Ok, so here is the second chapter, this one is based off of "The Last Night". Owned by Skillet Not me...Well I own a copy of it, like my rather large FMA collection, but nope the rights are not mine to the music or the song...so yea not mine! I'm still hesitant on going on with this story, I've recieved a little feedback, both positive...I think...so I'll keep writing. I'm sorry this one is so short, but it seemed like a good place to end it. I just hope I'm not rushing their relationship. I'm trying to make it seem like its already there, so let me know if I'm pulling it off, because I don't think I am. It makes sence in my head but isn't translating into paper quite right. I also think I'm going to start adding the lyrics at the end of the chapters. I'm going to go back and add it to the end of the first chapter also. I'm once again sorry for the brevity of the chapter. I'm going to try to make them longer, and to update regularly, but I'm a collage student. So not much in the way of promises! I also apologise if the text seems smushed, I can't seem to get it to format right..._
Parings: mild EdxOC nothing major just a lil fluff
Warnings: Mentions of abuse, drugs and drinking, cutting.
*Edit* Poof! No more Wall 'O Text
oOo
"What do you mean? You're old man finally kicked the bucket?" Ed questioned. Jessi nodded.
"How else do you think I got away?" Wanting to change the subject she looked around the room.
"Ed, where is Al? You two were always joined at the hip."
"I'm right here Jessi."
"Eep!" Jessi looked up at the suit of armor.
"Al?"
"It's me Jessi!" Hugging the armor she laughed nervously.
"Wow, that's quite a growth-spurt Al."
"Growth-spurt, right..." She looked at the brothers. It appeared she wasn't the only one with secrets. The teens were interrupted by Mustang cutting in.
"Hey, my office isn't a daycare, beat it." The friends headed toward the door.
"Edward." Ed turned around, Mustang rarely called him Ed or Edward, it was always FullMetal.
"Yea?"
"If you need help, you can always come to me. You know that right? Hughes will help too." Ed gave a curt nod before running to catch up with Al and Jessi.
As Ed caught up with Al and Jessi he could hear her laughing at something Al had said. He never realized how much he had missed her laugh until then.
"Hey guys, wait up!" Ed ran up behind them and slung an arm over Jessi's shoulder.
"What about some food? I'm starving."
"You're always hungry brother." Al deadpanned, causing Jessi to laugh even more. The brothers didn't seem to change much at all. Dinner was a happy affair, full of teasing and laughing, with some catching up on the side. After dinner the trio left to go to the brothers' hotel room. Ed flicked on the light as they walked in.
"You can have Al's bed." Jessi looked at the younger Elric curiously,
"Won't he need it?" She watched as her friends froze.
"Well, um, you see brother and me..." Al stuttered.
"We committed human transmutation." Ed stated tersely, his back to Jessi. She gasp.
"When?" "When we were eleven, well Al was ten." She hugged the Al then Ed.
"You should have told me Ed."
"We didn't want you to worry; you had enough to deal with." Al whispered.
"Um, not trying to be rude, but what does human transmutation have to do with Al not needing his bed?"
"Please don't get scared Jessi, it's still me..." Al pleaded as he took off his helmet.
"Oh Al!" Jessi gasped. She turned to Ed.
"This is why you became a State Alchemist?" Ed nodded,
"They have research in the library I needed, if it requires me to be on a leash so be it." She laughed bitterly as she sat on one of the beds.
"Why do our lives have to be so screwed up?" Ed plopped down on the other one.
"I wish I knew Jessi." Al just shook his head at the two cynics. Picking up his book he walked to the living area of the hotel room to allow the others to get ready for bed.
Ed looked at the girl on the opposite bed.
"Jessi?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do I get the feeling your old man didn't just die..." Jessi stiffened,
"Because he didn't..." Ed sat up.
"Jess, what are you not telling me? You can trust me, us, you know." Jessi finally looked Ed in the eyes, slightly hysterical,
"I didn't mean to Ed, I just didn't know what else to do! It was self defense, I swear!"
"Jess, calm down! What happened?" Ed moved to sit next to the girl. It was weird, they hadn't seen each other for years and the only contact was the letters exchanged, but Ed felt as if he had just seen her yesterday...He shook that thought away as Jessi began to explain.
"I was in my room reading my letter you sent me and he found it. He had long since forbid me to speak to you guys, so he was really mad. He, he called me a whore and started undoing his belt. He tried to rape me Ed, I didn't know what else to do; I panicked and ended up pushing my bookshelf over on top of him."
"Oh Jessi." Ed sighed as he wrapped an arm around her. "Sorry for not being there." Jessi shook her head.
"You have your own problems; you don't have to deal with mine too. I don't want to be a burden." Ed grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
"Jess, you are my friend, my best friend. You are not a burden." Smiling softly she hugged her friend.
"Thanks Ed." He ruffled her hair.
"You can have the shower first." She laughed,
"How kind of you." Ed rolled his eyes.
"Just go, before I change my mind." Jessi laughed as she stuck her tongue out, skipping into the bathroom. Ed walked to the couch where his brother was flopping down next to him.
"Did you hear?"
"Yes, that must have been hard for her." Edward mumbled something and Al was sure it had to do with pushing a bookcase over on their dad. The two brothers chatted until the water turned off.
"Well, my turn." Ed stood and stretched before walking into the room.
