A/N Hello! Here is chapter three! Enjoy!
Disclaimer : I do not own FMA or any of it's characters!
Chapter Three : Lie
It hadn't been easy for anybody to accept Alphonse's death, Especially for Melody. That night so many years ago, Edward had gently broken the news to her after trying to pull himself together. She screamed and cried and immediately broke down, baby in arms. She had gone into shock, and had to be sedated..
Over the years people had learned to move on and build onto their lives. Edward and Winry married shortly after the funeral. Winry had given birth to two boys a year later. The older, who was now nine and a half, was named Alphonse, after his dead uncle. And, the other one, who was six, was named Urey, after Winry's father. The two had moved in together, Winry continuing her auto-mail shop and Edward continuing at the Military.
Roy and Riza were planning a wedding with their two year old daughter, Abagail.
And after three years of Alphonse's death, Melody re-married a carpenter, Jack, and had another child with him, who she named Susie.
Alice had turned fifteen a little over a month ago. She hadn't yet learned of her real father, and no matter how many times Edward had told Melody to, she refused.
So, Ed, after far too long, had decided to do it himself.
It was an early Sunday morning. The sun was fully up in the sky. A pair of children ran across a freshly watered green lawn. Screams of laughter rang through the quiet countryside. Melody sat quietly in her rocking chair up on the front porch, Jack sitting next to her, the two holding hands and watching as their two children ran about. The older one ran quickly, her dark bronze hair flailing in the wind, her bronze eyes filled with laughter and joy. Her younger sister was different; she had short midnight black hair and bright green eyes, filled with innocence.
The two ran around the front yard playing the way all children should, without a care in the world.
Further down the dirt road, a chocolate brown car drove down towards the house. Dirt and rocks spitting up behind it.
Melody stood up, her eyes settling on the approaching car. Letting go of Jack's hand, she called out to the girls,
"Alice! Susie! Look who's coming!", she smiled happily.
The girls stopped running and looked at the road. Susie was the first to notice the car, and she began to jump up and down excitedly.
"Uncle Ed! It's Uncle Ed!", she cried.
Alice walked slowly up to her younger sisters side, and smiled.
"Uncle Edward!"
The car pulled up in front of the house, all four doors opening. Edward, Winry, Urey and little Alphonse all climbed out of the car, the two boys running up onto the lawn. Alice ran over to Edward, giving him a giant bear hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around him. Edward laughed, a little startled. He hadn't been to visit Alice in almost six months, and each and every time his eyes fell on her, she looked more and more like her father, and each and every time his heart broke a little more.
''Hey there,'', Edward smiled, hugging her back.
She let go of him and tucked a piece of hair behind her tiny pierced ear.
''Hi Uncle Edward, Hi Aunt Winry,'', she greeted politely.
Winry smiled.
''Hi Alice,''
Melody walked down from the front porch to greet both Ed and Winry. She hugged Edward, and Winry and turned back to smile down at the eager Alice.
''Why don't you go make some coffee for your aunt and uncle?'', Melody suggested.
Alice nodded happily and ran back to the house. When she was out of ear shot, Edward tore his eyes off the fifteen year old, and turned back to Melody, his eyes serious.
''Mel,-'', he started
''Don't Edward,'', she cut him off swiftly.
Edward shook his head, clearly frustrated.
''Melody, you have to tell, her, we have to tell her. She's fifteen years old, and she has a right to know about Alphonse. Not only is he your husband, he is my brother, and you know he loved her. She needs to know.''
Melody turned back towards the house,
''I am not married to him, Edward. I am married to Jack. My husband, your brother, is dead and he left me alone..''
Her words were like a hard kick in the chest, and rage built up inside him quicker than a moth in a flame. Thankfully, Winry stepped in.
"Melody!", she shrieked, "Please. If you don't want to do this for Al, then do it for Alice."
Melody took a deep breath, letting Winry's words sink in all the way. With much thought, and after what seemed like forever, she turned around.
"And you think this will help? You really think it's better for her to know?", she asked hesitantly.
Edward nodded,
''I do.''
Melody let out another deep sigh, and nodded.
''Come in.''
Once the plan was explained to Jack, everyone, including Alice, sat around the kitchen. The other kids were told to leave and go outside.
It was quiet for a long period of time, before Alice spoke up, unable to withstand the deafening silence.
''Why am I here?", she asked, "Am I in trouble?"
She said looking around at everyone. Melody put down her coffee, and shook her head softly.
''No, honey, we just need to talk about something. It's really important, and we need you to understand that we love you no matter what, okay?''
Alice nodded, suddenly regretting the question. Her mind raced to try and find something that she had maybe done wrong, but her mind came up with nothing.
Edward looked at her, and took a deep breath. Underneath the table, Winry squeezed his hand reassuringly.
''Alice..Jack, is not your dad, and he's not my brother.''
Immediately he wanted to kick himself, and take the words back. Jesus Christ, you could have delivered that with a little more..suave, he thought. But it was too late. Alice looked at Jack, panic and confusion finding its way to the surface of her golden orbs.
''Your not?'', she asked, baffled, her voice quivering ever so slightly.
He shook his head solemnly.
''Afraid not,''
She looked at Melody, tears stinging her eyes. Her thoughts were too mixed up with her feelings and she couldn't put together a proper focus.
''And your not my Mom?''
Melody nodded quickly reaching for her daughters hands.
''No, baby. I am your Mom, but Susie isn't your whole sister...She's Jacks daughter,''
Alice shook her head, and pulled her hands away from her mother. Tears sprang to Melody's eyes, and Jack reached for her.
''But why?'', she asked, pain in her voice now.
Edward took a deep breath, but kept his steady eyes on the panicking Alice.
''Alice...my brother, your dad, was killed when you were born.''
Pain from the memory struck him all over again. Flashes from that night. Roy's voice over the phone, Alphonse's charred corpse..All of it.
A tear strolled down Alice's pale cheek, as she tried to comprehend everything.
''What happened?'', she asked, not quite prepared for it all.
Winry looked at Ed, who was having, visibly, a hard time bringing this up after all these years.
''He was killed in the war,'', he replied bluntly.
Alice stood up, anger in her eyes now.
''Why didn't you tell me?'', she asked.
''You weren't old enough, honey..'', Melody interjected, tears in her eyes as well.
''But you all lied to me!'', she shouted.
Edward nodded, ''Yes, and we're sorry for that,''
Alice shook her head, tears pouring from her golden eyes.
''Your unbelievable!''
She bolted from the table, and ran upstairs, slamming her bedroom door loudly behind her. Melody stood up quickly.
''Alice!'', she shouted.
Edward shook his head, and squeezed Winry's hand back.
''Let her go,'', he said calmly.
Melody nodded, reluctantly sitting back down.
Upstairs, Alice began to slam things, breaking some. She walked over to her closet, and pulled out an old backpack. She stuffed a bundle of clothing, and some candy she had been sneaking. She took her piggy bank and smashed it on the floor. Change spewed across the hardwood floor. Ignoring the cuts on her hand, she grabbed the little money she had, and stuffed it in her pockets.. She walked over to the window in her bedroom, and opened it. She took one last look at the room before climbing out the window.
A/N DUN DUN DUNNNNN *GASP* What do you think so far? Let me know and I'll have another chapter up shortly! :)