Jaz: Thanks so much for all the reviews!!!! X3 I know… Roy died….. boo hoo.. so sad… LOL But it gets better!!! Sorry about all the angst and stuff.And thanx so much 4 the reviews!! I know!! I wanna kill the sins too!!
And I just made an email for Roy-sama!! YAY!!! (PS: Sorry if I didn't type in the underscores and stuff.. fanfiction is very strict....)
flamealchemist(underscore)Mustang(at)Kaxy(dot)com
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Family
Chapter 8: Aftertaste
A year as past and Gabriella recently turned five. Riza has still been in grief over the death of Roy. She then knew how it felt to lose the one you loved – she knew how it felt to be a widow. Gracia and Elicia would come most of the time to try and comfort her, but it remained the same. She still cried herself to sleep each night. She still felt lonely when she slept in bed.
She made a promise to protect him, and yet, she failed. She let him slip through her fingers. It was her fault.. all her fault.
Riza, one day, started to head for the front door, but she saw Gabe looking out the big window. "Gabe, what are you doing?"
Gabe went out from under the dusty curtains and turned to her mother with a big smile. "It's almost Christmas…. I bet you that Daddy is going to come home any minute now!"
Riza looked in her face. She wasn't lying. She couldn't be lying anyway, because she didn't know the truth.
Riza was about to burst into tears but she held it in. "Yeah.." She swallowed. "..Maybe.."
Riza always worried that one day, Gabriella would ask why her father let her down. She would ask why he never came. She never wanted to break out the truth to her daughter because it would break her heart. Then again, she never wanted to lie to her, too.
"Mommy… don't cry…. I'm here with you.." Gabriella would always say that when she started to cry.
Why does love bring so much happiness…. And then it gives you pain?
"Mom, where are you going?" Asked the 8-year old Gabriella.
Riza, in her military uniform, turned to see Gabriella. She was growing so big, so fast. If only her father could see. "I'm sorry, Gabe…. But I need to go… I will be back in a while.." A war broke out in the East so it was mandatory to Riza help out in the war.
"But.. why? Why can't you stay here? I don't want you to go away for along time like Dad. Then, you two won't be back in a long time."
Riza turned outside where it started to rain hard. She sighed. "Gabriella… you're father isn't coming back…. He never was…" She said coldly. She opened her umbrella and walked through the rain into the cab with the umbrella over her head, leaving her only daughter with Gracia and Elicia in their care.
Gabriella watched her mother driving away in a cab. She left without a goodbye.
Gracia rested her hand firmly on Gabe's shoulder. "I'm sorry, sweety. Mom won't be back in a while… How about we go make some cookies instead?"
Gabriella hesitated. "Okay… that would be great…"
For four years, Gabriella looked out her window waiting for her mother or father to return. But they never came. They never wrote. Over time, Gabriella looked through the window less and less until she never bothered to look out anymore.
"Elicia… you can't go to college. Stay here with us.." Pleaded the 12 year old Gabriella.
The 18-year old Elicia looked over her shoulder and smiled. "I need to go for an education. It's for a good cause…" She laughed. "Besides… when I get there.. I'll be sure to send you the awards on mail okay?"
"But…" Gabe sulked. "It's not the same… you're like a big sister to me, Elicia… I don't know how I'll go through life without you. You taught me the basic steps of being a year older…. How am I suppose to know what to do when I'm 13?"
Elicia turned around and looked down at her. Gabriella was a couple feet shorter than her. She rested her hand on her shoulder. "We all have to walk on our two feet sometime.. don't we?"
Gracia blew her nose. Elicia went over to her mother. "Mom… please don't cry. Not now!"
Gracia wiped her tears. "I'm sorry, honey. It's just that you've grown up so fast… I only wish that you're father was here to see the day you're going to college…"
Elicia smiled reassuringly. "Yeah… me, too.."
Beep! Beep!
"Come on Elicia! Get in the car!" Yelled one of Elicia's friends from the car.
"Well… there's my ride…" She gave a big hug to her mother. "Bye mom… I'll miss you… I couldn't have made it this far without you…"
"I'll miss you, too, honey… Remember always, that I'll always love you… no matter what…" Gracia said as she sobbed.
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Two weeks later, Gabe was walking through the halls until she came across what had used to be Elicia's room. Everything seemed pretty empty. "What is the purpose for everyone leaving?" She said to herself looking through the room. It brought so many memories.
"People leave to achieve their goals…"
Gabe turned finding Gracia leaning on the wall.
"Like when a woman goes out to shop, her goal is to buy groceries or food for her family, or when a future mother is rushed to the hospital to give labor to an expectant baby…" Gracia explained. "Just as Elicia to go to college just to receive an education…"
Gabriella thought for a while.
"Aunt Gracia…….. do you think I should leave?"
"Why is that?"
Gabriella looked at the floor. "I want to be like my father. I want use alchemy for the good of the people…. I want to take his name as Flame Alchemist…"
"What made you think of that…?"
"………………. Maybe… just to learn how to stand up on my own… and find the answers to my questions…" Gabriella replied.
Gracia remained silent for a couple of minutes. "Fine.." She said. "If this is you're dream…. I have no right to stop you…. So… I guess I'm going to have to let you go…"
Gabriella reached into her pocket and took out a pair of fire gloves, the one Roy uses to transmute fire. "Thanks, Aunt Gracia…"
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Jaz: Soooooo… whatcha think? Pretty kewl, huh? Sorry if it's so short…. You guys will love the next chapter!!!! XDDD Sorry if it's a bit angsty…. To tell you the truth.. while I was typing this… I had sad piano music playing in my head!!! LOL
Gomen Nasai! WE WILL MEET AGAIN! :3
