Eldest Elric

Another Loss

~~~~ Central H.Q~~~~
I stopped by to visit Maes and Gracia. We haven't seen them in three whole years. I'm seventeen-years-old and Jenner is nine-year-old. He's gotten to my ribs now and let his hair grow shaggy. I had grown into an hour-glass figure that I kind of hid. Jen still calls me Momma and wares the sunglasses.
Gracia didn't answer the door though. It was a little girl with light brown hair in two piggy-tails and green eyes. "Who are you?" She asked cutely. I smiled and leaned to her height, "My name's Elizabeth, call me Liz." At the sound of my voice, Gracia came to the door. I knew the child was Elicia. Even with my travels, I send and get letters.
From everyone, really. Roy sends me updates on my brothers. Falman tells me of the rich history of the towns I stop or pass through. Breda would ask me to try a certain food. Havoc would just write complains about the latest girlfriend he would lose. Fuery tells me about the best technology and cameras. Even Riza had wrote to me out of curiosity of how we were doing. Pinako sends a letter to check on me.
I get some letters from my friends in Xerxes and the towns I visited. Pictures too. I had heard that my brothers went to some of the same places and they tell me of their great deeds. Yes, I enjoy getting letters.
Gracia had given us both a hug and invited us in. We sat down and caught up on everything that was missed. I told her of the towns we went to and the fun that we had. Jen showed her pictures and the stories behind them, even with Elicia. She was a sweet girl and reminded me a lot of Sonya. A good thing.
Jen, Gracia, and I stayed up until Maes got back and he was so happy to see us. In excitement, he speaks of my brothers and how much he likes them. The whole night I stayed up and talked to Maes. He seemed extremely happy to see that we have a pet and many good memories.
"So, you got a boyfriend yet?" He sounded so serious. I rolled my eye at him and scoffed, "No. Why would I need one of those?" My joke didn't faze him and he smiled. "Good! That's my girl." The man still thought of me as his child. I retold our adventures to him all night and it was relaxing. Truly, I loved seeing them again.
Jenner and I stayed for a few months. We made friends with Alex Louis Armstrong and Jenner idolized the big man. It was the same with Sig Curtis. For a good while, I had fun. Street performing my music and calling Roy about getting a wife was fun.
When I heard my brother was in the hospital from a fight, I flipped. Maes tried to calm me down by saying he gets in this kind of trouble often, but that was fuel to the fire. My brothers were getting hurt by picking fights with the big bad guys?! Go figure they would do that. Maes went to the hospital to check on them. We had a party planned and everything that night, Maes brought Winry back. It was eventful and we got to play with the little kids. The night was relaxing, but Winry and I didn't speak much.
The next day, he brought Jen and I to Central H.Q with him to meet some of his friends. Even though I don't think we were allowed to be there, it was unexpected. I met a girl with a memory like mine, Sheska. She is shy and kind of clumsy, but was really nice. The girl knew of my brothers and said that they were amazing enough to get her this job. I felt proud of them. They are making good memories too. Thinking of my brothers made me miss them and want to see them.
Jenner got upset at the mention of Edward. Maybe he still remembers what happened to my eye? The memory was still fresh in my mind. I pushed it aside and smiled at the new man, Captain Focker. He seemed like an honest man.
"We'll be right back." Maes excused himself and I, leaving Jen with the other two. I was curious as to why the man dragged me off to an empty room. Maes had sat me down on one of the couches in the back and sat across from me, watching the door as he spoke, "What do you know about what your brothers have been getting into?" I cocked an eyebrow. He looked at me and explained it, all of it
The man pulled something from the shelf behind him. It was a map of Amestris. He laid it out and started marking on it, "I need you to help me, Elizabeth." His eyes locked onto my good one and I thought for a moment. Did I want to get involved in life threatening things that have something to do with my brothers?
Hell yeah! I'm their big sister and I need to protect them. They may hate me and hurt me, but I will keep coming back. My head bobbed a nod and Maes started going into details on how things were. He explained how Amestris is a Transmutation Circle. When he showed me the actual thing on the map, I knew it. I knew what that meant.
Maes watched me as I tried to place the familiarity. "Maes, don't get into this. Don't tell my brothers anything about this." My eye met his and I showed no joke. This information made me think of how dangerous the whole situation could be. I don't want anyone caught up in this. So, I need to think of a way to get my brothers out. All of the blood in my body screamed to hide them away and destroy this thing.
Maes gave me a lazy smirk, "No can do, Lizzy. This is not something I can keep quiet about, Roy needs to know." He's going to get caught up in this. I can't let him do that. "Maes, please," My voice begged and I felt worried, "Don't get involved with this. I want you to-" The sound of a small squeak made us freeze. Maes put on a large smile, "So, do you think you could do this for me?"
We played it off with a different conversation. "You want me to draw this large poster for Elicia's late birthday present? It's so detailed." I sighed and looked at him. Maes passed me the map and I stood up, stretching. "Please?! She would absolutely love it! And you forgot to get her one!" We left the room and he put his arm over my shoulder. "Fine, fine, but no butting in on my work time." Saying that to him was me warning him not to get anymore involved. He pouted as we walked back to his office. Yep, I was done for.
Jen and I had been escorted by Maes to the front entrance, the boy was strangely silent. I nudged him to get his attention, "What's wrong, Jen?" My question made Maes frown as we walked. Jen rolled his eyes, "You know what's wrong." The blonde boy stated with his eyes brushing past me. He wouldn't look at me now.
