Chapter Fourteen: Farewell
Edward fell beside Isana as Envy and Wrath just seemed to vanish into thin air. He didn't understand how she could know but it didn't matter now. All that mattered was getting her the hell out of here and when he looked upon her, saw the damage, the blood slowly pooling out beneath her, the vomit, he felt himself die a little inside.
Gently he lifted her beaten, torn body into his arms and patted her face. Her eyes wouldn't open, she wouldn't respond. "Isana, come wake up, stay with me!" She snapped.
"Where are they?" Havoc panted. "Where did they go?"
"She sent them into the gate." Ed snapped shaking his daughter.
"Gate what gate?" Riza asked as Roy fell beside Ed.
"Isana, Isana!" Roy snapped reaching for her wrist to check her pulse.
"She won't wake up." Ed breathed.
"Did you tell her about the gate?" Roy asked. "Did she go to the other place?"
That was right he had told her about the gate but not how to…"No her body would have gone too." He replied shaking her a little more. "Come Kiddo, wake up, don't die, not yet, please!"
Roy dropped her wrist and pulled off his glove then felt her neck. "God she's bleeding…It's…" His fingers moved lower, pressed harder.
"What?" Ed asked in panic. "What is it?"
"I can't…I can't feel…there, it's, we don't have much time. Havoc get a car now!" Roy ordered and Havoc was gone.
Ed glared at Roy as he tried to take Isana from him. "Don't you dare!"
"You can't carry her Ed. There's no time to argue!" He snapped and Ed let go knowing he was right.
Roy rubbed his face looking out the window of the infirmary. He'd done it, the thing he'd promised to never do…He'd lied and used a cover up story to hide the truth, he had to. Hell even Riza advised it and Havoc had gone to trash the car. It was so late and there weren't any witnesses. He did order an investigation as would be expected but like he knew, nothing was found, no driver, just blood on the steering wheel and upon the bumper.
The story was that he and Edward knew Isana had been out on a date and she called HQ in a panic before they didn't hear her voice anymore and left to find her. Hell there was even blood in the phone booth. Aside from that they didn't know any details or where Wray Colby her boyfriend was.
He began to pace the waiting room. Riza was there, Havoc, Fury, Edward. Edward was lost in his own world at the moment, just staring off in to space. He'd mumbled a few times but it wasn't anything any of them had understood. Riza left half an hour ago to call Alphonse and he was coming and she was back now. But Roy didn't know what to do. There wasn't anything for him to do but wait and it was killing him. It killed him that he couldn't break down like Edward seemed to be doing, killing him that he had to maintain the mask of calm as he was Fuher now and didn't have the luxury of such things.
His mind traveled back to that place, when they'd broken down the doors. Ed had told him about the city beneath Central but he'd never seen it before. What he saw there was unbelievable. But more astonishing was the fight taking place behind those doors in that mansion. Wray or Wrath was fighting, no tearing at the one he assume was Envy, but that didn't make any sense to him in the least. And Isana, oh god his little girl was almost dead upon the floor. There had been so many bruises, her leg detached and transmuted into a sword, that's only would that could have been, blood all over her and upon the floor, scrapes, claw marks, cuts, and gashes. It was utterly horrifying. It should have been him not her lying there upon the floor, he was older and she had so much life to live left.
At least she'd done what they'd told her, kept up her part of the deal and ran to them or at least tried. But how long had she known? Had she even known before tonight? God why didn't he do something to prevent this, why did he let her stay out so late?
Now she was in surgery and hanging on barely to life, the doctor didn't have much hope for her but he promised to try his best. "Roy…" It was Ed, Ed was calling to him.
He turned to him and went to sit upon the sofa beside him, taking him into his arms. "She opened the gate on her own…I didn't teach her that…there weren't any transmutation circles." Ed muttered.
"I told you she'd figure it out." Roy said soothingly. "She's your daughter too after all, so smart…" She'd have to be to open a place he'd never seen before but was there none the less. It was a part of alchemy only Ed had seen, told him about in such detail once before, when he came back.
"She sent them…Roy she's just a little girl." Ed breathed.
"She'll make it," Roy promised. "She's got some explaining to do and she'll do it."
"I don't want to yell at her anymore." Ed said lifting his head from his shoulder. "I don't want to fight with her, she's had enough fighting."
