Chapter 14

My heart hammered until I got to Central. I had no idea what Envy had tried to say, and I was positive that it wasn't anything good.

     "He's supposed to be dead," I whispered. "He's supposed to be dead...!"

     "Who's supposed to be dead?" asked a little girl's voice. I jumped and looked to where it came from. There was a little redheaded girl staring at me in wonder. "Did your friend die and come back to life?"

     "Um, w-where's your mom?" I asked, wanting her to go away.

     "Carly!" a woman said sternly, walking up to the little girl and taking her arm. "Don't talk to strangers! I'm sorry if she bothered you."

     "Ah, no, that's fine," I said, looking at the woman.

     "Who's supposed to be dead?" the little girl--Carly--asked me again. Her mother's eyes widened.

     "Um, I just--I thought I saw someone I knew, who passed away some time ago," I said, trying to NOT freak out the mother.

     The girl said, "WHO!?"

     "Carly, go sit down," her mother said. Carly listened and stomped away to a seat in the back of the train.

     "Are you alright, young lady?" the woman asked me.

     "I'm fine, really," I replied. "I'm sorry that your daughter heard me talking to myself--I mean, um..."

     The woman was about to say something, when an announcement came overhead that said all passengers must get off of the train. I quickly stood up and hurried off.

     I looked around for Lieutenant Hawkeye, but instead of finding her, I found Major Armstrong, a big man that was bald, loved his family, and had very strange ways of making people talk and making people feel better.

     "Hello, Major," I said when I walked up to him.

     "Ah, young Lucy," he said, saluting. "I've been waiting for you. Lieutenant Hawkeye is waiting in the car."

     "Um, Major, why did you tag along?" I asked.

     "Never you mind," he said seriously. "Just come with me to the car."

     He was acting strange, and it kind of scared me. Major Armstrong really could be serious when he wanted to.

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The Major stayed at the station. He didn't get into the car.

     "Are you feeling better, Lucy?" Riza asked me when I got in the car and she started driving. I assumed she was thinking of that day I failed to assassinate my father.

     "Yeah, I am, actually," I replied, staring out the window. "Um, so he really did turn himself in?"

     She, too, knew who I was talking about.

     "Yes," she said. "I didn't really believe it, myself. We arrested him as fast as we could. That envelope he left you...the colonel said you know what's in it? Don't you think someone else should open it before you, just to make sure it's safe?"

     "I trust that it's safe," I said. "I had a talk with him yesterday. He told me himself that he was going to turn himself in."

     "Why would he do a thing like that?" she asked. "What do you think he's planning?"

     "He's already sent to be executed, so I doubt he's planning anything."

     "Still, I don't feel right about this whole thing," Riza said with finality. "Anyway, what's in that envelope he left you?"

     "His will," I said. "He sold most, if not all, of his belongings, and put the money in that envelope. He told me he would."

     "When did you even have this talk with him?" she asked.

     "Yesterday, I went to the cemetary in Resembool," I began. "and he was there. Yeah, I screamed at him that he didn't have the right to be there, but he looked defeated. He admitted and apologized for things. I can't say that I'll ever consider him my father, but I pitied him."

     "After he killed your mother and molested your sister?"

     "Yes," I said without hesitating. Riza didn't say anything the whole way back to Central Command.

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"Here you go," the colonel said when he handed me the manilla envelope. Riza was standing by, looking ready to save me or something if there was anything evil inside the envelope. I sighed and pulled the money out of it.

     "It's nothing evil," I said. "See? He was true to his word."

     "I still don't understand why he did this," Colonel Mustang said with a sigh. "Doesn't it seem a little out of character for someone like him?"

     "I know he was honest, and that's enough for me," I said with finality, stuffing the money back into the bag.

     I suddenly shuddered, an image of Envy grinning evily clouding my mind.

     "Lucy, are you alright?" Riza asked, sounding worried.

     "I-I'm fine," I replied, not wanting to say anything about Envy. "Just a little cold, is all. I just got over being sick. Heh heh..."

     "Didn't you say that Edward was gone?" Colonel Mustang said suddenly. I was caught off guard that he changed the subject so quickly, but I nodded.

     "He left with Alphonse to go brush up on some alchemy stuff," I told him. "He's going to be gone for a while."

     "He was living with you, wasn't he?" Riza asked. Colonel Mustang flinched and said rather loudly, "Two teenagers of the opposite sex shouldn't be living together under any circumstances! If he left, then good riddance."

     "It was Pinako's idea, so blame her," I grumbled, annoyed that he was taking the Father role.

     "I have to agree with you, Colonel," Riza said with a sigh, completely ignoring what I said.

     I grimaced and said--lying of course, "I'm glad he's gone! He was a lazy sack of alchemist that needed to get off his butt and do some work."

     Riza and the colonel seemed a little surprised by my outburst, but they let it drop.

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The walk to the train station seemed very slow. Riza couldn't drive me back because she had an emergency assignment that she couldn't be late for. But I didn't mind, as long as I didn't see Envy in the streets...

     My mind drifted to Edward. What was he doing? Was he learning anything? Was he going to call at all?

     "Get your mind out of the gutter," I mumbled to myself. "Just friends. Nothing more. Stop thinking about him."

     I heard loud talking, and I looked over. Across the street at some fancy coffee shop were two girls that I hated. Really hated.

     Their names were Zoe Nordik and Megan Park. They made my school life Hell, along with other students (which were on their side).

     "Oh, look, isn't that Lucy?" Zoe said loudly, a mock kindness in her voice.

     "Why yes, Zoe, it is!" Megan said, the same snotty tone in her words. "Let's go say hi to our old friend, shall we?"

     "We shall!"

     Damn it.

 

 

Author's Note

Gah....this took a long time. Especially considering I wasn't home for the last five days.

Reviews

[Emunah June.]

Uh oh....

[Anonymous]

KILL THEM, LUCY. KICK THEM IN THE KIDNEYS AND MAKE THEM DRINK THEIR OWN BLOOD. STICK UP FOR YOURSELF AGAINST THOSE SKANKS, LUCY!!!