hello again, anyway this one is something that roughly must happen to every pair of siblings at one time or another i'm sure, so here you go

oh and i still don't own FMA

"MOM, MOM!!!!" the Elric brother's shouted together racing with each other to tell their own side of the story before the other could.

"Yes?" their mom turned from the laundry. She took one look at their dirty clothes and scuffed up appearance "what happened?!"

The boys turned to looked at each other then they pointed to the other "he started it!"

"Started what?" their mom sighed knowing that it must have ended in a fight.

"Al hit me!" Ed said.

"Well Ed bit me!" Al retorted showing the injured arm as proof.

"Only 'cause you were pulling my hair!" Ed growled glaring at his sibling.

"Well you deserved it you jerk!"

"Say that again!" Ed tried to lunge at Al and effectively start the fight all over again but his mother caught him holding him up so he couldn't get at Al. she knew that as long as she kept Ed from fighting the fight would end, if she held Al, Ed might still jump at him but Al would not.

"Boys! What are you so upset at each other about?!" their mom said holding the still thrashing Ed tight.

"Brother said that dad was never coming back and we should forget about him!" Al said.

Their mom stiffened and frowned and Ed still in her arms stopped trying to kill Al worried about his mom's reaction. "… Al said he left cause of me…" Ed said in a quiet voice after a long silence as both boys watched their mother. He knew it was a stupid justification but he didn't want his mom mad or upset.

"Mom?" Al said. She shook her head as if to clear it and put Ed down.

"Edward you shouldn't say things like that about your father and Alphonse that wasn't very nice either, both of you apologize" she said.

"Sorry brother"

"Sorry" Ed said knowing he needed to apologize to both his brother and mother.

"Good boys, well that settles it then right?" the boys nodded "now do either of you need a bandage?" the boys shook their heads "right then cleanup"

Ed and Al went to the bathroom to wash up "you shouldn't have said that," Ed growled "in front of Mom"

"You said it"

"Yeah, but mom gets really sad whenever he comes up"

"You still said it first"

"Shut up" Ed huffed.

"What is your problem with dad?"

"Drop it Al" Ed warned

"No, tell me why!" Al said defiantly "You're not the boss of me!"

"I'm your older brother that makes me your boss!" Ed shouted.

"I'm taller!"

Ed's eyes narrowed and he splashed dirty soapy water in Al's face.

"OW!" Al shouted as soap got in his eyes. He made a fist hitting Ed in the jaw and sending them both to the floor.

"Take that back!"

"Tell me why you hate dad!"

"Get off me!"

"No!"

"Ow stop it!"

"Ouch, cut it out!"

"BOYS!" the boys stopped but the momentum from their last struggle ended up sending Ed's head smacking hard against the side of the tub.

"Uhn" Ed let out a moan but both boys looked up at their mother.

"What is the matter with you two?" their mom said looking madder than either boy ever remembered seeing her. She noticed the small trickle of blood from Ed's head where it had hit the tub. "Alphonse got to your room and stay there until I tell you your punishment. Edward come here" Al gulped and scurried to his room while Ed flinched not wanting to move. "here Edward" there was a hint of warning in her tone that made Ed reluctantly go up to her but he avoided her eyes focusing on the floor.

She bent down and with a wet washcloth dabbed at his cut. He hissed when she put the rubbing alcohol on and then the band aid avoiding her eyes the whole time. "Now that that's taken care of," she sighed standing again "why were you fighting this time?"

"… Al called me short"

"And?"

"… That's all" Ed said.

"Right, well you know that you will be in more trouble if I find out you're lying to me"

Ed nodded.

"Ok then stay here, I'm going to talk to your brother" she left before Ed could protest.

Al looked up as his mom entered.

"Why were you fighting?"

"…" Al remembered the conversation

"You shouldn't have said that" Ed growled "in front of Mom"

"You said it"

"Yeah, but mom gets really sad whenever he comes up"

"I called Ed short, cause he said he had won the other fight" Al said feeling bad for lying but not wanting to make his mom sadder.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, um what did you do to brother?"

"I fixed his forehead; he is waiting for his punishment"

"… It was my fault, I know he doesn't like being called short" Al said he had noticed the blood on his brother after he'd left and felt bad about it.

"Well we'll see, come on." Al followed his mother to the living room, "stay here, I'm going to go get your brother.

"Mom, it was my fault! I shouldn't have gotten so mad!" Ed said as soon as he saw his mom enter "if you punish anyone it should be me!" while she was gone Ed had thought about how it originally had been his fault of bringing up his father at all, let alone what he had said out loud.

"Well come on then" he followed his mom to the living room and stood next to Al. "well, two fights in one day"

Both brothers looked at the floor.

"… Well to make sure you boys learn your lesson Alphonse, you stand in that corner, Edward, you in that one, no moving, no talking, until I say so ok?"

The boy's nodded and solemnly headed to their assigned corners.

After half an hour they were allowed to leave and go outside again.

… ok so this is based off my brother and I, my mom would use this divide and conquer trick all the time, both my brother and I no matter how scared of punishment we were, no matter how angry at each other we were... no matter who really pushed it to the breaking point, would take the blame ourselves… it never worked to get the other out… probably because moms know it takes two to tango, so to speak. Anyway moms are clever like that, this worked on my brother and me until we were ten, it is sad that we never figured it out before that… really sad. i feel stupid, oh well, please review!