This was originally written for the fma gift exchange community on livejournal (yes, I'm FINALLY using my LJ account after it sat there for about 4 or 5 years lol) and decided to post it. I am actually happy with this fic and hope whoever it was for enjoys it. (I still don't know whose prompt it was).

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, the Queen of Cliffhangers, Arakawa-sensei, does.

A Soft and Furry Bundle

"I hate the cold," sixteen year old Edward Elric grumbled. They were on their way back to Central to report to Colonel Roy Mustang when his childhood friend and mechanic, Winry Rockbell, insisted on checking over his automail for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Stop being a baby Ed, the new automail shouldn't affect you anymore," She insisted.

"I'm not talking about the automail!" Ed growled, "I'm talking about the snow, the wind, and the cold in general."

Winry sighed, "Well, we'll be back in Central soon enough." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Al walk out the door. "Al?" she questioned, drawing Ed's attention.

"Where'd he go?" Ed asked as he sat up from lying on the table.

"Maybe he wanted to look around?" Winry offered as she gently pushed Ed back down on the table, "You have to stay lying down and still until I finish!" Winry ordered.

Ed scoffed, "Whatever," but he couldn't help shifting just enough to see the door his little brother walked through.

"I wish that I could feel the cold," Alphonse Elric said to himself. He looked up at the grey sky and watched as the small white snowflakes started falling softly all around him. He held out his metal hands and watched the fragile flakes settle on his palms.

If he could smile he would, "looks like I have another thing to add to my list of things to do when I get my body back. " Al continued to walk further away from the small rest area and towards the group of evergreen trees.

"Snow is so beautiful," he said to himself as he took in the sight of the snow covered trees and the untouched snow that surrounded them. "We must be the first group of people to come this way since yesterday; otherwise there would be footprints here."

Alphonse started to turn back towards where Ed and Winry were when something under one of the trees caught his eye.

"Well, looks like the automail is holding up a lot better than I thought," Winry said happily as she wiped her hands in an old rag.

Ed stretched his automail arm and leg, "Is that why you keep checking them? You think something might be wrong with them?"

Winry blushed in embarrassment, "Well, I just want to make sure they're good enough. You know how much I care about my work. Plus I don't want them breaking when you really need them."

"They're perfectly fine Winry; I actually like how light they are," Ed grinned, "Maybe now I'll grow taller than the Colonel!" he shouted and punched the air with his automail arm.

Winry sighed and shook her head, "keep dreaming Edward," she muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?" Ed asked.

"Nothing!" Winry exclaimed, not wanting to deal with Ed and his "short" rants at the moment.

"Brother! Winry!"

"Al?!" Ed and Winry both shouted in alarm. Ed was the first to the door when he was nearly run over by the suit of armor that held his brother's soul.

"Whoa," Ed barely dodged in time, "what's the matter Al?" but then he noticed the small white creature in Al's metal hands and his face hardened. "No Al, how many times do I need to tell you? We can't have a cat."

"But brother—" Al started but Ed cut him off.

"We've been through this already, we can't have any pets when we don't even have a home! Besides, we travel too much anyways."

"Edward look!" Al demanded in an uncharacteristically angry tone as he held out his hands to give Ed and Winry a better look.

"Awww," Winry gushed over the white cat and four tiny kittens. The kittens were all different colors, one was white like her mother, another a light tan with white paws, the third was mostly black with a small oval patch of white under the chin, and the last one was light orange, also with white paws as well as a white belly.

"They look like newborns…" Ed stated softly as he looked them all over, "I can't believe they're still—" but Ed cut himself off, not wanting to finish the sentence around his cat loving brother.

"They're lucky," Al said, knowing what Ed was going to say. "In this weather they wouldn't last very long…" Al whispered as he cupped his hands to gently enclose the five cats as if the action could protect them from the danger all around them.

"Al…" Ed started as he tried to reach for one of the kittens. Al opened his hands again and allowed Ed to take one of them.

Ed gently held the small light orange kitten, petting him softly with his flesh hand. The kitten immediately moved towards the warmth of the elder Elric and purred softly. A slight smile formed as he continued to hold and pet the tiny creature.

"Al," Winry spoke softly, gaining the boy's attention, "can I hold one?"

"Sure," he said as he opened his hands again. Winry picked up the tan kitten, which tried to climb under her many layers of clothing for warmth.

"Uh uh little cutie," Winry giggled as she lifted the kitten up, away from the opening of her coat and up to eye level. "You are so cute!" Winry squeed.

"Ed, please," Al pleaded as his hands slightly trembled.

Ed looked into the glowing eyes of the armor's helmet and felt that his little brother was close to tears. Looking down at the tiny kitten that had already fallen sleep in his arms, he couldn't help but sigh in defeat. "Ok."

"How can you be so heartless bro—" Al started before he processed what Ed had just said, "wait, did you say 'ok'?" Al asked with hope and disbelief evident in his voice.

Ed looked up at his little brother and smiled, "yeah I did."

"Wahoo!" Al exclaimed as he jumped with joy.

"Al the cats!" Ed warned as the mother cat and her two remaining kittens meowed in protest to the sudden movements.

Al quickly calmed for the cats' sake, "thank you so much brother!" Al said happily.

"Don't get too excited though, they can only stay with us until we get to Central."

"But—" Al started.

