'I was always told people are given second chance for a reason...

Most times I don't believe in second chances...

but just seeing her again...it's like seeing a ghost...'

Chapter 20 ~ Surprises on every Corner

-?-

"Excellent work! It's surprising how you could make such a fine automail part after being taught in a matter of days!" Granny Pinako praises me after I finally finish my final piece. "She's even better than me when I first started out! Are you sure you've never built an automail before?" Winry asks me in wonder. "N-No! This is actually my first time trying to make automail at all... I've always messed with other metal works but..." I grabbed a nearby object and used it to hide my face as a large blush starts to form. Winry pats my back and praises me, "Don't worry! If you keep this up you might end up a professional mechanic like Granny and I!" I grab the nearest object and used it to hide my face so they wouldn't see the blush appearing on my face. "I'll be down stairs taking a smoke. You both better finish the rest while I'm gone," she tells us as she walks out the door with Den by her side like usual. Winry sighs and plops herself in her seat, "All of this work is starting to tire me out... I feel like Granny is trying to run me dry until all I can see is metal in my eyes.

I chuckled at her reaction and ask, "Isn't it you love automail to death?" I think I accidentally triggered something inside to her suddenly explode right in front of my face, again. "Automail is my life! The grease, the smell, the new parts that these hands give birth too! Eeee! Just thinking about it makes me hope another poor soul will come by and ask for my wonderful works!" she squeals happily, a pinkish gleeful aura surrounding her as she hugs her favorite wrench. I sweat drop thinking, 'I feel bad for the poor soul that grew up with her all his life...' "Gah! Den get off me! Stop slobbering my face off already!" we hear a cry from outside the house. "Girls! We have guests of honor visiting us!" Granny Pinako calls out not long after laughter erupted outside. I stood up immediately, dropping everything I had in my hands to the ground much to Winry's surprise. I was nervous now. 'She's here... She's really here!' my thought panic.

++Earlier that day++

-Me-

I wobbly walk towards the Rockbells residence, my face drained of energy and my eyelids trying to stay open. I stayed up almost the entire night after trying to figure out the message behind each page I was reading, in the end I found nothing except crap about the possibility of parallel worlds and not to mention the fact that the only new thing I found out was an amplifier called the Philosopher's catalyst. Well that's how I understood it at least. "Wow and here I thought you couldn't look any worse after getting up," that earned Ed a huge punch in the gut. I am not in the mood for this shit! "You better not have been reading that book the entire night. I might have to confiscate that book until we get your automail," Armstrong says sternly out of concern of me not sleeping. I yawn before answering, "It was just 300 pages...! No big deal!" In reality I was tired as heck; I can't see straight, my legs are wobbly at every step I make, my automail feels as heavy as a giant fat guy (a soldier actually. True story), and my body feels like jelly.

"I think it's about time you get your rest Cat. I saw you last night, you can't hide it from us," Al tells me, just as worried as the other two. I wave it off with a small smile on my face, "I'm fine! It was only one time guys! Besides if I tried to sleep my neck would hurt like hell right now!" I pointed out the bandage that was still wrapped around my neck, though under it the wound was long gone and the small hole that was drilled into the skin had completely healed. The day I had gotten in the hospital I was no longer bleeding and the pain in my neck seemed to have vanished, like as if it never happened to begin with. 'I think now I'm afraid about my body now... it was cool at first when it came to small cuts a bruises... but that? I had to pull out the needle by myself and my neck was aching for hours! Not to mention the fast recovery after confronting Scar. And that black blood,' I shuddered at the remembrance of the first time I saw it, 'it's not normal... nothing about me is considered normal anymore... Here, I am but if I was also like this back at home... I'm still abnormal no matter how I look at it!"

BAAAAARKKK! "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" I scream at the top of my lungs before I found myself planted on the ground getting slobbered to dead. "Gah! Den get off of me! Stop slobbering my face already!" I squeal as some of it (me: *shivers*) gets in my mouth. I push the dog off as Winry finally steps out of the door and Granny Pinako sits in her usual spot on the porch stairs smoking. I blush and quickly said, "That better not be considered as my first kiss!" I push the dog off in time when Winry threw her wrench at Ed, nearly hitting me in the process.

"What the hell Winry! I bought you a wrench and you try to kill me with it!"
"Well I'm not the one getting myself killed!"

I can't help but look away at their lover's quarrel, if they keep this up I might end eventually call them an old fashioned married couple. "Ahahahahaha! Welcome back guys! Oh and there's someone you have to meet!" I was confused at this new line, if I remember correctly she's only meant to greet Ed and Al home then beat the crap out of them later. Not tell us this. The door slams shut and we all look at who was the newcomer who just walked out of the house. I dropped every single thing I was holding at the sight. "Al...ice..." I mutter.

Cat: No it can't be...
Me: Get ready for the water works! TT^TT

I slowly take a few steps forward as the familiar brunette takes slowly steps down the porch nervously as she too gaps at my sudden presence. We both stood in place a few feet from each other, and after a moment of silence we both sprinted towards one another in tears. "Alice!" I called out. She calls out my name and out stretches her arms, "Cat!" We collided against one another with our arms tangle around our body, our sobs heard by all of those present. We didn't care. After 3 years since Alice's death I suddenly see her here, in the Rockbells out of all places she could have appeared. I always blamed myself for what had happened to her and I've had constant nightmares about the horrid day, now she's here in the flesh like none of that happened back in Heissgart. "I'm so sorry Cat... I'm so sorry..." she apologizes and hugs me, but it was a very hard huge for someone as petite and tall for this girl. Wait-

I pull away asking her nervously, "What are you sorry for? I'm the one who's suppose to be sorry! How are you even here!?" Alice grabs my only hand then takes the glove off my real hand and places it on her cheek. I immediately pull away when I felt a splinter pierce through my skin. "No... No please tell me you're joking... You are fine right? Right!?" I grab her shoulder and forced her to look at me straight in the eye. Her eyes were glossy like how I remembered them, except they were as glossy as doll eyes. "Cat... she did this to me... She made me this body and..." I lightly pat Alice's head when I saw her bit her lip and bow her head down in shame. I put my finger to my lips and whisper, "Tell me later... I have to certain boys with me as my lifetime partners..."

