[FMA Fic] Pieces of Steel and Copper
Title: Pieces of Steel and Copper
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Winry, Garfiel, the Elric brothers, ensemble (implied Roy/Riza)
Word Count: 3,509
Summary: Winry is getting ready to finish her apprenticeship at Rush Valley and must decide on her next path.
Notes 1: Written for fma_ladyfest fic exchange. Gift fic for evil_little_dog, her prompt being Winry finishing her apprenticeship at Rush Valley. The part with Ed in the military research department is a reference to my FMA Big Bang Chasing the Desert, specifically Chapter Six (hence the implied Roy/Riza...SORRY ABOUT THAT, I just rolled with it ._.). However, you don't need to read that story to get this one.
Notes 2: Takes place post-108, a little before Ed and Al leave to travel West and East. Thanks to cornerofmadness for her suggestions on making this piece better!
Winry had been invited to the LeCoulte’s place for dinner a few times before. Most of the time she declined due to her being busy in the shop and the mountains a bit of a travel, but it had been several weeks since she last visited them and now was the perfect time to do so.
She was inside Dominic’s workshop, paying attention as he fix a dented leg. He cut off a few wires and set them aside on the table. Winry was aware Dominic wasn’t her mentor by any means, but she always learned something new from him; she still considered this part of her training. He didn’t mind her watching him work a while back, anyways.
“Some of the wiring had been separated, so I have to replace those with new ones. Also I’ll have to use new plating.” Dominic snapped three more wires with a wire cutter.
“How the leg got damaged in the first place, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Dominic made a grunted sound and said, “Accidently fell down on the ground hard. It happens.”
Winry nodded in acknowledgement. “Will the new plating still be aluminum alloy?”
“Yes. I’ll get started on making that tomorrow, shouldn’t take very long.” He took one quick glance at her. “Doesn’t Paninya normally come with you?”
“Yes, but she wanted to finish fixing the Marksons’ roof in case the rain comes sooner than expected.”
“Everyone, dinner’s ready!” someone yelled from outside the workshop. Winry recognized the voice belonging to Satella.
Dominic pulled out from his stool and stretched his arms. “Guess it’s time to eat,” he said before exiting the room. Winry followed immediately after.
Tonight Satella made spaghetti for dinner, Winry savoring every bite of it. Winry glanced around the dining room and caught Ridel giving his son, Nathan, two extra meatballs while Dominic chuckled at them.
“You love meatballs, huh?” Dominic asked his grandson.
“Lots!” Nathan responded with a huge grin. He ate one of the meatballs his father gave him.
Winry giggled. She couldn’t believe it had been almost three years since she delivered him. It amazed her how big Nathan grew now.
“So Winry, I hear that your apprenticeship with Garfiel is ending in a little over a month,” Ridel said.
Winry nodded. “After that I can go to the office and get my license.”
Licensed automail mechanics had to go to the certification testing site for their final exam. She would’ve gotten her license a while ago already, but that was delayed when she had to hide out for a few months before and after the Promised Day. Winry didn’t mind that as that gave her the chance to review what she learned from Gartfiel for a bit. She was glad, though, to be back in the shop and focusing on her apprenticeship once more.
“With a license you’re allowed to do certain advanced surgical procedures without supervision and also able to open your own shop, correct?” This time the question came from Satella.
“Yes. Although I’ll probably wait a while longer until I do that.”
Dominic smirked. “I wish you luck on the last stretch of your apprenticeship. You should do fine, kiddo.”
A grateful smile pulled onto Winry’s lips. Dominic’s kind words were enough hints of respect. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
+++
Staying up late became a habit Winry had gotten used to, but having very little sleep three days in a row was ridiculous. There were three clients she promised to have their automail fixed and ready within a week. Winry usually could finish several requests fairly quickly, but once in a while she underestimated how long some of them would take.
The one she was working on now was for Major Richards. He was about to be transferred to Briggs, so his automail arm needed to be redesigned for the cold climate. Winry used a screwdriver to connect the fourth finger on the hand; she felt her eyes getting heavy, but there was still some work to be done. On the table she had the unfinished arm laid there along with the blue prints of the original design made from Gartfiel and the new design spread out.
“You’re still making Richards’s new arm there, dear?”
Winry flinched before turning around to see Garfiel holding a mug. She gave him a small smile.
“I’m almost done, just need to attach the thumb to the hand before joining it with the rest of the arm.”
“I see. It’s getting late, you can finish it tomorrow before he comes.”
