Disclaimer - I do not own DGM or FMA, merely borrowing the characters for my amusement.

Chapter Nine - Adjusting

"Sorry about Lavi," Allen apologized once the red head had departed, seeming mildly cautious after Edward's little outburst. The white haired teen held an apologetic look on his face as he gazed at the newest member of the Black Order, if not yet officially. "Try not to take anything he says personally... he's like that with everyone. He delights in tormenting others and one day it's going to be the death of him."

Edward nodded curtly, still somewhat annoyed. His height had ALWAYS been a touchy subject with him and the one sure fire way to get a rise out of him. And so many people had exploited this fact over the years that the sore spot had only grown as he'd gotten older. Al had always been the one to keep his temper in check but his brother wasn't around to do that and all Edward could do was sit and seethe.

Yet another reason why he needed to find a way to be reunited with his brother.


Once the pair had finished with their meal Allen led the way toward one of the empty rooms. It was fairly close to his own room, which was the main reason why the white haired teen was able to find it. As though he didn't have enough issues to deal with in life he had been born with an abysmal sense of direction, which often succeeded in getting him into even more trouble than he found himself in on a daily basis.

"Hey Allen…"

The teen Exorcist turned his attention toward the blond youth, gazing at him over his shoulder. There was a questioning look in his gray eyes. "What is it?"

Edward gazed at the other boy for a moment before he spoke. "What's it like here at the Order?" There was a hint of curiosity in the blond teen's voice as he posed this question to his companion. This world that he had been thrust into was weird on so many levels and he couldn't help but think that the place where he now found himself had to be even weirder than the world at large.

They made an occupation out of hunting monsters and some magical substance called Innocence after all.

Allen held a thoughtful look on his face for a moment, contemplating his answer to the question that Edward had asked of him. "Well it's different for everyone but for me it's like home… and the people here are like my family."

Mention of home and family caused Edward's thoughts to shift back to Al, the brother that he had left behind in Amestris. Assuming that his second attempt at human alchemy had proven successful. He had no guarantees that what he had done had brought his brother back but he had to maintain that hope.

The prospect of seeing his brother again was the only thing that was keeping him sane at the moment so he couldn't give up on that hope. It would quite literally be the death of him if he did.

"Don't worry," Allen said, offering Edward a reassuring smile. "It isn't so bad around here… and I'm sure that Chief Komui and the other scientists will find out exactly what's going on with you and the Innocence."

Reaching into his pocket Edward once again pulled out the piece of Innocence that he had refused to relinquish. "I shouldn't be able to use it's powers should I?"

Allen shook his head. "You're an unusual case… the first I've ever seen where someone was able to harness the power of Innocence but was then deemed not an Accommodator."

"Hmmm," Edward mused, continuing to stare down at the piece of Innocence. He had a theory on what had happened but wasn't willing to share it with the white haired Exorcist just yet. Mainly because it would involve a lengthy explanation that he simply wasn't prepared to give at this point.

Some secrets were better left as secrets.

"Guess I'm just special," the blond teen stated.

"Maybe," Allen said, coming to a stop in front of one of the many identical doors that lined the level that they were on. Reaching out he opened the door to reveal a very sparsely furnished room. "Here you are, your home away from home."

Edward stepped into the room and the first thing he noticed was a stack of folded clothing that had been placed on the bed by someone. Walking over he grabbed the first piece and unfolded it, discovering that it was a jacket very similar to the one that Allen was wearing. Turning to the white haired teen he arched a brow in question.

"Standard uniform," Allen said, shrugging his shoulders. "Guess Komui decided to give you one despite the fact that you aren't technically an Accommodator. The Innocence served it's purpose anyway so you could still serve as an Exorcist."

"Guess this is just part of it," Edward commented as he placed the jacket back down on the bed.

"Well I'll leave you alone for awhile so you can get settled," Allen said, offering the blond teen another smile. "If you need anything I'll be around."

"Thanks," Edward said, watching as Allen withdrew, closing the door quietly behind himself. Once he was alone Edward sat down on the edge of the bed, thinking about the way that things had changed. He now had more of a plan for getting back to his own world and this served to improve his mood considerably.

But the prospect of spending time at the Order was a little daunting. Gazing down at the uniform he muttered, "This is going to take some getting used to."

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed.