:Unexpected Events:
Disclaimer: I do not own any anime trademarks for that matter… but I hope to some day!!
Seeing his daughter off to school for the day; Edward than walked towards the downtown shopping centers. His daughter had complained about going to school and even tried hiding in the house as resistance, but he knew she had to go. It would be good for her.
He passed his work seeing that once again the closed sign was up as he was not there to turn it. The old man who ran the shop would wonder why he received no costumers for the day. That thought aside Edward thought it was better just to check into work today as he reversed his steps, and entered the shop. The door rang as it usually did with the small brass bell that hung over the door way. A man who was looking at something on his counter looked up suddenly with a smile. Edward returned the smile and hung his coat up at a stand while flipping the 'closed' sign to 'open'.
"So Mr. Elric," the man said. "I see you've shown up for work today."
"That I have Thomas" Edward nodded.
Thomas shrugged.
"So are you to relieve me?" he asked hopefully. Edward really didn't want to work today, but since his daughter was now in school he saw that it could do no harm if he just worked a few days.
"Where's the boss?" He asked Thomas.
He replied to Edward by pointing to a sleeping man behind the counter, a bottle of whiskey hanging from his hand.
Edward sighed and gave in to Thomas's pleading look.
"Fine I'll work, but could you do me a favor in return?"
Thomas nodded eagerly.
"Could you pick up my daughter from school and bring her home?" He asked cringing knowing that he would get one of her looks again today.
"Sure, Sure Ed." Thomas said.
"Thanks Thomas"
"How many times do I gotta tell ya? You can call me Tom ya know?"
"Sure Tom, See ya." Edward said waving his hand and waking into the back to get an apron. He knew Tom had left when the ring of bells on the door sounded.
Edward sighed and walked back to the front desk seeing what Tom had been working on before. It was nothing interesting, just a jewelry box. Knowing that he was no good at fixing such things, he put the jewelry box away into its assigned drawer and took out the drawer labeled clocks and pocket watches. That was his specialty and he enjoyed learning about the gears in the small devices as well. He could not believe that such a small thing ran only by a twist of a knob or wind to the back to a clock. It fascinated him.
Picking one of the devices that looked partly bent he began to bend the metal back into its proper composition, careful not to block the soon to be rotating again, gears that made the clock function. Harder than it looked, he noticed as he tried to bend the hard aluminum. Finding the item not worth his while, he gave up and moved on to a different item picking up a fairly familiar pocket watch.
Blinking he noticed the image of a small creature, almost griffin or dragon like on it. It looked almost like the State Alchemist watches back in his old world. Sighing as his thoughts brought up harsh memories, he put the pocket watch down. He really could not work today, It was as if all his functioning abilities had gone.
The ring of a bell told him a customer had entered as he brought the drawer back to its respectful spot. He turned back to the counter to greet the customer.
"H-Hello." He greeted them.
The two people who stood in front of him looked around as if they were lost.
"Excuse me, but does Arlian work here?"
Arlian was the name of his boss. Nodding Edward responded.
"Yes, he's the manager here, is there any thing I can help you with?"
One of the men shifted uncomfortably and stormed his way to the back counter.
"Excuse me but what are you do…..ing…" Edward began but than stopped as he saw the barrel of a gun between his eyes.
"Ok boy were going to have a look around. You are not to call the police or anyone else, got it? And don't say anything about us being here and you'll be fine, got it?"
Edward nodded slowly showing he understood. The man continued to hold the gun to Edward's forehead.
What was going on? Has his boss gotten into something? A sudden fear took over him, one that he had never experienced before. 'What if he were to die here?' what about his daughter? What would she do? He found his only choice was to cooperate with the men.
The man who had gone into the back came back shaking his head.
"Nothing Sir." He said solemnly.
Edward blinked wondering what they had been searching for.
The man who held Edward at gun point spoke in return.
"Damn…" he sighed in mid speech, " well in that case we better come back when Arlian's here eh? Hey boy.." Edward knew the man to be referring to him.
"Yes?"
"You say anything about this and I guarantee we'll find you and you know what will happen when we find you got it?"
Edward nodded.
The men did a short nod on queue to each other and left the store. That same ring of the bell sounded once again as they left.
