Caroline: Ah im back from jordis party & Ive been typin this since 12! OMG Jordan is ObSeSsEd with her hiei plush... she slept w/ him (heheehe) & evn brough t him 2 the bathroom w/ her! O yea! Aftr I finish this fic (the WHOLE thing) there will probably b a sequel (if ne1 likes this story...) & its a INU/FMA/YYH crossovr! It will b insane &... &... cool...&...&

Hiei: appears

Caroline: HOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!

Hiei: Get away from me, girl.

Caroline: OMG! I petted your hair this morning.

Hiei:...I'm sure you did.

Kurama: appears...Goodness gracious. How did I end up here?

Caroline:oo...KURAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Kurama: '...Hi...

Caroline: blushes I MEAN... hoo keeps letting in all the YYH characters? ...yeahthatsit...

Hughes: snickers

Caroline: GAAAAAAAAH! HUGHES grabs bat & starts chasing hughes


Chapter 9: Determination Strikes

"Daddy!"

A brunette girl, maybe three or so, ran up to her father. He stood, his back faced to her. He turned around.

"Daddy, could you teach me alchemy?" she asked, her eyes wide in admiration.

"Sure," he said. "But you've already done a good job of performing it, princess."

The girl smiled as he picked her up in his arms. She couldn't see his face clearly because of the bright sunlight.

"Oh, the glass," she said, realizing what he was talking about. She held a glass cup in her hands. "I fixed it for Mommy. Do you think she'll be happy?"

"I think she'll be very happy, sweetheart," the man said. Then his voice turned deeper, creepier, & the sky grew darker. She could only see the intense glow in his eyes. "But… it's too bad you couldn't put me back together too."

The girl's eyes widened in fear. "Huh?" she asked, frightened.

The glass shattered.

Caroline awoke, sweating & panting, her brown eyes wide in fear. She looked to the side. Roy was looking at the ground. She could clearly see he had been keeping watch of her all night. Not only that, but she knew he was angry.

Everytime we lie awake

"Awake, huh?" he asked, anger in his voice.

After every hit we take

The girl gulped before she spoke. "Ye… yeah," she muttered.

There was a long silence.

"H… how long was I out?" she asked.

Another silence, then Roy answered her. "Two days."

The girl looked amazed, yet ashamed as another silence arose.

After every feeling that I get

"I'm…. sorry," she said.

He looked up. The girl had never seen him look so angry in his life. His eyes looked like they had lit with fire. However, the girl didn't see it coming, but he suddenly grabbed the collar of her sweatshirt.

"Why the hell did you try to do this?" he roared.

"I…. I thought-" she tried to answer.

"You could bypass every law of alchemy? You thought you could bring someone back, didn't you? You thought you could do it, is that it?"

The girl looked at him, tears of fear & pain in her eyes. Her lip trembled & she lowered her head as tears of guilt began to fall. Roy looked at her, & let her go. He was being rash. Immature. He grabbed some bandages. He rolled up her blood-soaked sleeve. He began to unravel the bloody bandages that had been left on the stub of the arm she had left. Both kept silent. After he was done, he turned away.

But I still don't miss you yet

Caroline realized just then, he couldn't look her in the eyes. She was no different than Jordan to him, no less than a sister.

Every rommmate left awake

By every sigh & scream we make

He had done so much for her, even though she knew nothing of her real origin, he had fed her, taken care of her, raised her. & in return, she had let him down.

All the feelings that I get

"Roy…" she said quietly.

But I still don't miss you yet

He turned around. "What?" he asked.

Only when I start to think about it

As she looked at the ground in guilt, she motioned Roy to come closer. He knelt down, thinking something was wrong with her bandages. She threw her arms around him.

I hate everything about you

"What are you-" he began.

Why do I love you

"I'm sorry," she said.

I hate everything about you

"It's ok," he said.

"No it's not!" she yelled as she cried into his shoulders. "I was scared, Roy! I was! I really, really was!"

"I know," he said, his expression softening, holding her as she cried.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled, beginning to cry on his shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry."

Why do I love you

& as she cried in his arms, she realized she didn't need a father to hold her. She had everything she needed already there… except one thing.

Everytime we lie awake

A few hours later, after crying herself to sleep, she woke up to find both Mustangs in the room.

She sat up.

"Hey," she said to Jordan, seeing her for the first time since.

"Hey," the other one answered. "You feelin okay?"

After every hit we take

"Worse than normal," the other answered, smiling slightly. "But not too bad. I'll be up to swordfightin in no time!"

All the feelings that I get

Jordan raised an eyebrow. "The attitude's there," she said. "But… I'm…. afraid ya can't…." her eyes flicked to her left shoulder.

But I haven't missed you yet

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Caroline said, her expression turning serious, her eyes filled with determination. "I'll become a State Alchemist. I'll get my arm back, I swear. &…" she continued. "I'm gonna find the Philosophers Stone to do exactly that."

Only when I stop to think about it

Roy smirked. "That's a lotta determination ya got goin there, kid, but the first time you can probably get up & walk will be in four days, at least. & I doubt you're ready for the exam anyways."

I hate everything about you

"I got two years on my hand, at least," Jordan said. "I'm studying even now, so what makes you think you're ready?"

Why do I love you

"Plus, if you plan on getting anything for that stub of an arm you have now," Roy started.

I hate everything about you

"Like automail?" Caroline interrupted.

Why do I love you

Roy nodded. "There's no automail engineers anywhere near Central," Roy said. "So why don't you just live & get on with it?" he suggested. "Start studying now if it means so much to you, then try in a couple years or so."

Only when I stop to think about you

I know

Only when you stop to think about me

Do you know

With that, he left the room. Jordan shrugged, & followed.

I hate everything about you

Why do I love you

Four days. Automail. Nowhere near Central. That was it.

You hate everything about me

Why do you love me

That's how she would study if she would become a State Alchemist. She would begin a journey across the country, or wherever needed. She was bound to find an automail engineer somewhere, as well as other alchemists.

I hate

A chance to break away.

You hate

A chance to practice alchemy in any way possible.

I hate

A chance to show her skills.

You love me

& a chance, a hope, a prayer of finding the one thing she needed…

I hate everything about you

Why do I love you

The Philosopher's Stone.

To be continued…


Caroline: IM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Hiei:-- Oh joy.

Kurama: Nice to c u again!

Caroline: > QUIT PLAYIN MR. NICE GUY! hits Kurama w/ bat

Kurama:

Hiei:...Did Jordan die or something?

Caroline: SHUT UP UR NOT SPOSED 2 KNO ABOUT HER YET!

Hiei: --...Ill pretend Ive 4gotten

Caroline: NO! ILL MAKE U 4GET! advances on hiei

Hiei: puts hand on bandages Come just a bit closer. I dare you.

Caroline: Uhhhhhhhhhh... starts 2 back away then noticesd bandages WOAH HOLY CHEEZITS! suddenly grabs hieis arm BANDAGES! I HAVE THEM 2! shows left arm C?

Hiei: eye twitch -- I see...

Caroline: WOAH TWINS! linx arm & arm w/ Hiei LETZ GO WATCH WIZRD OF OZ!

Hiei:...death glare WHY?

Caroline: CUZ BESTEST TWIN FRIEND BUDDY OF MINE amidget hangs himselfn the background if u watch the yellobrick road song

Hiei: smirks...That might b fun

No seriously a midget DOES try 2 hang himself n the background... the 1st time he fails but the 2nd time...