Darn it. I was planning on surprising everyone with a Wednesday-Upload, but I guess a long chapter will have to suffice!
(Age 16)
"Elizabeth, sweetie," Her mother called, "Come and play with Edward and Alphonse with me." Elizabeth looked up at her mother from her child-self. Her beautiful brown hair swept to the side in a loose ponytail framed her subtly sweet face, currently holding a bright smile. The idealistic picture only lasted a moment.
The Truth she saw at the gate that fateful day appeared, sitting in the only posture she'd ever seen it sit in. One leg was bent at the knee and flat on the ground under the other, which it rested its arm lazily on. His head was laying sideways on his arm with a wicked grin, looking almost playful.
"Elizabeth, sweetie," It called in her mother's sweet voice, "Come and play with Edward and Alphonse with me." His voice changed towards the end, turning much scratchier and rough. She tried to scream and run, but couldn't move at all. It's just a dream, she thought desperately, I need to wake up. Just a dream.
Elizabeth startled awake, with ragged breaths. She allowed her vision to be flooded with details of her surroundings, to attempt to get rid of the nightmare. Her brown luggage was above her train seat, held behind a mesh to keep it from falling. Riza's warm presence reached out to her subtly, as the girl could feel the slight heat coming off of the woman's body sitting in the train seat next to her. Jean's annoyed expression made her stomach drop as she remembered his complaints when Riza insisted he come along: "But Solaris will miss me. We just started dating since the transfer to Central, and I don't want to be away from her for too long." By the look had had given her at the time, however, Elizabeth thought it had much more to do with his cowardice than anything. Still, The blonde's familiar wisp of smoke flowing out the slightly ajar window eased the girl's pain of that dreadful nightmare. Until she drifted off again, that is.
She watched helplessly, frozen in space as the thing at the gate unraveled Edward's body, taking him into the gate. He fought fiercely against the current of shadow hands clawing at him, but all in vain. Reaching out for her help one last time, she watched her twin brother disappear past the gate. As it slowly inched closed, she anticipated the creak of its seal. She was disappointed when it didn't close all the way, and fearful when she realized what it meant.
Elizabeth jerked in her slumber, making both guards jump slightly. They'd seen her nightmares before, and any little movement she made caused them worry. Jean had lurched forward much more than Riza, his reaction showing how he felt. It went un-noted, but not unnoticed by Riza. Havoc also didn't relax after she snuggled back into her military jacket as Riza did.
As the dream progressed, the two noticed more and more similarities of the two nightmares. Thankfully this time was not nearly as violent as the first. Still, the desperate and broken mumbles of pleas unsettled Jean most of all. Or rather, that unsettling feeling he felt towards this girl's terror did.
"No." She groaned, not longer mumbling incoherently. The girl's eyes, still closed and seeing in her mind, started overflowing with soft, warm water, "No. Come back." She wailed in a breathless whisper, as if she had been screaming with all her might for hours and couldn't muster any more. Her fists clenched and Riza wrapped her in a hug instantly, fearing sudden movements. The confinement matching up with that in her dream, Elizabeth cried harder, "Give him back." She slumped, making Riza slowly release her, "Give him back." She breathed out, barely audible.
"Take her, Jean." Riza ordered, handing the girl to the nervous-looking man. Though obviously dubious, he accepted her into his lap without hesitation. A plain silver band on her left hand caught Jean's eye as he realized she must have put it on recently, because he'd never seen it before.
Her hands instantly wrapped around his neck, silently craving the comfort. "Jean, don't leave me. I'm scared." She spoke the words of her nightmare, "I won't lose you too, Jean." Her face nuzzled into the crook of his neck and she took in a deep breath.
Her subconscious seemingly controlling her, Elizabeth's still dreaming mind relished the smokey cologne mix that was Jean to her. But by the second breath, uneasiness rippled through her, starting to wake her. Jean felt her movements but couldn't bring himself to get her off of him. He, too, enjoyed this close proximity, even if he had a girlfriend.
Elizabeth sputtered awake and felt the warmth of someone all around her. With one glance of his blonde hair and sexy two-day stubble, Elizabeth was back-tracking off of his lap as soon as she could. "What the fuck were you thinking, Lieutenant?" She snapped, pulling herself off of the floor of the train and into her seat next to Riza, who was silently enjoying the scene before her.
Remaining mute, Havoc sighed and reached for a cigarette, lighting it in his mouth and slumping back in his seat in defeat. The girl obviously forgot her dream, or at least what she'd said aloud.
Leaving the train station was much easier than the ride to Resembool, thankfully, and Elizabeth had called ahead and had someone very willing waiting for her.
