Exhibition

Well, around Lunchtime, Winry sent Ed to get some food. He returned with a couple of sandwiches and rice balls. Winry was a bit disappointed when he returned.

"Where are the drinks? You don't expect me to eat this without something to drink, do you?" Winry asked.

"I knew I forgot something." Ed replied.

"I swear Ed, you would forget your own head if it wasn't attached to your body." Winry said.

"Who died and decided you were perfect?" Ed retorted. At that point, an older man with two automail legs came up to them.

"Erm, I don't mean to disturb this lover's quarrel, but I'm interested in your products." The man said.

"We're not lovers." Winry said. "However, I'll be happy to show you the stuff." Winry put aside her argument long enough to make the sale. While she did this, Ed went and got some bottled water. He returned and then Winry had her lunch.

After lunch, a friendly colleague named Rowena came to Winry's table. She was a petit woman in her thirties with short brown hair and eyes. She saw Ed there and introduced herself.

"Hello, I am Rowena Delcato. I specialize in artificial eyes, ears and noses." She said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Ed said.

"So where's Lisa this year?" Rowena asked Winry.

"Her kid had his kidneys fail. She's donating one of hers to save his life." Winry said.

"Hmm... Well, he'd be really cute if he wasn't so short." Rowena said. Winry shot Rowena a dirty look. Ed fumed quietly over that remark, gritting his teeth. This didn't last long though.

"Short!? Who are you calling short!?" Ed snapped at Rowena.

"Edward Elric behave! Rowena is a friend of mine!" Winry said.

"Fine. Sorry." Ed said.

"So your girlfriend has gotten you good, does she?" Rowena said.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Winry snapped. "Why does everyone think we're lovers!?"

"You just seem like it." Rowena replied. "So he's just a model to you?"

"Yea, I was in a pinch and Ed helped out. I might not do as well this year as before." Winry said to Rowena. Rowena and Winry talked for a bit and caught up with what was going on with their lives. They giggled a bit and had a bit of fun. When they stopped, Rowena said goodbye and went back to her booth.

About 15 minutes later, Ed encountered a familiar face.

"Well Fullmetal, I thought you were preparing the alchemists' test." He said. Ed saw it was Roy Mustang, attired in a black shirt and pants.

"General Mustang? Oh, Colonel Armstrong is handling that." Ed replied. Roy smiled contentedly.

"So you got roped into this. That's what I thought." Roy said. Ed merely rolled his eyes.

"So what are you doing here, General?" Ed asked.

"I was thinking about getting an artificial eye to replace the one I lost." Roy said.

"Well, I recommend my friend Rowena. She's over there. She does quality work." Winry said.

"Rowena, hmm? I'll have to check it out." Roy replied. "So how are things in the military, Fullmetal?"

"Oh, the usual. Lots of paperwork and everyone runs out of patience by noon." Ed said.

Elsewhere, Sheska and her assistants had just finished printing the test. They were busy binding the pages together it out when Colonel Armstrong came in.

"Well Lt., how are things going?" Armstrong asked.

"Whew... We just finished the exam and we're binding it, Major." Sheska said.

"I have a feeling that this will be the best test ever! We're going to find some great recruits this time!" Armstrong said.

"We're giving it one hundred ten percent, sir!" Sheska said.

"Great! That's the kind of devotion we need more of!" Armstrong replied. He left feeling that everything was right on that end.

Back at the convention, Roy had found Rowena and was talking to her. She checked over his missing eye and smiled.

"Well General, I think I can fit you with a nice eye. Just check out the demo model." Rowena said. She then attached a small device to the side of Roy's head. She then plugged the demo eye into this device.

"Just close your good eye and look through the camera. You should be able to see normally." Rowena said. Roy did so, and saw things as clear as he had before the fight with Pride that left his eye messed up.

"Interesting. What's the warranty on it?" Roy asked.

"It comes with a five-year warranty with an option to extend it to ten years, General." Rowena said.

"Sounds like a good deal. Sign me up." Roy said.

At Winry's booth, a pleasant-looking young man that had lost his right arm. She was all smiles and he was all smitten with her looks. She felt that if she led him a bit, she'd land the sale. Winry leaned forward a bit to let him see down her blouse a bit, and he was drooling on the inside. Ed wasn't too thrilled with Winry's behavior. Ed pulled Winry aside for a bit.

"Winry, don't you think it's a bit too dangerous to be teasing that guy like that?" Ed asked.

"I am trying to make a sale here and I have to use all the weapons available to me." Winry replied.

"Still, what if he becomes obsessive over you?" Ed asked.

"Edward Elric, butt out!" Winry said with anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't realize you two were married." The young man said.

"I AM NOT MARRIED TO HIM, DAMNIT!!" Winry snapped. The young man wisely backed away from Winry. She then spun around to Ed and gave him a healthy bitchslap.

"You do something that stupid again and you'll be at the top of my shitlist *forever.*" Winry said.

"Guys like that spend all their money on porn and beer. You're better off with a more respectable clientele that will actually pay." Ed said as he nursed his jaw.

"You don't know the first thing about selling so stuff it, Elric!" Winry said.

"Excuse me, but I'd like to check out your demo arm." A voice behind Winry said. Winry spun around to see an elderly woman standing there. Her short stature and crutches showed she was in need of a leg or two.

