The walk home was always a time that Ed looked forward to. It was a time where his children spoke to him, blabbing on about there day, and he always felt like he was connecting with them. With his brother there with him, though, it felt like old times in Rizembool when he his brother and his mother would though. Only now the roles had changed, now he was the doting parent that walked his kids home. As he had his arm around his beautiful wife he felt like he had finally gotten peace.
Until Winry began questioning James about what he had done.
"Okay so here's what happened, I was practicing making transmutation circles, like Dad told me I should do. Then some guy came over and started pushing me around telling me I couldn't do alchemy and I was a loser and stuff like that. So I drew a circle that was supposed to transmute his shoes to the ground, but instead it backfired because I messed up a symbol. That's when it started a small fire which I quickly put out."
"If by quickly you mean that you panicked around the school yard until I grabbed the fire extinguisher, than yes you were very quick about getting the fire out." Smirked Matt.
"James you're grounded from seeing Myleena for a 2 weeks and no alchemy for 2 weeks."
"But Mom!"
"You wanna make it 3?"
"No Ma'am." He said putting his head down. Alchemy didn't hurt him as much as losing his girlfriend for 2 weeks.
"I still don't see why I can't see her." He mumbled.
"You won't have any time to see her this summer anyways so shut your complaining."
"What do you mean?" He questioned.
"I'll explain tonight at supper."
.
.
The streets of the Marketing district weren't too crowded today. Maybe it was because of the heat or it could have been the impending storm. Regardless, it made the trip much plus the fact that not many buggies were own the road, Penelope was able to zip through the street.
She parked her bike in front of the shipment office and quickly walked into the cool building.
"Afternoon, Miss Elric, what can I do for ya?" questioned Mark, the keeper of the office.
"Ma said she had a package come in?" She questioned the middle aged man.
"Oh Right, Right! It's in the back, I'll have Eric bring it right out. Just sign for it here please." He said while walking back to the room behind the counter.
Scribbling briefly her signature and datin it, she waited patiently for the boy name Eric to come with the package.
"Here ya go, Penelope." He said, coming toward her with a moderately sized box.
"Thank you Eric," she said taking it from him, "May I ask how the university applications are going?"
"Just great, Pen, the remarks your ma made on it gave me extra brownie points. North U., Here I come!"
"That's great, Eric, I'll be sure to tell Mama. It was the least she could do after you helped her so much." She left with a smile and slight wave and headed to her wagon. Placing it in it, she hoped back onto her bike and turned the corner to the open market.
\.
.
"Okay, Mom, You gotta let me know what we'll be doing. If it's gonna take up all my time with Myleena, then it must be something big and long that'll take up my whole summer." James said looking to his mother who was calmly reading in the living room.
"I told you I'd tell you when everyone is home and we have supper on the table." She said flipping a page of her book.
He ran to the window looking up and down the desert road for his sister, as if he were a small child looking for Santa's Sleigh.
"Come on, Pen, Hurry up." He chanted, anticipating her coming down the road.
.
.
Finally done shopping. 2 slabs of meat, 10 pounds of vegetables and 3 cans of broth later, she was finally done and the house was at the end of the horizon.
.
.
"Ma, I see her, can I go help?" James questioned.
"If you want to-"she was cut off by a slamming door. Outside the bronze haired boy was quickly running to his elder sister. His long legs met her halfway up the drive way and he took the wagon off her bike immediately, and began running to the house.
"Thanks!" she called, watching her brother's quickly retreating form. Shaking her head she rode her bike back to the row of bikes that stayed at the house.
Getting off, she quickly entered her house.
"Hello, Penelope, did you get everything?" her mother asked, who was still reading.
"Yes ma'am, where do you want me to put the shipment?" she questioned, looking at the wagon that sat awkwardly in the front room.
"Just take it back to my workshop please."
"Yes Ma'am." She said, picking it from the wagon and heading to the basement.
While rearing pleas from James to her mother to tell him something, she bumped open the basement door with her hip and headed to her mother's table.
A curtain divided the room in half. The front of the room being her mother's room, while the other half belonged to Matt. Matt had insisted on a different room from his brother the minute they entered their 4th year of lower school, claiming that James was a meat head and he couldn't stand his sloppiness, snoring, and stupidity.
"Pen, that you?" Matt questioned, pulling back the simple forest green curtains.
"Yeah, it's me, Matt. Why?" she answered setting down the box, looking at her 1 year junior brother.
"It's nothing, just, do you remember Uncle Alphonse?"
