"I just miss him you know " The brown-haired teen silently confesses. " All I have of him are these pictures and stories I hear from Uncle Jean and Uncle Roy. I know his face but I can barely remember his voice. I can't remember how his hugs felt like or his smile. I can't remember anything." Her eyes downcast as she fiddles with her fingers in her lap.

Laughter could be heard in the distance where their family members were reminiscing and the children giggling and chasing each other. Al and Mei had come down from Xing and talks of the marriage of the younger Elric were in the air. Riza and Winry were busy with baby Sarah as his former CO and his former subordinates were busy teasing his younger brother. It was one of those days that left its mark in one's memory. Hughes would have loved this. Was the thought in the back of every member's minds. But not all were happy as Ed found the teen sitting alone in the moonlight after she excused herself from dinner earlier that night.

Ed takes his eyes from the teen and moves to lay down on the manicured garden of the Fuhrer's mansion. Hands, both flesh is thrown behind his head, his eyes take on a softness as he remembered the man whom he had come to associate as family.

"Your father was the most annoying man I've had the pleasure of knowing " He softly says. Remembering how Hughes would shove a dozen photos in his eyes and gush about his perfect family. " But he was also the kindest man I could have ever known, Elysia. He was crazy about you and your mom." Ed faintly chuckles. " He was family, and even if he isn't here physically, He lives on in our hearts."

"I know." Her green eyes so like her fathers glistened in the moonlight. " I- I just wish I could remember his voice though" Her voice cracks at the end of this sentence. " I know it's not possible, but I wish – I wish he was alive. Here. With me." Silent tears stream down her cheeks as her shoulders shook. "He said he'd be back. He said he'd finish his work early and come back. He promised me." she brought her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth as her form trembled.

Ed worriedly sits up and laying a hand on her shoulder pulls her to him trying to swallow the knot that had formed in his throat. He too had kids now and thinking of the pain they might go through if he were to die makes his heart clench. No words could soothe the young girls' pain. He knew that better than anybody. And yet as his surrogate sister who just turned thirteen melts into his embrace, longing for her dead father, all Ed could do was wish that he could go back in time and stop Hughes from ever helping him out. Because it was his fault. His fault that this beautiful girl was crying in his arms instead of laughing with her father.

He lets her cry in his arms, patting her head in brotherly affection.

" Elysia, If I coul-" before he could finish his sentence, the night erupted in flames, and before he could think, he had shifted the little girl under him, using his body to shield her from any danger that may come to them.

"What the-" His exclaim lost as his vision tunneled and the world swam before his eyes and before he could make head or tail of anything his vision turned black.

Ugh...My head. He presses on his head with his hands to relieve the throbbing in his head and ringing in his ears. There's a creaking sound as he lightly smacks his head in annoyance. Wait. That sound. He presses on his head and he hears it again. The sound of metal shifting on metal. He opens his eyes quickly squeezes them shut in the bright light. Blinking a couple of times, as he gets used to the bright sunlight? he looks down to feel for injuries when he sees it. His arm, his shining right arm which just a few hours ago, he had scraped while playing with his 6 month old daughter. His hand which a few minutes ago had stroked his surrogate sister's head. But now as he looked at it in horror, he couldn't find that scab that had formed earlier, instead, all he saw was the sun reflecting off his arm. Metal arm.

"No.."

I don't know if my writing has improved or not, but I hope I can make this fic as awesome as it seems in my head. And I'll try to improve my other FMA fic too