Roy nodded agreeing with him. After tonight the last thing Isana needed when she woke, if she woke at all…No, he wouldn't think like that. He wasn't losing her. They weren't losing her. She was just a baby, a baby still, their baby and she's make it. She'd live and get an new leg made by her Aunt and come to work for him again where he could protect her, keep her safe. And she'd find someone, a human, a safe someone to love and marry and have kids of her own. She'd grow old and die an old woman in her bed. She wouldn't die at sixteen, not over this, not because of this.
"She'll need Elicia and Amy and Daren when she wakes up. They are her closest friends. I don't want her to feel alone, she hates that feeling Roy. She told me when she was ten. She said she couldn't stand being alone in strange places."
Roy sighed and kissed Ed's hair. "She won't be and I'll call them once she's awake." What was he going to do if she left them? What would he do with Edward? What would happen to Edward? Would he waste away and leave him as well. He'd buried enough friends and family in his time, he didn't want to bury his daughter and then his husband shortly after. It would kill him, it just would to lose everything precious to him.
The sound of running feet sounded down the hall and suddenly Daren appeared of all people, panting and scared. "How is she?"
Riza stood. "You-"
"It's okay Riza," Roy said softly. "He can be here." Riza backed down and Daren came into the waiting room taking a seat. "Why are you here Daren?"
"I just got in from East City. Isana asked me to come; she was planning your birthday party Sir and wanted some help. I checked in with HQ to report that I was here so Colonel Stafford would know when I heard she was hit by a car and here. Is she?"
Roy sighed. That was so like her, to go behind his back and surprise him. Edward was probably in on it and he'd completely forgotten about it with his new position and its demands. "She's in surgery now,"
Daren nodded and stiffened. "And Wray?" he asked.
"We don't know where he is."
Daren shook his head. "Figures, he ran the last time she was hurt. If he really loved her like she said then he'd be here like the rest of us."
Roy frowned. "She told you?" The boy's tone spoke volumes of his disgust and his care for Isana.
Daren nodded. "Yeah, she writes a lot, calls every week to check up on me. She tells me just about everything. I wasn't happy about it. I told her to be careful… I can't do much from East City but be her friend and listen even if..." He sighed. "Jon said she was happy so I didn't say anything. And well she could identify with Wray, always tolerated him better than anyone else. She said he was so different."
"You wanted her for yourself then?" Havoc asked lighting a cigarette.
Daren nodded. "Yeah, sorry Sir, I guess I shouldn't have said that."
Roy shook his head. "It's okay, I knew you liked her and I thought she liked you as well."
Daren rubbed his chin. "Well it's my fault really. I was the one who went to East City. Maybe if I'd stayed-"
"Wray still would have come back." Roy interrupted. "Don't blame yourself for something beyond your control Daren. None of us saw this coming." Damn that was hard to say but it was the truth. Not one of them saw the danger, how could they? They weren't gods or mind readers, or prophets. They were only human.
The doctor came into the room. "Fuher Mustang, Brigadier General Elric,"
Suddenly Edward came to life and sat forward. "Is she-"
The doctor smiled. "She's out of surgery and doing rather well, the best I've ever seen. She's not awake yet but you may see her now. How many beds should I tell the nurses to make up?"
Roy looked around the room. Riza smiled. "Jean and I will go home and be back in the morning, Corbin's probably wondering why we haven't come home yet. Call us if you need anything."
"Could I stay?" Daren asked.
Roy nodded glancing at Fury. "What about you?"
"I'll come back in the morning, Teagan will probably come too."
Roy nodded. "That's fine," He counted the remaining people. "Three,"
The doctor nodded. "All right this way,"
Isana felt so heavy, so cold, and her body felt so awful, like she'd been hit by a truck or one of the tanks that had been sent upon the trains to the East and South. She could hear talking near by, soft chattering by the sound of it and a voice she recognized. "Mmm…" She tried to move but all she could do was move her fingers and open her eyes, not get up like she wanted. When her eyes focused beyond her brain just registering colors and shapes she found her Daddy and he looked relieved.
"Hey sweetie," He said softly and his hand gently touched her cheek. "You awake?"
"Yeah," her voice came out no more than a raspy whisper.
Then Edward was in her line of sight, smiling sadly. "Isana,"
"Dad…where am I?"
"The infirmary," He replied taking her hand.
"Did I die, did Envy bring me back?" She asked remembering things in bits slowly yet quickly. She knew it wasn't all there but soon would be.
Roy shook his head. "No, you're not a homunculus."
She sighed in relief as Edward squeezed her hand. "Can I go home now then?" she whispered.
"Soon, how do you feel?" Roy asked.
"Like a tank ran over me,"
"That's a good assessment." Roy muttered.
