Chapter 3 - Liar

Emma borrowed some of Winry's clothes the next morning, seeing as her current attire, and AC/DC tee-shirt and ripped jeans, made her stick out like sore thumb. As Winry helped her pack, they chatted a bit. It was nice to have the small bit of girl time.

"So, the boys are going to teach you alchemy?" Winry said, "Knowing Ed, he'll let it all go to his ego gouged head."

They laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure." Emma replied, stuffing a pair of baggy black pants into her bag. "I can't wait to see Central." She walked back to the closet to see if there was anything else that no longer fit Winry that she could take. A powder blue sundress caught her eyes, pussed back to the back of the closet. She pulled it out, dust coming with it. "Hey, Win?"

Winry looked up at it with a giggle, apparently having a flashback. "Oh, I haven't worn that thing since my 13th birthday." she said, "Grandma bought it for me and made me wear it. You're so puny, it probably fits you--"

"WHO YOU CALLING SMALLER THAN A SINGLE STRAND OF CHROMASOME!!!???" Emma retorted sharply.

Winry sweatdropped. "I didn't say that... gee you're more like Edward than you know. But if you like, you can have that, if it fits you, that is."

Emma held up the dress to her own figure as if she were wearing it. "I guess it'd be safe to try it on first." she said.

"Alright. I'll finish getting this packed and you go to the bathroom and try that on." Winry smiled, warmly, like she did when she saw the latest model of screwdriver, "But come back when you're changed. I'd like to see." Winry again began packing as Emma skippd happily to the bathroom across the hall.

She pulled it on over her head and straitened out the shirt. Pulling her medium lenghth hair out of the back, she looked at herself in the fulll body mirror on the wall. "God, I look horrible..." she mumbled. The automail made everything look even more awkward than usual.

Her body shape, being she was still in her premature phase of growth, was strangly preportioned. She didn't have much of a curve; it was barely noticable. She sighed and walked back out in the dress to go show Winry as promised. As she opened the door, she ran into someone.

They were both knocked backwards onto the floor. Rubbing her head, she noticed now that it had been Edward. "Sorry." they both said at once. Edward stood up first and held out his hadn to helf her up. She took it thankfully. When she was up, she pounded the dust off the shirt.

"What are you wearing?" he asked.

She looked up slightly to him. "Winry's old dress. She wanted me to try it on." Ed moved past her, starting his decent down the stairs. As he did so, Emma headed in the direction of Winry's room.

"It looks nice..." he daid suddenly. Emma felt her face go slightly red. She turned to respond, but he was already gone, downstairs with Pinako and Al.

She walked into the room and Winry was sitting on the bed, the packed suitcase at the end of it. "Emm, you look good." she said with a smile. "So, you going to take it along, too?"

"Sure..." she responded, "But I really don't see when i would ever wear it."

"The promotion ceremony."

"What?"

"Colonel Mustang's promotion ceremony. That's why Ed and Al are heading back to Central. That and to get their assignments."

"Oh..." Emma said. She didn't recall anything like this in the series. It much have been when Mustang was promoted from 1st Lieutenit to Colonel.

Emma changed back into her new waredrobe, baggy black chargo pants with many silver zippers. The shirt she had on was a dark teal color,and long sleeved, so that it somewhathid her awkward looking automail. The neckline was lower than what she was used to, so underneath it she wor a black camasal to cover her barely noticable cleavage. She had also been unfortuanate enough to have the hairtie holding her braid in break, forcing her to wear her hair down. It came a little past her shoulder, and was quite wild, which was why she alway kept it in a braid to begin with. Most likely, it was going to drive her insane.

She and Winry carted her bag downstairs, small enough that she could carry it with one arm in the suitcase. Ed and Al were waiting patiently with their own bags. "Well, come one." Edward mumbled, throwing his suitcase over his shoulder in a manly fashion. "Go ahead and toss your bag to Al. He can carry it no problem."

Emma nodded and gave her bagage to Alphonse who quickly threw it into his suit of armor chest. They all said their goodbyes and walked out to the train station. Al and Emma conversed as they did so, but Ed remained quiet.

"So Emma, you never told us where you were from." Al said casually.

Emm avoid eye contact, knowing that he would know she was lying by the look in her eyes. Quicky coming up with a story on the spot, she said, "A town that's tinier than Risenbool. a ways up the river."

"Oh, so how did you end up on the riverbed down here?"

Gread. More question to lie about. "Well, couple nights ago I was fishing, slipped on a rock and bumped my head. I must have fallen into the river and got wasked up here." she thought this was a rather convincing story.

They arrived at the train platform just as the train was preparing to depart. Boarding quicky, they found only one empty compartment and sat down. Emma quickly claimed the left window seat. Al did the same on the opposite side. Edward took the seat next to Al, which was expected.

Suddenly, there was an echoy 'Meow!' Emma nearly busted out laughed, knowing exactly what was going on. "Al..." Edward growled, a red temple pulsing on the side of his forhead. "I told you to leave that stupid tabby we found in Risenbool!"

Alphonse switched to his ever popular chibi face of inocence. "But brother--" he opened his chest and pulled out a fluffy black cat. "He followed me..." the cat meowed again, giving the cutest tilt of it head, its green eyes flashing percosiously.

"Al, that's no excuse."

Emma quickly took the cat from Al and huggled it. "Oh, it's so cute!" she exclaimed, her voice going high pitched. "Don't be so hard on him, Edward. It's only a cat after all." The cat curled up in her lap and fell asleep, purring loudly.

"Fine..." Ed mumbled quietly, "We'll keep him... for now. But only till we get to Central."

They all sat in silence for an hour or two before Emma broke the silence. "I'm staring to get hungry." she complained. She hadn't had the best breakfast that morning.

"Same here." Edward said, happy that someone other than him had mentioned food. "Hey, Al--"

Al was already standing and heading for the door of the compartment, "I'm on it!" with that he left.

Edward and Emma sat in silence for a bit, both their feet propped up on the seat in front of them. Edward broke the silence this time. "You're a liar..." he said with a smirk. She looked over to him worriedly. He'd figured it out. "There's no town up the river from Risenbool. You may fool Al, but not me..."

She sighed, looking down guilitily. "I should have know you wouldn't fall for it..." she turned her sights out the window.

"If you'd like to make up for it, then answer me this: Where are you from?"

"I can't say..."

"Why!?"

"I just can't!"

Al walked back in happily, two lunch bags in his hands. "Here you go!" he said, tossing on to each of them. Edward and Emma glared at each other as they ate. NO one spoke all the way to Central, and the only noise was the clicking of the track beneath them and the faint purring of a black cat.

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