"Al, since you got your body back, how about Winry and I give you a little surprise?"

"Brother, you're 15 still! It's not your birthday!" "Not me! You, Alphonse!" Edward went upstairs and up to his room of the Rockbell's house and got an empty box. Winry then came in and placed a black cat in the box and wrapped the box with blue and red ribbons. The two kids walked downstairs and hid the box behind them. Alphonse looked at them suspiciously and stepped back.

"Well, Al. Since you're now human again-- I mean full flesh and blood again, Ed and I got you a.... KITTY!"

"Mmm hmm! That's right!" Ed nodded his head. Al was surprised that his brother decided to pick up a cat for him. "B-Brother... I've never seen you so... so... bright! Hehe!"

"Well, take it from the master-- No wait, I'm the master!" "Yes you are! Hahaha! Yeah right..." Winry laughed a bit and siad to herself that Edward isn't the master of everything.

"Isn't she cute?" Ed petted the black cat. "Yes she is, yes she is," Al smiled at his brother.

That night, the black cat was sleeping in the Elrics' room and jumped on the sleeping Alphonse. The cat then licked Al's face and transformed.

"Mmmm... What the...?" The cat was actually a girl with red ribbons tied in her red hair. "Hi there, Alphonse. I'm Ichigo--" Al covered her mouth. "Shh! Keep it down! My brother will wake up! Uh... why are you still on me? I can't breathe!" "Okay! Sorry! I'm Ichigo Momomiya, leader of the Mews!" "Mews?" "Yes Mews! I came aall the way here to investigate the yellow house up on a hill!" "You're already living in the yellow house. This is the yellow house!" "Oh really? WELL THEN!" "Ichigo, please!" Edward now wakes up from Ichigo's shouting. "Alphonse, why is there-- Oh, no. That doesn't look like what I'm seeing from over here...." "Er, brother! It's not what it looks like!" "Yeah right! Like I'll believe that you're-- Who are you? Alphonse, where's the cat?!" "Hhaahahahah! Oh, don't push it too much, Ed! Hahahahah!" Ichigo laughed. "No need to worry! I'm Ichigo Momomiya! I'm the black cat you picked up from around here! See, watch this." Ichigo then transformss back into a cat. "Nya! Nya! Meow! Mew! Mew! Mew! Tehehe!" "Alphonse... I'm so lucky to find her!" "Why is that, brother?" "Because you two have a lot in common! You two love cats, you two are naive-- No offense, Al." "Keep talkin', brother." "You two are into each other I know!" "Edward's right, Al! We do!" Ichigo giggled. "I don't know, brother.. I'm not sure if I love her back..."

"Alphonse, you told me you wanted to be... loved and there you have it! You got her!" Winry then came in in her nightgown.

"What's all the yell-- Is that the cat we gave you, Al?" "Don't remember? She's also a human girl!" Al petted Ichigo's black fur. "That's it! You--You two are--" Al and Ichigo glared at Edward angrily. "Uh, Winry, why don't you take care of this little bundle of joy, will ya? I'll be sleeping." "Edward! We're ll awake, but you're too lazt to stay up, huh?!" "Winry, let me show you the truth about myself." "You're a talking cat." "Oh yeah?" Icchgo licked Al's face again and turned into human Ichigo.

"See that, Winry?"

"See what?"

"Me transforming!"

"GUYS, PLEASE!" Al shouted.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" said Winry. Ichigo shook her head and giggled. "Hhahahahhhah! Good one! I know that joke for almost five years!" "How old are you now?" said Al. "I'm 13 and you think this age will conquer me? Heckkkkkk no!" "Yeah that's right! Hecks to the noes!" Winry agreed with her. Al stared at her stupidly and sighed. "What? I'm down with the cats, yo!" "Please, Winry. No more of that." "Sorry, Ichigo."

That morning...

"Good morning, Edward," said Winry pulling the covers from him. He drooled on his pillow and rolled over to his left side, whispering, "If I can have anything in the world, what would it be??? Hmm... girls.... girls with wrenches.... Oh yes...." "Edward! Wake up!" Winry shook him. He whispered to himself again. "If I could have aa very special person in the world, what would it be??? Ah yes.... Ichigo....." "NYAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ichigo woke up from her deep sleep. Winry looked at her.

"This time, that wasn't me. It was him!" then Ichigo went back to sleep, all curled up in a ball, even though she's human.

"See this? Hmm?" Ichigo stuck out a shiny pendant at the three. "A pendant with a heart? Is it for Al?" said Winry.

"No! Maybe..." she said to herself.

"Well, thanks for showing us this, but Ed and I have to go to Rush Valley to do some errands."

"When will you be back?" said the worried girl. "Oh about two weeks in time. Oh and, Alphonse, be sure she's around when you're giving Den a bath, all right?"

"Sure."

"And, Ed-- Edward?"

"Over here."

"Ed!"

"Winry!"

"Ed!"

"Why are we screaming each other's name out?"

"Shut up, Edward! You know you're leaving Al and Ichigo all alone for two weeks! Let's go! We're gonna miss the train there!"

"Where we goin'?"

"You don't know? I told you four times already! Geez!"

"YOU BETTER GET GOING!" Ichigo shouted. By the time the clock smacked on the 12, Ed and Winry left on a train to Rush Valley.

"Alphonse, I want to talk to you about something.. something important."

"Um, okay." Al and Ichigo sat under a tree.

"You know, Al. What Edward said last night was true. We are alike."

"Not alike in facial or anything just personalities?"

"Al, you're like your brother. A long ponytail, a red coat, brown eyes--"

"You have the same eye color as me. Lucky brother didn't mention that. He was too blinded in the dark to see you fully human."

"Only Winry did because she was near me more than Edward." Al raised his neck a little in surprise.

"Oh please. You're 14 and I'm turning 14 this year. Wow, same age-- I mean--"

"It's okay, Ichigo."

"Hey! You know what Ichigo means in Japanese, right?"

"No. What does it mean?"

"It means strawberry. I'm your strawberry, Alphonse. I'm your Ichigo. I love you as a friend now."

"Now? What happened last night?" Ichigo then ggigled at Al and held his hand tightly.

"I thought to myself that you wouldn't be there for me and now I know you'll always be."

"Oh..." Al turned away shyly.

"We can be brother aand sister, you know that?"

"Really?"

Ichigo nodded and smiled.

"Yeah and we can stay together forever."