"Daddy I'm sorry I tried to get home but no one was there and he-"
Edward covered her mouth. "Not now, rest for now. It's okay you did what you could."
"But-" She began when he uncovered her mouth.
"Shhhh, it's okay. We can talk all you want later. Just get better now." Ed said softly. "For me and Roy?" She nodded and he smiled. "Daren's here too and Teagan Winters, Jon, Elicia, Amy. Winry's pissed about your leg but she's making a new one."
Isana frowned. "Envy-"
"Hush," Roy ordered. "We'll talk about that later honey. Get some sleep. I need you at work and at home."
"Okay," She replied but refused to let of Edward's hand. She wanted to tell them, wanted to tell them everything and get it out, get it over with but she was tired. She didn't really care that her friends were here, she just wanted her parents right now, but she couldn't even tell them that for she was falling asleep.
Isana woke often, was in and out several times making her stay feel like forever, but finally she was taken home. Roy said she was in the infirmary for about a week, was recovering quickly but she was so tried it felt like a year. She did see her friends in that time but didn't really feel like talking. Elicia tried to get her to talk, make her feel better, Amy too, Daren was just waiting to listen as always, didn't push.
Now she was home and more awake than she had been, sitting in her room with Edward reading in a chair beside her bed. It was late, had to be for him to just read by lamp light and the rest of the room to be so dark. She could smell dinner cooking, stew maybe. That sounded really good. "Dad,"
Ed looked up from his book and smiled. "Hey,"
She smiled trying to sit up but he shook his head and rested his hand upon her shoulder. "You need to stay down."
"But-"
"Isana," he said, setting his book aside and took off his reading glasses. "You really need to heal."
She sighed and stilled. "Can we talk now?" She asked.
"Do you want to?" There was caution in his voice.
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." She replied.
He nodded and went to get Roy. She waited for a moment and no more and then both of her parents were there, Roy sitting upon the bed beside her. "So?" He asked.
Where to begin? She wondered. "Envy was Endal and Wrath was Wray. I didn't know that until that night. Envy told me, Envy changed right in front of me, scared me so badly and I remembered what you said…I couldn't move." Her mind went back to the night, replayed in detail for her how she felt, the pain, the fear.
"Hey!" Edward snapped. "Don't close yourself off Isana."
She nodded. "Um…" she frowned wetting her lips. "Envy came after me said something about plans and Wrath tried to keep him from me. It didn't work obviously and at first I couldn't move. I didn't…Wrath stabbed him and I thought he was dead but he started twitching. It was so unreal," She breathed. "I remember Wrath telling me to run, he was screaming at me, yelling. I wanted to go but I wanted to stay. I didn't want to leave him to Envy.
"I made it to the phone booth and tried home but no one was there so I called HQ and Envy caught up, Wrath wasn't with him. We fought and he rammed my head into the frame of the phone booth. I guess I passed out. I woke in some place I'd never been. Wrath was bound to a pillar, his auto-mail gone. He was yelling at Envy to let me go.
"Um… Envy ripped my auto-mail leg from the port. I was so sick I couldn't really do anything, at least not get up and run. I was really scared and he said you were coming and he was going to kill me in front of you and I couldn't let that happen." She smiled a little smile. "I don't know how I did it but I uh remembered some of the things you told me and." She shuddered and winced from the still soreness in her body.
"Then what happened?" Roy asked gently.
They were listening, not lecturing, not pushing too much, and just listening. It was as if they were just asking her how a normal day went and it was a little unnerving that they were being so calm. She was trying so hard to be as numb as possible so she could get this out without crying. "I lied to him, played him into believing me. I-I convinced him to make a deal with me. I make the stone and he got to kill me as long as he brought be back and then I would be his puppet." Edward's eyes grew wide and she spoke quickly. "I didn't mean it I just needed some time, an opening, something so I could do something to-
Roy's hands rested upon her shoulders. "Hey slow down, we know you wouldn't mean it,"
Isana glanced at Edward but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at his hands in his lap. "I'm sorry Dad I had to try something,"
"Then what?" Ed muttered.
"It took some convincing, more lying but he agreed and got close enough to stand right in the middle of this transmutation circle Wrath showed me. He was supposed to check it but never looked down, just at me. Then he started coughing up these red stones and ooze and I transmuted my auto-mail and attacked him as best as I could. I couldn't do much.
"Somehow he got out of the transmutation circle and attacked me. I don't know who Wrath got free but suddenly he was on Envy and it was all I could do to open the gate. I knew you'd come. I could hear you, hear him, feel the heat from Daddy's flames, and gun fire. After that I passed out again and woke to you. Are they gone now, for good?"
