A/N- I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Three - Youngest in the Military

Having just passed the practical skills part of his State Alchemist Certification Exam, Nick followed Colonel Havoc back to his office. Once inside, Havoc walked over to his desk and sat down while Nick stood in front of him, wondering exactly what was next for him.

Colonel Havoc opened his top right desk drawer and pulled a silver pocket watch from its depths. "Here," he said, tossing it casually to the boy. "This is your reward for all your hard work."

"This is all I get?" Nick snatched the watch out of the air with one hand. He opened his clenched fingers and stared down at the silver pocket watch, which had the emblem of the State emblazoned on the front, super imposed upon the presidential seal, which was the six pointed star. This particular symbol was unique to the State Alchemists. "I feel slightly jipped."

At that moment, the door opened and in popped the Fuhrer and the last person on earth that Nick expected or wanted to see. His father.

"So, I heard you missed one of the questions on the written exam?"

His mind barely registering the question, Nick stared open mouthed at his father. "Why are you here?"

"I expected Colonel Havoc to have stuck you on a train to Resembool by now." Ed shot a glaring look in the colonel's direction and the look was cold enough to cause Havoc to cower in his chair, shivering as though the temperature had dropped by several degrees. "But since he didn't and your mother threatened me with bodily harm, I came to take you home." Those words had barely escaped from Ed's mouth when he noticed the silver chain dangling from the boy's hand. Ed glared at Havoc even harder and if looks could kill then the colonel would have dropped dead on the spot. "Tell me you didn't do what I think you did. I expressly told you over the phone not to even think about it let alone do it."

Nick stared from his father to the colonel, confusion evident in his golden eyes. "That's not what you told me. You said that Dad told you it was my decision."

Havoc shrank down in his chair, for all the world wishing that he could just sink into the floor. "I might have misunderstood the words being screamed in my ear but it was an honest mistake."

"My ass!" Ed exclaimed, an angry expression appearing on his face as he glared daggers at Havoc. "You did this on purpose."

"You can't prove that Ed."

His hands clenched into fists, Ed took a menacing step toward Havoc who shrank even further into his chair.

"Come on now," the Fuhrer said, silencing the room. "What's done is done and the boy did pass the test. He's now a State Alchemist."

"Fine," Ed said, unclenching his fists and turning to face his son, his face now calm and devoid of emotion. "If this is what you truly want Nicholas I can't stop you. You are now officially a dog of the military. Fuhrer, I hand the boy's leash over to you."

Nick stared at his father, confused. "You mean you're not gonna punish me?"

Ed shook his head, a knowing look in his eyes. "I don't have to. You've done a fine job of punishing yourself. You just don't know it yet."

Nick was staring at his father, completely confused, when the door suddenly opened again and Winry and the Fuhrer's wife entered the room. Nick knew that the Fuhrer's wife's name was Riza but everyone called her Hawkeye, however he wasn't entirely sure where the nickname had come from.

Nick's face paled when he saw his mother and he quickly shoved the watch deep within his pocket, in a futile attempt to hide from her the fact that he was now a State Alchemist.

"What is taking so long?" Winry glanced over at Ed, seeking an explanation from him. "Our train's gonna be leaving soon and if you guys don't hurry, we won't be on it."

"Well Winry," Ed said, watching with an amused smirk as Nick tried to hide the pocket watch from his mother. "It seems we have one too many tickets."

"What are you talking about?" She turned to Edward, staring at him accusingly. "Edward, what did you do?"

"Why's it always me?" Ed wanted to know. No matter what happened, he always somehow managed to get the blame for it. "I'll have you know that your son got himself into this mess all on his own. He had absolutely no help from me."

"My son?" Winry turned her accusing eyes to her son. Ed only referred to the boy as her son when he'd done something wrong. And she knew this for a fact because she herself did the very same thing. She turned to her son, a questioning look in her blue eyes, and demanded, "What did you do?"

"Go ahead Nicholas," Ed said. "Show her what you did."

The boy took a few steps back toward the desk, shaking his head. "I'd rather not if it's all the same to you."

"It's a little late to be changing your mind now Nicholas," Ed said. "You made the choice and now you're going to have to deal with the consequences. And if you're scared of what your mother's reaction is going to be, you should have thought of that earlier."

Nick's eyes widened. His dad should know that he wasn't the type of person who planned things out in advance. He hadn't even had a fleeting thought about what his mother would think about him becoming a State Alchemist.

Winry made a face, a sense of dread descending upon her, caused by the look on her young son's face. "I don't like where this conversation is going." Winry stared at her son, a look of dread on her face. "Nicholas, what have you done?"

Knowing that he had no choice, and that waiting wouldn't make things any easier, Nick slowly pulled the watch from his pocket. As he did so, he saw all the major events of his rather short life flash before his eyes. This was cruel: he wasn't ready to die yet. There were so many things that he had yet to do.

All she had to catch was one glimpse of silver and Winry immediately knew why her son couldn't meet her gaze.

"You didn't!"

"He did," Ed said.

Winry whirled around to face her husband. "This is all YOUR fault Edward."

"Why do I always get the blame for everything? It's not MY fault," Ed insisted.

