Chimeras Still Love Their Daddies

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies. I am grateful to be able to create a one shot from this beautiful concept.

Daddy promised that he would play with me today.

All that daddy did today was sit in his office with the doors barred and I had to wait outside with Alexander. I knew that daddy would keep his promise because he had never broken one before! Daddy has cared for me ever since mummy left home two years ago and now I have to help daddy back.

The clock strikes five O'clock and I spring to my feet because that is the time that my big brothers finish their studying at! Any moment and they would burst out of the research room. But they are not here today. They had to go home. As long as I get to play with them another day with Alexander and daddy, then I would be very, very happy.

I can hear daddy sighing at his desk, scrunching up paper and if I listen carefully, it will crackle in the fire. Alex doesn't like the sound as he shuts his eyes like a scaredy-cat but daddy is not scary at all! He has to work very hard and he loves us very much. I don't mind if we play at night – we can tell ghost stories and play hide and seek in the mansion! But Alexander always barks so I lose.

Rumble. Thunder is crackling above within a huge belly of clouds! It is going to burst open with rain soon and I will jump in the puddles and show daddy how much I have been practicing! Big brother Al is always the best though but he is much taller than me, so he doesn't count. I am the winner because I beat big brother Ed and Alexander on my first try.

Daddy has just turned his study light off! He is finally coming out! I did not have to wait very long though. I was becoming a little bit worried that he would forget and not keep his promise, but I have to remember that my daddy is the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker! I am so proud of him and I know his bosses in the blue uniform know how amazing he is too.

My feet are hopping on the spot in excitement and I have sleep in my eyes but I rub them quickly away as daddy steps into the hallway light. He looks tired with big, dark shadows beneath his eyes, but they are glowing blue just like mine! Smiling as the storm rolls in the sky, I grin at him back and run up to hug his legs.

"I knew daddy could do it! You worked it out didn't you? You beat the exam!" I cry as Alexander barks to match the butterflies in my tummy. I finally get to spend time with daddy. I really am proud of him being an alchemist, but to be honest, I prefer it when he is being a dad.

"Yes, Nina. Daddy has finished his work. Let daddy put his equipment away downstairs and we will go and play," daddy hurried away to tidy up his basement room. He does lots of cool stuff down there, but I have never seen it. It was for grown-ups.

I whisk down the bannister to put my coat on. The rain had not started yet! If we hurry we can make it outside! I skid to a halt as I pass my bedroom and see the letter I had written on the floor. Mummy had had so many letters but I had never made one for daddy. So I wrote him a letter. "To daddy, thank you for playing with me and Alexander today. We know you are very busy but you are such a good daddy for spending time with us when you have a difficult test to do. Lots of love, Nina and Alexander xxx"

I hope he likes it. I tried to make a present but that did not work so I grab the flowers that big brother Ed made for me. Tucking the letter inside the flowers, I stand up to follow daddy with Alexander skipping at my sides. I hum a song that I do not know the words too – daddy says that mummy sang it to me when I was a baby.

Hm hm hm hm, I walk in time as I hum. The song reminds me of mummy. It's sad because I can't remember what she looked like. Daddy says she had the most beautiful blue eyes and brown hair, just like mine! She is very sick though and can't take care of me or Alexander. We are with daddy all of the time, but I wouldn't change my home for the world.

I have my very own bedroom and play room! There are loads of toys in boxes which daddy lets me keep out in case they don't finish an adventure in time before I go to bed. I haven't been in the play room for a while now. I prefer it by the fire crackling like lightning, and daddy will read a book to me. It would be an alchemy book and I know that my big brothers would love them too, I don't understand much. I want to help daddy in every way that I can, and if he can learn his work when he reads to me, then I don't mind.

Alexander runs into the kitchen every time. He always thinks about food. I can't see the windows – the plates are stacked up too high. They wobble and when daddy was working once, I kept putting plates on to see if they would fall over. In the end the pile became too high for me. Alexander ran away when I tried to stand on his back, so I reached for a chair and I fell backwards straight away! Daddy didn't hear me though, but I'm sure he would have laughed to see me on the floor. I wanted to make him happy. It was really difficult for him to smile and learn, but when he has finished learning, I'll challenge him to a plate stacking competition. Alexander can be the referee.

There was my bedroom, the bannister, the stairway, the kitchen, the hallway and then the dining room. In the middle of the table there was a bowl, and something new was there, like a strange white colour. I didn't know daddy liked flowers! But as I jumped past the chairs knocking them to the floor, I noticed its folded shape. It was paper…Crash. The first rain drop is falling, and it's only pattering. We have enough time to get our coats on and then our wellies secured and grab the keys before the real storm begins. It's been so wet and dry and wet and dry. But the sky has never been this excited before – it feels just like me!

