Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Cora and Lena!

Chapter 4: Brighter than sunshine

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine

Lena's POV

It had been a week and I still hadn't heard from Cora. Had she forgotten to write me? Nah, that wasn't like her. It wasn't like her to forget about something like that, especially when talking to me. We were always together. People at school used to call us 'The twins'. I was starting to worry. Cora and I had been friends since the first grade. Even when we didn't see each other, we were on the phone. It felt like I was missing an arm or something. The room, the one we were supposed to share, felt too big. I'd already started to decorate my side. I'd gotten paid a few days ago. 3,000 cenz just for helping Mustang dodge his dates. Speaking of dates, my date with Jean went wonderfully. I couldn't help but smile when thinking about it.

*Flashback*

I stood in front of the mirror taking in my outfit. I was wearing jeans because I didn't want to look like I was trying, but I was wearing a lacey blouse because I didn't want Jean to think I didn't care. I had my hair pulled up into a pony tail. I looked good. I got my purse and checked the time. It was 6:45. Jean was going to be here at 7.

It was Saturday night and Jean was picking me up at seven. I looked in the mirror. I was wearing jeans because I didn't want to look like I was trying, but was wearing a lacy white top because I didn't want Jean to think I didn't care. I had my hair pulled up into a pony tail. I looked good. I got my purse and checked the time. It was 6:45; Jean was going to be here at 7. So, I had fifteen minutes to kill. I pulled out a piece of paper and started a letter to Cora. I didn't know where I was going to send it, but that was a minor detail. Time flew by and before I knew it there was a knock at the door. Jean! I jumped up and grabbed my purse. I flung open the door and took him in.

I was used to seeing him in his military uniform. He looked good in the uniform, but I could definitely get used to seeing him in civilian clothes. He was wearing a short sleeved black t-shirt and jeans. It should've been criminal to have a shirt that tight. I suppressed the urge to jump him then and there.

Instead, I smiled. "Hey!"

"Hey," he said, returning the smile.

I stepped into the hallway and closed the door, locking up.

"So, where are we going?" I asked as we walked down the hall.

Stepping outside, he held the door for me and smirked. "First, we're going out to eat. After that, it's a surprise."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, so don't bother asking because I won't tell you," he said. I pouted and batted my eyes at him. He laughed and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. "Cute, but pouting won't work."

We went to this little hole in the wall of Main Street. Dinner was quiet and we both talked about how our days went. After dinner, Jean took a hold of my hand and led me to a fire escape a few buildings over. When we got to the top of the roof, I saw there was a blanket laid out. We laid down on the blanket and Jean started pointing out the constellations and telling me their stories. When he was done, the Q&A portion of our evening began.

"So, where are you from? You already know my homeland history, so what's yours?" I asked.

He laughed. "I don't know your 'homeland history', but I'm from a small town in Eastern Amestris. My parents run a general store. What about you?"

"Well, I too am from a small town in the state of Ohio in the United States."

"And your parents?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it because for once I wasn't sure how to explain. I bit my lip and looked down, frowning.

Jean looked concerned. "If you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to."

I shook my head. "It's not that. I've just never explained it before. It's just my mom and I. My dad took off when I was seven and I haven't seen him since. I mean, I get birthday cards and a phone call every now and then, but for the most part, he's not part of my life."

"Do you ever wish he was?"

"Not really. He doesn't want to be in my life, why should I want him there?"

"Good point. So, any crazy ex-boyfriends?"

I laughed. "No, not that it would be a problem. And shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"My exes are either dating Mustang or indisposed."

"Indisposed?"

"She was a demon from hell. I imagine she went back there."

"Ouch."

He grimaced. "Yeah, she was one of the few not even Mustang wanted and he's not exactly picky."

I giggled. "I know! I've been talking to his dates and helping him dodge the crazy ones. Why doesn't he just start dating Hawkeye? She's pretty and she would keep him in line."

"Fraternization; he can't date her. If he did, one of them would have to leave the military."

That made me pause. "Is what we're doing fraternization?"

"Technically, yes, but we're low enough on the totem pole that it doesn't matter," he said. He sounded a little unsure, but I let it go.

He looked at his watch. "I'd better take you back. It's one o'clock."

I was disappointed. "Okay."

We walked back to the dorms and I started to get nervous. The date was ending and I wasn't sure what to do now. What was appropriate for a first date? A hug? A handshake? A kiss on the cheek or just go for the gold and kiss him on the lips? I wasn't sure what to do, so I just leaned against the door. I looked at him and turned red.

The look he was giving me made things down south go hot. His eyes had gone dark and looked serious. He stepped forward and leaned over me.

He had me caged inside the door frame, forearms on either side of my head. He leaned in and I became extremely aware of everything about him; and myself. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I felt sweat beginning to form on my palms. More than anything, though, I was aware of Jean. I didn't know what it was, but I'd always had a thing about a man's arms. And not just the biceps, but the forearms too. And Jean's were especially nice to look at.

