Author: IdrianWatzon – Disclaimer: IdrianWatzon does not own any characters she uses in this fanfic. Nor does she own the recipe.

Daring Actions

It was awkward. How could he ever expect to live up to this one? Roy had dared him, so he had to. At first, he had wanted to turn it down, but Edward Elric, the FullMetal Alchemist, could not do that. He would not tell his mortal enemy no to a dare. It would kill his reputation.

Especially when most people said it would be the easiest thing in the world to do. Ed just couldn't understand how people thought it was easy. It seemed like torture, just thinking about it. How could a fourteen-year-old kid as many referred to, do this horrible task? Ed sighed, turning to face the horror before him. The kitchen.

Yes, Ed was afraid of the kitchen. Why? Because he couldn't cook. When he had been training with Alphonse Elric, his brother, every ounce of food he had tried to cook had been burned before their very eyes. That was why Al was always forced to cook for the brothers. That was also the reason why the two had always eaten at Granny Pinako and Winry's house. It was pretty sad. Ed was, after all, already fourteen, and here he was, afraid to pick up a spatula, let alone bake a cheesecake.

Why did Roy even dare him to make cheesecake? Did the colonel want to prove the FullMetal Alchemist wasn't as good as most thought? Did the guy just want to say that Ed couldn't cook? Or did he just want some cheesecake?

It didn't seem fair. So, as Ed carefully peeled off his red coat and slung it on a chair, he silently planned revenge. Sadly, one of Roy's military coworkers, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, was sitting across the table, watching Ed. That meant that Ed couldn't poison Roy while he had the chance. Riza was just too dang harsh.

That sucked, too. How much glory Ed would have if he could poison the evil colonel? Did the guy even deserve to be Fuhrer? It seemed like a pointless task. Why did the current Fuhrer, have to hire Roy anyways? Ed would be so much happier if he was under the role of his teacher, Izumi... no, hold on a moment... Maybe Roy would be better than Izumi. Still, he hated Roy's guts.

"Edward, are you going to begin?" Riza asked from her spot at the table.

"Yeah, yeah, don't push me. I have to do things, uh, wisely! That's right, wisely." Ed stared back at the many shelves and glared, clearly confused as to where anything would be. How did Roy even know Ed couldn't cook? Did the colonel look into his personal files again? If so, blast that moron! Where was Al when you needed him? Of course, Al was out in the streets, looking for stray cats, leaving Ed alone. The moment the dare had been mentioned; Al had run off, not returning till late that night. This morning, he had been gone before Ed could provoke him.

Ed cracked the knuckles of his one hand, before pulling off his black jacket. Underneath was the usual black sleeveless shirt. His metal arm glinted with the rest of the cooking supplies. Ed just hoped he wouldn't fry the arm off.

Winry would murder him. Not only in physical pain, but in his cash too. That girl was evil sometimes. Ed shook his head, clearing his mind of the expenses it would cost for another replacement arm and Winry's "Death Wrench of Doom".

Yes, Ed had named it. But that was just because. Now, he had to concentrate on baking this cheesecake. Turning to Riza, he held out his auto mail right arm. She nodded in return, pulling out a slip of paper and placing it in the outstretched palm.

"There you go, Ed. The directions for making a cheesecake. Good luck, and try your best to kick the colonel's butt. He deserves to loose once in a while." Riza stated, before leaning back in her chair.

"Well, if you want me to kick his butt, why not help me? That's why you're here? Isn't it?" Ed pleaded, wishing he could pawn her into helping him.

"Nope, sorry Ed. I'm just here to make sure you don't poison the colonel and also to make sure you don't burn down the place." Riza said nonchalantly.

"Aw, c'mon." Ed begged. When she didn't answer, Ed huffed and turned back to the kitchen. Looking at the list, he sighed and began to pull out everything he needed.

Cheesecake

2-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (About 40 squares) 1/3 cup sugar; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling: 3 packages (8 ounces each) 1-1/2 cups sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 eggs, separated

Topping: ½ cup sour cream; 2 tablespoons sugar; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ cup whipping cream, whipped (1 omit topping)

In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. spring form pan. Bake at 350 for five minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add egg yolks; beat on low just until combined. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour over crust. Bake for 1 hour or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes. Carefully run a knife over the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla; fold in whipped cream. Spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Yield: 12 servings.

