Ok I know I'm updating kinda late at night, but I just got back from work (Tell me if you hate your job too, or if Your not old enough to work, I'm always interested in this... different stuff.) and I'm trying to keep my promise to update daily.

Read, Reveiw, and don't hate me... (If you do you can go to 1134 guess what that spells in you calculator, sorry I'm tired).


When I came to I was on my back, everyone was gathered around me, and there was a lot of yelling. I tried to sit up but Hawkeye placed a hand on my shoulder and told me to stay put. I pushed her off, and sat up as best I could. My leg sat at a sickening angle, I nearly blacked out again. "Who won?" I asked horsely.

"I had to disqualify you for obvious reasons," Hawkeye told me.

I glared down at my broken leg and remembered how my brother had set my arm two years ago, how the grandpa in my dream had made wings grow out of my back, and how I'd made the angel. I had an Idea. "Give me something to bite down on," I ordered. They all looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "The break will hurt less after I set the bone," I told them, but I didn't tell them what I planned to do, or if I could even do it. The blond kid grabbed his torn sleeves and twisted them tightly. He offered it to me, I looked at him and nodded my thanks biting down on it. With help I sat up, and gently placed my hands on either side of my leg. Fresh pain raced through body. My vision blurred and I bit down on the cloth. When it cleared I probed my leg until I found the exact spot of the break my vision blurring several times. I bit down harder on the cloth braced both sides of my leg. I pushed, I heard the snap, pain laced through my body, and I blacked again.


I woke to the sound of several people around me. Mustang was swatting next to me. "… She set it well for someone in pain. Let's splint it and take her to the hospital." I felt someone wrapping my leg, I whimpered as they moved my leg. "Are you with us? Alix? Dalka?" He asked.

"Hurts," I whimpered again.

"Ok, lets get this done and put her in the car." He looked down at someone I couldn't see. The wrapping continued, as did my whimpering. I wished it was Grumman at my side rather then Mustang, but I was in too much pain to request him. Havoc and Mustang pick me up and put me in a orginal Ford style car. I was leaning against the old style door, Hawkeye climbed up front, Mustang in next to her, and Havoc climbed in placing my feet on his lap I whimpered yet again.

"Don't worry," He patted my good leg, "You'll be in the hospital in no time."

I smiled weakly, I touch my hands together making it look like a praying motion. Then I reached down and touched my leg, thinking of how the cells in my bones would knit together. There was no bright light and the pain didn't vanish like I expected, so I figured I didn't do any thing. When we got to the hospital, I was put in a wheel chair and taken strait into the X-ray room. Leaving Hawkeye to take care of the paper work, she wasn't happy. Thankfully Havoc stayed with Hawkeye, but Mustang came with me. As the doctor and Mustang put me on the table, Mustang explained what I'd done, break, and set, all he knew about.

The doctor took the picture, and sent me to a waiting room. I lay back on the waiting table, Mustang sitting in a nearby chair, my foot propped up thanks to the aide. It may have been my imagination but it felt like the pain was going away. I covered my eyes with my arm, upset about how often the jerk in the chair had seen me at his mercy. The doctor came in after what felt like half an hour of self wallowing, He put the picture up to the light examining it. "Well, we're going to put a fresh wrap on your leg, but then you can go. I want you to keep off it for a day, but after that you should be able to walk around with crutches or a cane until you leg feels better." He smiled kindly at me.

"What, you're not going to at least put her in a cast?" Mustang blurted out.

"So just because you're a state alchemist you think you can tell me my job." The doctor looked Mustang up and down, "You may be a state Alchemist, but I'm a state doctor. I think I can tell when a leg is broken or not, and her leg," He pointed at me with the X-ray, "hasn't been broken in at least three months. My guess is she put it through too much, too early."

"But it was at an odd angle, and then she set it, and then…" Mustang babbled, "It was broken when we got in the car!"

"Here, if you think you know so much, take a look, Mr. State Alchemist." The doctor shoved the X-ray in Mustang's chest.

Mustang stared down at it before holding it up to the light like the doctor had. "Uhh… What am I looking for?"