After shaking her head, Winry had her attention back at the automail arm. “I want to get this finished as soon as possible.”
“As you wish. At least drink some hot chocolate, it’ll warm you up.”
Gartfiel handed Winry the mug after she set the hand down on the table. She drank the hot chocolate and let out a relieved sigh.
“Thank you, I needed this.”
“Anytime, honey.” Gartfiel stopped for a second and then asked, “You mind if I look over that hand real quick?”
Winry shook her head. “No, go right ahead.”
She watched Garfiel picked up the hand and gazing at it in great interest. He turned the model to the other side.
“This seems well done. You even made the fingers slender like his original model.” He tested the movement of the first two fingers. “The dexterity is amazing as always!”
“The fingers need to be slender enough for quick fire and ease with the trigger guard.”
“I’m sure Richards will love it.”
The both of them turned quiet, Winry stealing another sip of her drink while she thought back about the arm. It should take her roughly an hour to have the thumb connected and assemble everything together. She glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed it was close to midnight-there should still be some time for sleep if she finished the model before one. Her mind became interrupted when Garfiel spoke.
“Have you decided on where you’ll be working after you finish your apprenticeship? I hear Western Command could use a mechanic to regularly check up on the soldiers wounded during the conflict there. I can put in a good word for you.”
That question crossed Winry’s mind a few times before. She was certain in finding work quite easily at Rush Valley and in most of Amestris, but unsure where to start first as a licensed automail engineer.
“Not yet, still thinking about it. I want to make sure I make the right decision.”
“You can always open your own shop, although you’ll steal all of my clients,” Garfiel said jokingly.
That made Winry chuckle. “I doubt that. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to perfect my automail skills without you.”
“Oh, you’re too kind.” Garfiel’s face flushed and he did a single fan motion with his hand. “Well, I’ll let you finish that model. Do get some rest, though!”
“I will, don’t worry.”
Garfiel left Winry alone as she got back to working on the model. She finished with the thumb and linking the hand with the arm within fifty minutes.
The next day Richards came to the shop mid-afternoon. Once Winry completed the procedure, the Major flexed his new automail arm and moved his fingers.
“It’s slightly lighter than your last model, but it should be perfect for you.”
Richards beamed at her. “I love it. Thank you, Miss Rockbell.”
“Told you so,” Garfiel whispered to Winry and smirked. She ignored that comment.
“I’m glad to hear that, Major Richards,” Winry said, smiling.
“Well, I better go back now. The next train to Central leaves in half an hour and I still need to finish packing my things before the transfer. I’ll be sure to visit Rush Valley again soon.”
“We would like that very much!” Garfiel said joyfully while Winry just nodded.
Richards waved goodbye with his automail hand and stepped outside the shop. Heaving a heavy sigh, Winry wiped her forehead and slumped onto the nearest workbench.
“One down, two more to go,” she murmured. The two other clients, Mary and Christopher, were expected to come tomorrow and Friday respectively. Mary’s redesigned hand should be done fairly quickly while Christopher’s knee needed more attention.
A low laugh left Garfiel’s throat. “You don’t have to get through those right away. It’s almost lunchtime, I can make us sandwiches. “
“I guess I can read while you prepare lunch.”
“If you’re thinking of reading your notes or one of the medical books,” Garfiel said as he narrowed his eyes at her, “then don’t. I have some novels you can borrow. Relax your mind from work for a bit, get lost in romantic adventures instead!”
Winry offered Garfiel an appreciated smile. She already knew her mentor cared about her well-being, but always grateful for him watching over her. “All right, you have a point.”
+++
Four days later Winry had some time to look over her notes from Garfiel and the notes she took while visiting Dominic’s workshop. When she had asked Dominic if it was all right she wrote down some notes, he told her, “I see no problem with that as long as I don’t have to be the lecturer.” She realized both men had similar ideas on what makes a prosthetic last longer and better quality among other things. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering Dominic referred her to Garfiel in the first place.
Winry almost finished reading the parts about effective ways on using chrome alloy when her phone rang. She half-wondered why a client would call during this hour, but nonetheless picked up the phone and answered.
“Atelier Garfiel, Winry Rockbell speaking.”
“Good, looks like I got the right phone number.”
“Riza?” Winry said in a stunned tone. This was the first time she called with the shop’s number. “Why are you calling?”
“Edward told me you’re on your last two weeks of your apprenticeship, so I want to wish you luck on that. And before you ask, yes he referred me to this shop.”
