O.o new story! I hadn't planned to upload this yet beacuse I'm writing other stories, but I had to right it down while it was in my head, so I thought I might as well upload it.

The idea is this on set on another time line, if Ed and Al had stopped looking for the philospher's stone after they discovered what the price would have to be.

This is a prologue not the actual first chapter.

Read and Review please!

EDIT// I changed some stuff, cut out the first bit then added the first chapter to this bit, I also split it in half. Anyway hope it's better now!

Prologue : Losing everything.

The flash of light blinded her. When she opened her eyes her Mother lay on the ground.

"Mum, get up we have to go." The girl grabbed her mother's arm but it was limp.

"No, Mum, don't go, Mum DON'T LEAVE ME." The girl leant over her crying.

"It's ok little girl, you can meet her soon." She looked up to see a scary man looming over her.

Something hurtled into the man throwing him to the ground. Blinking the girl saw a small blonde boy in a red coat get up. He glanced at her.

"Get out of here kid." she stayed where she was, too scared to move. He exchanged a few blows with the scary man who had killed her Mum. Then the boy leapt back somersaulting in the air and landing in front of the girl.

"I told you to run." He said to her without taking his eyes from the big man.

"But, my Mum."

" She would want you to live, right." He slapped his hands together and placed them on the ground, another flash of light caused the girl to close her eyes. This time when she opened them there was a solid wall in front of them.

"That won't hold him for long, let's go." The boy turned to the girl. He didn't look much older than her.

"I won't leave my Mum in the street."

He scowled at me.

"You don't have a choice." With that he grabbed her and jumped backwards as the wall shattered, when they landed he grabbed her hand and dragged her along.

"ALPHONSE!" He called. Shortly afterwards someone in a huge suit of armour appeared.

"Big Brother, there you are."

"Look after her, I'm going to finish this." The boy all but tossed the girl to the man in the armour, Alphonse.

"Right. Be careful Ed."

**********

Kate was fourteen when her mother died. It was the first time she met Edward and Alphonse Elric. She's heard of the legend of Edward Elric, the Fullmetal alchemist, and his younger brother. Edward was the youngest state alchemist and hero of the people.

Two years later they were accused of performing a human transmutation and Ed was stripped of his state alchemy licence. They would both have been arrested but they disappeared.

Chapter 1: Smugglers House.

Kate locked the door to her house/workshop and wandered down the street towards the market. She loved market day, she loved being in to crowds of people, she didn't feel so alone there.

Kate was sixteen, it had been two years since she'd lost my mother, two years since she'd been rescued by the Elric's. Kate wore a old summer dress and a slightly tatty straw hat over her loose dark brown hair, which just brushed her shoulders.

When she reached the high street it was unusually quiet and empty. She walked to the nearest stall.

"Jack, what's going on?" Just then a number of men and women came charging down the street. They were dressed in blue military uniforms.

"What's the military doing here?" Kate was scared now, last time the military had been in this town she'd lost my Mother.

"It's them Elric brothers, apparently they were spotted here last night. Now don't be scared Kate, just go home and lock your doors."

"Like locks would stop alchemists." She muttered wondering why the Elric brothers were here.

"Alright, I'll go home now." She said to him

"Good girl Kate." Jack the stall owner waved at her as she walked away.

However, she didn't head straight home instead she wandered the back streets. Wishing she could repay her debt to the Elric brothers but she knew there was little chance of her finding them before the military, if they were even still in town.

Hearing footsteps behind her she hid behind some bins. She realised the footsteps sounded wrong. They sounded metallic. Two figures rushed past me and came up against a dead end.

"Damn it."

"Brother, what are we going to do now?"

"I'm working on it."

One of the figures was a large 7 foot suit of armour and the other and much smaller blond haired boy wearing a red coat, his hair was long and braided at the back.

It was them, the Elric brothers. Kate knew this was fate, they'd been sent to her so she could help them.

"I can help you." She stepped out from where she was hiding and stood behind them blocking their exit. They both whirled round. They didn't look much different from two years ago.

"Do you know who we are?" Edward said

"Of course, Edward and Alphonse Elric." She pointed at each one as she said there name to illustrate the fact she knew which was which.

"Then you know you'll get into trouble for helping us." It was Ed again who spoke

"They won't catch us."

"Oh yeah? The military is everywhere."

