Chapter EIGHT

Colleen skipped happily up to the Elric home; a basket of cookies dangling from her arm. She stopped at the door. With a tentative knock, she stepped back and waited patiently. The doorknob turned from the inside, and Alphonse opened the door.

"Yes? Oh! Colleen!" His face spread into a wide smile. "Come in!" He stepped aside to allow her entrance. She bounced into his home. When he closed the door behind her, she spun around and held the basket of cookies up.

"Carrie sent me to give you these- for giving us Mr. Mustang's number."

Alphonse's smile disappeared. "Ah. So that's why Ed's..."

"Yeah... When Carrie told him what we were trying to do, Mustang was only too happy to help." Her head tilted to the side in thought. "Though honestly I'm surprised Ed took the bait so easily."

"Alu-chan..," Alphonse said, shifting uneasily, "I don't think this is such a good idea. I mean, if Brother finds out that this was all a big scheme... He's going to be really mad." He took the cookies from her anyway.

"I know. But... Ed needs someone in his life, you know? And... Well... Sam's..."

Alphonse frowned, "Is something wrong?" She shook her head.

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

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Edward and Samantha took their seats in the restaurant. It was a quaint little family-owned place. Not that you'd find much else in Resembool. The table was set beside the window, a good distance away from the other customers. Their waitress was one of the owners of the place: a portly older woman, with crinkles at the corner of her eyes and lines on her mouth from many years of laughter. As the lady laid their menus before them, she smiled at Edward.

"Well, if it isn't the oldest Elric boy. I haven't seen you in a while."

Ed smiled in return. "I know, but Winry's been cooking a lot recently. I haven't had much of a need to eat out."

"Well. That's still no excuse to not stop by and see me every now and again," She said with a twinkle in her eye. "But oh my! It seems you have a date this evening!" Ed blushed. She cast her gaze over Sam. Samantha fidgeted uncomfortably, unused to such scrutiny.

"You're that nice girl that works in that bookstore, aren't you?" The old lady asked.

Sam nodded shyly. "Yes, I am. And... You're name is Mrs. Saunders, isn't it?"

Mrs. Saunders smiled. "That's right! But you can call me Ruby. Almost everyone does." She waggled her finger at Sam, "I remember you because you helped me out that one day when I didn't have anyone to help unload supplies into the store. I never got to tell you how much I appreciated it."

Ed looked at Sam with confusion clear on his face. They knew each other?

"It was no big deal Mrs. Saunders. I was happy to help." Sam smiled a warm, genuine smile.

Ruby leaned over, and with a wink she said to Ed, "Don't let this one slip away. She's a keeper."

Ed blushed and laughed nervously. "Well... uh..." He looked at Sam. "Do you know what you want to order?"

She nodded, and Ruby took their orders and their menus. With a final wink and a suggestive nod at Sam, she bustled off to get their order ready. Ed sighed and leaned on his arm.

"I keep forgetting how long you've lived here," He said. When she didn't respond, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Her eyes wandered over to meet his. "Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I was thinking about whether or not you'd actually kick my ass if I ordered milk."

"... You're kidding right?"

"No. Seriously."

Ed sighed. "You're always trying to find new ways to piss me off."

"Not intentionally." Sam batted her eyelashes innocently.

"Don't give me that crap."

"Okay, so you're a fun person to make mad. Do you see yourself when you react to stuff? It's hilarious." She raised an eyebrow when he made a face.

"Thanks," He said sarcastically, "It's great to know that I entertain you."

"Look, if you want people to stop picking on you, stop reacting to them. The whole reason people say stuff to make you mad is for the reactions. Deny them the reaction, and they'll stop bugging you."

Ed's brow furrowed. "You actually know what you're talking about, don't you?"

She shrugged. "I grew up with people who love to pick on people. My dad is the biggest tease you'll ever meet. Ugh, you even mention a guy around him and the dating jokes never stop!" She laughed, obviously remembering something. "And my mom? Oh man, she's an easy target. She's always doing something silly. And one Christmas, dad decided to freak her out. See, she's afraid of nutcrackers-" She laughed at the look Ed had on his face. "Yeah, I know right?

"Anyway, my mom's kind of creeped out by them. So one year for Christmas my dad bought her a nutcracker and stood it up by the tree. So when she woke up in the morning and saw it there, she totally freaked." Sam's voice became more adult as she mimicked her mom, "'Fred! That's not funny! You know how much I hate those things!'...She was totally laughing the whole time. "

Sam started to laugh, and Ed laughed with her.

"So the year after that, my mom bought some fake dog poop and put it in a box. Told my dad that was his present. Oh man, the look on his face! Then she made me bring out his real present." Sam sighed, her eyes glittering with happy memories of the past.

Suddenly she blushed and looked down. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. You probably don't want to hear all this."

