Chapter 6
The Dance

Ed walked out through the hospital doors. He sat down on the steps, and sighed. Al joined him, and they stared out into the sun. Lana had just took off on them, but they weren't going to bother looking for her.

"I wonder where she is," Al said. Ed shifted on the step.

"Well, wherever she is, she's fine," Winry said to them, making them jump in surprise.

"How'd you get here?"

"I…came with you," she said, and felt his forehead. He pushed her hand away. She kneeled on the top step, and sighed.

Just then, a nurse burst through the doors. They all fell down the two steps. The nurse stood up, and dusted herself off. She looked at the three of them, and smiled.

"Sarah has just woken up, and you can go see her if you want," she said, and marched back into the hospital. Al and Winry quickly followed her, but Ed stayed behind.

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"Grandma, where did you get that ring?" Lana asked, staring at the red gem. She had seen it many times, and knew it all too well.

"Some young fellow handed the gem to me, and I placed it in a ring. Don't you think it's pretty?" She said, flashing it off. Lana smiled, and nodded.

"I think that it is the most beautiful and shiny gem I have ever seen," she said, sipping some of her tea.

"Dear...I know that you never came down here to talk about my jewelry, and I'm not going to keep blabbering on about it. Now, tell me about the Philosopher's Stone that you mentioned earlier."

Just then, the door burst open.

"Lana, Sarah woke up!" Ed yelled. Lana quickly got up from her seat, and went over to talk to him. Her grandmother chuckled at the sight of them. Lana walked back to her grandma, and told her that she needed to leave.

"Don't worry about it sweetie," she said, "I'll see you at the dance, I hope."

"What dance?"

"You mean you forgotten?"

She shrugged, and looked at the ground.

"The one dance that this town holds twice every year."

"Oh, yeah, I'll be there. Don't worry!" Lana called as she went back to the door.

"Well, it's two days from now, and you need to find a dress!" She called after her, and Lana groaned.

"What?" Ed asked as they shut the door behind them.

"I hate dresses. They're either too frilly, or too itchy. I'd rather be comfortable than fashionable."

He smiled, and they ran to the hospital. Lana made it there first because she was taller, and had longer legs. She ran in through the hospital, and into Sarah's room. She didn't notice the 'Wet Floor' sign, and she slipped on the dripping tile. Ed saw her, and grabbed her arms just before she hit the ground.

"Thanks," she said.

"No prob…" was all he got out before he too, slipped on the floor, kicking Lana in the head, both of them crashing to the floor.

"Well, what so we have here? Ahh…two klutzes who can't seem to even stand up," a voice sounded from above them. Lana looked up to see a girl with long, long red hair, and a pale face. She smiled at Lana, and helped her up.

Lana wrapped her into a hug.

"Hey, Rudy, what's up? Haven't seen you since we were what…eleven?"

"That sounds about right. I heard that your sister was in a room here, so I came in to see how she was."

Lana looked over at her sister, and she was sleeping. This time, though, her cheeks were a lot pinker, and she had a glow to her skin.

"Oh, I wanted to ask you Lana. Do you want to go shopping for the dance?"

"Umm…sure. I mean, I don't really have anything to wear. Since Granny wants me to wear a dress, what the hell!"

"Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow and we'll go shopping!" She said, and walked out of the room. Ed coughed so he was recognized, and she helped him up.

"Sorry, Ed. Hey, do you want to come with me to the dance?"

"Uhh…what's it for?"

"Just where everyone in town gathers in one large, and pretty I might add, room. They talk and dance, sing, play games, stuff like that. Please! They also have a huge library there!"

"Fine. Do I have to wear anything special?"

"Nothing fancy, just formal, I guess."

"Ok," he said, not understanding a word of it. She noticed that, and said to him, "Why don't you get Winry to help you?"

"Whatever."

Sarah mumbled in her sleep, and Lana looked over at her. Ed saw the hope in her eyes, and squeezed her hand.

The next day

"NO! GET THAT AWAY FROM ME!"

"SHUT UP, ED! Now, either tell me what size you wear, or I'll hit you so hard with the wrench, you won't be able to feel your brain for a week!"

Ed mumbled, "12," under his breath, and Winry wrote it down. She walked out the door, and into the town in a huff.

'That idiot!' she thought to herself. 'I do one nice thing for him, and he completely flips out! Maybe they will have it in his size, he's so small though.'

She walked into the tailor that she was closet to their hotel. Al, (who had his body fully restored) Winry, and Ed all stayed in the nearest hotel. Sarah had to stay in the hospital, and Lana was staying with her friend, Ruby.

Winry walked into the shop and a little bell tinked.

"May I help you?" A voice said from behind a box full of suits.

"Yea. I'm trying to find a size 12 suit," Winry said, looking at the paper. The man came from behind the boxes, and held out a tux that looked like it would fit Ed. She made her purchases, and exited the shop with her belongings. She wondered if Lana was having a good time shopping for clothes.

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"No, I don't really like it," Lana said, staring at the dress. Ruby sighed, and put that one away. She grabbed another one, and Lana shook her head.

"You know what? I am sick and tired of you doing this, so…you just go home, and I'll pick out a dress."

