Story: It Is What It Is, Chapter 11
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
(IMPORTANT NOTE AT END)
OH, MAN I HOPE THIS WAS GOOD. IT SEEMS SHITTY TO ME (next chapter will be better I swear, I wanted to get closer to the part that everybody has been waiting so long and patiently for)
I've been so busy lately, due to work and school. But I had this evening free, so I decided to write up a little bit. I haven't had anything with Al for a while, so I really needed a little centric-chapter with him (of course with some of Ed too). But it's probably terrible and rushed(not my intentions, but I might not have this opportunity for a while again, especially due to my senior project...)
Replies to Reviews
The Keeper of Worlds wrote: Amazing story and I'm eager to see it progress!
I'm glad you like it and I hope you'll stick through it with me to the end!
YAJJ wrote: AWWWWWW ED LET ROY PET HIM AWWWWW how cute roy's such a cute pappy
This was a great chapter! Short, yes, but full of emotion! I could FEEL how restless and frustrated Ed was, how agitated Roy was. I was scared that Roy WAS going to hit him, so I'm glad he didn't ;-;
And then "i've got you and the lieutenant right?"
AWWWWWWWWW YES BABY YOUVE GOT YOUR NEW MOM AND DAD THEYRE RIGHT THERE FOR YOU AWWWWW
I hope that Roy (if he hasnt already) talks about the things that he did to himself. not in detail, but enough that Ed could see that it would end up okay in the end. And then he and roy could bond awwww
Great chapter! I'm glad to see you're mostly safe. And good luck with your computer!
Have a good day!
~YAJJ
I'm glad you could understand what Ed was feeling! And yes, Roy is slowly going to become more tolerant of Ed. (It might even develop to where Roy secretly spoils Ed (and Al too) a bit somehow. XD)
And I want Edward to grow even more attached to Roy and Riza in the future. Like just a... little bit clingy, like how a mama's boy is clingy with their mother, in a really endearing way, even though we're not there just yet. :')
And yes, Ed and Roy will definitely have another good talk soon enough.
KittyKatz009 wrote:
I am glad you are safe with Florence. Sad to hear about your laptop. I really liked this chapter, especially when Roy made the mistake of saying he didn't have to save Ed. Everyone is stressed, so filters aren't there and I could see something like that happening in this situation. I also liked the Riza interactions and how she was able to comfort Ed in the areas Roy couldn't. I am excited to see how Al will react next chapter. I also have a feeling that Ed may slip again since Hughes is on his mind now. Great chapter and I can't wait to see more.
Thank you for your condolences. I'm glad you like the chapter, and I agree that it seems reasonable for something like that to happen. Hughes will definitely get brought up again. Hughes, I think, will be a big inspiration in certain aspects of this story, because he impacted so many people's lives, but Roy will one of the encourages to tell Edward that it wasn't. his. fault. Because the kid sure as hell needs to hear it. And since Roy had such a close connection to Hughes, he seems perfect for the job. Of course everybody else will be doing so as well.
One night ago
Alphonse was snapped out of his reverie, as he noticed the lights of the kitchen come on. It was probably around 3 AM, and Len was dead asleep in his room last he knew, so he knew it had to be Rachel...
As he got up, he tried his best to avoid waking up the cats near him, but having a suit of armor naturally made soundless movement virtually impossible, and cats had some of the most attentive ears, just like dogs.
Stepping over the cats in the room, he made his way to the kitchen. Sure enough, Rachel was sitting at the table, a wine bottle in her hand. Her face was slightly flushed, like she might have drank a little too much. She looked like she was deep in thought.
"Um..." Alphonse uttered nervously, not sure what to say.
She jumped, a bit startled, as if she hadn't known he was there. She then relaxed a bit.
"Oh, Al... It's you..." she slightly slurred.
"Are you not able to sleep?" Alphonse inquired, as politely as possible and not to sound too prodding.
"Course not..." the woman said simply, but there was an all too familiar look of longing in her eyes, as if she was thinking about something. It immediately reminded him of his mother, who used to look off into the distance a lot in Hohenheim's absence, never talking about her feelings and always telling him and his brother that there was nothing to worry about. He would be lying if he claimed it wasn't a painful sight to see again. However, before he could ask anything, she changed the subject.
"You goin' back home tomorrow?"
"Yeah... I have too." Alphonse said a little sadly. "I would like stay longer, but my brother is real piece of work sometimes, you know."
Rachel smirked a bit, obviously having heard rumors of the Fullmetal Alchemist. "So I've heard. Riza has told me quite a few stories here and there herself about you two. You must deal with a lot."
"You couldn't even begin to imagine. He's so thick-headed and never listens to reason. Honestly, I sometimes think I should be the older brother..." Alphonse trailed off into silence for a moment, when he remembered how Edward had been complaining about his arm last he saw him, not to mention the occasional looks of sadness he gave when he thought nobody was looking. A small bit of worry began to envelope him. "I just hope he doesn't come back in a cast or something due to breaking his arm or leg in a fight..."
"Hey, I've known Riza for years, and Roy too, so trust me when I say your brother is in good hands," Rachel said, "so cheer up!"
"Mn..." Alphonse uttered, uncertainly. It wasn't that he didn't trust Roy or Riza. It was just that Edward wasn't the type to always cooperate or think things through. Though if something had went that bad, Riza would have probably called them and let them know, so maybe everything was okay after all. Still, it didn't completely settle his anxieties.
"I can tell you care a lot about him." Rachel murmured.
"Yeah, I do..." Alphonse responded, deep in thought. Many people knew Edward as a stubborn and feisty teenager, but Alphonse had been by Edward's side through thick and thin, and understood him better than most. Beneath his tough exterior, Edward was a fragile human being, who was sensitive to rejection, vulnerable to self-blame, and actually very kind-hearted beneath it all. "He may be difficult at times, but I couldn't ask for any other brother. Since mom died and dad left, we're all we have, so he means the world to me."
