Summary: FMA continuum song-fic. Alphonse Elric's body was restored, but at a high price. Can he come to terms with the sacrifice that was made? This will be a sob story, so get out yer tissues...

Rating: PG for angst, grief, mild language

A/N: This is one of my sadder fanfics; you have been warned. By the way, in the first section of the lyrics, I've changed "Susan, the plans they made...etc." to "It seems the plans you made...etc." Otherwise, the lyrics pretty much stay true to the original song.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or James Taylor (I used the lyrics from his song, "Fire and Rain" in this fanfic) Now, onto the fanfic! And remember to R&R!

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Seems that the plans you made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to

"Alphonse? Are you awake? Hey, Al, wake up!"

I opened my eyes. It felt strange to suddenly have the sensation of being able to move my face. I blinked a few times before the face of Winry Rockbell swam into my view.

"Oh, good, you're awake," se said, with a small smile. "The transmutation must have succeeded after all." Her blue eyes averted my gaze. She's probably just shy to see me restored, I thought, rubbing the back of my head. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have hair. How many years had it been—six? seven?—since I'd had my body? And now I did, thanks to my brother. I didn't know how I'd thank him.

I looked around the hospital room I was in. There was a bed on either side of me, and I looked to each one hopefully, trying to see if Ed was in one of them. I'd seen him sink to the ground while the transmutation was taking place: in fact, that was the last thing I remembered before waking up just now. I sighed now; Ed wasn't in one of the beds. Perhaps he's already recuperated. Yes, that must be it, I thought.

"Winry-chan, what time is it?" I asked as I tried to sit up in bed.

"Ah-ah, the doctor said you shouldn't sit up," she said gently, fluffing up my pillows. "He doesn't want you hurting your body or any of your organs, although it looks like you're good as new. While you were sleeping, the doctors ran a few tests on you. But, what was the question you'd asked me before that?"

I asked about the time again.

"Oh, yes," Winry looked at her wristwatch. "It's ten-thirty in the morning."

"How many days have I been at the hospital?"

"A little over three days, I think," replied Winry. I gave a start. I'd been down that long? "You kept drifting in and out of consciousness," Winry continued, "though the doctors were sure you'd slip into a coma. You kept asking for your mom...well, you asked for all of us, really, but mostly, you asked for your mom...and Ed..." her voice trailed off. Suddenly, Winry looked uncomfortable. She fidgeted with her hair, twisting it around her fingers. "Hey, you must be really hungry. Want something to eat?"

"Yeah, sounds good. It'll be great to finally be able to eat something," I said. It was weird, to suddenly feel hungry after many years of not needing to eat. "Can you call oniisan over? I want to share my first meal with him." I smiled. Ed would be so happy to see me eating again. I remembered all the times he felt guilty that I couldn't do one of the most basic, human things.

Winry stared unblinkingly at me. "Al...I'm afraid Ed won't be able to eat with you."

"Oh, is he sleeping? Did something happen to him?"

Winry looked as though she was having a hard time deciding what to say. "Al..." she began, then paused, and then ran out of the room. I was confused. What was going on?

Moments later, Winry walked back into the room, and this time she was not alone. Roy, Riza, Armstrong, and the other alchemists from Central were with her, as well as Granny Pinako and Izumi. Ed was not with them, though.

"I...I didn't want to be the one to break it to you," said Winry softly. She sniffed a little as tears fell from her eyes.

"What's wrong?!" I asked again. "Where's Ed?"

Izumi pushed her way through the crowd and sat at the edge of my bed. "Alphonse-kun, I'm sorry...Edward...is gone."

I looked up at her. Had I understood her? I suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. "Sensei, what are you talking about? Niisan is alive, he must be! I saw him just before I was restored! He's—he can't have—I mean—"

"Edward gave up his body to restore yours. He wanted the transmutation to be complete; he didn't want you to have any artificial limbs. It was the only way, and no one was going to stop him from doing it." Roy spoke now. His eyes were red and he looked weary. "He kept that information away from you, Al..." Roy's voice cracked, "because...he cared about you...that much. He didn't want to give up his body, but...as he tried to perform human transmutation, he knew that what he had wasn't enough. And he sacrificed his life for yours." Tears were trickling down Roy's cheeks. "I'm sorry, Alphonse. He's dead."

More to come!