hollered about the house for her children to grab what toys they wanted to take because it might take a bit of time.

As soon as everything was gathered including Winry's tool set, she, her children and the Elric brothers headed for the Abbots' house down the road.

****

Chuck Abbot was lying on the bed as Winry oiled the elbow of her repair. “All right then, Chuck, all done.” She smiled and wiped her hands with a black rag from all the grease and oil on her hands. She closed the lid to her tool set. “That'll be fifteen.”

Glancing over at Edward, Chuck grinned while winding his arm like a windmill testing it's movement. “It's good ta see ya, Ed. Nice that you finally came home. Everyone's been wonderin' where you'd taken off ta.”

Shrugging, Edward grinned. “Yeah, the military had me going everywhere for them.” He lied, he doubted that anyone would have believed that he had been stuck in an alternate universe, so it was a good idea to stick with stories that his friends and neighbors would believe. “But I quit, so now I can stay here.”

“Glad to hear it.” Chuck, in good spirits, clapped Edward on the shoulder a little too hard, which sent the young man stumbling forward a little.

“Let me get yo' money, Winry and then you can get outta here. I know you probably got lotsa stuff to do today.” Chuck grinned and left the room to get her payment.

Winry rested against the side of the bed while looking at Edward. He smiled at her and for some reason she felt her cheeks heat and averted her gaze to the floor. That was an unusual smile, he never looked at her like that before and she was a little embarrassed. It was silly! She didn't need to be embarrassed, this was Edward here! She lifted her head and was about to ask him what he was smiling at her like that for, when Chuck came back in holding a small envelope extended towards her.

“Here ya go, Winry. There's somethin' a little extra in there for ya.” He winked and she grinned back at him.

“Have a good day, Chuck and try to take it easy for a little bit.”

Chuck waved his hand in the air, “Can't, Winry. Ya know the county fair is comin' up in a couple weeks. I gotta be ready.”

Winry laughed, “That's so true.” She took her payment and grabbed her tool set. Leaving the room, Edward followed after her. Walking down the stairs, she found her children and Alphonse playing with four kittens. Anna was cuddling a black and white one that was swatting at her hair, and Brian was dragging a piece of yarn along the floor while an orange one chased after it. Alphonse was currently being used as a human playground for two gray and white stripped kittens. Winry smiled at the cute sight and cleared her throat.

All heads turned towards her and she grinned, “Time to leave.”

“Awww.” Both Brian and Anna complained together as they got up from the floor.

Chuck's wife, Ellie, appeared from around the corner where the kitchen was. She slung a hand towel over her shoulder and leaned against the archway of the door. “Anna and Brian, you two can come back anytime you want and play with them.” She smiled, “I know they would enjoy it as much as you two would.”

Anna and Brian looked up into their mother's face with pleading eyes and their hands clasped together.

“We'll see.” Winry said with a smile. She really did not want her children going anywhere without her or someone she trusted completely. These were her babies and she didn't want them running off on their own quite yet, even if the Abbots did live down the road.

Ellie smiled, “The children are always welcome here, Winry. Before you leave I have something for them.” She turned around and headed back into the kitchen.

Winry wondered what Ellie could possibly have for her babies, she smiled lightly as one of the stripped kittens had found its way over to her and started pulling on her sock with its claws. Her client's wife returned with two lollypops wrapped in clear plastic. One red and white swirl and one orange and white swirl.

“I bought a whole bunch of these to give them out to children at the county fair coming up.” Ellie replied handing the lollypops to Winry.

Grinning with appreciation, Winry nodded as both her children's eyes lit up with glee. “They can have them after dinner tonight.” She said taking the treats and putting them in her tool case.

“Can't we have them now?” Brian pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Winry lifted a brow, “Would you rather I let Den have them?”

Anna nudged her brother hard with her elbow, obviously displeased at the idea of their dog eating her treat. “No, don't be spoil, Brian. We having lollys for dessert.”

With a smirk, Edward snickered. He couldn't help it. Winry sure knew how to handle the little brats.

The five of them left the Abbots and started down the road to head for home.

“You'll make enemies of Winry's children, Brother.” Alphonse said leaning close to his brother's ear so only he could hear him. “Don't keep laughing at Brian, he's a lot sneakier than he looks.”

Edward rolled his eyes, “I guess that is possible. After all, that sneaky ass, bastard is their father. It's no wonder the brats would turn out conniving and disrespectful.” He realized he said that a little too loud when Winry turned her head.

“Hey!” Winry heard that and turned a sharp glare on Edward. “Watch it, Ed. Those are my kids, too. Roy wasn't the only one involved in their creation, you know!”