"I faintly remember him giving me an alchemy made doll for a present. But after that, nothing."
"That means he must've been in Xing for 14 years at least. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious? Huh Pen?" He questioned.
"Now that I think about it that is a little weird. Do you think he was doing something for the country?"
"Or maybe he was investigating Xingese affairs undercover for the government!" Matt said excitably.
"Or maybe," another voice came into play, "you two should stop questioning everything and wash up and help with dinner. What your Uncle has been doing is none of your business. If he wants to tell you he will."
"Jeeze, Daddy, way to give me a heart attack." Penelope gasped dramatically.
"Shut up and get in the kitchen." Ed said as he left the room.
.
.
Thirty minutes later a nice, hearty beef stew was made and everyone sat at the round table.
"Are you gonna tell us now?" questioned James, like an eager child.
"If you don't stop pestering me I won't!" she exclaimed
Silence filled the room.
"Now, seeing as your Uncle and Mei are getting married, plus the Star Festival is being held, we will be traveling to Rizembool for the summer."
"And what's there to do there?" James questioned.
"Plenty of things,"
"Like?"
"Well, they'll be all these games at the festival and-"
"How long will that last?"
"A week."
"What am I supposed to do after that?"
"There's big fields to play in, places to explore, all types of animals to play with."
"And how long will we stay?"
"All summer, I haven't been home in forever, and I want to spend time at your father's and I's roots."
"Are there actual people there?"
"Yes of course!"
"How do they survive in boredom?"
"James Ethan Elric, I am shocked at your words. Rizembool is wonderful and I will not have you making fun of my home. Just because its old fashioned and not as new as most places does NOT mean it's boring. But I certainly can make it boring for you if your keep up with your attitude. Do you understand?"
"Yes Ma'am." He said slumping in his chair.
"Hey mom," started Matt.
"Yes hunny?"
"Where's Ellen at?"
"Awe, dangit, Ed did you pick up her and Troy?" She questioned Ed.
"Damnit to Hell, Matt come help me hitch up the team." He said slamming his fork on the table.
"Can I help instead, Dad? I'm already finished." Penelope asked.
"Sure, never mind, Matt. Come on Pen, hop to it." he said standing and heading out for the door. Penelope stopped by her boots that lay at the door and quickly slipped them on her socked feet.
Stepping outside, a summer breeze swept over them gently. The moonlight their light, they had Russell and Brown hitched up quickly and they speeded to the train station.
.
.
"What do you think is taking them so long?" Questioned Troy, who had his arms around his Fiancé's waist.
"I don't know. Probably got caught up in some kinda chaos James caused." Said Ellen, who was looking toward the Full moon.
Facing his head downward, he rested his head on her soft light brown hair, sniffing in the scents of jasmine; he felt the ends of her waist length hair tickle his fingers. He looked ahead and faintly saw the light of a lantern on a wagon coming toward them.
"Hey, I think Daddy's here now!" exclaimed Ellen in Joy. Pushing her fiancé off of herself, she jumped up and stood on the bench that held their luggage.
Soon enough a buggy laid parked in front of them.
"Sorry it took so long, Ellen, we had a surprise visitor today." Said Ed with a small smile.
"Its okay, Daddy. Troy can you give me a boost?" she questioned, hands grasped on the side of the buggy. He knelt down to one knee and cupped his hands. Turning her head. She backed her foot into the waiting hands. Quickly she was in the air and climbed into the bed of the buggy.
Troy threw the luggage over the side and jumped in by his soon to be wife.
"Let's go home." Ellen said with a smile.
:D
You people thought that I'd never finish it did you? I almost didn't, due to all the work I've been doing so far during this school year. Between band practices, after school practices, scholars bowl, an EVIL Honors English teacher that I can't wait to get rid of, and church duties, my life is completely booked. So I decided to start writing during classes again and I finally finished chapter two. Thanks to my Epic Beta, RenofAmestris, I have the chapter corrected and done. And I know it's short of my usual at least 2000 words chapters, but I'm doing what I can.
Thank you for your reviews!
RenofAmestris: Yeah you're the only one who sees the story prematurely. Make sure if I still have something missed to let me know.
Baka4Anime: I'm trying to write as fast as I can. And I apologize for my slowness.
awesomenaruto: Thank you, your appreciation is taken with grace! I hoped people would like it more.
FullmetalFan16: Don't worry I'll bring more and more with each chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOT FMA ONLY OCS!
REVIEW DAMNIT!
NOS VEMOS!
:D