++Later On++

"Nice to meet you my name is Alice Chronos," she bows down politely, "it's nice to meet you." "Ah! My name is-" Alice interrupts Al, "You're Alphonse Elric correct? Winry has told me so much about you and your brother. Thank you so much for keeping my friend Cat safe." I couldn't help but sweat drop at how polite she was acting around Al, normally she would act like a 4 year old that was given two hundred packs of candy, and since it's thee Alphonse Elric in front of her she would've glomped him on sight. 'I guess she was serious about what she said...' I thought as I watch her continue to talk to Al as sweetly as possible, I can even see her grip her skirt as to calm herself down. 'Oh Alice...'

::Memory::

++8 years ago++

"So what would you do if you ever met Edward Elric in real life?" Alice asks me all of a sudden, causing me to spew out all of the content of my drink to the side. "W-What would I do!? I would... ask him to marry me..." I mutter quietly with a huge blush on my face. "Hahahaha! You know what I would do?" she said, rolling on her back on top of my bed to stare at me upside down. "What? Kiss Alphonse?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "NO!" she coughs and corrects, "I would give my body up just so he could get his back! If I meet him in person I'll try to hold back from glomping him!" "That's... very noble of you Alice," I tell her as a small smile creeps up my face. Then I felt something shatter inside my brain when Alice suddenly blurts out, "Then if that doesn't work I'll kiss him in order to transform his back into his human form!"

I face palm saying, "You read waaaay too many princess stories...! You're thinking about princess and the frog!"

::End of Memory::

"Hey Cat... can I talk to you for a sec?" I snap out of it as Ed grabs my hand and forces me to look at him. I look over my shoulder to check on the two and then back and Ed with a small nod. We ended up in a small room. "You okay? I noticed you're been... out of it since seeing that girl," and of course he didn't want to call her by her name just yet. After seeing her chimera corpse that night and my confirms that she was indeed the one who had died, now Alice is here before us alive and well. Not to mention she's not a walking doll with a soul inside her body. "Yeah... I still can't believe she's alive... but now look at her Ed! She's stuck in a fake body! She's already been in a different body before and this time it's... it's..." I collapsed to the ground in shame.

"Look the reason I brought you here is because I need to ask you something... Is there someone out there trying to kill you?" Ed asks me causing me to nearly jump ten feet in the air in surprise. "How did you-?" he interrupts me, "I see how you react whenever a soldier passes by. Especially around that GA we met a few days ago. If there's something wrong you have to tell me."

-Alice-

I lean in closer to the door and so does Al above me. "Why are you so concerned Ed?" I hear on the other side. I wanted to say this out like my mom does whenever she watches Young and the Restless 'because she likes you you idiot', but Al's here and I don't want to get caught by the two while they're having their moment. "It's because I..." Ed trails in his sentence unable to finish what he wanted to say to her. Al steps away from the door and says, "This is wrong Alice... we shouldn't be spying on them like this!" "Shhhh! Quiet Al! Don't you want your brother to have a love life?" I ask him. "What are you two doing?" we both look up to see a very ticked off blonde. "Uh... nothing?" I could not make up any excuse for listening in on their conversation, either way Cat is going to kill me no matter what I say.

"Ed... Al... can you leave me and Alice alone for a sec...?"
'Uh oh...'

-Back to Me-

"Sorry it's a little smashed up," was Ed's apology as usual, sipping his coffee as he sat on the couch beside me in his underwear. "A little!? D you see what you've done to my beautiful creation!? I put my heart and soul into this!" Winry wails as she holds up the remains of Ed's automail in tears. I cover Alice's eyes when she tried to take a peek d" and I just look away with a blush on my face. I can't say I'm used to seeing the boy in his underwear, I haven't been to the Rockbells in a while since I secretly got my own mechanic. I watch as Ed get's hit by a wrench. "And also," she looks at Al with a dark stare, "how come Al also in pieces? Did you guys get in a fight?" When Al didn't answer her question, he ended up on the ground beside his fallen brother. "Look at Cat! She hasn't come back for repairs in almost a year! Unlike you boys, she knows how to take care of my automail," and when Winry looks at me with hope in her eyes but her face fell when she saw me sitting there without an arm as well after I stripped my coat off.

"Uh... you see I-" now I was the one who got hit by her almighty wrench! Alice grabs Winry in time for she could continue her relentless attack on the three of us, "Winry calm down! What's important is that they're alive!" She calms down, but not before secretly hitting Ed on the head again.

++Later On++

We explained our situation to the Rockbells not long after we got Winry to finally calm down. "Alright I see now. In order to get this information you need, you want to get to central as soon as possible, am I right?" Pinako concludes after listening to our story before taking another whiff of her pipe. "Yeah this is kinda a rush order," Ed says with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Hm... it's not just the arm... the leg needs adjusting as well," Pinako said, looking over his automail leg and compares it to his other foot. "Does that mean... he's taller than me now!? I'm suppose to be the tall one here!" I exclaim clearly not liking this news at all. I remember that part of the anime, but I always cherished the fact that I was taller than the boy every time had the chance to I compare my height to his.

"By an inch Cat! By an inch!'
"Yeah keep telling yourself that short stuff."
"Who are you calling a micro-size pea!?"
"You! You small fry!"

