Flashback
"What's your decision, Fullmetal?" Roy questioned, his dark eyes never leaving Ed's face.
"I want to forget it all." He said, dead serious, as if nothing else could be more important.
"Then why'd you keep your leg? Didn't you say it was a reminder?"
"Maybe so, but I don't want to make the people I care about cry anymore. I'm moving forward, and I refuse to go back." He said determination clear.
"Fine, if that is what you wish. Good luck with the rest of your life, Fullmetal."
And with those words, Edward turned headed for the door. But as His hand reached for the doorknob for what might have been the last time Roy's voice stopped him.
"You only get one chance to be young, Fullmetal. This is your chance to start living…Don't screw it up."
Edward turned once more to face him.
"For the last time, Bastard, call me Edward Damnit. Now I'm going to say goodbye and you're going to leave me the hell alone!"
A door slam signified the furious blonde hurricane had left the permissive.
"Stubborn Ass Brat."
End of Flashback
Alphonse smiled as he walked through dusty streets that littered the desert town of Rush Valley. To His Left he saw A slightly larger than most of the regular building. And on his right a similar building but it was a single story building contrast to the left building that was 3 stories.
"Looks like they have some nice education facilities over here." Smiled Mei, the shorter Xingise woman grasping his hand.
"Yeah, Rush Valley may be full of Automail but it has some smart students here." He said with a smile.
"Looks like the school day has ended to, ya think we'll see anyone we know?" she questioned.
"You never know, Mei, we might have someone following us as we speak." Alphonse said. A smirk on his face he came to a halt in his walking and turned.
"You could be like anyone else and just come out and say Hello, yah know." Mei questioned his antics and turned as well. Though she saw no one, she felt a familiar presence. Could it be?
"You've always got to know everything that's going on around you, haven't you Alphonse?" questioned a familiar voice that was revealed to them as Edward.
He was taller now. But still not as tall as Alphonse. His hair had noticeably grown longer past his shoulder blades and to the middle of his back. It now stayed up tight in a tail, and his bangs were trimmed in their way to fall around his face.
"It's good to see you to, Ed." Smiled Alphonse.
"Yeah yeah, but where in the hell have you been?" he questioned his younger brother as he came up to them and began walking with them.
"I've been traveling…in Xing…with Mei."
"And that's your excuse?"
"Hey, Xing's a big country. It takes years to thoroughly, you know that."
"But not almost 14 years. Unless you've been doing…other things?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow with a sly look in his gold eyes.
"BROTHER!"
"What? It's very much possible to take a whole lot more time to explore when you have a traveling partner of the opposite sex. Trust me. I know."
"Brother! You're so nasty minded!"
"You sound like my older children. Grow up and get over it."
"Older children? How many do you have?"
"You'll find out soon enough. Now come on, Shop's this way." He said, waving a hand toward a corner shop labeled, Elric Automail & Repairs.
DING DING DING
The annoying chime that got on everyone's nerves went off like a siren wailing threw the night.
"Winry! I'm back, with people!" Edward called, walking over to the front counter and leaning himself over it.
"People? Who could it be? My appointments are done for the day so who is it?" A feminine voice questioned from the back parts of the shop.
"It's the Family kinda People, now get in here."
"The Family kind? What do you mea-"She stopped mid sentence as she came in from the back room to behind the counter. "ALPHONSE? WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?"
"We got off the train like a half hour ago." He said with a sheepish smile.
"Mei's with you too? Awe, you two finally gonna tie the knot?" she smirked.
"That's kinda part of why we're here…" Alphonse started.
DING DING DING
"Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy!" squealed an enthusiastic 7 year old. The cheerful child skipped quickly over to Edward, arms above her platinum blonde haired head, signaling that she wished to be up.
"Hello to you, too, Charlotte." Ed smiled, picking up the tiny child and placing on the counter beside him. "Where are your siblings?" He questioned looking into crystal blue irises.
"They're behind me; I just couldn't wait to see you, Daddy." Charlotte said with a bright smile.
DING DING DING
A scuffed up young pre teen with scraggly bronze hair walked in, hands behind his head. Smoke marks were plastered on his face. A sheepish grin was indented in his face as he locked eyes with Winry.
"Alright, James, what did you do?" questioned Winry.
"I didn't do anything!" the teen, now identified as James, exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air.
DING DING DING
"Except start a fire in the school yard while you were showing off." Said a similar voice to James's as he walked in. Bronze hair tied loosely in a small tail shook as he walked into the store by his twin. Rectangular wire glasses framed his hazel eyes as he looked toward his parents.
"Matthew I expect a full report later today." Winry commanded to the other boy, Matthew.
"Yes Ma'am. I can do that." Smiled the boy.
DING DING DING
A teenage girl walked in with a bored expression on her face. Flipping a dirty blonde Cretan** braid over her shoulder she looked toward her mother.
"Hey, they're here now, so can I go to home yet, or do you need anything?" the girl questioned.
"Um… yeah, if you could, I need you to go pick up a package of parts from the shipment office, and if you would pick up these groceries for me, that's all I need. But don't leave yet. We have guest." Winry smiled, handing her daughter a list.
"Alphonse, Mei, these are some of my children." Started Edward. "This," Ed poked Charlotte in the stomach, forcing out a giggle, "Is my youngest, Charlotte, or Charlie as we call her,"
"The duo of boys over there is," Winry pointed at the scruffier of the two, "James," she pointed to the other, "and Matthew or Matt."
