A/N:
Hello all! I finally gotten on my hand and continued working on this piece!
I finished writing half of this and stuck for months before I finish off everything within three days!
I ish not proud at all don't worry! because nobody read this.. hahaha...
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood.
Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Mother's Instinct
-.-.-
Drip...
Drip...
Drop...
Droplets were the only sound, breaking the silenced which exchanged by two person. Black Hayate whined in plead, disliking the heavy atmosphere.
Drip...
Drip...
Drop...
Riza and fake Edward are wrenched from head to toe, they had sprinted away from the valley in the rain. There were no places that is safe to go in Riza's mind, so she brought them back home. She had called Roy Mustang prior of her interesting situation after handing towel to Edward to dried himself. He refused to speak and Riza decided to wait for her superior's arrival, tensions spoke between them.
Knock knock
Everyone snapped back from inner world, Riza make her way to the door, unlock it and pulled opened. Revealing Roy Mustang behind, he was tall and stern-looking. Edward looked at him with fear and that looks didn't go unnoticed by both adult.
"What's the matters, Lieutenant?" Roy spoke and took a glance at Edward.
"And is that Fullmetal? Why is he here? I've assigned a new mission for him the day before to the south-west." Roy questioned looking confused while he invited himself in.
Closing the door, Riza sigh, knowing this won't be easy to explained. "Colonel, I'd appreciate if you take a closer look."
Doing as she suggested, Roy approached Edward and lifted his chin with his index finger, showing the orbs of intensive rich golden color. Golden eye blinked in surprised before his cheek was quickly flushed in embarrassment. Droplet of water trailed his facial shape, observed by Roy that it was much more defined and smaller than Ed's. He blinked, defined and smaller than Ed? This person is not Fullmetal?
Dropping his hand, Roy stepped back while glaring darkly at him.
"Who are you! Are you En-"
Riza quickly stopped Roy and reassured him that he is not Envy, saving the poor boy when he's looking so terrified.
"Colonel wait! He was injure when I found him, if he was a homunculus, the wounds would heal instantly. So far there is no display of regenerated ability and neither did Black Hayate growl at him." Riza hissed quietly at homunculus part.
"I'm sure that you didn't missed that look earlier! If he was innocent, he won't look like he seen a ghost!" Roy argued.
-.-.-
Ezren sighed, knowing where is this heading. She was so shocked to see young Riza and Roy, especially Roy.. She didn't expected him to look more serious than the anime, guessed she must made it to the past. There is no way of escaping this situation other than tell them most of the detail, hope they are ready to take in.
"Excuse me.." Ezren started, attracting both adults attentions.
"I'm a human, I'm not Edward and I'm definitely not a homunculus." Ezren explained, emphasize the 'not'.
Roy and Riza blinked, looking surprised and dumbfounded at Ezren, making eye contact once before asking in unison.
"You're a girl?"
"Are you a girl?"
Ezren deadpanned at her spot, not expecting that, laughing awkwardly at the responds before replying.
"Or you do prefer if I use this voice instead?" Ezren mimic real Edward voice.
Both adult stunned for a seconds, Roy's bring his finger to massage his forehead, Riza regained her composure by closing her eyes. And Roy lost it, he covered his mouth to muffled the snickered, but ended up with a full blown laughter. Riza held back a smile that is tugging at the corner of her lips, not sure to laugh along or pity the next sources of Roy entertainment.
"Fullmetal with high female pitch.. " Roy hugged his stomach in ache.
Ezren rolled her eye, stared at Roy with disbelief.
"Sir, please restrain yourself.." Riza sighed.
"Um.. I-" Roy paused, taking few coughs and tested his tone before continuing. "I'm sorry, but it just..." He stopped again, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "Fullmetal's gonna flip out badly." Roy grinned mischievously at his own thoughts.
"Colonel."
"Ah yes, if you aren't Fullmetal, than who are you? As a starter, my name is Roy Mustang. A Colonel on the military ranking." Roy shivered and quickly atone himself before the hawk wrath reached the peak.
