I sighed and looked over at him.
"Indeed. i just want this crap to be over so we can be together... and happy and worry free."
I nodded and looked to the envelope.
"He said he reserved us a different room this time.. I wonder." I sighed and headed down the steps where I saw a familiar pair of heads at the bottom just sitting.
"...Winry? Alphonse?" I muttered to myself.

"What are we gonna do if we don't fin her, Al? Shes a little girl!"

"Me too....I just want to live a life...that doesn't involve Roy....Blue uniforms...or..well I can't say ALchemy...but at least without Roy."
Edward looked down.
"Oh...." He uttered a very nasty word...and paled.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING HERE!?" He hissed.

Alphonse sighed.
"I'm sure she's fine..." He hoped.
He turned to look up..and then cocked his head.
"Ed?"

"I so am with you on that."
I cocked my head to the side as they both looked up at us as we stopped. I waved, and turnt pale as well.
"hey... there."

Winry frowned.
"What are you guys doing here??"
I looked to Edward.
"We had some business to discuss with Roy. What about you two? What brings you to central?"

Edward said nothing only plastered a HUGE smile on his face and waved...very...very stiffly.
"Hiiiiiii, Winry....Al..." He said.

Al looked at Ed with a weird glance..and then sighed.
"We were...taking a friend back home..and now..we can't find her.." He replied.

I nudged him with an elbow.
"Whats the matter?" I whispered to him.

Winry smiled and stood up.
"Hi Ed.. it's been a while... you look taller." She smiled at him and went up the steps and patted his shoulder.
"You in town long? Maybe you can help us find her. Shes about this tall with blond hair and blue eyes...."
"Oh, she was reunited with her family. She was missing for a while." I blurted out. I didn't need her knowing too much... besides, it was top secret thing we did, reviving Kiri... I looked to Edward sheepishly.

"It's weird seeing them here." He muttered to Shiba.
"Especially NOW."
He smiled, and nodded.
"Yeah...kind of..." He looked over at Shiba, worried, then nodded agreeing with her answer.
"So...she was found then?" Al asked looking relieved..Edward felt like an ass lying...but he nodded.
"Yeah..they...went home and everything..."

I gave Al a pleading look, as if to agree.
"Well.... i hope her family is happy about us taking care of her all this time..."
My eyes widened.
"She was with you all that time?"
Winry nodded, placing her hands on her hips.
"Those were my clothes and everything. I didnt even get a thank you. She ran off when we got off at the platform."
I brethed a sigh of relief, kind of happy knowing she was well cared for.
'Well, her family was thankful. The expressions when they saw her was priceless."

"I'm sure...she was eager to see her family again..that's all." Ed said smiling weakly.
"After all...I'm sure you talked to her about going missing...if she stayed with you." Yeah...Edward thought..
Priceless....

Al looked at his brother worriedly...something was wrong...not that he'd mention it out here...but he'd get Ed alone later..and find out what it was..
"I don't know about you guys.." He said.
"But I'm hungry, how about we go catch up over some food?"

Now that I was thinking about it, everything we said was not only a lie, but it was the total opposite. I sighed and looked back at Central, praying in my mind she would be alright.
I looked back to them and nodded.
"Alright, I agree. Lets go."
The sun was setting and I looked to Edward was we led the way.
"So, do you guys plan on staying in Central?"
Winry looked up at me.
"I planned to leave tomorrow. its too late to leave tonight, its already 6 Pm. We missed the last train... we have no reason to be here." She said coldly.
I looked to Ed.
"Should we check in?" I whispered.

Al laughed a little.
"It was your fault....you insisted we look for Kiri and then you had to go shopping....that automail place we went in took you three hours to just window shop."

Edward looked over.
"Let's wait till after dinner...if Roy's already got us a room...then we don't have to worry about it."

She squeaked back at him;
"its not my fault they don't have automail like that at home!!! But now... I have noone to practice on." She pouted, looking to Edward.

I nodded and walked on, to the resturant we ate at a few nights before, when i got...all dolled up for nothing.
'C'mon you two, lets go eat."

Alphonse smiled, and took her hand.
"Is that so bad?" He asked quietly.
"After all, you still have your customers in Resembool"

Edward nodded and followed...he could tell that this was going to be a long night.......and an even longer day tomorrow...

Winry blushed and looked down at his hand enveloping hers and nodded.
"I know, youre right." She said simply, going inside and sitting across form Edward. I sat beside him on the outside of the booth of the dimly lit resturant. The waiter handed us the menus and walked off.
"I think I'm getting a steak again. And some wine. How bout you Edward? Why don't you get some wine?" I teased, smiling and stroking his thigh under the table.

Al smiled, and sat next to Winry.
"Hmm...that sounds good...well except for the wine part...." He said looking over his menu.
Edward was looking....and blushing.
"Yeah...that sounds good...I might just get a little though..."
"So...what are you two going to do for tonight? Or do you have a place already?"

I smiled and looked over at him.
"Really? Youre gonna have some? I'm so excited!" I said happily, closing my menu.
I looked at Al and shrugged.
"We do have a room already. Roy has Ed on an important mission. We'll be here for the next 2 weeks."
"Wow, thats gotta suck. What's he have you doing?"
"Oh its top secret." I blurted. She glared at me.
"Why can't he answer for himself?"
I lowered my head and went silent.