It seemed as if an hour had passed before it finally sunk in to Edward's mind what had happened. His boss was obviously something he wasn't he thought as he saw him still in his same spot with the bottle still hanging from his hand. It was a wonder why the men did not even see him here behind the counter. It almost made Edward laugh if he wasn't nervous about getting home. Looking at one of the fixed clocks it read 4:30pm.
It had been about 3 hours after his daughter had gone home.
Cursing that he was late at getting home he thought he better bring something to make it up to her. That's when the morning's conversation suddenly ran through his mind. "A pocket watch!" she wanted for her birthday. Her birthday was only a few hours away by technicalities and he figured an early present wouldn't hurt. Taking out the spare watch he worked on that had the emblem of the dragon or griffon like creature on it, he began to work to fix it.
Tom stared at a wall in his co workers house plainly bored. Why was he doing this favor he asked himself? Oh yes, he didn't want to work any more. Thinking about that he wondered why he had asked Edward to take his place for the day anyway. Was there some thing he was supposed to do but did not sub consciously know? He gave up thought as Edward's daughter jumped around in circles by him screaming at the top of her lungs.
"WHERE'S DADDY!! WHERE'S DADDY!!! WHERE'S DADDY!!" she screamed.
At this point Thomas found the agony of being at work more preferable. At least it was quieter than and he had less of a headache. Hearing a knock at Edward's front door Tom sighed in relief.
Standing up off the couch where he had been sitting before and trying to teach the girl a game of cards he walked over towards the door and opened it. He smiled as he saw Edward standing before him.
"She gave you hell, I'm assuming?"
Edward nearly laughed as he saw Thomas's hair ruffled and eyes look as if they had been plastered with agony and boredom for quite some time.
"Yes" he responded bluntly.
"That's just to show you that you better work than huh? But thanks anyway, I needed the pay for today. Just give me my keys and you can leave. Alright?"
Thomas nodded eagerly.
"Thanks Tom." Edward yelled after him as he ran out the door not wanting to be caught up in the girls banter.
Edward looked around finding it amusing for what his daughter did to Tom. Walking into the kitchen he nearly tripped as a child grabbed his back legs and clamping on tightly.
"Daddy!! Your home!! Why did you make that man pick me up? He was boring!!"
"I'm sorry honey." Edward said bending down to her height. "Daddy had work to do, and…he was held up in something."
She blinked at him with wide eyes than looked down sadly.
"You could have come and picked me up and brought me to your work."
He smiled sadly.
"No. I'm sorry I couldn't have."
The both were silent for a while than he remembered her birthday present and lit up.
"I got you something; an early birthday present."
"R-Really?!?!" she said excitedly as her expression lit up.
He nodded as he took out the small wrapped box out from inside his coat jacket.
"Yes, Here we are…" He handed her the small box.
She held the small box in her hands for a moment looking at it with both suspicion and curiosity. Its red ribbon caught her eye as she pulled a strand of it and let the knot undo itself.
Edward watched finding it an enjoyable experience to watch. He watched as she than opened the box lid and looked inside the small box, her face lighting up.
"DADDY!! THANK YOU!!" She said jumping at him. He barely had time to catch her as she pushed him backwards and off his feet.
She quickly got off him and took the pocket watch out of the box. Its smooth surface was polished to perfection and it ticked loudly when she held it to her ear.
"Oh Daddy!! Its perfect thank you!!!"
Edward smiled watching his daughter's joy.
"It's not everyday that you turn 5 now is it?"
She shook her head in reply smiling as she held the pocket watch in her hands and between her fingers.
Edward stood up leading his daughter to bed. She needed to get up early again for school the next day.
"Daddy?" she asked before he shut the door to her room.
"Yes?" he responded.
"Can we do something tomorrow?"
"Of course." Edward said with a smile.
She smiled in return and curled up in her bed, the pocket watch grasped in her hand.
"Good night daddy…"She mumbled.
"Good Night and Happy Birthday…Maylee."
((HA!! Complete with a chapter!! Thank you to Numdenu!! It really helped me!! I hope you enjoy the story thus so far!!
Also thank you to all my other reviewers. All those who haven't reviewed yet please Review! Even if you have already though. I would appreciate it if you review again. Thank You!!
Ja ne.