Hey, I'm still alive. So there a few things you might want to know. This isn't really set around any particular part of House but if you must have a spot probably late season 2. It is set after the end of the 2003 anime of Fullmetal Alchemist. But with a few slight differences, 1st difference, passing through lands you in America early 2000s, 2nd difference, the gate less passing through it as equivalent of dying, it compensates for the loss by granting the person passing though with his\her greatest wish\desire, to the best of it's ability. So have fun guessing what each person's greatest wish is. Not that it needs to be said I own neither of these shows (in this reality) credit goes to it's creators, I don't earn money from this, I do this for enjoyment and to see what strange situations I can get the characters into.

Chapter 1:A bundle of red, black, and gold

Doctor Gregory House was finally home after, what he would call, a long day at work. He surveyed the room it was usually messy but something seemed out of sorts. His eyes stopped on a small pile of clothes that he was sure didn't belong to him, a long red coat, black pants and a pair of boots, they were too small for him. He glared at the offending clothes, he walked over to it and prodded it with his cane. The bundled moved revealing a young blonde boy, "Not yet Al," he mumbled. House prodded the boy again and was granted with another mumbled response, "Mustang can wait," the boy scrunched his face as if he was thinking of something distasteful. "Whose Mustang?" House asked.

"Arrogant egotistical self-centred bastard," the boy muttered

"Oh that sounds like me," House said with a large amount of sarcasm. The opened his eyes slightly at the comment revealing eyes a colour that could only be described as gold. The boys eyes wandered sleepily over House before widening in fear the boy sat up quickly and shuffled backwards into the wall. His head made contact with wall with a loud bang, "What the hell," the boy yelled rubbing the back of his head with a white gloved hand. House watched the kid, the clothes he was wearing was several sizes too big and were sliding off his shoulders. In fact his hand barely made it out of that red coat even with it bunched up at his elbow. "Who cut my hair?" The kid yelled again looking furious, the kid stood himself up, his pants started sliding down too big to sit on the boys waist. He began to walk forward he didn't get far until he tripped on the long pants sending one his boots flying, it hit the wall leaving a dusty boot print. House looked over to way the kid had been laying noticing scorch marks on his floor and then over to the kid the same scorch marks were on his clothing. The kids pulled himself up into a sitting position a scowl upon his face. "What is wrong with me?" He yelled again not as loud as before. He began sobbing to both their surprise "Great now I'm crying. What is wrong with me?" He said through the sobs. House stared slightly gob smacked at the kid, he wasn't the type to be good a comfort and reassurance. He sat down beside the boy and gently began to rub the boy's back. The boy tensed clearly uncomfortable with the action. House stopped but the boy didn't relax instead he became even more tense. "Leave me alone," the boy yelled, his right hand flying around so fast that his glove flew off. The sound of flesh striking flesh resounded around the room. The boy jumped at the sound and his eyes widened at the sight of his own hand. He opened his mouth then closed it again, he chewed on his lip. His hand was still pressed against House's cheek. "May I please borrow a mirror?" He asked his voice quiet and quavering, he honestly sounded petrified.

"There is a bathroom just behind that door," House said curious at the boy's request. House pointed to a door. The boy nodded got up moving slowly so he wouldn't trip over his pants. He shut the bathroom door behind him.

House waited for the boy to come out of the bathroom but he didn't. After half an hour House opened the door. The kid was curled up against the wall. His clothes abandoned in a pile to the side except for his coat which he had wrapped around him like a blanket, it didn't do much to protect against the cold tiles. He was shivering and House was sure he was crying again. Weary of the kid's fear and potentially violent outbursts, House remained at the doorway as he spoke "The way I see it we've got three options, one, I kick you out on the streets and assume you can get home," the kid noticed House's presence, sitting up. The coat fell off his shoulders showing off the well defined muscles that belonged on a athlete not a child, making House uncomfortable. "Two, we go down the police station tonight and neither of us get any sleep or, three, you sleep on my couch tonight and we go down to the police station in the morning. I personally like three it means I have a legitimate reason to be late for work." House said watching the boy carefully but he did nothing just sat there watching him. "Three it is then, I'll be making your bed. Come out when you're ready." House said after an uncomfortable silence.