Shuddering with disgust, Edward stuck out his tongue distastefully. “Ugh, don't remind me, Winry. I'm going to lose whatever I ate.” He held his stomach exaggeratingly. “Do you have to refer to the bastard by name, Gawd, I'm sick enough with the thought of him sticking anything of his in you!” He was sure his face had turned green.

Alphonse rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Winry's cheeks heated and she growled. “Mind what you say, Ed, this is not appropriate conversation in front of the children.”

Edward looked ahead of them where the children were and they were jumping around and giggling with each other. “Bah, they're not even payin' attention, Winry. Besides what do kids know?”

“They actually know quite a lot. Brian and Anna could both speak practically full coherent sentences before they were even two years old.” Winry folded her arms tensely over her chest.

“Obviously from your side, which is where the smarts come from,” Edward praised but still couldn't help but insult Roy.

Feeling irritated, even though she shouldn't. Roy left her and never came back. She shouldn't be sticking up for him. “He's actually really smart, he knew how to manipulate you.” She grinned sarcastic.

With narrowed golden eyes, they slid over to Winry. How could she even defend the bastard like that?! It made him seethe with hostility. “You know, Winry? You're right about Mustang being smart, that must be true as he obviously manipulated you. Or could it be you didn't really fight all that hard against his `persuasion tactics'. Were you just as horny for him, that bastard who murdered your parents?”

Stopping short with a shocked gasp, Winry stared hard at the ground in disbelief at what had just flew from her friend's lips. What he said hurt, really badly that it stung deep within.

He immediately cringed at what he had realized he said to her. All his inner thoughts had come raging out without his consent. She had to defend that bastard which made Edward just start running his mouth. `Me and my damn mouth!What the hell's the matter with me!?' “Uh…Winry, I…I didn't—”

Feeling the warm air around him suddenly drop cold, Alphonse's eyes widened extremely large and he immediately thought of the children. “Winry? I'll take the kids home.” He offered and all he got was a conformation nod from his childhood friend. He also reached over and took her tool set from her hand as she had been squeezing the handle really hard that her knuckles had turned white. He cleared his throat. His brother was in for it big time, that was definitely the wrong thing to say to her. He could see how hurt Winry was. “Sometimes, Brother, you're a real asshole.” He said then turning on his heels and hurrying towards the children and ushering them away from the intense situation and towards home.

“Winry, I didn't mean to say that.” Edward eased carefully.

She squeezed her eyes shut, “Yes you did. Or you wouldn't have said it,” her tone was tight, strained. “You don't know anything, Edward. How dare you even presume to know what happened between Roy and I.”

“Then tell me, Winry. What happened, how did it…?” Edward looked away from her for a moment trying to gather his thoughts. “I'm sorry for what I said.” He moved closer to her, trying to see her face, to see her reactions. “You know I can't really control half of what I say, I just reacted and I'm confused.”

Her line of sight shifted to the side, “I don't want to talk about it.” Thinking about Roy had always been painful. He always entered her mind at the most inopportune times. She couldn't even resist going to that loose plank in her room and staring sadly at the small mementos of what she thought she had. But it had been a dream, it wasn't real. Her dream had been shattered and she never wanted to walk that path again. “I've put him in the past, Ed. What had happened is no longer important. I just can't believe that you said what you did. That really hurt me, which I knew would happen. See, that was why I feared telling you about what was happening in my life, because of this kind of reaction.”

Edward let out a frustrated breath, he reached down and took her hand. He found her confused expression. He just tugged her along towards the pond. “Winry, it just seems odd that you would have even considered Mustang. He's done so much to hurt you and you just forgot all about it.”

Sitting down and staring out on the water, as the sun's rays sparkled upon it, Winry softly smiled, but it wasn't a smile of amusement. “I didn't forget, Ed. You must think I'm really stupid.”

“You're not stupid, Winry. But when hormones are involved, it can ruin our judgment.” Edward sat next to her.

She rested her chin on her knees, “Ed, if you could only see what kind of person he really was, you would have a different opinion. As much as he has hurt me, I still respect him. He's done so much for me, and not just in a personal sense either. He's also done a lot for you as well. You're just so damn stubborn that you didn't notice anything that was past your own nose when it came to his watching out for you.”

“He did it mostly for himself,” Edward said crossly, “Just to further his goals.”

“Which you really don't know to extent of,” Winry said, looking at Edward finding him really concentrating. “I'm sure you both had a somewhat heart to heart, but I doubt he told you everything. You both had different agendas but the end result was beneficial to both your desires and goals.”

