A/N: I wrote this for the FMAXSkeletons live journal community. Now before questions are asked yes I realize that I wrote it in italics and it may seem somewhat vague. That was the intention. With that said I hope whoever reads this enjoys especially Moon Maiden who gave life to Edward Alexander. Arigatou for giving them to us sensei
Edward quickly crushed out his cigarette before opening the front door waving his hand in front of him to shoo away the diminishing smoke. It was a rare occasion these days that the elder Elric boy went to his parents house but his mother had insisted. Besides that his father had calmed down enough about him being gay to at least acknowledge his existence. It would be nice to see Rosie again, he reasoned…and Alex. His face broke into a smirk at the thought of his younger brother. He sighed and pushed open the front door walking through the living room.
"Mom I'm here!" He called out in his usual manner walking towards the kitchen. Terri Elric stood at the sink with her back turned to him clutching the counter her knuckles turning white. Edward stopped in his tracks and swallowed hard. His head began to pound as fear clutched him.
"Oh my god, something has happened; please don't let it be my Alexander." He thought to himself. "Mom is everything okay?" He asked out loud. Terri turned around quickly to face him her eyes puffy from crying as tears continued to stream down her face.
"Oh Edward, it's horrible just terrible." She sobbed bringing her hands to her face. Ed walked briskly to her wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She leaned against her son sobbing heavily against his chest.
"Mom…." He choked out fearing the worst. She looked up at him with her tear stained face only adding to his fear and confusion.
"Edward, something terrible has happened to someone in the family." She stated softly. Ed felt the tears well in his eyes threatening to spill over.
"Is it Alex?" He asked setting his jaw painfully tight preparing himself for the worst. Terri shook her head and Edward shut his eyes tightly breathing a few quick sporadic sighs of relief.
"I don't know if you remember Adan or not Ed, you haven't seen him since your Grandpa Ed's funeral…." She said pausing a moment for Ed to speak up. He shook his head the name not setting off any alarms.
"Adan Envy was adopted by Edward and Sayla…." She said. Ed raised an eyebrow.
"Sayla? Who's that?" He asked confused. Terri motioned for him to sit down at the table as she grabbed a kitchen towel and dabbed her eyes.
"Sayla Hosner Elric was married to Edward, so in sense she was your grandmother." She said. "You were very young when she died, its no wonder you don't remember her." Ed sat back in his seat with his arms crossed.
"Grandpa Ed was married…" He said slowly shaking his head slightly knowing that Alex would pay full price for this portion of family dirt. Terri nodded her head.
"By the time I met them they had already been married for over forty years and that was back in nineteen seventy four when I was fourteen. I was friends with their granddaughter Sierra, she was something else." Terri said smiling at some distant memory. "That girl didn't take crap from anyone, which lead her into a lot of trouble with your grandpa Ed let me tell you…" Ed smirked at the way her eyes gleamed as if she herself were a teenager again reliving days gone by with her friend.
"Uh mom I don't mean to bring you back to earth or anything but who's Sierra?" He asked breaking the silence. Terri looked at him taking a deep breath.
"Edward and Sayla had only one child, a daughter that they named Kairi-Ann. She died giving birth to her own daughter Sierra…" She said pointing at the table at different spots in front of her as if plotting a map.
"Okay…." He said trying to take all the new information in.
Alexander sat on his top bunk eyes wide as he listened to his older brother and lover tell him more of their family's interesting history.
"So get this right, Sierra married this Adan kid that grandpa Ed and Sayla adopted. They were married for a while then a few months before their first kid was supposed to be born Sierra was murdered." Ed said a smirk on his face as his golden eyes sparkled dangerously almost as if he were enjoying himself. Alexander clutched bunny closer to him as he shook his head.
"That's awful. What happened to the baby?" He asked. Ed stood up climbing into the bunk with him wrapping his arms around him tightly.
"Well she lived, I think mom said her name is Ambra…anyways Adan just passed away. Mom and dad are Ambra's legal guardians so she's going to be living with you guys I guess." He said. Alex's heart race at the prospect of having a living family member from the Elric's side other than his siblings and father.
