A/N: Should be fairly obvious but Ed still has his alchemy...

Ed was walking around Central. He didn't have much to do since everything ended. Having gotten what he wanted he left the military — although it didn't stop him from popping by and bugging everyone — and he generally went around doing odd jobs for money. Mustang agreed to get him a decent place where he could live while the government paid for any rent. So far life was good, if a bit boring. He considered going out to the country a few times since his family was still out there, but generally decided to stay in Central to help out.

Apart from some of the odd jobs, Mustang and Grumman also commissioned him for various things. Out of all the state alchemists Ed was considered the most gifted, but he was also the flexible in what he did. Besides most of the state alchemists that were still currently employed had trained to use their alchemy to fight. Ed and Al mostly just studied anything they could get their hands on.

Thinking about Mustang, Ed laughed a bit. They had gotten into a fight, but Ed condensed the water in the air, effectively making Mustang useless. Riza was her usual stern self, telling Ed that he shouldn't mess around with military officers. Everyone else of course just laughed. Seeing Mustang being useless was always funny.

Ed walked into the office and plopped down in a spare chair. The office was the same as when he started, Havoc would come in and help out every once and awhile, not that he particularly like paperwork, Breda, Fuery, and Falman were all working and screwing around.

"Hey Ed, what are you doing here" Breda asked not all that seriously. Ed came by pretty much everyday and got into arguments with Mustang, and screwed around with everyone else before leaving.

"Nothing much, I was just a bit tired" he replied, closing his eyes and leaning back in the chair.

Mustang, seeing Ed close his eyes grinned a bit. Just as he was about to burn Ed, although not badly, he felt his closes start to get heavier and stick to him.

"Not asleep yet" Ed said, eyes still closed.

Mustang groaned and stomped away causing everyone in the office to laugh. Even Riza had started laughing recently. With the biggest problem gone, she had lightened up a bit.

ssssssss

Ed woke up to something jerking out of his chair. After waking up enough, he looked down to see Armstrong holding him up.

"What's up" Ed asked casually. At this point he realized that Alex was going to be weird no matter what, and there was no chance of avoiding it. As long as he didn't get too involved in the Armstrong family, he'd be fine.

"You seem like a good candidate," Alex said looking at Ed "And you've gotten taller"

A tick mark appeared on Ed's forehead. Although he wasn't considered short anymore, whenever someone brought it up that he used to be it pissed him off.

"What's your point?" he asked in a bit of a snappy mood.

"Come with me" Alex told Ed as he dragged him away.

Ed sighed. He could get out of Armstrong's grip, but it wasn't really worth it.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the Armstrong Manor. Dragging Ed inside, Alex put him down on a chair.

"Hey what's going on" Ed asked as Alex left the room.

Ed looking around a bit confused. He was in a dining room, were they going to feed him, or just leave him here. Maybe they'd make a statue of him, Alex had done it before. Whatever they were doing it couldn't be normal and almost certainly it would be something that he didn't want to get involved in like a shirtless hug from Alex.

Ed looked over at the door as it opened and cringed. Olivier Armstrong was the person who opened the door. Alex was the one who was weirdly close and affectionate, and Olivier seemed to make up for that by being the exact opposite.

"I would of thought about someone bigger," Olivier started, much to Ed's annoyance "But I can definitely see why you picked him"

Olivier had learned more about Ed and Al after the conflict ended. She still considered him a bit soft, but started to respect him more now. Not to mention that everyone he had met and traveled with, apart from a few, defended how strong and exceptional he was. Olivier agreed, he was strong, even if he didn't command respect. Although from a certain view, that could be a testament to his strength as well.

"I approve of him" Olivier said. Alex sighed in relief. "Why didn't you just pick him first?" Olivier demanded. "Just go get her" she added before Alex could respond.

"Can I ask, what I'm doing here?" Ed asked.

"You are the fifth person that Alex has brought here, and you are by far the most acceptable, so we are choosing you for her"

Ed started to get nervous. They were choosing him for her. Who was her, was it Olivier's rabid bear, or some other weird thing that was in the Armstrong family. Before he could think any farther into it, Alex came through the doors. Following him was a relatively small girl, not that that was saying much.

Slightly confused Ed looked at Olivier "Is that her?"

Olivier nodded "That's our little sister Catherine"

"He's a bit small isn't he" Catherine stated.

A tick mark appeared on Ed's forehead. He wasn't short anymore. It was too late to say he was never short since he had admitted it to himself in laboratory five, and to Winry and Al, but that was then and now he was normal sized.

"You stay here" Olivier told Ed as she got up "Alex, Catherine, let's talk outside"

Ed sat in the dining room wondering what was happening. This was why he didn't like to involve himself too deeply with the Armstrong family. There little sister may look strangely small and cute, but assuming she was anything like the Armstrong's he met then she would almost certainly be scary.

After a few minutes the three siblings came back into the room. Catherine smiled brightly at Ed.

"I was rather surprised to hear everything about you, but you definitely fit all the criteria, and I gladly accept" Catherine told him.

Catherine went up to Ed and gave him a hug causing them both to blush. As she left the room, Ed hadn't moved. He still had no idea what was going on. The way she phrased it made it sound like he was being hired. Was he supposed to be a bodyguard. Why couldn't any of the Armstrong's be her bodyguard, they were all a lot more scary than he was.

"Show up here tomorrow, and we'll get everything sorted out" Olivier told Ed in her usual commanding tone.

Ed found himself out in front of the house, still confused.