"Fine. I never wanted to be here anyway."

Lana left, and Ruby went back to the dresses. She gasped, and picked up the perfect one. She also found a cute pair of shoes, and a barrette for her hair.

Happy at what she had found, she paid for them, and joyfully left the store. Now, to wait for tomorrow to come.

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Ed pulled on his shirt, and then his jacket. He threw on his regular shoes, and then looked in the mirror.

He was wearing a thin, dark green jacket, a white shirt, and a pair of black pants. Not that he cared what he looked like. He just really wanted to check out that other library. He walked out towards the bedroom, and he looked over at Winry.

"Do I honestly have to wear this?"

"Yes. Now shut up, or you'll mess up your pretty makeup," Winry said with a laugh. Ed scowled, and he wondered what Lana was doing right now…

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"OW! What are you trying to do? Rip my hair out?!"

"No, I'm simply brushing it," Ruby said, brushing the knots out of Lana's hair.

"Well, it hurts!"

"Well, I don't care!"

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Ed walked into the rather large building, and he stood at the top of the stairs. Everyone had someone to talk to. Someone they knew. Their friend. Ed looked around for Lana, and he never saw her.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He hoped for Lana, but saw Winry.

"Oh , it's you," he said, looking at her. Winry looked heartbroken. He then noticed that she was wearing a green dress down to her knees with flower prints on it. "You look nice," he said, and she smiled. They walked down the stairs together, and got drinks.

"Hey," some guy said to Ed, "You're that Alchemist!"

"Huh?"

"The famous State Alchemist…Fullmetal!"

"Oh, yeah. Right."

"What's it like being famous and all?"

Ed never heard him, for he was too busy staring at the person at the top of the stairs. There was a beautiful girl in a baby-pink dress. She looked at all the people, and took a deep breath.

Lana had on of course a pink dress, with straps that clung to the side of her arms. A line of a deeper pink went straight across right below her chest. It had layers of fabric at the bottom that flowed out. She wore silver high heels, and diamonds were encrusted in it. The barrette was holding two parts of her hair, had two pink jewels in them. Her bangs flowed freely among her face.

She walked down the stairs. Ed tried to get closer to her, but some older kid made it there first. He held out his arm, and she grabbed onto it. Ed grew green with jealousy; but when she looked back at him, her eyes sparkled. She waved to him, and he waved back.

She said something to the boy, and he nodded. She let go of his arm, and walked over to Ed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he snaked his around her waist. This wonderful embrace was interrupted when unexpectedly, some nasally voice said:

"Oh my god! Is that really you, Lana?"

Lana mentally groaned, and turned around. She was instantly grabbed into a bone-crushing hug. She tried to push away, but it was no use. The woman with the bright purple dress, and the beehive hair let go.

"Hello, dear how are you?"

"I'm just great Mrs. Perkinson. How are you doing?" She tried to say in her nicest tone. Ed looked from Lana to Mrs. Perkinson, then back again.

"I'm doing fine," she said, and a skinny boy, around the age of fifteen, appeared next to her. "Oh! I'm hoping that you remember my son, Pete?"

Lana nodded. Oh, she had remembered him. Selfish, arrogant, rude, but the weirdest thing is, in front of his mother he was shy. She smiled at the boy, and he glanced up at her from his down-looking gaze.

"Well…" Mrs. Perkinson said, bringing Lana out of her train of thought, "I think that I'll leave you two alone to get…reacquainted." She slowly stepped away from the crowd, and nudged Pete so he would get closer to her.

"Hey, Lana."

"Hi."

"I want to go get a drink," he said, not moving an inch.

"Okay, you can go and get one."

"You get it."

"No."

"Get it."

"No!"

Lana's voice had risen higher, and Ed went to grab her wrist, but she moved at the last second. He just walked off, not wanting to be involved in the scene.

"You're my girlfriend now, so go get it," Pete said, and Lana raised her eyebrows.

"Girlfriend? Who said I was your girlfriend?"

"Well, you aren't with any other guys here, so you are my girlfriend."

Lana glared at him. She turned around, and saw Ed standing by the water fountain. She walked over, and grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" He asked, and she just glared at him. He shut his mouth, and she dragged him over back to Pete.

"This…is my boyfriend," she growled at Pete, pointing at Ed. "Ed, meet Pete Perkinson."

"Hi," he said, but he was abruptly cut off by Pete.

"Well, if he's your boyfriend, prove it," Pete said, not raising his voice. Lana glared at him, and turned to Ed. She leaned in, and kissed him. They closed their eyes, and stayed like that. Pete, who was sick of it, pulled Lana off him. She looked back at Ed, and he was still leaned forward. She looked around, and noticed that no one was moving…or breathing. They were frozen in their spot.

"What's going on?"

Pete picked Lana up, and headed towards the library. She kicked at hit him, but he never flinched, or blinked for that matter. She bit him, and he smacked her. Closing her eyes, she yelled out:

"Ed? Ed?! ED!"


How's that for a cliffie! Not to shabby, eh? Well, REVIEW! REVIEW! Flames are accepted with fire-retardant jackets!