-Al-

It's been a while since I've seen them argue about their heights, though I was hoping they were actually coming in terms with each other and made peace now that they finally accepted their partnership, unlike before. I look down at Alice who gaps in amazement at the sight. "What's wrong?" She jumps in shock and is surprised at my presence, but she calms down and looks back at the two with a snile on her face. "I've known Cat since we were kids... she was a very mature for her age and rarely got close to anyone. She always kept her feelings locked up, she even used to have a fake smile on her face whenever we played around the playground. Usually Cat would get into fights whenever the boys pick on her, especially when it's about her height!" Alice laughs while I stood there with a sweat drop on my head, imagining the way Cat was before as a kid to now. Not much changes if you ask me. "But," Alice couldn't help but hug herself, "this is the first time I've ever seen her get along with someone. Cat is actually... breaking that mask of hers." We both watch as they continue their fight.

-Back to Me-

"Guess you growth isn't stunt at all..." Winry abd I blurt out at the same time, a little hint of amazement was heard in her voice as mine was just plain dull. "Shut up!" "Leg aside," Pinako spoke up, "we'll have to build both of your arms by scratch." "Can it be done in a week?" Ed asks. Pinako puts her pipe to her lips and the parts with it, flashing a big grin at us saying, "Give us some credit Ed. We'll be done in three days." Winry counts her finger as she mutters, "Looks like three all nighters..." "Three days? Shouldn't that take a little longer with my arm included?" I ask, realizing there was something off about this part. Alice places her arm around Winry's shoulders and says, "I'm an automail mechanic too!" "Eh!? No way!" I exclaim in shock. She extends her other arm at me to make a peace sign and smirks, "They've been teaching me how to make automail during my stay here! If I didn't make the request, Winry over here would look like a zombie by the time we're done!" Just how long has she been here?

We were fixed with spares, but it was kinda ny first time since I only came here once to tune my automail. I decided to stay outside and practice my alchemy skills to see how far I can make a transmutation without clapping, and so far, I've only made it to 6 feet. I heard Ed voice from the door behind my back, "I'm going to visit mom's grave." "Alright don't stay too out late," Pinako told him. I turn around to see Ed closing the door shut, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He spots me and asks, "What are you doing out here?" "Just trying to figure out my alchemic abilities. I kinda understand now why mine is so different thanks to Doctor Marcoh," I tell me as I watch him walk up to where I am. I look down at the white flowers in his hand, "Going to visit your mom?" He gazes down answering, "Yeah... I thought that since we'll be here for a while I should pay her a visit... Al can't go so I'm going there by myself." "I see..." We both stood in place silently, unable to do anything except stare down at the grass. "Hey uh... Do you want to come with me? I never introduced you to my mom yet," I finally lift my gead up to see Ed gazing to the side with blush running across his face. "Sure!" I heard Den bark from beside me, gleefully wagging his tail.

||Resembol Graveyard||

Ed kneels down silently and places the flowers on top of the grave.

"Hey mom... thought I'd come to see you since we're the neighborhood. I brought someone with this time. This is Cat, she's a good friend of mine and is helping us in our search. We're still on our search but the good news is we found a clue. We're one step closer now."

I couldn't help but start crying behind he back as I stare at Trisha's grave, memories of her death and her resurrection continuously flooding my mind the longer I stood before the grave. I gained the nerve to speak up, "Hello Mrs. Elric, it's nice to meet you. I don't really have much to say... but I'm glad I met your sons. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here right now as the person I am today. You raised them to be good people." Den nudges the bottom of my coat, that's when I saw that it was getting late so I grab Ed's hand to snap him out of his trance. "Ed let's go home," I say with a small smile on my face.

||Rockbell Home||

By the time we got back we were sudden;y attacked by captain Muscles and his damn stupid pink sparkles. "Oh Edward Elric! What ab undying love to try and bring your mother back! What a tremendous sacrifice for you to give up your arms and get your brother's soul!" I watch in horror when Armstrong rips his shirt off and continues, "come Edward! Let me hold you in this comforting embrace!" "No stay back! Don't rub your chest on me!" Ed screams his head off. Armstrong spots me and cries out, "And to you, Catherine Cairo, for taking on such a dangerous quest in order to save hundreds of lives after a near death experience of being used as a sacrifice!" my eyes widen in shock, ignoring the fact that Armstrong was right about to bring me into a bone crushing hug.

"Who told you...?" I mutter darkly. Alice steps back a little in fear, "C-Cat... I didn't mean to..."
"Why would you tell them!?"
"They wanted to know and I thought Al already knew so I-"
"Told them behind my back! That's not something for you to tell out in the open! You should know that by now!"

"Ease off Cat! We already know the whole story," Winry said as she steps in front of Alice protectively. I look around, then at Ed who was clearly lost on how to take this all in. I bit my lip before marching past them and head straight to my room in silence.

-Alice-

"Cat has been at this for three years since that day... many of us were tricked into being used as ingredients for a transmutation by some sort of occult. Cat was forced to be the one to transmute us in order to spare anymore lives to be killed, that was her very first transmutation. The gate took her and she ended up being sent to an area far from where we were. I was spared but I ended up being transmuted into a chimera after they extracted my soul from my body." After I retold them parts of what truly happened that day, Ed just sat there staring at the ground while Al sat beside him speechless and unable to move an inch. "Please give her some time...Cat-" Ed interrupts me, "She likes being alone when she's made. I know that. She's run off so many times on me when she's pissed about something!" I

felt so bad for telling them this, I never expected that Cat would hide it from them and they seem really close when I saw all three walking together side by side, but I guess once again my judgement is wrong.

