A/N: Thanks for last drabble's reviews! (I had been worried that Greed's snuggling might've been viewed as overly fluffy...) To Hebi R.(I loved your "Slothful" story by the way, it should say so in your reviews.)--I do like your suggestion, but didn't the lizard guy die too, at least in the anime? Of course, AU would be the answer for that little problem... But the truth is, I don't really remember that guy too well, so...I don't think I'll put him in anytime soon, but maybe later in the future. Anyway, this is in continuity with drabble 9, and the beginning of something holiday-oriented; uh, for this to work, let's just suspend logic and fact for a bit and pretend that in that altered post-ep.34 era I started last time, things are in a little less need for speed.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, and I don't believe Santa would give the entire property to me, even if I did ask him very nicely.

Drabble 10: What's This?

Something strange was going on, and as far as Greed could tell, it was wide-spread. Wanting an answer, he went to Martel.

"Things have been weird," the Homunculus began as he plopped down next to the snake chimera, who was busy sharpening her dagger; he couldn't understand why, it looked as lethal as ever to him. A small noise behind him, and Greed could tell Ed had started to eavesdrop on them, the fee calculations for this latest hotel room laying forgotten on the dinner table.

"Eh?" Martel didn't look up, still focusing on her weapon.

"Every town we pass through--any place with people--there's all these bright decorations, stores have been packed, a bunch of singing, and there's always some fat guy dressed up in red with a fake beard, and all the kids flock to him." Martel was staring at him now, her emerald eyes wide and the dagger hanging limp from her fingers. There was a faint creaking from Ed's chair, as if he were waiting with his breath held in disbelief.

"Is it some kind of new festival celebrating the cold that cropped up while I was sealed? I mean, this whole thing started when winter began to actually freeze, although I don't really get the point in celebrating the cold--"

An echoing crash of the chair, the boy yelling "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT CHRISTMAS IS!" in a voice that was surprisingly unagressive, just filled with innocent shock, and Martel snapping at him with a venomous "EDWARD!"

"So it's called Christmas..."

"What about Christmas?" It was Dorchet, Al and Roah at his back; the guys had returned from the market, stepping around Ed--who still lay prone on the ground with the chair in disarray--as they set the goods down.

"Greed doesn't know what it is," said the elder Elric in a low voice as he snapped up, quickly standing the chair upright again, a varied string of "WHAT!" following in his wake.

"Is that a bad thing?" Greed's question was a little meek, worried over everyone's reactions, consisting mostly of loud shock--except for Martel.

"No, not really, it's just..." Greed was getting really disturbed now as Roah's voice drifted off into weakening silence.

"How can you not know?"

"Thought you were paying attention to your eavesdropping shorty," the Homunculus snapped, uncharacteristically losing his typical calm not over the mystery of this Christmas, but over reminders of his damn seal. "I've been out of action for approximately the last 140 years..."

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT, YOU--"

"Ed, hush--"

"But Al--"

"Could Christmas not have existed 140 years ago," wondered the armored boy, easily getting away with ignoring his brother.

"Must've; it's the only way to explain how Greed doesn't know," Dorchet replied as he reached into one of the grocery bags, pulled out a beer can, and tossed it to an appreciative Homunculus, who quickly snapped it open and began gulping it down in enthusiasm. The dog chimera passed more beer along, tossing another to Martel, just handing one to Roah since he was close enough, and offering one to Ed, who politely declined with a blush tinting his cheeks; Alphonse gazed longingly at the alcohol.

"Christmas is a simple thing," the snake chimera began, putting down her half-empty beer. "It's about spending time with family, and giving gifts to each other."

"Used to be uber-religious though," put in the dog Chimera before returning to his drink.

"Uh-huh," called Al from all the way in the kitchen, busying himself with placing the groceries in their make-shift cabinet. "It was--is the birthday of Jesus Christ."

"...Wait, that's a person, not just some new curse word?" This time, everyone stared at Greed.

"...This is going to take a while," muttered Martel to herself as Ed, Al, Dorchet, and Roah started to explain Christmas to the Homunculus with more telling and precise detail.

A/N: Next time, more Christmas cheer. (P.S. This drabble's title named after that song from the awesome movie The Nightmare Before Christmas, by Tim Burton.)