Bradly waved excitedly to Elizabeth as she exited the train with her luggage. His chocolaty hair bounced as he rushed over to her the moment the brown suitcase came into his field of vision as he politely offered, "Let me get that, Liz." The girl, obviously able to carry the medium size case, realized he wasn't just being polite.
"Uhm, Thanks Bradly," She replied, seeing as he had already leaned over to grab it. His medium length hair brushed past her face in his speed to get to her luggage, making her flush at the realization of their close proximity. By the time she swallowed the lump in her throat to speak again, the four were already walking out of the train station. "U-um, you really don't have t-to carry it. I can handle it, it's pretty light."
Bradly threw his head back with a lopsided grin, "Ellie, don't those city boys know how to treat a lady?" Elizabeth didn't notice the split-second pause as he flicked his eyes to Havoc, but Jean sure as hell did. "Just because you're able to carry something doesn't mean you have to." Once again the eye flick went unnoticed, but this time it was more of a glance, as his gaze lingered longer as he spoke, "That's what a gentleman is for."
Havoc was getting pretty fed up with this boy's tone and wondered why Elizabeth wasn't picking up on it. His eyes found the answer as Elizabeth's gaze was locked on the ground in front of her, with a curtain of hair attempting to conceal her reddened face. Gritting his teeth and reminding himself that it was best for her to date within her own age group, Jean held his tongue, but Bradly wasn't through with him yet.
As the began to tread on a dirt road leading to Pinako's home, Bradly turned his attention to Jean. "So, how old are you, Sir?" He inquired respectfully, "You don't look much older than me." Jean did a double-take. The kid, not really a kid, didn't look that young. He was almost the same height as himself, and definitely as broad. He had a southern tan about him and relaxed, country-side clothing.
"I'm twenty-two. You, kid?" Jean responded gruffly, waiting for the 'kid' to snap at him or lose his temper in some way. That way, Elizabeth wouldn't like him as much
A rich, deep, chuckle erupted from Bradly's chest. "Sorry, man. I'm nineteen. You're not," Bradly's eyes glinted mischievously as sarcasm seeped into his tone, "that old. It's only three years."
Jean blinked in surprise, and Elizabeth stopped altogether. "Wait," She interrupted as Bradly had half-expected, "But I remember having classes with you. If you were three years older, then how did you manage to pick on me so much?" The characteristic chortle one again escaped from Bradly due to the girl's adorable confusion. Jean was seething, trying to find out how he knew just about everything about this girl's past except this well built, handsome, chivalrous, jackass of young man. It was fairly obvious to Havoc that Bradly had been a big part of her childhood, so why omit him...unless there was something unresolved?
"Beth," He began, noting Jean's flare of his nostrils, as he'd been testing different nicknames, "That's what you hated most. I was supposed to be two grades ahead of you, but I purposely failed one of them, and my class was right next to yours. I'd sneak in the back and play with your hair and kick at your feet. The teachers got so tired of me not listening that they eventually just gave me the work and let me stay in the younger class."
A giggle bubbled out of Elizabeth's lips, making Jean's heart jump a bit before dying back down in realization of the cause. "I always knew you were an odd one, Bradly Jones." she teased, fondly remember calling him a mud-faced snot muncher.
Gritting his teeth, Jean spoke up, "You know, that would be considered stalking in the city." He retorted bitterly to Beth's childhood friend, earning himself a fierce glare from the young woman.
"And following Kain and I out of the diner and all five miles back to headquarters isn't?" Elizabeth snapped angrily, accidentally revealing that what Kain had asked her not to.
Silent momentarily, Jean mentally kicked himself for getting caught back then before bursting, "That bastard! He said he wasn't going to say anything."
Elizabeth's mind grew foggier and foggier as they continued to walk in an angry aura. Riza moved herself next to Bradly, with Havoc on the other side of her, to put the most possible distance between Jean and Elizabeth. Elizabeth's mind was feeling heavier to her and she felt herself straining to keep up with the others. The anger in her dispersed instantly, but Jean's thrived on the other side of Riza, where he had been separated from the man he wanted to hurt and the woman he just wanted. Nevertheless, he made himself shake off those angry thoughts, focusing instead on Solaris, his beautiful girlfriend. She was much more developed than Elizabeth, and much taller too. The two of them looked great together, with only a year of age difference.
Only did a loud crash and a strangled shout from Bradly managed to pull him out of his attempt to distract himself. He whipped around to see Elizabeth's suitcase sprawled open, with clothing, undergarments, paper, pencils, and waxed periwinkles strewn across the dusty dirt road. Moreover, Elizabeth herself was pale and limp, laying in Bradly's arms.