"And the bored looking one over there is Penelope." Ed said, jerking a thumb at the teen, "Now Kids meet your Uncle, Alphonse and your Uncles wi-"
"Fiancé," Mei corrected.
"Fiancé? You mean to tell me in 13 years you two still haven't gotten hitched yet?" questioned Edward toward his younger brother.
"I TOLD you I've been busy, and Mei and I just haven't had the time to get it all planned out. Which is why we're here now and we've decided on everything and have everything planned out, all we have to do is get everyone together have the ceremony and it'll all be over and done with." He exclaimed/ explained it to all of the quickly.
"Geeze, Alphonse, you talk as if this is such a big effort that you just hate hassling with." Sneered Mei, evilly eyeing her soon to be spouse.
"Well it wouldn't have to be a hassle if you wouldn't make it into one with all your shenanigans." He eyed her with a slight glare.
"Oh so trying to make one of the best days of our lives perfect is a shenanigan now? That's it?"
"There you go again! Twisting my words! I didn't say it was a shenanigan I said what you were doing for it was!"
"And HOW is THAT? Huh ALPHONSE ELRIC?"
"Oh I don't know, paying 100,000 sens to have a field rented at night during the STAR FESTIVAL? Isn't that over the top? Why can't it just be out in backyard at Home huh? FOR FREE!"
"You STILL don't get it do you? I'M A PRINCESS! I'M RICHER THAN EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, IF I WANT EXPENSIVE THINGS THEN I"LL HAVE EXPENSIVE THINGS!"
"Hey! This is NO TIME for a marital squall; now both of you cool it!" Ed shouted over both of them. The fighting duo shut up on command and swiftly looked down in shame at their childishness.
"So, can I leave or what?" questioned the quiet teen in the corner know as Penelope.
"Yes Miss Antisocial, you may leave if that is what you wish, because it's so obvious that you just hate being around your family, and want nothing to do with the people that love you-"Winry ranted.
"Winry," Ed interrupted.
"WHAT?"
"She left the second you said yes." He said sheepishly.
"THAT BRAT! Why I Outta beat the hell outta her the next time I see her, I'm gonna-"
"You're ranting again, Win."
~.~
She was speed walking again to her house. Much like any other day that her mother had commanded she head to the market. As she entered the housing district of the small desert city, she headed straight for her home.
With the fast pace she was walking at, soon the old worn 3 story house came into view and she reached into the pocket of the messenger styled school bag for her house keys. She chose the key for the front door immediately and quickly let herself inside. She stumbled two by two up the stairs to the second story and then let down the attic door.
She had shared the attic with her sisters for as far back as she could remember, and her older sisters were fairly good about keeping their things picked up. Charlie on the other hand, hadn't got the hang of it yet. So stumbling through the dolls and toys scattered throughout the room was quite a bit hard without stepping on something or falling over something. None the less she got to her corner of the room and placed her bag on the small single bed. Taking off her worn boots and placing them in front of her small wardrobe, she slipped the faded purple school dress off, folded it, and placed it on her bed. She opened her wardrobe and selected a worn pair of jeans with simple baby blue gingham, sleeveless button down. After changing she put her brown boots back on, along with a brown belt, and then grabbed her list of items to pick up, her keys and the money that had been tucked into the folds of the list, and put them all in her pocket.
She locked up her house and made her way over to the line of bicycles that lined the front of her house, she pulled out the adult sized , rusty red bicycle and pushed it over to the child's wagon that lay on the inside of the small stable that held inside the big wagon and two horses. Grabbing the small length of chain, she chained the small wagon to her bike. Hopping onto her trusted vehicle, she pushed off to the marketing district.
~.~
"So you want to get married DURING the Star Festival?" Winry questioned her soon to be sister-in-law.
"Yes, Winry for the 5th time, DURING the Star Festival, in the Rizembool fields at midnight, do you understand now?" questioned Mei.
"I understand, but during the Star Festival? It's the only time Katelyn's comet and the meteor shower comes around every 15 years. Why plan it then when everyone else will want to be enjoying the weeklong festival. And seeing as you planned it in the midst of it all, the comet would be at its peak then the meteor shower about to start. I mean think of everyone else."
"I'm aware, Winry that's why I planned it then because it's a once in a lifetime chance! And I don't want to waste it. I've been engaged for 23 years I think I'm allowed a little bit of spotlight." Mei argued, firmly placing her arms across her chest.
"Fine, Fine, I won't question it anymore!" Winry exclaimed, throwing her arms up in defeat. 'I see why she and Alphonse argue so much, but it's good to see Al finally settling down.'
"Hey, Winry, I think it's about time to close up, don't you?" questioned Edward.
"Yeah I think so too, let's go home." She said.
You didn't think I'd every update this did you? I know you didn't but I've been working on this for awhile. All summer actually…. I know it's sad; I get more work done while I'm in school instead of out. Guess I'm just a crazy fart like that. I'm still tempted to delete DOE but…I don't know I haven't got much feedback saying I shouldn't. So for you DOE fans I think I'll leave it up unless I'm told otherwise.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOT FMA ONLY THE OCS!
PS: I SWEAR I HAVE A PLOT THIS TIME! :D
I'd like to thank RenofAmestris for helping me with this story and betaing me and sending the plot bunny to me.
Nos Vemos and REVIEW DAMNIT!
:D