"I lost my legs below the knees recently. I want to see what you've got for me." The woman said.

"Of course, honored madam. We have several models to choose from." Winry said. The old woman talked to Ed while Winry got the leg.

"She won't be giving it up so easy." The woman said.

"What are you talking about?" Ed asked.

"You're doing this just to get laid by that 'hot babe,' I can tell. She's going to need more than a favor to open the gates." The woman said. Ed got embarrassed and sweatdropped.

"I'm not doing this for sex." Ed said.

"Then you're doing it for a kiss only? You should have held out for sex." She said as Winry came back and shot the woman a dirty look.

"I have the demo now." Winry said. She tried not to let her anger show, but she did a piss poor job of it.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you two were dating." The woman said. Ed stood in between Winry and the woman.

"Now, don't do anything rash, Winry. Remember, you want to make the sale." Ed said.

"Grm... All right, Ed." Winry said, calming down a bit. A demo later, Winry had the sale. However, as the old woman left, she gave a wry smile.

"You really should go out with him. You two make such a cute couple." She said.

"Thanks." Winry said.

That evening, Sheska was walking back home from her job. She hated walking alone at night, especially since that was the time perverts came out. Tonight was no exception. Three rough-looking perverts came out of nowhere and surrounded Sheska.

"So, where are you going, girl!?" One of them said.

"S-stay back! I know self-defense!" Sheska said nervously as she readied herself for a fight. The guys merely laughed.

"Get her." One said as the others grabbed her arms. Sheska tried to shake them off, but could not. She did manage to give the third one a swift kick to the balls, sending him down. The other two wrenched her arms, causing Sheska considerable pain.

"AH!" Sheska shouted.

"You'd better stay quiet if you know what's good for you!" One of the guys said. The third guy recovered and tore Sheska's skirt off, revealing that she was wearing white panties.

"White panties, huh? One of those kind, are you? That makes it all the more sweet." He said. Suddenly he found that he was stuck; the ground beneath him had swallowed his feet.

"What the hell!?" He asked. Suddenly one of the thugs got a brick hurled into his face, and he went down. Sheska was able to use this distraction to slip out of the grasp of her third assailant. She then struck him hard in his balls, and he staggered back. When he did, he was struck in the head with a metal rod. Blood came out his nose as he went down.

"Whew... Thank you very much." Sheska said. A young man stepped out of the shadows as Sheska picked up her skirt and wrapped the torn dress around her waist, using her hand to hold it up.

"You're welcome." Al said. Sheska blushed at seeing Al. She hadn't seen him since he transformed back into a human. He was a fine figure of a man, Sheska thought. Al merely smiled at Sheska.

"Say, you're Winry's friend, aren't you?" Al asked.

"Uh... Yea." Sheska said.

"My name is Al. Haven't we met before?" Al asked. Sheska stared into Al's eyes. She saw something in them she had never seen in a man before. They seemed... Something... She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Uh... I don't really know." Sheska replied. "Your voice does sound like I heard it before though."

"Well, I think I should walk you home in case someone else shows up." Al said.

"O-okay..." Sheska said. The two of them walked back to her apartment.

"Thanks for helping me out back there." Sheska said.

"No problem." Al said. He then politely bowed and left. Sheska was alone to deal with the tumult of her feelings. She felt something for the man that rescued her. What was it?

Winry finished totaling her receipts for the day. She smiled when she was done.

"Oh man, I thought I was going to lose big time but I actually got more than I usually do! Oh, thank you, Ed!" Winry said. In her excitement, she threw her arms around Ed.

"You're welcome, Winry." Ed said.

"I expect to do even more business tomorrow! This'll show that bitch Marietta!" Winry said.

"There's no stopping you, Winry!" Ed said. Winry gave Ed a peck on the cheek.

"Now I want us to be well-rested. If tomorrow is as good as today was, I'll be treating you to a night on the town!" Winry said.

"I'll do my best, Winry!" Ed said.

That night, Sheska slept in her bed. Her dream was quite different from any she had before, however. Sheska dreamed of the man that saved her. In her dream, he presented her with a red rose, and then she found herself in a fancy ballroom gown with flowing lace. She was in awe of how well it fit her. Sheska held the flowing skirt in her hands and smiled.

"Wow... This is just..." Sheska started. She couldn't finish her words. She felt something she had never felt before - beautiful. She felt that any man she wanted was hers for the taking. She felt she could be confident for the first time in her life.

"RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!" Sheska had absent-mindedly set the alarm clock on her day off. She turned it off and groaned.

"Aw..." Sheska said, still 1/2 asleep. She then turned over and went back to sleep.

Elsewhere, however, things were a bit different. Winry came over to the barracks to find Ed asleep an hour before the show was to open. She was far from being amused when she jerked Ed out of bed. He fell out of the bed and landed flat on his face.

"WAKE UP!! DAMNIT ELRIC, YOU'RE ALWAYS LETTING ME DOWN WHEN I NEED YOU!" Winry said.

"Ow! Sorry!" Ed said as he nursed his nose.

"We've got to be over at the hall in one hour! I expect you to be there by then!" Winry said.

"One hour? Aw man..." Ed replied. He was used to sleeping in on his day off. Winry then stormed out of the room.

Great, now I'm back on Winry's shitlist, Ed thought.

-To Be Continued-