"Did mom say how old she was?" He asked with bated breath. Ed shook his head once his eyes darting from side to side a clear sign that he was thinking.
"Uh, I think she said thirteen…something like that. She was born a little bit after Rosie I guess, like a year or so." He stated. Alex nodded.
"Yeah so then she's thirteen." He said settling into the comfort and warmth of his brothers arms. "I don't understand why grandpa didn't write about any of them in his journal." Ed looked down at his younger brother.
"Maybe he did and you just didn't see it or skipped over to get to the juicy parts." He teased. Alex untangled himself from his brother the thoughts bothering him that there was something in his grandfathers journal that he had missed. He opened the drawer he had gently placed it in taking it out berating himself the entire time for missing something so important. He read the first few entries before stopping his eyes growing wide.
"Brother look!" He said his body trembling. Ed jumped off the bunk somewhat perturbed at the look on Alex's face; his eyes were wide as the color drained from it considerably. He held open the book in his shaky hands on the verge of tears. Ed placed a finger along the binding in the middle.
"Pages were torn out…" He said his eyes narrowing as suspicion took over. Alex nodded flipping a few more pages before stopping again. He shook his head as tears flowed down his face.
"I don't understand why would anyone want to take out his entries…" He said. Edward placed a hand against Alex's cheek stroking it lightly.
"Al, it's just a book sweetie." He said. Alex closed the journal with a snap and glared daggers at his brother. Edward jerked his hand away as if he had been stung.
"No brother, it's not 'just a book'! This was grandpa's life! Why would someone want to take that from him?" He shouted dropping it on his desk nearly collapsing to the floor. Edward wrapped his strong arms around his smaller sibling and shook his head.
"It's possible that grandpa did, maybe it was too painful for him." Alexander shook his head quickly as if banishing the thought.
"No, no he would never do that! Not ever!" He stated forcefully. Edward sighed.
"Maybe this Ambra girl knows something. When she's settled and comfortable maybe she has an answer for you." He said. Alex looked up at him his eyes sparkling with unshed tears hopefully. His bottom lip quivered as he nodded his head once. Edward smiled at him laying a gentle kiss against it to stop the trembling.
Rosie helped Ambra into the house. The funeral had been hard on the young girl but for the most part she had handled it well. No one had really been able to get a clear read on her since she had been mute since she arrived at the Elric house but Benjamin and Terri knew that she would warm up to them in time, Ed wasn't so sure. Not only that but Alex was a mess; he was on pins and needles to ask her if she knew about Alphonse, Edward and her own grandmother Sayla. How much did she know? Was the question that reverberated through out his head. Benjamin walked inside holding the door for Terri. Ed sighed walking closer to Alex both knowing he had to leave. The urge to embrace the other and kiss deeply was overwhelming and downright painful but for now it was necessary to suppress those urges in certain places.
"I'll call you tomorrow okay…" Ed said a soft smirk gracing his lips. Alex nodded fighting the urge to sob.
"I know brother…I love you…" He whispered his eyes darting behind him quickly making sure no one was in ear shot. Edward smiled widely closing his eyes as if he had just been given a shot of morphine.
"I love you too baby, you know that…" He said softly. Alex nodded again quickly taking a deep sigh. Good byes were never easy for them to say but at that point in their lives necessary. A day would come when the two could be openly together. Alex smiled at the prospect as Edward walked away from him down the sidewalk. He knew that a day would come when he would take Edward for his husband. Life would be perfect.
The night had been uneventful and quiet. Painfully quiet. Ambra had gone to bed early bunking with Rosie, Alex had watched her silently slip up the stairs seemingly floating up her foot falls barely audible. She wasn't the tallest person in the world but people made noise when they moved didn't they? The way she did seemed almost unnatural to him. He himself had fallen asleep reading the journal again wondering who would rip the pages out and why. He walked downstairs to the kitchen sleepily rubbing his eyes as he readjusted his pony tail and squinted as light poured in from the living room. He walked over slowly peering in. Ambra sat in his father's reclining chair. She sat Indian style with her elbows propped against her knees her hands supporting her head reading papers. Alex's heart nearly jumped from his chest. He gasped walking quickly into the room.