++The Next Day++

-Back to Me-

I yawn as I walk down the hall alone, still sleepy after all that stress I had to go through yesterday and try to calm down without destroying my room. I stop when I spit Ed exiting a certain room with a disappointed look on his face. "Trying to mess with Winry?" I ask, catching the boy off guard at my sudden presence. He scratches the back of his head with an annoyed look in his eyes, "I just want to hurry up and get to the central already." I sigh, walked up to him and pat his shoulder reassuringly, "It's not going anywhere Ed. You'll find your answers soon enough, be patient." At the back of my mind I sweat drop and thought, 'But then the library will be burnt down before we even get there...' He looks at me straight in the eye, like as if Ed wanted to say something to me, but he decides to keep his mouth shut and try to take my advice. '

"I'm going to check on Alice," I tell him dully and walk past Ed. "Hey Cat?" I look over my shoulder but Ed didn't seem to have the nerve finish, he just waves me off and leaves. I did find her room eventually. The moment I was suppose to knock a loud bang erupted from the room, causing me to swing the door open and end up being greeted by a large cloud of black smoke. I cough as I called out, "Alice! Please tell me you didn't set the house on fire!" Once the smoke clears I saw her covered in sought while holding up a... "Are you trying to... make a cellphone?" I ask the girl. I saw all around parts of old electronics being torn apart and placed back together in another pile, which seemed to be pack of previous failed attempts.

She laughs, "Guess home really is getting me... I've been trying to act around as an inventor, you know to repay my debt to the Rockbells on saving me and letting me stay here. I would've loved to go after you a few months about but I don't think I'm as good as keeping secrets like you are." Oh I know where this is going, this is either about yesterday or the fact on how I've been keeping my true origins a secret from almost the entire country for at least 3 years, few times I almost let it slip but I was able to push through, I sigh and sat on the nearest chair I could grab, patting on the other as a sign for her to sit. She does so and sat on the stool in front of me. "i'm not mad at you for telling one yesterday. Rather," I lean in forward in my seat, "upset you told them before me." "Oh... What!?" Alive gaps and nearly fall off her chair in shock.

"I had this strangest feeling on telling them a bit of my secret... not the whole thing of course! But at least one portion of it," I tell her, leaning back in my seat and gaze up at the ceiling. Nest thing I knew Alice had her hand on my forehead asking me, "Cat? Are you sick?" "I'm not sick baka!" I cover my mouth and check at the door to see if anyone heard me. Alice smiles deviously at my reaction, "Seems like you've been holding back your inner otaku for a while Cat~ Is your inner Edward Elric fan girl still in there?" I blush and immediately back away crying out, "That's ridiculous Alice! I haven't been holding back anything at all! Ahahaha!" "Aw c'mon! Don't tell me you haven't done... this!" and suddenly she goes anime chibi in front of me. To these people there's nothing wrong, but to those who live in a world where you can do none of this it's really something many otaku fans would love to do.

"Of course I wouldn't do that!" I yell at her in embarrassment, though on the inside I did remember a time I tried it out and that was during my first few days in Amestris. "Hm..." Alice reverts back to normal and ponders about something. She scans my body by walking around me, eyeing every inch of my body. I wrap my arms around myself bashfully. "Ah hah! I know what the problem is! Wait right there!" She dashes off to her closet, throwing every piece of random clothing out and nearly makes a mountain on top of my as all of them start to fly right in my direction. Alice pops out and pulls out... neko ears!? I watch in horror as her head slowly turns around robotically and an evil glint flashes in her eyes. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! Get that off me! I'm not wearing it!" I scream at the top of my lungs as she lunges right at me like a wild cat.

Sadly I lost the round. I sat in my chair in shame as I stare at my reflection. She actually... put neko ears on me... It's like indirectly mocking my nickname right now. I glare daggers at the brunette. One moment we stayed in place in silence, next thing I knew we were laughing our asses off like regular teenage girls that were having fun. "Cat I'm really sorry for telling them..." she apologizes all of a sudden. I shrug it off, "It's been three years so they would've known sooner or later." "Three years!?" Alice collapses onto her knees in shock. That's right, she's been dead for three years so of course she wouldn't know how long it's been since we last saw each other.

"I've been gone for three years... three years since we lost everything... have you really been here that long?"
"Yeah... And don't forget to mention being three years in the military with almost no experience in alchemy."
"Hehehe! Well you were considered a science wiz in both elementary and middle school! I remember that time you showed off to a 7th grader in chemistry!"
"Hey! She pissed me off! She may have been older than me, but she didn't have to treat me like some dumb piece of shit!"
"Yeah right! How about that time you made a stink bomb in the principal's office!?

It's weird to talk like this, like nothing happened for the pas three years. But it felt nice though, not being as strict as usual and being around someone who knows things as you do. Confusing, but if you think about it I haven't talked to a single human being about TV, internet, anime shows, american politics, or any of that stuff I grew up with. "Have you found them yet? And that girl?" Alice asks me, referring to Jealousy. "No... though I have encountered her in the most weirdest places. She's in the military now," I tell her. Alice doubles over, "Great! That's just great! How many more homunculi are going to be in the military!?" "In the military-? Gah!" I fell over to the side as a sudden surge of pain throbs in my head. "Cat!"

Images flew through my mind forcefully, things I don't know seem to suddenly come at me all at once. I can even see the homunculi doing their part of the military, and Pride at first as Selim Bradley switches to a darker personality opposite of his happy child like disposition. And then under the city... under Amestris... Is Van Hoheinheim? I gasp and cough, trying to catch my breath due to the lack of air. I struggle to sit up but Alice was there to help me from falling back to the ground. "Alice... you finished the series in 2009 right?" I ask her. She tilts her head in confusion but still answers me, "Yes, till the very end." "Then tell me... How come I saw Hohenheim underground? Or was that the so called Father that appeared in our world?" I ask her, fear starting to shake all over me.

Truth did something to me and I swear to god I think it just messed with my head even more than it should have. "Well you saw the first episode... So maybe you're just remembering that part," Alice states. I shook my head, "No... He's the one that's amplifying the alchemy of those who are state alchemists'. He can even cancel them." Alice scoots closer to me. "How would you know that? I thought you only researched a little about them and didn't get far in the anime and manga?" That is right, how would I know this stuff? "I remember bits and pieces of it. but I was recently at the gate again... Though he took the necklace you gave me as a present," I tell her as I saw images of the gate talking to me appear in my mind. Though something was off when Alice said this- "Present? I never gave you one." "Huh? What do you mean? You made a wooden cross for me remember?" I remind her.