“Why defend him, Winry? He obviously left you to raise those kids by yourself. Why isn't he taking responsibility for his actions?” He knew why Mustang left Winry, but he wanted to hear what she thought about it.

Winry sighed and leaned back, lying on the grass staring up at the white clouds slowly breezing by. “He doesn't know about the twins, and I don't want him to know either.”

“He could be helping you out, he should be!” Edward fumed and squeezed his hands tightly.

“No! I want him to make a good life for himself, to become important in the government, to make things better for us. I won't be selfish and drag him away from what he is capable of. He won't be able to if the children are over his head, especially if he doesn't want to really be with me. He'll start to resent and even hate me.” She sat up, placing her hands down in the soft grass.

Edward closed his eyes tightly, knowing exactly how wrong Winry was. He knew that Mustang did want to be with her, that he just feels he's not good enough for her. Edward was sure that if Winry knew that Mustang actually thought that way, she would argue the point with the ass and he would come back to her. Edward definitely had this knowledge; only he kept it to himself, he will never tell Winry that. That no good bastard would only end up hurting her and Edward could not allow that to happen. He scooted closer to her, so that they were almost touching. “Winry, you are way too nice to that asshole. He really doesn't deserve your defense. If I had a family with the girl I loved, I know I would never want to be away from them, and for all the correct reasons, not just because it was the right thing to do.”

Winry closed her eyes and sighed with fondness, “You're a decent person, Ed. You always have been, even if you over-react in a lot…” She laughed, “Okay in too many ways. It just proves that you feel things deeply, you have a lot of emotion.”

He actually felt his cheeks heating at what she said. Edward cleared his throat and he saw Winry's eyes open. He wanted to apologize to her; he didn't want to make her feel bad for the choices she made. “I really am sorry for what I said to you about the relationship you had with Mustang. I know it's not really any of my business.”

Tilting her head a little, she nodded. “It wasn't really a relationship in the traditional sense. But, I can't deny that I actually cared about him.”

“Did you love him?” Edward asked, he held his breath waiting for her answer.

Taking a deep breath, Winry felt a tickle in her throat. “Can we not talk about him anymore?” She could feel her eyes starting to swell with wetness and she didn't want to lose it in front of Edward. “I don't want to think about him anymore. He's in that past where he belongs. I've moved on and am perfectly content.” She willed the tears back much to her relief. Hopefully she could fool Edward into thinking that she hadn't really thought about him until now when he was just brought up. She then smiled fondly, “I have my darlings to think about and take care of.”

“You know, Winry, if you need help I'm here now and so is Al.” He grinned, hopefully in what appeared to be helpful.

She smiled, “Thank you, Ed. It's nice to know that if I need it, you're there to help.”

“You've always been there for me, Winry. I was just too blind and driven to notice it then.” He reached over and with hesitation covered her hand that was flat on the grass with his flesh one. He wanted to feel her skin, how soft her hand was. “I should have noticed, Winry. There's no excuse.” He leaned closer, noticing that she was listening to him really carefully as the intense expression on her face was proof enough. “I have only begun to make up for what I had taken for granted.”

“I never expected anything, Ed. I'm your friend, your family. Family sticks together no matter what, even if we're overlooked at times.” She squeezed his hand in affection.

“I was afraid.” Edward admitted, “I never wanted to let you in because it was really dangerous. There was more to what Al and I had gone through than just trying to get his body back. I didn't want you to get hurt, that's why I never talked to you about anything that me and Al faced. Can you imagine…?”

Winry had kept something from Edward besides Roy. “I have an idea of what you were up against, Ed. I know some of the dangers because it kind of happened to me, too. I was in Central at the time and decided to snoop around with Scieszka. We could have died as we had come across one of those homunculi. Scieszka had me disguised as one of the military and we snuck around in the air ducts at headquarters, listening in on private conversations. I wanted to help her, I wanted to help Roy, I wanted to help you and I wanted to find out what was going on in why Mr. Hughes was killed. I know I shouldn't have done it.”

“Why haven't you ever told me that, Winry? If you had, maybe I could have been more open with you, shared more with you.” Edward felt like slamming his head against a tree. “I didn't think you would understand, as you were always safe here without any knowledge of the dangers that I faced.” He tightened his hold on her hand. “That was dangerous, and you tell me this now as if it doesn't matter anymore because you're alive and it's years later?”

