A/N: May or may not finish this. I have a LOT of ideas, a lot of things I'm working on and so on. But…. I'd like to at least try to get this down somehow. I tried rping this, it fell apart. Please, give me ideas, tell me how I'm doing, if a plan seems stupid or if someone canon is ooc.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, if I did… um… this would be canon. I do not profit from this story. I can only claim my ocs and plot ideas. Kids are canon, ages and names are not. I also didn't come up with Mustang being Fuhrer, according to the wiki, someday he gets that position, I just decided when. I am responsible for Edward being a colonel though.


This was quite a few years after the Ishval war, probably decades. Furer Bradley had been out of power for many years. Furer Grumman had died in power, but made great strides in ending many wars and patching things up with Amestris' neighbors. Roy Mustang held the highest position of fuhrer now and continued trying to settle old disputes but… Amestris still had enemies, old grudges died slowly and not enough time had passed that many were willing to forgive.

The years of stress, fighting and living wore on Roy's face, little wrinkles had started to form, his hair was greying a little. His hat was on the desk in front of him, his eyes trained on the blond man standing in front of him. His hair was it's usual short length and a bit messy, as it had been years ago. He had just found himself in power and his first thing to do wasn't to make all the females wear mini-skirts… it was to call a certain blond directly to him and there the man stood, in front of him, glaring. Probably wondering why the fuhrer wanted to see him, specifically. "I know this is unusual. But I officially promote you to colonel," Mustang said, breaking the silence.

"And you couldn't send a letter or call?" Edward said, quirking an eyebrow. Usually, you weren't called in to see the fuhrer, it was in the mail, a call or he came to you. Or one of your other superiors relayed the message.

"I wanted to see your face when you got the promotion," the raven-haired man said. "And to tell you where you will be stationed. Directly," he continued, handing Edward a stack of papers. "It won't be a big deal to move Winry and the kids to Central, right?" he asked but didn't give the other man a chance to answer. "And yes, Al can join too. That stack of paper has information on everyone stationed there that you will now be working with and in charge of. Along with secret things going on, everything you need to know to make the right decisions and keep them under control," he said.

Edward flipped through some of the papers, his eyes settling on a familiar face. "Are you sure I'm not too young for this?" he asked.

"Young, yes. But not without skill and experience, and both outweigh the fact that you are younger than many there. I have confidence, that you can do this better than they can," Mustang said. "I also know Armstrong will listen to you, regardless of your age difference," he said, as if he knew exactly whom Elric was looking at.

Edward nodded. "I'll call Winry and have her start packing," he said. He was still a dog of the military, and he was assigned to a place. He had no choice but to move.

"What? No arguing, no backtalk, no asking for somewhere closer to Resembool?" the fuhrer laughed, remembering the old days.

"You're right. I at least know people in Central. Winry knows where the store is there. It's a decent place to put us," Edward shrugged before stopping at another page in the file he had been handed. "We have a Xingese woman in the military?" he asked, perplexed.

"Show me?" Mustang asked, not remembering who that could be. Once he had seen the picture and name, he chuckled. "Oh! Her, yeah. She's half Amestrian and really good at what she does," he shrugged. "We stopped caring about race as much after Grumman. You didn't know that?"

"No. Are there any Ishvalans?" he asked, sounding a little hopeful.

"No. Not full-blooded at least. Half-Amestrians have been joining a bit here and there though, and we've started accepting them as our own. Someday, maybe an Ishvalan will have the courage to at least try to join," Mustang said. "A lot has changed since you joined."

"Am I still the youngest to pass?" he asked.

"Yes. And that's exactly why you are my first choice to take over Central command," Mustang said, steering the conversation back to the original subject.

Edward smiled slightly hearing that.

"Now. Review the files, all the info on your subordinates and the current missions going on that your subordinates are on. Make Central your home, get comfortable, you'll be there a while," the fuhrer said.