I knew everyone talked about how Jean always smelled like an ashtray, but I didn't mind; I liked the smell of smoke. Under the smoke, I caught the scent of his after shave, sharp and clean. He was so close, I felt like I was going to burn up from his body heat. He hadn't even kissed me yet. He lowered his head and put his lips to the shell of my ear. I thought I was going to faint.

"I knew from the moment you started talking to Armstrong that you were going to be different from all the other girls around here. Your non-sense makes perfect sense. To me at least," he said. His breath was hot against my neck and I shivered.

"Really? Because most the time, I feel like I need a translator."

"I understand. And I love every syllable."

He pulled back and his eyes burned into mine. He looked almost feverish. I'll remember that look for the rest of my life; like he needed me as much as he needed air.

I don't know who moved first, but his lips touched mine and a spark went off. It was soft at first, like he was barely touching me. I pulled back for a second and in that second something snapped. I surged forward and pressed my lips more firmly to his. And everything exploded. He made a surprised sound before pressing back. My arms went around his neck as his left arm encircled my waist and his right hand entangled itself in my hair. He pressed my back to the door and tightened his arm around my waist, pulling my lower body into his. He lifted me and my legs went around his hips. His lips left mine and burned their way down my neck, biting and licking the side. I moaned and scratched my nails down his chest and clutched at his side. He bit down on my neck when I scratched him. And with that, he pulled back and rested his forehead on my shoulder.

"I'm going to stop now because if I don't stop now, I won't stop at all. I'm not going to lie. I want you so bad right now, it's eating me up."

His head was still on my shoulder. I smiled and pressed a kiss to his temple. He was such a sweetheart.

"It's okay. I know what you mean," I said, running my fingers through his head.

He pulled his head off my shoulder and gave me a quick but firm kiss. I unhooked my legs and he let me down. He stood up straight and pulled me into a hug. I didn't want to let him go. We stepped back from each other.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said, before turning and walking away. I knew a lot of guys said that, but I knew that he would actually do it.

*End flashback*

And he had. We talked on the phone for three hours before going on a walk around town. My days with Jean were filled with sunshine.

"Lena!" a voice shouted in my ear.

I jumped. "What?" I turned to see Mustang looking irritated.

"The phone's been ringing! Stop daydreaming about Havoc and answer it," he said.

As if on cue, the phone rang. I answered. "Hello, this is the office of Colonel Mustang. He's currently sleeping at his desk. May I take a message?"

Mustang looked like he was going to strangle me. It would've been intimidating, if his eyes weren't darting down to look at the mini-skirt he'd insisted I wear.

"Lieutenant General Grumman? Yes, I'll see that he gets it… You're welcome. Goodbye." At the name Grumman, Mustang lost all his color and looked like liquid paper.

"That was Lieutenant General Grumman. He says you're in check," I said, smiling.

He stomped into his office looking like his head was going to explode. He was muttering, "Can't kill… Havoc mad." He slammed the door shut.

I leaned back in my chair, the devious smile never leaving my face. Just then, Jean came in to walk me home. I jumped up and gave him a hug.

"Hey, sweetheart, how was your day?" he asked.

"Boring. All I did was answer phones," I said. Mustang whipped open the door. The glare he shot could've turned me to ash.

"Havoc, take her home and keep her there. And you, take tomorrow off. I need a day to recuperate and do damage control," he said and slammed the door shut again.

"What happened?" Jean asked as we were leaving.

"I don't know. All I did today was answer phones… and think about you," I said, giving him a wide eyed look.

He narrowed his eyes while fighting a smile. "How did you answer the phone?"

"Okay, I might've been telling someone named Grumman that Mustang was sleeping at his desk, but that's not really news," I said with a sunny smile.

He laughed. "That's not why he's mad. The Lieutenant General is Roy's superior."

"Oh. Woops!"

We were walking down the hall when Ed came in. I needed to talk to him about Cora.

"Hey, Ed!"

Ed looked up. "Hey, Lena. How are you? You must still be with Mustang," he said, eyeing my skirt with a frown.

"I'm good. Yeah, but who knows for how long. Have you heard from Cora? She said she would to write me during her training, but she hasn't yet," I said.

"Yeah, about that, she's not really training right now. What she doing right now, you could think of it more as an endurance test to see if she would survive training. Teacher's having her survive on a deserted island for a month."

"I'm sorry. Did I really hear you say she's alone on an island in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yeah, but don't get all –"he was cut off by my fist in his jaw. "Hey! What was that for?" he asked. He looked honestly surprised that I'd hit him.

"Deserted island? Deserted island? You left my sister on a deserted island?" I asked.

"She's not really alone. There's a man from Teacher's butcher shop looking after her." He looked so nonchalant; I wanted to punch him again.