My hand gently grabbed his shoulder as I turned him to look at me. "Why are you looking away?" We stopped walking. I worried that it could be serious. Could he be mad that I went off with Maes and left him with two strangers? Did they say something to him? "Are you mad that I went with Maes for a while?" I asked, not liking that he wouldn't say anything. He shook his head, but didn't say anything on it. My mothering side wanted an answer and couldn't wait. "Did they say something to upset you? It's okay-" I started again after another moment. He pulled back and my hand dropped.
Shaded eyes looked at me, "How can they not!? All that woman would talk about was how amazing Edward is and how nice he is! They don't know anything!" Jenner spat. His anger wasn't to me, but to my little brother. I smiled softly and placed my hands on each side of his face, "Now, Jenner, Edward has changed. He was lost and confused before. He's changed." My words made me happy. I knew my brother had changed. Both of them. I don't hold grudges for the past.
Jenner looked right at me and his fingers touched my eye-patch, "No, he hasn't. He hasn't found you and apologized. That guy is no better than before because he took away something precious to you. He hurt the one person I love, Momma." My hand wrapped around his and I kissed his forehead. The boy I raised is so sad about something that happened a long time ago. "I'll tell you what," I looked him in the eyes through the shades, "When Edward says 'Sorry' to me, I want you to forgive him. Until then, forget about him."
We walked back to the house and Maes stayed at work. Making another sample of the map to show Roy when he visits him. I had watched from afar with Jenner as my brothers and Winry set off to Rush Valley. Silently, I hoped that they would have the same kind of fun I did when we went there a while ago.
Instead of traveling South-West, like we had planned, we stayed another night with Gracia to stock up. A knock on the door late at night woke me up. I had answered it because the woman was still sleeping. Two uniformed men were at her door and they had a grim look, "Mrs. Gracia Hughes?" The first one asked me. So, they were looking for Gracia? I shook my head, "I'll go wake her, please come in." My words were polite and I let them in. Jen and I sleep in the spare room, so the living room was clear. My feet hurried to the master bedroom and I gently woke Gracia.
She put on her robe and we went back to the men. The news hit me hard. Yet, I put on a strong face and held Gracia as she broke in tears. It hurt. It really hurt to lose someone and I have lost a lot. This sweet woman did not deserve to lose. Maes didn't deserve to die. I felt heavy all over again. This was how everything felt.
My mind went blank for hours. I could only rock the woman who lost the man she loved. The father of her child and the great man she married. He's gone.
Tears of my own came. Maes Hughes is dead... The man who was like my own father is dead. He isn't going to walk through that door. Not anymore. Maes won't send me any letters. Or pictures. Or smiles. He's gone. Salt liquid rolled down my face like a river. It won't stop. The sadness won't lighten up.
Telling Jenner was hard, but telling Elicia was harder. Jenner knows about death and he understood. Little Elicia was confused and sad. She would still expect to see him coming home from work. The little girl still waited for him. Like Edward. Only difference was that our father was alive somewhere. Our father had left us on his own will. Maes didn't want to go. Maes wanted to stay with the ones he loved and be happy.
Gracia was so torn up and lost for the first few days. So, I stayed to help her with Elicia and managed things for her. It didn't bother me none and was the least I could do. The woman lost someone. We all lost someone. I let her hide in her room to try and deal with her sadness. On the day of the funeral, we dressed in black. Us girls wore black dresses and Gracia lent a black tux to Jenner.
The tux use to be her cousin's and she was just holding onto it. The car ride was quiet and I drove. Izumi had taught me. Thinking of her made me wonder if Edward and Alphonse knew about this. Maybe not. It was a large service and I had stayed by Gracia. She needed support now more than ever. When I had seen Roy and Riza, I only nodded to them. Alex had put his hand on my shoulder and gave condolences to the woman next to me.
I watched as the man I had come to love as family was put into the ground. I cried when Elicia had told them to stop. She cried out that he had work to finish and her mother held her tightly. Even the Fuhrer was there, shaking.
There was a buzz in the air around him, but I didn't want to think about it. No. My mind went to the sad people all around me. Every time they shot the gun, I would flinch. Now, he is really gone. My chest gave a squeeze as I left with Gracia. It took her one more day before she could handle everything again.
"You should start traveling again, Lizzy." Gracia said to me when I finished diner. I looked at her for a moment. She had color back in her face. So, that night, I went to H.Q. I had wanted to speak with Sheska about how Maes was acting before he left work. When I got there, Riza was outside. "Riza?" I called out to her. Her blue eyes looked to my good one and she gave me a nod. "What are you doing here, Elizabeth?" She asked me quietly and I gave a small smile. Have I mentioned that I like her? Well, I do. "I'll be leaving tomorrow and wanted to say goodbye to Sheska. Is Roy here?" My question made her look at me more closely. I had dark circles under my eyes and had my guitar. Yes, she could think I'm Envy. Yet, she sighed and gave another nod.
It was quiet for a moment. I turned around, "Give him my regards. I should go now." The sadness had tried to creep into me and I just wanted fresh air.
"Roy and the Unit will be at Central H.Q from now on. Stop by when you get the chance." Riza said before I left. My head bobbed a nod as I continued.
We set out the next day. It was the first train to the West and Maria Ross, Denny Brosh, and Alex Armstrong had seen us off. The Strongarm Alchemist had given me a letter of introduction and told me to pay his older sister a visit at Fort Briggs. I may not be in the military, but he wanted me to meet her and 'check on her'. Though, she is the officer in charge of a place as hardcore as Briggs.