I know, it took a while to get this one out. I'm sorry. But school started this week and I have band too, so please forgive me. I finished this late last night and I know it's a written with a little less quality than I had hoped, but I hope you will still enjoy it. I have to go to a football game tonight...And drama club starts next week and soon French club will start up. That will take up almost every afternoon of mine (Band practice Mondays, Football games Fridays, Drama every other day once the play gets underway...I am the stage crew, building the very important set takes time.) I suppose I may have just taken a bit much on...But I promise I will keep working on this, even if it isn't finished until next summer. I will NOT abandon my (I think it's six) fans.
Anyway, since I asked for two and got three, I'll ask for two again and hope for three. See, I'm trying to make my reveiw amount double my chapter amount, at least while the chapter number is still under twenty. Double twelve is...24...I think that's a bit much to expect, but I'm hoping and praying please let me be lucky enough I love you guys, really I do. Without any reveiws I would have given up on this story. It's no use writing something no one likes...Now I just sound like an attention hogger. Oh well...I do love the spotlight as much as anyone else.
Journey Again
Chapter 11: When the Rain Stops
Emilie sat patiently outside, an umbrella held carefully over her pretty dress. Winnie had told her that, at the house party, she would get her dress back. It made her happy, but she was really starting to enjoy the dresses Winnie lent her as well. They were more modern, much more gorgeous. The dress she wore from her mother's time was fifteen years out of fashion, most likely longer. It appeared as a remnant of the Victorian era, at least to her. But that was one more reason she loved it.
Tonight, though, she wasn't outside to sit in the rain and be stupid. She was out to tell Christoph that she planned on reuniting with Edward and Alphonse. If her brother's life was on the line, she had to risk it to find the information she needed. They could help her; there was no doubt about that. She knew that there was a terrible risk, a great chance she would end up dead. Either she would be turned over by them or someone that was 'looking out for them' would turn her over. Either way, she was going away forever. But at least her brother would live.
Sighing, she wanted to lean her head back against the brick wall. But that was no good. Her hair had been done up all special and Peter had even complimented her. Staying indoors for so long, apparently, had lightened up her skin a shade or two. Now, if it wasn't for her hair, she could pass off as a normal German that just loved to go out in the sun. To bad it wouldn't lighten up anymore, as it was now at her usual skin tone. But tonight was a big night at the club anyway. The publicity had been out, and it was Winnie's first night on stage with her.
"Sythia, darling, you are coming to me now?" she heard his voice spit at her.
"I…I'm going to go back and live with the Elric brothers, to see if you are right and to see if they can help me."
"Ah, wonderful plan there. How do you plan to get them to accept you again? After you ran out screaming and thrashing…"
"I'll get Winnie to soften them up and…" She hung her head in remembrance. "Edward and Alphonse moved houses…I don't know where they live now."
"But Winnie can tell you."
"Yes, Winnie can tell me." Christoph put his hands on her shoulders, bending to look into her eyes. She adverted them to the ground though, not wishing to see his sinister grin.
"Sythia…Emilie. Emilie I suppose suits you now, now that you have changed."
"Changed?"
"You're thinking like a true thief, like a true…true whatever it is you are. Gypsies aren't as smart as you, you're above gypsies. But you are much more important than a thief as well…Emilie. A new name for your new identity."
"That's not who Emilie is! Emilie…"
"Emilie is not Sythia at all. Emilie is grown up and wise enough to do what's best for her little brother, no matter what." Emilie looked up for a second, glaring into his eyes. They were demanding, threatening. "You, Emilie…as soon as you learn your trick, you can be my apprentice."
"Apprentice to what skill?"
"The skill of being able to survive for the better of ourselves. When the rest of the world hates you, you do what's best for you and forget about them. That is your first lesson, Emilie."
"Stop saying that! You call me Sythia!" A firm hand slapped across her cheek.
"I will call you by the name you have forged for yourself." He laughed a bit. "Perhaps you are not yet wise enough to claim a new identity after all, Sythia." Emilie looked at the ground, keeping her face pointed away from him as best as she could. Sythia would have been a thief and a criminal. Emilie was to be a modern girl that was a member of society. She could, maybe, become a member someday. She just had to save her brother first. Gripping her umbrella tighter, she hurried back to the café. The show would be starting soon.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Edward covered his mouth as he hacked out another coughing fit. "I hate this rainy weather."