I gaze around. There was just a flicker in the corridor. Daddy must have been turning the lights off in the study. Thunder grumbled again. The house has suddenly slipped into darkness, but I'm too old to be scared. I can hear Alexander sniffing at the bowl of paper, and he has started to growl. "Don't be such a baby, Alex!" I tease, but I feel my body edging closer to him. I always have a light on in the dark. Daddy scares away the ghosts from me before I go to sleep. Daddy's always there, and I know I will be fine.

The fire has been switched off. It's chilly, and I can see little clouds when me and Alexander breathe. It's like we are having our own storm inside of our home! I have my arms around his neck and I shiver. Suddenly, I remembered we are next to the fire and I call for him.

"Daddy, could you come and turn the fire on? It's really cold and if we go out and play, it will be very warm when we come back inside!"

There is silence.

"Big brother Ed taught me how to make a hot chocolate! It's the best ever and I'll make it even better for you, daddy!"

I finally hear his footsteps coming towards me. Hooray! I hop on the spot because I'm so nervous and excited. The rain has started to fall a little bit harder now. It's more of a patter than a drizzle. We're getting closer to the storm! I forget about my cold body and stretch my legs to hurry out of the door to get my coat. I can get daddy's too if he is turning on the fire now.

The lights turn on. They're really bright and I have to let my eyes squint from the scary darkness, but it's all okay now. It's all okay now. My heart is pounding just a little bit. And then I see daddy's feet, but his face is hidden in the dark behind the door. Maybe he has dropped something.

"Here, let me get that for you, daddy!" I skid beneath his feet. My hands skim across the floor, tracing its wooden pattern, when I realise that there is nothing there. I shake my head for being such a silly girl when I can feel him lean over behind me. He is bending towards the ground too. I really was silly – daddy could find it in three seconds!

"Where is it, daddy?"

"Nowhere, sweetheart."

I can hear him sigh. Perhaps he doesn't like the storms as I do. Perhaps he is sleepy and wants to go to bed. I could read him a story like he does to me. My feet begin to step backwards towards the stairs but they are beginning to go numb a little. My body is suddenly feeling heavy like it does before I go to sleep. Alexander is by my side and I bury a hand into his fur, thick and creamy like a blanket. It's warm.

"I don't mind about the fire or puddle jumping competitions. Let's go upstairs, daddy," I say.

He has started to talk but his voice is so quiet, I think he is not talking to me. He can't be talking to Alexander, I could hear him panting in front of me. Daddy is still behind me. I stop for a moment and I turn around to see if he needs my help. He must be trying to remember something really important. That's okay.

I yawn, "Daddy, I'm really sleepy."

"I have to, I have to, I must and if I don't my whole career is going to suffer if I fail then every funding the state has ever given to me is going to stop just like that and I'll be on the streets not every experiment can end in a failure this one I know will be a success it has to be I need the money I need their support I need the pocket watch!" Daddy has just started to laugh. It was quiet but now it's as loud as the thunder. I think he really is tired.

"I'm going to bed now, daddy. Thank you for being the best!" My hands curl around the bannister. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Daddy wants to play with you now." The blanket appears from nowhere and I struggle and can't breathe. My whole world is surrounded by darkness like the black storm clouds. It's murky and stuffy under the covers, but I guess that means daddy really does want to play with me. I didn't know that he liked playing hide and seek! I tremble against the fleece but it's really tight and I can't feel my feet. They're not on the ground.

It's okay, daddy's going to play with me…he never broke his promises…but my head is all giddy now. If I can just rest my head on the pillow, daddy will read me a story, and then I begin to fall asleep. Daddy will tuck me in and Alexander will shuffle at the end of the bed. He makes the bed squeak and I sometimes fall to one side, but he is always there to protect me, just like daddy. Daddy scares the dark ghosts away and turns my light on so it glows like a firefly in the night. He tells me how much he loves me. I was his little Nina, and when he was around, nothing in the world could hurt me. As the door squeaks shut and Alexander rests his head by my side, we fall asleep together and have sweet dreams without any mean creepy crawlies. The best dreams are when my big brothers are there with me and Alexander and daddy. And sometimes, even my mummy is there.

I think of how mummy left and never came back for us. She loved us very much like daddy does. Maybe daddy is taking me to see her now. But I'm so sleepy…daddy must be taking me to bed. The letter skitters to the floor from my hands. He doesn't see it. Everything goes quiet. I think I fall asleep but some part of me stays awake.

I hear the wince of Alexander in pain, the thudding of feet on the floorboards, the rusty creak of a door opening and then the jostling of stairs. There must have been a thousand stairs. And as the door slams shut behind me, lightning splits the sky open.