"It is so your fault," Winry shouted. "It's your fault because he shares your bloodlines."

Nick stood in the background, watching his parents fight and wishing that they hadn't came to Central. Things would have been so much easier if only they'd remained in Resembool.

"Come on Winry, let's go." Ed placed an arm around his wife's shoulders. "What's done is done and there's nothing we can do about it at this point. Let's leave Nicholas to sort this out on his own."

Winry allowed her husband to lead her from the office, but as she left, she cast one last glance at her son, who still held the silver pocket watch in his palm. A single tear slid down her face but she turned around quickly so that her son could not see it.

"Good luck Nicholas," she whispered as she left. "Be safe."

After Ed and Winry exited the office, the Fuhrer and Hawkeye turned to follow them out into the hallway. As he left, the Fuhrer turned around briefly and gazed at Havoc. "Well Colonel," he said with a smirk, eying Havoc, who was still cowering as far back in his chair as he could get. "I hope you and the boy know what you've gotten yourselves into."

Havoc said nothing. He merely saluted weakly as the Fuhrer left the office. Once everyone but Nicholas was gone, Havoc heaved a sigh of relief and said a quick thank you to the powers that be that he was still breathing.

Nick stared as his parents left the office, torn between two desires. Part of him desperately wanted to run after his parents and stop them from being sad over the choice he had made and yet another part knew that he could not. He had to continue traveling down his chosen path, so that he could undo the damage that he had caused.

"I'm sorry Mom and Dad," Nick whispered as he watched his parents leave.

Once out in the hall Winry ceased allowing her husband to lead her. She whirled on Ed, her blue eyes flashing fire. "I'm warning you now Edward, if anything happens to him there won't be enough auto-mail in the world to put you back together."

"Calm down Winry." A drop of sweat appeared on Ed's forehead as he attempted to placate his wife. He knew that if he didn't calm her down soon he would suffer. Experience had taught him that lesson well. "I'm sure Havoc and the Fuhrer will keep an eye on him."

Winry turned and glared at the Fuhrer. "Somehow I'm less than reassured by that. I saw how well they kept an eye on you, remember Edward?"

Ed laughed slightly but wisely chose not to comment.

"Why don't you two stay here in Central for a few days?" Hawkeye suggested diplomatically in an attempt to prevent the argument from escalating into a full-blown fight. "You can leave once Nicholas gets settled."

"Settled?" Winry exclaimed. "Ed, where's he going to stay? He can't stay in the barracks with the rest of the soldiers. He doesn't exactly fit in you know."

"Mrs. Hughes has agreed to allow Nicholas to stay with her family while he's here in Central," Hawkeye told her before the worried mother burst into tears. "Don't worry. He'll be fine."

That assurance from Hawkeye helped relieve some of Winry's anxiety over her son although the feelings of worry did not go away completely. "I think we should stay here for a few days Edward. Maybe he'll change his mind and come home with us after all."

"We'll stay if that's what you want Winry," Ed said, even though he knew without a doubt that there was no chance that Nick would change his mind. He wasn't exactly sure what the boy was planning but he knew that his son had decided that the best way to reach his goal was to be a State Alchemist and nothing he or the boy's mother did would make him rethink that decision.

"What are you trying to accomplish my son?" Ed thought to himself. "Is it human transmutation you're after or something else?"

Hawkeye walked over and placed a hand on Winry's shoulder. "If you and Edward are going to remain here in Central then you can stay with me and Roy until you're satisfied that Nicholas is okay and are ready to leave."

"Thank you Riza," Winry said, her voice filled with gratitude as she gazed over at the older woman and offered her a grateful smile.

Hawkeye smiled at the younger woman before turning and giving her husband a meaningful stare. "It's settled then. You and Edward shall stay with me and Roy. And Roy had better behave himself."

Winry gave Ed the same look. "That goes for you too Edward."

The two men gazed at their wives, the same innocent look on both their faces. "Would we do anything to cause trouble?"

"Yes you would," Hawkeye said.

"However if you know what's good for you, you'll be on your best behavior for the next few days," Winry added.

Ed turned to face the Fuhrer. "I don't think they trust us."

The Fuhrer looked from one woman to the next and then back at Ed. "I think that's a pretty accurate assumption."

Ed and Winry accompanied Fuhrer Mustang and his wife back to their estate in the Garden District of Central. That evening they had dinner together and Winry and Hawkeye discussed Nick.

"You shouldn't worry about Nicholas, Winry. Roy and Havoc will keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble. Besides, from what Roy tells me your son is already quite an accomplished alchemist," Hawkeye said in an attempt to alleviate some of Winry's fears. "Exactly how long has he been studying alchemy?"

"For over six years," Winry replied. "He started when he was four."

"That's amazing," Hawkeye said.

"Yes it was," Winry said, a soft smile on her face as she thought of just how smart her son was. "And he taught himself the basics."

That comment captured Roy's attention as well. "Taught himself alchemy at the age of four?"

Winry nodded as she thought back to her son's amazing accomplishment.

