Chapter 3:Monday: Black keys, White Fingers .

"Were you playing that beautiful music?" Sam asked Edward.

"Yes. Why?" he asked back, looking into her violet eyes.

"It was so beautiful." she confessed, her amazement take control of her words.

"Well, thank you. May I help you with anything else?" he asked them. Danny walked up next to Sam and took his turn.

"No thank you. My friend here just decided to wander us to your home. Sorry for the trouble." he apologized. Edward nodded and began to shut the door, but Alphonse saw Danny, Tucker, and Sam and rushed up to Ed.

"Oh, visitors! Please, come in." he said happily to the three children beginning to walk away.

"Al, what are you doing?" Ed demanded.

"Inviting them in. We haven't had visitors in forever, brother. It would be nice." He said to the older ghost with a smile.

"I suppose so." Ed agreed reluctantly. Inside, Sam, Danny, and Tucker sat on the couch that lay across from the grand baby piano, while Ed sat in the chair next to it. Al brought out a small tray of hot tea and some crackers and placed them on the coffee table to the side.

"So, what brings you here to the most desolate and unknown corner of the ghost zone?" asked Edward, trying to start a conversation with his guests.

"Oh, well, you see, we normally travel about three miles out of our portal, when Sam here got the idea to go farther. And we did, then she heard the piano and brought us here." explained Danny as he took the cup of tea. "Oh, thank you."

"What do you mean, portal?" asked Al taking his seat next to Ed. Alphonse Elric was only one year younger than his brother, but just as smart. Soft golden brown, short hair, with choppy bangs in his face that slanted themselves to the side. Innocent big chocolaty brown eyes and a playful child smile. His shy and very kind personality ran freely among him and showed greatly. True his was a year younger then Edward, but he was taller, four inches taller. Edward was only five foot two, while Al came to five foot six. The only time Al could hurt someone was if they hurt Ed's feelings or made fun of him, otherwise, Al couldn't hurt a fly.

"My parents invented a portal which opens to the ghost zone." Danny kindly explained. "You mean you've never heard of it?"

"Again, most desolate place in the ghost zone. We never hear anything beyond these walls. Well, I never do anyway. Do you Al?" Al shook his head.

"So, it's just you two? Don't you ever get lonely?" asked Tucker, sipping his tea.

"Sometimes. But we've been here for sixty-nine years so we're used to it. Plus, we've got music to entertain us most of the time, and each other. When Al goes out, I'm alone, but I have my piano." said Edward, looking at his prized object that sat next to him, drawing the attention of his guests.

"Couldn't you just go out with him? Get away from here?" asked Sam.

"I wish I could." He said in a tight voice, closing his eyes. He stood up, moved to the piano bench, and sat at the keys and began to play. "When the reaper came for us, he said, 'I was bound to the things I love', which is staying inside and playing the piano. I'm bound to that forever. It's like a curse. One I have no clue how to break." He cringed out, beginning to play. Sam began to feel very odd; her eyes looked vacant, and her mouth hung open a little, her eyelids fell half-closed, and her skin color began changing to shades lighter then her normally fair skin, making it look ghastly. What's wrong with me? Why do I feel so strange? So... empty? she thought to herself. Edward's music carried on, the boys unknowing of Sam's vacant eyes and look. A few moments later, the last note faded out ,Sam then regained herself.

"What just happened?" she asked aloud, while placing her hand on her forehead and elbow on knee. Her skin and eyes returned to normal.

"What do you mean?" asked Al. "He played the piano."

"But while he played, I-I felt so empty. So... gone. Like I was watching my body sitting there and I was somewhere else. It was scary,... yet, enjoyable. Scary that I could see my body, and enjoyable that I heard the music too. It's weird." she explained to them all closing her eyes at the end. Edward's eyes lit up as he realized something. Could the spells be getting to her? he asked himself in his head.

"Could you excuse me and Alphonse for a second please?" asked Edward, getting up. Tucker nodded for the three and the two brothers left the room.

"What's this about, brother?" asked Alphonse.

"Alphonse, remember how my music could cast a spell to any girl I wish?"

"Yes, you tell me almost every month brother. But what does this have to do with Ms. Manson's incident?" he asked confused.

"What if my spell is casting itself to her? What if the spell is causing its effects in a different way then before?" he pondered out loud.

"That could be true, brother." Alphonse responded with a frown, thinking hard. After a moment, he said, "Let us return, before our guests become worried." He and his older brother walked back into the room. He resumed his seat and so did Ed.

"If you would please excuse us, we need to get home before our parents begin to worry about us. Thank you for having us." thanked Danny as he stood to shake the Elric brothers' hands.

"Oh, that's alright," Al assured. "We understand. Please, don't be a stranger here. You're welcome anytime. Ed and I are always home!" He stated as he shook Danny's hand, then Tucker's, and finally Sam's, who was still a little shaken from her experience.

