Sorry the last chapter was so short, this one isn't too big either. It is also the last chapter (but there will be an epilogue). Thanks to all who have followed this story and I hope you might find my other work as entertaining. I have a surprise storycoming, but I shan't tell you about it until I post the epilogue of this story. See you next week. FMA isn't mine.
He sat between his parents feeling very sorry for himself but also full of curiosity. His mother had promised to tell him exactly why he should not bully his sister into alchemy. Frankly he couldn't see a reason why for he had his own reason to want her to do alchemy.
'After this I want you to go into your sisters and apologise. What's more James I want you to mean it.'
He nodded at his father's request, hating the look in his eye. He could see the disappointment and it hurt more then any scolding. Why didn't they realise he was doing it for his sisters own good?
'We never told you,' Winry started, 'but Grace did have a try at alchemy not long after you began to show signs of alchemy yourself. It was a simple case of jealousy but to this day she holds great guilt.'
Grace didn't understand much of what she was reading but she had something to prove. She knew she hated her little brother for a reason and now it was showing itself. He was doing alchemy at a young age and was now the apple of her fathers eye. All Grace could do was read and write which was out of place within her family. However it meant she was able to read the thicker alchemy books it would take Jimmy years to cope with.
Out of sight of anyone she had been trying her hardest at alchemy and getting no-where. Now she believed she had finally cracked it and she was ready.
She drew the circle with expert care, making sure all the measurements were right. It looked funny on the back of her little hand but also the most interesting to look at. If she was right she would be able to make lighting by altering the temperature and electrical particles in the air.
She jerked her hand outward and concentrated. No matter how hard she stared at her hand she saw not a spark. Surely she had got everything right. Den lay some feet from her and whimpered slightly as she watched.
'Grace, what are you doing?'
She whirled to see her great-grandmother behind her. Now very old and hobbling round with a stick Pinako still managed to hold a presence of authority.
'I…I was just calling Den to me,' she laughed and clicked her fingers.
She set off the reaction but it was not controlled. From her fingers bolts of electricity flew everywhere narrowly avoided Den who ran as far as he could. She screamed loudly as she emitted dangerous amounts of electricity from nothing. She didn't know how to stop it and she was sure to shock herself at any moment.
A hand came into contact with hers and rubbed a thumb across the alchemy circle drawn there. The moment the circle was broken there was a loud bang and Grace felt herself flew across the grass before she entered a world of darkness.
Some hours later she awoke with her father by her bedside. He smiled when she looked at him and placed a hand carefully on her forehead. She felt completely drained and her head hurt but apart from that she was fine.
'You gave us quite a scare Grace,' Ed sighed.
'I'm sorry daddy. I just wanted to make you happy.'
He breathed out heavily. They had talked about this before but he didn't know how much it was bothering her. Perhaps he had been paying far too much attention to James the past few weeks and deserved the guilt he was feeling.
'Just having you makes me happy Grace. When I found you on the ground earlier I thought the worst. I knew what alchemy you were trying and it is so dangerous. Your grandmother knew what to do…'
He fell quiet. Pinako had taken some of the shock herself. Grace was young and easily bounced back but Pinako was very frail and her body was weak. The doctor had been called and he was seeing to her at that moment.
Winry walked in and threw her arms around her daughter, quietly thanking whoever could hear for keeping her safe. Grace withdrew and bit her lip.
'Is granny okay?'
'Your great-grandmother died a few weeks after that incident. Grace believed she brought about her death and to this day blames herself. She doesn't do alchemy for fear she will hurt somebody.'
James had been silent all through the story and now bowed his head in shame. Alchemy must be so scary to his sister and he had been trying to force it upon her. Without a word he slowly hesitated up the stairs to stand outside his sisters room. He waited there for an age before knocking.
'Yes,' she called a bit too weakly for him to be comfortable with. He walked in to find her on her bed book in hand. He could see she had been crying and he body was slumped. At sight of him she frowned and went back into her book. His first reaction would usually to be angry at her and leave, slamming the door behind him. Now he knew she had every right to hate him so he entered slowly closing the door behind him.
'Mom and dad just told me about when you tried to do alchemy.'
'So you have come to gloat that you have never made such a big mistake!'
So the direct approach had been a bad idea. He could see that she was beginning to shake so he spoke again.
'I didn't want to hurt you Grace, I just wanted you to do alchemy,' he said rather quietly.
'Why Jimmy? What is so wrong with how I live?'
'Because I always spend time with dad and you don't get to.'
She looked up from her book and slowly turned her head to him. Their eyes fixed on each other and neither moved or said a word. Something had finally clicked with the pair. They had always loved each other as they had no choice, but now there was understanding. From then on they would accept how the other lived far more then they ever had.
She swung her legs over the edge of her bed to face him. Very faintly a smile appeared on her lips and he let out a breath. Something cleared in the air and he appreciated her as a person. It had taken far too long for them to become real siblings.
'Jimmy, open the second draw down on my desk. Pick up what is in there and read it.'
He raised an eyebrow at her but followed instruction. Inside was a thick wad of paper bound up together. He read the title, and beamed. Grace was doing something vital with her life after all.