Winry chuckled. She knew Edward communicated with Brigadier General Mustang and Riza sometimes, but didn’t expect him to mention anything about her apprenticeship.
“That’s very nice of you, it means a lot.” She paused a second and then said, “I heard you and General Mustang had been very busy back East.” Even though she hadn’t got much free time herself, Winry tried her best to keep up with the news by reading the paper or hearing the radio whenever possible.
“We are, but I don’t mind. I’m glad to be alongside with the General for this. I was thinking, if you ever get the chance to visit East City we should have coffee together and talk. ”
“I would like that. I’ll let you know in advance.”
“Sounds great. I have to go now, hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Thanks, same to you!”
Winry hung up on the phone and looked back at her notes. She brushed off thoughts of planning a visit to East City after her apprenticeship for now.
+++
In the morning, Paninya stayed at the shop while it rained outside. The first few times Winry had been annoyed at her always wanting to chat while she concentrate on her work, but Paninya knew when not to disturb so she was fine with her visits. Sometimes there would be small talk between them and Winry didn’t mind as along as the conversation wasn’t too distracting, which she enjoyed every so often.
“Has Garfiel ever told you why he became an automail mechanic?” Paninya asked as Winry polished an automail leg she had finished assembling together.
“He told me he came from a family of doctors and automail mechanics. Garfiel loves helping people, I thought this fits him perfectly.”
Paninya smiled a little. “Almost the same as you, huh?”
“For the most part, yes,” Winry said and let out a soft laugh. She set the towel and model down on the table.
The delighted look on Paninya’s face instantly faded and replaced with a thoughtful one. “You know, I have been wondering about this a while. Originally you wanted this apprenticeship to help Ed when he was traveling. Now that he has his arm back and is able to take care of his leg well, why are you finishing your apprenticeship? Not being rude or anything, but you’re a much better mechanic than some of the licensed ones here.”
This wasn’t the first time Winry heard that. Too many times people would come to the shop from a friend’s recommendation for a better design. A certification is an excellent way to gain reputation, but that wasn’t the only reason Winry had gone back to her apprenticeship. She smiled.
“I want to research more about automail and develop better models. That’s a good enough reason to continue.”
Paninya nodded and beamed. “I think it’s cool that next week you’ll finally get licensed. If you do decide to leave Rush Valley, I’m going to miss you.”
Winry’s heart skipped a beat. She still hadn’t figure out what she would do next after her apprenticeship. It was an important choice Winry felt shouldn’t be rushed, but time seemed to slip by too fast for her liking. She forced a smile at Paninya.
“I will, too, if that happens.” There was still one more week until she got her license, maybe a decision would be made then.
+++
Winry had insisted on picking up the bolts from the supply store a short distance from the shop. Once she entered, the clerk already recognized her and happily handed her the box filled with them.
As Winry headed back to the shop, she glanced around her surroundings. Many of the other shops were opened for business with several customers coming in and out. She spotted two men doing an automail arm wrestling match, but didn’t have any interest in watching it. Winry noticed today was cooler than the past couple of weeks, which was a nice change.
“Winry! Winry!”
Hearing her name being called out, Winry turned and felt her breath caught in her throat. In front of her were-
“Ed, Al? What are you two doing here?”
“We came to celebrate you getting your license,” Al said, grinning. He was the one that yelled her name earlier.
“Granny wanted us to tell you she can’t come because she has to watch the shop. She’s very happy for you,” Ed said.
At that instant, Winry put the box down and approached the brothers for a tight embrace. She missed the feel of them close to her and the sound of their heartbeats. They smelled of warmth from long hours outside and sheep and burnt apple pie and comfort.
“I know.” After releasing herself from the hug, she said afterwards, “I’m heading to the shop. You guys can follow me there.”
Not long after she and the brothers entered the shop, Garfiel served tea for everyone. All four sat around the table and chatted.
“Everything’s fine so far at the research department?” Winry asked. She remembered last year both brothers went to Central so that Ed could meet with Brigadier General Mustang-before being appointed as commander of Eastern Headquarters-and be approved to work in the military’s research department.
“It’s going along fine,” Ed said and drank some of his tea. “Hate that I have to see General Bastard’s face each time I visit, but at least I don’t have to travel far from Resembool.”
Winry frowned a little. It felt like forever since she came over to the village. She caught Ed having a stunned look on his face and realizing what he just said.
“Oh, sorry for mentioning…”
“No, it’s okay,” Winry interrupted and smiled. “Both you and Al deserved a long break from traveling. “
“We’re glad to hear that, Winry,” Al said before taking a sip of his drink.