Ed held back any sign of vomit as he finished fishing out the ingredients. How could one thing have both sour cream, cream cheese, and cinnamon? It just didn't seem right. He was definitely not going to ever eat cheesecake in his life. Here he thought milk was bad.

"Good, Ed. Now that it has taken you nearly thirty minutes to find these supplies, are you going to start or continue staring at the paper?" Riza's voice cut into Ed's thinking. His head snapped up and he grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah," he started, "Sorry, I just don't like what's in cheesecake." Ed managed.

"I suppose that's why your face is pale?" Riza asked.

"Probably." Ed turned back to the paper and read the directions again. Grabbing the small bowl needed, he mixed the crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon into it. Stirring, he added the butter. Mixing all of the ingredients, he gulped back the vomit again.

How could Ed vomit at such a small thing? It was pathetic. Grabbing the spring form pan, Ed stopped stirring and set the pan down. For ten minutes, he searched for the 'grease' he needed, before Riza stood and showed him a can of spray called "Pam".

"Oh," Ed stated sheepishly. He took the spray and sprayed it at the spring form pan. Riza shouted out "No!" right as he started to spray. Sadly, he should have listened, for the spray didn't go onto the pan. It sprayed back at him and Riza, who had been standing over his shoulder, watching what he was doing.

Dropping the can, both he and Riza hopped around the room, trying to rub the greasing spray off of their faces and out of their eyes. Ed yelped when he tripped over the chair Riza had left out when she went to help him.

"ARGH!" he cried out, cursing loudly. Riza had stopped hopping around by now and had regained her sanity. Grabbing a small washcloth, she sprayed water on it and wiped her face clean. Taking out her gun from its hoister, she held it up in the air and shot it at the ceiling. Ed stopped cursing, standing abruptly and held his auto mail hand cross his forehead, military salute.

"Edward, calm down. I'll help you." Riza growled, replacing the gun in her holder and walking up to Ed, who whimpered and backed away. Riza could be totally strict sometimes. Especially when she had her gun. Ed felt sorry for her puppy, Black Hayate. He kind of felt a tinge of sorrow for Roy, but it didn't last. Riza handed Ed the cloth and sat down again.

"I am not going to help you again, Edward." She growled. Ed nodded in reply, whimpering. Quickly cleaning off his face, Ed went back to the pan and spray and carefully sprayed the spring pan, aiming directly for it this time.

When this was done, he set down the container and backed away from it. Taking the bowl of sugar, cinnamon, and cracker crumbs, Ed used a spoon to press it onto the bottom of the spring pan. Pushing it up the 2 inches on the sides, Ed looked at his work.

"I did it, amazing." Ed mumbled to himself. Riza didn't respond. Ed turned to the oven, staring at it. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the buttons and dials on the top of it. Switching one of the dials to 350, he checked the inside of the oven to make sure it was heating up. It was. The black bars were slowly turning red. Grabbing the spring pan, Ed was about to put it in when Riza growled.

"Ed, don't forget the gloves. You can't put that in without protection." Ed yipped and pulled his hands from the over. Setting the pan and crust down, Ed searched for the oven mitts Riza said he needed. Finding them in a drawer under one of the counters, Ed happily stuck them on his hands.

Taking the pan again, he pushed the crust for the cheesecake onto the bars that were almost red by now. Standing up and closing the door, Ed turned on the little timer he found by the sink for five minutes. Sitting back on another chair opposite Riza, Ed grinned at her.

"Well? How's that?"

"Ed, keep a watch on the crust. You don't want to burn it. If you do, Roy wins."

"But he's the one to eat it!" Ed whined.

"Edward, Roy specifically said that if you could bake a cheesecake without killing it, burning it, or plain poisoning it, you would win. Trust me, he believes you cannot do it."

"What if I can't? Why not help me, first lieutenant Hawkeye?" Ed begged.

"Sorry, Edward. Watch the crust, the times almost done."

"What? But I just sat down," Ed turned to face the timer. Glaring at it, the bell rang and he got up and pulled on the gloves. Opening the door, he pulled out the crust and set it on the counter. Shutting the door, Ed turned the oven to 325 and pulled off the oven mitts, grinning triumphantly.

"Hah! Beat that, you stupid oven!" Ed cheered, "I've mastered you! You will obey my every command and bake what I need!" Ed laughed evilly, holding his head up triumphantly. Riza shook her head in dismay as she shut her eyes. Ed stopped laughing and turned to the crust. Letting loose a loud sigh, Ed collapsed back into the chair.