"Brother, you really should stay home," Al pleaded as he pulled his coat on. "You're sick, you'll never get better unless…"
"Emilie has to know she can trust us. She'll never agree to stay here without trust. Al, we need that income. At least until I can find another job."
"You know I don't have to go to school…"
"Yes you do. What will people start saying if all of a sudden the younger Elric dropped school? You know how important it is that every boy goes to school. At least that school. It's important for girls to go to theirs…But Winnie isn't in my family; I can't stop her from dropping out. Besides, I think she's already got everything she needs to know down."
"But brother…These people…what they teach…it's beneath us."
"But there's still something to be learned there, I just know there is. You'll see."
"Brother…Are you trying to be a guru?" Edward let out a little laugh as he glanced to his brother, resisting the urge to sniff and ruin the moment. It was true; he was trying to be the good, smart older brother.
"I don't have to try, you know that!"
"Is that so?"
"Of course Al! I'm the elder brother; don't you know all older brothers are gurus?"
"Oh, how could I have forgotten?" The two laughed a bit as they hurried out the door. The rain was lighter, but it was still there. Remnants of the weeks of rain would be everywhere for months. Puddles in yards and parks because the ground wouldn't hold anymore water…all the people that were now sick because of it. Ed guessed that they wouldn't see the ground dry for at least two months, given how much water was flooding everything. Houses were now being ruined, a few bridges had been flooded out…It was a pretty miserable state.
"It's alright…" Ed was about to move on to some other sarcastic comment when another coughing fit found its way through him.
"Brother…If you don't rest you're going to get worse, you know that don't you?"
"Yeah I know that…But I want to go tonight. Besides, we can sneak out of the café and around back to the house the long way and walk in with this big shout 'Surprise!' We can't do that if we're already there."
"Sure we can. We can wait until we hear the door opening and shout it from inside."
"But I want to pretend to be shocked that Emilie came for a visit to our home. After all, she's afraid to associate with us." Al let out an exhausted sigh.
"You're going to make yourself bedridden if you keep this up, you know that don't you?"
"Probably…But until that happens I'm not stopping."
"That's not healthy."
"I know, but that's how I live."
"Unfortunately."
"Hey!" Al smiled a little, but worry clouded his eyes. "Ok, after tonight, I'll take it easy. I promise, ok?"
"Swear?"
"Swear and promise…Swear on all the swearing I've ever done, alright?"
"I've noticed you've stopped."
"Stopped what?"
"Swearing so much."
"Have I really? I didn't notice…"
"Yeah you have. I can tell from your voice."
"So I have…but I have to set a good example for my baby brother!" Al ducked too late as Ed grabbed onto his neck and held fast, like a good older brother picking on his little brother.
"This would be a bad example Ed!"
"And I can have fun too!"
"You always pick on me!" Ed let out a hearty laugh as he let go.
"That's what brother's are best at, even in a life as strange as ours." Al couldn't help but smile, even though he half wanted to punch Ed at the moment. It really was all fun, and he enjoyed going along. Even if he was on the weaker end of fights…When it came to vocal arguments he always got to win. Ed always gave in just because he was a nice guy. Usually.
"I suppose…To bad I couldn't have been the older brother…I can just imagine all that I could have done…"
"Trust me; I'd still be the better one."
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding around, honest. But I'd probably still be the more mature one, only because of all the experience I would have gotten to have not being a suit of armor for so many years…Years you somehow got back."
"Lucky me…Except now I'm so many years behind you. Before we probably could have passed as twins at times."
"Probably. Being only a year apart isn't half bad. Although…I always wondered how mom managed two babies wailing all the time."
"I bet you were louder than me."
"I was older! I learned to quiet down sooner!"
"Yeah, but before you did you used those big lungs of yours to scream. I'd bet anything we're lucky she didn't just give us over to Winry's parents and run away. Of course…they would have had three with Winry…"
"You know we were the only kids in the neighborhood our age. The three of us…the youngest. I bet all the other families around came by often just to ooh and ah at how cute we were because of how rare kids are around there."
"Probably." The brothers quieted down, walking with the beat of the rain. The night was calming, in some strange way. It seemed to hold a bit of a promise, at least to them. Even after all they had been through, they still held their optimistic views over the bad things that came. It was probably mostly because of Al's cheerfulness that it was like that though. The kid almost always managed to have a smile, and even when he was sad he could cheer people up.