"No buts, we can't keep them forever," but Ed's smile returned as he continued, "We'll make sure they find good homes though, ok?"

Al sighed but nodded, "ok, as long as they get nice, warm homes I'm ok with giving them up."

"Here," Winry said as she handed the kitten back to Al. She turned to her bag and pulled out a small blanket and threw it over her shoulder. "First let me remove your chest plate and then we can put the blanket in to keep them warm while we travel."

After the blanket was inside Al, Winry helped him put the kittens and their mother onto the blanket. When Ed moved to put the orange kitten inside however, he refused to leave Ed's arms. Al and Winry laughed as Ed was clearly becoming frustrated with the stubborn kitten.

"Fine, you want to be carried out there? Then let's go," Ed growled as he stormed out of the small building and into the freezing cold. After being in the warmth of the building the sting of the cold made the kitten shake.

"See, it's better inside here," Ed said as he gently placed the kitten inside of Al's armor. After what looked like a glare from the kitten, Al replaced the piece of armor and they continued on with their journey.

"Finally!" Ed yelled as they arrived in Central at last. "Now we just go see the Colonel and then it's back to our room, I can't wait to sleep!"

"While you do that I'll call home and let Granny know we arrived safely," with that Winry was off.

"Let's get this over with," Ed grumbled as he and Al walked up the stairs and towards Roy's office.

They were just about done with their report to the Colonel when one of the kittens meowed, drawing Colonel Roy Mustang's attention.

"Al picking up strays again?" Roy asked Ed.

"Yeah, hey Colonel, know anyone that would like a cat?"

"Well actually, yes. Someone I know recently lost their cat and I'm sure he'll love to rescue one from the cold."

"Really?!" Al asked excitedly. When Roy nodded Al removed his chest plate to show him the kittens and mother cat. The orange kitten immediately jumped out of Al's armor and into Ed's lap.

"We aren't sure if they can be taken away from their mother yet though," Ed stated as Roy picked up the tiny black kitten.

"Mmmm," Roy thought as he examined the kitten, and the kitten seemed to be doing the same to him. "Actually Ed, it looks like they are at least 12 weeks old. They're old enough to leave their mother."

"But they look like newborns," Al protested.

"Where did you find them?"

"Near the woods at the last rest stop before we got on the train," Ed explained.

"Sounds like they were born in the cold then, it's possible that the cold effected their growth. But they are definitely 12 weeks old at the least." Roy scratched the kitten on the head and he purred in delight at the touch. "I believe I'll take this one."

At the slight whine emitted from his brother, Ed decided to put his brother at ease, "If you don't mind me asking Colonel, who will you be giving this kitten to?"

"Actually, I think I may keep him myself," Roy answered.

"But I thought you were a dog person," Ed said.

"Yes I love dogs, but I like cats too. You see, I grew up with them." Roy set the black kitten down on his desk, allowing it to explore while he picked up the mother cat. "This cat however, looks very much like Breda's old cat."

"Breda had a cat?" Ed questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Breda is a cat person, not a dog person. As you well know," Roy explained.

"But Breda isn't here so—" Al started but Roy interrupted.

"His family is though. Don't worry; they'll take good care of her until he returns." Roy assured him.

"It's ok Al," Ed comforted his little brother.

"Will that be all?" Roy asked as he stood up, still holding the cat in his arms as the black kitten watched quietly from his desk.

"Yeah," Ed said as he stood as well, "and thanks for taking them, two less cats to find homes for." Roy nodded.

Ed moved to place the orange kitten back but he fought harder to remain in Ed's hands than before. "Looks like the runt has attached himself to you Fullmetal," Roy said, amused by the kitten's stubbornness.

"He isn't a runt!" Ed shouted defensively as he subconsciously held the kitten closer to his chest.

"Well he does seem to be the smallest of the litter, and that is what the smallest is traditionally called." Roy was still amused, but this time by Ed's defensiveness of the kitten's size.

"Whatever," Ed muttered, "let's go Al."

"Right behind you brother," came Al's happy voice, noticing how Ed decided to carry the kitten he chose to defend rather than put him back with the other kittens.

Not long after they stepped outside they ran into Winry, "hey guys, guess what?"

"What?" Ed asked, the kitten in his arms meowing softly. Winry looked at the tiny kitten and smiled before looking back up at the two boys.

"Granny says that we can keep a kitten or two!"

"Really?!" Al exclaimed happily, "but wait, what about Den?"

"Don't you remember Al? Den likes cats, he won't hurt them." Winry explained.

"Then we keep this one," Ed said as looked down at the orange kitten.

"Sure thing," Winry said.

"Do you think Granny Pinako will let us keep all three?" Al asked.

"All three?" Winry asked in confusion.

"Yeah, the Colonel just took the black kitten and the mother cat." Al answered.

"I'm sure I can talk her into it," Winry said with a smile.

The tiny kitten in Ed's arms opened one of his golden eyes, and his mouth curved up in triumph.

This was the 2nd FMA fic that I've ever written so I hope whoever this was for likes it. I hope everyone was in character well enough, I stress over that so much. I made that part up about Breda since I feel that if he hates dogs then maybe he likes cats. As for Roy liking cats, I get a "cat person" feeling from Madam Christmas, so if she had one or more than Roy would take a liking to them don't you think?