Anger pulsed through Jean again in a flash as he yanked the girl away from Bradly and cradled her bridal-style. "What the hell did you do, boy?" He seethed in a low voice. Riza had begun to pick up the strewn items and had barely heard the threatening question, but Bradly heard it well enough.
Still slightly dazed, Bradly stood, bloody knees showing through his pant legs, stared concernedly at Beth and replied breathlessly, "I-I don't know. One second she was chatting with me, then she slowed down and stopped, and then she fainted." He smiled gently and brushed a stray lock of golden hair out of Beth's face, "But I caught her still."
Pinako shut the door behind her silently and crossed her arms angrily, "I have no idea what is wrong with her! What did you boys do to this poor girl?"
Both men in question hung their heads slightly, but Bradly less so. "Ma'am," He replied, "I don't know what happened. Will she be okay, though?" Pinako's gaze softened slightly at the sight of the familiar face painted with worry.
"I don't know." She replied simply, "It seems like she's just...unwell. It's like she's older or has malnutrition, but there's no cause to be found for it," She cut her eyes at the two in the military, "unless they're dabbling in forbidden alchemy again."
Jean's hung head snapped up, "Edward did say something about a reversal for something they did when they were young, and some side-affects." Pinako nodded, knowing all to well the circumstances of that incident.
Changing directions, the short old woman dug into her apron's pocket and pulled out Elizabeth's bobby pin, state alchemist watch, and little silver ring. "These were on her, and I took them off so they wouldn't be in the way while I checked her out." Riza grabbed the watch, slipping it into her pocket at the same time Jean grabbed the bobby pin and began to reach for the ring.
"I can't believe she was actually wearing this," Bradly commented softly, plucking the ring out of Pinako's outstretched hand only inches before Jean could. Jean pinned the silver periwinkle pin on the pocket of his jeans and raised an eyebrow.
"Why is that?" He asked. Pinako brought out a few glasses of water for her guests and Bradly waited until after he took a drink to reply.
As Havoc sipped at his own drink, Bradly replied, "Because this is the ring I was going to propose to her with."
Jean sputtered and choked on the sip he was taking and dropped the glass, shattering it to pieces. It didn't seem to affect him, or anyone, as Riza and Pinako were frozen in shock. Jean, on the other hand, was eerily calm. "I'm sorry," He replied, "What?"
Bradly was staring wide-eyed at the glass bits on the ground, but he clarified once again, "I'm waiting until the right time to propose to Beth. I'm going to go to the jeweler and have him put on a little diamond as soon as I can afford one. I've been saving up for a few months now, and I just got a house, too." By the end of his explanation, he, too didn't care about the glass, lost in his dreams of the future, with a house and kids with Elizabeth.
Jean was shaking, his jaw line taut from jealousy. Instead of losing it in a house where he was a guest, Jean stood without a word and waltzed out of the house, crunching on glass as he left.
Jean's mind wandered, winding its way through the memories he and Elizabeth shared together.
Mustang had almost let the conversation about dating standards die when he smirked and coyly asked, "What's your type, Broken Flame?" Jean found himself amused as well, knowing the girl would have some odd answer, or refuse to answer entirely.
She surprised him by unfreezing and replying, "I like sweet guys. Most girls do." Subconsciously, Havoc thought to himself, I know how to be sweet. His thoughts were shot down by Riza's bark of laughter.
"That's not true and you know it. Living with brothers like you've got, you wouldn't be able to deal with a sweet, calm man. You'd go nuts from the quiet!" she contradicted, laughing lightly all the way through.
Elizabeth's petite little face went from porcelain to a deep scarlet in a matter of seconds, from the bridge of her little button nose to the tips of her delicate ears. Jean decided he liked that expression on her.
He remembered that conversation, and what happened later as well, when she ripped her pants on a nail and had to borrow a skirt from Riza.
As soon as the short girl walked in, he noticed legs. She really did have some shapely legs she had kept hidden under those boyish pants. It took him a second to realize that the left leg was automail, because of the realistic shape and silhouette. And above her knees, still before her skirt began, he could see the bottoms of her thighs, only a shade or two tanner than Ivory. He watched her walk to her seat, noticing a slight sway of her hips. She couldn't be doing that on purpose. But...he'd never seen that kind of delicate, womanly motion from her before. Was it the skirt? Or had she walked like that all along and he's simply missed it because of the unflattering slacks?
