Disclaimer: I don NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I have the series, the movie and the soundtracks at home
So in the last chapter Ed told his parents about his past… but what will come now?? Read to get to know it
Don't forget to review... I love that
TenshiShanai.
Erm… and as I told you this chapter will be kind of sappy…
text - somebody is thinking
Chapter 8: Moving forward?
The next days went on without saying a word about the incident. Ed pretended it didn't happen but every time he looked in his parents' eyes he saw the pity. He didn't want that. Nothing happened. Please don't look that way. Ed crowded it out. He acted as normal as possible, he didn't want Al or Winry to know. He pleaded to Roy and Riza not to tell them, he would do it at soon as he was ready. Ed smiled but the smile didn't reach his now dull golden eyes. His eyes were blood shot from the lack of sleep, black rings forming under them. He didn't eat probably and worked a lot for school just to not think about Will and the gym.
Roy saw the change in his eldest son's behaviour. Ed acted, pretending nothing happened, being happy and smiling. But it wasn't him. He could see his son's soul break. He got angry, not only with Ed's behaviour, but also with himself. Hughes told him the day before it all happened that Will was coming back to Central after being in the east after his enlisting. Roy wanted to tell as soon as he got home but Ed was fast asleep and he didn't want to wake the boy. The next morning Ed was late and he couldn't tell him either. He wished he could turn back time even he knew he couldn't. He felt Ed shutting down. The preteen didn't want to be touched and one morning he saw Ed coming from the shower his skin red from the hot water. Oh dear. How can I help you to get better? Talk to me, please.
He sighed heavily as he saw his son sitting on his desk working for school. It was already midnight and the boy had to go to school the next morning. He knocked at the door frame entering his son's room. Ed looked up at him his eyes tired. Roy sat on the bed eyeing the boy he loves so much. "Ed." The boy turned to see his father. "Yes?" His voice was low and a bit hoarse from the lack of sleep. "We need to talk, sweetie." Ed frowned. "About what? And don't call me small." Roy smiled to this comment. "I didn't call you small." He sighed his eyes on the floor. And I think you know what we have to talk about." Ed turned back to his books. "No. I don't want to talk. I talked the other night. That's enough." He took his pen to go on with writing as Roy laid his hand over his and stopped him from any movement. "Please." There it was again, the pity in his father's eyes. "No!" Ed shook the hand off hoping Roy would understand that he didn't want to go on with the conversation.
Roy got angry with his boy. Ed was so stubborn sometimes; he knew the small body of his wouldn't take the abuse long enough not to be bad for his own health. He turned Ed around forcefully, his touch firm on the boy's shoulders. Ed's eyes were wide with shock to his father's action. Roy felt him trembling under his touch, his eyes terrifies. He loosened his grip. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" But Ed didn't respond. He backed away as Roy tried to touch him again. "Ed. I'm sorry." He shook his head and panicked. A little voice in his head told him to flee out of the room, out of the house.
He got up and ran away leaving his father standing there. He got his shoes from the hallway and the jacket out of the closet leaving the house, running out into the darkness. Roy watched the boy leaving. Before he could think about following him he heard the front door slamming. His feet moved on their own down the stairs. He ran out of the house but couldn't see the boy in the streets. Roy got back in the house going to the telephone. Riza was standing in her nightgown in the hallway a questioned look on her face. Al was next to her rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Darling, what's wrong?" Roy dialled the only number he knew where he could get help. "Ed and I got into a small quarrel and I gripped Ed hard on his shoulders. He panicked and ran away." Roy rubbed the bridge of his nose. Riza knew he did that only when he was really worried.
Her husband was waiting for a response on the other line drumming with his fingers on the small telephone table in the hallway.
'Hughes.' The sleepy voice of Roy's best friend answered.
"Maes? Ed ran away and we have to find him." Roy's voice was thick with worry.
'What did you do?' Maes knew him too well. Roy swallowed.
"I tell you everything but now we have to find him."
'I'll be there in some minutes.'
Roy laid the receiver on the cradle swallowing nervously. "Why did nii-san run away?" al's soft voice asked. "I… I did something and… I don't know, Al." His eyes saddened. "Go to bed, cutie. We wake you up when Ed's back." He heard his wife's soft voice speaking to their son. What if he doesn't come back? I'm an awful Dad to him. I shouldn't be so hard after what had happened. He closed his eyes trying to hold his tears back. He felt the soft hand of his wife on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault and it wasn't Ed's fault. He will come back." He took her hand kissing it lightly. "I hope you're right." She stroked his cheeks as Hughes rang the bell, the two men leaving immediately. "Do you have an idea where he could be?" Roy shook his head. "No. I think we have to search everywhere. But he can't be that far away." Hughes nodded driving through the empty streets.
