I Didn't Plan This

Chapter Two - Ed

Shane is a quiet kid. Perhaps too quiet. Maybe she's hiding something dark and dangerous behind those multi colored eyes.
"Ed?" Alphonse's voice snapped me out of thought
"Huh yea?" I asked confused by my surroundings
"We're here." Al said.
As I looked around I saw the train station quickly coming into view. Ah, central sweet central. The train slowed to a stop and we unloaded. Colonel Armstrong was waiting for us outside. As I stepped off the train I felt someone fall into me from behind thankfully they didn't knock me over. I looked over to see Shane red faced stammering out an apology. As I looked at her I realized how raggedy she really looked. Her shirt was very dirty, jeans ripped up like they were the only pair she had and her shoes were falling apart. She looked as though she was homeless, then again Lieutenant Hawkeye had been disguised as a poor woman so it made some sense. While on the train Lieutenant Hawkeye had changed into her usual uniform which just left Chase looking out of place. I felt kinda bad for her it wasn't her fault that she had no family and was left with no form of income. As she stepped off the train I handed her my jacket she looked at me puzzled and surprised.
"You looked like you were cold" I smiled.
"T-thank you." She said in a hushed voice. Her eyes never left the ground, but you could see it all in her body language. She was scared, her whole world had been flipped upside-down in just a few hours.
We all followed Colonel Armstrong with our luggage to a cab where Mustang was waiting. When he saw Hawkeye he ran up and kissed and then hugged her. Everyone in Central knew that they'd gotten together and everyone knew it was going to happen. I looked around for Winry to see if she had come up from Rush Valley or not, but she clearly hadn't. Al put his hand on my shoulder
"You ok, brother?" He asked some worry in his voice.
"Yeah, just kinda hoped Winry would be here. But it seems like after everything with the 'Father' and the Homunculi she decided to not come back up here." I stared straight ahead. I couldn't let anyone know that I was upset. I have to be strong.
"I did too." Al said a little sadly "She'll come back up someday."
"I doubt it." I said bitterly.

After the battle with 'Father' and the Homunculi Al had gotten his body back and Winry for some strange reason flew off the handle on us rather than congratulating us to getting what we've been trying to for the past who knows how many years. What was her deal? Did she not WANT us to get our bodies back like what the hell Winry?

"And who is this?" Mustang asked when he saw Shane.
"I'm Shane Lichman." She said softly eyes still on the ground.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Shane I'm Roy Mustang, but you can just call me Roy if you want." He said with a smile.
"Wait, like the flame alchemist?" Shane asked the same nervous eagerness in her voice like when she met me.
"The one and the only." He said with a slight bow for comedic effect.
"It's such an honor to meet you sir." She said softly "I never thought I'd see the day where I'd meet the Flame Alchemist and the Fullmetal Alchemist."
"Well, once I heard from Riza how talented you were I figured I had to meet you myself." Mustang said with a bit of a smile. "Now shall we go?"
Everyone climbed into the car, thankfully it sat everyone comfortably unlike when Al was a soul bound to a suit of armor.
"Oh Fullmetal" Roy said from the driver's seat.
"Yeah?"
"A letter came for you from Ms. Winry Rockbell."
FINALLY
"Thank you." I politely took the letter from Roy's hand and gingerly opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. And began reading
Ed, sorry I haven't come up to visit. I've been swamped down here in Rush Valley, but I haven't forgotten about you or Alphonse. I'm sorry about blowing up at you and Al after your battle. Not only was that uncalled for, but I should've been happy for you. But anyway, I got myself an automail mechanic friend down here too. He's such a sweetie. Sorry fangirling, I'm sure you don't care about that anyway. Also if this arrived when I hope it does Happy Birthday, although I might be a few days early or late. I'll try to come up soon. I've got automail to get back to tell Al I say hello. With Love,
Winry <3
I bowed my head slowly. I was going to after the battle, but then she blew up at Al and I. I still remember yelling as she walked away
"I love you goddammit."
She had paused, turned, looked at me, then said, "You don't know how to love, Edward."
A timid voice pulled me out of my memories
"You ok Ed?" Shane was studying my face with a worried look on her face.
"Yeah, yeah just memories." I waved it off.
"You positive?" She didn't seem convinced.
"Yeah, memories." I said a little sadly.
"Wanna talk about it?" Shane asked.
"Not here."
"Alright." She seemed fine with my answer and didn't seem to mind the looks she or I was getting from Al or anyone else.

