Yoyo Manor

"What are you doing here!" Luke yelled at Ed and Chanty when they came through the door.

"Did you forget you're supposed to be looking for someone?" his twin added.

"Chill." Chanty told them. "The soldiers Mustang sent are continuing the search and brought a message with them saying we should return to you guys."

"Believe me we wanted to keep looking but I've had it up to my ears with the Colonel harping at me every time I take a step out of bounds of what he wants." Ed finished.

Annie sighed at her spot on the couch. "I wouldn't mind your return if there were three of you…"

Lame looked at his depressed friend then turned back to the two alchemists. "So you didn't find anything? No leads no nothing?"

Ed shook his head sadly. "Sorry but we couldn't find anything."

"But no worries." Brody popped in. "It just means the abductors are good at covering their tracks that's all."

"Yeah but what if…" Annie started.

"Ah ah no," Mark interrupted her. "I thought we agreed no negative thoughts because there was no need for them."

"Let's see," Ren said, thinking out loud. "The day of the showdown as at noon…looked all day then went to bed. The next day we returned here and the day after, which is today you two joined us. So he's been gone about two and a half days."

"Actually it might be more of two days." Lucus inquired, trying to sound intelligent. "This day isn't half over so…"

"LUCUS STOP!" Luke said sounding honestly terrified. "You sound like you're thinking!" Instantly his twin slapped both hands over his mouth in a speak-no-evil pose.

"They didn't have some kind of head injury when they was young did they?" Clen asked.

"Yep." Chanticleer said as though it was a pitiful shame. "I think their heads were too big for their mothers birth canal so their brains had to be squished in order to make a successful delivery."

Ed snorted a laugh…along with everyone else. Except for of course the twins.

"Is anyone hungry?" Lucus said, trying to avoid the subject.

"I am!" Brody said. "Hungry for more jokes aimed at the twins." All he got out of that were two cold stares and snickers.

"No I'm serious. It's already past noon so does anyone want to eat?"

"Drop it brother," Luke said. "Nobody has their mind on food."

Lucus was about to say something but there was a knock on the door.

"Ok people," Clen said. "You know the drill, make yourself scarce and fast!"

Quickly everyone with fur or feathers showing zipped upstairs and Ren went to answer the door.

"If they're selling anything tell them to get lost." Brody said while leaving the room as well.

"I'll be more polite but sure." Ren told him before opening the door. When he did he was greeted by a stranger of about forty by the look of his aged face and graying hair and short beard. "May I help you? One of the masters of the house said if you're selling anything to forget it." Ren said cheerfully.

"Well I'll relieve you of that worry because I'm actually looking for someone…Ren?"

"Um, yeah. How'd you know my name?"

"I was told my someone who knows you." The man answered.

Immediately Ren's stomach dropped. Is this guy one of Caradon's men and is just playing Mr. Nice Guy while his buddies move in? Oh crap, this means they've found us!

"I've got some good news for you." The man said.

Death will come quickly?

"I brought you something that I believe you lost."

My other antenna?

The man reached an arm to something beyond the doorway in Ren's blind spot.

UPSTAIRS

"Ren sure is taking his time down there. Wonder what he's doing?"

"Maybe it's a pretty girl and he's hoping' she finds him cute."

"Ren? As if."

"How would you know, you're a guy?"

"Hey, the talk of girl – guy just gave me a though." Lame said. "If Annie ever found Mr. Right, got married and had kids would they be born or hatch from an egg?"

"Lame!" Annie said, throwing a pillow at him.

"I'm serious…"

"GUYS GET YOUR BUTTS DOWN HERE!"

Ren's voice stopped the conversation and zapped most everyone out of their skin. After the shock there was a scramble to get downstairs. Annie and Dixie left in a quick yet gentle manor while for the boys it was every man for himself. First Lame stepped on Clen's tail and while Clen jumped to the sky with pain he tripped Chanticleer when he tried to get passed. After that Lame tripped over Chanticleer and Lucus (who had been up there for lack of anything better to do) made a face like 'see ya suckers' and tried to run out the door. That wasn't going to be tolerated so Clen grabbed his ankle and tripped him…so now the upstairs room was carpeted with teenagers.

While the boys were peeling themselves off the floor they could here Dixie scream 'KUN!' at the top of her voice and in the same scream like voice Annie said 'GOXLIN!'

That one word zapped everyone, upstairs or downstairs to the front door. Chanty however had been so graciously knocked to the back of the line so he was the last to see anything. Although there wasn't much to see at first because for 1: Dixie and Annie had their once-lost friend in such a binding hug not much of him could be seen and 2: Al was standing in the way.

"Down in front!" Brody yelled at him. But crouching wouldn't help anyway so AL remained standing.

The Dawn could hear Edward thanking someone near the door, apparently the person who found Gox.

The 'thank yous' and 'we can't thank you enoughs' were vigorous from everyone. That is if you could hear it over Dixie screaming "KUN!"

"Did somebody scream Goxlin?" Brody yelled while entering the other room. "Who screamed it and why!"

"He's here! He's here!" Annie squealed, still hugging Gox's neck.

"Annie! I'm not breathing!"

"He's here! Lemme at 'em!" Brody plowed through the rest of the group to meet Gox. After crushing Clen's foot Brody winded Gox with a rib-breaking hug.

"If you guys don't give me room to breath somebody's gonna have to call in a room for me in the intensive care unit!"

"The point of him coming back was for him to be unharmed wasn't it?"

Brody turned to the new voice. The older man standing at the doorway was staring at him. The look made Brody feel uneasy, it was like this man knew everything about him. Still, he looked oddly familiar but it was one of those instances where you think you know but can't put your finger on it.

The stranger swallowed hard. "Last time I saw you-you were just a little thing, it's amazing what a few years can do to a young boy."

This voice sounds familiar but why can't I think of it? "It's on the tip of my tongue but who are you?"

"I can understand I'm a little hard to recognize…your father never grew a beard so we no longer look alike."

Cricket chirp…

"Wait, are you…"

"He is."

Chanticleer, still on the stairs glared at the doorway. Despite his uncle's pleased smile to see him The Dawn remained on the stairs, expression unchanged.

"Chanty…a State Alchemist now eh? Doesn't surprise me one bit. You were always a smart kid and God you got tall…"

"So you ditch us and come back sucking up to win our favor!" Chanticleer snapped violently.

"Chanty!" everyone except Steve gasped, appalled that he would be so rude. But he didn't care; with one last glare he ran upstairs, three steps at a time.

"What was that for you idiot!" Lame yelled at where the Dawn just exited.

"Please, don't read too much into it. That kind of reaction could only be expected."

"Uncle Steve?" Brody said with a slight whimper in his voice.

"It's me…and I'm not ever leaving you again."

Me – well aint that nice?

Chibi me – don't you have an Uncle Steve?

Me – haven't you asked me that before?

Chibi me – I cant remember. And hey, what's the big idea of sending me to your pen pal as his birthday present.

Me- oh, you weren't supposed to know about that. Anyway, next chapter. Don't worry about Chanty and his uncle making up because they will. Our rooster friend has just been having too many things to dwell on and too many unanswered questions.