“How long are you boys staying?” Garfiel asked.
“Today and tomorrow,” Ed responded. “We’ll be leaving as soon as Winry gets her license.”
“At least no one will ask to see your arm again,” Winry said in an amused tone, winning her a glare from Ed.
“They’ll ask to see my leg, though.” Ed crossed his arms and pouted. “I’m not looking forward to those mechanic freaks stripping my pants off from me again.”
Al let out a chuckle. “I’m sure that won’t happen, Brother.”
Garfiel turned to face Ed and asked him, “I’m assuming you and Al are going with Winry tomorrow to the office?”
“Perhaps, if Winry has no problem with it.” Ed looked back at Winry, awaiting confirmation from her.
“Of course you can come.” Winry bounced off from her seat and threw her arms over Ed and Al’s shoulders, beaming at both brothers. Tomorrow she would complete her apprenticeship and get her license, which she looked forward to very much and even better with Ed and Al supporting her.
+++
The exam took longer than Winry thought when she entered the office to fill out the answers. There were several questions regarding the different materials she used, what procedures she had to perform, and other topics relating to bio-mechanical engineering. As soon as she turned in the exam, she waited a little over half an hour until the people going over her responses approved and handed her the certificate. Winry thanked them before going outside where Al and Ed waited for her.
“I’m officially licensed!” She held out the certificate as proof and showed it to the brothers.
“Congratulations, Winry!” Al cheered.
“About time.” A smirk pulled at Ed’s mouth.
Later that day celebrations were underway. Garfiel had ordered Xingese takeout for everyone including Paninya, who visited shortly after Winry, Al, and Ed returned to the shop. Winry was glad the eatery Garfiel went to had very tasty fried rice and dumplings.
“Brother and I have an announcement to make,” Al suddenly said.
“Oh?” A look of great interest crossed Garfiel’s features. “Do tell.”
“We decided to travel once more.”
“Wait, what?” She turned to glare at Ed. “Don’t tell me I’ll have to keep fixing your leg.”
Ed snorted. “No, you wouldn’t have to. Al and I want to still study alchemy, like how you still want to learn automail after I got my arm back. We want to prevent a tragedy like Nina ever happening again.”
No words were exchanged for a short time. Winry glimpsed at Garfiel and Paninya lowering their heads. She knew the both of them were already aware the incident with the little girl.
“You guys going to travel together?” Paninya asked, breaking the silence.
Al shook his head. “I’ll be going East to Xing while Brother heads West to Creta. Our trips won’t happen for another month, though.”
“The end result should be us combining what we discovered from both sides of the world and put it to good use,” Ed finished off and grinned.
“I see. It’s great you boys are doing this. Best of luck!” Garfiel said, a grin spreading across his face. Paninya wore a similar expression and nodded.
“Thanks,” Al said. He beamed at them, Ed doing the same.
“Indeed, I think it’s wonderful, too.” The smile on Winry’s face grew wider. “In fact, I have some news, too. Ed, Al, I’ll be leaving with you to Resembool tomorrow.”
“You plan to visit Resembool already?” Ed asked, not sounding surprised.
“Well, sort of. I decided I’ll stay at Resembool and help Granny out for a while and then open my own shop here when I feel I’m ready.”
“Granny will like that very much.” Al gave her a supportive smile while Ed nodded in agreement.
“I’m glad you guys thought so. Is it all right we stop at East City first, though?”
Ed arched an eyebrow. “What for?”
“It’s been a long time since I met with Captain Hawkeye and she wants to have coffee with me when I get the chance to visit.”
“I see no harm in that,” Al said. “It would be great to see the Captain again.”
“We can stay at East City for a few hours. I need to go to the headquarters there anyways to get papers for my next research assignment…which means I’ll have to see General Smartass again.” Ed groaned in frustration.
“I’ll await your return when you do open that shop, dear!” Already tears streamed down on Garfiel’s face and Winry couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Don’t worry Garfiel, I’ll make sure to visit you and Paninya often.”
“You better!” Paninya said, beaming. “You’ll most likely see me on top of roofs, though.”
“I don’t mind that at all.” Winry returned the smile back.
Granny had told Winry when she was younger that automail technology was advancing every day and that true automail mechanics never stop learning. She believed the same could be said with Ed and Al as they mentioned alchemists were exactly like that, too. Her apprenticeship may be over, but she resolved to keep educating herself in that craft.
