Filler Chapter

(A/N: Yes everyone it's a filler. I wasn't planning on making it but I decided to just so you guys can get a small look at somethings. This will take place almost three years before the current storyline just to prevent confusion. Enjoy.)

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"Tarin! Taylor!" Anne Silvers called for her granddaughters. The younger girl skipped down every other step as she headed over to her grandmother.

"Ready Gran." She smiled her pearly whites.

"Good, now we have to just get that sister of yours down here for we can go. We have a busy day ahead of us today."

"What all are we doing?"

The woman put a finger over her lips as sign that she wasn't going to tell. For an elder woman, Anne had more energy than the other old folks. She believed she needed it having to help in raising up grandchildren all these years; also that was just how she was. Looking up the stairwell she wondered what her eldest granddaughter was up to. "Tarin, stop your dilly dallying, we have to go." As she said that, footsteps were heard and Tarin had made it down the bottom steps next to her sister. "Nice of you to join us Rin. Did you have a good night's sleep?"

"You asked me that during breakfast this morning Gran." She said softly and looked a little to the ground. She felt her grandmother's eyes on her. "I slept alright Gran."

"Good. Now let's go, we have a long day." The grandmother walked out the door with the girls' right behind.

From the home in the rural area, South City was about a mile and a half away but they were all used to it. The only car they had was being used by the grandfather who had left earlier that day on errands. They all walk over to the city more often than they drive so it was no sweat.

"So first we're going to head over to the market place to get some cooking ingredients then we'll-"

"Gran," Tarin interrupted her grandmother. "Why are we getting more groceries when we just went shopping a couple days ago?" She just looked at her grandmother as they walked into the marketplace. Receiving no reply the young woman just looked at her grandmother. She was always persistent, even after being traumatized from war, so she wasn't going to give up on the thought.

-x-

By now the sun was starting to fall, turning the sky a mixture of vibrant colors of orange, pink, and purple. The trio had arrived to the train station after an afternoon of shopping, as Gran had expected. Tarin and a few times Taylor would ask question only to have the conversation make a quick turn.

While they were out they bought an excessive amount of groceries, some linen and sheets, pillows, a few incenses, and a bag. These items had confused both the girls, but after coming to the train station they realized what was going on. They were having a guest over. The only other question was who.

"Well," Gran turned to the two. "I guess I'll be going on home now." When she had said that, they both looked at her completely dumbfounded. "Oh, don't you two worry. I'm just going to take these groceries home and start cooking dinner. You two just stay put here and wait."

The sisters looked at each other before turning back to their guardian and nod. After packing the stuff into a taxi, Gran was just about to climb into the car too before she was stopped.

"Wait a second, Gran!" Taylor said at the last minute. "Who exactly are we expecting to look for? Can't we at least know their name?"

"You are so right. You two will be picking up a family friend. She's related to Grumman from East City, a friend of your grandfather." She then got into the vehicle and left after saying, "Remember, she'll be a little shy so be nice." Then the car drove off into the direction of their home in the country.

-x-

"When is she going to get here?" Taylor whined. She had been pacing back and forth for at least fifteen minutes. "Shouldn't she be here by now? I mean, East City is but so far and she had to have left around noon or something. Right, Rin?"

Her sister just sat on the bench waiting for train to come. The older Silver was the impatient type but she wasn't as bad as her younger sister; also having gone through hours of therapy has a bit immune to the long amounts of time. Usually she just naps when she waits but after that day she wasn't really that sleepy.

"Tarin! Are you even listening? We have been here for over an hour."

"Tayl," Tarin looked at her sister. "We've only been here forty-five minutes, is all. And that's after Gran left." She saw the red tint consume her sister's face just as the engines of the train were heard. "And speak of the devil, I think that's our guest now."

The incoming train soon came to a slow stop. Passengers began to flow out of the doors of the train like water. They didn't know who they were looking for but they knew the basics. It was a girl and she was the granddaughter of Grumman. To make it easier they had split up and asked if anybody was her.

'This is the fourth girl. Please be her.' Rin thought as she walked up to the younger girl and tapped her shoulder. "Hello. Are you by any chance the granddaughter of General Grumman?" She put up a realistic smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm not her. Bye now." And the girl skipped away.

Tarin stood in that same spot and began cursing herself in thought. 'Dear God, if I do not find this girl in the next three minutes I will go to the Devil's Nest and drink for 2 hours. And whatever guy looks at me wrong will-'

"Tarin, I found her!" Taylor yelled from not that far away. She had a little blonde girl beside her with a suitcase.

'I'm guessing you really hate my drunk side, don't you big guy.' She thought as she walked over to the two. Squatting down to the girl's height she smiled. "Hi, it's nice to finally meet you. My name is Tarin Silvers, but you can just call me Rin. What's your name?"

