There were many events that Ed and Alphonse had never been able to attend while growing up. Their time with their mother was very short and they could only recall the sickness. Now though, they had their bodies mostly back and they were excited to start making new memories.

Like for Hallowe'en.

Which was why Alphonse burst through the door waving an invitation as if it were pay day. Ed was startled out of her studying at the kitchen table and after a half second of taking in Alphonse's mood, mirrored it. She didn't even know what was happening yet but a happy Alphonse was something she'd never take for granted and she got up to see what he was holding.

It was quickly explained by the bouncing younger Elric, Havoc was planning a themed Hallowe'en party. It would be at the pub next to work on Friday October 31st, 6pm.

Ed's eyes lit up. She could make a gargoyle costume and props and weapons-

No.

No? Al had knocked her off her soapbox. "What do you mean 'No'?"

"It's a themed party Ed. you have to pick something from the theme."

She sulked, flopping dramatically onto the couch, "What's the theme?"

"Fairy tales and folklore monsters."

"Those are two themes. And Gargoyles ARE monsters."

"I said no. I want us to go as a group so I'm picking out our costumes."

"Why do you get to pick them out?" Ed was now at one hundred percent sulk. Mumbling into the couch cushions.

"Because i'm your younger brother and you love me."

God dammit.

Ed turned and glared at her grinning brother. She was never going to win this.

Al went straight to the table and sat down with some paper. There was work to do, he had to come up with costumes and he really wanted to put his sister in a dress, forcing her to finally reveal her identity to the team. His first thought was to stick her into some sort of Pink Ballerina Fairy Princess Unicorn dress, a) because she would hate it and b) because Al was actually evil. But he didn't think that unicorn ballerinas existed in folklore, or if they were pink. Maybe next year he could get Havoc to do a theme for that, for now he'd have to think of something else.

Ok, drawing board. Dresses were more likely to occur in fairy tales so what list did he have? Hansel and Gretel might work, they were siblings, but it wasn't a good costume. Rapunzel, she was blonde but that's where it ended for similarities. Cinderella, no. Rumpelstiltskin, never. The Girl Without Hands, absolutely not. OR! This was going to be perfect: Little Red Riding Hood.

The characters were perfect. It might be a little difficult to get Winry to agree to wear the Grandmother costume, but he had some ideas.

"Al?"

He looked over to see his sister glancing at him cautiously. Had he laughed out loud?

"What are you planning?"

He wiped the grin off his face, "I was thinking of Winry's costume." Not a lie at least.

She looked skeptical, "If you say so." She gathered her coat shooting a nervous glance at him, "I'm going to go to the library."

"Have fun!"

"Sure."

!-

Al plotted and gathered materials secretly for three days, then Winry arrived and they plotted together.

An hour before the party Al kicked in Ed's bedroom door, Winry at his side grinning.

Ed jolted in surprise and fell backwards out of her desk chair. She looked up at them from her new spot on the floor and raised an eyebrow. Alphonse was dressed in a plaid shirt and overalls, Winry had a grey haired wig and a dark purple puffed up granny dress on.

"What the fuck are you two dressed as?"

"I'm a lumberjack, she's a granny. Now get up, Winry's going to help you with your outfit."

Winry pulled a blue apron dress out from behind her.

"A dress! Al what the fuck?! I don't want to wear this!"

"You're Little Red Riding Hood."

"I'M NOT SMALL!"

Alphonse gave Ed his most threatening smile, "It was this or i was going to make you the god damn sugar plum fairy princess after that shit you pulled last week. At least this way you still have a red coat and boots, so put it on and like it!"

Ed glared but Alphonse knew he was winning this one. He turned to Winry, "You are going to be the cutest Grandmother i've ever seen and i will grow old with you in an instant. Could you 'help' Ed into her costume? Here's your prop by the way." He handed her a rolling pin.

"What? Why does she need that now? What do i get?"

Al ignored her and closed the door behind him. He could hear Winry, "All the better to beat you with."

"AL! I'M SORRY! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

Winry cackled over Ed's shrieking. Al sighed, they would figure it out.

Inside the room Winry had wasted no time. She stripped Ed down to her underwear, threw a bra at her, then started pulled the dress over her head. The small blue apron dress was sleeveless with a corset top and she was not polite pulling the black ribbon tight. Ed squaked as her ribs were crushed. It only motivated Winry into more violence and she was shoved back into her now-upright chair and a cloud of makeup and hairspray enveloped her head for the next half hour. Apparently Winry attacked with cosmetics the same way she did with automail and wrenches.

When it was finally over Ed could barely breathe, partially from the corset but mostly from the makeup. Winry was turned toward her bag and Ed took the opportunity to open a window, returning to find Winry showing her some black slip-on shoes.

She opened her mouth to ask about the boots but was stunned into silence when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Loose blonde waves bounced around her head, blood red lipstick to match her coat, and dark mascara. She was barely recognisable as herself. "Wha-"

Winry slapped her raised hand away from her makeup. "Don't touch. It's drying."

Ed was still stunned and let herself be shoved into the shoes; then Winry stood and looked her over, appraising. "There. Ready."

She wasn't given any extra time to get her brain together before she was pulled out of her room into the living room. Al's eyebrows shot up. "Great job Win! You're the best!" He placed a basket in Ed's hands, threw her red coat around her shoulders and grabbed his axe. Winry put her shoes and shawl on. "Let's head out before she changes her mind."

Then they were off to the bar. Ed went along in a zombie state, she actually looked good. Maybe she really could be a woman from now on, maybe it wouldn't be so bad not having to hide. She'd just have to convince Mustang that she hadn't really meant to hurt him. If he even cared.

Who was she kidding, he was so going to care. Even if he didn't give a shit about her, he definitely gave a shit about the truth.

This was going to suck.

The bar was loud but warm and the party was in full swing. Al and Winry dropped Ed off next to Riza and disappeared into the crowd to chat, dance, eat, and watch the fallout from afar.

!-

Mustang appeared almost instantly. He'd been waiting for Ed's arrival and had prepared himself with a list of 'short' jokes. He'd seen Alphonse and Miss Rockbell enter, but where was-

Oh.

Fuuuuuuccckk. A thousand thoughts slammed into his brain. Not the least of which was that his first lieutenant had tricked him with this damn costume. He'd get back to that though. Ed was a woman! Is this what all those silences were about when he entered a room? The sly glances when she thought he wasn't looking? And that thing last week? What the fuck was that?

He noticed the room was growing quiet and if he didn't move there was going to be a scene, lunging forward he grabbed Ed mid-recoil, dragging her off to a small round table in the corner. He sat her down and pulled the second chair around so he could sit and block her exit, finally taking a moment to himself to look her over. Holy hell she looked gorgeous. He licked his lips, Havoc would call her a 'snack' and he was definitely inclined to agree. He silently cursed Riza again. He'd get her back later. For now though, the snack needed to start talking.

!-

The day before:

"Roy, no. You go as a damn vampire every year. No vampire this time."

He pouted, "But i already have all the stuff!"

Riza glared, "Quit snarling, you'll figure something out. Lots of other legendary beasts can wear black suits. Don't get your tail all tied in knots."

"Vampires don't have tails Riza..." But Werewolves did. He could use the same fake teeth and all the same black clothes and go as a black werewolf. Just paint the end of his nose black with whiskers, add ears and a tail and it was practically the same outfit. Hah! Take that Hawkeye!