Chapter 20

"Edward, Alphonse!" a blonde-headed girl squealed after she answered the door. I stood awkwardly at the bottom of the steps, popping another cigarette in my mouth.

     "Oh, Ed, is this the assassin that you mentioned in your letter?" the girl asked curiously. I clenched my fists.

     "Yeah, Winry," Edward said, gesturing to me. "This is Lucy." He didn't sound like himself.

     Winry snorted and said, "An assassin named LUCY!? I didn't think you were serious when you wrote it in your letter!" I clenched my fists so tight that my fingernails were biting the palms of my hands. I glared at Winry, and she noticed. Her smile faded and she looked away from me.

     "Winry, don't be rude!" a small old woman snapped in the doorway of the house. She walked down the porch steps and extended her hand, saying, "My name is Pinako Rockbell, Miss Lucy. Welcome to our home." I blinked, and hesitantly shook Pinako's hand, unsure of why she was being so...kind.

     "Um, Lucy can't really talk right now," Alphonse said. "She went through something traumatic, and no one knows what happened but her. She can't talk about it."

     "Is that true?" Pinako asked, eyeing me up and down. I dragged on my cigarette and nodded.

     "So that's why you boys came to visit," Pinako said as if she had her suspisions. "You or your silly colonel think that if she gets better by having a vacation, the military can squeeze the answers out of her."

     "It's Colonel Loud Mouth who thinks that, not us," Edward said, a dark tone in his voice. "I promise you that."

     Edward was quieter since he saw that picture on the train. Alphonse seemed a little quieter as well.

     I should've burned that picture.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

"We only have two guest rooms, so you two will have to share," Pinako told Edward and Alphonse once we stepped inside. I noticed Winry giving me timid looks. I sighed.

     "How are we supposed to communicate with you, Lucy?" Pinako asked. "Can you write?"

     "Of course she can," Edward said. He found a pen and papper and plopped it in front of me. I looked at it, and pushed it away. I shook my head.

     "Wait, you can't write?" Edward said, sounding a little shocked.

     "Dyslexic," I said, my voice almost a whisper. I coughed, and felt my eyes tear up a bit because of how much it hurt. I didn't know why it was becoming hard to talk.

     "Brother, Colonel Mustang told us, remember?" Al said. "She quit school because it was too hard for her. She can't read and write well."

     That's half of why I quit.

     "Oh, yeah, that's right," Edward said quietly, not meeting my gaze.

     "Well, I guess we'll just have to ask yes and no questions," Pinako said, nodding her head. "Winry, take Lucy to one of the guest rooms upstairs so she can get settled in."

     Winry jumped, looking kind of afraid. And she should be, for housing an assassin. And Homunculus.

     She walked to the stairs, and I followed her, carrying my bag with me. She walked up the stairs quickly, as if trying to run away from me.

     She slowed up at the top and walked normally through the narrow hallway. She stopped in front of a door and opened it, saying, "Okay, here's your room, Miss Lucy."

     I looked at her and barely managed to say, "Just...Lucy." I could tell she was afraid of me. I didn't know whether that was good or bad, either.

     She looked at me, surprised that I spoke, and smiled a little.

     "Okay," she said. "Lucy." Winry walked back down the hallway and down the stairs. I went in the room and closed the door.

Reviews

[Luna Northstar]

You guys might kill me for this, but i kinda feel bad for Winry.. hehehe... DONT KILL ME!! But no, shes no worse than ed (at the moment) and maybe Lucy could use a friend.... you know, unless Lucy kills Winry first. Either way it's a win win situation :)

[Anonymous]

Lucy... Poor girl :(

[Emunah June.]

Aww poor Lucy. My heart goes out to the poor thing!