Ed opened his eyes, sunlight was streaming through the curtains. Was it morning already? He shut his eyes again, he didn't want to wake up. He opened them and sat up pulling his fingers through his long hair. Maybe he would plait it today, for old times' sake. Ed smiled to himself and looked to his left. Winry wasn't there. Ed lay back and let his arms and leg stretch out, this was going to be fun . . . wait, leg. Ed suddenly pulled up his left leg finding that his automail was missing.

"What the fuck . . ." Ed said aloud. "WINRY." He yelled. Oh yeah she was away with the kids. She had to pick up some parts in the northern mountains, and their two children had been begging for years to join her on her travels. She couldn't refuse them for much longer.

"Fuck!" he said. Ed groaned and stressfully ran his fingers through his hair. What the fuck was he going to do without his automail? What did he normally do when it was being repaired? Oh yeah. He put up his hair in a loose plait, and mentally prepared himself.

Ed went in search for his walking stick, but realised that he would have to find a way to get downstairs first. He pulled himself up and stood on his right leg, but suddenly fell forward. He wasn't used to being without one leg. Ed pushed himself up and irritably spat out some of the carpet. He sat on the floor and looked around the room, what could he use?

"Come on! Think you dummy, don't be the idiot Winry thinks you are." He said to himself as he looked around the bedroom he shared with his wife. There! In the corner was a broom. It would have to do Ed thought as he half hopped, half crawled to the broom. He grabbed it and used it to pull himself up.

Ed awkwardly walked to the top of the stairs and looked down. Had they always been this steep? He though as he gulped.

"Come on Ed! You can do this." He told himself. He sat at the top of the stairs and threw the broom to one side. He put his legs straight and slid down the stairs, just like him, Al and Winry had done as kids. He smiled a broad smiled as he reached the bottom, he'd forgotten how much fun that was.

His smile suddenly disappeared as he realised that he was going to need the broom. He looked up the stairs that he had just slid down. He pouted angrily.

"FUCK!" he yelled agitatedly. He breathed deeply 'think Ed'. Ed knew that there was no way that he was going to climb back up the stairs. He cursed himself inwardly at his own pride. He would just have to hop.

Edward Elric, the man who defeated Father when he was still a teenager, hopped through his empty house in search of his walking stick. Not his finest hour. He found his stick after about an hour of hopping. It was hidden in the back of their cupboard under the stairs.

Ed collapsed next to the cupboard. He was exhausted and he still had to tidy up the mess he'd made. Ed didn't want to get on the bad side of Winry, that was never a good idea. He begrudgingly managed to convince himself to tidy up, before going to get some breakfast, he really needed a coffee right now.

Edward Elric spend the next day with his brother, who seemed very shocked at Ed's stump leg.

"What happened? Where's your leg?" Alphonse asked him with a shocked expression on his face.

"I don't know, yesterday morning it was just gone and you wouldn't believe what I had to do to find this." Ed said gesturing to his walking stick.

Al looked expectantly at his brother, Ed cursed inwardly. "Go on then, tell me." Al said, when Ed hadn't immediately spoken.

Ed sighed and grunted in annoyance. "Fine." He said.

He told Al the story. The more Ed spoke the more Al laughed. The more Al laughed the more angry Ed got.

"It's not funny." Ed said punching his brother. This only made Al laugh even harder.

"Why didn't you use the banister?" Al said

"What?!" Ed asked confused

"The banister on the stairs, you could have used it to hold onto as you walked down the stairs." Al explained through fits of laugher

Ed pouted angrily, he had forgotten how smart his brother was. Ed smiled. "I guess it is funny." He admitted.

"It's hilarious, you can be so dumb sometimes Ed." Al said. He playfully punched his older brother's arm.

"You sound like Winry." He muttered. Ed missed his wife being around, even if it had only been a day.

Al suddenly stood up. "THAT'S IT!" he exclaimed. Ed looked expectantly at his brother. "Maybe Winry has your leg!"

This realisation sank in and Ed realised how right Alphonse was. His leg needed repairs, she must have taken it. He gave his brother a bro fist, and Al knew that he'd been right.

"Like old times." Al said

"Yeah, old times." Ed agreed

Winry came back a few days later and the kids rushed excitedly in. They hugged their dad and went to play in the living room. Winry put their cases down and gave Ed a kiss.

"I missed you." He said. She looked down to his leg.

"I meant to say that I was taking it, but you looked so peaceful and I didn't want to wake you. Sorry." Winry said

"It's ok." Ed said kissing her again. "I worked it out in the end." Winry gave her husband a sarcastic look. "Al worked it out."

Winry smiled "Of course he did. You're too much of an idiot to realise something like that."

Ed felt like he was about to explode with anger but was immediately calmed by a kiss. He'd missed her sarcasm.