They reached the café soon enough, hurrying in and catching themselves cozy seats by the fireplace. It was warm and drying, and instantly a waitress hurried over to them. "You boys are becoming regulars," she told them.
"Aw, Rachel, we just like the food," Ed told her kindly.
"I didn't think Peter's cooking was that wonderful…I think its Emilie."
"Huh?" Ed jumped back at the accusation. She was probably the fourth person who had accused him of being strangely obsessed with Emilie. First there was Roy, then Riza and Winnie, and now Rachel too.
"She's an enchantress. See some of these people? They've been coming here every night since she signed on. They just can't stay away. She puts a spell on them and makes them come and watch and eat."
"I don't think so."
"The less you believe in magic, the easier it is to cast her charms over you and your doubts." Edward glanced into her eyes, attempting to tell joke from belief.
"You're joking with me."
"Am I? Hm…Most people can't tell. I don't think you can either, can you? You're guessing on weather or not I believe what I'm saying or if I'm just saying it for the show. I've been practicing my emotionless look. How's it coming?"
"Pretty good," Al told her, laughing at his brother.
"Thank you, now what will you boys be having to drink?"
"I'll have coffee," Ed told her, calming himself.
"Something warm," Al added. "Um…tea?"
"Sure thing," was the warm reply as Rachel moved away to get them their drinks.
"Brother, look!" Al caught a glimpse of Winnie and Emilie, standing backstage and smiling and laughing and ready to go up and charm their audience once again.
"Look at what?" Ed replied as he looked too late.
"Never mind…You'll see them on stage in a few minutes anyway."
"Emilie?"
"And Winnie. She's all dressed up and she'll be perfect for the duets they've been planning…"
"Exciting, isn't it. It makes one wonder where they found time to practice. Certainly never at the house."
"Probably during lunch while they were here and before dinner service for a little while. What else do you think Winnie was doing in the afternoons?"
"Sometimes she came home."
"Sometimes." Ed sighed and latched onto the coffee mug Rachel soon offered. "Brother, do you think it will really work?"
"It better." They both solemnly sipped at their drinks, Al watching the coffee disappear longingly. He'd always wanted to try it, but Ed would never let him. Said it was an adult thing and Al would have to wait a while longer before he could have coffee, even though Al was already an adult mentally.
"I sort of miss Emilie…And we barely got to know her, but she just made it feel like everyday could be a fun adventure somehow."
"You're just as bored of being here as I am. Too bad we're so poor or we could travel around and do whatever we felt like…Just like we used to."
"Yeah…Even though there was so much wrong, it was pretty fun, wasn't it?"
"Mostly fun." Edward glanced at the distorted reflection his coffee faintly showed him. There were some terribly bad times as well. Like how they got started on that fun journey, and how they ended it. Those were the worst of the bad things that happened, he was almost sure of it.
"Ladies and gentleman!" they heard Peter roar out. "Tonight you have the wonderful blessing of a duet! Winnie Reitay and Emilie! You all know Emilie, at least those who have seen her show before. Now let me introduce Emilie's apprentice in show business. Enjoy, one and all!" There was a gentle clapping, some whistling as the girls slipped onto the stage. Emilie was holding a flute, something that was obviously new to the act. There was also a piano set up, and Winnie kept glancing at it. It was certain to be an interesting night.
"Hello everyone, welcome to this darling café!" Emilie called out sweetly. "I do hope Peter has cooked the food as perfectly as ever?" There were many pleased murmurs running around the room, and the smile widened. "To those who have seen my show, you will notice we have instruments tonight, and another vocalist, Miss Winnie…" Emilie turned to see Winnie blushing in her lovely dress.
"How are you all tonight?" Winnie managed to roll out. "As Emilie's new partner, we'll be singing duets now…Except when we're playing our nice musical pieces for you…Em…" Emilie wrapped her arm around Winnie's shoulders.
"Isn't she just a doll? This is her first time on any stage anywhere; you have the exclusive pleasure of listening to her heavenly voice tonight. And believe me, her voice is indeed heavenly. Even more so than mine, I have to say." There were chuckles and whistles all about. "Alright!" Emilie brought her hands out in front as she clapped. "Winnie, to your piano, and let us begin our show!" That got the crowd howling.
