There's going to be a lot of spaces in this chapter, even though this is in the story, I thought that I'd be cool to get a few little fun stories before the main event. Have fun!

Reunion

I walk up to the front door with Alphonse's hand in mine, it's been a few weeks since I got back, and Alphonse wanted to come with me so we went last night to go see my town and Chloe. I swing open the door and walk in, while Alphonse follows me. I hear noise from the kitchen so I walk over, and see Chloe with a knife in her hand, chopping vegetables.

"Hey." I said, as Alphonse walked to the side and smiled a bit. "I'm home." Chloe turned around, and sprinted towards me to tackle me in a hug.

"You idiot!!" She said, sobbing into me. She murmured it over and over again, her voice cracking at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Chloe." I said, with a faint smile on my face, as she looked at me. I pated her head, and comforted her until she stopped. She got up from me, then punched me on the shoulder, hard.

"Ow! I'm still recovering!" I said, wincing at my sleeve.

"That's what you get," she said, chuckling. I smile at her, knowing well that she's the only family

Date.

"A... date?" I questioned, tilting my head to the side a bit.

"Yeah! You know, when two people who like each other go out and do something. You should ask Al!" Chloe exclaimed, since Al was out of the house getting dinner.

"N-no way! I-I don't know what we'd do, plus what if he doesn't l-like me after all this time and-" She grabbed my cheeks, and made me look at her, squishing them a bit.

"Listen sister, you're doing it or I'll ask him for you. Or... I could tell him about that one time when you where 7 when-"

"Ok I'll ask him!" I said, covering up my blushing face as Chloe took her hands off of my cheeks.

"You've got this! I'll be your wing girl!" She said, smirking a bit as she ran out of the house.

"How should I tell him?" I thought out loud, walking back and forth as my auto mail leg clunks to the floor with every step. "I could be like: hey do you want to go to blank, no that's to foreword, and I can chicken out easily. I could say if he wanted to go on a date with some pickup line, but I'd hate myself more than I already do for saying that." I murmur to myself before plonking down onto the couch, as I open the windows to let in the crisp autumn air to cool down my red face.

"We're back!" Chloe said, holding a bag of store bought lasagna, while Alphonse held the milk and some soda.

"I'm not used to having people over." She said, putting it down as I helped Alphonse with some bags to put them into the fridge.

"How is everyone doing?" I asked, sitting down on a chair next to her.

"The last few years have been rough. After Nick died, people have been leaving left and right. There's about 200 people here now." She said, twirling her thumbs.

"What about Nicks mom?..." I said, feeling guilt sink in that I don't deserve.

"She's about to close down her bakery, she's been.... different since it happened. Who can blame her?" I feel dread crush me, until I hear a chair move and a hand on my back, rubbing circles with his thumb to calm me down. I feel a weight lift off of my chest, as the joy of being here sets in.

"So, what are you doing after visiting?" She said, changing the subject as she served the lasagna.

"I don't know, I'll probably go back to Resembool, and study some different types of alchemy." I said, picking up my fork as Alphonse takes his hand away from my back.

"I think I'm going to become a teacher at the school." Chloe said, in between bites. "A biology teacher." She finally said.

Comfortable silence fell onto the table, as we all ate our food in peace. It was soon time to sleep, I curled up on the couch next to Alphonse. It was enough room for us to lay next to each other with not to much room to fall off. I look at him, his back is to me.

"It's cold, share the blanket more." I said, tuggling on it a bit.

"Nope. I'll just make you warm." He said, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer. I snuggled up against his chest, hearing his heartbeat calm down a bit.

"Hey Alphonse?" I say, feeling a blush on my cheeks.

"Yes?"

"D-Do you want to go on a date t-tomorrow?" I said, going further and further into the blanket, I feel his heartbeat speed up and his body heat up. "W-We can go wherever y-you want...." I said, turning away from him a bit to hide my red face. "I-It's ok if you don't w-want to..."

"I'd love to." He said, holding my two red cheeks in his hands, and giving me a smile which melted my heart. He gently kissed me on the lips, before wrapping his hand in mine.

"G-Good! I-I'll try to p-plan something..." I murmured a bit, feeling my heart race, and my stomach flutter. He kissed me on the nose.

"Relax, we don't have to do anything fancy. I'd be up to just staying here and being with you and it'd be one of the best days of my life." He said. How does this boy know the way to make my heart melt?

I build up the confidence and turn around to kiss him, putting my hand on his cheek as he pulls me closer to him, deepening the kiss. I pull away, and move my hand up to play with his hair, then nuzzle into the crook of his neck.

"I love you." I said, feeling my eyes close and my heartbeat slow down.

"I love you too." He said, placing a kiss onto my forehead before I drifted off softly into sleep.

"You actually did it?!" Chloe said, looking at me blushing face as I looked down to the ground.

"W-Well, yeah." I said, feeling my cheeks get red.