"Those are from the journal! Where did you get them from!?" He demanded. Ambra jumped staring at him with wide golden eyes.
"What?" She asked. Alex snatched the top page she had been reading from her keeping it away from her outstretched hands. "Hey! That's mine!" She whispered fiercely.
"Where did you get these?" Alex asked his eyes scanning the familiar handwriting.
"They were given to me for safe keeping, they're mine now!" She said gathering up the rest of them.
"Who, who gave them to you!" He suppressed the urge to shout. Ambra's eyes teared over as she shook her head.
"My dad did…these, they belong to me. They're mine, my history. My grandma Sayla wanted me to have them." She said. Alex gasped in surprise.
"Sayla took them then…" He said aloud.
"I don't know what you mean but she gave them to my dad to give to me when I was older." She said. Alex sat down on the sofa and stared at her a while. Ambra sat as well returning the stare.
"How much do you know?" He asked abruptly. Ambra wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.
"The family secret you mean? About Grandpa Ed and Alphonse…" She said. Alex nodded.
"So you do know then…" He said. Ambra nodded.
"Yeah my dad never told me. I read it, but when I asked him about it he knew what I was talking about." She replied.
"All the journal entries that have anything to do with Sayla or her offspring are in those pages aren't they?" Alex asked.
"I guess, why are you so interested?" She asked. Alex stood up motioning for her to follow him. They walked up the stairs turning into his bedroom. Ambra stood in the doorway for a moment before hesitantly moving inside.
"Do you know who wrote all of that that you're holding Ambra?" Alex asked sitting on the lower bunk patting next to him. Ambra sat down cautiously.
"Grandpa Ed did right?" She asked. Alex nodded reaching under the pillow producing the journal.
"Yes that's right, he wrote those pages and this is the journal that he wrote them in." Alex stated. Ambra's eyes grew wide as her hand ran across the hardcover. She licked her lips as her body shuddered.
"Equivalent exchange." She said suddenly. "We switch, my pages for your journal." Her voice came out hungrily as if she wanted to devour every word of it. Alex smirked and nodded.
"Exchange accepted." He said taking the pages from her as she grasped the journal to her, clutching it to her chest. Ordinarily Alex would have told her to be careful but he knew it was in safe hands.
I begged Sayla to marry me. The thought of Alphonse marrying Anya became too much for me to bare. I can't be alone…I just can't. The sick thing is I knew Sayla would say yes, she would do anything for Al and me. Ever since we were all kids back in Amestris, when we were the full metal and singing alchemists, Sayla did everything for us, anything to make us happy. Even as adults she still does, so I knew she would say yes. I just hope I can be a good husband for her, make her as happy as she has made us.
-Ed
Alex shook his head slowly.
"That's so sad." He stated softly. Ambra looked up from the journal carefully turning a page.
"Oh it gets better." She said. Her fingers fell upon a part where the page that Alexander was reading had once belonged. "Are you done with that?" She asked. Alex nodded. Ambra took it from him tucking it carefully in the journal. Alex smiled softly.
"I wonder why Sayla took them out in the first place." He wondered out loud. Ambra shook her head.
"I don't know, neither did my dad. He said that a while after my mom died while I was still in the hospital she just walked up to him and gave them all to him. She told him to keep them safe, she wanted me to know first hand about everyone." She replied. Alex placed a finger to his lips and tapped them in contemplation.
"Maybe she was afraid that if something happened to the journal you would never know." He stated. Ambra shrugged.
"Maybe I don't know. So where did you find this Alex?" She asked.
"My mom was cleaning out grandpa's stuff from the garage and I found it, along with this." He said producing the picture. Ambra took the old photograph in her hand and smiled.
"Grandpa Edward and that must be Alphonse next to him." She stated softly. The way that Ed looked up at Al as the younger, yet taller, brother laid a gentle hand against his shoulder made her smile. "They really loved each other." Alex nodded taking the picture back smiling as well.