The girl was silent. All she did was staring at the older woman. Going back at least two steps she slightly bowed. "My name is Cathelynn Hawkeye." Her tone was monotone but she sounded like she had a nice quiet voice.

"Hawkeye?" Tarin said before looking up at her sister who just shrugged. "I thought your last name would have been Grumman but I guess we thought wrong."

"Yeah you did." The blonde said under her breathe but Tarin heard it and said nothing of it. "I was told I was to be picked up by an elderly woman named Anne Silvers. She may be around your age."

Taylor's eye almost popped out of her head. Her neck quickly snapped to Cathelynn's person then to Tarin's and back. She could not believe that someone just basically called Tarin old. And worse, as old as Gran, who was in her seventies. But to call her sister old was like a death wish. Tarin never consider herself and wasn't, but her mature looks that she received from her mom has made people think she was older than she actually was. Tarin never cared much of her mature feature but she'd maim for being called old.

Tarin just gave a blank stare. After a long pause, she stood up and started walking. "Come on you two. We need to get to the house before Gran starts to worry." As in response the two girls followed Tarin as they began their long walk home. 'Dear God, I apologize in advance for Gramps missing bottle of rum. I need that stuff way more.'

-x-

"I thank you for my hospitality Mr. and Mrs. Silvers." Cathelynn said politely. "I realize why my family has put me in your care. You all have a wonderful home and family."

When the girls came home, Cathelynn was welcomed by the grandparents. She was guided to her new room that wasn't very far from the girls' room on the second floor. Cathelynn continuously expressed her gratitude and the loveliness of the Silvers' home. They were all currently at in the dining room eating dinner.

"That's very sweet of you dear." Gran smiled. "And after dessert I want you to go up stairs and get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you with you going to see the town. I'm sure my granddaughters would love to accompany you. Isn't that right?" Looking at them they didn't even seem to be close to paying attention. Tarin was busy eating her steak and mashed potatoes then refilling her plate. Taylor poked at her food occasionally in between eating. All Anne did was look at them before heading to the kitchen. "I'll just go and get dessert."

"You two need to start listen to your grandmother." Cedric mentioned as he took another big bite out of his meal. "And you need to stop eating like an animal and more like you're supposed to." It was obvious to everyone at the table he was then speaking to Rin. She ignored her grandfather's antics. "The ways you eat you're bound to gain up weight soon."

She smirked. "It's not that different from how you eat, you old veggie. Anyways I eat like this to help get my strength back up. Plus, weren't you the one that told me if I kept going without eating again I'll be dead before you guys?"

"You'll die choking then I guess."

"I'll wait the month after you croak so I can see your funeral and get my inheritance money."

They continued to argue back to back. Taylor didn't even try to stop them since she was used to the family dinner arguments. But unlike them, Cathelynn was completely baffled. She'd never seen people in a family argue this much around others. She watched as Cedric and Rin went at each other. If would have argued with any adult in her old home that would lead to punishment.

Gran walked back in with dessert, she ignored the fighting as well. "Who wants some of my famous apple pie?"

"I DO!" Before anyone else could even answer the request for pie Cathelynn already answered and even had her hand raised. The look of happiness was lit up on her face and the smile that was plastered on her face was bigger than anyone in that house had seen all day. Once the young girl noticed all eyes were on her, embarrassment replaced the joy then she immediately went back to her calm state. "I'm… I'm sorry." She was blushing tomato red. Gran smiled and gave her the first slice before passing more to the others. After she had taken the first bite of pie all she could think was 'This is pie heaven.'

-x-

"Ahh!"

"Huh?" Cathelynn cried as she jumped out of her sleep. She had heard a loud scream but she didn't know if it may have been a dream or reality. When she tried closing her eyes again another scream was heard and a thud followed. The young girl was too afraid to get out of her bed to know what it was. Footsteps were heard going down the hall and her door had opened. In walked Anne as she came up to the blonde and hugged her. "What was that noise? I heard a scream and woke up and-"

"Shh, it's okay sweetie, it's nothing to worry about." She consoled the girl. "It's just Tarin."

"Tarin?"

"Yes. I'm sure you were told that members in our family were in the military, right?" The girl nodded. "Tarin was in the last war as a State Alchemist. After she had come back she was traumatized and as a result she has these shell shocks and nightmares."

"Will she be okay?"

"It's going to take some time sweetie. She calmed down a lot then how she was so you don't-"

A large boom was heard and it shook the both of them. They could hear Gramps and Taylor trying to calm Tarin down. The latter yelled and swore to the top of her lungs. An alchemy made pillar went through the wall of Cathelynn's new room but came nowhere near the two.

