Summary: Truth sends the Elric brothers back in time to live their lives all over as payment for retrieving Al's body from the gate. Can they save the mother they so dearly missed and prevent themselves from making that costly mistake? And can Trisha figure out what's hurting her boys before it's too late?

Warnings: Time-Travel; AU; PTSD; Homunculus! Ed; Yaoi; Het; Nicer! Truth

Pairings: RoyEd; Al/Winry; HavocRiza

Chapter One

Truth stared at the human in front of him and for once in his existence, he felt regret. Guilt.

He was normally a very unbiased being...but when the sons of Hoenhiem had appeared before him all those years ago, he knew he'd been unfair. He had charged them both for their own crime and their father's, all for petty revenge and now the eldest stood before him once more, only seven years later, ready to make any sacrifice he would accept to give his brother another chance at life. A life beyond the cold armor he'd been bound to.

"You stand before me again, Edward Elric." He greeted and the young alchemist nodded, topaz eyes full of determination. "What is it you seek?"

"My brother's body."

Truth sighed softly. As if he had expected otherwise.

"And in return?"

A large gate appeared behind the child and Truth stilled as he realized just how far the boy would go to retrieve his brother's body.

"It's my Gate. Take my Gate and my arm, just please give Al his body back." He pleaded and the entity gave another sigh.

"I would like to offer an alternative."

Edward stilled and stared at him, defeat heavy in his posture, clearly expecting the worst.

"When you and your brother appeared before me those years ago...I will admit that I charged you unfairly. Alphonse was only to lose his arm, just as you lost a leg. However, I was angry. I charged you for not only your Taboo but your father's as well and I was wrong for that," He paused watching the boy's face for any expression but finding none.

"I will return Alphonse's body to him. In return, you, your brother and five others will be sent to your past to relive your life over and you will take this."

Truth held up a black, red-tinted stone and Ed faltered back a step in horror.

"A ph-philosophers stone?"

"The strongest one in creation. It will turn you into a homunculus...or rather a live homunculus. You will retain your ability to feel, to empathize, but only for those you care for. The rest you must find out on your own. You will keep your arm but your leg will remain as it is. Do you accept these terms?"

Ed stared at him, at the stone, then nodded determined. Anything for Al to finally be out of that cold, cold armor.

"I do."

Truth stepped forward and pressed the stone into the boy's chest directly over his heart.

"Very well. Good luck, Edward Elric."

Edward raced past him, to his brother who looked up at him, wide-eyed.

"Ed?"

The older blond smiled.

"C'mon, let's get you outta here."

The younger blond nodded eagerly and clung to his brother's hand, hardly able to believe that they'd finally accomplished their goal. As they moved through the gate, however, he couldn't help but wonder what price his brother had paid in return.

It was the soft sound of humming that woke her.

The sound was so foreign, yet so familiar it made her eyes burn with tears.

Fly little bird, Fly far away

Away from the cold and into the day

Twirl and dance to the winds soft chimes

And bask in the beauty of the open blue sky

Fly little bird, Fly far away

And sleep as you await another day

Mother. Her mother.

She curled in on herself, basking in the warmth of her mother's voice, before a sudden heart wrenching thought struck her.

This couldn't be real.

Her mother was dead.

Both of her parents were dead.

They'd set out to help out on the frontlines during the Ishvalan war and had never returned home. Instead they'd been killed by Scar only four years after the death of Trisha Elric.

…So how were they here now?

Her eyes flew open and she sat up only to gasp as she was met with her father's warm, worried gaze. He smiled at her and place one of his large, heavy hands on her forehead.

"Morning, princess. How do you feel?"

She frowned at him. The concern in his voice was so real…could it really be him?

"I-what happened?"

His brow furrowed and concern in his eyes deepened.

"You were heading over to Trisha's to play with the boys and you passed out. One of the paper boys found you and brought you home. Don't you remember?"

No…she didn't. But it did answer one of her questions. Whatever was going on, her boys were definitely involved. So until she could talk to them, she would just have to play it by ear.

With a fake smile and a blush, she nodded, vowing to speak with Ed the first chance she got.

He could see again.

He shivered, glancing around at the too familiar yet unfamiliar room around him. It was his older bedroom, the one he'd been assigned when he'd first joined the military.

…A room he hadn't slept in since the Ishvalan war.

The walls were a pale, boring grey, the room barren barring the spartan bed, desk, and wardrobe occupying it. A picture of him and his aunt Chris sat on the stand by his bed, the only thing that had never changed regardless of his residence.

With nary a sound he slipped from his bed and cautiously approached his mirror, his heart pounding in his chest as possibilities flooded his mind. There, in the mirror was a lean seventeen-year-old man staring back at him, confirming the worst of his suspicions.

He was back in the past.

What had Ed done?

She had to be dreaming.

She twisted and turned, marveling at the bare skin of her back, free of those horrible markings for the first time since her childhood. Her hair hung longer than she was used to, her body slimmer, younger than it had been when she'd finally collapsed of exhaustion and bloodloss.

Had Ed won?

A knock sounded on her bedroom door and she jolted, stilling as a familiar gruff voice sounded on the other side.

"Riza, get dressed. Major Mustang will be here in a little while."

"Y-yes, father." She replied, the raging storm inside her calming as she heard her best friend's/ superior's name.

If anyone could figure out what Ed had done it would be Roy, he knew the teen better than anyone. All she had to do was be patient. Her eyes narrowed as she realized she was unarmed.

And get herself another gun.

Something was wrong.

He was alone in his bed for the first time in almost three years, his wife's slender form no longer curled beside him like it normally was. In fact, he glanced around with a frown, this was not the bedroom him and Riza shared.

It was the bedroom at his parents' home, a place he hadn't been since his father's death almost a year previous, and his mother's years earlier.

What the hell was he doing here?

He reached up to grab a cigarette from his shirt pocket, only to find himself shirtless.

…and where the hell were his smokes?!

Somehow, he just knew this was that bastard Roy's fault.

"This is your last chance, Van Hoenhiem. Do not fail him."

He frowned lightly as he pondered Truth's words. He'd been surprised when he'd been pulled before the Gate shortly after Ed had vanished but the entity had explained nothing to him. Instead it had merely gazed at him blankly, then smirked widely, perfect teeth menacing.

Then with only that one statement it had allowed the gatekeepers to appear and drag him through the gate.

He thought it would be his death.

Instead he awakened in a hotel room, years in the past with one thought in mind.

It was time to go home to his family.

TBC…