"That reminds me..." he recalled. "Len said his father died when he was younger..."
Rachel's eyes widened slightly before she briefly averted her gaze. It was then that Alphonse noticed the letter at her side, that he had helped Len write. "Yeah, something like that..."
It was at that moment that Alphonse got an uneasy feeling. Based off her suggestive tone, something didn't seem right.
She trailed off into silence, taking another swig of the alcohol in her hand. "To answer your question, he actually didn't die... That man... He left... with another woman."
Alphonse felt an incomprehensible flurry of conflicting emotions settle over his entire being at the unexpected news. He didn't know what to think.
"Len doesn't know anything about it, and I'd rather him not ever find out." Rachel said, grimly. "It was much easier to tell to tell him his father died and leave it at that, instead of telling him that his father essentially abandoned him..."
Alphonse understood her feelings, but didn't entirely agree with her decision to keep the younger boy in the dark.
"You're wrong, Ms. Rachel..." Alphonse said. Leave it to him to state his mind honestly without a second thought. Although he was never as harsh as Edward, he too had his moments where he wasn't afraid to stand up to somebody. "Len won't always be a kid. You can't hide something like this from him forever. Somebody will eventually tell him, if you don't accidentally let it slip. So I think you should eventually tell him the truth... Whatever he decides to do with it will be up to him, but he deserves to know that his father is still alive somewhere, even if you think that man doesn't deserve him."
Rachel was silent for a long time before giving a final thought with a saddened smirk.
"Maybe you're right. Che... To think... A child giving me a lecture... A damn well good one at that too... You've must've been though a lot, huh...? I really am a shitty mother..."
Alphonse could tell that she wasn't particularly asking for a response and that responses would probably be unnecessary and unwelcome, so he didn't respond. Besides, at this point, he knew this was between her and her son. He needn't get involved.
...
Present time, Central
"Ah, we're finally back... It sure took us long enough. I'm starving!" Edward's voice chimed, as he stretched in the seat of the train they were on, slightly wincing. Roy and Riza followed him off the train smirking a bit at the fact that Edward was hungry even though he'd eaten right before they left. Then again, it had been quite a few hours.
"Brother!" They all turned their head to look at Alphonse, who was running towards them and waving.
"Hello, Alphonse. I hope we didn't keep you waiting long." Riza said politely.
"Mn." Alphonse shook his head. "I just got here. How are you doing, brother? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
Immediately, everybody's faces except Alphonse went grim in response to the rhetorical question. Alphonse noticed their reaction and grew a little worried, but decided right now probably wasn't the time to confront it around everybody else, so he decided to put it aside for a little later.
"I missed you so much! You don't know what I've been through!" Alphonse said, picking Edward up in a bear hug. If Alphonse had a body, he might have been crying tears of joy. It took every ounce of Edward's being to not scream at the pain, so instead he forced himself to smile a bit.
"Hey, I missed you too, Al. But it was only one week, so, come on, put me down." Edward laughed. In truth he probably missed Alphonse more than vice versa, but he would never let it be known.
"That's easy for you to say, Brother! You weren't the one looking after nineteen cats all day every day!" Alphonse retorted childishly.
"Hey, that's funny. I thought you liked cats." Edward smirked. Of course Alphonse, didn't actually know the hell that Ed himself had been through over the past few days in the hospital.
"I do, but I never want to be put in charge of that many cats again!" Alphonse said.
Riza and especially Roy couldn't help but smirk a bit at the sight of Ed being hugged by his brother. Edward immediately noticed them and his face went beet red. How dare that bastard laugh at him!?
Unfortunately, the positive mood wouldn't last long.
Because when Alphonse finally put Edward down, Edward couldn't bring himself to face his brother and his throat felt constricted. But he knew Roy and Riza weren't going to allow him to get out of this.
"Ed? Is something wrong?" Alphonse asked.
"It's..." Edward trailed off into silence for a long moment, all too aware that everybody's eyes were on him.
However, it wasn't until he felt Riza's hand on his shoulder, that he felt a certain since of reassurance to at least let Alphonse know that something was wrong. He looked up at Riza for a moment, before he gazed back down to his feet. "Al, there's something I... There's something we need to talk about."
...
Sorry it's so short... Hopefully I'll be able to get my other laptop fixed soon...
So as I mentioned I have a very important note to make. Actually, a question.
Edward's undoubtedly gonna have to stay somewhere under supervision for a while, but I don't know if the barracks will be an option anymore.
So I was thinking that I should either make him stay with Roy or Riza (alongside Al too of course), so they can keep an eye on him. But I'm not sure which to go with.
During the day, he would be seeing both of them frequently regardless of who he went with, and if he went to stay with Riza, then Roy would probably come over some times. Also, as a side note with Riza, there's also Black Hayate. Knowing Ed, he might feel more comfortable with Riza, but I know many people would probably prefer him to go with Roy and it could give them a huge chance to bond a bit more, so I'm literally up for either, as both get me pumped up at opportunities.
Though I could also go the route that Riza and Roy start staying together for a while to look after Ed together, and even though it's pushing luck a little and risking putting their positions in jeopardy and could get them in trouble, I'm sure I could work around it.
So really it's up to you guys. I would love to hear your input on this, because I want to write the most logical route without going hospitalization route immediately.
Anyway, I made a poll on my profile where you can vote for your option, or you can just tell me what you want me to do.
Most voted option will be what I go with.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT SUGGESTION, PLEASE SHARE, YOU MAY BE SURPRISED AS I MAY JUST USE IT.