"Not everywhere, there are places in this town where only I can go." Kate reached into her pocket for some chalk but couldn't find it.

"Damn, you got anything to draw with." She asked them

"What?"

"We're standing above an entrance to a tunnel under the town. However you need to make a door with alchemy."

"How do we know we can trust you and won't lead you into a trap?"

"You're already in a trap and I'm offering you away out if you don't want my help then fine."

"No wait, ok show me where to create a door I'll do it it'll be quicker."

Nodding she walked towards them. She tapped the ground where she wanted the door and Ed clapped his hands together and placed them on the ground.

Opening the trap door, Ed jumped in first, then Kate followed and Al came last, closing the hatch behind him and getting rid of it.

Kate fumbled around then found a torch, lighting it with matches that had been left by the door.

"This way, follow me." She headed off in one direction taking a well memorised route through the networks of tunnels. No one spoke for a while until Edward broke the silence sounding irritated.

"How long is this gonna take?"

"Huh?" Kate turned round to face him.

"I don't like being underground it makes me kinda edgy."

"Don't be such a baby. We're nearly there."

"Don't call me a baby." Yelled Ed as Al said.

"Nearly where?"

"My house, I have a secret room there; you can only get to it by alchemy. No one knows I can do alchemy, in fact ever since that time they think I hate it, no one will suspect me. It's a perfect place for you to rest up till the military go away."

"It's too dangerous, doesn't this tunnel lead out of the town."

"Yeah sure, but then what you leave town and keep running, the military keep following until they catch you and imprison you or even kill you."

"Yes, even if we stay with you till they leave, they'll find us again."

"So take this chance to rest."

"Brother, please can we?" Alphonse begged.

"Ok, we'll rest for a couple of days then leave ok. Now please can we get out of this damn tunnel?"

"Well come on then." With that Kate turned a led the way again.

It wasn't long before she stopped looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, my house should be just above us."

"Should be?" Ed questioned.

"Sorry it is, now erm, I still don't have any chalk or anything."

"I'll do it, it'll be easier as I can reach." Al started drawing a transmutation circle above his head. When it was done the placed his hands on it and created a trap door.

"Great now how do we get up?" Ed asked looking up at the door above him.

"Your an alchemist aren't you, transmute a ladder." Kate answered. Ed glared at her then without a word clapped his hands together and transmuted a ladder.

They all climbed up into a large kitchen. Ed and Al looked round them.

"Big house." Ed commented.

"Guess so, I come from a family of smugglers so our house had to be quite big."

"Smugglers?"

"Yeah, I'm not a smuggler myself though, well I guess I kinda am now, you two are the first things I've had to smuggle."

"Comforting."

"I can kick you out onto the street if you would prefer."

"No thanks."

"Brother, be a bit nicer she's trying to help us."

"Sorry, er what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Kate."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Alphonse, but you already know that, thanks for helping us."

"Yeah thanks" Ed vaguely seconded his brothers comments continuing to study his surroundings.

There was a knock at the door causing all three of them to stop dead.

"Quick, this way." Kate led them into a hall and pointed at a blank wall.

"There is a staircase the other side of that wall, there's another wall at the top of it, transmute your way through, go now. Stay quiet when you get there."

Kate opened the front door to find Jack holding a basket.

"Here as you didn't get your shopping done."

"Thank you." Kate took the basket of food.

"How much do I owe you?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it." He waved his hand and left. Kate made a mental note to pay him back at some time.

Returning to the kitchen Kate put some bread and jug of water on a tray with two cups and went up to the secret room. When she got there Edwards was slumped against a wall apparently asleep, Al sat hunched up in corner, still in full armour.

"I brought you guys some food." Kate placed the tray on the ground.

"Food?" Ed bolted up right; make Kate wonder if he'd actually been asleep.

"Here." She pushed the tray towards him. Ed grabbed some bread eagerly demolishing it.

"Thanks." He said through a mouthful of food.

"Brother, don't be so rude." Al told him off.

"Don't worry about, you should eat too Alphonse." Kate said.