This entry was originally posted at http://bay-alexison.dreamwidth.org/84320.html. Feel free to comment wherever you like!
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Winry, Garfiel, the Elric brothers, ensemble (implied Roy/Riza)
Word Count: 3,509
Summary: Winry is getting ready to finish her apprenticeship at Rush Valley and must decide on her next path.
Notes 1: Written for fma_ladyfest fic exchange. Gift fic for evil_little_dog, her prompt being Winry finishing her apprenticeship at Rush Valley. The part with Ed in the military research department is a reference to my FMA Big Bang Chasing the Desert, specifically Chapter Six (hence the implied Roy/Riza...SORRY ABOUT THAT, I just rolled with it ._.). However, you don't need to read that story to get this one.
Notes 2: Takes place post-108, a little before Ed and Al leave to travel West and East. Thanks to cornerofmadness for her suggestions on making this piece better!
Winry had been invited to the LeCoulte’s place for dinner a few times before. Most of the time she declined due to her being busy in the shop and the mountains a bit of a travel, but it had been several weeks since she last visited them and now was the perfect time to do so.
She was inside Dominic’s workshop, paying attention as he fix a dented leg. He cut off a few wires and set them aside on the table. Winry was aware Dominic wasn’t her mentor by any means, but she always learned something new from him; she still considered this part of her training. He didn’t mind her watching him work a while back, anyways.
“Some of the wiring had been separated, so I have to replace those with new ones. Also I’ll have to use new plating.” Dominic snapped three more wires with a wire cutter.
“How the leg got damaged in the first place, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Dominic made a grunted sound and said, “Accidently fell down on the ground hard. It happens.”
Winry nodded in acknowledgement. “Will the new plating still be aluminum alloy?”
“Yes. I’ll get started on making that tomorrow, shouldn’t take very long.” He took one quick glance at her. “Doesn’t Paninya normally come with you?”
“Yes, but she wanted to finish fixing the Marksons’ roof in case the rain comes sooner than expected.”
“Everyone, dinner’s ready!” someone yelled from outside the workshop. Winry recognized the voice belonging to Satella.
Dominic pulled out from his stool and stretched his arms. “Guess it’s time to eat,” he said before exiting the room. Winry followed immediately after.
Tonight Satella made spaghetti for dinner, Winry savoring every bite of it. Winry glanced around the dining room and caught Ridel giving his son, Nathan, two extra meatballs while Dominic chuckled at them.
“You love meatballs, huh?” Dominic asked his grandson.
“Lots!” Nathan responded with a huge grin. He ate one of the meatballs his father gave him.
Winry giggled. She couldn’t believe it had been almost three years since she delivered him. It amazed her how big Nathan grew now.
“So Winry, I hear that your apprenticeship with Garfiel is ending in a little over a month,” Ridel said.
Winry nodded. “After that I can go to the office and get my license.”
Licensed automail mechanics had to go to the certification testing site for their final exam. She would’ve gotten her license a while ago already, but that was delayed when she had to hide out for a few months before and after the Promised Day. Winry didn’t mind that as that gave her the chance to review what she learned from Gartfiel for a bit. She was glad, though, to be back in the shop and focusing on her apprenticeship once more.
“With a license you’re allowed to do certain advanced surgical procedures without supervision and also able to open your own shop, correct?” This time the question came from Satella.
“Yes. Although I’ll probably wait a while longer until I do that.”
Dominic smirked. “I wish you luck on the last stretch of your apprenticeship. You should do fine, kiddo.”
A grateful smile pulled onto Winry’s lips. Dominic’s kind words were enough hints of respect. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
+++
Staying up late became a habit Winry had gotten used to, but having very little sleep three days in a row was ridiculous. There were three clients she promised to have their automail fixed and ready within a week. Winry usually could finish several requests fairly quickly, but once in a while she underestimated how long some of them would take.
The one she was working on now was for Major Richards. He was about to be transferred to Briggs, so his automail arm needed to be redesigned for the cold climate. Winry used a screwdriver to connect the fourth finger on the hand; she felt her eyes getting heavy, but there was still some work to be done. On the table she had the unfinished arm laid there along with the blue prints of the original design made from Gartfiel and the new design spread out.
“You’re still making Richards’s new arm there, dear?”
Winry flinched before turning around to see Garfiel holding a mug. She gave him a small smile.
“I’m almost done, just need to attach the thumb to the hand before joining it with the rest of the arm.”
“I see. It’s getting late, you can finish it tomorrow before he comes.”