House didn't put that much effort into the bed, he quite literally throw a pillow and blanket into his couch. 20 minutes later the boy came out of the bathroom he had redressed with his pants rolled up and he had abandoned his gloves, coat and boots. He stopped under the light, giving House his first proper look at the boy's face, his face was covered in the beginnings of small bruises. These bruises also covered his arms and feet, giving the impression the boy had been beaten. "Hey kid, what we're doing before you came here?" House asked curiosity sparking.

"I... I don't remember. I have a name it's Edward Elric by the way and what would yours be?" The boy said snapping out of his fearful mood.

"Alright Edward Elric I have a name too it's Dr Gregory House," House said returning the attitude. "How old are you?"

Edward thought for a moment before answering "10 maybe nearly 11 I think,"

"You think?" House said not understanding how the kid was unsure of his age.

"Do you have anything to eat? I'm hungry!" Edward said deflecting the question. House looked into his fridge, it was a sad sight, there was a couple of steaks that looked like they wouldn't poison them. "Steak sound okay?" House asked

"Yeah sounds fine," Edward said he was sitting on the couch his muscles tense as if waiting for an enemy attack. The sound and smell of the cooking food was enough to draw the child towards the kitchen, House noted that he kept his distance, Edward licked his lips eagerly.

"So when was the last time you ate?" House asked

"More than a week ago," was the response. House did a double check the boy didn't look malnourished but House knew better than to judge that from just looks alone.

"Want something to drink?" House asked serving up the cooked steaks

"Okay," Edward said. House opened his fridge again the drink choice was as bad as the food choice he had the choice of milk or beer and House knew it could end badly if he got Edward drunk (not to mention illegal). "I've got milk," House said

"No I won't drink that," Edward said too quickly "is the water okay for drinking?"

"Yeah," House said pouring Edward a drink sitting down next to him to eat his meal. House watched as Edward 'inhaled' his meal, finishing it before House had barely started his.

20 minutes later Edward was curled up on the couch starting to drift off into sleep House had wanted to watched TV but Edward's sleepy form could help provide some answers. After dinner Edward had refused to answer any of House's questions. Sitting on the couch, near Ed's head, House began the carefully question the defenceless child.

"Did you run away from home?"

"I don't have a home, no going back,"

"Do you have parents?"

"No,"

"What happened to them?"

"Mum got sick then she died,"

"What about your father?"

The response was different to the others, his muscles tensed and he hissed out "bastard." This made curious, what could make a kid that age hate his father so much. House predicted the man had abandoned Ed after his wife died. "Who looked after you?"

"Looked after ourselves," House picked up on Ed's words.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Alphonse,"

"Where is Alphonse?"

"I don't know, I hope he is safe," Ed tensed again and pushed is head into House's lap. House stroked the boy's hair, the silence was comforting and when House went to ask the next question Ed was fast asleep. House got up slightly annoyed that he couldn't learn more about the mysterious boy. House went off to his room leaving Ed asleep on the couch.

Laying in bed House tried to piece together what he knew about Edward Elric. His mum was dead and his dad had abandoned him and his brother. The two boys would have lived on the street before running into a gang or joining one with Mustang as their leader. Most likely the whole group was teenagers with Ed's clothes big enough to fit a small teenager not a small child. He must have not had much of an education and been with the gang for a while if he was unable to pin point his age. He must have done something that upset his gang, if he was starved then beaten and dumped in his(House's) apartment. It made sense but it was missing something vital. House popped a couple of pills frustrated that he couldn't figure Ed out, the story was right but the details and order was wrong. He didn't have enough information, irritated House rolled over before drifting to sleep. There was always breakfast.

There you go chapter 1. If you pick up on any (spelling) mistakes let me know. I'll try to have the next chapter up in a reasonable time frame. Until next time go and enjoy a hobby or two or three. Bye