On the way home, Sam sat hugging her knees to her chest and a subtle look of fright and worry on her face.

"Sam, are you okay?" asked Danny, placing his hand on her back. She jumped a little and looked at him.

"Sorry," she apologized. "it's just... when he played, like I explained, I was somewhere else. But wherever I was, it was so cold. I can't get warm." She admitted stuttering slightly while shivers ran up her spine. Danny then went into the deep locker that lay in the back of the seats and pulled out a blanket.

"Here." he offered. She took it and smiled.

"Thanks." she said wrapping herself up in it.

"AW! How cute! Danny's finally making a move." Tucker said in a loud voice, laughing. Danny made a fist, his teeth clamped together into an angry frown, his eyebrows pulled together and his eyes widened. Looking at him, Tucker began, "Hey, do you guys always forget that I'm here? Almost all the time I'm with you guys."

"No, we don't. Our emotions just... take control of us now and then. Live with it." Sam pointed out.

"Yeah okay, I'll live with it, but I've been living with it for the past four years. Believe me, sitting back and watching my friends flirt with each other for four years is funny at first, tbut it just gets annoying after the first year is over." announced Tucker, slightly angry. Danny and Sam just look in opposite directions blushing. They knew Tucker was right. The rest of the ride was dead silent. None of them spoke. Danny and Sam shared a unexpected glance here and there, but they quickly turned their heads and looked down. Once back at Fenton Works, Tucker said his good-byes and thanks and took his leave. Sam stepped out after Danny. After a few steps, she handed him the blanket.

"Thanks." she said extending her arm to him. He made a move to grab it. Once he reached it, their eyes met and they looked at each other for a few moments. Danny caught himself and let go.

"Just keep it." he told her. "We have extras." she squinted her eyes and cringed her eyebrows and looked down, took it, and walked away. "Sam," he called. She turned to him. "You okay?" she smiled and nodded yes. He returned the gesture; she left, and he went upstairs.

Ghost Zone. (night)
Blissful piano music began to play. Low F, middle C, the F above that, followed by a even higher F, A sharp, F, and C rolled very fast, then ended with a D flat, C, B flat and A sharp. Playing like a Gothic lullaby. Edward continued to play, creating a beautiful sound. As he played higher, he envisioned Sam's face, for he found her beautiful and enchanting.

"Go," he began to whisper softly. "Go and get her." At the Manson mansion, Sam heard the music in her dreams. Once again, her skin color fell to the ghostly white, and eyes were washed and flooded with vacancy. She sat up and sang out, 'Waking up feels good, once you open your eyes' with her voice like Amy Lee. Pamela, her mother, walked in after hearing her daughter in the hallway.

"Samantha, is everything alright? Why are you singing?" Sam didn't respond, the music controlling her like Undergrowth had in freshman year. Pamela walked up to her daughter and shook her a little to grab her attention. "Samantha? Samantha!" she shouted, knocking Sam free of Ed's control.

"Huh? What happened? Mom?" A dazed Sam asked.

"You were singing, dear. Are you alright?"

"I was? Oh, I didn't even realize I was. I-I'm fine. Sorry for the trouble."

"That's alright, dear. Go back to sleep." Mrs. Manson told her with a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going back to bed dear. If you need anything, you know we're right next door. Good night."

"'Night." Sam said back. Not again. Was Edward playing? He must have, I only feel like this when he plays, she thought to herself. She felt the empty coldness from before. She grabbed the blanket Danny gave her and wrapped up in it. She tried to fall asleep but failed over and over again concern of what might happen the next time he played filling her thoughts. Would she sing like this time? Or would she join him in a piano duet? She knew how to play- and she was good. She never told anyone besides her family and music teacher, who helped her learn. Yes, Sam could play just as good as Edward. She could control herself from jumping at the keys, but she did long to play. To feel the bouncing of the keys make their pleasant sounds. She couldn't stand it any longer, she escaped to the music room where the walls were sound proof, and sat herself down at the Grand Baby Piano she left last that previous weekend, and began to play a hard rock song, "All That I'm Living For" in the softest piano version Amy Lee did. She spent the rest of the night playing and singing her feelings away.

AN: M'kay, first off, I would like to say that the song Edward was playing towards the end with the F, C, F was the little minute long piano piece that is before the song "Good Enough" on the Evanescence album, "The Open Door" those of you who have it know which one I'm talking about. Second, in an AOL session, Amy Lee plays "All That I'm Living For" piano style. Which can be heard if you look up Evanescence in the AOL music section. Moving on, I made Sami know piano. I had the idea in my head when I first came up with the fic. a while back. I'm having fun toying with her actually. And I know that's mean but it's fun. That's the beauty in fanfics, you decide what happens and what doesn't happen. . A little DxS in there, again, I'm trying to put it in only when necessary. And that was one of the moments.