After shaking her head, Winry had her attention back at the automail arm. “I want to get this finished as soon as possible.”
“As you wish. At least drink some hot chocolate, it’ll warm you up.”
Gartfiel handed Winry the mug after she set the hand down on the table. She drank the hot chocolate and let out a relieved sigh.
“Thank you, I needed this.”
“Anytime, honey.” Gartfiel stopped for a second and then asked, “You mind if I look over that hand real quick?”
Winry shook her head. “No, go right ahead.”
She watched Garfiel picked up the hand and gazing at it in great interest. He turned the model to the other side.
“This seems well done. You even made the fingers slender like his original model.” He tested the movement of the first two fingers. “The dexterity is amazing as always!”
“The fingers need to be slender enough for quick fire and ease with the trigger guard.”
“I’m sure Richards will love it.”
The both of them turned quiet, Winry stealing another sip of her drink while she thought back about the arm. It should take her roughly an hour to have the thumb connected and assemble everything together. She glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed it was close to midnight-there should still be some time for sleep if she finished the model before one. Her mind became interrupted when Garfiel spoke.
“Have you decided on where you’ll be working after you finish your apprenticeship? I hear Western Command could use a mechanic to regularly check up on the soldiers wounded during the conflict there. I can put in a good word for you.”
That question crossed Winry’s mind a few times before. She was certain in finding work quite easily at Rush Valley and in most of Amestris, but unsure where to start first as a licensed automail engineer.
“Not yet, still thinking about it. I want to make sure I make the right decision.”
“You can always open your own shop, although you’ll steal all of my clients,” Garfiel said jokingly.
That made Winry chuckle. “I doubt that. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to perfect my automail skills without you.”
“Oh, you’re too kind.” Garfiel’s face flushed and he did a single fan motion with his hand. “Well, I’ll let you finish that model. Do get some rest, though!”
“I will, don’t worry.”
Garfiel left Winry alone as she got back to working on the model. She finished with the thumb and linking the hand with the arm within fifty minutes.
The next day Richards came to the shop mid-afternoon. Once Winry completed the procedure, the Major flexed his new automail arm and moved his fingers.
“It’s slightly lighter than your last model, but it should be perfect for you.”
Richards beamed at her. “I love it. Thank you, Miss Rockbell.”
“Told you so,” Garfiel whispered to Winry and smirked. She ignored that comment.
“I’m glad to hear that, Major Richards,” Winry said, smiling.
“Well, I better go back now. The next train to Central leaves in half an hour and I still need to finish packing my things before the transfer. I’ll be sure to visit Rush Valley again soon.”
“We would like that very much!” Garfiel said joyfully while Winry just nodded.
Richards waved goodbye with his automail hand and stepped outside the shop. Heaving a heavy sigh, Winry wiped her forehead and slumped onto the nearest workbench.
“One down, two more to go,” she murmured. The two other clients, Mary and Christopher, were expected to come tomorrow and Friday respectively. Mary’s redesigned hand should be done fairly quickly while Christopher’s knee needed more attention.
A low laugh left Garfiel’s throat. “You don’t have to get through those right away. It’s almost lunchtime, I can make us sandwiches. “
“I guess I can read while you prepare lunch.”
“If you’re thinking of reading your notes or one of the medical books,” Garfiel said as he narrowed his eyes at her, “then don’t. I have some novels you can borrow. Relax your mind from work for a bit, get lost in romantic adventures instead!”
Winry offered Garfiel an appreciated smile. She already knew her mentor cared about her well-being, but always grateful for him watching over her. “All right, you have a point.”
+++
Four days later Winry had some time to look over her notes from Garfiel and the notes she took while visiting Dominic’s workshop. When she had asked Dominic if it was all right she wrote down some notes, he told her, “I see no problem with that as long as I don’t have to be the lecturer.” She realized both men had similar ideas on what makes a prosthetic last longer and better quality among other things. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering Dominic referred her to Garfiel in the first place.
Winry almost finished reading the parts about effective ways on using chrome alloy when her phone rang. She half-wondered why a client would call during this hour, but nonetheless picked up the phone and answered.
“Atelier Garfiel, Winry Rockbell speaking.”
“Good, looks like I got the right phone number.”
“Riza?” Winry said in a stunned tone. This was the first time she called with the shop’s number. “Why are you calling?”
“Edward told me you’re on your last two weeks of your apprenticeship, so I want to wish you luck on that. And before you ask, yes he referred me to this shop.”