(It was nearly lunchtime and Winry was once again searching for her young son. The boy had a bad habit of wandering away when her back was turned and he'd vanished once again. "NOW where has that boy wandered off to?" Winry muttered to herself as she walked down the hall.

Winry checked the child's bedroom but found no sign of him. She sighed and began to search the house room by room. The last room she checked, the room he was least likely to be in, was Ed's study. But when she opened the door she found her four year old son sitting on the floor with a piece of chalk clutched in his small hand.

Winry glanced down at the floor and saw the chalk markings on the wood. "Nicholas! Hey, don't doodle on the floor. Your dad's gonna flip out when he comes home."

The child gazed up at his mother with a serious expression in his golden eyes. "I'm not doodling. Watch this."

The child placed his hands on the floor and blue sparks erupted from the drawing and a puff of smoke covered the small area where the drawing was. When the smoke cleared a small figurine of a chick sat in the middle of the small circle that Nick had drawn.

Nick gazed from his creation to his mother, a wide smile on his face.

"Th-that's alchemy isn't it?" Winry gasped as she stared at her son. "How did you do that?"

Nick smiled and held a book up for her to see. The title on the cover of the book read, 'Introduction to Alchemy'. "This book told me how."

Winry gazed at her son. "From a book? Can you really understand this stuff?"

"Kind of," Nick replied. Then he gazed up at his mother, a worried expression on his face. "Did I do something bad?"

Winry smiled at her son. "No, Nicholas you did something amazing. If the alchemists of the world learned about this they would probably faint. Wait until your dad sees."

Nick's smile returned.

Winry offered the child her hand. "Come on Nicholas, it's lunchtime."

The small child happily took his mothers hand and the two of them left the study but Winry glanced back at the book that her son had left lying on the floor, a look of amazement still on her face.

When Ed returned home that evening he found his wife and young son waiting for him on the front porch. Nick smiled and ran to his dad. Ed picked up his son and tossed the child into the air. Then he gave the boy a hug.

"Edward," Winry said. "Ask your son what he did today while you were gone."

Ed placed Nick back on the porch and gazed down at the child, thinking that perhaps he'd done something wrong. "What did you do Nicholas?"

Nick glanced at his mother.

Winry smiled and handed the child a blank piece of paper and a pencil. "Go on Nicholas. Show daddy what you did."

Nick took the paper and pencil from his mother, sat down on the porch and began to draw.

Ed watched, a perplexed look on his face, as his son drew something on the piece of paper that Winry had given him. Nick was leaning over the paper, shielding it so that Ed couldn't see what he was drawing and his curiosity was aroused. Then the child placed his hands down on the paper.

Ed's eyes widened as he watched blue sparks erupt from the paper and then an origami crane appeared amidst a puff of smoke. "Amazing," Ed whispered as he picked up the paper crane and examined it. "Exceptional work."

"Daddy. . ."

Ed glanced down at his small son. "Nicholas you've been in my study haven't you?"

Nick's gaze went to the ground and he nodded slowly.

Ed chuckled as he bent down and scooped the child up into his arms. "It's okay Nicholas, I'm not upset. You have an amazing talent kiddo and I think it would be a real waste if we didn't refine those skills."

Nick gazed at his dad, confused.

Ed smiled. "How would you like for daddy to teach you more alchemy?"

"Yea!" the child exclaimed.

Winry smiled as she watched the touching father-son bonding moment.

That evening Nick fell asleep in his father's arms not long after the family had dinner. Ed smiled down at his son and stood up. "Guess I'll put the little guy to bed," he said softly.

Ed carried his son upstairs to his bedroom, followed by Winry. When they reached the child's room Winry folded down the blankets and Ed lay the child down in his bed. Then Ed pulled the blankets up and tucked them around his son.

"I can't believe he taught himself alchemy," Ed said, his voice still filled with disbelief. "He's so young."

Winry nodded. "Young yes, but also your son. Alchemy's in his blood."

Ed smiled down at his son. "He'll surpass my skills, you wait and see.")

"So Ed, has he surpassed you yet?" Fuhrer Mustang asked with a smirk.

"Not quite yet," Ed said, ignoring Mustang's smirk and thinking back on his son's amazing accomplishment. It really had been amazing for a child so young to teach himself alchemy and to do it so well. "But he's definitely working on it."

"Hmm," Fuhrer Mustang said thoughtfully. "Well he is a full year younger than you were when you became a State Alchemist."

"Heh heh," Ed laughed nervously. "Speaking of, the kid doesn't know that I was a State Alchemist. And I would appreciate it if YOU kept your mouth shut about that topic."

"I'll try," Fuhrer Mustang said, an evil glint in his eyes. "But I can't make any promises."

Ed's eyes narrowed. He should have known that Mustang would chose to be that way. He didn't even know why he'd thought the man might have changed since they'd last saw each other.

"I can," Hawkeye said sharply, casting a reproachful gaze at her husband. "Roy won't say a word."

"Hah!" Ed laughed triumphantly.

"Fine," the Fuhrer said sullenly. He knew better than to argue with his wife. She had 'that' look on her face and Mustang knew that if he further pursued the matter he would seriously regret it.

He'd been down that particular road before and he had absolutely no desire to retrace those steps.