Ed met her eyes and nodded. "I think so,"
Isana tore her eyes from his. "Then I…I…" She couldn't say it, it hurt too much and she turned away.
"You killed them, all on your own." Ed said.
Isana winced curling up. "I'm sorry,"
"For what?" Ed asked.
"For everything," she breathed. "Leave me alone… please." She wanted them but she wanted Wrath, she missed him, she wanted to feel his arms around her telling her everything would be okay and tomorrow they'd have lunch. She didn't want the last thing to have come from his mouth to have been good bye. She needed him and she'd…she'd killed him. Once again she felt that God had a sick sense of humor. How was this equivalent exchange? She gave up the one she loved and what did she get in return? To be alive? Live without him. Yes she was hurt and angry that he'd lied but she still loved him.
"It's not fair," she whispered feeling the warm tears well up in her eyes.
"We just need to live and be content while we can," Ed muttered. "It doesn't help I know."
"I'm the biggest fool in the world," she muttered.
"Why because you fell in love with someone, that doesn't make you a fool Isana. We all make mistakes, we're supposed to fail at some things, not be perfect. That's what makes us human." Roy said gently, resting a hand upon her shoulder.
"I just want to be left alone for a little while. I've never killed anyone before Daddy and I don't know if I can live with that."
"It was self defense Isana," Ed snapped.
"That doesn't make it right!" She shot back. "Not when it was some one I was…It doesn't make it right."
"You can say you loved him kiddo, I know you did. There is nothing wrong with that. You don't exactly get to pick who you fall in love with, sometimes it just happens and you didn't screw up just because he happened to be a homunculus."
"How can you not be angry with me?" She asked turning over. "I mean I was with one who tried to kill you and Uncle Al Dad. Doesn't that break some sort of father daughter law? Isn't it some sort of betrayal?"
Roy and Edward looked at each other and shook their heads. Then Roy spoke. "Are you looking for punishment Isana, because you're not going to find it here, not from us? You did what you had to, to survive and you kept your word to us by running to that phone booth and placing the call. We understand that you're hurting, confused, pissed, and scared. This isn't something that will go away over night, you'll need time. Hell we'll need time. You think it was easy to hear you call us in panic, see you lying on the floor near death knowing that the very thing we tried so hard to protect you from had hurt you?"
She shook her head. "I tried to finish it before you got there, so you wouldn't have to see-"
Roy covered her mouth. "Things don't always go as we plan them. This isn't something you can justify or rationalize. It just is honey and we're here to listen. You're not alone in this, Ed and I have fought them, we know what's like to have our whole world turned upside down, shaken, and have to set it right again. But as long as we still have each other we can get through anything right?"
Isana nodded. It was true, as long as she still had them she could make it, she knew she could and was glad she still had that. Struggling, she sat up and reached for them both. "I know you don't want to hear it but I miss him."
"That's okay," Ed whispered in her ear as he embraced her. "It's okay and understandable. I get it. There's a lot of people I miss, my mother included. Cry, scream, break things if you have too, it's okay to hurt. I won't be mad at for that, not when you didn't know." He smiled pulling away and hooked his finger under her chin. "Hey,"
"Huh?"
"I'll try to get used to the idea that Wrath changed if you try to live huh?"
Isana nodded. "Okay,"
"Great, let's have dinner now and then you can tell me what it is you've got planned for my birthday." Roy said with a smirk. "Daren let it slip."
Isana frowned braved a smile. "If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise and I'll be having a talk with Daren later. Where is he anyway?"
"Out with Elicia and Amy. They should be here any time now actually." Ed replied.
"And I don't have to tell them about what really happened do I?" She asked softly. "I hate lying to them, but-"
"No, sometimes it's best if some people just not know." Roy replied. "Get some rest before they get here. You know Elicia; she'll be bouncing all over the place now that you're really awake."
Isana nodded with a smile. "I know, and if she comes with a camera, confiscate it. The last thing I need is a picture of me in bed."
"Got it anything else?" Edward asked.
"A hug?" She asked shyly.
Ed and Roy knocked heads to fulfill her request and Ed started muttering in annoyance. She shook her head and sighed. Some things just never changed no matter the situation. Oddly enough that made her feel better. "Are you done fighting now?"
A/N: Well that's the end. Thanks for reading . I am thinking about a possible sequal where Isana's pregnant (Wrath's baby) but I'm not sure... Any one wanting to pass ideas or thoughts for that along...that would be welcome.