“I know it was dangerous, but I was willing to risk it for those I loved. Just as you were,” Winry said softly. “Why should my reasons be any less than yours? Is it because you think my reasons were less tragic? Think about it, Edward, that whole damn Ishbal war that resulted in my parents' unfair death was started because of those greedy beings. So my reasons were just as heartfelt and needed as yours, even if I didn't realize it at the time. I know the truth now. In a way getting to the truth, my parents' death had been avenged and even if I wasn't solely responsible, I helped in some way.”

He couldn't help the tiny grin, “Well when you put it that way, I guess I can't be mad about that. I just don't like thinking that bad things might happen to you. I had tried to keep it all away from you.” It was surprisingly easy to be open with her like this. He never had before. He was always so caged and not wanting to feel anything.

She also smiled, “You can't keep life, both good and bad from me, Ed. It'll happen whether you want it to or not.”

“I know.” Edward's gold eyes, held her pretty sapphire. “Things with me are different now, Winry. I do want to be more open, I do want to tell you things. I still may overreact, but I can't really help that.”

Winry laughed, “You wouldn't be the Edward I know if you didn't overreact. You always have and you always will.” She couldn't help the wide smile she gave him. It felt just like the old days when they were kids and Trisha Elric was still alive, those days were always full of laughter and fun. Edward always exaggerated then too. “What was that other world like that you lived in?”

“Pretty similar to this one, a lot of people here have a double in that world. Gracia has one, Hughes did.”

“Mr. Hughes?” Winry's eyes lit up, “Really?”

Edward nodded, “Yeah, he's kinda the same except he wasn't married to Gracia yet, so he doesn't have kids to shove those pictures in my face. I'm not sure about now, I know as I was leaving Germany with Al to travel that Hughes was finally getting up the courage to confess his love to her.” He snickered, but then grew serious. “He wasn't exactly like the Hughes of this world as you know how dedicated and non-manipulative he was. With that Hughes it was easy for others to convince him of things and he believed what people told him instead of his own eyes. I think he knows better now though, after what happened and all. Rose has a double too.” His cheeks then flamed, “I didn't stay long enough to find your double though. Although, the way things have gone there as they tend to sort of mirror our world, there's probably a good chance of a Winry Rockbell who messed around with a Roy Mustang there as well.”

Winry rolled her eyes and reached over and smacked Edward upside the head.

“Hey! What was that for?” He squinted one eye, while rubbing his head. “I was just stating a possible truth, you never really know.” His tone was light and teasing. Even if he didn't really like the idea of Winry with Mustang, at least it wasn't happening here and now, and that's all that mattered.

She could see that he was only teasing, but to her he deserved that hit. “Why do you keep going back to Roy, perhaps you're in love with the guy.” She snickered watching his face contort in disgust.

“Winry! That's the grossest thing I had ever heard in my entire life. And believe me, I've heard and seen quite a lot! Ewww,” He felt unclean and horrid, as shivers raced about his skin like ants crawling on him. He saw her laughing and it made him smile.

Her cheeks heated, there was that smile again. Why was he looking at her like that, again!? It was very unnerving and it made her feel funny.

“I missed you and everyone here, Winry. It just wasn't the same there. It didn't really feel like home. It took awhile but I realized that you feel like I'm home.”

Winry's eyes widened, “Ed? You're not behaving like yourself. You've become so damn…sentimental.” She laughed. “I guess I'm more used to the Ed who is just gonna leave in a few days to track another lead for Al's body. I've never seen this side of you.”

Edward shifted closer to her, so close that he could feel the heat from her body, he took a deep breath. “There's a lot I haven't shown you. I'm trying to be a better person.” Saying that seemed to make Winry pale and anxious that she dropped her gaze to the grassy ground.

`Don't say things like that, Ed.' She thought to herself with a pained heart. Winry took a deep breath, trying to will those blasted memories away. Why did Edward have to sound so much like Roy? Not his voice but the same emotion he put behind his words.

“Did I say something wrong?” He moved his hand up to her shoulder, lightly touching the strands that hung down about her face.

She shook her head, “No, it's not you. It's me, its all in my own damn head.” She cursed herself. Lifting her sapphire eyes to his, she noticed that Edward had moved a lot closer to her and she cleared her throat uncomfortably. He had never been this close to her before, at least not like that.

“Winry, you're my best friend, the person I am closest to besides Al.” His heart pounded. He had never kissed a girl before, but right now he really wanted to. Winry was special, and he was glad he never wasted his time on other girls.

Knowing that kind of look, Winry's head shouted at her. `No way! He did not just look at me like that!' “I know we are close, Ed.” She had to keep him talking, to steer him away from what he obviously was thinking about doing. He was moving closer to her and all she could do was stare, she lost her nerve to say or do anything. Her heart pounded hard. “Ed?”