The girl sat down, and the skirt hiked up a bit, with another two or three inches of skin showing. Jean felt a lump form in his throat as he realized how attractive this girl could be. He tried to swallow it, but Elizabeth moved slightly, readjusting her legs to sit more comfortably. This made the skirt hike up considerably, coming up to her mid-thigh, at least three or four inches higher up on her legs. He couldn't speak to tell her that her skirt was too far up, nor did he really feel like losing the view of those legs. He glanced at her face, to see her filing papers, oblivious to her short skirt, beautiful legs, or the issues it was causing for Jean's work. And that made the lump in his throat even worse, and tinted his cheeks pink.
"Havoc!" The incredibly attractive girl snapped at him, bringing his gaze away from the skirt he could almost look up, "I swear to god, if you don't stop staring at my leg, I'm going to kick your ass." her mention of if made him look, but it wasn't nearly as appealing as what he had been looking at. But that expression she had, a flushed face in anger, with her adorably pixie-like features scrunched up in annoyance, made him feel like he had melted, but did nothing to aide his situation. Jean decided he liked that expression on her.
Jean calmed down, bit by bit, thinking of all the things he could of her, and why she wouldn't accept that boy's proposal.
The two of them walked out of headquarters together, out to get coffee. Jean was thoroughly annoyed at Mustang's most current assignment for him: To guard Elizabeth. He would have done that anyway, had he gone with her. But now it made him feel as if his time spent with her was...forced. Nonetheless, he managed to enjoy the entire day to the fullest. They had talked and talked for hours, about everything under the sun. From his family's store, to flame alchemy, to guns, to her story. He realized the depth this girl had when he listened to every nook and cranny of hell she'd experienced. And she was still sane today. He really respected her for that, but grew even more annoyed at Mustang for creating this opportunity to get to know her through an assignment.
Havoc sighed as he realized in his anger and memory searching, he had gotten himself lost and landed at a burnt down home. It had to have been where their house once stood; the Elrics'.
He could feel the anger burning through her small body as she fought as fiercely as she could to try and get to her brother and help. In his mind, this little pixie couldn't go; it'd be a suicide mission. His arms were snaked around her in a way he'd have loved had it been in just about any other situation. Here, he was holding her away from helping the thing she loved most, her brother. She would hate him. But he'd have her still. It's better to have her hate him than to have her dead.
Havoc was sitting now, tightening his hands until his knuckles were white. Is this really what he wants? Her? He couldn't fathom it, falling for her was signing his death certificate, especially after how badly he screwed up. On several occasions.
Lying to her face about being an assignment, then telling her absentmindedly anyway. Flirting with a waitress in front of her. Calling her 'kiddo'. Getting jealous of Fuery. Following them home. Intimidating Kain. Getting drunk and taking Melanie home. Getting caught with Melanie on his arm. Promising to talk to Edward. Getting scared by a boy six and a half years younger than him. Breaking his promise. And now, straining her to the point of fainting.
Sighing, Havoc stood to get ready to find his way back to Pinako's home. It was dusk now, and if Elizabeth had waken up, she'd probably be worried. Or not, maybe she'd be on Bradly's arm by now.
"Hey, man!" A voice cried out from the distance, only a black silhouette from Jean's perspective, but Bradly was the only person to ever repetitively call him 'man'.
Jean groaned from his horrible luck, wondering how to make it back without killing this kid. One step at a time. He realized, biting his tongue and giving a little wave before heading in his direction.
"Listen," Bradly prompted, breaking the silence and halting before they reached Pinako's yard. His voice took a much more serious tone, "I know you like Beth. I just want to tell you," anger seeped into his words slightly as he clenched his fists and spoke harsher, "I will win her over. I don't know how that colonel convinced them to go to the military, but I'll be damned if I let my Beth fall in love with a military man."
Jean's temper flared at the mention of 'Bradly's Beth', and he grabbed a fistful of the boy's shirt, pulling him off the ground slightly, "You listen," Havoc snarled right back, "I won't have a little bastard like you trying to fight for a girl I've given up on." He raised a fist threateningly, "Your Beth" Jean taunted cruelly, "was mine first. Don't you ever forget that, you little punk."
Soft footsteps crunched on the crisp grass as a smug smirk curved onto Bradly's lip. "Jean Havoc." Scolded Elizabeth, "You better put that man down right now! Don't get jealous just because he wants your old toy!" She snapped the last part spitefully, referring to his actions of 'dropping' her for Solaris.
Jean refused to, growling, "Man? I'm a man, this is a little boy. He's not old enough for me to get jealous of." Hearing Elizabeth's sharp exhale, Jean knew he could add another thing to his 'stupid things said to Beth' list.
"That's it!" Elizabeth threw her hands up and Jean noticed her under-dressed attire, with only a large shirt that must have been Bradly's. "The dogs are outside until they behave as well as Den!" She snapped, letting the dog in question go inside before her and letting the two men face each other until it was all sorted out.