They soon quieted though as what they heard from the piano was something that surprised them. Winnie began strumming out a piece of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, something that was not in the Cabaret style they were used to. Usually it was fun and feisty, except the closing. This time though…It was slow, sweet and calming but yet out of place in this sort of café. It also took them all in shock when the heard Emilie's voice strumming out the words in true Germanic form, like a good little Nazi girl. But what they recognized the most was that it was the very end of the fourth movement of the song, which was basically the ending of the symphony.
"Be embraced, ye millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond this star canopy,
Must a loving Father dwell.
Be embraced,
This kiss for the whole world!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
Joy, beautiful spark of gods."
"You know the song," they heard Winnie's voice croon out as she closed the symphony. "You know the effect and the legend of it, and I know you are wondering why we play it for you…"
"Wonder no more!" Emilie cut in joyously, pulling her flute to her mouth and tweeting out the notes, pulling Winnie from her chair.
"Let us sing it to our lives here, the tune, joyously retold!" Everyone glanced around. The mood had lightened, but there was still no telling how this show would continue. Winnie started by humming along, stepping down from the stage and into the center of the room.
"Be assured, dear Germans all!
This world will return our life.
We have suffered much these days,
Our dear loving Father cares.
Be embraced,
This kiss for the whole world.
Depression, our lives right now,
My friends of sweet Germany,
Joy, beautiful spark of gods."
All who had been immediately affected by the aftermath of the war nodded. People were still poor, but cheerful now. Everything was as miserable as it had always been, but things were better with no one disappearing on some distant battle field. At that moment, no one was dying because of French or American or any other army. But there was still the misery that their loss had placed on them. The government could barley afford to take care of their own people, let alone the ruined lands of France.
"One day soon, yes one day soon," they heard the two crooning out to them again. "We'll sing always joyfully. We will have our world again, everything back in its place." The very ending, and they curtsied sweetly, causing a bit of laughter in the room. It was sort of a joke, on its own level.
"Get to your normal show!" one regular customer called. He wanted their dancing.
"Is that all you want?" Emilie teased. "Well then, Winnie, will you play me out a tune?"
"Of course I will!" Winnie cheered, bouncing back to the piano and playing something that sounded faintly American Western, but no one really noticed as they had all turned to watch Emilie dance. And dance she did, large and in charge.
"All you boys hear me now," she sang in her taunting voice. "Watch me dance with your sweet eyes, but touch me once and the floor you'll find." Edward put on an evil smirk; he wanted to see her try to make him meet the floor.
"We may work here, waitresses we are," Winnie added on. "But we're not property; we are women proud and strong." The men laughed a little, some of them standing and moving to attempt to grab onto the edges of Emilie's dress as it floated around in her dance. Edward was the closest though, and Al was in shock at his brother's actions. Up until now he could believe it was part of their show, but it was just a little crazy that he was dancing with her.
A lot of people stepped back when they saw what he was up to. He wasn't aiming where the other lecherous men were aiming, he was just ducking as she spun around and poking her in the back, or reaching to grab her wrist, in his own taunting way. Winnie had to sing their Nightclub Waitress song on her own as Emilie had to focus on staying away from whomever it was that was dancing with her.
"You dance really well with our act," she whispered as she clasped down on his metal hand, pulling close in the finale. She had her back to his chest, a smirk on her face as she waved at the other men in the room, then raised to her charming show-girl voice. "You boys don't touch me now, but that doesn't mean I don't touch you…" She stopped short as she realized that the hand under the glove was cold and misshapen a little. "Ed…?"
"Good guess," he whispered back as he let go of her hand. "It comes from fighting with my brother, the ducking and the sneaking. Nice singing, but dance like that anywhere else and the only reason the Gestapo won't cart you off is so they can tie you down and make you their mistress."
"Probably…" Her voice was shaking, but she knew she had to make friends with him again. "Why don't you go sit down, darling?" she turned back into a show girl, spinning to face him. "I don't require a dance partner for the rest of these acts."
"Very well, Miss Emilie," he replied with a polite bow before returning to his chair.
"What were you thinking?" Al spat as they both caught Winnie's glare from the stage.
"Just making friends."
"You look like you really like her when you act like a goof like that."
"Like her? She's a good friend…"
"No, Ed. You are going out of your way to get on her good side."
"I don't like it when people don't like me, ok? I'm a nice guy, popular and amazing." He pulled on his collar a little, beaming with his own bit of pride.
