This is my first fanfiction to be posted somewhere on the net. I've wrote small ones before but never thought about posting them, manly because I didn't think people would want to read them. So, please take it easy on me.

Title: What am I able to do?

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter: 1

Pairing: None for this chapter

Rating: T

Genre: Friendship, Light romance, Family

Warnings: Abandonment, Blood (not graphic though)

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Chapter 1

Trudging down their usual lifeless street Edward and Alphonse made it to the back alley of their apartment.

Edward just got a one off, early finish from his hard work, Alfons however, willingly stayed to get further information on their next task at the university. Once Edward returned home, Alphonse didn't waste any time dragging his brother back outside with him.

Alphonse paced slightly ahead of his brother to a halfway point of the alley.

"It was here brother..." Alphonse knelt to a soaked brown box lay on the solid ground. He dropped his head. His brown bangs hid his pale face and weeping eyes from the older brother who stood silent behind him. "But now we're too late. I should have picked it up when I had the chance."

Edward peered over Alphonse and rested his hand on his younger brother's shoulder. He knew Al would have done anything to take it home; however, he also knew, if Al didn't, that having an extra mouth to feed would be quite hard to get by on. The four of them were enough.

"Al, you know..." Edward tilted his head around Alphonse's face and spun him around with his hand still settled on Alphonse. Alphonse scrambled up to his feet; his lips tight shut and stared at his brother's golden eyes. He had a feeling what Ed would say.

"Even if it was still here, it wouldn't be fair to just bring home a cat without asking Alfons, or even Noah, if it's okay first. You have to remember, we aren't the only ones in the apartment."

Alphonse knew that. He knew that too well.

The younger brother placed his hand onto of Edward's hand which still touched his shoulder. "Your right..." At that moment, Alphonse gripped Edward's hand and shoved it off his shoulder. Alphonse sniffed and a single tear slid down his face.

Alphonse stepped back and turned away from his brother. "But it wouldn't hurt to at least try…" With that said Alphonse darted down the alley, his shoes scraping the cobles as got further and further away from Edward.

Alphonse lifted his hand to his face. He didn't even know why the tear fell. But it fell, right down his cheek. "This… is stupid."

Edward stood completely still. He didn't know whether to be angry at the fact his younger brother shoved him or at the fact he just stood and watched as his one and only little brother was running away from him. He wanted to call out to him, but he couldn't. He wanted to say sorry, even though he didn't even understand why Alphonse ran from him in the first place, but he couldn't. He couldn't make up his mind whether to run or just go home.

"You idiot Al!"

The day slowly turns into a dim afternoon while Alphonse still wondered around after he fled his brother. He clung to his jacket and fumbled around with it to cover his shirt. It was autumn and the days were getting colder by the minute. Alphonse didn't mean to leave his brother like that. But he had. He ran away from his brother and cried, like an immature child.

Alphonse crashed into the wall of the alley. "Damn…" He squinted as lifted his arm up to the wall support himself. "Why did I cry? Why?!"

"Who's there?"

Alphonse froze. A strange voice from up ahead could hear him. The voice wasn't threatening; it was more soft and calm. Still, he had no idea who was there. Standing back onto his feet, Alphonse crept forward, taking a small step over a large metal rubbish bin.

There, wrapped in a dull, brown blanket which was covered in holes, was a young girl. She looked up and stared right at Alphonse with two innocent blue eyes. She was hugging, what seemed to be a red bag and a small pile of fur, extremely tightly.

"Alphonse!!" a voice yelled. It was a tall blonde boy carrying a large brown case and clung to piles of white paper rolled up under his arm. He became to a halt and turned to this friend and sighed. " What are you like? You really need to watch what you say…"

The shorter boy completely ignored the speech and carried on strutting down their forth alley.

The taller blonde was shocked at how he was being ignored and stomped up to Edward. "Are you even listening to me?" He waited for a reply, but still not a single word came from Edward's mouth. "Oh, and why couldn't I put these in the apartment first, it wouldn't have…"

"Shut up, Alfons…" Edward replied interrupting the boy who stood behind him . He didn't care if he heard him or not, all he wanted was to find his brother and get home.

Alphonse stood motionless staring into the girl's eyes. She had long chocolate brown hair which lay in complete tatters around her body. Each strand was dirty yet delicate. Her skin looked so soft but it was pale. Deathly pale.

The girl moaned and shuffled back pushing her feet straight forward into a muddy puddle which separated herself from the boy in front. As she scrambled around in attempt to sit up right, the blanket crept carelessly down from her shoulder. Slowly, the item revealed a large bloody wound which ran freshly from her neck to her elbow. She turned her head to the exposed wound and suddenly began to shake uncontrollably.

Alphonse gasped at the sight of her. How in the world did she get that wound? Did someone hurt her? He shuck with that thought imbedded in his mind. If someone did, why would they do such a girl to such a young girl? Alphonse had to do something, he couldn't just walk away without at least trying to help.

He reached out his hand. "You're hurt." He crouched low in front of the girl, still offering out his hand for her to take. "Please, let me help you." Alphonse waited patiently for a reply. If this girl was so much like the girl he once knew, she should accept him.

That's what he thought anyway. But of course, even though these people may look like the ones from his world, doesn't mean that they are carbon copies of each other. This girl was a lot older than the one he once knew for one thing and she didn't seem as optimistic or as energetic. She was the complete opposite, weak and lifeless even when she was shaking. Alphonse lifted his hand to her hand to comfort her and she gradually began to relax a little. Alphonse slowly removed his hand and shuffled back a little. As her body returned to normal, she flung the blanket back over her shoulder with her now, free hand. The other hand stayed, as if religiously, wrapped around the ginger fur and bag.

" I'm sorry but I cant…" the girl cried softly. Her eye's told Alphonse that he was unwelcome. However, he saw all past that. Inside, he was that she was scared and lonely and who wouldn't be? Germany was quite that frightful place at times and by the look of things, this girl had her fair share of frights for one life time.

Alphonse couldn't bare the thought of leaving her here, so vulnerable; he had to persuade her to trust him. He needed to think of a different approach and fast.

What could he possibly do?

Edward panted hard and ran up the final step. He crashed into the wooden door in front of him. "He… better be… here…" Turning the door handle of the door he was interrupted by hand which flung him around and back against the door.

"Why Ed? Why did you ask for my help, then completely ignore me ?" Afons pressed his hand into Edward's arm. "Just stop Ed, stop it!"

This, is the only thing I can do.

Alphonse raised his hand and rested it gently against the small ginger kitten which lay asleep in the girl's arms. " It's adorable, isn't it?" Alphonse said stroking the kitten softly.

Just as he was about to speak again ,the girl began to reply to him. " Yeah, so soft and warm too." She lifted the kitten up to her cheek and rubbed against the fur.

Alphonse was shocked to here her speak so suddenly, but he was relieved too. He smiled and climbed back onto his feet. " I simply adore kittens, my brother doesn't as much though, that's why I don't have one myself." He turned slightly to the side. "Please, I know this maybe hard but let me help you."