Sorry for the wait everybody! I have completely lost motivation for this fic, but I finally pulled another out of myself. Sorry again, and sorry this chapter is so short.

"You want to what?!" Dovepaw exclaimed, nearly choking on the mouse she was eating.

Edward, Alphonse, and Firestar were all sitting near the small apprentice by the fresh-kill pile, discussing the terms of Ed's request.

"I'd like to take you home with me and teach you a bit about humans." Edward told her gently, then sheepishly looked away. "It'd only be for a little while, I promise."

Dovepaw stared up at her former clan mate, mouth agape. She stood in shock for several moments before blinking and taking a deep breath, looking down at her paws. She seemed to be considering it. Then, the cat looked up at Ed with a crinkled nose. "Do I have to eat kittypet food and wear a collar?" She asked, disgusted.

Edward burst out laughing. "No, no! None of that!" He said between chuckles. "I'm not even taking you very far. The place I'm staying at is on the outskirts of east city, right next to a small forest! You can hunt and explore all you want. A collar is definitely out of the question, I know you aren't a pet and I will not treat you like one. Well, Alphonse might dote over you a little, but that's only bedside he really loves cats." Ed assured.

Dovepaw visibly relaxed and seemed to actually be contemplating Edward's request. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again after a moment. The apprentice looked up at Ed and then at Firestar, who was watching her with an encouraging expression. Finally, they young cat heaved a sigh.

"Alright... I'll go..." She mumbled, turning to Edward.

The alchemist was happy for a moment before his smile fell. "Dovepaw... You really don't have to come with me if you don't want to..." He told her gently.

Dovepaw smiled up at him. She seemed less apprehensive and even a bit excited. "It's alright. Now that I think about it, learning about twolegs and stuff with you could be fun. Plus, it would be beneficial to the clan to know more about them." She said, determined.

Edward's grin returned and he patted the cat on the head. "Great! You won't regret it, Dovepaw! I promise." He reassured the apprentice. The boy then looked down at Firestar, leaving Dovepaw to think about it further. "And you're sure you're okay with me taking her for a few days?"

Firestar nodded his head with a smile. "I trust you, Metalpaw. I'm sure you will treat Dovepaw well while she is in your care." He said before turning his gaze to the sky. "It appears to be getting dark." He observed, then looked back at Edward. "Are you going to stay another night?"

Ed looked apologetic and shook his head. "No. I'd love to stay longer, really, but I was already on vacation before I came here and I'll have to go back to the military soon. If I don't go now, I won't be able to teach very much to Dovepaw." He explained. At Firestar's crestfallen look, he quickly apologized, "I'm sorry Firestar. You'll see me in a few days when I bring Dovepaw back, and I'll definitely visit after that!" The alchemist reassured the clan leader. "It's just that, my job is important and I'm not given much vacation time. Well, I guess I hardly ever ask for days off. Maybe I should start requesting more?" Ed trailed off, looking thoughtful, before he snapped out of it with a sheepish expression. "What I mean is, I'll definitely be coming around more often, don't worry!"

Firestar looked much happier at Ed's words and nodded. "That's good to hear!" He gave Edward the cat equivalent of a smile and gestured around the camp with his tail. "Well, if you're both leaving soon, then you'd best day your goodbyes before you go." He advised.

"Alright, I'll go do that." Ed said. He looked down at Dovepaw, who seemed to be lost in deep thought. Ed gently nudged her, startling her from her distant stare. "Are you alright, Dovepaw? Did you hear that?" He asked, concerned.

Dovepaw blinked up at him with a blank expression before she seemed to sober and shook her head. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine, just thinking. I'll go say good bye." She assured.

Ed arched an eyebrow at her, then shrugged. "Alright. If you're sure."

Firestar chuckled, drawing their attention. "Stop worrying, Dovepaw. You'll have fun, I'm sure. Now, of you'll excuse me, I must retire to my den to rest. I'm not as young as I used to be." He chuckled before getting to his paws. He then walked forward and bumped his head against Ed's calf affectionately. "Farewell for now, Metalpaw." The cat murmured.

Ed smiled and gently patted the orange cat on the head. "Bye, Firestar. I'll take good care of Dovepaw, I promise." He told his former clan leader.

Firestar smiled once more at his former apprentice. "I know you will." With that, he turned and walked away.

As Ed watched him go, he realized that it didn't hurt so bad to see his former leader leave. He knew he'd be back. He knew he'd see the clan again. They were practically family, and to them he was too. He would definitely stick around.

"Ed?" Dovepaw called to him. Ed broke away from his musings and turned to look at her. She looked concerned for a moment before she smirked. "Don't get all sentimental. You're coming back." She then laughed, "you better be, seeing as you're the only way for me to get back!"

Ed smiled, chuckling at his friend's teasing words. "Sentimental? Me? Never. You're just crazy."

Dovepaw grinned, glad that she could cheer up her former clanmate. "Come on then, you big badger. Let's go get even more sentimental saying goodbye."