She laughs making me even more lost than before, "I wouldn't give you something like that Cat! You're an atheist!" I didn't know what to think anymore, not only were these weird memories appearing in my mind again but now it's like as if that necklace I wore before this one never happened in the first place. For her anyway/ Alice stands up and starts pushing me out the door, "Okay! I need to get back to work! If you want that arm of yours fixed you need wait just like those two!" Slam! Great, kicked out and left alone to figure things out. Again!

++Next Morning++

Ed walks out of Winry's room again with the very same look he had yesterday. I walk past him with a towel in my hands, "She won't hurry up if you keep annoying her."

++Night Time++

"Guess it's another night here..." I yawn making Alice giggles as she lays out the bed for me. "You can sleep on my bed. I never use it anyway," I could hear the pain in her voice when she says that. I plop myself on the soft cushions of the bed as Alice sits by my bedside with wide eyes. "Neh Cat... What's it like out there? I've only wandered around that Hiessgart town and Resembol, is it cool like it is in the anime?" she asks me, her eyes sparkling in excitement and waits to her my answers. I smile and look up at the ceiling, "Yeah. The only bad side is that the streets remind me so much of how home is." "Not to mention the military and it's people remind you of the Germans," we both laugh at this.

"Be lucky that this place isn't really in Germany. I would've died if I saw Adolf Hitler here!" I laugh imagining Hitler using alchemy in the stupidest way possible. "Furher Bradley would've kicked his ass in an instant! But then we Americans would be dead by now if Bradley took over in Hitler's place..." Alice face pales causing me to burst out laughing even more.

-Armstrong-

I walk past the room the girls were sleeping but stop when I heard constant laughter echoing inside the room. "She's really just a normal girl," I look down and see Edward leaning to the side of the wall listening on what's happening inside the girls bedroom. "Catherine is just like every human being Edward, " I continue on to my own room, "not all the time she can pretend to be an adult."

++Next Morning++
-Back to me-

Instead of like yesterday, I decided to stand beside Winry's room and waited for it to happen. "3...2...1" on the final count down, Ed was carried out the room and was dropped to the floor by none other than Winry outside. "Keep out!" she cries out and slams the doors shut behind her back. I was about to say 'I told you so' but Ed beats me too it. "I know I know! I told you so! I got it! Geez...! You're even worse than that gear head" he groans in annoyance as he stomps down the hall. Winry seemed to have hear this cause the moment he was about to turn a corner, a wrench flies in his direction just past by my head and knocks him to the ground. I could only sweat drop and say this, "Nice shot."

||Outside||

"Hey Al, where's your shorty for a brother?" I ask the metal boy as I plop myself beside him. "He's just trying to keep his mind on something else. Where's Alice?" asks Al as he looks up at the house. A cheshire smile smiles forms on my lips as I teez him, "Oh~? Taking interest on the new mechanic are you?"

Me: I found out that i's called the Kitty Face, but I'm not going to call it that! XD
Cat : Why- Oh... -_-* I see why...

"N-No! Of course not!" my smile grew bigger when I saw Al turn pink. It really does help being an otaku after all! "Ahahaha! Don't worry Alphonse! I won't tell!" I laugh as Al flusters even more at my reaction. Alice sticks her head out of the upstairs window and cries out as she held an automail arm out, "Cat! I'm done!"

||Inside the house||

I sat on the couch in preparation for the upcoming pain I'll be receiving in the next few seconds. Ed stood in front of me with a huge smirk his face. "Wipe that smirk off your face Ed. I'll freeze your mouth off and you know I'm capable of doing that," I threaten. "In three... two..." I scream in pain as my nerves connect to the arm. After that I screech at Alice, "What happened to one!?" I stood up when Ifelt the pain subside. "Amazing! You recovered so quickly!" Alice says in amazement when she see's me stretching my arms. "Aren't you even a bit weak?" Ed asks with the same amazement Alice has. "Huh? Really? This always happens to me after I get my arm attached," I tell them, a bit freaked out how everyone keeps gaping at me.

"Now that that's done," I felt two hands onboth of my shoulders, "let's get you into something more comfortable!"

++Later On++

I hug myself as I awkwardly stood before everyone, it felt weird being infront of them in this new outfit of mine and honestly I couldn't stop blushing knowing Ed saw me in this kind of get-up, again. "Wh-What? Stop staring at me like that guys... It's weird..." Everyone was completely speechless. "Wow... you look amazing Cat!" Winry exclaims. Currently (Me: I'll either post it in twitter or Photobucket later when I have the time), I am wearing a frilly sundress with the colors peach and white, and to add to my outfit I had a light blue ribbon tied to the side of my head. This was all Alice's idea! Not mine! "It's an improvement," instead of freezing him like I usually would do if he insults me, I just used my alchemist to freeze his lips to his cup when he was about to drink his juice.

"Brother say something nice to Cat for once!" Al scowls his brother, not even bothering to help him. We all knew he deserved it. "Edward it is not polite to treat a lady like that. You cannot hide your true feelings," even Armstrong was scowling Ed. "You look absolutely find Catherine Cairo. You remind me a little of my own little sister back at home!" and a tear waterfall poured down from his face.I almost forgot he had a little sister, that crazy blonde who was able to lift a piano up with a single hand like it was nothing and has a weird taste in men. At least from what I remember with the 2003 version. Ed was finally able to rip his lips off the glass and yells in defeat, "Alright geez!" We both blush when we made each contact with one another. "You look... be...beau... you look like..." he finishes after finally making his mind up on what to say. I look down to the ground in embarrassment and said silently, "Thanks..."

++Late that night++
-Winry-

I decided to recheck Ed's arm after attaching it under Alice's request, she seemed worried after seeing the two brothers have their annoying spar outside the house. "How long is this going to take? I thought I was fine already!" Ed complains then yelps in pain when I adjusted his arm a little. "Quit complaining! Be lucky I'm kind enough to not charge you for this one!" It was quiet for a while, and I was glad he wasn't complaining anymore. "Say Winry..." Ed speaks up after a few minutes of being silent.

