So, here's the first chapter to tide you over. I'll probably update every four to ten days, but I havn't got far with this story so it might actually be longer ;P

I'm not one for summaries, so I'll just shut up now.

1. Early Leave

"You will be permitted three weeks leave this year…" The Cornel was telling me.

"Yes sir!" I saluted him before contradicting him, "But may I ask why, sir? My leave is not until two weeks time and a full six weeks long, sir."

He glared at me as though I was dumb,

"You do want to see them again, don't you?"

"S-sir?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion, pretending not to know what he was on about.

"They left three hours ago; Ed needs his arm fixing, then he wants Al to get and upgrade, so they went home for a week or so." He sighed in defeat.

"But sir! If you had told me before hand then I could have fixed them!" I half-shouted, surprising everyone in the room.

"Yes, but they do not even know you're here, Lieutenant!" Mustang also raised his voice slightly.

'Tch' "Bit late to tell me that, isn't it sir?" I averted my gaze and glared at the wall.

After thinking for a second I quickly composed myself, saluting him properly and clicking my heals,

"Sir! Request to take my full leave of duty early, starting today! Sir!"

I almost lost composure at the look of surprise on my commanders face, and I heard a few snickers behind me, probably from Havoc (though knowing him, he was probably laughing at me, not Cornel Mustang… Then again, he could be laughing at both of us…).

Mustang cleared his throat and stat a little straighter in his chair,

"Request granted soldier! Under the circumstance that you take up double shifts for the first three weeks when you return!"

"Understood sir!"

I quickly turned on my heal and strode out of the door, glaring at Lieutenant Havoc on the way past his desk.

As soon as the door was closed behind me, I cracked up into fits of laughter I was positive they could all hear in there.

'Ahem!' "What's so funny, Lieutenant?"

I looked up to see Ross standing in front of me. Her manor was so undermining that I was forced into an unnatural silence (I say unnatural because it takes quite a bit to shut me up).

"What was so funny, Lieutenant?!" She demanded, taking a step towards me.

I sighed and relaxed slightly, then smiled somewhat evilly at her,

"Mustang's face is such a picture sometimes!" I whispered to her.

I tried to walk away civilly, but was unable to hold it in much longer and collapsed in another fit of laughter three feet from my fellow Lieutenant.

"How can you always be so energetic?" Ross sighed, "It's just not normal you know."

I calmed down after a few seconds and stood to face her,

"It's called being nineteen, or are you so old now you've forgotten the feeling?" I joked.

"Why you…!" She screamed and I ran away down the corridor, laughing once again all the way to my room.

I lay on my bed for a moment before packing a bag and leaving for the train station, boarding a train to East Side.

After falling asleep and missing my stop, I had to walk for hours, until finally I passed into the countryside.

It wasn't long before I saw the lights of my old house, now occupied by a young couple.

I smiled at the memories as they all came flooding back, but stopped in my tracks as I looked to my right and saw the burnt remains of the Elric residence.

"I'm sorry Trisha; I couldn't keep my promise. I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect them as well as you'd wanted." I felt like crying as I spoke, but my tears had dried up ages ago, waiting for the day I'd finally be able to see them again.

I looked at my hands, tracing each seam in the blue tinted metal with my eyes.

On that day, the day Ed almost died, the day Al lost his body, I too lost something, three things, both of my arms, and a piece of my heart.

That day left me scarred, mentally and physically.

I could hardly sleep without seeing those eyes again.

I couldn't hold anything in my hands and feel its warmth.

I couldn't even remember the faces of some of my old friends.

I couldn't even remember the feel of Ed and Al's hands in my own as we ran home together to find Trisha collapsed on the kitchen floor.

I sighed and picked up my bag, continuing on my journey to the only home I had left.

The lights of a two story house came into view and more happy memories surfaced in my mind, making me grin from ear to ear.

I'd sent a letter the day before saying that my holiday was coming up soon, so I wasn't surprised when the door opened as soon as it did when I started running towards the house, yelling at the top of my lungs,

"Auntie! Winry! I'm back! I'm home!"

Auntie and Winry were stood at the door, and I soon found myself in a bear hug so tight I was unable to breath.

"Winry. Do you want her to live long enough to come inside, or are you going to try and suffocate her like usual?" Auntie asked with a sweat drop.

Winry dropped me and I sat on the porch, gasping for air and rubbing some of the feeling back into my arms.

"Sorry! It's just been so long since I last saw you!" She apologised.

"Auntie, who is it?"

A boy with long, braided blond hair and golden eyes stepped into view, followed by another that almost looked exactly the same, except he had short, light brown hair.

"Huh?" I looked at the second one, "Al?" I looked back at the first kid and frowned, "You're as short as ever, I see, Chibiske."

"Who're you to call me Chibi?!" He screamed, storming towards me.

"Relax, its only a joke Eddy, geez, I'm smaller than you remember? And it'd be an insult to Al as well as myself." I sighed, standing up.

"What do you mean? I don't even know you and you're calling me Eddy? No one's called me that in four years and she…" His eyes widened in shock as I scowled darkly and slapped him round the face.

"You idiot!" I screamed at him.

Auntie tutted and went back inside with Winry, leaving us to it.

"How can you not remember the one person that spent almost half her life by your side?!" I continued, "It's only been four years Eddy! How can you forget the one person that loved you as much as your family did?! How could you forget the one person that stuck up for you when Al and Winry couldn't?!" I glared at him in pure anger before carrying on, "I've been working my ass off for Mustang, just so I could be here to see you! Four stupid years I've chased after the pair of you! And for what?! Nothing! That's what! Absolutely nothing!" I picked up my bag and shouldered it, "Well thanks for wasting four years of my life! Jerk!" I turned around, "now if you'll excuse me, Roy said to be back ASAP" I lied, before walking swiftly away from them, back towards the train station.

After a moment there was the sound of running footsteps behind me,

"Wait! Wait!" Ed shouted, "wait." He repeated, standing in front of me.

"Why should I Eddy? For the first few months I did nothing but cry and sulk because you hadn't taken me with you! I was worried sick about you! After becoming a State Alchemist I almost lost my title because I was chasing after you instead of doing my job! I was forced to stop and give up until I became a Lieutenant and had a bit more freedom! So why should I wait? Why should I wait to hear the excuses of a stupid bastard that can't even remember me?!" I was on the verge of tears, and I knew he could tell, but I hadn't cried in years, so I knew they'd never fall, "Just give me one good reason not to go. If you can't, then I'll be on my way." I walked passed him.

"You've already upset Al! He doesn't like it when you shout, you know that!" He stood in front of me again, trying to block my path.

"It's not enough Eddy." I muttered, pushing passed him.

"Okay! Okay! I'm Jerk, I admit! But you love me, don't you?" Again he stood in front of me.

I paused, but shook my head,

"Still not good enough."

Biting back the tears this time, I reluctantly brushed passed him, waiting for the only answer that would stop me from going.

Before I was completely passed him though, he seemed to make up his mind about something, and hugged me from behind.

I gasped at the suddenness of his actions as he held me close; strong arms rapped round my waist.

"Okay, you win Kat…" He whispered in my ear,

"Then say it Eddy… Say it out loud for the stars to hear…" I replied, leaning my head back onto his forehead and watching the night sky.

"I love you."

I closed my eyes,

"Then I'll stay…"

Okay! Please review and let me know if there's anything wrong, whether it's just a comma out of place, a load of misspellings, or just some friendly advice on how I could continue the story, anything and everything is welcome!

Thanks again for reading and I hope you'll stay with me until I finish!!