Winry chuckled. She knew Edward communicated with Brigadier General Mustang and Riza sometimes, but didn’t expect him to mention anything about her apprenticeship.
“That’s very nice of you, it means a lot.” She paused a second and then said, “I heard you and General Mustang had been very busy back East.” Even though she hadn’t got much free time herself, Winry tried her best to keep up with the news by reading the paper or hearing the radio whenever possible.
“We are, but I don’t mind. I’m glad to be alongside with the General for this. I was thinking, if you ever get the chance to visit East City we should have coffee together and talk. ”
“I would like that. I’ll let you know in advance.”
“Sounds great. I have to go now, hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Thanks, same to you!”
Winry hung up on the phone and looked back at her notes. She brushed off thoughts of planning a visit to East City after her apprenticeship for now.
+++
In the morning, Paninya stayed at the shop while it rained outside. The first few times Winry had been annoyed at her always wanting to chat while she concentrate on her work, but Paninya knew when not to disturb so she was fine with her visits. Sometimes there would be small talk between them and Winry didn’t mind as along as the conversation wasn’t too distracting, which she enjoyed every so often.
“Has Garfiel ever told you why he became an automail mechanic?” Paninya asked as Winry polished an automail leg she had finished assembling together.
“He told me he came from a family of doctors and automail mechanics. Garfiel loves helping people, I thought this fits him perfectly.”
Paninya smiled a little. “Almost the same as you, huh?”
“For the most part, yes,” Winry said and let out a soft laugh. She set the towel and model down on the table.
The delighted look on Paninya’s face instantly faded and replaced with a thoughtful one. “You know, I have been wondering about this a while. Originally you wanted this apprenticeship to help Ed when he was traveling. Now that he has his arm back and is able to take care of his leg well, why are you finishing your apprenticeship? Not being rude or anything, but you’re a much better mechanic than some of the licensed ones here.”
This wasn’t the first time Winry heard that. Too many times people would come to the shop from a friend’s recommendation for a better design. A certification is an excellent way to gain reputation, but that wasn’t the only reason Winry had gone back to her apprenticeship. She smiled.
“I want to research more about automail and develop better models. That’s a good enough reason to continue.”
Paninya nodded and beamed. “I think it’s cool that next week you’ll finally get licensed. If you do decide to leave Rush Valley, I’m going to miss you.”
Winry’s heart skipped a beat. She still hadn’t figure out what she would do next after her apprenticeship. It was an important choice Winry felt shouldn’t be rushed, but time seemed to slip by too fast for her liking. She forced a smile at Paninya.
“I will, too, if that happens.” There was still one more week until she got her license, maybe a decision would be made then.
+++
Winry had insisted on picking up the bolts from the supply store a short distance from the shop. Once she entered, the clerk already recognized her and happily handed her the box filled with them.
As Winry headed back to the shop, she glanced around her surroundings. Many of the other shops were opened for business with several customers coming in and out. She spotted two men doing an automail arm wrestling match, but didn’t have any interest in watching it. Winry noticed today was cooler than the past couple of weeks, which was a nice change.
“Winry! Winry!”
Hearing her name being called out, Winry turned and felt her breath caught in her throat. In front of her were-
“Ed, Al? What are you two doing here?”
“We came to celebrate you getting your license,” Al said, grinning. He was the one that yelled her name earlier.
“Granny wanted us to tell you she can’t come because she has to watch the shop. She’s very happy for you,” Ed said.
At that instant, Winry put the box down and approached the brothers for a tight embrace. She missed the feel of them close to her and the sound of their heartbeats. They smelled of warmth from long hours outside and sheep and burnt apple pie and comfort.
“I know.” After releasing herself from the hug, she said afterwards, “I’m heading to the shop. You guys can follow me there.”
Not long after she and the brothers entered the shop, Garfiel served tea for everyone. All four sat around the table and chatted.
“Everything’s fine so far at the research department?” Winry asked. She remembered last year both brothers went to Central so that Ed could meet with Brigadier General Mustang-before being appointed as commander of Eastern Headquarters-and be approved to work in the military’s research department.
“It’s going along fine,” Ed said and drank some of his tea. “Hate that I have to see General Bastard’s face each time I visit, but at least I don’t have to travel far from Resembool.”
Winry frowned a little. It felt like forever since she came over to the village. She caught Ed having a stunned look on his face and realizing what he just said.
“Oh, sorry for mentioning…”
“No, it’s okay,” Winry interrupted and smiled. “Both you and Al deserved a long break from traveling. “
“We’re glad to hear that, Winry,” Al said before taking a sip of his drink.