He smiled.
"Yeah...why not." Edward and Alphonse both paled a little.
"Hey now.." They both said.
"There's no need for confrontation.." Edward cleared his throat and looked off to one side.
"Really...it's fine...Shiba's..acutally been helping me this time around..."

I remained silent. I knew I didn't like her, mainly because she liked Edward, and she was a child hood friend of his, and her jealousy was painful. I looked up.
"Would, you like to switch seats with me? So you can sit next to Ed?" I said. I stood up.
"Why, yes, that would be nice." She scooted out as Al stood and she plopped down beside Ed. I sat down, across from Ed, and Al sat back down beside me. After that, I was quiet.
"So, youre gonna have wine? i think i might too." She said, closing her menu.
"And I think I'm gonna get a cheese burger."
I sighed, glancing at Alphonse, who probably felt 2 inches tall about now, since Winry was still hung up on Ed, and it was quit obvious.
"So, Ed, shes been helping you? How so?" she said, scooting closer to him, so her thigh was pressed against his; I didn't notice.

Edward's head ducked into his neck...and he looked very uncomfortable.
"......Ehhhhh...." He muttered as Winry slid in next to him.
"Hi..." He said sheepishly. He thought that it was a little childish for her to be acting this way...but he didn't say anything.
He shot Al an 'I'm sorry' look, and Al returned it.
"Uh...uh h-helping me?" He looked over at Winry, a little confused and turning redder by the minute.
"Oh just research, and a little note taking now and again....since I don't have Al with me anymore...I need all the help I can get...you know?"

I sighed as the waiter came back and we placed our orders. He picked up the menus and strolled off to get the beverages. I rested my chin in my hands, my eyelids half closed. I yearned for this to be over. I just wanted to be alone with him... I looked to Alphonse, who seemed to be as disappointed as I was and I nudged his arm softly with my elbow.
"So, how have you been kiddo? Keeping busy? Saving kittens I hope." I said warmly to him.
Winry pretended NOT to see the "i'm sorry" look exchange between the both of them and looked deep into his eyes, leaning her elbow on the table and resting her hand on her balled fist.
"Research? on what? You found the Philosophers stone, what more could you be researching?" he giggled, pummeling her thigh against his back and fourth, smiling, and looking deeply and lovingly into his amber eyes.

Al looked over, smiling gently in that way that he always did, and shrugged.
"The last stray I saved ended up finding her home...haven't been up to much else..how about you Shiba? How's school?"
Edward wanted to crawl under a rock....but he needed something to get Winry off his case...there was no way that he could keep lying and the story stay straight.
"Since when did you care about Military work?" He asked with a slight teasing tone.
"I always figured you cared about auto-mail and nothing else."

I smiled at him.
"Im glad youve been helping those who need it. It warms my heart, you know. School? i dont go back for another month or so. It will be my last year there, then i graduate. It will be nice." I sighed, dreamily.
"You been in Risembool all this time?" i asked him.
She smiled.
"Since I havn't seen you in a long time, and its all you do anymore. I care about automail but you havn't got any anymore. So, theres nothing left to care about but the host of the automail, silly." She flicked his nose playfully, blush a bit evident in her cheeks.
The waiter walked by, placing our drinks on the table and walked off. I sipped mine as soon as it hit the table. If she kept acting this way, I would just WANT to get drunk and pass out. then I wouldn't have to clobber her a new one....I sighed.

He nodded.
"Really? That's great to hear!" He grinned widely...it always seemed Shiba was covered in work from her school, it was nice to hear that she wasn't going to be overworked anymore.
"Uh....kind of." He smiled.
"Been helping Granny out...well, as much as I can without getting in the way..." "...Eh!?" Edward sneezed.
"Aww, for the love of..." He sneezed again.
"Oh!!...." He sniffed.
"There...last one...." He rubbed his hand under his nose, frowning a little. He took his own drink..and tasted a little of it...he still was unsure of how he was going to take it...but surely it couldn't be worse than last time...he...he just had to make sure not to chug it...that's all.

I nodded in agreement with him.
"Aww, I bet granny loves your company and help around the house and kitchen. Does she still make you cut firewood? Thats good for your muscles you know."
The waiter came by and placed our meals before us and vanished again without a word.
"Oh this looks amazing!" Winry shouted; I merely rolled my eyes and began eating my meal, looking to Ed with eager eyes, lifting my foot up, out of its shoe and rubbing Eds shin. I smiled at him beside my mouth, so Winry wouldn't see.
"So, how long are you on assignment here again, Ed? Are you gonna come back to Risembool any time soon? Granny misses feeding you."

"Yeah...she's too old, and Winry...well...she broke the last axe trying.." Alphonse laughed a little, expecting all the while to be hit.
Edward dug a finger in his ear as Winry cut loose.
"Winry...do you mind...You don't have to yell....we're in a booth...a tiny booth..." He looked over at the pressure on his shin, and smiled back at Shiba.
"I'm....here until Roy tells me otherwise...he's talking about giving me some time off in about two weeks or so..."

I giggled, and whispered into his ear.
"Shes more of a man than you, huh? She-Hulk?" I giggled and shoved a fork full of food into my muzzle.
Winry's eyes glistened.
"I havn't seen food this good in a long time!!!" She ate... not very cutely. I looked to Ed with a hopeless look and slid my foot up to his thigh, I held my blushing in hard.