"No I'm not hungry, but thanks."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Kate left them and went to open her workshop. She grabbed her thick apron, twisted her hair back into a bun and picked up her tools. Sitting at the work bench she began copying the paper design on to a metal plate. She liked her work because it meant she didn't have much time to think about how alone she was, however kept pausing to think about the two boys hidden in her house. People came and left her workshop, leaving her work or picking items up. Her heart pounded as a tall sandy haired military officer entered the workshop. Keeping a calm expression she looked at the man who was smoking.

"Please don't smoke in here."

"Sorry miss, I just wanted to ask if you've seen these boys?" he showed her a picture of Ed and Al. He noticed the recognition on her face.

"You know 'em don't you."

"Of course I do, they were here two years ago, you should do a bit more research."

"Hey, I know they were here two years ago, I mean have you seen them recently."

"No. Now please leave."

"Hey get out, can't you see your upsetting her." Jack appeared in the door way.

"She lost her mother last time you lot were here so just leave her alone."

The military man retreated apologising.

"Miss, if you see them boys tell me please, ask for lieutenant Havoc."

After Kate had closed up her workshop she started cooking a meal, as she cooked she sang.

Up in the secret room Al sat up a listened.

"Brother, can you hear that?"

"Yes." Ed replied a small smile on his face as he relaxed against the wall, closing his eyes he emptied his head and listened to Kate singing.

Kate arrived upstairs balancing a tray with three plates and three cups on it. Dinner's ready I hope you're hungry. Ed grinned taking the tray from her.

"Wow this smells good." He eyed the three meals.

"You are eating up here too?"

"Yes, well it's not often I have company so I thought it'd be nice." Ed grabbed two plates, he passed one to Kate and too Kate's surprise didn't offer the other too Al but kept it himself. Al made no move to take the third plate.

"Alphonse are you ok?" she asked him

"Er, yeah, just still not hungry, sorry, I feel bad for not eating but well..." he trailed off.

"Don't worry about it. Hey don't you want to get out of that armour?"

"No I'm ok."

"So Kate where are you parents?" Ed asked, changing the subject.

"Well I never met my Dad, he died before I was born, I think and my Mum well, you know."

Ed looked at her confused.

"What's that meant to mean." He asked.

"She died." Kate looked down at her hands.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive." Kate suddenly looked up at the both of them.

"You don't remember do you?"

"Remember what?" Ed asked.

"Two years ago, when my Mother died, you were there." Ed looked at her thinking for a bit then he remembered.

"You!"

"Brother?" Al asked

"You never saw her Mum, but you saw her Al."

"Oh yeah, you grew." Al said.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there in time to save her." Ed said his head bowed.

"But you were in time to save me and I just know my Mum's happy about that." Kate smiled at Ed who smiled sadly back at her.

After they finished their meal, Ed also consuming Al's portion, Kate went to get some bedding for them to sleep on. While she was gone the brothers discussed their situation.

"I feel so bad, for not eating, if she keeps bringing me food what will I do?" Al asked

"I don't know. Poor kid she's been living all alone, at least we had Winry, Pinako and teacher. Who looked after her?"

"I don't want to leave her on her own again."

"Me neither but we can't stay here for long, what if the military find us, she'll get in trouble too." Ed looked around the large room and grinned.

"Brother?" Al sounded suspicious.

"We haven't sparred in a while have we?"

"Oh think you can beat me now?" Al challenged.

"Not a chance but I can always try." With that both brothers proceeded to get into fighting stances.

"Ready?" Ed asked

"Are you?" Al answered, Ed grinned again and leapt of the floor aiming a kick and Al's head, Al blocked him and flipped Ed so he somersaulted through the air and landed dangerously close to the wall. Al lunged at Ed who dodged twisting round behind Al and pushing his full weight onto he brothers back adding to the momentum Al already had causing him to crash into the wall.

"Hahah-." Ed laugh was cut off as Al punched him in the stomach, Ed recoiled and crumpled to the ground coughing.

"Brother? Are you okay?" Al moved forward, too intent on his brother to hear Kate come through the door she'd left in the upstairs wall. When Al was close enough Ed stopped coughing and swung his automail arm round catching Al on the head knocking his helmet flying across the floor, it landed and Kate's feet.

"Brother! That was low." Al stated surprised his brother wasn't making any triumphant comments.

Ed sat in the middle of the room looking at Kate, his expression a mixture of panic, fear and mistrust. Kate slowly picked up Al's helmet and walked towards the brothers.

Hope you liked, I say again please review and make me feel loved! XD