Rolling her eye at the Colonel, Riza kneel down to eye level with Ezren. "I'm Riza Hawkeye, what's your?" She spoke softly as if her mother instinct kicks in, showing motherly kindness expression.
Ezren awed at the suddenly change in Roy's attitude, guessed Riza is really his sitter.. Ezren stared at Riza nervously, anime showed she were a intelligent and strong will woman, but here? Freaking scarier.. In handling Roy. Ezren sweated, now here's the hard part. How should she respond, tell them everything or partially? One thing for sure is that they are definitely curious about the look between her and him. But they asked for the name only..
"Ezren.."
"So, Ezr-"
"Ezren, how old are you?" Riza stopped Roy for questioning, turning to him and gave a 'leave that question for last' glance.
Ezren blinked, "Sixteen."
"What's about your full name?" Riza continued.
The young girl stiffened, debating whether to let them know or not. This is Riza and Roy she was thinking about, they are loyal and protective of their comrades. But for her, to them.. Is just passerby stranger who happened to look like him and also happened to be a blood descendant..
Roy pondered, what's so hard to answer those questions, she was careful on her talking as if she doesn't want any information's being leaked. Possibilities of there's a connection between her and Fullmetal crossed his mind but kicked out of the window when Fullmetal is too young to have kids, some more same age? No way. Lost long sibling? No, it was confirmed the Elric family only left with Elric brothers and their father. He was getting a little frustrated, answers is just right in front of him yet it's unable to be retrieved.
"What's your full name?" Riza tried again, she's also wondering why is Ezren stressing in answering simple question such as full name. Same ideal of Ezren is connected to Edward crossed her mind.. Dropped the idea because of same age gap.
"C-Cirle.. Ezren Cirle." Ezren replied nervously. 'Liar' Everyone thoughts.
Roy looked at Ezren with half-closed eyelids before switched his gaze to Riza. Riza's orbs were on him until he's met her and she returned the eye contact with Ezren. Both adult knew that Ezren were lying about her last name. Their spit-seconds eye contact agreed to have a talk later.
They knew I'm lying, deep shit. Ezren mentally cringed at herself for her poor ability to lie. They will let me off the hook for now, and when they found out there are no Cirle out there.. They will question and demand truth from me.
"Alright, what's your connection to Edward Elric?" The question finally spoken from Roy.
'Let's lie all the way.'
"Ah? The Fullmetal Alchemist? I heard from my peeps around me that I look like him. There is no connection between us except appearance." Ezren replied cheerfully as she can.
"And isn't there a saying that there will be another person in the world who look exactly or similar to us?" Ezren continued to explained, in cold sweats, trying to convinced them.. For now
Roy still looked doubtful, not buying the story but at the same time considering to believed or not. Riza closed her eye again, trying to processed and figuring a solution for the current situation. Ezren sat there with outbreak of sweats and stony smile.
"Bark!"
Everyone snapped out and look at the corner of the flat. Black hayate stood there with a sad expression if dog could actually make. 'Guuuu' Black hayate looked at his owner in the eye, telling her that he is hungry. Inspired Riza to think of a perfect solution for now.
Riza stood up and look at both of them. "Alright boy and girl, it's late. We can continue this tomorrow, as for now. Ezren go get a bath, Hayate will show you where the bathroom is and I'll fetch you some changes later." Black Hayate bark in understood. "As for you Sir.." Roy grimaced slightly at the usage of name. "It'll be up to you whether to head home now or stay for the night." Riza suggested softy.
"I will take the latter."
"Than help out with the dinner."
-.-.-
Riza stood behind the counter with tomatoes and pasta, thinking what else could be added. Roy fidgeting the cabinet around the kitchen, taking out an dried pile of mushrooms and green peas, with blank stared.
"Sir.. Those are dried mushroom and peas." Riza's voice echoed out.
"I know, I'm just thinking about Ezren." Roy sweatdropped and gloomed, of course he knew it's was mushrooms and peas. Proceeding to soaked them in water, Riza gave a small smile, knowing the addon had been decided.