"Cathelynn, just stay here with me so you won't- Cathelynn!" The girl had jumped from the woman's hold and went out into the hall. What the girl saw was almost unbelievable to her eyes. The grandfather was leaning against the wall holding his bleeding forehead; Taylor had her hand on the rim what Cathelynn guessed was an alchemy circle; Tarin was in the middle of that circle with her hands and feet being bound down by ice. Tarin was trying so hard to get out on the ice's clutches.

"Let go! You bastards! I'm never going back. You try and hold me down, I'll kill you. You hear me! I'll kill every last one!"

The screaming terrified Cathelynn but for some reason she couldn't help but get closer. Everyone tried telling her not to get close to the traumatized woman but she didn't listen. Once she was face-to-face with Tarin, blue eyes met dulled brown eyes.

"Please stop." Cathelynn's soft voice broke through Tarin's screaming. "Please stop hurting them. Hurting and killing them won't help. I'm not sure whether you're sad or just upset, but you have to realize who all you're hurting Tarin. Your sister, your grandparents; they're worried." Her pure blue eyes slowly started to tear up.

Tarin's expression slowly became softer. She looked at tears rolling down the girls face. After actually calming down, Tarin felt herself wake up and notice her surroundings. Taylor was bounding her with ice, her grandfather holding onto his forehead with blood slipping through his fingers and a bleeding arm, her grandmother standing close by her husband, and Cathelynn crying right in front of her. All she did was look to the ground, knowing what had happened. "I did it again, didn't I? I hurt you guys again."

"It's okay Rin." Gran got up and walked over to her. "You don't have to worry; we know you're still trying to get over this sweetheart and we know you didn't mean it." Gran was slightly taken back to see Tarin crying. She hadn't cried this hard in one of these moments since her first few. "Why are you crying-"

"I saw her…" She had looked up into Cathelynn's face and the tears continued. "I don't remember what I did the past few minutes but I saw her; the little girl from all that time. She was crying to me and telling me to stop killing. And when I open my eyes I saw Cathelynn, who suddenly reminded me of that." She felt herself being freed from the ice and jumped to hug Cathelynn. Everyone looked at the two and the younger girl was just as surprised. The woman smiled. "Thank you."

The girl stood there before crying harder into Tarin shoulder. Getting emotional herself, Taylor joined in crying as well. The grandparents watched the scene before them.

"Well," Gramps huffed. "I guess we have a new piece of the family that's not leaving for a long time. That means basically another grandkid." He grimaced on the last part. Gran just laughed at him as the girl continued their emotional moment.

-x-

"Tayl, Lynn; come on guys, we have to go." It had been three weeks since the incident, though there had been two others in between. The two girls ran outside on the porch to greet her. Over the past few weeks the girls all came onto leveled grounds with each and Cathelynn became more open to the Silvers'. She became so fond that they gave her a nickname, Lynn. "What are you guys doing up there? You're moving as slow as Gramps and that's pretty damn slow."

"We're coming Rin!" Taylor yelled down the stair as Lynn and she jumped down the step. They both stood in front of the ex-soldier and saluted. "We're here Major."

"Please don't call me that." She turned and started to walk out the door but was stopped by a tug on the back of her shirt. A smile appeared on her face from knowing exactly who it was. "Lynn, I've told you that you don't have to-" She had turned to the blonde who was now holding a gun in her hand. Tarin almost wanted to fall over seeing that in her hands. "Uh… What are you doing with that?"

Lynn looked from the gun back to Tarin, smiling. "It's a present from my grandfather." Taylor smiled at Lynn's enthusiasm but Rin on the other hand looked dumbfounded. "He sent it to me in the mail yesterday. It was because I want to be just like my cousin I told you about."

Remembering the girl's story, Rin scratched the back of her head and nodded. "Yeah, I remember that. But still, an eight year-old with a gun sounds pretty bad and as your secondary guardian I can't let you in harm's way."

"It's okay Rin." Cathelynn turned the gun pointing outside and shot it. It was aimed for the trucks already busted tire but it hit the dirt instead. The girl laughed lightly. "I guess I need more practice, huh?"

The two younger girls continued to laugh as they ran out the door. Tarin watched them and saw the spot where the hit the ground. Rubbing her temples she laughed. "Taking care of these two is going to be one hell of an adventure. One I wouldn't trade for anything in the world." When she heard another shot of the pistol and an apology from out the door she felt the sweat drop from her head. "Then again, it might also enhance my drinking."

The woman then walked out the door to begin the new days of her life.

(A/N: As you can see this was written in account of how Lynn came into the family. I plan to continue on making some short stories from their past but they will have to come later on. For now we will continue with the regular storyline. So, adios until later my fellow readers. Also the chapter is made out to a person dear to me: RixRose ;))

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