Ed & You

Chapter 4

By SakuraSagura

Disclaimer…

Wha ha! I updated just for you readers. I thank FullMetalRaven and Ellen Tee for helping me out with ideas. If any of you have an idea for this story go ahead and tell me. It just might speed up my updating.

Okay, what should I be doing at the moment? Oh, duh, the disclaimer! Hee hee, almost forgot. I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist. I did buy some FMA merchandise a while ago though. Yay for me!

I was informed that some of you are confused with Al. Lol, he's HUMAN not armor. Sorry if I confused you. I didn't mean to. And I'm also wondering who you all think their mother is. Eh heh… I don't think anyone got it right. I was planning what you shall soon read since chapter… two? Yeah, I think it was two. Okay, have fun with the surprise.

--SakuraSagura

"Eat it."

"No."

"It can't taste as bad as you think."

"Yes it can and it will."

"(), eat it already!"

"NO!" () yelled from her chair. She was sitting in the dining room at the table. It was finely polished and the plates and accessories were already set for supper. Edward was on her right, arguing with (). Alphonse was quietly watching the two bicker and squabble. Alphonse sighed dejectedly. He lifted his gray-blue eyes at his brother. Edward stopped bickering and turned to his brother.

"What is it?" Edward asked, thus making () quiet down and crank her neck enough to see Alphonse.

"Should we get the duck tape?" Alphonse grinned evilly, Edward copying shortly after, and he then continued mysteriously, "I mean, it worked on all the other taste testers. Except for that one girl… Remember brother?" Al finished with a spooky side-glance at (). Edward's grin deepened into a smirk, making a chill run up and down ()'s spine several times.

"Heh heh heh, yeah, I remember. We took out the rope. That didn't hold her though, did it?" Edward asked his brother. ()'s face was pale as Alphonse shook his head and answered in a mockingly sad tone,

"Poor girl, that didn't hold her so we had to get out the piano wire and-"

"OKAY! I'LL EAT IT!" () cried out, eyes wide. Behind her back the two brothers gave each other congratulating smiles. The story wasn't true. It had worked though.

() leaned over a little to get a better look at the stuff piled onto the plate. Sweat rolled down the side of her face as the smell reached her nose. Whatever it was coming from, whether it be the oddly lumpy brown sauce, orange sprinkles of who knows what, or slices of spinach and blue cheese, she didn't like it. () turned and gave Edward and Alphonse her most pitiful look.

"Eat it." Both boys ordered. () shakily returned her eyes to her 'food'. She cleared her throat and mumbled,

"But I don't want to…"

"Eat. It. Now." Edward said harshly. () was instantly quiet. She really didn't like that tone he had just used on her. It sounded like her was mad at her. That was the last thing she wanted. () picked up the nearby fork and lifted it. Her hand shook as she looked for the least disgusting place to get a morsel of.

"If I die…" () began. Behind her Edward and Alphonse choked on their smiles. "I want you to know something." () sighed and stuck her fork into the mess, brought it to eye level, and said, Edward looking confused and Al a bit startled, "I just want to say that if I die this is ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Please, you aren't going to die from Al's so called 'food'." Edward sniggered, making Alphonse ask what he meant by that. "Nothing lovable brother of mine." Edward said while turning to him. Alphonse rolled his eyes. With nothing to respond to Edward turned back to (). From behind she felt Edward come closer. He was standing on the side of the chair where her fork wielding hand was. ()'s face turned bright red as Edward grabbed her hand. Alphonse watched, eyebrows raised, startled frown, and a sweat drop on the side of his head as his brother pulled ()'s hand up. Sadly, a fork of blah in ()'s mouth instantly replaced whatever idea she had.

"Ha ha, how's it taste?" Edward laughed, hands on hips, and a wide, toothy smile on his face. To both brother's surprise () swallowed. Grabbed the fork and shoveled some more into her mouth. Edward made a face that made him look ready to throw up. Al, wide vast eyes gawked at ().

