After a long while, Ed finally managed to get and hold a job for longer then an hour or two.

As it would be, becoming a rocket scientist eventually threw his life for a few many good loops. What with dealing with cults, a psychotic and/or paranoid woman, losing his dad, and finally finding a way home all but to have to immediately turn around and go back. To top it all off, it had been a very pleasant, though heart attack worthy, surprise to find that Al had managed to make his way back with him.

For the most part, excluding being reunited with his brother, being a rocket scientist had been a rather large disappointment.

And so, Ed was once again faced with the deed of finding himself a steady job. Especially with their father no longer able to help them, Ed knew it was his responsibility as the oldest sibling to become the provider. He would have done this happily and without complaint, had Al not managed to find a job before him.

It wouldn't have been nearly as bad of a blow to his ego if he hadn't been searching for a position for over two weeks and it had taken Al all but one afternoon to find one. Even that would have been bearable, had it not been that the only job he did end up landing was at the exact place Al worked. on his little brother's recommendation.

The thing that made it the worst though, and I mean the worst, for Edward Elric, was that said job with said little brother, was at a pet store.

Now, Ed had nothing against animals. They were nice for the most part, and they were pretty cute when they were little. In fact, as a little kid, Ed had been as much of an animal lover as Al was. It seemed, however, that animals had never been much of a lover of him. Where grown up ducks let Al much closer then normal to their young, they ferociously chased Ed away. Whenever the mice burrowed their way indoors for the winter, they always seemed to love to leave little surprises in Ed's shoes. Cats scratched him, dogs barked, birds squawked, hamsters gnawed, and he even had a turtle bite him once so hard it had taken a good minute or two to pry it off his little finger.

So, as you can plainly see, it wasn't that Edward Elric was an animal hater more so then it was that animals just simply did not like him. Knowing this, it should be no surprise to you that on his first day working there, Edward was let go.

No, he hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't yell at his boss. Or melt his arm. Or nearly faint. Or get his hair caught in the merchandise.

It was just that the merchendise, more or less, got caught up in him. Hurting him, that is.

Edward next three jobs followed the same suite...that being, he all got fired from them.

First there was the flower store job. It only took an afternoon of Edward sneezing up a storm for the owner to discover that he was allergic to a particular type of tulip the store was well known for.

Then there was the bar tending job. It had been going good for a while, that was, until a drunken customer had somehow mistaken Edward for a woman and had tried to cop a feel. As it stands, Edward still owes the bar money in compensation for the damages.

Lastly, there had been his attempt at becoming a firefighter. But, alas, when they had discovered he had prosthetics for a leg and an arm, they'd become a lot less inviting.

And so, amongst all of these failures, Edward did what any sane person would.

He sulked.

It was three days later that Alphonse decided it was high time to get his brother back on his feet and kick all the sulk bunnies out of his system. Knocking quietly on the door, Al was soon to let himself into his brother's room, closing the door behind him. He sighed at the sight of Ed still curled up in a ball underneath his sheets. Just like he'd been last time he'd checked on him...yesterday afternoon.

"Brother, how are you feeling today?"

Receiving no reply, Al sighed again. Really, for an eighteen year old man, Ed sure could act like a kid when he wanted to.

"Come on Brother, you can't stay in here forever. Let's go for a walk today, would you like that?"

Ed only pulled the sheets over his head. This time, Al groaned in pure frustration.

"Really Ed, I'm sure you'll find a job sooner or later. It's nothing to worry about, honestly!" Al said, sitting down on the corner of the bed.

Edward said something, the sheet muffling it to where Al couldn't make out the words.

"What was that Brother?"

At this, Ed's head popped out from underneath the sheets, an over exaggerated look of despair etched into his features.

"I. Lost. Three. Jobs. Three! Right in a row!"

"Come on Brother, it's not so bad."

Ed rolled his eyes and let his head fall back to his thin pillow.

"What good am I if I can't even hold down a job? The only thing I was really good at was alchemy, and I can't even do that on this side of the Gate."

Al frowned. Apparently his brother's sadness went deeper then just not being able to find steady work.

"Now don't say that Brother. There's plenty of things you're good at. There's no reason to think other wise."

"Name one."

"You've got your brain!" Al said triumphantly and instantly.

Ed raised his head, giving his brother a questioning look.

"It's as sharp as a tack! How many people can say that Brother?"

"But what's so great about a sharp mind if it can't land me a job?"

Al folded his arms and mock-glared at Ed.

"Maybe you're not looking in the right places."

Ed had opened his mouth to retort, found that he had nothing to say, and closed it again.

"Think about it Brother, before you decide to mope about for any longer." Al said, standing to leave.

Once Al had left the room, Ed lay there, thinking about what he had said.

Not looking in the right places. Not looking for the right job, huh?

-------------------------------

Not so much humor in this one, wait for part two, ok?!