"What is it?"
"Do you think Cat will like it? I mean it is a little late and I think she's still mad at me for earlier."
"She'll like it Ed, don't worry. If Cat has been able to deal with you for this long then you're fine."
"Hey what's that suppose to mean!?"
"I mean, not many can handle someone like you. I can cause I grew up with you! You're lucky Cat has the patience to deal with you every single day of her life."
"Hmph... that reminds me. On the day she first arrived, how long did it take for her to recover?"
"Honestly? About 2 days. Then a few days after we attached her very first automail she seemed perfectly fine not long after. Granny almost has a heart attack when she saw Cat use alchemy for the first time! We never expected for her body to recover so quickly! Though she reassured us that it was a normal thing for her body."

I pulled away after I finished, but as soon as he was about to get up I slipped and reaches out to grab me. Crash! In the end, both of us were on the ground with our face inches apart.

-Back to Me-

"I can't believe Alice forced me to give Ed his jacket...He-" I was interrupted when a loud crash erupted from the room Ed and Winry were in. I rushed to the door immediately, and right when I was about to open it I saw through the crack of the door Ed pinning Winry down on the ground. My heart was throbbing in pain as I stood there frozen in place, thinking, 'No! It's not what it looks like! It was just an accident! Yeah...! If it was an accident Ed would get up any moment now!" But as the seconds went by it felt like ages for the both of them to get out of their position, and to my shock it didn't seem like they were getting up any time soon. I heard that familiar voice at the back of my head, 'He's meant to be with her... you know that...' I hate that reminder, I bloody hate that stupid voice that constantly pesters whenever something bad happens, and yet I can't stop believing it.

I take a few steps back then I sprint down the hall. 'I have to get out of here!' my thoughts scream, ignoring the constant shouts I was hearing from all over. By the time I realized it I was already out the door running towards an unknown directions.

-Alice-

"Cat! Wait!' I ran out the door with Cat, but I was too late to try and stop her at this point. I place my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath, Ed and Al catching up to me behind my back. "What did you do this time Ed!?" I ask the blonde boy beside me. "Nothing! I- Oh no... Look send out a search party! I'll try and catch up to that idiot before she get's too far!" I was about to ask what he meant but he too had dashed off. "They'll be alright Alice. I think," Al was also unsure of what was going to happen to those two now that they're alone. "Edward! Catherine! Get back here! Those two must remember who is out there," Armstrong says in frustration. Al and I laugh at this. It was already too late to stop them and he's still trying to protect them.

"So Al," I grab his giant hand, "want to head out after them together?" Al's head pops with steam coming out before complying. I giggle once more thinking, 'I never thought Al could be this cute... He is cute no matter what... but this is too much! Kyaaah~!"

-Back to Me-

I was probably way too far from civilization, but I don't care right now, I just want to be alone and away from Ed. "Huh? Where am I?" I look around too see I was standing on a small hill with only a single tree. "This tree looks familiar... The place where I met that boy... Nah! There's no way it could be that tree! It's been so long already, and there's no way I could have traveled all the way to Amestris as a kid! If I did I would've remembered passing through the gate!" I laugh it off and sat by the tree, my back leaning against it. 'Ah it really is like that day... I wonder how that boy is going...' I thought as I close my eyes, drifting off to a deep sleep.

::Dream::

"Hey!" I turn away from the tree to see the boy running up the hill again. 'He... actually came...?" I thought as I stare at him with wide eyes. "Pant... pant... Sorry I'm late! Mom wouldn't let me out yet without finishing my chores!" _ smiles at me with a big goofy grin. I held my hands close to my chest, making him worried at my peers into my face asking me, "What's wrong?" "I thought you weren't coming... Not many people like to play with someone as weird as me... I'm glad you came though.." I covered my face to hide the blush that was threatening to cross my cheeks. He laughs and messes with my hair, "Of course I would come!" We spent the rest of the day playing under that same tree, everyday we would meet up and run around screaming like crazy.

I never thought my life would be this much fun. "I... uh... have something for you," I watch as _ takes something out from behind his back and shoves a bouquet of flowers at me, but they weren't your ordinary flowers. "Blue roses? Where'd you get them?" I ask while holding them close to my chest. "While I was picking some flowers for you I thought of your beautiful eyes... So I made these roses the color blue just for you," _ blushes even more when he see's the amazement in my eyes. I started to cry, "Thank you! I'll cherish these forever!" "D-Don't be silly! Flowers can't last forever!" I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "I know. It's just that... I've never seen flowers as beautiful as this. I always thought blue flowers were nothing but a myth. Thanks _! This is the best present anyone has given me!"

He smiles at me, "Anything for my Kitty..." He told me he wanted me to meet his friends, I was excited at first to meet them but as I waited there I noticed that it was getting really late so I waited a little longer, praying he was just running late like he usually does. But as the hours went by and the sun had already set, I couldn't help but cry. I had no choice but to leave. I came back every day waiting for his return. In the end, I gave up. We never met again... Though whenever I felt sad I would come back and wait, still hoping someday I could see his smile and golden eyes again, to see Ed.

::End of Dream::

I snap out of it when the face of that boy finally reveals itself in my mind. "No way... Ed? It can't be..." I mutter out loud in pure shock. It might make sense why I didn't know who he was as a kid, I haven't watched anime yet at that time and I was still living with Alice and her family. But that doesn't explain... how I was able meet him? I shook it off, "Maybe it was a different Ed... that name is very common in my world..." "Hey Cat!" My head shot up and I see Ed running up the small hill. He stops for a second and stares at me with the biggest wide eyes I've ever seen in his eyes, I almost thought his pupils disappeared. "Ed...? Why are you-" I was interrupted when he suddenly pulls me into a tight hug. "You idiiot! Don't run off like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

I hug him back and closed my eyes as I whispered, "Sorry... I won't do it again..." We sat side by side in silence, unsure of what to do now. "Should we go back?" I ask him. He shakes his head 'No', "I want to stay here a little bit longer... this place is kinda special to me..." I understood and continued to wait for him, secretly taking a few glances at him as Ed sat there looking up at the stars. "I met a girl here once when I was a kid," my eyes widen when he said this, "we use to play here everyday ever since we first met. The day I brought Al and Winry here she didn't show up. I waited for her to come back, but she never did. I came here everyday, even after mom died hoping to see her again. Hoping she wasn't a figment of my imagination."