"Y-you LIKE it?"

"Mmm, yup!"

"Even… mom's spices and her sauce?"

"Not bad." () said before another bite. The brothers waited, dumbstruck, as () made her way through the plate's food. When she was finished she pleasantly topped it off with an 'AAAH!'. () handed Alphonse the plate. He took it with a 'huh' expression.

"I only know two people who will sit down and stuff their mouth with this kind of food." Alphonse mumbled bluntly. Edward almost gave him an offending look but the door to the room they were in was opened loudly.

"Yo, tin can, shrimp, mom's back." Envy said plainly as he leaned against the door frame. Edward and Alphonse glanced at one another and then at ().

"Do I need to leave?" Asked (). She didn't want to but she would if Edward wanted. Envy thought a moment before saying,

"I think you should stay." Even before Envy was done Edward and Alphonse looked over at him.

"WHAT?" They both shouted suddenly. ()'s face burned a bright red. They really didn't want her here, did they? Envy was the first to notice her face.

"I think () should stay. Might as well eat with us. Unless," Envy gave a daring glance at his brothers, "there is something wrong with that."

"N-no." Alphonse muttered. Edward bit his tongue so he wouldn't interrupt. "I guess () can stay."

"Are you sure?" () asked slowly and quietly. Edward sighed,

"Yeah, sure, sure. I suppose."

"Thanks." () smiled and flushed a darker shade of red.

For the next half hour Edward and Alphonse continued to fix up supper. Apparently their mother was a picky eater. While they fixed up the food () was allowed to walk around the house. The only condition was to stay out of certain floors and rooms. Must not want () to break anything. () was walking around a large room with a high ceiling. It was circle she noticed with almost an ancient shine to it. This was the room that led out into a short hall and into one garden. () decided she could use the evening air. So she walked down the hall. It was stone with beautiful yet mysterious carving and long windows that aloud a look outside. She made her way out into the crisp air. The sky was darkening but the sun was still high enough to use easily. There was a cobble path in the garden that led from the hall. () felt like she should take it. So slowly, very, very slowly, she stepped forward. Her – eyes gazed around at all the flowers. There were kinds there that she'd never even seen. The path turned this way and that. Before long she came to a fork in the cobble road. In between the separating paths was a fountain. It was dry as desert rock and yet it was beautiful crafted. The fountain was of almost pure white stone. A dragon, or so () though it was, curved from the bottom of the fountain, around the bowl, and the upper body curved down with the dragons mouth open. () assumed that at one point water had come from the dragons mouth. The flowers around this part of the garden were more wilted. They seemed like they hadn't been watered in weeks. () quickly looked at the sky. Faint stars could be seen around the moon's face. Without stopping to think she turned right. Out of the coner of her eye she looked back at that dragon fountain. With fearful eyes () returned her gaze to her path. She ran as fast as her clothing would allow her.

After slowing to a stop () came to rest on a bench. The bench sat beneath a tall cherry tree. Its pink leaves silently floating down to the earth. The path about the bench was circular with street lamps currently off. It only turned back around to that fork in the road. The fountain with that dragon was there. () sighed. She looked around. She sat on the left side of the turn around under the cherry tree. On the other side of the circular path was another bench. This one had an angel holding a magnificent necklace carved into marble just behind it. It was life size and had an eerie feel to it. () gave her bench a better look. Behind her was a woman holding an empty bowl. She wondered vaguely what the artist had had in mind. Where the path ended, between both benches was a stone. It looked like a grave. On the top was a cross. It had a snake curving upward till it bent around the cross's arms. It looked to be wings that stretched outward from the cross in an angelic fashion. Standing up () stared at the words etched into stone. She hadn't a clue as to how to read it. The light began to gradually dim as the sun sunk down and the moon rose up. () was still staring. Those words called to her almost desperately. () didn't even know what language it was from! () stared more at that stone till the lamps flickered on.

"My, my. I was told we had a guest. I never thought she would be hiding out here." A woman's soft voice sounded from behind (). She spun around to face the woman.

