Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Unmasking Truths ❯ Unexpected guest ( Chapter 1 )

 

 

 

Col. Roy Mustang stood outside under the slight overhang at the top of the stairs that led to the front doors of Head Quarters. It'd been raining hard for the past three days and didn't look to be letting up anytime soon. He sighed and was about to turn around to go back inside when something caught his eye. Normally narrowed eyes opened wide in disbelief as he looked upon the half running half staggering drenched form coming through the rain toward the bottom of the steps.

 

He knew that girl that was coming nearer to him and he ran down the slippery steps to help her get inside. He could here the girl coughing harshly as he got closer, sniffling and sneezing as well. A soft curse fell from his lips when he got close enough to see the exhaustion written all over her face, from the dark circles under her dull blue eyes to the soft frown lines at the corners of her mouth. This girl was exhausted, drenched and very clearly sick - or at least on her way to getting there.

 

“Winry!” he called to her when she jumped away from his extended hand, the sound of the pounding rain drowning out his words and making him shout to be heard. “It's alright,” he said as he drew her against his side, taking her travel tool kit from her weak hand. “You remember me from the last time you were here? I'm Colonel Mustang.”

 

“R-roy?” she stammered out exhausted.

 

The kit was heavy he thought. How had she ever managed to keep hold of it? He nodded and helped her quickly up the steps and into the building out of the rain. The girl was soaked to the bone and looked ready to collapse where she stood. Her skin was freezing but there was an underlying flush to her face that told of a fever the chill of the rain had temporarily hidden.

 

“Major Armstrong!” Mustang called out as he saw the powerful alchemist strolling down the hall. “Take her to the infirmary quickly,” he commanded when the tall man came running toward them.

 

“Of course sir!” Armstrong said and turned to Winry. “This way Miss Rockbell,” he said to the temperamental girl held come to know.

 

“Give me…a minute…I'm just a little…tired,” she panted out as the exhaustion caused a fading darkness to swim on the edge of her vision. “I'll be right…there,” the girl collapsed, her exhaustion claiming her mercilessly.

 

“Now Armstrong,” Roy said as the mostly bald man swung the teen engineer up into his arms before she could fall. “Get her to the infirmary. Have Ross stay with her until I bring down the Elric brothers. And Major,” the Col eyed the man seriously. “Not one word about this to the higher ups.”

 

“Of course sir,” the Strong Arm Alchemist said and quickly carried the unconscious girl down the many halls on his trek to the infirmary.

 

“What the hell was that girl thinking?” Roy muttered to himself as he dried off and changed into a dry uniform. “Ed's gonna blow a gasket,” the Flame Alchemist chuckled dryly as he moved out of his office and down toward the living quarters. “Pity him; Winry won't be able to fix it this time.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Gee, thanks for knocking Colonel,” Edward Elric said in annoyance, not even casting a look up from the book he was currently studying.

 

“Hi Col Mustang,” Alphonse said cheerily, happy to have some company other than his quiet brother, the blonde boy far too focused on the book to be much of any company at all.

 

“Ed, Al, you two need to follow me,” Mustang said taking no time for pleasantries.

 

“Another assignment?” Ed asked, this time he did look up from the text.

 

“You could say that,” Roy said as he led the Full Metal Alchemist and his brother down the hall. “Someone's come in today. It's your job to look after her.”

 

“What, do we have to entertain her too?” Ed asked feeling a bit put out. He'd wanted to see Winry, but the rain hadn't let up enough for a trip to the train station.

 

“She may not be up for much entertainment Ed,” Roy said as he led them to the closed doors of the infirmary. “She's sick. Just take care of her and look out for her alright?” he asked with a raised brow and a no nonsense look.

 

“Yeah, whatever,” the teen who had finally reached just shy of six feet said with a grumble. “Who is this girl anyway?”

 

“I think you've already met her before,” the man said stoically. “Why don't you two go in and see her.”

 

Ed looked at the man suspiciously before moving slowly into the room that smelled far too strongly of cleansers and disinfectants. He turned to his left when he heard the painful whimpers that accompanied harsh wracking coughing. His golden eyes widened and his face grew pale. That couldn't be -

 

“Winry?” he asked in shock.

 

Regaining his awareness, he ran to her bedside and looked down at the girl with wet hair that had been dressed in a simple white cotton smock. He came to a stop just before nearly running into her bed and looked down on her fever blushed face, the sleeping girl coughing and whimpering in her sleep. He turned his eyes back to the man that stood just inside the doors asking for an explanation.

 

“I wouldn't have found her at all if I hadn't gone out for a bit of fresh air,” he said as he came to stand beside Ed, Al standing at the foot of the bed. “She was soaked to the bone, looked beyond exhausted.”

 

“When did you find her?” Al asked in worry over his friend.