"Man, baking cheesecake is hard. How long do I have to wait?"

"Look at the recipe, Edward. Ever thought of that? Besides, you should check if you should be doing something while you wait." Riza mumbled back.

"Oh," Ed picked up the recipe sheet and examined it. Grabbing the mixing bowl, Ed added the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beating them, Ed continued on for a few minutes until they became smooth. Adding the egg yolks, Ed beat the eggs until they were combined enough.

Grinning happily, Ed pushed aside the first mixing bowl and grabbed a smaller one. He put the egg whites into it and beat them until the said peaks formed. Then he folded them into the cream cheese mixture, not getting half of what he was doing.

Turning back to the crust, Ed silently poured the combined mixture into the crust, and set it back down. Pulling on the oven mitts again, Ed picked up the pan and stuck it in the heated oven. Setting the timer to one hour, Ed pulled of the gloves and sat; satisfied he could rest an hour.

"You're not done yet, Edward. You still have to clean the used dishes and put them away." Riza stated.

"What?" Ed yelped.

"Just do it." Riza growled.

"Yes ma'am!" Ed saluted, before turning to the dishes and trying to figure out how to wash them. Gulping, he filled the sink with water, pouring dish soup in to help clean. Taking the bowls and items he had used, Ed started to clean, nearly forgetting to shut off the water as it started to overflow. Scrubbing, Ed cleaned at the dishes. Grabbing the soap bottle, he was about to put more in, when it slipped through his auto mail hand and fell to the floor.

The cap popped off and soap came gushing out. Ed quickly rushed to clean it up, grabbing a towel and drying the floor as best as he could. Standing, he set down the towel and finished cleaning the dishes. Drying his auto mail arm and real hand off, Ed made sure it didn't rust.

Then, drying the wet dishes, he picked up a pile and turned to put them away. Instead, he slipped on the leftover soap that he didn't manage to clean up. Falling back onto the floor, the dishes, including two glass bowls, went flying in the air, crashing around Ed and shattering. Riza shook her head.

"What will I do with those two? First I have to put up with Roy, now I'm stuck with Edward. Why me?" Riza stood from her seat and started to clean up the mess as Ed sat up, cursing the whole time.

"That sucked!" Ed growled.

"Just help me clean up," Riza glared.

"Yes, Lieutenant!" Ed hopped to his feet and picked up the chunks of glass. Putting them in a pile, he clapped his hands together and used his alchemy to fix them. He picked them up and finished helping Riza clean. When they were done and Ed had finished cleaning the dishes that didn't break, Ed sat down and waited. Just ten minutes later, the timer rang and Ed pulled out the pan. Setting it on a wire rack, he let it cool for ten minutes, before sticking it back in for another hour.

"Hey, First Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Ed asked.

"Yes, Edward?" Riza replied.

"Wanna play a game of cards?" Ed held up a stack of cards.

"Why not?" Riza and Ed sat across the table from each other. So not to see the others cards.

"Lets play poker. I'm pretty good at that." Riza suggested. Ed's hopes sank.

"Uh, why?" Ed provoked, not wanting to play.

"Roy always plays me, betting half his paycheck sometimes, and I kick his butt." Riza explained. Ed's face grew pale. "No cheating, though. Fair and square, or die." Riza ended. Ed grew even paler.

"Um, okay?" Ed gulped.

"Great, let's begin." Riza shuffled the cards, sending Ed lower into his chair at the way she did it. Ending, she separated the cards.

------

Ed fell to the ground, clean of his cash. All the money he had in his pocket was on the table in front of Riza.

"Okay, you win." Ed whimpered.

"Thank you." Riza smirked. Ed stood up slowly and sank into his chair. The timer ran off as he slumped his head against his chest. Standing weakly, Ed pulled on the oven mitts and took out the cheesecake. Setting it down, Ed read the directions and put the cheesecake into the refrigerator to sit for the rest of the day. He hoped he won. It wouldn't do justice for him to have to prance around the military base; wearing a frilly dress or whatever the hell Roy would make him do.

"Now what?" Ed asked lamely.

"You go home and come back tomorrow, give the cake to Roy, and see if you win or not." Riza explained in a bored fashion.

"Gottcha." Ed turned and grabbed his stuff, leaving the room in a flash, happy to be gone. It was a good thing he didn't carry much money with him when he was at the base, or he'd be dead broke before he knew it. Riza wiped him clean, all right. Ed trudged off, heading for the dorms. He needed to sleep. One last night of happiness needed to last.

