Theme 1: Entrance
Winry stood in the kitchen, idly flipping through an automail manual, just like every day. Just like every day, she had woken up, yawned, and stretched. Just like everyday she had gotten out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom for a shower. Just like everyday she had dressed, walked downstairs, and started breakfast for Granny.

But, unlike everyday, she was excited.

Something was different. She knew it was.

And that's why she couldn't take in a single word of how the copper wires interacted with the human nerves, or how the gleaming steel was to meld to warm skin.

Her attention, normally focused on the medical text, was elsewhere. She studied the horizon, the sun peeking up over the hilltops. Today was a new day...something new was in store for the day.

She smiled and shook her head, sipping her coffee. It was just another day.

Two golden-eyed youths stood at the end of a dirt road leading to a familiar yellow house. They looked upon it, and for once they weren't troubled. They could stay here, they didn't have to leave...
"Hey, Al. We're home." Whispered Ed, almost in disbelief
"I missed it here, Brother." Grinned Al weakly. His body was malnourished from years behind the Gate with no nutrition, and needed his brothers help to get around for now.

Ed wanted to sprint for the house. The door. The living room. The girl waiting inside...he hadn't told her of their arrival. He wanted to see the look on her face as they walked through the door. He had missed Pinako and all of the bittersweet memories the house held, but he had missed his best friend most of all. The third member of their trio, the base of their triangle of support and trust.
He wanted to SPRINT, to tear along the dusty old path and just GET there ever since he and his little brother crested the hill before his surrogate childhood home. He wondered if pumping his legs so hard that his artificial knee joint blew would earn him some time alone with Winry...nah, it'd earn him nothing but a wrench to the side of the head.

He grinned slightly to himself, thinking that no matter how happy she'd be to see him, any damage to her MASTERPIECE would put him firmly at the top of her shitlist.

He rubbed the scars on his shoulder through his jacket, still sore and inflamed. It'd always be that way, he was told, but a red, angry looking scar was a fine substitute for a cold metal arm. Winry would have one less project to work on, now.

"Brother? Earth to Brother! What're you waiting for?!" Al whined impatiently. Ed knew he'd be long gone by now if he could run. His poor little brother was so weak. And it was all his fault...

No. No feeling guilty, no being Ed. It was over. He had succeeded, and they were home.
HOME.

He set his face in a determined expression and set off towards the door.

The sound of a shattering plate, like a gunshot, ripped through the house.
"No." She whispered. Shocked. Confused. Overjoyed. Angry at them not telling her they were coming.
The boys.
HER boys.
They were HOME!
As Pinako poked her withered face around the corner to inquire about the commotion, she began to ask why Winry was sprinting to the front door instead of washing up. Then, she saw the two boys walking up towards the little house. Two blonde teens, one with his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, another shockingly skinny and leaning on a pair of crutches. She heard the BANG! of the door slamming shut behind the young girl as she sprinted towards her oldest friends.

Winry couldn't breathe when she saw them. Her first feeling was elation, the next anger...why hadn't that little twerp called her?! But the joy rushed back, flooding her heart just as the tears threatened to flood her eyes.
Fighting them back, she knew that she didn't want her first view of them to be blurry through a veil of salty over-emotion.
Sprinting down the road-barefoot, no time for shoes!-she launched her self at them in a glorious flying hug. They caught her, and they embraced, all three of them, like they hadn't since they were little kids. Cheeks smashed against cheeks, hands ruffling hair, lips pulled back into tight, happy smiles. They had missed this, had needed it ever since The Promised Day.

"Al! Is that you?" Winry broke the hug first, holding the younger Elric at arms length, shocked at the skeletal figure. Looking him up and down, she fought back a horrified gasp...he was so THIN.

But then she remembered the other Elric...Ed. Her Ed.
HER Ed? Well, maybe now that he was back. It's not like she and him had spoken of the feelings they'd hid and ignored for so long.

But she wanted to. Soon.

"Ed!" She jumped into another hug, but this one was different. This one was meant only for him, her face buried in his shoulder, breathing deep his scent. He was BACK. He wouldn't be leaving for more danger, he wouldn't leave her again to go God-knows-where.

She wouldn't let him.

Ed awkwardly patted her back at first, then succumbed to the heart stopping feeling of her in his arms. He leaned his head down, resting his forehead on the top of her head, inhaling deeply through his nose. He could smell her...her citrusy shampoo mixed with a tiny bit of sweat, and the oil of her beloved automail.
"Machine geek!" he thought to himself, grinning a bit.

She broke the embrace first, as Al teetered carefully into the kitchen to see Pinako. Suddenly embarrassed, Winry stepped back, red creeping up her collarbone to her cheeks. Ed was blushing too, his right hand immediately going back to rub at his neck.
He chuckled, grinned, and said,
"Hey there, Win. How ya-" he was cut off as she snatched his right arm from behind his neck, yanking up at the sleeve.
"Owowow dammit woman what're you doing to me!" He demanded as she gazed in wonder at his skin.

His SKIN.
She brought a shaking fingertip and traced his skin lightly. His arm was so thin, skin stretched tight over the bone and sinew. But it was SKIN, not her metal. The thought made her sad for only a second before she finally let the tears go that had been building.
She began to shake slightly, staring at the pale, thin skin of her best friend. He really was back. All of him.
"Winry! What's wrong?!" He stuttered, horrified at her crying.
She looked up at him, her sky blue eyes meeting his brassy ones. A smile crept to her lips as she threw herself into his arms again, nuzzling her tear streaked face into the crook of his neck again.
"Win..." He began.
"Shut up, idiot. I kept my promise...these are happy tears! Welcome back, dumbass." She said into his neck, her voice muffled.

Suddenly, his eyes began to feel a little watery too.

Yup, it was good to be home.