 

“Not even ten minutes ago,” the man said as he reached out and brushed a bit of the girl's loose wet blonde hair out of her face. “She's burning up,” he said in concern as the back of his hand rested against her pale cheek. “I'm taking the two of you off of any and all assignments. She's your first and foremost priority right now. Once she gets better and you're ready to leave her side, come to me and we'll see what I can have you do.”

 

“Thanks Colonel,” Ed said with sincerity.

 

“Oh by the way, she had a tool kit with her. It's in my office right now. Do you want me to keep it there or bring it down here?” the man asked as he moved away from the bed and back toward the doors.

 

“Keep it with you for right now,” Ed said without looking away from the girl lying in the bed.

 

“You got it,” Mustang said and left.

 

“Oh Winry,” Ed said as he sat beside her hip on the bed. “Why'd you come here if you're so sick?” he asked the sleeping girl not really expecting any answer.

 

“…E-ed,” the girl in the bed moaned his name pitifully.

 

“Winry?” Ed's eyes watched the girl intently as she seemed to have to fight to open her eyes.

 

The clanking sound made whenever Al moved, alerted his brother that he was coming closer to the bedside. Ed looked up to his brother for a single moment before his eyes moved back down to the bed, his flesh hand grasping Winry's.

 

“I'm here Winry,” Ed assured her as he carefully brushed her hair aside with his automail hand. “So's Al.”

 

“Winry,” Al called to the girl afraid to touch her. She looked so fragile.

 

Winry opened her mouth and took in a breath to speak again, but all that came of it were dry, hacking, painful coughs. Ed helped her to quickly sit up and held the girl against his shoulder as she coughed, reaching a hand out gratefully for the cup of water Lt. Ross handed him. Winry moaned exhaustedly against his shoulder as her coughing subsided. Pushing his jacket and aside and opening his shirt, she buried her head inside and rested her fevered face against the cool metal of his automail shoulder.

 

“Finally found some good use for it huh?” he joked lightly. “Here. Drink this,” he told her gently and lifted the cup of water to her lips when she turned her head. “A little bit more,” he prodded quietly and tipped the cup once more for her to drink. “Ok,” he said when she turned her face away after drinking nearly half the glass. “Thanks,” he said to Ross when she took the glass and set it aside for him.

 

“She should rest more,” the female officer said and Ed nodded silently.

 

“Shh, it's ok,” he soothed the girl as he laid her back down upon her pillows.

 

“Too hot,” she whimpered as she reached out for his right arm again.

 

“You just want me for my automail,” he ribbed as he moved to the other side of the bed, taking off his jacket and shirt, baring his body save for the black tank top as he lay down next to her on top of the blanket.

 

“Damn straight,” she said weakly as she curled against him when he drew her against his side with his right arm.

 

“Go to sleep Winry. I'll be here when you wake up,” he promised her and petted her hair as she nuzzled her face against the cool metal.

 

“Will she be alright?” Al worriedly questioned Lt. Ross as the woman moved to cover both Ed and Winry with another blanket.

 

“With rest and proper treatment, yes,” she assured both brothers.

 

“Mustang said she had her travel kit with her Al,” Ed said in thought as he watched the girl in his arms sleep. “You know how she is when she's working.”

 

“Yeah,” Al said with a soft chuckle and spoke to Ross who looked at him curiously. “She forgets to eat much and rarely sleeps.”

 

“And with the rain,” the female officer sighed. “The girl just made herself sick.”

 

“Yeah,” Ed said as he held her close. “But she'll get better.” And I'll make sure of it.

 

“It's hard to believe that she's really Winry,” Al said in wonder. “She looks so tiny lying there,” the hollow armor brother said.

 

“Yeah I know. I think it's her temper that makes her seem so big,” Ed said with a soft chuckle. “Her temper's about as bad as mine.”

 

“Worse,” Al said with a childish giggle. “You get hit with more wrenches then she does.”

 

“Sure I do Al,” he shot back with a laugh. “She's the one that throws `em.”

 

“Ok,” Lt. Ross said as she stopped the hushed conversation. “She needs some actual rest. So, Al, I'm going to have to ask you to leave for now.”

 

“Alright,” he agreed easily enough, his empty armor body clanking softly as he moved carefully and touched Winry's hand with his before leaving the room.

 

“Ed,” Maria Ross said after a while. “When did it happen?”

 

“What do you mean?” he asked, as he looked up at the woman that over time he had come to realize thought of him like a son.

 

“When did you fall in love with her?” she asked with a soft smile.

 

“What makes you -?”

 

“You can't fool me Ed,” she said cutting off his attempted denial. “You rarely let anyone touch your right arm, yet you have it wrapped around her like that's how it's always been.”

 

The elder Elric brother sighed and looked at the girl resting so peacefully against him. She was right he did love her. But the question of when, there wasn't really an answer to that.

 

“I don't know,” he answered after a while, his voice soft, hesitant to reveal the truth. “I can't remember not loving her.”