"I didn't mean to act like I was hiding…Sorry, but who are you?" () said. She looked the woman over. She was taller than () long curling red hair. Her eyes were round, emerald green and she had near perfect figure. This woman wore a long green dress. It matched her eyes and gave her a highly respected air. The sleeves were long, her neck was hidden, and the rim of her dress flowed slightly in the wind.

"I'm Mrs. Elric." The woman, now dubbed Mrs. Elric, said surely. () nodded.

"So you're Ed, Al, and Envy's mother?"

"Yes."

"Well, I love your place. And you're children are great too." () said while trying to be polite. Mrs. Elric smiled warmly. She stretched out her hand to () and laughed,

"Sorry to say but we've already eaten. I believe we should head back now, don't you?" () simply nodded again. She followed but didn't take Mrs. Elric's hand. They walked down the cobble path in pure quiet. When they came to the fork in the road () couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"It's flowing!" She exclaimed and rushed to the fountain. Mrs. Elric ran up as well and they both stared at the fountain. "It wasn't earlier…" () mumbled.

"Water conservation." Mrs. Elric assured calmly. () turned to look Mrs. Elric in the face before turning back to the water.

"Sorry, but I think you need to look into this water conservation of yours."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"This water smells funny." () confessed bluntly. Mrs. Elric nodded and said she'd have someone look into it. They soon left for the house. () only caught one more transfixed look at the fountain.

"Hey! We thought you were lost!" Alphonse chuckled happily when he noticed () walking into the room. () laughed sheepishly.

"I kind of was." She admitted. She and Al sat down with Mrs. Elric for a moment. They were in one of the many family rooms. The room had an Italian feel to it. As they were chatting Edward and Envy came into the room, fighting for some reason.

"Shut up! You had better not-" Edward yelled at his older brother crossly.

"Please, why should I be scared of you? You can't do that right now anyways." Envy smirked deviously. Edward frowned and spat,

"Least I don't hide behind other people and guilt trips!"

"You want to die or-"

"BOYS!" Mrs. Elric screamed and stood up. Alphonse sinking deeper back into the couch as his mother did so. () watched as Envy and Edward both were instantly silenced. "I don't want you fighting. We have a guest and your father will be home any minute."

"Sorry mom." The three, even Alphonse, said at once. Mrs. Elric put her hands on her hips and sighed,

"What will I do with you boys?" With that she excused herself from the room.

"What just happened?" () asked after a while of quiet.

"Mom's hard on the discipline." Edward answered hesitantly. () nodded and stared at Edward. He looked cute even when shaken.

"Dad will be home soon." Alphonse said almost cheerfully. Envy's face turned dark and he promptly left the room.

"So, what do you want to do?" Alphonse asked after an awkward silence.

For the next five minutes the three were in the game room. Edward was still the leading champ at air hockey. But, before they could have any real fun, Envy barged in.

"Dad." He said the word as though it was a whole dreadful sentence. Edward and Alphonse both got up and motion for () to follow.

"Welcome home father." Envy said tightly almost at the same time as Edward gave his own grim greeting. () smiled at the man. He had long, darker blonde hair. A beard was at the bottom of his chin and it lay just under his nose on both sides as well. He had small glasses that overlooked his long trench coat, dark pale green pants, and black dress shoes.

"Hello, and who is this little lady?" He asked warmly while reaching out his hand. () uneasily took it and told his who she was.

"It's nice to meet you…?" She cut herself short while giving him a confused expression.

"Hoenhiem, Hoenhiem Elric." The man said, letgo of ()'s hand,and he brought his wife close with one arm, "And I'm sure you've meet my wife, Dante Elric?"

Phew! Here I am exhausted for you! It's late so I kind of need to stop. I'm going through a horribly hard time at the moment so that's why it's so difficult to update. I don't know if I spelt everything righ… So, thanks for the reviews and hopefully, depending on how many I get, I'll see you soon!