"What about her?" Riza asked, hinting Roy to passed her the chopping board and the knife at the sink.
"What she said earlier." He replied while passing her the items she wanted.
"What about it? She did tried to lie on certain part. I notice." Lips-sync a thank you to Roy, Riza placed the board on the counter, chopped the tomatoes and tossed them to the bowl beside.
"The earlier part where she mentioned Homunculus."
Riza stopped in her track as realization hit her, at the corner of her widened eye, she placed her gaze on Roy, who stood there staring at the soaked mushrooms and peas.
"What?..."
"If my theory is correct, she isn't just someone connected to Fullmetal, maybe even more than that. Because if she were indeed our average Joe, she wouldn't assured us that she's not a homunculus." Roy firmly explained.
Riza stared at the ceiling in disbelief, than resumed to the preparation, action that told Roy she agreed to his theory.
"But first, we will have to gather evidence to confront her." Riza advised.
"I will have to borrow your phone for awhile, Riza."
"You know where it is."
-.-.-
Ezren curled to a ball on the bathroom corner, dejecting, deadpanned, depressed or whatever that could described how Ezren was feeling now. She felt like an idiot, an foolish human of a genius bloodline that couldn't even lie properly. (A/N: I don't blame her.. Ed seem to be a horrible liar as well. On surprised attack.)
Black Hayate on the other hand tilted his head and looked at Ezren innocently, nudged his head gently against her elbow. Hayate way of comforting someone in distressed.
-.-.-
Riza's was preparing the table setup until she noticed an figure walked in. Ezren appeared to be just out from shower, with golden hair sticking to her face and the white shirt she lent her. Rubbing the towel in her hair as she tried to dry herself but failed.. After a good wash-up, she could definitely differentiated the difference between Edward and Ezren. Than Riza's eye twitched as her mother instinct snapped, Ezren shivered in that instant.
"Ezren, sit." Riza ordered sternly. Ezren reacted and obey within a seconds, seating herself to the nearest chair by the table. Taking the towel from her hand, Riza began by wrapping the towel on longest length of Ezren's hair and gave a few light squeezes, letting the towel to absorbed the extra droplets, followed by gently rubbing against the towel section by section of her hair slowly.
"Ezren.. The way you dry your hair is wrong, you have to do it slowly and gently." Riza lectured.
"..." Ezren kept her gazed on the floor, faint tinted of pink visible from Riza angle.
"It'd be a waste if such beautiful hair getting frizzy." Riza go on.
But in reality, Ezren is screaming inside with embarrassment, she couldn't fight with Riza. If Roy was afraid of her than there no way she could disobey. But...
'Hate to admit.. But it feel nice to have someone doing this...' Ezren snuggled more into the sensation.
"Look like mother and daughter bonding time there." Roy voice brought both the woman and girl back from tingling mood. Roy obviously looked slightly sour, as he sound cold. Approaching Riza and snatched the towel from her, ruffling roughly on Ezren still-wet head with his large hand instead, messing and tangled up her hair.
"You brat.. Just because you look like Fullmetal doesn't mean you get privilege such as this." Ruffling even harder as before, Roy mumbled in displeased.
"Oww! Stop it!" Ezren protested and winced in pains, not liking Roy venting his jealousy on her. Attempting to pry Roy's hand off her but rather gotten her hair furthered tangled and messy.
Bang
Bullet flew across Roy's face, succeed in stopping him. Who turned his face at the gunshot direction in jerky manners, terror crept to his nerve when he witnessed the glint in Riza's glare, the infuriated Riza gave an kind smile.
Bang
Bang
Bang
A/N:
I kind of, give a parental situation to them on the last part... I didn't have any planned plot for that, just went with the flow...
And when i was doing the part where Riza dry Ezren hair, I stuck.. Because i forgot how Ezren look like ! fail me!
I alway reference from other FMA stories out there before i continued writing this.. My special favorite is "Truth Revealed"
It give me inspiration of how to described character explanation in detail! though I still bad at grasping well.. *sob*
So the least I could do is recommend people to read that story..!