The doctor stood next to him and explained how to tell if a bone was broken, then said, "See this whiter line, this is healed bone, freshly healed bone, and this whitening around the bone, that's inflammation. Which means that this part of the leg was still healing when the muscle over worked it." The doctor turned to me, "You broke this about three months ago, correct?"

I didn't answer, Mustang answered for me, "No, the drive was maybe thirty minutes, Not three months."

"Either way this is the way things are now, get out, NOW." He gave Mustang one of those looks and Mustang left quickly. Then the doctor turned and smiled kindly at me, "I'll get you fixed up now."

The doctor bandaged my leg telling me I could remove it to wash, and then for good when the swelling went down. An aide helped me into the wheelchair and took me out into the waiting room. Hawkeye, Mustang, and Havoc sat next to each other, looking very uncomfortable on the bench. Havoc sat next to a crying child, Riza next to him, and Mustang had the merciful end. I smiled, they all stood up at the same time, Riza had the boot I hadn't notice any one had take off, must have done it while I was unconscious. The aide gave Mustang the crutches, he gave them to Havoc, and Riza lead the way to the car. The aide and Havoc helped me into the car and I propped my foot on the seat. Mustang and Hawkeye climbed up front, and Havoc put the crutches on the floor then climbed in, putting my foot on his lap again. He smiled at me, I frowned back. I liked him, but he was flirting with me every chance he got.

Mustang turned around in the front seat, before Havoc could embarrass himself by opening his mouth. "What did you do to your leg?" He demanded.

I'd learned to be good at lying with my mother. I looked straight at him, "Nothing."

"Bullshit." He said, "Your leg was broken when you got in this car, and now it's been fixed, 'broken three months ago' remember? I think I know when you've done something."

I looked him in the eye, "I didn't do a single thing. If any thing happened it wasn't planned, maybe I'm divine, and it healed by its self. But I did nothing." Mustang glared at me, I'm still not sure if he was angry or scared. I looked back and we then proceeded to have a stare down until we reached the office. He was the one who looked away first. He and Hawkeye hurried up to the office. Havoc helped me out and I used the crutches to head into the office. The stairs were the hardest, but Havoc was nice enough to stay and help the whole way.

When we reached the headquarter Fullmetal and the suit of armor, his brother, were waiting in the office. I came in, they both stood up, Mustang called us into his office before either of them could say anything. I hobbled in the Elric brothers behind me. Mustang sat down at his desk, and Riza pulled up two chairs for me, one with a pillow. "Okay, since you two made that damn agreement, I'm pulling rank and ordering you, Edward, to take this foolish girl as you student."

The blond kid frowned unhappily, "And if I refuse?"

Mustang smiled, "Then she goes to jail, for impersonating a military officer, that's, what did I tell you yesterday? Three years, I could always add on the carrying a blade with out a permit charges. But then again it is an order, so I could just put you in the brig."

"What!?" Edward and Alphonse yelled. "How can you do that? She's obviously clueless."

"HEY!!" I yelled.

"No offence," Ed said.

"Ehhh…" I shrugged it was true.

"So teach her," Mustang smiled widely. Ed had fallen into that one.

"Fine," Ed yelled at him.

"Good."

I spoke up for the first time, "Where's the Brigadier general?"

Mustang lifted an eyebrow, "Grumman? Around, Why?"

"I wanted to say good bye before I left." I said emotionless.

"I'll pass along the message." Mustang said.

"Another thing," I said, "I'd like my things back. I've been wearing the same set of clothes for three days."

"I was wondering why that outfit looked familiar," Mustang said looking me up and down.

"So can I have my clothes?" I asked, "And my coat?"

"You can have everything but the coat and blades," He leaned back in his chair.

"I want ALL my things," I demanded. "My coat looks nothing like yours', my blades aren't dangerous, if I can't get to them easily."

Mustang looked annoyed, but gave in surprisingly easily, "Fine, but try not to wear the coat, and keep the blades in your bag."

"Agreed." Hawkeye handed me my stuff, I folded my coat and placed it in the drawstring bag, the knives went in next even the one no one had noticed yet. They were all very shocked when I pulled the last one form its hiding place and put it in the bag. "I never said I used alchemy on my handcuffs." Finally I was able to barely fit my boot on top, and close the bag. "What about my grandfather's watch?" I asked as I retied the sleeve on my sword.

