lostmoonchild: Hey, thanks for the review! I'm not yet sure about how the story's gonna go but I do have some ideas for later chapters (I'm gonna get started on chapter summaries to help out). I don't own FMA or anything else unless I say otherwise so don't sue.

CHAPTER ONE

"ROSS!"

Ross woke up with a start and nearly fell out of bed, managing to catch his balance before he came in contact with the floor. "What!" Ross snapped at his second youngest sister, Jamie.

Jamie frowned slightly and said, "There's someone here to see you."
"Who is it?" Ross questioned rolling onto his back and sitting up.

"Mustang."

Ross considered for a minute getting up long enough to shout at Mustang for having him woken up but changed his mind, remembering that Mustang could probably give him a job in the Military. "Okay, tell him I'll be down in a few minutes." Ross said getting up.

Jamie nodded and left the room, making sure to close the door behind her. "HE'LL BE DOWN IN A MINUTE!" Jamie shouted, running down the stairs.

Ross shook his head and quickly changed out of his pajamas into a pair of jeans and button-down shirt. Once he had gotten his shoes on, he left the room and went downstairs. "Colonel Mustang, its nice to see you again." Ross said managing a smile.

"Good to see you too." Mustang said with a nod. "Were you asleep?"

"Nah, had to get up anyway. You know how it is. Ten kids to take care of, I'm surprised they let me sleep this long." Ross said with a grin as he rubbed the back of his head.

Mustang nodded and looked around the living room almost shocked to see that the house was actually beginning to fall apart. "Ross, I want to talk to you about a job opportunity." Mustang said clearing his throat a little.

"Uh, sure. Kids, why don't you guys go outside for a while so Mustang and I can talk man to man."

The oldest kids frowned slightly but a warning look from their brother told them they'd better listen. When the kids had gone outside, Ross motioned for Mustang to take a seat. "So how are you and your siblings?" Mustang asked looking at the brown haired boy.

"As well as can be expected. The kids still miss Rose just like I do." Ross answered with a sigh. "It's been tough."

"I can see that." Mustang said with a small nod. "Listen, Ross, I wanted to talk to you about a possible job working for the Military."

"Why me?" Ross questioned.

"You have the patience and everything a soldier is required to have." Mustang said with a calm look.

"You want me to become a soldier?" Ross asked looking surprised.

"Yes. You'll have an opportunity to work with automail and whatever other mechanics you can get your hands on, travel… give those kids a good education past high school."

Ross paused a minute remembering how some of his brothers and sisters wanted to go to college to get a degree. He remembered it had been Rose's dream to go to college to get more of an education but after their parents died, the money that had been in her account for college had decreased dramatically until it was all gone. "If I accept, how long will I be away from my brothers and sisters?"

"Depends on where you go. I trust you remember how long your father was always gone."

"A few days to a couple months at latest." Ross answered remembering always looking outside hoping his father would be back soon. "Then he didn't come home and we got The Letter."

Mustang nodded and said, "Your father was a good man and your mother was a good woman."

"I know."

"Your sister… well, she was interesting."

"I know."

"Listen to me, Ross, how much longer can you keep this many kids around? How much longer until you have to admit you don't make enough money to keep the house in running order and keep your brothers and sisters fed at the same time? You know eventually you'll have to put a few of your siblings up for adoption so they don't starve to death. That eventually somebody's going to come and take them away from you saying that you're incapable of taking care of them."
Ross admitted that he couldn't always make sure that his brothers and sisters had something to eat when his paychecks went into making sure they had a home to protect them from the elements. A few of his siblings had gotten jobs and tried to help but Ross told them to save up their money. That they shouldn't do exactly what Rose had done, that they shouldn't give up their dream of getting a better education just to take care of their siblings.

But he had a chance now to make sure that his siblings would have both a home and food on the table. That they'd each get to go to the college of their choice. All he had to do was accept the offer. "What about my siblings? Is there at least a home in Central that we can live in?" Ross questioned.

"There's a nice house in Central, big enough for your brothers and sisters along with yourself."

"I'll need somebody to watch over them while I'm gone, if I accept."

"I'll watch over them if I can't find anybody."

"You and I both know the siblings who remember my late sister screaming about you killing the Ishbalin will have dubbed you a murderer. They'll do everything in their power to make sure you're miserable."

"I'll have Riza help me."

Ross looked thoughtful and said, "I'll accept your offer. But there will be a few conditions but I'll write them out later for you."

Nodding, Mustang got up. "I'll expect you and your siblings in two weeks. That should give you all time to pack your belongings."

Ross watched as Mustang left the house and waited a few minutes before getting up and calling his brothers and sisters inside. "Guys, Mustang offered me a position in the Military that would require us to move to Central." Ross said.

"I say no." Four of the kids said immediately.

Ross sighed and looked calmly at his siblings. "Guys, if I accept then that means a new house, food on the table every night, and even new clothes. You all will have an equal opportunity to go to college and make something of yourselves."

"Sister swore she'd haunt you until the day you died if you ever became a Military monkey." Jamie said coldly.

"I know. But sister also said she'd haunt me if I didn't take care of you guys. So in two weeks, we're moving to Central." Ross said with a sigh. "Guys, Rose and I were with mom when she died. She asked us to take care of you guys, no matter what. If I don't take this job, then I'm afraid I won't have any other choice but to put the youngest up for adoption. If I don't put anybody up for adoption, then somebody's going to come and take you all away from me."

"No they won't."

"Yes, they will. So I have to take this job. If you don't like it, then fine. We can start deciding who's going to go to an orphanage to be adopted by strangers who just might not give whoever we send away the love they rightfully deserve. If we don't send anybody away, we can all be separated by people and we may never see each other again. All we'll have is memories and regrets that I didn't take the job when I had the chance. Then, when all of you are grown up you all can run to the Military's office to see if I'm there or not."

The kids were silent as they thought about what their brother was saying. "When exactly do we leave?" They asked surrendering once they realized that there was no way to win if their brother didn't accept the job.

After all, their big sister had given up her dream for them, why should their big brother?

lostmoonchild: Okay, next chapter things will get interesting so read and review. More reviews I get, the faster the chapters will come.