"What? No, I don't mind," Ed said earnestly, "I don't really have a lot of memories with my family. So..." He shrugged, "I guess I like hearing about your memories. It's great to hear you had a happy childhood." She smiled, but didn't continue her stories.

"Do you have any brothers?" Ed prompted.

"Yeah. Two of 'em. Both older than me."

"Oh yeah? What are their names?"

"Lance and Brock. I'm always terrified when Lance goes outside. He's so thin I'm afraid he'll blow away." She laughed. "He's always complaining about how he needs to put on weight. He even used to drink this nasty protein shake stuff. It smelled decent, but when he mixed it up it looked like sludge. He said the taste wasn't far off the sludge mark either."

"Does anyone in your family know alchemy?" Ed asked, suddenly curious.

"Well... Brock knows the basics. Enough to fix a few toys- he's got five kids now. And my grandma here in Resembool knows a bit more than him. But my grandpa... he's hopeless."

"You have family here?!"

"...Ed... I've lived here four years. I'm eighteen. I would've had to have moved here when I was fourteen. You think my parents would let me move out and live by myself at fourteen? Hell no."

"So... Why'd you move out?"

"My grandparents needed an extra hand around the house. With me around to help out, it took a lot off their shoulders. "

"Do you have your own place now?"

"Yeah, but I still stop by and visit them a few times a week."

Ed sat in silence for a moment, contemplating this new information. Of course she'd have family here. Why didn't he realize how young she was when she moved here?

"So you don't know alchemy?" He asked.

"Eh... I know the theory. Equivalent exchange, and all that stuff; but I'd never be able to actually transmute something."

"I could teach you, if you're interested."

Sam put her hands up. "No thanks. I don't want any of your evil juju."

"...Evil juju?"

"Ah. I forgot you don't speak my language sometimes. Evil juju translates to: I don't have half the brain power to understand all that alchemical nonsense. Not everyone can be born a genius, Edward." She rolled her eyes at him.

They lapsed into silence as Ruby brought them their food and drinks. When the old woman had left, Ed asked,

"So... Since you work in a bookstore, does that mean you like to read?"

"Oh God yes!" Sam laughed. "You just never see me with a book nowadays because Carrie won't let me bring them to work anymore."

"Why not?"

"She says I get 'distracted'."

Ed stared at her.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You do get distracted easily."

"...I do not."

"Sam..."

"I reject your reality!" She huffed. Ed smiled and shook his head. He took a quick sip of his drink.

"Tell me more about your family," He said.

"Well... jeeze... where to start? Uh..." She thought for a moment. Her green eyes lit up with excitement. "Even though we live in the city, my entire family are country people at heart. Except Lance. But he's a freak. The 'black sheep' of the family." She pushed food around on her plate with her fork.

"You must miss them a lot," Ed said softly.

"Not really... Well... Sometimes I guess. But I see them every now and again. Holidays and such."

Ed nodded, taking another sip of his drink.

"My mom's a total clutz. You know that whole 'graceful, beautiful, angel-like' things moms are supposed to have?"

He nodded again.

"Yeah... My mom wasn't in line when they handed that stuff out." She laughed. "She's always tripping, or managing to injure herself somehow. Honestly I don't know how she's lived this long." Sam smiled and gazed distantly out the window. "Mom is always there for me. She always knows when something's wrong. What can I say? She's a mom."

Edward watched Samantha carefully. This was a side of her he'd never seen before. She seemed so at peace talking about her family. His heart ached for his own mother.

Sam's gaze softened. "Yeah... she is a great mom."

I didn't know she could be so... cute, Ed thought.

She snapped back to reality with a jolt. "So..." Sam said, "Think this Roy guy will be convinced?"

"I hope so," Ed said. He cast his gaze down to his plate. "I'm sorry I got you in to this. We might have to act like a couple for awhile, you know." Sam shrugged.

"I don't mind. I mean," She blushed, talking quickly, "You need my help. I can't just refuse a friend, you know?"

"Still, you know. You didn't have to."

Sam shook her head. "Besides, I consider this paying you back for making you pay for my lunch awhile back."

"You remembered that?" Ed asked incredulously. "I totally forgot!"

"Yeah. Well. It's been eating away at me for awhile now."

"You realize I'm paying for this dinner, too?"

"... You'll let me pay, half, right?"

"What kind of date would this be if I let you pay half?"

"Please?"

"No!"

Their argument lasted until they had finished eating. Even though Samantha insisted on paying, Ed wouldn't let her. With a smile and a wave to Ruby and the other waitresses, they left the restaurant.

A/N: Hmm... Edward thinks she's cute. Oh ho ho!

Sorry her lovely readers, but Edo-chan won't be able to post for the rest of this weekend. DESPAIR! But she'll be back posting next week. LESS DESPAIR!

What is this madness? Alphonse is scheming? Homai. Hey, and when is Pinacco coming back? Edo-chan misses the pint-sized lady. Perhaps she'll appear in next chapter. PINACCO! WE MISS YOU!