Mustang sighed, "We're going to have to hold on to that, but I'm sure they'll have no problem giving it back if you pass the test."

"When I pass the test I want my own watch, but I also what his to remember him." I stood putting an emphasis on the word 'when'.

The Elrics and I left, Al offering to carry my bag and sword, "I'm surprise you took that so well." I said once the door was closed behind us.

"I intended to take you any way." He blushed, "You were impressive… out there. I've never seen a girl do that."

"Do what?" I asked gently.

"Break her leg, loose conciseness, and then still try to get up again," Edward said.

I didn't remember that, but I smiled kindly like I did, "…Thank you."

Havoc came over at that point. "Are you about to leave, Alix?" He smiled flirtingly.

I faked a warm smile at him, "I'm not sure really, but you know, Havoc, I do have something I wanted to tell you."

His face lit up, "Really? Call me Jean."

"Yeah, Guys can you give me a minute?" I kept my smile on, they exchanged looks and left, "Come here," Wiggled a finger and he leaned down, "Closer," He put his ear close to my mouth. I cupped my hands, "I DON'T DATE JERKS WHO THINK THEY CAN FLASH A SMILE AND GET A GIRL, YOU PERVERTED, DUMBASS!!" I yelled loud enough to knock him over and draw everyone's eye to us. "If you want a girlfriend, go some where else. I'm. Not. Interested." I spelled it out for him, angrily, "Besides I'm a minor, so grow a personality and find someone your own age." I left the room as quickly as I could on crutches.

"That was a good one," Ed said following me out of the room, "I've never seen Havoc drop a cigarette before."

"It was the truth," I said, still a little annoyed. "I think someone should have said it to him long ago." I was looking back at them and didn't see the stairs coming up. I placed my crutches where the floor should have been and kept going. I dropped both crutches quickly but I couldn't stop myself. All of a sudden I was in some guy's arms and lap looking down at the rest of the stairs. I blushed.

"You seem to be doing a lot of falling recently." Said a chipper voice, I looked up, it was Maes Hughes, "Are you all right this time?"

I blushed again, "I'm fine," He helped me up.

"I saw your fight this afternoon that was pretty impressive." He smiled as the Elric brothers rushed to grab my crutches.

"Are you hurt, Alix?" Alphonse asked. He handed me one of the crutches.

I laughed, "Just my pride."

Hughes looked me up and down, "Alphonse you take those crutches for her, will you?" He smiled and the next thing I knew I was over his shoulder, "I'm going to take you all to the hotel I'm staying at, you can stay there the night and leave tomorrow. We'll borrow Roy's car," I heard the jingle of keys as I tried to see where we were going.

"Lieutenant Colonel," asked Alphonse, he was behind Hughes, so I could look up and saw him and Ed, "Did you steal the Colonel's keys?"

"Borrowed," Hughes corrected, "I'll return them tomorrow before I leave, besides he won't miss it tonight."

The Elric brothers exchanged looks, but said nothing. I had no choice to be lugged around, so I looked at the brothers, "So you two are brothers? Which is older, before I make any dumb assumptions?"

"I am," Ed said.

I smiled at Al, "Do you annoy your brother or are you close?"

"Their like best friends," Maes laughed as he put me in the front seat of the car.

I smiled as the others climbed in, "That sounds like my brother and I. He's five years older then me," Hughes stated up the car. "He was the one I trusted the most, next to my grandfather. He's studying to become a doctor." Memories of my brother rushed back, it was amazing how few of them were actually bad. "I'm so proud of him."

"What was his name?" Al asked.

"Samuel," I answered, wishing I'd told him once how I felt about him and what he wanted to do.

Ed laughed, "His name's actually normal."

"My mother named him, my grandfather named me. My mother liked people with normal names." I told them.

"You mother sounds picky," Hughes noticed.