Ed stopped, exhausted from running the whole time. He looked around to get any information where he was. He walked slowly as he got near a huge iron gate. The graveyard. He entered the ghostly place knowing what he was searching for. Slowly he approached two grave stones. Trisha Elric. Beloved mother and wife. Hohenheim Elric. Beloved father and husband. Philosopher Alchemist. He sniffed and sat down on the damp grass his knees pulled to his chest his arms around his shins. He buried his face on his knees starting to sob.
Roy and Hughes were searching nearly an hour until they had the idea to go to the graveyard. They stood there for a while watching Ed sitting in front of his parents' graves. Hughes laid his hand on Roy's shoulder. "Go to him. He needs you." Roy just nodded walking slowly over to his son sitting down next to him. "I'm sorry, Ed. I shouldn't have been so hard to you. Not after what had happened." Ed sniffed. "It's okay. I shouldn't have overreacted." Roy sighed heavily. "What I tell you know may make you cry or angry but please hear me out." Ed nodded and waited for Ed to go on. "I knew that William was here and I knew that he enlisted to the army two years ago. I wanted to tell you the day before… before this happened." He swallowed hard. "I just didn't want to wake you that night. You were sleeping peacefully and the next morning you were late and I couldn't speak to you. I knew that Will would come to you. I just hoped I could warn you before he got the chance to get to you. I hoped you were safe at school."
Roy went silent. He hoped he would get any response from the boy next to him, but Ed kept silent. "I was angry, you know. I was angry, because you smiled pretending to be happy. You did the things you did before but you shut down." He embraced Ed, feeling the boy trembling first than relaxing slowly. "Ed. I don't want you to break. Your body won't work any longer when you go on like this. I'm worried. I'm scarred." He hugged him closer as Ed clinched to Roy's open jacket. His sobs got louder, his body shaking heavily. Roy rubbed his back trying to calm the boy who was able to let go. "Ed, you're allowed to cry. You don't have to be strong if you don't want to be." he kissed him on his head. "B… but I cried so much the other night. I thought it would be enough. I didn't want Winry or Al to notice. I wanted to be myself and not a cry baby." He sniffed loudly. "Maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe it won't be enough for the rest of your life. But I want you to know that we will always be there for you." Ed nodded. "I know." He sniffed again wiping the tears off his face. He looked Roy straight in the eyes. "I want to go home."
Roy gave him a warm smile and stood up. He looked at the gravestones, an idea flashing through his mind. "Ed, could you transmute two white lilies for me?" The boy gave him a questioned look but did as he was asked and gave him the beautiful lilies. Roy laid one on each gravestone and stepped back taking Ed's hand in his. "I never could say thank you to you. Ed is a wonderful son for my wife and me and a wonderful elder brother to Alphonse. We can't live without him anymore." Ed looked from Roy to the gravestones and back wiping the new tears off. "Enough of these sappy things. I'm cold and I want to go home to Mom and Al." Roy nodded and walked with his son from the graveyard to Hughes waiting in the warm car.
The drive home was quiet. Roy and Ed were sitting on the backseat both looking out of the window. Then Hughes spoke up. "I nearly forgot to tell you. I arranged that William goes back to the east. I can't promise he will stay there for a long time but he won't be a threat to anybody." Ed felt lighter with this information. It was a kind of hope for him. He knew that he has to become stronger to fight his brother the next time they meet. He hoped he would have enough time.
At home they were greeted by Riza and hot chocolate for all three, of course Ed's was made without milk. Ed apologized to her, too, but she only shook her head taking him in a warm embrace. Soon after Hughes left them alone as Ed and his parents went upstairs to go to bed. "Mom, Dad?" They looked at him. "Yes?" He swallowed. "Could I stay home tomorrow?" They looked at each other. "Sure. We will think about an excuse." Roy ruffled his son's hair. "Good night, sweetie." Ed rolled his eyes. "You will always call me that, won't you?" Roy just nodded. Riza kissed him on his forehead. "Sleep well, Edo-chan." He nodded than blushed. "Could… could I come and sleep in your bed when I have a nightmare? I know I'm too old, but, you know it felt nice the other night." The blush deepened. "Sure." Ed smiled to his parents words, snuggling under the blankets. He smiled as he closed his eyes not to afraid to dream about Will or the incident in the gym. He knew he could go to his parents. With their help he could move forward at last.
An.: And another chapter done. I told you it would be sappy. Hope it wasn't too sappy… Please Review… You know it's Christmas soon…. As we are speaking I'm planning on a Christmas story special for this story… the first chapter is already written :D
Hope you enjoyed the chapter TenshiShanai.
