II. Letting Go
(Author's note: Ed and Winry are about 6 or 7-years-old, and Al is 5 or 6. Somewhat cute but seriously angsty.)
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"Brother…" Al was squatting on the side of a street, his back to Ed.
Ed rolled his eyes. "Not again! Whatever it is, just leave it alone would'ya?"
Al pouted at his merciless brother and turn back to caress the tabby kitten. They were walking back home from school when Al spotted it shivering in a street corner.
"I wanna keep this one," Al said tenderly as he looked at the kitten's 'aww'-inspiring face.
"Eh whatever." Ed muttered. "You would have to take care of it, and you have to get Mom's agreement first. And hurry up, I wanna be back home for desserts." Ed started jogging. Al snuggled the kitten up to his chest and followed.
-.-.-.-.-.-
"Oh my. A cat?" Trisha stared wide-eyed at the tabby kitten. She squatted down and patted Al's head. "You know Al, taking care of a pet is a big responsibility. Just make sure you're up to it, or it's not fair to the kitty." She said firmly but smiled at Al and the kitten. The kitten blinked and mewed.
"Yes Mom I promise I'll take good care of him." Al declared. Ed sighed.
"Okay then." Trisha stood up. "Guess you should clean him up first though. There's blueberry pie on the table if you want."
"Yeah okay. I'll be back in a bit," Al picked up the kitten and headed for the bathroom. Ed shrugged and followed his mom to the kitchen for the pie.
After twenty minutes, Al returned with another set of shirts and shorts along with a soggy but clean kitten wrapped in a towel. "Sorry I got the bathroom floor kinda wet." Al grinned apologetically. "I think I'll get some milk for him."
A moment later, the kitten got drier and was slurping milk from a dish. Trisha was cleaning up the kitchen while the boys were eating.
Ed glanced down and looked at the kitten. He was reluctantly admitting that the kitten was indeed adorable. "What are you gonna name him?" asked Ed.
"Hmm I don't know… Fuzzy… nah… Tiptoe? Or Stripes?" Al pondered over this.
"Wait… how about… Elric Jr.?" Ed exclaimed in a moment of inspiration.
"Hey, that's good! Then he'd be like part of the family…" Al trailed off as he watched Ed's eyes becoming downcast. A painful realization dawned on the two of them. Plus one… her back was to the boys so they couldn't see her trying to fight tears.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Winry burst through the Elrics' front door. "A kitten? I wanna see I wanna see!"
"Yeah I'll bring him out in a sec. I just found him yesterday and he's a bit shy still." Al went to his room. Winry was beaming in anticipation. Ed merely shrugged. He could never understand Winry's overwhelming exuberance.
Al greeted them, kitten in hand. "Winry, meet Elric Jr." He took one of the kitten's paws and waved it at Winry. Winry's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. "He's soooo cute!" Ed rolled his eyes and smirked. "Yeah yeah. I named him by the way."
"You did? I like it. It's a great name." Winry grinned at him. Ed blushed ever so slightly.
Al and Winry played with Elric Jr. in the living room while Ed sat and watched, a contented smile inching across his face.
Meanwhile, Pinako and Trisha were talking in the kitchen.
"No news of him at all?" Pinako asked.
"No. He hadn't even called. It's been three months." Trisha bit her lips. Pinako put her hands on Trisha's tenderly.
They sighed in bitterness. From initial shock to anxious waiting to fearing the worst and morose acceptance.
"But you've got the boys." Pinako smiled and looked at Trisha.
"Yes. I can't let them down now…" Trisha turned and looked at the threesome in the living room, her thoughts a thousand miles away.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Days turned into weeks and into months. Elric Jr. was now a lively bundle of pure energy. He would leap from the couch just as the boys were entering the front door, nuzzling his head against Al's legs and slapping Ed's ankles with his front paws. According to Al, that meant Elric Jr. was just playing with him.
One night, Elric Jr. started getting restless. He feverishly clawed at Al's bedroom window and meowed like he stepped on live wire. Neither Al nor Ed could figure out what was going on. When this continued for three days in a row, Trisha had to talk to the boys.
"Elric Jr. is a cat, and cats grow up much faster than people." Trisha explained. "This means that… he needs to get outside at nights, and he might be out for awhile…"
"But Mom, why?" asked Al.
She sighed. "Because it's part of nature, and Elric Jr. needs to find a girlfriend and get married."
"Ohh…" said the two boys. Al pouted. Ed looked thoughtful.
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So Al let Elric Jr. out whenever it was necessary. Usually he would be back the next the morning, looking a little wild and frazzled but otherwise fine. However, once he disappeared for three days straight. When he returned, it broke Al's heart to see Elric Jr. have fur torn off in patches and an injured tail. They managed to send him to a vet in the city, which was a big trip indeed – and Trisha had to dig into some of her savings.
The vet fixed up the cat, and asked to speak to Trisha alone. The boys looked puzzled but obliged.
"Ma'am, it's possible to stop you cat's behavior by neutering him," said the vet.
"But it'll be a costly procedure, won't it?" Trisha asked.
The vet nodded gravely.
"Well, thank you for treating out cat, doctor. I guess I'll tell the boys we can't keep the cat anymore."
"You're welcome." The vet sighed as Trisha walked out of his office.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Trisha tried to explain to the boys why they couldn't keep Elric Jr. anymore. They listened but felt confused and hurt, especially Al. He started crying and Ed put a hand on his shoulder, looking morose.
When Elric Jr. recovered, they watched him skitter out the front lawn and break into a run. And he never came back this time.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Three months later, Winry and the Elrics were walking home from school when Winry froze in her tracks. "Look," she pointed ahead to some shrubs off the street. They tiptoed forward for a closer look.
There was a mother cat with five kittens being attacked by a tabby male who looked very, very familiar.
Winry almost gasped. Ed and Al stared in shock. Then Al rushed out and stomped at the tabby, "Get out of here!" The tabby hissed at Al but scampered away soon enough.
The mother cat and four of the kittens were already running away. But one kitten remained. One that was probably injured from the scuffle… by Elric Jr.
The three stood in a daze for a few minutes before Winry sniffled, "Um, I guess we should get the kitten treated…" she turned and saw the boys on the verge of tears also.
"Yeah." muttered Ed.
Al stooped down and picked up the kitten, then they continued walking home in silence.
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End