He smiled lightly, his eyes catching her frightened ones. “You're not afraid of me, are you, Winry?” His breath lightly tickled her lips and he saw her close her eyes tightly and he moved a tiny fraction to…she turned her head. His lips landed on her cheek. It felt like his heart sank into his feet.

Winry immediately lifted to her feet, staring off into the distance as the sun had started to set. “We better get back.” She had to ignore what he tried to do, it had been an accident. He really didn't want to kiss her, he was just confused and been caught up in the conversation and the beautiful pond with the sun's glistening rays. Yes, that's what her mind would accept. It was more along the other lines of her not wanting to kiss him. He was just her friend now, and maybe a long time ago she would have jumped at that kind of affection Edward could give, in fact she had often dreamt about how her first kiss with him would have been. It would have been romantic, possibly standing in the rain and he would lean over and… she shook her head. She didn't want him now. Things had changed. She changed. Her heart had changed. She doesn't see Edward like that any more and she hadn't for some time now.

Trying to make light of his rejection, Edward rubbed the back of his blonde head with his metal hand. “Yeah, you're right. I'm starving.” He stood up and stretched his arms back, thrusting his chest forward.

She turned and smiled at him. “I do need to make dinner for my babies.” She was glad that he wasn't that disappointed. She didn't want to hurt him.

He narrowed his eyes slyly, “I have an idea. It's something that we used to do all the time when coming home from a day of swimming at the pond. Race ya! Last one home has to take the trash out for a week!” His laughter filled the air as he took off, hearing Winry's yelp made him smile brighter. There will be another chance to confess his feelings, she obviously wasn't ready yet and he wasn't going to force it on her.

“Edward, not fair!” She took off after him.

They ran in the direction home, Winry had caught up to him and they were now running side by side. Edward laughed and sped up.

“Ed! No ya don't!” She pushed her legs harder, hearing his laughter made her growl and speed up. Her heart pounded but the feelings filling her within were joyful, and she felt so light and easy. She was having fun, real fun that she hadn't had in a long time. “You're not gonna win this time, I am!”

“Ha-ha, Winry, don't count on it.” He moved faster with a wide grin on his face.

They turned down the dirt road heading for the house and were side by side again and raced right up to the porch, where they both took a hold of the railing to catch their breath.

“I think you've gotten faster.” Edward said, panting.

Winry smiled brightly, her blue eyes twinkling. “It comes from chasing the twins around. When they don't want to go to bed, they really mean it.” She laughed, leaning against the railing now. “Oh, boy, Ed, as kids whenever we'd race like that, it was always Al who was last.”

Snickering, Edward nodded. “Yep, he'd have to take out the trash for a whole week, and back then that felt like a lifetime's worth of chore!”

“Yeah, but don't you remember? He would exaggerate so much how hard it was for him to lift the `heavy' bag that you'd feel sorry for him and end up taking it out yourself.” She laughed harder. “He sure knew how to work your soft spot.”

Edward also couldn't help but laugh at that memory as well. “He's always been sneakier than he let on.”

Walking forward, Edward opened the door and he let Winry enter the house first. He heard her footsteps as well as her slight laughter now abruptly stop as he had closed the door behind them. He noticed Winry was just frozen to that spot on the floor and her eyes were pointed straight ahead and were wide in what appeared to be absolute terror. He wondered what was wrong until he turned his head to face forward.

The reason for that horrified look was of the fact of General Roy Mustang in military uniform sitting calmly on the sofa facing them with his right leg resting on his left and his hands folded quietly in his lap. Edward felt his anger boil in his veins, his line of sight shifted to the children on the floor, Anna was drawing circles on a piece of paper with green and blue crayons and saying how much better Alchemy was rather than building things where as Brian was in complete disagreement as he was trying to prove his sister wrong by building a massive tower with blocks.

Edward's eyes shifted and his head turned slightly towards Al who was sitting on the small love seat diagonal to the larger sofa while shrugging his shoulders with an intensely worried expression on his face.

“Hello, Winry.” Roy said with a small smile that was anything but amused and a slight tilt of his head.

Winry's pulse rioted. She had not been expecting to see Roy Mustang ever again and he was sitting right here in her house, with her children only a small distance away in the middle of the living room playing with toys and drawing while arguing with each other. “Oh, shit.”

=======

Well that's it for this episode/chapter. So what did you all think, did you all have a feeling I would bring Roy back in this chapter? Haha. What about Winry's reaction, what do you think will happen next? I would so like to hear your ideas in what you think will happen, not that it will change what I've already planned.

Thanks for reading,

Ryoko Blue