"Yeah they did." He said.
"I feel so sorry for them, the way that things turned out. Well not too sorry…because if things hadn't then neither of us would be here right now." She said with a small giggle in her voice.
"Yeah tell be about it." He said chuckling softly. A few more pages were read both engrossed in the words of their grandfather.
"So Edward was my real grandfather or rather great-grandfather but you do know that Alphonse is you guy's right?" Ambra asked after a few minutes had passed.
"Yeah, I know. I read it and oh man that threw me for a loop." He replied.
"Must have, that was like; my dad gave me the pages when he found out he was sick. He wanted to give them to me when I was older but he figured he didn't have a lot of time left so yeah…even though in those pages it doesn't come right out and say it it's heavily implied. I re-read the same sentences like five times before finally asking my dad if I had read them right." She said with that giggle lacing her voice again. Alex laughed softly
"Same here, I pretty much reacted the same way as you did. It was just weird at first to think that kind of disturbing." Ambra nodded in agreement.
"Who are we to judge though…." She asked somewhat amused. Alex slowly nodded his head as his eyes began to shut on their own.
"Well I'm going to sleep." He said climbing into the top bunk. "You can stay in here if you want. The bottom bunk's pretty comfy." Ambra yawned tucking the journal and the stray papers underneath the pillow.
"Thanks, I think I will." She said already climbing underneath the covers resting her head into the soft down of the pillow. Rain began to pelt the window outside causing Alex to stare at the ceiling for several moments. He sighed listening to Ambra's steady breathing as she drifted off to sleep. He smirked closing his eyes. It had been a while since someone else had slept in his room with him, since Ed had. At first he imagined that it was in fact Edward beneath him resting but dismissed the thought. It was Ambra, an apparently unique girl that he felt drawn to in a way he couldn't quite describe.
I don't know if I can do this, when we got home today Al Sayla was sitting at the table crying. Anya was comforting her which was odd since those two have been at it ever since you proposed to Anya, anyways Sayla was crying sending both of us into frenzy. The last time we had seen Sayla cry was back in Amestris on the night we all left for this world. At first I didn't know what to think, you were the one who went next to her holding her to you begging her to say what was wrong. She couldn't she was sobbing so hard. Anya said the words; I'm going to be a father…..
Ed
"Your skipping parts…" Ambra chastised as the two sat on the porch swing, Alex reading the papers and Ambra reading from the journal.
"Well you had them all out of order." He said.
"So fix them." She replied. Alex sighed and shook his head. Ambra had been living with them for nearly a month, naturally she had good days and bad days but they always seemed to clear when ever Alex was around her. She had admitted with a blush that he had a calming effect on her, that his presence soothed her soul. Alexander had to admit to himself that seeing her made his day brighter and a little less painful without his brother around. Edward hadn't been able to stop by since the day of the funeral or called in a couple weeks, it unnerved Alex but not as it usually would have. After school and homework was done he would sit and chat with Ambra about their family. Normally the conversations would turn to just how much had Sayla loved Al. It was implied a few times that the two had had a relationship but that didn't make sense, Al had been with Ed right? Or had he been with both of them? Ambra had suggested that maybe the lovers had in fact been a trio but Alex had dismissed it; you only fall in love with one person and that was that. The subject had been dropped abruptly but it had caused an uneasy feeling to settle into his stomach one he couldn't seem to rid himself of. Terri strolled out of the house keys in hand jingling them in front of Alex. He looked up and nodded with a smirk.
"Piano lessons….want to go for the ride?" He asked Ambra. She shook her head.
"No I think I'll stray here." She replied. Alex shrugged handing her the papers before walking towards the car. Ambra read on distinctly aware that they had pulled away. She was engrossed in the journal, she turned a page and came to a section where small fringes of paper had been torn away. She sighed and shook her head slightly.
"Grandma why did you rip them out; I don't understand." She said softly.
"Oh no, he has you reading that now?" A voice said. Ambra looked up to see the tall blond teen walking towards her cigarette dangling from in between his lips. She smiled shyly at her older cousin.
