Disclaimer: don't own it, never will

Summary: following FMA Brotherhood episode 63 what if the truth had a sense of humour and chooses something else?

Ed's perspective

I'm here again at the gate which took away my mother, which took away Al's body, which took away my arm and leg, I saw the white presence which call himself the truth, Faceless with only a mouth to respond. I stare at it hoping this would work, I wasn't going to lose more family and I wasn't going to use the philosopher's stone that was birth from innocent human lives. "So, we meet again Edward Eric, so what will you trade this time for your brother's body." the faceless being stated. "All is one, one is all, and that's what alchemy is. An alchemist have the ability to create and destroy things… this power is generated but the gate so I'm trading my gate!" I began solemnly but by the end I was yelling. The truth's smile changed, it mocked me "that's not good enough, Edward Eric." And before I knew it the gate opened and I was swallowed into its nothingness but the difference was I couldn't keep conscious, 'was it going to take my body for Al's' I though as I saw black.

The truth's perspective

Silly boy, first him and his brother tried to bring their mother back, the boy lost his brother in the process but he pulled his soul back. Humans just don't get it; nothing is equal in the world. Foolish beings, they think that they have the right to their powers. But I the truth have seen countless mortals do this again and again. Although this boy is foolish as he have grasped that this power is nothing but a sin in itself. I took his arm and leg, this time it's going to be different; his gate took him again but to change something within him. He is the only mortal that I have seen so many times of, twice in one day when he lost him mother again and his only brother about to be lost.

Ed's perspective

I woke up but the truth wasn't there, nothing was missing from my body! How? Why? I couldn't believe it, I look to where the truth should have been and only a piece of paper pointing at the gate across from me, and I picked it up it read.

Edward Eric

I the truth along decided on eqavalent exchange.

I held the piece of paper and walked through the gate and there was Al, we could finally go back home.

They walked through another gate and they were back.

Everyone gathered around the glowing light in the circle Edward and Alphonse appeared after the light dimmed. Ed was fully conscious, while Al was still in a slumbering state but no one expected this as they gathered around the two boys.

"You bastard, you finally decided that we were worth your time, good for nothing deadbeat!" the full metal alchemist yelled not at Hoenheim but at the blind colonel. The colonel didn't know how to respond. "leaving when mom just died how could you and just to get to the top of the freaking military how could you just stand there if it wasn't for you…" Ed continued on yelling. While Hoenheim and the others were trying to wake Al up. Mustang had to say something so he bluntly stated, "what are you talking about full metal?" which led to an argument which no one thought possible between the two alchemists.

When Al woke up, he say May, Hawkeye, his father, Mustang's team and various people from Briggs but not Ed. "where's my brother?" he turned to the person closest to him which happened to be Riza and asked. "He… I can't really explain it Al, he's here but he's arguing with the colonel." She said in a gentle motherly tone. His brother who finally noticed that he was away dragged the colonel to where he was and asked frastruatly. "will you tell our dad here to get his head out of the gutters, Al?"

Wait, what did his brother just called the colonel dad? How did? Was this even possible? It was a fact that only he knew, the colonel and their biological father when compared by Ed, the full metal alchemist would still say that the colonel's worse."D-dad…Ed, he's right!" Alphonse Eric never though the first thing he would see from Ed when he got his body back was a glare. "Come on le's get Al to the infirmary." Breda suggested. But before that happened the fullmetal alchemist turn into his chibi mode, pouted, crossed his arms and…. Kicked a blind Mustang in the shins, which almost everyone face palmed themselves, while a stream of curses came from said blind man's mouth.

During Al's stay, which now he knew why Ed hated hospital so much there was more arguing, even when their biological father was there, Ed would keep on saying "who is he, al is he another stray that you picked up, we're not keeping cats, and we're not keeping this thief or beggar or whatever he is. Put him back to where you found him", Ed would scold him. Unfortunately he and Mustang shared a room so after he's done scolding him, the colonel…. Got the other end. "And you, why did you leave mom?" which can only turn to another argument. One time, it seemed that Mustang was finally going to win when he brought up his age, 28. But, "you and mom got hitched when you were 13 and mom was 16. Mom told us all about it." Ed replied all too casually when Hoenhiem face palmed, Breda, Havoc, Falman were all gapping like fishes. Hawkeye had a glare on the colonel while he couldn't help but blush at the blunt statement.

It took several well considered questions from Hoenhiem which had to be asked by Roy but they figure out what the truth took, although it seems that the enternal presence did have mercy as it only modify the full metal alchemist's memories. Although after a few days Hoenheim decided to go back home, to Resambol.

Hoenhiem's perspective

I need to go back, maybe its better this way. But I left that young man my mess. Trisha, he finally called me dad. Although I don't know if I deserve the title.

Hoenheim closed his eyes, seeing his late wife's grave for the last time and finally moved on.

AN: Mustang's 28 and at this time in both the manga and anime Ed should be 15, with how Mustang is with women, it sort of make sense but I think Mustang's more suited anyways. So in this version the truth didn't took anything just modified Ed's memory to make him think that Mustang's his father, Ed at least went to the gate three or four times I'm not sure, in the anime version there was the philosopher's water which could've took him there, so the truth is more lenient with him. This is a multiple chapter story. Any questions go ahead and ask and review.