I stopped smiling, "She was. She spent my whole life trying to make me like her. I'm not, like her that is, I was like my grandfather. I always liked people who were different, things that weren't normal. Girls learning to fight, cursing, wearing pants. She never approved of any of it, the only thing I ever did she loved was when I learned to play the piano. She'd make me sit there for hours, until my fingers were sore, and I begged to stop. She let me stop when I started high school early." I wasn't sure why I told them, but it made me feel a little better, like I'd been faking everything in the past few weeks. I shook my head, "Enough about me, what's you mother like?" I turned arounf in my seat and smiled again at the Elric brother. I instantly regretted my question.

Both their faces fell, it was Edward who answered after a minute of Hughes's silent driving. Even Hughes wasn't smiling any more, "She died a couple years back. Got sick."

I turned back around and stared at my hands, "I know how it feels to lose someone you love, my grandfather died a few days ago."

"So where you from?" Hughes asked, artfully changing the subject.

"The U.S." I said watching the city pass by.

"Where's that?" Alphonse asked.

"Not here." I said sarcastically, "Speaking of here what country exactly is this?"

"Amestris," Ed said as though I were stupid. Thankfully we pulled up to the hotel before I could feel any dumber. I started to get out leaning heavily on the door, as soon as the motor was off.

Al tried worriedly to help me, I shooed him off, but Hughes was another story. Hughes came around and picked me up again. "Hughes PUT ME DOWN!" I yelled at him kicking and hitting him, as he walked in and took me into the hotels café.

"Ok," He said cheerfully. He put me down into a chair, and handed me a menu, "Order what you want, I'll be back in a minute." He left me and the Elric brothers, waning over his shoulder.

"Please tell me he's not always this… pushy." I looked at the brothers as they sat down. They exchanged looks and then refused to meet my eyes. "Edward? Alphonse?" I said in a threatening tone. Hughes chose that moment to come back, and the brothers preoccupied themselves with their menus. "You both suck," I hissed accusingly before looking at my own menu. I was suddenly extremely happy my grandpa had taken over my learning of foreign languages. Otherwise I never would have been able to read the menu.

"I got two more rooms. Miss Alix, here's yours. Ed, Al, here are your keys." He handed each of us a brass key. "Have you decided what you want?"

"I was thinking about having the steak," I remembered the last time I'd had food like that. "You know, I think the only reason my grandfather made my middle name Alix was to keep my mother happy. From now on I want to be Dalka." I said, glancing up over the menu.

"That wasn't the kind of decision I expected you to make while looking for something to eat," Hughes said jokingly.

I smiled back at him, the waiter came over and Ed and I ordered the two most expensive things on the menu, Hughes was paying after all. Hughes jaw had dropped when he saw the prices, he order a sandwich. After we eat, Ed, Al, and I started a philological discussion. When Hughes started to get lost, he changed the subject, "So why have you made this decision about your name?"

The argument that had been on the tip of my tongue about Ed's last comment fell short before it came out of my mouth. I had to think about Hughes question, "I guess," I started after a few second. My face was serious, as I studied the table cloth. "I was Alix only for my mother. When I was Alix I wasn't myself, I was who she wanted me to be. When I was with my grandpa, even in our letters, he would call me Dalka. When I was Dalka I felt… real. I told the General, yesterday, that my grandpa always seemed to know things no one else ever seemed to. He knew that I need to be myself and I think my name might be a key for that freedom." I took a deep breath when I'd finished, I realized how different I was here compared to how I was at home.

Hughes smiled, "That's all I wanted to know."

I started to yawn and decided it was time to head towards my room. I bid everyone a good night and, for the first time in Hughes presents, use my crutches to get up stairs. I came into the room and through my bag on my bed. I resisted the urge to flop down and go to sleep, until I'd taken a shower and changed into a clean shirt. As I came out of the bathroom, my hair still wet, there was a knock at the door. It was a maid, "Excuse me, miss, one of your male friends said you might need your clothes washed, we can have that done before checkout time, if you'd like." She smiled sweetly at me and I returned it wholeheartedly as I gave her my dirty pants, shirt, socks, and underwear. I thanked her and closed the door, finally sliding under the covers of the bed. It was so soft; I was asleep not long after my head hit the pillow.


Ok now everyone go "Ahhh..." At my moment with Hughes and the brothers, and go "Cool" at how I handled my broken leg. . Have you said it? Good. Remember to reveiw... Press the button come on I know you wanna. . until next chapter.