"Hi Ed." She said sweetly. Ed smiled taking the cigarette away from his mouth to rest between his fingers.
"Hi to you too." He said with a wave. "Is Alex home?" He asked walking up onto the porch. Ambra shook her head.
"No he had piano lessons." She replied. Ed flicked his cigarette away sitting next to her on the swing.
"I see, well then I guess you'll have to entertain me then." He said smirking. Ambra cast him a side glance.
"Sorry I didn't bring my jester hat." She said. Ed laughed a nice deep laugh that sent Ambra's heart into flutters. She cleared her throat glancing back down at the journal.
"So how bad did he bug you until you caved in?" Ed asked. Ambra glanced at him again.
"What do you mean?" Ed motioned towards the journal.
"This? I wanted to read it, Alex and I we made a trade." She said. Ed raised an eyebrow at her.
"A trade huh? That for what?" He asked curiously knowing that the journal was one of his brother's prized possessions, he wouldn't have just handed it over. Ambra held up a small stack of pages that were identical to the ones in the journal.
"These…" She said. Ed took the stack and examined it flipping through the pages.
"Oh, that makes sense; trade the journal for the missing journal pages. Geez; tell me something are you just as obsessed as he is?" Edward asked. Ambra shrugged.
"Well I wouldn't say obsessed but it's interesting." She said. This time it was Ed's turn to shrug.
"That's all ancient history, I mean some of that stuff is almost a hundred years old." He stated. Ambra stared at him for a moment curiously.
"How can you not think it's interesting? I mean yeah you're right it is ancient history but its our history. There are so many people that I've met who wonder what they're parents or grandparents were like as kids and here we're given a view into that world thanks to Grandpa Ed." She said with a smirk. Ed shook his head.
"That sounds like something Alexander would say." He replied. Ambra resumed her reading.
"I'm right though." She replied with a smirk. Ed stared at her and shook his head.
"Never said you weren't." He replied. For an instant he felt as if he were engaged in one of his and Alex's lover's quarrels. Although Ed had known for quite some time that he was gay he still found the opposite sex to be somewhat endearing simply because they were different. As a painter he found beauty in all things and Ambra Envy-Elric was indeed quite lovely. Her skin was the figurative peaches and cream complexion untainted or marred by blemishes that many teenagers her age had to suffer with, Ed had been no exception. Long dirty blond hair fell past her shoulders in cascades covering her face as she leaned forward to better adjust herself. What fascinated him most were her eyes, mostly because they were his. The only other person he had ever met with golden eyes had been his senior until he had met her. Apparently from what he had been told as small children he and his siblings had spent a good deal of time with Ambra, their grandfather babysat for all of them. Edward remembered his grandfather but not Ambra which perturbed him somewhat but he shook it off as selective remembering being that back then Ambra would have just been a toddler while he had been in the middle of his childhood but still….he found it odd; the pages had been torn out of the journal and Ambra and Adan had disappeared from the family that from what he had come to understand had been fairly tight knit until Edward senior passed away.
"Ambra where have you been all this time?" Ed asked. Ambra glanced up at him. She furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Ed brought his attention the front yard as he searched for something to say.
"Well I mean all these years where were you and your dad staying?" He asked. Ambra shut the journal and sighed.
"The states, that's where I grew up at for the most part. Dad wanted to be closer to mom since she had died while they were visiting over there." She said her face drawing down in a frown. Ed mulled over what she had said deciding it was a valid answer. He glanced back over at her and gasped softly as tears slowly fell from her eyes and down her cheeks. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly taking both of her hands in one of his.
"It's okay, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you sad." He said as she rested her head against his strong chest. She nodded a small sob escaping her lips. "It will be okay so no more tears alright? I don't want to see you cry ever again. Understand?" He asked lifting her chin to look at him. Her golden eyes flashed a sparkled as tears continued to stream down her face as she stared at him. A small smile graced her lips as she nodded her head once slightly. Ed's mouth hung open at the gesture, his heart raced as he felt his body begin to tremble. His mouth went dry as he licked his lips unable to control what he was doing. A moment later his lips were pressed against hers tightly, she muffled a small surprised cry as he held her to him closely. Ed trembled as he attempted to deepen the kiss feeling her own small trembling form soften against him. He abruptly pulled away staring at her wide eyed mouth still agape. Ambra brought a trembling hand to her lips her eyes downcast to the floor. Ed stood up shaking his head as he ran a hand through his long hair.