“How long are you boys staying?” Garfiel asked.
“Today and tomorrow,” Ed responded. “We’ll be leaving as soon as Winry gets her license.”
“At least no one will ask to see your arm again,” Winry said in an amused tone, winning her a glare from Ed.
“They’ll ask to see my leg, though.” Ed crossed his arms and pouted. “I’m not looking forward to those mechanic freaks stripping my pants off from me again.”
Al let out a chuckle. “I’m sure that won’t happen, Brother.”
Garfiel turned to face Ed and asked him, “I’m assuming you and Al are going with Winry tomorrow to the office?”
“Perhaps, if Winry has no problem with it.” Ed looked back at Winry, awaiting confirmation from her.
“Of course you can come.” Winry bounced off from her seat and threw her arms over Ed and Al’s shoulders, beaming at both brothers. Tomorrow she would complete her apprenticeship and get her license, which she looked forward to very much and even better with Ed and Al supporting her.
+++
The exam took longer than Winry thought when she entered the office to fill out the answers. There were several questions regarding the different materials she used, what procedures she had to perform, and other topics relating to bio-mechanical engineering. As soon as she turned in the exam, she waited a little over half an hour until the people going over her responses approved and handed her the certificate. Winry thanked them before going outside where Al and Ed waited for her.
“I’m officially licensed!” She held out the certificate as proof and showed it to the brothers.
“Congratulations, Winry!” Al cheered.
“About time.” A smirk pulled at Ed’s mouth.
Later that day celebrations were underway. Garfiel had ordered Xingese takeout for everyone including Paninya, who visited shortly after Winry, Al, and Ed returned to the shop. Winry was glad the eatery Garfiel went to had very tasty fried rice and dumplings.
“Brother and I have an announcement to make,” Al suddenly said.
“Oh?” A look of great interest crossed Garfiel’s features. “Do tell.”
“We decided to travel once more.”
“Wait, what?” She turned to glare at Ed. “Don’t tell me I’ll have to keep fixing your leg.”
Ed snorted. “No, you wouldn’t have to. Al and I want to still study alchemy, like how you still want to learn automail after I got my arm back. We want to prevent a tragedy like Nina ever happening again.”
No words were exchanged for a short time. Winry glimpsed at Garfiel and Paninya lowering their heads. She knew the both of them were already aware the incident with the little girl.
“You guys going to travel together?” Paninya asked, breaking the silence.
Al shook his head. “I’ll be going East to Xing while Brother heads West to Creta. Our trips won’t happen for another month, though.”
“The end result should be us combining what we discovered from both sides of the world and put it to good use,” Ed finished off and grinned.
“I see. It’s great you boys are doing this. Best of luck!” Garfiel said, a grin spreading across his face. Paninya wore a similar expression and nodded.
“Thanks,” Al said. He beamed at them, Ed doing the same.
“Indeed, I think it’s wonderful, too.” The smile on Winry’s face grew wider. “In fact, I have some news, too. Ed, Al, I’ll be leaving with you to Resembool tomorrow.”
“You plan to visit Resembool already?” Ed asked, not sounding surprised.
“Well, sort of. I decided I’ll stay at Resembool and help Granny out for a while and then open my own shop here when I feel I’m ready.”
“Granny will like that very much.” Al gave her a supportive smile while Ed nodded in agreement.
“I’m glad you guys thought so. Is it all right we stop at East City first, though?”
Ed arched an eyebrow. “What for?”
“It’s been a long time since I met with Captain Hawkeye and she wants to have coffee with me when I get the chance to visit.”
“I see no harm in that,” Al said. “It would be great to see the Captain again.”
“We can stay at East City for a few hours. I need to go to the headquarters there anyways to get papers for my next research assignment…which means I’ll have to see General Smartass again.” Ed groaned in frustration.
“I’ll await your return when you do open that shop, dear!” Already tears streamed down on Garfiel’s face and Winry couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Don’t worry Garfiel, I’ll make sure to visit you and Paninya often.”
“You better!” Paninya said, beaming. “You’ll most likely see me on top of roofs, though.”
“I don’t mind that at all.” Winry returned the smile back.
Granny had told Winry when she was younger that automail technology was advancing every day and that true automail mechanics never stop learning. She believed the same could be said with Ed and Al as they mentioned alchemists were exactly like that, too. Her apprenticeship may be over, but she resolved to keep educating herself in that craft.
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