------

"Well, FullMetal? Let's see it." Roy smirked, just waiting to see Ed loose.

"Here it is. A perfect cheesecake." Ed handed over the cake. "No poison or anything." Ed growled.

"Great. First Lieutenant Hawkeye? Be judge. It was your recipe, after all." Roy handed the cheesecake over to Riza.

Riza took out a spoon and took a bite of the cake. Ed gulped. He had not expected Hawkeye to be the tester. Guess it was good I didn't poison it. Ed thought.

"Well?" Roy asked.

"Wonderful. You did it great, Edward. Good job. You win." Riza muttered. Ed stood shocked a minute, before jumping for joy.

"Beat that, Mustang!" Ed cheered.

"Edward, hurry up and think of a punishment." Riza muttered.

"Yes!" Ed thought for a moment. Al stood behind him, terrified. What would his older brother think of?

"I got one!" Ed grinned mischievously.

"Yes, Edward?"

"Wear a girly, frilly dress and run around the base, dancing and singing the American Star Spangled Banner. Throw the rest of the cheesecake in your face." Ed ended, using part of the idea he had thought Roy would use on himself.

Roy looked horrified. "WHAT?" He cried.

"Do it, Colonel." Ed mumbled, ginning from ear to ear.

"Stupid, no good, sonuva...!" Roy was cut off as Riza hit him across the head with the hilt of her gun.

"Shut up, Colonel. FullMetal already knows enough language as it is. Don't provoke him. He's only fourteen." Riza growled. Roy sank back, holding his wounded head.

"Yes ma'am!" He stated, nearly scared out of his wits. She had a good aim with her gun, after all.

"Do it, Mustang!" Ed chanted. Roy glared at him. Ed sank back, nearly afraid. Then, he regained sanity and realized Roy couldn't do anything. Riza was here. She knew Roy had to do the dare before any death or violence arrived. Then, suddenly...

-WHAM!-

Ed fell forward. He jumped back up and glared at Riza. "What was that for?" He roared as Riza stashed her gun away in its hoister.

"Don't provoke the colonel." She ordered. Ed nodded, standing as straight as he was able. He saluted, before turning to Roy.

"Do it." he stated.

"Whatever." Roy borrowed a frilly, pink dress from somewhere (nobody dared ask the exact location) and dressed into it. He ran around the base, singing and hopping around oddly. Finally, when he was done, he threw a good portion of the cheesecake into his face. The other part when flying into Ed's face, and of course Ed had been laughing the whole time. Roy grinned at Ed. Once the laughing died down, Roy made one simple statement before walking back to his office.

"FullMetal, just wait. I'll think of a bet you're sure to loose." Ed gulped. But when he saw the pink dress again, he couldn't help but laugh.

------

Winry sat on the couch with Den laying at her feat. Oh, how she hoped Ed would mess up his auto mail again. Sure, it sucked whenever she was forced to do the auto mail over again from scratch when stupid, good-for-nothing Edward blew the auto mail up. But, whenever he did, she and granny would make a fortune. Oh, how she loved the wonderful money she would make off of those brothers.

Even if they were never there. Sure, they were her childhood friends and she cared for them dearly. In fact, she cared for them loads considering the money she got. But if they killed themselves, she'd have to murder someone. They were just too reckless. Too bad Ed hated cooking. If he destroyed his auto mail trying to bake something, they would be forced to come back.

How she wished she could see those two again and beat the crap out of them. What a laugh that would be. If only she could catch a train and go see them. Ed was bound to have grown half an inch in the past month. It wouldn't hurt to try. Besides, she heard Ed's mortal enemy, Roy mustang, was there. Maybe she could provoke the guy into betting Ed to do something.

Maybe she could just pummel Roy. That would be fun. Ed did just get her a new wrench for Christmas. It wouldn't hurt... her, at least. What a laugh that would be. Yes, Ed and Al, her she comes.

Winry stood from her spot and yelled to Pinako. "Granny! I'm gonna go visit the Elric's at Central. I'm leaving in three days!"

"Great! Don't forget to pawn off some more parts and tools. Those boys are rich!" Pinako shouted back.

"Don't worry!"

A/N- I did a mistake earlier. Ed isn't sixteen in this story, he's actually only fourteen. (takes place during the time between Ed's becoming a state alchemist and where the story begins.)