"Well, I allow you to pick from my closet, have at it! I'm going to style your hair and your makeup." She said, walking out of her room.

"Makeup?"

"Yes. That colored stuff you put on your face to make it look better- even though you already look beautiful, boo." She closed the door, and I looked at the mess that was her closet. I scan it for anything remotely good, and find a pair of jeans, then a sweater. Should I be formal? I mean, will he be formal? Would my expectations be to high for him? I feel myself worry as I find a pair of shoes, but see a cardboard box on top of them, as they knock down onto my head. I open it, and see a bunch of.. my things, along with my dads. The first thing that catches my heart are two wedding rings, one that belonged to my dad and the other my moms. I try it on, and just like when I was little, it was too big. Then a few photos, that we took as a group when we where young. A silver necklace catches my eyes, with a locket in the middle of it. I feel my eyes tear up.

My necklace.

I put it on, and open it to the picture from my birthday, feeling the bliss of traveling again.

"(Y/n)? What's wro-" She walked into the room, and smiled. "Here. Hold your hair up." She clipped on the necklace, and looked into the box.

"I forgot about this. When I got them, I just.... I couldn't look at them." She said, looking at the ground.

"Well, I'm here now. Come on, I'll let you do my makeup~"

"Say no more sister!"

Even though it wasn't as dramatic as I thought, I went down the stairs in my new outfit, with my hair styled and my light makeup on. Alphonse, who was waiting at the bottom, smiled a bit and held his hand out to me. I took it and smiled.

"Have fun, lovebirds!" Chloe said, and Alphonse held out the door for me.

"So, where should we go first?" I said, swinging my hand that's in his.

"How about.... you decide." He said, giving me a bit of a sly grin.

"Fine. Let's go into town." I said, smirking at him, as I skipped down the empty road.

As we got closer to town, I realized how little people there is here, having the handful of people who said hi to me.

As I look at the town, I feel a sense of nostalgia, the fresh donuts and coffee my dad bought when he got home, the books from the library that we walked to from the school. And the school! I hear the distant school bells ring in the air, and the quiet noise of kids running down the street. And I realize the place I should go.

"Let's go to the cafe." I said, feeling a growing offsetting feeling in my stomach. Alphonse hummed, before we walked a few streets down.

"Why the cafe?" He said, looking at me.

"Well, I need to talk to someone there, I don't know if you want to come in or not." I said, feeling my hands get sweaty.

"I'll stay out if you want." He said, as we made it to the entrance of the shop. He noticed my shaking, and placed a kiss on my cheek. "Calm down, you'll be fine."

"But what if-"

"No. Say it with me." He put his nose on mine, and looked at me directly in the eye. "I'll be fine."

"I'll be fine." I mimicked, feeling slightly more confident.

I walked into the empty store. It's noon, when this place was usually packed and booming with life. But now, it's quiet.

"Ms. Jasmine?" I said, looking around the place, then behind the counter. I hear a door open, and she walks in from the back. Her former light blue eyes filled with doubt, her tired eyes sticking out.

"(Y/n)?" She looked almost terrified, as if I was going to attack her.

"Hey. It's been a while." I said, trying to lighten the mood as she walked out, shaking.

"I-I'm sorry." She said, looking down at the ground.

"What do you mean?" I said, as one of her tears feel onto the floor. She crashed down onto her knees.

"I'm so goddamn sorry!" She yelled, pulling at her shirt sleeves, as if she was trying to keep herself together. "Everything that happened to you, everything that my boy did to you, and why?! Why does this have to happen to you?! You've been through hell, because of my boy!" She started sobbing, and her breathing got unsteady.

"M-Ms. Jasmine... it isn't your f-"

"Yes it is! I was there when you where picked on! I was here when your mother gave birth! I was here when your sisters died! I could've done something! I raised my boy into a monster, a man-killing monster. And I did nothing. I... I don't have anything to live for!" She said, clinging onto herself and started shaking even more. I crouched down next to her, rubbing her back to comfort her, as she gained her composure and I helped her up into a chair.

"Is.... is there anything I can do to make it up for you?" She said, using a napkin to clean up her face.

"You don't have to.. really." I said, looking at her.

"At least let me get some food for you. Is there anyone else with you?" She said, taking a peak outside to see to see Alphonse. He waved at her, as she dragged him inside.

"Who is he?~" she teased, as the dusted off her ingredients.

"My date or boyfriend. Either or." I said, not knowing which to choose. His face went red, before he calmed down and smirked a little.

"I prefer boyfriend." He said, with his cheery smile.

"I always knew there was someone out there for you, just no one in this town. You never got along with anyone else here but Chloe." She said, adding in whip cream.

"I think there's a way to fix this town." I said, twirling my thumbs on my lap. "It might be abandoned, but.... if we can just find a reason for people to come, then I think it will work."

She placed the two cups onto our table as she sits down across from us. "I think... you are our way out of this mess."