When she comes up I'll ask her. I promise. I wanted to before I left to go back to Central, but I couldn't say the words when the time came. They'd just fallen out of my mind. I still had the ring I was going to give her. A gold band with a small diamond. It wasn't much, but Winry always talked about how if she ever got married she'd be worried about the engagement ring getting caught in machinery or something and the ring, therefore, getting destroyed. I had shown Alphonse the ring and he said Winry would love it. But I couldn't think of the words. Sure we were dating, but I didn't wanna risk losing her. I wanted what Mom and Hohenheim had. Not the walking out part, but the part where we're all happy and I have a family with Winry. God, stop getting mushy. You need to be strong. You're the Fullmetal Alchemist, not Major Armstrong.
We finally pulled up to our hotel, we said goodbye to Hawkeye, Mustang, and Colonel Armstrong and they went on their merry way leaving us alone. Just Al, Shane, and I. We turned to the hotel and headed inside. Al and I shared a room and Shane had her own room, which she seemed pretty fine with, but then again this seemed to be the nicest place she'd ever been in.

"Geeze, this place must've cost a fortune." Shane said spinning a slow circle.
"Ha, nah. Anything is pretty affordable when you're a state alchemist. You get paid through the nose." I laughed.
"Is that the only reason you became a state alchemist?" She asked looking at me with her head tilted a little to the left.
"No, I honestly never had even thought about it. I just liked alchemy. One day two military soldiers show up at my door saying the Fuhrer wanted to see me and well now here we are." I smiled a little.
"So you're from the slums too?" She asked tilting her head to her other side. "Cause you nor Alphonse didn't even seem to notice how I was dressed while it seemed to be the only thing Mustang and Colonel Armstrong noticed."
I laughed softly "No I'm not from the slums, but I think it's better to judge a person by how they act rather than how they're dressed. But where I'm from is close to the slums."
"Ah ok. So Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist, tell me about yourself." She said with a smile.
"Alright, well my name is Edward Elric, well my legal name is Edward Hohenheim, but I don't use that last name because my dad was non-existent in my life soo I go by my mom's maiden name. I'm 19 years old, you of course know my brother Alphonse is 17. Uhm what else... uhm I'm dating Winry Rockbell and Al is dating Mai, my favorite color is gold, believe it or not, Oh and I wanna hear you sing sometime." I gave a sly smile after my last comment.
"Maybe in your dreams, Fullmetal." She laughed "Not even Riza has heard me sing and I've lived with her for a year."
"Oh so you're a tough nut to crack are ya?" I laughed.
"Yeppers."
She was so calm and a lot less anxious one-on-one than she was when she was with other people. When she was around even only four people she seemed terrified. Shane and I chatted for quite a bit before I yawned and commented
"Well, I've gotta get to bed. Alphonse is waiting up for me anyway."
"Goodnight, Ed." She smiled sweetly and waved as I left.
I headed to mine and Al's room and there we hung out and talked till 1:30am when we both passed out. Around 3:30-4am I was woken up by a scream, I immediately checked on Al who was looking at me with the same terrified expression. We both sprinted next door to Shane's room, we burst in ready to attack anyone who was there. Instead the sight I saw broke my heart. Shane was sitting on her bed hugging her arms to her chest sobbing and muttering something. Her head had shot up when she had heard the door banged open.
"Are you ok?" Alphonse asked worry in his voice.
Shane blushed bright red from embarrassment and she responded softly "yea."
"You sure?" Al asked.
"Al I'll stay here, you need your sleep."
Al started to protest then decided it was best not to argue with me and he said goodnight to Shane and went back to our room.
"You sure you're ok?" I asked sitting down on her bed next to her.
"No." She said her voice breaking a little.
"Why'd you scream?"
"Nightmare.. I get them a lot. I'm used to teach-Riza's house where it's so loud outside that you can't hear screams if the window is open." She looked down at her hands. "You should go back to bed, Ed. I'll be fine."
"No. You're crying and you said you have nightmares, I'll stay here with you all night if it means you feel safe and so you don't have nightmares." I could tell my older brother instincts were kicking in.
"I really don't wanna be a bother." She said sheepishly.
"It's no bother. We can't have you scaring Al every night, now can we?" I laughed and Shane smiled
"Ed?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you deal with the nightmares?" She asked looking up at me.
"I usually just tell Al when I have them and we talk about them and when I feel better I fall back asleep."
"Oh, ok. Hey Ed?"
"Yeah, Shane?"
"Would you stay here with me? I'm too scared to be alone tonight." She kept looking down most likely worried I'd laugh or something.
"Of course. The first month I was here in Central I wouldn't let Al leave my side. I was so terrified."
"Really? You've always been so calm and collected."
"Yeah, imagine that, me scared. I don't seem so fierce now do I?" I laughed.
"No not really." She smiled.
"Now, rest." I said tucking her into bed.