Author's Notes: Finally one of littlefiction's challenges done! I'll get to the others as soon as I find a beta for my KKM fanfics. –bows- I'm sorry I took so long! I hope you'll still enjoy it!

A Short Story
By LilyChan

Little Edward stared at the glass that seemed to loom over him. It was filled with white substance that he just didn't like.

"Mother, do I have to drink this?" he whined. The kind woman turned from the kitchen sink and smiled gently.

"Yes, Edward, you have to if you want to be excused from the table."

His little brother, Alphonse or known as Al, was in the library reading about alchemy but was in plain sight, waiting for his brother to finish his dinner. His mother went to the laundry room and then went outside with a basket filled with blankets. She closed the door as gently as she could as the little blond boy glared at the infuriating white liquid in the glass.

Once the coast was clear, he whispered as loud and soft as he could.

"Al! Hey, Al!"

The smaller one didn't take notice until he threw his used napkin at him. He glanced up and gave his brother a confused look and was about to speak when he rushed to the boy's side.

"Al, let's go!" he whispered as he pointed to the opposite direction of where their mother went.

He shook his head with a disapproving look. "No, brother! Mother would get mad if you left without drinking your milk."

"No, no! I'm not just leaving. I have the perfect excuse!"

Alphonse sighed. "I don't know about this… I don't want to get in trouble too."

"Will you listen to me? There's a box of cats around Winry's house and cats drink milk, right?"

Since it was true, he nodded to that. "Yes, they do."

"Go get them and I'll pour milk in a bowl for them, and if Mother asks, I'll just say that you brought in the box. Out of the kindness of my heart, I sacrificed my milk for their health!" He placed his hands on his hips when he stood for dramatic effect. Alphonse merely laughed at his brother's silliness.

"Well, I don't like seeing them all alone with no food or anything like that."

"See? I don't get to drink the nasty milk, but you get to have the cats!"

Alphonse smiled at the idea. "I like that idea, brother! It might work!"

"It won't work if you just stand around! Go get them! And hurry!"

oooo

Trisha Elric sighed as she saw that the laundry was properly hung on the line. She stared at it for a few seconds or so before she realized how quiet it's been.

"That's odd," she said to no one in particular, "I haven't heard Edward complaining about drinking milk. He must be up to something."

She went back inside the house to see a bunch of dirt stray cats drinking from a bowl. They seemed extremely eager to lick the contents of the bowl and the place looked extremely dirty! There was mud all over the floor (especially from dirty paw prints) and the table cloth looked as though it was scratched all over. She was in horror to see her kitchen to be as dirty as it was and her children were no where in sight.

Her suspicions were settled when she heard some dishes clattering against the floor and she rushed to where it generated from. Alphonse was trying to hold the carton of milk and apparently the other she had already opened and spilled all over the ground. All she could hear was the cats' cries for more food. She wasn't sure how she should react other then irritation towards her children.

Alphonse finally took notice of his shocked mother but dropped the heavy carton and once more, it spilled all over the floor. The cats eagerly went to it and licked it up in delight that their request has been fulfilled.

"M-mother, I can explain!"

By now, she had her arms crossed and it was very evident that she was angry.

"You don't need to, Alphonse. Where's your brother?" she asked, trying her hardest to be patient with her youngest and very gullible son.

Nervously, he pointed towards the opposite door and she walked towards the direction he pointed at.

Edward was pulling another box with Winry helping. She glanced up to see what blocked the sun and fell to her bottom. She looked nervous, which Trisha shouldn't blame her one bit.

"U-uh, Edward?"

"What? Why'd you stop pushing? These cats are heavy!" He turned to see what the young blonde girl pointed at and he too fell to his bottom. "M-mother! W-what are you doing here?"

She grabbed him by his ear and glanced at Winry. "Go home, Winry."

She nodded and ran away as fast as she could, with Edward wishing he could run away himself.

oooo

After quite a scolding from their mother, she helped them clean up the kitchen and even helped find the cats owners.

"Can we keep one, Mother?" asked Alphonse as he held an orange and white kitten in his arms. She shook his head. "How come?"

"If you're going to be alchemists, I don't think you'll need anything distracting you from your studies!"

He pouted in disappointment when he placed the mewing feline on the ground. It went off to attack a piece of string from the other little boy who dangled it in front of its face. "But I want a kitty…"

She sighed and smiled slightly. "Maybe later, Alphonse." She patted his head to reassure him which did little to make him happy but he knew that maybe she would change her mind. Just maybe.