I was hesitant at first, but I had to ask him so I can confirm the suspiscioun that was eating inside me, "What did you usually call her?" "Kitty... She was just as sweet as one when we were kids," he tells me truthfully. I felt my heart jump. He smiles a little, "It's ironic I call you that, especially since you're the total opposite of sweet!' I immediately punched him, causing to to fall to the side with his leg sticking up in the air twitching. "Hey I was just being honest!" Ed shots up yelling at my face. I lash back at him with the same tone, "Your honesty sucks! It's a wonder how you and Winry are still dating!" "What? We're not dating," Ed says, confused at what I just said. I scoff at this, "Yeah right! I saw you earlier! You know, it's a little too early to be doing that kind of stuff Edward!"

He blushes and explains, "That was just an accident! She fell and I tried to catch her!" I felt that all to familiar strike the back of my head. 'So in the end... it really was an accident...' I felt really stupid for allowing my feeling to get in the way of my judgement, and look at how things turned out. "I uh... got something for you," now this caught my attention. I watch Ed as he digs in his pocket, muttering things like 'I know I put it here somewhere' and 'I better not have lost it'. He brings up a small jewelry box from his pocket saying, "I know it's late, but seeing how Al gave his present already I thought it was high time I gave you mine." I took it from his hand as he continued, "It would've been embarrassing if I gave this In front of Al and the major. Let alone Winry and your friend Alice."

I open it up and I see a simple silver ring, a blue rose crest carved deep onto only one side of the ring. I tried it on, and surprisingly it fits perfectly on my ring finger. "How in did you-" I stop when I see Ed's face turn pink. "Don't even get me started on how hard it was to get your size while you're sleeping! I had to make sure Al wasn't looking! Not to mention stay up trying to make that thing for you..." "A ring?" I still had a hard time processing what was happening right now, I'm actually starting to think Alice was right about my inner otaku being supressed for a while cause this is too much to take in right now. "It's the only thing I could think of so no one would see it! It's already bad enough people think we're dating!"

I couldn't help but continue to smile at his reactions, which made Ed blush even more until he was practially the same shade of red as his signature jacket. It felt like the moon was shining down at us happily as we sat together side by side. 'So in the end... we did meet again,' I thought as we both started to burst out laughing. Ed notices I was still hold my ring. "Here I'll help you put it on." I watch as he holds my hand and tentively slips the ring on my finger. I can't tell what Ed is thinking at the moment, and I prayed as we stare at one another that he wouldn't recognize me, but I was also hoping he would. After a few moments of silence Ed spoke up again, except this time it was something I never wanted to heppen, "I think it's about time I tell you what happened, why Al and I are like this."

My panic buttom immediately switched on, "Ah it's fine Ed! I already firgure out you guys did human transmutation! That's enough for the both of us!" "That's not good enough! We found out by accident why you're looking for the stone and you just figured it all out on your own... Cat, I need to get this off my chest," I couldn't help but blush at how serious he was. That last part... almost sounds like he was making a confession to the girl he likes! So I sat there patiently waiting as Ed prepares for the worse. He takes a deep breath and starts to tell me his story, "When Al and I were kids... our my sad excuse of a dad left us. I don't know why, but ever since he left mom would always look out the window, hoping he would come back."

This felt wrong, I'm here listening to a story I already know and reliving the memories in my head of how it all happened. Don't get me wrong I always cried at Trisha's death no matter how many tiimes I've read and watched that part, but for Ed to tell me all this now means only one thing. He trusts me. I linsten as Ed continues, "We could see it. No matter how hard she tried to hide it from us. We learned alchemy one day and when mom found out she would always cheer at everything we made, that's why we continued the practice, because it made her smile." As we sat there under the night sky I couldn't help but feel... how do you say it? Connect? Yeah that's as he went on I heard a few things that I never heard at all about their painful childhood. It was more detailed, much more horrifying when you listen to such a story in person.

"And after that this," Ed shows me his arm. "Al much hate me so much for what I've done to him..." I reacted quickly when I remembered Al's words about being artificial, "Of course he doesn't Ed! You're the only family he's got left in this world! I'm sure he understands that it was that only way to save him!" Ed was taken a back at my sudden out burst, but he smiles and ruffles my hair affectionately. "Thanks Cat..." that earns another blush from me. How much longer until my face permanently stays red? "Since you told me your story," I lean against the tree and smile weakly at him, "I guess it's my turn to tell you mine. Alice may have told you, but that was from her perspective. I think you'll be the actual first to hear the truth."

At the back of my mind I sweat drop thinking, 'Well half of it at least...' "What? I though you told Mustang-" I interrupt Ed, "I told him only bits and pieces of what happened. There's no way I could entirely trust that coky bastard with something as dark as my past." Ed was quiet at first but then he said, "Go on..." Boy this is going to be fun, and this time after he told me his entire story I have to do so as well since I too follow the laws of alchemy, though I have to make sure to hide the part where me and Alice are from another world. Not to mention hide the fact we were used as ingredients for a philosopher's stone.