Elric nodded and got up, heading out the door.

"I didn't dismiss you yet," Roy said, glaring at the back of the younger man's blond head.

"Anything more, Fuhrer Mustang?" Fullmetal asked, turning around.

"Don't make me regret this decision," Mustang said. "Dismissed."

Elric nodded then left.

Mustang sighed and put his feet up on his desk, leaning back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. His first order of business was over.

Edward headed directly to a phone booth and dialed the number of his home. When he heard the phone being picked up on the other end, he immediately said, "Hi sweetie, I have some news you may or may not like."

"Hi Daddy," came the answer on the other end. It came from what sounded to be a little girl of about three or four.

Edward was caught off-guard by his daughter, Anna, answering the phone. He lowered his tone to a sweet, kind one and said into the phone, "Hey Anna, can you go get Mommy?" he asked the little girl.

He heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet running across the house and the little girl yelling, "Mommy, Mommy!" and it got farther away as Anna got farther away from the phone. He heard talking, but couldn't make out the words then came Winry's voice.

"Hello?" Winry asked, not knowing who had called. She sounded a bit worried, making his heart sink a little.

"I'm ok," Edward said, reassuring his wife. "I've been transferred to Central, and have been promoted. Listen. I need you to start packing things up, I'll be on the next train out so I can help, but I'd like you to start without me."

"I thought we agreed you were done with the military?" Winry growled.

"I'll have a desk job. We'll be in the city. You can start up an automail shop right there and I'll be home for dinner every night and you'll wake up next to me every morning," Edward said, trying to calm his wife down. "It'll be the same as if I had got a job working at the store, I'll just get paid more."

"And you could be sent into a warzone at anytime," Winry said, interrupting.

"We're trying to end all wars. I'll be staying in Central," he promised.

"Or so you think."

"Mustang knows I have a family. He wouldn't do that."

"So you think."

"Winry, just get packing. There's no arguing it. Once a dog of the military, always a dog of the military."

"Fine. But first week in Central, you're on the couch," she said before hanging up.

He sighed and hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He was fine with sleeping on the couch. He also knew he didn't have to explain when he had to break the promise of staying in Central. He knew damn well he couldn't keep it… but he'd at least try.

The train ride was uneventful. He just watched as the world passed by, wilderness, cities, farms, all he had passed in his teens many times. He mentally remembered how he had had his brother there most times, how they'd play cards together to pass the time. How he'd cheat sometimes just to win. It was a boring boring ride.

He jumped off the train when it stopped in Resembool and he walked home. He knew the way all too well. He had made that walk many times with Al. They didn't always have to walk, but this time, he just wanted to give Winry time to calm down before walking in.

He soon heard happy barking and the chain on the source's collar rattling. It was his family's dog, Scotty. Edward walked over to him, pat him on the head before seeing a little face in the window of the house. As he started walking again, the kid ran off excitedly and over to the door, making him chuckle at his son's antics.

The house was probably the most familiar to anyone who knew anything about his childhood or to Edward himself. It was Pinako's old home, back before she died last year. She had left it to her granddaughter, Winry, and the Elrics moved in, with a heavy heart and many thanks. He sighed, looking at the only home he really knew. The only one still standing. He felt his heart sink. He knew Winry didn't want to leave. He hesitated at opening the door but it opened without him even turning the knob.

A blond short-haired boy had opened it and was now clinging to Edward's leg. "Daddy!" he cried, holding on tightly. Edward walked in the best he could, chuckling a bit before finding his other leg latched onto by a girl with almost white hair.

"Daddy's home!" the girl, Anna, yelled out, which summoned her mother quickly.

Winry came into the room, arms crossed under her chest and her blue eyes glaring deep into Edward's soul. "Get packing," she said before turning around and going back to packing up the dishes in the kitchen.

"No greeting?" he asked, trailing after her, both kids still hugging onto his legs.

Winry didn't answer or even turn around, she just kept packing.