"No, this….this isn't right. I shouldn't be feeling this way for you; not for you." He said beginning to pace back and forth clumsily grabbing his pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lighting one. He took a shaky breath of nicotine and exhaled. He sat on the railing of the porch taking another drag of his cigarette eyes narrowing to stare at her as he did so. She had her head hung down while her eyes occasionally glanced at him. "It's nothing against you, believe me its nothing like that its just well I'm gay and there's someone else." Ed ranted on. Ambra lifted her head to glance at him. Ed flicked his cigarette away and got off the railing to kneel in front of her. He took her hands in both of his and stared into her eyes as panic seized him. "Please don't tell Alexander." He said his voice tight as it choked in his throat. Ambra stared at him cocking her head to the side in question before realization hit slowly creeping into her eyes. Edward nodded his head a few times affirming what she was thinking. Ambra looked away again.
"Edward, there's something you should know then; being that you are Alex's boyfriend." She stated. Ed felt an uneasy wave hit him.
"What's that?" He asked curiously. Ambra glanced at him nervously a few times tightening her grip on his hands before sighing bringing her eyes downcast again. Her hair fell into her face masking it from Ed as she spoke softly.
"I really like Alex." She mumbled. Ed's eyes widened at her admittance.
"Okay well exactly how much is a lot?" He asked feeling dumb founded.
"I think I'm falling in love with him but I'm not sure." She replied. Edward stood back up to sit on the porch swing.
"Okay…" He said taking a deep breath. Ambra sighed. They sat in silence for a while not knowing what to say. Ambra's eyes settling on a few pages sticking out of the journal her eyes picking out her grandmothers name, Sayla. Her father had often told her that despite her eyes she was the exact duplicate of her great-grandmother from her appearance to her habits right down to her voice. In many situations she would ask herself what would Sayla have done? What would she do? This was one of those times. Sayla had apparently cared very deeply for Alphonse, she had been supportive of the brothers in the sense that she wanted them both to be happy, from what her grandfather had written she would have done anything to ensure that they both were. Sayla had been extremely distraught when Anya broke up Ed and Al's relationship causing the two to apparently be at odds nearly up until the day Anya passed onto the gate. Al married Anya, Edward married Sayla. Ed still loved Al, was still semi intimate with him but what role had Sayla played during those years? Ambra bit her lip as her previous question returned. What would Sayla have done? Ambra turned her full attention to Edward who sat staring at her his own eyes flashing like lightening as his thoughts swirled in his head. Hesitantly Ambra edged closer to him, certain that he would back away however he didn't.
"Edward, do you think that history repeats itself?" She asked. Ed bit his lower lip turning his gaze away, not even Alexander had this power over him so why did a girl he had just practically met posses it?
"I guess, I don't really know." He replied. Ambra laced her fingers through his.
"Well I do. I believe that through you and Alex, Edward and Alphonse are able to finally be together in ways they never could before." She said. Edward narrowed his eyes as he thought he caught wind of where this conversation was headed.
"Ambra; you're a really nice girl and I'm sorry for kissing you because I shouldn't have but Alexander and I are in a very serious relationship, there really isn't any room for anyone else." He replied. Ambra smirked at him graciously.
"I know that Edward you can't help how you feel about your brother, just like grandpa Ed couldn't help how he felt about his…" She said standing up. She grabbed the journal in her hands and began to walk to the front door. "Sayla cared very deeply for Ed and Al too, she couldn't help it. History repeats itself in our family Edward, in more ways than one. Never forget." She turned the door knob walking into the house and closed the door behind her leaving Edward alone with his thoughts. He had thought about leaving, heading back to his own apartment across town when his mother pulled the SUV into the driveway. Alex stepped out of the vehicle barely able to contain his excitement at the sight of his older brother. Terri walked to her eldest son giving him a quick hug saying that he was staying for dinner whether he liked it or not and entered the house. Alex bounded up the porch steps giving a quick glance around him. He smiled seeing they were the only ones in the vicinity of the area. He laid a soft fluttery kiss against Edward's lips causing his brother's heart to speed up once again. Alex soon frowned however as he took in the look on Ed's face. He looked bewildered, it sent his heart into frenzy. Alexander quickly sat next to his brother close enough to feel his warmth.