"The day I found out I could do alchemy... was the day many lives were losy by my hand... as well as Alice's. There were probably a lot of us, that person was some how able to trick an entire school of kids for a dark and sinsister purpose and by the time I had realized it, it was too late. I was forced by our captor into activating the transmutation circle for her, watching every single person die before me and all because I wasn't strong enough that day to stop it. How could I? That... person threatened to kill all those kids one by one using a gun if I don't start the transmutation! In the end I did, but there was another cost to using so many lives, I was also pulled into the transmutation and at the cost of surviving I lost my arm. That day I swore to find that person and take back the lives that were lost. I know they're not dead, just... trapped."

I look at Ed expecting him to be shocked from learning what I had done, but instead I earned myself yet another hug from the boy, expect this one was much more comforting compared to when he lunged himself at me. "Your secret's safe with me..." he whispers into my ear. I felt my heart skipa beat when he said that. So like all my previous failed plans, Ed had once again made me fail yet another one and this one was the biggest of them all, don't let him trust me. I hugged him back while thinking regretfully, 'Jealousy will come after me... sooner or later she will try and kill me again...'

++That Morning++

It was early in the morning when we decided to leave, way before Winry could get up since she's been up for three nights straight. Of course we had to at least say our farewells to Granny Pinako. "Well it looks like we're leaving now," Ed says as he looks up at the Rockbell home. "You boys come back soon we can have dinner sometime," Pinako says then takes in another whiff of her pipe. Ed jokes at this, "Who'd want to come back to this crummy town only for a meal?" Right when we were about to leave we heard a cry from behind our backs, "Wait!" Alice runs out of the house carry a crud load of bags with her, dropping a few things every now and then but continues to run up towards us.

"Alice? What're you doing!?"
"I'm coming with you guys! I'm not going to sit by as my best friend and new friends run off on a dangeruous quest alone!"
"You'll get hurt! This isn't a kids game. What we do-"
"Isn't something to take lightly. I know Cat! Geez you sound like my mom..."

I look at Ed, Al, and Armstrong for help. Ed coughs, "Well we do need someone to keep Cat company." My jaw drops to hear this. "I agree with brother," my head swirves in his directio in pure shock, "besides she's just like me. I think she should also come along to get her body back." My last and only hope was for Armstrong, surely he wouldn't agree to let a helpless little (A/N: I forgot to mention this, Alice is 6' 2" XD Now compare her to your current height right now I dare ya!) girl going out there defenseless not to mention she can't even fight. Trust me I know, she couldn't even fight a puppy when she was 5! "As long as your in good hands I believe it shall be fine for you to come along," I anime fall to the side and my spirit floats out of my mouth.

"Guys!" We all look and this time it was Winry, she waved down at us sleepily as she tries to stay awake. "Have a nice trip...!" I know we're going to be okay, right?

-Jealousy-

"No... please wai-!" I shot the man right between his eyes to shut him up. "Tch! Another town gone down to waste... These humans really know how to abuse such an incredible power in one day," I say dully and wipe the man's blood off my cheek in utter disgust. This man was once the mayor of this town, and beside his corpse was once an alchemist doctor who used to stone I gave him to cure the townsfolk of the disease that I was ordered to implant. Instead of curing the people, the mayor decided to abuse it's power and took advantage of the people's suffering, forcing them to pay in order to get cured. The doctor was bribe into letting this happen because of the mayor's stupid idea on kidnapping his wife.

All I could do is observe the situation. "You failed as a leader... and because of that we lost a potential sacrifice," I kick the corpse away in cold blood. At the corner of the room, the girl breathes heavily as she hold her wound in pain. She soon starts to beg, "Bring him back... please...!" I shook my head, "I can't do that Lydia. Even if I tried to it would take my life and the Lujon you once knew won't be the same person you once loved." Complying, Lydia closes her eyes and passes away. Not long after all three corpses started to deform into a fossil like form.

"Even in this world... These people still met the same sad fate... at least they had the same requited feelings for one another unlike 'them'."

To Be Continued

And I'm done! Wow it's been almost 2 years since I first started this, I'm surprise it's come this far into the story. I'm sorry I didn't make it to Halloween everyone! TT^TT I think Grey Cinderella might end up being a Christmas thing, but it won't feel pretty. O_O

Cat:...
Me: You've been pretty silent during the entire chapter Cat. O_O You ok?
Cat: Uh... Yeah I'm just tired... Ugh... I think I have to se this one out Avery... Let Jealousy or Alice take over or something... *leaves the studio*
Ali: Ano... is Cat okay?
Me: I think so... she wasn't feeling so well during the shoot.
Ali: Or maybe because of that moment you wrote with her and Ed. ;)
Me: So! Wanna do the honors since this is finally your official appearance in the series?
Ali: Yes please! AveryScarlet does not FMA, all rights belong to Hiromu Arakawa himself!
Me: Um... Hiromu is a girl...
Ali: Eh!? No way! I always thought the mangaka was a guy! Maybe it's a common mistake
Me: Uh no it's just you... Anyway, I only own Cat, Alice, Jealousy, and many others to come!
Ali: Bye bye!

*I am so sorry for all the misspells I've had in the past! My co-writer here just loves to use his phone when he's helping me write my stories. Most of the time he likes to use short cuts... so please forgive me on my end for not checking. I nearly killed him when I read over the recent chapter cause all I did was send him the draft and he'll just extend it to make it longer. -_- But it seems that since he always sends them late at night and I don't have to patience to edit anymore, I just post them and pass out. I thank the two readers for point that out. :) No need to be a grammar-nazi, trust me I was also one when I was helping my friend during my high school days. So during the sem-break I'll be fixing every damn error he's made. He doesn't have an account on fanfic anymore since he now wants to be an editor when he graduates. His name is HaruKaze. A combination of his favorite heroes such as Haru (forgot his last name) from Rave Master and his last name Kaze (or wind/air in English.) is not only his favorite element but because of his love for Kaze no Stigma. He was actually thinking of making a fanfic of it in honor of the deceased mangaka. :') He wants to come back in writing fanfics again but when he decided to transfer here from quizilla, he saw that there's already a HaruKaze here. So I'll have a very long talk with him. Sayonara!