"Is that so?" Al sighed, spooning up his soup. "Ed, just don't ruin our plans before it's time." They watched Emilie climb back onto the stage, pulling Winnie to her side and lifting her flute for their next act.
"I won't, I promise. Now, let's enjoy the show, ok?"
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Winnie?" Emilie whispered once their show was over. "Did you see Edward here? He danced with me."
"I noticed," Winnie sighed back. "Well, go on."
"Go on what?"
"Go out there and talk to him."
"What?" Suddenly the brave gypsy girl turned sheet white.
"I know you want to; I saw it when you looked at him. You want to be his friend; you want to get along with him. So why don't you just go out there and get to know him?"
"I…Winnie, I can't!"
"You can. You will. If you want to come to my party tonight that is."
"Huh?"
"He's going to be there too."
"What? Why didn't you tell me that before?"
"Because I knew you wouldn't come before…You'll come now, I can tell. So go ask him to walk home with us." Soon Emilie found three pairs of hands pushing her out the door to where everyone was putting their coats on, to where Edward and Alphonse were readying themselves to leave.
"Ed…" she whispered, coming up behind him and faintly touching his shoulder.
"Emilie?" Al jumped. He ran over and nearly hugged her. "Emilie! You're talking to us again!"
"Y…Yeah. I suppose I am. How have you boys been?"
"Great," Ed said, not facing her. Al glanced over and saw the smile on his brother's face. Another friend to make this world feel like home.
"Ed? Are you alright? You're not mad are you?"
"Mad?" Ed turned, his face brighter than it had been in quite a while. "Emilie, I'm just glad you don't hate us!"
"Edward…" Her face lit up as she wrapped her arms around both of them. "How could I hate my brothers? I mean, after all…Aren't I your third brother when I need to be a boy and your sister when I'm a girl?"
"Of course!" Al cheered.
"I really missed you guys…I was just scared you were evil or something.
"Ed may look pure evil at times, but I don't think there's a true mean bone in his body."
"Hey!" he shouted to his brother.
"Come on, Winnie's waiting in the back for us," Emilie said with a smile, even though her arms were trembling.
"Are you cold?" Edward instantly took note. He moved to look at her from the front. "You're pretty pale…Are you getting sick?"
"No! I'm just…Still excited from the show. It was a wonderful one, don't you think?" She turned away, expecting to hear echoes of 'wonderful' come her way, but instead a coat touched her shoulders.
"You're dress is at the house."
"My…my mother's dress?"
"Yeah. We kept it for you, in case you ever wanted to come back and get it."
"Emilie, we were wondering if you would come live with us, me and Ed and Winnie," Al told her as both brothers became her escorts back to the kitchen.
"With…So you moved in with Winnie did you?" Emilie laughed. "She didn't tell me that one. She just said she was having a party."
"Well, it is a party."
"A homecoming party," Ed told her. "Welcome home."
"Oh, we're not there yet. We still have to brave the rain…You should take this back." She handed over the coat, which he instantly refused.
"I'm wearing more than you." Winnie giggled as they entered, quite the sight as Ed and Emilie shoved a coat at each other.
"What's this?" she cheered out.
"She won't accept my coat!" Ed complained. "She'll catch a cold."
"She's more likely to catch one from you, Edward Elric. Look at those bags under your eyes…Yep; we have to get you home and straight to bed. Emilie, put on that coat before you turn out like him. Just look at that example!"
"Eh?" was the echo of replies.
"Don't just stand around, let's go. We have our pay for the night, so let us get this dazed boy back to his bed."
"Right," Emilie said with a sigh, truly accepting Ed's warm coat to keep her shoulders from freezing.
"Here, Winnie," Al handed over his. "You have to take care of yourself too, for the café."
"Yes, that's true," she replied with her whole heart. "Thank you Al. Well, come on boys. Don't dawdle." A quick glance about the room and Emilie sent a smile at Peter. One of those don't-worry-I-have-somewhere-to-go-now smiles that she had stashed away for a very long time. As he waved farewell, they exited out the back door and through the alley.
"It's actually warmer out now," Ed found himself saying.
"That's because the rain stopped," Emilie told him.
"It…did, didn't it? The rain has finally stopped…"
"About time." The four laughed, each of them echoing Emilie's enthusiasm, or lack there-of. But they all knew there was truly relief inside of her. All the rain was clearing up now.