"Brother what is it? What's wrong?" He asked. Edward closed his eyes tightly. He weighed the option of telling Alex what he had done as opposed to not telling him. He agreed that it was odd that both he and his brother strongly resembled the two Elric brothers that had come before them and even more so that both pairs turned to each other in search of a soul mate. What if Ambra was right, that history was simply repeating itself and she was the missing piece. Edward turned to his brother gently taking his hand in his not caring who might see or what they would think.
"Alex I don't exactly know how to say this so I'm just going to come out and say it." He said. Alex nodded his head slowly once knitting his brows together in confusion.
"Brother you know you can tell me anything." He stated encouraging the other to continue. Ed took in a deep shaky breath in an attempt to control his trembling and nodded his head. He brought his eyes to meet Alex's and smirked. Alexander was beautiful, everything about him was perfect. Edward could simply get lost in his eyes, the way they darkened and lightened in the span of mere seconds. He brought a hand to his brother's cheek and trailed it up to brush his bangs away from his eyes only to have them fall back down again. Edward lowered his gaze again.
"Alexander, I was talking with Ambra. She was talking about history repeating itself and how she was wondering where Sayla fit into the family puzzle before Al married Anya and Ed married her; long story short I….I kissed her Al." He said softly. He didn't have to look up to know that tears were forming in the others eyes or to physically touch his brother to feel his body tense. Alex felt his heart shatter as tears fell down his face in cascades. He brought a hand to his chest closing his eyes tightly against the pain.
"What happened after that?" He choked out his voice coming out more as a sob than anything else. Ed shook his head quickly.
"Nothing, I apologized to her and she went inside. Oh Alex, baby, please forgive me." Edward sobbed out bringing a hand to his eyes to stop the tears before they fell.
"Did you like it?" He asked. Edward instinctively wanted to answer no that he had hated it, that it had made him sick but that would have been a lie and his Al deserved better than that from him, after everything he had put up with that Edward did he deserved the truth. Edward slowly nodded his head. Alexander let out a shaky sigh as he wiped at his nose.
"So where do we go from here?" He asked. Edward only shook his head.
"I don't understand it, I was so sure…I know I love you Al I honestly do…." He choked out from the tightness of his throat. Alex nodded taking Edwards hand in his once again for comfort.
"I know that you do brother…I don't have any doubts about that." He replied.
"I was just so sure that I was gay and now this? I'm just confused." He said. Alex let out a slow shaky sigh.
"Maybe we should go to the source of this." He said. Edward looked up at him his face red and blotchy, golden eyes set against blood shot red.
"Ambra…" He said. Alexander nodded. Edward nodded also in agreement. Both brothers walked into the house Alex in the lead. He stopped in front of the cellar door. Ed smirked as he reached out for the door knob stepping down the wooden steps. Years of memories sprung to his mind, years of racing down to his studio escaping the world around him engulfing himself in his art. He was glad that the room was still an escape for someone. Ambra sat on a wooden stool reading intently from the journal so entranced by its words she didn't even see either of them approach her. They stopped in front of her staring down at her quietly. Once they're shadows fell over her she glanced up but otherwise made no indication she realized they were there.
"I believe that history repeats itself, the three of us are living proof." Ed said. Ambra continued to read.
"Edward and Alphonse were together as a couple, but Sayla was with them at the same time wasn't she? You know that don't you; because you were told by your father." Alexander said. Ambra sighed closing the journal shutting her eyes in the process.