Ed sighed. "Look, Lena, Cora's stronger than she looks. She'll be fine. Nothing's going to eat her."

"I know she's strong, but you don't know her. She doesn't like to be alone."

"Yeah, well, sometimes you have to be alone. You get used to it."

"She's been left alone enough!" I blurted out before clamping my mouth shut.

He frowned deeply and seemed to consider what I'd said. "I'll call Teacher just to make sure, but I'm sure she's fine."

"If anything happens to her…" I let the sentence hang.

"If anything happens to her, I'll let you kick my ass," he said before leaving.

I turned to Jean, tears filling my eyes. "I worry about her so much."

"I know, but Ed's right. She's probably fine."

"I hope so."

Jean pulled me to him and gave me a kiss on top of my head before putting his arm around me and walking me home.

Ed's POV

I hated to think that Lena's concerns were right. I knew she was worrying over nothing. Cora was a survivor. I'd seen it in her eyes; that inability to take 'no' for an answer. She had this overwhelming need to be of use. That was why I'd called Teacher. I knew whatever Teacher did to her, Cora would overcome it just to prove she could. She's too stubborn to die. I knew I'd probably get screamed at, but I needed to make sure it only to get Lena to calm down. I didn't feel bad about not telling them what was going to happen. It was a sink or swim situation. Cora would either succeed or she'd fail. I went to a phone booth and dialed a familiar number.

"Hello, this is Curtis Meats. Mrs. Curtis speaking."

"Hello, Teacher."

The line was silent for a second. "Ed? Why are you calling me? I told you I didn't want to hear from you until Cora's probation period was over!"

"I know and normally I wouldn't call out of fear you'd kill me, but Lena wants to know that Cora's still alive."

"Lena?"

"Yeah, Cora's friend, the little blonde that was with her."

"Cora's fine. Mason saw her a few days ago and said she was actually thriving." I knew she would. "She scared him. He had her treed and she jumped down onto him, before pulling off his mask and punching him in the face. I was so proud." Figures she'd be proud of someone shorter than I am hurling herself at a fake bear twice her size.

"I told you she had nerve. She'll survive," I said.

"We'll see. She's got three weeks left."

After hanging up on Teacher, I got back to my original goal; seeing Mustang. Joy. I walked into his office without knocking. He looked up from his paperwork and his frown deepened.

"Great, someone else to improve my day," he said.

"Things not going well with your secretary?"

"Oh, no, she's fine. When she isn't daydreaming about her boyfriend or getting me into hot water with higher ups."

"Boyfriend?"

He looked at me like I was an idiot. "There's a reason Havoc's always with Lena, Fullmetal."

I shrugged. "I thought you'd put him on security detail," then I smirked. "Are you telling me there's a girl you can't have?"

"I am telling you no such thing. All I'm saying is that she seems impervious to my charms."

I laughed. "Seems like karma's giving you a bitch slap."

"Did you want something or are you just here to irritate me?" he asked, scowling.

"Calm down, Mustang. I do have a reason for being here. In six months, Cora will finish her training. The next state test isn't for another nine."

"You sound so confident that she'll become an alchemist."

"I am."

"How can you be so sure she'll last training, much less pass the test?"

"Gut feeling. You saw her earlier. Even if she fails the test the first time, do you really think that's going to stop her?"

"No. In fact, she reminds me of you in that respect."

I ignored that. "When she becomes a state alchemist, I want her to start travelling with me."

Mustang got a smug look on his face. "Don't you need my permission for something like that?"

My shoulders slumped. "What do you want?"

"Not much; just you at my beck and call."

I felt my blood begin to boil. "How about something you'll actually get!"

He was silent for a minute. "There are rumors floating around that I'm being transferred south. And where I go, so does my staff; that includes Lena now. The higher ups don't know where she's really from and I intend to keep it that way. God knows I can't let the research department in. I can't have Havoc get a court martial because he tried to kill someone. Should the rumors prove to be correct, and I suspect they are, I'll need a set of ears around Central."

"That isn't all you want, is it?"

"Correct. Not only do I need ears, I need backing from you; in whatever I do," he said, a devious smile forming on his face.

That sent a chill down my spine. On the one hand, Mustang wanted what was best for the country. Having me in his corner would give him more clout with the people. On the other hand, he was a scheming ass who would use whatever or whoever he could to achieve his goal. He wanted to be at the top.

I smirked. "Fine; you've got a deal. I'll spy for you; if you leave all decisions concerning Cora to me."

"And why would I do that?"

"That's my term for backing you. I make all decisions concerning her or you try to win the people over without me." The smug look on my face had to be pissing him off.

Mustang let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright, with regards to Cora you make all the decisions. Good luck telling her."

I grimaced. "Don't remind me."

"Now, if you don't mind, I've got paperwork to finish."

"You're not making Lena do it?" I asked as I got up.

"I tried. She surrounded my signature with hearts and butterflies."

I was out the door before he heard me laughing.