Jessi hummed as she wrapped a towel around her body and walked into the bedroom. She started rummaging through her bag for her night clothes when she heard
"Um, Jessi?" Jumping she turned to see a red-faced Edward.
"Oh, God! You scared me Ed."
"Um, sorry Jess, I'll just...Um yea..." Ed turned and walked into the living area, once again sitting next to Al. As embarrassed as he was, he still noticed the scars on her back and her arms. A few moments later Jessi walked into the living room.
"Sorry Ed, you can go in now." Nodding the blond went to take his turn in the shower. Sitting cross-legged on the couch she faced Al.
"Sooo...What's up Al?" Al marked his place in his book and turned to face the girl.
"Not much Jessi, we're still looking for leads on how to get our bodies back. Brother is getting upset that we can't find anything."
"You can do it. You two are the smartest people I know. I have faith in you."
"Thanks Jessi, that means a lot."
"Not a problem Al. Now what are you reading?" Al showed her the advanced alchemy book he was reading.
"I understand absolutely none of that...You two must be frikin geniuses." Al giggled and handed her the beginning alchemy book.
"Try this one first Jessi." Laughing she took the offered book and started reading.
"Ok, let see here..." She had been reading for maybe fifteen minutes when she felt breath on her neck followed by
"What are you reading." Screaming she jumped and fell off the couch and onto the floor. Ed, who was standing behind the couch and had been the one to speak, laughed.
"Owwie. Damn Ed what is this 'Scare Jessi day'?" Shaking his head he offered a hand to help the girl up off the floor.
"Sorry Jess."
Sticking her tongue out she started walking to the bedroom.
"Well, goodnight boys. I'm going to bed." Ed trotted up behind her.
"Jess, can I talk to you first?"
"Um, sure Ed. What do you want to talk about?" Ed shut the door behind them and gestured for her to sit on the bed. Doing so she faced the blond.
"What's up?" Running a hand though his hair Ed sat next to her. He took her arm and gently pushed up the sleeve.
"Care to explain?" Jessi tensed. Looking at her long-time friend she saw no anger, no judging, just concern and something she couldn't place but had always seen in his gaze. Sighing she looked down at her arm.
"You saw my back too didn't you?" A quiet "Yea." was her reply. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"My back came from him. He's not even my dad, Ed. Mom was having an affair, whoever that man was, he's my dad...So the guy I've been living with didn't take to kindly to that, but you knew that already." Ed captured her face in his hands.
"Jess, your arms?"
"I needed to escape; I've seen the effects of alcohol so I wasn't interested in that. Drugs would just mess up my life even more than it already was so I wasn't going to touch them. Then I heard about cutting, about how it works. So I decided to try it. I figured a little more pain and a few more scars were a small price to pay if it made me feel better. Every time he called me a whore, or bitch or slut, I would go cut again. These cuts are a physical representation of all the emotional wounds he gave me..." She was surprised when Ed hugged her tightly.
"Some friend I am. I knew all this was happening, and I just left you there."
"Ed, it's not your fault."
"Yes, it is. I've been in the military for three years now and I've been so busy with my own life I didn't even think to get someone to go get you or something! Why didn't anyone in Resembool stop him? Your injuries aren't exactly subtle."
"They were all to scared of him. He's violent Ed. A boy asked me for a homework assignment and he saw, the next day the boy had a black eye and I was no longer enrolled in school."
"I'm sorry Jess, I broke my promise." Jessi shook her head.
"No you didn't Ed." Edward looked at the girl.
"What do you mean? Look at you! I just left you for that bastard to keep beating you!" The girl gave the blond a bitter-sweet smile.
"Ed, if it wasn't for you, you're promise and your letters, I would have been dead a long time ago."
"Jess, you don't mean..." Crying she nodded.
"I would have killed myself a long time ago if it wasn't for you. You're letters gave me a reason to keep going. I loved hearing from you, and knowing that I would be missed kept me from doing it." Ed, for once, was speechless. He honestly didn't know what to say, it wasn't everyday someone told you that you were their reason to live… Ed hugged the girl tightly before releasing her.
"Let's go to bed. We have to catch an early train tomorrow." Jessi nodded, before blushing,
"Ed?" He turned,
"Yea?"
"Could you, um, would you…Could you stay with me like when we were little?" Ed too blushed before nodding.
"Scoot over." Jessi made room for him on the bed and he slipped under the covers next to her.
"Thank you Edward." Jessi yawned as she curled up next to her friend. Ed, yawning, wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Not a problem Jess." That night Jessi fell asleep feeling safe for the first time since the last time she saw the brothers.
oOo
"The Last Night"
You come to me with scars on your wrist
You tell me this will be the last night feeling like this
I just came to say goodbye
I didn't want you to see me cry, I'm fine
But I know it's a lie.
[Chorus:]
This is the last night you'll spend alone
Look me in the eyes so I know you know
I'm everywhere you want me to be.
The last night you'll spend alone,
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go,
I'm everything you need me to be.
Your parents say everything is your fault
But they don't know you like I know you they don't know you at all
I'm so sick of when they say
It's just a phase, you'll be o.k. you're fine
But I know it's a lie.
[Chorus]
The last night away from me
[Bridge:]
The night is so long when everything's wrong
If you give me your hand I will help you hold on
Tonight,
Tonight.
[Chorus]
I won't let you say goodbye,
I'll be your reason why.
The last night away from me,
Away from me.