"Edward Sayla and Alphonse were always together, from the time that Sayla and Al were ten and Ed was eleven. Not because they wanted to be necessarily but because they had to be. They were three incomplete people unless they were together, it just so happened that they turned to being lovers. As far as Sayla and Al goes I don't know to what extent but after Al married Anya, Ed married Sayla. In nineteen forty six years after they were married Kairi-Ann was born. Fifteen years later Al was dead and Benjamin was born. Four years later Kairi-Ann married Tim Havoc. A few months later he was dead and Kairi was pregnant. During child birth she just gave up and ended up dying. Ed Sayla and Anya took Benjamin and Sierra and moved to Minnesota where they raised them. In nineteen seventy four Adan Envy was taken from his abusive father and placed in the Elrics custody. Six years later he married Sierra Havoc-Elric, they were married for twenty three years; Ed and Sayla moved to Japan but had never sold they're house. When the adults found out they urged them to do so and everyone made a trip to the states. Adan's father caught wind of it, he tracked them down and murdered Sierra out of hateful spite; to try and show his son that he still controlled him. Sayla went insane with grief, which was why she ripped out the pages that had anything to do with her, Kairi-Ann my mother or me; she was terrified that we had been cursed. She figured that if no one knew much about them no harm could come to me. Shortly after Sierra died Sayla did too. Then after Edward died dad moved back to the states to be near mom. He's with all of them now; my mom my grandmother and grandfather, my great-grandfather and Alphonse. They're all there except for Edward…" She said as if reciting it automatically, seeming as if it had drilled into her head over the course of time. Ed and Alex stared at her unable to speak each a mirror of the other, staring in mute shock. Ambra smirked at their response.
"I guess you could say my dad was relying on me to inform you guys about our family history because he knew that Benjamin never would." She stated.
"From embarrassment?" Alexander asked softly.
"Some but mostly pain, that was why I was so glad that you already knew. I'm glad that the two of you found each other too and me." She said shaking her head slowly from side to side. Ed brought a hand to his face drumming his fingers against his face deep in thought.
"Three incomplete souls made whole, not necessarily by being lovers but always together." He stated. Ambra smiled and nodded.
"Yes." She said. Alex took and deep breath and smiled back.
"I guess there's room for one more." He replied.
Alexander shot straight up out of bed from his dead sleep. He looked around at his surroundings quickly. He was in Ed's apartment, how was that possible when a few moments ago he had been at his own house. Edward stirred rubbing his eyes his fingers falling upon his brother's bare back.
"Hey what's wrong?" He asked groggily. Alex turned his face to stare at his brother.
"Brother where's Ambra?" He asked. Edward propped himself up on his elbow.
"Who?" He asked yawning loudly as he did so.
"Ambra, our cousin; the one that's living at the house." He said. Edward stared at him strangely.
"Al we don't have any cousins, both mom and dad were only children." He replied. Alexander shook his head as his mouth hung open slightly.
"No we have a cousin. Her name is Ambra Envy-Elric. Grandpa Ed married and she's his great-granddaughter. I can prove it." He said grasping at his bag that laid next to the mattress. He opened it reaching in expecting to find the pages that he had exchanged with her. Instead his finger tips bumped into the hard cover of the journal. His breath caught in his throat and chest as he brought it out. Desperately he turned a page to a part he knew pages had been torn out of. He ran his fingers along the inner binding expecting to feel the small rough edge from Sayla's assault on the journal but there was nothing. The pages were apparently all in tact. Edward stared at his brother as he slammed the journal down to the floor.
"Al are you…feeling okay?" He asked becoming concerned. He placed a hand on his shoulder feeling him shudder with silent sobs. "Oh baby don't…" He said wrapping his arms around his younger brother. Alex fell into his brother's arms with the sickening realization that it had been a dream, all of it. The closeness he had felt to Ambra, the emotion he held for her and the need to have her in both of their lives lingered but she was only a fabrication. A made up figure placed into the world he so often consumed himself with. He shook his head as his tears fell hot upon his brothers warm skin knowing that in the end Sayla had gotten her wish; Ambra was somewhere no one, not physical or divine, could find her, tucked away in the corridors of his mind as well as his heart.