"Getting a head start is cheating!" Al called after his brother watching him take off. Al shook his head and ran after him. They were both acting like they were kids again racing home to a hopefully home cooked meal.

"It's alright...I'll still love you if your crazy!" She grinned. "Though I can't really talk I have voices in my head" Mel grinned. "Though...they actually talk to me"

Lilly stretched out before she lifted her head up. "You're both crazy..."

"Lil's.. anyone who talks to a cat and they talk back would think they're crazy..." She smiled. "And you must be crazy to have to talk to us crazy people, so... 'We're all mad here'..." She giggled at the Wonderland reference and shook her head. "Do you want anything Lilly? A bowl of water?" She knew Lilly could hunt o n her own, but fresh water probably wasn't very plentiful outside as easy as it was to come by indoors.

"Never said I had to play fair!" he called to his younger sibling as he ran down the street, nearly overshooting the apartment because of his momentum as he made an ungraceful turn, half jumping to try to slow down and redirect himself at the same fime. At least he didn't fall on his face.

"Only a person as crazy as Mel would have thought me up.." Her tail swayed before he nodded t the water. "Not having thumbs makes it hard to work some faucets"

"Why doesn't everyone gang up on me!" She huffed and flopped down looking over at the door and raised her eyebrow.

Al grinned speeding up a bit catching up to his brother when he went past the building doing a much more graceful turn to run down the hall way. As he got closer to their apartment he could smell something delicious. "Ah smells really good!" He skidding to a stop before opening the door. The new clean apartment caught him by surprise. "Oh...wow...you two didn't have to clean too"

"Hey! No fair!" He growled and grabbed at the door tugging it back open and tearing down the hall towards their apartment, nearly colliding into Alphonse. "Wh-what..?" He paused a little on edge. "You didn't go into my room did you...?"

She smiled and got up getting Lilly some water before turning around. "So long as you don't start acting like a dog and start using the toi-oh.. hey.." She smiled and set the dish down on the kitchen floor before smiling at the boys. She raised an eyebrow looking at Edward and shrugged. "I think the whirlwind of cleaning was mostly located in this general area.."She murmured motioning to the living room with both arms.

Lilly looked back towards the door before hopping off the couch and moving over towards the bowl to drink. Once she finished she moved towards Al moving between his legs and purring before she hopped back up onto the couch and curled up.

"Brother your room could used a whirlwind of cleaning..."

"Only the bathroom and the general living area was attacked by the cleaning tornado..." Mel placed her hands behind her back and nodded. "But please eat! I'm sure everyone's hungry...I know I am..." She laughed before she placed the food on the table and setting plates down along with glasses and utensils.

She giggled and sat back down, grabbing a little bit of everything, humming softly to herself. As she took a forkful and popped it in her mouth. She wiggled a bit in her seat, always pleased with Mana's cooking. "Hey.."S he murmured softly after she swallowed. "You guys have a deep fryer...? Maybe we could make Loukoumades..."

Edward sat down after fixing himself a plate and raised an eyebrow. "What are.. L-lo... loca.... those things?"

"Oh.. if you have to ask.. you haven't lived..." What did Colonel Horsie want anyway?"

"Retreival mission around Easter Head quarters.... nothing really big."

"So we can come..?"

He coughed slightly on a piece of food and blinked a bit. "I.. guess..? It's going to be pretty boring though.. we're just looking for a research file that got misplaced...."

Mel giggled. "There a Greek pastry that's fried dough honey cinnamon and confectionery sugar, they're really good I'll have to make them sometime along with all the other pastries I know how to make" She made a plate for herself and sat down starting to eat. Mel loved it when Mana cooked cause she knew she'd love it.

Al raised his eyebrow watching his brother. "Maybe you shouldn't try to pronounce the word just yet" he laughed before taking a bite. He paused as his eyes got all sparkly. "This is the best meal I've every had! It's delicious!"

"Thanks..." Mel nodded. That was one more person that loved Mana's cooking. Though someday she would probably have to tell them she didn't make it but that would mean telling the two about what she could do. She felt bad having to keep it from them but if she didn't have to use it she wouldn't.

She giggled softly and shook her head, finishing her food, looking over at Lilly. "Lil's want some bacon..?" She smiled holding a strip of meat out for the feline.

He ignored Al's comment and stuck out his tongue. After a few minutes he sighed and rubbed his head. "Well.... I'll have to see when the trains are running to Eastern head quarters... we'll probably leave tomorrow morning.. since it'd probably be a good idea to pack and get everything in order..."

Lilly lifted her head up and jumped over the couch moving under the table over towards D sitting down and biting down on the bacon and moving back over toward the couch.

Al laughed a little. "It shouldn't take to long to do, since we just have to go get something"

Mel stretched a bit once she finished her meal and picked up her plate and brought it over to the sink and washed it.

Once Lilly finished her bacon and jumped on the counter and watched Mel wash dishes.

Mel smiled rubbing Lilly's ears and smiled nuzzling her a little.

Lilly crawled onto her shoulders as her tail swayed.

"I don't think we have much to pack..." Mel laughed a little before turning back to the table petting Lilly. "Do you guys have anything planned for today?"

He shook his head. "Not that I can think of.. it'll take about three days by train to get to eastern headquarters.. if we're lucky.." He chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Aw, don't tell me you're feeling unlucky.."

"I'm already unlucky.. you appeared didn't you?"

"Hey, I come with the package.. You get Mel you get me..."

"Well I don't want you!" he growled.

She smiled innocently and leaned back in her chair raising an eyebrow at Ed, but didn't say what she was thinking, trying to play nice, but she gave him a look.

He blushed and looked away clearing his throat.

"Let's not start this day off with arguments..." He laughed and shook his head. "I'm sure you two could get along if you tried"

"They'll never get along..." Lilly nuzzled against Mel's ears whispering so Ed and Al couldn't hear her.

Mel giggled a little rubbing her chin before she started to collect plates that were empty. "We'll have quite a few leftovers...though we always do" She chuckled. That's just how Mana's cooks

I cook for Kayko's family...I learned to cook a lot

They're all pigs...I swear

"Well we just had breakfast...I wonder if we should do anything else...waiting around for lunch would be a bit boring" She stretched a bit and yawned. "Why don't we go somewhere fun?" She tilted her head. "Do you have a park? We could go there..." She blinked looking down at Lilly. "You want to play in the park?"

Lilly purred and nuzzled her cheek and nodded.

"You can't run around in an apartment all day..."

'Not like we have anything to research for now...' He frowned at Al and crossed his arms. "I could never get along with .. her..."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you see in him Mel.." She murmured and shook her head shrugging her shoulders. "She asked you a question..."

"Huh.. oh, yeah... there's a park a few blocks away."

"You could try Ed..." Al crossed his arms. "Don't you think going to the park would be romantic Edward?" He raised his eyebrow and chuckled.

"I see a lot..." Mel's nose twitched. She pulled Lilly into her arms and nuzzled her. "It'll be fun...I feel bad for Lilly...she used to big open spaces"