Halfmetal Alchemist: Chapter 27

Leroy and Faris stood outside of Gracia Hughes's house in East City, his fist raised to knock on the door, when a thought occured to him. What on earth will I say?

Faris looked around her with interest, clad in a simple white dress with a sunhat of the same color perched on her head, clashing with her dark hair, which was now a bit longer than it had been. "This is a nice house," she commented. He nodded a bit distractedly. "Yeah, Godfather Hughes left them a lot of money after he died."

"I thought you said he died before you were born?"

"Yeah, well. Dad said he'd be Godfather to any children he had, so he still has the status, even if he's not alive. It's weird, I know, but now Mrs.Hughes is our Godmother, which isn't so bad." he knocked on the door and Elysia opened it, holding a squirming little Maes in her arms. "Wow, you two still joined at the hip, Elysia?" Leroy joked, earning a filthy look from Elysia. "Maes is much better than you are, Leroy. I see being on the road didn't improve your manners any."

"And I see that me being on the road didn't alleviate your constipation, either," he muttered, brushing past her. Sure, Elysia was a good four years older than him, but he was still the bigger one. This didn't stop Elysia Hughes, however, at least, not as often as Leroy would have liked. He really liked Elysia as a friend and all, but the girl was just so uptight!

Farisasked him to apologize, but he refused. She grabbed him by the arm, kicked his leg out from under him, and threw him over her shoulder, placing a foot on his chest. "Apologize, Leroy," she demanded, straightening her sunhat a bit. Leroy snarled at her and once again refused, but didn't move from under her foot. Her look softened a little, then she became infuriated. "You think I'm some fragile little dainty thing, don't you? That's why you're not trying to push me off!" He exhaled slowly, to relieve pressure on his chest as her foot pressed down harder.

"This hurts, you know. And I won't apologize." Maes squirmed and craned his neck over Elysia's shoulder. "Leroy? Why are you getting your butt kicked? Only Daddy kicks your butt. And Mommy," he added, as an afterthought.

They heard a plaintive sigh from in front of them, just out of Leroy's vision. Leroy shifted a little and looked up at Faris. "C'mon, why don't you just let me get up?"

"He's right dear. If he's anything like his father, he won't apologize, not now, not ever."

"Hello Auntie Gracia."

"Hello dear. I daresay your position on the floor isn't a comfortable one."

Faris moved her foot off of his chest and helped him up. "Sorry..." she said, dusting off his shirt. "It's alright, my shirt will live." he held her shoulders and smiled, and she sighed. It was then that by chance a mace came flying from down the stairs and collided with Leroy's unprotected head which should have, by all rights, killed him.

"AAGH! What the-" he stared at the mace lying next to him on the floor. "Where on earth did this thing come from?"

"From me, you insensitive jerk!"

"God! Ilia! That's some welcome, sister!"

"You're lucky it was plastic!"

"Plastic?" he howled. "It feels like lead!"

Faris put her hands on his head. "Just a bruise, that's all. You'll live."

"I sure hope so," Leroy grumbled. Gracia shook her head and beckoned for Ilia to come down the stairs. "It's about time you came back, Leroy. I made some dinner, so let's eat. I have enough for your friend too."

"You mean his girlfriend," Ilia hissed. "You could have told me! I feel left out."

"Ilia, you take things way too seriously..."

"And you're too laid back!"

Maes walked up to him and kicked him in the leg. He looked up at his older brother and held out his arms. "Up!" he demanded, and Leroy obeyed, lifting him up. "No Ed-Monster?" he asked, searching behind Leroy. "No, Maes, just me. Ed-Monster... I don't think he'll be coming back home, Maes."

"Why not?"

"He found his family, he doesn't need us anymore."

"No Ed-Monster? Visit?"

"Maybe visit, Maes. Mama and Daddy will come home soon though, okay?"

"Al and Alley?"

"They found their families too. They'll visit a lot, don't worry."

"...Okay. Who's this?" he asked, pointing at Faris. "This is... Faris. You could say she's your new big sister." Faris beamed at him, and patted little Maes on his head, who defiantly swiped back. "No pat!" Leroy looked at her apologetically. "It's just this thing all the men in my family has. We don't like to be patted." Elysia took Maes from Leroy and walked to the kitchen to help with the food huffily.

"How's your father, Leroy? Is he alright?" Gracia asked with concern. "And your mother?"

"Mom's fine. She's fine," he assured her. "Dad is... Dad's having problems." When Leroy had left, Roy had been struggling to breathe, and the doctor's were not optimistic about his recovery. Leroy had sorely wished to stay, but a promise made to his twin sister was a promise, and keep it he would. "What kind?"

"He can't breathe, and Mom said his old eye wound reopened. I left to board the train to nights ago, so I don't know his condition now."

"Poor Papa..." Ilia sighed. "He doesn't deserve it, not after all he's been through," Gracia murmured. "Uncle Maes didn't deserve to die either, Auntie," Leroy pointed out, and she nodded. "The good die young, that's what Maes always said. That and, 'the funny guy always goes first.' " she smiled. "I'm glad Roy is at least alive, even if he's suffering. I wish Maes had had the same blessing, so I could at least say good-bye..." Elysia audibly sniffed from the kitchen, and Leroy regretted his harsh words to her. Growing up without her father couldn't have been easy, nor could he imagine having to grow up without his own father. An apology was on the tip of his tongue, when Elysia waved him off. "I don't need your pity, I'm fine."

He thought she looked far from fine, and so did Faris from the look on her face, but the two of them said nothing.

Maes ran up to them and held up the emerald necklace Roy had given Riza before he had left. "Mama gave it to me before she went, look what I can do!" He ran over to Ilia and pulled her shorts. "I wanna do the trick to Leroy!" She smiled at him and walked over with him, picking him up and letting him sit on her hip. "Pull up your shirt, Leroy."

"What?"

"Pull up your shirt, I know you havea bruise there."

"But I-"

"Stop being modest, I've seen your chest before."

"Yeah but-"

"Take it off, or I will!" Leroy grumbled darkly and pulled his shirt over his head, and crossed his arms over his chest, reflecting his mood.

"Happy now?"

"Very. Now hold my hand, Maes." Maes reached for her hand and held it, the other fist curled tightly around the necklace. Ilia closed her eyes, and Leroy felt her hand warm up, and his bruise felt like it was knotting up and sliding away. He looked down quickly and found the bruise to now be nonexistant.

"How did you-?"

Ilia bent down and touched her leg, where a bruise was now forming. "Maes and I can heal with alchemy, Brother. I have to take the pain, but if Maes can concentrate a little more on alchemy and use that necklace..."

"No bruise for Big Sissy!"

"But how?"

"I'm not sure. Maes was carrying around that necklace, and he saw an injured kitten near the house, and he just healed it."

Leroy took the necklace from Maes, and he and Faris looked at one another. "You think this is-?" Faris started. Leroy nodded.

"Yeah, I think this necklace... I think it's another Philosopher's Stone."